Category: Series 5

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

The Cruelest Plague: Part 4

“Aaaaaannnndd…there!” said the Doctor once she finished. “…Not that I’m complaining, but the Daleks should be here by-.” The chronal surge that the Daleks detected then washed over Restoration HQ. “Oh no!” groaned the Doctor.

“Doctor!” called Amy and Lurra Rus.

“I’m here!” replied the Doctor. “You felt that too?”

“A chronal surge!” confirmed Lurra Rus.

“…Well, it didn’t take away the cure I’m about to deploy,” said the Doctor. “We need to look for-!” Her sonic screwdriver then beeped.

“The TARDIS found something?” asked Amy.

“It’s…someone from the future! Someone’s mind-! …Oh no!”

“What’s wrong?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Clever! Very clever! Of course he’d try to undo his history!”

“Who?” asked Amy.

“The Dalek Emperor!” explained the Doctor. “His mind is controlling a Mini-con’s corpse! That’s why the Daleks were delayed!”

“Oh no!” groaned Amy. “With the Emperor’s knowledge of the future-!”

“He knows exactly where we are!” confirmed the Doctor.

“How do we stop him?” asked Lurra Rus.

“The release of the cure, for a start,” replied the Doctor. “It will cure those that are sick and immunize them as well as the healthy survivors!”

“There’s not that much in those test tubes!” argued Lurra Rus.

“No, but releasing the contents of one into the air will result it the cure propagating throughout the atmosphere and Silver can take the other one with him when he goes back in time to save Mobius!”

“Doctor, how can you be sure?!” asked Amy. “And what about the Daleks?! They’re bound to detect it!”

“Therein lies where Silver comes into play!” replied the Doctor. “He needs to destroy the Emperor and a few Daleks to encourage the rest into retreat!”

“Doctor! The Daleks!” called Goldbug.

“Quick! Get Silver!” directed the Doctor.

The Emperor and the Daleks arrived. “There they are,” said the Emperor.

“We must infiltrate Restoration HQ!” urged the Section Leader.

“No!” ordered the Emperor. “Special Weapons Dalek, destroy! Maximum damage and death!”

“Calibrating!” croaked the Special Weapons Dalek. “Extermin-!” A cyan aura then surrounded the cannon and it was ripped out of the midsection. “ALERT! ALERT! UNIT DISARMED!”

“What is happening?!” demanded the Emperor.

“DALEKS, THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!” shouted Silver as he hovered above the Daleks. “LEAVE MOBIUS NOW OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE SAME TREATMENT YOU GAVE US SURVIVORS!”

“EXTERMINATE HIM!” ordered the Emperor. The Daleks opened fire, but Silver dodged the shots. As he did, the test tube he held fell from his hands.

“Bingo!” he said to himself. The test tube crashed and broke, releasing the contents. The liquid quickly turned into a gas.

“ALERT! ALERT! VIRAL CELLS DYING!” warned a Dalek.

“THE CURE!” shouted the Emperor. “HE’S CURED AND VACCINATED MOBIUS!”

“And I’ll be taking THESE, thank you very much!” called Silver as he psychokinetically grabbed the Daleks’ gunsticks.

“ALERT! ALERT! ALL DALEKS DISARMED!” shouted the Section Leader.

“And for an encore…!” Silver grabbed the Emperor and tore him in half!

“RETREAT! RETREAT!” ordered the Section Leader. Silver was about to fly after them, but…

“NO, SILVER!” called the Doctor. “They won’t come back for a long time now!”

“What do you mean?!” asked Silver.

“I mean that the Dalek mission here failed and they have no choice but to report it to the Emperor of this time. They’ll wait until Mobius is vulnerable again, but it won’t be through viral warfare. …Not when I’ve uploaded their virus creation techniques onto the servers of Restoration HQ.”

“You did?! We can-?!”

“Fight against Dalek diseases,” replied the Doctor. “…But, as this is about to become a branching timeline…” she handed Silver a computer drive. “Bring that with you to the past along with the cure. The cure will disperse throughout the atmosphere like the other test tube.”

“…Then I’d better get the Time Stone!” declared Silver. “…Here I am, chipping away to make a better future.”

“That’s actually the proper use of time travel, Silver,” soothed the Doctor.

Silver was making his goodbyes, having done this before numerous times when he traveled back in time and changed things a bit. He had a test tube of the cure and all the notes of the Daleks’ virus creation techniques. He stopped by the Doctor and her friends. “I suppose this is goodbye, Doctor,” he said.

“It looks that way,” said the Doctor. “…The future you’re fighting for WILL come to fruition, I guarantee it.”

“We won’t be caught with our pants down, Doctor. I promise.”

“And I promise to help where I can. …Come along, Amy, Lurra Rus.” The Doctor turned to leave.

“…Doctor, I’m afraid this is goodbye for us too,” said Amy. The Doctor stopped.

“…Come again?” she asked.

“My future self said that you wouldn’t bring me home, it’s another person,” explained Amy. “…I’m sorry, but I need to close that paradox and convince my past to go with you and Silver’s my best shot.”

“I’m going with her,” said Lurra Rus. “I’d like to see Mobius in its heyday.”

“…I…I see,” said the Doctor.

“Just…promise us one thing,” said Amy. “…Bring us back to the front of your eyes on occasion, hm?”

“…Always,” promised the Doctor. She hugged Amy and Lurra Rus. “…Goodbye, my dears,” she said. “It was fun having you with me.”

“It was fun travelling with you, Doctor,” replied Amy.

“Doctor, as people of my galaxy would put it,” said Lurra Rus, “may the Force be with you.”

“And you,” returned the Doctor. They broke off the hug and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS.

“…All right, Silver,” said Lurra Rus. “We’re ready.”

“Gather around,” directed Silver. Amy and Lurra Rus got close to Silver. “Right then…” he then held the Time Stone aloft. “CHRONOS CONTROL!” he called. The three then vanished in light.

Amy, Lurra Rus, and Silver arrived in a field. “…This…wasn’t the city I expected,” muttered Silver. “…But it IS the Mobius of your time, Amy.”

“Then let’s get to it!” declared Amy. Silver then threw the test tube down to the ground with enough force that it shattered.

“There we go!” he said.

“…It’s…beautiful!” whispered Lurra Rus.

“Yeah, I prefer this time myself,” agreed Silver.

“…Hang on, I know this field,” muttered Amy. She then looked around…and saw the TARDIS.

“What the-?!” yelped Lurra Rus. “What is she-?!”

“That’s not her, not yet!” replied Amy. “Look!” She pointed out…herself in her trademark red dress!

“…This is…where your journey starts?” asked Lurra Rus.

“And I know exactly what to do!” Amy rushed to the TARDIS!

“AMY, WHAT-?!” protested Silver.

“TRUST ME!” replied Amy. She stopped at the TARDIS doors and knocked.

“…If it’s Eggman…” muttered the Doctor of the past. She opened the door and goggled in surprise, as did Sonic, Tails, and Amy’s past self! “Who are you?” asked the past Doctor.

“A paradox that’s resolving itself,” replied Amy. “As you can guess, I’m Amy Rose from the future.”

“Is it…a bad one?” asked her past self.

“Hardly!” replied Amy. “Your travels with the Doctor will be fun! It’s just that you’ll have to leave after a while and someone else will bring you back to Mobius.”

“…And I wear black?”

“Well, Rouge HAS encouraged us to try black once or twice. What do you think?”

“…I look good in it!”

“Baby, you know it!”

“Well, I guess that’s settled, then!” declared Amy. “Doctor, William, I’m going with you!”

“Now, I better get going,” said the goth Amy. “I’ve got a lot to tell you, Sonic and Tails!” She guided Sonic and Tails out of the TARDIS and shut the doors. After a few seconds, the TARDIS took off. “Bye, Doctor!” called Amy. “Thanks for everything!”

“…So, you’re Amy’s future?” asked Sonic.

“Yep! And hoo boy, do I have a lot to tell you!” said Amy. “Let’s see, should I start with Skaro? Because, YUCK! That’s one planet I DON’T want to see again! Or maybe at Disney? That was fun! Got to see Ace in action there!”

The present-day Doctor checked Amy’s timestream and saw that the paradox in it was resolved. “…Good,” she sighed. “Good, good, good.” The TARDIS beeped in concern. “…Yeah, just you and me again, old girl.” The Doctor then idly flicked a switch. She then felt…something wrong. “…Oof. Woozy,” she muttered. “…But I don’t get…” Her eyes widened in horror. She took off one of her gloves…and saw scabs on her hand. “Drat! That plague!” she hissed. “Voice command system: activate!” she ordered. The TARDIS beeped in confirmation. “Download all Dalek viral techniques into TARDIS laboratory computer! Download research on cure into laboratory computer as well!” She rushed off to the TARDIS laboratory. “Begin quarantine status! Cure is to be administered into the air supply! Land in relative safe place only when cure has been administered and all signs of contagion are removed within all rooms and hallways of the interior dimensions!” The TARDIS beeped in compliance as the Doctor entered the laboratory and began work on a cure!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

The Cruelest Plague: Part 3

Silver didn’t let the Dalek take the shot. He grabbed it with his psychokinesis. “ALERT! ALERT! PSYCHOKINETIC ABILITIES DETECTED! EXTERNAL PRESSURE AROUND CASING-!” The Dalek was crushed like a tin can.

“…Thank you,” breathed the Doctor. “…That Dalek probably transmitted my image around Pathweb.”

“We have to get to the center before the Daleks!” urged Galvatron.

“We’ll take Park Street!” suggested Silver.

“Good idea!” agreed Goldbug.

“Lead on!” directed the Doctor.

Back at the center, Amy watched outside. Given that the plague was one created by the Daleks, she wanted to make sure none had arrived at the center and began a killing spree. She then heard someone approach. “Amy?” asked the person, Lurra Rus.

“Yeah?” quizzed Amy.

“…How does Silver go back in time?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Last I heard, with something called a Time Stone. They used to be on Little Planet, but they made their way here. They can send anyone through time…but not space necessarily. Time around the person changes, but the relative location is the same.”

“…Do you think-?” Lurra Rus was interrupted by the Doctor and the retrieval team approaching.

“Can we evacuate?!” asked the Doctor.

“…Oh no! That was a Dalek ship, wasn’t it?!” realized Amy.

“First Aid prepared everyone for evacuation at a moment’s notice,” explained Lurra Rus. “My guess is that he knows about the dangers of those monsters.”

“Very wise of him!” said Galvatron. “They’re behind us! We took a shortcut, but we don’t have much time!”

“I’m going to have to work on a cure on the fly!” said the Doctor.

“Can’t we slow them down? Or are there too many Daleks?” asked Amy.

“No, that ship was a shuttle, room enough for just those Daleks, minus the one Silver crushed.”

“In that case, would demolition charges suffice?” asked Lurra Rus.

“There are demolition charges?”

“We keep them to destroy buildings that are too dangerous to inhabit,” explained Goldbug.

“If we have enough, then we can collapse the center on the Daleks’ domes,” mused the Doctor. “Right, Amy, help me set the charges. Galvatron, Silver, show us where they are. Lurra, Goldbug, you start evacuations.”

