Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are having a wonderful new year so far. :) Sorry again about the missing chapter 25. I realized later that it was a mistake on my part because I was playing around with the new fanfiction app. Let's just say I'm only going to use the app to read stories from now on.
Enjoy the new chapter and the new year!
XxXxXxXx
Chapter 27: Darkness Approaches
The tight and rickety corridor of the station around her shook as the ground beneath was heard quaking. Wanda stumbled back, falling into a pipe as she held on, waiting for the quaking to stop. The rock underneath the base settled, allowing her time to stand up and catch her bearings. Figures. She always leaves right after having fun with the Doctor. She, the Doctor, and River had spent their own Christmas day together on an ice world filled with wonder. And just as the Time Lords returned River back to her home, Wanda was whisked away before the Doctor and she could relax after a whole week of Christmas activities. It had been nothing but Christmas meals, planets, towns, shops, and all sorts of things for them. Especially in making certain to visit all old friends for the holiday, with Jenny being their first stop. One could never have too much Christmas really.
Wanda hummed as she gazed around, realizing she had come into a human-made base. She recognized enough of the materials the metal building was made to know human architect when she saw it. In fact, she knew she enough of many different styles of architecture to know which species, origin, era, and age a variety of things were made from and how. She smiled proudly; glad that many years of travelling had taught her this. Now, to find the Doctor. He had to be somewhere around here, right? She hummed, looking around to see which way to go. Closing her eyes and pointing a finger out, she spun around and halted, opening her eyes again and decided to go where she had pointed to.
The base around her continued to rumble slightly as she walked through the corridors, but she could tell it was mostly from the howling winds that raged outside. It sounded like one hell of a storm. But when she passed by a window and peeked outside, her hearts dropped in realization. Oh, no, not this place. Her wide eyes stared out to the barren wasteland outside the metal walls, seeing solar winds whipping through the mountains and rock. There was also different connecting tunnels that lay about to show a complex network for the Sanctuary Base. Outside, in the corner of the skylight, Wanda could see the edges of K thirty-seven Gem five, the massive black hole of which the Walker Expedition were studying. That meant that she was currently here in the 42nd century . . . on the impossible planet . . . home of the . . .
Wanderer.
Wanda tensed as a dark chill swept through her. Her hands that had been pressed against the wall scratched on the metal as her hands slowly tightened into fists. Her eyes narrowed and her teeth gritted. She knew what that dark voice was. That chilling voice that was meant to send terror to anyone who heard it. But to her, it only caused her to feel anger. The barrier in her mind stirred, becoming restless as it sensed the strange energy that swept through the area. A growl rumbled deep within her head as whatever lay inside bared its teeth, ready for a fight.
Wanderer.
"Shut it," Wanda snapped, turning to glare at the dark corridor around her. "I know who you are, and your little mind games won't work on me."
I will have you, Wanderer.
"You can try!" she screamed as the darkness behind the barrier snapped in response, daring for the energy surrounding to even try and harm her, for there would be terrible consequences if it did. She turned and ran. She knew that technically she was fleeing, but she did not dare stay and wait for it to try and take her mind like it would be to Toby Zed, the archaeologist of the expedition. That poor man. He had no idea what was coming for him. None of them did.
A door opened right and swung open, stopping her as it blocked her path in the tight corridor. She let out a startled scream as someone suddenly walked out from the doorway, jumping back from them as she only saw shadows.
"Are you all right, miss?" asked the polite and kind voice of an Ood. Wanda clutched at her chest, breathing evenly to let her hearts settle and the stirring in her mind to calm down. Just like with the shadow back on Midnight, the barrier felt agitated and restless, ready to prove its might and power for a show of dominance. She shook her head, riding herself of these feelings and thoughts as she plastered a smile on her face for the Ood. He blinked at her curiously, holding out his translation sphere for communication.
"May I be of assistance?" the Ood asked kindly.
"Hello, yes, hi," she panted out from the frantic run she just had. "Um, c-could you direct me to a man called 'the Doctor' please?"
"Certainly," nodded the Ood, turning to direct her towards the location which it had come from. Wanda glanced back down the corridor from where she had fled, gulping as she felt as though the darkness was slowly creeping towards her. She hurriedly walked after the Ood, slamming shut the door behind her.
The Ood guided her through different passages until finally they reached Habitation Three, the mess hall of sorts for the crew that worked the expedition. Within the room, she noticed some of the people from the expedition that had set base here on the impossible planet. Ida Scott, the science officer, sat next to Danny Bartock, some sort of representative of the crew, as both of them were seen eating their meal for the night. Scooti Manista, the trainee, stood in line for her own meal as man Ood on the other side in the kitchen served her. Then, sitting in the corner of the room by a wall covered in old, ancient writing was Ten and Rose. Wanda sighed in relief, finally letting herself calm down from the earlier scare she had received.
