Watching the Doctor

by RedRobyn2

The Doctor is stranded in prison, dealing with the revelations of the Timeless Child and the memories of her time travelling, all alone. Until the Tardis decides enough is enough and gathers her and some of her more recent companions to help her deal with her past and make some amends by watching her adventures. Characters watch the show, set after Timeless Child/Pre-Resolution.

23. The Magician's Apprentice

Hello everyone!

Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy! Chapters are likely going to be updated every week to two weeks at the minute just depending on my schedule.

Please let me know what you think about the chapter and story, and keep the episode suggestions coming in!

Thank you again for reading and hope you enjoy!

Robyn

---

The group watched the screen expectantly, waiting for the newest video's title to reveal itself. They didn't have to wait long, as the title quickly revealed itself.

"The Magician's Apprentice?" Donna exclaimed upon seeing the title appear. The group was all shrugging, unable to think of what the title could be referring to. It seemed the titles were either very obvious or very obscure; nothing in between. Even the Doctor was shrugging, mentally going through her mind for anything that could fit; she could think of a few but wasn't sure if it would be that obvious.

"Maybe it's one of Eyebrow's adventures. He does dress like a magician after all." Bill suggested thoughtfully, contemplating her own adventures to see if any would fit the title.

"Good idea." Clara nodded, doing the same thing as Bill. There were some adventures she wasn't hoping to relive anytime soon but knowing their luck she wasn't going to get a choice.

With the contents of the video still undecided, the group did the only thing they could and tuned to the screen to see what appeared.

[The Planet Karn]

(Rocky and dark, as usual. The Doctor is talking with the Head of the Sisterhood last seen in Night of the Doctor. Other sisters are standing around the edge of a large pool holding burning torches.)

"Your back on, what was it called - Kam?" Amy asked, hesitating over the name, they'd only seen/heard of the planet about twice after all.

"Karn." The Doctor corrected, face thoughtful, that certainly narrowed down what this video could be about. "I guess you were right about which face it was, but this must be before the confession dial." She didn't clue the group into her suspicions of the video contents but couldn't resist a (thankfully unnoticed glance) at both Clara and the Master.

OHILA: He has asked to see you. His servants seek you everywhere. Will you go?
DOCTOR: No.
OHILA: Why do you always lie?
DOCTOR: Why do you always assume I'm lying?

"Because you normally are." Jack pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

OHILA: It saves time. The truth - will you go?
DOCTOR: No.
OHILA: When?
DOCTOR: Soon.

"She really is good at detecting when you're lying." Rose pointed out a bit reluctantly, they all had mixed feeling around Ohila.

"It's not hard, the Doctor's usually lying about important things and the unimportant things. It's usually about 60/40 whether they're lying, in favour of the lying." Mickey snorted, gaining a group of nods from everyone else.

OHILA: Why? Did something happen?
DOCTOR: No.
OHILA: Was it recent?
DOCTOR: Yes.
OHILA: Whatever it was, you owe that creature nothing.
DOCTOR: He and I've known each other a long time.
OHILA: You've been enemies for all of it.

"That's not a promising statement." River sighed, eyeing the Doctor with a suspicious look. The Doctor had a lot of enemies but this sounded very serious. Clara was also eyeing the Doctor suspiciously; she had a nagging feeling she knew what this video was going to be about.

DOCTOR: An enemy's just a friend you don't really know yet. Sorry. What, was that me being cynical again?
OHILA: Aren't we friends, Doctor?
DOCTOR: That's different. I don't like you!
OHILA: (laughs) Which means you can trust me.

"I'm not sure I like this logic." Rory muttered.

DOCTOR: You know who to give that to?
(He gives her a large metal disc with engraving on it.)

Clara inhaled sharply, recognising the confession dial and throwing the Doctor a knowing look, that certainly confirmed her suspicions. "Is this-?"

The Doctor frowned but nodded, the pair both glancing at the Master who was smirking smugly in his corner. It seems he'd also figured out what was going to be shown this time.

"That's not explaining anything to the rest of us." Martha said, glaring at the Master. Nothing was ever good when he was involved, and if the clip at the end of the last video was relevant than he probably was going to be.

DOCTOR: I won't go straight away. I'll hang out for a bit. Probably meditate on a rock somewhere. Get myself ready.

"Oh yes, meditate on a rock." Clara raised an eyebrow and gave the Doctor a pointed look. The Doctor had done the absolute opposite of that. The Doctor just shrugged with an unapologetic smile, really what had they expected of her/him? It was a silly old tradition so of course he wasn't going to follow it.

OHILA: You are embarking on an enterprise that will end in your destruction.
DOCTOR: You could say that about being born.
OHILA: Wherever you go, there are people who care enough to find you.
DOCTOR: Look after the universe for me. I've put a lot of work into it.
OHILA: Anyone can hide from an enemy, Doctor. No one from a friend.

"Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye." Jack turned a stern look on the Doctor who refused to meet his eyes. The tension in the room skyrocketing as the group all latched onto the same suspicions as Jack had.

The Doctor refused to say anything, pointedly not looking at anyone but that didn't matter as Clara answered for her. "Because he was, but Ohila was right." Davros had been unable to find the Doctor, but it hadn't taken Clara and Missy long to pinpoint his location. The group all glanced at the Doctor but dind't say anything else, aware they weren't going to get any more answers at the moment.

[Battlefield]

SOLDIER: Spread out! Get down!
(Straight in from the previous, three biplane buzz soldiers with quivers on their backs, but it fires laser bolts not bullets. One soldier aims an arrow at one as it flies off, then turns to see a young boy running in the opposite direction, into the smoke. A siren sounds, then another soldier runs up.)

"What's a kid doing in the middle of a battlefield?" Graham asked concerned.

The Doctor grimaced, recognising the small child. That definitely confirmed the video's contents unfortunately. "It's complicated." She answered ultimately, unsure what else to say.

SOLDIER: What's wrong?
KANZO: Was that a child?
(The boy is breathless, but still running.)

"What's he running from?" Ryan asked, concerned but confused.

"It's a war mate, he's probably running from everything." Mickey shrugged.

KANZO: Hey! You there, stop! Stop running!
(The boy stops.)
KANZO: It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Just don't run.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this." Rose declared with a frown; it was nice to see the soldier try to help the kid but she wasn't getting a good feeling about this video or the battlefield.

SOLDIER: Kanzo?
KANZO: I'll catch up.
SOLDIER: There are clam drones two miles away.

"I don't want to know what they are." Yaz grimaced, they weren't sure how this was relating to the Doctor but it wasn't looking good.

KANZO: I know. I'll be fine. Just go.
(The soldier runs back.)
KANZO: What are you doing out here, huh? Did you get lost?
(The ground ripples.)
KANZO: Stay still. Stay absolutely still.

"Land mines?" Amy asked, glancing at the Doctor as she was the most likely to know.

The Doctor grimaced, "No, worse." She didn't offer any further explanations despite the worried looks from the group. Clara was watching her, trying to piece together how this related to the mess with Missy and Davros.

(Kanzo gets out a small hand-held scanner.)
KANZO: I'm just scanning the ground. I think we've got company. Do you know what hand mines are?

"I'm sorry 'hand mines', not land mines. Hand?" Martha asked perplexed. The Doctor grimaced but nodded in confirmation.

(The boy nods.)
KANZO: Well, in that case you know you've got to stand absolutely still. Right?
(Another nod.)

"Good to know." Bill muttered; she hadn't run into these 'hand mines' yet but there was always a chance she would during her travels with Heather.

KANZO: Have you ever seen a hand mine? (nod) Where?
(He follows the boy's gaze to his own foot, which has a hand from out of the ground clamped around his ankle.)

"That's not good. That's really not good." Nardole declared.

KANZO: Okay. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine
(Whereupon Kanzo is suddenly pulled underground. Then more hands come out of the mud and turn around. They have eyes in their palms, and stop when they see the boy.)

"Oh god!" Rose exclaimed, hands rising to cover her mouth as the nice soldier was suddenly pulled into the ground. The group all suddenly understood why the soldiers had seemed so scared of the hand mines.

BOY: Help me! Someone, please! Help me! Help me!
(A sonic screwdriver flies through the air and lands at his feet.)

The group let out a breath upon seeing the familiar sonic, the Doctor was here to save the kid at last. NO one noticed the Doctor grimace and look away from the screen in shame. Davros was her enemy, no doubt (unlike with the Master) but this had complicated the mess even more than normal.

DOCTOR [OC]: Your chances of survival are about one in a thousand. So here's what you do. You forget the thousand, and you concentrate on the one. Pick it up. I said, pick it up!
(The boy obeys.)

The group was grinning upon hearing the familiar survival speeches from the Doctor. It was always inspirational when they were like this. The Doctor was just watching the screen blankly.

DOCTOR [OC]: I'm straight ahead of you, about fifty feet. Can you see me?
(The smoke clears to reveal the Tardis and the Doctor.)

The group grinned even more at the further confirmation of the video featuring Eyebrows, the earlier scene on Karn could have just been a prequel after all like the first video they'd watched. Clara kept glancing at the Doctor in the room with them, trying to connect this seemingly random kid with the mess she was sure this video was about.

DOCTOR: The device in your hand is creating an acoustic corridor, so that we can talk. Do you understand?
BOY: Who are you?
DOCTOR: Oh, I'm just a passer-by. I was looking for a bookshop. How do you think I'm doing?

"Terribly." Jack gave the Doctor a pointed look, knowing this was one of their attempts of humour to put the kid at ease. The Doctor just shrugged; she hadn't been entirely lying.

BOY: This isn't a bookshop.
DOCTOR: No, this is a war. A very old one, going by the mix of technology. Which war is this? I get them all muddled up.
BOY: It's just the war.

"I guess it would be like that if you didn't know anything else." Donna decided, thinking about the world wars. They wouldn't mean much to any aliens if they said that.

DOCTOR: Where am I? What planet is this?
BOY: I don't understand.
DOCTOR: Well, neither do I. I try never to understand. It's called an open mind. Now, you have got to make a choice.
BOY: A choice?
DOCTOR: Yes, you have got to decide that you're going to live. Survival is just a choice. Choose it now.

River and Jack shared a look over the Doctor's head, both thinking about how survival was something the Doctor was struggling to choose lately and wondering exactly how far back the problem really lay.

BOY: If I move, they'll get me.
DOCTOR: I told you, you have one chance in a thousand. But one is all you ever need. What's your name? Come on, faith in the future. Introduce yourself! Tell me the name of the boy who isn't going to die today.
BOY: Davros. My name is Davros. Hello? Are you still there? Please, you've got to help me. You said I could survive. You said you'd help me. Help me!

"Davros!" Martha, Jack, Mickey, Rose, and Donna al exclaimed at once, shooting up in their seats. They recognised the name from the Planets in the Sky mess, and were suddenly even more concerned for the Doctor, apparently this video was going to feature two of her enemies.

"Erm, I'm guessing the name means something to you?" Ryan asked the group concerned, that reaction wasn't promising.

The Doctor sighed, glancing between the shocked group that recognised the name, and her newer companions who had never had the misfortune of meeting Davros. She was ignoring the urge to point out how similar Clara and the Master's scowls were at the name, knowing neither would appreciate it. "Davros created the Daleks." She declared simply, not knowing how else to explain it.

