Fight For Freedom |4| The Ascension

Chapter Thirty Four: The Almost People

McKenzie tentatively raised her hands to the two Doctor's faces, identifying them by their familiarity. Under her touch, the Flesh Doctor groaned. "What's happening? I wonder if we'll get back? Yes, one day." He groaned again, his brow creasing in pain. "I've reversed the polarity of the neutron flow."

McKenzie stroked her thumb against his cheek, still comparing the contours of his face to that of her husband. "The Flesh is struggling to cope with your past regenerations. Just hold on." Her voice was harder than it would usually have been, but she was too busy trying to determine if he was a genuine duplicate to care.

"Would you like a jelly baby?" the Flesh Doctor asked in the Fourth Doctor's voice before reverting to that of the Eleventh. "Why? Why?!"

"Why what?" the Doctor wondered, trying to understand.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor," the Flesh Doctor said in a voice so similar to the Tenth's that McKenzie winced. Back in the Eleventh's voice, he continued, "No, let it go, we've moved on."

"Hold on, hold on, you can stabilise," McKenzie encouraged, her brows knitting together as she realised the two Doctors were completely identical.

"I've reversed the jelly baby of the neutron flow. Would you like a Doctor--Doctor--I'm--I'm the--I can't--"

McKenzie moved to cup his face with both her hands, feeling his panic in her mind. That was something else the same about them: they had the same mind. "Listen," she urged, feeling her husband's presence both in front of and behind her. "Hold on. Hold on. You can stabilise, I know you can."

"No!" He cried out in pain, jerking under her hands.

"Shh," she breathed, putting her forehead against his. "It's okay." He stilled, his breathing slowing as he stabilised. She smiled. "There."

On the other side of the room, the banging stopped as the Gangers relented their attack. Buzzer shifted uneasily. "I think I liked it best when they were being noisy."

"Mhmm," Amy agreed.

"Мама, Папа, we need you," Zoë called. "Come here."

The Ganger Doctor was the first to react, coming over with the others behind him. "Hello."

"Doctor," Amy called, looking at the Ganger Doctor uneasily.

The Doctor stood by his Ganger, looking him in the eyes. "Cybermats."

The Ganger raised his eyebrows. "Do we have time for this?"

"We make time," the Doctor said firmly. "I'd like more proof that you're me, before I can trust you with the people I love. Cybermats."

"Created by the Cybermen," the Ganger replied. "They kill by feeding off brainwaves."

"Are you sure there aren't any weapons you can get to, like big guns or something?" Zoë asked.

"Yeah, big guns would be good right now," Buzzer agreed.

"Why would we have guns?" Jimmy frowned. "We're a factory. We mine."

Pietro's brows knitted together, looking at the burn on his hand. "Коррозионный... You mine acid."

As if on cue, the door began to dissolve, the Gangers resuming their battery of the door.