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.

24. The Witch's Familiar

Hello everyone!

Here's the next chapter finally! The Witch's Familiar in all its glory, hopefully. Hope you enjoy it!

Now, the big question is what episode do you want next? I want a one off episode before I do my next plan (which for the record is: The Waters of Mars followed by the End of Time arc, which is going to destroy me honestly, but you want it, so ...). I was thinking maybe Partners in Crime? But it's your choice ultimately. I'll pick one soon-ish though as I have a long train journey next weekend that I might get some work done on.

Anyway, as always let me know what episodes you want me to do and what you think of this episode and story as a whole, I love reading your comments!

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy!

Robyn

---

The group watched as the screen immediately turned black and the next title appeared, 'The Witch's Familiar, a few people raised eyebrows at the title but no one spoke up. They didn't want to delay the video starting and therefore getting answers for what was going on and how Clara and Eyebrows were going to escape Davros. The video started.

[Planet surface]

(Clara is hanging upside down with a rope around her ankles, spinning. Missy is sharpening a stick with a knife.)

The group let out an audible breath at seeing Clara safe and not-dead; although they did raise several eyebrows at the situation she was in. Even the Doctor was looking at Clara confused; she certainly didn't remember being told the details of Missy and Clara's little adventure on Skaro.

MISSY: Consider the Doctor. The Doctor, trapped. The Doctor, alone. You all right there, dear?

"Of course, it's Missy." Bill muttered with a sigh. Really, they shouldn't have been confused by Clara's situation when Missy was around. The Master just grinned smugly while the Doctor sighed, things were only going to go downhill from here.

CLARA: Where are we? How did we ?

Clara winced at the reminder of the ending of the last video and the actual events the first time around. She knew now what had happened but it wasn't fun to think back on, or to think about what was still to come. The Doctor caught her wince and gave her a commiserating smile, which she returned – neither of them were looking forward to the rest of this mess.

MISSY: Shh, now. Mummy's talking. Okay, I'm going to tell you a story of the Doctor. It's classic. On the run, no Tardis. No friends, no help. In other words, the Doctor, happy. It was a long time ago.
(As she tells her tale, we get a brief black and white glimpse of a figure in a long scarf ducking behind a stone column.)

"Doesn't that happen every other week or so?" River snorted, raising a pointed eyebrow at the Master who only glared back. The Doctor eyed the pair nervously; they would be horrible working together but she was also scared to get between the two if they started fighting.

The Master waved his hand, "This is a specific time." He was pretending to be nonchalant, enjoying the chance to prove River wrong and remind the group that he knew the Doctor a long time before them.

MISSY: Doesn't matter which face he was wearing, they're all the Doctor to me. So let's give it to the eyebrows.
(The hero of her story is now the current Doctor.)

The group was watching the scene confused by the little cut scenes and story in general. The Doctor just sighed deeply, used to Missy's antics but still frustrated. She wasn't looking forward to the events of the video, knowing her mind state hadn't been great due to her believed grief over Clara and Missy's 'deaths' and she really wasn't wanting to deal with their antics and arguing.

CLARA: But the Daleks
MISSY: Yes, I'm coming to that.
CLARA: Shouldn't we be, um? I don't want to say dead.

"You make a good point. How aren't you dead? You got shot!" Rose asked bewildered, glad but confused.

Clara sighed, grimacing and unconsciously feeling her wrist for the missy heartbeat. "You'll see." She answered, not wanting to ruin the story and knowing she couldn't do it justice, and also just not wanting to discuss it.

MISSY: Hush! He's travelling by teleporter. Unfortunately, his teleporter is out of power. Also unfortunate, he's being stalked by, oh, say about fifty android assassins? I may be rounding up.
(She checks her sharpened stick.)

The group grew a bit nervous at that. They'd been distracted by the story and the fact the pair were alive, and almost forgotten that Clara was stuck alone on the Dalek's home world with the Master (who also had a weapon) while she dangled defenceless. That wasn't a reassuring scene.

MISSY: Ow. Fifty invisible, indestructible android assassins, all exclusively programmed to kill him.

"Of course, they are." Rory sighed, that sounded very familiar.

CLARA: Why are you sharpening that stick?

"Knowing the Master, not for anything good." Martha muttered, eyeing the Master wearily.

MISSY: Well, I've no idea how long we're going to be stuck out here. Might have to go hunting.

"Hunting what? You're on Skaro, there's nothing but Daleks." Jack pointed out, eyeing the Master. He knew the only thing Missy could 'hunt' was Clara but he was purposely hoping it didn't come to that. Seeing as Clara was here with them, it probably hadn't or at least Missy hadn't succeeded. The Master gave him an unnerving smile that didn't reassure anyone.

CLARA: So why am I tied up?
MISSY: In case there's nothing to hunt.

"There it is." Mickey crossed his arms. He hadn't had the displeasure of meeting the Master in person (outside the room) but had heard and seen enough by now. The group all glanced between the screen and Clara to reassure themselves of her presence.

(Back to the flashes of black and white Doctor being shot at by lasers and backing down a big stone staircase.)
MISSY: The Doctor, then. Surrounded. Outnumbered. Outgunned. And freeze. Nanoseconds to live. Four, I'd say, being generous. Now, my question is this. How did he survive?
(She prods Clara.)

"The teleporter." Yaz theorised, remembering Missy's earlier mention of it. A few others nodded along in agreement, having reached the same conclusion. No one answered, the Master just tutted at her for interrupting them on screen.

MISSY: Oh, come on, Clara! You know him. Consider the Doctor.
(Clara's mind's eye sees the Doctor looking at her.)
CLARA: Where did he get that teleport thingy?

Yaz grinned as Clara on screen came to the same realisation as her.

MISSY: Oh, good, good. He stole one from an android.
CLARA: So, I'm guessing he uses the same energy as the android weapons, right?
MISSY: Excellent! Not seeing you as sandwiches now.

"Master." The Doctor hissed at the other Time Lord, annoyed at the 'sandwich' comment. The Master grinned unrepentant back, revelling in the attention from the Doctor.

CLARA: Okay, then. He uses the energy wave from the android weapons to recharge the teleport bracelet and at the exact moment he's supposed to disintegrate,
(The Doctor raises his hands over his head, pointing the sonic screwdriver at the teleporter - just like that poster for Star Wars, A New Hope - to absorb the laser energy and -.)
CLARA: He actually teleports. Hang on, that's how you did it. That's how we escaped the Daleks.

The group all nodded, having reached that conclusion as well. It would explain how the pair had escaped just when it looked like they were killed.

"You have the element of surprise again." Rose noted, trying to find the small silver lining to the terrible situation (outside of them being alive at least).

MISSY: I modified the same principle for our vortex manipulators, yes. Blew them off, I'm afraid. But the Doctor, he, he improvised it. He must have got through several thousand calculations in the time it takes to fire up a disintegrator. Seriously, what a swot!

"Finally admitting I'm smarter than you." The Doctor grinned smugly at the Master who glared, the Doctor wasn't supposed to have heard that comment.

"Complete lies. You didn't hear anything." The Master glared which only made the Doctor grin more.

CLARA: So the androids think he's dead and the Doctor escapes.
(The Doctor falls down a hole.)
MISSY: No, he's the Doctor. He fell into a nest of vampire monkeys.
(The green eyes of the screeching monkeys glow in the light of the screwdriver.)

"I'm sorry, what?!" Donna exclaimed, more because of the 'vampire monkeys' comment than the Doctor finding more trouble. The Doctor always found trouble, anyway.

"Don't remind me." The Doctor sighed; vampire monkeys were never fun. She didn't notice the confused eyes on her, or if she did, she ignored them.

MISSY: But that's another story!
(She lets Clara down very suddenly.)
CLARA: Oh!

The group let out another breath upon seeing Clara no longer trapped. She was still largely at Missy's mercy but she was no longer as vulnerable as she was when she was hanging upside down. Clara grimaced at the reminder of the drop, although it was better than still hanging upside down with the blood rushing to her head and Missy circling threateningly.

MISSY: Why does the Doctor always survive?
CLARA: Because he's clever.
MISSY: Yes, but there's lots of clever dead people. I love killing clever clogs, they make the best faces.

The group all glared at the Master who glared back, unashamed and threatening.

CLARA: Because he always assumes he's going to win. He always knows there's a way to survive. He just has to go and find it.
MISSY: Yes, except this time, he made a will and threw himself a goodbye party. Now, if the Doctor assumes he's going to die, what happens then?

"We knock some sense into the idiot." Amy snarked, entirely serious. The Doctor inched every so slightly further away from Amy's couch, suddenly fearing for her life.

CLARA: We do.
MISSY: He's trapped at the heart of the Dalek empire. He's a prisoner of the creatures who hate him most in the universe. Between us and him is everything the deadliest race in all of history can throw at us. We, on the other hand, have a pointy stick. How do we start?

"By finding a way back to the Doctor?" Ryan asked unsure, surely if they were wanting to save the Doctor, they first needed to find him.

The Master gave him a deadpan look before turning to the Doctor, "Clearly not all your pets have brain cells."

"Master!" The Doctor berated sharply, sending Ryan an apologetic look between glaring at the Master.

CLARA: We assume we're going to win.
MISSY: Oh. Pity, really. I was actually quite peckish.
(Missy starts to walk off across the desert.)
CLARA: Can I have a stick too?
MISSY: Make your own stick.

"From what?" Clara muttered to herself, there was literally nothing else around. As much as she hated the situation, she unfortunately knew it wasn't likely that she would have survived if Missy wasn't there. She hated Missy but she was also a little bit thankful she hadn't been alone. Missy at least had a plan, knowledge and a vague weapon.

[Davros' room]

DAVROS: It took me so very long to realise it was you, standing at the gates of my beginning. And here you are at the end.

"So, he knows it was you then, great. Just great." Rory sighed, rubbing his forehead. There goes that last bit of hope that he hadn't realised it was the Doctor.

(The Doctor is hunting for something, anything, and finds it on a table of spare parts..)
DAVROS: But this time, I have you at my mercy. Exterminate.
(The Doctor holds a Dalek gun to the back of Davros' head then takes it away again.)
DAVROS: Ancient. Inoperable.
(The gun fails to fire.)

The room was watching the exchange, bodies full of tension. They had more hope knowing that Missy and Clara were on their way to help out but they weren't enjoying the Doctor spiralling in their grief while at the apparent mercy of Davros. Even Clara and the Master were watching the scene attentively, neither knowing the details of the Doctor's time alone with Davros. The Doctor was just scowling at the screen.

DOCTOR: Genius.
DAVROS: You would threaten a dying man? Have I not suffered enough?

"You suffering?! You're a monster, that's made billions of other suffer!" Martha muttered darkly. Mickey squeezed her hand to reassure her, both thinking back to their time on the Crucible.

