Donna's hands were tight on Lycus's as they passed through arch after arch, following an oddly wide path that looked as if it had been crossed for generations for this same purpose. She locked that note away, remembering what the Doctor had once mentioned to her: "Any little thing – anything that seems unnoticeable – could mean something."

The thought of the Doctor – and of Jay – comforted Donna when they came to a large looking cavern. It's massive maw reached dozens of feet above their heads and was just as wide. The inside vanished into darkness, and Donna wondered what was further down that path they were being forced to follow. Lycus's fingers tightened on hers, trembling, and Donna shook his hand away in favor of wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders.

Gone was the brave boy who'd taken it upon himself to make everyone else feel better. He'd been replaced with a scared child who wanted nothing more to go home, and Donna couldn't blame him. She wanted to go straight back to the TARDIS and never walk out when she felt the malicious intent in the air.

Sharp eyes watched as Theseus stepped away from the others to speak with the guards. Jay had clearly not trusted him, so Donna wouldn't either unless he proved himself worthy of trust.

Lycus tugged on her hand and Donna bent slightly so that he could say in a small voice, "Do you think Prince Theseus will help us like he says? I miss my mother. I want to go home."

Donna wrapped her arm around his shoulders in a comforting squeeze. "I don't know," she said honestly, "but the Doctor will figure something out. Jay, too."

Lycus didn't look convinced, but nodded and leaned into her. Donna didn't mind at all, even taking comfort herself in the gentle weight on her hip. She looked around at the others, noticing how a few had seemed to become numb to the world around them. Those people's eyes were glazed over, as if their thoughts were far, far away. Others were quietly looking around with calm interest, as if they didn't seem to mind what was happening.

Donna's head snapped around when Theseus suddenly called, "It's time to enter!" He soothingly extended his arms to those before him, and the guards behind him exchanged quick looks when a few people gave wails and whimpers of terror. "This will end," he told them all with a soothing tone that only served to frustrate Donna, "and it will end today."

Not trusting his words a bit, Donna did as Jay had done and pressed her thumb down on the sonic screwdriver, listening to the soothing buzz of that odd alien technology for a brief moment before hiding it away again.


The Doctor whirled around his TARDIS's console, grumbling at the attitude she was giving him when she sparked in frustration. "I know, I know," he snapped, slamming down a lever, "but we need the whole picture first!"

There was something he was missing, the Doctor just knew it. But he couldn't figure out what it was! Frustrated as the TARDIS began to move, rocking beneath his feet a little more violently than normal to express her unhappiness, the Doctor ran over what little he knew. The marks on the people's hands…on Donna's hand…he couldn't recall having ever seen something like that. Perhaps it was a living being, under the influence of whoever controlled it?

And then there was the thing every person on that trip but Theseus seemed to be frightened of. The Doctor knew something was off there, lying just at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't figure out what it was just yet, and it was pestering him relentlessly. It didn't help that there was no one around but the cranky TARDIS to bounce ideas off.

He scowled a little at that, still bothered that Jay had accompanied Donna. While he approved of his friends' determination to help one another, it did make matters hard when he didn't have another at least semi-clever mind to bounce different ideas off of. Sometimes all it took was just one word, and he'd have the solution.

Admittedly, he did somewhat like showing off as well, as the flare gave a more persistent urge to get things right, but that was neither here nor there.

And certainly not important at the moment!

He slapped a hand on the console to make sure the TARDIS was paying attention as he began to scan for any sign of his sonic screwdriver. It took a few moments for anything to happen, but he grinned when he did find the signal. The Doctor set the coordinates and then began formulating a plan as the TARDIS launched into action, heading for that specific spot.

He'd not found anything useful just yet, although there really was something that was off and warning him that he was missing something. He was sure that just one little slice of information on what that missing piece was would clarify it all. He hoped that when he picked up Jay, she'd be able to throw something in that would help him piece it together, and if she couldn't, then when he got to Donna the three of them could figure it out together.

The second she'd landed, the Doctor was sprinting out of the TARDIS. He'd managed to lock directly on to the sonic screwdriver, and if he was right and Jay had been left behind by the others as he'd heard would happen, right at the Gates, then they'd take the time to consider what to do next before acting.

He really, really didn't like not knowing.

The Doctor threw open the door to the TARDIS, mouth open to yell for her, and then paused.

A group of people, some of which he recognized, were staring open-mouthed at he and his TARDIS. Not one person, but several. Donna looked relieved to see him, as did Lycus, although Lycus was clearly still trying to put on a brave face. The Doctor felt a flash of sympathy for the boy, who was most certainly terrified but trying to hide that fear. Smart boy.

"Where's Jay?" he said immediately, not having expected to see the group so soon. Actually, he'd not expected the guards and Theseus, who looked particularly interested in the TARDIS, to take a single glimpse at his precious blue box.

Donna held up the sonic screwdriver. "She gave it to me. She's back at the start of the Gates."

