Doctor Who_ Hope - Mark Clapham [105]
Silver shrugged. You may have something when you say I overrate physical prowess, Doctor. Lets see how far that overreliance on physical strength gets me, shall we?
The Doctor rolled out of the way as a shot from the back of Silvers hand fired past him, obliterating the crate he had been hiding behind. Splinters flew across the room.
The Silverati near the Doctor scurried out of the way of the blast. Some ran straight up the wall, strong fingers tearing through metal and rock to give them handholds. They hung back, observing. The Silverati working on the Hypertunnel also paused, observing the action.
Get back to your work! bellowed Silver. I want that Hypertunnel operational.
As soon as Silvers back was turned, Dave walked up to one of the Silverati guarding the navigation console and punched him hard in the jaw. The Kallisti injection the Doctor had administered to Dave had given him the strength of a Silverati, and the punch he threw was like a jackhammer, the impact reverberating all the way to his elbow.
The Silverati jerked back, the blow knocking him slightly off balance. But he stayed standing. He touched his mouth, then looked blankly at the metallic blood on his fingertips. Only then did he react to the assault.
Daves eyes widened in panic as the Silverati went for his throat.
The Doctor ducked as a large robot arm swung a silver fist at his head. Silvers punch missed, and tore a hole in the wall behind the Doctor. Fragments of rock scattered across the floor, dust billowing. Ignoring his sudden sense of déjà vu, the Doctor threw himself to the side, hitting the ground with his shoulder and rolling on to one knee. Ignoring the aches in his legs and arms the Doctor pushed himself on to his feet. He needed to keep Silver occupied, to give Dave the time to do his work.
Silver pulled his arm out of the wall, rubble falling away from the crater his fist had left. He turned and began to advance on the Doctor. His red eye glowed fiercely. The Doctor paced backwards, ready for the next attempted blow. Only when his back bumped into something solid did the Doctor realise he was backed up against a wall. Luckily there was a pipe running up that wall, and with his hands on the pipe and his feet against the wall he began to climb. Silvers hand grabbed at thin air as the Doctor shimmied upwards.
Very well, Doctor, said Silver. Crawl out of reach if you wish. Ill just have to knock you off your perch like the easy target you are.
The Doctors eyes widened as Silver raised his fist, firing an explosive charge straight at him. The Doctor weaved out of the way, and the explosive detonated in the wall behind him, the explosion causing the Doctor to lose his grip on the pipe. In a cloud of smoke he fell, the blast throwing him over Silvers head to land ten feet away. His ankle nearly cracked as he landed on his feet, staggering back as Silver advanced on him once more. Silver unleashed a volley of punches and kicks, and it was all the Doctor could do to block and dodge each blow, his own limbs failing to match Silvers fluid combat. Every time the Doctor diverted a blow it was like physically pushing aside a speeding train. His forearm ached where he had knocked Silvers arm aside, his shin was bleeding from where he had swept aside a roundhouse kick and made contact with Silvers heel. The Doctor was a wreck, while Silver just kept coming. Desperately, the Doctor swung his fist at the human side of Silvers face, making contact with the jawline. The Doctors knuckles cracked and he cried out, while Silver merely rocked back slightly on his heels.
Not got anything smart to say for yourself now, Doctor? spat Silver. A trickle of blood slid down from the corner of his mouth, but his energies were undimmed. Nothing the Doctor could do would stop him.
The Doctor was searching for a witty retort, when Silvers steel hand locked around his throat, lifting him up into the air. He wouldnt even get to have any memorable last words.
Dave