"Excuse me, thank you, pardon me," Paul pushed his way through the crowd of people gathered in the Chamber with fear on their faces as the President stood in his place above the podiums looking down upon them.
His angel eyes glancing around, Paul tried locating Taylor among the crowd, but he couldn't, and his mind tingled as it was being suppressed, thus preventing him from communicating with her.
"Silence!" The President called down to the crowd, forcing them to watch quietly as he stood over them.
Identified by the helmet and adorned in a robe far different than everyone in the Chamber, the President explained the situation that there was indeed a murder, and the perpetrator at large.
The victim was a child named Theta.
"What about the Nursery?!" Paul heard the woman scream at the top of her lungs.
Raising his arms, his sleeves flowing to the floor, President Albion promised that he and the Council made sure that the vulnerable citizens of Gallifrey were protected.
"But we're not!" Screamed another woman as the crowd panicked.
His silver eyes darting between the crowd as he tried keeping them calm, President Albion swore that everything would be fine, the perpetrator would be found and summarily punished for their heinous crime.
"Him!" Paul heard someone scream amid the panicked crowd.
The crowd silenced as they turned their attention to a man in what appeared to be in his forties pointing.
They followed his navy-blue eyes to…
Seeing the crowd eying him, Paul recoils as he defended himself, insisting that he didn't kill Theta.
"I saw him!" Othello swore it was Paul that committed the crime.
Feeling the judgmental eyes on him, Paul swiftly turned his head to President Albion as he looked stunned at the accusation.
Chewing on his inner lip, Paul then demanded proof of his hand in the murder of Theta, before silenced by the president.
Raising his arms, President Albion agreed with Paul before asking Othello what proof he had.
"He dropped this at the scene of the crime!" Othello raised his hand high as he could to show the crowd and the president a necklace with a burnt amber centerpiece.
His angel eyes widening, Paul felt himself locked into place at the sight, when he stiffly turned his head, he didn't see Taylor anywhere.
Seeing the crowd turning to him, Paul demanded a trial, that they had to prove it was him that murdered Theta.
The Vanguards stormed the Chamber and corralled the crowd from swarming Paul.
Grabbing him, the Vanguard held him until President Albion decreed that Paul would be held pending his trial.
Forced out of the Chamber by the Vanguard as the crowd watched onward, Paul was led to an area that many never treaded willingly: the Cells.
Cold, heavily guarded, it was like a tomb, and the Vanguard made sure to confiscate everything on his person that could be used to escape before pushing him into one of the empty cells before locking it.
"Your mind is your cell, child, be good to ponder your choices in life!" Paul heard one of the Vanguard sneers before he left with the others back to their posts.
He meant it literary: the Cells blocked out the ability to communicate with telepathy, thus Paul was trapped.
Stuck in his cell, Paul felt his two hearts pounding against his chest as he felt the sense of dread creeping up his spine.
He was already at a disadvantage, now this, he couldn't communicate with Taylor, they won't let her see him.
If anything, they'd imprison her, but it's a difficult thing for him to think as he began pacing around his cell while thinking.
It was then he remembered what his father taught him: his right to his own council.
Problem is, he needed to get that message out to the right people.
Unable to do anything else without making matters worse, Paul was forced to sit on the ground, deep in his thoughts, as he waited for someone to come to his cell.
He wasn't guilty, might as well be considered, but still he had rights, and that meant he would be treated with some consideration.
His face buried in the palms of his hands, Paul exhales sharply, praying for Taylor's safety, and his own.
This was far different than being detained by Daleks, Cybermen, whatever else lingered out in space, this was his people by heritage, no number of adventures could prepare him for something like this, and one wrong move meant his own exile, or death.
The Vanguard made no mention of the TARDIS or Taylor, they either didn't know anything about what became of them or cared, and Paul wouldn't go asking them out of fear for their safety.
"Please be safe…" Paul muttered to himself.
He cocked his head when he heard footsteps coming to his cell, probably giving him food and drink, but comfort wasn't on the menu.
