The Healdon pressed the gun into her back, giving her a slight shove towards the console. Rose tried to think quickly. Attempt to escape, or wait for help? Surely, one of the other three would appear soon, and then she wouldn't have to risk running from yet another gun-toting alien.
"Move." The gun dug into her hoodie once more, and reluctantly she moved forwards.
Acutely aware of the creature behind her, she felt sudden movement; well, maybe not movement, but almost like a shift in the atmosphere. She turned her head marginally, trying to get a view behind her. What she saw was a very familiar trainer-clad foot. And an ankle with pinstriped trousers.
The Healdon leaned forward, and she tensed, feeling cool breath ruffle her hair. "You think he'll come and save you, don't you?" came the Doctor's voice, softly, with a tinge of amusement.
He will. Rose's thoughts sounded confident, but when she tried voicing them, the effect wasn't the same. "He'll stop you. You…you won't escape."
The quiet laugh sent shivers down her spine. Not because she was scared, but because it was a sound she knew so well. Seeing the Healdon with the appearance of her best friend was messing with her head more than it had with the likeness of Bella…or even herself. And it was almost as if the creature knew that.
"Stupid ape." Rose closed her eyes. On the rare occasions that the Doctor did make a remark like that, it was never said with such a malicious tone. The Healdon moved to stand in front of her, and she opened her eyes with something close to apprehension.
She saw the Doctor's face smiling down at her, but it was a cruel, hard smile, which didn't reach his large brown eyes. But it didn't have the desired effect on Rose. She'd never seen the Doctor with that expression, certainly not directed at her, and it distanced him from the identical creature facing her.
But, now she looked, not identical. She began to feel suddenly brighter as she noticed imperfections. She'd studied the Doctor's face intently many a time, taking in his new appearance, trying to read his thoughts. And, often, just because she liked gazing on his handsome features.
And all at once this impostor seemed to look nothing like the Doctor. Especially since the latter was now standing barely a metre behind it.
The Healdon hadn't detected this sudden appearance, and only realised when Rose's eyeline gave away the Doctor's presence. The creature hissed in shock, and as it jumped behind Rose, the gun pressed to her neck, it morphed again… and became the commander.
"Hello!" the Doctor said cheerily. "I don't think we've met. I'm the Doctor."
The Healdon shifted, but said nothing. Rose couldn't see its face, but she could imagine the look on the commander's features.
The Doctor tilted his head slightly to one side as if in puzzlement. "Errrm… is there any particular reason for you holding Rose hostage?"
"If you do not help me escape, then she will be hurt." The harsh tone was very similar to that used by the voice's real owner. But the speech sounded somehow stilted, as if the Healdon wasn't used to communicating like this. Or maybe it was betraying fear.
"And where would you go? Bit far from your own planet, aren't you?" The Doctor paused for a second. "We could take you back there."
"No." The word was a snarl. But the Healdon stopped as footsteps announced Bella and Jack's arrival.
Both froze as they saw the scene. Bella scrabbled suddenly inside her jacket, then stared. "My gun!"
"Care to tell me why not?" The Doctor continued to the Healdon. It merely hissed at him, distracted by Jack, who was clearly fighting the temptation to draw a random weapon and zap the creature. Rose was yanked backwards a few more steps.
"It's not loaded," Bella said suddenly, indicating the weapon the Healdon was still gripping. She seemed to be attempting calm nonchalance, but it was still obvious that she was bluffing.
The Healdon took no notice, but it looked confused. The Doctor crossed to the console, and flipped a switch or two, almost as if he couldn't be bothered anymore. But Rose didn't miss the meaningful look he gave Bella.
The Doctor folded his arms, and leaned back. He was doing what she thought of as his "go all enigmatic and freak the enemy out" strategy. Rose's captor continued to back away slowly.
"This ship is semi-sentient, you know," the Doctor said. "And she doesn't like violence. So if I press this…." – he pointed to a small dark button on the console – " ..Then she'll know exactly where to aim this frēosan beam…" – he pointed helpfully to an indent in the ceiling some way above his head – " …which, in case you didn't already know, will render you totally immobile." He finished this explanation with a beatific smile.
"And Rose knows just how much I like to press buttons…"
Rose took her chance, and dived out of the way. Somewhere above her, a gun went off ; she wasn't sure who's, as three of the room's occupants seemed to be holding one. There was a sudden whine, and a jet of white light shot out of indent.
The Doctor appeared at Rose's side, and hauled her to her feet. Bella had run to the console and was standing, hand on a lever. As the Doctor moved her towards the internal door for safety, Rose saw that the Healdon had also escaped the beam. Jack had a large weapon trained on the shape-shifter, who was now unarmed. Under stress, it backed away and morphed again as the Doctor and Jack closed in on it.
It seemed unsure who to copy, and the result was a Jack lookalike, in the Doctor's pinstriped suit, with Bella's long white hair. Rose, in spite of herself, had to stifle a giggle.
"This is too weird for words," Jack remarked drily.
The Healdon lunged at him suddenly, but the Doctor, just as fast, flicked his sonic screwdriver at it, and the creature yelped and recoiled as if scalded.
The Doctor shot Jack a look, and both simultaneously leaped forward, and grabbed the struggling Healdon by the arms. It cried out in frustration, morphing through several shapes with incredible speed, trying to shake them off.
But then the Doctor and Jack pushed together, and the creature was thrown forwards into the beam.
"Now, Bella!" the Doctor yelled.
The Healdon was already on its feet as Bella slammed the lever forwards. The light beam shone whiter than ever, and the creature froze like a rabbit in headlights. It began to glow, and let out an odd, gurgling, primal scream that sounded like a tape being played backwards.
The Doctor ran to the console beside Bella, and depressed another switch. The intensity of the beam decreased instantly, and the small group looked at the Healdon, suspended in time and space by the power of the Tardis.
The creature in front of them was now a writhing, pulsating, vaguely humanoid mass. Its skin, the colour of the night sky, rippled as limbs grew and shrank on its body. A body which had sudden grown to nearly 7 feet tall.
Its dark face scared Rose slightly, as its features distorted and changed constantly, and the Doctor, as if he knew what she was thinking, took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"It's over now."
BUT IT'S NOT! Please tell me what you think... :-)