DOCTOR: Get out.
DAVROS: I cannot leave this chamber. It sustains me.
DOCTOR: Get out!

Several people winced at how furious and unnerving the Doctor sounded. They'd all seen the darker side of the Doctor (to varying degrees) and had almost expected it after their perceived loss but it was still concerning and slightly unsettling to watch.

The Doctor was scowling at the screen as she muttered quietly to herself. "I wasn't talking about the room."

[Control room]

(Alarms sound.)
DALEK: Alert! Alert! The infirmary is breached.
DALEK SUPREME: Protect Davros. Davros must be assisted.

"Not good. You're still very much surrounded." Rose pointed out, only earning a one-hearted shrug from the Doctor who was barely listening.

(A red dot is moving on a schematic of the building on the wall screen.)
DALEK: Davros is leaving the infirmary.
DALEK SUPREME: Davros must remain. Davros cannot leave.
DAVROS [OC]: My children! Help me!
DALEK SUPREME: You must return to the infirmary.
DAVROS [OC]: The Doctor is escaping. Find him. Find the Doctor.
DALEK SUPREME: Find the Doctor! Seek, locate, destroy!
(Daleks go flying out over Skaro.)

The group watched, only growing more tense as the scale of the Dalek army was revealed with varying generations and types of Daleks included.

"Why don't they want Davros to leave the infirmary?" Amy asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I mean the guy did say the room was sustaining him." Bill pointed out.

Amy just shook her head, "No the wording is weird. There's something else going on." A few people gave the screen assessing looks while the rest looked a bit confused. Any one that glanced at the Doctor would have noticed a dark, almost satisfied smirk on her face.

[Corridors]

DALEKS: Seek, locate, destroy. Seek, locate.
BATTLE DALEK: Exterminate the Doctor!

[Planet surface]

DALEKS [OC]: Exterminate the Doctor! Exterminate!
CLARA: What's happening?

"Well, that's explained that." Clara muttered to herself; she'd been terrified when the Daleks became more active. Worried both for the Doctor and concerned over how they could avoid detection long enough to rescue him and get out. Of course, the Doctor managed to cause chaos in the brief time they'd been gone.

MISSY: What do you think?
CLARA: He's in the middle of that?
MISSY: Ah, that's what we need.

"You've found something." Jack realised, that tone of voice was distinctive and Missy seemed to be looking at something they couldn't see. He wasn't liking how Missy was in control here, but he knew they didn't really have nay other options if Clara wanted a chance to get back to the Doctor.

"Of course, I have. I'm not nearly as stupid or blind as you apes." The Master sneered at Jack who glared back at him.

[Control room]

DAVROS [OC]: Assist me!
DALEK: Davros approaches.
DALEK SUPREME: Admit Davros. Admit the creator.
DAVROS: Help me!
DALEK SUPREME: Assist Davros. Assist.
(A Dalek sees Davros lying on the floor of his room. The control room doors to admit the Doctor in Davros' chair.)
DOCTOR: Admit it. You've all had this exact nightmare.

The room was stunned into silence for several seconds, the Doctor just grinning proudly and a bit vindictive in her chair, as the room glanced between her and the screen.

"Now that's an entrance." Nardole muttered, breaking the stunned silence.

"You … what?!

"Why?"

"You absolute moron!"

Several people started talking at once making it hard to distinguish exactly who was speaking and what they were saying. Jack's cackling broke through the chatter due to the sheer volume of it. It also caused the rest to quieten down.

River just smirked, "You know, I bet they have had that nightmare."

"If they can even have nightmares." Jack added through his cackles. That had made his day, seeing Davros abandoned on the floor and the Doctor rolling into Dalek central in his chair would stay in his memory forever. Of course, the Doctor would do something like that. It was just crazy enough to unsettle the Daleks and give him a chance to get somewhere.

"You're an idiot." Clara stared down the Doctor. The Doctor just shrugged with a vague head nod, as if to say 'that's fair'.

[Davros' room]

(Davros has no body below the waist.)
DAVROS: Get me Sarff!
COLONY SARFF: I am here.

"Interesting that he calls for Sarff and not the Daleks." Amy narrowed her eyes further at the screen.

Rory eyed her warily for a second, "Erm … maybe you're looking into this too much? I mean the Daleks don't really have; you know … hands …. to help put him back in a chair. Colony Sarff's his only option outside of the Doctor who was the one that stole his chair in the first place."

Amy scowled at her husband, "I'm not crazy. Something's up!"

Rory immediately put his hands up in surrender. Give him a cyberarmy or pirated any day and he'd be able to fight them off; an angry Amy, however? He knew he had no chance. "I'm not saying you are. Knowing the Doctor there probably is something." He tried to placate his wife. Amy stared him down for a second as if looking for lies before nodding her satisfaction and looking back to the screen. Rory let out a small breath.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: So, anyone for dodgems?

"Of course, that's the quip you go for. You're a right idiot, Spaceman." Donna exclaimed with exasperation. The Doctor just pouted; she'd been proud of that one.

DALEK SUPREME: Exterminate!
DALEKS: Exterminate! Exterminate!
(They all fire at the Doctor. White out.)

"No, no, no. Come on don't go for the cliff-hanger!" Ryan complained. They all knew the Doctor had to have escaped it, how, they didn't know. But still, his point stood!

"Almost as bad as the literal cliff-hanger in the Percy Jackson books." Graham remarked, nonchalantly before quickly realising his mistake. Both Yaz and Ryan had been the ones to get him to read the series (despite it being aimed at younger kids/teens it had been enjoyable), but the pair were very passionate about it.

Both Yaz and Ryan turned to look at him. Yaz scowled, waving her hands around to emphasise her point, "There's nothing worse than that literal cliff-hanger. I mean the author went for the main characters literally falling into a pit to hell! Then just ended the book!"

"Don't remind me." Ryan bemoaned alongside Yaz.

"You two are far too attached to fictional characters." Graham sighed with a bit of concern on his face as the pair continued to mutter about the books.

"Sacrilege!" Bill exclaimed, joining in on the matter. Nodding along with Yaz and Ryan's points and pointing an upset finger at Graham, who looked resigned.

"Nothing wrong with being attached to fictional characters, Graham." The Doctor interrupted. "Did I ever tell you how Martha Jones and William Shakespeare saved the world using Harry Potter?" Martha laughed slightly t the fonder memories, back when she'd still been very new to the whole mess and there had definitely been issues but the trip still had great moments.

The rest of the group groaned, knowing if the Doctor got started, she'd get distracted over and over until she was on a completely different story entirely about something obscure and they'd never find out what happened in the video.

"Why don't we just continue the video?" River interjected in an attempt to save their sanity. Thankfully the group quietened down and turned back to the screen.

[Cave]

(Looking down a hole in the ground.)
CLARA: Daleks have sewers?

"The sewers." Martha sighed, "It's always the sewers." Her first encounter with the Daleks in Manhattan had involved the sewers then too. That had been bad enough, she didn't want to see what the Dalek sewers were like but they weren't about to get a choice.

MISSY: With one significant difference.
CLARA: Being?
MISSY: They're ever so slightly alive.

"Brilliant. That sounds … just great." Mickey sighed, of course they were. Things could never be simple, could they?

CLARA: They're what?
MISSY: How much of a drop would you say that is? Can you see the bottom?
CLARA: Too dark. Er, we could chuck a stone down, or something.

Clara turned to scowl at the Master, remembering exactly what happened next and everything else that was still to come. The Master grinned back smug and unrepentant.

MISSY: Oh yeah, good idea.
(She pushes Clara down the hole.)

Several people let out little shrieks at the unexpected movement. Concern for Clara skyrocketing. That fall could have easily been fatal, or could have seriously injured Clara just because she wasn't prepared for it, and that wasn't accounting for how deep it actually was.

The Doctor turned a furious glare on the Master who met her gaze blank but unflinching. The pair seemed to have a silent argument before the Doctor huffed and turned back to the screen, glancing concerned at Clara briefly. The Master sunk down a bit more in his chair, ignoring the glares from the rest of the group in favour of the screen.

CLARA: Oh!
(Scream, thud.)
MISSY: Twenty feet.

The group all winced at Clara's scream which cut off with a thud. Glancing between the screen and Clara in the room to reassure themselves she was there, safe. Clara was alternating between scowling at the screen and the Master, and giving reassuring smiles to the rest of the group. She could vividly remember all the bruises from that but compared to the rest of the events of the day, it didn't feel so significant anymore.

[Control room]

(The Doctor takes a sip from a white teacup with gold trim.)
DOCTOR: Of course, the real question is, where did I get the cup of tea? Answer? I'm the Doctor. Just accept it.

The group glanced at the Doctor, several of them comically opening their mouths to ask before stopping themselves, shaking their heads and deciding it was better not to question it. The Doctor smiled smugly.

DALEK SUPREME: You are unharmed.
DOCTOR: Proposition. Davros is an insane, paranoid genius who has survived among several billion trigger-happy mini-tanks for centuries. Conclusion? I'm definitely having his chair.

"You think he has safety features and possible tools in it?" Rory realised. So, the chair hadn't been just a decision made in anger or for humour, apparently the Doctor had a vague plan and some reasoning. Knowing the Doctor, it was likely a mix of all of the above actually.

"Ten points to the Roman." The Doctor grinned. Rory smiled back slightly unsure, the groans from Yaz, Ryan and Graham at the mentioned points not instilling any confidence into him.

DALEK SUPREME: You cannot escape, Doctor.

"Well, he's definitely going to escape now. You should never tell the Doctor what they can't do." Jack grinned, he knew that first-hand, having seen it occur thousands of times before. The Doctor had always been planning on escaping but being told directly he couldn't probably meant he put that bit more energy into it. They were petty like that.

(The Doctor holds up the Dalek gun.)
DOCTOR: I'm guessing his personal forcefield only works in one direction.
DALEK SUPREME: The Doctor does not use weapons.
DOCTOR: Doesn't he? Ah, listen to your little hearts beat!

"The one thing the Daleks actually fear." River said seriously. Whenever the Doctor was in the Dalek's vicinity, they immediately became their number one priority. They'd even seen it before in the first video, during the scenes on Gallifrey. The Doctor was just too dangerous, and had stopped them too many times to not try and destroy them, not that they ever succeeded.

[Sewers]

(Clara starts to sit up.)
CLARA: Ah
MISSY: Hello.
(Clara grabs the pointed stick.)

The group let out a breath, glad to see Clara appear fine physically. She couldn't be seriously hurt if she was moving around like that. It was also great to see Clara with the weapon, even though the whole group knew who would win in that fight.

MISSY: Oh, poppet. Do you really think you could?
CLARA: First chance I get.
MISSY: You won't survive down here on your own.
CLARA: You won't survive turning your back.
MISSY: Ooo. How exciting.
(Missy turns her back on Clara. Nothing happens.)

