Another day, another adventure, that's the life for Theodore and Lila, now, doing what they must for the good of the people they're helping at the time. It wasn't all sunshine, but that's par course with Theodore as the Doctor, not every adventure's easy. Complicated matters remain the norm for them, but through determination they succeed, maybe receive small wounds and bruises, but those heal in time.
The adventure they're on today, certainly not an easy one, in fact, their lives in peril once more, but not by a biomass, aliens, or anything of that nature.
This time, they're dealing with humans, more, they're dealing with a complicated issue that if all fails, they'll end up buried in someone's garden for the next forty-years.
This started with Theodore and Lila going on an adventure, like they normally do when they weren't working at the library, and something they've grown accustomed doing since the day Hamon pushed them through the opened doorway into the TARDIS.
They expected the usuals, not thinking much about the chance that they'd end up with the business end of guns pointed at them by gang members as the TARDIS materialized in the protected warehouse of an Irish mob boss.
In the TARDIS, pulling on the sleeves of her loose lavender-colored soft polyester jacket, Lila asked Theodore as he looked at the monitors above the console, "Where did Al take us this time?"
As he's trying to fix the monitors with fuzzy screens, the texts completely ineligible, Theodore sighs as he says that he's got nothing, the monitors aren't working like they should, and he doesn't have any leftover parts to fix them, using the rest up in their last adventure.
He should've grabbed more parts, but everything else wrong with the TARDIS, it's just a nightmare remembering them all, and the more problems that kept happening, the more it's looking that after this adventure, Theodore's braving a trip back to Gallifrey.
Hopefully, if everything goes according to plan, which Theodore woefully realizes won't happen with their terrible luck, he'll pop over to Gallifrey, get the TARDIS fixed, and leave without any problems.
"Even in the future, nothing works!" Lila bemoaned their situation as the aging TARDIS showed more of its age with every passing time.
Exhaling sharply, Theodore said that once they finish this adventure, head home, refresh themselves, they'll take a trip to Gallifrey.
"Still worried, huh?" Lila peered over to him as he stood near the consoles.
Frowning, Theodore replied that he hadn't forgotten the unforgiving comments and looks they doled out against him and his siblings when they were younger. Those judgmental eyes, the forced politeness, even young, Theodore knew they didn't like him or his siblings because they weren't full-blooded.
It's been years since they went to Gallifrey last and Theodore's sure, nothing changed, and if it did, they're subtler about their disproval.
"Hey man, like I told you before, they say anything to you, they're going to wish they hadn't," Lila comforted him as she reminded him that she wouldn't let them get away with insulting him while his uncle isn't around on Gallifrey, anymore.
A pearly smile appeared on Theodore's face as he thanked Lila for having his back and she reminded him that it's her job. Hammond wouldn't pay her if she didn't. And that she's his friend, be a bad taste if she didn't stick up for him.
"Regardless, thank you," Theodore smiled as he appreciated it all the same.
Thinking on it more, Lila added that while they're there, maybe Theodore's able to fix the Sonic Screwdriver, too, since that's
Unable to find out about where they ended up, they're forced into going in blind.
Wouldn't be their first time.
Standing side-by-side, Theodore opened the door, poking his head out briefly, before concluding it's safe, as he stepped out with Lila behind.
Closing the door behind her, Lila turned around, faced with large wooden crates in a dimly lit warehouse.
Smelled heavily of cigarette smoke and alcohol, stale, as they surveyed their surroundings.
Curious, Lila went over to one of the smaller stacked wooden crates. The lid came off with ease and inside, four large glass jugs of clear alcohol, but the more Lila looked, she recognized the alcohol as moonshine.
No labels, but wooden crates with unlabeled bottles of alcohol hidden in a dingy warehouse's a pretty good indicator that it's not going to a reputable liquor store.
Replacing the lid and returning to Theodore's side as he poked around corners of the crates, seeing other hidden items, it's becoming clear that they're not in an ordinary warehouse.
Finding cache of firearms dated around the early 1900s in one crate, it dawned on Theodore where exactly they are, and he quickly relayed this to Lila who found counterfeit money hidden away in between layers of newspapers.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Lila's eyes widened as Theodore told her, that they're in a mafia owned warehouse as she subconsciously moved away from the counterfeit money while watching where she's stepping.
Realizing their situation, Lila implores him to find a way out of the warehouse, and fast, because if there's one thing, she knows about watching mafia movies, nobody leaves a warehouse like this unguarded.
Chewing on his inner lip, Theodore's thinking, and as he did, he proceeded to tell Lila their cover for the duration of the adventure.
They're roughing out in the streets, desperate for work, someone told them that… whoever owns this warehouse… had jobs that they're hoping to do for money.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure they're going to hear us out before they turn their Tommy guns on us," Lila brought up the chances of that not working, considering her and Theodore's inexplicably in the middle of a mafia-controlled warehouse without anyone realizing.
All the contraband they found, the mafia's not about to let them work with them much less let them walk out of the warehouse in one piece!
"We have the psychic paper, don't forget," Theodore reminded her that they have a weapon to their advantage, the psychic papers, which he recalls saved their lives numerous times.
Despite this, Lila found a fault in that thinking, that incensed mafia stooges aren't going to take time to look at the psychic paper before pulling the trigger.
"Lee, find a silver lining, won't you?" Theodore breathlessly tells Lila as he reached into his stitched pocket, retrieving his psychic paper.
Exhaling sharply, Lila reached into her lavender pocket, grabbing her psychic paper, as she uttered under her breath, "Maybe we'll find out where they buried Jimmy Hoffa!"
