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* "Is it allowed to do that?" squeaked Mel.

Ace had got to her feet and was staring down at the unconscious Professor. The blow had reopened the wounds on his chest and back and blood was oozing through his coat. She knelt down briefly to check his pulse and then turned to the tentacled stallholder.
"You b*stard!" she screamed, running forwards, "How dare you! You filthy alien scumbag!"
Big Nose caught her round the waist as she looked to make a flying attack on the stallholder, who had turned a curious stalk of an eye towards her as it served it's next customer.

"Don't!" whispered Big Nose, trying to hold her back as she attempted to kick her way out of his grip, "We're the aliens here! And they won't look on us kindly if we start trouble..."

"That thing started the trouble! It's attacked the Professor! He was only trying to apologise!" she turned back to the creature, "Oi! You great blubbering mass of slime! Turn round and face me!"
It kept it's back to her, but she could tell it was listening.
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm saying! Come here and face me, if you're so tough!"

The stallholder turned, suddenly angry again and babbling in it's strange, scratchy voice. Ace stopped struggling as Big Nose nervously released her, allowing her to stand and face the creature on her own. In the background, he noticed that Donald had lifted up the baseball bat he'd been carrying by his side. He exchanged a nervous look with his younger incarnation and shook his head. Ace was in a lot of trouble...

She squared up to the creature, matching in fury what she lacked in height. She didn't seem phased by the fact that it had knocked her and her mentor through a wooden stall only moments before.
"Give me your best shot!"

It lifted a tentacle, ready to strike when a terrible roaring noise filled the air. There was a wave of heat and the whole street filled up with gasps and frightened screams as a gigantic shadow descended across the market. Something long, wide and metallic flew low over the city, getting lower as it went. Ace, her attacker, Doctors and companions alike were knocked from their feet by a blast of air that was followed by a huge, stomach-churning crash.

"What the hell...?"
Ace scrambled to her feet, closely followed by Big Nose.

"Damn it..." he said, "I've gone and missed it now! Quick, we have to get back to the TARDIS!"

Ace was about to argue but stopped herself. The stallholder had been knocked backwards and due to his round, blubbery body was unable to get back up, despite assistance from his customers. Thoughts of a fight were washed from her mind. She turned and felt a terrible pang of guilt. Sarah-Jane had pulled the Professor to his feet, but he was still unconscious. And bleeding. She should have taken him back straight away...

"Right!" she said, diving under the Professor's arm and helping to lift him, "Let's go!"*

Sarah could feel the change in the atmoshpere of the TARDIS. Everyone was a lot quieter, when they wern't arguing. Everyone was hurried. They wanted to find 'number 8'. Ace was sitting in a room with Professor, and she wasn't sure where Mel had gone. So she sat in another room with K-9, asking him what was going on. His answers were both indecipherable and boring. In time she began to wonder where they were going. With K-9 whirring along behind her, she went into the main console room. She approached David, who was close to the door.
'Where are we going?' she asked
'No where yet.' He replied 'We have a slight hitch in the lack of destination.' As Sarah looked around her, she could see that the other Doctors were in intense conversation. Though not yelling, as they usually were. She couldn't follow most of the talk. It had a lot to do with the time space continum, polarities and trans dimensional warpholes.
'Do they have any idea where to go?' Sarah asked David
'Not in the slightest.' David affirmed 'But it's fun to listen.'

Unnoticed in all the clamour, K-9 moved slowly towards the main console and plugged himself in. fetr a few moments, the TARDIS began to move...
*duhn duhn duhn!*

((To clarify, You - Timelady- posted 20 minutes after Die_cucco. Any spare places?))

I'm going to need some clarification here.
seeing as i haven't seen the telemovie.
is that the 8th doctor?
hold on, i'll check.,
yes, i'm back and i think it is. I'm going to go with that anyway.
Yes, you can be... Mel.
but you can switch as soon as we find another companion. Then you can be... Rose?
no... Don't worry, we'll find someone for you.

