DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 8

The TARDIS hummed quietly as the Doctor just sat sullenly on the chair pondering whether his decision to leave was right. Rory didn't say anything as he didn't want to rock the boat, so he just slowly walked round the centre console looking at its finer details.
"I wonder who the Langhorn's bosses really were?" muttered the Doctor to himself. "That way I could help save him..."
"He left of his own accord, Doctor." said Rory. "He'll be fine...just be like you normally are and 'move on'."
"This isn't one of those times, Rory..." sighed the Doctor as he now looked Rory in the eyes. "I never fully 'move on' anyway. I just push it to the back of my mind..." he continued just as the centre console began to make a beeping noise. Rory and the Doctor looked round and couldn't find where it was coming from.
"What is it, Doctor?" asked Rory.
"Its a beacon..." smiled the Doctor. "A beacon of hope for the Langhorn...its coming aboard!"

Back at King's Cross St. Pancras, Colonel Jorgensen and Captain Albatross were at a loss with what to do. Without the Doctor they weren't sure if the threat was now gone or not, and without that, the London Underground simply couldn't reopen.
"Come back Doctor..." sighed the Colonel to herself looking at where the TARDIS was mere moment earlier. "We need you for this..."

With a zap and a flash of bright white light, the Langhorn found itself safely now onboard the TARDIS. The Doctor could only smile at this but Rory was very confused.
"How the hell did you do that?" he asked, astonished.
"Myself and the Doctor spoke in private, albeit briefly before our 'talks' officially began. This possibility was laid out for me to take. I seized it, and here I am..." replied a victorious sounding Langhorn.
"So you left on purpose?" said Rory to the Doctor.
"I'm ever such a good actor, aren't I?" he smiled back. "Learnt from the best..." Rory could sense frustration building within him at this, but he let it subside as a voice then began to echo through the TARDIS. A deep, pounding voice.
"Come back here..." it demanded. The Doctor looked on at the Langhorn.
"Your boss I take it?" he asked. The Langhorn just nodded. "Well, well, well...who is this speaking in my ship without permission then? I could do you for trespassing or technically voice-passing? Is that even a word?"
"Well, I don't know..." shrugged Rory. "Ask a Dictionary!"
"Will do..." smiled the Doctor. "The Dictionary Planet, its ever so much fun! Must remember that after we've finished with our unwanted visitor..."
"You speak like educated Earthlings..." began the voice once more. "...so the nearest equivalent to my title would be the Occupier..."
"Occupier of what?" asked Rory confidently. "Is it all those people? Have you got them all?"
"No...he hasn't..." spoke the Langhorn. "He is the Leader of the Hoard of Reygoss...they are my bosses."
"The Hoard of Reygoss?" said the Doctor wide-eyed. "Well, this changes things then! The Hoard of Reygoss are a speck of hatred amongst the vast Universe..." he then began to explain to Rory with overly-dramatic hand gestures.
"Who dishonours the Hoard with words like this?" spouted the voice at the Doctor. He just smiled back and flicked his hair to show off more of his 'acting' skills.
"That would be Me..." he said pointing to himself to make it as clear as possible. "And of what celestial continent do you belong to, Occupier?"
"The Hoard is my home...and I control them." replied the Occupier.
"Oh, I'm not denying that!" said the Doctor. "Being in control of several hated figures like the 'The Copier', 'The Possessor' and 'The Distorter' is an honourable achievement in the grand scheme of things, but here in my TARDIS it is not."
"Why would you say such things?" shouted the Occupier. "You dishonour the Hoard and you will sacrifice your life as a result!"
"Doctor..." warned Rory. "Be careful..." he added as he wasn't sure what the Doctor was going to do next. Looking on, he just hoped the Doctor wouldn't do anything daft, but the Doctor was always daft. Sometimes clever and daft, but also just daft and even more daft at times. Rory rather hoped he would be clever and daft.
"Can't you show yourself, Occupier?" the Doctor then asked. "I would like to see who I am arguing with! Always nice to know! And just to point out, I'm pretty good at arguing. I've argued with the likes of Joan of Arc, Harold Wilson and even Bono...so I know what I'm doing!"
"Bono?" quizzed Rory. "Why Bono?"
"He forgot to pay me back that £50 the time I saved him being late to a gig! I'm still cross with him at that!" smiled the Doctor back at Rory who didn't seem too impressed. The Doctor thought for atleast one moment his anecdote had impressed his friend but was obviously mistaken. He felt rather awkward now. "So..." continued the Doctor "...can I behold your beauty then or not, Occupier?"
"You will not!" it replied. The Doctor pulled a sad face to show more 'acting' but moved on quickly.
"Well how about we settle out all this kerfuffle on somewhere that you and the Langhorn know well..." he then suggested. "How about we fight it out on Earth? Or even more appropriately at the station where we just were..."
"Fight for what exactly?" rasped the Occupier.
"Freedom...freedom to take as many Humans as you want..." smiled the Doctor.
"You've got to be kidding!" said Rory. "What are you thinking?" he then asked angrily but the Doctor winked at him and hushed him to carry on the negotiations. Rory just did as he was told.
"Your employee, the Langhorn will still do its work and you will still be in control." continued the Doctor. "Sounds fair, doesn't it?"
"I will honour your challenge.." spoke the Occupier. "We will fight for our livelihoods!"

Meanwhile, at the station, the Colonel and Captain Albatross were seeing sure that Derek Roughly was taken care of properly and securely. Julian was to stay with him in his office while the Colonel oversaw any little clear-up operations within the station itself. Then, suddenly out of nowhere there was a faint whirring noise. Litter around the station began to move and the Colonel suddenly realised what it was.
"The TARDIS..." she muttered to herself. "Oh Doctor, you've come back..." and indeed as the Blue Box began to settle into view and finally come to a halt, out rushed the Doctor.
"Flick, we need you out of here! There's something coming, and I don't know what's going to happen!" he said very quickly at her as he got his Sonic at the ready.
"I'm not leaving..." she protested. "I'm a UN.I.T Colonel. If anything is to endanger us, I've got a gun, I'm armed and ready for a fight!"
"Doctor, what are you going to do exactly against it?" asked Rory as he and the Langhorn then emerged from the TARDIS. Flick just looked on bemused at seeing the Langhorn leave the TARDIS. She was certain it was the enemy, not a travelling friend of the Doctor's.
"I'm not exactly sure. I could be very clever and just return them or 'kill them'. I really don't know..." the Doctor replied struggling to think up an idea. He sort of regretted now choosing the station because while it was closed, there was nothing really to make good use of. Then, in a revolving, swirling matter of air came the Occupier. Completely grey in appearance with an equally grey robe around them, the Occupier was devoid of features. It spoke, but there was nowhere to see where it spoke from. It held out its hand and created the whirlwind around itself once more before speaking to the Doctor.
"You forget many things, Sir. The final stop is coming for the beast of the rails for instance...What was that meant to mean?"
"I don't know..." said the Doctor sarcastically. "Do you?"
"It meant me!" retorted the Occupier. "The beast is another term for my name, the Occupier..."
"So, it was never the Langhorn doing the work then?" asked the Doctor.
"Never!" replied the Occupier before lightning began to swirl around it. "He was a distraction..." continued the Occupier as the wind picked up and lightning flashed everywhere. The station was beginning to be permanently illuminated by the lightning as the Occupier was seemingly drawing power from it.
"Doctor, what are we going to do?" shouted Rory to the Doctor as the whirlwind began to drown out every other noise.
"Hold on!" he replied. "Things are about to get very interesting indeed!"