The Girl's POV
Darkness pursued us faster than anyone had expected but with the blindfold back around my eyes it doesn't change my view much. A hint of smoke piggy backed the breeze into my cell, along with the chatter of the guards outside as a deep coldness settled into the empty air. They tried to fill it with their noise and their fire but it sounded out of place. Too loud for the shrouding silence. Too easily targeted by the shadows around them.
My head throbbed with the bruise from the crash and all I can think of was a cold ice pack. Alas I am not the being who deserved that treatment. I am used to this. This, this is my punishment.
I pull lightly against the cuffs, wrists still stinging with cuts but my restraints are as good as they always are. The guard are too cautious for my own good. However, that does not leave me stuck. Lowering my weight onto the cuffs, exhaling till my lungs ached, the world morphed from the normal to the extreme. Eyes and ears are pointless here. Meaningless, for something so primitive couldn't experience the world at its true level. I found the guards standing outside the cell, and slipped inside the first one's mind.
'I can't believe we crashed. I thought this ship was the latest edition.' The guard outside my door was shifting his weight from side to side out of nervous habit. He was worried about the crash. Worried about how they would get home. Worried about his family. In a blur I jumped to the next mind.
'I hate having to guard her. She's always sitting so still… She doesn't even look like she's breathing.' He stood next to his comrade shooting me nervous glances. I could see myself and even I became nervous. I was too mysterious. My chest didn't move, my body was completely still and rigid. I jumped from mind to mind until I was outside the ship the camp fire crackling before me. It's heat burning lightly against my skin.
'We have to get off this planet as soon as possible. I can't risk losing this prisoner, or worse, letting the doctor find out what she's done.' I recognised the Colonel's mind. She wants off. She wants me back in prison before anything more can happen. She's scared. Desperate. But she can't let her soldiers know that. She is the Colonel, she has to know everything even when she doesn't.
I jumped to the next mind and found myself sitting next to the man named Rory who is holding my hand. No, no. Not my hand, her hand. I ignored her senses and found her thoughts watching them swirl around the inside of her mind.
'I wonder who that girl is… She must be hungry, I don't think I saw any of the guards bring her food.' She turned to the Colonel. "Hey, has anyone taken food to the girl?" The Colonel gave her a hard look.
"You mean the Prisoner? No. We need to keep her as weak as possible." She looked at the Colonel, repulsed.
'What are they doing to her?' The red haired girl, Amy - wait no - Amelia Pond thought, appalled. If only she knew...
I slipped out of her mind and into the boys but quickly dismissed him as his thoughts wondered to a lovey dovey scene between him in his girlfriend.
'Oh, hello there! This is a very nice trick you have.' The next mind made me pause. Of course… who else would have a TARDIS? But why here? Why did one have to be here? 'What's your name?' I didn't answer.'Come on, you can tell me.'
'I thought the Colonel told you not to talk to me.'
'Oh! You speak.' I mentally glared at him. 'The thing is, I don't take orders from soldiers... or anyone really' He changed the subject. 'Why are you in prison?' Again I stayed silent. He looked to the Colonel and debated asking her but knew she would not talk to him.
'What planet are we on?' I asked, keeping to the edge of his mind. I'm not going in there. No if he's the only survivor of the war.
'Why should I answer your questions if you won't answer mine?' He quipped.
'Because I…' The Doctor paused and I blocked out his thoughts. The answer flicked through his mind and I sighed. 'You don't know.' Suddenly I was ripped from his mind and the butt of a gun collided with my head. I groaned and the chains rattled and people outside the cell yelled.
The Doctor's POV
She cried out from inside the ship and I was up on my feet seconds after she'd left my mind. The Colonel was up as well ordering to know what was going on. I kept pace with her trying not to run but trying to beat her to the prison cell. A guard was standing in front of her, arm in the finished position of a swing.
"Sorry ma'am she was using her abilities. It took me a while to notice." The Colonel watched the girl as she groaned, head hung low, and I watched the Colonel waiting for her to scold her soldier for mistreating the prisoner.
"Very well, good job." My eyes widened.
"You cannot approve of this! This is mistreatment of a prisoner!" The Colonel doesn't care. Her eyes don't care.
"Mistreatment? We have full permission to use whatever means necessary to keep her contained." She snapped.
"And that makes it ok does it? You humans surprise me more and more every day. Imagine you in her shoes, eh?" The Colonel's face went very, very cold.
