Chapter 4: Time of the Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.

The museum looked like it was based on the plans of a medieval church. The Vixen and the Doctor strode through, pointing at the displays and giving their opinions. Amy followed, bored.

The Doctor said, "Wrong! Wrong!"

The Vixen said, "Bit right, mostly wrong. I love museums."

Amy asked, "Yeah, great. Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship, Churchill's bunker...? You promised me a planet next."

The Vixen said, "Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, final resting place of the headless monks, the biggest museum ever."

Amy asked, "You've got a time machine, what do you need museums for?"

The Doctor said, "Wrong! Very wrong! Oooh, look Vixen, one of ours. Also one of ours." He and the Vixen peered into a display case.

Amy said, "Oh, I see. It's how you keep score."

Something in the next display case caught the Vixen's eye. An old box of sorts. Intrigued, she looked at the top which beared strange symbols. She beckoned the Doctor over.

Amy sighed, "Oh great, an old box."

The Doctor said, "It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box."

Amy asked, "What's a Home Box?"

The Vixen explained, "Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home, with all the flight data."

Amy asked, "So?"

"The writing, the graffiti - Old High Gallifreyan. The lost language of the Time Lords."

The Vixen said, "There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple Gods."

Amy asked, "What does it say?"

The Vixen smirked, knowing exactly who wrote the message. "Hello, sweetie."

Alarm bells rang as the Vixen and the Doctor ran through the museum, the home box tucked under the Vixen's arm. Amy was racing beside them. They rushed into the TARDIS as two guards chased after them.

As the Vixen hooked the home box up to the console, Amy asked, "Why are we doing this?"

The Vixen replied, "Cos someone on a space ship 12,000 years ago is trying to attract my attention. Let's see if we can get the security playback working."

A grainy black and white footage of River winking at the camera appeared on the monitor. It then switched to River with her back to the camera facing a door. A man said on the monitor, "The party's over, Doctor Song… yet still you're on board."

River turned to face him. "Sorry, Alistair. I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination."

Allistair said, "Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution."

River looked at her watch, "Triple-seven, five… slash, three, four, nine by ten." The Doctor, the Vixen and Amy exchanged a look. "Zero, twelve, slash, acorn. Oh, and I could do with an air corridor."

The Doctor began to type on the keyboard. Amy asked, "What was that, what did she say?"

The Doctor replied, "Co-ordinates!"

The Vixen let out a whoop before running to open the TARDIS doors. She reached out and pulled River in and they both landed on the floor, groaning.

Amy asked, "Vixen?"

The Vixen asked, "River?" They stood and watched the ship fly away.

River said, "Follow that ship."

The Vixen, the Doctor and River were all working the controls while Amy stood back and watched. River was barefoot. She said, "They've gone into warp drive, we're losing them! Stay close!"

The Vixen snapped, "I'm trying!"

River said, "Use the stabilisers."

The Doctor replied, "Listen lady, there aren't any stabilisers!"

River said, "The blue switches! And my name's River Song."

The Doctor said, "Okay River Song. The blue ones don't do anything, they're just...blue."

River said, frustrated, "Yes, they're blue. They're the blue stabilisers!" She used the stabilizers and the ship became quiet. "See?"

The Doctor and the Vixen crossed their arms. The Doctor said, "Yeah, well, it's just boring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers."

Amy asked, "Vixen, how come she can fly the TARDIS?"

The Doctor scoffed, "You call that flying the TARDIS? Ha!" He sat on the jump seat to sulk as River and the Vixen shared a smile.

River said, "OK. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right along side."

The Doctor asked, "Parked us? We haven't landed."

River replied, "Of course we've landed. I just landed her."

The Doctor said, "But it didn't make the noise."

River and the Vixen asked at the same time, "What noise?"

The Doctor replied, "You know, the..." He tried to attempt to make the TARDIS wheezing sound as best as he could.

The Vixen rolled her eyes. "It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on."

The Doctor replied, "Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise. Come along, Pond, let's have a look."

River said, "No, wait! Environment checks."

The Vixen walked to the door and said, zipping up her black leather jacket, "Oh, yeah, sorry! Quite right. Environment checks." She stuck her head out the door. "Nice out."

The Doctor and Amy sniggered as the Vixen walked back up to River, who said, "We're somewhere in the Garn Belt. There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest..."

The Doctor said, "We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen-rich atmosphere, toxins in the soft band, 11-hour day, and..." He put his head out the door. "-chances of rain later."

The Vixen said to River and Amy, "He thinks he's so hot when he does that." The Doctor joined them at the console.

