000000000000 Chapter 14 Two Bonks, A Bite, and A Lot of Bluffing
After a few hours of returned consciousness in an eight by eight very boring holding room, the Doctor was escorted by a pair of lupine creatures to a larger room with a desk, a few chairs, and a very attractive woman before that desk. The two lupines took station by the only door as the woman motioned the Doctor to sit. He did in an air of simply popping up for tea rather than a possible grueling interrogation.
"So," the Doctor started. "What's on the agenda this evening?"
"Its mid morning." The woman stated blandly.
"I've been out that long." He murmured rubbing the slight bump on the back of his head.
The woman tapped her long painted nails on the desk. "What are you?"
"Time lord." He answered automatically. "Since we're on the subject, what are you, and your, ah, guards here?"
"The three of you waltz into the divine land of Sekhmet without that information. I think not." The woman pulled out a small box onto the table and pulled out three separate items: the sonic screwdriver, the DNA detector thing-na-bob, and a cross on a chain. The third item she touched only with the tips of her nails at the chain. "Kindly explain what these are, Time lord."
"I thinks its quite apparent what they are. They're my things, and I'd appreciate it if I could have them back." He said in a cocky tone. In a lower tone he added "You really should, that middle one's going to go off soon. It'll be a complete disaster if it does, and only I know how to turn it off."
"A bomb? We Lilitû, are not deterred by explosions, no matter how large it be."
"Perhaps, but I'm guessing that not everyone here is a Lilitû or Lilû." The doctor could see the thoughts churning through her eyes. They widened marginally.
She frowned at him. "Turn it off, then."
"Gladly, if I may use the pointy stick there?" The fingers pointed at the sonic screw driver. The woman stayed impassive in her glare of him. The doctor reached for it casually, adjusted a few settings, then pointed at the device.
He pressed a button and the woman covered her ears as did the two lycanthropes. The latter two howled in pain before collapsing in a heap. The woman's face twisted into demonic features before she too passed out face first on the desk.
The Doctor scooped up the other two items and the box which still held the remainder of their belongs, and zipped out the door.
0000
Pip woke to a small bland unadorned room in a corner. Amy Pond sat in the adjacent corner slowly stirring to life, the only other person in the room. 'Damn, captured, and where's zee Doc fellow?' He walked over and tapped the Scottish woman's face.
"I'm up. I'm up." She blinked about the room and got to her feet. "Where's the Doctor?"
"I don't know Miss Pond. I just woke up too." Pip padded himself down to see what was missing; his gun obviously, the hidden dirk in his boot, all his ID, and most notably the vampiric pendant around his neck. "Damn, they confiscated everything. You?"
"I'm all empty too." She poked about the door and pulled at the handle. "Yeah, didn't think it'd be that easy. So, gotta plan to get out?"
Pip moved up next to the door planting an ear on the seam. Amy mimicked at the other end.
"I hear… sort of heavy breathing." Amy said. Pip nodded, hearing it as well. Before Pip could mentally muster up a strategy Amy started banging her fist on the door. "Hey! Let us out! We know you're out there. Come on show yourselves. I'm bloody Scottish and you know how we get so open this door right now!"
"Not exactly zee best way to coax zee guards to let us out." Pip muttered dryly. The door stayed unmoved and locked. "I think Ali Baba might 'ave had better luck." Pip moved away from the door.
Amy scowled. "What 'Open Sesame'? Those guys probably never even heard of that story."
A gear sounded in the door and swung open.
"Did someone say Open Sesame?"
"Doctor!" Amy exclaimed. The Doctor half grinned at her.
"Good, now we're together again." speaking quickly "Here I believe this is yours" He tossed the pendant to Pip who caught and placed it around his neck. The Doctor shoved the box at Amy who dug out her things then handed what was left to Pip. "We haven't much time, let's go." They followed after the Doc into the hallway where a number of massively furry beings lay unconscious.
"Do you know where we are?" Asked Amy, wary of the big furry masses.
"No, but I have good news." He pulled out the jerry-rigged compass flashing it over his head. The tiny dish was spinning fast and the green light blinked very rapidly.
