Clara had gotten used to travelling with the Doctor. She'd grown accustomed to the odd pull in her gut every time that machine took off and the plunging feeling every time they landed. Travelling with the entity that had ripped her from her body was like being washed in nausea and fire and when they finally stopped, she fell over onto the rubble and vomited air. She listened as he laughed, crunching through the rocks and wooden splinters that lay scattered over the ground and when she looked up, he nodded.

"Who's weak now?"

"Where are we?" She replied, ignoring his taunting stare.

He gestured about, "This is my planet."

Clara struggled to stand against the queasiness that lingered in her stomach as she told him sternly, "I would say it needs an interior decorator, but I suppose you'd need an interior to decorate first."

Raising his arms, she watched as a group of youngsters came rushing towards him, all seemingly glad to see him return and Clara looked over their faces. There were what looked like humans – she couldn't be sure – but there were also faces of all colors, faces with more eyes or less eyes, odd noses and even no noses. Some had tentacles and others had flaps and there were a few that looked a bit like the Ood the Doctor had told her about once. The only thing they had in common was their wariness of her as she steadied herself a few feet from the man who'd taken her and she didn't need to ask them what they were looking at.

She was the alien here.

"This is my army," he allowed.

"Army?" Clara called. "They're children."

"Yes, and children make the best armies," he smiled. "They're too afraid to question your authority and by the time you've raised them up in it, they know no better. Loyal, to a fault."

"What of the fog boys?"

"Manifestations of my mind," he smiled.

"So you wanted the children of Earth to join your army?"

He sighed, and gestured out, "Only the worthy – the ones I can use or sell. Of course, you got in the way of that so I suppose you'll do for now."

"Do for what?"

Looking out over the children that wiped at their faces and made small noises of fear, he told her plainly, "The Doctor thinks highly of you and I've taken a stroll through his mind – through the parts he didn't lock away – and I've had a grand ol' time looking at yours; you're quite impressive."

"For what?" She repeated.

"Well, it depends on you really," he told her, gesturing at her. "You don't really have a body, that's mostly psychic energy reconstructing a memory in order to keep you captive, but I'm sure I could sacrifice one of them," he looked over the faces that studied each other, suddenly suspicious of one another, "I could sell you off to the highest bidder. Oh I bet those Daleks would kill for your genius."

Clara felt an unusual tug to her right and she turned towards it, but as soon as she did, there was a small sting in her mind that made her turn back.

"Or I could keep you as you are – and you could put your prowess to good use helping me decide where to send the children."

"Send the children?" She managed through gritted teeth.

He clapped his hands together. "I'm the pied piper, Clara. My business is rounding them up and turning them into soldiers. And then I barter them away for money or food or whatever really… everyone's always looking for soldiers – do you have any idea how many ongoing wars there are out there that need a few good front men?"

Taking an uncontrollable step towards him, she shook her head, "Sell me then, because I won't help you sell them."

"Would you have a choice?" He asked lightly, fingers stroking her face. "Although, he has turned you into a proper soldier for me. I doubt you'd be a good choice for the Cyberwars; you'd never withstand the transformation – too much in there," he tapped her head. "Oh, if you had your body – the spare parts," he smiled, "They could always use those somewhere."

Clara.

Her head whipped to the side as she searched out the voice, weak in the back of her mind. And she smiled because she felt a smidge safer knowing he was at least able to communicate. Of course, the man in front of her wasn't so thrilled. He looked about as well before grabbing her roughly and demanding, "What are you hearing?"

Oh, the silly man doesn't like the games.

A giggle rolled over the children and then they all fell over shouting and Clara could see the blue veins that now threaded the man in front of her as he looked over them, obviously inflicting the damage. She lifted a knee swiftly into his groin and took satisfaction in the solid kick she was able to deliver before he turned his attention to her. He showed his teeth, unkempt and sharp, but she could see out of the corner of her eye that the children had been able to scamper back to their hiding places.

"He wants to play games," he uttered.

Clara screamed when the hands that held her in place iced over and froze her skin. A white frost spread down her arms and began travelling up towards her torso until it touched her heart and she gasped, but there was a small nagging inside her head – a chuckle – and she wanted to shout at him because she didn't think it was very funny, except, he made a noise of disapproval.

It's all in your mind, Clara – you have no body.

The notion was strange to her, but as soon as she understood that he was right, the pain subsided and there was an unusual warmth drifting over her. With a glance up at him, she slipped easily out of his grasp, floating through his hands a step.

"If you can't control the mind, you can't control anything," she told him firmly.

"No," he managed, taking a step towards her as she moved away.

Clara looked at the children, "He can't control your mind if you don't let him!"

They shook their heads and ducked behind pieces of walls and other debris and the man in front of her laughed, "They're corporeal – I might not be able to control their minds, but I can still hurt them. And why wouldn't I be able to control the weak minded children."

"Children's minds aren't weak," Clara shouted at him. "The mind of a child is the most powerful thing in the universe!" She rushed towards them, bending to their level to shake her head and declare, "Still developing, still open and learning – they could do anything."

That's right, Clara.

"They're limited by their knowledge!" He chuckled.

This planet is teeming with psychic energy.

"They're unlimited by their imagination!" She cried with a laugh. "Imagine anything!" She challenged, looking over them, "Anything!"

It's why he's stronger here, it amplifies his abilities.

"Weak," the man offered with a huff.

Anyone could tap into that.

She stood and clenched her teeth in frustration as she looked at the man who held his hands together, fingers against fingers, and smiled back at her. Amused. Inhaling deeply, she thought about the rubble around her and how light it could be, how easily she could lift it into the air and it began to rumble. The man stopped smiling, glancing down at the rocks shook and then, unsteadily, rose into the air and turned on their spots as Clara concentrated.

We're on our way.

"Doctor, you'd better hurry," she muttered.

Well, you do have the advantage.

Not really caring who has the advantage.

Clara, is this what you do with him?

"Dad?" she managed, the rocks falling to the ground in a crash of pops and bangs. "You brought my dad! I'm gonna kill you!"

Dave!

Doctor, you practically implied that I should.

"Dad, shut up!"

Clara!

"Sorry!"

Everyone focus!

Watching the way the man in front of her started to pace, hands lifting up at his sides to begin manipulating their surroundings himself, Clara looked to the children who cowered and whimpered. Focus, she could hear the Doctor reminding her, and she shifted the rocks up into the air again, this time sharply, and she thought about them pelting the man and they moved like bullets towards him, but then they stopped in mid-air and burst into dust.

"It's nice, you trying to play the game – finally," the man uttered.

"It's not a game," she told him.

"Oh, is it not?"

He popped out of existence in a swirl of black smoke and then re-emerged just in front of her, hand coming around her roughly before he disappeared again. The Doctor came running out from between the half-destroyed walls that were acting as his cover and into the midst of confused children. Dave stumbled over the rubble behind him and stood at his side, looking about before shouting,

"Where is she!?"

With a gulp of unease, he replied, "I don't know."