Arthur didn't understand what was happening right now. One moment, he's still inside the Tardis with the Doctor. The next moment, he's landing on a riverbank of London, with people gathering in funny clothes as if they belong in the Victorian Era. Big Bang blares than usual. And if that's not weird enough, a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex walking around London, which is impossible, to begin with!
The dinosaur starts hacking like there's something stuck at its throat. Then, it hacks up something that makes Arthur gasp. It hacks the Tardis! Arthur watches in amusement as it spins through the air before landing on the riverbank, not far from his position.
"Arthur?" A voice called him. Arthur spots three figures running down to the riverbank. Three figures Arthur had never seen before. A lizard woman with a black gown, a lovely maid, and a tiny butler that looks like a potato. "Is that you, my dear?" The Lizard Lady gently asked him.
"Hello," he greeted them. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"
The Maid Woman frowns. "You don't know who we are? At all?"
The blonde shook his head. His head was still dizzy and hurt.
"I see," the Lizard Lady nodded, looking understand. "You're still new. There's a chance for you do not know who we are. But you will... in the future."
"Pardon me, but I don't understand what you're saying."
"You will know. Later. But for now..." she glances at the Tardis in front of them.
"So it's him, then?" The Maid Woman inquired. "The Doctor?"
The Doctor? But wait, why does she call the Doctor 'he'? The Doctor's a woman... as far as Arthur knows.
"A giant dinosaur from the distant past has just vomited a blue box from outer space," the Lizard Lady said. "This is not a day for jumping to conclusions. Strax, if you wouldn't mind?"
The Potato Butler, Strax, walks to the Tardis and knocks on the door. "Hello? Exit the box, and surrender to the glory of the Sontaran Empire."
The Tardis's door opens and an old man with grey hair and blue eyes sticks his head out. "Shush!" He said before shutting the door.
"Doctor?" Strax called confused.
That's not the Doctor Arthur knows. The Doctor he knows is a woman with blonde hair and caramel eyes, not an old man with grey hair and a faint Scottish accent. But the Doctor mentioned about experienced dying and changing. Does that mean... she's always changing her looks and gender?
"I'd put your diary inside your backpack as well. The diary contains some photos of me from the past. Those two are important items you require when you're traveling."
That's right! The Doctor said that to him before he disappeared. Arthur wastes no time unpacking his backpack and searching for the diary the Doctor mentioned. He sighs gladly after finding it, opens some pages, and finds five photos that attach to the first page. He recognized two of them as the Doctor, while he doesn't know the rest. The Doctor he met before got labels that say '13' beneath the photo, yet the old man before him got labels as '12'.
The labels... why number it like that?
The door opens again, and the Doctor looks at them. "I was being chased by a giant dinosaur, but I think I managed to give it the slip," he remarked before closing it door. Strax looks over at them, clearly confused. But then, the Tardis's door opens a crack and the old man peers out. "Sleepy?"
"Sir?"
He steps out, staring at Strax. "Bashful? Sneezy? Dopey? Grumpy!" He sees the Lizard Lady and the Maid Woman. "Oh, you two! The green one... and the not-green one. Or it could be the other way round, I mustn't prejudge!" Then, he gazes at Arthur. "Oh, Sunny! Good to see you again! I was hoping you can help me! Can you remember..."
As he's gesturing the box, two figures Arthur never sees step outside. A young brunette woman with messy hair, wearing a red skirt, white long sleeves shirt, and black blazer. Between her, there's another girl with bob blue hair and brown eyes, wearing a red leather jacket with a dark blue t-shirt, long grey khaki pants, and black combat boots, while carrying a simple, velvet sling bag. They look so messy, confused, and bewildered.
"The girls, the, er, the not-me one, the asking-questions one? Names, not my area."
The bluenette girl gestured at the messy hair girl. "Clara." She gestures to herself. "Claudia."
"Really?" He looks at the dinosaur. "Oi, big man, shut it! Oh. Big woman, sorry."
The messy-hair girl, Clara, runs over to him. "Doctor, listen to me. You... you need to calm down."
"I'm not flirting, by the way. I'm already married! Several times!"
