Chapter 2
The Doctor grabbed Martha's hand and pulled her towards the stairs. They still had to dodge the sword which was swung in their direction, but the aliens movements were now sluggish enough for them easily avoid it. They raced up the steps and the Doctor sonicked the door shut.
"Are you okay," The Doctor asked Martha with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine," Martha said giving the Doctor a smile of reassurance.
They waited as they heard slow steps climb the stairs. It banged fruitless against the door before eventually heading back down.
"This door won't hold it indefinitely," the Doctor said.
"It doesn't have to, UNIT is on its way. I better call and warn them," Martha replied taking out her phone and making a quick call to inform them of alien hostility and of what had happened to Steve. When Martha hung up she said, "They'll be here any minute."
"We better get back to the Tardis then," the Doctor said turning and heading out the house.
Martha hesitated for a moment before she followed him out the door. The Doctor walked a short distance to the Tardis, unlocked the doors and walked in leaving Martha to close the doors behind her. He headed straight to the console, brought down the screen and began searching information on the race they just encountered.
Martha followed him to the console and watched the Gallifreyan symbols flash across the screen. She didn't understand it and seeing the Doctor's concentration she decided to wait before questioning him. She knelt against the railing and scanned the room. Everything looked exactly as it did the last time she was in the ship but there was no sign of any other occupant. That struck her as odd.
Martha was caught off guard when the Doctor suddenly turned and asked. "When did you start carrying a gun? I don't remember you ever needing one."
Martha unconsciously crossed her arms and said, "I'm not just a doctor anymore, I need to defend myself sometimes."
"And you think a gun is the best way of doing that?" the Doctor criticized.
Martha narrowed her eyes, "It doesn't hurt to have one in times of emergency."
"The Martha I knew didn't carry a gun," the Doctor said.
"Then maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought," she shot back.
"Apparently, since I also never thought you were capable of destroying the Earth," he asserted.
The statement shocked Martha as it seemed a callous coming from the Doctor. Almost destroying her planet with the Osterhagen Key still haunted her. Knowing she was capable of ending the lives of billions of people in an instant was terrifying, and having that knowledge led her to leave UNIT. But she wasn't going to admit this to the Doctor or let him make her feel guilty for saving their lives.
"The rest of us have to stay behind and find a way to survive," Martha answered.
"And you think gun toting is the best way?" the Doctor continued.
"The work I do is dangerous," Martha defended.
"Isn't it always?" the Doctor accused.
"I know you don't approve but I won't apologize for trying to protect us, nor do I want to argue with you. It's the last thing I want," Martha said softening her tone and uncrossing her arms.
"You're right, I'm sorry," the Doctor said giving her a lopsided smile. He hadn't meant to argue with her, he knew both their lives had been in danger and Martha had possibly saved their lives. However, though seeing Martha again was the first real happiness he had felt in a long time, he could not help directing his anger at her which always seemed to be bubbling just below the surface.
It wasn't much of an apology but Martha didn't mind, something else was bugging her. "There are more important things we should be discussing anyway, but first where is everyone else?" Martha said surprised no one else had joined them in the console room yet.
Martha saw the Doctor's face momentarily cloud over before becoming impassive.
She knew that look. The first time she traveled with him she had seen it often, the pained look of misery which he was trying to hide now. She knew not to prod further so she gave him an out, "but more importantly what was that thing back there?"
The Doctor knelt back against the console and said, "It's a Mannar from the planet Mardarsian. They are a very violent and dangerous race, who captured worlds and used those they defeated as slaves. They were once a great empire but a civil war broke out and eventually they destroyed themselves and their world half a millennia ago. The few Mannar who survived are scattered across the universe."
"Back at the house, I felt hypnotized by it." Martha said remembering the hold it had on her mind.
"Some within their species can create a hypnotic hold on their victims. The more powerful can overtime make you do their bidding. The one at the house was a moderately powerful telepath but even if he was stronger it would not have worked on me. Their abilities pale in comparison to Timelords," the Doctor said.
"Do you know what they are doing on Earth?" Martha asked.
The Doctor pondered this and said, "I'm not sure. They generally keep to the other side of the universe. I've never encountered them on Earth before."
"What about when it spoke to you in the house, what did it say?" she inquired.
"Basically that it wanted to kill us," he said.
"And in the basement, could you tell what it was doing in there?" Martha asked.
The Doctor rubbed the back of his head, "Well, it seemed to be creating something."
"So in other words you don't know," Martha said finally getting frustrated at the lack of answers.
"That's not what I said," he tried denied.
"We know nothing," Martha said exasperated. "Hopefully UNIT has moved everything to the base and we can find some answers there. And I can also check on someone."
"Someone?" the Doctor questioned.
"Shelley, a nurse from the hospital," Martha answered.
"Oh," the Doctor said trying to act indifferent.
"She got infected like the man at the house," Martha said.
"Oh," The Doctor said realizing the implications. "no time to waste then."
He turned to face the console again and input UNIT's coordinates. He flipped two switches and began cranking the lever. "Next stop UNIT."
The Tardis began to shake and they dematerialized.