Doctor Who: Entanglement

DOCTOR WHO: Series 11

Episode 7:

Entanglement

Written by Zachary Denoyer

All rights belong to BBC Studios

Prologue: Week 2

53rd Century

The weather was as cold as usual on the planet El Lazo. Snow blanketed the metal structures across the landscape. The metal cube-like units that dotted the expanse were called the 'Entanglement Units'; they are used as housing like all the other units so upkeep on them was always necessary. No one skimps on fixing on El Lazo. One certain unit was acting up. If the unit wasn't fixed soon, the bosses in the hilariously named 'Big Unit' would for sure have the workers there punished. Housing the workers in the units was easier than calling for off-worlders to come in, this way they'd always have people handy.

Megan reached for her drill and continued her job, fixing the molecular converters. Her job was especially important for if anything happened to the converters the products moving through would become entirely unstable.

FLINK

"Uh...Michael I think I broke the bolt..."

"Oh crap, what?"

Michael adjusted his glasses, moved over to Megan's converter, and grew wide-eyed. "Megan! We need to keep a low profile...if we mess up, we'll blow our cover! We are lucky a few nice people gave us this housing..."

Megan dropped her drill and groaned. "We've been living in this metal hellhole for weeks and there is no Face-Spider in sight!"

Michael picked up the drill and handed it to Megan. He glared at her and she took the drill unenthusiastically. "Megan..." Michael groaned, "We've been over this. We've seen Marcus and Angel...it must at least be within a span of a couple months because they look basically the same. We just need to wait...like you said."

Megan fiddled with the drill and got it to spin again. She smirked and sighed. "Okay Michael...I will...keep...waiting...for the Doctor."

Michael smiled and leaned against his converter. Taking his work-belt off, he laid it onto a nearby table. He looked over to their fabricator; it stood silent and waited for input. "How about we have a snack, half-sized home-style Tacos sound good?" said Michael while grinning toward Megan amusingly.

Megan grew a half-smile and chuckled. She sat her drill down and dusted off her pants while standing up. "Yes Michael, I'd like that very much. We both need a quick break. By the way, how are those glasses holding up?"

Michael happily trotted over to the inactive fabricator and switched it on by swiping his ration card. The machine lit up with excitement and a screen came on with text reading:

Please enter your choice.

Hesitating for a moment Michael then entered: 'Half-Sized Home-style Tacos' and set the increments to '2'. "Uh..." Michael sighed while fixing his glasses, "They are pretty crappy...well, I guess they are fine. I'm just lucky the fabricator can even create ones good enough...it sucks it can't create contacts though. I really should have thought about bringing more along on the TARDIS."

Leaning against the metal wall Megan smiled. Their entire predicament has weighed on her and Michael greatly. But it was times like these that helped her pull through. She looked toward Michael as he brushed off his uniform and straightened his back before quickly subduing a sneeze.

"Oh, Michael you really are getting a cold, I'm surprised you haven't gotten one sooner."

Michael wiped his nose and looked toward Megan, annoyed of his situation. "You always were better with sicknesses...here I am stuck with a cold...in the cold."

But before Megan could laugh though, the fabricator started to make strange noises before suddenly shutting off. Megan and Michael grew perplexed and looked toward the fabricator in confusion.

"Please don't tell me we have to fix that too..." groaned Megan.

Michael moved over to the machine to try to get it working again. As he smacked the side of the machine it sprang on and started shaking. Michael stepped back unsure of what to do. "Megan...what the hell is happening?"

Megan moved over to the machine, her eyes widened in disbelief. "I...Michael we know what this is!"

An expression of confused delight ran across Michael's face. He looked toward Megan and grinned from ear to ear. "It's finally happening isn't it!"

The fabricator lit up with excitement. It groaned until, suddenly, a small spider-like creature occupied the receptacle. It looked around the metal room until it met Megan and Michael strangely smiling at it.

Michael turned his head toward Megan in glee. "We are almost over the hill..."

As the fabricator started spitting out more and more spider-like creatures Megan and Michael embraced each other. They pulled apart as the creatures jumped around the room in distress. Looking into each other's eyes Megan and Michael smiled.

"That means just one year, right?" questioned Megan as she put her hand on Michael's face.

Michael smirked and pulled Megan closer. "Yeah, just one more year, think we can do it?"

Megan laughed. "I know I can Tattoo Boy, but can you? We are just lucky a year on this planet is the same as on Earth..."

"That's true but hey...of course I can, Coffee Bean."

Megan smirked and leaned in closer.

"Wait you want a kiss? Right in front of the Face-Spiders? I think I'm also getting a cold...remember?" said Michael in a snarky manner.

Megan snickered. "Oh who the hell cares..."

Megan and Michael began to kiss as the Face-Spiders begun filling the room.

Chapter 1: Week 3

The snowy streets of El Lazo bustled with groups of workers coming and going. Supplies were being carried in carts from destination to destination. It seemed like the Beta Section was finally shaping into the world Megan and Michael first saw when they arrived a year later.

Sounds of hammers and metal being welded filled the air, echoing throughout the units. Megan and Michael however were still trying to figure out where to get their own supplies for fixing their own unit. Inside their metal domicile Megan was irritated by the lack of sleep she had been getting. "Michael...we haven't slept for a week..." she groaned.

Michael chuckled and sat his drill onto a table, brushing aside other tools. "Megan we've gotten to sleep every night, especially since they reset the fabricators."

"I know...but I'm just lazy..." said Megan as she slumped in a chair.

Looking out the window Michael noticed the supply cart moving by, it was being picked clean by other workers. The cart moved on its own, so the workers had to act fast. "We can argue about how insane it is you are now the lazy one, or we can follow the supply cart to find out where to get the stuff we need." Michael looked toward Megan coyly. "Sound good babe?"

Megan slowly pushed herself out of her seat and sighed. "Okay, fine."

Walking over to the coat rack Michael retrieved his coat. He quickly put it on and tossed Megan her coat as well. As the coat landed in her arms, the Doctor's sonic screwdriver fell out of a pocket.

"Oh crap, sorry. You shouldn't be carrying that around everywhere..." said Michael with a worried expression washing over his face.

Megan picked up the sonic screwdriver and examined its scratched blue, silver, and gold frame. She brushed it off and pocketed it. "We have to...I know it's a risk but what would happen if we got in trouble...this thing could help us."

Michael snickered and zipped up his coat. "Well once we figure out how to turn it on completely, yes, it will save us from trouble." He looked over to the fixed fabricator. "Especially save us trouble from work...without the comfort of the TARDIS, this is all we have...well, we do have each other," said Michael with a slightly subdued grin.

Megan smiled and pocketed the sonic screwdriver. "Ever since the TARDIS finally...died...I've come to realize how dependent we were on easily accessible toiletries. But with her gone she won't open and we just have the fabricators." She quickly zipped up her coat and walked over to the front door. As she pushed it open the frozen air nipped at her. "Ugh, I'll never get used to that", said Megan as she bundled up her coat more efficiently.

Walking outside Michael noticed the cart moving around the corner and motioned Megan to follow. After locking their door Megan moved with Michael down the street and rounded the corner. The cart seemed to be picked clean and was moving back around for a resupply.

"Okay, let's tail the cart and figure out how to be first for supplies," said Michael as he pulled out a scarf.

Megan and Michael quickly pulled the scarf over the bottom of their faces. "Good thing we took a page out of the Doctor's playbook with the scarves," Megan said as she smiled under her scarf.

Looking down toward Megan, Michael smiled too. "I can't tell if you are smiling, are you?" laughed Michael, "Give me a thumbs-up if you are."

Megan slowly rose up her hand with a thumbs-up, whilst shivering from the cold.

"Okay, let's get a move on," confidently belted Michael as he fixed his glasses.

The cart moved past groups of workers disappointed by the lack of supplies. As the two moved through the crowds they noticed more carts moving along, these carts though were full of the bodies of Face-Spiders. It was a sad sight, especially knowing what sort of pain those poor creatures were being put through.

Megan moved alongside Michael and noticed how happy most of the workers were given the circumstances. It had seemed that with the turn of events taking place the one thing that had ceased was Big Unit guards taking people to the Dead Boxes. Megan frowned as she realized that would change soon, but how soon she didn't know.

The snow started picking up and blanketed the streets. It seemed a storm was on its way very soon. Megan and Michael would have to hurry if they wanted supplies to fix up their dwelling.

"Michael...look," said Megan while she pointed toward a group of workers. Among that group were two individuals that looked familiar. Michael looked closer and noticed it was Angel and Marcus; it seemed they were among the groups angry at the whole situation. Most of the workers were having fits of anger and doubts. They simply didn't want to have to work even more to fix their houses which they already had to upkeep.

The Big Unit officials sent representatives to explain their predicament over a week ago with the arrival of the Face-Spiders, it angered many. Most of the workers resorted to some rather odd tactics of disapproval. One such protest involved throwing bananas at the guards; it didn't work out well as they just ate them. It was a soft beginning for a place having firearms in almost every hand near the end.

Michael moved along with Megan around a corner to see the cart stop at a unit. It was the unit that occupied the middle of the Beta Section. Megan and Michael had learned that the central unit housed a much bigger fabricator for larger supplies. It wasn't the only unit that housed one though as they dotted the Beta Section of over fifty units. Each unit had multiple entrances for multiple generators in them, which meant multiple houses as well.

"Okay so when they fill it up, we'll be the first to get supplies okay?" said Michael while tapping the shoulder of Megan.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's at least get there first," exclaimed Megan.

Megan and Michael moved over to the cart and saw it enter the unit. "Should we go in?" questioned Megan.

Michael looked inside the unit and noticed Big Unit guards standing beside the massive fabricator. "No, not yet at least." The fabricator bore the logo of the Big Unit; a sailing ship moving under an arch. He looked closer and noticed something was wrong with the machine. It's vibrating metallic frame seemed dented in and the guards were trying to fix it. Michael sighed and moved back over to Megan. "Yeah, the reason why our group of units isn't getting as many supplies is because it seems like someone took a whack at it."

With a surprised expression Megan pushed her head inside the interior of the unit to examine the machine. "Oh wow, that is bad...how are we going to get supplies?"

"Uh...we can't just sneak inside, can we?"

Megan grinned, her pale cheekbones poked from the wrapping of cloth around her face. "Ah, now I can tell you are smiling," bellowed Michael with a cheery snark. Michael took one last look around the corner and saw the coast was clear. "Okay, area's clear. I think we can move a few boxes. But...we should definitely not draw attention."

The couple moved around the metal wall of the unit and snuck inside. Every step they took seemed to be in unison. They masked the noise quite well for two kids from the noisy city of Los Angeles. Taking notice of the movement of the guards the kids managed to finally reach the crates. The boxes were placed on the back of a loading cart.

Michael looked around and readied himself to take a crate off the cart. But as he began to move one a guard turned around and started moving toward the cart. "I'll just send this stack out. The workers are getting antsy, we can't have them attacking the fabricators."

Suddenly the cart began to move, and along with it, Megan and Michael's only cover. Thinking quickly the two jumped into the back of the cart, covering themselves with nearby blankets. The cart moved out of the unit and into the cold of El Lazo.

"Dammit Michael," cursed Megan, "What the hell are we going to do now?"

Michael pulled his face covering down, fixed his glasses, and scrunched his face together in an annoyed manner. "What? I didn't plan this!"

Megan peeked her head out of the blanket and made an 'O' with her lips. "The cart is moving down our street!" she turned to Michael in a playful manner. "Let's steal the lot and jump out before we get to our unit!"

Before Michael could obviously agree though a sickened cough from behind them alerted the couple. "That's not very nice," said a small voice.

A shocked expression and a slight jump made Michael throw the blanket off the cart. "Who the hell is in here with us?!"

A small child rose from behind a box and wiped her nose angrily. Her piercing blue eyes were flanked by eyebrows expressing distaste. "I smashed that Fabricator fair and square! I deserve to get what is in this cart!"

Megan's eyes widened in the likeness of an owl. "It...it's you."

Michael began to breath heavily and pulled up his scarf.

"Do I know you perder?" the girl looked upon Megan's pale complexion and then down toward her own tanned arm. "You definitely aren't familia," snickered the girl. Standing before them was Henrietta, the leader of the Breakers...or at least future leader.

Michael disarmed his expression of panic. "Uh, no. We don't know you...obviously. But we saw someone had smashed the Fabricator so naturally we wondered—"

Henrietta pulled Michael's scarf back down. "I've seen your faces before you know. Lots of times, you aren't fooling me idiota. Plus...barely anyone wears glasses here."

With an expression of fear Michael took a breath and was about to confess everything.

"It's okay, I know you are and have always been...ugly!" snorted the little girl.

Michael groaned and pulled up his scarf angrily. The offended man turned toward Megan and motioned toward Henrietta with a stern finger.

"Uh, little girl, can we please at least take some supplies? We really need them, we all do," pleaded Megan.

Henrietta contemplated the plea and looked around the cart. She gathered supplies into a large wooden crate and giggled. "Okay," she said as she returned to face the couple, "I wasn't obviously going to leave you two hanging. I've been struggling for a long time to get these supplies to my unit group."

Bending down, Michael lifted the crate and looked over the supplies. Happy with the inventory he looked toward the little girl confused. He knew her story, how she would use a Face-Spider to partake in the Infinite-Coma. But it seems she hadn't yet.

Michael sighed and made a slight grin of thanks. "Which unit grouping?"

"The southwest group..." answered Henrietta in a sad tone.

Eyes full of determination, Megan stepped forward. "If there is anything we can do to—"

The little girl groaned and reached behind her, pulling a small lever which roughly stopped the cart in front of an alley. She looked toward Megan with solemn expression. "It's cliché, but we do not need your help. We are scattered as is, the Big Unit idiotas are sending more and more of us to the Dead Boxes. They see us straying from our monotonous jobs and they punish us. Every day we suffer, lapping up our Rations and having to eat Face-Spiders to live," Henrietta made a fist, "But we break on through and fight from the icy corners. Seeing you two at least try to survive...well it made El Lazo a little better."

Megan smirked and nodded her head. "Well, no matter what, we'll always be here should the day come when you need support."

Henrietta picked up a crate and readied to jump out of the cart. She looked back toward Megan and Michael, but fixated upon Megan's statement. "Thanks lady, but until I somehow learn how to tell the future, it's a resounding 'no thanks' from me!" The snarky little girl pushed the lever starting the cart on its original path and hopped off, disappearing into the alley with her boon.

The couple quickly hopped off the cart. "Even before the Infinite-Coma she was a real piece of work," chuckled Michael, "But what she said before we went back in time 'There's always next time'...it's all making sense now. She really did know us before."

"I guess it's all coming together," Megan smiled. She looked through the box and grinned. "At least she knew what we needed." She then looked up toward Michael with a scrunched expression. "When do you think her getting her 'second life' will happen?"

"I...uh...I have no clue. People are only starting to understand the implications of the Face-Spider abilities. They don't know you can actually remember something though," said Michael with a disappointed look.

Sighing, Megan closed the box's lid and bundled up more efficiently. "So...more waiting...great."

The wind started howling and spreading icy fragments through the air. It was a perfect opportunity to fix up more of the busted walls. As Megan and Michael walked down the streets of metal and ice, they noticed how frantic the people were becoming. It still was a far cry from the makeshift shanties they saw when they first arrived on El Lazo; a year in the future. People were already starting to understand the effects the Face-Spiders could give them. It would soon put things into motion.

The couple quickly reached their hovel and started to work on their creaky walls. For the workers on El Lazo, work was all they had to keep busy. With the introduction of the Face-Spiders though their homes were threatened. New work would keep the denizens busy, or so the Big Unit thought.

People like Henrietta, and in extension Megan and Michael, would give the workers a fighting chance. Little did these people know it would be one of the longest fights in the Universe.

Chapter 2: Week 10

The frigid winds bounced against the metal and wooden structure that Megan and Michael occupied. It had been weeks of working, toughing it out in a world that wasn't theirs. As they forced themselves to live on, they realized how far they've come on their own, without the Doctor, without help...with only each other. Only 42 more weeks remained until the Doctor arrived.

Throwing aside a blanket, Michael arose from his slumber. He had grown as a person, having been living in a harsh, broken environment. The tattooed boy walked over to procure his glasses from a nearby table. With warm breath and a quick rub against its glass Michael fixed his glasses upon his face. The first sight he took in was Megan still sleeping in the bed, her mouth agape in a humorous snoring position.

Michael realized how hard it's been for them, but with the advent of new businesses he had realized they might need to try something new. The Face-Spiders, their abilities have become widely known. According to the populace you could remember events from something called an Infinite Coma...most didn't believe in such a thing. That vile creatures such as the Face-Spiders could provide dreams, feelings, happiness.

Well, Megan and Michael knew.

Moving over to the fabricator Michael realized he barely had any ration coins left. Regardless he pushed one into the fabricator and procured himself a cup of coffee. He had no choice but to drink it black as other ingredients needed more coins.

With a quick snap Megan sprang up from the bed. She seemed scared. The girl looked around the room with her widened green eyes. Rubbing them, she looked toward Michael who she noticed was smiling at her.

"Did you think we were back home again?" questioned Michael with a calm sideways expression.

Megan shook the thought out of her head and sighed as she fell back onto the mattress. "No...yes...why are you up so early?"

"I...uh...I thought we might go try the Face-Spiders. I was just drinking some coffee," reverberated Michael.

All the times the Face-Spiders grossed her out Megan realized early on she had to face her fears. The Doctor taught her that quickly. Megan raised herself out of the bed and groaned. She raised her gaze upon Michael's face and made an understanding expression. "You are right. We need to take whatever we can get. To understand what we need to do..."

Michael sat down his cup and made a soft breath of elation. "Yeah. We've been trying to make sense of why we came back here...it's not just a coincidence. That creature's words are burned into my head..."

With a slap against the metal floor Megan fixed her boots to her feet. She made a determined expression and stood up to retrieve her coat. "Exactly. The Face-Spiders might give us an idea...if we actually remember something..."

•   

The city of units seemed rather calm today. The only people that were outside in the early morning were guards and solicitors. Interestingly the solicitors were just the people Megan and Michael were looking for.

The couple bundled up in their warm clothing and walked the long icy streets. The units of El Lazo seemed to finally echo the image of what Megan and Michael first saw when they arrived. Among the snowed-in shacks and metal walls heads darted out of the makeshift windows looking for any figures moving through the streets. Megan and Michael seemed to make the stereotypical snowy crunch as they moved down the street. It seemed to garner the attention of someone from a nearby shack.

