A/N: Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait for this one. I've been on a well earned holiday and just did not want to come back. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

The Doctor stood there in shock as he watched a very familiar golden mist attack each and every Cyberman that was surrounding them. His eyes quickly went to Kari and he watched as she released enough energy to free the minds and souls of the people that had been trapped inside of them. The Cybermen dropped to the ground, quiet and still, and the Doctor just managed to catch a hold of Kari as her legs buckled.

"I've got you. Come on, you're okay." He mumbled, both of his hearts pounding in his chest. Why had she done that? What was she thinking? There were so many questions running through the Doctor's mind as he pulled a semiconscious Kari towards him. Every time she did something like that it scared him, it made him want to take her to the TARDIS and never go outside again. Whenever Kari did something like that, it made him worry that he was going to lose her.

"What the hell was that?" Ricky said, voicing something that everyone, apart from Rose and Mickey, were thinking. They knew what Kari was capable of, they knew that she could do some impossible things. They also knew not to question any of it.

The Doctor didn't answer him, he quickly gathered Kari up in his arms. "Or how about instead, run!" All he could think about now was getting Kari somewhere safe. He would have loved to get her back to the TARDIS, because he knew that was the safest place for her to be, but that was not going to be an option just yet.

As they started to make a run for it, they heard the sound of a horn and a blue van came up behind them. "Everybody, in!" The woman with short, blonde hair in the driver's seat called. You could tell from the tone of her voice that she was in a hurry and wanted to get the hell out of there, so people started to pile into the van.

Except for Pete Tyler. "I've got to go back. My wife's in there." He said, looking around the corner of the wall, trying to see if there was a way he could get back inside to find his wife and get her out.

The Doctor stood in front of him, Kari still in his arms. "Anyone inside that house is dead. If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now." He just hoped that his words were going to be enough to convince him, he wasn't going to be able to chase after him and stop him while he had Kari to worry about.

Lucky for him, there was someone else there, someone who was ready to help. "Pete, trust them, okay? If we want to get out of this alive, I think the best thing we can do is exactly what they say." Martin told him reassuringly. Pete nodded at him and the pair headed towards the open van door.

"Come on! Get a move on!" The woman driver called, clearly getting a little impatient. "Finished chatting? Never seen a slower getaway in my life!" She added, just as everyone managed to get into the back of the van, Martin quickly helped the Doctor to get in with Kari.

All eyes were on Kari, who was tightly being held by the Doctor. "What was that thing?" Ricky asked from the front of the van, once again voicing what everyone was thinking.

"The power of the time vortex, now hush." The Doctor replied, before gazing down at Kari. He needed to check that she was okay, that she hadn't drained herself too much, that she was fine. Everyone in the back of the van was silent as he ran his hand through her hair. "Hey, Kari, come on, time to wake up." He said, hoping that she could hear him.

There was silence for a few more moments before the woman in his arms let out a soft groan. "Oh, you said you would help me." Kari muttered, before groaning some more. "That wasn't fun."

The Doctor was just as confused as everyone else was. "Who said they would help you?" He asked her calmly and gently. He could see that she was still trying to come round, she was bound to be a little confused still.

That was when Kari finally managed to force her eyes open and found herself gazing up at the Doctor. "Oh, ignore me. I'm dazed and confused." She said to him, blinking several times. "Is everyone okay?" The Doctor just nodded at her. "Good." She let her eyes close again and let out a sigh.

"Kari, why did you do that?" He asked her telepathically. The Doctor really didn't want all those other people, those strangers, to listen in on their conversation. "It could have killed you."

She opened her eyes and looked at him softly. "Because they were screaming, Doctor. I could still hear their human conscience calling out, begging and pleading for it to stop, to not be converted." Kari explained to him, wondering how he was going to react. "I had to help them."

While the Doctor wanted to tell her it was a silly thing to do, and that she could have been hurt or worse, he knew that she was only doing what she thought was right. She wanted to help, she wanted to do something to make things better. He knew that, he understood that. "Just warn me next time, okay?" He asked, getting a slight nod of the head in response from her.

With their conversation finally ended, and Kari resting a little, the Doctor was starting to hear what was going on around him. "Might not work on those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him." He heard the man who was sitting beside Ricky call, the same man who had ignored him and carried on firing at the Cybermen.

Rose was quick to jump in. "Leave him alone. What's he done wrong?" The man, Jake, was verbally attacking Pete and she was not going to have any of that.

