𝔐𝔞𝔫𝔥𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔞𝔫, 𝔑𝔢𝔴 𝔜𝔬𝔯𝔨, 𝔈𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔥
𝔑𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 1930
There was a look of Marilyn Monroe in the blonde woman with the gun. Perhaps it was just a product of the time, that blonde was attractive, and pale skin conveyed richness. Or, the sun just wasn't shining on this part of Manhattan.
She dragged them towards her dressing room, which meant that they must have been inside of a theatre of sorts. Though, her white and silver flapper dress told them that alone. EJ was curious about her; a fire in the way that she directed the gun, but a kindness and a jaunty way she spoke. It was like she only wanted a friend.
Eventually, when the woman was looking into her mirror, only half paying attention to them, Martha spoke. EJ was glad of it, because having it be him would only ruin it. "Who's Laszlo?" Granted, that was not the first thing that he would have asked, but it broke the silence, and the lack of tension, nonetheless.
"Laszlo's my boyfriend." She seemed to be locked in a dreamlike state until thwacked back into reality. "Was my boyfriend. Until he disappeared, two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid, I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mom before he vamooses?"
"It might..." The Doctor cleared his throat, gesturing to the gun, which she was so liberally waving around. "It might just help if you put that down..."
"Huh?" Her eyes widened, before shrugging. "Oh, sure."
There was a mass flinch as she tossed the gun without regard to the idea that the trigger might release a bullet. It landed, barrel facing them, on a chair stacked with costumes.
She rolled her eyes, mockingly. "Oh, c'mon! It's not real! It's just a prop." When she realised that no one else found it funny, she hmphed. "It was either that or a spear."
"Well, it's one hell of a prop." EJ sneered at the sight of it. "But you can tell we're in America, Jesus Christ."
Martha bit her lip, and titled her head. "What do you think happened to Laszlo?"
"I wish I knew." The woman shrugged again. "One minute he's there, the next- zip- vanished."
"Listen, em," The Doctor paused upon realising he knew less than he'd hoped, though his frustrated tone remained gentle. "What was your name?"
"Tallulah."
"Tallulah." He nodded.
She smiled. "Three l's and an h."
EJ held the breath in his lungs before sighing deeply. "Oh, she's hard work."
"Right..." The Time Lord trailed, unsure where it was going to go. "Um, we can try and find Laszlo, but he'd not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."
"And there are creatures." Solomon said, his tone wavering, clearly harrowed from the experience they'd been through. "Such creatures..."
It was as if Tallulah had turned into a movie character, leaning an arm over the back of her chair, narrowing her eyes sassily. "Whaddaya mean, creatures?"
"Look, listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger."
Again, EJ rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, unimpressed. "It's one hell of a way to introduce yourself. Hi, you're in danger."
The Doctor rummaged through his pockets to reveal the jellyfish-creature from the tunnels, a foul pong radiating from it. "I need to find out exactly what this is, because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."
There was an awful grimace upon her face as she gazed at it. "Yay."
For whatever reason, EJ didn't want to be alone today. Perhaps it was losing Frank which made him feel more vulnerable than before. Or, perhaps it was just one of those days when being with the Doctor made everything feel a little bit easier. That was why he followed the Doctor into the back room, near the manhole they'd escaped the tunnels through, where all of the props were stored.
Though, EJ was choosing not to be of any help. He could've asked what to do, or what he could find, and really, he knew already, but it was much more fun to watch. The Doctor was running towards a set of discarded lights as the Thompson boy jumped up onto one of the tables.
"How 'bout this?" Solomon asked, slowly, handing him a red metal box as he approached. "Found it backstage."
"Perfect. It's the capacitors I need." The Doctor took the back off it, and opened up the extra panels and wiring. "I'm just rigging up a crude DNA scan, for this beastie. If I can get a chromosomal reading, I can find out where it's from."
"How about you, Doctor?" Solomon raised an eyebrow, though he barely looked him in the eyes. "Where are you from? I been all over, I never heard anybody talk like you. Just exactly who are you?"