"Hey, you two! ¡Aqui!" whispered the unknown man from the shack.

Megan bobbed her head toward the noise and lowered her bundled face wrapping to see better. She eyed the man who leaned from his shack. He seemed insistent on their wavered attention.

"Do you think..." sputtered out Michael as he looked down toward Megan.

Megan's pale face seemed to light up under her face wrap. "With nobody setting up real shops yet, this might be our best chance."

With a few quick steps the couple approached the shack and saw the man exit through the front door. He was a smaller man and lacked any sense of cleanliness, but he seemed kind enough.

"Ustedes dos! Are you looking for something? It's quite early. The work day hasn't even started yet."

"We are looking for some happiness," exclaimed Michael with a hesitant tone.

The small man looked around for anyone listening. He examined his hanging Face-Spiders and looked back toward Megan and Michael with a smirk. With a quick wave the diminished man invited the couple inside his home.

•   

The inside of the stranger's shack was full of crates and supplies of varying importance. Wires, plates, and fabric leaked from the boxes and spilled onto the cold floor. Megan looked around and noticed a small cage in the corner of the metal room. It seemed to house nothing more than a discarded piece of fabric...until Megan moved closer.

Suddenly the fabric was pushed aside, and a Face-Spider looked up toward the pale woman. It seemed to not frighten Megan. Instead it sank her heart that she knew the truth.

The small man picked up the cage and threw out a small chuckle. "Mis amigos, it seems you've come to the right place. This little guy will give you all you need to push forward in your daily fixes and what not!" He tossed the cage onto a nearby table.

CLINK

An uneven scowl washed across both Megan and Michael's faces. This little man seemed to treat this poor creature as poorly as he treated his house. Michael cleared his throat and approached the small cage, looking into it toward the Face-Spider. The poor creature seemed frightened of its surroundings, of everything.

Michael bore a grimaced smile. "So...how do we do this? Do we just..."

The man approached the cage and put his hand upon its top. "Before we start, I have to recite the code..."

Megan and Michael seemed baffled. They looked toward each other and then back toward the man. "What code?" questioned Megan.

Clearing his throat, the man pulled out a piece of distressed paper and began reading what was on it: "Any and all whosoever wish to enter the world of possibilities I give you this warning. Your happiness will be fleeting, and your mind will forget. Your heart will not. It will be a loop of broken memories and you must heed this warning. Stay strong for El Lazo." The man sniffled causing his bulbous nose to wiggle. "Do you understand?"

Megan seemed a bit alarmed and hesitant now. But Michael noticed this and grew a sideways expression. He looked toward the man. "I'll go first. I understand. I won't remember," Michael looked toward Megan for a split second and then down toward the Face-Spider. "But we need to at least try to find answers."

The small man coughed and pocketed the piece of paper. "We are all searching for answers mi amigo."

Michael nodded. Then the man stretched out his arm and opened his hand. "That'll be two Ration Credits, por favor."

Megan and Michael looked at each other and blew air out of their noses as they reached into their pockets for the Credit. They slapped the metal tokens onto the nearby table and the man collected them quickly. He walked over to a drawer and deposited them into it. The tokens made metallic clings as they fell onto others. "Okay," said the man, "You with the glasses, have a seat and we'll begin."

Fixing his glasses Michael took a breath and sat onto a nearby crate. He looked toward Megan. She seemed uncertain and tugged on her coat's sleeves. Michael observed the man open the cage and handle the Face-Spider. The poor creature made a small squeal as the hands of the man wrapped around the legs of the insectoid.

"Will it hurt?" asked Michael in a nervous tone.

The man laughed. "No, but it will tickle a bit. It never hurts though. What does hurt is that you'll not remember any of the beautiful worlds you see in your Infinite Coma."

Michael pulled off his glasses, straightened his back, and readied himself. The man positioned the Face-Spider over the tattooed boy's anticipated and tightened expression. All Michael could think about was to try to find answers and that it didn't seem to smell as bad as I thought it would. Before the spider was a-fixed to his face Michael opened an eye and looked toward Megan. "Remember to focus on finding answers..."

As the creature attached itself to Michael's face it's legs quickly wrapped around his head causing him to suddenly freeze. Megan's eyes widened and she looked down in fear then suddenly grew strong as she remembered why they were here. "How long will it be?" asked Megan.

"A few minutes for us, but instantly for the boy...No need to wait though, I'll fetch another creepy crawly for you."

Megan made a small yelp, "Wait, I have to go now?"

The man groaned. "Mierda...take it or leave it girl. You payed already anyways."

"Okay, okay..."

"Take a seat and I'll be right there."

Looking around Megan found another seat and sat on a rather precariously balanced crate. She saw the man find another cage and pull out another Face-Spider. At least this one seemed calmer than Michael's Face-Spider, Megan thought to calm herself down.

She pushed her face-wrap downwards in anticipation of the oncoming Face-Spider and focused on her goal. As the man moved the Face-Spider closer to her face Megan shut her eyes tight. Even though she'd face her fears already the unknown frightened her greatly. Megan shook as the creature wrapped around her face and then...

It was suddenly over.

Megan coughed as the Face-Spider was removed from her face and she saw Michael looking at her with a frustrated expression blocked slightly by his crooked glasses. "What...what the hell happened...I...I don't remember anything..."

Michael sighed. "Same here...I remember nothing. This was a stupid idea...I'm sorry Megan." The tattooed boy stood up and walked out of the dwelling, slamming the door.

Megan looked around the room with a defeated posture and heavy eyes, ready to let out tears. The man noticed this and smirked. "What are you smiling about? barked Megan.

The man ceased his expression. "Girl, everyone has that expression. That feeling of defeat."

"I don't feel anything. I feel worse than before I came in!"

"You think you do."

Megan stood up and scoffed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The man sat the two Face-Spider cages on top of each other. "I warned you. You won't remember. Your body will though."

Megan gave the man a slightly deadpan expression before letting a tear roll down her face. Without another word the girl wiped her tear and stormed out of the dwelling.

•   

It was long into the work day now. It was practically over. The work is what kept Megan and Michael busy. Their minds were twisted now. In pain. It seemed there was nothing they could do to fight their current fate. So, they just worked, pushed forward to try to forget what they tried to accomplish.

No matter how strong you are, a defeat of any kind will hurt in some way. Michael was used to defeat, trying and failing. Megan on the other hand was just getting used to moving past defeat. Her time in Egypt and her failure on recognizing the sounds of someone in distress almost cost Michael his life...well it did.

She was a long way from her Coffee shop in L.A. but after weeks of agonizing setbacks the stress was getting to her. The failure that was the one in a million Infinite-Coma finally broke her.

SLAM

Megan's oil stained hand slammed against the metal table next to her. The tools clinked and clacked as they collided within her toolbox upon the table. Michael couldn't hear the commotion as he had a welding helmet on, and his focus was on fixing one of the comparators. Megan's pale complexion lit up red as she pushed out a disgruntled puff of air through her nose.

Pushing her tools aside Megan stood up and put her hands over her face. Her visage fell into her palms and her fingers pushed into her forehead and temple. "I can't do this anymore..." the words dribbled out of her lips. She let her arms fall to her sides and she tried to think about her next plan of action. But it wasn't enough, she needed to leave. Now.

Without thinking she picked up her coat and left through the front door of the unit.

•

Megan trudged through the snow and looked up toward the pale night sky. It wasn't too dissimilar to Earth's. The only thing it seemed to lack was a bright Moon. This Moon was pale and lopsided like a half-finished sculpture. She didn't know why, but it made her smile. It was a reassuring smile. Like everything was fine because she wasn't the only one unfinished.

A scream rang through Megan's head. It was like her conscience was yelling at her, begging her to not give up. But she wanted to. Every fiber of her being wanted to give up.

So, she did.

She fell onto the snow, behind their unit, and cried. It was cold. But so was the Universe. And it made Megan cry. She pushed her arms against her, like she wanted to stop herself from making audible noises. Thoughts raced through her head and she remembered moments throughout her life. It amused her that nothing compared to what she was doing now.

It was like looking through a glossed over mirror into the past. Barely anything could be seen, but it was there, distant. Then she thought about the Doctor. How he rescued Michael, her, and so many others. How the Doctor showed her how to face her fears.

"There's nothing to be afraid of Megan," comforted a voice in Megan's head.

Megan slammed her hands into the snow. "I can't do this, Doctor. I'm broken. I kept trying...I—"

"Well. Keep going. What else can go wrong right? What's the point in giving up if you still have fight left in you? Are you throwing that fight away?"

"But the fight is over...we lost our chance. If the loop keeps happening and we are here, what's our place? Why are we here?"

Megan's tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the snow. She tightened her eyes and tried to stop the tears. It hurt. But in the end, she fell asleep against the cold ground. Afraid of opening her eyes again.

She dreamed. Dreamed of things she wanted. Of the possibilities that could come. The worlds that could be if she fought onward. It was the Doctor, Megan, Michael...and her Mother.

Megan's Mother smiled toward her. Her soft pale features, dark hair, and an unforgettable expression of concern. It calmed her down. "What's wrong?" her Mother asked.

"Nothing mom. I just felt cold suddenly. It made me sad...made me..."

Megan's mother wiped a tear from her daughter's cheek. "Made you cry? What's all that about? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I know I'm okay..."

The motherly smile returned. "Was it that business on El Lazo? I can't believe it was as simple as using the Breakers. After you used those Face-Spiders in the Dead Boxes, it was easy. We overcame it together honey. I'm happy you're safe now."

Megan smirked. "With you here it was easy...I'm glad I didn't lose you."

Megan's Mother chuckled. "I feel the same—"

As Michael grew concerned he moved over to comfort Megan but the Doctor moved to look over Megan instead. He was confused, and his expression widened upon scanning her with his sonic screwdriver. "Something's wrong Megan."

"What? What's wrong, Doctor?"

"You're giving off Artron Energy. Pure Artron Energy. It's radiating off you. Something from the Time Vortex is locking onto you..."

Megan gasped and put her hands onto her chest. Then she woke up.

She threw snow off her in a flurry and sucked in air. Megan clambered to her feet and she put her hand to her chest. Her heartbeat was erratic and harsh. Something was terribly wrong. How could a dream do that to her?

Megan remembered things. Events that could have never happened. Memories of her Mother. Of her love. They were recent memories.

"But she's...gone...dead..." the words hit her hard.

Then her eyes widened. She remembered. Her mind didn't recall it at first. But her body...her body did. An entire Timeline.

A chance.

Chapter 3: Week 15

Pushing her hands against the edges of the paper Megan flattened them out. She made sure the pages were sprawled out enough, so they laid flat against the metal table. Diagrams and phrases littered the pages in seemingly random intervals.

"Okay, so what have you got today?" questioned Michael who was setting his tools down opposite of Megan.

Megan squinted and took a breath. Her eyes slowly opened, and she smirked. "Okay so I've been remembering things over time, right? Bits and pieces...but it's slowed down. We don't have a map of the facilities, so we need to get creative."

"Okay. So, by creative you mean winging it, right?"

"No, no. I mean we have my memories...well the other Megan's memories. Well...a very vague set of memories."

Michael scoffed and dusted grime off his shirt and glasses. "How do we know these memories are the right ones? What if it leads us to the same outcome? What if—"

"We have to...try..." exclaimed Megan as she sporadically massaged the curled edge of the paper in front of her. "We can't just throw away what I got. It's something..."

Walking over to a container Megan pulled out a metal box and used it to flatten out the edge of the paper. She let out a calming exhale. "These memories are all we currently have right now. We don't have time. Look Michael, I know these last few weeks have been me just blabbering on about my dreams but...we can't give up."

A look of understanding washed over Michael's dirt speckled face. He groaned and blew air out of his nose. "Okay. Okay...so what are we going to do when the Breakers come around? Do we approach them with this? Or do we avoid them completely?"

Megan looked over the plans. "Well I don't know. We can't not avoid them...we'll run into them sooner or later..."

"Right..."

Megan seemed confused and scrunched her expression together. "But...they should be here already, right?"

Michael sat up and chuckled, "Well yeah...they should. A massive revolutionary group doesn't just spring up over night. Without them we'd be sitting ducks in the future."

"Well...duh."

"Without the Breakers we wouldn't get help. Without Marcus the creature doesn't escape right? We don't get warned and...so what's different now? Why aren't the Breakers showing up?"

Tapping her fingers against the metal table Megan thought for a bit until something hit her, "What if we create the Breakers?"

Michael laughed. "What? That's crazy...wait...that could work..."

"Exactly! We create the Breakers, and everything will continue. We can move through the facility making sure our past selves are perfectly guided..."

Pushing his fingers into his temples Michael exhaled loudly. "But what if that's what causes the loop? What if our actions screw us over and over?"

A strange expression washed over Megan's face. It appeared it was a pained confusion. As if she couldn't process the question correctly. Then she snapped out of it. "We can't think that way Michael. We have to trust the Doctor, the words of the creature, and...us."

Michael sighed. He smirked a bit and took a breath. "Okay...you're right. But where do we even start? How do we even start?"

Thoughts raced through Megan's mind and suddenly her face lit up. "I'm piecing together things, slowly but surely. What I remember, what I know is that Henrietta is at the center of all of this. She's the one person that influences the Breakers enough to start a revolution." Megan let the paper go and in turn curl up into itself. She smiled and looked Michael in his eyes. "We don't just start the Breakers...we give Henrietta the push she needs. We do exactly what the Doctor does...we—"

"...give her hope," said Michael with an understanding gaze.

•

Something as rare as hope was hard to come by for the people of El Lazo. Every unit and every worker on El Lazo knew hope was just a dream that was as much a falsity as the ones experienced when under the influence of a Face-Spider.

The farthest grouping of units that hugged the bottom left quadrant was the most forgotten of all. When carts did make their rounds there was barely anything there for the workers. The scraps they did grab were barely enough to build with and thus...most workers found themselves being sent straight to the Dead Boxes.

But one little girl had the courage to stand up for her quadrant. It took her a while but one fateful day she unknowingly was gifted another life. A life so vivid that it was like she was reincarnated just to help El Lazo. But she knew it wasn't enough. She knew the workers needed more than just another life...they needed hope.

"Merida..." said Henrietta under her breath. Her cowled face still wasn't enough to shield her from the stinging cold. She relocated herself just as Big Unit guards passed her, almost seeing her small frame glide behind a stack of crates.

Henrietta had one goal: to free a group of workers who were trapped in their unit. Metal grating had collapsed and barred in workers. The top sensed a unit wasn't working properly and sent guards to detain them for transfer to the Dead Boxes.

The workers tried pushing against the heavy metal, but nothing would work as the sliding door was working against them. If they could just break free, maybe they'd have a chance at outrunning the guards and finding solace in another unit. Many have before. Just...disappeared back into the crowds to live on.

Just as a worker was about to give up though they noticed a small frame moving against a stack of crates across the street. For a split-second they thought it was a small child, and then they realized. It was Henrietta, the girl with a second life.

The worker clasped his mouth shut and motioned for others to gaze upon their possible savior. Maybe if she made it to them just in time, she could pry off some metal debris and open a path for them to escape.

Most of the Guards had their backs turned to the unit as they were awaiting a crane to pry the metal apart. It was as if they were just prey to the Big Unit guards. Nothing more than a mark on a piece of paper.

Suddenly a chance opened, and Henrietta darted toward the collapsed doorway. She looked all around the entrance and groaned as she couldn't find an opening. The vertically sliding door seemed to be buckled under a piece of strong metal framing. If only she could unlatch the door and push it upwards.

All seemed lost. The workers started to silently panic as the guards could turn at any moment and put down their young savior.

But just as all hope seemed lost two cowled individuals bursted onto the scene around a corner. The little girl alongside the workers looked on wide-eyed at the two random workers with her shocking blue eyes. They seemed to just be standing there, confused by the situation...until their gaze fell upon Henrietta.

"It's her!" exclaimed the smaller random individual under their cowl.

"Shhh! Idiota!" whispered Henrietta who seemed to know who they were now. Her eyebrows scrunched together. "What the hell are you two doing here?!"

"We're here to find you actually..." answered Michael in a subdued voice.

The workers seemed adamant on their rescue and one grew a bit testy. "Hey, you three. Are you going to help or stand around and get caught?!"

Henrietta gasped, motioned to the top of the doorframe, and made a prying motion.

Megan and Michael nodded. They moved to the doorframe and tried helping the little girl pull at the debris. Nothing seemed to budge.

"We need to unbuckle the metal in order to cause the door to slide down so they can open the door back up," whispered Henrietta.

Megan looked toward Michael and widened her eyes. "Do you think?" she pondered.

Michael widened his eyes and silently gasped. "I told you it would come in handy. I'll try to turn it on."

"I said that..." Megan corrected in an annoyed tone.

Pulling out the Doctor's battered sonic screwdriver Michael tried activating it. But it wouldn't turn on. "Crap! It's not working!"

Megan anxiously groaned. "Try rubbing it!"

"It's not a freaking magic lamp, Megan!"

Suddenly, Michael's woolen glove got caught on the raised metal framing of the sonic and ripped. "Dammit!" He quickly removed his glove and threw it to the snowy ground. As he grasped the sonic again the emitter started to slowly glow.

Megan put her hands to her mouth. "What did you do!"

"I think...I think I had to think what I wanted and have my bare hand on it!"

"Why didn't it work before?!" argued Megan.

Michael pointed it to the exposed door. "I don't know! Let's hurry." He took a breath. "Okay...I just need to think real har—"

WHIRR

WHOOSH

In one sudden motion the sonic lit up blue and pushed the door up. The energy from the sonic rushed up Michael's arm, throwing him to one knee. Images flashed through Michael's head. Images of maps and data. Then a voice reached his mind:

"Michael. How did I know it would be you that used it first? Okay first of all, groovy, you activated it correctly and the emergency charge I initiated that uses your natural electromagnetic energy worked. Second, you have a massive job ahead of you. The map I sent your mind is mucho importante. You will need to use this knowledge and put it to good use. Trust me, please...I know this is hard. But our lives depend on you and Megan. You two must break this loop. I...saw what happens so many times. But I won't let it destroy my trust in you two. I know you guys can break the loop...because you have to..."

With a gasp of air Michael stood up and looked down at the sonic screwdriver. The debris fell to the floor, alerting the guards. The workers yelled and cheered as they ran out of their former prison.

"What happened?!" frantically questioned Megan.

"I'll tell you later! We gotta go!"

Henrietta yelped with a firm nod. "Agreed. RUN!"

The guards opened fire, narrowly missing the trio as they disappeared into an alley. Without thinking the trio moved into the crowds of workers, losing the angry guards.

