the last of their kind !
( xiii. angels are the keys to the universe )
Karielle slammed Sarah Jane's car door shut along with the other four. They all stood in the parking lot as children made their daily routines to school. "Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers," The Doctor order the two girls. He reached into his pocket for his screwdriver, but couldn't find it. He patted his pockets before looking at Karielle, who stood beside him, holding the sonic out. "I need to see the hardware inside." He continued, taking the thing from the archangel and then passing it to Sarah Jane, not even commenting on how she could have gotten it. "You might need this."
Rose huffed disheartenedly and let her arm, that was held out to take the screwdriver, fall to her side. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."
Mickey jolted back, offended. "Just stand outside?"
"Here, take these," Sarah Jane tossed her keys to him, as they began to walk away from Mickey. "you can keep K9 company."
"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack." The Doctor called, tucking his hands in his pockets.
"But he's metal!" Mickey retorted, throwing his hands up in the air.
"I didn't mean for him." Karielle slapped The Doctor's arm, causing him to wince. "What was that for?!"
She sent him a pointed look. "Stop bickering."
Rose fell in step beside Karielle, looking to her driver. "What're you going to do?"
"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch." The Doctor told her. He wrapped his hand around Karielle's. "Rielle, stick with me. If they're after you, then it's my job to make sure they don't get you. You're not leaving my side."
She rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself, you know."
He cracked a grin at her. "Never doubted you could."
Karielle narrowed her eyes at his words. They seemed so familiar, like she'd heard them before. She shook her head, brushing her thoughts off and followed The Doctor into the school.
_____
Karielle looked over the railing of a flight of stairs as Finch walked by. He stopped and looked up at her. She held her head high and walked away. He knew where to go.
_____
Karielle and The Doctor walked into the swimming pool room. Opposite of them, standing across the pool, was Finch. "Who are you?" The Doctor called over to Mr. Finch, keeping a tight grip on Karielle's hand. Like her with him, he felt insanely protective of her. She was his companion. But he couldn't remember ever feeling like this with Rose. Then again, Rose never had aliens after her.
"My name is Brother Lassa." Finch, or Brother Lassa, responded. "And the both of you?"
"The Doctor."
"Karielle." The angel spoke, keeping her gaze trained on the Krillitane. Brother Lassa seemed pleased with her speaking. The Doctor shifted the attention back over to him, pulling her closer to him.
"Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"
Finch stared Karielle down, who's gaze didn't break away. He finally looked over to the Doctor. "It's been our form for nearly ten generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day. Just imagine." Brother Lassa began to paced around the pool, heading towards the two. The Doctor started pacing in the opposite direction. Karielle followed, considering he had her hand. She wasn't going anywhere.
"And now you've gotten yourselves a human forms." Karielle mused as the three of them stopped pacing, finding themselves still facing off in opposite sides of the pool.
"A personal favourite," Brother Lassa said. "that's all."
"And the others?" The Doctor asked.
"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion." The Doctor nodded along, biting down on his lower lip. Karielle immedantly averted her gaze, trying to keep herself from blushing. She rolled her eyes at herself. "Pathetic." "Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath." The Krillitane began to pace again and this time The Doctor began to walk towards him. "And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and. . .chaos." Brother Lassa sent Karielle a look. He recognized her name. "And of course, they're all but extinct. Only you. The last. "
Karielle tilted her head, glaring slightly as The Doctor questioned. "This plan of yours. What is it?"
"You don't know." Finch stated, surprised.
"That's why I'm asking." The Doctor stopped moving, letting Finch meet him. Karielle stood beside The Doctor. Like she was going to back down from a bat.
"Well," Finch stepped closer to the two. Karielle could feel her eyes begin to burn. She had to close her eyes. No matter who was sizing her up, no matter who was threatening her, she couldn't let it loose. "Show me how clever the two of you are. Work it out."
The Doctor stepped forward, seeing Karielle squeeze her eyes shut out if the corner of his eye. He moved so that he had Karielle slightly behind him. "If we don't like it, then it will stop."
"Fascinating." Finch breathed, tauntingly. "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"
Karielle shifted from one foot to the other.
