Raven couldn't help but snigger. The Doctor had gone to New York during the 90's on Christmas Eve setting up a time distortion equaliser to tame the distortion he was constantly causing whenever he came to America.
Apparently he had tried set up a trap to prevent anyone from stealing his equaliser only to get caught in it and end up swinging upside down above 60 floors above the ground, held only by one ankle. Luckily a naive little boy had help him into his room, fed him milk and cookies (clearly mistaking him for Santa Claus) and helped him back to the roof where the Doctor showed him the equaliser.
The Doctor had given him the Hazrandra gemstone that he was using to started the equaliser but the young boy having caught the common cold and haven already been given a glass of water from the Doctor mistook it as medicine and ate it.
With the kid having read so many comic books and intuitive thoughts the gemstone had ended up giving him what he wanted. Giving him superhuman gifts like a superhero.
"It's not funny." The Doctor grumbled.
"So this kid getting woken up by a strange old man dangling out of his window in the middle of the night," Raven smirked, "let him in, saw he was doing something strange and when given a rock along with random rambling, ate it without a second thought and is now a 'superhero'. Only you, Doc." She shook her head at him.
"Seriously shut up."
"And you believed him when he promised not you use these 'superhero powers.'"
"And that is why I'm keeping check on him." The Doctor remarked, moving round the TARDIS and piloting to the local school he tracked from the gemstone that unfortunately had not simply passed through like he had hoped and had bonded with his DNA.
"Yeah, whatever." Raven waved him off, moving to the monitor as she hacked into the camera at Harmony Shoal in modern day New York where she had sent Nardole to go undercover at a press conference. She couldn't hear what they were saying but could see a young reporter questioning one of the workers of Harmony Shoal, a young black man that the TARDIS brought up his basic information naming him Mr Brock.
She had sent Nardole in mostly because she didn't want too and he never really argued, well, he did, he argued a lot but once she mentioned her mother he quickly scampered away.
He knew the stories of what she had done and what she could easily do.
She left him wandering around, sending her the layout of the building for the day, listening in to anything that seemed suspicious and sending her the information he found before finally, during the night when most had gone home he finally got in contact (the Doctor having returned from seeing Grant during his time at school and explaining how the gemstone had bonded with him now) now that it was only him, Mr Brock and another worker, Dr Sim, as well as a young cleaner left in the large building.
It gave them the perfect chance to sneak around.
Standing against a wall, listening to Mr Brock and Dr Sim as they stood in a large safe, the door wide open showing rows of brains in glass containers, a young cleaner stopping her work to listen to the men's conversation as well, clearly not an actual cleaner and just using that to sneak around.
"Well?" Mr Brock demanded, not happy at having been called back to work in the middle of the night.
"Look at them." Dr Sim gestured around at the containers of brains, "You see nothing unusual?"
"I see brains every place except here." He tapped Dr Sims head, "These specimens were donated to this facility by our benefactors for a top-secret research project. A project which is not to be questioned, impeded, or in fact mentioned by any of the employees of the Harmony Shoal Institute. Even I don't have the clearance to know what's going on in here."
"But why?"
"It's not your job to ask questions. Stick to science." He frowned as he noticed something with the man they couldn't see from their distance, "Something wrong with your eyes?"
"Sir, the first time I came in here, I counted 24 specimens." Dr Sim explained, "The second time I counted, there were 30. Now there are 36."
"Well, I guess they've got the space." Mr Brock shrugged.
"You don't understand. There have been no deliveries. I checked it. Some of these brains, sir, they just...arrived."
The young cleaner before them leaned back as the man looked around only to give a small gasp in surprise as she noticed Raven and the Doctor behind her, the latter snacking on a platter of Sushi.
"It's ok. We're intruders too. Yeah, I brought snacks. Mark of a pro. Keep listening."
"Looks like a brain to me." Mr Brock leaned close to one of the containers, "Kind of blue, I guess, but that's the fluid, right?"
"Yes. That's the fluid." The second man nodded. "Tap the glass, sir."
"What'd you say?"
"Tap the glass, please."
Cautiously, mr Brock tapped lightly on the glass and even from their distance they could see the two eyes appearing between the folds of the braids.
Mr Brock stepped back in surprise, "What? What the hell is that? Is that a joke?"
"No sir, it's not a joke." He shook his head.
"It's got eyes! Look at them, they're like..." he looked back at Dr Sim, "They're like your eyes."
"Yes sir, they are." He nodded, pointing at one of the brains.
"Dr Sim? What are you pointing at?"
"I'm pointing at Dr Sim. Don't look so alarmed. We merely exchanged containers. You might call this a hijack."
