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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 23, 2007 16:06:51 GMT
Chapter 13 – Welcome to Torchwood 4
[Chp 13 - Pt 1]
It wasn’t easy walking up a mountain while shackled, Peter considered mentioning this only briefly but it seemed even before he opened his mouth that the woman accompanying him pre-empted his words. He didn’t think she was reading his mind, he wasn’t suffering from the same feedback as he had done when he met Detective Parkman. But she seemed to always be one step ahead of him.
“I could make you more uncomfortable.” She said, “so I’d bear with it if I were you.”
By this time they had begun to descend down the other side of the mountain, heading quite plainly Northwards. Slowly they walked down a rocky path, which might once have had water flowing down its side, there was no water anymore, it must have dried up long ago.
Peter heard a beeping. As if the battery on his mobile phone was about to die; of course he didn’t have a phone any more, it must have been atomised with everything else when he exploded, it would be a pain to get all those numbers again, not that any of his friends would talk to him if they knew what had happened, not that he thought he might see any of them again. No he was certain, this was the end of the road.
Finally the beeping expired. He heard the woman swear, but just before she flickered into view, as if he had been suddenly been able to ‘tune her in’, she managed to wrap something tight and rather ragged around his eyes. She clearly didn’t want to be seen. He was just thankful he hadn’t yet tried to knock him out, he wasn’t sure he could cope with another blow.
She was good enough to take his arm as they walked the rest of the way. Peter took it as slowly as he was able. Until eventually, after what seemed like an age, they came to a halt.
He heard her enter a code, it must have been an entrance of some sort. A voice came through on the other side. “Identification.” It requested. “Kishtane,” He could almost hear her smile, “Plus one.” Peter heard to clunking of great doors, he felt Kishtane hit him in the nape of the back and he stumbled forwards. “Is this the other one?” said a heavyset male voice. “Took out DH.” “You’re kidding me!” Said the man. “Wish I was. Oh…and his friends took out Duncan.” “Took out?” Said the voice. “Well, I don’t mean ‘to lunch’, if that what you’re asking. Shot him clear through.” “You okay with that Kish?” “What do you think?” She thumped Peter in the back again. Before he knew it there was a needle in his neck and he collapsed, the sounds and feelings of the world around him fading into nothingness. “It’s a shame,” said the man’s voice as everything went dark, “He’s so pretty.”
Strip lights. That’s the first thing Peter saw when he opened his eyes.
At first he thought he was in the hospital again, that the whole crazy experience was just another of his dreams. Then he realises he couldn’t move, barely a muscle. He was almost utterly paralysed. A faceless person in a suit leered down at him – at least he hoped it was a person, he couldn’t quite tell. He is about to ask where he is, but realises he can’t achieve that too. In fact, he hadn’t even opened his own eyes. Someone else had done that for him. He hurt all over. All he can do was listen. “Another one?” Said a voice. “Yep. One of the rovers picked him up, total genetic nightmare, stuck out on the footprint like a sore thumb. Setting off radiation bursts like the other one.” “This one eat brains too?” Asked the woman. “Don’t know about you, but I’m not about to give him a kick to find out. Had some human with him at the time. You know her rules about bringing in humans. Think they all came with the last surge.” “Bloody thing.” Said the woman. “It’s getting worse. It’s like it’s lookin’ for summit. Does the boss know what?” “Won’t say, just keeps beavering away like a thing possessed. Swear one of these days gonna let to void in on us all!” “Sometimes I think that’s the plan. Want Pizza, Forbes ‘as knocked up a MeatFeast, extra pepperoni!!” Pizza, thought Peter, they have Pizza at the end of the Universe. How the Doctor would laugh. “Hey!” Said the woman. “He’s spiking.” “What?” said the man. “There, on the readout – spiked, just there.” The woman ripped off a sheet of paper. “I’ll take it in, might be interesting. Man, I utterly love this stuff. You okay to finish off on your own?” “S’pose so, save me a slice will you?” Peter heard the door close, the faceless man leant in. “Right mate, where were we…shall we start in the middle and work our way up?” He sighed, “The things I do to keep myself occupied.”
The man made his first incision. There was very little Peter could do about it. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was safe to say he passed out at least five times. He thinks he died twice.
The sound that he heard when he next came too was something along the lines of...purring? "Shew..! Jackie...put that down!" Followed be a screech and something falling. The faceless man leered down at him. "Sorry about that mate, she'll run off with anything lying on a plate," He dangled Peter's thumb in front of Peter's eyes. For the first time Peter managed to make a noise. "Hummm," Said the guy, "wearing off, should dose you up again, don't want you walking off without your spleen now do we!" The man laughed, "Kidding, kidding. You've got another one already. I know you can't see this from down there, but do you KNOW how cool it is to watch someone regrowing a foot?" Peter called out, well, screamed really. The door opened. "Gabe!" Came a strong voice. The man didn't reply. "What are you doing?" "Alien." Gabe (Peter guessed) replied "Caught in the forest. Just doing my job boss. Remember, 'Catch the bad guys, leave the humans'" He was quoting the woman who had just entered. "Pretty sweet mantra, though it seems you've forgotten it Boss." "I've been busy." Said the woman, Peter could have sworn he knew that voice, from somewhere. "He's like the one we brought in this morning, the one in cell 3." "Hummm." The woman, walked behind Peter. He could hear her picking things up. "Alright, but leave his mind intact will you, Briony saw a spike on the read out, I want to get Mary in here to have a rumble around. Seems he might know something." She came closer, Peter could feel her hand on his arm. "Looks human to me." "Well he is, sort of, or at least he probably used to be. Not standard form human any more. More of a mutant." "You mean he IS human." "Noooo, like I said..." Argued Gabe. "At root, human?" She asked powerfully. "You could say that." he replied almost silently. "Right. Change of plan, when you've finished playing I want you to put him back together. Then dose him up to the eyeballs with Retcon. I don't want him remembering what you've done..." She paused, "You're a sick SOB Gabe." "Thanks Sir." The woman leant down near Peter "Sorry..." She said. It was then that Peter 'spiked' off the chart. The woman grabbed hold of him, he had to get himself free, he had to tell the Doctor. He just had too...though she was older, much older, he knew exactly the face that had looked down at him. For the first time in hours Peter managed to make a real noise, and he screamed...."DOOOOOCCCCTTTTOOOOORRRRR!! Martha, he thought, I'm sorry.
Claude looked at the baffled crowd around him. "Well if you're not going to do anything!" He growled, grabbed hold of Martha (for at least she seemed to care) vanished them both from view and promptly followed the Doctor, far enough behind so that the men flanking him did not note them. Last thing that he wanted to do was do get stuck in a bunker of YET ANOTHER secret organisation. But he knew how these places operated, he knew them inside out, and despite what he said he was not about to let them feed anyone else to the lions. No, he would follow, "You're a bloody idiot Claude." He said to himself, and stealthily slipped them both inside the base. "Raynard, use your nose. Follow all of them. The D... Doctor Smith may need you. I cannot follow right now." Oona tried to stand, but her knees gave way. Too much magic. Instead she dug into her belt and handed him a ruby coloured stone. "As soon as I can, I will follow." The little fox nodded, tucking the stone into a pocket of his pantaloons. "I will do as you say, M'lady. But I do not think I can beat their weapons." "Sly as a fox is more than a phrase, master Raynard. Swallow the gem and go on swift fox paws." Raynard looked at the men and women assembled. At least they had payed him no mind so far. "Oh well. If I must, I must." Raynard swallowed the gem, then stripped away his clothing. He fell down to all fours. "I do hope you appreciate this, Lady Oona. It is quite humiliating." He bounded off into the forest.
It seemed that Gabe was busy, packing up his tools, his knives, and various pots of stuff. (In fact he was busy jarring up in formaldehyde various parts of Peter's recently severed anatomy - not that Peter knew this of course). There was a tingling in Peter's fingers, a veritable tickling in his toes (All 20 digits, what joy) and an unpleasant buzzing sensation in his ears. As he turned around for the soap from the sink, now Peter could feel his knees and his elbows. As Gabe began whistling what Peter was convinced was 'Yankee Doodle Dandy', washing his hands and admiring himself in the mirror, Peter found himself able to blink, and even better, able to turn his head. He didn't much care to observe the room he was in, he just wanted to know where the door was.
Gabe turned back, Peter quickly stiffened his body again, careful to remain as still as possible.
"Here we go. Have you good as new in no time mate." Said the man behind the surgical mask, brandishing a long, and very sharp looking hypodermic. "Drop you off in town, find you a nice hut. Bish Bash bosh. Bob's yer uncle, Salvo's your aunt."
If Peter knew one thing for certain now, he wasn't going to let that man anywhere near him with another needle. Quick as he could, but with very little accuracy he threw his fist in the air, catching Gabe's chin with a fairly brutal blow. He threw himself off the table and landed on the floor with a wet slap.
"Oomph!" Still not quite mobile, Peter dragged himself, naked again, across the grimy floor.
The door was in sight, if he could just reach...
There was a sharp pain in his backside. Gabe plunged the needle into him and hit the plunger. Whatever was in the solution began coursing through his veins. It made him dizzy, but it didn't knock him out.
"My, you are a slippy one aren't you mate." Gabe slapped Peter on his ass and picked him back up.
"Don't you worry now, Uncle Gray will sort you out." Peter looked up at the man who was carrying him, finally he saw the face of the man who had been dissecting him; the grim eyebrows, the heavy set jaw. Did none of them know who this man was? He whispered his name… “Sylar?” "Don't you worry your pretty head mate," As he dragged him back to the operating table Peter wondered exactly when Sylar became cockney, or was he just playing some sick little game? "You're wacko friend is safe and sound, nursing a nasty headache and will soon wake up. I'll reunite the two of you. Oh look, you've gone and pulled all my nice neat stitches." He popped Peter on the table. Peter still had the ability to struggle a little, enough that Gabe had to strap him down. "Though I must say you're much more of a wriggler than I’ve dealt with before. Good job for that suppressant, " He smiled as he strapped Peter down. "Developed that back home I did, not bad eh...can't afford to have you going nuclear on me can I. This kit's one of a kind …sort of like you, you know. Here drink this." Peter refused. "I said drink!" He pushed the drink at Peter, who had no choice to swallow what tasted strangely like a nice cool beer. "I find the ale makes the stuff more palatable. Now lie back. It'll all be alright soon I promise, you'll just have a headache and a soft fluffy feeling where the past few hours have been, not one scar. Cross my heart. Well, then again…that’s a bit of a challenge isn’t it? Shall we see if I can’t give you at least one?” Finally the world slipped into darkness, the last thing he saw before a comfortable dimness washed over his eyes, Gabriel Gray, Sylar in his world, brandishing his scalpel like it was made of gold.
Rose smiled, releasing the cat from her grip as she stood. It bounded off down the corridor. "Don't get in Gabriel's way Jacks!" She called after it. The Doctor, who had apparently frozen to the spot laughed, "You named your cat after your mother." "Well she named her dog after me." Came back the quick retort. Still as sharp as ever. He looked to the ground, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. "Not how I imagined our grand reunion." Rose whispered with a small laugh. "Yeah you being evil and working for Torchwood and all." The Doctor fixed her with a cold stare, pushing down the grief of loosing her all over again. "I'm not evil." She frowned. "Rose, your kidnapping people. trapping them here, leaving them for eternity, kidnapping them again to what? do experiments on them? And you think you're a model 'good person' " "You called me the best." "Once upon a time." "Even when I made a mistake." "This isn't a mistake Rose." He showed her then, letting his blank mask slip and showing her the pain underneath, showing her his disappointment. "You can't just do this to people." "Why not? We saved people, the last of the human race. This planet will be here for eternity. And I thought, why not? Why not save the others too? All those people, all through time, like you, with no home, just waiting to die and finish their species. Why not? We had the technology. We bring them here and they live forever" "Because that's the order of things. Rose, everything has its time, everything dies." "I was just looking for you. I was always looking for you." The words broke him, he covered the space between them in a heart beat and enveloped her in a hug. The scent of her hair was the same, as was the slight fluttering of her heart as he engulfed her in his arms. It made his chest ache with longing, he must have her back, recapture the innocence that she seemed to have lost. The cat bounded down the corridor, then it suddenly skidded to a halt, its back arched and it spat at something...except the corridor was empty!
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 23, 2007 16:07:44 GMT
[Chp 13 – Pt 2]
It turned spitting again, this time at something behind it, then it was airborne, floating, then it disappeared. It almost seemed like Claude knew where he was going. He ran with such speed, didn't deliberate about direction. "You know where Pete is, then, right?" Martha whispered so as not to raise the suspicion of the guards. They were invisible, but not mute and even the wind they were creating made her nervous. "I've got an idea, yeah." A few more corners and a careful walk down the stairs, and they were faced with what looked like the inside of a mental institution. It was a dim-lighted hallway flanked by metal doors with tiny windows. Martha couldn't help but look in when they passed. Aliens, all of them were. Creatures with tan, leathery skin and tentacles ... creatures with one eye, five eyes, no eyes ... she held onto Claude tighter. She knew that nothing would get her, but the whole situation reeked of cruelty and ruthlessness. "So this is Torchwood ... " "Seems that way." Claude looked around for some sort of map. He knew they must be on the holding floor ... there had to be a lab somewhere. Claude was still holding the cat by the scruff of its neck, it was quiet now, accepting the fact that it couldn’t get free, its tail thumped rhythmically against Claude’s arm, when it finally did get free he was not going to escape without a few scratches! The Swift Brown Fox (well redish actually) Raynard had followed Claude’s scent quickly enough. He couldn't see the bearded fellow and the lovely lady he had with him, but he could smell them. Really, the gentleman could wash his clothing more often. Had he no pride? So far no one had come across Raynard, no wondered how a fox came to be in this place. He had watched Claude grab a cat. Raynard licked his lips. Oh, he did enjoy a good chase, and that feline made him shake to run after it. But that wasn't his purpose. "Ahem." Raynard cleared his throat and followed his nose. The man and woman was somewhere ahead of him. They seemed to be looking for something. "Might I be of service. Lady Oona sent me to find both of you and her friend, Doctor Smith. I believe someone named Peter is also of concern." Raynard did not stand up properly but remained on all fours, just in case someone spotted him on those little cameras. "She remains too weak to be of aid. But my nose is quite attuned to tracking." Turning towards the voice Claude was baffled for a moment, then noticing Martha’s amazed expression looked down into the face of a talking fox! Claude stopped, shrugged, held the cat out of the way and peered cautiously through the glass observation windows in the double doors. "Surgery, right?" He didn’t want to think about what had been going on, and for the first time felt thankful that Martha had chosen the profession she had. Gently pushing open the door just enough he catapulted the by now wriggling and spitting moggie into the room, it skidded along the floor, and attacked the first person it made contact with, the man turned, trying to fend off the cat. As soon as he turned away from the table the cat had scaled up his front and was scratching and biting his face and neck. Raynard was grinning. "Oh, I must say, very nice use of a cat. I shall have to remember that." He looked at the dumbfounded expressions on the two, now visible, people. Nothing to lose now, Raynard stood up properly, to his full four-foot height. "Sir Raynard deMarci Chavel, at your service, M'lady." He placed a handlike paw on Martha's shoulder. "This is a most distressing place for a lady." He could smell fresh blood, and chemicals. "What is this fresh hell? Humans have such a penchant for evil and barbarism." "What?" Martha was thrown off by the rapidness of Claude's actions and words. "Surgery,” Claude reiterated, “You’re studies…surgery?” "Yeah ... well, nearly.” Martha added, furrowing her brow in constgernation. "Amputations? Reattachments?" Claude asked sincerely. "What in bloody hell are you talking about?" Martha pushed past Claude and through the doors, gasping at the sight in front of her. She immediately turned away and held her hands over her mouth. "Peter ... " She struggled to say, tears running down her cheeks. "May I ask what is wrong, miss?" The fox asked, sensing the fear and disappointment. Martha had sunk to the ground, head resting against her knees, sobbing. She reached out and grabbed Claude's leg. "What did they do?" She cried hysterically into Claude's trousers. Claude opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it and stopped himself just in time. He looked down at Martha, tried to move his leg free and failed, this wasn’t a good position to be standing in, and if she stood up suddenly...Claude hopped on his other leg so that he was standing beside her rather than directly in front. Now what? She was still sobbing. What was he supposed to do with a sobbing woman? He leaned sideways and made a vague attempt to pat her head. Raynard shook his head, sometimes he did wonder about humans, they were such emotional creatures, but as soon as the situation arose where it would actually be of some use they seemed totally unable to make use of it! He sighed and leaned over, took hold of Martha’s shoulders gently but firmly, she looked up at him, he smiled, disengaged her grip from Claude’s leg, and supported her as she stood up. Raynard turned to Claude," Do you have a...." he had been about to enquire if he had a handkerchief about his person, but catching the non too subtle aroma coming from the human male’s direction thought better of it. Instead he guided Martha’s sleeve up to her face and used what material he could to dry her eyes. Claude looked around for the cat, worried about where it could be (or what it could be tasting!) but it was nowhere to be seen. The man it had attacked was lying on his side, head against the leg of a desk that stood against the far wall. Claude approached him slowly, he wasn’t sure how much damage the cat had inflicted. He glanced over at the man’s face (what was left of it) the cat had done a very thorough job! "Martha...have a look at him will you?” Martha rolled the man onto his back, she stared up at Claude, stunned at what she saw, "It’s...it’s ripped his throat out..." she shook her head,"but it was just a normal moggie, I’ve never seen a cat that..." Claude shrugged, "It’s teeth weren’t anything like normal, I got a look at them when I first grabbed it...seems Torchwood isn’t just interested in chopping things up." "How ... How do we ... save him?" Martha said between sobs, trying to regain her composure. Peter was in there, scattered about on tables and carts and they needed to do something. "Like a puzzle ... " Claude mumbled to himself as he peered through the observation window to assess the situation. "A puzzle?" Martha's head was racing. "He can't regenerate unless his parts are in order. We have to put him back together ... like a puzzle." Martha stared at Claude and fought to keep from breaking down again. She whimpered instead. "Now, now Miss," Raynard patted her hand and rubbed her shoulder. He sensed a strong connection between the woman and the man inside the room. "We must not lose our minds at moments like this. We must remain strong. That's what he would want, yes?" "Good thing I didn't give chase, then. This place is not a place used for good. It stinks of cruelty and ... just wrongness. My goodness, is that even a word?" Raynard moved away from Martha. He did not like walking about naked. He was blushing under his fur. "And I am all for saving a world." Raynard looked about for a weapon. He did not want to touch the surgical equipment. A broom would have to do. Even if the handle was a bit long. Martha nodded and got up, wiping her eyes and mentally preparing herself for what she was about to see. "Save the nurse, save the world, right?" She smiled at Claude and opened the door. It was easier the second time, but not much. Suck it up, Martha. She told herself, Preparation for your career. This is just another clinical. An anatomy test. A puzzle. A puzzle ... she hated to think in such callous terms. But seeing Peter (could she call him her Peter yet?) lying about in that room, she had to harden herself somehow. She went about finding his legs and feet, not wanting to see his face separated from the rest of him. She just knew she couldn't handle that. "Miss, may I ask where this goes?" Raynard pointed to the top shelf of one of the carts. Martha walked over and blushed. "Uh, Claude? I think you better take this one."
It seemed like forever since he had taken a breath, the world was disorientating and deep. When he opened his eyes he saw a pretty woman staring down at him. "Don't panic." She said softly, "You'll be okay soon enough." "Hi." He said, his voice was rough and painful. "Where am I? Is this a hospital? Is Nathan okay? I was in New York..." He tried to say, but his voice didn't sound like his voice. "...and I...Oh, my God. Is that my..."
"Shhh...Peter, please don't speak." Said the pretty Doctor softly. He guessed she was a Doctor. He smiled at her. He reminded her of Simone. Then he saw the fox. And Claude. "Am I mad now?" He tried to laugh, his chest hurt. His head hurt. "What's your name?" He didn't remember her. Her heart broke. "M -- Martha. Martha Jones. And this is Raynard and Claude." She brushed away a strand of hair from his face. "Do you remember anything about who or where you are?" Peter winced, it was still hard to breathe. "I was in New York..." He repeated. "Try and remember what happened, Peter." Martha's hands manoeuvred inside him, readjusting organs. "Where am I? Who are you?" Peter asked, an edge to his voice. Claude stepped in, leaning over Martha's shoulder. The Retcon that Gabe had fed Peter had certainly done the trick, in fact he probably over egged the pudding a bit (so to speak), it coursed through his mind, rewriting synaptic memory, stripping it bare and spitting it out into his brain pan to be erroded away by time. He looked up at Martha like she was some heaven sent angel but he did not quite remember why, of course, all the memories were there, floating around in the ether of his brain; the comforting smell of the wind, the pleasant sensation of Martha Jones taking his arm, the jubilation of beating the cyborg, the extraordinary joy of being alive...They were caught up in a net, a net that Peter never built, a net cast by the 'right kind of Doctor'. Perhaps he would get them back, perhaps he would remember the face that strove to realign him...perhaps he didn't want to, because with that memory would come the rest of it too...still the right kind of Doctor could cure all ills? He smiled up at Martha, took her hand. "Thank you Doctor Jones," and promptly let the anaesthetic wash over him. This was a good hospital, he thought. "Sir Raynard deMarci Chavel. But you may call me Raynard, master Peter." Raynard was passing jars from his perch on a stool. He was not about to let his fur contaminate what was being done. "Please forgive my distinct lack of clothing. I was disguised as a dumb animal to get here. "Peter, wake the hell up! You know right well where you are!" Claude snapped. "Claude!" Martha pushed the man away and continued her work. "Just go back to sleep. Tell us if you remember anything." Martha stopped and kissed Pete's forehead, smiling at him before injecting him with more anaesthetic. Peter seemed to start attaching what was being replaced. Unfortunately, he had healed over where some organs went. That requires Lady Martha to show herself a deft surgeon, thought Reynard. She was unsteady of the hand as she made cuts to put things back. Luckily a drip of some sort of medication was inserted into his neck. As he did not scream, Reynard knew it must have been for pain, so he did not distress his captors with screaming. Indeed, this was monstrous, thought Reynard. That Peter could survive and heal as he did was not so strange to one who had seen thousands of races, power, and gods. No, what was done her did not even shock. Raynard had witnessed such brutality before. But Raynard was always outraged by it. "I vow to avenge your plight, master Peter. " Raynard looked to Claude. "Is there aught we can do to remove any memory of this? I fear madness, or trauma he may never recover from." Raynard also looked at Martha. She was sure to suffer trauma as well. Her connection to Peter was tangible. Getting to know one's lover inside and out was rarely so literal.
Claude felt uncomfortable, there was nothing he could do now, much as he hated to admit it, the only help Peter needed now was medical.
There were other things that he could deal with though, and the sooner the better. He touched Reynard’s arm to get his attention, the fox turned towards him, Claude quietly said, "I’m going to see somebody about a cat, keep an eye on them will ya?" The fox nodded, "Take care." Claude forced a smile, "Always do." Out in the corridor Claude retraced his steps, found the place where he had picked the cat and stood listening, he could hear faint voices. "Oh Rose, you had good intensions, but none of this is right. They are going mad up there. A young boy, still a young boy after hundreds of years, trying to escape the village just to end it all. You have no idea what it's like to live forever." "Maybe not, but I know what its like to lose the ones you love. Now none of them have to. They can be together, forever." He pulled away from her, holding her at arms length, looking into her eyes. "They should have the choice." "They do have the choice." He pushed her away, turning his back so she couldn't see the tears forming. He seemed to have lost his home all over again. "My friend. You have my friend. You guys shot my other friend." He turned on her, fury in his gaze, "That's not a choice, you took it away from them. Gwen could have died because of your people, and I hate to think what you did to Pete!" "I'm sorry about your friend, the report said that you guys started the shooting." "Well we didn't." The Doctor huffed and dropped his arms. "I'll look into it. And your other friend... We thought... Well every once in a while we get a bad egg. When you arrived we found another man, like your friend Sylar, he was chopping up wildlife and such, seemingly for kicks. We brought him in, we assumed Pete was with him." "Well he wasn't." "I know, we're releasing him." The Doctor nodded. Stepping forward and brushing fingertips down her arms. "You're still the same old Rose yeah?" She laughed, pulling him back to her, and holding him close. "I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered, "I'd hoped, but I didn't really... believe."
"Given up on me again aye Rose Tyler?" She could feeling smiling against her neck. "Come on lets go find your friend." She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers slightly. The action reminded him of that first time he offered her his hand after the regeneration, so many years ago. He didn't even hesitate. This was Rose. Maybe slightly warped by grief, but still his Rose.
One of the doors was slightly ajar, Claude glanced in, and the first thing he saw was the cat, happily lapping up attention in a woman’s arms. Oh well no time like the present, Claude pushed the door open making as much noise as possible, it was only then that he realised that the Doctor was in there too. The cat blinked lazily at him but seemed unbothered by his sudden entrance. "Thought I’d better tell you, you’ve a man down, well I presume it was a man...bit hard to tell after tiddles finished with him." He nodded towards the cat, "Nice bit of engineering that, presume you picked a pack animal? " he grinned then glanced quickly towards the Doctor, hoping he was following all this, " must’ve been, you’d never be able to get that close otherwise." The Doctor gave Claude an annoyed look, just when it looked like he finally had the chance to sort things out with Rose. Claude sighed, it seemed the Doctor had other things on his mind, oh well! "Lioness?" he suggested, then paused, "Wolf?" Rose looked up and stared at him, Claude grinned, "Bingo." "I think maybe now would be a good time to get the hell out of here," murmured Claude under his breath, he glanced over at the Doctor, but he showed no signs of moving, Claude sighed, "Not another one," and punched him on the nose, the Doctor fell back wards into a chair, unconscious. "Sorry mate...needs must and all that." Turning quickly towards Rose he ordered, "Keep hold of that bloody thing...it comes within two feet of me and I’ll wring its damned neck." Picking up the doctor in a fireman’s lift, he moved towards the door, "If you know what’s good for you would stay in ‘ere." Out in the corridor he paused, what the hell was he supposed to do now? Suddenly a voice behind him said, "Can I be of assistance?" Claude almost jumped out of his skin, he hadn’t heard anyone approach, after the initial shock he recognised the voice, and turned, smiling he said, "Nope, it alright mate, I’m just going to drop him off with the others," he indicated the Doctor slung over his shoulder, "You go back to Martha and Peter will you? I’ll find you soon as I can." Reynard nodded, watched Claude as he moved away and then faded away, turned and made his way back to Peter and Martha. The Doctor came to, and found himself looking at the ground... no wait... a hobos bottom... he tried to force himself into a position where he could identify the person carrying him. He was being carried? Ah yes, Claude. He started to kick, to struggle. "Claude you idiot! She could have helped us." His struggling force Claude to drop him on his feet. He had the overwhelming urge to smack him right in the kisser, right there, but he maintained his Time Lord cool and settled for the type of glare the drove higher species into a crying mess. This time however it didn't have the desired effect. Claude simply laughed.
