I apologize in advance for this chapter. I'm particularly proud of it, but...well, you'll see. I promise the story isn't even close to over, and not everything is as bad as it looks.

Disclaimer: J epo'u pxo Epdups Xip.

Chapter 21: The Dalek Invasion of Hooverville

It had slimy grey skin, with six tentacles protruding from the middle of its head. Pink brains rose from above the tentacles, kept in place by grey tendrils reaching across the top of it. A single grey eye was set into the front of its face, widening as it surveyed the room. It still wore Mr. Diagoras's suit, immaculate as ever. When it spoke, it whispered, but the sound carried through the room.

"I. Am. A. Human-Dalek. I. Am. Your. Future."

"These humans will become like me," the Human-Dalek said, his voice hoarse. "Prepare them for hybridization." Was he trying to create the Hybrid? April wondered as the Doctor snuck away. The pigmen grabbed everyone in the group—Arla, April, the Great Intelligence, a grey-haired man, Roy, and Martha Jones, and began to push them forwards.

"Leave me alone!" Martha shouted, trying to fight the pigmen away. "Don't you dare!"

Suddenly, upbeat music started playing as the Doctor emerged from behind a piece of lab equipment. "What is that sound?" Sec asked.

"Ah, well, now, that would be me." He placed the radio by what appeared to be a Bunsen burner and walked up to the Human-Dalek. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

"Doctor," said the Human-Dalek. April wasn't sure what he was thinking, behind his strange inhuman eye, but what

"The enemy of the Daleks!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"Wait!" The Human-Dalek ordered. Silence fell.

"Well, then," the Doctor said, walking around the laboratory as he spoke. "A new form of Dalek. Fascinating—and very clever."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."

"How did you end up in 1930?"

The Human-Dalek's mouth twisted into a grim approximation of a smile. "Emergency Temporal Shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, huh? Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world, but instead you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results…in you."

"I am a Dalek in human form," said the Human-Dalek, as if it wasn't obvious. Maybe Daleks thought that other life forms were that far below them. April glanced at the Great Intelligence, who was watching the Doctor intently, cold grey eyes following his every move. April shuddered. She wasn't sure what to do about him, but she was pretty sure Arla would be able to do what needed to be done. Right?

Arla might die, April realized. Probably would. Some of the Clara echoes survived, but many didn't. Arla might die, and April had to stand there and watch…except Harriet wouldn't be there to stop her from saving Arla.

Stop it, April warned herself. You were the one who started off insisting on non-interference. Too dangerous, you said. If you won't listen to your friends, at least listen to yourself!

April remembered—she had been scared, of course. She didn't want to be stupid and get herself killed. But, well, that had sort of broken down when she had realized that this meant standing aside and letting people die, and so Harriet had become the responsible one. The reasonable one. The 'don't be stupid and get yourself killed one'.

Exactly. Don't be stupid and get yourself killed. April frowned, glancing over at Arla, who didn't seem scared in the slightest.

April wondered how much longer she had to live.

"What does it feel like?" The Doctor asked. "You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I feel humanity," Sec, the Human-Dalek, said. He turned away.

"Good. That's good."

"I feel everything we wanted from mankind. Ambition. Hatred. Aggression. And war. Such a genius for war."

"That's not what humanity means!" April said suddenly, not quite sure why she had felt the need to speak.

"Humanity stands for hope, forgiveness, peace. Not war," the Doctor protested.

"I think it does," said Sec. "At heart, this species is so very Dalek."

The Doctor stared at him for a moment before moving away and picking up the radio. "All right, so what have you achieved then, with this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing. A simple little radio."

"What is the purpose of that device?"

"Well, exactly," said the Doctor. The Great Intelligence was eying some of the beakers. April looked at Arla again, who was following the Great Intelligence's gaze, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek, of course. Then it's all just noise." The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the little radio until it emitted a shriek. The pigmen and the Human-Dalek doubled over, clutching their ears, while the Daleks spun around.

The prisoners began to run, but the Great Intelligence grabbed the Doctor's shoulder, trying to pull him back to the Daleks. His hand clamped on tight, but the Doctor didn't turn around, didn't see. He must have thought it was a pigman. "Stop!" April shouted, torn between running or trying to help.

Her eyes flickered over to Arla, who was busy trying to duck out away from one of the pigmen. The creature was weak, one hand trying to cover its sensitive ears, but it was still far stronger than a human. April felt something pulling on her arm. Wrenching herself free, she glanced back at the Doctor, back at Arla. Arla caught her eye, and nodded.

April felt her legs running, pushing herself towards the exit as fast as she could. She didn't know what was happening, between the people screaming and the pigmen grunting and the Daleks turning their eyestalks in confusion.

"Run!" Arla shouted in the distance. April risked looking back for one moment. Arla leapt towards the Great Intelligence, tackling him to the ground as the pigmen began to recover. In the chaos, the Doctor didn't even notice.

With one last look at Arla and the Daleks, April turned her head and ran, following the others through the sewers back towards Hooverville.