"I told her to keep it," he complained, annoyed that no one ever seemed to listen to him. "Well, come on, then. Just you," he added to Donna pointedly, glaring at her. He paused when Lycus squeaked. "And you," he decided, still rather fond of Lycus and his braveness. "We'll go pick up Jay and figure out a few things. I couldn't figure anything out on my own; nine hundred years, and I'm finally going senile," he muttered under his breath, still agitated with the matter.

"What on earth is that?" demanded a guard, but the Doctor pinned him with a glare as Donna ushered Lycus away, looking relieved that she'd be away from whatever danger they'd been heading into. He wasn't in any mood to answer questions for people who he knew had pointed weapons at Donna and Jay.

"In, in, in!" he declared, ushering Lycus in when he took a little too long, and Donna shot him a rather exasperated, irritated look over her shoulder. Lycus yelped as he tripped inside, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice, slamming the doors shut behind him. "Right!" he said, feeling better now that he didn't have to worry about what he said. "Where's Jay?"

"The Gates, like I said," Donna said firmly, and the Doctor threw her an exasperated look. He had no idea where the Gates were! The TARDIS understood, however, and when he threw her into motion, she found the coordinates herself. The Doctor briefly patted her fondly in gratitude before whirling when Lycus squealed.

"What is this?! This isn't like our ships," the boy declared, eyes wide with wonder as he studied the central, moving and glowing column. His hand tightened on Donna's.

"That's because," the Doctor said, rushing to the other side when the console blared warningly. He slapped a button before finishing his sentence. "Your civilization doesn't have the technology mine did." He smiled a little when the boy began to bounce excitedly, his fear almost immediately driven away by the fascination he was feeling over the TARDIS. He rather liked Lycus, he thought again as the TARDIS landed.

"Donna," he said, already setting the next set of coordinates to take them back to where the others had been. "Bring Jay inside, would you?"

"Sure," she agreed readily. Donna shook away Lycus's hand. Lycus looked a little concerned, but not enough to follow her. Instead, as Donna slipped from the TARDIS, already searching, Lycus focused his attention on the console and curiously looked at the different controls.

Outside, Donna peered around and searched for their missing blonde friend. She knew the area she'd stepped into. It was outside the Gates, where they'd left Jay hours before. She began to worry for a few moments that Jay had disappeared – and that she'd have to tell the Doctor, who she knew to be fiercely fond and protective of his companions, that Jay was gone – when she spotted Jay grinning, rocking upright from where she'd been sitting on the ground with her back to a rock.

"It worked!" called Jay, and Donna beamed in relief. She'd been frantically worried for Jay the entire time they'd been apart – mostly because she held no love or trust for Theseus, who'd expressed so much interest in her. When Jay had come over, she wrapped the younger woman in a tight hug. Jay returned it, and then pulled back with a smile on her face. "So what are we doing next?" she asked. "You've still got those marks on your hand."

"I don't know," admitted Donna, turning. They walked back towards the TARDIS, arm in arm. "He didn't seem to know much though. Daft alien, I thought he'd know more by the time he showed up."

Jay chuckled and then swept through the TARDIS doors, her eyes sweeping the console room. "Doctor!" she said happily, and he flashed her and Donna a grin, relieved to have them both safely back in the TARDIS. His grin became a frown when the second Donna was in, Jay slammed and locked the TARDIS door – as if worried that one moment longer out there would result in something bad happening.

He made a mental note to address that with her later, when Donna's hand still wasn't decorated with a weird mark. He rested back on the console, dubbing them secure for the time being. "Alright, Lycus," he said as Donna and Jay came to rejoin them. The Doctor threw the boy another smile, trying not to frighten him even as he felt a flicker of impatience and frustration that he didn't know immediately what was going on. "What do you know about those marks?"

Lycus shrugged, showing the Doctor his hand so the Doctor could take a closer look at it. The Doctor held out a hand and Donna passed him his sonic screwdriver, knowing what he wanted. The Doctor didn't hesitate to take a hold of Lycus's hand and began scanning the marks as he'd done with Donna, this time trying to gather more details and information than he'd had previously.

"Well, Doctor?" asked Donna when no one said anything for a few minutes, looking rather impatient. "Anything?"

"I've seen this somewhere before," he said, puzzled. "I don't know where though." He looked rather agitated by that admission. I'm getting old, he wanted to say but refrained from doing so. He didn't want to admit that in front of Lycus, who'd probably question it. And even if he was only a child, the Doctor didn't necessarily want to let anyone know just what he was if they didn't already know.

Just as he'd expected, Jay calmly asked, her blue eyes sharp with interest, "Well, what do you know?"

This, he wanted to tell them, was why he liked to keep people around. Outside of his companions' determination to ensure that he didn't travel alone. He understood why they felt that way, of course, and tended to agree with them about it – at least, in this body he did.

