Fic: "Welcome, Ghosts" (Heroes/Doctor Who)
Title: Welcome, Ghosts
Author: arenotvalid aka smercy
Rating: the global equivalent of a PG
Fandom: Heroes, Doctor Who
Characters: 5YG Hiro, The Doctor, Martha
Pairings: none
Genre: gen
Spoilers: Heroes: "Five Years Gone," Doctor Who: the Doctor travels with Martha
Disclaimer: I don't own "Heroes" or "Doctor Who" and I won't own "Heroes" or "Doctor Who" and am not doing this for profit.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1973
Status: one-shot, finished
Author's Note: betaed by the fantastic emmyhildy; written for heroes_fest prompt "254: Heroes/Doctor Who, Hiro meets any of the Doctors"
Summary: A meeting after the end of the world.
-
Hiro Nakamura felt the world change in one short moment as he was eating his morning waffles. He could hear noise where there should have been none, something odd, like a velociraptor. His breakfast was half-chewed and cold in his mouth, so he spit it into the sink and left to investigate.
On his third try, at the emptiest spot where Central Park used to be, there was a blue box and a man and woman exiting from it. "Ukraine, 1873," The man exclaimed, words trailing into confusion at the end.
"I don't think it's Ukraine," His companion said, "Doesn't even look like Earth."
"Oh, it's Earth," He said, shuffling his feet on the ground, "I'd know Earth anywhere."
The woman began to slowly turn in place, surveying her surroundings. "So which year? What happened and where's everybody?" She leaned over to look at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, "Is this the epicenter of some sort of nuclear blast?"
Hiro frowned from his spot behind the statue, decided to observe more before revealing himself. "No," the man said, his voice steady and deep, "Much worse." He picked up a handful of dirt and let it slide from his fingers to the ground.
The woman bent down to tie her shoe, looked back up at him, "Doctor?"
"Martha, my dear," he stated, "We have just stumbled upon a time wound."
"And?"
He laughed, almost crazily, "There's something wrong with this timeline, obviously, it's probably some sort of alternate or parallel version. Tough to tell the difference sometimes, between the two, but I'm thinking this one's an alternate. Anyhow, some sort of paradox caused this timeline to branch off the original, and another paradox of some sort has ended it, or is trying to end it. Odd that it hasn't gone yet."
"Doctor," the woman said, "What are we doing here?" She raised an eyebrow and looked distinctly curious.
"Right," he said, "So this timeline is dying, being eaten by what is essentially time bacteria. And when those bacteria consume everything of substance, this whole place collapses in on itself like it never happened. Except, there must be something that they haven't eaten. So we explore a bit, find the indigestible thing, remove it and voilà! All fixed and off to Ukraine!"
The woman began walking briskly up the hill towards where the ruins of New York City lay. "So what's the thing we're searching for?"
"I'll know it when I see it," the man asserted from far behind her.
But the woman stopped silently at the top of the hill, obviously too shocked to move. "I think that's New York City there, Doctor. And it's all in ruins..."
Hiro tried to imagine what it would be like to see the city in such devastation for the first time, but found he could not. And he did not want to see the faces of the travelers as they discovered it. He had been prepared for the end of the world for a very long time.
So he teleported quickly to a spot about 10 meters in front of them. "I think you are looking for me," he said.
-
The man called to him, "Hello there! Care to explain to us what, exactly, is going on?"
Hiro nodded. "My name is Hiro Nakamura."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nakamura," the man called, walking quickly to cover the distance between them. "I'm the Doctor, and this is Martha Jones." The Doctor was an appropriate name for a mysterious time-traveler, Hiro thought.
"Call me Hiro," he stated.
"Hello, Hiro," Martha said, having reached him first. "Pleasure to meet you." She had a good handshake, firm and warm.
Hiro looked over to the Doctor, who was obviously in charge. "We are in New York, year 2011."
He nodded, but she looked shocked. She murmured, "What happened to the city?" The metal jungle to her back was both twisted and hollow, and crumbling to pieces with decay; something he should have prevented.
"Terrorist attacks," he said.
The Doctor furrowed his brow and intently studied the buildings, "Why are you carrying that sword?"
