It was over breakfast the next day that Strax told them all about his own investigations into the death of a friend – or as close to a friend as a Sontaran could have. The poor man had been left in an alley, drained into a husk of a person. Nothing that had happened so far seemed to relate to the death of his fighting buddy, though, so as he headed up to the East End to continue on, the Doctor, Danni and Jenny headed back to the fair. Vastra would have joined them but she had promised the police that she would keep them updated on any progress in the Hapworth investigation. There was none, or none that they would particularly care about, but she had to keep them in favour.
The snow had fallen heavily the night before, so Danni and Jenny took the initiative to bundle up even more than they had the last time they'd stepped into the Frost Fair. Once again, the Doctor didn't seem to feel the cold like everyone else so he'd stuck with the same outfit.
The smog had also seemed to have picked itself up, bathing everything in a blanket of grey that didn't seem to faze Jenny but had Danni coughing every so often at the strength. She didn't usually frequent such polluted areas; her lungs weren't used to it. The Doctor wasn't too bothered about it either, but that was Time Lord physiology she guessed.
"I'll see if I can grab a word with our friend Silhouette," the Doctor said as they headed towards the Carnival of Curiosities. "You find out if anyone knows anything about the mysterious Mr Milton."
Danni frowned. "Can't I go with you?"
"You have a much better way with people, my Pet," he reminded her. "Go use those womanly wiles of yours on the unsuspecting public and we'll have Milton in no time."
She blushed slightly as he placed a kiss on her check, then turned on his heels and headed towards the Carnival. She turned to Jenny, who was watching them both with one eyebrow cocked and her cheeks darkened. "He doesn't mean that," she was quick to tell the other woman. "He just wants to go on his own because he thinks he can do it better. He wants to be impressive."
"Sure," Jenny replied, with all of her disbelief in her voice. The house she and her wife shared with Strax was large, but there was no denying the noise from the night before. It wasn't anything obscene, but it was there. "This is going to be just like yesterday was," she continued to change the subject. "Same questions, different description. So what's this Milton bloke look like then?"
Danni frowned as she thought back on him. "Middle-age, I'd say," she started slowly. "A little goatee-beard thing. Very impeccably dressed, and had a cane."
"Proper gent, ain't he?" Jenny commented.
Danni shrugged. "He seemed to be. Called himself an 'industrialist', which I think is just a posh way of saying 'factory owner'." She shook her head. "It does boggle the mind sometimes, doesn't it?"
"People always like to seem posher than they are," Jenny replied. "You wouldn't believe some of the people me and Ma'am have had to deal with."
"I probably would," Danni said before looking over the crowd. "What do you think? Split up, take a half each and meet up for tea?"
Jenny nodded. "Just what I was thinking, Miss."
Danni shot her a look. "It's Mrs," she reminded. "And it's Danni. Don't make me tell on you."
The tease was obvious in her tone and Jenny pretended to look all innocent. "I don't know what you mean, Miss," she replied. "I'll go left."
~0~0~0~
The people at the Frost Fair were polite and friendly, but unfortunately not very helpful at all. The smog didn't make searching any easier, but she persevered. It was when she was asking a lovely, but yet again unhelpful woman wearing a posh dress when she caught the sight of a figure emerging from the thick fog.
Oswald seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to him, but she immediately homed in on him. "Oswald!"
He stopped in his tracks as he saw her approach him. "Danni!" he exclaimed, sounding delighted to see her. "I had no idea you would be here today."
"And yet here I am," she replied. "But you're just the person I was looking for. Or, rather, the person who can help me find who I was looking for."
She linked her arm through his, partly to see overly friendly but mainly to keep him from running off. "I am?"
She nodded. "I'm looking for Mr Milton," she explained. "You see, recently I inherited quite a lot of money, more than I know what to do with, and I'm looking for an outlet. Tell me more about your employer."
"You met him yesterday," he pointed out and she nodded.
"Yes, he seemed very nice," she replied. "He is quite a rich man, am I correct? He must be a little well off to pay you to teach those poor children." She smiled up at him. "Of course, it's one thing to be generous with money. Giving your time up like you do is much more rewarding, I'm sure."
She played right to his ego, and it worked because he grinned happily. "It is quite rewarding," he replied modestly. "He made his money in industry, I believe. Manufacturing of some sort. I'm not really sure exactly what. I really don't know him that well, I'm afraid."
"That's quite alright," Danni replied. "I don't know many people in the city, you're my best lead. Why do you say he made his money in manufacturing if you're not sure?"
"He has a factory in Alberneath Avenue. I had to meet him there to be interviewed for the post of tutor, you see."
"So you saw what they make there?" Danni asked with interest.
He shook his head. "I saw a lot of machines," he replied. "Oily and noisy, but much more than that I really couldn't say."
Danni nodded to herself, glancing back at the Carnival. Oswald was the best lead she'd found, and she was willing to bet the Jenny was having as much luck as she had been up to that point. She needed to find out what the factory made. She needed to get the Doctor.
"I'm sorry, I'm due to give a lesson in a few minutes," Oswald told her, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I had only been passing through the fair." Danni's gaze snapped back to him. She didn't have time to wait.
"Can I ask you one more question?" she asked. "More of a request, really."