"You know mate, you are an idiot." he slapped him round the ear, the Doctor frowned. "Throw a pretty girl your way and you forget that she's the evil mastermind that built this place." "How did you...?" "Title on the door! Look her boys have been doing the nasty to our boy Pete, she's not exactly on the home team." The Doctor just stood and starred, how dare he! Suddenly an alarm went off, red lights started flashing, the sound of running footsteps resonated around the corridor. "I think they've found Martha..." Claude mumbled. Rose burst out of her office, running past the Doctor grabbing his hand. "Quick, you shouldn't be here, I'll help you get out." The Doctor didn't move, grinding her to a hault. She held out her hand to him again, much like she had in the office moments before. "RUN!"
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 27, 2007 12:26:56 GMT
Chapter 14 – Hello,yes?
Gwen was still lying on the floor, propped up by Tosh's jacket. Owen had refused to let her up, saying that she needed rest. Her t-shirt was practically now a crop top now, as Owen had ripped it from the bottom of her ribcage down, in his hurry to treat her. Those bug .... things, freaked her out, but she must say she was extremely grateful to them. They went in, fixed her up, and crawled back out again. They didn't even leave a scar, which was great. That would have been hell to explain to Rhys, she had enough trouble with that the last time she was shot. "So what did I miss?" She asked trying to prop herself up into a sitting position, but being told to lay back down by Owen. "For Pete's sake Owen, I'm okay!" Gwen laughed. The Doctor had been dragged off to Torchwood and Claude and Martha had followed. Peter was already there, so there was only seven of them there. Rose was restless, ever since the Doctor had gone. Oona was extremely weak and was sitting nearby her, being helped by a fox. That was the other strange thing, she awoke to find smiling faces and a fox. She doubted it could get any stranger. "Gwen, I know you're getting restless, just trust Owen. He knows what he's doing. Just lay back and enjoy the rest. Who knows how long we'll have 'till we have to get going again." Rose sighed, looking around, drumming her hands on her knees. Gwen had done as she was told, and laid back with her head resting on Tosh's jacket. "He'll be all right you know. Both of them." Gwen smiled, looking up at Rose. She was practically jumping out of her seat in worry. The man she came with hadn't met them on top of the mountain and now the other man she had grown close to, had been dragged off.
He had been computing, while singing, Death's Head's Head had come to the rapid conclusion that he needed the Doctor. It was not something he wanted to admit, but being a severed cyborg head stranded in the undergrowth slightly reduced his options, yes? Yes. He had a lot to offer, being that most of his computing power was safely stored in his memory banks and that he had enough power stored from the electricity surge to keep alive until he could return to his ship, once jacked in he could build himself a new body. But he would have to offer something...Using his wireless interface he detected inferior computing power in the vicinity.
Tosh's laptop flickered into life... :> Hello, yes? It said. Gwen noticed Tosh looking at the screen of her laptop in confusion. "Tosh? You okay?" She craned her neck to get a better look. "Yeah, it's just ..." She turned the screen so they could all see it "This just appeared..."
:> Hello, yes?
"Hello, yes?" Owen repeated, "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" "Are you going to reply?" Gwen asked. "I suppose..." Tosh paused. "What should I say?" Owen rolled his eyes and took the laptop onto his lap. He read his message aloud as he typed. "Hello. Who is this, and how did you contact us?" He looked at them for approval and when he got nods in reply, he hit the send button. Gwen frowned as she watched the fox creature swallow something Oona gave him, take off his clothes and run off. She quickly turned her attention back to the laptop as Owen announced: "We have a reply." He coughed a little, ever the dramatist "I am back, yes? You will help me return to my ship, to build a body." Owen frowned. "What?" " I am back, yes?" Tosh whispered. "Hang on, isn't that..." Rose trailed off pointing at the screen. "The cyborg!" Gwen finished in surprise. "But I thought Pete and Martha killed him?" Jack sat down next to Owen, to get a better look at the message. "Well, he's obviously still alive. And without a body. So what? This is the head talking?" Gwen was getting seriously annoyed at having to lie down all this time. "Can I sit up yet?" "No." Owen replied immediately. He coughed again and began typing and reading. " Where are you and how are you talking to us?" Jack nodded and Owen hit send. "And what does he offer for our help?" Oona had returned to eating the bread and cheese. Both were good fuel. She shrugged at the looks she was getting and swallowed her mouthful. "If he is formidable, why not see if he can be of service? Even if he plans to double-cross, we can scavenge his ship for his weapons. If it is protected, then he can get us in when we drag him back. Drive a hard bargain, and he'll believe you will help more. Whether you actually do or not is your call." As a shrewd business woman Oona knew more than a bit about haggling. "Ask much more than you want from him. Ask for passage off this planet to another, safer one. Ask for his help in retrieving Peter and the Doctor." Oona looked to Rose. She seemed a nice, sweet girl. What had happened? If she was in charge of this place, she had changed a great deal. She could even be evil. Even the Doctor may not be safe from her. After all, they had been here how long before he was taken? She was avoiding him for some reason. "Reply's through!" Said Owen ]"Wrapped in a jacket, yes? Was injured by one of you. Can talk to you because I am a clever computer too." He read, Owen looked up. "Great, just what we need! The cyborg's getting cocky." "Yeah, we have enough cocky people as it is." Gwen smiled. "Oi!" Owen protested. "I was talking about Jack." Gwen stated, this seemed to please Owen, as he went back to studying the laptop. Gwen quickly gestured to Jack that she was in fact talking about Owen, before he looked up again. "Right! Oona, you seem to be the person to ask on this subject. What do you suggest we reply?" "A simple, 'why should we help you?' and 'what's in it for us?' is a good start. Remind him that he shot at some of us... according to Doctor Smith... and that is never a good start to a business relationship." Oona drank from her water. She was already improving by increments. "The last bit will let him know a business relationship is a possibility, if we like the offer." Tosh watched as Owen typed on her laptop. Looks like they were going to make a deal with the “Head!” “Go in big,” Suggested Tosh looking at Jack for approval. “We need to play along that we actually need him as much as he needs us – right?” “Right!” replied Jack with a grin. “He’ll see right through us, Tosh.” Owen said in a caustic tone. “Not if we seem desperate. We can say the Doctor has been taken. That’s not a lie.” Tosh replied standing up straight ready to go and find the head. Gwen struggled to her feet with Rose’s help and smiled. “I’m up ready for a walk.” Owen glanced back towards her and rolled his eyes. Gwen was a stubborn woman after all and he knew when he was beat. Jack looked around at his team. He was still concerned for Ianto as he was the only part of the Torchwood Team still MIA. Tosh headed across to Oona and squatted down at the tired woman’s feet. “Oona?” Tosh asked gently rubbing her arm. “You up to coming along to help us find the Cyborg Head?” Oona had to shake her head at Gwen. "I'm feeling better, but not enough for a long hike. Sorry. I WANT to go with you. But it is better if I stay here. I'm trying to pull in energy from the elements. I do not wish to be a burden." Oona was not used to allowing others to walk into danger if she could help. But right now she couldn't help. If they had to fight, she wasn't sure she could hold her sword aloft for long, or get more than three arrows off. Running was out as well. "I'll need at least twenty more minutes. To be of any use. A full hour to be back to normal." Jack looked at the individuals around him and attempted to figure out if they all needed to go to find the Cyborg head and his spacecraft. He didn’t like the thought of Oona being alone in her still weakened state. He rallied them all with a call and all gave him their full attention. “We all don’t need to go and find the head, Tosh, you have the laptop and the little device - go with Owen and look around to detect the ship if you can. We will find you but if you see it be careful, he may have set traps.” Owen still covered in blood looked up at Jack, then across to Tosh. “Why can’t I…” “Owen,” Commanded Jack sending Owen a don’t piss me off stare. “You’re with Tosh – got it?” Owen nodded and Tosh frowned. He was being an ass again. Gwen and Rose you have a choice you can either come with me or stay and keep Oona company.” “I’ll stay with Oona.” Owen piped up seeing that Rose and Gwen wanted to do some good rather than hanging around. Jack glared again but could see this being an option if nothing else was forthcoming. This was going to take forever. Owen was being a stubborn sod as usual and was now insisting that he stay behind to keep Oona company. Jack sighed. "Right Owen! You go with Tosh to find the head" He raised a hand when Owen started to protest and looked him straight in the eye. "That's an order." Owen grumbled, picked up the laptop and walked over to stand with Tosh. "That leaves us." He said turning to Rose, Gwen and Oona. "Oona is too weak to go gallavanting around looking for secret entrances, so she stays here. I'm not too happy about Gwen coming. Things might get nasty-" Jack was cut off be Gwen. "Jack! I'm fine, I'm not going to keel over, those bug things healed me!" Gwen protested. "Gwen, you were shot! I don't care if those bugs healed you by order of the Queen, you still lost a lot of blood. You stay here with Oona." Gwen sighed and sat down next to Oona and glared up at Jack. "Rose, you're with me!" Jack grinned "We're going to find the others!" Gwen smiled up at Rose, as Jack took her hand and they started to walk away. "So Oona, how are you feeling?" Gwen asked. "A little better." Oona replied. Gwen smiled. "Mad! This entire place is mad don't you think?" Gwen listend to Owen ranting in the distance as Oona thought about her answer. Instead of giving a in depth answer like Gwen expected, she just laughed. "Yes, mad! Totally, completely mad!" And they both laughed. "I have been in some strange situations before. But I must admit, this is one of the top ten. No... top five. The time in a subterranean city with silicon based people helping them fend off an attack let by fifty SS officers... that was most likely the most strange. Did I mention I was naked?"
Oona noticed that got Jack's attention. "Well, I had a bow and quiver of arrows, but I'd just made a very long run to warn the city." Oona passed her water skin to Gwen. "It's a consequence of me having to run fast at a great distance." "Is there even a plan? I like plans. Very handy things. Until they go wrong." Raynard was slowing his own run down to keep up with the humans. "I could really use my pistol right now." He muttered. Gwen laughed. "That sounds like fun." she said. "It's better than being stuck in Cardiff, on the beat, on a Saturday night, when the rugby's on. Now that is just..." She searched for an appropriate word. " Horrible! Terrible even! You're always bound to get a fight break out. Last time I ended up getting my head whacked." She rubbed her head at the memory and smiled. "So... how the hell did you end up fighting SS officers in a subterranean city, while naked?" Gwen asked. It seemed staying behind wasn't going to be as boring as she thought. "Typical meglomaniac trying to take over the multiverse with objects of power. He followed my friends and I into a gate to one of the underground worlds. Prince Gaynor was the head officer's name. He led his men into a world they knew nothing of to retrieve the Grail. They had machine guns. So I turn into a hare and speed off to warn the Of-Moo of the coming forces. When I do that... my clothing and provisions don't change with me." Oona settled herself more comfortably. Minute by minute she was gaining strength. "So I go running off, as a hare, ahead of my friends. But the SS had motorcycles and trucks. They got pretty far before the passages got so narrow they had to go on foot. I managed to get to the city and warn the people only a half hour before the Nazi's arrived. No time to grab clothing, just a bow. "
Oona used hand gestures as she spoke. "So there I am, naked and armed with a bow, on the defensive wall of a city about to get bombarded by Nazi guns. These people are made of rock, but bullets can do damage. But - they can also sing down stalagmites and direct them. Ever play rock, paper, and scissors? Turns out machine guns are not proof against a thousand pound rock coming down on it." Oona grinned. "And that, Gwen, was the strangest situation I'd been in." Gwen was quite enjoying herself, sharing crazy stories wiht Oona. Although Oona's were admittedly more interesting than Gwens, Gwen had a few funny ones up her sleeve. "There was this one time the Pteradactyl escpaed from the hub, because Owen forgot to close the door." Gwen smiled "Of course this was at 2 in the morning. I got a call at 2:30 from Owen, begging for help." She laughed. "He was drunk at the time and had only gone back to work becuase he forgot his keys, and as he left the Pteradactyl went with him." She grinned again at the memory. "Okay, so I arrived at 3 to find a completely drunk Owen running up and down the bay with a great big net!" Oona and Gwen laughed for a while before preparing their things in case of the sudden event of an emergancy, which was bound to happen sooner or later. Oona was practically healed now, and they could see Tosh and Owen in the distance, sloely walking back towards them. Owen was carrying something, that he was swinging at his side. At least the wait was amusing. It seemed Jack had more than his share of naked stories. Gwen was bright and amusing as wel. They managed to make her feel less the burden she knew she was during her recovery. Oona finally declared herself fit just about the time Owen and Tosh returned. "I might not be able to work a major summoning, but I should be able to walk, run, fight, and manage some smal workings."
Tosh and Owen had reached them now and when they arrived Owen dumped the cyborg's head in front of them and then took his jacket and practically hugged it. Gwen grinned as Jack picked up the head and started rambling. "Ooooh! This is genius!! Absolutely fantastic! Tosh, hook this up to the laptop, we have to run checks!" Jack grinned and carefully studied the head. "Where was the head?" Gwen asked. "In a bush!"Owen replied, scandalised. "A thorn bush, I'll have you know. And guess had to go in to get it? Me! Of course it didn't help that I didn't have my jacket, but that problem's no solved." He grinned happily. “Come on Owen.” Tosh called waving the man up the last part of a steep incline. “You will have to give up the fags.” She laughed as she saw Owen give that extra burst of speed that got him to the top of the hill in seconds.
“I don’t smoke.” He reacted to her comment just as she knew he would.
“I know stupid, but it got you up here faster.” Tosh grinned and Owen started to laugh but decided to play dirty and dived for Tosh.
Tosh screamed as she hooted merrily as his arms reached out to get her in some form of payback but he missed. She ran escaping his hands as she hurtled down the hill sliding and slithering at speed.
“I’ll get you yet!” Roared Owen with a menacing chuckle and he jumped and whooped his way down. But the hill was steeper than he thought and he careered past Tosh as he couldn’t’ stop running.
Both were laughing hard when the ground started to level off. Owen was about to turn when his foot kicked an object and he watched it hurl up into the air like a football. Then the pain kicked in. Owen had kicked the head of the Cyborg into touch.
“Gooooaaal!” Screamed Tosh jumping up and down when she identified the flying object.
“You’re nuts!” Owen said laughing but still holding his pained foot. “Suppose you saw where it landed?”
Tosh nodded and arm in arm laughing they strolled along to the clump of bushes and right in the middle was the head. It looked creepy with the hollow eyes looking back at them. Tosh was glad id couldn’t speak except through her laptop.
“It’s a thorn bush!” Owen groaned.
“I’m not going in there and you kicked the stupid head in there in the first place.” Tosh said sulkily with her arms folded across her chest as she groused. Owen was mesmerised for a second or two as he saw how low that top that Tosh was wearing actually was. He muttered his protests but as Tosh still stood arms crossed he decided to go for it and fetch the head. Owen scooped up the head into his bloody shirt. “Fitting place for it till we get back to the others. Then we can see what it has to say for itself.” “Do you think it can hear us right now?” Tosh asked in a whisper then shivered.
Owen hoped not. They headed back the way they had come. Tosh had already had a location on a large metal ship but she didn’t wish to take chances and going off without Jack and the others. Gwen, Oona, Tosh and Owen looked up as a sound of babbling filled the air. "We can get Tosh to hack in, Owen's not bad with a gun-" Jack was formulating a plan bit by bit when he was cut off by the sound of Owen's voice. "Oi! I resent that! I'm brilliant with a gun!" Jack, the Doctor and two Rose's came into view. Hang on! Gwen raised her eyebrows in suprise, and looked at them. There TWO Rose's. She was just about to ask about it when the Doctor said: "Ask questions later! We need a plan."
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 27, 2007 12:36:57 GMT
Chapter 15 – How not to storm a castle, in four easy lessons [Chp 15 - Pt1]
The Alarm sounded, red light span around his peripheral vision.
Lesson 1: Do not argue in the corridors
When Peter sat up, his head swimming, he saw the pretty Doctor being held at gun point by a young woman with a gun in one hand and a slice of Pizza in the other. She stared open mouthed at Peter. On the floor an upturned deep pan pizza soaked up a pool of drying blood. "You..." She pointed..."You were..." Doctor Jones seemed to glare at the woman, she had a very powerful stare. Peter noted the dead man on the floor, the rather dishevelled and quite scary looking, bloody surroundings and what seemed to be several jars of body parts. Not quite such a good hospital after all he thought, and realised clearly that not any of them, himself, Doctor Jones, the fox (he still felt a bit weird about that one) were meant to be there.
The woman didn't know who to point her weapon at, she was clearly quite wary of Peter. The gun pointed from one to the other. She seemed to not care about the fox. 'I must be imagining it then,' thought Peter with a shrug. He slipped off the table and found a pair of rather nifty looking black army pants. Slipping them on he turned to the woman, who was shaking. He tried to take the gun out of her hand with his mind, he had done stuff like that before. But the thing didn't even budge an inch. He tried to make himself invisible, but the very fact that the woman stared at him so intently, and the Doctor too - as if he was a ghost - made him realise that wasn't working too. But they didn't need to know that. He assumed this woman knew what he was capable of.
"I wouldn't point that thing at me." Peter said calmly, his voice still grating, like he had smoked a thousand cigarettes, "I don't like it when people point guns at me. How do feel about shooting yourself in the foot today?" The woman continued to shake...."You're bluffing." "Am I?" Peter tried to stare her down. Whatever he was to her, she seemed to be terrified of him. "What did you do to Gabe?" She asked. Peter assumed she meant the dead man. "Not a clue. You?" He asked the pretty Doctor, who shrugged. She still stared open mouthed at Peter. "But it probably means you should go and fetch your little friends." The woman, backed out of the room, the weapon still flipping between the two of them. She closed the door and locked it tight.
"Peter!" Finally the Doctor exclaimed. "You're up...I...hadn't quite finished." "Finished what?" He asked. If anything wasn't right, and he didn't feel any holes, it would grow back. "But you're up, you're okay?" She seemed stunned. He smiled, "Not quite." He said, and promptly fell into her arms.
Martha helped him stand, the fox too, at least his imaginary friend (who kept insisting he wasn't imaginary) was friendly. He sat in a chair to grab his breath, which was terrifyingly thin. "You don't remember anything?" Doctor Jones asked him solemnly, "Not a thing?" He shook his head. Doctor Jones continued to push, "Jeopardy, Utopia, Death's Head...me?" He looked at her blankly. He wished he did. Around her neck she was wearing a pretty silver necklace, it seemed familiar to him, but not enough.
Outside the woman had returned, six or seven of her colleagues flanking her, all armed. They looked in at the room, seemingly deciding the best method of entry, the best way to take Peter out. Peter smiled..."Do I wanna know?" He laughed. "I have a habit of getting myself in trouble these days it seems." He smiled, she returned a soft laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "S'cuse me for pointing it out," Martha said with a wave of irony, "...but you have NO idea how much trouble we're in!"
The Alarm sounded, red light span around his peripheral vision. "RUN!" re-itterated the Doctor. Rose looked from The Doctor and back to Claude. "Look my boss doesn't know that I was using his resources to find you." She insisted "Your boss?" "Yes, he insisted that whilst we are out here we make some scientific headway. The plan was to bring the dangerous aliens to study." "But you're not?" The Doctor was working it through in his head, of course she couldn't be responsible for all this. "Look, I needed this project. I said we were studying social interactions, and if we get a bad guy, we chop him up send the report off through the rift and the suits back home are happy. I didn't know that guy was your friend, and they certainly don't know you're here." She looked paniced, and who could blame her. "We have to get Pete." The Doctor said firmly at last, "Save Pete, take down Torchwood, and get the hell out of here." He looked at Claude who seemed to like the plan. "You can help us,” He said to Rose with a pained eye, “or you can go back to your office and pretend you don't know whats going on." He was giving her the choice, he so desperatly wanted her to come with him, but he realised she had changed so much. "If I go with you now, I can't come back here?" She shook her head, the Doctor nodded. "I'm with you, of course I'm with you." She laughed, "I just wanted to here it out loud." She grabbed his hand, and started to drag him off down the corridor. "The lab is this way!" Claude followed the Doctor and Rose, he was begining to get his bearings, and was reasonably sure that they were heading towards the place he`d left Peter (or what collectively added up to Peter). "I don`t suppose there’s any chance you could turn that soddin’ racket off is there?" he yelled, neither looked back to him, so he presumed they hadn`t heard, he sighed and grumbled to himself, "If I end up with tinnitus I’ll send you the bill!” The cat suddenly appeared in front of the Doctor and Rose, it rubbed against her legs and purred loudly, Claude mumbled, "Get that ruddy thing out of here." Rose scratched the cat’s cheeks, and whispered something to it, it scampered off. Voices were heard yelling and screaming, then silence, when they rounded the corner, the cat was gone and the corridor was deserted. The corridors were now very familier to Claude, speeding up he passed the Doctor and Rose, sprinting towards the door he had left not long before he almost headbutted the door when he pushed it and the door refused to budge. Claude kicked the door in frustration, and then peered through the small window, he could just make out Peter-and he was standing up! He began to push and shoulder charge the door, frustrated that it wouldn’t budge. The others were at the other side of the door, Martha banged on the window, "We’re locked in!” Claude began swearing, "I know..." he swore again, "Bloody thing."
The Doctor arrived and pushed him out of the way, "Locked door, no problemo mate," he grinned, whipping the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, “Abracaaaadibra." Rose had caught them up now, and added, " erm actually it’s Abracadabra." She laughed, "And you do realise I have a swipe card that gets me anywhere on the base." The Doctor shrugged, and grinned at her, "whatever," and pushed open the door, "Ladies first," he grinned at Claude, " Me second.... you can bring up the rear." The Doctor looked at her amazed for a moment before splitting a big cheeky grin. He turned to Pete, all waggly eyebrows and smirking face. "Petey Pete Pete, I see you've pulled your self together then. Fancy getting out of here." Rose slapped his shoulder playfully, "I can't believe you just said that."
Peter had come to a conclusion; this was a very surreal experience. The tall thin man that bounced on his heals in front of him and, like everyone else, seemed to be very familiar with him. Peter raised an eyebrow to the man and was about to ask him if he could explain what had happened when Doctor Jones by his side quite firmly slipped her hand in his as if for comfort, as if trying to make a point. "Not that you were any help Doctor! Do you know what he's been through? If ever there was not a time for jokes, can I suggest this is it!" She looked at the woman by his side...seemed to growl at her and walked past the two of them pulling Peter along her side. He grabbed a nice looking pair of shoes from the counter top on the way. He figured they would be in need of running once the people on the other side of the other door realised that they had slipped out the back. Peter had realised he'd obviously missed something. Sort of like hearing only the punch line of a very long joke. He saw Claude, and while he was surprised to see him his sudden appearance was the least peculiar part of his current situation, he conceeded to smile at him, and said..."How hard did you hit me this time?"
