Ch 6: Pain in a Bottle

As the others roamed the halls as fast they could, looking for the entrance to the Zygon lair, the Meta-Doctor sat against a wall still looking into his trembling hands.

"They say misery enjoys company." The Twelfth said, "So d'you mind if I join you?"

The Meta didn't even flinch.

"That was just a joke, I'm gonna sit." The Twelfth said as he sat next to the Meta.

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Meta-Doctor asked, "Like I'm a monster."

"I did." The Twelfth replied, "Well not right then, but I know what you're talking about. When Rose Tyler and I first met, I had just finished regenerating after the Time War. In those next few weeks, she and I exchanged more looks of horror than you could count. But that's the amazing thing with Rose, she helps bring out the best in you. Whether you just committed complete genocide of your own people or accidentally shredded her résumé, she will never cease to see the good in you. Because when she's around, there's nothing but goodness everywhere and in everything."

"What about what happened in that office?" Meta-Doctor asked.

"It'll wear off," the Twelfth replied, "You'll be back to yourself in a week or so. "

"Alright then." Meta-Doctor sighed as he stood up, "Now, about the entrance."

The Twelfth stood up, put on his sonics, unlocked and opened the closet door on the other side of the hall, then opened the false wall revealing the stairs.

"You knew the whole time?" Meta-Doctor asked as the Twelfth put away his sonics.

"Maybe a little." The Twelfth said with a smirk as he motioned for Rose and the soldiers to follow him.

The group went down the stairs quietly in single file. The Doctors simultaneously signaled to everyone to be completely silent and hide once their were off the stairs. The Doctors and Rose each hid behind separate support pillars and the soldiers went behind opposite wall corners. The Twelfth put on his sonics in stealth mode and zoomed in on the Zygons main computer. As he was see how many were down here, a communication alert came up on their computer. A Zygon walked up to controls and answered the call. Zygon-Kate sitting in her office filled the screen.

"What is it commander?" The Zygon at the controls asked.

"The Heads of Council have been immobilized, as has my personal squadron." Zygon-Kate replied, "The Meta-Doctor has been resurrected, however the Earth-One Doctor has left his TARDIS unguarded but locked."

"Excellent, we will use it as leverage." The Zygon at the controls said.

The Twelfth motioned for everyone else to stay put as he went towards the computer.

"Excuse me," the Twelfth started, "You're planning to use my TARDIS as leverage? That's a big mistake on your part considering a few things; A) the TARDIS is locked, 2) she only responds to me, 3) - no, wait - C) You're not going to take over this Earth or any Earth as long as I live and that's because 4) or D) or a bullet point or whatever: I. Am. The Doctor, and I save those who can't save themselves."

The Twelfth activated the sonics and shorted out the computer system causing a blackout in the room, even the lights went out. The Meta and Rose activated their sonics as flashlights and the soldiers stunned every Zygon in the room in seconds. The Twelfth then brought the computer system and lights back on line and went to work finding out who in UNIT was Zygon and who was Human.

"Alright, well, there is some good news." The Doctor said as he looked through the computer, "Only half of UNIT is Zygon, the bad news is that the half that is Zygon includes all of the leadership."

"Hang on, go back one page." Rose said before the Twelfth did as she asked, "Those employee numbers aren't the same as a few months ago, and certainly not the same as a year ago."

"They've been inserting Zygons as new members." Meta-Doctor said.

"I knew I had been seeing new faces." One of the soldiers said.

"Does it show who in the building is Zygon or not?" The other soldier asked.

"Possibly, why would it?" The Twelfth asked looking at the soldier.

"Every UNIT member has a tracer inserted in their spinal cord." The soldier replied.

The Twelfth, the Meta and Rose all looked at the soldier in horror.

"Don't worry," the soldier said, "It's a painless process and it only takes up about a centimeter of space in the back of the neck."

"Well," the Twelfth said as he turned back to the computer, "If you know the frequency I can keep track of everyone even in the sonics."

"Here, I'll type it in." The soldier said as he put in the frequency code as best he could with the Zygon controls.

"Alright, seems the tracking program is working." The Twelfth said as he synced the sonics with the Zygon computer, "I've also locked the Zygons out of their own computer."

"Now how do evacuate the humans?" One soldier asked.

"Or, better still, how do we take out the Zygons?" The other soldier asked.

"We're not taking anyone out, I'm making that very clear right now." Meta-Doctor said with a trembling hand.

"Alright, what's your play then?" Rose asked.

"Stun pulses from every sonic, put them in detainment." The Twelfth said as he started walking out.

"By the way," Meta-Doctor said to the soldiers, "Are you two twins?"

"Yes, sir." One soldier replied, "I'm Henry Anderson, this is my brother Jacob."

"Nice to meet you both." The Twelfth said as he shook their hands, "Now let's get to work."

"Hold on." Meta-Doctor said as he grabbed Twelve's arm, "You've hardly talked to these people, treated them like they're just here to help and now that you know their names you just want to get to work. What's the matter with you?!"

"What's the matter with me?" The Twelfth asked as he pulled his arm back, "I've learned not to get attached to anyone to easily, because I always lose them. I always lose people I care about because that's what happens when you're the last one of your species, the universe decides to make your life a living hell and the only ones that can make you feel any better are either dead or long gone due to choices that have been made! What's the matter with me is I don't want to lose myself to anyone else, I couldn't care less about anyone else, anyone I've ever come into contact with for more than a day has had their life shattered in some way! I'm a man with a monster inside and the only thing that can keep me from hurting anyone else is to not get attached! That's why I don't learn names, or get involved in social lives, or look at old pictures because all I get in return is pain and heartache and it's more than I can bear. I may be the Doctor, but I can't cure myself, and it's more than I can stand."

The room fell silent as the Twelfth gained his breath.

"I'm sorry," The Twelfth said, mostly to Rose, "Let's just finish this so I can begin to figure out I got here and then go home."

"Hang on again." Meta-Doctor said, "When you gave me the regeneration, some of your memories came with it. Remember your speech to Zygena, the one about not starting a war? What was it you said about pain? 'You take all that pain, and you hold it tightly in your hands, until it burns down into your soul. You grit your teeth and you say, "No one else will feel this kind of pain, not on my watch."'"

The Twelfth looked at the Meta for a second, then got in his face.

"You hold all that pain by choice." The Meta said, "But you have forgotten, like I did awhile ago; with no one there to help you through the pain, it will eat you alive, until there's nothing left but a bitter man with a grudge against the very people he swore to save."

The Twelfth sighed.

"You're right." The Twelfth said, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no harm, no foul." The Meta said, "I mean sure, some harsh words, but nothing we wouldn't have said in the same position. C'mon then, let's take care of the Zygons. Then we can work on the dimensional barrier problem."

END CHAPTER SIX