Amy asked, "How come you can fly the TARDIS?"

River said, "Oh, I had lessons from the very best."

The Doctor replied, smugly, "I don't know you yet. But, well, yeah."

River said, "It's a shame you were busy that day, Doctor. I know for a fact, Vixen wasn't." She picked up her shoes as the Vixen smirked and the Doctor pouted. "Right then, why did they land here?" She headed for the door.

The Vixen said, "They didn't land."

"Sorry?"

The Vixen said, "You should've checked the Home Box - it crashed."

River and the Vixen stepped outside and the Doctor closed the door behind them before heading back to the console. Amy said, "Explain! Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?"

The Doctor replied, working the controls, "I don't know. The Vixen knows who she is. Must've met her in one of her travels."

Amy asked, "What are you doing?"

The Doctor replied, "Leaving."

"What about the Vixen?"

The Doctor said, "She's got her Vortex Manipulator. Gift from Jack Harkness when we last met. Anyway, River's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go."

Amy asked, "Are you basically running away?"

"Yep."

Amy asked, "Why?"

The Doctor replied, "Cos she's the future, mine and the Vixen's future."

Amy asked, "Can you run away from that?"

The Doctor said, "I can run away from anything I like. Time is not the boss of me."

Amy asked, "Hang on, is that a planet out there?"

The Doctor replied sarcastically, "No. Vixen and her best friend just stepped out into outer space. Yes, of course it's a planet."

Amy said excitedly, "You promised me a planet. Five minutes?"

The Doctor gave in. "OK, five minutes!"

"Yes!" Amy cheered and headed for the door.

The Doctor said, "But that's all, cos I'm telling you now, those women is not dragging me into anything!" He followed Amy to the door.

The ship they were following had crashed on top of a very large and very old stone structure. It was burning in areas and bits of debris had fallen to the ground around the TARDIS. The Vixen, the Doctor, Amy and River stood there, looking up at it. River asked, "What caused it to crash? Not me."

The Doctor replied, "Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it. According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase-shift. No survivors."

River said, "A phase-shift would have to be sabotage. I did warn them."

The Vixen asked, "About what?"

River shrugged, "Well, at least the building was empty. Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries." She began to key something into a handheld device.

The Vixen walked back to Amy, who asked, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

The Vixen said, "Amy Pond, Professor River Song."

River faced them. "Ahhh, I'm going to be a Professor some day, am I?" The Vixen and the Doctor both winced at the slip. "How exciting!" She chuckled. "Spoilers!" She turned her attention back to what she was doing.

Amy whispered, "Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that? She just left you two a note in a museum!"

The Doctor walked off while the Vixen walked to River, who explained, "Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum: The Home Box of category four starliner and, sooner or later, these two. It's how they keep score."

Amy laughed, "I know."

River asked, "It's hilarious, isn't it?"

While the Doctor sulked, the Vixen laughed sarcastically. "We're nobody's taxi service!" She turned to River. "I'm not gonna be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship."

River sighed, "And you are so wrong. There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening!" She spoke into the device. "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and home in on my signal." She held up her device. "Vixen, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon."

The Vixen took out the sonic screwdriver and used it on River's communication device. She dropped a small curtsey. Amy teased, "Ooh, Vixen! You sonicked her."

The Vixen said, "Shut up. We're nothing like that. She's just my best friend." Amy gave her a look. "Except for you."

River called, "We have a minute. Shall we?" She opened her diary. "Where were we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?"

Amy asked, "What's the book?"

The Vixen said, "Stay away from it."

Amy asked, "What is it though?"

The Vixen replied, "Her diary."

River corrected, "Our diary."

The Vixen sighed, "Her past, my...future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order."

Four columns of swirling "dust" appeared then turned into four soldiers in desert camouflage uniforms. One of the soldiers approached River. "You promised me an army, Doctor Song."

River said, "No. I promised you the equivalent of an army. I'm giving you the equivalent of two armies. This is the Doctor and the Vixen." The Doctor gave lighthearted salute.

The soldier shook their hands. "Father Octavian, sir. Bishop, second class. 20 clerics at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

River asked, "Vixen, Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?"

The Vixen faced her quickly, immediately tense.

A transport ship had arrived and the soldiers had already set up camp. Octavian strode across the ground followed by the Vixen and Amy. The Doctor was examining the equipment in another part of camp. Octavian said, "The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralise it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives. According to this-" He showed them a device. "-behind the cliff face, there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

The Vixen said sarcastically, "Oh, good."

Octavian asked, "Good, ma'am?"

The Vixen snarled, "Catacombs, probably dark ones. Dark catacombs, great!"

