The Doctor: What the blazes are you doing in here? Don't you know this area is strictly off-limits to everybody except the tea lady and the Brigadier's personal staff?

-Terror of the Autons

Third Doctor.


The Doctor stood with his hands raised, feeling the muzzle pressed into his back. Light streamed from the open TARDIS door, illuminating what he now saw was a forest clearing.

What he needed to see, however, was just who had gotten the drop on him.

"So, do you still need a minute to gloat?" he said. "Or can we get on with this?"

"Very funny, Doctor," said the voice. "Just start moving, eh?" The barrel pressed a bit harder into his back.

The Doctor suddenly stumbled forward, and as the barrel slid a bit along his side, his hand shot back to grasp the man's wrist.

"What-"

"Hai!"

With an expert yank and trip, the Doctor was suddenly holding the weapon in his hand, and his attacker was sprawled on the ground in front of him. He tossed the weapon away, back into the TARDIS, and assumed an Acid Mountain stance.(1)

The man, he saw now, was dressed in serviceable black trousers and boots, with a battered brown leather jacket. He hitched himself to his hands and knees, still facing away.

Suddenly, unaccountably, the figure began to laugh.

This wasn't a nervous laugh, or the laugh of a man whose gang was about to jump you from behind.

It was the full, hearty guffaw of one who's just found out the joke's on them.

The man stood, brushed himself off, then turned to face him, wiping his eyes.

"Oh Thete," he said, "you really got me a good one that time! Venusian Karate, eh? You've gotten a lot more hands-on this time 'round!"

The Doctor looked startled, but couldn't keep a smile from his face.

"Drax?! What in blazes are you doing here?" He grinned and offered his hand, which was immediately and enthusiastically accepted.

"I heard on me own personal grapevine that you'd done a runner, been caught and..." here Drax scowled. "Been done in."

He smiled again. "Heard you'd been given your freedom again, though, so I set up a tracker to let me know where you'd show up, and here we are!" He gave the Doctor a bear hug.

After he'd extricated himself, the Doctor set his face in a grave expression.

"While it's wonderful to see you in such good spirits, old friend," he said, "I have come here on serious business."

"Wow." said Drax. "You're a lot more straight forward than-" he slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I do hope you weren't going to say what you might be going to say," said the Doctor in a rather icy tone.

"Aw, come on, Thete!" said Drax. "I've been jumping all over time to deal with things. The Council 'emselves told me that I needed to help you here. Come on!"

The Doctor had already turned away in disgust.(2)

Drax blinked, looked worried. "Please, Thete..."

"No. I already have been subject to their games, and I expect I'll be dealing with their little messes in the future," said the Doctor. He turned a tired eye to his old friend. "Please, Drax. Please let me out of their latest game. I expect I'll catch up to it in time."

"Not now!" Drax suddenly looked in a panic. "Please, Theta, if you value our friendship. If you value our race, if ErAuAaAugh!!"

He suddenly vanished in a column of varicolored flame of shades that could only be imagined...

"Dear Gods," the Doctor whispered. "What have I gotten into now?"

--

(1) The Third Doctor is a practicing master of Venusian Karate. I don't remember him naming any of the maneuvers he used, so here's a named one! You're welcome.

(2) Though not completely disgusting, it is considered quite rude to tell someone concrete information about what a later incarnation has done. It's compounded grievously if the info is about how to deal with an earlier incarnation, as related by the later one.