FREE! I am FREEEEEEEE! AHAHAHAHAH - *coughs*

Ahem. I'm out of school finally! :D We celebrate with an update!

Enjoy "The Poison Sky!"

***

"Move over!" the Alchemist ordered.

Donna hastily did, and the Alchemist raised her hands. The Vortex poured from them, surrounding the windshield and making a filmy screen. With one punch, the glass disappeared, and the Alchemist reached inside to pull Wilf out, coughing the entire time. The Doctor quickly helped her, both of them pulling Wilf out to safety. "Thanks," the man wheezed.

"Get inside the house," the Doctor said as Sylvia ran out to help, the Alchemist bending over double as she tried to catch her breath back, Donna reaching to help her inhale from her ring. "Just try and close off the doors and windows."

"Doctor! Alchemist!" Ross called, driving up in a black cab. "This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS."

"Donna, you coming?" the Doctor asked his sister.

"Yeah," Donna nodded, looking at the Alchemist in concern.

"Donna, don't go," Sylvia begged as the Doctor helped the Alchemist back into the cab. "Look what happens every time that Doctor appears." Donna recoiled, hearing the insult to her brother. "Stay with us, please."

Wilf, on the other hand, looked at the Doctor, seeing how stressed he already looked. "You go, my darling," he said.

"Dad!" Sylvia looked at him, startled.

"Don't listen to her. You go with the Doctor. That's my girl."

Donna nodded and hurried after the Doctor, climbing in the front as the Doctor stayed in the back, hugging the Alchemist tightly to him as Ross drove them back to UNIT.

***

"Ross, look after yourself," the Doctor said as they arrived at the base. "Get inside the building."

"Will do," Ross nodded as the trio piled out.

"The air is disgusting," Donna gagged.

"Tell me about it," the Alchemist wrinkled her nose.

"Your poor nose," the Doctor smiled sympathetically. "It's not so bad for me. Get inside the TARDIS, both of you. Oh, I've never given you a key!" He held it out to Donna. "Keep that. Go on, that's yours. Quite a big moment, really."

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death," Donna scowled.

"Good idea," the Doctor admitted. "Alice, go with her."

"Where are you going?" Donna asked as the Alchemist didn't even try to argue.

"To stop a war!" the Doctor shouted over his shoulder as he ran.

***

"Right, then, here I am," the Doctor said as he walked in. "Good. Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I've got the TARDIS. I'm going to get onboard their ship." The Doctor turned to Martha, seeing her tap something on her phone. "Come on."

Martha looked up, then followed him.

***

The Alchemist paused when she heard something outside change. "Wait a tick," she told Donna, heading for the door.

"The spoils of war," Staal's familiar voice said. "The Doctor's infamous vessel in Sontaran hands."

"It's time I made a move, sir," Luke's voice said. "I have soldiers of my own. I'll tell them of the honor and the glory, sir. I'll tell them that Planetfall is coming."

"He is behaving exactly as I predicted, sir," another Sontaran said as the Alchemist cautiously peeked out the doors.

"None of the humans can guess our true purpose," Staal said smugly as the Alchemist took in the Sontaran ship they were on, then backed into the TARDIS.

"Where are we?" Donna asked quietly.

"Not on Earth," the Alchemist answered.

***

"But where's the TARDIS?" Martha asked when they arrived where it had been.

"Taste that, in the air," the Doctor stuck out his tongue with a grimace. "Yuck. That sort of metal tang? Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans, they've taken it. I'm stuck on Earth like . . . like an ordinary person. Like a human. How rubbish is that? Sorry, no offense, but come on."

"So what do we do?" Martha asked as they headed back.

"Well, I mean, it's shielded. They could never detect it." He looked at her oddly.

Martha noticed. "What?"

"I'm just wondering, have you phoned your family and Tom?"

"No. What for?"

The Doctor tried not to frown. Martha's first concern would always be her family. To hear that she hadn't contacted them . . . "The gas. Tell them to stay inside."

Martha smiled. "'Course I will, yeah, but what about the Alchemist and Donna? I mean, where're they?"

