Author's Note: Thank you for the overwhelming reviews on the last chapter! They mean a lot. And since I rarely ever get suggestions (even though I'd be more than happy to take them), I felt compelled to answer the comment from Guest:
I think what would be great for this…story was if you wrote a chapter that skipped a few years, maybe when Sherlock is in his late teens, early twenties, he possibly had a fight with Mycroft who might have wanted to leave the TARDIS and the Doctor to start a career, which led to Sherlock leaving as well and beginning his drug addiction to forget all their adventures. Just a thought :)
The ending to the story was one of the first things that I wrote. And actually, (I'm not going to spoil too much out of fear of disappointing River Song) you're not that far off with a few things! Eventually, and I hope that this isn't a spoiler so much as it is common sense, Sherlock and Mycroft are going to have to leave the Tardis. Unfortunately, Sherlock won't be in his teens/early twenties. He'll be eight. Mycroft will be fourteen, going on fifteen. The Doctor will be 1200, give or take a few years. And it will be sad. I will say that (spoilers) Mycroft is the one who wants to leave first and an extremely reluctant Sherlock has to follow. BUT Mycroft doesn't leave over wanting to start a career. I love Mycroft's character too much to let him be that selfish. And I'll even correct my previous sentence by saying that he doesn't want to leave. But he has to. And it's the hardest decision of his life. And he will regret it. And it does cause the hostility between the brothers. Too much history between them. Old scores. And it's so much more than just a few nicked smurfs or broken action figures.
Now, onto the chapter! As per CaptainXena-Motion's request, this shall have alien fighting in it. Kind of. It shall have aliens! Although I don't know why you would want a chapter with aliens. I mean it's not like this story is halfway based on Doctor Who or anything! Next, you'll be asking for a chapter with more mysteries.
Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Seven
"Behold," the Doctor boomed, "The Roman Colosseum! Not bad, huh?"
"Not bad at all," Mycroft agreed, eagerly looking around, "Thanks, Doctor!"
"Maybe we'll run into Julius Caesar," the Doctor mused, "I've been meaning to warn him to stay away from knives."
He bent down and adjusted Sherlock's toga. Sherlock grinned and eagerly glanced around. It was weird to see the actual Colosseum and not just the ruins that they've seen in pictures. The three tediously climbed to get a good seat. It wasn't easy—the amphitheater was completely packed!
"I can't believe that we get to see real gladiators," Mycroft gushed, "We studied them last year, of course. Now we can see them in action."
"Yes, yes," Sherlock muttered, "History. Boring."
His eyes widened with excitement as he spotted several swords and other varoius weapons for sale.
"No," Mycroft said, before he could even ask.
"Come on!" Sherlock pressed, "Just one?"
"No," the Doctor repeated Mycroft's reply.
"But…"
"No!" Mycroft cried.
Sherlock pouted and the Doctor softened and compromised, "If you behave."
"Not if you behave!" Mycroft corrected, horrified.
"So I don't have to behave?" Sherlock eagerly asked.
"Oh, I give up," Mycroft sighed, "Fine! You can have one."
"Two."
"One!"
"Fine."
"Fine."
"You're a good brother," the Doctor chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah," Mycroft snarled but he smiled.
The three eagerly watched as a parade commenced, complete with music. It was followed by several mock fights, along with a few acts by trained animals.
And finally came the main act: the gladiator verses the vicious animal.
"What's it going to be?" Sherlock eagerly asked, "A lion? A tiger?"
The Doctor jokingly added, "A bear?"
"Oh my," Mycroft snorted, "It could be an elephant. They fought those, right?"
"Sometimes," the Doctor agreed, "My money's on either a lion or a tiger."
The bestiarii—the animal fighters—came out. The Doctor explained that they were the lowest of the gladiators, usually prisoners. Mycroft's face fell as he realized that they were equipped with only whips and spears. They were barely wearing any armor.
"Do they…do they have a chance?" Mycroft asked, suddenly worried.
The Doctor didn't answer but was looking rather glum.
"RAISE THE GATES!"
