A/N: I'm SO busy over the next few days I wrote this extra long as compensation for the fact I'll be disappearing a while. I have two projects to do by tomorrow! Though, it kinda IS my fault anyway...I did leave them to the last minute.

Why am I even typing this a/n so long and full of pointless crap?! I should be DOING MY HOMEWORK!!! AGGH!! (Has panic attack)

Chapter 11 – World's End Part 1

They were actually laughing as they tumbled through the oaken door, collapsing in hysterics at the sheer fact they had made it out in one piece. More zombies. So cliché.

The Doctor let go of her hand, reaching into his bottomless pocket and withdrawing seven folds of worn paper from within, spreading them into a fan and airing his face.

"How much is betting these have something to do with the Final Task?"

"My left leg," Rose said with a grin. "What have we got?"

"Well…G, O, M, R, two E's and an A." He paused, tapping his chin for a moment. "Y'know, if we had a T instead of an O we could make 'ME GREAT'!" he revealed enthusiastically, pointing at himself.

"…And if we had a G instead of a R we could make 'MEGA EGO'!" Rose said with just as much enthusiasm as him, folding her arms and grinning.

"Miss Tyler, I'm insulted." He stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry, now walking away, nose in air. She laughed, tearing after him and taking his hand as they began to walk forwards once more.

Until they reached a ten foot high wall.

"Hmm, this does pose a problem," the Doctor muttered, straining his neck to see the top of the wall. "I could give you a boost, if you can help me up."

She nodded, rubbing her hands together to warm them up for the climb. He knelt down, thigh ready for her to step on, to which she obliged and used his shoulders as extra leverage. She swung a grab at the top of the wall, just about catching it as she breathlessly hauled herself upwards, 'oof'ing as she pulled herself forwards along her front.

She took a moment to look at the opening she's just climbed onto, seeing for the first time a large circular based room, at least thirty foot high above her head. Around the outside of the room, spiralling around the wall was a large graceful staircase, winding all the way up to the top – which, although impossible to see, was obviously their destination. There was a long red carpet laid all the way up the staircase and icicle-like lights were sitting on the banister, shining brightly at set intervals for as far as she could see.

This was World's End, no doubt about it.

But was climbing the stairs the Final Task? Surely not. Shrugging, she turned back to face the Doctor beneath, beaming widely.

"Your turn!" she called, extending a hand down for him to use. He took it with his right hand, starting to pull himself up.

Suddenly he cried out agony, instantly letting the grip go as immense pain shot through his injured arm. Rose called out, concerned.

"Okay?"

"My arm doesn't like that," he groaned, rubbing it lightly. "Rose, I don't think I'll be able to get up."

"B-b-but…" she stuttered. "You have to! I'm not leavin' you behind!"

Before the Doctor could even protest, a sound suddenly stirred from within the silence of the dark doorway behind him.

Which they'd forgotten to close.

Zombies were suddenly pouring through the doorway six at a time, making Rose almost scream in alarm as she reached out again to the Doctor. "Please Doctor!" she cried, "you have to get out! If you don't…" she didn't want to even think about failing the game before World's End and shutting down the program. It was her only chance of getting the Doctor out and she wasn't going to lose it.

He glanced around the immediate surroundings as the zombies progressed, slowly but surely. There was a stack of bones in one corner, wood in another and a chest height podium that stretched for three metres across the wall to his right that he sworehadn't been there before. If he could…but no. It was suicide.

"Rose?" he called out to the anxious human, "I've got an idea but I could get hurt…" …and die a very nasty death. "So be brave a second, okay?"

She nodded, watching him carefully as he bounded over to the podium and quickly climbed on, wincing at the pain through his arm but just enough to bear. Rose crossed her fingers as he assessed to distance between him and the platform she was standing on, already knowing what he was going to do before he did it. He could come up short and whack his head on the side of the wall, or he could miss the launch altogether and fall into the pit of zombies now crowded around the podium where he stood.

The Doctor felt something cold and thin fingered creep up his leg, so he quickly shook it off and knew he had no time for second thoughts. This was it.

He braced himself, and began to run.

Rose went rigid as his foot left the podium in a launch, the movements almost slow motion for her as he progressed further and further towards the platform, reaching out for sanctuary…a desperate need for success…

He crashed onto the platform, almost doing his ankle in as he landed clumsily on the surface of the concrete, legs collapsing from underneath him.

"Yes!" Rose punched the air in triumph, running over to him and helping the shaky Time Lord to his feet. "Olympics Doctor, sign up your name!"

He gave her grin as she gently brushed him down, before hugging him tight.

"Too close," she muttered, and he nodded agreement.

"C'mon," he said, sticking his tongue out at the zombies gathered below rather childishly, retaking her hand once more and turning towards the direction they had previously been heading with Rose still burying her head in his chest. His jaw dropped.

