Chapter 18

Angelika - Like an angel
Truda - Fighting woman
Varick - Protecting Ruler
Harman - Man of the army

“You cannot win,” the voice from the speakers yelled as soon as the screaming stopped. “You may have placed blocks in me it won’t help you escape. This entire room is a prison for you. Nothing you can do will allow you to make it out of here!” An evil laugh sounded as Alan felt a strong probing then an almost titanic force start to push him from his mind!

“You obviously haven’t looked at all I did to you. There is a hell of a lot more than just blocks. Did you forget? I have a lot more abilities than you at first thought. I have seen the future, a lot of them actually and none of them include you!” Alan said then felt the Doctor withdraw.

“What in the hell is this!? NO! Get away from me!” The bolts holding Alan faltered a moment as he tried to flash out to no avail. Still backing Alan felt the hard, cold rungs of the ladder he had descended. Grasping one Alan started to pull himself up. Suddenly the floor felt as if it were electrified! Pulling with the last of his strength Alan hung over the rungs just inches off the floor. Problem was his skin was crawling from the shock that he’d just received.

“Yes! I see that you are far stronger than I had hoped for! Yours will be the perfect container for me! Now be a good little boy and DIE!” The Doctor’s voice was screaming at him. Still fighting Alan had actually grasped another rung further up but movement was becoming harder and harder. Looking up he saw that he was several feet from the opening.

Dropping his head Alan looked at the floor. If I fall he thought, I am dead, if I don’t get out of here I am dead. Shaking his Alan again tried to fight the numbness that was starting to creep up his body.

Suddenly a rope swung next to his arm. “Grab it Alan! We’ll pull you out!” What the hell? Was that Harman? Wrapping his arm around the rope Alan felt the Doctor trying to push harder into his mind.

“NO! I will not be denied! His mind and body are mine! Go away you little bastards! You will never measure up to what Alan is!” the Doctor was screaming.

“You will find we are far stronger than we were you pathetic ass!” Alan heard Varick’s voice say. Then he felt Varick release a physical energy wave toward the Doctor.

The Doctor laughed as the wave was absorbed, then the Doctor was screaming again this time, in pain. Wait a minute! There had been two waves behind the first! “We are here Alan,” Alan heard Truda say. “Together there is no way he can beat us!”

“I agree! You are dead you sadistic son of a bitch!” Alan heard Angelika’s voice say.

Behind him Alan heard several machines as they powered down. As fast as they could they pulled Alan up out of the hidden room. Gasping for breath Alan could only lay there as the four around him each took an arm and leg blinking out.

<This isn’t over you rejects! I will have Alan’s body. I will take it even if I have to kill all of you to do it!> The Doctor’s thoughts assailed them.

<As if, > Varick’s thoughts snarled back. <You have been trying to kill us for years. Now we are beyond you! You are but a dusty useless piece of a failed past!”

<I will kill you for that you disrespectful pup! I will, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!> Was the last thing they all felt from the Doctor as Varick and Truda had sent another wave toward him. Looking around Alan saw that they were back in the village. Madde ran up helping them as they put Alan down.

“That should hold him for a while. Well, I hope it does,” then Alan looked at the others. “I am sorry I put all of you in danger, hell the entire world. I should have known it was a trap. I just never expected what was waiting for me.” Hanging his head tears falling from his eyes Alan turned away from them. “You all were right I am far too impatient and rash. You had to save me, again. How in the hell can you put up with me?”

“Well I for one,” Harman said surprising all of them speaking up, “have had far more fun since you have joined us, than I’ve had in a long time. The fact that we kicked the assistant’s ass as we did was the most enjoyable feeling I’ve had in a very long time. So you’ve got my support.” All of them looked at Harman with shocked looks Truda more than the others.

“There are times brother, not many but sometimes, that you make me so damn proud to be your sister.” Truda said surprising Harman.

‘Uh...” was all he could get out so surprised at the praise his sister had showered him with.

Reaching over Truda punched her brother in the arm, “Don’t let that go to your head! It’s already huge as it is already!” Truda said as she, Angelika and Madde all burst out into laughter.

Harman smirked as he rubbed where his sister had punched him. “You sure have a strange way of showing you are proud Truda.” Harman told her.

“As I said I have to keep you from getting a far more swollen head. Any bigger and we might have problems!” Truda said with a serious face. Angelika and Madde were both holding their sides as they couldn’t contain their laughter.

Alan tried to smile still feeling regret for putting all of them in danger again. “What of the rest of you? Are you as happy to have me with you?” Alan asked.

Angelika’s face got suddenly serious as she placed a hand on his face. “Even though you were stolen from me, I still have a bond with you Alan. Something, that, I can’t even begin to describe. What you have done for me, for all of us can never be truly repaid. I just want us to be something like a family if that is possible, ok? So to answer you, it is easy to as you say put up with you.”

