Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Domination of the Daleks: Part 4

Wander dodged the Dalek Supreme’s shot and it destroyed the cell door instead. Wander then ran out of the room, still strumming his banjo and singing at a faster pace now with the Dalek Supreme chasing him! “Sure seems like we’re becoming friends!

Buddies!

“EXTERMINATE!” Wander dodged another shot.

And buddies stay buddies ‘til the very end!

“HALT! HALT!! HALT!!!” Hater, Peepers, and Sylvia then took advantage of the situation and began freeing the prisoners! During the confusion, both parties crashed into each other. Wander then realized Sylvia was free like him!

“BUDDY!” he cheered as he hugged her.

“BUDDY!” replied Sylvia. The two then sang!

Oh, I thought I’d never be free again!

“Um…buddies?” asked Hater.

“BUDDIES!” replied Wander and Sylvia.

“Dominator’s gonna know we’re free any second now!” warned Hater.

“Wander keeps saying we’re friends!” barked the Dalek Supreme.

And he keeps trying to deny it!” sang Wander.

“Listen, buddies or not, I’m not ready to die yet!” replied Peepers. “So let’s go!”

“Agreed!” said the Dalek Supreme. “We must destroy any production plants on this ship related to the infected Daleks!”

“Let’s see here,” muttered Peepers as he accessed a computer console. “…AHA! Lord Dominator’s running on low power to account for genetic engineering! Any more and the production lines would blow!”

“…So I just need to give her too much of a good thing, huh?” asked Hater as a wicked grin crossed his face.

“What about that cure the Doctor’s making?” asked Wander.

“We will be buying the Doctor time to complete her task!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “All Daleks to battle conditions!”

“We obey!” replied the Daleks.


Back on Draykor and Demurra’s planet, the Doctor poured a solution into a container the size of her palm. She locked the container and shook it. “There,” she said. “That ought to do it.”

“Is it finished?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Ready and waiting for lunch,” replied the Doctor. She then checked her sonic screwdriver. “Good, it’s still there. Come on, you two. Back to the TARDIS. You’re about to know what it’s like to travel down a time corridor.”

“Wait, we’re going BACK to Hater’s ship?!” yelped Amy. “But Dominator has it!”

“And that’s where our new friend needs to be,” said the Doctor, “on Dominator’s ship. Come along, now!” The Doctor led Amy and Lurra Rus back to the TARDIS. Demurra was there.

“Doctor, you’re not leaving, surely?!” she asked.

“Right now, you should be safe,” assured the Doctor. “We’ll take care of Dominator and her forces as well as the Daleks.”

“But you’re unarmed!” protested Demurra.

“That’s the Doctor for you,” replied Lurra Rus. “The only arms she has are the one in her sleeves, where she keeps her surprises.”

“Precisely,” agreed the Doctor as she opened the TARDIS. “So, farewell!” She and her friends then entered the TARDIS. It then took off.


Inside the TARDIS, the time machine shook. “WHOA!” yelped Amy.

“It’s all right!” assured the Doctor. “The time corridor net has ensnared us and is bringing us to Hater’s ship. …Huh, it’s collapsing behind us.”

“Isn’t that bad?!” asked Lurra Rus.

“No worries, we’ll be there long before the time corridors collapse!” soothed the Doctor. The TARDIS then made its arrival noise, finishing with its usual thud. “Now, to make sure it worked…” she activated the scanner. “Aha! The interior of Lord Hater’s ship!”

“And Dominator’s forces just spotted us!” gulped Amy.

“Perfect!” said the Doctor as she headed to the doors.

“DOCTOR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” yelped Amy as the Doctor opened the door.

“Excuse me!” she called to the bots. “Can you lead me to your master? We’re rather cold here!”


The bots brought the Doctor and her friends to the bridge. Lord Dominator was giving commands to her bots. “Stop chasing that stupid spoon and kill him already!” she shouted.

“Lord Dominator, is it?” asked the Doctor. Dominator turned to see her new prisoners. A wicked grin then crossed her face.

“So, the infamous Doctor graces my ship with her presence!” she purred. “Gotta admit, you Time Lords are a hardy bunch if you’re still alive.”

“Thank you,” replied the Doctor. “I must confess, I’m curious as to why you needed mutated Daleks.”

“Well, this ship WAS built by them,” answered Dominator.

“Ah, a slave labor force.”

“Bingo. But Daleks by themselves don’t make for good slaves. They’re too intelligent and too sure of their own superiority. So I had to figure out how to dumb down that intelligence. That’s when I stumbled across a Movellan ship from after the war. It carried samples of the Movellan virus and I had a theory that, with a bit of alterations, it could turn the Daleks into mindless slaves. With a bit of lava tech, I attacked not only Dalek tissue, but their casing’s tech as well, making them perfect berserkers! After attacking that reproduction plant and getting it to produce enough slaves to build me a ship, I transferred the production plant over to my ship. And now, here we are! Round 2 and this time, I WILL destroy the galaxy!”

“You know, if you didn’t smile, I would assume you were a Dalek,” remarked the Doctor as she slowly opened the capsule.


Back with Hater and his group, they found the reproduction plant. “Okay, sir!” said Peepers. “It looks like Lord Dominator transferred all reproduction plant functions from the one she attacked to right here!”

“You mean she doesn’t have more on other planets?” asked Hater.

“Well, her ultimate goal IS the galaxy’s destruction,” reminded Sylvia. She then spotted something. “All of you, get back! Guards!” she hissed. Bots and Dominator’s infected Daleks entered the area.

“Production of berserkers will increase by 15%,” droned a bot.

“That’s too much!” hissed Peepers. “We need to thin them out!”

“…There is…one advantage to utilize!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “The camera eye at the top of the dome for the mutant creatures!”

“We need to give Lord Hater enough time to overcharge the ship,” said Peepers. “So, Sylvi-I mean, Zbornak, you take those men and Daleks across the left, I’ll take my men and Daleks across the center, and Dalek Supreme-.”

“I will lead the remainder of our forces across the right!” finished the Dalek Supreme. “Lord Hater, you will deal with the ship when the enemy is sufficiently low!”

“And me?” asked Wander.

“You get to the bridge, see if you can distract Dominator,” said Hater.

“Gotcha! See y’all later!” Wander ran off.

“Now, as you Daleks put it…EXTERMINATE!” called Hater as he pointed forward.

“ATTACK! ATTACK!” shouted the Dalek Supreme. “CRUSH ALL RESISTANCE!” Dominator’s forces were quickly attacked.


“HATER?!” yelped Dominator as she got the security alert.

“Well, well!” chuckled the Doctor. Dominator’s jaw dropped as her berserkers did!

“How are those nerds doing this?!” she snarled as she typed in commands for her bots. “The Daleks don’t have any physical weaknesses!”

“You haven’t done a lot of studying, have you?” asked Amy. “The eyestalk’s a pretty glaring weakness.”

“…You!” Lord Dominator activated her suit and lowered her helmet’s mask. “You’re gonna die for this!”

“I wouldn’t try it!” called the Doctor as she let the capsule drop with a clatter.

“Berserkers, destroy them!” ordered Dominator. Dominator’s berserkers entered the bridge, weapons ready. They made their usual noises, then…screeched in pain as orange foam spewed from their casings. “WHAT THE-?!”

“You’re not the only one that can alter the Movellan virus to her own ends,” said the Doctor. “And it won’t affect just your berserkers.”


Back with Hater’s group, the two factions were evenly matched, then…the berserkers started screeching in pain. The Daleks then twitched, then orange foam spewed from the berserkers’ casings as white foam spewed from the Daleks! “MALFUNCTION! MALFUNCTION!” screamed one.

“EMERGENCY!” shouted another.

“MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!” wailed the Dalek Supreme. “I CANNOT SEE!”

“What’s wrong with them?!” yelped Sylvia.

“Who cares?! Now’s my chance!” replied Hater. He fired a massive stream of lightning into the production lines and the ship rocked as explosions went off on every deck!


“NO! NOT AGAIN!” shouted Dominator as she tried to regain control of the ship. It was no good, the ship was crashing onto a nearby planet.

“We’ll see ourselves out,” called the Doctor. Dominator didn’t hear her as she and her friends left.


The TARDIS crew met up with Hater’s team and Wander at the skullship. “Guys, what’s going on?!” asked Wander. “I couldn’t get to the bridge to-!”

“Later, Wander!” replied Sylvia as she threw the nomad onto her saddle.

“Watchdogs, lay in an escape route the instant we get out of here!” ordered Hater.

“Way ahead of you, Sir!” replied a Watchdog as everyone boarded the skullship. The hangar doors exploded and the skullship quickly took off, leaving Dominator’s ship to crash.


Once they were a safe enough distance away, the Watchdog running the helm got a readout. “…Lord Dominator’s ship has crashed into Aquanitar II, Sir,” he reported. “The GVA got wind of your second victory over her and are declaring today Lord Hater Day.”

“As they should!” cackled Hater. “Once again, I’ve proved that I’m the greatest in the galaxy!”

“HATE’S GREAT! BEST VILLAIN! HATE’S GREAT! BEST VILLAIN!” cheered the Watchdogs.


“He couldn’t have done that without your help, Doctor!” scoffed Amy as they headed back to the TARDIS with Wander, Sylvia, and Peepers following.

“Get used to it, Pinky,” retorted Peepers. “Lord Hater is destined to rule this galaxy!”

“…Doc,” said Wander, “I’ve…heard ugly rumors about you.”

“Hm?” asked the Doctor.

“I heard that, wherever you find yourself, something ain’t right. Like trouble follows you like a bad rash.”

“It’s not something I make a habit of, I assure you!”

“I ain’t blaming you for that, Doc,” assured Wander, “but…it’s just so much! No matter what story I heard about you, death seems to be a big thing and, at least what I saw today, you just seem to be so used to it! People died today and…I know you’re a Time Lord, but I don’t want you to lose sight of life! You made a deadlier version of a virus that already killed Daleks, and you just casually used it! I can’t really believe you look at people dying and just take it as it is!”

“That’s not fair, Wander!” hissed Lurra Rus. “The Doctor-!”

“Lurra Rus, please,” interrupted the Doctor. “Wander needs to hear directly from me. Wander, we may look like we’re used to it, but I can assure you, death still affects me and my companions in just the same way as you. I may have appeared cold and heartless, but if I didn’t, many more would have died. Not just here, not just us, but the entire galaxy would have been consumed in a futile war between Daleks. A wise man once said that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

“Who?” asked Sylvia.

“Mr. Spock, but that’s not the point,” replied the Doctor. “What I’m trying to get across is that despite all of the problems that crop up that need me to solve them, no matter how alien I may seem, I still care. That’s why I do what I do; to help others. That’s not to say there isn’t anywhere peaceful in the universe. It’s always more enjoyable when you have someone by your side, so I’m not some lonely old woman in a police box or you’re not some weirdo in a hat. Now, let’s be on our way to find someplace peaceful. We’ll rest at our respective spots, kick our feet up, relax, and this will all seem like a bad dream. Goodbye, everyone.” The Doctor and her friends entered the TARDIS and it took off.

“…How long until the next bad dream for you, Doctor?” sighed Wander.

