It was a big city, and one that reminded Rose of London just a little, but it was a strange, dark, futuristic version of her hometown. The buildings were tall and detached, the streets and pavements shone with rain. She could hear the roar of traffic and the splash of puddles, the occasional sound of someone laughing or shouting. Transports zoomed by overhead, stories up, flashing against the dark sky as they reflected the glow of the streetlamps below.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Triatch Street."

"Yeah but, d'you know where that is."

"No." He rubbed his hands together. "What do you think, ask a local?"

Rose eyed a particularly burly looking humanoid as he stomped past, heavy jacket pulled close over orange coloured skin that looked rather as if it was rusting.

"…Maybe not."

She turned back to the Doctor, who was looking around keenly. He sniffed.

"This way," he nodded towards a street leading off on the other side of the road.

She followed him, giving him an odd look as they dodged through traffic that seemed unlikely to stop for anyone.

"What, you can… smell Jack, or something?"

"Nope," he said brightly, as he neatly sidestepped a three-seater motorbike, "there's a news stand, just here, and it's selling maps. Map, please." He beamed at the tall silver box that sat on the street corner.

"8 credits," it croaked detachedly.

"Ah." He turned to Rose. "Well? Time is of the essence, and all that…"

She shrugged. "Don't look at me."

Muttering something under his breath that Rose thought was probably offensive, and so didn't bother to decipher, he took out his sonic screwdriver and waved it slowly over the credit slot.

"Thank you."

There was a strange whirring sound, and a map appeared in the Doctor's hands.

"Good evening to you."

"And to you," he said cheerily, before walking a few paces to the nearest streetlamp and opening out the map, frowning over its content. There was a long pause.

"Well? Time is of the essence, Doctor," Rose teased as she peered over his shoulder.

He shrugged, making her lean back. "Alright, calm down will you?" He straightened out his map importantly. Cocked his head to the side, cleared his throat, and turned it the other way around. Rose pressed her lips together to hold in a laugh.

"Well?" she repeated.

"Right," he tossed the map over his shoulder unceremoniously, either ignoring or not noticing that it hit Rose in the face before it floated to the ground. Almost immediately, something that Rose could only describe as a metal brick on wheels shot out from the base of the lamppost, a small silver arm darting out and grabbing the discarded map, before disappearing off down the street, zooming its own little path through the feet of passers by.

"Good, aren't they." The Doctor checked his watch. "Should be developing them on your planet round about now."

"Really? What year is it?"

"On Earth it's 2684. Took you a while." He grinned at her.

"Stupid apes, eh?" she said softly, linking her arm through his. "Well lead the way, then. Don't wanna leave Jack hanging about."

xXxXxXx

Jack tilted his head back, arching up and trying to stretch himself out as much as possible within the confines of his cage. It wasn't fun anymore.

"Look," he called out to Red, as he had christened her, over in the corner. "As fun as this is, the whole mystery thing is starting to wear just a little bit thin. Who are you? Please…"

The woman sighed and put down her magazine, before lifting her arms above her head and stretching fully, accentuating her chest to maximum advantage. Jack raised an eyebrow; anyone would think she was after attention.

"Well?"

"Would you like to hazard a guess?" she drawled.

He shrugged, or at least, jiggled his chains a little. "I got nothing. Unless I'm being kept here as your personal plaything, in which case you know, all you had to do was ask."

He was rewarded with a dry chuckle as Red stood and strolled over to his cage.

"If we can get a good price for you –"

"If!"

She smirked. "If we can get a good price for you, you'll be sold as soon as possible."

"What, I'm not working out as an ornament, I get it."

Another smirk. "Are you human?" he asked her.

A flash of anger crossed her face, and Jack knew for sure this time that the answer to his question was no, because her eyes glowed red again. He swallowed.

"Okay, obviously not…"

"You insult me with your questions," she hissed. "Wait in silence."

She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

"Yes ma'm," Jack muttered, looking around the room for anything that could help him. He pulled on his chains again, and found that there really was no chance of them coming loose. He felt in the pockets of his jeans on the off chance that he had been left with his blaster or even his phone. No such luck. He gave a growl of discontent and sat still again. There really was no way of getting out, that he could see; he had no choice but to sit and wait for the Doctor and Rose to find him.

Suddenly music blasted into the room from somewhere nearby, and he jumped, producing that same menacing creak from somewhere above his head. The music was loud and heavy and fast moving, and did nothing to ease the growing knot of nerves that he could feel in his stomach. He pulled at his chains absently.

"Come on, Doc," he murmured to the empty room.

xXxXxXx

"You sure this is it?" She looked up at him, wrinkling her nose slightly.

"Rose," he sighed, "I checked on the map. Twice. This is Triatch Street. Do you see any other buildings that it could be?"

"When it was the right way up."

"Eh?"

"The map. When it was the right way up."

He sighed again. They were standing on the pavement in a small, deserted street in the pouring rain, staring up at the building before them. It was totally out of place with the metallic, shimmering skyscrapers that dominated the city. Ominous and dark, it was all pillars and stone and glittering black windows. Rose shivered.

"You really sure thi –"

"One more word out of you…" he threatened.

"Right."

They continued to stand there, side by side, staring up at the forbidding structure.

"Doct –"

"If you even ment –"

"No, really, listen. Don't we need money?"

He looked down at her, face screwed up in perplexity. "What you on about?"

"We want them to think we're gonna buy Jack, yeah?"

"Rose, we're not actually gonna buy him," he told her indulgently.

"I know that." She rolled her eyes. "But for the sake of deception, w –"

"What do you think is, bloody James Bond? The sake of deception?" He shook his head incredulously.

"Will you stop interrupting me?"

"Only if you stop talking rubbish," he muttered, taking his sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket.

"Alright then if you're so clever, what's the plan?"

He shrugged, turning to face her. "Go in there, pretend we've been sent about the human they've got, wait until they bring him out to us and… well, run, I s'pose."

"Right." Her voice had dropped in volume, and she shivered again. Her clothes were soaking, clinging to her skin. "So um, what happens if they… y'know, realise? If they get violent before we get to Jack…?"

Her hair was plastered down, drenched in the rain, and the Doctor reached out a hand to gently smooth it away from her face, smiling warmly. "We'll work it out. We always do." He shrugged off his leather jacket and slipped it over Rose's shoulders. "You're freezing."

She smiled up at him. "S'alright. Thanks."

"Too big for you," he commented, noting how tiny the heavy garment made her look.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, before leaning forwards and brushing his lips across her forehead softly as he found her hand and took it in his.

"Come on then." He led her up the large stone steps to the large wooden front door; with a wide grin at the shivering blonde by his side, he knocked.

Please review. Next part won't be up for at least a week, I'm afraid; alevels.

Thank you.