"Annabel's here!" Pip voiced excitedly.
"Yes, I think she may be a few levels below us."
The trio found a stairway to clamber down two levels into another hallway with a few more unconscious werewolves and an incubus sprawled on the floor.
"How come everyone's passed out?" Amy asked at the intersection while they paused for a second.
"High frequency sound waves like a dog whistle knocked them right out even the incubi a little bit." Doc asked while checking the device.
At that moment one of the werewolves stirred behind them. Pip turned at the slight sound. He pulled out a knife, barely evading the swipe of claws. The thing was fast. He waved the knife before the beast. It lunged at the arm successfully sinking its teeth into Pip's right forearm who jabbed the blade at the beastie's head. The next instant it howled miserably then collapsed. The attack ended as quickly as it had begun. The doc had turned on the sonic again.
With a left held tightly over the wound Pip yelled. "Let's keep going!" cutting off any words of concern and inquiries. Picking the right, the three ran down it.
The doctor skidded to a stop suddenly. "Wait, in here!" They slipped into a door into a dimly lit medical room with the Doctor sonic-ing the lock secure.
Amy noticed it first. "We're not alone in here."
"I certainly hope not." The Doc said spying the occupied operating table in the center of the room.
Pip jutted over than gasped. Forgetting the wounded arm he cupped the woman's face in both hands. "Dame De Rouse, what have zhey done to you?" There lay Annabel, gaunt as a ghost and thin as a pencil with her red hair unkempt and greasy.
"My god, she's almost a skeleton." Amy held a hand to her mouth while the Doctor clinched his teeth angry at how the innocent woman was being treated and partially at himself. It was his fault the Tardis brought her here in the first place. He moved around being productive, examining the equipment and the tubing connected to Miss Phoenix.
"She's being drugged." The Doctor said emotionlessly then yanked off the tubing and pulled out the needle that was keeping her drugged, followed by everything else that connected to her and held her restrained.
Slowly her breathing deepened as her heart rate increased. The Doc scanned with the sonic screwdriver. "One good thing, she's not dehydrated. Annabel might have some trouble moving but I can help stimulate her joints." He did so, pointing his trusty tool to each joint.
Annabel sensed someone different was in the room with her, a number of individuals. Someone with rough hands touched her cheek in gentle fashion. Words muffled in the air above Annabel. 'What are they saying? She sensed a benevolent presence to her right and really odd conflicting presence to her left. It felt faintly like a vampire but not. She sensed a third being occupying her personal space as well. The person on the right plucked off something off her arm then things on other parts off her body. Soon the sounds, feelings, smells, and other senses became sharper. Annabel felt a tingling sensation accompanied by a whirring sound on various parts of her body. 'What's that one doing? Greasing my joints?' She let out a tiny giggle when the benevolent one propped up her right arm to make it tingle.
"I think she's awake." A woman's voice said.
Annabel's eyes opened to a brown haired lanky man with a light brown jacket and a perky red bow-tie around his neck. Her fingers reached up to feather the tie. "It's red… how cute." Her voice croaked from months of disuse.
"Annabel." A familiar voice spoke from the left.
She turned her head. "Pip! You're a sight for sore eyes." Pip grasped her reaching left hand in his. 'The deity was right. Help did come.'
"I'm so glad I found you. I'd zhought I'd never find you." Hope burst in his words.
"How long…what's the date?"
"April 7th 2009, I believe." The bow-tie man answered.
She thought in her head. "Eight months, oh god I've been here eight months and been officially missing for close to two." She gasped then her voice turned angry. "I've been missing for a month and a half and you just now find me!"
Pip replied. "The situation's quite complicated, and I don't zhink we have enough time to explain at zee moment."
Boetie man nudged in. "By the way, I'm the Doctor and this is Amy Pond."
Annabel jerked and stared at him for a moment. Then she lifted up a finger to beckon him closer. He did. She slapped him in the cheek with surprising force. "That's for leaving your crazy blue box unattended and it leaving me here six months in the past."