Claude followed a little behind, he smiled back at Peter, trying to hide any worries he had with, "Would that be with me fist or the broom handle?" and watching for any sign that he remembered both, but Peter just shrugged and turned away. "Right! Time to escape!" He said, bounding out the doorway, going the wrong way, and then changing direction on a six pence, and legging back the way they came, all the while dragging Rose behind, laughing like this was the funniest thing in the world. Eventually she matched his pace by his side, "God I missed this!" Rose yelled over the dim of the intruder alert blaring all around them. Martha rolled her eyes, smiled at Peter, "You okay to run?" She asked Peter with concern. Peter coughed in reply, he supposed he would have to, he didn't really want to risk getting shot (given that he wasn't quite sure how much power he currently had inside) and what was more he wasn't about to argue with this woman who had apparently not only just saved his life but who seemed to care about him. He hopped as he pulled on the shoes and let her pull him along behind her, they followed the thin man and his friend along the low lit corridor, Claude following behind making vociferous complaints about being made to run against his will, and the odd looking fox scampering along side. The Doctor was a little lost now. Emergency doors kept coming down and blocking off their escape. Rose kept changing the direction, seems she knew a milliom 'other ways' out of this place. Eventually she came so a stand still, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. The corridors all seemed identical, and boredom began setting in, he yawned, and glanced over at the front of the crocodile line that was meandering its way through the Torchwood maze. Loves young dream seemed to be happy enough! Thought Claude. Claude sniffed and glanced over at Reynard who had caught up with them, and was quietly following what went on. Reynard smiled briefly back, giving him a slightly wary look, clearly the fox presumed a sniff would be followed by a sneeze, and had no desire to be sprayed with anything belonging to Claude. Claude began to hum to himself, then started to sing under his breath, "Hi ho, hi ho, it`s off to work we go...with a shovel and a spade and a..." he suddenly broke off and shouted at the Doctor, "Oy, John...can that blue flashy thing blow anything up?" The Doctor gave him an annoyed look, shook his head and turned his attention back to Rose. Claude sighed, Pitty!" then resumed his little song, "hand grenade...hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi...." he broke off again, and asked,"What exactly can it do then?" "Nothing you`d be interested in," the Doctor yelled back, then began grinning at Rose and nudging her. Claude shook his head, and pulled faces at the Doctor`s back, "I`m sure I could find a use for it...just need you to stand still for long enough." he mumbled and went back to humming to himself. "Seems we're a little trapped. You got a plan yet?" Rose called. "Oh Rose Tyler, how you forget." He winked at her, "I never have a plan!" He aimed his sonic screw driver to the air vent directly above his head. "Ladies first." He grinned offering her a boost. "Since when did you turn into a gentleman?" She smiled, took his hands offered and pushed her way into the vent system. Raynard was convinced mad people surrounded him. But they were Oona's mad people. "I suppose I'll need a lift." He said as he looked around. He was much too short to get up to the vent. "What is it with air vents, utility halls and lava tubes?" Martha knew it wasn't a good idea to have Peter run. She had put him together as best she could, but as it stood, he was missing his spleen, about a meter of his small intestine, one of his kidneys, and two lobes of his liver. He also didn't have his appendix (not that that mattered) and his adrenal gland had been severed. Martha hoped that what she couldn't finish Peter could regenerate, but he still needed to get to a hospital. Or at least have a look over by The Doctor. Claude watched as the Doctor boosted Rose up to the ceiling, he was worried that Peter wouldnt be able to get up there, looking around he suddenly realised that neither he nor Martha were with them. Leaving the Doctor to sort out Rose and Reynard, Claude went back up the corridor the way they had come, just as he turned the corner he saw Peter collapsing against the wall. "Doctor" Claude yelled at the top of his voice, and broke into a sprint. "Doctor ... Jones ... " Peter wheezed and coughed behind her, prompting Martha to stop and see to him. "I can't run ... I can't -- "
He collapsed against a wall, Martha catching him before he crashed to the ground. Claude arrived just in time to help Martha support Peter and stop him from hitting the floor. "Doctor!" Martha yelled, hoping the others weren't out of earshot. The Doctor turned, the urgency in Martha’s voice made him abandon the duct and reluctantly run after Claude. Rose leapt out of the duct after him, staggered slightly at her landing and grabbed hold of the Doctor’s hand as they ran to Pete's aid. The Doctor wiped out his sonic screwdriver. "Sit still Petey boy and try not to lose any more blood." He ordered and flashed him a grin but Rose could tell he was worried. He fiddled with settings and ummed and ahhed for what seemed like an age. Eventually he looked up. "You did a good job Martha." He smiled at her, peace offering. "He's lost a lot of blood and his brain and muscles are struggling. But it seems to me that all his major internal organs are just fine." He pulled Pete to his feet. "Once in the air duct we can move a little slower, but we need to get out of sight." He turned and headed back the way they had came. Claude swore under his breath, him and his damned ducts. He jogged after him and Rose and watched as the Doctor assisted Rose as she climbed into the ceiling, and then without looking at the Doctor said, "And how exactly is Peter supposed to get himself up there?" Claude’s gaze finally moved from the ceiling and he glared at him, "Or have you got some bloody wonderful plan tucked up your sleeve." he didn’t wait for an answer, but said, "Oh..silly me...I forgot you don`t do plans do you?" The two stood toe to toe, glaring at each other, veiled dislike had finally broken out into open hostility. "So sort it Doctor" Claude hissed at him, and walked back to help Martha give Peter some extra support. The Doctor glared at the back of Claude’s head and stomped back to the injured Peter. "Look! Rose knows this place like the back of her hand. She says its the only way out during shut down, I'm inclined to believe her. Do you have a better plan?" Claude swung round, fists clenching and unclenching. He didn't step back, or show how intimidated he felt. "How do we even know she's on our side?" The Doctor had no doubt at all. Rose may have crossed a line here but she was still Rose, and she would never hand him over to anyone. He had complete faith in her. But the suggestion angered him. Claude glared at him, "You really expect me to trust a paid up member of the vivisection society and her lap dog?" Martha stared at the Doctor. She still loved him but couldn't help feeling jilted. She wanted to make him feel like she felt, horrible and sad and confused, but she also knew that he had saved her. Martha looked at Rose who was half in the duct. "Call off the guards. They need to see you when they come. They wouldn't turn against you." Martha swallowed her pride and tears. "Rose, you're our only chance." Claude now had the bit between his teeth, he took a firm hold of the Doctor’s jacket collar and pulled him closer, "Martha’s got a very valid point there Doc. Why don’t you ask why little miss goody two shoes hasn’t called off the guards? Queen of all she surveys, all she has to do is go in there." Claude nodded through a door open nearby,"and over ride the security protocols." "And give our position away? Do you know what Torchwood is for? huh? Do you?" He was angry now, not caring he was letting the guards know where they are, or that he was shouting at the back on an invisible man. He was on the verge of leaving them behind. All of them behind. It's what he did, and he had no reason to stay behind for these people. "Torchwood was designed to track me down. ME. Rose goes in there all hell will break loose and we'll be stuck here. She's not really in control; she's just in charge of the project. Her boss gives the word and they'll kill her too!" She was so very close to him in that air vent, waiting. Painfully close. "Now I'm leaving, if you want to come, fine. If not, then don't. But I'm getting out of here before someone decides it's me they want to disect!" "You're gonna get us all killed if you keep fightin' like this!" Martha could hear the footsteps of the guards coming closer. They sounded armed. She hid with Pete and nudged at Claude to quit his staredown of the Doctor. Claude stared into the Doctor`s eyes, very quietly he said, "I take care of my own, I suggest you do the same." He turned and moved over towards Martha and Peter, held out his hand and all three disappeared
Leaving the Doctor standing alone.
He stood for a moment, fuming at the invisible space that had been Martha, Peter and Claude. “Fine!” He called and returned to the vent. Rose held her hand down to him and he took it carefully. He climbed up, turned uncomfortably within the tube and came nose to nose with Rose. "You can't just leave them behind." She said quietly, touching his face. "You've shut the world out again haven't you?" "I had to. Otherwise I couldn't keep going." He said, still fuming. "But you don't have to 'just keep going'. I've found you, and I'm not leaving you again." He brought his nose to hers, touching briefly. "We have to do something." She said again. Reynard, who Rose had assisted while the Doctor had been having words with Claude, wiggled past Rose and jumped down nimbly. "I'm terribly sorry, but lady Oona would never leave a wounded man behind. And I cannot either. Is there any way to disable any heat vision devices they have, lady Rose? I should like to assure masters Claude and Peter, and mistress Martha have a chance to remain unseen." His whiskers twitched a bit, his brown eyes sad. It may be a hopeless cause, but he had stood for more than one hopeless cause, and was still here. After all, he'd lost any chance these evil fellows would think him just a dumb animal.
All this fuss and shouting was starting to give Peter a headache. He had a feeling that this other Doctor (what kind of sick hospital was this? Dissection...he really didn't like the sound of that) had his heart in the wrong place, but that in general, from the way everyone acted around him, this was quite an unusual situation. He didn't really want to be left to the gathering hoards, who he could quite clearly hear coming around the corner. Claude grabbed him and Martha Jones, hid them from sight, Peter tried to protest, but he knew where that got him with his old friend. He smiled at Martha. "I can walk." He whispered. "Don't wait for me, go with them." She tried to argue with him. "I'm sure Claude will look after me. I'm not your responsibility." She looked at him sadly, it made his heart break but he didn't know why. "I'm not going withthem and I'm not leaving you," insisted Martha, "since it turns out you're my patient that makes you my reponsibility. End of." She smiled. "Come on then," She said, helping him stand. Claude’s hands still held tight to their shoulders. The open door of a room full of consoles and computers opposed them in the corridor. He pulled them through, the fox Reynard jumped through quickly before Claude shut the door and locked it behind them. They switched off the light and hid against the wall, so that should anyone look through the window they could not see them, even if they were visible. In the vents the other Doctor and the Rose were clearly having an indepth discussion (Peter could still see their feet). They should probably move quickly, thought Peter, "Is it that he doesn't want to be caught or that he doesn't want to leave her?" He asked the room. No one answered.
No one needed to, it was only moments before the crowd of minons rounded the corner, and the Doctor and his friend had no choice but move as fast as they could: their lives depended on it. Peter held his breath, the woman who had once stared him down with half eaten Pizza in her mouth stared in at the window, he could hear her heart beating, even through the door. It seemed to resonate with his own. Another face appeared at the window, rattled the door handle. Martha held Peter's hand tightly, squeezed it and bit her lip. It was Martha's heart that was pounding, not the assailant's in the corridor. But the people passed, traversing the corridors, following the vent lines. Claude smiled as they left, "Followin' the white rabbit." He said. "Bloody idiot never watched a Die Hard- the first place they're gonna look is the blasted vents." He laughed. "Shall we go the other way children?" Peter didn't really want to move anywhere just yet, he held his arm up and sank to the floor. "Just a few minutes, that's all I need." He said, aware he was a bit of a liability. "We'll wait," whispered Martha. "Won't we Claude?" She glared at Peter's grumpy friend. Claude wasn't happy, but he seemed to remain put. "So..." Peter attempted to smile, "Since you two seem to be such good old friends would you mind telling me what the hell is goin' on, how on earth you know each other, and why we're stuck in the hospital from hell?" Claude shoved Peter unceremoniously onto a chair, hoping it would conserve some of his energy and help any re-growth that was going on to speed up. He turned to Martha, indicating the computer he asked, " Any good with those things?" Martha shrugged, "Ok, depends," she looked across at it, "if it’s goverment one could be similar to the one at work...doubt it though," she moved towards it to take a closer look. Claude looked straight at Reynard and moved his head slightly, then walked over towards the door. Reynard waited, checking they had been unobserved, then idly wondered across the room to join him. Claude peered at the window, watching Reynard`s reflection in the glass as he approached, checking that neither of the others was taking any notice. "I know you`ll take care of them," he nodded towards the other two," I`m going to try and find a way out, can`t see anything on that computer being of any use." Reynard nodded, "I think you could well be right, I doubt that they would leave any kind of useful information open to all." Claude smiled, " I need you to lock up behind me." Reynard nodded, "What do you wish me to tell them? You know they will ask." Claude shrugged, " Doubt Peter will notice, and I think Martha`s thoughts are probably else where...tell them to stay here and keep the door locked, once I find a way out..." Reynard interupted him, "And if you don’t, or you are discovered?" Claude pressed his head against the glass in an attempt to see further down the corridor, "If they find me..." he shrugged, " Probably end up as Humpty Dumpty." Reynard didn’t understand the reference, but guessed what Claude was referring to and said nothing. Claude slipped the lock as quietly as he could, "As soon as I`m out...lock it...can you manage?” He asked nodding towards the fox’s paws. Reynard nodded "I will manage do not worry." Seconds later Claude was out, he waited for a second, listening for the click of the lock, then faded away. There was a clunk, another clunk, and a resounding echoing thud. The alarm stopped. The corridors of power went dark. All Peter could hear was his breath, Martha's pounding heart, and the smug sigh of Claude as he left them. Reynard scampered up along side the group. "Friends," He said with solemnity, "It seems the building has shut itself to the elements. An emergency protocol the machines say." "We're locked in?" Martha asked. "Like pigs in a barrel." Peter elucidated with a croak.
"Oh S*HT!" said Forbes, procurater of the best Pepperoni Pizza in this part of the Universe and resident Torchwood hitman, taking off his night viz goggles and throwing them to the floor. "Noses to the grindstone people. I smell Lock Down. 1 hour and we're kebab meat kids."
Peter heard him through four layers of concrete and fifty feet of corridor. "Hey, Doctor Jones” (why did he feel like One Round when he said that?) “...Martha" He said, "One good thing, I got my hearing back. Bad news..."
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 27, 2007 12:38:16 GMT
[Chp 15 - Pt 2]
Lesson 2: Never leave a man behind
Rose wanted to go back, she argued with him untill the hordes came and then she glared at him and refused to move any further up the duct. She had always been this way. She would never leave strays behind, always hope to get away and save everyone. But you couldn't save everything, not always and he had always understood that. He had always left someone behind. But she had changed him, she made him fight all the more, and when she was taken away he had clesed himself off. Never again hoped that he could do anything to help.
"Look Rose," He said in a harsh whisper, "I don't want to leave them either. But if we get shot what use are we?"
"I could try and get them to stand down. It's just, the guys who brought you in know who you are and…" He touched her face, he wasn't angry that she had put him in danger, he was always in danger, but he was surprised that even after all this time she had complete faith in him. It was a nice kind of surprise. "Rose, Jack and the rest of Cardiff ‘s Torchwood are outside. We'll get out, regroup, and then come back in here, guns a blazing. We just need a plan. If we go back, there is little we can do, and no one will be coming to rescue us." The look of sadness she gave him broke his heart, and he couldn't help but let his fingers wander and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Lets move." He said at last, grinning away any tension building between them. The Doctor and Rose crawled up the ventilation shaft in silence. The air was dry and cold and mselled of metal. Eventually Rose halted them, pulling away a grating from the under them, and dropped into a small room. "This is the emergency exit." She said, looking at him with a smirk on her face. "It's never locked from the inside. Even during lock down. Staff know to get here before the blockades come down." "So why aren't the staff here?" "They're looking for your friends. Perfect escape route." He laughed barging through the door and into natural sunlight. "Oh it's good to free." He said, stretching up and out, and then reaching back for Rose's hand. No sooner had the Doctor stepped outside the lights went off suddenly and Rose stopped mid step in the doorway. The Doctor turned to look at her, eyes questioning. "The emergency Protocols." She said at last. Her face looked grim. "In case of a breech, we have an hour to remove the intruder and turn the alarms off. If they wren't turned off in an hour it is assumed that we have failed..." "And what?" "And the building goes into shut down." "The building is already in shut down." "No lock down. Barriers come down to stop intruders moving around inside. With shut down power goes off so they can't use the base for anything. But it means the cells will open." "You have dangerous prisoners?" "One or two." The Doctor started to think, assets, ideas, plans. "We can't just leave them inside." His hands were in his hair again, major thinking mode. "Doctor" "We have to get in and be able to move around." "Doctor" "Thats going to involves hacking into the system, maybe Tosh can help." "DOCTOR!" "What?" he looked up clearly irritated. "In another hour the building will self destruct." "Ah."
The Doctor grabbed Rose and dragged her out with strength born of adrenalin and fear. They ran down the hill almost losing footing again and again. "Doctor! It's not gonna blow yet!" she shrieked after him, obviously having trouble keeping up. He slowed to a stop, watching her gasp for breath as she doubled over. "Got a bit unfit over the years." She laughed. He laughed. Then he covered the distance to her, pulling her off her feet and spinning her around in a joyful hug. "Always time for a hug." He said, with a smile on his face he thought might never vanish. "Time to put Plan C into action." "What's Plan C?" "Dunno.” He beamed, “Not thought of it yet." Back down towards the tree line they headed, bumping into Jack and a very confused looking Rose (young Rose). In fact both Rose's looked pretty confused. "Ask questions later." The Doctor said hurredly. It was not time for a question and answers session right out in the open when Torchwood were on standby. They started to run again, as they went the Doctor explained to Jack what was going on. "So Captain, a little computer hackery might be in order. Oh and a plan might be nice." And with that he grabbed the laptop off Tosh. "Right, how much can this thing do?" He asked. Then he noticed the Death's Heads head. The Doctor’s eyes widened at the sight of it. "Wow! Beautiful." He picked it up and started looking it up and down. "Wow he did some serious upgrades to this thing." He flipped it over, and the eyes pop open, starring at him. "Awwwwww he's alive still. How's it going bud? Hummmmm actually don't answer that. You have codes and stuff on here right? You could hack into Torchwood no probs." Before Death’s Heads Head could even reply, the Doctor was roughly retrieving his coat and pulling out bits of wiring. "With a bit of jiggery pokery..." he winked at Rose, and then winked at the younger Rose, he started to use his sonic screw driver to attatch Deaths Head to tthe laptop. "Right network connection... check." He grined and passed the hybrid machine back to Tosh. "Death's Head will help you hack in, won't you laddy, otherwise you won't have anybody to go home with. We need power on, and we need the self-destruct off. We need the cameras off, and the doors open. Think you can manage?" Before Tosh could answer he was turning back to Jack. "Right assets?" Gwen moved behind Tosh and peered at the computer screen. "How long should that take?" Gwen asked. "Not long..."Gwen paused for some clicking "Since Peter zapped this thing, it's been working really well..." Gwen left Tosh to hack in and turned her attnetion to the others. "Where's everyone else? Peter? Martha and Claude went in after you. And wasn’t there a fox?" Gwen interuppted the Doctor and Jack's talking.
The Doctor's face darkened. "They're still in there. Rose found a way out through the vent, but Pete was hurt...badly.” He resisted the urge to glare at Rose, “I said if they helped him into the vent we could move slower, he just needed the leg up. But they wouldn't help and went the other direction." "They don't trust me." Added the older Rose. The Doctor took hold of her hand, squeezed it gently. "They don't know you. I just can't see why Martha would lose so much faith in me. She alwasy used to trust me. And now it's like she assumes I'm going to let her down." He shook shis head, expression solemn for only a moment. They were quiet for a moment. Gwen hadn't expected the Doctor to go all dark on her. There was an awkard atmosphere settling when Jack suddenly jumped and clapped his hands together and grinned. "Right! We need a plan!" He said brightly, “Plan C!” And the atmosphere was gone. “I say, get the doors open, and the cameras off and we storm the place." The Doctor planned, "Simple really. Weapons at the ready, I can do some jiggery pokery and give us some exploding gadgets, Rose here has swipe cards and access code. Simple."
"That's all very well and everything, but only two of has guns and Oona can't do much damage yet." Gwen said walking over to Tosh, to see how she was doing. "Wellll.... Who needs guns?" He laughed. "We go in through the back door once Tosh has it open, back in through the air vents. With the place no longer in lock down there should be other ways out. Or with more of us we can get Pete into the vents. Either all. Sneaky mousyfied." He grinned. "Thats not even a word." Rose laughed. "It's a terrible plan." Jack piped in, "But it's the only one we have. " "We're in!" Tosh announced. "Doors are open, electric's up, and cameras are off. Anything else while I'm at it?" She asked glancing up at The Doctor and Jack. "I could murder a cuppa tea... or one of those big hot chocolates, with marshmellows and cream and cocoa power with a flake." The Doctors eyes positivly glittered with the proposal. "I think she means electrical." Rose, his Rose, whispered in his ear. He rolled his eyes and she retaliated by poking out her tongue. How they fell back into the old ways, he thought with a smile. "Right then, time to say hello. Do your phone thingies work? We can contact you if we need anything else." He bounced on the balls of his feet with the energy of a small puppy. Time to put the plan, or complete lack of plan, into action.
"I love it when a plan comes together!" Jack groaned, and Rose, young Rose muttered, "Oh no you didn't..."
"Ah..." Tosh looked up at them again. "It seems that giving electricty back to the place may have also, decreased the time we have until the place blows...." The Doctor paced again, his hands scruffing up his hair. "May I suggest that we proceed with the storming?" Owen sighed impatiently. The Doctor's eyes snapped to Owen. "Yes!" he said a little over exhuberant. "Storm away!" He started heading towards torchwood again, not checking to see if anyone was following. Everyone was following hastliy, except Tosh, who was left with the laptop still open and on, with the cyborg's head wired up to it. Gwen quickly walked back and helped unplug the head. Tosh took the laptop and Gwen took the head, as they hurried to catch the others up. "Owen? Do you still have my gun?" Gwen asked "Yeah, of course." He replied, pulling a face, as if it was a stupid question to ask him. "Just don't lose it, or get it taken by grumpy men. We need that." Gwen said. "Well, if worst comes to the worst you could always throw that head at them." Owen smiled as they approched the exit that the Doctor and Rose had bounded out earlier. The door hung was still closed, “electro magnetically locked”, the Doctor explained to no one in particular. Rose stopped, "Quick question... are we trying to stop this place from blowing up, or are we trying to get your friends out?" "I say let it burn." The darkness had taken him again. Rose stopped him. "If we let it blow, hundreds of different species, innocents down in the village will lose their protection. The forcefields around the planet won’t hold. The Doctor shook his head. "That's how it should be. When its their time its their time. You can't mess with time like that. Besides, what if we can't stop it? We'll get blown up too and Petey boy won't stand a chance." Tosh tapped away on her laptop aided by the head. It creeped her out a little. The eyes continued to stare at her and she jumped as the head sent one of his own freaky personal messages to Tosh. :>You’re a pretty one and would make a great cyborg. She dismissed his message but it did trouble her as he continued to taunt her as she worked. :>Join me, yes? He asked, sending her a graphic image that flashed up on her screen. Luckily no one around noticed and she blushed scarlet. ”Where did you get that?” Tosh seethed. She tried to whisper back to the head through clenched teeth. :>Want to see more, yes? The head continued to flash images of Tosh and some of the other members of Torchwood in very compromising positions. Gwen noticed the flushed look on Tosh’s face and moved across to see if she was alright. “Tosh?” Gwen asked, “You okay?” Tosh started, as Gwen caught her by surprise. “Fine, just working to find the blueprints … here they are.” Tosh printed them out using the built in printer and handed the papers across to Jack.
”5 MINUTES TILL DETONATION. “The tannoy boomed out of the half stuck door. "On second thoughts...” The Doctor grabbed a Rose in each hand as he legged it back the way they came, Jack and the Torchwood crew seemingly a bit confused as to his change of heart. And then the final minute countdown began, and they followed after him. Down the mountain they go at incredible trees. When they hit the trees they didn't stop. The Doctor didn't once look over his shoulder to see if they had kept up. He just kept running, and kept pulling the two girls in his care behind him.
Lesson 3: Don’t get locked in exploding buildings
"What are we gonna do?" Asked Martha, once Peter had explained their imminent destruction..."I m NOT going to die in this place." She said, "The Doctor's gone off with his bit of fluff and I'm left holding the baby..." "Hey!" Peter said, "I'm no baby." "I meant metaphorically." Martha explained. She sat Peter back down again, he had stood to his feet. "I mean you're pretty 'super' and all, I know that -" Peter was about to ask how - "I'm your Doctor, that's 'how'," she preempted. "...but you're unwell, you've been through a lot - I mean, you clearly have no idea how much but - I can't ask you to..." "Ask." He assured her. "You'll tell me later, I'm sure. I'm not about to sit here and let us get blown up. Whatever it is we need I'll concentrate; I'll try my best. I've got a few tricks up my sleeves I'm sure - hell, probably some I don't even know about." He smiled. "Well, first things first." Explained Martha, we could do with some light, power, and electricity. If you're feeling up for it I think you can do that..." She looked Peter in the eye, "If you remember how, I've seen you do it before. Like..." She put her arms out infront of her, and made a zapping noise, "...sort of, it powered up my friend's lap top. I have a feeling you could probably juice up the power. Reynard?" The fox jumped to her side, "At your service Maam." "You locked that door, you open it. If it won't open on it's own perhaps we can pry it free, or, break the glass...or....something. And Peter..." Peter was attempting to stand. "...if you for one minute feel you can't control yourself, stop. Okay. I mean it. Stop everything. I'm not having you nuke us before we have a chance to escape. Take it slowly, easily."
Wow, thought Peter, she knows me better than I know myself. Peter walked up to the bank of computers. They were dead to the world. He gave them a good kick. Still dead, not that kicking it would work, but it always helped with his own old piece of junk back home. Home? Still wondering how he ended up where he did, wherever they were, but that (he supposed) was the least of his worries right now. He laid his hands on the machines. What does she mean? He thought to himself. He'd never 'zapped' anything before. He stared down at them. Another kick. Nothing. He dug deep, still exhausted, and tried to find whatever it was that Martha had referred to; there was nothing inside, a big empty black hole of nothing. It felt like he was starting again, as if he had to relearn everything. It made him uncomfortable, to be so helpless in such a dangerous place. “WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO TO ME!” He yelled and slammed his fists into the desk. The desk snapped in two and the machines clattered to the floor. This didn’t serve to make him feel better. He grabbed hold of the CPU and in true frustration and anger concentrated every mote and molecule on the machinery in front of him, willing every bit of power he had inside. He wasn’t about to nuke them, Martha could see that, but what was happening in that small room was not productive. Peter was getting more and more irate. More and more frustrated, and he began to glow, but not in the same way Martha had seen before. “Reynard!” She screamed, “Get this door open NOW!!!!”
Finally Reynard managed to crack open the door. They threw it open and jumped into the corridor shutting the door behind them. Looking in through the window they watched as Peter's fragile body completely overloaded, the stood in the middle of the room, waves of electricity and lightening streaming from him into the bank of computers around them. The lights ahead flickered on and off, there was an electrical buzz in the air, and finally everything went truly dead and the air smelt of smoke. "So much for computer power," Martha said to Reynard, "looks like we're going to get out of here on wits alone." The door opened and Peter emerged, his already blood soaked locks rather electricfied. He ran his hands through his hair, which crackled and sparked as he did so. "Feeling better?" She asked him. "Much. Was that what you meant?" He asked sheepishly, he guessed from her expression that it wasn't. "Sorry, I've never done that before. But at least we've got the lights now." He smiled. He had no idea where [I[that
[/I] came from. "DETONATION IMMINENT." The tannoy announced. "Maybe power wasn't the best idea." Peter shrugged. "Any idea how we get out of this place." Martha seemed to be struggling for ideas. Reynard rasied a paw in the air. "May I suggest Master Peter that we attempt the ventilation once more?" "We'll get lost." Martha pointed out. "It's a maze - I'm not dying in a vent." "Well how did you get in - there must be a door somewhere?" Peter pleaded. "Which way?" Peter could hear the screams of people above, he couldn’t understand what could send them into such a frenzy. But whatever it was, he knew it was not good a good sign. "Come on. I can run. I promise." He took Martha's hand, this time his turn to pull her. "Back the way we came. Shout if i'm going in the wrong direction." He just hoped Claude had already had the sense to get out. They ploughed into the surgery, still a bloody mess, but Peter didn't look at that, the place gave him a nasty feeling, an unpleasant and rather sick making feeling of deja vu. The body in the corner, the bloody table where he had once been lying, the bottles and boxes of organs and bits, the walls of knives and saws. He ran straight through that room to the door on the other side, now open. "There!" Screamed Martha, a white cat ran by, "follow the cat. Raynard, go ahead, call back if you find a way!" The fox seemed to salute, and sped ahead of them, up the stairs. They followed. "But we can't get out! You heard Rose! The doors are locked!" "But we need to -- " Martha cut off his words and pulled Peter back into the room, running towards the windows. "Martha? What the hell are you -- " "I really hope this works ... " They crashed through the windows, Martha wrapping Pete's arms around her waist and holding him close. "Fly, fly, fly, fly," She repeated into his shoulder, hoping it would trigger something. She shut her eyes in fear, knowing the ground was near, but opened them when instead of impact, she felt the wind against her skin. "Peter! You did it!" Martha looked up at Peter who was confused by what was happening, but cracked a smile. "Wooooohooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!" Peter screamed into the air, the building below them shrinking. "Ha ha! Can't keep a good man down Doctor Jones!" He spins them in the air. [/blockquote] [/color]
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 27, 2007 12:40:30 GMT
[Chp 15 - Pt 3]
Lesson 4: Don’t release psychopaths.
