Chapter One – Trapped in Hell
Rain pelted against her white wings, staining them with the impurity of the Doctor's world. The Watcher squinted as the world slowly came more into focus – the people becoming sharper with every passing second. She was gleeful as the streets were filled with colour, vibrant and bright in spite of the downpour.
The transition into worlds was always dodgy; often times she would find herself passing out from the sheer power it took to fully integrate. Once, she even accidentally showed her true form – an accident she didn't intend to repeat. That was a mess that took a very long time to clean up.
The Watcher didn't want the innocent, little humans to get scared, so she concealed herself with the illusion of an average person. If a mortal were to look upon her, they would see a normal human girl. Likewise, if another Watcher were to see her, they would be able to see her true form. Thankfully, there were no other Watchers – they were all dead.
Nobody in the Doctor's world would be able to see her true form – not even the Doctor himself. They simply weren't psychically powerful enough to look through her simple illusion; they were all children. With their simple minds and ambitions, she could easily find the Doctor. A simple extraction of information from their minds would do it. They wouldn't even miss the information, it would be irrelevant by the time she was finished with her task.
She smirked as the transition finally finished, gazing around the busy city street with fascination. The humans were always such curious creatures – buzzing around with their "jobs" and their "phones". Why would they bloat their short lives with such meaningless things? Did they not want to enjoy the time they had? Even though she could name off every human on the street, that didn't mean she understood them. They were abstract; intangible things that nothing else could make sense of. The most complex aliens in the universe were easier to understand than the humans.
Their architecture however was, though she hated to admit it, admirable. Great stone monoliths of their ambitions and ideals! The brick housing along the street she was on seemed to reek of time and warmth, and she felt immediately drawn to them. But she couldn't allow herself to deviate from her mission. She had to find the Doctor, learn what his name was, and then destroy both him and the world he was in. It was somewhat of a pity – it really was beautiful, apart from the Time Lords.
After she completed the task, she could relax back in the Void and gaze upon the many worlds once again, watching over them as their protector and guardian. The Doctor would be a mere footnote to her glory as the Watcher – a simple stepping stone to reach her goal. Ah, but who was she kidding. There was nobody paying attention to her anyways – nobody knew about her existence.
With that thought, the Watcher felt a brief pang of despair. But it faded as fast as it came. There was no need to get bogged down with such emotions – she was the superior being, not the petty lower creature.
Thunder rumbled in the distant, and the Watcher cracked her neck – if only she could use her wings. But if she was seen, there would be hell to pay.
With the speed of a tiger stalking it's prey, the Watcher moved through the streets of London, eyes narrowed as she inspected the people around her – the Doctor could be identified by the golden aura around him. Time Energy.
She thanked her lucky stars she had decided to land when the Doctor still had Rose Tyler – he could be easily manipulated that way. A brief threat to his one true love and he would be begging at her feet for mercy. Of course, she would say that she agrees – while in reality she was going to destroy everybody all along.
The rain started to clear up when she reached the Powell Estates, and the Watcher briefly grimaced upon seeing the eyesores squatting infront of her. While Rose Tyler might be pretty, the place she called her dwelling was not. It was an ugly building; nothing compared to the mighty grand archways and citadels of other civilizations. Even the windows of the dreadful place were dirty; caked with dust and bugs, it was no wonder so many people liked to move out of it.
No. Her mind was getting off-track. What was she, an insolent child? Divulging in careless thoughts and attitudes – that was the kind of behavior that would've warranted punishment back in the glory days of the Watchers. Her void father once told her that in order to be the best Watcher, she had to be strict and focused on her tasks – not all over the place like a simpleton.
The Watcher was going to need a strategy to obtain the information. She couldn't simply charge into Rose's mother's place and demand that she see the Doctor – that would be sure to raise a few eyebrows. No, she was going to have to wait out Jackie Tyler – see if she came out of the apartment building. The Watcher briefly thanked her timing; it was a Saturday. Jackie Tyler always did her laundry on Saturday. And if her internal clock was right, Jackie Tyler was going to walk outside in five, four, three, two...
