( impossible darkness ) noir nights.

[oswinforthewin]

DUE TO DELAYS THE 7:00PM BUS IS CANCELLED. PLEASE REROUTE.

Annabell sighed in irritation, looking at the watch on her wrist. For all the advancements The Conclave spoke of? Things were constantly breaking down. Still, they were led to believe this was life as normal. Only those from The Belly (as it was oh so affectionately called) knew different. She had been born in The Belly, and when she saw the world up above for the first time? She couldn't believe it. Now it made her skin crawl, but she had to keep the role up.

Even if she did miss teaching.

Her legs uncrossed and Annabell pushed herself up from the bench in the bus station. She straightened her dress and grabbed her coat. From the pockets she pulled out a small case of cigarettes and started to light it. It would be a long walk back to her apartment, so she might as well enjoy herself. Maybe she'd see some of the sights on her way back. It was a dream of hers as she chased the imaginary amber leaves that they said fell from real trees in the fall. A dream that soured and dried up when she finally got to the surface.

She almost regretted the decision to move upwards. Regrets, bitterness, and cheap wine was the life that Annabell lived, when she wasn't singing for the people she couldn't stand. They said she was a rising star in the music scene. Not that she cared. Her dark red lipstick stained the end of the cigarette as she shrugged on her coat. All she hoped for at the moment was that some fan wouldn't find her. Unless, of course, they wanted to offer her a ride home.

Comments

[oswinforthewin]

Then it was a good thing she was extremely domestic. Although she did love an adventure every now and then.

"Alright then. How do you plan on not being caught?"

[nevermindtherunning]

"Oh...." He didn't have an exact answer. Really, he just made everything up as he went along. "I have some ideas." Which were actually quite few and far inbetween.

"Track down the sensors, take them out, then see where the door leads us." It was the basic idea, really. Hey, he could at least vouch that he was very good at running when the time came.

[oswinforthewin]

Ah, she was waiting for that part. Which is exactly why Clara leaned against the table with a bit of a smirk on her face. There had to be a hole in the plan eventually. It was just finding it so they could fix that.

"It sounds like you might need some heavy tech for that. Have you got any on you?"

[nevermindtherunning]

"What sort of 'tech'?" The Doctor looked questioning towards her as he dug around in his pockets, feeling if anything that would resemble whatever it was she was talking about.

"'Fraid not." He replied pleasantly, almost innocently, much her possible chagrin. But he knew what she was talking about. They would have to take out the sensors that might be remaining. Afterall, it was a wonder that he hadn't triggered anything when alone.

[oswinforthewin]

"The doors aren't just sealed by a few codes. There is a reason why we have to sneak out of here." Clara gestured to the world outside her window. The world that had no sky and smoke filled the air from everything. "They didn't mean for us to ever, ever leave. Generations living and breathing and having babies and dying down here. The thing is we can't figure out why."

Her head tilted to the side and her eyebrows raised. "So. How are we going to get out of a prison that has every exit sealed? You're clever. Aren't you?"

[nevermindtherunning]

"Oh, very clever." He leans forward, imitating her pose towards him with a smirk on his features.

He was able to go in and out of the location without any trouble or questions, but it didn't mean they hadn't noticed his curiosity. He debated whether or not to knock down or turn off the cameras, but figured that'd draw too much attention right off. Perhaps they'd have to set this plan of action all at once.

"You might get dirty from this." It was a tease, given she seemed dressed to the 9's. "Think you can handle it?"

[oswinforthewin]

Her nose scrunched up at his imitation. He was such a flirt!

Clara crossed her arms at that. "Just because I'm a pretty face, Doctor, don't think that I'm just that. If I've got to get my hands dirty than I will. Unless, you've got a thing for seeing girls all dirty. Then you might want to slow down."

[nevermindtherunning]

He pauses a moment, widening his grin that could be interpreted as just about anything. "Then it's settled!" He nearly bounced in excitement as he finished his cuppa, placed it in the sink, and was half out the door, expecting her to be just as excited.

"It'll take some time to reach there. I don't want to give the impression that we're up to no good." Which was him 90% of the time, really.

[oswinforthewin]

It was definitely a good thing she decided not to interpret that smile in any other way other than him just being completely strange. Not that strange was bad. It was good. Especially if it brought someone like him along to help.

"Of course not. Two people out for a morning stroll. It'll look completely normal... and probably a tad suggestive." Even with that, she was already headed to the door.

[nevermindtherunning]

"Suggestive. I like that word." He agreed as he fixed his jacket and followed her out.

They take the scenic route, but it didn't take long before they reached the area he had mentioned among what appeared to be abandoned factories. It was dark, even for the new day, more or less deserted other than for cats, rats, and bugs. But there was a door that looked cleaner than the rest, one the Doctor had pushed opened the previous night that lead to stairs and more.

"That's it."

[oswinforthewin]

Clara stepped over the rats and bugs, making sure not to trip on them. She glanced at him before walking up to the door. Her hands went up to the door before pressing in. No luck of course, but her hands came back covered in... it felt like oil.

"Oil, on the door."

[nevermindtherunning]

"Oil?" The Doctor moved over, swiping the handle with a finger and sticking it in his mouth, testing it. Indeed it was oil.

"That wasn't there last night." So he had been seen. He had a feeling he had, but he was pressing his luck.

"What does that mean?"

[oswinforthewin]

A shrug. "Maybe they've got some kind of oil monster lurking about."