Quietly, the two cautiously maneuvered around the crates filled with illicit goods, Theodore found a stack of newspapers detailing that they're somewhere in the 1920s, give or take.
Unfortunately, he doesn't know exactly where they're at, there's different newspapers for places in Ireland and England. Bits of Scotland thrown in, too, either way, they're in the UK, so at least it's something familiar to him.
Trying their best, the two slowly moved like they're in "Pink Panther" with the tune in their heads as they're trying to avoid the Inspector (the goons.)
Not easy when the warehouse's dimly lit with them avoiding every light source like they're cockroaches, on top of them avoiding knocking into the crates, hoping they find a way out before someone comes for a crate.
If they get out, they still risk running into one of the guards patrolling the warehouse, but if they succeed and escape then, well, they'd have to sneak in when the adventure's over.
Al can't come to them this time around, unless they're near death, maybe he'll squeeze out a couple of black matter crumbs that'll give him enough to grab them.
It's as close as them alone as it'll get and without any indication what they're doing here, it's only adding fuel to the dangerous adventure they're on.
Slowly, they made their way what would've been the back of the warehouse, hoping for a back door, something they'd sneak out of, when they heard echoing voices.
Two men, coming inside the warehouse, looking for something, not them, they're causal.
Panicked, Theodore and Lila hid, unable to discern where they're coming from, but they're getting closer, that much's clear.
"I never seen him this tense before," commented one of the men as they're coming around the corner of crates.
The other man responded hastily, "He's always tense, don't let him hear you say that or me saying this, you know what he does to people talking behind his back."
Seems the first man wasn't afraid, pointing out that, "Not like this. He calms down after taking his usuals, ever since she left, it's been tense."
The second man responded with, "Wouldn't you be, I mean, without Polly around keeping her in check, I wouldn't be surprised if he sleeps with a loaded gun and booby traps."
Continuing their conversation, it's revealed they're talking about their boss, didn't catch his name, just that he's become tense these last few weeks over the departure of a woman. The more they talked, it sounded like the woman wasn't family or a lover, sounded dangerous from the way the men talked about her. They mentioned after Polly's passing, she became quiet, aloof, seemingly only doing things as Polly would've wanted. She never fully listened to their boss, but he's afraid of saying anything out of line with her, and that's telling because the way the men talked about their boss, he wouldn't tolerate it.
"Surprised he hadn't ordered one of us to take that woman out, yet," one of the men commented about another woman and the other replied that it's probably a smart thing their boss didn't order a hit.
It wouldn't take long for the woman they previously talked about from connecting the dots and coming back, but not for reemployment.
"All I know's I hope I'm not around when the Giant comes back," commented the other man.
Snorting, the previous man added, "If she comes back, ever since that woman came and got her, noticed she hadn't showed up since?"
Their conversations cut short as they grabbed boxes of what sounded like bottles, before disappearing from the section where Theodore and Lila hid.
For a few minutes, they continued hiding, talking to each other telepathically.
"Sounds like a reason we're here," Lila commented as she peaked over the side of one of the tall crates.
Theodore concurred with her as he said, "So, it seems."
Lila asked what Theodore thinks is a good idea and he mulled it over as he said that they're technically in a warehouse owned by the boss.
"You're not serious, are you?" Lila's baffled as Theodore tells her the idea of them tracking down the men's boss and getting a job from him.
Lila pointed out that while it's a decent plan, going up to a boss in his domain, asking him for a job regarding his troubles with the Giant, and expecting him not to outright kill them for possibly spying on him.
"Psychic paper, Lee," Theodore reminded her.
While true, a mob boss isn't going to take whatever the psychic paper showed him like the gospel, especially when he's drinks in and on whatever flavor's for the decade.
"I don't think this is such a good idea, Theo," Lila wearily tells him, only when he pointed out that they have no choice, and they certainly can't risk them finding the two in the warehouse.
He wouldn't listen to reason to them if they're caught in his warehouse, so they're better off meeting him halfway, and in a better mood.
Exhaling sharply, Lila agreed that Theodore had a point, and added if they found out about the TARDIS, it'll only add to the troubles.
With their plan, Theodore set it into motion, sneaking out of the warehouse with Lila, avoiding the guards circling around the outer perimeter.
Finding a way out of the warehouse yard, the two took a deep breath, and surveyed their new surroundings.
London, not surprisingly, but it's a start.
Outside and away from the guarded warehouse, Lila brought up another question, "Well, where're we going to find this guy?"
Didn't know his name much less have a way of finding him in 1920s London.
Thinking on the fly, Theodore brought up the old tropes he knows about mobsters and underground criminal organizations in general. The bosses aren't too far from the territories they controlled, unless they're on the run from authorities or rivals wanting their heads.
If they found his warehouse, he shouldn't be too far behind, and seeing the time on one of the public clocks, if he's not on a rival's radar, he's probably drinking.
"Again, we don't know anything about the guy or what he even looks like," Lila brought up another point to the issue.
They don't even know the name of the man they're looking for, much less what he even looked like, and besides that, there must've been hundreds of speakeasies, which the boss's probably controlled a quarter of them.
Not exactly something they'll cover within a fortnight.
Glancing around as they're beginning their trek around London at night, Theodore's icy blue eyes caught sight of discarded newspapers in an open-faced rubbish can.
Grabbing it, Theodore thumbed through it, before finding the man they're looking for, James Crane.
Thumbing through the pages, the article's about a recent gang war between James Crane's gang and an English gang that resulted in twenty confirmed deaths.
Showing a picture of the infamous James Crane to her, Theodore said they have the name and face, now to find the person to match them.