Chapter 24:

Tickling the Belly of the Beast

An echo pierced through the cavernous room. The Butlers and the fairies swiveled their necks like spastic parrots, trying to figure out what had gone where. All but one.

"Khaakff…."

Down went Trouble, suddenly, clutching the left side of his chest. Red stained his uniform, seeping between tightened fingers. "Damn. Just when the tank's running dry."

Juliet rushed to his aide, laying him down on his back and putting her hands over the wound. She looked to the remaining two fairies. "Magic, NOW!"

"Don't look at me!" Mulch protested. "You know me; I've got as much magic as Butler has in his big toe." They both then turned to Luskar, who simply shrugged.

"'Magic's for puffs and ponces'. Family motto."

"Your family sounds like smart people."

Out from the shadows walked Stockard, the pistol in his right hand still smoking. He pointed both at the downed Trouble and Juliet, cocking with his thumb (an impressive move, from a gunslinger's perspective). Tattooed trolls poured out from behind him, making a barricade. Butler's ears picked up the whirring sound of Daleks coming down the hall; they'd be here, and soon….

….

Unaware and un-unnerved by the events happening right beside them, the fifteen floated in front of the Gates of Elysium in whatever N-space nothingness they happened to be in. The gates themselves were surprisingly plain; two silver blocks with a strip of black down the middle. But the feeling; there was a wave of power coming off the structure. Holly felt a chill down her spine; this was massive, ancient. Something that they shouldn't be messing with.

Not that they had a choice, of course, but still.

No.1 floated himself over to the Gates, waving his hands to try and get a feel of them. "Ingenious" he breathed. "Whoever built this must have had such an intricate understanding of meta-physical mechanics."

Doctor 6 looked on. "Do you find it too complex?"

"Hardly. I did this for my thesis."

"Ah."

Artemis spun gently in the void, taking in each intricate detail of the Gates. Curiously, he found that the more he looked at the Gates, the weaker his body seemed to feel. "Of course, it's not my body that's feeling it. It's sapping my very aura out of me. What an ingenious safe-guard; literally breaking your enemy's spirit".

"Something to get Butler for Christmas?"

The thought rang out in his head. He turned to see Holly smirking at him slightly. Artemis, in turn, vowed to keep his focus; best to not let anyone hear unnecessary thoughts.

Doctors 2 and 7 floated in front of the Gates, standing on either end. The others followed suit, per No.1's instructions, until they formed two lines with the little demon standing at the head.

The Doctor (11, for those of you keeping count), directed everyone's attention to the Gates. "All we have to do is direct the energy supplied by No.1 from the TARDIS, and that should be about enough. Then it's just a matter of getting out before it blows."

Foaly perked his ears up. "Before it BLOWS?"

"Oh right. What we're doing is making it implode. Nice, easy, no cleanup."

"Oh OF COURSE. We wouldn't want to have to stay and clean up after ourselves. That'd just be stupid."

Holly cocked an eyebrow. "Amazing that you can still find time to be facetious, Foaly. What with the end of the world being imminent."

"Facetious is one of the few things I still have that I can fall back on in these situations. You people have taken everything else."

The bantering was comforting to all of those in ear-shot. Anything to prolong the monumental task in front of them. Holly would loved to have taken a couple more jabs at Foaly, but they all felt a crackle of electricity in the air. No.1 had taken a meditative pose, and was chanting to himself. His eyes had gone white, and his arms were outstretched as if to salute the monoliths before them.

Doctor 11 turned to Doctor 10. "Best do it before we get serious."

Doctor 10 nodded, and with a slight grin, he held his head high and yelled;

"ALLONS-Y-!"

CRZZACK!

Blue lightning leapt from No.1 fingers! It travelled from Artemis and Holly at the front of both lines, jumping down the rows and criss-crossing in between. When it reached Doctors 2 and 7 at the end of the line, the current curved, crackling up the sides of the Gates. It was a sight to behold….

…..

As was the sight that was happening in the corporeal world.

Given the reputation Butler held in the fairy world, it makes perfect sense that as the years went by, he became somewhat of a legend underground. Some would argue that this stemmed from his fight with a troll, others his take-down of an entire squadron of the goblin triads.

Mulch Diggums, in his old age, would dispute that; he would claim that the human known as Butler became a legend onboard the Nightmare Child.

With Juliet crouched guarding Trouble, Luskar and Mulch administering aid, Domovoi Butler stood alone against a army composed of murderous Daleks, armed trolls, and a pistol wielding traitor to his own species. And he did so with the look of a bored father, tired of having to discipline his rowdy children.

"You know, I remember now." Stockard said. "They had a file on you back at the agency. 'Nasty piece of shite', I thought to myself". He tapped his temple with his left pistol. "What d'you reckon I'm thinking now?"

Butler didn't answer. He was in his element now; Juliet knew that it would take a mountain falling on him to provoke so much as an 'Excuse me?'.

Ghor snorted, clearly impatient. "Do you wish to stall any longer, Mud Man?"

Butler promptly responded with a bullet between the eyes.

Ghor roared and fell back, taken completely unaware. The action had been so fast, none of the trolls had registered what had happened. Their leader just fell down and screamed, making a fool of himself.

Stockard knew. "I'll admit," he said, clearly impressed, "nice draw."

Butler grinned (akin to a bear smiling). "Then let me show you excellent…."

And he charged.

…

Davros sat in his private control room, observing the Gate Room on a screen. He muttered old Kaled curses under his breath. "I suppose an accelerated time-line will have to be put in place."

He signaled to three yellow Eternals standing by, at the ready as his personal council. "Throw the vortex engines into overdrive! We open the Gates of Elysium NOW!"

…..

Hunger. No see. Can't see. Hungry, no prey see. Why no prey?

Feel, feel new sense. Energy? Void no energy. Why in void?

Open. It open. Soon open. No void again.

Prey be soon. Hungry no more. Be out, eat.

Horde free.

Horde eat.