"Release me if you want to live." Doc states, his voice is void of emotion. Van Statten freezes, deciding before nodding. I move out of the way as the men unbind the Doctor. He falls forwards, slumping from the sudden freedom. Rushing forwards I hold him up, slowly falling to the ground with him; he leans on to me his face pressed into the area where my neck and shoulder meets. Breathing heavily I let him recuperate, gently running my hand up and down his bare back.
"Get his clothes." I state, over my shoulder. I hear the men scuffle around before one of the guards gives me Docs green jumper and leather jacket. "Come on let's get you decent." I say, keeping my voice low.
After helping him get his jumper over his head and his arms in the sleeves, he adamantly tells me he can do his jacket and that he doesn't need my help. I roll my eyes watching as he stumbles slightly before running into the lift and to an office where Rose is on the screen with a military man.
"You've got to keep it in that cell." he orders, standing in front of the screen. Rose runs over leaning on something to get close to the camera.
"Doctor, it's all my fault." she explains, guilty and hoping he won't be upset.
"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations." the guard informs, joining Rose.
"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat." Doc states, his voice filled with panic. I watch as Van Statten peaks up at the information, the man is probably learning more about the alien now than he has done for the entire time he's had it. We watch the air tense as the Dalek proceeds to do just that, opening the door. I hold my breath as it approaches the group, the guards firing. Although all the bullets they shoot at it seems to do little to slowing it down.
"Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed." Van Statten orders.
"Rose, just get out of there!" I exclaim, watching in horror as the alien approaches them. The Dalek turns to our screen, approaching before shoving its plunger through the screen, our side goes blank. The lady who brought us here moved over to a computer, turning it on and showing us some information. The lights all turn off as the Dalek absorbs the power.
"We're losing power sir." she informs Statten. "It's draining the base. Oh, my God. It's draining entire power supplies for the whole of Utah."
"It's downloading." I state, anxiously glancing around.
"Downloading what?" Van questions, briefly glancing at me.
"Sir, the entire West Coast has gone down." she informs.
"It's not just energy. That Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything." Doc informs, looking at the screen with slight fear.
"Shit." I gasp, "Doc, Rose is with it." I say, turning to the man.
"The cameras in the vault have gone down." the woman informs, glancing back.
"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!" Doc demands.
"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately." she orders into her ear piece.
"Tell them to stop shooting at it." Van Statten orders, facing the woman.
"But it's killing them!" she shouts, shocked at his request.
"They're dispensable. That Dalek is unique. I don't want a scratch on its bodywork, do you hear me? Do you hear me?" he shouts, I stamp on his foot digging my heel into his toes.
"I will break your nose again." I yell, facing the man. Watching with satisfaction as the man suffles back sightly. To my horror though the sound of gunfire stops, not due to Stattens demand. The order hadn't been passed along, their lack of movement is due to the fact that the creature had killed them all.
"That's us, right below the surface. That's the cage, and that's the Dalek." the woman explains, pointing at different parts of a a map.
"This museum of yours. Have you got any alien weapons?" Doc asks, I spin looking at him with slight horror. The Doctor asking about weapons.
"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them." the woman answers.
"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there." Van Statten demands, refusing to kill the murder bot.
"Leaving everyone trapped with it. Rose is down there. I won't let that happen. Have you got that?" I shout, "It's got to go through this area. What's that?"
"Weapons testing."
"Give guns to the technicians, the lawyers, anyone. Everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it." Doc orders, I turn watching him with wary eyes.
I mull over Rose, if I get to her I can get her back here. I'll remember the way, plus I'm pretty sure with all my daydreams about this alien I have some idea on how to survive slightly longer. Making my mind I turn to Doc,
"I'm going to Rose, if I go I can get her back here." I state, already walking back to the doorway. Doc doesn't hear me, simply waving me off he's distracted with typing to cut the Dalek off. Rolling my eyes I sprint out of the room, he is going to be pissed when he finds out where I'm going.