“This way!” said Silver. He led his group down the corridor as Lurra Rus and Goldbug headed off.

As the Doctor and her friends prepared, the Daleks arrived. “The Doctor and the survivors are inside the building!” barked the Supreme. “The Emperor has ordered that none be left alive! Exterminate them all!”

“We obey!” replied the Daleks as they all glided into the building, on the lookout for survivors. …A pity that they didn’t look down as the Supreme, leading the charge, ran over two wires, triggering the explosives planted at the foundations!

“UNDER ATTACK!” shouted a Drone Dalek with a black dome, the Section Leader. “SUPREME DALEK DESTROYED! STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING IS COMPROMISED! RETREAT!” The Daleks backed away from the exploding building.

Beyond the building, the survivors and the Doctor looked back. “…All that research,” sighed Dr. Quill.

“Don’t worry,” soothed the Doctor. “I’ve saved the research to my sonic screwdriver.”

“Thank goodness for that.” As Dr. Quill was about to relax, Amy spotted something.

“Everyone, hide! Daleks!” she warned. Everyone hid themselves as Daleks patrolled the area.

“Very paranoid, but an intelligent thing to do,” grumbled the Doctor. “They fanned out!”

“Doctor, you get the survivors to safety!” directed Dr. Quill.

“What? No!” hissed the Doctor, guessing his plan. “Dr. Quill, you’ll be killed if you reveal yourself!”

“It’s the only option available to us, Doctor!” insisted Dr. Quill. “And…once again, I’m sorry for the false hope I gave.” Dr. Quill stepped out into the open.

“Dr.-!” yelped Amy.

“No, Amy!” hissed the Doctor. “There’s no point in us getting ourselves killed! Come on! We need to get moving!” The Doctor led the survivors away from the area.

The Daleks continued their patrol. “Daleks!” called Dr. Quill. The Daleks all turned to give him their attention.

“Halt!” barked a Dalek. Dr. Quill obeyed instantly. “Identify yourself!”

“I am Dr. Quill. You Daleks are the ones responsible for this plague, correct?”

“You are correct!”

“But why?! What for?!”

“The complete extermination of all life! Exterminate!” The Daleks gunned Dr. Quill down.

“A senseless waste of life!” shuddered Lurra Rus as everyone heard the gunsticks.

“…Aha!” said the Doctor as she checked the readings on her screwdriver.

“Doctor?” asked Amy.

“I know how to cure this now!” explained the Doctor.

“Well, great, but we don’t exactly have a lab…hang on!” Amy realized where Silver was taking them. “I know this path!”

“I thought you would!” chuckled Silver. They arrived at the doors to a hidden base.

“Amy, you know this place?” asked the Doctor.

“Restoration HQ!” replied Amy. “Once a resistance base during the Eggman War, then a place where the Restoration Movement worked to undo the damage Eggman caused!”

“We’ve gotten into this place a few times,” said Silver, “but we can’t get into the main computer core. Maybe your passwords could-?”

“I handed off leadership to Jewel, remember?” asked Amy. “It’s her passwords that open up access. …Thankfully, I happen to know them!”

“Then you need to allow access for me,” said the Doctor. “I’m going to need the computer to double-check my work as I make the cure.”

“Got it!” confirmed Amy. The survivors then entered the base and began setting up.

“Doctor, we can’t keep running from the Daleks,” said Goldbug. “We’re bound to pick up the disease.”

“Hopefully, this is where we stop running,” said the Doctor.

As everyone was getting set up, the Daleks patrolled the area. “No survivors detected!” a Dalek reported to the Section Leader.

“Continue the search!” ordered the Section Leader. “All life on this planet must be exterminated! The Doctor is a high priority!”

“Alert! Alert! Temporal energy wave detected!” called another Dalek. “Readings indicate that it is a chronal surge!” The energy wave washed over the Daleks.

“…Chronal surge complete!” reported a third Dalek. “All Daleks present and accounted for!”

“Scan for any anachronisms!” barked the Section Leader.

“Daleks!” called a voice. The Daleks turned to see a human-sized Transformer walking up to them. “Where is the Dalek Supreme?” demanded the Transformer. “I demand an audience with it!”

“You have no right to demand anything of the Daleks!” retorted the Section Leader. “I am the highest ranking Dalek! You will be exterminated!”

“This vessel was already exterminated by Contagion Z/479!” replied the Transformer.

“…How do you know the classification of the plague?!” demanded the Section Leader.

“I have vital information that will avert a future catastrophe! Even now, on Skaro-!”

“You know nothing about Skaro!”

“I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT SKARO! I AM YOUR EMPEROR!”

“…Death has deranged this Mini-con!” decided the Section Leader. “Kill it!” The Mini-con then put his hands on his heads and projected his thoughts into every single Dalek. The sudden influx of mental imagery was painful for the Daleks.

“I! AM! YOUR EMPEROR!” shouted the Mini-con in the same booming voice of the Dalek Emperor. He then released his hold over the Daleks and let them recover.

“…You…are NOT…the Emperor!” protested the Section Leader. “That is…not possible!”

“It is when you use a chronal surge to your advantage!” replied the Mini-con. “Your mission is to exterminate the survivors, drag all bodies to the shuttle, and transport them to Skaro so you can experiment on Contagion Z/479 and make it spread across the universe, then you intend to spread it across all possible realities until the Daleks are the only life-forms in existence, destroying even those that incorrectly call themselves gods!”

“How do you know this?!” demanded the Section Leader.

“Because I formulated the plan! I gave the order to use Mobius as a test bed for the virus! But it is a plan that will fail and cause this time to be a branching timeline! We must submit Restoration HQ to total extermination and that means the activation of the Special Weapons Dalek! I’ve already sent the activation signal and briefed it on the situation!”

“NO!” argued the third Dalek. “The use of the Special Weapons Dalek is not advisable!”

“You DARE question the orders of your Emperor?!” demanded the Dalek Emperor.

“You are nothing more than a copy of the Emperor’s consciousness piloting an impure creature! The Abomination is just as impure!”

“You are a subject matter expert on impurity!” said a croaking voice in the usual Dalek staccato. Everyone turned to see something that used a Dalek skirt for locomotion, but its midsection was replaced with a giant cannon and it had no eyestalk, just square windows for targeting that lit up every time it spoke.

“Explain!” boomed the Emperor.

“That is one of the original creators of my class of Dalek!” explained the Special Weapons Dalek. “It used to be part of the Imperial Faction under Davros’ control, born on the planet of Necros!”

“…Then its impurity and dissent will no longer be tolerated! Exterminate it!”

“I obey!” The Special Weapons Dalek fired its cannon and vaporized the dissenting Dalek.

“We will now proceed! TO VICTORY!” declared the Emperor.

“VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!” chanted the Daleks.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

The Cruelest Plague: Part 2

“Current reaction: ill advised,” droned the familiar voice of Soundwave as he approached a mech with wings and a beard.

“I can’t stand it any longer!” wailed the mech, Scourge.

“Feelings of hopelessness and isolation: shared,” said Soundwave.

“KEEP BACK!”

“Scourge, what’s the matter with you?!” barked Galvatron as he and the others arrived. Scourge saw the newcomers.

“Who are they?!” he demanded.

“I’m the Doctor,” replied the Doctor, “and I’m here to help.”

“Dr. Quill was here to help! He wanted to save us!”

“Scourge, please!” urged Dr. Quill.

“No! Those pills you made! I’ve taken mine without fail, now LOOK AT ME!” Scourge revealed his hand. It was covered in the mechanical equivalent of scabs and lesions! “They don’t work! He lied to us! THERE IS NO CURE! WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!” Galvatron then fired his cannon right through Scourge’s Spark Chamber! Scourge faded to gunmetal gray and collapsed to the floor.

“…There was no need for that!” hissed the Doctor.

“Scourge was a health security threat!”

“Poor Scourge,” sighed Dr. Quill.

“Dr. Quill, is this true?” asked First Aid. The silence Dr. Quill gave spoke volumes. “…You mean-?!”

“I’m sorry!” pleaded Dr. Quill. “I just…I wanted to give everyone hope!”

“A placebo effect,” the Doctor summarized. “…But that hope DID buy us time enough.”

“What do you mean, Doctor?” asked Amy.

“As we were rushing out,” explained the Doctor, “I took a look at the tissue and blood samples of infected patients and figured out that this virus is artificial in origin.”

“Artificial?” asked Dr. Quill. “You mean…germ warfare?!”

“Why would anyone make such a virus?!” protested Lurra Rus.

“To wipe out all life, presumably,” replied the Doctor. “Not just here on Mobius, but everywhere else on every planet.”

“But who would do that?” quizzed Amy.

“I’ll need to look deeper at the samples, but I have a theory.”

The Doctor got stuck into her work. Dr. Quill arrived. “How is it going?” he asked.

“I said I’d try to find a cure,” replied the Doctor, “but I can’t pluck one out of thin air. How’s everyone holding up?”

“Badly, after the revelation about my pills, Doctor.”

“Don’t be too harsh on yourself. It might not have been the best thing to do, but you gave your people hope.”

“Now they don’t even have that. Look, I must get back to my…Dell!” The Doctor turned to see the blank-faced man outside the door.

“Erm, I haven’t exactly finished a cure here,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure out how this virus mutates. If you could leave?”

“…I…obey,” replied the man. The Doctor froze.

“…What did you just say?!” she whispered. Dell then raised his hand and revealed a knife!

“Dell, what are you doing?!” protested Dr. Quill.

“I’m rather afraid Dell’s not under his own control!” replied the Doctor. Dell swung the knife, but the Doctor leapt aside. The two grappled, then the Doctor spun Dell around. Dell swung wildly, but the Doctor kept out of reach. Dell’s swings then led to him stabbing a machine and shocking him fatally! Dell’s body collapsed to the ground, releasing the knife. The Doctor then knelt by the body and examined his head and neck.

“Dell?!” asked Dr. Quill. The Doctor then found something and pulled a device off Dell’s neck.

“Drat,” grumbled the Doctor. “This only confirms everything.”

“Doctor, what-?!”

“Doctor!” called Amy as she and Lurra Rus arrived.

“Doctor, are you all right?! What-?!” Lurra Rus saw the body. “Oh my-!”

“The Doctor was forced into self-defense,” explained Dr. Quill. “But why Dell?! He’s not like this!”

“Not normally, I’m sure,” remarked the Doctor, “but Dell was taken by an alien race and converted into one of their obedient slaves. This component I got from his neck only confirms that this is the same race that made this virus.”

“What alien race is it?” asked Dr. Quill. “What planet did this virus come from?”

“From the laboratories on Skaro,” revealed the Doctor.

“The Daleks?!” yelped Amy. “They’re behind this plague?!”

“Yes. Unfortunately, germ warfare is something they excel in. Thankfully, I know their virus-creation techniques. I can synthesize a cure now.”

“That’s wonderful news,” said Dr. Quill. “It’s only a pity that it cost us someone’s life.”

“I’m afraid the Daleks already killed Dell when they put him through their mind-control processes. Odd that they would use Roboman technology. I would have thought their puppet tech was far superior for them.”