"Protection," he said.
-
Martha asked him, "Where are all the people..."
"Gone," Hiro said.
"And what about the animals?"
"Gone," Hiro said.
"Plants?"
"Gone," Hiro said.
The Doctor looked at Hiro straight and unflinchingly. "Gone where?"
So Hiro showed them.
-
When he let go of their hands, both Martha and the Doctor were gasping.
"How, in the name of all things sonic and acoustic, did you do that?" The Doctor sounded a bit outraged and neither he or Martha were looking hard at their surroundings.
"It is my ability," Hiro said, "It is what I do."
"Humans," the Doctor scolded, "Are not supposed to be able to do that."
"At least I do not read minds or create fire with my hands," Hiro smiled, "I only teleport."
The Doctor's face scrunched tightly, "You know of people that can read minds and create fire?"
"I did," Hiro said.
"What's that," Martha croaked from the edge of the canyon. "Doctor, what the hell is that?"
The Doctor jogged over to the edge, coat flapping dramatically. Hiro did not, he had seen enough of the beasts already. "I think that they are some kind of pterosaur," he said, "Except that they eat everything. They will eat anything living and will not pause."
"Reavers," the Doctor muttered, "But they're dead."
"Because I killed them," Hiro said.
Martha turned away from the edge and walked over to see him. "How'd you do it?" She smiled, a bit sadly.
Hiro smiled, "With my sword."
"There have got to be more than 60 in there," the Doctor called, "You are a teleporting human that used a sword to kill a large number of Reavers."
"Yes," Hiro said.
The Doctor stomped deliberately over to him, "Tell me everything."
-
The Doctor regained his bearings much more quickly after their second trip. Martha, however, nearly fell flat over Hiro's kitchen table. Hiro quickly guided her to the nearest chair.
The Doctor looked accusingly over at him, "Your apartment?"
"Yes," Hiro said, pulling out his can opener. "Would you like some waffles with strawberries?"
There was silence for a few seconds before Martha responded with a quick, "No, thank you." The Doctor stared at him, as though he was trying not to laugh, but Hiro concentrated on removing the waffles from the freezer and placing them into the toaster.
Hiro stood at the edge of his table to wait. "Where would you like me to start?"
"At the beginning," the Doctor said.
"I was born-"
The Doctor interrupted, "Not that sort of beginning. When did you discover the anomoly? I mean, the thing that you knew was different and couldn't explain?"
"October of 2006," Hiro said. "I had always known I was destined for something, although I did not know what. But one day I discovered that through concentration, I could make the clock move more slowly, then more quickly. Eventually I realized that I could freeze time completely, and that I could bend it to my will, moving to any place I wished at any time I wished. At first, I lacked control."
"Wait," the Doctor said, "Wait, wait, wait, wait. You can teleport through time? That is not only very highly improbable; it is practically impossible to do without some sort of facilitating machine!"
"It's a genetic quirk," Hiro said, and handed him a copy of Suresh's book. "Some of us had it, it gave us abilities, but there was no way of telling what the ability would be."
Martha buried her head in her crossed arms, slouched on the table. "But that doesn't make any sort of realistic scientific sense!"
"Probably why the timeline collapsed," The Doctor suggested. "Go on."
Hiro grabbed his waffles from the toaster and began to cover them in strawberries and whipped cream. "I began a mission," he said, "I brought my best friend Ando along with me, but it was a perilous mission and we lost too much."
"A girl," Martha understood.
-
He placed his plate into the sink and poured himself some orange juice. "I found my past self and my past best friend waiting in my apartment. Immediately after, there was a raid and my past self was captured. I tried to rescue him, but it took time. Eventually, there was a showdown at the detention center where he was held. I was shot twice but he managed to get away with the knowledge he needed. I was nearly dead by then, and unconscious, but a scientist injected me with adrenalin and forced me to teleport us away. I went to my father's house, and he had a family friend heal me of my wounds. A few minutes after he had finished, the pterosauruses came."
The Doctor ran one hand through his hair, "No wonder." He stood up, quickly. "So how'd you kill them?"
"With my sword," Hiro said. "The sword of the great Takezo Kensei."
