A/N: Part 1 of World War Three. I'm a bit nervous about posting this one, but I've been told to take a leap.
Previously: "There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."
"Nothing to do with me," the Wolf claimed. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing."
"Whoever these aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while."
"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"
The former Margaret Blaine snatched Ganesh and shoved him against the wall. He choked.
The Wolf fell to her knees from the force of the shock. She desperately tried to keep a hold of her thoughts, but a scream forced its way out of her mouth as the pain took over.
Slitheen
Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart stared suspiciously at the policeman who had, in his opinion, invaded his home. The officer had claimed that he was there for his protection, but the Brigadier knew that UNIT kept his identity for government eyes only. The local police would have no way of discerning his and his family's whereabouts. The Brigadier may have been getting on in years and be all but retired from active duty, but he was still sharp, and UNIT still called him up whenever they were in too deep, which was always.
"Excuse me, Officer, but what did they send you for, again?" he asked politely. "My protection, you say?"
"Ah, yes sir," the portly man replied. "We have reason to believe that you are in danger from the alien threat.
"Right, the crash of course." The Brig stood up and walked casually around the room. "The crash I was called in to 10 Downing for, so, you'll excuse me, but, why, exactly, am I in danger?"
"Well, your association with the Wolf, or course," the policeman stated, as though it was obvious.
"I see." That was all the Brigadier needed to know. He may not have seen her in years, but the Wolf always knew how to find trouble. "I'll just go upstairs and fetch my daughter down, shall I?"
"Oh, yes, yes, quite. We must deal with this Wolf situation at once," the officer said.
"Undoubtedly." The Brigadier quickly went up the stairs to his daughter's room. "Kate?"
"Yes?" the eighteen-year-old answered from inside.
The Brig entered. "Get my handgun from my room and wait on the stairs for me. We have a situation," he ordered.
Kate knew when to obey her father without hesitation. She stood immediately. "What's going on, Father?"
"I'm not sure yet, Kate. But I don't trust the officer downstairs, especially with that spaceship in the Thames for all the world to see. And UNIT communications indicate the Wolf is in the middle of it."
"The Wolf is in London? She's back?" Kate asked, excited. She had grown up on stories of the Wolf and her exploits, but the Wolf had gone long before Kate had been able to meet her.
"Yes, I believe so, now do as I say Kate," he told her. "And bring your cell phone."
"Yes, Father." Kate ran to do as she was told.
The Brigadier went back down to confront the supposed officer. "Now. Officer, I thank you for the warning, but I must bid you good day. I was told that it was a national emergency and to be at 10 Downing Street immediately; an appointment you have made me tardy for. I must ask you to leave."
"Ah, yes sir, I was afraid we would hit this little snag. You see, the Wolf is a dangerous person, and anyone associated with her is dangerous. And that's my job. Eliminating trouble." He carried on in a happy tone. "Actually, I was quite hoping you would prove difficult. I do so love a good hunt." The officer reached for his hairline.
"Kate!" the Brig yelled. His daughter ran down the stairs and gave him his hand gun. He aimed at the officer who now had blue light shining from his forehead. "To the kitchen, Kate," he ordered. The kitchen was easily barricaded and had the only back exit. Kate ran to the back of the house while the Brigadier kept his gun trained on the officer. He looked on in amazement as a tall, green, alien body emerged from the officer's.
While the alien was distracted with getting its feet out of the skin suit, the Brigadier adjusted his aim and shot it through the shoulder. It roared in pain and anger, and the Brig took the opportunity to follow his daughter to the kitchen.
When he was almost there, there was a fresh bellow of pain from the alien. The Brigadier looked back, and saw the alien enveloped in a blue light that seemed to come from a collar around its neck. Blessing good fortune, he helped Kate to barricade the door. When that was done, the Brigadier took a moment to feel grateful that his wife was out of town visiting relatives for the week. Kate was interested in the military; Doris was not.
The Wolf forced herself to concentrate, gaining control of the pain. She reached up to the ID card hanging at her chest, and ripped it off. She took a deep breath as the electricity stopped coursing through her body and the pain lifted.
"Deadly to humans, maybe," the Wolf said through gritted teeth as she slowly staggered to her feet. She shoved the badge against the collar the Slitheen out in the open was wearing around its neck, and the electricity caused it and Green to shriek in pain. The Wolf took off.
Margaret Blaine dropped Indra Ganesh as some sort of lightning or electricity poured out from the collar around her neck. Ganesh did not move. John stared in shock for a moment, before grabbing Harriet Jones' hand and tugging her out of the room, steering well clear of Blaine.
John tried to pull her down a corridor, but Harriet stopped him. "No, wait! They're still in there." John looked at her, confused. "The Emergency Protocols. We need them!" She turned and ran back to the Cabinet Room. John rolled his eyes and followed.
Just as he got back to the Cabinet Room, Harriet screamed and ran out, empty-handed. John took a look in, then ran as well when he saw Blaine had recovered and was giving chase. John and Harriet ran along the second floor, closing the doors whenever they left a room, only for them to be broken open by Blaine seconds later.
