The trio walked along the pathways in a cavern above molten magma and buildings, "This place is enormous and deserted. The majority of the race are probably still asleep," the Doctor took out his screwdriver, "We need to find Avalon, looking for heat signature anomalies."
"But, Doctor, how can all this be here? I mean, these plants..." Nasreen looked around, having to jog a little to catch up into the tunnels.
"Must be getting closer to the center of the city," he mumbled absently. His main concern at the time was to find their missing ginger and then worry about plants.
"Are you sure this is the best way to enter?" Lena nervously asked, "I mean, you sneak around for a reason."
"Front door approach! Definitely. Always the best way..."
And then an alarm blared, "Hostile life force detected, area 17."
"Apart from the back door approach, that's also good," the Doctor quickly turned them around, "Sometimes better."
"Hostile life force detected, area 17."
A door slid open in front of Nasreen, allowing armed Silurian soldiers to walk through, "Doctor!" Nasreen called as more arrived.
The Doctor quickly raised his hands in surrender, "We're not hostile, we're not armed!" he pulled Nasreen's arms while Lena followed-in-suit and raised her hands, "We're here in peace!"
However, they were greeted with a gas from the weapons and dropped to the floor, unconscious.
~ 0 ~
"I do apologize, ma'am," the Silurian that contained Avalon and Mo returned to the angry ginger.
Avalon was still breathing heavily even though the 'decontamination' had been shut off, "I am...gonna...kill all of you!" she threatened, resting her head back. The echoes of the pain were slowly fading away, but she was sure this was going to leave some internal bleeding.
The Silurian, Malokeh, lowered his mask and flicked on a recording device, "Human females seem to be more aggressive."
"Aggressive?" Avalon blinked, "...I'll show you 'agressive'! Let me out of this thing right now!"
"Leave her alone! You got me!" Mo shouted.
"Got you?" Avalon turned her head to look at him, "What do you mean?"
"I can't exactly perform dissection like this..." Malokeh tilted his head as he thought of what to do next.
"Dissection?" Avalon repeated in horror, her hand discreetly slipping in the device from the alien that had restrained her wrists, "Don't you even dare!"
"I don't mean to harm," Malokeh tried to explain when a voice over a comm. spoke through.
"Area 17 incursion, species diagnostic requested. Area 17 incursion, species diagnostic requested."
"Yeah, you better leave," Avalon muttered when the Silurian had turned away and walked out of the room, "Aggressive..." she rolled her eyes.
She pressed the button on Malokeh's device and freed herself. She dusted herself off and moved onto Mo, "How did you get that?" he wondered.
"I've stolen things countless times," she rolled her eyes, "This was taking candy from a baby. Or a lizard man."
They headed out to the tunnels and walked with caution. They had no idea where they were and definitely had no plans of returning to the lab, especially after hearing dissection for Avalon. That was the last thing she needed to dream about.
"That creature, do you think it was an alien?" Mo brought her out of her thoughts, "Any more of them do you think? You think the Earth's been invaded?"
"I doubt it," she mumbled, "There'd be plenty more of us down here. We just need to get back to the surface," she stopped in front of a door and looked for some type of opening command, "I wonder where this leads."
"Maybe it's a way out of here," Mo offered, really hoping he was correct.
Avalon placed her hand on a panel beside the door and lighted the room on the other side. She looked up when Mo gasped, seemingly horrified, "What is it?" she asked.
Mo was looking at his son, Elliot, inside the room with attached wires on his face, "Oh, my God, no."
"What?" Avalon stood straight, irritated as it was with the circumstances and now with the man who couldn't seem to talk.
"It's my son, it's Elliot," Mo tried forcing the door open, "What've they done to him?" Avalon looked through the window at the boy while Mo moved to the panel, "No! He's in there! We have to get him out! Elliot! Elliot, it's Dad!"
"Access denied. Unauthorised genetic imprint."
"Okay stop that!" she swatted Mo's hands away from the panel.
"That's my boy in there!"
"Look at the screens," she pointed, "They're monitoring him. Look, heartbeats, pulses," she forced him to see, "He's still alive, just...in a stasis state. But he's fine and he's alive."
"All right. We find weapons, get that creature from the lab and force it to release Elliot, yeah?"
"Definitely," she nodded, "I could use a new gun," she started walking down the tunnel with the man following behind.
~ 0 ~
In another lab, the Doctor, Lena and Nasreen were clamped down to the tables of dissection. While Nasreen seemed unconscious, the Doctor and Lena were in pain similar to Avalon, although the Doctor reached a higher level.
Across them, behind the machinery that scanned them, stood Malokeh and a female Silurian warrior, the warrior irritated as she spoke, "How can they have escaped? This proves all prisoners should remain under military guard."
"I'm sure you'd prefer to be in charge of everything and everyone, Restac. But we rank the same," Malokeh reminded, "Is there any word from Alaya?"
"No," Restac turned and watched the two captured writhe in pain, unperturbed by the screams.
"It's fine to show concern, you know. She's part of your gene-chain," Malokeh looked back at the controls, flicking a few, "I'm Decontaminating now."
"Decontamination! No, no, no!" the Doctor cried out in agony.
"Please...stop," Lena whimpered.
