They watched from the shadows. Observing. Learning. They watched his movements with precision, waiting to strike. Growing in the darkness, gaining strength continuously. The sense the pain, sorrow and suffering in the air. They fear it.
The Doctor bent over the disfigured remains of a young boy. He felt the cold metal that replaced the child's arm. The metal was rusted. Old. A large scar in the metal left wires at the mercy of the elements. Crimson blood surged through bare wires, once surging with life, now a stagnant dark fluid filled the once human arm. Each corpse was different, missing different limbs and body parts. He took a deep breath and moved on to the next body. He looked down on the remains of an older boy, with the left side of his face overcome with metal. Frayed wires are forced out of his neck, stained in blood. A broad cable escapes through his ear running down his pale, bloodless back, connecting to his spine. The Doctor looked over each corpse, documenting every gash or laceration. He assembled his notes and met with the members of the village.
They gathered in the square near an antique church, in the centre of the village. Around half the inhabitants of the rustic village met with the Doctor. He stood tall in front of the crowd, watching their faces, their eyes were red with tears. He contemplated what to say, running ideas through his head. He took a deep breath and sighed. He was ready. "When did the bodies first appear?" he inquired. An elderly man stepped forward. "I found the first one face down on the grass around a fortnight ago sir. That was about a month after the first disappearances." The Doctor's curiosity intensified. "What disappearances?" He asked quickly. The same man spoke for the group again. "A large group of our children were taken from us a few months ago. Only a few have been found near the village, we fear that we have lost them forever. Can you help us?" A tear grew from the corner of his eye. This Doctor knew what to do. He stepped forward, a faint smile on his face. "I will try my hardest and do my best to save your children and I promise that I will find out what happened to them." The crowd looked at each other as they filled with hope.