"I don't have to. I would never do what she did." She growled and I couldn't help but look down at the girl. What could she have done? What could she have possibly done? Killed someone? No, something worse. But what? "Besides that it's the only way we can make her stop. We don't have the technology to block her abilities so we have to resort to training her."
"You call this training do you?" The Colonel didn't say anything. Anger bubbled inside of me. No one, no living thing should be treated like this. Train her!? She says it as if the girls nothing more than a disobedient dog. I knelt beside the girl, her body stiffening at my closeness. Why didn't she argue? Why didn't she defend herself? She can't have been in prison long enough to 'get used to it'. Could she? "She has injuries, why haven't they been treated?" Of course the Colonel had an answer.
"As I said, we need to keep her weak." My eyes flickered to Rory.
"Rory, get a first aid kit and tend to her wounds." Rory turned to leave.
"Ignore that order." He stopped and glanced between me and the Colonel. "Doctor, this is my Prisoner and my crashed ship. You have no authority here and I refuse to let you diminish mine. You will stay away from my prisoner or I will have no choice but to detain you as well." I stood and glared at the Colonel.
"Detain me and you have no way of getting off this planet. Your ship is un-flyable and all your communications are down. You're only hope of leaving is via my ship and the only way you are getting on board is if you start to be really nice to me." Her eyes were hard and challenging and full of anger and annoyance. She didn't like people who disobeyed her. Well, won't she have a field day with me?
"That is not entirely true." Said the Colonel, voice smug. Filled with confidence. "Our ship let off a mayday signal before we crashed. If we don't send out another single in three days than a rescue ship will come to our last known location and find us." She stepped closer for intimidation. "So, Doctor, you are not our only hope and have no right to order me or my men around. Now. I'll tell you one more time. Stay away from my prisoner." I held my tongue. A thousand arguments, a thousand years of experience was ready to flow out of my mouth but I held them back. Minds like hers were not swayed with speech.
I turned on my heel and left, Amy and Rory closely behind
"Are we just going to leave her there like that?" Amy asked, worried.
"Of course not. I just have to figure out how I can get passed the guards." I mused. Amy's giving me a look. That human look of they know something is wrong and are starting to worry. I suppose it's not just a human look. Lots of species have a look like that.
The later it got the further the temperatures dropped and by the time the fire had stopped smoldering our breaths were puffs of smoke in front of our faces. Silence had begun to fall but could never completely settle with all the snoring soldiers. Even the Colonel snored now and again.
We moved across the mostly cleared ground, a majority of the wreckage having been cleaned, a pile of the dead made out of sight, behind piles of ruins. 14 of 100 soldiers remained, each with the same opinions about the girl. She's a killer. She's dangerous. Heartless. Cold. Terrifying…
But I can't believe it. She's too young. Someone like that can't have… She can't have given her life up already. And when I'd fallen on her she'd been scared. Heartless killers don't get scared. And I would know. I've met a whole race of them.
Her ears are long. Pointed, I suppose kind of like an elf, with long silver hair hang down around her, some hanging in front of her face. Why don't I know what she is? I mean, I know I just can't remember. That seems to be a common occurrence today. Stupid too full head.
"I thought you knew everything about space." Amy said, crossed armed, lips pursed. I pulled a face.
"Not everything, no. If I knew everything there would be no point in my travelling." And there is a subject not worth dwelling. What happens when I know everything? Will I get to that point? Is it even possible? I hope not.
"What's that thing on her ear?" Rory whispered and I realised that we are all whispering. Whispering and watching the girl from a distance. Does she know we're here? Of course she does.
"It's an ear cuff." Answered Amy. "I think."
"A special ear cuff by the looks of it. I recognise it. I think. I probably recognise it." Amy rolled her eyes but I ignored it. She's always doing that.
"What do you think she did?" Amy whispered, eyeing the girl and the temperature dropped a degree.
"Something bad apparently. That's usually how you get into prison isn't it?" I asked only slightly sarcastically. Amy just shrugged.
"Maybe we should actually go talk to her instead of just standing here." I smiled at Rory as he spoke and nodded.
"Yes probably." And so we moved forward, our steps confidence at first but the closer we got the more hesitant they were. She didn't move as we approached. Doesn't even look like she's breathing and for a moment I feared the worst. Then she spoke.
"You shouldn't have come back." Her voice is quiet and I can't see what the soldiers see. She's slim, almost delicate looking but with the bit too big clothes on her it's hard to really tell.