"He what?" Yaz exclaimed, suddenly understanding the other's shock. The knowledge of who the kid was creating mixed feelings; on one hand he was an innocent kid in a terrible situation but on the other he grew up to create monsters.

"You go back for him, right? You don't just abandon him? Cause I'm pretty sure that would make him hate you more." Bill asked, she was fortunate in that she hadn't had many run ins with the Daleks but she knew enough to know she didn't want to meet them.

The Doctor bit her lip as the group all turned to her, curious about the answer to the question. It wasn't like the Doctor to abandon someone in need but the kid's identity did make it more complicated. "I did go back." She muttered eventually, deciding it was better to answer them now. Bill nodded approvingly, as the rest of the group nodded conflicted.

Clara glanced at the Doctor again, getting the feeling this video was going to be even more complicated than she'd first thought it was (but that seemed to be a theme with these videos). The group all turned back to the screen, apprehensive but impatient to see where this was going to go as it wasn't exactly starting well.

[The Maldovarium]

(A spaceship arrives at a planet, and a figure in a long hooded robe glides and weaves down an alley into the dingy club as if riding a Segway, where the singer is doing his rendition of The Weeping Song by Nick Cave. The customers are aliens of many races.)
SINGER: Father, why are all the women weeping?
(The door is burst open, glass breaks, and the figure hisses at the audience.)

"That's one way to get the room's attention." Jack declared raising an eyebrow, he'd had plenty of experience with that (through different techniques typically). He did have a feeling this guy wasn't looking for anything good though. Clara and the Doctor shared a glance recognising Colony Sarff.

COLONY SARFF: We are Colony Sarff. We bring harm.

"That's not the saying." Rory declared with a frown, Colony Sarff was decidedly unfriendly.

(It glides up to an Ood, then past around the floor..)
COLONY SARFF: Where is the Doctor? (looking round) Where is the Doctor?
(The Ood whimpers and other beings back away.)
COLONY SARFF: Where is the Doctor!

"Of course, the crazy guy causing trouble is looking for you." River sighed exasperated but was used to her wife's antics. The Doctor just grinned unashamed, Colony Sarff wasn't particularly dangerous to her, at least until Clara had entered the picture.

[The Shadow Proclamation]

(A city in space. The Architect marches through a marble hall decorated with marble statues.)
SHADOW ARCHITECT: Deploy the under-regiment across both sectors. That number of suicide moons cannot be ignored.
(A Judoon clomps after her.)
SHADOW ARCHITECT: Apparently we have a security breach. I won't ask how you got in here, but I will demand to know your business, Colony Sarff.

"Okay so the Shadow Proclamation knows about the guy, but why's he after you?" Jack turned to the Doctor questioning, he wasn't liking how many threats seemed to be after the Doctor this far and they'd barely started.

"Just watch, Jack." The Doctor answered cryptically, eyes focussed on the screen even as she felt the weight of the Master and Clara's eyes on her and was refusing to turn to face them, knowing what they were thinking.

COLONY SARFF: Where is the Doctor?
SHADOW ARCHITECT: I've no idea. He's not our concern, and he's certainly not your employer's.
COLONY SARFF: The Doctor is required.
SHADOW ARCHITECT: For what? Colony Sarff, you need to tell me. What does Davros want with the Doctor?
(Sarff turns and leaves.)

"Okay so the guy's looking for you because Davros wants you. Why does Davros want you?" Mickey reasoned out, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor in question. He could feel Martha tensing next to him; both of them hated Davros but it sounded like the Master was also going to be involved and Martha had a very bad history with him (to say the least).

[Karn]

(Thunder rumbles in the air. We are in the same location as the Prologue.)
OHILA: Welcome, Colony Sarff. We are the Sisterhood of Karn. If you do not leave our world immediately, we will take your skin.

"Good threat. Straight to the point." Amy declared, nodding in approval. In this situation she would take Ohila winning over Colony Sarff. Rory glanced at he rout of the corner of his eyes, it was times like this that the resemblance between River and Amy was the most noticeable.

COLONY SARFF: Where is the Doctor?
OHILA: Where he always is. Right behind you, and one step ahead. Tread carefully when you seek the Doctor, Colony Sarff, or he will be the last thing you find.

"Is being cryptic just a Time Lord thing?" Ryan asked, directing his question mostly to the Doctor.

"Ohila isn't a Time Lord." The Doctor corrected, but shrugged. "It isn't always intentional." Was she being purposely cryptic? Yes.

COLONY: Davros, creator of the Daleks, dark Lord of Skaro.
OHILA: What of him?
COLONY SARFF: Davros is dying.

"About time." Donna snorted with a glare at the screen.

OHILA: Davros is ancient. He should have been dust centuries ago.
COLONY SARFF: He has a message for the Doctor.
OHILA: Then you will give it to me.
(Colony Sarff writhes as if trying to change shape or something.)
OHILA: Your powers mean nothing here. Give me the message and leave.

"His powers?" Rose asked, any type of knowledge on him would help them (even though the threat wasn't an actual threat anymore).

Clara grimaced but shared a look with the Doctor before turning to the group, "You'll see, unfortunately."

"That's not reassuring." Martha sighed, still tense. This video was shaping up to be terrible if it really was going to feature two of her worst enemies; Davros and the Master.

COLONY SARFF: Tell the Doctor, Davros knows. Davros remembers. Tell him he must face Davros one last time.
(Thunder and lightning.)
COLONY SARFF: (leaving) Davros knows. Davros remembers.

"Ominous." Bill muttered, glancing at the Doctor in concern. She was nervous about seeing Missy on screen again; the last time she'd seen that regeneration of the Master she'd been killed, turned into a Cyberman and then the Doctor died. It had been a terrible ten years.

(When it is out of sight, Ohila turns round.)
OHILA: Doctor? What have you done?
(The Doctor doesn't meet her eyes. - this must be where the Prologue actually goes.)

"What hasn't she done." River sighed exasperated but gave her wife a fond look. She wouldn't change her for anything.

[Davros' room]

(Davros is hooked up to a lot of tubes, with his head resting on one hand and a sonic screwdriver in the other.)
DAVROS: Doctor. Doctor. Doctor.
COLONY SARFF: You are dreaming, Lord Davros.
DAVROS: No. I am anticipating.
COLONY SARFF: He cannot be found.
DAVROS: Of course he can. He has a weakness. If you seek the Doctor, first seek his friends.

The room turned to Clara; she seemed to be the one who knew what was going on and therefore was the one being threatened at the minute. It was unfortunately the right strategy when dealing with a Doctor that didn't want to be found.

Clara was frowning at the screen; she'd been so focussed on finding the Doctor (and dealing with Missy) that they hadn't considered the fact it could have been a trap. One they'd walked right into. The Doctor gave her a sad smile, knowing where her thoughts had gone, but not blaming her. Coloney Sarff and Davros would have caught up with them eventually.

[Classroom]

(A boy spits his chewing gum into a waste basket held by his teacher.)
RYAN: Will I get it back after school?

"Eww." Yaz grimaced at the thought like many in the room. They were all a bit startled by the sudden change in scene but were going along with it to see what was going to happen. Clara sighed in exasperation, remembering both this incident (it wasn't the first or last time) and what came after.

CHILDREN: Urgh!
CLARA: How will you know which one's yours?
(General laughter.)

The group watching was also chuckling, feeling better as they remembered Clara was a teacher which was why they were watching this (or at least in a school). They were a bit nervous to see if/how Colony Sarff was going to carry out their threat.

CLARA: Fine, then. Right. Now, where was I? Jane Austen. Amazing writer, brilliant comic observer, and strictly among ourselves, a phenomenal kisser.

"You can talk from experience?" Bill lit up curious, it was one thing to know that Clara was Bi but another to see/hear it like this.

Clara grinned widely, "Oh, yes. Loved those trips." She'd managed to convince the Doctor to visit Jane several times (though she wasn't going to mention that to Ashildr). She smiled at the younger woman who had also travelled with Eyebrows, that connected them in a way and it was always good to have allies (against who, she wasn't sure as everyone in the room had been nice but it was good for just in case).

The Doctor rolled her eyes at the pair, "I don't think you should be telling them that." She raised an eyebrow at the sharing of knowledge Clara shouldn't have but was also smiling so no one took her remotely seriously.

"Like you can talk." Clara grinned back.

(Clara pauses, staring out of the window.)
ALISON: Miss? Miss?
RYAN: Miss?

"You've spotted something." Mickey perked up, glancing between Clara and the screen. Everyone was instantly alert watching the screen in search of whatever Clara had spotted, presumably Colony Sarff or something else dangerous.

Clara just nodded, pursing her lips and glancing at the Master who was smiling like the cat that had got the cream unnoticed by the rest of the group. The Doctor was watching quietly, she knew vaguely what happened here but not in detail and she couldn't deny her curiosity to know exactly what had gone down between Clara and Missy (and Kate).

(Staring at an aeroplane motionless in mid-air.)

"That's not moving." Nardole pointed out, "Aeroplanes are supposed to move."

"I thought that was obvious Nardole." The Doctor argued back but her focus was on the Master, raising an eyebrow as she could easily deduce this as being Missy's fault. The Master just smirked.

ALISON: Is she okay?
(Clara gets a marker pen from her desk and draws a circle on the window pane.)
CLARA: Everybody turn on their phones. News websites and Twitter.

"That'll catch their attention." Graham smiled, "Any excuse to be on their phones."

"Oi Grandad! You're on your phone just as much if not more than me. You're sounding old." Ryan protested.

"He is old." Yaz added on.

"Oi, you two! I see how it is." Graham protested glancing between the pair but gave in with a grumble and small smile.

(She opens the window and looks out, then closes it again. The aeroplane is in the same place.)
RYAN: Twitter?
CLARA: Hashtag, #ThePlanesHaveStopped

"Creative." Amy grinned.

Clara shook her head at the redhead. "I wasn't exactly thinking of snappy names. It was straight to the point and most likely to find out what was going on."

"Ignore her." Rory sighed, sending an apologetic look to Clara, ignoring Amy's protests. "What is going on with the planes though? How can they have just … stopped?"

Clara glanced between the Master and the Doctor who seemed to be having a staring contest, before sighing and turning back to answer Rory. "I'm sure you're about to be shown. It's probably best to just watch."

(Breaking news, several newsreaders over various images of aeroplanes over cities.)
BBC NEWSREADER: Reports are coming in of planes hanging apparently motionless in the sky.
TV NEWSREADER: Footage of passenger jets, which have seemingly come to a complete standstill in mid-air.

The group watched the new stories flash across the screen curious to see how this would fit into the parts of the video they'd seen so far. Martha and Mickey were sharing a look, they'd already gone independent by this point (or at least when they thought these videos were taking place) but they remembered hearing about this mess, although they'd never actually gotten answers about what had happened. The rest of the group (for varying reasons – including being in another world, having to avoid things related to the Doctor, being in the past, and not being aware of anything really) were unable to place when this had happened, which was strange as you'd think you'd remember it.

"How'd they manage to explain that?" Rose asked curious.

"Publicity stunt, I think, can't really remember what UNIT came up with." The Doctor explained with a thoughtful look, honestly, she only vaguely remembers the incident in question (as she hadn't been around, and only been told about it). Clara was nodding along though so she presumed she was close enough.

