Searching the Stars

by LizzeXX

12/OC -Time Lady- The Doctor and Mac, the Doctor's Chosen, have survived Trenzalore, and now there's a new Doctor rushing about. On top of that, Clara has officially become Mac's Companion, something she's never had before. As the Promise Land looms in the distance, overseen by the mysterious Missy, how will the Time Lords handle all that's to come? Sixth in the Time Lady Memoirs.

3. Robot of Sherwood

Robot of Sherwood

Clara couldn't help but watch, partly in awe, partly in exasperation, as the Doctor and Mac stood at a blackboard in the TARDIS, both with a piece of chalk in hand, both rapidly writing on the board. There was a small monitor above it, a wide one that went along the length of the board, with a math equation on it the TARDIS had randomly generated. It looked like Greek to her, but then again it wouldn't surprise her if it was some random mix of other languages and letters thrown into some complex math from a far away planet, mish mashed together just to make it harder.

They'd been doing this for a half hour now.

The TARDIS would generate an equation and the two would go at it, racing to solve it. The Doctor seemed a bit slower than Mac with the solving of it, but he was faster at writing so it evened out into a close ending each time. Both sides, she'd come to realize, were playing dirty at one point or another when they really got excited about a particular equation. The Doctor would try to tickle Mac, poke her in the side to throw her off, and she'd retaliate at other times by laughing, because it seemed like it always made the Doctor pause and smile at her.

While she was very happy that they were happy, that the tension she'd seen between them before he'd regenerated had been resolved, it was annoying when she was raring to go for an adventure and they hadn't even left Earth yet.

Mac glanced back at her just then, sitting in a swivel chair, moving back and forth, her arms crossed, looking like a child who wanted to complain on a long car ride but was convinced they were old enough not to do it. She chuckled to herself, beaming when it distracted the Doctor enough for her to win that round. But, before the TARDIS could generate the next equation, she set her chalk down, ignoring the Doctor's whoop when he won, as he'd been ahead by two (and now one) when she 'conceded.'

"Where would you like to go, Clara?" Mac offered.

Clara stopped her twisting and stared at her, "Are you being serious right now?"

The Doctor hardly EVER let her pick the trip in this body. And, if she was being honest, the last few just seemed…boring, even by his standards. Museums. He'd literally taken them to nothing but museums 5 times in a row.

She may have been on the edge of contemplating running him through with a lance in the last one after they'd been there for 13 hours straight, the man examining every object in every room with a level of focus she wasn't used to from his last self.

Mac had had to pull her aside and say that what happened at Christmas, the whole thing being Trenzalore, had reminded him of the Great Intelligence and the Time Tunnel and all that. It reminded him of River, of their daughter, and how she would sometimes leave them messages through museum pieces. He was just missing his daughter and wanted to check in, but the woman never made it easy for them. Oh they could pop in when she was in Stormcage, but it broke his hearts to see his daughter in prison because of his own plots and the circumstances of her upbringing, so he kept trying to find her through history after she'd gotten out.

They hadn't had any luck.

Clara wasn't sure if this offer was because it was growing increasingly clear that she was going to lose her mind if they ended up in another museum, or if this was Mac trying to keep the Doctor from facing another disappointment at another facility.

Either way, she wasn't about to let this opportunity go if it was legitimate.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor huffed, "Your choice. Wherever, whenever, anywhere in time and space."

"Well..." Clara beamed, nearly hopping out of the chair, only to clear her throat and try to sound a bit less excited. She'd seen the Doctor's growing disappointment the last few times and she didn't want to get her own hopes up too high if this wasn't possible, "There IS something, someone, that I've...always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say..."

"Oh, give us a try, sweetheart," Mac laughed, turning to face her, her arms crossed, a smile on her face, the Doctor winding an arm around her shoulder.

"You'll say he's made up, that there is no such thing."

"Go on," the Doctor urged.

"It's...it's Robin Hood."

"Robin Hood?"

"Yeah!" she smiled, "I love that story. I've always loved it, ever since I was little."

"Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw, who robs from the rich and gives to the poor?"

"Yeah!"

"He's made up. There's no such thing."

Mac tried her very hardest to hide her snort behind her hand.

"Ah, you see!" Clara accused as he proved her point.

"Old-fashioned heroes only exist in old-fashioned story books, Clara."

Mac turned to give him a look, "You don't."

"I don't what?"

"Exist in old-fashioned story books," Mac said, before considering it, "Well, technically you do, good wizard in fairytales and all. I prefer you being real and solid though."

The Doctor grinned at that, "I'm not an old-fashioned hero," he insisted.

Mac gave a light shrug, "You don't know what you are just yet. Could be that."

"Makes sense," Clara offered, "You stop bad things happening every minute of every day, that sounds pretty heroic to me."

"Just passing the time," the Doctor countered, though he seemed contemplative, as though he were considering their words, "Hey, what about Mars?"

"What?!" Clara nearly sagged, clearly she wasn't going to be given a second chance at a pick then.

"The Ice Warrior Hives!"

"You said it was my choice," Clara pointed out.

"No, MAC said it was your choice," he reminded, "You made your choice. It was a poor one, but you made it. Now my turn. We could go to the Tumescent Arrows of the Half-Light!"

"Hmm," Mac hummed, "You know, I didn't get to pick the last two trips…maybe it's my turn instead?" she reached out to take the Doctor's hands, "What do you think, dear?"

"I think you might like the…"

"I can make it up to you," Mac offered, "If you let me pick this one."

He narrowed his eyes a little to look at her, tempted, "How?"

Mac smiled and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

Clara eyed them curiously, watching as the Doctor stiffened, then stared at Mac when she pulled back, before swallowing hard, "Ok," he said, his voice cracking.

"I don't want to know," Clara shook her head at them, really, REALLY NOT wanting to know what Mac had offered him.

Mac just snorted, turning, pulling the Doctor's one hand with her as she moved to face Clara again so it rested around her waist, "I offered to dress up for the next adventure he picked, his choice."

Clara had to wince at that, knowing Mac wasn't really one to dress up for period trips or anything like that in this body. She may have opened up a bigger can of worms than she realized, because the Doctor could pick a beach or something just to see her in a swimsuit. Or he could pick something ridiculous and have her wearing some odd costume.

"So where will it be?" the Doctor asked, clearing his throat.

Mac, pointedly ignoring where his mind was racing to for what he could convince her to dress in, smirked, "I'd like to see if Robin Hood is real."

The Doctor let out a long groan as Clara cheered and jumped forward to hug Mac for her support, having the added effect of tugging her out of the Doctor's hold, which made him frown even more when it was over.

"Well, there you have it, Doctor," Clara turned to the Doctor, beaming, her arm over Mac's shoulder in solidarity, two against one, "Robin Hood. Show me."

The Doctor could only sigh, half hanging his head in a joking fashion, "You're spoiling her," he warned Mac, as he made his way down the stairs and to the console.

"At least she hasn't asked to go back in time to save her mother," Mac muttered to him under her breath, giving him a pointed look that had him wincing. If there was anyone in the universe who should NOT speak about spoiling Companions it was him, he lost that right after that fiasco with Rose trying to save her father when he knew very well what the girl would try to do despite promising to leave it alone.

He had to give in at that, offering to Clara a, "Very well."

Mac gave Clara a wink and went to help him put the coordinates in, making sure he actually put in the best chance of seeing where Robin Hood came from and not some mystery tour, "Earth. England. Sherwood Forest. Around 1190 AD."

"But you'll only be disappointed," the Doctor added, before pulling a lever to set them off, Clara just grinning before she turned to run for the wardrobe, not about to let this opportunity pass. He waited till she was out of the room before pointing at Mac, "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into," he added, "I could pick anything now."

Mac just smiled, reaching out to take his pointed finger, "There's nothing so bad," she shrugged, her smile turning into a smirk when he gave her a look as though to say 'just you wait,' and added, "You need to be able to function, after all."

The Doctor had to pause at that, recalling a few instances he'd gotten too distracted by her in a certain outfit over the years…what had HE gotten himself into would be a better question.

Damn.

~8~

"It smells like a candle," Mac joked as she stepped out of the TARDIS once it had set down, to see that it had parked in the middle of a lovely forest glade, a small brook a few feet away with a log fallen over it like a bridge. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the wind was a light breeze. It truly was lovely.

The Doctor followed her out and glanced around, calling back to Clara, "No damsels in distress, no pretty castles, no such thing as Robin Hood!"

No sooner had he said that, an arrow shot past them, embedding itself in the corner of the TARDIS. The Doctor was quick to reach out and pull Mac back, moving her behind him as he looked out to see who had attacked them.

And there, standing on the fallen log, dressed head to toe in green, with a longbow in his hands, was a man with brown hair and beard. As soon as he noticed that the Doctor had spotted him, he moved his longbow to the side almost as though he was posing.

"You called?" the man grinned, starting to head towards them.

"That can't be…" Mac murmured from beside the Doctor, frowning at the man. She was as certain as the Doctor that there was no Robin Hood, at least not as the stories depicted. She could recall reading about a real Robin of Locksley, but nothing like the fairytales. Yet…there he was, like a Disney movie come to life.

