THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB
Chapter Fourteen "Now you will remember to close the Eye once this is finished," the Doctor said while he walked across the walkway towards the light that was shining through two of the reflector staffs. "You do remember that not only will this drain the TARDIS's power but it'll also turn the planet inside out if you keep it open too long?" "Yes, yes, yes," the clone said dismissively as he walked up the stairs. "I do remember what happened before." He paused on the stairs and glared down at the Doctor's companions. "And you lot, don't you dare try anything while we're doing this because I will kill you without a second thought. You can't do anything to stop this so you might as well relax and watch the transfer take place." "And once you finish with this, I'm gonna break your neck and keep on breaking it until you die," River muttered. "This can't be how it ends," Amy said softly. "There's gotta be a way to stop him before he takes the Doctor's lives." She noticed Rose getting an odd look on her face. She glanced up at the clone who was now walking to the light nearest the stairs while the Doctor sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the light furthest from the stairs. He looked down at his companions and caught Rory's eye. Rory frowned when he noticed the Doctor was mouthing something to him. "What? Didn't get that," Rory mouthed back. The Doctor waited till the clone was turning to position himself in the light before he mouthed it again. "He lied," Rory muttered to himself as he read his lips. "When the…transfer starts, we won't be able to move." He raised his eyebrows at that. "So, he won't be able to stop us if we leave?" he mouthed back to the Doctor. The Doctor managed to nod before the light intensified on both him and his clone's face. The Doctor gritted his teeth, fighting the pain while the clone closed his eyes and basked in the knowledge that the Doctor's lives would soon be his. Rory turned to the others. "The Doctor just told me silently that the clone lied to us, they can't move now that the transfer's started." "Oh, so we can kill him and he can't resist?" River said, "Good!" "No, he still has that force field on. I'm betting we still can't penetrate it," Amy said. "Why else would he leave us here and not tie us up." Suddenly, Rose turned and ran out of the room. They watched her go and looked up at the Doctor and the clone. The clone still had his eyes closed but the Doctor managed to focus on them and nodded. "Go!" he mouthed to them. "Get out of here!" "Come on, the clone can't run after us as long as he's linked with the Doctor," River said. "We gotta find a way to stop him." The three of them turned and ran out of the room, heading for the console room. "I wonder where Rose went," Amy said. "Maybe she knows a way to stop him," Rory said as they ran. "She's been with the clone, she might know something we don't." "YOU CAN RUN, BUT I'LL FIND YOU AND KILL YOU AS SOON AS I'M FINISHED HERE!" they heard the clone bellow behind them. "Oh, belt up, you freak," River muttered as they rounded a corner and sprinted for the console room. They ran through the back door and slowed when they saw Rose standing at the console. They went down the stairs towards her. "Are you sure it's safe?" Rose was saying to the console. "I nearly died the last time." "Who are you talking to?" Rory asked as they came up beside her. Rose looked up at them. "The TARDIS. She got my attention back in the Cloister Room. She wanted to speak with me and she's speaking to me telepathically through the mental link I share with her." "What does she say? Can she save the Doctor?" Amy said. "She can't because the Valeyard put that on her," Rose said, pointing to the disc on her console. "I tried taking it off but it shocked me. He's rigged it so no one can take it off." "But she knows a way around it?" Rory asked. "Yeah. She can use me to stop him," Rose said. "You? How?" Rory said. "I have this…entity inside me called Bad Wolf," she said to them. She quickly explained about the Bad Wolf and what happened on Satellite Five while they listened in a stunned silence. "So, you're going to become this…Bad Wolf again?" Rory said when she finished her explanation. "You just said that taking the TARDIS's energy into your body nearly killed you and killed the Doctor." "Yes, but the TARDIS told me that I overdid it the last time because I took in too much. She told me that if she controls the amount that goes into my body, I can become the Bad Wolf and be able to control it and send the energy back to her when I'm finished. She'll give me just enough to awaken the Bad Wolf inside me." "And you'll be able to get past that bastard's force field?"River said. "I s'pose so. I managed to disintegrate all the Daleks around us and the Dalek Emperor. A force field should be easy compared to that," Rose said. "I just hope it works but what choice do we have?" Amy, Rory and River followed her as she walked around to the side of the console facing the front door. She told the TARDIS she was ready and the three of them watched while a hatch flew open on the console near her. Rose bent over and looked into it and the three of them watched in amazement as a golden stream of light burst out and began to flow into her eyes. For ten seconds, Rose was frozen, her expression spellbound as the energy flowed into her and then the hatch closed and Rose leaned back up, her eyes glowing with an unearthly light. "Rose?" Rory said. "I am the Bad Wolf now," Rose said in an ethereal tone of voice. "Can you save the Doctor?" Amy asked. "I can and I can save the clone as well," the Bad Wolf said. "But first…" Bad Wolf lay her hand on the control disc and they watched while it disintegrated into atoms. "Now the TARDIS can close the eye," Bad Wolf informed them. "But that means the clone will be able to move again if the connection is broken," Rory said. Bad Wolf smiled. "Don't worry; he won't be a threat when I get through with him. Come," she said. As they followed her out of the room, they heard the clone screaming in frustration and they knew the TARDIS was closing the Eye. By the time they reached the Cloister Room, the clone was stomping out of the room in a rage. "I don't know what you lot did but you're gonna pay for that!" the clone said, seeing Rory, Amy and River. He froze when Bad Wolf came around them and stared at him with her glowing eyes. River smirked when she noticed a fearful look come over his face. As he stood there, frozen with fear. The Doctor ran out of the room, trying to overtake the clone, and froze when he saw Rose. "Oh, no," the Doctor said. "No, no, not this again." "It's