Clara spots Arthur. "Oh, Arthur, thank goodness you're here. I think something's gone wrong with him."
"Wrong? What's gone wrong?" He suddenly looks back and forth between Clara and Arthur. "Have you regenerated?!" He frowned, looking deeply at the confused blonde boy. "No. You're still you. Still my Sunny." He shifts his stares to Claudia, the bluenette. "You're Handles, aren't you? You used to be a little... a little robot head, and now you... you've really let yourself go."
"Clau, what's going on?" Clara whispered to Claudia. Although Arthur swears, Claudia, for mere seconds, stares at him, stunned. Does she know him as well? In the future?
The dinosaur roars.
"Can you reduce the frequency?" Arthur proposed, rubbing his head.
The Lizard Lady frowned. "I'm sorry?"
"Your sonic lanterns, turn them down. You're giving her a headache, which gives Sunny a headache as well," the Doctor noted.
"Giving who a headache?" The Maid Woman asked.
"The dinosaur," Arthur pointed out, still not sure.
"How do you know?" Strax asked.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Come on, Clara! You know that Arthur and I speak dinosaur."
"He's not Clara, Doctor," Arthur corrected. How can he keep mistaking people's names and still rumbling? "She is."
"Well, they have very similar heights. Maybe they should wear labels." Then he backs away. "Why... why are you all doing that? Why are you... You're all going dark... and wobbly. Stop that."
"I don't think we are," Clara replied, already calm down.
"Never mind! Everyone... take 5!"
As he said that, he passes out and collapses to the ground. Arthur soon rushes to his side, looking worriedly.
Clara and Claudia also rush to him and turn him over. "What do we do?"
"I don't understand, who is he? Where's the Doctor?" The Maid Woman asked.
"That's him," Arthur replied. "That's the Doctor."
"Well then, here we go again," the Lizard Lady denoted.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Night has fallen as they carried the Doctor back into Madam Vastra's resident, the Lizard Lady. Strax has already changed his clothes into a suitable ones for sleeping. Right now, Arthur tries his. best to calm the Doctor, whose frantic and walking around, as if he's trying to find something. While Clara, Claudia, Madam Vastra, and Jenny (who is Madam Vastra's wife), stay outside the room since they think Arthur can calm the Doctor down to fall asleep.
It doesn't work.
"Doctor, please, you need some rest," Arthur begged.
"It's simply misunderstandable to me, Sunny," he gestured around the bedroom. "Who invented this room?"
Poor Arthur just looks lost. "Eh... I dunno. Why's that matter?"
"Because it's doesn't make sense. Look, it's only got a bed in it. Why is there only a bed in it?"
"Because it's a bedroom, Doctor," he replied before yawning. His head's still dizzy and he wants to take a nap. "For people who need sleep."
"Then, what do you do when you're awake?"
"You leave the room, of course."
"So you've got a whole room for not being awake in? But what's the point? You're just missing the room... And don't look in that mirror! It's furious."
"There's absolutely nothing in that mirror," he blurted, and sighed, trying to stay awake. "Please, just lie down, Doctor. You keep passing out."
"Well, of course I keep passing out, there's all these beds!" Then, he frowned. "Why do you keep talking like that? What's gone wrong with your accent?"
Arthur frowned. First the bedroom, then the mirror, and now the accent? "Nothing's wrong with my accent."
"You sound the same like those people before! Now you've developed a fault!"
Arthur sighed. Boy, this might take a while.
"Are you sleepy?" He suddenly asked him.
"What? Oh, eh, yeah. But I don't need to."
"Oh. No way." He stops pacing around, and gently holds his left hand, leading him into a bed before kneeling. "You're just jumping for the first time. You need some sleep, young boy."
"But you need one more than me," Arthur argued, yawning again as the Doctor put him into a bed, tucking a blanket to him. He wants to ask about what happened to him before arrives here, but he's too tired to do so. "You're just... well, changed. You need rest."
"Nonsense. I can stay awake, keeping you safe." He touches his temple. "Sleep well, my Sunny."