“Doctor, if the Daleks sent Dell to kill you-,” said Amy.

“Oh dear,” realized the Doctor. “They would very likely be coming here to ensure that the plague spreads. This whole thing is an experiment!”

“An experiment?!” said Dr. Quill. “To see how long it takes before we’re all six feet under?!”

“I…wouldn’t have put it so crudely, but yes.”

“There’s no way we can take on the Daleks in this state,” said Amy.

“We’ll have to try,” replied the Doctor.

Outside the center, Silver, Galvatron, and Goldbug were doing their usual patrol. “…Of all the revelations,” sighed Galvatron. “You know, Goldbug, it’s funny, after four million years of conflict, getting beat down, shot at, torn apart, THIS is how our lights go out?”

“Galvatron, if I might sound like Optimus for a sec,” said Goldbug, “this probably isn’t the end we imagined. But if this really IS the end…at least we’re ending it on a good note, trying to save people instead of trampling over them, deaf to their pleas over the sounds of our guns.”

“Guys, if we can concentrate,” interjected Silver. “Look, we can’t do nothing, but we can’t do a whole lot. Let’s just…do what we can.”

“…Probably the best course of action,” agreed Galvatron. As the three patrolled, they heard the roar of engines above their heads.

“Do you hear that?” asked Goldbug.

“It’s a ship!” replied Galvatron. “It’s coming in to land!”

“It’s heading for the old spaceport!” realized Silver. “We have to turn them away!”

“Come on!” called Galvatron. The group rushed towards the spaceport.

“What?! A ship?!” breathed First Aid in horror once he got the news. “We have to turn them away!”

“Can we get a visual?” asked the Doctor.

“The team said it was moving too fast for them to tell,” replied First Aid.

“I don’t like this at all,” muttered the Doctor. “I’m going out there.”

“We’re coming with you,” said Amy.

“You most certainly are not,” directed the Doctor.

“But Doctor-!” protested Lurra Rus.

“Amy, Lurra, please, for my sanity, stay here. You’d be a big help in protecting these people.”

“…Oh, fine,” grumbled Amy.

“I’ll be back as quick as I can!” The Doctor rushed out of the center.

The ship began its landing cycle as Silver, Galvatron, and Goldbug tried to wave it off. “GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” called Silver.

“THIS PLANET ISN’T SAFE!” urged Goldbug.

“It’s no use!” growled Galvatron. “They aren’t listening!” He then aimed his cannon.

“NO! Galvatron, put that away!” snapped Goldbug.

“One warning shot should do the trick!”

“And when was the last time you had your targeting systems recalibrated?!”

“Can we focus, please?!” snapped Silver. They then heard footsteps. They turned to see the Doctor arriving.

“I thought I’d see the ship myself and-!” She trailed off when she saw it. “…All of you, get back!”

“What?! Why?!” protested Galvatron.

“That’s a Dalek ship!”

“What?!” The ship lowered a landing ramp and the Daleks glided down with ease with the White Dalek Supreme leading the charge.

“Get out of here!” called Silver. “This planet’s under strict quarantine!”

“Silver, they’re the ones behind this plague!”

“The contagion is proceeding as planned!” barked the Dalek Supreme. “All survivors are to be exterminated! It is the order from the Emperor!”

“We obey!” replied the Daleks.

“Daleks, stop!” called the Doctor. “There’s no need to kill anyone else!”

“You are attempting to find a cure!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “We cannot have survivors! All life will be exterminated!”

“Show some mercy!” urged Silver.

“Mercy? There is no value or strength in mercy!”

“No value?! No strength?!”

“This conversation is at an end! EXTERMINATE THE HEDGEHOG!” Silver then used his psychokinesis to lift huge chunks of rubble into the air and fling them at the Daleks!

“UNDER ATTACK! UNDER ATTACK!” squawked a Dalek.

“DOCTOR! SILVER! RUN!” shouted Goldbug.

“Come on!” shouted the Doctor as everyone ran. She led them on a winding path, then they took cover. They caught their breath as the Daleks fanned out to begin their bloody campaign.

“Doctor, they can’t possibly be that ruthless!” panted Silver.

“They are,” replied the Doctor. “The Daleks hate all non-Daleks and will exterminate us all like pests. Man, woman, child, it makes no difference.”

“They’re behind this plague, aren’t they?” growled Galvatron. “Germ warfare is their signature weapon.”

“Yes, sad to say.” That was when a Dalek rounded the corner.

“Aliens detected!” it barked. “All shall…wait! You!” The Dalek waved its manipulator arm at the Doctor. “Your biology is not human!”

“No, no it’s not,” agreed the Doctor.

“Doctor, are you-?!” The Dalek cut off Galvatron’s protest.

“Doctor?! Did you say Doctor?!”

“…Thank you SO much, Galvatron!” hissed the Doctor.

“Whoops,” muttered Galvatron.

“YOU ARE THE DOCTOR!” screamed the Dalek in panic. “YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

The Cruelest Plague: Part 1

It was hell made real on one planet at one time. Buildings crumbled and bodies littered the streets. Oddly, they weren’t just human bodies. Animals in a humanoid shape and giant robots with vehicle parts also filled the spaces between the ruined buildings. Only three could be seen walking normally. Two were robots and one was an anthropomorphic silver hedgehog. The hedgehog knelt down to examine a body. “…No good,” he sighed. “This poor kid succumbed.”

“Same for this Sparkling,” grumbled one of the robots, a purple one with an orange cannon.

“…Hang on, this cat’s still breathing!” called the second of the robots, a gold one with a mask where the mouth should be.

“You sure?!” asked the hedgehog. The scab-covered cat then coughed. “Yeah, you’re sure, Prime. Right then, I’ll get him back to the center!” The hedgehog raised his hands and a cyan aura surrounded the poor cat. The same aura enveloped the hedgehog and they floated upwards.

“Make sure you get back out here as soon as you dropped him off and took your medication!” called the gold robot.

“Got it!” replied the hedgehog as he and his passenger flew off.

“We don’t have a chance!” complained the purple robot.

“Things HAVE been getting worse,” muttered the gold robot. “I was hoping it would get better soon, but now, well…” he indicated the corpses they had to wade through.

“Dr. Quill!” called the hedgehog as he entered a facility that smelled of disinfectants and medical tools. A porcupine man in a doctor’s outfit then arrived.

“Got another one, I see, Silver,” remarked the man, Dr. Quill. “How is he?”

“Bad,” replied the hedgehog, the psychokinetic time-traveler, Silver. “I’m surprised he survived the journey here, even if I was levitating him.”

“We’ll have to put him with the others,” said Dr. Quill. “Nurse!” A man in nurse’s scrubs arrived. “Put this cat in the isolation ward.”

“Yes, Dr. Quill,” replied the nurse. He then led the sick cat to a ward.

“I’m getting too old for this!” sighed Dr. Quill. “Why did this have to happen?”

“Why does anything happen?” asked Silver. “Look, I gotta take my next set of pills.”

“Right. Off you go.” Silver floated off as Dr. Quill turned to a human. “Dell, I want you to go to the isolation ward and check over the systems.” The man nodded and headed off, blankly staring ahead. Dr. Quill turned to an ambulance. “Would you check the stock of pills, First Aid?”

“Sure thing,” replied the Ambulance. It then changed into a robot with a mask and visor over its face! The robot, the Protectobot called First Aid, headed off.

“If anyone thinks we’re running out,” muttered Dr. Quill, “there’ll be the devil to pay!”

The purple and gold robots continued their patrol. “Where is he?!” complained the purple robot.

“Relax,” soothed the gold robot. “He’ll be here. You know Silver better than that.”

“Well, we need his-!” The purple robot stopped. “…Goldbug-.”

“I hear it too!” replied the gold robot, Goldbug Prime. “It sounds like…a TARDIS!”

“You don’t think it’s THE TARDIS?” asked the purple robot.

“If it is, we better stop the Doctor from touching anyone! Come on, Galvatron!” Goldbug Prime then turned into a futuristic muscle car as Galvatron turned into an alien fighter jet.

It WAS the TARDIS the two Transformers had heard. The Doctor and her friends stepped outside. “Sweet Chaos!” shuddered Amy as she saw the scenery. “It’s like New New York!”

“Yes, but the Toymaker’s not behind this,” remarked the Doctor.

“This is your home, Amy?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Something must have happened to it in the 200 years between my time and now,” remarked Amy.

“Quite right,” agreed the Doctor. “Let’s try and-.”

“Help…me!” whimpered a poor woman.

“Doctor!” called Amy.

“Don’t touch!” urged the Doctor. “Those look like scabs from an infection!”

“Help…me!” repeated the woman.

“It’s all right, ma’am,” soothed the Doctor. “I’ll try and get you something.”

“Don’t touch her!” called Galvatron’s voice as he and Goldbug arrived. They transformed into robot mode and the Doctor goggled.

“An Autobot and Decepticon working together?” she asked.

“Desperate times and all that, Doctor,” replied Goldbug.

“…I seem to be at-.”

“Hold out your hands,” ordered Galvatron.

“Pardon?”

“Hold out your hands and let me see them! And take the gloves off too!” The Doctor and Amy looked at each other, but complied, then they and Lurra Rus showed the bots their hands.

“…They’re clean,” said Goldbug.

“Look, this woman is sick with something-!” urged Amy.

“We’ll take her to the center, Miss Rose,” replied Galvatron.

“What’s going on?” asked Silver as he arrived. He then goggled when he saw Amy. “Good grief! Amy! What are you doing in this time?!”

“Silver!” cheered Amy. She rushed to hug him.

“No! No hug!” yelped Silver. “You might be-!”

“She and her friends are clean, Silver,” said Goldbug. “They found another woman, still alive.”

“Right then, we’re all going to the center,” said Silver. “Come on, Amy. Looks like you and your friends need to be brought into the picture.”

The group arrived at the center. The Doctor could smell the disinfectants. “Is this some sort of hospital?” she asked.

“In a way, I suppose,” remarked Silver. “Now then, Miss…”

“Oh, I’m the Doctor. You and Amy seem to know each other and this Twi’lek is Lurra Rus.”

“Hello,” greeted Lurra Rus. “Not exactly a good first impression of Mobius, I must admit.”

“You’d probably like Amy’s time better,” remarked Galvatron.

“Sir, you and your Autobot friend addressed me and Amy by name,” said the Doctor. “Who are you two?”

“Oh, you met us before,” remarked Galvatron. “On my ship before we were tricked into landing on Skaro.”

“Amy commented on my pink seats at the time,” said Goldbug, “and you had to convince him to order the Decepticons to stand down as we faced the Daleks, both the original Skaro strain and Octus’ breed.”

“…Bumblebee?!” yelped Amy.

“I’m Goldbug Prime now,” corrected Goldbug.

“And I’m called Galvatron these days.”

“Galvatron?” muttered the Doctor. She then snapped her fingers. “That’s right! You used to be Megatron! …But I thought it was Hot Rod that became Rodimus Prime around the time of your upgrade. Something isn’t right here.”

