Whew, ok, those guys are REALLY enjoying their little camping trip, aren't they? Heh. Up next is more plot! And sexual tension.
Oh, and most of those places and adventures Fitz mentioned are from the EDAs, except for his kinky excursion to Venice with Casanova. That's from my fic Upside Down in Venice, which features all sorts of sexy fun times, plus adventure, drama, angst, and everything else I like to write about.
Chapter 9: What's One More God
It was still early in the day when they found themselves at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the volcano. A shot of red pulsed from the top, shooting out toward the sky. The Doctor's eyes grew wide.
"Now that's impressive," the Doctor said with an appreciate whistle.
"And dangerous," River Song added, staring at her scanner intently. "They're draining the magnetic energy from the core of the planet and sending it off into space. Keep that up and they're liable to crack this whole island wide open."
The Doctor took out his opera glasses and surveyed the landscape. "Two pyramids. Power converters, tapping into the Earth's magnetic field. Which we'll need to disable. They'll be well guarded, I expect. Probably by the reanimated corpses of the poor warriors they've been sending as tribute. And right at the peak of the great and mighty Volcano Terevaka is the Temple of the Mother. I'm rather certain who I expect to find, unless you'd like to illuminate me, Dr. River Song?"
"Oh, I'm sure we all defer to your judgment, sweetie," she replied in a slightly mocking tone.
"Right," he said, sounding rather annoyed.
"I'll go with River, you take care of Fitz," Jack said, on his feet and ready to go. "We should head out now if we want to meet at the Temple by sunset."
The Doctor gave him a wry smile.
"If that's all right with you, sir," Jack added, almost as an afterthought.
"Yes, all right then," the Doctor said, waving them away impatiently. "Let's go scuttle off on our little missions. Good luck all around."
River was definitely in her element, scanning everything, collecting artifacts, dispatching undead warriors being animated by aliens posing as gods. She made it seem like just another day at the office. He knew what that was like.
Jack fired, hid back around the corner for a moment, then fired again.
"Aren't you warm in that jacket?" River teased.
"Yeah, but I do look dashing in it, don't I?" he replied, flashing her his most charming smile. He tried not to think about the fact that he only had three bullets left.
"You're definitely an easy man to fancy, I will give you that," River said with a smirk, then ran out into the central chamber. Jack heard a flurry of energy blasts.
"It's all clear," River called out.
He stepped out into the vast interior of the pyramid and looked around. In the center was an enormous spinning turbine made of stone, etched with hieroglyphics.
"That's the power converter?"
"Yes," she said, staring up at it, fascinated. She began to scan, take pictures, make notes. Definitely a professional.
"So what exactly are you a doctor of again?" Jack asked.
"Archeology, remember?" she said with a smile. "Or I will be. Isn't this absolutely fascinating? Real proof that the Osirians have been visiting many more places on Earth during this era of history than we previously realized. I could write three more books from this little excursion alone. Very exciting."
"Osirians," Jack said slowly. "But you've known all along."
River nodded, distracted as she moved around the chamber. "I'm from the Doctor's future, Jack. I always know."
Jack was silent for a few moments, letting that sink in. The Doctor's lover, from his own personal future. Or at least, so she claimed. No wonder the Doctor found her so irresistible. "But you won't tell him, even when he asks?"
She stopped and looked at him, wearing a sad expression. "I never do. Besides, he's had this figured out for awhile now, I'm sure. Doesn't need me spoiling a perfectly good mystery for him by skipping to the last page."
"So how are we going to stop them?
River smiled. She just happened to keep a cache of microexplosives on her at all times. Sometimes Jack really missed the 51st century.
"Oh, boy, did you hear that?" the Doctor said in that excited little boy tone, waving his arms around. "Boom! Kapow! I love a good explosion, me."
