"Clara!" Star shouted as she sat on the counter in the woman's kitchen, "why are there no bananas?"
"You ate them all." She called back from where she was in her bedroom getting ready to go out.
"Why haven't you got anymore?"
"I haven't been able to go shopping since you last came."
They still continued coming on Wednesday, every Wednesday or at least to her anyway, god knows how long its been for them both but after the Doctor had spent 800 years or so alone on Trenzalore she couldn't blame them for wanting to spent time alone just the two of them. Of course she knew no matter how long it had been for them she knew they would always come back and give her an adventure when they were ready.
She jumped, her thoughts cutting out as Star let out a shriek.
"Why do you have a pear!" the girl cried.
"It's just a pear." Clara sighed, hearing a thump which she could only assume was from Star throwing the pea at the wall; she would be left to clean that up.
She'd been told that last time Star encountered a pear they had ended up at a pear factory only for the girl to blow the factory up, they never said where the Doctor was during that time, whether he was there or not, but she could assume if he was he would agree with her to get rid of the pears. They really did not like pears.
"The Satanic Nebula!" the Doctor cut in as he watched Clara's washing machine go round, not at all surprise by the sudden scream, used to the loud noises Star made, "or...the lagoon of lost stars...or we could go to...Brighton! I've got a whole day worked out. What do you think?" he glanced at Star ask she walked down the Clara room, "Brighton?"
"Sounds good." She nodded before jumping on Clara bed.
"I just made that!" the woman cried.
"Oops!" Star grinned, "but, Brighton, good idea or not?"
"Sorry, but as you can see, I've got plans," she gestured to her outfit, a simple suit but smart enough to show she was going out somewhere nice.
"Have you?" the Doctor looked at her as he appeared in the doorway.
"Look at me."
"Yeah, ok."
"No, look at me."
"Yep, looking," he nodded.
"...seriously? Star, you can see, cant you?" she turned to the girl.
"Another date?" she guessed.
"Yeah."
"Why is you face all coloured in?" the Doctor frowned. "Are you taller?"
"Heels." she lifted her leg up to show him the heels she had on.
"Need to reach a high shelf?" Star joked.
"Right, got to go. Going to be late."
"For a shelf?" the Doctor shook his head.
"For a date." Star corrected, "Is this the same guy?"
"Yes." Clara huffed, "do you really think I'd get another guy in such a short period of time? Don't answer that!" she pointed at them seeing Star open her mouth to reply.
"I want to meet this guy." The Doctor frowned.
"Yeah…why can't we meet him?" Star tilted her head.
Clara opened her mouth, then closed it again, thinking of the right way to say it. she wanted to say that they scare him of because that would likely happen, "I want to make sure it is getting serious before I introduce you to him." she offered.
"You mean we'll scare him off."
"Now I really have to go!" Clara called as she headed to her door, "and the dustpan and brush are under the sink. Star, please clean up the mushed pear before I get back."
"You can't tell me what to do." Star crossed her arms.
"Im the boss aren't I?" she countered.
They all looked back when the phone rang from the TARDIS
"There you go, you've got another playmate." Clara smiled, turning to leave again.
The Doctor stared at the phone, "Hardly anyone in the universe had that number."
"Well I've got it."
"From some woman in a shop," Star remarked, "and we still don't know who that was. Doesn't that drive you mad?"
"No," Clara shook her head, "is that her now?"
"There are very few people it could be," the Doctor said, opening the door and reaching for the phone.
"It could be River…" Star mused. "And then the woman who gave you our number." It was very irritating not to know what that was.
"Don't," Clara warned.
"Why not?" the Doctor glanced back at her.
"Because, if you answer it, something will happen."
"What?"
"A thing!"
"It's just a phone, Clara."
"No, don't!" Star called as the Doctor picked it up…
~.~
Star flung the memory worm across the table that had somehow appeared in her hand, next to her, the Doctor did the same as Clara screamed on Stars right, throwing it on the table, opposite was a man with cybernetic parts and a black woman who was mostly covered.
"Doctor?" Clara looked at them, "Star?"
"Don't touch it!" the Doctor warned.
"Where are we? How did we get here?"
"Who are you?" the man asked, "sorry, what's going on. I don't understand."
"Have I seen you before?" Star squinted at the other people.
The woman sat next to the man, dressed with most of her skin covered, with a glove off from when she touch the worm. Her face formed to that of the worm for a second before turning to normal as she put her glove back on. "What is that thing?" she stared at the worm.
"Memory worm."
"What happened to your face?" Clara turned to the woman in shock.
"Deletes your memories," the Doctor explained, "one touched transmits a toxin to the mid brain."
"Did you see her face?"
"How did I get here?" the woman asked.
"Same way we all did," the Doctor reasoned, "and we've all forgotten."
