The Age of Steel, Part Two

The group of them stood across the street from Lumic's headquarters. Clara was hugging herself tightly, shaking from both the cold and her fear. The Doctor hugged her from behind, rubbing her arms soothingly. Other Clara clung to her mother, who was petting her hair gently. Clara couldn't help but wonder if she was be like that if her mother were still alive. Would she cling to her mother all the time and not be as independent as she was, or would she still have grown up and grown apart from her mum?

"The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be converted." He continued to rub her arms with one hand while he pointed to the building with the other. Clara looked at the building; she could practically feel the evil radiating off of it.

"We've got to get in there and shut it down." She stated obviously. The Doctor held her tighter.

"How do we do that?" Other Clara asked in a small voice, looking up at the Doctor. He shrugged.

"Oh, I'll think of something." Mickey looked at him disbelievingly.

"You're just making this up as you go along," he accused. The Doctor rested his chin on Clara's head.

"Yep. But I do it brilliantly."

After a while, Mrs. Moore joined them once more. She pulled Cybus Industries on her laptop. All of them crowded around her, looking at the screen.

"That's a schematic of the old factory. Look." Mrs. Moore pointed at the screen, barely touching it. "Cooling tunnels underneath the plant. Big enough to walk through."

"We go under there and up into the control centre?" The Doctor asked, looking from the screen to Mrs. Moore. She nodded. Ellie cleared her throat.

"There's another way in. Through the front door." Ellie stated. Everyone stared at her incredulously. "If they've taken my husband for upgrading, that's how he'll get in." Jake scoffed.

"We can't just go strolling up." He sneered. Mrs. Moore tilted her head.

"Or we could, with these. " She held out a handful of ear pods. "Fake ear pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd." Ellie put on a brave face.

"Then that's my job."

"No!" Clara and Other Clara cried simultaneously. Clara turned to face the Doctor.

"No, she can't. She'll be turned into one of them!" The Doctor looked conflicted. After a moment, he turned to Ellie.

"You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away." Ellie nodded in understanding. Clara scowled.

"How many of those you got?" She asked, ignoring the look the Doctor shot her.

"Just three sets." Clara nodded.

"Okay. If that's the best way of finding him, then I'm coming with you."

"Me, too," Other Clara spoke up bravely. "I'm gonna help you find Dad." Ellie stared long and hard at the two, nearly identical faces that were Clara. She wasn't happy about them accompanying her.

"Clara-" Clara glared at the Doctor.

"If she's going, I'm going." She told him firmly.

"No stopping you, is there?" He asked finally, sighing.

"No." The Doctor was quiet, a plan forming in his head.

"Tell you what. We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep." The Doctor turned to Jake, in full planning mode. "Jakey-boy? Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there." Using his sonic screwdriver as a pointer, he pointed in the direction of the power station. A zeppelin was parked on top, a circle of blinking red lights on its bow and stern.

"There it is." The Doctor continued. "On the zeppelin, you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?" Jake nodded seriously.

"Consider it done."

"Mrs. Moore, would you care to accompany me into the cooling tunnels?" The Doctor went on, looking at the older woman. She smirked.

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" She asked sardonically.

"We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control centre, we stop the conversion machines." The Doctor directed. Mickey faked a cough.

"What about me?" He asked the Doctor. The Doctor paused.

"Mickey. You can- er-"

"What, stay out of trouble?" Mickey demanded. "Be the tin dog? No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake." Jake glowered at Mickey.

"I don't need you, idiot." He spat. Mickey whipped around, rounding on him now.

"I'm not an idiot! You got that? I'm offering to help." Jake shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Whatever," he muttered. The Doctor patted Mickey on the back.

"Mickey. Good luck." Mickey nodded.

"Yeah, you too. Clara, I'll see you later." Clara gave a half smile.

"Yeah, you'd better," she said seriously. The Doctor pulled Clara into a hug.

"If we survive this, I'll see you back at the TARDIS." He told Clara and Mickey. Mickey saluted him.

"That's a promise." He walked off, following Jake.

"Good luck," the Doctor muttered into Clara's ear. She nodded, hugging him tighter.

"You, too."

Lalala

Having already slipped their ear pods in, Ellie, Other Clara, and Clara joined the group of people being escorted into the building. All the Cybermen were up ahead, not able to see them yet.

"Chamber six now open for human upgrading." A Cyberman announced. "Chamber seven now open for human upgrading. Chamber eight now open for human upgrading."

