The revelation of how the Witches of Oz came to be, the Doctor and Mickey finally agree on something, the Alchemist starts to see double, and Rose goes into protective little sister mode. :)
Enjoy "Rise of the Cybermen!"
***
"And then we had to tell him all about how we got the idea for the munchkins," the Alchemist was explaining to Mickey one day in the TARDIS, starting up a discussion about one of their past adventures.
"Oh, yes, Frank Baum was very interested in hearing all about the witches," the Doctor nodded. "Had to make it up on the spot."
"I was Glinda," Rose recalled.
"And I was Elphaba," the Alchemist nodded. "I still say we should have passed you for Nessarose."
"I'm not brunette, though," Rose pointed out.
The Alchemist shrugged. "You're still my sister."
"So you two were the witches from The Wizard of Oz?" Mickey gaped at them.
"Oh, yes," the Doctor nodded. "They make very good witches. Well, Alice does, could never resist her spells."
The Alchemist blushed. "Shut it."
"And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes!" the Doctor grinned. "Do you remember? The way she looked at you!" he pointed at Rose. "And then she opens her mouth, and fire comes out!"
"I thought I was going to get frazzled!" Rose giggled.
"Yeah," the Doctor laughed. "One minute she's standing there, and the next minute - "
"RAWR!" the three of them finished before laughing.
Mickey nodded, smiling a bit, still trying to catch up from the whole Witches of Oz thing. "Yeah . . . where was that, then? What happened?"
"Some planet a while ago," the Alchemist answered. "An . . . asteroid . . . hang on, what are you doing that for?"
Mickey looked down at the button he was holding down. "Because the Doctor told me to."
The Doctor blinked. "When was that?"
"About half an hour ago."
The Alchemist sighed. "You can let go now."
Mickey did, glaring at the Doctor. "How long's it been since I could've stopped?"
"Ten minutes?" the Doctor guessed, his voice getting higher as the Alchemist folded her arms and gave him what the two companions had deemed "the eyebrow of doom." "Twenty?"
"More like twenty nine," the Alchemist said.
Mickey blinked. "You just forgot me!"
"No, no, no!" the Doctor hurried to say. "I was just . . . I was . . . I was calibrating! I was just - no, I know exactly what I'm doing."
The Alchemist screamed when the time rotor blew, and she dropped to the ground as everything started sparking around her. "Ali!" Mickey gasped, getting to her side.
"What's happened?" Rose asked, seeing the Alchemist was all right with Mickey looking after her.
"The time vortex is gone," the Doctor answered, gawking at the rotor. "That's impossible! It's just gone!" He turned to a scanner and blanched. "Brace yourselves!" he called. "We're going to crash!"
The TARDIS suddenly jerked, sending them all to the floor . . . well, the Doctor and Rose, Mickey and the Alchemist were already down. "Everyone all right?" the Doctor called, straightening. "Alice? Rose? Mickey?"
"Fine," the Alchemist groaned.
"We're fine," Mickey nodded, helping the Alchemist up. "We're OK."
"She's dead," the Doctor breathed, staring at the TARDIS in shock. "The TARDIS is dead."
"You can fix it?" Rose asked hopefully.
"Nothing to fix," the Alchemist whispered, sounding heartbroken as she laid a hand on the remnants of the rotor. "She's perished. Last TARDIS in the universe, and now they're extinct."
"We can get help, yeah?" Rose asked.
"Where from?" the Doctor asked.
Rose shrugged. "Well, we've landed. We've got to be somewhere."
"We fell out of the vortex, through the Void, into nothingness," the Doctor shook his head. "We're in some sort of no place. The silent realm. The lost dimension."
Mickey poked his head out the door before looking back in. "Otherwise known as London!"
"Say what?" the Alchemist blinked before running after him - and standing in the doorway as she stared wide-eyed at their surroundings.
"London, England, Earth," Mickey confirmed before going to a discarded newspaper. "Hold on." He picked it up to read as the others exited the TARDIS. "First of February this year. Not exactly far flung, is it?"
The Doctor and the Alchemist remained staring at the sky as Rose looked around. "So, this is London," the Doctor began.
"Yep," Mickey nodded.
"Your city," the Alchemist continued.
"That's the one."
"Just as we left it," the Doctor went on.
"Bang on."
"Gotta say, I don't remember the zeppelins," the Alchemist finally said.
