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'How? dig?' Asked Rika
'Of course not!' growled the Doctor. 'We'll just... Hold on, what DO we do?'
'Don't be daft.' smiled sephy. 'If i'm correct, there should be some way out. there always is. just to add to the 'hey you know, you could have gotten out of that' attitude.'
'Well then where? asked rika.'
Sabbalom nudged Sephy.
'mmmm?'
He mewed and rubbed against her leg.
'Yes, and where might this be?' asked the doctor.
Sabbalom hissed and climbed onto sephy's head.
'Ah. Be careful.' Murmured Sephy, as Sabbalom leapt for the ceiling, batting at something with one of his paws, and then tumbling back down. Sephy caught him, just as the ground beneath them opened up, and the four (well, five counting the caat) tumbled downwards into another shaft.
'Interesting to say the least.' mumbled the Doctor.
It was some sort of laboratory.
'Quick. Hide!' whispered Sephy, as they all ran for a conveniently empty cupboard.
'What's going on?' whispered Rika through a mouthful of the doctors hair.
'I saw a mask.'Answered sephy.
'So?'
'So get your filthy mouth out of my hair.' grumbled the Doctor.
'So, it was the mask of that woman who was trying to kill the doctor.' said sephy simply.
'Oh.'
'OH? is that all you can say? OH?' growled the Doctor.
'Stupid girls. How on earth are we meant to get out of this?'
'Kill her?' piped up marcus.
'shut up.' muttered the doctor. 'I'm certainly not going to kill her. not until we know who she is.'
'And, I must admit, it's awfully hard for an assassin to fight an assassin. Those sort of things can last hours.'
'Ohhh.' murmured rika.
'Are you feeling al...' Sephy fell silent. there was someone soming in.
Through a crack in the door, sephy could make out the woman. She came into the room, and looked around at the various weapons that were hanging on the wall, as well as the many exPERIments that were going.
She selected several knives, a sword, some pistols and a bottle of something that was exactly the wrong shade of green.
'Ah doctor doctor, i'm going to KILL you, doctor.'
Sephy felt him tense next to her. She heard his breathing quicken. And he was trembling.
She left, and rika fumbled the door open.
The doctor fell out, collapsing on all fours.
'Are you alright?'Demanded Sephy. He refused to answer. Waving the other two away, she lifted his head.
'Are you... oh.' Sweat streaked his face, and mingled with tears.
'Who is she?' she whispered softly.
'piss off.'
'Who is she?'
'I said, piss off.'
'Who...'
'GET LOST!' roared the Doctor, making rika and marcus jump.
'What does it matter? it doesn't. She's in the past. It was all in the past. Forget it.'

Sephy heard the stone door close behind her.
'Oh, bollocks.' She thought.
There were precious few minutes left until the Doctor was completely absorbed into the scarf monster.
She looked around, and found what she was looking for. A torch in the wall his a mass of ropes. One of them, she decided, would reach down.
Which one?
She felt hurriedly along each rope, until she felt one that was cold, and damp. And mouldy.
Burying her disgust, she slid slowly down the rope, until she was dangling about a massive pool of water. Down the bottom, she could barely make out the dark shape of the scarf monster bobbling around in the water.
'The things I do...'
She took a deep breath, and dived in.
The water was icy, and hit her like an iron bar across the chest. Down, down...
The Scarf monster was becoming clearer. SHe could hear faint noises coming form it. A sort of underwater burbling; and yells of pain - that must be the Doctor, she thought. She swam up behind it, and drew her sword. Praying this would work, she began to hack at the giagantic mass of wool. It didn't work.
The monster turned on her.
SHe looked for a weakness, and opening.
The knitting needles!
She grabbed them, and pulled the needles out, leaving the knitted wool to unravel.
moans of agony escaped from the monster, and the wool unraveled. As it unraveled, she found the limp hand of the Doctor. the Arm. His head.
'Come on...' She thought. She couldn't stay under for much longer.
Other arm. Torso. Leg. Other leg.
SHe grabbed him around the waist and swam for dear life to the surface.
All thought was lost but one.
'I can't breathe...'
Then her head and the Doctors' broke through the surface of the water.
SHe grabbed the rope, and holding the Doctor, began to climb.
___________________________________________________________