"I'm so old now." Karielle watched as The Doctor stared Finch down, only inches between the two. "I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it."He began to walk away with Karielle-
"But what of the angels?" Brother Lassa questioned. Karielle turned back to him, even with The Doctor's quiet protesting. "It's been years since the universe has heard if them. What happened to them? And who are you, Karielle. Your name isn't known to the Krillitanes, but all your brothers are."
She walked forth, dropping The Doctor's hand. He followed behind her closely. "I'm not just an angel, Brother Lassa." She smirked as his eyes widened. "It would do you well to heed our warning. You really don't want to fight a war against an Archangel, because you will lose."
"But we're not even enemies." He replied as they began to walk away. The Doctor turned back to him, to listen. "Soon you will embrace us. The next time we meet, you will join with me." Finch walked passed them. "I promise you."
"Not even over my dead body." Karielle retorted. Finch turned to her before leaving.
"Oh, we'll need you alive for what's yet to come."
Karielle and The Doctor exchanged glances as Karielle took his hand again. Her eyes continued to burn even after they left the pool.
_____
"All the time." Karielle heard Sarah Jane say as The Doctor and her mad their way to the maths department. "Does he still stroke bits of the Tardis?"
"Yeah! Yeah, he does. Elle and I are like, do you two want to be alone?" Rose told the women before she broke down in fits of laughter, along with Sarah Jane. Karielle smiled at the sound. They were bonding.
The Doctor and angel finally reached the room. "How's it going?" He questioned. In response the girls continued to laugh. Karielle found herself covering her moth with her hand in attempt to cover up her own laughter at The Doctor's confused look.
"What?" He asked. The hystia had began to set in with the girls and now even Karielle had to bend over to keep herself from falling over because she had been laughing so hard. "Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these."
The Time Lord glanced between Karielle and the other two companions. "What? Stop it!" He was starting to wish they'd go back to bickering.
_____
Finch walked into the administrations office to find his fellow brothers. "Brothers," He greeted. "We must initiate the final phase. Get the children inside and seal the school. Our time has come, my brothers. Today we shall become Gods."
_____
The girls quickly sobered up when a lady came over the coms. "All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room."
Karielle sighed. "Whatever they're planning, it's starting." She looked around, running a hand through her hair. "We need to get inside these computers."
The Doctor nodded and set off to work with Sarah Jane while Rose and Karielle began to direct the kids away from the room. "No, no." Rose called over the children. "This classroom's out of bounds. You've all got to go to the South Hall."
Karielle nodded, turning away children as well. "Off you go. South Hall!"
_____
Finch along with all his Krillitane friends followed him into the staff's room. Mr. Parson's stood. "What is it now, Mister Finch?"
"A slight change in the timetable." He replied grimly. One of the other teachers closed the door. "We're having an early lunch."
_____
Karielle cringed when the sounds of screams filled her enhanced ears. She cringed even more at what it meant. "They've just devoured the rest of the staff. We're running out of time!" She called to The Doctor.
She could hear him groan. "I can't shift it. You know, I could use a little help!" She rolled her eyes but jogged back into the room with Rose on her heel.
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah chimed.
He flipped the box around in his hand, examining the wires. "Anything except a deadlock seal. There's got to be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?" He wondered aloud.
The Angel glanced around the room again. She had no idea and time was running out. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
_____
Brother Lassa came into his office and sat at his desk. He booted his computer up. "Close the school." He started up the security lock down.
_____
The Doctor place the box down. "Hey, Rielle, could you do that bit with you're magic?"
Her eyes widened before face palming. "Oh course! Why hadn't I thought of that." She ran back over to him, picking up the box in her hands and looking it over.
Sarah Jane perked up. "Bit with her what?" Rose only waved her off as she watched Karielle narrow her eyes and toss the thing to the side. Everybody sent her alarmed look. She rolled her eyes, moving to a computer. "Oh don't give me that look. We didnt need it." She placed her hand on top of the machine and it immedantly jolted to life.
Symbols started to flash across the screen. "You wanted the program, well there it is!" Sarah Jane said. Karielle and The Doctor looked up from the computer to the bigger screen ahead.
