A/N: *comes out of hiding* Hi! Long time no see! Sorry, for the wait, life happened and writer's block set in but thank you for sticking with this story.
(I've decided not to Gridlock. I didn't see that making much sense and tbh except for the cats I'm not that crazy about the episode, anyway. So let's continue on with 'Daleks In Manhattan') Hope you like the chapter and apologies for the slow updates :)
Now enough talking let's continue!
Time travel was a funny thing, Martha quickly learned. She never really knew where she was going to be or when. But at the same time that's what made it exciting! The planets, the time eras, the people she met!
Eventually, she was supposed to go home but how could she ever go back to her old life after all this?
As usual the TARDIS landed with a hard thump and her and Amy grasping on the rail barely keeping their balance.
"Bit rough but not bad, eh!" The Doctor commented.
Amy looked at him like he was nuts!
"Blimey, how did you get a license to fly this?" Martha asked slowly standing.
Amy sighed.
"He didn't." She replied.
Martha's eyes widen.
The Doctor shrugged.
"Well, I don't need one anyway," He scoffed putting his coat on. "I'm an expert driver!" The Doctor sniffed.
"He leaves the brakes on." Amy whispered in Martha's ear.
She snickered.
"I heard that," He said. "Come on, then!" The Doctor said dashing to the door.
The two women quickly followed. The door opened leading them outside to a grassy hill and blue skies.
"Ah," The Doctor declared stepping out of the TARDIS. "Smell that fresh breeze! Lovely, isn't it?" He grinned.
Amy and Martha looked around. It was definitely earth. But where were they?
"Where are we?" Martha asked.
"Take a look." He replied glancing up.
They followed his gaze and gawked! They were staring at the Statue of Liberty! They were in New York!
"Oh, wow, we're in New York!" Amy gushed squeezing his arm.
The Doctor just grinned.
"So, what year is this?" Amy asked.
"Well…" He started to say.
"November 1930." Martha interjected.
The Doctor glanced at her impressed.
"Wow, you're getting good at this." He said.
Martha smirked.
"No, that's what the paper says." She replied showing them.
The Doctor peered at it, the headline catching his eyes.
"Men going missing." He muttered.
Amy smirked.
"Intrigued, are we?" She said.
The Doctor looked at her.
"Might be." He replied reading the article.
Amy scoffed.
"Come, on, I know you are." She commented.
He glanced at her and shrugged.
"Well, as long we're here," He said casually. "Might as well take a look." The Doctor said.
Amy just grinned.
"Well, I'm game Watson," She replied. Amy glanced at Martha. "What do you think?"
Martha nodded
"I am." She replied eagerly.
The Doctor smiled.
"Onward, then," He said. The Doctor then frowned at Amy. "Wait, Watson!?" He whined unhappily.
Amy just patted his arm then led him onward.
They eventually found themselves at a park that had been converted into a tent city, called Hooverville, a result of the Great Depression. People in tattered clothes washing in tin basins, rationing food, living in dusty tents, it was heartbreaking.
Amy shook her head.
"So different from the schoolbooks, isn't it?" She said sadly.
Martha nodded.
"Hard to believe this place exists." She muttered.
The Doctor sighed.
"Well, during the depression, stock market crashed, there was nowhere else to go after people lost everything," The Doctor explained sadly. "This was it." He replied.
Amy's heart broke gazing at a mother tearing a loaf bread for dinner for her kids.
The Doctor gently squeezed her hand for comfort.
Just then they heard a male voice. An older dark-skinned man in a mismatched suit came towards them.
"Well, well, newcomers! Welcome," He greeted. "And you are?" He said.
"I'm Amy, this is Martha and the Doctor." Amy introduced them.
"A Doctor," The man nodded. "Don't get too many of those." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Lawyers, stockbrokers, teachers, the place is getting fancy." He commented sadly. "I'm Solomon," He introduced himself. "Man, in charge I guess you can say."
Amy noticed a sad bitterness in his voice as he said that.
"Let me show you around." Solomon offered.
They started walking through the campsite.
"How many people are here?" Martha asked.