Before he can protest, Arthur feels asleep.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Doctor?" Claudia called and enters the room. The man himself looks tense and makes a gesture like ready to fight. "I need your help with something. Recently, I'm having difficulty sleeping.
"Oh?" He soon relaxes and kindly leads her to the bed. "Oh, well, I wouldn't bother with that, I never bother with sleep, and I just do standy-up-catnaps."
"I see," she replied as the Doctor placed his hands on either side of her head. But the bluenette soon places her hands on the sides of the Doctor's head just as he removes his from her head. "Can you project an image of perfect sleep into my mind?"
"What, do you want a psychic link with me? The size of my brain, it would be like dropping a piano on you."
"I'm aware. Can you... be gentle?"
"I'll try. Brace yourself! Piano."
He places his hands against her head and promptly falls unconscious on the bed. Luckily, he's not hitting on Arthur's body, so she's just put him beside the young boy. "All clear."
Madam Vastra, Jenny, and Clara enter the room. "So what now?"
"He needs rest. Regeneration and stuff. Excuse me," she quickly said, leaving the room hurriedly into Madam Vastra's chamber, wiping her tears. She shouldn't be sad, but after what happened at Trenzalore, she can't help it.
"Come, Claudia," Madam Vastra gently held her shoulders after following her from behind. "I think a cup of tea and some story won't hurt a bit."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"And then?"
"And then we got swallowed by a giant dinosaur," Claudia finished, sitting on a chair that Jenny kindly provided to her. Around the same time, Clara enters with Strax. Jenny takes another tea for the bluenette. "The Doctor's just regenerated and... and Arthur, the adult one, left again. I tried to handle the Tardis since River taught me, but it went haywire here and there. Not to mention, the Doctor kept shouting and blabbering and stuff. One wonders how Arthur can handle him being like that." She smiles sadly, drinking her tea. "I dunno what's happening to me right now. I'm such a mess, despite trying to control it."
Madam Vastra, already put on her veil, nodded. "I'm truly sorry," she sincerely said.
"Yeah," Claudia sighs. "I know the day will come. But... it still... painful."
Clara shook her head. "I still can't believe them. I mean, how could they do that to you? Especially Arthur, of all people. And the Doctor just agrees with it?"
Claudia's looking at her reflection on the tea. "They never want me in there. Living for years on a battlefield. You know how much the Doctor hates that. Especially with me."
It's not a big surprise how much the Doctor hates war. One can tell after the hellish he suffered from the war between the Daleks and Time Lords. He even lost his family because of the war. It's too much. And Clara, who became a Time Lady in one of her lifetimes, still recalls bits by bits of the scene of the war.
"I'm worried about the Doctor," Clara admitted. "Is he going to be okay? I mean, will he's going act... well, abnormal? I heard from Delaney that he acted a bit harsh during his sixth incarnation."
"Let's just hope he doesn't," Claudia hoped. She wants to argue with Clara about her skepticism. But it would make things get out of her hands. The last thing she needs is another argument.
And, as if today's not getting insane, she heard a roar.
Madam Vastra soon stands up. "That came from the river!"
"Oh my words," Claudia realized. "The dinosaur!"
"Strax, bring the carriage, now!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Everything just went insane after that. Claudia, Clara, and Madam Vastra just sit inside a carriage as Strax keeps pushing the horses to move faster, while Jenny stays at the house to keep Arthur's safe. Claudia looks sick, which makes sense, as the girl keeps looking at the night sky, but to be more specific, the burning fire.
"What do you think's happened?" Clara asked.
"I don't know, but I fear devilment," Madam Vastra muttered.
After a while, they finally arrive at the closest bridge crossing the Thames, where they can the dinosaur was killed. They step out, surprised to see the Doctor, still in his nightgown, standing on the railing.
"The Doctor!" Clara pointed out. "What's he doing here?"
"When trouble comes, he'll be there," Claudia shrugged.
"She was scared," he mumbled. "She was scared and alone. I brought her here and look what they did."
"Who or what could have done this thing?" Madam Vastra asked.
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
"No. That is not the question. That is not where we start."
"The question is how," Strax prompted. "The flesh itself has been combusted..."