WHen they were up, sephy lay the doctor on the ground.
'Oh, please don't make me resuscitate you...' she panted, the water from her hair dripping onto him steadily.
She put one ear to his chest. His heart was beating.
'Breathe, goddamnit, breathe.'
Obediently, his chest began to rise and fall, albeit irregularly. He coughed, and his eyes flickered open.
Sephy fell back against the wall in relief.
'I thought I was gone...' He whispered.
'That's what I thought, too.' She agreed, then shivered.
Rika and Marcus burst through the wall.
'Oh, this place is so cliched.' Muttered marcus.
'You're okay!' Gasped Rika as she came to the Doctor.
'yes.' He rasped.
'Don't talk.' said sephy. 'You were in that thing for long enough for it to drain you of a good part of your energy.'
'WHat do you mean? I'm fine.'
'Don't say that until you get up.'
He tried to. But he couldn't. He was too exhausted.
'I see what you mean.'
'What did I say?'
He rolled his eyes and exhaled slowly. Sabbalom came and curled up next to him.
He patted the Caat weakly on the head. Sabbalom mewed.
'Yes. As soon as I can rest awhile.'

((He he... we have the same scarf... You shouldn't smoke, you know.))

Sephy looked worriedly at the Doctor.
'Are you sure you're alright?'
'I'm not as fragile as you may think.'
'Clearly.'
There was a hiss from behind them.
'Sabbalom?' Asked Sephy 'What is it?'
The caat ran in front of them, and poked the ground with a paw. It went straight through. Marcus growled.
'Either that cat...' be
'Caat.' corrected Rika
'Caat is a hologram, or...'
'The floor is.' finished the Doctor.
The laughter was closer, now.
'Ah, my doctor, my doctor, you will die tonight...' she sang. what little colour that remained in the doctors' face drained away. His knees gave way and he fell against the wall.
'Whoa.' Sephy and Rika came over to him, and helped him into a sitting position.
'We'd better actually get back. At least there we know where we are.' Whispered Sephy.
'How?' asked the Doctor
Sephy tapped her nose. 'Internal compass. We're directly underneath a staircase that should take us to our room.'
'So we just go through the ceiling.'
'There's a passage that can be opened by taking a carrot, making it into a flute and playing 'maries wedding.' That passage ends here. So...'
'We wait for someone to do that?' laughed Marcus.
'Like that's ever going to...'
Suddenly, a string of notes was heard. Sephy smiled.
'Step we gaily on we go...'

____________________________________________________________

It wasn't long before they were back. Sephy had checked over the entire room, and stuck a knife where there was a way into the room. Rika and Marcus came in as she was finishing, then the Doctor, who staggered in and crashed onto the bed.
'You're wet.' Said Rika.
'So?' He mumbled
'You'll catch a cold.'
He shifted on the bed to face her.
'I don't care. I'm going to sleep.'
Sephy barely concealed a grin. He was like a stubborn child. Sometimes.
'I won't let you go to sleep with wet clothes...'
He raised an eyebrow.
'Won't let?'
'Will attempt to...'
'Leave it. He's not moving.' Sephy walked over to the Doctor.
'Does the little boy want his mummy to tuck him in?' She teased.
He made the rudest gallifreyan gesture he could, pulled the blankets up to his chin and turned to face the wall. Rika also yawned.
'How long were we in there?'
'A day.' Responded Sephy. She took out a grey object that marcus seemed to take great interest in... until she started to sharpen her sword with it.
'I'm going to sleep.' said Rika.
'Me, too.' agreed Marcus.
'Sleep well.' mumbled Sephy.
'Are you going to stay up all night?' Asked Rika.
'Someone's got to.'

