As the sedan pulled up to Downing Street, Aries' good humour vanished at the sight of the large group of reporters that the police were trying to hold back as other dignitaries entered the building. She hesitated in opening the door before swallowing down her fears. She knew that the place would be crawling with reporters, but it would be the witch's first 'appearance' as someone involved in UNIT without using her alias.
When she finally stepped out of the vehicle, the red head felt some of her anxiety leave her at the sight of the Doctor grinning like a loon as he waved at the cameras that were happily snapping photos of the mysterious trio. She rolled her eyes before turning back to the vehicle and, looking through the open door, asked the Commander, "Are you coming with us?" not actually certain as to what he was supposed to be doing. Apart from volunteering to drive herself, the Doctor, and Rose to Downing Street, Nick hadn't actually mentioned what his business with UNIT was.
"No," the man in question replied, shaking his head in the negative, "I was only supposed to drop you off and then return later to pick you up later." He revealed an opened computer bag that Aries hadn't noticed earlier on the floor in front of the passenger seat, showing her that it was stuffed full with paperwork, smiling at her a bit sheepishly, "And I figured that it would be the best time to try and get through some of this. Should keep me occupied while I wait."
Aries snorted, her shoulders relacing even further as she said, "So you're the one that Alistair managed to get to sort through all the old UNIT files." And when Nick just shrugged his shoulders, giving her a look that said, 'Someone had to do it', the red head just shook her head at the man. "Thank you for picking me up," she told him honestly before straightening and closing the door. She watched as the blond drove away, her mind curious to know where Alistair had found such a man... as well as why he had never mentioned the blond before.
"Aries?"
Turning to the voice, the red head noticed that the Doctor was standing just outside the door to Downing Street, waiting for her.
"Everything okay?" he asked as the red head approached, noticing the way her posture changed as they entered the building. He couldn't help but notice, having seen how relaxed his Nesdra had been during the car ride, at how her expression was now closed off, though he put it down to being surrounded by officials.
"Yeah," Aries replied as her gaze swept around the room, recognising a few of the UNIT officers that she had trained under her alias and couldn't help but feel proud at how far some of them had come; especially when she spotted Reynolds amongst the crowd. Though the witch found her lip twitching downwards slightly as someone caught her eye.
What Aries didn't notice however, was the frown that had appeared on the Doctor's face at her reply. It, along with the way his Nesdra was now holding herself was a lot different than how she had acted in the card ride over. She had almost seemed relaxed then. But as he watched Aries from the corner of his eye as she continued to look around the room – missing nothing – he could see the signs.
He knew a soldier when he saw one, and everything his Nesdra was currently doing ticked every box.
As Aries moved off, the Time Lord stop himself from pondering how someone who looked so young could have such a distinct reaction to a room full of people. It had been almost as if she had been searching for anything or anyone that might pose as a threat... or the nearest escape route, and the Doctor got the impression that crowds were not something Aries enjoyed as he watched her make her way carefully through the crowd, making certain not to get too close to anyone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene?" a voice cut through the chattering officials and distracted the Doctor from his observations as he turned to the speaker when they continued. "Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times."
The man speaking then turned to the Doctor and held out an ID card to the Time Lord. "Here's your ID card," he explained before noticing Rose beside the Doctor. "I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."
"I don't go anywhere without her," the Doctor argued, even as he accepted the lanyard and hung it around his neck; none noticing Aries approaching them.
Indra didn't looked persuaded by the Time Lord and continued, "You're the Code Nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor," he seemed to pause for a second before asking, "It is the Doctor, isn't it?" Though he was quick to reinforce his order. "She'll have to stay outside."
"Is everything okay here?" Aries enquired as she rejoined the trio, keeping a subtle gaze on the woman who had caught her attention earlier, noting that the brunette was slowing approaching their small group.
The man seemed startled to see her there, though he was quick to recover and offered her a small smile, already been informed as to what title the red head would be using. And Indra knew that if Aries was only appearing as an advisor, it was wise to not let slip what her actual position was. He knew that there was only one other person in the room that held a position equal to Aries, though the Doctor wasn't to know unless it was deemed absolutely necessary.
"Ma'am, I was only informing the Doctor here that his companion doesn't have the clearance to enter the conference," Indra explained.