"Never heard of him," the Doctor contended.
"Kensei was the legendary hero that united Japan."
"Which year?"
"Around 1670," Hiro said.
"Well, I've been to Japan in 1670 on three separate occasions and I can guarantee that I have never ever heard of a man named Takezo Kensei," the Doctor countered. "Although, a great year for the cherry trees."
"It is his sword," Hiro said, "The sword that was used to focus his powers and make him a hero."
"And it kills Reavers?"
"Of course."
-
Martha gently grasped Hiro's hand, and he could feel himself shivering from the contact. "Why didn't you leave?"
"It is my responsibility to stay here, to keep and protect the memories."
"But this is a dead world. And you could go..."
"There is nothing outside of it for me. And a hero must do what is necessary to protect the people he loves. Ando's grave is here, and the memorial for those that died fighting. Someone must remember them."
Martha gradually pulled him into a hug. "You are a brave man," she sighed. "A good man."
"There is nothing left here for you," the Doctor interjected from across the room, "Nothing at all."
"I know," Hiro said.
-
"You will bring closeure to this world," Hiro stated. The city looked ruined from the outside, and he so rarely saw it.
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Martha, please go inside."
She kissed Hiro's cheek, sweetly, and paused by the Doctor’s side to squeeze his hand before moving slowly back into the blue box. "We will finish this now," Hiro sighed.
The Doctor nodded.
"When Takezo Kensei wanted to unite Japan, he was just a simple swordsman" Hiro murmured, "He sought out the dragon of Kiso Mountain. He asked this dragon to teach him the secrets of the sword. The dragon taught him, and he became the Kensei, the Sword Saint. Kensei fought his enemies and won, uniting Japan and saving his people. But afterwards, the dragon came to Kensei's palace, demanding the life of his princess as repayment. But Kensei drew his sword and plunged it into his heart, pulling it out and handing it to the dragon."
Hiro could feel his body trembling as he removed the sword from its sheath. "He said, My love is in here, take it."
He could not see a reply, nor feel the sword sliding from his body. But Hiro saw the sunset in the sky, heard the slam of the door. And while the box disappeared, everything faded to nothingness.
Author: arenotvalid aka smercy
Rating: the global equivalent of a PG
Fandom: Heroes, Doctor Who
Characters: 5YG Hiro, The Doctor, Martha
Pairings: none
Genre: gen
Spoilers: Heroes: "Five Years Gone," Doctor Who: the Doctor travels with Martha
Disclaimer: I don't own "Heroes" or "Doctor Who" and I won't own "Heroes" or "Doctor Who" and am not doing this for profit.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1973
Status: one-shot, finished
Author's Note: betaed by the fantastic emmyhildy; written for heroes_fest prompt "254: Heroes/Doctor Who, Hiro meets any of the Doctors"
Summary: A meeting after the end of the world.
-
Hiro Nakamura felt the world change in one short moment as he was eating his morning waffles. He could hear noise where there should have been none, something odd, like a velociraptor. His breakfast was half-chewed and cold in his mouth, so he spit it into the sink and left to investigate.
On his third try, at the emptiest spot where Central Park used to be, there was a blue box and a man and woman exiting from it. "Ukraine, 1873," The man exclaimed, words trailing into confusion at the end.
"I don't think it's Ukraine," His companion said, "Doesn't even look like Earth."
"Oh, it's Earth," He said, shuffling his feet on the ground, "I'd know Earth anywhere."
The woman began to slowly turn in place, surveying her surroundings. "So which year? What happened and where's everybody?" She leaned over to look at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, "Is this the epicenter of some sort of nuclear blast?"
Hiro frowned from his spot behind the statue, decided to observe more before revealing himself. "No," the man said, his voice steady and deep, "Much worse." He picked up a handful of dirt and let it slide from his fingers to the ground.
The woman bent down to tie her shoe, looked back up at him, "Doctor?"
"Martha, my dear," he stated, "We have just stumbled upon a time wound."
"And?"
He laughed, almost crazily, "There's something wrong with this timeline, obviously, it's probably some sort of alternate or parallel version. Tough to tell the difference sometimes, between the two, but I'm thinking this one's an alternate. Anyhow, some sort of paradox caused this timeline to branch off the original, and another paradox of some sort has ended it, or is trying to end it. Odd that it hasn't gone yet."
