Note: *looks at last update date* Ohoho...

Chapter 8 - The Truth Hurts

[Fifth Hour]

"Hey, Handsome. Wake up," came a voice.

"Leave me alone," Alex murmured back, not having enough energy to shout. He suddenly felt a light slap to the cheek and instantly shot up. He blinked a few times before his vision focused on Jack's face.

"Hello, Handsome," he began playfully, smiling charismatically.

"Do you always wake people up by slapping and flirting with them?" Jack laughed at that remark but said nothing. Then Alex realised he was back in their white cell. "What happened?"

"The Doctor didn't catch up with us so I went back to look for him. That was then I lost you. I saw Doc knocked out, but got ambushed from behind before I even got to him… looks like they got you, too," he said. He scratched the back of his head and suddenly halted. He felt a little light and looked at his hips. His gun was taken… then something else got him by surprise. "Crap, they took my vortex manipulator…"

"Your what?"

"My watch," Jack lied. "Oh, and look," he raised his head to reveal a silver collar around his neck. "Collars that bound to our DNA and give us a nasty electric shock if positioned outside a certain radius. Looks like we won't be able to get outta here that easily…" Alex stared at the collar wide-eyed and noticed he was wearing one, too.

"Jack, what the hell is going on," Alex demanded. "Everything here seems to be revolving around me and there's something in your eyes, I can tell. You're hiding something from me. You and the Doctor." Jack stared intently at him and sighed. "Tell me, Jack. What is this case 1011."

"It's best you don't know."

"Tell me!" Jack vigorously shook his head.

"I'm so, so sorry," he murmured, burying his head in his hands. "I wish I can but I can't."

They were both cut off when they heard the sound of a transmat being activated. Jack looked towards the force field and noticed two bowls of what appeared to look like thick green porridge. He grimaced at the contents of the bowl, but none the less picked them up and handed one to Alex. "Eat up, you'll need this for the whole day." Alex took a whiff of the suspicious green and apparently edible substance and blanched.

"It's like snot that smells like feet!" he cried out, extending his arms to keep the bowl away from him. Jack snorted at the remark.

"It's just like ready made porridge with the vitamins and minerals needed for a whole day all packed into one bowl. You're gonna need that since we won't eat until the next day… that's if we still make it out. It's disgusting, but filling. You either eat or starve."

Alex studied Jack casually eating the contents of the bowl in a cool manner.

"How are you doing that?" he exclaimed, looking at Jack and back to his bowl.

"Trust me, I feel like puking but I'd like to keep my dignity thank you very much."

[Sixth Hour]

The Doctor, still young and fighting, found himself on stand-by from the Time War. He was resting in the grand hall along with many other soldiers of the Time War. He smiled as a fellow soldier approached him, but his face fell when he was greeted with solemn eyes. He gave the Doctor a sealed envelope and mumbled a few words of sorrow. Feeling utterly anxious, the Doctor opened the envelope and read the first lines: "Due to complications during the Aridius Extermination, we utter with great sympathy of the death of Irving Braxiatel."

All at once, his eyes welled up. He clenched his fist, focusing all his love and despair into that white-knuckled fist, and punched the wall. He shouted, as if it would let go all his anger and he cried. His mind an emotional turmoil, let loose the grey clouds as great salty drops cursed down his cheeks.

…

The Doctor woke up from another nightmare to a nasty headache. He squinted the moment a beam of bright light was shone against his face and realised he was being watched. It was when he found himself sitting on a chair, arms and legs restrained did he realise he was going to be interrogated. The lady in the black dress – the Shadow Architect entered the black room and eyed the Doctor, making him squirm under her gaze.

"We know it was you who was responsible for the escape plan," the Architect coldly began. "You're clever, Doctor. I'll give you that." The Doctor grinned at that, but it soon faded when she glared at him. "You stole a hologram cube on case 1011 from one of our archive rooms. Care to explain?" Before the Doctor could even utter a syllable, the lady interrupts. "Maybe you know so much of case 1011, maybe you were in some way connected to it, maybe you stole it to get rid of all the evidence in that cube." The Doctor stared at her in total disbelief.

"You think I'd do that?" he grated.

"You killed our hired bounty hunters who was only trying to help the Law," she said, ignoring the Doctor's last question.

"He was about to kill Alex!"

"We never stated whether we wanted him dead or alive."

The Doctor stared at her yet again. "What kind of a police force are you?" he pressed.

"What do you know of case 1011?" she asked, ignoring the Doctor again.

"Nothing," he snapped, staring her hard in the eyes. The lady sighed and snapped her fingers. Two Judoon approached from behind her and she faced them.

