NOTE: Muahahahahhaha...that is all.

Chapter Twenty-eight

"Attention galactic warlords, vicious cold blooded murders, insane destroyers of worlds, and other various degenerate psychotic angry scum who until recently called Stormcage 'home'...the Doctor will see you now."

"Not good."

The Doctor looked around and tried to figure out how the Valeyard had disappeared so quickly. He had literally taken his eye off him for just a second and not only was he gone, but he was clearly at the main control centre. The last time the Doctor had been on Alkinar it was specifically designed not to allow any kind of transporter beam. However the Doctor reasoned that the Valeyard could have easily set something up now that the prison was abandoned.

"Very not good."

Reaching into his pocket the Doctor pulled out the small disk that the Warden had given Rory. A quick scan with the sonic couldn't fully read the disk, but it did tell him there were 178 files on it. Out of the five thousand plus who had escaped out onto the planet or into the tunnel systems the Doctor guessed that these 178 inmates were either the most dangerous, the only ones unaccounted for, or more likely both. The Doctor wasn't sure exactly how many personal enemies he had in Stormcage, but he wouldn't be surprised to find that it was close to one hundred seventy-eight.

"Very extremely not good."

The Doctor had heard the doors and gates unlocking as the metal clanging echoed through the vast maze of empty corridors, but as of right now he didn't hear anyone approaching. Putting his hand on the door that River was behind he inspected the edge of the closed door. Leaning in and tasting the metal he instantly detected the signature of melted steel. Having an explanation as to why he couldn't unlock the door with the sonic he got down on his hands and knees and opened the small slot at the bottom of the door that was meant for sliding food through.

"River?"

The Doctor reached through the slotted opening and scanned small cell on the other side. The sonic confirmed that River was inside, and healthy, but also fast asleep. Searching his pockets the Doctor pulled out a small glass vial that held a red powder. Carefully pulling the cork out he tossed the whole open vial into the cell where the power spilled out and vaporized into a powerfully scented cloud. River instantly jolted awake with a strangled cry of panic.

"It's okay, River," the Doctor assured through the door "just a little Lumarian Smelling Salts."

River scrambled to her feet and looked around the nearly pitch black cell. With the Lumarian in her system her hearts were pounding painfully against her ribs as adrenaline washed through her blood. Disoriented and finding herself alone River shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

"River? Are you alright?"

"Where are you?"

"Down here." The Doctor reached through the slot and waved.

The Doctor did his best to look in through the opening that was about a foot long and about six inches high, but the light in the hall made it impossible to see into the inky dark cell. However it wasn't long before River knelt down and took his hand. The Doctor gave River's hand a reassuring squeeze only to have her suddenly yank him through the slot to the shoulder, pinning him to the floor.

"Let me out of here this instant!" River demanded as she threaten to break his wrist.

"River!" The Doctor squawked. "I'm not the Valeyard, it's me, the Doctor, the proper one!"

"Doctor?" River asked suspiciously.

"I know you have no reason to believ..."

The Doctor stopped as he heard a loud clang of metal as a door was thrown open. Fearing he was about to be discovered the Doctor turned his attention back to River. She still had him trapped in the door, laying flat on the floor with his shoulder wedged in the small slot he had very little leverage to free himself. She was no longer hurting him, but she also didn't seem too keen on releasing him either.

"River, there are some very angry people coming to kill me, I need you to trust me. Please let me go."

The Doctor didn't struggle, he peacefully gave River the time she needed to decide. After a moment he felt her give in and relax her grip. The Doctor slowly pulled his sore arm out from under the door. He pushed himself back up onto his hands and knees. River slowly reached out through the opening and just held her hand out. The Doctor gently took her hand and kissed her palm before releasing her.

"I've missed you, Doctor." River admitted through the door.

"How can you tell it's really me?"

"The Valeyard would have retaliated." River explained simply. "You become very short tempered in the future. Frisky, but short tempered."

"He's not..."

The Doctor stopped when the sounds of men arguing in the distance suddenly floated down the hall. The noise was getting closer and as soon as they came to the intersection at the end of the hall he was going to be spotted. The Doctor reached into his jacket to pull the Vale Blades out of their harness and shoved them under the door for River.

"Doctor?" River questioned.

"Keep these close at all times, if the Valeyard returns before I do they will keep you safe." The Doctor explained.

"Doctor, I...I can't..."

"You shouldn't have to." The Doctor interrupted. "He shouldn't come anywhere near you as long as you're holding them, he'll be too afraid. Please do everything you can to avoid hurting him, but if you honestly believe he pose a threat to you do not hesitate to sink these into his hearts."