"Doctor," the woman said, "What are we doing here?" She raised an eyebrow and looked distinctly curious.
"Right," he said, "So this timeline is dying, being eaten by what is essentially time bacteria. And when those bacteria consume everything of substance, this whole place collapses in on itself like it never happened. Except, there must be something that they haven't eaten. So we explore a bit, find the indigestible thing, remove it and voilà! All fixed and off to Ukraine!"
The woman began walking briskly up the hill towards where the ruins of New York City lay. "So what's the thing we're searching for?"
"I'll know it when I see it," the man asserted from far behind her.
But the woman stopped silently at the top of the hill, obviously too shocked to move. "I think that's New York City there, Doctor. And it's all in ruins..."
Hiro tried to imagine what it would be like to see the city in such devastation for the first time, but found he could not. And he did not want to see the faces of the travelers as they discovered it. He had been prepared for the end of the world for a very long time.
So he teleported quickly to a spot about 10 meters in front of them. "I think you are looking for me," he said.
-
The man called to him, "Hello there! Care to explain to us what, exactly, is going on?"
Hiro nodded. "My name is Hiro Nakamura."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nakamura," the man called, walking quickly to cover the distance between them. "I'm the Doctor, and this is Martha Jones." The Doctor was an appropriate name for a mysterious time-traveler, Hiro thought.
"Call me Hiro," he stated.
"Hello, Hiro," Martha said, having reached him first. "Pleasure to meet you." She had a good handshake, firm and warm.
Hiro looked over to the Doctor, who was obviously in charge. "We are in New York, year 2011."
He nodded, but she looked shocked. She murmured, "What happened to the city?" The metal jungle to her back was both twisted and hollow, and crumbling to pieces with decay; something he should have prevented.
"Terrorist attacks," he said.
The Doctor furrowed his brow and intently studied the buildings, "Why are you carrying that sword?"
"Protection," he said.
-
Martha asked him, "Where are all the people..."
"Gone," Hiro said.
"And what about the animals?"
"Gone," Hiro said.
"Plants?"
"Gone," Hiro said.
The Doctor looked at Hiro straight and unflinchingly. "Gone where?"
So Hiro showed them.
-
When he let go of their hands, both Martha and the Doctor were gasping.
"How, in the name of all things sonic and acoustic, did you do that?" The Doctor sounded a bit outraged and neither he or Martha were looking hard at their surroundings.
"It is my ability," Hiro said, "It is what I do."
"Humans," the Doctor scolded, "Are not supposed to be able to do that."
"At least I do not read minds or create fire with my hands," Hiro smiled, "I only teleport."
The Doctor's face scrunched tightly, "You know of people that can read minds and create fire?"
"I did," Hiro said.
"What's that," Martha croaked from the edge of the canyon. "Doctor, what the hell is that?"
The Doctor jogged over to the edge, coat flapping dramatically. Hiro did not, he had seen enough of the beasts already. "I think that they are some kind of pterosaur," he said, "Except that they eat everything. They will eat anything living and will not pause."
"Reavers," the Doctor muttered, "But they're dead."
"Because I killed them," Hiro said.
Martha turned away from the edge and walked over to see him. "How'd you do it?" She smiled, a bit sadly.
Hiro smiled, "With my sword."
"There have got to be more than 60 in there," the Doctor called, "You are a teleporting human that used a sword to kill a large number of Reavers."
"Yes," Hiro said.
The Doctor stomped deliberately over to him, "Tell me everything."
-
The Doctor regained his bearings much more quickly after their second trip. Martha, however, nearly fell flat over Hiro's kitchen table. Hiro quickly guided her to the nearest chair.
The Doctor looked accusingly over at him, "Your apartment?"
"Yes," Hiro said, pulling out his can opener. "Would you like some waffles with strawberries?"
There was silence for a few seconds before Martha responded with a quick, "No, thank you." The Doctor stared at him, as though he was trying not to laugh, but Hiro concentrated on removing the waffles from the freezer and placing them into the toaster.