"Oh, Donna's gone home, and the Alchemist went to protect her. Donna's not a soldier." Martha frowned at the implication. "Right, so . . . avanti!"

***

"Change of plan," the Doctor said as he headed inside.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor," Mace said.

"I'm not fighting," he said firmly. "I'm not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it? Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

"We're working on it," Martha shook her head.

"It's harmful, but not lethal until it reaches eighty percent density," a blonde woman in uniform said. "We're having the first reports of deaths from the center of Tokyo City."

"And who're you?" the Doctor asked.

"Captain Marion Price, sir," she saluted.

"Oh, put your hand down," the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Don't salute."

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor, coming from five thousand miles above the Earth," Mace said. "We're guessing that's what triggered the cars."

"The Sontaran ship," the Doctor nodded.

"NATO has gone to Defcon One. We're preparing a strike."

"You can't do that. Nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface. Let me talk to the Sontarans."

"You're not authorized to speak on behalf of the Earth."

"I've got that authority," the Doctor shook his head, taking out his sonic screwdriver and putting it into the communications system. "I earned that a long time ago."

***

The Alchemist looked up when she heard one of the screens crackle, and she turned the scanner around, swearing she saw the image of a blonde girl disappear, before the Doctor appeared on screen. "Now we're in business," she grinned.

"Calling the Sontaran Command Ship under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement, this is the Doctor," the Doctor announced.

"Doctor," Staal answered as he appeared, Donna looking over the Alchemist's shoulder. "Breathing your last?"

***

"My God, they're like trolls," Mace stared.

"Yeah, loving the diplomacy, thanks," the Doctor rolled his eyes. "So, tell me, General Staal . . . since when did you lot become cowards?"

"How dare you!" Staal roared.

Mace snorted loudly. "Oh, that's diplomacy?"

"Doctor, you impugn my honor!" Staal declared.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, because then I'd have a field day," the Doctor snickered. "But poison gas? That's the weapon of a coward, and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky, and yet you're sitting up above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honor?"

"Kasterborous, we're onboard the ship," the Alchemist said telepathically. "Luke was just here. I heard them say the humans don't know their true purpose."

"Thank you, Namara." The Doctor tilted his head. "Or," he held out. "Are you lot planning something else, because this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"

"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces," Staal said.

"Ah, the war's not going so well, then," the Doctor smirked. "Losing, are we?"

"Such a suggestion is impossible!" Staal scoffed.

"What war?" Mace asked.

"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans," the Doctor answered. "It's been raging, far out in the stars, for fifty thousand years. Fifty thousand years of bloodshed, and for what?"

"For victory!" Staal grinned. "Sontaran-ha! Sontaran-ha!"

The Doctor sighed as the rest of the Sontarans took up the chant. "Oh, give me a break," he switched the channel to a cartoon.

"Doctor, I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation," Mace began.

The Doctor just switched back to the Sontarans. "Finished?" he asked dryly.

"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you'll see our prize," Staal grinned, and the view changed. "Behold, we are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS."

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, as prizes go, that's noble."

***

"Oh, we're getting a message," the Alchemist leaned in. "Donna?"

"As they say in Latin, Donna nobis pacem," the Doctor continued. "Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like, if only we could communicate, you and I."

"All you have communicated is distress, Doctor," Staal scoffed.

"It's to throw them off," the Alchemist told Donna. "There's still telepathy. Although, good to know he was thinking of you."

"Big mistake showing it to me," the Doctor smirked. "Because I've got remote control."

"Cease transmission!" Staal barked, and it shut down.

***

"Ah, well," the Doctor shrugged, smirking in satisfaction.

"That achieved nothing," Mace scowled.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," the Doctor grinned.

***

"Remove the box from the War Room, beyond the transmission field," Staal ordered.

"The box, yeah," the Alchemist smirked as the TARDIS was jerked about as they moved. "Try moving my head beyond any."

Donna slowly picked up Martha's phone from the console. "Do you think it'll work, though?" she asked.