One. Right on the dot, Jackie Tyler came bounding out of the Powell Estate, laundry bags bundled up in her hands. Her expression was strained – no, exhausted as she hefted the heavy load up the street. The Watcher tsked. If Rose Tyler had decided to stay in comfort, her mother could've had a helping hand – instead she was lonely and upset.
Putting on her best smile, the Watcher strided up to Jackie in confidence.
"You want help with that?" She smiled magnificently, earning a gasp of relief from Jackie.
"Oh, yes! Thank you, darling!" Jackie thanked her, the Watcher gleeful as Jackie practically showered praise upon her. You're an angel, and I wish my daughter was more like you! The Watcher even added a little blush to the mix – just so she could appear humble.
"It's quite alright. I always like to offer a helping hand to people." The Watcher grinned in contempt, eyeing Jackie as she jabbered away about her gossip. If Jackie wasn't such a motor mouth, the Watcher might've considered saving her. Ah, that was a lie. Jackie was going to be non-existant anyways.
The small laundromat that Jackie went to every Saturday was unusually full, the Watcher thought with distaste. Why did everybody decide to crowd around inside it when she was there? Did they not have better things to do than do their laundry? Once again, the Watcher was baffled by the humans complete distaste for enjoyment – it was almost like they enjoyed boredom.
"...And then, John said that I was right mad! Tell you, that bloke is nothin' but trouble," Jackie droned on about her daily life, while the Watcher listened through her teeth. She couldn't handle one more second of the talking. Oh, how she loathed that concept now. It had once seemed magical and something that could be from a fairy tale – now it seemed like pure and utter hell. To hell with finding friends – she worked better alone.
"That's interesting." The Watcher said with a smile and a wink – all the while she raged inside. She was wasting valuable time talking to the human. She had to find the Doctor, or she was never going to get to sleep at night. Oh, the Doctor. She was anticipating the conversation to come, but not with anxiety. No, she was anticipating it with excited energy – she was going to find out the Doctor's name! If he refused to give it to her, she could simply force it out of him. It was that easy.
"Oh, the laundry's done!" Jackie squealed, making a face as she pulled out several stained shirts. The Watcher secretly hoped that Jackie despised the colour pink; she surely did.
"Here, I'll help you bring it back to your place." The Watcher smiled again, and this time it was real. If she could get to the apartment, she would be able to corner Jackie and demand she see the Doctor. She didn't care about the consequences anymore – reality needs pest control. And the pest was the Doctor.
She mourned the loss of her abilities while in the mortal worlds; when she was in the void, she could do anything. But when she was in a mortal plane, all she could do was fly with her wings and use concealing powers. She was... vulnerable, and the Watcher didn't like that. To be vulnerable was to be weak, and the Watcher wasn't weak. She was strong, stronger than the Doctor. She was certain of that.
Jackie beamed. "Thank you, darling! Oh, you are such a great person!" She gushed, the Watcher listening with faint pleasure. It never got old, the constant praise of herself. She could get used to that. But not the talking. Oh, never the talking.
The entire walk back to Jackie's apartment was like a commentary. The woman gave her opinion on everything she saw – and that was literally everything. Every person, every piece of clothing, even the street signs. That looks like garbage, and that street name is so offensive spewed out of her mouth every second. It took all of the Watcher's willpower not to smite Jackie from reality – she would most likely die from using too much power.
The relative quiet on the way up to Jackie's apartment offered no respite – when Jackie wasn't talking, she was quietly humming to herself the tune of a song. It grated on the Watcher's ears, and she quietly prayed to the Gods of Old that she would get through her task quickly.
Apparently, her wish was granted. When Jackie opened the door to her small apartment, the Watcher was greeted with the sight of the brown suited filth himself; squatting in the middle of the apartment as if he owned the place. She felt her rage from earlier reignite, and she quietly pinched her arm to calm her anger. It wouldn't do good to lash out.
