"Now, I see where you get it from, are you out of your freakin' gourd?!" Lila balked at the thought of them somehow dealing with the mutants without using an explosive, bring a body of a mutant to whoever they can find that won't turn on them for dirty money, bring people down here, and pray to the Force that what they did's enough to sway an entire world against Alex Industries. "If you think we can Rambo our way out of this situation, I have a bridge to sell you."
Exhaling sharply after Theodore told her their plan, Lila sees the look in his icy blue eyes, and she knew it well, before she winced at it.
He's serious about it and she's at a loss on what they're supposed to do, since they're out numbered, they can't exactly do much without causing a collapse that risks the loss of innocent lives, and they're underground with no easy access to the surface, it's impossible for them to escape without the TARDIS, even if they can get it close to them, because the moment they incite these things, they're coming after them, hard.
"You have your knife, yes?" Theodore looked at her as she gawked at him before she bluntly replied that she does, and he points at her while telling her that it'll be enough.
Hearing this, Lila exhaled sharply before she remarked, "You really think this will go smoothly, have you kept track of our track record, man, we're lucky we haven't been called to Death's office!"
Seeing him confident didn't give Lila the same feeling, but Theodore asserts that he has a plan, and Lila's terrified what that happened to be, because there's no way they're Rambo.
They're a short woman and an aloof giant with a knife and a multipurpose tool.
Not exactly Rambo.
"Oh, you of little faith," Theodore looked down to her as she crossed her arms with an exasperated look on her face.
She retorted this with, "Like I said, we're on a tight margin on luck."
Thinking to himself, Theodore went over the plan in his mind, and the way it's looking, they'll have to corral all the mutants in a room they can't escape. Kill them that way, bring one out for their use, keep the rest for the journalists and responders to find, go from there.
Killing them shouldn't be too much of a problem, provided it's quick, something that'll take them down effortlessly without them enduring more agony.
Carbon monoxide poisoning's something that's tried and true, they won't even know what's happening to them.
"How're we going to lead them into a room without getting trapped ourselves much less them escaping it?" Lila pointed out a snag in Theodore's plan.
Oh yeah, luring them into a sealed room would've been impossible since they're strong enough to break through the walls, enough they'll make the efforts worthless.
Didn't think that one through, Theo!
"There's always a way. If there is none, we make one," Theodore summed how if one plan didn't work, then he'll make another one on the spot that will.
"Enough standing, let's go," Theodore motioned with his large hand as he had them move slowly, going by what he knows, if the mutants are corralling them, then any areas they try to escape to's already coordinated to keep them from escaping easily, or ensure they're murdered horribly.
There's a path they want them to follow and if he and Lila didn't follow it, they'll get irate.
Continue following the path, they'll die horribly, maybe.
"What're the odds that these mutants still retain a part of their humanity?" Lila brought up the idea that the mutants roaming the underground facility aren't animalistic as they think, that there's still something behind their eyes, and if they went ahead with Theodore's plans, the implications.
She had him there, but he pointed out that they're not exactly in the business being wrong, they haven't found one, but one definitely found them, they know they're there, and the ones it alerted knew, too.
The mutants already made work of the workers, no doubt they've lost quite a bit of humanity from everything that happened to them.
If there's anything remotely behind those eyes of theirs, Theodore doesn't even want to think about it, and neither them, for that matter.
Should he be completely wrong and they turned out to be animalistic, but still human, mutants, maybe they'll work out a deal, but he doesn't see it happening.
Everyone who worked here died horribly, there's enough dried blood that even without a skeleton, Theodore knows they didn't stand a chance against the mutants on their own.
They have the edge knowing every corner of the underground facility and Theodore didn't have much because Al couldn't find anything on it.
In all, they can't risk the mutants getting out, animalistic as they are, they'll tear apart every person they come across, and they're keen on knowing who's a mutant and who isn't, so they can't be tricked.
"Lead the way, Rambo," Lila exhaled sharply while she cautiously followed Theodore through the set path the mutants laid out for them, she saw subtle movement from the corner of her eyes coming from the gaping holes in the walls.