•

Henrietta took a massive gulp of breath, removed her cowl, and chuckled. "You two idiotas saved our hides!" She looked toward the strange device in Michael's hand, "What the hell is that thing?"

Michael quickly pocketed the sonic and cleared his throat. "I'll tell you if you promise to hear us out."

"Yes. Please Henrietta. We know what you know. How you are blessed with a lifetime of knowledge. And with your expertise I think we can provide you an extra boost," propositioned Megan.

The little girl scrunched her face together. "You two kids surprise me every time we meet. Okay, voy a morder. What do you want?"

Megan grinned, darted her head toward Michael, and looked back at Henrietta. "We want to start a revolution and we want you to be the face of it."

Henrietta seemed taken aback and then grinned from ear to ear. "Okay. Sounds good. When do we start?"

Michael grew an expression of pride and looked toward Megan. "It started when we broke those workers free."

•

Setting the sonic onto a nearby table Michael moved to a chair and took a seat. Megan put her fingers to her chin in contemplation. "So the Doctor left a message for us and he gave you a map? When did he have time to record that?"

"I have no clue, but it's not just any map," said Michael as he sighed while sitting up in his chair. "The entire map of all of the Arch facilities on El Lazo."

Megan widened her gaze at the thought. "Whoa. Does it hurt?"

"No. I just know the layout and now we have a...chance."

"Why do you sound so unsure Michael?"

Michael took a breath and sat silent for a second. He then stood up and looked toward Megan. "It means it's really happening. We are going to break the loop, save the Doctor, and get home."

With a grin Megan walked over to Michael and embraced him. "Ah, my Tattoo Boy." She looked up toward him and chuckled. "We got this. We have my notes, diagrams, my memories, and our stubbornness."

Without warning the metal door to the unit slid open and Henrietta entered with a grin, "Okay you two lovebirds. We have work to do!"

Megan and Michael looked to each other. They readied themselves and prepared to build a revolution. A revolution that would be felt throughout time itself.

Chapter 4: Week 30

El Lazo's frigid storms were starting to fade. It had seemed even the planet itself was realizing the importance of the growing hope. With Megan and Michael's cause being bolstered by Henrietta, the girl with a second life, it had seemed new recruits were coming every day.

It wasn't much, but after days of planning the Breakers, a name Megan and Michael assured Henrietta was all their idea, finally had a base of operations up and running. Nestled between a group of units in Henrietta's home quadrant the ramshackle shelter was obscure enough for the Big Unit guards to gloss over.

For Megan and Michael though...it seemed it was all coming together.

"Can you pass me the thingy?" implored Michael from his elevated position. The tattooed boy was balancing upon a set of crates stacked high above the fence into their headquarters.

Megan dusted the snow from the top of one of the crates. She looked over to a set of curtains and smirked knowing what would one day lie behind them. She realized that their TARDIS was resting peacefully a few alleys away. It was just a hollow frame though, devoid of any energy or life. When it's cores finally sputtered out Megan truly understood how alone they were.

Shaking the thought away Megan raised the crate to her partner in crime. "Here ya go babe!" She let Michael grip the crate and then made an expression of caution toward him. "Ah, but be careful with those flags...I spent two days sewing them!"

Michael scoffed. "Did you make sure to spread out the fabrications, so we don't get evaluated by the guards?"

Megan sighed. "Yes! Now hurry up, please!"

Michael nodded his head upon seeing Megan's glare. He unhinged the crate's lid and there it was; one of the many flags emblazoned with the symbol of the Breakers: an infinity symbol.

"I wanted to make it a broken infinity symbol but that might have been too on the nose. Whatcha think Michael?" gleefully questioned Megan.

"I like it. Looks exactly like the ones we saw when we first got here!"

Megan gasped and kicked the crates causing Michael to partially lose balance. "What the hell was that for?!" yelped Michael.

"Shhh! Henrietta is just up in the watchtower!"

"Oh..." Michael fixed his glasses and rubbed his neck in acknowledgement. "My bad." Michael slowly made his way back down the crates and looked toward Megan in an apologetic way.

"Hey, it's fine," assured Megan.

Michael chuckled. "With us being so close to the arrival date I keep letting things slip on accident. I'm sorry."

With an understanding expression Megan sat down on a crate. "Close...but so far. Twenty-two weeks. That's a very long time Michael."

"Yeah..." Michael knelt down next to Megan. "But with everything in place there's nothing to do but...just wait. And we are great at waiting, right?"

Megan looked toward Michael. She smirked and gleefully pushed his shoulder with a bawled-up fist. "Yeah Tattoo Boy. Waiting with you ain't so bad."

CRASH

CLINK

Suddenly a loud clang alerted Megan and Michael to the watchtower built into the side of the middle unit. The two rose from the spots and sprinted to the ruckus. They ascended the stairs and pulled back the fabric curtains to find a shocking sight.

Megan and Michael couldn't react. Held in Henrietta's strong grip was a familiar face. A face that now haunted Megan and Michael.

"What the hell are you doing snooping around imbécil!" barked Henrietta toward her captured prey.

The man gulped and turned to face Megan and Michael. "I'm sorry! When I heard of the revolución...I had to investigate! My name is Marcus Rojas! I want to join the Breakers!" His kind eyes fell upon the two completely enveloping them in distress.

Megan and Michael quickly left the room amidst the struggle. The two looked at each other in horror. "Michael! He saw our faces! OUR FACES, MICHAEL!" Megan sputtered the words out in terror.

"I know. I KNOW! But we know Henrietta knows about the loop at one point, right? That she knows us presumably...RIGHT?"

Megan nodded her head.

Michael gulped and took a breath. "How do we know...no one else knew us?"

Megan's expression scrunched together and then she quickly widened her gaze. "You're right...wait. It makes sense now. The crowd...Marcus being there to bail us out. How could he have known we would be there?"

"So. What's our next move?" hesitantly probed Michael.

"We...I think we should tell them..."

With a click of his teeth and tongue Michael looked at Megan with an annoyed expression. "You were just telling me not to speak so loudly about the loop because Henrietta was in the watchtower!"

"I knooow, Michael. I was juuust trying to make sure we do this right. The worst thing that could happen would be to spill the beans too—"

Henrietta cleared her throat, garnering the attention of the bickering Megan and Michael. They slowly turned to her and Marcus with deadpan expressions.

"Oh, hello Henrietta...we didn't know you were there..." sputtered out Megan in a shaken manner.

"Okay..." said the little girl. "I want you two to explain everything to me...now."

Megan and Michael both looked at each other and then sighed in a defeated posture. "Alright Henrietta...we'll tell you everything we know..."

Marcus also cleared his throat and stepped forward. "That includes me too, right?"

Megan grew a sideways expression. ""Yes, you too...Marcus."

•   

Thirty Minutes Later...

"Obviously we can't tell you everything...but you understand, right?" solemnly questioned Michael.

"Of course," insisted Henrietta. "It all makes sense now. Well, partially."

Megan seemed confused. "How so?"

"Well when I remembered my second life from the Infinite Coma, I felt this...well a disturbance."

"In the force?" said Michael with a subdued chuckle.

Megan hit Michael on his shoulder and returned to Henrietta. "What do you mean disturbance?"

"It was like a sort of déjà vu". It's an old Earth term for a feeling of already having experienced something. I guess you guys know that because you are from old Earth."

Megan grasped her wrist in a sort of contemplation. "I felt that too with my remembrance of my second life...but I feel like I only remembered because of the Doctor and my emotional connection with my Mom. It all makes sense considering the Face-Spiders are empathic beings. I guess even across time it can be influenced."

"This Doctor..." probed Marcus. "He is supposed to come here to El Lazo, with you two, in a year?"

"No, twenty-two weeks now," answered Michael. "We couldn't land here the first time we accidently caused the Face-Spider to jump into the Quantum Fabricator...but now we know it was because another TARDIS, well the same one, was here a year prior."

Marcus seemed intrigued. "He helps us...for no other reason than to help?"

"It's what he does," proudly exclaimed Megan. "It's what we do."

"Now I understand what you meant about that sonic probe device you two have being gifted from a doctor back home..." laughed Henrietta.

Marcus shifted in his seat. "I know you can't explain everything but...why do we go into the Dead Boxes?"

Michael hesitated for a second. "To save...everyone that has been taken there, and to dismantle the Big Unit."

"So, we finally stick it to the Big Unit...you Breakers really are the vaya cosa. Time travelers and revolutionists to boot...even with everything repeating itself."

"But remember Marcus...you can't tell anyone. Not a soul," implored Megan.

"I understand. Angel and my sister Stadia aren't usually around anyways. We can still recruit them though, right?"

Michael rose from his seat and zipped up his coat. He struggled with hearing that Marcus's sister was still here...and not in the Dead Boxes yet. "Obviously dude. But when the time comes for the Doctor to arrive...we need to be ready with our plan."

"Wait, which plan is that," questioned Marcus in a confused manner.

Megan also arose and looked toward Henrietta. "You can fill him in on that. We need...uh...to go for a walk." She stopped before exiting. "By the way, Henrietta."

Henrietta raised her head. "Yeah?"

"Remember. No matter what, it must look like you are the leader. We are nobodies. That's the image."

Henrietta understood and nodded. She motioned for Marcus to listen to her. Megan and Michael both took a breath, pulled up their scarves, and walked out of the watchtower, throwing it's curtains aside.

•

Even though the El Lazo air wasn't nearly as cold as it was months ago, the emotional atmosphere was humid. Nothing is worse than being choked by the stress of a secret. Megan and Michael were both silent on their walk away from the Breaker headquarters. It seemed like they were both fighting an emotional gut-punch. They were now invisible leaders. Leaders with a dark lie.

Keeping Stadia's disappearance and eventual death a secret from Marcus was almost too much for them. How could they do that to Marcus, especially knowing what will happen to that poor man.

Megan watched the workers bustle back and forth through the metal streets. She knew that the order wouldn't last and in a couple weeks it would buckle and crumble. But that wasn't what bothered Megan, it was that her visions of her second life still haunted her. The very idea her Mom could still be alive was shocking to her, even if it was an alternate universe. She just longed to finish this mission, ask the Doctor to find her mother and just...rest.

Michael thought deeply about how far he had come. From being a stubborn and lazy individual, to becoming someone with the world on his shoulders. The plans they had in place were instrumental to stopping the loop, something Michael felt the Doctor entrusted him with personally due to his connection with the sonic screwdriver. But it didn't matter, for him he felt he just had to carry on now. Carry on like he did after he lost his father.

The couple rounded a corner into an alley. They were nearly at their destination. Pushing aside crates and pallets they moved closer to their prize. Everything was nearly in place, but they had hoped they could use some more supplies to help them get the Breakers finally on their feet.

Behind a couple boxes and litter lied a strange shape under a tarp. A bluish, purple, wooden frame peered from underneath the tightly woven tarp. Megan reached forward and flung the cover off the shape to reveal the remains of the TARDIS. The purple light that once erupted from its windows was gone. She bore a lopsided smirk and looked to Michael.

Lifting his arm, he pointed the sonic screwdriver toward the locked corpse of the ancient Time ship. Maybe, with the influence of the sonic it would open to allow them to scavenge its final resting place. It was a morbid plan, but in order to save the Doctor and El Lazo they would need to stoop to lower levels. At all costs they would need to accomplish their goal.

WHIRR

CLICK

The urging of the sonic screwdriver probed the TARDIS and clicked open its creaky door. For Megan and Michael, it was like opening a crypt. But this desecration needed to occur to save everyone. Megan and Michael both reassured themselves this was the right thing to do. They pushed open the doors to the TARDIS and entered the ship for the first time in months.

The homey, retro, lounge-like interior's warm inviting aura was absent. Dust sputtered around the room and bounced against the dead time rotor in the center. The whimsical controls, piano keys, and gizmos that littered the center console now stood silent too. The very sight of something once considered inviting now becoming dreary was horrible.

Regardless the couple moved up the right stairway and into the Doctor's tinkering room. It was now a musty and silent room. It was once filled with bubbling and sparks from the Doctor's many experiments. It had now fallen into disrepair. Megan and Michael scavenged the room for concoctions and noticed a vial out of place.

It was labeled:

Face-Spider Infusion

Megan picked it up and noticed a paper crumpled under it. She un-crinkled the paper and looked it over. It read:

So, finding a better Tea infusion for the kids has become frustrating. They always seem so on edge. The only thing I can really do is make something myself. Okay, remember these ingredients:

    Hot Water, obviously

    2x Thrash Barrow Leaves from Ugharrin-8

    Three shakes of ground up Lemon-Pepper from Earth

    And finally, 2x drops of Face-Spider nectar to imbue that warm feeling (Remember to get enough for a couple batches. Use 4x drops of sweat and grounded chamomile mixed together to attract the little guys)

Megan's mouth contorted into a smile and a tear rolled down her face. She looked toward Michael who was pushing supplies into his bag. "What's wrong?" he hesitantly asked.

"Here...I found the reason why he took us to that stupid Space Gas Station in the first place..."

Throwing the bag over his shoulder and walking over to Megan, Michael picked up the wrinkled paper and looked it over. He read it and stood there for a second. Without thinking he quickly folded the paper in a neat fashion and tucked it into his pocket. "Let's...lets go Megan. I think we got everything we can carry..."

The couple quickly walked out of the TARDIS. They closed the doors to the fallen Time Ship and looked over it longingly. With a whirr of the sonic Michael locked the doors and turned to face Megan. "Whatever happens, we save the Doctor, we save El Lazo, and we do it well. We put everything we have into this."

Megan nodded her head in a mournful but determined manner. "Yes. We do this and we win, no matter what happens."

Throwing the tarp over the TARDIS the two left through the same way they came in, but as they rounded the corner a girl bumped into Megan causing her to lose her scarf.

"Oh no! I...I am sooo sorry amiga! I'm way too clumsy to be walking around in broad daylight I—"

As the girl helped up Megan though, her eyebrows shot up. "Oh! You're Megan! My brother sent me to look for you two, it's been hours! Sorry...sorry I was hoping to bump into you two but...not like this."

Megan smiled and then her expression slowly faded away as she started to recognize the woman. "Wait, who's your brother?" she uttered, certain of the answer.

The woman timidly chuckled. "Oh sorry! My brother is Marcus. Hi, I'm Stadia!"

Megan and Michael both looked at each other in shock and took a breath.

Stadia smiled and her soft features reinforced her gleeful nature. She seemed to be no more than sixteen, had bright brown eyes, dimples laid into her tan skin, and hair that carelessly wrapped into a half-bun that couldn't contain her flow of dark brown locks. She took a long breath before speaking. "If there is anything you guys want me to do to help, let me know!"

Michael thought for a second and the put his hand toward Stadia in a caring manner. She shook his hand and snickered. "I've heard amazing things about you two!"

"Likewise, Stadia," said Megan with a sorrowful smile.

Michael adjusted his bag, looked toward Megan, and back to Stadia. "On the question of helping us though...we'd love your help."

Stadia grinned and nervously bore a lopsided salute. "Anything fellow Breakers! I'll be here to fight by your side until the end!"

Chapter 5: Week 35

A man stepped forward. He seemed a bit nervous. Besides his defensive demeanor, his tightened fists seemed a common sight amongst new recruits for the Breakers.

"What's your name!" called out a cheery voice from behind a cowl.

"Fredrick..." said the man.

"Oh! I love it! Hi, I'm Stadia! I've known so many Freds but never a—"

Another cowled individual leaned over to the woman, seeming to berate her.

"Sorry..." said Stadia. "My broth—"

"STADIA!"

Stadia reeled backwards. "SORRY! My associate..."

"That's better...I guess..."

Stadia fixed her cowl. "My associate and I would be happy to welcome you to the Breakers. So as long as you promise to fight against the Big Unit and their oppressive force."

The other individual leaned over to Stadia to whisper something into her ear. She seemed surprised. "Oh, so we also offer one on one marriage counseling provided by a newfound recruit. That's actually really nice Marcus!"

Marcus removed his cowl in a frustrated manner. "Stadia! It's not even worth it! Ugh." He turned to Fredrick. "Okay...I'm sorry dude. Mi amigo, welcome to the Breakers.

The recruit stepped forward and looked around the Breaker's headquarters. His face scrunched together. "Do you guys have weapons? Firearms? Anything to fight against the guards?"

Suddenly a curtain swung open behind the desk occupying Marcus and Stadia. Henrietta made her way halfway down the steps and stopped. "We don't have any weapons currently. Unless you count me."

Fredrick scoffed. "Ah, the leader I've heard so much about. What can we do if we can't defend ourselves?!"

"We are working on that Fredrick. Just give us time," assured Marcus.

"Who is working on it? I see no one doing anything!"

Stadia stood up and removed her cowl. "Fredrick. I assure you we have the best operative on the case. He's a bit brash but he's perfect for the job!"

Fredrick crossed his arms in an unsure manner. "Who?"

Stadia smiled. "He's crazy strong! It's Angel Rodricks!"

"What?"

"Angel Rodricks!" said Stasia in an even more cheerful manner.

"No, I heard you the first time. You mean Angel Rodricks? The very same one that is currently drowning himself at Eight-Legs Pub?"

Marcus's eyes widened. "¡Que demonios!"

Fredrick chuckled. "Some operative..."

Henrietta frowned and looked toward Angel. "Marcus that's on you. You assured us Angel was the man for the job. And that's your second recruit that is doing a less than stellar job..."

"Hey!" said Stadia in a saddened tone.

Marcus groaned and put his fingers to his temple. "I'll go fetch him...I swear he's good at what he does." He stomped down the stairs, "I'll be back. Just show Fredrick around," carped Marcus as he waved his arm through the air.

•

It was dusk now and the lights flashed on around El Lazo, illuminating the scratched metal streets. Stomping through the back alleys Marcus tried to remember the path to Eight-Legs. The pub was known for its less than advisable ale which was made from Face-Spider nectar. It's the only thing you can't fabricate since it's a new venture. It opened a few weeks after the Face-Spiders arrived. But something was bothering Marcus and it wasn't Angel. It was his newfound knowledge. It was eating away at his mind for weeks. He was now one of the very few people that knew of the loop...the real loop...not the figurative loop they were feeding the new recruits.

As Marcus made his way toward the ramshackle pub, he heard yelling which was seeming to grow louder. It was unusual as most of the customers had to keep their voices down to avoid the wrath of the Big Unit. With the pub in sight Marcus's eyes grew wide, "Que demonios. This day just keeps getting worse..."