"It's old," he said, his dark eyes distant as he thought it over. "But not too old. It's from a galaxy that's older than this one, but newer than most." He looked puzzled, trying to remember which one.

Noticing, Jay encouraged him past the point he was stuck on. "What else? I mean, we can see what it looks like." Donna looked amused when Jay pointedly took her hand and began studying the marks herself. "I can still hear it, just nowhere near like earlier, and black. Wispier than any tattoos I've seen, although they certainly have gotten close. More like smoke than anything, actually. And the sounds they made…they were horrible, but quiet, mingling with something larger."

The Doctor nodded slowly, furrowing his brow, and muttered, frustrated with the word on the tip of his tongue, "They give off weak signals, indicating – HA! Jayden, you're brilliant!" he suddenly cried, making them all jump a foot in the air. He gave a wild grin as he pressed a kiss to Jay's forehead before rushing around the console of the TARDIS, already throwing a lever and typing something in. He spun the screen that topped it around so he could see.

Jay and Donna exchanged a quick look and then flew around to join him. Lycus lingered where he was, worried by what they were screaming about and fascinated by the gentle hum of the TARDIS around them. As Jay leaned over his shoulder, she asked, "What are the marks then?"

"Do you remember the Luxari?" demanded the Doctor, and while Donna looked rather confused by the mention of such aliens, Jay's eyes flew wide.

"They're like the Luxari? So Donna's got an alien on her?"

"I have a what?" cried Donna, and the Doctor bit back a grin at the brief flash of fury that crossed her expression. "You better start talking, spaceman, or I'll kick you into the next black hole I see out of this box!"

Jay huffed, frowning. "Don't insult the TARDIS, she didn't do anything." Her complaint was accompanied by a hum of agreement on the TARDIS's behalf.

"You get to see black holes?" Lycus questioned eagerly, but the Doctor quickly brushed past the implication he saw forming on the boy's face. He didn't have time to take the boy to see a blackhole, nor did he really want to keep him around for longer than necessary. He had a family to go home to, after all.

"Not exactly," the Doctor said quickly, not excited by the idea of Donna's temper being taken out on him. It had happened here and there since the red-haired woman had come to join he and Jay upon his ship, and he couldn't say he liked the idea very much. Donna glared. "You don't have an alien on you, Donna," he sighed, and then tapped the screen. "Well, you don't have an alien with intelligence attached to you. Well, at least, it has a very low level of intelligence."

Through clenched teeth, Donna said darkly, "But it's still an alien."

"…yes, it's still an alien," he admitted, and she made a sound of fury. "On the bright side," the Doctor said hastily, showing her the screen. "It's very easy to get off. The only reason this planet's population doesn't is because they don't know anymore. Jay," he turned to his friend, "go and get some flour."

"…flour?" she questioned suspiciously, not trusting what she was hearing. "Like…cooking flour?"

"Yes," he said, "cooking flour."

Jay blinked at him in disbelief, then shrugged. "Okay!" She disappeared down the TARDIS hall to fetch the flour. The Doctor gently took Donna's hand in his to study the black marks on Donna's hand. Though she looked angry, the Doctor knew better. "Don't worry so much," he told her quietly, "it's not going to hurt you. It was just marking you for something else."

"I gathered that," muttered Donna, although there was some relief in her voice.

"The Creature," offered Lycus rather unhelpfully. "We're sacrificed to the Creature."

"Tell us about the Creature." Jay came back with a rather large bag of flour, looking suspicious about what he intended to do with it. The Doctor indicated she should set it down on the captain's seat, and then pulled Donna over to it as he spoke. "Everything you can about the Creature, Lycus."

"Well," Lycus said as he followed them, watching curiously, "It's like I said before. None of us have ever seen it. Only the king. It threatened to kill us all unless we sent sacrifices every year. So we do what it tells us."

The Doctor locked this information away. "And Theseus wants to kill it, yes?" He wasn't entirely excited by that either. Killing wasn't something he endorsed, no matter what people did, although there had been some cases that he refused to admit had gotten fairly close.

"Yes," confirmed Lycus, his gaze meeting the Doctor's. The Doctor paused, studying Lycus a little closer. There was something there…and just as quickly, it was gone, and Lycus looked just as he had before. Shaking it off, the Doctor turned his attention back onto Jay.

"I grabbed the biggest bag we had," Jay said firmly after setting it down. She winced, shaking her wrists out, and he gave her a sharp look. "I'm fine," she said with a small eyeroll. "I'm not going to collapse any time soon that I know of. What do you want the flour for?"

"Donna, stick your hand in the flour," he told Donna, ignoring Jay's question while simultaneously answering it.

Donna stared at him blankly for a few moments, debating whether or not she actually wanted to listen to him. But, she supposed he knew what he was doing most of the time – a lie, she knew, and one that she was even telling herself! – and pushed her hand right into the bag of flour. She felt whatever it was leave her hand with ease, although she didn't think she'd be able to describe the sensation aloud. It was odd, regardless, and Donna was pleased to find that when she withdrew her hand, it was gone.