A few people grimaced; they likely would have done the same. Knowing Missy was right and they wouldn't get out of their alive or be able to rescue the Doctor without her help, but still it was so tempting. The room was tense as the fragile alliance between the pair already seemed to be cracking, all of them wondering how they were going to get out of this mess alive.

MISSY: God, you're dull.
(She spins round and grabs the stick back.)

A few people let out startled sounds at Missy's sudden movement, all wincing at Clara losing that slight advantage.

"Well, there goes the stick." Nardole muttered, going ignored.

MISSY: In future, if you're going to take my stick, do me the courtesy of actually killing me. Team work is all about respect.
CLARA: We're not a team.
MISSY: Of course we are. Every miner needs a canary. Now, hush, look around. Bit of a mess, isn't it?

There were more winces at Missy's comments, no one liking the connotations of the Canary comment. Missy had already been using Clara in that way but it didn't give them any reassurance for the rest of Missy's plan.

CLARA: You said it was a sewer.
MISSY: Daleks don't generate much in the way of waste.
CLARA: So what is it all, then?

"I don't think we want to know." Bill grimaced, watching the screen in disgust. Normal sewers were bad enough but this place was horrible. She was suddenly very glad they were just watching it on screen and didn't have to experience it like Clara had.

MISSY: Decaying Daleks. Daleks can't die. Genetically hard-wired to keep on living, whatever happens. Well. But they still age, poor loves. Over time, the body breaks down, rots, liquefies. Interestingly, the Dalek word for sewer is the same as their word for graveyard.
(She stabs a piece of organic material and it reacts. The walls are covered in screaming bits of Dalek.)

"Oh god." Rose muttered, grimacing at the revelation, sight and sound. The whole group grimacing and looking horrified by Missy's revelation. That was a whole new form of torture, and of course Missy was leading them through it.

"Out of the fire and into the frying pan." Martha muttered darkly. It seemed even when off the surface and away from the Daleks they were still surrounded by Daleks. That sight would definitely be haunting her nightmares.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: Ask me what I want.
DALEK SUPREME: Irrelevant. You will not prevail. You will not succeed.
DOCTOR: I've been at the heart of your empire for forty two minutes, and I own it, and I haven't even got out of my chair. Ask me what I want.

"Forty-two minutes?" Rory blinked, turning to Clara. "You can't have been unconscious long then if these are roughly happening at the same time."

Clara shook her head, "No, I don't think I was knocked out long thankfully." She didn't want to think what Missy could have accomplished with more time.

DALEK SUPREME: What do you want?
DOCTOR: Clara Oswald.
(He broadcasts across the planet. They can even hear him in the sewers.)

"At least you know the Doctor's alive." Rose sighed, it might help Clara and Missy to be able to hear the Doctor but it was also likely going to hurt. Especially if the Doctor didn't know they could hear him, due to him thinking them dead.

DOCTOR: I want Clara Oswald, safe, alive, and returned to me immediately. You bring her back. You do that. You do that now. Unharmed. Unhurt. Alive.

Clara sent the Doctor a small smile, it had helped her to know that he was looking for her, asking for her return safe while she struggled through her adventure with Missy. It had reassured her to know he was alive and hadn't forgotten her. The Doctor returned her smile although it had an edge of sadness and almost wistfulness that Clara didn't want to read much into.

DALEK SUPREME: Your associate
DOCTOR: I saw what happened. I was there. And I'm hoping, for all of our sakes, that it was a trick.
DALEK SUPREME: It was not a deception.
DOCTOR: Because if Clara Oswald is really dead, then you'd better be very, very careful how you tell me.

"It wasn't a trick by the Daleks but it was, thankfully, a trick." The Doctor muttered to herself, it was rare for her to feel so thankful for the Master's presence, and it hadn't lasted long with everything else that had happened, but Missy had saved Clara and kept her alive (to a point). She didn't want to think about what would have happened if Missy hadn't been there (ignoring how much harder it would have been for Clara to locate her in the first place).

[Sewers]

MISSY: Listen to that. The Doctor without hope.
DOCTOR [OC]: Who's going to tell me?

[Control room]

DOCTOR: Who's going to go first?

[Sewers]

MISSY: Nobody is safe now.

No one missed how Missy sounded … almost concerned and a bit scared. That wasn't a good thought, because if the Master was scared of the Doctor, they had no hope. The group had all seen the Doctor like this at varying point during their travels, and though none would admit it, it was likely one of the scarier parts of their time with the Doctor. A Doctor without hope was one with nothing to lose and they tended to make very bad, very destructive decisions.

DOCTOR [OC]: All the power Davros had is mine.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: Everything he had, I have.

[Sewers]

DOCTOR [OC]: Who's going to tell me that Clara Oswald is really dead?
MISSY: He'll burn everything. Us too.

The Doctor flinched at that, aware that Missy was very correct. If the pair hadn't found her quick enough, she likely would have destroyed them (and everything else) in her grief and fury. She was very glad that Missy knew her so well, and knew the Daleks well enough to outmanoeuvre them and find her, she didn't want to think too much into what would have happened elsewise.

[Control room]

DALEK SUPREME: Clara Oswald is not alive.
DAVROS [on screen]: Doctor, this urge for conquest. It is gratifying to see you learn.
DOCTOR: Davros. You're up. Sorry, this seat's taken.
DAVROS [on screen]: Indeed. But not by you.
(Snakes seize and hold the Doctor, covering him completely.)
DAVROS [on screen]: You've met my Head of Personal Security, I think. Colony Sarff. His agents are everywhere.

The tension in the room somehow managed to heighten even further. The Doctor was no longer in control, and suddenly trapped again which … wasn't good, to put it simply. Everyone ignored the small whisper in the back of their minds telling them that Sarff trapping the Doctor had likely stopped the Doctor destroying everything and given Clara and Missy time to find him. Nevertheless, they could all agree the sight of the snakes covering the Doctor was horrifying and not something they ever wanted to experience.

[Davros' room]

DAVROS: Are you ready?
COLONY SARFF: Of course.
DAVROS: Be subtle, Colony Sarff. Tonight, we entrap a Time Lord.
(Sarff uncoils.)

"They've already got the Doctor though? Unless they're talking about Missy?" Yaz asked confused. Maybe Amy had a point that something else was going on here.

[Sewers]

CLARA: What is that? A lift?
(A door at the end of the sewer.)
MISSY: What? Never mind the lift. See that thing on the wall?

"I feel like a lift would be important." Ryan muttered but didn't want to argue with the Master.

(A metal circle with a blue dot in the middle, standing proud of the rock.)
CLARA: What about it?
MISSY: Take a look.
CLARA: What is it?
MISSY: Closer.

"Master." The Doctor glared, recognising what the circle was and guessing the Master/Missy's plan.

"Doctor." The Master met her eyes in challenge, neither wanting to back down from their silent argument. It was only the video continuing that ended their stare off.

CLARA: What am I even looking for?
MISSY: Nothing. I'm giving it a good look at you.
DALEK [OC]: Intruder alert! Intruder alert!

"That sounds lie the opposite of a good plan!" Jack announced with a sharp glare at the Master who only smirked. Clara was glaring at the screen, unfortunately resigned to the mess they were going to see eventually.

(Alarms sound. Missy grabs Clara.)
CLARA: Why the hell did you do that?
MISSY: Ever ring a doorbell and run away?

"Bit of an extreme version of ding, dong, ditch." Amy snorted; she was glancing concerned at both Clara and the Doctor. Both trapped with enemies with seemingly no escape, things weren't looking great.

DALEK [OC]: Humanoid detected in lower level.
(Missy handcuffs Clara to the wall camera unit.)

"What are you doing?" Martha hissed at the Master furious. Whatever plan they had seemingly involved making Clara even more vulnerable and in danger from the Daleks, and she for one was not on board with it (not that she's be onboard with any plan the Master made).

"Doing what none of you little pets are capable of and actually coming up with a plan." The Master smirked back, enjoying antagonising them.

Martha looked half ready to jump off her seat and start a physical fight but Mickey squeezed her hand, grounding her and trying to stop her starting a fight. Despite the Master's appearance he wasn't actually physically weak and a fight wouldn't end well. Reluctantly Martha backed down, turning back to the screen and ignoring the Master's smirk in the corner.

MISSY: Not this time.
DALEK [OC]: Dalek to Lower Level Thirteen.
CLARA: What the hell did you do that for?
MISSY: We need to trap and kill a Dalek. You're the bait, I'm the hook.

"How are you going to do that? You have a pointy stick and I don't think that's going to do much against a Dalek." Rose pointed out looking dubiously at the screen.

The Master scowled as she underestimated her genius. "I don't need to explain myself to monkeys like you."

Clara sighed, feeling suddenly like she was babysitting toddlers (a semi-common feeling when dealing with both the Doctor and Missy). "Just watch Rose." She answered with a small smile at the other woman, feeling like she had to do damage control as the only other person present for this part.

(She removes the cameo brooch from her blouse neck.)
MISSY: Dark star alloy. Goes through armour plating like a knife through people.
CLARA: Missy. Missy. Missy, uncuff me now!
MISSY: It's pretty, though, isn't it? Got it in the olden days on Gallifrey. The Doctor gave it to me when my daughter

The group was oddly quiet upon hearing that comment from Missy. On one hand they were glad that the pair actually had a weapon to kill a Dalek (even though they still didn't know why exactly that was necessary for Missy's plan). On the other, they hadn't really considered that the Master had also had a family a long time ago, let alone a child.

The Doctor glanced over to the Master, concerned at her old friend's slip. It wasn't often that the Master brought up her daughter, it was incredibly rare in fact, slightly rarer than the Doctor talking about her own family, yet it never stopped hurting. The Master refused to meet her eyes, focus seemingly locked on the screen but their mind link was open just enough for the Doctor to feel the Master's turbulent emotions. Their families were one (of a few) topic that was never truly brought up in their fights, too painful and almost sacred between them.

The group stayed silent and let the video continue, wanting to know both Clara's fate and also not wanting to touch an obviously sensitive topic even if it was the Master.

(The lift arrives.)
MISSY: Keep it talking. We need to draw it out of the lift.
CLARA: You can't kill a Dalek with a brooch.

"Apparently you can." Clara corrected herself quietly, she really shouldn't have underestimated Missy, especially when it came to murder.

(Missy hides near the lift.)
MISSY: Yes, you can. Yes, you can.
DALEK: Humanoid detected. Remain still. Do not move. Scan in progress. Humanoid unauthorised in restricted area.
(It trundles up to Clara.)

"Anytime now Missy." Bill gritted out between clenched teeth, concern for Clara obvious. Did Missy really have to let it get that close to Clara? (Actually knowing Missy she was doing it because it was funny).

