Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl, Soup 2 Nuts, or PBS.
Nor do I own Doctor Who or the BBC.
Note: This is Colin Baker's Doctor (the Sixth) and Anthony Ainley's Master.
WordGirl (and Doctor Who) in...
VICTORIA'S MASTER PLAN!
Narrator: Look out for the words 'Rival,' and 'Experience.'
We join the story as...
A strange sound cut through the back alleyways of the city, sounding like a strange combination of scraping wire and whirling wind through a sail. Then, suddenly, the sound grew louder, and a small red car suddenly faded into existence.
Then, a door on the right side opened, and out stepped a bearded man in black clothes with a flowing red-and-black cape.
Umm…who are you?
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, when my rival comes…TO HIS DOOM!" said the man, with a British accent, at which point he began laughing maniacally.
Uh oh, that can't be good…
And speaking of things that aren't good, let's take a look at what's happening at the local stage theater, shall we?
Victoria Best stood next to the theater building, a small bag over her shoulder. Focusing her gaze at a nearby window, a red beam erupted from her eyes and struck the glass, effortlessly prying it from its place. Then, she looked at her watch, and said: "Three, two, one…"
"Hold it right there, Victoria Best!" shouted WordGirl, zooming right in front of the boastful girl in a burst of light. With a battle-ready screech, Captain Huggyface leaped off of WordGirl's shoulder.
"Ah, there you are, WordGirl," said Victoria, "It seems my past experience with you has made me the Best at guessing when you'll arrive. No surprise, really, since I'm the Best at Everything..."
"Oh really?" the superhero asked, "If you were really the Best, then why are you trying to steal the theater company's award for Best Stage Performance?"
Victoria looked at WordGirl in mock surprise...and then laughed, and said: "Well, because I'm not really here to steal it! I'm here to settle a score with my rival!"
"Your rival?"
"Yes. You probably know her. Her name...is WordGirl."
Then, quick as a flash, she reached behind her and pulled her recorder out of her belt, took a breath...
...And just as she began playing, WordGirl and Captain Huggyface placed their hands over their ears, blocking out the soothing tune!
"No fair!" shouted Victoria in frustration.
"Not really;" WordGirl retorted, "I know from experience that you can hypnotize people with your recorder music! It's not unfair to prepare for an encounter with you, is it?"
Victoria glared at WordGirl...and then said: "You know, you're right! After all, I did spend a few days preparing to encounter you as well..."
"But why, Victoria?" asked WordGirl, "Why do you want to be my rival?"
"Well, you're the one responsible for my parents doubting, even for an instant, that I am the Best at Everything. I need a way to make it up to them...and what better way than proving that I'm better than the person responsible for their doubt?"
As WordGirl listened, a sound was heard a couple of blocks away…a whooshing sound, both odd yet familiar.
"The person who has experienced so much and can do so many things?"
Accompanying the sound was a small blue outline appearing out of thin air…
"The person," Victoria continued, "that I have chosen to be my rival…or, as you would say, a person that I'm competing with for superiority…is-"
"WORDGIRL!" shouted an unfamiliar British-sounding voice: "I found you rather speedily; a testament to my superb piloting skills, I should say!"
….
Who said that?
"I did, of course!" said the voice, as everyone turned towards the source:
A tall, pale-skinned man with blond curly hair, yellow pants, and a patchwork coat decorated with all the colors of the rainbow.
WordGirl, Huggyface, and Victoria Best all stared at the newcomer in shock. "Oh come on," said the stranger, "You know I have the ability to change my appearance…I did tell you that last time, right?"
"…Who are you?" asked the perplexed superhero.
"I guess not." said the man in response. "I guess I'll get to that…but first, I must ask…" And with that, he turned to Victoria, and asked: "Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Victoria Best, WordGirl's rival." She answered, confusion replaced with pride, "And I'm the Best... at Everything. Don't believe me? Ask my parents."
