JL New Wave: The Challengers from Beyond! (IC)

[Varshanka]

Kyle

Walking up beside him she grinned. "No offense, but how about we both guard the doors. You take the right I got the left, Okay?"

“Ok, but if there’s a Dragon.. it’s all mine.” Kyle replied with a smile.

The Doctor turned to Kyle, squeezed his shoulder, kissed him on the cheek.

"And you. With your incredible brain. The visions planted in it. Keep thinking of that fire. That candlelit lantern. Focus on that. That-- that may keep them out of your head. May make them flinch when they try to scan you. If we survive this, I know an incredible diner on Earth-21 that serves pumpkin pie year 'round. Second date?"

She reached up, snapped her fingers, and the doors swung inward, revealing the African jungle homeland of The Mangani, and an ancient, beautiful, ruined temple...

"Allons-y," The Doctor breathed.

He’d read about the Holocaust from World War II, and he knew the real meaning wasn’t to commit genocide, Holocaust meant ‘to be destroyed totally by fire’ To reduce something to ashe so infinitesimal that it was less than ashe, smaller than dust.

He’d had a neighbor with marks on his arm, he’d explained it with tears in his eyes as he talked off family and friends as they walked away, and the smoke that filled the air day and night. He’d been terrified of fire after that. Eating cold meals if he had to cook it himself. And cigarettes and cigars turned the man into a child. A screaming child.

So yeah, Kyle knew about fire and destruction. It wasn’t even that hard for him to bring it to thought. To focus on it. To hold it like a drowning man and a life raft was even easier. So simple to imagine a fire ripping forth across a world. A fire so hot that superheated air roared before it, drying green trees to tinder before the rushing wave of the Inferno ashed them.

“Second date.. with fresh whipped cream.”

 

[ChasNicollette]

War for The City of The Apes.

"Don't worry about us Doc, we have you covered. Just if things get a little hairy we might take it outside a little ways. If you really want us to get hot then you might want to put some sunscreen on. We can act like a raging inferno for a little while"

"My predecessor helped kill a sun once," she murmured, distantly, as though remembering someone else's memories. "Funny story."

Lily chuckled at that and talked to Raymond in her mind. "You know we have never had problems with people taking over our mind." Raymond chuckled back. "Yeah you remember that Gorilla that got all upset when we beat his ass. Now that was funny."

<"About that gorilla thing,"> The Doctor cautioned them both.

<"...these ones are nicer.">

He’d read about the Holocaust from World War II, and he knew the real meaning wasn’t to commit genocide, Holocaust meant ‘to be destroyed totally by fire’ To reduce something to ashe so infinitesimal that it was less than ashe, smaller than dust.

He’d had a neighbor with marks on his arm, he’d explained it with tears in his eyes as he talked off family and friends as they walked away, and the smoke that filled the air day and night. He’d been terrified of fire after that. Eating cold meals if he had to cook it himself. And cigarettes and cigars turned the man into a child. A screaming child.

So yeah, Kyle knew about fire and destruction. It wasn’t even that hard for him to bring it to thought. To focus on it. To hold it like a drowning man and a life raft was even easier. So simple to imagine a fire ripping forth across a world. A fire so hot that superheated air roared before it, drying green trees to tinder before the rushing wave of the Inferno ashed them.

“Second date.. with fresh whipped cream.”

The dreams of The Holocaust filled her with agony. She had access to the ancestral memory of her world, and that was a scar on the mind of humanity that would never fully fade.

But the dreams of fire... they were so real and full-bodied in his mind that she could almost feel their warmth in hers. She surrounded herself with those thoughts and added their heat and flame to her shields.

"Fresh whipped cream. And milkshakes so thick that you have to eat them with a spoon. (Or was that Earth-12?)"

And she stepped past her two guardians and into this world's Gorilla City.

"Bat-Man. Beetle. Animal-Man." She greeted the three last members of The Seven.

"I'm called The Doctor. We need to get you lot out of here."

And there came a pounding on the sky like the death-knells of Ragnarok.

Some of the Pale Martians would stop and turn and glare at the patch of sky that seemed to crack... and to bleed... was this some sort of new attack by the so-called Seven? Some last ditch "scorched Earth" policy?

The Doctor smiled tightly, sadly. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We have maybe ten seconds. Half a minute, tops."

 

[kizkiz]

The Blue Shadow.

When the ship lurched and the sunroom shook like a dog after a rainstorm, well Blue was glad. In a morose but completely expected way, the conversation with Laurel had died away. He hadn't expected it to go on as long as it had, but when it had settled into silence, Blue had felt himself searching for something to say to plug the hole in the conversation, but found nothing. He suspected Laurel was in the same boat, just two lost souls who happened to have found themselves sailing down the river Styx together without a penny between them. So the ship at least gave Blue an excuse to leave and not have it be even more awkward.

"Ah, I." Blue pointed towards the door and gave a little nod. "Needs checking." He shrugged and shuffled off. He stopped only once at the threshold and turned to give her a small wave.

Instead he walked back through the saloon and past the Olympic pool, but the next few rooms passed in a blur. He was feeling alone and isolated again, conscious that with his cloak bleeding away to nothing, he'd be even more outclassed than he already was. He didn't mind dying, but it was the pissing contest that always got him. It was why he liked remaining out of the way unless he was needed. He could only assume he wasn't needed, because the ship kept taking to weird rooms whose purpose Blue had no idea. There was a cavern of red sandstone and a barren field with one dirt path leading through it. Other rooms like variations on bedrooms and living rooms like the ship was a vast collection for all the IKEAs of all the worlds.

He spent a few long minutes sitting besides a fountain in the middle of a Venetian-style campo. The paving stones were worn by centuries of human traffic, but now in the twilight of a day that didn't exist, they were empty. There were store front facades, windows that seemed to show vague somethings but nothing of substance. The fountain was simple and large with potters filled with fresh flowers. There was even a few coins at the bottom of the fountain, but they didn't look to be coinage from any realm he'd ever been to.

He was walking down one of the endless hallways when the ship lurched again and a bend in the hallway lead back to the ship's entrance. He was so wrapped up in himself that the cloak had responded in kind. The Witching Cloak was really good at making him invisible by sweeping up him and taking him partially into its existence. It was a quasi-realm, as substantial as shadows and dream, but it still existed. Not only was the light bent perfectly from every angle so as to go around him, but he just didn't stick out. He was one more shadow, a literal wall flower, a statue that someone passed so often that it ceased to exist.