The Alchemist smiled. "Yeah, it'll work." She sat in the captain's chair. "Go on."

Donna slowly dialed a number and placed it on speaker. "Mum, you all right?" she asked.

"Donna!" Sylvia cried. "Where are you, sweetheart?"

"Is that her?" Wilf asked faintly.

"Oh, just finish the job. Your granddad's sealing us in. He's sealing the windows. Our own house, and we're sealed in. All those things they said about pollution and ozone and carbon, they're really happening, aren't they?"

"There's people working on it, Mum," Donna promised. "They're going to fix it, I promise."

"Oh, like you'd know. You're so clever."

"Oh, don't start," Donna shook her head as the Alchemist squeezed her shoulder. "Please, don't."

"I'm sorry," Sylvia whispered. "I wish you were here."

"Now, come on, Sylvia," Wilf chagrined. "Look, that doesn't help."

"Good job, Wilf," the Alchemist whispered to herself.

"Donna, where are you?" Wilf asked.

"It's . . . " Donna looked around. "Sort of hard to say. You all right?"

"Fighting fit, yeah. Are they with you, the Doctor and the Alchemist?"

"Oh, the Doctor and the Alchemist," Sylvia snorted.

"Wonderful attitude you're having there, lady," the Alchemist scoffed. "World's about to end, and you're having at your daughter. Yes, that's the best way to handle the world ending."

"Excuse me?!" Sylvia shrieked.

"The Doctor sends his regards," the Alchemist said sweetly.

"What about the Doctor?" Wilf asked. "Is he with you? Donna promised he was going to look after Donna."

"There's something he needs us to do," the Alchemist looked at Donna. "We're just waiting for him to tell us what. But while he's not here to look after Donna, I am. And you can sure as hell bet I'm going to do whatever I can to keep her safe."

"Thank you, Alchemist," Wilf said sincerely. "It's just that . . . the whole place is covered. The whole of London, they're saying. The whole, the whole world. It's the scale of it. I mean, how can one man stop all that?"

"Oh, you just watch him, Wilf," the Alchemist smiled fondly. "You just watch him."

"Yeah, well, if he doesn't, you tell him he'll have to answer to me."

The Alchemist just laughed. "I think you'll have to wait in line, Wilf. A few people already called dibs." Me, Jack . . . and after Jack there might not be much left.

"Huh."

Donna hung up and gave a tearful smile. "You didn't have to stand up for me."

"'Course I did," the Alchemist shrugged. "The Doctor would've done the same."

***

"There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but ten percent unidentified," Martha handed the Doctor a clipboard. "Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. You ever seen anything like it?"

"It must be something the Sontarans invented," the Doctor frowned. "This isn't just poison. They need this gas for something else. What could that be?"

"Launch grid online and active!" Price announced.

"Positions, ladies and gentlemen!" Mace called, making the Doctor whirl around. "Defcon One initiatives in progress."

"What?" the Doctor shouted. "I told you not to launch!"

"The gas is at sixty percent density," Mace said. "Eighty percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice."

"Launching in sixty, fifty nine, fifty eight, fifty seven, fifty six," Price counted down. "Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating. Fifty four, fifty three."

"You're making a mistake, Colonel," the Doctor shook his head. "For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you."

"North America, online," Price reported. "United Kingdom, online. France, online. India, online. Pakistan, online. China, online. North Korea, online. All systems locked and coordinated. Launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five."

"God save us," Mace mumbled.

"Four, three, two, one, zero."

The launch grid suddenly went blank, and the Doctor sighed in relief. "What is it?" Mace asked. "What happened? Did we launch? Well, did we?"

"Negative, sir," Price checked. "The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."

"Can we override it?"

"Trying it now, sir."

"Missiles won't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" the Doctor wondered, then turned to Martha, who had been working with her phone a while before. "Any ideas?"

"How should I know?" she raised an eyebrow.

***

"So now we can hear everything they're doing?" Donna asked as the Alchemist finished working on Martha's phone.

"Yup," she nodded, clicking a button.

