Disclaimer: I don't own the Doctor, the TARDIS, Rose or any of the characters, planets, technology etc that appear in Doctor Who. I wish I did but who doesn't?

Chapter Summary: The Doctor and Rose take a look around the city and trouble finds them very quickly. As always.

Chapter Two: The City

As they walked out of the corridor, a female computerised voice said, 'You are now leaving teleportation dock 707. Please have your identification and documents ready for inspection. Only then will you be permitted to leave. Thank you.'

'This is a teleportation dock?' Rose said.

'For teleportation devices,' the Doctor said in a tone that she recognised as being deliberately patronising; he was trying to wind her up. 'Yeah. We have to present our documentation – psychic paper in our case – in order to register the presence of the TARDIS and make sure we're the only people who can access it. They'll give us a key so that we can leave whenever we want, but she won't get stolen. And they'll have an accurate record of exactly who has got teleportation devices.'

'Great,' Rose muttered. She preferred the idea of anonymity.

The Doctor handed over a piece of psychic paper as usual and as usual, it was accepted. They were both presented with a small piece of square metal with a number and barcode inscribed on it and warned not to lose it.

'Is there any way we can help you at the moment?' the very efficient woman who had dealt with them in a professional and bored manner, asked.

'Yes, can tell us where we can get some food and do some shopping?' the Doctor asked.

'Yes, I can. You can either take a taxi to Circle Three, or you can take the long way around. Takes longer, but it's a chance to see the sight. Take the Elevator Seven down to the Level fifty-two. That Level is a stop for the sky-train or a taxi. Ask for Circle Three. That's the shopping area. Either form of transport can take you across to Circle Three. You can either get off at the entrance to the Circle, in which case you have to take a short sky-walk to get into the Circle itself, or you can ask them to take you directly inside. Does that answer your question?'

'Yes, thanks,' the Doctor said cheerfully.

'You mean you got all that?' Rose asked.

'Yeah,' he said, hands in his pockets, strolling over the elevator. 'Besides, I've been here before. I just needed a reminder of where go.'

They weren't challenged by anyone as they walked through the building the Doctor called the Spiral. The only person who asked to see ID was handed the psychic paper and let them carry on. Rose supposed it was because the Doctor was very good at looking as if he belonged wherever he was, even if he didn't. The suit definitely helped, although Rose still wasn't sure about the trainers. Combined with the smart suit, they just said student.

The Doctor just strolled past the security, who were grim looking humanoids dressed in severe black, flashing a piece of psychic paper. They nodded and let him and Rose passed. Since the Doctor seemed to know where he was going, Rose didn't pay much attention to the direction they took. She was far more interested in the sights and the aliens.

Eventually, the Doctor said, 'Ah, here we are. Circle Three. Lets take a look around.'

She did so. It was huge. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting. They were stood in the entrance, and a massive sign reading 'Welcome to Circle Three' flashing in brilliant blue light above their heads. It was like the inside of a shopping mall, only more futuristic. Everything was white, polished and clean. There were stalls, also white and clean, stairs cases and elevators. When she looked up, she saw several more floors towering above them, presumably with more shops and stalls. There was a fountain directly in front of them, spilling water that changed colour every few minutes. There were also, to her surprise, a large amount of stunning green plants everywhere.

'Wow,' she said, in awe. 'This so beats Oxford Street.'

The Doctor smiled. 'Each tier is different,' he explained. 'This floor is for food, as you can see, the next one for books and media, the next for machinery, the next for fashion and so on and on.'

'Why are we here?' she asked. 'I mean, we're basically popping down to the local market, right? A massive, impressive market, but still a market.'

'Let's call it some sightseeing,' he said cheerfully.

'What about the distress signal?'

'Oh, we'll be looking for that too,' he assured her. 'But you know us. We don't need to look for trouble, trouble hunts us down.'

'How true.'

'In the meantime, we might as well take a look around, see what we can find.' He gave her a cheeky grin. 'Beside, Circle Three is the area the signal was coming from. Best place to start.'

Rose smacked his arm. 'You could have told me that!'

He gave her a hurt look. 'I just did.'

She shook her head. 'You're hopeless.'

'I know,' he replied, looking around with a frown. 'They've moved everything. Don't you just hate that? You finally get to know where everything is and then they go and move it all. There used to be a sushi bar over there and now there's a metavolian doughnut stall.'

'Stop complaining,' Rose said. 'So? Where are we going?'

'Let's just wander,' he decided. 'Enjoy the short period of peace we have left before everything starts going crazy as usual.'

'All right,' Rose said. 'I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat.'

'What do you want?' he asked, steering her towards the nearest food stall.

'I don't know. What kind of food do they serve here?'

He considered this. 'I know, you'll like this.' He leaned over the counter and said to the man cooking something that Rose couldn't identify, 'Is this genuine Virineese food?'

'Yeah,' the man said. 'You want some?'

'Two, please,' the Doctor said, handing over a metal card that Rose assumed was money. She wondered where he had got it and made a mental note to ask later.

The man was about to take the money when a commotion broke out behind them.

The Doctor and Rose both turned in that direction.

There was a man running in their direction. He was screaming in agony, hands covering his face. His clothing had holes in it and horrifically scarred flesh was visible underneath. There was blood, lots of it, on him, and blood spilling onto the ground as he ran. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. His hands came away from his face and revealed a horribly scarred face. His left eye was gone, a bloody socket left in its place, with signs of hasty repair made to the flesh around it. His nose was broken, bleeding, half the skin on his skull simply gone, his jaw broken and shifted over to one side. His hands were bleeding and torn and there was a gaping hole in his stomach. He didn't stop screaming all the time he ran. It was incredible that he was still alive.

Then he collapsed in front of the Doctor who instantly moved to help him.

'What happened?' the Doctor asked him intently. One glance had told him that this man was dying.

The man looked up at him and shook his head. 'Death,' he whispered. His single eye stared at the Doctor in horror. 'The darkness, the horror! No!' he shrieked suddenly. 'Let me go, let me go!' He struggled, cowering away from the Doctor as if terrified.

'Who did this to you?' the Doctor demanded. 'Please tell me who did this to you!'

'Death,' the man whispered and slumped to the ground and lay still.

'Wake up,' the Doctor said, shaking him. 'Wake up!'

'He's dead,' Rose said quietly.

The Doctor got up and stepped away. 'I know,' he said in a low voice, looking around slowly.

Everyone was staring, shocked and silent. The dead man lay in a pool of blood on the ground.

'I think trouble just found us,' Rose said softly.

'Oh, yes,' the Doctor said grimly. He turned his head and met the gaze of a young man stood some way away. His gaze was drawn by how intently the other man looked back at him. He was young, had short blond hair, and was dressed in black.

'Doctor?' Rose said. He looked at her. When he looked back at the young man, he had gone.

'Let's go before people start asking questions,' the Doctor said in a low voice, taking her arm.

She didn't resist, but followed him quickly through the suddenly gathering crowd, all wanting their macabre glimpse of the mutilated body.

Will update asap, if I get all my work done...hope you all enjoyed this chapter...Sorry it's taken so long to update but inspiratopn just hasn't hit me recently!