XLI
Words with the King and ghosts
The woods
The Day of Destruction
April runs in a completely different direction to where the other's are going. And she is sure that no other alien has caught her doing this as nothing seems to be after her. However April runs only so far before the mist gets thicker and the sounds of the battle are no longer there.
April finds herself in yet another clearing in the woods, but different to the one where the main battle commenced. Here she can hear the sea close by. A cold shiver runs down her spine. The Doctor said that the woods would hopefully go down once the Heat Miles base was destroyed and yet here it still stands.
April dares not to move any more. Although she can see the sea and the edge of the Island through a gap in the trees in front of her, she can also see the waver in the air to indicate the force-field around these woods.
"If you want to kill me I am right here!" April yells to no one in particular. She is aware that she is being fully watched by someone or something. "Just come out and face me!" She scans the shadows in the trees, expecting to see something jump out of the darkness and fight her. But the mist becomes thicker. It just grows thicker and thicker by the minute before it becomes almost suffocating. But just as it gets overbearingly thick, the mist completely disappears. The air is suddenly clear.
But what floats in front of April is something she least expects she would ever see.
A few feet away from her in the clearing are five ghosts.
A cry catches in April's throat as she sees the five faces she thought she would never see again.
Her real parents float there, looking lovingly at her. Then to their left floats Jason Hoffman, Harry Summerland and Bruce Fey, but not of the man she once feared.
There is complete silence. Almost as if they are shut away from the real battle. But April is speechless as she looks into the ghostly eyes of her parents. Not her parallel parents who looked at her somewhat differently. They looked at her like they knew who she is but refused to admit it. But here are her real parents. The ghosts of Suzette and Declan Hollerford look down at April lovingly. They look just like April remembers them. Her mum's thick brown, wavy hair perfectly sitting on her shoulders and her father's tattered clothes. She finds herself staring at her parents for a while as they smile at her. She would do anything to be able to hear their voices again.
April then looks at Bruce Fey who is by Suzette's side. Not even a flicker of fear crosses April. She looks at this man in a new light. The man she feared for five years of her life, but it wasn't him. The ghost of Bruce looks just how she always remembered him; very large and round, short black hair, big eyes, thick moustache and high cheekbones. He offers her a soft smile, just the way he always used to, not the hard, threatening look of the shape shifter.
And next to Bruce is Harry Summerland. As soon as she catches his bright eyes, he immediately grins, flashing his teeth. He still seems to be wearing the exact same clothes as he was the day April took him into hospital in that parallel world. The day he died.
Then April's eyes flicker over to Jason and immediately she starts to cry. She is overcome with guilt.
A loud sob escapes her lips and April quickly covers her mouth with one hand as she cries, clutching her stomach with her free hand.
"I'm so sorry!" April cries, unable to stop the flow of tears. "None of you deserved to die," she looks at Jason. "Especially you." She sobs even more but the ghosts do not respond. Instead they all look at her, hurt in their eyes.
April cries even harder as she quickly realises that these ghosts cannot talk back to her. The small glint of hope that she had seconds ago, hoping that she could hear all their voices again is crushed in a matter of seconds. The ghosts can do nothing but helplessly look at her from the other side.
The ghost of Declan reaches for Suzette's hand. Suzette's eyes are filled with tears as she helplessly stares down at her daughter.
When April manages to compose herself between her sobs, she looks back up to her parents. They must at least be able to hear her. "I did what you wished for," she says weakly. "I found my brother and stayed by his side. But he deserves to live the rest of his life."
Harry's grin turns into a frown.
"I can't keep going through with this. You must know that. To win this battle I must lose my own. I must do what I've always wanted to do," she shakes her head. "I'm not even scared. Not any more."
Bruce glances over his shoulder and more ghosts suddenly appear. At first there is a small handful of people she can recognise, but then there is a very large group that surrounds her completely. Each and every ghostly face is someone April has come across before in her travels and who has died:
The Vicar back in Wales, little Joshua, Aiden Haulman, Billie, Kace, Zane, Morgarn, Max's love: Edina, Ellis Lustworve, Horace Bellingham, Beatrice Bellingham, Nathaniel Davidson, Private Jefferson, every UNIT soldier who died in battle, and to April's surprise, Officer-Cadet Alic Grange.