"And who are you?"
As if on cue and pre-recorded message began.
"I am the Doctor, a Time Lord of Gallifrey. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will."
And then Star, "I am Star, a Time Lady from Gallifrey. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will."
Clara was heard after her, "I am Clara Oswald, human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will. Do I really have to touch that worm thing?"
"Yes, you do," the Doctor replied in the recording.
"And change your shoes," pre-recorded Star called, "you can't run in heels."
"You're next, PSI."
"I am PSI," the man said in the recording, "augmented human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will."
PSI clicked a small tab from the side if his head and looked at it, frowning.
When the woman came on the recording, "I am Saibra, mutant human. I have agreed to this memory wipe of my own free will."
There was a click from the case and a bright light glowed as the case opened and a deep voice called, "this is a recorded message. I am the Architect. Your last memory is of receiving a contact from an unknown agency: me. Everything since has been erased from your minds." in the case they could make out the blurry figure of someone wearing a black cloak over their head, "now pay close attention to this briefing. It will happen once." the screen changed to show a desert planet under a red sun. With a single city, in the middle of the city, was a large building, "this is the Bank of Karabraxos. The most dangerous bank in the galaxy." it showed the screen reached down into the planets core, "a fortress for the super rich. If you can afford your own star system, this is where you keep it. No one sets foot on the planet without protocols. All movement is monitored, all air consumption regulated. DNA is authenticated at every stage. Each vault, buried deep in the planet, is accessed by a drop slot at the planets surface. The vault below is atomically sealed: an unbreakable lock, the atoms have all been scrambled. You're presence on this planet is unauthorised." there was a loud thump on the door of the room. "A team will have been despatched to terminate you."
"This is bank security!" a man shouted though the door, "Open up!"
"Your survival depends on following my instructions."
"Open up and you shall be humanely disposed of."
"There's another exit!" Saibra told them, "look!" she pointed at the doors opposite the main doors.
"All the information you need is in this case, acquire it!" the Architect finished.
PSI stepped forwards and inserted one of his fingers into a socket on the side of the screen.
"What are you doing?" the Doctor frowned.
"Downloading," he stated.
"Ah. Augmented, nice."
In the case was a small glass slide in a sealed box, the Doctor spotted this and quickly pocketed it.
"The bank of Karabraxos is impregnable," the Architect remarked.
"Please stand clear of the door," the security man order, "we have no wish to hurt you before your incineration."
"The bank of Karabraxos has never been breached."
"We've got to go, now!" Saibra calls as she stood at the other doors.
"You will rob the bank of Karabraxos."
The main doors began to splintering as the guards tried to break in, "run!" the Doctor yelled and the five of them ran out the other doors and down a corridor, "ok, ok, stop, stop, stop, far enough," they stopped running and caught their breath.
He turned to PSI, "augmented human. Computer augmented, yes? Mainframe in your head?"
"I'm a gamer," the man replied, "sort off, who put you in charge?"
"Liar," Star remarked, "that's a prison code on your neck."
"Ok, I'm a hacker. Slash bank robber."
"Good. You could be handy."
The Doctor pointed at Saibra, "mutant human. What kind of mutant?"
"Like he says why are you in charge now?" she asked.
"It's my special power, what's yours?"
Hesitantly, Saibra pulled of her glove, holding it to Clara. She looked back at the Doctor who nodded, taking Saibra's hand the woman turned into Clara before she let go turning back to herself again.
"Mutant gene." she explained, "I touch living cells, I can replicate the owner."
"Your face," Clara began, "when we first saw you..."
"I touched the worm. I replicated the owner."
"You replicate clothes too."
"I wear a hologram shell."
The Doctor pulled out the small box he took, "human cells. DNA from a customer, maybe? A disguise to get us in?"
"We're actually going to do it?" Clara asked, "Rob a bank?"
"We don't have a choice," Star turned to her, "it's this or we die. I'd rather rob a bank."
~.~
"How long can you maintain the image for?" the Doctor asked Saibra as the walked down the corridor. She was now disguised as an older bank customer. The others pretending to be her, or more his, security team.
"For as long as I like," she answered.
"Question one," the Doctor whispered, "robbing banks is easy if you've got a TARDIS. So why are we not using it?"
"Because we don't know where the old girl is?" Star countered.
"Good point. Where the TARDIS is probably should have been question one."
They froze hearing the sirens sound, "security breach," a voice announced, "repeat: security breach. We are currently in secure lock down."
Shutters locked the doors and windows, every exit sealed, leaving the group trapped.
"They know we're here," Saibra breathed.
A woman entered, dressed smartly, head of security by the looks of her. Behind her a creature with grey skin, a large head with two antennae, looking similar to radar, followed, bounded in an orange straitjacket, with guards at its sides.