Mr Brock moved to punch Dr Sim, his face separating diagonally, who grabbed his throat and threw him to the floor
"What happened to you?" Mr Brock gaped as Dr Sim pushed his face back into one piece again, "I don't understand."
"The same thing that is about to happen to you." Dr Sim remarked, "I had a change of mind." And with that he walked out of the vault, locking it with Mr Brock inside as 3 figures in surgical scrubs and masks stepped out from behind the far wall.
They could here Mr Brock screaming as the door shut and Dr Sim walked away, ignoring the screams.
The Doctor peered over Ravens shoulder as she glanced down at her compact mirror as it showed Dr Simm, or whatever he was, walking away from them.
He tapped the young cleaner of the shoulder with a chopstick gesturing for her to follow them back to the TARDIS that was parked under the stairs out of sight.
"Who are you?" The Doctor asked her.
"Lucy Fletcher," she answered, "reporter from the Daily Chronicle. Hang on, why am I telling you the truth?"
"Spooky, isn't it? Looking for a story?"
"I think I just found one."
"Brains with minds of their own? No one will believe that. This is America."
"Who are you?" She eyed them, "the pair of you?"
"Special Agent Dan Dangerous from Scotland Yard, Scotland." The Doctor grinned as they walked to the large map of the world with markers over the capitol cities in the open room before the glass windows, "The Doctor for short. And my sidekick known as the Bitter Bird."
"I'm not your side kick." Raven stated.
"See," he gestured to the map, "they've got institutes all over the world. And always in capital cities."
"Nope." Nardole shook his head as he joined them.
"Yes, yes, they are, see?"
"There's 2 in America." Raven sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets, "one in Washington, which is a capitol city and one in New York which isn't."
"Neither of you don't need to point out the mistakes." the Doctor hissed, "That's not what you're for."
"I'm here for the free food and bed."
They all turned as the main lights switched on and Dr Sim walked over, "i would call Security, but they might leave you alive." He aimed his gun at them, Raven, Nardole and Lucy quickly raising their hands, "I do not want any awkward questions about the intruders I was forced to shoot for my own protection."
"Good plan." The Doctor nodded, "Here's another one." He turned his back on the man, "Go on. Tell them you shot us in the back in self-defence." Raven shared a look of disbelieve with Nardole both the two slowly followed him and turned their back on him, Lucy hesitantly doing the same a moment later, "We'll be laughing all the way to the slab."
"Face me." Dr Sim ordered.
"Maybe not."
"Face me now." He repeated louder over the faint knocking nearby. "What is that?"
"It's not me." Nardole shook his head.
"No one was accusing you," Raven frowned. "is that knocking?"
"We're on 100th floor." Lucy breathed.
They all turned to see, floating on the other side of the windows was a man dressed all in black wearing a mask over his face.
"Oh my god, he's real."
"Who's real?" The Doctor glanced at Lucy.
"The Ghost."
"Who's the Ghost?"
"Masked Vigilante. But he's...?"
"Super?" Raven finished, sarcastic.
"Yeah." Lucy nodded.
"Well, I was being sarcastic."
The Ghost snapped his fingers, shattering the glass and flying inside to stand before Dr Sim. "Mind if I come in?" He asked.
Dr Sim eyed him, "impressive." He mused, "Those windows, like everything in this building, are built to withstand a blast equivalent to four nuclear explosions."
"Sorry about that." The Ghost grinned, "Would you like me to call a glazier?"
Dr Sim fired at the Ghost until he ran out of bullets but every one of them bounced of his chest and in an instant the Ghost held Dr Sim up by the neck, "Please understand, it's against my personal code to cause lasting harm to any individual." He threw the man back into the map, "However, light to moderate injury's fine."
"That was good." Nardole remarked.
"Shut up." Raven huffed.
"Hello." The Ghost smiled warmly at Lucy, "Was that man annoying you?"
"You're real?" She gaped at him, "I can't believe it, you're actually real."
"I'm afraid I am. I enjoy your column, Miss Fletcher."
"You read my column? You read? You're real and you read?"
"Though I find the political bias in your paper's editorial not entirely to my taste."
"I'll pass that on." She nodded eagerly.
"Thank you." He turned to the trio watching, "Who are these gentlemen and their little friend?"
"Little?" Raven repeated, insulted.
"You are a little small." The Doctor had to agree.
Raven just measured her height to Nardole and then at the Doctor before shrugging.
"They're, er..." Lucy blinked realising she told them who she was but they just gave random undercover names, "i don't actually know."
"This is my friend, Nardole." The Doctor introduced.
"Hello, the Ghost." He waved.
"And Ravens in my care."
