One on one? (Closed!)

Vix let's out a small cry of fear, wishing for once in her life she could be blind again. She clings to Da'in, fear making her small body shiver. She didn't like the noise, the chaos going on around her. It made her extremely frightened. She clings onto Da'in as they hurry through the caverns, trying to keep calm.

"Listen, let's make our way out of here, and quickly." Joe said. Alison moved towards that Doctor. "Doctor? What did that woman, the dream woman, er, psychic projection thingy, tell you? Before she faded out, I mean?" Alison asked him. "It was a question." he said stiffly. "And? What did she ask? Miss Grant, I mean." Alison clarified. "She asked… she asked…. can you hear the ticking? It was rather strange, a friend of mine once asked me that same thing. Well, I say friend. Well, it was more a computer. "This way, I'm fairly sure. According to the stories, there's a secret way out. If you find it, the Sliders let you go." the Doctor said, leading them through a corridor. There was yet another lift, it looked like it had been used relatively recently. "Why don't we leave in that?" Oswald asked. "Sliders. That, and it could take us anywhere, and I don't want to get back up on Gallifrey at the moment." the Doctor explained.

Will and Nico were conversing quietly, making sure to keep an eye on their surrounding. Will glances at Vix who was hidden in Da'in's shoulder at the moment. She looked so scared… So vulnerable. It made his brows furrow in concern. He sighs quietly and looks down.

"Ah. Right." the Doctor stepped about a yard to the left, and scratched at a thick layer of dust and dirt with his foot. "Looks like the primary service hatch. Just have to work out the key. Once I get all the dust off. Stay away from the Sliders, that's really all I need you to do at the moment." he said. A few moments of silence. Then;

"When Time Lords die, their minds are uploaded to a thing called the Matrix. This structure, it's like a living computer. It can predict the future, generate prophecies out of algorithms, ring the Cloister bells in the event of impending catastrophe. The Sliders, they're just like the guard dogs, the firewall. Projections from inside the Matrix itself. The dead, manning the battlements." the Doctor stated, as if spewing technobabble would be any help. "Was I supposed to understand any of that?" Alison asked sarcastically. "The Time Lords have got a big computer made of ghosts, in a crypt, guarded by more ghosts." the Doctor simplified. "Why would a computer need to protect itself from the people who made it?" Alison asked. "All computers do that in the end. You wait until the internet starts. Oh, that was a war!" he laughed. "I really cannot tell if you're serious or joking at this point." Alison said. "Er, Vix? You're crushing my arm." For such a small girl, she had a strong grip, Da'in noticed. Not that he really minded. If it wa helpful to her, it would get them out more efficiently, and his family and her's could be safe as well.

Will looks at the Sliders. "Since they're 'the fire wall' what happens if we mess up?" He asks as he turns towards the doctor, tapping a finger against his hip. He could understand basic technology since Leo was always babbling about it and introduced wifi to the campers, with a way to make sure that the tech wouldn't go haywire around them or attract mosnters. Leo's kid, Stella was a close playmate for Vix when they were little, and Leo would often come to their house and hang out as the girls played.
Vix blushed softly, "Oh! Sorry, Da'in. They're just so… Scary…" She mutters softly. "I can barely sense something off them. It's freaky." She mumbles into his shoulder.

"It's fine." Da'in gave a small smile. "A long time ago, there was a student at the Academy. He got in here, disappeared for four days. Showed up in a completely different part of the city. Said the Sliders talked to him, they showed him the secret passage out. And we just need the code." the Doctor said, working away the dust and ignored Will's question. "What, and the kid told you the secret?" Alison asked. "Ah, no, he didn't tell anyone anything. He went completely mad, never right in the head again. So they say." the Doctor coughed. "Okay, that's encouraging…" Alison trailed off.

Vix smiles a little as she relaxes a little bit, just shutting her eyes. She didn't like it when she saw the Sliders. They made her extremely frightened. She takes a deep breath and tried her hardest to relax. Will looks at Nico and smiles a little. Nico's eyes narrow. "Insane, huh? Doesn't sound very helpful in this situation now does it?"

