A/N: new chappie! let's see how this new Doctor gets on...enjoy!
Chapter 6: Six Contestants
The TARDIS materialized in a dark alley in Hollywood, and a moment later, Olivia stumbled out, followed by the Doctor, both coughing from the smoke that billowed out of the door. Olivia gently pushed the Doctor aside to lean back into the TARDIS.
"Extractor fans on!" she called, and the smoke was sucked out of the control room, and she shut the door, still coughing a bit. "She'll fix herself up. Come on."
She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the alley, aiming her Sonic forward, having programmed the signal onto it so it could lead them to the source.
"How thin was my neck before?" the Doctor frowned, pulling at the bowtie at his collar and untying it to let it hang around his neck. "I'm choking to death from this thing!"
"Guessing the bowtie won't be part of the next wardrobe change," Olivia smirked, not stopping and not looking back at him.
"I still maintain bowties are cool," he replied before looking around the alley. "Where are we going?"
"Following that signal," she reported before stopping at a manhole, aiming the Sonic at it. "Which seems to be coming from here."
"Signal? What signal?" he frowned, stepping up next to her to stare down at the manhole.
"Are you even paying attention?" Olivia snapped before she frowned at him when he reached into his jacket pocket. "What are you doing?"
"Scanning," he replied, trying to use the Sonic but it glitched, making him lift it a smack it with the heel of his hand. "Why's it not working?"
"Because you've forgotten how to use it," Olivia couldn't help but smirk as she knelt down to shove the manhole cover aside. "Down the rabbit hole, Mr. Sigma."
"Still see me as Mr. Sigma, then," he smirked back, tucking his Sonic away as she sat at the edge of the hole and grinned up at him.
"Well, I married you, didn't I?" she retorted before clamping her Sonic between her teeth and climbing down the ladder.
Olivia's nose wrinkled at the smell that assaulted her senses, but she managed to reach the end of the ladder, the Doctor jumping down right after her.
"I have been this tall before," he recalled, reaching into the breast pocket of his jacket. "I remember now. But I like the hair. I'd like it better if it was ginger. Here."
He handed her a handkerchief which she instantly placed over her nose then lifted her Sonic again to use it as a torch.
"Thanks," she strained from the scent assaulting her. "This way."
He pulled out his Sonic and followed her, using it as a torch as well, its functions coming back to his memory as he recalled, "The message said something about gladiatorial games. Man verses beast. We're probably looking for an arena of some sort. Still following that signal, Liv?"
"I thought you didn't know—"
"Of course I did," he cut in. "Took me a minute, but I remembered. So, man verses beast, which means there will have been people missing, yes?"
"Maybe, if we had watched the news, we'd know," Olivia replied.
"Your mum was," he recalled, as they turned down one of the tunnels. "Three people, all taken from the same place. It was the major story in the eleven o'clock news, your mother said. Now, who do you think could kidnap three people at the same time from the same place?"
"Definitely not a human," Olivia agreed.
"Just like the signal," he nodded. "Not human. Broadcast for lightyears around the universe for all to hear. And why? To attract them to this spot for a bit of sport, as we've established. So, what do we do now, Liv?"
"Find the culprits and tell them to take a hike?" Olivia smiled back.
"Very good!" he grinned. "You're not so moody this time 'round with my regeneration, I see."
"Probably hasn't fully hit me yet," she retorted. "Give it a minute."
He stopped and tugged on her hand to stop her, making her frown up at him in wonder as he only stared back at her, looking for something in her gaze, but she wasn't sure what.
"Theta?" she whispered, still frowning in wonder, and it only deepened when he smiled. "What's the matter with you?"
"You called me Theta," he smiled, making her smile back as she realized what he'd been looking for in her gaze.
"Of course I did," she smirked. "Now, we don't have time for this. We have to find out what's going on here."
"Not even a kiss?" he smirked, charmingly.
"Really? Now you flirt? We're in a sewer, tracking down an alien signal and you want a make-out session. You are still a terrible date!"
"Are you here for the games?"
Olivia and the Doctor whirled around at the sound of the voice to see a creature that Olivia thought was a Silurian at first, but soon registered he was more snake-like with completely blacked out eyes…and she'd seen one of these before.
"You're…Callifraxan, aren't you?" Olivia asked, making the thing frown.
"You here for the games or not?" he asked back.
"Yes! Yes, we are," the Doctor spoke up. "Captain John Smith, and this is my companion, Pocahontas. Lead the way!"
