Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 44 - Victory of the Daleks, Part 2

"Yes, Doctor," Churchill agreed, entering the room with another Dalek close behind him. "Death to our enemies! Death to the forces of darkness, and death to the Third Reich!"

"Yes, Winston," the Doctor agreed as if the man were an idiot before snapping, "And death to everyone else, too!"

He paused for breath when the Dalek behind Churchill rolled up to them. "Would you care for some tea?" it offered. Lyssa glanced warily at the Doctor, who seemed about ready to blow. And blow he did.

He smacked the tray, causing it and the cup to fall to the floor and shatter, spilling tea on the floor. "Stop this! What are you doing here? What do you want?" he demanded harshly.

"We seek only to help you," the Dalek answered.

"To do what?" he challenged. 

"To win the war."

"Really?" the Doctor seemed to calm, though his voice was still very dangerous. "Which war might that be?"

"I do not understand," the Dalek stated as innocently as a mass murderer could.

"This war, against the Nazis? Or your war? The war against the rest of the Universe? The war against all life-forms that are not Dalek?" the Doctor spat, growing heated again. Lyssa bit her lip, watching him carefully. This entire situation hung on tenterhooks, and neither Amy, Churchill, nor Bracewell seemed inclined to help.

"I do not understand. I am your soldier," the Dalek repeated.

His face grew darker. "Oh, yeah? Okay." He turned around and grabbed a giant wrench off the table. "Okay, soldier. Defend yourself!" he sneered, taking a swing at the Dalek. Despite knowing it was going to happen, Lyssa couldn't help a flinch at the resounding clang. There was no reaction from the Dalek, and he promptly swung at it again. 

"Stop it!" Bracewell demanded, looking to Churchill when the Doctor didn't stop. "Prime Minister, please!" 

"Doctor, please, these machines are precious!" Churchill protested. 

Lyssa couldn't help a sneer, crossing her arms over her chest. "They're strong enough to completely wipe a Nazi plane from existence. Bullets can't stop them, let alone a wrench." 

"Come on! Fight back! You know you want to!" the Doctor shouted, the Dalek noticeably making only token protests against his actions. 

"Doctor, I must protest," Bracewell said indignantly. "Why are you trying to harm them?"

"Please desist from striking me," the Dalek, well, pleaded, and if Lyssa didn't know better, she might have felt sorry for it. "I am your soldier."

The Doctor's face twisted with hate. "You are my enemy!" He punctuated each word with a hit. "And I am yours! You are everything I despise! The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you. Time and time again, I've defeated you. I sent you back into the Void! I saved the whole of reality from you! I am the Doctor! And you -"

"Doctor, don't!" Lyssa shouted, cutting him off just in time. He jerked his head to her, breathing heavily. "Remember what I said?" she asked, softening her tone. "Don't fall for it." 

He nodded once, dropping the heavy wrench on the floor with a resounding clang and returning his gaze to the Dalek. "I am the Doctor. And you... are not going to win. Not this time," he swore, glaring at the creature before turning away, clenching his hands into fists. 

The Dalek watched him as he strode away, then swiveled its eyestalk back to Lyssa, though it said nothing. 

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and had to force down a shiver, unwilling to show fear to the predator if she could avoid it. She met its gaze evenly, letting it see her distrust - if the Doctor was right about how they regarded her, it wouldn't believe her seeming to trust it anyway - and let out a silent sigh of relief when it finally rolled out of the room, followed by the Prime Minister, while Bracewell returned to his work now that the confrontation was over.