"What is that?" Saibra hissed.
"I don't know," the Doctor stared at it, "hate not knowing."
The creature looked around the room, stopping in front of a black man in a suit.
"Excuse me, sir" the ginger woman also approached the man, "I regret to say, your guilt has been detected."
"What? That's...that's totally ridiculous," the man stuttered.
"Is it, sir? Then we shall certainly double check. The Teller will now scan through your thoughts for any criminal intent. Good luck, sir."
The Teller aimed its antennae at the customer, scanning him.
"It's like a sniffer dog," Star mused, "but telepathic and hunts guilt."
"What about our guilt?" Clara pointed out.
"The mans guilt is drowning ours out."
They watched as the man clutched his head, trying to fight the Teller off him.
"What's he doing?" Clara asked.
"If he has a plan, he's trying not to think of it," the Doctor answered her.
"Ever tried not thinking about something?" PSI remarked to Clara.
"No." she looked at him.
"You may have to," Saibra stated.
"Ah, criminal intent detected, how naughty," the woman commented sweetly, "what was your plan? Counterfeit currency in your briefcase, perhaps."
"No, not at all, for gods sake," the man fumbled.
"It doesn't really matter; we'll establish the details later. The Teller is never wrong when it comes to guilt. Your account will now be selected and obviously, your mind." she turned to the creature, "suppertime."
The creatures antennae joined together and a wave of energy attacked the man, making him scream in pain.
"What's it doing now?" Saibra whispered.
"Wiping his mind," the Doctor told her, "turning his brain into soup."
"Your next of kin will be informed," the woman remarked, "and incarcerated as a further inducement to honest financial transactions."
"We've got to help him." Clara determined.
"Too late." Star murmured.
"He's in agony, look at him." she looked as tears streamed down the mans face.
"Those aren't tears, Clara, that's soup." The Doctor told her.
The Teller pulled its antennae apart as the man stood swaying, his mind gone, his head flat.
"Account closed," the woman said, "take him away, he's ready for his close up."
The guards led the man away as the woman pulled out a small comm. device, "apologies for the disturbance. Everybody have a lovely day." she turned and walked out of the room with the other guards leading the Teller out with her.
~.~
The shutters opened and the group continued to booth, 714. The doors locking behind them.
"Deposit booth locking," a computer called, "please exhale, your valuables will be transported up from the vault."
Saibra exhaled onto the small device and the chute opened, another case revealing to them.
Saibra changed back to herself, no longer needing the disguise, "if he can break in and plant this thing then why does he need our help?" Saibra frowned.
"Depends what the thing is," the Doctor reasoned, taking the case and opening it to show a bomb of some sorts. "Ok. I'm not expert. But, fuses, timer. I'm gonna stick my neck it and say bomb." he turned to Psi, "bank schematic. Now."
Psi gave him a dirty look before turning to the wall, placing his fingers there, a projection of the bank appearing in front of them.
"The floor below is all service corridors," the Doctor remarked, kicking the ground "the veins and arteries of the bank. He wants us to blow through the floor."
"We'll die if we do that." Saibra cried.
"Doubt it," Star countered, "there's obviously a plan."
"What if the plan is, we're blowing the floor for someone else," Clara pointed out, "what if we're not supposed to make it out alive?"
"Then I would never have agreed. Clara, you know I wouldn't do anything if we would end up dead."
"Don't be so pessimistic," the Doctor agreed, "it'll affect team morale."
"What, and getting us blown up won't?" Saibra scoffed.
"Well only very, very briefly."
"Er, no, no way!" Psi shouted, "Do what you like, in taking my chances out there..."
"Psi, no..." Clara shook her head.
"No, these people, your mates, they lunatics!"
"I prefer insane," Star corrected, "actually I don't even prefer that anymore. Im not even 700 yet and feel like im having a midlife crisis."
"Star, you're rambling." Clara interrupted her.
"What do you want, Psi," the Doctor glared at him, "more than anything else? Whatever it is, it's in this bank. You agreed to rob the most impregnable bank in history; you must have had a very good reason. We all must have. Picture the thing you want most in the universe and decide how badly you want it. Well?"
"Still don't understand why you're in charge," he mumbled.
"Basically, it's the eyebrows." he flicked a switch and they all flattened themselves against the wall, expecting an explosion but none came.
"Nice", Star grinned, "Dimensional shift bomb. Sends the particles to a different plane."
They looked down the hole that had appeared on the floor, leading to the service levels, a network of pipes and tunnels.
"Come on then, Team Not Dead!" the Doctor ushered them all down, following last, using the bomb to cover the hole again, hurrying to catch up with the others.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Saibra asked, "What's the plan?"
"I don't know. The Architect set all this up, it should make sense. My personal plan is, a thing will probably happen quite soon."