Mickey's gaze shot upward, and his eyes bugged out at the zeppelins passing overhead. "What the hell?" he gasped.
"That's beautiful!" Rose gushed.
"OK, so it's London with a big international zeppelin festival," Mickey tried to pass off.
"Those don't exist," the Alchemist said apologetically.
"This is not your world," the Doctor shook his head.
"But if the date's the same, it's parallel, right?" Mickey asked with a grin. "Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got zeppelins. Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"
"Good job," the Alchemist praised with a smile.
"So, a parallel world where," Rose began before pausing.
"Oh, come on, you've seen it on films!" Mickey told her, both him and the Doctor ignoring what the Alchemist and Rose noticed, the Alchemist walking over to Rose's side supportively and taking her hand. "Like an alternative to our world where everything's the same, but a little bit different, like . . . I don't know, traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected - "
"And he's still alive," Rose whispered, looking at an ad for Vitex Life, her father's work . . . with her father on it. "A parallel world where my dad's still alive."
"Don't look at it, Rose," the Doctor told her, even as she stepped forward. "Don't even think about it. This is not your world."
"But he's my dad, and - " Rose began, reaching out to touch the ad.
It turned into a small film, and Pete smiled and said, "Trust me on this."
Rose blinked. "Well, that's weird. But he's real!"
"Trust me on this," Pete repeated.
"He's a success," Rose smiled. "He was always planning these daft little schemes. Health food, drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it!"
"Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now," the Doctor told her. "Stop looking at it. Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is a Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you. You can't see him. Not ever."
***
A few moments later, as the Doctor and the Alchemist tried to work on figuring out the TARDIS, Mickey came in . . . alone. "I told you to keep an eye on her!" the Doctor protested.
"She's all right," Mickey shook his head. "Besides, you're not my Pilot."
"I'm getting tired of that excuse," the Doctor muttered, ignoring the Alchemist sniggering. "She goes wandering off. Parallel world, it's like a ginger bread house. All those temptations calling out."
"Oh, so it's just Rose, then?" Mickey raised an eyebrow. "Nothing out there to tempt me?"
"Rose has seen something that can, and that makes it worse," the Alchemist assured him. "You haven't . . . no offense."
"No, it makes sense," Mickey shook his head. "You're right."
"If we could just get this thing to . . . " The Doctor kicked the console angrily.
"Did that help?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
He smirked. "Did that hurt?"
"Yes," the Doctor admitted, wincing and shaking his foot. "Ow."
"Bozo," the Alchemist rolled her eyes fondly. "The reason she's not working is because we're not meant to be here. The TARDIS draws her power from the universe, but this is the wrong universe. Think of it as diesel in a petrol engine."
"But I've seen it in comics," Mickey folded his arms. "People go hopping from one alternative world to another. It's easy!"
"I'd like to have a word with your comic creators," the Alchemist snorted. "That'd be a hell of a lot easier."
"Not in the real world," the Doctor told Mickey. "It used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea. Then they died, and took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind."
"Then how did we get here?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Accident? Should've been impossible. Now we're trapped - "
"What's that?" the Alchemist asked suddenly, looking past Mickey.
"What?" Mickey asked, twisting around.
"That, there," she pointed . . . to a faint green light underneath the console. "And that's not a reflection."
"It's a light!" the Doctor cheered, laughing and giving her a hug. "That's all we need! We've got power! Mickey, we've got power! Ha!"
The Alchemist opened up the grating and dropped down to investigate, and she grinned, working on getting the source of the light loosened. "It's tiny, but it's definitely alive!" she reported.
"What is it?" Mickey asked as she climbed up to sit on the edge of the grating.
"It's nothing," the Doctor grinned. "It's tiny! One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about, and it's clinging onto life with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside."
"Enough to get us home?" Mickey asked hopefully.
"Not yet," the Alchemist shook her head. "It needs to be charged up."
"We could go outside and lash it up to the National Grid?" Mickey suggested.
The Alchemist laughed. "Good thinking!"
"But wouldn't work," the Doctor shook his head. "Wrong sort of energy. It's got to come from our universe."
Mickey blinked. "But we don't have anything."
"There's us," the Doctor pointed out. He blew on the light at the same time as the Alchemist, and the light started glowing brighter. "We just gave away five years of our lives. Worth every second!"
"It's going out," Mickey said worriedly, seeing the light flicker. "Is that OK?"