“That brash fool is meant to oppose me?!” laughed Galvatron.

“He fell to the plague that affects us all,” explained Goldbug.

“We better introduce you to Dr. Quill,” said Silver. “He can answer your questions.”

“Right then, lead on,” said the Doctor. As they walked, Amy talked about what the Transformers were and what happened when she first met them.

“Is this the latest sample?” Dr. Quill asked First Aid.

“From the cat Silver brought in earlier,” confirmed First Aid.

“Speak of the devil,” said Silver as he and the group entered.

“Found another one, have you?” asked Dr. Quill. “Well, you know what to do.”

“Not with these guys,” replied Silver. “They’re clean and they only just arrived here.”

“What?!” yelped Dr. Quill as he looked up and finally made eye contact with the Doctor. “What in blue blazes are you doing here?! Mobius is under strict quarantine! No one on or off until a cure can be found!”

“Believe it or not, we have our own priorities,” replied the Doctor. “Though I must apologize.”

“Are you sure they’re clean?!” Dr. Quill asked Silver.

“We all checked,” replied Goldbug. “They’re clean.”

“Look, could someone tell us what’s going on?” asked Lurra Rus. “It looks like both the Transformers and the organic life forms are falling victim to a plague!”

“We are,” replied Dr. Quill. “During the Autobot/Decepticon war, a bot died of an infection here on Mobius, then it spread to both factions and affected organics along the way. To start, it spread mainly to older people and children. They were the first to die, but now it’s affecting everyone of all ages.”

“Not just organisms like Mobians or Transformers,” supplied First Aid, “but plants, non-speaking animals, practically all forms of life.”

“It just struck out of nowhere?” asked the Doctor.

“Yes, and now Mobius is on the brink of collapse. There’s no cure, at least nothing that I found.”

“My plan,” said Silver, “is to go back in time with a potential cure and vaccine so Mobius and the Transformers could be immunized and thus avert this catastrophe, but there hasn’t been any luck. The virus has been mutating so rapidly!”

“Sounds like you need my help,” muttered the Doctor. She then addressed Dr. Quill. “I’m presuming you’re this Dr. Quill I heard about. Are you and Dr…um…that Autobot behind you, are you two the only scientists working on a cure?”

“I’m First Aid, Doctor,” replied First Aid. “And we are. All the other scientists are dead thanks to this plague. There’s not much else we can do to help these people. All we do is put them into the isolation ward when we collect them from the streets.”

“Penning them in like cattle?” asked Lurra Rus.

“All we can do is keep them comfortable as best we can, but we NEED a cure! Those pills we give to the retrieval crews-!”

“First Aid, please,” said Dr. Quill.

“Well, if we’re going to get stuck in, then-.” The Doctor’s declaration was cut short by a Decepticon bursting into the room.

“Cyclonus?” asked Galvatron. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Scourge, Lord Galvatron!” replied the mech, Cyclonus. “He’s lost his mind!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Song of Steel: Part 4

The firefight was not going well for Bowser and King K. Rool’s armies. The Cybermen were downing each and every one of them! “Shoot straight, you miserable miscreants!” ordered King K. Rool.

“Lakitus, we need air support!” shouted Bowser. Lakitus and their clouds arrived and hurled Spinies, but it did no good!

Meanwhile, the Doctor saw the situation. “This is our chance!” she said.

“We’re really leaving them to fight?” asked Peach.

“Doctor-,” said Amy.

“The sooner we use the Banandium Root against the Cybermen, the sooner this mess is settled,” replied the Doctor. “Donkey Kong, lead on!”

“This way!” urged Donkey Kong as everyone stepped into the swirling gold sphere. Inside was a ball of light with bananas orbiting it like a biblically accurate angel’s eyes.

“Hello again,” said Pauline.

“That’s the Banandium Root?” asked Mario.

“A powerful wish granting thing,” replied Donkey Kong. “It got Pauline home and gave me all the bananas I could ever want.”

“Great Banandium Root,” Pauline said to the Root, “please, grant our wishes! Make it so that anyone with evil intentions can never abuse you!”

“And if you’ll permit me to wish,” interjected the Doctor, “destroy the Cybermen! They would take over this planet and deprive it of emotions!”

“Oh, Great Banandium Root, grant our-!” Peach couldn’t get far with her wish as Bowser and King K. Rool were tossed inside as the Cyber Leader led his forces into the Banandium Root’s chamber.

“Doctor,” said the Cyber Leader.

“Cyber Leader,” replied the Doctor.

“Surrender control of the Banandium Root to us, Doctor.”

“I can’t.”

“Then we will kill Pauline.” The Cyber Leader aimed his Cyber Gun at Pauline. “Donkey Kong cannot access his Bananza forms without her.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” asked the Doctor. “I can’t even if I wanted to! This is power beyond the comprehension of the Cybermen! It can’t be merely reprogrammed!”

“You will order it to remain on this planet, then.”

“That will solve nothing! Any Cybermen would be destroyed if they set foot on this planet!”

“The Cybermen AND the planet,” remarked the Cyber Leader. “The choice is yours, Doctor.”

“…That’s cold!” hissed Amy.

“The Doctor cannot destroy any of her enemies if her friends are in the line of fire.” The Cyber Leader spoke as if it were simply reading off an essay.

“…Everyone, it’s over,” sighed the Doctor. Amy and Lurra Rus looked…to see a look of defeat on the Doctor’s face! It was so alien to them, not even her previous incarnation displayed such a face. “My battles, all my battles…I can only surrender.”

“Doctor!” protested Lurra Rus.

“You will order the Banandium Root to align with the incoming fleet,” ordered the Cyber Leader. The Doctor turned to the Banandium Root.

“Do you understand the Cyber Leader’s instructions?” she asked it. The Banandium Root flickered in understanding.

“Deploy,” ordered the Cyber Leader. The Doctor nodded to the Banandium Root and it flew out of the chamber!

“What have you done?!” wailed Peach.

“We will monitor its progress,” said the Cyber Leader. His men set up monitoring equipment and it was all on display once it was switched on.

Entering high orbit above Nokiko was a fleet of modern-day Cyber Carriers. The Cybermen aboard had received a transmission about ancient Cybermen discovering an object that would ensure the permanent survival of the Cyber Race. Aboard the flagship was the Cyber Controller. “Controller,” reported a Cyberman running scanners, “energy signature detected. Readings match with data concerning the object known as the Banandium Root.”

“Our predecessors were correct,” remarked the Cyber Controller. “Align with the-.” Alarms then blared. “Report!”

“Banandium Root has destroyed two Cyber Carriers!” replied the scanner operator. “It is destroying the entire fleet! Unable to-!” The Banandium Root tore through the flagship, detonating its power core and destroying all hands.

The destruction of the Cyber Fleet was on full display. Amy and Lurra Rus were confused…then recalled what the Doctor said. “…You could have said something!” hissed Lurra Rus.

“Not with the Cybermen around,” replied the Doctor.

“But…how-?!” spluttered Mario.

“Simple,” replied the Doctor.

“The Banandium Root was under Cyber Control!” protested the Cyber Leader. “I ordered it to align with our fleet!”

“Ah, but I already wished for it to destroy any Cybermen that would approach,” explained the Doctor. “And Pauline asked for it to be more discriminating in its ability to grant wishes.”

“The Doctor simply asked if the Root understood your orders,” continued Amy. “She didn’t say anything about it obeying you.”

“…Then you will all join the Cyber Fleet. Prepare arms.” The Cybermen were about to obey, then were savagely attacked by the Koopa/Kremling army remnants grinding gold into their chest units. As the fight raged on, Bowser stirred awake and saw that only the Cyber Leader was left.

“…Hey! Soft shells!” he growled as he swiped King K. Rool’s crown. “You missed a spot!” He then ground the crown into the Cyber Leader’s chest unit. The Cyber Leader screamed and collapsed as its chest unit exploded. After it fell, its face cover exploded, revealing the human man it used to be.

“…Bowser…thank you,” breathed the Doctor.

“…This whole thing was a waste of time!” snarled Bowser. “I heard Pauline’s wish! You’re gonna pay for making it not grant my wishes! …But not today. Koopas! We’re leaving!” Bowser stomped out of the chamber as Donkey Kong knuckled his way to King K. Rool. The reptile looked…rather still. Donkey Kong raised his hand…then slapped King K. Rool repeatedly.

“Get up, you walking suitcase!” he said. “I’m not falling for that again!” King K. Rool got away from Donkey Kong.

“You were dumb enough to fall for it twice before!” snapped King K. Rool. He turned to address his army. “Return to the surface! I’ll deal with you toothless and useless banana thieves later!” The Kremlings gulped before making their way back to the surface. When all the armies left, the Doctor and her allies breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“That,” said the Doctor, “could have been so much worse.”

“So this was what you went through when you were 13, Pauline?” asked Mario.

“Oddly enough, journeying through the Underground world helped me overcome my stage fright,” replied Pauline.

“Speaking of journeys,” interjected Amy, “want a lift back to the surface?” Pauline considered, then shook her head.

“We’ll use the Banandium Root,” she said.

“Hey, Pauline,” interjected Donkey Kong, “we just beat a major boss, there’s something we need to do. For old time’s sake.” Pauline smiled.

“Let’s get to it then!” She and Donkey Kong then flexed their arms and hopped towards one another a bit, then they danced before pounding their chests and hooting in victory!

“…Erm, Doctor, you’ve been…Doctor?” Peach looked around to see that the Doctor and her friends had vanished! “…Without so much as a goodbye!” she grumbled.

The Doctor and her friends were back in the TARDIS and had just taken off. “What was with the departure without a goodbye?” asked Lurra Rus.

“The TARDIS had finished calculating where the next chronal surge is going to take place,” replied the Doctor. “I had it calculating it when we first arrived and it fed the data into the sonic screwdriver when we arrived at the Planet Core.”

“So, where are we going?” asked Amy.

“…That’s why I had us hurry. I forgot what it said.”

“Doctor!”

“Don’t worry, I’m punching it up on the scanner,” assured the Doctor as she keyed in a few commands. The scanner then opened and displayed a sphere.

“A planet, I’m guessing,” said Lurra Rus.

“Sure is,” replied the Doctor. “Now, let’s see what planet it is, hm?” She fed the data into the scanner. Blue, green, and brown appeared on the sphere and Amy’s eyes widened. The Doctor checked the readings and she goggled in horror as well.

“…Doctor? Amy?” asked Lurra Rus. “You recognize that planet?”

“It’s Mobius!” breathed Amy. “My home!” She turned on the Doctor. “You mean the next chronal surge is taking place on Mobius and you forgot about it?!”

“I was busy with the Cybermen like you were,” replied the Doctor.

“How long have you known?”

“…Well, in strictly linear terms as the chronometer flies, I’ve known since Susan had that chat with me and the Owner.”

“When on Mobius will it take place?” asked Lurra Rus. “In Amy’s time?”

“No, somewhere in her future. Roughly…200 years from then.”

“200 years?” asked Amy. “…Silver!”

“Pardon?” asked the Doctor.

“Silver the hedgehog! He usually travels back in time to try and avert some future catastrophe!”