"The Raven." She nodded to him.
"And I'm the Doctor."
"The Doctor." The Ghost repeated, "I thought we had lots of doctors."
"I'm the main one."
He gave a small nod before turning to Lucy again, "Can I give you a ride home?"
"You have a car?" She asked in surprise.
"No." He picked her up in his arms, bridal style as Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, "I hope you're okay with heights."
"I'm okay so far." She breathed.
"Have a good evening, gentlemen." The Ghost nodded to them, "ma'am." With that he turned and flew out of the broken window and into the night sky with Lucy screaming in delight.
"He seems nice." Nardole commented.
"Shut up, egg head." Raven grumbled.
"Grant." The Doctor watched them go.
"The idiot who ate the gemstone mistaking it as medicine?"
~.~
They had managed to track down where Grant had taken Lucy through the TARDIS, Tracing the gemstone still in him, finding him in one of the many apartment buildings where they had managed to beat him back finding a crying baby in the nursery. The Doctor taking the little girl in his arms and comforting her just as Grant flew in quickly twirling and changing into his usually clothes and glasses. The typical superhero disguise.
"With great power comes great responsibility." The Doctor remarked, bouncing the baby, "No man worthy of the title leaves a baby alone."
He sighed, "How did you find me?"
"I tracked the gemstone inside you."
"Actually, I think you'll find I did." Raven yelled through from where she and Nardole sat at the small kitchen table, the latter warming up a bottle of milk while Raven just stayed away from the child. She was never one very good with kids.
"Yes, fine, Raven did." He rolled his eyes, "Your powers, they don't belong in this world. They're an anomaly. You promised me you'd never use them."
"May I take her?" Grant huffed, holding his arms out to take the baby.
"She's yours?"
"I'm hers. I'm her nanny."
"You're her nanny?" The Doctor repeated, handing the baby over to Grants open arms.
"Yeah, her nanny. You got a problem with that?"
"No, no, it's just, well, okay, so you are a superhero and a nanny?"
"Well, you've got to make a buck somehow. I mean, you don't get paid for saving people."
"Oh, you don't have to tell us." Nardole grinned, "Here you go, nice and warm. And tasty." He handed the bottle to Grant only to notice a stuffed elephant left on the table, "Ooo, elephant."
"It's fine." Grant assured, "It's a long-range baby-monitor. I can get back to this apartment quicker than most people can get to their kids' bedrooms."
"Grant, Grant, this is insane." The Doctor shook his head, "Look, I'm me, the Doctor, and even I think this is insane."
"I can cope."
"Of course you can't. When do you sleep? When are you not on call? How complicated do you need your life to be?"
"Well, not as complicated as it's about to get." Grant winced as the door opened and closed again, the baby's parent returning home, "Er, we're in here, Mrs Lombard."
"Oh, Jennifer, look at you, up again?" None other than Lucy Fletcher walked into the room, thankfully not having noticed the trio who were thinking of ways to cover why and how they had arrived at her place before she herself, "Don't you ever sleep?"
"Did you have a good evening, Mrs Lombard?"
"Oh, it was work. Why would it be good?"
"Well, I don't know, you seem a little buzzed." He shrugged, "I thought maybe you'd met someone."
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Grant..." she trailed noticing the three from Harmony Shoal, "What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same question." Nardole spoke, "But it's your apartment, so we probably won't."
"Well, we…we were worried about you." The Doctor fumbled for an excuse. He really hadn't expected to run into the reporter, none of them could have seen this coming, "We wanted to make sure that you were all right, so, er, we followed you."
"You followed me and got here first?"
"Well, that's just a measure of our concern."
"Very concerned." Nardole agreed.
"They said they knew you." Grant added, "I let them in."
"We met tonight." Lucy told him, "We need to talk." She gestured to the Doctor and Raven.
"Oh! Did something happen?" Grant asked, faking innocent.
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about. I'll put her to bed."
"I can do that."
"No, it's ok, I want to." Lucy smiled and took her daughter in her arms, leaving to set her back in her cot.
"Lombard's her married name." Grant explained once sure Lucy wasn't able to hear them, leading them out onto the fire escape in case she returned, "He ran off when the baby came along."
"Lucy. Of course." The Doctor nodded.
"A couple of years after high school, I ran into her again. She even remembered me."
"Oh, that was lucky."
"And I was with my best friend at the time, and she couldn't take her eyes off him. Love at first sight. Then marriage, then a baby, and then he ran off with someone else."
"Leaving, I suppose, the field open for you to move in." The Doctor followed. "And care for the child she'd had by another man. So she could keep working and possibly date other friends of yours."
"Pretty much." Grant sighed.