An electrical surge ran through his body and he woke up. Bolt upright, staring into the darkness. He pulled out the various plugs and wires that had been fed into him. Another secret underground lair. Another day. “Why are they always so concerned about little old me.” He thought. “Because I’m special.” He answered himself. “I’m the most special one that there is.” He shrugged. He wouldn’t blame them. He’d do exactly the same himself. Maybe. Still – it gave him an excuse. No one could blame him for repaying the favour could they? He sat up, planted his feet on the stone floor and shook away the pain in his head like it meant nothing. Time to go hunting. First thing he saw when he flat footed his way out of the, rather flimsy, cell; a scared little man in a suit. “Hello.” He said, the man aimed a gun at him and fired. Without a second’s breath he returned the bullets into the man’s heaving lungs. “My name is Sylar.” He said, “And I think you have my suit.” Without a moment’s pause he snapped the man’s neck. As he began to retrieve his things, a nice black jacket, hooded sweater, smart trousers and the rest of his pocketted possesions the lights turned on, the doors opened. “And look at that,” he said to the body at his feet. “Even opened up the doors for me. Someone must know I'm coming." He smiled, buttoning up his jacket, slipping on his shoes, sorting out his rather dishevelled hair. At least they hadn't cut it this time, That made him really mad. Up the stairs, two at a time, childsplay. "Boom." He smiles. Another man with a gun. Pesky things. This one goes flying into a wall at a hundred miles an hour. Very messy it was too. But this one has a pass card and a set of night visions. Easy pickings. He hears a familiar voice. No telling how far away. "Peter Petrelli." He sneers. That man followed him everywhere. Even if he went to the End of the Universe, Petrelli would be there. Oh well, he'd just have to sort that man out once and for all. He whistled "Come out, come out, wherever you are" as he emerged out onto the main floor. A gaggle of souls, heavily armed huddled themselves around a very large heavy door and were frantically pulling at the wires. Fools, he thought, they don't know how to make things work. He knocked them down with a flick of the wrist, like bowling, he considered, only without the milkshakes and bad shoes. All useless ordinary humans. Nothing special about any of them. One seemed to be mildly pre-cognitive, but he didn't need that one. He snapped her neck. Once he wouldn't have thought to do that, but not any more. She was never innocent, why should he give her a chance. The others continued to shoot, not that it made the slightest difference. Eventually they gave up, some of them ran, the cowards. He caught one up in the air and pulled him towards him, holding him in a choke hold the same way he did with Petrelli the last time they met. "Where's Petrelli!" He demanded in his most terrifying of voices. The little man peed himself, how pathetic. "This...place...is....going...to .....blow." He begged. "And?" Sylar mused, "So am I." He sqeezed the man's throat tighter, till his asophygus collapsed and he was of no use any more. Best get to work on that door then, he thought. Like rats leaving a sinking ship, suddenly Sylar was surrounded by a handful of rather dangerous looking things. A four-legged creature who seems to try and take a bit out of his leg, he smacked the thing powerfully, "Keep back! I'm working." He demanded. The thing seemed to get the point. A man with a cluster of tentacles instead of arms grunted something unintelligible at him. Sylar considered throwing him accross the large room, but seeing as the creature was not threatening him but seemingly encourgaing him, and had come up the same flight of stairs he too had climbed, he thought better of it. "It you want out either stand back or bring me the floppy haired freak." He smiled. This was fun. He continued to work on the door, the cretins had made a mess of the circuitry, but he knew JUST how to make it work.
"DETONATION IN 5 MINUTES"
"Tadaa!" Sylar said as he opened the door, the fresh smell of the air rushed into the room, and the multidue of creatures rushed out. Ungrateful monstrosities. Still, some of them may have useful DNA. Sylar smiled and licked his lips. Now to wait for Peter, he thought, he had a nice surprise up his sleeve for that pest. He holds the door open, and casts an illusion. He could fly away in an instant when the time came for the place to go up in smoke. As much as he would love to Peter to see his face when he killed him it makes for a much more pleasant musing to torture the poor man's blistered soul a little bit before the place went boom. After all, the last time he saw the man he had to give up his very heartily worked for presidency! Who better to shut Petrelli in a burning building than his ‘own dear brother’. Poor Nathan, he actually did some good before he died. Sylar thanked Candice every day for that particular ability. It had allowed him to achieve so much. Sylar heard the crash of glass, and looked dissapointedly into the sky. He watched, dissapointed, as he saw Peter take to the air, but was fascinated that it took him so long to take flight. Something was wrong. He thought with a smile, Peter Petrelli doesn't make mistakes like that. As he shut the door tight, a fox brushed past his legs as he did so, he kicked the thing into touch. He hated vermin. He ran into the forest thereabout. Whoever remained in the building would just have to burn. He has bigger fish to fry.
The cat was heading up, to where many of the humans were going. Raynard saw where everyone was heading, and set his nose to work. Death hung heavy in the air. He'd had to jump over bodies.
As Raynard was distracted sight of Peter and Martha flying off above them Sylar kicked him Raynard hit the wall. Oh, that was going to bruise, he thought. He'd like to follow that fellow and bite his ass, or set kitty on him. But he had been sent to follow the cat, and he wasn't going to let bruising keep him from a rather fun persuit. Oh well, it was his own tail he had to look out for... and the somewhat smelly one. Fortunately, the particular aroma was easily followed, and rather nearby. "Still picking on anything that moves I see Sylar," Claude snapped as he appeared briefly, just long enough to get Sylar’s attention away from Reynard. “Raines!” Sylar accured, he thought he was dead. Raynard was rather bruised, but not out of the fight. Instead of running, Raynard leapt at Sylar and bit down hard, tearing away a piece of ear. The human spun and reached to grab Raynard's fur, but Raynard was not, in fact, a stupid animal. Then he jumped against the wall and at Claude's last position, following his nose. He landed on Claude's shoulder and hung on. "Up might be a good idea, hmm?" "Brilliant idea...where?" Claude shifted the fox’s position slightly, and took hold of him to hide him Sylar’s sigh. They sprinted around a corner as fast as they could, and then down the steep sides of the hill, trying to stay close to Sylar while hopefully out of sight would give them a few seconds advantage. It seemed to Sylar that the old tramp and the vermin had the best idea, running was probably wise, flying better. Sylar took off at a run through the trees at a pace, the foliage around him barely touching the sides. Never mind the bleeding ear, since he took care of the Bennett girl he could sort that out before even a drop of his precious blood was split. Sylar arrived to what seems to be a miniature village. "Disney world really has gone down hill these days." He sighed; he should never have had them all arrested, he thought.
They flew high above the trees, Martha looking out for any of their crew. She hoped that the Doctor had gotten out okay. "Peter? Think you can land?" He swooped them down, landing but not as gracefully as he had other times. "Martha? Peter?" Jack ran through the trees towards them and embraced them both in a hug. "Thank God you guys got out!" The Captain noticed Peter's lack of clothing once more. "Couldn't keep your hands off him, Martha, could you? Don't blame ya, though." He winked and started running again. "Jack!" Martha grabbed his coat. "The Doctor. Did he get out?" "Yeah, ran this way. We're following. Torchwood gonna blow." The Doctor heard Martha and Jack’s voice coming through the trees and jogged of to meet them. He pulled Martha into a hug. "You ok? We came back for you, but the place was going to explode, so we legged it. Hope you don't mind too much." He grinned. She didn't look happy. He didn't get women. A hand slipped into his, it Rose, the younger Rose, and his Rose was just a step behind. They wouldn't abandon him.
The Doctor sat down on a gnome bench, a Rose on either side.
"So Doctor. Explanations?" Young Rose asked. He laughed, then sighed, then turned to her. "I'm the Doctor, your Doctor, from your future. You know I'm an alien, well my people don't die, we just kind of body swap." He was doing this in very simple terms, he didn't want her to freak out, and he didn't have the time or energy to answer a million questions. Plus he knew that this would be wiped from her memory at some point. "The Doctor you're with. He sacrificed himself to save you, in your furture. He turned into me. I'm also from your future. I lost my Rose, and have spent the last year trying to get her back." He smiled sadly at his Rose. "When I saw you, and without your Doctor, I couldn't not take care of you. But I didn't want to tell you who I was because of your time line. This is my Rose." He gestured to Rose, "I finally got her back." He Rose leant against him, nuzzeling into his neck. "You mean a lot to me, and I know you mean a lot to your Doctor too. Don't ever forget that." He placed a kiss to her forehead and she leaned into him too. He wrapped an arm around both of them. This was all too much, Peter lent on his knees to catch his breath... "Do we need to keep running or..." Gwen, Tosh and Owen thundered into the Gnome camp. Tosh was carrying the laptop under her arm and Owen now had the cyborg head. They all collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath. "How long.... till.... boom?" Gwen asked the blood pumping in her ears. "Dunno..." Owen replied. They had all made it except Claude and Raynard. "Where is Claude?" Gwen asked. Oona remained standing, looking in the direction everyone had come from. Where the hell are they, thought Gwen. She looked around. The gnome camp was a wreck. Broken homes and belongings strewn everywhere. Not a gnome in sight. It was hard to believe that only a day or so ago, Owen and Gwen were here with Peter and Martha getting drunk. As if the thought of them derw them towards her Martha dragged Peter stumbled out of the tree line to join them. Oona did not hesitate a singular moment and strode up towards Peter with a concerted look in her eye. “I think I need your help Peter.” Oona announced. “I need to borrow some of your energy. It will not totally depleat you. But it will make you feel odd, maybe sleepy. It'll knock me for another loop. We have to maintain physical contact to do it.” Peter looked up from his knees. "I..." He said "Woah! Who the hell are you?" He said as he fell backwards as Gwen, Tosh and Owen half walked half limped over to the rest of the group. Oona woman didn't listen to Peter, she grabbed his hand, and at that moment everything went a bit hazy. He ached inside, like he was suffering a terrible stomachache. Whatever this woman was doing, now really wasn't the right time, he thought, he had only just healed.
Sylar’s reverie on ice-cream momentarily interrupted, Whatever was happening in the distance it seemed Peter was making noises that were entirely painful, he liked to hear him sounding so weak. The Peter he had last seen was hard to fight, whatever had happened to him to bring him here had clearly stripped him of that power, not so himself, he thought. He has spent years looking for the man, expending all the energies of the government at his disposal. Now here he was, weak. He supposed, he thought as the sky above cracked open, that he might just have a little time to have a little fun with him before he killed him. Finally, hunched against the wall, Reynard`s brush sticking up his nose, Claude turned his head, trying to get his nose clear of fur and see if the movement he could just make out was Stylar or someone else. He swore as he realised what Sylar was doing. He watched them in the distance, the gathered 'good'. He heard them perfectly and smiled, he had an insatiable craving for ice-cream. Looking up at the sky and wondered if he is far enough away? The countdown distantly decreasing towards zero in his ears.
"How come he doesn't know who Oona is?" asked Rose. The younger Rose, not the older one. "He was probably Retconed." Older Rose replied. Jack, Tosh, Gwen and Owen groaned. "You just had to go and Retcon him." Owen huffed. "What's Retcon?" Younger Rose asked. Old Rose shook her head, "You'll find out before to long." She touched the young Rose's arm, "Make the most of your time with the Doctor, one day you might just lose him." The Doctor rested his chin on her shoulder, "Yeh but you might just get him back too." He grinned, as did older Rose. As if to destroy the fluffiness of the moment their was a massive explosion. The shock wave knocked everyone to the ground; fire could be seen in the air through the trees, the sky turned grey with ash. Then the sky started to fall...
Sylar pulled himself to his feet and dusted off his nice smart suit . He smiled, this will be a good game. He was so used to playing 'Nathan Petrelli' protector of the People, President of United States of America, he slipped into the illusion like a pro.
”This isn`t a good time for a family re-union!” Claude scolded silently in the distance, as purposefully, uncaring about the apparently quite catastrophic explosion, Nathan Petrelli walked into the midst of of the others with a Presidential smile.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 28, 2007 11:32:33 GMT
Chapter 16 – Family Reunion
[Chp 16 - Pt 1]
"Peter!" 'Nathan' called, pulling him away from the witch. "Oh, my God." He pulls him into a hug. Smiling widely, he is so happy to see him after all. This isn't his Peter, he realised that almost immediately, he is younger, unscarred, furry around the edges, still malleable. The Doctor dragged Rose to her feet, and grinned at her, she grinned back, neither of them say anything. The younger Rose was watching from her seat on the ground with a small smile on her face. The Doctor still had time to wink at her before turning to see the new comer. He was automatically suspicious and stepped forward as if to intercept him before he reached the others. He didn't quite make it, as the new comer helped Pete up off the ground and takes him to a near by bench. This wasn't quite right, there was something weird. "My spidey sense is tingling." He said quietly to her as ‘Nathan’ approached. He stood firm and held out his hand. "Hi! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Nice to meet you." Introduced the Doctor cheerfully, just as if nothing had just exploded. "Nathan Petrelli." He said and adjusted his suit in that practiced manner, "President of the United States of America." He looked around him, "Which I presume that this is not." He glared toward Oona. "Who may I ask are you, and what may I ask do you think you are doing to my poor brother?" He senses power, incredible power. Power he has to have. After, of course, he has killed Peter. “Nathan!” Peter tried to stand in astonishment, his ‘brother’ bids him to sit. Peter could not believe it, he was all right! He had survived! He was...President? Something didn’t seem right. He was so confused, but still…Nathan was his brother, and he was the one person he needed in amongst all this strangeness. He stretched out his hand for his brother, almost blind from whatever Oona had done to him, "Nathan, where the hell are we?" "It's alright Pete, I'm here. You don't worry now. I'll take care of you." ‘Nathan’ smiled his best Presidential smile at the man who introduced himself as the Doctor, keeping a wary eye on him, too over protective. Bypassed the strange Oona who seemed to have harmed Peter, he was afraid he might give himself away when he looked at her. And went to shake the hands of the others, they looked at him with stunned surprise until he got to the pretty black girl. "Hi," He said smoothly, "Nathan Petrelli, it's a pleasure to meet you...?" "Martha, Martha Jones." Replied the woman. He smiled and shook her hand softly, returning to take Peter's hand, "There, there Pete. Don't you worry, I'm not going to let you out of my sight. I won't let anyone else hurt you. I promise." Oona knew she had weakened Peter. But not enough to keep him from healing. She could only blame her fear for Claude and Raynard clouding her senses. The man who had entered the ruined village looked wrong to her. Blurred. No, two men. Two men in one place. Her sword was drawn and at the man's throat in an blink. "Illusion. Easy to see when one deals in dreams." Her lips were already moving, half singing the spell. She had taken from Peter, and now she gave back. He had so much power. She was most likely better than she had ever been. She channeled a healing spell to Peter. It accelerated his already amazing healing ability, seeming to rise up from the ground beneath him. It took only a little of what she had taken. She was a prism, amplifying the erratic energy and focusing it. In only moments, Peter was healthy once more, organs regrown, damage undone. But he was still weak from her depletion. "And history would state if the president of America dissappeared. You give two faced new meaning, sirrah." Peter however was now intensely distrusting of the whole situation, of every person there (except Martha), of the sky, which was seemingly burning, and mostly of Oona. Took hold of the woman's sword with his mind and pulled it out of her hands. He tossed it as far away as he could. "Threaten my brother again..." He said, "...Galadriel and I'll throw you in the ditch." He threw the sword away, it span through the air and landed right through the trunk of a tree." But he knew something was wrong, clearly this wasn't Nathan, not the Nathan he was used to. Hiro had probably made some terrible mistake, sent them both off somewhere without knowing how to control where. But this Nathan was one he didn't remember, and clearly, Power had gone somewhat to his head. He had to get his memory back. Tosh watched the goings on and didn’t particularly like the smiling man who had just walked in as if he was conducting a tour around his constituents. She nudged Gwen. “What do you think of him?” She asked. “He’s kind of cute, he has a nice smile hasn’t he?” Gwen smiled. Tosh wasn’t so taken in and as she watched the Doctor she knew something was up. Jack was on alert too. Tosh took the head from Owen but shushed him. The head once more connected to the laptop started to pile out information to Tosh. She gasped and shook at Jack’s jacket sleeve to capture his attention. “Look Jack – see this – look at the readings!” Tosh stared from the lap top to Jack and across to the man who said he was the American President. The sword at that moment was thrust by Peter from Oona’s hands and whizzed past them to stick into a tree. Tosh was up on her feet at once and she hoped unnoticed skirted around about to remove the sword from the tree. ‘Nathan’ watched the people with a fixed smile. He held in the elation as Peter had jumped to his defense, and as the little japanese woman retrieved the sword he acted quickly, and without the bat of an eyelid, not even looking at it, liquefied the thing in her hands. The woman screams as the metal melted in her hands. 'Nathan' looked down at Peter. "Really, Pete, I can look after myself. There was no need to do that." He smiles at Oona, who still regarded him with the deepest suspicion. Soon enough, he thought, he would split Peter off from the rest of them. "Please excuse me," He bent down to Peter's ear and whispered, "These people are clearly dangerous Pete, when the time is right we'll find our way out of here. You can do your thing and we'll go home." He rested his hand authoritatively on his 'brother's' shoulder, smiled at the woman and the tall thin man. "Now, any of you nice people know how to get out of here before we're all killed?" Peter knew he didn't do that. Last time he checked he was unable to liquefy anything, even by accident. He could have sworn he didn't do that. Maybe. Could he do that? He couldn't think of anyone he had met that could melt things, he couldn't recall anyone. Then again he could have lost five years of his memory for all he knew - he could have met anyone in that time, absorbed all sorts of powers. This was all very confusing, he thought, thanking God Nathan was by his side, otherwise he might probably lose control. He looked at the other Doctor's new friend, "You did something to me?" He asked. "What did you do? Can you reverse it?" The Doctor stepped forward, "Now now Petey Boy lets not get you stressed." He positively beamed at him, "Can't be having you go nuclear again. Last time you burned my hand." He waved his hand in front of his face. He stepped forward again, letting his hand touch Pete’s forehead, as if taking his temperature. Many things flashed before his eyes and he leaped back. He turned to Rose, and then to Jack. "What is Retcon? And what has it done to him? I put barriers in place to help him control the power and now they are all gone." He was frowning, and looked positively scary. And then he stepped closer to Jack, "and who the hell is that guy? I know for a fact he is not Nathan Petrelli!” A strange surreal feeling swamped everyone, time seemed to slip on, and then the silence was broken by the sound of loud applause. Claude appeared, grinning, clapping his hands, "Wonderful performance mate, wouldn`t have expected less," he stopped and put on a faked earnest expression, "I`d tone down the concerned brother bit though, and politicians are never that friendly once they’ve been voted in…but apart form that - barnstorming!" "Alright Peter?" he grinned over at him, "He is a relative of yours...well sort of, suppose I should introduce you properly...Stylar meet your upgrade." Claude circled around, trying to keep Sylar’s attention, hoping it would give someone the chance to do something. "Must be really annoying for you watching the kid picking up all those gifts soooo easily, while you have to put in all that effort...well that’s the way it always is...every generation always gets it easier than the one before...not fair really is it?" Claude gave him a fake sympathetic smile and sighed. "Still, all you've got to do is get at his brain, then its easy street...takes all the fun out of it really though, don’t you think?" Oona was upset about the sword. It was her favorite. However the loss was ofset by the return of Claude and Raynard. The relief was overwhelming. It was hard for Sylar to keep his cool. Peter pulled away from him, he held tightly to his shoulder. Almost burying his fingers through his flesh. Though he could no longer hold the smile upon his face he held the illusion together for just long enough for the others to think Raines is probably mad. But not long enough. "Hello Claude." He said, with a flick of the wrist, and a pleasant smile, as he took hold of a rock nearby and tossed it nonchalantly at his head. The man fell to the ground, pleasantly unconsious. "For the record Claude, my NAME, is SYLAR!" He boomed, threw the nasty little man who had his hands on Peter into the tree (not powerful enough to stop him it seemed) grabbed hold of Peter's pretty little friend, what was her name? And flew away. Petrelli will have to come to him he smiled. Peter stood straight up, "Martha!" He called, but Sylar had already dissappeared into the falling sky. There was no way that Peter could follow. The Doctor bellowed too and was at the spot where he took off from in an instant. "Martha! He took Martha." His expression is dark and he turned round in circles in a helpless loss for words or thoughts. He turned to Peter. "We have to go after him!" Peter turned to Rose and held her round the shoulders. "Fix it! Fix it NOW!" He begged, "Whatever you did..." He thumped his fist into the bench. If Sylar was here, if Sylar could fly, then his brother was dead. Why didn't he remember it? The Doctor forced Rose and Peter apart, maybe a little more roughly then he should have done. Despite Martha's previous words to him, she was his responsibility. And he thought now Torchwood was gone he could just go home. He felt like laughing bitterly. "This is not helping." He said curtly to both of them. He turned angrily, rubbing at his face, his eyes his mouth. His gaze landed on Rose. His Rose. Not so innocent any more. He swallowed. "He was in Torchwood. What do you know about him?" The he turned to Claude, who was coming to lying in a heap at the bottom of a tree. "And you!" He was a little more harsh with Claude. He could never be rough with Rose, but Claude was fair game. "You know so much. Fill us in." He crossed his arms and waited. Oh so much like his previous self in that moment. If young Rose had ever doubted that he was the Doctor, she would see it now. "He's insane." Peter interrupted, giving Claude time to pull himself together, he clearly knew more than Peter thought about this madman. "He tried to kill my neice, Claire, she regenerates. But I stopped him. Then he killed Ted, that's this guy who's radioactive. He can take people’s powers, somehow, but not like me. He kills them. If I've told you all this before, stop me...but he could never fly - that's what Nathan does…did. And I can do all of it, I can do what they can do." He tried to smile, he found it hard to explain so bluntly the incredible things that had happened to him, "Then...he turned up in Kirby Plaza. I thought he was dead. He's the reason I lost control…Then I wake up on a hospital table with that girl saving my life." He looked up at the sky. "Look I don't know where I am, I don't know what's happening here and I don't know what YOU..." He looks at the Rose from Torchwood, "...did to me. I have no clue. I don't know who any of you people are and I don't really trust one of you, but that girl saved my life I think and I'm NOT letting him hurt her because of me. YOU have to fix me, and then WE have to fix this." He looked to the Doctor for guidance. “I told Gabe to give him Retcon.” Rose blushed. “There’s nothing we can do.” Jack stepped in an explained what the drug was and the Doctor was angry. “Playing with people’s minds is dangerous, Rose, for anyone and everyone”. And yet he still stepped forward, he sat Peter backe down, composed himself and began to search through Peter’s fractured mind. He still tried to unlock doors the retcon had sealed. He hoped it would help. If Pete could trust them, if maybe Pete could remember Martha and what she meant to him, and if maybe he could remember how to use his powers they might have a chance. He only hoped he didn't turn him into a vegetable. Too much playing with the mind can turn it to soup. Like pulling at a lose thread in a knited jumper. Can fix the jumper, or make it unravel until all you have is a pile of wool. He hoped Peter's mind wasn't ready to unravel just yet. Peter didn't expect what happened next. When the Doctor grabbed hold of him he tried to fight it at first. Then the first door opened. A smiling face and a leather jacket. He looked at the Doctor, nodded his head and let him continue. The next door? A branch, a pain in his chest. A rabid dog. The next? Getting drunk on Guiness with gnomes. He laughed manically, momentarily drunk. Another door opened. Behind this one the most stunning of views, the most overwhelming feeling of peace. The surge of power he felt inside. The splitting of the cyborg.
Then the floodgates opened, if he thought the stripping of his mind was painful, it was absolutely nothing to the surging back of memory that the Doctor had set free, comfortably locked behind a damn, which the Doctor had poked a hole in. He felt as if he was being torn limb from limb. He started to scream. He knew the Doctor felt it too. Jack was pacing and formulating a plan of some kind, Tosh was packing up the laptop, and Oona and Owen were doing a weapons check. It was just Gwen, Rose and Rose left standing with nothing to do. Rose and Rose looked at each other. There were obviously lots of questions younger Rose wanted to ask older Rose, but she had the good sense not to. Timelines and all that. Gwen walked over to Tosh and picked up the cyborg head. "How many codes are in this thing?" Gwen asked, turing the head as best she could in her hands. "Lots." Tosh answered. "Security codes, force field codes, co-ordinates... Very helpful thing to have when stuck on an alien planet." "Not very portable though, is it?" Gwen held it by her side, then switched the side she held it on, as if to make a point. Tosh only shrugged. "He said that he had a ship. Perhaps we could fly it home... or something...." Gwen felt like she was clutching at straws. Peter screamed and everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing and turned to the Doctor and Peter. Suddenly he gasped and fell away from the Doctor. He clutched his head with his eyes closed. The Doctor just stood there, smiling smugly. Peter opened his eyes and looked around. He smiled slightly. "Hi guys..." He looked around again "Where's Martha?" Then the smile fell from his face, after the initial disorientation of suddenly having his brain re-written, again, Peter shook the memory clear, he would deal with the horror of it later. They looked at him, confused, the Doctor thought he had gone mad again.