((This caat confuses me so... And don't worry Timelady, I don't really smoke. In fact I glare at anyone who does since we now have the public smoking ban in Scottieland. It's just I won this ciggy thing outta a magic box on Gaia and have kept it on my avi nearly all the time since then. It's... err... lucky.

I don't speak Gaelic. If I did, Gaelic night would not be half as funny.))

"Caught you at last Michael!"

The Rani had cornered them in the corridor as they'd left their room the next day. She gave the three companions and the caat a rather unfriendly look - reserving the most venomous section for Sephy - before turning on the Doctor.
"What strange company you keep."

Rika looked at her, confused.
"Micha..." she began before a sharp kick to the ankle from Sephy stopped her.

"He was just telling us to shove off ma'am..." said Sephy, keeping her eyes lowered, "Call when you need us sir..."

She gave the Doctor a nod and - dragging Rika and Marcus with her - hurried off. Behind them she could hear the Doctor turning on his charm.

"Who is that lady?" muttered Rika when they were out of sight. Sephy sighed.

"She's a Timelady, from the same place as the Doctor. She's not very nice though. She likes to experiment on people."

"Experiment how?"

"Experiment in ways that would make you go 'eww' and not want breakfast so let's find some food before I tell you."

Marcus suddenly perked up.
"I know a great place in town!"

Sephy threw him a suspicious glance.
"Really?"

"Oh yes. It's a lovely little place..."

****

"Michael," said the Rani, taking the Doctor's arm, "I had a thought the other day, though I couldn't find you to tell you..."

The Doctor gave a slight wince at the memories of the day before.
"Business my dear lady..."

"Yes yes. But now that you're here... what do you know about birds?"

"Birds?" The question seemed to have caught the Doctor off guard, "Well, I mean I've seen quite a few.... Feathered creatures aren't they...?"

"I know what they are, but what I'm interested in is what they can do. Flight!" her sudden outburst made him jump, "I've been looking into certain, shall we say, interesting and adjustable aspects of certain, shall we say, creatures... and, well...."

"Shall we say... you found something?"

"I found a lot of things..."

****

"Marcus, this isn't a 'lovely little place',"

"Oh you're just judging by appearances..."

The group was stood in a side street down in the city. Despite the overwhelming beauty that seemed to spread to almost every corner of the place, Marcus had managed to find them the one dingy, run-down pub in Layton 5. It was built out of a material more like solidified mud than the shimmering shell of the main street and someone had hammered a half-broken post in just above the door displaying to the world a creature somewhere between a pig and a very hairy tortoise. It was hanging squint.

"The Ugly Splorg is the finest establishment this side of the third moon, and the only place on this wretched world that will still serve me a drink. Please Sephy, let me just have ten minutes respite..."

"Marcus, I've seen you drunk and let me tell you it does not improve your temper," snapped Sephy, turning to go, "I'm not going to spend my morning going hungry so that you can get grouchy and depressed..."

"I only want one drink! One drink!" he turned to Rika, "Rika, I bet you've never tasted a Whirlibob Surprise. It'll make your tongue do somersaults..."

Sephy glared at him.
"There's no such drink..."
But it was too late. He was already leading Rika towards the door and much to Sephy's annoyance Sabbalom was following.
"You can't listen to him!"

Sabbalom turned his head and gave a mew. He obviously wanted her to come too... for whatever strange reason. With a sigh, she followed them into the pub.

Flying off Rose's shoulder, Sephy landed on the roof with a thump and began to roll towards the edge.

"Sephy!" The Doctor leapt forward, intending to catch her. The Rani slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.

"Oh no you don't!" She pinned him down by his throat, "You miserable little meddler - thinking I didn't recognise you! You always were a fool!"

Sephy meanwhile had managed to angle herself so that her feet caught on the upturned edge and stopped her fall. She turned to look up and saw Rose staring down at her - eyes wide and wild and mouth twisted into a grin. She didn't seem upset that her prisoner was wriggling free of her bonds.