Which, given the man she found beside her? Might not have been too far off the mark. Although why they'd even bother with a oil monster would be another question.

"Or they were moving something up and down the area and needed to heavily grease whatever it was."

[nevermindtherunning]

"Bodies?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow, then threw his hands up in the air, "It could be a possibility!" One no one wanted to think about, surly.

Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor scanned the area and a camera in the corner started shorting out. Looking to Clara, "Ready to have a look? Oil or not?"

[oswinforthewin]

That comment made her frown. Not because it was out of the realm of possibility, but because it was possible. If they truly were trying to destroy the Belly, then why not? Why not just cart the bodies of people you want out of the way out of the prying eyes of the public?

She nodded. "We don't walk away."

Clara glanced down at his sonic screwdriver and gave a rather suggestive look. "Go on then. Scan away."

[nevermindtherunning]

With the screwdriver, the lock finally releases and the door had something of a start with the change. Glancing around them, the Doctor nods to Clara, indicating to open the door, where they were immediately met with a flight of stairs.

Again he managed to short out some more cameras and possible wires to trigger some sort of alarm and raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Once going this way, we won't go back."

[oswinforthewin]

Clara stepped forward to look up the stairs. Another passageway up to the surface? Her eyebrows knitted together. Either it was made by someone else other than the resistance, or someone from the surface wanted to go in and out without being noticed. Maybe they had a branch of people working up above that she had no idea about? It was possible, she supposed. Johnny didn't need to tell her everything.

Her eyes slipped back to him and she nodded. "Ready, then?"

[nevermindtherunning]

"Oh, I'm ready." The whites of his teeth shown through the darkness, eyes equally wide with excitement.

Walking up a few steps, there's a pause in the Doctor's step, and he actually misses the next step, only managing to catch himself before falling. His eyes shot up to the door he walked up to just hours before, and there was a single thought that crossed his mind, They'll all be safe through this way. They won't be able to stop the crowds.

It all happened in such a speed that he just played it off as a stumble, but something about seemed more. "Just a stumble. Long legs..." He spoke softly.

[oswinforthewin]

Now that was a little creepy and she made sure her expression showed him that. Not that it was his fault or doing she supposed. Still, people might think it is a tad maniac.

He 'stumbled' and Clara's hand went out to steady him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as he played it off like a stumble. Maybe it was. She would have believed him if it didn't set off a bell in her head. Literally, it sounded like a deep gong went off. Almost like she should have been very aware of what was happening but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Whatever it was, even if it was nothing? She felt a pit in her stomach.

"Right, a stumble." Clara replied. "Your legs might be just a bit too long then. Or maybe that coat of yours."

[nevermindtherunning]

"You know, that isn't the first time I've heard that." He muttered, still slightly confused over what just happened, but chosing to ignore it.

Once at the top of the stairs, there was more oil on the floors, and it was nearly pitch black where they stood. Fishing around in his pockets, the Doctor managed to produce a torch and aimed it at the door. "Well?" He glanced over to her, noticing a very rare, but serious expression upon her face.

[oswinforthewin]

Her eyebrows perked up slightly. "You might want to listen to it then. People don't just say things over and over again for you to ignore them."

Clara stepped to the side, careful of the oil that was on the floor. Her eyes followed the trail. But, there was something not right about all of it. Almost like it shouldn't have been possible. Not that she was a Time Lord or Lady in any regard. It was more like a sixth sense - something in the back of her head telling her that it was dangerous. Whatever it was.

"What do you know that would leave this much oil?" Clara questioned him. "What would need this much of it? There is something missing here. Members of the resistance have been killed off, there are murders on the Surface, and now one of the ways from the Belly to the Surface is covered in oil? No. We are missing something."

[nevermindtherunning]

"OH!" The Doctor entangled his fingers in his hair, eyes wide, "Oh, how could I be so stupid!?"

He turns to Clara, as if the answer had been here all along. "They want to smoke the people out, yeah? They're using oil as their source. They're trying to stop me - us - from getting them out. The oil wasn't here last night, but it is now! It's so obvious!" He wondered if the dates would change when everything will happen. "It'll be harder to put a fire out when the source is oil."

[oswinforthewin]

She stood straight up as he whirled around to face her. Those eyebrows of hers lifted up as she looked at him unexpectedly. Not everyone could apparently process as him. Then her heart dropped. They were going to smoke people out? No, it couldn't have been that. The Surface was determined to keep the Belly in line - that they didn't exist. It wasn't just making people run to the world above.

"No. They want to burn us alive."

[nevermindtherunning]

"Well--" there's an upwards tick to his head at her reply. There was a high chance of that happening as well, though the Doctor didn't want to express that concern just yet...

Scanning the door with his screwdriver, it clicks unlocked and he pokes his he's out. "You've been here before. Where is this exit?" It looked like an old alleyway with old buildings standing tall that resembled a defunct factory, making the Doctor wonder about it's history.

[oswinforthewin]

Clara forced her mind to focus on the situation at hand instead of panicking. They still had time to stop the plan. Even though she wasn't entirely sure why they had decided to burn the Belly down. Perhaps they thought it was the best way to remove the Resistance? Smoke them out, burn them, why not just send chemicals down and kill them all at once? Why had it gone from precision killings to mass murder? Not that she necessarily approved of either of those notions.

"The historical part of the Surface." Clara informed him. "It dates back to when the city was founded. It was one of the first on the planet."