"And people believed that?!" Amy asked disbelieving.

The Doctor shrugged with a smile and a pointed look at Amy who really should know about this kind of thing, "The power of humanity to forget. Never fails to amaze me."

"That's not really a good thing." Bill muttered thinking about how everyone forgot about the Monks.

[Classroom]

MR DUNLOP: Miss Oswald, a call at the office.
CLARA: Yeah, that would probably be UNIT.

"This happens a lot?" Donna raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"More than I'd like but the Doctor is involved after all." Clara grinned back, ignoring the Doctor's protests as the group snickered. She did enjoy spending time with Kate and Oswin, although she could do without the danger and interruptions to school.

MR DUNLOP: They're telling me you're needed. They were going to put me through to the Prime Minister.
CLARA: Mister Dunlop, sorry. I have to take the rest of the day off owing to a, er, personal crisis.

"Personal crisis? I think Mr Dunlop's having the crisis." Martha chuckled, the poor guy looked shocked about the Prime Minister being involved, which made sense as you didn't expect one of your teachers to be involved in anything like that.

"Yeah, not the easiest to explain." Clara sighed, that was an understatement.

[Outside the school]

(Running whilst on her mobile phone.)
CLARA: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, I'm coming. No, don't send a helicopter. Think it through.

"UNIT?" Mickey asked knowingly.

Clara nodded with a fond smile at the thought of Kate and Oswin, though this particular mess wasn't full of great memories.

NEWSREADER [OC]: Attempts at communications with the planes, with pilots, crew, passengers, all have failed.
(Jumble of reports in various major Earth languages while Clara rides her motorbike through the streets.)
NEWSREADER [OC]: Family members with candlelight vigils around the world. Meanwhile, reports are coming in from Caracas, Tel Aviv, Beijing. It seems no corner of the planet is unaffected.
(Clara arrives at the Tower of London.)

"Those with family on the planes must be terrified." Yaz said, eyes widening as the news reports continued. She was starting to feel a bit thankful she doesn't remember this incident. Then another thought occurred to her. "Do they get down safely? I mean they must 'cause all those people dyeing is a completely different matter to the planes just stopping, right?"

The Doctor smiled sadly, understanding Yaz's worries. "They were all safe, don't worry." Yaz and the rest of the group nodded at that, reassured.

[UNIT HQ]

KATE: The planes aren't responding. No, none of them. It's radio silence. I've got to go. Tell the President I'll call him back.
(Clara enters.)

"That is not a good day to be in charge of UNIT, everyone demanding answers that you don't have." Rory grimaced, feeling more than a bit sorry for Kate.

"I don't' think there's many good days to be in charge of UNIT." Amy countered. "But Kate loves it anyway."

KATE: He's not answering his phone. Have you tried?

"When do they ever answer their phone." Martha gave the Doctor a pointed look to which she just grinned sheepishly.

CLARA: We don't know enough yet. He doesn't appreciate gossip.
KATE: Gossip?
CLARA: How many planes?
JAC: 4,165 aircraft currently airborne.

"That's a lot of people." Ryan muttered, eyes widening as Kate revealed the extent of the chaos. They'd guessed there was a lot of planes in the air but it was different actually putting a number to it.

KATE: That's a lot of passengers.
CLARA: That's a lot of fuel.
KATE: Oh, dear God. Yes, it is.
CLARA: Okay, so, what could you do with 4,000 flying bombs?

Clara turned a glare on the Master who was smirking away in his corner. They'd spent time trying to work out the motive behind the airplanes freezing and panicking over all the ways things could really go wrong, but it had all just been Missy trying to catch their attention.

The rest of the group, however, wasn't aware of this and were all mentally running through all the way the planes could have been used or the motive behind it all. The Doctor may have admitted that the planes got down safe but that didn't mean something hadn't happened.

JAC: Ah, well, 439 nuclear power stations currently active.
KATE: What else?
CLARA: I dunno. Er, fault lines. Earthquake, a tsunami?
JAC: Running simulations now.
KATE: So this is an attack?

"It's a weird kind of attack." Jack said thoughtfully, mind running rapidly through all the theories based on what they knew so far.

"Not if it's to attract attention or a trap." River theorised with a concerned look between the Doctor and Clara. "We've already seen Colony Sarff is trying and failing to find the Doctor. What better way to find them than by putting the Earth in danger or by trapping someone they care about?" The group all grimaced glancing at Clara at that thought.

The Doctor and Clara shared a look; the group was close but not quite there. Although they had an advantage in knowing Colony Sarff was after the Doctor they were also disadvantage din not knowing how Missy fitted into everything. The Doctor turned to the group, face purposely blank. "Guess you'll just have to watch to find out." That earned her several groans or annoyed looks for evading the question.

CLARA: What kind of an attack advertises? Why show somebody what you can do? Why not just do it? What's actually happened to the planes? What are the pilots saying?
KATE: We, we can't contact them.
JAC: The planes haven't stopped. They're actually frozen. Like, frozen in time. Pardon my sci-fi, but this is beyond any human technology.

"Everything about our lives is Sci-fi." Bill announced but did glance at the Master who was still smirking away in the corner. The group all had the feeling that he would be involved (or rather Missy) in this video, and between his attitude, and Clara and the Doctor's glance they'd basically confirmed it. She'd had the (mis)fortune of meeting Missy before and this sounded exactly like the kind of things she would do.

KATE: Okay, so we need the Doctor.
CLARA: Kate, we can't just phone the Doctor and bleat, he'll go Scottish. Come on. What have we got? What do we know? It's not an attack, it's not an invasion, because, well, that doesn't come with a fair warning. So, somebody needs our attention. Somebody who needs to put a gun to our heads to make us listen. Oh.

The group was nodding along with Clara's reasonings, admittedly interested in the growth between last video and this video. Last video, Clara had been in a bad situation and you couldn't help but feel sorry for her as the situation changed and demanded she got used to it right away. This time, she'd clearly been travelling with Eyebrows for a while and gotten used to him, but she'd also grown into herself more, becoming more and more confident. The Doctor was grinning proudly at Clara but couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed as she knew exactly where she was during all this.

KATE: Oh?
MIKE: We've got a message. The Doctor channel.
CLARA: Sorry, what?
KATE: He never uses it. I doubt he remembers it even exists.

"I do not." The Doctor admitted in a mix between a grumble and confused noise. She was mentally combing through her memory trying to remember exactly what Kate was talking about and coming up with only vague memories.

CLARA: Then who is it?
MIKE: Decrypting. We're getting text through, I think.
CLARA: Texting? Definitely not the Doctor.

"Really? All this Doctor does is text." Graham pointed to the Doctor in the room, who crossed her arms with a (fake) huff.

"Times change, old man." The Doctor countered, lips twitching into a grin even as Ryan and Yaz broke out into laughter at her comment.

Graham immediately protested, "Oi! You're older than me!"

"Nah, she's right Grandad. You're old." Ryan spoke up between laughs, coming to the Doctor's defence. Graham grumbled at that but couldn't come up with a better protest.

(The computer beeps as it creates the letters on screen.)
TEXT: You so fine.

"I'm sorry, what?" Rory blinked bewildered, that was a completely unexpected message and seemingly random.

Clara just sighed, "Just give it a second." That earned her a few confused an curious looks but she refused to elaborate.

KATE: Have you got any more?
MIKE: Coming.
TEXT: You blow my mind. Hey Missy, you so fine, you so fine, you blow my mind! Hey Missy!
(Okay, confess. You didn't read it, you sang it.)

The group's heads all whipped around to face the Master, who was smirking widely, hands together and leaning back in his chair like a cartoon villain. To make things even worse, the Master gave a little mocking wave.

The majority of the group was glaring at him, they'd all suspected the Master/Missy was involved somehow but they had been holding onto hope they were wrong. Things always seemed to go even worse when the Master was around and the Doctor (and Clara) already had Davros after them, they didn't need Missy causing chaos too.

The Doctor sighed, deeply regretting her life choices (not), as she glanced between the Master and the rest of the room, who were all in varying stages of anger. Those that had met the Master before were going to see a different side of them today, still chaotic but more in their favour (mostly) and it was going to be a shock, especially for Marth and Jack who had met (arguably) the craziest version of the Master.

"Can we stop glaring at him and just watch the video?" It may have been a question but everyone could hear the Doctor's pleading tone. Reluctantly they looked away from the Master and turned back to the screen. The Master, however, gave an exaggerated pout at the Doctor for taking away his attention. It turned into a more real pout upon noticing how the Doctor was ignoring him, and refusing to even glance his way anymore, that wouldn't do.

MISSY [on monitor]: Today, I shall be talking to you out of (suddenly 3D) the square window!

The group all jolted as the projection of Missy grew out of the screen. They were all far too tense with the knowledge of Missy's interference and were just waiting to see what she wanted, for it wasn't likely to be anything good.

KATE: What the hell was that? How did she do that?
JAC: Dunno. Some sort of psychic projection, or something.
KATE: Oh great, thanks.

"Mood." Bill muttered quietly. She was sitting tense in her seat, suddenly far too aware of how close she was to the Master. Missy was different to the Master she'd sent ten years with but she wasn't much better in reality. Bill was the only person in the room outside of Clara who's actually had to deal with Missy, and knew what her interactions with the Doctor were like. She was getting the feeling that whatever Missy wanted it was to do with the Doctor (because it always was).

MISSY [on monitor]: Okay, cutting to the chase. Not dead, back, big surprise, never mind. I'm in a lovely little square in one of your, oh, I don't know, hot countries. There's a light breeze coming from the east, this coffee is a buzz-monster in my brain, and I'm going to need eight snipers.

"Not dead?"

"Snipers?" Amy and Rory spoke at the same time but were focused on different parts of Missy's little speech.

Clara crossed her arms and shot a heated glare at the Master who was still smirking. "She faked her death not so long before this video after yet another Cyberarmy invasion attempt." She explained vaguely, really not wanting to go into details as it would inevitably mean bringing up Danny, and that wasn't something she could talk about yet.

"Snipers!?" Rory asked again, determined to try and get some sort of answer even if it was a vague one.

"Just watch." Clara spoke again, waving to the screen. Rory reluctantly turned to the screen.

KATE: Eight what?
MISSY [on monitor]: Three for each heart, and two for my brain stem. You'll have to switch me off fast, before I can regenerate. How fast can you get here? Ooo, I'll need to arrange you a flight corridor.
(Missy licks her finger before pressing buttons on her controller.)
KATE: Why do you need snipers?
MISSY [monitor]: Because it's the only way she'll feel safe enough to talk to me. Shall we say four o'clock?

"You want to talk to Clara." Martha stated, eyes furious as she stared the Master down. "Why?" Everyone could feel the tension surrounding the pair, they all knew (or got the feeling) that Martha had a past with the Master but very few of them had any sort of details on it. Whatever had happened though, it had clearly been terrible.

The Master smirked, tilting his head nonchalantly, "I thought we were due for a wee chat." He put on a Scottish accent, similar to the one he had as Missy, "Ya ken? Girl to girl and all that, sharing gossip like bairns at a sleepover."