"Doctor! Rose!" she called out, running over to the two. Everyone else in the room looked up in shock as both Rose and the Doctor beamed upon seeing Wanda coming over to them.
"Seriously? Another one? Where do they keep coming from?" Wanda heard Danny speak up sarcastically and in confusion over by Ida. Wanda did not pay any of them much attention as she was solely focused on giving both her husband and her best friend the biggest hugs yet. She threw her arms around them, laughing away.
"I've missed you both!" she exclaimed merrily. She pulled away, smiling at Rose. "I've especially missed you, girlie. It's been ages since I've seen you last."
"Really? How long as it been?" Rose asked curiously.
"Too long," replied Wanda, giving the blonde girl another strong hug.
"No, wait, hold on a minute," spoke up Ida from behind. The trio turned to look at the woman, seeing how both she and the other two stared suspiciously at them. Ida had walked closer to them as Scooti and Danny hung back. "Where did she come from? She wasn't with you two earlier."
"They forgot to mention me, didn't they?" Wanda replied, giving the other three in the room a sheepish smile. "I was with them earlier, but I wandered off on my own to search for the loo. Then I got a little lost after that nasty earthquake that had happened. I would have been lost for ages if this nice Ood here didn't find me." She waved to the Ood next to her, the one who still politely stood by her side until she told him to do otherwise.
"Is this true, Ood?" Ida questioned, crossing her arms as she stared at both the alien servant and the new blonde arrival.
"Yes, miss," answered the Ood, bowing his head. "I found her and guided her back here upon her request."
"Well, then, anyone else wandering around that you want to tell us about, Doctor?" Ida asked, sounding annoyed by not being told about a third party member from the strange arrivals.
"No, no. Just old Wanda here. No one else," the Doctor said casually, giving the woman a strained smile. Raising a brow, Ida merely shook her head and walked back over to her table to finish her meal. Scooti shrugged her shoulders and continued getting her meal as Danny stood up and walked out of the room when being called by Zachary Flane, the current expedition Captain, over the intercom system to check up on the Ood Habitation.
"Is there anything else you will be requiring, miss?" the Ood next to Wanda asked her in politeness.
"No, I'm good. Thank you so much for bringing me here," Wanda replied, smiling kindly at the Ood. She patted him on the shoulder. "Just take care of yourself for me, okay?"
"You are very kind, miss," responded the Ood, bowing his head slightly in respect. He turned and walked away, ready to perform other duties for the base. Wanda stared sadly at the alien, feeling her hearts twist in knowing what would happen to him and all the other Ood of this base.
"So, where have you been lately?" Rose asked, making Wanda turn her attention back to the companion and Doctor. They both sort of stared at her in interest. Wanda realized that it had been quite some time for them since seeing her Third face last. Both must be wondering how she had been doing on her wanderings.
"Just mostly hanging in the future," she replied with a shrug.
"Well, it's good to have you with us again," the Doctor said, giving a smile briefly before a sad expression took over his face once more. "Wanda . . . I actually have some terrible news. The TARDIS—."
"Was lost in the quake after the collapse of Storage Six falling down into the internal cavern of the planet," Wanda finished for him casually. She gave each of them a smile. "Don't worry, we'll get her back."
"We will?" both Rose and the Doctor question, highly skeptical about this and how at eased Wanda seemed about it all.
"Yep. Promise," Wanda replied, giving them a wink.
"Well, that's a load off," Rose said, letting some of her stress ease away. Though she still felt some tension as she knew there was always a chance things might change. Glancing over, the companion spotted the food line by the Ood. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving. Let's see what kind strange food this place has." She walked away, leaving the two Time Lords alone.
Wanda watched the companion leave for a moment before looking back at the Doctor, seeing how he had his glasses on and was taking notes on the strange writing on the wall. Glancing up, she saw the large print, Welcome to Hell, written just above the ancient writings that had been done by Toby. Writing that had been created before time itself. Something which the TARDIS herself would never be able to translate. Gazing in deep thought at the writing, Wanda could not help by wonder what kind of story the ancient words spoke of. She scooted up closer to the Doctor, standing across from where he sat.
"Any idea what it means?" the Doctor asked her lightly, not really looking at her as he scribbled away on his notepad.
"Sure. It says, 'Welcome to Hell. Home of the best chocolate fountains and potatoes,'" Wanda joked sarcastically, snickering when seeing the Doctor roll his eyes at her.