The stranger looked at her with surprise…and then let out a loud laugh, and said: "Now that's just impossible. Nobody in the entire universe is the best at everything! Not even me, the genius that I am!"
"Well I guess that makes me several degrees better than you." Victoria stated calmly.
The stranger stepped back, seemingly offended. "Better? Than me?" he exclaimed "How dare you even suggest such an impossible thing! No human can possibly be better than me, with all the experience that I have!"
"Prove it." challenged Victoria.
"Very well then…" the man adjusted his rainbow-colored coat, and said: "Tell me, Victoria 'Best', have you ever been to another planet? because I have."
Victoria raised her hand…and then paused, taken by surprise. Smiling at imminent triumph, the stranger continued: "Have you ever been to another time?"
Victoria gasped.
"Have you ever tricked an alien invasion force into stopping its own evil plot? Have you ever gone toe-to-toe with a giant monster? Have you saved entire planets from destruction?"
Victoria stepped backwards, her shock increasing.
The stranger looked at Victoria, a smirk on his face…and then at WordGirl, saying: "Have you ever teamed up with WordGirl and Captain Huggyface to stop the Daleks from invading her home planet, Lexicon?"
Suddenly, memories of the villainous machine-like creatures, and their catchphrase of 'EXTERMINATE!' came back to WordGirl…and, with them, memories of the weird, scarf-wearing man who helped her stop their plot in its tracks.
"…Doctor?" she asked.
"I was wondering when you'd catch on! Lexiconians are famous for their brains, you know!" he replied, before saying: "Yes, it's me, the Doctor!"
"Since when did you start wearing that?" she asked, "I mean…it looks…"
"Hey! This is the height of fashion on the planet Daxon three-point-two!" the Doctor exclaimed indignantly.
Suddenly, Captain Huggyface screeched at them both, pointing at Victoria as he did. Quickly, they realized they were leaving her behind in the conversation. As such, the Doctor took it upon himself to say: "I'm the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey; I'm a member of the oldest and most advanced race in the universe.
"I'm also," continued the Doctor, "900 years old, have a time machine, and have saved the entirety of the universe more times than I care to remember. I guess you could call me a superhero, just like WordGirl over here.
Victoria absorbed the information…and her shock turned to anger: "You cannot be better than me! I'm the Best at Everything!"
"Little girl," the Doctor said as he looked down on her, "the truth of the matter is, that statement is false. My skills rival your skills by a very big factor."
As the Doctor said this, Captain Huggyface screeched at WordGirl, to which she responded: "Actually, the word 'rival' has more than one definition! It doesn't just mean 'someone who's competing against someone else for superiority,'-"
"It also means," interrupted the Doctor, "to be equal or comparable to something, or someone, else. For example, the skills I have are equal to (and all too likely superior to) Victoria Best's skills when they are compared! They 'rival' hers!"
"…I was in the middle of saying that myself, you know." WordGirl said indignantly.
"Glad I could help!" exclaimed the Doctor, seemingly unaware of how he offended his friend. "Now then, Victoria…" he addressed her, "Are you still going to stand by your claim of being the Best?"
Victoria tried to answer…but then she failed to find a word to say. She struggled, her mind desperately trying to find a response…
"GAAAAH!" she shouted, running away in frustration.
The Doctor watched her run away…and said: "Didn't think so."
"Don't you think that was kind of…mean, Doctor?"
"Well, she asked me to prove myself better than her, and that's what I did. I don't see anything particularly 'mean' about doing what was asked of me. Now, I came here for a reason…"
"And what would it be, Doctor?" she asked, as did Captain Huggyface.
"Ah yes!" he said, remembering; "I've just had an encounter with the storytellers of planet Imaginus! As one whose primary interest lies in vocabulary, I believed you would like to hear about it!"
WordGirl thought about it…and said: "Yeah, I guess."
"Excellent! It all started when the TARDIS received a distress call…" the three of them walked off, the Doctor relaying all the details of his adventure.
