Hold On

[Deleted]

Aixa frowned, looking at his master carefully. “If that was a distress signal and the Daleks are as bad as you say,” he said, tilting his head, “it is likely that people of this planet are dead.” He didn’t mean to be rude, but Aixa didn’t feel it appropriate to mince words at the moment. He was upset that it didn’t appear that he would get to see the people of this planet, but his foremost mission was to protect the Nomad. And to do that, he didn’t need to be moping about people that he had never met. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, dully, because he had lived through enough genocides to know that there weren’t many words you could say to someone.

The Nomad was angry and Aixa decided he couldn’t blame him. They believe they’re the best, huh? he wondered, and peered down at the corridor. If they were truly the best, then shouldn’t that entail compassion? They were not superior if they were not wise, right? “They don’t sound very pleasant at all,” Aixa replied. It seemed that there were a lot of creatures willing to kill everything that was ‘inferior’. Humans committed genocide, and they murdered, and he wondered how they were capable of such beautiful things when they were so destructive. And the Jinn were hardly innocent.

Aixa felt suddenly old, and he wished for a pacifistic species. He glanced over to the Nomad as he reached into the multi-dimensional pocket of his. His lips twitched into a small smile. “Slip this on… when it is on not even a Dalek can see you… when it is on, do not run or yell.” Aixa took the small key in his hand and examined it while listening to the Nomad explaining its functions. He looked up at him, and blinked, looking away. It gave him a slight headache just to look at his master now.

Not sure he liked the whole ‘key of headache’ business, he slipped the key around his neck reluctantly. “A perception filter?” he asked, heading down the corridor with the Nomad. He thought about shifting forms into a hyena again, but he wasn’t sure if even the hyena’s powerful jaws were enough to split open the Daleks if the need arose. Still, from the looks of things, he could easily take the form of a rhinoceros and knock them down.

He was feeling antsy and full of adrenaline, but Leo had told him not to run. So instead he jittered his arms, listing off all the galaxies and solar systems he knew his mind. “Do you know what we’re going to do?”

[Deleted]

“A perception filter?” he asked
The Nomad nodded, "Yes it is a perception filter." He replied as the Time Lord led the way down the corridor, putting his hands into his pockets as he walked.

He was feeling antsy and full of adrenaline, but Leo had told him not to run. So instead he jittered his arms, listing off all the galaxies and solar systems he knew his mind. “Do you know what we’re going to do?”

The Time Lord shook his head, "No I don't.. it all depends on how many of them Daleks are here.." The Nomad replied, "And how angry they make me." He added in. He stopped when he heard a scream, "Someone's alive.." but then judging by the scream, whoever it was is now dead.

The Nomad struggled to keep his emotions under control, "Oh if they wipe out.. my children then they will be really in for it." He whispered harshly.

He looked to Aixa, "This way." He said as he led the way down another corridor, where the scream came from, his hands out of his pockets. He stopped when he saw a body, slowly he walked over to the dead body and put a hand to where a pulse should have been felt, "Nothing.."

[Deleted]

Aixa looked over at Leo pensively. He wished that he could tell the Time Lord that it wasn’t worth getting angry about. People died. It happened every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. Perhaps the Nomad was old for his species – Aixa didn’t know the lifespan of Time Lords – but if the man had been a Djinn, he’d be seen as a mere toddler, barely released from the Caretaker. There was still much for Leo to learn, but it wasn’t his place to tell him that. There were some things that people had to learn on their owns, no matter the species.

“I understand,” he said, nodding. “Getting angry won’t solve anything, Leo,” Aixa said finally, walking hurriedly down the corridor alongside the Time Lord. He looked in the direction of the scream and quickened his step, but it seemed to be in vain. If the Nomad was right about how vicious the creatures were, then there was no hope for whoever was screaming. Aixa glanced over towards the Nomad with a slight frown on his lips. Why were the Daleks on this planet? Surely no creature ruled to rule – there had to be a reason for it.

“Oh if they wipe out… my children then they will be really in for it,” Leo whispered to him harshly. Aixa frowned, and nearly reached out his hand sympathetically. “This way,” Leo told him, and Aixa put his hands in his pockets as he observed the tunnels carefully. What could be on this moon that a ‘Dalek’ could want?

