"Amazing." The Doctor breathed watching the laptop screen with Rita in the dimly lit science laboratory.
"It definitely is." Rita watched the screen as well which currently has a strand of Lazarus's DNA.
"What?" Martha asked.
"Lazarus's DNA." The Time Lords both said.
"I can't see anything different." Martha shook her head leaning closer.
"Look at it." The Doctor told her. There then was a small blip and as Rita guessed Lazarus's DNA changed.
"Oh, my God." Martha gasped sitting back. She looked at the two Time Lords. "Did that just change? But it can't have."
"But it did." The Doctor protested eyes still on the screen.
"It's impossible." Martha gawked at it.
"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight." The Doctor chuckled. "Don't you love it when that happens?"
"I certainly do" Rita grinned in agreement.
"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha said.
"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." The Doctor said extremely fast. Rita shook her head while Martha just blinked at him in confusion.
"What the Doctor means is that Lazarus basically just hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate." Rita explained simpler for Martha.
"But they're still mutating now." She watched again.
"Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him."
"Change him into what?" Martha asked them.
"We don't know, but I think we need to find out." The Doctor told them.
"That woman said they were going upstairs," Martha told him.
"Let's go." The Doctor, Rita and Martha ran off to the lift.
"I really don't have a good feeling about this, everyone needs to get out of the building," Rita muttered as the lift headed up.
"Sadly I have that same feeling, and you'll be the first to leave."
"I'm not going anywhere." She told him firmly. "I'm staying with you."
"Why do you have to protest so much." He sighed running a hand through his hair.
"Learned from the best." She raised her brows at him and smirked. The lift doors then opened, they stepped out into a dark area. Automatically the lights came on, but no one was around.
"This is his office, all right." Martha looked around.
"So where is he?" The Doctor asked.
"Don't know. Let's try back at the reception." Martha went to turn around however her eyes fixed on something, a skeleton leg poking out from behind a desk.
"What is it?" Rita asked following her gaze slowly walking over to what Martha had seen.
"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked in horror. The Doctor walked up joining them and crouching down beside the skeleton.
"Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."
"I'm never going to look at orange juice the same again.
"You hate it anyways."
"I might not, in a few years or so." Rita pursed her lips. The Doctor snapped his head in her direction.
"Don't say that." He told her.
"Why not?" Rita asked.
"Because it isn't something you should think about, make the days count, don't count the days." She shook her head at him for a moment before Martha spoke up.
"Lazarus?" She guessed.
"Could be."
"So he's changed already?" Martha asked.
"Might have, might not, just like you saw his DNA was fluctuating and that process needs energy, he could have changed took the energy he needed but not be enough to permanently be in that form," Rita explained.
"So he might do this again?" Martha asked.
"Mmm." The Doctor hummed walking back to the lift with the girls.
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They returned to the reception room which looked the same as it did before. "I can't see him," Martha said looking around.
"He can't be far. Keep looking." The Doctor told her scanning the room with his eyes trying to find the man.
"Hey, you all right, Marth?" Leo walked up to her. "I think Mum wants to talk to you."
"Have you see Lazarus anywhere?" She asked her brother who nodded.
"Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."
"With Tish?" Martha asked.
"Ah, Doctor." Martha's mother walked over.
"Do you know where they went?" Rita asked.
"Upstairs, I think. Why?" Leo answered.
"Doctor"
The Doctor and Rita ran past heading upstairs. The Stone managed to dodge the woman, however, the Doctor wasn't so lucky and accidentally knocked Martha's mothers drink.
"I'm speaking to you!" She shouted.
"Now you really have done it." Rita groaned running with the Doctor heading upstairs.
"Not now, Mum." Martha ran off with the Time Lords.
They ran into Lazarus' office after exiting the lift.
"Where are they?" Martha asked.
"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." He scanned the area with his sonic screwdriver.
"I think I have an idea of where he is." Rita brought out her own sonic from a pocket she had in a zip in her dress and quickly scanned the room.
"You have pockets in that dress?" The Doctor asked.
"Do I look like Donna?" She asked grinning then looking at her sonic and swallowed hard. She then slowly pointed hers upwards as the Doctor also did.
"But this is the top floor," Martha told them. Rita gave her a look as if to tell her to think. She then gave out a gasp. "The roof."
