Doctor Who
A Siren's Song
Chapter Nine
Still singing sailor songs in the pub with the other men, The Doctor looked back to the door by the counter. His mind couldn't help flashing back to the images of what Darla showed him. He felt no remorse for the men that were smiling and cheering around him as they guzzled down their pints. He tried his best to find a pocket of hope within them, but he couldn't find it. These men deserved to live, but why did his mind refuse to listen?
"Darla... I hope your sister is still alive."
Swallowing hard, Charlie backed away as Darla rose to her feet. He kept backing until he was up against the door. When Darla turned around, a reddish orange glow emulates from her eyes, matching the mist that formed around her body. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she walked toward him.
Gripping the harpoon in one hand and struggling to turn the doorknob with the other, his eyes remained on Darla, who was now a few inches away from him.
Sweat poured down Charlie's brow as his heart raced. He couldn't explain it, but he couldn't stop his body from shaking.
"I remember everything, Charlie," Darla said as she grits her teeth. "It was you who hit me that day, wasn't it?"
Charlie remained silent as his body continued to sweat as the red mist around Darla slithered toward him like snake tickling his body.
"Wasn't it!" Darla shouted.
"Yes," Charlie confessed. "I was doing what Mr. Thompson told me to do."
"Mr. Thompson," Darla said, pushing those words through her teeth. "I will deal with him, but as for you three, you will pay for hurting my sister."
Charlie watched as the red mist steadily filled the room. The crystals on the desk glistened and dissolved. The mist grew thick. Charlie could barely make out Darla opening the cell and lifting Dana in her arms.
Looking down, he felt something pulling him off the door. Gritting his teeth, he screamed as whatever touched him burned his skin. It was the mist it had wrapped around him, growing tighter as the burns grew worse. He screamed out once more than the mist entered through his mouth, burning him from the inside out.
Darla blink and the door opened. The mist flowed out with Darla as she walked down the hall. Muffled screams followed as the mist dragged Jason, John and Charlie along the floor as a tear ridden Darla had finally given into her rage.
Back in the pub, a loud scream sobered up the men as The Doctor remained silent. The bartender jumped over the counter as a reddish orange mist crept up, engulfing it. A rattling noise from the door beside the bar shook violently.
The men ran, grabbing chairs, broken glass shards while others held their rifles and harpoons as they stood ready to defend themselves.
But The Doctor hands remain bare as he, like the rest of the men, stood ready as the door shook even more. Soon it blew off its hinges as the mist rolled in. A shadow emerged, revealing Darla holding Dana in her arms. Tears tickled down her cheeks as she mists hissed and slither across the floor, wrapping around the legs of the men. Some remained standing while it pulled down.
Muffled screams reached the Timelord's ears as Darla stopped in front of The Doctor. The mist danced around him as he looked down at the floor. It cleared, revealing the men squirming as burns scorched their bodies.
He then brought his eyes back up to Darla. Conflicted, The Doctor wanted nothing more than to end this madness, but how could he side with these men? He saw what they did and as he looked upon the gravely injured Dana, it only made his blood boil. They deserve this, right? As he continued staring into Darla's fiery red orange eyes, he didn't want to stop her. They needed to pay for what they have done.
Wheezing noise caused The Doctor to look down at Dana. Checking her pulse, he was glad he found one. It was strong, but her breathing wasn't.
"Doctor," a familiar voice said.
The Doctor and Darla turned around to see Jo and Deidre with the Brigadier standing between them. The Brigadier was about to take a step toward them when Deidre stood in front of them as the mist moved in their direction. As Darla walked toward them, the mist pulled away back behind her as she stood in front of Jo and Deidre. Glancing to The Doctor, he shook his head at The Brigadier.
Looking down at her little sister, Deidre blinked away her tears. Reaching out, she gently touched her sister's cheek.
"Oh Dana..." Deidre said, wiping away a few tears.
"Let us help her." Jo asked, as she looked into Darla's eyes.
Darla glanced at Jo, and then at Deidre. She laid Dana in Jo's arms while still looking at her.
"Medic!" Jo yelled.
Two men emerged with a stretcher through the main doors. Jo laid her down cot as the men carried Dana away with a medical Doctor following right behind them.
Turning around, Darla went to walk away when Deidre reached out and touched her arm. Darla stopped but didn't turn around.
"It's over. Our sister is safe." Deidre said to her sister.
The mist on the floor cleared as UNIT officers pulled the fishermen up and dragged them away. But Darla's fiery aura remained.
"He's not here," Darla said, her back still toward Deidre.
"Who?" Deidre asked.
"Me," a voice replied.
Pulling away from her sister, Dara looked into the eyes of Garret Thompson. He smiled at Darla as her lips twitched and aura grew. She balled up her fists and bit the bottom of her lip. The Doctor's eyes narrowed the moment Garrett looked at him.
"He's the man that caused all of this," The Doctor pushed out his lips.
"I would do it all over the again. With the diamonds from that girl, this town will flourish," Garrett said before looking at Darla." It's a pity I didn't have time to finish the job."
"Enough! Darla shouted.