"Umm…Rose…"

"Hmm?" came her muffled voice from his shirt.

"DUCK!"

He grabbed her quickly around the waist and wrenched her down, throwing himself over her as she heard something big and heavy swing over them; almost successful in taking both their heads clean off.

"What the hell was that?!" Rose gasped as she felt the Doctor launch off of her and drag her to her feet once more.

"Take cover!!!" he yelled over a deep, loud roar of what Rose instantly presumed to be a mighty beast, who had definitely not been there a moment ago. They both dived behind a stone statue as Rose yelped, something smashing loudly down where she had been but a second before.

The Doctor held onto her protectively as the beast gave another roar, peeking around the side of the statue they hid behind.

The seventeen red eyed monster, sharp teeth, claws and horns stared back at him, spit dribbling from it's huge mouth as it threw back its pointed head, letting out another roar. It had wings and four paws, only two currently in used as the others wielded a heavy iron baton four times the size of the Doctor. It was with brown scales, fleshy, bloodstained and encased in a heavy white shell. It was 1000 percent mechanical, just a giant ugly robot.

And it was staring straight at him.

He'd never seen a creature like it in his life.

Predictable really, it being a computer game. Final Task. Big boss.

How were they supposed to fight that? They weren't bloody Power Rangers!

Turning back to Rose, he dug his hand into his pocket and withdrew the slips of paper he still had, handing them to her.

"Have these." He saw her confusion. "If I don't make it, it means you can win this alone. I'll make sure you get there."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the Doctor got there first. He pressed his finger to his lips, shushing her instantly.

"Please, don't argue. If we run fast enough we might be able to make it, the both of us. But if this thing picks a fight, you carry on running."

She already knew there was no point trying to argue with him so she nodded, getting ready to sprint towards the top. Okay, so long distance had never been her niche, but this was a completely different scenario. If anything she'd lose a bit of weight.

The Doctor raised a hand, and pointed at the petrol can sat completely randomly at the bottom of the stairs. "Take that, it could be useful."

"Why are there…?" Rose started to ask, staring at the can unblinkingly, but he dismissed her hand with a wave.

"Trust me, take it. We might need to I dunno…drive a car or something."

"Conveniently placed."

"Like a lot of things around here recently," he whispered, extremely low key Rose even struggled to hear him despite the fact his lips were practically against her ear. "The key in the water tank challenge, just in reach. I swear that wasn't there before. The piles of rocks at the start of the stealth test. The cracks in the floor for a warning. Someone's been helping us through this try."

Before Rose could even mention the employee, a low rumbling growl reminded the pair they were not alone.

The Doctor was brought back to reality with a jolt. "Ready?"

She nodded, crouched into position with the Doctor crouched beside her.

"One…two…three…"

The creature roared once more, lifting its iron baton above where the statue they were cowering behind resided.

"RUN!" the Doctor yelled, and they were off faster than speeding bullets. The Doctor deliberately pushed Rose infront of him as they bounded up the stairs three at a time, petrol can in Rose's grip. Rose didn't even dare to turn her head for fear of what she would see, that thing had wings and they wouldn't lose it no matter how high they got.

The Doctor saw the creature growl in aggravation as the statue turned to dust beneath his club. It turned once more, eyes following the pair, scowling. The smell of petrol came wafting up to Rose's nostrils, and she looked down at the floor to see the can had a leak.

"Doctor!" she called as they ran further and further. "The can's leaking!"

"Leave it!" he shouted back. "It's meant to be!" She didn't even bother asking what the hell he meant as they carried on, the creature still watching them. They must have run about three spirals before it lifted its baton once more.

"Rose!" the Doctor flew out his hands to grab her, just about stopping her in time before the baton came crashing down between them, narrowing missing the Doctor. Rose watched, panic stricken as the very ground they were standing on started to crack and crumble beneath their feet.

The Doctor didn't waste a nanosecond of time. He firmly pushed her forwards up the stairs off of the cracking floor they were standing on, prioritising her safety as he had promised before himself.

But it was too late for him.

The ground collapsed beneath his feet as Rose screamed his name out loud, watching him as he disappeared in a swirl of rock dust to the surface ten foot below. She quickly got down onto her front, head peering over the side of the crack in the floor, trying in vain to see the Doctor anywhere, and if he was alright.

As the dust began to settle she did indeed see a pinstripe wearing figure lying awkwardly below, apparently unmoving, but she could see no blood.

"Doctor!" she called down, extending a hand down as if she could actually reach him and pull him up. "Doctor!"

Ten seconds later, she was still yelling.

The creature, apparently bored with the unmoving Doctor by now, turned its gaze to the screaming Rose. It growled and Rose instantly looked up, meeting the creature's seventeen red eyes as fear escalated within her. She pulled herself slowly to her feet, not losing eye contact with it every inch of her movement.

She could only watch as the creature bared its teeth, and raised the baton once more above its head.