Instantly, chatter came over. " - declaring Absolute Emergency!" Ross's voice called, and the Alchemist's eyes widened. "Sontarans within factory grounds! East corridor, grid six!"

"On second thought," the Alchemist worked quickly on the phone, then lifted it to her ear.

"Absolute emergency, declaring Code Red," Mace said as the Alchemist canceled out a few signals. "All troops, Code Red!"

"Ross!" the Alchemist said into the phone. "Ross, can you hear me?"

"Affirmative, ma'am," Ross answered, and she could hear bullets in the background. "I can't hear anyone else."

"That's because I'm blocking them. You've got to get out of there, or else you're going to get slaughtered."

"But the Colonel - !"

"To hell with Colonel Mace!" the Alchemist spat. "That cordolaine signal will block every bullet you fire. If you don't get out of there, all of you are going to be killed. Listen to me now, and get out!"

"Fall back!" Ross called after a moment, and the gunfire gradually stopped. "All men, fall back!"

"Thank God," the Alchemist sighed in relief, pinching the bridge of her nose.

***

"Sir," Ross's voice called, and the Doctor turned to see Ross running in. "They've taken the factory."

"Why?" the Doctor asked, even as he sighed in relief. Ross was safe, so the Alchemist had to have made contact somehow. "They don't need it. Why attack now? What are they up to? Times like this, I could do with the Brigadier . . . no offense."

"None taken," Mace shook his head. "Sir Alistair's a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately, he's stranded in Peru."

"Launch grid back online," Price announced, but right as the map appeared, it went blank again. "They're inside the system, sir. It's coming from within UNIT itself."

"Trace it. Find out where it's coming from, and quickly. Gas levels?"

"Sixty six percent in major population areas, and rising."

Mace gestured to the Doctor, and the two of them headed into his office. "Why are they defending the factory only after we were inside?" Mace wondered.

"Because they wanted UNIT here," the Doctor guessed. "You gave them something they needed, something now hidden inside the factory. Something precious."

"We've got to recover it. What is it that's stopping our bullets?"

"A cordolaine signal," the Doctor answered. "It causes expansion of the copper shell of your bullets."

"Excellent," Mace nodded. "I'm on it."

"For the billionth time, you can't fight Sontarans!" the Doctor growled as Mace left.

"Sir," Ross walked up to the Doctor, holding up one of the same comm units he wore. "The Alchemist hacked in."

The Doctor put it in. "Alice?"

"Right here," she answered. "Ross got to you?"

"He's standing right next to me," the Doctor nodded gratefully, and Ross nodded back.

"Right, what do you need us to do?"

"You've got to go outside. They'll all be on battle stations right now. They don't exactly walk about having coffee."

"All right, let's do it."

"The Sontarans are inside the factory, which means they've got a teleport link with the ship, but they'll have deadlocked it."

"And you need us to reopen the link."

"Exactly."

***

The Alchemist poked her head outside, then raised a finger and poked the Sontaran guard's probic vent. He collapsed like a sack of potatoes, and the Alchemist shook out her hand. "Guard down."

"Now, then, find the external junction feed to the teleport."

"I know my way around a Sontaran ship, Doctor," the Alchemist shook her head as she headed for the door, Donna hesitantly following behind her.

"I know, I know, it's just making me feel better."

"Ah." The Alchemist made the Vulcan salute with her fingers and placed them inside the Sontaran shaped switch by the door, then headed through. "T with a line through it."

***

"Sir," Ross warned, seeing Mace come back.

"Got to go," the Doctor said. "Keep the line open."

"Got it," the Alchemist answered.

"Counter attack," Mace said, handing Ross a new gun.

"I said, you don't stand a chance," the Doctor groaned.

"Positions!" Mace called, even as Ross put away his other gun and inspected the new one. "That means everyone."

"You're not going without me," Martha declared as she stood up.

The Doctor caught the gasmask tossed to him, then tossed another one to her. "Wouldn't dream of it."