"Last I heard, he stole a TARDIS, the moon, and the President's wife, and then ran away." the Doctor said. "Was she, er, Was she nice, the President's wife?" Alison asked. "Mad as a hatter, like me, really. And, ah, well, that was a lie put about by the Shabogans. It was the President's daughter. And I didn't steal the moon, I lost it." he chuckled. "I was a completely different person in those days. Eccentric, a bit mad, rude to people." he reminisced. "This differs from the norm how?" Alison asked. "Oh, shut up." the Doctor said, not unkindly.

Vix takes a deep breath before slowly peeping an eye open. She looked at the Sliders then winced. It felt as if one was staring directly at her. No. That wasn't possible. She hides back into Da'in's shoulder, shivering with fear. She was going to end up having nightmares about this.

Meanwhile, back up at the Capitol….

"We need every exit to the Cloisters surrounded! Get every available man down there!" the General barked. He was a tall, stern man, with visible lines of age on his face. He looked to be about in his 40's, bald, broad shouldered, brown-eyed. He was wearing rust red armor, similar to what most Time Lords in Prydonian dress wore. It had a long, similarly coloured cape with a golden clasp adorned with the Seal of Rassilon, an elaborate circle, looping and twisting like a serpent. "Right away, sir." a nearby guard said, sending out the order on a wristband-screen-watch type gadget.

"Nearly there. Don't worry, we'll be perfectly safe. Probably. Not sure exactly where we'll end up, but it won't be nearly so dangerous as here." the Doctor said calmly as he brushed a finger over the symbols, trying to remember the code.

She looks at Da'in. "You're not scared?" She asks softly, her eyes looking up at Da'in with awe. She hadn't even seen him flinch. And he had come back for her. Vix was curious about Da'in. She smiles at him.

"Terrified. But I've been through worse. And besides, I don't really need to be scared, as long as I stay calm and remember that there's always a way out. Besides, who would want to mess with these muscles?" he laughed. This earned a mild glare of disapproval from the Doctor. "Stay focused, you two. We aren't out of the dark just yet." he said. There was a scrrrrape of metal, and light flowed outwards from a trapdoor. "Ladder. Down we go." the Doctor said, as he made his way down through the hatch, wherever it lead, and beckoned for the others to follow.

Vix nods and smiles faintly. "Right…" She jumps when the doctor opens door. She smiles at Da'in before following after him, her eyes curious. "Are you sure they won't attack?" She asks softly.

"Don't worry, we've found the exit. They won't follow, believe me." the Doctor said calmly. When they reached the bottom of the ladder, there was already a squad of the security guards waiting. The Doctor cursed under his breath, then looked to his left and right, then up. Damn, the exit had sealed off. Well, at least he had gotten them all out. "Ah, gentlemen, I'm sure this is all some incredible misunderstanding." he said slowly. Da'in had just helped all the others down, and all eyes were on the Doctor to see what he would do.

Vix looks at Da'in then towards the doctor, gulping softly and biting her lip. She offers her small hand to Da'in where a small protective surge ran through whoever she touched. If things started to get ugly, she could protect them for a little bit.

The guards said nothing, their guns, which were definitely not set to stun, we're pointed at the group. "Alright then." the Doctor swallowed. "In the name of our Lord President, may his reign be eternal,I implore you to surrender." the leader said. "Ah, well, that's the thing, see. I don't follow orders." the Doctor said. He delivered a roundhouse kick to the man's face, then pushed past the others. "Run, now!" he ordered. Joe grabbed Alison and Ozzie's hands in turn, dragging them along, the Doctor shouted something, everything was moving at high speeds, yet in slow motion, and then-

Da'in and Vixianne were seized by the guards, the others had already made relative progress down the hall, but Da'in had stayed back to protect Vix as they escaped. He felt a little responsible for her well being, despite how strange that might have seemed. A pushbutton hypodermic was stuck in his and Vix's necks, and everything faded to black.

