HELTER SKELTER

Chapter Thirty Six

"Okay," the Doctor said as everyone stood at the front door ready to go out," is everyone ready?"

John turned towards everyone.

"This is it, mates! Beatles to battle!" he said to them. "All for one and one for all!"

"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together," Amy said.

"Yeah, what she said," John said, pointing to her. "Expertly put, Pond."

"Thanks, it's from I Am the Walrus," she replied.

"Oh. That thing," John said while everyone giggled. "Well, the song is rubbish but I like the sentiment and so we must sally forth and conquer these bastards so we can live to actually record that naff thing."

"Then are we ready, my fellow Beatles?" the Doctor said.

"Ready!" everyone shouted.

"Everyone has a communicator behind their ear?" the Doctor said.

"Yes!" everyone replied.

"Then as John put it, Beatles to battle!"

"And one Who," Roger said.

"Okay, Beatles and one Who to battle!" the Doctor said.

He opened the door and peeked out. The Doctor noticed they were in a storage room. Metal boxes were stacked up against the metal walls. The moment they got outside the TARDIS, everyone the Beatles and Roger instantly clustered around Paul, William and Jane.

"What are you doing?" Paul said while the Doctor closed the TARDIS door.

"Protecting you," John said. "We're not letting you three out of our sight."

"Okay, but I think the three of us will be alright if you back up just a bit and let us breathe," Paul said annoyed.

"Just being cautious, mate," John said as everyone backed away slightly.

The Doctor got in front of everyone and used his screwdriver to unlock the door. He looked out while everyone waited and then nodded when the coast was clear. They all stepped out together into a metal corridor. Jane took Paul's hand while they looked around. The walls were smooth and metallic and the room they were in seemed to be the only one in the short corridor. The Doctor used his screwdriver to scan for security devices and hidden CCTV. They watched while he read his display and then aimed the screwdriver at a diagonal angle above his head. They heard something shorting out behind the wall.

"That takes care of that," the Doctor said. "Booby trap, I think. Security device. But not anymore."

"Which way do we go?" Ringo asked.

"Do we stay together or split up?" George asked.

"I vote we stay together. We lost William and Jane the last time we separated," Amy said.

"Yeah, I'd rather stay together as a group," Paul said. "I think we'll be safer…"

He gasped when suddenly a metal wall slid down between him and William and Jane separating them from the rest of the group.

"Ah, shit, not again," William said as he and Jane slapped the metal wall.

"William, Jane, don't panic," the Doctor said through the wall, "we'll find a way around and meet up with you again. Just be on the lookout for any Diablons or slaves. I have a feeling you're about to see some very soon."

"Wonderful," William said, rolling his eyes.

"See if there's an alternate way around this wall," Paul said to them. "Try to go right and we'll try to go left and find another corridor we can meet in."

"Okay," William said.

"Be careful," Jane said.

"You too, love, see you in a few minutes, I hope," Paul said to them.

William sighed as he and Jane stepped away from the wall.

"Great, here we go again," he said to Jane.

"Hopefully, we can find a way back to them before anyone finds us," Jane said. "Maybe the Doctor didn't get all the booby traps and one us accidentally triggered this wall."

"I hope so, love," William said, taking her hand. "I don't fancy being their prisoner again. Come on, we might as well get this over with."

They walked towards the end of the corridor. Looking around, they noticed no one was around and turned right into another corridor. It was another short one and they noticed that there was a T junction up ahead.

"If we turn right again, perhaps we'll find them," William said as he and Jane walked towards it.

"I don't like this," Jane said, looking around nervously. "We haven't seen anyone. I think they know that we were coming."

"Perhaps," William said as they neared the T junction. "If so, we need to be alert for this clone of theirs. I have a feeling it's hunting us as well."

William squeezed her hand when Jane swallowed hard at that.

"Don't worry, love. If we see Paul, we'll ask him to identify himself," William said. "All we have to do is look at his appearance and tattoos and we'll know it's him."

As soon as he said that, they saw Paul turning the corner up ahead of him. He stopped and smiled as he waved at them.

"Thought I'd find you here," Paul said.

"Thank God," Jane said, breathing a sigh of relief as she started to go to him.

"Wait a tic!" William said, grabbing her arm. "Paul, is that really you?"

"Well, yes, doesn't it look like me? I have the shaved head and mustache to prove it, don't I?" Paul said, walking up to him.

"Show us your tattoos then," William said.

William noticed the man hesitating and his eyes narrowed.

"Paul, show us the tattoos," William said.

"William, it's me, mate," Paul said with a nervous laugh.

"Then prove it, there's another you running around here and I wanna be sure."

"I don't have time for this foolishness," Paul said angrily. "Come on, we have to go stop the Diab…"

Jane jerked back away from him when Paul reached for her.

"Jane, love, it's me, honestly?"

"Yeah? Where's the others then? Why are you all alone?" Jane said

"I went on ahead to look for you. Please, trust me," Paul said, coming close to them.

"Keep away from us until you show us the tattoos," Jane said as William got in front of her.

Paul's demeanor suddenly changed and he let out an enraged yell as he tried to hit William. William ducked and let his fist fly, catching him in the jaw. The clone staggered back as William grabbed Jane's hand and ran the other way. The clone let out a mocking laugh and followed them.

"Janie, William, don't run!" he said in a sing-song voice, "I'm your fri-end!"