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The Doctor stepped out onto the roof Rita standing behind him. "Falls the Shadow." He finished for Lazarus.
"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot." Lazarus turned around. "I'm impressed."
"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish hissed at her sister.
"Tish, get away from him." Martha pleaded.
"What?" She snapped. "Don't tell me what to do."
"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all." He commented.
"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four."
"That isn't how it works Lazarus, you don't get to decide that," Rita told him.
"Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty." The Doctor added. "It's not the time that matters, it's the person."
"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus hissed at them.
"Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself."
"Who are you to judge me?" He snapped.
"Oh, you have no idea." Rita snapped back at him.
"Over here, Tish," Martha whispered to her sister gesturing for her to move away from Lazarus.
Tish frowned then snapped at her sister. "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."
"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha shouted seeing what was happening behind her sisters back.
"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." She heard the cry of Lazarus and turned around seeing what was now a massive bony creature with a human face.
"What's that?" Tish shakily asked slowly backing away from it. The Doctors and Rita's eyes widened.
He then grabbed her hand and shouted: "Run!" The Doctor pulled Rita who pulled Martha away, Tish screamed as Martha grabbed her sister following the Doctor and Rita. They ran through the door and the Doctor locked it with his sonic screwdriver once everyone was inside.
"Are you okay?" Martha asked checking her sister.
"I was going to snog him." Tish cried out.
"Humans" Rita scoffed rolling her eyes. "Almost became a giant human scorpions snack and you're worried about almost snogging him?"
"Not the best time for sarcasm there Stone." The Doctor remarked. Rita rolled her eyes and looked up seeing the lights flicker as the door started to make a banging noise.
"Security one. Security one. Security one." They heard through a speaker, all of the lights then cut out around them.
"What's happening?" Martha asked looking at Tish.
"An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits." She explained.
"He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!" The Doctor shouted pulling Rita down the stairs with him, Martha and Tish behind them.
They all looked back hearing a loud crash and growl from up the stairs.
"He's inside!" Martha cried.
"We haven't got much time!" The Doctor shouted.
They continued down the stairs. "Rita you have to help everyone get out, go with Martha"
"Oh no, I'm not leaving you to do something stupid." She told him running down the stairs.
"Rita you have to help them, if they don't get out somehow then he will kill them all."
"Fine but don't do anything you know I wouldn't agree with."
"Same goes for you." He told her smirking before hearing a crash and continuing to run down the stairs. They entered the reception room and the Doctor turned to Tish.
"Tish, is there another way out of here?" He asked.
"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now." She replied.
The Doctor threw her his sonic screwdriver. "Martha, setting fifty-four. Hurry."
"What about you?" Rita asked.
"Rita if I know you, you have a plan. Now go" he ordered. They nodded and ran for the door.
"Martha point and press that button at the door. Trust me." Rita told her before running off in another direction heading towards the machine Lazarus used to make himself younger.
"Listen to me!" The Doctor shouted standing up on a table. "You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"
"Don't be ridiculous." A woman scoffed. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."
Rita looked up from what she was doing hearing the screams of people outside. 'Keep it away Doctor' she thought to herself hoping that he would sort of know her plan. She then used her sonic on the panel and began to pull out some of the wires.
"Been a while since I have done anything like this." She muttered continuing to carefully bring out the wires from the gap in the machine.
"Leo!" Martha's mother screamed as her son was hit by Lazarus who was now giant the scorpion-like monster.
"Over here!" Martha shouted. "This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"
"Come on," Rita muttered quickly but taking care in using her sonic on wires.
"Lazarus! Leave them alone." The Doctor shouted standing by the machine. Rita looked up sonic between her teeth seeing the Doctor standing by the door blocking it, she moved over slightly looking through the gap and sighing. Lazarus then turned towards the Doctor. Martha ran over to her family as the Doctor slowly backed away from the machine in the opposite direction allowing Martha to save her family.
"Martha." Her mother cried out holding Leo who looked dazed.
"Come on, stay with me." She told her brother moving away. "You're okay."
"What's the point?!" The Doctor shouted at Lazarus. "You can't control it! The mutation's too strong! Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus!" He screamed continuing to back up. "A footnote in the history of failure!" He then ran down a corridor.
"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked.
"He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it." She turned to her brother. "Leo, look at me. Focus on me. Let's see your eyes."