"It won't come to that." River said firmly.

"I hope not."

The prison was becoming increasingly noisy as more of the released inmates encountered one another and more fighting broke out. It hadn't initially occurred to the Doctor that they would turn on each other just as quickly as they turned on him, but it did work to his advantage. Despite the fact that there was nothing more he could do for River without the proper tools he hesitated to leave. River reached through the bottom of the door and brushed his arm.

"River..."

"Just go, Doctor. I'm safe in here."

"I'll be back, next time I'll bring something to cut through this door."

"I'd like that."

The Doctor slowly got to his feet and took a second to decide which direction would be best. There were four choices as to where to go from here, but it was hard to tell where the most sound was coming from since everything bounced and echoed off the stone.

"Doctor?" River called out.

"I'm still here." The Doctor replied as he knelt back down.

"My parents..." River left the question open, afraid to finish it.

"They are safe. They are with the TARDIS."

"Thank you."

"I'll be back." The Doctor promised.

"I'll be here."

Even though he couldn't see her the Doctor could imagine the wry smile that was on River's face right now. Getting back to his feet he kissed the door that separated them and took off down the hall. Unable to go back to where to he'd left the TARDIS the way he'd come the Doctor worked on winding his way back through the corridors. It quickly became clear that there was no organized search for him. Several times ducked into the shadows as his hunters passed by.

The disorganized nature of the displaced inmates made evasion easier. However eventually he turned down the wrong hall and found himself face to face with a group of about twenty men. With one quick glance he recognized almost every face as being one from his past in one way or another. The Doctor rarely helped out any official 'authorities' directly in the apprehension of galactic criminals, but he certainly did enough of it in a round about way to help populate Stormcage.

At first the men seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to see them, but it didn't take long for the men to cry out and take chase. Turning tail the Doctor sped back the way he'd come. Turning a sharp corner he slammed into a large individual with bright green skin and fell back to the floor. His sonic was knocked from his hands and clattered noisily across the floor. With no time to retrieve the precious device the Doctor scrambled back to his feet and faced the towering man he'd collided with.

"Hello, Margo, long time no see." The Doctor greeted.

"Doctor, I'm going to tear you into litt..."

"Did you know Teckon is here?" The Doctor interrupted. "Gessle too. Friends of yours...right?"

"What?!" Margo roared in fury. "I'll kill them!"

"That way." The Doctor pointed towards the group that was quickly approaching.

Margo instantly forgot the Doctor in favour for the chance at revenge on the other two that he had far greater reason to want dead. Margo charged past him and into the on coming crowd and a scene of terrifying violence quickly ensued. Taking advantage of the distraction the Doctor rushed towards a heavy door at the end of the hall. He knew it wouldn't be long before the brawl had a winner and they'd be on him again. Yanking the door open the Doctor stepped through and was instantly struck across the temple hard enough to knock him senseless.

Slowly resurfacing the Doctor groaned against a powerful headache. Laying on his back he felt a strong set of hands grab the front of his shirt and haul him to his feet. Still disoriented the Doctor tried to focus on the scene, a sharp backhand across his face had probably meant to bring him around faster but it had the opposite effect. Sent reeling again he fought to stay conscious.

"Wake up, Doctor." A familiar voice chuckled. "I want you to know who won the honour of slaughtering you."

Whoever had first lifted him up was now behind him and making sure that he stayed on his feet. The man holding him held his upper arms in a vice like grip, but that wasn't who had spoken to him. Blinking a few time the Doctor was finally able to look at the man in front of him.

"Realtor," the Doctor greeted with a hint of relief in his voice "you in danger here, the ma..."

The Doctor was cut off as the men around him, including the Realtor, laughed at his declaration that they were the ones in trouble. The Doctor took a quick glance around to see what he was up against. There were sixteen that he could see, all of them associates of the Realtor's. It didn't surprise the Doctor that during his time in Stormcage the Realtor had created a gang. The Realtor was from a rare race of particularly long lived individuals that tended to form strong loyalties from others. Looking at the environment he found that they were in one of the common cell blocks that raised up more than a dozen levels on either side with metal catwalks between them.

"Realtor, please, listen to me, you're a businessman so you're a rationa..."

"I was a businessman, but that was more than three hundred years ago. Three hundred years rotting in Stormcage since I last saw you at the negotiation table." The Realtor interrupted in a conversational tone. "Interestingly enough the last sale I made before capture happened to be to you, Doctor. Funny coincidence, isn't it?"

"Hilarious." The Doctor replied without any trace of mirth. "But I had nothing to do with your incarceration."