Octavian said, "Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead."

The Vixen said, "You can stop any time you like."

A soldier called, "Father Octavian?"

Octavian said, "Excuse me, ma'am." The Vixen waved off Octavian as he left. She then used the screwdriver on some of the equipment set up on the table.

Amy said, "You're letting people call you 'ma'am'. You never do that." She sat on the table. "So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?"

The Doctor came over and said to Amy, "Now that's interesting... You're still here. Which part of "Wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe" was so confusing?"

Amy asked, "Ooh, are you two all Mr and Mrs Grumpy Face today?"

The Doctor growled and walked away as the Vixen sighed, "A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and one is trapped inside that wreckage and the Doctor and I are supposed to climb in with two screwdrivers and a torch – and assuming we survive the radiation, and the whole ship doesn't blow up in our face – do something clever which we haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day, that's what I'm up to. Any questions?"

Amy asked, "Is River Song your younger sister or something? Cos she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She looks at you kinda like, you know, 'I love you but only cos I have to.' She's Miss Vixen Junior from the future, isn't she? Is she gonna be born as your sister one day?"

The Vixen laughed, "Yes. You're right. The Doctor and I are definitely Mr and Mrs Grumpy Face today."

River called from the transport, "Vixen! Doctor!"

Amy teased, "Oops! Don't fight!"

River called, "Father Octavian!"

As, the four of them walked to the transport, Amy asked, "Why do they call him Father?"

The Doctor replied, "He's their Bishop, they're his clerics. It's the 51st Century, the Church has moved on."

On a screen there was a black and white footage of a Weeping Angel, its body at an angle, hands over its eyes. River was controlling the video with a remote. "What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board. Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop."

The Vixen said, "Yeah, it's an Angel. Hands covering its face."

Octavian asked, "You've encountered the Angels before?"

The Vixen replied, "Probably not the Doctor. I did, though. Once, on Earth, a long time ago, with a friend. But those were scavengers, barely surviving."

Amy said, "It's just a statue."

River replied, "It's a statue when you see it."

The Doctor asked, "Where did it come from?"

River explained, "Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since, dormant all that time."

The Vixen said, seriously, "There's a difference between dormant and patient."

Amy asked, "What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?"

River replied, "The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it."

The Vixen explained, "No, it's not legend, it's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature, the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defence mechanism."

Amy asked, "What, being a stone?"

The Vixen whispered, "Being a stone...until you turn your back."

The Doctor led the others out of the transport. "The hyperdrive would've split on impact. The whole ship will be flooded with radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms, deadly to almost any living thing."

Octavian asked, "Deadly to an Angel?"

The Vixen replied, "Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?"

River said, reading from her device, "The Aplans. The indigenous life-form. They died out 400 years ago."

Octavian said, "200 years later, the planet was terraformed. Currently there are six billion human colonists."

The Doctor said, "You lot, you're everywhere! Like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you."

Octavian said, "Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population..."

The Vixen snarled, "Oh, there is. Bad as it gets. Bishop, lock and load!"

Octavian called, "Verger, how we doing with those explosives? Dr Song, with me."

River replied, "Two minutes. Sweetie, I need you."

The Vixen mouthed "Sweetie" then realized River meant her and went to her with the Doctor. Amy stood in the transport entry. "Anybody need me? Nobody?" She crossed her arms. A hand reached out from behind her and touched her shoulder. Amy yelped and jumped.

The Vixen laughed, "Oh Rassilon! Your face!"

Amy asked, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with your little sister and the Doctor?"

The Vixen replied, "Nah. One of us is fine for River. Come on in, live a little." She ducked inside and Amy followed.

Amy slowly moved forward, entranced by the Angel on the screen, the Vixen beside her. Since the last time they looked, it had now moved its hands away from its face.

River showed the Doctor a book. "I found this. Definitive work on the Angels. Well, the only one. Written by a madman, it's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages."

The Doctor finished the book. "Not bad, bit slow in the middle, didn't you hate his girlfriend? No, hang on, wait, wait!" He sniffed the book.

The Vixen and Amy popped their heads out of the transport. The Vixen called, Hey River? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?"

River replied, "No, just the four seconds."

Puzzled, Amy pulled the Vixen back inside. The Doctor said, "This book is wrong! What's wrong with this book, it's wrong."

Amy and the Vixen looked at the video again and now the Angel was facing forward, hands down at its side. Amy bent over and peered closely at the time code. It looped from 11:24 to 11:28 yet the position of the Angel changed. Engrossed, neither Amy or the Vixen noticed the door close and lock behind them.

