Seo was already trying to scream at the Colofontairs to listen to her, because someone was playing them all at this, trying to pit them all against each other when they should be on the same side — but the Colofontairs weren't listening.
They were all focused on the Doctor.
As if he were in charge.
And why would they possibly think that?
"She's got a point," the Doctor said. "'This world', you said. Well, look around you." He gestured. "This world look familiar?"
The Colofontair clearly didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
"What about me?" the Doctor said. "Or Narvin? Good old Narvin, over there! You shot him. He regenerated. Ever heard of a species like that?"
Suddenly, like a light switch had just turned on, in their brains, the Colofontair seemed to get it.
Their chatter turning excited, quiet.
"We thought you no longer existed," the Colofontair said. "Only one… maybe two left."
The Doctor waved his hands. "Ah, yes, well, long story," he dismissed. "But, since you now know where you are, the real question is… why waste time blowing apart all these people who'll just come back to life, anyways… when I could take you right down to the TARDIS bays and let you have your pick of the time machines?"
That seemed to interest the Colofontair.
"Doctor, you can't!" Narvin shouted. He lunged forwards, yanking the Doctor back, easily. "Our secrets in the hands of these… intruders!"
The Doctor glanced back at Narvin. Amused.
"All that, and still no regeneration sickness?" the Doctor asked. "You're a bit of an impossibility, Narvin. I'll give you that."
"I will not allow you to get yourself killed," Narvin countered. "You have no regenerations left. I still have several."
"Actually, I'm pretty sure that, technically speaking, you didn't, which is why you're supposed to be dead," the Doctor replied. "And how did you know how many regenerations I have left? Have you been counting, even from another universe?"
"We all know," said Narvin.
"Just like you all trust me," the Doctor countered, "because I saved you. And am clearly the greatest hero who ever lived."
Narvin hesitated.
Then let the Doctor go.
"Much better!" the Doctor said. "Now. Narvin. How about you go get Romana?" He adjusted his bow tie, thoughtfully. "And… while you're at it… go gather up Leela, Andred, Torvald, Hossack, the Corsair, and any other dead Time Lords you've got hanging around. Meet us down in the TARDIS bays." He pat Narvin on the back. "There's a good man."
The Colofontairs all turned their guns on Narvin, trying to shoot him before he could leave.
But failing.
They turned their guns on the Doctor. "You sent for backup. This is an ambush."
"Only if you dawdle here," the Doctor replied. "After all. If you get your hands on a time machine, you can just go back and make sure this never happened! And… honestly…" He grabbed the end of the gun pointed at Seo, and redirected it towards himself. "If you're going to threaten one of us, might as well make it me. She's the one with regenerations. I'm clean out."
Seo stared at him. "You're… what?"
"Ah, yes, that's right, you didn't know that!" He smiled. Then took Seo by the hand. Carefully disentangling her from the Colofontair, who reluctantly let her go. But still kept the two of them covered.
"I thought you had one left!" Seo insisted, as they walked down the corridor. "Where did that one go?"
"Dalek shot me, back when the Earth got moved to the Medusa Cascade," the Doctor replied. "Didn't change my face. Still regenerated. That counts."
Seo blinked.
Frowned.
"Earth… got moved? By Daleks?" Seo thought back. Shook her head. "Definitely don't remember that."
"No? Well, maybe you were away," the Doctor said, uninterested. "Happens sometimes." He stopped, auto-corrected her, as she started going the wrong way down a corridor. "Looks like you have an idea of where the TARDIS bays are, already, though."
Seo seemed confused.
"Wrong idea, of course," the Doctor informed her. "Better stick by me, or you'll get lost. Oh, and… do me a favor, Seo, and open this door." He gestured at a locked door, in front of them.
Seo wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong with your screwdriver?"
"Nothing," the Doctor replied. "I just thought, with you being so strong… you could get through it. No sonic required."
Seo quirked an eyebrow at him. "Have you ever tried punching through solid metal? It tears up your hands! Not pleasant."
The Doctor sighed.
Then mimed yanking the door open from the side, forcing it so it opened despite the lock.
Seo's eyes went wide. "Oh. That." She stepped forwards. Then hesitated. Turning around to face her father, again. "But what if I use my Glory strength and then I turn evil and…?"
"Just try," the Doctor said. "Go on."
Seo swallowed. Then turned back to the door, grabbed at the crack in the side, and shoved.
Nothing happened.
Seo shoved again. Put more and more of her strength into it. Then squeezed her eyes shut, back bent, feet sliding on the floor as she used every single ounce of strength she had.
The door didn't move.
"So definitely no super strength," the Doctor said. "Even though, by this point, this far down into Gallifrey's core, you should have recovered what you lost from bringing us here. That's what I thought." He whipped out his sonic, flipped it through the air, then buzzed it at the lock.
Which clicked open.
"And that shouldn't have happened, either," the Doctor commented, as the door slid open for them. "They always deadbolt the TARDIS bay. Susan and I spent five minutes working out how to open this door, last time I—"
The Doctor stumbled, tripped over the ground.
Seo just barely caught him. Set him upright.
Behind them, the Colofontairs all began to spread out. Racing forwards, trying to bash their way into the TARDISes standing around.
"You know, I've never heard of the Colofontairs, Seo," the Doctor whispered, as she helped him stand up straight. He felt a little dizzy, down here. Didn't quite know why. "But you'd heard of them."
Seo nodded.
"And you knew their exact name," the Doctor said. "Enough so that you thought they'd gotten it from your memories. They didn't turn up calling themselves the Color Fountains. Or the Californians. Or… whatever other way you could find to muck up their name. They were the name you knew."
Seo's face turned bright red.
"Cauliflowers," she muttered. Scraping her shoe against the ground. "I was planning to call them the Cauliflowers, when I got the chance."
"But if they did get it from your memory, then how did they know the right name?" the Doctor continued. "How could they…?" He stopped. Frowned. "Sorry. When you got the chance?"
Seo blushed even deeper.
"You know the names," the Doctor muttered.
"Not always," Seo insisted. "Sometimes, I really do muck them up by accident. Just not… this time."
The Doctor brushed some hair out his eyes. Sighing.
"Why?" he asked her.
"Because… Mom used to," Seo admitted. She looked down at the ground. "And when I do it, I feel like… maybe I can be like her."
The Doctor looked down at her. Then wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"You already are," he said. "Never forget that."
They looked up, as the Colofontairs around them all began to shout, angrily. Their group turning into an angry mob.
One of them grabbed the Doctor by his shirt collar, dragging him forwards.
"You lied to us!" the Colofontair shouted. Pointing to the TARDIS nearest them. "Empty!"
Seo and the Doctor turned.
And stared.
The TARDIS door had been busted in. Revealing… an empty box. Plywood, looked like.