"Of course," he replied unsurely and she smiled brightly.
"Do you think you could take me to Alberneath Avenue?" she requested. "I really would like to speak to Mr Milton."
He grimaced slightly, obviously torn between being a gentleman and taking her to the factory and not being late for his class. "Why don't I put you in a cab to Alberneath Avenue?" he offered. "I can follow on if I can postpone my lesson?"
Danni nodded. If something was going on, she was probably better without Milton's friend and employee around than with him. There was a good chance he knew what was going on, or at least in part. He might, but it would be better if she didn't have to fight off two men should she need to.
She shot another glance towards the Carnival. She needed to tell the Doctor, but she couldn't just pull out her mobile and call him. She'd cause a scene.
I've found where Milton's factory is, she called, hoping he could hear. I'll get a look at it then I'll be back.
"That sounds wonderful," she said and they started walking towards the street. "I will make sure that I speak very highly to you when I see Mr Milton," she promised. "You've been very helpful."
"It really is no trouble," he replied.
~0~0~0~
Danni frowned to herself and wished that she was wearing a watch. Oswald had said that the factory wasn't too far from the Frost Fair, but she felt like she'd been in the cab for almost half an hour. Maybe that was because she was so used to appearing wherever she wanted to go. Even with Clara, travelling on the bus and train always felt so slow.
It also wasn't particularly comfortable. They bumped all over the cobblestones, although that wasn't the driver's fault, it was just how it was. She wished she had someone to talk to. She should have waited for Theta to finish up his job. But, if Oswald had given word before they had made it to the factory then it might have been a fruitless effort.
Danni also didn't really know London very well either, so none of the buildings they went past rang any bells. So, really, she wasn't going to get a location for him. Oh well, maybe she could just scope out the place and get some details.
Oswald had been kind enough to pay the driver in advance, so she gave him a friendly 'thank you' and hopped out of the cab in front of the factory. Her legs felt a little wobbly, but she tried to keep herself steady as she looked up at the brick building with broken windows. It didn't look like it was in a particularly good condition.
"How would I get back to the Fair?" she asked the cabbie.
"Best to try down there," he replied, pointing down the way they had come. "Turn left at the end and that'll bring you to Motherton Street. You should get a cab there."
She nodded. "Left at the end. Thank you."
"Not that way, though," the cabbie warned, pointing down past the factory. "You won't find nothing good down there, miss. Mind how you go now."
He left her to stare at the building, heading back the way he came. The smog enveloped him almost instantly, but she took some comfort in the fact she could still hear the wheels of the cab rolling over the cobbles on his way away. At least, should she need it, maybe someone would hear her scream.
She sighed. Her life was anything but ordinary, wasn't it?
She took a deep breath, pulled together all her courage, and headed towards the factory. The first thing she had noticed was the complete lack of sound. She could remember another factory that she had entered while in Victorian England. She and Jenny had found record players faking the noise of a factory that wasn't working. This street, however, was completely empty and the façade of a working factory was obviously deemed unnecessary.
There was no entrance on Alberneath Avenue, only a small alleyway that led towards another side of the building. Danni really didn't appreciate the dankness and darkness of it, but she followed it down until she found an even darker wall that was the entrance.
There were too many dark things. None of this was very good. "Why did we split up?" she murmured to herself as she rattled the door. The big metal door moved, but didn't open, and she growled at herself. "Locked. Why did I leave him? Why the hell didn't I go get backup? I'm gonna die here."
She'd seen so many horror movies, and lived through so many scary and bewildering things herself to know that she really should have followed her gut feeling. She really shouldn't have left on her own.
But, it was too late for that now. She continued down the alleyway, looking for another way in. The next couple of doors were all locked and bolted like the first, but she eventually came across a rusted set of large metal doors with smaller doors set into them. She tried the handle, and it creaked ominously as it opened.
Inside was exactly what she had expected; nothing. The open windows had let some of the London smog float in, filling the empty area. No workers, no machinery, no lighting. Oswald had set her up. And he'd seemed so nice as well. So much like Clara. Proved that there was no one quite like her best friend, she supposed.
She jumped, startled by the sound of something flapping above her. Probably a bird, or a bat. Something with wings, at any rate. She slowly, cautiously, stepped further in. "You're going to get yourself killed, Fielding. That's what's happening here. Turn around and leave."
She didn't, though. There were some remnants of whatever the factory had once housed on the other side of the room, so she made her way towards it. It was surrounded by shredded paper. Probably some more of the local animals making themselves at home.
She frowned and bent down, running her hand through the pile and picking up a scrap. Her eyes widened slightly. They were all tiny, origami birds…
The door slammed shut behind her and she spun abruptly, suddenly terrified. She rushed over and banged on the door, rattling the handle but it didn't open. Her eyes caught sight of the futuristic keypad to the side of the door, even if it was too dark to quite make out the numbers. This wasn't a factory, this was a base.
"Let me out!" she screamed, rattling the door harder. "Let me out! Please!" She smacked the door. "Sonic! Screwdriver!" She really needed her own.
The sound of flapping began to increase behind her and she dared not to look back for a moment, continuing her vain efforts to fight her way out. But it was no use, and the sound was becoming almost deafening.