"Funny," he replied with similar sarcasm. He started to jot down more notes from the writing when he paused and frowned in bewilderment. "Hold on—chocolate fountains and potatoes? Where did you come up with that?"
"I don't know. I've just been craving chocolate and potatoes lately," Wanda mumbled, shrugging her shoulders. "I think it's my stupid taste buds acting up again. I keep wanting to try all these weird foods. Found myself eating turkey gravy and apple bits just last week."
The Doctor blinked for a moment before shaking his head. "It's official. You are definitely disgusting."
"Look who's talking." She bumped him playfully with her elbow and they both laughed lightly.
The Doctor sighed after a moment of laughter, fiddling with the pen in his hand. He glanced at Wanda, shifting on the spot as he wished to ask her something, something important and . . . personal. But at the same time, he felt rather nervous in discussing such things. The last time he had been with any Wanda it had been her Second self and they had almost been ready . . . ready to kiss again. And from the discussion they had . . . about being 'together' . . . Was that still open in the air for them? Was it something Third Wanda had already discussed with his future self, or . . . had she moved on and decided that they were just not meant to be? He felt anxious in talking about it with her. What if her answer was 'no' and they had to go back into their ridiculous routine of pretending neither one felt something for the other?
"What's on your mind, Doctor?" came the sudden question from Wanda. The Doctor jerked slightly, realizing that he had been lost in thought and had been staring intently at her for a moment there.
"Ah, well, I, um," he stumbled over his words. The pen in his hand dropped as it slipped out of his fingers, falling to the ground. He went to quickly reach for it, but at the same so did Wanda. Their heads collided and both jerked back, rubbing at the now tend spots on their foreheads. "Blimey that hurt."
Wanda laughed, grabbing the pen and handing it over. "Here. I think you dropped this."
"Yeah, yeah." The Doctor took it from her, flipping it around before placing both it and his notepad into the inner pocket on his suit jacket. He shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "So . . . what were we talking about?"
Wanda smirked cheekily at him, scooting closer beside him as she held a small knowing twinkle in her eyes. "We were about to discuss what you wanted to say to me."
"Right." The Doctor scratched as the side of his face, trying not to let her see the red tint on his cheeks. He cleared his throat. "Well . . . I was wondering . . . h-have you thought over what we are . . . officially?"
"I have." She smiled slyly, giving a small nod.
The Doctor blinked, becoming even more anxious now in waiting for her reply. "And?"
"I don't know. What do you think, Spaceman?" She bumped her hip against his, giggling at his puzzled expression. "Doctor, it's been decades for me since we've talked about this particular subject. What do you really think has been going on between me and you over the years?"
"How should I know? I don't see everything like you do." He huffed, holding a pout. Then he glanced at her in interest. "But . . . does this mean that we're, sort of, mostly, together? As in, we're pretty close in the future?"
"Hmm . . . I'd say so, yeah." She gave him a cheeky grin, grabbing his hand and entwining their fingers. "It's official, Doctor. You and I are dating."
The Doctor could not help but look down at their clasped hands. He beamed, feeling his hearts speeding up in delight. "Good. More than good, brilliant. Molto bene."
"Eccellente." Wanda nodded in agreement. He laughed while she chuckled fondly.
Then, the Doctor stared at her in curiosity. "So . . . what about your Second self? Does that mean for now on she and I are . . ."
"No. Well, yes. It's . . . it's complicated with Second Wanda. But don't worry, she comes around . . . eventually. I promise. Just . . . give her some time. As you know, I can be a little stubborn at times."
"Only a little?"
Wanda scoffed and punched him in the arm, making him laugh. "Shush you. Don't push your luck in this developing relationship." She waved a pretend scolding finger at him, giggling as he stuck out his tongue in response, retorting to her words in the same fashion she would have. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, making him grin happily. "I'm going to go grab something to eat. I'm starving. I wonder if they have any potatoes."
After gathering a tray of food, Wanda had just sat down at the table next to the Doctor and across from Rose when the lights around the base began to crackle and flicker. The trio heard Ida asking Zach on the issue, but the Captain assured her that there was nothing out of ordinary. Though, he did mention that a close by system, the Scarlet system, was burning up and being sucked into the black hole overhead. Ida nodded, smiling as she hurriedly walked over and opened the shutters above them.
