Fic: 'Judicious Application'
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irishvampire13
Title: 'Judicious Application'
Rating: G
Word Count: 665
Prompt/Chosen character: Strax: A situation that calls for grenades.
Notes/Warnings: None.
Summary Now was no time to stand around, formulating plans that might not work. Now was the time to step forward and take decisive action.
About a minute and a half into the Doctor's monologue about the plan he was conceiving, Strax tuned him out. Enthusiastic chattering tended to get a bit dull the first few times. Curious, he wandered away to the canyon's rim, leaving the Doctor to his high-speed pacing and equally rapid blathering.
He stared down into the canyon, watching as the villagers--hardly larger than ants, at this distance--fled for their lives. Their cries could just be made out, tiny, echoing shouts of fear and half-hearted encouragement. They knew the terrain well, but fear was hampering their judgment. Many wrong turns were taken, slowing their progress almost to a crawl.
It was only a matter of time before the invasion force caught up with them.
Though outnumbered by a minimum of eleven to one, the invaders had the advantage of superior armaments and mobility. It was a certainty that, unless they were stopped cold, they would annihilate the villagers.
Just now, the invaders had reached a narrow gap in the canyon walls. A bottleneck had formed, and they struggled to get through. There was a chance that their unforeseen delay would buy time for those whom they pursued. But, given the panic up ahead, that time would very likely go to waste.
Heedless of the chaos several meters below, the Doctor was still scheming, thinking out loud. Letting valuable seconds tick away.
Annoyed, Strax lifted his grenade launcher. Now was no time to stand around, formulating plans that might not work. Now was the time to step forward and take decisive action.
A judicious application of grenades might solve the problem.
Strax brought the launcher to bear, carefully sighting. Even an inch off-target, and everything would go terribly wrong.
Ready...
...aim...
...fire!
He watched as the grenade arced through the air, velocity casting it across the canyon and into the opposite wall with a satisfying crunch.
"Strax!" Swearing, the Doctor stormed up to him, in a perfect fury. "You moron! I was trying to come up with a nonviolent solution--something that wouldn't potentially kill everybody in the canyon! This," he shouted, pointing below, "is why you never do anything without consulting me first! Thank God you missed, at least! Typical," he muttered in disgust. "Leave it to you to start shooting."
Affronted, Strax drew himself up to his full--albeit diminutive--height. "If you had taken the time to watch closely," he declared, "then you would have seen that I was aiming to miss."
The Doctor stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What do you me--"
His question was stopped short as a low, crackling noise filled the air. It became a rumbling, and then a roar. Masses of stone fell away from either side of the canyon. The loose rocks tumbled and rolled directly into the path of the invaders. By the time the dust had cleared, they were staring at an impassable wall. Another grenade-induced rockslide to the rear, and they were effectively trapped. The only way out would be to climb--a process which would take many hours even for one, to say nothing of the hundreds who were now shouting amongst themselves in baffled frustration.
By the time they collected their thoughts and began to regroup, the villagers would be long gone, safe from a now nonexistent threat. What was more, no one on either side had been seriously injured. The villagers would probably return to their homes, safe and secure, while those who'd pursued them would go away to lick wounds that were only figurative. They would be too exhausted, too discouraged, to try to mount another attack.
Strax gazed calmly at the stunned Doctor. "Would you like to continue your diatribe now, sir?"
"What?" Startled, the Doctor tore himself away from the scene below. He glanced briefly at Strax, blushing. "Oh. I'm...I'm sorry," he muttered sheepishly, his fingers wringing and rubbing together awkwardly. "I'm sorry I said those things. You saved everyone down there with your quick thinking." He gave a hesitant smile. "That was brilliant."
irishvampire13Title: 'Judicious Application'
Rating: G
Word Count: 665
Prompt/Chosen character: Strax: A situation that calls for grenades.
Notes/Warnings: None.
Summary Now was no time to stand around, formulating plans that might not work. Now was the time to step forward and take decisive action.
About a minute and a half into the Doctor's monologue about the plan he was conceiving, Strax tuned him out. Enthusiastic chattering tended to get a bit dull the first few times. Curious, he wandered away to the canyon's rim, leaving the Doctor to his high-speed pacing and equally rapid blathering.
He stared down into the canyon, watching as the villagers--hardly larger than ants, at this distance--fled for their lives. Their cries could just be made out, tiny, echoing shouts of fear and half-hearted encouragement. They knew the terrain well, but fear was hampering their judgment. Many wrong turns were taken, slowing their progress almost to a crawl.
It was only a matter of time before the invasion force caught up with them.
Though outnumbered by a minimum of eleven to one, the invaders had the advantage of superior armaments and mobility. It was a certainty that, unless they were stopped cold, they would annihilate the villagers.
Just now, the invaders had reached a narrow gap in the canyon walls. A bottleneck had formed, and they struggled to get through. There was a chance that their unforeseen delay would buy time for those whom they pursued. But, given the panic up ahead, that time would very likely go to waste.
Heedless of the chaos several meters below, the Doctor was still scheming, thinking out loud. Letting valuable seconds tick away.
Annoyed, Strax lifted his grenade launcher. Now was no time to stand around, formulating plans that might not work. Now was the time to step forward and take decisive action.
A judicious application of grenades might solve the problem.
Strax brought the launcher to bear, carefully sighting. Even an inch off-target, and everything would go terribly wrong.
Ready...
...aim...
...fire!
He watched as the grenade arced through the air, velocity casting it across the canyon and into the opposite wall with a satisfying crunch.
"Strax!" Swearing, the Doctor stormed up to him, in a perfect fury. "You moron! I was trying to come up with a nonviolent solution--something that wouldn't potentially kill everybody in the canyon! This," he shouted, pointing below, "is why you never do anything without consulting me first! Thank God you missed, at least! Typical," he muttered in disgust. "Leave it to you to start shooting."
Affronted, Strax drew himself up to his full--albeit diminutive--height. "If you had taken the time to watch closely," he declared, "then you would have seen that I was aiming to miss."
The Doctor stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What do you me--"
His question was stopped short as a low, crackling noise filled the air. It became a rumbling, and then a roar. Masses of stone fell away from either side of the canyon. The loose rocks tumbled and rolled directly into the path of the invaders. By the time the dust had cleared, they were staring at an impassable wall. Another grenade-induced rockslide to the rear, and they were effectively trapped. The only way out would be to climb--a process which would take many hours even for one, to say nothing of the hundreds who were now shouting amongst themselves in baffled frustration.
By the time they collected their thoughts and began to regroup, the villagers would be long gone, safe from a now nonexistent threat. What was more, no one on either side had been seriously injured. The villagers would probably return to their homes, safe and secure, while those who'd pursued them would go away to lick wounds that were only figurative. They would be too exhausted, too discouraged, to try to mount another attack.
Strax gazed calmly at the stunned Doctor. "Would you like to continue your diatribe now, sir?"
"What?" Startled, the Doctor tore himself away from the scene below. He glanced briefly at Strax, blushing. "Oh. I'm...I'm sorry," he muttered sheepishly, his fingers wringing and rubbing together awkwardly. "I'm sorry I said those things. You saved everyone down there with your quick thinking." He gave a hesitant smile. "That was brilliant."
