I know its very quick, but my prologue's so short and I had chapter one all lovely and beta'd, so here we go. Thanks for reading! :D

Its SICK SICK SICK! Humans have their needs, in a fairytale that's tearing at the seams!
Bayside - Sick. Sick. Sick.

6th of April, 2012. Scotland.

'Your tea, sir.'

Darren McDonald turned and saw a cup and a saucer being placed on his desk with a man who looked – very accurately - like he'd been beaten into submission. His jumper was torn, his hands were bruised and cut, and his glasses were cracked. McDonald's eyes were drawn to the flashing thing on the man's wrist like a magpie to a coin – an electronic manacle. It would send enough voltage through the man to kill an elephant if he ever got five metres away from the building. Another of the many lovely little toys Vidic had given to him.

Including the poor bloke himself.

'Sort your shirt out, Hastings. You look shit,' McDonald said, his broad accent making his voice almost a purr. With a scathing look, Shaun Hastings smoothed his collar out – which was stained with blood, much like the rest of him- and said 'Will that be all?'

McDonald's eyebrow moved.

'Sir.'

'No, Hastings. Stay a bit,' McDonald said brightly, taking his tea from the desk and holding the saucer delicately under his chin as he sipped. 'Mmm. Good,' he said as he set it down again. ''Spose it's in your blood, good tea, eh? What with you being a limey.' He grinned at Shaun, who just glared. 'Come on now, crack a smile.'

More glaring.

'Suit yourself,' McDonald said, loosing interest fairly quickly, beginning to turn back to the window, and then turned back with a sudden thought. 'And get it a bit quicker next time. I had to go get coffee myself while I was waiting for you to stop pissing about with tea bags.'

'Noted. Sir.'

McDonald looked out at his kingdom of keyboards and data. 'Ain't it beautiful?'

'Exquisite,' said Shaun with enough irony to leave a metallic taste in the mouth. McDonald didn't bother to chastise.

'All those computers! All those people!' he flaunted. 'Handy bunch, those Templars. That Vidic, too, he's a top bloke.'

Silence from Shaun.

'Whose the fella' in the Aniwotsit?'

'His name is Desmond.' Shaun's fists clenched at his sides. McDonald let it slip by, content to watch his rage boil in the reflection of his window.

'Miles! I remember now. Interesting bloke – fancy being descended from a bunch of Assassins. My ancestors ain't much too look at; mam came from the sewers and my dad even lower. Fuck knows why my grandparents even bothered. But Assassins! Now there's something interesting.' McDonald craned to focus on the corpse like figure in the Animus. 'S'no wonder Vidic's got all these people to pick through his DNA. Technology these days, eh? Memories of your great great great uncle in your blood. Well I never.'

McDonald watched Shaun's reflection, wondering how far he could push it. Not long now.

'Shame Vidic wouldn't tell me what he's looking for though. Said it was top secret.' He laughed. 'He's gonna' come in here, take over my TORCHWOOD, give us all these smart blue uniforms, plug some randomer in my plug socket and he won't tell me what he's looking for. Cheek! Can't complain, mind.'

'TORCHWOOD will never be yours.'

There it was. It was like the beginning of the whine the kettle makes when it's about to come to boil.

'Oh?' McDonald said slowly, clasping his hands behind his back and turning around to face Shaun. Cocky little bastard. 'And who says so?'

'London.' Shaun hissed. 'I've worked with them before. When they find out what you're doing here, who you're helping, they'll rip you apart.'

'Will they now?' McDonald asked, openly grinning at him, his tongue pressed against his teeth. 'And, if they did, d'you know who I'd ensure got ripped apart first?'

Shaun, shaking in anger, was silent.

'Your girlfriend.' McDonald hissed in glee. 'Down there.' He added, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

McDonald's inner eye travelled down into the centre of 6.2, along the computer row before last, third seat along, and saw a scared looking girl typing away with a black hair and an eye to match, a torn lip, and an electronic manacle on, working to keep herself alive. He got a viscous sort of pleasure from it. Shaun didn't have to imagine – because through his cracked glasses, he saw a beautiful woman who surely would be quietly working on hacking the mainframe and getting them out of there.

'What was her name, limey?'

'Rebecca,' Shaun breathed.

'Rebecca. Nice name,' McDonald reflected briefly, before raising his watch to his lips and speaking into a microphone concealed there.

'Row 12. Third seat along.'

In 6.2, doors at the end of the room burst open. Two guards with metal batons strode down the corridor between the rows, taking a sharp left at row 12. McDonald stepped back as Shaun threw himself at the window, yelling her name over and over pounding on the bullet proof glass as they dragged Rebecca out of her seat.

The workers around her didn't move a muscle, only the ones in their fingers as they carried on typing.

Her yells didn't reach them, but McDonald could see them plainly enough as they threw her onto the ground and kicked her squarely in the ribs. He watched Shaun with interest as he began to cry, screaming her name, slapping the glass with the flat of his palm. It was only when the batons were raised that McDonald spoke into his wrist again - the guards moved away from her at once, standing to attention as she struggled to lift herself up from the floor.

'If that's what I can do to her, imagine what London'd do,' he hissed at Shaun, who was staring at Rebecca while taking deep, shuddering breaths. 'She's no different to any other of the workers in there. They'd storm in and shoot to kill. Bullet straight through her head.' He demonstrated on Shaun, pressing two fingers to his temple and pressing hard. Shaun started violently. 'Bang,' McDonald hissed, and took his hand away. 'And that's why they're not going to find out. Most valuable worker we've got – she knows Miles' DNA like the back of her hand. Vidic wanted us to take special care of her. And that's why they didn't break her fingers.'

They both watched Rebecca raise herself up to glare up at the office. McDonald met her eyes – he could tell that look of hatred was for him. He smiled and waved, and she sagged.

'Rebecca…' Shaun murmured.

'Go make the tea for everyone. There's a good lad.' McDonald murmured.

Shaun fled.

McDonald watched Rebecca struggle back into her seat, slumping there as she took up her keyboard. He looked away, went back to his desk, and drank his tea.

Humans could be fucking pathetic, sometimes – he reflected.

It was a good thing he thought himself above them.

So there's a bit more content for you. Hope you're all still interested! When you review, you make my life. :3 Chapter two up probably during the week! :D *Heart with hands*