the forgotten child of gallifrey | doctor whoniverse

xxi: the odd ood

After dashing through the streets, around people, and over bits of rubble, we make it to the center. Smoke fills the air, along with the cries of frightened civilians.

It was just like a story from the news: chaos, tears, blood, confusion, worry. Basically, the usual.

"So," Echo says, turning to me after she takes in the mayhem unraveling around us. "If you were a master criminal that had just blown up a government building, where would you hide out?"

"Hmm. Probably either stay here, trying to blend into the crowd. Nobody expects you to stick around at the scene of the crime. Or back to 'my' hideout, which would most likely be underground," I reply, sliding my hands into my pockets.

Echo gives me one of her adorable grins. "Alright then. Looks like we're going to have to do some digging around in the sewers. Don't worry. I've been in Cardiff's before. This can't be much worse," she says, walking down the street until she finds a manhole. "Watch for people coming, okay?"

Leaning against the wall of a skyscraper, I look around, just to see nobody around. "Okay. Be careful. We can't be having any more casualties, now can we?"

"Well," she says, shoving the cover off of the manhole. "Casualties are nothing the two of us can't handle. Either way." She slams the cover down onto the ground.

What does she mean by that?

"Ladies first," I say, gesturing Echo down.

She climbs down a ladder bolted to the wall and I wait a few seconds before following after her. Once she reaches the bottom, she steps aside to give me some more room. The ladder is slimy, making it increasingly more difficult to climb down.

"Having fun?" Echo calls as I approach the bottom. It has a few inches of filthy standing water. Gross.

"The absolute time of my life," I reply with a sarcastic tone as I grab her hand and begin to walk down the dark mysterious tunnel ahead.

We walk like this for a while: hand in hand, swinging our arms in sync ever-so-slightly. There are a few green lights scattered down the way, but they don't provide much light.

I wonder what Echo meant about the casualties thing. Well, I know that for her it isn't a problem, what with the whole long-story-but-I'm-kind-of-immortal thing. But what about me? Was she saying that dying isn't really a problem of mine either? I mean, I haven't ever tried it so I don't know for sure, but I've always assumed that I'm going to die like everyone else around me. Then again, everyone around me now is definitely different than about a week ago. Now, I'm surrounded by aliens, genetically altered humans, and assorted things I'll put into a category later. Can I die? Well, my dad just popped up in a blue box, so I don't really know a whole lot about what or who I am.

Before I can put anything together, we turn the corner and I gasp. "What the hell are they?" I ask. Whatever they are, they reek. "And damn. It smells in here."

We seem to be a bright room full with a bunch of weird creature things. Their heads are huge, and bald, as if they have a brain twice the size as humans trying to break out of their skull. Long strange tentacle things drape down from their face. A strange glowing sphere rests in each of their hands. Besides that, their bodies look human, blue uniform, gloves, and loafers.

They raise their attached orbs resting in their hand and speak in unison, "We are the Ood, and we are coming."

Their eyes glow red.

"I think we should go," Echo says. "Like, now."

She turns around and starts running, grabbing my hand to drag me along after her. We sprint back to the ladder, footsteps chasing after us. Eventually, I can see a small opening of light.

"Come on," she hisses, pulling herself up.

I turn my head back as I climb up. An out-of-breath Ood is still running towards us.

"So, you're the one stinking up the place," I say with a smirk as I roll the man cover back into place.