Rubbing his cheek the doctor voiced sincerely. "I'm really sorry. The Tardis was malfunctioning at the time."
Amy asked. "How do you know it's his blue box?"
Annabel smirked. "In another world you are just a television show." Amy and the Doc looked faintly confused where as Pip understood all too well. Annabel attempted to pull herself up but failed with a flop on the table. Both Pip and the Doctor helped her into a sitting position. She groaned as her muscles protested the movement and leaned onto Pip for support. He placed an arm around her waist to brace her. "Oh god, I'm a toothpick!" She blurted looking at her arms and feeling the thinness of her legs.
"A little undernourishment and lack of muscle stimulation will do that." Annabel gave the doc a cold stare.
"Pip, what do you have on you?" The vampiric vibe came into the forefront of her mind. "Or perhaps in you?" her hand moved to his face to check for fangs among his teeth. He grabbed her hand and moved it down to the cross hanging over his chest. "Whoa!" A gasp rang out into room. "That little cross is creating a presence by itself!"
"Yeah, it conceals a blade made of vampire blood and fangs. Walter tells me it could kill a succubus." Pip explained. The Doc made an "ah" sound as if he worked something out.
"Pip, you've been hurt!"
"Eets just a flesh wound, Dame de Rouse. No worries." He smiled though it didn't reach his eyes.
Annabel starts rattling off. "These soul suckers, they think I carry the soul of Sekhmet, their blood thirsty goddess and tried to break me… David Tayler is one of them. Got into my mind. He…I" both her hands clinched tightly and shook in suppressed rage then murmured something incoherently. With a calming breath she continued. "I know I usually don't say this sort of thing but that Traitor truly deserves to die!" The way she said the last word actually sent a shiver down Pip's spine.
Pip pulled her into a loose hug. "Annabel we're here to help you out of here, and soon we'll get you back to London, Alucard, Seras, Integra, Deatrice, and all the guys."
"You're a good guy, Pip." She whispered to him. "Why isn't Red here?"
Pip opened his mouth when something heavy thumped at the door.
The Doctor hopped before the door. "They're awake and know we're here." Another bang shook the door.
"What is doing that?" Annabel cried.
"I believe you call them werewolves." The Doctor whipped out his handy dandy wonder tool and setting its little sound off. Pip winced slightly. The bang at the door turned into a thump at the floor.
"Damn, me without my sword. Gotta plan for getting out?"
Doc answered. "I make them as I go, funner that way."
She huffed then looked about the room. There was only the one door, a bunch of electronic medical machines, and a camera installed up on one side. "Do you think they can see us?" She pointed up at the camera.
Everyone looked to where she was pointing.
"Oh, I disabled that on the way in." Doc told her.
He could see the wheels turning in her head. "Pip, I want to try to stand."
Pip protested. "You probably haven't used your legs in months. I know just one month of inactivity reeks havoc."
"You gonna argue about this? I'm gonna try whether you help me or not." Pip sighed then scooted her legs over the table. He lifted her off and planted bare feet gently on the floor. She grunted at the moderate stabbing pain through her legs however she did remain on them without buckling. "Alright now someone tell me every little tidbit they know about Sekhmet."
Amy piped up. "What do you have in mind?"
Annabel twisted her head with arms braced on the table. "Well, these bozos want their Goddess, I'm gonna give them their goddess." A wide toothy grin graced her face.
Two minutes later she assimilated enough info to pass it off hopefully and explained her simple plan.
As a last thought she asked "hey could I wear that Pip" pointing at the pendent. He obliged Annabel placing it around her neck. "All right Doc, turn the camera back on and hope someone is watching." He flashed a confident smile before taking a place near the door then re-enabled the camera.
She began to recite the hymn of Sekhmet succinctly in an octave lower than her normal voice.
"Mine is a heart of carnelian, crimson as murder on a holy day.
Mine is a heart of corneal, the gnarled roots of a dogwood and the bursting of flowers.
I am the broken wax seal on my lover's letters.
