For Love of Life (Rio, Sisi, Maria)

[The Second Doctor]

Maria shot at his ankles this time. It hit, but it didn't hurt as much. It still hurt, but with less conductivity. He turned and gave her a death-glare.

"You have to aim higher. You have to mean it. I dare you, if you're going to hit me, hit me where it counts-" Alec pointed to his forehead, "-I won't care. And when you run off to whoever it is you run off to and I return to my empty shell of a life we'll both know that you won't be satisfied. We'll both know that I couldn't have taken the hit. But if you do it, you still won't be satisfied. Something about you abhors the idea of killing me, despite that I hardly have the right to live. So do it. Shoot me."

Alec frowned, tilting his head.
"Flynn would."

He ran off, and the boy followed him.

“Like that?” he asked, kicking the back of his knee, "How hard should I have kicked?"

Alec raised his arms, forcing the boy's arms away from him. His next action was to spin him in his line of vision. 
"Not exactly, you have to do it with your toe, and lean into it so your weight is used against them."

For a second, he was smiling, for a second, he lightened up. Of course he knew how quickly came to an end.
"Forget that too." 

He ran as fast as he could, and shot two bullets in the direction of the children. He was going to end this.

[The Phantom]

This time she fired at his ribs as she ran after him. "Alec! Stop this!" Quickly getting in front of him, standing her ground.

"Riocard get behind me." Maria motioned the young Rio to her, while aiming her screwdriver at Alec.

The Phantom had a look of disapointment upon her face as she stared at her friend. "I aimed higher, just like you said too. Also what Flynn would do, and what I would do are two very different things."

She was stalling so at least the children could get away, and later on she could easily reunite Rio and his Father. Firing at his hand that held the gun, trying to get it away from him. "I'm not going to kill you, cause you still have alot ahead of you. But I'd rather not see you again acting like the fool that you are right now."

[Rio Keâts]

“Not exactly,” the man answered, after spinning Riocard around to face him. The boy stumbled slightly from the fast motion, but he quickly righted himself, staring up at Alec with a dimpled, competitive grin. “You have to do it with your toe, and lean into it so your weight is used against them.” Riocard hardly had time to register the smile that Alec was giving him before the man was back to normal. “Forget that too.”

And if he didn’t want to forget?

Riocard was immediately on the chase again, mood slightly dampered by the gunshots. One of the children stumbled slightly, but Tomas picked the boy up and continued fleeing from Alec. “Riocard get behind me,” the woman said, standing in front of the man.

The boy frowned. His heart was hammering throughout his chest, his legs wanted nothing more than to just collapse, and he was admittedly having a slightly hard time remaining focused on the goal of getting those children away. They’d been walking for miles already; they’d already crossed through four cities. “No.”

He almost began to jog towards his father, but something made him quick. Some flicker of logic that the ten year old hadn’t really understood, but he knew to trust his gut feeling. He was safe with this woman that knew his name. And if he began to follow his father, then he’d be leading Alec right to them. Right?

With that in mind, he hurried over to the woman. “Why do you want to hurt those children? They didn’t do anything bad. They were smaller than me,” he said, watery green eyes fixed on Alec. “I won’t let you hurt them! You killed their parents. How would you like it, if someone killed your family like that? How would you like to be hunted down like… like…”

Unable to think of a proper comparison, he settled giving Alec his angriest face. The effect was slightly ruined by the fact that he was in tears.

[The Second Doctor]

There it was. The next shot. He turned and let it hit him, all the while smiling calmly, sanely. He dropped to one knee.
"Y-you did it. You stopped one of my hearts. I'm s-surprised it took three hits. But you did it. I'm proud of you, l-little sister." he said, still grinning. 

The Timelord stood to his feet somehow. He raised his pointer finger.
"One more hit. Then it's over." he turned, half-believing she would do it.

He could not move as fast as he had been, but he managed a messy gait, coping with only one heart.

The Dark Lord stopped, and turned to look at Maria.
"Have you called the Mentalist lately? I'm sure he'd be interested in these latest d-developments." he jibed.

He had a cleaner walk now, and he was about to search for the children. The boy had other ideas.
With that in mind, he hurried over to the woman. “Why do you want to hurt those children? They didn’t do anything bad. They were smaller than me,” Alec let him keep talking, "I won’t let you hurt them! You killed their parents. How would you like it, if someone killed your family like that? How would you like to be hunted down like… like…”

"I have a war type Tardis and eleven hundred years of experience. What do you think you're going to do?" he said, in an attempt to intimidate him with words that didn't make sense.