Their eyes scanned the screen. "Some sort of code." He muttered Karielle stepped towards the screen, tilting her head.
"Universe." She translated, roughly. "Maker. Change." Her eyes widened. "Oh, my god. No."
The Doctor must have reached the same conclusion. "No, no, no. That can't be."
"Oh, that's it alright." Karielle told with a shake of her head. "Not good at all." "Doctor, that's the Skasis Paradigm."
"They actually want to crack the Skasis Paradigm!" Karielle cried in shock.
"The Skasis what?" Sarah asked. The Doctor snapped out of a daze.
"The God maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe." He explained.
"Time, space, matter, you can have it all. Yours to control." Karielle continued. "My kind, we created that lock. No one should ever hold that much power. Unlock that and you'll have the universe in your hands." Karielle paced running hands through her hair as tried to think of a solution.
Rose looked to her. "What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Karielle nodded.
"Yes." The Doctor spoke, bedor his eyes widened further. He was finally putting the peices together. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."
"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them." Rose said. Karielle looked to her.
"What's fifty nine times thirty five?"
Rose replied instantly. "Two thousand and sixty five." She paused. "Oh, my God."
"But why use children?" Sarah questioned. "Can't they use adults?"
"No, it's got to be children. The God maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls. That's why they needed me." Karielle elaborate, now that everything was finally making since. "Hook me up to a computer and it would take me no time at all to crack it. Angels are the keys to the universe."
"Let the lesson begin." Karielle spun around to face Finch. The Doctor was by her side in an instant. She glared at the bat creature. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."
"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch?" The Doctor scoffed. "Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."
"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order?" Finch retorted. "Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."
Karielle snorted in amusement. "What, by you? Please."
"No, someone like you." Finch told her. She froze. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do, the both of you." He nodded towards the Doctor. "Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn."
"Doctor, don't listen to him." Sarah Jane tried to protest but Finch had cut her off. The Time Lord and the Angel narrowed their eyes at Brother Lassa. Karielle couldn't help but admit she thought about considering it. She could get him back from that hellhole.
"And you could be with him throughout eternity." Finch looked to Rose and Sarah Jane, who both wanted that very thing. He was playing their desires.
The two girls began to back away from Finch. "Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die." He turned back to The Doctor and Karielle. "Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor, Karielle. Join us."
"I could save everyone." The Doctod whispered.
"I could get them back." Karielle breathed, her eyes averting to the scene. "I could get him back."
Finvh nodded, smiling to himself, thinking they had fallen in his trap. "Yes."
"I could stop the war." Karielle jumped when The Doctor intertwined his fingers with hers. His voice filled her head, but he wasn't saying anything. "You have Rose and I now." He was playing Finch.
She had to stop herself from glancing at him. The Doctor was attempting to make a telepathic connection with her. All he needed was for her to open the door to let him in.
"No." Sarah denied, sharply. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends."
Karielle started to feel her eyes burn. It was becoming to much for her again. She was being constantly reminded of everything she lost. She had used her powers, which she had tried not to do, but she couldn't help it really. And she was angry. The Krillitanes thought they could use her? Oh, how wrong they were.
The Doctor started to feel tingling in his hand that was connected to Karielle. He looked down to see her hand was beginning to glow. "Rielle-"
Suddenly a nearby chair went flying through the air, trashing into the screen. "Out!" The Doctor exclaimed as Karielle grabbed Rose's hand and sprinted out of the room.
They hadn't even made it far down the hall before a crash was heard. Soon Mickey came running in with a boy who Karielle had learned was Kenny, during her time as a student.
The boy did a double take of the angel, who was now clad in a pair skin tight jeans and a leather jacket. "Kadence?" She cringed.
"Yeah, that's not my actual name."
At the same time, an extremely loud screech was let out, probably from Finch, causing Karielle to immedantly cover her ears, whimpering. Mickey rushed over to her. "Elle!"
The Doctor picked up on her whimpering instantly, going to her side. "Rielle?" If she wasn't in pain, Karielle would have rolled her eyes. "The Krillitanes just happened to operate on my sound frequency."
