Chapter 4: Trickster or Treat

The Doctor stood over the rippiling water, staring at his second personality. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, the first doctor spoke.

"I don't think they're coming, do you?" he smiled, adding a little laugh at the end.

The reflection considered this for a moment and then spoke again, "you can't jump in the water, not while you're inside me."

"Doctor, I'm not going to. All I need to do is walk you to the water's edge, jump out and let you fall. Simple, really..."

The reflection fell silent again, biting his lip and looking down towards his non-existent feet. The Doctor walked over to the bridge edge, giving one last mocking look at the reflection and saying, "In 5...4...3...2..."

Suddenly, there was a sudden, continous gust of wind and the Doctor turned around to see the blue figure of the TARDIS slowly coming into view. The wooshing noise stopped and the wind settled.

Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani all came filing out of the TARDIS, followed by about five Judoon.

The Doctor stared in shock at this minature army and could only manage, "What?"

"That's my Sarah Jane!" smiled the reflection.

The Judoon officer stepped forward and began to recite, "Subject: The Trickster. Mutiple Convictions, including space-time interverience and parking fines..."

"Parking Fines?! I am the last member of the Band of Discord and I am being taken down for parking fines?"

"I think your old Graske mate wasn't very good at parking, Trickster." Clyde smirked at him.

The Judoon officer grumbled at being interrupted and continued, "Overall, two million convictions. Sentence: Execution."

The Judoon officer and his masked minions all pulled their guns out focusing their guns on the Doctor. Sarah Jane's face almost went white and she stepped in front yelling, "No!".

The Doctor smiled and laughed.

"So long as he is still inside the Doctor, you're not shooting him." said Sarah Jane.

"Trickster must be executed. Time Lord irrelevant." barked the officer, pushing Sarah Jane aside.

"TARDIS! Activate Protocol 435!" yelled the reflection.

Almost instantly, the whole TARDIS began to glow and a bright light shot out of the light on top, hitting the Doctor. He stood still for a moment and looked as if he was going to be sick. Then he opened his arms and yelled, as a white light enveloped him.

When it cleared, the Trickster seemed to just step out of the Doctor and fell down, unconscious, as the Doctor tumbled off the pier, lifeless and limp.

The whole crowd gasped and the Judoon kept their guns trained on the pier, not really sure what to do. After a few seconds of nothing, a hand appeared, followed by a foot and then the smiling, suited figure of the Doctor, clambered onto the pier.

He stood up, looking around and said, "Did'ya miss me?".

The gan smiled at the doctor and then turned to look a the Trickster, who was smiling evily.

"You may have won this round but you will never win the war. You are wrong. I am not the last member of the Band of Discord but there are four other members, ready to pounce on you, all of you. Have fun with my friends, Miss Smith."

And with that, the Trickster faded away and the Judoon turned angrily to the Doctor and Sarah Jane.

"You impede Judoon officer in his duty. Sentence: Execu-!"

"Oh, go back to where you came from "sir"!" interrupted the Doctor, pointing his screwdriver at the TARDIS. A bright light came down, covering the Judoon, which then shot up again, taking the Judoon with it.

"What was that?" asked Rani, looking to where the light had dissapered.

"TARDIS transmat beam," explained the Doctor, playing with his sonic screwdriver. "Sent them back to the Shadow Proclamation but you'd better sat out of the way of the Judoon for now. You've commited a big enough offence to get you executed."

The Doctor walked up to the TARDIS, opening the door and gesturing inside.

"Do you want a lift home, then?"

*

Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke and Rani all came running out of the TARDIS into their much-loved attic. Sarah Jane turned around to face the Doctor.

"Sure you don't want to stay for a bit? See Mr Smith and K9 switched back on?"

"I think I might go actually. It could be kind of hard to explain why I shut them down and called K9 stupid. Just...reprogamme it into their systems while they sleep."

"OK. Well, see you."

"Yeah...bye"

The Doctor paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something. Then he closed the door and the TARDIs slowly fading away, taking the Doctor with it.

*

The Lost Ghost of Tommy Renald, episode 2 of The Online Sarah Jane Adventures arrives next week!