She turned and saw the mass of paper coming towards her. Thousands of tiny paper birds were coming towards her and she pressed up against the door, shaking her head. "Let me out! Let me out!"
No one was coming, though, and soon she was surrounded by the tiny birds. She crouched down, hands covering her face and she closed her eyes. She could do nothing but try to protect herself from the attack. Their tiny wings were like razorblades, slashing across her skin as they beat down on her. She could feel her blood tricking down from the little wounds that were covering her body. There was no escape. She was actually going to be paper-cut to death by magical paper birds.
The continued to peck at her, slash at her, as she moved onto her hands and knees, searching the floor for something, anything, but all it did was give birds a wider area of attack. The tiny points of their beaks were trying to break her skin. Her body screamed in protest, the cold and smoggy air stung her skin.
There was nothing left for her to do. She screamed. She screamed out loud, doing her best to keep her mouth clear.
And she screamed in her head for the one person she could, knowing he wouldn't hear her.
~0~0~0~
Across town, underneath a table in a shadow tent as he hid from a man who seemed to have no face, the Doctor frowned to himself. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, and he needed to find his wife to find out what.
~0~0~0~
Strax's investigations that morning hadn't yielded any more results than the day before. The most he had gathered was that there may or may not have been a dark figure dressed rather in the manner of an undertaker in the vicinity of the actual death at about the same time as the victim must have expired.
His whole endeavour was much more to do with avenging his fellow warrior in battle, Mr Bellamy, who had not been subjected to the dignified death that he deserved. He'd been left in the street, an emancipated corpse compared to the large and strong man that he had been in life.
All he knew was that Rick Bellamy was not the first victim to be found in this state. All down on their luck, and none too pleased about it. After a little investigation into the other deaths, they would have got along well with Bellamy, but that was the only connection he could find.
He decided to go back to the beginning, to where Bellamy had been found to see if he could find out anything else those scrawny humans would have missed. It was deserted, though. Empty houses on an empty street. No one for him to interrogate, but the perfect place for a murder.
He found the alleyway that Bellamy had been found in, which led him up towards a factory. There was nothing of interest as far as he could tell, and he was about to turn away when he heard the sound of someone screaming coming from within the hollow walls of the building.
He wasn't a fan of the noises that humans made, but he knew one of fear when he heard it. The high pitch noise coming from inside was definitely someone screaming. And, while he wasn't one for coming to the aid of a human in distress, he was always up for a fight or a battle.
He found the nearest entry point – a wooden door – and charged at it with his shoulder. It splintered under his strength and he found himself in a large area devoid of walls or upper floors. One the other side of the expansive space it looked as if a miniature snowstorm was attacking a small human.
As he approached, two things became clear to Strax. One was that the snow was actually paper, folded into stylised shapes. The second was that the small human was only partially that. Curled up in on herself was the Doctor's wife, Danni. He didn't usually feel relief, but he was suddenly glad he'd chosen to listen to the call of war. Not only was the Doctor a foe not to make, and leaving his wife to her demise would make him one most certainly, but she was one of his more amusing acquaintances.
She was the only one who appreciated his Christmas pudding.
"Retreat at once, wood-pulp scum!" Strax ordered, charging into battle. As he got closer, he saw that there was a large hole gaping in the floor. He was certain that Danielle hadn't noticed it and the paper-creatures were trying to drive her into it. So he put down his head he charged into the blizzard of paper, grabbing Danni and pulling her clear.
"Strax!" she exclaimed as the paper birds followed them, continuing their relentless attack. "I'm so glad to see you! Is the Doctor with you?"
"No, is he not with you?" he asked as they bombarded them, cutting their skin more, trying to fly into their mouths, into his probic vent.
"No, he's at the fair," she explained, spluttering as she tried to smack the birds away. "Got a plan?"
"Did you come unarmed?" he asked her and she nodded. "Foolish boy, you should never go into battle unprepared."
"I wasn't going into battle!" she protested as she watched him squash a bird with his fist. "I was going into a factory. What to do we do? Run or fight?"
"Retreat?" he scoffed. "Never!"
"What do we do then?!"
He kept Danni in front of him, shoving her much harder than she was sure was necessary. However, she was just happy that he was there. Strax would have weapons, Strax would be able to save her. Or, at the very least, be able to keep her alive until someone finds out where they were and actually saved them.
"When I tell you, drop to the ground," Strax told her and she nodded.
"Alright."
"Get down!" Strax roared and Danni dropped to the floor. Nothing happened, though, and she looked up at the Sontaran.
"Strax?"
"That was a test. Next time we do it for real."
She glared at him, staying on the ground. "Strax," she cried. "I've been at war longer than you've been alive. Get on with it!"
"Right," he replied, grumbling slightly because he wanted to be back in war and she was such a peace-loving creature. "Sorry, boy."
"Just do it!"
"Get down!" he shouted, this time redundantly as he dove to one side. The paper birds, obviously disorientated, tried to locate him. In their split-second pause, Strax through something metal into their midst. It exploded into a brilliant white light and the paper burst into flames, falling to the ground and smouldering.
Danni cheered as the birds went down until the air was full of warmth and smoke, but no more deadly paper wings.
"An incendiary pod," Strax explained as he helped Danni to her feet. "You all right, boy?"
