, hands grasping the damp, filthy, iron bars of the cell. His jaw was clenched and his eyes darted around in the torch-lit cell erratically. Donna pressed her back to the damp, dirty cell wall. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling above, tracing the patterns drawn by the droplets of water threatening to drop onto her head. Donna rolled her to to the left, watching the Doctor's back.

His shoulders remained in a tense position, his knees locked, and everything about him practically buzzing with all the thoughts that could have been running through his head. The drip of water was like a metronome, and its random ticks were driving him mad. An orange light cast over the room from the lit torches hanging on the thick metal bars separating the cells, and the shadows cast from the unstable light danced over the side of his face. The Doctor's thoughts were a jumbled mess; they were split phrases, comparable to that of word salad.

'These bars are in poor condition, maybe if we-

I hope they haven't found her-

He has certainly learned to take my sonic screwdriver away-

Please don't let them have found her-

If I can maybe just get Donna out of here-

Valarie.'

"Doctor." Donna's voice rang him back to reality, his daze shaking as he turned to face her. His palms stung slightly from the friction caused by the constant rubbing against metal bars. "Not to be a downer but, in the event we don't escape, what will they do to us?" The Doctor pursed his lips, scratching a hand against the back of his head as he avoided Donna's eyes.

"Turn our brains to mush?" He muttered.

"What?" Donna gawked.

"And drink them with a straw." He tacked on, as Donna's calmness faded and she strode towards the bars, leaning forwards and beginning to shake on them. The Doctor turned, looking around an empty cell hoping there was something he could spot that could save them.

The clanking of metal echoed down the stone halls. Heads turned towards the course. The flames reflected off the metal. A knight approached. In a tight fist, it dragged a sword. They walked with purpose as if they knew exactly what they were here for.

"Hey. Hey!" the Doctor barked at the approaching figure. The two beckoned for attention. The knight paused before them, masked gaze peering up at him as he jabbed a pointed finger at them. "What's going on? Where is Ilek? Where's Valarie?" He demanded. The knight raised a hand, gesturing them away. "No, you'll give me answers!" He yelled. They lifted the sword, pointing it at him as if silently threatening him. The blade pushed towards his chest. He threw his hands up, backing away as Donna followed suit.

The knight drug the sword back, wrapping both hands around the leather-bound grip. They braced and then raised it high above their head. It slammed against the lock, which gave away like wet cardboard under the thick and heavy material of the sword. The Doctor and Donna stood, staring in surprise as the knight opened the cell and stepped into the doorway. They reached up, pulling the helmet-free.

"I'm right here." Valarie greeted. She took deep breaths and smiled widely as the two sprung to embrace her. She wrapped arms around them in return, laughing at how fast they moved once they realized it was her.

"Where the bloody hell did you get this?" Donna asked retracting, looking at the full suit. Valarie sighed.

"Would you believe they leave this stuff lying around?" She set her helmet on the floor and took the Doctor's hand. "Come on, we need to go. Now." She urged him and Donna. She pulled him forward; in one hand his hand, and the other the sword she held before her. Donna followed suit as they crept up the stairs of the dungeon towards the main room. She peered around the corners above, this time the Doctor watching for her go-ahead for once. She then trudged on forward. The main room and doors were right there insight - they were so close to an easy escape for once.

"Well, well, well." A voice hissed. The three turned their heads towards the top of the stairs. There stalked Jekyll. His hands gripped the banister and he was sweating bullets. He looked sick. Valarie shifted in front of them. She wasn't scared of him, no, not anymore.

"Stay back. I'm warning you." She cautioned, pointing the sword at him. He laughed. He sounded wheezy and hoarse. Then came those awful sounds; the crunch of bone and skin pulling apart. Valarie had seen him in both forms, but never what happened between. He laughed, with pauses to gasp and grunt in pain as it seemed his bones broke repeatedly to reform and his skin tore over and over and over again. It was a ghastly sight. He rose to a completed height of easily eight feet.

"Val." The Doctor cautioned, trying to pull her away. She kept her feet planted, gulping down fear as the newly formed Jewkyll stalked them down the stairs, on all fours. She couldn't decide if he was more animal or more human, or something completely different and horrifying.