Aixa looked down at the corpse on the ground. There the faintest hint of energy still lingering on the body – terror. Aixa sighed and took a deep breath. The person must have died in severe terror for the energy still to be on its body. “Nothing,” Leo said.

The Djinn knelt beside the Time Lord. “You’re going to have to get over the death,” Aixa said shortly, standing and muttering a few words in Arabic for the corpse. “Unless you want many others to die, you can’t let yourself lose your temper.” There. That was a fairly decent heartfelt speech, right? Right.

“Now, the first thing… what could the Daleks possibly want from here?”

[Deleted]

The Djinn knelt beside the Time Lord. “You’re going to have to get over the death,” Aixa said shortly, standing and muttering a few words in Arabic for the corpse. “Unless you want many others to die, you can’t let yourself lose your temper.” There. That was a fairly decent heartfelt speech, right? Right.

The Time Lord looked at the Djinn. It was hard for The Nomad to get over the deaths of others, maybe it was because he expected his companions and other friends to last long enough for him to watch them grow up. Then to watch a race reach for the stars and travel through space for the first time. The Nomad sighed as he came to a stand, he will have to get over this one. Hopefully his child friend is not among the dead, but knowing her she is still alive.

“Now, the first thing… what could the Daleks possibly want from here?”

"Well besides the fact that the ocean is almost nothing but liguid mercury... which is useless in some areas.. there is no reason to want to take over this planet.. although.. Yet the liquid mercury makes it hard to detect bases underneath it." Leo said, putting a hand to his chin as he thought, "They could be looking for a place to boost their numbers."

(I am totally making up the liquid mercury thing XD)

[Deleted]

Aixa smiled half-heartedly at the Nomad. “I know how you feel,” he said eventually, patting the man on the shoulder briefly before continuing the walk towards where the noises were coming from. It was always hard to see the death of a friend – the death of anyone – but Aixa was old. Sure, he was young for someone of his kind, but he’d seen too many things to get upset by something as trivial as death. He looked around – there were more corpses as they continued down the tunnel and Aixa shut his eyes, not particularly wanting to see the frightened expressions on the bodies.

Liquid mercury? Aixa wondered. What were the uses of mercury? Surely it was one of the heavier liquids, and most things floated on it, but what would a species of maniacal robot-creatures want? He glanced over at the Nomad. “No, I don’t think so,” Aixa said quietly. “Surely there are planets that are uninhabited and suitable for boosting their numbers. So why would they go to an inhabited civilization who are capable of calling for help?” he questioned, keeping his voice low. He didn’t know how well these Daleks could hear, and he didn’t want to test it out.

He rounded a corner and froze slightly – a Dalek was only a few yards away from him. He took a hesitant step back, glancing up at Leo. The Dalek seemed not to have noticed him even as Aixa moved towards it curiously.

[Deleted]

“No, I don’t think so,” Aixa said quietly. “Surely there are planets that are uninhabited and suitable for boosting their numbers. So why would they go to an inhabited civilization who are capable of calling for help?”

"Because their goal is wipe out all life forms that are not theirs.. they even at one point tried to make a bomb that would have wiped out everything.. including them." The Nomad told Aixa, looking at all the bodies he noticed one was still moving, he failed to notice the Djinn rounding the corner to investigate the Dalek.

Taking off his perception filter he knelt down, "Hey.." He said gently as he propped up one of his children. The being looked around anxiously, it looked human actually. It's eyes settled on The Nomad, "It's alright, take it easy." The Time Lord told him, "What happened?"

"She called you here.. the one you rescued is now our leader, she called you here because she wanted to see you again, then those Daleks came out of no where." The human said, the fact is that these humans are not the same ones from Earth, they are much more peaceful and less likely to deal with something involving weapons.

"Is she still alive?" He asked, "Bron tell me." He said quietly.

Bron's eyes weakly looked at him, "I don't know." He said quietly, "She is smarter.. more than smart enough to deal with these Daleks.. thanks to you."

The Nomad shut the humanoid's eyes and laid his body back down, putting the perception filter back on.