"Alic?" April's voice croaks. "You've...?"
But Alic nods in answer to her question, looking fondly down at her. Alic is dead. He died alone in hospital while they were fighting and no one knew about it.
However seeing the ghosts of all these people who have died while she has been around, April can't quite shake off the feeling that this is how the Doctor feels all the time; knowing that many people he knows have been killed on his behalf. It's taken her long enough but April can finally feel like she can relate to the Doctor.
April looks at Ellis, still not believing that he is dead. "You know why I had to shoot," she says and then nods to Morgarn. "And you."
Morgarn, who's eyes are glistening with tears, raises her bony hand and places it on her heart before bowing her head in acceptance.
April looks back at Ellis. "Amelia will be safe, I can promise you that. The Cytracik will be destroyed before the night is over and it will not torture her."
Ellis manages a weak smile but it trembles as he holds back his tears.
April then looks around all of the UNIT soldiers, fondly remembering the time when she would walk into the UNIT base and it being full of life. Memories flash across her mind. The day she first met UNIT. The night they rode on Wingerdettes into the night sky after training. Celebrating Christmas and New Years together.
With a frown, April fumbles in her jean pocket, looking for that Wingerdette broach she found on planet Zorlon, but suddenly remembers giving it to Ireen. "The Wingerdettes," April speaks. "Ireen will call them for help tonight, won't she?"
There is a collective nod amongst the UNIT ghosts.
"So the rest will get out alive," April then walks over to Jason, looking him square in the eye, but tears continue to fall. "I'll do what we set out to do. I'll complete the job."
Jason smiles weakly but he looks sad.
April then looks at her parents one last time, wanting so badly to hear their voices again, but they only look at her, completely full of love. April takes a few steps away so that she is standing in the centre of the clearing. She looks directly at her parents who are holding onto each other.
"You'll stay with me till the end, right?" April asks, her voice wavering. "Please."
Suzette smiles and nods, ghostly tears falling down her cheeks.
A solid hand lays on April's shoulder. She is not scared as the hand is not threatening. But she turns around to look at a grubby looking Doctor. His hand squeezes her shoulder, and then he points back to the ghosts. April turns around and sees her parents floating right by her side. They are so close it is as if they really are there.
Suzette holds something in her hand and holds it out to April. April lifts her hand and Suzette drops it into her palm. Something turns from ghostly to solid the second it touches April's skin. April looks down at the little silver badge in her palm. She rolls it over and recognises it as a UNIT badge. Along the top of the badge states COMMANDER, and along the bottom states HOLLERFORD.
April's scowl deepens in confusion. "But father wasn't a part of UNIT in my world," April says questioningly. "He was only their friend."
"It's a gift for you," the Doctor says softly. "If you are to be a part of UNIT, Aaron would take you on as their Commander and lead astronomer."
April closes her fingers over the badge. Is this her parent's way of telling her not to go through with her plan? Just from the tone of the Doctor's voice, it is clear that he knows. April looks at her parents.
"I can't let another die for me. And I can't let my prophecy be fulfilled." April says quietly.
Suzette gives her a knowing looks and her shoulders move as if she is laughing.
"You understand, right?"
Declan nods his head and April can just about hear him say in her head: Of course we do.
With that, the ghosts start to disappear until there is nothing left of them but the thin mist in the air. April breaks down into sobs again. The Doctor wraps his arms around her as she cries into his chest. For a moment they stand there, the Doctor gently rocking her from side to side.
"You're okay, April," he whispers. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise."
"Oh how very touching." Says a dark voice from the trees.
April and the Doctor immediately spring apart, ready for an attack at the sound of Rodger Barratt's voice. April grabs onto her gun and aims. She has to blink a few times to clear her vision of tears. What neither she nor the Doctor is expecting is to see the five Daleks, along with the twin Daleks standing around him.
"It's all very moving seeing how many dead people claim to love you both," Rodger Barratt says bitterly. "But they are all dead and there's not a lot they can do to help you."
"So first you bring an army of Cybermen to the parallel world," the Doctor says darkly. "And now you've managed to pull the Daleks onto your side too."