I sprint down the stairs, the lift now off limits. Last I looked at the map Rose was on level 53, I run faster than ever.
"Rose." I shout, reaching my friend. I stop panting heavily from my exercise. Her, Adam and a soldier stood on the stairs, all watching the Dalek. I gasp at the sight of it, watching them before looking at the stairs. "What the fuck are you doing. Do you really think some stairs are going to stop it?"
"Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs." Addam taunts, smiling.
"Now listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mister van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?" the soldier orders, aiming her gun at it.
"El-ev-ate." it states, the aliens casing starts hovering.
"I fucking told you!" I shout grabbing Rose's hand and dragging her up the stairs.
"Oh my God." Rose gasps, stumbling after me.
"Adam, get her out of here." the soldier orders, she nods to me before turning back.
"Come with us. You can't stop it." I try, looking at the woman whilst Adam and Rose race past me.
"Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back. Just run." she states, before turning back and shooting at the thing.
I turn racing after my friend, tipping slightly on a stair. My ankle bends awkwardly, pain filling my leg. I ignore it though running away from the Dalek and after Rose and Adam. We race through the building, we make it to a large docking area of sorts, soldiers aiming their guns in our direction.
"Hold your fire! You three, get the hell out of there!" one of them yells, we sprint over to the back of the room. Adam and Rose stop, turning to watch the fall out.
"Rose, come one please, we have to go back to the Doctor." I beg, tugging on her arm.
"Rose, we'll be fine, these soldiers will kill it." Adam, assures her. Rose looks between us before nodding and standing next to Adam.
"Rose please! I know these. They won't be able to stop it." I cry out, a tear rolling down my cheek as the likelihood that all of these people will die. Including us if we don't go. The Dalek arrives causing Adam to practically eat his words and grab Rose, dragging her out.
"It was looking at me." Rose states, pausing our escape.
"Yeah, it wants to fucking murder us." I inform, tugging her arm.
"I know, but it was looking right at me." she repeats.
"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around." Adam states, tugging her hand.
"I don't know. It's like there's something inside, looking at me, like, like it knows me." she mutters.
"Yeah there's an alien inside the casing but either way it's still going to kill us so let's go. Now!" I order, tugging her into a run. Our trio hesitate in our escape as the sound of all the men dying reaches our ears. We continue running up the stairs, I keep shouting for them to hurry up and make it back to the top of the building.
We make it to level 49 when Rose's phone starts ringing.
"This isn't the best time." Rose states into the phone. Doc asks something to which she answers, "Level 49."
Doc explains something to her which causes her to exclaim, "Can't you stop them closing?"
"What's he doing?" I question, she turns to me.
"He's closing the vault, from level 46."
At the information I groan loudly, my leg throbbing in pain. I'm going to offer myself to the Dalek in a minute. Rose offers me the phone, informing Adam on what is happening before we all speed up. We make it level 46, running down the corridor to the vault doors. Adam remains ahead of us, Rose only one step ahead of me.
"We're nearly there. Give us two seconds." I shout into the phone, stumbling slightly. My shoe slipping, my ankle protesting in pain.
"I'm sorry." he states, I watch in horror as the bulkhead starts closing, Adam runs under it turning back to us. Rose grabs my hand dragging me behind her.
"Come on!" Adam shouts, he holds a hand out for Rose to which I shove her forwards. Rose falls under the metal just before it closes. I rest my head against the cool metal panting in exertion and pain. Slowly I bring the phone to my ear.
"Alula, where are you? Did you and Rose make it?" Doc asks frantically through the phone.
"Sorry, I was a bit slow." I breathe into Rose's phone, turning to my oncoming death. "See you, then, Doc. It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault." I add, knowing that he would blame himself. "And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
"Alula. No." he whispers broken. I clench my eyes shut and breathing deeply before lowering the phone. The Dalek stops in front of me, raising its gun before shouting.