Couldn't look, wouldn't turn her head, but she sees subtle movement, they're following the two, making sure they didn't go off the path.
Glistening eyes that disappear into darkness, not enough to look at, but Lila felt them on her and Theodore as they're cautiously walking.
Kept close to each other, wouldn't go near the gaping holes in the walls, big enough for anything to reach out and grab them effortlessly.
Her chestnut eyes moving slowly, Lila sees tall shadows in the rooms that once held the confined employees tied to the beds.
They're tall, with their arms touching the ground like primates, knuckles on the ground, couldn't look at them closely, but the more she and Theodore passed the destroyed rooms, Lila sees they've come out of their holes, and they're coming closer to her and Theodore.
Subtle, it didn't appear they're getting closer, until Lila saw the gray leathery skins and their eyes looking like nothing more than black discs.
Okay, they're not human in a human sense anymore. Lila had her heart in the right place, but it's indeed the harsh truth that there's nothing human left in these mutants, and God help them if they did.
Caught sight of one near the doorway for a destroyed room, there's thick leathery skins around the humanoid shaped abdomen and the hands have become large with long sharp claws where the fingers used to be, the feet similar.
It had an opportunity to grab one of them as they passed by, but it didn't, it just watched them go down the hallway.
Watching them close and Lila sees its teeth, long, yellowed, and jagged, hardly any semblance of human.
Where they're herding them, Lila seeds that at the end of the hall, it's dark, no light touched it, and it's freezing to the point she sees her breath.
Seeing where they're being herded towards, Theodore reached out to Al, and he readied with the TARDIS for their plan.
Al said he found another bomb that Theodore's father liked.
Admittedly, Al never thought to think about them because it never came up until, now, and the situation called for the bombs.
He's following orders, not to go crazy on the explosives, very difficult finding the ingredients for them, on account Medikus received lifetime bans.
Still, this situation called for it.
This one's different from the first, the first one's just when Medikus wanted to make a point.
The second one's for when Medikus needed a room cleared out without destroying it completely.
Mostly for Daleks, but it'll work for these.
It's a special blend, very fickle, though, but Medikus used it when he and Sarah were dealing with the now-extinct mole people.
Let's say the mole people had a disagreement with Medikus about them trying to eat him and Sarah, resulting in their untimely demise.
It's great because it doesn't decimate everything around it and cause cave-ins unlike the first one. Keeps everything tidy, watch the nose, the smell afterwards makes going into home decorative stores in fall look like cakewalk.
Why Theodore's father had bombs on standby, well, he had enough adventures where he gotten tired talking to whoever and it was one of the ways for them to change their minds relatively quickly.
Oh, bugs, those especially, after their stint dealing with the "Alien" nightmare incarnate insects, Theodore's father ramped up on the bombs.
He didn't like using them too much, though, only during emergencies where he can't successfully talk his way out of situations or something truly couldn't be left alone.
Hence, him entrusting Al not to use them for every conflict.
Hey, Theodore's father had a harpoon and that was very useful at one point, had to steal it, though, but trust o' Al, he knows everything that went on during his and Medikus' old adventures.
There's a method to Medikus' madness and that method worked for him for many years before he finally settled down.
Maybe it's unconventional using different types of explosives and launching harpoons, but trust Al, it worked for Medikus.
Unfortunately, some people didn't have the finesse like he did when it came to using his methods, but it's the spirit that counts.
Anyway, Al can make sure it works, but it's extremely fickle, that any sudden movement can cause it to go off. So much as a spark, forget about it, but when used properly, it'll get things done, just hope you have nose plugs, and nowhere near it when it goes.
It'll kill the mutants quick and they'll be able to get a body back to the surface in one piece.
If it can kill Daleks, mole people, alien insects, sure, it can kill mutants, too.
"Wonderful, have it ready, I think we're lunch," Theodore warns him not to dally longer, because they're going through the darkened hallway.
Instinctively, Theodore grabbed Lila and held her close to him as they're walking.