"No, no, shut up! What do you all have for brains, pudding? Look at you. Why can't we meet a decent species, Claudia? Planet of the pudding brains!"
Well, at least the rudeness is still there. "Doctor, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down and talk to us, okay?" Claudia asked in an assortment. "What is the question?"
"A dinosaur is burning in the heart of London. Nothing left but smoke and flame. The question is... have there been any similar murders?"
"Yes! Yes, by the Goddess, there have!" Madam Vastra confirmed.
Claudia looks at the people on the embankment, who are talking excitedly amongst themselves. But the girl frowns upon spotting a man with no emotion. "Weirdly enough, there's someone who doesn't act surprised at all."
"He seems remarkably unmoved by the available spectacle."
Claudia turns around to the Doctor, only to find him already jumping into the river. The bluenette groaned. That idiot just jumped into cold water right after regeneration.
How on earth River can handle his stupidity whenever she was around, Claudia had no idea.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The next morning, Arthur wakes up from his long sleep. The Doctor's nowhere around the room. The blonde stepped outside the bed, puzzle with so many writting below the floor, but simply ignored it and step outside the room.
"Good morning, Sir Arthur," Jenny greeted him. "How are you feeling?"
"Eh, okay, I suppose." Arthur shrugged. "What's happening?"
"Something attacked the poor dinosaur and we're trying to investigate." Jenny stares at Arthur. "Come with me. I think we still have a suitable suit for you, Sir Arthur."
"You don't have to call me 'sir'," Arthur admitted as Jenny helped him to put on his Victorian-Era's clothes. "It's too formal."
Jenny smiles. "That's generous of you." She brushes his blonde hair with a nearby brush. "All done."
"Wow," was all Arthur can say. He grabs his backpack (that Jenny brought before) and soon follows Jenny into Madam Vastra's chamber room.
"Do you already write your diary, Arthur?" Madam Vastra asked as Strax brings some bacon and egg to him.
The young boy shook his head as he swallows his breakfast. "No. I haven't got time to do so."
Madam Vastra nodded. After what happened yesterday, she can be expected him to say that. Especially this younger version of him. "I assumed the Doctor already hasn't told you about the diary?" The boy shook his head. "But he did tell you about his timeline?"
Arthur nods. "Something about moving at the Doctor's timeline, at past and future." He lowered his head. "Wait... the diary... is like my guidebook, am I right? So I know which Doctor I'll face. Past or future."
"Indeed." Sensing how confused he looks, Madam Vastra kindly asks. "What's wrong?"
"It's just... I don't understand what's happening. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was inside the Tardis, with the Doctor and others. Then suddenly I'm here, meeting strangers I barely even know, yet they already know who I am." He sighed. "It's just... confusing."
"It is. I never experienced what you did, but I can feel your confusion with these new things." Madam Vastra gently holds his hands. "It's hard to process, but let me assure you, it's going to be okay. Things might still confuse you, but you will find the answers." Madam Vastra stands up. "Now, my dear, while we're investigating, why don't you write down your diary? I'm going to fetch others."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Thanks to a clue left behind in a newspaper, Clara, Claudia, and Arthur walk inside the restaurant. The Doctor sends a message to meet in Mancini's Family Restaurant. Although Arthur somehow feels doubtful that the Doctor would send the message via the newspaper. But that's just his feeling anyway.
While they're walking, Arthur notices how Claudia seems to avoid him so much, like keeping some distance and avoiding eye contact, which confused him. Why is she never talk to him? Is she hate him? If so, will he do something horrible to her in the future?
"It's too quiet," Claudia said after they enter the restaurant. Everyone just keeps eating their meal without chatting. They soon take a seat at a table against the wall. Clara looks at the paper to keep busy while Claudia and Arthur sit still without any conversation.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Arthur suddenly asked Claudia. You're never talking to me, like... like you hate me."
"I'm not hating you," Claudia replied quickly. Regret can be seen on her face. "It's just..." she sighs. "It's complicated, Arthur," Claudia expressed, running her hand through her hair. "I often meet you in wrong orders like the Doctor, so I'm used to seeing you... and your future self. Still need adjustment, but..."