They watched as two iron gates were lifted. They could hear loud thudding as the animals approached.
"They must be elephants," Sherlock eagerly said before gasping, "What the…?"
Several menacing creatures entered. They were the size of elephants, but they looked completely…alien. They were enormous with purple scales and at least a dozen eyes. They had twelve feet; six on either side.
"Err…" Mycroft slowly said, "I've only ever seen them in zoos, mind you…but…that doesn't look like an elephant…"
"No…" the Doctor softly replied, "No…That's a…that's a very good deduction. Good."
"Should we do something?" Sherlock asked.
The Doctor was already running. Sherlock and Mycroft anxiously raced after him.
The Doctor suddenly tripped, crashing and falling down the rest of the stairs. The boys winced and grimaced but he leapt up and assured them that he was alright. He then promptly leapt over the railing and landed on the dirt below.
"DOCTOR!" Mycroft screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"NOT SURE," the Doctor shouted back, "I'M SORT OF IMPROVISING AT THE MOMENT! COME ALONG!"
"Oh bloody hell!" Mycroft cried, "Fine! After you, Sherlock!"
The two brothers jumped, roughly landing next to him.
"Hello, boys," the Doctor cheerfully said.
"'Lo, Doctor," Mycroft remarked, coughing up a good deal of dust.
"Alright," Sherlock wheezed, "So…we're here. Now what?"
"Well…" the Doctor admitted, "Like I said…I'm improvising."
The three straightened up and glanced at the beasts. They were chained, though it was obvious that the chains were straining. The gladiators were in a line, preparing to fight.
"Get back," the Doctor shouted, "Back!"
The gladiators stared at him, baffled.
"Or just stand there with your jaws on the floor," the Doctor remarked, "Why is that always a popular reaction?"
"I don't know," Mycroft sarcastically remarked, "They just watched a funny man with a tunic and bowtie leap into the arena along with a teenager and a child. I'm not sure why they would be stunned."
The Doctor quickly used the Sonic to scan the snarling beasts.
"Creatură foarte mare," he muttered.
"What does that mean?" Sherlock asked.
"Really big creature," the Doctor translated.
The one chain was ready to snap.
The Doctor put his hands out, urging the brothers to step back.
"HEY!"
A very formal looking man was leaning against the railing, "WHO DARES TO INTURRUPT THE EMPEROR'S GAMES?"
"I DARE," the Doctor screamed, "AND WHO ARE YOU TO STOP ME?"
"I'M THE EMPORER!"
The Doctor hesitated and boomed, "AND I'M THE DOCTOR!"
"I'M SHERLOCK!" Sherlock yelled.
Mycroft rolled his eyes and shouted, "I'M MYCROFT!"
The Doctor took a deep breath and roared, "AND THIS IS BARBARIC! THESE MEN DON'T HAVE A CHANCE!"
The emperor looked outraged and bellowed, "THEY ARE PRISONERS! THEY ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH!"
"THEY ARE HUMANS! THEY DESERVE TO HAVE DIGNITY!"
"Easy, Doctor," Mycroft nervously said. The screaming was making the creatures anxious. They were trampling the ground and making horrid snarls.
The Doctor glanced at the poor creatures and shrieked, "AND THESE CREATURES ARE BEING HELD AGAINST THEIR WILL! THEY DO NOT EVEN BELONG TO THIS PLANET! WHERE DID YOU FIND THEM?"
"IT IS NO BUSINESS OF YOURS WHERE I HAVE GOTTEN THEM!"
The three suddenly spun around as two of the chains snapped.
"Doctor!" Mycroft and Sherlock both shouted, "Help!"
The Doctor immediately clicked his Sonic, somehow welding the chain links back together. In the meantime, he ended up getting swiped at. He flew into the wall, a deep gash on his stomach. Sherlock and Mycroft worriedly raced over.
"I'm fine," the Doctor grunted, "I'm fine."
He shakily stood up and Mycroft cried, "That's not going to hold them for long."
"I know," the Doctor wheezed.
"Stand down, sir," a gladiator spoke up, "This is our fight."
