"I'm sorry it's taken us this long to meet. I've been a fan of yours for quite some time, Doctor. You've sent more humans to me than you'd think, like when you torched Rome. I got quite a few good souls out of that blaze." Scratchman said as he led the Doctor and Yarox up a large staircase, which the fire that instantly disappeared had been covering.
"You did what?" Yarox asked?
"It was an accident. Plus it wasn't really me, it was Nero." The Doctor said awkwardly, not even able to look at Yarox in the face.
"Yes but you were his muse, shall we say Doctor."
"Something like that." The Doctor said as he struggled up the steps, with Yarox even having to help him up the staircase.
"Now, now Doctor I can always kill you and you can regenerate into a younger, much fitter man if you want?" Scratchman taunted.
"Thanks for the offer, but I can't see you leaving much left to regenerate." The Doctor said.
"That's true I do get a little carried away."
All round the stair case were screaming fifty foot Demons fighting with one another who were surrounded by nothing but fire. The screams of the damned souls were defeaning at the ground level, but as they reached the top, they became almost completely silent.
At the top of the stair case were two doors made of still dripping flesh and bone. They both swung open on Scratchman's mental command, whilst inside was a long gold dinning table. The room was filled with strange figures, whose heads were nothing but blue flame. The figures remained completely still, though Scratchman assured the Doctor that they were very much alive and in tremendous pain.
There were also several paintings of Scratchman and his Demon hordes invading planets on the left hand side of the room, whilst on the right hand side there was a huge window, with a view of the hellish landscape outside.
Just below the castle the Doctor could see the war between Scratchman's horde and the residents. Beyond the battle however were massive mountains, and pits, all of which were filled with the souls of humans and other strange creatures being subject to the most horrific torture.
"Those idiots trying to make their way into this castle. There is only one way to get to the tower. All the others lead to some rather nasty little traps I've set out." Scratchman said as he sat down and conjured up a glass or red wine for himself.
"I must admit I'm surprised given how elaborate everything else is here that you've chosen such a shall we say human appearance? Is that just for our benefit." The Doctor asked.
"Oh I assure you Time Lord. Nothing here will be for your benefit. I like this face. It belonged to someone from this universe before I took it over. He was a man like you Doctor. He was a traveller, but after saving a few worlds, he got delusions that it made him some kind of hero. He thought I was just another two bit villain for him to defeat and boast about to his followers after. In all fairness he did give me some trouble, but he now rots at the bottom of this castle. I took his face because it used to represent hope to people. He loved that. It meant more to him than anything else, so I thought it would be funny if his face came to represent fear and terror to all the people he once tried to save. I was thinking about doing the same to you, but you've had 10 already. You can never hold on to one too long can you?"
"Yes well this has been fun eh, Scratchman? Or do you prefer Satan?" The Doctor said.
"Please call me Harry Scratch. I've forgotten my real name, if I ever had one. I've been given so many over the millions of years by so many people and they're always so damn negative. Harry Scratch I think has a more casual sound to it, don't you."
"You're a monster." Yarox said.
"You're only just getting that now." The Doctor replied sarcastically.
"I am a monster to you, yes, but then tell me Doctor, what intelligent species doesn't exploit and slaughter what it perceives to be lesser creatures for it's own survival? The great predators of the earth, such as the Lion, the Shark, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, they all hunted less intelligent, weaker creatures did they not? Humanity is not much better. Look at the way they treat animals? A butchers shop may look harmless, even appealing to you Doctor, but to the species strung up in it's windows, it's comparable to my pit out there."
"You don't just kill, you torture your victims. You break them them down to your level." The Doctor protested.
"You are wrong, I feed on fear, chaos and pain. I need the psychic energy it generates as you need food, so I sacrifice lesser creatures to keep myself alive, the same way a human does when it sinks it's teeth into a steak. The gulf between even you and me, Time Lord is far beyond that of a human and animal. My lifespan is greater than that of entire universes, I have knowledge that even your people would never understand. You are all nothing to me, and so I therefore see no evil in making you suffer to prolong my own life, any more than a farmer does when he slits a bovid's throat."