River observed the Doctor as he examined the book. She said, holding her journal, "Oh, it's so strange when you go all baby-face. How early is this for you?"

The Doctor replied, "Very early."

River asked, "So you don't know who I am yet?"

"No. The Vixen does apparently. I think she's been spending her time outside the TARDIS or something. How do you know who we are? We don't always look the same."

River replied, "I've got pictures of all your faces. You two never show up in the right order though. I need the spotter's guide."

The Doctor asked in confusion, "Pictures? Why aren't there pictures?"

Amy picked up the remote for the video and tried to turn it off but it kept coming back on. She set the remote down and peered at the screen. "You're just a recording. You can't move."

The Vixen bent down to unplug the power source. "Hey Amy, did you see the plug to the monitor."

Amy looked at her and replied, "No. Can you find it?"

The Vixen replied sarcastically, "Yes. That's why I'm celebrating down here."

Amy scoffed. She looked back at the monitor and jumped, the Angel's face was close to the camera. "Hey Vixen?" The Vixen hummed. "Please tell me the angel hasn't moved and I'm just seeing things."

The Vixen looked up in shock and she and Amy backed away to the door. Amy shouted, "Doctor!" She and the Vixen tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

The Vixen looked back at the screen to see the Angel with its mouth open in full predatory mode. "Doctor! River! Doctor!"

The Doctor said, "This whole book - it's a warning, about the Weeping Angels. So why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?"

River said, "There was a bit about images."

"Yes! Hang on..." The Doctor flipped through the book. "'That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel.'"

River asked, "What does that mean? 'An image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel.'"

The Doctor and River looked at each other and shouted in unison, "Vixen and Amy!" They ran to the transport.

Amy shouted, "Doctor!" She and the Vixen pounded on the door.

The Vixen looked to see an image of the Angel becoming solid in the center of the transport. She said in a quiet voice, "Amy, keep looking at the Angel."

Amy looked up and her heart sped faster than ever before. "Doctor! It's in the room!"

The Vixen punched numbers into the keypad. "Doctor!"

The Doctor ran up to the door. "Are you all right? What's happening?"

Amy shouted, "Doctor! Doctor, it's coming out of the television. The Angel is here."

The Doctor said, "Don't take your eyes off it!" He took out his sonic and used it on the keypad. "It can't move if you're looking. What's wrong? It's deadlocked."

River snapped, trying to override the controls, "There is no deadlock."

The Doctor said, "Don't blink! Both of you, don't even blink!"

The Vixen shouted through the door, "Doctor!"

River asked, "What are you doing?"

The Doctor replied, "Cutting the power. It's using the screen, I'm turning the screen off. It's no good, it's deadlocked the whole system."

River said again, "There's no deadlock."

The Doctor growled, "There is now!"

Amy and the Vixen shouted, "Help us! Doctor!"

The Doctor asked, "Vixen! Amy! Can you turn it off? The screen, can you turn it off?"

Amy said, "We tried."

The Doctor said, "Try again but don't take your eyes off the Angel."

The Vixen snarled, "We're not!"

The Doctor and River flinched, knowing the Vixen's eyes were glowing again. They tried harder to override the controls. The Doctor shouted, "Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink."

Amy shouted, "I'm not blinking! Have you ever tried not blinking?"

The Vixen whispered, "Amy. You blink, I'll watch the Angel." Amy blinked and the Vixen kept her eyes on the Angel. She fumbled for the remote without taking her eyes off it. She grabbed it and backed away to the door, pulling Amy with her, and tried to switch it off again. It turned itself back on.

The Vixen called, "It just keeps switching back on!"

The Doctor said, "Yeah, it's the Angel."

Amy asked, "But it's just a recording."

The Doctor recited, "No, anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel." He asked River, "What are you doing?"

River replied, using a small blowtorch, "I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm."

The Doctor said, "There is no way in, it's not physically possible."

Amy shouted, terrified, "Doctor! What's it gonna do to us?"

The Doctor called, "Both of you! Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking!"

Amy whimpered and asked the Vixen, "Vixen. Just tell me. Just tell me. Doctor, tell me!"

The Doctor ran for the book and brought it back to just outside the transport door where he sat. "Vixen, Amy, not the eyes. Look anywhere but don't look at the eyes."

Amy asked, looking in its eyes, "Why?"

The Vixen asked, looking at the Angel's wings, "Doctor?"

River asked, "What is it?"

The Doctor read, "'The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors. Beware what may enter there.'"

The Vixen said to Amy, "Amy, it's looping."

Amy asked, "Doctor, what did you say?"

