"Hello" - Speech
"Hello" - Gallifreyan
'Hello' - Mental Speech
The Doctor, The Teacher, Rose and Jack were all in the Tardis - the three men working on the Tardis, fixing it in places here and there - while Rose leant against the console, waiting for Mickey to arrive with her passport.
Jack moved over to answer the door as knocking could be heard against it, "Who the hell are you?" Jack asked as he opened the door - Mickey standing on the other side.
"What do you mean, who the hell am I?" Mickey replied, "Who the hell are you?"
"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying."
"Get out of my way!" Mickey said as he pushed past Jack and into the Tardis.
"Don't tell me." Jack called out as he shut the door, "This must be Mickey."
"Ricky." The Teacher corrected from under the console.
"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?" The Doctor shouted down happily as he looked down at Mickey from where he was standing on a ladder - working on some wires, with a light strapped to his head.
"It's Mickey!" Mickey called out, as he walked over to Rose, who was still standing by the console.
"It's Ricky." The Teacher corrected once more, causing Mickey to shoot him a glare.
"Don't listen to them, they're winding you up." Rose reassured him.
"You look fantastic." Mickey smiled as the two of them hugged.
"Aw, sweet, look at these two." Jack cooed, before calling up to the Doctor, "How come I never get any of that?"
"Buy me a drink first." The Doctor called back.
"You're such hard work."
"But worth it."
"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked as she pulled away from Mickey.
"There you go." Mickey said as he handed over her passport.
"I can go anywhere now." Rose said with a grin, showing it to the Doctor and the Teacher, who had just emerged from under the console.
"We did tell you that you don't need a passport." The Teacher said, still led on the floor, but no longer under the console.
"It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it." Rose said, rolling her eyes, "You see, I'm prepared for anything."
"We do have psychic paper for a reason." The Teacher said as he stood up - Rose sending him a look as he spoke.
"Sounds like you're staying, then." Mickey commented sadly, leading to an awkwards silence before Mickey spoke again. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash?" He gestured to Jack, "I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there and Grandad."
"Oi!" The Doctor called out as the Teacher just laughed.
"Look in the mirror." Mickey shot back. "But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of…"
"Handsome?" Jack smirked.
"More like cheesy."
"Early twenty first Century slang... Is cheesy good or bad?"
"It's bad."
"But bad means good, isn't that right?" Jack asked, before dropping his smile as the Teacher just patted his shoulder as he passed by.
"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked as he climbed down the ladder - his question went ignored by everyone in the Tardis.
"We just stopped off. We need to refuel." Rose explained to Mickey. "The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."
"The rift was healed back in 1869." The Doctor commented.
"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it." Rose picked up.
"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race," The Teacher explained.
"But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and," The Doctor continued.
"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation." Jack added.
"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose said.
"Into time!" Jack shouted.
"And space!" All four of them said at the same time.
"My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Mickey scoffed.
"Yeah." The Doctor stated.
"Oh yes." The Teacher said.
"Yeah." Rose agreed.
"Yep!" Jack laughed, slapping Mickey on the face lightly.
~O~
The five of them walked out of the Tardis, The Doctor looking back at the Tardis as he left. "Should take another twenty four hours," He guessed, "which means we've got time to kill."
"That old lady's staring." Mickey pointed out, the rest of them turning to see a woman looking at them all, confused.
"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box." Jack suggested with a small laugh.
"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?" Mickey mocked, causing Jack to give him a 'whatever' gesture before walking off. "Wait... the Tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"
"Yeah, what's with the police box?" Jack paused. "Why does it look like that?"
"It's a cloaking device." Rose said, not really understanding the detail of it, but wanting to show off a bit.
"The Tardis has a device called a chameleon circuit, which allows it to disguise itself perfectly with wherever it lands." The Teacher explained.
"Like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something." The Doctor continued the explanation. "But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."
"You broke it." The Teacher deadpanned, causing the Doctor to shoot him a look.
"So it copied a real thing?" Mickey asked, observing the box. "There actually was police boxes?"
"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell." The Doctor explained to him.
"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack frowned.
"I've taken a look at it." The Teacher cut in before The Doctor could answer, "I don't know what he did to it, but it's beyond saving."
"I like it!" The Doctor shouted, almost offended, "don't you?"
