Child of Earth
By Lumendea
Chapter Fifty-Five: Return of Fenric: Checkmate
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
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Athena led the way. Thankfully they were further from another group of aliens that a time storm had dropped this time. None the less, Rose kept checking on them, unwilling to risk Athena or herself to another attack. Guilt clawed at her gut despite Mel telling her not to feel bad. She somewhat understood. Mel's history and birth were wrapped up with her so to a Time Lady it probably was better to give up one regeneration rather than risk her whole life. That still didn't make it easy for Rose to accept that someone had died for her.
In the distance, Rose could see a blue box, but she couldn't be sure if it was the Doctor's TARDIS or another young Time Lord's. The realisation that somehow there were so many, even more than her own children, made Rose's knees weak. She wasn't sure what to think about Mel coming from Amy and Rory and wondered how it was possible once again. Rose shook her head, telling herself to focus on the current crisis and not future mysteries. Her eyes scanned the park, trying to find some sign of Fenric in Ace's body. They still had no plan for saving her.
They were near one of the buildings now and fairly close to a larger body of water. Honestly Rose had no clue where they were in the park, but she could faintly hear sirens now and grimaced. At least there was a UNIT branch in New York to help with the cleanup of this mess.
Suddenly Athena stopped. Less than half a mile away a time storm was churning and ripping apart nearby trees. "This is close enough," Athena said.
"I'm sorry about Mel," Rose said gently. She looked around nervously even as her eyes went to the tense shoulders of her future daughter. Rose didn't have to know Athena well to know that she was worried and agitated. She had the same tells as her father. "Do you think she'll be okay."
"She'll be alright." Athena adjusted the controls without looking up. "The first regeneration can be rough since you don't know what to expect. I mean not really, you know rationally what to expect. She'll be able to recover in the Zero Room. It will block out the time storms. They feel really weird to our senses so it's better she's not near them now."
"Athena, are you okay?" Rose asked, interrupting the rambling woman.
"One of my…" Athena sniffed slightly. "She's regenerated. I'm a bit scared about what happens next." She wiped at her eyes. "Jack doesn't age or die, he doesn't change. I don't change when I regenerate, I just rejuvenate. I've been sort of dreading this."
"Some things will change," Rose agreed. She reached over to touch her future daughter's hand. "But love isn't one of those. The big things, the big emotions don't change. Try not to worry."
"I know that in my mind," Athena said. She sniffed a little and cleared her throat. The device whined and Rose glanced towards the slow line of creatures moving towards them. "Guess I just won't feel right about it until we-" She suddenly stopped herself and looked at Rose. "Well until this over and we can spend some time together."
"Athena I hate to tell you this, but I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in your TARDIS," Rose said. She couldn't help but grimace a little and shivered. "I do know Jack after all."
"Dad prefers to pretend he doesn't," Athena said. She was smiling now and glanced around. "Talking of Dad, where the hell is he?" Athena looked up into the sky. "He's gotten us the information we needed for the time storms. What else is he planning?"
Biting her lip, Rose looked around and tried to catch a glimpse of the other TARDIS she'd seen. Her stomach turned slightly and she hoped desperately that the Doctor hadn't gone off to face Fenric alone. A bright splash of colour in the corner of her eye made Rose look towards the nearby grey building. There on the wall in bright yellow with an outline of blue were the graffitied the words: Bad Wolf. She inhaled sharply, the words both reassuring and intimidating as they always were.
The machine beeped loudly and released a loud whining sound. It was a bit like UNIT's sonic modulator Rose realised with a bit of interest. She was about to ask Athena about it when the girl made a cheering sound and the machine beeped again. Looking up, Rose checked the storm and smiled. Already she could see the winds begin to slow down and the popping in her ears eased. The flashes of the strange lightning faded and Rose released another soft breath as she looked towards another storm. It was dying down as well.
"The others are at work too," Athena said. Her voice was thick with relief. "I hope Dad has a plan-"
The wave of pale green energy hit Athena, knocking her back against the wall. Rose heard a crack and her heart stopped as her future daughter dropped to the ground motionless. Jumping towards her, Rose stopped only when a bolt of strange greenish lightning hit the machine in front of her. It exploded in a shower of sparks and Rose's eyes instantly moved to where the attack had come from. Fenric strode towards her, green eyes glowing and that smirk still plastered on Ace's face.
"Baby Time Lords shouldn't play with Gods," Fenric sneered. Then Ace's eyes settled on Rose and Fenric tilted her head. Rose really didn't like the look it was giving her. "And you are… the Time Lord's mate. How unexpected and delightful."
"Get out of Ace!" Rose narrowed her eyes on Fenric. Her heart was racing and her eyes jumped to Athena. Thankfully she could see that she was still breathing, but the fear remained. Adjusting her hand, Rose summoned her sword and brought it up in front of her. "Now!"
"Oh playing brave!" Fenric laughed, its eyes flashing. Then it stopped and considered her. "Ace has some interesting memories of you…" Fenric looked her up and down. "You don't seem as dangerous as she imagines you to be."
"You have no idea how dangerous I can be," Rose growled.
There was a heartbeat as Fenric stared at her. Then it smirked once again and Rose's chest tightened. In the distance over Fenric's shoulder, she could see another time storm dissipate and wondered if the others were aware of Mel's regeneration. Had they felt it or felt their sister Athena injured? Her brown eyes met Fenric and Rose was frozen in place.
