Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 4 of Hang On. Thank you to all of those who have left reviews for this story and have read it. It really does mean a lot to me and motivates me to write more for this story. This next chapter will be taking place during The Lazarus Experiment. I hope that you guys will enjoy this next chapter. I'm going to try my best to write it, but it'll take some time to get each of these chapters right just due to the bouncing around so much between seasons. Without further ado Chapter 4. Enjoy!
Chapter 4
The Doctor landed the Tardis before putting the hand brake on. "There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."
"You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?" Martha questioned curiously.
"The end of the line. No place like it."
Suddenly golden light was seen and Leona fell to the ground landing none too gracefully.
The Doctor let out a soft chuckle shaking his head lightly. "You need to land a bit better."
Leona slowly got up to her feet. "I'd like to see you do what I do." She smirked as she straightened out, letting out a soft huff.
The Doctor held up his hands knowing that Leona took pride in her time jumping, but this version of Leona was still rather new to the whole jumping through the timeline. "You'll get it soon enough."
Leona looked up at the Doctor and blinked a few times before tilting her head to the side as she looked at him.
Martha went outside of the Tardis and took a breath. She was home. "Home. You took me home?"
"In fact, the morning after we left, you've only been gone for about twelve hours. No time at all, really."
"But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?"
"Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry. So, back were you were, as promised."
"This is it?"
"Yeah, I should probably er…"
Leona slowly came out of the Tardis biting her lower lip as Martha's phone rang and the answering machine started up.
"Hi, I'm out. Leave a message."
Martha looked over at the Doctor and Leona. "I'm sorry."
"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"
"It's Mum. It'll wait."
"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."
Marta turned the television on, pursing her lips together.
"The details are top secret." Lazarus said.
"How could Tish end up on the news?"
Tish stood next to an elderly man who was making his announcement.
"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world."
"She's got a new job. PR for some research lab." Martha said as she crossed her arms.
"With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."
"Professor! Professor!"
Martha put the TV back on standby. "Sorry. You were saying we should?" Martha said, looking over at the two of them.
"Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said."
"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated."
"Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot." The Doctor said letting out a soft chuckle.
"Thank you. For everything."
"It was my pleasure." The Doctor took Leona's arm and led her into the Tardis before it vanished and then reappeared. The Doctor poked his head out of the doors. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"
"You just now noticed that?" Leona questioned her brown brows furrowing together as she looked at the Doctor. She couldn't believe that he had just now caught onto it.
The Doctor looked over at Leona slightly concerned. "You don't go around changing what it is to be human."
Leona let out a breath. "I know."
DWDWDW
The Doctor, Leona, and Martha were all dressed in formal wear.
"Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens." The Doctor complained as he took a breath as he walked with the two of them.
"It's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way." Martha said with a smile.
"James Bond? Really?"
Leona let out a soft chuckle as the three of them walked up to a building that was labeled Lazarus Laboratories.
DWDWDW
In the middle of the room is a circular dais. On it is a man-sized frosted glass chamber with four upright posts, slightly curved at the top to aim at the chamber.
A waiter walked past with a tray of food.
"Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles." The Doctor said with a grin.
Leona let out a soft chuckle as she shook her head lightly.
Tish walked up to the three of them. "Hello."
"Tish." Martha said with a smile.
"You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
"Very."
"And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life."
"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns."
"You might, actually. You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her."
"Leo in black tie? That I must see. This is, er, the Doctor and Leona."
"Hello." The Doctor said with a smile.
Leona waved her hand softly.
"Are they with you?"
"Yeah."
"But they're not on the list. How did they get in?"
"He's my plus one. And she's his daughter."
Leona pursed her lips together as Martha fabricated a lie about her being the Doctor's daughter.
"So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?" The Doctor said taking interest in what was going to happen that evening.
"Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff."
"She's in the PR department." Martha explained to them.
"I'm head of the PR department, actually." Tish pointed out looking at her sister.
"You're joking."
"I put this whole thing together."
"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator." The Doctor questioned curiously as Leona shifted nervously next to him.
"He's a science geek. I should have known. Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later." Tish said as she turned leaving the three of them alone.
"Science geek? What does that mean?"
"That your obsessively enthusiastic about it." Martha explained looking over at the Doctor.