"No," the Doctor agreed, his teeth grit as he turned to try and pull the arrow out of the box, knowing the TARDIS wouldn't appreciate it, and needing something to do with his hands so he didn't punch 'Robin Hood' in the face for firing a weapon at Mac.

"Very, very nicely done with the box, sir," the man continued, not seeming to notice his growing anger or Mac's confusion, "I saw a Turk perform something very similar at Nottingham Faire. It's a trick with mirrors, no doubt?"

"It's not a trick," Mac stated.

The man grinned at her, "Whatever it is, bonny lass, I'm afraid I must relieve you and your boney rascal of it."

"Bonny what?" Mac shook her head.

"Well, I agree with him there," the Doctor murmured, earning an elbow to the side for it. This her wasn't much a fan of flirting in the face of danger or threat, too worried about Clara and what could happen to other people if they got distracted. So he turned back to 'Robin Hood,' informing him, "You can't have it, it's our property, that's what it is!"

"Well, don't you know all property is theft to Robin Hood?" the man teased, coming to stop at the edge of the log.

"You're not really him, are you?" Mac had to ask, shaking her head, glancing at the Doctor, "Have we touched down at the Renaissance Faire again?"

That HAD happened once or twice before. The last him had gotten a kick out of trying to convince Rory that it really was the middle ages, that, yes, portaloos existed and so did plastic utensils.

"I'm many things, my lady," Robin winked at her, ignoring the Doctor's growing glare, "But I assure you, I am. Robin Hood laughs in the face of all!"

And, for good measure, he let out a bellowing laugh.

"I feel like that's going to grow annoying very quickly," Mac murmured to the Doctor under her breath. Normally she wouldn't have any qualms with laughter, it was a welcome sound, but the man was too boisterous and she felt like he would do it far too much, too loudly, and in situations where it wasn't natural.

"Going to?" the Doctor huffed back at her, already annoyed by it, and called out to Robin, "And do people ever punch you in the face when you do that?"

It didn't seem to put Robin off at all, "Not as yet."

"Lucky I'm here then, isn't it?"

Mac shook her head and turned to the doors of the TARDIS, calling in, "Clara, you just about done in there?" she asked. She didn't know how this was going to go, but maybe they could at least show Clara the man before he might attack them and force them to leave and then spend an inordinate amount of time trying to work out HOW he exists in the first place.

"Might be a little bit much," Clara spoke as she stepped out of the box, brushing some wrinkles out of her medieval themed reddish-orange dress before reaching up to fix a small jewel she'd sewn through her hair to hang by her forehead, "But...what do you reckon?"

"By all the saints!" Robin gasped, "Are there any more in there?"

Clara looked up, hearing someone else speaking, and her eyes widened, seeing a man who could only be Robin Hood himself standing before her. She reached out, grabbing Mac's arm as she was closest, and nearly shook it, "Is that..."

"No," the Doctor cut in, at the same time Mac said, "Not sure."

"Oh, my God!" Clara began to beam, nearly bouncing on her toes with excitement, "Oh, my God! It is, isn't it? You found him. You actually found Robin Hood!"

"So he claims to be," Mac tried to cautiously tell her, still not sure.

Because this had happened before, in a way. She and the Doctor had encountered a man who truly thought he was the Doctor when he was entirely human. It could be that, it could be some poor sod who had touched the wrong thing and had the entire story of Robin Hood downloaded into his mind, convincing him he was Robin Hood.

They had to be cautious, because IF that was what happened…they didn't know the sort of man he was to begin with and he might not be a good person without those memories in his head. She wasn't going to let Clara be hurt if that was the case.

"That is not Robin Hood!" the Doctor insisted.

"Well, then," Robin called out, "Who, sir, is about to relieve you of your magic box?" before he pulled a sword from his belt.

The Doctor glared at him for that, striding towards the log-bridge, "Nobody, sir. Not in this universe or the next."

"Well, then draw your sword and prove your words."

"I have no sword," the Doctor stated, reaching into his pocket, "I don't need a sword. Because I am...the Doctor," and pulled out a leather glove from one to put on his right hand, "And this...is my spoon!" and a spoon from his other pocket, moving it to his right hand and holding it up like he was about to fence with it, "'En garde!"

"Should we do something?" Clara asked as they watched the Doctor lunge at Robin with his spoon, Robin twirling this way and that before engaging himself, the two men going back and forth. The Doctor appeared to be keeping up relatively well spoon against sword, but she could really do without the Doctor losing a hand or a limb while he was trying to show off for Mac.

Because, really, what other reason would he have to use a SPOON instead of an actual sword if it wasn't that he was trying to impress her. Mac's entire name was based on her skill making useful things out of random bits and bobs, if the Doctor could manage a swordfight with a spoon, that would be something.

Mac had a deep frown on her face as she wrung her hands together, watching the Doctor and Robin dueling. It was clear she was very worried about what was happening. While she had no doubt the Doctor could manage himself in a duel well enough…that was with an actual sword. She'd seen the footage of the Sycorax she'd hacked into, she knew he had some experience in the past with swords. But this was just…this was reckless and dangerous to use a spoon of all things.

"Yes," she murmured, "Yes, I think we'd better."

"Right," Clara nodded, determined, serious, ready, "What should we…what are you doing?" she asked, turning to Mac as the woman began to pick up a pebble or two from the ground, "Are you making a slingshot?" she continued, trying to replicate what Mac would likely do, trying to see if there was anything around she could use as a weapon out of the bits and pieces scattered around, "Using two sticks and some rubber bands? Or a catapult? Hmm? A crossbow? A javelin? A wood sword?"

Really it had to be wooden something because there was only bits of wood and leaves about.

Mac gave her an amused look, "I could," she nodded, because there were a number of things she could make with a twig, string, and a rubber band, "But this is easier," she shrugged, turning and throwing the pebbles at Robin.

Clara pouted a bit, having been looking forward to seeing Mac in action, she always loved seeing how the woman came up with the things she did. But it did make sense, there wasn't much time to really put something together.

Mac's first pebble hit Robin squarely in the back, right between his shoulder blades. It wasn't painful, or didn't appear to be, the man just turned to see what hit him, giving the Doctor the opportunity to shove him back. The next pebble hit him in the shoulder, but Robin seemed to catch onto the scheme and kept his focus on the Doctor, though the Time Lord had timed it, able to see Mac over Robin's shoulder, to slide past Robin and smack him on the head with the spoon.

"He's not doing too bad," Clara tried to offer, handing Mac another pebble, having taken up picking some so Mac wouldn't have to turn away from the Doctor.

"He's had some practice," Mac admitted, "Richard the Lionheart!, Cyrano de Bergerac, Errol Flynn…" she tossed the next pebble, getting Robin in the cheek this time, enough for him to wince and distract him for the Doctor to whack him on the backside with the spoon.

"Not enough," Clara winced when Robin managed to nick a button off of the Doctor's jacket with his sword.

"Oh dear," Mac huffed, seeing the Doctor move back and open his arms wide and, while she knew he had some sort of plan to trick Robin, it wasn't helping her hearts to see him standing there like that as though about to accept a blow. So she wound her arm back and launched the last pebble right as Robin lunged for him, striking him right in the forehead with enough force to knock him off balance and send him falling into the brook.

The Doctor turned to frown at her, "I had it handled!" he called as she and Clara made their way over to him. Clara hurried to the water to try and find Robin Hood, while Mac just put her hands on his chest, checking him for injury, her fingers hesitating over the missing button, "I'm fine," he assured her, softer now, pressing his own hand on top of hers to prove it.

"Don't do that to me," she looked up at him, "Not even as a show, not even as a ploy. I don't like thinking you're about to be hurt."

"Um, guys?" Clara called, sounding worried, "I can't see Robin…"

Something seemed to occur to Mac right at that moment and she quickly pulled the Doctor off the log, moments before Robin jumped up from the other side of it, appearing about to try and push him into the water only to end up half on the log when no one was there. The Doctor grinned, winding his arm around Mac's shoulder, pleased and smug as he looked down at the man, his trick thwarted.

She shook her head at Robin, "Oldest trick in the book."

~8~

"Nestene," the Doctor murmured to Mac as they followed Robin through the woods, the man seeming in a jolly mood and wanting to introduce them to his allies. Perhaps that wasn't the normal reaction after one was bested in a duel, but Clara had been so excited to see the infamous Robin Hood he seemed to notice and wanted to show her the rest of his men when she'd asked about them.

That was the only reason they were following, because Clara was linked arm-in-arm with the man as he regaled her with tales along the way.

"Hmm," Mac considered it, before shaking her head, "I think it's like Jackson Lake."

The Doctor grimaced, "What makes you think he's human?"

She snorted, "What makes you think he's not?"

"He's annoying."

She laughed at that, "You think every species is annoying."

"Not Time Lords."

"Liar."

"Fine, not Time Ladies."

"The Rani? Romana?"

"Fine, not Naerys," he huffed quietly, though there was a small quirk of his lips.

"Good, because I'm rather fond of Thetas."

That brought a full smile to his face, "Not Robins?"

Mac shook her head, "I like the birds. And I'll like this man more if he doesn't hurt Clara, and if he's human."

"He's Nestene," he declared again, sounding sure.

"Why would the Nestene want to make a hero like Robin Hood?"

"Why would they want to make Roman soldiers?"