"Oh, hello." The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he smiled at the Watcher, and she blanched as he whipped out his sonic screwdriver. Of course, he couldn't go one day without taking out his toy. It was something only those inadequete at the art of analyzation would use – a machine to aid them.
She grinned wolfishly at him. "Hello." She licked her lips in anticipation. She was close to finding out the name of the Doctor – and then she would be able to leave. Tear out of the reality back into the Void.
The Doctor frowned at her. "Who are you?" He raised his eyebrow in that arrogant pose.
With the simple slam of the door, she had him pushed up against the wall, Rose Tyler crying out in alarm nearby. "What are you doing? Doctor?!"
He grunted in pain, glaring at the Watcher through narrow slits of eyes. He looked so vulnerable in this position – it was going to be fun to destroy him.
"What species are you? You must answer according to Article 454 of the Shadow Proclamation!" He shouted out through clenched teeth, the Watcher pressing against his stomach.
The Watcher felt infuriated as she held the Doctor there. She held him at such a vulnerable position, and he still had the nerve to act like he had authority over the situation? She was going to teach him a lesson.
"Shadow Proclamation? They are children. They could vanish into the void for all I care."
His eyes grew stone cold. "I only know one species with wings like those."
She gaped in surprise. The Doctor could see through her disguise? But how was that possible? He was but a lowly mortal, tied to the laws of physics. How could he possibly see through her illusion?
The Doctor seemed to know what she was thinking. "I have a high psychic intelligence," he explained, much to the chagrin of the Watcher. "Illusions like that is childs play to me."
Growling, the Watcher slammed him against the wall again. "You shall not speak, you lowly mortal! Now," she ran her sharp fingernails up his cheek, smirking when it drew blood. "What is your name?"
He ignored her question. "What are you doing here, in my world?" He asked her in a low voice, threatening and predatory.
"Answer my question, or I shall feast my teeth upon your mortal form!" The Watcher snarled once more, digging her hands into his shoulders.
The Doctor glared with all the might of the Oncoming Storm. "Oh, that answers my question perfectly well. You want to destroy me and my world, after finding out my name, isn't that right?"
How was the Doctor able to figure out her plan so easily and without failure? Her eyes must have betrayed her, because the next thing he said was:
"I will not allow that to happen." And with one smooth motion, she was pushed against the ground, flailing as he held her against the hard surface. The Watcher screamed, trying to push herself off the floor without fail, and the Doctor simply jammed his Sonic Screwdriver between her shoulder blades.
An electric current went through her, and she grimaced as she felt herself go weaker. "What did you do?!" She shrieked. Did he just disable her from using her wings? She couldn't even feel them.
The Doctor smirked. "Oh, I simply made it so you can't fly off anywhere. And... I also made one more modification to your biology."
The Watcher, furious with the turn of events, tried tearing a hole in reality right then and there. That was when she realized – she couldn't. The Doctor had disabled her from using her powers. It was vile. How was she going to get back now?
The Doctor simply gazed at her with a furious glare in his eyes. He lowered his voice as he spoke to her. "Now, Watcher. Looks like you can't just kip out back to the void, eh? You're stuck with me now."
He lowered his eyes to her, and she felt his sickeningly hot breath upon her skin.
"Oh, you're going to have so much fun with me."
The Watcher glared at the Doctor as he sat across from her in the small apartment, surrounded by the smell of tea and sweat. He frowned at her in that cocky way, and she hissed through her teeth. She was stuck in the Doctor's world; she could think of no worse fate. Thankfully, her ability to travel through worlds would be fully restored by the next month – a blessing, the Watcher believed. She would have attempted to erase herself from existence if she were to be stuck with him forever. That was a fate she didn't intend to follow. The good thing as well was that the Doctor was only able to disable her once – never again would he be able to do it after that month.
He leered at her. "How are you feeling, Watcher?"
She leered right back. "Like death and despair."
The Doctor stared disapprovingly, her eyebrow raised. "You're going to be travelling with me, I hope you know," he began softly, wincing when the Watcher began her objections.
