Thirteenth X Clara - Alternative

Chapter 17: The Rescue

The two were dragged in the opposite direction as they saw Clary go her separate way, almost with a bounce in her step like she was excited about this.

Despite the continued strange look of the place, Clara instantly recognized a military commander's office when she saw one. Clary must be at the head of this. They had been in there for ten minutes, awaiting Clary's arrival. Her mind, however, was constantly trying to figure out how to escape and reach the Doctor. All plans she thought of would end up with Victoria still in danger, so those couldn't be used. Before she could think of any more, the door swung open to reveal the smiling faces of Alara and Clary as they came in with a guard protecting them at the rear.

"Missed me?" Alara said, with a sick smile. Clara hit herself mentally. She should have made sure to keep her in check.

"I only wished I'd made sure I got you locked up." Clara responded with a growing fury.

"Sorry for being late. We just needed to wanted to make sure your sleeping beauty was taken care of before we arrived here."

"So you've done it already, have you?" Clara said, with a hint of defeat in her voice.

"Oh no, she really is just sleeping, knocked out actually. We have no current plans to kill her. That, of course, may change, but for now, we will do whatever we want with her for however long." Alara said with a slightly over the top but still evil laugh.

Clara tried to get away from the Echor holding her to somehow strike Alara again, but she was held back, her teeth gnashing, as she couldn't make her pay for it.

"I swear, I will get the Doctor back and we will stop you, if it's the last thing we do." She tried to say something else, but her words were stopped as she was faced by a Froridian blaster held by Clary.

"Swear all you want, but you're gonna do no such thing. Now the plan was for Alara to pose as the Doctor and find and immobilize Victoria after we killed you, but you've brought her here to us like a gift so we can kill two birds with one stone." Clary said as she handed the gun over to Alara.

"Now I promised dear Alara after I told her the good news, that she'd get to kill you. The Doctor told us you were immortal, but I wanted to put that to the test myself."

Alara shuffled over to Clara as she pointed the blaster at her temple. Clara tried to put on a brave face, but in reality, she was scared. Terrified, even. The Doctor's suggestion of them having weapons that could derail or prevent regeneration came back to her mind and worried her. There was a chilly feeling of this being the end. She hoped the blaster wouldn't be enough to kill her, but she honestly couldn't be sure. If it was, she was at least happy she got those last few days with her.

"Go on then, do it."

"Oh, I have every intention to." Alara said with a dirty grin as she armed the blaster.

Clara knew it was only a matter of time until the blaster was ready to be fired so she counted her last moments in her head, but not before giving one last statement to the Echors around her, tears falling down her face.

"Now I don't know where the Doctor is. But I know where she will be. Where she will always be. As long as she is alive, she will have my back."

As she heard the last click, she tensed up and pleaded for her to save her. "I'm right, aren't I? Go on. Please, please, go on, say I'm right."

She closed her eyes and awaited the final blow and the likely end to her life, but... nothing came. She expected the sweet release of death, but all she felt was the wind upon her face. Suddenly, she felt a kiss on her forehead.