[Deleted]

Wow, these Daleks destroyed everything in their path? They didn’t sound like a very intelligent species. In his experience, the most belligerent of species were often not the brightest. To make a bomb to destroy every living creature was ridiculous. The Jinn may not have liked humanity or any other species, but they didn’t go around making crazy nuclear bombs to eradicate every other living life form. To Aixa, the violence seemed pointless. What were the Daleks to gain by being the only creatures in existence? What was the fun in being the only ones there? There wasn’t any excitement in being alone. Trust Aixa on that point – he’d once spent two hundred years lost in an underground maze.

Aixa glanced over nervously as Leo took off the perception filter. He waved his arms slightly frantically, trying to make his ‘invisibleness’ spread through the air to Nomad. Finally he picked up a stray piece of rock or stone one of the corpses was holding, and flung it towards the end of the hall. The Dalek immediately spun around to the source of the noise, going to investigate. Aixa breathed out a small sigh of relief, turning back to the Nomad and the dying child – no, sorry, dead child.

Aixa sighed and shook his head gently as the Nomad put back on the perception filter. “How are we going to stop them?”

[Deleted]

“How are we going to stop them?”

The Nomad looked to Aixa,"I won't know until I know how many of the Daleks are here, if it is a small group.. then I can do something simple, if there is more than say.. ten I will have to come up with something complex to send them back to the void." He told the Djinn. Looking around he sighed, "First I have to find someone, she was one of my first companions and was with me when I last sent the Daleks to the void, she will be a huge help." The Time Lord said.

The Nomad was not sure of where to find his companion.. er used to be companion in this maze of tunnels. Spotting a Dalek coming into the chamber they were in, he grabbed the Djinn's hand and led him down another, reaching the end led them to the left corridor and released aixa's hand. Breathing heavily he looked around, scratching the back of his head as he tried to remember the way around the crazy labyrinth of hallways and chambers, "Ah.. come on.. I should remember my way around with no problems.." The Time Lord told himself.

[Deleted]

Aixa frowned pensively. He still didn’t know what ‘the Void’ was, but he could tell it wasn’t pleasant. Still, despite the corpses on the ground, he couldn’t help but feel a stir of sympathy for the creatures. Was evil inherited? If it was, then surely the creatures could not help. If they were only used for violence and anger, then were they aware of what they were doing? And if they weren’t, then wasn’t killing the Daleks – which Aixa had been more than willing to do – then wasn’t that murder? He kept his mouth shut, deciding he didn’t argue morality with his master. It was more than likely the man had an overwhelming disinterest in Aixa’s morals.

And anyway, he was already a murderer. Why was he so keen to think through ethics?

“First I have to find someone. She was one of my first companions and was with me when I last sent the Daleks to the void, she will be a huge help.”

The Djinn nodded silently. He wondered if the Nomad realized that Aixa wasn’t just a pretty face, but the Djinn kept silent still. Surely if Leo decided he needed to a lowly Amir, he would speak up. “She certainly sounds helpful,” he said evenly.

His thoughts bitters and his tongue heavy, Aixa was on auto-pilot, following Leo out of instinct. His eyes widened when his hand was caught and his arm nearly jerked out of its socket as the Nomad jerked him into another corridor. Aixa hissed under his breath, pulling his arm back after Leo let go. He gave the Time Lord a wounded look.

“Ah… come on… I should remember my way around with no problem.”

Aixa turned into a peregrine falcon and rested on the Nomad’s shoulder, the perception filter hanging heavily against his neck. He flapped his wings irritably to rid himself of it. “I can find her faster like this,” he offered.

[Deleted]

“She certainly sounds helpful,” he said evenly.

The Nomad looked at the Djinn, "You will be a huge help too my friend." He said with an even tone, he was still struggling to keep his emotions in check, to keep himself from losing his temper.. again.

His thoughts bitters and his tongue heavy, Aixa was on auto-pilot, following Leo out of instinct. His eyes widened when his hand was caught and his arm nearly jerked out of its socket as the Nomad jerked him into another corridor. Aixa hissed under his breath, pulling his arm back after Leo let go. He gave the Time Lord a wounded look.