Looming over them all was the infamous black hole. It had a halo of yellow light around the edges of the pitch-black hole that had been punched in space. Different asteroids and other space debris could be seen being pulled right into the crushing depths of the black hole. Then, curving into the darkness of the tremendous force was the Scarlet system. The system itself had this light, red glow to it, slowly being dragged right into the forceful black hole. Wanda stared at the sight in awe, her eyes wide as she watched the old system, that had once held civilizations that spanned a billion years, was consumed. Disappearing from the universe, forever. And it was . . . beautiful. Wanda half heard the Doctor asking Ida to leave the shutters open for a while longer, then Ida and the others leaving to go do their tasks and chores for the day.
"Even in death, there's beauty," Wanda mumbled quietly under her breath as she stared at the black hole, letting her mind wander to nothing.
"I've seen films and things, yeah? They say black holes are like gateways to another universe," Rose spoke up, earning both Time Lords' attention. The Doctor stared up at the black hole again, giving it a thoughtful gaze.
"Not that one," he concluded. "It just eats." Rose gazed up as well, feeling sick by the sight of the dark blackness. How could anyone see that thing as anything more than frightening?
"Long way from home," she mumbled. She glanced thoughtfully at the Time Lords again. "What if you're wrong, Wanda, and we can't make it back? Can the Doctor build another TARDIS?"
"They were grown, not built," explained the Doctor solemnly. "With our own planet gone, we're kind of stuck until we can find our ship again. And we will find her again, right, Wanda?"
"Of course," Wanda replied, giving each of them a comforting smile.
"But if something does happen, this lot did say they'd give us a lift," Rose remarked, still looking unsure and skeptical by Wanda's assurance. The Time Lady rolled her eyes, figuring that by now both of them would learn to trust her word and promises.
"And if we do end up going with them, then what?" questioned the Doctor, seeming interested in the subject.
"I don't know," Rose answered truthfully. She shrugged after an afterthought. "Find a planet, get a job, live a life—same as the rest of the universe." The Doctor let out a frustrated puff of air.
"I'd have to settle down . . . get a house or something, a proper house, with—with—with—with doors and things, carpets," he listed off, sounded very unhappy and disgusted by the very idea. "Me! Living in a house! Now that—that . . . that is terrifying." Both Wanda and Rose laughed for a moment before the Time Lady blinked in horror.
"Oh, god, I'd have to get a job. Again!" said Wanda, groaning in dread. "It was hard enough adjusting the first time to a job. I had no clue on what to do the first time around. Never had experience with jobs and such beforehand. My parents never even had jobs! The whole thing is just . . . bizarre!" At this, both the Doctor and Rose stared at Wanda in interest.
"What do you mean your parents never had jobs?" Rose asked in curiosity. Wanda blinked, wondering why both seemed to give her such questioning stares. Had she said something wrong?
"My parents never had jobs," she answered truthfully. "No one back home did. We all just sort of . . . well . . . did things we were good at, I guess."
"What? That can't be right," interjected the Doctor, frowning as he knew none of this matched up. "You've mentioned strange things about your . . . past life before. But this? And—and why is it that your universe's Earth is so different? It just doesn't add up."
"Your village had to have some kind of jobs or another," Rose added, nodding in agreement with the Doctor's dispute. "I mean, how did your parents make money if there were no jobs?"
"Um . . ." Wanda tapped her fingers on the table, trying to recall what her parents did in their lives while she had lived in the village. "I can't really . . . remember. All I recall is my father carving sculptures out of wood and my mother gardening. That's . . . about it, really."
"Come on, there had to be more than that," scoffed the Doctor, shaking his head in a perplexed manner.
"What about you?" Rose questioned. "I mean, you were twenty-two before you were brought to this universe. Surely you had a job, right? Maybe at a shop or something?"
"Nope, never," Wanda shook her head. "But I did get some experience with a job not that long ago. Had to while stranded away from the TARDIS for a month. Though," she laughed slightly, "it is kind of strange for someone to go ninety-eight years of their lives not having a job." She held an uncertain smile as she felt anxious by the strange looks Rose and the Doctor were giving her. Especially the Doctor as he seemed determined to understand something important as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and did a quick scan of her. Wanda pouted while he looked over the readings of the tool carefully. "Why must you always find a reason to scan me? It's like you think I'm a bomb about to go off or something."
"I'm scanning you for your age," mumbled the Doctor. He tightened his grip on the sonic, giving Wanda a wary side glance. "You know . . . I could have sworn that when I first met you, and you explained how you had been ahead four hundred years of my timeline . . . Well, I could have sworn that you meant that you had already lived through four hundred years of my life."
"No . . . Why would you assume I had already lived through four hundred years with you?" Wanda questioned, feeling greatly confused now. Had that been something she had accidentally implied, or had the Doctor merely assumed this? But . . . why would he assume something like that? Unless . . .