I am the phoenix, the fiery sun, consuming and resuming myself.
I will what I will.
Mine is a heart of carnelian, blood red as the crest of a phoenix.*"
Halfway through the second reciting an intercom cracked to life. "My lady of Slaughter is it really you?" A male voice asked semi-trembling.
"Whom do I speak to?"
"D-Dr. Sefu, your humble servant."
Annabel tilted her head as if offended. "You are not the head of this place. I will only speak with her."
The com was silent for thirty seconds then a sultry female's voice came on. "I am the leader of all the lilû and lilitû here. How may I serve the one who is all powerful?"
"Your name?"
"Mistress Mut."
Annabel gave a curt nod. "Your dogs, call them away. They smell."
"Yes, my goddess."
Annabel appeared to look completely bored until she felt the lycanthropes' presence fade away. Internally she mainly concentrated on not trembling.
"It is done, blessed Sekhmet. Why are those mortals still alive in your presence?"
"Do you think they will hurt me? I wish to feel the hot wind upon me and breathe in the air of the ancients before I take my first kill. These three are mine and mine alone." Annabel snapped her fingers. Amy, Pip, and the Doc lined up behind her with the doc nearest the door. "Nothing will deter me from getting to the surface, and none shall look upon me less they suffer my wrath until then." Annabel demanded coolly. 'Please buy it. Please buy it.' She thought praying.
A long moment passed. "Very well, allow me a moment to relay this to the others."
She gave a second small nod. The redhead took to flexing her fingers as if itching to use them to rip out someone's heart.
"It's done." It was then the doc disabled the camera.
"Gah." A noisy breath escaped her as she half collapsed towards the floor. Only her arms gripping on the table kept her from falling all the way. Pip skirted around helping her back to her feet. "It's going to be hard walking." Before she could ask the Captain hefted her up bridal style. "Isn't your arm wounded?"
"Eets nothing. Besides you weigh less zhan Seras right now."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Pip was already moving out the door after the Doctor and Amy. The hallways were devoid of any living being besides them as Annabel requested. 'lets hope it stays that way.'
They went up three levels before they hit a dark presence of trouble, trouble that started with a D.
"Shit." Annabel swore under her breath. Before she could warn the others David popped out at the end of the hall brandishing a dagger. The group halted mere yards away.
"I knew it. I knew that was an act. My Mistress Mut let me watch."
Annabel spoke. "Do you realize what you have done to yourself? There's not a drop of decent humanity left in you! Your whole being speaks of darkness!"
"What do you care? You already labeled me a vile traitor while I was human! A little darkness won't amount to much."
"Alucard, whom you've called a vile demon, has more light in his soul than you!" She spat. "Don't make me kill you."
David burst out laughing. "What are you going to do? You have a crippled soldier carrying you! Have you even tried summoning your fire?" Annabel looked at her hand trying to do just that. All she got was a brief flicker on her fingers before it winked out. "You see! There's enough holy water saturated in your body to smother the biggest fire."
A heated growl vibrated out her chest. "Set me down Pip. I'm gonna kill him!"
"Now just calm down." The Doctor intervened waving the green tipped pin before David. In a blink of an eye, David knocked the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's hand leaving a sting in his palm. "Or not."
"Good David." A woman materialized behind David. "You may withdraw now." It was the same voice from the intercom. David stepped back to behind his mistress.
"Mistress Mut I presume." The Doc addressed. She frowned at the man then backhanded the Time lord several yards down the hallway hard into the wall.
"Doctor!" Amy leaped to his aid.
"I did not acknowledge you, male." The woman admonished. He likely didn't hear for the Doctor was out cold.
"Set me down Pip." The Captain followed the quiet order. No sooner had her feet touch the ground Mut latched onto Annabel's throat with one hand. The other barely flicked a finger to his face sending the Captain crumpling to his knees in pain.
Feeble fingers tried to scratch at Mut's outstretched wrist. She tried to bring her blessed fire to life to no avail. Mut wasn't strangling her of air just holding her tightly.
"David," Mut addressed sweetly. "The Scotswoman is yours."