He heard the doctor's warning to the ship's newest crew member, another supermodel caked in flames. He could feel the intensity of Kyle's day dreams. His movements were whisper soft kisses upon the earth as he followed behind the Doctor. He held the Vorpal Blade in one hand and his Horn in the other. They were constant companions these days. But he'd also put on Narya, the fey ring. As far as fey artifacts went, it was a nice little thing. It always felt like he had taken some Vicodin. Beyond it's mood enhancing effects, it could hurl the white fire of Anor. Like most of the artifacts of his homeland; it had more layers than an onion, but he wasn't particularly curious. Perhaps that was why he'd down so well Fabletown's back office.

And she stepped past her two guardians and into this world's Gorilla City.

"Bat-Man. Beetle. Animal-Man." She greeted the three last members of The Seven.

"I'm called The Doctor. We need to get you lot out of here."

And there came a pounding on the sky like the death-knells of Ragnarok.

Blue stood a few feet behind the Doctor between her and the door to the ship. He waited to see if he might need to sacrifice his life this time.

 

[Lunaramblings]

"My predecessor helped kill a sun once," she murmured, distantly, as though remembering someone else's memories. "Funny story."



<"About that gorilla thing,"> The Doctor cautioned them both.

<"...these ones are nicer.">



The dreams of The Holocaust filled her with agony. She had access to the ancestral memory of her world, and that was a scar on the mind of humanity that would never fully fade.

But the dreams of fire... they were so real and full-bodied in his mind that she could almost feel their warmth in hers. She surrounded herself with those thoughts and added their heat and flame to her shields.

"Fresh whipped cream. And milkshakes so thick that you have to eat them with a spoon. (Or was that Earth-12?)"

And she stepped past her two guardians and into this world's Gorilla City.

"Bat-Man. Beetle. Animal-Man." She greeted the three last members of The Seven.

"I'm called The Doctor. We need to get you lot out of here."

And there came a pounding on the sky like the death-knells of Ragnarok.

Some of the Pale Martians would stop and turn and glare at the patch of sky that seemed to crack... and to bleed... was this some sort of new attack by the so-called Seven? Some last ditch "scorched Earth" policy?

The Doctor smiled tightly, sadly. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We have maybe ten seconds. Half a minute, tops."

Even beleaguered on all sides by enemies there was something regal to te way The Animal-Man held himself. He glanced to his allies. The Bat-Man of Gotham and The Beetle. Unsure whether to trust this new face.

As he did The Bat-Man reached up and pulled off his cowl, revealing the battered face beneath. His nose had recently been broken, and he was a patchwork of bruises new and old alike.

"I read in an esoteric text once that there was a person who visited the end of worlds, a Valkyrie that comes to claim the heroes of each world for a battle beyond the realms of man. You are her. Ba-Kar, you need to go with her. There is nothing left in this world to fight for. But if the stories are true, there is a greater battle yet to fight."

The Beetle nods as he pulls off his goggles and smiles at his fellow Gothamite. "Go. We got this." The Beetle, Theodore Kord, steps over to The Bat. Standing shoulder to shoulder they look at Ba-Kar. "We made a vow. When Gotham fell, we vowed to either avenge it or die trying. This is our last stand. They have marshaled their forces, and we have a surprise waiting. Now get outta here."

Buddy looked solemnly at the last army of men and apes, fighting valiantly.
Could this really be the end? He nodded and stepped toward his two comrades in arms. The last of The Seven.

"So be it. Our lines are falling. My world fell apart when my family died. But I will continue the fight, so that none shall face the destruction that our world has."

As the trio shake hands The Bat pulls a small device from his belt. He presses a small button as he looks back at The Doctor and her companions.

"Modified tech from a crashed scout vehicle. Using tech from The Superlative Man's home to overload every one of their ships in one hell of an explosion. Unfortunately, there won't be much left of the world either. It will be the mother of all explosions. You have ten seconds. Go."

Buddy moves to the door of the ship. Taking a last look back before they depart. As the clever blue box begins to depart, Buddy closes the door as The Bat and the Beetle embrace in one last loving kiss as the world starts to end around them, not in a whimper, but with a bang.

 

[Wyldfire]

It had been a bit of stretched out discomfort until Blue had departed. Had he been flirting in some strange way? She wasn't sure but he had moved on with the pretense of seeing what was going on. Laurel just kept where she was charging herself up.

She finally couldn't just stand there anymore. She started towards "Superman". This was so definitely not Kala-El. This Wasn't even Karr Zora-El, blond haired blue eyed surfer boy that used to make Querla's brain fizzle out. Although there was a family resemblance to Kala, maybe her Kid with Lance Lane.

As she got to where the young man was she smiled, best she could. Smiling had never really been her thing, especially recently. Several of her team mates in the Legion had teased her about her lack of a sense of humor, especially Diedra Morgana and Ginn Allon. She found herself missing the teasing. She may not have smiled while they teased but she had known it had been well intended.

"I am Laurel Gand, it is good to meet you." She held out her hand in the gesture she had been taught in the twenty first century that was used in greeting.

 

[kizkiz]

The Doctor's blue tinged shadow...

As the trio shake hands The Bat pulls a small device from his belt. He presses a small button as he looks back at The Doctor and her companions.

"Modified tech from a crashed scout vehicle. Using tech from The Superlative Man's home to overload every one of their ships in one hell of an explosion. Unfortunately, there won't be much left of the world either. It will be the mother of all explosions. You have ten seconds. Go."

Blue had been trained by Bigsby in spy craft. He wasn't as elite of an agent as Gold or the other four fingers of Bigsby's Shadow Fist, but still Blue knew quite a bit about conventional warfare up until the end of the World War II. The rest of his grasp of advanced technological warfare came from episodes of Startrek, Starwars, Stargate, and the rest of the deriviate material that he ate up. As Blue waited within the Doctor's shadows and a werebat, a beetle, and a gorilla discussed complete and utter genocide of an entire world without breaking a sweat, Blue felt a cold shiver go down his back. Was this the enemy or the victim? Surely the Doctor couldn't abide or condone THIS?

Blue sighed, a quiet gust of breath. A stupid gesture when one was playing at shadow craft, but still...He'd allowed the same to happen, just by inaction as opposed to action. Was he different from these men?

Buddy moves to the door of the ship. Taking a last look back before they depart. As the clever blue box begins to depart, Buddy closes the door as The Bat and the Beetle embrace in one last loving kiss as the world starts to end around them, not in a whimper, but with a bang.