"How'd it come off?" asked Lycus with interest, but his question was ignored by the Doctor, who instead focused his attention on the bag of flour. He curiously peered into it, and Donna fought the urge to do the same. She didn't want to see the thing that had been attached to her hand, she decided, nor did she really care to know what the Doctor planned to do with it. She was just glad it was off

Her thoughts were distracted when the Doctor pulled something from the flour, covered in the dust-like substance. Not because the Doctor had removed it, but because Jay uttered a very loud swear that had her instinctively covering Lycus's ear, even as Jay dropped to the TARDIS floor in a crouch with her hands pressed so tightly over her ears that she hissed in pain.

"Jay?" the Doctor said in alarm, shoving the thing back into the flour and lurching over. His hands were still covered in flour when he knelt beside her, his fingers hesitantly moving to push her wrists away. Jay's face was as white as the flour as she hesitantly dropped them, her lips parting in shock.

"Sorry," she breathed. "It was screaming."

The Doctor furrowed his brow, glancing at the bag of flour, and Donna dropped her hands from Lycus's ears with a concerned frown. "Those…that species doesn't make a sound, Jay," the Doctor said uneasily, and Donna studied his expression closely.

Not for the first time, she saw flickers of something that that she didn't think even the Doctor himself realized was there. He'd done it more and more as time went on, and even more so since Jay had suddenly found herself struggling with the aftermath of Pompeii – something expected although she'd clearly not been prepared for it – and Jenny. Deeper concern than he let anyone else know he felt, fondness, and something else. Something frantic that he hid with a simple quirk of his brow.

Donna would be the first to claim she wasn't anything special. She couldn't read minds, or hear things like Jay. Jay had told her otherwise when she'd confessed such feelings to her, but Donna didn't believe her.

But even Donna Noble could see that the Doctor suspected there was more to what Jay was dealing with than he let on.

Nevertheless, Donna said nothing, deciding to confront him about it later, when Jay wasn't around. He'd not said anything for a reason, so she'd not either. Instead, she focused on Jay's response when the younger woman said hoarsely, "Well, it certainly made a sound to me. Just…give me a moment. If you need to look at it, I need to go get my necklace."

"You should have been wearing it to begin with," he chided, but sent her on her way. He waved Lycus over, and Lycus eagerly pushed his hand into the bag of flour, leaving it there for a few moments. Donna moved to stand beside the Doctor. Lowering her voice so Lycus wouldn't hear as he straightened, fleeting gaze meeting hers, Donna asked quietly, "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't see why not," was his quick answer, but the frown on his face didn't dissipate.

"Nice try, spaceman," she said sharply, and he winced, hearing the implied threat.

"She'll be fine," he said a little more confidently. "I'll do some more tests when we're finished here and back in the time vortex. It's been a while since I've done some anyways. Something new might have popped up somewhere." He glanced over as Lycus shook flour from his hand and curiously touched his tongue to it, flinching and spitting in disgust. While a smile tugged at Donna's mouth, the Doctor's gaze hardened. Donna wasn't sure if the look had to do with Jay's situation or with Lycus, although she couldn't imagine for the life of her why he'd be upset with the boy. Perhaps both?

"There's really nothing you can do to help her?" She'd asked the question a dozen times before, and he gave her the same answer he'd always given: a quick, sad look that was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Mostly, Donna supposed, because Jay had returned, her blue eyes shimmering with curiosity now that she wasn't worried about hearing anything suddenly scream. She looked a little like her old self, even.

"So," said Jay as the Doctor, sure she'd be safe from hearing any more unnecessary sounds that startled her, tied the bag of flour shut with a hair tie that he took from her wrist. "What are we going to do now? We know what those things are," she gestured to the flour, eyeing it suspiciously and looking grateful that the Doctor wasn't inclined to pull them out again, "but we don't know what the Creature is, nor do we know what it's doing or what it wants."

"Very good point," the Doctor said with a small, sharp nod. "So what we need to do is go back."

Which meant, Jay and Donna seemed to realize at the same time, dealing with Theseus again. Both women exchanged unhappy looks and sighed heavily; the Doctor ignored them and went to work at the console, aware of Lycus as he shadowed him.

"But what we need to do first," said the Doctor, glancing at the boy, "is take Lycus home. I think his parents will be missing him."

Lycus beamed, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and Donna smiled broadly at the boy. But the Doctor only frowned at him in suspicion as he took in the look that flickered briefly across Lycus's features. Jay didn't miss the Doctor's suspicion and even cast her own at Lycus as Donna happily rested her hand on the boy's head.

If the Doctor was wary of him…then perhaps she needed to be, too.