"You tiger." He said before praying into the sky. "Thank you!"
"Who are you thanking?"
"The universe." He grinned, "There's somebody worse at this than me."
They looked down as on the road below, fire engines sped past with the sirens blaring, police cars following.
Grant handed the Doctor his glanced before quickly changing into his mask and costume, "Excuse me." And took off flying through the streets after the emergency services.
"I don't think he sleeps." Raven remarked watching him fly away.
"This is Mr Huffle." Lucy poked her head out the window, holding a squeaky toy in her grasp, "Mr Huffle feels pain." She gave it a squeeze and it squeal, "meet me in the kitchen."
Raven sighed as the Doctor stood to meet the woman in the kitchen. Oh now she wanted a squeaky toy. She huffed but followed back to the table.
Lucy didn't look up from her laptop as she began to write up a story, merely pointing to the chairs to get them to sit down, "with you in a minute."
Raven rolled her eyes as she sat down, watching the news report on the tv showing a building on fire, clearly where the fire engine and police had been rushing too seeing how it was live and Grant was there.
Lucy looked up at the Doctor, clearly he was in charge seeing how Raven was young and the other fellow didn't really seem to be paying that much attention to anything going on, "So, you're from Scotland Yard?"
"Yes." The Doctor nodded.
Lucy grabbed Mr Huffle, ready to squeeze, "It's fine if you don't tell me your secrets. I intend to keep mine. But don't lie to me."
"Or what?" He challenged.
"I hurt Mr Huffle." She let go and it re-inflated with a long squeak, "I assume you belong to some kind of, I don't know, agency, I don't care which one, and that your current assignment is to investigate Harmony Shoal. Correct?"
"Nope." Raven argued, "just passing through." Lucy grabbed Mr Huffle with both hands, "that is not going to work on me."
"Ok, ok." The Doctor cut in, "Yes, fine, ok, yes, broadly speaking, yes."
"What are those brain things?" Lucy questioned.
"I don't know. It's nothing that need concern you."
"I'm a reporter. That category does not exist. What are they?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"No reason not to tell me, then." She slowly let go of the toy as it struggled to re-inflate.
"Those brains, they aren't just brains. They're independent alien life forms."
"And?"
"They migrate from planet to planet, extracting and replacing the central nervous systems of compatible hosts."
"And?"
"Harmony Shoal is a multinational corporation whose true purpose is to extract and replace the brains of key authority figures from around the world, and prepare Earth for full colonisation."
"That's what you believe?" Raven gaped at the woman.
"I don't think you're lying." She countered. "Slightly different. What has Harmony Shoal got to do with the Ghost?"
"Nothing." The Doctor replied only to wince at the punch he received from Raven.
"Ah, so you know who the Ghost really is, then?"
"No, we have no idea."
"Oh, stop it." She rolled her eyes at his arrogance, "We just went to a top-secret science research facility apparently run by brains from space, and a flying man with superpowers turns up. Anybody would assume the two were connected, except for somebody who already knew they weren't. So, clearly, you know the Ghost and trust him. Nobody trusts anybody without knowing who they are, so you know who he really is. So now you can tell me. Who is he? Oh, that's interesting. You don't work for an agency, do you?"
"Don't we?"
"You're not used to being spoken to like this, which means you don't have a boss or an employer. So why are you investigating Harmony Shoal? What's in it for you?"
"I like to keep busy." He defended.
"Why? What happened to you?"
"Nothing." He glanced up to the TV where the Ghost was doing an interview, "Oh, look!" He stood and moved closer.
Raven rolled her eyes as they were both distracted by the thought, taking the opportunity to snatch the squeaking toy. It may come in handy in the future if the Doctor gave answers to prevent it from feeling pain.
"Because fire prevention is the responsibility of every citizen," the Ghost was saying on the TV, "so get a smoke detector!" His baby monitor went off as baby Jennifer began to cry, Lucy turning at the sound of her daughter missing the baby monitor on the TV, "Sorry, duty calls."
"Oh, look at him go." Lucy sighed dreamily, watching him fly off, "I need to know who he is."
Grant walked into the room holding the crying baby, "You're all right. She just needs a change."
"Oh, it's okay, I'll do it." Lucy took her daughter back, moving to set her back to sleep again, "You're so quick, Grant."
"Oh, yes. He's definitely quick." The Doctor hissed, quickly setting the mans glasses on his face, "Do you have any time off?"
"Sure." Grant nodded, distracted by the TV, the claims that 2 children were still trapped.
"Doctor?" Lucy called from the nursery as Grant quickly flew back out of the fire escape as she poked her head round, "So, can you put me in touch with him? The real guy behind the mask?"