“…That indicates multiple attempts,” remarked the Doctor. “How on Earth can he still do that? Unless this is multiverse theory at play. …Right, time to answer some questions!” The Doctor then set the coordinates and the TARDIS whizzed off towards its destination.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Song of Steel: Part 3

“Hoo boy,” muttered Pauline. “We’d better step in.”

“Come on!” called Donkey Kong as he led the way.

“Buddy, do you have any idea who you’re talking to?!” shouted Bowser. “I’m-!”

“Not worthy of learning the Kong Bananza,” interrupted the Kong Elder. “And neither is K. Rool.”

“KING K. Rool, you appalling-!”

“Appalling ape?” interrupted Donkey Kong as everyone approached the villains and the Elder they were harassing. The Kong Elder’s face lit up.

“Now THERE’S someone who proved worthy of learning the Kong Bananza!” he said. “As well as the other four! Welcome back, DK and Pauline!”

“Oh for-! And Mario too!” complained Bowser.

“Nice to see you too, Bowser,” muttered Mario.

“Bowser, we don’t have time to argue!” urged Peach.

“Oh! Peachy!” replied Bowser, his voice attempting a sexy purr.

“Bowser, we have a bigger problem that would destroy this planet!” continued Peach. “There’s a group of people called the Cybermen that intend to sieze control of the Bananzas!”

“They do not have the full power of the Bananzas they stole, your Highness,” soothed the Kong Elder. “But they DID disrupt Donkey Kong’s connection with them by using their own frequencies.”

“Bananza: the Cyber-Remix, hm?” asked the Doctor.

“That’s exactly what it is, Doctor.” The Doctor blinked.

“…I seem to be at a disadvantage,” she remarked.

“I know of you, Doctor. Your travels in time and space, your TARDIS, they are known to me.”

“Hang on, THAT’S the Doctor?!” yelped Bowser. “The same one that had to help me during that mess with the Daleks?!”

“The same Doctor that upended my plans with the Tiki Tak Tribe?!” continued King K. Rool.

“Yes to both,” replied the Doctor, “no, I’m not explaining regeneration, I did enough of that today. Kong Elder, we need to keep the Cybermen from learning the Kong Bananza.”

“The solution is simple,” answered the Kong Elder. “DK, you remember where I store my Ancient Record, yes?”

“Yeah,” replied Donkey Kong.

“Hold on, a Bananza ceremony? Now?” asked Pauline.

“Bananza ceremony?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Um, whatever it is, better get started now!” warned Amy. “They’re right behind us!” The heavy footsteps of the Cybermen needed no explanation.

“Be right back!” yelped Donkey Kong as he knuckled away at top speed. Bowser, King K. Rool, Mario, and Amy got ready to fight.

“Doctor, you will surrender the Kong Elder to us,” demanded the Cyber Leader.

“No chance!” replied the Doctor.

“You will surrender the Kong Elder or we will take him and learn his Bananza as we’ve learned the others.”

“Not the full powered Bananza!” scoffed Pauline.

“Incorrect,” replied the Cyber Leader.

“How about I show you the full power of a Bananza?!” called Donkey Kong as he returned with a giant record with a red Kong symbol in the center. He put it onto a DJ table at the Kong Elder’s feet. The record then spun and glowed as ancient music played for a bit. Just then, domed walls grew around everyone!

“WHAT IN-?!” yelped the Doctor.

“It’s okay! We’ll be fine!” assured Donkey Kong as the immediate area went dark as the last of the dome was filled in.

“All units, activate search lights,” ordered the Cyber Leader.

“Calm down,” replied the Kong Elder. “DK, Pauline, combine your power once more and show me that you’ve still got it!” Spotlights then shone down on Donkey Kong and Pauline as they were on a stage. Their friends realized that they were now surrounded by Salvager Monkeys hooting in anticipation. “BANANZA!” roared the Kong Elder. A beat then played. Pauline snapped her fingers in time to the beat.

“…Ready, DK?” she asked.

“You know it!” replied Donkey Kong. He then pounded his chest in time to the beat and hooted.

“Time for some nostalgia!” said Pauline. She then grabbed the microphone in front of her, took a breath, then shouted “DK!” Donkey Kong then glowed…and punched hard! Music played as Donkey Kong revealed that he was now black-furred with grey exposed skin, like a normal gorilla, wore a banana headdress and bracelets, and had red eyes. Everyone, minus the Cybermen, started dancing like it was a nightclub! Pauline sang a song in a language no one recognized as the Kong Elder held his headphones to make sure the song was just right while he vibed.

“HOHO!” laughed the Kong Elder. “It’s the Kong Elder, coming at you live! I can feel it! You’ve still got it, DK and Pauline! Now, show these Cybermen the true power of the Kong Bananza!” The area changed into a strange light-filled void with metallic platforms floating and holding everyone up. Pauline hopped onto Donkey Kong’s back, still singing, and Donkey Kong wound up for a punch.

“Activate-.” The Cyber Leader couldn’t finish his order as Donkey Kong threw his punch and created an energy wave that changed the bits of terrain and the Cyber Leader’s chest unit into gold! The Cyber Leader’s chest unit exploded as he screamed and fell to the ground. A Cyberman activated a scanner.

“…Gold!” he warned.

“YEAH! How do you like them apples?!” shouted Donkey Kong.

“That’s…the full power of a Bananza?!” yelped the Doctor. “You can turn things into gold?!”

“When I want to, yes,” replied Donkey Kong.

“Deputy, we must retreat!” urged one of the Cybermen.

“No,” replied the Cyber Deputy. “We must learn the skills of a Bananza at full power.”

“All it will take for us, Deputy,” the Cyberman went on, “is for one misplaced attack! The Cyber Race cannot utilize golden weapons at this stage and the terrain will be turned against us! We must focus on the Banandium Root!”

“…Your logic is correct,” agreed the Cyber Deputy. “We must use the Banandium Root first. Retreat.” The Cybermen gave covering fire as they managed to escape. The world around everyone then returned to the Lagoon Layer and the Kong Bananza faded, turning Donkey Kong back to normal.

“We have to go after the Banandium Root!” urged Pauline. “If the Cybermen get ahold of it, the Root will grant their wishes!”

“Come on, everyone, into the TARDIS!” called the Doctor. “And that means you too, Bowser, King K. Rool!”

“Them?!” protested Peach.

“Yes, them! We’ll need their strength!” replied the Doctor. She led everyone into the TARDIS and the two villains goggled.

“…Unbelievable!” whispered King K. Rool.

“Donkey Kong, you’re sure the Banandium Root’s at the core of the planet?” asked the Doctor.

“Positive,” replied Donkey Kong.

“Right then, here we go!” The Doctor set the controls and the TARDIS took off.

The Planet Core, the layer with the most sublayers of the Underground World, the resting place of the Banandium Root, and, right now, the source of a massive army of Koopas and Kremlings! Surrounding the army was a flowing sphere of gold with a walkway allowing access. The TARDIS landed on the walkway and everyone stepped out. “Woo! Feel that power!” cheered Donkey Kong. “This is one of those areas where I can stay in a Bananza forever!”

“Really?” asked Amy.

“The gold here,” explained Pauline, “has something called bananergy, similar to Star or Moon power. Ordinarily, DK would run out of bananergy unless he scooped up enough gold.”

“Lord Bowser! King K. Rool!” called a Koopa. “We managed to secure the sinkholes, Sirs! We thought you’d be using them!”

“A good show of initiative,” replied King K. Rool, “but we secured alternate transport with the Doctor’s TARDIS.”

“And now, after all this…” said Bowser.

“THE BANANDIUM ROOT IS MINE!” shouted both villains. They then glared at one another. “…The Banandium Root is MINE!” they both protested.

“Is now REALLY the time for stabbing each other in the back?!” argued the Doctor. “The Cybermen are on their way here!”

“They don’t know about the sinkholes connecting the layers!” scoffed King K. Rool. “They’re taking the long way around and I’ll have used my wishes against them!”

“I’m the one getting my wishes granted here!” argued Bowser. “Koopas! Form up!”

“Make turtle soup out of them, you pilfering-!” King K. Rool didn’t get the chance to finish his order as a Cyber Gun fired on them all, scattering them.

“You were saying?!” said Amy. The Cyber Driller had arrived and the Cybermen opened fire. The Cyber Deputy was upgraded into the new Cyber Leader during the trip.

“Leader,” reported the new Cyber Deputy, “the highest concentration of bananergy is within that structure. Logic dictates the Banandium Root is inside. As long as our chest units are protected, we shall withstand the concentration of gold.”

“Excellent,” replied the Cyber Leader. “Proceed. Eradicate all opposition. Bananzas are no longer required.” The Cybermen increased the frequency of their shots, downing Koopas and Kremlings alike.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Song of Steel: Part 2

“So we’ve got robots to deal with?” asked Donkey Kong.

“Not robots, cyborgs,” corrected the Doctor.

“What’s that Hammer Bro doing?!” yelped Amy. The Hammer Bro threw his hammer…but it bounced off the Cyberman that was his target.

“Eradicate them,” ordered the Cyber Leader. The Cybermen pulled out their guns and fired! The Koopas and Kremlings took cover and fired back. The battle prevented the Doctor and her group from helping.

“Dang it, that’s too much!” complained Donkey Kong.

“At this rate, they might as well be using bows and arrows!” muttered the Doctor. Then…it happened. As a Cyberman advanced on them, a hammer struck it in the chest unit. The chest unit sparked and exploded, then the Cyberman screamed before collapsing.

“…But…but how?!” yelped Amy, the first attempt from a Hammer Bro still fresh in her mind.

“A Cyberman killed by a hammer?! That’s absurd!” remarked the Doctor. Her eyes then widened as she got an idea. “…Unless…” she turned the corpse over and pulled out the hammer. It was a golden one. A smile crossed the Doctor’s face. “Of course! These are later-model Cyber Neomorphs! Far more primitive than the ones we met in Earth’s 30th century!”

“What’s that mean?” asked Amy.

“The line we met,” explained the Doctor, “was the result of our universe’s Cybermen and Cybermen from another universe coming together and upgrading one another to make more advanced models. These Cybermen are from before that time, so they haven’t kept up to date on current models! The union of those two Cybermen lines removed a glaring weakness from the Cybermen of our universe, a weakness that these Cybermen still have!”

“What’s that?” asked Donkey Kong.

“Gold!” replied the Doctor. “Because of how non-corrosive it is, if you introduce gold into the breathing apparatus on the chest units, the Cybermen suffocate and either just collapse or, with these models, the chest units explode to fatal effect.”

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, a Kremling heard her explanation. “…Gold, huh?” he muttered. He then pulled out a slingshot and a gold coin. A nearby Koopa saw that.

“This is no time for games!” he protested. “We’re wasting our 1-Ups!”

“Trust me!” replied the Kremling as he loaded his slingshot. He then pulled back, aimed at a Cyberman, then fired! The gold coin sailed through the air and hit the Cyberman in the chest unit! The chest unit sparked, then the Cyberman screamed and collapsed.

“What the-?!” spluttered the Koopa.