“Come on, Buddy, she IS right,” said Sylvia. “Let’s get out of here and find a nice, quiet world.” She then pulled out a bottle of what looked like bubble solution, dipped the wand, waved it over her and Wander, and the two were encased in a bubble. Sylvia then began walking as Wander rode on her back, the bubble protecting them from the dangers of space. Peepers just stared at the spot where everyone was.

“…Interesting philosophies, but-,” he said.

“PEEPERS!” shouted Hater over the comms. Peepers sighed as he picked up.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Domination of the Daleks: Part 3

Lord Dominator’s ship fired on the skullship as they fled! The smaller ship didn’t have the firepower to take on something so heavily armed, the insurance wouldn’t cover it! Lord Dominator’s ship then shot the skullship’s engines and halted it! Inside the skullship was pandemonium as Watchdogs and Daleks prepared for a potential boarding scenario. The ship rocked as a docking tube clamped onto it. The Watchdogs and Daleks were pointing their guns down the corridor leading to the skullship’s tongue, the blast doors sealing the way off. The Watchdogs gripped their weapons as the Daleks’ limbs and eyestalks twitched. Sparks then flew from the blast doors as if someone on the other side was cutting through them! The doors then exploded and infected Daleks swarmed in, along with various robots of different types. The robots and infected Daleks were the better shots, sadly, as many Watchdogs and Daleks fell to their firepower. “WITHDRAW!” called a Dalek.

“REGROUP!” shouted another.

“YOU HEARD THEM! FALL BACK!” shouted a Watchdog. It became a running firefight as Dominator’s forces swarmed the hall.


“There isn’t going to be enough time to process all this data!” wailed Peepers.

“We must move all data onto an external drive!” replied the Dalek.

“Way ahead of you!” called the Doctor as she held the sonic screwdriver to the computer console. “There!”

“All data is downloaded onto your sonic probe?” asked the Dalek.

“All of it!” confirmed the Doctor. “And it’s a sonic screwdriver, thank you.”

“Doctor, here!” called Peepers as he handed the Doctor a set of keys.

“What-?!”

“Commander Peepers is correct! Your survival is paramount!” barked the Dalek. “You must leave this ship! Take all research with you!”

“But my friends-!”

“Peepers, where’s the Doctor?!” called Hater over the comms.

“With me, Sir!” replied Peepers.

“I’ve got her friends waiting at my van! Wander and Sylvia are staying with us to hold Dominator off!”

“Understood, Sir! I’m bringing the Doctor now!” Peepers ended the call.

“I will give covering fire!” barked the Dalek.

“Thank you, that would be appreciated,” replied the Doctor. “Peepers, the van, please?”

“This way!” called Peepers. As he led everyone out, the Dalek turned and shot the computers in order to slow down any attempts by Dominator to hack it.


Lord Dominator, a terrifying figure, both in the suit, and showing off her real body. Lord Dominator had activated her suit and had torn a Dalek’s limbs off, scaring the creature. One of her bots then arrived. “Search of main computer core: complete. No anti-viral research detected.”

“Where is your friend?!” demanded Lord Dominator, her helmet’s voice modulator making her sound masculine. “What have you done with the Time Lord?!”

“Daleks are not friends with any Time Lord!” replied her prisoner. “We are in a temporary alliance with Lord Hater to discuss trade!”

“If you’re here to discuss trade, then where’s your ambassador?!” Lord Dominator punched through the Dalek’s midsection, then pulled her hand out, tearing the Dalek out of its casing. The sudden shock of being disconnected from its nutrient feed killed the creature. Lord Dominator tossed it aside. She then deactivated her suit and revealed her lime green skin and black dress with a thigh slit. “Tear this monument to tackiness apart until you find the Time Lord and all the research they’ve conducted!” she ordered her bots in her natural voice. “And bring me the passengers! I want them ALIVE!”


Peepers and the Dalek brought the Doctor to the hangar where Hater’s van was parked. Hater was there with Amy, Lurra Rus, Draykor, and Demurra. “DOCTOR!” called Amy.

“Can anyone drive a van?!” called the Doctor as she flashed the keys.

“Gimme!” replied Demurra.

“Doctor, you’re our last hope!” said Hater. “We’ll delay Dominator as long as we can! GO!” Everyone piled into the van and Demurra started the engine.

“Opening hangar doors!” reported the Dalek. The hangar opened and the van flew off into space! Just in time too! Dominator’s forces attacked! They destroyed the Dalek and stunned Hater and Peepers.

“Their condition is non-fatal,” said a bot. “Inform Lord Dominator that we have prisoners.”


Hater and Peepers were brought to the bridge. Hater looked to his left to see… “Lord Dominator!” he hissed. “Only you would be so bold! The Galactic Villain Alliance will not sit still for this! When they realize that you attacked me for no-!”

“Don’t act so surprised, bone-breath!” replied Dominator. “There IS a reason for my attack and you know it! You brought a Time Lord aboard this janky ship! I want to know what research they’ve conducted against my virus!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” snarled Hater. “I’m busy conducting trade negotiations with the Da-!”

“You and the Daleks are trying to find a cure for my virus and roped the Time Lord into helping you! Bots, take them away!” The bots escorted Hater and Peepers to Dominator’s ship. One of the bots stayed behind.

“Warning,” it advised, “holding Hater and Peepers is dangerous. Their victory thanks to Wander has made them the leader of an alliance of villains that will obey Hater.”

“I have traced the origin of the time corridor net to this ship,” replied Dominator. “Now they remain my only link to the Time Lord they tried to ensnare.”

“They will die before they tell you anything.”

“Leave that to me. Send a distress signal and then inform the GVA that all aboard were killed.” Another bot then approached Dominator. This one was one of the bots that stormed the hangar.

“Lord Dominator, there were five passengers of this ship that did not stay. All likely evidence is that they used Lord Hater’s tacky van to escape. The missing passengers are King Draykor, Princess Demurra, Lurra Rus, Amy Rose, and the Doctor.”

“The Doctor?!” asked Lord Dominator. “So, my virus forced them to work with their greatest enemy! They must have taken that van to escape. Send a detachment to find them, Command Bot 43. See to it personally. There’ll be no one to stop me this time!”


The van made its way back to Draykor’s castle. Everyone got out and entered the castle. “We have to save them!” urged Draykor.

“And we will, but I need to get started!” replied the Doctor.

“There’s a lab in the basement!” offered Demurra.

“Perfect! Now, let’s get going! I’ll explain what I learned as I go!” Everyone then went into the lab. “Now, Lord Dominator managed to get ahold of a virus that the Daleks encountered before. A while ago, the Daleks were at war with the Movellans, a race of humanoid robots. Both sides were so reliant on logic that the war was a deadlock. Each time one side attempted a stratagem, it was instantly anticipated and countered by the other’s battle computer. The Daleks brought back Davros to try and reintroduce some illogical thinking, but my first encounter with the Movellans resulted in them discovering the Daleks’ true nature as biological organisms in tanks. The Movellans developed a virus which exclusively attacked Dalek tissue. The Dalek fleet was destroyed and those who survived went to separate parts of the universe to avoid further infection and work on a cure. After a period of factionalism, the Daleks found a cure and fought against the Movellans again, winning their new war. Lord Dominator must have stumbled across a sample of the Movellan Virus and mutated it with Volcanium X, making a new strain that the Daleks hadn’t accounted for.”

“And you’re making a cure for them?” asked Lurra Rus. “What happens after that? Do you think they’ll leave us alone?”

“I doubt it, and I’m not creating a cure for the Daleks, per se.” The Doctor’s friends looked at each other, wondering what was going on in her head.


On Lord Dominator’s ship, Wander, Hater, Peepers, Sylvia, and the Dalek Supreme were in a cell. The Dalek Supreme looked outside the cell bars. “…My Daleks…corrupted!” it said.

“Lord Dominator’s really lost it!” shuddered Peepers. “What if she makes a virus that infects US?!”

“Don’t,” muttered Hater. “I’m depressed enough as it is.” Wander looked at the sorry state of affairs, then pulled a banjo out of his hat somehow. He then began strumming.

“Wander, is now really the time?” asked Sylvia.

My fair Hatey, pick your chin up,” sang Wander.

Things are bound to get better.

Yeah, the gal of your dreams,

Is still deadly it seems,

And it’s still good you didn’t wind up together.”

“Cease singing!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.

My Fair Dalley, don’t you give up.” The Dalek Supreme looked at Wander in confusion. “Dalley” wasn’t a word usually used by non-Daleks.

It ain’t a total disaster.

Hey, it’s still the Doctor’s go,

She’ll put on a show,

And do a lot of fun stuff we’ll get to laugh at after.

Seems like you’re becoming,

Becoming people a little less full of hate!” Peepers and Sylvia looked at each other in disbelief.

Sure, Dominator’s got an unstoppable army,

And a…maniacaldeterminationtodestroyourwholegalaxy,

But you know what I think is great?

“Please listen to the Dalek!” Hater begged quietly.

I’m talking about buddies!

Sure seems like we’re becoming friends!

Buddies!

“We are not ‘buddies’!” insisted the Dalek Supreme.

And buddies stay buddies ‘til the very end!

“Silence!”

I know you’ll try to deny it!

“I speak the truth!”

Chase me round the galaxy and try to hide it!

“You will be silent!”

We’re buddies.

“EXTERMINATE!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Domination of the Daleks: Part 2

“…Oh, I get it! She’s one of THOSE heroes!” chuckled Hater. “You heard them, Doctor!”

“Hater, you’re making the mistake of thinking they’re bluffing!” called Amy. “They WILL kill those people!”

“Five rels have passed! Exterminate the Binglebop prisoner!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.

“Exterminate!” replied a Dalek as it shot a Binglebop. The Binglebop screamed as it died painfully. Peepers went to check on the Binglebop and his eye widened.

“…S-Sir!” he gulped. “The Daleks AREN’T bluffing! The Binglebop is dead!”

“WHAT?!” shouted Hater. “WAIT A MINUTE, HAVEN’T YOU TIN CANS HEARD OF A BLUFF?!”

“Daleks do not bluff!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “It is an inferior tactic, especially against the Doctor! Five rels have passed! Exterminate the-!”

“WAIT!” called the Doctor. Everyone turned to look at her. “…If I come aboard the skullship, I want your word that my companions will be unharmed!”

“Your companions will be guarded! Any attempt to undermine the Daleks will result in their extermination! You, your companions, Wander, the Zbornak, and the owners of the castle will exit immediately! Move! Move! MOVE!”

“We obey!” called the Doctor.

“Doctor-!” protested Sylvia.

“Sylvia, those monsters are as dangerous as Dominator,” replied Draykor. “Our people fear them for a good reason.” He turned to his gate guard. “Open the gates. Demurra and I will be back when we can.” His guard nodded solemnly and dutifully obeyed.

“Come on, everyone,” directed the Doctor. She led everyone to the invading army. As they approached the tip of the skullship’s tongue, a Dalek looked at the prisoners from the Torture Room.

“These prisoners are surplus to requirements!” it reported to the Dalek Supreme. “Their survival was not part of the deal!”

“Agreed!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “Exterminate!” It then fired on all the Torture Room victims, killing them.

“That wasn’t necessary!” snapped Peepers.

“Silence!” barked the Dalek Supreme.

“Lord Hater, Commander Peepers,” hissed the Doctor, “you better hope YOU don’t become surplus to requirements!”

“Doc, are these Daleks ALWAYS so cold-blooded?!” shuddered Sylvia.

