DOCTOR WHO

The Girl From Nowhere: Chapter Four

As the afternoon wore on, the terrible odor of the moonworld intensified from the heat. The Doctor was finding it quite difficult to even think in the smell that seemed to come off of just about everything. The inhabitants however, including her new friends, didn't appear to be bothered by it at all. Thats what happens though, when you live in a neverending heap land.

They were sitting under a raggedy umbrella, providing some much needed shade. Gabriel's cat friend Sunny had brought them to one of their many hang-out spots. It was a small rectangular construction, decorated with paintings of immeasurable beauty. The Doctor admired them as Sunny brought them a couple of bottled drinks.

"Thank you. These pictures are lovely by the way, did you make them yourself Sunny?" asked The Doctor.

The cat girl said nothing. She just stared at the floor, not meeting anyones' eyes.

"Sorry, she's very shy," said Gabriel with a smile. "And yes, she did do all of these. She's got a real gift. Any time I tell her about one of my weird dreams, she manages to bring it to life on the wall."

Sunny smiled very brightly at him, then walked back into the kitchen. The Doctor noticed that her tail was twitching, which she knew was like the cat equivalent of blushing. It didnt take a high IQ to figure out the meaning.

"So, pray tell how did you two meet?" she asked the oblivious boy.

"Oh, well it was actually only a few days after you left. I was snooping around one of the places where I thought the mystery dwelled, when I ran into my 'other' friends, the gang we just pummeled. I saw them toying with this defenseless kitten. Pulling her fur, throwing rocks at her."

Gabriel paused at this point, as he was still clearly upset from this experience. The mental image upset The Doctor too, but she managed to keep herself detached. Although, she did imagine what she might have done in his place. It probably wouldn't have been pretty.

"Anyway, I quickly plunged in there and got her out as fast as I could. Eventually, I made my way back home, and I tried to tell her to get to hers, but she never left. After that, she pretty much followed me everywhere. She ended up being a big help. She's able to get to higher places than me, and her eyes can see anything in the dark. I honestly dont think I would have made it this far without her."

The Doctor sipped her semi-cool drink before she ventured into her next question. "So then...does she know about your ability?"

Gabriel took a drink before he answered as well. "Yeah, she does. She doesn't fear me I know, but I know she fears for me. But what I want to know is how do you know about my ability?"

"I'm The Doctor Gabriel, not a whole lot gets past me. I must say, I'm quite amazed to meet someone like you. A genuine empath."

Gabriel blushed a little, twirling the bottle. "A person who can sense others feelings and emotions through different means of awareness and perception. Least, that's how I once heard it explained. The way I explain it is; basically I can feel what people are thinking. Not like mind reading really, I just know how they feel, and in turn it makes me feel the same way.

Gets a little annoying actually, but you were right about it being useful. Definitely helps in figuring out when someones lying. But how did it help me with the screwdriver? When I looked at it for five minutes, it just made sense."

"Well," said The Doctor, setting down her drink. "I've heard of some empaths who manage to grasp the meaning of cartain onjects as well as people. Ya'see, there's a special link between the screwdriver and me. I figured if I left it with you, you'd be able to use it, since so much of myself has been poured into it."

The boy thought about what to say next. "You know...I really wish I didn't have this gift. If you know so much about it, then i'm sure you know how most people feel about it. Discriminated, abused, cast off.."

"On to worlds like this, yes I know," she finished. "But I, as I'm sure you guessed, am not most people."

"That's an understatement,"he said, eyerolling.

"So... it doesn't work on everything, does it kiddo?"

"Un...no, there are some species and objects that have no effect on me. How'd you figure that out?"

"Just a hunch,"she said coyly, looking towards Sunny in her kitchen. Obviously it did not work with cats, or else he would have known how much she cares for him. And not in a platonic way at all.

Sunny came back with a tray of mostly edible food. It consisted of what looked like rotten fruit, stale crackers, and Meow Mix. The Doctor gulped, but Gabriel smiled and rubbed his hands.