"So that's it. That's it, that's your plan?"
"Yep."
"A thing will happen?"
"Yep, a thing. Probably."
"We make it up as we go along." Star informed the woman, "Always works better that way."
"Doctor! Star!" Clara called from down some more stairs as she and Psi found another case.
"There we go!" he cheered, "thing time!"
"How does he get the cases here?"
"Well obviously, by breaking into the bank in advance." Star rolled her eyes.
"How did he do that? And if he can do that, why does he need us."
"Not our problem."
"What is our prob...?" Psi began, when he started to flinch, "pro, pro, pro, pro...our problem."
"You ok?" Clara eyed him, concerned.
"Drive glitch." he slapped his neck.
"Guilt is our problem," the Doctor remarked, "guilt, in this bank, is fatal. The Teller can hear it. Ever since that first case was opened, we've been targets. The more we know about why we're here, the louder our guilt screams, that's why we wiped our memories. For our own safety. Now once I open this, I can't close it again."
"Would it be safer if only one of us opened it?"
"Go and volunteer then," Star looked at him.
"Er, why me?"
"You didn't need the memory worm, you're half computer, you can manually delete. You can clear your thoughts."
"Ok." he nodded, "gimme," the Doctor slid the case over to him and Psi looked inside, "no plans just...stuff. Equipment. I don't know what it is, you made as well look." he turned the case sound for them all to see. Inside were 7 small tubes with needles sticking out, "What are they?"
The Doctor looked at one, and pocketed them all, "not a clue."
"Interesting," Saibra murmured.
"What is?"
"You're lying."
"Er. Why would he be lying, lying, lying, lying, lying..." Psi glitched again, sinking to his knees. "Sorry. Stress. Drains batteries."
The Doctor soniced a box on the wall, opening it to find a socket box, "interface with this."
Clara and Saibra helped Psi up, "do we have time?"
"Why not? There's not immediate threat." the all tensed hearing a moaning in the distance.
"When will you learn to stop saying things like that," Star groaned.
"Sorry," he shot her a smile, "Clara, stay with Psi. Saibra, Star, let's go and investigate." he and Star walked off with Saibra following.
~.~
"Aren't going to ask?" the Doctor asked Saibra as they walked down another corridor.
"Why did you lie?" she looked at him, "those hypo things, you know what they are."
"An exit strategy, of sorts. How did you know I was lying?"
"Im usually the only one to know when he's lying." Star remarked, "as he knows when I am."
"I've had a lot of faces; I find them easy to read." Saibra told them.
"Quite a gift." The Doctor nodded.
"A gift?" she scoffed.
"Got us in here."
"Mutant gene. No one can touch me. If they do, I transform. Touch me, Doctor, and you'll be looking at yourself. I am alone!"
"Why?"
"Could you trust someone if they looked back at you out of your own eyes?"
They stopped at a cell on the wall, inside was the male customer, with his blank mind, a camera above him, blinking as it watched him. They stared in horror as Clara and Psi caught up.
"My god," Clara breathed, "why is he even still alive?"
"I don't know. But someone is watching," the Doctor frowned at the camera.
"Doctor," Psi turned to him as the moaning got closer, "however this goes, whatever happens...don't let me end up like that."
"In that case, best not stand around waiting to get found," Star turned and quickly walked off, not wanted to stay there for any longer, it just...disturbed her with them just there, empty. "come on."
They took of at a run down the corridors.
"Intruders in the service level," a voice announced.
"Now this says 'place to hide.'" the Doctor stopped at a metal grill, a sign, 'NO ENTRY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.'
The Doctor soniced it open and they all squeezed through, emerging in a dark chamber, a large chamber in the centre of the room.
"Where are we?" Saibra whispered.
The Doctor peered through the misty cage, spotting the Teller inside, "nobody move," he ordered, "nobody say a word."
They all froze, hearing the guards rush pass outside the grating.
"It's cocooned," Star realised, "forced hibernation."
"It's power is probably dormant." the Doctor added.
Clara tried to edge away, but accidentally knocked a chair, one of the antennae pressed itself against the glass.
"Clara! It's locked onto you," the Doctor told her, urgently, "it may still be asleep, don't wake it."
"Ok. How do I not do that?" she breathed.
"Like this." Star reached out and placed her fingers on the woman's temples making her slightly dazed and hypnotised before stepping between her and the Teller, making it lock onto her.
"Star!" the Doctor hissed, careful not to shout and wake it up, "what do you think you are doing?"
"Shh. I have this all under control." She stood in front of Clara, keeping calm and relaxed and she closed her eyes focusing on blocking her mind from the Teller.
She opened her eyes again, everyone relaxing, as the Teller fell back to sleep.
"Don't scare me like that again." the Doctor told her, hugging her.