"Oh," He sighed, blowing on the metal he'd taken out of the red box. "I'm just, sort of, passing by."
"I'm not a fool, Doctor."
"No." He gulped, quickly becoming aware of what he'd said. "Sorry."
Solomon turned the corner, with the others following him, as he pondered. He stood beside the manhole, looking down on it with guilt. EJ could see it, hidden behind his eyes. Solomon was too proud to let it show obviously.
"I was scared, Doctor." Solomon stared at his feet. "I let 'em take Frank cos... I was just so scared."
Silence overcame them, and EJ shifted closer to the Doctor. "Being scared isn't always a bad thing."
"I've got to get back to Hooverville." He said, shaking his head. "With those creatures loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Cos no one else is gonna help us."
"Good luck." The Doctor called back to him as the American left.
Solomon just nodded their way. "I hope you find what you're looking for, for all our sakes."
Truthfully, EJ was still getting used to Martha. It wasn't like last time, where Rose was there before him, and he was the intruder, so-to-speak. This time, there was someone new, and all EJ wanted, so much of the time, was to be with the Doctor alone. Even though it probably wasn't the best timing, the Thompson boy was more than glad when Martha decided to stay with Tallulah.
After finding everything that the Doctor needed, he and EJ carried it all through to a separate room inside of the theatre, a disused stage. They set up the lighting, directly above where the Doctor had positioned himself on the flooring, lying on his stomach, pulling the jellyfish-like creature out of his coat pocket.
"That's it," The Doctor began to clip wires to its skin. "Just need to heat you up..."
"I'm washing that coat as soon as we get back to the Tardis." EJ remarked, flicking on the switch. "It's incredibly gross."
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." He pouted, eyes large.
"It smells." The Thompson boy deadpanned. "And I'm not going anywhere need you until its been cleaned."
"Nowhere?"
EJ nodded his head in agreement. "Nowhere."
"Then I'll have to find someone else willing to kiss me." The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows, teasingly, and a scowl crossed the black haired boys face.
EJ crouched down beside the Doctor, keeping their levels ever so slightly different, so that when the Time Lord looked at him, he looked up through his eyelashes. It was an ego thing, mainly, though the Doctor did look pretty...
"You're beautiful." EJ whispered, their noses almost touching. "But I know you know that already."
The Doctor was completely enraptured by the Thompson boy, and shifted his position, dropping the creature from his fingertips for a moment. "Mmm."
"Ah ah ah." He tutted, pushing the Doctor back to the ground, long fingers wrapped around the red tie he wore. A sly smile crossed his face. "If you find someone else, anyone else, then there will be... repercussions."
There seemed to be some amusement in his face. "Will there?"
"I haven't decided if they're good or bad yet." EJ raised his eyebrow, almost menacingly, enjoying his position above the Doctor. "And wouldn't you just like to know."
"I'd like you to kiss me." He replied, much more confident this time.
"Would you?"
"Or I could kiss you." The Doctor offered.
"Or..." EJ suggested, seductively. "You could find out where that thing is from? Like we're supposed to be doing."
The Doctor sighed and rolled back onto his stomach, ready to take the creature in his hands once more. It was fun watching him be nerdy, especially when he was interested in what he was doing. EJ saw how he moulded the flesh in his fingers, checking the consistency and thickness, and took complete joy in it.
"This is artificial!" The Doctor exclaimed, quietly, after a short time. He flicked a button on the sonic, and it made a zipping noise. "Genetically engineered! Whoever this is- ooh, you're clever!"
"Not like you to compliment someone before you know who they are." The Thompson boy observed. "You were a prick to me when we first met."
"Yeah, sorry about that." He apologised as he pulled out the stethoscope, and listened to the flesh of the creature. The, he hummed. "Fundamental DNA type 467-989..."
When his eyes closed, it was clear that he was really having to think about it. He took the stethoscope off, and wrapped it up inside his pockets. EJ dared not interrupt him, this time, anyhow.
"989... Hold on, that means, planet of origin..." The Doctor paused, half way through what seemed to be him counting on his fingers. His eyes opened wide, and EJ knew that something was wrong. "Skaro..."