“Gold’s their weakness!” called the Kremling. “Fire anything gold at their chests!” The tide turned…briefly.

“Leader, the enemy is using gold projectiles,” warned the Cyber Deputy.

“Engage Serpent abilities,” ordered the Cyber Leader. The Cyber Deputy transmitted the order to all Cyber forces, then the Cybermen took the combined Koopa/Kremling army by surprise! Their legs turned into serpent tails and coiled like springs! They then jumped out of the way. The Cybermen’s eyes then glowed and the Koopas and Kremlings slowed down!

“DK, did you-?!” spluttered Pauline.

“That’s the Snake Bananza!” replied Donkey Kong. “Those guys learned the Snake Bananza!”

“Knockoffs is what they are!” hissed Pauline.

“Darn right! Hop on!” directed Donkey Kong. Pauline then got onto DK’s back and held tight. Donkey Kong then charged into the fray!

“DONKEY KONG, GET BACK HERE!” protested the Doctor. Donkey Kong then pounded his chest as if to set a beat!

“SNAAAAAAAKE!” shouted Pauline. Donkey Kong hooted, then posed as Pauline sang. No one could recognize the language…and everyone stared as Donkey Kong blinked.

“…Erm, Kiddo,” said Donkey Kong. Pauline’s singing faltered.

“…You should be scaly right now,” remarked Pauline.

“That is the gorilla that had mastered all five Bananzas, Leader,” remarked a Cyberman as it turned its tail back into legs.

“Given that it is accompanied by a human female,” replied the Cyber Leader, “logic dictates that both are needed to learn the Kong Bananza. Take them. Engage Zebra abilities.”

“Uh oh!” gulped Donkey Kong.

“QUICK! IN THERE!” called the Doctor as she waved to the TARDIS.

“We can’t-!” protested Donkey Kong.

“Don’t argue, DK!” insisted Pauline. “Get in there! Hurry!” Donkey Kong then knuckled towards the TARDIS at top speed while the Cybermen were trying to intercept him. They had circled in front of him, but Donkey Kong knocked them aside and entered the TARDIS. The Doctor shut the doors behind him once everyone was inside. She then dashed towards the console and took off. Donkey Kong goggled in surprise.

“It’s…It’s…bigger on the inside!” he gasped.

“That’s right, you never went inside on Kong Island, did you?” recalled the Doctor.

“You’ve redecorated,” said Mario. “…I like it!”

“Wh-what is-?!” spluttered Donkey Kong.

“It’s the TARDIS,” replied the Doctor. “Anywhere…and anywhen! …But right now, we have bigger problems. Namely, how the Cybermen got those powers.”

“They must have taken the Underground Elders somehow,” said Pauline.

“Underground Elders?” asked Amy.

“I can’t say as I’ve heard of them,” remarked Mario.

“They’re the leaders of five different underground animal tribes,” explained Donkey Kong. “There’s the Snakes, the Elephants, the Ostriches, the Zebras, and a whole tribe of Kongs. They live in different layers of the Underground World and can make their own sunlight.”

“When I was a little girl,” continued Pauline, “I was kidnapped by the president of the once biggest mining company, Void Co. His name was Void Kong and he was obsessed with finding something called the Great Banandium Root at the Planet Core to wish for infinite gold and he didn’t care how many lives he ruined.”

“King K. Rool had tried a similar plan earlier and was trapped by the Banandium Root, but we accidentally released him and he hijacked Void Kong’s plan,” Donkey Kong went on. “But the whole journey resulted in Pauline returning here via the Banandium Root.”

“So the core of this planet isn’t made of molten earth,” remarked the Doctor. “Very interesting. What IS it made of if people can survive in it? …Discussion for another time. Right now, I need to know, what are these Bananzas the Cybermen mentioned?”

“Short term transformations for DK that are usually activated by my singing,” said Pauline. “…But something went wrong. I’m pretty sure I sang the lyrics to the Snake Bananza song right.”

“Maybe the Cybermen are blocking your access to them,” remarked the Doctor. “Counter-frequency, perhaps? Questions, questions.”

“Doctor, maybe we should check on the Elders,” suggested Donkey Kong.

“…If the Cybermen captured them…” mused the Doctor as a look of worry crossed her face.

“Doctor, the Cybermen said they needed Donkey Kong and Pauline to learn the Kong Bananza,” recalled Lurra Rus.

“Then maybe the Kong Elder can help us!” said Pauline.

“Where is the Kong Elder?” asked the Doctor.

“In the Lagoon Layer,” replied Donkey Kong. “Sublayers…100 to 102. He’s specifically at Sublayer 101.”

“Right,” declared the Doctor. “Off we go!” She set the coordinates and the TARDIS took off.

The Cybermen forced the Koopa/Kremling army into a retreat as the TARDIS dematerialized. “Prediction of the Doctor’s movements,” ordered the Cyber Leader.

“She has most likely been briefed on Bananzas,” replied the Cyber Deputy. “She will attempt to reach the Kong Elder.”

“We must reach the Lagoon Layer,” declared the Cyber Leader. “We must learn the Kong Bananza and use the Banandium Root for the survival of the Cyber-race of this time. The Doctor must not interfere. Return to the Cyber Driller and set course for Sublayer 101.”

“Yes, Leader,” obliged the Cyber Deputy.

“I shall begin transmission of our progress,” said a Cyberman as they all entered the Cyber Driller.

“No,” replied the Cyber Leader. “We will run the risk of transmitting incomplete data if you do. Maintain communications silence with any Cyber Factions until we have learned all the Bananzas and obtained the Banandium Root.”

The Lagoon Layer, a peaceful, water-filled area with yellow grass, green and blue primates, and scrap metal used to make structures, inhabited by blue and green furred primates that fish for scrap, quite literally. The TARDIS arrived and the local Salvager Monkeys backed up from the sudden blue box that just appeared. The Doctor led everyone out and the Salvager Monkeys’ faces lit up when they saw Donkey Kong and Pauline. “DK! PAULINE!” said the lead Salvager Monkey. “Welcome back! It’s been way too long! …Those guys, on the other hand!”

“What about us?” asked Peach.

“DK and Pauline are welcome, outsiders like you-!”

“Your xenophobia is misplaced, sir,” replied the Doctor.

“These guys are with us,” explained Donkey Kong.

“We need to speak to the Kong Elder,” said Pauline. “Creatures called Cybermen are after him and the secrets of the Kong Bananza!”

“Oh for-! He’s already harassed by that lizard king and that turtle with the spiky shell!” grumbled the lead Salvager Monkey. “He doesn’t need these Cyber whatsits!” Mario and Donkey Kong could make a pretty good guess at who the aforementioned Lizard King and Spiky-shelled Turtle were.

“We can prevent his secrets from being stolen,” offered Pauline. “Is he still at the Elder’s Court?”

“Naturally,” replied the lead Salvager Monkey.

“Then that’s where we’re going!” declared Donkey Kong. “All of us! This way!” Donkey Kong led everyone down to a container ship that had run aground years ago with a bridge connecting it to the landmass they were on. They crossed the bridge to find a massive gorilla with red headphones, a headdress made of bananas, banana bracelets, and a banana beard arguing with King K. Rool and Bowser!

“And this situation has become more complicated,” sighed the Doctor.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Song of Steel: Part 1

The hustle and bustle of the city can’t be beat for some people. On another planet, far off in our future, that idea is no exception. A brunette woman wearing a stunning red suit with a floppy brimmed hat was the mayor of one such city! The woman breathed deeply as she took in the sounds of her city, the Big Banana itself, New Donk City! Modeled after New York City of the old homeworld of Earth, New Donk City was filled with taxis, humans, and the Crazy Cap home store! The mayor, Pauline, then heard a taxi getting closer. She looked to her left to see a taxi pull up. The taxi’s passengers then got out. One was a short, fat man with a moustache, blue overalls, and a red shirt and cap with the letter M on it. The other was a tall blonde woman in a pink skirt, a white blouse, and a floppy brimmed hat. “Mario! Peach!” greeted Pauline.

“Pauline! Great to see you again!” called the blonde woman, Princess Peach.

“It’s been way too long!” the short man, the famous hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, chimed in. The three of them hugged each other.

“I’m so glad we could find time in our busy schedules to do this!” said Pauline once the hug broke off. “So, where shall we start?”

“You’re the mayor,” replied Mario. “You decide!”

“Mario’s right! This IS your…hang on…” Peach trailed off.

“Peach? Is…hang on, is that-?!” yelped Mario.

“The TARDIS?!” asked Pauline. It was, indeed, the TARDIS. It fully materialized on the sidewalk where Mario, Peach, and Pauline stood. The doors opened and Amy stepped out first.

“This place looks…” she muttered.

“AMY!” called Mario and his group. Amy looked up to see them!

“MARIO! PEACH! PAULINE!” The hedgehog girl hugged them all!

“Still travelling with the Doctor, hm?” asked Mario.

“Oh yeah! …But I’m afraid this isn’t a social call.”

“It isn’t?” asked Peach once the hug broke off. At that moment, the Doctor and Lurra Rus stepped out.

“Hey, Doctor! Lurra! Look where we are!” called Amy. The Doctor looked ahead to see Mario, Peach, and Pauline.

“Ah! Back on Nokiko!” realized the Doctor.

“…Amy, did you call that woman…the Doctor?” asked Peach. Amy explained regeneration to Peach, something she felt she did a lot after New York.

“…You’re seriously the Doctor?” Mario asked the Doctor.

“The same one that helped you lot deal with the Daleks,” confirmed the Doctor. “With Luigi, Daisy, and Rosalina, if I recall. They duplicated Luigi and Amy as part of their war against a sect of humanized Daleks.”

“Okay, I’m convinced,” replied Mario. “Welcome back, Doctor!”

“Yes, welcome to New Donk City, the Big Banana!” greeted Pauline. “And your friend is…?”

“I’m Lurra Rus,” replied Lurra Rus.

“Nice to meet you. What brings you here, if not a social call?”

“We’re tracking something called the Grouping,” explained the Doctor.

“I…accidentally started it,” said Amy.

“What makes you-?” Pauline couldn’t finish her question as passersby warned her to look out. Pauline looked up…and a big, hairy thing landed near her, scattering everyone on impact. The hairy thing groaned, then howled in pain as Pauline landed on his back.

“Why my back?!” protested the hairy thing. “Why always my back?!” The hairy thing turned out to be a brown-furred gorilla with a red tie with the letters DK in yellow on it.

“Sorry about that, Sir,” apologized Pauline. “I…no way!” The gorilla turned, then yelped in surprise.

“PAULINE?!” he said.

“DK!” cheered Pauline.

“Donkey Kong?” asked Mario. The gorilla, Donkey Kong, looked over.

“Mario!” he growled. “You realize I’m blaming YOU for this!”

“Blaming him?” asked the Doctor. “For what?”

“…I’m sorry, who are-?”

“Hey, DK!” called Amy.

“AMY! Good to see you again! And you, Lurra Rus! …Where’s the Doctor? I assume you’re still travelling with her?”

“Right there, apparently,” replied Pauline. “She can change her body, from what Amy said.”