Down below Marcus and Rika had rushed in to help the Doctor. They hadn't got within a few feet when the Rani drew out a gun.
"The first one to touch me dies!"
The two companions froze. Then Marcus' hand rose theatrically to his forehead and he fainted.
"What the...?" The Rani began as Rika ducked down to help him. As soon as Rika was out of range of the gun the Doctor struck upwards with the palm of his hand, knocking the Rani to one side as Rika and Marcus - fully recovered - ran for cover in the Ugly Splorg. The Rani had clung to her gun and she rolled back, pressing it firmly against the Doctor's forehead.

Up on the roof Sephy had untangled herself from her bonds, whilst Rose hadn't moved. She seemed to be watching with amusement, torn between Sephy's escape and the struggle on the street below. Mad, thought Sephy as Rose licked her lips, itching for a fight, completely stark raving mad. She glanced down at the Doctor. He seemed to be on the losing end of a laser pistol... Sighing, she tugged out a throwing knife and took aim.

She didn't get to throw it. There was the noise of a gun going off behind her and the sound of something slicing through the air. The knife was knocked from her hand with the soft 'ping ping ping' noise of tiny, metallic objects hitting it and she yelped as one of them stuck into her arm. She pulled it out - it was a tiny metal shard, about an inch long.

"A needle gun!" she snarled, turning on Rose who had begun skirting along the top edge of the roof, searching for a better aim, "You crazy..."
She didn't get time to finish her cursing. Rose fired another shot and Sephy had to roll out the way to avoid being sliced to pieces.

She scrambled up the roof, leaving a wide curve between herself and the needle gun. She had to find a way down to the ground that didn't involve breaking her legs - and she had to keep the mad Rose and her gun away from the others.

She tumbled down the other side of the roof. Why did the buildings have to have such ridiculous tops? She was surrounded by a forest of spirals and domes - almost impossible to climb. She ran along the guttering until she caught sight of a nearby dome covered in spikes. She leapt for the nearest one and used it as a lever to pull herself to the next, and then the next...

Another spray of needles almost made Sephy lose her grip but she caught herself up and leapt down, balancing on the spike below. She wondered how many rounds that needle gun could hold - and whether Rose would worry much about running out. No doubt she had other weapons...

Sephy had made it to ground level but she was in a bad position. She'd landed in an empty square - beautifully tiled but without an ounce of cover until it joined with the next street. She clung to the wall. With Rose still up on the roof she'd be shredded if she attempted to run across.

Damn, damn, damn... she thought. Should have worked this better...

There was a cackle from above and then silence. It made Sephy's skin crawl. Normally her opponents showed just a little bit of fear. Or at the very least some apprehension. Rose had no fears. She just wanted to kill her - and pretty much anyone else it seemed.

There was a soft hiss from above. Enough to give Sephy the warning she needed to duck as Rose's head appeared upside down above her, followed quickly by her gun...

She rolled away from the cloud of needles. There was a doorway nearby. If she could get to it...

Rose landed on top of her, a knife clutched between her teeth. The needle gun seemed to have been abandoned. Sephy twisted round and blocked a punch. The knife slashed down towards her but she countered it with one of her own. The blades jarred against each other as Rose pushed down, still determined to slice Sephy's throat. Her attack was frenzied and not very well planned, but she was bigger than Sephy and for once the young assassin couldn't dodge out of the way.

Hands appeared around Rose's arms and waist and she was pulled back, shrieking and cursing as she landed on Rika and Marcus who'd appeared from the doorway at the back of the Ugly Splorg. Rose writhed around, knife slashing until Sephy kicked it out of her hand. There was a scuffle as Rika, Marcus and Sephy tried to pin her down. She wouldn't let them get close and they ended up hitting each other more than her. After the third punch to his stomach Marcus let go of Rose's arm, giving her the opportunity she needed to break through. One more wrestle with her captors and she was free - running across the square and disappearing into the buildings.