"It's on a recharging cycle," the Doctor nodded. "It'll loop round, power back up and be ready to take us home in . . . oh, twenty four hours?"
"So that gives us twenty four hours on a parallel world?"
"Shore leave, as long as we keep our heads down. Easy. No problem. Let's go and tell her."
***
They found Rose sitting on a bench on an embarkment next to the Thames, staring at her phone. "There you are!" the Doctor grinned, even as the Alchemist frowned, knowing something was wrong. "You all right? No applause. I fixed it. Well, Alice and I fixed it. Twenty four hours, then we're flying back to reality."
"Rose?" the Alchemist asked. "What is it?"
Rose took a shaky breath. "My phone connected," she answered, holding it up. "There's this Cybus Network. It finds your phone. It gave me Internet access."
"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world," the Doctor began.
"I don't exist," she cut in.
"What?" the Alchemist's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked.
"There's no Rose Tyler," Rose answered. "I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie. He still married mum, but they never had kids."
"Rose, give us the phone," the Alchemist warned.
"They're rich," Rose shook her head, ignoring her. "They've got a house and cars, and everything they want, but they haven't got me." She stood up. "I've got to see him."
"You can't," the Doctor told her.
"I just want to see him!"
"I can't let you!"
"You just said twenty four hours!"
"You can't become their daughter! That's not the way it works!" He turned to Mickey. "Mickey, tell her!"
But Mickey was backing away as well. "Twenty four hours, yeah?" he asked.
"Where're you going?" the Doctor frowned.
"Well, I can do what I want," he shrugged.
"I've got the address and everything," Rose added.
"Stay where you are, both of you," the Doctor ordered as the Alchemist observed quietly, debating what they were doing. "Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!"
"I just want to see him!" Rose cried.
"Yeah, I've got things to see and all," Mickey added.
"Like what?" the Alchemist finally spoke up.
Mickey raised an eyebrow. "Well, neither of you know anything about me, do you? It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part."
The Alchemist's eyes narrowed. "When have I told you that?!"
"I'm sorry," Rose whispered, dashing off. "I've got to go."
"Go on, then," Mickey told them. "There's no choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us. It's never going to be me, is it?"
The Alchemist looked at the Doctor. "You go with her, I'll stay with Mickey."
"You're not going off alone!" he hissed.
"We stick with our companions," she told him. "Gingerbread house, remember?"
The Doctor growled. "Both of you, back here, twenty four hours," he ordered, kissing her before pointing at Mickey. "And don't you dare let her get hurt!"
"On it, boss," Mickey nodded as the Doctor ran after Rose and the Alchemist followed after him.
***
They were walking for a bit when the Alchemist spoke up, "Spare part?"
Mickey winced. "That was more towards the Doctor than you."
"But you still said it."
"I know," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry."
"I know you are," the Alchemist smiled at him. "Just don't bring yourself down like that."
"Kind of hard not to, with the Doctor concentrating on Rose."
"That's because she's his companion," the Alchemist explained. "Pilots and companions have stronger connections than a companion to another Pilot. In a way, it always will be Rose just because of that connection."
"Oh," Mickey said lamely. He hadn't thought of it like that before. They walked up to an army roadblock, and Mickey headed to the man in charge. "Are we all right to get past?" he asked.
"Yeah," the soldier nodded. "No bother. Curfew doesn't start till ten."
"Curfew?" the Alchemist repeated in interest.
"Yeah, curfew," the soldier rolled his eyes. "Where have you been living, mates? Up there with the toffs?"
Mickey couldn't help but chuckle when the zeppelins were gestured to. "I wish," he admitted, heading past the roadblock. "See you."
"So," the Alchemist caught up to him. "Who're we headed to see?"
Mickey took a deep breath and started to explain.
***
"Mickey's mum just couldn't cope," Rose explained, not even looking behind her to hear footsteps catch up to hear. They weren't the Alchemist's combat boots, which left the Doctor. "His dad hung around for a while, but then he just sort of wandered off. He was brought up by his gran. She was such a great woman. God, she used to slap him!" she laughed, remembering as they walked side by side. "And then she died. She tripped and fell down the stairs. It's about five years ago now. I was still in school."
"I never knew," the Doctor admitted.
"Well, you never asked."
"You never said."
