BOOM
The Doctor straightened as the three women approached him, waving the screwdriver at them. Girl, looking away from the lifeless boy in her arms, gasped as she spotted them,
"Doctor...? Why are there three of her?"
The Doctor shook his head, hastily scanning from one to the next,
"They're fakes. Cybernetic copies made to look exactly like their host..."
His eyes widened as he read the last one, frowning in confusion,
"All three of them..."
"Like I said," the one at centre began,
"We haven't been completely honest with you..."
She started forward, her two counterparts beginning to circle them like vultures,
"When I was sent back by the angels all those years ago...I travelled a little farther than I originally expressed..."
She sighed, wistfully turning her gaze to Val's body,
"It wasn't quite 15 years..."
The Doctor frowned.
Looking to him, she offered him a smile,
"It was-"
~ø~
Somewhere in an office building, deep in the centre of Battery City, she sat in a room all alone. Tubes and wires lead from her frail, aging body to the machines which kept her alive. Her hair was long and flowing white. Her face sagged with wrinkles, her skin was marked with age spots. She could no longer see through the cataracts which clouded her eyes. Her breath was heavy, harsh with exertion.
But she still smiled that same smile, vicious like a viper with a venomous bite,
"-80."
~ø~
"1939," the Doctor shook his head,
"But how, then...how can you possibly be alive!? You'd have to be-"
"117 years old," she shrugged, shaking her head,
"It's surprisingly easy to do once you've obtained degrees in both science and robotics. All I had to do was put the two together and voila! Here I am."
"I don't understand," he shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor,
"If you were dumped off in 1939...then, why did you tell Poison it had only been 15 years for you? Why would you do that?"
"I couldn't allow him to think of me as an old woman, Doctor," she sighed deeply,
"I had my pride to think about-"
"There's no shame in growing old," he snipped, narrowing his eyes, "I should know..."
"Yes, but somewhere in my vain, little heart, I hoped he and I could still be together."
She set ran her fingers over the tip of the blade, slitting her fingers open. There was no blood, just a tear in the layer of latex she used as skin. The Doctor shook his head,
"You loved him?"
"Of course I did," she snapped, looking him square in the eye,
"I was naive. And he had a charming nature that made it hard not to. Too bad he never felt the same..."
She turned away from them, her clones keeping them boxed in. Bowing her head, she sighed deeply,
"He had a reputation in the Zones, you see... if he wasn't with the bots, then it was Hot Chimp...if not her then Tommy Chow Mein. Even Show Pony knew his way around that boy's pants. I was just another dish at the buffet to him. Hell, if he'd had the chance, he'd probably have made dessert out of you."
The Doctor blushed, coughing shortly as he shook his head,
"The night before he was sent back, I asked him where he wanted to go. He told me the Hollywood sign, said there was some history there between him and a certain young woman...'got busy behind the double Os', he said. But as he gazed at those city lights, as he remembered that girl and that moment, he cried.
He cried for you...!"
Madam Director turned to him them, her eyes wide,
"Did he now? Is that why he married her?"
"Married her," the Doctor straightened, nearly breathless,
"You knew about Beverly..."
"She was a very pretty girl," the woman smiled, thinking back on it fondly,
"Smart. Funny. A bit of a bad apple herself. They were perfect for each other. It's a shame about those mirrors, though. If only they hadn't broken, why, she and Party Poison might still be together."
Girl shook her head, glancing back and forth between them,
"Doctor, what is she talking about? What mirrors? Who's Beverly?"
The Doctor swallowed hard as he glared at Madam Director, the feeling of rage boiling deep within him,
"It was you...you were there."
Her snake like lips turned upward into a smile.
~ø~
-California - September - 2019-
"Am I making a bomb!?"
"Yes! Yes, you're making a bomb!"
He spun to face Cherri-Cola, shooting him a gesture he could not see,
"Thanks for spilling the beans as usual, dickhead!"
Clara's eyes widened as she turned back to the device, keeping as still as possible,
"Why am I making a bomb!?"
"You don't know," Cola shouted, quickly grabbing Girl by the shoulder and pulling her back a ways from the woman.
"You're gonna take out those Cybermen with it! What's it look like!?"
"But a bomb has to be detonated," she stammered, shaking her head,
"And I'm not sticking around here to make it go boom!"
"I know you're not," his voice grew quiet as he gazed at her, "That's why there's a timer."
Clara frowned as the expression on his face grew sad, and slowly, she stood.