DALEK: Sterilisation proceeding.
MISSY: Hey, you! Guess what? I just put a hole in you.
(She pricks the Dalek's 'globes' and steam comes out.)
MISSY: And another and another. And another!

"You're enjoying that far too much." The Doctor sighed, an edge of exasperation to her tone.

"Oh please, like you've never enjoyed killing a Dalek before. They're Daleks!" The Master scoffed; voice full of disbelief as the Doctor tried to ruin what had been a perfectly enjoyable memory.

"I never enjoyed it!" The Doctor argued, sure she'd killed (a lot) of Daleks before but it was usually because they were attacking her, or her friends, or Earth or Gallifrey. Not because she liked it.

The Master however, had sensed weakness. "Oh? Never felt relief? Felt glad that they were dead? Ever regretted it? No?" The Doctor's spluttered protests and attempts to argue were ignored. "Of course, the Doctor. The oh so perfect and good Doctor, has never taken joy in a monster's death." His voice was dripping with venom and sarcasm, glaring at the Doctor who halted her protests to glare back, furious.

"You know that's not -." The Doctor tried to interject again, but was cut off once more by the Master.

"What you meant? Oh, who cares what you meant Doctor." He waved an arm with false nonchalance, before going in for the kill. "It's what other's think dear."

The Doctor froze for a solid minute before dragging her attention away from a scowling Master and back to the screen, ignoring the Master's mutters about 'always running away'. No one else said a word, the tension in the room suffocating, thankfully the video resumed promptly.

CLARA: What are you doing?
MISSY: Murdering a Dalek. I'm a Time Lady, it's our golf.
DALEK: Damage levels insignificant.
MISSY: Oh, really? I think you're forgetting you're surrounded by a bunch of very old, very angry Daleks.
(The decaying Daleks screech.)

And suddenly Missy's inefficient strategy didn't seem so insane now. The whole group watched in a mix of awe and horror as the decaying Daleks started to attack the Dalek.

MISSY: (American) You just got yourself a puncture in a bad neighbourhood. Meet the locals? All blind and squelchy and out of their tiny minds, but they can still smell! Nobody hates like a Dalek. Here they come! I think they want to steal your motor.
DALEK: Emergency! Emergency! My vision is impaired.
(Viscous fluid seeps into the Dalek then out of its grill.)

"Gross." Bill muttered with a grimace, she couldn't help but compare it a little to how Heather had taken over/impersonated the Dalek when she was chasing them across time/space, but at least that hadn't been as gross as this.

DALEK: Exterminate! Exterminate!
MISSY: Oh, here comes the older generation!
(The Dalek fires at tentacles coming from the walls. Missy uncuffs Clara and they run off.)

The group let out a quiet breath at seeing Missy willing release Clara's handcuffs. That was one less problem to be solved and Clara could now run from the Dalke at the very least. Though with the way things were going on screen that likely wasn't going to be an issue much longer.

MISSY: These young folks today are so tetchy!
DALEK: Emergency! Emergency!
(Explosion.)
MISSY: Wheeeeeee!

The group winced slightly at the explosion, very glad that Clara was out of the blasting zone (and mildly shocked to see Missy almost protecting Clara against the (very gross wall)). Missy's little 'wheee' however seemed a bit unnecessary but in that the Master didn't seem to change much. The group were all making mental notes to never enter a Dalek sewer (not that they had planned to in the first place, but they were metaphorically underlining that note in their minds).

[Battleground]

(The smoke clears to reveal we are back where it started, with the boy surrounded by hand mines.)
YOUNG DAVROS: Help me! You can't leave me. You promised. You did! You said I could survive. You said you'd help me. Help me!

The group blinked; a bit surprised by the sudden change of scene back to where they'd begun with young Davros. The scene didn't last long though, before they were back to the Doctor and older-Davros.

[Davros' room]

(The Doctor wakes to see Davros reintegrated with his chair.)
DAVROS: I hope you are grateful. It wasn't easy to procure. And very nearly unique, of course. You should feel privileged. The only other chair on Skaro.
(The Doctor looks round to see he is sitting on an ordinary metal frame chair.)

"I mean Dalek's don't need seats and I doubt they get many visitors on Skaro." Mickey commented in an attempt to interject some humour into the tense room. It didn't work very well, only earning a few small smiles, but he got points for effort.

DAVROS: Don't get up.
DOCTOR: You neither.
(The Doctor crosses to the door.)

The group did crack some smiles at the Doctor immediately ignoring Davros and doing the opposite of what her was told. His dazed state seemingly passing as he regained knowledge of where he was (having apparently passed out) and went back to normal Doctor behaviour.

DAVROS: The chamber is sealed, and I believe you are not carrying your sonic device.
DOCTOR: I gave it up. Bad memories.

"Not a good excuse." River muttered with a nudge to the Doctor's arm who winced, more at the comment than the nudge. Her sonic would have been helpful in that situation as much as she didn't want to admit it.

DAVROS: I am dying, Doctor.
DOCTOR: You keep saying that, you keep not dying. Can you give it some welly? Come on.

That earned a few snickers, the room feeling a bit more reassured with the Doctor up to their normal snarky comments, and Clara and Missy making progress in their rescue operation.

DAVROS: And it is time for us to conclude our business together.
DOCTOR: We have no business.
(An extra golden loop of cable closes its eyes with a soft hiss.)
DAVROS: We have nothing but. Look again at the cables, Doctor. Understand what they are. What they can do. Just step a little closer.

"I don't like the sound of that." Rory muttered.

"Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly." Amy added on, earning a sigh from her husband.

"That's not helping."

"I try."

[Sewers]

(Missy opens the lid of the Dalek and scoops out the remains of the mutant Kaled within it.)
MISSY: Get in.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Donna exclaimed, voicing the thoughts of many in the room. All glancing between the screen, Clara and the Master, as if waiting for one of them to go 'Joking! Got you!" but no one did.

Clara was stuck between scowling at the Master and the screen (and mentally wincing at what was to come, it still haunted her nightmares sometimes), as the Doctor winced in memory of what had almost happened, also glaring at the Master for putting her through that. The Master was just smirking at the reminder of his plan, although he had to resist a pout as he remembered it hadn't ended the way he wanted it to.

Donna quickly lost any patience she had, speaking up again, louder this time. "Are you lot deaf? What do you mean get in!?"

"Just watch, Donna. Please." The Doctor sighed, answering Donna as she knew that was the only way to appease the angry red-head.

"I'm watching you Martian." Donna retorted with narrowed eyes, unpleased with the lack of proper answer but willing to go along with her request for now.

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: They don't have much respect for you, do they? Your kids. Have you seen the state of this place? I mean, this is exactly where you dump a smelly old uncle slash family pet slash genius scientist who couldn't even invent legs. Seriously, how do your boys take it when everybody else has got two eyes?

Amy was nodding along, glad that someone else had noticed what she had. Rory just sighed, knowing Amy was going to be unbearable for a while.

(The Doctor is examining the 'life support' unit.)
DAVROS: You know what it is, of course.
DOCTOR: Oh, yes. It's a hyperspace relay, with some kind of a genetic component.

"And in English, Doc?" Graham asked, utterly bewildered as the scientific terms went right over his head. He got the genetic bit at least a little but the rest? Nada. Thankfully most of the others looked equally confused. The Doctor just smiled and waved to the screen in answer.

DAVROS: I am connected to the life force of every Dalek on this planet. It is what has kept me alive. As their hearts beat, so does mine.
DOCTOR: Ooo. Nice. Vampiring off your own creations, just to eke out your days. I'm surprised the Daleks allow it.

"Why do they? The Daleks hate imperfection, and Davros is weak, dying and ultimately not a Dalek." River asked curious. Her mother had been spot-on about something else being involved apparently, and now they were getting answers thankfully.

"He is their creator." The Doctor answered. It was a cryptic answer and any other tie someone would have argued, but the Doctor's blank expression said they weren't going to entertain any attempts. The group was best to just watch the video.

DAVROS: Oh, they have no choice. My Daleks are afflicted with a genetic defect.
DOCTOR: What defect?
DAVROS: Respect. Mercy for their father. Design flaws I was unable to eliminate. And now he sees it. Now he understands. The cables, Doctor. Touch them. Imagine, to hold in your hand the heartbeat of every Dalek on Skaro. They send me life. Is it beyond the wit of a Time Lord to send them death? A little work and it could be done.

"Why is he telling you that? Does he suddenly want to die?" Mickey asked bewildered, that seemed very un-Davros from the brief time he's had the misfortune of meeting the villain and the interactions they'd seen on screen.

"He has an ulterior motive." Jack shook his head at Mickey's theory/questions, eyes narrowed and face serious. "It's a trap or something. Davros wouldn't tell the Doctor that for no reason." He glanced at the Doctor but she offered no answer, eyes locked on the screen and expression schooled.

DOCTOR: Er, why would you be telling me this?
DAVROS: Genocide in a moment. Such slaughter, not in self-defence. Not as a simple act of war. Genocide as a choice. Are you ready, Doctor? So many backs with a single knife.

"He wouldn't." Yaz muttered, then glanced at the Doctor in the room with the and repeated her words, more confident, "You wouldn't."

"I wish I had your confidence Yaz. It wouldn't be the first time I'd faced that choice." The Doctor answered with a frown. It wouldn't have been her first genocide, or her first time being told to kill the Daleks completely. She could never deny she was tempted; the Daleks having hurt her so much that it almost seemed justified. But it wouldn't be, it wouldn't be right.

"But you didn't, and you won't." Yaz's words were full of confidence, full of belief in the Doctor. It was moments like this that reminded the Doctor that her three newest companions were still relatively new to travelling with her in the scheme of things, and they hadn't gone through as much of the other sin terms of seeing her at her darkest. She's purposely tried to keep them sheltered and she was suddenly unsure whether that was the right decision or not. It wasn't like these videos were going to give her the option to keep them sheltered much longer.

The Doctor just sent back a slightly shaky smile, before the video restarted.

(The Doctor backs away a little, but Davros takes his hand and guides it towards the cables again.)
DAVROS: Are you ready to be a god?
(The Doctor reaches but does not touch.)

The group watched silently. They knew the Doctor wouldn't, couldn't have as the Daleks were still around, but they could all see the almost desire in the Doctor's eyes, the way he reached out and considered it. No that they could entirely blame him for it, many of them unsure what they would do in the same situation. Still, they were relieved when the Doctor moved his hands away.

DAVROS: Why do you hesitate? No one would know. Clara Oswald is dead. Is this the conscience of the Doctor, or his shame? The shame that brought you here.

