Doctor Who and the War Planet

Chapter 2

For a brief moment, the night was still as the boys tried to comprehend the appearance of the man from the wood. Most of the recruits lowered their weapons due to the shocking appearance but one stood firm. A thick, lumbering boy advanced on the Doctor staring down the barrel of his gun. "No! Doctor! Friend Ally!", said the Doctor in a hasty attempt to reason with the boy.

With his arms waving over his head as a sign of surrender the Doctor took a couple steps backwards as he thought of a way to potentially escape the boy's intentions. On the last step backwards the Doctor's foot caught on a branch which caused him to fall with a shout and a crash. The boy did not stop and soon he was standing above the stranger with his sight on his head. The Doctor shut his eyes in anticipation hoping the death was quick and the regeneration would be swift. However, neither death nor regeneration came to the Doctor. Just as the boy was about to pull the trigger, Oliver jumped onto the boy's side, yelling "Marco, no!" in midair, and tackling him to the ground.

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked up at his rescuer with confusion, who at this time had already returned to his feet preparing for retaliation from Marco. "You alright?", Oliver asked the Doctor as he turned to him and held out his hand to help the Doctor get back on his feet. "Oh yes, not the first time I've had a gun pointed at me," replied the Doctor, not taking Oliver's hand but still with a small grunt returned to his feet.

The group of young men chuckled at the Doctor's response except for Marco who returned to his feet and yet again pointed his gun at the Doctor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Evans?", Marco grunted.

"His hands were up, he was surrendering!" Oliver replied, raising his voice to emphasize his point.

"Or it could be a trick!", yelled Marco, "Keep your sights on him boys, we can't trust him."

Two of the boys looked a bit fearful, not of the Doctor but of Marco and raised their guns as well. Jules followed Oliver's lead and lowered his weapon peacefully; he may not yet completely trust the Doctor but he did trust Oliver.

"If it was a trick, do you think the enemy would be thick enough just to walk right up to our squad?", said Oliver sarcastically, raising an eyebrow to his comrades.

"He could be a projection, trying to distract us from the real enemy!" said a short, plump boy who stood alongside Marco.

This time the Doctor rolled his eyes then strided up in front of the plump boy, whose face went white as a sheet and looked up at the Doctor fearfully. The Doctor placed his hand on the boy's chest then pushed him over, a small squeak coming from the boy as he fell.

"Not a projection," said the Doctor, his eyebrows furling as he faced Marco once again, obviously beginning to grow tired of the interrogation game.

"I'm not a trick, I'm not your enemy, what I am is very confused and trust me when I get confused I have a compulsive need to find the answer. Now, you can lay down your arms and help me find the answer or you can die out in that forest. I may not know much right now, but I do know that you are very afraid of something lurking in the darkness."

All the boys stayed quiet as the words sank into them. "Are you saying you can help us?" piped Oliver after a few seconds of silence.

The Doctor turned towards Oliver and with a softer tone said, "Yes, I can help you."

Oliver's spirits were raised and a smile sprawled across his face. He made his way to the Doctor's side, set his weapon on the ground, then drew a line in the soil and said,"All those who wish to help the Doctor stand with me."

Marco stood unwavering with a small smirk on his face and the plump boy who had since come back on his feet moved close beside him. However, Jules as well as Marco's other crony moved behind Oliver and the Doctor.

"Well then," bellowed Marco, "that's it then?"

"That's it," Oliver replied plainly.

With one final, menacing glare, Marco picked up Oliver's gun and started walking the other direction with the plump boy following behind them.

"Now that that's over," Oliver said as he took a final look at Marco and the other boy, "I believe introductions are in order. I'm Oliver, this is Jules and Shaw, those guys walking away are Marco and Tony." Oliver held out his hand as a sign of good faith, which the Doctor took in his and shook gently. "Glad to meet you Oliver," he said softly again, perplexed by and also admiring the fact that a complete stranger defended him. The Doctor turned his gaze towards Jules and Shaw then nodded as a sign of recognition.

"What do you need from us Doctor?"

"I need to know everything you do about where we are and what we're doing here," the Doctor replied in a serious tone.

"You don't remember why you're here?" said Jules as he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"No, it's all sort of fuzzy, like when you have a bad television signal. Things are just coming in and out but I need to see the full picture," said the Doctor as he reached back and rubbed as his as if to encourage his memories to flood back.

"Well, if you don't remember," said Oliver, his tone lowering as his expression became more grim, "let me be the first to welcome you to the arena."