"In spite of your supposed superiority, you still need me and my old, broken down, obsolete Time machine hmmm." The Doctor said as he proudly clutched his lapels.
"Yes well that's only because of the tight situation I have found myself in. Eons ago when I first conquered this universe, the latest in billions I have destroyed I was sealed in here by the inhabitants of another reality. Some of them got wind of what I was, from a few who escaped my grasp in this world. An alliance formed between the most advanced life forms from numerous realities to seal me in here. I could have beaten them all on their own, but the cowards had to cheat." For the first time Scratchman started to show anger as he spoke.
"Now, now Harry, you of all people can hardly complain about people not playing fair." The Doctor said.
"Yes well anyway." Scratchman continued. "For thousands of years I had to make do with just this one universe, and the remains of a few I'd conquered before that I keep with me below as an emergency food source, but it wasn't enough.This universe was gradually decaying into nothing, and with it my food. Once it had gone, I'd be left here all alone, still trapped by the barrier, I'd rot away to nothing. The only reason this place is still standing is because of me."
"Not much of a claim when you're the one who more or less tore it apart in the first place Harry." The Doctor replied flippantly which most annoyed Scratchman.
"Yes quite, but then when all hope for me seemed lost, I noticed a tiny little rip in the barrier. When I was at full power and had struck at the barrier with all of my fury after it was first placed around this universe. I didn't realise it until much later, but I had obviously managed to create a little break. The rip led to a small seemingly insignificant planet named earth. For centuries I could only peer through the rip and influence the natives of that wretched planet every so slightly. A few delusions of grandeur here, the odd lingering resentment towards something, or someone. Eventually I was able to send through the odd creature who I hoped could widen the rip, the odd beast like a Kraken, a demon and so on. Sadly they failed, but they did create a stronger link to me and this earth, which allowed me to absorb several human minds, usually at the moment of death, but sometimes before into this reality. It helped prolong my life by goodness knows how many years.
Over the centuries the primitives told stories about me, even came up with ideas to comfort themselves about how only the wicked were sent to my domain. You should see the looks on the faces of the humans who lived an honest life when they arrive here. Even after centuries they still can't take it in."
"I can imagine" The Doctor replied in a dry tone.
"Serves them right I say, to think they're better than anyone else. Still whilst it was an amusing distraction from my impending death, toying with the primitives, it was only when I saw your vessel arrive at various different points that I realised I could free myself. Other aliens had visited the earth, such as that worthless Charon. However none of them had the technology you did. It took me a while to realise you were different. At first I didn't even know you were the same man, but my followers kept note of enough of your visits to slowly learn the truth.
For centuries I've used all my power to widen the rip to send through more of my minions to capture you. Finally I was able to send through the army on that Island to try and trap you. I've found a way to sense when your machine arrives Doctor. It always leaves tiny little ripples in the vortex, ahead of when it is about to arrive. Think of it as being like the water pushed ahead by a heavy ship. Once I sensed them I immediately sent my elite souls to create portals to allow my elite forces through to capture you on that miserable little island. I must admit I was disappointed at how unprepared my warriors were. I'm glad at least that Pan was of use to me."
"Yes well if he has any semblance of a conscience I hope it torments him forever." The Doctor said.
Your machine, old, outdated and worthless as it may be." The Doctor was getting visibly annoyed at Scratchman talking about the TARDIS that way, but of course the Demon didn't care and continued.
"It still contains tremendous power due to the ingenuity of the Time Lords. If I were to link it to the to the rip and drain all of it's energy into it, it might widen it to be just large enough for me to pass through completely. I'll have to be at my lowest stage of power even to get through it under those circumstances. It's quite funny in a way though Doctor." Scratchman said as he sat back with a smug look on his face, or rather the face he had stolen.
