Happy-Fun Splorey Times

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

The Doctor, true to form and quite negating his earlier plans to keep a low profile, had decided to explore the city on his own. Also true to form, he was gawking like a natural born tourist fresh off the farm.

Well, if guys fresh off the farm kept up running commentary under their breaths about every single culture they recognized. And if they recognized quite a few, had an apparent habit of internal monologue, and occasionally ran over to point a buzzing little blue stick at seemingly random objects.

He was completely fascinated.

He was also bound and determined to get to the bottom of all this mess and get his TARDIS back. Now.

Ooh, look at that!

Comments

[cityship]

That does not mean I am lying.

That means I want to be free.

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

The Doctor pushed his fears to the background. Jaime was right. "It is a pretty good case for lying, though."

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

"Of course you are lying," Scorpius states bluntly. "One who wishes to be free will promise anything it can in order to be freed. Tell me... you offer to do great things for us once you are free. What is to hold you to your bargain?"

[cityship]

A pause.

My word and my undying gratitude?

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

He smiles again.

"Precisely. And is there any evidence you can furnish us now that you even have the capability to do these things you promise?"

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Yeeeah, I'm not buying it. I'm thinking we should go."

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

The Doctor nodded, turning. "Time to go."

[cityship]

The massive doors slammed shut.

No.

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

Jaime looked back at the stone and his eyes popped open wide. He tugged on the Doctor's sleeve.

"Doctor..."

Six statues. Hands over their faces. Forlorn.



Six angels, weeping, arranged around the stone, facing them.

"Those weren't there a second ago."

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

The Doctor glanced, then stared at them, really stared hard. "Listen carefully. I need you to watch them. Watch the statues, and don't blink. Do not blink. Understood?"

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

"That much I can handle, Doctor," Scorpius replies, watching them intently.

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

"There's more of them..."

More of them. There was a high ceiling. Tunnels all over. Ledges.

They were in odd places, not crammed too closely together, but there were more than just six and not all in one direction.

And the shifting shadows were growing darker...

"What does watching them do? What are they?"

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

"They're assassins. If you watch them, they're statues. But the minute you blink, the minute you take your eyes off, they come alive. And then they come for you."

He looked around frantically. They needed to get to the door.

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

"As statues, I imagine they can be shattered?"

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

"No. Do not. No shattering. If you try to shatter them, you'll blink, and you can't blink. Especially not that close, especially since it won't work anyway."

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Um, how about with a plasma cannon, though?" Jaime said, as they backed slowly along, each of them trying to keep an eye on some of them.

"Because I have one of those. And I don't have to blink with the suit."

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

"I have no idea. No idea at all. Haven't actually tried it, usually I just sort of run. Or, rather, back away slowly. Like now."

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

"I'm giving it a shot."

There was a high-pitched whine, then chakoom.

"...Uh, apparently they're not made of normal stone, they're made of unbreakable-onium."

That was a no go.

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

Scorpius raises a brow, but he doesn't blink, nor does he take his eyes off of the statues.

Instead, he begins to back away as the Doctor suggested.

"I'm so glad that someone came up with the idea of leaving..." he mutters quietly to himself. "I never would have considered it..."

[cityship]

The shadows shifted, thrusting them into total darkness for a moment.

When they'd shifted again, they were all closer.

Then shadows--closer.

Rather like this:

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

"Right." The Doctor took another glance around, noting an empty hall.

"Okay. There's a way. That way." He gestured vaguely. "Don't look! But when I say run, run."

Pause.

"Run!" And he took off.

[leather-bastard.livejournal.com]

Scorpius growls as he begins to run.

He hates running. It makes him... warm.

[cityship]

It was a second room, like this first, only this one had a strange sarcophagus inside, standing upright, not much taller than Jaime but frightening to look at and mechanical in nature. Little marks were scrawled on its surface. Marks that looked like air on an arm, like fire on another, like earth on a leg, like water on another leg.

Gears whirred and clicked. There was a strange array of tubing around it and lab tables and what was possibly alien research equipment nearby.

And marks on the floor. Green blood. Like things had dropped and been dragged away...

The sarcophagus's almond shaped eyes looked out at them, dim and dark holes of nothing.

[el-escarabajo.livejournal.com]

"Dead end!"

And they were following in the flashing dark, up the hallway.

[fluffinasuit.livejournal.com]

The Doctor raced over to the lab tables, looking for any clue as to what this was. Maybe he could find a way to use the things left there, or at least make sure they weren't harmful. "Come on! Come on, come on!"