Blue watched Buddy move. The threshold to the ship was a splintered image in his mind, but it was there. His cloak could protect him for a second or two passed the allotted ten. He'd wait for the Doctor. Maybe wait too long. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

The sky ignited. Molecules were ripped apart by whatever the hybrid animals had done. It was like he as inside the sun now or this world was becoming a new one. It reminded him of the Diamond Sutra. "We are all dust," Blue said at last as the air superheated and forced Blue to hold whatever else he was going to say. He couldn't afford to lose any more air from his lungs, because he couldn't suck in any new air.

The blue dragon's skin was almost miraculous in it's ability to dissipate the heat of this world's incineration. His cloak, what remained of it, was still impervious enough to prevent whatever heat that got past the blue dragon's skin from killing him. Now running out of air was still a problem, but Blue figured he still had a solid two minutes before he had to worry about that.

 

[ChasNicollette]

These Men of Steel, These Men of Power...

"I am Laurel Gand, it is good to meet you." She held out her hand in the gesture she had been taught in the twenty first century that was used in greeting.

His father had been a Midwesterner from the heart of all outdoors.

His mother had been an army brat.

And he was a solar powered extraterrestrial hybrid.

Yeah, he knew how to handshake.

He clasped Laurel's hand, firmly, politely, looked her right in the eye, and nodded to her.

"Good to meet you, too."

"I'm Jon Kent."

She really was beautiful.

He hadn't known many actual Kryptonians-- just his dad, just his counterpart's cousin from Earth-0-- but she was beautiful, objectively, in a way that only Kryptonians seemed to achieve. Kryptonians and gods.

"Sorry I didn't talk before-- I just-- I'm trying to get my bearings, and not lose my marbles, you know?"

"Are you from another parallel Earth, too? Another parallel--" he gestured to the miniature sun, a little hesitantly "--Krypton?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Job 30:29-30.

Blue stood a few feet behind the Doctor between her and the door to the ship. He waited to see if he might need to sacrifice his life this time.

Blue was to be commended on his stealth.

Even without the witchy cloaking of The Witching Cloak, he had a sneak factor that could impress the average Batman.

But the Doctor could hear kisses even on the softest ground.

And she could hear the whisper of his mind.

She tilted her head subtly in his direction. Not giving away his presence-- but expressing to him that she was grateful he had her back.

"I read in an esoteric text once that there was a person who visited the end of worlds, a Valkyrie that comes to claim the heroes of each world for a battle beyond the realms of man. You are her. Ba-Kar, you need to go with her. There is nothing left in this world to fight for. But if the stories are true, there is a greater battle yet to fight."

The Doctor smiled faintly at The Bat. "I don't know if I'm a Valkyrie. I might be a Harbinger. I might be a Pariah. Blimey, I might even be a Psycho-Pirate. But here we are at the heart of a war to end all worlds and I'm telling you we have a fighting chance."

Seconds ticked as The Sevens said their goodbyes.

The Doctor kept her eyes fixed on that blood-bruised patch of sky, toying with her pocket watch in one hand.

He nodded and stepped toward his two comrades in arms. The last of The Seven.

"So be it. Our lines are falling. My world fell apart when my family died. But I will continue the fight, so that none shall face the destruction that our world has."

As the trio shake hands The Bat pulls a small device from his belt. He presses a small button as he looks back at The Doctor and her companions.

"Modified tech from a crashed scout vehicle. Using tech from The Superlative Man's home to overload every one of their ships in one hell of an explosion. Unfortunately, there won't be much left of the world either. It will be the mother of all explosions. You have ten seconds. Go."

The Doctor's grip on her pocket-watch tightened and her knuckles whitened.

Her power was nearly omnipotent. But every use of it came with a sacrifice she could feel. Every time she flexed her incomprehensible muscle, her world died a little bit. And they were-- they were going to kill their whole world all at once?

Her hearts thudded upward, getting trapped together in her throat.

Buddy moves to the door of the ship. Taking a last look back before they depart. As the clever blue box begins to depart, Buddy closes the door as The Bat and the Beetle embrace in one last loving kiss as the world starts to end around them, not in a whimper, but with a bang.

As Buddy stepped aboard, The Doctor shot Kyle and Firestorm an aching, sad look each-- but lingered longer on Kyle.

Firestorm might survive this... well... firestorm.

Ba-Kar could survive almost anything. If he copied the powers of tardigrades... but if all the animals on his world died... were would his power be then?

But Kyle--

--his mind was what made him superhuman. His mind and his heart.

His imagination was the only thing that could keep them ahead of the darksome plots-- the fingers of The Great Darkness sunk like talons into the cores of every Earth.

She had to keep him safe.

Her screwdriver came up in her hand, pointed upward-- the tip extended. It whistled, and it glowed.

The doors of The TARDIS slammed shut-- and it flickered out of phase with this world, vibrated to the beat of a different hum. A failsafe called a "coordinate-override" that made The TARDIS inaccessible to almost any intrusion.

The Doctor shot her gaze to Blue. The rise and fall of her weary shoulders mirrored the sigh she'd heard him puff into the air.

And she nodded to him again.

See you on the other side, she seemed to say.

But then the plasmic cascade conflagration descended on them as the Martian supercarriers detonated in low orbit and in atmosphere and this world... burned...

...but no.

No.

As the searing fusion cores washed the world in their furnace, The Doctor dropped to one knee in the jungle ruins...

...dug her hand into the dirt...

...and clenched her eyes.

And clenched her teeth.

And... flexed.

"We are all dust," Blue said at last as the air superheated and forced Blue to hold whatever else he was going to say.

The Doctor's will was focused to a white-hot point in the middle of the gold gold heat of the superdetonation.

And yet she spoke amidst the storm, somehow audible, somehow not blown to ash like a Judgement Daydream.

"'Your shadow at morning striding behind you. Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; I will show you fear in a handful of dust.'"

The Doctor's power came from her Earth. All the way up at Multiversal North, at the top of The Speed Force Wall-- right there by what was left of Wonderworld-- Earth-14. Her power was literally the power of that Earth. Her life was literally the life of that Earth.

And she could draw off of the life of that Earth to produce literally any effect she could imagine.

And right now in this instant, she channeled every erg of that planet's life through her. Every element, every creature, everything and everyone on that Earth, and fed that power into this Earth--

--using that power to reinforce, to shore up, to-- feed Earth-19.

It sheared decades off Earth-14's life.

And every human being alive on Earth-14 right in that moment would have to stop and catch their breath-- some would stumble and fall-- some would flatline on hospital beds-- all of them would lend a moment of themselves to build upon Earth-19.

