Where We've Been Going
"MISSY! I will never stand with the Doctor!" the Master yelled at her.
"Yes, my dear, you will," she responded easily. She couldn't help but smirk when she heard him make a frustrated growl and the sound of machinery failing to work.
"Come on, you stupid...!"
"Oh, don't be so silly, dearie." She turned back and smiled. "Sorry. I know what boys are like when other people play with their toys, but when I got my hands on it, I couldn't resist. I've rather missed it, you know?"
"What did you do?!" he demanded.
"Oh, nothing much. Just adjusted the isomorphic controls. Now, it can't be fired against anyone who has the same core geonome and genetic structure of the wielder." She dipped in a curtsy. "I may have changed and lost some things between me and you, but it's what's inside that counts, eh? Anyway, I've got a busy schedule so toodles!"
Missy! Get back here, right now!" he demanded. He tried to stand but his wound kept him down. "This is not how it's meant to be!"
"And that is where you are sadly wrong." She looked back and offered one last smile before the doors closed on him.
That look of indignant rage was burned into her mind. In a way, she did feel a little ashamed. She had literally and figuratively betrayed everything she was. It might not be the most virtuous history for anyone but it had been hers. All those plans for galactic domination and conquest, to have the universe tremble at the sound of the name 'the Master'… it was all gone.
But then she remembered those feelings the Doctor had awoken inside her. Feelings that she'd always been able to bury and the memories that came with them. All the lives she had ended, the worlds she had burned. At the time, it had been fun, watching all the chaos and destruction that was wrought. Bringing about the natural order of things, survival of the strongest and all that. With her as king over it all.
Yes, she would miss it. But there was still no denying it. The Doctor was right. She had died many times. Lived on as little more than a corpse. Trapped in the Eye of Harmony. Caught in a state of perpetual living death. Today might be the last day she lived, but at least she would die on her own terms. Alongside her best friend and together, the universe would see how brightly they would burn.
She grinned and twirled her sonic umbrella while she pranced toward the sound of battle. Time to have some fun.
It didn't take her long to find him. She kept her head down, avoiding the Cybermen while they marched in one direction. There he was, leaping like a gazelle, waving his sonic screwdriver like a conductor's baton. Only his orchestra wasn't comprised of instruments but spouts of fire as he detonated the ship's fuel lines.
She laughed out loud at the sight of the Cybermen flying through the air like they were on trampolines, their arms flailing in a comedic fashion and the satisfying sound of their metal bodies clanking to the floor. And to think she had been about to walk away from this!
Well, she thought, not much sense hiding now. She stood up straight, brushed down her dress and strode towards him. He didn't see her yet and neither did the Cybermen. This would be a nice surprise then.
"Telos! Sealed you in your ice tombs!" As he listed off the times he'd triumphed against them, it was punctuated by an explosion. "Voga! Canary Wharf! Planet 14! Every single time you lose, even on the moon!"
As he raised his screwdriver skyward, Missy took the opportunity to point her sonic umbrella and remotely download the software he was using to detonate the fuel lines. With that done, she pirouetted and blew away a Cyberman that had been about to shoot the Doctor with its head laser.
She laughed again, both at the spectacle and the Doctor's face when he saw the source of it. "Did you see that? He went flying! Look at this, I think you've invented a sport. Word of this gets out and everyone'll be playing it!"
An energy blast shot past her face. One of the newer ones was aiming its wrist blaster, some of the others turning to face her.
"ALERT. SECONDARY HOSTILE DETECTED. DELETE!
Missy ducked out of the way and responded in kind with a couple of explosions. That was never going to get old! She managed to reach the Doctor's side and the two of them stood, back to back as more Cybermen approached.
"You came back," he whispered.
"Yes, I did," she replied. "Now, shut up and let's blow some stuff up."
He barked a laugh and they set about their new dance. They ran together, blowing away Cybermen left right and centre. Missy allowed her glee to course through her. This was how it was meant to be!
"Just like the old days!" she called over the noise. "Remember the Nestenes?"
"Sent them right off into space!" replied the Doctor, catching a Cyberman that nearly shot her. "And the Axons?"