Arthur frowns, and sniffs, smelling a nasty smell. And apparently, he's not the only one who smells that, as Clara and Claudia also sniff. They look around for the source of the smell... and see the Doctor already sitting next to Arthur and Claudia. He's wearing his nightgown from last night, albeit with a long coat.
Clara fans the folded paper under her nose and makes fake coughs.
"What's wrong?" He askes.
"I don't know! Maybe the smell?" Clara pointed out.
"I know, it's everywhere."
Claudia frowns. "Doctor, where did you get that coat?"
"Er... I bought it."
"From where?"
"Er, a shop."
"No," Clara disagreed.
The Doctor sighs. "Might have been a tramp."
"You don't have any money."
"Er... I had a watch!"
"No! That watch was beautiful."
"It was my favourite."
"You swapped your favourite watch for a smelly coat?" Arthur looks confused.
"Well, I was in a hurry, Sunny, and there was a terrible smell."
"Too smelly," Arthur added, makings he and the Doctor smiles.
"No, no. Don't, don't... Don't, don't smile. I will smile first and then you know it's safe to smile," Clara stops him.
The Doctor looks at her. "Are you cross with me?"
"I am not cross, but if I was cross it would be your fault and... yes, I am cross."
"And if I hadn't changed my face, would you be cross?"
"I would be cross if I wasn't cross!"
Claudia cut in. "Doctor, just be honest. Are you the one who put that cryptic note in today's newspaper advert?"
The Doctor frowns. "I thought you two did that."
"No. No... no, I nor Clau didn't place the ad," Clara argued. "You placed the ad."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you placed the ad, I figured it out! Impossible Girl, see, lunch?" Clara holds up a paper, showing the Doctor.
He takes it. "No, look, the Impossible... That is a message from the Impossible Girl."
"For the Impossible... Girl."
"So... if neither of you and the Doctor placed that advert," Arthur slowly stares at the restaurant, feels scared, realizing that beside them, all of them just moving through the motions and never eating their food, "who placed it?"
"This could be a trap," Claudia added, seemings in a ready position to fight.
The Doctor scratches his head. "It's... it's a vanity trap. You're so busy congratulating yourself on solving the puzzle," he pulls a hair from his head, "you don't notice that you're sticking your head in a noose." He holds air up by fingertips.
"What are you doing?" Clara asked. "And that isn't the only grey one, if you are, erm, having a cull."
"Do you hate having grey hair?" Arthur asked, confused. He doesn't understand why people hate having grey hair. He thought having grey hair is great.
"If I got new hair, and it was grey, I would have a problem."
"Hmm, yeah, I bet you would," Claudia agreed, which makes Clara smacks her shoulder.
Arthur pulls one hair from his head. "Here."
"Thanks, Sunny," the Doctor said, holdings the piece of hair loosely.
"Are you trying to measure the air disturbance in the room?" Claudia suggested.
"Right, moments when you know you are boring," Clara joked.
The Doctor drops the hair and it falls straight down. He then looks out at the diners, and looks a little disturbed, holding Arthur's hand closely. He seems finally reached the same realization as Arthur. "There is something extremely wrong with everybody else in this room."
"Look at them," Arthur proposed to Clara and Claudia, before adding. "But be careful."
Clara and Claudia look out the side of their eyes at them. "They look fine to me," Clara admitted. "They're just eating."
"Are they?" The Doctor inquired.
Claudia looks again. "No. They're not eating."
"Something else they're not doing." He pulls another hair from Arthur's gently and drops it.
"Breathing," Arthur finished.
"What do we do?" Clara asked him and Claudia. Normally, she would include Arthur in this matter, but because she's facing a younger version, she can't bring him into this situation.
"What, you don't want to eat, do you?" The Doctor asked.
"Hmm! Slightly lost my appetite. How long before they notice that we're different?"
"Not long."
"You know, we could just get out of here, like we've changed our minds with these poor services," Claudia proposed.
They stand to leave, but then, all people inside the restaurant also stand up. They take a step forward and all of the customers move toward them. The Doctor gestures to the girls to stay, and take another step, and they moved toward him.