He can't see anything in front of them and he's wise not putting out his arm trying to feel for anything.
Theodore would like to keep both arms, thank you.
Holding onto Lila tightly with one arm, they're forced through the darkened hallway, until it opened in an open area with the ceiling roughly six metres tall, maybe taller, but the darkness didn't help.
Behind, Theodore heard movement and when he turned his head, he sees that they're closed off from escaping back down the hallway.
Uneasily, he looked forward, seeing that they've been brought to an area where it led into Alex Industries.
There's a badge near his foot, belonged to someone working there, covered in blood, joy.
Lila clung to him when they heard loud footsteps coming towards them.
It's still dark until faint light from somewhere switched on and in front of them's a tall being with long arms that reached to the ground, knuckles dragging, and chittering yellow jagged teeth.
Judging from its size relative to the mutants they saw, this' the leader, and Theodore's in awe when he heard it talking to him… in his mind!
"You… have come… to destroy… us?" Theodore heard the broken English in his mind coming from the mutant in front of him.
Oh, why didn't Theodore think of this possibility?
"Interesting, I hadn't a clue you were telepath as well," Theodore responded as he held Lila close to him while staring at the giant mutant with arms thick with muscles, bowed feet with yellow claws.
The mutant growled at them as it then said to Theodore in his mind in perfect English, "Who are you?"
Couldn't exactly tell it he was the Doctor; the mutant might've gone mad at the thought that a doctor slipped from under them and kill him without mercy.
"That'd depend, who're you?" Theodore asked instead, wanting to know what's in front of him, and he heard a low growl coming from the mutant.
The mutant guttered as it told him, "I was… once… you."
In flashes, the mutant remembered its former life.
It used to work in the underground facility, one of the handlers feeding the employees of Durham Industries the drugs. Maybe at one point, it deserved the mutations inflicted upon itself, as it helped cause the cascade event to unfold between the handlers and the mutated employees.
"What happened?" Theodore asks how it became this way and the mutant chittered while it told him that it remembered them being instructed to give altered dosages.
"Couldn't… couldn't…." The mutant moaned as it remembered in flashes what happened.
Something happened and it couldn't do what it was told, no matter how much they commanded it, they strapped it down to the bed, made it take triple the dosages as punishment. Fed it nothing but the drugs, until it malformed.
Started changing, getting bigger, stronger, angrier. Nothing could've restrained it anymore and when it broke out, it unleashed the others, its newfound kindred, tore asunder everyone here, just so they'd stop.
"Can't… can't…" weeps the mutant as it growled in agony.
The same drug that turned them into their mutant selves also came with a side effect of its own, that they woefully found too late.
To alleviate their growing pain from mutating in such a short time, their mental state shorn, they consumed the entirety of drug in the underground facility, but to no avail.
It only provoked the pain, made them lash out, unable to rid themselves of the pain that clung to them.
Their minds, what little of it remained, slowly started deteriorating. It's become clearer by the day, what little humanity remain in them's becoming lost.
They can't remember their names, now. Can't even remember life of what once was.
It's becoming clearer they'll become riddled with an extreme form of dementia, that there's nothing left for them to remember.
All they'll hope to remember's the aching pain in their bodies, their stomachs torn apart by consuming too many of the drug, trying to stop the pain, and forgetting why.
"Sa… uh…" the mutant outwardly said to Theodore and Lila who clung to him as she sees the mutant hold out its long arm outreached, conveying its emotions.
The pain, the deteriorating mind, the mutants became aware of what they turned into, and they're desperate.
Sucking air through his teeth, Theodore tells it, "If there's still part of you there, you know we can't let them get away with this, and you know what they're capable of doing."
If this mutant remembers, it knows what Alex Industries would've done just to stop the world from knowing the truth.
"St… hem…" the mutant growled at Theodore. "St… an…"
Growling, the mutant lowered its arm, swaying as it moved around the open area, seemingly talking to the others.
"Dy… w… dy…" the mutant said outwardly towards Theodore and Lila.