Mac frowned at that, glancing forward, between Robin and Clara again, "You don't think…"

He sighed, "It could be," he nodded, squeezing her hand as it rested in the crook of his elbow, watching Clara and Robin closely himself. This could be like Amy as well, like the memory his enemies had used of hers, to create a situation he'd believe, to lure him into a trap. This could be the same thing, his enemies could have scanned Clara's mind, found the Robin Hood story, and created all of this.

They had to be careful.

He lifted her hand off his arm and pressed a kiss to it in reassurance, silently promising her that, no matter what, nothing would happen to Clara.

This…this was one of the times where he was glad for how he'd changed with his regeneration. He wasn't going to be taken in by a hero like Robin Hood, not the way his last self would have been. He'd be suspicious, distant, cold, calculating, he wouldn't trust anything. He'd be rude and harsh if he had to be, whatever it took to make sure Mac and Clara made it out safe.

"Huzzah!" Robin called out as they approached a cave, able to see a small group of men gathered around a small fire, a rag tag bunch who let out a roaring cheer when they spotted Robin approaching, "Let me introduce you to my men," he stepped over to them, "This is Will Scarlet. He is a cheeky rogue with a good sword arm and a slippery tongue."

"My ladies," Will made a showy bow to Mac and Clara, only to let out a yelp when the Doctor pulled a hair out of his head, "What do you want with my hair?"

The Doctor ignored him, getting right to work scanning it with the sonic, "Well, it's realistic, I'll give you that."

"So not plastic?" Mac asked him quietly out of the side of her mouth.

He could only frown, not fully sure. The Nestene were always evolving, he couldn't be sure this wasn't some very, very deep cover, where the puppets even scanned real before they were activated, like a mixed version of the Flesh.

"And this is Friar Tuck," Robin continued, "Aptly named for the amount of grub he tucks into!"

"You skinny blackguard!" Tuck, a portly man in a friar's garb, stepped beside him and shook his shoulder in jest, only to nearly fall backwards when the Doctor snatched his sandal off his foot, "What are you doing?"

"This isn't a real sandal!" the Doctor shouted.

"Yes, it is!"

"Oh don't…" Mac began, grimacing when the Doctor moved to sniff it, though she was a bit glad he didn't try to lick it or nibble on it like he had other objects in the past.

"Oh, yes, it is," the Doctor's face scrunched in disgust at the stench, letting Tuck grab the sandal back.

Robin gave him an odd look, before continuing his introductions, "This is Alan-a-Dale. He's a master of the lute, whose music brightens up these dark days."

"Stranger you are welcome here," Alan began to sing, strumming a lute as he went, "In Sherwood's bonny glade...ow!"

Mac shook her head when the Doctor, losing any sense of subtlety he might have been TRYING to display, just went and stuck a syringe right into Alan's arm to draw some blood, "Sorry, sorry, sorry. Blood analysis," he flicked the sonic on to scan the vial of it, "Oh! All those diseases! If you were real, you'd be dead in six months."

"I…AM real," Alan frowned.

"Bye," the Doctor waved over his shoulder as he walked off a few paces.

"Just…ignore him?" Mac offered, honestly not sure how to react to that. She knew he'd be suspicious and want to work out what as going on as soon as he could…but this was going a bit far.

Robin nodded, assuming the man was a bit touched in the head, and went on, "And this...is John Little. Called Little John. He's my loyal companion in many an adventure."

Clara moved over to the large man sitting on a barrel as he held a hand out to her to greet, only for a smaller man, a little person, to jump out from behind him, startling her.

"Works every time!" Will roared with laughter.

"Oh, I cannot believe this!" Clara breathed, just staring at the group gathered before her, her hands on her mouth, her eyes wide, overjoyed, "You...really are Robin Hood and his Merry Men!"

"Aye!" Robin laughed, "That is an apt description. What say you, lads?"

"Aye!" they lifted their fists in agreement.

"Stop...laughing!" the Doctor huffed as he made his way back, "Why are you always doing that? Are you all simple or something?" he moved to the side and picked up a random goblet, tossing the contents, and holding it out to Robin, "I'm going to need a sample."

"Of what?" Robin eyed it.

"Ok," Mac stepped up, taking the goblet from him and setting it back down, "Taking it too far now, dear," she murmured to him, "Excuse us," she added to Robin, before tugging her Chosen off.

"Ok," Clara huffed, joining them, "What are you doing?" she looked between them. While the Doctor was obvious in his dismissal of Robin Hood, Mac was more hesitant and subtle, but it was still clear to her that Mac was being cautious around the men, too.

"We're not entirely sure," Mac began.

"They're not holograms, that much is obvious," the Doctor added, "Could be a theme park from the future. Or we might be inside a miniscope."

"Really?" Clara crossed her arms, giving him a look.

"Could be Nestene," Mac had to agree with him, "Or an infostamp malfunctioning…"

"Et tu, Mac?" Clara huffed, looking at Mac with a frown now, dropping her arms as she considered it, "Is this…is it really not real?"

Mac gave her a sad, understanding look for that, knowing how much Clara wanted it to be real and to find out it might be fake would be disappointing, "It could be, or it might not be," was all she could offer, "We have to make sure it's not a trap or a trick, it's happened before and we don't want anything to happen to you, Clara," she reached out to touch Clara's arm, "I hope it's real, for you. But I can't risk believing it and not seeing something dangerous or wrong because of it."

"Nor me," the Doctor agreed.

Clara eyed him a moment, slowly starting to nod, understanding now why he'd been so blatant in his distrust of Robin, why he'd made such a big show of investigating them. He wanted them to know he didn't trust them and that he was looking.

She appreciated that they were doing it for her though, even if they both had very different ways of going about it. Mac seemed intent to observe and compare, while the Doctor was more aggressive in physically investigating and digging in.

"So it's a…what did you call it, miniscope?" Clara asked, silently telling them that she'd be careful and wary too, that she wouldn't get caught up in everything but help out where she could. She knew the story, probably better than them, if anything was amiss, she might notice it sooner in that area at least.

"Could be," the Doctor nodded, "Mac?" he nodded to the side.

Mac gave Clara a look and stepped to the side to help him examine the camp for any signs of a miniscope in play, though she kept an eye on Clara when Robin came up beside her to talk.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked after a minute or two, pulling her attention back.

"I'm not sure," she remarked, looking over at him, reaching out to touch his arm, "I know how much you hate them," she rubbed his arm in comfort.

He really did. Miniscopes were barbaric, she agreed there. Taking a person or group and sticking them into an artificial environment and forcing them to live on, just to the amusement of others? Like they were living sideshows in a circus? It was cruel. HE had been the one to lead the cry for the banning of such devices throughout the universe.

"I haven't seen any panels," she added, "And…the Merry Men seem too…jolly," she offered, "They laugh quite a lot, more than normal, yes, but if it was one of the operators trying to influence them, it would have affected us and Clara too," or at least Clara, being human, "I'm not feeling like laughing right now."

"No," he agreed, patting her hand, "Me either," he looked around, really NOT wanting it to be a miniscope, but needing to be sure, "What time is it, do you think?"

Mac closed her eyes and sensed around, "Autumn."

He frowned, "It's very green hereabouts, isn't it? Very sunny."

Mac nodded, seeing his concern, "And it's 1190 so it can't be climate change," that WAS a sign of a miniscope, it was all artificial and controlled, meant to make the inhabitants feel at home and unable to tell something was wrong, "But," she began, "It could be an 'Indian Summer' as they call it. Just an unusually warm autumn."

"Could be," he murmured, tugging her closer and moving his arm around her, still uncomfortable with the thought that they could be trapped in one and on display like animals right now without realizing it.

"You must excuse me," Robin's voice echoed out, pulling their attention back over to him as he moved over to his men, "The Sheriff has issued a proclamation and tomorrow there is to be a contest to find the best archer in the land. And the bounty...it's an arrow made of pure gold."

"No!" Clara called, "Don't go! It's a trap."

Robin laughed as he waved the concern away, "Well, of course it is! But a contest to find the best archer in the land? There is no contest."

The Doctor frowned as the men laughed with their leader, "Right, that isn't even funny. That was bantering. I am totally against bantering."

Clara moved over to them, speaking quietly, "How can you be so sure he's not the real thing?" she asked the Doctor more than Mac, because while the Time Lady seemed willing to entertain that it could be real, the Doctor was refusing it completely.

"Because he can't be."

"When did you stop believing in everything?"

"When did you start believing in impossible heroes?"

"Don't you know?" Clara gave him a look, before shaking her head when she realized he wasn't going to get it, and turned to look at the group, "In a way, it's rather sweet," she shrugged, before heading over to the men to try and hear their plan.

Mac just sighed, "I hope it is real, though," she admitted to the Doctor, giving him a light smile at his frown, "The world could do with more heroes."

The Doctor had to nod at that, even if he didn't think Robin was real, the idea that heroes helped…that was at least something he could get behind.

~8~

Mac had a sneaking suspicion that the Doctor was up to something. If it wasn't the fact that he was currently hiding his thoughts from her by focusing on translating some of her favorite songs from Gallifrey into other languages, then it was certainly the fact that he'd been ok, eager almost, for her to go with Clara to the archery contest with the Merry Men.