"And I'm saying that she stays with me," the Time Lord in question cut in, looking between the two. He hadn't missed Indra's reaction to seeing Aries, and he wondered what they weren't telling him.
Aries frowned, sparing a glance to Rose as she looked to the Time Lord. "It's true that she is your companion, Doctor, but rules are rules. I know that Miss Tyler may believe that she is an alien expert, and I am... unaware as to what she may have experienced on your travels," she told the man, well aware that their conversation was being overheard by the brunette that had caught her eye when she had first entered the room. "But without a proper debriefing and then being through the induction into UNIT's protocols, she doesn't currently hold the clearance to enter that room."
The Doctor was about to say something, though Aries shook her head and he frowned instead.
"I'm sorry, Doctor," she told him, "But those rules are in place for a reason. Even Indra here," she nodded to the man who gave the Doctor a tight smile, "Doesn't have the clearance to enter that room. And without it, he can't let Rose in."
The young woman in question was frowning as she listened to their conversation, rather irked by how they were talking about her as if she wasn't standing right next to them. Though it wasn't long until she had had enough and piped up with, "It's all right. You go," and causing the Doctor look to her.
Indra and Aries would have followed his gaze, though they were interrupted by the brunette that the witch had been keeping an eye on when she finally made herself known.
"Excuse me," she said as she tried to approach the group, "Are you the Doctor?" Though the Time Lord didn't notice her, his gaze on his companion as he asked Rose, "Are you sure?"
Aries' expression turned slightly concerned, hearing the waver in the brunette's voice, and it made her curious to know what was troubling the MP. Indra however, only scowled when he turned to Harriet Jones.
"Not now," he told the woman, "We're busy. Can't you go home?" he added, rather frustrated by the brunette. He already had enough to deal with without adding a MP trying to stick her nose into things it didn't belong in.
"I just need a word in private," the Harriet explained, still trying to get the Doctor's attention, although the man had already headed off, giving his Nesdra one last glance before disappearing into the room, his expression confused. He had been rather hopeful that she would follow, but it was as if she hadn't even noticed he'd left as she attended to the brunette that had appeared.
"You haven't got clearance. Now leave it," Indra continued before turning his attention back to the now alone Rose. "I'm going to have to leave you with security," he informed the blonde, though Aries was quick to step in.
"That's okay, Indra," she said, causing all three to turn to her, "Why don't you let me deal with these two. I know that your rather busy at the moment, and I highly doubt I'm going to miss anything that I can't catch up on."
The man looked sceptical for a moment before finally nodding in accent. "Of course, ma'am," he said before moving off, though not before giving Aries one last glance.
The red head turned to Rose and Harriet after Indra left, wondering what she was supposed to do with a MP and a companion of the Doctor's. It hadn't exactly been what she had been expecting when called in to attend this meeting, but she figured that sorting out one problem at a time would be the best way to begin. "I believe that we would be better off somewhere more... private," she said, giving Harriet a curious, and slightly concerned look before leading both woman away through the entrance hall.
Her words seemed to comfort Harriet as she followed, although Rose was feeling a little put out, not understanding why she couldn't go into the conference room with the Doctor. So what if she hadn't done some induction, or whatever it was with UNIT. She had travelled with the Doctor, and had definitely seen more that the red head she was currently being forced to follow – less she be left with security. Rose was also a little surprised that the man, Indra, would have left her with Aries, and the blonde had the sudden feeling of being babysat by someone who wasn't much older than herself.
"I don't mean to bother you, ma'am," Aries begun as she walked, slowing down enough so she was now in step with Harriet as she looked to the brunette, who's expression turned a little surprised at the attention, not having expected anyone to actually listen to her.
"Harriet please, Miss..." the brunette trailed off, not actually certain as to what the young woman's name was.
"Aries."
"Aries," Harriet repeated with a nod, offering the other woman a shaky smile and hopeful expression. "This friend of yours, the one you arrived with...he's an expert, right?" she asked, "He knows about aliens?"
"Why do you want to know?" Aries asked, her tone changing at the questions she was being asked and surprising the pair following. It was both guarded and wary.
Instead of answering her however, Harriet broke down into sobs, causing the red head to shift a little uncomfortably before Rose started rubbing the brunette's back.