"You're smart." The Doctor eyed her, "You're so clever I actually noticed. I hardly ever listen when other people are talking."
"So what?"
"So why can't you find him yourself?"
"I got a lead."
"What lead?"
"You." She smirked, "You know him. Don't even try telling me you don't."
"Maybe you know him too." Raven challenged.
She eyed her for a moment before noticing the missing person, "Hey, where'd Grant go?"
"Right here, Mrs Lombard." He reappeared soaking wet from down the hall, "Would you like your coffee?"
"Oh, no, I'm okay, thanks." She frowned at him, "Are you all right?"
"Sure. Why?"
"You're kind of...wet."
"I prefer mild-mannered." He corrected, readjusting his glasses.
She nodded slowly, turning back to the Doctor, "Can you put me in touch with him?"
"The Ghost?" The Doctor frowned.
"Yeah, the Ghost."
He noticed Grant shaking his head behind the woman. "Mrs Lombard, there are some situations which are just too stupid to be allowed to continue."
"Like that." Raven muttered as Grant moved further into the kitchen while Lucy moved back to check on her daughter in the nursery, the phone ringing. She moved to the kitchen where Grant stood on his mobile. There was no words to say to him to express how stupid this was.
She raised her eyebrows, exasperated, hearing their conversation. The Ghost suggested an interview while Lucy suggested diner with questions, as long as they didn't speak of his secret identity. Which Lucy had agreed too, only to then need to check with Grant if he could babysit. The man having panicked and hidden his phone in the oven and agreed to babysit despite them both say they had a date.
They were definitely both jealous.
She had to walk away before she told them they were both jealous of themselves. Somethings were just far too much for her.
~.~
The Doctor and Raven stood in the darkness of Harmony Shoal, the two men from before oblivious to the fact they were there and listening to their conversation as Dr Sim stood working on a computer as Mr Brock, the man who had been locked in the safe screaming seemed perfectly calm now.
"Ah, welcome, brother." Dr Sim greeted, "How is your vehicle?"
"A little cramped." He admitted, cracking his head to try and find comfort.
"It will relax with wear. Observe this. The finest vehicle this planet has to offer." He showed the security footage of the Ghost smashing the windows open.
"Interesting." Mr Brock mused, "And can it be acquired?"
"Them plan is being formulated."
"Them." He pointed to the trio, "Who are they?"
"I'm not sure. But they may be dangerous."
"They doesn't look dangerous." He frowned, one was an old man, the other a young girl and the third just seemed to be following alone for the hell of it.
Raven huffed as the Doctor tapped her arm, giving her the signal, she rolled her eyes, but connected the computer he stood before to the one the two men were looking at. His face appearing on their screen making them jump back, startled.
"Boo!" The Doctor grinned, "I'm talking to you live!" The lights came on revealing the part standing in the room, "In person! You can jump back in your skins now. Except, of course, they're not your skins, are they?"
"What do you want?" Mr Brock hissed.
"Mercy."
"We have none."
"It's not a request, it's an offer. I'll give you a head start. I'll close my eyes and I'll count to 10. I will make no attempt to follow you. But, starting now, all of you, everywhere, pack your bags and get off of this planet."
"Are you declaring war on us?"
"I am drawing a line, and I'm suggesting you step back from it with awesome speed."
"Then war it is." Mr Brock determined, opening his head down a diagonally scar across his face, revealing the blue brains and pulling out a small weapon.
"Multi-nucleate organism, functioning as an infinitely adaptable, independently functioning, peripatetic central nervous system." Raven remarked, her face scrunching in disgust.
"Good to keep an open mind." The Doctor nodded, "Ha! Of course it won't work."
"What won't work?" Mr Brock frowned.
"Whatever it is, whatever you've got planned. Stating the obvious, you've set up in every capital city in the world, so clearly the plan is to unzip the head of every world leader, pop yourselves inside. Of course, you can't just roll up with a team of surgeons to the White House or to the Kremlin, because they've got big fences, shouty people and cross dogs."
"They will come to us, and they will come running."
"Oh. I very much doubt it. Take this!" He tossed them a wrapped burger from his pocket with Dr Sim caught, "Yes, take that!"
"Who are you?" Mr Brock looked between the odd pair.
"There have been many attempts to conquer the Earth." The Doctor remarked, "I've lost count. Not one of them has succeeded. Not a single one. They all lost and burned and ran. That's who I am." He whistled loudly, summoning Nardole in the TARDIS.
"What is this?" Dr Sim eyed the burger in his hands.
"It's a burger. I always bring a snack. But I don't want it now. He's put me off my dinner."