"I want to help." I defended, crouching down in front of her. She didn't move. I examined the blindfold, tied tightly around her head. Why would they need to hide her eyes?
"You'd be the only one." She almost whispered and with that I slowly began to understand.
"What's your name?" I asked casually, calmly. Carefully, only to be earned with the same response as last time. Silence.
"Why are you in prison?" It was Amy who stepped forward and braved the mystery around the girl. It's so thick and haunting. Too many questions hovered around her both temptingly and frighteningly. It's enough to make you afraid, suspicious… curious.
The girl didn't answer, instead she said, "turn around and duck." For some reason, I obeyed and spun around ducking as the Colonel tried to clobber me over the head with the butt of her gun.
"I told you not to talk to her." The woman growled, face contort with anger.
"You just tried to hit me!" I gawked but she ignored me so I changed the topic. "You cannot leave her in a state like this. I don't care what permission you have, no living creature deserves this kind of treatment!"
"Are we seriously going back to this argument?" The Colonel groaned. Oh I'll give her an argument!
"I can give you a new argument." Said the girl and I frowned at her. She still hasn't moved bar a slight inclination of her head. Without her eyes her emotions were almost unreadable.
"Shut up." The Colonel snapped only to be ignored by the little mystery.
"Argue over who will let me go so that I can stop us from being devoured by whatever creatures inhabit this planet." A wave of gut wrenching uncertainty filled the room. It flickered through everyone's eyes, even the Colonel's as she turned to face her prisoner completely.
"What are you talking about?" She demanded, nose twitching into a snarl. A snarl of fear. No one had thought about the planet itself. We are all so focused on escape and on this girl that we haven't thought to think about where are. Is it dangerous? Is it inhabited? Apparently both.
"Four soldiers are dead and none of the others have even woken." She said, voice straight and matter of factly. The air froze. Dead. Four dead and the others are next, unprepared. A stealthy creature then. A stealthy hungry creature. I knelt down in front of her, trying to see through thick blindfold. The Colonel turned to leave. "Don't." Everyone froze. "The moment you go out there you'll be eaten." The Colonel glared.
"And why should I list-" A screamed shot us from outside. The Colonel's eyes flew wide with panic and she stumbled back from the closed door of the cell.
"Eight dead." Said the girl.
"What are they?" I asked staring at the spot her eyes should be.
"I don't know." She answered. "Whatever they are they're smart. They have a low telepathic connection with each other that's keeping me out." What was visible of her face scrunched in strain. I bet that hit to the head isn't doing anything to help.
Suddenly, the ship lurched. Everyone stumbled and I grabbed the wall as it jerked forward "What's going on!?" Amy yelled as it jerked again.
"They're ramming the sides. They're trying to push us off the cliff." My eyes widened and my mouth formed an 'o'. Their like squirrels and we're a nut that they need to crack open except they're not squirrels they're big scary animals probably with teeth and stuff. Ok, so a bit like squirrels.
Screams ripped through people's throats as metal grated against rock and heavy bodies smacked against the sides of our little part of the ship. One I hadn't realised was so small until it was edging closer and closer to the edge of a flat ground.
"You need to tell me what they are." I urged watching as she fell into yet another eerie stillness. She exhaled, expelling every last bit of air from her lungs before she had an answer.
"Venatian avis…" She whispered and I just stared. Those were the not the words I wanted to hear. Very much not the words we need right now. Of course! That's where we are-
The cell tiled dramatically and suddenly everything was thrown to the other side as we once again plummeted towards the ground. Everything is filled with noise, the rushing of wind and the screams of the doomed.
The Girl's POV
Freedom is at my fingertips. I could turn and run right now and leave them all to be eaten by whatever passing animal caught interest. That's what any other prisoner would have done at this point. Ran away from the people who 'trained me' not to use my powers. The people who hate me.
Instead, I pulled them away from the jagged metal of the shattered cell and assessed the injuries of the fallen. Bruises were undoubtable. The cell had shielded us mostly from death but some bones had still broken and flesh had split. All laid unconscious around me, my head throbbing from the effort of making them like that. The chance of surviving a fall is much higher when the person is unconscious. The body doesn't tense and so, in essence, the body bounces. Obviously bruises will be gained but the bone breaking and dying is decreased.