Surrounding the pub were Big Unit patrol cars. But they seemed to be inactive. Marcus slowly made his way toward the pub and started to overhear a conversation. It seemed...people were laughing?

"What? Oh, that's even worse..." said Marcus under his breath.

Marcus moved to the unevenly placed doors of the pub and looked through a crack in them. Sitting at the bar laughing and gulping down ale was none other than Angel, "No! That's insane!" bellowed Angel as he pushed aside his greasy hair.

Opposite of him at a large table were four Big Unit guards, mask-less and drunk. One guard leaned forward and laughed. "I kid you not! Most of the patrolman go insane from the long shifts! One-time Yandro, he was our commander for a while before Luis took over leadership, passed out into a pile of pig crap! This was a couple of years ago, but we still give him a hard time about it!"

It seemed Angel had befriended Big Unit guards. But that was impossible, no one hates the top more than Angel Rodricks. Marcus watched as the guards fell one by one to the drinking champion of the Lignum colonies. It was a rather quick victory as Marcus only watched for twenty more minutes before each guard was out cold.

"Holy...wow!" said Marcus as he pushed open the doors to the pub.

Angel turned in his seat toward his approaching friend. The look upon Angel's inebriated face was one of splendor and confusion. "Heeey!" sputtered out Angel. "See! I can do good! Just like on Lignum, right amigo?!"

Marcus patted Angel on his shoulder and laughed. "Yes! Just like on Lignum! Miss that hellhole..."

"Sooo..." Angel burped, trying to contain more than just a belch. "Plan?"

"What?" Marcus's face froze in realization. "Angel, you don't have a plan?!"

Looking up toward Marcus, Angel's eyes blinked out of sync. "Hey now. You are the plan man. Heh, plan-man...plaaan maaan..."

Marcus put his hands to his face and groaned. Then he had an idea. A plan. "Dammit...you are right Angel. I have something...it's a sort of plan..."

"Well?" hiccuped Angel.

Moving over to the guards Marcus removed a guard's baton and examined it. "It's not one of the new ones but...it'll do for now." He looked over the others and gathered a pile into his bags. "Okay so they aren't carrying any guns but now we have some sturdy batons and-" Suddenly Marcus's eyes met a radio communicator upon a guard and he removed it from his utility belt. "And now we have a flippin radio to monitor their chatter!"

Angel raised his hands in the air. "Aw yeeah—" and then he puked onto the floor...

Throwing his bag over his shoulder Marcus made a face of disgust, "Where the hell is the owner?"

Angel pointed over the alcohol stained counter and Marcus leaned over to see the owner passed out as well. "Are you sure you don't want ale? It gives you that warm-hug feeling that a Face-Spider does but without the memory loss!"

"Now that's a lie...I'm sure you won't remember this in the morning..." said Marcus as he helped Angel to his feet. "Okay, you can lift stuff, right?"

"Yeeeah...why?"

Marcus rubbed his chin. "That guard you were 'bonding' with. We are going to separate him from his squad. They'll, hopefully, make their way drunkingly back to base, and we'll follow the straggler back to see the path he takes."

"Why?" chuckled Angel. "They just go down the forest path near the upper right edge wall..."

"What?!" yelped Marcus. "Who told you that?"

Angel cleared his throat. "Valen, the overworked guy I was talking to."

"That obviously explains the extra patrols from the North-Eastern quadrant...but I thought that was an auxiliary entrance?"

"Nope...it's the only way into the base and these dudes are the guards that well..." Angel hiccupped. "...guard the forest path..."

Marcus grinned. "You bastardo brillante! You invited them here, didn't you?"

"First one to out-drink me gets my rations for the week! I won..."

"That you did amigo." Marcus looked toward Valen the guard and pointed. "You grab his legs and I'll grab his arms."

•

Having deposited their handpicked guard a couple units away near a trash, bin Marcus and Angel waited behind cover for Valen to awaken from his drunken slumber. But it seems Angel was just about to do the opposite of Valen.

Marcus snapped his fingers to wake up Angel. "Hey! No, no amigo. We have to see this through."

"Yeah...yeah we got this..." mumbled Angel deliriously.

CRASH

It seemed their plan was falling into place as the guard awoke and slammed against the trash bin on accident. He cursed, looked around his surroundings, and then cursed even more.

"Idiota..." uttered Angel under his breath.

The guard reached onto his utility belt and struggled with it until he realized he had been robbed. "Nooo!" yelled the guard into the night sky.

With another curse the guard set off into the night back toward his post. Marcus lit up with excitement and poked Angel to alert him. "Come on, it's time."

The two followed the guard from a safe distance as he winded down the alleys of metal and shacks. Every few streets the guard would stop and try to get his bearings before finally realizing where he needed to go.

After about ten minutes the guard reached the North-Eastern quadrant and soon set foot upon the wooded junction. Marcus stopped Angel and pointed toward the clearing in the snow-covered trees that led toward the auxiliary entrance. Now the main entrance as they figured out. A massive sign was located to the side of the entrance that was stamped with the Big Unit logo and a warning label.

"Okay...lets be cautious here..." implored Marcus.

Angel and Marcus stood behind a bush, but the guard was standing in place fidgeting with his utility belt. He seemed agitated and punched the air in a drunken stupor.

"What kind of chicken dance is that?" snickered Angel while trying not to fall over.

Marcus seemed utterly baffled. "He seems uncertain to move forward. But why?"

"Did he forget his keys?" probed Angel as he scratched at his stubble.

Suddenly the guard mustered up the courage to move forward but as he just about reached the entrance a mauve colored light flickered on. The guard grew anxious and waved his hands. "It's okay! Identification Valen Wehns!"

A deep sound boomed through the air and mauve colored lasers shot out to highlight the terrified guard. "No! It's Officer Valen Wehns!"

"PRESENT FACE-MASK MARKER IDENTIFICATION," boomed a deep electronic voice.

The guard whimpered and cried out, "IT WAS STOLEN! PLEASE LET ME PASS!"

"PREPARE FOR COMPLETE NEUROLOGICAL AND CELLULAR SHUTDOWN!"

"NO! I'LL JUST GO GET MY MASK! PLEASE!" cried Valen.

FLASH

BOOM

A lightning fast flash of light rang through the air hitting the guard and instantly eviscerating him. Angel and Marcus grew wide eyed and fell backwards, away from the bush. Angel seemed to have been sobered up by the sight. He turned to Marcus and sniffled. "I did not expect that...at all..."

"We...forget to return his mask..." solemnly said Marcus.

"Mierda Marcus! The top treats the guards as badly as they treat us..."

Marcus looked toward his bag. He thought long and hard about what just happened, "The masks provide the security identification and allow them to pass into the Big Unit..."

"Well at least we have one, right?" chuckled Angel.

Thoughts raced through Marcus's head, especially thoughts on the plan that Megan and Michael had in place. He'd need to bring them the supplies and information immediately, but without Angel knowing. "Hey Angel," said Marcus with a smirk. "Go home, get some rest, and I'll talk to you in the morning. You've done something amazing for us mi amigo."

"Heh, I know Marcus. I always got your back."

As Marcus rose from his spot, he turned toward Angel with a raised finger. "But next time...please tell me your plan beforehand. Por favor?"

Angel drunkingly waggled his head. "Si. Now I think I need to throw up...and sleep..."

Walking into the night Marcus laughed but raised his hand into the night sky. "Sleep on your side Angel!"

Angel slowly waved his hand toward Marcus in acknowledgment.

•

"What is taking your brother so long?" barked Henrietta toward Stadia. The old girl was fiddling with a knife and had her feet upon the table.

"Ooo. Now I'm just spit-balling here but he might be deep in some secret mission that could change our plans forever!" chimed in Stadia who smiled toward Henrietta in an enamored manner.

Henrietta put her feet back down. "Yeah. No. Knowing those two idiotas they probably are passed out at Eight-Legs. Ugh I shouldn't have trusted him..."

Suddenly the curtains to the watchtower flung open and Marcus triumphantly waddled in, "Now I'm not going to take all the credit but Angel out-drank Big Unit guards, helped me steal all of these," Marcus put his bag on the table and opened it to reveal his loot, "and we found out how to get into the Big Unit unscathed!" Marcus pulled out a mask of a Big Unit guard and set it on the table.

"Oh my god I was right! That's my big brother!" said Stadia as she high-fived Marcus.

Henrietta grew wide eyed. Her demeanor changed completely. "I'll be the first to say that I was wrong about you two. These supplies are going to help our cause greatly."

"But that is not all!" exclaimed Marcus with a prideful grin. Marcus slowly pulled out the guard's communicator.

"You just keep on surprising me," beamed Henrietta with a smirk.

Marcus took a breath and triumphantly raised his fist into the air. "Yes! We are almost ready to get this plan rolling. We might not even need that Doctor!"

"Who?" questioned Stadia.

Henrietta looked toward the cheerful Marcus. He noticed the glare and ceased his celebration. "Stadia," asked Henrietta, "Please leave the room."

"Oh," mewled Stadia in a disheartened manner. "Did I do something wrong, Hen?"

"No. I need to speak with your brother."

Stadia rose from her seat and looked toward her brother as she left the room. With a frustrated expression Henrietta looked toward Marcus. "Our plan, our Doctor...it must remain a secret."

An expression of disgust moved across Marcus's face. "I know that but come on it's just Stadia. She's fine...oh...I understand."

Henrietta's expression shifted to a neutral state. "She's great Marcus, but her cheerful demeanor doesn't bode well for secrets. As far as the others know, I'm the leader and none of them can see Megan and Michael's faces. Not even Angel."

"Right. I'm sorry." Marcus stood silent for a second until he realized something. "Wait, where is Megan and Michael anyways?"

"In the planning room. Something happened. Something interesting. But—"

Marcus's eyes lit up. "What?" Without letting Henrietta answer Marcus walked across the ramshackle room to open the door to the planning room. As he swung it open his eyes met a terrible sight. "OH GOD, I'M SO SORRY!"

Megan and Michael screamed as they both covered themselves in their clothes. "What the hell are you doing?! KNOCK FIRST PLEASE!" yelled Megan.

Turning away to shield his eyes Marcus chuckled a bit. "I heard something happened...all I wanted to know was what happened..." And then Marcus realized something, "Hold on...this whole time...you two were?"

Michael finished throwing on his clothes. "We haven't had any time to ourselves. At. All. We needed space. We come up here some times...we needed to be close." He blew air out of his nose. "But yes. We've been...uh...here."

Finishing putting her clothes back on Megan stepped forward. "...I got another memory...an important one."

Marcus unshielded his eyes and looked toward the two. "What memory?"

Chapter 6: Week 42

Week 35

"So, my memory came and went. It was quick...but it was important. I remembered a plan and it revealed something amazing to me. The other Megan and her friends didn't arrive on El Lazo a year late. There wasn't a time-loop. They arrived on the forty-second week of this year. Furthermore, they captured something. They captured a device we recognized from our first time around." Megan pushed a drawing across the table for the key Breakers to see.

"Where is this device located and why do we need it?" questioned Henrietta.

"On the forty-second week the Big Unit guards will be transporting the device through the back North-Western road among something else we need...firearms. But we can't let our guard down with this news. Because a certain someone mugged a bunch of Big Unit guards and the top kicked up their patrols and armament. Remember the other day with that baton a guard had? They have even more now."

Marcus looked down in a sorrowful manner. "The batons aren't just for show anymore...they send you straight to the Dead Boxes with one touch."

"Exactly," said Megan with a face full of anger, "If we plan on capturing this—"

Henrietta sighed. "You still haven't told us why we need this junk? I get the firearms, but what does this device do?"

Megan sniffled and took a breath. "We are going to need it to get into the Big Unit when the Doctor arrives. Its technology is a radical hybridization of the fabrication technology and teleportation tech."

Michael leaned over the table and smirked. "We'll be able to use their technology against them."

"I like it," exclaimed Henrietta with a grin.

Michael looked around the table. He took a shallow breath. "We have seven weeks to prepare. To gather resources and the supplies necessary to prepare for the Doctor's arrival and put our plan into motion. But it won't be easy, we need everyone in on this. We need...to stay vigilant and be ready to strike."

Henrietta frowned. "If we get the firearms why can't we use them against the Big Unit and end this?"

"You know why Henrietta," Megan fumed with a glare.

"Right, your Doctor wouldn't like it."

Megan nodded. "We can't destroy our chance. If the Doctor arrives in a war-zone he'll want to do something more radical. The loop's cause is still unknown, but we know the Doctor can help. We know it's cause is within the Big Unit itself. That's what my memories have pointed toward."

"How do we fight against guns and teleportation batons? We'll get massacred!" pointed out Henrietta.

Michael smirked and adjusted his glasses. "We even thought of that..."

Megan snickered.

Noticing Megan's amusement Michael sighed. "...Megan thought of that."

"My memory showed me what to do. We don't need the Doctor to accomplish this one. I watched my mom show me this one. In that world well, she planned it." Megan pulled out a diagram with arrows and plans sprawled across it. She pointed to the center. "We start here, a blind spot for cameras. We'll use what we have. We'll use what the Big Unit gave us. The fabricators. And we'll use what the fabricators gave us...er...I accidentally gave you. The Face-Spiders."

Marcus rubbed his chin. "I don't understand. What could we possibly use against them? And the Face-Spiders? A distraction at best. How do we make the Face-Spiders move towards the guards?"

"Before my view through the other Megan's eyes was cut short, I saw this." Megan grinned and pulled out alcohol and a vial. "A little game plan I like to call lure and contain. We found a 'mixture' that Face-Spiders cannot resist, thanks to the Doctor and a list we found. Drops of human sweat and ground up chamomile mixed together basically creates 'Face-Spider cat-nip'. After dousing the guards in it we'll throw fire bombs to make sure the guards stay contained."

Henrietta laughed. "Won't it start a war like you didn't want if you accidentally kill someone?"

"We won't kill, only contain and secure. Missing supplies won't start a straight-out war, but death by our hands will. The fire and Face-Spiders will provide us cover and a distraction. We'll move to secure one of the teleportation batons. We just have to make sure Angel and the others don't see our faces...and that Henrietta is the leader still."

Henrietta smirked and nodded.

Marcus made a sigh of confirmation as he stood up from his seat. "Okay, done. So, when do we start?"

Reaching under the table Michael pulled out a baton and put it on the table, "We start now."

Seven Weeks Later...Week 42

"So...why am I on scrubbing duty?" whined Stadia.

Marcus set a crate aside, and kneeled with a sigh. "You are too much of..."

Stadia looked toward Marcus with a puppy eyed expression.

"...Um...You are too valuable to lose mi hermana. I don't want anything happening to you during this raid."

"Oh. You...don't trust me. I get it." Stadia threw her towel she was using onto the metal floor. She stood up and sniffled. "I get I'm always positive and how that can make me seem dumb, but I swear I can help..."

"Stadia listen..."

Stadia scoffed. "Nuesrta madre would never think the way you do. She was always strong and trusting...you never trust in me hermano."

Marcus looked up toward Stadia with a pained expression. His eyes darted away from Stadia's gaze for a second before he stood up. "Look, I'm sorry Stadia. Your whole life is ahead of you. I'm just worried we'll meet our end on this stupid rock. As much as I hated Lignum...it was home to us."

Seemingly welled with emotion Stadia struggled to stay in the conversation. Marcus noticed his sister's reaction and shot out a sorrowful smile. "But if our mom was alive when we were offered the proposition to move here well...she would have beaten me over the head with my own shoe." Marcus chuckled.

A chuckle also rang out from Stadia, improving her faltering emotions. She smirked and moved to hug her brother. They hugged and Stadia moved away. "I'm sorry. We are both stressed out beyond all belief. I'm...just not sure I want to scrub the floors with a towel...I want to really help in some way."

Marcus smirked and moved over to a nearby quantum fabricator. He typed in a selection that would surely please Stadia, used a ration token, and pressed enter. Removing the item from the receptacle Marcus turned around and presented it to his sister.

"Oh...you really didn't have to," puled Stadia as her eyes grew heavier.

In Marcus's hands was a bowl filled with steaming soup. "I perfected the code. I'm hoping it's exactly like mom used to make."

Stadia retrieved the bowl and smiled. "It sure does smells like it. Spicy and full of love."

Marcus rubbed the back of his neck in hesitation. His expression then changed to one full of acceptance. "Stadia."

"Hmm?" said Stadia as soup dribbled down her chin and onto the floor. "Oops mah bad," spluttered Stadia with her mouth full.

A smile moved across Marcus's face. "After you clean that up sis, I have a better job for you."

"Weely?" said Stadia trying not to drop any more soup.

"Yeah. I trust you. This raid is going to change everything."

•   

The sun was high over the units of El Lazo. Workers moved between their stations transporting goods, fixing machinery, and trying to avoid a large platoon of Big Unit Guards moving down the streets.

They each stepped in unison. Their floating truck beds carrying crates. Their feet forcing thundering echoes as their boots pounded against the metal roads. Whatever worker were in the way soon leapt away from their path, some cursing at the congregation of guards. The guards that did fall into the path of a worker would push and prod the cattle out of the way. Because for the Big Unit officials most of the workers were just that, cattle.

But while most couldn't do much against the flood of tyranny that bounded down the metal path, up ahead a group was ready to break the rapids. They were cowled but still wore the clothing of the workers around them. These individuals were armed with nothing but batons and the will to fight. To fight against the injustice that surrounded them. To fight for those forced to endure eternal suffering for the luxury of others. To unknowingly fight and break a temporal paradox.

These would-be revolutionists were called, the Breakers.

"Are you ready?" whispered Megan from underneath her cowl.

Marcus moved from his position next to Henrietta and sighed. "What?"

Sliding in her crouched position Megan's expression under her cowl was one of annoyance. "Are you serious? I said, 'are you ready?'."

"Ohh! Sorry, let's hope we can secure some more communicators in the raid, so we don't have to be so close to speak."

"I'll give the signal to Henrietta when we are ready." Megan suddenly realized something and made an audible 'O'. "Speaking of communicators, are you listening in?"

Pulling out the communicator Marcus pushed it to his ear to listen. Chatter of 'watching the sides and having your firearms and batons ready' flashed by. "It's the usual, nothing crazy this time around. I'll keep listening in though. Are your cowl's secure?"

Megan nodded and looked across the street to see Angel and Michael waiting alongside other fellow Breakers. They readied their batons and other items to fight. Megan raised her hand to ready those across the street. She looked toward the roofs of the units around her and watched as the Breakers moved into prone positions. Each carried fire bombs made from fabricated alcoholic beverages. But the most important item in their grasp had yet to be readied for battle.