The Callifraxan frowned at the pair before waving at them to follow him. The Doctor took Olivia's hand and pulled her after him, following the Callifraxan closely as they both tucked their Sonics away.
"John Smith and Pocahontas?" she whispered as they turned down a corner.
"Problem?"
"No. You're just as ridiculous as ever."
She came to a halt when she heard a long, loud roar ahead of them, making the Doctor stop and look to her with a frown.
"Liv?"
"What was that?" she shuddered.
"I thought you were here for the games," the Callifraxan recalled, looking back at them as the Doctor pulled Olivia closer to wrap an arm around her. "Don't tell me she's squeamish. Humans. When will they ever be able to stand the sight of blood?"
He turned to head down the tunnel, the Doctor pulling Olivia along but as they passed over an open area, Olivia's eyes shot wide at the sight of a huge beast, ten times the size of an elephant, roaming around below them. Its fur was thick, and stringy, beige and spotted with black in color, a face that reminded her of an English or French bulldog, blacked out eyes, sharp teeth and sharp, black claws.
"Callifraxan Mongrel," the Doctor explained, whispering into her ear. "Under its fur, it has titanium skin, but there's a soft spot at the back of the neck that will render it unconscious if you hit it hard enough…and if you can get to it."
Olivia swallowed, hard before clamping her hands over her ears when the thing roared again, the sound bouncing off the walls of the sewers. The Doctor frowned as they were led into a dark walkway and down a staircase.
"I thought we'd be taken to the arena," he called to the Callifraxan who moved aside to let them pass him at the bottom of the stairs.
"You'll get there," the Callifraxan replied before the sound of a metallic slam was heard in the dark, and they were suddenly bombarded by hands and cries.
"Let us out!" one woman screamed. "Let us go! Please!"
"Get us out of here!" another man shouted.
"Doctor!" Olivia screamed when she was pulled from his grasp, groping at the dark for him.
A blinding light suddenly shone into the small room and Olivia cringed before trying to look around at the group they were trapped with in the room. She could only make out two men and two women, all muddied and in tattered clothing. She realized these must have been the people that had gone missing, like the Doctor had said. She jumped with a start when the walls started moving. The platform rose and the group began panicking as Olivia searched for the Doctor. She screamed when a hand grabbed onto her arm and turned to face them, ready to pummel them to let her go, but her jade eyes met a familiar face in absolute disbelief.
"Aaron?!" she breathed with a frown as he stared back at her before she sighed in relief and threw her arms around him. "How did you get here?!"
"I was picked up a block or so from your house the other day," he explained, holding her close. "It was a teleport of some kind. One minute, heading down the street to your place, and the next I was here. What are you doing here?!"
"We followed the signal," she explained.
"You're with the Doctor, right?" he grinned in relief. "I heard you call for him. Where is he?!"
"He's here, but, Aaron—"
She was cut off when the platform they were standing on stopped and they both looked around the arena they were now standing in the middle of.
"Up there," the Doctor whispered, suddenly behind them as he nodded ahead.
Aaron looked to him with wide eyes before looking to Olivia for explanation on why he looked different, but she only looked up with a frown to see a Callifraxan woman in a regal gown approach the railing of her podium.
"Welcome to the Callifraxan Gladiatorial Games!" she announced.
The crowd around the open arena cheered before a roar erupted, a sound Olivia now knew. She watched in terror as the Callifraxan Mongrel leapt out of its holding area and into the arena, stalking toward the group.
"Begin," she called, casually, before backing away and sitting in a throne.
"Callifraxan queen," the Doctor murmured.
"Ok, not what?" Olivia whispered, but instead of answering her he stepped ahead of the crowd.
"If I might beg audience with her majesty before the games begin?" he called as a few more Callifraxans emerged to keep the huge beast at bay.
"Did he regenerate?" Aaron wondered and Olivia only nodded, still watching the Doctor in wonder. "What the hell is he doing?!"
"Who is it that speaks?" the queen called, standing again.
"I'd tell you, but I'm not so sure of that myself," the Doctor replied, honestly, then grinned, "Would you speak with me anyway?"
There was a long silence before she waved her hand, and the Doctor was grabbed from behind by another Callifraxan. Olivia tried to follow them as he was dragged toward the opposite end of the arena but she was stopped by yet another Callifraxan, aiming a spear at her, making her glare at him.
"Olivia, don't—"
"Where he goes, I go," she ground out, cutting into Aaron's plea and grabbing the spear to shove it aside. "Let me pass!"