"That's Mickey," Rose shrugged. "I suppose I . . . we just take him for granted. I think Ali's the one who's given him the attention he really needs."
"She's amazing that way," the Doctor smiled.
Rose bit her lip. "You and her . . . what happens after you start the Bond?"
"Can't go any further until . . . " He cleared his throat, and Rose smirked at the red on his face. "Well."
"Good of you to wait," Rose told him, patting his arm. "She mentioned it was like you were married?"
"Technically, yes," the Doctor nodded, glad she was drawing the topic away from that. "But we're taking it slower than usual. Wait a little bit, you know?"
"I know," Rose nodded. "It's nice."
"I'm just worried about it going too slow."
"Too slow?"
"Anything can interrupt it. You know how we fought, back when I was Big Ears. Anything like that could put a stop to it." He took a deep breath. "Or if one of us regenerates again before we finish."
"Not gonna happen," Rose told him with a smile. "With the way you two protect each other? You'll make it."
The Doctor smiled. "When did you become an expert in relationships?"
"Since my big sister got herself engaged," she teased with a tongue in teeth grin, making the Doctor roll his eyes. "But about Mickey . . . do you think she's still alive, his gran?"
"Could be," the Doctor shrugged. "Like I said, parallel world. Gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can."
Rose was about to say something when there was a rapid beeping around them, and everyone with earpieces stopped, including the authorities. "What're they all doing?" she asked.
"They've stopped," the Doctor narrowed his eyes, looking around as the earpieces started flashing. "It's the earpieces," he decided. "Like Bluetooth attachments, but everyone's connected together."
"It's on my phone," Rose said, pulling it out. "It's automatic, look." They watched messages fly across the screen. "It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting? News, international news, sports, weather . . . "
"They get it direct," the Doctor nodded. "Downloaded right into their heads."
"TV schedules, lottery numbers . . . "
"Everyone shares the same information. A daily download published by Cybus Industries."
Rose blinked when Joke flashed on the screen, and everyone around them laughed before walking off. The Doctor sighed. "You lot, you're obsessed," he quipped. "You'd do anything for the latest upgrade."
"Oi!" Rose whined. "Not my lot! Different world, remember?"
"It's not so far off your world," he shrugged. "This place is only parallel." He took a look at her phone. "Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries, owners of just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mr. Pete Tyler's very well connected." He took one look at Rose's puppy dog eyes and sighed. "Oh, OK," he grumbled, handing her phone over, making Rose squeal happily. "I give up. Let's go and see him."
***
Mickey rattled the knocker on a door, the Alchemist standing a bit behind him. "Who's that there?" an old woman's voice called, before an old Indian woman opened the door, wearing sunglasses and ear pods. "Who is it?" she called, obviously not able to see, though Mickey's eyes were wide as he looked at his gran in disbelief. "I know you're there! Shame on you, tricking an old lady!" she shouted, waving her walking stick threateningly. "I've got nothing worth stealing. And don't think I'm going to disappear! You're not going to take me!"
"Hi," Mickey finally managed to say.
Rita Anne lowered his stick in shock. "Is that you?" she asked in a whisper.
"It's me," Mickey nodded. "I came home."
" . . . Ricky?"
Mickey blinked in surprise, hearing a startled snort come from the Alchemist. "It's Mickey."
"I know my own grandson's name," Rita Anne told him, walking forward. "It's Ricky. Now, come here!"
Mickey nodded as they hugged, hearing the Alchemist trying extremely hard not to burst out laughing at the irony. "OK, I'm Ricky," he said. "Of course I am. Ricky, that's me - " Rita Anne slapped him, and the Alchemist couldn't help but giggle. "Ow!"
"You stupid boy!" Rita Anne shouted. "Where have you been?"
"Ow!" Mickey backed up as Rita Anne kept slapping him, the Alchemist having to hang onto a tree to keep herself upright from laughing. "Stop hitting me!"
"It's been days and days!" she ranted, not hearing the Alchemist, or ignoring her. "I keep hearing all these stories! People disappearing off the streets. There's nothing official on the download, but there's all these rumors, and . . . and whispers. I thought that God had disappeared you!"
"That carpet on the stairs," Mickey shook his head. "I told you to get it fixed. You're going to fall and break your neck."
"Well, you get it fixed for me."
Mickey blinked. "I should have done way back," he muttered. "I guess I'm just kind of useless."
"Now, I never said that!"