"It's all right. It won't harm you. I'm only neutralising all your ape bacteria," Malokeh explained.
"I'm not an ape! Look at the scans! Two hearts!" the Doctor tried to point but moving was out of the question with the clamps, "Totally different! Totally not ape! Remove all human germs, you remove half the things keeping me alive."
Malokeh checked the scans and saw the man was telling the truth. He shut down the machines for him but not Lena's, much to the pair's dismay.
"You gotta shut hers down too!" the Doctor frowned, breathing heavily from the pain, "She's not completely human like you think."
"Oh, like the other one," Malokeh remembered and quickly shut Lena's decontamination off.
"Other one?" Lena bowed her head, "...Avalon...she was here..." she closed her eyes to rest.
"No, complete the process," Restac ordered but Malokeh walked over to the unconscious Nasreen.
"Screw you," Lena spat, not quite as Avalon would've done.
"Lena," the Doctor gave her a surprised face. Lena lifted her head to show her irritated face, "Oh yes, definitely Avalon's relative..." he muttered and looked around, missing the amused smile from her, "Now then," he looked at Restac, "Not got any celery, have you? No, no, not really the climate, tomatoes, though, you'd do a roaring trade in those. I'm the Doctor, that's Lena, oh, and there's Nasreen, good!"
Nasreen awoke just as Malokeh stood in front of her, "Oh...a green man."
"Hello, who are you?" the Doctor questioned the warrior.
"Restac. Military commander."
"Oh, dear, really? There's always a military, isn't there?"
"Your weapon was attacking the oxygen pockets above our city," she spat.
"Oxygen pockets! Lovely!" and then the Doctor realized what that meant for the Silurians, "Oooh, but not so good with an impending drill! Now it makes sense!"
"Where is the rest of your invasion force?"
"Invasion force? Me, my sweet little sister Lena and lovely Nasreen? No! We came for the humans you took. And...to offer the safe return of Alaya," he eyed the Restac as she moved forwards, "Oh, wait, you and she, what is it, same genetic source? Of course you're worried, but don't be, she's safe."
"You claim to come in peace, but you hold one of us hostage," she motioned for the soldiers behind her to take position beside the captured.
"Well, you took my sister," Lena frowned, "Seems like we both want the same thing here. Sister for a sister."
"I don't negotiate with apes," Restac sneered and looked at Malokeh, "I'm going to send a clear message to those on the surface."
"What's that?" the Doctor asked.
"Your execution."
"Yes..." the Doctor made a face, not very pleased with the answer.
~ 0 ~
Avalon and Mo came across a chamber with glass-covered alcoves on either side, all completely silent. Avalon stepped to a sensor and looked around, "These chambers are all over the city," she put her hand over the sensor and lighted up the place.
Masked warriors stood inside each little room, shocking the two, "Uh! Turn it off, quick!" Mo exclaimed.
Avalon did so but peered inside, "Hm, they're not...moving," she moved her hand to the sensor again..
"No, Avalon, don't!" Mo exclaimed but the ginger went ahead and did it anyways.
She lighted up the place again along with the sliding open of the doors. Avalon stepped into one of the rooms and studied the frozen warrior.
"Avalon, what are you doing? Get out of there," Mo motioned for her to come back out.
"They won't move," she shrugged, unperturbed, and looked down at small rounded discs the warriors stood, "I wonder what those are..." she looked to the rest of the rooms and noticed all warriors stood over them, "They've got to do something..."
"Hey, look," Mo was staring up at a chute right above the warrior.
"Oh, now I get it, this is how they came up to the surface," Avalon moved around as she stared up, "And you know what? It's our way out of here."
"Even better, weapons," Mo took the gun the soldier held, "Come on, now we can fight back."
Avalon nodded and took one for herself then followed him out, closing the containers after them, "The door at the end," she nodded and they moved towards it.
"Are you sure?" Mo raised an eyebrow.
"Nope," she shrugged continued down the tunnel like nothing.
They came through another sliding doors and walked through it, stopping as they discovered a large chamber with more soldiers in suspended animation.
"Wow," Mo blinked.
"Yup," Avalon gripped her gun.
"We don't stand a chance."
"Who says we're fighting them all?" Avalon turned and walked away, "You get the leader and you kill," she muttered.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor, Lena and Nasreen were being escorted through the city by the soldiers with Restac and Malokeh behind them.
"These must be the only ones awake, the others must still be in hibernation," the Doctor was explaining to the two women with him.
"So, why did they go into hibernation in the first place?" Lena wondered.
"Their astronomers predicted a planet heading to Earth on a crash course. They a built life underground and put themselves to sleep for millennia in order to avert what they thought was the apocalypse. When in reality, it was the moon, coming into alignment with the Earth."
At the words, Restac stopped and looked at the Doctor, even Malokeh surprised, "How can you know that?"
"Long time ago, I met another tribe of homo reptilia, similar, but not identical."
"Others of our species have survived?" Restac asked, sounding a bit hopeful.
"The humans attacked them," the Doctor felt like he had just unnecessarily brought up a story, "They died, I'm sorry."
"A vermin race," Restac spat and continued walking.
They entered a courtroom where Restac went to the head of the room with Malokeh trailing after her, "You're not authorized to do this!"
"I'm authorized to protect the safety of our species while they sleep," Restac pointed out.