"Oh, nice."
Francine entered with Leo and walked with him towards Martha, the Doctor, and Leona. "Martha."
"Mum!" Martha moved quickly giving her mom a big hug.
"All right, what's the occasion?"
"What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all." Martha said as she pulled back from her mother.
"You saw me last night."
"I know. I just miss you. You're looking good, Leo."
"Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him." Leo said, shaking his head.
"You disappeared last night." Francine pointed out looking at her daughter.
"I just went home."
"On your own?"
"This is a friend of mine. The Doctor and Leona." She said introducing the two of them.
"Doctor what?" Francine questioned looking at the Doctor with her brows furrowed.
"No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together."
"You all right, mate?" Leo questioned looking at the Doctor, his brow raised.
"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you." The Doctor said with a smile.
"Have you? What have you heard, then?" Francine questioned her brow raised.
"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and. Er, no, actually, that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat. You know, been busy."
"Busy? Doing what, exactly?"
"Oh you know. Stuff."
Leona nudged the Doctor to get him to quiet down before he made another mistake.
Professor Lazarus tapped on his glass for attention.
Everyone quieted down and turned to face the Professor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever." Lazarus went inside of the chamber.
A pair of lady scientists started up the machine and pressed a big red button.
The four columns start to oscillate and rotate around the chamber as they pour energy into it. Suddenly an alarm went off.
"Something's wrong. It's overloading."
"Doctor something feels very wrong."
There were sparks from the controls, and then smoke.
The Doctor rushed over and got out his sonic screwdriver.
"Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!" Lady Thaw said alerting them that he needed to be stopped.
"If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" The Doctor questioned Lady Thaw. Finally he pulled out a big power cable and the contraption slowed down before stopping.
Martha rushed forward to the chamber with Leona right behind her.
"Get it open!"
Martha opened the door, and a young man staggered out.
Lady Thaw looked very delighted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!"
There was a loud applause.
Leona blinked a few times in confusion. This shouldn't have been possible. No one could run away from old age unless you were a Time Lord or a Witch.
"He did it. He actually did it."
DWDWDW
Lazarus was busy posing for the photographers.
"It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick." Martha said in confusion. She couldn't believe that Lazarus was a young man.
"Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were." The Doctor said letting out a breath.
"Same here." Leona said softly, taking a soft breath.
"What just happened then?" Martha questioned looking at The Doctor and Leona.
"He just changed what it means to be human."
"Excuse me. That was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. Look at you." Lady Thaw said, looking at him with a look. She was happy to see him like this again.
"This is only the beginning. We're not just making history, we're shaping the future, too." Lazarus said with a smile.
"Think of the money we'll make. People will sell their souls to be transformed like that. And I'll be first in line."
Lazarus stiffened and gasped, he then grabbed a tray from a passing waiter and proceeded to eat all of the food on it.
"Richard."
"I'm famished."
"Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process." The Doctor pointed out as he watched Lazarus eating.
Lazarus looked up. "You speak as if you see this every day, Mister?"
"Doctor. And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation." The Doctor said with a smile.
"That's not possible."
"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's inspired." Leona said next to the Doctor.
"What she said. You took the words right out of my mouth my dear." The Doctor said, looking at her with a soft smile.
"You understand the theory, then."
"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables." The Doctor explained to Lazarus.
"No experiment is entirely without risk."
"That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender."
"You're not qualified to comment." Lady Thaw said, looking at the Doctor.
Leona rolled her eyes, scoffing a bit.
The Doctor put his arm around Leona to keep her calm. "If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded."
"Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less." Lazarus said, looking at the Doctor.
"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests." Martha said, looking at Lazarus with a conferned gaze.
"Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."
"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially." Lady Thaw said, looking at them.
"Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos." Martha said looking at Lady Thaw like she had grown a second head.
"Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."
"This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer." The Doctor said, shaking his head.
"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely." Lazarus said, looking at the Doctor.
"Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs." Lady Thaw said to him softly.
"Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." Lazarus kissed Martha's hand before leaving with Lady Thaw.
"Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done." The Doctor said with a shake of his head.
"So what do we do now?"
"Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."
"Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"
"Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star."