“Unerringly,” replied the Doctor.

“Doctor, what about the TARDIS?!” asked Amy.

“We can’t escape with the Daleks’ time corridor net,” reminded Lurra Rus.

“We’ll just have to go back for it when this adventure is done,” muttered the Doctor.

“My guards will keep watch over your ship,” said Draykor.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” bid the Doctor.

“We will depart this planet!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.

“We obey!” replied the other Daleks. …One of them dragged its words out and everyone noticed it twitching more than usual.

“Are you experiencing a system’s malfunction?” asked the Dalek Supreme.

“I…I-I-I-I…ah…Ah! AHhh! AHHH! AARRRRGGHHGHGHGHG!” The Dalek was screaming in pain and firing wildly. “OUT OF CONTROL! OUT OF CONTROL! ALERT! PAAAAIIIINNN! ALERT! SYSTEMS! UNBALANCED! CONTROL LOST! WEAPONRY! DISCHARGING! ABOVE! SAFETY TOLERANCES! I! AM! OVERHEATING!”

“Lord Hater, LOOK!” called Peepers. He pointed at the neck section of the unbalanced Dalek as it took on a black shape with glowing yellow lines!

“Oh no!” whispered Hater. “It’s a sickness!”

“DOMINATOR’S INFLUENCE! DOMINATOR’S INFLUENCE!” shrieked the Dalek Supreme as the coloration spread across the unbalanced Dalek while its speech devolved into beastly sounds. “ALERT! ALERT! MOVE AWAY FROM THIS UNIT!”

“WATCHDOGS, EYES UP!” called Hater.

“What do you intend to do?!” asked Lurra Rus.

“MOVE AWAY!” shouted another Dalek. “IT MUST BE EXTERMINATED!”

“NO! WAIT!” called Peepers. “Don’t you see?! This is our best opportunity-!”

“SILENCE! SILENCE!” ordered the Dalek Supreme. “THERE MUST BE NO IMPURITIES IN THE DALEK RACE! THIS CREATURE MUST BE-!”

“Creature?!” repeated Demurra in disbelief. “You’re talking about one of your own kind here!”

“NO! NO! IT IS NO LONGER A DALEK! DOMINATOR HAS INFECTED IT!”

“But if we can study a living specimen-!” argued Peepers.

“THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!” replied the other Dalek. “ALL INFECTED DALEKS MUST BE EXTERMINATED!” By now, the infected Dalek was fully black with glowing yellow light escaping cracks in its new casing.

“I’m siding with the Daleks on this one, Peepers!” declared Hater as he summoned green lightning from his hands.

“EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”

“NO!” shouted the Doctor and Commander Peepers as they shielded the infected Dalek.

“PEEPERS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” demanded Hater.

“MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, DOCTOR AND COMMANDER PEEPERS, OR WE WILL EXTERMINATE YOU AS WELL!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.

“I don’t think so!” replied the Doctor. “You went to a lot of trouble to get me and if that infection’s the reason why we’re all here now, I need it alive to conduct my research!”

“ALL INFECTED DALEKS-!”

“JUST LISTEN, YOU IDIOT!” shouted Peepers. “We never captured one of these things and we have no clue how this infection spreads! This thing could be the vital part we need to making a cure!” By now, the infected Dalek had stopped moving and all its limbs drooped. “Just look! Now is the best time to drag it into whatever isolation ward you have on your ship!”

“Lord Hater, Dalek Supreme, we REALLY need samples of the casing and the internal creature to fix this!” urged the Doctor.

“…Flab-drassit, FINE!” grumbled Hater.

“This creature-!” protested the Dalek Supreme.

“There’s no point arguing with the nerdy science types!” replied Hater. “Not if they’re gonna put their lives on the line like that for experiments! Watchdogs, bring the infected Dalek aboard and get it in a room AWAY from our Dalek friends!”

“YES, SIR!” replied the Watchdogs.


The infected Dalek was sealed in a room aboard the skullship. “All seals functioning,” said Peepers.

“Good,” replied the Doctor. “Now would someone tell me what’s going on here?!” Peepers and the single Dalek in the science lab looked at each other. “…Well?!”

“Lord Dominator is making a new breed of Daleks,” replied Peepers.

“There is only one breed of Dalek!” insisted the Dalek.

“Lord Dominator’s mutating you guys and you know it!” retorted Peepers. The Dalek backed up at that. “What’s the matter? The truth’s too much for you?!”

“This Lord Dominator…is changing the Daleks on a genetic level as well?” asked the Doctor.

“Lord Dominator conquered a Dalek reproduction plant,” explained Peepers. “As of yet, we don’t know how. The infection removes all higher brain functions. They’re reduced to mindless beasts. From what we’ve seen, the attack was recent. Here.” Peepers pulled up some computer files.

“Outsiders are not permitted to look at those files!” insisted the Dalek.

“Well, I never,” mused the Doctor. “Cell donation records. This is a first for me. And I can see that there haven’t been any incidents of mutation until three days ago.”

“And that reproduction plant is pumping out legions!” said Peepers. “Look!” Peepers pulled up the figures.

“…Five full invasion forces in just three days. That IS alarming.”

“Which makes me wonder where she’s getting the Volcanium X,” muttered Peepers.

“Volcanium X?” asked the Doctor.

“A substance found deep in planet cores,” replied the Dalek, “with properties similar to magma! It is primarily used for lava-tech!”

“Then there must be this Volcanium X stuff in the infected Dalek’s casing,” mused the Doctor.

“Possibly,” said Peepers. “We need a scan to confirm.”

“Beginning scans!” reported the Dalek. A progress bar then appeared, slowly going across the screen…then stopping.

“Oh, come on! What are you Watchdogs using, Windows NT?!” complained the Doctor. “Looks like I need to defrag the-!” The progress bar then shot forward to 100%. “…I guess it doesn’t like that.”

“Scan results on screen!” reported the Dalek.

“Aha! Knew it! There IS Volcanium X in that Dalek!” cheered Peepers.

“No, no, hang on,” replied the Doctor. “Look. The Volcanium X was introduced into it thanks to a virus. Can we get a genome map of the virus?”

“Conducting virus genome mapping!” replied the Dalek. The progress bar appeared, going faster now. “Genome mapping complete!” reported the Dalek. “Genetic similarities detected! Displaying nearest genome match!” A screen with two virus cells appeared. One looked organic, the other had Volcanium X veins running through its cell membrane.

“We need to run a mutation simulation,” mused the Doctor. She programmed a simulation of what the unaltered virus would look like if Volcanium X was introduced. The virus went through several changes until it matched the initial Volcanium X virus. “Well, that does tell us something,” said the Doctor.

“What?” asked Peepers.

“That the virus is artificial in origin,” explained the Doctor.

“Unaltered virus has been identified!” said the Dalek. “Allowing access to entry in Dalek Contagion Catalogue!” The Dalek pulled it up onscreen. The Doctor goggled as she processed the information.

“Well!” she said. “The Movellan Virus rears its ugly head! The Volcanium X must have circumvented the cure you Daleks created!”

“Erm, what IS the Mo-?” Before Peepers could finish his question, the ship rocked!

“Alert! Alert! Bridge reports that we are under attack!” warned the Dalek. The Doctor called the bridge.

“Lord Hater, what’s going on?!” she asked.

“Doctor, it’s Lurra Rus!” replied the person on the other end. “Some red and black Star Destroyer just appeared and started shooting at us!”

“Lurra Rus, does the bridge tower look like an evil face?!” asked Peepers, a nasty theory forming in his head.

“Yes, why?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Dominator!” gulped Peepers. “She’s got her ship back and is after us!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Domination of the Daleks: Part 1

Sleeping in his room, a strange creature snored. He was a diminutive creature with only an eyeball for a head. On his nightstand was his helmet with an oversized lightning bolt protruding from the top. As he snoozed…a comms unit crackled to life with a bellowing voice shouting his name. “PEEEEPEEEERS!” The eyeball person, Commander Peepers of the Watchdogs of Lord Hater, woke up with a groan. He rubbed his eye and picked up the comms unit.

“Commander Peepers here, sir,” he grumbled.

“Peepers, we just arrived at Flurpak V and there’s no life on it!” barked his master, Lord Hater. “I need you up here.”

“No life…?” repeated Peepers. “I’m on my way!” As he put on his helmet, one would swear they heard a military chorus sing “Commander Peepers!”


Peepers arrived on the bride of the skull-shaped ship and dutifully marched up to his master, the skeleton in the red and black robes with green eyes and lightning bolts on his hood, Lord Hater, the current number 1 villain on the Galactic Villain Leaderboard. “Are we sure there’s no one down there?” asked Commander Peepers.

“That’s what scanner readouts are telling us,” replied Hater. “But that doesn’t make sense! I mean, look at the planet’s north pole!” Commander Peepers checked the readings and got a visual image of a giant pole sticking out of the planet’s north pole. Surrounding it was a factory.

“…I’d say our sensors were faulty, Sir,” remarked Peepers. “I’ll have maintenance look at them.”

“I already had them check the sensors out, Peepers,” dismissed Hater.

“Sirs!” called a Watchdog. “We’re getting a tech match concerning the factory!”

“Onscreen!” ordered Hater. The instant the tech match readings appeared, the alarms sounded with all screens displaying one single word. Peepers’ eye went wider than usual.

“Oh…Grop!” he whispered. “Sir, do you recognize that word?”

“…It…seems familiar,” muttered Hater.

“Sirs! Something’s coming out of the factory! …Backwards, it looks like.”

“Zoom in on the thing!” ordered Peepers. The screens zoomed in…and everyone gasped. Even Hater knew what that was.

“Now I remember!” he whispered. “Skaro, homeworld of the Daleks!”

“Why are they retreating from their own factory?” asked a Watchdog.

“Wait, something’s coming out in pursuit of the Daleks!” said another Watchdog. The screens displayed a creature that was black with glowing yellow lines, like it was made of lava!

“DOMINATOR!” everyone yelped.

“She’s obviously done something to set back the Daleks!” said Hater. “Peepers, get me the Dalek in charge! They want a method to take that thing down, they’ll need our help!”

“Sir, you can’t be serious!” protested Peepers. “These are DALEKS we’re talking about!”

“My decision’s been made, Peepers! Open a channel to the Daleks!” The comms officer thought his master was clearly nuttier than usual, but there was nothing for it.

“Channel open to Dalek Supreme, Sir,” he said.

“Dalek Supreme, this is Lord Hater!” A black Dalek with gold trim then appeared on the screen.

“I have no time to talk with you, Lord Hater!” it barked.

“You’re facing an enemy we faced before!” replied Hater. “You want to take Lord Dominator down, yeah?!”

“…We will discuss terms on your ship!” decided the Dalek Supreme.


On another planet, the TARDIS arrived in a dark, spooky castle. Lurra Rus stepped out first and looked around. “What is this, an amusement park ride?” she asked. Amy then poked her head out.

“Doctor, did you get off track again?” she asked.

“I assure you, I didn’t,” replied the Doctor as she stepped out of the TARDIS. “There was a network of time corridors, almost like a net. If we drifted into one of them, we would have been caught in one and couldn’t break free.”

“Didn’t the Cybermen use a time corridor?” asked Amy. “In Crystal Tokyo?”