"It is really disgusting." Raven grimaced, "can you close your head? I may just throw up in it."
Of course she wouldn't really throw up on his head seeing as a moment later the TARDIS materialised around them, piloted by Nardole, who for some reason was dressed in ornate robes and headdress.
"Very good." The Doctor grinned moving straight to help at the console, "Right on target."
"Trial and error, to be honest." Nardole admitted, "a few accidental stop-offs along the way."
"Where'd you get the robes?" Raven asked.
"12th century Constantinople. I ruled firmly, but wisely." The Doctor moved a lever but Raven moved it back before Nardole himself could, "How did it go?"
"Oh, you know." He shrugged, "Issued a warning, donated a burger, nicked some stationery. The Ghost. What have you got?"
"The whole story." He grinned.
"Fact me, baby. It's why I got Raven to reassemble you."
"No." Raven shook her head.
"No, sir, that's not the reason, is it." Nardole argued.
"Oh, just get on with it." He huffed.
"You ask Raven to cut me out of Hydroflax because you were worried you'd be lonely. And we both know why, don't we."
"Avoiding the subject I see." Raven rolled her eyes at him as the Doctor turned away from them both.
"I'm not avoiding anything, I'm just trying to save a planet."
"Which is what you always do when the conversation turns serious." Raven muttered.
"He's not supposed to be using those powers." The Doctor sighed, "He made a promise."
"What, like the Time Lord promise never to interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets?" Nardole raised an eyebrow at him.
"I got Raven to glue your head back on. You should have a little bit more respect."
"To me." Raven added, "the one who did actually glue your head back on."
The Doctor landed the TARDIS, "Come on."
"Where are we?"
"Where we were, except not."
"Oh." He blinked before frowning, "Sorry?" And followed both Time Lords out into the Tokyo branch of Harmony Shoal, exactly like the New York branch just with different workers. "Oh, Tokyo branch."
"Bit empty?" Raven looked around the empty offices.
"Yes, I created a distraction." The Doctor smirked as they walked through the building, "I flooded downstairs with Pokémon."
Raven watched as more workers hurried off downstairs with their phones out. She would have thought that after the whole planet had been hypnotised because of a phone network they wouldn't have been quite so obsessed. But then again, they were only human.
"You're not supposed to be in here." A smartly dress worker who clearly didn't play Pokemon at his age, glared as the Doctor sat at an empty computer.
"I know, it's terrible." The Doctor nodded, making no effort to move, "Sorry, I'm doing everything I can to stop me. See that?" He brought up the screen he wanted.
"It's a signal, isn't it?" Nardole frowned at the little red dot.
"It's a signal beaming into space. There was one from the New York office too. There's something in low orbit."
"But you can't get a fix on it?"
"I'm trying. The shielding's too good."
"Oh move over!" Raven grumbled, giving the chair he was sat on a push, moving him out the way as she rapidly typed away, "I'm tracing the signals and..." she smirked, smug, having located the ship in Earth orbit, "boom."
"Ha, ha!" Nardole laughed.
~.~
The trio huddled at the TARDIS doors looking down the ship in earth orbit. Nardole had finally changed out of his robes, eventually finding them too uncomfortable to wear for a long time.
"That's what Harmony Shoal is signalling to." The Doctor commented, "Shall we pop over and have a look? Pretty sure no-one's on board."
"How do you know?" Nardole looked at him, "Did you scan for lifeforms?"
"No. All the lights are off." He grinned, gesturing to how dark the ship was before racing to the console to materialise on the ship.
"So there could easily be something onboard." Raven sighed, shutting the doors and opening them again as they set down on the dark ship, "I am not going first in case we get attacked." She stepped back, gesturing for one of them to go out first.
The Doctor rolled his eyes, stepping out first, "bridge this way." And led them down the corridor as Raven and Nardole followed him down to the bridge where the Doctor flashed his sonic on the control panel.
"Bit rubbish, innit?" Nardole folded his arms, unimpressed.
"Honestly have they never heard of cleaning?" Raven stared in disgust at the dust and dirt on the ship.
"Don't touch anything." The Doctor warned.
"Wasn't going to."
"No, it's quite safe," Nardole assured, reaching for a button, "it's just a freighter."
The Doctor slapped his hand away, "I said, don't touch."
"What do you...?"
"You see?" The Doctor gestured to one of the screens, "The reactor core. It's cycling at critical. Someone's been rewiring. This isn't a ship any more. It's a giant bomb."
"Ooo! Just going to move out." He snuffled back from the control panel, when he noticed something moving on another screen, "Doctor!"
"Raven!"
"Got it!" Raven quickly soniced the door locked, "they're only security drones."