Leona let out a soft chuckle nodding her head lightly. "Very smart thinking Martha."
Martha smiled softly knowing that she had done the right thing.
DWDWDW
An image of a strand of DNA was on the computer screen in front of them.
"Amazing." The Doctor said as he looked at it in awe.
"What?" Martha questioned looking at The Doctor.
"Lazarus's DNA." Leona said, looking at it closely.
"I can't see anything different." Martha said, shaking her head lightly.
"Look at it." The Doctor said having her look at it closer.
"Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have." Martha said, looking up at the Doctor in shock.
"But it did."
"It's impossible."
"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?"
"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."
"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."
"But they're still mutating now."
"Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."
"And he won't be able to be normal ever again…" Leona said softly as she looked at the Doctor with a worried gaze on her face.
"Change him into what?" Martha questioned in confusion.
"I don't know, but I think we need to find out." The Doctor admitted softly.
"That woman said they were going upstairs."
"Let's go."
The three of them rushed out of the lab to get upstairs quickly to find out exactly what was going on.
DWDWDW
They made it up to the office and went inside.
Leona looked around nervously. Something felt very wrong. She could feel it in her bones and her magic could also feel it. Whatever it was, it didn't feel very good.
"This is his office, all right." Martha said, looking around.
"So where is he?" The Doctor questioned his brows furrowing as he looked around.
"Don't know. Let's try back at the reception." Martha slowed when she saw a skeletal leg with a lady's shoe on it sticking out from behind the desk. "Is that Lady Thaw?
"Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."
"Lazarus?"
"Could be."
"So he's changed already?"
"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."
"So he might do this again?"
"Mmm."
"We don't want that to happen again. We need to find him quickly." Leona said, looking at the Doctor.
"Can your magic sense where he had gone?" The Doctor questioned Leona.
Leona looked over at the Doctor. She nodded her head slowly. "Yes. I think I can. But everything feels so wrong to my magic."
"We're going to have to try Leona."
Leona nodded her head. "I know." She said with a nod of her head.
DWDWDW
They rushed into the reception room and looked around.
Leona looked around nervously, afraid that if they didn't find Lazarus something else bad would happen. She didn't want to see anyone else get hurt due to his experiment.
"I can't see him." Martha said as she continued to look around.
"He can't be far. Keep looking." The Doctor said as he looked around.
Leo came over to Martha seeing the look on her face. "Hey, you all right, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you."
Martha looked at her brother. "Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?"
"Yeah, well, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."
"With Tish?"
Francine walked up to the Doctor after finding them. "Ah, Doctor."
The Doctor looked around trying to figure out where they had gone. "Where did they go?"
"Upstairs, I think. Why?" Leo replied looking at the Doctor wondering why he was looking around concerned.
"Doctor…"
The Doctor ran past her, spilling her drink.
Martha quickly followed him.
Leona followed, offering Francine a sorry look. "I'm so sorry about him." She said before rushing after him.
"I'm speaking to you!"
"Not now, Mum." Martha said as she quickly followed the Doctor and Leona.
DWDWDW
They ran into Lazarus's office.
Martha looked around concerned. "Where are they?"
"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." The Doctor said looking around before scanning with his sonic screwdriver. "Got him."
"Where?"
He pointed upwards. "But this is the top floor. The roof."
They rushed to the door to get to the door.
Leona pursed her lips together as she used her magic to open the door.
They rushed up to the roof to see Tasha with Lazarus.
"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act…" Lazarus explained to Tish.
"Falls the Shadow." The Doctor said, looking at Lazarus.
"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed." Lazarus said looking over at the Doctor who was with Martha and Leona.
"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish questioned looking at her sister, her brows furrowed.
"Tish, get away from him." Martha said, ordering her older sister to get her away from Lazarus.
"What? Don't tell me what to do."
"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all." The Doctor said, looking at Lazarus.
"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four."
"Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."
"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be."
"Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself." Leona said, looking at Lazarus with a concerned gaze. She couldn't believe that this man was so willingly allowing him to do this to himself.
"Who are you to judge me?"
"Over here, Tish." Martha pleaded with her sister.
"You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault." Tish said, narrowing her eyes.
Suddenly Lazarus spasmed and fell to the floor.