Amy cried "What!"
Annabel shouted "no!" through her restrained throat. David moved in at Amy. She looked reluctant to leave the Doc's side.
"Your mind is still open, phoenix. I feel your concern for the others. Submit to me, let Sekhmet come forth, and I shall give the two males a quick death." Her sultry laid offer only met stern determined eyes.
Annabel pulled at the pendant freeing the small blade with her right hand and proceeded to plunge it into her chest. Mut stopped her attempt nearly crushing the wrist that held the abominable blade then threw her across the hall pass the rest of her comrades. Annabel rolled a bit. Her hands tucked into her chest as she did. Stopping on her stomach the redhead saw that David already had Amy in his grasp and was about to do something similar to what another of his kind had done to Sister Linda. "No!" She cried then looked down at the knife still in her hand and the small cut in her fingers for holding on to it so tightly. The tiny fang sucked in some of her blood accompanied by a cold flush to her heart. Looking back up, the Mistress grabbed a hold of Pip's mess of hair causing his body to stiffen and shake from an exertion. Blue eyes glared heatedly at Mut and in her loudest voice yelled "STOP THIS!"
Out of nowhere, something white shot into the succubus's chest right into her heart. She released the Captain's head to release an ear splitting scream. David stopped what he was doing to clutch at his chest his face grimacing in agony. Mut's perfect body cracked like a porcelain statue before bursting apart into a yellowy-black smoke and then into nothing. David followed suit screaming like she did leaving only a haze of rotten egg smell. All those conscious heard a chorus of screams echo at the same time as Integra's traitorous cousin in the facility.
When all was silent Pip opened his eyes and uncovered his ears to see the small vampiric blade on the floor where Mut had stood. He turned his head back at Annabel. "You threw it? Zhat's damn good aim."
A bit puzzled herself she replied "no, I just wanted to stop her. I think it flew on its own." To prove her assertion the blade started rattling on the floor then slid across back to Annabel. Everyone looked surprised. Annabel slid it back into its cross shaped sheath.
"Maybe it's slightly physic?" Amy offered as a theory then went to the Doc to rouse him.
Pip came over to Annabel's side and knelt.
"It did absorb some of my blood." She whispered to herself.
"Several incubi were destroyed when zhat woman was done in. I bet zheir like a queen to a colony of ants." Pip pulled the thin girl up into sitting.
Annabel looked over to Amy. "Amy, Are you all right?"
"Yeah, but the Doc doesn't want to wake up." The Scotswoman said.
Pip groaned. "Alright, I'll carry zee Doc, you help Dame de Rouse." The two switched people, Pip hefting up the Time lord over his shoulder and Amy pulling Annabel's arm around her neck and lifting her up to her feet. The redhead could walk with Amy's support.
Annabel turned to Amy. "Hi, fancy meeting you here. What's your sign?" She giggled when she saw the weird look on her face.
Amy decided not to remark on that and followed the Captain up the flight of stairs at the end of the hall.
Luckily for them they were now on the ground floor and could make out sunlight pouring through the small windows of the stone building. It near blinded Annabel. Amy noticed and offered her personal pair to her.
"Ah, Pip I sense a bunch of incubi around, outside I think." Alerted Annabel as she snugged the frames on.
"And werewolves?" He asked.
"No, I think they got corralled in the lower levels."
"I've got Doc's sonic to stun them just in case." Amy added.
Annabel voiced. "That is a handy little thing isn't it?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't do wood." Amy mentioned.
"That sounds kind of stupid."
"Agreed-"
"Ladies!" Pip shouted. "A way out if you don't mind?"
"Oh," bringing Annabel's attention to the Frenchman, "the front door I should think" she supplied. "I should go first."
"You're not indestructible, Annabel." Exasperation mixed in the Frenchman's voice
She jutted a thumb to somewhere outside. "Yeah, but those soul suckers don't know that."
"All right lets go then!" Amy blurted then picked up pace.
"I think I like you Miss Pond." Annabel mentioned forcing her legs to move faster.
