Author Notes: Strictly a Doctor Who and A Certain Magical Index crossover only.

Song: 05 ZERO POINT Anonymous;Code Soundtrack

Amidst the white sparkles and surges of electrical power spans the large interior control systems of the ship. And standing at the center, with a bewildered and concerned tone...

"What?!"

Was a man named the Doctor (*1).

Confused, in about 1,450 languages, was the common central thought of his manic intelligence. Looking at the scanners, he noted his ship's exact location. Not in his universe. He thought with a concerned tone.

Where and when was he?

Pressing a button that showcases a camera projector, he noted that his ship was within a large modern city at the heart of Japan. Pressing a few other buttons and switches, he would rewire his ship's connection with both internet and ethernet connections to research more about his current location.

"...Academy City (*2)?" The Doctor's tone was inquiring, with an anticipation for a new adventure, mixed with a crestfallen disappointment and reflective thought. "Never heard of it. Let's see here... Oh, a city of espers! Entire schools of them! That's quite fascinating. Hmm..."

He looks at the blinking lights of the roundel walls, and the light sparks sprouting from the control rooms. While his ship was more or less intact, it had been dented quite a number from a transtemporal storm within the Time Vortex (*3), hence she needed to rest. Yes, his ship was a she. She's just as alive and free as he was. His oldest friend, his oldest companion, an irreplaceable part of his journey. It wouldn't really be the same without her.

Maybe he needed to take a walk, and see the sights of this interesting city of science.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. (*4)

A familiar chill behind his spine forces a horrified Doctor to turn around to look at the front door.

His eyebrows knitted, wondering who could be knocking on his front door. Hurrying, he flipped a switch to his console and the screen showed... much to his slight relief and inquiry, a young Japanese middle school girl wearing a white and dark blue sailor fuku uniform, with long black hair and curious blue eyes.

Oh, false alarm. Thought I'd have to deal with old news again. I did say that I wanted to see the sights for a bit while the old girl heals up from the storm. Guess interacting with a local would be a good start to get a lay of the land. The Doctor thought.

Looking at his navy blue trenchcoat hung over the silver rail poles of the platform, he would grab it and walk towards the door to greet the young woman. Opening the door, he greeted.

"Oh hello, what can I do for you?" He spoke in perfect Japanese tinged with a foreign British accent. He did not need a translator, as he's mastered countless languages, by the trillions.

Ruiko Saten (*5) did not know what to expect when she followed the random wheezing sounds echoing from a certain grey alleyway.

Though she couldn't help but be curious. That was her common trait. Always sticking her nose where it didn't belonged.

Since she was young, she could not just shake the feeling of trying to explore the unknown. There was this craving for greatness, to aspire to something beyond the mundane level of existence. A desire and a need to feel special, especially in a world - or city - where Levels seem to only matter. Titles have been branded for espers, separating the top and the elite, from those regular masses and peasants who seem to be beneath the feet of those who boast of high tidings and rankings.

She felt sick of such a world, but that was what she experienced ever since she had taken this chance of wanting to become an esper. To get superpowers. How cool is that?! But the moment reality came crashing down, it made her doubt herself. Even her friend Uiharu (*6) became a Level 1. What about her? 0. She is classified as a mere number that is worth nothing.

As depressive thoughts intruded her, that wheezing sound came ringing in her ears, like lyrical music drawing her attention. No, more than that. Almost tugging her to draw close.

She walks and walks, only to find herself in front of... a box?

The words were in English. English wasn't really her strongest suit, it was something that Misaka-san or Shirai-san (*7) would probably know more about, she thought, but she could at least read and understand some of it.

POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX

On the left side of the door, it had the words.

POLICE TELEPHONE

FREE FOR

USE OF PUBLIC

ADVICE & ASSISTANCE

OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATELY

OFFICERS & CARS

RESPOND TO

URGENT CALLS

PULL OPEN

Grey smoke seems to be coming out from the door.

What was... this box doing here? And, is there somebody inside it? She looked concerned and hesitant, for the box reminded her a bit of a telephone booth that one could find in a random street in the city. Only, there were open glass windows, but closed dark blue surface walls.

She would raise her hand to knock on the door four times. But wait, why four? She thought bewilderingly. She never thought of knocking more than three. Why four? Maybe it was just her imagination getting the better of her this time. She only knocked because she wanted to make sure that whoever was in there was alright because of the smoke leaking at the door.

"Umm... hello, is anyone there?" She asked, knocking four times again, much to her slight chagrin. Seriously, what's with that?

Then the door would open and...

"Oh hello, what can I do for you?"

Exiting from the door was... a man from a foreign country, speaking in perfect Japanese, and with a foreign accent. Western? The man looked like he was in his thirties, with a handsome, inquiring face. What Saten noted though was his... blue eyes. There was something about it that sent a chill down her spine. She did not know whether it was good or bad, but she tried to ignore it. But there was...