"Wanda . . . you're not as old as you think you are," the Doctor told her carefully. He seemed hesitant, as though he was not sure how to tell her such a heavy topic.
"What do you mean? I . . . I know how old I am. Why wouldn't I know my own age?" Wanda responded, shifting on her seat in uneasy. She felt all the barriers within her mind creak as a headache grew when she tired thinking on the topic of her age. She . . . she had always been twenty-two while living in her village, right? No . . . no, that was not right. She . . . could not have always been twenty-two? She had to have grown up normally as any other human child. But whenever she tired thinking of her younger years . . . nothing came. It was all blank.
"Wanda, just . . . look," the Doctor said, handing over his sonic for the Time Lady to see the scan herself. Taking the tool, Wanda gripped it in her hands, holding the device in her hard-grasping fingers as she stared down at the results of the scan in alarm. Her eyes widening in shock and dread. No . . . this could not be right. Next to the alarmed Time Lady, the Doctor began rambling on in thought as he stared at the space over them.
"I've been wondering about your age for a while now and why you seem so determined to think you're younger," he rambled. "At first I thought that maybe it might be possible you were trying not to let a spoiler out. But then, I've begun to think that maybe something must have happened between us meeting. Maybe something you had forgotten? And that made you live through four hundred years before you finally reached coming to my timeline. Then again, this brings us back to you being 'human' before. Logically, it's just not possible. How can a human ever be turned into a Time Lord? Just like that? There has to be something else at play and we're just not seeing—."
"Doctor," Rose snapped, getting the Time Lord's attention. She jerked her head at Wanda who she began to worry over as the Time Lady was seen shaking, still holding onto the sonic with white knuckles.
"Wanda?" the Doctor spoke up, touching her shoulder as he realized this might have been a greater shock to her than he imagined it would be. Wanda abruptly stood up, jerking away from the Doctor's touch and the table as she flung the sonic away from her. Not wishing to believe what age it told her.
"How . . . how can that be?" she said, her voice wavering as she breathed in and out at a rapid pace. "How can I be six hundred-two years old? That's . . . that's not possible! I can't be that old! Why does it say I'm that old?!"
"Wanda, calm down." The Doctor stood up, holding out his hands in a gesture to ease her worries.
But Wanda was not listening. Not hearing the Doctor trying to calm her or Rose voicing concerns and questions about the Time Lady's age. No, the thing Wanda could hear was the ringing in her ears. Her hearts sped up and her mind was stabbed with a painful headache. A few barriers cracked open, flooding her head with terrifying images. She let out a scream.
"NO! Don't make me remember! Please!" she screeched. Her eyes rolled up and she fell to the metal floor, quaking as she curled up into herself and gripped at her head. In an instant, the Doctor and Rose were by her side. The Doctor pulled Wanda into his arms, holding her close while Rose kneeled next to him, gripping at the Time Lady's hand in a panic. All the while, Wanda began muttering rapidly, "I remember. I remember. I remember."
"Wanda? Wanda, what's wrong?" the Doctor questioned in alarm, brush away her hair that had fallen over her face. He gave her a small shake. "What are you remembering? Wanderer, please, answer me."
"Wanda, wake up," Rose called to the blonde girl, panicking over her friend's crying and repeating the same words 'I remember' over and over again. "Come on, snap out of it." Still, no reply from the Time Lady as she trembled in the Doctor's arms. Rose snapped her gaze at the Time Lord. "Doctor, how do we wake her up?"
"I—I—I don't know," responded the Doctor. He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the strands as he felt just as panicked as Rose did over Wanda's behavior.
Suddenly, the Time Lady gasped loudly, jerking away from the Doctor's arms as she sat up. She blinked slowly, letting her vision clear as she realized that she was on the floor of the room. Wait . . . how did she get here? She had just been talking to the Doctor and Rose about getting a job a second ago. Did she trip or . . .
"Wanda?" she heard the hesitant voice of the Doctor behind her. She turned around, seeing the alarmed looks that both Rose and the Doctor were giving her. Almost appearing to be afraid of something terrible was about to happen. And the way they stared at her . . .
She suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth as she felt nausea overtake her. Shooting up from the floor, there was only a quick rush to the nearest bin before Wanda was bent over and heaving. She gripped at her stomach as it felt cramped and knotted up. It was not necessarily painful. But it did feel incredibly uncomfortable. She felt someone holding back her hair and another patting gently at her back as she continued to empty out her stomach. After a moment, her stomach settled enough to let her rest, leaning her sweaty forehead against the edge of the bin as she breathed deeply in and out, steadying herself. These random spurts of sickness were starting to become routine for her lately. Ever since that one time in the toilets with Martha, Wanda felt the feeling of nausea overcome her so much that she would have to rush off somewhere, becoming sick and letting it pass after an hour or so. That, and she has noticed the increasing lack of energy she has been having. What was wrong with her lately?