After Harriet had managed to pull herself back together – much to a certain red head's relief – the brunette explained to the pair what she had wanted to speak to the Doctor about as Aries led them towards the Cabinet Room.
To say that Aries wasn't happy, along with being slightly alarmed about the fact that a MP managed to gain access to the Emergency Protocols was an understatement. But that wasn't the witch's highest concern as she continued to listen to Harriet's tale. The acting Prime Minister – who also just so happened to be an alien – had not only managed to cancel the Cabinet Meeting that was to be held in an attempt to figure out what they were going to do with the spaceship that was currently sitting in the Thames, but had also murdered General Asquith and was currently entertaining the dignitaries downstairs.
The thought didn't sit well with Aries, knowing that the Doctor was amongst them.
Though after Harriet had described what the aliens looked like, as well as their odd comments about gas exchange, the red-headed witch had a fair idea as to what species she was dealing with, but was confused as to why they were here. Earth had nothing of value to a Raxacoricofallapatorian, and she was certain that it wasn't an invasion. So it confused her as to why they were taking over such high positions in the British government, and it unsettled her that no one had caught on to what they were up to before.
Harriet rushed past Aries with Rose, wanting to show them the remains of Oliver Charles that had been left hanging over the back of one of the chairs like a discarded coat, which Aries guessed wasn't far from the truth when it came to the species they were up against, however horrible it sounded.
"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" the MP exclaimed.
Rose turned to Aries with a question on the tip of her tongue, only to find that the red head was still standing by the door with a frown on her face, muttering something under her breath and not even listening to what Harriet was telling them. She rolled her eyes, turning back to Harriet as she tried to reassure the older woman, as well as trying not to show how squeamish she was at the sight of the body – or what was left of Oliver. "It's alright. I believe you. It... it's alien," she said, knowing that if Aries wasn't going to do anything, that she – as the Doctor's companion – should. It would show them that she wasn't just a child they could talk about like she wasn't even there.
"They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it," the blonde continued as she begun to search the room.
Her words had Aries blinking, coming out of her thoughts and her frown deepened as she watched the blonde. "Their technology won't help us stop them," she stated, rolling her eyes when the blonde just shot her a glare. "And besides, compression fields are quite a common device and not as advanced as you would thi..." she added, trailing off with a line appearing between her brows, her nose wrinkling slightly when she begun to pick up a scent that was certainly not meant to be in the room.
A scent that was terribly familiar to the red head.
Rose shot Aries another glare, deciding that she didn't like the woman. She also didn't like the idea of someone knowing more about aliens than she did, and it made her feel... un-special. It had been her secret! Something that only she had; her Doctor and his time-travelling spaceship! Rose went to open a cupboard, opting to just think as though the red head wasn't even there, but once again Aries' voice cut through the air.
"Miss Tyler, I don't think you want to open that door."
Her tone had Rose pausing, turning a hesitant gaze onto the doorhandle that her hand was already wrapped around, ready to pull open.
"Why? What's wrong?" Harriet questioned, looking between the two others as Aries approached the cupboard.
"She's probably afraid of the bogeyman," Rose huffed with a roll of her eyes and turned the handle.
"Actually, I'm more concerned abo-"
Aries was cut off when Rose let out a scream as a male's body fell out of the cupboard, jumping back away from it.
"... that," the red head finished with a sigh as Harriet exclaimed, "Oh, my god! Is that th-"
"Tony Blair. Prime Minister, yes," Aries cut her off as she went over to the body and begun to examine it. Though before she could take a step, the door to the Cabinet Room was opened, causing her to spin on the spot and let out a sigh of relief when her eyes landed on Indra.
"Ma'am, you forgot your ID card," the man said as he entered, Aries ID card in his hand with a troubled expression on his face before his gaze landed on the body of Tony. "Oh, my god! That's the Prime Minister!"
"Yes, we've established th-" the red head begun, only to cut herself off this time when she noticed a woman enter the room behind Indra and stiffened. Without a second thought, she rushed forwards and tugged the startled man away from the door and the newcomer, placing herself between the overly large woman and the others; taking her ID card from Indra in the process. Aries still wasn't certain as to what the Raxacoricofallapatorians were after, but if they had been found out, they'd be looking to hasten whatever it was they were doing. And that meant getting rid of the people that would pose the biggest threat.
