WHO IS CLARA OSWALD?
I do not own Doctor Who and I am making no profit off of this.
Author's Note: Obviously this shouldn't be read unless you've seen Dark Water as it's filled with spoilers based on that story. So don't read any further if you haven't seen it yet. This is a very AU story based on Dark Water and my own speculations about Death in Heaven. It's basically me tweaking what happened in the first story and changing it up a bit based on the idea that maybe someone else besides Missy might have turned out to be the Master instead. Maybe it could have been someone that the Doctor would never have suspected.
CHAPTER 1
THE TRUE CLARA OSWALD
After Clara had become separated from the Doctor while at the insidious organization known as 3W, she quickly realized that the Doctor had been right to doubt them. It had all been a trick just as he had said it was. It was actually filled with Cybermen instead which Clara had soon found out to her complete and utter horror.
She had run for her life from the Cybermen for several minutes as they started to emerge en mass from their cells, but in the end it still didn't do her any good. She was eventually cornered by several Cybermen who began to rapidly close in on her.
She knew in that moment that she was about to die.
She began to shake in terror as the Cybermen continued to close in on her. She knew now that the Doctor wasn't going to have her back this time. This time he wasn't going to make it, and she was really going to die.
She was going to die and the Doctor wasn't there for her. He hadn't been there to save Danny either, and he should have been. She deserved that. It was owed to her for everything that she had done to help total strangers at his side for so many years now. He could save everyone else but not the people that she cared about.
It wasn't right. Why was he able to help others but not her? Why was it never her turn?
Anger started to fill her heart in that moment and she began to hate the Doctor more than she had ever hated anyone in her life. This was his fault. He had caused all of it. None of this would be happening if not for him. She knew now that he had completely ruined her life, and she hated him for it . . . almost as much as she hated herself.
In that moment, something became unlocked in her mind as a door that she hadn't even realized was there finally opened at last. Memories that was hers and yet not hers suddenly came flooding into her mind all at once.
Then she began to laugh.
The Cybermen momentarily paused as one of them said in an almost emotional voice, "Clara?"
A huge smile spread over Clara's face as she confidently walked right up to the Cyberman who had spoken with no sense of fear whatsoever as she said, "Oh, no, my metal friend. I'm not Clara Oswald. Clara Oswald has never existed."
The Cyberman almost seemed to take on an air of being puzzled as it looked at her and she started to laugh again in amusement as she said, "Confused? Of course you are. Allow me to show you the truth then. Let me tell you all exactly who I really am."
Clara removed a small fob watch from her pants pockets and pressed a button on top of it as she held it up in front of her with a huge smile on her face. The watch immediately released a massive burst of energy from it that completely incinerated every Cyberman in the room with her in the very next moment.
"I am the Master!" Clara proudly proclaimed to a now empty room as she finally opened the watch at last and was bathed in an unearthly glow all over her body.
Once the glow faded, The Master began to smile from ear to ear as she immediately started to take apart the machines and the remains of the Cyberman bodies around her alike and strip them for parts. She quickly started to put together a new laser screwdriver from the materials at hand while she whistled a happy tune to herself.
"Well, one thing's for sure I'm still just a little bit too chipper. I suppose it's a part of this body's personality. That and a burning need to bake for some reason," The Master said to herself with a frown.
Suddenly her eyes widened as a sudden realization hit her all at once and she shouted happily, "I finally know what I've been doing wrong all of this time. Now I can finally make a perfect soufflé at last!"
"Clara?" A frightened voice called out from nearby.
The Master immediately recognized the owner of the voice even before she saw her. She frowned as she saw the person who she now thought of as the Doctor's fawning little toad, Osgood, come into the room. She was wearing her own version of Chinny's ridiculous outfit she noted to herself complete with a bow tie.
To her complete amazement, she found herself actually smiling for a moment at the sight of it.
Osgood smiled back at her with relief as she said, "It is you. I've finally found you. The Doctor wanted UNIT to come in here and get you out. He refused to work with us until we promised that we would."
"Really? You mean he actually bothered to remember me?" The Master asked with a snort.
Osgood looked at her oddly as she said, "Yes, of course he did. He seemed to be very worried about you. At least I think he was anyway. It's hard to tell what this new Doctor is thinking."
"What, you mean Old Sphinx Face? Naw, he's easy to figure out. You just have to have known him for as long as I have. I've known the Doctor for a very long time now. You might say that I know him even better than he knows himself and certainly better than he knows me," The Master said with an amused smile on her face.
Osgood smiled and nodded as she said, "I bet you do. It must be amazing to go along on his travels with him and see all kinds of new worlds at his side."
The Master shook her head as she said, "No, it's not. You think it is at first and then it starts to change and twist you. You soon become a completely different person who can't ever accept an ordinary life again. You have to have the adventure and excitement no matter what lie you have to tell in order to get it. He lures you in with promises of fun and adventure, Osgood, but in the end he destroys you. I'd stick with UNIT if I were you. You might live longer."