Martha glared harder even though she knew she wasn't going to get nay actual answers out of the Master, her best bet was to just watch the video no matter how much she hated not knowing what was going to happen. She always hated that about these videos, but the Master (and Davros) being involved just made it a thousand times worse.

[Mediterranean plaza]

(A church bell tolls four times. Missy is the only person at the tables at the bottom of the church steps. UNIT snipers take up their positions on the surrounding rooftops. She looks down and sees six red laser dots dancing on her bosom.)
MISSY: Oh, saucy.

The Doctor sighed deeply at that, but couldn't deny the tugging in her heart. She missed Missy. Missy had been one of the few times they'd actually gotten to spend time together as friends again and she missed that.

Jack was switching between glancing concerned at the Doctor (as he knew how much the Master always messed with their head) and glaring at the Master. He was very aware that those snipers wouldn't be able to do much if Missy really wanted to kill them, or got bored, or just decided she wanted them dead in general. Every so often he would also glance at Martha, knowing how much this video had to be affecting her and very grateful Mickey was there to help ground her.

(Then she uses her compact mirror to check that the other two are aiming at her brain stem. Two black cars arrive, and Secret Service types get out, then Clara. The collared doves scatter as she walks over to Missy, who gestures for her to sit.)
MISSY: Go on, then.
(Clara sits opposite Missy, who sips at her espresso.)

If possible, the tension in the room rose further at the weird sight on screen. They were all waiting for things to go wrong and Missy to spring a trap or kill everyone, and were worried about Clara.

MISSY: How's your boyfriend? Still tremendously dead, I expect.
CLARA: Still dead, yeah. How come you're still alive?

Clara flinched at that, looking down at the floor to avoid anyone's eyes, even as her she clenched her fists and wanted to glare daggers at Missy. While Missy hadn't actually killed Danny, she had made him into a Cyberman and then helped kill him again.

A few people glanced at Clara but no one spoke up, sensing how sensitive a topic that was and none wanted to poke a sore point. They let the video continue.

MISSY: Death is for other people, dear. Would you like to sit in the shade? I know how you humans burn.
(Missy uses her controller, and the shadow of a jumbo jet moves over them.)

The group glared at Missy as it was confirmed she was behind the planes freezing. They'd already guessed that and her message on the Doctor channel had basically confirmed it but it was different seeing her use them like a child would a toy.

MISSY: Better? I expect you've tried to contact him by now. Well, you should know, I can't find him either. No one can.
CLARA: That happens, now and then.
MISSY: Not like this.

The room's eyes all drifted to the Doctor curious. It wasn't unusual for the Doctor to disappear for while (it happened pretty frequently actually), but for Missy to be unable to find him? That was something else, and not a good thing.

"What are you doing?" River mumbled quietly to the Doctor who refused to answer her wife, expression blank as she waved to the screen.

(She puts the etched disc from the Prologue on the table. The one the Doctor gave to Ohila.)
MISSY: It's a confession dial.

The group all frowned at the reappearance of the Doctor's confession dial, all wondering how Missy got her hands on it. The bad feeling they had about this video only worsened, that dial hadn't brought anything good whenever it was on screen, adding the Master and Davros to the mix and this video was shaping up to be terrible.

CLARA: A what?
MISSY: In your terms, a will. The Last Will and Testament of the Time Lord known as the Doctor, to be delivered, according to ancient tradition, to his closest friend, on the eve of his final day.
(Clara reaches for it, and gets an electric shock.)
MISSY: Ah, ah! What are you doing?
CLARA: You said. I thought.
MISSY: No, no, no, no, no. It was delivered to me.

Clara glared at the Master, cheeks a bit pink in embarrassment. Of course, she had thought the dial was to be given to her, but Missy's involvement should have made her hesitate. The Doctor was always weird about the Master.

It didn't help that the Master was smiling smugly at Clara. Unlike the majority of the room, he knew exactly what happened in this video and was quite enjoying reliving some of it at least. He could feel the Doctor's annoyance reverberate across their mental link and his smug smile deepened as the Doctor stopped ignoring him completely. He sent back his smugness-pride-enjoyment-entertainment even as the Doctor's expression remained blank to the rest of the room, he knew exactly what she was feeling. He always had that advantage on her little human pets.

Martha scoffed, visibly annoyed and frustrated. Of course, no matter what the Master did the Doctor would still consider them friends, still give the Master his confession dial. Jack shot her a sympathetic and understanding look; he understood where her thoughts was going he did and he felt the same, but in some way he could also understand why the Doctro would give it to Missy. Missy was the only one that would actually understand the significance of the dial, and had a much longer lifespan than the rets of the group. Missy would actually be able to protect the dial. Still. He couldn't help but feel bitter that it was given to Missy and not say, him or River, hell even Madame Vastra. He hated it, but he also hated that he could understand the Doctor's reasoning.

CLARA: You?
MISSY: Well of course it was sent to me. What have you got to do with it? I'm his friend. You're just
CLARA: I'm just what?
MISSY: See that couple over there?
(A man and a woman walk through with their dog.)
MISSY: You're the puppy.

"Clara is not a puppy!" The Doctor sighed deeply, truing an annoyed glare on the Master even as the rest of the group broke out into protests as well. She wasn't going to (or able to) deny the part about being their friend no matter how much she wanted too sometimes.

"Puppy, pet, whatever. All humans are basically the same." The Master waved of the Doctor's protests nonchalantly, basking in the attention he had been lacking for the last few videos.

"Master!" The Doctor protested again, only releasing her mistake as the Master sat up straighter and his thrill-excitement-enjoyment-madness-love came shooting across their mental link as she said his name. Hurriedly she tried to close of the mental link and turn away back to the screen, unable to deal with the feelings he continued to invoke in her. She knew this video was really going to mess with her.

CLARA: Since when do you care about the Doctor?
MISSY: Since always. Since the Cloister Wars. Since the night he stole the moon and the President's wife. Since he was a little girl. One of those was a lie. Can you guess which one?

The Doctor's head whipped around to the Master; mind caught on the last option. She'd been so sure that this version of her friend was after Missy, he'd even admitted it, but how long had he known about the Timeless Child? Had he known this entire time as Missy and just not told her? Why else would he mention little girl, they'd definitely been boys as kids (or would be considered by humans to be male at least).

The Master jolted as well, eyes snapping to the Doctor in what she would call panic if she didn't know him better. He immediately pried open the weak door she's shut on her end of the mental link, starting to talk straight away. "I didn't know. I didn't know, Doctor. I know how your mind works and you're spiralling. But I swear, it was just a comment to annoy Clara. I didn't learn about the Timeless Child until after I regenerated."

The Doctor assed him, aware of the weight of the room's eyes on her, but ignoring them as she tried to asses if the Master was lying to her. "You honestly didn't know? Promise me, Koschei! This wouldn't be the first time you lied about something like this!"

"I promise Theta. I wouldn't lie, not about this. I promise I didn't know." The Master answered back immediately, both of their emotions a mess and neither was bale to tell which ones belonged to who.

The Doctor nodded slightly in answer, mind still spiralling. Even if the Master didn't know (and she was willing to believe him for the moment), the comment hit too close to home. Taking a deep breath she schooled her face, put on a smile to reassure the concerned group she was okay, and waved to the screen to encourage them to keep watching. She ignored the doubting looks most of them sent her in favour of latching onto the screen as an escape.

CLARA: He's not your friend. You keep trying to kill him.
MISSY: He keeps trying to kill me. It's sort of our texting. We've been at it for ages.

"I'd prefer it without the trying to kill each other part." The Doctor said, raising an eyebrow at the Master.

The Master immediately scoffed, "No you wouldn't, dear. Don't lie."

CLARA: Mmm. Must be love.
MISSY: Oh, don't be disgusting. We're Time Lords, not animals. Try, nano-brain, to rise above the reproductive frenzy of your noisy little food chain, and contemplate friendship. A friendship older than your civilisation, and infinitely more complex.

Bill narrowed her eyes at that comment, giving a pointed glance at the Doctor who swiftly put a finger to her lip. She really didn't want Bill spilling that bit of info about her crush as that conversation would certainly spiral and lead to a few revelations and secrets she didn't want out in the air.

CLARA: So the Doctor is your bezzy mate and I'm supposed to believe that you've turned good?
MISSY: Good?
(Missy uses her controller to disintegrate a Secret Service man.)
SOLDIER [OC]: Man down!
CLARA: (sotto) No!
(Clara get up and goes towards where the man was.)
SOLDIER [OC]: Man down!

The room whipped around to glare at the Master in sync. They'd all been expecting it to go bad at some point but they'd al sot been lulled into a false sense of security by the scene of the pair just chatting away. Clara frowned, feeling guilty even though she knew she shouldn't be. It may have been her comment that triggered Missy but the Time Lady would have likely killed them all at some point anyway.

[UNIT HQ]

KATE: Don't shoot her. Do not shoot her!

[Mediterranean plaza]

MISSY: By the ring on his finger, he was married, and I, I think I detected some baby leakage on his jacket, so he had a family. No, I've not turned good.
(She shoots another man.)

The group let out startled gasps as Missy suddenly fired again, glaring at the Time Lord in the corner even harder at the revelation of the dead man's family.

"Oh please, are you going to do that every time I kill someone? If so, you're going to get whiplash." The Master drawled from his corner smugly. The group only glared harder. The Doctor gave the Master disappointed look but couldn't help but feel guilty as the reason Missy was there was because she was hiding and moping in the Medieval ages.

[UNIT HQ]

KATE: Nobody fire!

[Mediterranean plaza]

MISSY: Ooh, wow, I'm on a roll. Thanks for bringing spares.
CLARA: Stop it. Just stop it. Don't shoot anybody else!
MISSY: Oi, you, sweaty one, on your knees. Let's have a goodbye selfie for your kids.
(The man obeys.)

The room was incredibly tense, all aware from either personal experience or the videos, how trigger happy the Master/Missy was. They were hating that they couldn't do anything but watch as Missy killed people to make a vague point.

CLARA: Missy, nobody else!
MISSY: Say something nice.
CLARA: No.
MISSY: I'll kill everyone in this square.
CLARA: Start with me. Then what, hey? You came here for my help.

The tension was still high but the group relaxed a little bit as Clara started to take back some control of the situation. They knew that the Missy hadn't killed Clara (as she was here with them) and had called Clara to the square for some reason. Clara just needed to use that against her.

The Doctor was frowning at the screen; this situation was her fault technically, but how could she have known that Missy would try looking for her. In some way, she was glad that Missy had found Clara before Colony Sarff, it meant she'd had an extra 'ally' around when dealing with Davros despite Missy's often unhelpful behaviour and attitude. Still, that was two people, people with families that Missy had just killed for practically no reason.

MISSY: Because the Doctor is in danger.

"The Doctor's always in danger." River said, eyes locked on the Master. "What makes this different?"

The Master scoffed, "Oh please, as if you haven't already guessed. You don't need to be jealous that I was the one that received the Doctor's confession dial and not you or Captain Jack over there."

"Master!" The Doctor protested, arms crossed and glaring at the Master who looked completely unrepentant even as Jack and River glared at him.

"Doctor." The Master countered, a thousand words hidden behind the one.

