Claude sighed and went back through the alley again. He had barely registered that Sylar's body had disappeared before his eyes met the eyes of the man at the end of the alley. A hard face glared at him from under close cropped hair. The stranger was dressed in a leather jacket, but apart from that he was almost...
"Doctor, he's exactly the same as you."
Claude hadn't noticed the young blonde girl behind the man, peering excitedly over his shoulder.
"Is this like when we went to see my dad? And-" Her face creased into a frown. "Are those bat things gonna come back?"
"No, Rose," the man replied. "This man isn't me. I'd recognise him if he was." He marched closer to Claude and stuck his nose right in Claude's face.
"Who are you, then?" he demanded, whipping out a pen-like device from his jacket.
"I'm Claude," Claude replied. "And you're the Doctor, right?"
"You've met me before?" the Doctor asked, jerking his head back in surprise.
"Sort of. You didn't make a lot of sense, and you were taller, with more hair. And a different face."
"What's he talking about, Doctor?" the girl asked, tugging on the Doctor's arm. He rubbed his eyes and looked down at her.
"There's a process I go through, it..." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I'll explain later. Cos I remember this date, and I have a feeling I'm gonna meet someone I really don't wanna meet."
"How right you are," came a voice from behind him. The Doctor turned to see Sylar's smirking face as he leapt toward him.
"Run!" shouted the Doctor desperately. Sylar was already on top of him, and he drew back a fist to punch the Doctor. Claude had already faded from view, but Rose was still standing there.
"Run, Rose," the Doctor gasped. "Back to the TAR..." Sylar's hands had closed around his throat and he lost his air supply. Rose made a move to help, but Sylar threw up an arm she was flung back.
"So you're the Doctor too?" Sylar growled.
"Ah. You've met me as well?" the Doctor coughed, still struggling to prise Sylar's hands from around his neck. "What happened?"
"You got me from behind, or something," the man sneered. "But this time you won't be so-" His voice cut out again as the same crowbar smashed into the back of his head, knocking him clear of the Doctor. Blood began to flow from a wound in his head. Claude faded back into view and looked over at him.
"That won't hold for long," he warned, helping the Doctor to his feet. "He's a healer, we can't beat him with a crowbar."
"Well let's get out of here, then!" said Rose, running back down the alleyway to join the two men. She glanced at Sylar, who was already standing up. "He doesn't look too happy." The trio looked back as Sylar thrust his hands forward again, this time freezing the air in front of him. They ran.
"Up here!" shouted the Doctor, darting into a doorway in the side of a nearby building. Rose and Claude followed him up a rickety flight of stairs, with Sylar closing in behind them. They emerged into a large, dusty room holding a big blue box that hummed with power. Claude looked up at the words printed on it.
"Police Public Call Box... what the hell is this doing here?" He looked over at the Doctor, who was sealing the door shut with his pen device. There was a roar from the other side as Sylar tried to break through.
"Ok, Rose, get in," the Doctor instructed, and she quickly unlocked the door of the box and stepped inside. The Doctor looked over at Claude.
"I'm gonna have to leave you here, sorry," he said, genuine sadness on his face. "I know what's coming next, and I can't stop it."