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that wiped out the Government and left Lumic in charge." There was clearly some spite and hate in his voice when he spoke.

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete retorted, still thinking about Jackie and hoping that she had somehow managed to find a way to escape. He knew what would happen to her if they caught her, if she wasn't killed instantly, he knew exactly what she would become. That was the last thing that Pete wanted to happen.

Just like Jake, Ricky didn't believe him. "Maybe your plan went wrong. Still gives us the right to execute you, though."

Upon hearing that, the Doctor decided to jump in. "Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy. And take some really good advice. You don't want to do that."

Kari let out a small groan. "Leave the Oncoming Storm outside please." She muttered to the Doctor, trying to pull herself together still. While she wasn't feeling as bad as she had in the past when using the time vortex, she still wasn't feeling brilliant. Her head was spinning and her whole body felt heavy, yet she was feeling the reassuring humming that she usually experienced while in the TARDIS.

While Ricky listened to the Doctor and stopped with the talk of execution, it didn't stop him from still pointing the blame at Pete. "All the same, we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since twenty point five." He explained to everyone in the van.

There was a slightly horrified look on Rose's face as she looked at Pete, the man who was not her father. "Is that true?" There was no way that she was going to believe that, she just couldn't.

He didn't get a chance to answer her, as Ricky was once again speaking. "Tell them, Mrs M."

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information. Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week." Mrs Moore explained to them while still trying her best to focus on driving and getting them all out of there alive.

Pete was really not happy with the way he was being blamed for everything and said something that surprised everyone. "Broadcast from Gemini?" He asked, letting his anger seep through a little.

"And how do you know that?" Ricky questioned, both stunned and suspicious. He did not like the man, and nothing anyone said or did was going to change that.

Pete let out a sigh. "I'm Gemini. That's me." His annoyance was clearly growing now, it seemed that no one wanted to listen to him or hear his version of events. They all saw him as just one of Lumic's lackeys.

"Yeah, well you would say that." Ricky retorted. Kari was listening to everything that was going on around her and she knew that Ricky was nothing like Mickey at all. Mickey was kind and caring, but this other man, Ricky, he was always so defensive and aggressive. She was actually glad that the world that they were from had a Mickey and not a Ricky.

"He's telling the truth." Kari muttered, knowing that it didn't really matter what she said, no one was probably listening to her anyway. "He thought he was broadcasting to the Security Services. At least he was trying to do something, to make people aware of what was going on. He wasn't just sitting there hiding." She wasn't sure where that last part had come from, Kari didn't know if she was actually thinking that or not. Either way, she had said it now.

Kari still had her eyes closed, so she didn't see the looks that she was given, but Pete gazed at her with wide eyes, Martin was just frowning and most of the others just looked confused. "Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information." Pete finally said, getting everyone's attention once more. "And she's right, I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van."

There was a look of disbelief on Mickey's face as he listened to what Pete had called his new friends, including the man who was just like him but so very different as well. "No, no, no. But the Preachers know what they're doing. Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted."

Now all eyes were fixed on Ricky and he shifted uncomfortable. "Yeah, that's not exactly…"

"Not exactly what?" Mickey asked, really not liking where this was going. He could tell something was wrong, he was about to say something he was not going to like, he just knew it.

Ricky hesitated for a moment. "I'm London's Most Wanted for parking tickets." There came a bit of grumbling from Pete and a chuckle from Martin. "Yeah, they were deliberate. I was fighting the system. Park anywhere, that's me."

There was a slight chuckle from Kari while the Doctor decided to try and ease some of the tension that was in the air. "Good policy. I do much the same. I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anyone's interested." He said, before Kari stirred a little.

"Kari" She added a little groggily, pulling herself up and glancing at the Doctor. She could see nothing but worry in his eyes. "I'm okay, honestly." Kari called to him, hoping that it would ease his mind a little. She didn't want him to keep worrying, especially not when they had so many other things that they needed to be dealing with.

"And I'm Rose. Hello." The blonde added a little nervously. She could feel the tension in the air, she knew that things were bad, but from the looks she was seeing on the face of both Kari and the Doctor, she knew things were going to get far worse.

Pete let out a small laugh. "Even better. That's the name of my dog. Still, at least I've got the catering staff on my side."