April watched as the Doctor and Solomon spoke near the campfire, thinking carefully. There's a fight coming up. I could die if I'm not careful. And Solomon…he would die. He would try to reason with the Dalek and he would die. He shouldn't. He's a great person, he shouldn't die.

Maybe I can stop him!

NO! April wasn't sure where that came from, but she shook her head, trying to remove the thought.

I want to save him. And I can. I'm sure there's a way—if I try hard enough, I can. I couldn't save Arla…but I can save Solomon.

"…and they're coming," the Doctor finished.

"These Daleks," Solomon said. "They sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they want to breed?"

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hoovervillere. You've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall," Solomon said.

"There's nowhere else to go," Harriet whispered.

"There's nowhere else to go." The fire flickered, logs burning brightly in the night. Around them, men picked up rifles from their tents, arming themselves for the coming fight.

"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon insisted.

"No. They're like…" What could April say to describe them? She had been going to say 'space Nazis', but World War Two hadn't even started yet. Wouldn't start for another…how many years was it? "They're evil, Solomon. Absolutely evil. They consider us so beneath them that we're not even worth talking to. Lab rats for their experiments—we're just another resource to them. Not people."

"There's not a chance that they'll listen," Martha agreed.

"I've gotta try."

"You ain't seen them, boss," Frank said. He shuddered. "Monsters."

"Would you listen if a rat told you not to kill it?" April asked him. "They think we're just meaningless pests. You didn't hear them. 'Exterminate', they said. Not 'murder', not 'kill'. 'Exterminate'. They think they're doing pest control, and nothing you say will convince them any different."

"Daleks are bad enough at any time," said the Doctor. "But right now, they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever."

"They're coming! They're coming! The pigmen are coming!" Shouted a man outside the tent. April got up, stepping outside into the night.

"A sentry," Solomon said. "He must have seen something."

"They're here!" The sentry yelled, gasping for breath. "I've seen them. Monsters! They're monsters!"

"It's started," said the Doctor.

"We're under attack," Solomon said loudly. A man came out carrying a pile of rifles, and those who didn't have one of their own lined up to take a gun. "Everyone to arms!"

April took one from the ground, but she was barely able to lift it, let alone figure out how to use it. There's a safety, somewhere, but beyond that… She noticed the Doctor watching her, and placed it back down, stepping away. It wouldn't be any use for her.

"I'm ready, boss, but all of you, find a weapon!" Frank shouted. April looked around anxiously. Harriet shoved a sharp metal object into her hands.

"A crowbar?" April asked incredulously.

"Better than nothing," Harriet said.

"I wish we had arrows or something," April said. "Pick them off from afar, or whatever."

Some of the people ran away, disappearing into the night. "Come back!" Solomon shouted. "We've got to stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back."

There was the sound of guns firing as the pigmen rushed in, squealing. They grabbed men and women, pulling them away back towards the Daleks' lair. April huddled near the campfire, trying not to hear the chaos unfolding around her. Startled, April realized that someone had shoved a large piece of wood into her hands. She dipped it in the fire, creating a torch for herself, brandishing it at the pigmen. The flames flickered before her eyes, eating away at the wood and turning it to ash.

"We need to get out of the park!" Martha said, her voice carrying over the sound of screams.

"We can't. They're on all sides," said the Doctor. "They're driving everyone back towards us!"

"We're trapped!"

"Then we stand together," Solomon ordered. "Gather round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together." They formed a tight circle around the campfire. "Those monsters can't take all of us!"

The pigmen rushed forwards, and April clapped her hands over her ears as the sound of gunshots and screaming filled the air. The torch fell to the ground, but luckily the area was free of debris to set on fire. Some of the pigmen collapsed, but while the men reloaded, the remaining ones rushed forwards again.

"If we can just hold them off till daylight!" Martha yelled.

"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," the Doctor told her.

"Oh, my god," Martha said, finally looking up.

"Daleks."

A Dalek dived down towards them, firing at the campsite. April covered her head, knowing it wouldn't help at all. Everything was exploding; the air was thick with the screams of those about to die, humans and pigmen alike.

"What in the world is—" Solomon started.

"It's the devil!" A man yelled.

"A Dalek," Harriet screamed. A blast from its gun hit near the group again, and April had to dive away. One of her arms hit a rock in the ground and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain, clutching the area around the injury. She didn't feel any blood, but she couldn't be sure. April struggled to her feet.

"God save us all, it's a damnation!" Screamed a woman.

"Oh yeah?" Frank leveled his gun. "We'll see about that!" He fired a shot at the Dalek, but it bounced off the shell with a clang.

The Doctor placed his hand on the gun. "That's not going to work.

"There's another!" April shouted as a second Dalek swooped in, blowing up the tents.

"The humans will surrender!" The first Dalek announced.

The Doctor stepped forwards. "Leave them alone. They've done nothing to you!"