The Doctor replied, "Don't look at the eyes!"

The Vixen asked, "No, about images, what did you say about images?"

River replied, "Whatever holds the image of an angel, is an angel."

The Vixen said, "Amy, it's worth a shot. We have to try."

Amy said, "OK... Hold this." She held out the remote. "One, two, three, four..." She hit the pause button while there was static. The image of the Angel froze before turning off, the door opened and the Doctor and River came in. The Doctor unplugged the screen.

The Vixen said, still shocked, "We froze it! There was a sort of blip on the tape and we froze it on the blip. It wasn't the image of an angel anymore."

Amy asked, "That was good, yeah? It was, wasn't it?"

The Vixen laughed in relief and fear, "That was pretty good."

River corrected, "That was amazing!"

The Doctor ordered, "River, hug Amy and the Vixen."

River asked, "Why?"

The Doctor replied, "Cos I'm busy."

The Vixen snapped, "We're fine."

River laughed and hugged each of them. "You two are brilliant!"

Amy smiled, "Thanks. Yeah. I kind of creamed it, didn't I?"

River asked, "So it was here? That was the Angel?"

The Vixen replied, "Probably a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant."

They heard an explosion and the Doctor and the Vixen ran to the door.

A soldier reported to Octavian, "It's gone positive!"

Octavian called, "Vixen! Doctor! We're through!"

The Vixen looked at Amy and River. "OK. Now it starts." She and the Doctor went outside.

Amy rubbed her left eye as River headed for door. River asked, "Coming?"

Amy replied, "Yeah, coming. There's just...something in my eye."

The Doctor climbed down a rope ladder and joined Octavian at the bottom. They both turned on their torches and looked around. The Vixen, Amy and River joined them and the other soldiers. The Doctor asked, "Do we have a gravity globe?"

Octavian ordered, "Grav globe." One of the soldiers took out a sphere from his pack and handed it to Octavian.

Amy asked, "Where are we? What is this?"

River replied, "It's an Aplan mortarium. Sometimes called a maze of the dead."

Amy asked, "And what's that?"

The Vixen said, "Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone..."

The Doctor kicked the gravity sphere like a football and it rose into the air, stopped and then lit up the cave showing a large number of stone statues. "-the perfect hiding place."

Octavian said, "I guess this makes it a bit trickier."

The Doctor replied, "A bit, yeah."

Octavian said, "A stone angel on the loose amongst stone statues. A lot harder than I'd prayed for."

River and the Vixen said in unison, "A needle in a haystack."

The Doctor said, "A needle that looks like hay. A hay-like needle. Of death. A hay-alike needle of death in a haystack of, er, statues. No, yours was fine."

Octavian ordered, "Right. Check every single statue in this chamber. You know what you're looking for. Complete visual inspection. One question - how do we fight it?"

The Vixen sighed, "We find it, and hope." She went off and Amy and the Doctor followed.

River went to follow them but Octavian grabbed her by the arm. "She doesn't know yet, does she? Who and what you are."

River said, "It's too early in their time stream."

Octavian snarled, "Well, make sure she doesn't work it out, or they're not gonna help us."

River said, "I won't let you down. Believe you me, I have no intention of going back to prison."

The Doctor and the Vixen shone their torches in every direction. Amy followed. She stopped and looked at the many levels above them and all the statues lining the way. She rubbed the corner of her eye with one finger and found a little grit. Amy then used her full hand and sand and grit came out through her fingers. Scared, she stopped and looked at her hand but saw nothing.

River came up beside her. "You all right?"

Amy replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. So, what's a maze of the dead?"

River answered, as the Doctor scanned the cavern with his sonic, "Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just a labyrinth with dead people buried in the walls. OK, that was fairly bad. Right give me your arm." She showed a syringe. "This won't hurt a bit." She gave Amy a shot.

"Ow!"

River smiled, "There, you see. I lied. It's a viro-stabiliser. Stabilises your metabolism against radiation, drive burn, anything. You're going to need it when we get up to that ship."

Amy asked, "So what are they like? In the future, I mean. Cos you know them in the future, don't you?"

River asked, "The Vixen and the Doctor? Well, the Doctor's the Doctor. And the Vixen... Well, she's the Vixen."

Amy smiled, "Oh, well that's very helpful. Mind if I write that down?"

River replied, "Yes, we are."

The Vixen asked, taking readings with River's device, "Sorry, what?"

River replied, "Talking about you two."

The Vixen replied, comparing the readings with her Vortex Manipulator, "We weren't listening. Bit busy."

River said to the Vixen, "Ah. The other way up, love." The Vixen turned the device the other way round and looked over at River who merely raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah."