It hit the group that the Doctor still thought Clara dead, was still grieving in his own way. Holding onto swiftly fading hope for a miracle, as he had nothing to go off of over than Clara's 'death' unlike them in the room who had seen Misys and Clara's adventures so far. No wonder the Doctor was in such an unsteady mental state. Playing mind games with his nemesis, something he would normally excel in, likely wasn't helping in this situation.

DOCTOR: There's no such thing as the Doctor. I'm just a bloke in a box, telling stories. And I didn't come here because I'm ashamed. A bit of shame never hurt anyone. I came because you're sick and you asked. And because sometimes, on a good day, if I try very hard, I'm not some old Time Lord who ran away. I'm the Doctor.

Clara smiled softly at the Doctor, recognising the sentiment from the day in the Graveyard with Missy's cyberarmy. The Doctor's acceptance and admittance of who they were, which was often so different from who they thought of themselves and how everyone else saw them. It was good to see the Doctor regaining more of themself, even in their poor mental state. The Doctor sent back her own shaky smile; eyes almost apologetic for what was still to come.

DAVROS: Compassion then.
DOCTOR: Always.
DAVROS: It grows strong and fierce in you, like a cancer.
DOCTOR: I hope so.
DAVROS: It will kill you in the end.
DOCTOR: I wouldn't die of anything else.
DAVROS: You may rely on it.

"There's worst ways to die." The Doctor declared firmly.

"And we'd know." Jack smiled at the Doctor in understanding, not afraid to joke a little with the Doctor like this.

"We'd know." The Doctor repeated with a sad smile.

[Sewers]

(Clara is inside the Dalek casing, which has its front panels open. Missy is attaching electrodes to her head.)

Clara and the Doctor immediately went back to scowling darkly at the screen as everyone else watched in warily, not liking where this was going. The Master leaned back in his seat, ready to enjoy the show.

Clara wasn't looking forward to reliving this part of the mess (she hadn't been looking forward to any of it to be fair, but this was arguably the worst part). She only had vague memories of her splinters, some things came back to her and others didn't. Unfortunately, her time as a Dalek in the Dalek Asylum was one such memory that had come back, and a very unpleasant one at that. She still had nightmares featuring herself as a Dalek, and this had only added to the nightmare fuel, inspiring whole new tangents that she didn't want to think about.

So far, she hadn't had any nightmares since the Tardis brought them here despite all the nightmare fuel being added to the fire from the videos, possibly due to the Tardis doing something to ward them away or everyone's presence around she couldn't say. Either way, if she could have nightmares, she knew this video would only bring back those old Dalek ones with a vengeance.

CLARA: How am I supposed to make it go? Are there pedals?
MISSY: Telepathic control. Open wide.
(Clara opens her mouth wide.)
MISSY: I meant your skull. Never mind
(Beeep! as the electrodes penetrate Clara's skull.)

"How was she supposed to know!" Rose protested in Clara's favour. The rest of the group nodding along in support earning thankful smiles from Clara. She was grateful for the support; it was nice to know they cared about her even if she was sure they would have sided with almost anyone who was against Missy/the Master.

The Master just ignored them, looking to all as if he couldn't care less about their thoughts.

CLARA: Ow!
MISSY: Shh, shh, now, don't worry.
CLARA: Ow.
MISSY: There's loads of nano-tech repairing any damage as the feed goes in.
CLARA: What about when it comes out?

"Good question, maybe a bit too late to ask." Bill decided with a grimace. She really wasn't liking where this was going, and Clara being in clear pain while at Missy's mercy wasn't helping (and was absolutely bringing up her own bad memories).

MISSY: No idea. Nobody knows. Anyway, to control the unit, you just have to think. Novel idea for you, but let's try it. Move forwards.
CLARA: I don't know how to
(She gasps as the Dalek moves forwards.)

"Okay, you have some sort of control at least. Silver linings and all." Mickey nodded thoughtfully, still frowning at the screen. This did not seem like a good idea but with the Doctor you often had to look for the positives in a situation if you wanted to stay sane.

MISSY: You see?
CLARA: Oh! How did I do that?
MISSY: Circle right.
CLARA: I can't
(She circles right.)
MISSY: Circle left. There you go. All right, this won't hurt a bit.
(Missy touches a control and the Dalek casing starts to close up around Clara.)
CLARA: Hang on. No, Missy. No, no, no, no! No, Missy. Missy, no, no, no, please don't! Don't, don't, please!
(Clang!)

The group was increasing their concerned glances to Clara who had curled up a bit on her seat, hand fiddling with her trouser leg unconsciously in her nerves. The case closing had been panic inducing, sending her spiralling down her splinter's memories until she had managed to calm herself. And yet the still was worst to come.

The Doctor was glaring openly at the Master now, recognising why Clara had been panicking so much (they'd had a few late night discussions due to nightmares before during their travels) and hating that she hadn't been there to prevent it in the first place, let alone what she had (almost) done later.

MISSY: Are you okay?

[Inside the Dalek]

CLARA: Fine, I think.

[Sewers]

DALEK: Fine, I think.

"That's just … unnerving." Amy declared with a grimace. Both her and Rory were also thinking back on their time in the Dalek Asylum. They'd never actually gotten to meet Clara/Oswin the Dalek, but they'd heard her throughout the adventure, and this couldn't be good for Clara's mental health.

"Tell me about it." Clara grimaced, hearing it like this was even worse than it had been while in the Dalek and she was not enjoying it in the slightest.

CLARA [in the Dalek]: Okay.
CLARA DALEK: Okay. That's a bit weird.
MISSY: Just a bit. Okay. All right. Shh. Say your name.

Clara and the Doctor glared darkly at the Master, who was smirking like a cat that got the canary. The pair weren't sure how far ahead Missy had been planning (likely very far) but she was far too aware and prude of herself for it to be by accident.

The rest of the group was watching the interaction wearily, they didn't remotely like the Master and Missy on screen seemed far too smug, but they didn't know what was wrong yet and they hated not knowing.

CLARA DALEK: Why?
MISSY: Just just say. Just say it.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Clara.
CLARA DALEK: Dalek.
MISSY: Say it again.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Clara Oswald.
CLARA DALEK: Dalek. Dalek.

"No." Martha muttered; eyes wide as she connected the final pieces. She had a very good guess about what Missy was going to try and pull now, and it only made her despise the Time Lord more than she already did (something she had thought impossible).

Several others also started making the connection, turning their own dark glare and furious eyes on the Master who was far too smug for anyone's liking. The Doctor's grabbing Jack's wrist to prevent him trying to deck the Master again. Despite how appealing the sight sounded.

Bill edged her beanbag seat closer to Clara's but didn't touch the other woman, trying to offer comfort by proximity, her hands fidgeting nervously as she tried to supress her own memories of Missy (and the other Master's) mind games. Clara managed to offer Bill a shaky smile in thanks, but was more focussed on keeping her breathing under control, not wanting to spiral into a panic attack.

The group was reluctant but turned their attention back to the screen to see Missy's plan play out, hoping that the Doctor would figure it out and stop it swiftly. Clara just wanted this video to be over with already.

MISSY: One more time.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: I am Clara Oswald! I'm Clara Oswald!
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek!
(As Missy laughs, the gun fires.)
MISSY: Whoa! Just don't get emotional. Emotion fires the gun. Okay?

"Shoot her." Jack announced, completely serious even under the Doctor's disapproving look. Clara just smiled a bit thankful for the support, it had been tempting but it meant no one would have known, that the Doctor would have had no way to know it was her.

CLARA [in the Dalek]: I don't understand.
CLARA DALEK: I do not understand.
MISSY: Say I love you. Those exact words. Don't ask me why, just say it.

"Daleks don't understand love." River said, eyeing the Master darkly. The Time Lord was just adding to Clara's trauma.

"Exactly." The Master smirked.

CLARA [in the Dalek]: I love you.
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate.
(Missy laughs.)

"You're sick." Martha spat at the Master who only laughed in response.

"Took you that long to figure it out Doctor Jones?" Martha forcefully turned away as the Master continued to laugh, a touch manically and hysteric, even as the video restarted.

MISSY: Say, you are different from me.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: You are different from me.
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate! Exterminate!
MISSY: Say, "Ex-ter-min-ate!"
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Exterminate.
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate!
(Missy laughs, then dodges about as Clara spins the Dalek, firing its gun.)
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!
MISSY: Cybermen suppress emotion. Daleks channel it through a gun. That's why they keep yelling exterminate. It's how they reload. So, let's go and kill them. Come on.

"Voice commands. The Daleks use voice commands." Ryan announced in disbelief, eager for the Doctor to be on screen and free Clara but unable to voice his thought.

"Thought commands really, I guess." Yaz corrected, remembering what Missy was saying earlier about controlling the Dalek shell.

[Davros' room]

DAVROS: There is a question, Doctor. One I have longed to ask.
DOCTOR: Yeah, well, if you're going to put your hand on my knee, it isn't going to go well.
DAVROS: Why did you leave Gallifrey?

"Big question." Jack raised an eyebrow at the screen, he hadn't been expecting Davros to ask that. "And not one she's ever going to answer properly, let alone to you."

DOCTOR: Well, because I did.
DAVROS: You stole the Tardis, and ran and ran. Why?
DOCTOR: It's a boring place, Gallifrey. I was going out of my mind.

"That was one word for it." The Master smirked in agreement, enjoying the Doctor's flinch at his use of past tense.

DAVROS: Yet you long to return.
DOCTOR: Ah, well, I'm inconsistent.
DAVROS: But it is always the same lie.
DOCTOR: What lie?
DAVROS: You weren't bored. No one runs the way you have run for so small a reason.

"No one else is me." The Doctor answered snidely.

"You're talking to the screen, Sweetie."

"I know."

DOCTOR: I do.
DAVROS: No, you don't. Colony Sarff confiscated these items on your arrival.
(Davros goes to a box on a small table.)
DAVROS: A Time Lord confession dial, I believe. Your confession. Tell me. Send me to my grave with this precious knowledge. What is the Doctor's confession?

No one could deny they were very curious about the Doctor's confession, but seeing as they had gone through billions of years of torture to get Clara back and avoid answering questions, they really weren't expecting Davros to get an answer here. They all knew it was likely that they'd never find out.

(Davros reaches for the dial.)
DOCTOR: Don't you dare!
DAVROS: Is it possible I have touched a nerve?
DOCTOR: Some things matter to me, Davros. Not many, but a few. And you don't put your fingers anywhere near them.
(The Doctor retrieves his sunglasses from the box.)

Clara relaxed a little bit upon seeing the Doctor regain his sonic sunglasses, especially with Davros none the wiser to what they were, that was one advantage they had back.

DOCTOR: And they'd better not be scratched. These are my best ones.
DAVROS: Still you play the fool.

"They always do." River muttered, tone somehow a mix between exasperation, fondness, disapproval and pride in a way only River could manage.