"I love it." Rose grinned.
"But that's what I meant." Mickey smirked. "There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"
"Ricky, let me tell you something about the human race." The Doctor sighed, "You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it. Now, stop your nagging. Let's go and explore."
"What's the plan?" Rose asked, as the five of them began to walk.
"I don't know." The Doctor smiled, "Cardiff, early twenty first century and the wind's coming from the... east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe."
"Knowing our look, that was a very bad thing to say." The Teacher chuckled, the Doctor nodding in agreement.
~O~
The five of them were sitting around a table in a small cafe, The Doctor, The Teacher and MIckey sat on one side of the table, while Jack and Rose sat on the other side - all of them laughing as Jack was telling a story. "I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks!"
"You're lying through your teeth!" The Doctor laughed out with a shake of his head.
"I'd have gone bonkers!" Rose laughed, "That's the word - bonkers!"
"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy…"
"How could you not know it was there?" The Teacher asked, shaking his head while laughing.
"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked-"
"Naked?!" Rose shouted in laughter.
"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"
"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey cut him off with the punchline - causing them all to break out into more laughter.
"That's my line!"
"I don't believe you. I don't believe a word you say ever. That is so brilliant." Rose said, still laughing.
The Doctor smiled at them before frowning as he turned to see a newspaper that a man at the table next to them was reading. 'Teacher, look." The Doctor said mentally to the Teacher, pointing out the picture on the paper - making the Teacher frown.
"Did you ever get your clothes back?"
"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle." Jack continued his story. "Didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes. I was shaking. It was unbelievable. It freaked me out, and by the time I got fifteen light years away I realised I'm like this."
The two time lords stood and took the paper from the man, looking closer at the article which featured a picture of Margaret - one of the Slitheen they thought had been killed in Downing Street - showing her to be the current Mayor of Cardiff.
"And I was having such a nice day." The Doctor sighed, as the Teacher held up the newspaper to show the rest what they were frowning at.
~O~
All five of them walked up the steps into the City Hall building, coming to a stop in the middle of the foyer - looking to see if there was anyone else about.
"According to intelligence," Jack began, "the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, Teacher, you two go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four." He stated, before turning his head to look at each of them, "Have you got that?"
The Doctor looked at Jack with raised eyebrows, "Excuse me." He cut in, sounding offended, "Who's in charge?"
Jack smiled sheepishly, "Sorry." Before turning to the Teacher. "Awaiting orders, sir."
The Teacher just chuckled as the Doctor muttered too low to hear, "Nice plan Jack, we'll go with that."
Jack Nodded, smiling proudly at the praise, "Present arms." He stated as they each pulled out a mobile phone while calling back "Ready" - all except from the Teacher as he was going with the Doctor. "Speed dial?"
"Yup." The Doctor nodded.
"Ready." Rose smiled widely.
"Check." Mickey chuckled.
"See you in hell." Jack grinned before running off to the right, The Doctor, The Teacher and Rose walked straight, before Rose split off from the two at a different exit.
"Now don't be jealous kiddo," The Teacher joked, "Just because they see me as the leader…"
The Doctor just rolled his eyes as they walked, "Please, you're too old now anyway." He shot back.
The Teacher raised a hand to his chest in mock hurt, "You wound me." He chuckled. "You better wish you're in as good a shape as I am when you reach my age."
"What's your secret then?" The Doctor asked sarcastically.
"Doesn't hurt to moisturize…" The Teacher said, patting the Doctor on the shoulder, as they came to the mayor's office, both of them walking towards a young man sitting in front of the office at a desk.
"Hello, We've come to see the Lord Mayor." The Doctor said happily.
"Have you got an appointment?" The man said, looking up from his work at them.
"No, we're just some old friend passing by." The Teacher said, "Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face." He added, grinning.
"Well, she's just having a cup of tea..."
"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor and the Teacher would like to see her." The Doctor said with a small smirk.
"Sorry, Doctor and Teacher who?" The man asked, confused.
"Just the Doctor and the Teacher. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor and the Teacher." The Doctor said, again smirking as the Teacher just nodded and smiled happily at the man.
"Hang on a tick." The man said as he went into the mayor's office.
"Chances she tries to escape?" The Teacher said, turning to the Doctor.