"That will do for now," Rita mumbled stepping out of the machine and running over to Martha looking at her brother.
"He has concussion." She stated causing Martha to turn around and hug the brunette.
"You okay?" Martha asked.
"I'm fine." She smiled softly then turned to Martha's mother. "Mrs Jones you will need to help him downstairs."
Martha then grabbed some ice and a napkin handing it to her mother. "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! We'll be right behind you." She told them pushing them away. "Tish, move! We need to get out of here." She shouted.
They ran over to the door where people were screaming to be let out.
"We can't get out. We're trapped!" Tish cried
"There must be an override switch." Martha looked around. "Where's the security desk?" She asked getting no answer she shouted. "Tish!"
"There." She pointed.
"Martha go I'll stay with these people, you know what to do," Rita told her. Martha nodded jumping over the desk running over to the control panel and running the Doctors sonic screwdriver over it.
The lights then flickered on and Rita laughed in joy opening the doors and watching the people run out.
"Martha come on!" Tish shouted going to run outside. Martha looked at her sister then at Rita.
"Martha I have to go back, you know I do." Rita sadly told her. "I have to help him. I need the sonic Martha." She held out her hand for it. "You can't come with me it's too dangerous."
"Why are you going then?" Martha asked. "He wouldn't want you to go because it's too dangerous." She protected.
"Because I-" she sighed looking at the ground while running a hand through her hair. "Stay here!" She shouted running towards the corridor the Doctor had headed to completely forgetting about the Doctors sonic screwdriver from being too busy worrying about the Doctor.
She turned around hearing footsteps behind her and groaned seeing Martha running up to her. "Martha go back." She warned.
"No, plus you forgot his sonic." She held it up causing Rita to blink.
"I was too busy." She groaned making an excuse.
"Busy?" Martha frowned.
"Worrying, I should have heard something by now, the Doctor is never one to be quiet."
"You were worried about him." She smirked understanding.
"Yes because I know the idiot he can be sometimes." She sighed then opened her mouth to speak again. There was suddenly an explosion. Rita's eyes automatically darted to the direction of it and sprinted towards it Martha following behind. Rita attempted to skid to a stop but collided with a person causing her to almost fall over. Martha however successfully stopped.
The Doctor looked down and realised who it was. He sighed burying his face into her neck as she did the same to him glad that he was alive and not a skeleton lying on the floor.
"Never be that quiet again." She murmured into his neck.
"If you say so." He laughed then let her go. "What are you two doing here?" He asked noticing Martha standing a little behind Rita.
"We're returning this. The Stone thought you might need it."
"How did you?" He looked at Rita.
"Oh come on Doctor when don't you go around creating a racket." She rolled her eyes.
"I blasted Lazarus." He replied. Her eyebrows raised and Martha asked: "Did you kill him?"
They heard a loud roar and the Doctor instantly grabbed Rita's hand tightly. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say." The Doctor pulled Rita and ran back to the reception area with Martha following behind them.
"What now? We've just gone round in a circle." Martha asked.
"We can't lead him outside." The Doctor looked around.
"I'm not finished but if I work quickly," Rita muttered running a hand through her hair. "It will have to do." She sighed stepping into the sonic microfield manipulator.
The Doctor then stepped inside as well and turned to Martha. "Come on, get in."
"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.
"No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece." The Doctor replied.
"And I bet that he won't destroy it, not even to get at us." Rita replied then muttered: "Hopefully"
"But we're trapped."
"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."
"You mean you two don't have a plan?" Martha asked them.
"Yes, I do," Rita replied. "But I'm not finished, so currently I have nothing." She sighed. "This really isn't for three people." She muttered. "Apologies." She started to slide down the side.
"Hey!" Martha cried.
"I did say sorry," Rita muttered opening the panel she had opened earlier backup.
"Doctor be a dear and help me please." She groaned. "There is no way I can get all of this done in the time needed on my own. I even started this earlier."
"Okay, okay." He crouched down beside her.
"Hey!" Martha said again and the Doctor quickly apologised: "Sorry, sorry, sorry."
"Here we are." He muttered helping the brunette take out more wires and now processors.
"What're you going to do with that?" She asked them.
"Improvise because I never got to finish this," Rita replied.
"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?" Martha asked.
