Checkmate (Doctor Who fanfiction)

Following the Murder Machine

Hey. Guys. Once The Power of Three is fully posted, no one else can enter the contest. This being said, I only have one entry. If I don't get at least two more, the contest will close, and I will make one myself. No one wants that. Enter.

I tore out the door, my trench coat billowing out behind me as I followed them.

"No!" Jex tried to object, but The Doctor corralled him down the street.

Any time he slowed down, The Doctor shoved him and shouted, "Move!"

They attracted quite the crowd. At the main entrance, The Doctor growled, "Get over that line!" And shoved Jex over the town boundary stoutly.

Something inside of me acted up. I'm sure you would expect me to turn into some kind of hero. But instead, I was the one who handed him the gun when he was walking away from Jex. Without thinking, he whirled around, and held it pointing directly at the criminal's head when he tried to return.

"You wouldn't," guessed Jex.

The Doctor cocked the gun. "I genuinely don't know."

"Doctor," Isaac said. "Doctor." Suddenly, out came a shot. Everyone turned to look.

There was Amy, a pistol pointed high at the sky, and she hadn't even flinched.

"Let him come back, Doctor," she ordered, pointing it at him. I froze. Who's side was I on? I had never been faced the question before; but would I allow one to kill the other, if the other would kill them if they didn't? I never thought I'd have to think of that.

"Or what?" The Doctor asked. "You won't shoot me, Amy."

I was on Amy's side. Of course. How could I choose him over her? How was that even a question?

"How do you know? Maybe I've changed, I mean, you've clearly been taking stupid lessons since I saw you last-"

She fired her gun again as it pointed to the ground, and everyone jumped, several yelping.

"I didn't mean to do that," she said. She fired again. "Or that."

Isaac suddenly shouted, "Everyone who isn't an American, drop your gun."

The Doctor went to her as if to appeal to Court. "We can end this right now. We could save everyone right now."

"This is not how we roll, and you know it," she argued. "What happened to you, Doctor? When did killing someone become an option?"

"Jex has to answer for his crimes."

"And what then? Are you going to hunt down everyone who's made a gun or a bullet or a bomb? Are you going to hunt Ruby, and send her to the gallows, or the guillotine?"

"But they coming back, don't you see?" He growled. "Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today, I honour the victims first. His, the Master's, the Dalek's, all the people who died because of my mercy!"

She bit her lip. "You see, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long," she said. "Well, listen to me, Doctor. We can't be like him. We have to be better than him."

He stared at her. "Amelia Pond. Fine, fine. We think of something else. But frankly, I'm betting on the Gunslinger."

The Doctor handed off the gun, and turned, signalling Jex back over the line.

"Jex, move over the line," he said softly. "Now."

The Gunslinger, gun pointed at Jex, demanded he make peace with his gods. Why wasn't the moron getting over the line?