"Sorry about that," Wanda said hoarsely as now her throat felt sore. She tried clearing it the best she could. She sat up straighter, noting how the Doctor dropped his hand away from her hair and Rose pulling back her own from the Time Lady's back. "So . . . we're were talking about jobs and getting a house, right?" The smile on her face only lasted a second longer before slipping away as the Doctor and Rose had this strange wary manner around her. "Sorry, was it something I said?"
"But you . . . you were just . . .," Rose tried to say, feeling at a loss for words. Why was the Time Lady simply acting as though nothing had happened? Did Wanda not remember or something? And why did she become so sick?
"You were crying and screaming," the Doctor clarified, walking up closer to Wanda and placing a hand on her cheek as he gazed carefully at her. "You were remembering something. What was it you were remembering, Wanda?"
Wanda merely blinked, replying, "What are you talking about? I wasn't crying or screaming. We were talking about jobs, remember?"
"Yes, but—," the Doctor tried to argue, pushing for real answers. However, Rose's mobile going off interrupted him. The companion pulled out the phone from her pocket in a hurry, hoping that it was her mother. But when she answered it, the only voice she heard was a dark one.
"He is awake," rumbled the voice. Rose jerked her hand, letting the mobile drop to the ground.
"Let me guess . . . it just said, 'He is awake,' right?" Wanda spoke up, nodding to the mobile.
"Y-yeah," Rose replied shakily. First Wanda's strange behavior and now this? What the hell was going on?
"Well, time to get to work, then," Wanda stated, rubbing her hands together as if preparing for a dreadful task. "Just warning you both now, it's not going to be pretty."
She skipped forward, going off to a door and leaving the area. Rose picked up her mobile, looking at the Doctor in question. She raised a brow, waving at the direction Wanda had gone. The Doctor slowly shook his head, staring off at the retreating Wanda in confusion and dread. Both were thinking the same thing.
What was happening to their friend?
XxXxXxXx
They arrived shortly later at the Ood Habitation where Danny was monitoring over the bases many Ood. Wanda walked around Danny, letting the Doctor and Rose question him on the Ood and bring up the subject of the strange messages being said by the Ood and then from Rose's mobile. Wanda herself only wanted to focus on observing all the Ood down below in their holding area. Almost all Ood were sitting down on hard, cold, metal benches, while one long line of them was forced to stand. The whole area was cramped for them as they were all pushed right next to each other. The conditions of which they were forced to live were terrible. Wanda shook her head, disgusted by the sight.
"Poor things," she mumbled quietly.
"Oh, what, are you Friends of the Ood as well?" scoffed Danny as he walked by her. Wanda turned around, her eyes glaring sharply at him.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am. Got a problem with that?" she retorted spitefully as her temper flared. Danny merely rolled his eyes, looking away from her. Though both the Doctor and Rose gave the Time Lady a wary side glance as they were still uncertain if she was still fine or not.
"Look, if there was something wrong, it would show," Danny continued to speak with Rose and the Doctor, assuring them that the strange message from the Ood that Rose had heard, as well as from the companion's mobile, was nothing. "We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid."
"No, they're not," Wanda grounded out, placing her hands on her hips as she stared evenly at the young man. "The only reason they can't alert you lot when they're ill and such is because they aren't allowed to. All because of that stupid Ood Operations . . ." She let herself trail off in a grumble, not able to say anything else as it would become spoilers.
"What do you mean, Wanda?" the Doctor questioned, becoming curious by how defensive she had become about the Ood. Was there something important about them?
"Nothing. Just . . . You'll get your chance to help them later, Doctor," Wanda replied, walking over closer to the computer that Danny had been working with. She stared carefully at it as the Doctor turned to question Danny once more.
"Monitor the field—that's this thing?" the Doctor nodded to the computer which Wanda stood by, seeing the screen showing Basic Five telepathic waves coming from the Ood.
"Yeah, but like I said, it's low-level telepathy," Danny replied dismissively. "They only register Basic Five." The Doctor, Rose, and Wanda all stared at the screen as the numbers shifted, rising higher and higher by each second.
"Well, that's not Basic Five. Ten . . . Twenty . . . They've gone up to Basic Thirty," the Doctor told Danny as they saw the number halt at the end, coming to thirty. Wanda looked over the railing of Ood Habitation, seeing all of the Ood staring straight at them.