One arm, however, had broken and with the help of that man, Rory's, first aid kit I wrapped it in splints and set it right. I cleaned wounds, plastered those that kept on bleeding. A river flowed next to the wreckage, the current slowed due to the wreckage that half lay in it. I'd had to save the Colonel herself from drowning. Animals had begun to approach, curiously padding towards me, noses in the air trying to assess me. Some had the bodies of birds but instead of feathers they were armored with scales while others long eared with clawed paws and silky fur.
I watched them as they watched me, eyes locked in a battle of curiosity. One long eared creature braved the challenge and came the closest to me, sniffing my shoes before panting up at me. A frown turned my lips and I crouched down.
The creature bounced away at my sudden movements but once I settled it started coming forward again. So did the others. The frown remained plastered on my face as they all stood before me, looking up at me as if they were waiting for something.
A groan made all the creatures jump and dart away. Running back to their bushes and little burrows. A sigh fell from my lips and I turned to my line of injured as they all slowly began to stir. It was about time. My trick only lasts a little while.
I picked up a disinfectant rub and crouched in front of the Colonel as I wiped away the dirt and drying blood. Her body twitched at the sting of the disinfectant but she did not wake. Unlike the officer beside her. Officer Grayson his name is. A good soldier, loyal and dedicated to his work and protecting the Colonel. I know they like each other. Much more than their military rules allowed but never had I said anything.
"What happened?" He groaned to no one in particular. He opened his eyes to the darkness of the night, taking a moment to adjust to the dull light of the glowsticks I had cracked so the humans, and I suppose the Timelord, could see. When they did adjust they found me and in a half dazed mind his eyes flew wide with fear. "What do you think you are doing!?" He growled. "Get away from her!" He pushed me away and I rolled, careful to make sure I didn't knock the first aid kit over. He bent down to grab my neck but I swatted his hands away and pushed him back with my foot. Once a distance had been made I jumped to my feet, heart hammering.
"Don't touch me again." I snarled and walked passed him. Wind rushed over his fist as it thrust towards me and I ducked under it, swiping out his legs with my own. "I saved your life, don't make me regret it." He looked up at me, craning his neck to do so and I could see everything he thought about me right there in his eyes. My skin is buzzing. I'm getting angry, angry is bad.
It's your own fault that he looks like that. You put that look in his eyes. It's all your fault.
I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away from him.
When I opened my eyes to help, the Doctor he was already awake. In fact, so were all the others and the glares of the other soldiers burned my skin. I grabbed the bowl and turned for the river, escaping as fast as possible. As I sat the long eared creature padded up to me, tilting it's head curiously.
I held my hand out to it, and slowly it approached before it dove head first into my palm and nuzzled it. My ears perked up, standing straight on my head as I smiled. It had been a while, a long while, since something had been able to do that.
Footsteps thumped quietly in the dirt and the creature darted back into the bushes as the Doctor approached. My smile dropped. "Sorry about that." He smiled an apology. "I just wanted to say thanks." I turned my eyes away from his, keeping them on the ground. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" I played dumb.
"Whenever someone tries to look you in the eyes you look away." He sat next to me and out of the corner of my sight I could see him watching me. I swallowed, the urge to look up at him great.
"I've learnt not to. They scare people." They always scared people. Because many a time these eyes have been the last thing people have seen before their lives ended and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. I'd carve them out if I could.
"They don't scare me. Trust me. I've seen much scarier things than a pair of eyes such as yours." He held up a cloth. "Come on, if you don't look at me I can't help you. You've got a cut you know." I frowned and touched my forehead, cringing. I hadn't noticed that.
"I'm fine." I mumbled, watching a small insect crawl across the dirt.
"It could get infected if I don't." He persisted but I shook my head, making the world around me spin with dizziness.
"Worse things will happen if I let you help me." I went to grab the cloth from him but he moved it out of my reach.
"At least look at me. It's rude not to look people in the eyes when talking you know?" I licked my lips and slowly raised my eyes to his. He whistled. "Beautiful. Familiar too. Have you met a Timelord before?" I lowered my eyes again.
"Yes." It was barely audible and I didn't give him a chance to speak again before I stood. I had met many Timelords before. More than I could count. They were all dead now of course.
"Doctor, step away from her." The Colonel ordered and I stepped away, holding my hands in the air as one of the other officers, officer James pointed a gun at me.
"You don't have to do that. She isn't going to hurt you." The Doctor argued. My eyes flicked to him. He didn't think I would hurt him? But everyone thinks I will hurt them.
"She's just tricking you Doctor. I already told you not to listen to a word she says." She motioned for the third soldier, Officer Miles to move forward, a pair of cuffs in hand.