"So what do they want a bomb for?" Nardole questioned.
"What does anybody want a bomb for?" The Doctor countered.
"Fun." Raven stated.
"No."
"Surely they want to conquer the Earth, not blow it up." Nardole shook his head.
"Oh, you couldn't blow up the Earth with this." The Doctor remarked, "But you could wipe out a city. Good point, well made."
"What point?"
"New York. It's not a capital city. You're quite right."
"Oh. I don't understand."
"Of course you don't." Raven sighed.
Nardole blinked at her but didn't react.
"What if you dropped this ship on New York?" The Doctor wondered aloud, "What would happen?"
"The reactor core would split and New York would vaporise." Nardole replied.
"Not all of it. Not all of it, Nardole. Remember what he said, the scary little German fella?"
"This building can withstand a blast up to four times the strength of a nuclear explosion." Dr Sim stated, appearing on the monitor from the safety of Harmony Shoal.
"Oh, this is very good, very meta."
"Did you understand?"
"You're stage-managing an alien attack when the aliens have already landed."
"But why?" Nardole asked.
"Because of what happens next. When everyone thinks that the Earth is being attacked from space, what then?"
"Mass panic." The security drones began to thump on the door, "Ooo, speaking of panic!"
"It's triple deadlock-sealed." Raven waved him off, "give it 10 minutes then you can panic."
"The people will panic, yes." The Doctor agreed with Dr Sim, "But what about the world leaders? The presidents and kings, the prime ministers and generals? What will they do? What do the rich old men always do when the fighting starts? They'll find the safest place to hide themselves away and send all their young people to die. And where's the safest place in every capital city now? What's the only part of New York still standing?"
"Harmony Shoal."
"New York isn't a capital city. It's a shop window. When the world is in danger, come hide with us. Harmony Shoal will open its doors to the terrified leaders of the world."
"And they will come running." Dr Sim smirked on screen.
"A few hours later, every politician and commander-in-chief will have a zip in their head. An alien sitting inside their skull. In one day of terror, the executive authority of Planet Earth will pass to Harmony Shoal. It's a good plan. I like it. How come our side never gets plans like that?"
"Because the genius' are evil while the good guys are idiots." Raven stated instantly.
"The humans have no plan at all." Dr Sim called.
"That's where you're wrong." The Doctor laughed, "They have the same plan they always have."
Dr Sim narrowed his eyes, suspicious, "What plan?"
"Me." He grinned.
"Hey, hey!" Nardole snapped his fingers.
"Don't do that."
"Sorry."
"Stand away from the controls, Doctor." Dr Sim ordered, "Any attempt to interfere with them will precipitate the attack immediately."
"Yes, I see that." The Doctor nodded, "Very clever. One question, as long as I'm here. Why haven't you done it already?"
"When the time is right, there will be no delay."
"Oh, you told me something there. You told me something useful. You shouldn't have done that."
"What did I tell you?"
"You told me that the time is currently wrong." He smiled widely.
"Oh, it's the smile." Nardole moaned, "I don't like the smile!"
"The Sword of Damocles hanging over New York. I can't destroy it, I can't remove it, I can't stop it falling. There's only one thing I can do."
"What?" Raven breathed.
"The unexpected!" He exclaimed, "The thing about being in a room full of buttons and switches is, I love buttons and switches!"
"Oh, don't!" Nardole complained as the Doctor began to pressed random buttons and twist knobs on the control panel.
"What are you doing?" Dr Sim demanded as the spaceship began to tilt towards the earth.
"Thrusters engaged." The computer announced.
"Next stop New York. Say wheeee!"
"I'm telling my mother you're sending me crashing down to earth!" Raven yelled.
"Make sure you specify that you survived." He grinned as she scowled.
As much as Missy wasn't happy with him putting her in dangerous situations, she was just glad she never came back dead.
"Is this safe?" She yelled above the wailing alarms.
"Stop! You're going to destroy New York!" Nardole cried.
"Of course not!" The Doctor laughed, "Now the bomb is arming, the shields are down."
"Help!"
"We can use the TARDIS to hijack the controls and divert it into space! No bomb, no plan, no problem!"
"No, wait! Those things are out there."
"The ship is crashing! They're not going to be worrying about us!" He sonicked the doors open and an arm quickly grabbed Nardole as he was closest to the door. He quickly shut it again, trapping the arm.
"Nope, still after us!" Raven argued.
"Ok," he nodded, seemed they could leave on the TARDIS. "plan B."
"Doctor!" Nardole whimpered as the arm still held onto him, "Help me!"
"Oh, you'll be fine. This ship will have blown up long before you've been strangled to death!"