"Set it for 3 minutes," he began, wiping his nose shortly,
"That should be enough for you three to get away."
He walked over to the bar, sitting down in one of the stools. She shook her head, stepping around the bomb and Cola as she shrieked,
"And what are you gonna do!?"
"Someone has to stay back and make sure it goes off."
The petite woman shook her head, her voice raised in panic,
"No...no way! You are not doin' that!"
"You said the Doctor will fix this," he snipped, gazing up at her with the same intensity in his eyes that she had seen when she had first met him,
"Do you believe that?"
Pausing momentarily, she nodded, gasping softly as a tear slid down her cheek,
"Yes..."
Standing up again, he strolled over to her, offering a smile,
"Then, what does it matter? Once he fixes things...it'll be like this never happened, right?"
Her lip quivered at that,
"Please, don't..."
The red head laughed softly as she began to cry, tearing up a little himself,
"Aw, c'mon...don't make this any harder than it has to be..."
"But...you'll die," she gasped.
He shook his head, biting his lip as he began to grin,
"You can't kill what doesn't exist, girly..."
She laughed a little at that, and he coughed, nodding toward the other two,
"Go. Quick, before they get here."
Swallowing hard, she glanced out the window. She could see them at the edge of the lot, coming ever closer.
Turning back to him, she swallowing hard,
"He'll fix this. He'll bring you back, I swear."
He smiled at her, a sad, little smile, and placing his translucent hand on her cheek, softly whispered,
"Goodbye, Clara."
With a sorrowful sob, the woman turned away from him and hurried back over to the device. Setting the timer for three minutes as he had instructed, she pulled the other two along with her, heading for the back door. She glanced back one last time, but said nothing. She didn't have to.
The broken look on her face spoke volumes in her stead.
Party Poison laughed softly to himself as she disappeared from his sight, pushing himself weakly off of the stool. He strolled over to the bomb and knelt down, watching the timer count down for a bit. As it reached one minute, he stood, staggering over to the back windows. Clara, Cola, and Girl were a ways off now, safe from the blast radius. He swallowed hard as he gazed at the child, biting his lip with a sigh.
"You're a brave boy."
Jumping at the sound of a voice, he spun on his heel to see a woman with scraggly, blonde hair sitting on top of the device. She offered him a smile as she stood and strolled forward,
"She's right. The blast will kill you."
"What the fuck," he shook his head, eyes filled with panic, "How did you even get in here!? You need to go-"
"Eh, it's all right. I've got all the time in the world," she grinned with a shrug.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled, her voice becoming soft again,
"No one, really," she began, stepping right up to him, "Just a lone wolf..."
"Why are you-"
"Because," she reached up, placing a hand on his cheek. He frowned, strangely able to feel her touch.
"No one should ever be alone when the end comes reeling..."
The fiery-haired man bit his lip at that, turning away from her and back to the window.
She sighed deeply,
"She's not wrong, though...the Doctor will fix this. He always does."
"I hope you're right."
Hearing nothing, he glanced back to see that the woman had disappeared. Only ten seconds remained on the clock.
He turned back to the window. Girl was just disappearing over the hill, her tiny, toy robot dangling at her side as she ran. He smiled, his eyes filled with tears.
At least she was safe.
The sound of the beeping continued behind him, seeming almost to slow down.
Unable to see her now, he laughed, breathing softly as the timer hit 0,
"See you 'round, sweet pea."
~ø~
BOOM.
Clara gasped as they reached the bottom of the hill, eyes wide as she spotted the fireball that spiralled up high into the air. Cola grabbed her wrist as she stopped, quickly dragging her away,
"C'mon! We have to run!"
~ø~
-California - August - 2031-
"Well, yes, of course I was there," she smiled, seeming almost insulted,
"Did you think those mirrors broke all by themselves?"
"You ruined their lives," the Doctor shouted, eyes burning with anger as his fists clenched at his sides.
"No, you did," she corrected, her short, black hair becoming caught in the breeze,
"You were taking him back home anyway, I only gave them a push."
He swallowed hard, bowing his head as she continued,
"And so what? It was a fixed time, wasn't it? That woman was always meant to spend the rest of her miserable days alone and unloved-"
"You should talk."