"Tish, he's a monster!"Martha shouted at her sister.
"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." Tish said, shaking her head. Tish then turned and saw the transformation in progress.
Lazarus had turned into a massive bony scorpion with a human face.
Tish's eyes went wide, the color draining from her face. "What's that?"
"Run!" The Doctor shouted.
Leona, Martha, Tish and the Doctor ran away.
The Doctor soniced the roof door shut and they ran down the stairs.
"Are you okay?" Martha questioned looking at her older sister.
"I was going to snog him." Tish said rather disgusted with herself.
The lights flickered as the creature tried to break in.
"Security one. Security one. Security one."
The lights suddenly went out and all of the doors went closed.
Martha looked around nervously. "What's happening?"
"An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits." Tish explained to her younger sister.
"He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!" The Doctor said quickly.
Leona suddenly waved her hands and a gold light appeared to show them the way so they could see.
They rushed to the stairwell quickly.
Suddenly a loud crash could be heard and a growl.
"He's inside!" Martha said with wide eyes.
"We haven't got much time!" The Doctor said, trying to move as quickly as he could. He needed to figure out how to get out of there.
They ran into the reception room.
Leona looked around nervously.
The Doctor looked over at Tish. "Tish, is there another way out of here?"
"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now." Tish said, looking at the Doctor.
"Martha, setting fifty four. Hurry." He said throwing his sonic screwdriver to Martha. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!" The Doctor yelled at everyone trying to get them to move.
"Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive." A woman said, narrowing her eyes at The Doctor.
Then suddenly the mutant Lazarus appeared on the mezzanine, and jumped down, smashing a table.
Suddenly everyone began to panic at what had happened and now they decided to try and get out of there.
"Mum, get back!"" Leo said, grabbing his mom.
The mutant's tail sent a table flying causing it to hit Leo.
"Leo!" Franicne yelled in shock.
Leona blocked another table from flying her magic shattering it and causing it to fall down to the floor.
"Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!" Martha yeled trying to get people out of there.
The mutant stood over a frozen woman and opened its jaws sideways. Then it brought its tail over, and the other mouth appeared.
"No! Get away from her!" The Doctor yelled.
It was too late, a desiccated corpse fell to the ground.
Leona let out a gasp in shock. Her eyes widened from fear. Whatever this monster was, it needed to be destroyed.
Francine went to help her son. "Leo. Leo."
The mutant turned to them.
"Lazarus! Leave them alone."
It turned towards the Doctor and Leona.
Martha ran to her family.
"Martha." Francine said looking at her daughter.
"Come on, stay with me. You're okay." Martha said, trying to help her mother and brother.
"What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" The Doctor said looking at Leona and nodded his head.
The Doctor and Leona lead the mutant off down the corridor.
"I hope your plan works, Doctor." Leona said as she panted running with him. The heels she wore weren't working for running whatsoever.
The two of them ran down the stairs to the basement.
Leona split from the Doctor to protect herself. She panted softly as she looked up, seeing the Doctor climbing up amongst the pipes and the control panels.
"It's no good, Doctor. You can't stop me." Lazarus said looking up.
"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" The Doctor yelled looking down.
"The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress."
"You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!"
"It is a necessary sacrifice."
"That's not your decision to make."
Lazarus began to climb as the Doctor was busy looking away. "Peek a boo." He said looking down at the Doctor.
"Oh, hello." The Doctor ran out and down another corridor.
Leona slowly followed the mutant who was chasing after the Doctor.
The Doctor jumped on a bench and started to take a light fitting apart. Then he turned on the Bunsen burner and snuffed out the flame. He pulled on another tube off a gas fighting and hid behind another bench.
"More hide and seek, Doctor? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?The Doctor turned it on as much gas as he could. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? Why would I want to face that, hmm?" The Doctor ran to the back door. "NOW LEONA!"
Leona sent a blast towards the bunsen burner he had on and suddenly KaBOOM lit up the laboratory.
The Doctor and Leona ran into Martha.
The Doctor looked at Martha. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm returning this. I thought you might need it." Martha said, looking at the Doctor and Leona.
"How did you?"
"I heard the explosion. I guessed it was you."
"We blasted Lazarus."
"Did you kill him?"
