PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Thirty Four "D'ya ever get tired of being hustled back and forth through this building?" the Doctor said to Rose while they followed the guards. "I'd like a proper tour of Torchwood, not just corridors and interrogation rooms." "Doctor, what's going on? With John, I mean," Rose said. "Dunno. But I'm thinking the "You don't know everything" is significant. Perhaps things aren't what they seem here. Seems like there's a power play at the very least. I think my clone is thinking about doing the Valeyard in and doesn't want him to know it. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. You didn't hear that, of course," the Doctor said to the guards. They didn't respond or look at him and the Doctor shrugged and gave Rose's hand a squeeze. The guards led them to another room. They opened the door and the Doctor stiffened when he saw a large metal tube with a door carved in the front of it. Various wires and cables snaked out the back to a control panel on the left side of the room. Beside the tube, the Valeyard stood, smirking at them. "I assume you know what this is, judging by your reaction," he said, gesturing to the tube. "Suspended animation chamber," the Doctor said. "So this is it then. We're going to be put to sleep," Rose said. "Only for a little while. Until I can harvest you," the Valeyard said. "You? I thought John was going to get our lives," the Doctor said. The Valeyard snorted. "That little egomaniac isn't about to become more powerful than me," he said. "See, Rose? I was right! I was right about the betrayer being betrayed. I'm made of awesome," the Doctor said. Rose tried not to laugh at the annoyed look on the Valeyard's face. "I now know where the clone gets his arrogance from," he said to the Doctor. "Here you are, at my mercy and you're being flippant." "Yup, that's me, Mister Flippant," the Doctor said. "I like to make a joke or two while I'm in danger. Keeps things interesting and keeps the villains on their toes since they don't know when I'm going to turn deadly serious. And trust me; you wouldn't like it when I'm deadly serious because people tend to suffer then." The Valeyard rolled his eyes at the Doctor's menacing look. "You'll forgive me if I'm not scared at that," he said. He ordered the guards to watch them while he walked over to the control panel. While he was there, the Doctor heard the door open. He looked over his shoulder and saw John enter the room. The Valeyard glanced over his shoulder and pointed to the Doctor and Rose. "Watch them while I do this. I'm preparing to send them to sleep. Make sure they don't do anything while my back is turned." Without closing the door, John walked over to them. The Valeyard turned his head around and began pushing buttons and flipping switches on the console. The Doctor looked at John and John put his finger to his lips, shushing them before he pretended to scratch his cheek to hide what he just did. The Doctor raised his eyebrow when Rose looked at him and he winked back at her. A smile spread over his face when the realization of what was happening struck him. "John?" Rose mouthed to him. "Are you on our side?" John smiled and put his finger to his lips and shushed her again. The Doctor and Rose shared a gleeful look before they went back to being passive. The Valeyard pushed another button and the chamber door slid open revealing a stark white interior. The Valeyard turned around and frowned when he noticed the door was left open. "Do you mind closing that? I don't want the rest of Torchwood to know what we're doing," he said to John. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to close it, how careless of me," John said. The Valeyard rolled his eyes when John turned and walked over to the door. While John was doing that, the Doctor felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him but nobody was touching him. "Doctor," Pete's whispered in his ear, "don't speak. I have a cloaking device on and so does Jack, River, Amy and Rory. John freed them and now we're all in the room. Just don't let on that you know we're here and we'll do the rest." The Doctor nodded quickly to show he understood. John came up beside the Doctor and the Valeyard ordered him to put the Doctor and Rose into the tube. The Doctor shared a glance with his clone and he and Rose walked with John to the tube. "Get in," John growled at them. "And don't cause any trouble!" "Come on, Rose. We don't have any choice," the Doctor said. They both got inside the tube and turned to the front. John watched them and quickly winked as he closed the door. "Is this it?" Rose said softly as she looked around at the lighted interior, "are we really going to be frozen?" "Doubt it," the Doctor said before he whispered to her what Pete told him. When he pulled away, Rose had a huge grin on his face. "I wondered if Dad would come back to help," she said softly. "So John's been on our side all along?" "Seems so. He probably pretended to be evil to lure the Valeyard into a trap. I'm sure he allowed you to escape in the hopes you'd find me and…" He shut up when they heard muffled yells outside the tube. They flinched when something thudded up against the tube. "Apparently, there's a battle going on outside the door," the Doctor said. "And you're upset that you're in here?" Rose said. "Very," the Doctor said. He looked at the door but it had no handle. He tried to slide it open and cursed when he couldn't. "Ah well, guess I'll just stand here until someone frees us," he said while they listened to the sounds of battle. They heard a muffled gunshot and the Valeyard's pained yell and the Doctor widened his eyes. "Jack or River did that, any bets on which one?" he said. "Um…Jack," Rose said. "Fiver?" the Doctor said. "No." "Why not?" the Doctor said. "You didn't pay me the last time I won," Rose said. "When was that?" "We are not amused? Remember?" "No, she said I am not amused, it's not the same so I don't have to pay up." "Yeah, right, you're just sore that she actually said it and proved ya wrong," Rose said. The battle sounds ceased and the Doctor and Rose turned their attention to the door. "Oi!" the Doctor said, pounding on the door. "We want out now! Kindly open the door!" The door slid open and John grinned at them. "After you," he said, stepping aside. "So…you were being sneaky, is that it?" the Doctor said as he and Rose stepped down. "Course I was. It's second nature to me, especially since I have a bit of Donna in me," John said. The Doctor looked around. Everyone was visible now. The guards were lying around the room, knocked out while the Valeyard lay by the console, a bullet hole in his stomach. He gasped for air as the Doctor and Rose walked over to him. "Well, seems you underestimated everyone," the Doctor said to the Valeyard. "You shoulda made Pete come with us when you had the chance but you didn't and here you are, lying on the floor bleeding. It seems your arrogance was your undoing. You not only underestimated us but John as well. My clone played you like a fiddle." "I'll get you, I'll get you all," the Valeyard gasped. He tried to rise but River ran over and pointed her revolver at him. "Stay there or get another bullet in the gut," she said. "Did you shoot him?" the Doctor said to her. "Yeah, why?" River said. "I win, pay up," the Doctor said to Rose. "Pay up? We didn't agree to the bet," Rose said. "Pay up anyway in recognition of my rightness," the Doctor said. Rose looked at his outstretched hand. She reached into her jean pocket, found some fuzz and put it in his hand. "There. I paid up," she said before she hurried away. "I can see why you two are best mates. The two of you are extremely cheeky," the Doctor said to River while she chuckled.
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next