"Stop this right now. You have much bigger things to worry about than one single prisoner." The Doctor stood between me and the gun, the motion making me frown. Wait, no. Focus. All sound and all sight froze and melted, vanishing from the realm of relativity as the true world formed around me.
I could feel the heartbeat of every creature, every living being around me. Their minds pulsed with thoughts but I ignored them all. They weren't my focus. The adrenaline of a hunting animal filled me the same time as the fear of its prey and I watched as the predator, a scaled bird like thing clamped its teeth into the flesh of a small mouseish creature.
The trees throbbed too, life pulsing through them. Animals burrowed in the ground. Birds took flight. Fish darted through the water with the speed of a bullet and slowly I made my way up to the cliff top.
A Ventian tore off the arm of one of the soldiers and another darted in, two powerful legs propelling forward a game of tug-o-war beginning. The feathers along the back of their scaled neck bristled and they growled as the fought of the limb until one, much bigger than them charged through the middle and took it from them both. It dug it's long clawed fingers into the arm and pulled at the hand until it tore the hand off.
Bones crunched as it chewed.
Built to kill. That's all I can comprehend. Their bodies are scaled with armour but feathered at the same time, the soft attachments hanging from their arms and resting on their neck. They walked on two legs, feet tipped with claws always poised to strike. Their hands are much the same, ready to strike at any moment.
They'd known… no. They didn't know, they'd figured out that the Colonel and the Doctor had all the authority. Pushing them off the cliff was so they could disorientate the rest. Remove the leader and the rest become lost.
Most of the Ventian were still eating. Ripping the soldiers into bite sized pieces. However, there is a small group. A group of four dispatching, heading off down the cliff.
"We have to-" I stopped at the sight of the Doctor's face before mine, his arm held up in a signal for the soldiers to stop. Stop what?
Oh. Miles had the cuffs. Had he stopped them from stopping me using my abilities?
"What did you just do?" His voice was filled with inquisitiveness as he stared at me, head slightly tilted.
"The Ventian are moving." I said ignoring his question. "We need to move. There is a cave about two kilometres that way." I pointed east. "If we get there we might have some protection against them." The Doctor was still looking at me. Still in my personal space.
"How could you possibly know that?" Officer James snarled.
"I-I just do. It's part of my abilities." Despite all they had 'taught' me I held his gaze. The eyes always held the truth. Or the lie. The eyes are the most important part of trust.
"How do we know you aren't trying to trick us?" He demanded adjusting his grip on his gun. None of the other soldiers looked like they'd stop him. If he wanted to shoot me, he could do it right now and file it away as lost in the crash. Or maybe even that I tried to escape.
"Oh, what is it with you humans and guns. Put it away right now. If she says there's a cave I'm inclined to believe her." The Doctor defended and the Colonel scoffed.
"And you have such good judgment don't you Doctor?" She snapped.
"Seeing how she's done nothing but help us since the Ventian showed up I'd say it's you with the poor judgment." The argument continued. This is not good. We have to move. We have to run. The longer we stand here the closer the Ventian get, our chance of survival lessoning with every step they take.
"One good deed is not enough to vanquish a whole manner of bad." I stared at the Colonel. Is that right? No matter what someone does it never makes up for the bad? So once someone does something wrong they are forever stuck with that title?
"Oh don't talk to me about good and bad. Not on your terms at least. You people change opinions at the drop of a hat. Killing is bad but it's ok if the person killed was bad. Terrorists get arrested for bombing things but if the governments deemed it appropriate they could bomb an entire city. If I'm honest, I really don't think you have the right to say whether something is good or bad because you can come up with so many exceptions." The Doctor ranted. The Colonel sent him a heavy glare etched with disapproval. This is not the time! But what could I do? No one would listen to me?
"So what? We should let everyone bomb whatever they please?" The Doctor looked confused at The Colonel's words.
"What? Of course not, what are you going on about?" Now the Colonel looked confused but their petty argument no longer mattered. All confusion was dismissed, all thoughts of good and bad and bombs were thrown away as the bushes rustled.
"They're here." I breathed and pushed the Doctor out of the way, diving out of the way myself, as a Ventian leapt from the shrubbery.
I pushed him onto his feet again and grabbed Amy, pulling her towards me as a Ventian snapped at her head from where it was hidden. She cried out in fear of what could have been but that all became irrelevant as I pulled her in the opposite direction with everyone else.