Jane and William put on a fresh burst of speed and gasped when a wall slammed down in front of them. They turned and saw the clone stop short and with a sneer slowly walk towards them.

"Come on, you don't wanna spend your time with those loser friends of yours and that goody goody Paul," he said, the sneer widening. "Come with me and you can have the pleasure of serving Lucifer."

"Not on your life," William said.

"Then I s'pose you'll just have to die, won't ya?" the clone said gleefully.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

The clone turned and saw Paul step into the corridor. He hitched up his sleeve and smiled when he rubbed his wrist and the scarab appeared. He noticed the clone's confusion upon seeing it.

"What's wrong, mate? Didn't get the memo about my tattoo?" Paul said to him.

The clone looked at William.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said to him.

William was taken aback.

"Tell you what?" William said.

"About the tattoo, it was your job to spy on them and report everything to the master."

"Whoa!" William said, holding up his hand. "I'm not spying on anyone."

"Of course you are," the clone said, turning towards Paul, "he's been spying on you all along and reporting back to us."

"No, Paul," William said with a pleading look on his face, "he's lying. I wouldn't do that to you, not after everything you've done for me."

"It's alright, William. I know you're not the spy if there is one," Paul said, holding up his hand. "I know you and I know you'd never do something like this."

"Don't be a fool. He's one of us," the clone said. "He was brainwashed to serve the Illuminati and he still serves us."

"Yeah and oddly enough, right before we came up here, a couple of your agents got out of their rooms and was roaming around the TARDIS when William found them. I'd believe those teenage boys the Illuminati corrupted are the spies before I'd believe William was. So cut the bullshit, mate. It isn't gonna work!"

"Then I s'pose you'll have to die, McCartney!" the clone sneered.

"Here I am, take your best shot," Paul said.

The clone laughed as Paul turned and ran. He gave chase.

"You won't get away from me!" the clone crowed as Paul turned the corner and went back the way he came.

The clone followed him and William and Jane were surprised when they heard John scream out, "Get him!" followed by sounds of struggle. A moment later, Paul came back around the corner in triumph as the Doctor and the others held onto the clone and dragged him into the corridor. Amy was behind him and had her hands over the clone's mouth while he struggled to get free. Paul walked up to Jane and William, pulled up his sleeve and rubbed his wrist, showing them the tattoo. Jane embraced him and Paul held her tightly. He smiled at William.

"I know you weren't spying on us," Paul said. "Never doubted you for a second."

"Thank you," William said as Paul patted him on the shoulder.

"However," the Doctor said, "judging from the appearance of the clone, there is indeed a spy in our midst and I intend to find out who."

He put his fingertips to the clone's temples and the clone went limp. Amy took her hands away from his mouth while the Doctor closed his eyes and scanned his mind. Paul, William and Jane walked over to the others while he read his mind.

"Oh…no," the Doctor said. "No, no, no…"

"What? What is it? Do you see the spy?" Ringo asked.

"Yes. And I need to get back to the TARDIS now before it's too late," the Doctor said, picking up the unconscious clone. "I'll put him in a cell in the meantime but the spy needs to be stopped."

"Who?" John said, "who is it?"

"No time. I'll tell you when I get back. Amy, take my screwdriver and everyone be careful!"

Amy reached into his jacket pocket and pulled the screwdriver out. She barely got it out of the pocket before the Doctor bolted away, carrying the unconscious clone in his arms. Everyone watched him running hell for leather back to the TARDIS.

"Okay, who is it then?" Roger said.

"Can't be those two boys, the TARDIS sealed them up," William said.

"Can't be my mates, they wouldn't spy on you," Roger said.

"It wouldn't be Cyn or Jules," John said.

"Or my dad," Paul added.

"Or my parents," Jane said.

"Or Maureen or Zak," Ringo said.

"Or Patti," George added.

They fell silent for a moment and then John's eyes widened as he suddenly clicked his fingers.

"Shit! Devon and Carol," he said.

"What? My friends wouldn't do that," Roger said.

"Are you sure? That Ian chap was with them," John said. "How d'ya know that he didn't take them on board this ship and they were hypnotized?"

Roger hesitated as he considered that.

"I…s'pose it could be possible," Roger admitted. "Oh God…"

"It makes sense," Ringo said. "He's right. They were with Ian and we don't know what went on before Devon and Carol called you for help."

"Yeah but…I can't see them…" Roger said before falling silent.

They fell silent when they heard the Doctor yelling at someone through their communicator.

"So! You're with the Diablons, eh?" they heard him yell.

They heard a surprised yell and everyone's eyes bulged out of their heads when they recognized the voice.

"Fuck me," John said. "That's Yoko!"

They looked at each other while they heard the Doctor struggling with Yoko through their earpieces. Then they heard the sound of fist connecting with flesh and Yoko fell silent.

"Got her," the Doctor said to them in a breathless voice.

"Yoko was the spy?" John said.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "However, there's one thing I don't understand. Yoko was with us when we revealed Paul's new look and the tattoos and yet the clone knew nothing of the tattoos. I'm gonna have to scan her mind to find out why she didn't say anything about that but for the moment, she's going in the cell with Paul's clone. It's alright, everyone," they heard him saying to everyone inside the TARDIS, "she was spying for the Diablons but everything's sorted."

Everyone listening in jerked their heads up when they heard yelling and saw several brainwashed humans turning the corner and running towards them.

"Bollocks, here they come at last!" John said. "ALRIGHT, YOU LOT, BEATLES TO BATTLE!"

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