CHAPTER 3

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This story takes place shortly after the Reunion of the Daleks storyline in It's Better With Two.

When Donald finally woke up, he and River established a telepathic connection between themselves and Ace, Polly, and Lydia. Once they were all connected to one another, River started to explain her plan to defeat Omega.

We're going to combine all of our wills together in order to overcome Omega's. We'll need to concentrate on suggesting to him that one of us is invisible. We're going to convince him that that person doesn't exist. River explained.

What is this person going to do then? Ace asked.

Walk right up to him, and take the ring right off of his finger. River answered with a sly grin.

Do you really think that this is actually going to work? Polly asked.

Who knows? It just might. Crazier things have happened. River responded with a mental chuckle.

That really fills me with confidence. Lydia said as she rolled her eyes at her.

We need to decide which one of us is going to be the invisible one now. Any volunteers? Donald asked.

I'll do it. He's my father. Maybe if he's still in there somewhere, he'll help us in some way in order to protect me. Lydia volunteered.

We're all agreed then. We're all going to concentrate on Lydia. She's invisible. We're going to convince Omega of that one simple thing. Lydia does not exist. River instructed.

They all closed their eyes and combined their willpower then as they concentrated over and over on that one thought. Omega saw them and realized what they were attempting to do if not what their specific plan was. He began to laugh at them.

"How foolish you all are! Even your wills together are as nothing compared to mine. I am Omega! I kept an entire universe in existence all by myself for millennia just with the sheer force of my will. You will never overcome me!" Omega shouted at them.

"We're not trying any such thing, Omega. We were actually trying to come up with one thing about you that doesn't repel us. We're still thinking," River joked.

"I know. It's very, very hard. I can usually come up with something good to say about everybody, but I even can't do it this time," Donald said with a grin.

"Well, he does have a well-developed ego. There is that," River said.

"Yes, but he uses it to bash people with. All I can hear is about how great he is, and how much better he is than all of us. He's really just a great big gas bag if you ask me," Ace piped in.

"To be fair, Ace, the poor man has no body. He has to have something to feel good about," Donald said.

"It's too bad I can't just blow him up and put him out of our misery. Then we'd all have something to feel good about," Ace said.

"That's so mean, Ace," Polly said with a chuckle.

"I don't know if you've noticed it or not, Duchess, but I'm kind of a bad girl," Ace said with a proud grin.

"Well, you don't have to be so proud of it," Donald admonished her.

"I say that being a good girl is overrated, Donald. Being bad is much more fun," River said.

"I'll agree with that, Harm," Ace said.

"Don't call me Harm. My name is River," River said with a frown.

"Harm just seems to suit you though. What kind of a name is River anyway?" Ace said.

"River is a brilliant name. I like it. It really suits you I think," Donald said to River.

"You think so?" River asked.

"Oh, yes. It's just as brilliant as you are I think," Donald complimented her.

"Why thank you, Donald," River said.

"Silence! I will have no more of your foolish babble," Omega shouted at them.

"For once, I'm going to have to agree with him. Watching the two of you flirt with each other is pretty sickening," Ace said.

"I think it's very nice, Ace. They make a cute couple," Polly said.

"You would think it's nice, Duchess. I think it makes me want to vomit," Ace said.

"We're not a couple," Donald said indignantly.

"We weren't flirting either," River lied. She knew full well that she was even if Donald wasn't.

"Yeah, right, and my jacket isn't covered in badges," Ace said sarcastically.

"Silence! I said be silent! All of you!" Omega shouted.

"Now, Omega, you're going to have to stop talking to us like that, or I'm going to start thinking that you really mean it," River said.

"I know. He's coming really close to hurting my feelings," Donald said.

Unwatched by any of them during all of this banter, Lydia had slowly made her way closer and closer to Omega. She had been trying not to make any sudden movements so as not to be suddenly noticed by him and break the illusion that she didn't exist if indeed it was working. It must be though because she could actually move now where none of the others could.

Now she was almost right next to Omega. She was close enough to touch him. Just a little bit longer, and she would be able to snatch the ring right off of her father's finger and free him.

River and Donald began to concentrate even harder now as they saw briefly out of the corner of their eyes that Lydia was almost to the ring. Not that Omega could tell that by the constant banter that they were using to cover this whole plan of theirs up.

"I believe that he's just kidding around with us, Donald. I bet Omega's really enjoying every moment of our conversation," River said.

"Well, of course he is, who wouldn't enjoy listening to us talk. We're both brilliant, and it's just so interesting to hear each and every word that we have to say. We're both just . . . ," Donald paused then.

He turned to River and asked, "What's a good word to describe both of us?"

"Fantastic?" River said with an evil grin.