"Oh! Has someone been naughty?" the pudgy woman asked with an unnatural smirk on her lips as she eyed the four before her.
Indra – who had no idea as to what he had walked in on – spoke up. "B-but that's impossible. He left this afternoon," he said, referring to the obviously former PM. "The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"
"And who told you that?" Aries asked him from over her shoulder, though she didn't take her eyes off the woman in front of her.
"Ma'am?" Indra questioned, understandably confused before his eyes went back to the newcomer as she spoke.
"Well, aren't you a clever one," she said, her smirk only growing as she reached up with her hands up to her hairline.
Inside the Conference Room, Joseph and General Asquith – who were currently hiding in their selected body-suits – made their way to the desk at the front of the room.
The Doctor, having been the last to enter, picked up the booklet from a chair before seating himself. Flipping through the booklet, outlining what they were to be discussing, the Time Lord gave no thought to the others in the room with him, his mind on his Nesdra and where she was. Her change in behaviour from the car and entering Downing Street had been odd, but not unheard of. Though he couldn't deny that he hadn't been a little hurt when she hadn't followed him, opting to stay and watch Rose and the brunette if he had heard correctly.
A frown tugged at his lips and a line appeared between his brows when he got to the end of the booklet, just as General Asquith spoke to the gathered experts.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to have your attention please," the alien called, causing the chattering mass to quieten. "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupa-"
"Now."
The Doctor stood up as he cut the man/alien off and approached the front of the room.
"The really interesting bit happened three days ago, see, filed away under every other business," he continued as he held up the booklet and turned to the group, "The North Sea, the satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation at one hundred fathoms like there was something down that... you were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion, from what?"
He looked to the experts before him expectantly.
"If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get?" he asked when all he received was blank – though interested – stares. Though his eyes widened when realisation hit him like a bludger to the face. "Us," he breathed, "They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap!"
The Doctor's hearts had begun to race as his eyes searched the crowd for a face he knew wasn't there, but couldn't stop himself. He had only just realised he had a Nesdra, had only just found her, and someone was threatening to put her into danger.
It took him a moment to notice that everyone was still staring at him, waiting for him to elaborate on his sudden insight, and he shook his head, trying to clear it. "This is all about us," he continued on somewhat coolly, hiding the fact that his hearts still hadn't calmed and his hands actually felt like they were sweating. "Alien experts, the only people with the knowledge on how to fight them, gathered together in one room."
The Doctor was cut off when Joseph let out a loud fart and he turned to the disguised alien, raising both eyebrows as he fixed him with a pointed look, clearly unimpressed. "Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?" he asked rather rudely. He didn't have time to deal with others' flatulence.
"Would you rather silent but deadly?" the alien questioned before he and Asquith both broke down into sniggers. The Time Lord just stared at them as the General stood up and removed his hat and undid the zip on his forehead. Joseph just broke down further into manic laughter as Asquith removed the skin suit and stepped out of it, revealing a large, nearly eight foot tall alien with incongruous large black eyes on a small, almost baby-like face.
The Doctor stared at the alien; transfixed.
"We are the Slitheen," Asquith, or the alien that had been using the General's body addressed to the entire, stunned room.
"Thank you all for wearing your ID cards," Joseph added as he stood up besides Asquith and removed a device from his pocket, "They'll help to identify the bodies."
Without warning, the man pressed the button on the device and everyone in the room was bathed in electric light. The Doctor fell to his knees with a shout as his whole body was rocked with pain, all the while Joseph and 'Asquith' watch on, the former with a savage pleasure in his eyes while the later laughed.
The Time Lord's eyes lock onto the two aliens and he gritted his teeth, fighting through the pain. All that was on his mind was Aries and the need to find her. He wasn't going to lose her and if they had harmed her...
With new determination, the Time Lord managed to shake of the electricity from his body as he ripped the lanyard from around his neck. Sweating, he staggered to his feet with the ID card held firmly in his hand. "Deadly to humans, maybe," he stated as the two aliens stared at him in shock.
Though before he could do anything to the pair, the aliens suddenly let out howls of pain as their compression fields suddenly overloaded and they were themselves, electrocuted.
Standing there rather dumbly for a moment, wondering what was going on, the Doctor was soon rushing from the room, dropping the ID card he had been about to use on the way.
