Untold Knowledge (Doctor Who x Genius Fem! Oc) [Book 1]

Chapter 140: The Fires of Pompeii

" 'The lesser of two evils for the greater good.' Get a good man to utter that phrase and there is no one more eager to begin perpetrating evil."
-- James Islington

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"You fought her off with a water pistol. No offense to Echo, but I bloody love you." Donna said as they were enveloped in the heat of their new environment.

Echo chuckled with great amusement and continued down the cramped passageway, "Right this way, Donna love."

She then gave them a confused look, "Where are we going now?" 

"Into the volcano." the Doctor stated matter-of-factly.

"No way." she practically gasped.

"Yes, way. Appian way." he joked as they were all moving on.

Though, as they walked, Donna went on to asking her questions. "But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right for you to stop it?" but still didn't understand how heavy such a decision was.

"Still part of history." the Doctor answered.

"But I'm history to you." Donna pressed, not aware of how sensitive a subject it truly was. "You saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"

Instead of answering sarcastically, he gave a brief response. "Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."

She still didn't get it. "How do you know which is which?"

With that, he spun around and made all of them stop in their tracks. "Because that's how I see the universe. Every waking second I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of a Time Lord, Donna. And I'm the only one left." he explained honestly.

When he tried to turn and walk away, Donna asked the one question that shouldn't and should have been touched on. "How many people died?"

"Stop it." he snapped angrily.

But she refused to be silenced. "Doctor, how many people died?"

"Twenty thousand." he practically growled.

"Is that what you can see, Doctor?" she demanded. "All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?"

Before a retort could be given, a distant roar could be heard. "They know we're here. Come on." They then hurriedly continued on for a better advantage point.

Coming upon an open and spacious cavern, they found the large space to be populated by multiple Pyroviles. "It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of them." Donna muttered with hesitant intimidation.

"Yeah, but what's that?" Echo asked and pointed towards a distant construct further in.

Just then, footsteps could be heard getting closer from where they had just come from. "Oh, you two had better hurry up and think of something. Rocky fall's on its way."

But the lovers were busy figuring things out. "That's how they arrived." the Doctor said as he looked through his small monocular. "Or what's left of it."

"Gene bank? Escape pod? Prison ship? Snog box?" Echo wondered aloud, making her Doctor snort with sudden amusement.

"But why do they need a volcano?" Donna asked with obvious confusion. "Maybe it erupts and they launch themselves back into space or something?"

The Doctor shook his head, however. "Oh, it's worse than that."

"How could it be worse." She then looked behind them again. "Echo, it's getting closer."