"Peter," He asked with care, and a sudden appreciation for everything Pete had had to endure, "is everything okay?" Even though Martha was gone and everything was falling apart. Gwen couldn't help but grin. Peter remembered! Things were going to be a bit easier now that he knew what was going on and who they all were. Peter looked at the Doctor seriously. "No." He said bluntly, "Let's go fix it." Peter said and everyone sprung into action.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 28, 2007 11:33:17 GMT
[Chp 16 - Pt 2]
Sylar set them both down. He knew perfectly well where they are, but was glad that the girl was disorientated. It made it easier to keep her where she was put. She fought free and he let her run a little way before, with a flick of the wrist, he picked her up from the ground and bringing her back. He could keep doing that for a while, keeping himself entertained until Peter made an appearance, but he would soon enough get tired of the game. Telekenetically holding her in the air like a balloon he pulls her towards a tree. "Wanna see a cool trick?" He said with a smile, phased his arm through the trunk of a tree, waved at her, grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her arm back through. "Like threading a needle." He said, her arm firmly pulled through. He let go of her hand and admired his handiwork. "Did that first with this guy from the papers, he's stuck in the walls of the Oval Office now, I hung a picture of Nathan in the spot, makes me smile when I look at that patch of wall." He laughed, as she struggled, "You'll get splinters." He said, "Trust me that smarts." Martha, he remembered her name of course, was yelling at him. He let it ride. "Feel free to scream, the louder the better." He said, "It's preferable. I'm sure Pete will hear you." He pointed out, pointing at his ears, "I think he picked that up from me. Not that he's worked this out yet of course. Honestly how can you put up with all that moping? You do know he's dating a stripper back in Los Angeles - well, the Peter I know and love is anyway - this one seems to have a preference for dark meat." He smiled, that seems to rile her up even more. He does hope Peter hurried up and got a grip soon. He could do with a fight. "Tell you what, at the risk of sounding like a comic book villain - " He stood, mused at Martha a moment then called, back. "Keep screaming. I'm going to find my friends. I have hearing as good as Peter, if I can't hear you screaming I'll come back and give you a reason to, Okay?" She swore at him. That'll do nicely, he thought, as he walked into the darkness, to wait.
"I borrowed power for my magic, Peter. I also completely healed you. The rate you were healing was dangerous. You still had internal bleeding. You can die, you know." Oona unslung her bow, ready for action. "I will return what I can. I can funnel power from the crystals I have, releasing the dreams within. But I cannot absorb it. However, Peter can." Oona took two of her precious crystals, full of dreams. There was power in the crystals themselves, but dreams held their own power. The dreams of people is what carried them forward. Even their nightmares. With a few whispered words the crystals floated a foot above her hand then shimmered into mist. The mist, green and red, surrounded Peter, then seemed to sink into him. The dreams themselves turned into power, not visions. He was now about ten percent better than he had been before she took from him. "Had I a means to absorb that myself, I would have. It is a failsafe of sorts, so dreamthieves cannot amass power for themselves." She turned to the Doctor, and Jack beside him. "Doctor, do you remember what is beyond the Moonlight paths? The power I took, yes, I admit, stole, is more than I've had before. I can take us all to Martha, if Peter keeps her fixed in his mind. I think that creature needs a bit of a push if he insists on following the wrong path." When this was all done, Oona was going to be exhausted. Most likely to complete unconsciousness. "I can summon an air elemental. One powerful enough to make us all fly, in a way. I will return Peter all the Power that remains save enough that I can open a door, without the spell to summon the moonlight path. I will do it at the opportune moment, if someone can push him into it. But after all that, I will be depleted to unconsciousness. I will be relying on all of you to keep me safe. If such a plan is satisfactory?"
Raynard hopped from Claude's shoulder and was busy taking the sack of his clothing from Oona and getting dressed once more and armed. That felt better. The Doctor was pacing back and forth. "One thing this place is teaching me is only fools rush in..." he said thoughtfully. "This place is teaching you that?" His Rose grinned and poked out her tongue, "I would have thought you'd have learnt that years ago." "Oi you, I can vary the amounts of fun we have back on the road you know." "Who said I'm going back on the road." He stopped, his face falling. Then he plastered his fake smile to his face and fake hyperactivity, "Yeh, of course, business woman now." She slapped his arm, "Don't be a muppet of course I'm coming back with you." He laughed, and pulled her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet slightly. "Thankfully!" "This ain't helping us get Martha back you know." He put her down, "Yes of course." and he was back to pacing. Claude rubbed his head ruefully, no real surprise that Sylar had managed to get away from them, still at least he had been separated from Peter, all be it temperarily ...better than nothing he supposed, and the troops seemed to be massing (always a hopeful sign). He watched Peter, waiting until he saw him on his own, there as something he had to be sure he knew before everyone moved out. Claude sidled up to Peter, “Alright?" Claude grunted nodded towards Peter,unsure of what his reaction to him was going to be. Peter nodded back, but the response suggested that things were getting back to normal. "There are some things I think you need to know." Claude said as he glanced around, the others were moving closer, it looked like they had a plan, and Peter was it! Quickly he added, " Sylar healed himself." Peter gulped,"You mean..." Sylar had to have killed Claire, he must have, unless he had met someone else that could heal. They had to find him, get Martha, get out, go home. Peter would happily leave Sylar to rot at the end of the Universe; it was the least he deserved for apparently killing his family, and now taking Martha! "So..." He looked to the Doctor, Jack and Oona, whose funny coloured smoke had served to make him feel pretty damn high, "...tell me THIS time we have a plan?"
Martha kept yelling and trying to escape until she realized the futility of it. She was stuck there. “None of this would've happened if I stayed with The Doctor!” She cursed herself, as sank against the tree. “None of this would've happened if I hadn't agreed to go on his stupid TARDIS and allowed myself to fall in love with him. I wouldn't have gone to the end of the universe, I wouldn't have gotten trapped on Utopia, I wouldn't have met Pete or Claude or this Sylar who stuck my f**king arm in a tree!”
"DOCTOR!!! PETER!!!" She shouted the loudest she could.
The Doctor was running his fingers through his hair desperately, he kept looking at the two Roses, both of whom Peter was now skirting around, despite the fact that the blonder one looked particularly fragile.
"Doctor, I can hear her." Peter said sadly, his stoic eyes filling with angry tears. "I don't know what he's doing to her, but she's screaming." He looked the Doctor in the eye, knowing what he was capable of, he could hold his gaze. "If we don't go soon..." He begged. "I know, I know..." Said the Doctor sternly, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking." "Can you, perhaps, think a bit faster?" Raynard said as he finished pulling on his boots. "A screaming damsel is rarely good news.” “And often a trap. In fact, we can almost guarantee it is a trap." Oona offered. She had pulled one of her arrows from her quiver and muttered something before blowing on the deadly looking sparred tip. That should make things more interesting. She nodded to herself. He will not kill her until we arrive. He wishes us to follow. Why take her, otherwise?" "Claude, has this creature any experience with magic? Not powers born in genes or from the mind, but real magic. You seem to know something of him." If they were not going to use the wind elemental she offered, she would have power for something else. "I can summon a mist to obscure us, but we would have to be very certain we knew where one another was. Or... we can grab Martha and run. Forget taking care of the threat. I can open the Moonlight Paths and we can run. IF I can open the paths proper." Last time she had done so from here had been the most draining portal she had ever made. This place seemed to resist summoning the paths. Oh, she could create an opening, but to do so without calling the paths to it left only the void beyond it. Biting her lip due to the pain from the burns on her hand Tosh packed away her laptop. Gwen was talking with young Rose and Owen was sitting playing with a stalk of grass. “Owen, do you have that spray that regenerates skin in your med kit?” Tosh said sitting down on the grass alongside him. “Sure, why?” He looked across at her and only then noticed the blisters on the palms of her hands. He thrust away the chewed grass and reached out and gently plucked her hands up and turned them over in his. “Why didn’t you say you’d been hurt when the sword vaporised?” Owen hissed.
“I was unaware of the burns till a few minutes after the sword disappeared. Must have been something he’d – magic or some such.” Tosh shrugged but winced as Owen stretched over to pick up the medical kit that was never far from his reach. “Folk will begin to talk – you being so accident prone lately.” teased Owen. “In your dreams.” Tosh said with a laugh as he sprayed the new skin onto her hands. The skin would be good as new in minutes once it dried. Claude moved across the clearing heading towards Tosh. “Your hands – did he fix them up? Claude asked taking a look for himself.” Tosh nodded and then Claude asked. “What’s bothering you?” “I’m sure we can do more with that Cyborg head.” Tosh said to Claude. “I have a feeling, that we are missing something big that could help us to get out of this place and keep us all in one piece at the same time. Don’t want Peter to go boom.” “They all say You’re the computer geek – get to it!” Claude said sharply “Two heads are better than one you know.” Tosh replied instantly with more than a little venom in her voice. “Meaning?” “If I have to tell you…” Tosh shook her head and moved away, leaving Claude trying to figure it out. She wished she knew what she was missing and headed towards the Cyborg head to see if playing with it would help. She wondered if Peter could access whatever power remained inside it but he had been not him self and it wasn’t the moment to ask. She also wondered if Claude would be of any use but didn’t think he’d consider her proposal even if she did get up the gumption to ask him. He still puzzled her – she was interested in him sure but wasn’t that her downfall being attracted to dangerous men? She turned her thoughts to the danger ahead and hoped a plan was forthcoming. Claude looked straight at Oona, then glanced sideways as if to check no one else was within earshot.
"There could be a way to shut him down, there was a failsafe built into the system, when we caught one of them." He paused, it was still them and us, always would be, but Oona was neither-or at least closer to us he thought. When the Company tracked down a ‘special’ they used to inject them with a radio-isotope, so that they could track those that they set loose. Claude moved as if to scratch his shoulder, then pushed back the neck of his jumper briefly. Oona got the briefest glimpse of what looked like a scar. The marks from the neumatic needle. "The lucky ones got that, the ones who weren`t.... compatable got...." Claude bit his lip, "They were scared of us, and they needed a way to control us, at least that was the excuse in the early days." “If he was caught, and I’m not saying for certain he was, but if he was and you can strike hard enough there," his head tipped sideways towards the scar, "Providing he hasn`t been able to disable it...there’s a chance we might be able to shut him down for a bit." "I’ll distract him, the rest is up to you...if you need help from the others,"Claude bit his lip,"I’d appreciate it if you only told them where his week spot is, not…"Oona nodded she understood this made him vulnerable, she would keep his council. He felt happy that he felt he could trust her with his weakness, she knew how hard he found it to trust anyone.
By now Rose was beginning to get worried. Now Martha had gone, what made it so difficult for her Doctor to be taken. Maybe he had. Or maybe he had just left her, deciding to forget about her. But that was impossible; here was her Doctor, apparently, with a future version of herself. Hher head hurt. She sat down on the ground. Everything was getting blury. "Right!" Peter stared at the confused hoard. "I'm not leaving her to them. I'm going to get her. I don't care if he kills me." They stared at him. "We’ll I don't - you might all care - but it's my fault he took her, it's clearly up to me to go get her." Oona was about to say something, "Trap or not. Oona, give me one of your crystals." Oona looked reluctant. Peter explained. "I'm going." He said. "You either give me one of your crystals and bring the others, or stay here." He held out his hand. Reluctantly Oona oblidged. "Thanks." He said, looking around, he could take one person in his arms, but he would fly better, faster on his own. The Doctor stared at him open mouthed, the way Nathan did when he told him he had to save Claire. "I'm going to DO this." He told the Doctor, and took off. “Now Pete’s was gone. Great, that’s just bloody great. Now what?” Said Gwen. The Doctor was only his feet again, talking at an inhuman speed with Jack. Gwen went and sat down next to younger Rose. She was breathing deeping with her head between her knees. "Rose?" Gwen whispered carefully "Do you feel alright?" "mmmm...." Rose didn't give an answer just a mumble. "I think maybe Owen should take a look at you. You look a bit peaky..." Gwen looked up from Rose and beckoned Owen over. The Doctor stared after Peter. “This great,” he said, he couldn't even wait five minutes to come up with a plan. He turned on his heel. "This could be good. If Peter goes in, flies around then comes back and tells us what he sees." He hoped Peter was close enough to hear him. He put a little push behind them just in case. He saw the younger Rose sat with her head between he knees. Light headed perhaps, not handling the stress so well. Unusual fro Rose but this was a tough situation. He sat down next to her, draping an arm over her shoulder making eye contact with the older Rose. She smiled back at him. "I don't think we should go all guns a blazing." He said at last, "Mostly because out lack of guns." He turned to young Rose. "Did you ever study the vietnam war at school?" She smiled at him, nodding her head, and then shaking it, she did but she couldn't remember. So he started on a long explanation, its causes, the people involved, and most importantly, the strategies. The point was, that sneaking about would be a much better strategy than barging in there. "I think this is your terrain Jack. War fair, fighting, organising the troops." Jack nodded. He gave young Rose a squeeze. "You could be our mascott, our lucky charm." Rose smiled at Gwen. "I'm fine. Just a bit confused. I'll be fine." She clutched her head again as another sharp pain hit it.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 28, 2007 11:36:04 GMT
[Chp 16 - Pt 3]
Walking for a while, a stiff breeze, very pleasant. Sylar came upon the particular soul he's been after. Normally he would rip them apart quickly, he worked well on his own; but he was in unfamiliar territory, distinctly alien territory, and the air was running thin. He needed himself a native. "Hi there," He grinned there were four of them, all tentacles and bad body odour, an absolute zero on the cuddly scale. Just the kind of thugs Sylar needed a little help from. Powerful, most probably, but taking on their DNA for himself wasn't preferable either, he didn't really want tentacles for arms. "Do you understand me?" He asked, the various Davy Jones impersonators nodded. "Figure you owe me," Sylar explains, "since I helped out out of that place before it went boom." Tentacle One nodded. That was all Sylar needs to say. He cocked an ear to the wind. "There now, I told her to keep screaming." He said to himself, "Women never listen." He turned on his heals to return to his prey. Damsels in distress just don't know how to behave these days, he sighed, the gang of Tentacles following behind obediently. Sylar approached the place he left Martha, she was still trying to pull her arm free. He thought it was sweet. No sign of Peter just yet. He may have time to go and get himself more reinforcements, he thought, suspecting Peter would bring his friends, the man was always so petrified of being alone. But he didn’t need reinforcements, he knew he was more powerful than Peter even slightly suspected. He knows what they all are, one shake of the hand and he worked them out. Especially the man in the suit, so sure of himself, powerful, yes, but only because of what he is. His DNA could be so much more could make Sylar so much more, and yet so easy to incapacitate. At least she was still calling, good, good. He wonders if he has time for some fun. Perhaps? Yes. Pulling the illusion over himself like a comfortable coat, and mimicing poor Peter's mannerisms. He decides to play a game. He flew into the sky and, glimpsing Martha though the trees, flew straight down towards her as 'Peter Petrelli' oh-so-good and righteous. "Peter!" She called with relief as she saw him land. Oh, how pleased she sounded. It was just too precious. "I can't move I'm stuck!" She was still pulling at her arm, he had warned her not to do that, her entire arm was bound up in the tree's flesh, her atoms bound within it, technically he was the only one who could free her, as long as he didn't use that particular power while Peter was around she wasn't going to wriggle free and still keep her arm. Nonetheless, he did exactly what Peter would do and ran straight up to her like an idiot puppy seeing it's dinner. He yanked and pulled at her, trying to pull her free, what a surprise, it didn't work. "We need the Doctor!" She said. 'Peter' backed off, feigning jealousy. "I came here to save you." He said snidely. "And I'm grateful! I'm SOO grateful, but I can't get free unless you can copy his power, but the Doctor..." She knew too much, thought Sylar, he would have to think of an ingenious way to keep her quiet when Peter arrives. "...He knows all sorts of tricks.” She continued, “I'm not having you wait around to get it, he'll tear you to pieces - and I'm not able to put you back together again with one arm!" "And what's so special about this Doctor?" asked ‘Peter’, genuinely intrigued. "He's a Time Lord, bloody hell, I wish you'd get your memory back..." Interesting, thought Sylar, still the game was not fun unless someone was screaming. He could never do all that lovey dovey stuff. No, with Candice's power he could show Martha things that could make her eyes bleed. What better way to keep her screaming than if she showed her Peter was dead! "I came to save you." 'Peter' says backing further away, "And all you can do is talk about him" "No..." She tries to call him back, "I didn't mean." 'Peter' turned his back on her and began to walk away, but not before Sylar shows Martha exactly what he has planned for him. He shows her every terrible thing he had planned for Peter Petrelli, that would keep her screaming, he thought. Then, when he was done, and she was in tears, he showed her himself walking forward out of the forest, plucking Peter's brain out of his limp body and tossing it up and down in the air like a football. Sylar walked up to Martha, kissed her on the forehead, accepted a well deserved slap and smiled. "I'm sure Peter will be so glad to know how much you care. I'll make sure I let him know before I really kill him." He says, and walked away again, leaving the illusion of Peter’s beaten corpse in her mind for just long enough to keep her screaming. Peter had followed her calls, he had too. But he wasn't going to go blazing in there, he had done that twice back home died both times, he had been lucky the second time. If it hadn't been for Claire...
No, he had to know what he was up against - what Sylar could do - he had to be able to match him. Knowing Sylar could fly scared him more than anything, he took a wide circle until he knew he was nearby, they weren't far from the clearing where the Doctor's Tardis was, perhaps that would be useful. He landed by the box and made himself invisible, he wondered only for a moment if Sylar knew he could do that, but only for a moment, the element of surprise was his only asset. Being as quiet as possible, he saw Martha, what had he done? Still not running. He walked up behind the tree until he was right beside her. He could see no-one nearby, still, stay invisible, he told himself, just make sure she doesn't give him away. Her eyes seemed fixed upon a spot in the grass ahead of her, he could not say what she was looking at, but it seemingly had terrified her into silence. He whispered in her ear..."Hey." She jumped only slightly. "Pete?" She said, a hopeful tone in her voice. "The one and same..." He wanted to tell her he remembered her, but now was not the time, he looked at her arm, bound up in the flesh of the tree. "Has he hurt you? What's he done?" He couldn't free her from this - he knew he couldn't. He needed the others. "Tell me you're alright?" He said, "and keep calling, otherwise he'll suspect. Call out for the Doctor if he hurt you?" At the top of her voice, which was drawing hoarse, she called out for Peter. His heart pounded to hear her. Sylar hadn't hurt her. "I know you must have a lot of questions, just know this,” He said, “Sylar is dangerous, and I can't pull you free...but I will find out a way, I need you to do something for me." He whispered in her ear, she understood. He smiled. "I'll be back, I promise. Just keep him here!" He slipped the crystal into her pocket and, though it hurt more than he could say to leave her there, he returned to the Tardis and flew silently back to the others. He just hoped Martha had the strength to do what he had asked. As Peter dropped from the sky, The Doctor ran over to meet him. "Petey old chum you're alive!" he pulled him into a bone-crunching embrace, "You humans, always having to do the heroic thing! Brilliant it is, even if a little misguided. Now what did you see?" "I couldn't get her out of there." He said sadly. Where to start? How exactly to tell the Doctor that Martha was fundamentally stuck. "He's sort of...stuck her..." This was weird, he thought, then again the Doctor dealt in weird everyday of his life, "...in a tree." Peter scratched his head. "Somehow." He told her he left her Oona's crystal and that she hadn't, yet, been hurt. "She's not far from your Tardis..." He pointed out, and the Doctor's face lit up like a neon sign. "Brilliant!" said the Doctor, jumping up and down and clapping his hands, "And at the risk of sounding familiar, Rose, FANTASTIC!" Peter stopped him in his tracks. "I have to go back." He said, but the Doctor didn’t listen he leapt up and down, overly excited.
"If the Tardis is close we can scan the area, we won't have to move it. Though saying that with the force fields down that shouldn't be a problem." He quietened for a moment, obviously thinking. "Sounds like our boy Syler is using a multiphaseatomictransponder." They all looked at him like he had gone mad. He sighed. "Makes the atoms of the tree and the atoms of the arm think they are all part of the same... thing. Everything kind of... mushes together. We can use the Tardis to reverse it, remove her from the tree. If we can get her back to the Tardis before Syler catches on we'll be safe. Sounds, almost like a plan." He laughed, "Who'd have thought, me coming up with a workable plan!” He grinned around at everyone, pausing on young Rose. She was in pain, quite obviously. He was at her side in a heartbeat, feeling her temperature with the back of his hand. "You are suffering from the effects of a paradox. You should have said you felt ill." "I'm fine." She said, despite obviously not being fine. "We need to minimize your contact with your older self. I can't have you suffering here. The other me would kill me." He offers her a smile, she accepts. "Humans aren't designed to deal with temporal cross overs. You should have said." She whispered a small sorry and he gave her shoulder a squeeze, kissing her forehead and pulling her into an embrace. "Add the stress of the situation, slightly different atmosphere, and the confusion over two Doctors, we have a severe case of brain overload. Required medication includes big hugs, warm baths, lots of chocolate and a cheesy chick flick. When all this is done, make sure your Doctor knows all this. Make sure you insist on something with Geena Davis, he'll love that." He grinned, he hated Geena Davis in his past incarnation. Rose smiled. “I'll try and remember all that." She said. He gave her another squeeze and then it was back to business again. Talking a million miles per hour, mostly to Jack who was pacing. Eventually it was Jack's turn, barking orders, organising people, he really came into his own. Older Rose eventually piped up. "If Rose is suffering because of a paradox, wouldn't it be best to split us up?" The Doctor grinned at her intellegence. And then frowned. If they split up, he would not be able to keep an eye on both of them. He didn't want to lose Older Rose from his sight, he couldn't bear to lose her again, but then Young Rose might need him if she got worse. Rose nodded, then wished she hadn't when another spout of dizziness hit her. She squinted up at the Doctor, unable to open her eyes fully. "You're meant to be my Doctor from the future. Didn't you know this would happen? And, more importantly, where is he?" Peter was pacing around, didn't the Doctor understand he had to get back to Martha. "He's not using any mutiphasing-gizmo, he's done it himself, and if he does it again then so can I. If I go back, get him to use that power...I can..."
Then he thought. Last time he had been with Sylar he had used some kind of illusion power, if he could tap into that? "Doctor...” He shouted. “I've got an idea! Maybe we can do both?" Oona stepped forward to stand between the Doctor and Peter. "Our opponent has a weak spot." She touched the Doctor's shoulder, where Claude had shown her. Oddly enough, it was the exact spot Gallifreyans had a nerve cluster capable of rendering them unconscious. Even though Oona was not aware of the fact. "It may neutralize him for a few moments. Hopefully. Don't ask. I won't tell. But it is important. " She looked to her arrow. "If he is sufficiently distracted, from many angles, I may be able to hit the spot. But with what he did to my sword, he would have to be focusing on many different things to assure an arrow can get through." She looked at Jack and his group. "Perhaps like being shot at from different angles. People tent to think bullets a bigger danger than a wooden shaft. Especially one with an invisibility spell on it. I can't make myself invisible, only small objects. Otherwise I'd have more fun." Finally, she smirked a bit. "If your time ship can materialize around Martha, while our opponent is away from her, it will keep her safe. And thanks to Peter, I can direct you and your ship to the exact spot. Provided it as as telepathic and legend reports." "Bullets are no good." Peter responded to Oona, though he liked her plan and was intrigued by the idea that Sylar could be weakened somehow. "He can deflect them with a thought, same way I can, probably take a machine gun to get one through. I've seen it happen, this guy tried to shoot him back in New York and he just flung the bullets straight back at them. No..." He smiled, "I have a better idea for a distraction." He stood back. And showed them exactly what he meant. It was the first time he had done it, but all he had to do was focus on the feeling he had when he saw Nathan walk through that village to him, and the gut wrenching disappointment when he vanished with Sylar in his place. In front of their very eyes they watched as Peter began to glow. The Doctor ran in to help, but Peter threw him back. Jack raised his gun, aimed it at Peter's head, Peter deflected the fire, tossed Jack's gun miles away. Rose stared on in awe. The Doctor tried to get close again. Peter shook his head and smiled, the Doctor understood, he held back the elder Rose who seemed to want to get close. While Oona stood stock still, a pleasant smile on her face. And as they all stared Peter, for the first time, let go, intentionally. The falling sky went white with the power of the explosion.
And then everything, every single thing, was all right. The power of illusion was endlessly useful. That was telling enough from the astounded looks upon his friends faces.
Claude, characteristically, applauded. "Not bad for a first go." Peter smiled. "Fooled you."
"Yes!" He leapt up "Brilliant! Lets do that. Peter goes in, does his...illusiony thing... Oona and Torchwood surround... bullets, you arrow, try and hit his weak spot... Me, Rose, Rose in the tardis, materialise around Martha we all flea back to the village. say ‘tata’ to the villagers and off we go" he leapt up and punched the air, grinning from ear to ear. "But what about Rose?" Older Rose said, gesturing to younger Rose. "Won't she feel bad with us." Claude glanced around, the others were moving into position, and he nodded at Jack, then disappeared, moved over to the centre of the clearing and re-appeared. "Weeell,” Said the Doctor not noticing Claude’s disappearance from the throng, “once inside the Tardis the effects should cancel out. Heart of the Tardis and all.” He grinned, turned to the young Rose, not caring to hide his affection for her. "And I'll tell you everything once inside." Rose nodded lightly and made to stand up, grasping onto anything near by to keep her steady. "So where is she then? The Tardis." "Are you ready?" Peter asked, eager to get back to Martha. "I can take one with me, Oona, Martha has your Crystal. I need to know you'll be there. I need to know you can bring the others. Otherwise I'm dog meat. I can't hold an illusion for long, frankly I only went for that one because it's quick. I have something else up my sleeve for Sylar." Oona smiled, nodded her head. Peter held out his hand. "You and I are going to have to go for a drink when I get home." He smiled, "There's this great place in Queens, serves warm beer if that's your thing." He smiled sideways, the Doctor returned the favour. "You ready?" He asked. The Doctor nodded, "All set then. Let's move out. Quick march." He grinned at Jack who was shaking his head laughing. "Right then, Captain, you move the troops, we'll hot foot it to the Tardis. Let me know when you're all in positions." He waved his phone at him, and tossed it to him. "Super phone, call Rose." Up up and away, the Doctor and Peter. They landed near the Tardis. "How was it for you?" He asked the Doctor. The Doctor smiled as if he'd been there before. "Through the trees!" Peter indicated, pointing in the direction of Martha. "And Doctor..." He nodded his head. "If I don't come out alive. Thanks." He ran into the trees. The element of surprise wasn't going to do him any favors and he had the best of plans.