It COULD have been that he knew how important keeping Clara safe, as her companion, was to her that urged him on, but she also knew that he would have kicked up more of a fuss about it than he had, her going off with strange men.

Still, he'd promised he would be alright, claimed he was just going to go back to the TARDIS to run scans, maybe snoop around the camp more…all of which she didn't believe…so she'd decided to humor him, sure he'd pop up sometime with some big old mess they'd have to fix. Sometimes it was worth it to let him have his fun even if it did her nerves in and she couldn't enjoy the tournament as much as she would have if she wasn't half-fretting about WHAT mess he was about to make.

She hoped he appreciated this.

She would demand a nice meal somewhere to make up for how frantic he was making her and how hard she was trying to keep it under wraps so as not to alert anyone.

She was fairly certain Clara knew though, the girl kept glancing at her and linking arms with her each time she began to wring her hands together. She really DID have to work on stopping that tell.

"In the contest for the golden arrow," the herald announced as the men, standing in a row, finished firing their arrows, "After ten rounds, the battle is betwixt our Lord Sheriff...and the stranger known as Tom the Tinker!"

Mac gave a small smile at Clara's overly loud snort for Robin's alias there. And the costume he was using to hide himself? He was basically just wearing a big cloak and a large hat. It was something she'd expect from the Doctor.

Robin and the Sheriff stood beside each other as the last targets were set up, Robin bowing to the crowd, rousing them, while the Sheriff just stood haughtily beside him.

"Take your places!" the herald called out and the two men moved to stand before the targets at the designated spot.

"Shall we make the contest a little more interesting, my Lord?" 'Tom' asked the Sheriff, "The targets seem a little close. What say you? Another 20 paces?"

"Why not?" the sheriff shrugged and gestured to the two soldiers manning the targets to move them further away. Once they were clear, the sheriff aimed and fired, his arrow hitting the center of the target, "Now, Tinker. Let us see thy true face."

'Tom' fired his arrow instead, managing to split the sheriff's arrow right down the middle, leading to the crowd to roar with cheer, impressed with the feat.

"Ye Gads!" the herald cried, "He has split the arrow! Truly, he is the finest archer in all England! Come forward, Tinker, and claim your prize!" he stepped down from a small dais he'd been announcing from, holding out a small cushion with a golden arrow resting on it.

'Tom' ambled over to the herald, reaching out, about to take it…when a loud thunk and tearing noise sounded, drawing everyone's attention over to the targets…where the second arrow had been split by a third.

"Oh dear," Mac sighed, seeing the Doctor standing in the middle of the field, a bow in his hand that he'd just used to fire. Well he'd certainly made an entrance with that.

"He's full of surprises, isn't he?" Little John remarked from where the Merry Men were gathered.

"Do I want to know what he's planning?" Clara sighed beside her.

"I'm not even sure I do," Mac huffed, he had moved to reciting her favorite songs backwards now. She was really going to have to speak to him about that, too.

He'd gotten very protective of her, in this body, and she loved that, she did, she appreciated his care for her. But something like this, where he was keeping things from her in an effort to keep her safe…wasn't really helping. She needed to know what he was doing so she could help or know when it was going not the way he hoped to step in or cause a distraction.

"I am the Doctor!" he declared, striding forward, "My skills as a bowman speak for themselves. I claim my reward," he moved over to the herald, who knelt down and held up the arrow for the Doctor to take and examine…and then toss over his shoulder with the declaration of, "A mere bauble. I want something else."

"Name it," the Sheriff offered, seeming too pleased that the Doctor had cast off the golden arrow.

"Enlightenment."

"Oh don't…" Mac huffed, pulling Clara's attention over to where 'Tom' had shot another arrow, splitting the Doctor's. She shook her head, THIS is what she meant. If she hadn't known this was some plan, even not knowing what it was, she could have ended up doing something to ruin it…the way 'Tom' was right now.

Still, the Doctor wasn't one to be outdone, firing his arrow again, but with more flourish. It bounced off of two soldiers, their armor, and THEN embedded itself into the target. Which just pushed 'Tom' to fire his arrow without looking, a show of skill...and annoying the Doctor in the process.

"This is getting silly," the Doctor huffed, turning and aiming the sonic at the target instead…blowing it up.

"Ok, so…no patience, at all, then?" Clara asked Mac, a little startled the Doctor had resorted to that so quickly. She knew Mac and the Doctor had more adventures without her, Mac would have a better idea of the sort of man the Doctor was now, but she was trying to catch up.

"And no forethought either," Mac grumbled.

Because just then the sheriff shouted out, "Seize him!" ordering his knights to surround him and sending the crowd into a panic.

"Come on," Mac huffed, hurrying to try and get out of the stands, "Clara!" she shouted, when the girl just jumped right over the edge of it and onto the grounds. She shook her head and did the same, landing on the ground with an 'oomph' before she raced after Clara just as the girl grabbed a fallen lance and tried to lift it to use on the knights surrounding the Doctor.

But the weapon was too heavy, the tip falling to the ground, making it useless.

"Clara!" she shouted again, reaching her, "What are you doing? Put that down! You'll put your eye out!"

"I'm fine! I take Year Seven for after-school taekwondo."

"Don't worry, Doctor!" Robin called as he made his way in front of the trio, his sword out, "I'll save you!"

"I don't need saving!" the Doctor declared.

"Your honor is safe!"

"I know!"

"For I am Robin!" 'Tom' shouted, pulling his hat off his head and tossing it to the side, drawing the attention of what remained of the crowd when he revealed himself to be THE Robin Hood, "Robin Hood!" he shot the crowd a grin, before jumping into the fray with the knights.

"What do we do?" Clara asked, looking around for something to help.

Mac had JUST reached into her pockets to see what she had, when Robin swung his sword at one of the knights and cut its arm off…only for no blood to spew and no cry of pain to follow. The knight kept fighting, the arm just laying there…sparking.

"I don't think the weapons here will help," Mac warned Clara, her gaze turning to the Doctor as he gingerly picked up the arm to confirm what she feared.

"Robot," he nodded, looking over at her.

"Ok," Mac nodded, starting to dig in her pockets for something that would help with a robot instead of a human.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" the Doctor shouted a moment later, and Mac looked up to see the robot's helmet had divided in half, a vertical stripe down the face of it, allowing parts to open sideways, revealing a metallic face underneath, shaped to be humanoid, likely to be mistaken for real in the night or other dark areas. But there was a slit across its head, just above its eyebrows, and another that went from its hairline to its nose, like a cross, glowing blue.

"Not anywhere good!" Mac yelled, running at the Doctor and tackling him to the side as the Sheriff cried out, "Take them!" and the robots began to fire lasers at the crowd, just barely missing the Doctor.

"Kill the rest!" the Sheriff ordered, "Kill them all!"

"Oh dear, dear, dear," Mac mumbled, quickly getting to her feet and running to the side, pulling a small compact mirror out of her pocket as she reached where the crowd that was mostly women and children were fleeing, using it to try and send the laser bolts back at the robots, buying the humans time.

"He surrenders!" the Doctor called when a handful of robots began to turn towards Robin, Clara, and himself.

"What?" Robin demanded, growing angry when the Doctor knocked the sword from his hand, "You miserable cur! I had them on the run!" he shook his head and turned to his men who were rushing to try and help now that the crowd had been cleared, the last of the civilians fleeing, "Flee, lads, flee! Live to fight another day!"

Mac had only just turned to run back to the Doctor now that the women and children were safe, when the Doctor's shout rang out in her mind, 'Naery, stay back!'

'Are you mad?' she shouted back.

'You can't be taken,' he told her, and he caught her eye across the yard, 'If they take you, who will break me out?' he tried to smile at her.

Her eyes narrowed at him, 'I hate you.'

'No, you don't,' he winked back at her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking at the three of them now surrounded by the robots, 'If anything happens to…'

'I'll be safe, I promise, I'll be careful.'

'I meant Clara,' she deadpanned, though she would have included him in that, too.

He chuckled, clearly at ease even with the situation, 'I'll keep her safe, now YOU have to stay safe.'

She huffed, 'Fine,' she agreed, starting to back away from the yard, 'But next time, I get to be the one captured.'

'Sure you will.'

She sent him one final mental slap for that before turning to rush out with the last of the crowd, while the sheriff and his robots were distracted with the Doctor, Clara, and Robin, it would give her time to find a way into the castle before they returned.

~8~

It wasn't wrong, Mac told herself, to NOT go after the Doctor and free him from the dungeon he was now trapped in as soon as she possibly could. There was no harm in it, it would serve him right to sit down there for a bit and think about what he'd done in keeping her in the dark, a time out of sorts. And, just for that, it wasn't a bad thing if she had decided to take a leaf out of his book and translate the songs that annoyed him the most into the most irritating languages to keep him out of her head and block out him asking where she was and what was taking so long and all that.

It made sense, in her mind, to explore the castle and get a lay of the land so to speak. It would help later, when it was time to escape, if she knew which halls led where and what went where. And if she took her time doing so, well she was just being very thorough.

She WAS keeping tabs on Clara though, taking peeks into his head to make sure she was alright.

Each time was an experience though.

Each time made her almost reconsider her plot to drag it out.