"Don't worry, I only do what I know im capable of doing."
"This way," Psi whispered, pulling the grating from the other wall, they ran to the grilling. Star gently tugging Clara through before placing her fingers to her head again, releasing her.
"Warn me next time you do that." Clara rumbled, rubbing her head.
Star grinned at her, "You're welcome."
Saibra made her way over from where she kept look out from the other vent when more guards shouted, re-wakening the Teller.
"Saibra!" Psi yelled.
"She's still in here!" Clara gasped, "How do we get her out?"
There was a whistling at the Teller scanned Saibra's brain.
"It's scanning her brain," the Doctor muttered.
"Then what?" Psi asked, dreading the answer.
"Soup."
"Then help her!" Clara cried.
The Doctor pulled out an atomic shredder, "Saibra," he called to her.
"What do I do, how do I get away?" she asked.
"It's rooting through your brain. It's tasting all the secrets stashed inside. Any moment it will finish its sweep and start feasting on what's left."
"And then I'm one of those things we saw, sitting in a cage..."
"Yes."
"Can you not get me out?"
"I'm sorry. I don't know how once it's locked into your thoughts."
"Exit strategy," Saibra's gaze fell on the atomic shredder, "that means what I think it means, right?"
"Atomic shredder," he nodded.
"Painless?"
"And instant."
After a slight hesitation, Saibra grabbed the shredder, "when you meet the Architect, promise me something. Kill him."
The Doctor shook his head, "I hate him but I can't make that promise."
"Oh! A good man. I left it late to meet one of those." she pulled in the atomic shredder, screaming as she dissolved into nothing.
~.~
The group squeezed out of the grilling into a corridor near the vault.
"Right then," the Doctor looks around, spotting the vault, "vault, that's clear. What's not clear is what we do now..."
"Are you ok?" Clara asked him quietly.
"No, I'm an amnesiac robbing a bank, why would I be ok?"
"But with Saibra, what you had to do..."
"Saibra is dead, but we're not. Prioritise if you want to stay that way."
"Is that why you call yourself the Doctor?" Psi glared, "the professional detachment?"
Star advanced on Psi, dangerously, "listen, you. Saibra is dead. But we are not. After this is over, you can go and find a shoulder to cry on all you want but until then you need my dad. So shut up!" she turned and took the Doctors arm leading him to the vault door.
"Underneath it all, they're not really like that," Clara told Psi.
"It's very obvious you've been with them awhile." He turned to her.
"...why?"
"Because you are really good at the excuses."
"They're not excuses. I just know them, they're my family."
"Ha!" the Doctor cheered, finding another case in the booth next to the vault, "another gift from the architect. Shall we unwrap?"
"This is it!" Psi realised, "the mouth of the vault." he opened it to see a single jack lead and unusual arrangement of pins and a card 'Tech 251, Org 339, PV," written on. Clara pocketed the card.
Psi pulled the circuit panel of the wall, "right, the system looks like its time delayed. There are 24 lock codes I need to break." he used the jack lead to plug himself in to the circuit and began to crack the codes...when the heard the Teller.
"It's coming," Clara breathed, "we're trapped."
"Psi, how long?" the Doctor asked him.
"As long as it takes," he answered.
"It's locked in to one of our thought trails."
"We split up," Star decided, "minimise the brain signals."
Psi grabbed the Doctor arm, holding out his hand, "what happened to your professional detachment, Doctor?" the Doctor handed him one of the atomic shredders.
"No." Clara shook her head.
"In case it finds me. It's my choice."
"You don't use that, ok? Promise me."
The Teller screamed again, "ok, time to run!" Psi shouted.
The Doctor, Star and Clara ran off, leaving Psi to finish cracking the code.
"Separate!" the Doctor instructed, he and Star went down one corridor as Clara went down the one opposite.
They ran along the corridors, keeping away from the Teller when they heard Clara scream.
"Clara!" Star gasped, running back the way they came, the Doctor following.
Psi had obviously heard her scream as they heard him calling to the Teller, "come on! Come and find me. Every thief and villain in one big cocktail, I am so guilty. Every famous burglar in history is hiding in this bank right now! In one body. Come and feast. Clara," he called to her, "for what its worth and it might not be worth much. When your whole life flashes in front of you, you see people you love. People missing you...and I see no one."
He then screamed and they knew he had used the atomic shredder.
"Vault unlocking..." the computer announced, "failed."
~.~
The Doctor, Star and Clara met back at the junction at the vault corridor.
"It's not opening," Clara tried to prey the door open, "Psi, he died for nothing."
"Multiple locks," the Doctor muttered, "the last one still in place..." he pulled out the sonic and flashed it at the circuits, "atomic seal. Unbreakable. Even for me. The Architect would know that. He wouldn't bring us this far for nothing."