Before the Doctor had the chance to answer, they both heard a teacup smash to the floor - "I'd say quite high." - the man coming back out, looking to the men stood there quite sheepishly.
"The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but... er... she's up to her eyes in paperwork." He stammered out, "Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?"
"She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?" The Doctor asked with a smile.
"Yes, she is." The man replied, backing down very quickly.
The Doctor and the Teacher both nodded at the man before pushing past him into the room - the Doctor pulled out his phone, pressing a button before speaking into it, "Slitheen heading north." - getting confident replies from Jack and Rose, while Mickey seemed more shocked.
As both men ran out onto the balcony in an attempt to stop Margaret from escaping, her assistant ran out to them and began wrestling the Doctor as to prevent him from getting to her. "Leave the Mayor alone!"
While the Doctor was busy wrestling with the man, The Teacher was able to squeeze past, just as Margaret reached the bottom of the ladder - he ran after her as she turned a corner, and began taking off her broach - both her and the Teacher noticed Rose running towards them from the opposite direction - Jack also coming towards them, while the Doctor came from behind the Teacher. Margaret continued to run in the only direction not blocked off - the one that Mickey was supposed to be guarding.
"Who's on Exit Four?" Jack asked, breathing heavily as they all came to a stop - Margaret still running away from them.
"That was Mickey!" Rose said, as Mickey ran out of the building, "Here I am."
"Mickey the idiot." The Doctor sighed.
"Ricky." The Teacher corrected, almost without thinking about it, as he noticed Margaret fiddling with something.
"Oh, be fair." Rose defended, "she's not exactly going to outrun us, is she?" She said, just as Margaret disappeared.
"She's got a teleport!" Jack shouted. "That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her."
"Oh, the Doctor's very good at teleports." Rose said, as the Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver - Margaret reappeared, this time running towards them, before she realised and turned - vanishing once again.
This time, it was the Teacher who called her back, using his sonic pen - however she just disappeared once more. This continued for a few more rounds, as Margaret was just getting closer to them.
"We could do this all day." The Doctor said to her.
"This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone?" Margaret shouted. "What did I ever do to you?"
"You tried to kill us and destroy this entire planet." The Doctor deadpanned.
"Apart from that…"
~O~
The five of them walked into the exhibition room, showing the designs for the nuclear plant. "So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped." The Doctor said, "Your family gets killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station... But what for?"
"A philanthropic gesture." Margaret replied simply. "I've learnt the error of my ways."
"I'm sure." The Teacher scoffed. "I'm also sure that it's just some coincidence that it just so happens to be right on top of the rift."
"What rift would that be?" Margaret asked innocently.
"A rift in space and time." Jack turned to her, "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go Shwhwhw-Boom!" He said as he made a rather exaggerated exploding gesture.
"You've designed the plant to explode the minute it reaches capacity." The Teacher mused as he looked at the model.
"Didn't anyone notice?" Rose frowned. "Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"
"We're in Cardiff." Margaret scoffed. "London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice…. Oh…. I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."
"Please." The Teacher scoffed once more, "Someone will have noticed, but you wouldn't let them talk would you?" He said, growing more angry as he got closer to her. "I wonder how much innocent blood is on your hands now, and yet you still have the gall to deny it..." He trailed off, turning away from her - he walked over to the model again and pulled out his notebook - frowning as he noticed something odd about the centre of it.
"But why would she do that?" Mickey frowned, being the first one to speak as the room had gone quiet at the Teacher's quiet demonstration of his anger. "A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself."
"She's got a name, you know." Margaret said as she glared at him.
"She's not even a SHE, she's a… thing."
"Oh, but she's clever." The Doctor said as he saw the Teacher pull out the middle section of the model - turning it over to reveal it being full of electronics. "Fantastic."
"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack called out excitedly, as he moved to get a closer look at it.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Jack, "Couldn't have put it better myself," growing more impressed with him.
The Teacher looked at the extrapolator in disgust - more of Margaret's plan coming to him, making him even angrier than he already was.
"Ooh, genius!" Jack called out, before turning to Margaret. "You didn't build this."
"I have my hobbies." Margaret said dismissively, "A little tinkering…"
"No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you."
The Doctor looked up from the extrapolator, noticing the banner that was hung on the end wall - reading 'Blaidd Drwg', frowning in concern as he read those words that he had seen so many times before.