The screeching stopped and she breathed, straightening. "Fine," she shook her head. "I'm fine-"
Another crash sounded and everyone's eyes widened when they saw a flock of bat people heading their way with Finch close behind. Her eyes widened. "We, uh, we should go." She began to usher Mickey and The Doctor ahead of her. "Go. Go!"
The group ran into the canteen. All of them scattered around the room. "Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked, side eyed.
The Doctor grimaced. "Yeah, sorry."
Finch entered the room, his goons following behind him. "We need the Doctor and Karielle alive. As for the others? You can feast."
The Krillitanes began to swoop down and attempt to attack them. Rose, Mickey and Sarah Jane ducked under the tables. Karielle glanced around the room to see her friends hiding and The Doctor defending them with a chair. She held her hands up, magic dancing around her fingertips, then flung them forward, sending the bats crashing into the walls. Finch began to screech again, sending Karielle back into her pained state. Her hands flew to her ears. The companions saw the girl crouch down. Mickey, even with the the Krillitanes attacking, rushed over to the girl, placing his hands over her ears as well. Suddenly, a laser beam hit one of the bats.
Finch is furious and continued to scream. "K9!" Sarah Jane exclaimed.
K9 spun around. "Suggest you engage running mode."
The Doctor ducked to avoid another Krillitane. He waved everyone out of the room as Mickey helped a whimpering Karielle out. "Come on!"
"K9, hold them back!" The Doctor ordered.
"Affirmative, master. Maximum defence mode." The Doctor hurried into the door and sealed it. Karielle got her hand to the door and set her power pulsing through it, warding it.
"Power supply failing." K9 spoke as he shot at the swarming bats. Finch finally stopped screeching.
"Forget the shooty dog thing."
K9 continued to spin. "Power supply failing."
Finch screeched again.
_____
And right as it stopped, it started again. Karielle cringed, hands pressing against her ears. Her brain attempted to process everything, even with the pain. The Doctor was with her, actually she was practically sitting in his lap, burying her head in his neck, breathing unevenly. It wouldn't stop.
They were all brain storming, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane, The Doctor and the Angel.
"The oil." Karielle croaked. Her head lifting from its position on The Doctor's shoulder. "It's toxic to them."
The Doctor's eyes widened, a grin breaking out on his face as Karielle grinned back at him. The screeching stopped again, giving her some peace. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." He explained, looking to Karielle, kissing her head. "You are brilliant!"
"How much was there in the kitchens?" Karielle asked Rose.
"Barrels of it." The door began to break, signalling that Karielle's warding was fading.
"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens." The Doctor said. He turned to Mickey. "Mickey,"
"What now, hold the coats?" Rose's boyfriend snapped. The Doctor rolled his eyes.
"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school." Mickey nodded, slightly stunned. "Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?"
Karielle scanned the room before her eyes landed on a fire alarm trigger. She grimaced. "This will hurt." She slammed her elbow into the red box setting off the alarm and effectively sending her back into pain.
Her hands covered her ears. The Krillitanes began to screech in the hallway as the group hurried passed. Karielle grunted as she rushed through the corridors.
_____
Finch punched the wall and pulled the wires out, breaking them and stopping the alarm. "Get after them."
_____
Karielle picked up pace when the alarm stopped along with the screeching. She ran into the kitchen with girls and the Doctor while Mickey broke off from the group to get the students.
Suddenly K9 appeared as Karielle ran past. "Mistress."
She brightened at the sight of the dog, ignoring the mistress part. "Come on boy!" She patted his head. "Good dog."
When they got to the kitchen, The Doctor soniced the barrels of oil, but they didn't budge. "They've been deadlock sealed. Finch must've done that. I can't open them."
"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser," K9 said. The Doctor turned to the dog. "but my batteries are failing."
"Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me." Karielle ushered everyone out, while she stayed with The Doctor. She narrowed her eyes, a strange feeling coming over her.
It was like time had began to slow slightly. She recognized the feeling, but couldn't put her finger on it. She ignored it and turned to the barrels, lining them up for K9 to shoot at.
"Capacity for only one shot, Master." K9 informed. "For maximum impact, I must be stationed directly beside the vat."