"Leave her..." said Sephy, as Marcus looked like he might give chase.

"Don't worry," he said, "I was only doing that to look brave. I'm no good at running."

"What happened to the Doctor?"

Marcus shrugged.
"No idea. Last we saw he was still fighting with that lady. Err... the other lady."

"She'll have dragged him off to her TARDIS by now. Unless she has a base here... Either way we have to go after him."

"Yes, we probably do. Though I'm still not sure why I bother following you lot. You get into an awful lot of very painful and unpleasant situations..."

"But you love us really. Are you coming Rika?"

She turned to the girl, who was still sat on the ground where the fight had landed her.
"Y-yes..."
Sephy could see instantly that something was wrong. Rika's face had gone pale and sweaty. Sephy knelt down beside her.

"Where are you hurt?"

Rika lifted her arms that had been clenched tightly round her stomach. A dagger was protruding out of her side.
"Sorry..." she said, "Didn't really see it coming..."

"It's ok, it's not as bad as it looks," said Sephy, lifting her to her feet, "We'll get you to a hospital... Then we'll find the Doctor. I'm sure he can look after himself for a bit..."

"Rose you sad excuse for a demented freak," snapped the Rani, "Where have you been?"

"Dancing..."
Rose's eyes were wide and empty. She didn't seem to be focusing on any one thing and yet her head tipped to one side, following each little movement Sephy made. Obviously the fight had impressed her. Or enraged her.
"Dance dance dance..."

The Doctor stared at her. Distraught. Disgusted. Terrified.
"Rose..."

She blinked and turned to him. He was lying on the ground, lip bleeding and shirt torn. She giggled.
"Dance..."
Her hand moved in a flash. Something flew through the air, wrapped itself twice around the Doctor's throat and flung him backwards. He gagged as cold, metallic clips clicked into place. A metallic ring - scaled like a snake - encircled his neck. He tugged at it uselessly.

"Wonderful..." said the Rani, smiling, "Couldn't have done it better myself. No, don't move..." Sephy had raised a fist as if to attack, "...Time Lord necks can be snapped just as easily as any other. And I doubt you could get that thing off in time to save him."

Sephy lowered her fist.
"What is it?"

"That would be telling..."

The Doctor struggled to his knees. The device was obviously cutting off some of the air to his lungs.
"Slave... ring..." he gasped.

"Right as ever Doctor. Now, shall we go? I want to run some tests. A little... 'health check' you might say."

The Doctor shook his head but he was too weak to run. The Rani picked up her gun.
"Over there..." said the Rani, gesturing with her gun to make Sephy move. The young assassin didn't have much choice. She walked across and knelt by the Doctor, hands on her head.

The Rani smiled.
"Good good. Only these two to go..." she turned to Rika who was kneeling beside Marcus, checking his pulse.
"I don't think we need them..."

The Rani raised her gun. Rika looked up in time to see the shot fired straight at her head. Sephy and the Doctor gave furious, desperate shouts and leapt forwards but it was too late. Rika slumped sideways, her head landing heavy and lifeless on Marcus' chest.

"Hmm... I'll leave the other. See what he makes of waking up next to a dead body. And how he explains that to the authorities..." she laughed.

Sephy's eyes blazed.
"Why did you do that? She didn't do anything to you! That was a pointless murder!"

"Don't lecture me on morals girl!"
She gave a nod. Sephy felt something heavy hit the back of her head and she blacked out.

Rose stood behind her, looking hungrily down at the unconscious body. Then she turned to the Doctor. She grabbed his chin and bent his head back, staring, upside-down, into his eyes. They were holding back tears.
"Dance with me Doctor.... So prettiful..."
She grabbed a chunk of his hair and ripped it out making him yelp. She tucked it into her buttonhole. Then she swung her arm down with the same small cudgel that had knocked out Sephy - and sent the Doctor into the peaceful realm of the unconscious.

"Take them back to the laboratory..." said the Rani, eyeing the girl almost nervously, "Then you shall have your revenge..."