"Well the Daleks are soldiers, like yourselves, and need orders. They want what I want so what better way then to join two powerful forces together for the Cytracik? But they are cut loose from a leader. Since you killed their King, they were in need of a new one." Rodger Barratt indicates to himself and then starts to laugh bitterly. "You can put that gun down, April, you won't shoot me. I believe there's someone else on this Island who has a higher desperation to kill me than you do. But it is fine because I am the King. I will hold the Cytracik and there is nothing that can stop us."
"You're full of faults," April snaps. "Try making a paradox."
"I'm sure that that will be very unlikely." Rodger Barratt clicks his fingers and then immediately there is a force that strangles both April and the Doctor. April drops her gun and the Doctor drops his sonic screwdriver as they both attempt to claw at the invisible force groping at their necks.
Rodger Barratt starts to walk towards them with ease, clearly not needing his walking cane at all. He holds his hands behind his back as he approaches them. "You see I knew you two would be predictable. I guess that April would wander off on her own and the Doctor would follow because he hates his companions wandering off without him. Both of you. Pathetic. You just want to save the world and everyone around you. But all you end up doing doing is killing everything else in your wake. I mean in hindsight it gives me a little less to do," he waves his hand and the force strangling the Doctor and April becomes stronger. "But it is entirely unbelievable how utterly similar and predictable the both of you are. And just like that snooty Monroe. He's just like you. Predictable, stubborn, and crazy all the same. But thanks to us, he is completely deranged," Rodger throws his head back and lets out a roar of laughter. "Now tell me if I should really let the twins Daleks loose now? Should I have it exterminate the Ice Girl first and then follow the Lost Brother? Or shall I let the other Daleks exterminate your friends first? What shall it be?" He stands in front of the Doctor who's face is getting more and more purple by the second. "How would you like to see your beloved Rose Tyler die right before your eyes, Doctor?"
Rodger Barratt snarls as he looks down his nose at the Doctor. The Doctor is taller than Rodger Barratt, but from being chocked, the Doctor's knees give way. Rodger Barratt sighs and clicks his fingers. Immediately the force leaves the Doctor and April. They both fall to the ground, coughing and heaving and spluttering for air.
Rodger Barratt shakes his head in mild amusement. "Now pay attention closely," he says and with a wave of a hand, a holographic screen which shows everyone else running through the woods, appears in the air.
"They...should be...out...by now..." the Doctor splutters as he watches the holographic image of his friends desperately trying to find an exit.
"Well these woods can be made far bigger than you would expect. I mean they are rather bigger on the inside than it seems on the outside. Am I right?" Rodger Barratt folds his arms.
"Let them go!" the Doctor growls. "If there's even the slightest bit of human Rodger Barratt in your shape shifter form, then let them go!"
Rodger Barratt cackles. "He was just as cold blooded as I am to begin with! That's why I have grown so attached to his form. And besides, letting your friends go will spoil the fun."
As Rodger Barratt speaks, both April and the Doctor notice the sudden decrease in temperature and how their each breath starts to condense in the air. They both remember times when the air would suddenly get very cold very quickly, and it only meant the arrival of one thing.
April and the Doctor think the same thing, but neither of them dare to look at each other, in case they give anything away.
"Now," Rodger Barratt continues. "Sargent."
"Yes, my Lord." The Black Dalek responds.
"Would you do the honours of exterminating Rose Tyler?"
"Rose Tyler will be exterminated for sure. The Daleks will rule again. We will beat the Doctor!"
Rodger Barratt chuckles to himself.
All the while this is being said, the Doctor glances over to the shadows in the trees. And there he see a very skinny looking Monroe, hiding behind a tree, watching the scene. His eyes are wild with the madness ridden inside of him. But a flicker across his face is enough to know that Monroe is not here with his army to get at the Doctor or April. He is here to get at Rodger Barratt. The Doctor knows this look very well for he has seen it many times before. Revenge. Revenge on Rodger Barratt for torturing him.
The back Dalek starts to move across the space, passing Rodger Barratt and heading for the trees, supposedly going in the direction to where their friends are.
"You see," Rodger Barratt starts just as the black Daleks start to float a few feet off the ground. "You can't win, Doctor. Each and every species that wanted to behold the Cytracik mainly wanted to use it to kill you. But I have that power to do it myself."