"I'm no fool, Doctor, I know you set me up." The Realtor snarled. "I ended up in Stormcage because of you!"

"No, you instantly made it to the top of the Most Wanted list when you destroyed Seiten 9 and murdered the billions that lived there because they didn't pay their 'rent'." The Doctor hissed. "I simply knew it when they were going catch you, so I used your services before you were taken off the market."

"How could you possibly know if you did not have a hand in it?!"

"What part of 'Time Lord' don't you understand?"

"Ah, yes, Last of the Time Lords," the Realtor chuckled "you know I've always wanted to drive a species into extinction."

"Killing me won't get you anywhere. I can help you, in fact I'm the only one who can."

"You're concern is touching, Doctor."

"You need me or..."

Before the Doctor could finish the Realtor brought his knee up into the Doctor's stomach with enough force to knock him breathless with a nauseating pain. The Doctor would have dropped to his knees, but he was still being held up by the muscular creature that had his arms pinned. The Realtor waited for the Doctor to catch his breath.

"Listen to me..." The Doctor gasped.

"There is nothing you can say to save your skin, Time Lord."

"This is Alkinar."

There was a sudden murmur that swept through the gang, clearly they hadn't known. Even the Realtor was given pause by the news. Alkinar was a desolate world in the farthest reach of the Bode's Galaxy. Since the decommission of Alkinar prison the entire solar system associated with the prison world was set under Galactic Quarantine. No one ever came to Alkinar, there would be no escape.

"You are all stranded here, and I'm sure you noticed that this place is an awful lot like Stormcage with the exception that they used to feed you back at Stormcage. You are all going to starve to death here."

"Are you offering to take us off Alkinar?"

"I will take you all back to Stormcage, you know I can."

"I would rather die here."

"You don't mean tha..."

The Realtor lashed out at the Doctor once more. Still suffering from the initial blow that had knocked him unconscious this second strike brought him close to passing out as well. The Realtor stepped up and reached out towards the Doctor. The Doctor cringed expecting to be struck again by the powerful alien, however the Realtor simply untied the Doctor's deep blue bow-tie.

The Doctor glared spitefully at the Realtor as he retied the strong silk around his throat in a crude noose. Several of the other men were busy tearing up lengths of cloth from the sheets off the cot in the nearby cell that they tied together. The man holding the Doctor's arm's captive released him so that he could secure the tail of the repurposed bow-tie to the cloth rope that the others had made. The Doctor continued to stare down the Realtor as the rope was thrown up over the railing of the above catwalk.

"Any last words?" The Realtor chuckled.

"You'll regret this." The Doctor said seriously. "Kill me and you condemn everyone here to death as well."

"I don't think so. Whoever this 'Valeyard' is he has promised passage off this rock to wherever we wish to go to the party responsible for your death."

"He's lying. You mean nothing to him, he despises you as much as I do, and he will leave you all here to die."

"How do you know that?"

"Because that's what I would do if I were him."

The Realtor paused for a moment as he thought over his options. The Doctor just watched him, seemingly indifferent one way or another. As far as the Doctor was concerned none of the men stranded on Alkinar deserved the chance to be returned to Stormcage, the Realtor the least of all. They were all cold blooded murders and men who took delight in the senseless suffering of others. The Realtor took a step back and a cruel smile slipped over his face.

"Don't hoist him up too high," the Relator purred "I want to be able to watch the light leave his eyes..."

"This is your last chance: let me help yo..."

At a slight nod from the Relator the Doctor was silenced by the silk at his throat as it was jerked painfully tight. Not about to give his executioner any satisfaction the Doctor closed his eyes as he was lifted a few inches from the floor. Although he tried to stay calm once he was truly suspended it became impossible not to struggle. With his hands now free he reached up and clawed at the taunt silk that was cutting into his throat. The Doctor's feet were just barely out of reach of the floor and as he jerked spasmodically the tips of his shoes scrapped noisily against the rough cement floor.

Watching intently the Realtor smiled as the Doctor slowly grew weaker. Eventually unable to fight the Doctor dropped his hands from the garrote. Relaxing completely the Doctor became motionless except for the slight swinging of the makeshift rope that kept him from the ground. The scene was deathly still as every man present subconsciously held his breath. When the Doctor showed no signs of going into a regeneration the Realtor stepped in closer and leaned in to press his ear against the Doctor's chest to listen for a heartbeat. When he was greeted with nothing but silence he backed up and smiled.

"You were wrong, Doctor, I regret nothing. Even if I die here, it was worth it..."