"More sort of annoyed him, I'd say." The Doctor said.
Leona shrugged her shoulders as they ran quickly back to the reception area.
"What now? We've just gone round in a circle." Martha said, looking at the Doctor and Leona.
"We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in."
They get into the sonic microfield manipulator chamber.
The mutant was right outside.
"Are we hiding?" Martha questioned softly.
"No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us." The Doctor replied softly.
"But we're trapped."
"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."
"You mean you don't have a plan?"
"Yes, the plan was to get inside here."
"Then what?"
"Well, then I'd come up with another plan."
Martha let out a groan. "In your own time, then."
It was a very tight squeeze with the three of them inside.
The Doctor moved and bumped into Martha.
"Hey!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." He got the sonic screwdriver out of his inside pocket. "Here we are."
"What're you going to do with that?" Martha questioned looking at the doctor.
"Improvise." He slid down to the floor and opened a panel, then started working with the wires and processors he found there.
"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"
"No, for once it's strictly human in origin." The Doctor said, looking at Martha.
"Human? How can it be human?"
"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."
"So it's a throwback."
"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."
"It's like Pandora's box."
"Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way."
Outside of the pod the mutant pressed a big red button.
"Doctor, what's happening?"
"Sounds like he's switched the machine on."
"And that's not good, is it?"
"Well, I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out."
"I don't want to hurry you, but…"
Leona tried to put a barrier around them. "Come on Doctor." Leona said, looking down at him.
"I know, I know. Nearly done."
"Well, what're you doing?" Martha looked at The Doctor in confusion.
"I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."
"Will that kill it?"
"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin."
"We're going to end up like him!"
"Just one more!"
There was a big blast of energy that threw the mutant backwards. The machine stopped and the Doctor, Leona, and Martha came out of the machine.
"I thought we were going to go through the blender then."
"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice." The Doctor said to them.
A naked human man was laying down on the floor.
"Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful." Martha said softly.
"Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor explained.
"Well, looks like we're done." Leona said softly. Her hands smoothed her gown and looked at the two of them that she was with. "Let's head outside."
DWDWDW
The ambulance men took away a figure covered in a red blanket.
Tish turned her head seeing the Doctor, Martha, and Leona coming out of the building.
"She's here. Oh, she's all right." Tish said looking over at Martha who was headed their way.
"Ah, Mrs Jones. We still haven't finished our chat." The Doctor said with a smile.
Francine suddenly slapped the Doctor hard across her face. "Keep away from my daughter."
"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha questioned looking at her mother.
"All of the mothers, every time." The Doctor said softly remembering when Rose's mom had hit him.
"He is dangerous. I've been told things."
"What are you talking about?" Martha questioned softly.
"Look around you. Nothing but death and destruction."
The ambulance left.
"This isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us!"
"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault." Leo said, looking at his mother.
Tish elbowed Leo.
There was a big crash.
The Doctor and Leona quickly followed the sound to investigate what was going on.
They rushed to only find the back of the ambulance was open and it only contained desiccated corpses.
"Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really." The Doctor scanned with his screwdriver.
"Where's he gone?" Martha questioned looking around.
Leona looked toward where the church would be.
"That way. The church."
"Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me." Tish said looking at the three of them.
DWDWDW
They walked into the Cathedral.
Martha looked around nervously. "Do you think he's in here?"
"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?"
They walked up carefully from the nave to the altar.
Lazarus was shivering behind it, wrapped in the red blanket. "I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside."
"The Blitz."
"You've read about it."
"I was there." The Doctor said, looking at the shivering man.
"You're too young."
"So are you."
Lazarus laughed, then his body made a painful cracking sound. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."
"That's what you were trying to do today?"
"That's what I did today."
"What about the other people who died?"
"They were nothing. I changed the course of history."
"Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."
"No, Doctor. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."
"Look at yourself. You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?"
"I call it progress. I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."
"There's no such thing as an ordinary human." Leona said, shaking her head.
Lazarus convulsed again.
"He's going to change again any minute." Martha said, looking at Leona and the Doctor.
"I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've got an idea that might work."
"Up there?"
"You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look." Lazarus said, looking at the Doctor.
"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."
"That's a price worth paying."
"Is it?"
"I will feed soon."