Bobbing and weaving through the alleys of units was an important Breaker. They were carrying a metal box that housed a special weapon. As the Breaker moved closer to their comrades, they located Megan and Marcus crouched behind a produce cart.

"Hello...sorry I'm late. Took me a while to wrangle the buggers," explained Stadia.

Marcus gave his little sister a hug and looked down toward the box. "No worries mi hermana. Are you ready to lead the attack?"

Stadia choked on the realization before literally choking on her own spit. "What? Uh, come again?"

She couldn't tell but under Marcus's cowl his expression was one of pride. Marcus moved closer to his sister and put his hand upon her shoulder in support. "Stadia, I trust you."

Stadia looked across the street to her fellow Breakers and back to her supportive brother. Her whole life she was considered too clumsy and childish to handle big jobs. This was her moment. She wasn't going to let her friends down. "I'm ready. Just tell me when."

Megan gave a thumbs up to Henrietta to lead the other Breakers. Henrietta looked down the long metal road. The convoy was just about on top of them and they were unaware of what was about to happen. "Okay," said Megan to Stadia, "Time to create a distraction." Megan gave an OK symbol to Henrietta who then signaled the Breakers. And on that signal, they threw as many vials of Face-Spider lures as they could. The vials smashed against the Big Unit guards, drenching them in fluids.

Taking a long breath Stadia readied herself for her moment and then opened the cage onto the street. Across the street other Breakers did likewise. The cages lied dormant for just a split second...before the Face-Spiders picked up the huge wafting cloud of enticement. They shot out of their respective cages and found their path toward the guards.

The guards seemed caught off their game and didn't expect the massive swarm of Face-Spiders in their path. They reared their baby-faced undersides and leaped onto the guards who began trying to swipe and shoot at them.

Thinking quickly Megan and Michael gave the signal to toss their fire bombs. The Breakers heaved their makeshift bombs to the sides of the guards, containing them in a fiery prison. Without a sound the fellow Breakers leapt into action and moved around the warring guards and onto the transport carts.

Angel and Michael looked all around the back of the truck only to find ropes, metal shards, what looked like body bags, and...firearms of varying sizes. Without hesitation Michael signaled others to help grab crates, search the accompanying carts, and order more Breakers to unleash fiery shields to keep the guards distracted.

Across the way Megan and Marcus leapt onto a cart and searched it for their target. A slim crate reared its form and Marcus pointed to it. Megan waved a Breaker to wheel over a dolly to transport the device. But just as their comrade approached the cart a guard tackled the Breaker. The Breaker screamed and kicked against their assailant until they struck them with their baton...teleporting them away in a flash of particles. "YOU ARE NEXT!" screamed the guard to Megan and Marcus.

Shots rang out and Breakers were dropping like flies. They fought as hard as they could with baton and brute strength through the embers. But it wasn't enough. The fight was moving into the favor of the Big Unit. Megan was starting to panic as the guard approached the cart.

WHACK

WHOOSH

The guard was suddenly teleported away. Standing behind him was Stadia, wielding a teleportation baton.

"Oh my god! Thank you!" yelled Marcus to his sister and savior.

"It was nothing mi hermano! Now lemme help with that!" Stadia wheeled the dolly over and moved the crate onto the tool.

"Let's get the hell out of here! The others took the guns and supplies!" exclaimed Megan as she helped push the dolly.

As the trio pushed the dolly Michael ran to their side, carrying a teleportation baton. He saw they got what they needed and raised his fist into the air to call the Breakers to retreat. But smashing against Michael a guard readied his baton. Megan stopped the dolly and moved to help Michael, but the guard kicked Megan to the floor. "Go!" Megan screamed to Marcus and Stadia who continued to move.

The guard readied to touch his baton to Michael but suddenly the guard's baton was whacked out of his hand by what seemed like a little girl. Rearing his head backwards the guard's expression of fear was seen through his eyeholes in his mask. Standing before him couldn't be anyone else but Henrietta. "Oh crap," the words dribbled out of the guard's mouth.

Henrietta chuckled loudly. "I'd kill you if I could. But I'll just settle for this." With a swift kick Henrietta knocked the guard off Michael and into the hard metal, knocking him out cold.

Michael was helped to his feet by the old girl and did so for Megan as well. The three ran as fast as they could as what was left of the Breaker ambushers retreated into the maze of metal alleys.

The fire started the die down and the chaos was visible beneath the flames. Blood, Face-Spiders corpses, and brave Breakers lied against the metal floor. The battle had ceased, but in the end were the sacrifices worth the pain?

•   

Pushing the dolly through the fence into the Breaker's headquarters Megan fell over onto her side. She took a massive gulp of breath and pounded her fist against the ground. Looking around the headquarters Breakers tended to their wounds and Henrietta found herself laughing.

"That felt...amazing!" bellowed Henrietta.

Megan stood up and looked around. "How...how many didn't make it?" hesitantly questioned Megan with a lump in her throat.

"There were forty of us...now there are thirty-one...either captured or...um," Marcus paused and disregarded the next word, "I counted," solemnly answered Marcus.

Pushing her cowled face into her hands, Megan was in utter shock. The Breakers gave their lives for their cause...for something that might not even work. "Family members. We need to notify family, friends..." fretted Megan as she raised her head from her palms.

Michael approached her side and she looked at him with pained sorrow, "They knew what they were getting themselves into," mourned Michael.

"Exactly," added Angel as he set down a crate of ammunition, "We fought hard and we accomplished everything...thanks to Henrietta!" Angel raised his fist into the air, "Though many fell...we are still the Breakers! We accomplished our goal! All thanks to the girl with the second life! Henrietta!"

Angel was completely unaware the true tacticians were Megan and Michael. But to them, that was the idea. Henrietta was the true leader.

"YEAH!" screamed the remaining Breakers.

Henrietta seemed taken aback by the praise but rolled with it and raised her hands into the air in celebration.

Megan sighed and walked over to the slim crate to open it amidst the praise. She looked over the crate and pried it open with a crowbar. The box opened to reveal their prize: one quantum teleportation pad. Marcus approached the device and looked it over, "So how do we turn it on?"

Megan scrunched her face under her cowl, "It's linked to the teleportation batons by a weird quantum signal. Right now, the batons..."

"...are linked to the Big Unit and nothing else. We need to tune it," finished Michael.

Crouching down Megan looked over the device and began to grow frustrated with the celebration. She looked over to Henrietta with a glare. Henrietta caught wind of the distress and quickly ceased her cheering, "Everyone, quiet! Good job! Everyone, go home!"

The remaining Breakers grew confused but started to leave their makeshift headquarters. As Angel left, he waved goodbye to Marcus, "See ya at home amigo! Drinks are on me!"

Marcus took off his cowl and flashed a smile to his greasy friend. He then turned to Megan who was still fiddling with the metal disk, "Everyone is gone. You guys can rest easy."

Throwing off her cowl Megan groaned and stood up, "I'm not having any luck figuring out where to relink the signal for our baton frequencies."

Michael jogged over and bent down to look. He opened a small hatch and looked over wiring and circuitry, "Well this obviously doesn't look like anything we have on Earth...or our time period..."

"Okay you two, let me look." Marcus looked into the device's inner-workings and grew a sideways expression, "It's like a receptacle under a fabricator but...just mid-size unlike the huge ones we have in a few quadrants. Ugh, this tech is newer though..."

"Well, can you turn it on and link it to the batons?" questioned Megan.

Marcus pushed his hands through the wires and sighed, "Why not try your doohickey?"

"The sonic? OH, the sonic!" Megan turned to Michael. "Lemme see it, babe."

Tossing the device to Megan she quickly pointed it to the disk and probed it with the sonic. Its sonic waves pinged and pushed their way into the architecture of the metal disk, but nothing occurred.

Michael grew anxious. "Megan you might need to 'think it'. Think about—"

"I'M DOING THAT!" screamed Megan as she dropped to a sitting position in defeat. "Nothing is working...the Doctor made it look easy, I thought we could fix this thing before he..."

Henrietta hesitantly walked over and kneeled next to Megan. "Sometimes we can't do everything ourselves mi amiga. I've lived an entire life and learned it twice. You two gave me hope. But sometimes the best hope is that there is a way, even if it doesn't involve you."

Raising her head Megan looked toward her comrades and her tattoo-boy. She tried holding back a tear, but it pushed its way out and splashed against the metal disk. "I just want this hell to end. We worked so hard in order to break this loop. I know the Doctor easily fixed the disk but...I just wanted..."

Michael picked Megan off and onto her feet. He took a deep breath and put both his hands on her shaken shoulders. "The plan is still in place. We have supplies, we have weaponry, and we still have each other. I know it's a shame I'm still here but—"

Megan tightly wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and sighed, letting out her frustrations. "Thank you," she said half-inaudible due to her face being buried into Michael's chest.

"We've come too far to give into whatever hell this world is being forced into Megan. No matter what happens we need to push forward with the plan. We wait for the Doctor..."

"Hey guys!" said Stadia as she moved in another crate.

Marcus moved to her side. "Hey sis, lemme take that for you."

"I just wanted to say thank you to you two. You've let me become a big part of this...not too many—" Stadia noticed the tender moment occurring, "Oh, uh. Sorry, sorry. Should I just...? I'll just shut up now," anxiously grinned Stadia.

Slowly moving away from Michael, Megan approached Stadia with a smile and gave her a quick hug. "No. You earned our trust. We're all proud of you."

"Oh, I...um thank you...so much." Stadia smiled and felt appreciated.

There was a bit of silence. As silent as El Lazo could be. Then Megan looked up toward the sky. She didn't know if she should thank a God or just take in the air around her. Then she realized something as a snowflake hit her cheek. It was her birthday. Megan laughed a bit and turned to face Michael. "It's my birthday Michael."

Michael rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "October 16th already? Sorry, I've been a little preoccupied..."

Megan laughed. "No, no. It's fine! I just...remembered is all." As snow started falling Megan looked around toward her friends. "Why...why don't we celebrate? Not just for my dumb birthday though, but for those that sacrificed...today and every day." She turned to Stadia. "And I think we should let you in on the full picture."

Stadia smirked and felt a rush of pride from her accomplishment. She looked around and took a breath. "I think inside sounds good. Let's celebrate...for the Breakers," declared Stadia with a beaming smile.

With unanimous agreement the Breakers moved their little celebration up to the watchtower. As the group celebrated, Megan realized that the happiness wouldn't last long. For Megan knew what was to come. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop it.

Chapter 7: Week 45

Pushing a set of doors closed Marcus dusted off his hands. "Alright, the plate is in the cabinet!"

"I thought we weren't doing code-words or names?" glared Stadia.

"Hey, it grew on me."

Stadia laughed and moved out of her seat. As she approached Marcus, Megan and Michael moved out of the watchtower and down the stairs. "Oh, hey you two!" hollered Stadia gleefully.

"Hello 'little chicken'...was it 'little chicken'?" questioned Megan apprehensively.

Stadia vigorously nodded her head. "Oh yes. And what do you say when I get home safely?"

Michael cringed before speaking. "...The chicken is in the coop, I repeat...the chicken is in the coop..."

"Ha! Yes!" snickered Stadia with a snort. "Now let's try it with the communicators!"

Marcus quickly put his hand to Stadia's shoulder. "Little sis you aren't twelve anymore. Let the good people go do whatever they were going to do..."

Stadia rolled her eyes and smirked. "Okaaay. This little chicken is going to run home and grab her coat. I'm freezing my ass off."

"You didn't bring it? Vamos hermanita, you better hurry before the snow starts up again," implored Marcus as he tapped his sister on her head.

As Stadia moved out of the headquarters Megan and Michael began to leave too, but Megan turned to face Marcus. "If you, Henrietta, or anyone else leaves make sure to lock up. Push the crates in front—"

"...of the entrance and lower the flags. Yeah. I got it familia. You two be safe."

Megan smiled and left with Michael through the entrance of the headquarters as they pulled up their scarves. The couple walked out of the alley and made sure to look around for guards. Ever since the raid the guards have been vigilant in their search for anyone cowled. Megan and Michael made sure to change the Breaker face wear to a more common scarf.

The streets that usually bustled with workers now seemed sparser, as others seemed to be on edge. The guard patrols seemed to have increased and wanted posters were flung up across every quadrant. No one seemed to know where or who the Breakers were yet. That must have meant those captured didn't spill the beans.

What was particularly interesting was the support from the other workers. Those that were too afraid to join the cause still made sure to look out for their fellow neighbors. Slowly but surely the workers on El Lazo were turning fully against the Big Unit. One thing that Megan was sure of though was that no matter what, the citizens of El Lazo were ready to fight.

"Do you think things have changed?" said Megan to Michael.

Michael continued to walk for a bit in contemplation before finally answering the question, "I have no idea. But what I do know is that we know what to change. We know what to do."

"Our plan has to be foolproof. We have to guide our past selves through the Big Unit facility while also making sure to prevent Marcus, Angel, and Stadia's demise..."

Putting his hand out, Michael stopped Megan. He clenched his jaw in distress, "Megan...how do we even know we can prevent Stadia's death?"

Megan scoffed. "We keep an eye on her like we talked about."

"But do we even know if it's possible to go against the timeline set in place? What if...I'm sorry. I know time travel movies aren't real and the Doctor would probably be roasting me right now but..."

"I know," said Megan with bated breath, "But trying can't hurt if it's an endless loop, right? We have infinite tries, right?"

Michael blew air out of his nose. "We don't. Another pair of us do."

"I need to take a break from arguing with you right now. The fact of the matter is we need to get inside the Big Unit before our other selves do, but on the same day they enter."

Michael groaned. "Okay, fine. Now can we go home and rest? I'm sure Marcus, Angel, and Henrietta have everything covered."

BAM

BAM

Shots suddenly rang through the air, alerting Megan and Michael. They rushed in the direction of the shots, weaving through the streets.

BAM

BAM

Two more shots rang out and Megan and Michael sprinted faster than they thought possible. What could be happening, was it a riot, maybe an early start to the loop? Whatever it was they were getting close to the origin of the sound. As Megan and Michael rounded a corner, they saw what was wrong.

Laying on the metal ground were two workers, shot dead by a group of guards. The workers lied in a pool of their own blood and others looked on in shock. Megan and Michael didn't know whether to intervene until they saw what the struggle was about. The guards flanked a familiar, well-kempt, but older woman wearing what seemed to be a close knitted jumper with a badge and armed with a teleportation baton. She was obviously from the Big Unit and her aged appearance gave her a fierce presence.

The Big Unit leader slammed her foot into a unit door. "Stadia Rojas! Open the door to your unit or we will enter with full fuerza. We know you were present at the raid three weeks ago! You and your unit occupants are suspects and are due for transport to the Dead Boxes!"

Megan gripped onto Michael. "Michael...what do we do?"

"I don't know. If we intervene, we'll die. We don't have any guns and the teleportation batons don't work yet!"

Suddenly a frantic man bumped into Megan causing her to turn to him. "Marcus?!"

"No, no, no..." belted out Marcus, "I have to do something. We must think! We haven't seen a Big Unit leader in years..."

"Who is she? And why does she seem familiar?" quickly asked Michael.

Marcus scoffed. "Her name is Commander Luis. That ancient monster leads the guardsman on El Lazo..."

"Wait..." thought Megan. "Michael and I saw her in the Dead Boxes the first time around...well, she quickly died but...never mind that. We need to help!"

Michael tried to conjure up a plan. "We want things to change, right Megan?"

Megan nodded. "What do we do?"

Reaching into his pockets Michael tried to find the sonic screwdriver to no avail. He groaned and pushed his fingers to his temples. "I flippin forgot the sonic back at the base..."

"What?!" exasperated Megan.

"Is there any way to draw the guards and wrinkles away? Do we have ANYTHING?"

Marcus pulled out a gun and looked toward Megan and Michael with a solemn expression. "Just a pistol with a couple rounds..."

Megan began to breathe heavily. "Okay, okay. We can fire a few rounds into the air in order to draw out the guards...wait..."

"What?" sputtered out Marcus.

"Do you have a communicator?"

"Yes."

Megan calmed a bit. "Does Stadia have one too?"

"Yes, I gave her one earlier."

"Thank god," exclaimed Megan. "When we draw the guards away, call Stadia and let her know when it's safe to move."

Marcus's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You guys are drawing the guards away?!"

Michael nabbed the gun from Marcus's grasp. "Yes, now get ready to save your sister."

A smile moved across Marcus's face. Megan and Michael moved across the street when suddenly a loud-mouthed figure moved in to antagonize the guards. "Oh crap, Angel!" yelped Marcus.

Angel had started cursing toward the guards and the guards were starting to lose their patience. "You bastardos! I'll give you someone to push around!" screamed Angel.

Commander Luis started pushing workers out of the way to get to Angel. "Movimiento! That worker is a suspect! Angel Rodricks, stop where you are!"

Thinking quickly, Marcus switched on his communicator and pushed it to his ear. "Stadia...Stadia can you hear me?"

There was radio silence until a whimpering voice pushed through the static. "He...hello? Please...help me...please."

"Listen mi hermana. Be strong...we have a plan..."

The guards were getting antsy and suddenly fired shots into the air. Marcus panicked but tried to regain his composure. "Listen Stadia I know you are scared but when the guards leave, I'll let you know...please." Marcus sighed. "I...gotta make sure my little chicken makes it to the coop."

A slight chuckle sounded from Stadia's end. "...Okay mi hermano...I trust you..."

Megan and Michael had to enact their plan quickly. Raising his hand to the sky Michael put his finger on the trigger of the pistol. He squeezed his eyes shut and...

BAM

BAM

The gunshots completely shocked the Big Unit guards who spun around and pointed their weapons toward Megan and Michael. "RUN!" yelled Megan as she pulled Michael. The two sprinted around a corner as the guards fired their weapons and gave chase. Screams and echoes of gunfire raged throughout the units.

"Now Stadia! NOW!" urged Marcus.

Stadia opened the door to the unit and sprinted in any direction she could. She pushed aside the crowd of workers and focused entirely on finding her brother.

Pulling up his scarf to hide his face Marcus tried looking for his sister. "STADIA!" screamed Marcus.

"Where are you!?" yelled Stadia as she frantically searched for her brother. As she looked around the crowd her eyes suddenly met a tanned and wrinkled visage. "Oh no."

Commander Luis bore her teeth. "STOP!"

Stadia rushed the opposite direction and ran straight into someone, almost losing her footing. A hand reached out and grasped her arm. She screamed and pulled until a voice reached her ears. "Stadia, Stadia. It's me!"