Fitz forced himself to smile, trying to tell himself Jack and River would be fine. The Doctor, as usual, didn't seem too concerned. He always had a few tricks. He always made it look easy. At the pyramid, he'd politely asked Fitz to wait outside, and a few minutes later had run out, laughing, as the whole thing collapsed behind them. Being chased, naturally.
Fitz couldn't quite believe he was tired of all this already. Of course it didn't help that he just felt tired in general, felt his chest burning. Felt like he was on the verge of drowning, all the time. The inhaler the Doctor had given him made it better, a little better, but they'd been walking for hours now, and as they hid under a ledge near the peak, all Fitz wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep.
But Jack and River found them soon enough.
The Doctor insisted they brazenly walk in through the front door. Fitz felt pretty useless compared to Jack and River, who each followed the Doctor with guns aimed, looking cool and dangerous like they were part of some superhero squad and he was just the lame sidekick. He stuck his hands in his pockets and tried his best to stay out of their way.
It was like a pyramid, but upside down, half-buried at the peak of the mountain. A woman in an intricate mask sat on a huge stone throne in the center, looking like some Egyptian goddess. And warriors stood all around her. Lots and lots of them. Fab.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor," he said, strolling in like a tourist on holiday. "You've probably heard of me. My good friends Jack and River, as you can see, are quite ready to do terrible things to you if I feel even the slightest inkling of your mind inside mine. They're both rather sexy and clever, and very, very dangerous. And yes, I suppose, I am too, if you decide to make me your enemy. And you're very close to becoming that already, so if I were you I'd choose my next words very carefully."
"The Time Lord," she said, and leaned forward. "Yes, there are legends of you everywhere on this planet. But I am Isis, and it is foretold that I will be the mother of my people reborn. This is my new kingdom. These humans are mine. I have agents all over this island."
"You mean innocent people you've killed, and then taken over their minds," the Doctor said sadly. "I've dealt with your lot before. A bit of bother with a couple of your siblings, here and there. I know how you operate."
He looked at his watch. "As of now, I believe you've got one trapped on Mars, don't you? I wonder if you're going to end up sharing his fate."
"Don't you dare speak to me of my mad brother Sutekh!" Isis shouted, standing up from the throne.
A dangerous smile crossed the Doctor's face. "You mean your late mad brother Sutekh. Or at least he will be. My past, you're future. Time Lord, remember? It does get complicated."
"It's no more than Sutekh deserved for what he did to Phaester Osiris."
"What are you doing here?"
"There are so few of us left. I have been calling my brothers and sisters. Calling them here, to join me."
"You know I won't allow that."
"The last of my people will come and make this planet ours," she said, stepping closer to the Doctor. "They are coming, and you can't stop them."
"Oh, I see," the Doctor said, spinning around as though talking to the shadows. "I see it all too clearly. The last of the Osirians, and the last of the Time Lords. Hopefully, in one fell swoop, get rid of us both, if not, either way, one is gone and you get to enjoy your occupation a little more comfortably. Well, I'm not playing any games."
He stepped right up to Isis, invading all her space. "Not with you, either.
"What happened to them, to leave you the last?" Isis asked, cocking her head.
"I killed them," the Doctor said in a low, dangerous voice.
"You lie, Time Lord," she hissed, leaning over him.
"Yeah, sometimes. But I'm not lying now, Isis. What's one more god when I've killed every Time Lord who ever existed."
Isis said nothing.
"They're all gone, Isis," he said, raising his voice. Shouting. "They're all gone, and if you aren't careful you and the rest of the Osirians are next!"
She backed away.
"Because you lot have been here too many times for my liking. I don't care about your civil wars or sibling rivalries or whatever Faction Paradox tricked you into doing. From now on, you've all lost your privileges on planet Earth."
"You have no authority over me, Time Lord."
He stepped forward. "Run," he said, his voice a hissed whisper. "Leave this planet and never come back. Tell the rest of your people. Because Earth is all I have left, and I won't let anybody take it from me."
Oh how I love angry Doctor... Just one more chapter left, plus a little epilogue.