"What's plan B?" Raven demanded.
"I have no idea, but it's going to be a very big relief when I think of it."
"You are completely out of your mind!" Nardole cried.
The Doctor scoffed, "How is that news to anyone?"
"I know you miss her, but couldn't you just write a poem?"
"The controls have a little bit of a give." Raven remarked, "we can aim for New York."
"Ooh you genius!" The Doctor beamed, the pair sonicing at the controls to get as much give as they could get, flicking on the speakers hoping it was enough for Grant to hear them and stop them, "Grant!" He yelled, "Grant! This is the Doctor! You are the only living thing on Earth that can hear this frequency. Look up! We're coming right at you. If that thing hits the ground, then New York is finished! Over to you."
"And now we wait." Raven breathed, grabbing hold on the back of the chair for her life.
"Brace for impact." The Doctor warned as they dropped down to the city below.
Nardole screamed as they braced for a crash landing...
~.~
Raven groaned, rubbing her head as she landed hard on the ground from the impact, she was certain she had hit her head on the control panel but couldn't be sure. All she knew was that her head hurt like hell and they were still alive.
"You two alright?" The Doctor laughed.
"Ow..." Raven moaned.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Ok, one more, but text me a rickshaw." Nardole grumbled.
"Nardole, it worked. The reactor core didn't split."
"Why not?"
He grinned, gesturing that outside Grant was holding the nose of the ship, "Shock absorber."
They raced back through the ship to the TARDIS, the security drones have been deactivated from the crash and quickly materialised on the roof of the apartment building seeing Grant holding the ship, with Lucy staring at him. Along with Mr Brock and three figures in surgical scrubs and masks, clearly they had been planning on taking the Ghost as their own.
"There, on you go, take a look at him." The Doctor announced as they stepped out, "That's why you don't stand a chance. You want to know why? He's actually left-handed."
"Sorry, instinct." Grant winced, holding the baby monitor in his left hand. "I couldn't let go of this."
"Oh, oh, ho! Ho! If you two are about to get excited, maybe you could get rid of that spaceship first."
"You know what?" Lucy murmured, standing very close to Grant, "I think I prefer you in your superhero costume."
"It's a bit difficult for me to change right now." He muttered.
"I'll do it for you." She placed his glasses on his face before leaning in and kissing him firmly on the lips, her arms around his neck as they slowly rose up onto the sky.
"Grant!" The Doctor yelled after him, "Grant! Remember, when you're finished, throw that thing into the sun. Jennifer's still downstairs!" He huffed as Grant dropped the baby monitor before him, with Jennifer crying.
"So, Doctor, you think this is over?" Mr Brock smirked, a gun aimed at them.
He turned to answer him only to see him convulsing before collapsing. "Raven!" He nearly whined to see her blowing on a fake tube of mascara that was actually a hidden taser.
"It's not likes he's dead!" She defended. "His bombs gone, plans finished and Nardole called for UNIT. Thought him being unconscious would make it easy for them. I'll deal with them you deal with the child." She smiled sweetly as the Doctor sighed and headed down to look after the child until Lucy and Grant returned.
~.~
The group sat around the table later that night with Jennifer fast asleep again. Lucy sitting very close to Grant who had his arm around her.
"So, no more Ghost, then?" The Doctor confirmed.
"Nah, laid to rest." Grant promised.
"Are you sure?" Lucy smiled softly at him.
"Yeah, of course I'm sure. I mean, life's not a comic book, right, Doctor?"
"Possibly I'm not the right person to ask." He muttered.
"What if something happens? What if the whole world is in danger?"
"Well, you know, maybe I'll keep the outfit, then." He shrugged, "You know, just in case."
"The world will be fine." The Doctor reassured, "I've been away for a while, but I'm back. I'll take care of anything that comes up."
"You were away?" Grant frowned.
"Huh. 24 years. What a night." Nardole smiled.
"Where'd you go?"
"Wrong question." Lucy set an identical squeaky toy on the table having been unable to find Mr shuffle she using it on the Doctor, "What was her name?"
"I'm sure that I must be busy. I better go."
"You okay?" Grant frowned.
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm ok." He nodded when Lucy gave the squeaky toy a squeeze, "Things end." He sighed, "That's all. Everything ends, and it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's always happy. Be happy. I'll look after everything else. Come on."
"Cya." Raven offered standing up and followed the Doctor back to the TARDIS, "Nardole!" She called seeing he hadn't followed.
"Yes, ma'am." He quickly hurried after them and into the TARDIS, joining them at the console as Raven set down Mr Huffle that she stole, leaving the humans left it always wonder about them.