'Who's gone?' asked Ace, turning around. She found the 10th doctor had crumpled to the floor. Grandpa was kneeling beside him, and holding his head up.
'How long?' Whispered Morgan.
'For it to get down the line to him? We have five minutes. Tops. He may still be alive, you know.'
Ace Yelped as she felt the cold metal of a gun poke into her back.
'Who are YOU?' grunted the Thug.
'Please.' the Lab-coat man brushed the gun aside.
'We will be able to retrieve and revive your friend. He has merely been paralysed by the... creature.' He gestured with one hand to the pit, where men dressed in odd jumpsuits were holding the jaws of the creature open with huge metal clasps.
'But in return, we will need something...'
'Bugger.' muttered David.
__________________________________________________________

The lab-coat led them to a hospital-room. it was completely green, save the bed in the middle, which was white. on the bed was the man, unconscious, with several odd bits and pieces attatched to various parts of his body. things beeped and whirred, and Ace looked around curiously. David was carrying number 10, whom Ace had named Diva (blackpool reference) and grandpa was walking with one hand on Sarah's shoulder.
Diva looked terrible. He seemed vaguely aware of where he was, but his breathing was irregular, his face was deathly pale and streaked with sweat, he was shivering, but David exclaimed that he was burning up. Every few minutes, he would mumble in that fluid, lyrical language. Ace gave up trying to figure out what it was. WHenever he spoke, David or Grandpa would soothe him in the same language, whispering to him softly.
'Here is you're... He is a friend, isn't he.'
'A very close one.' Replied David.
'He will wake in a few minutes.'
'That's a good thing. Will there be any... complications?'
'Not of him. But of payment...'
'Ah. Well, I suppose we would have something on the TARDIS that you would want...'
'I'm not asking for money.'
'What are you asking for, then?'
The man was stirring, and trying to get up.
'When he fell, the device fell with him. we need that device.'
'Well, i'm sure we can come to some sort of compromise.'
Diva mumbled weakly again, and David listened intently, and nodded. He turned to Grandpa, and spoke to him hurriedly. Grandpa cast a wary glance towards the Thug. And nodded. Ace and Sarah caught on.
'I'm sorry, but we really must be going.'
And with that, they all bolted for the door, Grandpa scooping up the new person and running.
'Catch them!!!' SHouted Lab coat.
They ran, Ace and Sarah out in front, The two functioning Doctors down the back. They retraced their steps, and ran down to the safety of the TARDIS. Laser fire was heard behind them. They ran on, praying that none would find their mark. Luck seemed to be with them, until they had nearly reached the TARDIS. Einstein flung open the door, and they bolted in.
Just as they were nearly all in, Ace shouted. Her arm suddenly hurt quite a lot. and she felt a warm, sticky liquid seeping through her shirt and jacket.
'Oh my god,' she thought. 'I've been shot.
The door slammed closed, and the TARDIS took off again.

((Shall we go pick Nyssa up?))

Ace fell forwards, clutching her shoulder. Her coat was a mangled, bloody mess. She felt cold - shock, perhaps. Two pairs of hands caught her; Grandpa and the stranger, who'd recovered remarkably fast. Feeling too afraid to even think about her injury, she stared at him instead. She almost laughed. He was drenched from head to foot in some sort of sticky mucus... Obviously his fall had not been a pleasant one.

"Don't worry," he said, keeping a steady pressure on her arm as he and Grandpa guided Ace into the next room - the makeshift hospital, as it had been for this adventure, "It's a clean shot through, nothing lost but a little blood..."

"A little blood..." Ace giggled. She was feeling faint.

"We'll get you patched up right away..."

They sat her down on the bed. She'd started to shake almost uncontrollably.
"Don't want... to.. die..."

She felt something being pressed to the back of her neck and there was a hiss of a liquid injection. Her eyelids drooped.
"Just a little sedative," Grandpa said, taking the bandages out of their box.

Ace lay back as the world began to fade. The last thing she heard was a faint groaning, grinding noise in the distance. The TARDIS... taking off...

((I'm really not sure I can call Tennant 'Diva' for a whole story and keep a straight face...))

*Ace's eyes narrowed but she was smiling.
"Of course not! Why would I do a soppy thing like that?"