"And get two people killed."
"Exactly, there has to be some logic."
"Some logic?" Clara stared at him
"Come on Architect! What else have you got?"
They heard a rumble in the distance and the lights flickered.
"The storm!" Star exclaimed, as the final lock began to beep. "It's tripping the system. He must have known about the storm coming."
"How could he know when a storm would hit?" Clara shook her head.
"Oh, of course!" the Doctors eyes widened, "stupid, stupid Doctor. Of course, of course."
"Of course what?"
"Whoever planned all this, they're in the future. It's not just a bank heist; it's a time travel heist. We've been sent back in time to the exact moment of the storm, to be in the exactly right place when it hits because that's the only time the bank is vulnerable!"
"Vault unlocked." the computer announced, the vault door opening.
"The bank is now open," Star remarked as they walked in, the Doctor hitting a switch closing the door behind them.
In the room were thousands of safes, all numbers and labelled, all set up like a labyrinth.
"Come on," the Doctor led them further in. He flicked a safe and it opened, "explains why we're not here in the TARDIS."
"Sorry, what?" Clara frowned.
"The solar disruption would have made navigation impossible. The one time the bank is vulnerable, is the one time we can't just land."
"Clara," Star looked at her, "what was on the card you took from the case?"
Clara pulled it out, letting them look. "Tech?"
"Technology," the Doctor nodded, "everything's currency in a bank. 251 find it."
They split up, looking down the different rows of safes.
"Found it," Star called, not long later, inside was a small silver circuit.
"Neophyte circuit," the Doctor pocketed it, "I've only ever seen one once before. It can reboot any system. Replace any lost data."
"Psi. This is what he came for." Clara said, "His reward. He lost all his memories."
"So what did Saibra come for?" He wondered.
It didn't take them long to find the safe labelled Org 339. Inside was a small bottle.
"Gene suppressant," the Doctor also pocketed that, "the gene that made her transform, this would destroy it forever."
"She wanted to be normal," Clara remarked.
"I used to feel like that," Star murmured.
"What?" Clara looked at her, hearing her even though the Doctor didn't.
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"I said what?"
"No before that."
"You said what."
Clara shook her head at her, knowing she wouldn't get an answer from her.
"Everyone had a weakness," the Doctor shrugged, "so the big question is this, what did we come for?"
"PV," Clara read the card.
"Private vault. Karabraxos' own fortune?" he turned the corner and jumped seeing the Teller there.
~.~
The trio stood in the office of the woman they saw earlier, Ms Delphox or something, all three of them handcuffed. The Teller before them, in its straitjacket. The neophyte circuit and gene suppressant on the desk.
"Intruders are most welcome," Delphox remarked coldly, "they remind us all that the bank is impregnable. Helps morale to have a few of you scatters about the place. Preferably on view." she waved her hand and a guard turned in the screen, showing them all the people who have had their minds wiped by the Teller, "are you ready for your close up?"
Star glanced at two guards by the door, one seeming to look intimidating while the other had a helmet on, she hid her smile.
"If your thinking of ways to escape, the Teller will know before you even make a move," Ms Delphox continued, seeing them look at the door, thankfully missing the wink, "you'll never be bothered by all that thinking again."
"Hmm, useful species," Star nodded.
"Last of its kind. And we've signed an exclusive deal."
"Hmm, must be noisy in its head. Painful to listen to so much chatter, so many secrets must drive it wild."
That was what she felt when she first discovered she was telepathic, it was hard to act like she couldn't hear other people's thoughts, but she soon learnt out to block them all out unless she wanted to read their minds.
"How can you force it to obey?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh, everything has a price tag, I think you'll find," Ms Delphox smiled when there was another rumble. She turned to a guard, "storms getting worse. Customers are leaving. Director Karabraxos will be...concerned. Our jobs will be on the line..."
"You're scared." the Doctor noted.
"I'm terrified. I have the disadvantage of knowing Karabraxos personally."
"If you don't like your boss, why stay?"
"My face fits, if you'll excuse me, I must take the Teller to its hibernation." she turned to the guards at the door, "you two, dispose of our guests," she and the Teller left the room.
"Finally," Star laughed, the hand cuffs slipping off, "hello Saibra. Psi."
The two guards uncuffed the Doctor and Clara before the guard took of his helmet to reveal Psi and Saibra transformed again.
"Oh." the Doctor blinked.
"What looked like death," Psi smiled, "was actually a teleport!"
"Oh my god!" Clara laughed.
"It's good, eh? You think were dead so the Teller thinks we're dead! Play the creature at his own mind games."
"Sorry what?" the Doctor shook his head, "you're alive?"
"Yeah, we're alive." Saibra laughed, "look at us, all alive."
"No, no, no, no. Not dead, alive."