Kari really did not want this conversation to carry on, she knew that she needed to move things along. Things were already different, there was already an extra person there with her, but Martin was there too. "As lovely as all this is, we have much bigger things to be dealing with." Kari announced, now sitting beside the Doctor. He was still holding onto her, still worrying about her. "Those machines, they are called Cybermen. Also, I'd take those earpods off, if I were you Pete. That's how Lumic takes control, and he could be listening."

Straight away there was a look of fear on his face and he quickly pulled them out of his ears, going to pass them to Kari. She quickly gave them to the Doctor, who had already pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He turned it on, the end lighting up blue and buzzing for a few seconds. "But he's overreached himself." The Doctor then said, adding to what Kari had been saying. "He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight." There was such determination in his voice, he wasn't going to just abandon this world and leave them with the Cybermen, he was going to protect it. It wasn't the Earth that he had saved with Kari so many times, but he was still going to do what he could to make things right.

"The Cybermen are going to convert Lumic, turn him into Cyber Controller." Kari told them all, closing her eyes and trying so hard to remember as much as she could. "Right now he is starting the conversion. He's taking control of everyone."

The van was silent, no one really knew what to say. But then Martin spoke up. "What is 'Cyber Controller'? How do you know he is taking control?" There were many more questions still going around in his head, but he was trying to put them into a logical order, and this is what he seemed to think needed asking first.

Kari let out a sigh as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "They are converting him into one of them, making him their leader. That is what a Cyber Controller is. And how do I know? Because I know a lot more about this whole situation than I should." She glanced beside her, at the Doctor. There was a worried look on his face and she wasn't sure if she should say anymore. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to see what is happening outside."

A short time later and everyone had piled out of the van, Mrs Moore having parked it somewhere quiet where they wouldn't be spotted. To everyone's horror the streets were filled with people, marching, all heading in the same direction. They were calm, they were like zombies.

"What's going on?" Rose asked as they stood amongst the people.

The Doctor looked at Kari and she nodded back at him slightly. "It's the ear-pods. Kari's right, Lumic's taken control." He told her, knowing that there was so much more Kari wanted to tell him but couldn't.

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" Rose then asked, reaching up to the earpods of the person closest to her.

Kari was quick to reach and grabbed a hold of Rose's hands, stopping her and pulling them away. "No, Rose, don't. It will cause a brainstorm." Rose quickly took a step back with a look of worry on her face. She didn't know what to do, or how she couldn't help.

"Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life." The Doctor said as they carried on milling about between all the people.

Suddenly they saw Jake, calling to them, trying to get their attention. They headed towards him, dodging the people as they did and then glanced around the corner of a building. All they could see were Cybermen and people coming out of their homes, people that had lost their freedom and were under the control of John Lumic. "Where are they all going?" Rose asked, watching as everyone headed in the same direction.

The Doctor watched as well, Kari by his side. "I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operations." In all honesty he wanted to ask her, because he knew that she would be able to tell him exactly what was going on.

"Battersea." Pete said, Kari's saying the same thing as him. Everyone turned and looked at her, confusion and a hint of worry on their faces, apart from the faces of the Doctor and Rose. There was silence for a few moments before Pete continued talking. "That's where he was building his prototypes."

There was still something that Rose didn't understand. "Why's he doing it?"

While Kari knew the answer to that one, she kept quiet and let Pete explain it. She had seen how freaked out those who didn't know her had gotten, there was no need for her to say anything. "He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost."

"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" Rose said, looking at the Doctor and Kari. "The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum." Kari shivered a little at hearing that name. She had some very bad memories of that place, she hated it.

The Doctor had noticed her reaction and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, before answering Rose. "Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth."

"What the hell are you two on about?" Pete asked, having heard everything that they had been saying.

Before the Doctor could reply, Ricky was speaking. "Never mind that. Come on, we need to get out of the city. Okay, split up. Mrs Moore, you look after that lot. Jake, distract them. Go right, I'll go left. We'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move." He had left before anyone even had the chance to respond to him, or argue or agree with what he was doing. He had just taken charge and gone.

Kari watched as Mickey told Rose he was going to go with Ricky and he gave her a quick kiss. Kari knew what was going to happen, and the guilt started flooding her as she watched Mickey run to catch up. "Come on, they're coming, we need to move." She announced, holding onto the Doctor's hand tightly and dragging them away from where they were. There were Cybermen heading towards them from every direction. "This way, come on. We need to hide."