"I am not travelling with such an inferior creature like you. You would have to be insane to think that." She snarled with ferocity, eyes drawn together in utter disgust. What foolish being would want to travel with the one who intended to kill them? Certainly a mad man. Though, the Doctor did push that boundary – many times.
He lowered his gaze, stone cold. As if he could scare her with that horrid attempt at glaring. "You are my responsibility, Watcher. I won't allow you to damage my reality."
"It is my responsibility to uphold reality, and protect it from threats. You are a threat to reality, Doctor!" She spat out, grinning when he cringed back from her words. Good. She was making an effect on him.
The Doctor chuckled darkly. "Actually, I believe it is my responsibility to protect reality from threats. You are more of a threat than I ever would be." His gaze remained stony as he looked her up and down in disgust.
The Watcher tasted blood as she bit her tongue. "Such childish ramblings. What of the innocent lambs you have murdered in the night? What of your pets that you swore to protect, only to leave them behind in the dirt? You, with your machine that can travel through the infinite stars. Your words are but a bitter lie, fueled by your internal rage. I can see it as I look at you, Doctor. That fire, burning red and hot. Burning everything it touches. Isn't that what people have said before, Doctor? That everything you touch turns to dust, blowing away in the whirlwind of hate and despair you carry? Such filth." She grinned in triumph as his face turned red with anger.
He pointed at her, his suit crinkling as he stood up. "You don't understand anything," he sneered. "My life would be too complex to someone like you."
The Watcher shrieked. "Someone like me? Someone like me?! Hold your tongue, insolent child. I am the mighty and powerful Watcher, a being-"
"-that can hardly protect itself against a lowly mortal like me." The Doctor smirked at her, leaning against Rose Tyler's wall. The Watcher burned with fury. How dare he mock her. Though, she was baffled about that part – how did she lose to him? She was strong, and yet she was easily knocked to the ground like a dog. The kicked dog, she was reminded of briefly, and she shook her head. No, that wouldn't do at all. She wasn't going to lose to the Doctor over something as petty as this – she was going to win.
She pushed her chest out. "Why won't you let me go back into the void, then? I won't be any trouble there." She kept a poker face, though her eyes told a different story. In reality, she was quietly hoping he would adhere to her wishes. If he let her back into the void, she would be able to destroy him easily. The only reason she actually went into his domain was because of her curiosity regarding his name. Curiosity killed the cat. It was certainly a statement that seemed fitting.
"Oh, noooo," he drew out the vowels in a low voice. "You see, if I were to allow you back there, you would only destroy me. Sooo... you're coming with me."
The Watcher tried to get her wings free for the third time that day, only to fail miserably. It was a damnable situation. Maybe she could convince him to give her his name in that one, little month? She doubted it. In person, he seemed as closed as a personal journal. Never to be revealed or opened. It was a pity.
"And if I refuse?" She challenged him, her eyes twinkling with annoyance. This was a mere blip in her plan; she would be free in the blink of an eye.
The Doctor glared at her with the fury of a coming storm. "Then I shall kill you. What will it be?"
Ah, that was why she hated the Doctor. She almost forgot for a second. The unjust punishments he inflicted upon the innocents. She sneered up at him, her eyebrows tilting downwards. "I suppose I'll go with you, then."
He tilted his chin up. "Good choice." Oh, how she wished she could slug him in the nose. Or perhaps cast lightning upon his body. Or maybe even Rose Tyler.
She sneaked a glance at Rose, who simply sat on the arm of the sofa, glaring at the Watcher with a look that could easily be described as antagonistic. But, the Watcher wasn't an antagonist, she knew that. She was justified in her actions. The Doctor was evil, and he needed to perish under the might of her hand.
Now, she just needed to escape.
The Doctor dragged her off to the TARDIS shortly after their impromptu chat, and the Watcher didn't say anything the entire journey. It was he who chatted about nonsensical things, about worlds he had visited. The arrogance he displayed was so unimaginable to the Watcher – was every mortal like that? Sure, some may call her arrogant at times – but she was justified in that, for she actually fulfilled the things she talked about.
