Here we go, the fourth chapter. Hope you all read, enjoy, and review!
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"Rennervate," the Doctor said, pointing his magic screwdriver at the Gallemyte, who jerked awake and immediately started struggling against the chains with a fervor that made Leonardo and Hermione take a step back. The Doctor, however, stood completely still, and stared coldly at the Gallemyte.
"Alright, Ginny, you don't mind if I call you that, do you?" the Doctor asked the Gallemyte, who roared at him. "Very well. Ginny, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions, and if you don't want to be trapped forever in the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy, I suggest you answer my questions and stop struggling."
The Gallemyte stopped its struggles, but it still looked very angry, glaring heatedly at the Doctor, who nodded, looking pleased.
"Good. Now, Ginny, how many of your people did you bring with you?" he asked, only for Ginny's glare to intensify. "I know you never hunt alone, so I know there are more of you out there. I want to know how many."
"Do with me what you wish. I will protect my sons," the Gallemyte spoke, making Leonardo's eyes widen in surprise.
"She spoke Italian!"
"No, you just hear Italian," Hermione whispered. "It's the TARDIS. It gets inside your head and translates everything for you. It's really useful."
"Oh."
"Sons? Plural, then," the Doctor said, and Hermione could see that his mind was hard at work. "A Gallemyte can only give birth once in their life, and they give birth to six children, three girls, three boys, which means we are up against three more Gallemytes."
The Gallemyte's three eyes widened, and the Doctor smiled victoriously. "Thank you, Ginny," he said. "I don't need you anymore, so sit here comfortably while we go get your sons and send you somewhere where you will never hurt another being again."
The Gallemyte roared in the Doctor's face again. "LET ME OUT OF THESE BONDS! I WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN, MARK MY WORDS!"
"Stupefy," the Doctor said calmly, Stunning the Gallemyte again, before spinning around and walking into the console room, Leonardo and Hermione following.
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked, getting a nod from Leonardo.
"I would also like to know that. I mean, am I going to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life?"
"Don't be silly," the Doctor said calmly. "What we're going to do is set a trap for the other Gallemytes. But we'll have to be careful. I doubt a single Stunner will work on them. The males have thicker skin than the females."
"So, that was an alien?" Leonardo said, humming. "A visitor from another world... Not quite what I had imagined. And neither are you, Doctor."
"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, and Leonardo reached into his satchel, taking out a few pieces of parchment, depicting several images of grotesquely shaped men with sagging faced, bulging or elongated skulls... The Doctor's eyes widened as he took the parchments, looking over them in shock. "Where did you get these?"
"I drew them," Leonardo said. "These faces came to me in a dream, and I felt compelled to draw them. Is there something wrong?"
"Is there something wrong? Of course there is!" the Doctor said, holding up a drawing of a man with a drastically elongated skull. "The High Chancellor of the Sallivitae," he said, then showed a drawing of a man with a droopy face and a skull that looked like it held three brains, "the Emperor of the Grokan race, the list goes on. These are all high-rolling aliens. Where on earth did you get this information?"
"I do not know. Like I said, it came to me in a dream."
"When? I need the year."
"Fourteen hundred and seventy-eight. I had spent the last two years drinking a lot, after finding a cave that frightened me something terrible."
"A cave, you say?" the Doctor asked, to which Leonardo nodded. The Doctor hummed and turned his back on Leonardo, and Hermione approached him cautiously.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Caves are the most used spots when it comes to alien abductions. They research humans or experiment on them, then plant false memories in their heads and send them back..." the Doctor said, then turned back to Leonardo. "But it's common for abductees to have pockets of memory blank, pockets that the aliens missed. You say you spent those two years drinking, Leo?"
"Yes?"
"And I suspect you have several days in those two years that you don't remember?"
"Indeed."
"Indeed, indeed..." the Doctor mumbled. "Leo, what happened after you left the cave? Or do you remember leaving it at all?"