"Can we please get out of here!?" frantically urged Stadia.

Nodding, Marcus pulled Stadia toward a nearby alley. They both found their way through the large crowd and into the empty space. Marcus ran as fast as he could and looked back to see if his sister was keeping up.

Behind him was Stadia, exerting herself but still smiling toward her caring brother. She managed to keep up with him and finally match his pace. "Thank you, Marcus." Stadia said between breaths.

"No thanks are necessary. Now come on, let's get you home little chicken," exclaimed Marcus with a desperate grin under his scarf.

As the two left the alley, they seemed to have lost the guard. The crowds around the commotion seemed to have taken most of the attention away. All Marcus knew was that he would need to keep Stadia bunked in the watchtower for a while. He thought to himself that Angel made it out as well, but once he came home, he'd have to speak with him.

"Hey!" a voice called out to Marcus and Stadia.

Marcus's head twisted toward the voice. He smiled under his scarf when he realized it was Megan and Michael. "Guys! You two saved us, yet again!"

Megan and Michael quickly ran to Marcus and Stadia. Both sets of Breakers were happy to know the other was safe. "I feared the literal worst..." solemnly said Megan. "I'm just happy you guys got away."

Stadia took a long breath. "Oh trust me, I am too. I'm never leaving the headquarters again..."

The group took a collective breath and started their way back home. "How did they know who Stadia was? Did you ever use a name? During the raid, maybe?" questioned Michael.

"Um..." said Stadia with uncertainty. "I think I said something, but no names. I swear."

Twisting his frame toward Stadia, Marcus groaned. "Mi hermana, what did you say?"

"I called you 'hermano'...But that's it. I don't know how they found me since everyone has family here...basically."

Megan sighed. "Well, you're safe and it's only a couple of weeks until the Doctor arrives. After that we'll all be safe."

As Stadia was walking, she scrunched her face together and seemed confused. "There's something I've been wanting to know though Megan."

"Yeah, Stadia?"

Stadia sniffled. "Once the Doctor comes here...wont there be another you? If he succeeds, what happens to you guys?"

Megan and Michael both stopped for a second. A worrying thought ran through Megan's mind, but then she threw it aside for a more pressing one. "It doesn't matter Stadia. We must make sure everyone is safe. But I'm starting to piece together how they figured out who you were."

Marcus's brow raised. "What? How?"

"Well the head scientists I told you about have full access to Face-Spiders, a weird focusing device, and...knowledge of all timelines."

Stadia seemed utterly baffled. "What does that mean?"

Megan sighed. "It means they probably have known about most of everything..."

"Crap..." mouthed Michael under his scarf, "It's starting to make sense...but why haven't they found you or I?"

"We...we're the outliers Michael. We are one set of variables they haven't foreseen because..."

"You two never met them..." added Marcus.

Megan put her hands onto her hips. "Well that makes getting inside before everyone a bigger thing than before."

"We'll find a way to get you two inside, I promise!" smiled Stadia.

WHACK

WHOOSH

The sound burned a terrible hole into their hearts. Megan and Michael didn't want to look. But what would there be to look at? As they turned to face Stadia...they realized something...she was still there, but Marcus wasn't.

Standing behind a terrified Stadia, directly where Marcus stood...was Commander Luis. Her wrinkled face was twisted into a smile. Under Megan's scarf was a confused and angry expression. She quickly grabbed the gun and pointed it at Luis. "Bring him back. Now!"

Commander Luis raised her baton toward Megan. "I can barely see your faces. But I'm guessing the look on them is more surprised than angry. I get that. But on El Lazo...things change. Even when they repeat themselves, mis amigos."

"You...know?" Michael said with a confused inflection.

"It's part of the job," Luis strangely cleared her throat. "Those kooks in the Big Unit aren't all bad. They are trying to help, after all. And you interfered with their work. But you two never get far enough to save your precious Doctor." She smirked. "But it's a neat game when you know how it all plays out. They know I have you two handled, it's why I never kill you the moment you went back to the start of the loop."

Stadia backed away toward Megan and Michael. Megan put her arm out to shield Stadia. A look of disgust moved under Megan's scarf. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you!"

"I'll give you a few actualmente." Luis ran her fingers across her baton and cleared her throat. "If I die, the Big Unit will rain hell upon this place, the Doctor will still arrive, and the loop will still happen. Oh, and my guards shoot Marcus dead. Not one of his better deaths...but a fast one. Still better than what I usually do to Stadia."

"What the hell does she mean!" cried Stadia.

Commander Luis grinned and looked toward Stadia. Megan and Michael both moved to protect her. "It's always you, chica tonta. I just thought I'd switch things up for fun. Even if the bosses hate it."

Megan scrunched her brow to the point they might explode but quickly subdued her anger and lowered her gun. She looked toward Commander Luis with a dead expression. "This is what you want? To live endlessly in hell?"

A grin ran across Luis's face. "You don't get it. We are stuck. No one can save us. Why not have a little fun?"

In a swift motion Megan brought up her pistol toward Luis, ready to fire. But suddenly Luis touched the Baton to her side and was teleported away in a flash of light. Megan stood there, defeated and motionless. "Megan, come on the guards are probably on their way!" stammered Michael as he pulled her.

Throwing Michael's hand away Megan threw her scarf to the floor. "Michael, what the hell just happened? We lost Marcus...our plan...and it's all just a game to them." She looked up towards the sky. "Everything is finished...we'll never win..."

Michael's expression was desolate. He didn't know what to say and blew air out of his nose. But then, a thought was born from his mind. "But...if everything can change...then we could obviously win if we just try, right?"

Stadia seemed shocked but her familial instincts kicked in. "Yeah, we have to try...for Marcus and everyone that has been lost...for El Lazo's future, we have to fight..."

"I...I don't know what to do when my lists and plans fail..." uttered Megan as she conflicted with her emotions.

"You just...move forward, right?" answered Michael with a sideways grin. "You just push onward and keep trying until you succeed. That's what the Doctor would say, at least I think so."

"Your Doctor...he is coming in a few weeks, right?" pointed out Stadia. "We still have time to think, maybe we can change something...maybe you guys can actually make it inside and fix this."

Megan took a deep breath and let it out. As she regained her composure, she realized something. "Wait. Everything can still work. There's something the Big Unit doesn't know about."

"What's that?" probed Michael.

"I haven't seen all the timelines, obviously, but I have seen one where we win. My second memories. My mom said, 'after we used the Face-Spiders'...in the Dead Boxes." Megan clenched her jaw. "The plan is still in place... but Stadia..." Megan turned to her.

"Yes?"

"Are you willing to take your brother's place in the plan?"

Stadia thought hard about the trust given to her by her brother. How she wouldn't want to let him down. She made a determined expression and looked toward Megan. "Let's go save El Lazo."

Chapter 8: The Week of the Doctor

Week 46

Tensions. Like a frayed rope trying to hold a heavy object from falling. Sometimes the weight wins, and gravity takes its next victim. But the weight upon the shoulders of Megan and Michael was astronomical. They had to hold on.

Three weeks before the arrival date the Breakers gathered around an effigy for Marcus. Henrietta was told everything and was set to inspire a flame in each of the Breakers' hearts with a tribute to their captured co-leader. She learned that Stadia was originally to be taken, that their foray into the Dead Boxes was to save her. But now with Stadia alive and well, Megan's plan had to change. The capable hands of Marcus were now absent, and Stadia was now in his place.

In order to change her plan Megan had to adapt it to fit Stadia's more clumsy personality. They trained her and made sure she knew was she was doing...but regardless she was still the sweet girl Marcus overprotected.

But what was uncertain was Angel's role. He now had to work off Marcus's sister, but hopefully things wouldn't change too much for them...or maybe that is exactly what they want.

Week 52

The Arrival Date

"Do you understand what is supposed to happen Stadia?" said Megan with a hopeful demeanor.

"Yeah. I'm ready. I'm ready to go and save my brother," said Stadia with cheerful optimism.

Michael sat up straight confidently. "Okay, Stadia. Remember to act like you don't know us...I know it's hard but—"

Henrietta bounded down the ramshackle watchtower stairs. She stopped at the bottom and smiled, "It's happening isn't it?"

Michael got up from his seat and sniffled. "Yup. I hope you are ready. Everything is in place. Just remember, you need the Doctor to fix the teleportation disk in order to move the guards via his rules. The Doctor doesn't like...bloodshed."

"I know. How will you two get inside again?"

Pulling out a teleportation baton Megan turned it on, extending its rod. "We are passed trying for peace Henrietta. We are getting inside the Big Unit, even if it kills us. So, we are beaming ourselves inside like Commander Luis did on their own personal line."

Henrietta raised her brow and smirked. "I know, I just wanted to see your bloodthirsty expression again. It inspires me. Anyways, Angel was sent for a supply run, he should be back after the Doctor's arrival like you two originally said he was."

Megan nodded her head. "Okay, good." She looked down and then toward the sky in mental anguish. "We have to be ready to fight. We have no choice...even if we don't want to."

Michael pulled out a pistol and loaded it. "This is for El Lazo, the Doctor, and Marcus."

•

It was almost exactly like the moment when they first arrived. It was freezing, El Lazo's tensions were high, and the city was as ramshackle as it could get. Megan, Michael, and their fellow Breaker leaders were ready to jump into action. Outside of their close-knit group the other Breakers were in the dark, left up for fate to decide upon their actions.

Standing upon a nearby unit roof, Megan and Michael readied for the arrival of the TARDIS. Upon the metal streets Stadia stood, waiting for orders. It was a tense waiting game as the plan had to work. If it didn't...the loop would continue forever. "But hasn't it already..." said Megan out loud.

"What?" questioned Michael with a scrunched expression.

"Oh, I'm just being negative in my mind. It's all good though Tattoo Boy." She eyed a bottle of soda next to Michael. "Did you really bring a soda with you?"

"Yup. I didn't know how long we were waiting. Now let's get lower so we aren't seen." Michael moved into a prone position along with Megan against the unit roof. Even with layers of clothing it was chilled to the touch. As they sat there all they could think about was—"

VWORP

VWORP

VWORP

That sound. It was like music to the ears of Megan and Michael. They hadn't heard that sound in a year. And then they saw the origin of that magical noise; it was the TARDIS. It materialized in the same spot it did over a year ago. The time ship sat silent for a while, until the door to it creaked open.

A strange looking boy...er...man was the first to step out. It could be no one else but the Doctor. His huge, poofy, mane of dark brown hair. His retro coat splashed with an odd color of green. He looked like a traveling composer, ready to conduct his latest musical piece in a public setting. Well, at least that's what the Doctor hoped he looked like. He very much looked like a space hippie in reality.

As the Doctor locked the door to the TARDIS, two kids flanked him. It was Megan and Michael. Looking at yourself from an outside perspective is always strange. Megan and Michael looked onward toward their past selves with disdain. "Oh god...I look so short..." said Megan in a dispassionate tone.

Michael rolled his eyes. "You're fine, babe. Just...lets...wow, I really do not have any cheekbones..."

Chuckling, Megan tapped Michael's shoulder when she noticed the crowd start to react to the trio's presence. "Oh hell, we need to get ready." Megan raised her communicator to her ear but for some reason their past selves weren't moving backwards in panic.

"What's going on? Why isn't the crowd moving? Oh wait...the bottle..."

Megan seemed confused and then looked toward Michael's soda bottle. "Michael...I'm sorry."

"Do it...we have to..."

"Jeez Michael it's soda, not a human sacrifice," said Megan as she picked up the bottle and threw it next to their past selves. The smashing of the bottle seemed to rile up the crowds just enough for them to approach the Doctor. They screamed and barked toward the oddly dressed trio, thinking they were Big Unit officials.

Raising her communicator to her ear Megan readied to speak. "Okay..." Megan tapped the switch. "Go Stadia! Your cue!"

Stadia seemed shaken up and moved to the top of the crowd. "Okay, you got this Stadia." As she raised the gun into the air though a crowd member bumped her knocking the pistol out of her hand. "MIERDA!" yelped Stadia. She struggled through the crowd, grabbed the pistol, and then raised it to the air.

Megan and Michael both looked down toward the crowd horrified until...

BAM

BANG

The crowd moved away, and the spotlight fell to a disguised Stadia. She struggled with her words as everyone looked at her. Then her eyes met the Doctor's. He had a kind face, it reminded her of a safe place away from all of this. She suddenly snapped out of it and readied her statement. "Uh...come with me if you want to live?"

The past trio seemed baffled but humored the strange girl and followed her away from the crowds of angry workers. Upon the roof Megan and Michael took a collective breath and rolled over onto their backs in triumph. "Okay, let's notify Henrietta to get the TARDIS ready for transport and for Angel to head back," said Megan with a confident tone.

"Agreed," said Michael as he pulled out his communicator and tapped its button, "Henrietta, we are a go for 'Blue Yonder'."

Henrietta cut through the static. "I'm not liking these codenames..."

"Just humor Stadia. She deserves that, at least," answered Michael.

Megan and Michael stood up and started walking toward the makeshift walkway leading down from the roof. "Okay, phase three, we have two hours to prepare and gather supplies for the infiltration thing," said Megan with a hesitant tone.

"You don't sound too confident, babe. We got this, alright? We just have to make our way back to the HQ and get the things we need."

Megan gulped and expanded her eyes. "Let's just not run into our past selves...I really don't want the universe to implode or something..."

•   

Luckily for Megan and Michael, Stadia was tasked with keeping their past selves and the Doctor busy. Originally Marcus was to fill them in on the events leading up to present day, but that task now fell to Stadia.

Megan made sure to give Stadia a rough idea of what to say but let her quickly learn that it would come to her naturally. When that was though was a mystery to Stadia.

Walking through her relocated hovel, Stadia turned to introduce herself. "Hello, my name is Stadia Rojas," she sputtered with a hint of subdued nervousness. As she removed her scarf, she looked back toward one stranger and two people that should know her, but don't. It bothered her greatly.

The Doctor made his usual examination face, complete with a furrowed brow and squinted eyes. "So, what's going on Stadia?"

Stadia didn't know what to say, until it hit her. Back on Lignum with her family when she was younger, Stadia remembered what her mother told her: "Always tell the truth hija, and the lord will provide." Obviously being a child, Stadia twisted those words. She learned to tell the truth, but a truth that benefitted her lies.

"You know...just surviving like...always..." answered Stadia.

"But not like always, right?" reverberated the Doctor.

Stadia halfheartedly smirked. "Si, not like always." And then her words came naturally to her. The plan was in motion.

•

Megan and Michael quickly entered the Breaker HQ and stomped up the stairs to the watchtower. They pulled the curtains to the side and entered to find Henrietta smiling wildly. She moved from the table and put her fist up triumphantly. "It's finally time!" bellowed Henrietta. "By the way I sent Breakers to retrieve the ship...box...and..."

"Henrietta..." said Megan urgently.

"But the Breakers are going to have a bit of trouble sneaking it past the—"

"Henrietta!"

The old girl stopped and seemed a bit confused. But a thought lit up a realization inside her mind. Megan and Michael looked at each other with a disheartening expression. "Hen. It's time for us to go..." trembled Megan.

"Oh. Right. I'm just a bit excited. We are finally going to complete my dream, our dream." Henrietta smiled. Her bright blue eyes seemed to water, but instead of tears...she laughed. "Okay!" she grinned, "What do I need to do?"

Michael pulled out his teleportation baton. "The Doctor is going to relink these to the metal disk downstairs. You know the plan. No violence in front of the Doctor or he'll back away." He furrowed his brow. "We are going to do something crazy. We probably won't come back..."

"But..." shrugged Megan, "If it doesn't work, we will still see you no matter what."

"Obviously kids. But it won't be you...it'll be another pair of you idiotas."

Megan chuckled and took a breath to falter her emotions. "We are going to fix this. Whether it takes this try or another million. We'll save El Lazo...because that is what we are here to do."

Henrietta nodded her head slightly and bore a smirk. "Give hell to the top, okay you two?"

Megan and Michael stepped back. They both smiled toward the girl with a second life. They've been through hell, but hopefully they can end that. "Remember the plan Henrietta." Megan uttered with a smile. As the couple pointed their batons to themselves Megan stopped and looked one last time to their young, old friend. "See you soon...and oh," Megan looked toward Michael, "Don't be afraid to give him a hard time."

"Just go you idiotas," barked Henrietta with a smile.

In what seemed like an instant Megan and Michael gripped onto each other's hands and touched the batons to their arms.

They disappeared in a flash of light and particles, leaving Henrietta behind for a second time.

•

It seemed like an instant transition between the Beta Section. Blinding light entered Megan and Michael's view. It took them a second, but they realized where they were. It was inside the Big Unit, inside what looked like a metal receptacle.

Megan stumbled around and stepped off the receiving unit of the teleport. She regained her sight and looked out into a long hallway. Lights dotted the ceiling, which seemed to blind Megan on their own. She didn't know what part of the underground facility they were in until Michael joined her side and gasped.

"I know this layout...good...I was right," snickered Michael.

"Okay, where are we?" questioned Megan while shielding her eyes.

Michael examined both lengths of the hallways and then looked back toward the teleportation receptacle. He scrunched together his eyes and rubbed his chin in contemplation, "Remember the halls with the numbers above them?"

"Yeah, which hall are we in?"

"Hall...six? Each hall links to the entrance of the Dead Boxes, the Gamma Section, like they link to the entrance into the Beta Section. When we escaped up the elevator it was through their supply lift. This teleportation pod thing is for the transport of humans to the Dead Boxes...luckily, they weren't notified of any incoming transfers. So, we are in the clear unless..."

Voices suddenly reached the ears of Megan and Michael. They were indiscernible but it didn't matter. The halls were too long to run down so they had to hide, or else they'd easily be caught. "That room," whispered Megan as she pointed to the closest room.

Michael approached the room and noticed it needed an ID to open. He grinned and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out the sonic screwdriver. Pressing the sonic to the door Michael pinged it with the screwdriver and it quickly slid open. The two entered the room and closed the door behind them.

Turning around Megan saw the room they were in. It seemed to be a containing room of sorts. Boxes and lockers were filled to the brim with clothing and trinkets from presumably those transported to the Dead Boxes. "God. So many people have been taken...and to think its over and over. That's hell, even if they don't know it."

Before Megan could utter a word, she caught wind of the approaching voices. They sounded older. A man and a woman. Pushing her ear to the door Megan tried to listen to what they were saying.

The woman cleared her throat. "They have arrived, I'll notify Commander Luis. She'll want to deal with them herself. But that moron chose Marcus Rojas...she's compromising the loop by deviating—" Suddenly it seemed like the woman collapsed and the man groaned as he picked her to her feet.