"I am, though! And I'm sorry, Gran. I'm so sorry."
"Don't talk like that," Rita Anne shook her head. "Do you know what you need? A nice sit down, and a cup of tea. You got time?"
Mickey smiled. "For you, I've got all the time in the world."
"Oh, you say that, but it's all talk," Rita Anne grumbled. "It's those new friends of yours. I don't trust them."
Mickey looked at the Alchemist, who shrugged. "What friends are they?"
"Don't pretend you don't know!" Rita Anne scoffed. "You've been seeing them. Mrs. Chan told me. Driving about all helter skelter in that van."
"What van's that, then?"
"You know full well! Don't play games with me." A van behind them did a U-turn and headed in their direction. "Get inside," Rita Anne ordered.
The van stopped close by them, and a blonde man jumped out. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" he told him, grabbing Mickey and pushing him inside . . . before grabbing the Alchemist and sending her stumbling in as well.
"Ricky!" Rita Anne cried as they drove off. "Ricky!"
"So that's what they mean by disappearing," the Alchemist muttered, brushing her sleeves off.
"Ricky, you were the one who told us you don't contact your family because it puts them in danger!" the blonde man accused.
"Yeah," Mickey nodded. "Ricky said that. 'Course I did. Just testing."
"He's good that way," the Alchemist nodded.
"And who the hell are you?" the blonde asked her.
"I'm the Alchemist," she raised an eyebrow. "You?"
"Jake," he answered. "And that's Mrs. Moore, driving. I saw them. I taped them. They went round Blackfriars gathering up the homeless like the child catcher. They must've took four dozen."
"The vans were hired out to a company called International Electromatics," the blonde woman up front driving said. "But I did a protocol search. Turns out, that's a dummy company established by . . . guess who?"
"Cybus Industries?" the Alchemist guessed.
"And now we've got evidence," Jake said smugly.
"Bad news is, they've arrested Thin Jimmy," Mrs. Moore said. "So that just leaves you and your girlfriend."
"I'm not his girlfriend!"
"Leaves me what?" Mickey asked.
"The Number One," Jake answered. "Top of the list. London's Most Wanted."
Mickey blinked. "OK. Cool. Say that again?"
***
"There's a light on," Jake muttered, looking at a house nearby. "There's someone inside the base. Mrs. Moore, we've got visitors." The two of them pulled out guns, the Alchemist putting a hand on hers just in case. "One, two, three . . . go!"
They burst inside, and the Alchemist's eyes widened when she saw who was inside. "What're you doing there?" Jake asked in surprise.
"What am I doing here?" Ricky Smith asked, pointing to his doppelgänger. "What am I doing there?"
The two blondes pointed their guns at Mickey, who quickly stepped in front of the Alchemist before she could do anything. That was one order he would always take from the Doctor: keep his Pilot safe.
***
The Doctor and Rose looked up at the Tyler mansion as a limo drove past. "They've got visitors," the Doctor noted.
"February the first," Rose remembered. "Mum's birthday." She giggled. "Even in a parallel universe, she still loves a party."
"Well, given Pete Tyler's guest list, I wouldn't mind a look." He smirked. "And there is one guaranteed way of getting inside."
"Psychic paper," Rose smiled.
"Who do you want to be?"
***
"We could have been anyone!" Rose hissed later as they walked through the mansion wearing waiting staff uniforms . . . and Rose didn't appreciate two things. One was how low her skirt was. The other was how many girls were giving the Doctor flirty looks.
"Got us in, didn't it?" the Doctor asked, seemingly unaware of the looks in his direction.
"You're in charge of the psychic paper," she rolled her eyes. "We could've been guests! Celebrities! Sir Doctor, Dame Rose. We end up serving! Did enough of this back home!"
"If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens," he advised before nodding to someone. "According to Lucy, that man over there - "
Rose stopped, glaring at the other waitresses. "Who's Lucy?" she asked.
"She's carrying the salmon pinwheels."
Rose narrowed her eyes. That was one of the girls giving the most flirtatious looks. "Oh, that's Lucy, is it?" she asked.
"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, still seemingly oblivious as Rose stuck her tongue out at Lucy, the offending girl's eyes widening. "Lucy says that is the President of Great Britain."
"What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?" Rose asked, turning back.
"Seems so."
"Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick," Rose mumbled, ready to bet it was that, because no one stared at the Doctor . . . not when he was taken by family.
