The cool chill of the air nipped at his skin in a way that was nearly intoxicating after the day. It was warmer outside than it had been inside the freezer pulling stacks of glorious meat. Memories of the night before, fading to the back of his mind as he tries not to let his own anxieties form and allow his thoughts to get away from him. Instead, he only buttons his coat, losing the grin that came as he stepped out the door. Locking the doors behind him, a deep breath was taken. There was something wrong about the moment, and how it was too quiet. Not a single scent passing through here, almost as though the world went stale. His brow furrowed with uncertainty, even as he locked the door behind him and began to move towards his usual path. One that he had plotted many times due to how safe he was under the belief it should be.

Movements were smooth, even placing the beanie over his head, but not enough to throw his hearing. Forcing a smile on his own lips, a tune found its way to his lips. An all too familiar one he hated, but if there was someone out there to goad, he wasn't going to play scared. Almost as if on cue, Manny found a group of four men moving his way from different directions of their own. Every step he made in another direction, they seemed to be there, herding him to where they wanted him looking all too natural here. It didn't take a genius to figure what this was about. It was likely they knew their friends were missing, and if they were set on following Veronica? Which of them was the best candidate for having been helping?

While he didn't care for being treated this way, Manny saw the end of this in an alleyway. Dark and alluring in its own way, especially now that he held two small glass vials. All just in case of such a moment.

"What did you do with them, you piece of shit?" the gruff voice came from inside the alley, as though Manny had missed him standing there in the shadows. Was he supposed to be new to this?

"Were you talking to this piece of shit?" Manny pointed at the other men coming closer to the alley, that had been herding him here. "Or that one? Because this is some stranger danger, and I was told not to talk to any pieces of shit. You know, mama said." There was a crack, from his left side, then right. Those men brandishing their current weapons in hand. One he recalled from many days in his past.

"Last chance to come out of this with the ability to walk." The man came back with more threats, trying to lead Manny's attention back to him even though it was hard to miss that crackle of electricity.

"Listen, Ringling Brothers? Barnum and Bailey?" Manny began calling random men these names. "This really isn't a great time. I quit that old fiery ring line of work. It was bad for the health, you know?" he started, just as Manny threw those glass vials on the ground. Nothing happened, nothing was supposed to happen, but they didn't know that. As they stared at the broken glass, and then back up to Manny. "Oops? Uh," he started again, before swinging at the man to his left, in hopes of gaining the taser baton.

He missed, leaving him wide open for those swings to both of his side and knocking him down to the ground. Struggling to breathe, he growled with any breath he could muster as he began to be kicked and stomped on. The world around him thrumming like he was nothing but the beat of a drum and they were playing their own special rhythm to the world. One that beckoned the answers they likely had some semblance of understanding on. The two men were dead. Their own, a loss of two crew they would have to replace.

The man waved them off for him to speak, coming close to Manny with little thought or care. "You killed them, didn't you?" The only sound was that of Manny coughing on the ground, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "You're all going back, and you know it. Why else would you be here? You play nice and tell us who helped you, and we'll make sure you get a nicer cage." The man had spoken looking back and forth between his men, laughing. "Because that's all you deserve, you freak." Moving to kick Manny as well, he laughed again. "A cage."

There was a huff of air that was forced out, causing more coughing. But Manny moved to sit on his knees, looking up at the man. "I do have something to admit," he spoke slowly, now wiping his hand on his jeans. Taking a deep breath, one that hurt enough for him to grab his side a moment. "Well, get on with it." The man beckoned, thinking this might actually be this easy. "You ruined it, this was my favorite coat." Manny spoke far too seriously, before lunging at the man in front of him, jabbing a piece of glass into the flesh of his neck. Turning quickly and slamming his fist into the face of another man rushing forward to help. Again left open, and tased, he didn't fall the way he had before. Instead, he quickly shifted. Clothes tearing as he growled menacingly. The men moved forward on him, yelling at him to do as they wanted, only for Manny to turn and run through the other side of the alley, leaping over a fence and towards the woods.

Now having the advantage, Manny was on the prowl, hiding in the woods. There was no safety even here though, as they continued to chase, in desperate search of him. They wanted their own type of payback, and while he understood that greedy need, he wasn't looking to step back into that. Downwind, their scents were strong due to those vials. Each man having run through that mess he had left behind. Two on foot, one must have stayed back to help the other two. They didn't even try to stay together, moving in their own formation. Except, their weapons seemed to have changed. The taser batons once seen, they were not what was held in hand. The glint of metal, Manny knew that choice in weaponry. Guns.

Sneaking up behind one of them, Manny leapt. The impact smashing the mans head between a rock and a hard place, all too literally. From paw to tree to rock. That might have been a bit too easy, but it didn't leave enough of a sound for them to find his current position. Manny hoped the next would be just as easy. But he found this one a bit more tricky, or perhaps scared, with the way he was holding that rifle. So, Manny moved around him, circling in an attempt to make him pull the trigger to give him enough time to reach him. Somehow, it worked, leaving shots fired into the bushes Manny had just been in. Swiping at the man with a massive claw, flesh tore, but also, the strength of the move left the man's spine crack. Falling to the ground in a whirl, he knew he didn't have much time. The final man yelling, calling for the two who were now down and heading this way.

Manny shifted back into his human form, pulling the boots and pants off the man on the ground. "You won't be needing these," he whispered in the dark. Taking off and running away before he could even try to put them on himself. I think I've found better at Goodwill, he complained to himself. Hiding behind a tree, he pulled on everything, running a hand over his own injuries. He had stayed a little too long and he knew it, but he needed the break. Grinding his teeth, how he missed that coat now. There was muttering behind him, something in another language and crying? Why would he be...Manny didn't want to know. Instead, he kept moving in the direction of what was now home.

So close to the clearing, it wasn't then that he became aware that the man had figured out where he was heading. Of course, it wasn't rocket science. But there was a tinge of blood in the air. Yes, the man was hurt and pointing a gun at him, swearing. Taking advantage of the dark, he moved quickly, hiding behind trees before he could reach the house. The shots flew past him, missing him and whistling past. Until he did reach that porch. "Em!" he started, reaching for the door when it hit.

That whistling no longer flying past him, but a bee sting moved straight into his shoulder. Lights feeling dim, as tunnel vision edged through to take him. The soreness that spread through his arm and chest like wildfire. All as his body crumpled to the ground.