Jay watched as Donna ushered Lycus out, her expression full of delight. Donna was fiercely fond of the little boy and Jay couldn't blame her despite her newfound suspicion; Lycus's excitement was rather infectious, and he offered them a final smile as the door closed behind he and Donna, who'd be escorting him home to ensure nothing happened. Jay didn't realize how close the Doctor was until he said right beside her, "There's something we're missing."

"What do you mean?" Jay asked, glancing at him with a frown. "I didn't think we were missing anything outside of what type of alien we're dealing with." Or the suspicion that had appeared regarding Lycus.

"There's plenty of questions we haven't asked yet." The Doctor ran a hand through his messy hair, thoughtful, and Jay had to fight the urge to fix his tie when she realized it had been knocked askew. "How did they select specific people? Why choose those specific people? What 'creature' has the intelligence to direct an entire species like this – two species, even – and then chooses to eat them?" He pressed his lips into a tight line. "Something isn't right here. There's something we're missing, and I don't like it. Did you hear anything near the Gates?"

Jay thought back to it. "No," she said confidently after a few moments of quiet contemplation. "Nothing. Is that…is that bad?" She bit the inside of her cheek and wrapped her arms around herself after shaking out her wrists.

The Doctor hummed a little in response. "No. I didn't hear anything when I picked up Donna, and they were actually through the Gates so there's probably nothing to hear or worry about." He glanced at the still firmly shut TARDIS doors, debating what kind of time he would have. Deciding it would be enough, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Jay snapped her attention to him, sharp blue eyes nervous. She knew that he didn't miss the guarded look that appeared on her face, accompanied by intense guilt and suspicion that crossed through her. She knew what this conversation was about and where it would undoubtedly go. Just as quickly, he gave her a warning glare; don't bother lying, that look said. So, Jay didn't bother. Instead, she looked to the TARDIS doors, taking comfort in the TARDIS's reassuring hum. Fingering the necklace she wore, she said quietly, "I don't know. Maybe. I just…after the Master and the Valiant, and then Pompeii, and what happened with…with Jenny…"

She faltered, taking a shaking breath. "I love traveling with you, Doctor, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a home that I didn't know could exist – a true family. But…so many people have died. And I know it's not my fault, nor is it yours at all. I know that things just happen sometimes. But what if the next time we leave the TARDIS, it's Donna that 's hurt? Or you?" She glanced at him, searching his gaze furiously when she saw the near amusement that so briefly appeared. "That man who shot Jenny…Doctor, he was aiming for you. And I know you won't die like we do. That you'd regenerate. But still. You said so yourself. You'd become a completely different man. It wouldn't be the same. I promised I'd stay with you regardless, but…"

Jay fell quiet, finished with her small speech. The Doctor watched her for a moment before rocking back on his heels, pushing his hands into his pockets. "We could stay in the TARDIS," he said evenly, catching Jay off guard. "But you can't experience the universe from the inside of the TARDIS, Jay."

She sighed heavily. "I didn't say that it was what I wanted to do," murmured Jay. "I'm just saying that I'm worried. Our unlucky streak is particularly nasty."

"So we'll run a little faster," was his simple solution that Jay couldn't help but roll her eyes at, even as a smile tugged at her lips. The Doctor grinned at the look she gave him before growing serious. "You can't dwell on the past. Bad things happened, and they'll happen in the future, too. It's best to just keep going."

Even that was a simple solution that didn't seem to feasible, Jay couldn't help but think, but she knew that he fully comprehended what she found herself struggling with. She'd been there on one or two occasions when such things had become too much for even a Time Lord. Those days, they didn't go on an adventure. They didn't leave the TARDIS on those days, so Jay thought that he was being a little hypocritical, but she didn't say anything about it. He was trying to help, and she didn't want him to think her ungrateful.

She said nothing in response, but took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze in gratitude. He squeezed back and then drew away, beaming when Donna stepped back inside. "Donna! Ready to go?"

"Yes," Donna said slowly, looking troubled. She furrowed her brow. "But I think there's something we need to do here first." The Doctor cocked his head questioningly, and Donna's frown deepened uncertainly "It's Lycus. He…he disappeared into thin air!"

"Did he?" The Doctor didn't look surprised, even smug that something had happened with the boy. Jay frowned at him in disapproval, not understanding, and the Doctor seemed to realize that he'd not shared all of his thoughts with them. "The way he reacted when Jay heard the screaming…he was far too interested for a child."

Donna looked annoyed by this statement. "He's just a boy," she protested. "All little boys are curious when someone talks about something like that–"

"Donna," the Doctor gently interrupted. "What child of that age can speak so eloquently and knows more than a grown prince about the Creature we're trying to understand? No one but the king has seen the Creature. So how was he able to describe it in so much detail?"

Jay blinked. She'd not thought of that, but…even as the Doctor said it…she found herself agreeing. As much as she had initially liked Lycus, there had been too much interest in so many things. The TARDIS, the Creature, her… "We let him aboard the TARDIS," she said, touching the console fondly. The TARDIS groaned softly beneath her touch, and she smiled at it before returning her attention onto the Time Lord, her mind flicking back to the Master and what he had done to her. "Could that result in anything bad?"