“I would have to kick your ass if you tried to run again Alan.” Truda said a wide grin on her face. “You might be far stronger but as we both know I’ve got a few tricks of my own. So I suggest you stay with us, unless you REALLY are wanting to find out!” Truda said a sly almost wicked smile on her lips. Nodding Alan turned toward Varick.

Varick was watching everything that was going on. The simple fact that they had actually found that sadistic son of a bitch spoke volumes to him. As soon as Alan, then the rest of them turned to see what he had to say, Varick only nodded for a few moments.

“Brother, you aren’t really thinking that we’d be better off without Alan are you?” Angelika voice cut through his musings.

“Better off? No I don’t think we would be. We are far more powerful now; we are also more like normal people. I for one don’t wish to go back to less than half a life. Though I do think that we need to think over everything, before we make a move like Alan did. Especially now that we know what the Doctor’s true intentions are.” Turning more toward Alan, Varick asked, “You think that you can defend against that attack he did against you?”

Alan looked up suddenly realizing that Varick in his own way had just accepted him, fully into the group. “I’m not really sure Varick. I’ve never experienced anything like that. I felt completely at his mercy, not sure if it was the shocks that helped or not. It was almost like I was watching it happen to someone else. Now that I think about it I am starting to feel that the shocks did help him access my mind.”

“I kind of had a feeling it was something like that. As you told all of us before, once you feel it the first time you can usually combat it. Do you feel it is the same this time?” Varick asked as a light seemed to fill Alan’s eyes.

Nodding Alan told all of them. “I think it might be a good idea if all of us work on this. I’ve got a feeling that if he wants me that bad he might try to get to me through one of you!” Looking at Angelika he nodded again. “Especially you mother. For some reason I feel that you may be the key to a lot of this. May I look again? I’ve got a feeling I missed something.”

A wide eyed Angelika nodded as Alan delved into her mind. Even as he was moving far deeper than he’d been, he was beginning to see a few things in her that were more than peaking his curiosity. It appeared that all of her mental pathways had been restructured. Alan began to gently push on each of them he found. The way she was right now the doctor could have taken her over with no problem. Could have being the operative word, problem was ALL of her pathways were wide open.

Withdrawing Alan shook his head he’d secured part of her mind but there was so much. He wasn’t that sure he could keep her safe if they were in a fight. Sighing he sat back shaking his head just the little he’d done would help, some. Sitting back he looked inside at his own pathways shocked when he saw that they were almost identical to his mother’s! Going as deep as he could Alan started to close everything that he could, realizing that he’d have to be at this for a long time.

After an hour Alan could feel his energy starting to falter. He’d barely gotten a fifth that wasn’t going to be much help if the bastard tried to attack again. Withdrawing he found Angelika was sitting beside him a worried look on her face. “Damn it Alan! You have to stop doing this! You are going to deplete yourself then he’ll be able to just walk in.” Angelika told him.

Alan’s tired smile let her know he hadn’t gone as far as she thought he had. “I’ve learned my lesson from working on Helga. Being that weak is not a situation I wish to repeat.” Alan told a nodding Angelika.

Looking closer Angelika’s eyes narrowed, “I know you far more than you think Alan! I think I can tell when you are lying to me!”

Sighing Alan tried to play it off as nothing but Angelika’s continued insistence finally got him to admit it. “Alright! Damn it mother! I have to push some or I’ll never increase my stamina and strength.”

“I can agree with you on those points Alan. Exhaustion beyond the point of consciousness though is going too far! Remember you have a hell of a lot more people relying on you than just you! If I have to slap you to drive that point home I will!” Angelika warned.

Shaking his head Alan could actually see her point for once, damn it! He hated when she was right, though he was right also. He had to push to secure his mind and hers. Thinking a moment, he also had to consider all the pieces of themselves the Doctor and the assistant had left in all of them. Would they try to interfere? Especially, after he’d destroyed over fifteen of them in each of them, well seventeen in Truda.

Angelika sat back as she watched a war of thoughts reflect across Alan’s face. She hated the fact that she was the cause of this. Then again the last time Alan was like this they had defeated that ass assistant. Sighing she hoped that it was the case this time.

Alan knew he wasn’t going to get anymore done before he rested more and ate. God now that he thought about it he was starving! “Alright, I say we get a bite then rest so I am at full power to work on both of us again.”

Varick had been watching the exchange between the two. He too realized that none of them had eaten all day! It was a wonder any of them were conscious! Finally sated a few hours later Alan sat back feeling a hell of a lot better.

After they all retired to their respective rooms Alan finally laid down more exhausted than he thought. Within moments he was fast asleep entering a dream state almost immediately.

A voice far off in the distance seemed to be calling to him. “Alan, son it is your destiny. Your body was created for me to take over. Come to me son that we will be one. Then we can rule this world!”

Alan felt the thoughts trying to push their way into his head; luckily he’d closed as much as he had. “I don’t think so you pathetic ass!” Alan yelled back. “I know what you are trying to do. As you can see I have closed off part of my mind you can’t take it now!”