"I shall not stand down…what's your name?"
"Aelius, sir."
"Nice to meet you, Aelius," the Doctor cheerfully said, "I'm the Doctor. This is Sherlock and Mycroft. That's the emperor. That's a scary beast that's going to kill you."
"It is my destiny," Aelius solemnly said, "I am not but a prisoner."
"What did you do?" Sherlock curiously asked.
"I bore my chest in the public market," Aelius guiltily admitted.
"Right," Mycroft nodded, "Yes, well…as horrendous of a crime as that is…"
"I don't think that it's worthy of death," Sherlock finished.
"Neither do I," the Doctor quietly agreed.
"I might not die," Aelius boomed, "I might conquer this beast and bring pride to my family and myself!"
The Doctor beamed and cried, "Optimism! I do love that!"
At that moment, one of the beasts roared, drenching them with drool.
"However," the Doctor continued, "At the moment, realism is also good."
"You should try talking to it," Mycroft encouraged, "You can do that, right?"
"Yes," the Doctor excitedly said, "Good idea!"
He stepped forward and gently said, "Hello…I'm the Doctor…"
The creature swiped again and the Doctor danced backwards, shouting, "Good talk!"
The Doctor suddenly knelt down, looking like he was in completely agony.
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Sherlock and Mycroft both asked, shocked and worried.
"Blimey," the Doctor cried, "That's…ahhhhh…"
He clamped his hands over his ears. The boys realized that the creatures were also upset and becoming even more dangerous. They reared back onto their back legs before angrily stomping down.
"What is it?" Sherlock screamed.
"It's a high-pitched noise," the Doctor murmured, "You can't hear it?"
"We can't all have super hearing," Mycroft pointed out, "Is that what's causing the creatures to be so violent?"
"Yes," the Doctor murmured, "I don't understand…"
He shakily stood up just as the chains snapped.
"Run, RUN!"
He, Sherlock, Mycroft, and Aelius ran to the other side of the large arena.
Unfortunately, the other gladiators raced forward, ready to face their destiny.
"NO," the Doctor screamed, "NO! STOP! NOOOO!"
Sherlock and Mycroft immediately turned their faces into the Doctor's coat. They heard several horrid screams that were only drowned out by the beasts' ferocious growls.
"It's okay," the Doctor rapidly whispered, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, well actually it's not really okay but…come on!"
He urged them to keep running.
"We can't outrun them!" Mycroft shouted.
The beasts weren't fast but they were still fast enough.
"I know," the Doctor cried, "We need to find the source of the noise!"
The four frantically glanced around.
"There!" Sherlock suddenly cried, "The emperor's crown!"
"What?"
The emperor was still leaning against the railing, now looking enthusiastic. He had a crown of woven leaves. As the four passed beneath him, they realized that the leaves were rather metallic-looking and that the stems were wires.
"It must send a high-frequency sound," the Doctor gasped, understanding, "It hurts the creatures, causing them to becoming ferocious. Aha!"
"Don't get me wrong, Doctor," Mycroft cried, "I'm glad that we figured it out but…"
The Doctor pulled him away from one of the creatures as it drew near.
"We need to get back up there," the Doctor muttered, "We need to confront the emperor."
"And how are we going to do that?"
"Well, we could always use this," Sherlock cried, revealing that he was wearing his vortex manipulator.
The Doctor laughed at the brilliant plan.
"What is it?" Aelius cried, awed at the advanced technology.
"I'll explain later," the Doctor promised. Sherlock held out his arm and the three took it, though Aelius was rather hesitant. The youngest Holmes brother hit the button and they were suddenly back in the stands.
"That…that is the stuff of legend," Aelius whispered.
"Thanks, Sherlock," the Doctor gasped, "A few more seconds and…"
He didn't finish but they understood.
"It's a good thing that you had that," Mycroft wheezed.
"Yeah," Sherlock agreed, "I've been wearing it ever since we had to go to that children's home a few days ago! I don't like being trapped…"
The four straightened up and marched over to the emperor. His eyes were bulbous.