And when the superdetonation wave passed...

...Earth-19 was still standing.

Not everyone on Earth-19.

The Bat and The Beetle were gone.

Roasted to smoldering, blackened skeletons, intertwined, like shadows cast by Hiroshima-- a lovers' embrace.

Many of the gorillas survived.

But not all.

The Martians had been ripped from the sky-- no power on Earth could save Martians from fire and heat of that ferocity.

But the world lived.

The Doctor sagged into the dust.

Blood ran down her face like tears, like mucous, from her eyes and nostrils... from her cuticles... from her ears...

...each breath was a labor.

Her hearts were like lead weights.

Though she lived, the agony of two Earths were etched onto her mind, perhaps forever.

And then the sky cracked, and Superman Prime descended, his armor terrifying and gleaming, his smirk heartless, his eyes blazing like twin miniature red suns.

"I've read a lot of comics," he declared, as he landed next to the bony heaps of The Bat and The Beetle. "Hell, I've got superspeed-- I've read all the comics. And I gotta say..."

He tutted. "I gotta say I hate it when they take an existing character, and suddenly they're gay. Don't you hate that? It makes no sense to me. Like, fine, whatever, you want a gay character so bad, make a new one! Make a new character so they can be gay from the start. Don't go treading all over my characters with your bullshit agendas."

And then he lifted his booted foot and crushed to powder the ashen skulls of Wayne and Kord.

"Anyway. Speaking of agendas... I think mine includes finishing what those cherry-bombs started. And then unpacking that box of yours, wherever it is."

He turned to face The Doctor, and cracked the knuckles of one fist against the opposite palm.

The Doctor gritted her teeth, and rasped air out of what was left of her lungs: "Oh. It's right here."

Her screwdriver was in her hand in an eyeblink. It whistled-- glowed--

--and The TARDIS exploded back out of coordinate override and slammed into Superman Prime with the force of a thousand tank shells, knocking him hurtling away and blowing him through the remaining tatters of jungle with a rrrrooooar of fury.

The TARDIS skidded to a halt, the doors popping open as it stopped.

The Doctor tried to stand, and then sagged back to the ground, sprawling.

They had maybe a second before Prime regrouped.

She held out her hand, grasping at the air in Blue's direction.

"...Gabriel," she wheezed.

"Exeunt omnes."

 

[Wyldfire]

His father had been a Midwesterner from the heart of all outdoors.

His mother had been an army brat.

And he was a solar powered extraterrestrial hybrid.

Yeah, he knew how to handshake.

He clasped Laurel's hand, firmly, politely, looked her right in the eye, and nodded to her.

"Good to meet you, too."

"I'm Jon Kent."

She really was beautiful.

He hadn't known many actual Kryptonians-- just his dad, just his counterpart's cousin from Earth-0-- but she was beautiful, objectively, in a way that only Kryptonians seemed to achieve. Kryptonians and gods.

"Sorry I didn't talk before-- I just-- I'm trying to get my bearings, and not lose my marbles, you know?"

"Are you from another parallel Earth, too? Another parallel--" he gestured to the miniature sun, a little hesitantly "--Krypton?"

"Kent. You are of the bloodline. And, no, not Kryptonian. I am from Daxam. I am not sure how well educated you are in Planetary relations you are, but we could be sort of cousins." This time the smile came easier.

"Is your mother or father Kryptonian? On my world we have Superwoman."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Suns and Daughters.

"Kent. You are of the bloodline. And, no, not Kryptonian. I am from Daxam. I am not sure how well educated you are in Planetary relations you are, but we could be sort of cousins." This time the smile came easier.

Jon's eyes widened for a moment, and then he scrunched his nose slightly-- his eyebrows scrunching as he thought. "There were Daxamites in the files in The Fortress. Like Daxam was an old colony of Krypton-- or Krypton was an old colony of Daxam-- or something?"

"Is your mother or father Kryptonian? On my world we have Superwoman."

"My, ah, bloodline," Jon tried to explain-- "my dad is Kryptonian. ...was Kryptonian. Superman. My mom was human. On the Earths I know of, there was a Supergirl who was a Kryptonian, but Superwoman was-- she was someone else. My aunt on the human side, but with powers."

"What was... Superwoman like where you're from?"

 

[Varshanka]

As Buddy stepped aboard, The Doctor shot Kyle and Firestorm an aching, sad look each-- but lingered longer on Kyle.

Her screwdriver came up in her hand, pointed upward-- the tip extended. It whistled, and it glowed.

The doors of The TARDIS slammed shut-- and it flickered out of phase with this world, vibrated to the beat of a different hum. A failsafe called a "coordinate-override" that made The TARDIS inaccessible to almost any intrusion.

He’d seen the look in her eyes and knew what it meant. She was sending him away.

His foot moved forwards propelling him out to help when the doors slammed shut and the pylon whirred. Hard and fast.

“Damn you.” He snarled.

Turning he looked at the console, it was more than just a machine, he knew it was. The pylon was just an expression of breath, but he’d felt the vessels heart beating. He felt it in the foot steps and the way things rearranged themselves.

“Open the doors, let me help her.” He demanded.

The only response was a soft whir…

“Please..”

--and The TARDIS exploded back out of coordinate override and slammed into Superman Prime with the force of a thousand tank shells, knocking him hurtling away and blowing him through the remaining tatters of jungle with a rrrrooooar of fury.

The TARDIS skidded to a halt, the doors popping open as it stopped.

And Kyle stood there. A glowing baseball bat in his hand. Stepping forwards he growled. “Come out come out where ever you are. Come out and huff and puff all you want, assholes. Because my name is Kyle, I’m here to save the Doctor! And I’m the Big Bad Wolf that’s gonna knock your teeth in, BITCH!”

Stepping out even further he looked around, waiting for some asshat to even try.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Revelation 22:11.

And Kyle stood there. A glowing baseball bat in his hand. Stepping forwards he growled. “Come out come out where ever you are. Come out and huff and puff all you want, assholes. Because my name is Kyle, I’m here to save the Doctor! And I’m the Big Bad Wolf that’s gonna knock your teeth in, BITCH!”

Stepping out even further he looked around, waiting for some asshat to even try.

As fractious and fractured as her mind was at the moment, as staggered as her brain and body were from the nearly-literal weight of a world she'd just shouldered to save Earth-19, Jamie nevertheless managed a burst of thought--

<"Kyle...">

<"Not here. Not yet. Not with innocents. Have to... escape. Draw Prime away. Away from apes. Away from... life.">

<"He killed a universe once. Not again. Never again.">

 

[kizkiz]

An expeditious withdraw.