Leonardo looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "No, I remember waking up in an inn outside Florence. I do not remember what happened after I went into the cave, but after those two years, my mind was so full of new ideas, ideas for weapons, flying machines, underwater travel, so many ideas, I had to write it all down. Would you like to see?"
"I've seen them," the Doctor said, but Hermione moved over, unable to resist seeing a legendary book in real life. Leonardo looked happy at the interest and pulled a thick book out of his satchel, handing it to Hermione, who gingerly opened it.
"Leo," the Doctor said, walking over to Leonardo. "I would like to try something on you called hypnosis. I am going to see if the memories you have really are real, or if they have been planted in your head."
"You mean... my memories are not my own?"
"I believe so. Would you like to try it?"
"Please!"
The Doctor nodded and reached up, placing his fingertips along Leonardo's face. "I am going to need you to be quiet, Hermione," he said as he stared into Leonardo's eyes. "Go into the past, to fourteen seventy-six. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened after that happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Just let go. What happened to Leonardo after he ventured into that cave?"
Leonardo's mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes were glazed over, and when he spoke, it came out in a monotone. "Leonardo went into the cave, ventured deep inside it. A voice beckoned Leonardo closer. He followed the voice. He was scared, but felt a desire to investigate. Then, Leonardo came upon a bright light, and next thing he knew, he was in a chair. There was metal everywhere, a room full of metal and bright lights. Creatures, strange creatures, put something on Leonardo's head..."
The Doctor nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Good. Keep going..."
"There was a lot of pain. Leonardo's head hurt so bad... Like thousands of needles going through his brain. Leonardo was taken away to a metal cell, and taken back to the room again later, and the pain began again. For two years, this went on... So much pain..."
"Thank you, Leonardo," the Doctor said. "Now, when I snap my fingers, that life will be yours again. You will remember everything."
He snapped his fingers, and Leonardo blinked awake, his eyes widening.
"By God..."
"Doctor?"
"Information download," the Doctor said, then shuffled through the pile of parchment and showing Leonardo the High Chancellor of the Sallivitae. "Was this man among the creatures who put you through so much pain?"
"Yes! Those were the ones!" Leonardo said, nodding. "You called them... the Sallivitae?"
The Doctor nodded. "Also known as the 'Ship-Children.' They are an advanced, alien race, who have come up with more than half of the intergalactic laws in this universe. You are a certified genius, so your brain was capable of holding back-ups of all their files. They downloaded everything into your brain, profiles, histories, defenses... If the Gallemytes got their hands on those... There'd be no telling what they could do..."
"Wait, I thought they just ate your brain?" Hermione said, blinking in confusion.
"They consume the brain and assimilate the knowledge inside it," the Doctor explained. "It's a long, biological process that is very hard to explain, and you probably wouldn't understand even if I did."
"So, what do we do now?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor hummed, putting a hand on his chin.
"Well, we need some way to lure out the other three Gallemytes... Set a trap of some kind..."
–
"Are you sure about this?" Leonardo asked as he and the Doctor walked through Milan. The Doctor looked as calm as ever, but Leonardo looked nervous. And for good reason. Willingly being the bait in a trap usually made you a bit nervous.
"Of course I am," the Doctor said calmly as he fingered the magic screwdriver in his pocket, ready to draw it at any time. Leonardo waved and greeted the people he passed in the street, keeping up appearances of simply being out for a stroll. The Doctor looked at him. "Alright, the Gallemytes can disguise themselves as humans by stealing their skin. However, the skin they wear is still the skin of a dead body, and therefore it will deteriorate and go bad," he told Leonardo. "So look for someone with a shaky walk, pale skin, and deadish eyes."
"Deadish?" Leonardo asked nervously, waving at a passing Italian. "What do you mean?"
"They look kind of glazed over," the Doctor explained, and Leonardo nodded.
