A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of updates - in all honesty, I haven't liked the quality of my recent writing and it's halted progress slightly. Thanks for reading as always. - W
When Clara made it to the government building that she had been directed to by her new friends, she found it to be empty, as if everyone had a day off. Her heart sank as she realised the only lead she had in helping the Doctor and Missy was useless. Like me. Clara thought miserably.
She began walking without any particular destination in mind, and found herself down a side street. This area of the Citadel seemed to be less full than the area she had been in before. She passed several buildings that seemed completely abandoned.
Suddenly she stopped. Whilst each building was essentially the same, one had caught her eye.
All of the buildings on this street were supposedly empty with open doors, dust, garbage, and broken walls. However, one of them, seemingly in the centre of a completely abandoned area, had a closed door, and a clean entryway.
It was a small detail that could have meant nothing, but it reminded Clara greatly of a book she had read to her English class one day. A group of bandits had been holed up in a bank in a mostly empty western town to escape arrest. The sheriff found them, however, because he realised for an abandoned bank, the entryway looked too used.
Clara approached the doorway, and found it clean of any footprints or fingerprints in the dust. Too clean. I really hope there aren't just squatters in here, or I'm going to look really stupid. Clara thought, hesitation and doubt filling her chest.
She tried the sonic umbrella on the door, but found it didn't work. Back door? She wondered. She snuck into the thin alleyway beside the house and found another door. Side door. She noted with a smirk. With a try of the umbrella, this door also didn't unlock.
Clara cursed as she found her plans failing once more. Just before she abandoned the idea, she noticed a small window at the bottom of the wall. Small enough to fit a small person such as Clara.
Clara lifted up Missy's umbrella to examine it. I hope Missy won't mind if I use this for something slightly different to unlocking doors. Clara thought. She held it in front of the glass window and thrusted the umbrella towards the glass with all of her strength, shattering the window.
Praying she was at the right place, Clara slipped through the window. An alarm seemed to be sounding throughout the building, and loud voices were approaching quickly. I didn't plan for this part. She realised, searching the room for a possible hiding spot.
dwdwdw
Doctor.
Theta.
"Thete!"
The Doctor sat up straight at the sound of Missy's voice. After a short time, his eyes focused to see her sitting in front of him.
"In the land of the living, my dear?" She whispered. Her voice sounded weak and somewhat less sarcastic than usual.
"I think so." The Doctor rasped. His limbs ached enormously, but the worst pain was in his chest.
"We're back in a cell, before you ask." Missy said. The Doctor nodded.
"How come we've been put together?" He asked.
"Rassilon was there when I woke up - we were in the stasis cells still. An alarm went off, and some ridiculously amateur guard was tasked with getting rid of us. Thankfully, he was an idiot, and put me with you." Missy explained. The Doctor nodded.
"How many regenerations did we lose, do you think?" Missy asked after a short pause.
"Too many." The Doctor replied. He winced in pain as his limbs burned. "What was the alarm?" He asked.
"I couldn't hear them well, but some sort of break in, I think. I reckon it was your little pet." Missy replied. The Doctor eyes shot to Missy's.
"Clara? She's alright?" He questioned, his chest feeling slightly less tight knowing that Clara was not dead.
"I felt her mind near mine earlier while I was in my cell. It was human. I'd imagine it's her, unless there was some Earth excursion to Gallifrey today. Besides, who else would break into a building so loudly and uselessly other than a human?" Missy said. She winced in pain and leaned back slightly. "Bloody Rassilon. Arsehole." She hissed through clenched teeth.
"What did you mean earlier?" The Doctor asked suddenly. Missy frowned in confusion. "You said 'she's here'. Who was there? Did you mean Clara?" He continued. Missy looked away sharply.
"It doesn't matter. I was wrong." She replied quietly.
"It clearly does matter, Kos." The Doctor said gently. Missy's lip trembled slightly, but she quickly contained it.
"Later. I'll tell you later." Missy answered after a pause.
"But..."
"Please, Doctor. Later." She insisted. The Doctor nodded in understanding. Please was not a common word when it came to Missy.
"I can't hear any shouting." The Doctor noted after a short pause of silence between the two. Missy hummed.
"She's either dead or very clever." She replied. The Doctor didn't reply, and instead stood to examine the room.
"We need to get out of here." The Doctor announced. Missy sighed.
"We're too old, Doctor." She replied tiredly. The Doctor turned to face her.
"That doesn't sound like you." He said. Missy shrugged. The Doctor crouched down beside her. "Why have you given up?" He asked. Rather than denying it, Missy simply lay back against the wall.
"I've lived a long time, Doctor. I'm tired." She replied. The Doctor frowned.
"You're being ridiculous." He said, an undertone of worry showing in his voice.
"I'm being honest. Factual." Missy sighed. She rolled her eyes at the Doctor's worried expression. "Put your eyebrows away." She said, gesturing to his frown.
"You're not like this usually." The Doctor said. Missy frowned.
"People change." She snapped. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know what to... how to... I'm not me, anymore." Missy said quietly. The Doctor sat beside her against the wall.
"What do you mean?" He asked gently.
"Without anger, without death... I don't know what I am. I don't know how to be otherwise. How to be like you." Missy explained. She took a deep breath.
"I'm not how I used to be, and that was all I knew." She added. She noticed the Master sitting nearby, remaining silent. "I can't help you, Thete. I can't help anyone. I'm sorry."
The Doctor's frown deepened, if such a feat could even be achieved, and he reached out to take her hand softly. "You've changed, you're right. But that doesn't make you any less clever." He said. He smiled slightly.
"I'll always be here to help you. Besides, you're a genius, Kos. I can't get out of here without you. You and me together, like when we were kids." The Doctor continued. Missy smiled softly and nodded.
"If you're sure." She replied. The Doctor nodded. "Have you checked the walls?" She asked. The Doctor smiled.
"Earlier. Not much there, but they're weak. Although, I'm not sure how much I like idea of breaking through by hand." He replied.
"Not very classy." Missy agreed. She stood to examine the fingerprint-locked door. "I could get us out of here if I got Letan's hand." She noted.
"Not an option, Kos." The Doctor replied. Missy pouted, but moved on from the door.
"I wish I had my bloody weapons. Even my umbrella would be handy, although a tad less lethal." Missy sighed. She opened her mouth to speak to the Doctor but stopped suddenly as she noticed something.
"What?" The Doctor asked. Missy shut her eyes to focus.
"My umbrella! I can hear it!" She whispered excitedly. The Doctor frowned in confusion.
"How?" He asked.
"Lost the bloody thing ages ago, so I upgraded it a bit. If it gets too far away from me, it sends out a telepathic signal to yours truly." She explained. "It seems to be close." She added as an afterthought.
"Clara." The Doctor grinned.
"Not as dumb as she looks." Missy smirked. "If I can get my umbrella, we'll be out of here much faster."
"We need to get out of this room first." The Doctor added. Missy bit her lip in thought as she considered a plan.
Suddenly, the Doctor grinned. "I have an idea." He said. Missy feigned a surprised expression, to which the Doctor raised an eyebrow. Missy rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright. I may have an idea too." She smirked.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The Doctor smiled. Missy rolled her eyes once more.
"Unlikely. My ideas are generally much more sophisticated."