Meanwhile, at Victoria Best's beachside house…
Victoria rushed up the steps to her house…and then stopped, in fear. "What'll I tell my parents? 'Hi Mom, Hi Dad, there's someone out there called the Doctor whose skills rival mine?' They'll be so mad with me!"
"Sounds like someone's got a little problem with a Doctor." she suddenly heard behind her. She turned around to find the source of the sinister voice: A man in a black suit, with a red-and-black cape.
"I can understand your predicament," the stranger continued as he towered over her; "I've had some experiences with the Doctor too."
"You have?"
"Yes, indeed. We've known each other since we were kids…" the man said, as violin music began to play in the background, "We used to be friends, even…" His eyes trailed off in remembrance…
…And then, he turned around and said: "Whoever's playing that music, could you please stop?" Instantly, Victoria's brother sheepishly stopped his violin practice.
"Now, where were we…" he asked himself, before saying: "ah yes; we used to be friends, but now we are rivals, each seeking new ways to outdo and frustrate the other."
Suddenly, Victoria realized the implications of talking to this man: "Tell me what you know about him so I can get back at him!"
"Slow down, little one;" he said, "all in good time. Besides, you don't want to just get back at him; you want to be better than him! Am I correct?"
Suddenly, Victoria was taken by surprise; he knew her exactly! She started to say 'yes', but he cut her off: "Well, the Doctor says he has more experience than you…but what if you had that experience?"
Victoria stood there, her brain wrapping itself around this man's ideas...and eventually, she said: "How will I get that experience?"
"With a TARDIS," he said. Then, before she asked, he explained: "His time machine; its how he gets around the universe, and allows him to do the things he does. I wonder, what would happen if you had it? Of course, you'll need to configure the machines to obey your commands…but I can make that possible."
Instantly, any traces of doubt Victoria had about this man vanished. "What do I need to do?" she asked excitedly.
"Bring me the Doctor," he said, his voice growing several times more serious. He then handed her a scrap of paper, and continued: "Bring him to the location on this card, through whatever means you may require, and I shall give you the secret to his TARDIS."
"You've got yourself a deal!" exclaimed Victoria as she ran off: "Soon, I shall truly be the Best!"
The black-clothed man watched her run off, an evil smirk on his face. "Excellent…" he said as he rubbed his hands together, "Just as I had planned…"
"NOW HOLD ON THERE FOR A SECOND, MISTER!" suddenly shouted Mr. Best as he angrily rushed out the door, Mrs. Best close behind him. They stopped right in front of the stranger, and asked: "Just what do you think you're doing, frightening off our daughter like that?"
The stranger stepped backwards, seemingly offended, and said: "I did no such thing! I simply got her to be my pawn in an evil scheme of mine which will result in the destruction of my nemesis, that's all!"
….
"…Who are you?" asked the Bests, the shock wearing off.
"I am the Master…" he replied. Then, he looked at them intently, and said: "…and you will obey me."
Suddenly, his eyes glowed a bright orange…and the eyes of the Bests gained the same color as they stiffened up, and mumbled: "We will obey you."
Later that day…
WordGirl floated next to the Doctor, who walked along the streets with Captain Huggyface directly behind him, enjoying a hot dog. The Doctor finished describing his story to WordGirl: "And thus, the holes in space-time were closed, and planet Imaginus was saved."
"Wow, Doctor. That was some experience you had!" commented WordGirl.
"Oh, I would call it ridiculously easy for one such as me!" boasted the Doctor. "I dare say my vocabulary is only rivaled by Lexiconians like yourself!"
"Thanks, Doctor!" said WordGirl…who then said: "Much nicer than what you said to Victoria Best! I'm still worried you hurt her feelings and all…"
"Oh, she's just a little girl! What could she do to one such as me?"
"Well…" WordGirl thought about it, and then said: "Well, she is a supervillain."