“That was thanks to them scavenging from a race that’s infamous with the usage of time corridors,” reminded the Doctor. “No, this was straight from-.”

“You sure you heard it over here?” asked another woman’s voice.

“Positive, Syl!” replied a country man’s voice.

“I know that voice,” remarked the Doctor.

“I find it hard to believe,” rumbled a third voice, “that you actually found a TARDIS. The Time Lords vanished with the Daleks, remember?” Four people rounded a corner. One looked like the classic fairytale princess complete with blonde hair and a huge, pink dress. The second looked like a terrifying dragon with a crown on his head. The third looked like some alien dinosaur with a bridle and saddle. The last could only be described as a furry orange spoon with arms, legs, and a green hat with a star on the front. The Doctor’s eyes lit up.

“AMBLER!” she called.

“Ambler?” asked the dino. “Who’s Ambler?”

“I used to be Ambler before I came to this galaxy, Syl,” replied the furry spoon. “And if I’m guessing right, this lady’s the Doctor!”

“That’s right!” confirmed the Doctor. “So, you’re not Ambler these days? What are you called now?”

“Just call me Wander!” answered the furry spoon. “The Zbornak’s called Sylvia.”

“Hey,” replied the alien dino.

“And those are King Draykor and his wife, Princess Demurra!”

“Hello,” greeted the princess.

“Draykor and Demurra!” chuckled the Doctor. “I had heard about your plight with Sir Brad Starlight. …And I thought you had triplets.”

“My father’s babysitting them,” replied the dragon, King Draykor. “Both our parents are CRAZY about the kids, even sharing a day to do that.”

“Ah, the in-laws get along, hm?” mused the Doctor. “Well, I’m the Doctor. That’s Amy Rose.”

“Hello!” called Amy.

“And that’s Lurra Rus.”

“Pleased to meet you,” greeted Lurra Rus.

“What brings you to our planet, Doctor?” asked Demurra.

“Well, someone’s set up a series of time corridors like a net,” replied the Doctor. “And I fear it might be my greatest enemies.”

“Oh no!” complained Amy. “Don’t say it!”

“Say what?” asked Sylvia.

“What she’s about to say,” muttered Amy.

“The Daleks,” answered the Doctor.

“The Daleks?” asked Draykor. “They haven’t been sighted in this galaxy since most of recorded history.”

“Well, they may be here now,” replied the Doctor. Just then, a knight approached the group.

“Your Majesties!” he panted. “Dreadful news! Lord Hater’s skull ship has been spotted coming here!”

“What?!” yelped Draykor. “Prepare all defenses!”

“Lord Hater’s coming?!” asked Wander with childish glee.

“Erm, should I-?” asked the Doctor.

“Wander’s just excited that he gets another chance to show Hater a better path,” explained Sylvia. “He did it before on numerous occasions. That’s why Hater’s so focused on beating him senseless and why I still have to drag his furry butt out of so many sticky situations.”

“I suppose we’d better meet Lord Hater,” remarked Amy.

“And see if he’s connected to the Daleks at all,” mused Lurra Rus.

“The coincidence IS rather stark, isn’t it?” agreed the Doctor.


Outside the castle, Lord Hater’s ship landed. To put it bluntly, it’s Lord Hater’s head with hot-rod decorations, complete with large exhaust pipes. The ship opened its mouth and unfurled a tongue. The Watchdogs then marched out of the ship, chanting “HATE’S GREAT! BEST VILLAIN!” over and over. Lord Hater and Commander Peepers arrived. “Attention, King Draykor!” Lord Hater called. “Come out with your hands above your head and all weapons at the door! Your planet-!”

“HEY, HATEY-HATEY-BO-BATEY!” called Wander.

“YOU!” shouted Hater. “What are YOU doing here, Wander!? Can’t you see I’m trying to conquer this-?!” Hater stopped as he recalled something. “…Wait a minute, what am I saying? I mean, good to see you again, Wander!”

“Sir, you can’t be serious?!” complained Peepers.

“Well, he helped me defeat Lord Dominator, so why not bring him along with the Doctor?!” demanded Hater. Peepers raised his finger to argue…then realized that his master, in his own, deluded way, was right.

“Fair enough, Sir,” he said.

“Why are y’all talking about Lord Dominator?” asked Wander.

“She’s involved in this new mess popping up!” replied Hater. “And we need the Doctor here! So if she would help our Dalek friends, that would be-!”

“Well, well, well!” called the Doctor. “So the Hater Empire has sold out to the Daleks. You’re seriously asking me to help them? You don’t know me very well.”

“We know you better than you think, Doctor!” replied Peepers. “There’s no way your TARDIS can get you out of this situation, not with the Daleks’ time corridor net ready to catapult you to wherever they want you!”

“I knew it!” hissed the Doctor. “I don’t deny the fact that trying to escape would ensnare me like a fly in a spiderweb. So why don’t you all tell me the situation that requires me and Wander from right there at your leisure? You seem to be so sure of your argument.”

“Time’s against us, Doctor!” insisted Peepers. “We’re ordering you to step onto the skullship and-!”

“That is not how you force the Doctor to cooperate!” barked the Dalek Supreme as it and its retinue of Daleks glided down the tongue with a cadre of prisoners.

“Hey! Those are from my Torture Room!” protested Hater.

“Doctor!” called the Dalek Supreme. “You will exit the castle and bring Wander aboard the skullship or we will exterminate these prisoners one at a time every five rels!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

The Twisting Mind: Part 4

The Doctor, Amy, and Lurra woke up to see what looked like a circus around them. “What the?” asked Amy. “Why a circus?”

“The Aquato Family Circus,” replied the Doctor. “That’s where Raz was born. They once believed that a curse was placed upon them by a rival family with psychics that they would die in water, so they initially grew to dislike psychics, but now things are slowly turning different, what with there being four psychics in the family. Five if you count Lucretia.”

“COME ONE, COME ALL!” called Raz’s voice. Everyone turned to see him dressed in a ringmaster costume! “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Great Fiery Circus!” A ring of fire then appeared!

“Oh dear,” muttered the Doctor.

“And I see from the crowd that we have new volunteers! Welcome, ladies!” said Ringmaster Raz.

“Volunteers?” asked Lurra Rus.

“Yes, my dear! You seem like a fine juggler!” Ringmaster Raz then turned to Amy. “And you would be a perfect Strongwoman!” He finished with the Doctor. “And your tightrope skills would be perfect!”

“Hold on, what about the actual juggler, strongman, and tightrope walker?!” yelped the Doctor.

“Ah, those three are still in their tents!” scoffed Ringmaster Raz. “Unless you can convince those do-nothings to get back to work, you three will have to do.”

“I rather think we’re going to make for poor substitutes,” replied the Doctor. “Lurra, see if you can convince the juggler. Amy, you take care of the strongman. I’ll talk to the tightrope walker.”


The entrances to each person’s tent were easy to find. It was dealing with the Censors that proved hard. Amy went into the strongman’s tent to find a strongman version of Raz trying to lift a 1,000 pound barbell over his head. “Come on!” strained Strongman Raz. “I can do this!”

“Erm, sir,” asked Amy, “can I help you?”

“Unless you can help me lift this thing, I doubt it!” replied Strongman Raz. Amy looked the barbell over and saw…well, symbols that she couldn’t make out.

“Are these from the Aquato Circus?” asked Amy.

“No, they’re a proprietary circus language,” answered Strongman Raz. “I don’t get it! I could lift this before!”

“Can I at least touch it?” quizzed Amy.

“Be my guest,” sighed Strongman Raz. Amy touched the barbell…and the voices of various people flooded her brain.

“Keep up the family name, son!” said one.

“We have a tradition to uphold!” said another. Amy then took her hand off and realized why it’s so heavy.

“Those…are quite heavy expectations,” she said.

“I could carry them on my pinky just fine! Why can’t I lift them now?!” snarled Strongman Raz.

“Raz, aren’t there psychics in your family as well?” quizzed Amy.

“Yes, but-.”

“And aren’t there psychic moments in your acts these days?”

“Yes, but again-.”

“And didn’t someone ever say they were proud of you for being what you are?” Strongman Raz opened his mouth…then he remembered something.

“…Dad,” he said. “He and I are-.”

“Son!” called a voice. The two turned to see a lanky man with a beard, a scar on his right eye, and scruffy hair.

“Dad?!” yelped Strongman Raz. “…Wait, are you-?”

“No, son, I’m not the real Augustus Aquato,” replied the man. “But I AM the one you look up to. I know we put a lot on you as an Aquato Acrobat, but I want you to know that I am proud of you being a Psychonaut.”

“Y-You are?” asked Strongman Raz.

“Don’t be weighed down by what-if’s, son. If you DID stay with the circus, I doubt we’d be working on our relationship.” Strongman Raz considered, then he looked at the Barbell. He tried lifting it with two hands…and raised it above his head! He even tested keeping it above his head with his pinky!

“I DID IT!” he cheered.

“That’s my boy!” cheered the illusion of Augustus!

“I gotta go!” Strongman Raz said to Amy and the illusion of his dad. “The Ringmaster’s got a show ready and I’m NOT gonna miss my act!” He left his tent with the barbell in his hand. Augustus faded and Amy smiled.

“All right, you two,” she said to herself, “it’s all on you!”


Lurra Rus arrived at the Juggler’s tent to see a version of Raz trying to juggle but missing and clonking his head. “Raz!” yelped Lurra Rus.

“Hey, lady, if you don’t mind!” hissed Juggler Raz. “I’m trying to practice here!” Lurra Rus looked at the bowling pins he was trying to juggle.

“Erm, shouldn’t you start small?” she asked.

“Come on, that’s too easy!” replied Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus lifted a bowling pin and noticed a face on it.

“…That’s Sasha on it,” she said. She looked at another. “…Who’s the old lady? And why does this one have a younger lady with a serpent hood?”

“That’s my Nona, thank you very much!” hissed Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus developed a theory.

“…You’re juggling all these,” she said, “but you’re forgetting yourself.”

“Huh?” asked Juggler Raz. Lurra Rus looked around the tent and found three small balls. She examined the faces on them and saw that they all had Raz’s face.

“AHA!” she cheered. “These should do for a starting point!”

“Miss, what-?”

“Raz, you managed to juggle everyone’s emotions to try and reach a happy ending for everyone, and that’s a laudable goal, but you can’t make everyone happy. Not until you can juggle your own emotions. Come on. Humor me and start small.” Juggler Raz arched an eyebrow, then he humored her. First he started with tossing one ball, then he tossed two, then he moved up to three. Soon, he was juggling like a pro and practiced for a while.

“…Lady, toss me that bowling pin with Nona,” he said. Lurra Rus did so. Juggler Raz altered his grip when he needed to catch the bowling pin. “…Okay, now the one with Sasha!” he called. Lurra Rus did so and Juggler Raz was now juggling like a pro. “Okay, last bowling pin!” he called. Lurra Rus tossed him the last bowling pin with his father’s face on it. By now, he was juggling all the balls and the pins without dropping one! “GOT IT!” he cheered. He then caught them all, balls in one hand and pins in the other. “I gotta get back to the big top! I’ve got the perfect idea for a new act! Later!” Juggler Raz rushed off.

“Break a leg!” called Lurra Rus.