"Too many," He replied sadly. Solomon told her. He scoffed. "Oddly enough poverty has brought us all together." Solomon glanced at them. "No matter the race, religion, disability, we all have one thing in common. We're broke and starving." He told them honestly.
Solomon reached into his pocket pulling out some matches.
Amy just stared at the ground unsure of how to respond.
Just then the Doctor slowly pulled out the newspaper.
"Is it true that men have gone missing?" He asked.
Solomon just stared at him for a moment before motioning them to follow him. They ended in up in his tent, it was small and cramped with a just a cot, lantern and a few of his belongings.
Solomon sat on his cot and sighed.
"Happens at night," He replied grimly. "We hear a noise and go out to check and they've just disappeared…" Solomon paused shaking his head. "Just vanish."
"But are you sure," The Doctor replied. "I mean no one's exactly keeping a record of these people, yeah? They just be moving on." He pointed out.
Solomon gave him a look.
"Without their food, without what little they have and a fire burning?" He questioned. "I'm sorry Doctor but when you have very little you hang on to it. You don't leave it behind." Solomon replied.
Amy tilted her head curious.
"Have you gone to the police?" She asked.
Solomon almost laughed.
"Yeah, we tried that," He scoffed. "Unfortunately, a missing deadbeat is not their top priority." He grunted.
Amy glanced at the Doctor who was in deep thought.
"What do you think?" She asked.
He sighed.
"I think someone is taking them but what for?" The Doctor muttered.
Just then a young man with shaggy hair and a floppy cap came in. He was kind of cute. Martha couldn't help but notice.
He seemed worried.
Solomon frowned.
"What is it, Frank?" He said.
"Mr. Diagoras is here!" He replied.
Solomon quickly stood left his tent with Amy, Martha and the Doctor following. A small crowd had gathered outside.
There was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark pinstripe suit and a matching hat. He had two men with trench coats beside him almost like bodyguards or henchmen.
Amy reasoned it was Mr. Diagoras. He almost reminded her of a gangster from those thirties' movies.
"Who's he?" Amy wondered aloud.
"The man in charge of the putting together the Empire State building." Solomon grunted.
The Doctor arched his eyebrow.
"What do you want, Diagoras?" A man asked.
Mr. Diagoras shrugged innocently.
"To offer you work," He replied. "I need men, volunteers for a project!" Mr. Diagoras announced. "And I'm assuming you need work, right?" He added.
"Yeah? How much!?" Frank asked.
"A dollar a day!" Mr. Diagoras said.
The crowd started laughing.
"No way!" A man remarked.
"A dollar, are you kidding me?" A middle age man laughed.
"What's the work?" Solomon questioned.
"A trip to the sewers," He replied. "Tunnel collapsed and needs clearing and fixing." Mr. Diagoras explained. "Any takers?"
Solomon scoffed.
"No way," He said. "Besides there's been a trend of men not coming back, anyway, right?" Solomon remarked.
That caught the Doctor's attention.
Mr. Diagoras shrugged.
"Accidents happen!" He said.
"What do you mean by that?" The Doctor asked.
Mr. Diagoras was getting exasperated.
"Look do you want the job or not?" He said.
The Doctor's hand suddenly shot up.
Mr. Diagoras glared at him.
"Look you…"
The Doctor interjected.
"No, no, no, I'm volunteering!" He replied.
Martha gawked.
"Are you daft?" She said.
He shrugged.
"Probably." The Doctor replied simply.
Mr. Diagoras nodded.
"Anybody else?" He said.
Martha's hand was next. Obviously, he had a plan.
Frank looked at her and the Doctor then raised his hand.
"I'll go, too!" He declared.
Solomon gave him a look before cautiously raising his hand.
"Good, good," Mr. Diagoras nodded. "Anymore?" He asked.
The Doctor glanced over at Amy.
"Care for a walk through the sewers with me?" He said casually.
She just sighed and slowly raised her hand.
"I'm going to kill you for this." Amy muttered.
The Doctor grinned.
"That's the spirit!" He replied nudging her arm.
Tonight, they would be investigating in the sewers.
Only for him!