Outside, David had found Diva - who was not in a good state. He was leaning on the wall outside, shaking. His eyes were wide, his pupils like tiny black pin-holes.
"Doctor?" said David, deciding that now was probably not the best time to introduce him to his new nickname.
"Are you alright old chap?"

"They took me away because I interfered..."

"What?"

"I can't tell you!" Diva sank to the floor, clutching his knees, "If I did you'd try to avoid it..."

David gave him a comforting smile and knelt down beside him.
"I know the rules. I wouldn't meddle."

"Trust me... if you knew what happened, you'd meddle..." he clutched his head, fighting back tears, "God... It was so much easier when I was still him. He knew how to forget about things... Now it's all coming back..."

"A dungeon, Ace said. Who's dungeon? Where?"

"Nowhere. Nowhere! We'll just have to go to some other time... why do we have to pick him up from there?"

David shook his head.
"I don't know, but it's been pretty clear so far. There are times we can and cannot meet ourselves. We can't change that now, it could be dangerous. Besides, if you remember I was in a pretty nasty set-up myself... and I was quite glad to be rescued. I don't see why I wouldn't still want that."

"Of course I... he... wants to be rescued! But it didn't happen!"

"Are you sure?"

Diva nodded emphatically before burying his head in his arms.

David sighed.
"Fine, you win. I give up. Contact!"

Diva's head shot up.
"Wha...?"

Their two minds connected. Diva let out an angry shout as images - memories - flashed through his mind. He cut off the connection as soon as he could but it was too late. David staggered backwards. Some of the colour had drained from his face.
"Got it..." he stood up and toppled backwards just as the door to the hospital opened. The Professor caught him.

He looked with concern from David to the quivering, angry Diva and back again.
"And what's been going on here?" *

*The castle was built like a traditional Earth castle - a huge, square bulding surrounded by a wall and the wall surrounded by a moat. There were tiny slit windows high up in the walls, perfect for shooting arrows or bullets out of. Over the top edge Ace could just make out the tip of a cannon, though there didn't seem to be anyone guarding it.

The main gate was open, spanning the length from one side of the moat to the other. As they walked inside, Ace leant over the edge and saw murky brown water beneath. No signs of monsters this time, at least. Though it certainly didn't smell too good...

They reached the inner courtyard. The castle towered above them, all buttresses and turrets. It was beautiful... but strange. The castle had been built for war and yet, though it showed no signs of being attacked, it was empty - and had been for some time. Moss grew thick across the flagstones and up the walls. A pile of barrels in the corner had rotted away until only their metal frameworks were left, still stacked neatly in a pyramid shape. It was spooky.

"Professor..." Ace whispered, glancing round, "I don't like this... We shouldn't just walk in, not when we know there are other people here..."

The Professor smiled.
"It's the other people we're here to find... and if Diva's memories are right, there aren't many guards here. They're all in the lower levels, with the dungeons."

"I really don't like this... Who owns this place?"

David shook his head angrily - the first time Ace had seen him really angry since they met.
"The Celestial Intervention Agency," he growled, "Though of course, not officially..."

"Celestial... what?"

"The secret service agents of Gallifrey," said the Professor, smile vanishing, "Not strictly this, not strictly that... They're supposed to stop people interfering in time."

"Gallifrey? Professor, you don't mean your own people..."

"Ace, you'd be amazed what goes on. Horrified probably. Every government needs someone to do their dirty work. Sometimes those someones get over-enthusiastic..."

David rolled his eyes.
"They think they own time... just like all Timelords do. Only they've been given the freedom to go and do what they like with it."

"Unofficially?" Ace asked, looking to David.

"My dear, they have become so unofficial they barely even exist. I don't think even they know what goes on in their organisation now. The Timelords have created a monster."

The Professor smiled.
"No change there then..."

Their conversation was disrupted when the main gates suddenly began to creak and groan, pulled upwards so as to block off their escape. Ace ran back and pounded her fists on them, but it was no use.

"Trapped!" hissed David. He turned as a door burst open nearby and a gang of men carrying guns rushed out and surrounded them. More appeared along the walkway at the top of the wall and Ace could see guns glinting in the sunlight. The Doctors and their companion raised their hands.

