"The Benevolent Doctor"

24. Making Nice

Sometime in New New York

There were two choices as the Doctor approached Benedict's mansion. Well, actually, there were possibly a dozen choices, but once the harebrained plans were weeded out, only two were left to him. The first would be to find Martha, Brannigan, and Santana, which would then open on to a supplementary choice, to aid or discourage. The second was to make for the front door, and that was the one he chose. If his calculations were correct, and naturally they were, his arrival was so expected that the guards at the gate fell in around him in a guarantee that he could not and would not wander away.

"Never have I encountered such fervent interest in my work, Doctor, I'm flattered," Benedict's voice floated out of the room before the Doctor could step in and find the man sat in the same large chair as he'd been the last time. The Doctor didn't sit, instead standing behind and leaning against the back of the tall chair's twin, facing Benedict.

"Curious man, that's me," he shrugged before looking back to him. "But tell me now, because it is something I'd like to know. Here you came, all those years ago, and you found this place, oh… in absolutely dire times. You helped them, and they made you their personal hero, who wouldn't? They offered themselves to you, anything to help the benevolent Doctor Benedict. A good offer if I ever saw one. So you stayed. You took their offer, and what did you do with it exactly? I hear you've been running experiments, that's… that's fascinating. How's that working out for you, Benedict?"

I don't care how good your guards are, something's happened, I can see it in their faces. But it's not someone coming in, no. They've tried getting out already, tried but not succeeded, not so far.

"It's as anything in science, isn't it? Trial and error," the man shrugged with a sort of pompous chortle that convinced the Doctor of just what pieces in this game of theirs were now in motion.

"Yes, that's… that's it, for certain," the Doctor dipped just a little further in his lean on the chair while his hand tucked into his pocket and closed around his sonic screwdriver. "Do you ever think about going back to… I'm sorry, where is it you're from originally?" he asked. So long as he could keep him talking, he could keep deflecting whatever warnings were attempting to find their way up to Benedict, whatever signs that they were about to be broken in to.

"I was born a vagabond among the stars," the doctor declared. "My parents, for what I knew of them, originated from the Bersin system."

"Ah, Bersin, yes, charming place… before the war, and after it, too. Not so much in the middle… So then they would have been chasing after all of you, is that right?"

"I was four years old when they found us. I watched them murder both of my mother and father. I was luckier. I was hidden, and I was found by someone who chose to protect me rather than give me up, and he raised me, taught me. Don't know where I'd be without that man…" he showed more emotion, the Doctor found, talking about his savior than his family, which he imagined was only natural.

"What would he say if he could see what you're doing these days?"

"Why, he would be proud," Benedict fixed him with a stare.

"Would he?" the Doctor stood back from the chair.

"Yes, and he would know as well as I do what's happening now." Oh, well, we're moving into the final round, aren't we?

"And what is happening, Everett?" the Doctor asked, pressing on the name.

"Girls, Doctor. Two of them. You'll be looking for them, I imagine, looking to set them free. And sooner or later, something would have to bring you back, here to me, as though you were right where you wanted to be, so you could go on and be clever. The thing is, I am clever, too. I knew you would return, and when you did, then you'd be exactly where I wanted you."

"Ah…" the Doctor blinked shortly, then did a laughing double take, pointing at him. "Oh, oh you think you've got me in a trap, is that it? It is, you're a lion that's pounced, waiting to pry your paw back and see what delicious morsel you've gone and cornered. Let me ask you this then, Ev, did you ever think this little morsel, and yes, I am ever so delicious, might be right where it wishes to be?"

"And are you, Doctor? Are you where you wish to be?" Benedict stood. The Doctor didn't have to look over his shoulder to see that the guards had surrounded him, but he did it anyway, just for show.

"Hello!" he gave them a short wave, which was promptly cut off when two of those guards caught him by the arms, the better to make him kneel. "Alright, alright, no need to play rough now," the Doctor insisted. Benedict took a few leisurely steps toward him.

"I take it you'll have found the boy, too?"

"Alfred, yes, we did. What did you do to him?"

"Same thing as the girls," Benedict shrugged. "Oh but the results, Doctor, you should see them. Better yet, I'd say with the success of this previous set, what I need to do is see what happens with different variables, a different pair." He was standing in front of him now, crouching to meet his eye. "See, I don't know what you are, Doctor, but whatever it is, it's not human. Sampling won't do for you, oh, no, we'll have to delve much deeper." He stood back up, looking to his guards. "Take him down to the lab, examination room four. Full restriction, lockdown, guards at the door. This one is not getting away."

TO BE CONTINUED (FRIDAY)