Back in the Cabinet Room, Rose, Indra, and Harriet all watched on in horror as a blue light flooded the room and another Slitheen wiggled its way out of the skin suit it had taken as a disguise. When the light faded, all three of the onlookers stared at the giant green alien with wide, terrified eyes.
Aries however, having her suspicions confirmed as to what species she was up against, watched the alien warily as it flexed its three long fingers in relief after being cramped inside a body with such small fingers, the red head already working on a way to get the three people behind her away from the alien as she slowly begun to back up and causing the others to do the same.
Without warning, the Slitheen lashed out at Aries, trying to get a hold of the red head, though the witch managed to duck out of the way just in time and move behind the creature, forcing it to turn to her. The moment it did, the alien lashed out once more with a growl, not liking how evasive its prey was being as Aries once again managed to get out of the Slitheen's striking range. Though Aries suddenly let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees as the card she was holding suddenly released an electrical charge, bathing her in a similar light that was occurring to the others in the Conference Room.
"Ah, that would be my brothers," the Slitheen remarked with a disturbingly satisfied smile as she watched the red head writhe in pain before turning to the others.
"And here I thought you said she could do 'magical' things'," a male sneered, turning away from Rieka and towards Luka. The short-haired blond had an odd, faded tattoo of four blue arrows pointing towards a red circle on the side of his neck and Aries didn't know what it was about the mark, but there was something about it that almost felt... familiar. Something that had the red head rubbing the side of her own neck with a frown.
Aries barely made out the sight of the alien advancing on the others before her eyes closed, trying to block out the pain that continued to course through her.
"I told you, Jake. Just ask her. She will help you. She's been my aunty since I was born and she hasn't ag-"
"Luka!" Rieka hissed, cutting the young man off even as she glared at the other man. She knew that he had running with the wrong crowds with that friend of his, and had even tried to get him away from them. But the witch had never thought he would have told them anything about her.
Jake turned to Rieka with a triumphant smirk, getting the reaction that he wanted. "Maybe she just needs a bit of persuasion," he said before grabbing Luka by the throat.
"Let him go!" the witch demanded, taking a step towards the man as Luka's eyes widened in fear and shock.
"Maybe this might help you remember your powers," the blond stated idly as he pulled out a large dagger and pressed the tip against Luka's cheek.
"No!"
Aries' eyes snapped open, filled with fury as she managed to get to her feet and advance on the alien. The ID card was still clutched tightly in her white-knuckled fist, the electricity still coursing through it – and her – though the pain just seemed to be fuel for the red head's anger. Her eyes swirled as they landed on the compression field that was worn around the Slitheen's neck, and despite her earlier thoughts on not being able to use such a device as a weapon, all the was running through Aries' mind was that this was not going to end up like it did back then.
Rose, Indra, and Harriet were backed further into the room as the Slitheen continued its slow advance, enjoying the looks of utter terror on their faces – only for herself to let out a cry of pain as she was suddenly enveloped in electricity.
"Don't just stand there!" Aries' hoarse voice sliced through the trio's surprise as she stumbled from behind the alien. "Run!" she ordered, her eyes no longer red. It seemed to break the three from their shock and they were quick to exit the room, leaving the alien behind.
The witch felt an arm slip under hers as she stumbled, finding that Indra had been quick to help her as her muscles spasmed, his expression concerned. "Ma'am?" the man questioned, worried about her wellbeing, even though he knew that the young woman was far stronger than she looked.
"I'm fine," Aries told him as they continued to make their way through various, unoccupied rooms and away from the Slitheen. Though they came to a sudden halt when Harriet suddenly shouted, "No, wait!" They all stopped to look at her, wondering what could be so important than the eight foot tall alien that was currently chasing them.
"They're still in there. The Emergency Protocols. We need them," the brunette quickly explained.
A huff escaped Aries before she shook her head. "Keep moving," she told them, "We don't need them."
"But-"
"Run!" Indra barked, causing Harriet and Rose to jump at the usually reserved man's outburst, though it worked as they were off running once more.
It was only moments later that found the small group hiding behind an ajar door as the alien walked passed, and as they silently stepped out of the doorway when Aries gave them the all clear, they froze when the lift unexpectantly opened.
To say that the Doctor was surprised to notice another Slitheen as the lift doors opened would have been a lie.
