Birth of a Time Lady

Arcadia

The entire world was falling to chaos around her. Buildings, formerly so tall and proud and glittering, were dust and ruins. Fires and explosions raged in the distance. The occasional blasts of pulsating gunfire, from both sides, were peppered with the cries of the fallen and the Dalek screeches of "Exterminate".

She sprinted through a side alley, just in time to avoid the collapse of another wall behind her. The two young men behind her hadn't been so lucky. That was two more dead, in a list that seemed forever growing. Truth be told, she'd lost count of how many bodies she had seen that day alone.

She crouched behind a heap of rubble, looking around for anything she could use to defend herself. About fifty feet down the main road, she saw it. There were abandoned pieces of armor, from a guard it seemed. She even thought she saw a gun. Not a large one, but it was better than nothing.

Taking extra caution as she rose from her hiding place, she crept down the side of the building, moving carefully and out of traditional lines of sight. The Daleks gliding through the sky were flocking to battle sites deeper in the city, ignoring her.

When she reached her goal, she scrounged through the usable pieces. The helmet was too dented. The arm guards would fit though, if she tightened them a bit. She had her own chest plate, so no need for that.

The real lucky find was a bandolier of ammunition for the gun. She strapped that on enthusiastically before checking to make sure the firearm was still in working condition. It was, although it was a little scruffy looking from being left in the street. She holstered it while strapping on the arm guards. Now, at least, she could fight back if worst came to worst.

All this, just to reach the city's TARDIS hangars. Before the war she could have strolled right up to them and requested permission inside. But now, with the heaviest concentration of fighting in that section of the city, she needed something more than charm. And she absolutely had to reach them. Arcadia was falling, that much she knew. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the planet did as well. They were losing the war, here, now. So she had to escape from it.

She felt no guilt about running. She'd never been an unnecessarily brave or daring soul. This was no longer about defending the universe or saving her people. Those causes were already lost. Now it was about self preservation.

Somewhere closer she head a Dalek gun firing. She became instantly more alert, drawing her pistol and hoping that she could get a good shot in its eyestalk if one approached her. Blinding them was usually the most effective, given that they were probably shielded everywhere else.

Right. North by northwest, she reminded herself. She had maybe forty blocks before she reached the hangars. Then she could steal a functional ship and get off this planet.

She actually smirked slightly at the thought, though it was mostly humorless. She really should have taken a leaf out of the Doctor's book long ago. The irony that she hadn't in the past, but was prepared to do so now at the eleventh hour, was dawning on her as she made her progress.

About halfway to her destination, after sprinting for another cover point, she saw a trio of Daleks crossing the road at an intersection. Her breath caught, and weapon drawn, she kept carefully hidden in a doorway until she heard them pass. She leaned out of her hiding point carefully, to check that they were indeed gone, before continuing. Close calls were never pleasant.

The Daleks, however, apparently met some sort of a catastrophe not too far away. They all started yelling something, layered over each other so she couldn't tell what it was. All she knew was that they sounded... afraid.

Immediately after, an explosion and the mechanical screaming of injured Daleks reached her ears. The force of it rocked the street she was on and made her stumble slightly. Who or what had gotten the Daleks into such a state?

Before she could finish that line of thought, she heard someone walking through the alley to her right. She whipped around, gun raised. They must have been coming from the street the Daleks were on, and it was better to be safe than sorry - or, in the case of Daleks, dead.

She saw a distinctly humanoid looking silhouette appear on the wall of the building. Although she was fairly sure now it wasn't a Dalek, she kept her gun raised. She didn't dare speak to the figure, in case more Daleks were in the area. It wasn't until the figure rounded the corner, and she saw his face, that she knew exactly what had happened to the Daleks.

It was the Doctor.

She hadn't laid direct eyes on him in years. Centuries even. The only reason she recognized him now was because his picture, of this warrior regeneration, had so often been circulated among the Council. But then, he must know it was her too. He would have pictures and names of all the Council members.

Her suspicions were confirmed at the sudden look of recognition on his face. He knew her. She lowered her firearm, tempted to run towards him. Her old friend, found again at last. Despite everything, a smile found its way onto her face, and she saw a shadow of one on his own.

That was about the time she felt a bolt in her back.

The plate armor kept her from being instantly killed. But she was stunned, the wind knocked out of her as she fell to the ground. Her hearing was muffled, her vision swimming.

Everything happened so fast. She saw him scream a soundless cry. He tried to run towards her, but secondary bolts, unmistakably Dalek ones, fired at the wall of the building. The rubble blocked his path, and she felt herself being dragged along as the Daleks made their escape. The last thing she was aware of was the sensation of being lifted slightly as the Daleks transported her away from the city.

It wasn't until several minutes later, after clawing so hard at the rubble his hands were bruised and bleeding, that her old friend whispered words of resignation and resolution both.

"No more."