"When you ran away to go exploring, you never thought once how reckless it was to take a piece of advanced technology like the TARDIS with you? If it weren't for your carelessness I would never have gained the means of my escape."
"Yes well I could be forgiven for not thinking, oh dear Satan is going to steal my ship and use it escape from hell, when I first ran away."
"Maybe next time you'll be more careful." Scratchman laughed before taking a sip of wine, or rather what looked like wine.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"I need you to help me break through your ships defences Doctor. Oh sure in time I could easily rip through them, but I don't have much of that left. It's taken all of my limited power to hold this planet together, and that is only great in this castle. That's the real reason I didn't come and get you myself. If I had left this place for even a few minutes I'd have been drained." Scratchman said in a less jovial tone.
"Why would I help you? Aside from the obvious, you can't threaten me with anything but death. If what you say is true in a few days, maybe even a few hours this entire place will crumble."
"I have enough power Time Lord to ensure that at least one person will become an immortal like me, and share my fate in the eternal nothingness this universe will soon become. I can think of no one better to take my frustration's out on than you, Time Lord."
"Well when you put it that way. For now I'll play along. Tell me though where do you come from." The Doctor asked.
Scratchman seemed to stop for a minute at the Doctor's question.
"Why do you care Time Lord?"
"I always care. That's what got me into this mess in the first place."
"If we had only ignored that Scarecrow." Yarox said.
"No I was talking about my entire life." The Doctor said back to Yarox.
"I don't know where I came from." Scratchman said, honestly.
"My first memory is of nothing but fire, pain and struggling with a creature like me before being cast across the stars, that I later destroyed. I tell my followers here that I am god, because I feel it makes no difference. To them I am a deity, and I also believe firmly that I am part of his plan too."
"You believe in a supernatural creator? What makes you think that you weren't just some cosmic accident hmm" The Doctor protested.
Scratchman smiled.
"Something like me could not come about by accident, Time Lord. I am designed to feed on the suffering of others. I am part of the Creators plan. He clearly is not benevolent. How could he be if he created me. As far as I am concerned, I am following the universal way of life for stronger life forms to dominate lesser creatures. Now then let's not delay any longer shall we? I just can't wait to visit your reality properly."
Elena meanwhile made it past the warring monsters to the gates of the castle having wisely avoided taking part in any of the fighting. (Even with her skills in Acturan Kung Fu, she would have been cut down in seconds if she had.)
Surprisingly the castles two front doors were open, and there were no guards at them which worried her greatly. Still Elena couldn't stay out here for any longer and she just had to assume that Scratchman's guards were all caught up in the battle. Behind her most of the lesser Demons and Aliens had been slaughtered and it was only the most powerful left including the leader of the Harpies who still fought valiantly.
Inside the castle was a long hall. In contrast to the outside of the castle, this hall looked pristine. The were also paintings of strange creatures being attacked by Scratchman's monsters adorning all of its walls.
As Elena walked down the hall slowly, keeping her eye out for any of Scratchman's minions she felt she could hear faint screams coming from the paintings.
Elena soon walked towards one of the paintings of a strikingly beautiful Cyclops woman with green hair.
Below it read "The great Siclea, once a hero of her people the Uriox. She thought she could defeat Scratchman."
In the painting, Siclea looked miserable. There was a single tear coming down her face.
Next to the painting of Siclea was a painting of a large Centaur with a hideous Demon riding on it's back. The caption read. "See what happens when you cross old Harry?"
When Elena looked back at the painting of Siclea a hideous, pig faced, green skinned, slimy Demon was now grabbing her throat from behind.
The screams suddenly got louder and louder,so much that Elena started to back off, but when she turned around she saw that the front door to Scratchman's castle had vanished.
It was now an endless corridor of paintings at both ends. Elena ran deeper into the castle as there was no way of going back.
As she ran down the corridor however, a brick wall suddenly appeared in front, followed by the sound of cruel, mocking laughter.