"My family was killed, nearly this exactly this way, and I've been hunted, don't think I have." he said, and in his eyes it was obvious that any attempts to show reason were falling to deft ears.

In his eyes, you could even see someone trapped. Like there was something good trying to get out, but was caged and starved. 

In his eyes, you could see a battle, of morals and of the good and evil of one person.

The good was dying.

[The Phantom]

"You did it. You stopped one of my hearts. I'm s-surprised it took three hits. But you did it. I'm proud of you, l-little sister." Alec said, as he dropped on one knee, a grin on his face.

As he slowly stood back on his feet, he raised his index finger. "One more hit. Then it's over."

He started to turn, but stopped to look at her instead. "Have you called the Mentalist lately? I'm sure he'd be interested in these latest d-developments."

Maria's body twitched from hearing his name. She practically froze from the sudden rush of memories of that man, that monster who would haunt her at night. She practically would have if Rio hadn't hurried over to her.

"Why do you want to hurt those children? They didn't do anything bad. They were smaller than me," Rio spoke up, tears were forming in his eyes. "I won't let you hurt them! You killed their parents. How would you like it, if someone killed your family like that? How would you like to be hunted down like... like..."

Maria gently placed her hand on the top of his head, looking down at him as if trying to tell him it would be alright. Even though she wasn't so certain of that.

"My family was killed," Alec said... Maria remember that, back on Gallifrey, the first time she met him... "nearly exactly this way, and I've been hunted, don't think I have."

"And now your doing the same thing to these kids, the same thing that happened to you. Is that it?!" She asked, her voice raising with anger. "I remember that day Alec... The day your house burnt down, I remember the pain and anger I saw in your face as you went after the person that killed them. Do you really want to relive that?! Do you?!"

She paused for a second to let him think about it. "What about Susan? Have you even told her how you feel about her?! Continue like this and you won't have that chance. Keep going on as you are now, and you'll never know how she really truely feels about you! You may think that you know, but you don't."

Maria hoped that would get him at least think about what he was doing, maybe get him to stop his pursuit.

[The Second Doctor]

She said nothing which he took victoriously. His comment about the Mentalist had struck the nerve that he had intended. He brought his hands behind his back, waiting for either to speak.

I will not kill Maria. I will not kill Maria. I will not kill Maria.

"And now your doing the same thing to these kids, the same thing that happened to you. Is that it?!" She asked, her voice raising with anger. "I remember that day Alec... The day your house burnt down, I remember the pain and anger I saw in your face as you went after the person that killed them. Do you really want to relive that?! Do you?!"

Another calm grin.
"Oh, but what a sad tale that is. Why don't we tell a different story? Why don't we tell the story of a perfect little girl with a perfect little life, who got a Tardis and left before they had the chance to see everyone die? Or what about the story of the other Galifreyan that became like a brother, always there to help? By now you must know those stories are just fairy tales, myths. The only story left is that of the Galifreyan that made all the wrong choices, ruined his life, and hurt the people he loved. But that one isn't a myth. Because he's standing in front of you." he finished.

Alec turned to follow the children.

[The Phantom]

"Oh, but what a sad tale that is. Why don't we tell a different story? Why don't we tell the story of a perfect little girl with a perfect little life," Alec started.

"Stop it..." Maria muttered under her breath.

"Who got a Tardis and left before they had the chance to see everyone die?" He went on, a calm smile apparent on his face.

"Just stop it.." She refrained from shouting.

"Or what about the story of the other Galifreyan that became like a brother, always there to help?"

She could feel her eyes threatening to start flowing out the tears. She looked towards the ground, not wanting to look at him.

"By now you must know those stories are just fairy tales, myths. The only story of left is that of the Galifreyan that made all the wrong choices, ruined his life, and hurt the people he loved. But that one isn't a myth. Because he's standing in front of you." he finished.

"Obviously..." She began, "But the others aren't exactly myths, even if you got some of you facts about some of those stories wrong. No one has a perfect life, Alec. If you meet that 'perfect girl' maybe you should actually ask her about her so-called 'perfect life' as you put it."

"Don't. You. Dare. Move." Maria threatened him, looking up at him. Tears already flowing down her cheeks.

[Rio Keâts]

These people were making no sense. Riocard stared at the man. “Y-you did it. You stopped one of my hearts.” One? Rio thought skeptically, not knowing much about anatomy but enough to know that humans only had one heart and no more. He turned his attention to the thing that Maria was holding. That didn’t resemble anything he’d ever seen before. Rio looked between the man and the woman, his mind racing to understand these strange creatures.