She nodded. "Just a bit scarred," she replied, reaching up and running her fingers over her cheek. Blood gathered on her fingers and probably spread over her face and she hissed. "Got that nurse bag on you?"
He grumbled about her designating his first aid kit a 'nurse bag', when it was so obviously designed for the battlefield. He still helped her though, using some antiseptic wipes on her cuts that apparently would help them heal. They stung, but she tried not to complain too much. After all, he saved her life, she couldn't complain too much.
"What were you doing here anyway?" she asked as he moved onto her left arm. "Seems like a rather big coincidence."
"I was engaged on investigation and reconnaissance," he replied. "An information-gathering mission. This is the area where Mr Bellamy died."
"Ah, your friend, right?" she replied and he would have nodded if he'd had a neck. Instead, he just sort of rocked back and forth. "He was found near the factory?"
"In the alley outside. There have been several deaths. Unexplained but similar to Bellamy," he explained. "What brings you here?"
"This is Mr Milton's factory, apparently," she explained. "I was sent here by what I thought was a lovely man. I guess that's what I get for being too trusting."
She winced slightly as he brushed over a particularly nasty little papercut. The smaller ones always seemed to hurt a lot more.
"It is the way you humans are," he replied, dismissing her insult. "You never do learn."
Danni couldn't help but agree, although she felt explaining her Time Lord side to him probably was a conversation that didn't need to happen at that moment. "Yeah, and I got ambushed because of it. The question is; how did they know to find me? And how did they know that I'd come?"
Strax paused in his patching up to think on it. "It may be a defence mechanism. Not targeted at an individual, but a simple blanket deterrent that they used on you. This Frost Fair…"
Danni frowned. "Yes?"
"Bellamy said he had visited such a place. The night he died. He also spoke of a Curious Carnivore."
"The Carnival of Curiosities," Danni corrected. "Why am I not surprised?" She stood up, grabbing onto his cold shoulder for support as she did. She felt a little light headed, but otherwise she was feeling better. A quick glance at her arm showed the damage they'd done not only to her clothes, but to the skin underneath. It did look better, though.
"Something is going on here," she told him as they headed back out into the street. "Something involving an empty factory with a futuristic keypad, a magnitude of flying paper birds and several mysterious deaths. And I'm sure that it all has to do with the Shadowplay tent in the Carnival. When we get to the Doctor, you need to tell him everything you have found out so far. Mr Milton is in the middle of all of it, I just don't know how."
Strax nodded. "Yes Ma'am," he replied. "What Shadowplay tent?"
~0~0~0~
The Doctor knew something was wrong. He strode through the Frost Fair, his hearts pounding and his eyes darting around, taking in every little detail and instantly dismissing them. He'd not felt right since he had been in the Shadowplay tent, and the longer it took to find his wife, the more agitated he became.
He had thought it was a simple and safe task for her. He trusted her abilities even in dangerous situations, but now he couldn't spot her when she was the only face he could truly see, he had to admit he was worried.
And when he worried, he was not a man you wanted to cross paths with. The general public seemed to sense this and would move out of his way as he stormed on through the crowd, but it didn't help him any.
He had reached out to her, but he couldn't feel her. It didn't mean anything, after all she could have just cut herself back off again without really thinking about it, after all she was more used to being cut off than connected to him. It was just adding to his anxiousness.
He growled, turning back and heading into back into the Carnival, hoping that they'd crossed paths somewhere along the way. Jenny was talking to Michael the Strong man and he immediately made a beeline over to her.
"Where 'ave you been 'iding?" she asked him.
"Have you seen Danielle?" he shot back in reply. She shook her head.
"I thought you two were together," she replied. "You didn't 'alf keep me waiting. I thought you were indisposed, as it were. So, I thought I'd talk to Michael here."
The Doctor barely spared him a glance. "Yes, hello again. We need to find her."
Jenny frowned. "Why? Is she in trouble?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But I can't find her and that can't be good."
"Is that your good lady wife?" Michael asked and the Doctor nodded. "I saw you coming out of Silhouette's tent, but Miss Jenny here reassures me you're trying to help her, not hurt her."
"We will definitely do our best," he replied. "As soon as I find my wife."
"If you're helping Silhouette, then I would like to offer my help finding your wife," Michael offered and the Doctor was slightly stunned.
"That would be very helpful, thank you," the Doctor replied.
"Well, us Smiths have to stick together, right?"
"I don't think we'll need to go looking," Jenny interrupted and the Doctor followed her eyeline. Strax had entered the Carnival, Danielle at his side and looking a little worse for wear. He dashed over.
"Where have you been?" he snapped at her and she ducked her head guiltily.
"Oswald told me where Mr Milton's factory was," she explained. "I went to have a look, but it was a trap. I got attacked by a load of paper birds. Strax happened to be there and saved me."
The Doctor looked her over. Her skin was covered in little cuts, all marking her beautiful face with little pink lines. He reached out and ran his fingers over her lips, and she winced as he brushed over the little cuts that covered them as well. They felt slightly swollen underneath his touch.
His blood boiled and she watched his eyes darken in anger. "They hurt you," he stated in a growl.
"And Strax saved me," she replied soothingly. "It was my own fault, I shouldn't have gone." His fingers continued to trace her sore lips, but she caught them, placing a soft kiss on the tips.