"Oh, lovely place, very gleaming," the Doctor complemented.
"Don't praise the room we're about to be killed in," Lena mumbled.
"This is our court and our place of execution," Restac explained.
"See?" Lena shot him a mock-irritated face.
"Let 'em go!" Avalon stalked into the room with her gun aimed at Restac, "No one executes my sister."
"Avalon Reynolds, there's a girl to rely on," the Doctor smiled.
"Oh shush, you brought my sister in here, why?"
"I forced him to," Lena said, keeping her promise.
"You're covered both ways so don't try anything clever, lizard," Avalon nodded to Mo who entered through the main door with his gun.
"Mo!" Nasreen exclaimed happily.
"Now let them go or I shoot," Avalon warned but Restac moved closer, "I'm warning you!" Restac moved to snatch the gun from her but Avalon quickly used her foot and pushed the lizard woman to the ground, "Don't touch me!"
Unfortunately, soldiers surprised Avalon by taking her from behind, the gun falling to the floor as Restac stood up and glared at the ginger.
"Don't you touch her!" Lena shouted angrily, "Leave my sister alone!"
"You," Restac pointed at Mo, the man giving up his gun at the failed plan.
"All right, Restac. You've made your point," Malokeh walked towards the woman.
"This is now a military tribunal. Go back to your laboratory, Malokeh," she snapped.
One of the soldiers jabbed Malokeh in the back and so the man looked at Avalon, "This isn't the way," he said before he left.
"Prepare them for execution," Restac gave the order.
The group were brought over to two pillars and were promptly tied up.
"Not your best rescue, sis," Lena tried to lighten the mood a little. After all, she'd finally gotten her sister back. That was something to be truly grateful though, even if they were in an execution room.
"Yeah well, I've never dealt with lizards," Avalon muttered, glaring at Restac.
"Homo reptilia... " the Doctor cut in with the correction, "They occupied the planet before humans. Now they want it back."
"After they've wiped out the human race," Nasreen added.
"Oh, great," Avalon rolled her eyes, "Just freaking lovely."
"Avalon, you don't seem so great..." Lena eyed her twin with concern.
"Well, I was swallowed by the planet, placed in a machine that felt like it was ripping my insides out - oh and I was nearly dissected. I'm not having a very good day."
Lena took that as a cue to be quiet. When Avalon entered her temper moods it was best to stay clear of the fire she spewed. She was just glad to have Avalon with them again, angry but here.
"Why are they waiting? What do you think they're going to do with us?" Nasreen asked, seeing the soldiers lined up in front of them like a fire squad.
Restac moved to the table and out came a projection in the middle of the room where Rory, Amy, Ambrose and Tony appeared, "Who is the ape leader?" Restac demanded. There was only a chatter from Ambrose but nothing very coherent, only leading to Restac asking again, "Who speaks for the apes?"
"I speak for the... humans," Rory stepped forwards, "Some of us, anyway."
"Do you understand who we are?" Restac questioned.
"Sort of. A bit. Not really."
"'We have ape hostages."
"Doctor! Lena! Avalon!" Rory cheered.
"Mo! 'Mo, are you OK?" Ambrose moved into the screen.
"I'm fine, love! I've found Elliot," Mo exclaimed, "I'm bringing him home!"
"Tony Mack!" Nasreen called.
"Having fun down there?" Tony asked.
"'Not to interrupt, but just a quick reminder to stay calm," the Doctor cut in, seeing the humans to enthralled with the little reunion they forgot their current situation.
"Show me Alaya," Restac ordered, "Show me and release her, immediately, unharmed, or we kill your friends…one by one."
"No!" Ambrose snapped.
"Ambrose..." Rory eyed the woman with weariness.
"'Steady now, everyone," the Doctor tried again.
"Ambrose, stop it!" Tony tried stopping his daughter.
"'Get off me, Dad!' We didn't start this!"
"Let us deal with this," Amy hissed at the woman, "Shush!"
"We're not doing what you say any more," Ambrose ignored her and stared directly at Restac, "Now, give me back my family!"
Everyone remained quiet as Restac took in the order, "Execute them."
"No! No, wait!" Rory and Amy shouted over the projection as the soldiers neared the two pillars with their weapons.
"She's not speaking for us!" Rory said.
"Start with her," Restac pointed at Avalon who simply rolled her eyes.
"Because I kicked you, there's a shocker," Avalon said as she was pushed to the center of the room with the soldiers behind her.
"There's no need for this..." the Doctor began, too much chaos to actually be heard very well.
"Stop this! Don't do it!" Lena cried, "Please!"
"Listen! Listen! Whatever you want... we'll do it!" Rory shouted.
"Aim," Restac instructed.
"Don't do this!" the Doctor yelled.
"Fire!"
Avalon shut her eyes and awaited the worst.
"Stop!" a man's voice cut through the chaos, everyone turning to see Malokeh entering with an elderly Silurian, Eldane, "You want to start a war, while the rest of us sleep, Restac?"
"The apes are attacking us!" Restac acccused.
"You're our protector, not our commander, Restac. Unchain them."
"I do not recognize your authority at this time, Eldane."
"Well, then, you must shoot me."
With frustration, Restac stalked towards Malokeh, "You woke him to undermine me."