"All right, cat food, my favorite! And the berries are only three days past the date, that's great, thanks Sun!" he said, making the cat smile as she sat down.

"Huh, and to think what my appetite used to be. Dont suppose you have any hot sauce do ya'?" asked The Doctor.

"Were eating this, what do you think? he answered as munched down on the cat food.

"Fair enough," she took a bite of cracker. Thankfully, it didn't taste like anything. "Now, about our problem. Have you ever tried asking anyone about it? Someone must know something."

"Fat chance," he said. "No one within a hundred miles talks about it. Everyone has made a good living out of being in denial."

"I see. Well, what about your gift? Oh, wait that's right. Not mind reading. How did I already forget that, we just talked about it. Maybe my age is finally catching up with me, or maybe its just this atmosphere, it is heavy with bile and..."

She continued to ramble, at the point where the other two could not even follow her. Sunny looked questioningly at Gabriel.

"Yeah, she does that. And it's almost impossible to stop her."

"Okay, I have a plan!" she announced.

"What? When did you come up with one?" he asked bewildered.

"Uh..just now, weren't you paying attention?"

"That was maybe only 20 seconds!"

"Thoughts flow fast with us time lords boy, get with the program and keep the ball rolling!" she said very fast.

"I literally have no idea what your'e talking about. Would you just tell us the plan, I have waited over five years to hear it."

"Cheeky boy, it's very simple. Earlier when that gang assaulted us, the fat one said they were getting paid later right?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that, because they dont really have jobs, they just take whatever they want."

"Right, so where would they be getting money, and for what? My guess is they are privy to some potential useful information."

"No, I've known those guys for years. They're too stupid and too uselessto be apart of this."

"Ah, but remember Gabe, your gift doesn't work on everybody. I'll bet their heads are too thick and their souls too murky for you to navigate. Chances are, they know more than you think."

"Hmm, good point."

"So all we have to do is confront them, make them spill their guts, then we just find the secret passage and find our mysterious child-napper."

"That's it? That's not much, anyone could do that scheme!"

"No cheeky boy, not anyone. You've looked into me, what did you see?"

Gabriel had a serious face, like someone had just asked him a profound philosophical riddle. "I couldn't even begin to describe what I saw Doctor. You have more emtions and feelings than almost any other thing i've encountered."

This did not fase The Doctor. She simply smiled, and nibbled on some meow mix.

Later that evening, the little band made their way across the shadowy streets. To the passerbys, they looked liked one very odd trio of characters; a scared catgirl bringing up the rear, a brave-faced boy in army-like gear, and at the head, a ginger-haired woman wearing mans' clothes and a uncaring smile.

They soon came upon what they were looking for. Popper's gang, huddled around a fire in a garbage can. Some of them looked like they were still hurting and coughing from the tear gas. The Doctor called out to them, "Oiy maggots!"

As soon as they heard that, they all looked up and came forward. Their faces contorted with rage and puffiness, they were definitely ready to get some payback.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here," Popper said looking from Gabriel to The Doctor, not sure who should get hit first. "I dont think i'll be able to breath properly for a week, because of you."

"Yes, too bad, so sad. Now to get right to it," said an andaunted Doctor. "I want to know what it was you were getting paid to do, and also what you all know about the Child-napper."

They all stiffened at the mention of this, not one of them giving a good poker face. Popper's eyes darted left to right.

"We dont know nuthin'" he said a little too quickly. "Besides, we dont want to talk, we just want to bash your skulls in."

By now, the rest of the gang had circled them. A shivering Sunny held onto Gabriel, who put his arms around her protectively. But The Doctor just laughed in her enemey's face.

"Oh you silly, stupid, fat boy. If you only knew who I was. What i've seen, what i've done. I have vanquished armies, and brought worlds to their knees. I've battled the worst monsters imaginable, and conquered the most evil of enemies. You think you know how to intimidate? You dont know anything. Your'e just a schoolyard bully with too much room to move and a bunch of clueless backup singers. You cant scare me, in fact you really hardly register on my radar. Now, why dont you cooperate, before I use one of the hundred different ways I know to make you cooperate?"