The Doctor had to fight off a few Censors in order to get to the Tightrope Walker’s tent. When she entered, she saw Raz in a tightrope walker’s outfit trying to walk across a low tightrope and falling off it. “Oh dear,” she said. “Need some help?”

“I don’t understand!” complained Tightrope Raz. “I’ve done this before! Why is it hard now?!” The Doctor looked at the practice mat and saw symbols relating to what Norma said.

“Oh dear, Norma really affected you, hasn’t she?” she sighed.

“It’s like I have to choose between keeping Nona happy or telling the outside world what really happened to Grulovia!” grumbled Tightrope Raz.

“Last I heard, tightrope walkers don’t look down,” mused the Doctor. “They generally look straight ahead.” Tightrope Raz blinked.

“Look ahead?” he muttered. He then smacked his forehead. “Look ahead at the goals, of course!” he grumbled to himself. “How could I forget that?” He then got back up and tried again, this time focusing on the path ahead instead of what was below him. It took a while…but he made it to the other side! He tried again, setting the rope higher…higher…higher…until he proved he could walk any height! “YES!” he cheered! “I better get back to the Big Top! There’s a show tonight and I gotta be in it!” Tightrope Raz then left. The Doctor followed him and saw Ringmaster Raz talking to the other three.

“You mean you boys are coming back on?!” asked Ringmaster Raz.

“Stage fright, that’s all,” replied Strongman Raz.

“Those ladies really know how to get a guy going!” said Juggler Raz as he pointed out the Doctor and her friends.

“Ladies, the Great Fiery Circus is in your debt!” said Ringmaster Raz. “Come on, my friends! There’s a lot of work to do!” As Ringmaster Raz led his fellows to the big top, the scenery melted away.


Everyone woke up in the real world. The Psycho-portal closed and Raz took it off his head. “A pity we had to miss the show,” said the Doctor.

“I think most people would prefer a real circus anyways,” replied Raz as he put his goggles back onto his head.

“Razputin, are you all right?” asked Sasha.

“Much better now, Agent Nein,” replied Raz. “Did you or Milla ever have to enter one another’s mind?”

“Of course,” answered Sasha. “We look out for each other. And you asking for and accepting help is exactly what Psychonauts do for one another. We look out for one another’s mental health.”

“Good. I think we need to check on Norma’s mental health. See why she lashed out like that.”

“Agreed. Doctor, are you and your friends coming?” The Doctor checked her sonic screwdriver.

“…I don’t think you need our help anymore,” she said. “My TARDIS is saying that the psychic energy that will come from the Grouping will be at a more manageable state. Just keep an eye on Raz. An empath like him is quite the asset to not only the Psychonauts, but mental health in general.”

“Wait, I’m an EMPATH?!” yelped Raz, surprised. “No wonder I feel like I can feel others’ emotions!”

“I’ll be keeping my eye on you, Raz,” said the Doctor. “Come on, you two. We still have some preparations to make.” The Doctor took her friends back to the TARDIS and off they went!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

The Twisting Mind: Part 3

“Hold on, that’s Norma’s brain?” asked Lurra Rus. “Gristol, what was the endgame in putting her brain inside a mech like that?”

“And how did you shake down Coach Oleander like that?!” asked Raz.

“I was supposed to use her to sabotage the Psychonauts!” replied Gristol. “She took control of the plan!”

“Well, Grulovia and its people ARE supposed to be dead,” said Norma. “And all I needed were the plans to his brain tanks, Raz. I simply…modified the design!”

“Okay, Doctor spinning uselessly in the Time Vortex here,” said the Doctor. “What’s going on?”

“My first bit of Psychonauts business,” explained Raz, “involved Coach Oleander using military stuff to bury his childhood trauma of seeing a bunny slaughtered by his dad. That was never addressed until two weeks ago when he was making tanks powered by fighters’ brains that could take over the world with psychic powers. I helped him address that trauma and I also addressed trauma that stemmed from what Dad said to me and now Coach is undergoing a mental evaluation. That whole thing is where I fell under the influence of the sneezing powder.”

“I see,” remarked the Doctor.

“She was supposed to help me restore Grulovia! To make all psychics compliant!” wailed Gristol.

“And I’m supposed to obey the whims of a prince of a dead nation?” scoffed Norma.

“Look, Norma,” called Raz, “I don’t know what this is all about, but we need to put Gristol Malik back in Psychoisolation so the Hague’s Psi division can try him!”

“You think they can convict him?” asked Norma.

“Norma, we’re not executioners!” called Sasha. “We help others deal with their inner demons without totally dealing with them ourselves!”

“And that’s the law?” scoffed Norma. “We’re blunted, Agent Nein. We have the power to take care of any villains before they rise! You think Oleander wasn’t thinking about that when he made the brain tanks?!”

“He wasn’t!” argued Raz. “He was only thinking about how he’d finally see some military action despite his height!”

“Well, guess who’s actually doing something about it!” retorted Norma. “Welcome to the new battlefield! You old guard right down to Raz vs. the new generation and I WILL achieve victory!”

“Miss Norma, are you really THAT paranoid about evil rising?” asked the Doctor.

“Let me answer your questions with one of my own,” replied Norma. “By what tortured logic did the Grand Head and the Psychic Six conclude that letting people like Gristol Malik or Lucretia Mux avoid real justice represented anything other than an insult to the memory of Grulovia and its people?! Seriously, can anyone explain to me how those unrepentant murderers can go about their business as if nothing happened?! The orders of keeping the status quo, the quelling of peaceful protestors, the flooding of an entire country, apparently, they were all missteps on the Gzesarevich and Maligula’s path of redemption!”

“Look, I get it!” called Raz. “When I heard about Nona’s past and what Ford did to lock it away, I was furious-!”

“And now look at you! Letting Ford date Lucretia again as if nothing happened! And not just Raz! All of you! What are you, the Grulovian Entourage!? By helping those maniacs find peace, you’re excusing their past behavior! And it falls to me, a representative of the 99%, to remind you how wrong this is! Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration? No. Not Mux, not Malik, not now, not ever!” Norma raised her now metallic arm, ready to strike…but something shook. “What the-?!” She couldn’t finish her sentence before the legs of the mech fell apart! The arms automatically shielded the brain container as the mech fell. “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” demanded Norma.

“Hang on, where’s the Doctor?!” yelped Raz.

“Tinkering as usual!” called the Doctor as she stepped out from behind the mech and twirled the sonic screwdriver in her fingers.

“…So it IS a screwdriver,” remarked Amy.

“Of course!” replied the Doctor. “I told you, sometimes you have to assemble a bunch of cabinets!”

“What’s going on?!” yelped Norma. “I can’t move!”

“I also disabled the synapse circuits,” continued the Doctor. “That mech’s nothing more than a hunk of junk.” She then checked the readings on the screwdriver. “…Although, the TARDIS is still saying there’s a mental crisis somewhere and…Raz?” The Doctor noticed that Raz’s fist was trembling.

“Oh no!” yelped Sasha. “Raz’s mental energy is spiking!”

“Doctor, didn’t Raz say that Lucretia Mux was his Nona?!” asked Lurra Rus.

“Oh my word!” realized the Doctor. “He’s blisteringly angry! And Norma’s attack must have exacerbated it!”

“We can’t help him at this state!” warned Sasha. “We need him to release his anger somehow!”

“You Psychonauts can make psi-blasts, yes?” asked the Doctor.

“Yes, an excellent idea,” replied Sasha. “Razputin, listen. I need you to put your marksmanship training to use! Psi-blast…that tree right there!”

“The tree?!” hissed Raz. “After what Norma did, you want me to settle for a tree?!”

“But she didn’t follow through with it!” urged the Doctor.

“She was going to!” argued Raz.

“Razputin, this isn’t you! You’re not an executioner! You’re not Gristol! You’re not Norma!” Raz growled…then fired the biggest blast of mental energy he ever created at a few trees. Raz then sighed, still angry though.

“Just get Norma back into her body!” he snarled as he stomped off. Gristol tried to get away, but a hammer belonging to a certain pink hedgehog stopped him.

“Where do you think YOU’RE going?” asked Amy as Sasha made a few calls.


Over the next few days, the Doctor observed Raz as he went about his day. The events Norma started clearly affected the poor boy. She headed to Sasha’s lab…and noticed that Amy and Lurra Rus were there. “…Erm, Agent Nein, what are you doing?” asked the Doctor.

“It’s all right, Doctor,” assured Amy. “I asked him to check if summoning my hammer is a psychic ability.”

“I’ve known of other people able to pull objects seemingly out of nowhere,” explained Sasha. “But to test whether or not it’s a psychic ability has eluded me.”

“And?” asked the Doctor.

“…Both Amy AND Lurra Rus have psychic abilities,” answered Sasha. “Hammerspace, sub-space pockets, bag of holding, whatever, Amy uses her mental energy to tap into it and summon her hammer. As for Lurra Rus, it seems the mental energy here at the Motherlobe has energized telekinetic abilities that were buried deep in her bloodline.”

“It’s true! Watch!” Lurra Rus raised her hand and made a tool from the other end of the room float all the way to her hand!

“…You know, I think I can teach you all the mental martial arts of Gallifrey,” mused the Doctor. “Really helped me when I was learning Venusian Aikido. You two seem to be in the right mental state for it and may need it for the Grouping. …Speaking of mental states, I came here to discuss Raz.”

“You’ve noticed his current withdrawn state as well, hm?” asked Sasha. “Even after facing Maligula, he kept up his outgoing optimism. What is it about what Norma said that caused him to withdraw?”

“I think I need to find out,” replied the Doctor. “Let’s just say I’m making a house call.”

“We should go with you!” said Amy.

“Amy-!” protested the Doctor.

“Doctor, we might be able to help him,” interjected Lurra Rus.

“And, to my knowledge, this is your first time entering a psycho-portal,” continued Sasha. “I’ll need to monitor your vitals and Amy and Lurra could help you better in Razputin’s mind. You seem to do your best work with people helping you.” The Doctor considered for a moment.

“…You know, you’re right,” she admitted. “All right, you two, you can come. But stay close to me.”


The Doctor, her friends, and Sasha found Raz trying to create a levitation ball, but failing. “Come on!” he complained. “Agent Vodello herself taught me! Don’t let the Mental Minx down!”

“Razputin!” called Sasha. Raz turned to see the group.

“Oh, Agent Nein!” he said. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. I-! …Wait, what’s this about?”

“Raz,” said the Doctor, “we believe that what Norma said to you has affected you.”

“…She wanted to kill my Nona!” growled Raz. “I just-!” The poor boy snarled. “…I have never felt so mad at anyone!”

“Well, this IS a member of your family we’re talking about,” remarked Amy.

“Would you mind if my friends and I made a house call?” asked the Doctor. Raz blinked.

“…You wanna use a psycho-portal on me?” he asked.

“I’ll be monitoring you all,” said Sasha. “I’ve got smelling salts on me to snap you all out of it should the situation call for it.”