The Doctor noticed her irritation and chuckled. "It's only going to be Alice for me," he promised.
"Good," Rose smirked.
"Excuse me!" Pete Tyler's voice called, and they turned to see the man standing at the top of the staircase. "Thank you very much. Thank you. If I could just have your attention, please?"
"Pete!" a man cheered. "Go on, Pete!"
"Thank you very much!" Pete called in irritation.
"It's about time you did some work!"
"I thought you liked them young!" someone else called, making the Doctor and Rose look at each other in confusion.
"Um," Pete shifted. "I'd just like to say thank you to you all for coming on this . . . this very special occasion. My wife's thirty ninth."
"Don't believe that one!" one of the men called out.
"Trust me on this," Pete said, getting general chuckles. "And so, without further ado, here she is, the birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler."
Rose nodded, unable to clap as she was holding her tray of champagne, as Jackie stopped by Pete wearing a tight black dress. "Now, I'm not giving a speech," she said. "That's what my parties are famous for. No work, no politics, just a few good mates and plenty of black market whiskey. Pardon me, Mr. President," she told the black man as people chuckled. "So, yeah. Get on with it. Enjoy! Enjoy!"
"You can't stay," the Doctor told Rose as they turned away. "Even if there was some way of telling them."
"'Course I can't," Rose nodded. "I've still got Mum at home. My real Mum. I couldn't just leave her, could I? It's just . . . " She nodded to Pete and Jackie. "They've got each other. Mum's got no one."
"She's got you," the Doctor pointed out. "Those two haven't. All those different worlds, not one of them gets it right."
"Rose!" Jackie's voice cheered, and they whipped around. "There's my little girl! Come to mummy. Come to mummy!" Rose stared in a mixture of shock, amusement, and disgust as Jackie picked up a lap dog that ran up to her. "Yes, good girl!" she cooed. "Good girl, aren't you?"
The Doctor burst out laughing, but quickly stopped when Rose glared at him. "Sorry," he mumbled.
***
The Alchemist had just been tied to a chair, hands behind her back, which was much better than Mickey, who'd been stripped to his pants and tied the same way, being scanned by Jake. "He's clean," Jake reported. "No bugs."
"And she is, too," Mrs. Moore added, walking away from the Alchemist. "Only carried this," she added, holding up her sonic blaster, which the Alchemist had removed the battery pack from so it wouldn't work."
"But this is off the scale," Ricky eyed Mickey. "He's flesh and blood. How did that happen?"
"Well, it could be that Cybus Industries have perfected the science of human cloning, or your father had a bike," Mrs. Moore suggested.
"And your name is Mickey, not Ricky," Ricky added.
"I'm still trying to get past that," the Alchemist couldn't help but say.
"Mickey," Mickey nodded. "Dad was Jackson Smith. Used to work at the key cutters in Clifton's Parade. Went to Spain, never came back."
"But that's my dad!" Ricky gaped at him. "So we're brothers?"
"Be fair," Jake told him. "What else could it be?"
"I don't know," Ricky shrugged, turning away. "But he doesn't just look like me. He is exactly the same. There's something else going on here, Jake."
"Is anyone going to tell a girl who you lot are?" the Alchemist asked.
"We?" Ricky smirked at her smugly, making Mickey frowned, wondering if he was about to try and impress her . . . yeah, good luck, Ricky, because there was only one man for the Alchemist, and he'd kill them all if they tried anything. "We are the Preachers. As in Gospel Truth. You see?" he gestured to his ears. "No ear plugs. While the rest of the world downloads from Cybus Industries, we, we have got freedom. You're talking to London's Most Wanted, but target Number One is Lumic, and we are going to bring him down."
"Wow," the Alchemist said sarcastically. "I'm gobsmacked."
"From your kitchen?" Mickey put in dubiously, looking around.
"Have you got a problem with that?" Ricky quirked an eyebrow.
"No," Mickey said quickly. "It's a good kitchen."
"It's an upload from Gemini," Mrs. Moore reported, going through a computer.
"Who's Gemini?" the Alchemist asked.
"The vans are back," Mrs. Moore said instead. "They're moving out of Battersea. Looks like Gemini was right. Lumic's finally making a move."
"And we are right behind him," Ricky nodded. "Pack up. We're leaving."