***

"Latest firing stock," Mace gestured as the Doctor and Ross put their masks on, following behind him. "What do you think, Doctor?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Are you my mummy?" he asked.

"If you could concentrate," Mace snapped. "Bullets with a rad-steel coating. No copper surface. Should overcome the cordolaine signal."

"But the Sontarans have got lasers," the Doctor shook his head. "You can't even see in this fog. The night vision doesn't work."

"Thank you, Doctor," Mace scowled. "Thank you for your lack of faith. But this time, I'm not listening."

"He hasn't been listening," the Alchemist muttered over the comm. "But if those bullets don't have copper . . . "

"Go get into position," the Doctor told Ross quietly. "Get somewhere where you can call retreat if it's needed."

"Yes, sir," Ross nodded. "Good luck, sir."

"And you."

Ross headed off as Mace took off his gas mask. "Attention, all troops," he called. "The Sontarans might think of us as primitive, as does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more. From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back, and we show them. We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do." He raised his radio. "Trap One to Hawk Major. Go, go, go." A huge downdraft suddenly appeared, and the gas blew away. "It's working," Mace smiled. "The area's clearing. Engines to maximum!" he ordered.

The Doctor grinned when he saw the massive airship coming down. "It's the Valiant!"

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty, Doctor, with engines strong enough to clear away the fog," Mace smirked triumphantly.

"Whoa," the Doctor said as he took his mask off, the others doing the same. "That's brilliant."

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?"

"No, not at all. Not me."

"I am," the Alchemist said. "That's brilliant!"

"Valiant, fire at will!" Mace ordered.

Six green beams shot from the Valiant, converging to form one and taking the ATMOS factory. "Ross, give them what you got!" the Alchemist ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ross's voice answered.

"East and north secure," Mace checked reports as UNIT swarmed the ATMOS factory. "Doctor?"

"Alice, I'm coming," the Doctor said.

"Shouldn't we follow the Colonel?" Martha asked as Mace walked off.

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head, scanning with his screwdriver. "You and me, Martha Jones, just like old times. Alien technology this-a-way."

***

They walked down to the basement, no aliens to be seen. "No Sontarans down here," the Doctor looked around. "They can't resist a battle. Here we go." He opened the doors at the end to see a laboratory of some sort . . . and Martha Jones strapped down, her eyes closed, a blinking device around her head. "Oh, Martha, I'm so sorry," he ran over to check her. "Still alive." He paused when he heard the click of a gun. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Wish you carried a gun now?" the clone asked.

"Not at all."

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time."

"Doing exactly what I wanted. I needed to stop the missiles just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent."

The clone narrowed her eyes. "When did you know?"

"About you?" he snorted. "Oh, right from the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. And frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a T-shirt saying clone. Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack." He noted the clone narrow her eyes again. "You remember him, don't you? Because you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect her, to keep you inside UNIT. Martha Jones is keeping you alive." He took the device from Martha's head. As she shot up, gasping for breath, the clone collapsed, dropping her gun. He kicked it away, then put a hand on Marth'as shoulder. "It's all right, it's all right. I'm here, I'm here. I've got you, I've got you."

"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with this head," Martha babbled as she tried to take in her surroundings.

"Doctor, we've got it," the Alchemist said.

"Good. All the blue switches inside - "

"Flick them up like a fuse box, and that should get the teleport working."

"Atta girl."

"Told you I knew what I was doing."

"Oh, my God, that's me!" Martha gasped, seeing the clone on the ground.

"Yes," the Doctor took off his coat and put it around her. "That's you."

As he went to work on the teleport, Martha hesitantly approached her clone. "Don't touch me," the clone recoiled.

"It's not my fault," Martha shook her head. "The Sontarans created you, but you had all my memories."

"You've got a brother, sister, mother, and father," the clone recalled.

"If you don't help me, they're going to die."

"You love them."

"Yes. Remember that?"

"The gas," the Doctor turned. "Tell us about the gas."

"He's the enemy," the clone shook his head.

"Then tell me," Martha said. "It's not just poison. What's it for? Martha, please."