“…Well, that IS what Psychonauts are supposed to do,” mused Raz. “…All right! Let’s get started!” He lowered his goggles over his eyes, then put his psycho-portal on his forehead. The Doctor and her friends then shut their eyes and felt their minds entering the little door. For once, Raz was the one being treated.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

The Twisting Mind: Part 2

As Raz continued, he learned more of the Doctor’s mind. He fought a Cyberman with a blonde man with a stick of celery on his lapel, beat a Sontaran with a man in a patchwork coat, outwitted a man in a goatee with a man carrying an umbrella with a question mark handle, ran through New York with a wavy-haired man, battled waves of Daleks with a grizzled old man, threw vinegar onto a Slitheen with a man in leather, saw the loss of the companion of a man in a pinstripe suit, nearly tripped over a man with a bow tie tripping over himself, fended off a Zygon with a man with attack eyebrows, averted the Flux with a woman with a long gray coat, arrested Beep the Meep with a version of the man in the pinstripe suit, threw Sutekh into the Time Vortex with a flamboyant black Scotsman, his memory with what looked like the Doctor’s companion was hazy, then finished with fending off Doctor Doom with the Doctor as she was now. After taking care of the last Censor, Raz and the Doctor finally talked. “All those monsters and enemies you fought, the friends you made,” he said as the two settled in the current console room, “the way I see it, if you knew who Gristol Malik was, you’d be putting him back into Psychoisolation.”

“Then, perhaps,” suggested the Doctor, “we go back into the real world and you can tell me who he is and why he’s so dangerous.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve seen enough here. See you back in the real world, Doctor!” The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and Raz felt himself lifting away from the Doctor’s mind.


Raz blinked and saw that he was back in Sasha’s lab with Sasha checking over his instruments and the Doctor coming out of the trance. He then checked himself over and felt the weight of his body. “Most interesting,” muttered Sasha.

“What?” asked Raz.

“The scanners are saying that she has two hearts,” replied Sasha.

“Well, I DID learn she was from the planet of Gallifrey,” explained Raz. “And that she changes her face often

“An alien shapeshifter?” asked Sasha. “That’s a first for the Psychonauts.”

“There’s more, Agent Nein,” continued Raz. “I saw all her friends and enemies, none of them were Gristol Malik. She hadn’t even heard of the name until today. Her friends here are probably in the same boat.”

“We are!” confirmed Amy. “Now would you let us go?!” Sasha gestured and the restraints holding the Doctor and her friends released themselves.

“Much appreciated,” thanked the Doctor. “Now, how about some proper introductions? I’m the Doctor. The currently angry goth pink hedgehog girl is Amy Rose.”

“Really feel like smashing my hammer on you!” hissed Amy at Sasha.

“And the Twi’lek is Lurra Rus,” finished the Doctor. Lurra Rus put a soothing hand on Amy’s shoulder. “And you two are…?”

“Agent Sasha Nein of the Psychonauts,” greeted Sasha. “And this is my protégé, Razputin Aquato.”

“Hi!” greeted Raz. The Doctor’s eyes widened.

“Raz Aquato himself?! The youngest Psychonaut agent ever?!” she asked.

“You’ve heard of me?” asked Raz. The Doctor grinned.

“We only went through the highlights of my life,” she said. “Let’s say that if we went to specifics, you’d have spoilers about your wonderful future thanks to Sasha and Milla!”

“Wonderful future, hm?” mused Sasha as he took a drag out of his cigarette. He then smiled. “So Milla Vodello and I DO get something right!”

“So what’s my future like?!” asked Raz with his usual youthful exuberance. “Is it really awesome?! Do Lili and I have kids?! Ooh! Do one of us become the Grand Head?!”

“Ah ah! Spoilers,” replied the Doctor. “I can’t tell you the future. That will break the laws of time. Let’s just focus on the current crisis, hm? Who is Gristol Malik?”

“He’s the Gzesarevich of Grulovia,” explained Raz, “my dad’s old home. I’m half Grulovian.”

“Grulovia?” asked the Doctor. “But the whole country was washed away.”

“Well, you can blame Gristol’s parents for that,” replied Sasha. “Raz has had the most experience with him, but he told me and Agent Vodello about it all and how he got wrapped up in the whole thing. What do you say we walk and talk?”

“Sounds fine to me,” replied the Doctor.


The Doctor and her friends were officially cleared and brought on as freelance helpers to the Motherlobe. “So Gristol’s parents,” the Doctor was summing up, “pushed Lucretia Mux to the breaking point by making her the general of war, Maligula. Maligula tried to knock away the protestors, but her hydrokinesis resulted in the death of her sister, Marona Aquato, and sent her over the edge, flooding and destroying all of Grulovia, then Ford Cruller brought her back and altered the Aquato family’s memories so that she lived as Raz’s Nona instead of his great-aunt so that Maligula would never surface again, but parts of her past were coming back and she convinced you, Raz, to go to Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp to start the ball rolling in freeing her fully. Gristol, meanwhile, disguised himself as Nick Johnsmith the mailman and put his brain into Grand Head Truman Zonatto’s head while locking the brain away, then you rescued ‘Truman’ from the Rhombus of Ruin and tried to find out who kidnapped him in the first place, then you fixed Ford Cruller’s mind after it was shattered in the psychic duel with Maligula and tried to lock her away again with the Astralathe, but it failed thanks to Gristol in Truman’s body interfering, and Maligula rose again, but you entered her mind and managed to help Lucretia face Maligula and bring an end, then you put Truman and Gristol’s brains back into their proper bodies, and to finish it off, you put Gristol in Psychoisolation.” The Doctor took a breath. “…Have I missed anything?”

“…No, you pretty much got it,” replied Raz.

“Lucretia’s reconnecting with the Psychic Six and we’re keeping it under wraps as best we can,” said Sasha.

“So how did Gristol get out?” mused Lurra Rus. As they talked, Raz saw a young woman approaching them. He groaned.

“Norma, will you beat it?!” he complained. “We’re working on Gristol’s escape here!”

“…T…V…” mumbled Norma. Raz blinked.

“…What?!” he asked as worry crept into his mind.

“Raz?” asked Amy.

“Sasha-!” yelped Raz. Sasha looked into Norma’s ear.

“…Brainless!” he said.

“Oh no!” groaned Raz. “Gristol must have found that sneezing powder!”

“Could somebody fill us in?” asked the Doctor.

“Those with psychic powers,” explained Sasha, “can survive without a body.”

“That’s true of all species, even us Time Lords,” replied the Doctor.

“There’s a special sneezing powder,” said Raz, “that can make anyone sneeze with enough force to eject their brain from their body. It somehow works on non-psychics and keeps them alive, though not as long as psychics.”

“And Norma here encountered that same sneezing powder?” asked Amy.

“It’s the only explanation,” replied Sasha. “And Gristol must have had it smuggled to him.”

“So why not use it on Terryl?” asked Raz. “She still has her brain, last I heard.”

“Indeed, why not Terryl? It makes no sense,” remarked Sasha.

“…Unless Norma was part of his scheme in the first place,” mused Raz.

“Why?” asked Amy.

“Norma always grumbled that our promotion to Junior Psychonauts was underwhelming,” replied Raz. “Maybe he played on that?”

“…But that would mean she visited Psychoisolation in the first place,” mused the Doctor. “…Perhaps we should ask Terryl some questions.”

“Not a bad idea,” agreed Sasha.

“I’d be careful, though,” warned Raz. “She’s a bit…intense.”


The group arrived at Psychoisolation after informing the medical ward about Norma being brainless in the most literal sense. They met with the receptionist, Terryl. “HI!” she greeted, eager to talk to people. “Agent Nein! So good to see you! For a while, I thought the Psychonauts forgot about me!”

“Terryl, we need to ask you a few questions,” said Sasha. “It concerns Gristol Malik and Norma. Has she visited Gristol at any point before the breakout?”

“…Well, no,” replied Terryl, confused. “She only arrived on the day of the breakout and she was somehow overpowered by Gristol. He took advantage of her and decked her. I had to get medical staff over to fix her.”

“Decked?” asked Raz. “As in a punch? But her brain’s missing! No one can punch that hard, not even psychics!”

“Something just isn’t adding up,” muttered the Doctor. As she pondered, everyone heard someone rush into the building.

“LET ME IN! LET ME IN!” begged a voice.

“Gristol?!” yelped Raz. Gristol Malik then crashed into the group. He then grabbed Sasha by the arms and shook him, fear plain in his eyes.

“It’s all gone wrong! You need to let me in!” he babbled.

“Gristol, what ARE you talking about?” asked Sasha. “Did one of my experiments-?”

“Trust me, I WISH it was you!” insisted Gristol. “But it’s not! It’s his classmate! The rat! The schemer!” He pointed at Raz.

“Rat? Schemer?” asked Raz. “Who are you-?” The earth then shook. A metal hand then tore the front of the building off, door and all! The metal hand belonged to some giant robot with a brain swimming in green fluid!

“Ah, here to witness my work, Raz?!” asked a woman’s voice. Raz goggled in horror.

“Norma?!” he yelped.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

The Twisting Mind: Part 1

A young boy wearing a flight helmet and aviator goggles headed into a lab at the base he was living in. The man in the lab was wearing his usual coat and goggles and was working on a machine. “Agent Nein?” asked the boy.

“Ah, Raz,” replied the man, Agent Sasha Nein. “Excellent. I need your help recalibrating the Brain Tumbler. For some odd reason, I cannot access the Collective Unconscious.”

“Is that the cheap one you got?” asked the boy, Razputin “Raz” Aquato, Junior Psychonaut.

“No, no,” replied Sasha, “that’s still at the camp.”

“Well, I DO want to help,” said Raz, “but Terryl said that she hasn’t heard Gristol singing lately.”

“Considering that he sings off-key, that’s a small mercy,” remarked Sasha. “…How long has he not been singing?”

“For three days,” replied Raz. “She only told me a few minutes ago. That’s why I need your help.”

“Three days? He barely lasts three hours before…well, you were right to get help. Come on, Razputin.” Sasha led the way out of the lab.


It was peaceful in the old quarry. The main building looked like a pair of hands supporting a glass brain. On the landing pad…the people that worked at the building heard a noise. They all turned to see a blue box fading into existence next to a jet. The box then opened from the inside and three women of various appearances stepped out. The onlookers didn’t know it, but the box was the TARDIS and the women were the Doctor, Amy Rose, and Lurra Rus. “Doctor, what’s going on?” asked Lurra Rus. “Why did you have to veer off course like that?”

“Believe it or not, I didn’t,” replied the Doctor. “That was the TARDIS’s doing. The old girl detected a massive amount of psychic energy and needed to investigate.”

“So where are we?” asked Amy.

“I’m not sure,” remarked the Doctor. She then got a good look at the place. “Judging by the shape of the building, I’d guess it’s some mental research area.”

“Hands where we can see them!” called a security guard. He and his friends then placed a hand on their heads and reached out with their other hands.

“It’s all right!” called the Doctor as she pulled out the psychic paper. “We’re all friends here! Just inspecting! Code name: Doctor, accompanied by Amy Rose and Lurra Rus!” The psychic paper was then yanked out of her hand and floated towards the commander.

“…You trying to be funny?!” snapped the commander. “There’s a psychic link to this thing! It’s blank!”

“That was telekinesis!” gasped the Doctor. “I mean, PROPER telekinesis! Are you all psychics?!”

“You’re at the Motherlobe, of course we’re psychic!” replied the commander.

“The Motherlobe? OH! Then you’re all Psychonauts!” The Doctor grinned. “Like I said, I’m the Doctor and-!” She and her friends then found themselves lifted up by some invisible hand! “OI! STEADY ON!”

“First Gristol Malik breaks out, then three intruders show up!” hissed the commander.