"I bet she stole it." Mickey stated.
"It fell into my hands." Margaret said, neither confirming nor denying the accusation.
"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked.
"It's transport." Jack clarified. "You see, if the reactor blows, the rift opens. Phenomenal cosmic disaster. But this thing shrouds you in a forcefield. You have this energy bubble, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top," he stood on top of it, "and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system."
"It's a surfboard." Mickey exclaimed
"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."
"And it would've worked." Margaret cut in, "I'd have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilisation."
"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey gaped in shock.
"Like stepping on an anthill."
"Just when I thought you could disgust me no further." The Teacher commented, leaning on the table with his fists clenched in anger. He turned to her, his face serious, but his voice stayed at one level. "Last time you threatened this planet, we stopped you, yet you were able to survive - do not expect that you will be so lucky this time." The Teacher gritted out, once more shocking everyone in the room - well, everyone except the Doctor.
"How'd you think of the name?" The Doctor asked, looking at the banner still.
'Thank you.' He heard the Teacher say to him mentally, understanding that he had moved the conversation on to allow him to calm himself.
"What, Blaidd Drwg?" Margaret frowned, "It's Welsh."
"I know, but how did you think of it?"
"I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?"
"Blaidd Drwg…." The Teacher muttered.
"What's it mean?" Rose frowned, looking between the two time lords - both of them seeming distressed by the words.
"Bad Wolf." The Teacher answered.
"But I've heard that before…" Rose breathed out, her eyes widening in fear. "Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times."
"Everywhere we go…. Those two words follow us." The Teacher said, seemingly to himself. "Bad Wolf…"
"How can they be following us?"
"Nah, just a coincidence!" The Doctor suddenly called out, seeming much happier than he had been seconds before. "Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind, things to do!" He said, while the Teacher just hummed before turning away from the sign. The Doctor turned to the Slitheen, "Margaret, we're going to take you home."
"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack said, shocked.
"I don't believe it!" Rose cheered in excitement, "We actually get to go to Raxa... Wait a minute! Raxacor…"
"Raxacoricofallapatorius." The Doctor said, very quickly.
"Raxacorico…" Rose started.
"fallapatorius." The Teacher said much slower, helping Rose to sound it out.
"Raxacoricofallapatorius." Rose said, The Teacher pulled her in for a one armed hug. "That's it! I did it!"
The Teacher ruffled her hair as he let go of her, "Well done kiddo!"
"They have the death penalty." Margaret cut in, silence befalling the room. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor?" She said to the man, not bothering to ask the Teacher his opinion, as she was able to guess his stance. "Take me home and you take me to my death."
"Not my problem." The Doctor remarked, trying to sound indifferent - as the Teacher just glared at the Slitheen.
~O~
The five of them walked through the doors of the Tardis, Margaret following behind them, her eyes wide as she took in the ship. "This ship is impossible. It's superb." She breathed out, "How do you get the outside around the inside?"
"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah." The Doctor scoffed, as he and the Teacher walked over to the console.
"I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods."
"Don't worship us - I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters." The Doctor said, before gesturing to the Teacher, "He'd work you to the bone even more than me." He then turned to Jack, "Jack, how we doing, big fella?"
"This extrapolator's top of the range." Jack remarked, turning to Margaret. "Where did you get it?"
"Oh, I don't know." She waved off, "Some airlock sale?"
"Must've been a great big heist." Jack commented. "It's stacked with power."
"But we can use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked.
"It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours." He said, double checking the extrapolator, "We'll be ready to go by morning."
"Then we're stuck here overnight.
"I'm in no hurry." Margaret remarked.
"We've got a prisoner." Rose smiled, "The police box is really a police box!"
"You're not just police, though." Margaret said with a snarl. "Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you."
"Well, you deserve it." Mickey said defensively.
"You're very quick to say so." She remarked. "You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly?" She looked between them, "Long night ahead Let's see who can look me in the eye." She looked each of them in the eye, but none of them were able to hold her gaze for long - until she came to the Teacher.
Leaning against the console - the Teacher looked at her with a very serious gaze, "I won't lose any sleep over this." The Teacher said, still staring at Margaret - "This is my duty to assure you do no more damage, you escaped from us once and I would be willing to bet you have killed since then, I will not allow it to happen again."