"There's an escape ship in orbit," Psi told them, tossing the Doctor the hypo, "takes you right there. Oh and there's this big blue box, is that yours?"
"Well, this is good, I suppose..." the Doctor commented, "You'll be able to resume the mission," he handed Saibra the gene suppressant, "gene suppressant, antidote for your condition," and handed Psi his circuit, "memory giver. All your yesterdays. There you go, jobs paid in full. Clever old Architect."
"Very clever," Saibra agreed.
"Still hate him, though."
"Me too."
"How were you paid?" Psi asked.
"I don't know. There's something in the private vault."
The group head back down the corridors to the private vault, to find out when they came for, "what's that?" the Doctors spotted a loom of tubes and wires running up the side of the shaft.
"Supply line," Psi analysed, "its feeding oxygen to the private vault. There's another for water. Your basic life support."
"For a bank vault?" Clara frowned.
"Someone likes to hang out with their wealth," Star reasoned.
~.~
They squeezed through the shaft and into the private vault. A room full of priceless artefacts, an original Shakespeare folio, a Turner, a Ming case, a Faberge egg, one of everything. An antique desk at the end if the room with Karabraxos sitting wither her back to them in a chair behind the desk.
"Wow," Star breathed, looking around, "I know a certain uncle who would be very at home here."
"Irving?" the Doctor glanced at her.
"Definitely Uncle Irving."
Her uncle Irving, the Doctors older brother loved ancient artefacts and paintings. He used to have his own collections back on Gallifrey.
"Director Karabraxos?" the Doctor called, "er, excuse us. We've come to rob you. So if you want to put your hands above your head or..."
Karabraxos turned to them, looking exactly like Ms Delphox. "Or?" she asked. "You didn't bring any weapons. That's a bit of an oversight."
"You think," Star pulled her dagger out.
Karabraxos reached for her communicator, "security, Karabraxos here."
"You're Karabraxos?" the Doctor stared.
"One moment."
"Director Karabraxos?" Ms Delphox came in the line. "Is there a problem?"
"Intruders in the private vault. Send the Teller, Ms Delphox, please. I want to know how they got in, then I want to wipe their memories. See to it."
"She's a clone," the Doctor realised.
"Only way I can't trust my own security," Karabraxos nodded, "I have a clone in every facility," she spoke back into the communicator, "get it right away."
"Yes, of course," Ms Delphox replied.
"And then turn in your credentials. You're fired, with immediate effect."
"But please, I've been in your service..."
"Ever since the last one let me down and I was obliged to kill it. I can't believe you're putting me threw it again," she hung up. "My clone. And yet she doesn't protest. Pale imitation, really. I should sue!"
"You're killing her?" Clara gasped, "But you said..."
"Fired? I put all the used clones into the incinerator. Can't have too many of moi scattered around."
"You don't get on with your own clone?" Psi frowned.
"She hates her own clones," the Doctor corrected, "She burns her own clones. Frankly, you're a career breaks for the right therapist."
"3, 2, 1," Star smirked.
"Shut up, just everybody shut up!"
"There it is."
"What is this display now, as amusing as you are..." Karabraxos began.
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shutterty up up up!" he turned to Saibra, "what did you say. What did you say. About your own eyes? De-shut up, say it again."
"How can you trust anyone if they look back at you out of your own eyes," she recited.
He turned it Star, "I know one thing about the Architect. What is it that I know? There's one thing I've known from the very started."
"Go on," she smirked in amusement.
"I hate him. He's overbearing, he's manipulative, he likes to think that he's very clever, I hate him. Star, I hate the Architect!"
"I think he hates you too," she laughed.
"What in the name of sanity is going on in this room?" Karabraxos demanded.
"We're getting sanity judgement from a self burner." the Doctor scoffed, "do you mind if I borrow a wee bit of paper?"
He grabbed a pen and piece of paper from the desk, scribbling down a number.
"And what are you doing now?" Karabraxos asked.
"I'm giving you my phone number."
"Why?"
"Well I thought you might like to call me someday. Sorry, I thought we were getting on famously, am I misreading the signals or something?" he folded the paper and handed it to the woman, on the top half he wrote 'We're time travellers' on.
"You do have a habit of being wrong in this regeneration," Star pointed out.
He ignored her as there was another rumble from the storm, "oh, boy that was a big one, wasn't it? You bank is about to lose for good, Karabraxos. If I were you, I'd get going."
"Don't mind us," Star remarked, "we'll stay and burn."
Karabraxos eyed them, before quickly grabbing a small suitcase and filling it with artefacts.
"Hard to know what to take," the Doctor said, "greatest treasures of the universe and just one suitcase."
"Doctor, Star," Clara turned to them, "what's the plan? Is there a plan?"
"We can use the shredders," Saibra told her, "get back to the ship."