The Doctor appeared to be tormented in a unique way, being trapped in a small room with Robin Hood, his irritation and annoyance was through the roof. Apparently Robin's laughter was 'cruel and unusual punishment' to the point where he tried to have a contest with Robin about who could die slower than the other. Both were annoying Clara to no end, and she did feel bad to leave the girl down there with the squabbling men, but hopefully the girl's presence would keep them from going too far and, well, if Clara was trapped with the Doctor she would at least know that Clara was in the same place and safe.

She didn't think they'd get far though, because, from what she was glimpsing, neither Robin nor the Doctor had a plan in mind for how to escape that was actually useful.

She paused when a blip went through her mind, a spike of concern shooting through the Doctor, and peeked in. She closed her eyes a moment, letting out a frustrated and worried breath when she saw that Clara was being removed from the cell, to be brought to the Sheriff, while the Doctor was left with Robin. To his credit, even if it was more a competition with Robin than anything, he at least tried to announce himself as the leader to be spoken with instead of Clara.

It didn't work.

But she could see a handful of plans forming in the Doctor's mind on how to escape and go after Clara, so that was...something.

She shook her head, letting out another breath, before turning from where she'd been heading, she needed to get to Clara and make sure she was safe. The Doctor could handle himself for now, whatever or whoever Robin was he seemed to still be fulfilling the role of hero so, unless the Doctor irritated him, annoyed him, or insulted him enough, he wouldn't be killing the Doctor any time soon…

She should probably try to find the dungeons first.

Clara was clever, she'd seen the girl get out of enough tricky spots over time, she knew Clara observed her and the Doctor enough that she should, hopefully, be able to keep the Sheriff talking long enough for her to just get to the dungeon and get the Doctor out. Two Time Lords facing down the sheriff would be better than one. And she was a woman, she got the feeling the Sheriff wouldn't see her as a threat or take her seriously if she did try to threaten him.

So she turned and moved down a different hall than she'd been planning to go. She still needed to get more of a lay of the castle, but she didn't want to retrace her steps. So she would find a different path down to the dungeons. It was quite easy to work out where they were or where to go, dungeons were in the bottom most level of any castle, where the damp and chill and dark were meant to wreak havoc. All she really had to do was go down, follow any stairs down, go down halls where she felt a chill. Simple.

She paused as she passed a doorway, both from the fact that the Doctor and Robin had both agreed to a plan of escape, though whether it would succeed or not was to be seen, and that she was quite certain the room she'd just passed was NOT meant to be in a castle like this.

She stepped back, looking at the door itself, completely metal with a small glass window, unlike the wooden and iron doors she'd already passed. She could see a light glowing from within and when she stepped closer and peered through the window…well, she didn't need to actually enter the room to know what was going on. The room beyond was a large metal room filled with tech that was far too advanced to be found in 1190. She could just make out a large spherical device at the end of the room, with two consoles facing it.

She knew 29th century construction when she saw it.

The robots had been only one indication that something was wrong, they shouldn't be in 1190 either. Or at least none that could fire lasers out of their foreheads. So she knew there was some sort of advanced species involved. She just hadn't known which species or how far ahead the tech was. The knights had been specifically designed to blend into the times so it was hard to say.

It made her think more of Jackson Lake though. If there was tech like that, and a databank within that room, then there was every possibility that Robin could have been someone who hit the wrong button and got downloaded with Robin Hood's story. But…that wouldn't explain his Merry Men, all of them from the Robin Hood tales, all of them believing it. She couldn't think of a realistic reason for the entire group to be exposed to something like an infostamp and each of them end up with an individual personality from it. Nor could she see it likely that such a number of individual stamps had been just left about and handed around. Robin also seemed like he wouldn't just lure a random person to such a device just to download a new memory into them.

He seemed shocked enough by the robots, so he wasn't used to tech like that…

So what was going on?

WAS Robin Hood real?

She moved to reach for the door, to open it and go see for herself what was in the databanks…when she froze, "Oh Doctor," she nearly groaned, though it sounded more exasperated than anything.

He and Robin had managed to lure a guard into the cell and knock him out…but they'd gotten into a scuffle trying to be the one to get the keys off the man...and it fell through a grate in the floor.

They were currently going to try and carry the heavy wooden post they were chained to through the halls and find a way to break it.

She reached into her pocket instead of the door, finding a few things that could help, and turned to go find the Doctor. Leaving him in a cell was one thing, having him wandering about lugging a slab and chained to it…that was too dangerous even for him.

~8~

For two men in such a vulnerable position and unable to defend themselves, the Doctor and Robin were not making any effort at all to quiet themselves and be stealthy, Mac thought, for she could hear them grumbling and hissing at each other as she tracked them through the halls. Coming to a halt near the top of a landing as she could hear their voices echoing up the stairs and growing closer.

"Now what?" Robin was huffing.

"First, a blacksmith's forge…" the Doctor began.

"So as to remove our chains?"

"No. So I can knock up an ornamental plant stand. Of course it's so we can get rid of our chains! I don't want to be manacled to you all night!" he groaned when Robin laughed, "Oh, no, please, don't do that!"

"Ornamental plant stand?" Robin continued to laugh.

"It's not even that funny!"

"You're an amusing fellow, Doctor!" indeed the laughter grew louder.

"Oh, don't! Can you just stop? You'll give yourself a hernia!"

"And the post won't?" Mac asked as they reached the top of the stairs, the Doctor's back to her, having gone up them backwards, Robin's eyes half-closed as he laughed. She apparently startled them because they dropped the post between them, thankfully missing their feet.

"Mac!" the Doctor gasped, he'd been so irritated by Robin he hadn't even sensed her behind him, "What are you doing?"

"Me?" she gave him a smile, "What are YOU doing?" she gestured at the post.

"We need the blacksmith's forge," Robin spoke.

Mac sighed, stepping up and patting the Doctor's arm as she passed as though consoling him, "Never should have told me to run," she told him, before sliding her hand down his shoulder to his hand, moving to grab his other one and hold it out before her, looking at them and nodding to herself. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a…

"A paperclip?" the Doctor gave her a skeptical look.

"Ye of little faith," she teased, unwinding part of it so she could get to work, "You're lucky these aren't typical shackles," she told him. These were individual cuffs attacked to the chains, not circular shackles connected to each other by a beam.

"Can you really release us with that bit of metal?" Robin wondered…

Only for one of the cuffs to fall off of the Doctor's wrist and to the ground.

"By God," Robin breathed.

Mac gave the Doctor another wink, moving to the second cuff as he just grinned, loving how she was so resourceful. She was so incredible, how she could think of the simplest ways to get out of things where he might go too high tech at times.

"Oh, do you have to?" he groaned when she turned to go release Robin from his binds as well.

"Hush," Mac told him, "Clara's still in the Sheriff's grasp," she reminded him, trying her best to keep the tremor and worry out of her voice, knowing it could set the Doctor on edge when she wasn't pleased with a situation, "We need all the help we can get."

He huffed, "Fine, if you must."

Mac nodded, getting the second set of manacle off and turning back to the Doctor, "There's something you need to see first," she told him, because if they were going to save Clara, they needed to know what they were up against so they wouldn't be surprised or caught unaware of advantages their enemy might have. She looked between them, "Follow me."

~8~

"Here," Mac spoke as she led the Doctor and Robin to the metal door she'd found before, a little startled when the door opened easily when she pressed the pad and didn't require any further security. But with how heavily fortified the castle was, she doubted the sheriff thought anyone would breach the walls or escape the dungeon to get to such a room.

"At last," the Doctor murmured as he looked around, "Something real, no more fairytales."

"What is this place?" Robin breathed, Mac watching him closely, the man genuinely seeming startled and confused and in awe of what was around him.

"A spaceship. More 29th century than 12th!"

"Doctor," Mac cut in, giving him a pointed look, "Clara. We need to find out what we're dealing with."

It was the only thing keeping her from searching the castle for Clara, not liking how long they'd been separated from the girl, her mind already racing with all that could have happened to her in the meantime. The sooner they could learn what they would be coming face to face with the better protected Clara would be because they would know their weaknesses.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded with a wince, "Data banks, data banks, data banks…"

Mac shook her head and walked over to one of the consoles, "Here," she called him over, the two of them getting to work bringing up the information.

"Where was this ship headed?" the Doctor searched the databanks for that…frowning deeply when 'Destination: The Promised Land' popped up on the monitor.

"The Promised Land, again," Mac, too, frowned at it.

"Like the Half-Faced Man," he nodded, "But more sophisticated. It disguised itself as a 12th-century castle, emerges into the culture, tries to keep a low profile, so no one notices. That explains the robot knights," he stepped away from the banks and moved to look at the sphere, "But the engines..." he examined them, "The engines are damaged. They're leaking radiation into the local atmosphere…"

"Which creates an unusually warm autumn," Mac finished for him, glancing over at him, "So not a miniscope at least. It's not a scene playing out."

"But why make an evil sheriff to oppress the locals?" the Doctor turned to her, frowning, "Why make him?" he nodded at Robin.

"Beg pardon?" the man looked confused.