What truly surprised the Time Lord was the sight of Harriet, Rose, Indra, and his Nesdra – the latter of which he was utterly relieved to see alive – trying to sneak passed the distracted alien. However his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the sight of Aries leaning against the lean form of Indra, having to fight down the jealousy that ignited inside him at the sight. But it never had the chance to catch when he noticed his Nesdra's face flicker briefly in pain as her entire body seemed to go rigid before relaxing.
His gaze went back to the Slitheen who was still rather surprised to see him, and managing a tight smile, he greeted the alien with a false cheeriness; his jealousy replaced by anger. "Hello!" he waved, distracting the alien and allowing the small group to slip passed before closing the lift doors with his sonic when the Slitheen roared at him.
The group of four reached a sitting room that held a large settee, drinks cabinet, and a folding screen by the window that was used to help keep out the draughts, and the moment they realised that there was no way out of the room apart from the door they had just entered, Aries hissed, "Hide!" before making her way over to the screen with Indra.
Rose was quick to hide behind the drinks cabinet while Harriet chose behind one of the floor-length curtains as her spot.
They all froze, each one holding their breaths as they heard the door to the room swing open and the Slitheen that was chasing them enter.
"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you with my big, green lips," the alien taunted as it stalked further into the room.
Like hell, Aries thought, her nose wrinkling with disgust as she tried to keep her breathing quiet. It was becoming easier, but the aftereffects of her electrocution earlier was proving difficult to shake off and keep herself still as spasms still rocked her occasionally. And so the red head closed her eyes and focused on her occlumency while still keeping an ear on the happenings around her.
It would do her no good to get distracted when she needed her wits about her.
Rose, having stuck a peak from behind the cabinet she was hiding behind and saw that the creature wasn't looking in her direction, quickly moved to the curtain that was near Harriet, having realised just how exposed her chosen hiding spot had been, just before – much to the horror of the rooms hidden occupants – two more Raxacoricofallapatorian's entered the room and caused the one already there to turn to them.
"My brothers," it greeted warmly.
"Blon, happy hunting?" the one that had been masquerading as Joseph Green asked.
The Slitheen that was named Blon smiled a rather disturbing smile as she replied, "It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."
Both Indra and Aries' inhaled sharply and stiffened, sharing a glance between them before Aries quickly shook her head when the man went for something inside he coat. Even though she wanted to hit her head against something for forgetting that Raxacoricofallapatorians were widely known for their blood sports, and the most gruesome event of all; The Hunt, it didn't mean that she was ready to confront them.
"Sweat and fear," the one that had been General Asquith commented.
'Joseph' sniffed the air, taking in the scents around him. "I can smell an old girl and boy. Stale birds and brittle bones," he remarked, his tone sounding rather delighted by what he found.
"And a ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps," Blon added.
'Asquith' frowned as he copied their actions, inhaling deeply. "There's something else," he said, sounding rather confused, "I'm unsure what to make of it," he continued, glancing at 'Joseph', "It smells different, but not unlike the man downstairs."
'Joseph' nodded in agreement as Blon got closer to the curtain Rose was hiding behind. With a smirk, she quickly pulled it back, revealing the blonde and causing her to scream.
"No!" Harriet cried out as she jumped from behind the other curtain, "Take me first! Take me!"
The door to the sitting room suddenly burst open and the Doctor stepped into the room with a fire extinguisher clutched in his hands. He sprayed it two Slitheen closest him, covering them with CO2 as he shouted, "Out with me!"
Rose was quick to pull the curtain down over Blon and dart over towards the Time Lord with Harriet while Indra helped Aries.
Even though it looked as though the red head seemed to be doing better, the man wasn't going to take any chances however, knowing that it'd be his head if anything happened to the her.
"Who the hell are you?" the Doctor asked as he glanced between Harriet and Indra; his eyes lingering on the latter for a moment longer than necessary before falling onto his Nesdra.
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," the brunette introduced, pulling her ID out to show him.
The Doctor was about to reply, but was reminded of the aliens when his fire extinguisher emptied. Dropping the item, he was quick to herd the group from the room, managing to get Aries away from Indra and help support her at the same time. Despite knowing that the man had been only trying to help her, she was his Nesdra and couldn't help the feeling of protectiveness that overcame him at the sight of her leaning against another man for support.