"I have waited, so so long. Since that night I haven't stopped thinking of you, Valarie." He slinked to the right. Valarie rotated with the sword at him. "When I met you, you were supposed to be easy prey. Prey that was so deliciously oblivious. I was going to kill you with mercy. But now? I dream of hearing you scream out for your maker, feeling your bones crunch under my teeth. My kind doesn't eat the flesh of humans, but for this once I can make an exception." He reared back, preparing to lunge.

"Val-!"

"Get back!" She cried out at them as Jekyll lunged, Valarie catching his open mouth on the blade. He bared his teeth on it as Donna and the Doctor were forced to scatter. She grunted, finally finding the opening to slip and draw the sword from his mouth. She turned and twisted behind him.

He turned his head, eyes lit with rage as he growled and became comparable to a feral animal. He lunged again with a monstrous roar. She narrowly dodged him, stumbling over her own feet as she found it more in her interest to avoid rather than attack. She was sweating now, shaking slightly with the weight of the metal on her and in her hands.

"I am tired of your petty games." He growled. Valarie opened her mouth to remark when movement caught her eyes. That girl from the village, Alba, peered from around a corner. Valarie, in a moment caught off guard, prepared to yell at the girl to leave. Jekyll took her hesitance as an opening and grabbed her throat with his large hand. She kicked and squirmed. The Doctor and Donna cried out, yelling at Jekyll to release her.

She lifted her arm. He snagged it, holding it above her head and keeping her from swinging. He smiled with his distorted face.

"Please, scream if you can." She looked down at his rising and falling chest. She thought. "It will make this all the tastier for me." Valarie looked at him, eyebrows furrowed and face turning red from the choking. She had to take the chance, it was her only option.

She let go of the sword, watching it fall between them. She extended a hand as she peered down. Her hands wrapped around the leather in what felt like slow motion and she thrusted her hand forwards. There was a wet slicing sound, and Jekyll's eyes flew wide. He released her, grasping at the sword now embedded in his chest. Valarie landed on her knees, the Doctor and Donna's hands finding her and dragging her away.

Jekyll toppled onto his back, gurgling and sputtering. He gave a final wheeze before it stopped. Valarie looked to where Alba had stood again and saw she had fled. She sighed a shakey breath.

"We need to go."

--

Valarie leaned on the console, watching the Doctor do his work.

"You know," Donna began. "I think we should get a sword to take everywhere. Let Val fight off the monsters." She teased. Valarie chuckled.

"Doctor, what are the chances the whole dragon thing came from Jekyll?" She asked. They had left his body there, finding no time to cover tracks as they fled.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Highly likely. They may modify him some, but there is no doubt in my mind he was in fact where it came from." He smiled.

"Do you think we made it into the myth?" Donna asked.

"Now, probably not. All they know if some noble person slew the first-ever dragon, and they'll fill in the gaps with their own ideas. It is a myth after all." He smiled, looking down at Valarie who stood by his side. She smiled sweetly back at him and looked down, taking his hand in hers.

Unbeknownst to the three, they had made it into the myth. Sort of, at least.

Alba, that young girl from the hills, was a talented painter. She could make anything you wanted - just name it! Yes, Alba, who would later become known as Alba Scott when she married, would craft a painting in the inspiration of what she saw that night. A thank you to the heroes only she saw who saved her from Jekyll's abuse. Who allowed her to be free and heal from his feedings again. Her tapestry would end up in the twenty-first century, tucked away in a small local museum not far from where the castle once stood.

It showed a monstrous dragon, laid on its back. It was vanquished. Further from it to the left was a woman, seen wearing a brown shirt and blue pants which was notable odd for a time frame in which women didn't wear pants. Her hair was painted with a bright orange color. Next to her stood a man, even more oddly dressed for the time frame. A long coat, colored brown, with a deeper shade of brown under. Almost resembling a suit. Both peered over the third figured shoulder, faces curiously gazing at the dragon.

Next to the dragon stood another figure. A woman, with light brown hair, who wore a full suit of night armor aside from a helmet. She looked exhausted, eyes half-open yet there was a twinge of relief on her face. She had done what no one had done before. The man noticeably gripped her hand.

The painting was titled 'The Women of London, and the man of Gallifrey.'

----

Been slightly burnt out lately with these summer classes, but will try my best to update. Thank you for reading!