Something in those eyes terrified her. It swarmed around her, casting her into an ocean of nothing. She was so small in comparison. A shiver of fear travelled down her spine and Rose struggled to keep the panic clawing at her chest from taking over. Fenric narrowed Ace's eyes on her and Rose grit her teeth, knowing that the thing inside her friend was enjoying her fear.
Then a familiar beloved wheezing sound echoed around them. Fenric straightened up and glared at an empty space to their left. Rose's heart jumped as the outline of the TARDIS appeared. Fenric raised a hand and before Rose could move sent a bolt of lightning at the door. It swung open and Rose shouted a warning, but the lightning rippled over some kind of barrier. In the doorway was the Doctor. His blue eyes were icy and dark, fixed on Fenric.
"Tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator," the Doctor said. His tone seemed calm, but Rose could hear the rage bubbling just below the surface. "I wouldn't even try Fenric."
Rose tried to stay completely still and silent. She wasn't behind the force field and neither was Athena, but so long as Fenric focused on the Doctor they might be safe. She waited for a heartbeat before taking one small step towards Athena.
"What now Time Lord?" Fenric asked. It sounded amused. "I won't fall for the chess set this time and you have no riddle with which to stump me."
"Perhaps not," the Doctor agreed. "But I'm not alone."
"Yes…" Fenric glanced towards her, curling up Ace's nose. "A lower being Time Lord, but then again you always did have a weakness for them." Then Fenric turned to look at Athena who was thankfully still breathing. "And spawn. I am not impressed with your army."
"They are my family," the Doctor corrected. "Not my army."
"It is all the same to beings like us," Fenric said. "You once broke the faith, broke the heart of this girl to defeat me," Fenric said. It patted Ace's chest with a smug smile. "You use them all."
"It was the only way to save her," the Doctor said. Something in his eyes shifted. "And yet it still pains me now."
"Do you think that appealing to Dorthy will help her fight me?" Fenric asked. "Look around Time Lord, I have summoned Time Storms. Already I have more than enough power to destroy this girl. Her essence is fluttering away even now. She dies." Fenric smiled cruelly. "Even now Doctor she's screaming for the only father she ever had."
Holding back a gasp, Rose stared at the Doctor. Even he couldn't hide his flinch. His eyes jumped over to Athena as she groaned and Rose's heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Then the Doctor looked at her. It was almost an imploring look. He was silently begging her for something, but what she wasn't sure. The sword still at the ready in her hand felt too hot and Rose wondered if he wanted her to attack. That would kill Ace and only expel Fenric from his physical form. That would stop him, but Ace wouldn't survive. No, she decided. That couldn't be it. Fenric's chuckle broke through her thoughts.
"This is what checkmate looks like Time Lord," Fenric said. Chin raised, Fenric eyed the TARDIS thoughtfully. "You hiding behind a force field leaving your mate and two of your daughters in my grasp." Then Fenric turned, giving Rose a dark smile and its eyes landed on Athena. "This daughter first I think."
Rose jumped forward as lightning gathered in Fenric's hand. She heard the Doctor shout something, but the pounding of her heart in her ears drown him out. Her sword returned to bracelet form and Rose grabbed Fenric's hand. The being in Ace's body tried to throw her off and the lightning escaped, arcing into the sky. Rose didn't let go, completely at a loss of what to do. She wanted to turn around and see what the Doctor was doing, wanted to ask him what he'd been waiting for. The pleading in his eyes flashed in her mind.
With an animalistic snarl, Fenric shifted all of Ace's weight. An elbow hit her stomach, knocking the air out of Rose. She gasped and her knees shook. Rose tried to twist away, but Fenric caught her around the neck. Ace's small hand squeezed her throat and her brown eyes met glowing green ones.
"Foolish child," Fenric snarled. "You'll die first and the Time Lord will lose everything he loves!"
"No!" the Doctor shouted. Rose faintly heard the discharge of electricity near the TARDIS, but couldn't look.
The sound made Fenric turn sharply. Fenric moved quickly, shoving Rose away and side stepping a wave of electricity crackling through the air. Gasping, Rose sucked in several deep breaths and stumbled back into the building. Rose's left hand hit the wall, her fingers brushing the graffiti words 'Bad Wolf'. Something hit her chest. Her arm ached suddenly and Rose managed to look down. Part of her left arm, a thin patch of skin was gleaming silver. Eyes widening, Rose gasped and pulled her hand away, but the silver glow was fading into a brilliant golden glow.
Energy thrummed through Rose's body, pulling her consciousness away. She was floating in a sea of power, falling through a void all at once. There was a song, a familiar song echoing through her mind. Rose was panicked and calmed all at once as something washed through her. It swirled around her singular heart and settled her comfortably. Like it belonged there. Her head was full of the song now and even as the energy strengthened her body, it lulled her to sleep.
Fenric took a fearful step back, eying her cautiously as Rose straightened up. She couldn't see it but a golden glow had enveloped her body. Opening her eyes, Rose fixed them on Fenric, but the brown eyes had become spinning orbs of gold. Around her an aura of golden energy spread through the air, illuminating the building around them. On the wall, the words Bad Wolf shimmered and then vanished.
"What is this?" Fenric asked. Ace's voice wavered slightly. "What are you?"
"Now you've done it," the Doctor said, his voice wavering with shock.
"I am the Bad Wolf."