Gwen cautiously looked round the corner of the building, wary of being seen by either the creatures that defied description or the Daleks which now roamed what was now a battle field.
She hated leaving Martha but she still seemed exhausted, so she had left her in what she hoped was a safe place. She moved carefully round the corner of the building, knowing that she was getting closer to the battle, but getting closer to Jack.
She heard a shuffle of feet and froze, trying to blend in with the shadows. Three figures appeared from behind the remains of a house and she shrunk further back into the shadow...they were Dalek hybrids.
She sighed with relief when they turned away from her, but then she had an awful thought...if they were there, then... Martha!
Martha knew she should be with Gwen, but her legs didn't want to co-operate, she shouldn't feel this tired.
She closed hers and opened them a few seconds later when a voice whispered in her ear.
"Martha, Martha Jones."
She frowned, that sounded like the Doctor...but it couldn't be?
"Help me Martha, please," the voice became stronger and more urgent sounding.
She blinked then frowned...they'd lost the Doctor whilst escaping, hadn't they?
Then the voice whispered again and this time she didn't hesitate.
"Find me Martha, save me Martha Jones."
She pushed herself up and moved away from the safety of the building and towards the shadows.
She'd only gone a few steps when she realised she'd been deceived. The shadow that emerged in front of her was indeed the Doctor, but the voice spoke to her definitely wasn't.
"Martha Jones, how nice of you to be so prompt," the Darkness said and reached for her.
Time slowed down for her as she was dragged back into the shadows and she couldn't repress a shudder as she felt hot breath on her neck.
"Oh, not this time Miss Jones. I have something else in mind altogether, perhaps later..."
Martha could do nothing as she was dragged away.
Gwen knew Martha was gone before she even reached the building she'd left her in...she'd been fooled.
She let out a cry of anger fuelled frustration. She turned back; there was nothing she could do.
Jack stared at the ghostly figure of the Doctor, trying not to believe those three words that came from those lips.
"What?" was all he could say.
"I was wrong...about the Light, what the Darkness wanted, everything," the Doctor said quietly.
Jack moved closer to the ghostly figure. "What do you mean wrong?"
"I thought the Light was...but he's no better and now the Darkness he's...what have I done? What have I done?"
Jack could see the distress on the Doctor's face; this data-ghost was more than just an image, it had his emotions too. He wanted to reach out and comfort him but he knew his hand would just pass through.
"Doc, what did you get wrong?"
The Doctor took in a breath.
"I was always taught that...we were always taught that he was a defender, not a..."
The Doctor stopped and looked towards the east.
"You have to go east Jack, let what happens happen. Don't fight it, you won't be able to, but you have to go now...go!"
The Doctor began to fade but not before Jack could see the regret written across his face. As he faded away, the urge to go east returned and this time he didn't fight it.
The Doctor let out a cry of frustration and despair...all those stories, all the legends were wrong.
He couldn't fight anymore and he allowed his defences to fall and waited for the oblivion that would follow.
The Light casually ripped the eyestalk from the Dalek as it tried to break free from his grip.
He didn't flinch when a rake of laser flashed past his face as the Dalek blindly tried to rid itself of its attacker.
He growled and the Dalek lit up with blue light and began sparking and he shoved the smoking remains away from him.
He looked out at the battle and it looked like it was heading towards stalemate. It was then that he saw his brother and he frowned; he wasn't heading towards him, he was heading east...why?
Then it came to him, something his grandfather had told him on stormy nights, a tale about something more powerful and more dangerous than even his people could imagine.
Could it be possible? Was a power that he thought was nothing more than a scary tale be real? Was it here, right under his nose?
If it was, he couldn't let his brother have it...he wanted it for himself.
He snarled a command at one of the immortals and turned east, followed by at least a dozen of his soldiers.
Deep underground something stirred.
It felt a myriad life forces, something it hadn't felt for so long. But they felt like little things that would snuff out like fire bugs...and it realised it was very hungry.
The Darkness dragged Martha eastwards, not caring if he hurt her.
"Come along Martha Jones, dragging your heels will only delay the inevitable. Time is short and there's a lot to do...battles to be won, a brother to be killed, powerful evil thing to raise."
Martha dug her heels in harder, hoping she could delay the Darkness long enough for either Gwen or Jack to find them.
She had to try and delay him, so she tried another tact. "You, raise evil, that's a bit Harry Potter for an oh so powerful leader?"
The Darkness stopped and turned towards her. "Harry Potter, are you comparing me to a stupid human creation."
