Title: Unsung Hero
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: gen
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Table: 50ficlets
Prompt: 31, Unknown
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

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Sometimes it seemed so unfair that he got no recognition for everything he'd done for the universe, the Doctor thought with a frown, sinking down on the couch and folding his arms across his chest. Didn't he deserve a little appreciation?

Oh, of course the people who were directly involved with him appreciated him. They all knew what he'd done -- even though most of them didn't know about all the sacrifices he'd made, all of the things in his past that he regretted more than he could say.

But at least they knew that he'd saved the world many times over -- not only Earth, but too many other planets to count.

The majority of the people in the universe wouldn't believe that anyone like him could possibly save the world. They'd look at him and snort, or roll their eyes, or laugh behind their hands and shaked their heads. Or even laugh and scoff right to his face.

He'd never wanted to be seen as some kind of superhero. That wasn't why he'd wanted to become a Time Lord; the idea of gaining any notoriety for what he'd done time and time again didn't appeal to him at all. He didn't want to be "famous."

Still, there were times when it would be nice to at least feel that he was more appreciated, that he wasn't just some silent rescuer who was never acknowledged. To be able to step out of the shadows and have people thank him.

What was bringing these feelings on? He frowned again as he considered that question. He'd never wanted recognition before. Why did he suddenly feel the need for it?

Maybe it was because of those ridiculous comic books that he'd been reading. All of those heroes had people who looked up to them. They were an inspiration, a beacon to people in their time of need. They radiated hope for those who needed something to hold on to.

There was a part of him that wanted to be the same. He didn't want to be unknown for all of his life; he wanted people to feel that they had someone who could give them that same hope that the fictional characters did.

It wasn't that he wanted some sort of self-gratification. Even though he had to admit that it would be nice .... after all, it had been very rarely that what he'd done for the world had bee acknowledged, aside from the few people who had been there at the time.

That had happened on Earth more than once, of course; there were people there, in different times, who knew what he'd done for them. Jackson Lake came to mind, and his friends in the 21st century -- and of course, the Torchwood team.

But there were time when that wasn't enough. He wanted to have his moment in the sun, even if that moment would only last for a few moments.

Batman, Superman, Spider-Man .... those fictional heroes were known to the people of their worlds. They might not know what the "secret identities" of these heroes were, but they knew what they'd done for the world. They didn't have to hide themselves away.

What would he call himself if he was some sort of hero, anyway? Doctorman? The thought made him laugh, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips in spite of himself. How silly. That name definitely wouldn't inspire anything but laughter.

Superman had his invulnerability, and he was an alien, just like the Doctor. So in some ways, he had something in common with that particular hero. Though he certainly couldn't do all the things that Superman could do. That could only happen in fiction.

Batman .... he was a marvelous hero, but he was something that the Doctor could never be. He was human -- and he wasn't sure if that was something he would want to strive for.

And of course, Batman had all of his nifty little gadgets, the Doctor told himself, smiling again. He had the Tardis, which was obviously impressive, and his sonic screwdriver -- but other than that, all he had was his vast intellect, and the experiences of his long lifetime.

And Spider-Man -- well, he had those web-slinging powers, which were wonderful in a fictional story, but which he'd find distasteful if they happened to him. Being bitten by a radioactive spider -- crawling creatues had never appealed to him -- wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

So, rather than have the abilities -- and acknowledgement -- of a superhero, he would just have to remain as he was, the Doctor concluded with a sigh. An unsung hero, saving the world -- the entire universe -- time and time again, with very few knowing he'd done it.

But hadn't that always been his way? He didn't need to be publicly acknowledged, not really. And being known as a hero would make it that much harder to him to get things done.

It was merely that sometimes, it would be gratifying not to be unknown. It would feel good to have the world know who and what he was -- and accept him in spite of it. Or maybe for it; he wasn't entirely sure of that part yet.

Ah well. He took a deep breath, getting up from the couch and heading for the console to plan where he'd be heading to next. What did being a hero matter? He was a Time Lord -- and for him, that had always been better than any heroic fantasy he could possibly have.

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