Happy Family Day/President's Day everyone!
Enjoy!
The trio worked their way down into the earth's crust, on each level they passed thousands of mindless Felsponian zombies. It seemed like it was too easy that they were going about on their mission, practically unnoticed. The faces that they passed were lifeless and pale.
It seemed that they only used their energy for one thing, feeding the parasite that locked them away underground for the last century or so. Penny watched as they willingly drained their lives away into the spherical orbs scattered about the caverns. It made her feel sick to her stomach.
"They don't even see us." Penny quietly noted. 748 nodded in agreement.
"They see us. They just can't be bothered to do anything about us. I stopped giving my energy to Him months ago. I've been living as an outcast, away from the colony. I just couldn't take it anymore, I've been trying to find a way to stop it. I didn't care if I was going to be damned for the rest of my life." 748 replied.
Penny reached out touched the arm of a little girl. She looked up at Penny with a vacant expression. Her pale yellow eyes were empty and hallow. Her grey skin hung off her like a second set of hand-me-down clothing. This sight set off a fiery rage inside of Penny. Tears boiled up to the surface, but she choked them back. She was going to go Nebraska all over the ass of whoever or whatever was doing this to these people.
"So Doctor Whackadoodle, what's the plan? We can't just go down there with that thing, guns a blazin'." Penny asked as they approached a tall door on the last floor of the caverns. The Doctor pursed his lips and folded his arms over his broad chest. It was hard to take him seriously with the graphic t-shirt that poked out from under his blazer.
"By calling me a Whackadoodle, are you insinuating that I am crazy? Because, I can assure you that I'm not, my mother had me tested." He said defensively.
"Also, we do not have any guns, nor will they be blazin'." The Doctor continued in a mocking tone. Penny rolled her green eyes at him.
"I wasn't saying you were crazy, but now that I know that we don't have any kind of weapons to defend ourselves, I am beginning to think you're bat-crap crazy." Penny retorted. She watched as the Doctor tried to control a slight twitch that was taking over his left eye. She stifled a smile and pushed past him toward the door.
It was locked. Of course it was locked, what evil villain would place a welcome mat on the stoop of his lair in a deep, dank cavern? She impatiently cleared her throat and looked at the Doctor expectantly. Maybe his little screwdriver could open the door.
"It's wood." He simply stated.
"Very astute observation, genius. Can't you open it with your screwdriver thingy?" Penny impatiently asked.
"For your information, I am quite clever and no, my sonic screwdriver doesn't work on wood." He snidely retorted. 748 rolled her eyes at the both of them.
"Would the two of you shut up? You fight like you were lovers. Move." She said to Penny, who was blushing, as she placed her hand on the doorknob. Penny watched as 748 deposited her energy into the doorknob, like the other Felsponians had done with the spheres. She slowly opened the door and pressed on inside. It was now or never. Penny felt sick to her stomach.
The Doctor walked toward the door and Penny quickly grasped his hand into hers. He looked into her face, searching her concerned expression. His hand was warm in hers and she felt a wave of comfort crash over her. She wished she could stay like this forever, stuck in his comforting grasp for eternity.
"Please tell me that you have a plan." She softly begged. The Doctor turned to her and grasped her other hand into his. He gently rubbed the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. He tried his best to offer a reassuring smile.
"I need you to trust me, do exactly as I say, no questions asked. Can you do that?" He firmly asked. Penny swallowed hard and stared into his deep blue eyes. He was right, she had to trust him. She quickly nodded her head in agreement.
"I trust you." She replied. The Doctor softly smiled, squeezed her fingers, and dropped one of her hands. The two walked past the threshold of the tall wooden doors in the underground cavern together, hand in hand.
The room was large and cold. It seemed to be as tall as the caverns themselves. A skylight, like the one in the cathedral sat atop the ceiling of the room. In the center of the room was a ball of black mist taking in glowing golden energy as it fell from above. Penny continued to scan the room, her eyes landing on 748 who had collapsed onto the floor.
"No!" Penny screamed as she ran to her side. She quickly knelt down beside 748 and took her into her arms. Penny brushed the pale lavender hair out of her face and placed her fingertips onto her neck. She hoped that 748 still had a pulse. Penny felt a buzz of electricity underneath her pale skin instead of a heartbeat. She looked at the Doctor who gritted his teeth and fearlessly marched up to the shadow being.
"Loma!" The Doctor angrily shouted. "Let these people go." He demanded. Penny felt that familiar cold invade the room. The mist concentrated into a figure with tentacles, almost like an octopus or a squid.
"I am the Savior, Time Lord." The Savior hissed. Its voice was deep inside Penny's head. She felt 748 breathing in her arms and felt relieved, at least she was alive. 748's eyes fluttered open, they were vacant and hollow. She stared at Penny with a lifeless expression. The Savior completely drained 748 of her energy and left her to die alone on the floor. Penny propped 748 against the wall and stood behind the Doctor.
"Nothing can be done. Their lives are mine to consume." The Savior coldly continued. Without turning around, the Doctor addressed Penny.
"Get everyone outside as quick as you can and wait for me in the TARDIS." He said just above a whisper. The Savior laughed, his voice boomed deep inside Penny. She was sure he could taste the fear that prickled along her skin.
"I don't need them now that I have you, Time Lord. I can live forever, just on your energy alone." The Savior taunted. A misty tentacle whipped out and grasped him by the wrist. Penny watched in horror as the Loma began feeding off of the Doctor's energy.
"Doctor!" Penny shrieked. She quickly ran toward him as he fell to his knees.
"Get out! Get everyone out of here!" He bellowed at her. She watched as he cried out in agony. Conflicted, Penny quickly turned on her heel, leaving the two of them behind. What the hell was she going to do? How could she save everyone? How could she save the Doctor?