Explosions lit up the night. The campsite was burning, flames eating away at the only things these people had left in the world. April saw the second Dalek soaring through the air, lights flashing as it let loose ray after ray of destruction. There was a body on the ground, near her, a body of a teenage girl. Her face was bleeding, blood pouring out as flames licked at her legs. April wanted to go to her, to pull her away. If she was still alive, she could still be alive, she could save her! But April was stuck in the tightly packed circle of people clutching their guns as they screamed in terror. April longed to close her eyes, unable to bear the destruction and chaos around her.

And then, Solomon stepped forward, his face set in determination.

"No, Solomon," said the Doctor. "Stay back."

"They're evil," April warned him, shaking her head desperately. NoNoNoNoNO! "They won't negotiate, they won't listen."

"I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks," Solomon said, ignoring her. "Is that right?"

"They. Will. Kill. You!" April yelled. Stop it, just stop it, just stop, stop, stop, STOP! Plead that tiny voice in her head that always told her to run, to hide, to save herself and leave everyone else.

I'm not going to listen to you, April thought. I'm just not.

"From what I hear, you're outcasts too."

"Solomon, don't!" The Doctor said.

"Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority!" Solomon insisted, stepping forwards again.

"They need a leader!" April tried. She had been here before, in the rain at night with the battlefield lit by orange fire and the remaining men packed in a tight circle. April had been here, and she was getting it wrong again (again?). But she ignored the part of her that was screaming to stop in her tracks.

"Just let me try," Solomon said, but he didn't continue.

"These men, they're scared," April told him. "They need you to help them; if you died, it'd be chaos. We're going to live, and you've got to hold them together."

"Solomon, you've got to lead them," the Doctor told him. Slowly, Solomon nodded and backed down, towards the crowd. The Dalek shot yet another blast from its weapon. April dived to the side, gasping in pain as her arms absorbed the shock from hitting the ground. She was covered in dirt and probably bugs, but at least she wasn't covered in blood.

"Dalek!" The Doctor shouted, raising his sonic screwdriver. Okay, April thought, ignoring the part of her that was screaming in protest. It was too late to change that, anyway. Now's the part where Dalek Sec tells him to bring the Doctor to the Empire State Building, right? Shining the sonic screwdriver at the Dalek's casing, he stepped back and grinned at it. I'm pretty sure this didn't happen. Did it?

Fool! Screamed the voice that had dedicated itself to keeping her alive.

"Readings indicate sonic probe has emitted signals," the Dalek announced.

This definitely didn't happen.

Idiot!

"This is your warning," said the Doctor. "Leave this planet. Now. Whatever you're doing here, whatever you're planning to use these people for, I will stop you. So, leave."

"Signals are intended to reverse the polarity of Dalek weaponry."

The Doctor shrugged. Can he do that? I don't think he can do that. He would have done that earlier if it was possible. "Go, and I won't follow you. Just leave these people in peace."

Dimwit!

What? What's wrong?

"Dalek weaponry is deadlock sealed!" Announced the Dalek. "That is impossible! That is impossible! That is impossible!" He's bluffing, April realized. He did this trick before, I think. On a Cyberman! Made of wood.

"What do you say?" The Doctor asked. Around the circle of men, the pig slaves circled, eyes glittering with malice. Or maybe it was confusion. Maybe it was pain. Maybe the pigmen were scared too, and the light was simply the reflection of the fires, dancing in their eyes. The Dalek paused, considering. And then—

"EXTERMINATE!" From the Dalek's gun shot a stream of blue light. It hit the Doctor in the chest before April had time to react. Harriet screamed as another shot hit the Doctor, then another, then another.

NoNoNoNoNO!

He fell to the ground with a dull thud. It wasn't dramatic. He didn't fall in slow motion. And April could see the beams hit him—it wasn't a trick.

The Doctor was dead. Dying. He can still…he can still regenerate, right?

"Doctor!" Martha shouted. She started to run over to him, but Solomon grabbed her arm.

"No," he said. "If that thing can't be reasoned with, we kill it."

"Look!" Tallulah yelled. The Doctor had stood up, glowing orange energy wreathed around his hands, encircling him as he began to regenerate. It was the most beautiful thing April had ever seen.

"EXTERMINATE!" Screamed the Dalek again, and it shot him once more. The regeneration energy disappeared as the Doctor hit the ground again. The Dalek spun so that its gun was facing the huddled mass of people.

Solomon raised his weapon, ready to fire. Harriet's face was pale, her eyes wide as she stumbled back into the circle. Martha was staring at the Doctor's corpse in shock, torn between helping him and staying away from his murderer. And April was watching in terror as the Dalek prepared to exterminate them all. I messed it up. Somehow saving Solomon messed it up.

The Doctor was dead. Somehow, the Doctor was dead, and he wasn't moving, and he was dead. His eyes stared up at the night, glassy and lifeless as he lay on the ground. He wasn't regenerating. No, no, no, no, no!

Then the Dalek's headlamps lit up as it spoke.

"EXTERMINATE!"