We ran. I scooped up a glow stick on the way as did the Colonel and the Doctor and we just ran, weaving through trees and hurtling over logs and roots and bushes. The dexterity of even the soldiers wasn't near my own so I stayed behind them all, urging them forward desperately. My ears twitched and I grabbed Rory, tackling him down as a Ventian landed where he had been. Everyone else kept going, oblivious.
I held the glow stick between us and Rory jumped as another one appeared. They growled, a deep vicious noise that vibrated in the very depths of their throat. The closest one snapped its jaws and I moved out of its reach. A third one would be coming in three… two… I threw the glow stick against a tree, the container shattering and a bright light flashing as the chemicals were exposed to light.
The Ventian screeched and rubbed at their eyes. I took the chance, grabbed Rory's hand and ran. I closed my eyes and scanned the area, like I had done when finding the Ventian on the cliff, however, this is quick. Rough. My head was pounding from over use but I made it work.
There is a wall. A thin wall made mostly of brittle materials. What was on the other side? My head throbbed as I forced a deep scan. We're getting closer, so where the Ventian. Ah ha! A river! "Colonel shoot directly forward and get ready to jump!"
"Why?" She questioned.
"Please!" Gun shots went off and the sound of shattering glass filled the night. Rory hesitated but I dragged him forward as we all jumped. A few screamed as nothing but air flew under our feet. It felt like a minute. A minute of endless falling and endless screaming. Then the water was crashing around us and I lost everyone.
Everything was lost in the motion of the water. Up became down and down became up and everything was thrown out of place. I grabbed onto something. It was wet, cold and hard and my fingers stung as they tried to grip it. I almost let go of it, the current trying to push me away. Instead I pulled myself forward and grabbed the rock with my other hand. The surface was easy to find from there and I gulped in a lungs full of air, head spinning.
Other people were fighting against the current and I shot a hand out to grab the closest person to me. The Doctor gripped my arm tightly and pulled himself safely towards me. Close enough we could hold each other properly. We had landed furtherest downstream, the current now pushing everyone towards us.
Rory was the next, grabbing the Doctor's hand with a panic etched into his face.
"Hold on tight!" He ordered and Rory reached out for the next closest person. Officer James. He clutched his broken arm to his chest and thrust his other towards Rory as he shot by. Rory grabbed him and pushed helped him down the line. Down to me. James scrunched up his nose as he used me as a rope back to shore and I pretended not to notice the fact he wiped his hand on his pants after touching me.
My fingers began to ache as Rory grabbed another person, slowly forming a chain of bodies as Officer Miles and the Colonel latched on. We were on long chain stretching across the river. The plan was brilliant. Stretch out and grab everyone, but now that we're so long the current grabbed all of us and pushed us down stream, towards the bank as Amy shot bym out of reach. The Doctor and Rory shared the same panic.
"Amy!" The Doctor called out but she was too busy trying to stay above the swirling water to reply. My muscles burned as I pulled the line of people, mainly the Doctor's hand, towards the rock ensuring he grabbed the anchor as I let myself go with the current. "What are you-" I dived under what before he could finish, almost losing myself in the sudden swirling water beneath the surface.
The water is an icy cold that barely penetrated my skin, my body used to something much colder. I think. The pitch black darkness is another story and I swam as far as I could before coming to the surface, eyes scanning for the red head. My heart dropped at the sight of the empty water. No bobbing head. No flailing arms and definitely no call for help. She's underwater, hopefully still alive. Oh please still be alive. I grimaced as I dove again. This is going to hurt.
I clawed at the water, pulling myself down to the bottom of the river where the current is quietest, calmest. With no breath to breathe there's no way of slowing my heart, no way to calm myself down and with most of my energy already depleted I had to use up fumes. The world was bright for a moment. An image of black and white that can't be seen with the eyes. I swam with the current and sent out another wave. Nothing… Maybe she had already left the cave. The tunnels look intricate she could have flowed further underground of even out a waterfall.
My lungs burn. I need air, but I can't leave. I will not leave someone to die.
Something hit me. Maybe a loose rock from the fall or a branch that had been swept in. In truth it did not matter what it was just that it hit me, throwing me against the rocky bed. The rocks clawed at my skin like long nailed hands trying to drag me one way while the current pulled me another. My head throbbed without oxygen and suddenly I hit something at the side of the current. A wall.
Sore fingers scrambled for a hold and I grabbed a groove, holding myself in place as the water smacked against me. Its strength growing as mine weakened. Desperately, I shot out another wave and a heartbeat throbbed.