...There was that strong inkling of wanting to trust this man. She did not know why. She just met the man, but she felt that she could trust him, despite only meeting him right now.

He wore a navy blue trenchcoat over a white button-up shirt, with a red-knitted tie, brown and turquoise checkered-tartan trousers, and a matching waistcoat with lapels, and papyrus-colored shoes.

"...Uhmm. Uhh..." Saten glances at the foreigner's back, and... "...Ah!"

Her eyes widened.

She felt a tug. Not physically. It felt like.. her mind felt drawn inside...

...What? She thought in shock.

Behind the man, something was tugging her to look farther, for there was... a larger room that seemed disconnected and out of place with the exterior of the telephone booth. She could not help but be drawn inside, like something was pulling her in, walking towards the box. The stranger wasn't stopping her, having moved away for her to pass, and only looking at her with a confused and wondering face while closing the door.

Walking inside, it was...

Bigger on the inside... She thought. Turning front and back, she sees roundel-shaped white walls and multiple walkways with ramps dominating the area. She sees the larger control center where there are various switches and screens. But what she noted was... something warm-feeling engulfing her, touching her from the inside... if that makes any sense...

...Hold on, what was this? She thought.

She couldn't shake this warm feeling as she touched the main console.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrr

It felt like... It felt like petting a cat? She thought with raised eyebrows.

"...You can sense her, can't you?"

The young woman would look at the Doctor with a surprised expression. She noticed that he was just as surprised, if not in the same way as she was.

"Oh, umm... I'm... I'm sorry, I..." Saten bowed her head in a hurry, now conscious of the stranger that she had recently ignored.

"No, no, no, it's fine," The foreigner waved his right hand. "Not a big deal. I'm... I'm honestly a bit surprised, because..." A curiosity sketched into his facial features while putting his hands in his pockets. "Normally, not just anybody can sense her."

"...Her?" Even though she asked, she somehow understood what he was referring to. Whatever this box was... it was a she?!

"...Hmm, for that to happen, she must really, really like you," The foreigner mused, before facepalming by hitting his head for a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? Hello, I'm the Doctor, what's your name?"

"...Umm, Saten Ruiko," She answered while she never stopped looking at the interior of this mysterious box.

"Saten Ruiko," The mysterious Doctor mulled her name while his arms were crossed. He smiled. "Well, Ruiko-chan," He widened his arms as he walked backward before heading to the console and petting the surface. "Welcome to the TARDIS. (*8)"

"TARDIS?" She repeated.

"Time and Relative Dimensions in Space," The Doctor explained while walking from behind her as he strolled through the main console. "And it's my humble abode, my own personal travelling caravan, my home sweet home, my chez moi! (*9)" He added the last French word.

Saten could not help but immerse herself in awe at the sight of what her eyes were gazing at. Her mind notes down every single detail, shape and structure, of the enormous arching room. It felt... It felt very sci-fi, like those old Western space opera movies that she and Uiharu used to watch on late-night weekends.

All she felt was a spark of excitement slowly filling her with glee. But her excitement was tempered with the familiar feeling of awe that resurged in her bodily motions. Questions tried to escape and resound in droves from her mouth, open and close, but she could not articulate it.

At last, she uttered. "...Who. Who exactly are you?"

The Doctor smiled a bit as he placed his left hand on the console. "I told you, I'm the Doctor."

"...Doctor Who?" She inquires. Because she just now noticed that the man had never actually given his real name, and that this was the second time he dodged that question with nothing except a title.

The Doctor's smile turns a bit brighter. "Just the Doctor."

What was that phrase that Saten recalled hearing when she was a child?

The game's afoot?

Yes, that was it. Her father had always had a tenacity for reading mystery novels, and often quoted to her about them.

Alright. She thought with an inward, anticipating smile. Two can play in that game. I have a feeling that there's more to this stranger than meets the eye, and I'm going to find out what it is.

Little did she know that it was the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime.

OP Song:

[ Eng Sub / Español / PT / ID ] YUNO: Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO OPENING FULL

Trivia For Chapter: (Especially for those unfamiliar with one, or two, or both franchises)

(*1) - From Wikipedia - The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.

Within the series narrative, the Doctor is a millennia-old alien who is thought to be a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, with somewhat unknown origins, who travels in time and space in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of each incarnation's life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, the physical appearance and aspects of the personality of the Doctor change. Tennant's second incarnation is similar to the Tenth Doctor but has personality quirks to reflect the time he has spent since the Tenth Doctor in the Who universe.

Initially, it had been announced that the Thirteenth Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, would be succeeded as the programme's lead by a Fourteenth Doctor, portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa. Upon Whittaker's final appearance as the character, she instead regenerated into a form similar to that of the Tenth Doctor. This character was the Fourteenth Doctor, with later clarification that Gatwa would portray the Fifteenth Doctor.