And then he lifted his booted foot and crushed to powder the ashen skulls of Wayne and Kord.

"Anyway. Speaking of agendas... I think mine includes finishing what those cherry-bombs started. And then unpacking that box of yours, wherever it is."

He turned to face The Doctor, and cracked the knuckles of one fist against the opposite palm.

Blue was calm in the afterglow of what could have been his last breath. He at one point had been filled with a strange wonder that he might hold within his lungs the last of this Earth's life; tiny organic particles or bacteria that he'd transport onto the Tardis like Noah's Arc. That thought had insulated him from the urinating horror he should have felt at the arrival of Prime. Prime that was so much more than before. He was much slower than either Prime or the Doctor, so he knew that the odds were low that he could step between Prime and the Doctor in time, yet still he held hope that he might give the Doctor a few more breaths, perhaps time enough to flee and do her important work, that maybe, just maybe his death could mean something. He was working on borrowed time anyway.

The Doctor gritted her teeth, and rasped air out of what was left of her lungs: "Oh. It's right here." Her screwdriver was in her hand in an eyeblink. It whistled and glowed and then The TARDIS exploded back out of coordinate override and slammed into Superman Prime with the force of a thousand tank shells, knocking him hurtling away and blowing him through the remaining tatters of jungle with a rrrrooooar of fury.

Blue was too slow. A soft sigh escaped him. He was a toddler trying to save his mommy from being mowed down by a semi-truck. What idiotic notions floated in his head.

The TARDIS skidded to a halt, the doors popping open as it stopped.

Kyle leapt out with his gleaming, emerald baseball bat and death in his eyes. Those damn eyes. Blue averted his gaze and instead looked upon the Doctor. He heard Kyle bellow a war cry, but all such bravado was always the sign of an amateur. Blue had called the real Big Bad Wolf his friend and mentor -- in that order -- and had never known Bigby to waste so much time in bluster. Still the kiai, coming off of Kyle blistered Blue's soul, something to rival Prime's own.

The Doctor tried to stand, and then sagged back to the ground, sprawling. They had maybe a second before Prime regrouped. She held out her hand, grasping at the air in Blue's direction.

"...Gabriel," she wheezed. "Exeunt omnes."

Blue had never stopped, he just wasn't as fast as Prime or the Doctor. He'd already been close, and it took a dancer's move to change the vector of his momentum. His right heel slid out further, the ball of his left foot rolled, and his hips flared. Three small adjustments, and he was leaping straight at the Doctor. He was invisible. His own kiai was wound so tightly about his soul as to be imperceptible. He would have liked to save both the Doctor and Kyle, because he knew how much Kyle meant to the Doctor. There just wasn't enough time. Blue couldn't risk Kyle misunderstanding, potentially hitting him or the Doctor.

Kyle stepped even further out, his gleaming bat waving through the air like he was a relief hitter warming up. Except the ball Kyle needed to hit was encased in invincible armor and moving many times the speed of sound. Blue didn't even bother trying to track where Prime had been knocked too and where Prime was now. He could feel Prime's kiai. That's all that mattered. It was an all consuming sphere like a second sun had blossomed at Blue's back. The only thing he knew was that he had to keep his back to Prime and his body protecting the Doctor.

The cloak wrapped around Blue and the Doctor, punching a hole through spacetime. It was a small jump but the cloak got caught on something. Blue could hear the rip like the crack of thunder. Maybe Prime had closed? Maybe the cloak was so weak it couldn't worm through reality as smooth as it used to be able to.

They popped back into reality at the threshold of the door, behind Kyle. It sucked using Kyle as a shield, but it was all the man's wish to protect the Doctor. Without her all hope was lost. Blue pivoted, picking up momentum and took the Doctor with him into a somersault over the threshold of the door.

"Go!" Blue roared in a sound that filled the entire command room of the Tardis as if he'd blasted with the Horn of Gabriel, but it was just his mouth and his lungs and his desperation. He could only hope the ship complied.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

The cloak wrapped around Blue and the Doctor, punching a hole through spacetime. It was a small jump but the cloak got caught on something. Blue could hear the rip like the crack of thunder. Maybe Prime had closed? Maybe the cloak was so weak it couldn't worm through reality as smooth as it used to be able to.

Ugh, teleport whiplash--

--The Doctor's brain was basically butternut squash at the moment, not even pumpkin like Kyle had been thinking about--

--but she could feel that hiccup.

The Cloak was damaged. They needed to fix it.

How could they even do that?

One problem at a time. They hadn't quite made it to stage left.

They popped back into reality at the threshold of the door, behind Kyle. It sucked using Kyle as a shield, but it was all the man's wish to protect the Doctor. Without her all hope was lost. Blue pivoted, picking up momentum and took the Doctor with him into a somersault over the threshold of the door.

The last lurch over the longest yard. In the door.

The Doctor snapped her fingers.

Kyle would find himself yanked over the threshold in the blink of an eye, but even that effort felt like it was enough to pop another blood vessel.

"Go!" Blue roared in a sound that filled the entire command room of the Tardis as if he'd blasted with the Horn of Gabriel, but it was just his mouth and his lungs and his desperation. He could only hope the ship complied.

The TARDIS hesitated. She liked Blue, and she saw his point, but--

The Doctor flung out an arm with the screwdriver extended and whistling.

The doors slammed shut just as Prime's heat vision poured out of the woods to strike them. The TARDIS could orbit suns without flinching, endure atmospheric reentry without a scratch, and yet everyone in the room-- perhaps save Firestorm-- would feel The Console Room starting to cook.

Jamie coughed, sputtering flecks of blood.

"Hand. Brake. Anyone?"

 

[Varshanka]

He was outside staring at the forest in challenge and ready to kick some ass. He saw something, there but not there, shifted to intercept it. The Doctor was gone. Didn’t feel malevolent. Maybe someone from the Blue Box?

An impact off in the distance. Miles away. His grip shifted on the bat, ready to die for them. For her.

And he was back on the ship watching the doors close.

"Hand. Brake. Anyone?"

He swung the bat, feeling it slide from his fingertips even as he aimed. Willing the bat to hit the desired control.

