I own nothing. Least of all this.

1:10

Sometimes, having a long coat can be quite useful. For example, using it to cover a desk to make it look like it was being redone, all the while hiding beneath it.

Sometimes, having a long coat can be quite inconvenient. For example, trying to do a cartwheel on someone else's shoulders while wearing one.

How do I know this, you may ask? Let's just say personal experience and call it that.

Where was I? Oh, yes. The Three Stooges.

The fore-mentioned cartwheel over Thinker put me in an excellent position to wrap my hands around his neck, in just the right spot for a snapping. I already had one snapped neck on my conscience, what more harm could threatening a second do?

Turns out quite a lot.

Soldier decided it would be a good idea to try and shoot me through his esteemed colleague. I don't believe either Thinker or I reacted well to that. Thinker tried to twist to the left, while I was simultaneously turning him to the right to protect him with my own body. The end result was the same as it would have been if Thinker hadn't been wearing his bulletproof vest: his death. Albeit one a good deal less painful than severe lead poisoning.

Thank Gallifrey that Thinker had at least some methods of protecting himself. His vest had already saved my life (if not his), and now his handgun was going to do the same. Out of his holster it came, and then up in my right hand. Three bullets went into Soldier: one in his arm, the second his forehead, and the third, his neck. That out to do the trick.

My barrel swiveled to cover the Leader, who was now standing absolutely still. Our eyes stared unblinking into each others', neither of us willing to speak first. After about a minute, I decided that enough was enough.

"Now then. If all the theatrics are out of the way...I don't see why we can't start being a bit more civilized about this whole thing."

Leader cleared her throat. "I am in complete agreement. However, I will point out that some consider it uncivilized to eavesdrop."

I grimaced, not that she could see it behind my mask. "Sorry about that. Purely unintentional, I assure you. I didn't have many options when it comes to concealment. If I had, perhaps this whole situation may have been avoided."

She nodded. "Perhaps."

Interesting. Still not a trace of fear on her face. I didn't like that. Time to change it.

"I was intrigued by your offer of assistance earlier. In fact, I came very close to revealing myself, and would have, if I hadn't marked your colleagues as a tad trigger-happy."

I was lying through my teeth, and she knew it. Still, it put us on a level playing ground.

She made a *pf-ft* noise. "I can't say I fault your reasoning. Those two can be easily replaced. Their deaths were no great loss, to either me or who I represent."

Now, the game began in earnest. "And who might that be, then."

"Oh, a group very much interested in...people like you. I observed earlier that you are, quite frankly, trapped here for the time being." A subject switch if I ever heard one. "You have no TARDIS, invisible or otherwise, which quite clearly means you are not the Doctor."

I nodded. "Correct." No letting on that only half of that sentence was true.

She continued. "And no vortex manipulator either, which means not a Time Agent. Which leads to the next obvious observation: you obviously didn't come here by accident, since you somehow managed to not only travel here, but came prepared to attempt a return journey."

I cocked my head. "And your point is…..?"

"Whatever method of transportation you have, it quite obviously didn't work as well as intended. If you would be willing, in exchange for a small amount of information on its workings, I'm sure that those I represent would be more than happy to help you with any repairs you might need."

And here was the game coming back full circle.

"An amenable agreement. But I've never shaken hands on a deal without everyone knowing all other involved parties' names."

She inclined her head. "That sounds more than fair. If I might have yours?"

"It's of little consequence, but you may call me… Witcher. And the name of those you represent?"

She reached up to fiddle with a pin on her lapel. "Oh, they're a well-established firm. Quite old. Centuries, in fact. All the way back to medieval times."

I was sure I had seen that pin somewhere else before….

"A truly remarkable accomplishment, I'm sure."

She smiled. "Not as remarkable as some we have planned for the future."

That cross pin….

A cross...

Oh.

Abstergo.

Figures.

Gosh, I can be thick sometimes.

I fired.

Every last bullet in the magazine, in fact.

She managed to dodge more than half of them, but half of fourteen still leaves you with seven gaping holes in your body.

I walked over, and knelt beside her dying form.

"Yeah, I think I can figure out the name for myself now, thanks. We had you guys where I came from as well. To be fair, you've managed to last much longer than your counterparts did. Chalk one up to the Templars."

There was blood in her mouth as she smiled. "Oh, we plan to last much longer than this, Witcher. And now, you're unarmed."

Her body began to glow golden. Golden in a way that meant only one thing: she was healing. With regeneration energy. And I couldn't have that.

My mask deactivated. I was going to need my mouth for this. "That's the thing dearie…."

I leaned down. "Time Lords are never unarmed."

And I kissed her.

What little energy there was coursing through her body, desperately trying to fix her, I pulled from her with my breath. Not even enough to make a proper Time Lord regenerate, but just enough to help her survive things most humans couldn't.

Wait a minute…

Where had the Templars gotten their hands on regeneration energy?

I had to know.

I had even a looser grasp on this than the whole "pulling energy out via kiss" thing, but it had to be done.

My hands came up, and clasped to her temples. Then I dove into her mind.

All I can say is that it was a good thing she was dying, because the mess I left behind in her head would have probably killed her a lot more painfully than any bullet. I burst through what few barriers I found, looking desperately for any clue, any data at all…

Oh no. Oh no.

They hadn't. They had.

They had dared.

And they would pay.

I yanked the last energy from her corpse.

I knew exactly who was going to need it.

And all I had to do was make it from the very top of Canary Wharf, all the way to the absolute bottom, and kill each and every person between here and there in order to deliver it.

"Rose Tyler, I'm coming."