"We could... take another look at the menu," Clara suggested as she, the Doctor, Arthur, and Claudia sit back down and the customers resume their places. The Doctor gently wraps his hand at him protectively. "What are they?"
"I don't know. But don't worry, because that's not the question," the Doctor offered. "The question is what is this restaurant?"
"Clearly not a restaurant," Arthur answered, looking up to see a waiter standing there, starings at them.
"Er... no sausages? Do you... And there's no pictures either." He glances at Arthur. "Do you have a children's menu?" The waiter takes out a wand-like device and scans him. "Any specials?"
"Liver," he replied with monotone voice.
"I don't like liver."
"Spleen. Brain stem. Eyes."
"Mm. Is there a lot of demand for those?" Clara asked sarcastically.
"Clara, he's not talking about the menu on the paper," Claudia corrected her. "He's talking about us. We're the menu."
The waiter soon scans Arthur. "Lungs. Skin."
Before the waiter can scan Arthur deeply, the Doctor peers up at him. "Excuse me," he said while ripping off his face, revealing a pilot light burning underneath.
"Okay. Robot in a mask," Clara noted.
"It's a face."
"Yeah, it's very convincing."
"It's a real one," Arthur revealed.
Clara and Claudia were startled back while yelped in shock.
"Yes," the waiter suddenly said.
"Yes, what?" The Doctor asked him.
"Yes, we have a children's menu."
That alone makes the Doctor reacts quickly to shielding Arthur from the waiter, realizing the implication of taking the children on their menu. But unfortunately, he and the rest cannot do anything since they get restraints that come out from the chairs over the upper arms and chest and another around the waist and lower arms that are made of metals.
The booth's lowered down a shaft.
"You've got to admire their efficiency," the Doctor shared.
"Is it okay if I don't?" Clara pointed out before slowly coming to a rest in an open room that has been unused for so long, that it has turned to rust. Arthur can see a man sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, his back to the shaft. Figures are standing in alcoves around the room.
"Hello? Hello, are you the manager? I demand to speak to the manager."
"Doctor, don't wake him up," Claudia said, deadpanned. "He's not the manager and this isn't your typical restaurant."
"Well... it's more a sort of automated collection station for the unwary diner," the Doctor blurted.
"So, where are we now?" Clara asked.
"Factually, an ancient spaceship, probably buried for centuries, functionally... a larder."
"So why hasn't somebody come for us?" Arthur asked.
"We're alive. And we will get out of here. Your sonic pen?"
"At the Tardis," Claudia replied. Yours?"
The Doctor leans forward, the sonic screwdriver peeking out from under his coat. "Ready?"
"Go for it."
"Don't let it roll away."
"I'll try my best, Doctor. Do it."
He shakes the sonic loose and it falls to the floor. Claudia tries to reach it with her feet. It takes some time before she finally grips the sonic between her shoes and throws it up to her hands, uses it on the restraints.
The four of them walk slowly to avoid being caught up. They spot one of the figures in an alcove. It is dressed like Mandarin. "Doctor?" Clara called.
The Doctor studies it up close. "Dormant."
"How do you know?"
"I don't. I'm just hoping."
Arthur look around nervously. "These robots... are they responsible for killed the dinosaur?"
"Well, if they're harvesting organs, a dinosaur would have some great stuff," the Doctor replied, which makes Arthur paler. The man cursed in Gallifreyan. Great. He'd just traumatized him.
"Why would robots need that?" Clara asked, not wanting to say 'organs' in front of a child. "Burke and Hare from space?"
"No, but that's a good theory. Droids harvesting spare parts. That rings a bell."
They stop and look at the android, who sits still in a chair.
"Captain, my Captain," the Doctor muttered, holding Arthur closer.
"Can he see us?" Claudia asked.
"Dormant."
"Hoping?" Clara added.
"Yep. Oh, look!" He hurries to the chair and lifts a wire. "He's recharging. He's asleep." Arthur curiously waves fingers in front of the android's face. "Doesn't even know we're here."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure, not sure, one or the other."
Both girls peers at the android. "Okay, so half-man, half-robot. A cyborg, yeah?" Clara guessed.
"Doctor, look at the hands," Arthur gestured.