The blue box sat in the alleyway of the Powell Estate, surrounded by dirt and filth. The Doctor whistled a tune as he unlocked the door, hand clutching the Watcher's arm firmly.
If she were mortal, she would've been surprised by the size of the inside. Instead, she yawned with a musical grandness, internally giggling when the Doctor glared at her. He was so cute when he did that – no, she couldn't think like that. Had all sense of reason fled her? She was the Watcher – not a lovelorn teenager susceptible to fantasies and delusions. She would die before she started being attracted to someone like the Doctor.
He led her down a dozen corridors of coral and steel, and the Watcher marvelled at the architectural genius the machine had. Grand and wonderful arches adorned the corridors, and the warm lights filled the TARDIS with a sense of introspection. This was the Doctor's sacred box – would she able to find his secrets in here? His name? The Watcher hoped so.
He finally stopped at a metal door and opened it, chucking her into the dank room. Ah, her new prison. She glanced around the small room with a scowl – it certainly looked like a cell. With gray walls, the wire cot, and the utter emptiness – did he expect her to live in such conditions?
The Doctor smiled at her from the doorway with joy. "This is your new home."
The Watcher blanched. "Home? It looks like a filthy lower being's prison."
"Which is exactly why I put you inside it." His tone became quiet, deadly quiet. The Watcher jerked her head to the right.
"Get out, then. I would rather spend my time in peace and quiet."
"That's not an option." The Doctor replied, smoothing his suit and scrubbing his face. His tone was authoritative as he glanced down upon her. Ah, she saw how it was. His ship, his rules. If that was the way he was going to play, than that was also the way she was going to play it.
She raised her eyebrow. "I don't recall you ever saying something like that before. Why the change of heart?"
He smiled warmly. "I want to give you a chance."
Oh. The Watcher grimaced. The Doctor was trying to "fix" her like he tried to help all the others before him. As if she would let him lay his grubby hands over her immaculate form. Absolute filth.
The Doctor continued. "I'm going to bring you out to dinner, perhaps even a nice stroll down the Thames. You would like that, wouldn't you? Probably don't get out of the void much, I bet."
Her tone was flat as she answered. "Oh, I got out all the time. It was kind of an escape for me, you know."
The Doctor didn't reply to that. Instead, he pointed down the hall. "When you're ready, come down the hall. Make sure you dress appropriately and, Watcher," - he lowered his tone - "I don't want any incidents, do you understand?"
"Yes, father. Get out so I could change without the devil breathing down my neck," she moaned, shoving him out into the hall and slamming the door shut. Right, she needed a plan.
She recalled that the Doctor's name was clearly located inside his library. If she could get there – yes. She would be finding out the Doctor's name by that night. But first and foremost, she had to change into her outfit. This was certainly going to be a new experience for her. Human clothes – how exciting! There were simply so many choices to choose from; dresses with tiny bows in them; amulets with engravings of ebony and gold; denim jeans, handcrafted in Europe. It was magical, the Watcher thought. She could get used to living there...
No, she decided. She wasn't going to stay there and be bribed to stay with such material possessions. All she needed was her thoughts and the void, where she could fester in silence without the threat of others stumbling upon her brooding.
But... one thing still puzzled her about the Doctor. Why was he letting her stay in his TARDIS with him? An ulterior motive, she bet. Planning to entrap her like a rat inside his labyrinth of corridors and technological marvels – something he would fail at doing in a month.
She closed her fist and narrowed her eyes, ice-blue slits darting around the room in rapid conquest. She had a plan.
"Okay, I'll play along to the Doctor's whims. And when he least expects it... he shall feel pain like none before!" She vowed as she stood there in her room, clutching human outfits to her thin frame.
Unbeknowst to her, the Doctor was just outside the hallway, eyes narrowed in discreet suspicion as he clutched the sides of the walls, ready to scramble away at the slightest noise.
He knew everything.
Author's Note: Hey everybody! I have hope you all enjoyed the first chapter? This took some fine-tuning in order to make it better (and longer), and I am proud of the results.
Please leave a review on this latest chapter! ~Existential Labyrinth
