For the rest of the day, Clara still thought about Derek's offer. Was he right? Was life better in Gallifrey? And even during her last class of the day, war history with Mr. Saxon, she still thought about it.

"Today's lesson is about the Skaro Civil War," Mr. Saxon said, subconsciously tapping his fingers on his desk. "Can anyone tell me what it was about?" Caan raised her hand. "Anyone who isn't Ms. Cult?" Mr. Saxon asked.

"But Mr. Saxon, you never let me answer anything," Caan pointed out.

"I've heard about your insane knowledge of everything," Mr. Saxon said. He looked over at Clara. "Ms. Oswald, care to tell the about the Skaro Civil War?"

"In the early years of Skaro, there were two separate groups: the Kaleds and the Thals," Clara answered. "They were in conflict with one another because of different beliefs."

"Precisely," Mr. Saxon said. He started to write notes on the chalkboard. "This war lasted for..."

Clara's mind wandered at that point, still thinking about escaping to Gallifrey. Since all she knew about the town was from the lessons involving the Town War, she didn't know what the culture was like. But from what Derek said, it seemed like a happier place. But was it worth giving up her whole life? And what if Gallifrey was just as bad as Skaro?

Suddenly, a folded note fell on Clara's desk. Curious, she picked up the note and opened it.

Pay attention, you inferior girl! -Caan

With that, Clara snapped out of it and focused on the lesson. "...and how did the Skaro Civil War ended?" Mr. Saxon asked.

"The school's crazy vice principal invented dangerous weapons that the Kaleds used to exterminate all the Thals."

Clara instantly recognized that voice. Sure enough, it was none other than Derek. "Mr. Briggs, that's not what was written in the textbook," Mr. Saxon said.

"You expect us to believe Vice Principal Davros was a hero who led the Kaleds to victory?" Derek asked. "Because that is not what happened. We could have had peace with the Thals. But nooooo, our 'great hero' thought inventing powerful weapons for the Kaleds was the best answer." He showed the class his laser watch. "These devices have poisoned our minds, mutating us into genocidal soldiers. Vice Principal Davros might be a hero to us, but his solution changed the people in this town forever."

Most of the class was offended, especially Caan, who stood up and aimed her laser watch at Derek. "Traitor!" she exclaimed, her finger dangerously close to the 'Laser' button. "You should be exterminated for your unkind words!"

"Ms. Cult, put your laser watch down," Mr. Saxon said. "And Mr. Briggs, I must ask you to leave this class for today. Hopefully this won't happen again."

Caan sat back in her seat and Derek left the classroom. And as Mr. Saxon resumed the lesson, Clara was surprised to hear the school loner say such things about Vice Principal Davros. Was he really a hero to the people of Skaro?

It wasn't long before school was over for today, allowing the students to head back to their respective homes. And as Clara walked home, she saw an unusual sight. A boy was spray-painting the phrase 'Gallifrey Stands!' on one of the school walls. Alarmed, she walked over to the boy. "What do you think you are doing?"

The boy looked over at Clara. He looked a few years older than her. His dark hair was unkempt and his dark brown eyes showed regret. He was wearing several layers of clothing. "Just showing a bit of town spirit," he answered.

"Oh, so you are from Gallifrey," Clara concluded.

"Sure I am," the boy replied. "What are you going to do about it? 'Exterminate' me?"

Clara raised her laser watch at the boy. "As a matter of fact, yes," she answered, her finger close to the button.

The boy raised his hands in defense. "Go ahead," he said. "Do your worst."

Nothing happened for a few seconds. Clara tried to will herself into pressing that button. But she couldn't. She just couldn't make herself kill this Gallifrey native. Eventually her right hand started shaking and her breathing was audible. "What are you waiting for?" the boy asked. "Aren't you Skarovians trained to be killers?"

That did it for Clara. She broke down into tears and fell to the ground. "I cannot!" she cried, both hands covering her face. "I cannot exterminate you!"

The boy walked over to the crying girl. "What do you mean you can't?" he asked. "You're trained to be a soldier like the other Skarovians. You know where I'm from, and you know what you've been trained to do. So where is this 'I cannot' coming from?"

Clara regained her composure and looked at the boy, still laying on the ground in sadness. "Why do they hate you so much?" she asked, referring to the people from both towns. "They hate you so much. Why?"

"It's not us the Skarovians hate," the boy answered. "Not directly anyway. They blame us for the faults of our ancestors. The Gallifreyans have fought your people many times."

"I hate this rivalry," Clara admitted, fresh tears still visible. "Why cannot we just be friends?"

The boy patted Clara on the back. "I don't know, Skaro girl," he admitted. "I just don't know..."

"You should not be here," Clara said once she calmed down. "You should leave before someone else sees you."

"I was thinking the same thing," the boy said. And with that he headed back to Gallifrey.

Clara looked at her watch, thinking back to what just happened. The device worked fine and she wasn't due for a battery replacement. So why couldn't she press the button? Why was it hard for her to kill someone from Gallifrey?

"I always thought you were different from the others."

Clara turned around, noticing Derek standing behind her. "Please do not tell anyone," she said. "I do not want to get sent to the Asylum."

Derek walked over to Clara. "I will keep this a secret," he said, helping her get back on her feet. "But tell me, Clara. He was defenseless. A normal person of Skaro would have exterminated him almost immediately. So why did you let him live?"

"I do not know," Clara answered. "I just...could not force myself to exterminate him."

"But you were trained to exterminate the people from Gallifrey," Derek said. "What was it that made you hesitate? Is it because you are starting to realize this town is full of monsters who only exterminate instead of talking peacefully?"

"What about you?" Clara asked in response. "What is your story? What happened that made you...you?"

"The Town War happened," Derek explained. "I had close relatives who died in the crossfire. They were not even participating in the war. I could not recover their dead bodies. That was when I realized this town rivalry is pointless. What is the point of fighting if it does not save the ones you love?"

"I never saw myself as a killer," Clara said. "Like I said earlier today, I only want to cook food."

"So you never lost your family to violence?" Derek asked. "It is only a disinterest? You are a different girl, Clara Oswald."

"So is that offer still open?" Clara asked. "The one about us going to Gallifrey?"

Derek smiled and held Clara's hand. "It sure is," he answered.

A/N: I hope you're enjoying this story. And feel free to point out the Doctor Who references in your reviews.