CLARA: Make me believe you.
MISSY: How?
CLARA: Release the planes.
MISSY: The planes are keeping me alive. I mean, there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight naughty little snipers ready to kill me.

"Like you're actually in any danger." Rose scoffed disbelieving. She may have not had the misfortune of running into the Master during her travels with the Doctor but she'd seen enough from the video to know that.

CLARA: Yeah. On my command.
(Clara holds up her arm.)
CLARA: Your best friend is in danger. Show me you care. Make me believe.
(Missy uses her controller and waves the aeroplane shadow goodbye. It flies off.)

[UNIT HQ]

JAC: The planes! The planes are all moving again.

The group let out a breath upon seeing the planes move again, that was part of the danger solved for the moment. Now they just had to find the Doctor and deal with the danger they'd gotten themselves into.

[Mediterranean plaza]

MISSY: It's only a basic Time Stop. Parlour trick. Couldn't have done anything with them anyway.

The Master received several disbelieving looks for that comment. They didn't believe that in anyway, the Master was known for surviving and causing chaos; if anyone could, he would have been able to weaponize those planes.

(Clara lowers her hand.)
CLARA: What does it say?
MISSY: What does what say?
CLARA: His confession.
MISSY: It will only open when he's dead.
CLARA: Then it won't open, will it?

The group nodded along with that, the Doctor wasn't dead, they knew that but they couldn't help but be worried.

"This isn't right before the mess with the Confession dial and Gallifrey, right?" Amy asked as the thought suddenly occurred to her. She hadn't thought it was but she was suddenly doubting that, maybe they should be more worried than they actually were (and they were already worried).

"No, no. There's a fair bit of time between. It's not completely unrelated but it isn't part of the same mess." The Doctor admitted quietly, tying to reassured the group. Several people that had tensed up at Amy's question relaxed again.

MISSY: Question. If the Doctor has one last night to live, if he's certain he's facing the end of his life, where, in all of space and time, would he go?

"Earth." The entire room answered in sync.

The Doctor blinked at that, "Am I really that predictable?"

"Only to those that know you well enough, Sweetie." River smiled softly at her wife.

CLARA: Here.
(Someone somewhere claps. An agent brings a laptop to their table.)
MISSY: Well, yes, Earth, obviously! But where? When?
(Two more claps as Clara works the keyboard.)

"I'm guessing wherever that is." Mickey said, referring to the clapping and small interlocked clips of somewhere else. Clara and the Doctor exchanged a look but didn't answer.

[UNIT HQ]

JAC: The algorithm generates probabilities based on crisis points, anomalies, anachronisms, keywords.
KATE: Such as?
JAC: Blue box, Doctor.
(Clara and Missy are on the screen as more people applaud in 1138AD.)
JAC: There we go. San Martino, Troy, multiples for New York,

"That's a lot of places to check." Martha muttered, glancing at the Doctor and Clara concerned. They weren't aware of it on screen (or Clara wasn't at least) but they were on a time limit.

"And he's not in any of them." Donna added with a grimace, having noticed the date appear in the corner of the screen. The group was mentally pleading for them to find the Doctor and quickly, they didn't even care if Missy came along at this point. Whatever was going on with the confession dial and Davros it was serious.

[Mediterranean plaza]

JAC [OC] And three possible versions of Atlantis. It's easier than you'd think. The Doctor makes a lot of noise and he loves to make an entrance.
(Essex. We are shown Bors, the bearded warrior from Meditation wielding a double-headed axe in an arena as tumblers enter under the portcullis.)

[UNIT HQ]

KATE: But which one is the one? Where is he now?

"Essex apparently." Nardole muttered.

"Essex? Why, Essex of all places?" Yaz asked bewildered by the Doctor's chosen hiding place.

"Oi! What's wrong with Essex?" Graham asked, he was from Essex originally after all.

"Nothing Graham." Ryan went to reassure him, "Just of all places to be, why there? Surely there's better places to hide." They all turned to the Doctor questioningly.

The Doctor shrugged with a cryptic grin, "I like Essex." It had been a good party after all and Craig (plus Sophie and Alfie) were from Essex. There was nothing wrong with the place, she'd sort of picked it at semi-random but hadn't regretted it.

[Mediterranean plaza]

CLARA: How's a Time Lord supposed to die?
MISSY: Meditation. Repentance and acceptance.

[UNIT HQ]

MISSY [on screen]: Contemplation of the absolute.
CLARA [on screen]: Great, thanks. Change the algorithm. Eliminate the crisis points. Where is the Doctor making the most noise, but there isn't any crisis?

"You're looking for a party then." Jack grinned perking up in his seat. Of course, the Doctor would go for the opposite of Time Lord traditions. "Great thinking." He nodded to Clara who grinned back, admittedly proud of being able to locate the Doctor when literally no one else could.

[Mediterranean plaza]

CLARA: (sighs) We're looking for a party.
(Lots of lights go out on the UNIT world map until just one is left - in the UK.)
CLARA: There he is. "Do not go gentle into that good night."
MISSY: You go, girl!
(Missy puts something on Clara's wrist, and they vanish.)

The group flinched as Missy suddenly moved and activated something, teleporting the pair away from the square. Realistically they knew it was likely a teleporter but they didn't trust anything Missy/the Master did.

The Doctor had been watching the screen impressed with the group's deduction of where she was. It certainly explained how they had managed to find her when no one else had. Colony Sarff had likely followed them.

[Castle ramparts]

(Then drop onto castle ramparts. It night time and the place is lit by burning torches.)
MISSY: Whoo, whoo whoo! Mummy, do it again! Vortex manipulators. Yours is slaved to mine. Cheap and nasty time travel.

Both Jack and River's hand instinctively went to their wrists at the mention of the vortex manipulators, even though they weren't currently wearing one it was practically a habit formed from having one for so long.

Clara winced at the reminder, it hadn't exactly been a nice mode of travel or landing.

(The courtyard below has wooden stands around it, filled with the peasants and other castle residents. Bors is waving his axe around.)
BORS: Face me, Magician! Face me!
MISSY: You probably want to throw up, don't you? Pick a local. According to you, this is where the Doctor is.

"The fact the guy is shouting for the 'Magician' makes me think you are in the right place." Rose spoke up. It would make sense with the Doctor's clothing choice, his abilities which would be strange to those in the Medieval age, and by the title of the video too.

CLARA: Okay, how do we find him? How do we know what we're looking for?
MISSY: Anachronisms. The slightest, tiniest
(An electric guitar riff fills the area.)
MISSY: Anachronisms.

"You've found him then." River sighed, exasperated but more than bit relieved.

"Knowing the Doctor, it's more of a big anachronism." Amy grinned widely.

"I don't think they're capable of staying small and being undramatic." Rory sighed, resigned to the fact.

[Castle courtyard]

(The Doctor enters the under the portcullis on a tank, playing rock guitar and wearing shades. The crowd love it. Bors lowers his axe in despair. The Doctor finishes the riff and bows to the Lord and Lady as his speakers give feedback. He is wearing checkered trousers and a black frock coat.)

"As expected, more than a little anachronistic." Bill declared with a nod.

"A tank, really?" Martha sighed at the Doctor who grinned with a shrug.

BORS: Dude! What is that?
DOCTOR: You said you wanted an axe fight.
(Some chuckles.)
DOCTOR: Oh, come on. In a few hundred years, that'll be really funny. It's a slow burner.

"It's still not funny, and we actually got the joke." Mickey commented.

"Oh shush, Mickey Mouse." The Doctor waved Mickey's protests away, not seeing anything wrong with their joke.

BORS: A musical instrument is not an axe.
DOCTOR: Yes, and a daffodil is not a broadsword, but I still won the last round!
(The crowd cheers.)

"You know, I kinda want to see that fight." Bill decided, then glanced around the room, "Anyone else?" She got a few smiles but no actual answers.

DOCTOR: What do you think of my tank? Don't worry, it isn't loaded.
BORS: I don't like it.
DOCTOR: No, neither do I. I bought it for my fish.
BORS: Your fish?
DOCTOR: I may have ordered online!
(Complete silence.)

The same was true for the room, several people raising eyebrows at the Doctor for her terrible jokes. Her humour was always hit or miss but this was just pitiful.

DOCTOR: Oh, come on. Fish? Tank? Honestly, this stuff will be hilarious in a very few hundred years. Do please stick around.

"I don't think they have the option to, Doctor." Rose sighed exasperated but also concerned. Something was seriously wrong.

CLARA: What's the matter with him? He's never like this.
MISSY: Oh, you really are new, aren't you?

"They're only like this when they're sure they're about to actually die." Clara answered herself, more out of spite for Missy's comment. She wasn't that new when this video happened.

(The Doctor looks up at the ramparts, directly at Clara.)
CLARA: Wait, hang on. Did he just hear that? He doesn't know we're here, does he?
(The Doctor plays the opening of Pretty Woman.)

"Nope, he definitely knows you're there." Jack answered with false cheer. The group was more than bit nervous to see how this little interaction was going to go down.

DOCTOR: Now, you lot. I have been here all day, and it's been a great day!
BORS: You've been here for three weeks.

"Three weeks? What the hell have you been doing in Essex for three weeks?" Donna exclaimed, turning on the Doctor who just shrugged and waved to the screen. "Oi! Don't just wave at me, Space Man!" The Doctor rolled her eyes fondly but waved again, earning a glare from Donna but the red-head did turn back to the screen for answers.

DOCTOR: Three weeks? It must be nearly bedtime. Well, we've partied.

No one missed the way the Doctor seemed startled by how long it had been, or the comment about bedtime. It grated on their nerves, that feeling of something being wrong but not quite being able to place why.

(Cheers.)
DOCTOR: Yes! I helped you dig a well, with a first-class, child-friendly visitor's centre! I've given you some top-notch maths tuition in a fun but relevant way. And I have also introduced the word "dude" several centuries early. Let me hear you!
ALL: Dude!

"Of all the ways you could have spent three weeks." River shook her head exasperated, "Really, sweetie?" Everyone could see the way her lips were twitching up into a smile though.

DOCTOR: Are you a Renaissance?
ALL: Dude!
DOCTOR: Are you a Medieval?
ALL: Dude!
(He points at a young man in armour.)
DOCTOR: I am a dragon-slaying?
ALL: Dude!
DOCTOR: We are all the young?
ALL: Dudes!
DOCTOR: I like it. But I've got some sad news for you, dudes. Tonight, I'm going to have to leave you.

"That is so weird." Ryan shook his head, if there was any record of that in the history books, the Historians would never be able to explain it. But that often happened when the Doctor was about.

(Cries of no!)
DOCTOR: But before I do, I'd like you to meet a couple of friends of mine.
(Ahs from the crowd, then applause and cheering. Clara enters the courtyard and waves shyly.)
CLARA: How did you know I was here? Did you see me?
DOCTOR: When do I not see you?

Both Clara and the Doctor gave each other sad looks, their minds drifting to the Doctor forgetting Clara and being unable to remember her even while sitting in the same diner talking.

CLARA: What, one face in all of that crowd?
DOCTOR: There was a crowd, too?
CLARA: Wow, we're doing charm as well, now, are we? Which one of us is dying?