(The Doctor dons his shades.)
DOCTOR: Well, by now that should make you nervous.

"Very nervous." Jack agreed with a smirk, he was looking forward to the Doctor escaping and Davros getting taken down.

[Corridor]

DALEK: Halt! Report.
(Missy raises her hands.)
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Humanoid intrud-
CLARA DALEK: Humanoid intruder found on lower levels.

"So that's your plan." Rory announced, "The dress up as a guard trick." He didn't sound approving.

"Taken to the extreme. Mental torture of Clara wasn't necessary in anyway or needed." Amy added with a glare at the Master in the room.

"Who said anything about necessary? It was fun." The Master smirked, ignoring the glares he was receiving from the whole room.

DALEK: Why has the intruder not been exterminated? Explain. Explain. Explain!
MISSY: I'm a prisoner of special significance. Count the hearts.
DALEK: You are a Time Lord?
MISSY: Time Lady, thank you. Some of us can afford the upgrade. Is it still the same old Supreme Dalek these days? I fought him once on the slopes of the Never Vault. Tell him the bitch is back.

"Dramatic." Nardole muttered, apparently it was a Time Lord/Lady thing.

"Shut it, egg." The Master growled making Nardole squeak in fear.

[Davros' room]

(The Doctor is apparently gazing at his reflection in a wall screen.)
DAVROS: Make your confession, Doctor. Why did you really leave Gallifrey?

"He's still on that?" Mickey asked in disbelief. If Davros had known the Doctor as long as they claimed too they should know it was question the Doctor was never going to answer.

DOCTOR: How long has it been, you and I?
DAVROS: Long enough. Galaxies have burned.
DOCTOR: And now you ask me a personal question?
DAVROS: You have slaughtered billions of my children, as I have slaughtered billions of your race. We have exhausted the conventional means of communication.

"Conventional?" Rose muttered, of course Davros would consider it that. He'd created the Daleks, ultimate war machines, monsters, after all.

(The Doctor removes his sunglasses.)
DOCTOR: My people are alive. They didn't die. I brought them back. I found a way.

The group all winced at that, they'd gone through the joy of seeing the Doctor save their home in the first video only to find out the Master had destroyed it again. This was not a nice reminder that Gallifrey had been obliterated. The Doctor was frowning, at this point she still hadn't known where Gallifrey was as Missy had lied about the coordinates, another trick she wasn't willing to forgive so soon.

DAVROS: Is this true?
DOCTOR: Gallifrey is back in the sky. I don't know where, I may never know. But Gallifrey is back and it is safe from both of us.
DAVROS: Doctor, my most sincere congratulations.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bill blinked, bewildered by the unexpected congratulations, that was the opposite of what she thought Davros would say.

DOCTOR: I'm sorry?
DAVROS: This is wonderful news. Beyond all hope. I congratulate you.
DOCTOR: Why are you saying that?
DAVROS: A man should have a race, a people, an allegiance. A man should belong, Doctor. Believe me, please. I am happy for you. So happy.

The Doctor flinched at the reminder that even if Gallifrey was still around that she wouldn't know her species, her home. She wouldn't belong, that's if the Master's revelations on Gallifrey were to be believed.

DOCTOR: I don't, I don't understand this. Why are you
(The Doctor is speechless.)
DAVROS: Come closer again. Let me see your face.

"He's gone insane." Jack decided, bewildered and suspicious of Davros' words and actions, he kept saying and doing the opposite of what they were expecting. "Or he's up to something."

DOCTOR: You've seen it often enough.
DAVROS: Let me see it again with my own eyes.
(The blue light in his forehead goes out. The Doctor leans forward as Davros opens his rheumy eyes.)
DAVROS: Closer, please.
(Their eyes meet.)

The room was unnerved with Davros' attitude, feeling as unsettled by it as the Doctor seemed on screen, and the Doctor really couldn't afford to be unsettled with Missy and Clara on the way.

DAVROS: If you have redeemed the Time Lords from the fire, do not lose them again. Take the darkest path into the deepest hell, but protect your own as I have sought to protect mine. Did I do right, Doctor? Tell me.
(Davros puts his hand on the Doctor's.)

There was yet another flinch from the Doctor at the reminder that she hadn't ultimately been able to save Gallifrey, that she had lost them all again. River squeezed her hand in comfort while the rest fo the room was thankfully distracted by Davros' question.

DAVROS: Was I right? I need to know before the end. Am I a good man?
DOCTOR: You really are dying, aren't you?

"You didn't believe him?" Amy asked.

"No. I figured it was a trick." The Doctor answered honestly. "He's survived so long that I wasn't expecting him to suddenly be dying for real."

DAVROS: Look at me. Did you doubt it?
DOCTOR: Yes.
DAVROS: Then we have established one thing only.
DOCTOR: What?
DAVROS: You are not a good doctor.

"That was never in question." Martha smiled teasingly at the Doctor who smiled with a shrug back.

(They both chuckle, then Davros struggles to breathe.)
DAVROS: Pity. I had hoped to see the sun one last time with the eyes of my true self.

[Control room]

MISSY: Oh, hello! Look at you all, with your nice, shiny domes. Oh, I am loving this. (to Dalek Supreme) You're my secret favourite. Don't tell the others.

"Missy." The Doctor sighed quietly, eyes tightly closed in exasperation for her old friends attitude.

(She sits on his dais.)
DALEK SUPREME: You are an enemy of the Daleks.
MISSY: Yes, well, anyone who's not a Dalek is an enemy of the Daleks, so that was an easy guess.

"Very true." River reluctantly agreed with the Time Lady.

DALEK SUPREME: You will be exterminated.
MISSY: Please, please do, because I have been on my feet all day.
(She stands again.)
MISSY: But before you get all exterminate-y, two things. One, I want to see Davros. Two, I have a lovely little gift for you all, if you take me to him right now.
DALEK SUPREME: We do not negotiate.
MISSY: Clara Oswald. I brought you complete control of the Doctor, gift-wrapped. Better. Canned.
(Clara is speechless.)

The group immediately whipped around to give the Master the darkest glares they could manage. Mickey and the Doctor having to hold back Martha and Jack from getting up to punch the Master, no matter how much he deserved it.

They had been expecting the betrayal at some point but it had still somehow completely blindsided them. They hadn't believed the Master would give the Daleks any kind of advantage like that when they could use it to torture the Doctor themself. Clara, herself, was glaring at the floor, as she unconsciously searched for a pulse on her wrist, a pulse she would never find. She'd also expected Missy to betray her at some point during that mess but hadn't expected it to come there, letting her guard down had been a mistake she'd paid for dearly.

[Davros' room]

(Davros is by the window, looking out.)
DAVROS: It is beautiful, my world, is it not?
DOCTOR: How did you get it back?
DAVROS: The Daleks remade it. Like you, they have a strong concept of home.

"I doubt that's why." Rory decided with a grimace.

DOCTOR: No, like you. Everything you are, they are.
(The Doctor is plugging Davros back into the life support cables.)

"What are you doing?" River asked, eyes narrowing in on where the Doctor was reattaching the life support cables, "You better not be doing what I think you're doing Doctor."

The Doctor sighed; she'd fallen right into Davros's trap. Her own inclination for compassion dooming her like Davros had said it would. "Leave it River." She really didn't need River to be on her back about it when she already knew she'd made a mistake. River narrowed her eyes further at the tone but thankfully didn't push.

DAVROS: Like both of us, perhaps. How far we have come to go home again.
DOCTOR: I'm trying to pep this up, but you've been going a long time. Every Dalek on Skaro isn't enough any more.

"Good." Jack muttered, ignoring the Doctor's disapproving look. They didn't always work to the same morality or rules, and quite frankly Davros was someone he wouldn't mind dying.

DAVROS: It is so good of you to help me.
DOCTOR: I'm not helping you. I'm helping a little boy I abandoned on a battlefield. I think I owe him a sunrise.
(The sun is edging above a mountain range.)
DOCTOR: Come on, chin up.

Having seen the video so recently, the Doctor couldn't help but think back to the sunrise on Trenzalore, and how Handles hadn't managed to make it to that last one. It seemed unfair that Davros had, despite it being her interference that allowed it.

(Davros moans.)
DOCTOR: Any minute now
DAVROS: I have always admired you, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Here it comes.
DAVROS: I wish, just once, we had been on the same side.
DOCTOR: Look, the sun's coming up. We're on the same side now.
DAVROS: I regret I cannot open my eyes.
(Davros is crying.)

The room was tense, most of them (as horrible as it sounded) wanting Davros to just die already and getting more and more unsettled as the pair continued to interact. The feeling that something was wrong only growing stronger with each passing second.

DOCTOR: Okay, don't ever tell anyone that I did this.
(He waves his hand around until a golden glow forms.)

"Don't you dare Doctor!" The Master immediately sat up straighter in his seat, eyes locked on the Doctor as he practically snarled his words. He would have been quicker with his plan if he knew the Doctor would give into his weak heart and do that. He'd known that Davros had stolen regeneration energy from the Doctor but he hadn't known about the Doctor willingly starting it.

"You didn't!" Jack exclaimed, turning his own disapproving look on the Doctor, mixed with disbelief. The Doctor couldn't seriously be about to do what he thought they were.

The way the Doctor refused to look at either of them told the pair every thing they needed to know.

DOCTOR: A little bit of regeneration energy. Probably cost me an arm or a leg somewhere down the line. Or I'll just be really little.

The Doctor scowled down at herself; maybe that was why she was so short this regeneration! That mixed with her attempts to read Veritas in the Vatican. Apparently, the consequences of her decisions had finally caught up to her. Would it stop her in the future? No.

(The Doctor stands in the middle of the cables where Davros used to be. Davros chuckles to himself as the Doctor takes hold of a cable with his glowing hand.)
DOCTOR: Should be enough, just to
(The Doctor screams as snakes bind his hands to the cables.)

Several members of the group all let out startled shrieks at the jump scare, all realising with dread what Davros' plan was, and that the Doctor had fallen right into it unsuspectingly. The Doctor had been so suspicious for so long, and just as they'd given up on their suspicion the trap had been triggered.

DAVROS: Hold him firm, Colony Sarff. He is precious to us now.
(The Doctor is on his knees with pain as regeneration energy flows though the cables to Davros..)

The group winced at the obvious pain the Doctor was in, unable to do anything to help and only able to watch. The Doctor was scowling at the screen, this whole mess had been horrible, both for this and with what had happened to Clara and she really couldn't wait for it to be over.

DOCTOR: What are you doing?
DAVROS: Regeneration energy. The ancient magic of the Time Lords. I thought I would have to tear you apart to take it from you but, as always, your compassion is your downfall.
(Davros' voice gets stronger through this.)
DOCTOR: No! No! No, please! No!
DAVROS: You have opened your veins of your own free will, and all Daleks shall drink the blood of Gallifrey. They shall rise stronger than ever.
(The Doctor screams as wizened Davros fills out and straightens up in his chair..)