"Unlikely," reassured the Doctor. He gave a confident shake of his head. "Even if they were to comprehend the technology of the Time Lords, it's unlikely they would be able to replicate it. I think it'll be fine, Jay."

Jay looked very much relieved by this, and Donna huffed. "Forget the box," she said rather crossly, earning matching frowns of disapproval from both the Doctor and Jay, who were both incredibly fond of the TARDIS. "What about Lycus? I'm not saying you're wrong," she added hastily when the Doctor sighed heavily and opened his mouth to repeat what he'd already said. "But why would something disguise itself as a child and do…" She made a wild gesture to indicate the matters at hand.

The Doctor rocked back, nodding thoughtfully. "That's the question. Why would something disguise itself as a child and do anything like this?" He seemed to think it over before deciding that simply sitting there and doing just that would get them nowhere. "Come on!" He whipped around, already reaching for the console. "We'll go investigate the Creature. Maybe it's in just as much danger as the rest of them."

"You think something could be forcing it to do all of this?" asked Jay.

"It's possible." He flipped a switch and pointed to the bag of flour. "First, we need to make a pit stop and release those into the stars. That's where they belong."

Donna immediately looked at Jay, who laughed at the look on her face. "I'll get them," she promised, and went to fetch the bag of flour.


Jay still wasn't too thrilled to be out of the TARDIS, if she was being perfectly honest, but she did feel much better with both the Doctor and Donna in her sight. She trailed along behind the pair as they argued over what to do about Lycus. She felt her lips quirk upright. It was rather amusing, she couldn't help but think. They were both of the same opinion: a calm discussion and then deal with whatever happens. Yet they were arguing anyways.

The arches above their head were intimidating, and the world seemed empty at the moment. Empty of people – empty of living things, actually. Jay didn't like it, but she said nothing about it. The Doctor had already noticed if she'd noticed. Donna would notice soon enough. There was no need to announce it to the rest of the world that they'd noticed.

Jay fingered the necklace she now wore, relieved to not have to worry about what sounds might pop up. She regretted not putting it on earlier in the day; it would have saved her a lot of energy, for she found herself exhausted, but at least she'd gotten some information from it.

"Alright, sweetheart?" Donna suddenly called over her shoulder. Blearily, Jay blinked, and then gave her a grin in response.

"Just fine," she said.

Donna nodded, and the Doctor, after shooting her a swift look to check on her, turned away to return to his argument with Donna. Jay stifled a laugh when Donna rolled her eyes, as if no longer wanting to argue but not knowing how to convince him to stop. She found herself eternally grateful for the fact that Donna had joined their travels. While she wasn't Martha…Martha hadn't been Donna.

It didn't take them long to reach where the Doctor and Donna had left the group with Theseus, just outside of the massive cavern. Something sent a chill down Jay's spine as she looked at the darkness, and she thought she heard something within. There was no sign of the people that should have been there. Not even footprints left in the dust on the ground. The Doctor looked around curiously, his sonic screwdriver hard at work, and Jay put her hands on her hips as she looked around herself.

"Nothing," the Doctor announced after a few moments. "They must have gone inside. I'm getting signals from inside."

"I don't know if I want to go inside," admitted Donna, frowning at the entrance, and Jay inclined her head a fraction in agreement despite not wanting to admit aloud. For one, she wasn't too thrilled to be entering a dark space when they didn't know what was waiting for them down there, and two…she wasn't excited one bit for Donna and the Doctor to be down there either.

As if knowing precisely what she was thinking, the Doctor flashed her a quick, crooked smile and then said nearly gently, "We'll go in and take a quick look around. We won't go too far in."

"You say that," sighed Jay, "but I get the feeling that if we take one step inside, something's going to send us running." There was no doubt in her mind. There was never a trip in which they didn't end up running. She chewed on her lip, her gaze uncertain as she stared at the massive cavern. She recalled what the Doctor had said – that they couldn't experience the universe from the inside of the TARDIS – and sucked in a deep breath. "Alright, if that's where they went, then we have to go, too, if only to save their lives. None of those people led into there deserve to be killed." She glanced at the Doctor, who was beaming proudly at her. "Do you have any flashlights?"

The Doctor patted his pockets, debating, and for a moment, Jay was worried he was going to tell them that they were going in with only a sonic screwdriver for light. But then he withdrew a flashlight for her and a second one for Donna. Donna looked just as grateful as Jay felt.

"Ready?" the Doctor said, checking with them. When both had turned on the lights and nodded, they descended into the cavern.

The darkness was terrifying, Jay thought as it faded behind them, and the ground was, too. It was a very steep incline, and the further down they went, the worse it was until quite suddenly, Donna yelped as her feet slid out from beneath her and she went careening down the rest of it. Jay grabbed the Doctor's shoulder when she nearly followed suit, worried. She could see Donna's flashlight flailing a little bit when she hit the bottom. "Donna!" she called anxiously.

