SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Chapter Thirteen Trevor chuckled as he sized up his competition. "As you can see, I've already done in some of the others," he said, gesturing to the dead bodies around him. "Three more won't matter." "Trevor, listen to me, this isn't a real competition," Ten said to him. "I know, mate," Trevor said. "I dispatched these without breaking a sweat. And they're supposed to be the greatest fighters in the universe? My gran could have beaten em." "The game is rigged," Jack said. "How'd ya mean, rigged?" Trevor said, his eyes narrowing. "The raptors are trained not to attack them," Amala said, pointing to the Doctor and Jack. "They are being kept alive." "Oh? And what's so special about you?" Trevor sneered at the Doctor. "I'm guessing that this Gamemaster is an old enemy of mine and that's why he's disguised himself," the Doctor said. "Tough luck, mate. Seems like everyone hates your scrawny little arse," Trevor said. "Anyway, enough talk. I want to move on and slaughter the rest of the weaklings." Amala held her dagger up in front of her and Jack readied his. The Doctor pulled out his sonic and Jack rolled his eyes. He quickly took off his rucksack, opened it and rooted around until he found a small hatchet. He threw it to the Doctor and ducked behind Amala long enough to close it up and put it on his back again. Trevor chuckled. "Got one of those as well. It's right behind me, behind the trees. If you can kill me, you can have it," he said. "But you have to kill me first." Amala lunged at him first. Trevor laughed and sidestepped her easily but Jack was right behind her and managed to deck him in the face. Trevor growled as he stumbled back and lashed out with his dagger while Amala flipped over his head. He grunted when Amala kicked him hard in the back and he stumbled to his knees. "Not as easy to kill someone when they're teaming up, eh?" the Doctor said to him as he walked up. Trevor gnashed his teeth and leapt to his feet. As he lunged at the Doctor, Jack ran towards his left side while Amala ran at his back. Trevor tried to slash the Doctor with his knife but the Doctor deflected the blade with the hatchet and slashed at his torso with it. Trevor jumped back from it and rolled away when Amala tried to stab him in the back. "Aren't there rules against teaming up?" he growled at the three adversaries. "There are no rules, remember?" Jack taunted. "What's wrong, the three of us too much to handle." The Doctor heard a chittering behind him. He turned to see three raptors were coming out of the woods. He smirked when he saw the panicked look on Trevor's face. "I can stop them," the Doctor said to Trevor. "But you have to stop attacking us and listen." "Fuck you," Trevor said. He tried to attack the Doctor but stopped short when the three raptors started towards him. The Doctor told Amala to get behind him while the raptors eyed Trevor hungrily. "Trevor, join us," Jack said while Trevor started to back away. "You can't survive on your own." Trevor quickly glanced at them and the Doctor could see fear on his face while the raptors chittered and talked to one another. "They're sizing you up," the Doctor said to Trevor. "They're working out how best to attack you. I can stop them but only if you promise to quit attacking us." "Why aren't they attacking you?" Trevor said. "Because they're programmed not to," Jack said. "And we have Amala behind us and so far they're not interested in her. You, on the other hand, are a different story. Listen to the Doctor." "Stop them!" Trevor said while the raptors began to circle him. "I won't stop them unless you give me your word you'll join us," the Doctor said. "I'm not saving you and having you turn on us ten seconds later." "Yeah, yeah, just make them stop!" Trevor yelled while the raptor in front of him opened his mouth and showed his prey his sharp teeth. The Doctor chittered at them to stop but this time, the raptors didn't respond. He tried again but the raptors were ignoring him. "I thought you said you could stop them," Trevor said hysterically as he started to lash out with his dagger. "They won't listen to me," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry." Trevor screamed when the three raptors pounced on him and the Doctor, Jack and Amala turned away and ran when they began to tear the screaming man apart. When they ducked into the trees, the Doctor spied Trevor's rucksack leaning against a tree. He snatched it up and the three of them ran away while Trevor continued to scream in anguish. XOXOXOXOXOXOXO Rose couldn't believe what was happening. The TARDIS had trapped her feet in the floor and neither she nor Rory could get free. While they struggled, the Valeyard was calmly concocting something in the lab. They could see him walking back and forth through the open door but they had no idea what he was doing and that added to Rose's nervousness. She looked behind her but the Doctor was still lying across the pod, completely paralyzed. She looked at the pod under him. She wondered if the TARDIS could break free of the Valeyard's control long enough to open them. She knew that the TARDIS could hear her thoughts and read her mind. She had