EATER OF SOULS
Chapter Thirty Two Apophis looked up when he heard his pilot speaking over the intercom. "My Lord, we're picking up sonic vibrations in corridor A in Block D," the pilot said. "Is that him?" Apophis said, turning to Rose. "Yeah, it's his sonic screwdriver," Rose said. "Pilot, home in on the vibration and use the transmat to bring the Doctor to us," Apophis said. "As you wish, my Lord," the pilot said. There was a flash and the Doctor appeared in front of Apophis. He was still holding up his sonic screwdriver and he feigned confusion as he looked around. "Hey, my sonic screwdriver teleported all of you to me? It's more powerful than I thought," he said, lowering the screwdriver and turning it off. "Oh wait, I'm in Scaly's room, I see now. Blast! For a moment there I thought my screwdriver had been given a super duper upgrade. So…here I am, alive and in the flesh. Now…about letting Rose get some kit on and letting her go." He sighed when the guards surrounded him with their staffs. "You know, I hate it when I try to be a good negotiator and negotiate a peace treaty or truce and the other party surrounds me and says kill, kill, kill! I'm gonna lose my negotiator license if I keep mucking up negotiations like this." "How did you survive?" Apophis said, coming nearer to the circle of guards. "Um…I'm clever, 'nuff said," the Doctor said with a shrug. "So…about Rose in the altogether." Rose gasped when one of the guards rammed the Doctor in the stomach with his staff. Another guard put his knee on his back, forcing him to stay on his knees. Two of the guards moved and Apophis moved into the gap, smirking at the Doctor while the Doctor glared at him. The Doctor stayed still while Apophis ran his fingers through his tousled hair. Then he suddenly seized it and pulled his head upward. The Doctor gritted his teeth, fighting the pain while the guard kept his knees on the ground and put his hands on his shoulders keeping his hands on the metal floor. "I don't like my slaves to have a flippant tongue," Apophis said as he pulled. "You will speak respectfully to your master." The Doctor gasped when he let go of his hair and his head dropped down. "This is the great Sheltek Na'barak," Apophis said with a look of contempt. "He's nothing more than a weakling, like the humans who serve him." The Doctor looked up when Rose was dragged over to him. She fell to her knees and put her hands on the sides of his face. "Leave him alone, let him up! Get that guard off him!" she said to Apophis. "No!" the Doctor yelled when Apophis grabbed her hair and pulled. "I believe I just told all slaves to hold their flippant tongues," he said to her. "You have been around Sheltek Na'barak too long, you've become just as arrogant as him!" While he was doing that and everyone's attention was focused on Rose, the Doctor very slowly put his hand inside his trouser pocket and withdrew one of the gas grenades. He depressed a button on the top and before anyone could react, he threw it past Apophis. The grenade exploded and gas flooded the room. The Doctor activated his bypass system and got up from the floor when the guard on his back fell over unconscious. He went in the direction; Rose had been in and felt for her through the thick black gas. He found her unconscious body and muttered an apology as he gathered her up in his arms and ran to the door. He set Rose down, used his screwdriver to open the door and picked her back up. He ran out, put her down and closed the door, holding the screwdriver against the keypad until it malfunctioned and locked the door. He looked down at Rose who was still unconscious. "Forgive me, Rose. I couldn't shield you from the gas but you'll recover in about a half hour," he said, laying his hand against her cheek. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder so he'd have his hands free and hurried back to the throne room. While he ran, he reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out another gas grenade. He kept his thumb on the button while he ran but he didn't encounter any opposition. He opened the throne room door with the screwdriver and went inside. He opened the TARDIS door and took Rose inside. He ordered the TARDIS to move Rose's bedroom to the back door and he went inside when she did. He sat her down on her bed and put the grenade down on her nightstand. He used the screwdriver to unlock the manacle and with disgust he took it off and threw it and the chain in the corner. He asked the TARDIS to give her some proper clothing. There was a flash and Rose was clothed in a pink nightdress and underpants. The Doctor then stood her up and held her while he pulled back her covers. He got her into bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. When he finished, he leaned in close and kissed her lips. "You're safe now, my love," he said, pulling her hair back away from her face. "They won't get to you in here. I still have to stop Apophis but with you out of the way, I can concentrate on them. I will return soon, I promise. TARDIS, protect her if anyone happens to get in here, keep her safe, whatever it takes." The TARDIS grunted an affirmative and the Doctor ran his finger down Rose's cheek before he got up from the bed and took the grenade off the table, putting it back in his pocket. He asked the TARDIS to move the lab door to Rose's door and when she did, he took one last loving look at Rose before he turned off her light and closed the door. He went over to a drawer at the back of the lab and opened it. He withdrew a metal headband and studied it as he turned it around in his hand till he got to a small metal box that had a black and red button on it. Then he reached into the drawer and pulled out a metal box that resembled a walkie talkie. The last thing he grabbed was a bottle of smelling salts and an antigravity handle. He then closed the door, put the walkie talkie, bottle and handle in his pocket and asked the TARDIS to move the lab door to the back door of the console room. He then went to the front door of the TARDIS and stepped outside. Locking the door behind him, he headed for the door of the throne room with metal headband in hand. He walked back to the other room and unlocked the door with the screwdriver. He went inside and noticed the gas was nearly gone, making it easy to see his target. He walked over to Apophis and placed the headband around his head, making sure it was tight and secure. He then walked over to Bezrek and snorted when he stood over his unconscious body. He then walked to the intercom, pushed the button and mimicked Apophis's voice, ordering the pilot to transmat himself, Bezrek and Apophis down to the burial chamber inside the great pyramid. His imitation managed to fool the pilot and the Doctor walked back to Bezrek and Apophis and stood with them while the transmat beam surrounded them and took them down to the Great Pyramid.
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