In the end it was Margaret who turned away first - her death seeming more likely than she would like to admit.
~O~
Some time had passed, Rose and Mickey had left the Tardis to spend some time together, leaving the Three men and Margaret alone in the ship. The Doctor watched Rose and Mickey walk away on the scanner, Jack and the Teacher working on the extrapolator in silence.
"So, what's on?" Jack asked the Doctor, as he looked up at him, catching him still staring at the monitor.
"Nothing, just…" The Doctor trailed off.
"I gather it's not always like this, having to wait." Margaret spoke up, muttering darkly as she sat with her back to them. "I bet you two are always the first to leave. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last you have consequences. How does it feel?"
"I didn't butcher them." The Doctor replied, while the Teacher just glared at Margaret - suspicious of her intentions.
"Don't answer back." Jack commented. "That's what she wants."
"I didn't." The Doctor defended. "What about you?" He called to Margaret, "You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?"
"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs." She said, the three men chuckling at that. "It wasn't funny." She glared.
"Sorry." the Doctor said quietly, still grinning. "It is a bit funny."
They began laughing again - this time Margaret joining them. "Do I get a last request?"
The Teacher sobered quickly, turning to her, "That depends what it is."
"I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the Bay. It became quite a favourite of mine."
The Teacher walked over to the railing, leaning as to speak to her better "A final meal, that's your last request?"
"Don't I have rights?"
"Oh, like she's not going to try to escape." Jack scoffed.
"Except I can never escape the Teacher, so where's the danger?" Margaret snapped. Before turning back to look at the Teacher. "I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?"
The Teacher leaned forward slightly, muttering quietly to her, "Don't worry about me, I'm plenty strong enough."
Margaret gulped slightly in fear, "I-I wonder." She stuttered out, trying to regain control of the situation, "I've seen you fight your enemies, now dine with them."
"Trying to change my mind won't work." The Teacher assured her.
"Prove it."
"There are people out there." The Doctor commented from the console. "If she slips away just for one second, they'll be in danger."
"Except, I've got these." Jack said as he held up two bracelets, "You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts."
The Teacher grinned at Jack, before turning back to Margaret, "Well Margaret, Looks like you'll be getting that last meal after all, fancy it?"
"Dinner in bondage... Works for me."
"You two, stay here - look after the Tardis." The Teacher said to the Doctor and Jack - who both nodded in reply, as the Teacher placed his bracelet on, and ensured that Margaret had her own on. They both leave the Tardis to go to the restaurant - leaving Jack and the Doctor to work alone.
~O~
As the Teacher and Margaret sat down to have dinner, they each picked up their menu. "Here we are, out on a date, and you haven't even asked my proper name." Margaret said, as she looked at her menu.
"As If I would ever stoop that low, this isn't a date." The Teacher assured her, before breathing out to calm himself slightly. "What is your name?"
"Blon." Margaret replied. "I am Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. That's what it'll say on my death certificate."
"Well, the pleasures all mine, Blon."
"I'm sure." Margaret said with a sneer, before turning to look out the window. "Look, that's where I was living as Margaret." She said, the Teacher deciding to humour her and look out the window. "Nice little flat, over there, on the top. Next to the one with the light on."
The Teacher was very familiar with Raxicoroicofallapatorians, especially the Slitheen, as he had faced them in an earlier regeneration. He therefore knew the tricks that they possessed and had prepared himself to face them - knowing that as she was speaking, Margaret was pouring poison into his drink.
"Two bedrooms, bayside view. I was rather content... Don't suppose I'll see it again." She said sadly, as they both turned back from the window - the Teacher reaching and out swapping the drinks with a smirk.
"No, I suppose not." He said with a nod.
"Thank you." Margaret said innocently.
"Your welcome." The Teacher muttered as he looked back at his menu.
"Tell me then, Teacher." Margaret said, placing her menu back on the table. "What do you know of our species?"
"Oh, just some bits and pieces." The Teacher waved off, deciding to keep his advanced knowledge of them hidden.
"Did you know, for example, in extreme cases, when her life is in danger, a female Raxacoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart within her own finger?.." She said with a point as she released a dart which the Teacher caught easily.