"The only problem is, King," the Doctor spits out the last word. "Is that you have taken the form of Rodger Barratt so well that you practically are him. In fact you killed him and took on his form a mere year before he was supposed to die of age," the Doctor half smirks. "And unfortunately, you are going the same way."
Rodger Barratt's face darkens as the Doctor speaks. That is when April notices Monroe moving in the trees.
"You've become him that you are going to meet his fate."
"LIKE I DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THAT!" Rodger Barratt shouts but very quickly composes himself.
"So you are dying then."
"The shape shifters are immortal!"
"Not quiet," the Doctor forces himself to stand up, although he knees tremble under his weight. "You see I destroyed that shape shifter who took the form of Bruce Fey. It was there to kill April because you were unaware about the Black Lighthouse void and that the Daleks were that shadow in April's nightmare. For an extra precaution, I threw the remains of that shape shifter into the black hole next to your home galaxy. But as for you. You have become human. So if I wanted to, I can pick up April's gun, shoot you in the heart and kill you on the spot," the Doctor shrugs. "And I blew up your army in the Heat Miles base and so I guess that shape shifters are not so immortal. There's just you. Brigadier Brimkawood has Lucien captive. But the fault in that is that Lucien is human. Not a trace of shape shifter in him."
Rodger Barratt cries out in anger and runs to the Doctor for an attack. Suddenly an electrical blue charge surrounds Rodger Barratt and he is frozen on the spot.
That is when Monroe Setzik steps out of the shadows.
The Daleks suddenly move back an inch in fright, just like they always do when the Doctor makes an appearance.
"So we've finally found your fault," Monroe says and he jumps out from behind the trees and steps into the clearing, full of confidence. "This shape shifter has become so much alike the man I used to look up to during my early days in UNIT, that now he can die as easily as I can," Monroe ignores the Doctor and April as he stands directly in front of Rodger Barratt, enjoying the way he cannot move anything but his eyes. "I guess we'll go down together then. How does that sound?"
"You will not destroy our new King!" One of the silver Daleks yells.
"Exterminate!" Another yells but before it has the chance to kill him, a Nobody flies through the air out of the shadows and throws shots of blue electricity at the Dalek. The Dalek screams in pain as the Nobody tortures it.
The other Daleks becomes infuriated by this and start yelling aloud, threatening to exterminate him. But when the second Dalek goes to shoot, more Nobody's fly out to them and they stop.
The clearing is filled with angry shouts from the Daleks. April and the Doctor stand there by each other's side, staring at the scene in front of them. Both in mild awe of the scene.
The Doctor shakes his head. "So it's true. The Cytracik really has driven every species into madness. The Daleks before were scared. And now they're manic."
April turns to the Doctor, suddenly remembering. "Doctor, Max has the Cytracik." She warns in a low voice.
Keeping an eye on the Daleks, the Doctor places a hand on April's back. "It's fine. I have a plan." And with a slight trembling hand, the Doctor reaches for his sonic screwdriver on the ground. He steps away from April, walks around the frozen Rodger Barratt and approaches the twin Daleks.
The moment the twin Daleks notice the Doctor approaching them, they stop yelling immediately. And then the other Daleks stop. Then there is a cold silence.
"Time Heals." The Doctor says sinisterly.
"What does that mean, Doctor?" The black Dalek says slowly.
April hovers in the background, looking warily from Monroe to the Doctor. Monroe is tense. He knows. April only scowls. What does Time Heals mean? Why does everyone keep saying it?
The Doctor starts to walk around the space. "It was once said that time heals all wounds. In this case it means that when something bad happens in your life say you lose a loved one to death, you have a near death experience, you have a fight, whatever it is, life will go on and time will heal those wounds. But those of us who understand what it really means knows that times does not heal all wounds. Because wounds leave a mark on your skin. A mark that will never go away for it is a constant reminder of what happened. You may move on but it will not necessarily heal."
April self consciously folds her arms, covering her scars.
"Where are you getting to, Doctor?" The black Dalek snaps.
"I'm giving you a lesson. Because every time I say that Time Heals, it scares you."
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN?" One of the silver Daleks screams.