Hiro stood at the edge of his table to wait. "Where would you like me to start?"
"At the beginning," the Doctor said.
"I was born-"
The Doctor interrupted, "Not that sort of beginning. When did you discover the anomoly? I mean, the thing that you knew was different and couldn't explain?"
"October of 2006," Hiro said. "I had always known I was destined for something, although I did not know what. But one day I discovered that through concentration, I could make the clock move more slowly, then more quickly. Eventually I realized that I could freeze time completely, and that I could bend it to my will, moving to any place I wished at any time I wished. At first, I lacked control."
"Wait," the Doctor said, "Wait, wait, wait, wait. You can teleport through time? That is not only very highly improbable; it is practically impossible to do without some sort of facilitating machine!"
"It's a genetic quirk," Hiro said, and handed him a copy of Suresh's book. "Some of us had it, it gave us abilities, but there was no way of telling what the ability would be."
Martha buried her head in her crossed arms, slouched on the table. "But that doesn't make any sort of realistic scientific sense!"
"Probably why the timeline collapsed," The Doctor suggested. "Go on."
Hiro grabbed his waffles from the toaster and began to cover them in strawberries and whipped cream. "I began a mission," he said, "I brought my best friend Ando along with me, but it was a perilous mission and we lost too much."
"A girl," Martha understood.
-
He placed his plate into the sink and poured himself some orange juice. "I found my past self and my past best friend waiting in my apartment. Immediately after, there was a raid and my past self was captured. I tried to rescue him, but it took time. Eventually, there was a showdown at the detention center where he was held. I was shot twice but he managed to get away with the knowledge he needed. I was nearly dead by then, and unconscious, but a scientist injected me with adrenalin and forced me to teleport us away. I went to my father's house, and he had a family friend heal me of my wounds. A few minutes after he had finished, the pterosauruses came."
The Doctor ran one hand through his hair, "No wonder." He stood up, quickly. "So how'd you kill them?"
"With my sword," Hiro said. "The sword of the great Takezo Kensei."
"Never heard of him," the Doctor contended.
"Kensei was the legendary hero that united Japan."
"Which year?"
"Around 1670," Hiro said.
"Well, I've been to Japan in 1670 on three separate occasions and I can guarantee that I have never ever heard of a man named Takezo Kensei," the Doctor countered. "Although, a great year for the cherry trees."
"It is his sword," Hiro said, "The sword that was used to focus his powers and make him a hero."
"And it kills Reavers?"
"Of course."
-
Martha gently grasped Hiro's hand, and he could feel himself shivering from the contact. "Why didn't you leave?"
"It is my responsibility to stay here, to keep and protect the memories."
"But this is a dead world. And you could go..."
"There is nothing outside of it for me. And a hero must do what is necessary to protect the people he loves. Ando's grave is here, and the memorial for those that died fighting. Someone must remember them."
Martha gradually pulled him into a hug. "You are a brave man," she sighed. "A good man."
"There is nothing left here for you," the Doctor interjected from across the room, "Nothing at all."
"I know," Hiro said.
-
"You will bring closeure to this world," Hiro stated. The city looked ruined from the outside, and he so rarely saw it.
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Martha, please go inside."
She kissed Hiro's cheek, sweetly, and paused by the Doctor’s side to squeeze his hand before moving slowly back into the blue box. "We will finish this now," Hiro sighed.
The Doctor nodded.
"When Takezo Kensei wanted to unite Japan, he was just a simple swordsman" Hiro murmured, "He sought out the dragon of Kiso Mountain. He asked this dragon to teach him the secrets of the sword. The dragon taught him, and he became the Kensei, the Sword Saint. Kensei fought his enemies and won, uniting Japan and saving his people. But afterwards, the dragon came to Kensei's palace, demanding the life of his princess as repayment. But Kensei drew his sword and plunged it into his heart, pulling it out and handing it to the dragon."
Hiro could feel his body trembling as he removed the sword from its sheath. "He said, My love is in here, take it."
He could not see a reply, nor feel the sword sliding from his body. But Hiro saw the sunset in the sky, heard the slam of the door. And while the box disappeared, everything faded to nothingness.