A pin could be heard drop in the room, the entire group connecting the dots to find that Clara had hit the nail on the head, unintentionally. The Doctor had given Missy his confession dial and then hidden away because they thought they were about to die. Despite knowing he hadn't, the room couldn't help but tense up as the atmosphere darkened.
(The Doctor suddenly hugs Clara.)
CLARA: Okay. And we're doing hugging now, too. I can't keep up.
DOCTOR: Well, you know what they say. Hugging is a great way to hide your face.

"You don't like hugs in that body." Bill declared, half to herself even though the whole room could hear. It only served to further the feeling of dread creeping in.

Clara and the Doctor seemed to be having a silent conversation, both thinking back to the last time Missy had been around. The last hug they'd shared when they'd lied to each other – the Doctor had lied about finding Gallifrey and Clara had lied about Danny being back.

CLARA: Okay, look. I guessed a party, but not like this. What is this? This isn't you.
DOCTOR: I spent all day yesterday in a bow tie, the day before in a long scarf. It's my party, and all of me is invited.

The group all shared concerned glances at the Doctor's attitude, every time he spoke up things seemed to get worse. River reached out to steal the Doctor's hand to offer them both some comfort, she wasn't liking this video at all so far.

(He riffs Mickie as Missy enters.)
MISSY: What the hell are you up to, man?
DOCTOR: It's the wicked stepmother! Everyone hiss!
(Discordant chord and hisses as Missy bows and flourishes her handkerchief.)

There were a few chocked chuckles at that comment from the Doctor, most of the group able to picture Missy as the evil stepmother from fairy stories easily. Those that hadn't seen Missy and the Doctor interact were watching a bit startled, as the dynamic seemed different from that they'd seen between the Doctor and Master's latest regenerations or those before.

MISSY: Apparently, you think you're going to die tomorrow.
(She holds up the confession disc.)
DOCTOR: Well, I've got some good news about that.
MISSY: Oh, yeah?
DOCTOR: It's still today!
MISSY: Oh, that's very good.

The group was now glancing between the two, more than a bit bewildered and confused. Even those that didn't like (hated) the Master could admit that the Time Lord obviously cared for the Doctor in some way (a twisted, often horrible way, but they did) so seeing the two bouncing off each other with their almost dark humour was strange.

(Guitar wah, wah, wah. Bors starts choking.)
DOCTOR: Bors. Is it a marble again? Did you swallow one of the marbles I gave you? Don't swallow marbles!
(The Doctor pulls a banded snake from around Bors' throat and throws it away. It slithers under the robes of -)

"That's not a marble." Nardole declared, eyes wide.

"Well obviously, Egg. Do try to keep up at least." The Master drawled from his corner. To those that didn't know him he looked perfectly relaxed and carefree but the Doctor could see the tension in his shoulders upon seeing the snake. They both knew what was about to come.

COLONY SARFF: Doctor. Your friends have led me to you. You will come.

The room tensed up immediately, everything suddenly coming together and the danger heightening. Not only was Missy there being her unstable self, they know had Colony Sarff who was hunting the Doctor down for Davros. Clara winced, she'd already guessed that they'd lead Colony Sarff to the Doctor (and the guy/thing/alien had just admitted it) but she'd not focussed on that part of his arrival the first time.

DOCTOR: Says you and whose army?
(The segments of Sarff's face turn in different directions, like the coils of a snake. Its robe drops to reveal that it is a giant serpent with lots of small snakes around it. The crowd flee.)

"That army." Rory muttered nervous, things were suddenly looking worse and worse.

DOCTOR: Nobody dies here. Not one person, not one of my friends, do you understand?
COLONY SARFF: Davros, creator of the Daleks, dark lord of Skaro, is dying.
DOCTOR: So I hear.
COLONY SARFF: He would speak with you again on the last night of his life.

"It's a trap." Martha declared with a pointed look at the Doctor.

The Doctor just sighed, "I know, but what else could I do?" Martha sighed at that too, knowing the Doctor was correct despite how much she hated it.

DOCTOR: Then you will harm nobody in this place. Not one person. Are we very, very clear?
(Sarff recoils itself into its humanoid form.)
COLONY SARFF: Are you so dangerous, little man?

"He doesn't even know who you are?" Jack asked confused. It wasn't impossible, the Doctor did keep erasing themselves from records and they hadn't been everywhere yet, it was just unlikely. Although it would explain why Colony Sarff had accepted the mission to find the Doctor.

DOCTOR: You want to know how dangerous I am? Davros sent you. You know how stupid you are? Huh! You came!
(Sarff hisses.)
DOCTOR: Is that supposed to frighten me? Snake nest in a dress? Now, explain, politely. Davros is my arch-enemy. Why would I want to talk to him?
MISSY: No, wait, hang on a minute. Davros is your arch-enemy now?

"That is not the time to be arguing about titles." The Doctor turned to the Master with a sigh.

"But now is." The Master decided, the Doctor sighed again, already regretting speaking up. "So, dear. Want to explain to me why Davros is your arch-enemy and not me?"

"You were my friend before you were my enemy, Davros was not. Besides, as you put it, we're best enemies instead." The Doctor didn't mention that she thought Davros and the Daleks had hurt her and her companions more than he had – the Master would absolutely take that as a challenge.

"Are you two serious?!" Donna exclaimed interrupting their little debate. "Are you two bloody serious!? Can we actually just watch the video so we don't have to listen to you squabble about titles. Honestly, toddlers you are." Donna's berating seemed to work as the pair tuned back to the screen, the Doctor more sheepish than the Master.

DOCTOR: Hush!
MISSY: I'll scratch his eye out.

"Please do." River nodded, she didn't have many interactions with the Master thankfully, but they could both agree they hated Davros more than each other.

"River!" The Doctor protested, "Don't encourage them!"

"I don't think they need any encouraging to cause chaos, Sweetie."

COLONY SARFF: Davros knows. Davros remembers.
(Sarff holds out the sonic screwdriver then throws it to the ground near the Doctor, who hangs his head.)
CLARA: That's yours.
DOCTOR: Er, it was.

"From when he was a little boy." Rose spoke up, piecing together why the war clip was relevant. "You were going to save him. You said you did save him?" The last bit came out more a question than a statement.

The Doctor hesitated for a moment, looking around the room to meet the group's awaiting eyes before answering, "I did, just not yet. Him on screen." She pointed at Eyebrows to emphasise her point. "He hasn't gone back and saved Davros yet."

CLARA: Was?
DOCTOR: I don't have a screwdriver any more.
MISSY: Ooo. Never seen that before. Doctor, the look on your face. What is that?
CLARA: Shame. You're ashamed. Doctor? What have you done?

"You're ashamed because you left him. You didn't save him. You knew you should but he would still grow up to be a monster if you did." Clara continued for herself on screen, much more aware of the full situation now because of the video and having already lived through it.

"He was a child! Of course, I should have helped him." The Doctor waved her hand around, eyes not meeting anyone else's as she tried to verbalise her thoughts, still ashamed of her indecision but also not at the same time which made her feel worse. "He grows up and creates monsters. Monsters that destroyed my home, killed my family, my grandchildren and great grandchildren. Monsters that have killed my friends and hurt them, hurt me in ways no one else has achieved. Of course, I hesitated. But he would always get out of there, he had to, it was part of the time stream and not something that could have been changed. But why did it have to be me that saved him?" She finished quietly, breathing deeply after unloading her turbulent thoughts she hadn't known she still had buried.

"Because no one else could have." Jack answered quietly after several moments of silence, eyes full of sympathy and understanding. He reached out to put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, just lightly as a reminder he was there.

"It's okay Doctor." River spoke up from her other side, as if comforting a scared animal.

"No, it's not." The Doctor whispered hoarsely.

"No, it's not." River corrected herself, "But it will be, eventually. We're all here for you, like you're here for us."

The Doctor was quiet for a few moments, collecting herself enough to actually speak again, "Can we just keep watching?" She finally spoke quietly but the whole room could hear her. They all turned back to the screen, respecting the Doctor's silent plead for a break in the questioning.

YOUNG DAVROS [memory]: Please, you've got to help me. You said I could survive! You said you'd help me! Help me!
(The Tardis dematerialises from the battlefields of Skaro.
The Doctor goes to Colony Sarff)
DOCTOR: Is your ship in orbit?
MISSY: It's a trap.

"For once, and I hate to say this. I agree with the Master." Jack announced concerned, "You can't seriously be considering this Doctor."

"I had to Jack." The Doctor answered, face determined.

"It's Davros!" Jack shouted back.

"I had to." The Doctor answered quieter but more firmly.

COLONY SARFF: Prepare yourself for teleport.
MISSY: Doctor, listen to me. I know traps, traps are my flirting. This is a trap.

Several people noticed the use of the word flirting, despite Missy's vehement protests to the opposite earlier. Bill gave the Doctor another pointed look which was promptly ignored, but no one actually verbalised any comment.

DOCTOR: I am prepared.
MISSY: You sent me your confession dial. You threw yourself a three week party. You know what this is.
DOCTOR: Yes. Goodbye. (sotto) Goodbye, Clara.

River suddenly shuffled around to face the Doctor better, than hit her in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for!" The Doctor spluttered in protest, holding her arm where her wife had hit her.

"For being an idiot and trying to die!" River exclaimed back, anger born of frustration and concern lacing her words. "It's Davros! You've fought him before, what's one more time? You can't just roll over and die because you hesitated over saving a monster!"

"It's not that simple, River." The Doctor tried to argue.

"Yes, it is! The only reason I'm not angrier is because you didn't die! If you had I would have found a way to get you back just so I could kill you myself!"

"River-."

"No, no, that's not alright Doctor. We're talking about this later." River decided, giving the Doctor a firm look.

"River-." The Doctor still tried to argue.

"Later."

(He turns around, and one of Sarff's colony of snakes binds the Doctor's wrists behind his back.)

"That is the worst kind of handcuff, ever." Yaz declared, unable to stop herself from speaking up and it had the bonus of tearing down some of the tension in the room.

"Agreed." Ryan shivered.

CLARA: We're coming with him. Both of us, her and me.
(Missy and Clara join him and hold their hands behind their backs too.)
DOCTOR: No! No, no, no. Under no circumstances! What are you doing now?

"Did you really think we wouldn't join you Doctor?" Clara asked, and it was serious question despite its appearance.

"You shouldn't have." The Doctor answered instead, avoiding the actual question.

"But we did and I would again. Anyone in this room would." Clara argued back, eyes alight with determination. "Stop trying to do things on your own. It doesn't end well for anyone." The group all nodded, fixing the Doctor with stares just begging her to question them on that. The Doctor turned back to the screen to avoid the weight of their eyes, unable to cope with the feelings bubbling up in her chest.

COLONY SARFF: Voting. We are a democracy. It is agreed.

"Oh!" Bill suddenly announced. Her exclamation drew the room's attention to her.

"What?" Amy asked the younger girl confused.

"Sorry." Bill answered sheepishly, not realising she'd been so loud. "I just realised that Colony Sarff is literally a colony, a colony of snakes."

(Snakes already bind Missy and Clara's wrists.)
DOCTOR: No, no, no! I forbid it, no! No! No! No! No!
(They all vanish. Bors comes out of hiding, slack-jawed. Then he goes blank-faced)

"What is he up to?" Rory asked confused on why they were focusing on Bors instead of the group that had just been taken by Colony Sarff. The Doctor shrugged, not entirely sure.