"Do whatever it takes to make him speak of the case. Use force if you have to and don't give him any food," she ordered. "Start with level one interrogation and go up the ladder if he persists." Then she turned to the Doctor. "You have seventeen hours until we execute you." The Doctor continued to stare at her, trying to show that her words meant nothing to him when frankly; he was beginning to feel terrified. Then she left the room and the two Judoon approached the Time Lord both wielding cattle prods. The Doctor sighed. Looks like a long night…

[Thirteenth Hour]

He really couldn't sleep. From time to time, Alex would wake up and he was already starting to lose track of time. Jack was already awake and sat hunched against a cell wall, fatigue clearly shown on his face. The Doctor still hadn't returned and for the first time, they began to worry. Without him, it was like their lucky mascot had been taken away. Not that he generally brought luck all the time…

"Morning," the ex-Time Agent huffed, slowly picking himself up and stretching. "Sleep well?" Alex groaned in answer. He let his mouth hang open and finally, the madness began.

"I'm so thirsty!" he suddenly shouted. Jack jumped at Alex's sudden mood swing. "What the hell have I done to deserve this?!" he screamed beginning to thump his head against the wall.

"Alex, keep it down!" Jack hissed.

"Don't tell me what to do, idiot!" He smacked his head against the wall. "Stupid head, why can't I remember?!"

"Alex!" Jack darted to him, grabbing his arms. "Snap out of it, it's gonna be okay!" Alex smacked his head again.

"Why the hell is this happening to me?!" he began to cry and smacked his head once more. "Why can't I remember what I did?" he was sobbing now. Jack neared the weeping Time Lord before a new wave of anger hit him. To Jack's shock, he slammed his head on the wall continuously. "WHY," SMACK! "CAN'T," SMACK! "I," SMACK! "BLOODY," SMACK! "REMEMBER?!"

Blood cursed down his face tear-stricken face as he slid down the wall, burying his head in his hands. "Why is it I think there's something missing but I can't remember?" he sobbed. Jack placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. Unable to take the pain of seeing the shattered Time Lord in this state, Jack resigned to himself and let out a winding sigh. He had to tell the truth before it kills him inside.

As if on cue, their force field suddenly sizzles and disables. Two Judoon enter their cell and stood tall, looking down at the two broken men before them.

"You will stand," one grunted. Jack growled and pointed at Alex.

"Can't you see he's injured? You can't just boss us around."

"His injuries are of no importance," it replied. "You will stand." Jack was about to lash out when a hand grabbed his shoulder. It was Alex - as calm as ever compared to three minutes ago.

"Jack, just listen to them," he insisted. The two stood up and to their surprise, the Judoon disabled their collars. With a hiss the collars detached from their necks and feebly fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Alex and Jack exchanged confused, yet hopeful glances as they were shoved out of their cells and into a corridor. They were led to a reception desk where the ex-Time Agent's eyes glinted as he noticed his vortex manipulator on the desk. Bonus points were also scored when he also found the sonic screwdriver next to it. He felt the urge to reach over, but was shoved to a hallway not too far. Then a dreadful thought struck him.

"Wait, it hasn't been twenty four hours until execution," he muttered to Alex.

The Time Lord gasped as he saw where Jack was getting at.

"If we're being taken out of prison before the twenty four hour mark, that means…" Alex trailed off. He couldn't finish the sentence out of fear. Was the twenty-four hour thing a lie? They came into a white waiting room where two large metal doors were. What was behind those doors, Jack and Alex dreaded to wonder.

"You will wait outside the court doors," the Judoon grunted. They were released from their grips and left in the room as the familiar sound of a force field activating could be heard from within the waiting room. They were locked in.

[One-Hour Ago]

The Architect left the interrogation room and glared at the room through a one-way mirror. The Doctor sat hunched on a chair looking in such a state. A river of blood ran through his face, his lower jaw swollen from such a beating, a black eye beginning form, whip, electric and burn marks visible on his skin… What was once a strong man with such defiance in his eyes deteriorated to nothing more than that of a broken shell of a man. His face was now pale from the lack of food consumption and he was beginning to breathe very heavily but inconsistently. Then the woman turned to the nearby Judoon. "How many steps up the interrogation ladder did he go up to?"

"Level nine," it replied. That man coped up to nine levels of torture - nine out of ten. She was impressed; she had to admit that.

"Nine levels," she echoed. "It took him seven hours of torture before he cracked." She turned back to the window and noticed a tear fall from the Doctor's cheek.

…

Jack and Alex sat in the waiting room, uttering no words to one another. They waited until the large doors slid open to reveal an enormous red circular hall. Alex looked intently at Jack, dry blood smeared around the side of his face from the previous drama. Jack returned his gaze with a forced smile of reassurance.

"Welcome to hell?" the ex-Time Agent asked. The ginger Time Lord slowly nodded.

"Welcome to hell," Alex concluded. And with that, they walked into the hard light of the courtroom.