Mr Tentacle (Sylar found it difficult to tell the difference between them) handed him a fruit that looks suspiciously like a banana and told him the boy had visited the box. Or at least that was how Sylar interpreted the various noises and wild gesticulations his odd looking associate was making. He smiled. Ate the banana. “More predictable than bad Saturday night Sci-Fi”, he said as he turned to return to Martha, she must be getting bored by now. Must need...entertaining, he thought, can't have her going cold. "Want some banana?" He asked as he approached. She spat at him. “That's just not nice, I was being hospitable.” He said. "Did he mention me?" He asked smoothly. She pretended she doesn't know what he was talking about. He laughed. "I'm hurt." He says, "Lot of water under THAT bridge. You know, when he blew up in New York, they blamed me. MILLIONS of people he killed, and they blamed me. That kinda thing can piss a guy off you know...I was never one for doing that, why bother, nothing in it for me. Nonetheless he gets off scot free with a bad case of murderers angst and I run the country, I'd say I came out on top, wouldn't you?" He held out the flesh of the fruit to her. She wasn't biting. "It's not poisoned you know." He said disappointedly and finished it off himself. "I could do with a First Lady you know. Or is your heart elsewhere?" Martha stood silent for a moment. Martha thought about what Pete had whispered to her. He had a plan, she probably should follow it. "I don't lend my heart easily to others." Oh, how she hoped that Sylar didn't have some sort of telepathic power. He didn't. "Oh, now. Toying with a young man's heart ... that's cruel. What's he ever done to harm you?" "What's he ever done to hurt you?" Sylar opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. "What will it take to get me out of this tree?" Martha asked as she tugged her arm to illustrate her captivity. "I'd think that a clever guy like you would've come up with something more than just simple shackles." "It does the trick, if you can't tell." "Yeah, but there has to be some fantastic ideas in the head of yours." Martha smiled sweetly. "Show me what you can do." Funny thing she was too, thought Sylar, but cute. "You think I'm some sort of idiot. Where is he?" Sylar jumped to his feet and moved into the trees to hunt for Peter. He wasn’t going to be stupid enough to use any of his powers for Peter’s gain, not unless the outcome was going to be Peter’s imminent death. "Hey up…guess who?" A voice came from behind him. Sylar smiled and turned to see Claude, " Just the thing little bit of invisibility, come in handy when I`ve nothing better to make use of." His mouth twisted into a half smile, he had already killed Claude Raines, years ago. He was going to enjoy the chance to do it a second time. "Claude Raines, worth the price of admission alone, I’ll enjoy this...you won`t." Claude sighed, "I’m getting a bit long in the tooth now mate," he scratched the top of his head, "Bit gristley, you`ll need something to help it down," he smiled helpfully at Sylar, " sadly, not a sign of a tin of Heinze anywhere, still, what can you expect...hardly civilisation is it?" Claude pretended to look around him, "must be something else around here..green beans? Peas even," he grinned, " ooh I know! just the thing," he sucked through his teeth and his bottom lip quivered, "faver beans - although we seem to be sadly lacking in booze, still can`t have everything." "Fork or spoon?" he inquired cheerfully, trying to get Sylar to move further away from Martha. Claude’s scalp felt odd, like something was crawling inside it, at first he thought it was Sylar, but when he glanced over at him he clearly wasn`t projecting anything at him. The tips of his fingers suddenly felt odd, and when he looked down at them his vision blurred for a split second. He took a deep breath, then looked again, this time his vision was fine, but his hand was partly invisible. Claude closed his eyes for a moment, this wasn't exactly the best time to discover that hit on the head had done more damage than he thought. When he opened his eyes everything looked distorted, voices were getting muffled, he shook his head to see if it would help-it didn`t! He found himself lurching sideways, he had the feeling that he was partly invisible, but not sure which part. He was no use to anyone like this, some instinct made him dive to the ground, once there he felt better, not so light headed, he now knew he was totally invisible, he also knew he was very vulnerable, he had to get off ground level. His vision was just good enough to spot a tree with a low branch, another branch made a V that would provide safety and keep him from falling out even if he lost consciousness. Somehow he managed to get himself to the safety of the branches, he could hear the sounds of the others, but not what was going on, he knew he was still invisible, and was thankful for that at least. His head was thumping and his ears were popping, then suddenly all the sounds stopped, everything was peaceful, he closed his eyes, thankful things had got themselves sorted out. He smiled vaguely to himself, looked like Owen hadn`t needed that gun of his after all! His head slumped gently to one side.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Jul 28, 2007 11:36:55 GMT
[Chp 16 - Pt 4]
Sylar smiled and returned to Martha. "Some savior." He smiled, licking his lips. "Claude Raines. What a hero. Kinda tasted like smoked chicken." He smiled. "So you want to know what I can do. How about this." He smiled, before her eyes turning invisible and then reappearing. "The rest will just have to be a surprise. Like the inside of a Christmas Cracker." He heard a sound. "Peter." He smiles, "Come on in an join the party." No reply came from the wood. "Peeettteeerrrr!" Sylar called. "Peeettteeerrr." The forest around them was dark now, the cover of the night is such a beautiful thing. Sylar summoned his energy, the power to freeze a man in his tracks, his hand began to glow blue. Martha was about to call out to him, he clamped her jaw shut. "Don't want to tell him any of my secrets do we?" He told her. His eyes on the darkness. "Shhhh." He said and disappeared before her eyes. Peter walked up to Martha, he held her arm. "I'll be okay." He ensured her. "Promise."
He let Sylar take the upper hand. He had to. Taking advantage Sylar picked Peter up with a little thought and pulled him towards him. "No witty retort Peter?" He tutted, "You've not been doing your homework. Don't you know a Hero is meant to say something pithy right about now." Peter said nothing. Sylar held his freezing hand up to Peter's face. Peter did not shirk from it. He dropped him to the ground. "You're pathetic." He said. "I want the Peter I'm used to here, easier to fight, all brooding melancholy and too much hair gel." Peter smiled, still he said nothing. "Turn invisible!" Sylar yelled at him. " At least hit me!" Peter stood and obliged. But there was no strength behind the swipe. "Well...if you're not going to fight the least you can do is die!" He lifted Peter into the air by the throat. The boy struggled. His girl was trying to scream. Sylar let her, he does like to hear them scream, he smiles as he thinks that the girl’s voice is the last thing that Peter is going to hear. It had the desired effect. Peter’s flesh started to glow. "Oh no!" Sylar says, "Two can play at that game," He two summoned the instability inside, instability he has the power to control. He threw a small reaction at his foe’s chest; Peter was thrown to the ground, the counter reaction putting him out on the spot. "And now for the finale." Sylar said, pinning Peter to the floor. Back in the destroyed village Tosh was eager for the off. She tucked the Cyber head under her arm and had her laptop with her on the opposite shoulder. She kicked at Owen who was still laying around in the grass as if he was on a summer outing. “You coming or you just going to sit there and eat grass all day. Wales and the Sheep must be getting to you.” Tosh said with a grin.
Owen bounded to his feet and using the grass he had in his hand blew at it between his fingers making a piercing sound that cornered everyone’s attention instantly. Tosh giggled and slapped him on the arm then threw the Cyborg head at him that he deftly caught. They ran deep into the woods. They ran into position, circled silently around Peter, Sylar and Martha. Considering they were the only ones with guns, it was wiser that way. Tosh had the laptop and the head and Gwen had.... Gwen grabbed a lethal looking branch. Gwen had her branch, they were ready. Gwen was shocked at the scene unfolding before her. Her hands tightened around the branch, and she could just about see Jacks head through the trees. Invisible to Sylar, but easy for the rest of them to see. Glancing at where Owen and Tosh were positioned, she waited for Jack to give commands. Peter watched as Sylar leant down upon him, pointed his finger at his forehead and began to score through the bone. Martha was screaming, he wished she wouldn’t but it helped. It egged Sylar on.
Finally Sylar finishes the job. He loomed over Peter's corpse and smiled. After Peter left him the Doctor stepped inside the Tardis knowing the two Rose's wouldn't be far behind. He started scanning. “Hummmm” He said loudly Martha really was in a pickle, “but if I just modulate... ah ha yes!” He could undo it if need be. At the last minute perhaps. He watched Rose and Rose. Jack had organised everyone and decided to escort them here. Good idea really. Rose walked into the Tardis, smiling at the familiarity of it. The headache was still strong, but the dizziness had lowered a bit. She turned to face the Doctor expectantly, awaiting the explanation. The Doctor was about to reply but he gets the ring on the phone. "Any second." He called to her, bounding over to the consol pressing some buttons. He could see Martha on the view screen struggling. He started the dematerialisation sequence, and then she was in the room with them, still half tree. He pressed a few more buttons, bounding around, calling instruction to older Rose who was more familar with how he worked, and singing as he went. A few more switches and Martha was free and up up and away. Martha threw herself at The Doctor in a giat bear hug. Greatful was not the word. He grinned and hugged her back. "Glad to have you back Dr. Jones, thought we'd lost you for a moment." She grinned and laughed, then promptly sat down obviously upset. "Is Pete...?" "He had a plan, a very good plan. I'm sure he's fine." He gave her a reassuring grin, one only older Rose knew wasn't perhaps as reassuring as it should be. He had doubts.
Young Rose, obviously a little posesive of him coughed. "So answers?" She said at last. He smiled and skipped over to her, offering her his hand and led her to the jump seat. She sat. "I'm in the Tardis." "Yeah... I know." She gave him a look that said, 'you have the mental age of a 3 year old,' and 'please stop dribbling on your shoe.' He grinned, slapping his forehead. "The other me is in the tardis. He knows I'm here, he knows its dangerous to wander around and bump into me. Mess up time and such. So he stays there so not to ruin the time line by having me let something slip like, oh I don't know, I have a mole on on my back, just under the shoulder blade. You know, stuff to really mess time up." "But you told me, you told me everything. I know now. How?" He turned to the older Rose, who was stood at his shoulder. It seemed she was just as keen not to lose him from sight either. He touched her face, smiling. "So when you were here with the other me, what happened?" The older Rose shook her head, shrugged, looking confused. "I've not been here before." He turned back to young Rose. "Between now and you leaving here, you will lose all memory of this place. My guess," he dug into his pocket, "is that when I return you home safe and sound, I will be giving your Doctor... ah ha!" he pulled out a small vial filled with slightly yellowish liquid, "This. Retcon." "He'll drug me?" she looked slightly shocked, and he knelt down before her. "Look, he wouldn't do anything, ever, to hurt you. He'll most likely tell you about it, explain everything to you and you'll agree." he stood up, taking his Rose's hand, "I know him well, he'd feel all guilty if he drugged you against your will and end up telling you everything within a few days." He grinned suddenly, leaping around the console and towards the doors dragging his Rose with him, "Time to meet the locals!"
Gwen watched the Tardis appear. It was a wonder she didn't drop the branch and fall over in surprise. She looked over and saw that Owen and Tosh were pretty feeling much feeling the same way. Jack though, was totally unfazed. Sylar, intent upon his prey, it was strange how he didn’t even notice the Tardis at all…almost as if he hadn’t seen it. A few moments later and the Tardis was gone, Martha with it and Peter was dead. She really hoped that was part of the plan.
The girl had stopped screaming. Sylar looked over. She had gone. “How did she...?” Never mind, he thought. He had what he wanted. He turned back to Peter's lifeless corpse. He lifted up the body. He would savour every moment of this, every detail. He took hold of the brain, had to pull it out before the fiend regenerated. One firm tug. And it's free. He dropped the shell on the ground. Smells the flesh of Peter’s brain meat. Perfect. Undamaged.
Then Jack gestured, Owen shot, Jack shot and Gwen whacked.
As he mused over the brain. Something rips through Sylar, bullets. Several of them. Thankfully they all miss his head. He turns around to look at the various people who have shot him. Futile. Don't they know he can regenerate? He thought, and healed before their eyes. He raised his hand, and attempted to knock their guns from their hands, but the guns did not move. He attempted to fly away. He went nowhere. An arrow that had pierced his shoulder, materialized in front of him and Peter Petrelli walked towards him from the darkness of the forest. Sylar looked down into his hand at what he thought was Peter's brain. There was nothing there. Behind him no corpse lay. "FYI." Peter said. "Made you look." He smiled. Sylar was about to make off at a run. He held him still.
"How 'bout THAT for a witty retort jackass?" "Where the hell is Claude?" Gwen yelled over the chaos. "Not the time right now Gwen!" Owen yells back at her as an arrow whizzes by. Another arrow penetrated Sylar's shoulder. He falls to his knees. Oona and the Torchwood team take a step back and allow Peter to walk forward. They keep their guns/branches/bows trained on Sylar. Peter ran in front of the Torchwood crew. "No!" He called. "Don't kill him, he's incapacitated. Powerless...for now." He didn’t know how long it will last. He refused to stoop to the monster's level...then again. He had killed Claire. He had killed Nathan. "Nice trick." Sylar smiles, "One of mine I take it?" He tried to stand but was unable to. "There's an arrow in my shoulder." He said, "That's new." And passed out.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Aug 6, 2007 12:31:50 GMT
Chapter 17 - The Chess Game [Chp 17 - Pt 1]
"What now? Peter, this is your plan." Jack looks expectantly at Peter along with the rest of the group. “That's about as far as the plan went...” Peter shrugged. “Tie him up. Use those really strong things Owen had." He pointed to Owen. Owen hopped to it. Peter thought it was strange how the tables had turned, two days before Owen had been trapping himself in those things. Oona was retrieving her arrow. "We'll take him to the Doctor. He'll know what to do with him. If he wants him dead..." He looked at him. "I'll be the one to kill him." He looked at the sky. "Personally, I'd quite like to get home and have a cup of coffee before the Universe ends. My head's hurting like you wouldn't believe." Gwen smiled. "Right then, to the village?" She offered an arm to Peter, which he took, and they slowly set off with Tosh and Oona following. Jack and Owen walking behind them and carrying Sylar between them. "Didn't scare you did I?" Peter asks Gwen. "You know I'm not a scary guy right?" He thinks of all the things she has seen. "I'm different. But...you know...normal, most days." Gwen grinned. "It's okay, really. I've seen worse." Peter looked surprised at this and she grinned again "I really have! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that comes through the Rift." She gave a small laugh. "You’re not that scary. Actually, some mornings Owen can come into work looking as scary as that. If he hasn't had his morning coffee." The mention of coffee made her think of Ianto, she wondered where he was and what he was doing and if he was all right. "Is he your boyfriend?" Peter asked, Gwen looked at him quizzically. "Yanto, sorry, telepathy, it's a bit of a pain. Sometimes I can't do it, others I can't turn it off. It's the idea of coffee. Seems like ages since I had a good strong cup of Joe." "No." Gwen laughed "Ianto isn't my boyfriend, he's the other member of our team. Not that he just makes coffee, but he does make a fantastic latte." She grinned. "Could murder one too. But I haven't met anyone like you as such... I mean there's Jack, and then Suzie... who sort of…came back from the dead... but that's a whole different story. And Mary, but she was just an alien in human form, so I s'pose that doesn't count." Gwen paused. "It's a really weird job at Torchwood, totally mad, but the best job I've ever had." "I'd say I'd fit right in but after..." He thought back to the hours he spent being examined back at Rose's Torchwood, "...what happened at this one, I think it would just freak me out. If you ever need help though." He smiled. He remembered he needed to get another mobile phone. "Well, I don't have a phone. But I'm fairly easy to find. Nathan..." He looks back at Sylar. "...I'd know if he was dead right?" He tried not to look at the man. "Hey. I spy Tardis!" "We're not like that. Nothing like that. We only protect the public from alien threats and make sure that nothing dangerous falls into the wrong hands." Gwen paused "Apparently, there was a Torchwood before us, they were like that... but it was all destroyed. Battle of Canary Wharf, I don't know if you've heard of it..." They walked in silence for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking... what exactly happened with Nathan to make him like..." Gwen gestured towards Sylar. They stopped walking as they reached the blue box. "Oh Nathan is nothing like him...well, he's a politician. Congressman, New York. There was a moment I thought maybe. But his heart's in the right place. He's always been there for me. Always will be. If Sylar hasn't killed him. There has to be an explanation. I mean - Nathan isn't President! He just isn't. I think I'd remember that happening. Do you want to knock or shall I?"
"So listen, you ever met other people like me...you know, special people, humans I mean? Only it just seems like it's all started up at home." Tosh was happy that all had gone well and fell back alongside Jack. “So Jack what next?” Tosh asked still holding the Cyborg head. “To the village, and sorting out this crap and then to find our way back home.” He said his eye on Peter wading through the brush ahead of him. “The head had a space craft remember.” Tosh turned the head to face Jack as a reminder. “He said he would let us into it if we played nice or have you forgotten considering your age and all?” “No, not forgot.” He grinned. “Hey did you just insult me?” “Never.” Tosh patted the head and said, “I wanted to chuck this at Sylar, but didn’t get a chance as it all went down so quick.” “Never mind once we get this one all tucked up safe we maybe go and hunt for that craft . Could come in handy to get some of the folks stranded here back to their homes.” There was no need to knock. "Peter!" Martha jumped out of the door and onto him. "Hey there, Martha." He spun her around and kissed her, slightly more passionate than ever before.
"Martha," the Doctor said in that surprisingly fatherly tone of his. "Sorry, Doctor." She and Pete giggled. The Doctor grinned at the pair, looking abashed and red like teenagers caught in the act. He laughed. "Alls well that ends well." He said chirpily, bouncing on his toes slightly grinning. "I was just taking Rose to meet the locals. Gonna offer them a lift. Then pop our younger model back to her Doctor and off we go into time and space." Jack and Rose grinned at the memory. " 'ello, 'ello!" The Doctor bounded out of the Tardis and eyeing up Sylar like he was some sort of classic car. "Everything went alright then?" "Yeah, but we still have Sylar. He sort of passed out..." Gwen indicated to Jack and Owen carrying Sylar. Jack and Toshiko dragged Sylar into the Tardis. "Gift wrapped to boot." said Peter. Oona waited outside. Peter wondered where Claude was. What else was new? He smiled. "I don't know where Claude is." Tosh said worriedly (having seen he wasn’t in the Tardis) and Gwen turned to her. "Actually, I haven't seen him since we came up with a plan, he sort of disappeared..." Owen opened his mouth to make a sarky remark but Gwen stopped him. "Yes, I know he's invisible, but he still would have met up with us..." Martha seemed to shuffle from foot to foot, she looked at Peter, he knew what she was about to say. "He's gone." Martha piped up, squeezing Peter's hand. "It was Sylar, he... he killed him." Tosh gasped, and Gwen put her arm around her. "But..." Gwen was literally choked up. "He can't... we would have seen... somethning...." Gwen was lost for words and looked over at Peter. A silence had fallen over them in the wake of Martha's devastating news. Peter looks down at the perforated mess that is the man who would be king. He gave Sylar a kick. He was not yet dead. But, he thought, if he killed Claude! Tosh was upset. Gwen guided her over to a fallen log and sat down with her. Tosh quietly cried, and Gwen watched as Peter kicked Sylar again. "My vote is we leave him to Oona. I'm sure she can think of a way to repay him." He said. He looked around to the rest of the group. "And after what he did to Martha. And ...Nathan." Though hopefully Peter could stop that from happening in his own timeline. "End of the Universe seems like a fitting place." He looked to the Doctor, hoping he would agree. The man looked at him sternly. The Doctor froze, and turned to Sylar, grabbed him by the collar and lifting him off his knees onto his feet. He began to shake him violently. "You better start talking, mate, or I'll get very very angry. And you wouldn't want to see me angry. Not a pretty sight, all green and hairy." He frowned. So he had quoted the Incredible Hulk, so what? Sylar looked up. He smiled at the Doctor. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He said, and turned invisible in his hands. The Doctor kept a good hard grib on him as he vanished. "Just cos I can't see you doesn't mean I can't grill you for information!" Handcuffs meant nothing for a man who could manipulate anything he wanted to with his mind. They dropped to the floor and rematerialized as he released himself from them. With the same gift he threw the Doctor across the ship and Peter too for good measure and a little payback. He could go after Peter, he thought. He could grab Martha again, he thought. He could go for any one of their throats. But, no, he is out of his element. Instead, he took advantage of the open door and he is out of it like a shot. As he ran he smiled and whispered something to Oona, as he passed. He would fight the Time Lord another day. And Peter was always fair game.
Oona's face clearly showed her shock. "Um... I guess I shouldn't have removed my arrow." She bit her lower lip. She strolled inside authoritatively. "Next time, no debate. He goes into the void, or we take his head. You choose which." The idea that he escaped after all they had done rankled. As did the idea that her attachment to her weaponry may have aided him. Oona wanted to find Claude. She sent up a silent prayer that he wasn't dead. "Raynard?” She turned to her friend who was nursing his bruises in the grass. “Where's Claude?" The fox started to sniff. “Oh, he may be invisable, and unheard. But his scent would betray anyone invisible.” He jibed. The fox scented the air, then headed off to the trees. After a few moments he pointed up. "First limb. Master Claude? Can you hear us?" There was no response. Oona ran fast behind her friend Oona looked at the tree trunk and set to climbling. It was not easy, but she managed to make it as far as the first branch. Not wanting to reach out blindly and risk knocking Claude to the ground, she carefully punctured her finger on a sharp bit of bark and held her hand out to allow the red droplets of blood hit the ground. A few whispered words later, some fine dirt rose up in a small dust devil. It spun about softly, and allowed her to see where the dirt struck something unseen. "Claude?" She very gently felt along where she guessed his neck was from the drift of the dirt. Her warm fingers felt fabrick, then whiskers, jaw, there, flesh. He had a pulse. She let out a relieved breath. "He's alive." She called down. She couldn't shake him and risk knocking him down. She didn't have the strength to carry him over her shoulder. "Claude, can you hear me? It's Oona." She ran her fingers along his bearded jaw. "It would be really helpful if you gave up on your beauty sleep. Its rather moot when you are invisible." Sylar watched as Oona humped Claude out of the tree he had left him in. "Damnit." He said under his breath. "Killed once back home, once here. Scruffy Dog just won't play dead." He stared at them, and contemplated, just for fun seeing if he could get away with killing him a third time, but decided it was a waste of time and effort, after all he had been able to make himself invisible for years, killing him again would just like scratching a rather irritating itch. Hopefully he'd remain down this time. He turned into the forest whistling a happy tune.
"He's alive!" Oona called as she carried Claude across the clearing on her shoulder. A cheer erupted across the group. Tosh stopped crying and everyones thoughts were instantly turned on getting Sylar. "How do we get him back, and what do we do once we've got him?" Jack addressed the entire group. Then the air was filled with plans and plots on how to get Sylar. The more extravagent the better! "I say we cover him in honey and leave him with some grizzly bears." Owen huffed, and Tosh was inclined to agree. "Better yet, cover him in honey and leave him on Gadrapolists!" Jack laughed and the Doctor laughed with him. Gwen decided it was best not to ask, but grinned along too. Peter smiled. Claude wasn't dead...now. But for Sylar to make himself invisible, that meant Sylar, this Sylar, must have killed Claude before he had got here, back home. He had seen a glimpse into Sylar's mind when he had been near him and now it all clicked into place. This was not the Sylar he knew this was the man Sylar would become. But Peter had changed that timeline, the bomb hadn't gone off - at least, he smiled, not in the way Sylar thought. "He's got no where to go back to." He told the Doctor, and explained his theory. The Doctor nodded. "We could leave him here - the world would be a better place." He held Martha close. "I just want to go home." He leant down to her, "will you...will you come with me?" He asked holding out for the glimmer of hope that he was just a little better to her than the Doctor would be now he had Rose. The Doctor shook his head, "No we can't leave him here, the forcefield is down, the locals would be at risk." "But couldn't we take the locals away with us?" Rose asked. "I'll give them a life if they want one." he nodded, "But some of them have been here for years, they have built families and homes. They may want to stay. They may just be happy to know they can grow old with their families." Jack nodded, The Doctor smiled at the older Rose. "You had the best of intentions,” He ensured her, “but some of these people just want to grow old watching their families grow up. You took that away from them. We've given it back to them, we can't just leave Sylar to take that away from them again." Martha wasn’t paying attention, Peter had asked her to come with him. Back to New York, a new life ... with him. Martha was glad for the Doctor's interuption. It wasn't that she didn't love Peter and didn't want to spend more time with him, it was just that ... that what, she had a life back in London? That she couldn't give up the Doctor, no mater how many times he hurt her? "Some of these people just want to grow old watching their families grow up," The Doctor said just at the right moment. Rose could do it. She could give up absolutely everything to be with the Doctor and for the first time, Martha admired her for that. It was something Martha could never do.
