chapter thirty eight– enemies
London, 2009
"'Is that it'?" Rixel smacked the Doctor on the shoulder. "What were you thinking?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" He shrugged. "We're not dead."
"Thankfully." The guard said.
Rixel got up to her feet and brushed off her legs. "That's all you have to say? After all these years? You come back into my life only to try and get me killed within minutes!" She spun on her heels and started to march off.
"Oh, Rixel. Wait!" The Doctor scrambled up to his feet and chased after her. "That's not fair. You weren't suppose to be there."
"Deny it all you want." Rixel huffed. "I was there and I was happy. Until you came and messed everything up."
"Happy?" The Doctor scoffed. "They were making weapons! You were happy making devices of death?"
"Weapons?" Rixel roared, lengthening her stride. Her legs were far too small to even make a difference to him. "I was working on saving the planet! I can do that, or is that against your rules, too?"
He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop. "Rixel, I know you're mad-"
"Oh, you have no idea." Rixel sorted. She glared back at him, resisting the urge to slap him.
"I did it for your own safety. I had to leave you here." He replied, a bit calmer than before. "I couldn't risk it after...after..."
"After what?" Rixel rolled her eyes. "The Daleks? Oh please, that was nothing! I'm fine! Face it, you couldn't handle the fact that I was getting as smart as you." She poked her finger into his chest. "You have to be the only genius on the Tardis."
He blinked. "That's not true at all."
Rixel growled, throwing her hands up in the air. For years she thought of what she'd say if she ever saw him again. A mixture of telling him she hated him and she loved him. All of it flew out of her head now. She spun around again. "I'm going back!"
"Wait, Rixel!" The Doctor jogged up to her, walking beside her. "You can't. It's not safe."
"Not for you to decide anymore." She replied.
"I-"
"No." Rixel stopped walking. She pushed him lightly, but she was still too small to actually force him to go anywhere. "I don't need you anymore. I don't want you!"
The Doctor paused. His eyes grew dark in front of her. "You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do!" Rixel breathed out. She looked away from him. No, she really didn't. She wanted to hug him and run away with him. But she couldn't. Not now. Not after he abandoned her.
"Rixel." He reached forward and took her hand in his.
She let him hold her hand for a moment. That wonderful feeling of warmth and even a bit of the golden glow swirled in that hand. It felt like home. She didn't want to ever let go. But she did. She tore her hand away and closed her eyes. "I'm going back to the Academy."
"Don't do this." The Doctor whispered. "Please, don't do this."
"Are you going to attack the Academy?" Rixel took in a deep breath and dared to look up at him. He looked so broken she almost crumbled herself. Almost.
"It's not safe there."
"Are you going to attack it?" She asked again.
He sighed. "There's a teleporter in Rattigan's office. We have to shut it down."
"Then I guess that makes us enemies." Rixel said. Her heart cried even as she said the words. Every part of her wanted to scream that she didn't mean it and she wanted to go back to him and the Tardis, but somehow she didn't. She managed to stand her ground. How much longer she could keep it up, she didn't know.
"What?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You attack my school, and I'll make sure you have an army to meet you."
"Rixel-"
"Goodbye, Doctor." Rixel turned and walked off. He didn't follow her. She was glad. The moment her eyes left him, tears started to form. Her chest ached. All she wanted to do was curl up and cry. But not yet. No. Right now, she had to get back to Luke and warn him. Let him know the dangers that were about to invade the academy.
The Doctor would be coming. Yes, of that she was sure. And she'd be ready. She'd meet the Oncoming Storm with the fiery passion of the setting sun.
Her hands were trembling. She couldn't believe she'd done that! Even now, sitting in Luke's office, she felt sick. She left the Doctor. She told him she didn't need him anymore. She said they were enemies.
"He is our enemy." Luke said quietly. "He doesn't understand. And he's reacting like everyone does when they don't understand. He's trying to shut us down."
"You had an alien in your office." Rixel said. She looked over towards the cube against the wall. The Doctor said there was a teleporter here, and if anything could be one, that was it.