"We're not monsters. And neither are they," Malokeh softly said.
"What is it about apes you love so much? Mmm?"
"While you slept, they've evolved. I've seen it for myself."
"We used to hunt apes for sport" Restac reminded, "When we came underground, they bred and polluted this planet."
"Shush now, Restac. Go and play soldiers. I'll let you know if I need you," Eldane instructed.
"You'll need me, then we'll see," Restac muttered and left the room.
"Can we be untied, please?" came Lena's soft voice, "My hands hurt."
Eldane nodded to the soldiers and so they gathered around the restrained humans/alien and freed them. As soon as she was freed, Lena rushed to Avalon and gave her usual hug-attack, "Avalon! Avalon! Avalon! You're back!"
Avalon smiled and hugged her back, "I don't leave my sister no matter what. No bloody planet is going to keep me away."
"So just to make sure I stay alive, then?" the Doctor cautiously stepped towards them.
Lena parted and looked at Avalon, the twins sharing a good moment before Avalon sighed, "Oh come here," she reached for the Doctor's arm and pulled him to join the hug.
"This is new," he remarked but nonetheless hugged back.
"Thank you for coming to get me," Avalon whispered, her tone indicating that for a moment, she doubted anyone would come for her.
"What-" the Doctor pulled away, mouth forming an 'o' of offence, "Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Let's not go down that road," Avalon put on a big smile and nodded to the awaiting Silurians and friends.
"I'm coming back to that," the Doctor warned then hurried to the table where the projection controls were, "First thing's first, we gotta get the others here."
"Why?" Avalon looked at Lena.
"We've got a hostage," Lena shrugged, surprising Avalon with her unperturbed attitude on it.
"Rory! Amy!" the Doctor greeted once the humans reappeared on the screen, "Hello!"
"Where's Ava?" was the first thing Rory said.
"Right here, Rory!" Avalon rushed to the Doctor's side, "Hello!"
"Thank God," Amy sighed in relief, "You just love to keep us on our toes, don't you?"
"It's sort of my thing," Avalon shrugged.
"No time to chat," the Doctor pushed Avalon and stood directly in front of the projection, missing the irritated look Avalon shot him, "Listen, you need to get down here... Go to the drill storeroom, there's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurians are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity bubble-technology. It's how they travel and frankly it's pretty cool. Bring Alaya. We hand her over, we can land this after all. All going to work, promise. Got to dash! Hurry up!"
"What happens now?" Lena had to ask once the projection was cut off.
The Doctor just smiled, ideas ticking away in his head...
A short moment later found Eldane seated on one side of the large table with Nasreen and Lena on the other side. The Doctor, Avalon, Mo and Malokeh stood behind the trio.
"I'd say, you've got a fair bit to talk about," the Doctor began.
"How so?" Eldane asked.
"You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it."
"Are you authorized to negotiate on behalf of humanity?"
"Me? No!" the Doctor scoffed, "But they are!" he gestured to Nasreen and Lena.
"What?" Nasreen looked at him like he'd lost it.
"Big brother you're forgetting I can't even mend a fuse!" Lena shook her head.
"Oh baby sister, you have no idea how much that can change," the Doctor sighed with a small smile on his face. Perhaps in another world where Donna Noble could see them, she could help Lena with that little intelligence doubt.
"Why am I even here?" Lena continued, moving to stand, "I'm not even fully human. I have no claim."
"You live on this planet, breathe their air so you do," the Doctor sat her back down.
"Well..." Lena sighed again and looked back at Avalon, "...I don't know anything about politics. Avalon should be here, not me."
"Mm, that's not a good idea," Avalon shook her head, "With my temper I may just blow it for the entire species," she missed the small nod the Doctor gave beside her, "Best not put me in that situation today. Besides," she moved up to Lena, "What better person to negotiate peace than my little twin sister who always kept the peace between our friends."
"Well..." Lena looked at Nasreen who nodded encouragingly at her, "...what about Mo? He's more human than us."
"I just want my son," was all the man had to say on the matter, pleading for them to finish here so they could get Elliot.
"Well, there we go, then," the Doctor clapped his hands, "Lena Reynolds and Nasreen Chaudhry, speaking for the planet! Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors. Come on, who has more fun than us?"
As he moved to the other end of the table, Avalon quickly jogged after him, "Is this supposed to happen?" she quietly asked, "I mean, I haven't exactly looked at history books of the future, but...is this what happens? The earth gets shared?"
Upon hearing the words, Nasreen stood up and walked over to them, "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, Nasreen, sorry, probably worth mentioning at this stage, Lena, Avalon and I travel in time, a bit," the Doctor shrugged casually.
Instead of being surprised, Nasreen seemed more irritated, "Anything else?"
"There are fixed points through time, where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them. This is an opportunity, a temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today, will change future events, create its own timeline, its own reality. The future pivots around you. Here. Now. So do good. For humanity, and for Earth."
"Right, no pressure there, big brother!" Lena called from her spot.
"We can't share the planet. Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea," Nasreen shook her head, "It is just too big a leap!"
"Come on. Be extraordinary," the Doctor exclaimed.
"Oh...you..." Nasreen playfully rolled her eyes and took her seat beside Lena.
