CHARLOTTE ::: DW¹

iii. first day part three

Leaving the TARDIS, Charlotte quickly knew that they were in the lower basement corridor. "We're about two hundred yards to the right," said the Doctor. "Come on!" The trio then began to run through the corridor with the Doctor's lead.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked as they stopped at the door leading to the Thames Flood Barrier.

The Doctor listened behind the door with a stethoscope. "I don't know! I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history. Just ask her." He nodded his head to Charlotte.

"But I still don't understand," Donna tells him. "I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth, but my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss was stuck."

Even though she knew it was going to happen then, Charlotte stands with her back to Donna as one robot grabbed her from behind- covering her mouth and dragging her away. The Doctor didn't even notice as he continued talking.

"They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it... and you have never been so quiet." He looks back to where Donna stood. "Where did she go?" He asked Charlotte.

"We'll see."

He sonics the door open to see a robot pointing a gun to them. "Oh!"

The Doctor pulled out the remote control for the robots from earlier out of his pocket, easily defeating the robot. Taking the cloak and mask off the sleeping robot, and put it on over his clothes.

"Really?"

"Just stay behind me," He replied.

After coming across one more robot, defeating them again, Charlotte took the robes from it to disguise herself. They arrived in the chamber just in time to hear the Empress say, "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." Pausing, she looked up to the disguised Doctor and Charlotte. "So, you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man and the other bride."

Charlotte's cloak fell to the floor as she took off the robot head- dropping it to the ground, the head rolled to the side like a bowling ball. The Doctor as well took off his disguise quickly.

"Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" He pointed his sonic screwdriver to her, making the webs surrounding her give away.

"I'm gonna fall!" She shrieked.

"You're going to swing! I've got you!" He assured her, with his arms outstretched.

Screaming, Donna swung across the laser made hole and got past the Empress. However, with the web's strand being too long, it stopped underneath the landing where the Doctor and Charlotte stood. Donna dropped to the ground with a loud clang.

"... Oh, sorry," the Doctor apologized to her.

Looking down, both Charlotte and him see her sprawled out on the ground. "Thanks for nothing."

With a smirk, the Empress said, "The doctor-man amuses me."

"Empress of the Racnoss," he addressed her. "I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now."

Remembering what would happen if she declined, Charlotte pled to the spider- the same one that made her legs feel like jelly. "Please! Just say yes!"

She laughs. "These apes are so funny!"