Chase The Wind: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 1]

A Different Kind of Role

A Different Kind of Role

(Pre-'Human Nature' Interlude: Part 1)

A/N: Guess what time it is! I realize I've been hyping up this arc for ages... and you'll probably understand why when you reach the end of this chapter ;)

Of course they ended up running for their lives.

"Get down!" the Doctor yelled as they burst back on to the TARDIS. A shot of green light connected with the console and the Time Lord scrambled back to his feet and slammed the doors shut. "Did they see you?" he demanded, catching Mallory's arms.

"I dunno! Was a bit busy running for my life!"

"Mallory, it's important, did they see you?"

She froze, just for a moment. "No, they couldn't have!"

The Doctor started darting around the console. "Matt?"

"No, she's right, we had our back to them by the time they started shooting," Matt responded, still trying to catch his breath.

Before any of them could speak further a beeping alarm began to sound. The Doctor made a frustrated sound, grabbing for the monitor. "They're following us!"

"How are they doing that?" Mallory demanded. "We're in a time machine!"

"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe... they've never going to stop." He ran a hand through his hair, staring off into space. "Unless... I'll have to do it..." He looked between the two of them sharply. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes." They spoke almost in sync with each other, watching him intently.

"'Cause it all depends on the two of you."

"What does, what are we doing?" Mallory asked as the Time Lord ducked down and retrieved something from underneath the console.

It was a watch and he held it in front of them. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it." He handed it over to Mallory, looking at her seriously. "This watch is me."

"Okay," she said, before her brow furrowed. "No, wait, no. What?"

"Those creatures are Hunters, they can sniff out anyone—and me being a Time Lord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

"Okay, right, got that part," Matt said.

"Is there an upside to this?" Mallory asked.

"They can smell me, they haven't seen me," the Doctor said. "And their life's bound to be running out, so, we hide, wait for them to die."

"But you just said they can find us anywhere," she pointed out.

He paused in his dance around the console and looked between the two of them. "That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm gonna become human."

"Okay, no, wait. That's just a thing you can do?" Matt asked, wide eyed.

The Doctor glanced upward. "Well, yes and no." A silver, headset-like device came down from the ceiling. "Never thought I'd use this. All the times I've wondered."

"What is it?"

"Chameleon Arch. Re-writes my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human." He snatched the watch back from Mallory, fitting it into the headset.