At last, here it is; the thrilling conclusion! The next chapter will be the last, and it will sort of wrap things up.
While the Doctor had a word with train security, Rose assumed a position in the supply closet nearest to the engine. By cracking the door an inch or so, Rose had a suitable view of the door to the engine car, while still remaining invisible to anyone on the outside. After a few minutes of waiting, the Doctor appeared in the hallway and joined her in the cramped closet.
He breathlessly filled her in, "I told the Chief to give me 15 minutes. Now, when we get in there I want you to stay behind me. The poison is no longer a threat, but who knows what this guy is capable of if he thinks he's cornered."
Rose nodded in somber agreement, and the two lapsed into comfortable silence as they waited for the announcement that would set their plan in motion.
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"Attention passengers and crew. This is not a drill. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please return to your seats and brace for impact. Repeat, all passengers and crew return to your seats and brace for impact. This is not a drill."
Alert again, Rose sat up and peered out the crack in the doorway. She felt the Doctor stiffen next to her. They didn't have to wait long, for after less than a minute they heard the sound of approaching footsteps and muttered obscenities. Pressing her cheek to the door, Rose could make out a tall, blonde man leaned over the door to the engine car, rummaging in his pockets. Finding whatever object he was seeking, he turned towards the door and Rose was able to see his face clearly for the first time.
"Hank," she breathed. Next to her, the Doctor gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. Outside, Hank was aiming an object that resembled a remote control at the engine car door. He pressed a button and a red light shone onto the lock, accompanied by a low buzz and finally a click. Hank entered the engine car quickly, not bothering to lock the door behind him. The instant the door swung shut behind the blonde man, the Doctor was out of the closet and following him into the room. Rose entered the room to find Hank crouched over the main console that controlled the train, pressing buttons and studying the screen intently. The Doctor was standing in the center of the room, eyes dark. Rose followed his gaze to the corner, where the body of a young man- most likely the train operator- was crumpled. The bloody wound on his temple in stark contrast with the paleness of his skin. The Doctor's eyes were stormy as he took a step towards Hank. Hank spun around quickly, pulling out a small, silver pistol.
Hank's open face contorted into a sneer as he caught sight of the Doctor, "Doctor. My, you've changed."
"I could say the same about you, Reo," the Doctor's voice was dangerously low.
"So you've figured it out have you? You always were clever," said Hank/Reo, his icy smile made Rose shudder involuntarily. Reo began to pace the length of the train car, still keeping his gun aimed at the Doctor.
"So I assume the train isn't actually about to crash," Reo said.
The Doctor's mouth twitched, "I knew you'd never let the train crash while you were still onboard, not even to get to me. You're much too selfish for that."
Reo's face morphed into a scowl, "You think you know me? You Time Lords are all the same. What gives you the right to interfere in the affairs of everyone you come across? What gives you the right?" the last few words were shouted. His face slowly turned from purple back to pink, and he finally seemed to notice Rose standing by the door.
"Ah, so this is Rose. The latest in your long line of 'friends'. Does she know about the others, Doctor? Who was it last time we met? I believed her name was Trix? Yes, I remember her, she was a pretty one," Reo sneered.
"Stop it," the Doctor's voice remained steady, "Reo, it doesn't have to be like this. Just turn yourself in and I'll make sure you're-"
"Shut up!" Reo roared, his cheeks once again flushed an unpleasant violet colour, "You are in no position to be negotiating, Doctor!"
Rose noticed Reo's gun-hand was shaking with rage. She feared he was close to breaking, and she suspected the Doctor did too. If the Doctor was going to make a move, it had to be soon. Rose took a small step forward, and the movement prompted Reo to move the gun towards her.
Recognizing his opportunity, the Doctor yelled, "Now!" and tackled Reo to the ground. As Rose flung herself to the side she heard a gunshot and a thump as the Doctor and Reo fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Rose crouched behind the operator's chair and watched as the two struggled for control over the gun. Her stomach sank when she noticed the Doctor holding a bloodstained hand over his right shoulder as drops of blood fell onto the carpet below him. Even with only one hand, the Doctor managed to land a punch to Reo's jaw, causing him to stumble backwards a few feet. The gun flew out of his hand and Rose dove to catch it. She pointed the gun at Reo who had lunged back towards the Doctor with his fist raised.
"Hey! Don't move!" she yelled, aiming the gun at Reo's chest and trying to still her shaking hands. Reo stopped almost immediately, and raised his hands slowly into the air. The Doctor backed up to stand next to Rose, panting heavily. Rose glanced over at him,
"Are you okay?" she asked, knowing the answer already.
"Oh yeah, bullet just grazed me," he grinned, but his face was drawn and pale, and blood flowed freely from a cut on his temple.
"What do we do with him?" Rose nodded at Reo.
"Call security and let the proper authorities deal with him."
Rose tightened her grip on the pistol, "Alright, you, move up against the wall!"
"What, Doctor? Not man enough to kill me yourself?" Reo spat.
"There have been too many deaths on this train already. There won't be another if I can help it," the Doctor said grimly.
"You ruined my life. You can stick me in a cell, Doctor, but I will find you and I will have my revenge."
Knowing that the Doctor needed medical attention soon, Rose was about to tell Reo to shut it when he suddenly leapt into the air and grabbed hold of a hatch protruding from the ceiling that Rose hadn't noticed before. Before Rose had time to react, Reo had swung open the hatch and kicked the gun out of her hands. Rose yelped and watched helplessly as Reo disappeared into the ceiling.
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Before he had a chance to change his mind, the Doctor was after Reo. He yelled at Rose to find a way to stop the train, then despite the throbbing in his shoulder, he grabbed ahold of the ledge and pulled himself onto the roof of the moving train. The wind immediately threatened to throw him off the top of the train, and he had to grip the horizontal bars on top of the train tightly. A thick fog extended as far as he could see, allowing only a few inches of vision in each direction. The Doctor wasn't sure what he'd do if he caught up to Reo, but he started crawling towards the end of the train anyways. His hands were slick with sweat and blood, making the going much more hazardous, and he had to stop periodically to wipe them on his pants. The Doctor's shoulder was burning persistently and he felt what little strength adrenaline had given him fading away now. He knew he couldn't carry on like this much longer, but there was no way he was going to let Reo escape again. He concentrated on controlling his breathing and placing one hand in front of the other. After a few more agonizing minutes, he reached an open hatch in the ceiling. He hesitated; Reo could very well be just inside, waiting for him to drop in. Cautiously, he lowered his head into the gap and peered around the car. The hallway appeared to be empty. He was just preparing to drop down when something heavy collided with the back of his head. His vision blurred and he barely managed to hold onto the train. He groped the air desperately, searching for an indication of Reo's whereabouts, but he could see nothing farther than his own hand. To his right, he heard a clang as the hatch was slammed shut. He inched forward along the car, holding his good arm out defensively. If he could just make it into the car, train security could take over from there. He'd almost reached the hatch when another blow landed on his ribcage, knocking the breath out of him, but this time he managed to grab ahold of Reo's foot and yank him off-balance. Reo tumbled towards the edge of the speeding train, just barely managing to catch the edge of the roof with his fingertips. Panting, the Doctor edged towards Reo and put his hand out.
"Here, grab my hand!" he yelled.
"You were wrong about me, Doctor," Reo spat, then he let go.
The Doctor watched in horror as Reo fell away from the speeding train, and was swallowed by the fog.