Thunk…


The bat flipped end over end eventually landing on a step, as the soft whir sounded.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Firestorm had been ready to go out and protect the world, but it seemed as if the world was ready to die. The three heroes they were meeting were on their last legs and it seemed that two of them were going to pay the ultimate price while the third was coming with them. For once the two young teens were lost for words. They might appear like they knew everything, and indeed between them they had the combined knowledge of a super scientist and a jock, but they wondered if they would be able to make such a sacrifice.

Still everything seemed to be going fine until the Doctor locked the doors with herself outside still on the planet. That had set of Kyle, who she was now sure had a 'thing' for the Doc. He had turned back to the console demanding it return them to the planet and open the doors.

She had not expected anything to happen, after all he had been yelling at a piece of hardware for god's sake, but the TARDIS had phased back in and the doors had popped open and before she could stop him, Kyle had run out wielding a glowing bat that had appeared from nowhere.

Sighing she was preparing to go after him when the Doc and some guy dressed in blue with a tattered cape appeared on the floor. The Doc didn't look good, her face covered in blood and it only got worse as she snapped her fingers and Kyle hurtled back inside and the doors thudded closed.

She felt the TARDIS try to move but something was wrong and then the doors started to glow as if a tremendous heat source was being applied to them. Well finally something she could help out with.

Making her way to them she placed her hands on them and began to soak up the heat, absorbing it into her body and drinking it like a normal person would a smoothy. Man she would be able to live of this for days.

Finally the soft hum of the TARDIS slipping through dimensions sounded and the heat went away and she turned around examining those on the bridge. Moving over to the Doc she looked at her and then shook her head.

"I could try some basic first aid Doc, but I don't know how close you are to human physiology. I might end up doing more harm than good. Still I should be able to stop the bleeding and patch you up no problems."

Then looking at the other guy she smiled. " Hi. The names Firestorm. Looks like your costume got pretty messed up out there. Want me to fix it up for you?"

 

[kizkiz]

Blue

Finally the soft hum of the TARDIS slipping through dimensions sounded and the heat went away and she turned around examining those on the bridge. Moving over to the Doc she looked at her and then shook her head.

"I could try some basic first aid Doc, but I don't know how close you are to human physiology. I might end up doing more harm than good. Still I should be able to stop the bleeding and patch you up no problems."

Firestorm had soaked Prime's heat vision, except heat seemed like much too meager of a description. It was a detail that wasn't missed by Blue, but didn't seem that important right now. He eased the Doctor upon the floor, extracting his own body from hers. He caught Kyle's eyes for a moment, before turning to face Firestorm. "Generous, but the Doctor is a goddess and her body will see to itself given time and rest." He gave a timid smile despite the matter of fact, even firm tone of his voice.

"Kyle, do you think taking her to one of the bedrooms would be appropriate? Perhaps you could see about..." He paused, "Convincing her to rest up, least she overtax herself and die. I, ah, don't want to presume too much, but I think if we lose her, we all might as well kill ourselves." He shrugged. The last thing he was going to was tell the Doctor or Kyle what to do, but he found himself sliding into his old role as aide-de-camp. Keeping the Doctor alive was going to be his life's greatest work. "And, I think it's time the Supers join us on the bridge, we'll need some heavies while the Doctor is recuperating. If you see them on your way, do you mind asking them to help stand watch?" He went quiet, trying not to cringe waiting for Kyle's response. "Or, I guess I could take her if you don't want to...I just," he wet his lips, "Thought that, you'd prefer..."

Then looking at the other guy she smiled. " Hi. The names Firestorm. Looks like your costume got pretty messed up out there. Want me to fix it up for you?"

Then he turned away, unable to look at Kyle anymore. Instead, he gave himself a mental break and flashed Firestorm another sheepish grin. "Firestorm," Blue tasted the word, "Yes, of course, if we are going to go by titles then Blue will do for my name." She was a pretty girl, and while he might by twenty times older than her, he was cursed with eternal youth, which meant his body reacted with a typical teenager hormonal surge. He blushed, wanting to look away. "You know, like 'Little Boy Blue come blow your horn.'" He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Not sure if you have Fables in your Earth, the Mundy from mine didn't know we existed, so it's possible."

He lifted his cloak up, sighing at the huge chunk missing in the bottom right corner. It wasn't even a corner anymore. "Costume," he gave a little chuckle, "I guess I could pass for a kid out to trick-or-treat." He looked over the blue dragon scales, frowning at a few places where the scales were beginning to crack. "It's all real, I'm afraid, if you are able to regenerate organic material, I have a few dragon scales that could use some attention. He removed the mail shirt, there was a perfect, fist sized area around mid-back that looked like a dropped iPhone screen. "Prime got a good shot a few Earth's back. Nothing has been the same since." He hefted the edge of the cloak, "As for the Witching Cloak, I fear her days are numbered. She absorbed the worst of Prime's punch, which must have been too much for her. If you can fix it, though, I'd be in your debt." He handed both to Firestorm to inspect. "Just, ah, if you get even a fiber of the cloak inside your body you might die, so be careful, not sure how safe it is to handle...but if you are a skilled artificer, I apologize for stating the obvious."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Doctor, Doctor, Gimme the News...

He swung the bat, feeling it slide from his fingertips even as he aimed. Willing the bat to hit the desired control.

Thunk…

The bat flipped end over end eventually landing on a step, as the soft whir sounded.

At this point, The Doctor couldn't have telekinetically adjusted the flight of that Yankee truncheon if she'd tried.

But she didn't need to. Kyle Raynor was brave and true and so was his aim.

The bat rebounded off of the handbrake, the handbrake popped, The TARDIS made a noise of complaint and irritation-- but after a moment's consideration, complied, resuming her autopilot.

The Doctor smiled at Kyle like he was the horizon and she was the sunrise. "Nice shot. Cheers, love."

Firestorm had done well, absorbing the heat-energy bombardment as easily as she might a low-yield nuclear blast.

Moving over to the Doc she looked at her and then shook her head.

"I could try some basic first aid Doc, but I don't know how close you are to human physiology. I might end up doing more harm than good. Still I should be able to stop the bleeding and patch you up no problems."

"'To be more than human is to be human,'" The Doctor quoted wearily. "I'll... be all right."

Then looking at the other guy she smiled. " Hi. The names Firestorm. Looks like your costume got pretty messed up out there. Want me to fix it up for you?"

"Generous, but the Doctor is a goddess and her body will see to itself given time and rest." He gave a timid smile despite the matter of fact, even firm tone of his voice.

The Doctor held up a weary, instructive index finger. "The Earth is a Goddess. I'm just a shaman."