"I'm not going to let that happen."
"You've not been able to stop me so far."
"Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter. I thought you had a taste for fresher meat." Martha shouted looking at Lazarus.
"Martha, no." The Doctor said looking over at Martha.
Lazarus lunged for Martha who ran.
Tish ran with her.
"What are you doing?"
"Keeping you out of trouble!" Tish said, looking at her sister as they ran.
"Doctor! The tower!"
Leona looked at the Doctor. "Come on Doctor… we need to meet them and protect them."
The Doctor nodded his head knowing that was true.
The two of them went back to the transept, underneath the central tower, and looked for them.
"Where are they? Martha?!" The Doctor called his eyes wide as he looked around.
"I'm sure that they'll be here." Leona said, looking around.
Martha looked down from the passaway in the clerestory. "Doctor!"
"Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?!"
"Up to the top!"
"Martha." Tish called for her sister.
"Then what?"
"Martha, come on!"
The Doctor quickly headed for the organ loft and got out his screwdriver.
"Move it you two. Don't let him catch you." Leona ordered Martha.
Martha nodded her head. "Okay."
"The Doctor has a plan. I'm going to help him. You two make sure he doesn't catch you two." Leona said before rushing to where the Doctor was in the Organ loft.
"Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired." He stuck into the power socket then started pulling out the stops.
"Doctor, they won't have much time for you, are you done?" Leona questioned.
"I hope it's a good acoustic in here." The Doctor pressed on both pedals and started playing.
Leona used her magic to help with the acoustics.
"We need to turn this up to eleven."
"No shit." Leona said as she pushed more magic out to help with the sound to make sure that it was loud like he had wanted.
The organ notes reverberate, hurting the mutant as well as Tish and Martha. Martha started to lose her grip. The mutant fell to the cathedral floor below.
The Doctor stopped playing when he heard the crash. He went to go and look.
A naked man was lying on the flagstones amid a shower of broken wood.
"Martha?"
"I'm okay! We're both okay!"
Leona let out a breath of relief. Thankfully both of the girls were okay.
DWDWDW
The Doctor closed Lazarus's eyes and watched him turn back into an old man. Then he turned to run and meet Martha and Leona.
"I didn't know you could play?" Martha said, looking at the Doctor.
"Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up."
"Hmm. Especially about playing loud."
"Sorry?"
Leona let out a soft chuckle. "I may have helped with that."
Martha let out a soft laugh.
DWDWDW
The Doctor unlocked the Tardis. "Something else that just kind of escalated, then."
"I can see a pattern developing. You should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourself in." Martha said, looking at the Doctor.
"It's good fun, though, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"So, what do you say, one more trip?"
"No. Sorry."
"What do you mean? I thought you liked it."
"I do, but I can't go on like this. One more trip. It's not fair."
"What're you talking about?"
"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, I'd rather stay here."
"Okay, then. If that's what you want."
"Right. But we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go." She turned her back to him, but he stood there with Leona. "What is it?"
"What? I said okay."
"Sorry?"
"Okay." He nodded towards the Tardis.
"Oh, thank you, thank you!"
The two of them hugged.
"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?"
The three of them got into the Tardis and they were well on their way.
DWDWDW
Leona looked at the Doctor, biting her lower lip softly as she smoothed out the white dress she wore. She knew sooner or later she would have to update her style, but right now the white dress was more comfortable to who she was.
The Doctor looked over feeling Leona's eyes on him. "I know…" He said softly.
Leona locked her eyes with his. "You do?"
"I know you have to go."
Leona nodded her head. "It's the reason for being a time jumping witch."
"I'll see you again." The Doctor said softly, looking at her.
Leona smiled softly. "I know. I have to say that this trip was much different than my others. Be safe. The both of you."
"We will, Leona." Martha said with a smile.
Golden light swirled around Leona and suddenly she vanished.
"I'll never get used to that." Martha said, looking over at the Doctor.
The Doctor let out a soft chuckle knowing exactly what she had meant.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the end of Chapter 4. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. I know I'm bouncing around all of Doctor Who which makes it fun for me. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm trying to make Leona better as I write since she is still a fairly new character to me and it takes time for me to write these chapters out and help her grow. But reviews help me write these chapters out. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time.