~ Kidnapped ~
John heard Sherlock slip silently into the room, and into the lower bunk of their bunk bed. He opened his mouth to complain about being left out of the plan, and then thought better of it. He'd be sure to help rescue that girl, no matter what the both of them told him. He'd felt bitter since the beginning of this crazy journey, as well as replaced by the Doctor. They didn't need him; Sherlock had just dragged him along for the ride as usual.
John tossed and turned in bed. He listened to Sherlock's breath slow to that of a sleeping person's. Waiting to be sure that his friend was asleep, he silently climbed down the ladder and grabbed his shoes and a jacket the Doctor had lent him.
Silently stealing across corridors, he reached the console room. The Doctor was nowhere in sight. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and stepped outside, leaving the door to the TARDIS open. A warm breeze swept across his face. In the distance, the glow orbs were bobbing up and down, shining their soft light onto the stone paths. Now what? He'd just been angry with Sherlock, but there was no reason to leave. It would be stupid to wander out there in the dark.
John sighed deeply, and was about to go back inside the TARDIS when he heard footsteps on stone. He turned sideways, and someone swung something hard and painful into his face, blinding him.
Sherlock strode into the console room the next morning, furious. "Where is he?" he demanded.
"Where is who?"
"John, Doctor, John."
"Oh, him. I don't know."
Sherlock groaned in frustration, an emotion he didn't frequent that often. "John was angry yesterday. I knew we should have let him come with me."
"Well, that puts a twist in our plans. I was counting on him as the getaway driver. Guess we'll have to 'wing it', as they say. Perhaps the natives got him."
Sherlock stopped pacing near the dashboard and looked up through his eyelashes. "What did you say?"
" Let me out of here!" John struggled against his bonds in the darkness of what he assumed was a cell, by the feel of bars against one wall. He'd come to only about an hour ago, and it had been the worst hour of his life. Firstly, because he now had a huge bump on his head where he'd been hit. Secondly, he was on an alien planet with less-than-friendly natives who had probably captured him to turn him into a bird.
"Hello! Anyone!" he called for the hundredth time. Suddenly a door opened and John had to turn from the bright light so as not to burn his eyes. A silhouette walked slowly around, and crouched down to peer through the bars at him. He was surprised when the person spoke with a soft, feminine voice.
"You should get used to it, in there. You won't be seeing much else when we're done with you." John's eyes adjusted to the dim lighted room. The young Avalonian standing in front of him had long silver hair, and her face glowed pearly white. She tilted her face to look at him better, then turned to someone outside the room and started whispering. A guard came in and, to John's surprise, unlocked the cell.
"You're releasing me?" he asked, his face probably the very image of shock.
"I'm taking you to see Arthur."
"Sorry, but I'm not very familiar with him." John replied sarcastically.
"He's the king of Avalon." The guard heaved John up and walked him out of the cell into a marble corridor.
Then she laughed and flipped her silver hair.
"What? What is it, what's funny?"
"He's also my father."
The Doctor scrambled around the dashboard, pulling and pushing at buttons. Finally a screen lit and he motioned to Sherlock to come closer.
"What is it?" Sherlock asked.
"It's security footage. I added a camera outside of the TARDIS a few months ago. It'll probably show what happened to John.
At first there was nothing on the little screen. Then John stepped out of the TARDIS door. He just stood there for a minute or so, and then turned around to go back inside.
"There, stop!" Sherlock demanded, and pointed to a shadow in the corner of the screen. It was dark, but there was no questioning the person advancing towards John. The Doctor played the rest of the footage. John turned around and the person hit him in the face with a large baton. He was then dragged down the street until the kidnapper and John were off screen.
"He was heading north, up the street. Where were they going? The Bird Market isn't that way." Sherlock muttered, his brow furrowing.
The Doctor pulled the map of Avalon out of his jacket pocket. "You're right. They weren't going to the Bird Market." He laid the parchment across the dashboard, and tapped the drawing of a silver castle, north of the bird market and the street they were on at the moment.
" 'A powerful someone.' " Sherlock murmured. The Doctor nodded; ready to go.
"Come along, Sherlock. We have two companions to rescue, and all before noon."