Martha smiled inwardly; it was easier than she thought to annoy the Darkness.
"Actually, he'd make a better job of it. He wouldn't need to steal other people's bodies to do anything."
She watched as the Darkness's eyes narrowed and let out a squeak of pain when he hauled her up to his face.
"Good try, Martha Jones, but if you think it's going to give someone time to rescue you, think again. The good captain probably has his hands full of Daleks by now and as for Gwen Cooper, well..."
It was then that Martha heard a familiar voice, raised in protest.
"Get your hands off me, filthy hybrids!"
A small group came into view, one of them being pushed along by the others.
"My, still feisty, she must be over that idiot then. So glad you could join us," the Darkness said as Gwen was pushed onto her knees in front of him.
"I think I'll keep that part of you, I like it," he said. "Bring them both."
Martha mouthed a "Sorry" to Gwen as she was grabbed by one of the hybrids and pushed along.
They'd only gone a few yards when the Darkness had had enough of the cursing and struggling from Gwen; she was wasting precious time.
He turned and put a hand up for the group to halt. He closed the space between Gwen and himself and grabbed hold of her throat.
"I would hold your tongue, unless you wish to lose it," he hissed and then looked past her.
"You have cost me time, now I will have to brutal and painful...well, painful for you."
The sound of fist hitting bone filled the air and Gwen collapsed into silence.
"There, that's better. Perhaps we can get on. No more time wasting, understood Martha Jones?" the Darkness snarled.
Martha nodded silently and allowed herself to be pushed along and trying not to glance at the bloodied face of Gwen, who was slung over the shoulder of one of the hybrids.
The Darkness had felt his brother and knew he was heading his way. He couldn't...no wouldn't let his brother get hold of the power that lay beneath his feet. The Darkness wanted it all...the Time Lord, the power and to rule this and every other universe and with the power and the Time Lord under his control, he would have it.
The ground rumbled under his feet; it was stirring.
The Light held up a hand and the immortals stopped and did not even breathe. He motioned for them to wait in the shadows and moved forward...he had heard footsteps.
He moved back a little until he merged with the shadows and waited. He hoped it was his brother, it would be easier to kill him out here, than risk him getting to what he now realised was a power so ancient his own paled in comparison.
He wanted it, but like his brother, he knew it would not accept anything tainted or human. That left only one thing...the Time Lord.
The Light smiled, that would mean his brother would have to leave the Time Lord. Yes, kill him before he had chance to find another host, then everything that was rightfully his would be his.
The footsteps failed to turn into anyone but instead seemed to head east, whoever or whatever they belonged to, they were heading to the same place.
The ground suddenly rumbled under his feet, something was stirring.
The Darkness smiled as he approached what looked stairs down into a cellar.
He could feel it now, feel the power, could feel it far beneath his feet. He could feel it calling to him...calling to be let loose.
He could feel what was left of the Time Lord reel back in fear and he laughed. "Soon Time Lord you will have more power than can ever be imagined and I will control you. How quaint that your weakness would be one of the first things I will destroy."
With that he stepped down into the darkness, followed by the hybrids and his two captives.
Jack watched as the last of the hybrids disappeared. His heart was racing, Martha and Gwen were prisoner and all he could do was follow.
Allowing what he hoped was enough time, he moved, but footsteps stopped him and he retreated to the shadows once more.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched Ianto appear, followed by a dozen of the creatures that were still battling the Daleks.
He watched as they also disappeared down the steps and this time he followed.
As he descended he forgot about the battle that was raging above.
The steps he was descending were like descending into hell itself.
Martha had despite herself taken notice of her surroundings.
The walls had been covered with paintings of what she could only describe as scenes from some kind of hell...there was torture and scenes of cruelty that not even Dante could have imagined.
She had the feeling that they were going somewhere far worse than what the Darkness had created.
She blinked...was it getting brighter?
The steps suddenly stopped and she was pushed to her knees. She looked up and let out a frightened breath.
"Delightful, isn't it?" the Darkness said.
He turned to Martha, a way too happy grin on his face.
"Tell me Martha Jones, do you humans have a God or even a Devil? If you have, then you'd better pray to both of them."
He then turned and raised his hands and the light brightened and revealed the room, no, chamber they were in.
Martha didn't look at the paintings on the wall nor at the treasures that filled every corner.
She only had eyes for the huge statue that dominated the huge chamber. If there was a Devil, then Martha was sure she was looking at it.