"Hello," the Doctor brightly said, "Sorry. Don't mean to interrupt. We just wanted to…"
He quickly hit his Sonic and the emperor's crown sparked and hissed. He anxiously took it off, throwing it to the side.
"Doctor, look," Mycroft pointed at the emperor's neck. It was pinched in several places.
"Ah," the Doctor softly said.
"A mask," Sherlock eagerly whispered.
"Alright, gang," the Doctor cried, "Let's get to the bottom of this mystery!"
He grabbed the mask and pulled it away. Sherlock and Mycroft shouted out, leaping back as the Doctor unmasked an alien. The alien had purple scales, very similar to the creatures below. Its eyes were yellow and it had three tongues. Other than that, it looked very human.
"I don't…" Aelius gasped, "I don't…understand…"
"Allow me to clarify," the Doctor gently said, "This man is not human. He is an alien poacher. He comes from the same planet as the creatures below—"
"I am much more evolved than those monsters!"
Surprisingly, the alien still spoke in the emperor's voice. It didn't suit him.
The Doctor looked thoughtful as he said, "Well…I wouldn't say that. After all, you did capture them and forced them to come to here, where you used them as sport. That's not very evolved at all."
"But what about the other people?" Sherlock asked, "There are hundreds of people in the stands. Why didn't they notice anything?"
The Doctor sighed and said, "Bloodlust, Sherlock. That's the reason that most people came to gladiator games. It wasn't to watch the gladiators be victorious and receive dignity."
He sadly glanced at Aelius and continued, "It was to watch them die."
"It doesn't really matter who was doing the killing," Mycroft finished. He looked rather disgusted, as if he couldn't believe that he had been excited to come.
"And to think," the Doctor lightly said, "He would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for us meddling kids."
Mycroft and Sherlock laughed at the reference.
"Just think," Mycroft pointed out, "Instead of unmasking an alien that turns out to be a human, we're unmasking humans that turn out to be aliens."
"We shall throw him in jail," Aelius boomed, "He will pay for his crimes!"
Quite suddenly, one of the beasts crashed into the wall below. The Doctor grabbed the boys to keep them from falling. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to grab the poacher. The alien toppled over the railing and you don't need to be Holmes brothers to figure out the rest.
"Oh," Sherlock whispered, looking extremely pale.
Mycroft turned away and vomited.
"Well," the Doctor weakly said, "We did say that he will pay for his crimes."
Sherlock and Mycroft still looked horrified.
"It was his own doing," the Doctor sadly continued, "He caused the beasts to become uncontrolled and he paid the price."
"What are we going to do with them?" Mycroft whispered.
"There's only one thing to do," the Doctor cried, "We need to play the violin!"
The boys were not expecting that.
"What?" Sherlock finally asked.
The Doctor pulled a violin and bow from his endless pocket.
"You may do the honors, Sherlock," the Doctor kindly said, handing the instrument over.
Sherlock hesitated before saying, "Alright."
He began to play a gentle song. The Doctor clicked his Sonic and managed to amplify the music so that it filled the entire amphitheater. Mycroft glanced below and realized that the creatures were settling down. After several minutes, they were completely calm. Of course, he realized, it was the music. If the harsh sound made them angry, the soft sound made them calm.
"See," the Doctor gently said, "They really aren't bad creatures. They were taken from their planet, chained up, and tortured. That would make anyone vicious. We can pile them back into the Tardis and take them back to their planet. They've been through enough."
"Thank you, Doctor," Aelius whispered, shaking his hand, "I thought that death was my destiny. But now…"
"Now, you have a new destiny," the Doctor said with a smile, "And…just thought that I should point out…these guys need a new emperor."
The Doctor, Sherlock, and Mycroft smiled at his stunned look.
Mycroft then glanced back down and grimaced, "There's no dignity and honor in any of their deaths. It's a horrible way to go."
"Nobody deserves it," Sherlock agreed.
"True," the Doctor agreed with a heavy sigh, "But you know what they say…"
The brothers glanced at each other and the Doctor gently continued, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."