"Okay then," Avalon shrugged, "Let's bring things to order: the first meeting of representatives of the human race and homo reptilian is now in session," she looked at the Doctor with a sly smile, 'I wish a had one of those judge mallets. I've always wanted to do that."
"I bet you have," he shook his head, "Is that what you want as a career?"
Avalon, a bit confused on the question, simply turned to Mo and Malokeh, "How about we go get that little boy, then?"
As they got going, the Doctor looked back at Lena, the brunette making a face at Avalon's discarding of his question, silent telling him that this was what she meant.
~ 0 ~
The remaining group stood outside the room Elliot was in, Malokeh working to the free the little boy.
"Elliot, there you are," the Doctor blinked.
"If you've harmed him in any way…" Mo began his threat to Malokeh.
"Of course not!" the Silurian cut him off, "I only store the young."
"How come?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, fairly curious.
"I took samples of the young, slowed their lifecycles to a millionth of their normal rate. So I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface."
"Wow, impressive," the ginger blinked and smiled.
"You've been down here, working by yourself, all alone?" the Doctor questioned.
"My family, through the millennia... For the last 300 years, just me," Malokeh looked to Mo, "I never meant to harm your child."
"Malohkeh, I rather love you," the Doctor fist-bumped the Silurian then looked at the readings beside the door, "It's safe. We can wake him."
Malokeh entered the room and removed the wires from Elliot, "Come," he motioned to Mo as he stepped out.
As Elliot slowly came around, Mo moved to stand in front of him, "Elliot? Ell, it's Dad."
"What...? Dad," Elliot blinked and hugged him.
"You're safe now," Mo assured.
"Where are we?"
"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the center of the Earth... and there are lizard men."
Elliot peered around his father and saw the Doctor, Avalon and Malokeh standing behind, "Wow."
"Elliot, I'm sorry. I took my eye off you," the Doctor stepped inside the room with an apologetic fface.
"It's OK. I forgive you," Elliot shrugged and the two shook hands.
The trio headed back down the hallway, Malokeh staying behind at the panel of the door, "You go on, Doctor. I'll catch up."
The small group disbanded into pairs as they headed back for the courtroom, Avalon and the Doctor in front and Elliot and Mo just a few feet behind them.
"Avalon, about what you said earlier..." the Doctor chose his moment to talk while purposely walking slower. "Did you really think we wouldn't come for you?"
Avalon tried to play it off as casual as possible, but her flickering eyes made it impossible. "I just...I was kidding...you know. I make jokes. A lot."
"Well, even if it was a joke...I didn't quite like its meaning," the Doctor gently bumped shoulders with her, eliciting a small smile from her. "Anywhere you are, anywhere, I would come get you."
Avalon's face lit up afterwards (she would prefer to ignore the heat in her cheeks for the moment). "Thank you..."
The Doctor was aware of how his words may have come out, and despite his sudden need to clear his throat twice, he meant every word. He couldn't fathom any of his friends ever thinking they would just be left on their own. "I hope you'd do the same, you know..." he decided to throw in just to get some of that casualness back.
Avalon chuckled. "Well...I'd have to learn how to drive the TARDIS. So can I?"
Her widened smile at the prospect was not enough to convince the Doctor at the moment. "I don't quite...trust your skills at the moment..."
"Spoken from the man who crashed into my friend's backyard on a clear sky night," she had the right response, and quick, much to his dismay.
"I was having a bad day," he muttered and picked up his pace, though he still heard her snickering behind him.
~ 0 ~
Amy and Rory were the first of the group to rejoin the others in the tunnel, followed by Ambrose.
"Mum!" Elliot ran to hug her.
"Good to see you," Lena hugged her friends.
"Rory, what's wrong?" Avalon noticed the grim face Rory wore.
Before Rory could gather his words, Tony entered the room carrying a shrouded body of Alaya.
"What's he carrying?" Avalon blinked.
"No. Don't do this," the Doctor stepped forwards, "Tell me you didn't do this."
Tony set Alaya's body on the floor and the Doctor squatted down to pull the cloth
away from Alaya's face. He glared up at Tony as he stood up, "What did you do?"
"It was me. I did it," Ambrose confessed.
"Mum?" Elliot looked up at his mother.
"I just wanted you back."
The Doctor turned and walked up to Eldane, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. You have to believe me, they're better than this."
"This is our planet!" Ambrose exclaimed.
"We had a chance here," the Doctor snapped at her.
"Leave us alone."
The Doctor strode up to her, more than angry, "In future, when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less than the best of humanity."
Arms soldiers poured into the room with Restac in front, "My sister," she saw the body and rushed forwards, uncovering the cloth from Alaya's face and letting out a terrible wail before placing the shroud back, "And you want us to trust these apes, Doctor?"
"One woman," the Doctor pointed, "One woman. She was scared for her family. She's not typical."
"I think she is," Restac stood and faced Ambrose.
"One person let us down. But there's a whole race of dazzling, peaceful human beings up there," the Doctor turned to Eldane in plead, "You were building something, here, come on...an alliance could work."
"It's too late for that, Doctor," Ambrose cut in.
"Why?"
"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in..." Ambrose checked her stopwatch, "15 minutes."
"What?" Nasreen's eyes widened.