Amy said, "You're so her sister."

River sighed, "Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy! This is the Vixen we're talking about. Bad Wolf. The most complicated event in Time and Space since she was born. Do you really think it could be anything that simple?"

"Yep."

River paused. "You're good. I'm not saying you're right... but you are very good."

The Vixen, the Doctor, Amy and River were examining the statues when they heard gunfire. They ran back down to the main chamber. A young cleric had fired his weapon at one of the statues. The Doctor stopped to look at it. The cleric apologised, "Sorry. Sorry, I thought... I thought it looked at me."

Octavian asked, "We know what the Angel looks like. Is that the Angel?"

"No, sir."

Octavian snapped, "No, sir, it is not! According to the Doctor and the Vixen, we are facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil. So it would be good, it would be very good, if we could all remain calm in the presence of decor."

The Doctor asked, "What's your name?"

The cleric replied, "Bob, sir."

The Doctor said, "Ah, that's a great name. I love Bob."

Octavian explained, "It's a Sacred Name. We all have Sacred Names, they're given to us in the service of the Church."

The Doctor joined Bob and Octavian. "Sacred Bob. More like Scared Bob now, eh?"

Bob replied, "Yes, sir."

The Doctor said, "Ah, good. Scared keeps you fast. Anyone in this room who isn't scared is a moron. Carry on."

Octavian said, "We'll be moving into the maze in two minutes." He turned to Bob. "You stay with Christian and Angelo. Guard the approach."

Amy asked, "Isn't there a chance this lot's just gonna collapse? There's a whole ship up there."

River replied, "Incredible builders, the Aplans."

The Doctor said, "Vixen and I had dinner with their chief architects once. Four heads are better than one."

Amy asked, "You mean you helped them?"

The Doctor replied, "No, I mean they had two heads. Each. That book, the very end, what did it say?"

"Hang on." River said, as she got the book out of her pack.

The Doctor said, "Read it to me."

River read, "'What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels.'"

Amy asked, "Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb."

River said, "The maze is on six levels representing the ascent of the soul. Only two levels to go."

The Doctor said, "Lovely species, the Aplans. We should visit them some time."

Amy asked, "I thought they were all dead?"

The Vixen replied, "So's Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team. Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. That's having two heads. You're never short of a snog with an extra head."

River said, "Doctor, Vixen, there's something. I don't know what it is..."

The Doctor said, "Yeah, something wrong. Don't know what it is yet either, working on it. Then they started having laws against self-marrying and what was that about? But that's the church for you. Erm, no offence, Bishop."

Octavian said, "Quite a lot taken, if that's all right, Doctor." They were now in a narrow passage lined with statues. "Lowest point in the wreckage is only about 50 feet up from here. That way."

The Vixen whispered to the Doctor, "Doctor, there's something wrong in my mind. It's not the cavern, it's Bad Wolf."

Before the Doctor could ask what was wrong, Amy said, "Church had a point, if you think about it. The divorces must have been messy."

The Doctor stopped and looked closely at a statue. "Oh!"

The Vixen muttered in realization, "Crap."

Amy asked, "What's wrong?"

River said, "Oh." She stared at the Vixen.

The Doctor replied, "Exactly."

River asked, "How could we not notice that?"

The Vixen explained, "Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick."

Octavian asked, "What's wrong, ma'am?"

The Vixen said, "Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are. Bishop, I am truly sorry. We've made a mistake and we are all in danger."

Octavian asked, "What danger?"

River replied, "The Aplans."

"The Aplans?"

River whispered, "They've got two heads."

Octavian said impatiently, "Yes, I get that. So?"

The Doctor asked, "So why don't the statues?"

The Vixen said, "Everyone, over there. Just move, don't ask questions, don't speak." Everyone moved to a spot where there were no statues. "OK. I want you all to switch off your torches."

Octavian asked in confusion, "Ma'am?"

The Vixen snarled, "Just do it." They turned off their torches. "OK. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment."

River asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"No." The Vixen switched off her torch for a split second and the statues in front of them were now facing them. The Doctor ran ahead.

Amy gasped, "Oh, my God! They've moved."

The others followed after the Doctor as he looked at all the statues lining their way to the ship. The Doctor said, "They're Angels. All of them!"

River said, "But they can't be."

The Vixen ordered, "Clerics, keep watching them." She and the Doctor backtracked and saw the Angels had moved forward. "Every statue in this maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel. They're coming after us."

River said, "There was only one Angel on the ship. Just the one, I swear."

Amy asked, "Could they have been here already?"