“Funny how coincidences pop up like that!” replied the Doctor.

“I don’t believe in coincidences! Guards! Take them to Sasha Nein!”

“YES SIR!” replied the guards. The Doctor and her friends were forced to float after them.

“Doctor, what-?!” gulped Amy.

“When we’re safer, I promise,” replied the Doctor.


Sasha Nein had all three of them restrained with Raz looking at the whole thing. “Are we sure these ladies broke Gristol out of Psychoisolation?” asked Raz.

“No, and that’s why we’re interrogating them,” replied Sasha.

“Talk like we’re not here,” muttered Lurra Rus. “Real classy.”

“So, what are you using?” asked the Doctor. “Psycho-Portal? Brain Tumbler? Either way, my mind’s a rather dangerous place to be.”

“Razputin, deploy the Psycho-Portal,” ordered Sasha. Raz then pulled out a small door that could fit in his hand and threw it at the Doctor’s head. The door stuck itself to the Doctor’s forehead.

“Oh! Steady on!” protested the Doctor. “No need to hurl it!” Raz then lowered his flight goggles over his eyes as the door opened. Both Raz and the Doctor then entered into a trance.


Raz found himself in a white room with roundels on the walls and a hexagonal control console. His vision had turned black and white. “…Okay, this room must be important somehow.” He walked up to the console. “Maybe-.”

“Young man, will you kindly move away from the console?!” snapped an old man’s voice. Raz whirled around to see an old man with white hair and wore clothes that were a cross between the Edwardian and Victorian periods.

“Whoa! Sorry, sir!” yelped Raz.

“Honestly, it’s bad enough you invade my mind, but now you want to learn the secrets of my ship?!” snapped the old man. Raz blinked.

“…I…thought I was in the Doctor’s mind,” he said.

“You are,” replied the old man. “And you’re speaking to her. Or rather, HIM.” He then gripped the lapels of his jacket.

“…Y-You’re a shape-shifter?!” yelped Raz.

“Of a sort,” replied the old man, the First Doctor. “Now, you said you were looking for this…Gristol Malik, hm? Well, you’ll have to meet my other incarnations and see if they know anything, because, quite frankly, in my first incarnation, I had never heard of him.” The Doctor pressed some buttons on the console and opened a door. “Off you go, young man.” Raz headed through the door and into a room similar to the one he just left. This time, there was a man with black hair and dressed like a tramp. He played a bit of music on his recorder before he spotted Raz.

“Ah, there you are!” he said. “I was wondering if you’d get here. You haven’t fiddled with any of the controls, have you?”

“…Doctor?” asked Raz.

“Yes, that’s me,” replied the hobo, the Second Doctor. “I take it you wish to continue your interrogation.”

“Well, yeah! Where’s Gristol Malik?” asked Raz.

“My dear young man, I’m afraid you’re wasting your time with me. I had never heard of him.”

“Well, which one of you did?!” snapped Raz.

“There’s no need to shout,” replied the Doctor. “You can either interrogate all my previous incarnations and check that I’d never heard of Gristol Malik until my arrival to the Motherlobe or you can skip straight to my current one and brutally interrogate her and get nowhere with your search.”

“Fine, I’ll play your game!” hissed Raz.

“Splendid!” cheered the Doctor. “Now, that way should lead you to Fancy Pants.” He opened another door. Raz entered the room and…well, it looked more like a lab and his color vision returned. He looked around the lab and saw pictures…pictures of people, but none of them were Gristol Malik.

“What’s their connection with you, I wonder?” muttered Raz.

“NO!” came a robotic voice. Raz turned to see several men dressed as stuffy bureaucrats with giant stamps in the shape of the usual prohibition sign (red circle with a diagonal line) running into the room.

“Censors!” shuddered Raz.

“I say, chaps!” called a new voice. The speaker was a man in fancy clothes, complete with frilled sleeves. “Would you mind leaving him alone?”

“NO!” replied the Censors.

“Just a suggestion.” The man then got into physical combat with them. Raz joined in the fight and fired blasts of mental energy! “I say, do be careful!” warned the man.

“Really hoping you’re the Doctor!” replied Raz as he finished off the last Censor.

“That I am,” replied the man, the Third Doctor.

“Who are all those people?” asked Raz as he pointed at the pictures.

“Oh, they’re my companions,” replied the Doctor. “Do you recognize any of them as this Gristol Malik you’re looking for?”

“…No, they’re not,” said Raz. “How many lives am I going through here?”

“Quite a few, young man,” answered the Doctor. “I have a feeling you’ll find your answers.” He opened a door and Raz entered it to reveal a new console room.

“All right, what’s next?” asked Raz.

“Unauthorized humanoid detected!” barked a harsh, grating, metallic voice. Raz turned to see a machine creature with no legs, a single eyestalk, a plunger, and an elongated whisk. “You will be exterminated!” barked the creature as it aimed its whisk at Raz. Someone then placed a hat on its eyestalk. “ALERT! ALERT! VISION IMPARED! I CANNOT SEE!” Raz rolled out of the way as it fired wildly!

“Help me move this thing!” called a voice. This one came from a tall man with curly hair and a long multicolored scarf! Raz used telekinesis to guide the machine creature out of the room. The creature exploded and revealed green, fleshy insides. Raz turned to the man as he stared at the creature. “Didn’t want you to meet the Daleks,” muttered the man.

“Doctor?” asked Raz.

“That’s right,” replied the man, the Fourth Doctor. He then pulled out a small bag. “Have a jelly baby.”

“I can’t taste food in a mental world,” remarked Raz.

“Oh, it should be good for your mental health,” said the Doctor. Raz considered, then accepted the treat.

“What WAS that thing?” asked Raz as he pointed at the remains of the creature. “What did you call it, a Dalek?”

“The most ruthless form of life I ever met, devoid of all pity,” replied the Doctor. He then finally looked at Raz. “And it seems more of my enemies await you as you meet each of my incarnations.” That…worried Raz.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Time of the League: Part 4

“President of the United States?” scoffed the Master. “Fools. I took advantage of Maxil’s dullness and stole a TARDIS meant for him, now bonded to me, and you think I’m going to content myself with being the ruler of a backwards country whose populace is engaged in an informational Civil War? My campaign is a farce! A small part of a much grander scheme that involved getting Sinestro to figure out my plan and foolishly rush to usurp it!” He then activated red lamps and Superman immediately felt weakened. “President?!” The Master then slapped Superman. “Do you have any idea how much power I’d have to give up to be President of the United States? Why do you think Trump flailed and cried like a two-year old during his two terms, especially in 2025!” He then made the restraints slam everyone against the wall. “That’s right, everyone. I made every Republican voter waste their money on a fake Presidential campaign, got the worst of the Justice League’s rogues gallery to kidnap the UN General Assembly, and stole Sinestro’s ring, all just to take advantage of the Grouping!”

“Your failure was predetermined!” growled Batman. The Master stopped gloating and pulled Batman up to his face.

“I’m a Lord of Time, Mr. Wayne,” he said. “I determine destiny.”

“And I went through the Grouping!” hissed Batman. “We all did at one point or another! It hasn’t happened to my friends yet, but it happened to me between this meeting and my first meeting with the Doctor! And the universe goes back to normal despite your best efforts!”

“You lie!”

“Then what’s wrapped around my ankle?” The Master blinked at Batman’s question, then looked down at the Dark Knight’s ankle. There was a glowing rope around it…and Wonder Woman was holding it!

“It’s not called the Lasso of Truth for no reason!” hissed Wonder Woman.

“I’ll be changing Batman’s history, make no mistake!” promised the Master. “And with you all restrained and my wearing of Sinestro’s ring, I’ll turn this planet into a world of order! Something Sinestro keeps failing to do!”

“Sure wish I thought of something,” replied Batman. “Oh wait, I did.” He nodded towards the Master’s desk. The Master looked at the desk and saw a batarang on it…a batarang with a timer!

“NO!” yelped the Master. The batarang blew up and the red light vanished. Superman then flexed and broke out of the restraints. Superman absolutely DECKED him, yet still held back enough that the insane Time Lord’s head didn’t explode! The Master groaned as he lay on the floor. Sinestro then took the ring off the Master’s finger and put it back on his own, restoring his suit.

“This whole event was a waste of time!” snarled Sinestro. “I can’t believe I got roped into a Time Lord’s petty plan!”

“What did he promise you, Sinestro?” asked the Doctor.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” scoffed Sinestro. He fired a blast at Wonder Woman, obviously not wanting to test the lasso, then scattered debris to confuse everyone, then took off and left Earth.

“And there he goes, back to Korugar,” grumbled Green Lantern.

“What about the Master?” asked the Flash. Everyone then heard a noise. They looked over to see that the desk was vanishing!

“NONONO!” shouted the Doctor as she leapt at the desk. Too late, the desk, or rather the Master’s TARDIS, vanished.

“…That’s two that got away,” muttered Martian Manhunter.


The Doctor brought everyone back to the Watchtower. As they all left the TARDIS, the Doctor gathered six little squares. “…Doctor, what are you doing?” asked Superman.

“The TARDIS telepathic circuits can’t make a call to Gallifrey,” replied the Doctor. “I’m sending a message the old-fashioned way.” She laid out the squares in a circle on the floor, then sat cross-legged on the floor and entered a meditative trance. As she meditated, the squares moved across the floor. Four of the squares attached themselves to the sides of a fifth square, then they moved up to form the sides of a box. The last square then slid up one of the box’s sides and aligned itself on top. The seams of the squares then vanished, forming a complete cube. The Doctor woke up with a sigh.

“What is that?” asked Amy.

“It’s a hypercube, a message with all my thoughts concerning the Master’s recent gambit,” replied the Doctor as she stood up and picked the box up, “as well as a request for Gallifrey to watch for the Grouping.”

“What IS the Grouping?” quizzed Lurra Rus.

“It’s where various points in time start blending together,” explained the Doctor. “The confusion would start a greater war.”

“Doctor, won’t less-scrupulous races take advantage of that?” asked Amy.

“Yes, they would,” replied the Doctor. She then concentrated on the hypercube and it vanished. “There we go,” she said. “Barring major disasters, the Time Lords will be made aware.”

“So they’ve returned,” remarked Martian Manhunter.

“…Yes, J’onn, they have,” replied the Doctor. “All I can say is that I’m not asking much, just that they observe things. They can’t do anything more as they’re still rebuilding.”

“Doctor, make sure you never lose them again,” said Martian Manhunter.

“Indeed. Well, goodbye, everyone.” The Doctor and her friends went back into the TARDIS and took off.

“…Nice lady,” remarked Superman. “Now, barring any emergencies, I gotta talk to Lois about her newest article.”

“Someone mention my name?” asked a woman’s voice. A woman with long, raven hair arrived.

“Lois!” Superman brought the woman into a hug. Batman rolled his eyes while Wonder Woman smiled.

“What brings you here, Miss Lane?” asked Wonder Woman.

“Oddly, just a visit,” replied Lois. “But I’m sure I’ll get an assignment about you all later.”

“Well, as long as you’re here, Lois,” said Superman, “…are you doing okay?”

“…Yeah, why?” asked Lois.

“Well, I just got your article-.”

“Nice, isn’t it?! Pure genius!”

“Well, you’re keeping me employed,” remarked Superman. Lois bridled at this.