After a moment, Donna called back faintly, "I'm okay!"

The Doctor shooed Jay onwards, and she carefully slid the rest of the way down on her feet, not wanting to go down like Donna had. The Doctor landed neatly beside them, and Donna glared at him for it as she brushed the dust from her pants. "Come on," the Doctor said brightly, hurrying forward. "Let's explore some."

"We're not exploring though," complained Jay as she looked back at the way they'd come, suddenly anxious. What were they going to do to get back out? Well, she supposed, as she and Donna trailed behind their pilot, they'd find something. The Creature had to have a way out, too, after all.

Although, if they were as unlucky as Jay hoped they wouldn't be, they could find themselves confronted with something big enough to be able to use the entrance they'd used. She really hoped that didn't happen.

The ground was even as they walked in silence, their flashlights shining around. When they'd been walking for some time and still hadn't found anything, Jay bit her lip. "Hold on," she said suddenly, glancing at the barely illuminated woman beside her and then the Doctor, who paused to look back. He'd pulled out a light for himself, too, and flashed it her way when she spoke. "I want to see if I can hear anything."

"Don't," the Doctor said firmly. "We'll just keep looking around."

"That wasn't a request," Jay answered quietly, already kneeling. She carefully set her flashlight down and was just beginning to reach up to pull the chain over her head when she noticed something that her light had flashed upon. She paused, turning her head to investigate, and then snatched up her light. "Actually…look." She stepped up to a wall of the cavern, which, as it turned out, was closer than they'd thought. The wall was a reddish color, matching the rocky terrain they'd crossed through to get from the Gates to the cavern. Sandstone, Jay thought, remembering what the Doctor had told her about it a few months prior when they'd been on a planet that used it in every aspect of their life. And carved into that sandstone was writing.

Well, she assumed it to be writing. They were old. Ancient glyphs that the TARDIS was having issues translating for her. When she looked over her shoulder at the Doctor, he looked rather stunned. "What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. He looked too worried by this for Donna, who'd immediately opened her mouth, to tease him. She closed her mouth and instead peered over Jay's shoulder at the large glyphs. One alone was as tall as them. "They're old though." He let out a loud breath, his eyes wide as he studied one line of the glyph. "Very old if the TARDIS can't translate them. That doesn't happen very often."

Jay reached out and brushed her fingers over them, fascinated. A spark appeared in her eyes. "There are other languages the TARDIS can't translate?"

"They're rare, and in my experience, don't mean anything good, but yes." The Doctor's gaze darkened, and he suddenly looked distant. "The last time I saw one was when Rose still traveled with me. It…wasn't pleasant." The set of his jaw was enough to tell Jay not to ask about what had happened. It must have been rather bad if he looked like that. Normally, when he talked about his adventures with Rose, he wore a look of fond sorrow.

"Do you think they're from the Creature?" asked Donna, frowning unhappily at the thought. She wanted nothing to do with something that made the Doctor look that worried. Jay silently agreed with her.

"Could be." The Doctor turned away, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't think so. Had it been as powerful as whatever wrote those words there, I think we'd have seen something much worse by now. Come on, let's keep going. They can't have gotten that much further – I landed the TARDIS ten minutes after they left..." He trailed off as a distant scream pierced the air, listening intently. "C'mon!" he called, darting forward when another followed.

Jay reluctantly walked backwards when she heard the Doctor and Donna leaving, still studying the glyphs. She furrowed her brow at them. There was something about them…she couldn't necessarily read them, but phrase rested on the tip of her tongue, as if they were trying to tell them something. But she gave up after a few moments, shrugging, and whipped around to follow the Doctor and Donna properly.

Maybe she'd figure it out later.

She took off after them, startled by how quickly they'd gotten away from her. But she caught up when they stumbled to a halt, their lights flashing at something that towered above them. Jay's light joined them, and she stared at the Creature above her.

It was massive. Massive, and scaly, and altogether not something any of them were too ecstatic to find towering above them. While they couldn't see much with their small flashlights, it was enough to display the fact that a single coil of its serpentine body was at least a dozen or so feet above their head and that it had more than one head. Two, to be exact, with blood shining at the base of its two necks. Its red eyes glowed in the dark.

"Oh," said Jay faintly as a shiver ran down her spine. "The myth always said it was the minotaur, not a hydra."

Thank the stars above that she'd been so interested in Greek mythology for a time.

Another scream filled the air as the second head snapped its massive dual fangs at the group that was cowering in a corner. Jay snapped her flashlight towards them and found a shocked looking Theseus standing before the group, a sword sparking with electrical energy held protectively in front of them. He was heaving for air, and blood blotted his body. Jay was willing to bet that he'd been the one to sever the first head. When the one after them lunged again, he swung his sword.