"What choice did I have? They had Elliot," Tony shook his head.
"Don't do this, don't call their bluff," the Doctor insisted with Eldane.
"Let us go back," Ambrose spoke to the Silurians, "And you promise to never come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone."
"Execute her!" Rescue ordered.
"No!" the Doctor pulled Ambrose down as the soldiers fired, "Everybody, back to the lab! Run!"
All the group, along with Eldane, ran out of the room as they dodged the shots of the soldiers.
"Execute all the apes!" Restac shouted.
The Doctor used his screwdriver on the soldier's guns and made them explode, "This is a deadly weapon - stay back," one of the soldiers stepped up and lashed with its tongue, backing the Doctor out of the way and into a run.
~ 0 ~
"Take everyone to the lab!" the Doctor instructed to Rory, "I'll cover you! Go! Go!" he ushered the others and stood to face the oncoming Silurians, "Ah-ah! Stop right there! Or I'll use my very deadly weapon again. One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal, you go back into hibernation. All of you. Now. This ends here."
"No. It only ends with our victory," Restac corrected.
"Like I said... one warning," he disabled the two more guns and ran off.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor used the sonic to shut the doors of the lab then turned to face the group, "Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company. Amy," he tossed her the stopwatch, "Keep reminding me how much time I haven't got."
Mo and Elliot moved to the screen that showed the tunnel outside.
"OK, 12 minutes till drill impact," Amy announced.
"Tony Mack, sweaty forehead, dilated pupils, what're you hiding?" the Doctor moved over to the sitting man.
Tony opened his shirt to show a good part of his neck and chest, around the veins, were a bright green.
"Tony! What happened?!" Nasreen gasped.
The Doctor used his screwdriver on the infected area.
"Alaya's sting. She said there's no cure," Tony sighed, "I'm dying, aren't I?"
The Doctor headed to the control panel and checked the readings, "You're not dying, you're mutating. How can I stop it? Decontamination program! Might work - don't know. Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?"
"Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way! We're surrounded in here!" Mo called.
Eldane and Lena helped Tony to the decontamination chamber as the Doctor
spoke, "So, question is, how we do stop the drill, given we can't get there in time? Plus also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded? Nasreen, how d'you feel about an energy pulse, channelled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"
"To blow up my life's work?"
"Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that."
"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in..."
"11 minutes, 40 seconds..." Amy finished.
"Yes! Squeaky bum time!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels so we have to be on the surface by then."
"I think we're all forgetting the fact we're surrounded," Avalon cut in.
"I can help with that... Toxic Fumigation - an emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection," Eldane rejoined them with Lena, "A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation, by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."
"You could end up killing your own people," Rory blinked.
"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac."
"Eldane, are you sure about this?" the Doctor asked.
"My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet."
"But it should be," Lena sighed.
"10 minutes, Doctor," Amy called.
"Lena's right, it should be," the Doctor nodded, "So here's the deal. Everybody listening? Eldane, you activate shutdown... I'll amend the system, set your alarm for 1,000 years' time," Eldane moved over to the controls, "1,000 years, to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow, make it known. This planet is to be shared."
"Yeah. I get you," Elliot smiled and nodded.''
"Nine minutes, seven seconds."
"Yes, fluid controls, my favourite!" the Doctor moved beside Eldane, "Energy pulse timed, primed and set. Before we go, energy barricade, need to cancel it out - quickly," he used the sonic on the controls, making the barricade come down.
"Fumigation pre-launching," Eldane announced.
"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor!" Rory reminded.
"Ah-ha, super-squeaky bum time! Get ready to run for your lives," he took out Lena's inhaler and tossed it over, "Sorry baby sister."
She caught it and shrugged, "One more time, eh?"
"What do you mean?" Avalon caught the words with a frown.
"But the decontamination program on your friend hasn't started yet," Eldane cut in, thankfully.
"Well, go. All of you! Go," Tony shooed the group off.
"No, we're not leaving you here!" Ambrose shook her head.
"Granddad!" Elliot ran over and hugged him.
"Eight minutes, 10 seconds," Amy said.
"Now you look after your mum. You mustn't blame her," Tony looked down at Elliot, "She only did what she thought was right."
"I'm not going to see you again, am I?"
"I'll be here," Tony touched Elliot's heart and smiled, "Always. I love you, boy," he gave Elliot one last hug then looked at Ambrose, "You be sure he gets home safe!"
Elliot went to Mo while Ambrose stayed with her father, "This is my fault," her eyes watered.
"No, I can't go back up there. I'd be a freak show. The technology down here's my only hope," Tony hugged her.
"I love you, Dad."
"Go. Go. Come on. Go on!"
"Toxic fumigation initiated.
"They're going! We're clear!" Rory called from the screens.
"OK. Everyone follow Nasreen. Look for a blue box. Get ready to run," the Doctor used the sonic on the door, making it slide open for the others to run through, "Eldane, I'm sorry."
"I thought for a moment, our race, and the humans..."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Doctor! We've got less than six minutes," Amy informed.
"Go! Go! I'm right behind you!" he shooed them off then looked over to Nasreen who hadn't moved, "Let's go."
"I'm not coming either," she shrugged casually.
"What?"
"We're going to hibernate with them, me and Tony."