"Don't show any emotion," Ellie reminded the two Claras. "No signs, nothing. Okay?" She was struggling to clear her face of emotion, especially with them in danger along with her.

"Don't worry. We can do it." Other Clara tried to sound encouraging, but it just sounded hollow.

"Chamber seven now open for human upgrading," the Cyberman repeated.

"We could die in here," Ellie told them. "They haven't seen us yet; you two can back out, still."

"We're not leaving you," Clara said fiercely. Other Clara nodded.

"Or Dad," she added. Ellie nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Okay." She whispered. They were almost to the Cybermen. "Show time." Her face went blank, as did Clara's and Other Clara's faces. The Cyberman kept listing all the chambers that were open for conversion.

"This half, follow me," a Cyberman stated coldly, gesturing to the half of the group that Ellie and Other Clara were on. "Other half, follow him." The Cyberman stiffly pointed to another Cyberman. Panic welled up in Clara's stomach. She was being separated! What was going to happen now? She fought to keep her face neutral.

She followed her group, fighting the urge to look back at Ellie and Other Clara.

Lalala

"Units upgraded now six thousand five hundred. Repeat. Six thousand five hundred and rising." A Cyberman was listing off statistics as the group of humans marched along. The procession was stopped right in front of Clara.

"You will wait." The Cyberman that cut her off told her briefly before walking away, its metal feet clanging loudly on the tiled floor. The same Cyberman kept making announcements.

"Chamber six now open for human upgrading. All reject stock will be incinerated." Clara watched in internal horror as a woman walked into chamber. Clara's stomach clenched when that same woman walked out of the chamber as a full Cyberman. After a moment, a Cyberman stomped up to Clara, standing in front of her.

"You are Clara Oswald," it stated. Confirm you are Clara Oswald."

"Confirmed." Clara bit out, barely keeping her composure.

"I recognize you," it told her. "My name is Eleanor Oswald." Clara's eyes widened as they filled with tears.

"No!" She cried, completely forgetting she was supposed to be pretending she was brainwashed. Tear fell down her cheeks. Her mother was dead. Again.

"They are unprogrammed," Cyberman Ellie said. "Restrain." Clara shook her head furiously, fighting the Cyberman that grabbed her arms.

"You're lying!" Clara yelled, squeezing her eyes shut. "You're not her. You're not my mum! She's not dead- not again." Clara tried to fall to her knees, but couldn't because of the Cyberman holding her.

"No, I am Cyber-form. Once I was Eleanor Oswald." Clara shook her head.

"No, you're not!"

"Her brain is inside this body," it contradicted. It took a step back from Clara. "Take her to Cyber Control." The Cyberman holding Clara's arms began dragging her away. Clara strained to look back, searching for the Cyberman that had been Ellie. She couldn't tell which one was her. Faintly, she wondered if Other Clara had been converted as well, or if she had gotten away somehow.

Eventually, she was dumped in the Control Room. She sat in a computer chair, not caring about her surroundings. All she could think about was how she had lost her mother again.

The door opened noisily, but Clara didn't look to see who had entered. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

"I've been captured, but don't worry, Clara's still out there. She can rescue me. Oh well, never mind. " The Doctor said sarcastically, walking up to her. He stopped when he saw her tears. "You okay?"

"Not really." Clara admitted, sniffling. "They turned her. Ellie." She began crying even harder. The Doctor pulled her into his arms. "She's dead- all over again!" She sobbed.

"Then where is he, the famous Mister Lumic?" The Doctor yelled angrily, holding Clara tighter. "Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master?" The Cyberman that had brought the Doctor in stepped forward.

"He has been upgraded." It told them.

"So he's just like you?" The Doctor stood up, facing the Cyberman. She stood with him, wrapping her arms around one of his.

"He is superior." The Cyberman answered. "The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller." A different door opened and a Cyberman in a wheelchair- which was an upgraded wheelchair- entered the room. It looked different from the other Cybermen.

"This is 'The Age of Steel' and I am its Creator." Lumic stated unemotionally.

A/N: What did you guys think? Let me know in a review! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. The Age of Steel will be done next chapter, then there will be some original stuff. Did you like the Ten/Clara stuff I slipped into this chapter? There's more to come, I promise!

While you're waiting for the next chapter, you should go check out my other Doctor Who fic, "Come Along Pond, Allons-y!" ;) I'm sure you'll love it!

Don't forget, review review review!