Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been really busy lately, what with the holidays and such. But here's the next chapter in... The Doctor Games! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
THE DOCTOR GAMES
In the mid-afternoon heat, Jeff finds himself collapsing on the side of a mountain trail. He'd been patrolling the base of the mountain all morning, in the hopes of coming upon anyone coming up the mountain. The weather certainly looks like a storm is brewing, and there's no doubt in Jeff's mind that several tributes will be taking not, going to the mountain to get better shelter.
And Jeff will be waiting.
He sits on the side of the dirt trail, and wipes his face with his sleeve, getting the dirt off of him. The previous day, he'd successfully made his first kill, after his foiled ambush of River and Eleven earlier in the games. But he knows that, in order to win, for himself and for his family, he needs to continue to make a comeback..
Getting back to his feet, he hears something in the distance, like the sound of approaching footsteps. He picks up his weapon, a makeshift spear, hoping it won't fail him in whatever is coming.
He takes a defensive position just as Leo Jones bursts through the trees. He is brandishing a club, the end of which has been placed a few razor-sharp spikes, a formidable weapon. They find themselves locked in a staring match, each one, knowing the other to be able of killing, afraid to make the first move, but brave enough not to bolt.
The bravery holds out just long enough. Another sound is heard by the two of them: footsteps of another approaching tribute. Their attention is distracted for only a moment, but, in the split second that they dare to blink, Jeff takes his opportunity, and turns, barreling through the trees, up the mountain, and away from eminent danger.
Leo, however, turns into the sound, and raises his club.
"Alright!" he calls into the woods, seeing his breath crystallize in the crisp air. "Come on out, then! Who's there!"
His question is answered moments after. Out of the woods, steps not another tribute, but a young boar. Its ears flop about it's head as it looks up to Leo with big, glassy eyes. However, Leo is not amused. He brings his weapon down hard at the boar, and it runs away with a frightened squeal.
Realizing he'd lost his most recent hunt to nothing more than a baby pig, he screams at the sky and, pumped by anger and adrenaline, rages up the mountain, after Jeff-The-Good-Looking-One.
~THE DOCTOR GAMES~
"Doctor, did you hear that?" asks Amy, stopping from their trek for a moment to listen to the sky.
The Doctor nods, "Yes, I heard it. Sounded like a scream."
"Or a battle cry," Amy retorts, a bit scared.
After standing still a moment to hear for another scream, the Doctor looks at Amy, and says, "Well... Let's follow it!"
Then, the two of them set of, determinately, towards the sound, towards the mountain. On their brisk journey, Amy suddenly stops, and pulls the Doctor to look at her discovery.
"Look," she says. "What is that?"
The Doctor kneels by the gruesome pile of flesh, fuzz, and blood, and responds, "A piglet, by the looks of it."
"Someone's been hunting," Amy decides. She stands straighter, awaiting the hunter to return for it's prey. However, the Doctor thinks otherwise.
"Problem is," he begins, "Why would somebody go through the trouble to hunt this pig, only to leave it on the ground. And see?" He indicated the ground around him. "The pig's footprints are all around, but no human footprints anywhere near. This pig must have been injured and tried to run away."
"But why would someone take a bash at a little pig?" Amy asks incredulously. "What purpose would it serve?"
The Doctor sighs, and replies the only possible solution he can think of, "Anger relief."
The Doctor looks back at Amy, and the shared expression confirms their fears. Aware of an immediate danger, they both draw their blades, and continue on through the forest, towards the mountain.
~THE DOCTOR GAMES~
Back in the volcano crater, Sally and Nine are just finishing their mid-day meal of cooked snow-wolf. Sally previously expected it to taste terrible, and had herself prepared to run for the corner of the little cave to throw up. However, she's pleasantly surprised when the meal not only tastes good, but doesn't come back up afterwords.
"Honestly, Nine," she says, "That wasn't half bad."
"Nobody can say I can't cook," he says, "Not even in the middle of a volcano."
They share a quick laugh, each one reminiscing on other times they'd been able to laugh like that. Spending time with friends. Relaxing with family members. Both Sally and Nine know that this might very well be the last time they felt comfortable and happy. All too soon, the warm feeling is cut short.
Her smile disappears. "Did you hear that?" she says, voice low with fear.
Nine stands and turns to face the entrance to their camp. "Get back." He orders, and moves in front of her.
A heartbeat later, Lorna dashes down the stone path, followed hard by Lady Christina de Souza. Lorna, shocked both by her surroundings, and at seeing two other tributes there, pauses for a moment. The moment is enough for Christina to tackle her to the ground, seemingly oblivious of the two spectators.
"Nine, what do we do?" Sally asks, peering around his arm to get a look at the struggle before them.
"Have we got weapons?" he asks, not taking his eyes off of Christina and Lorna. Lorna has now managed to overcome Christina, her military training paying off. Christina still puts forward lethal effort and skill.
Sally looks around, and notices Nine's hunting supplies. "Four arrows," she answers, quickly bringing them to him, along with the bow. He takes them, and sets one arrow, taking aim.
"What are you going to do?" Sally asks.
He replies simply, "Something clever."
He releases the arrow, and it flies towards the two fighting women, and catches in a bunch of Christina's hair. It wrenches her head and torso away, and she falls to the ground as the arrow clanks into the face of the stone wall and shatters. Lorna and Christina both fall away to shield themselves from an splinters, and, the fight delayed, they both lie on the floor, both slightly stunned, but neither trying to kill the other.
"Now then," nine says with a smug grin, "Sit down, shut up, and don't try to murder anyone." To make his point clear, he loaded another arrow. Both seeing his archery skills previously displayed, Christina and Lorna sit up against the stone wall, well away from each other.
Grabbing an arrow, Sally joins Nine in front of the girls. "Now what?"
"Now, we wait."
"For what?"
Nine looks back at the stone walkway entrance, and replies, "For something to happen."
~THE DOCTOR GAMES~
Okay, so, there's the chapter! Hope you like it! Please review!