***
Rose watched Jackie laugh with the President, then jumped when Pete said from slightly behind her, "I remember her twenty first. Pint of cider in the George."
"Sorry," Rose smiled, holding out her tray. "Champagne?"
He paused before taking one. "Oh, might as well. I'm paying for it."
"It's a big night for you."
"For her," Pete corrected with a sigh. "Still . . . she's happy."
"She should be," Rose smiled as she looked around. "It's a great party."
"Do you think?"
"You can trust me," Rose tried to quote.
"You can trust me on this," Pete corrected.
"That's it, sorry," she laughed. "So, how long have you two been married?"
"Twenty years."
"And . . . no kids, or . . . ?"
"We kept putting it off. She said she didn't want to spoil her figure."
"It's not too late," Rose told him. "She's only forty."
"Thirty nine," he corrected.
"Oh, right," she smiled. "Thirty nine."
"It's still too late," Pete sighed, shaking his head. "I moved out last month, but we're going to keep it quiet. You know, it's bad for business." She nodded, then blinked when he shook his head and eyed her. "Why am I telling you all this? We haven't met before, have we? I don't know, you just seem sort of . . . "
"What?" Rose asked curiously.
"I don't know. Just sort of . . . right." Rose smiled and walked off, happy her father somehow recognized her, and she missed his next words. "Stevie! How's things? How's it going at Torchwood?"
***
"I don't know what they're doing, but this seems to be the target," Ricky said into his radio as he crouched in the bushes with Jake and the Alchemist, having wanted to split the duo up, so Mrs. Moore was back with Mickey in the van. "Big house, fair bit of money. Now we have got to find a way to get in."
"I've identified the address," Mrs. Moore said. "It belongs to Pete Tyler, the Vitex millionaire."
The Alchemist's eyes widened. "Pete Tyler?" she repeated.
"He's listed as one of Lumic's henchmen," Mrs. Moore answered. "A traitor to the state."
"But we've got to get in there!" Mickey cried.
"Now shut it, duplicate," Ricky said angrily as the Alchemist's eyes narrowed, fingering her sonic blaster because . . . that was where the Doctor and Rose were. "That's what I just said." The vans pulled up, and their ramps lowered. "What are they doing?" Ricky asked.
The Alchemist's eyes just widened as heavy feet marched down the ramp into the gravel . . . and she put a hand over her mouth when she recognized them. "Oh, my God," she breathed.
"What the hell are they?" Ricky asked.
***
Rose stepped out onto the patio to find Jackie. "Mrs. Tyler, is there anything I can get you?" she asked.
"The last twenty years back," she mumbled.
Rose frowned. "I can manage a glass of champagne or a nice cup of tea?"
Jackie at least smiled. "Oh, that'd do me."
"My mum loves that," Rose told her, sitting on the bench next to her. "End of a long night, she never goes straight to bed. She always stays up just to have that last cup of tea."
"Oh, I'm the same."
"Two sugars."
"And me! Pete always says, you know . . . " Her smiled faded. "Ah, never mind him."
"I was talking to him earlier," she said carefully. "He's a nice man. You know, bit of a Jack the Lad, I suppose, even if he has got money . . . but he's a good bloke. Better than most. He's worth a second chance."
Jackie glared at her. "Are you commenting on my marriage?" she asked.
Rose blinked, caught off guard. "No! I was just - "
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Jackie ranted at her, standing up angrily. "You're staff! You're nothing but staff! You're just the serving girl, for God's sake! And you are certainly not getting paid. Don't you dare talk to me!"
Rose took a deep breath as Jackie stormed off, but the floodlights flared on. Rose held a hand over her eyes, hearing metal stomping, and seeing the silhouetted figures of marching people . . . even though they didn't look like people.
***
The Doctor ran through the mansion to reach one of the windows, getting there at the same time as Rose. "It's happening again," he breathed, looking out at the marching figures.
"What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"I've seen them before."
"What are they?"
He swallowed. "Cybermen!"
The Cybermen crashed through the doors and French windows, backing the time travelers up to the other guests, surrounding them all. One of the Cybermen approached the President, whose phone rang. The President picked up, an exasperated look on his face. "Mr. Lumic."
"Mr. President," a man's raspy voice answered. "I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point."
"I forbade this!"
"These are my children, sir. Would you deny my family?"
"What are they, robots?" Rose asked.