"You'll look good on my wall. I do so love collecting pretty girls." A hideous, high pitched voice screeched from all around.
Elena's attention was suddenly drawn to a blank painting by the wall, though she wasn't sure why. She didn't want to look at it, but she couldn't look away. Some force was pulling her towards it.
Underneath the painting was a caption.
"Elena. She really should have stayed in the 31st century."
Elena tried to pull away from the seemingly empty canvas, put the same powerful force pulled her hand through it. The canvas then turned to water when she touched it, and in a few minutes the Mutant was pulled through completely.
On the other side of the painting was the courtyard of a tiny castle, overlit by a black, thunderous sky above. When Elena tried to leave the courtyard via a drawbridge, she was held back by an invisible barrier.
She pounded and kicked on the barrier as hard as she could, but it made no difference.
"There is nothing beyond that wall." A voice from above said.
As Elena turned around she saw a hideous giant creature emerge from the tallest tower at the end of the courtyard. The beast's large, shapeless body was covered in faces, almost all of them screaming. The largest face at the centre however spoke.
"This is all that is left of the planet Orisa. All of the paintings you passed. They are what is left of many of the worlds in this universe. Scratchman destroyed most of the planets and used their remains to build his domain out there. What was left of some other planets however, he turned into these pocket dimensions to torture anyone brave and stupid enough to try and break into his castle."
"What are you going to do to me" Elena asked.
"We don't want too. We have no choice. We were all once individuals. A race. We survived the apocalypse of our world, but Scratchman fused us all together. We're in a state of constant agony. Our identities constantly merge, we share each others pain. None of us even know who we were originally. You will be the same."
"Yeah sorry I've never been good with crowds." Elena said as she frantically ran around the castle from the hideous abomination. The beast must have stood over 12 feet tall. It didn't really have a shape. It was just a mass of flesh, faces, and blood, though it could still move fast as Elena witnessed when it first slid down the tower of the castle like a snake.
"You cannot escape us. You will tire eventually and one touch is all we need." It said.
Some of the faces begged the monster to show clemency.
"Please how can you, we, condemn another person to this fate." One of the other faces screamed.
"You know we have no choice."
Elena tried to throw a torch from a nearby tower into the monster, but it merely bounced off of it's flesh.
There was nothing she could do to even slow the monster down. All Elena could do for now was to flee.
The Doctor and Yarox meanwhile were forced to follow Scratchman through his dark, cobweb ridden corridors.
"You know for an all powerful being, you haven't half let this place go to the dogs?" The Doctor said.
"I like cobwebs. Spiders torturing flies? It's like a tiny little appetizer for me." Scratchman said.
As they reached the end of the corridor, Yarox and the Doctor could hear what sounded like the TARDIS taking off.
"What are you doing to my TARDIS." The Doctor asked.
"I would have thought you of all people would know the sound of your own TARDIS screaming Doctor?" Scratchman said with a perverse delight as he threw open the two doors at the end of the corridor.
To his horror the Doctor could see the TARDIS completely encased in flames. It looked as though it was made of fire.
"I told you I need her energy to free myself from this hell. She was uncooperative. So I tried to make her see reason. She's rather stubborn like you old boy. Normally I love it when they struggle. It just makes it all the more fun when they break, but I am on a time limit here so if you will just make her see reason."
Yarox could see the Doctor was repressing his rage and anguish. No matter what the danger, in the brief time Yarox had known him, the Doctor had always kept his calm, even remained jovial in the face of danger. Now however at the sight of his TARDIS suffering, the Doctor could barely contain his anger.
"Please." The Doctor begged.
"Don't hurt her. I'll do anything you want."
Scratchman smiled."People always reach a breaking point. I knew for you it would be your oldest companion. It's quite pathetic really. You love that machine like a pet."
"Please Scratchman."
"Call me Harry" Scratchman said as he made the flames vanish.
"You have a few minutes to link up the TARDIS to the rip. No tricks or else I'll make you burn along with your machine Time Lord."