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

“Lois, there were so many errors and typos! Did you turn off the spellchecker?!”

“SPELLCHECKER CAN’T CONTROL ME, CLARK!” Superman backed and raised his hands at that. He could take on Darkseid, wallop Doomsday, and foil all of Luthor’s plans, but he wasn’t gonna try and take on Lois’ retort!


Back in the TARDIS as it spun through the Time Vortex, the Doctor fiddled with the controls, monitoring the Time Vortex for any temporal anomalies. Amy and Lurra Rus gave her some space. As she worked, the Doctor heard a beeping. She headed over to see that it was a video call from Gallifrey. “Let’s hope it’s to say that they got it, old girl,” the Doctor whispered to the TARDIS. She activated the scanner. “This is the Doctor. Receiving you, Gallifrey,” she said. A Time Lord’s face appeared. “Ah, my granddaughter’s Castellan, yes?”

“Castellan Stognavtifrelizundar,” replied the Castellan. “But let’s take a page from the lady Romana’s book and just call me Stognav.”

“Now that’s a page I had help in writing,” chuckled the Doctor. “So did you get my message?”

“Yes, and we’re monitoring the Time Vortex for any anomalies,” replied Stognav. “It’s a good thing you merely asked for monitoring as we’re not in a state to do anything about the upcoming Grouping.”

“I didn’t think so. Last time I was on Gallifrey, you lot were drafting a new Constitution.”

“We’ve gone through a few rough drafts, but we believe we’re getting closer to one that would make Gallifrey as dynamic as Earth. Even the Outsiders have a say.”

“Truly?” asked the Doctor hopefully.

“It’s been decided that there would be two High Councils,” explained Stognav, “the High Council of Time Lords and the High Council of Gallifrey. It’s believed that, since Outsiders outnumber Time Lords, their High Council should be bigger than ours. President Foreman’s insistence.”

“Well, she lived on Earth for a while, I can guess where she got the idea,” chuckled the Doctor with pride.

“Doctor, she tasked us with looking at the various points of English Parliament, believing that they could provide a framework for how both High Councils should meet and debate.”

“Make sure you look at Parliament’s mistakes as well as their victories,” directed the Doctor.

“Very well. If you could provide us with a good starting point, that would be helpful,” said Stognav.

“Transmitting now,” replied the Doctor as she keyed in the time periods to look at.

“Oh, a union of parliaments, was it?” chuckled Stognav. “Very well. We’ll take it from here, Doctor. Erm, you WILL also be on the lookout for any indications that the Grouping will start?”

“Naturally, I’m not letting you do all the work,” replied the Doctor.

“Very good. Safe travels to you and your companions.” Stognav ended the call. By then, Amy and Lurra Rus came in. Amy was back in her goth dress.

“Who was that?” asked Amy.

“Gallifrey,” replied the Doctor. “They got my hypercube. I won’t be monitoring the Time Vortex alone.”

“Great!” sighed Lurra Rus happily. “Now…where should we start monitoring?”

“…Well, psychic energy CAN affect the Time Vortex,” mused the Doctor. “Maybe we should check out where the greatest psychic concentration is.” The Doctor began her scans.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 4

Time of the League: Part 3

The Flash ran across the ocean, then reached Haiti and began his search. He then heard a gorilla roar. “That way!” he said as he followed the roar. He then found Gorilla Grodd beating his chest and intimidating his 33 hostages. “Hey! Donkey Kong!” called the Flash.

“FLASH!” roared Grodd.

“Following a chump like Luthor?” chuckled Flash. “No wonder Solovar’s trying to take his throne back!”

“Mind your tongue, human!” warned Grodd. “I won’t hesitate to eat it!”

“I thought you gorillas were herbivores?” asked the Flash.

“Most are! I’m not!”

“…Jaime was right. Freak of nature, that’s what you are. You really think the UN will recognize YOU as the leader of Gorilla City?”

“With Grodd, all things are possible!” Grodd then used his telekinesis to grab a large rock and throw it at the Flash. The Flash side-stepped the rock before it hit.

“You know, there’s a rumor floating around that someone else is pulling Luthor’s strings,” he remarked. “Who’s the puppet master here?”

“I…I…I cannot…say!” strained Grodd. He swung his fist at the Flash, but the Flash dodged again and used his superspeed to punch Grodd in the face multiple times, causing the talking gorilla to fall flat on his face. He then helped the hostages out of their spot and called the Doctor.

“Doc, it looks like Grodd’s been forced to be quiet about the puppet master like Cheetah,” he said. “We need answers…oh, and a lift. The delegates are all right.”

“I have a nasty theory,” replied the Doctor, “but I’ll need Amy and Superman’s help to confirm it.”


Martian Manhunter flew towards Ontario. “And just think,” he muttered to himself, “I had a stash of Oreos ready to be eaten.” He then heard screams. “D’Razz!” he hissed as he flew towards the source of the screams. On the outskirts of Ontario were 29 people, 28 of them being the last of the hostages and the remaining one being D’kay D’Razz. “D’KAY!” called Martian Manhunter.

“Ah! My mate!” replied the twisted female Martian.

“D’kay, you must stop this!” urged Martian Manhunter. “Our race cannot return like this!”

“It can and it will! And with what our partner has promised, there will be only ONE Martian race! No Ice Warriors, no pseudo-humans, no White Martians, and no inky-black creatures that look like some blend of Rome and Egypt!”

“Your ally isn’t a real friend!”

“I’ve seen his technology! I’ve returned home just before our end! Now I can bring it back!” D’kay pulled out all the stops, but Martian Manhunter simply changed shape to dodge each blow. Finally, he grabbed a book of matches…and lit one! D’kay tried to put it out, but Martian Manhunter hit her in the back of her head, knocking her out, then doused the small fire. He then shuddered.

“That’s the last time I’m doing that!” he said as he freed the hostages. He then called the Doctor. “Doctor, the hostages are freed, and I may have discovered a clue that might narrow down our list of people controlling Luthor. D’kay D’Razz said that she saw our race just before we went extinct.”

“That would imply time travel,” replied the Doctor. “And with the other clues we gathered…standby.”


Back at LexCorp, the Doctor called Amy. “…You don’t think…I mean, he was imprisoned, wasn’t he?” asked Amy. “…Yeah, he would, wouldn’t he? …I’ve got an idea to confirm it. You just get the delegates back.”

“So, the hostages are freed,” guessed Luthor.

“Did you think we wouldn’t save them?” asked Superman.

“I suppose I had a small hope you would,” replied Luthor. “Now, Miss Rose, what IS this brilliant idea of yours to confirm the Doctor’s theory?” Amy simply took the lasso off her waist. “…You really think that can overcome the mental block my associate placed on me?”

“We’ll have to try,” replied Amy.

“You gotta admit, Lex,” mused Superman, “it WOULD be good PR for any future political campaigns if you asked the Justice League for help in taking down a criminal.” Luthor stroked his chin.

“The thing is, Superman, I know you’re stroking my ego,” he said. “…but you’re right. Miss Rose, if you please.” He rolled up his sleeve. Amy slipped the lasso of truth on his wrist.

“All right. Here goes,” she said. “Is the Presidential Candidate behind this catastrophe really the renegade Time Lord known as the Master?” The lasso glowed. Luthor strained for a bit, then…

“YES!” he finally shouted. Amy took the lasso off and called the Doctor.

“Luthor confirmed it with the lasso!” she said. “The Master DID break out of Gallifreyan prison and he’s one of the two Presidential Candidates!”


“How could he break out?!” Lurra Rus asked the Doctor as the two helped the delegates leave the TARDIS in an orderly fashion once they were brought back to UN Headquarters.

“He’s a genius,” replied the Doctor. “A mad one, but a genius.” Another call then came through.

“Doctor, it’s Green Lantern! Sinestro overheard and he broke out! He’s looking for the Master!”

“No, not now!” complained the Doctor.


In Texas, a man in a goatee, cowboy hat, and boots as well as a suit and red tie returned to his office. “You just keep doing what you’re doing!” he called to his secretary. “We’re gonna win this!” He shut his door and gasped when he saw Sinestro sitting at his desk.

“Tell me, what is it your people fear, Master?” he asked.

“…I-I don’t-!” stammered the man.

“We all know who you are,” dismissed Sinestro. “Not this ‘Sam Terrance’ act. The Lasso of Truth was used on Luthor, and it overcame your mental block. Besides, my ring is screaming that you’re Gallifreyan, not human.” The man, or rather, the Master, rolled his eyes.

“Well, I suppose even knock-off Oan technology can do something that simple,” he sighed, dropping the thick Texan accent. “What do you want, Sinestro? I have a campaign to run and a country to throw into civil war.”

“Have you seen the latest polls?” asked Sinestro as he summoned a hologram of said polls. “Even the independents say you’re going to be this backward nation’s new president.” The Master sat on his desk with a smirk.

“Those fools, Trump and Putin, DID pave the way for me,” he said.

“And betting against you at this time wouldn’t be prudent for the denizens of this country,” replied Sinestro. “You must understand, although my distaste for you self-proclaimed Time Lords is incalculable, what I’m about to do is utterly impersonal.”

“What are you babbling about, the superiority of Korugarans over Gallifreyans?”

“You DO know that everything that exists has a specific nature, yes? Each entity has something in particular and has characteristics that are a part of what it is. The human letter ‘A’ is the human letter ‘A’. And no matter what face he wears or what biological sex he is, the Master is still the Master. If I am to bring order to the universe, your existence must come to an end before you take office.”

“You’re going to kill me and thus eliminate a rival to your power.” The Master chuckled.

“I’m a well-known monarch. The upcoming Grouping will play out, and order will reign supreme.” By then, the TARDIS made its usual arrival noise, distracting Sinestro.

“Interesting plan, Thaal Sinestro,” mused the Master. “Unfortunately for you, it’s not really an option!” The instant the TARDIS fully materialized, the Master grabbed something from his desk and fired a laser right at Sinestro’s chest! The shot pushed him into the TARDIS and he hit with enough force to knock the ring off his finger. The Master rushed over and snatched it up just as the TARDIS doors opened.

“NOBODY MOVE!” called the Doctor as she led the Justice League and her friends out of the TARDIS.

“Too late, Doctor!” cackled the Master.

“How did you get out?!” demanded Lurra Rus.

“Intruder window, how else?” snarked the Master.

“You’ll be going right back there when I’m through!” swore the Doctor.

“Promises, promises!” retorted the Master.

“The jig is up, buddy!” warned the Flash. “Your alien origins will be revealed and the Republican Party will have to settle for your running mate!”

“And I care because?” asked the Master.

“Master, there’s something I don’t understand,” said Amy. “How does being the President fit into your-?”

“President?” scoffed the Master.

“You must stop him!” insisted Sinestro. “He has my ring!”

“Okay, now I think I HAVE lost the plot here,” remarked the Doctor as she leapt towards the Master. The Master twirled out of the way and slipped the ring on his finger! A yellow and black jumpsuit replaced his outfit and a Time Lord collar and skull cap appeared on his shoulders and head.

“A perfect fit!” purred the Master. “Now…now I can fully take advantage of the Grouping!”

“The Grouping?” asked the Doctor. “You really ARE insane; that’s just a myth!”

“How does being our President help you handle this…grouping?” asked Superman. That was when the Master used the ring to create restraints around everyone!