Chapter 7: Damsel Not In Distress

Luna crept alongside the ally that Ianto had previously walked. She'd gotten Gwen to tell her everything on Torchwood and the creature that took her father. It was all a rough translation, but it made do. Slipping the lock pick into the lock, Luna made a crude attempt and opening it. "What are you doing?!" Rory's baritone cut through the darkness and the silence.

10 Hours Earlier…

"Listen, I just wanted to say-"

"Later, Rory." Luna pushed passed him quickly and out of the house.

"What?" Confused, Rory ran after her. In all the time they've known each other, Luna had never ignored Rory and even when she did it was usually followed with an apology. Grabbing his coat that Luna had dubbed, "the dead Muppet", he ran after her and into the crowded streets on New York. He felt like a stalker as he followed her across the city. First to Central Park; she seemed to be scouting out the area. By ten o'clock at night Luna had worked her way to the Empire State building and walked around the block for at least two hours. "What is she doing?" He muttered. Luna stopped at a small café and just sat re-reading The Hobbit. Rory contemplated going inside and confronting her, but decided against it, and sat on the side of the building. Another two and a half hours passed and Luna still hasn't budged. Rory shivered; over the past two hours, he'd gotten loose change thrown at him and derogative names thrown. Then finally, finally, she moved. Luna got up and made her way back to the Empire State building. He watched as she disappeared around a corner and into a darkened ally. Concerned for her safety, Rory ran after her. Carefully peeking around the corner, he was barely able to make out her shape crouched by the door and about to break in. "What are you doing!?" He shouted, running to her. She jumped startled and mortified that she'd been found out. He grabbed the lock picks. "What are these!?" He held them in an accusing fist.

"Shut up!" Luna growled, "Keep your voice down!" She peered behind him, an air of complete paranoia.

Rory did as he was told, "What are you doing?" He hissed.

"What does it look like?"

"Breaking and entering! That's illegal! Why are you doing this!? Have you done this before!?"

"Just shut up and listen!" Luna snapped slamming her hand over Rory's mouth to stop any further accusations. Rory gripped Luna's wrist pulling it away, but didn't let go.

"I'm listening."

Luna took a deep breath. "You're going to think I'm completely psycho, but bear with me until I finish, okay?" Rory nodded. "Alright…" She took another deep breath. "When my father slipped into a coma, I was confused as to why. So I went snooping in his stuff; his computer, his diary, etc. Well, what I found was something called Torchwood and apparently they deal with…with aliens and something called a Rift. It's this crack, I think, that runs through all of time and space, and there just happens to be one in Cardiff. The day my father went missing, the Rift had an energy spike and something came out of it. Those lights we saw on Christmas, that wasn't any natural phenomena, that was the Rift! The alien is called a Hollowcall and it took my father as food. I don't know why. But Ianto was investigating and the alien got him too. He's in a coma, and the only way to wake him up is to find the alien and my dad."

Rory stared at Luna in compete disbelief. "You're crazy. That's ludicrous!"

Luna pulled her hand away. "I know! I didn't believe it at first, but it's true! It's all true!"

Rory shook his head and pulled out his mobile. "I'm calling Paul. He can help. You're just—"

Luna froze, her eyes growing wide staring at something behind him. Confused at first, Rory took a step closer to Luna. "What are you-?" Something cold and heavy dripped onto Rory's shoulder. He turned around fast; a large gloopy thing rose above him. It smelled repugnant, like rotting flesh. His mouth dropped open, his mobile dropping from his hands. It smiled, or at least he thought it was smiling. It had teeth resembling broken glass and nails. Rory's heartbeat picked up, a wash of mixed emotions swirling from his stomach into a bottomless abyss. "She's right…" He thought…then, "OH MY GOD SHE'S RIGHT!?" Rory backed away slowly, his legs transforming into jello.

"RUN!" She screamed, her hand was holding his and they were running for their lives. They never made it to the end of the ally. That thing was fast. Really fast. Everything became a hazy blur of motion. The next thing Rory knew, he was lying on the ground, his own warm blood dripping from his head and a painful burning from within. His vision turned red as he began blinking blood out of his eyes. He gasped for breath, his mouth open like a gaping fish out of water.

Luna watched in blatant horror as Rory was truck across the head, raised up, and then slammed into the ground as if he were a pile of sticks. Rory landed hard on his back, a loud cracking noise followed and blood leaked out of him like a runny faucet. His mouth was open gasping for breath. Luna grabbed the nearest object and threw it. The Hollowcall howled with pain as Luna's object hit it and burst, showering it with a fine dust. The Hollowcall let off a loud creaking, like a car's cooling engine…and then… it was gone. Luna almost collapsed to the ground, her knees nearly giving out. She made her way to Rory and grabbed his face with both hands. "Rory?" She managed to choke out. "Rory!"

"Yeah," Rory coughed, finally catching his breath, "I'm…I'm…I'm…"

"We need to get you to hospital, to your Dad." Luna helped Rory to stand, draping his arm over her shoulder.