“Hello, Donkey Kong!” greeted the Doctor. “Now, my original question?”

“Oh, yeah! Bowser’s teamed up with King K. Rool for some odd reason and I bet it has something to do with Mario!”

“ME?!” protested Mario. “I didn’t do anything to either of them! …At least, not recently!”

“Oh yeah?!” challenged Donkey Kong. “Then why did they boast about destroying us both when I was fired out of that cannon?!”

“Hold on, I rather think we need some context here!” called the Doctor. “What happened?”

“…All right, all right,” sighed Donkey Kong as he calmed down. “I was chilling on Kong Island, having some bananas, then all of a sudden, King K. Rool’s ship, the Gangplank Galleon, fired on the island. I swam over there and jumped aboard, then got attacked by Hammer Bros instead of Kremlings. Then King K. Rool and Bowser stepped out of the Captain’s cabin, made the ship fly, and then stuffed me into a cannon all while boasting that they’ll destroy us.”

“And destroy you we shall, you mumbling, moronic mammal!” called a voice from the sky.

“Oh no,” groaned the Doctor. “And all while a chronal surge happened!” Everyone looked up to see a fleet of sailing vessels with propellers instead of masts.

“Bowser’s air fleet!” gulped Peach. Amy readied her hammer as Mario got into a fighting stance while Donkey Kong thumped his chest and hooted. Koopas and Kremlings then leapt from the ships and attacked! Peach and Pauline stayed well out of the way, since they weren’t combat capable at the moment. The Doctor and Lurra Rus joined Peach and Pauline as Mario, Amy, and Donkey Kong fought back.

“This is absurd!” grumbled the Doctor. “I can’t fix the chronal surge in this state!”

“Chronal surge?” asked Pauline.

“An energy wave washing over time and space and plucking people or things out of their native point in space-time and putting them into a new one in either their past or future,” explained Lurra Rus. “There’s a series of them happening in an event the Time Lords call the Grouping.”

“Nobody’s gone missing from what I can tell,” said Peach.

“We were trying to stay ahead,” explained the Doctor, “but I overshot the target. Navigational systems need a complete overhaul!”

The fight still raged on, but Mario, Amy, and Donkey Kong were starting to tire out. “I can’t believe this!” complained Donkey Kong. “This is how I go out?!”

“Come on, DK!” retorted Amy. “Show some positivity!”

“I AM being positive! I’m positive we’re gonna get a permanent game over!”

“Not while I’m breathing!” replied Mario. That was when the earth shook. “H-hey! What’s going on?!”

“Something’s digging its way up here!” yelped Amy.

“The Banandium Root?” muttered Donkey Kong. Something then erupted from the ground. It was metallic and had a huge rotary drill on the front like one would see on an oil rig. The vehicle then tilted to its side and opened a ramp.

“What on earth-?!” yelped Peach.

“We better check on them!” suggested Pauline. Lurra Rus then spotted the Doctor’s worried face.

“…Doctor?” she asked.

“…They’ve been buried for millions of years,” whispered the Doctor. “So they were caught up in the chronal surge! Oh no!”

“Doctor, what’s wrong?” asked Pauline.

“Come on! We’ve got to get our friends away from that mining ship!” declared the Doctor as she broke cover. “AMY! AMY, GET AWAY FROM THERE!” Amy whirled around and saw the Doctor.

“Come on!” she called to Mario and Donkey Kong. The three of them rejoined their friends as the Koopas and Kremlings surrounded the mining ship.

“Doctor, what’s wrong?” asked Mario. “They saved our lives!”

“Don’t thank them yet,” directed the Doctor grimly. “We might live to regret it.”

“Why? Do you know that ship?” asked Amy.

“…A Cyber Driller,” replied the Doctor.

“Cyber-? …No!” Amy goggled in horror as she realized the implications. A door opened from the side of the Cyber Driller and out stomped silver humanoids with metal helmets and a handle on each side of their head going up from the ear, turning ninety degrees, and joining on the top of the head. Their leader’s handles were painted black. Amy then called out to the Koopas and Kremlings. “GET AWAY FROM THEM! THEY’RE DANGEROUS!”

“Bite me, Pinky!” retorted a Boomerang Bro. “We can handle these robots!” They all readied their weapons!

“They’re gonna be slaughtered!” gasped Amy.

“There’s nothing we can do, Amy,” replied the Doctor. “And I think we just found who got caught up in the chronal surge.”

“Them,” realized Amy. “…They seem…different to the ones I met.”

“Yes, they do seem to take their design cues from their Neomorph cousins,” remarked the Doctor.

“Doctor, Amy, what ARE they?” asked Lurra Rus. The leader of the handle-headed creatures had locked eyes with the Doctor and ran bio-scans as the Doctor revealed who they were.

“…Cybermen!” she hissed.

“So, Doctor,” remarked the Cyber Leader, “a new appearance. Otherwise, our predictions about you tracking the chronal surge that took us is entirely accurate.”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Lantern of Time: Part 3

“…Ore sanjou?” asked Lurra Rus.

“It’s a dynamic way of saying ‘I have arrived’,” explained the Doctor.

“…Nice skirt,” remarked Lurra Rus. Den-O looked down and finally saw the skirt.

“Dang it! This always happens when I possess a girl!” he grumbled.

“Kamen Rider Den-O! At last!” cackled the Lantern Imagin. “I’m gonna enjoy this little warmup!”

“Warmup?” asked Den-O. He then took four parts hanging from his belt and assembled them into a sword. As he did, he started talking. “I don’t know how things work with you Red Lanterns, but you’re on MY turf! And around here, I don’t do warmups and I don’t do warning shots!” He finished forming his sword. “Everyday, from start to finish, I’m always at a climax! Let’s go, let’s go, LET’S GO!” He then charged at the Lantern Imagin, sword ready! The two clashed with Green Lantern and the Flash helping out.

“…Everything’s happening too fast,” muttered the Doctor.

“Doctor, maybe you need another Time Lord’s help,” suggested Lurra Rus.

“…I suppose I do,” agreed the Doctor. “Owner, perhaps I had better bring you into the picture.”

“Telepathically?” asked the Owner. “This seems like quite a tale.”

“It is. Contact.”

“Contact.” The two Time Lords then had their telepathic conference with the Doctor filling the Owner in on events from Batman’s warning about the Grouping to the current crisis. They then opened their eyes.

“Drat! I completely forgot to contact Susan after the last adventure!” the Doctor chided herself.

“We’d best contact Gallifrey,” remarked the Owner. “Your TARDIS still has a means of communicating with the homeworld, the Den Liner does not.”

“But there’s the matter of the Imagin! They’re walking chronal surges!”

“They’re also from an aborted timeline. No amount of bringing them back to the future will make it better. They have become, quite literally, beings made of the Sands of Time.” The Doctor looked back at the fight.

“…Drat,” she muttered. “Momotaros, tell Amy that the Owner and I need to contact Gallifrey and that dealing with the Imagin is the only way to correct the chronal surge!”

“She heard you!” replied Den-O. He then acted as if he heard something. “…What hammer?!” he said. His arm then stretched out and, with the flick of the wrist, summoned Amy’s hammer. “Oh, now THAT’S a climactic weapon!” he said.

“What am I supposed to do?” asked Lurra Rus. “Stand here and look pretty?”

“Actually, I need help fixing the comms system,” replied the Doctor. “Mind giving us a hand?”

“All right.” Lurra Rus followed the Doctor and the Owner into the TARDIS. Green Lantern managed to restrain the Lantern Imagin so the Flash could get some rapid-fire punches in.

“Get out of the way!” called Den-O. “This flashlight’s mine!” He managed to scan his pass again.

“Full Charge!” announced the belt as red light crackled around his sword and hammer.

“Hissatsu! Ore no hissatsu waza! Hedge-hammer-sword version!” Den-O stuck his weapons out and spun like a tornado! He bashed into the Lantern Imagin repeatedly, then stopped as the blade of his sword flew out of the handle! He then swung the handle, making the blade hit the Lantern Imagin repeatedly, then swung down, chopping the enemy Imagin right down the middle and making it explode into sand. “…There it is!” said Den-O. “My new finishing move!”

“I though hedgehogs curled into balls,” remarked Green Lantern.

“And how lame would that have been?” asked Den-O. Momotaros was then suddenly ejected as Amy took her body back over and took the belt off, dismissing the Den-O armor.

“LAME?!” she shouted. “THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH COOLER THAN WHAT YOU DID!”

“EXCUSE ME?! WHAT I DID WAS COOL AND YOU KNOW IT!” retorted Momotaros. The Imagin and Hedgehog Girl then got into a shouting match.

While Amy and Momotaros argued, the Doctor had finished up her call to Gallifrey, informing them about the Owner and Stationmaster’s survival and decision to remain as they are, apologizing to Susan for not contacting her after the previous incident with two of the Doctor’s past incarnations, and learning about what caused the Grouping in the first place. “…I…I see,” muttered the Doctor.

“It seems you have a choice before you, Doctor,” said the Owner. “What will it be and how will it protect time?”

“…Well, I DID get a hint in my previous incarnation,” sighed the Doctor. “I just…don’t know how to go about it so she and Lurra Rus are safe.”

“…Speaking of Amy, we should check on her,” suggested Lurra Rus.

“Agreed,” said the Owner.

“Come on, you two,” directed the Doctor. The trio left the TARDIS and saw Amy and Momotaros arguing with Green Lantern and the Flash standing by. The Flash saw the group leave the TARDIS and whistled.

“Hey! Guys!” he called. Momotaros and Amy stopped arguing. “They’re finished in there.” He directed their attention to the group.

“…Right then,” said Amy. “Well, it looks like this adventure’s over.”

“So it seems,” replied the Owner. “Momotaros, it’s time we departed. We have more chronal surges to look out for.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” grumbled Momotaros as he and the Owner boarded the Den Liner. “Feels like the adventure went too fast.” The Den Liner then pulled out of the Watchtower like it was a station and opened a path to the Sands of Time.

“Amy, it’s time we left,” said the Doctor.

“So soon?” asked Amy. “But I wanna catch up with Diana and-.”

“Amy, we just learned something about the cause of the Grouping,” interjected Lurra Rus.

“…Oh. …Well, Hal, Barry, I guess I gotta go.”

“Momotaros was right, this adventure went WAY too quickly!” remarked the Flash.

“…Did you just tell us to slow down?!” laughed Green Lantern.

“Goodbye, everyone,” said the Doctor as she hurried Amy and Lurra Rus back into the TARDIS. The lamp on the TARDIS’ roof then flashed as it made its usual take off noise and dematerialized.

“…Doctor, Lurra Rus, what’s wrong?” asked Amy as the TARDIS continued its flight.

“…Well, let me just…try and see how to best explain-,” floundered the Doctor.

“Doctor, we can’t afford to stall,” chided Lurra Rus. “This event is too big for that.” The Doctor sighed.

“You said that the Time Lords found out how the Grouping got started,” said Amy. “How’s that possible?”

“…They’ve determined that it was one paradox that started it,” replied the Doctor.

“A paradox, huh? And how did this whole paradox unfold? Who’s the source of it?”