"Doctor, you must go!" Eldane exclaimed.
Tony looked at Nasreen, "II can be decontaminated when we're woken. All the time in the world."
"But... Nasreen... you..." the Doctor couldn't find the right words to speak.
Nasreen smiled and walked up to him, " No. This is perfect. I don't want to go. I've got what I was digging for. I can't leave when I've only just found it."
"Doctor!" Amy poked her head back inside the room.
"Thank you, Doctor," Nasreen nodded.
"The pleasure was all mine," the Doctor gave her a hug then took Amy by the hand and rushed for the door.
"Come and look for us," Nasreen waved goodbye.
~ 0 ~
"No questions, just get in! And yes, I know it's big!" the Doctor stopped in front of the TARDIS and unlocked the doors, ushering the others inside, "Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again... get yourself fixed up. Come on! Five minutes and counting..."
A white light emerged behind the Doctor just as the others joined him.
"Is that...?" Avalon blinked.
"...but it can't be," Lena shook her head.
The same crack from Amy's bedroom wall was splattered on the tunnel wall.
"Not here. Not now. It's getting wider," the Doctor stared with a terrible feeling.
"The crack on my bedroom wall," Amy backed away.
The Doctor walked up to the wall and squatted down, "And the Byzantium. All through the universe - rips in the continuum. Some sort of space-time cataclysm. An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?"
"Four minutes...we have to go!" Amy exclaimed.
"The Angels laughed, when I didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew, everybody knows, except me!"
"This is no time to be indignant," Avalon snapped, "We have to go, didn't you hear?"
"Big brother, just...just leave it alone," Lena looked at the crack with weariness.
"But where there's an explosion," he pulled out a red hankie from his jacket, "There's shrapnel."
"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there!" Rory exclaimed.
"Why not?" he reached into the crack holding the hankie and cried in pain as the light grew brighter, "I've got something!"
"What is it?" Avalon stepped forwards.
The fell back on the ground, clutching the mysterious item wrapped in the hankie, it sizzling with heat and energy.
"Well then open it," Avalon reached for it.
"Doctor!" Lena gasped as she saw Restac crawling into the tunnel.
"She was there, when the gas started... She must've been poisoned," Amy realized.
"You!" Restac glared at them all.
"OK, get in the TARDIS, all of you," the Doctor jumped to his feet and reached into his jacket's pocket.
"You did this," Restac pulled her arm forwards to reveal a gun.
"Doctor!" Rory pushed the alien out of the way and took the shot.
"Rory!" Amy and Avalon cried as he fell to the ground in pain.
"Avalon..." Lena's heart raced to see the Silurian woman's head falling yet her gun still managing to stay aimed, and...
"Lena, not now-"
"No!" Lena pushed Avalon to the ground as a second aimed was shot.
"NOO!" Avalon screamed as her twin landed beside her, writhing in pain as Rory was. She jumped to her feet and was about to retaliate when she saw Restac finally still, completely dead, "No, no, no, no, no!" she turned to the others with teary eyes.
"Rory, can you hear me?" the Doctor looked between him and Lena, the sonic on both of them, "Baby sister?"
"I don't understand..." Rory blinked rapidly.
"Shh-shh. Don't talk," Amy stroked his face, "Doctor, is he OK? We have to get him into the TARDIS!"
"Lena, Lena, c'mon stay with me," Avalon swallowed, cradling her sister's head, "P-p-please, don't do this."
"Finally, it's right," Lena weakly smiled, "Just...live your life," she closed her eyes, her head lulling.
"N-n-n-n-nno! No! No!" Avalon burst into sobs, "No! Lena, don't!" The Doctor moved to the twins and checked for Lena's vitals, his own eyes tearing up. "Don't...don't say it," Avalon warned, "Don't you dare...cos she's not, she's not!"
"Someone help!" Amy called, unaware of the misfortune behind her.
"But we were on the hill," Rory was reminiscing, "I can't die here."
"Oh, don't say that," Amy tried to smile.
"You're so beautiful... I'm sorry," he then closed his eyes and died next.
"Doctor, help him," Amy looked back and saw the other ginger with her twin, "Oh no...help us!" she nearly snapped at the alien, "...please."
"Doctor, what's...?" Avalon gasped, having to let go of Lena as the crack's tendrils of light reaching for them.
"Get away from there!" he jumped to his feet and pulled her away, "Amy, move away from the light," he called, not letting go of Avalon's arm should she try anything.
"No, no," Amy shook her head, refusing such a thing, unaware of the tendrils of lights reaching Rory's feet.
"If the light touches you you'll be wiped from history," the Doctor explained, "Amy, move away now."
"No! I am not leaving him! We have to help him! We have to help Lena," she looked back at the brunette twin only to see half her body already consumed by the light.
"Lena..." Avalon shuddered a breath, almost falling forwards with her tears. She wanted to take Lena back into her arms and hug her but she remembered the Doctor's words about the light, she knew what would happen.
It was just...too late.
Her sister was gone.
"The light's already around them, we can't help," the Doctor insisted, frantic on how to get both women inside the box before the light inevitably reached all of them.
"We're not leaving them!" Amy cried.
"We have to," Avalon whispered, looking at the Doctor with a nod, letting him know she wouldn't try and run for Lena anymore.