He couldn't remember what exactly had happened, not quite yet, but he woke up to bright lights, and found himself lying in something of a stasis chamber. Da'in sat up, tried to stand up, but he fell to the floor as soon as his shaky legs touched ground. "Take it slowly now, quite the shock, coming out of a cryogenic freezing is. I should know." a soft, masculine voice said. Da'in looked up, his vision blurred. He blinked, twice, and eventually his sight came back entirely. He looked at the man before him closely. He was relatively tall, lean, and pale-skinned, garbed in a featureless black tunic suit. His sharply trimmed black beard gave him a dictatorial appearance, but it was his eyes, when he raised them to focus upon Da'in, that sent a shiver through his bones. Da'in could see nothing there. They were like two unfathomable pools of dark water, every nameless secret hidden beneath a calm surface of cold, dark orbs. "Where is Vix?" he asked, voice raspy. "Don't fret. The girl's injuries are being taken care of, she should wake up soon." the man pronounced. "Who are you? Where are the others?" Da'in said. The man's voice was quiet, mellifluous, with a thrumming note of power. "You may address me," he said, "As Kýrios. Your friends escaped somewhere, Omega only knows where they'll turn up, if they do. Would you like to know why you are here?" he asked, an air of mystery in his tone.

"Doctor, we have to go back!" Alison shrieked as the Doctor dragged her down the corridor. "We can't! They're too powerful, we'll go back for them eventually, but we have to run away, now!" he said as the guards disappeared with the two adolescents up the elevator. "Doctor, you will not let some idiot brutes take my son! We need to go back!" she screamed, desperate.

Vix screamed when she was grabbed. "Dad!" She cries desperately, trying to figure them out. Nico had to pull Will to the point he was carrying him. "Vix! Nico put me down!" Will coild only watch thdough teary eyes as he daughter cried for him before going limp. He sobs as she's gone from his sight. "No…" His baby girl. "Nico, let me go!" The son of Hades shook his head. "She'll be okay, Will. We have to trust the doctor." Will fought, he screamed, he cried. But Nico's grip never faltered as they ran. Will finally gave up, sobbing into Nico's shoulder. They had taken his little girl. He wanted to do something, go fight. Bit he couldn't.

Vix groans softly, pain shooting through her. Where was her dad? Where was she? What was going on…? And then, a tidal wave of memories.

"Rest well? Do not worry, you're in good hands." Kýrios turned to Vixianne. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Now, why you're here. Well, the Celestial Intervention Agency wasn't able to find any information on you, so they put you in stasis chambers and left you to rot. However, I, using the human term, lugged you out of storage. After pulling quite a few strings and stepping on several important feet, of course. I believe that you two will be able to assist me in finding the Doctor. That's the reason why I extended a hand and saved you from becoming the next thing to corpses." he explained.

"Not far now." the Doctor said. There was a teleportation pad right before them. "Get on, now." he ordered. After tapping in a destination on the keypad, they disappeared, away from the Capitol. A moment later, the group had been near slammed to the floor with the force of the teleport, in the middle of a rounded sitting room, relatively technologically advanced, with a few chairs and a nice view of the citadel. "We're safe for now, I locked the teleport behind us and wiped the system. It'll take quite a while for them to find out where we went, and in the meanwhile, we can plan." he panted. "Where are we?" Alison asked. A woman entered. She had soft brown eyes, and was a tall woman with long, thick, red-brown hair. She had a thin face, lined from stress, though she exuded an aura of sternness. She looked incredibly tired. "Ah, Cousin Innocet. I hope you're not still angry with me, because we need your help." the Doctor said. "All of Gallifrey is out looking for you, and you come to me of all people?" she said. "Yes. Yes, I have come to you. Please help me, the universe is in danger, and I think you're the only one who can help us." the Doctor said.

Vix blinks multiple times. She glances at Da'in then towards the man. "But. I'm practically of no use." She says softly. "I'm small, frail and i can barely run. Da'in is strong. I don't see why you need me." She mutters, pulling on her fingers, a common nervous habit.