He caught her gaze and she shot him a wave of reassurance, promising she was okay. His brows furrowed. "Did you call out for me?" he asked lowly and she nodded.
"I knew you couldn't hear, though," she replied. "I was too far away."
"I think I did," he murmured. Her cuts would heal, and she didn't seem too fazed about her attack, but he took her hand and she held back tightly. Milton would pay for this.
He walked her over to Jenny and Michael. "We were just about to come looking for you," he explained. "Michael here was going to help."
She beamed at the man, who seemed to flush under the attention. "Thank you," she told him honestly.
"It was the least I could do," he replied gruffly. "Your friend says that you're trying to save Silhouette from danger?"
She nodded. "If she's in danger, we'll help her," Danni promised. "Do you know anything at all about what had been going on around here? Or about a Mr Milton?"
"I'm not really sure what could be going on," he replied, shifting slightly on the spot. Danni smiled, nodding an agreement.
"I didn't think so," she replied. "You're a good man, I can tell. I have a real knack for seeking them out. Like my husband here," she nodded towards the Doctor. "He's grumpy, but he's a good man. People can't see it because he's rude all the time but it's there. It's why he wants to find out what's happening to Silhouette."
That did make Michael look down, almost ashamed but he didn't say a word. As Danni reached out to rest a hand on his arm, the Doctor sent Jenny a warning look to tell her not to say a word. "We just want to help," she reassured him. "If you know anything at all, will you let us know? A man is already dead from what he saw in that tent, I really don't want the same to happen to you."
He looked over the strange group of people, then back at the woman with kind eyes and a reassuring smile. "She's changed," he said. "So have… well, let's say this Carnival used to be a happy place. A family. But recently, it's just not been the same. Not since he came here…"
"Someone came?" she asked gently when he once again hesitated. "Someone new?"
After another moment's pause, Michael glanced around. "Look, I'll tell you what I can," he said. "So you can help – you said you'd help, right?"
"We did and we will," the Doctor promised for his wife.
"Then we'll talk," he agreed. "But first I've got another show to do. I'll meet you back here in half an hour, alright?"
Danni nodded. "That's fine," she replied. "And you can change your mind, if you are too uncomfortable telling us. But we can help, I promise."
He nodded and Strax frowned, having been looking him up and down appraisingly. "Show?" he asked. "What show?"
Danni nodded. "Actually, that is a good idea," she declared. "How about we let Strax observe the show while we go get a cup of tea somewhere warm?"
"But boy, you wanted me to tell the Doctor about my investigations," Strax reminded her and she nodded.
"I do. You can do it later." She motioned to Michael. "You'll want to see this, trust me."
Again, Strax looked Michael up and down, who was staring at the man with no neck like he couldn't quite believe he was an actual human, but also had no idea what he could actually be either. "What is this show?"
"I bend metal bars mainly," Michael said. "And lift weights."
"It's a show of strength," Danni sold, seeing Strax unsure. She clenched her fists together as if she was showing off her own strength. "It's… It's a way to show to locals that you are fit to serve them as a protector, a warrior, a… um…"
"It's a military parade," the Doctor jumped in and Danni nodded eagerly, pointing at her husband.
"That's it," she cried. "That's the words I was looking for. It's like a one man military parade!"
"Ah." Strax nodded. "Then I should stay and observe. Perhaps I can also take part in one of these shows."
"Definitely, perhaps," Danni replied. "Stay here, keep a close eye on it."
The trio left Michael to answer some of Strax's questions with a bewildered look.
"Why did you want him to stay?" Jenny asked.
"Because Michael knows something," Danni replied. "He's probably in as much danger as we are. Strax can help if something happens while we're waiting."
With the tea tent being more packed than the day before, though, they instead headed towards the Thames until they could find a section of wall that wasn't quite as crowded.
The Doctor brushed off the snow and placed his jacket down for them to sit down. Jenny hopped up first while the Doctor helped Danni up. He sat between the two and immediately took her arm in his hands. He pulled off her glove then rolled up her tattered sleeve. "Tell us about the factory," he commanded gently.
"Oswald sent me there," she started. "He seemed nice enough, and he was supposed to meet me there. But the street was empty and the factory even more so. I thought that maybe only part of it was working, but I shouldn't have gone in on my own. It was stupid. I knew it was at the time. I don't know why I don't listen to myself."
"Because you still always hope for the best," the Doctor replied. He could see that Strax must have patched her up slightly before they'd come back from the factory. The redness and rawness of the cuts wasn't as bad as he would have thought them to be, but considering each one had to be made through her clothing they had to have hurt.
"Well, that's my own bloody fault, isn't it?" she replied. "I'm going to have to stop it. It's getting me into a lot of trouble."
He slowly traced his fingertip over each cut he could see. "What happened next?"
"Well, it was all locked up, but I found an open door. The entire factory was empty apart from a couple of broken machine parts dotted around. I saw some paper on the floor and thought it might have been paperwork, but it was thousands upon thousands of little paper birds. The door locked, I rushed over, but they all came to life and attacked me. If Strax hadn't turned up…"
"But he did," the Doctor replied. "I'm guessing he burnt them, considering the ash on your clothes?"