Her eyes narrowed at that, turning steel-like as she started toward him,
"I am talking, Doctor. She didn't deserve him! Oh, poor, neglected, little Beverly! Daddy didn't treat her right! Wanted her to marry a strong, dashing soldier man, so he fixed her up with the son of an old colleague. And they got on great, but he was just so," she sighed, mockingly pressing a hand to her heart,
"Abusive. He made her feel like the worthless little worm she was-"
"She was not worthless-"
"Oh, but she was! A spineless, pathetic little shit with no backbone! She wasn't worth the air it took to speak her name! She was garbage-!"
"Not to Michael, she wasn't!"
The woman went silent. The Doctor hissed, his bangs falling before his eyes as he adjusted his jacket,
"Is that why you did all this? Why you ruined thousands of peoples lives by having them converted into mindless, colourless, emotionless zombies? Why you devastated an entire city and left it a shell of it's former self!? Because you got your heart broken by a boy!?"
She smiled at that,
"The aftermath is secondary, Doctor."
The Doctor shook his head, running his hands through his hair as he scrambled for words,
"Secondary!? If you loved him...Eri, if you truly loved him, you would have let him go! You wouldn't have let your hatred rot your heart because you would have seen," he smiled as he thought back to that day on the beach, seeing her kiss him in the way that she did. He remembered the pain and the loss, and how he turned and walked away, leaving her behind again. But she hadn't been alone that time. She'd had a piece of him to remember him by,
"How happy he would be...how he could be! And yes, the memories would hurt, but that's what love is! Love is pain and feeling and it hurts! But it can also feel good! It can free you! It can make you better, can't you see that?"
"The only thing I see," she stated, her eyes cold and dead,
"Is a lifetime of regret."
"Then, I pity you."
He straightened as he spotted a figure approaching her from behind. She and her clones seemed unaware of it's presence.
With a hiss, the woman scowled, narrowing her eyes at him,
"What did she have that I didn't...can you tell me that? What did she do? What made Beverly so damn special!?"
The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, a smirk crossing his lips,
"Two words."
She frowned as the Doctor to a step toward her.
He straightened his bow tie in an almost defiant manner, a knowing grin on his face as the figure clamped it's hand down on top of her head,
"Matt. Damon."
Madam Director let out an electrified shriek as a pulse shot through her brain. She crumpled to the ground, the other two quickly turning in defense. A single Cyberman stood there, trails of oil leaking from it's eyes as it turned to the Doctor,
"Go. Now."
Nodding, he quickly ran to Girl and dragged her to her feet,
"C'mon, we have to run!"
They tracked across the desert, Girl glancing behind briefly. The Cyberman struggled against the two clones, ultimately going down upon being pierced through the chest by her sword.
The two clones then turned and started after them.
Girl gasped at this, turning back to the Doctor urgently,
"What are we gonna do!?"
"We have to get back to the TARDIS!"
She glanced back again. They were approaching fast.
"I don't think we have time for that!"
He glanced back as well. She was right, they'd never make it.
"Can't you call it or something!?"
"Can't I call what!?"
"The TARDIS," she yelled, swallowing hard, "You have a phone don't you!?"
"Yeah, well, lot of good it does if there's no one on board to pick it up!"
He thought for a moment, his eyes widening as he pulled out his phone,
"Wait a minute...you!"
"Me," she shrieked, glancing back again,
"Me, what!?"
"You're on board," he rummaged through his coat, pulling out a small, flip phone.
Pulling the antennae up with his teeth, he quickly dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.
Girl shook her head,
"I'm pretty sure I'm not!"
"Yes, you are," he continued, the phone still ringing,
"Twelve years ago, you are! In the other timeline, I sent you off in the TARDIS to keep Korse and his CyberDracs from catching you! If I'm right, then somewhere out there, right now, a six-year-old you is travelling about in the time vortex, a shoot off from the old timeline! If I can get through to her, we might have a shot!"
Girl stared up at him blankly, blinking in shock,
"You are fucking crazy, bro."
"Tell me something I don't know!"
~ø~
-The Time Vortex-
Girl straightened as the phone on the console began to ring. Hopping up from Fun Ghoul's bedside, she toddled out to the control room, grunting softly as she reached for the dangling cord. She couldn't quite reach.
"Here," said the woman with scraggly blonde hair. She reached up and handed the child the phone.
Girl took it with an excited smile, bringing the receiver to her ear,
"Hello?"
"Hello, Girl? It's the Doctor!"
A pout crossed her face and she scowled, turning to the woman in disappointment,
"What? Lame! I thought you said we were gonna find Poison!"
"You remember Party Poison!?"