I pulled myself forward. Moving against the current towards the heartbeat.
She's motionless but her heart is beating. Her shirt is caught on a rock and her limbs float around her, her hair a halo around her head. I inched closer and closer till I could wrap my arms around her waist and roughly ripped her shirt free. We broke the surface and I cupped her chin, keeping her head above the water. The others were up ahead, frantically calling and searching the waters though none of them saw us. We had drifted too far down stream.
I swam back to shore, floating on my back with Amy safely in my arms. I kicked and kicked till the ground touched my feet and the burning in my muscles didn't spike until I was standing without the water's support. I dragged Amy out of the water, limbs almost not working. Almost unable to hold her weight. Almost unable to hold my own weight. I lay her on the ground not bothering to hesitate as I breathed into her mouth. The burst of oxygen in her lungs saved her the trouble of having to suck in air and she shot up, coughing and splattering. She coughed up water and a bit of vomit, her body in shock. I sighed in relief and collapsed beside her, trying to catch my breath as my limbs refused to work.
Amy's coughing through a red flag on our position alerting the search party that we were alive. They came running over, Rory and the Doctor in front eyes red from the fear of the worst. They swarmed Amy and I closed my eyes just wanting to sleep. The rocks were uncomfortable to lay on, the cold a blanket of comfort.
"That was risky and stupid!" My eyes shot open as hands grabbed my jumper and I was hauled to my feet. "You could have killed us all!" The Colonel yelled and I wanted to argue. Never! Never again will I kill! I stayed silent.
"It was the only way." I said. She glared and I lowered my eyes.
"In case you hadn't noticed she just saved our lives." Rory growled and I looked to him with a bit of surprise. I hadn't expected him to get angry at the Colonel.
"She guessed. She put us all at risk and I will not allow it again." She was too close. Her skin too close. I want to move. I wanted to push her away. But I was afraid if I did that I wouldn't stop.
"She just saved me." Amy pitched in.
"After putting you in danger in the first place." The Colonel snapped and held her hand out to Officer Miles. He handed her the cuffs. Well, he went to. But instead the Doctor snatched them and threw them into the river.
"And that's how you save someone's life and another's guilt because I am certain, Colonel, that you don't really want to make her the most vulnerable person here because right now she is our only hope. She is the only one who can see the Ventian coming and the only one who can get us out of these tunnels because I don't have a map for this place do you?" The Colonel had no chance to answer. "I didn't think so. But, she does. She has the best map in the universe and without it we're all dead. So please!" He half yelled. "Have some common sense!" People are confusing. Humans, Time Lords, all of them. He said one think but his eyes said another. My heart was hammering with confusion, breathing stilled ragged from my swim.
"Doctor, I am not going to trust her." Colonel growled. He shrugged at the Colonel.
"That's fine. You can trust me and I'll trust her." The Colonel glared, a common expression on her face. But it faded as she fell into thought and I watched her as she glanced at me, this time keeping my gaze fixed.
"If anything happens Doctor I will be holding you responsible." He smiled and nodded and the Colonel released me with a growl.
You're a monster. A killer. You put all these people at risk and you'll just keep doing it. You think you're going to save them? You don't do that. You don't save people.
Shut up! Shutupshutupshutup! I can try! I want to try.
What good will it do? One good deed does not diminish one very big bad one remember?
"Thank you." I hid my frown as the Doctor smiled. One good deed doesn't… but then… this was too confusing. Why does one human say one thing, another say another and then a Time Lord say something completely different again!
"I don't like people dying." I shrugged, playing it off, lowering my eyes.
"Are you ok?" The Doctor reached for my chin, to raise my eyes to his but I recoiled, jumping back.
"Don't. Please don't touch me." He smiled softly, cautiously.
"I'm not going to hurt you." I shook my head but not really at him. Not a Time Lords mind. Not a survivor's. I turned my head slightly as the soldiers whispered amongst themselves, ears twitching in their direction.
"What are we going to do?" Grayson hissed.
"We can't trust her she's too dangerous." I screwed my eyes shut as James spoke. They have a point you know, said that little voice, you're a dangerous killer who can't be trusted. You should just leave them now.
They'll die if I do that. I'm the only one who can sense the Ventian coming.
And? You're a murderer you don't care about people's lives!
Don't you dare! Don't you ever dare!