"EXTERMINATE!" I close my eyes, jumping causing the phone to clatter to the ground.
~1~
The Doctor stood there in shock, Van Statten wincing as the man threw the ear piece to the ground. Goddard has her head bowed, saddened by the death of the young woman who had showed such spite for her boss.
"I killed her." Doctor states, his voice cracking.
"I'm sorry." the American voices, the Timelord spins his eyes raging at the man's audacity.
"I said I'd protect her. She was only here because of me, and you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me." he snarls, approaching the man. The Oncoming Storm swirling in his eyes.
"It was the prize of my collection!" he tries to justify.
"Your collection!?" he bellows, "Well was it worth it? Worth all those men's deaths? Worth Alula? Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater."
"Exactly! I wanted to touch the stars!"
"You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground, underneath tons of sand and dirt, and label them." he growls, "You're about as far from the stars as you can get. And you took her down with you. She was twenty two years old." he trails off, his hearts clenching at how young she really was, "She had so much ahead of her."
~1~
"Go on then, kill me." I shout at the alien, opening my eyes as the thing watches me, "Why're you doing this? Why are you prolonging it?"
"I am armed. I will kill. It is my pur-pose." it shouts.
"They're all dead because of you. All those men, women, children, soldiers." I exclaim, remembering to all the death the Daleks caused in whatever my dreams where.
"They are dead be-cause of Rose Ty-ler and me." it corrects.
"And now what? What're you waiting for?" I shout, exasperated.
"I feel your fear."
"What do you expect? I'm about to die." I snap.
"Daleks do not fear. Must not fear." it shouts, the alien shoots at the walls surrounding me. "Rose Ty-ler gave me life. What else has she gi-ven me? I am con-tam-in-at-ed." it rants, the aliens words segregated. The Dalek proceeds to shove me with it's weapon, holding me in front of the camera.
"Open the bulkhead or Alula Smith dies." it demands, facing the camera with me.
"You're alive!" Doc exclaims, his voice thick with emotion. I smile slightly at his worry.
"You can't get rid of me." I state, smiling at the camera comfortingly. "You alright?"
"I thought you were dead." he states, his voice cracking. I smile sadly at the camera lens.
"Op-en the bulk-head!" the Dalek demands, I rapidly shake my head.
"Don't do it!" I shout. "Don't you dare, I'm not worth the universe."
"What use are emo-tions if you will not save the wo-man you love?" the pepper pot states, pressing the gun into my back. Love? The Doctor doesn't love me.
"I killed her once. I can't do it again." is all Doc replies with, the bulkhead begins to slowly start opening.
"For fucks sake." I mutter, wincing as the alien forces me ahead.
We enter the lift, which is apparently now working. Don't know why we couldn't have used that whilst trying to escape the Dalek but you know.
"I'm begging you, don't kill them. You didn't kill me." I plead facing the alien. It spins it stalk to me, nearly hitting me with it.
"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?" it shouts, I choose to remain silent now with it already on edge one wrong move and I'll be toast. The lift doors open as we reach level 1. Van Statten, the woman and Rose all stand there fear on their faces.
"Don't move. Don't do anything. It's beginning to question itself." I order, slowly following the unstable murder bot.
"Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?" it demands, aiming its gun at the now cowering man.
The man begins to stumble for words, "I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!"
"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" it shouts backing him into a wall.
"Don't do it! Don't kill him! You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else, not just killing. What else is there? What do you want?" Rose shouts, rushing forwards. The Dalek considers her words before admitting,
"I want freedom."
Rose and I follow it as it travels to a different part of the level, the Dalek shoots a hole in the roof. Sun beams shine through, warming my skin. I tilt my head back, absorbing the light as much as I can.
"You're out. You made it." Rose states, watching us.
"I never thought I'd feel the sunlight again." I speak, my eyes fluttering open to look over at the alien.