"Doctor," she said, tapping on his arm and nodding towards the Ood. They all looked at the Ood in alarm. Danny swiftly walked over to the computer as the trio scooted out of his way, seeing how the young man typing in rapid motion to figure out what was happening to the Ood.
"What does 'Basic Thirty' mean?" Rose asked them.
"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming, inside their heads," Danny explained, sounding anxious and confused by what was happening.
"Or someone's shouting at them," mumbled the Doctor as he observed the Ood.
Wanda nodded slowly, gripping the railing in front of her tightly, her knuckles turning white as she felt the hairs in the back of her neck rising. The barrier within her shifted and creaked as it felt threatened. A warning of sorts went off within her as it knew something within the air was wrong. A dark energy swept through, surrounding the Ood and was trying to do the same to the rest of them. It wanted to find a suitable minion for it to use for its dark purposes. But Wanda knew she was not having it. She would fight if she had to before she allowed it anywhere near Rose, her Doctor, or even herself. And she felt it. The darkness of the Beast below, readying itself for a battle against her as it seemed to sense her defenses rising and strange primal need for dominance. She did not know what it was—perhaps it was the Time Vortex within her—but she almost felt as though she had her own energy radiating outward, slamming into the darkness and placing an invisible barrier of sorts around the Doctor, Rose, Danny, and herself as protection. As well as to show the Beast who had the greater force of power.
It was like Midnight all over again. All these strange and primal feelings coursing through her that seemed to directly come from the one barrier within. But really, she did not care much to know why she felt this way. All she knew was if it protected her Doctor and Rose, then she could care less what exactly was happening to her. Next to her, also looking out over the Ood, was the Doctor. His mind alerted him to something feeling off, something had changed. He could not tell what, but . . . something was wrong. He knew that much. Glancing at Wanda beside him, he was surprised to see a strange assertive gaze within her eyes as she stared the Ood down.
"What did it say to you?" Danny suddenly questioned Rose about the earlier message from the one Ood.
"Something about the beast in the pit," Rose explained.
"What about your communicator? What did that say?" Danny urged for a better explanation, needing to know what exactly was happening here. Rose gulped, feeling dread overtaking her. Wanda reached over to the companion beside her, patting her hand in comfort.
"'He is awake,'" Wanda answered for her friend, keeping her tone even.
"And you will worship him," spoke all the Ood in unison. Everyone, except for Wanda, stiffened as they stared at the Ood in stunned silence. The Time Lady, however, narrowed her eyes as she gripped the railing tighter. The Doctor hardened his own gaze.
"He is awake," he said in a commanding and loud voice, trying to revoke a reaction again. Which he received an immediate response.
"And you will worship him," repeated the Ood. To Wanda, it felt like a repeat of the Ood planet all over again, like déjà vu.
"Worship who?" the Doctor questioned the Ood. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?" There was no reply this time. Only silence from the Ood as they continued to stare at them all. Wanda swallowed heavily.
"It's . . . him," Wanda replied through gritted teeth. All eyes whipped over to her, staring at her in either alarm or interest.
"Wanda, who's 'him'?" the Doctor asked her carefully, afraid that perhaps 'him' and everything else that has been going on had something to do with her . . . 'collapse' earlier. The Time Lady, however, did not answer as she felt her throat close up, too afraid to say it. What if . . . what if saying it just made things worse? But . . . she had to warn them . . . right?
Seemingly out of nowhere, the whole place rocked beneath their feet. Alarms began to blare and the computer warned of a hull breach. Danny tried contacting Zach to find out what was going on. They received instructions to evacuate Habitations Eleven to Thirteen from Zach, making them all leave as quick as possible from the Ood Habitation. The Doctor grabbed both Rose and Wanda's hand firmly within his own as they ran after Danny, going as fast as they could through the base and getting to a safer location. They ran into the others down a corridor, seeing Mr. Jefferson, head of security, pulling Toby into the area with them just in a nick of time before slamming the door shut and sealing the breach. All panted out as they tried gaining their breaths back. The Doctor pulled away from the other two of his group, going up to Jefferson.
"Everyone all right?" the Time Lord questioned the man. "What happened? What was it?"
"Hull breach," Jefferson replied, confirming what the computer had announced. "We were open to the elements. Another couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters."
"That wasn't a quake. What caused it?" the Doctor continued to press for answers.
"We've lost sections Eleven to Thirteen," came the voice of Zach over Jefferson's wrist communicator. "Everyone all right?"