"W-we need to get- to the Cabinet Room," Aries managed to state between breaths as she ran, still being half supported by the Doctor. She was feeling better given what she had just gone through, but was still a little unsteady on her feet.
"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They'll give instructions for aliens," Harriet quickly agreed.
The witch shook her head. "We don't need them," she stated, surprising the Doctor and gaining a confused look from Harriet. "They're redundant," she explained to the brunette.
"How do you know that?" the MP questioned with a frown, eyeing the red head who looked to only be in early twenties suspiciously. Her gaze was drawn to the Doctor when he spoke however.
"Doesn't matter right now," the Time Lord said as the sound of the Slitheens grew ever closer.
The moment the group made it the Cabinet Room, the Doctor led Aries over to a chair before grabbing a decanter of alcohol from a side table and returned to the doorway as the Slitheen appeared. He held the decanter out threatening towards the three aliens as he pulled his sonic out from his jacket and pointed the blue tip towards the bottle.
"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off," he threatened.
Taking his threat seriously, the Slitheen immediately took a step back into the outer office with looks of alarm.
"Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?" he continued to question, his tone no longer threatening. He didn't relax however, knowing that these aliens had not only put his Nesdra in danger, but she had also come to harm because of them. The Time Lord wasn't taking aby chances of being caught off guard by them again.
His enquiry had the witch in question raising her head off the table she had been resting it on with a frown. There was something naggingly familiar about the name he had used, but she wasn't able to place why.
"They're aliens," Harriet piped up, and the red head rolled her eyes at the brunette's obvious observations.
"No? And here I was beginning to believe they were bloody hippogriffs," she muttered under her breath, earning a muffled snort from the Doctor that had her glancing at him curiously, noting that he hadn't taken his eyes away from the three aliens blocking their exit. A frown begun to tug at her lips as she questioned how he could have heard her, before remembering that he held senses that were vastly higher to humans.
"Who are you, if not human?" 'Joseph' questioned. His gaze flickered passed the Doctor and to Aries long enough for the Time Lord to notice and he paused in surprise, fighting back the urge to turn his head and look back to his Nesdra; wanting to know what the Slitheen had meant. But he knew that it wouldn't be wise.
If he had looked however, he would have seen Aries' face crease with confusion, not having missed the aliens' gaze upon her, and it brought her thoughts around to the test that she had forgotten about since this entire debacle had begun. It made her think of what the result could be. And if it wasn't a match, why Alistair had revealed to her that he knew someone magical.
"Who's not human?" Harriet asked as she looked at the people in the room, all the while successfully breaking both the Doctor and Aries from their separate thoughts.
"He's not human," Indra stated, and caused Aries to jump in surprise when the man's hand appeared suddenly in her vision as he pointed to the Doctor. She hadn't noticed that he was standing so close, and when the red head looked to Indra, he offered her an apologetic smile.
"Can I have a bit of hush?" the Doctor snapped, getting rather irritated by the interruptions. He didn't have the time to deal with who was what!
"Sorry," Indra replied, looking rightly chastised.
"So, what's the plan?" the Time Lord asked as he turned his attention back on the aliens.
Aries groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as Harriet interrupted the Doctor again, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. Can't the woman keep her curiosity to herself? This is hardly the time for twenty questions, she groused mentally.
"But he's got a Northern accent," the brunette remarked.
"Lots of planets have a north," Aries retorted, "And I believe he said hush."
Once again the Doctor fought against the urge to look to his Nesdra hearing her voice. "Come on. You've got a spaceship in the North Sea," he stated, unknowingly causing Aries to grow alert at the information, "It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of the government. What for, invasion?"
'Asquith' scoffed, almost as if he was offended by the Doctor's words. "Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" he asked, and the Time Lord frowned slightly, not having expected that response.
"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?" he continued to press.
"The Slitheen race?" The aliens shared a confused glance.
"It's not their race, but their surname," Aries interjected as she stood up from the chair and approached the doorway, earning surprised looks from all bar Indra. "They're from a planet known as Raxacoricofallapatorius," she continued, having recalled where she had heard their family name before, "They're a part of a family whose only goal in life is to make a profit while they murder their way through the universe." The red head paused as she came to a stop beside the Doctor. "My question, however, is what kind of profit can you three make on this god-forsaken rock? It's not even advanced enough for space travel, let alone anything that could be of use to you."