"Of course I remember Party Poison," Girl frowned, shaking her head,
"What kind of question is that?"
~ø~
-California - August - 2031-
The Doctor let out a cackle at that and kissed the receiver, letting out an exuberant shout,
"Oh, Girl! I could kiss you! You perfect little girl!"
"Please, don't. That would be weird."
"Doctor," Girl glanced back, eyes wide as the clones were almost right on them,
"Could you hurry it up a bit, maybe!?"
"Right," the Doctor cleared his throat, glancing back nervously as well,
"Girl, I need you to bring the TARDIS around and pick us up! Can you do that?"
"I'm six-years-old. Does it look like I can drive a flying box?"
The Doctor glanced over at the teenager beside him, scowling slightly,
"Oi, you were a sassy one, weren't you?"
She smiled at that,
"I learned from the best."
"The best? You mean Soufflé?"
"Pfft, please. Poison was way-"
She trailed off, her eyes wide as she glanced over at him,
"Why did I say 'Poison'?"
The Doctor grinned, letting out another laugh as he turned back to the receiver,
"Girl, you get that box in gear, now!"
~ø~
-The Time Vortex-
"I just told you," Girl shook her head, her eyes wide as she smacked a hand to her face,
"I'm only six! I don't know how!"
"I think I can help with that..."
She gasped as she heard a voice come from behind her, a bright smile on her face.
~ø~
-California - August - 2031-
"Doc, where are you?"
The Doctor straightened at the sound of a male voice over the phone, his eyes wide,
"Oi, who the hell is this?"
He heard an audible groan and the light bulb clicked on, his voice squeaking in surprise,
"Wait a minute...Fun Ghoul!? Fun Ghoul is that you!?"
"No, it's a burglar and I'm just giving you a courteousy call before I make off with your box. Who the fuck else would it be?"
"The name Baggins comes to mind..."
"Oh, ha ha. Fuck you."
"Doctor," Girl shouted in a panic beside him.
"Right, yes," the Doctor cleared his throat, hearing the loud crack of a whip snap inches from his ear,
"I'll give you the location! It's-!"
It suddenly coiled around his leg and he tripped, the phone flying from his hands.
"It's what!? What is it!?"
Girl gasped as she caught the phone in her hand, spinning on her heel as she came to a sliding halt,
"Hello?"
"Whoa, who the fuck is this?"
"Um...I'm Girl."
~ø~
-The Time Vortex-
Fun Ghoul straightened at that, narrowing his eyes as he turned to the six-year-old beside him.
She raised an eyebrow at him,
"What?"
~ø~
-California - August - 2031-
"Forget I asked. Where's Doc?"
"He's uh...," she looked up, swallowing hard as she watched the two clones wrap their whips around his various limbs,
"A little tied up at the moment."
Her eyes widened as one of them then took the katana in hand, and slashed him across the front.
He let out a cry of pain, soon becoming silenced as one the one to his left placed a gag in his mouth. Girl's eyes widened at this, and she swallowed hard as she watched it lace the whip about the Doctor's thighs and throat,
"Oh my God...."
"Just tell me where you are! Maybe I can figure it out!"
"Uh, we're just outside Batt City," she glanced down eying a hefty rock nearby.
"How far?"
"About a mile," she knelt down and picked it up, squeezing it in her hand,
"Maybe two..."
"Okay..."
~ø~
-The Time Vortex-
"Okay," he frowned, twisting a few dials to track down the right spot,
"No latitude/longitude by any chance."
"Not really!"
"Okay, okay," he stepped to the next panel, frowning slightly,
"It's asking for a year."
"2031...I think."
His eyes widened, and he shook his head,
"2031!?"
He turned to Girl, his eyes wide in shock,
"How long have I been out?"
Girl shrugged.
~ø~
-California - August - 2031-
"All right, I'm on my way."
She nodded, swallowing hard as she squeezed the rock in her hand,
"And could you, uh...could you hurry please? I may be dead in a minute."
"You what?!"
Tossing the phone down, she charged at the clone whose back was turned from her. Reaching up, she wrapped her arm around it's throat and slammed the rock down on it's head. The Doctor gasped for air as the clone was yanked away; pulling the gag from his mouth as it went.
He then straightened, letting out a shout as the other one went for Girl,
"Girl!"
She gasped as she spun around, eyes wide as the black-haired woman charged straight toward her.
She threw the rock, missing by a mile and swallowed hard. The woman reared back, ready to bring the blade down on the young woman's head. The blade came down...