Clara frowns. "What about them, Arthur?"
The Doctor holds up both hands. "They don't match. These hands don't belong to the same body."
"I don't understand."
"I don't blame you. See, this... this is not your normal cyborg. This isn't a man turning himself into a robot. This is a robot turning himself... into a man, piece by piece."
"That's what the restaurant's for?" Claudia wondered, running her hand through her hair.
"Well, it would need a constant supply of spare parts. Some of that metalwork looks Roman. Wonder how long it's been around, how much of the original is even left. The eyeballs look very fresh, though."
The android's arms move, causing them to jump back, makings Arthur and Clara yelp. The android places his hands on the arm of the chair.
Claudia seems tense. "Is it awake?"
"It's waking up... I think," the Doctor replied. Clara motions with her hands for them to leave. "Okay, let's go," he agreed as they move slowly and quietly through an open door. The Doctor stops and turns back through. "I've seen this before. I'm missing something!"
"Doctor!" Clara, Arthur, and Claudia hissed.
"It's the brand-new head, rebooting!" He taps his head. "Come on! I've seen this before!"
Claudia and Clara quickly forced the Doctor back towards the door. "Hurry up!" Claudia told him, pushing him through the doorway as the android begins to move as Clara looks back. The door slides closed, leaving both girls trapped. "Doctor!"
The Doctor uses the sonic on the door and it rises partway for him and Arthur, but not enough for Clara and Claudia to get through.
"Quickly!" Clara insisted.
"Go back," Claudia remarked, looking back. "It's waking up. No point with the sonic screwdriver. Better go back! Get some help!"
"I can't leave you!" The Doctor argued.
Clara glances back. She looks pale and terrified. "Please. Just go!"
The Doctor looks reluctant, looking back and forth between Claudia, Clara, and Arthur. He doesn't want to leave them alone. But at this rate, all of them will get captured. He can't risk that with Arthur. "Okay."
"No!" Arthur protested. "We can't leave them!"
"You must!" Claudia denoted. "Just go! We'll hold them up, okay?"
Arthur shook his head. He doesn't want to abandon them. But there's nothing he can do as the Doctor drags him away from that place. He's just a 10-years-old child who was suddenly stuck in this mess.
"We'll get them back," the Doctor noted seriously as they were running back. "Trust me, Sunny."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Where are the others?" The android asked, causing both girls to turn around. "There were two people. Where are they? Where are the others? You will tell us... or you will be destroyed,"
"Go on, then," Claudia challenged, raising her chin. "Try it. Threats are just empty words if you just saying without action."
"You will tell us where the other two are."
"Nope," Clara told him, holding Claudia's hand behind.
"You will be destroyed."
"Destroy me, then. And if you don't, then... I not going to believe a single threat you make from now on. Of course, if I'm dead, then... I can't tell you where the other one went, then... You need to keep this place down here a secret, don't you? And don't try to ask my friend here. She's very resilient."
"Humans feel pain."
"Perhaps," Claudia shrugged. "But you see... I'm not human. Like my friend said, I'm very resilient. Plus, I have backups plan. And if you dare to harm one of us, I'll make you'll die in agony. I can think of 10 ways of doing that." She glares at him. "Wanna try?"
"The information can be extracted by means of your suffering," the android claimed.
"Are you trying to scare us? Well, cos I'm already bloody terrified of dying... and I'll endure a lot of pain for a very long time before I give up the information that's keeping me alive. How long have you got?" Clara dared as the android stands. "All you can offer me is our life, what you can't do is threaten it. You can negotiate."
He removes his right hand and lifts it to where it grips his lapel. Clara and Claudia back away in caution. "Is that all you've got?" Claudia sneered. "Let's settle this more civilly. Three of us just share our information. No guns, no threats, and no killing."
The android attaches a blowtorch to his arm and holds it out towards them. "We will not negotiate."
"Well, then. You will never get your answers if you don't cooperate."
"We will not answer questions."
"My words, you're so dumb. What's the deal with cooperating, huh?"
"We will not answer questions."
"Why did you kill the dinosaur?" Clara asked first.
"We will not answer questions!"