"Rix, there's a lot to explain."
"I'm listening." She said.
"No, but really. It's all confusing and it-"
"Luke?" Rixel waited as he sighed then finally looked over at her. "I came back. I'm on your side. Relax. Just tell me the truth."
He ran his hands through his hair. "Ok. There's this alien race. The Sontarans. Like you saw before. They came to me and told me how to make the ATMOS system. Everything we've been building, it's all been to move to a new planet. Caster 36, far away from here. We can start a new race of genius'."
Rixel paused. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.
"Rixel, think of it. A new world. Our world. No one to make fun of us or hold us back. We can study everything and anything. No limits."
Rixel shook her head. "That's not possible."
"Of course it is!" He gestured towards the teleporter. "The Sontarans! They promised to take us! We've got everything here to terraform the planet!"
She sighed. "Luke, it's a great idea, but humans aren't meant to leave Earth yet."
"What are you talking about?" He shook his head. With his hand in hers, he tugged her towards the window. "Look out there. This world is falling. Soon it'll all be gone. All that will be left is those I hand picked to start a new civilization."
Rixel stared out the window. The sky was clouded over, murky clouds polluted the skyline. "Luke...the ATMOS!"
He grinned to himself. "I know. I told you everything would be alright."
"How is this alright?" She spun around to face him. "Killing everyone on the planet?"
"But, I thought this is what you wanted." He said, shocked.
"How could this possibly be what I wanted?" Rixel gasped. "I came to Rattigan to study in peace, not to obliterate everything that opposed me!"
"But-"
"Luke, without opposition, we'll never question ourselves! We'll never be forced to prove things right or wrong! We need people to tell us we are wrong so that we work hard to prove them right!"
He scowled. "You don't get it."
"No, Luke." Rixel groaned. "Oh, what have I done!"
Luke grabbed her shoulders. "Rixel, everything will be okay. We'll survive."
She pushed him away. "This isn't what I wanted."
"But, I thought...you and I..."
Rixel shook her head. "Not anymore."
She jumped back as he tried to reach for her, but his arms were long. He grabbed onto her wrist.
"I'll prove it to you." He growled as he pulled her close to him. "I'll show you and everyone else!" He turned and dragged her towards the teleporter.
"Luke!" Rixel struggled against his grip. "Stop this!"
"We're going to Caster 36." His hand smashed down on the button.
Rixel blinked and found herself on the Sontaran ship. Around her, dozens of those creepy aliens walked about. They were chanting something, smashing their fists together. It looked like an army getting ready for war.
"Sorry to report, sir. I've failed. The rest of them wouldn't come. The students. They...lacked the imagination to believe." Luke said to one of the nearby aliens.
"A pity. We've lost out target practice!" The alien replied.
"What?" Both Luke and Rixel gasped.
"Upon arrival, your students would have been shot down."
"But, you promised!" Luke cried.
"Caster 36, indeed!" The alien said. "We only needed you for the installation of the ATMOS system."
"But-I'm on your side!" Luke twitched. "And it's not ATMOS system, that's a tautology."
"Execute them!" The alien roared.
Luke hugged Rixel to him and smashed the button on the teleporter.
As soon as they were back in his office, he let go of her.
Rixel immediately started to punch him in the arm repeatedly. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Luke didn't reply. He just let her hit him. A moment later, he fell to the floor, crying.
When he finally settled down, Rixel was sitting across the room. She knew she should just leave him, but she couldn't. Even after everything he did, she still knew him for who he was. A moron, yes, but he was trying to do something he thought would benefit her. He wanted a better life for people like her. She hated him for how he went about it, but she still admired him. A stupid moron he may be, but a genius he still was.
"You're still here." He said, quietly.
She nodded. "The world's about to end. It doesn't matter where I go now."
He hung his head down. "This wasn't suppose to happen."
"I know." Rixel said.
He staggered up to his feet and walked over towards his desk. "I have to fix this."