"It was very brave." The Doctor made me jump. "What you did before. Thank you again for saving Amy." I blinked. He's thanking me... again? Why was he thanking me again? Hadn't he already done that? This man was truly strange.
"How did you know this was here?" I looked to Amy who looked still in shock but a lot like she'd just been drowned. Rory was beside her, holding her hand like he was afraid that if he let her go she'd be swept away again.
"I um… it's a trick I have. On planets like this the rocks are much more brittle around underground rivers like this. I knew the Ventian wouldn't follow us if we jumped into the river." The Doctor nodded in agreement with what I said.
"The Ventian are afraid of water you see, only because they can't swim."
"The only problem now is that the Ventian will be after us even more." Rory frowned with question.
"Why?"
"Because they're sore losers. Now it's not about food it's about winning the game of chase. Sorry." I apologised as he paled and he tried a smile. I diverted my gaze and stepped away from them. "We should get moving. They'll find a way into the tunnels and we don't want to be here when they do."
The Colonel and her soldiers looked up when I started moving towards one of the tunnels and reluctantly followed, hands on guns. We started walking silence pursuing us for the first few minutes until the silence was nothing more than gut wrenching anticipation for something to happen. Soon a quiet chatter begun.
"I got it!" Everyone turned their head towards the Doctor as he exclaimed excitedly. "Oh sorry, don't worry about me." The Doctor weaved through the soldiers caught up to me a bright smile on his face. "I figured out of you do it." I frowned unsure of what he meant.
"Do what?"
"How you knew about the river and about the Ventian and how you can get us out of these tunnels." I tilted my head. I hand't really thought there was a way to do it. It's just something I've always been able to do. He really is interesting.
"How?" His face somehow got brighter. He was thrilled with his discovery.
"Echolocation is the locating of objects using sound waves, right?" He didn't let me answer. "However, instead of using sound you use telepathic waves. But that's only the basics of it. Because you are using telepathic waves you don't just see things you can feel them. Their minds. You know where they are, what they are doing and what they are thinking. It's almost like you can project your mind into the world and see things from a completely different view. Walk ahead of us and see what's around the corner. But if you could do that than why are we aimlessly wondering through these tunnels?" The Soldiers looked shocked at that and I had slightly hoped no one had noticed. "You should just be able to use your echolocation to get us out right? No, using telepathic waves like that has to take a toll. Any kind of telepathy uses up energy or brain power. You may not get physically exhausted but you must get a hell of a headache." The pulsing throb in my head agreed with him. I couldn't even go into anyone's head right now.
I fell into a silent muse. He'd been thinking about that for a while. It was obvious. But that didn't make sense. Not one bit.
A few minutes later the chill of the air plus the ice water soaked into their clothes turned the humans into a shivering, blue lipped mess. The Doctor found a cave and everyone was more than grateful for the break. We should keep moving. We need to get out of here before the Ventian get here. But if everyone got hypothermia than things would become even more complicated.
The Doctor stood next to me hiding his chill as we watched them huddle together. "We need to make a fire." I nodded in agreement and thumped my jumper. My protection.
This was more important.
"Could you take off your jacket?" and the Doctor looked at me with slight argument.
"It's too wet to burn." I frowned. It was no wetter than mine. "Ok, it's also too good to burn." Oh. I remained quiet, not sure what to say but silence seemed adequate as he pulled his jacket off, ringing it out as much as possible.
"Sorry." I mumbled as we put them in the middle of the room. It was a long shot but if my calculations were accurate than I could help them. I asked one of the guards to hand me a gun. The answer was "hell no."
"Please. I need it to make a fire." The Doctor gave the Colonel a hard look and after a moment she gave in, ordering the soldier to hand the weapon over.
All the soldiers stiffened as I tightened my fingers around the weapon. I pulled the magazine out and emptied the bullets. I glanced up at Miles and hesitated before, "I need a knife." He looked to the Colonel begrudged before obeying.
Using the knife I cracked open the bullets and poured the gun powder over the jackets. Next I dismantled the gun and removed its igniter. All eyes watched me work and I suddenly wanted to shrink and hide. I held the igniter firmly in one hand and placed the knife's blade at the top.
"Smart." The Doctor commented.
"Not for what I used to use it for." My eyes stung as I said that and my skin prickled with heat. Sparks flew as the two metals scrapped together and the gunpowder quickly lit alight. The reaction was so fast and hot and spread so far across the wet materials that the moisture didn't matter. The jackets burned warmly and I backed off as everyone huddled close.
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