"Skaro?" EJ's eyes widened, mimicking the Doctor, following as he stood up. "I said no more Daleks!"
They ran. There was no more to say about it. They ran to find Martha, because they were concerned about her safety, which was why, when they found Tallulah without her, there was an issue, to say the least. They were panicked.
"Where is she? Where's Martha?"
"I don't know." The blonde shrugged, surrounded by her black-haired friends. "She ran off the stage."
EJ's face scrunched up. "Why was she on the stage in the first place?"
He didn't get an answer, because instead they heard screaming. The screaming almost certainly belonged to her, so they followed as fast as they were able. Tallulah came along with them, though EJ wasn't too sure as to why. The Doctor called for her. "Martha!"
They ended up in the prop store again, where they were when they lost Frank, only the manhole was out of place, different to how they left it. The Doctor picked up his coat, and EJ pulled his sleeves over his hands. It was a comfort, more than anything.
Tallulah looked at them like they were some sort of alien creature. "Uh... where are you going?"
The Doctor began to climb down the tunnel as he spoke. "They've taken her."
"Who's taken her? What are you doing?" Tallulah pressed as EJ did the same. "I said, what the hell are you doin'?"
When they were stood in the tunnels, the Doctor turned on a torch as EJ sighed. He wasn't exactly in a happy place, and he wanted to go back ten minutes or so, just so that him and the Doctor could stay together in that theatre. Though, they could hear the clacking of heels, which when they turned around, they found Tallulah climbing down beside them.
"No, no, no, no way," The Doctor protested immediately. "You're not coming."
Though, EJ found it interesting how she stood her ground. "Tell me what's going on."
"There's nothing you can do, go back."
"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could have taken Laszlo, couldn't they?"
"She's got a point." EJ agreed, nudging the Doctor's shoulder. "You can't say she doesn't."
Instead of embracing it, the Doctor stared at her intensely. "Tallulah, you're not safe down here."
"Then that's my problem." She stated, firmly, and EJ smirked. "C'mon, which way?"
As she stepped forwards, she turned into the tunnel on her left, but the Doctor just continued onwards, EJ hot on his heels. "This way."
When Tallulah followed them the correct way, all that was left was the walking. It was not something the Thompson boy was looking forwards to. He didn't like it, and he was tired, and he didn't want to find any Daleks. It was just turning out to be an awful day all-round.
It seemed odd that Tallulah had been quiet for so long, and when they stepped beneath a half-hoisted portcullis, she started again. "When you say they've taken her, who's they exactly?" She narrowed her eyes at the two men. "And who are you anyway? I never asked."
The Doctor placed a finger to his lips. "Shh."
Clearly, she didn't take it as a volume issue. "Okay, okay."
More aggressively, the Doctor commanded. "Shhhh!"
EJ watched the walls, as darkness encroached on from the light. Then, it took form, into the shape of a Dalek, and even before they saw it properly, they knew what was coming. Tallulah, again, was none the wiser. "I mean you're handsome enough..."
If it wasn't for the Doctor's quick and clever hands, they would have found themselves in more trouble than they'd bargained for. He pulled Tallulah with him into a crevasse in the brickwork, EJ sliding in beside them so not to be seen, though it was a tight squeeze. So tight, in fact, that the Doctor's hip was digging into his side, and all EJ could do was stare at him, and hope that he moved soon... though one step in the wrong direction and EJ wouldn't want to leave.
EJ knew that they were lucky that the Dalek looked to the other side as it sailed past them. The eyestalk must have just missed them. Then, when it had passed, Tallulah shoved away the Doctor's hand from her face.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." The Doctor stepped into the tunnel, voice low, as he glared at the back of the metal head. "They survive. They always survive, while I lose everything."
EJ followed and rested his head on his shoulder from behind, offering a comfort. "We'll work it out... we always do."
"That metal thing..." Talullah trailed off. "What was it?"
"It's called a Dalek." Every word was said with disgust and hate. "And it's not just metal. It's alive."
"You're kidding me!"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" The Thompson boy stepped back, perhaps the Doctor needed his own space for a minute. "Inside that shell, there's a creature, born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."