"Worse than that," the Doctor shook his head, desperately trying to find the Alchemist in his mind, if they'd gotten to her . . .
"Who were these people?" the President asked.
"Doesn't matter," Lumic brushed off.
Rose's eyes widened. "They're people?"
"They were," the Doctor said angrily. "Until they had all their humanity taken away! That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body with a heart of steel. All emotions removed."
"Why no emotions?"
"Because it hurts."
"I demand to know, Lumic," the President ordered. "These people. Who were they?"
"They were homeless and wretched and useless until I saved them and elevated them and gave them life eternal. And now I leave you in their capable hands. Goodnight, sir. Goodnight, Mr. President."
"We have been upgraded," the Cyberman said as Lumic hung up.
"Into what?" the Doctor asked.
"The next level of mankind. We are human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us."
"I'm sorry," the President apologized. "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you, but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight."
"Upgrading is compulsory."
"And if I refuse?"
"Don't," the Doctor cut in sharply.
"What if I refuse?" the President asked louder.
"I'm telling you, don't!"
"What happens if I refuse?"
"Then you are not compatible," the Cyberman answered.
"What happens then?"
"You will be deleted."
The Doctor pulled Rose away when the Cyberman grabbed the President's neck and electrocuted him. "Come on," he told her, pulling her through a window. "There's nothing we can do."
"My mum's in there!" Rose protested.
"She is not your mother!" the Doctor shouted. "Come on!"
They ran around the side of the house, and Rose gestured to Pete coming through a window. "Quick!" she called. "Quick!"
"Pete, is there a way out?" the Doctor asked.
"The side gates," Pete answered. "Who are you? How do you know so much?"
"You wouldn't believe it in a million years," he chuckled.
The Cybermen stomped towards them, cutting their escape off, but a group of three came running towards them, the floodlights silhouetting them. "Who's that?" Rose asked.
"Get behind me!" Mickey's voice ordered.
"Doctor, move!" the Alchemist shouted.
The Doctor instantly pulled Rose back as the two men fired machine guns at the Cybermen, making them stop, but not putting a dent in them. "Hello," the Alchemist beamed at them.
"Hello," the Doctor grinned before kissing her.
"Oh, my God, look at you!" Rose gasped before hugging Mickey. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"Um, Rose?" the Alchemist began.
"Yeah," Mickey agreed. "No offense, sweetheart, but who the hell are you?"
"Rose!" another voice called, and the real Mickey ran up. "That's not me, that's the other one."
"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough, there's two Mickeys!" the Doctor complained.
"It's Ricky," Ricky pointed out.
The Doctor blinked and looked at the Alchemist. "My thoughts exactly," she said dryly.
"But there's more of them," Mickey looked around at the Cybermen.
"We're surrounded," Rose agreed.
"Put the guns down," the Doctor ordered. "Bullets won't stop them."
The Alchemist put her hand on Jake's muzzle and yanked his machine gun down. "Stop shooting," she snapped. "Or are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"We surrender!" the Doctor held up his hands, the Alchemist immediately following suit. "Hands up," he ordered the others. "There's no need to damage us! We're good stock! We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."
The Cyberman in the lead considered. "You are rogue elements."
The Doctor blinked. "But we surrender!"
"You are incompatible."
"But this is a surrender!"
"You will be deleted."
The Alchemist looked around worriedly before taking a deep breath and getting into a combat stance, her face setting into neutral, not noticing the way the humans looked at her in surprise at the mood shift. "But we're surrendering!" the Doctor protested, flicking his gaze to her quickly. "Listen to me, we surrender!"
"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you will perish under maximum deletion."
"Delete!" the Cybermen chorused, aiming at them all. "Delete! Delete!"
***
Ooo . . . not a happy Alchemist. O.O Cybermen . . . oh, you have no idea what you've just unleashed. Protective little sister Rose from the evil flirt Lucy . . . who she doesn't even know. :P
I have to say, it's nice to give Mickey a break after "Apocalypse Rising." I felt really bad, but I felt really good about making him the villain there. And now he's all Ali's. :) Well, companion wise. And "Apocalypse Rising" isn't going to be the only series where the Doctor/Apocalypse and Rose escape having to be servers. There's at least one more I can see in the future where they wouldn't do it . . . and that's going to be so much fun to write. :)
And we'll see if Ali regenerates in the next episode or not. }:) Stay tuned! "The Age of Steel" is coming soon!