Danni nodded. "There was a keypad at the door I couldn't break," she added. "Like, a futuristic one. I need my own screwdriver, because I could have got out on my own if I'd had one."
"We'll look into it for you," he promised.
He raised her hand up to his lips, placing a little kiss on her knuckles. Jenny looked away, down at her feet, and away from the couple. They were all used to seeing the Doctor and Danni being affectionate, but not particularly in this body. And there were always moments that felt like they deserved more privacy than maybe was available at that time. This was one of those moments.
"I knew something was wrong," the Doctor murmured. "I tried to find you."
She smiled. "And I'm fine," she reassured. "It's just a few cuts, you know I'll heal up soon." He was still running his thumb over the back of her hand. He could see the little winces each time he brushed over a mark. "You'll just have to put up with them for a little while, that's all."
He looked up at her face and saw the smile she was shooting him, but also felt the self-doubt she had about it. That flicker of worry and he pulled his lips into a smirk, leaning in closer.
"Hopefully sooner rather than later," he purred into her ear. "I can't wait long to kiss you again. You're just too delectable, my Pet."
She flushed darkly, turning her head to glance at Jenny but he caught her cheek, gently encouraging her to look back at him. "We'll work it out," he promised her. "Until then, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
She winced slightly as she smiled again, the tugging pulling at the little cuts on her lips. "You're always trying to protect me," she commented lightly. "Sometimes I wonder if I actually need it, and then I get attacked by paper birds and I realise I really do."
"You don't need it," he replied. "But I'm doing it anyway. You don't have a choice."
She giggled as he leant forward, pressing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "So, the paper birds strike again," he said thoughtfully.
Jenny, sensing they were back on topic again, leant forward to join in the conversation. "You think these paper birds are something to do with the shadow puppets?"
"Huge coincidence if they're not," Danni replied.
"And we're finding too many things that could be coincidences. I'm guessing they're nothing of the sort." He pushed himself off the wall before handing Danielle her glove back. He then tugged his jacket out from underneath the two women, causing them to jump down next to him. "Maybe Michael the Strong Man can enlighten us. He must be finishing his show soon, I would think."
~0~0~0~
Michael wasn't at his tent when they made it back to the Carnival, but Strax was. He was stood at the entrance like he was standing guard and he seemed rather enthused to see them.
"Did you enjoy the show?" Danni asked him and once again he rocked back and forward like he was nodding.
"It was a marvellous sight for a human," he replied. "I should like to attempt it myself. The humans in the crowd were showing him honour and marvel, but none were cowering in fear."
"Let me guess; that's what you want to do?" Jenny replied.
"It would not be difficult," he retorted.
"Where's Michael?" Danni asked him, frowning slightly. She had hoped that Strax would have stayed with him until they returned.
"He asked me to step outside while he properly stored his equipment and munitions. It would have been a grave tactical error for an enemy warrior to learn of weapon storage," he smirked, leaning towards them. "Next time I shall peek. It is a curtesy only offered once."
"We should go inside," she said to the Doctor. "I'm not happy he's alone."
The Doctor nodded, pushing the flap of the door open. "Michael? Are you…?" His voice tailed off. He stepped back out, letting the tent flap fall back into place.
Danni shook her head, stepping forward. "He can't have gotten out without Strax noticing," she said firmly. "He must be…"
The Doctor's arm shot out, stopping her from lifting the flap herself. "No," he told her firmly. He knew it would just upset her. "Strax, come with me."
"What about us?" Jenny said.
"You'd best wait out here," he said, shooting his wife a sombre look. "Small tent. Don't want it getting too crowded."
Danni shook her head. There was one reason her husband wouldn't let her into the tent. "No," she replied. "No, he can't be!"
She pushed passed him, although he didn't offer much resistance, knowing that she was going in regardless of his attempts. She didn't see him at first, but she gasped in horror when she saw Michael on the floor. "Oh no."
She rushed over to his side, kneeling on the floor but it was obvious that he was dead. The Doctor joined her a moment later, examining the body closely.
She looked up at Strax. "Did you not hear anything?" she asked.
"I did not," he replied. "No one entered the tent while I was at guard, Ma'am."
She could tell that the Sontaran was feeling guilty, even if he himself wasn't entirely sure on the feeling himself. He wouldn't have addressed her as 'Ma'am' as if he was reporting back to her if he wasn't feeling something over the death of the strong man.
"It's okay," she told him. "The Carnival is so loud and we don't know if he made any noise at all."
"He most likely didn't," the Doctor replied grimly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he'd suffered a heart attack."
"But he didn't, did he?" Danni replied and he shook his head.
"It would be a very convenient heart attack." The Doctor pointed to Michael's chest. "And you can just see where the bruising is beginning to come out. Inflicted before death, I'd say. Not that I'm an expert."
"And?" she replied. "There's something else, isn't there?"
The Doctor nodded. "Several ribs are cracked," he replied as he felt along the man's upper torso. "This one's broken… and another." He dusted his hands together and stood up. "It's like he's been crushed."
He held his hand out to Danni, helping her up. "If he'd been crushed he wouldn't have been able to cry out," Danni said sadly. "He wouldn't have had the breath to."
"But what could have crushed 'im? He's not a small fella, is he?" Jenny pointed out.
"Death is death," Strax said. "You overcomplicate things."