The two made their way up the hill leading toward Leonardo's workshop, and the Doctor patted Leonardo on the shoulder, noticing his nervousness. After all, Leonardo had no magic screwdriver or a wand that could help him defend himself.
"Heads up," the Doctor said suddenly, nodding toward the road ahead, where three people came walking down from Leonardo's workshop, looking very stiff.
As soon as the trio spotted Leonardo, they stopped. The three hunched over, and their bodies split down the middle, revealing three more Gallemytes. These Gallemytes only had two eyes, but were about a foot taller, and their skin was darker. The three of them gave off roars as they charged at Leonardo and the Doctor.
"Was this part of your plan?"
"Not really, I was counting on an attack from behind, but then again, male Gallemytes have never been too clever," the Doctor said as he whipped out his magic screwdriver. "The plan's kaput, Hermione! Go to Plan B!"
Behind them, Hermione threw off the Doctor's invisibility cloak, her eyes wide. "What's Plan B?"
"Wing it!" the Doctor said, firing a Stunner at the closest Gallemyte, who merely stumbled. Hermione fired at the same Gallemyte, who stumbled again, but the third Stunner brought it down. "Down!" the Doctor yelled as one of the Gallemytes lunged at them. He pushed Leonardo down, and fired a bone-breaking curse upwards as the Gallemyte passed by over his head. The curse connected with the Gallemyte's leg, and it let out a roar as it slammed into the ground, trying to get up only to fail.
The last Gallemyte was heading right for Hermione, who sent a Stunner at it, making it stumble. The Doctor sent another Stunner at it, but it wasn't enough to Stun it, and it looked as though it would get to Hermione, but when it was no more than a foot away, it was suddenly body-checked by Leonardo, who wrestled it to the ground.
"Off!" the Doctor yelled, and Leonardo rolled off the Gallemyte just as both the Doctor and Hermione sent a Stunner at it, knocking it unconscious. They then turned and Stunned the second Gallemyte with the broken leg.
"I'll go get the TARDIS, and then we'll take these guys to a place where they can never bother anyone again," the Doctor said, walking off, but not before looking to Leonardo and nodding with a, "Nice tackle, Leo."
Leonardo looked a bit pleased with himself.
–
The Doctor and Hermione lugged the three Gallemytes into the TARDIS, where the Doctor bound them in indestructible chains. Once they were done, they left the TARDIS again to talk to Leonardo.
"What will you be doing with them?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, I've got a nice little event horizon of a collapsing galaxy where they can spend the rest of eternity, contemplating what they just tried to do," he said, before checking his wristwatch. "Well, we best be off."
With that, he walked back into the TARDIS. Hermione smiled at Leonardo. "It was a great honor to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.
"The honor was all mine, Hermione," Leonardo said, and just then, the Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS.
"What are you saying goodbye for? You're not coming to watch, Leo?"
Leonardo blinked.
"You mean... I can come with you?"
"I figure that since you saved my companion's life and all, you've earned yourself a trip into the future. You know, to let you see the future that you'll help create."
Leonardo and Hermione shared a bright smile as they both made their way into the TARDIS. The Doctor closed the door behind them and made his way over to the console.
"Nineteen ninety-seven sound good to you?" the Doctor asked, and Hermione nodded. This would also give her time to go see her parents while the Doctor showed Leonardo around.
"Can we land near my house?" she asked. "I want to go see my parents."
"Sure, why not?" the Doctor said as he started pushing buttons, pulling levers and pumping another lever. The grinding sound of an engine refusing to start was heard, and the TARDIS faded away from fifteenth century Italy. The Doctor smiled. "And now, we wait a mo."
The TARDIS shook slightly, indicating that they had landed, and the Doctor grinned at Leonardo, gesturing for the door.
"Out there is... the future?" Leonardo asked, getting a nod from the Doctor. Hermione grinned as well and grabbed Leonardo's hand, leading him away.
"Come on, we need to dress you up for the future!"