This made the Doctor stop in his tracks. "A supervillain? Her? But…she's…"
"As old as me? That's what you'd say about Tobey and Birthday Girl."
"Oh, right," said the Doctor, guiltily…before a smirk appeared on his face; "By the way, how is Tobey? Still trying to win your heart all the wrong ways?"
WordGirl half-giggled, half-sighed, and said: "Yep."
"Well, I'm sure I could offer him some advice on the subject…" he began to say, but stopped when he saw WordGirl blushing in embarrassment. "Or…I might withhold my genius from this matter."
WordGirl sighed in relief; the last thing she needed was more romantic attention from Tobey, owing to the fact that it always led to robots destroying the city. Plus, even though he was the Doctor, she just didn't trust him to not make the situation worse. "Thanks, Doctor," she said.
"You're welcome. Now, back to the subject of Victoria Best; what should I prepare for?"
"Well, she can use her recorder to-"
The conversation was suddenly interrupted by a string of musical notes, which instantly enraptured the monkey, superhero, and oddly-dressed Time Lord. All three figures went slack, the energy fading from their limbs as they focused on the beautiful music. Before long, a red beam of light struck the Doctor, and lifted him through the air, across the street…and into a shopping cart right next to Victoria Best.
Victoria laughed with anticipation: "TARDIS, here I come…" she said as she pulled the Doctor out of sight.
Mere minutes after her departure, the music faded from the minds of WordGirl and Captain Huggyface, and they shook their heads and blinked…to find a distinct lack of a man in a rainbow-colored coat!
"Oh no! Huggy, the Doctor's gone!" WordGirl exclaimed, and Captain Huggyface responded by screeching something that probably meant 'Obviously.'
"Wait…that music…it was Victoria Best! But where could she have taken him?"
Meanwhile, at an abandoned building across town…
"HAHAHAHAHA! It's times like these I wish I had a moustache to twirl! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
The black-and-red dressed man laughed maniacally, as the Doctor (strapped to a wall of an old boarded-up room) watched on in disappointment.
Victoria Best, who had been waiting for this guy to stop so they could discuss the handover of the TARDIS, walked over and asked the Doctor: "When do you think he'll stop?"
"Trust me, child; I know from experience that when you get the Master going, he never stops. He's almost like me in that respect…" the Doctor explained. Slow, sad violin music began to play as he continued: "Oh, we used to be so happy together…"
Suddenly, the Master paused in his laughing to say: "AHEM! That's enough violins! I thought I already told you!"
Outside, Victoria's brother walked home, violin in hand, a saddened look on his face.
"Wait;" asked Victoria, "What did you call him?"
"Dear child, that man is called 'The Master.' He's not just my rival; he's one of my worst enemies throughout all time and space! He's a Time Lord, like me, except evil… And he will not stop until he has become…"
"Does this really matter to you, Victoria?" asked the Master, interrupting the Doctor: "What you want is the Doctor's TARDIS…do you really need to know anything else?"
These words caused Victoria to think for a second…and then, she said: "No…"
"Exactly," said the Master, who then handed her a small key: "Well, here's the key to that TARDIS – along with a little gizmo that will make the TARDIS think you're the Doctor, and thus let you fly it. Now run along, I've got some unfinished business with the real Doctor."
Victoria took the key, and then started to walk off…and when she was outside a nearby door frame, the Master turned back to the Doctor.
"What? You're throwing away my TARDIS just like that?" asked the Doctor.
"I've got my own, in case you forgot – and its capabilities rival those of your broken-down junk heap!" replied the Master…to whom the Doctor made an angry face.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" laughed the Master, "Ohhh that was a great face! I shall relish the experience of seeing you so angry! Just like I shall relish the experience of seeing you realize that you've been defeated…not by me, but by a little girl! HAHAHAHAHA!"
The Doctor contorted his face in even more disgust….and then replaced that with shock as he asked: "Wait – that's what this was all about?"
