Chapter Text
Nothing was going to plan for Yasmin Khan.
This was once again demonstrated as she was dragged into a pitch-black, bare concrete room and her hands were bound with a thick chain that was connected to the floor. The burly man who had captured her finally let go of her shoulder, gave her a small shove, and left the room. His footsteps echoed in the empty hall outside. Clearly, he thought the 5’ 5” woman didn’t need supervision.
He could not have been more wrong.
Yaz rolled her shoulders, getting ‘into the zone’ and trying to get the blood flowing back to where her captor had gripped her. She mentally went through a list she had refined through many years and many similar experiences.
The Doctor’s Yaz’s list of how not to die on some far-off alien planet.
Step 1. DON’T UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LET YOURSELF BE CAPTURED (unless you were the Doctor and had some ingenious plan to escape and save the day like always)
Well, that was a great start.
Step 2. If you are stupid enough to let yourself get captured, access the situation. Because the key to getting out and saving the day is often right in front of you. (Or in some cases right under your nose)
Ok. That was doable, except there wasn’t much of a situation to access, or at least see.
All Yaz could sense was the chill of the room and there was a strange, low, alien-sounding drone coming from somewhere to her right. And her biggest problem, her bound hands. Yaz tugged at the chain, hoping to find some sort of weakness or way to slip her hand out.
Nothing.
“That’s not going to work, believe me. I’ve tried.” Said a smooth, deep voice that cut through the silence suddenly.
Yaz froze like a dewanf in air. Fear clawed at her breathing, she had been too caught up in her thoughts to notice the other presence in the room. Her thoughts and breathing raced. Who was it? Friend or Foe? Was it another one of the guards that roamed the abandoned building? The voice sounded friendly, but Yaz learned long ago to never trust someone too easily.
First getting captured, then not sensing another person in the ROOM? I really have been getting rusty since —
Yaz’s police training took control of her body, injecting it with false confidence.
“Who’s there?” She replied, trying to keep a quiver out of her voice.
“Someone who isn’t getting paid for t—” The mysterious voice started.
It was then that her hand finally grasped the handy touch that she had been fishing for in her pocket. She whipped it out and banished it out in front of her like a weapon as she whipped the bright beam of light around.
The beam of light darted to its source, then down and it revealed, a man? Sitting on the ground. Like this was a normal Wednesday for him.
What?
“Do you mind!” The now-identified man finished, strained, he winced, covering his face with his hands as the beam of light landed squarely in the middle of his face, blinding him.
His accent sounded, American? Yaz mentally chided herself, that was not vital information. She lowered the touch to his chest so he was not blinded, but just enough that Yaz could get a good look at this stranger.
The man was sitting against the wall across from her. He was wearing a lapis jacket over a blue shirt. As he lowered his similarly bound hands from his face, Yaz saw that the man had curly chestnut hair and blue eyes that were staring back at her with a mostly emotionless expression. Still, Yaz saw some annoyance and a hint of curiosity in his gaze.
“Thank you.” He deadpanned, clearly not very greatful. “Now what is a human doing here?” As he spoke, the man stood up and took a few steps until he faced Yaz, studying her. He was a good head taller than her but she met his stare with determination. She was not a fan of the way he had said ‘human’, like she was inferior to him.
“This isn’t the type of place you stumble into accidentally” The man tilted his head “It’s like you’re asking to die”
He broke eye contact first and looked over her shoulder to where the drone was coming from, it seemed to be getting louder.
Yaz scoffed. Nice to meet you too.
“And you’re not? How did you end up trapped here?” She challenged but relaxed slightly, this man was a captive like her, which meant he could have more information.
He glanced back at Yaz quickly but didn’t answer. He instead walked back to where he had been sitting and sat down like he was waiting for something. As he walked away Yaz heard him mutter something about ‘silly humans’ but with some choice words instead.
The darkness crowded into the room, pushing aginst her, the chill of the room plunged into her body. Yaz deflated, the weight of failure settling over her. How had Yaz thought that she could continue to go chasing adventure and danger without the Doctor? Everything always ended up going to plan, there was always a way out or some secret to find that solved the mystery. But that life was gone, it died with the wondrous and amazing woman that had crashed in and changed Yaz’s life. All she was doing now was trying to find the same high that came with the adventure and helping others.
PING
The sudden burst of sound from her phone saved Yaz from her downward thoughts, echoing around the room, Yaz scrambled for her phone.
15 new messages in the Companion Support Group chat
Shit! Yaz had completely forgotten about the others. They were still out in the winding rooms of the building and had last seen her being dragged away by the guard.
Yaz opened the group chat and quickly typed a message. Not bothering to read any of the messages.
Me: I’m alive, at least for now
Jo: Thank God you’re alive
Graham: You had us worried there
Dan: Nice to hear that you’re alright Sheffield
Jo: Are you ok?
Ryan: Where did they take you??
The replies were instantaneous. Yaz sat down on the ground in the light of the touch and typed a reply.
Me: They took me to another room, not sure where exactly, and I’m a little tied up currently, but I’ve had worse.
Yaz hesitated for a second before looking over at the man on the other side of the room. His arms were crossed over his stomach and his eyes were closed. Was he really taking a nap?
Me: there’s also someone else here
Tegan: Who?
Me: don’t know, but he’s not involved with Deck
Me: very unhelpful and rude
The strange man suddenly jolted to life, searched the ceiling, and rushed over to Yas.
“Shut that off, now!” He implored her in a whispered tone.
Yaz startled. “What?” He wanted nothing to do with her before.
The man wouldn’t hear any complaints. He snatched the touch from the ground and shut it off. He then crouched close to her and pressed a finger up to her lips. Yaz wanted to protest, but she heard him shake his head. Common sense caught up to her as she kept quiet and listened for whatever caused the man to react like this.
A few seconds later, another sound could be heard over the low drone, a disgusting squelching came from the same direction as the drone and made its way towards the pair. Yaz’s body stiffened like it was prepared to run if needed, but she was quite literally chained to the floor, she was a sitting duck for whatever that alien was. Yaz stopped breathing and prepared for the thing making the sound to collide with her. But she was stunned when nothing happened, and the sound was coming from not next to, but right above her.
It was on the ceiling.