"But... if that's not a human being, that kinda implies..." Tallulah was so evidently trying to push away the possibility, but the Doctor just stared forwards: he was of little help. "It's from outer space. Yet again, that's a no with the kidding. Oi... but what's it doing here? In New York?"
"Welcome to the real world, lady." EJ huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's a whole crock of shit."
The Doctor and the Thompson boy barely had to look at each other before a decision was made. Given, they were two white men in a male dominated world, but it really was for the best. EJ would have done the same to anyone, as long as it would keep them safe. They each took an arm of Tallulah's as they guided her out of the tunnels.
"Every second you're here, you're in danger." The Doctor told her, firmly. "I'm taking you back now!"
"I'm sorry, but it's what's got to happen." EJ's lips thinned. "I don't want to see you dead, and the Daleks change everything."
Though, they didn't get very far, not when Tallulah burst into a fit of screams. There was another pig in a boilersuit, facing away from them, merely observing, and hiding. However, this one, when hiding in the shadows, appeared more human. That made it worse. The creature wanted to escape, but the Doctor commanded his presence.
"Where's Martha?" EJ was just glad he wasn't on the receiving end of the anger. "What have you done with her?"
The torch shone onto his face, though he continued to hide, almost masking voice and appearance. "I didn't take her."
It was like the Doctor realised that something was happening and so his attitude changed, ever so quietly. "Can you remember your name?"
"Don't... look at me."
"I bet you're not as hideous as you think you are." EJ shrugged, and leant against the brickwork, coolly. "I mean, I hate the way I look, and I'm fucking gorgeous... but that's probably not what you want to hear."
Tallulah stepped forwards, kindly. "Do you know where she is?"
"Stay back!" He hissed, ferociously. "Don't look at me."
"What happened to you?" The Doctor tilted his head, curiously.
"They made me a monster."
"Who did?"
"The Masters." EJ didn't like that word... it always sounded dirty. It made his skin crawl.
"The Daleks." The Doctor reiterated, piecing together everything that he knew. "Why?"
"They need slaves. They need slaves to steal more people. So they create us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind... but it was still too late."
Finally on the same page, the Doctor asked again. "Do you know what happened to Martha?"
"They took her." He sounded apologetic, though that didn't do anything for anyone. "It's my fault, she was following me."
Tallulah thinned her painted lips. "Were you in the theatre?"
"I never... yes..."
"Why?" She almost sounded pained to ask. "Why were you there?"
"I never wanted you to see me like this."
That struck a chord in EJ's chest. He could feel his heart stutter within his body, which was unpleasant to say the least. He knew what it felt like to be ashamed, and he knew what it felt like to be hurt by his own appearance. All he could do was live, and hope it got better, and for a time it did. The Doctor made him realise that his scars didn't just mean he was deformed, but that he was beautiful in an unconventional sort of way.
"Why me? What have I got to do with this?" Tallulah shook her head, not understanding. "Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"
The man turned to face her, ashamed. "Yes."
"Who are you?" She was both shocked and exasperated, in hope of an answer.
"I was lonely."
Tallulah stepped closer when the answer wasn't given. "Who are you?"
"I needed to see you."
"This is getting weird." EJ whispered to the Doctor. "Do we need to step in?"
"No." He replied, sharply. "Just... give it a second."
"Who... are you?"
"I'm sorry."
"Let me look at you." Tallulah said, very soft and very sad. He stepped backwards, but her hands rested upon his shoulders, and into the light. She exhaled, blinking slowly, as tears flooded her eyes. "Laszlo? My Laszlo? Oh, what have they done to you?"
"I'm sorry." He whispered, just as apologetically. "I'm so sorry..."
The Doctor leant forwards, now that their acquaintances had most certainly been made. "Laszlo, can you show me where they are?"
It was odd that he was concerned, considering they did not know each other at all. "But they'll kill you."
"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."
"He's not wrong." EJ agreed with the Time Lord. "They're, like, the worst type of bitches."