She tugged at Peter's hand and led him off into the forest, away from the others who were so wrapped up in forming another plan they wouldn't notice for a while. "The plan, Martha! We need to know what's going on." "I love you, Peter." She brushed away the hair in his face. "Which is silly considering I know hardly anything about and have known you only a short while, but. Yes. They'll be things I need to sort out before I go, but yes." The smile on Peter's face was one Martha wouldn't ever forget. Peter couldn't help kissing her. And he didn't care who saw or what they said. He didn't care if Sylar was standing right by them at that very moment. He didn't care that the sky was falling. He didn't care that the universe was ending. "You know me better than anyone I've ever met." He smiled, "Inside and out." He laughed, "The nurse and the doctor...nearly doctor," He added although he didn't want to stop her from interrupting him. He kissed her again. "You and me at the end of the Universe." He smiled, "No one's going to believe this one." He held her close. He never wanted to let her go. Peter looked around, the others had gone, he and Martha were alone in the forest. "We should find the others." He said softly, hoping she would tell him to shut the hell up. Just for a bit, he felt safe. He could hear no-one nearby not a soul.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Aug 6, 2007 12:33:16 GMT
[Chp 17 - Pt 2]
The Doctor paced, how do you find an invisible man? Cover him in paint? Too obvious, would never work anyway. Only in films. Tag him with something, a tracker. He could put one together, wouldn't take long. He didn't know quite how accurate it would be in the hell that was breaking lose. And then he stopped, mid step, watching Rose, his Rose play with a pendant around her neck. Greenish brown, a diamond from the heart of Jupiter. He had given it to her as a trinket, they were two a penny when the entire core was made out of them. But she had refused to take it off, always around her neck with her key, even if it didn't go with the outfit. He had an idea. "Oona? How many of those crystals do you have? And could we attatch one to Sylar without him knowing." He grinned, "It would be as good as hanging a bell around his neck, every time kitty comes close, we'd know." He frowned, "I still don't like cats..." "You love cats." Older Rose piped up, "You just didn't like that cat, because he was getting all the attention." "Well if you do insist on calling him 'your beautiful boy' " "I only have one left. Unless I enter a dream and create another to steal it with. But it's yours if you need it. I've already lost a small fortune in dreams in this, what's a bit more." Oona rolled Claude onto the floor of the Tardids, but kept one hand on his chest to know where he was. Tosh was delighted to know Claude was still alive and ran over to the tree that Oona said Claude was located. “Oona?” Tosh shook her by the arm and smiled, wiping back a tear of joy that the strange man with the beard was still alive although still invisible. “Can you show me where Claude is?” Oona nodded. "I have my hand on his chest. " Oona's other hand took Tosh's and brought it alongside hers, where a slow heartbeat could be felt, under cloth. "I just don't know how to wake him up. I might be able to push some 'power' into him. But that will make me less effective in the coming fight. I don't even know if that will work." Oona tried to judge where Claude's head should be and lay her hand on his forehead. He felt like he had a slight fever, and his forehead was damp. Was it from earlier exertion or had Sylar done something further? Something to his system? The Doctor nodded, pacing again. "Oona, you will be repayed in kind. If you want my dreams you may have them." He offered her a smile, "It's not like they do me any good anyway." The young Rose put a hand on his shoulder. Living with his past self, she would know the horror of his nightmares. They were so much worse before the regeneration, before his mind had a chance to heal. He took her hand and squeezed it in his own. Smiling at her. Being in the Tardis had cleared her head a bit, but he was wondering how she would be coping now they were back in the village. Maybe he should ask his Rose to remain behind, give young Rose a bit of space, and also keep her out of harms way. He doubted she would consent to the latter, but was sure she wouldn't want to hurt her ealier self in risk of hurting her. Back to business, his mind wandered so much these days. "We need a plan to attatch the stone to Sylar..." "We need to help Claude!" Tosh shot back. He rolled his eyes, why did everyone have to go and have a crush? It made things so much more difficult. Young Rose lent her head against his shoulder. Ok so he had a crush too, but he was able to remain objective... ish. Tosh called out to the Doctor, “Use the head.” The Doctor ranting and pacing around with his hands in his hair glared back towards Tosh. “What do you think I am doing … riding a bicycle … mind you that could be fun…” Tosh rolled her eyes and huffed. “No, stupid, the Cyborg head!” She turned her attention back to Claude. She stroked his face and found like Oona had said he had a fever. She pressed a warm kiss to his temple (well she hoped it was his temple) Then she called in a whisper for him to come back and to help this rabble out. Claude`s chest jumped slightly under Oona`s hand, she stared down, unsure if she really had felt the movement or just imagined it, Tosh stared at her, "I think he just moved." Claude only became visible for a split second, but it was long enough for Oona to see the matted blood on the back of his head. Tosh celled to Owen for the Med Kit and the man handed it over. "Can't see him so one of you better clean up the wound where ever it is." Owen said looking at both Oona and Tosh. Oona took the kit and gently cleaned the place where she had seen the blood. Tosh felt along Claude's arm until she found his fingers and held his hand. Tosh almost screamed when Claude briefly gripped her hand. Claude moved slightly and mumbled something, Tosh leant over him, trying to get closer to the sound, "Say again." Owen leaned over, "What did he say?" Tosh laughed, and shook her head "nothing really." Owen glared at her,"What?" he demanded. Tosh looked up at him and laughed, Owen closed his eyes, and mouthed something unprintable, turned and walked away. Oona watched him, puzzled, "What did Claude say?" she asked puzzled why Owen was suddenly so annoyed with his patient. Tosh tried not to laugh, "He said...he said ...no you can`t have your bloody gun back." Oona looked baffled, she could not see how it could cause either so much annoyance or amusement.
Raynard bounded up into a tree to wait and the Doctor followed by Jack and Rose returned to the others.
Whistling a happy tune was not nearly as fun as it had first seemed. But it had allowed a dawning realization to enter Sylar's mind. He was out of time. He was not in the right place. An un-dead Claude, a rather unfortunate Peter (he refused to admit that Peter had got the upper hand), things with Tentacles..."I don't think we're in New York any more Toto." He said to himself and stiffled his laughter. No...he knows what he needed to get home. He needed a Time Lord. He turned on his heals, and whistled a different tune. A distinctly more sinister one.
They basked in their afterglow, still giggling like two teenagers. "We're fantastic together." Martha spoke softly with a small smile on her face. She rolled onto her back and admired her surroundings, the crunchy leaves on the ground, the trunks of trees reaching up into the sky, the branches shading them from the midday sun. The world seemed perfect and at ease. Until she saw a dark figure moving towards them. "Peter, get dressed, we have to go back." "Martha ... "Peter whined and pulled her down to him. "Sylar's here." Peter shot straight up and held Martha's shoulders. "Where? Close?" "Yes." She shook him off and gathered her things, ready to follow the mad killer. "Now put these on or get killed!" Martha threw a pair of pants at Peter and started walking back where they came from. Peter climbed into his pants and shoes as quietly as possible; useful, he thought, that he had lost half his clothes since Torchwood, easier to dress quickly. He smiled to himself, and easier to take off - he would tell Martha that joke later. He wondered if Sylar could hear his heart racing. Clearly not. He put his fingers to his lips. "Be vewy vewy quiet," said Peter, when he was certain Sylar was distracted. "We're hunting wabbits." He smiled, took her hand, ready to fly off with her if they were spotted. But it seemed for once Sylar was intent upon a different prey.
“Silly Peter Petrelli,” said Sylar, didn't think he knows he's near. He had considered walking in on them and saying something very witty about anatomical dissection, but had thought better of it. Instead he let the lovebirds follow - after all he may get the chance to kill two birds with one stone. He stopped, mused, probably a good one liner in there somewhere, he'd have to work on that for a special occasion.
"You're bleeding all over the place.” Said Oona, as she tended to Claude’s invisible head wound. But on the plus side you wouldn't be bleeding if you were dead. Are you even still conscious?" Oddly, when she moved the cloth away the blood was visible. "Are we going to have to stick you in the blue box? I have a feeling you'd get bored as soon as you could move." "Maybe we could threaten him with a bath" Chuckled Tosh, "His clothes could do with a clean but as we can't see them.... we could just dump him in a bath of ice ...that should get his attention?" Tosh winked at Oona hoping she would catch on. Oona jumped, suddenly she was looking straight into a pair big blue eyes. Claude slowly blinked at her, then groaned, started to move as if to touch his head, then winced and changed his mind. "Not bloody likely," Claude moved suddenly then winced and grabbed the back of his head. Curled up on the ground, but now completely visible, and obviously rapidly getting back to his old self he grumbled,"What is it with women? give em an inch and they want a bloody washing machine. What the hell did he hit me with?" Tosh whooped with laughter at Claude's acid comment about he washing machine. "Ahh it's great to have you back... temper and all!" Claude attempted to sit up, his head felt like it might fall off if he didnt keep hold of his neck! He winced, "Speak for yourself," he grumbled, his hand felt wet, surprised he peered at it, then yelled "Bloody hell! I`m bleeding...me heads bleeding." "A brilliant deduction. Did you figure that one out all on your own?" Oona pressed the cloth to his head wound. Oona dug out another small bag of white powder and took the water bag from her shoulder. "Hold this to your head, mister personality." She physically grabbed his already blood smeared hand and placed it over the cloth. "Don't dab. Pressure is needed to stop the bleeding." She held up the little folded cloth packet. "This is a pain reliever, with a little magic boost. I gave some to Gwen when we found her. Pour it on your tongue, try not to gag, and drink the water to wash it down. And you're welcome for not just shoving you out of the tree." She offered an amused smile. Claude took the medicine in silence, and did as he was told, he swallowed it, grimacing slightly. He took a swig of the water bottle, then looked up at Oona, his blue eyes like doleful searchlights, he said, "Thank you." quietly. He blinked and looked baffled, "What tree?" "That one." She pointed through door to the other side of the clearing, little noting that the others had less good eyesight, especially Claude who was vaguely cross-eyed. "You were on the lowest limb. Still six foot up there. Dropping you on your head might have helped your disposition a bit, though. But if a blow to the head didn't do that... you have a very thick skull." Oona didn't see Tosh offering up the bad news so she had to do it. "Well, we caught him.” She said. “It all worked. We got Martha back. Unfortunately, he recovered and escaped the cuffs. Peter and Martha took off on their own. The stratagists over there are coming up with the next attempt at brilliance." But she was going to go along with whatever they decided, so long as it ended this. Void or head. No other option. Claude listened to Oona outlining what had happened, he still couldn`t remember getting up a tree, never mind being shoved out of it! Well it was the last time he tried planning anything, from now on whatever they decided he followed end of story. He touched his neck and peered nervously at his hand- it looked like it had stopped bleeding-for now at least. He closed one eye and peered off into the distance, then opened it and closed the other, seemed all right, he stared at something, then closed both eyes, opened them and stared again. "Oona...whats that fox of yours doing up a tree asleep?"
While Claude was suffering the undivided attention of Oona and Toshiko the Doctor had taken the Cyborg head. He had inspected it, for a mere moment, and then (with the distinct sound of a penny dropping, scooted off followed by Jack and Rose. As he reached the centre of the clearing he looked around and very pointedly placed the head in the grass and hoping Sylar’s curiosity would find it. He called to Raynard who bounded over. “Master?” Raynard asked tilting his head to one side and his ears pricked forward paying attention. “Take this,” The Doctor held out the necklace with the stone he’d taken from Rose. “Scoot up that tree and use your magic to place it over Sylar’s head.” “Master, and if he doesn’t pay any heed to the head?” Raynard asked unsure if the plan would work. “Use your imagination and your foxy talents, sure you’ll think of something. Now off you go!” "We ought to get out of sight..." The Doctor mused, "He might see us and run for it." Rose looked perplexed. "I really hope Peter and Martha didn't go far. Pete will be a target and with Sylar on the loose..." The Doctor smiled, "Ahhhhhh don't worry, Pete looked after himself for years, I'm sure he'll be just fine!"
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Post by whodovoodoo on Aug 6, 2007 12:42:17 GMT
[Chp 17 - Pt 3]
Peter and Martha kept a safe distance from Sylar, a safe distance being far enough behind the Peter could pinch the back of her legs and make her squeek without worrying the Sylar might turn around and slice off the top of his skull. They watched as Sylar approached the edge of the clearing, the Tardis in plain sight, he stood there, clearly thinking hard upon his next course of action. He really hoped the others had come up with a plan. "We should go back, tell the others." Peter simply nodded and took them up into the sky. Peter carefully landed near the Tardis, he explained that he wanted to remain nearby in case Sylar needed 'neutralizing', he wasn't sure exactly what the others had up their sleeves, but he was sure they had underestimated the man somewhat. He didn't know what to expect. He wasn't sure the others could see Sylar, but he could, calmly and clearly Sylar stood at the edge of the clearing watching the Doctor plant the Head and sneek off into the treeline. Clearly Sylar was waiting for something. It made Peter's stomach turn to wonder what. He tried to get Martha to return to the others, to lock herself inside the Tardis. She slapped his hand away. "I'm not going anywhere." She said. "I'm not leaving you."
Sylar smiled. He loved making people sweat with anticipation. There was this one time, back when he was ordinary, this guy brought in a beautiful watch, one of a kind, French, 18th Century - stunning design and working perfectly - into the shop. Except this guy, he thought it was broken, he didn't think that the thing was special or beautiful or in any way unique. No he thought, because it didn't keep time with the rest, because it was always five minutes slow, because he had to wide it up every week that it was somehow broken. He always remembered that guy and his watch. He came in every day at first to collect it. "Is it fixed yet?" He would asked, Sylar would shake his head and smile and tell him to come back tomorrow. Then he came back every three days. "Is it fixed yet?" He asked. Sylar would shake his head and smile, "Not yet, he said, it needs special parts. Come back tomorrow." Soon he came back only every week. The same rigamarole. When eventually the man came in only once a month Sylar knew it was time to show him what he was missing.
He found a book in his father's shelves and he researched the watch. It was unique. It was special. Not that this ignorant fool knew it. The next month when the guy came into the shop Sylar placed the watch on the table. The guy smiled and asked if it was fixed yet. Sylar smiled and shook his head. "It won't ever be 'fixed', because it was never broken." He had smiled, the first in a long line of knowing grins. The guy looked at him puzzled, Sylar removed his folder of goodies out and begins to read." An unusually small 18th Century French quarter repeating cylinder in gold, gilt and tortoiseshell pair cases. Full plate fire gilt movement with signed gilt dust cover. Pierced and engraved cock with diamond endstone, pierced and engraved foot and plate for the silver regulator disc. Plain three arm steel balance, blue steel spiral hairspring. Polished steel cylinder, steel escape wheel. Push pendant quarter repeating on a later bell in the case. White enamel dial with Roman and Arabic numerals, gilt hands. Pierced and engraved gold inner case, decorative gold bow and pendant. Gilt metal outer case covered in blonde tortoiseshell decorated with gilt pins. " The guy had looked at him blankly. "Your watch, Sir, is an 18th Century Gold Pair Cased Repeater and is worth eight thousand dollars." He had watched with glee as the guy's eyes lit up. Then he took his hand out from under the table and showed him what was in it. The guy had only a moment to register the shock as Sylar hadbrought down the mallet on the timepiece. "Now,” He said. “It is broken. Come back in three months and I'll have fixed it for you." He smiled sweetly again. "No charge." The guy left the shop in tears. Sylar loved anticipation. He watched as the Doctor and his friends planted the metallic head in the clearing. "What's that meant to do, lure me into the open, how stupid do they think I am?" Finally, with a flourish, he raised his hand into the air and pulled the thing towards him. Catching it in his hands he investigated it for a moment, tossed it into the air and simultaneously blew it up.
Oona and Toshiko had been helping Claude out of the Tardis. The sound of a boom caught them all by surprise. They went scurrying for cover. Oona scooted up the same tree that Claude had previously been found in. Tosh stumbled backwards and ended up on her arse much too the amusement of Owen who was safe hiding in a ditch. Claude was halfway to his own cover when he heard Owen laughing about Tosh but not giving a hoot to get her to safety. ”Damn that man!” He muttered along with a couple of curse words and turned on a sixpence and headed back for Tosh and speedily dragged her with him. While still muttering under his breath to kick Owen where it hurt when this was over. Owen jumped when a hand slapped hard at the back of his neck, then fingers gripped him hard so he was immobile. “Damn you Harper….” Jack seethed, as he held Owen tight. “Never do that again or I’ll blow your F***ing brains out. Owen looked blank not understanding till Jack pointed out in no uncertain manner that he should have ensured Tosh was safe instead of laughing his ass off at her while sitting in safety like a scared rabbit.
It was like picking flies out of ointment, thought Sylar, first the weak ones jump and run for cover, betraying their position. Not too far, but far enough. He moved a little closer. They of course cannot see him. Like a game of chess, he thought, first you pick off the pawns. He singled out the weakest. The one that is unarmed.
Owen is protested of course, his body was not easy to force, no one ever liked doing anything against their will, but quick as possible he made him grab the nearest weapon. Owen, fighting with all his might, lifted the gun to his head, and fired it. Owen's brain matter splattered onto a tree in the darkness. One down.
As the shot fired in the darkness, “Stay down!” Claude hissed into Tosh’s ear as she moved as if to stand. “I’ll check it out, now don’t move or else….” Claude turned invisible in order to stand up and take a good look around. His stomach churned as he saw the brain matter dripping down a tree nearby. He then saw the owner of the body, slumped over clearly dead, with the gun still held in Owens’s hand. While Jack looked on bewildered.
Sylar was gone into the dark again. He buttoned up his jacket as he went, remembering he had a surprise for them that would make them run some more, he thought, possibly panic and scream. He liked that. “Damn it,” He said to himself, “It’s like parking your car in a strange car park, I could never remember…” Walking deeper into the forest to where he left his pretty prize his face lit up with glee as he reached what he was looking for. He waved. "They're all so worried about the girl." He smiled as he approached the man at his feet. "Think they've forgotten about you. Get up." He orders, the power of persuasion from elfin little Eden, oh so handy on occassions like this - he doesn't use it very often because it takes all the fun away. The prize stood willingly. “I feel like Santa.” Sylar said. “All these presents, and never a thank you.” He walked back towards the others. Enough chaos caused by the pawn’s death to give him time to act. Next part of the plan, he thought, take out the knight. Leaving his prize standing quietly nearby (hidden from sight of the others), he approached invisible the grieving Captain - how sweet - and laid his hand upon his shoulder. It took only a moment, and he was sure it was painful, as he freezes every molecule of water in the man's body, leaving him stock still like a meat popsicle. Next part of the plan...move the bishop into play. Pretty little Gwennie. She was just not happy. She was screaming over the bloody mess that had been Owen, she doesn't seem to much care about her frozen Knight. Sylar shrugged. He would take all the pain away. He leant into her and whispers a few carefully paced words.
Anger. Sadness. Gwen wanted to scream and make Owen come back to life. She wanted to kill Sylar. Jack. She wanted Jack back, she wanted Owen back she wanted Tosh safe and Sylar dead.... Whispering.... whispering.... her anger was gone, replaced by a new anger. Her tears dried on he cheeks. She picked up her stick and flung it around by him, he dodged out of her way. His work done. The bishop in play, he faded away. Next was the Rook, he thought. His prize had been waiting so patiently. Three days at least, he told him to be a good dog and "Stay." The good dog stayed, now for his reward. "Their fault!!! It's all their fault!!" Gwen screamed, picking up a branch and swinging. Gwen advanced on the rest of her group. She looked down at Owen and felt nothing for him. She looked down at Jack, nothing.
As the shot fired in the darkness, Peter wanted to head off to help on the spot, but Martha held him back. "Don't rush in," She encouraged, "The others must have a plan..." Though she didn't sound as sure as she had done, "they can handle him for a bit, we'll only be of use if we take our time. You're no use to me dead." She smiled. Peter nodded. She was a very calming influence. Peter couldn't sit still. "If someone's hurt it's my fault," he told Martha, "I could have killed him when I had the chance, easily." He looked at his hands, he could have shot him, or broken his neck, or...worst thoughts repaid the favour and separated him from his brain matter. He just wasn't capable of it. He couldn't imagine ACTUALLY killing anyone. Perhaps that was what made him weak, Charles Devaux told him it was what had made him strong - but he had got people killed because he was weak. "I’m sorry…I HAVE to help." He said to her. "You find the Doctor. I'll find the others." He pulled his hand free and vanished from her sight, he found it heart wrenching to walk away from her, but he just had to help. That was his curse. Too much heart. She kissed him and let him run. "Stay safe!" He called back. She was rolling her eyes at him. He laughed, he supposed she was used to being around idiot heroes like him. Martha ran to the TARDIS, hoping that the Doctor had left it unlocked. She had a few close calls with Sylar, but kept her distance and made sure to make as little noise as possible. She saw that sick grin on his face as he sat in the clearing and resolved to kill him the first chance she got. Sneaking around behind him, she slowly, softly opened the door to the Tardis and crept inside. Closing the door behind her, she stood straight up and breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it. Martha walked down into the lower levels, a bit disheartened that the Doctor didn't even notice her (there were two Roses now!), but she was confident that her plan would work. She scoured the various rooms for any weapons she could find, stashing them on her person and in a backpack she found in the Doctor's wardrobe. A couple cans of Nitro-9, some old, broken sonic screwdrivers that could be of use when pummeled at someone's head, a bow and a quiver of arrows, vials of various chemicals, and a few laser guns. She also found some medical textbooks that looked horribly aged, but covered topics she had never knew were possible like stable genetic resequencing in a living human and completely non-invasive heart surgery. Martha stashed those in her room for later perusal. Claude squatted down next to Tosh once more and made himself visible to her. He couldn’t hide the look of shock on his face from her as she asked in a hushed tone. “Claude… What’s happened?” He whispered in her ear of the scene he had viewed but covered her mouth with his hands as he anticipated her scream, as her body shuddered with grief at the loss of a team mate. Claude had no other option but to turn her and hold her close as they both laid on the ground and undercover from Sylar. “He killed himself?” Tosh whispered clutching to Claude’s hand as she sniffled into his neck. He nodded. “I don’t believe you!” She roared out and he hushed her again with his hand clamped over her mouth. “You little idiot want to get us killed?” Claude growled low and menacing, into Tosh’s ear. He squeezed at her hand and tried to reassure her. Tosh shook her head but was thinking crazily and wondered if it was Claude’s special power that had done something to Owen. He had been muttering oaths about kicking his sorry ass when he hauled her over to this shelter. Claude yelped when Tosh bit hard down into his hand and she hurtled off out of his view. “Bu**er it!” He swore but knew that Sylar would be waiting for such an opportunity. He liked Tosh and didn’t want her killed. He shuddered at the thought of what Sylar had in store and was sure that it would be much slower than a quick bullet in the head. Tosh was unaware what she had done…until it was too late. She knew that Claude hadn’t killed Owen but she hadn’t been thinking clear for a second and now she had ran off probably heading into trouble of her own making. She slowed to a walk and wiped her face on her sleeve. She looked at the little alien tech for a second before tucking it back into her pocket of her jeans. The lights still flashed but she still couldn’t be sure if the thing could transform into a weapon or not. She hide it from view and hoped she would be able to find her way back to Claude. “I’m sorry Claude.” She said to no one in particular. “I’m such a bloody idiot.” Tosh saw Jack standing rigid and Gwen looked stunned. She ran to them both.
Oh well, his last game piece ready and in place to play he looked back and saw the dear Japanese girl run into the frey. Clearly not as well hidden as she probably should have been. "STAY!" he tells his friend again, holding him back from what he is about to do. And returns to the bloody scene he had earlier left. The Japanese girl, her name being Toshiko he remembers, curls her arms around her friend. Oops, the Captain is defrosting, quickly he freezes him again. He holds Gwen back, who was currently wielding her stick like a lunatic on the hunt and leant down to Toshiko. He gives her exactly the same order he gave Gwen. That should keep them busy, he thought. Now, where was I? Behind him Gwen chases after Toshiko with her big, pointy stick! While the chaos began in the forest. Sylar walked confidently into the clearing. An unseen man stood in the woodland, waiting for his part to play. Sylar sat down in the centre. Perfectly visible to all. Silent as the grave. He would not say a word. He smiled serenely and waited for the Doctor, or death, which ever comes first. The words he had whispered sent shivers down Toshiko’s spine. She turned to look at Jack and without being able to stop herself she wrapped her small hands around his neck and began, with great determination, to throttle him. At first she tried to stop herself but some compulsion was telling her kill. Her hands felt cold but she stuck to her task. Ignoring Sylar sitting in the clearing, there was something rather unerving about him just sitting there, Peter ran towards where the shot had come from. When he arrived he was stunned at the scene, Owen lay dead in a pool of blood soaked soil. Jack's frozen body cradling him, the ice crystals on his coat turning red with Owen's blood, and Toshiko - Toshiko was attempting to throttle her boss. Meanwhile Gwen seemed intent on skewering him on the end of the branch she had been wielding. Peter pushed her back. He ran to Toshiko and attempted to pull her away from Jack's neck so that he could at least defrost and return to life before having his neck rung. Toshiko turned her firghtened face to Peter but, the compulsion to kill was strong, and as her hands broke from Jack she ran towards Peter, who had no choice. Biting his lip and asking her for forgivness as he saw the madness in her eyes, he knocked her to the ground unconscious. He caught her as she fell limply towards the ground. Peter held her up to stop her hair soaking up any of Owen's blood. Blood soaked hair was never a good look, he should know. It goes all crunchy and gets in your eyes. He tried to run his own fingers through his fringe, but they got stuck halfway. He couldn't believe Martha could love him in this state, he hadn't had a bath in days! He tried to hold Gwen back with his telekenesis. She kept on going, he'd already knocked one woman out, he didn't really want to be responsible for a second. Maybe she would wear out soon. Whatever Sylar had done to the two of them couldn't be good. He just prayed Jack came back soon. He looked at Owen, he couldn't believe he'd shot himself. No, this had the handiwork of Sylar written all over it. Yet, in the clearing, he sat waiting for someone to come and get him. Somehow Peter didn't think that that was a very good idea, at least until Jack came to, or the Doctor emerged from the trees and Oona stopped tending to her wounded soldier. He just hoped Martha had the strength to keep away from the monster too.
Oona had done what she could for Raynard. He was wounded but not as badly as he could have been. His amulet saved him from that. "Return to Tanelorn, my friend. They will care for you there." She kissed his furry brow. Raynard removed his amulet and looped it over her head. "May it serve you as well as it has me. I'll want it back, m'lady." He gave a wink, then created a small doorway, shining silver for a moment before he lept through. Oona fingered the pendent of the scales of balance. It could not be destroyed, and offered protection to the wearer. It kept them from being pierced by anything. Bullet, arrow, spear, wood... teeth. It could protect any single person the wearer had held on to as well. She ran to where the others had been and saw the madness that had ensued, encircling where Owen lay. Too late. She bit her lip and tasted blood. ”The void, or his head.” She said to herself. She pricked her finger once more and, using her other hand, swiped a tear she had been shedding for Owen, letting the moisture drop onto the blood. "Straashhhaa. I call one of your children to me. The smallest child." Death had its own power. And she drew on what Sylar had sown. It left her less depleted. "Let him inhale the death here, smell the blood spilled, taste the grief and drink the tears. From these tears, Straashhhaa, give your child form. " Water of tears, virgin's blood, the power of death, the pull of grief, all worked with the call and spell, and a mist began to fill the wood. Thick and gray. It rolled in, so no one could see more than two feet around them. Not unless they had cast the spell, or were more than ten feet above the ground. As the mist was thinned at the top. "Come on, Peter. Figure it out." She muttered as she climbed higher in the tree. Someplace where she had the best shot.