"How does it feel?" it questions
"Warm." I answer, not really knowing how to describe it. The pepper pot surprises us by opening its casing. I watch in weird curiosity as an octopus looking creature with one eye is revealed. The alien holds up a tendril, feeling the light for probably the first time.
"Get out of the way." someone shouts, Rose and I spin to see a disturbing sight. The Doctor holding a gun, aiming it in our direction. "Alula, get out of the way now!"
"No. I'm not letting you do this." I stand my ground, Rose and I forming a wall between the Dalek and the Timelord.
"That thing killed hundreds of people." he shouts, looking at us incredulously.
"It's not the one pointing the gun at me." I deadpan.
"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left." he begs, adjusting his grip on the weapon. I send a sympathetic smile to him.
"I understand, Doc I truly understand. But this isn't the Doctor, the Doctor helps people. And he hates guns." I state approaching the man.
"Look at it." Rose calls out, moving to the side. We watch as Doc's expression changes to confusion.
"What's it doing?"
"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants." I answer, resting my hand on the front of his gun, slowly lowering it.
"But it can't-"
"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill Alula. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?" Rose questions, her voice raised.
"I couldn't. I wasn't." he breaks, the gun clattering to the ground. "Alula. They're all dead." he numbly states, I move forwards clutching his hand.
"Why do we survive?" the Dalek questions.
"I don't know." Doc answers, survivors guilt hitting him hard.
"I am the last of the Daleks." it admits.
"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating." Doc explains, watching the alien.
"Into what?"
"Something new. I'm sorry." I state, leaning on the Doctor slightly to alleviate my ankle pain.
"Isn't that better?" Rose asks, confused.
"Not for a Dalek." Doc answers watching it cautiously.
"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. Rose, give me orders. Order me to die." it screeches.
"I can't do that." Rose protests, looking horrified at the request.
"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!"
"Do it." she shakely orders, moving backwards.
"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?" it asks.
"Yeah." Rose admits.
"So am I. Exterminate." it finishes, closing its casing before rising in the air. The balls surrounding its lower half leave the Dalek, forming a ball around it. The Dalek then implodes leaving nothing behind. We stand there, watching with many emotions swirling.
~1~
"A little piece of home. Better than nothing." Doc states, patting the side of the TARDIS. I smile sadly, leaning next to him. A wave of pain hits my chest, I wince pressing a hand to my heart. One of the side effects of my meds. Heart and chest pain.
"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" Rose questions.
"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?" Doc responds, a fake smile on his face.
"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too." Rose proposes.
"I'd know. In here." he answers, tapping his head. He'd obviously already thought of this. "Feels like there's no one."
"Well then, good thing we're not going anywhere." I pipe up, smiling as the man's lips tug slightly.
"Yeah." he responds, looking over at me. I smile, winking at him. Our conversation is interrupted as Adam runs over.
"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed." he rushes.
"About time." I mutter, moving to the T's door, I pull out my key opening the doors.
"I'll have to go back home." he continues, obviously hinting to something.
"Better hurry up then." I announce.
"The next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours." Doc adds, crossing his arms to look at the man with full distaste.
"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars." Rose starts, looking at Doc meaningfully.
"Tell him to go and stand outside then." the Timelord responds dryly. I cackle at his response.
"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help." she tries again.
"He left Al down there." he protests, sending the man a glare.
"So did you and I." she points out.
"Yeah but I like you two, I don't like him." I add, sending my own look to Adam.
"What're you talking about? We've got to leave." said man announces.
"Plus, he's a bit pretty." Doc states, watching Rose with a knowing look.
"I hadn't noticed." she answers with false innocence.
"Really, I don't see it." I state.
"On your own head." Doc concedes. Following me into our Time machine.
"What're you doing? She said cement. She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in." he shouts as we all enter the TARDIS.
AN: Two updates in one day, thought I'd be nice since I had finished the entire chapter and post it all.
Don't be afraid to give feedback and please follow. I always try to follow your instructions - Fleur