"Indeed! I knew you're very proud of your abilities, so I figured if I defeated you this way, the victory would be ever so more satisfying!" the Master explained…and caused the Doctor to feel depressed.
After another sinister giggle from the villainous Time Lord, the Master walked up to the Doctor and said: "Well, it's been fun being your rival…but now, I have won! And with you out of the way, there shall be no one to stop me from becoming…THE MASTER… OF EVERYTHING! WHA-HAHAHAHAHA-"
"WHAT?" shouted Victoria Best, who suddenly stormed back into the room…to the utter surprise of the Master and the Doctor. "I thought you were going to take control of my TARDIS!" exclaimed the Doctor.
"I was…" explained an angry Victoria Best, "until I realized I didn't know what it looked like! So, I went back to ask…and I hear this guy wants to become the Master of EVERYTHING?"
Nervous, the Master asked: "And what's wrong with that?"
"Well…" Victoria said, walking straight into the Master's face... and then she shouted: "I'M THE BEST AT EVERYTHING!"
Instantly, the Doctor realized: "Of course! It'd be pretty hard to be the Best at everything if the Master controls everything!" he exclaimed, and a nod from Victoria Best confirmed that he was correct.
"You know," the Doctor continued, "That was what I was about to say before he cut me off: He will stop at nothing until he has become king of the entire universe!"
As she heard this, Victoria looked at the Master, still very angry at being betrayed. Caught off-guard, the Master struggled to regain his air of superiority, but failed.
"It looks like," Victoria said, "If I want to be the Best at everything, I'll have to eliminate the competition; and what better way to do that that through your rival?"
Then, as the Master shouted: "NOOOO!" Victoria turned around, and focused her eyes on the metal bands holding the Doctor on the wall. Instantly, red beams of energy sprang out of her eyes, and ripped the restraints right off the wall.
The Doctor jumped down, rubbed his wrists, and exclaimed: "Thanks, Victoria; I'll take it from here!" And with that, he walked towards the Master, his foe becoming even more unsettled by every piece of his plan coming apart at the seams. The evil Time Lord backed up…
…and then his smug grin suddenly returned as he pressed a hidden button on the wall, and said: "Plan B!"
*(One scene transition later)*
Across town, several people at random points throughout the city suddenly paused in their activities; their eyes suddenly glowed orange, and their bodies went stiff. Suddenly, all of them mumbled: "Plan B…" and began walking off in seemingly random directions.
WordGirl noticed this as she flew through the city, searching for the Doctor... and whispered to her sidekick: "Huggy, I think this might be a crime in progress! We'd better follow these guys and find out what's going on!"
*(One scene transition later)*
Meanwhile, the Doctor and Victoria were confused: "Plan B?" they asked.
The Master gave this response: "I've hypnotized a lot of local people into obeying my commands; I've just commanded them to come to me, and stop you two!"
Before the two could react, running footsteps were heard coming up the stairs, getting closer and closer…and eventually reaching the room they were in! In mere seconds, Victoria and the Doctor were surrounded by mindless people!
The Master laughed once again, before saying: "What? Did you forget about my ability to take control of people who look into my eyes, Doctor? Did you not stop to think that I would've prepared for your potential escape? As one who knows me, your experience should've made you more cautious!"
Suddenly, Victoria noticed two familiar people among their captors: "Mom? Dad?"
"Indeed;" said the Master: "You know, I would've thought they'd have seen it coming, since a talent for hypnosis runs in the family…oh well. Goodbye, Doctor! Goodbye, you pathetic little girl! It was fun! Hahahahaha!" And with that, all his minions moved in on the troubled twosome…
…when suddenly, a bright red streak crashed through the window, grabbed the Doctor and Victoria, and carried them off somewhere! In seconds, everyone blinked, and groaned as if waking up from a really deep sleep! Moans of "Ugh…Where am I?" were heard.