"Caught in a time loop forever!" She buried the tip in the ground, exploding five lines at once and taking about half a dozen Cybermen with it. "I do wonder if they're still there."
"And the Death Zone. Bit of a history, you and Cybermen," he noted casually, pulling her out of the way of another blast.
"I could say the same. And if I recall, you weren't exactly receptive of my help then," she said, yanking him out the way with her brolly. She then twirled in the direction of the offending Cyberman and sent him careening.
"Times change." He pointed his screwdriver at her. "Get out of the way."
Missy grinned and hit the floor, looking back to see three more smack into their fellows from the explosion created.
"That they do!" They took cover behind a tree to catch their second wind. "So… what do you think you're going to wind up with next? I have to say, I'm going to miss the frowny face."
"I'm going to miss the eyebrows. I just hope I get what I want this time around," he said.
She groaned. "You're still not on about being ginger, are you?"
"Can you blame me? Twice now I've turned out Scottish and I didn't even get ginger then!" he complained. "Is it too much to ask?"
"Ever considered dye?"
"It wouldn't be the same. What about you then?" he asked.
"Oh you know me, I'm not fussed. I almost hope I get another one of these," she said, gesturing down. "It's been an experience, being a woman. Though I have missed facial hair."
"Honestly, you and that rubbish little beard," the Doctor scoffed.
She shot him a glare. "It is not rubbish, it is classy and elegant and if I could have grown one as a woman, believe me I would have. Just so long as I'm not bald again, I'll be happy."
"I remember. That head could have outshone stars." He smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Missy."
"My pleasure," she returned. The sounds of metal feet were getting closer. "Right, back to it!"
She leapt out from behind the tree. She managed to get another two but she suddenly felt a burning pain in her shoulder, forcing her to drop her umbrella.
"MISSY!"
The Doctor blew the guilty Cyberman to smithereens and was about to run to her when another caught him in the back. The screwdriver fell and he faced the Cyberman responsible. It was one of the Mondasian varients.
"Hello… I'm the Doctor," he greeted weakly.
"Doctooors are not required," it responded in its funny little sing song voice. Another blast was directed at his chest.
"Oh no…" he whispered weakly. "I'm not a doctor. I'm the Doctor. The original, you might say." He received another laser beam for his trouble
"And people say I'm full of myself." Though it felt like her shoulder was on fire, she forced herself to stand. She looked the Cybermen right in their cold, unfeeling eyes. "Hello, boys. I'm Missy. Short for… Mistress. Though if you like… feel free to call me the Master."
The response was dismissive. "YOU ARE NOT MASTER. YOU ARE ROGUE ELEMENTS. YOU WILL BE DELETED
Another round of blasts bombarded her, forcing her to the ground and back against her friend.
"That… wasn't a request." She kept her eyes on theirs. "I am the Mistress… and you will obey me. You will obey me!" She cried out from another blast. "Ow… that one actually hurt. At least… say something nice?"
She winced from the pain. She could feel the build up of regeneration energy coursing through her. A hand found hers and gripped it tightly. It was happening to him too. She glanced back at him, head up straight in defiance.
"Let it go, Doctor," he said quietly to himself. "Let it go… time enough…"
"If you start… singing that bloody song… I'll kill you myself, never mind… them…" she wheezed.
"Fair enough. Ready?" he asked her quietly.
"Give me… another five minutes?" she joked. Her other hand found the handle of her umbrella. "Do it."
As one, they activated them. She felt the searing heat, saw the plumes of fire consuming the Cybermen, their bodies, the entire forest and the floor surrounding it. And once again, Missy smiled.
The dust settled. The fire faded. The two of them collapsed. She couldn't feel anything. Her vision was growing dimmer. She could only faintly hear the Doctor as he lay beside her, staring up at the ceiling.
"Pity… I hoped there'd be more stars…"
She laughed weakly. "That'll… do…"
Then, she closed her eyes and Missy saw no more.
Just a little thing. I too wasn't happy about this particular element of the finale, so I decided to do my own take on it. I do hope you enjoyed it!