The woman – Maria – seemed kind enough. His instincts were telling him to stick by her, because she wouldn’t let anything harm him. He was counting on his instincts to be right in this scenario. She was on the same page as Rio, at least about the children deserving to live. She knew this man; that much was obvious. And he’d called her ‘little sister’, but… what kind of siblings tried to kill each other?

But the man was who really intrigued him. He knew the man was evil and would probably not think twice about killing him, but that was what made Rio want to push him. The way that Alec had given him advice and smiled at him had only fueled Rio’s insistence. His father had guarded him during most danger; he’d only been allowed to mend people in private. But this man was challenging him, and there was no way in hell he’d give up that easily.

“I have a war type Tardis and eleven hundred years of experience. What do you think you’re going to do?” the man demanded. Rio furrowed his eyebrows, not understand what a ‘Tardis’ was. And surely there was no way this young looking man could have eleven hundred years of experience. Not even his father was that old, and he was moving up in the years.

He took a step forwards, growling under his breath as Maria pressed a hand on his head. He swiped it off, and turned his attention back to Alec. “Maybe you are older than me, but that doesn’t mean anything. And I don’t care about whatever war thing you have,” he said, raising his chin defiantly. “I’m sorry about your family, but you’re disrespecting their memory by doing something like this. Anyway, the mouse always scares the elephant, and David won against Goliath. I don’t care what it takes, you won’t kill any more of those children.”

“But what a sad tale that is. Why don’t we tell a different story? Why don’t we tell the story of a perfect little girl with a perfect little life, who got a Tardis and left before they had a chance to see everyone die?” he demanded. Rio stared up at the girl, not understanding any of what was being said, but he could understand that they were hurting this woman.

He stared sullenly as the woman demanded that Alec not move. Now that most of the adrenaline was out of his body for the most part, his legs were beginning to tremble with the effort of standing up. “Kill him,” Rio suggested darkly, fists clenched. He hated when his father – or even himself – killed people, but sometimes there was no decent alternative. He put his hands on his knees, breathing slightly labored at this point. “Only cowards kill little girls.”

[The Second Doctor]

Alec stopped and looked back. He was really listening to either of them. Until Rio's last words.

"Kill him. Only cowards kill little girls."

Alec grinned. He was going to like scarring this kid.
"So I'm a coward, what's your point? I don't agree with your reasoning."

The Timelord crouched to look in his eyes.
"I'm a coward because- despite killing these people -I can't bring myself to lay a finger on Maria. I'm a coward because I don't want to be doing this. I don't want to, because there's nothing I can do to stop." he said.

He rose up again, and offered Riocard his gun.
"If you want me dead, do it yourself."

[The Phantom]

"Kill him," Rio suggested darkly, his fists clenched. "Only cowards kill little girls."

Maria looked at Rio about to protest as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, when Alec spoke.

"So I'm a coward, what's your point? I don't agree with your reasoning."

She kept her eyes on the Timelord as he crouched to Rio's level. "I'm a coward because- despite killing these people -I can't bring myself to lay a finger on Maria. I'm a coward because I don't want to be doing this."

"Then why are you?" She asked quietly.

"I don't want to, because there's nothing I can do to stop." He said before standing up and offering Rio his gun. "If you want me dead, do it yourself."

"Alec." Maria tried to glare at him, she wanted to. Taking the gun before Rio could accept it and taking out the cartridge first, before disassembling the rest. So apparently, Flynn teaching her about guns did help her."You are not giving a little child a gun. And you are not going to let him shoot you."

[Rio Keâts]

He was practically seething now, anger rising in his chest. When the man crouched down to his level, he fought back the urge to wrap his small hands around the crazy man’s neck. “So I’m a coward, what’s your point?” Rio took a step closer, raising his fist slightly to show Alec exactly what his point was. “I don’t agree with your reasoning.”

Oh, to top it all off, he was mocking Rio.

“I’m a coward because – despite killing these people – I can’t bring myself to lay a finger on Maria. I’m a coward because I don’t want to be doing this.”

“You’re right,” Rio said icily, green eyes narrowed. “That does make you a coward. A hypocritical, pointless coward.”

And then the man offered him the guns, an open invitation to kill him proffered. Riocard smiled and reached for the gun…only to have Maria take it from. “Alec. You are not giving a little child a gun. And you are not going to let him shoot you,” she argued.

He held his sides, glaring up at both of the adults. “Excuse me? Who are you to decide what I do and do not do? I’ve shot people before. This man wouldn’t have been anything to me,” he said, with all the blunt cruelness of a child. “Maybe you were friends, but that doesn’t matter to me. He is after those children. If they die, I will blame you just as much as I do him,” Rio snarled.