Surprise appeared on many of their faces, though none more so than the Doctor as he looked between Aries and the Slitheen.
"You've heard of us?" the Slitheen that had tried to kill Aries earlier asked. Her surprise was clear for all to hear, though her beady eyes narrowed as they met Aries' gaze; the red-headed witch giving her a look that she knew was almost identical to the one her father gave any student he felt were a complete dunderhead for wasting his time with inane questions... which happened to be all the time.
To Aries' internal amusement, her expression seemed to provoke the same knee-jerk reaction that Potter and Weasley had when on the receiving end of it, with a little added bonus that had the red head raising an eyebrow. The Slitheen glared at her in return, and in a move that no one would have done to her father, the alien took a step towards her, an arm raising with an intent to grab Aries.
Though the Slitheen stopped the moment the Doctor stepped in front of the red head, his expression clear for all three to see that the alien had just made the wrong move. His expression was angry, yes. But the rage that swam in the depths of his eyes had the one that had been about to attack Aries taking a step back, its beady eyes widening in alarm.
"Ah, excuse me?" 'Asquith' cut in a little hesitantly, stepping partially in front of their sibling and breaking the Time Lord's glare; feeling a shiver go up their spine when their eyes connected. He looked away, unable to hold it feeling unnerved and gestured to the sonic the Doctor was holding. "Your device will do what?" he asked when the Doctor just raised an eyebrow, "Triplicate the flammability?"
Like a switch had been flipped, the Doctor blinked and glanced at the other aliens, a grin appearing on his lips that did nothing to put the three Raxacoricofallapatorians at ease – even if his fury had vanished like it had never been present in his gaze. "Did I?" he asked.
"You're making it up," the Slitheen that had been Asquith accused, who glanced at their siblings with an angry expression.
"Ah, well!" the Time Lord had the audacity to shrug, both his action and tone unsettling the Slitheen more than his fury did as it almost sounded cheerful. "Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it," the Doctor continued, not noticing that the woman in question was clutching the red box full of Emergency Protocols like they were a lifeline, her hands quite full.
Aries pinched the bridge of her nose again as a sigh escaped her before she snatched the bottle off the Doctor. "You pass it to the left first," she replied to his questioning expression, and it took the Doctor a moment to realise what she had meant when he spared a glance to the case-clutching MP.
"Sorry," he said a little sheepishly, tugging on his ear.
"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked, trying to bring the Time Lord back to the present and the three killer aliens that were standing in front of them. Of all the times to get distracted...
The Doctor just grinned in a way that had Aries shaking her head before he started to ramble.
"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. Seventeen thirty, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. Seventeen ninety-six, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in sessi-"
The Time Lord was cut off mid-ramble when Aries' rolled her eyes and lifted a small panel next to the door and pressed a button. Both Harriet and Rose jumped when metal shutters slammed down over all the windows and doors, effectively locking the Slitheen out.
"What did you do that for?" the Doctor's northern tones were all but a whine as he turned to his Nesdra, a pout on his lips.
"I was getting a headache," the red head shrugged as she moved back to the large table in the middle of the room and retook her seat.
The Doctor continued to pout, and Harriet and Indra shared a glance; the latter just offering the former a shrug before he too returned to the table. Rose was looking around at the shutters however, and seemed to notice something that had a line appearing between her eyebrows.
"And how do we get out?" the blonde asked, turning to pin Aries with an accusatory expression.
The Doctor, who had been – up until that point – still pouting at his Nesdra for cutting off his ramble, looked to Rose with a frown, not liking the way that she was speaking to Aries. Though as his gaze shifted to her, he noticed the same thing his companion had and he frowned.
The Slitheen may not be able to get in, but after Aries had activated the metal shutters – which was, admittedly, the same thing the Doctor had been thinking of doing – it meant that they couldn't get out.
"The Doctor will come up with something," the red head piped up, and the Doctor looked to her in surprise. She shrugged once more as she poured herself a drink with the decanter. "Or I will," she added.
The Doctor was quick to snatch the glass from Aries, along with the decanter, which had his Nesdra raising an eyebrow at him. "You said you were getting a headache," he told her, a smirk upon his lips.
She wasn't the only one who could ruin someone's fun.