She marched forward but the spear-wielding alien swept the weapon at her feet, tripping her, and she landed into the dirt floor, face first.
"Olivia!" Aaron called, rushing toward her to help her up.
"Leave her alone!" the Doctor shouted and tried to get to her but his captor still dragged him toward a doorway in the arena wall, a staircase leading up to the box where the queen sat. "Aaron! Look after her!"
Aaron nodded as he helped Olivia to her feet and the two were herded in with the other three as the beast in the arena was pushed back toward its holding area. The Doctor was shoved up the staircase and into the box where the Callifraxan queen sat in her throne, facing the stairs with a wicked, reptilian smile.
"You're a handsome thing, aren't you?" she smirked. "What do you want?"
"Leave," he replied, instantly, making her frown as she straightened to stare at him. "Take your men, take your beast and leave."
"I'm not so inclined," the queen retorted, sitting back again. "Handsome as you are, I like it here. Humans are the prime subjects for experiments, don't you find? And this experiment is the most controversial of them all…Man verses beast. Who will win?"
"Last chance," the Doctor warned through gritted teeth.
"Ooh, this one has fire," the queen smirked. "Keep him up here. He'll fight for his life after the others are dead. This won't take very long."
The Doctor's hearts raced as she waved to her men in the arena that they resume the games and he shot a wide-eyed stare to the arena as the Callifraxan Mongrel was let loose once more.
"Olivia!" he shouted as he tried running for the stairs but he was caught by the men that had taken him there. "Olivia! Run!"
Olivia's eyes shot toward the Doctor as she heard him scream, but her attention was drawn to the beast coming toward them. Aaron pushed her out of the way when the beast swiped its massive paw toward them, and though it missed them, the woman closest to them screamed as she was sent through the air. Olivia cringed when the scream stopped and she dared not look at where she'd landed, knowing she was dead.
"Grab a spear!" Aaron called and she noticed the beast going after the other Callifraxans in the arena, their spears lying on the ground. She and Aaron grabbed a spear each as the other man ran toward them, taking advantage of its distraction to come up with a strategy.
"One of us needs to get on its back," she explained, hurriedly. "There's a soft spot on the back of the neck. We can take it out that way."
"Are you insane?!" the man with them snapped. "I'm not getting on that thing!"
"Look out!" Aaron shouted, grabbing Olivia to pull her back, but the other man was swept aside like a rag doll.
The two stared huge eyes at the beast as it tossed the man up and caught him with its mouth, swallowing him whole.
"Oh, god," Aaron breathed in terror.
"Distract it," Olivia ordered Aaron who stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief.
"Distract it?!" he shouted as she ran for the thing to stay behind it. "Olivia?!"
"What is she doing?" the Doctor murmured to himself, watching Olivia and Aaron separate to either side of the beast, Olivia coming up behind and Aaron trying to catch its attention. "What is she doing?"
"Did she not arrive with you, Doctor?" the queen smirked, seeing his worried gaze. "What did you call her? Olivia?"
He said nothing as he tried to come up with some sort of strategy to get into that arena to save them.
"Kill her," the queen ordered one of the soldiers with her, catching the Doctor's attention and he looked to the soldier pointing a crossbow into the arena.
He reached into his jacket for his Sonic and aimed it at the crossbow, reversing the function so that when he pulled the trigger it shot back into his shoulder. The soldier cried out in pain, making the queen straighten in her throne as the Doctor tucked his Sonic away.
"Why not give her a fighting chance, your majesty?" he nearly snarled, looking to the queen. "Cheating is beneath royalty, isn't it?"
She sneered before sitting back again as the Doctor turned back to the scene playing out in the arena.
Aaron drew the beast's attention to him as Olivia placed herself strategically next to one of the hind legs. Aaron stabbed at the thing's face, aiming for an eye, the nose and any other fleshy part of the face. Olivia grabbed onto the long, stringy fur of the animal's leg and started to climb, still holding onto the spear. She was going to need it.
"Any time, Olivia!" Aaron shouted just before the thing swiped at him, but he ducked and rolled forward, stopping under the beast's jaw. He stabbed the spear up into the jaw above him, only to have it break in half from its titanium skin.
Olivia, now on its back, shouted in shock when the thing bucked and backed up, trying to find Aaron. She bounced on its back, holding tightly to the fur as she crawled toward the neck. She could see the bald patch in the fur she had to get to, she just hoped she wouldn't be thrown off before she could get to it.