"He deserves respect," Danni replied. "We need to work out how, so we can work out who and why, and we can bring them to justice."
Strax's smirked, sensing another battle. "Shall I fetch the fragmentation grenades?"
"That would be necessary," the Doctor told him. "But you're right. The question isn't so much how he was killed as why he was killed?"
"To stop him speaking to us," Jenny said. "Don't take a genius to work that out."
Danni nodded in agreement. "Whoever knew he was going to talk can't have been too happy about it," she said before glancing down at the strong man. "Still didn't deserve to die, though. Poor man." She looked up at the Doctor. "What do we do?"
"Now," the Doctor said, "we shall have to rely on my other informant here at the Carnival."
Danni frowned as the Doctor motioned Jenny and Strax out first. "I'm sorry?" she asked. "Other informant? You have another informant?"
"Of course I do, my Pet," he replied smoothly. "I have eyes everywhere."
"And you didn't think to tell me?" she asked as the Doctor led them towards to the exhibition of Never-Creatures.
"I thought it would be better as a surprise," he reasoned. "I know you'll find it rather amusing."
"What are we going in here for?" Jenny asked as they walked passed all of the terrible exhibits. "None of them are going to talk, are they?"
"Oh, I think they have something far more interesting on display here now," he replied.
There was a small crowd gathered at the end of the exhibition. People were standing expectantly in front of a curtain that had been drawn across the end of the tent.
They joined the back of the crowd and Danni had to admit she was rather intrigued about what was going on.
She jumped slightly as the Doctor wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You'll enjoy this," he purred, enjoying her shivering as his warm breath danced over her cool ear.
There was a man already stood in front of the curtain, doing his best to sell his new exhibit to the crowd. "… Yes, ladies and gents, behind this curtain lurks a unique specimen. Not a dead exhibit like what we have on the tables and in the cases around you, oh no. You may have been to other fairs and carnivals, you may have seen bearded ladies and twopenny freak shows. But the Carnival of Curiosities is the only place in London, in Britain, in the world, that can boast a specimen such as this."
Danni tilted her head up. "What is it?" she asked. "Who do you know who is in a travelling show?"
The Doctor just shushed her. She pouted until he pressed a kiss behind her ear, then she squirmed again.
"And so, ladies and gents, without further ado, I shall reveal to you this unique find. You are among the first, the only people, ever to clap eyes upon such a sight." With a flourish, he drew back the curtain. The crowd gasped, although there was little to see. Just a figure sat in a wooden chair.
Danni smirked, getting it instantly and she tilted her head back. "When did you have time to organise this?" she asked him.
"At breakfast, my Pet," he replied softly. "You do take a long time to get ready, we had a chance to plan ahead."
She shook her head and turned back to the person on the stage. "Vastra," she murmured as the person lifted their veil to reveal the lizard woman herself. "I should have bloody known."
~0~0~0~
Jenny had insisted on staying to make sure her wife was being treated properly at the Carnival. Danni couldn't blame her, and so they took Strax with them as they headed back to Alberneath Avenue and the factory where she had been attacked.
Strax had wanted to head back to Paternoster Row for more weapons, but Danni and the Doctor had told him that they just didn't have time.
The Doctor was obviously rather interested by the inside of the factory. He'd taken a few moments on the keypad, pulling it apart and checking the wires over.
"Remote access control," he declared. "That's how they locked you in." He placed the cover back on as if to make it look like it hadn't been tampered with. "A sonic screwdriver would have got you straight out."
"Told you," Danni retorted. "I really need my own."
"Yes, yes, we'll get you one," he replied, turning around. "So where are these homicidal origami birds, then?"
"Vaporised," Strax said proudly. "Obliterated."
The Doctor should have guessed that, judging by the soot that was covering both the floor and his wife's clothes. But, in his observation, the Doctor noticed the brackets attached to the floor.
"The metal's not corroded or rusty on the inside edges," he said. "And there's oil. Marks in the dust – I mean, apart from the ones you made."
"So something was moved out of here?" Danni guessed and he nodded. "Any idea of what?"
"Big stuff. Not easily moved around," he offered.
"Must have been important," Danni replied. "Something big would have been noticed, even in an empty street. We need to see if anyone saw anything."
"Excellent!" Strax announced, thumping his fist into the palm of his other hand. "Interrogation!"
"No," Danni said quickly, hands out in front of her. "Not- Not interrogation. Just asking around. No torturing the locals, Strax."
The Sontaron's arms fell heavily to his side. "Very well," he grumbled. "But I insist on weeding out the useless targets…."
"No," the Doctor told him firmly. "We're going to the pub."
Strax sighed exasperatedly. "The pub? But sir…"
"Come along, Strax," Danni encouraged. "You can get yourself a pint."
~0~0~0~
Vastra had sent Jenny away under the instruction that she wasn't going to be able to gain the trust of the rest of the Carnival if she had a maid following her. Jenny hadn't been best pleased, but she also knew that there was a case to be following and she'd told Vastra everything she had already found out. Vastra had been rather amused to find out that during her investigations, Jenny had found a young lad much like herself; very straight to the point, a little 'cheeky chappy' as Jenny had described him. She didn't worry about her head being turned, it was just nice to seeing Jenny interact outside their little circle. After all, she didn't have anyone else she could share her life with. She was, really, on her own in this human world.