Laszlo nodded at them, though the Thompson boy did have to admit he was getting used to the look upon his face... his porcine features were interesting to say the least. "Then follow me."
It perhaps wasn't the safest thing to do, but nevertheless, they followed Laszlo through the tunnels. There was a faint humming of chatter, which meant that they were close to something... EJ was unsure what until he saw the group of humans. The pig-men were surrounding them, keeping them in place, which wouldn't have been so bad, until they heard another Dalek... how many were there?
"Silence!"
EJ could hear that Martha was still alive, and that made him calmer. "What the hell is that?"
They peered around the wall, which hurt his neck. "I can't bloody see."
"You will form a line! Move! Move!"
"Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha's voice started to shake, but she sounded like she knew what she was talking about, which meant that they would listen. Though, she was breathless as she spoke, panicked, pushed into a line. "Just... obey!"
"The female is wise. Obey!"
"Report!"
"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause."
Martha's head seemed to tilt as she remembered, vaguely, what the Doctor had said to her. "Dalek..."
"What is the status of the Final Experiment?"
"The Dalekanium is in place. The Energy Conductor is now complete."
"Then I will extract prisoners for selection!"
"Intelligence scan- initiate!" One of the pig men grabbed a hold of one of the men, and older person, and dragged him in front of the Dalek. The plunger-like hand was used to hover over his face, before retracting again. "Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."
The man was obviously offended. "You callin' me stupid?"
"Silence!" Said one of the Daleks, EJ didn't know which. "This one will become a pig slave. Next."
"No! Let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them! Let me go!"
His protestation did nothing. Instead, the man was dragged away by two of the pig slaves, and would likely never be seen again. It was sad, but at least it wasn't Martha.
Already, the Daleks moved onto the next human like they were nothing less than cattle. "Intelligence scan- initiate!"
"They're divided into two groups." Laszlo said, lowly, peering around the corner. "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken, to become pig slaves like me."
"Well," Tallulah exclaimed, far too loud. "That's not fair!"
The Doctor scolded. "Shh."
She continued, quieter this time. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated!"
"And the others?" The Time Lord queried.
"I'm not sure I want to know." EJ replied, lowly, not able to take his eyes off the queue. "Actually, yeah, I do."
"They are taken to the laboratory."
"But why?" The Doctor said, exasperated. "What for?"
Laszlo just shrugged. "I don't know. The Masters only call it the Final Experiment."
EJ was both terrified and relieved to see Frank, now frightened when the plunger was placed close to his face. He was only nineteen. He didn't deserve to be turned into a pig slave. He was far too pretty for that.
"Superior intelligence."
The Thompson boy released a breath, then realised he was just too quick. Next was Martha. She would be fine, he hoped, she had to be smart. She was training to be a doctor, an actual doctor, not like him. Not like their doctor.
"Intelligence scan- initiate." EJ held the Doctor's hand as he felt the Time Lord take a deep breath. "Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."
"You can't just experiment on people." Martha protested as she was shoved to one side, into Frank. "It's insane, it's inhuman!"
"We are not human."
EJ shrugged. "They've got her on that one."
"Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the Transgenic Laboratory."
"Look out," The Doctor said, swiftly, pushing Laszlo out of the eyeline as the queue began to step through the tunnels. "They're moving."
Tallulah and Laszlo started to run, and called for the two strangers to join them. "Doctor, EJ, quickly."
"I'm not coming. I've got an idea..." He replied, nonchalantly. "You go."
"And I'm staying with him." EJ nodded his head to the side, gesturing towards the Time Lord. "No offence, but I've had enough of America for one day."
As they looked to the moving line, EJ couldn't help but peer back at Tallulah, almost begging the pig-man to go with her. "Laszlo, come on."
"Can you remember the way?" He turned to her, concerned.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Then go," He said, taking her hand. "Please."
Tallulah sounded heartbroken, but there wasn't much EJ could do for her. "But Laszlo, you've got to come with me."
"Where would I go?" She was speechless, which made it worse. "Tallulah, I'm begging you. Save yourself. Just run! Just go! Go..."