Helping the woman up the man coughed. "It's taking a toll on us...our limit might be up, and our future selves won't know it...we must make sure the Doctor cooperates this time."

"We'll have to use more force this time around..." assured the woman.

Megan pulled her ear from the door. A shocking expression moved across her face. She swung around to retrieve Michael. "Michael," whispered Megan, "They know we are here. They know everything and they are currently telling Luis, who apparently hasn't chosen Marcus before..."

"Are they gone?"

Moving back to the door Megan listened and couldn't hear a peep. She moved her head to look at Michael and then quickly jogged to him. "But get this...their experimentation and their 'upgraded' Face-Spider use seems to be hurting them each loop."

"So soon even they'll be unaware of the loop. They'll die and it'll continue..."

Megan thought for a second, brushing her hair out of her face. "It sounds good. Like a waiting game...but without them El Lazo would fall into disarray faster. It sucks, but we gotta end this loop...now."

Michael nodded and fixed his glasses. He approached the door and opened it, looking down the long hall. "Come on, down from the left will take us to our first stop."

•   

The time had finally come for the Breakers to enter through the maintenance tunnels. Stadia had been managing to hold her own. Her fears were starting to subside as she was finally letting her confidence override it. Even with such a daunting task ahead of her she knew her Megan and Michael trusted her greatly, that her brother trusted her.

The posse of Breakers stood away from the entrance just like Megan and Michael told her to arrange. Stadia took a breath and brought up her communicator to signal the Breakers to start the riot in the city. She put the device to her ear and pressed the button. "Okay...everyone...operation Viva is ago..."

Henrietta chimed in through the static. "Okay boys and girls...let's live up to our name!"

Stadia quickly switched to another wavelength, "Hey, tatted bean pole and mother hen, this is little chicken! The operation is a go!" She pushed the communicator into her uniform's pocket and raised her thumb into the air in order to start the infiltration.

The Doctor nodded and raised his sonic into the air.

•

Michael pushed his communicator into his pocket. "Really, you get mother hen and I get tatted bean pole?"

"Well you are tall and have tattoos..."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Tatted rooster? Come on now Megan..." Turning his head Michael noticed the main hallway lead-off in front of them. Upon a nearby wall was an inactive number seven. "There, that's our first stop. And then onwards into hell."

"Michael stop it. Let's hurry and place the files they need," barked Megan as she approached the door they needed to enter.

Sonicing the door Michael entered the room and looked around to see countless file cabinets. "It was the middle one on the left wall, right?"

Megan shrugged and pointed. "Give it a try."

Michael moved over to the file cabinet and opened it using the sonic. He perused the countless files until he came across one labeled: 'Arch Facilities Layout and Build Date'. Michael's eyebrow rose as he looked over the files. There seemed to be something odd about the dates, just like last time they saw them. Michael switched on the light in the room. "Megan, take a look at this."

"What?"

"These dates are obviously off. The Doctor took us to the 53rd Century, right? This is dated for construction centuries ago..."

Megan furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "Hmm, I mean they did say this place is really old, right? It could just be really old documents?"

"Why would a facility stay the same for centuries without change? Why would..."

"Why would everything be the same, over and over again?" said a familiar voice from behind them.

Megan and Michael spun around to see Commander Luis pointing a rifle at them. "I explain every time and it never gets old. The scientists don't even know I'm preventing them from fixing things on this stupid rock."

"What the hell is El Lazo?" questioned Megan.

Luis laughed followed with a cough. "It's the loop. It always has been. Why maintain facilities when you can just reset a loop, over and over and over until...well forever. No need for new workers, no need for continued upkeep...just unlimited energy."

A shocking realization hit Megan and Michael. Megan tried not to panic. "That's why the upstairs is so decrepit...it was a functioning facility until..."

"Until they turned on the generator downstairs. I was tasked with watching over the idiotas, to make sure nothing happened...until you and the Doctor showed up."

"So, what? You keep the lights on for Gas Station fabricators around the universe, but the workers suffer?" bellowed Michael.

Commander Luis coughed and readjusted her rifle. "No, not just Gas Stations. Fabricators in hospitals, in factories, in homes. They pull from the time vortex dear. An infinite supply of fabricated anything...until you three threw a wrench into it all...or should I say a Face-Spider. At least it gave me some fun."

Megan scoffed and bore a grin. "Yeah, but now your Face-Spider fun is taking a toll on you, right? We really did mess up your plans, didn't we? Just like always, the Doctor showed up and ruined the bad guy's plans."

"Bad guys," scoffed Luis, "The Arch facilities provide for the Universe!"

"At the cost of others, of so many kind and strong souls..." condemned Michael, "No one should suffer for the needs of others. Never."

Commander Luis lowered her rifle and snickered. "Shut up with that self-righteous bull. It's a couple thousand people, for the needs of trillions! You children do not speak for them!"

Megan lowered her head and then raised it with a solemn grin. "But the Doctor does. He's saved trillions. We've seen what he can do, all the good he has done." Megan grabbed Michael's hand, "We're his friends, Megan and Michael. If we've learned anything from the Doctor, it's that every life matters. And we'd do anything for that crazy idiot. Including, saving these people!"

"How sweet, I've heard that one before," harped Luis. She pointed her rifle toward Megan and Michael. "Now let me kill you so I can do it again the next time around!"

Michael pointed the sonic at Luis, disabling her rifle and showering the room with sparks. "Dammit! I forgot about that stupid thing!" seethed Luis.

Megan and Michael sprinted out of the room and fled down the hallway. Luis regained her composure and chased after the kids, her rage driving her. The couple moved back down hallway six and toward the entrance to the Dead Boxes. All they had to do now was make their way to find the Face-Spiders they needed from Megan's memories. In order to understand how to stop a paradox, you'd need to think like one.

Rounding hallways seemed almost too common for Megan and Michael, but they were willing to do it over and over for El Lazo. Saving them is what the Doctor would do, it's what they'd do.

"There!" screamed Michael as they approached the entrance. The doors opened to their presence and another long hallway. They ran down it and found themselves on another lift. It wasn't as large as the supply lift that originally took them to the Dead Boxes, but it didn't matter. They needed to reach the top quickly.

"Hurry turn the elevator on!" yelped Megan.

Michael looked around for switches and found an ID slot. "Crap, lemme sonic it!"

The elevator buckled and started to move up and Luis almost reached them. She cursed and quickly reached for her communicator. "Set the alarm like I planned. Everything is going as usual...aside from Marcus. But it's more fun that way."

The Big Unit's alarm triggered and in that instant Stadia's group moved out of the file room and everything was going according to Megan and Michael's plan as well.

Chapter 9: The Three M's

The lift rose to the Dead Boxes and Megan and Michael readied themselves for the horrid environment. "What did that monster mean about Marcus?" pondered Megan.

Michael clenched his fists. "Well it really was probably her first time keeping Stadia alive. Marcus may still be alive...regardless though Commander Luis is sick and needs to be stopped. This is all her doing. She's keeping the scientists in the dark and letting them run sick experiments on people in order to try to break free from something they did and probably were tricked into doing."

"Right. We need to find the Face-Spiders we need. My mom said it was all we needed to find the solution," affirmed Megan.

"So, we really are going to put on more Face-Spiders. Poor things. I hate seeing them in pain."

The lift finally reached the top and Megan and Michael looked out upon the Dead Boxes in all their terrible infamy. The couple started their trek down the streets of rusted metal and grime.

•   

It had been a terrible few weeks for Marcus, but for him he'd felt he had worse. A guard approached Marcus's cell and slammed his baton into the gate. Marcus jumped up and glared at the guard. The guard chuckled. "What, you want a kiss? You're up for fun time with Face-Spiders again."

"You pieces of basura aren't worth a peck," sneered Marcus.

"Come on Marcus, we've had fun. Your friends have had fun. It's been a great couple of weeks. Now come on—" The guard slammed his baton against the cage and accidently dropped it inside with Marcus. "Oh crap," yelped the guard as he and Marcus gazed upon the weapon.

Marcus leaped forward and acquired the weapon, pushing it through the cage and teleporting the guard away. "I know, I hear my kisses are electrifying," snorted Marcus. He looked around the room and noticed no one was there. "Stadia is definitely rubbing off on me too much with these awful puns..."

Marcus used the baton to knock over a nearby shelf containing key cards to the cells. He opened his cell door and looked down the rows of other cells to try to find fellow workers, but no one could be found. Only debris and blood stains.

Trying not to focus on the imagery Marcus moved out of the containment unit and was met with the sight of the Dead Boxes. "Que Demonios...I'll never get used to that..."

Moving down the streets Marcus used his local knowledge to locate a post where guards frequent in the Dead Boxes. Immediately Marcus noticed two guards enjoying some downtime and approached behind their guard post.

"Where's Jeffery with Rojas? He ought to be here already," uttered a relaxing guard.

One guard got up and moved away from the post. Marcus moved around the side of it, crouched. "I'll go check on him. He's probably tendering the meat again."

Marcus scrunched his face together and mouthed tenderizing the meat in utter bewilderment. As soon as the other guard rounded the corner Marcus pushed the baton over the post and teleported the guard away in a flash of light. "Idiotas," chuckled Marcus.

Reaching over the post Marcus took hold of a rifle and a map of the Gamma Section. "Huh, that's what you guys call it. Whatever it's called it's time to end this."

Behind Marcus sounds of footsteps approached him and he spun around, pointing his rifle. He instantly took a breath when he saw who it was, Megan and Michael. "What the...you guys are here already?"

Megan laughed. "Oh god, you're alive!"

The couple approached and gave Marcus a hug. Marcus felt crowded and moved away. "Hey now, I'd hug back but the air here is a bit too stale for me kids."

As Marcus was explaining his predicament, out of the corner of his eye Michael saw a guard round the corner. The guard walked a few steps before noticing the trio and drew his gun. "Hey! What the hell are you doing!" The guard noticed Marcus's rifle and got ready to fire but Michael raised his arm and disarmed him with the sonic.

The guard fell backwards with a grunt and tried to struggle to his feet, only to be rendered unconscious with the butt of Marcus's rifle. "Oh Dios. That was close..." uttered Marcus with shallow breath.

"We'll need him. We need to find out the location of a special place," said Megan with a smile.

Marcus shuddered. "Well I sure hope it wasn't the place I was at...I hate Face-Spiders even more now..."

•   

Marcus placed the guard into a cell and slammed his foot onto the door to wake him up. The guard awoke with a squeal, looking toward Megan, Michael, and Marcus. Megan leaned down and smiled. "Hi. Sorry to wake you but we are in a bit of a hurry. We need to find your nearest Face-Spider experimentation unit, now."

The guard laughed. "We have like fifty...you workers are in over heads."

"Well yeah...we are. But the quicker we find a Face-Spider that can instantly show us all outcomes and timelines, the faster we'll help save you guys."

Sitting up the guard wiped blood from his nose. "You can't. Whatever you have planned those Face-Spiders are off limits. We haven't even perfected them yet."

Marcus pointed his rifle toward the guard. "It doesn't matter, we need to find it...quick."

Michael looked out of the unit, trying to ascertain how far along Stadia was with their past selves. "Stadia might already be in the Dead Boxes with our past selves. We need to hurry."

The guard's eyes widened. "So...it is true."

"What so you mean," probed Megan.

"There's speak amongst the guards that we are stuck in a loop or something...that Commander Luis knows and refuses to tell us." The guard looked down in despair.

Megan leaned closer. "Show us where we can find the Face-Spiders and we can stop this."

The guard looked up and took a breath. "Okay, I promise. Briars, Officer Briars at your service."

•

Officer Briars moved along with the group and deeper into the Gamma Section. He led them past patrols and decrepit units that dotted the Dead Boxes. Soon they arrived at the unit in question and he turned to let the Breakers know. "This is Unit 49. The temporal extrapolation unit. It's here the head scientists try to combine the genetic data of a Face-Spider with workers to allow them to see a way out of the loop...or medical applications as the scientists so wrongly said to all of us. The washouts end up in the pit..."

Megan and Michael approached the structure. "This is right across from where we first found Stadia..." solemnly said Megan.

Marcus scrunched his face together. "What?"

Megan spun around to face Marcus. "We have to tell you something. On our first go around Stadia was taken instead of you. She was brutally experimented on and you and her both died when you tried to free her. This was the first time in all loops you were taken instead..."

"Oh god...but...but Stadia is alive still, right?!"

Michael nodded. "She's coming here to save her brother, Marcus. You helped her believe in herself."

"That unit you guys are talking about. That's where Marcus was going to end up today...I'm gla—"

Pointing a gun toward Briars, Marcus sneered toward him. "You have no room to speak bastardo." He then swung his head to face Megan and Michael. "You two have accomplished something amazing. You saved us all..."

"Not yet," assured Michael, "We still need to figure out how to shut down a certain generator within thirty-five minutes before the loop resets, or we'll have this conversation again in another year..."

Marcus blew air out of his nose and smiled. "You two are amazing. No matter what happens, I hope one day you realize how much you've done for us."

"Likewise, Marcus," reverberated Megan.

Megan and Michael moved to the unit and its doors opened in their presence. As they entered though an individual kicked Michael to the floor, causing him to drop the sonic screwdriver. "You dropped something idiota," taunted Commander Luis as she pointed her pistol toward them.

A shocked expression ran across Marcus's face and he pointed the gun toward Luis. "Drop it—"

But before Marcus could finish his next words Officer Briars grappled him, choking the Breaker with his own rifle.

Luis pushed her foot against Michael on the floor and pointed her gun toward Megan. "You two have tried some loco things when you break into the Dead Boxes, but this last one was good. It was clever using the Face-Spiders to peer into the Time Vortex and pass on information to your past selves...but it didn't work."

Megan's eyes widened. "That creature...the one that killed you..."

"...was you two. The Face-Spiders in there are connected with two apparatuses which allow you to peer into all the realties offered by the Face-Spiders by combining your DNA with them. Obviously, it wasn't tested but that was one of the few times you two got the upper hand on me...never again."

Megan bore a fiery expression and pulled out a pistol, pointing it toward Luis. "You're going to let us in there, or so help—"

Luis pushed her heavy boot against Michael's neck. "You won't shoot. You never do. Your stupid morals guard me from your bullets Megan Frost. I know you..."

"You've changed your game too much Luis. Without your normal rules things fall apart...just like your minds after so long using the Face-Spiders..."

Luis's maddening expression grew wilder. "I won. I WIN. No matter what. You know how many times I've won? Ask me. No, don't. I've won millions of times. Millions of years of this. Killing you two, over and over. Preserving the loop for the greater good!"

"You're insane Luis..." struggled to say Michael.

"I don't think I am." Luis pointed her pistol toward Michael's head. "I think I can just shoot him, right here. You won't shoot me, and you'll watch your stupid boy die in front of you. And then after I'm—"

BAM

Commander Luis struggled backwards, dropping her pistol to the floor in astonishment. "Huh, so it was you after all..."

Behind Megan, Marcus stood with his foot upon the guard, pointing his rifle, its barrel smoking.

"Marcus?" said Megan in surprise.

"Like you said, Luis changed her game too much. She didn't expect me. That's for all the times you took Stadia away from me," bellowed Marcus.

Luis fell backwards against the unit and coughed. "I'll see you three next time after you fail. El Lazo will never cease..." With one last cough, Luis finally faded away.

"Go, you two. End this loop..." pleaded Marcus.

Michael stood up and took a breath breathing in the Dead Box air. "Ugh, wrong time to take a breath..."

Running up to Michael, Megan hugged him tight. "I...I'm sorry Michael..."

"No need to be sorry...we aren't killers Megan..."

Megan looked up to Michael and smiled. "Are you ready?"

Michael sniffled and blew air out of his nose. "For El Lazo, right?"

Letting go Megan walked toward the door to the unit and looked toward Michael. She urged him to follow and then she looked toward Marcus. "Go, find Stadia and our past selves. They are probably searching for you."

Marcus grinned. "Go you two...hurry."

Megan nodded and joined Michael as they walked into the unit together. They rounded the halls of metal and were met with a strange sight. Two Face-Spiders hooked up to two cranial apparatuses. They looked horrifyingly painful.

"In order to figure out how to stop terrible things...sometimes we have to make sacrifices. That's what the Doctor taught us, right?" pontificated Michael.

"Right...sometimes...we need to take risks. Especially to save people we care about."

Grabbing ahold of the seats Megan and Michael slowly pushed themselves into the device. It was cold to the touch and there wasn't any padding whatsoever for support, but that was the least of the couple's worries.

"How do we start this stupid thing?" cried out Megan.

Michael pulled out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it toward the top of the apparatus. He turned the sonic on and the device turned on as well. Clamps, switches, levers, and machinery sprung to life. It sure seemed like the machine was powered by quantum energy by the loud noise it made.

But before Megan and Michael could second-guess themselves the helmets attached to the Face-Spiders slammed onto their heads. They yelped in pain as the devices tightened on their heads. Megan reached over to Michael but her fingers could barely graze his metal shackle. Soon Michael did the same and the two touched their fingers together in an endearing plea.

"Remember to think about a solution..." vibrated Megan as the machine shook.

Suddenly the Face-Spiders were pushed onto the helmets and a large flash of light flew through the air. The power fluctuated and flickered uncontrollably. But within the minds of Megan and Michael they began to see worlds, timelines, and images of what can and what could be from the Time Vortex. Megan saw worlds with her mom. Michael saw worlds with his dad.

But the two tried focusing past that. They needed to focus on a way to shut off the quantum generator successfully. Then...the answers flooded their minds. It was everything they wanted, but it was too much for the kids. They screamed and cried as the devices showed them everything that was and will be. Electricity and purple energy from the Time Vortex flooded their bodies...mutating them into something terrifying. Something...not entirely human.

Their straps and containment snapped. Sending shrapnel and debris across the room. The power was too much for the machine and it exploded, surging the power, cutting it off from the main generator, and basking the Gamma Section in complete darkness.

Chapter 10: The Monster

Standing in complete darkness is always a frightening thing. Especially when the sounds of a creature of pure terror flooded the air. Marcus stood valiantly against the horrible sounds and abyss. But the guard he was watching had other ideas and booked it in any direction he could.

"Bye Officer Briars...more like Officer Bye-ers!" taunted Marcus. He tried to stay calm but how could one stay calm against whatever was about to presumably burst out of the unit in front of him?

"Marcus?!" a rough but familiar voice reached his ears and he swung around to see Angel running out of the darkness...along with Megan and Michael? Marcus knew though it couldn't be his Megan and Michael.