"Daleks with the regeneration energy of a Time Lord? That sounds …" Mickey trailed off in horror.

"Like a nightmare." Rose finished solemnly. The whole group was left wondering how the Doctor was going to escape now, hoping that whatever Missy was doing would distract Davros enough for the Doctor to escape.

Yaz, Ryan and Graham winced, and they'd though Cybermen with the ability to regenerate was bad. Nothing could be worse than the Daleks.

[Control room]

(Clara is listening open-mouthed inside the Dalek casing.)
DALEK SUPREME: Where is Clara Oswald? You will tell us! You will tell us! You will tell us

The group watched the scree tense, waiting it to go drastically wrong with Missy and Clara like it had with the Doctor. Finding joy in the small victory of the Daleks not understanding Missy's wondering and Clara's location remaining safe for another moment at least.

(Missy is dancing in rhythm to the Dalek's speech when suddenly they all stop, sink plungers and weapons pointing towards the floor.)
MISSY: I'm sorry. Was I, er, was I boring you?
(Golden regeneration energy starts to rise from the Daleks.)
MISSY: No. No, no, no, no, Doctor. What have you done?

The Master scowled, now knowing exactly what the Doctor had done and what had been done to them. It made him want to go find Davros wherever he was hiding and tear him limb from limb. First, he had stolen the title of the Doctor's number one Nemesis and now he was torturing the Doctor? Only he was allowed to do that!

CLARA [in the Dalek]: What's happening?
CLARA DALEK: What is happening?
MISSY: I have to find the Doctor.

The group was stuck between being surprised by how worried the Master was for the Doctor and not being surprised. The past video and this one had given them quite a bit of new information around the pair's relationship, and yet they thought the weird friendship between the two, despite being enemies, would never stop confusing them.

CLARA: No!
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate!
CLARA: No!
CLARA DALEK: Exterminate!
CLARA: Please, you can't just leave me here. Please!
(She follows Missy out of the room.)

Clara winced at how panicked she had sounded; in reality she had been far more panicked than that but it wasn't great to hear when everyone else could see it. She knew now why Missy had run so frantically out of the room, but she still hadn't anted to be left behind. Who knows what would have happened or if she would have ever found the Doctor.

[Davros' room]

DAVROS: There was a prophecy, Doctor, on your own world.
DOCTOR: Please you must, you must stop this. You must stop this!
DAVROS: It spoke of a hybrid creature. Two great warrior races forced together to create a warrior greater than either. Is that what you ran from, Doctor? Your part in the coming of the hybrid? Half Dalek, half Time Lord?

"Not even close Davros." The Doctor glared at the screen. The prophecy had apparently been haunting her for longer than she remembered but still Davros had been wrong in his assumptions just like everyone else. Small victories and all that, but the reminder of her time in the Confession Dial was not pleasant.

[Corridor]

(Missy encounters a motionless Dalek.)
MISSY: Give me your gun!
(She wrenches it from the Dalek and shoots the lock to Davros' room.)

"Why did you even bother asking?" The Doctor asked the Master, genuinely curious if not exasperated.

The Master narrowed his eyes at her, silently conveying how he wouldn't have had to save her if she hadn't been an idiot. "It's called being polite."

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: Stop!
(The Doctor screams. Missy runs in and starts shooting with the Dalek gun. Finally she destroys the cables and kills Colony Sarff, who falls to the floor The Doctor collapses.)

The group couldn't help but feel thankful for Missy's presence and actions as much as they hated her. She had saved the Doctor and stopped the Daleks taking his regeneration energy after all, but it didn't excuse what she'd been doing with Clara (or the long, long list of other crimes). They didn't really feel anything for Colony Sarff's death though, just grateful he could no longer trap the Doctor as he was essentially tortured.

[Control room]

(The Daleks reboot after their upgrade.)
DALEK SUPREME: We are renewed. We are more powerful. The experiment has succeeded. All praise Davros.
DALEKS: All praise Davros! All praise Davros! (etc., etc.)

"That's not good." Rory declared.

Amy gave him a look, "You think?!"

[Davros' room]

(Missy slaps the Doctor awake.)
MISSY: Morning.
DOCTOR: Where's Clara?

Clara smiled at the Doctor for that, unable to deny the grateful feeling and relief at being the Doctor's first thought despite everything they had just gone through. She'd questioned her own worth against Missy's in terms of being friends with the Doctor sometimes so it was nice to know that when faced with Missy, he was still asking about her instead.

MISSY: Oh, hello to you, too.
DOCTOR: You're alive, so she is too. Where is she?
MISSY: I'm fine, thanks for asking.
DAVROS: Oh, you are not fine. Thanks to you, Doctor, my creations shall grow to yet greater supremacy, and my own life is prolonged. This is the final defeat of the Time Lords. Have you nothing to say, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Three.

"You've noticed something Davros hasn't." Rose realised with a grin, recognise that the Doctor was counting even when faced with a ranting Davros.

It was the Master who answered, unfortunately, "Like that's hard."

(The Doctor retrieves his confession dial and puts it in his pocket.)
DAVROS: Do you understand what has happened? Hear my children sing.
DOCTOR: Two.
MISSY: Oh, I know that face.

The Doctor gave the Master a smug look, for having realised even before Missy. The Master promptly ignored her.

DAVROS: All praise Davros, creator and saviour of the Daleks.
DOCTOR: One.
(The city shakes.)
DAVROS: What is that? What's happening?

"I'm with the evil maniac. What the hell's happening?" Bill asked bewildered, thankful, but bewildered by the city shaking. The Doctor and the Master exchanged a knowing glance but neither answered her, and Clara was too focussed on the screen.

[Control room]

DALEK SUPREME: We are under attack. Explain! Explain!

"We would like an explanation too." Donna crossed her arms frustrated, but received no answer.

[Davros' room]

DOCTOR: I knew exactly what you were doing, and I let you do it. You transmitted regeneration energy into every Dalek on this planet. Every single one.

"I wouldn't go as far to say that you let him. Maybe you had a plan but you also didn't have too much choice, Sweetie." River raised an eyebrow pointedly.

"Well, he doesn't need to know that." The Doctor argued back.

DAVROS: What have you done?
DOCTOR: One word. Er, no, two words, actually. First word, moron.
(Missy sniggers.)
DOCTOR: Second word, sewers.

"Oh … Oh … Oh!" Jack realised before breaking out into a laugh, that was honestly genius, but he shouldn't have expected much less from the Doctor. Everyone else was grinning in anticipation for the chaos they knew was about to unfurl, although they still held some worry for Clara who wasn't around at the moment on screen at least.

[Control room]

(The floor cracks.)
DALEK: Emergency! What is happening? Power is fluctuating!

[Davros' room]

DAVROS: No. This cannot be correct. How can this be?
DOCTOR: Generations of Daleks just woke up very cross, and they are coming up the pipes. Or to put it another way, bye!

"Good time to depart." Graham nodded.

"Now go find Clara." Yaz added on with her own nod.

(The Doctor leaves.)
DAVROS: Doctor, you must help me.
MISSY: Can I just say, it's been an absolute pleasure to finally meet you?
(She gives a little curtsey and holds out her hand, then pokes Davros in his blue eye. It hurts. Then she runs out.)

The Doctor turned to the Master, sigh full of exasperation and a bit of disapproval; "Did you have to?"

"I said I'd poke his eye out and I'm a lady of my word." The Master nodded seriously.

"No, you're not." The Doctor argued, easily thinking of at least a dozen times the Master had lied to her in a second.

"In this case I am." The Master retorted, unwilling to lose this argument. Realising that the Doctor sighed again and gave up, turning back to the screen. She the tensed realising what was left to be seen.

MISSY: Doctor!

[Control room]

(The city is falling apart. The Doctor touches the viscous yuk oozing from cracks in the walls and out of ventilation grills in a corridor. The chief Daleks have the stuff going in and coming out of them while the Dalek Supreme spins on its dais.)

"Don't touch it!" Donna berated, grimacing at the sight of it. The Doctor shrugged unrepentant, she's touched worse.

DALEK: My vision is impaired. I cannot see.
DALEK SUPREME: (spinning) Alert. I cannot control.

[Corridor]

(The Doctor encounters an unaffected Dalek approaching from a side corridor.)

"Clara." Amy said, recognising the Dalek. That was good and bad. Good news the Doctor had found Clara, bad news he didn't know she was Clara. More good news was the sewer Daleks weren't attacking Clara, more bad news was the fact that Missy was around to play mind games and interfere.

CLARA DALEK: Doctor!
DOCTOR: This city is about to be sucked into the ground. Your own sewer is about to consume you. There's no way you can win, there is nothing you can do, so just tell me, where is Clara Oswald?
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek.
DOCTOR: Yes, you're a Dalek. Where is Clara?
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek.

The Doctor winced, recognise that Clara must have been screaming that she was Clara and he hadn't known it. Her relief over Missy saving her swiftly overtaken by the fury of what she was about to try and do. The rest of the group was watching, shoulders tensed as dread built up in the pit of their stomachs.

DOCTOR: Yes, I know that you're a Dalek. Where is Clara Oswald?
(The Dalek stops in front of the Doctor.)
CLARA [in the Dalek]: It's me, I'm right here! It's me, I'm in here! It's Clara!
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek!
(Missy runs up with the Dalek gun and points it at the Dalek.)

The group all scowled as Missy arrived and aimed her gun at Clara, that was the last thing the Doctor needed right now, Missy playing mind games. The Doctor turned to Clara, offering a shaky apologetic smile, eyes unbearably sad as she thought about the near miss. Clara offered her own equally shaky smile back, a nonverbal 'not your fault'.

MISSY: Doctor, stop! It's you, isn't it? I mean, no offence, you all look alike, but it is it is you?
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Yes, it's me, it's me. I'm right here.
CLARA DALEK: Affirmative.

Clara looked away from the screen to turn her own dark scowl on Missy. She'd been so hopeful for Missy recognising her and telling the Doctor who she was and yet she'd been betrayed, something she'd half expected but still hated and felt hurt by.

MISSY: Clara's dead, Doctor. This is the one that killed her.

It wasn't possible for the room's glares to be anymore furious as they realised exactly what Missy was trying to pull, all realising exactly what kind of damage killing Clara would do to the Doctor. The only thing stopping several people from actually attacking the Master (bar some physical restraints from fellow member in the room) was the fact that they knew Clara hadn't been killed here, so Missy's plan must have failed.

The Doctor opened her mental link with the Doctor, mind eerily and unusually still. "I wouldn't have forgiven you."

