〖 〗

the crowd, eyes wide and wild as she excused herself quickly. Her head spun in all directions, trying to locate Martha or the Doctor within the crowd. The longer it was taking to find them the louder she felt like her heart was beating in her ears as pure adrenaline rushed through her veins.

She began to peek into every room. Finally in an empty lab she spotted two figures from behind, illuminated by a laptop glow. She opened the door quietly before shutting it and pressing herself against it. The Doctor was so intent on whatever they viewed he didn't even turn to her. Martha peered, eyebrows furrowing in confusion from her obvious fright.

"Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him" The Doctor rambled. He visibly jumped when Valarie began a fast pace towards them, her heels making a loud clacking sound against the tiled floor.

"Valarie?" He asked, taking immediate notice in the panic on her face.

"Somethings wrong. Somethings very, very, wrong." She blurted out.

"Yeah, we know. We are looking at Lazurus's DNA and it's mutated. It's like it's trying to make him-"

"A monster." She view the screen. A model of his DNA was shown, and the rapid mutations it had underwent. Her eyes watched the continuous replay of the shift in his DNA.

"A monster?"

Valarie turned her head, eyes wide and full of unmistakable fear. She shook her head and looked away. She couldn't shake the image from her mind of his body bending inhumanely. No, she had to have mistaken. Perhaps it was a distorted reflection is all.

"The woman said they were going upstairs." Martha announced.

"Well, lets go see a monster."

--------------

Valarie's heart was thudding loudly within her chest as the lift doors to the office opened. Martha exited first, followed by the Doctor. Valarie moved to step, and hesitated. The Doctor turned to look at her. He noted her obvious fear of stepping into the office.

"Come on now." He nodded his head. She locked eyes with his, widened and unsure. He stuck his hand out towards hers. "There's no monsters out here, I promise." He smiled. She lifted her hand, thinking on his words, before slowly taking his and leaving the elevator. Clutching his hand tightly, she looked behind and in front of her, ensuring there really was nothing in the office.

"See, told you." He smiled. He turned to Martha. "So, this is his office. Where do you suppose he is?"

"Don't know. Let's try back at reception." Martha's words slowed, her eyes locking on something across the room. The other two followed her eyes, to lock onto a hell, with what appeared to be a skeletons leg and foot within it. Valarie let go of his hand, bringing both to her mouth to conceal a gasp. The Doctor jogged to the body. Martha was hot on his heels. Valarie followed hesitantly.

On the floor, a mummified body wearing Lady Thaw's clothes laid stiffly. "Is that her? Lady Thaw?" Martha asked.

"Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Lazarus. Has to be." Valarie stated. Both looked to her. "I saw him change into this, this thing, from the street. I went out to make a call, and happened to look up." She explained, refusing to step any closer to the corpse. "So he is already a monster."

"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough." The Doctor explained, and looked back down. "Meaning he will do this again."

"So, it's just a matter of when." The doom of the situation began to sink into their bellies, and without a word they moved fast towards the lift, knowing the next step needed to be finding Lazarus before this happened again. The lift seemed to move slowly as it sank back towards the ground floor. When the doors slid open, it seemed they couldn't file out fast enough.

Valarie swiftly became entangled in the crowd and kept her eyes open for Lazarus's head in the crowd. With the constant movement and shifting of the crowd she became confused and lost, realizing she had gotten even lost from the Doctor and Martha. Not a single face surrounding her was recognizable. A hand suddenly snagged her forearm. She turned to see Martha's mother Francine firmly holding her arm.

"What's going on?" She firmly asked. Valarie choked not knowing how to respond. "Well? Why is Martha acting so frantic?"

"You saw her? Where?" Valarie responded. Her mind was now just on finding her and the Doctor. Martha's mother rolled her eyes and let go.

"Yes. Her and that Doctor looked like they had seen a damn ghost, asking about Tish and seeming upset when we said Lazarus had taken her to the roof."

"Lazarus has Tish alone?!" She exclaimed. Francine grabbed her arm again to prevent her from running away until she received answers. The sound of something groaning and crashing distantly above. Eyes flew to the ceiling. Francine looked back down to Valarie and leaned in close to her.

"What is going on? Who is that Doctor?" She pleaded. Valarie looked back at her, not knowing herself even what was going or even knowing who exactly the Doctor is. Then she saw the Doctor's head peering across the crowd with concern written across his face. Tish and Martha were with him. His eyes settled on a door, and he handed Martha the sonic screwdriver and pointed her that way. He then took a stance higher than the crowd and began shouting.

"Listen to me!" His voice captured the crowds attention. "You people are in danger! You need to get out of here now!" Valarie wiggled from Francine's grip and worked her way to the Doctor and Tish.

"Don't be ridiculous." A clearly wealthy woman scoffed. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive." Suddenly, as if the woman's remark had offended him, the mutant that once was Lazarus leaped from a railing above. It landed in the crowd, Martha's family in dangerously close proximity. Lazarus resembled a scorpion, covered in human flesh and with Lazarus's face. The end of his tail had a second face, more distorted than his own. He swung his tail, striking Leo and sending him into a table. Francine cried out. She rushed to him.

"Everyone over here! Hurry!" Martha yelled, holding a now open escape door. Lazarus rose above a woman, his mouth opening. In seconds the woman fell to the floor in the same horrifying condition they found Lady Thaw in.

"Lazarus leave them alone!" The Doctor cried. He turned to him, Martha fleeing to her family as people began to run through the exit. Lazarus let out a roar before lunging at the Doctor. He began running, shouting insults at Lazarus. Valarie took to Martha and her family over Leo.

"What is he doing? Trying to die?" Martha asked. She made a make shift ice bag with a napkin and ice cubes from a punch bowl and handed it to her mother. "I think he is concussed. Keep this on him and get him out of here. Valerie?" She asked, noticing Valarie frantically slipping out of her heels.

"Yes?" She asked, hooking them on her fingers.

"Are you really going after him?"

"What else do you expect of me?" Valarie asked, and looking to Martha. She sighed and rose to her feet, slipping her own shoes off. Without saying another word, they ran after the Doctor and the monster formerly known as Lazarus.