Aaron ran toward the things hind legs to jab what was left of his spear between the toes of its foot, hoping it had other soft spots he could reach. The thing roared in pain as black blood spewed into Aaron's face and he stumbled away, crying out when the huge paw shifted, one of its claws stabbing him in the foot.
Olivia was suddenly thrown up and into the air, screaming when it bucked again from the pain in its foot, and when she landed again, she was right next to the soft spot. She raised the dull end of the spear and slammed it down on the soft spot. The beast instantly froze and stood still for a whole ten seconds before it began to fall sideways. Olivia scrambled in the opposite direction the thing was falling and jumped off, landing on Aaron and causing them to roll into the dirt as he broke her fall.
The crowd that had been cheering around them gasped, then began murmuring in astonishment. Olivia and Aaron looked up from their places at the crowd as it suddenly began shifting, emptying the arena.
"Wait!" the queen shouted, rushing toward the railing of her box. "Stop! Where are you going?!"
"You haven't delivered on your entertainment, your majesty," the Doctor smirked, drawing her attention to him and she glared at his smug smirk.
"Oh, but this is just the beginning, Doctor," she suddenly smirked, stepping closer to him. "The games continue for the next two days. And you, with your little humans will be the main attraction now. Take them to the cells."
One of the soldiers grabbed the Doctor's arm and began dragging him back down the stairs, two others entering the arena to drag Olivia and Aaron away as well. The three struggled to be free, but it was no use and they were thrown into a cell each, Olivia between the Doctor and Aaron.
"Aaron, you ok?" Olivia asked from behind the bars of her cell separating her from Aaron and the Doctor on either side as he leaned back on the wall and sunk to the ground to sit.
"Yeah," he groaned, cradling his foot before sighing, "Just…dizzy."
"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor asked from the other side of Olivia's cell.
"That thing stepped on his foot," she replied, still looking at Aaron. "The claw stabbed him."
"Not good," the Doctor blurted, whipping Olivia's gaze to him with a frown.
"What? Why not good? What's wrong?" she demanded as their gazes met.
"Callifraxan Mongrels have claws coated with a neurotoxin," the Doctor replied, making Olivia's eyes widen in horror. "He'll be dead in an hour, unless we get him to the TARDIS."
"Well, let's get outta here then!" Aaron snapped, struggling to stand between the pain in his foot and his dizziness.
"The more you move the faster the toxin will react," the Doctor warned, glancing around the cell in thought.
"We have to get out of here," Olivia shuddered, watching him pull his Sonic from his pocket and try to use it. "Doctor, what do you need?"
"I need a Sonic that works!" he growled, smacking the heel of his hand into it as Olivia pulled hers out.
"What do you need it to do?" Olivia asked.
"Try the lock," he instructed her as he still tried to get his own Sonic to work and Olivia did as she was told, using her screwdriver on the lock as Aaron watched them.
"So…" Aaron called, looking to the Doctor. "You've regenerated again."
"Yes," he drawled, still examining his screwdriver.
"Loving the baritone," Aaron smirked. "And he's not so bad to look at."
"Shut up, Aaron," Olivia blurted.
"At least now he looks like Amelia is actually his, and not Jack's."
"Seriously, shut it."
"Oh!" the Doctor shouted and Olivia and Aaron both jumped, looking to the Doctor as he stared wide eyes outside the cell, his hands in his hair.
"Oh! I'm so thick!" he shouted again, making both Olivia and Aaron frown at him, but they said nothing as he shoved himself against the bars of his cell to shout at the guards. "Oi! You lot! Yeah! You! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"
"Did he seriously just taunt those aliens with Monty Python?" Aaron asked Olivia as neither of them took their gazes off of him.
"Yup," she sighed, then seeing the excitement on his face when the two Callifraxans came toward him to unlock his cell, she added, "Whatever he's planning, it must be working."
"Liv, keep working on that door, and get Aaron back to the TARDIS!" he called as he was dragged from his cell and toward the exit. "Back in a jiff!"
"Thanks for letting me in on the plan!" she shouted, sardonically.
"You're welcome!" he called back, making her roll her eyes as she turned back to using her Sonic on the door.
"Is it just me, or does he get crazier with each regeneration?" Aaron wondered.
"It's not just you," she muttered, but couldn't help but smirk.
She liked the crazy side of him. But as she went through each setting on her Sonic Screwdriver to find the one that would unlock the cell door, she couldn't help but worry that he was going to get into more trouble than he could get out of this time.
A/N: yeah, um...my Monty Python showed. just a little. reviews?