"Well done..." said the leader, stepping forwards, "You played it perfectly Doctor, every step of the way."

"Do I know you?" said the Professor, pulling Ace behind him. The man shook his head. He was thin and sallow faced, his dark brown hair combed neatly back behind his ears and his eyes a pale, watery blue. He caught Ace's eye and she didn't like his expression one bit.

"I doubt it," The man said, "I'm afraid my... duties never gave me a chance to meet you face to face. But I've been following your exploits as loyally as I can manage."

"You're a spy then?"

"Doctor!" The man spread his arms, a nasty grin on his face, "I'm a scientist! But that's hardly the point at issue is it? You're wondering why you're trapped here, aren't you?"

"It had occurred to me..."

"Well it's quite simple. My superiors needed a test subject, someone who wouldn't be missed. And they needed all of him. So here you are. And thanks to our little suggestions, you've brought all of yourself with you. Isn't that just perfect?"
The man let out a horrible, icy laugh.
"Now, I only count two of your incarnations present... we really need the rest if we're to proceed. Shall we go get them?"

David laughed.
"They'll never let you in the TARDIS! They all know why we're here - they'd never let anyone but us inside."

"Quite..."
A figure stepped out from behind the man. It was Bignose, as he had been at the market.
"Now I don't think this model will work again..." continued the man, pulling out a device from his pocket, "But how about this..."
He pressed a button and the image flickered and reformed. Ace gasped - it was herself, down to the very last detail. The fake her opened it's mouth and spoke with her voice.

"Doctor!" It said, it's voice shaky and trembling, "All of you! You have to come right away! We've found the key to all those bad dreams but the Professor says it will take all of you to fix it! Hurry!"

"Excellent!" said the man, "Now run off and fetch the rest. We'll take these specimens down to the dungeons... There's someone there who's been dying for some company..."

Ace watched, horrified, as the holographic her ran towards the main gate and vanished through the wood-work. They were going to use her face to lead the others into a trap...

A gun was shoved roughly into her back and her, David and the Professor were herded inside the castle, towards the dungeons.*

(( eek They crushed his hat!))

*The guards had just finished chaining them up when Ace heard the sounds of the others being brought in. She felt a lump of disappointment forming in her throat; she'd hoped that maybe they would see through the hologram and escape, that maybe they'd come to their rescue...

There were shouts and protests from up the tight spiral staircase as the other incarnations were shoved and dragged down to the dungeons. She could make out Morgan - cursing the lot of them - and James yelping as they obviously twisted his arm round the wrong way. As they filed into the cell she was at least pleased to see that they hadn't come to much harm. A few bumps and bruises here and there was all they had to show for their capture... all except one.

"This one put up a fight..." growled a guard as he threw Grandpa's limp figure into the arms of another guard. The First Doctor had a nasty gash to the head that looked like it had been caused by the butt of a heavy laser gun landing on him with some force. He was unconscious and pale.
"He might not make it..." continued the guard, "...he's pretty old."

"He has to make it," said their leader, appearing suddenly and silently behind them, his cold eyes holding just the barest hint of concern, "We need them all, especially him. Make sure he survives."

"How kind..." snarled Morgan, barely stopping himself from spitting on the man, "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name..."

"Trayte."

"As in 'Traitor' - how appropriate..."

"Quite..."
The man whipped out a device from his belt and pressed it to Donald's chest. It let out a sudden burst of electricity and the 5th Doctor screamed. The guards barely managed to restrain Morgan as he lunged for Trayte.

"What was that for?! It was me who said it! Me!"

"Provided punishment is forth-coming it doesn't matter to me who receives it. At any rate, I think it a somewhat novel approach to keep unruly prisoners guessing. I suspect it might stop you being quite so forward in the future, hmm?" he smiled, "Anyway, as you are all you in a sense the punishment was perfectly reasonable was it not? Now, the guards here will chain you up until we have prepared the equipment to begin your testing. I hope you will not try to escape - remember, we may need you alive but we do not need you in one piece. And we certainly don't need your friends in one piece..." he looked pointedly at Ace.
"Good day!" *