"Oh yes, I'm well aware of that." The Teacher confirmed, looking at the dart before pocketing it.
"Just checking... And one more thing. between you and me." She said as they both leaned forward to Margaret could whisper. "As a final resort, the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs." She said as she began to exhale the poison, but was stopped as the Teacher sprayed some breath freshener into her open mouth.
"Now that's much better." The Teacher said as he leaned back - opening his menu once more, Margaret glaring at him, "What do I want? Hmm, Sausages maybe?... Bangers and Mash - how about that?" He said with a smile, as Margaret continued to glare as she picked her own menu back up.
After they had both placed their orders, Margaret continued to try and change the Teacher's mind about sending her to her death - her plans to kill him foiled, she moved on to trying to reason with him. "Public executions a slow death..." She began, speaking slowly and darkly. "They prepare a thin acetic acid, lower me into the cauldron and boil me. The acidity is perfectly gauged to strip away the skin. Internal organs fall out into the liquid, and I become soup. And still alive, still screaming."
"These laws were put in place for a reason." The Teacher said, his judgement not wavering. "I didn't make them, I can't change them."
"But you deliver it." Margaret replied. "Will you stay to watch?"
"Is that another last request?" The Teacher asked, "Even if I did decide to spare you, I could never let you off without punishment, much less leaving you here on Earth."
"The Slitheen family's huge." Margaret informed him. "There's a lot more of us, all scattered off-world. Take me to them. Take me somewhere safe."
"Ah, but then if I do that - what's to stop you from starting again?"
"I promise I won't."
"Well, there we go! Problem solved!" The Teacher called out sarcastically. Before turning serious once more. "That promise means nothing to me, I think you forget that you're wearing the skin of a dead woman - a woman you killed and stripped her of her skin." He leaned forward slightly. "Tell me, did you ever check in on her family? Did they ever find out what happened to her? Tell me why you deserve my mercy when you're pleading for it out of a dead woman's lips." He sat back, glaring at her.
"Perhaps I have got used to it. A human life, an ordinary life. That's all I'm asking." She squirmed slightly under his glare. "Give me a chance, Teacher. I can change."
"You had your chance." The Teacher said darkly. "You escaped me once, you didn't need to kill again, but you did, and that tells me everything I need to know."
Margaret let out a sigh of defeat, her eyes turning down to stare at the table. She tried to think of any other ways of convincing him, before remembering the woman that she spared. "I promise you I've changed since we last met, Teacher." She tried. "There was this girl, just today. A young thing, something of a danger. She was getting too close. I felt the blood lust rising, just as the family taught me, I was going to kill her without a thought. And then I stopped. She's alive somewhere right now. She's walking around this city because I can change. I did change. I know I can't prove it..."
"Oh I don't doubt you spared her."
Margaret looked up, hopeful that this would work, "Then you know I'm capable of better."
"Please," He scoffed, "It doesn't mean anything."
"I spared her life!"
"And look at you! Lording it around as if it's something to be proud of!" he shouted at her. "It should be clear that taking an innocent life is the worst thing a person could do, so tell me why I should feel pity or mercy for you, when you've spared one person and killed countless others." He asked her, glaring. "It's nothing new, You let her go, because that's how you learn to live with it - someone smiled nicely, or was so young and alive - that's how you kill without remorse; every now and again you spare one person and see it as an act of kindness." He leaned forward, speaking in a more quiet voice, "The fact that you even consider it that way, makes me sick." He leaned back once more, taking a sip of his water to calm himself.
Margaret glared at him. "Only a killer would know that." The Teacher continued to stare at her, unaffected by her words. "Is that right? From what I've seen, your funny little happy go lucky little life leaves devastation in its wake. Always moving on because you dare not look back. Playing with so many people's lives, you might as well be a god. And you're right, Teacher. You're absolutely right. Sometimes you let one go. Let me go."
"No." The Teacher said simply. "Like I said, I let you go and you kill again - that blood is on my hands as much as it is on yours. You can call me a killer all you like, I wouldn't even disagree, but I don't kid myself of what I am - I accept my actions and aim to do better because of them; knowing that you won't be able to hurt anyone will certainly not pray on my conscience."