Swaying, the mutant moved into the darkness, leaving Theodore and Lila alone as they stared at each other.
Silently, Lila's chestnut eyes communicated with Theodore's icy blue eyes, and they're jolted when something's thrown at their feet.
Looking down, they see a bloodied folder. Thick enough, it's held together by twine.
"St… ah… hm…" the mutant gurgled as Lila quickly grabbed the thick folder from the ground, holding it tightly as papers stuck out from the corners.
It was subtle, but Theodore felt the air change, and knew that the mutants are still losing their shredded minds, becoming further animalistic.
"Al, we need pickup, now!" Theodore ordered him and the TARDIS obliged swiftly, sending them inside the waiting TARDIS, before Al attempted to send out the bomb in a huff, but it wasn't going off like it should.
Cue Lila stabbing it like she's in a slasher movie, panicked as she's trying to start the delayed reaction within the big ball of red that as Al said, was always fickle.
Only when she saw steam pouring out the holes, did the bomb finally start reacting, and Theodore kicked it out of the TARDIS while closing the door behind him,
Disappeared from there and reappeared outside Durham Industries, the bomb went off without a hitch, and Al confirmed there's no further life forms.
Able to breath, the two shared looks as Al appeared beside them, with John and Mary joining their side.
Looking down at the large folder, Lila opened it, and inside, there's detailed documents on the drug called HX-66, it was meant to be a weapon of sorts, that the government could've concealed, and distributed to enemy territories.
Tasteless, looked no different than the standard Advil, unknowing victims took HX-66, and the intended effects had them becoming paranoid, dissociative, unable to fight back because of the range of effects.
Alex Industries couldn't get the government's approval for the drug, that they believed it was too dangerous for use in the field, worried it'd fall into enemy hands, and the effects it might've had if slipped to their soldiers.
Without government backing, Alex Industries turned to a different power that paid them handsomely for the drug, by using a loophole in the government contracts.
The government that backed Alex Industries wanted Hx-66 to become a tool to strengthen their armies. If their armies see their enemies everywhere, then they'd be predisposed into fighting anything remotely resembling the government's enemies.
Hence, Alex Industries reworked HX-66, but they couldn't test it, as it wasn't officially sanctioned, and they couldn't receive test subjects from the government that ordered the drug.
So, they paid off a major power in their government, giving them ample leeway, into allowing them to commandeer Durham Industries employees for quote, "governmental testing," writing it as they wanted to test a new form of vitamins that lasted longer in soldiers bodies.
The idea's that the vitamins kept the soldiers from showing deficiencies and it would've helped civilians furloughed in war torn areas.
Going through the sheets, it read like a horror novel, with every side effect studied, and the increased dosages that came with it.
There's a lull as Lila flipped through the pages, until she found a page dedicated to an employee who was withheld against his will for going against command.
"… subject's not to be allowed out of his room, he is to receive the sanctioned amount of HX-66," Lila read off the page.
Showing this to John and Mary, Lila hedged that the employee who turned against his superiors, found out about Mary's unintentional pregnancy, and ended up mutated by the drug as punishment when he lied to his superiors.
They couldn't get John and Mary like they intended, by then, the mutants rose to power, and slaughtered them all.
"This evidence's juicy, like a big hamburger I had in New York City, this will get the hounds and sewer gators going," Al commented that the folder's filled with enough damning evidence, he'll have enough to go on, and that'll allow him ample time to destroy Alex Industries and the people who helped them conduct the illegal practice.
"So, my child, he'll be, okay?" Mary looked towards Theodore as she's unsure what to think of this, worried that the copious number of drugs given to her would've stayed in her body long after she no longer took them, affecting the embryo.
Thinking as he shared a glance with Al, Theodore responded that he's sure that the man who spared her and her child a fate worse than death, would've accounted for everything before he ended up on the other end of the pill bottle.
"What, now?" John hesitantly asks as Theodore went over to the console, his brown coat fluttering in the breeze.
Looking over his shoulder, Theodore told him they're going to do what they do best, meddle in powerful people's affairs, and make sure justice's served.
THE END