"Kyle, do you think taking her to one of the bedrooms would be appropriate? Perhaps you could see about..." He paused, "Convincing her to rest up, least she overtax herself and die. I, ah, don't want to presume too much, but I think if we lose her, we all might as well kill ourselves." He shrugged.

"And, I think it's time the Supers join us on the bridge, we'll need some heavies while the Doctor is recuperating. If you see them on your way, do you mind asking them to help stand watch?" He went quiet, trying not to cringe waiting for Kyle's response. "Or, I guess I could take her if you don't want to...I just," he wet his lips, "Thought that, you'd prefer..."

"No, no," The Doctor shook her head, one hand on her forehead, scrunching her eyes shut. "I'll... I'll be all right. I can heal myself using the energy of my Earth. It's... my link to Earth-14 is kind of in shock right now because I've never... I've never drawn so much at once before. I just... we just... need a minute."

"Jon and Laurel being here is a good... a good notion. If they're not recharged enough by now, they may never be. But-- but I need to be here. There's one more. There's one more yet. And-- and I need to be here when she gets here. When we get to her."

"Firestorm," Blue tasted the word, "Yes, of course, if we are going to go by titles then Blue will do for my name." She was a pretty girl, and while he might by twenty times older than her, he was cursed with eternal youth, which meant his body reacted with a typical teenager hormonal surge. He blushed, wanting to look away. "You know, like 'Little Boy Blue come blow your horn.'" He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Not sure if you have Fables in your Earth, the Mundy from mine didn't know we existed, so it's possible."

He lifted his cloak up, sighing at the huge chunk missing in the bottom right corner. It wasn't even a corner anymore. "Costume," he gave a little chuckle, "I guess I could pass for a kid out to trick-or-treat." He looked over the blue dragon scales, frowning at a few places where the scales were beginning to crack. "It's all real, I'm afraid, if you are able to regenerate organic material, I have a few dragon scales that could use some attention. He removed the mail shirt, there was a perfect, fist sized area around mid-back that looked like a dropped iPhone screen. "Prime got a good shot a few Earth's back. Nothing has been the same since." He hefted the edge of the cloak, "As for the Witching Cloak, I fear her days are numbered. She absorbed the worst of Prime's punch, which must have been too much for her. If you can fix it, though, I'd be in your debt." He handed both to Firestorm to inspect. "Just, ah, if you get even a fiber of the cloak inside your body you might die, so be careful, not sure how safe it is to handle...but if you are a skilled artificer, I apologize for stating the obvious."

The Doctor suspected that while Firestorm could repair the substance of The Cloak, furnishing the stuff of it would be rather a different... ahem... matter.

Building molecules out of thin air was what Firestorms did.

But there was more to The Cloak than matter. It was woven/forged/carved from the very time and night of a being older than some universes in The Orrery, and such a... mojo... was not easily replicated.

Still... it was worth a shot?

 

[Varshanka]

"No, no," The Doctor shook her head, one hand on her forehead, scrunching her eyes shut. "I'll... I'll be all right. I can heal myself using the energy of my Earth. It's... my link to Earth-14 is kind of in shock right now because I've never... I've never drawn so much at once before. I just... we just... need a minute."

"Jon and Laurel being here is a good... a good notion. If they're not recharged enough by now, they may never be. But-- but I need to be here. There's one more. There's one more yet. And-- and I need to be here when she gets here. When we get to her."

Walking over Kyle ignored protests, hand waving gestures and the like. Crouching her scooped up the Doctor and looked at the room. “Do what needs be done. Don’t quibble or argue. The TARDIS will give us the time we need - I Hope, for Doc Jamie to heal and rest. Semi-naturally before she pops anymore blood vessels and makes a ruin of my shirt.”

Carrying her out he ignored everything but where to put his feet as he carried her to a bedroom.

 

[ChasNicollette]

"Nara," by E.S. Posthumus.

Walking over Kyle ignored protests, hand waving gestures and the like. Crouching her scooped up the Doctor and looked at the room. “Do what needs be done. Don’t quibble or argue. The TARDIS will give us the time we need - I Hope, for Doc Jamie to heal and rest. Semi-naturally before she pops anymore blood vessels and makes a ruin of my shirt.”

Carrying her out he ignored everything but where to put his feet as he carried her to a bedroom.

The Doctor sputtered and wheezed in disbelief and indignity-- covering the lower half of her face with one hand so she didn't get blood everywhere as she coughed.

She attempted several times to begin a sentence that would convince Kyle to bring her back to The Console Room-- but she didn't need her telepathy to know that he was dead set.

Instead she found Ba-Kar with her fathoms-dark brown eyes and implored him-- "The one who's next. Animal-Man. She'll need a shaman. She'll need a shaman!"

Then, slumping, she thunked her head against Kyle's shoulder, resigned, exhausted, furious.

The first bedroom they found was a small, pretty affair. More like a loft bed-and-breakfast run by a mom-and-pop restaurant downstairs... two beds... but the beds were low to the floor, Japanese style, and indeed there were Japanese decorations on the walls. Kanji, katakana, and koi.

By the time Kyle had lowered Jamie down onto one of the beds, she had managed to stop trembling, and was instead just... weary.

"I'm gonna be okay. I wasn't just trying to put on a-- stiff upper lip."

"This is more than a little humiliating."

 

[Varshanka]

By the time Kyle had lowered Jamie down onto one of the beds, she had managed to stop trembling, and was instead just... weary.

"I'm gonna be okay. I wasn't just trying to put on a-- stiff upper lip."

"This is more than a little humiliating."

“Sorry, can’t be helped.” Kyle replied straightening back up from setting her on the bed. “Doctors make the worst patients. I suggest sleep then a shower and change of clothes. Your choice on the order of that, but I’d say sleep first.”

Stepping back he gave her room, a lot of people didn’t like being hovered over.

“Oh, and if you ever hurt yourself trying to save me, there will be conversations.”

 

[Lunaramblings]

Ba-Kar snapped into focus as The Doctor spoke to him.

"I... I will do what I can. You just saved the last vestiges of my world. Of my Family. The Mangani will need to find their place among the rest of the world now. I don't know how they will rebuild, but at least you gave them a chance.
I new The Bat had a contingency, but I didn't realize how devastating it would be.
Thank you."

Ba-Kar looks about the interior of the clever box. He had seen many things in his time. But nothing quite like this. He wasn't sure why he had been given this chance. He wasn't even sure why he had agreed to go. He fully intended to die in that jungle among the Mangani and the rest of The Seven. But now he needed to make their sacrifice mean something. To make all the lives lost mean something.