No one questioned her, no one said a word as she pulled them behind some bins, making sure they were well hidden. They could hear them coming, looking for them. They were getting closer and Kari closed her eyes tightly. The sound of stomping stopped, they were only a few feet away from their hiding place. Then the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it. The end lit up blue and made a whirring sound, before all the Cybermen turned and just left. Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Go, come on." The Doctor whispered, helping Kari to stand and tugging her with him as they headed out from their hiding spot and back down the empty streets.

Kari looked beside her and saw Martin there. He kept glancing at her, never saying a word but just looking at her. It was making her feel a little uncomfortable. Why was he even with them? Why had he followed them? It was only when the group finally stopped that she spoke to him. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" She asked, trying to keep herself calm and in control. In truth, she was feeling so many mixed emotions.

"You're nothing like Keri at all." Martin replied, his voice void of all emotion. What he was saying was a fact.

"That's because I'm not." Kari replied, still trying to keep herself together. "My name is Kari. I used to live with my dad in Wales until I met the Doctor."

Martin frowned at her. "And what about your mum?" There was a hint of worry in his voice as well as curiosity.

Kari didn't want to answer that, but she knew that it was easier to just get it all out of the way. "She died when I was young. My dad brought me up. We moved from London to Cardiff when he had a falling out with his brother." She didn't know what she was telling him, it was something she hadn't even told the Doctor. She never spoke about her family to him, or the life she had before she met him.

"Why did they fall out? What happened?" He then asked her, his curiosity growing by the second.

She let out a sigh and rubbed her head a little. "I don't know, he never told me. All I know is that something happened at my mother's funeral, they had a huge argument and that was it. They haven't spoken since."

He was about to say something else, probably ask another question that Kari really didn't want to answer, when he was interrupted by Jake coming running towards them. "I ran past the river. You should have seen it. The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames." Then everyone heard more rushing footsteps and someone else came rushing towards them. "Here he is! Which one are you?" Jake asked, not knowing if it was Ricky or Mickey.

"I'm sorry. The Cybermen. He couldn't." The man said, panting and trying to catch his breath.

Kari felt a lump form in her throat as she went over to him. "Oh, Mickey. I'm so sorry." She said, before giving him a hug. She had known what was coming and she hadn't done anything about it. She hadn't said anything, she had just let it happen.

Mickey hugged her back, feeling a little relief that someone had recognised that it was him straight away. "He tried. He was running. There was too many of them."

Jake shouted at him, telling him to shut it, that he was nothing and that Ricky was so much better than him. Kari hated it and quickly stepped in. "Jake, enough. Ricky wouldn't have wanted this. What he would want is for us to finish this and to make sure that London, and the rest of this planet, is safe." She said, everyone now looking at her. "We need to move, and we need a plan. Now come on." She didn't wait for anyone to answer her, she just went and grabbed the Doctor's hand, pulling her with him.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked her as they walked ahead of everyone else, keeping to the shadows and keeping a close eye on the streets.

"Yes." She said, before she felt a hum in her head, like a warning to tell the truth. "No. I don't know why he is asking so many questions. It doesn't matter to him. I'm not his niece, his niece is Keri and she is at home. He has his brother as well. Why does he need to know so much about me?"

The Doctor just gave her hand a squeeze, like he always did, to try and reassure her that everything was okay. "Because you're you. You're special, Kari, you know that."

Kari glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "What, because I'm bursting with the power of the time vortex? Or is it because the TARDIS wants to protect me so much that when we landed here and you thought she was dead she had decided to stick with me?"

The comment about the TARDIS made him frown at her. "What do you mean? Stick with you? What happened?" The Doctor was trying so hard not to panic now but it was rising rather quickly. They had plenty of other things to be worrying about but this was now his main concern.

"She's with me, Doctor. She has been since we got here, the moment we were thrown out of the time vortex and into a parallel universe. She's here." Kari put her index finger to her temple to show the Doctor what she meant. "She helped when I took out those Cybermen,"

Suddenly he stopped, his hands now going to the sides of Kari's face. He gazed deeply into her eyes, clearly looking for something. "Why? Why did she do that? How can she do that?" All thoughts about Cybermen were gone now and his sole focus was Kari.

"Because something happened, Doctor. Something happened and my Angel needs protecting." The words came from Kari's mouth, but it was not her speaking. "That… that wasn't me…" She said, as the Doctor pulled back a little. "Now focus, Doctor. Stop getting emotional, because that is when you make mistakes."

"What happened? Kari, tell me, what happened?" There was far more panic in his voice now than there had been before.