Margaret was quiet for a moment, before continuing once more. "In the family Slitheen, we had no choice. I was made to carry out my first kill at thirteen. If I'd refused, my father would have fed me to the Venom Grubs. If I'm a killer, it's because I was born to kill. It's all I know!"
The Teacher however, was not listening to Margaret, and was instead staring outside, hearing a small rumble.
"Teacher, are you even listening to me?"
"Quiet, Can you hear that?" He asked, as he continued to listen for the rumble.
"I'm begging for my life!"
"No, listen, shut up." He said once more as the glasses and plates began to shake wildly within the restaurant, the rumbling growing and causing the window to shatter - the customers screaming frantically as they ran to escape.
They both got up, as the Teacher ran ahead and out of the restaurant, Margaret struggling to follow as the handcuffs activated. "The handcuffs!" She shouted to him, unable to keep up.
The Teacher stopped, waiting for her to get to him before taking her handcuff off. "Don't even think about trying to escape."
"Oh, I'm sticking with you. Some date this turned out to be!" She called out as they reached the Tardis, energy shooting out from the top.
"It's the rift. The rift's opening!" The Teacher shouted out, still running towards the Tardis, running and opening the doors as he and Margaret ran in.
"What the hells going on!?" The Teacher shouted to the Doctor and Jack as they ran around the console.
"It just went crazy!" Jack shouted back.
"It's the rift." the Doctor shouted his explanation. "Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!"
"It's the extrapolator." Jack shouted. "I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the Tardis. I can't stop it!"
"Never mind Cardiff Jack," The Teacher called out, "We don't stop this and it's going to rip open the planet."
"What is it?" Rose shouted as she ran in, slamming the door behind her, "What's happening?!"
"Oh, just little me." Margaret grinned as she revealed a slitheen arm and grabbed Rose by the neck. Both the Doctor and the Teacher moved to run forward to grab her before Margaret moved back warningly. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise."
"I knew something was off." The Teacher muttered.
"I've had you distracted all night, now shut it." Margaret walked closer, still holding on to Rose, before turning to Jack. "You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet."
Jack turned to look at the time lords, who both nodded at him, before he moved to place the extrapolator at her feet. "Thank you. Just as I planned."
"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station." Rose gasped out.
"Failing that, if I were to be... arrested, then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially magpie minds like yours, Doctor, Teacher." She grinned at the two time lords. "So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B." She said as she pulled back on Rose's hair, making her whimper. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule, thanks to you."
"The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet." Jack shouted.
"And you with it!" Margaret said, pushing Rose to the side, she moved to stand on the extrapolator, "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys. Surf's up!"
As she spoke, a panel on the Tardis console opened up, a bright golden light flowing out of it. "Of course," The Doctor spoke up, "opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart."
"So sue me."
"It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My Tardis. The best ship in the universe."
"It'll make wonderful scrap." Margaret sneered.
"What's that light?" Rose asked, struggling to see.
"That's the Heart of the Tardis." The Teacher explained softly to her.
"This ship's alive." The Doctor continued. "You've opened its soul."
"It's so bright." Margaret breathed out, now breathing heavily as she looked into the light.
"Look at it, Margaret."
"Beautiful…."
"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch." The Teacher said to her, "Look at the light." Margaret relaxed, allowing for Rose to run free, she ran to the Teacher who was the closest - who pulled her into a comforting hug, seeing her clearly shaken from being held hostage.
"Thank you…" Margaret whispered as she disappeared into the light - it getting too bright for them to continue looking at it, when the light faded slightly, her empty bodysuit crumpled to the floor.
"Don't look." The Teacher said, as he blocked Rose's eyes from the light, as the Doctor closed the panel - the light fading away.
"Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down." The Doctor ordered, "Shut down! Rose," He said to her, her now being released from the teacher's hug, "that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right." As she did so he and the Teacher began working at the console, the Tardis stopped shaking, " Nicely done. Thank you, all."
"What happened to Margaret?" Rose frowned, looking around the room.
"Must've got burnt up." Jack concluded. "Carried out her own death sentence."
"No, I don't think she's dead." The Doctor muttered, as he kneeled beside the skinsuit.
"Then where'd she go?" Rose frowned.
"She looked into the heart of the Tardis." The Teacher began to explain, "We don't even know how powerful that is, and plus, she's telepathic - who knows what she's able to do." He continued as the doctor pulled out a strange looking egg, with what looked to be tentacles on top, from the suit.