"I mean, yes, every oppressed peasant workforce needs the illusion of hope," the Doctor continued, ignoring him, thinking about the other information Mac was finding, about how villagers were being rounded up by the Sheriff and made to work in the lower levels for something, "Some silly story to get them through the day, lull them into docility and keep them working," he moved back over to Mac, bringing up the story, "Ship's data banks. Full of every myth and legend you could hope for, including...Robin Hood," he gestured at the screen, now displaying illustrations for Robin Hood, from books to actors who portrayed him, "Isn't it time you came clean with me?" he demanded of Robin, the man frowning down at the screen, "You're not real and you know it! Look at you, perfect eyes, perfect teeth. Nobody has a jawline like that! You're as much a part of what is happening here as the Sheriff and his metal knights! You're a robot!"

Robin recoiled at that, "You dare to accuse me of collusion with that villain, the Sheriff?"

"I dare!"

"I don't think he is though," Mac spoke up, cutting off Robin's looming anger and the Doctor's growing annoyance, "He could be a robot, fine, but…WHY on earth would anyone create and release a person whose entire purpose is to stop their work?" she gave the Doctor a look, "It makes no sense."

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue, and found…he didn't really have an answer. Because it DIDN'T make sense. He was saved from having to come up with something when a bright light flashed by the door and it was blown off its hinges, flying into the room and landing on the ground, just barely missing their feet. The sheriff stormed in, Clara held by one arm, with two knights following behind them.

"Surrender, outlaw!" the sheriff shouted.

"Clara!" Mac called out, the Doctor having to grab her hand to keep her from lunging forward to try and help her.

"I'm ok," Clara told her, "I'm ok, Mac."

"Kill him," the sheriff ordered, not seeming concerned with them but fixated on Robin, "Kill Robin Hood!"

"You can drop all that stuff now, Sheriff," the Doctor rolled his eyes as the two knights began to advance.

"Doctor?" Clara frowned, unsure of what happened since she'd been taken off.

'Be careful about this, Theta,' Mac warned him in his mind, seeing he was doing this to resolve once and for all, what Robin Hood was. If he could get the Sheriff to admit it or confirm Robin was a robot, it would help decide which of them was right about him, 'Clara's still in his grasp.'

He gave her a subtle nod, even as he continued to speak to the sheriff, ignoring the knights forcing Robin back, "You're not fooling anyone, Sheriff."

The sheriff glared at him, gesturing the robots to get on with it, and so one fired at him, Robin ducking down so the blast would hit the wall behind him, though the hole created in the wall exploded with enough force to knock him to the ground. Clara used the distraction of the action to yank her arm out of the sheriff's hold, not that the man seemed overly concerned with her, giving her enough time to rush to his side and check on him.

Robin scrambled to his feet, backing up towards the wall, tugging Clara back as though to get her away from the robots, only to suddenly shift her so she was in front of him like a shield.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Clara gasped.

Robin didn't answer instantly, turning his gaze to Mac as the woman looked both terribly worried and quite murderous to see his action. He had noticed, very early on, that the woman appeared quite motherly to Clara, SHE would be the one he needed to reassure, to assure as well, that this was for Clara, to not worry about the girl, that he would keep her safe.

He gave her a subtle nod, before he said, "Surviving," and jumping back out the hole, taking Clara with him as they fell towards the moat at the base of the castle.

"Clara!" Mac shouted, rushing for the hole, frantic. She understood Robin's intent, that was clear in the look he'd given her, but the actual action of watching them jump out of a tower had her hearts racing. They made it to the edge just as a loud splash sound rose up, able to see the water of the moat below rippling, though there was no sign of Clara or Robin.

"Yeah, sorry about the girl, such a pretty thing," the sheriff shrugged, before turning to walk off, back to the robots, "What a queen she would've made."

'There,' the Doctor cut into Mac's rampant thoughts, mentally nudging her to what he'd seen, Robin, on the opposite shore of the mote, carrying Clara in his arms towards the forest line.

'Oh, thank the stars,' Mac breathed in his mind.

The Doctor grit his teeth, not at all happy with how this had gone, with how far the sheriff had pushed this. Granted he had let the man target Robin Hood, but he hadn't thought Clara would get caught in the crossfire as she had been off to the side while it had been happening. But enough was enough, now his Chosen was upset, and he wouldn't have that, "Stop pretending," he demanded of the man, "You and your fancy robots. I get it, I understand."

"Oh, so you, too, know my plans?" the Sheriff scoffed.

The Doctor stepped forward, keeping himself between Mac and the sheriff, knowing that the woman wouldn't turn away from that hole until Robin and Clara were safely away, he wouldn't let her be harmed with her back turned, "You and your robots plundering the surrounding countryside for all it's worth. Gold. Gold!" he realized something, "Of course! Gold!" and glanced over at the sphere, "You are creating a matrix of gold to repair the engine circuitry!"

"This is the scheme the Mechanicals have devised," the sheriff admitted, somewhat impressed with his knowledge, "Soon this skyship will depart. Destination...London. There I will obliterate the King and take my rightful place as ruler of this sceptered isle!"

"It won't work," Mac cut in, having turned away now that Clara was in the forest and out of sight, moving to the Doctor's side, frowning at the Sheriff, "There's not a chance. We won't let you."

"And even if we hadn't been here," the Doctor added, "We've seen the instruments. There's been too much damage. You are stoking up a gigantic bomb!"

Mac frowned, seeing the Sheriff putting a finger to his lips and pointing at them, when a flash of metal caught in the corner of her eye and she quickly yanked the Doctor back, seeing one of the robots behind him trying to knock him out, its fist raised. She looked around for something to help…and only one thing came to mind.

Well, maybe two.

"My turn," she told the Doctor, all the warning he'd gotten before he was shoved towards the blast hole Robin and Clara had fallen though, giving him a wink just as their eyes caught before he fell out of it. She spun around and held her hands up in surrender.

Let that be a lesson to him not to tell her to escape and leave him in danger!

~8~

Mac stumbled slightly as she was shoved into a cavernous chamber at the base of the castle, her hands chained together. She was pointedly blocking the Doctor's irate rantings from her mind so she could focus on everything going on around her. It was clearly a smelting chamber of some sort, with robots walking past, carrying a giant golden circuit. Well it confirmed the Doctor's theory about what they were doing.

"Engine capacity at 48 percent," one of the robots was reporting, "Engine capacity at 48 percent."

She shook her head, letting out a breath, far too intimately familiar with building things to know that wasn't going to be enough, not nearly enough. The Doctor had been right about that too, the ship wasn't going to get far enough away or have enough power to sustain itself.

"It'll never make orbit," she agreed with him, "The engines will just build in power until they're overwhelmed. Oh dear, dear, dear."

She looked down at her hands, rolling her eyes at the same manacles holding her as the Doctor and Robin's had been, turning to reach into her pocket and pulling out her trusty paperclip, working on the locks and getting them undone without much fuss. She looked up as she rubbed her wrist to see a woman with long brown hair watching her, seemingly startled she'd escaped so easily.

"Hello, sweetie," she smiled at the woman, "Are you alright?"

"How did you do that?" the woman looked down at her wrists.

Mac stepped closer to her, holding up her arms when the woman took a step back, unsure, and moved to hold out one of her hands, opening it to show her the clip, "I had some help," she looked at the woman's bound wrists, "May I?"

The woman looked around, "The guards…"

"Easier to fight them when you can use your hands," Mac reminded her.

The woman turned to her, "Fight them?"

"You want to stay here?" Mac asked gently, an eyebrow lifted.

"No."

"Then we need to get you out," she looked over at the room, able to see many more people, in far worse conditions than the woman before her, clearly one of the newer ones, "We need to get all of you out."

"And you can do that?" the woman hesitated.

Mac turned back to her, "Oh yes," she nodded, holding out her hand again and the woman moved to put her wrist in her grasp, letting her work on the bindings.

"What you were saying before," the woman spoke quietly, "About engines, what are those?"

Mac glanced at her and back down to her work, "The sheriff's been collecting gold from everywhere, to make those boards," she nodded absently to where the robots had walked past with the circuits, "He's trying to rebuild a ship of sorts, using those devices. But there's not enough and it's not compatible, it won't work."

"And it'll be dangerous?" the woman guessed, having gotten that sense.

"Very," Mac nodded, getting to work on the second manacle, "That sheriff, he's not too bright is he?"

"No," the woman snorted.

"If he tries to get the ship moving, it will explode," she warned the woman, "It will hurt many, many people, possibly half the country."

"We need to stop him!" the woman declared.

"And we will," Mac nodded, dropping the manacle, rubbing the woman's wrists to help her. From what she could tell at a glance, she was one of the few to be wearing them, likely she had been one to resist this work while others had gone along to not be restrained, "All we need are more of these," she leaned down to pick up the gold platter the woman had dropped when she'd offered her wrists, "And people," she eyed the woman, "Have you ever inspired a riot before?"

The woman shook her head.

Mac nodded, "All you need is an idea, and angry people…"

~8~

Mac made a pointed show of sitting down in the middle of the smelting chamber while the people bustled around her, all of them making it seem like they were just carrying a platter here or a tray there or a mirror in hand to be melted down. But she could see all of them watching her out of the corners of their eyes, waiting till the robots noticed her refusal to work and came to force her hand. It might have been a little amusing, how content and calm she was while the humans around her were alarmed and tense and fearful.