While she wanted to tell him, to explain everything that had happened, she knew that she couldn't. He hadn't been there yet, she didn't even understand what had happened to her or why. "Doctor, the whole of London has been sealed off, the entire population is being taken inside Battersea Power Station to be converted. We need to get in there and shut it down." She hoped that he was going to listen to her. The more time they spent there, the more people would be converted.

Luckily for her, the Doctor did listen, and the whole group stopped only when they could see the power station across the way from them. Kari knew what was going to happen next, and she decided she was going to just jump straight in and get on with it. "Okay, so there are 2 ways in." She announced, getting everyone's attention. "There are cooling tunnels underneath, big enough to walk through. We can go down and follow them, underneath until we reach the control centre." Kari said confidently.

"And this other way?" Rose asked, looking a little nervous. The Doctor was looking slightly worried.

Kari was lucky, it was Pete that actually answered. "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in."

"Are you crazy?" Martin said. He had been pretty quiet, apart from that conversation he had with Kari. "We can't just go strolling up."

However, there was someone else who thought that it was possible. "Or we could, with these." Mrs Moore said, pulling out some earpods. "Fake ear pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job." Pete announced, causing Rose to look at him with worry.

Kari knew what was going to happen next, and she quickly interjected. "You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away, and then they would not hesitate to kill you." Her eyes were now on her friend, on Rose.

"How many of those you got?" She asked Mrs Moore, trying her best to avoid the look that Kari was giving her.

"Just two sets."

Rose nodded at her before turning to look at Pete. "Okay. If that's the best way of finding Jackie, then I'm coming with you."

There were only a few people who understood why she was desperate to go with him, why she believed him and everything he said. Pete was not one of them. "Why does she matter to you?" He asked, having no clue why a stranger would care about him or his wife.

She let out a huff and then faced Kari and the Doctor. "We haven't got time. Kari, Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that."

All Kari could do was give her a small, sad smile. "I know, but just remember Rose, no emotions. There is still someone waiting for you to go home, okay? Please, just be careful. Promise me, you'll be careful." Rose nodded at her, realising just how serious Kari was, and how worried she was about her.

It was the Doctor who finally broke the silence that had fallen. "Tell you what. We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep." He said, before turning to the man who had just lost his friend. "Jakey-boy? Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it towards the power station. When he pushed it on he noticed something light up across the way, something with red lights on it. "There it is. On the zeppelin, you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

A smile formed on the man's face. "Consider it done."

The Doctor turned back to Kari. "We're going into the cooling tunnels. Mrs Moore, would you like to accompany us?"

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" The woman replied, more than happy to go with them.

But Kari was thinking, the Doctor hadn't mentioned Martin. She knew Mickey had been left out, and he was not happy about that. But what about this other man? "Mickey, Martin, you go with Jake. He's going to need some help with that transmitter."

"No." Both Jake and Martin said at the same time.

Kari wasn't sure what to say, but finally Martin spoke up. "I'll come with you." She wasn't exactly sure about that idea, but to be honest she had no reason to fight him on it.

"And I don't need you, idiot." Jake spat at Mickey.

Finally, Mickey decided he had had enough and spoke up for himself. "I'm not an idiot! You got that? I'm offering to help." He spoke the words that Kari had told him so many times, that he is not an idiot.

Kari was proud of him, and she let that show on her face as she smiled at him. "When all this is over, we will meet you back at the TARDIS, okay?"

Mickey smiled back at her and nodded. "That's a promise." He told her, before rushing off and catching up with Jake who had already stormed off.

"Are you sure about this?" She heard the Doctor say, turning her head to see him talking to Rose. She nodded at him, determination on her face. "Good luck." He said, before watching as she went off with Pete. Now there were just the four of them, and Kari was certainly feeling a lot more nervous. Why had Martin decided to go with them? Why couldn't he have just gone with Mickey and Jake? It would have made things so much easier for her. Now she was dreading the whole walk through the cooling tunnels.

A/N: The next chapter is written and ready to go, I just need to remember to post it! Recently I've been thinking about the next stories and episodes that I'm going to write, and I keep thinking about the 50th Anniversary episode. Now, that may only be because we have the amazing David Tennant coming back round for the 60th specials. It's a tough one to navigate but I definitely do have some ideas.

A massive thank you to all who have left a review, it makes me smile each time I get the little notification and then I feel that little warmth inside when I see people are still enjoying this story after so many years.

Well, until the next time!

Pippa.