Osgood looked at her oddly again as she said in a nervous voice, "Are you coming, Clara? The soldiers aren't too far from here. They're keeping this area cleared of Cybermen until I can get you out."
"How extremely helpful of them," The Master said with a chuckle as she realized that they were letting her walk out of there right under their stupid noses without even realizing just who that they had among them.
Osgood continued to look at her with worry as she walked down the corridors alongside her and said, "Are you alright, Clara? You're not acting like yourself."
"How would you know, Osgood? You've only met me once. That's hardly enough time to really get to know someone is it? Besides that who really knows anyone anyway? There's no telling what someone is really like or what they actually have hidden inside of them in the deepest darkest recesses of their heart," The Master said with a sinister smile.
Osgood began to shake slightly as she finally realized what she had been trying to deny to herself all along. Something was just a little bit off about who she thought was Clara. She tried not to let her see it, but the wily Time Lady noticed it right away anyway and began to enjoy her fear of her.
"Are you afraid of me, Bow Tie Girl?" The Master asked as she smiled an unnerving smile at her.
"N – No," Osgood said nervously as she started to have trouble breathing.
"Inhaler," The Master said as she noticed this.
"What?" Osgood managed to blurt out just before she started to struggle for breath.
The Master rolled her eyes at her as she pulled her recently completed laser screwdriver out of her pocket and pointed it at her.
"That's getting to be very annoying! Let me just do something about that," The Master said as she pushed a button on the screwdriver and a beam of energy engulfed the frightened girl before her.
Osgood looked at her in shock as she suddenly found herself able to breathe once again after the glow faded.
"What? How did you do that?" Osgood asked in puzzlement.
The Master smiled proudly as she showed off her screwdriver to Osgood while she explained, "It's one of the many functions of my little device here. I was able to use it to temporarily fix the problem in your lungs. Unlike some people's screwdrivers, which are only good for putting up shelves, mine actually works on organic materials too. It also has an app that's going to really be good for making killer soufflés!"
"So you know how to make your own sonic now? That is so cool!" Osgood said with a huge smile on her face.
The Master made a face as she said, "Sonic? Hah! Mine's a laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? Laser's so much better."
Osgood laughed and now visibly relaxed as she said, "Come on, Clara. I promised the Doctor that I'd get you out of here as quickly as I could."
"Well, we mustn't keep that dear man waiting then must we? I just can't wait to see him again. It's going to be a very memorable meeting I assure you," The Master said.
"You were really worried about him weren't you?" Osgood asked.
"Yes, of course I was. I was extremely worried," The Master said as she tried to hide a laugh.
Osgood suddenly became serious as she said, "Thank you."
"For what?" The Master asked puzzled.
"Helping me and for not laughing at me when I had that happen to me. Some people do," Osgood admitted.
"One thing you're going to have to learn in life is to not care what lesser minds think about you, Osgood. You're clearly superior to them anyway so who cares what the petty little insects think about you anyway? If they continue to bother you, crush them into the ground. Or better yet I'll just do it for you," The Master said with a smirk.
Osgood looked at her with an uncertain look on her face for a moment and then she chuckled as she said, "You're funny. I never knew that you had such a mad sense of humor."
"Well, now you do. I've always been known for being able to laugh in the face of anything no matter how bad it is," The Master said with a twinkle in her eye.
"I guess that comes in handy when you're traveling with the Doctor, huh?" Osgood said.
Then she screamed as several Cybermen suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked their way. They had obviously broken through somewhere and gotten past the soldiers.
Osgood was absolutely terrified while the Master started to laugh as she pointed her laser screwdriver at the nearest Cyberman while it rushed towards them. She was really going to enjoy this.
She began blowing apart all of the Cybermen one by one as she continued to laugh louder and louder. Her laughter soon threatened to completely overwhelm her as she quickly proceeded to wipe out every Cyberman in sight in rapid succession. Osgood stared at the Master with a mixture of shock and awe as she finished off the last Cyberman and blew on the top of her screwdriver like it was a gun as she did so.
"That was simply amazing," Osgood said in disbelief.
"I know. It was wasn't it? I haven't had that much fun since the last time I met Martha Jones," The Master said happily.
"You know Martha?" Osgood asked in surprise.
"Yes, I know her very, very well. You could say that I'm an old friend of the family. We go way back," The Master said with a chuckle.
"I don't think she's at UNIT at the moment or I'd arrange for you to see her," Osgood said.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be sure and look her up as soon as I can. Believe me," The Master said.
"I like your outfit by the way. It looks very nice on you," Osgood said as the two of them continued to make their way to the exit as quickly as they could.
The Master smirked at that because that was the very last thing that should have been on the Earth girl's mind at that moment. She realized from her time as Clara though that this was Osgood's way of trying to bond with her.
"Thank you. You know maybe you should start dressing like me. I obviously have much better fashion sense than the Old Man does. Maybe you could become my biggest fan instead," The Master said.
Osgood smiled as she said, "I'd never be able to pull off those skirts. They're much too tight."
The Master laughed as she said, "That's the idea."
"I must warn you if you're thinking about going after the Doctor now that the job of his girlfriend has already been taken," A voice said behind the two women.
They both turned to see a woman dressed like an old school nanny from the turn of the last century who looked at them with an insane smile on her face.
The Master began to laugh immediately as she said, "That's a very interesting new look for you. I have to admit that I kind of like it. So what is this anyway? This isn't your usual style at all."
"I decided to change things up in order to fool the Doctor. I'm calling myself Missy these days by the way. I think I actually have him thinking that I'm you. Who would have thought that you would actually be here all along though? Then again you always were attracted to him like a magnet weren't you? The two of you always seem to be joined at the hip every time I come across either of you. Sooner or later the other one always shows up," Missy said.
"So you're the one behind all of this are you? I should have known. The whole thing practically comes out of your playbook doesn't it? I mean some of it was obviously ripped off from me but the experimenting on human consciousness and biology is just pure you, isn't it? Since when do you care about being Theta's girlfriend anyway? You've always hated him," The Master said.
"I never hated him. I just couldn't stand to be around him. There's a difference. I'm actually putting on a stalker persona as a way of keeping him guessing exactly who I really am plus it's a great deal of fun! You realize of course that I can't let you leave here unless you agree to help me," Missy said.
"Are you threatening me?" The Master asked as she began to laugh.
"I am I'm afraid. Either you work with me and help me or I'll just have to get rid of both you and your little companion there," Missy said.
"You think that she's my companion? Really?" The Master said almost proud of that.
"Clara, what's going on? Who is she?" Osgood asked in a frightened voice as she struggled for breath again.
"Inhaler," The Master reminded her as Osgood take the inhaler out of her pocket and used it.
Missy laughed as she said, "Well, well. Look at you, 'Clara'! Since when did you develop such a fondness for humans? You've always hated them."
"What is she talking about?" Osgood said as soon as she could speak again.
"Nothing, Osgood. Don't worry about it. She lies. A lot," The Master said.
"That's rich especially coming from you," Missy said laughing.
"Who is she though? Why is she doing this?" Osgood asked.
"Her real name is the Rani. She's a Time Lady from the same planet as the Doctor only she's not as human friendly as the Doctor. If you can call that friendly that is. Still at least Mr. Stick Insect doesn't do experiments on humans so I guess that's one point in his favor. As to why she's doing it, she wants an army. You want to use your new army of Cybermen to find and destroy the Time Lords before they come back to this universe, don't you?" The Master said.
"I won't let them return and restart the Time War again. I'll never get caught up in that nightmare anymore. I almost died the last time and went through horrors that you couldn't even begin to imagine. It drove me half mad as a result, and I'm not going back to that again. Never again! I'll destroy them all first before I allow that to happen. I'll destroy you too if you don't agree to join me right now," Missy said in a furious voice.
Suddenly several Cybermen marched into the hallway and stood behind Missy. The message was now being made perfectly clear to both women.
"I think she means it," Osgood said nervously.
"Of course she does. The Rani never was one for bluffing. Alright, 'Missy', I'll join you. Osgood will too of course. It'll be just like old times again won't it?" The Master said.
"I can't tell you how thrilled that I am at the thought of that," Missy said with a frown.
"What are you doing? I don't want to join her," Osgood whispered to the Master.
"Would you rather die instead? Go along with me on this," The Master said.
She had no idea why she cared what happened to Osgood, but she found to her surprise that she did. She actually liked her and didn't want the Rani to kill her.
What was happening to her? Had her time as Clara left more of an impact on her than she realized?
Missy smiled now as she said, "Come on, 'Clara'. I'm sure that by now the Doctor is around here somewhere looking for you. I simply can't wait to let him find you."
The Master smiled as she said, "I have to admit that I'm looking forward to that too very, very much. I simply can't wait to see the look on his face when we're reunited once more. It should be priceless."
Then she began to laugh as Osgood looked at her in confusion. They were practically prisoners of a mad Time Lady who was creating a massive army of deadly Cybermen that were threatening to take over the entire planet or worse. What in the world could she possibly find funny about this whole thing?
Next: The Master, Missy, and Osgood come across the Doctor and Kate Stewart along with a small army of UNIT soldiers as they storm 3W. What will happen next and how will the Doctor react when he realizes that his best friend is and always has been his greatest enemy? How will Osgood react? Will she be as eager to be the Master's friend when she finds out that she's not Clara anymore? Or is that really true? Is Clara really as gone as the Master thinks that she is?
Well? What did you think about it? This was just an idea that I had before the finale that I thought might make for a great story. Did it work? Or does it seem redundant in the wake of the revelation about Missy's true identity? Should it be finished up in the next chapter or two or does the idea call for a longer story? Let me know.