done it several times in the past when Rose needed something and she gave it to her without her having to ask anyone. She closed her eyes and asked the TARDIS to try to open the remaining capsules. She heard a faint grunt which she hoped was the TARDIS letting her know she would try. Meanwhile, the Valeyard finished whatever he was doing and came into the room holding two vials in his hands. The vials were filled with a jet black liquid that Rose was sure wasn't liquid licorice. The Valeyard walked over to her first and held the vial up to her face. "Care to guess what this is?" he said to her. "Something that'll turn me into your zombie slave whore?" Rose said with more confidence than she felt. "Wow, you catch on fast, my little flower," the Valeyard said. "So I'm becoming your zombie slave whore as well?" Rory said. The Valeyard chuckled. "Well, not the whore part of it in your case but both of you are going to serve me as you did before." "Before?" Rose said. "I am not from this universe, my pet," the Valeyard said. "Has he ever told you about the void?" "I've been across it, to another universe," Rose said. "Good. Then I won't have to explain to you that there are many universes with subtle differences between them. In another universe, I was a Time Lord but unlike my counterpart here, I was committed to conquering and destroying the universe instead of protecting it. And to help me do that, I did what he did and took companions. But my companions were…modified so they had no problem helping me conquer worlds." "And I was one of those…modified companions?" Rose said with disgust. "Oh I didn't have to modify you, my beloved. You were evil in my universe, a wanted serial killer who showed no mercy when you tortured and killed your victims. That's why you became supreme among my helpers and became my lover." Rose was repulsed by that but the Valeyard chuckled. "Dearest, these universes all have variations to them. If you are good and kind in this universe, why wouldn't you be a ruthless killer in another?" "And me?" Rory said. "You were much the same as you are here. A male nurse," the Valeyard sneered. "But you proved useful so I modified you and made you serve me." "So I'm guessing you want to kill the Doctors here so you can be the only one," Rose said. "Ooo. See, Doctor, in both universes, Rose is a very bright spark. You were drawn to her in the same way I was." "Drawn to her?" Rory said, looking back at the Doctor. "What about River?" "River? Who's River?" Rose asked Rory while the Doctor coughed nervously. "Our daughter. Mine and Amy's. She's in one of those two pods," Rory said, pointing to them. "The Doctor fell in love with her." "Which didn't happen in my universe," the Valeyard said gleefully when Rose gave the Doctor a shocked look. "But I did use her as an assassin." "You love this River now?" Rose said. "I love you both," the Doctor said. Rose didn't respond to that but the Doctor could see her thinking that over. His hearts ached knowing she was probably devastated at hearing that but he loved both women dearly and each had a special place in his hearts. The Valeyard was gleeful when he saw the dull look on Rose's face as she turned her attention back to him and he longed to get free and throttle him. While he lay there, he suddenly sensed the TARDIS straining in his mind and he thought to her. His eyes widened a bit when she told him what Rose had requested and hope swelled in his hearts that she would succeed. "Look, why don't I make you an offer," Rose said to the Valeyard. "I'm listening," the Valeyard said. "I will go willingly with you and do your bidding if you spare everyone else," Rose said. "I'll go back to the other universe with you." "Go back? I don't want to go back, my pet. I'm being hunted there. Here, I can start over and resume my conquest of the…" "Yeah, right, fine. I'll help you if you spare everyone else," Rose said, annoyed. "And if I let everyone go, they come after me," the Valeyard said with a withering look. "My child, you're request is noble but extremely stupid." "Are you going to kill them then?" Rose said. "Well, I was going to keep Rory, albeit in an enslaved state. But as for him, yes, he will be put to death along with the idiot in the forest. Jack…he can't die so I'll turn him as well but the Time Lords have to go." "Let me kill them then," Rose said. Rory's mouth dropped open. He looked back at the Doctor but Eleven was studying Rose closely while he listened. Rory suddenly had a thought about why the Doctor wasn't panicking. "You want to kill your lovers?" the Valeyard said. "I want them to have a quick and painless death. If they're going to die, let me do it. I don't want them ripped to death by your pets," Rose said. "Why do I get the feeling this is a plan you're concocting?" the Valeyard said. "Then put me to death with them because I'm not having any of that…stuff," Rose said, pointing to the vials. The Valeyard was deep in thought for a few moments before he suddenly turned and walked back into the laboratory. When he came back out, he was empty handed. "I have an idea of my own," the Valeyard said. "One that involves all of you."
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