The Doctor looks at the black Dalek dead in the eye. "I am the one who holds time in my hands. I have the ability to go back and right what was wrong. However the only time that cannot be rewritten is this battle. I cannot change what happened before in this battle and I will never be able to change what happens now. But there is a reason why you and so many species in this universe gets scared when they hear the term Time Heals. It is because it means me. Another term like the Oncoming Storm. I am the time healer and forever will be."
"Well, I think forever is a long time for you, Doctor." Rodger Barratt's voice makes everyone jump. However, before he has the chance to take a step forward, Monroe suddenly takes a swing at him. But Rodger Barratt blocks him with his forearm.
Monroe and Rodger Barratt then stand closely face-to-face, eyes glaring and teeth bared.
"Let's see who's the dead one at the end of this." Monroe growls.
And then the fight breaks out. Rodger Barratt and Monroe attack each other in a fist fight whereas the Nobody's fight the Daleks. However, it is clear that the Daleks are far stronger than the Nobody's.
The Doctor runs to April and holds her, stopping her from joining the fight. "Your work here is done." The Doctor says darkly. April however is rather bemused. Yet she watches the Doctor as he pulls out the psychic paper. He writes a notes on the paper but the words immediately sink into the paper until it vanishes completely.
"What are we going to do?" April asks as she glances over to Rodger Barratt and Monroe fighting.
"We just hold on." But as the Doctor says this, Max suddenly appears in the clearing, holding onto the Cytracik with both hands.
April suddenly feels sick to the stomach at the sight of her brother standing there. What is he doing? His face is hard. Angry. A look she hasn't seen before but knows what it is. A look to want to see the end of this battle.
"Max, NO!" April screams but the Doctor pulls her back.
Without a second thought, Max prises the Cytracik open.
The second it opens, a force pushes everyone back as a thick, smoky black shadow spurts out of the Cytracik and fills the air. It is the exact same shadow that always came out of the Black Lighthouse.
The pain in April's chest is excruciating. She is left on the ground, screaming manically, unable to breathe. The Doctor drops to his knees by April's side. There is a strong gale around then as the black shadow flies vigorously through the air.
But then it happens.
The Daleks start to scream and disintegrate. The Cytracik is killing off the Daleks.
The Doctor starts to laugh. "April, it's working! It's working!"
Max still holds onto the Cytracik with all his might, sweat pouring down his face. But only mere seconds go by and the shadow quickly shrinks back into the black box and the Cytracik snaps shut. The gale stops blowing and then the air is still.
For a second there is nothing but the sound of someone whimpering and another groaning weakly.
The Doctor stands up and looks down at a shaken April. He looks at the way she curls into herself, hugging her knees. He then looks over to Max who is staring down at the Cytracik in his hands. He then looks at Rodger Barratt.
Rodger Barratt is no longer the sinister man they all hate, but a small insignificant man. Weak. He is on the ground, not able to move. His hair is slowly falling out and he looks like he has aged a few more years. But he is still far from death.
The Doctor looks down at Rodger Barratt pitifully.
"Kill me then, Doctor." Rodger Barratt's voice is a whisper as he uses what little strength he has left.
"I think that solves the issue," the Doctor says aloud. "The twins are now the most powerful human beings in the universe."
Rodger Barratt manages a weak smile. "But the prophecy will still be fulfilled. The Black Lighthouse will flash five more times in the next forty eight hours, and once it does, the prophecy will be fulfilled."
The Doctor bites his tongue. Max and April hear every word.
"You'll die in prison. You are going to be imprisoned in your own Island, your Majesty." The Doctor and Rodger Barratt stare at each other for a long time.
Then there is another whimper, and this brings April back to her senses. April uncoils herself and looks around. There she sees Monroe in a foetal position, trembling and whimpering in fear. She crawls over to him and sits him up. That is when she holds him in her arms and rocks him back and forth, just like she did with Aaron when he was being tormented from his past in the other dimension.
This weak man is not the madman that escaped his cell and killed Jason without even a blink of an eye. This is not the man who created an army of Nobody's. This is a scared man who has been tortured enough.
"I guess Jack Gruntler was correct," April says quietly. "I guess we really aren't too dissimilar."