They found the front door and they found the building was inset into the hard ground halfway in. Crude steps led up to actual level of the ground. The two girls were first to appear to the two dozen or so incubi and few succubi gathered around the entrance. Many of them looked outright frightened out of their wits. Some wore contempt upon their faces. Pip and his baggage stepped up behind the two.
One of the succubi raised an accusing arm at her. "Our blessed Mut is dead. Who killed her?"
Annabel answered her confidently. "That would be me, ya dried up old bitch. All of you are so diluted."
The woman's eyes darkened in rage. "You are not our goddess. How could you have done so? She was immortal!"
"I'll demonstrate it if all of you won't back off and let us four go free and clear." Annabel's free hand went to the pendant. She could feel it faintly vibrate with her need to take out the three succubi before her.
The speaking succubus's mouth twisted into a cruel grin. "I don't think so." She said with one threatening step forward. Annabel pulled out the blade. It immediately darted off to pierce her heart. She screamed breaking to pieces with her incubi following suit. The remaining succubi stepped away in terror then fled in a flurry of sand with their incubi doing the same. As if calling a dog back to her side the blade coasted back into her hand to the pendent.
"Hey, zhere's a jeep. Let's get out of 'ere." Said the Captain who lumbered over to the four seated no canopy vehicle and plopped the dead weight of the Doc into the left back seat. Pip found the key in the ignition to his fortune and motioned for the other two to get in. Amy helped Annabel into the front passenger seat as she wanted to sit next to her Doc.
Once strapped and engine going they were off, presumably in the direction for the Tardis. Amy leaned forward in her seat. "Do you think those things will pursue us?"
"Not for a while I don't think. Man I feel tired." Annabel yawned.
"Zhen rest Dame de rouse, you are in good hands." Pip produced a small smile for her.
"Hm, I know I am." She murmured before promptly conking out.
Amy leaned back in her seat and tried to situate the Doctor more comfortably for the ride.
While driving Pip's mind wandered to the bite on his arm. It was common belief that if bitten by a werewolf that person would become one too. Back in his mind he hoped that this Egyptian branch didn't have that possibility, however and unfortunately, he could already feel the changes inside him: the sharpening of his hearing, sight, and smell, for one. Also a slight more strength flowed into his limbs. His right leg no longer felt weaker than his left. After driving for about an hour in the afternoon sun an itchy tingling sensation occupied various parts of his being especially the bite wound. He rubbed at his left eye over the eye patch many times. He prayed to god he wasn't going to turn into a mindless beast and kill everyone. He knew next to nothing about werewolves except how to kill them. He wondered if they could control their primal urges or their transformations all together. He wondered if Seras would ever want to get near him now that he could be a monster. It was hard enough getting close to her knowing he was quite the horny guy.
Amy and the Doc probably knew what was happening to him since they were there when Pip was attacked. Annabel seemed oblivious at the moment and had her head resting on his shoulder right now. The vibe that such beings have probably wasn't registering strong enough in him yet to ping her senses, and she's pretty weak to begin with. Amy asked once if he was okay because of the way his frame looked tense. He shrugged it off saying it was nothing. The ride through the wattle and dab town stayed silent for the long part.
Another hour or so into it Annabel suddenly jerked up right brightly searching her surroundings.
"Is there something wrong?" Amy asked.
Annabel shook her head. "Are we near the blue box? I can feel her."
Amy raised an eyebrow. "You can feel the Tardis?"
"She's alive, so duh." She answered like it was a dumb question.
Sure enough a block length later the Blue Box appeared into view snuggled in a corner of a light tan building.
They ditched the jeep, fiddled around the Doctor's pockets for a key, then shuffled inside.
0000000000000000000000000
* Hymn of Sehkmet. Taken from Wikipedia among other sites. As far as I can tell its the real deal although none of the sites mentioned exactly where it originated. I changed no words.
0000
B/N: At last the real Anna is back! Get her back to her big guy ASAP he needs some love, and we need lemons! *starts protest and a petition*
For the love of God and all things Hellsing REVIEW!