"Muscle isn't quite everything. You shouldn't underestimate yourself, my dear." Kýrios chuckled. "Why should we trust you?" Da'in blurted, standing up shakily. "Ah, now that is a rather interesting question, one I'm afraid I cannot answer. Trusting me would be illogical, given my…. track record, you could say. You'd be better off not hearing about any of the things I've done. But, I happen to be your best hope of finding the Doctor and returning to your families, so having some small faith in me would be useful. I promise not to harm you as long as you remain useful to me, and if my intentions in finding the Doctor are successful, I can promise you will be rewarded. Now, where shall we begin?" he asked.

Vix looks at Da'in. What choice didn't they have. She looks at the man, her crystal blue eyes narrowing at him. "You promise you won't harm us, or our families as long as we remain useful?" She asks softly. Her eyes were careful now. She knew trickery, her mother, Hecate, was known for it.

"It depends on your definition of harm. However, they will remain perfectly safe within my capabilities, if that is your intended meaning. However, I will ask you a few things in return. Do not leave this building unaccompanied by me, you're only safe on the planet's surface while I'm around and I wouldn't want you to get killed, or worse. Do not disobey any orders I give you, no matter how outrageous. And finally, if you perform an act of treachery, I will be forced to kill you." Kýrios said, his face showing no emotion past sincerity, his tone firm. Suddenly, his face lit up with a somewhat sadistic glee. "Now then, let's get to it, yes? With me." he said cheerfully, walking out of the room, indicating for them to follow with a slight movement of the wrist. Da'in had a sinking feeling this was going to end badly, but he moved to help Vixianne up, and followed the Time Lord.

Vixianne gulped softly before slowly standing with Da'in's help. She smiles sweetly at him in thanks, leaning on him as she tried to regain feeling in her body. She looks around and then looks at Da'in. "Might as well." She says softly, smiling a little bit.

"This way, please." Kýrios said. Da'in helped support Vix, and followed the strange man to a lift. It would be like Time Lords to not bother with stairs, he supposed. Behind a thick, silver-wood door, ringed with lights that glowed a soft green at their arrival, lay an expansive room overlooking the city. The sunset, visible through the thick shield that distorted the light, shaded from burnt sienna into aubergine. Da'in caught a glimpse of a real kitchen—something of an oddity on a planet where food replication was commonplace, as he had heard from the Doctor. A long table of the same silver wood as the door and the wainscoting stretched out in the middle of the dining room. It was massive, gray and as severe as a sacrificial altar, though its legs were elegantly carved. It was too long for one man, or even one family, to reasonably dine at. The entire aesthetic of the place was all very dramatic, a little overly so. “Who’s your decorator?” Da'in snorted. “My twelfth self, unfortunately.” Kýrios said shortly, “I apologize for the bookshelves.” They were rather too groovy for the rest of the room, in a teak, circular sort of way. "It's…. interesting." Da'in said. "Through here." Kýrios directed them to a lush hallway, with dark walls and rounded, orb-like lights on the walls. "The laboratory is on the lower levels to lower the risk of damaging the rest of the estate. My office is through here," he said, leading them through another silver door. The room was relatively different to the rest of the house, it was much simpler, more conservative. The desk was of a sturdy white metallic substance, with a high-backed chair behind it, as well as a squat lamp that glowed a pleasant scarlet. There were bookshelves lining the walls, books arranged nearly in alphabetical order, all upright. There was a comfortable and simple black leather couch, and to finish of the look, it had a circular table like a barrel of sorts beside it, as well as a matching rectangular ottoman. There was a young woman sitting on it. She was short, muscular, had long brown hair pulled up in a tight ponytail, and while wearing the simple and functional black-and-white robes of the Celestial Intervention Agency, she also was wearing a jacket with many pockets and patches decorating it, and had a dark green rucksack slung over her shoulder. There was a baseball bat with several words, letters, and symbols scratched into it. "Ah, Miss McShane. Just in time. Allow me to introduce you to an acquaintance of mine, Dorothy Gale McShane. She works with the CIA, and was a former companion to the Doctor. Human, so I'm sure you'll feel entirely comfortable in her presence." he drawled. "It isn't Dorothy, it's Ace." she snapped. "Yes, Ace is her preferred nickname. Miss McShane, allow me to introduce you to Miss Vixianne Di Angelo-Solace and Mr. Da'in… apologies, with your history, there's mild confusion on the surname." he admitted. "Formerly it was Da'in-Nuek Nista, now I just go by Da'in. But it's Cheney-Latham officially." Da'in explained. "Wizard. Lovely to meet you, but we have work to do. Any news on the Doctor?" Ace said. "In time, I'm sure we'll find something." Kýrios replied. "….meaning no. Well that's lovely." Ace said sarcastically. "I'll leave you to get acquainted, I have work to attend to. If you'll excuse me." Kýrios strolled out. "He's creepy as heck." Da'in said once the Time Lord had left. "Tell me about it. So, how do you know the Doc?" she asked.