She did what was asked of her, even if it wasn't ideal. Then, Laszlo crept up behind them, and kept them company. Though, EJ assumed it was more for his benefit than anyone else's.
Two Daleks passed them by, one after the other. They just sailed past them, not even considering that there might be someone else in the tunnels. A couple of pig slaves joined them, following on like the pets they'd been transformed into. That was when the Doctor and EJ really stood a chance. Without speaking about, they both ran into the line, no one who mattered any-the-wiser.
"Keep walking." The Doctor said, lowly, catching Martha's attention.
EJ smirked, catching the tall southern boy's attention. "Hello, Frankie boy."
She sounded more than relieved. "I am so glad to see you."
"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later." His ego was growing. "You too, Frank, if you want."
Martha and Frank were both frantically blushing. It was, quite honestly, adorable, and EJ would have been interested to see what would actually happen if they were given the chance, though he knew Martha would take it with both hands. Maybe then EJ would have the excuse to kiss Frank- he was pretty, after all.
Because the Daleks hadn't noticed, they were taken along with all of the highly intelligent humans into the laboratory, which was exactly what they expected it to be. Cold, metallic, uncomfortable. However, the Daleks just continued onwards when the pig slaves kept them in place.
"Report!"
"Dalek Sec is entering the Final Stage of Evolution."
"Scan him! Prepare for birth!"
EJ wasn't stupid. He remembered the name. Dalek Sec was one of the Cult of Skaro... he must have escaped from the Torchwood Institute on Earth. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
The Doctor queried. "Evolution?"
"Beats me." The Thompson boy shrugged. "Not literally."
Martha then nodded to the black Dalek, Sec, which was the only non-gold there. "What's wrong with old Charlie Boy over there?"
"Ask them."
"What, me?" Martha scoffed in his face. "Don't be daft."
"I don't exactly want to get noticed." He retaliated, rolling his eyes in frustration. They'd both met the Daleks before. Neither of them would be of any use until they knew more about the Final Experiment... or if this was it. "Ask them what's going on."
They watched as she took a deep breath before stepped forwards. "Daleks! I demand to be told. What is this... Final Experiment?" When there came no immediate answer, she stumbled. "Report!"
"You will bear witness." One croaked.
She tilted her head, confused. "To what?"
"This is the dawn of a new age."
"What does that mean?" Perhaps it was a strategy: asking so many questions that they would have to answer her eventually, although it did seem like a surefire to be killed.
"We are the only four Daleks in existence. So the species must evolve. A life outside the shell. The children of Skaro must walk again."
It sounded like a crock of shit- that much was true. However, when the three surrounding Daleks all wheeled back to reveal the Dalek Sec, shaking and smoking. Suddenly, the blue light in the eyestalk died and faded to grey.
The body of Dalek Sec opened up, but it didn't reveal the squid-like creature EJ recognised from Van Statten's museum of horror. Instead, the suit of Mr Diagoras was found to be crouching in the centre, and when the hands were moved from the face, it revealed... almost a hybrid. The tentacles attached to the brain which was on show, but humanoid features. It was a gruesome sight.
Martha reached backwards for someone to cling onto, but it seemed that everyone was already in a comfort chain. Frank was holding EJ's hand, and EJ was wrapped around the Doctor's arm. It wasn't exactly blending in, but it was good enough.
"What is it?" She whispered back to them, in pure terror.
Then, as if it were planned, it looked up, with glorious purpose. "I... am... a human... Dalek. I... am your future."
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Hello my loves!
I'm sorry about all of the authors notes, but this one is extremely important!
In seven weeks, I will be sitting my A-Levels, and I have to prioritise my studying until they're over.
However, it does mean I've got an extra long summer with very little to do - so I can promise regular updates again after that, with greater things for EJ and the Doctor than you'd ever believe.
I'll still try and update when I'm able, but it certainly won't be as often as my surplus of extra chapters has been used up.
Love you all so much,
And thank you for your support.
Love you all,
Emma <3
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Disclaimer!!!
I do not own Doctor Who, it's characters and original storylines. The only things I do own are my own characters, my addition to the series and my own storylines. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidental.