The Silence at her left disintegrated followed by his counterpart to her right. River's eyes went wide as she was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. Was that Mary fucking Poppins, she thought. Her brain already foggy from whatever Kovarian had shot her up with, her sight going dark, River groped for her blaster as she saw blurred forms running past her. This was it; Kovarian had won, again, River thought.
The sound of the TARDIS came to her as her eyes closed and her head dropped to the cold stone floor. A ghost of a smile curved her lips; just you wait till my husband gets home, the memory blooming in the darkness of her mind as she lost consciousness.
Oblivious to the Doctor's impending arrival, Missy stepped over the comatose body of River Song as she advanced on Madame Kovarian and the remaining Silence. She'd be damned if she'd let anyone else kill that woman before she got her chance.
The one visible eye of the squat eye-patched woman was round with surprise, "Who are you?" The handful of living Silence circled Missy cautiously.
"I'm Missy," she smiled and a chill went through Kovarian, "And you are?"
It was then that the sound of the TARDIS broke through the din of screaming bystanders to Missy; she made the mistake of turning towards the space across the square where the blue box was materializing, then blinked in confusion. People were clearing the area in a panic but she had no idea why. She shrugged and twisted her mouth into a sardonic grin, No concern of mine, she strode towards the TARDIS, waiting for the Doctor to emerge.
"No! No no no!" The Doctor flung the TARDIS doors wide and headed across the square at a run, Clara close behind. The scene was chaos, people screaming and running, though of course they'd forget soon enough what they were running from. Before him, on the stairs of the National Gallery, was Madame Kovarian and a throng of Silence, hurrying to scoop up River's prone body.
Missy was shocked as the Doctor ran towards her. Honestly, she hadn't thought he'd figured out who she was quite yet, but perhaps the old man would surprise her. She stood stalk still and smiled then frowned as the Doctor and Clara flew past her without so much as a glance in her direction. Just what were those two up to, she wondered, pivoting on her heels to face the museum, and then she saw why the Doctor was in such a rush.
Two creatures had River Song by the arms and were attempting to haul her apparently lifeless body away; to where, Missy couldn't tell, but it seemed they were taking orders from a suited little woman. Her eyebrows drew up in astonishment as River's coat fell away and her pregnancy became quite obvious. "Well," Missy sighed, "this complicates things." So, the Doctor wasn't here for her, but his wife. Missy rolled her eyes, River Song had in the not too distant past, basically killed her; she had plans for the woman, ones that certainly did not involve allowing someone else to have the pleasure of killing her or letting anyone harm the unborn child of her best friend. She groaned before setting off after the Doctor.
"River!" The Doctor's voice sounded across the square and Kovarian smirked as the pair of Silence hitched River into their arms; he was too late.
"Failed her again, Doctor," Kovarian snarled before she, the Silence and River disappeared in a flash.
The cry of anguish and frustration that broke from the Doctor jarred Clara and she stepped back from the Time lord. This wasn't her Doctor; this broken man, face buried in his hands as wracking sobs escaped his hunched form was a stranger to her. Clara didn't know what to do or say; she'd never seen the Doctor this way. Normally, whenever the he was out of sorts she'd give him a cheery pep talk but this went far beyond her help.
As she approached, Missy was disappointed, hardly The Oncoming Storm she'd been expecting. "You know, you're making it very hard to make my grand entrance." Clara turned from the Doctor to the purple clad woman who'd just spoken.
The Doctor straightened then rounded on the woman, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, "Just who in the hell are you?" He shouted.
Missy's brows raised in anticipation as the Doctor gave her a once over; a smile spreading across her mouth as recognition dawned in the other Time Lord's eyes. The Doctor shoved her away in disgust, "No! Not now!" He was close to breaking and his hands clenched at his sides to keep from pummeling the woman before him.
Missy rolled her eyes and feigned disappointment, "That's a very rude way to say hello to your oldest friend, especially when I've brought you a present."
"A what? Are you insane? My wife and child have just been taken! This isn't the time for one of your games!"
"But it's your birthday," the smile plastered on her face sent shivers along Clara's spine.
"Doctor," Clara finally spoke up, "what is going on? Who is she?"
"The Master," he spat out with contempt.
"Ah, ah," Missy wagged a finger at him, "It's Missy now," she said and gave a courtesy. She pressed a few buttons on her device as she rose and the sound of something akin to jet engines filled the sky above them.
The Doctor shielded his eyes against the glare of the sun, "No," he whispered as a dozen Cybermen landed behind Missy.
"I told you, I've brought you a present," she was still grinning manically as the Doctor pushed Clara behind him. "Now, Doctor, I had planned on something a bit more, well, grand, but, it would seem that woman you call wife has managed to spoil it."
"Please," the Doctor said, "Don't do this, not now, please," his voice was low and barely above a whisper as tears threatened to spill anew. "I can't lose her again. I have to save her."
"Don't get you knickers in a twist," Missy came towards the Doctor, "I'm giving you an army," she hissed into his ear.
