The TARDIS finally stabilized. The roaring winds were gone, and the cracks that threatened to swallow everything slowly sealed up, vanishing like smoke. Inside, the silence felt… odd. Almost unsettling.
Endeavour was the first to step in, his suit scorched and his brow furrowed, his body still radiating heat. Behind him, Shiryu and Usagi followed at a calmer pace, though tension lingered on their faces. The Doctor was already at the center, dancing around the console with the elegance of someone juggling the fate of the universe.
"Well," the Doctor said, adjusting a dial that looked completely useless—though it clearly wasn't. "Crisis averted. Cracks closed. And we only almost died… what, three times? Eh, low average for a Tuesday."
Everyone stared in silence. Even Endeavour, who had stared down the creature without flinching, frowned at the Time Lord's cheerfulness.
"Oi, you gonna explain what the hell that was?" the hero growled, crossing his arms.
The Doctor slowly spun on his heels, leaning both elbows on the console, his smile tilting mischievously.
"Oh, sure. The creature? Tiny side effect of the big disaster. You see… what just happened wasn't normal. Someone, somewhere, decided to punch a hole in reality. Why? No clue. But I do know this: when someone starts playing Jenga with the universe, I notice. And believe me… this was deliberate."
A heavy silence filled the room. Usagi swallowed hard, hugging herself as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. Shiryu, ever calm, stepped forward.
"You're saying this was caused… intentionally? By someone who knew what they were doing?"
"Oh, yes. This wasn't your average cosmic fender bender." The Doctor began circling the console again, flicking switches as he talked. "And in case you hadn't figured it out yet: you lot aren't from the same world."
The words landed like thunder. Sure, they'd all suspected it—the names, the customs, the skills. But hearing someone confirm it, like that, made their stomachs twist.
"So… me?" Usagi raised her hand timidly, pointing at herself. "I'm not in my Japan?"
"Sweetheart, the only Japan around here is floating outside that door in the shape of debris," the Doctor replied, almost kindly, though his tone was still dripping with irony. "And don't worry, you're not the only one."
As if on cue, new voices echoed from the TARDIS corridor. The inner door swung open, and three figures appeared—like something out of a fever dream, or a very bad interdimensional joke.
First came Hakua Shiodome, elegant as a porcelain doll, walking with careful steps and a gaze that screamed curiosity and superiority all at once.
Second, Erina Nakiri, flawless as if she'd just walked out of a five-star kitchen, arms crossed and an expression that said: What the hell am I doing here?
And the third… well, the third stumbled in with a bottle in hand, hat tilted, and a roguish grin. Jack Sparrow.
"Well, well, well…" said the captain, swaying as if the TARDIS floor were the deck of the Black Pearl. "Nice ship… though it's missing a few sails."
The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Seriously? Jack Sparrow? Who the hell—? No, no, doesn't matter. Welcome aboard. Don't steal anything shiny."
"And what about something that isn't shiny?" Jack shot back with a crooked grin, already eyeing the levers on the console like a kid in front of a treasure chest.
Meanwhile, Shiryu observed in silence, analyzing each new arrival. Usagi, on the other hand, looked like she couldn't decide whether to hide behind Endeavour or ask why that man smelled like rum.
The Doctor, a professional in the art of ignoring social chaos, simply smiled and kept talking.
"As I said: someone opened the doors between universes. You're all… unwilling guests. And I'm your charming, temporary host."
As he spoke, pretending not to care about the storm of questions about to hit him, the Doctor glanced at a hidden panel beneath the console. It wasn't part of the TARDIS. It was his personal system, an interface only he could see.
[Doctor Template Progress: 28%]
A spark of satisfaction crossed his eyes. "Perfect… we're getting there," he thought, lifting his gaze to meet the impossible mix of characters now filling his ship.
The Time Lord grinned.
"So… anyone fancy a cup of tea?"