"You can't." Rixel shook her head. "I worked on the ATMOS. There's no way to disengage it from here. Not all of them."
He pulled open a drawer and lifted out a gun. "Maybe if I-?" He glanced towards the teleporter.
Rixel walked over towards him and put a hand on the gun, lowering it. "Luke, it wouldn't do anything."
"I'm so sorry." He said in a way that reminded her of the Doctor. "I didn't mean it to go like this."
She frowned. "Yes, you did. You just didn't mean to die yourself."
He shook his head. "I didn't think-"
"I know." Rixel sighed.
"I really thought things would be better for us." He looked down at her, his eyes fixing on hers. A million emotions were behind his eyes. Fear, hurt, anger, confusion...hopelessness. She realized now that's what the Doctor's eyes were like. Millions of emotions, but the biggest one was hopelessness. Her heart leaped into her throat. She didn't want Luke to feel hopeless. She wanted him to smile, even if they were about to die. Just one smile.
Rixel licked her lips. His eyes glanced down at them for a moment, before returning to her eyes.
"Luke, I-"
He shushed her, placing a hand on her chin. His thumb stroked her cheek for a moment. It felt like electric sparks were shooting out of his hand. It was amazing. She didn't want him to stop. Subconsciously, she titled her head into his hand. He leaned forward, bring his head down towards her.
"Here!" The Doctor's voice startled them both. They turned to see him standing in the transporter. "The Rattigan Academy owned by..."
Luke stepped in front of Rixel and raised his gun at him. "It wasn't my fault! The Sontarans, they lied to me! They-"
The Doctor stepped forward and ripped the gun out of Luke's hand. "If I see one more gun..." He sneered, before tossing it off to the side.
Rixel then noticed that Martha and another woman were with the Doctor. They were talking to each other in low voices.
The Doctor glanced over at Rixel. "You alright?"
She looked away. He should hate her. The last time she saw him, she said they were enemies. She joined the side that was now destroying the world. She didn't deserve his kindness.
The Doctor turned and headed out into the laboratory. A moment later, everyone followed after him.
"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles. Ground-to-air engagement could have sparked off the whole thing. Ruined the air they needed to purify the world." He babbled on to himself as he collected parts from around the lab. "They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. All the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?"
"They promised us a new world." Luke said. His voice was broken. Rixel reached over and grabbed his hand.
"An atmospheric converter!" The Doctor picked up a silver object.
Rixel gasped, suddenly realizing what he said before. "If the air ignites, the atmosphere would burn up the ATMOS exhaust!"
The Doctor spun around and grinned at her. "Nice to have you back, Rixel." His grin fell when his eyes dropped down upon her hand linked with Luke's.
"So, all we have to do it torch the air?" Martha asked, catching on.
The Doctor turned and ran towards the front doors. "Lets see!"
They all ran outside, standing behind the Doctor. He held the small device out in front of him. With the press of a button, giant flames launched up into the atmosphere.
"Please, please, please, please, please." The Doctor muttered to himself.
Fire spread out across the sky. As it moved, the clouded toxic air seemed to vaporize, leaving a brilliant blue sky.
"He's a genius!" Luke exclaimed.
"And now we're in trouble." The Doctor turned and ran back into the school.
The group of them ran back into Luke's office. The Doctor jumped into the teleporter. He looked out over the group for a moment. "Right, so, Donna. Thank you. For everything. Martha, you too. Oh, so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life. And take care of Rixel. She'll save the world."
"You're saying goodbye." The woman that Rixel didn't know spoke up.
"Sontarans are never defeated. They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, you know. I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air so..."
"You're going to ignite them." Martha finished.
"Hang on!" Rixel spoke up. "You'll kill yourself!"
The Doctor shifted his gaze away, avoiding her eyes.
"You can't do that!" Rixel argued.
"Just send it up on it's own. Put it on a delay or something!" Martha said.
"I can't." The Doctor replied, staring at the ground.
"Why not?" Rixel asked.
"I've got to give them a choice." He sighed. Before they could do anything, he pushed the button and teleported away.