"Don't!" Jay shouted, lurching forward. She wasn't sure if she was right. Maybe it hadn't sprouted a second head. But she wasn't about to risk it until she knew for sure. She managed to duck past the head that suddenly turned and snapped at her, and then flung herself forward, slamming into Theseus so hard he dropped his sword. He glared down at her and she glared right back at him. "You cut off one and another showed up, didn't it? Well stop cutting off the heads then!"

"You can't just run off like that!" Donna cried in her ear, and Jay glanced at her in surprise, unprepared. She'd not noticed that Donna had followed. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Move!" Theseus bellowed, shoving them aside when the hydra snapped at them again. Jay swore at the powerful pungent smell that came from its mouth. Venom. She scowled. Just her luck she'd find herself confronted with another venomous creature –

"Over here!" the Doctor shouted, the sound of the sonic screwdriver louder than normal as he held it above his head, trying to catch the hydra's attention. It worked. Both heads whipped around to hiss at him. It turned entirely, dragging itself on short front arms, its weight making the ground shake beneath them. The Doctor's face was determined as he called, not taking his eyes off the hydra, "Get them out of that corner!"

Donna and Jay nodded, their eyes bright with determination. "Move," Jay ordered, and Donna took over a hysterically sobbing woman, who was so scared she could barely move, but clutched at Donna's arm. "Theseus," Jay added sharply when he stared at the women in surprise. "You, too. Help us get them moving." She didn't like him, but…they could sure use his help. And he clearly cared for his people with the force he'd been using to protect them.

Theseus studied her closely for a moment and then nodded, snatching up his sword. "Right," he muttered, and then turned to do just that. He ushered people along the side of the wall, and Jay swore under her breath when the hydra's tail lashed out and slammed into it, raining heavy rocks down on them. Donna hissed when one cut her forehead, but ignored it. Instead, she focused on helping the woman along.

"Faster!" she snapped when a head struck out at the Doctor, a high-pitched screaming hiss leaving the other. He dove out of the way, scrambling to his feet and bolting to the side when the second head lunged, too. Jay felt a flicker of terror creep into her veins. The last thing they wanted or needed was the hydra catching him with its potent venom.

"Miss!" an elderly man suddenly said in his wispy voice, catching her attention. Jay turned her head immediately, semi-distracted and impatient. He pointed, and Jay shone her flashlight towards the direction he'd pointed in. She blinked at the space in the wall. A crevice – with a fresh breeze brushing hair from people's faces.

"Donna, I'm going to check it out, keep an eye on things here," Jay shouted over the commotion.

"I'll come, too," Theseus told her, and Jay debated. She didn't want him to. Didn't trust him like she trusted the Doctor and Donna. But she didn't think it'd be smart to go in unprepared, so she curtly nodded.

Donna, however, didn't look very excited. "Jay, don't," she said almost pleadingly, but Jay was already pushing her way through the crevice, grunting with the effort. She shone her flashlight around as she edged through sideways, smirking to herself when Theseus muttered a curse under his breath upon almost getting stuck.

It seemed like forever, but Jay was sure it was only a few minutes before she'd shoved herself free and into the fresh open air. "Ha!" she cried, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She clapped her hands together with a beaming smile when she realized that they stood upon a cliff. It was nearly six feet to the edge, with a wide path that would lead them straight down to a beach – a beach that looked like it would lead them right to where they needed to go to get back to the ships that had brought everyone to this island.

"Alright, let's get back and get those people out!" Jay said with a broad smile that she flashed at Theseus. He wore an odd look on his face as he watched her, but she pushed herself to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to think about things like that.

Jay pushed herself back into the crevice, moving as quickly as she could until she reached the other side. "It's safe!" she declared. She stepped aside. "Go!"

People pushed towards it. Jay mentally counted how many there were as they began to squeeze through. Three people were missing, but she had no doubt that she knew they were gone. Her heart ached. They'd not moved fast enough to save all of them.

But we're saving others, she told herself, pushing past it. She could mourn those losses later.

When Donna had taken the last of them through, anxiously looking back over her shoulder and it was just she and Theseus left, Jay opened her mouth to shout for the Doctor – only to yelp softly when she was shoved into the crevice. Theseus wore a grim expression as he pressed in behind her in time for something to slam sharply into the wall above them. Jay gasped as the world shook violently around them and made her slam her numb fingers against the wall to keep from falling.

Rocks fell form above and Jay flung her arms in front of her face to protect it, the flashlight tumbling from her hands. When she lowered them, she was met by a sight that had her lurching forward, her fingers slamming into the boulders that had fallen. "Doctor!" she shouted, furious with the hydra's terrible timing.

For the boulders had sealed the entrance, leaving the Doctor trapped with the hydra.


Finally an update! I hope you enjoyed! :)

Thanks to reviewers (lautaro94, bored411, Catlorde, Falling Right Side-Up, and savethemadscientist!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I really appreciate it. :)