Rose lifted the prisoners - one limp body on each shoulder - and followed the Rani back to the castle.

***

Marcus awoke to find a figure slumped across his chest. He lifted the figure's head up by the hair and stared blearily into it's face.

His heart missed a beat.

"Rika?"
The girl didn't respond. Not even a breath.
"Rika!"

He panicked, lifting her up into a sitting position and listening to her heart. Nothing. Nothing!

And then.... something.

He jumped as her skin began to sparkle and crackle. It stung his fingers to hold her and he lowered her back onto the ground. The sparkling grew brighter and with a sudden gasp her chest lifted up off the ground and she fell back down with a thump.

"Arrgh!"
She sat up.
"Don't shoot me!"

She looked round. She focused on Marcus.
"Marcus... what happened?"

His mouth had dropped wide open. It took him a moment to regain his senses.
"I... don't know. You were dead."

"Oh..." she checked herself over, "No... I don't think so..."

"You weren't breathing! And then you went all sparkly!"

She looked at her arms. The glow was just beginning to fade.
"Weird... it feels like earlier, when Sephy healed that wound... Maybe some of that was left over..."

"Magic..." Marcus whispered.

"Maybe. I don't know what magic is now that I'm on another planet..." she frowned, "Where are the others?"

"Don't know."

"We'd better find them. I bet they went back to that underground place..."

Marcus groaned.
"Do we have to find them? Can't we just stay here where it's safe?"

Rika smiled.
"I don't think so. Look, Sabbalom's waiting for us..."

Marcus looked. Sure enough, the caat - who had kept well away from the fight - had re-appeared and was staring at them impatiently. Marcus could almost hear himself being scolded.
"Fine..." he grumbled.

Rika was hanging upside-down over a water-filled pit. She could feel the slash across her forehead healing as Marcus dragged her back to safety by her ankles.
"It's amazing! It's like I'm invincible!"

When she was safely out of the pit he collapsed backwards, exhausted, and gave her a disapproving look.
"I wouldn't push it!"

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to. The trap caught me by surprise..." she leant over the edge to look at the snarling, spitting scarf-monster below, splashing around in the water. It was trying to clamber up the slippery tunnel to it's prey...
"We'd better keep moving..." she said, kicking a stone down into the hole and watching the creature swallow it up, "We have to find the Doctor and Sephy. Otherwise they might get killed too..."

"That would just take the biscuit! Us dragging ourselves all the way down here, being attacked by collapsing walls and falling spikes and scarves only for them to have got themselves killed..."

"Don't say that," said Rika, looking miserable, "I didn't mean it... I really want them to be alive."

"Yeah yeah... Come on, that thing's nearly at the top now. And look, I think I recognise that mirror..."

***

In their dungeon, now alone, the Doctor leant over to Sephy who had turned pale as a sheet.
"Are you... alright?"

"Yes Doctor... And you shouldn't waste your breath on talking..."

He gave a wheezing sort of laugh.
"You're one... to talk... hardly... sounding well..."

"I did something that was a little bit stupid earlier.... It's draining me a little..."

The Doctor nodded and then his eyes clouded over as he remembered something. He looked down, ashamed.
"Rika..."

"Is still alive..."

There was a long moment of silence.

"What?"

She grinned.
"Either that or I've really messed up the spell..."

"Spell?"

"Too tired to explain... Come on... Let's find a way out of here..."
She got to her feet but her knees buckled and she collapsed back down.
"Or not..."

"Here... Screwdriver..."

He twisted slightly, indicating his pocket. She reached in and found the screwdriver.
"To open the door?"

"To open... those wrist... things... dangerous..."

"These?" Sephy hadn't thought much about them, "Why? What do they do?"

"...painful..."

"I'll bet they are... right... how do you turn it on?" he laughed, making her glare, "No need to get snooty! This is a different design from the others I've seen!"

"Button on... the side... all set up..."

"Right..."