The clone closed her eyes. "Caesofine concentrate," she answered. "It's one part of Bosteen, two parts Probic five."

"Clonefeed," the Doctor realized. "It's clonefeed!"

"What's clonefeed?" Martha asked.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans. That's why they're not invading. They're converting the atmosphere, changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. Because the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce. Give them a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. The gas isn't poison, it's food."

"My heart," the clone raised a hand to check. "It's getting slower."

"There's nothing I can do," Martha shook her head.

"In your mind, you've got so many plans. There's so much that you want to do."

"And I will. Never do tomorrow what yo can do today, my mum says, because - "

"Because you never know how long you've got," the clone finished. "Martha Jones . . . all that life . . . "

The clone's eyes closed, and Martha swallowed before reaching over to take her engagement ring back.

***

"Blue switches done," the Alchemist announced, drawing her blaster when she heard the marching of troops. "They've found us."

"Now!" the Doctor called.

The teleport kicked in, and she grinned as they reappeared inside the laboratory. "Nice timing."

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Donna declared before hugging the Doctor to death.

"Hold on, hold on, get off me, get off me," the Doctor batted her away before kissing the Alchemist. "Got to bring the TARDIS down." He readjusted the settings, then turned. "Right now, Martha, you coming?"

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha held up her phone.

"Just keep pressing N. We want to keep those missiles on the ground."

Donna looked between Martha and her dead clone. "There's two of them."

"Yeah, long story," the Doctor shook his head, readjusting the controls once again. "Here we go. The old team, back together. Well, the new team."

"We're not going back to that ship!" Donna declared as the four of them got into the teleport.

"No, no, no, no, I needed to get the teleport working so we could get to - " The Doctor triggered the teleport, and they appeared somewhere familiar. "Here. The Rattigan Academy, owned by - "

There was another gun click, and the Alchemist paused, seeing Luke trembling and aiming at the Doctor. "Don't tell anyone what I did," he ordered. "It wasn't my fault. The Sontarans lied to me. They - !"

Quick as a flash, the Doctor took the gun from Luke and tossed it away. "If I see one more gun," he growled, heading for the laboratory.

"You know, that coat sort of works," Donna looked at Martha.

"I feel like a kid in my dad's clothes," Martha blushed.

"Oh, well, if you're calling him dad, you're definitely getting over him."

"Never had him," Martha smiled as the Alchemist headed after the Doctor. "He's hers, always."

"Yeah," Donna swallowed. It was hard, not telling Martha about what was wrong with the Alchemist.

***

"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles, they were holding back," the Doctor said, watching the Alchemist build. "Because caesofine gas is volatile, that's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground to air engagement could spark off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked, surprised.

"Yeah. They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time, we had Luke here in his dream factory." He pointed at what Luke had been using and what the Alchemist had been messing with. "Planning a little trip, were we?"

"They promised me a new world," Luke said.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this, an atmospheric converter."

"Go save the world," the Alchemist smiled, handing over what she'd been working on.

The Doctor winked, then ran outside. "Oh, my God!" Donna blanched when she saw the thick fog covering the city. "That's London! You can't even see it! My family's in there."

"If I can get this on the right setting," the Doctor muttered.

"Doctor, hold on," Martha began. "You said the atmosphere would ignite."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" The Doctor triggered the atmospheric converter, and a huge energy pulse zoomed into the sky. With an explosion, a massive fireball spread across the sky. "Please, please, please, please, please . . . "

Luke stared in disbelief as the fireball spread everywhere, consuming the gas and leaving a clear, blue sky behind. "He's a genius!"

"Just brilliant," Martha patted his arm.

"Now we're in trouble," the Doctor declared, heading inside.

"It's set up," the Alchemist said, walking away from the teleport. "Give that to me, and it'll be done."

"Er, let me think about that," the Doctor began before narrowing his eyes. "No."

"Oh, come on!" the Alchemist scoffed. "Doctor - !"

"I said no!"

"Oh, fine." The Alchemist tapped him in the head, and with a spark of the Vortex, knocked him out. "There we go."