The Doctor entered the interior of the TARDIS, which had been twisted beyond all recognition. The walls were broken and bleeding, there were hideous insect like creatures swarming out the broken roundrels, the floors were covered in a disgusting, foul smelling, green slime and on the scanner was footage of people being tortured.
The Doctors hearts sank as he saw what had been done to his beloved machine.
"Oh trust me I can do much, much more" Scratchman taunted.
The Doctor started to mess around with the console, whilst Scratchman waited impatiently.
"So" Scratchman said to Yarox. "I didn't catch your name."
"Here it is." The Doctor said as he held up a cable he had pulled from the TARDIS' console.
"This is like the TARDIS version of veins in a human or Time Lord body. Just connect this to what you want and you can suck the machines blood as it were out." The Doctor said in shame.
"You can't really be doing this Doctor?" Yarox said in dismay.
"I'd rather the TARDIS die now than let it live on in this state for any longer."
"You're a smarter man than I thought Time Lord".
"Yes I am." The Doctor said as he lifted out his sonic screwdriver, and activated the controls.
Scratchman suddenly screamed as the TARDIS took off. The TARDIS however only managed to take off briefly before crashing back down again.
"What happened."
"You think I'd give him the TARDIS?" The Doctor said boastfully. "It was an experiment."
"You see Yarox this entire reality is hanging by a thread. Scratchman may like to act laid back and in control, but every second for him is a struggle to hold these, pitiful remains of a universe together. If we can break his concentration for long enough, this place will collapse and Scratchman will be trapped. When I gave him the TARDIS control, I was able to drain just an iota of his energy through it, and power the old girl to teleport. As it was we still couldn't get out of here. Scratchman still held onto us, but that second where his concentration was split will have repurcussions. If we can only find a way to distract him for long, then we can break this realm, and destroy Scratchman's food source leaving him trapped."
"I should have known that you wouldn't give in to him. You even had me worried there."
"Yes well whilst I obviously would never give in to Scratchman, though I must admit we have quite a job redecorating ahead us. Still the old girl is as tough as an old pair of boots Yarox. If Scratchman thinks he can get to her or me with this bag of tricks then he's as stupid as he looks.
"What about the creatures in this reality Doctor?"
"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for them. That battle was lost a long time ago."
"We can't just leave an entire universe to die."
"You think I want too. Besides it isn't an entire universe. It's the last scrap of one. If Scratchman get's free, he'll destroy billions more."
Just then Scratchman appeared on the TARDIS scanner. His face had begun to morph into his true form. He was still humanoid in shape, but his skin was beginning to catch fire, whilst his eyes formed into thick black pieces of charcol.
"Time Lord you will suffer." The Doctor switched the scanner off before Scratchman could finish his threats.
As the Doctor tried to make the TARDIS take off again however, suddenly the console lit up in flames. The Doctor and Yarox tried to make it for the doors which started to close, whilst several rotting hands started to emerge from the slimy green floor. Yarox managed to pull free from the hands and pull the two TARDIS doors, whilst the Doctor struggled.
They were burning to the touch and scalded Yarox's hands badly. Several of the hideous insect like creatures also started to crawl all over Yarox's hands and bite his fingers. Still he held on long enough for the Doctor to pull free from the hands on the floor. The Doctor then helped Yarox pull open the two doors and escape.
Outside the two found they were still in the castle. The TARDIS must have taken them a mere twenty feet before Scratchman managed to stop the machine in it's tracks. Nevertheless the effects of the Doctors brief attack on Scratchman were evident.
The entire castle was overwhelmed with hideous creatures and nightmarish monsters, all fighting with one another.
At the top of the room however Scratchman himself, now morphing into his true form, with flaming wings emerging from either side of his back, flew over the crowd of monsters.
"You thought you could trick me Time Lord. You shall be made to destroy your own world and the earth at my bidding when I am free."
To Be Continued