Thanks to MissHaunted-Moonlight and wolviesrogue for reviewing!
Chapter 1
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A metallic hissing noise made Jack start and look under his desk, where he kept his most precious item. Expecting to see the usual hand, bubbling gently in the capsule of water, he was horrified to see it turn grey, then black. The water around it clouded with a dark purple colour, and the nails of the hand turned blood red. Before Jack fully recovered from the sight, there was a urgent-sounding beeping from the computer. He started, instantly alert by the screen.
Something- or someone- had broken through the rift.
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Dave slapped some money by his empty glass and half-staggered from the pub. Someone winked at him on his way out- a young man in a grey suit, but he paid no attention. The wintry Cardiff air sobered him slightly as he left the doorway, and he heard a voice from a little way away, calling him. It was a woman's voice- slightly husky and eerily beautiful. He turned to see a young black woman standing by the entrance to an alleyway, in the centre of a pool of light cast by the street lamp overhead. As their eyes met, she smiled coyly and ducked into the alleyway. Grinning, he followed her.
The alleyway was dark, crude graffiti covering the walls. In the dim light from the lamp in the street, he saw it was apparently empty, a lone wooden box casting long shadows. He cautiously stepped forward.
"You hiding?" He called, voice quavering slightly. Suddenly, taloned hands pinned his arms behind his back. A voice came from behind him.
"He's yours," This voice was also husky, but it was a man. The ethereal tones held just a trace of a Scottish accent. The woman he had heard earlier giggled.
"Why thankyou, Doctor," both voices laughed. Dave was scared.
"Who are you? What- what d'you want me for?" Something pricked the back of his neck.
"If we told you the science, you would never understand. You humans are all so ignorant." The woman crooned. Without warning, a stab of pain shot through his neck, but any noise Dave might have made was prevented as loss of blood sapped all his strength within seconds.
The limp body fell to the floor. The man who had once been known as the Doctor chuckled.
"Well done," the woman beside him rose and faced him.
"Thankyou. Just one thing- next time we need light, you be the bait, alright?" she hissed softly.
"Perhaps, Miss Jones," he told her, smiling wickedly. She frowned slightly.
"Don't say it. She stirs a little every time you do." He nodded.
"He's still fighting, too. He'll die eventually. Actually, I would have been rather disappointed in him if he hadn't put up some sort of fight. Both of them in fact- takes some of the fun out of the possession." She nodded.
"They will notice eventually, though. The people here- if we take their own every night…" he chuckled.
"Hardly. They don't care what happens- you've seen what they do to each other! Even we give our… prey a quick death. But this race- they are always thinking up new ways to kill. They don't care who it is. At least we let people die with some dignity." He smiled down at her. "And I doubt we will need two every night. They have so much blood, after all. And it's so filling, I doubt we'll need to feed again tomorrow night." She grinned up at him.
"I don't mind killing them. Pathetic things- always fighting so hard to preserve their miserable lives. It's just, like you said, I don't want to encounter them if they know how to stop us," he tutted softly, drawing her into a hug.
"They won't. Trust me." He kissed her softly on the head as she leant into his chest. "Come on." He dropped one arm to her waist and, letting go with the other, led her back to the TARDIS.
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Jack looked up as Toshiko staggered in.
"This'd be'er be good." She slurred, tottering over to him.
"It is." He pointed to the display. "Something broke through the rift last night. And something else was damaged- it's almost like a temporal shield was put up around our planet, designed to exclude one single transport from a set point of time in its use. I need you to find out all you can about the shield, the transport it was meant to keep out, and what the hell just got through the rift." He looked up. Toshiko was giggling, rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet. "Here," he put the chair behind her and she flopped into it, still hysterical. "I'll get you something to drink." He raced to the lab and put together a quick 'cure' for drunkenness that Ianto had shown him a while back. Taking care not to spill any of the liquid on the floor, he sped back to Toshiko, who looked around dazedly as he entered. She took the drink and the glass was quickly empty. Within seconds she was her usual self and listening intently as Jack repeated his earlier instructions.
"I'll get right on it."
"Thanks." Jack stooped and pushed the capsule containing the hand out of sight. His team knew he was… different, but he had doubts about the effect on loyalty and morale if they discovered their leader kept a severed hand preserved under his desk, even more so if they saw the colour. And, although he'd never admit it, the sight scared him. Just a little. Thoughts of what could do that to the hand kept creeping into his mind, and they were not pleasant. With a sigh, Jack headed for the lab. He wanted the whole team on this, and a group of inebriated party-goers would do little to help him.
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Tish heard her mobile ringing. She grabbed it and flicked it open.
"Hello?"
"Tish- it's me," her mother's voice was worried, urgent. "Have you seen Martha?"
"Since last night? No, can't say I have. Why? Is it something to do with the Doctor?"
"It has everything to do with him!" Francine hissed. The tone worried her daughter.
"Okay… I'll keep an eye out for them both then. Love you Mum," she hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Normally, she wouldn't be overly worried about her sister, but her mother's urgent tone had unnerved her, and she had had a strange feeling of foreboding since the previous night. She hesitated, then picked her phone up again.
"Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Martha Jones. If this is urgent, please page me at 07555 435500. Otherwise, leave a message after the beep."
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The Doctor and Martha looked up as a light flashed in the pocket of the woman's old jacket. The aforementioned beep sounded, and Tish spoke.
"Hi Martha, it's me. Just got a call from Mum- she's really uptight about that Doctor guy you were with. Anyway, this probably sounds ridiculous- you know what Mum's like after all- but just give me a call, yeah? Just want to make sure you're okay." The message ended and the vampires looked at each other.
"Will you?" The Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow. Martha narrowed her eyes slightly.
"No. Why should I? The human herself said she thought that message was ridiculous- there really is no point. And she's stirring." The Doctor shrugged.
"He is too. Nothing we can't contain, unless I underestimated your telepathic abilities?" He gave a wry smile as Martha scowled at him.
"You know perfectly well we both can. It's just a useless waste of energy, that's all."
"Hark who's talking- you only have a human. The Time Lord is far stronger." He wrapped an arm around her, turning to the console beside them. "It matters not. It will only be some time more before we are free from them forever. They will not live too long, I promise."
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Dark
are the streets, gloom's creeping out of the walls
Dirt comes
alive and all the neon-lights call
Demons and fools and a lady of
black
Vampire
She's of the kind night time-insomniac
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A/N The answer message came from Where Ever I May Roam by Irena K- which is a truly hilarious fic. If Irena is reading this and doesn't like me including her stuff, please say so and I'll change it.