Finally, John dragged Harriet into a room and closed the door. Harriet stared at him. "Hide!" he told her. He shoved her behind a curtain while he scooted behind a screen nearer to the door, assuming they would go for the nearest prey.
Blaine burst in.
The Wolf hid behind a cupboard as the former Green and General emerged from the lift. She was growing rather weary of running around and hiding. She hadn't seen John in ages, and had no idea where he was or whether he was dead or not, and was getting upset about that fact. When the two aliens had safely passed, she followed at a careful distance, picking up a fire extinguisher along the way.
The Slitheen led the Wolf through a series of rooms, all of which had had their doors bashed in. The Wolf was growing increasingly worried for John's safety. Eventually, they led to one last door, where a third alien was present and appeared to be waiting. The Wolf lingered a little ways away from the door, waiting for an opportune moment, and hoping to maybe gather some information.
"My brothers," Blaine greeted.
"Happy hunting?" Green asked.
"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."
"Sweat and fear."
"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones."
"And a strong young man, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before he snaps."
"Age before beauty, you think, Sister?" the former General asked.
"Oh yes, save the best for last, Brother." Blain pulled back the curtain roughly. Harriet screamed.
John jumped out from behind the screen. "Oi! Queen Farts-a-lot and her minions! Me first!"
The Wolf rolled her eyes at John's audacity as she leapt into action. She burst into the room and blasted the Slitheen with CO2 from the fire extinguisher. "Out! With me!" she yelled. John pulled the curtain down over Blaine's head, allowing Harriet to get to the Wolf. He followed.
"Who the hell are you?" the Wolf asked, looking at Harriet.
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North." John was surprised she didn't pull out her badge.
"Nice to meet you," the Wolf replied.
"Likewise."
The Wolf used up the rest of the fire extinguisher before all three made their escape out into the corridor. "We need to get to the Cabinet Room!" the Wolf yelled over her shoulder as they ran.
"The Emergency Protocols are in there," Harriet spoke up. "They give instructions for aliens."
The Wolf grinned. "Harriet Jones, I like you."
"And I like you too." Harriet smiled back.
The Slitheen had long since recovered and were giving chase. The trio led them back through the broken doors, up the stairs, all the way back to the Cabinet room, where the whole adventure had begun. The Wolf grabbed a decanter of brandy from a side table and blocked the doorway, holding up her sonic screwdriver to the glass.
"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol," she warned. "Whoof, we all go up. So back off," she growled. The aliens took one step back. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"
"They're aliens," Harriet told her.
"Yes. I got that, thanks," she replied condescendingly.
"Who are you, if not human?" Green asked.
"Who's not human?" Harriet inquired.
"She's not human," John muttered quietly.
"She's not human?"
"Can I have a bit of hush?" the Wolf asked impatiently.
"Sorry."
The Wolf turned back to the Slitheen. "So what's the plan?"
"But she's got a London accent," Harriet whispered.
"Three hundred and thirty-two planets have a London," John answered.
"I said hush," the Wolf ordered over her shoulder. "Come on," she told the Slitheen. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of the government. What for? Invasion?"
"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" one asked derisively.
"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"
"The Slitheen race?"
"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname," one said proudly. "Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen, at your service."
"So, you're family," John confirmed.
"A family business."
"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?" the Wolf asked.
"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?" the former General asked.
The Wolf raised her eyebrows. "Is that what I said?" she asked innocently.
"You're making it up," he accused.
"Ah well. Nice try!" she said cheerfully. She handed the decanter over to Harriet. "Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it."
Harriet was busy clutching onto the Emergency Protocols she had finally gotten her hands back on. "You pass it to the left first.
The Wolf passed it over to John. "Sorry."
John took it. "Thanks," he said.
The Slitheen held up their claws threateningly. "Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter."
"Don't you think we should run?" John asked the Wolf.
The Wolf grinned. "Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. Now, he was a nice man." She was in full lecture mode. "1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson!" The Wolf lifted a small wall panel and pressed the button underneath. Metal shutters crashed down across the windows and doors as the Slitheen stared in disbelief. "Installed in 1991," she stated happily. "Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."
"Hate to point out the obvious," John started, "but how do we get out?"
The Wolf stared at him for a moment, then at a wall. She sighed. "Ah."
"Kate, do you have your cell phone?" the Brigadier asked. Judging by the lack of bellowing in the other room, he figured the alien had somehow figured out how to stop the electricity.
"Yes," she answered.
"Good. Call this in to UNIT. We need backup. I'm afraid this affair will require guns, not science."
"Yes, sir." Kate dialed the number her father had had her memorize long ago. After a few moments, she turned back to him. "It just keeps ringing. There's no answer," she reported.
"Keep trying," he told her. The alien hadn't attempted to break in yet, but the Brigadier had no doubt that he would try, and soon.
A/N: Surprise!
Most of this episode, especially the next chapter, involves very important conversation over a phone, and I didn't know who to have them call since Mike is not Mickey. So ta-da! I brought the Brig back, and I introduced Kate early! I took a little liberty with her age. She's younger here than she should be, probably by about a decade. Hopefully I didn't just ruin the whole thing by throwing those two in…