"Oh no!" exclaimed the Master: "I commanded them to eliminate the Doctor, and now that they don't know where the Doctor is…they're coming out of their trances!" Quickly, the Master turned towards the door, and tried to flee…only to trip over the outstretched leg of an oddly-dressed monkey!
As he smashed into the floor, he tried to get up…only to wind up face-to-face with the Doctor, a flying little girl, Victoria, and that monkey from earlier.
The Master sighed, and raised his hands.
Later that day…
WordGirl, Captain Huggyface, the Doctor, Victoria, and a bunch of civillians watched as the Master was led away by the police, and stuffed into a police cruiser.
"Well, Doctor; looks like you won't have to deal with him for a little while." said WordGirl to the Doctor…who wasn't cheerful at all. When WordGirl asked why, the Doctor said: "I still can't believe the Master would go this easily…"
Just then, the policemen closed the door of the cruiser on the Master…and then groaned as if waking up from a really deep sleep, moaning: "Ugh…Where am I?"
Instantly, WordGirl realized something was up, and zoomed towards the police car…and bounced off of a glittering barrier that had suddenly surrounded the vehicle!
She got her senses back in time to see the Master poke his head out of the window, shout: "We'll meet again, Doctor! And next time, WordGirl won't be there to save you!" and then close the window back up.
And then…the car started fading from sight, as a loud whooshing sound was heard all around!
"…he disguised his TARDIS as the police car." stated the Doctor, immediately after the last traces of the not-police car faded from existence. "I should've known; I have experience in dealing with him, I should've guessed he'd try a trick like that!"
"Say what now?" asked Mr. Best.
"Oh, well," began WordGirl, "'Experience' means both 'an event somebody has witnessed or participated in'; like saying 'that amusement park I went to was quite an experience'; or it could also mean 'knowledge acquired from participating in activities,' like 'experience in fixing things or building things.'"
"Indeed," said the Doctor, who turned his attention to Victoria: "Gaining experience like that also involves 'learning from your mistakes,' like I hope Victoria Best has done."
Victoria Best pouted, and turned away from the rainbow-colored man with crossed arms.
"Ahem." WordGirl said to the Doctor, who looked at her, then Victoria…
…and sighed: "Very well." And with that, he walked in front of Victoria, knelt down, and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Look, Victoria," he began, "I'm sorry I was so hard on you earlier. What I meant to say is this: You're setting yourself up for failure, by expecting too much from your skills; I mean, I'm a Time Lord, WordGirl's a Lexiconian…and you're just a person! You simply cannot hope to rival our natural skills! And if you keep trying to, you'll only experience sadness and disappointment!"
As Victoria turned her head to look the Doctor in the eye, he continued: "There are too many things in the universe for you to be the Best at everything. Find your limits; don't try to push them, just reach them."
Victoria took in the words he was saying…and then replied: "Alright. I'll try."
"Very good…And hey, there are very few people who actually can reach their limits! It'll put you ahead of the vast majority of the universe if you're just the best you can be."
WordGirl whispered to Captain Huggyface: "I doubt he considers himself the 'vast majority,'" at which both of them giggled a little.
Victoria smiled…and then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key, saying: "Here's the key to your TARDIS; I've just decided I don't need time travel to be the Best."
The Doctor accepted the offered key, shook her hand, and walked off…but then he turned back, and said: "You know, you actually do make a good rival for WordGirl."
Victoria smirked…
Meanwhile, WordGirl zipped off after the Doctor, in order to ask him: "Will I have to deal with the Master again?"
"Well, hopefully not, but I most certainly will experience another fight soon…A shame, really; before we were rivals and enemies, we were the best of friends…"
"…WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP WITH THE VIOLIN ALREADY?"
"Awww…" moaned Victoria's brother.
Well, it looks like even though the bad guy got away, WordGirl, Captain Huggyface, the Doctor (and Victoria Best, oddly enough) saved the day!
Tune in next time to experience another thrill-ride of a story with WORDGIRL!
THE END.
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If you liked this, I promise more like this will be coming!