That was why, when she was joined by a man in her curtained off area, she assumed he was there to give her information. He was well dressed, and roughly the same height as herself. The only thing that seemed remarkable about him was the leather mask he wore over his face. She hadn't noticed it until he removed his hat, but it wasn't unusual enough to hold her attention for too long. A lot of people in this era of history wore masks to hide disfigurement, it was why she could get away wearing a veil.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Forgive me," the man replied. "But just knowing that you are here – that you even exist - is a great help to me."
Those were strange words, and ones that she queried. He seemed to know of Mr Milton, but she wasn't inclined to believe him until he removed his mask. Her hand went to her mouth as she gasped, before she hastily lifted her own veil to make sure she could see as clearly as she could.
The deep-set eyes of another human-lizard stared back at her from a face of green scales. High ridges swept back from the lizard-man's forehead. A long thin tongue licked out as he locked back at her.
"I thought I was the only one," he breathed. "I know what he is doing, and I know where he is. You need to come with me."
"But…" Vastra started but he shook his head.
"The Strong Man is already dead," he replied. "And we shall be next if we don't act."
Vastra nodded, pulling her veil back down to conceal herself. She could contact the Doctor and his Danielle when she knew more. But she had done enough investigating and fighting on her own to know when to act and when to sit back.
"Show me the way," she demanded.
~0~0~0~
Jenny stood outside the curtained off area, tapping her foot impatiently. Vastra had not been waiting for her when she'd come back from her enforced walk, and she didn't seem to be returning any time soon either. Not that she was the worrying type, but with the strange goings on in the Carnival she wasn't sure if Vastra would be spared from anyone trying to keep themselves hidden. She would just have felt better if she was at her side to fight along with her.
"Were you hoping to see the Lizard Woman?"
Jenny jumped, turning swiftly to find Jim behind her. She'd told Vastra about the young man she'd encountered a couple of times as she had been asking questions. He'd not been much help, but he'd been happy to lend a hand when she'd needed it and that always made her life easier.
"You surprised me, creeping around like that."
"Sorry. I wasn't creeping – really I wasn't. I'm surprised you're still here," he promised, the lilt of his accent mimicking her own. His dark brown hair was sticking out from underneath his hat. He looked like he'd had almost as stressful day as she had.
Jenny looked around, trying to spot her wife. "Yeah, you and me both."
"It might be a long wait," he warned and she frowned.
"What might?"
"The show. The Lizard Woman, though she's just probably just some carnival girl in a mask. But she's gone now, whoever she is."
"Gone?" Jenny repeated, her panic rising. "What do you mean 'gone'?"
"Um, well, nothing. Just saw her leave a little while ago. I recognised her at once, because I saw the show earlier. Left with a man. Strange sort, seemed to be wearing a mask."
Jenny was holding Jim's arm tightly. "And this man took her away?"
"I wouldn't say that. She seemed quite happy to go."
"Go where?"
"Well, out of the Frost Fair. I saw them heading for the Embankment, then they turned off toward Orestes Milton's house."
Jenny nodded. "Show me."
~0~0~0~
The house didn't seem too out of the ordinary. Just grand and expensive, but if he was trying to blend the it made sense that his house didn't stand out either. No one answered when they tried the door bell, but no one answered so they entered via the strangely unlocked front door.
None of it felt particularly good to Jenny, but considering that Vastra was also in the house somewhere she knew that she had to continue on. Her wife was smart as well as strong, so they needed to find her and work out what was going on.
They found her trapped in the middle of a darken room, in a circle of focused lights, with a spotlight on Vastra in the middle. Jenny ran into the room, calling to her wife, who moved as close to the ring of lights as she dared.
"Jenny? Thank goodness," she sighed in relief. "It's a force shield, I'm trapped inside."
"What is this place?" Jim asked, looking around the room with confusion. "What's going on?"
"Nevermind that, let's just get her out of there," Jenny told him.
As Vastra reached through the bars to Jenny, she instructed Jim to find the control panel by the windows, never noticing how he didn't question what a control panel was or, in fact, what a force shield was either. They were just extremely happy and hugged each other when the lights disappeared.
"Thank goodness," Vastra repeated as she embraced Jenny tightly. "I thought I was trapped in here for ever."
"I'm afraid," said Jim, hand still on her control panel," that you probably are."
The bars of light reappeared. Now that Jenny had stepped forward, towards Vastra, she too was trapped inside the circle.
"Jim? What's going on? Did you do that? Turn them off again."
"No, my dear," Vastra said quietly. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have come. Now we're both trapped."
As Jim stepped closer, Vastra cursed herself for being so foolish as to not see it. She had just been so happy to have someone come to her rescue that she'd not thought it through. But the same thing had happened to Jenny, and had probably happened to Danielle as well. They'd all been greeted by a face they could trust; Jenny with a boy from her own background, Vastra had a man from a race she'd never thought she'd see again. Danni had seen a version of the companion she had held so near, but none of them had been real.
They both held onto each other as Jim joined them on the outside of the bars, the lights from the cage illuminating his face. It faded and dissolved into an expressionless blank nothingness of a face, Vastra could only hold her wife tighter.