"Alchemist, you know what that's going to do to you!" Donna stared at the unconscious Doctor, then at his pale Bonded.

"To hell with it," the Alchemist shook her head, taking the atmospheric converter and walking to the teleport. "Knowing him, he wasn't going to leave. The teleport wouldn't get him back in time, and he'd kill himself."

"What?" Martha's eyes widened.

"And I can get back in time," the Alchemist nodded, putting her hand on the teleport. "And give them hell at the same time."

She teleported onto the ship, and the Sontarans turned as one. "Oh, excellent," Staal smirked.

"General Staal, you know what this is," the Alchemist set the atmospheric converter down. "But there's one more option. You can go. Just leave. Sontaran High Command need never know what happened here."

"Your stratagem would be wise if Sontarans feared death, but we do not," Staal smirked. "At arms."

The Alchemist didn't even flinch when all guns turned to her. "I'm warning you, Staal. Shoot me, I'm still going to press this. You'll die, Staal."

"Knowing that you die, too," Staal smirked. "For the glory of Sontar! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

The Alchemist smirked as the other Sontarans chanted. "Sontar? Ha!" She pressed the button, then vanished in a swirl of the Vortex.

As the Sontaran ship exploded, the Alchemist stumbled out of the teleport, breathing heavily, bending over double as she coughed and hacked, Donna hurrying over to her as Martha and Luke checked on the Doctor. "You shouldn't have done that," Donna hissed, looking in horror at what the Alchemist had coughed up.

The Alchemist just shook her head, cleaning the blood she had coughed up with a paper towel and throwing it in the rubbish. "Better me than him."

***

"The streets are half empty," Sylvia said as she entered with the shopping. "People still aren't driving. There's kids on bikes all over the place. It's wonderful. Unpack that lot, I'm going to see if Suzette's all right."

"I won't tell her," Wilf told Donna with a smile. "Best not. Just keep it as our little secret, eh?"

"Yeah," Donna smiled in relief.

"And you go with him, your brother, that wonderful Doctor," Wilf smiled. "You go and see the stars, and then bring a bit of them back for your old Gramps."

"Love you," Donna kissed his cheek and headed out.

***

When Donna approached the TARDIS, she found the Alchemist waiting for her outside, looking a bit pale. "Still haven't told him?" she guessed.

"He's had enough to worry about," the Alchemist shook her head. "Does he know I knocked him out? Yes."

"What about the coughing up blood you're suddenly doing?"

"No, and I intend to keep it that way for a while."

"You'll have to tell him eventually."

"And I will," the Alchemist crossed her hearts. "Eventually."

Donna sighed as she opened up the door. "You're impossible."

"How were they?" Martha asked as they walked in.

"Oh, same old stuff," Donna shrugged. "They're fine. So, you going to come with us? We're not exactly short of space."

"Oh, I have missed all this, but . . . you know, I'm good here, back at home," Martha said, shaking her head and heading for the doors. "And I'm better for having been away. Besides, someone needs me." She held up her hand with her engagement ring. "Never mind the universe. I've got a great big world of my own now!"

But before she could leave, the door slammed shut on her. The time rotor started up, and the TARDIS shook violently, tossing everyone around. "What?" the Doctor yelped, grabbing the console as the Alchemist groaned and clutched her head. "What?!"

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha screeched.

"No, no, no, I didn't touch anything! We're in flight! It's not me!"

"Where are we going?" Donna asked, grabbing the Alchemist and helping her get a grip on the console as well, the woman barely seeming conscious.

"I don't know," the Doctor checked. "It's out of control!"

"Doctor, just listen to me," Martha glared at him. "You take me home. Take me home right now!"

The Alchemist just screamed and tucked her head down, the Doctor pulling her to him, keeping her as still as he could with the TARDIS still jerking about.

***

So the Alchemist is getting worse. Just peachy.

Remember, next episode is when I reveal the Alchemist's next sibling is! Might be a surprise to some of you. ;)

Halfway done with "New Earth!" See you guys soon!