The Fourteenth Doctor appeared in three special episodes in 2023 commemorating Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, which were executively produced by Russell T Davies, who also returned to the series after having produced the show from 2005 to 2010. Tennant was praised for his performance, though some have criticised the move to bring back an actor who had previously portrayed the Doctor, feeling it detracted from the performances of other actors who had portrayed the Doctor.

Personal Note: He's the current and main focus incarnation of the Doctor of this present story.

(*2) - From Toaru Wiki - Academy City (学園都市 Gakuen Toshi?) is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within Western Tokyo. It is the primary setting of the Toaru Majutsu no Index series and its side stories. As the city's name suggests, it is a city of several schools and institutions of higher learning from kindergarten to university level that learn side-by-side along with the scientists who research on psychic powers and higher technology, the latter being one of the primary reasons for its establishment. It is the most advanced city in the world and its technology is said to be 20[1] or 30[2] years ahead of the world. Academy City is composed of 23 districts, called School Districts which are simply numbered from one to twenty-three and each of these districts have a specific purpose.

(*3) - From TARDIS Wiki - The Time Vortex, also known as the Time and Space Vortex, the Space-Time Vortex, sometimes simply the Vortex, and occasionally the Bifrost (PROSE: A Bright White Crack) or the Tourbillon, (PROSE: The Bloodletters) was the dimensional plane (PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang, Twilight of the Gods) where time and space met, intersecting at an angle determined by non-Euclidean geometry. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark) Other universes had their own Vortices. (AUDIO: The Choice)

Personal Note: As it was in the Doctor Who TV and Expanded Universe, the Time Vortex could also be used for universe travel, hence how the Doctor ends up in the World of A Certain Magical Index.

(*4) - It relates to a past prophecy that the Doctor had dealt with in the past, during his tenth incarnation, when a psychic named Carmen made a prophecy about his future, telling him, "Your song is ending sir... It is returning. It is returning through the dark and then Doctor, oh, but then... He will knock four times."

(*5) - From Toaru Wiki - Saten Ruiko (佐天 涙子 Saten Ruiko?) is a main character from the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun sidestories. She is a Level 0 Academy City student and a classmate and close friend of Uiharu Kazari.

(*6) - From Toaru Wiki - Uiharu Kazari (初春 飾利 Uiharu Kazari?) is a minor character debuted in Toaru Majutsu no Index before being expanded as a main character in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. She is a Level 1 Academy City student,[2] and along with her colleague and friend Shirai Kuroko, is a member of the student composed law enforcement organization, Judgment.[2]

(*7) - From Toaru Wiki - Misaka Mikoto (御坂 美琴 Misaka Mikoto?) (born May 2nd[1]) is one of the main heroines in Toaru Majutsu no Index and the main protagonist of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. Introduced in the first volume of the light novels, her role in the story was later expanded in the third volume as well as the release of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga, making her the main female character of the science side and the second main heroine of the entire series as a whole. She is the third ranked Level 5 esper in Academy City, and has been nicknamed Railgun due to her signature move. Kamijou Touma coined the nickname Biri-Biri (ビリビリ?) (a Japanese onomatopoeia imitating the sound of electricity), while in the English dub she is referred to as "Bug Zapper" (or more usually, simply "Zapper"), and whenever the two meet, he usually calls her that, even after his amnesia.[6][7][8]

Shirai Kuroko (白井 黒子 Shirai Kuroko?) is a Level 4 esper and a student of Tokiwadai Middle School, as well as a member of Judgment. She can usually be found accompanying the third-ranked Level 5 esper Misaka Mikoto — her best friend, partner, and roommate. Though a minor character in Toaru Majutsu no Index, she gets a starring role alongside Mikoto in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun sidestory.

Personal Note: Of note, those familiar with the A Certain Magical Index franchise can probably tell that Ruiko Saten and the Doctor's encounter in this story takes place at least chronologically sometime after Saten meets Misaka and Shirai.

(*8) - From TARDIS Wiki - The Doctor's TARDIS — also called the Ship, the Box, and simply the TARDIS (PROSE: Time and Relative [+], COMIC: Food for Thought [+]) — was the Doctor's primary means of transport. It was capable of travelling through space and time. The Doctor voyaged all across the universe in this vessel, from the Big Bang (TV: Terminus [+], Castrovalva [+], AUDIO: Slipback [+], PROSE: Nothing O'Clock [+]) to the end of the universe, (TV: Utopia [+], Listen [+], AUDIO: The Chaos Pool [+], COMIC: Petals [+]) and from the centre of the universe (TV: Terminus [+], Twice Upon a Time [+]) to its outermost edges. (TV: Planet of Evil [+], Underworld [+]) The craft was also capable of travelling between parallel realities, in spite of the fact that it was not specifically designed for inter-dimensional travel. (TV: Inferno [+], Rise of the Cybermen [+]) Like all other TARDIS models, the Doctor's TARDIS was controlled via a central control console. (TV: An Unearthly Child [+], et al.)

(*9) - French for 'my house'.