The Master did the mental equivalent of a snort, "Yes you would have, so many of your pets have died, what difference would it make?"

"No, not this time. This is different. I wouldn't have forgiven you." With that final, steely calm and serious statement she closed off the mental link again. Essentially slamming the door in the Master's face before he could argue.

CLARA DALEK: Do not listen to her. I am a Dalek, I am a Dalek.
MISSY: I got her out of the city, but this one caught us and shot her down. There was nothing I could do, I'm afraid.
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek.
MISSY: She ran. She screamed. I'm so glad you didn't have to see that.

The group was desperately hoping that the Doctor would recognise the Daleks' strange behaviour, recognise that Missy was lying before it would all go so wrong. There was just no other option, the Doctor had to release. They were all sending Clara periodic glances, reassuring themselves that she was there, not stuck in a Dalek and safe. It didn't do much to reassure them.

CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek. I am a Dalek.
MISSY: This one's a mad one, isn't it? I mean, it's almost like, like it's proud.

Clara glared at the Master of trying to write of her abnormal behaviour, able to see that in her panic she'd been acting strange for a Dalek which was likely the only thing that had saved her for so long. She clenched her hands into fists tightly, she just wanted this to be over.

CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek. I am a Dalek. I am a Dalek!
(Missy moves behind the Doctor and puts the gun in his hand.)

The group all inhaled at that movement, waiting and hoping desperately for the Doctor to realise, to piece together the pieces of the puzzle and work it out. The Doctor was watching reluctantly, mentally kicking herself for not recognising everything wrong with the picture, for not immediately recognising Missy's tells.

MISSY: Kill it, Doctor. They're all going to die anyway. Indulge yourself. Go on, kill the Dalek.
CLARA DALEK: Do not kill me! Do not kill me!
(The Doctor points the gun at the Dalek.)
DOCTOR: Is Clara dead?
CLARA [in the Dalek]: No! Doctor, no! I'm not dead, I'm in here! Can you hear me?
CLARA DALEK: I am a Dalek. I am alive.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: I'm your friend. I'm your friend!
CLARA DALEK: I am your enemy. Your enemy.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: No, please, don't.

The room watched with bated breath as Clara became more and more panicked, nothing she was saying coming out the right way. Feeling helpless and unable to do anything about the horrifying scenes on screen was its own kind of torture.

CLARA DALEK: Mercy. Mercy.
DOCTOR: You shouldn't be able to say that.

The hope rose as the Doctor seriously paused, as Clara managed to say something that got the Doctor to react differently. Hoping sincerely and desperately that this was when the Doctor would realise, unable to think about what would happen if this continued much longer.

CLARA DALEK: Mercy.
DOCTOR: That word shouldn't exist in your vocabulary. How did Davros teach you to say that?
CLARA DALEK: Mercy.
DOCTOR: Why aren't you trying to kill me?
CLARA DALEK: Mercy.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: Because I would never kill you. You are the last person I would ever kill.

The Doctor offered Clara such a soft and thankful smile, despite the obvious pain on her face that it almost hurt Clara. It hadn't really hit her that the Doctor would have never known what she'd been saying while she'd ben stuck in the casing till now.

CLARA DALEK: I show mercy.
DOCTOR: I'm putting the gun down. Open your casing.
CLARA [in the Dalek]: How?
CLARA DALEK: How?
DOCTOR: Just think the word "open". It'll work.
(Clara sighs and obeys. The casing opens to reveal her.)

The room all let out a breath at seeing Clara finally revealed, that had truly been a horrible thing to watch and they'd watched a lot of horrible things so far. The Doctor and Clara seemed to have a silent conversation, just watching the other as their expressions changed minutely, both relieved beyond belief that the worst was now over.

MISSY: Oh, look at that. Now, there's a surprise.
DOCTOR: Missy, run.
CLARA: Oh, Doctor
(The Doctor starts to disconnect Clara from the Dalek casing.)
MISSY: In a way, this is why I gave her to you in the first place. To make you see. The friend inside the enemy, the enemy inside the friend.

The group gave the Master in the room a mix of glares and smug smiles and smirks, all recognising that Missy was now desperately trying to explain away what she'd done and tried to make the Doctor do, but for once the Doctor really wasn't having it. The Master just scowled at them, more annoyed for having such a good little scheme ruined but also still ruinating over the Doctor's last words over their mental link. Had she really meant it?

DOCTOR: I'm sorry, Clara. I'm so sorry!
MISSY: Everyone's a bit of both. Everyone's a hybrid.
DOCTOR: I said, run.
MISSY: It wasn't me who ran, Doctor. That was always you.
(Missy walks away.)

The group scowled, glad that Missy was no longer in the picture to mess with the pair, but still furious over what she'd done.

"Always have to have the last word." Martha glared, fury obvious as venom laced her tone.

[Control room]

DALEK SUPREME: Emergency! Dalek control is compromised.
(The Doctor and Clara run in. A bit of ceiling falls.)

"Always the running." Rory smiled, like most of the room he had started to relax upon realising the danger had largely passed. The running was familiar and in an odd way, comforting. And they certainly needed some comforting right now.

DOCTOR: Where was the Tardis? It was over there somewhere, wasn't it?

"Oh right! The Tardis was destroyed too, wasn't it? How did you get it back?" Yaz blinked, in the rest of the chaos she'd almost completely forgotten about that. The Doctor just smirked proudly and waved to the screen in answer.

(He is still holding the Dalek gun.)
DALEK SUPREME: What is happening? Explain! Explain!
DOCTOR: Dalek Supreme, your sewers are revolting.
(More rubble falls as he and Clara run to the indicated spot.)
DALEK SUPREME: You will assist, or you will be exterminated.
DOCTOR: Oh, well, go on, then. Exterminate away.
CLARA: Doctor!

"I'm with Clara! What the hell, Doctor! Don't just tell them to exterminate you!" Rose berated furiously.

The Doctor winced at the scolding put waved her hand sin an attempt to placate the blonde, "I have a plan."

"That's not as reassuring as you think it is." Mickey added in, earning a furious head nod from Rose.

(The Daleks fire, but the energy bolts bounce off something invisible around them.)
DOCTOR: Oops, sorry. Tardis force field is still here. We get in, you don't.

The group let out a breath at that, glad the pair was safe and for confirmation that the Tardis hadn't been destroyed.

DALEK SUPREME: The Tardis has been destroyed.
DOCTOR: Ah, don't be silly, of course it hasn't. It just redistributed itself for a moment. Hostile Action Dispersal System. I'll give it a quick blast from my sonic, and the real time envelope will reassemble right here.

"Good plan. One problem." Ryan interjected, "You don't have your sonic screwdriver."

The Doctor grinned, "But I do have my glasses remember?"

"Don't remind me." Yaz bemoaned, they were certainly an interesting fashion choice and that was saying something considering the Doctor's wardrobe choices.

CLARA: Doctor, you don't have your screwdriver.
DOCTOR: Oh, yeah, I'm over screwdrivers. They spoil the line of your jacket. These days, I'm all about wearable technology.
(He puts on his sunglasses.)
CLARA: No! No? Seriously?

"That was my reaction too." Bill complained but her grin ruined her point.

(The Doctor twitches the glasses and -)
DALEK SUPREME: What is happening?
DOCTOR: Oh, same old, same old. Just the Doctor and Clara Oswald in the Tardis.
(The Tardis reforms around the Doctor and Clara, then dematerialises.)

The group were all grinning widely, glad that the pair had finely escaped.

"Thank god." Donna announced, "It's about time you got out of there."

[Corridor]

(Missy runs into a bunch of Daleks.)
DALEKS: Humanoid detected. Humanoid detected. Remain still. Do not move. Do not move. You are a Time Lord.
(The building shakes. She staggers.)
MISSY: You know what? I've just had a very clever idea.

"No." The Doctor pointed a finger at Missy. She knew Missy hadn't really succeeded in whatever idea she had and was likely only stalling to think of an escape plan, but she wasn't taking the chance. "Whatever you did, just no."

The Master ignored her, a good sign that whatever had occurred hadn't succeeded past her escaping. If he had succeeded, he would be al smug and telling her about all those he'd killed. He could also potentially be ignoring her because of what had happened, the Doctor didn't put it past him to be pouting over that either.

[Planet surface]

(The Doctor and Clara watch the city disintegrate from a high ridge.)

"Glad that's destroyed again." Jack said.

River nodded in agreement, "Let's just hope it isn't rebuilt again."

CLARA: No chance you're going to tell me what's in that confession dial, I suppose?
(He puts it in his trouser pocket.)
CLARA: Hmm.

Clara glanced at the Doctor out of the corner of her eye but her expression was unreadable. In some ways with all the chaos the dial had caused, despite her curiosity, she didn't actually want to know. She would be very grateful if she never had to seem the damn thing again.

DOCTOR: It doesn't make sense.

"Avoiding the question as usual." Amy remarked with a pointed look, but knowing at least part of the story with the dial she was willing to let is slide this once.

CLARA: What doesn't?
DOCTOR: When you were in the Dalek, you made it say mercy.. It shouldn't have understood the concept, it shouldn't have been able to say it. How did a tiny piece of mercy get into the DNA of the Daleks?
(Long pause as the obvious reason finally dawns on him, then he runs to the Tardis clutching the Dalek gun.)
CLARA: Doctor?

"Because you saved Davros as a child." Rory realised; eyes wide as the pieces connected. The Doctor nodded in confirmation even as the scene started to play out on screen. Clara was just thankful for the full explanation for the Doctor running off, again.

[Battlefield]

YOUNG DAVROS: Help me! You can't leave me, you promised. You said I had a chance.
(The Tardis materialises behind him.)
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. Exterminate!
(He blasts all the hand mines to oblivion.)

The group nodded at the repeat of the scene they'd seen earlier but this time they actually got the end of it, revealing how the Doctor had saved Davros, gotten the gun and what his intentions were with his word choice. Things connecting across the two videos to leave them with the final completed picture.

DOCTOR: Come on, I'll take you home.
YOUNG DAVROS: Which side are you on? Are you the enemy?
DOCTOR: I'm not sure that any of that matters, friends, enemies. So long as there's mercy. Always mercy.
(The Doctor holds out his hand. The boy Davros takes it and they walk away together.)

With that the screen faded to black signifying the end of the video, finally. Several people shuffled in their seats, stretching from being inactive for so long. Recognising that and figuring that for once no one had anything to say, the Doctor decided to speak up. "How about we have break? I think it's past time that we all stretched our legs and got something to eat."

Getting plenty of eager nods of agreement the room started to disperse, the Doctor watching the blank screen for a moment as she consolidated her plan. There was another reason she wanted a break. She needed a chance to speak to someone, it was far past time for it. She needed to speak to Clara.