Lowering his palms, Paul glanced up to see a Vanguard standing in front of the cell.
Standing up, Paul gone over to him as he took a deep breath before asking what the Vanguard wanted.
"Well, I was hoping you'd come and get me out of here before this point, but uh, well, I guess things didn't work out that way," the Vanguard sheepishly said.
Recoiling, Paul narrowed his angel eyes on the Vanguard.
Tightly curled blond hair with glistening blue eyes, Paul could read his face and see that this was no ordinary Vanguard.
"Who are you?" Paul questioned him.
Smiling, the Vanguard responded, "Well… I'm not a Vanguard if that's what you're asking. I'm… well… the Doctor, I suppose."
Shocked at this, Paul echoed, "The Doctor?"
Nodding, the Doctor goes, "That's what they call me since I got involved with… well… whatever this all is, may I ask what you're doing in there?"
He stepped backwards when Paul came up to the bars.
Gesturing at him, Paul answers, "I was sent a message to come here… I don't suppose that was you, was it?"
Shaking his head, the Doctor went, "No. I'm afraid not. I came here for a different reason. When I realised that I would be in a peculiar situation if I was discovered, I decided to do what anyone would, and blend in. It turns out they don't get out much down here."
This Doctor was on his own adventure, and it brought him to Gallifrey, once it dawned on him that he would face trouble if discovered, he located an unused Vanguard outfit, and did what came naturally.
Since everyone down here can't read minds, he thought he could buy enough time to get out of here before he was discovered, imagine his surprise bumping into another Doctor.
"They accuse me of a crime Ididn'tcommit," Paul exhaled sharply as he explained his woe with the Doctor.
Stunned, the Doctor goes, "And they treat you as if you'reguilty, not elegant people I'd take it."
Shaking his head, Paul responds with, "Now, I knowwhymy grandfather took leave when he had the chance. I don't suppose you seen anyone come down here, a woman?"
Giving Taylor's description, the Doctor shakes his head as he answered that he didn't see her, but given how stringent the Vanguard were, they wouldn't let her come through here.
"It's not like I can go up there, they'd figure me out quick!" The Doctor gulps when he feels dread creep down his spine at the thought of going out in the open when people could read his mind and know that he isn't one of them.
Seeing how he was in a predicament, too, Paul gestured as he begged for help, that he was innocent.
"Don't they read minds?" The Doctor brought up that Paul should've been found innocent henceforth with a simple mind read.
While this was true, Paul expressed that his heritage caused bias that would cloud judgement.
Appalled at this, the Doctor angrily shook his head as he gestured with, "And here I thought we were the worst with that sort. What do you need me to do?"
Exhaling sharply, Paul asked him to sneak back to his TARDIS and find Taylor, then help him build a council.
"I've the right to counsel, they cannot take that away from me unless I'm guilty," Paul explained to the Doctor what he needed.
Nodding, the Doctor mentally wrote everything down, and at the end, Paul then asked what brought him to Gallifrey in the first place.
"Oddest thing, I was sent a message too," the Doctor revealed that during his own adventuring, his TARDIS received an odd message directing him to Gallifrey.
Well, he came here, but once he picked up that things wouldn't go his way if he got caught, Paul knows the rest.
"What was your message?" Paul gestures.
Scratching the side of his head, the Doctor answered, "It was instructions to come here, it was in English."
Hearing this, Paul tilts his head as he mustered, "English?"
Nodding, the Doctor affirmed his message was in English.
Which, as he had been here, English was not on everyone's tongues.
The only reason he managed to blend in with the other Vanguard was because he picks up on things relatively easily.
Being the Doctor meant it was a requirement, all that.
The Vanguard doing nothing but guarding and whatever else helped since he didn't need to read, too.
"I don't understand," Paul blinks as he turns away from the bars.
Two messages, one in the old tongue and one in English, that seemed almost improbable, but now that Paul knew that there was another Doctor on Gallifrey, he felt that he had a chance in proving his innocence.