"Here she is." He said as he lifted the egg up.
"She's an egg?" Rose's eyes widened.
"Hmm, Must have regressed to her childhood." The Teacher muttered, pulling out his notebook. "I guess we pushed time through her."
"She's an egg?" Jack said, repeating Rose's words.
"She can start again." The Doctor grinned. "Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be all right!"
"Or she might be worse." Jack commented.
"That's her choice." The Teacher said, "She may have escaped her punishment to an extent, but this way she may be better."
"She's an egg…" Rose repeated, still in shock.
"She's an egg." The Doctor nodded.
Rose's eyes widened, "Oh, my God. Mickey!" She shouted as she ran out of the Tardis, returning not long later by herself.
"We're all powered up." The Doctor called out, seeing Rose back in the ship. "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's all right."
"Yeah, fine." She said softly.
"How's Mickey?" The Teacher asked her softly, walking up to place a hand on her shoulder.
Rose swallowed, "He's okay. He's gone."
"Do you want to go and find him?" The Teacher asked her, "We'll wait."
"No need." Rose said, shaking her head. "He deserves better…" she began to tear up again, causing the Teacher to pull her into a one-armed hug.
"It'll be alright kiddo…" He reassured her, rubbing her shoulder.
The Doctor looked at the scene sadly, "Off we go, then." He said quickly, moving along the console. "Always moving on..."
"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius." Jack said with a smirk. "Now you don't often get to say that."
"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance."
"That'd be nice…" Rose said sadly, as she turned to bury her face into the Teacher's duster.
~O~
A few hours later, The Teacher walked back into the console room - having taken Rose to her room as she fell asleep crying into his coat.
"How is she?" The Doctor asked, Jack having left the room not long prior to get some sleep himself.
"She's okay." The Teacher assured him as he moved to the captain's chair, placing his hands into his pants pockets as his coat was still with Rose - him being unable to get her to let go of it. "I think the combination of Mickey and the close call with Margaret left her a bit shellshocked. She was exhausted after the adrenaline ran out, so she'll probably sleep for a while." He said with a chuckle.
"One of your skills." The Doctor commented from where he was leaning on the console. "Always the comforter. Always the Peacemaker."
"I've raised four kids, you being one of them." The Teacher said with a smile. "You pick these things up."
It was true, he had been involved a lot more in his children's lives than would be common on Gallifrey. Once children were sent to the academy they wouldn't go home as often - however due to his position there as a Teacher, he got to spend a lot more time around them - and therefore spent enough time comforting them when they needed it.
"I haven't seen you that angry in a while." The Doctor remarked, thinking back to how The Teacher was with Margaret. "Everything alright?"
The Teacher sighed, "I'm fine…" He leaned back in the chair, "It's just that she escaped from me last time, and because of that more people are dead."
"She escaped from US last time." The Doctor said, deciding to be the stern one for once. "It's as much my fault as it is yours."
"No I know it's silly," The Teacher said, "I know we couldn't have known, but people with such little consideration for life make me sick anyway - and the fact that we failed to stop her from doing more harm after last time just got to me." He stood from the chair and placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, "I'm gonna head to the library, I need to calm myself down. Thank you for this, you're a good kid." He looked at the Doctor with pride. "I'm proud of you Theta…"
The Doctor was slightly taken back at the use of his name, only parents and spouses were allowed to know it, and even then they weren't to say it often. His father's use of it here meant that he truly meant what he was saying.
On Gallifrey most children were born of looms than of natural birth, so adoption was seen as much more binding that it was on earth - when the Teacher took himself and the Master in and adopted them, that made them his children, nobody would be able to refute that, and the fact that he knew his true name was the proof of that.
The Doctor just nodded to him, unable to say anything else. The Teacher smiles at him, before leaving the room - The Doctor moving back to the console, setting the coordinates for Raxicoricofallapatorius.
A.N -
So that was Boom Town!
I wanted to give a different side of the Teacher here to what we had seen previously, mainly that of a very angry Teacher, and the reasons for why he would get so angry.
I don't have much else to say about this one, however, I have been doing a lot of planning for my second fanfic - which will begin once this one has finished. I have some ideas that I love for it and I can't wait for you all to see it!