Here's my fist, where's the fight?

[radiantsoldier]

Charlie Walker has received Jack's warning, and is closing in on the Doctor. He won't stop him from fighting a war if he has to, as long as he's not fighting it alone. Of course, given the Doctor, he'll most likely try to.

Try, but not succeed. Charlie takes his calling damned seriously.

Meanwhile Elena Guerrero is also looking for the Doctor,

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[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor's been in the city since the attack on the Kashtta, trying to think of ways to stop Romana from starting an all-out war. There are things he can do, when it's Daleks or Cybermen or Sycorax... angels and demons and humans are a bit more difficult, though, and he's finding himself running out of ideas.

He's in the basement of the Conrad now. A strangely empty basement, but he's not going to complain about that. There's some technology in here he wouldn't be able to find anywhere else in this timeline, and he's currently in the Rift room, sitting cross-legged on the floor and fiddling with something he pulled off the Rift machine, while Des' guardian angel hovers nervously in the doorway. He could really use the TARDIS right now, he keeps thinking. But she's a bit far away to call psychically, so that will just have to wait... If he's got any time to wait.

The Doctor's not having the best day ever, and he hasn't even heard about the angel that's supposed to kill him.

[bloodsoulrhythm]

Charlie's been trailing the feel of the Doctor, and when he gets close enough for the tugging to disappear... Well, there's only one place the Doctor could be.

Oh, fuck no.

He heads for the basement, wings coming out the moment the elevator doors close, and starts methodically searching for his idiot ward. By the time he actually finds him, he's had a chance to notice the state of the basement, which is... Alarming, in a completely different way.

"You know," he says thoughtfully, standing in the doorway to the Rift room, "Only you would walk into archangel territory when they're out to get you. ...Considering it's the last place they'd look, that might be brilliant, but forgetting me puts you ten points to the side of really fuckin' dumb."

[thatsortofaman]

"I didn't forget you," the Doctor says without bothering to look back over his shoulder at him. "I just thought you might stop me." Because that's going to make Charlie feel better, but the Doctor's not particularly worried about that right now.

Grace is still hovering in the hall, halfway between the Rift room and the medical room with her back against the wall. "There's no one here anyway," she says quietly to Charlie. "Just me and Mitsuki and Martin. And Alma. Not that you know who any of those people are, probably, but... harmless. Or not really, but they won't hurt him." And she'll hear before they get back. They'll call, to let her know who's wounded and how badly.

The Doctor ignores Grace's words, shifts around so that he can lean under the machine and detach a part of it with his sonic screwdriver. "How much do you know about what's going on?" That was probably directed at Charlie.

[bloodsoulrhythm]

"We've had this conversation," Charlie says, his voice verging on anger. "I won't stop you if you've got something that needs doing, as long as I know what's going on and can keep you safe."

He nods at Grace, "Yeah, I'd noticed that. Still doesn't mean I like my ward running into enemy territory." He's not mad at her... In fact, he's inclined to be sympathetic to another guardian anyway.

He moves closer to the Doctor, wings spread slightly. He knows a few things, like not to hover too close, and to stay out of his light when he's working on something. But he's still going to stay close, because he likes being here not-at-fucking-all.

"I know Romana ordered an assassination team to hit Torchwood, and you're cleaning up Jack's mess," he says, voice deadly soft. "I know that thanks to this, and given how empty it is here, we've passed being on the verge of a war, and are probably already there. ...And I know that you like to run off alone so no one around you gets hurt."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor leans over, still twisted onto his back under the machine, to look up at Charlie, quirking an eyebrow slightly and concerned not at all by the quiet anger in his tone and expression. It's not like he can hurt him without hurting himself, and he knows better than to drag him out of here until he's done. It's not easy to intimidate the Doctor. Charlie's not likely to manage it, not that that's really his intention anyway.

"That about sums it up, yeah. Mostly. With the exception of a few details that may not be important to you anyway. Well done."

He rolls out from under the machine again, little bit of alien technology in hand. He drops that into his pocket, along with the other thing he was playing with before Charlie walked in, and surveys the machine like he's trying to decide if there's anything else he wants to take. "Like you said, there's no one here anyway. Nothing to worry about."

[bloodsoulrhythm]

"There could've been," Charlie says, getting angrier by the minute, but still quiet. Very, very quiet. "One of these days, you're going to figure out that things go better if you work with me instead of against me. Because I can't fucking help you if you don't let me, and if I have to come running when I don't know what's going on, people will die. And it doesn't even have to be us."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor freezes, jaw clenched tight enough that it aches, and very pointedly does not look at Charlie. He looks at the machine, the Rift, everything but him, but...

"But there wasn't. No one's dead, no one was even going to die, alright? Believe it or not, I've been doing this for much longer than you've been alive." Doesn't mean he didn't get anyone killed doing it. He doesn't say it, but he's thinking it, and he turns away from the Rift and the Rift machine sharply, starting for the door.

[bloodsoulrhythm]

"How long you've been doing it was never the question," Charlie says, falling into step beside him. "The odds catch up with everyone, and I'd rather be a help than a liability."

He keeps walking, with no intention of letting the Doctor get away or avoid this conversation. This is a sensitive subject, and he knows it, but he can't leave this alone, not with a war brewing, if not already begun. "When you've told me what needed doing, when you had a reason for it, when have I ever stopped you?"

[thatsortofaman]

"How many times have you had the chance?" the Doctor asks, glancing up at Charlie for just a second, as if that helps his point at all. "Nothing was going to happen here today. Romana and her army are all off... killing, and I've got other things to do. Wait until I've done something actually dangerous, then lecture me."

[bloodsoulrhythm]

Charlie sighs. "The point is, I want to help, and keeping me out of the loop means there's more ways for things to go wrong. This could've been dangerous, and trust me, I'm glad it wasn't, but the point of me lecturing you now is when you do something that turns out to be dangerous -- which you will, if you keep on like this -- It'll be too late."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor sighs and rolls his eyes a little. "Right, yes, fine! The next time I'm planning to get something out of a building that may or may not be full of archangels, I'll let you know? Happy?" He reaches the elevator, hits the button, and glares at it when it doesn't open immediately.

[bloodsoulrhythm]

Charlie growls slightly. Very, very slightly, but the fact that he's this visibly angry is notable enough. "No, I'm not. Because you know damn well it's more than just this one thing."

He is so tempted right now, so tempted to find a none-too-high rooftop to Fall from. He's tried, really he has, and nothing is working.

"What's it going to take, Doctor? Seriously. I've tried being reasonable, I've tried being helpful, but I have to keep you safe. Have to. Not an option. So what the hell's it going to take to make this work?"

[thatsortofaman]

The elevator opens and the Doctor backs into it, moving backwards so he can watch Charlie as he does. "What would you have done if there were archangels here?" he asks after a moment, tone and expression almost unreadable. "If I still needed to get in?"

He sighs and shakes his head, looking away from Charlie. "Next time. I'll tell you next time. Is your truck outside?"