Chapter 1; Segment 2: The Doctor
He looked at the Rider, which was glaring at him with its head slightly tilted in confusion at his complete (-ly faked) calm. "Hello there, Johnny boy! How've you been?"
The Rider simply growled at him, and he adjusted his bowtie. "You aren't very talkative like this, y'know? Still. Anyways, I was in the neighborhood; figured I'd drop by, see how you're doing. Not very well, it seems."
It simply growled back at him, before tensing, seemingly about to try and tear him to pieces.
"I wouldn't recommend doing that- I'm sure you know what a TARDIS is. You did look through everything I've ever done. You also know that it can make force fields, right?"
The Rider reached out a hand, and then tilted its head the other way upon realizing that there was, in fact, a shield around it.
"I had to make a few little tweaks to make sure you couldn't just-"
It pulled its arm back and then punched the shield, fire spreading across its invisible surface before the shield, quite simply, collapsed.
"Well, I thought that would, ah, work a bit better. I was hoping for a civil conversation that wouldn't end up with me as ashes."
It walked forwards, and he scooted closer to the TARDIS's door. "I thought I could help you. But, that might I have to wait, but I do need to tell you something."
The Rider stopped, glaring down at him, and he found himself thinking that he really didn't want to get in a staring contest with it again. Then, it spoke.
"Talk."
The Doctor stood a little taller, becoming less tense. "I thought you'd want to know that you need to cross the ocean. There's going to be some very important things happening in and around… Romania, was it? I think so. In about eight years, you're definitely going to need to be there."
It growled again and then looked at the TARDIS, a gesture the Doctor noticed. "Oh no, now that I will not allow! You will not, I repeat NOT, go inside my TARDIS. Ever. She would not be happy with you on board, I guarantee it."
It made a small, thrumming growl, amused.
"You couldn't stop me if you tried."
"Then go ahead and try it."
"Not yet." It looked at him again, and he glared back, although avoided looking at its eyes.
"That is Time Lord technology, and I've done my research- you've always been more involved with human technology, compared to other species."
"I adapt."
"No, you make things adapt to you."
It growled dismissively, and he carefully opened the door, not taking his eyes off The Rider in case it decided that it wanted the TARDIS for itself. How would Blaze react to that when he changed back? Poor man had been through a lot in a short time already.
"So, I suppose I'll have to meet you again later. I spend a lot of time over on the other side of the Atlantic. Don't rush yourself though. Eight years is a long time to wait."
He closed the door carefully, and ran to the controls, keeping an eye on the door. He couldn't shake off the feeling of overwhelming terror that came with a single glimpse of the Rider. He wasn't sure what it was, but just the thought of it made his hearts beat too quickly and messed with his head. He wasn't sure why- generally, he functioned better under stress, but for some reason he felt like he'd rather face an army of allied Daleks and Time Lords than try and figure out a way to stop the Rider.
He had done his research on it though, of course. He knew that it was supposedly some sort of deranged angel, tricked down to hell. That, however, seemed unlikely. He suspected it was more of an alien that fed on some form of energy it got when it 'devoured the souls of the guilty'. Time Lords had, of course, met Riders before. He himself was one of the luckier ones, though-
Most of the Time Lords on the receiving end of a Penance Stare had lost their minds. That was a long time ago, however- even before the Great Time War.
The Time Lords called whatever the entity that did this was 'Zarathos'.
He shivered slightly. "Said my piece to it- hopefully, I'll never have to meet it again."
But everyone knows that the Doctor could never resist a puzzle, and no puzzle was more difficult- or dangerous- than the Rider's mind.