The Doctor asked, "The Aplans, how did they die out?"

River replied, "Nobody knows."

"We know."

Octavian noted, "They don't look like Angels."

Amy said, "And they're not fast. You said they were fast. They should have had us by now."

The Vixen said, "They're dying. Losing their form. They must have been down here for centuries, starving."

Amy said, "Losing their image."

The Doctor replied, "And their image is their power. Power. Power!"

"Doctor?"

The Doctor asked, "Don't you see? All that radiation spilling out, the drive burn. The crash wasn't an accident - it was a rescue mission, for the Angels. We're in the middle of an army and it's waking up."

River said, "We need to get out of here fast."

Octavian spoke over the radio, "Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please. Any of you, come in!"

Bob said on the radio, "It's Bob, sir. Sorry, sir."

Octavian asked, "Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you? All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active!"

Bob replied, "I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir. The statues killed them, sir."

The Doctor took the radio from Octavian. "Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor. Where are you now?"

Octavian said, "I'm talking to my..."

The Doctor snapped, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up!"

Bob said on the radio, "I'm on my way up to you, sir, I'm homing on your signal."

The Doctor said, "Well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast, told you, didn't I? Your friends, Bob, what did the Angel do to them?"

"Snapped their necks, sir."

The Vixen spoke up, "That's odd. That's not how the Angels kill you, they displace you in time. Unless they needed the bodies for something."

Octavian took the radio from the Doctor, "Bob, did you check their data packs for vital signs? We may be able to initiate a rescue plan."

The Doctor snapped, "Don't be an idiot! The Angels don't leave you alive! Bob, keep running, but tell me, how did you escape?"

Bob replied over the radio, "I didn't escape, sir. The Angel killed me, too."

The Vixen and River looked at each other wondering what Bob meant. The Doctor asked, "What do you mean the Angel killed you too?"

Bob answered, "Snapped my neck, sir. Wasn't as painless as I expected but it was pretty quick, so that was something."

The Doctor asked, "If you're dead, how can I be talking to you?"

"You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you. Sorry about the confusion."

The Vixen took the radio and said, "So when you say you're on your way up to us..."

Bob replied, "It's the Angel that's coming, ma'am, yes."

The Vixen said, "No way out."

Octavian suggested, "Then we get out through the wreckage. Go!"

The Doctor shouted, "Go, go, go. All of you run!" The Vixen didn't budge and the Doctor knew after all that time that she wasn't going to.

Amy asked, "Vixen? Doctor?"

The Vixen said, "Yes, we're coming, just go, go, go!"

Amy and River left with the clerics. Only the Vixen, the Doctor and Octavian remained. The Doctor said, "Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men."

Octavian snapped, "I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families." He walked off.

The Vixen asked, "Angel Bob, which Angel am I talking to? The one from the ship?"

Angel Bob replied, "Yes, ma'am. The other Angels are still restoring."

The Doctor took the radio and said, "Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you." They ran along the passage and saw Amy. "Don't wait for us, go, run."

Amy cried out, "I can't!" The Vixen came back to help her. "No, really I can't."

The Vixen asked, "Doctor, go on." The Doctor tried to protest. "No. We'll be fine, alright. Go. They need one of us." The Doctor nodded and ran down the passage and the Vixen turned to Amy. "Why not?"

Amy said, "Look at it. Look at my hand. It's stone!"

The Vixen examined Amy with her sonic. She flashed her torch in her eyes. The Vixen asked quietly, "You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?"

Amy replied softly, "I couldn't stop myself. I tried."

"Listen. It's messing with your head. Your hand is not made of stone."

"It is. Look at it!"

The Vixen said softly, "It's in your mind. I promise you. You can move that hand. You can let go."

Amy replied tearfully, "I can't, OK? I've tried and I can't. It's stone."

The torchlight began to flicker. The Vixen said, "The Angel is gonna come and it's gonna turn this light off, and then there's nothing I can do to stop it. So do it, concentrate, move your hand!"

Amy said, "I can't."

The Vixen whispered, "Then we're both going to die."

Amy said, "You're not going to die."

"They'll kill the lights." The light flickered off and the Angels moved closer.

Amy said, "You've got to go, you know you have. You've got all that stuff with River and that's all got to happen. And the Doctor, he needs you. You know you can't die here!"

The Vixen whispered, "Time can be re-written, it doesn't work like that." The light flickered again. Amy turned to look at the Angels. "Keep your eyes on it. Don't blink."

Amy shouted, "Run!"

The Vixen said, "You see, I'm not going, I'm not leaving you here."

Amy said, "I don't need you to die for me, Vixen, do I look that clingy?"