It was a contrast for her as well, she felt. Normally she was a very fretting person, always worrying for the Doctor or Clara or some danger on the horizon. But when it came to her own safety, she wasn't quite so worried. She had regenerations left, she had that fallback, but even then, if she was harmed but others were safe, she was fine with that. Better her than them.

"You are fit for labor," a robot stated as it approached her.

"Hmm," she hummed, "I'm a bit tired. I think I'll stay right here."

"You are fit for labor," it repeated, "Stand and labor."

Mac looked up at it, considering the words, "Alright," she shrugged, pushing herself up, "I'm standing," she said, "But I'm not keen to work. Make me."

She smirked when the robot began to powerup, the blue glow from within the cross on its forehead brightening. She timed it carefully, pulling a golden trap up where it had been dangling in her hand just in time to reflect the laser beam shot at her right back at the robot but slightly past its shoulder, where the woman she'd helped was standing, with a tray of her own, sending the bolt to the back of the robot's head, knocking it off and sending it collapsing to the ground.

"Get ready!" Mac called to the others as the humans quickly moved to join them, she turned to the door, "It'll send a distress call, more will be coming."

The group quickly lifted their golden affects, readying themselves as the door was knocked off its hinges and robots swarmed the room. They scattered, spreading themselves out so as not to make it an easier attack, drawing attention away this way and that, firing lasers back at the robots. Until there was just one left.

"Surround it!" Mac ordered, and the humans rushed forward, forming a circle around the robot which didn't seem to know who to fire at. But in the end it chose Mac, seeing her as the leader, and fired a blast. It reflected off her tray, ricocheting around to the many ones around it, stopping it from seeing where the next blast would come from, until it hit it in the chest, causing a small explosion that sent it toppling back.

A cheer went out, the humans whooping in their victory, hugging each other in celebration. Mac gave them a smile, before shaking her head, "Ok, now go!" she urged them, "Get out, all of you, fast as you can. Go!" she moved to the door to keep ushering them through it.

The woman she'd helped was the last one out, pausing to give her a wide smile, "You've saved us all," she rushed forward to give her a tight hug, "Thank you!" before she took off after the others.

Mac let out a breath, looking back at the room, the fallen robots, and the fallen circuits they hadn't been able to transport, "Engine capacity at 82 percent," a computer announced. She oved over to one of the circuits, about to try and pick it up, intent to bring it to the smelters, to destroy it, when a laser shot past her.

She turned to see the sheriff and two knights in a doorway on the other end of the room, "Did you really think your peasants' revolt could stop me?"

"Can't work without a workforce," Mac said simply, "And now you don't have enough gold content to seal the engine breach. If you try to fly this ship, it will destroy half of England."

The sheriff glared at her, "Liar! From my sky vessel, I shall rule omnipotent!"

Mac sighed, "I see why he calls you pudding brains," she muttered, before shaking her head to confront him, "If you do this, you will be altering the course of history…"

"I should sincerely hope so," he smirked, "Or I wouldn't be bothering."

Mac frowned as the two knights behind him began to advance, "I'll make you a deal then," she offered, a thought striking her.

"You have nothing of interest to me."

"I can fix your engines," she countered, "And I will, if you shut down Robin Hood."

The sheriff held up a hand, stilling the robots, "YOU can fix the engines? A woman?" he sounded amused by the thought.

"I destroyed your robots with a tray," she reminded him, "You think I can't figure out how to make something work just as simply?"

The sheriff considered it, before grinning, "Deal," he smirked, "Now, come."

"And Robin hood?" Mac asked.

"He is not one of mine," the sheriff declared, "He is a foul foe! A thorn in my side!"

Mac nodded, she'd been expecting that, that he would take the bait, get her 'help' without giving her anything he thought was important. But it never hurt to have confirmation, which she sent off to the Doctor in her mind, before allowing the robots to grab her by the arms and 'drag' her out of the room after the Sheriff.

~8~

"You know," Mac remarked as she was led through the halls, up a few stairs to a larger smelting chamber, a more open space where two vats of melted gold were still simmering away, "I almost wish you had created Robin Hood."

"And why's that?" the Sheriff scoffed at the very idea of making a robot to stand against him.

"My Chosen gets a bit jealous when he's not the hero."

"Oi!" the Doctor's voice cut in, as he appeared in a gallery portion of the room usually reserved for minstrels to play during balls. There was an annoyed sound that squawked behind him, the motion of him appearing seeming to be that he'd yanked another person back so he could step up, "I'll have you know, I'm the most heroic," he called down to her.

"I think you'll find, sir," Robin's voice called out, the man shoving himself forward to the Doctor's side, nearly sending him topping off the gallery, "There are none more heroic than I, for I," he continued, pushing the Doctor when he tried to speak, "Do not come alone!"

"Oh, sorry!" Clara's voice joined them, "Was that…was that me?" and then she stepped beside them, smiling down at Mac, even waving to her, "hiya!"

Mac could only smile when she saw both Clara and the Doctor were alright, even if the Doctor looked half like a drowned rat he was still in his wet clothing. Perhaps she'd been a bit mean to him, pushing him out the window the way she had, he'd clearly spent the entire time working out a plan and making his way back to her.

Robin let out a roaring laugh, reaching out to wind an arm around Clara's middle with one hand, pulling a dagger from his belt with the other, which he used to stab into a banner beside him, hopping over the side of the railing to slide down the banner by the dagger, taking Clara with him.

Mac, though, her eyes were on the Doctor as he watched, unamused, and irritated with the antics. She knew it wasn't so much that Robin Hood had taken that path, but that, because he had, HE wouldn't be able to or he'd look like he was copying. He had wanted to make the heroic grand entrance and that had been snatched away. She caught his eye as he turned to look at her and gave him a shrug. He huffed and turned to a banner on his side of the gallery, reaching out and winding it around him so he could slowly rappel himself down the wall.

Mac's attention was quickly pulled away from his path when something flew across the room and she could see Robin had tried to throw a dagger at the sheriff, who ducked out of the way, giving Robin enough time to pull his sword.

"My men have taken the castle!" Robin announced.

And Mac now realized why it had been so easy for the humans to escape, the other knights must have been distracted by the siege from the Merry Men.

"No!" the sheriff cried out.

"Now I'm going to take you!"

Mac realized, also, just how stupid the sheriff was, when the knights holding her back instantly let go of her arms to step forward and attack Robin for the threat, leaving her free to back away and rush around them from behind over to Clara's side, checking that the girl was alright.

"This one's all mine!" the sheriff snarled, decommissioning the knights and pulling his own sword, "What do you say, outlaw? A final reckoning?"

"Oh, yes!" Robin cheered, lunching at the sheriff.

"Mac," the Doctor breathed as he reached them, "Never do that to me again," he ordered, pulling her towards him to hug her tightly.

She snorted into his shoulder, hugging him back just as tight, "You're one to talk."

He let out a huff of breath, but pulled away to cross his hearts, a silent promise that he wouldn't try that again. It wasn't even the being pushed out a window that had him frantic and worried, but the separation from her. It was one thing when HE was the one choosing it, compared to when he was forced away from her and, yes, he knew how hypocritical that was to say. He had learned his lesson. Either they both agreed to a plan or they stayed together from now on.

"Um," Clara cut in, glancing from them to Robin, locked in his duel, "Should we help him?"

"He's Robin Hood," Mac shook her head, "He can handle the Sheriff of Nottingham, we have a bigger problem."

"What problem?" Clara frowned at her. The Doctor, she was sure, had started to tell her something about what the Sheriff was doing, and she'd gleamed enough from his own words to work it out, but the missing part was how it was about to go wrong.

"The whole castle's about to blow."

"What?!"

"I got the humans out," Mac turned to the Doctor, "They didn't finish making the parts for the ship."

A startled, pained cry drew their attention back to where Robin Hood should have been, only to see that he and the Sheriff were, instead, on the beams above them, having gotten up there somehow, that Robin was now clutching his one arm, his sword on the ground, and the sheriff holding his blade to the hero.

"Oh god," Clara gasped, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide and fearful as Robin held out his arms wide, as though allowing the sheriff to attack him.

It appeared he'd worked out what the Doctor had been planning to do on the fallen log, for he turned just as the Sheriff reached him, sending the man lunging past him and shoved him to the side, off the beam, watching as the sheriff fell down, into a vat of molten gold. He was grim for a moment, before he turned and grabbed a rope, using it to get himself off the beam and back down to the ground.

"Sorry," he gave them a tense look, "Was that, er, was that showing off?"

"That was amazing!" Clara grinned, rushing forward to hug him, but the Time Lords were looking more at his injured arm…where there was very real blood staining the sleeve of his clothing, proving the sheriff's claims that he wasn't one of his robots.

'Could be like Jackson,' the Doctor remarked to Mac in her mind, still clinging to the thought that he wasn't really Robin Hood, though even in her mind his argument sounded weak.

Mac reached out and took his hand, 'It wouldn't explain the Merry Men,' she reminded him, 'Too much would have to happen for that to be what it is. No, dear, I think he's real.'

He let out a huff at that, but squeezed her hand in acceptance.