[Castle]

(Bors walks into a room and opens a chest, throwing the contents on the floor. Then he pulls back a curtain to reveal the Tardis. When he turns back to us, he has a Dalek eyestalk protruding from his forehead.)
BORS: Inform High Command. It is located. The Tardis is located.
DALEK [OC]: The Tardis will be procured.
DALEKS [OC]: Procure the Tardis. Procure the Tardis. Procure. Procure.

"That is not good." Mickey muttered; the whole group had tensed upon seeing Bors with the familiar eye stalk.

"But that means … that means the Daleks knew where you were anyway." Martha realised. Apparently, the Doctor's hiding spot hadn't been as good as thy first thought it was. Clara couldn't help but feel a bit relived that she hadn't completely led their enemies to the Doctor. The Daleks would have got him either way, as terrible as that was.

[Sarff's spaceship]

DOCTOR: Davros is the child of war, a war that wouldn't end. A thousand years of fighting, till nobody could remember why. So Davros, he created a new kind of warrior, one that wouldn't bother with that question. A mutant in a tank that would never, ever stop. And they never did.
CLARA: The Daleks?

The group listened quietly as the Doctor on screen explained the reasoning behind the Daleks, not that it made them very sympathetic to Davros or the Daleks. They were monsters that killed for fun, for purity, monsters that had hurt all of them in the room at some point.

DOCTOR: How scared must you be to seal every one of your own kind inside a tank? (a pause) Davros made the Daleks, but who made Davros?

"That doesn't make it right." Rose spoke up quietly, thinking back to both her first experience with a Dalek and their second time on the Game Station.

"No, no it doesn't." The Doctor said equally quiet.

(Big whoosh, and stars appear in the front window.)
MISSY: Okay, great. Coming out of hyperspace.
(A squat chess pawn or stupa-shaped spacestation spins nearly.)
DOCTOR: So that's where he ended up.
CLARA: What is that?
DOCTOR: I don't know. A hospital?

"A hospital?" Rory asked disbelieving.

"Well, where else would you go if you're dying?" The Doctor answered back. She glanced at Clara out of the corner of her eyes, they both knew the answer - home. But no one else knew that yet and she wasn't going to share that horrible piece of news at the moment.

[Empty room]

(Missy sings wordlessly. The acoustics are perfect.)
CLARA: How long have we been waiting?

"You're like the kid in the back of a car on a long journey." Mickey chuckled.

Clara gave him a look, "You try being trapped in a room with the pair of them. See how long you go before you go insane."

"Fair point."

DOCTOR: Who knows? It's always the way with hospitals.
(The cabin door opens and Sarff glides in.)
COLONY SARFF: You will come. You will stay.
MISSY: Fair enough.
CLARA: Doctor. You sent Missy your confession dial.
DOCTOR: Well, we've known each other a long time. She's one of my own people.
CLARA: My point is, we both saw her die on Earth, ages ago. And obviously you knew that wasn't real. Or worse, hoped it wasn't. Either way, I think you've been lying.

"The Doctor always lies." Amy said, that's why it was rule one.

The Doctor avoided any attempts of eye contact. The group was getting more curious about what had happened the last time with Missy, but knew they weren't likely to get any answers if they asked and they weren't sure they'd like the answers they'd receive.

DOCTOR: I'm sorry.
CLARA: Don't apologise. Make it up to me. There, see? Ha. Now you have to come back.

The group couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Clara, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She only had Missy for company now and the Doctor seemed determined to die while she just wanted explanations and for her friend to live.

(The Doctor leaves with Sarff.)
DOCTOR: (sotto) Gravity.
MISSY: I know.

"I'm not one of your little pets, dearest. I'm smarter than you even. Of course, I noticed." The Master drawled from his corner, waving his hand flippantly.

"Just making sure." The Doctor rolled her eyes, not bothering to even glance at the Master.

(The door closes. Missy does a tap dance.)
CLARA: Gravity?
MISSY: Oh, yeah. You know what's wrong with the gravity in here?
CLARA: No.
MISSY: Nothing. It's perfect. But this is a space station, so the gravity should be artificial, all coppery-smelling round the edges, a tiny bit sexy. (American) But this feels real, man. (normal Scottish) Like a planet.

"So, either they've found a way to perfect gravity, or you're on a planet and not a space station." Jack summarised thoughtfully.

"But we saw the station as they arrived?" Yaz pointed out, even as her mind started running through potential theories.

Clara, the Doctor and the Master shared a (reluctant) knowing look but offered up no answers.

CLARA: How can you and the Doctor be friends?

"Been asking that for years." Martha muttered darkly with a glare at the Master.

MISSY: Why shouldn't we be?
CLARA: You spend all your time fighting.
MISSY: Exactly.

"That's not a good friendship." Ryan tried to argue but the Master gave him an 'are you stupid?' look.

"Whoever said anything about a good friendship?" The Master pointed out with a smirk.

(She throws off the snake that had been binding her wrists. It is dead.)

The group grimaced at that but wasn't surprised, and honestly, they would have also wanted the snake off their wrists if they were in that situation.

MISSY: You know what this airlock is? I'll tell you. It's pants.
CLARA: What do you mean?
MISSY: I mean that today might be the day.
CLARA: What day?
MISSY: The day I kill you.

"Master!" The Doctor gave the Master a glare.

The Master just rolled his eyes at the Doctor, "Honestly, you already know I don't kill the puppy, stop getting your pants in a twist."

"Clara! She's not a puppy!" The Doctor sighed annoyed but turned back to the screen as she knew it was useless to argue, he wouldn't listen no matter what she said.

CLARA: What are you doing? Are you opening it?
MISSY: Yeah, course.
CLARA: Missy, we'll get sucked out!
MISSY: You and me together, off we go. Let's make jam!
(Missy blows the airlock and an alarm sounds.)

"It's not a space station then." Bill declared hopefully. She knew Missy well enough to know she wouldn't risk it if she wasn't sure. Clara's life? Yes, but her own? No.

[Davros' room]

(Colony Sarff enters, followed cautiously by the Doctor.)

The group was annoyed by the change in scene. They wanted to know what happened to Missy and Clara, despite knowing they must both make it out safe it was still worrying. They did, however, want to see what was going to happen between the Doctor and Davros. Clara and the Master had both sat up in their seats, both eager and curious to see what they had missed the first time around.

DAVROS: Doctor?
(The life support tubes are raised so we can see the wizened old man better.)
DAVROS: Doctor.

"I'm guessing that's Davros then?" Graham asked, unsure who else it could be based on the Doctor's reaction and the way several people in the room had tensed but wanting to check just in case.

"Yes." The Doctor nodded solemnly.

DOCTOR: Davros.
DAVROS: I approve of your new face, Doctor. So much more like mine. Colony Sarff, untie our guest's hands.
(Sarff glides past the Doctor's back, taking the snake away with him.)
DAVROS: You may leave us.
(Sarff obeys.)

"Great, 1 on 1, that's better odds." Mickey muttered, trying to work out the logistics of how they got out of this alive. Missy throwing herself and Clara out of the 'airlock' may even work in their favour as it means Davros doesn't have them to use against the Doctor in the same way. Still, things weren't looking great.

DAVROS: You came, then.
DOCTOR: Clearly.
DAVROS: Did you suspect a trap?
DOCTOR: I still do.

"You'd have to be stupid to not suspect a trap." Rory declared.

DAVROS: Then why are you here? Did you miss our conversations?
(Davros painfully throws a switch to start a series of clips on a small wall screen.)
DOCTOR 4 [Genesis of the Daleks]: If you had created a virus in your laboratory
DOCTOR 5 [Resurrection of the Daleks]: I'm not here as your prisoner, Davros...
DOCTOR 7 [Remembrance of the Daleks]: Unimaginable power! Unlimited rice pudding!
DOCTOR 10 [Stolen Earth]: Everything we saw. Everything we lost.
DOCTOR 6 [Revelation of the Daleks]: But did you bother to tell anyone they might be eating their own relatives?

The group listened to the small clips of the Doctor's voices, trying to work out which regeneration each was and (more than slightly) concerned about the context of some of the quotes. Those that had been present during the Planets in the Sky mess for the Doctor's conversation with Davros shared a glance upon hearing the Pinstripe's voce amongst the mix.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes, okay, you've made your point.
DAVROS: Have I?
DOCTOR 4 [on screen]: If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you, and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?
(The Doctor turns off the recordings.)
DOCTOR: I get the point.

"We all do." Bill grimaced. They all recognised the person on screen as the Doctor and his words helped them understand the Doctor's dilemma even more. This was clearly something they'd already debated and decided upon an answer before, but the child being Davros had shaken the Doctor's firm beliefs enough to hesitate.

DAVROS: Do you know why you came, Doctor? You have a sense of duty. Of guilt, perhaps. And certainly of shame.
DOCTOR: You flatter me.
DAVROS: Pity. I intended to accuse. I believe that for the ultimate good of the universe, I was right to create the Daleks.

The entire room immediately broke out int (very) loud protests, none understanding how the creation of monsters like the Daleks could very be considered right. It took several minutes for them to calm down enough to continue watching the video.

DOCTOR: You were very wrong.
DAVROS: This is the argument we've had since we met.
DOCTOR: It ended in the Time War.
DAVROS: It survived the Time War. But it will end tonight. That is why you are here.

"To continue an apparent age-old argument?" Amy raised an eyebrow in disbelief before turning to the Doctor. "That is absolutely a trap."

"Yes, and yes." The Doctor answered. She'd seen far more of the Daleks than likely anyone else, knew more about their creation, more about their story than anyone else would. She had met Davros many times over the millennium, and they always had the same arguments amongst the attempts to kill each other.

(Alarm sounds.)
DAVROS: It seems your friends have gone exploring.

"Well, there goes the element of surprise." Rose sighed. On one hand, it meant the pair were definitely alive but on the other it meant Davros was aware they had escaped and could send people after them.

[Outside the hospital]

(Clara and Missy stand in the open airlock. Missy puts her arm out.)
MISSY: It's warm, isn't it? (a pause) For deep space, anyway.

"A planet then." River nodded thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes at the screen in suspicion.

CLARA: What are you doing?
MISSY: Treading softly.
(She steps out cautiously onto nothing visible.)

"It's invisible." Martha blinked, "An invisible planet."

"But which planet?" Jack asked, he had a theory and it wasn't one he liked at all. The Doctor, Clara and the Master exchanged another knowing look which did nothing to reassure anyone.

CLARA: What, there's a floor?
MISSY: No. No, there's ground. This is the ground.
(Clara steps out as Missy does a little dance.)
MISSY: We're on a planet. And that is not a space station. That is a building. And the rest of the planet, the whole thing, is invisible.

"But why?" Rory asked the room at large. No one answered him; either already suspecting the answer and hating it or still unable to come up with a reasonable explanation.

(Clara dances around.)
CLARA: That's ridiculous.
MISSY: Well, yes, of course it is. I mean, how would you ever find your glasses? Or the little girl's room? And what if you kissed an ugly? Unless, when you're part of the atmosphere, you start syncing with the spectrum.
CLARA: Why would anybody hide a whole planet?
MISSY: That would rather depend on the planet, dear.