"You can move your hand."

"It's stone."

The Vixen said, "It's not stone!"

Amy said, "Those people up there will die without you. I know they've got the Doctor but they need both of you to survive. If you stay here with me, you'll have as good as killed them. The Doctor too."

The Vixen whispered, moving forward, "Amelia Pond, you are magnificent. And I'm sorry."

Amy buried her head in the Vixen's shoulder. "It's OK. We had some good times. I understand. You've got to leave me."

The Vixen pulled back and rolled her eyes. "Oh, no. That's ridiculous. I'm not leaving you, never. I'm sorry about this." She bit Amy's hand and she screamed, moving it. "See, not stone. Now run!"

Amy exclaimed, "You bit me!"

The Vixen replied, "Yep and you're alive."

"I've got a mark! Look at my hand!"

The Vixen pulled Amy behind her. "Yeah, and you're alive, did I mention?"

Amy asked, "Blimey, your teeth! Have you got space teeth?"

"Alive. All I'm saying." The Vixen held Amy's hand in hers and they ran.

The Vixen and Amy burst through to the cavern where the Doctor, River and the clerics were. One of the clerics sent to check the passages returned and reported, "The statues are advancing along all corridors. And, sir, my torch keeps flickering."

Octavian replied, "They all do."

River said, "So does the gravity globe."

Octavian said, "Clerics, we're down to four men. Expect incoming."

The Vixen said, "Yeah, it's the Angels. They're coming. And they're draining the power for themselves."

Octavian said, "Which means we won't be able to see them."

The Doctor replied, "Which means we can't stay here."

Octavian said, "There are more incoming!"

River asked, "Any suggestions?"

Octavian replied, "The statues are advancing on all sides and we don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium."

River said, "There's no way up, no way back, no way out. No pressure, Vixen, Doctor, but this is usually when you have a really good idea."

The Vixen said, her voice echoing, "There's always a way out." The lights flickered off again and when they came back on, the Angels were closer, basically blocking the passage. "There's always a way out."

Angel Bob called over the radio, "Doctor? Can I speak to the Doctor, please?"

The Doctor said, into the radio, "Hello, Angels. What's your problem?"

Angel Bob replied, "Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir."

The Vixen took the radio from the Doctor and asked, "Why are you telling us this?"

Angel Bob said, "There's something the Angels are very keen you should know before the end."

The Vixen asked, "Which is?"

"I died in fear."

"I'm sorry?"

Angel Bob snapped, "Your boyfriend told me my fear would keep me alive but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down."

Amy whispered to River, "What are they doing?"

River whispered, "They're trying to make her angry."

The Vixen's eyes glowed and the Doctor whispered, "And by the looks of it, it's working."

River whispered to Amy, "Here's a tip: When the Vixen's eyes glow, you need to back away. Always back away. Unless you want to become golden dust."

The Doctor muttered to River, "That only happens when she is really angry. When Bad Wolf is angry. But she is very close to that right now."

Angel Bob spoke over the radio, "I'm sorry, ma'am. The Angels were very keen for you to know that."

The Vixen snarled, "Well then, the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not going to let that pass. I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you, they will be sorrier."

Angel Bob said in confusion, "But you're trapped, ma'am, and about to die." The Doctor, River and Amy looked at the Vixen in confusion.

The Vixen growled, "Yeah, we're trapped. Speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A huge mistake!"

Angel Bob asked, "What mistake, sir?"

The Vixen took a deep breath and turned to the Doctor, "Trust me?"

The Doctor replied, "Every time."

The Vixen turned to Amy. "Trust me?"

"Yeah."

The Vixen turned to River, "River? Trust me?"

River nodded, "Always."

The Vixen turned to Octavian, "You lot - trust me?"

A cleric reported, watching a passage, "Sir, two more incoming!"

Octavian turned to the Vixen, "We have faith, ma'am."

The Vixen snarled, "Then give me your gun." Octavian gave her the gun. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous. When I do..." She jumped in her place. "…jump."

Octavian asked, "Jump where?"

The Vixen said, "Just jump, high as you can. Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal."

River asked, "What signal?"

The Vixen replied, "You won't miss it." She aimed the gun at the roof.

Angel Bob asked over the radio, "Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake?"

The Vixen snarled, "Oh, big mistake. Huge. There's one thing you never put in a trap, if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never, ever put in a trap."

Angel Bob asked, "And what would that be, ma'am?"

The Vixen growled, "Me!" She fired at the gravity globe and it exploded.

Next chapter is Flesh and Stone. I'll try and upload them both today.