The Time Lord looked at the Djinn and realized he grabbed the man's hand too tightly and rather led him through the corridor too roughly, "Sorry." He said with an apologetic tone, "I did not mean to hurt you." With that he gave the Djinn a sorry smile and looked to the corridors, feeling lost and confused, was that age coming on? The Time Lord was not sure.

Aixa turned into a peregrine falcon and rested on the Nomad’s shoulder, the perception filter hanging heavily against his neck. He flapped his wings irritably to rid himself of it. “I can find her faster like this,” he offered.

The Time Lord did not like the idea of splitting up, he preferred that the two stick together as it will be safer. Yet if they split up it would be difficult to catch them both. He took the key, blinking he reached into his pocket and got out some string. Getting a good length he bit what he needed off from the rest, doubling it up he tied the string around the key before putting it around the Djinn's neck, "There. Now they won't see you."

[Deleted]

“You will be a huge help too my friend,” the Nomad said automatically. Aixa smiled and shook his head. It was a sweet thing to say, and certainly something to say if the Nomad feared leaving Aixa’s good graces, but it wasn’t true. Aixa didn’t know the first thing about anything remotely relevant – neither had the girl, surely, but she still had more experience than he had.

But he had been taught not to reject a compliment, so he took it begrudgingly without letting his smile slip farther than it had. It seemed that the Nomad was already on thin nerves. He didn’t particularly feel like trying to calm down a raging Time Lord.

“Sorry,” the man said after seeing the look on Aixa’s face. Aixa’s bottom lip stuck out in a pout. He’d nearly had his arm ripped off and all the Time Lord was giving him was ‘sorry’? “I did not mean to hurt you.”

How could Aixa stay mad at that smile? Cursing the Time Lord’s adorable features under his breath, Aixa followed him, eventually turning into a falcon and flying around the Time Lord impatiently. He ducked his head as the Nomad tied the string and key around him. He bobbed his head slightly, impatient. His wings fluttered.

“There. Now they won’t see you.”

Aixa would have offered him a comforting grin if he had had lips. Instead the falcon landed on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek briefly. He wasn’t too concerned about finding Nomad after they split up – if Nomad was still wearing his Lamp, then Aixa still had a ‘GPS’ of sorts to find the man. He flew off towards the end of the corridor. He stayed towards the ceiling in the dark corners. He had the perception filter, sure, but Nomad had said not to run or shout, and surely ‘running’ was meant to dissuade speed.

And falcons surely had enough speed to draw attention.

Aixa slowed, hearing a shrieking voice. It wasn’t human – or who he was looking for. He flew closer hesitantly. “EX-TER-MIN-ATE!”

Aixa didn’t have time to figure out what the Dalek meant by that, because a bright flash of light made the wall next to him crumble. He widened his eyes with an indignant squawk. His form flickered and he turned into his pure energy form. He slipped into the shell of the Dalek and released a spark of energy, killing whatever was inside of it. Aixa went out of the shell and glanced around before taking his humanoid form, slipping the key into his pocket and took the top off.

“Yuck,” he said disdainfully, looking at the squid-type-thing that was in there. He grabbed it with a wince, his face greening slightly as he threw it to the ground. It landed with a gross ‘plop’ sound. He shuddered and stepped inside the Dalek, squirming. Not much in the way of leg room, he observed, making his humanoid shape shorter and more childlike to fit. He grabbed the top of the Dalek and put it over him.

“Ahahahaha!” he cackled, the voice coming out distorted. He cleared his throat, deciding to remain silent unless another Dalek spoke to him.


Aixa made the Dalek go forward, trying to work out how to maneuver convincingly.

How hard could this be?

[Deleted]

The Time Lord was not sure how or why the Djinn was upset as he watched the bird fly off. For a moment he stood there before walking down a corridor. He saw a shadow of a woman, pressing himself against the wall he grabbed her and pulled the woman towards him.

The woman yelped and turned towards him, "Nomad!" She said excitedly as she hugged him tightly, "I missed you! Where have you been?"

