A/N: Here we go again. Yes, it's a four-parter climactic scene thingy-ma-jiggy. I don't really like this chapter. Actually I detest it. Oh well.

Chapter 43 – That Big RAWR Climatic Scene Part Three

"Open fire!!"

The sudden burst of gunfire from UNIT's guns was deafening in everyone's ears, several people jumping and screaming. The Ninth Doctor's eyes widened and he bounced forward yelling, "no! stop!" but it was too late. The bullets seemed to bounce right off of her, firing in all directions.

"Take cover!" Jack yelled to the party, but by then it was too late. The Tenth Doctor heard Rose cry out behind him and with a surge of energy he didn't even know he had in him he turned around, and launched himself over her to protect his wife. More bullets ricocheted off of the floor and walls, screaming past within and inch of his ears. Seconds passed until the last of the bullets dropped to the floor, and all fell silent.

"You okay?" the Doctor muttered into Rose's hair, holding her close with her face pressing against his chest. He could start to feel his shirt becoming wet. "Rose?" He pushed her away to check her over, and paled dramatically to white.

Tears were pouring down her face as she suddenly fell limp in his arms, the familiar crimson colour of blood spreading out over her chest from a bullet straight through her heart. She exhaled a deep, prolonged breath as her love-filled eyes slipped closed, and the Doctor found himself left staring at a dead woman in his arms.

"Rose?" he croaked, though deep down he knew it was no use. "Rose…please, breathe?" Tears were welling in his eyes now, unable to push away the combined shock and grief. "R-Rose…I c-can't…I can't d-do this…without y-you…" he managed to stutter, drawing her closer and clinging tightly to her frame. "Pl-please…"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Khthonia's voice suddenly came, sounding so distant from him right now. "My daughter is dead, and now your wife is dead."

The Doctor's breathing was loud and tense, just about managing to gather the willpower to gently lower the woman he held to the floor as though she were made of gossamer. "Shut up," he grated in no particular direction.

"Shut up? Did you just tell me to shut up?!" She was on the edge of shrieking. "A life for a life, that's a pretty fair deal!"

"Shut up."

She launched out a hand and the resulting bolt caught him full in the chest. He gritted his teeth as the cloud of energy held him rigid, teasing him.

"Now what was that?" She asked remarkably politely. The Doctor lifted his eyes to look at her.

"I said shut up," he replied casually. Jack watched in horror as Khthonia tightened Her fist and the Doctor cried out in agony with the sound of a crack. What was he doing? Was he tryingto get Her to kill him? Had Rose's death finally made him collapse under the weight of everything?

"Didn't quite catch that?" She was teasing him.

"Are you deaf? I said shut up."

"Doctor!" Jack called out to the Time Lord as the next phase came to an end. "Please, don't let this happen…"

The Doctor ignored him, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Come on Khthonia! Is that all you've got? You're pathetic."

She screamed in utter rage, a few more cracks ensuing as the Doctor screamed with Her. Sarah-Jane run forward and held tightly onto him, utterly terrified.

"You're useless," the Doctor carried on, half-choking on the blood escaping from his mouth. "Nothing you've done works, nothing…you tried to seduce me, you failed.You tried to keep a baby, and failed.You're trying to mock me, and guess what – you're failing."

"I never failed! You're the one that failed!" She laxed the gripping power She had on him. "Your pathetic little escape plan failed! Did you really think you'd be able to escape with the legs I broke?!"

"Oh, but that wasn't the plan," the Doctor replied simply, closing his eyes to the world as his fists clenched tightly. Khthonia noticed this, eyes narrowing at the sight. "The plan was never to get free. I needed to get you right where I wanted, and so I played right into your hands."

Khthonia blinked, unable to believe what he was suggesting. He'd completely tricked Her? He'd made Her think She was in charge, and all the while he'd operated beneath Her field of vision?

"First thing I had to do was get Rose out of the way of you," he was saying, fists clenching even tighter than before as he concentrated. "So I invented a simple escape plan, separating myself from Jack and Rose – I knew you'd come after me first. You acted exactly how I anticipated; came chasing after me, allowing Rose to freely escape with Jack's help." His hair was now rushing back in an imaginary breeze, and still Khthonia still was unable to do anything to prevent the sight now building up infront of Her. "It was all set. I was your helpless prisoner and didn't you love to think it. I played captive for you and all the while something else was going on, but you failed to see it."

Everyone was now staring in awe at the Doctor as bright golden light was suddenly tingling on his skin, fists still clenched with his eyes shut tightly.

"Eva. You never even knew she was my daughter, did you?" Khthonia's dropped-jaw said it all. "You let her come into my cell every day without you, and oh boy, that was where you failed the worst." He was rising up off of the floor now, hovering in the air whilst enveloped in that bright golden light. "I've always had unlocked potential, Eva proves that since she's my child. So I asked her to train me, teach me how to control the psychic energy I've got within me…because frankly, it's the only way you're ever going to be convinced to stop. Thatwas the plan."

His fists started to unclench now as his head tilted back, just letting the energy rush through him and envelop his soul. He breathed as if taking in his first breath of pure oxygen for months, and still Khthonia could do nothing in retaliation.

"So I'm telling you. Stop now, or I'll makeyou stop."

His eyes suddenly shot wide-open, bright golden light pouring from his irises and illuminating the Woman infront of him. She shrieked in surprise, holding Her hands up to shield Herself but still unable to retort as the events unfolded infront of Her.

He held out his golden hand towards Her. "Rebecca, I am giving you one last chance. Take my hand."

"Do not call me that, that side of me died a long time ago!" She suddenly screamed, fierce purple energy springing into life around Her as She maintained Her position of floating in the air. "I can kill you all whenever I want!"

"You wouldn't dare Rebecca, you haven't got it in you."

"We'll soon see about that!" She shrieked, raising Her hand and clicking Her fingers. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the incredible roaring sound of an immense fire broke out from what sounded like far away, getting closer, and closer, and closer.

The others could only watch, paralysed by her power as the fire came out behind Khthonia, Her screaming in delight through the purple flames as they advanced towards the crowd like an oncoming train. But the Doctor was ready. He braced himself, muscles tensing as he established a total mind-state of temperance. The fire hit him, and suddenly stopped dead in its advance as the Doctor shone with more golden light. No one moved a muscle whilst he concentrated, shielding his friends from certain death with his own mental power. Squeezing his eyes shut he concentrated his focus, imagining the sea of frozen purple fire shattering to nothing before him.

He opened his eyes, and the fire had disappeared.

"Shit," Owen breathed, almost completely certain he was going to die for the whole of seven seconds.

Khthonia fumed, clenching Her fists before sending out another wave. The Doctor repeated the action over, but he could feel his energy starting to dissipate. Khthonia obviously picked up on this, sending out another wave, and another, and another. By the time he'd broken apart the fourth wave he was mentally exhausted, audibly panting for air. She grinned widely, and sent another. He managed to dispel it but now he had sank to the ground, gasping as he lay on the floor. He couldn't take another…was She going to? Could She? He raised his head slightly to meet Her gaze, within one second knowing She now would not hesitate to do it.

She raised Her hand once more; the purple flames tearing their way across to them for the last time. He tried to at least freeze them even for a moment but he couldn't even raise a hand.

He felt no pain as the fire consumed him.