"I will help you the best I can, but I'm not sure what you need. Come, sit, I'll get you something to eat." Innocet said, gesturing to some chairs. "Thank you. It's a bit of a long story, so… well…." the Doctor trailed off. Alison sat down quickly, expression forlorn. Joe wrapped his arms around her, while Ozzie sat down on a chair opposite them. The Doctor simply stood, waiting for Innocet to return. A few moments later, she came back with seven steaming cups of something like tea. "So, tell me, why are you here?" she asked.

Vixianne was very quiet as she walked beside them. She didn't trust this man but he was the only one they could rely on at the moment. When they walked through the lavishly decorated room, she couldn't help but awe. It was breath taking. Brilliant. She glances at the bookshelves. They were a little out of place. Vix glances at Da'in and smiles a little, hoping to be assuring. But in herself… She was absolutely terrified. Her father… He had looked so broken when she had been grabbed. And she couldn't fight them off. She had magic for heaven's sake. She didn't want to be here. She just wanted to go home. To be with her fathers. When they're introduced to the woman, she could only shyly hide behind Da'in. She wasn't very confident when she met new people.

Will was furious now. He was crying still, but he was talking angrily with Nico. "How could you do this?! She's our daughter and now you've let her fall into their hands. We fought the earthen Titan, we've fought Kronos! We have fought hundreds of monsters but when it comes to a few men in-between us and our daughter, you run? Nico Di Angelo that was our daughter. Our daughter. She's not a fighter, she's meaker than a newborn fawn and we left her!" He sobs. Nico couldn't speak. He knew his daughter would be afraid but she had Da'in and he had to trust the doctors call.

"Drink up, the brew will calm you." Innocet said. She sat down on a stool, her hair tossed casually down her back. "Well, it's a long story…"

They had landed on a planet, nothing special, the TARDIS had simply taken them there. They ran into some not-very-friendly locals, blew a few things up, liberated some slaves, a regular Saturday. But when they went back into the TARDIS, there was an earthquake or sorts. When they looked back out, the planet they were on was gone, but they hadn't moved, it had, and so the Doctor went to the Shadow Proclamation for assistance. When they left, they were attacked by a ship, Gallifreyan, and had just barely escaped. All the events leading up to this later, and the tea had been drained from it's cups by the guests, and Innocet was much more concerned than ever. "I have a few theories as to who it might be." she was shuffling some cards, and began to build a house out of them on the simple coffee table, if Time Lords called them that, or if Time Lords even had coffee. She focused, holding together the cards with telekinesis. A blue aura surrounded the cards, glowing softly in the increasingly dim light. It was very nearly night now.

"It's a bit of a long story. For both of us." Da'in said. "I've got time." Ace replied calmly. "I don't want to talk much about it." he said quietly. "Ah, bad memories? I can understand that." she smiled. "So how do you know him?" Da'in asked. "I accidentally whipped up a time storm in my bedroom. Well, I'm not sure if was me who did that, but never mind. Anyways, I got a job as a waitress at some space-bog diner, then got fired pretty soon after. I also stopped a dragon that wasn't a dragon, saved an entire colony from being destroyed, and lost my boyfriend. And then I started to travel with the Doctor. Best day of my life, believe me. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. So much to do, so many places to go. And then I ended up on this planet, went to Time Lord college, and sort of… became a Time Lord, I guess?" she shrugged. "How do you become a Time Lord?" Da'in was really curious about that. "Ah, it's easy. Ish. Not really, but it's relatively simple in theory. Get through their school and you're officially a Time Lord. Time Lord is the rank, Gallifreyan is the species, see? It's kinda weird, but it's alright, I guess." she explained. "Right." Da'in said.