The boy directed his glare back towards the man, letting go of his sides. His heart was still slamming, his sides were still aching, and his legs were still trembling from exhaustion. He raised his arms, the small muscles crying out their protest, and pushed Alec as hard as he could in the stomach. “I hate you.”

[The Second Doctor]

"Alec," Maria started, "You are not giving a little child a gun. And you are not going to let him shoot you."

She took his gun apart, while he just smiled.

“Excuse me? Who are you to decide what I do and do not do? I’ve shot people before. This man wouldn’t have been anything to me,” the boy said,

"Yeah Maria, who are to tell him that?"

“Maybe you were friends, but that doesn’t matter to me. He is after those children. If they die, I will blame you just as much as I do him."

"Oh, now it gets interesting." the boy charged him.

"I hate you-"

"Join the club." he brought his foot up to Rio's chest and thrust it, in an effot to knock him back harshly.

Little did either of them know, Alec had two smaller guns, each with three bullets, just enough for each of the children. He started walking towards his Tardis to throw them off, and he wasn't going to stop for anything.

[The Phantom]

“Excuse me? Who are you to decide what I do and do not do? I’ve shot people before. This man wouldn’t have been anything to me,” Rio said bluntly.

"Yeah Maria, who are to tell him that?"

Maria gave them both a look of irritation.

“Maybe you were friends, but that doesn’t matter to me. He is after those children. If they die, I will blame you just as much as I do him,” Rio snarled.

"Oh, now it gets interesting." Alec said as Rio suddenly pushed against him.

"I hate you." Rio told him.

"Join the club." Alec replied before kicking Rio hard in the chest.

"Alec! What are you doing?!" She asked him as she caught Rio, trying to see if he was alright. "Riocard are you okay?"

Seeing that Alec was heading towards his Tardis, she Shot her Laser screwdriver at the ground in front of him. "Don't do it Alec. You'll hate yourself later if you do."

[Rio Keâts]

Things were not going as swimmingly as the boy had predicted. Already fighting only on sheer determination, the fight back couldn’t have been too much of a struggle. His legs and arms were shooting sharp pangs of pain throughout his body, and both limbs were trembling with the amount of effort he was exerting. Riocard didn’t have much fight left in him, but he was sure that he wasn’t going to Alec simply waltz over to the children and shoot them. He leaned against Maria heavily, legs shaking underneath him. “Riocard are you okay?” the woman asked.

He lifted a quivering hand to his ribs. Bruises were already forming there, but nothing appeared to be too damaged. But the kick had knocked his breath out, making him feel even more useless than he did already. “Don’t do it Alec. You’ll hate yourself later if you do,” she threatened. He glared up at her angrily, heat rising indignantly to his cheeks. Alec could have broken several of his ribs, and this woman – the girl he’d put his trust in – was just going to give him a slap on the wrists?

“Make him die,” Riocard hissed, pushing himself away from her. If she hadn’t taken the gun from him, he could have ensured the children’s life. He would have made sure this monster didn’t live to see the next day. Or, at the very least, he would have rendered Alec’s legs useless. “Why are you protecting him? He’s a murderer! He killed that little girl!” he shouted, pointing at the dead child behind them. “He killed her parents, and now he wants to kill her siblings. And you’re just going to let him. D-disgusting,” he snapped.

Riocard put his hands on his knees, whimpering with the effort to breathe. This isn’t fair! he thought irritably. Why couldn’t this have waited to happen? Why did it have to be when they had been walking for such a very long time? When Riocard had barely slept for ten hours in the past two days? “Just stop it!” he yelled, stumbling towards Alec angrily. The boy fell down a few feet in front of the alien that was hellbent on killing the children. He reached out and latched on to the man’s legs, wrapping his arms and legs around him. He held on like a tick clings hungrily to a bare patch of skin, like a sloth clings to a tree.

He resorted to his final childish, last-ditch effort, and bit the man’s leg sharply.

[The Second Doctor]

The bolt hit the ground behind him, as he predicted it would. He said nothing to her comment and continued walking. What he didn't expect was the extra weight and sharp sting he felt. It wasn't bad, and he swung his foot forward, scuffing it in the dirt. He brought it back and slammed his heel into Rio's face.

The Timelord stepped inside his Tardis, craning his neck to see Maria.
"See you around," he waved, sneering.

Closing the doors, he hurried to the console. The scanner was showing the six children. He flipped a few switches in preperation for the travel. If only he had locked the doors...