The Nomad hugged her back tightly, "Oh Julia.. I missed you too." He said, he released her and shrugged, "Same old, traveling around and getting into trouble." He replied with a grin, which was erased as he changed the topic, "What is going on here? How did the Daleks get here?"

Julia shrugged, "It was after I called you, there was like a bright light.. like something was ripped open and they came flowing out." She told him.

"Sounds like they ripped the fabric of time and space somehow to escape the void.." The Time Lord said, "Now it is just sending them back.."

He heard something coming towards them, turning around The Nomad saw that it was a Dalek, "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" It yelled, and aimed its gun at Julia, Nomad pushed Julia out of the way. Taking the hit, he dropped to the ground, panting hard he reached into his pocket, throwing a device at the Dalek it sent it back to the void.

Julia ran over to Nomad, "Leo! You fool!" She said as the woman wiped sweat off his forehead.

Leo looked at her, the pain was so bad, so intense he found it hard to speak even a word.

[Deleted]

Aixa turned the Dalek with a certain amount of difficulty. These things really weren’t designed with the user’s comfort in mind. He took a deep sigh which played through awkwardly and tinny. He pressed his lips together as he trudged forwards, deciding not to try speaking again. He felt the perception filter in his pocket nervously. Oh, it’d been such a terrible idea for him to leave the Nomad. Especially with the TARDIS’ warning. He said he may die when they were in his apartment.

He certainly didn’t want that – it would be by far the shortest time he’d be owned. He trudged forward, following his senses as to where the Nomad would be. He hurried, hearing screams coming from the end of the corridor. He shut his eyes tightly, praying to the thousands of deities he’d learned of over the years that it wasn’t the Nomad that was hurt, but Leo’s ominous warning from earlier rang inside the Dalek’s shell, and Aixa cursed himself for being so stupid.

In front of him, a Dalek was torn from their dimension and… into the Void that the Nomad had alluded to earlier? Aixa winced, looking cautiously over at the man and the girl, and although he couldn’t see their forms he could still feel them. A Dalek approached the duo and he fired his laser clumsily in its direction. The top half blasted off. Aixa pushed the lid off the shell and hurried over to the Nomad, offering a brief frown at the girl.

“Nommie?” he said tentatively, pressing a hand to the wound. He couldn’t heal this – he could halt the pain, but the damage had been done. He was still too weak of a Djinn. “I’m sorry, Nommie. I-if I hadn’t talked to you o-or insisted you get my Lamp then you would still be hunting down that alien and you wouldn’t know me,” he rambled, distressed. “You can’t die, Leo. I only just met you.”

[Deleted]

Julia looked to the Djinn she was not sure of what to say or do.

“Nommie?” he said tentatively, pressing a hand to the wound. He couldn’t heal this – he could halt the pain, but the damage had been done. He was still too weak of a Djinn. “I’m sorry, Nommie. I-if I hadn’t talked to you o-or insisted you get my Lamp then you would still be hunting down that alien and you wouldn’t know me,” he rambled, distressed. “You can’t die, Leo. I only just met you.”

The Time Lord shook his head," It's not your fault." He said as Leo sat up, "It's not a killing wound.. at least not yet." he groaned as he came to an uneasy stand.

Julia looked to the Djinn, "Who is this?" She asked the Time Lord.

Leo looked to Aixa, "This is Aixa my friend, and I say one of the best I have had in years." He said looking to Julia, "Aixa this is Julia one of my previous companions." He said.

The Time Lord leaned against the wall, holding his side.

[Deleted]

It’s not a killing wound
it’snotakillingwound

“Yeah, well, good,” Aixa said venomously. “Good thing I didn’t pour my soul out to your lifeless corpse, then. I mean, not like you scared me or anything. Yeah, no big deal, just my master being shot by a ruthless creature from Hell!” he snapped, his arms flailing wildly. “A-and… and… I was worried, so… just don’t get shot again, okay?” he said with a small frown.

“Who is this?”

He looked at her sheepishly, realizing his tantrum probably wasn’t the best impression.

“This is Aixa my friend, and I say one of the best I have had in years… Aixa, this is Julia one of my previous companions.”

His cheeks darkened. “Nice to meet you, Julia,” he said sheepishly, walking over to the Nomad and helping him stand.