A wave erupted, shattering the windows and glasses in the pub. The mist shot out from behind Darla and wrapped around garrets legs, arms and neck as it lifts him in the air. Darla glared at him as the mist continued to tighten around his neck. Garret smiled, which only anger Darla even more along with The Doctor. Tears filled Deidre's eyes as she tries to run over to her sister, only for the mist to push her back. Deidre summoned up her cerulean aura to push through the mist, but it pushed her back again.
"Please don't this!" Deidre pleaded.
"But I must. He did this to us and I am going to make sure he doesn't do this to anyone else." Darla replied.
Deidre turned to Jo, The Brigadier and The Doctor.
"Please stop her if she sheds blood in anger ..." Deidre trailed off.
"She becomes a banshee, a never ending voice of destruction with only one way to stop." The Doctor said, his eyes glued to Garrett's sinister smile.
The Brigadier looked at the young woman, then back at The Doctor. By now, he expected The Doctor to go off saying something about protecting human life, but this time, it was different. This time The Doctor was silent. He noticed his tightly clenched fists and gritting teeth as he stared at the man floating in the air. The Doctor was restraining himself. Something The Brigadier had never seen him do before. For someone who is so keen on saving human life only to be silent, meant this man must have done something so terrible; that even The Doctor wasn't sure if he was worth saving.
Looking back at Deidre, he knew he couldn't let that happen. So, placing a hand on Deidre's shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze before walking towards the young girl's sister.
The Doctor took a step toward Darla, but The Brigadier touched his shoulder. He looked into his eyes and shook his head. Nodding, The Doctor took a step back, silently thanking his friend.
Jo stood by The Doctor's side. Taking a hold of his assistant's hand, The Doctor held it tight as his rage continued to plague his mind.
Squeezing his hand, The Doctor looked at Jo. The moment he turned in her direction she was at a loss for words. For his eyes held a mixture of rage and tears. She had never seen him look like this before. In fact, she didn't know what to do, so she remained silent and held his hand. Hoping it would be enough to help him through this.
Standing beside Darla, The Brigadier looked up at Mr. Thompson floating in the air heavily retrained.
"Come on, if you are going to finish me, then do it!" Garrett yelled.
"While I understand how temping that might be, I have to say you're letting him off easy." a voice said.
Darla looked at the man next to her. His strong stern green aura fascinated her, yet rage still burned in her heart.
"Easy?" Darla asked. "What he did to me and my sisters..."
"Was cruel and no doubt he has done much more to the people of this town, but death is the easy way out. He should pay for what has done. If you let me, I'll make sure he'll pay for this indefinitely." The Brigadier said, looking at Darla. "Don't let this scum drag you down a hole people rarely come back from."
Closing her eyes, Darla looked down as tears trickled down her cheeks. He was right; she needed to be here for her sisters. Doing this would only take her away from them.
Sighing, Darla looked back at Mr. Thompson. After a few moments, the mist set him back down on the floor and disappeared.
"You promise he'll suffer?" Darla asked.
"I'll see to it personally," The Brigadier replied.
A loud sigh escaped Darla again as her aura went back to its cerulean state. Walking over The Brig placed Thompson's hands behind his back. Pulling out a pair of cuffs, he placed them around Thompson's wrists. He winced as they pinched his skin. Darla smiled while the Brig placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't catch your name," Darla said.
" Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, and you?" The Brigadier asked.
"Darla Zarland."
"I shall not forget it."
"Likewise."
Nodding, The Brigadier and Darla shook hands. As The Brigadier dragged Thompson away. Deidre raced over and hugged Darla, who hugged her back. The two looked at the Doctor and Jo before walking out of the pub.
A few moments later, The Doctor and Jo followed them. They stood a few feet away as Darla, Deidre and Dana hugged by the medical Jeep. Their aura flowed with mixtures of anger, happiness, and pain. But they were finally together again.
Letting go of Jo's hand, The Doctor continued staring at the sisters. The smiles on their face and tears in their eyes brought a sense of calm to The Timelord. They were together. He could finally be at ease.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Jo asked.
Looking at Jo for a moment, he looked back at the sisters.
"When Darla showed me everything that happened to her, I wanted to end the life of those men myself, yet a tiny voice told me to spare them. Am I wicked man for thinking such a thought?" The Doctor asked.
"No, when you explained everything to me, I felt the same way, but who are we to judge what should become of their lives? So, I hold on tight to my values and principles. Because sometimes the darkness of man can be too much to handle."
"Thank you. I needed that."
"Anytime," Jo said, followed by a smile." While I know you don't like to stick around but can we stay just this once?"
The Doctor smiled. "Oh, I have been meaning to ask, where is Sergeant Benton? I thought he would be here."
"At the dock, it appears all those missing people have returned. He and a few men are tending to them."
"While I know you don't like to stick around but can we stay just this once?" Jo asked, using her infamous puppy dog eyes.
The Doctor laughed. "Of course. Darla's going to need some help at the bakery."
Jo ran over to the sisters and joined in the hug. Darla looked back to The Doctor who gave her a nod as he walked towards them.
Besides, I have a feeling I'll be meeting them again.