The courtroom was bigger than they thought. It wasn't like any other court on Earth, oh no. Countless seats that were filled with black-hooded figures were arranged in a circular order to face the centre of the court, which was a relatively small circular platform. Most of the light was focused on the platform as well as the front of the court where a humanoid creature sat, possibly the superior and judge of the case. There was the distinguishable figure of the Shadow Architect who sat on the right hand side of the judge. The amount of people present overwhelmed Alex and he couldn't help but stare. Then he noticed a dishevelled figure sitting in the front row. He gasped and nudged Jack. "Jack look!" he exclaimed, pointing at the man. "It's the Doctor!" Jack squinted across the hall and it was his turn to gasp.

"Oh my God, what have they done to him?" he breathed, noticing the state the poor Time Lord was in. "Doctor!" he called out. Jack was unsure whether he didn't hear him or ignored him, but whatever the reason, he couldn't take his eyes off the Doctor. He looked broken…

The two were suddenly grabbed by two Judoon, again, and were led to the front row seats. Except Alex, who, to Jack's horror, was led towards the circular platform at the centre of the courtroom.

"Alex!" He shouted, lunging forward to run after him, but the Judoon's grip was far too strong. He craned his neck back at the Doctor. "Doctor, say something!"

But the Time Lord was still sitting there idle. Not even protesting like what he would normally do in times such as these. "Doctor…" Jack breathed.

On the platform, the Judoon secured chains on Alex's wrist and ankles to which were secured to the platform to prevent any escape. A little blue light lit up on the cuffs indicating they were triple deadlock sealed. Escape attempts were futile by now… Alex whimpered and stared at the Doctor for help, then back at Jack who had the face of a scared boy. That wasn't supposed to help…

"Alex Johnson," the Judge suddenly began, breaking the silence of the enormous courtroom. "You have been charged for the involvement in the extermination of Aridius during Time War."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alex grated, starting to feel extremely annoyed with his lack of knowledge. The Judge ignored him and proceeded with his speech.

"You are the only survivor of the Gallifreyan exploration team and thus you will be held responsible for the genocide of the Aridians."

"What?!" Jack suddenly shouted. The Judged scowled as the audience of the trial began bustling. He turned to Jack.

"Interrupting the court hearing is forbidden, human. I could have you persecuted for obstructing the Law."

"This trial is unjust," Jack exclaimed, ignorant of the Judge's threat. "You haven't given us the full twenty four hours, let alone no evidence has been given to start this trial." The black-hooded figures began talking loudly and the Judge slammed his gabble several times before the crowd hushed.

"Escort the human to the execution room."

Jack felt his body being shoved out of the court when the Doctor suddenly stood up and spoke. "Your honour, I request you let him stay until he hears the truth. Whether he leaves or not, he needs to hear it out as a witness of this case." Jack stared at the Doctor's new change in demeanour. What truth was he talking about? Is he going to tell Alex? The Judge nodded.

"Very well then. Let the human stay." Jack sighed as he sat back down on his seat, looking back at the Doctor who had that emotionless face again. The Judge faced Alex.

"Along with eye witness reports of the extermination and various ancient scriptures on the Time War regarding the war on Aridius, the Doctor has also confessed your actions after questioning. The evidence currently gathered now is enough to sentence you to 500 000 years in Volag-Nog."

"WHAT?!" Jack shrieked again and glared at the Doctor. There was no way Alex could cope in a prison as hellish as Volag-Nog. "You snitched on Alex? Why?!" The Doctor dared not look at Jack nor Alex. "Dammit, Doctor, what the hell's gotten into you?!" he screamed, clenching his fists and trying to wriggle free of the Judoon's grasp. "You idiot, why?!" The Doctor didn't reply. "BLOODY TELL ME, YOU COWARD!" The Doctor's head perked at this, his face displaying total hatred. Jack saw this and took this chance to give the Doctor another verbal hit. "You're worse than a fleet of Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans put together, they never sell out one another," he growled. Immediately, the Doctor stamped a foot and stood from his seat.

"YOU HAVE NO BLOODY IDEA HOW MUCH PAIN I WENT THROUGH!" he screamed. "EVERY SINGLE DAY I WAITED FOR HIM TO COME. IT WAS TOO LONG AND PAINFUL UNTIL I STOPPED WAITING BECAUSE HE'D GONE," he suddenly sobbed, shrinking back in his seat. Jack stopped, slightly taken aback and confused. The audience began to mutter to the Judge's annoyance.

"I order the courtroom to be silent!" he demmanded.

"Can someone please, for the love of God, tell me what's going on?!" Alex cried out from the stage, ignorant of the Judge. Jack stared at the Doctor as the Doctor glowered at Alex with pure hatred in his eyes.

"You heard the Judge," the Doctor grated. "You and your team committed genocide. You didn't know there was a fellow Time Lord monitoring the planet, and in the process, you killed my brother."