"Angel!" Marcus said harshly as he hugged his friend. Pulling away he seemed rather concerned. "What happened?"

Angel looked back toward the past Megan and Michael who were just as confused. "Well...we fought our way through the Big Unit with the Doctor and Stadia's help...but they were captured..."

"Que demonios...Angel we need to save my sister and the Doctor..."

"You must be Marcus!" Megan reached out to shake his hand.

Marcus quickly shook both Megan and Michael's hands. "Listen kids...and Angel, whatever comes out of that unit...don't be afraid."

"Now I'm definitely going to be afraid..." chimed in Michael nervously.

Rolling his eyes Marcus faced the unit. "Follow the creature wherever it goes...I'm sure it's going to go somewhere very important."

CRASH

The unit burst open and a massive twisted creature bounded down the metal streets. It moved quick, and Marcus waved for the others to keep up. Marcus knew though, that the creature was Megan and Michael. Somehow, he knew. He needed to follow it.

•

The Doctor had just finished his monologue as the creature burst into the room. "You made that monster...and I'm not talking about that thing," retorted the Time Lord.

Tearing apart the room the creature looked toward the Doctor and made a grunt of contentment and pain, if that was even possible. "Megan and Michael, here we are yet again..." said the Doctor painfully.

But then something miraculous happened. Megan, Michael, Marcus, Angel, and a freed Stadia entered the room. The Doctor raised his brow deliriously. "Well that's new...everyone lived," uttered the Doctor with a grin, "So it's finally done."

The creature dropped the Doctor's sonic onto a nearby table and then smashed through the nearby wall, showering debris around the room. Marcus and Stadia ran to the Doctor's side. "Doctor," assured Marcus, "We know everything. Megan and Michael want us to follow them to the generator room."

"Okay, I'll try my best to hold back my cellular deterioration," the Doctor sniffled and undid his shackles himself, "Groovy. Now follow me because beyond everything I learned from the past million loops...this is new territory for me. Hollowed ground. The final piece." He stopped before leaving through the hole in the wall and picked up his sonic screwdriver. "Oops, almost forgot. And oh," the Doctor smiled to everyone whilst in great pain, "I know some of you here have no clue what the hell is going on. Trust me...neither do I really. But I know who does...lets go finally light this fuse before I die from mental overload, shall we?"

Everyone collectively agreed and followed the Doctor through the newly formed doorway. Stadia turned to face Megan and Michael while walking. "So, how do you feel?" she asked.

"Well honestly I'm confused, but at this point I'm used to not understanding," bellowed past Michael.

Past Megan nodded in agreement.

"Okay, good! Just making sure!" said Stadia was glee.

•

A blinding light met the Doctor and the others as they entered the quantum entanglement generator room. The Doctor widened his eyes as he saw the massive generator. "Ah, there's the monster," he said with grimace. Its core spun and generated purple light like two stars dancing around each other. "Well...the players are in place and I'm just hoping the universe favors us as the victors," said the Doctor with a sideways expression.

"You knew about all of this, Doctor?" probed Marcus.

The Doctor gave a frown as he brushed his hands through his massive hair. "Yes and no. I saw all past mistakes and calculated a formulaic plan based on possible variables and outcomes. The TARDIS protected Megan and Michael from the Temporal Loop. Everything is in place." He gave a sideways expression. "I just don't know what comes next...but I know this was the best outcome..." The Time Lord sniffled and looked toward Marcus. "Ever see 'Avengers: Endgame'?"

Marcus's head tilted to the side in bewilderment. "What?"

"Never mind," scoffed the Doctor as he walked toward the creature.

The creature was at the foot of the generator. It probed and prodded at the large machine, trying to look for something. The Doctor approached and gazed upon the massive beast while trying not to die from mental stress. Instead he tried using what brain power he had left to come up with a name for the beast. "So I was thinking maybe I'd call you Mican...maybe Megal...no, how about Migan!"

The creature spun around and growled at the Doctor.

The Doctor sighed. "We are both in pain. Try to say something at least. I don't speak 'bwarg'!"

"It...is...the generator...turn...off...inside," pained the creature as it fell to its side.

Pulling out his sonic the Doctor scanned the quantum generator. "That's the solution? That's what you two peered into the Time Vortex to see? You guys only ever get to say a couple words and that was it? Ugh, I knew it was the failsafe but..."

Marcus approached the Doctor's side. "Commander Luis said—"

"Who? Oh the zappy leader of the guard, go on..."

"Commander Luis said it was the company's doing. They set the entanglement generator to cause the loops and keep us creating infinite energy for basically ever. Luis was the one preventing Megan and Michael and preserving the loop the entire time."

The Doctor glowed with regenerative energy and grabbed his side in pain as he fell to his knees. "I know Marcus. I pieced that together from documents and the balding dudes and gal in lab coats. I knew, but saying anything would risk us actually getting out of here together, alive." Moving to one knee the Doctor looked up toward Marcus. "I just don't know how to reach the failsafe inside to deactivate it. My sonic said it's deadlocked and the auxiliary entrance into it is much too small for any of us to fit. Even if we could, the deactivation would collapse the inside," uttered the Doctor in discontentment.

Moving from behind Marcus's back, Stadia approached the Doctor. "I could fit...possibly...maybe."

"That is out of the question mi hermana! I won't allow—"

Stadia looked up into her brother's eyes. "Marcus. If I don't, we are all doomed..."

Marcus kneeled down to embrace Stadia. "But I'll lose you...I just can't do that. I heard about how in the other loops you always die...I always die."

"Mi hermano," Stadia pled, "If I don't go...we all die and...well that's worse than just me."

"I—"

Stadia smiled toward her brother. "You taught me to be strong. You taught me to trust in my friends. Most importantly, that love can come from the craziest places. I love you big bro."

"I...I love you too little sis." Marcus sighed and stood up. "Then go Stadia. Break the loop..."

The Doctor looked away as she was about to enter.

Stadia quickly approached the vent into the generator and wedged herself inside. Looking away, Marcus's eyes met the Doctor. "Was there really no other way?"

"When the entanglement generator shuts off — the localized temporal paradox will cease, collapsing into itself and hopefully removing all anomalies on El Lazo as well. Restoring memories and removing any overlapping temporal inconsistencies. It's the only way we walk out unscathed..."

"Doctor — you knew this had to happen, didn't you?"

The Doctor looked away in anguish as he started to collapse. "This outcome was one in a million. I just had to wait — it was a waiting game. Everything had to be in the correct order. I had to..."

Marcus put his hands to his face and turned away. Angel approached Marcus's side to comfort him. Megan and Michael approached the Doctor's side as he started succumbing to his pain, but he looked to the creature instead. Its warped appearance was more comforting to the Doctor. The mutated hybrid shared his pain in that moment. It wasn't physical pain though, it was the weight of choices so far. The sacrifices.

Thoughts raced through the Doctor's pained mind and he fell onto his back in agony. Deep within his mind he fought with a barrage of memories once failed and saw glimpses into times that never were. My memories — they are many. But this — this is too much all at once, the Doctor agonizingly pondered. The Time Lord was on his last few breaths and his very existence fell before him — before he saw something in the beginning — a memory of another life. It was a memory of the Other that personified. A memory that spoke and said:

"Everything is going to be alright."

But, the Doctor's mind fell — and everything went black.

Stadia moved through the vent of the generator. There was no way to wiggle backwards so it was forwards from now on. But that was Stadia's problem, that she always wanted to move backwards when something was wrong. This time though she had to finish it. Like the unselfish love of the Face-Spiders in the midst of adversity, Stadia was still willing to fight. Even when the odds were against them. She soon approached the center of the machine. Instead of it being hot, it was freezing cold. As cold as El Lazo. Ice started to appear around her determined expression.

The girl realized in that moment that all the cold and pain they suffered was because of this machine. She pushed forward and gazed upon a large, metal, cylindrical tube peering out of the center unit. It was the failsafe device. It had to be. Stadia wiggled forward and put her hand upon the tube. It was freezing and burned to the touch — but nonetheless Stadia pushed with all her might. Pushed until the tube slid into the center, sounding a deep tick.

A booming electronic voice flooded the generator room, "GENERATOR FAILSAFE ENGAGED! ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE THE ALPHA SECTION IMMEDIATELY!"

Smiling, Stadia laughed against the freezing cold enveloping her. She did it. She broke the loop. The only thing she could think about was Marcus. He trusted her — and she didn't let him down one bit.

The generator sounded down, and a piercing light exploded from the center of the device. It burned with the energy of the Time Vortex and it coursed through the shell of the generator. In an instant the purple light started moving into itself and suddenly — it started pulling the room with it. Particles from the Time Vortex flooded the room and bathed everything in purple splendor. Things that were, restored themselves, things that shouldn't be ceased to be. All that happened — happened, but didn't.

The Doctor 's mind rushed back to him. He took a large breath upon seeing the implosion, and confusingly, felt mentally intact again. He remembered the events leading up to his close-death but his mind has forgotten everything else, which left it feeling like vague memories. "I — I saw. No..." yelled the Doctor as he slapped his head.

Standing up, the Doctor noticed the creature was gone. The other Megan and Michael were just as confused as well. "Doctor?" questioned Megan. "How..."

The entire structure was being pulled into itself, yet Marcus was pleading to get to Stadia. "She's gone!" screamed Angel over the singularity's pull. The Doctor moved to pull Marcus away and motioned for everyone to evacuate the Big Unit entirely before it was too late.

"Doctor!" yelled Megan, "I — I'm alive. But we were just..."

"...the monster!" finished Michael.

"Yeah? Tell me about it when we aren't running for our lives, okay?" yelled the Doctor while in full sprint.

The Doctor and the others rushed through the Big Unit building while the facility was being torn to shreds by the singularity. Pieces of debris narrowly missed the group as they struggled to move out of the massive structure.

"Take the elevator up!" screamed the Doctor.

"Won't it not work anymore?!" questioned Angel.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and pointed it toward the elevator. "Get the hell on and get ready for a ride!"

Moving onto the elevator the Doctor flooded the lift with sonic energy causing it to dart upwards. The group held on for their life as the lift rushed toward the old Big Unit building. "I HATE THIS!" yelled Michael as he hung on with all his might.

The lift reached the top, throwing the group in random directions. They moved to their feet and looked around the room in shared confusion. Fragments started pulling themselves from the walls causing the Doctor to panic. "Everyone, move through the entrance! Forget the tunnels!"

Michael and Angel rushed the doors out of the building, throwing their full weight through the boarded doors. The doors fell to the floor and then suddenly were pulled backwards into the singularity. The group looked back towards the giant purple monstrosity. Its mass had started becoming denser, thus pulling objects in quicker.

The group sprinted out of the Big Unit building and down the massive stairs leading into the Beta Section. Down in the city of units the riots had ceased as they gazed upon the massive singularity feast upon the monument to their oppression and pain. It was all quite full of symbolism really.

As the Doctor pushed open the gates out of the Big Unit, he looked back toward the singularity as it devoured everything around it. The walls came crumbling down and the ancient lie was rooted from the ground by the very thing that cemented it. Its mass ate and ate and ate until...it collapsed into itself one final time, exploding into light and particles that also collapsed into itself.

It was finally over. The loop was broken.

Megan and Michael looked upon the massive hole that lied between the Beta and Gamma Sections. The wall that divided them was torn away. "God, it's over. It's all over," exclaimed Megan as she fell onto her side.

Marcus moved over to sit next to Megan. Michael and Angel did the same. The group looked upon what they had accomplished, and all they could do was collectively sigh. "She did this for us...Stadia. She saved us," consoled Megan as she held back tears.

"Yeah...she did," puled Marcus while he wiped tears from his bruised face.

The Doctor stood there looking out into the gaping hole where a monster once stood. A monster not born of the universe but gestated by man and used to harm their own for the good of their own. It wasn't an ultimatum. It was a crime against good people and built from hate. In the end a couple of good-hearted people and girl with a kind soul tore down the beast and allowed her people the freedom they deserved.

"Hello Doctor," chimed in Henrietta as she approached the ruins.

Turning to face the girl, the Doctor made an expression of pride. "Hi there Henrietta, how's your head?"

"I can't remember my past life anymore...what happened?"

"When the entanglement generator was deactivated the very thing feeding the Time Vortex into the device collapsed into itself, destroying the localized Time Loop, and...taking everything it brought in as well. That includes your memories, Face-Spider clones, weird experiments. They were temporal anomalisms. But..." the Doctor raised his finger with mouth agape.

Henrietta grinned. "I still feel them...but they no longer make my head heavy."

The Doctor pursed his lips and shook his head up and down. "Groovy, right? That's the magnificent thing about the human mind. It may not remember, but your body will. Your heart, if you want to be all gooey."

"Huh," acknowledged Henrietta, "Doctor. Where's Stadia?"

Marcus approached Henrietta with a solemn smirk. "She's the one who finally broke the loop. But in the end..."

"...she left with it," finished Angel.

Megan and Michael walked over to join their friends. "So — we remember everything, but we don't feel the same..." uttered Megan hesitantly.

The Doctor took a breath and put his arms around Megan and Michael, "You merged with your temporal duplicates. Memories too, but not everything that had anomalous properties. So, in the end you keep your time on El Lazo."

"I think we deserve to remember our time here. A year spent giving our lives for these wonderful people," smiled Michael.

"What about the Big Unit leaders?" barked Angel, "We can't let them get away with this."

The Doctor smiled as he pulled away from Megan and Michael, "Well, since the paradox is settled, my TARDIS should officially function properly. Anyone up for a quick ride to the Shadow Proclamation and then to the Arch corporation headquarters? We don't have to let Stadia's memory fade like your false ones have."

Marcus smiled. "You three came here to help and in the end, you fought your way through millions of loops just to help some more?"

Putting her hand onto Marcus's shoulder, Megan grinned. "Like I said, it's what the Doctor does, it's what we do."

The group walked away to let the citizens of El Lazo know the horrors they had just been spared from. As they made their way down the streets of metal, they noticed the snow that once blanketed the planet had vanished. The skies started to heal, and the world was full again. Finally, free from its paradoxical prison.

El Lazo was finally free.

Epilogue

3000 Year Diary: Entry — whatever

The Universe angrily fought back against the removal of their quantum fabricators, but in the end the Shadow Proclamation won the case. No one wants to fight a war with the Judoon. Oh, and El Lazo ended up staying open, but they are now their own people. They mainly function as a Face-Spider sanctuary but besides that their units have truly become their homes. And after hearing about what the El Lazo citizens have been through many response groups helped them with rehabilitation and rebuilding. In the massive hole that once housed the hilariously named Big Unit a statue was planted. A statue of Stadia Rojas of El Lazo. The sister of Marcus Rojas. The girl who always died, lived to sacrifice herself for all that is just.

I don't remember much of the other failed attempts. But in my mind I caught a glimpse of something interesting...something...of the Other. It was important but it...it left me...like everything else—

[Scribbles]

But the best thing, besides helping an amazing group of human beings, to come out of the hell we were put through was something I'm about to finally make for my friends. It's a concoction I'm sure they'll love. Megan isn't feeling too well but that's expected after what happened. It was supposed to help them deal with stress but — eh I'll just stop writing and give them the damn tea...

The Doctor closed his 3000 Year Diary. He sighed and handled a tray carrying three cups of tea. He walked up the left stairwell and entered deeper into the TARDIS. But close, as the Doctor wanted, was the den. It was a place to relax and reflect. A place the Doctor made sure to keep close to the main console room.

He walked down the steps into the den and met the eyesight of his two friends. Friends that he had trusted so much that he knew would break an impossible temporal loop. "What's that you got there Time boy?" chuckled Megan.

Setting the tray down the Doctor snickered. "Time Boy? At least it's not as bad as Doc. I hate being called that. How are you feeling, Coffee Bean?" said the Doctor with a chuckle.

"Well, I stopped throwing up. It's just stress."

The Doctor looked to the tea and smiled. "I think this will help. As promised, well by the note you found in the TARDIS, here's Face-Spider Tea!"

"Dude, I don't know if I really like that name..." chuckled Michael as he fixed his glasses.

"Are you really keeping those?" grinned Megan.

Michael stretched and crossed his legs. "Well my other self still had contacts, but these make me feel more...refined."

"I think they are...pretty groovy actually," approved the Doctor.

"El Lazo changed us..." chimed in Megan.

Michael took a breath. "Yeah. It made us realize we can do a lot more...for a lot less."

The Doctor pulled up a chair and grinned toward his companions. "You now understand the job." He laughed and slumped backwards in his seat, twiddling his pendant between his fingers. "Ya know...kinda doubted you two when I first let you on trips. Always fighting."

"Oh quiet!" laughed Megan as she slapped the Doctor's shoulder.

"Oh no, I'm serious! You two hated each other so much that I didn't know if we could work properly!"

Michael furrowed his brow and then laughed. "But that definitely changed."

The Doctor crossed his arms. "Yeah, it did. Now drink the damn tea we died over and over for," pointed the Doctor.

Megan sighed as she picked up the tea. "I can't believe you went to a Space Gas Station for this..." She sipped her tea and then smiled. "Holy crap...it feels like a full body hug..."

"What? Lemme try," said Michael as he also sipped the tea. "Oh, damn," chuckled Michael.

The Doctor sipped his tea, sitting back in his chair. "Evolved from love baby!"

"Doctor?" asked Megan as she set down her tea.

"Hmm?"

"Where do we go from here?"

Setting down his tea the Doctor smirked. "Home to rest? Or...onwards. Like always."

Michael set his tea down. "More crazy life-threatening adventures?"

Megan and Michael grinned to each other. "For Stadia," smiled Megan.

The Doctor smiled. "For Stadia."

•

As Megan sat in bed, she thought deeply about her time on El Lazo. It changed them fundamentally and Megan was grateful she was able to remember. But then it hit her. The memories she had forgotten still left an impression in her heart.

But it wasn't just an impression so as much as a hole. Then Megan felt something different, something loving. It wasn't the tea she had drank earlier...it was the love of her mother.

Then she remembered. She remembered that her mom was alive somewhere in the vast network of realities. But could it be? Could it be that her mom was still alive in this one as well? Megan laid there...thinking.

Could she?

To be continued in Episode 8: Sick in the Head: After picking up a distress signal, leading to a planet called Tricell-7, the Doctor, Megan, and Michael find themselves helping solve the mystery of disappearing colonists and the appearance of strange trees. But, soon find themselves infected with a dangerous disease. Can the Doctor and his mastery of chemistry find a cure before it's too late?