Popper was silent for the longest time. Obviously, this threat was having some effect on him judging by the amount of sweat coming off his forehead. But he was taking longer to decide than The Doctor anticipated, and she was growing impatient.

"Oh never mind," she said in a resigned tone as she punched him square in the face. It happened so quick, and he fell so hard that the rest of the boys were not sure how to react. This gave The Doctor ample time to take them down as well. After she had bested the gang, she dusted herself, quite pleased that she was still able to do that at her age.

"Hey that was easy, why dont I usually do that? Oh yeah, because usually they have guns or some such rubbish, then I have to bluff. I seem to keep correcting myself lately. Anywho, back to tubby here."

She and the others dragged the limping form to an abandoned house. Once inside, she found a chair, and sat the hefty boy in it, ready to dish out anything. She smacked him hard,just to make sure he wasn't unconscious.

"Are we ready to start talking?"

"Please...please dont hurt me. I'm sorry okay?" he blubbered, all his previous cockiness now melted away. "It's rough here ya'know. A mans' gotta do what he can to get by."

"Darling, hundreds of people live here in same terrible conditions as you. But they manage to keep their dignity, and get by fine without having to be a complete horses' ass. Gabriel here, is more of a man than you, that much is true. Now, if you dont start telling me what's going on, I'm going to send you forward in time and make you watch your own pathetic funeral."

The bully gulped. "All right! The child-napper has been here about twenty years or so. It lives underground. No one ever sees it, no one has ever even talked to it. Not face to face anyway. But it still manages to get workers when it needs it. It has those robots, but sometimes it needs people to help it get the children. The boys had just heard about a new job that paid well, and I thought..."

"You thought you'd take some kids on a little field trip to hell," The Doctor finished.

"And that it wouldnt hurt any of you since your'e all well over thirteen," concluded Gabriel.

"You dont understand," Popper stammered, panic rising in his voice. "It's extremely powerful, no one goes againt it. Ever since it came here, it's had control over all of us."

"Enlighten me," said The Doctor.

"An old man once told me that it could read minds, and even make people do whatever it wanted. When it landed, they say it made all the crops die, and the animals kill themselves! The old man said it even spoke to him thru another. It said it would wipe us all out if it didn't get some kids now and then. But when people didnt offer it any, it decided to just use other methods."

"You said it spoke thru another?" she questioned.

"Yes...thru a little girl," he answered with wide, terrified eyes.

The Doctor's eyes widened as well. She looked scared, something Gabriel did not like to see. Then her brow furrowed as she strode across the room a little bit.

When she finally spoke, her voice was very constrained but calm. "Good news, I know what were up against. The bad news is...I know what were up against."

"Okaaayy! So, does this mean you know how to defeat it?" asked a nervous Gabriel.

"There is one way...but I'm really hoping it does not come to that. So I will brainstorm, while Chucky here takes me to where he was going to meet it"

"Hell no!" Popper cried.

"Let's not go through this again Poppy. Now, you two stay here while.."

"Fat chance Doctor, were coming," stated Gabriel.

"I wasn't asking Gabe," she answered in a flat tone.

"Too bad. I did not wait this long just to sit in the bleachers while you go up to bat"

"How on earth would you know a reference like that?" she said, switching tones.

"Screwdriver remember? Now can we go, were wasting moonlight."

Without waiting for a response, Gabriel grabbed the gang-leader by the shoulder, pushing him outside. The Doctor raised her eyesbrows, growing more and more impressed by the minute. She then turned her attention to Sunny, who had remained silent the entire time.

"And what about you whiskers? Gonna tag along?"

Sunny figeted, feeling The Doctor's gaze upon her. Conversations were not her strongsuit, but she knew what to say in one simple sentence.

"I go with my boy." And with that, she walker outside too.

The Doctor stood there for a minute, with her hands on her hips. When she realized how feminine this made her look, she abruptly put her hands back down and followed her new companions.

She was very worried about about the child-napper. She prayed she would not have to resort to anything deplorable.

To be continued...