"But you'll be trapped inside." The Doctor stated obviously. Karielle pursed her lips. The feeling kept nagging at her in the back of her mind. It was almost peaceful. Karielle had felt this before. She knew she had.
"That is correct." K9 nodded.
"I can't let you do that." The Doctor protested. If K9 could, he'd probably shake his head. "No alternative possible, Master."
The Doctor nodded solemnly. "Goodbye, old friend."
"Goodbye, Master-" Suddenly the dog's lights shut off and his head bowed.
"No. No. No. No. No!' The Doctor shouted, somicing the dog. "No, come on K9!"
The Krillitanes screeched causing Karielle to wince. She rushed over to The Doctor. "Doctor, we have to go!"
"K9's battery failed!" He told her. "We can't kill them. I can't open the vat."
And then it all made sense. She swallowed, knowing exactly what needed to be done. She could set the vats off. She could kill them. "I'll do it."
The Doctor jerked back. His eyes widened. "Like hell you will!"
"Doctor, I can set it off." She protested. "I'll be fine, now go!" She heard the Krillitanes break down the door. "Get out of here! Go!"
"I'm not going to just leave you!" Karielle huffed.
"Then I'm sorry." Before he could protest, Karielle grabbed the Doctors wrist, closed her eyes and focused on Rose. When she opened them, The Doctor was gone and the Krillitanes were filling the room.
She warded the door, knowing that the Doctor was going to try and get back in to stop her. She couldn't let that happen.
Karielle remember, now, where the feeling was from and what it meant. It was a warning of sorts, an alarm that was set for a specific moments in every archangel's life. The moments when they die.
It was like time slowed down. Sounds sounded differently. It was all in preparation for what was to come.
"At last," Finch grinned inviting. "You've come to your senses."
Karielle smirked. "You have no idea." Her palms began to glow, the shade of her power began to shift again from dark blue to black. Black shimmered in her eyes and her figure seemed to glow as well. She glared at Finch. "Now go to hell."
Then she flicked her wrist and the barrels exploded.
_____
The Doctor stumbled into Rose, who attempted to steady him. "Blimey."
"Doctor?" Rose looked around. "Where's Karielle?" He blanched.
"No. No. No. No!" He sprinted back over to where Sarah Jane was waiting for him at the back door. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He soniced the lock, but it still wouldn't open.
Sarah Jane watched The Doctor in his frantic state. "Doctor, what's happened?" He ignored her and tried sonicing the door again. "Where's Karielle and K9?"
The Doctor let out a frustrated groan, his hands slamming against the door, making the warding waver. That's when he noticed the door was tinged slightly darker. She was keeping him out. "Karielle let me in!"
He stepped back to examine the door. His gaze caught a bright glow from underneath the door and then he heard her. "Now go to hell."
His eyes widened as he turned to Sarah Jane. "Run!"
And they did. They ran over to Where Rose and Mickey were as the building went up in flames.
"Doctor, where's Elle?" Mickey asked. The Doctor stared at the now destroyed school. Mickey followed his gaze, realization dawning on him. "Oh, my god-"
"Doctor?" Rose looked between him and Mickey. "What's happened? Where's Karielle-" Her eyes widened. "Doctor, where is she?" He didn't answer, he just continued to stare. Rose knew. Her eyes watered as she looked to the fire.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Croak a very familar and rather sarcastic voice. Everyone spun around to find Karielle, close to collapsing in singed clothes. Her knees gave out and The Doctor caught her.
Rose let out a laugh and tackled the girl, who let out a grunt. She hugged the angel tightly. The Doctor watched as Karielle winced and he pulled Rose off of her.
"The TARDIS." Karielle whispered. "Get me to the TARDIS."
Before they could set off, she jerked back. Her iris' flared and her veins glowed. She breathed heavily. Controlling the process was never easy.
The four where beyond confused. Mickey's eyes widened when he saw her jerk back once more. The Doctor kept his grip on her. "What in the bloody hell-"
"We need to get her to the TARDIS." The Doctor told them, him on Karielle's right side and Rose on the left. "Now."
"What's happened to her?" Rose asked. The Doctor shook his head.
"I don't know."