Vix sat quietly as they talked, not really saying anything. But she did listen to the story with interest. She loved stories. Real ones or fantasy. She smiles shyly but mainly stays behind Da'in as they conversed. She was feeling rather shy. Well, she always was when she met new people.

Kýrios entered quietly, you could barely hear him as he glided through the doorway. "Nice to see you all getting along. Surprising, due to your standoffish temperament, Miss McShane." he said. Ace didn't dignify this with an answer. "Well, it's getting late, and I suppose that if there isn't any new intel on the Doctor, there isn't much point in hanging around. See ya." Ace stood up and left. "Well, she is correct. It is getting lat, and I'm sure the day has been rather strenuous. Shall I show you to your temporary quarters?" Kýrios asked.

Innocet let the cards fall, then carefully studied the symbols. A look of terror crossed her face, but she returned it to her normal expression as quickly as it had changed. "What does it say?" the Doctor asked worriedly. Her eyes burned brightly white as she looked up, and pronounced in an unearthly voice, echoing, hollow. "He is coming, the three-fold man and his shadow. They dance in the lonely places, just as the Children of Time are moving forward to find truth in lies. The Dark Lord is come, the battle of Time will show his true face at last. So cold and dark. Fire is coming. The endless flames. This I have foreseen, in the wild and the wind. The Doctor will be here as witness, at the end of everything. The Doctor and his precious Children of Time. And one of them will die. I have seen. At the time of ending, the Doctor's soul will be revealed. The final prophecy is in place. The Doctor and his children, all gathered as witnesses. This I have seen, this I know well. A champion of Death and a champion of Time together will decide the fate of the universe, the lost sons of Gallifrey will have the powers of gods for a moment in time, held in glass." she blinked, and her eyes returned to normal. "Any questions?" Innocet asked calmly.

Vixianne squeaks when Kyrios enters, hiding once again behind Da'in, finding peace in his warmth and shadow. She didn't trust these people. She didn't like it. She just wanted to go back home. Go back to camp. She clings to Da'in, holding onto his arm tightly. "We'll stay together, right?" She asks quietly. She wasn't willing to go anywhere unless it was with Da'in. He was calming to her. Her only source of comfort. In the last few… Well, she wasn't sure… She had gone from blind to being able to see, had gone through a giant maze, been caught and met two new people. Da'in was her only sense of calm within the storm.

Will stares at them. "You're kidding… Right? One of us, or them is going to die?" He whispers, staring at nothing. "Will…" Will snapped. "Don't touch me." He growls, his eyes wide with insanity. And then he broke again, and the tears fell. "If we loose our little girl, Nico. I will never forgive you." He glances at the doctor. "I told you when we left we didn't want anymore of your bullshit! And now Da'in and Vix are captured and we'll be dealing with someone who is most likely going to hurt our kids! Vix is weak! She has no strength, she's always needed me or Nico to be by her side! And we… We abandoned out kids and now someone is going to die…" He turns swiftly on his heel. "I need time. Just leave me alone, Nico." Nico had tried to reach for him, but the son of Apollo was having none of it. He pushes past his husband and storms away from thr group.

"I have no control over the way time flows. It may happen, or it may not." Innocet said. "I'll talk to him." the Doctor stood up. "No, you've caused enough trouble. I will." Joe said, walking along after Will.

"Yeah, 'course we will. I guess it is getting late." Da'in admitted. "Would you like to retire then?" Kýrios asked. "I guess so. C'mon, Vix, we'll be alright then I suppose?" Da'in said slowly.