"No." River and Jack breathed out, both coming to the same horrible realisation. They glanced between the Doctor, Clara and the screen in increased concern.

"What?" Amy asked her daughter, unnerved by the fear in the pair's eyes and desperately wanting answers. No one answered her. The whole group was tensing up, there was very little that genuinely scared the Master and one of them had ever seen the Master appear as terrified as they did on screen. Whatever could terrify Missy that much, was bad and not somewhere they wanted to be, let alone be with their arch-enemy.

(The spacestation is revealed to be just one of many similar shaped buildings on a desert planet.)
MISSY: No.

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: No!

The group all glanced at the Doctor in concern. The majority of them were still in the dark about what exactly was going on but the tension in the room was rising and the lack of answers alongside the horrified reactions from those that did know was unnerving them.

[Planet surface]

MISSY: They've built it again. They've brought it back. No, no. No!
CLARA: What? What is it? Where are we?

[Davros' room]

(The buildings are all visible from the window.)
DOCTOR: Skaro! You've brought me to Skaro.
DAVROS: Where does an old man go to die, but with his children?

"Skaro?" Yaz asked cautiously, she already suspected the answer but she was hoping someone would prove her wrong.

"The Daleks home world." The Doctor finally answered, a grimace on her face even as she never looked away from the screen.

"That's not good." Nardole muttered.

"That's an understatement, Nardole." Bill added on, sitting tense in her seat. If the group was on the Dalek's home world, then that meant there was likely a lot of Daleks around, which was never a good thing.

[Planet surface]

CLARA: What's Skaro?
MISSY: The beginning. Where it all started. This is the planet of the Daleks!
DALEK: Correct.

The room tensed even further, despite how impossible that seemed. Everyone edging closer and closer to the edge of their seats as the Dalek arrived. Missy and Clara were no longer safe outside of their little cell.

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: (sotto) Clara!
DAVROS: You cannot help her now, Doctor.
(The Doctor thumps on the door.)

"Oh, you're concerned for the puppy but no me? How rude, Doctor." The Master raised an eyebrow accusingly at the Doctor even as the rest of the group was stuck in between horrified and nervous about the scenes on screen.

"You don't need any help getting out of trouble or defying death. Clara doesn't have your experience." The Doctor emphasised the word Clara, as a counter to the Masters' use of puppy. She shot him a glare for the comment, but couldn't help but feel grateful Missy was there, otherwise Clara would have absolutely died.

[Control room]

(Missy and Clara are brought in.)
CLARA: The Tardis. How did she get here?
DALEK SUPREME: It has been procured.

"Well, that's been explained at least." Clara sighed, rubbing her forehead as she could feel a headache coming. Things were only going to get worse form here and she still had to relive her time with Missy while 'dead'.

(The Red Dalek is on a raised dais. A big laser gun is lowered from the ceiling. Other Daleks from other eras mill about, including the old Battle Dalek.)

The group only got more nervous upon seeing the number of Daleks in the room with them, unable to see how they could get out without getting shot. They were all glancing between the Daleks horrified at the sight of them, and only getting more horrified as the laser gun was lowered from the ceiling. They didn't' like where this was going.

CLARA: Yeah? Yeah, well, if you're trying to get inside, you can't. Nothing can enter the Tardis.
DALEK SUPREME: The Tardis will not be entered. The Tardis will be destroyed.
CLARA: (chuckles) Yeah, well, good luck, because she's indestructible.
MISSY: Did the Doctor tell you that? Because you should never believe a man about a vehicle.

The group all winced at that; if the Tardis was destroyed all hope was completely lost. They knew it hadn't been destroyed otherwise they wouldn't be here but the thought itself was horrifying. Those that had been on the Crucible during the Planets in the Sky mess shared a glance. The Daleks had almost succeeded in destroying the Tardis back then, Donna flinched at the memory – she'd been very close to being destroyed alongside it, and that and what followed wasn't exactly happy memories (outside the joy of flying the Tardis altogether – that had been a small good moment in a sea of bad ones).

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: What are they going to do? Tell me, what?
DAVROS: Who can say? You know what children are like.
MISSY [on screen]: Daleks! Pay attention!
DOCTOR: (sotto) Don't. Just don't.

"Now is that concern I hear?" The Master teased the Doctor across their mental link. They would never admit it but they weren't enjoying these parts of the video, but no one else needed to know that.

"Shut up. Just shut up! Of course, I was concerned. You could have gotten both yourself and Clara killed!" The Doctor shouted back across the mental link; her own emotions turbulent compared to the Master's almost calm sea of madness.

"But I didn't. Honestly Doctor, like you said I have experience with the whole not-dying shmuck. Glad to know you were concerned dear, you certainly didn't show it later." The last part was a bit quieter, more sincere and accusing.

"You trapped Clara in a Dalek and almost got me to kill it! Excuse me for not focussing on you when you were trying to kill Clara!" the Doctor practically snarled.

"Don't worry, dear. You're excused for now." The Master answered back before closing off the mental link, determined to have the final word. The Doctor was left stewing in her own thoughts, full of anger and concern and frustration for how the whole mess went down.

[Control room / Davros' room]

(Missy's speech is split between live action and on-screen, and I cannot be bothered to type that..)
MISSY: You know what this is? This thing you're about to destroy? I'll tell you! It's the dog's unmentionables. And you know all about those, don't you?
(Missy tickles a Dalek's ball.)

The group all grimaced a bit at Missy's words, sometimes it was hard to connect her to the Mater in the room with her attitude. All of them were wondering where on Earth she was going with her little speech.

MISSY: This is a Tardis. With this, you can go anywhere, do anything, kill anyone. With this, the Daleks can be more powerful than ever before.
(She climbs up onto a ledge opposite the Tardis and the Daleks all turn to look at her. Clara is trying to edge towards the door.)
MISSY: You just need one thing.

"You have a plan." River looked at the Master assessing.

"Of course, I do. I'm not the Doctor, I'm actually capable of coming up with several plans, not on the fly." The Master huffed, annoyed at the doubt. She ignored the Doctor's pointed look about how Plan A hadn't worked, hence why she moved instantly onto Plan B.

DOCTOR: (sotto) No. Missy, no!
MISSY: Me. You need me. A Time Lady, to show you how it works. With this and with me, everything can be yours. And you can burn it all, for ever and ever and ever. (long pause) Or would you rather just kill me?

The group tensed, unsure whether Missy was saying that because she had a plan or just because she was genuinely offering her help so she could later escape and leave the Doctor and Clara to their fate. Based on her behaviour so far in the video, it was possible she had an actual plan to save them all, but it was equally possible she was just backstabbing them.

(The Daleks turn to their leader.)
DALEK SUPREME: Maximum extermination.
DALEK: Exterminate.
(The Daleks fire. Missy's skeleton is briefly visible before she is completely gone.)

A few people let out startled shrieks upon seeing Missy 'die', more out of confusion than anything.

"But … no …. How? I met you. I met you after this. How can you be dead?" Bill asked, blinking confused at the Master.

The Master was revelling in the attention, he raised an eyebrow at Bill and drawled out, "Because I'm not actually dead? Honestly, humans so stupid."

"But how?" Yaz asked bewildered, it looked very realistic on the screen.

"Well, you'll just have to watch and see, won't you?" The Mater snickered, turning back to the screen. He could see why the Doctor didn't answer all their questions, it was fun to leave them confused!

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: Please! Please, I'm begging you. Please, please. Please, save Clara.

The group winced upon seeing the Doctor begging for Clara's life. Clara offered the Doctor a sad smile, very glad she couldn't hear or see the Doctor the first time around. She didn't want to imagine what it was like form his perspective, to lose both of them so quickly and be left alone with Davros. It seemed she wouldn't get the chance to imagine it though as the video was going to show them.

DAVROS: I gave the Daleks life. I do not control them.

"Liar, you have some control over them." The Doctor muttered to herself, eyes glancing between the screen and Clara in the room to remind herself that she was okay. Or at least with them, Clara wasn't okay in the traditional sense as she was still missing a heartbeat but she was here.

(The Daleks all turn to face Clara.)
DOCTOR: (sotto) Oh, Clara. Oh, my Clara.
DAVROS: See how they play with her. See how they toy. They want her to run. They need her to run. Do you feel their need, Doctor? Their blood is screaming kill, kill, kill! Hunter and prey, held in the ecstasy of crisis. Is this not life at its purest?

The group watched in silence, horrified as they all waited for what seemed like the inevitable even as they hoped for a sudden and daring rescue.

[Control room]

(Clara runs for the open door.)
DALEK: Exterminate! Exterminate!
(They fire. Clara screams and vanishes.)

The group let out startled gasps again, their heads whipping around to face Clara who was just watching the screen blankly. This had haunted her nightmares for some time and it wasn't any better seeing it from an outside perspective. Feeling the weight of the group's eyes upon her, she turned to meet them and give them a reassuring smile which felt weak even to her. No one asked nay questions, just wanting the video to continue so they could see Clara safe.

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: Why have I ever let you live?
DAVROS: Compassion, Doctor. It has always been your greatest indulgence. Let this be my final victory. Let me hear you say it, just once. Compassion is wrong.

"Compassion is never wrong." The Doctor whispered; her voice confident even as the words felt hollow. She'd been terrified and grieving, so sure she'd just lost two friends forever and ignoring a tiny spark of hope that whispered in her brain that Missy always did this, so why couldn't to be another one of her tricks? She hadn't listened to that voice, unable to give herself (potentially) false hope, focussing on Davros who had roved himself to be the monster he was.

[Control room]

DALEK SUPREME: Destroy the Tardis!
DALEKS: Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! (ad infinitum)
(The big laser and the Daleks all fire at the Tardis whilst screaming that word, and the console room then the screen goes white.)

The group watched wide eyes as the Daleks attempted to destroy the Tardis. They were all wondering how on Earth they got out of this alive as it seemed impossible from their perspective, more impossible than normal either. From the Doctor's perspective, Missy and Clara were dead, the Tardis was about to be destroyed and he was trapped on Skaro with his arch-enemy. Things couldn't get worse.

[Battlefield]

(Then the white clears to reveal us back where we started.)
YOUNG DAVROS: Help me! You can't leave me! You promised. You said I had a chance.

The group watched silently as the scene changed back to the battlefield with young Davros. No one able to verbalise anything when everything seemed to be going wrong on screen.

(The Tardis door opens. He turns.)
YOUNG DAVROS: Who are you? I don't get it. How did you get there?
DOCTOR: From the future.
YOUNG DAVROS: Are you going to save me?
DOCTOR: I'm going to save my friend the only way I can.
(He takes aim with a Dalek gun.)
DOCTOR: Exterminate!

The group all flinched at the Doctor's final words, confused on how he had escaped to get back to Davros as a child (although the Dalek gun he carried may have been a hint), and about what he was doing. He couldn't be killing Davros as Davros was clearly alive, she'd admitted to saving young Davros, and the time line was intact, so what was he doing?

The Doctor let out a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before opening to find the group turning away from the now blank screen to her. It seemed the video was over, apparently this was another two-parter. "Let's keep going then?" She asked the group, unsure whether to offer a break after that mess.

Donna immediately spoke up loudly, "Yes! Play the video so we can find out what happened! You can't just leave us on that cliff-hanger!"