"No. The other Doctor and I don't use that word anymore. We both agreed that that's Shouty's. It's the one good thing that he had going for him. He had no sense of style. That much was obvious from the way he dressed like he just came out of a really desperate biker gang. He also had the huge satellite dish ears. The poor fellow had no discernible sense of humor either that I could ever find. All he had was that one clever catchphrase. We just can't take that away from him," Donald said with a huge grin on his face.

"Donald, you're something of a bad boy yourself, aren't you?" River asked flirtatiously.

"Wellll, I have been told that on occasion, yes," Donald said with a wink at her.

"Oh, this is just disgusting. I can't take it anymore," Ace said as she pretended to gag.

"Silence! You will all remain silent. I will ensure this by taking away your ability to speak," Omega said.

Suddenly the four of them were all rendered speechless. They could no longer as much as clear their throats now. Donald was still not deterred though. He began to communicate with River by blinking his eyes in Morse code.

She's just about to remove the ring now. I hope this works. Donald said in code with his eyes.

Why on Earth are you communicating in that way? We still have telepathy you know. River thought to him in exasperation.

I know but it's more fun to communicate to you this way. It feels like I'm getting away with something. Donald replied with his eyes again.

River rolled her eyes at him without replying.

"Now you see, don't you? My will is supreme and not to be denied. Now you see why I am the one who has triumphed!" Omega shouted as he held his hands out in a dramatic gesture.

That was when Lydia quickly pulled the ring off of his finger. She held it out in her hand as she screamed with joy. Her father regained control of his body and looked at her as if he had just come out of a daze.

"Lydia? It worked! Oh, I'm so glad that it worked. I could feel what your friends there were trying to do, and I added my wills to theirs. I'm so glad that you're alright," the old man said as he hugged her tightly.

"I'm fine, Dad. We both are now. We've even got this old ring. We actually found the legendary Ring of Omega," Lydia said as she held the ring up in her hand.

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea," Donald said.

"I'm keeping it. It's going to make this whole dig worthwhile," Lydia insisted.

"I'm afraid that ring is much too dangerous for us to allow you to keep it," River said.

"What ring? There is no ring. It doesn't exist," Lydia suddenly said.

River now had a blank look on her face as did everyone else. They all looked at Lydia in confusion and couldn't even see the ring that was now on her finger.

"It's too bad that we didn't find anything on this expedition. Still it was nice to have gotten the chance to look inside of this old tomb. It was very nice to meet you as well," River said to Lydia.

"Oh yes, it was. I'm glad that I finally got to see what they did with the place too. Well, I guess this is good bye then," Donald said.

"Is it?" Lydia asked innocently.

"Unless you want to come along with us that is. Do you?" River asked.

"Well yes. I'd love to," Lydia said with a sneaky smile.

"Lydia, what's happening? Why are they acting so strangely?" Lydia's father asked.

Lydia looked at him with a warm smile as she said, "I'm wearing the ring now, Dad. It's allowing me to control their minds."

"What?" Her father said in shock.

"It's okay. Omega and I came to an agreement. I get to use the power and keep my own will. In exchange, he doesn't get stuck back in the ring again. He gets to inhabit my body but only as an observer. I won't do anything bad with it I promise. I just want to go explore the universe with my new friends here. Maybe I can even use the ring to help them. They're time travelers, Dad! How fantastic is that?! I get to see all of time and space!" Lydia explained.

"You can't do this. Omega can't be trusted. He'll turn on you sooner or later and take you over like he did to me," the old man warned her.

Lydia kissed her father on the cheek and said, "I know what I'm doing, Dad. This is my one chance to get out of here and have a life of my own. I was never going to do anything stuck here on these digs. I love you, but I've got to have my own life. This is my way to do it. Good bye, Dad."

Lydia's father suddenly had the same blank look on his face and then he said, "It's so good that your new friends are going to take you to see the universe. Good bye, honey. Try to come back and see your old man sometime, will you?"

"I will, Dad. I promise," Lydia said.

She felt terrible for erasing her father's memory of the ring, but she had to. It was the only way that she could have a real life at last.

"Come along, Lydia. We've got all of time and space to explore. Is there anywhere that you'd like to go first?" River asked with a huge smile.

"It doesn't matter to me. As long as it's far, far away from here," Lydia said.

"Let's go then. Allons-y!" Donald said as he led the way back to his TARDIS.

"I prefer Geronimo myself," River said.

"No, that one belongs to Chinny. It's all that he's got, the poor fellow," Donald joked.

As Lydia followed the rest of them into the TARDIS, she smiled. She was free. Free at last to do whatever she wanted to, and the whole universe was now her playground.

Deep inside of her mind, Omega laughed. He couldn't believe the gullibility of these humans sometimes. He would bide his time and stay hidden for now. Then when the moment was right and he had finally completely mastered the power of the ring, he would reveal himself at last and finally triumph. The best part was that no one even knew that he was still alive. Soon he would take over the entire universe, and no one would even see it coming!

Next: River and her friends come across Madame Kovarian and the Silence.