Within moments, the two came back. Leonardo was now dressed in a very fancy, black business suit, complete with a white shirt and red tie.
"Do people really wear this in the future?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor laughed.
"Only the fancy ones," he said and walked over to the doors, opening them. "Well, after you, Leo."
Leonardo tentatively stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around in amazement at the buildings surrounding them.
"Oh, there's my house," Hermione said, gesturing for a red house across the street. She waved at the Doctor and Leonardo, then started walking off.
"Wait a minute," the Doctor said, digging his hand into his pocket, before throwing a set of keys to Hermione, who caught them. "Keys to the TARDIS. It's about time you had your own."
Hermione smiled and pocketed the keys, before making her way over to the house again.
"Yes, Leo, this is the future," the Doctor told Leonardo, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Indoor plumbing, fast-food, horse-less vehicles, you're gonna love it. Come on, I'll buy you some fish n' chips."
"This truly is amazing," Leonardo said half an hour later over his chips as he looked at the passing cars. The Doctor chuckled, attacking his food with the same fervor he attacked the Gallemytes with.
"Close your mouth, Leo. You look like someone from the past."
"But I am someone from the past."
"Yeah, but we don't want people to know that, do we?" the Doctor said as he snatched a few chips from Leonardo, biting down on them. Leonardo looked contemplative.
"You say I help contribute to all this?"
"Yes, so be proud," the Doctor said, not looking up from his food. "If you want, I can take you to see one of your greatest paintings, the Mona Lisa. I think Hermione has a copy of it hanging in her house."
"The Mona Lisa..." Leonardo mumbled, humming. "I have not yet gotten any request to paint such a thing."
"Don't worry, you won't for a while." The Doctor followed Leonardo's gaze to a double-decker bus, and he smiled. "It's called a bus. It takes a large number of people to different destinations for a smaller fee."
"I do not think that I like it here," Leonardo said thoughtfully. "I am too used to my own time, I think."
"To each his own, I suppose," the Doctor said with a shrug. "Personally, I love to see the evolution of mankind, to see their technological advancements and achievements."
"Speaking of technological advancements," Leonardo said thoughtfully. "What, exactly, are you, Doctor?"
"I'm called a Time Lord," the Doctor said. "I hail from the planet Gallifrey."
"Do you ever miss your home?"
"Every day."
Leonardo looked confused. "Then why do you not go home?"
"I cannot. It no longer exists," the Doctor said sadly. Luckily, he had placed a privacy charm around them, so no one could listen in on them. "There was a war, with a race known as the Daleks. We lost. Everyone lost, including the Daleks... I'm now the last of the Time Lords."
"I am truly sorry for your loss, Doctor."
The Doctor nodded and turned back to his chips. He started scarfing them down, seemingly swallowing his sadness along with the chips. Leonardo spent the rest of their meal watching the Doctor, trying to put himself in the Doctor's position, a time-and-space traveler, all alone in the universe. It had to be a terrible existence...
–
Slowly, the TARDIS faded into view outside Leonardo's workshop, and the doors opened, Leonardo stepping out. He turned around and waved at Hermione and the Doctor, who waved back as they stood in the doorway.
"Thank you, my friends! This has been a very interesting experience for me!" Leonardo said, smiling brightly. "Please, feel free to come visit me again!"
"We will, Leo," the Doctor said, waving. "If you ever want to go traveling with us, just wait. The TARDIS will find you."
"Goodbye, Leonardo," Hermione said happily. "It's been an honor meeting you!"
"Again, Hermione, the honor was all mine."
The Doctor and Hermione watched as Leonardo entered his workshop with a wave. Together, they closed the doors to the TARDIS and walked over to the console.
"Now, how about we try to get it right this time?" the Doctor asked as he started working the controls. "Let's just hope the TARDIS doesn't fling us somewhere else this time, eh?"
"Let's," Hermione said as she braced herself. A second later, the TARDIS started shaking, fading away from fifteenth century Italy...
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