"No, for once it's strictly human in origin." The Doctor answered.
"Human? How can it be human?" She asked.
"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant." Rita replied then placed her sonic between her teeth messing with more wires.
"So it's a throwback?" She asked. Rita started to mumble her sonic still between her teeth. "What?" She looked at Rita.
"I think she is saying that some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake." He raised a brow at Rita who nodded and removed her sonic from between her teeth then muttered: "Yeah thanks."
"It's like Pandora's box." Martha guessed.
The two Time Lords both nodded then the Doctor commented. "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way."
"Better than the Stones?" Martha asked, Rita then groaned.
The Doctor looked at her feet and smirked. "Of course you wouldn't wear heels."
"I hate them so much but this is not the time for laughing Doctor." She shivered.
There was a whirling noise which caused Rita to swallow and started to pick up the pace with what she was doing.
"What's happening?" Martha worryingly asked.
"Sounds like he's switched the machine on." The Doctor also started to work much faster.
"And that's not good, is it?" Martha asked.
"Not really, no. Even when I started earlier this isn't finished."
"We were hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work it out." The Doctor added.
"I don't want to hurry you both, but-"
"We know, we know." The Doctor automatically replied. "Nearly done."
"Well, what're you doing?" Martha then asked.
"We're trying to set the capsule to reflex the energy so he get's hit and we don't become man-eating scorpions." She muttered. "I was trying to do it earlier but then I heard someone shouting at a hungry giant scorpion." She glared at the Doctor.
"It was either that or he would have killed Martha's mother and brother." The Doctor protested.
"Sweetheart I know but now is not the time!" She raised her voice.
"Will that kill it?" Martha asked them looking slightly sickened at how fast the Time Lords were now working.
"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin." The Doctor said extremely fast.
"We're going to end up like him!" Martha cried.
"Just one more!" He shouted ripping the wire.
They heard the loud crash and the machine slowly stopping. Rita breathed out a sigh. The Doctor took her hand and opened the machine door then stepped out.
"I thought we were going to go through the blender then." Martha joked.
"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity." The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded in agreement. "I must be a bit out of practice."
"As am I." She shrugged.
They looked over and saw the body of the young naked Lazarus lying faced down on the floor.
"Oh, God." Martha gasped. "He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful."
"Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor softly replied. His eyes then shifted to Rita and he telepathically asked her: "are you okay?"
She swallowed for a moment shifting her gaze to his brow eyes that looked over at her, so old but yet so wise, kind and soft. "Knowing that you're alive and okay? Yeah, I'm good."
"Rita." He stared into her hazel eyes as she continued to stare into his brown ones. "I-" he looked at her seeing a saddend look on her face when he stopped. "We better go." He said quickly and she nodded.
"Come on Martha, we can't do anything else." She sighed slightly wishing that whatever he was going to say that he continued.
They headed out of the building the Doctors arm linked with Rita's while Martha walked a little in front of them.
The ambulance then appeared and ran inside to take Lazarus away.
"She's here." Tish cried running over to Martha. "Oh, she's all right."
"Ah, Mrs Jones." The Doctor smiled. "We still haven't finished our chat." He then was taken back by the hard slap across his cheek.
"Doctor!" Rita shouted pulling him back and placing a hand on his cheek.
"Keep away from my daughter!" She shouted. "The both of you!"
"Mum, what are you doing?!" Martha asked in horror.
"All of the mothers, every time." The Doctor muttered.
"Sweetheart you'll be fine." Rita rolled her eyes. "But are you okay?" She asked in concern and he nodded. She knew Mrs Jones would have been extremely angry but she didn't see a hard enough slap like that almost knocking the Doctor to the floor.
"They're dangerous!" She shouted at Martha. "I've been told things!"
"What are you talking about?" Martha angrily shouted at her mother.
"Look around you." Mrs Jones waved her hands around. "Nothing but death and destruction!" She screamed at her daughter trying to get her to listen. The ambulance then turned on its sirens and left.
"This isn't their fault!" Martha shouted ripping her hands away from her mother, stepping beside a rather confused Rita who cupped the Doctors cheek. "They saved us, all of us!"
"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place." Leo interrupted. "I'd say technically, it's her fault. Tish then elbowed Leo and a large crash was heard. The Doctor and Rita then looked at each other and ran off.