"They're not shredders," Star shook her head, "they're teleports. And wanna know what's even more interesting about them?"
"What?"
"There's 7 of them."
"Hey, give me a call sometime," the Doctor called to Karabraxos as she entered the lift to leave the bank
"You'll be dead," she looked at him, bemused.
"Yeah, you'll be old and full of regret for the things you can't change," he mimed her calling him as the doors shut.
"Doctor, what the hell is going in?" Psi demanded.
"Are you remembering?" Clara frowned.
"No, not a thing," he sighed, "but I'm understanding."
"What are you understanding?"
"I'm not sure yet. I need my memory back. And I think there is only one way to do that..."
"Which would be...?"
The lift came back down.
"Soup," he stated.
The doors opened and the Teller stepped out.
"Hello big man," Star looked at him, "I hope your hungry, you have a volunteer." she stepped out of the way as the Teller pulled the Doctor into its telekinetic grip.
"Doctor!" Clara cried.
"No...no, let it take me," he grunted, "let it read me. It's the only way."
"Well, actually I could go into you mind and see what's missing," Star shrugged.
"Oh, now you say," he groaned as he fell to his knees in pain.
"Sorry."
"It will kill you!" Clara yelled.
"What have I told you about pessimism?" he convulsed in pain, "right that it, there are so many memories in err, feast on them. Knock yourself it! Scarf, bow tie, bit embarrassing. What do you think of the new look? I was hoping for minimalism, but I think I came back with magician! Can you see the block? Tell me why I'm here! Show me why I'm here! Show me!"
The Teller was able to give him back his memories, allowing him to see that Karabraxos had called him, he had organised everything, he was the Architect, they had chosen to wipe their minds.
The Doctor flopped into the floor as the Teller released him, "do you see?" he looked at the Teller, "why we came? Why we're here? We had to delete our own memories, otherwise you'd have known, and then she'd have know. Because you're mentally linked."
"But she's gone." Star told the Teller, "They've all gone. They have no power over you now. You can do what you want. What you have always wanted to do."
The Teller walked to the safe, mentally unlocking the door.
"It knows the combination!" Psi gasped.
"Of course it doe. It was linked with Karabraxos."
"What exactly are we doing here?" Clara ordered, "That thing killed people."
"And you wouldn't?" Star countered, "to protect everything you loved."
The safe door opened and inside was another Teller, lying in the corner of the room, straw in the ground, weak and un-nourished.
"There she is," the Doctor smiled. "Not the last of its species. The last two." he hurried to the creature's side and unchained it, "it's ok. It's alright."
"Exit strategy," Saibra realised, "we've got 7 shredders."
"Exactly! This wasn't a bank heist, it never was. It was a rescue mission, for a whole species. Flesh and blood, the last currency."
The room shook form another rumble, the storm was getting worse.
"So, big man," Star smirked at the Teller, "do you wanna go home?"
The Teller let out a mighty howl, very happy to go home.
~.~
They had taken the Tellers to a distant planet. Peaceful and quiet with the sounds of birds chirping, the perfect place from the creatures.
"So much mental traffic in the universe," Star remarked softly as they watched them walked off, side by side, "solitude is the only peace."
~.~
They set the TARDIS in the time vortex, all laughing as the Doctor told them jokes, eating Chinese takeaway in the console room "...scary hombres, Says to me, what do you think of our Leaning Tower of Pisa," he tilted his head to side, "it looks ok to me!"
After they had finished their food, they said their goodbyes. Psi with his memories back and Saibra was normal, no more mutating.
Psi had offered his services if they ever needed him for another bank heist and Saibra had been very happy to give them all hugs without turning into them before they both left.
Star piloted them back to Clara time as the Doctor cleared away the takeaway boxes. "There we are. Not even 5 minutes after we left."
"Go have fun," the Doctor remarked, "don't do anything we wouldn't do."
"It's a date!" Clara grinned, "I've just realised. I'm going for another meal now!"
"Oh, don't worry," Star waved her off, "calories consumed on the TARDIS have no lasting effect."
Clara stopped at that, "you're kidding."
"I can't believe you fell for that," she scoffed, "it's a time machine not a miracle worker!"
Clara rolled her eyes at her, "see you. Don't rob any bank."
"Don't rob any banks...what?" the Doctor looked at her, mischievously.
"Without me."
"Course not boss," the Time Lords smirked at her as she left.
"See." Clara pointed at Star, "I am the boss. See ya!" she left the TARDIS.
"Im still not going to clean the pear up!" Star called after her
"Robbing a bank!" the Doctor cheered a he got them back into the vortex, "robbing a whole bank! Beat that for a date!"
Macbabe01: Since you mentioned that I can totally see the resemblance. Divergent is a great series. :)