Storm: Angel and Demon

The Age of Steel 2

"Stop the car!" Terry yelled.

Mrs. Moore quickly pulled to a stop and parked them on the corner of a random street. Terry was out the door the moment the van stopped moving and the Doctor was quick to follow her. Together, they stared at the crowds of people who walked like zombies through the streets, their steps in perfect sync, everyone unblinking and all headed in the same direction.

"What the hell?" Jake breathed as he and the rest came up behind the Time Lords and stared at the same sight in mixed shock and horror.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, unable to believe her eyes. The Doctor's eyes locked in on the ear pods that everyone wore which were emitting steady blue blinks.

"It's the ear pods. Lumic's taken control."

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" Rose pointed out, reaching for a nearby person's ears.

The Doctor stopped her quickly, warning her sharply, "Don't! Cause a brainstorm."

Rose looked around helplessly while the Doctor muttered half to himself, "Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life."

"Not true - there's always at least one human ready to stand up against those who try and take control." Terry disagreed.

As if to prove her point, Jake suddenly called from where he and Ricky had gone ahead to scout around the nearest corner.

"Hey, Come and see."

The four friends and Pete hurried over to join Ricky and Jake in watching as people marched out of their own houses and joined a squad of Cybermen who led the way down the street.

"Where are they all going?" Rose wondered.

"Lumic's base of operations." Terry answered promptly and Pete breathed in realization.

"Battersea. That's where he was building his prototypes."

Rose frowned. "Why's he doing it?"

"He's dying." Pete answered shortly. "This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost."

He nodded sadly at the scene they were witnessing but Rose's frown deepened.

"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" She glanced at the Doctor questiongly. "The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe." The Doctor explained grimly. "They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth."

"You're being a bit loose talking about our world versus this one with this other lot around." Terry observed. The Doctor shrugged in response to her mental words while Pete's brows puckered in confusion as he looked from the Doctor to Rose.

"What the hell are you two on about?"

Rose jumped, realizing their slip-up while Terry eyed the Doctor shrewdly.

"You're doing this on purpose... You want Pete to notice." Terry said accusingly and the Doctor glanced at her.

"It's better he does and that he draws a firm line between himself and Rose since she clearly won't do it." He answered. "You know as well as I do that she can't form attachments here."

Terry did know... and for once, she knew far more than the Doctor on the matter. But she said no more as Ricky interjected sharply, "Come on, we need to get out of the city."