"Don't be stupid, Avalon!" Amy snapped.
The Doctor took the chance and let Avalon go so he could snatch Amy back, "I'm sorry!"
"Get off me!" Amy tried prying off the man as he lifted her up and dragged her towards the TARDIS, "Avalon, don't let him do this!"
Avalon took a last look at her sister, her sweet little twin sister that was more than halfway consumed by the light. She covered her mouth as she released new tears, "I'm so sorry," she looked at Rory for a moment as well before hurrying inside the box, right before the Doctor literally pushed Amy inside the box.
"No!" Amy rushed back to the doors but the Doctor used the sonic and locked it, "No! No!" Amy pounded on the floor, "Let me out, please let me out... I need to get Rory."
Avalon had turned to the monitor and gasped as she saw the light finally take over Lena completely. She dropped to her knees and shook her head, "There has to be...there has to be something we can do!" she sobbed, "If that light...I'm not...we're not..."
But she heard the dematerialization start behind her, cutting off any of her hope.
"That light, if their bodies absorbed we'll forget them," Amy ran to the Doctor at the console, "They'll never have existed. You can't let that happen. Take this thing back!" but the Doctor did not listen, he simply turned to her with the most sincerest apology, "No, no..." Amy shook her head, her tears streaming down her face, "No! No! Doctor, we can't just leave them there! Avalon!"
Avalon had her back to them, crying to herself, still on her knees. She didn't anyone's hugs, anyone's condolences. She didn't need them...she'd gone through this with her mother, she...she didn't need anyone...she didn't...
The Doctor took Amy by the hand and practically dragged her to Avalon, needing both to listen to them, "Keep them in your minds," he forcefully turned Avalon to them, "Don't forget them. If you forget them, you'll lose them forever."
"On the Byzantium, I still remembered the Clerics because I am a time traveler, now you said," Amy reminded.
"They weren't part of your world. This is different...this is your own history changing."
"Can't we...can't we retain it?" Avalon looked up, refusing to get off the floor, she didn't think her legs could carry her with the trembling she was giving, "Please? I don't want to lose her like I did with my mum..." she shook her head and screwed her eyes shut, practically reliving the moments.
"Doctor, please, make it better!" Amy pleaded.
"It's going to be hard, but you can do it, both of you," he assured and managed Avalon to stand, though the ginger half-leaned on him for support, "Tell me all about them, eh? Rory? Lena? Fantastic Rory, sweet Lena, gorgeous Rory, stunning Lena. Just listen to me, do exactly as I say. Amy, Ava? Remember? He calls you Ava," he looked at Avalon with a hopeful look, "And he calls you beautiful," he said to Amy, "Just concentrate. You can do this."
"I can't," Amy shook her head.
"You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save their memories. Come on. Please. Don't let anything distract you. Remember Rory, Lena. Keep remembering, they're only alive in your memories. You have to keep hold of them. Don't let anything distract you. Rory and Lena still live in your minds."
Suddenly, the TARDIS jarred slightly and sent the trio to the floor, Rory's engagement ring falling to the floor in front of the Doctor. Amy sat up with blinking eyes, a bright smile on her face, "What were you saying?" she looked at the Doctor, clueless.
He stared at her with an emotionless face then glanced at Avalon who lifted her head up rather slowly, her eyes darting from one place to another...as if...trying to remember something...
He'd failed.
"Something's wrong," Avalon whispered and looked around as she stood up.
"I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad," Mo said as he and Elliot walked out from the corridors, completely unaware of what happened.
~ 0 ~
After returning Ambrose and her family, the leftover trio made their way back to the TARDIS. Amy stopped and looked out, chuckling, "Oh! Hey! Look! There I am again! Hello, me!" she waved at her future self, now alone, but tilted her head for a moment.
"Are you okay?" the Doctor noticed the movement, a bit hopeful.
"I thought I saw someone else there for a second," Amy shrugged and turned for the doors, "I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?"
"I hate beaches," Avalon muttered.
"Oh don't be so grumpy," Amy made a joking face that managed to get a faint smile.
As Amy went inside the TARDIS, the Doctor studied intently the remaining ginger, "You okay?"
Avalon was staring out to where Amy's future self had been with a rather curious look, if not confused look, "It's just...I feel...weird. Something's just..." she shook her head and sighed, "...never mind," she gave another faint smile and went inside.
The Doctor stayed back and looked back to the hill, Rory and Lena were just...gone. His sweet baby sister never existed. She'd said she'd wanted to leave the traveling and in some way she did, just not in the way any of them wanted. Lena had finally done something she was proud of, stopped her sister from taking yet another bullet and saved her life. He was...proud of her, but he was not content with the results. The only thing he could do now was simply look after her twin, show her the world like he'd promised to Lena. That's how he'd keep her memory alive for Avalon and her family, honoring Lena's last request.
Finally, the Doctor focused on the item he'd taken from the crack and unwrapped it. He tilted his head as he saw some very familiar words on it. He held it up to the TARDIS sign...and it was a perfect match.
Author's Note:
Yeeeah...I did that...sorry . Well, it's the adventures of Avalon, Amy and the Doctor for now...
For the review:
TheBlueRiver: Yeeeeah, we're getting there lmao. It's a process that'll last a while ;)