"Their fault!!! It's all their fault!!" Gwen screamed at Peter. She was numb, apart from the anger. She had to kill them all. There was a mad glint in her eyes as she spotted the gun Owen had used. She picked it up, Peter could not stop her. "Perfect." She smiled manically, and as the mist fell, she advanced. “Great! Mist.” Said Peter, just what he needed. He couldn't see Gwen to hold her back, he needed to be able to see what he had to manipulate. Jack seemed to be shaking himself alive through, which was a relief, he held Toshiko in his arms hoping she would come too soon; he had given her a hell of a sock in the face - he didn't know his own strength these days. How exactly were they going to get Sylar if they couldn't see him. He was still sitting in the clearing, he hoped, and hadn't hotfooted it anywhere near them. Not that he could see them very well if he did. "Ow!" He exclaimed. ”Damnit Gwen!” She had managed to skewer his left arm with her stick, that really smart. He pulled it out and threw the stick away. Hopefully his arm would heal quickly. He called out to Jack, who answered back groggily something about “Frostbite being a bitch on the complexion”, then more clearly “Peter! Get yourself safe, I’ll take out Sylar if he see him. You need to get Toshiko and the others somewhere safe!” Gwen grinned again. This was fun. Slowly advancing on Peter, she held her gun in front of her. Toshiko was here to...kill them both...What? Don't Kill.... A voice entered her head, but was quickly drowned out by anger. Bang, she fired. The shot whistled through the heavy mist and ploughed right through Peter’s chest. Sh*t that hurt, thought Peter. More blood. He was coughing it up this time. Peter slumped to the ground. It would take him a while to regenerate. But he had to. Where the hell did she get that gun! As he 'died' he watched as out of the mist something large and slightly frosty threw itself at Gwen. Now for Tosh. Gwen aimed. Fight it!! That voice again.... anger... She dropped the gun.... She picked it up again then dropped it. "What's wrong with me!!" Gwen screamed, then picked up the gun again and promptly dropped it. "Get Off!!!!!" Gwen roared at Jack as he rugby tackled her to the ground, she was about to shoot him but he wrestled the gun from her hand and threw it away. Gwen screamed, but Jack held her down. "For God's Sake Gwen! Fight It!!" He yelled. Gwen tried to punch him, but he was too strong. Thoughts rushed through her mind. Anger. Fight it! Anger! Fight It! She had to fight it, she knew that deep down, but Sylar had drawn something out of her. She wanted to kill everything in sight. "Jack!!" Gwen continued to struggle under Jack's firm grip. There was a look of madness in her eyes that Jack had never seen before. ”Must kill... No!.... Must killl.... no!...” Gwen wasn't only struggling with Jack, she was struggling with herself. She was fighting to be free. Owen! Sylar killed Owen. Kind, moody, clever, Owen. And Sylar killed him. Her head twisted sideways and she saw Tosh in a heap on the floor. “Must kill Toshi- No!!!" Gwen screamed and the madness disappeared from her eyes. Everything slowed. Jack pinning her down, Owen lying dead on the floor, his brain on a tree, Tosh unconcious, Peter dead. And then Sylar! A misty figure standing behind them. Watching. Smiling. Grinning. Enjoying him self. She fired, and blinked, there was no one there. The madness washed over her again.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Aug 6, 2007 12:43:44 GMT
[Chp 17 - Pt 4] Coughing and spluttering Peter sat bolt upright and spat up the bullet. He rubbed his chest, that was going to really hurt when he coughs. Scrambling through the mist to where he could hear Gwen screaming and gun shots fired, he saw shapes, Jack, pinning Gwen. She was thrashing around like a mad banshee. Peter helped hold her down. Clearly it was going to take two of them. "Same with Toshiko." He spluttered at Jack, "I've no idea what he did to them." Peter looked down at Gwen who was looking at him with mad eyes. So different from their pleasant conversation earlier...he really hoped Martha was okay. No. Focus, he told himself. "Gwen!" He says, "Gwen, it's Peter. You just shot me." Gwen kicked her legs and tried to knock Peter off her. A small part of her somewhere was sorry she did that, but again, it was overrided by anger. Jack tells him to knock her out. Peter refuses, "We need to talk her out of it, find out what he did, what if it's permanent?" Jack shrugged, he was clearly enjoying pinning Gwen down. "Okay, then I say we tie her down till we can get some sense of her, I'm getting back ache." He smiled mischievously. Gwen continued screaming, but she wanted to apologise for shooting Peter. It felt as if she was there in her body, but she couldn’t control her actions. She felt as if she become a puppet for a will that was not her own. She yelled at them as they picked her up and tried to tie her down. She tried struggling but it didn’t work. Jack produced the Weevil cuffs from his coat pocket and secured Gwen's hands around a high branch. Peter is about to point out that she's going to get arm ache when she sucker kicked him in the chest. "Hey!" He yelled, coughing up another handful of his own blood. "Still healing here!" Jack tapped him on the shoulder. "Been there done that Pete. You should try death by firing squad, and don't ask what I did to deserve that, suffice to say it was a helluva lotta fun and it stung for days." He laughed nostalgically. "Right!" he snapped back to Gwen and looked her hard in the eye, "Gwen, this is your boss, this is your friend Jack, tell me, why the hell did you shoot Peter?" Gwen looked angrily at Jack. Friend! Hah! If he was her friend, he… "I must kill you all!" She yelled, hoisting herself up with her arms she tried to kick Jack, but he neatly stepped back out of harm’s way. She lowered herself down to the ground. Her arms were starting to hurt. She glared at Jack. "I could have killed them all but you stopped me!" She yanked her arms, trying to get free. "Let me go!!!" She screamed desperately. "But why?" Peter spluttered, "Gwen, why? Think about it, please, why?" "Because I have to kill!!" She yelled still struggling. "But why?" Jack asked her. "Because I must!!" She screamed. "Why!" Peter exclaimed. "Because.... because..." It was then Gwen realised she didn't have an answer. It was then she questioned herself. It was then she doubted herself. It was then, her rational side fought back.
"I'm gonna give her a good slap." Jack said, but Peter held him back. "Don't! You might set her off again. Gwen? Gwen? It's Peter," she had gone a little quieter, she was struggling a little less, "What did he do?" "Told me to kill..." She whispered. She stopped struggling and slumped against the tree trunk. "He made me kill... I was going to kill Tosh..." A sob escaped her lips. Her rational side had fought back and won. She no longer wanted to kill. "Owen! He killed Owen!" She was no longer whispering, she was screaming, but out of sadness, not anger. "Owen's dead!" She screamed and cried. She wanted Owen back. Peter tentatively held his hand out to Gwen, if she bit it he wasn't going to forgive her, but she didn't. "Gwen, if we hoist you down are you going to shoot me again?" She shook her head, Jack didn't believe her, but Peter had a little more faith. Carefully he lifted her up and helped her down. Her arms fell by her sides limply. He held her tight. She cried into his shoulder. "Nothing a good hug can't fix." he said softly, Jack was clearly not one for hugs, and let her get her grief out. She cried deeply into Peter's shoulder. All the fight had left her, quite literally as it happened, and she felt weak. After a while she stopped crying and Peter pulled away. "I'm so sorry, I shot you..." She whispered. She felt numb. "Where's Tosh? Is she okay?" Gwen tried to peer around them but came face to face with Jack. "I didn't shoot you too did I?" Gwen asked. "He did the same to Tosh but I had to knock her out." Peter said. "I was a popsicle!" Jack grinned, "that was new." It sounded like he was checking off something on a card, a Must do when I die card. "Gwen," Peter looked him in the eye, "He's just sitting in the clearing, watching the world go by." He said, he hoped she found that as creepy as he did. "Where's the Doctor? Tell me he had a decent plan?" "I... I don't remember... One minute I was with Tosh, Claude and Oona, and the next all hell breaks loose, Owen dies and I'm trying to murder you all." She looked at the ground in sadness and embarrasment. "I suppose.... I hope, the others are in the Tardis." Gwen said quietly without looking up. They were silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly Gwen broke the silence. "I want to see Owen." She said firmly looking up at Peter and Jack. "But, Gwen, Owen's..." Peter started, but Gwen cut him off. "I know. He's dead." Her voice cracked when she said 'dead', but she swallowed her tears and carried on. "I want to see him. I want to say goodbye. Properly, then we'll take him home and give him a bloody good funeral, then we'll all get plastered. Just like he would have wanted." Gwen was silently crying, but it didn't stop her from standing up and leaning on Peter for support. "Where is he?" She whispered.
Claude watched as Oona sprinkled something over the metal end of the item he held. "This will work the same way it did on your arrowhead?" he asked, she nodded, "And the mist?" "Will disperse when it is done."
Sylar was standing, waiting, something was going on, he could feel it, he glanced around, this damned fog didn’t help, but then it didn’t help them either! Someone was coming towards him, the fog seemed to thicken around the approaching figure, he squinted at it, but the image was no clearer. He moved closer, staring, who the hell was it? He rubbed his eyes, when he looked again the figure was gone. He turned away, and was nose to nose with Sylar. The split second of shock was enough, Claude plunged the scalpal into his body, as his eyes began to glaze he heard Claude’s voice say," I dreamt I saw a dead man fight..." he never heard the rest. The fog suddenly began to lift. Claude was standing looking down at Sylar, his left arm still supporting Owen’s body. He lowered it gently to the floor took his coat off and covered him with it. Oona looked down at the body of Sylar, making certain it was not illusion. "Head or void. That's the choice. No other." Her eyes were fierce. Some things must be done. There was no room for moral high ground. She looked at Claude. "Your choice" Claude shrugged and turned away, "more important things to do." He hauled Owen`s body up and over his shoulder, then added, "But I’m sure Owen would approve of the messier the better." "Owen!" Gwen ran towards Owen's body, and on the way saw a Sylar, dead. She grinned, "You killed him!" She turned towards Owen, he was still dead, and nothing would change that. Crouching down next to him, she held him. "Keep chopping Oona..." she said hashly, as if in a trance. As the fog lifted from their eyes Peter watched as Oona began to slice and dice her prey. It wasn't like Sylar to be so quiet. It wasn’t like Oona to be so…violent. It seemed she was nearly done. Peter ran up to stop her. "Wait!" He screamed. "Something's not right!" But Oona would not stop. "NO!!!! NO!!!" Peter screamed, pulling at Oona's blade. "IT'S NOT HIM. IT'S NOT HIM. HE'S SCREAMING FOR HELP IN HIS HEAD. HE'S SCREAMING FOR YOU TO STOP!!!!!!!" And with that the illusion evaporated, and he saw the poor bleeding man in Oona's arms, not regenerating. Not laughing. Just begging for her to stop.
The Doctor and forced both Rose's backwards into the tardis when all hell broke loose. He couldn't fight Sylar, and he sure as hell wasn't putting either Rose in a position where they could be shot or have their brains eaten. His eyes blazing he headbutted the closed door and turned to the console. "We're getting out of here." He said as he started pushing buttons and pulling leavers. "We can't just leave them!" "Oh we can, we can go to Sommerset in the 1960s and set up a little sheep farm, have a few chickens, maybe a few cows." He made eye contact with his Rose, and she stared him right down. "You still would never ask. My Rose brave untill the end." He looked over to the younger Rose. Younger she might be, but she was wearing the same facial expression as his Rose. Defiant, brave, and maybe a little bit stupid. "I've faced my share of bad guys, and Sylar, well he seems pretty indestructable. And you know what happens when someone easily destructable faces an indestrucatable foe? They tend to die." "Then we die fighting." Both Rose's said in unision. He rubbed his hand over his face, sighing once he completed the action. “Fine." He stepped away from the console and headed over to the doors. "What I would do to find myself a cowardly companion one day. I bet someone like that wouldn't wander of either..." Both Rose's slapped him on either shoulder at the same time. Figured. He flung open the doors and stepped into the clearing.
He had to concentrate, really hard. Really, really, hard. Oona was a tough one to fool, thought Sylar, who was still resolutely parked in the middle of the clearing. It was taking every ounce of strength he had, just to keep the illusion up and everything else to keep his prize from giving himself away with even the slightest scream as Oona worked away to his wishes. If he hadn’t have planted the soft suggestion as he ran from the Tardis, she might have realised what she was doing before the game was over. He kept his eye on the chaos, his prize was getting restless. Trying to say something. No one appreciated how hard it was to do. But he kept it up nonetheless. Then…“Finally!” Sylar said to himself. The Doctor had made an appearance. Almost with a sigh of relief Sylar let go of the illusion he had so desperately been clinging to; desperate to keep them all occupied; desperate to draw his own prey into the open – it mattered no more. His prey, as he had planned, would come out into the open. To Oona's knife he would leave poor whatever his name was, he could never pronounce it, the helpless Welshman he found wandering around the forest looking for his friends....oh....days ago. He headed fast as a bullet towards the Doctor. ”Rook takes king.” He said to himself with a championship smile. He ran up to the Doctor and stopped him in his tracks, he had no patience to stay invisible. "Hey." He said. "Back at you." Replied the Doctor with a smile. The Doctor waived his hareem along. "Oh I'm not interested in them. They can go" Sylar smiles. "Just you. Time Lord DNA, gotta be pretty special right?" He took hold of the Doctor’s lapel, pulled him back into the blue box and shut the door. He wanted to take his time with him.
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Post by whodovoodoo on Aug 6, 2007 12:44:33 GMT
[Chp 17 - Pt 5]
"IANTO!!" Gwen ran from Owen and held Ianto instead. "Oh my God! Look at you! Someone help him!!" Gwen was crying again and at this rate, she was going to have a nervous breakdown. Peter took to his feet. He left the stunned Oona, the open-mouthed Claude and last remaining members of the Torchwood team trying to stem the unstoppable tide of blood from their poor friend. They had been fooled again. Which meant the Sylar he had seen sitting in the open was the Sylar they should have been after. He knew something wasn't right he wouldn't just sit there if he hadn't got a plan up his sleeve. And he had been so close to the Tardis, so close to Martha! He had to run. He was praying out loud, “Please let her be okay.” Peter pounded on the Tardis door as it dematerialised. Older Rose put her hand on his shoulder. "The Doctor will be okay." They said. "Where's Martha!" Peter said breathlessly. "I sent her to get the Doctor...she's in there...with them." He held onto his knees, out of breath. He wanted to explain what had happened but he needed the others. He needed Oona at least. There was no time to waste. He took the Roses's hands and ran back with them towards the others.
Oona stepped back as soon as the illusion coating Ianto’s body melted away. Her eyes laced with the same shock that had registered on Gwen’s face when she had regained her senses. As Peter ran off, but Gwen didn't really notice, she was too busy trying to save Ianto. He had passed out now, but he was still alive. Everyone crowded around him, trying to stop the bleeding using anything they could. Hands, clothes, coats... Gwen couldn't see much because her eyes were clouded with tears, but she was covered in blood. Ianto's blood. They were all yelling at Ianto, telling him to hold on. Eventually Oona took over, telling them to move away and give her some room. Gwen backed away, crying. Her hands and body were covered in Ianto's blood and in Owen's blood. She looked at the scene around her. Oona and Jack, also covered in blood, working on Ianto. Owen lying dead next to them and Toshiko, still unconcious on the floor. She walked over to Toshiko and held her carefully, rocking her back and forth, while praying. Gwen was shaking now. No coat, and hardly any t-shirt left didn't help. 'You're in shock' she thought to herself, but she pushed this thought to the back of her mind. When she looked up, over at Ianto, there was no change. She was still waiting for a verdict from Oona and Jack. The waiting was hell. Toshiko was still out cold, but was just beginning to stir. Peter must have really knocked her. She didn't blame him though. She couldn't blame him. Both Gwen and Toshiko had been hell-bent on killing everyone, and he did what he thought was right. Jack was swearing now, and in the distance Gwen could hear a strange sound. A sound, like engines, but not quite. She hugged Toshiko close to her. "Come on Tosh... wake up, I can't lose you too..." She whispered in her ear. Gwen left Tosh on the ground, she'd come back to her, but she had to say goodbye to Owen. Nobody was looking, they were all too caught up in Ianto. Crouching down next to him she cradled him in her arms. She fondly looked down on him. So many memories. Laughing, fighting, talking or just looking at each other. She smiled down at him as fresh tears poured down her cheeks. "Owen..." She stroked the side of his face. "You weren't supposed to die... we were supposed to go home, and carry on with our lives..." She laughed a little. "I don't know how to say goodbye, I just ... love you. I love you Owen." She whispered, sobs threatening to sound. "I'm not supposed to, but I do... did....I..." Her voice cracked and a sob escaped her lips. "I love you" she whispered once more, before tenderly planting a kiss on his lips. Peter ran into the crowd. "You can't save him!" He ordered, "Sylar has the Doctor, they..." He fell over, exhausted. Rose finished explaining. "We have to try and save Ianto!" Gwen argued. Younger Rose had rushed to help Toshiko, so Gwen felt that it was okay to move over to Ianto. "We need a plan to get the Doctor back, and we need to kill Sylar, but I'm not going to give up on Ianto! We've lost enough members of the team today." Gwen said firmly and crouched down next to Oona to see what she could do to help. "Oona, what do I do? Tell me how to help Ianto." Gwen was desperate for Ianto to live, and would do whatever she could to help him. Oona would have gone white, if she weren't already. She had no idea what she had been doing. Absolutely none. One minute she was trying to see if there was an illusion, the next... she was slicing up an innocent man. If someone hadn't already taken her knife she would have tossed it away. It was all she could do not to vomit. She admitted to herself that she was an effective killer when she needed to be, to save others or even to spare suffering. But she didn't deliberately inflict pain for pain's sake. And an innocent? That was how she found herself working with Jack to try to undo what she had done. "Jack... you have power inside you. It isn't magic, and it isn't like Peter’s. But I can feel it. I'm going to put all I have into a healing spell. It will take me out. I don't know if I can completely undo this, but I can keep the wounds from being fatal. Is there any way you can channel your power into the spell?" She was not aware he could channel it right into the man. But she was determined to give it her all. Every last ounce of her power and strength. She uttered the words, pressing her hands to the unconscious man's chest, pulling the power from her mind, her heart, deep within her. She had to. She had to give her all to undo this. She felt it flow from her in a rush, draining out.
Then she knew no more. Gwen caught Oona as she fell. Ianto gasped back into life. "What happened?"Gwen asked confused. She quickly hugged Ianto as best she could and grinned at him, but quickly turned her attention back to Oona. Laying her out on the grass, Gwen hoped she would wake up soon. Jack had started to explain everything that had happened to Ianto. Gwen looked over at Tosh as she slowly began to pull herself awake. Gwen smiled as Toshiko grinned at the younger Rose and instantly, unseeing of the chaos about her, threw herself at Rose as the thought of killing everyone entered her head. Jack rolled his eyes and launched himself at Toshiko. Young Rose fell to her knees coughing. Tosh scratched at Jack as she tried to get her hands around his throat. “Tosh!” Jack called out to her, “Tosh – stop – think of what you are doing!” “I’m killing you Jack… got to kill you …got to kill you all!” “Oh no, not again!” Jack groaned seeing he would have to go through the same processes as he had with Gwen. Rose crawled on her knees, coughing. "Tosh, fight it! Just fight it!" “We haven’t got time for this!” Jack yelled as he shook Toshiko by the shoulders. “Snap out of it. Owen is dead. Ianto is back. The Doctor is in trouble. Peter’s out cold again and Claude’s got suddenly all knife happy. I am not in the mood to kick sense into you Tosh but so help me I will if I have too.” He continued to shake her violently. “Your name is Toshiko Sato, and we are your friends and we will stick by you to the end and if you don’t remember that then you are no use to use right now and so help me I’ll tie you down and we’ll come back for you later. Understand?” Toshiko began to protest. He repeated himself again. She kicked a little. But the third time again was the charm. “I was going to kill you?” Tosh asked with her voice quivering.
“Yeah, but I’d come back. You tried it before but I was half frozen at the time.” Tosh held out her hand and apologised to young Rose. “S’okay.” Rose said with a cough. “I’ll live.” She grinned “had worse with the Doctor on some of our visits you know...” Tosh put her hand to her head and felt along her jaw. “My face hurts and my teeth ache. Did someone hit me?” She asked of Jack. Jack chuckled and gave her a hug. “Yeah, but it was Peter but he’s out for the count right now as is Oona and we have a new arrival but he’s also a little under the weather.” Jack and young Rose led Tosh over to Gwen who was gently holding Ianto. “Ianto!” Tosh cried out and sat down next to Gwen. “Oh Tosh!” Gwen launched herself at her friend. “I thought you were dying, thank God your safe.” They hugged then chatted as they took care of Ianto, Oona and Peter. Jack glanced around. “Just like Ring a Rosy – we all fall down!” Then he laughed “But some of us get right back up again!” Young Rose started to laugh at Jack’s comment then realised it was true. Peter's eyes flickered open. Somebody had been giving him the kiss of life. "Martha?" He asked. "Sorry." Said Jack, "Couldn't resist." Peter sat bolt upright and tried to stare Jack down, the others were laughing heartily. He was still dizzy. "It's not funny." Peter growled, "this isn't the time..." "It is a bit," giggled Tosh. "Quite a lot actually!" Gwen exploded in laughter. "Sylar has the Doctor..." Peter pointed out, Jack and the others became suddenly serious. "...and killed your friend..." Peter waved his arm in the direction of Owen's body. "and the SKY IS FALLING!" "Still..." Jack smiled, "Gotta laugh right?" He let them get their giggles out of their system. "Right, now we're got the amazing bouncing boy online, let's sort this mess out." Said Jack sternly.
The Doctor stumbled, as he was forcefully dragged back into the Tardis. He made eye contact with Older Rose, reassuring her he would be allright. She would fetch help, plus she had a key. Sylar stepped inside and the door swung shut. Both trapped, not a good place to be. "Weeeeell, Time Lord DNA isn't that great, not so different from human DNA really..." He scratched the back of his head. He needed a plan. The Doctor backed up again. He could disappear into the corridors; he lose Sylar easily, especially if the Tardis helped him out. But he could end up running for days. What did he hope to do? Hopefully barracade himself in the kitchen untill Sylar starved to death or someone rescued him? Sylar took a step closer to him, prowling like a panther. “On second thoughts, not a bad idea.” He said outloud and with that he legged it into the bowel of his ship. “Coward.” Sylar called, but he smiled, he had what he wanted, the Doctor could hide. Intuitive aptitude, thought Sylar, not a bad skill. People always forgot that that was his power. He spent so much time flying around and throwing things at people they thought THAT was his gift. Well it was not. He understood things, he always had done. He knew what made things…tick. And he knows how to make them work better. Like himself, he learnt to understand his own DNA, he knew how to fix it and change it to make it better. Like a beautiful old Pocket watch that was missing the perfect spring. Sylar looked on at the Tardis interior in awe. It was like the most exquisite watch. He had decided the minute they had brought him inside that he had wanted it. The most beautifully made thing in the world. He let the Doctor run. He could kill him too easily, but what need did he have of doing that. Alone in the box, which sang to him, telling him what every lever and switch did, he didn't need the Doctor's DNA - he could understand the machine without it. And eventually the Doctor would come out of hiding. In awe, Sylar ran his fingers over her wonderful controls. It would take time, but he could understand her. He could make her sing for him. The Doctor quickly caught onto the fact that he was not being followed. Interesting. Sylar wasn't after him, he was after the tardis. But he couldn't fly the tardis, could he? It was true the tardis was a living thing, and she was telepathic, telling him what she needed right into his head, like a whisper in his ear. Was Sylar telepathic too? Pete was. But there was no one else alive who could understand the Gallifreyan language. The tardis would never translate it when he spoke it, not that he ever did. But he could hear her now, and she was saying she didn't like this man wandering her insides. He swallowed hard, Sylar better not hurt his bloody ship, or he would get very angry. “This lever makes it go faster. This pumpy thing, further. This twidly thing, let's see, this makes it go deeper. Oooh,” said Sylar with palpable glee, “so amazing, so...incredibly, wonderfully, special.” Someone was playing with his tardis... and not in a friendly way! Oh the cheek! It made him mad, it made him want revenge and it made him feel slightly neusious. Relying on a combonation of rubber souled plim souls and the tardis really really not liking Sylar he made his way back to the consol room. Watching him from the adjacent exit to the one he left via, he crept up behind him, he starred in disgust at the experimentation going on with his tardis. In a well practised manner that he had learnt on what hacks called Planet Vulcan, (though he knew better) he crept up behind Sylar and executed a 'Vulacn' nerve pinch. Syler hit the ground like a sack of spuds. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon. The Doctor knelt besides Sylar, could feel his thoughts against his mind even without trying, even without touching. He hates trawling people’s heads, but again he used what his people called 'a gift' he placed a hand over Sylar’s forehead and stepped inside. The pain, the torment. This man was so special, but never saw it, it was never good enough. Whatever he had become was done to him. By the Company, by the other 'special' people around him, by his mother. His mother, it was always the mother. "You could be President" he heard her voice echoing through his mind. Oh she was never truely proud of him, and when Sylar showed her his gifts, tried to make her proud she fled from him. He killed her. He took a step back. This man had more in common with him then he would care admit. And yet, here he was, the good guy, facing down the bad guy. With resolve he stepped back inside. He would give him a fresh start. A new begining. Everyone deserved a second chance; he was fast becoming that kind of man. The man that woke up on the floor of the tardis looked like Sylar, but it wasn't him anymore. "Where am I?" he asked, rubbing his head. The Doctor smiled, "I'm going to take you home." He pressed the button for the fast return.
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