alright, Doctor," Rory said. "She said the TARDIS gave her enough energy to control the Bad Wolf this time." "That is correct," Bad Wolf said. "Rose took too much energy within her the last time. This time I am able to protect her from dying and she will not use the power irresponsibly." "So, you're going to kill me then?" the clone said. "Turn me into atoms like you did with the Daleks?" "That's up to you," Bad Wolf said. "You must be stopped and you must be punished for what you did. However, I still see some potential for good deep within you. You were created to fulfill a purpose and you did that, however, instead of continuing to do good things, you let the rage and darkness within you overtake you and you have become evil. However, there is still a chance that you can become a good person again but it will cost you." "Oh? And what will it cost me?" the clone said, folding his arms over his chest. "It will cost the rest of your Time Lord self," Bad Wolf said. "You have a choice. You can either submit to the chameleon arch and assume a new identity or you can be turned into atoms and cease to exist. It's your choice but I cannot leave you as you are with your tainted and corrupt mind that thrives on hate and chaos. And you should be thankful that I am giving you a choice since you've hurt and demeaned Rose and as her protector, I could kill you just for that. But I am a benevolent being and I will give you a chance because despite all you've done to her, Rose does love you and I know she doesn't want you to die, not if you can be reformed." "But if I go under the chameleon arch, I'll lose my identity," the clone said. "You already lost yourself by turning evil, that's the Bad Wolf's point," the Doctor said to him. "I could have killed you or let you die with Davros but I also saw the good in you and that's why I gave you a chance and entrusted Rose to you. You made some mistakes but with the chameleon arch, you can start over and have a whole new life." "But I'll be human, only one life," the clone said. "Then you better make the most of it, mate," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry that you got caught between two worlds and you weren't able to become a full Time Lord but what you tried to do is wrong. The Master tried the very same thing and his body was absorbed by the TARDIS. At least the Bad Wolf isn't chucking you into the Eye of Harmony without giving you a chance. I'd take her offer if I were you because if she doesn't turn you into atoms, I'll freeze your body and imprison you on the TARDIS forever." "Please," Amy said. "Do this. Don't die, not when you can still do so much good in the universe." The clone looked at all of them and her eyes settled on Bad Wolf. While he watched her, the eyes dimmed slightly allowing Rose's persona to have control for a moment. The clone watched her warily while she came towards him and took his hand. "Please do this," Rose said. "I still love you and I don't want you to die, not when you can have a second chance." The clone stared into her eyes. "How could you love me, after all I did to you?" the clone said. "Because I also saw the good within you, that's why I didn't leave you and kept trying to help you. I put up with your abuse because I hoped that you would finally see what I saw all along. I know you'll be losing your Time Lord half and your identity but you'll have a new life and maybe you can find someone who will love you." "You won't come with me?" the clone said. "No, my place is with here," Rose said. "I'm sorry but it wouldn't be fair to you since I still love the Doctor. You need to find someone who will love you for who you are, not who you resemble. So will you do this for me?" The clone looked around at everyone. "I suppose if I don't do this, you'll all be lining up to beat the living daylights outta me," he said to them. "Pretty much, yeah," the Doctor said. "And River will be queuing up first." "You better believe it," River muttered. The clone sighed. "I s'pose I don't have a choice. I don't wanna die but…I don't wanna lose my Time Lord side either." "Being human isn't so bad," Amy said. "And I think your two sides have been at war with each other since you were born," the Doctor said. "I think part of you wants to be human but the other half wants to be a Time Lord. If you want my opinion, I think the human side is more dominant since Donna got your Time Lord mind and I think you'd do better as a human." The clone thought about that for a moment then he looked at the Doctor. "Okay, if I become a new person, could I travel with you as a companion then?" he asked. "Um…well…" "If I have a new identity, I won't think of myself as the Doctor so I won't be a danger to you, right?" the clone said. "You lot told me I need to get out there and do some good in the universe. So why can't I do some good as your companion?" "Um…one moment, quick conference between current companions and me," the Doctor said. The clone gasped when the Bad Wolf briefly came back and immobilized the clone in a force field. Then she retreated enough that Rose's persona took dominance and she and the others walked several feet away from the clone and got in a huddle. While the clone stood there and waited impatiently for their meeting to end, he sensed a tickle in his mind. Do you know me, a voice said in his mind. Yes, you're the TARDIS, he thought back. But why are you speaking to me? Because I agree with the others. There is still the potential to be a good person within you and I wanted to ask you to use the chameleon arch and become human. But, I don't wanna lose myself, my identity, the clone thought. You lost yourself the moment you succumbed to your inner rage and darkness. You were brought into being to be a force for good in the universe but you became unstable because you couldn't live with yourself as a human so you ended up hurting the woman that tried to love you and nearly killing her and everyone here in the process. But I don't want to see you die so I'm asking you to do this for me. And become one of the Doctor's companions? That's up to them. But whatever happens, I want you to make your life into something wonderful. I do care for you despite what you've become. The clone teared up at that and the TARDIS nudged his mind affectionately. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the TARDIS. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should forget this life and everything I've done and become someone else." The TARDIS nudged his mind again and for the first time in a long time, the clone began to weep softly while he waited for the Doctor and the others to finish their meeting.
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