"It appears she already knows a great deal more about me than I her. They call me Ba-Kar, The Animal-Man.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Defragging.

Seconds Ago.
********​

Ba-Kar snapped into focus as The Doctor spoke to him.

"I... I will do what I can. You just saved the last vestiges of my world. Of my Family. The Mangani will need to find their place among the rest of the world now. I don't know how they will rebuild, but at least you gave them a chance.
I new The Bat had a contingency, but I didn't realize how devastating it would be.
Thank you."

The Doctor smiled exhaustedly at Ba-Kar as Kyle toted her off with singleminded focus.

"I'm the Doctor. Defending Earths is what I do. I've seen enough dead ones... I'm glad I could help yours be spared. I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Now.
********​

“Sorry, can’t be helped.” Kyle replied straightening back up from setting her on the bed. “Doctors make the worst patients. I suggest sleep then a shower and change of clothes. Your choice on the order of that, but I’d say sleep first.”

"'Ain't no rest for the wicked,'" The Doctor murmured to herself, "'and money don't grow on trees. Got bills to pay, got mouths to feed, and ain't nothin' in this world for free.'"

Stepping back he gave her room, a lot of people didn’t like being hovered over.

“Oh, and if you ever hurt yourself trying to save me, there will be conversations.”

The Doctor laughed faintly. "I don't suppose those conversations will involve you saying 'thank you,' and me saying 'you're welcome?' I'm the last living member of The Judex Luminary Authority, you think I want to watch another team die? Another teammate?"

Her dark dark eyes found Kyle's green green ones. "Watch you die?"

But then the saffron gold light began crawling in her skin, and she closed her eyes... "Oh, thank goodness-- it's starting--"

And with a rush of sunrise-sunset coronal discharge, her body quivered... and she was restored. The blood on her face and down her front was gone. Even the drops of blood that she'd dripped and scattered here and there-- on Kyle, on the bedclothes of this little Japanese see-and-stay, through The Console Room and halls of The TARDIS, they were gone, fizzled away.

She was... better. But she was still shaken. Still paler than usual.

"Something's... something's still not right. It'll take me a minute to... parse it. Diagnose it."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He lifted his cloak up, sighing at the huge chunk missing in the bottom right corner. It wasn't even a corner anymore. "Costume," he gave a little chuckle, "I guess I could pass for a kid out to trick-or-treat." He looked over the blue dragon scales, frowning at a few places where the scales were beginning to crack. "It's all real, I'm afraid, if you are able to regenerate organic material, I have a few dragon scales that could use some attention. He removed the mail shirt, there was a perfect, fist sized area around mid-back that looked like a dropped iPhone screen. "Prime got a good shot a few Earth's back. Nothing has been the same since." He hefted the edge of the cloak, "As for the Witching Cloak, I fear her days are numbered. She absorbed the worst of Prime's punch, which must have been too much for her. If you can fix it, though, I'd be in your debt." He handed both to Firestorm to inspect. "Just, ah, if you get even a fiber of the cloak inside your body you might die, so be careful, not sure how safe it is to handle...but if you are a skilled artificer, I apologize for stating the obvious."

Firestorm looked at the mail shirt and was surprised at the material it was made of. She had assumed Blue had been joking when he said it had been made of Dragon scales, but as she examined it she was now not so sure. It was definitely something organic and it was obviously a scale. As she ran her fingers over it and her vision narrowed taking in the material make up of the object she smiled.

Oh she could repair this and even replace the ones that were missing. One might have to be sacrificed to make sure she had everything right but she was pretty sure it would go smoothly.

Concentrating she placed her hands on the mail and closed her eyes.

"Are you sure you have got this Lily?"

"It's okay Raymond. Remember when it comes to these things I am the one who knows what they are doing."

A pale yellow glow began to rise up from between her hands and then surrounded the whole shirt. One of the smaller scales disappeared and a small smile appeared on her face and the glow intensified becoming brighter and brighter, then suddenly it was gone and she held the item out to Blue. It glowed with a pale blue light as it reflected the glow coming off her, all it's scales glistening like new and the top fully repaired.

"There you go Blue, Hope that helps, now let me see that cloak of yours."

She picked up the cloak and again tried to analyze it, however this was a lot harder. Oh the substance was easy. It was going to be easy to replicate that although it had some strange properties to it. However there was something about it that was very strange. It seemed like there was more to it than just fabric. He had mentioned that if a fiber got inside her body it could kill her, and the way it felt it could be possible.

Still she decided to try. Folding it she then placed it in her hands and again the glow appeared. This time a strained look appeared on her face and the glow did not intensify all that much, but slowly the bundle in her hands grew a little and then the glow faded away and she slumped exhausted.

"Well that was harder than I thought," She chuckled as she unwrapped the cloak. It revealed itself and she was amazed to see that it was actually back to full length. It didn't look right though. Certain parts of it looked richer and darker, while most of it just looked like a standard black cloak.

" Looks like I wasn't able to repair it properly after all. Maybe it will fix itself now it has bits to grow to, we will just have to see."

Sighing she looked over at the man they had just rescued and smiled. "Hey Ba-Kar my names Firestorm, glad you could join our little band although it is very sad the way you did."

 

[Varshanka]

Now.
********​

The Doctor laughed faintly. "I don't suppose those conversations will involve you saying 'thank you,' and me saying 'you're welcome?' I'm the last living member of The Judex Luminary Authority, you think I want to watch another team die? Another teammate?"

Her dark dark eyes found Kyle's green green ones. "Watch you die?"

“I’m expendable. You’re not.” Kyle murmured – mostly to himself. But certain extra hearing skilled females that made his heart skip a little faster would easily hear him. “Not you.”

But then the saffron gold light began crawling in her skin, and she closed her eyes... "Oh, thank goodness-- it's starting--"

And with a rush of sunrise-sunset coronal discharge, her body quivered... and she was restored. The blood on her face and down her front was gone. Even the drops of blood that she'd dripped and scattered here and there-- on Kyle, on the bedclothes of this little Japanese see-and-stay, through The Console Room and halls of The TARDIS, they were gone, fizzled away.

She was... better. But she was still shaken. Still paler than usual.

"Something's... something's still not right. It'll take me a minute to... parse it. Diagnose it."

“Yeah, you still need proper sleep and a shower.” Kyle reminded her. “If need be, I’ll pin you to the bed till you fall asleep, and shove you into a shower afterwards. Clothes and all.” <Preferably naked so I can wash your back.>