"We've got everyone here except Scooti," Jefferson told Zach. Wanda stiffened and swallowed, suddenly remembering what had happened to Scooti. She listened as Jefferson tired contacting Scooti over the radio, but continued to receive no answer, only hearing static from the other end of the line.
"She's all right. I've picked up her biochip. She's in Habitation Three," Zach said over the comm, trying to ease everyone's worries for the young woman. "Better go and check if she's not responding. She might be unconscious."
Wanda felt her hearts sink, knowing the fate of poor Scooti. There was no saving her now. Gazing down, Wanda's eyes narrowed and the same assertive flash went through her emerald eyes as she stared at Toby on the floor at their feet. She watched as the young man looked at his hands, seeming largely unnerved by something that had occurred. And Wanda knew that his frightened behavior was not from the hull breach. Feeling eyes on him, Toby looked up at her with eyes flashing red briefly, meeting the white flash from the Time Lady's glare.
Unknown to anyone, not even to Wanda and Toby, the real battle for power and dominance began.
XxXxXxXx
Oh no. That doesn't seem good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed until next time. This episode always made me feel uneasy, so I could imagine Wanda feeling the same. Hopefully this chapter was enjoyable for everyone. :) Let me know if you have any thoughts or if there's something more I could add for next time in a review. It always helps. :)
Reviewers:
bored411: Oh yes. Very crazy. lol ;) Hope you'll like it all. It's just going to be one thing after another later down the road. Until next time!
heroherondaletotherescue: I'm excited, too. ;) Now it's just a waiting game for us. lol :) Well, it'll be a while for us to figure out her past, unfortunately. But for the monster . . . Spoilers. ;) Happy New Year! See you next time!
alwaystherereading: It's always nice to see our lovable time travelling family just taking a break now and then. :) The Doctor mostly can't tell her for the same reasons Wanda can't tell him about future knowledge. Paradoxes and such. Universe imploding. You know how it goes. Sucks how it works like that. :( Hope your holidays were just as merry! Take care!
X-Lisa-Anne-X: Good theory! Can't give anything away, so I'll just say spoilers for now. So happy you enjoyed it! Happy New Year! Hope to see you next time! :)
Jerry Skeleton: It's always great seeing them so happy and calm. Not something they can always get, but at least every now and then it good. :) Woo! So glad you got a nice family visit for the holidays. Thank you for such kind and wonderful reviews. :) Happy New Year and hope to see you soon!
Authora97: lol Welp, that's the Doctor and Wanda for you. ;) So glad you enjoyed it!
grapejuice101: Unfortunately, no. But maybe again for some time in the future. :) So happy you enjoyed it! Too bad we didn't get to see the full adventure with the Doctor. But at least they got to talk about it. Until next time! Take care! Oh, and Happy New Year!
singingKatelyn: No! Don't die! lol So glad you enjoyed it though. :) Hope you liked the new chapter just as much!
Guest(a): Thank you so much for pointing that out to me! Again, so sorry that happened. First time I've ever accidentally done that. Learned my lesson for next time. Hope your new year is going great. :)
Kylie Winchester: lol I can neither confirm nor deny. ;)
Momochan77: Christmas is always the best. :) So happy for them all. Hope you had a great holiday and new year! Until next time!
Caroline: I hope the reread was just as good as the first time. :) Also hope your holidays were great! I love all your theories! In fact, as you probably noticed, one of them came true in this very chapter. ;) Can't say anything else without giving away spoilers. Even a percentage. Sorry. :( So I really hope you don't mind the long wait for finding out all the secrets and such. Really hope to see you again in the future! Have the most wonderful days into the new year. Take care! :)
GuestCat: Aww, thank you so much! That means so much to me. I know it could always be better, though. I'm always working to make it perfect for all readers. I'm just so happy though that you're enjoying it so much. I really hope you continue to enjoy it throughout the rest to come. :) Nah, I don't deserve thanks. It's thanks to you and all other readers that this story has gotten this far. Thank you so much to taking the time to give the story a read. I truly hope to see you again for the future. :) Happy New Year!
Whovianeverlark17: Happy New Year! Thanks for reviewing! :) Fluff is always the best. lol ;) Hope your new year is great as well! Until next time!
Guest(b): Aww, I'm so happy! Your review is the best gift for me. :) Thank you!
Fae Evrnyt: Thank you so much! I'm just glad that you're enjoying it so much. :) I really hope it continues to be good to read throughout the future. Nah, I'm not as brilliant as Wanda is. lol Hope to see you again soon!
hugs everyone tightly* All of you are too beautiful. May all your dreams come true for the new year.
~Tinker~