Mac couldn't help but feel, maybe, a tiny part of it was that HE wanted to be the hero, but to her and Clara. Like a father who always wanted to be seen as the hero to his daughter, but then others come around she admires more.

Whatever Clara may see Robin Hood as, the Doctor would always be the hero to HER.

"Thank you," the Doctor murmured to her, lifting her hand to press a kiss to the back of it…

When the ground beneath them began to rumble, the room shaking so badly parts of the ceiling began to crumble and fall around them.

"Run!" the Doctor called, moving forward instantly to push Clara and Robin towards the doors, "Come on, run!"

"This way!" Mac shouted, taking the lead, more familiar with the castle than the Doctor was due to her explorations before.

She led them through the halls as fast as she could, until they raced through a doorway and out into the courtyard of the castle. They hurried across it, to the edge of the forest where they could see the Merry Men and the peasants gathered near a lakeside. They turned to look at the castle, hearing more noises of destruction, to see part of it literally falling apart. One of the towers began to fall down, collapsing on itself to reveal a rocket ship within it.

Mac shook her head at it, frowning deeply, her hands wringing, "It's not going to make it," she looked at them, "The last computers said it was only at 82 percent."

"There's not enough gold," the Doctor agreed, "It'll never make it into orbit."

"It needs more," Mac reasoned, "Just enough to get it out of range…"

"Where is it?" the Doctor spun around, looking for the Merry Men, thinking of something that could help, "Where did it go?"

"Where did what go?" Clara shook her head.

"The golden arrow!"

"Tuck!" Robin called out, knowing Tuck would be the one to keep hold of any trinkets they won, he was always organized like that.

Tuck, just as he thought, hurried over with the arrow, holding it out to the Doctor.

"You took it?" the Doctor blinked.

"Of course we did," Tuck huffed, "We're robbers."

"I love you boys!" the Doctor declared, turning to grab a bow from another one of the Merry Men.

"Doctor, what are you suggesting?" Clara asked.

But it was Mac who answered, "Right now, Clara, the ship is too close and it's very near exploding. We have to give it enough gold to get it into orbit, just far enough away that it won't hurt anyone when it goes."

The Doctor nodded, holding it out to Robin, but the man shook his head, "It has to be you. My arm is injured."

Mac winced at that, "Should I try?" she offered, knowing he wasn't actually all that good with a bow in this incarnation of himself. He was all butterfingers. She'd suspected he'd cheated during the tournament before, probably used a tracker or something. And the way he was grimacing now told her she was probably right.

"What are you waiting for?" Clara looked at him, "You're good at this! I saw you! You won the tournament!"

"I cheated," he admitted, "I made a special arrow with a homing device."

"You are kidding me," Clara gaped at him.

"Sadly no."

"I may have an idea," Mac cut in.

~8~

"I really hope this works," Clara muttered as she stood with the Merry Men, watching as Mac and the Doctor were crouched on either side of Robin Hood, helping to support a side of the man's bow, with Robin lying on his back, the middle of the bow on his feet while he drew the bowstring back, aiming the golden arrow up at the ship.

"Me too," Mac agreed, it would be really embarrassing for her if this didn't work and they all died.

Robin took a breath and released the arrow, all of them watching as it soared through the sky, heading right for the ship. It didn't have to strike right in the middle, it just had to breach the hull…which it seemed like it did, because there was a small extra burst of speed and flame from the engines, sending the ship up higher, faster…

Moments before it exploded, so far away and high up that it wasn't even felt down below on the ground, which led to rounds of cheers by all around them.

"One awful day in Nottingham," Alan began to sing, "Brave Robin Hood was in a jam. The arrow flew it true..."

"Give it a rest, Alan," Will complained, grabbing the lute from him.

Alan immediately gave chance to the laughter of the others, "Give me my lute!"

"Still not keen on the laughing thing?" Clara asked with a smile, seeing that the Doctor was the only one not laughing, watching the ship, grim, while Mac had given a small indulgent smile, but was watching the ship with concern on her face.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor waved it off, giving Clara the go-ahead to share her laugher and cheer with Robin, the two joining the Merry Men with their joy.

Mac just reached out and took his hand, knowing what was bothering him. That was the second time they'd encountered someone searching for 'the Promised Land,' and while it could just be a coincidence, the Doctor's past adventures had proven it rarely ever was. Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Harold Saxon, the Bees disappearing, the Cracks, the Silence, Clara even…it always came back, it always meant something.

And it rarely was ever anything good.

~8~

"That takes me back," the Doctor remarked as he stepped up to Mac, who was keeping an eye out on Clara while she got a personal lesson in archery from Robin Hood himself.

Mac snorted, giving him a look as she leaned on him when he put an arm around her shoulders, "I nearly shot the Master," she reminded him.

"It was his own fault for getting in the way," the Doctor shrugged, recalling the time he had been teaching Mac how to use a bow and arrow in his first body. The Master had been excited for a weaponry class at the Academy and dragged him into it and so she'd gotten talked into it as well.

"He didn't get in the way," Mac defended, "You startled me and I spun around and fired on reaction. You were already ducking, I nearly killed him!"

He just chuckled at the memory.

Though it appeared Clara's lesson was finished, the girl was already making her way to the TARDIS, giving Robin one final smile before she stepped in, signaling it was time to leave, finally.

"So, is it true?" Robin asked, waiting for them by the door.

"Is what true?" Mac wondered.

"That in the future I am forgotten as a real man? I am but a legend?"

"I'm afraid it is" the Doctor nodded

Robin considered that a moment, before nodding, "Good. History is a burden. Stories can make us fly."

"I'm still having a little trouble believing yours, I'm afraid."

Mac had to nod, it was a little harder for her to believe too, even seeing it with her own eyes. It was always hard when something you were so certain of turned out to be different than you thought. She knew that better than anyone. She STILL had a difficult time stomaching how she'd treated the Doctor for so long, that anger, when it had been so opposite to what she'd believed. She was trying to do better, to get the whole story before deciding anything, which had been, perhaps, why she'd been a bit more accepting that Robin might be real than the Doctor had.

"Is it so hard to credit?" Robin eyed them, "That a man born into wealth and privilege should find the plight of the oppressed and weak too much to bear..."

"No…"

"...until one night, he is moved to steal a TARDIS? Fly among the stars, fighting the good fight?" he laughed when the Doctor gave him a startled look.

Mac chuckled though, "Clara told you, didn't she?"

Robin looked at them fondly now, "And the woman who can make the most wonderful things out of nothing."

"She should not have told you any of that," the Doctor remarked.

"Well..." he shrugged, "Well, once the story started, she could hardly stop herself. You are her hero, I think, the both of you."

"I'm not a hero," the Doctor defended, giving Mac a small smile even as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, the two of them heading for the box.

"If I'm one you are too," she countered, knowing he wouldn't deny it that way.

"Hmm," Robin hummed, thinking on it, "Whatever we are, perhaps if we pretend to be heroes, then one day others will be heroes in our name. Perhaps we will all be stories."

The Doctor took Mac's hand when she winced at that, knowing her mind had gone to their daughter, to River, how she'd once remarked they were all stories in the end.

"And may those stories never end," Robin continued, either not noticing or not making a show that he had, reaching out to kiss the back of Mac's hand, "Goodbye, Mackenzie," before shaking the Doctor's hand, "Goodbye, Doctor. Time Lords of Gallifrey."

"Goodbye, Robin Hood, Earl of Loxley," the Doctor offered.

"And remember, Doctor," Robin called when they turned to enter the box, "I'm just as real as you are."

The Doctor gave him a nod, opening the door to let Mac in first, following her in and over to Clara standing by the console.

"Admit it," Clara grinned, more at him than Mac, crossing her arms, "You like him."

"Well, I'm leaving him a present, aren't I?" the Doctor shrugged, reaching out to dematerialize the TARDIS while Mac tugged Clara over to the monitor to show her what the 'present' was.

He rolled his eyes at Clara's squeal when she saw Maid Marian standing behind the TARDIS as it disappeared for Robin Hood to find.

A/N: A little more by-the-episode for this chapter, I know, but I tried to sprinkle some original scenes and moments mixed in :) Even though it was implied Robin was actually real in the episode, I am curious how it would have gone if it HAD been like a Jackson Lake incident, with Robin and a set of strangers, maybe being the first group of humans being taken in to work with the gold and trying to escape, getting to the room with the databanks and being attacked by the guards, which caused a 'download' similar to Jackson, and making them all thing they're Robin Hood, his Merry Men, and Maid Marian. Which then prompts the robots to have to make a sheriff to 'distract' Robin from their work with the gold and it all just gets away from them. Would be an interesting take :)

I was debating having Mac be with Clara the entire time and the Doctor escape to come rescue them, or Mac on the outside. On one hand, Mac is very attached to Clara and determined to protect her as her companion. On the other hand, I felt like that Doctor trying to keep Mac safe would sort of blow up in a 'you shouldn't have done that/don't ever do that again' way. In the end, I liked the idea of Mac and the Doctor having that moment of disagreeing about his methods, and Mac sort of turning the tables on him to prove a point/teach a lesson going forward :) And, I think, Mac might have also needed that tiny reminder that Clara IS a capable person, she's smart and resourceful, sort of like she doesn't have to worry THAT much about Clara some of the time ;)

No real notes on reviews today ;)