“I’m rather afraid you are.”

“WHAT?!” yelped Amy.

“Remember how you first stepped aboard the TARDIS?” asked the Doctor. “You were encouraged by your future, wearing your current outfit, to go along with me. The TARDIS was working overtime to try and stabilize the paradox, only…”

“Only its heart split and the original became the new Eye of Harmony,” recalled Amy. “Are you saying that when it did that-?”

“It released its stabilizing ability over the paradox and now that paradox is creating chronal surges all across time.”

“Would me going back to that point in time fix it?” asked Amy hopefully.

“I’m afraid not,” sighed the Doctor. “For one thing, the TARDIS accounts for how long its occupants have been inside it, so it only drops someone off at a later point in their native planet’s time after their initial departure. For another, I can’t take you back for the sole fact that your future said that someone else will take you back. And for yet another thing, Batman knew about the Grouping long before we did, but that mess with Den-O didn’t involve Batman at all, it’s too late into the Justice League’s future. Remember that Batman said that I had already regenerated by the time he was made aware of the Grouping. …But, hopefully, closing the paradox will mitigate the damage.”

“But…I’m at the center of it…” summed up Amy. “…The heart of the problem. …All our…recent problems!”

“Doctor, how bad would it be if Amy stayed aboard the TARDIS?” asked Lurra Rus.

“A temporal implosion,” replied the Doctor. “All of time and space collapsing into a single point, into Amy herself. …Too terrifying a concept to comprehend, even for Time Lords.”

“Then how can we keep time and space from collapsing and taking me with it?!” asked Amy.

“All we can do is mitigate the damage,” answered the Doctor. “I don’t know how to fully fix it and the Time Lords are working overtime to try and find a solution.”

“…Doctor,” mumbled Amy, “…I’m scared.”

“So am I, Amy,” sighed the Doctor. “So am I.”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 5

Lantern of Time: Part 2

“Warning! Ring now at 32%!” warned Green Lantern’s ring. The rocket boots he created were staring to fizzle out!

“Come on! Come on!” he strained. Just then, robotic arms shot from the Watchtower and grabbed the Den Liner.

“Hal, just focus on the TARDIS!” called the Flash’s voice through the comms.

“Right!” replied Green Lantern. He shifted the glove so that only the TARDIS rested in it, then brought it to a halt. “…Phew!” sighed Green Lantern in relief.

The Den Liner and TARDIS were brought into a hangar along the Watchtower’s perimeter. Green Lantern and the Flash looked over the Den Liner. “I’ve never seen that before,” remarked the Flash. Green Lantern looked at his ring.

“Ring, scan and analyze,” he ordered as he created scanning equipment constructs.

“Scanning vehicle,” replied the ring. By then, the TARDIS doors opened and its crew stepped out.

“Oogh!” groaned the Doctor. “Headache from hell!”

“Take it easy, Doctor,” soothed Amy. That was when Momotaros stepped out of the Den Liner.

“Where’s that Doctor?!” he snapped. “I’m gonna get her for this!”

“Momotaros, I warned you about that chronal surge!” argued the Doctor. “If you had just listened to me-!”

“Oh, sure! Listen to a lady that doesn’t know the first thing about time travel!” The Doctor’s jaw dropped.

“Doesn’t know the-?! Sir, all of time and space is my backyard! The laws of time have been baked into my upbringing since day one!” The Doctor and Momotaros argued and Amy and Lurra Rus rubbed their temples.

“Just like two reckless drivers on a freeway,” muttered Amy. Lurra Rus then spotted Green Lantern and the Flash.

“Oh, hello again!” she said.

“Hey there, Lurra Rus, Amy,” replied the Flash. “Who’s the lady arguing with the demon?”

“Oh, that’s the Doctor,” replied Amy. The Flash looked in confusion at the Doctor.

“…Could have sworn…” he muttered.

“Her people have a tendency to cheat death by regenerating their bodies,” explained Lurra Rus. “That includes their minds, so there’s a new personality.” The Flash crossed his arms.

“Some aliens have all the luck!” he grumbled.

“Analysis complete,” reported Green Lantern’s ring. “Vehicle is the Den Liner, the time traveling vehicle for Kamen Rider Den-O.”

“And furthermore-!” The Doctor stopped arguing with Momotaros. “…Hang on, did that ring just say ‘Kamen Rider’?”

“It did,” replied Green Lantern.

“Kamen Rider…” muttered the Flash. “…Hey, aren’t they those karate bug people that ride around on motorcycles in Japan?”

“Karate bug-?!” spluttered Momotaros. “It’s a bit more complicated than that!”

“Yes, most Kamen Riders aren’t so reckless,” remarked the Doctor.

“Who are you calling-?!”

“Doctor,” came a voice. The argument stopped as a man stepped out of the Den Liner. He was a Japanese man in a brown suit in his late 60’s or early 70’s with his hair slicked back and carrying a cane for show. The Doctor blinked.

“…Owner?!” she gasped.

“You know the Owner?” asked Momotaros.

“She should,” replied the man, the Owner. “We were rivals at the Academy.”

“On Gallifrey?” asked Amy. “You’re a Time Lord like her?”

“You vanished before the Time War broke out,” the Doctor recalled. “Your TARDIS was destroyed, but you left it behind. What happened?”

“I had become a singularity point along with the Stationmaster,” replied the Owner. “Now, with the train of time, the Den Liner, I can travel along the Sands of Time.”

“How did you even get into that subdimension?” asked the Doctor. Before the Owner could explain, Green Lantern’s ring flashed.

“Warning! Red Light energy signature detected!”

“Is that as ominous as it sounds?” asked Amy. “Should I be summoning my hammer?”

“Not a bad idea,” replied Green Lantern. “That always means a Red Lantern’s been spotted!”

“Oh my,” remarked the Doctor. “One of Atrocitus’ minions, hopefully.”

“Hang on! I can smell an Imagin!” said Momotaros.

“Probably you,” remarked the Doctor. “Maybe you should take a bath?” That was when a red vortex opened and the Lantern Imagin stepped out of it! “…An Imagin?! With a red ring?! Oh no!”

“I need soldiers!” snarled the Lantern Imagin. “I must fulfill my contract!” The Imagin spotted the Doctor. “YOU! You have tremendous anger!”

“The Doctor?” asked Lurra Rus. “She’s not one to surrender to anger.”

“That will change!” The Lantern Imagin vomited his napalm blood all over the Doctor’s face! The Doctor screamed in agony as the blood burned her face, filling her with hatred and anger!

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” demanded Amy as she summoned her hammer. The Lantern Imagin then created a wall construct with his ring. “Wait a minute! COPYCAT!” shouted Amy.

“This is bad!” shuddered Green Lantern. “While us Green Lanterns are powered by willpower, Red Lanterns are powered by rage and hatred! They’ve become agents of vengeance instead of justice!”

“And the Doctor is the angriest, deep down!” said the Lantern Imagin. “Atrocitus wants soldiers, I shall give them to him! You, Doctor! You’ve fought for this universe all over time and space! But your work is constantly stymied! The Daleks, the Cybermen, the Sontarans, they all have done their best to ruin the universe despite your best efforts! How can you ever forgive those evil monsters?!”

“I…I cannot…” strained the Doctor.

“THEN BURN AS I DO!” The Lantern Imagin opened his hand and a red ring floated towards the Doctor. The Doctor strained as she tried to resettle her head.

“…I cross…the void…beyond the mind!” she recited. “The empty space…that circles time! …I see where others…stumble blind…to seek a truth…they never find! …Eternal wisdom…is my guide! …I am…THE DOCTOR!” The ring shattered and the napalm blood evaporated from her face!

“WHAT?!” shouted the Lantern Imagin as the Doctor picked herself up.

“…You’re right,” she said simply. “I DO hate what my enemies do to my work. But my will to see a better universe is stronger than my hate towards my enemies!”

“All of time and space is burning, Doctor!” warned the Lantern Imagin.

“Then I’ll put out the fires where I can. Right now, you need to go back to whatever time you came from. You Imagins are walking chronal surges.”

“No! Not until my time is fully restored!”

“Oh, get over it!” complained Momotaros. “Kai was a crap leader and you know it!”

“THAT’S IT! TAKING MY REVENGE NOW!” The Lantern Imagin created a sword construct and swung it at Momotaros, but the swing was intercepted by Green Lantern’s shield construct.

“You’re under arrest for intergalactic terrorism and attempted murder!” said Green Lantern.

“I obey no law but my own!” snarled the Lantern Imagin. The two Lanterns then dueled with Green Lantern creating vehicle constructs and the Lantern Imagin countering with various sword constructs.

“This is bad!” groaned Momotaros. “With Ryotaro somewhere else, I can’t easily turn into Den-O!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked the Doctor.

“The Imagin that are associated with Den-O’s forms,” explained the Owner, “must possess a body in order to give the person wearing the belt the powers they need.”

“And the usual person isn’t on the train?” quizzed Lurra Rus.

“I’m afraid not,” replied the Owner. “Unless someone with a proper fighting spirit can step forth, the Lantern Imagin will overpower Hal Jordan.”

“Yes, even the Flash’s upcoming help won’t be able to avert that future,” remarked the Doctor. The Flash tried to get a hit on the Lantern Imagin, but the Rage-fueled creature kept creating red portals to sidestep the Flash’s attacks.

“…Momotaros, how picky are you?” asked Amy.

“…You mean about someone being Den-O?” quizzed Momotaros. “I mean, I have SOME limits, but…wait, are you-?!”

“Amy, NO!” protested the Doctor.

“That IS her choice, Doctor,” remarked the Owner.

“Doctor, if I become Den-O, will Hal have a better shot at beating the Lantern Imagin?” asked Amy. “A simple yes or no will suffice.”

“…Yes, but-!”

“Then that settles it! Momotaros, where’s that belt? It’s time I try out being a Kamen Rider!” Momotaros shook his head as he chuckled.

“Here,” he said as he handed Amy a belt and pass. It was a simple belt with a circular scanner and four buttons on the left of the buckle. “Fair warning, though, your hair’s gonna get spiky.” Momotaros then turned transparent and entered Amy’s body. Amy spasmed as red energy crackled across her body, then a fanatic grin crossed her face! Her eyes were now red, her quills gained red highlights, and she was dressed in a leather jacket and rose-patterned skirt. As she spoke, Momotaros’ voice came out. “I don’t usually like possessing girls,” he said as he held the pass, “but beggars can’t be choosers! Besides, this girl’s strong enough!” He pressed the red button and a red light within the belt’s scanner flashed while music played. “HENSHIN!” Momotaros then waved the pass over the buckle.

“Sword Form!” announced the belt. A black bodysuit with a white railway line motif then formed over Amy’s body. Armor pieces then circled around her while a red peach went down the rail line running over her face. The peach stopped at her face as the armor attached itself into a simple red configuration with shoulder pads jutting outwards. The peach then split open to make itself into red lenses with antennae. As an added flair, the suit grew a rose-petal shaped skirt like Amy was wearing.

“Ore…SANJOU!” announced Momotaros, Kamen Rider Den-O in his sword form!