"Then you might as well kill us because we're not talking again till you do," she states looking away from him. Claudia can see tears forming in her eyes, tears that Clara desperately trying to hold.
The android lowers the torch. "Within the optic nerve of the dinosaur is material of use to our computer systems."
"You burned a whole dinosaur for a spare part? No, no, hang on. You know what's in a dinosaur's optic nerve, which means you've seen them before."
"Where are the others?"
"How long have you been rebuilding yourselves?" Claudia asked.
"Where are the others?"
"Look at the state of you!" Clara pointed out. "Is there any real you left? What's the point?"
"We will reach the Promised Land."
Claudia frowns. "The Promised Land?"
"Where are the others?"
"We don't know. But I know where he will be... where he will always be. If the Doctor is still the Doctor... he will have my back." Clara slowly reaches her right hand behind her back, then gazed at Claudia. "I'm right, aren't I? Go on. Please, please, God, say I'm right."
She got her answer the moment both girls' hands is gripped and they pulled away. They find the person is none other than the Doctor himself. "Hello, hello, rubbish robots from the dawn of time, thank you for all the gratuitous information. Five foot one and crying, you never stood a chance." He slaps down the android's torch hand. "Stop it!" He presses his sonic into a power source. "This is your power source, and feeble though it is, I can use it to blow this whole room if I see one thing that I don't like, and that includes karaoke and mime, so take no chances."
"Where's Arthur?"
"At Vastra's house."
"Wait. You don't bring him here?"
"Of course not! How can I bring Sunny into this horrid place?! It's madness!"
Claudia blinks. It seems like, no matter what, the Doctor's always protective of him.
"Why are you here?" The android demanded.
"Why did you invite us? The message, in the paper... that was you, wasn't it?" He asked, but with the android's reaction, he soon realized his mistake. "Oh. I hate being wrong in public. Everybody forget that happened. Claudia, Clara, say the word."
Both girls press their fingers to each of their brooches and speak in unison. "Geronimo!"
From an opening in the ceiling, Vastra and Jenny perform an aerial drop as they unroll with a silk sash. They both land gracefully and unsheathe their weapons. "Remain still and lay down your weapons, in the name of the British Empire!"
And then, Strax falls to the floor as he tries to copy the same stun miserably.
"What do we say about that stunt, Strax?" Claudia reprimanded him with a deadpanned face.
"Sorry, Madam."
"I burned an ancient, beautiful creature for one inch of optic nerve. What do you think you can accomplish, little man?" The android dared.
"What do you? Vastra?" The Doctor called.
Madam Vastra blocks his arm. "The establishment upstairs has been disabled with maximum prejudice, and the authorities summoned."
"Hang on, she called the police?" Clara pointed out. "We never do that, we should start."
"You see?" The Doctor's standing behind Madam Vastra. "Destroy us if you will, they're still going to close your restaurant." He frowns. "That was going to sound better."
"Then we will destroy you," the android declared as other robots step out of the alcoves, blades attached to their arms. The door opens to the hall allowing others inside. Vastra pushes the android away. He then advances with the others behind him. The Doctor, Claudia, and Clara back away, while Vastra stands between them and the robots.
"No, you won't. You're logical. You have restraint. You kill to survive, you're not a murderer."
"He's not a what? This is a slaughterhouse!" Clara hissed.
"And how does that make it different from any other restaurant? You weren't vegetarian the last time I checked." He looks at the android. "This is over. Killing us won't change that. What would be the point?"
"To find the Promised Land," he insisted.
"You're millions of years old, it's time you knew, there isn't one."
"I am in search of paradise."
"Yeah, well, me too. I'm not going to make it either."
The android backhands the Doctor and he falls to the floor, the sonic slipping from his pocket. "Doctor!" Clara called, kneeling beside him with Claudia.
The android walks over to the booth at the base of the shaft. "I will leave in the escape capsule. Destroy where necessary."
"Escape capsule? This ship is millions of years old, it'll never fly," Madam Vastra argued.
"It has been repaired."
"What with?"
"You."
"Defensive positions everyone," Strax announced as they surround the Doctor, Claudia, and Clara as the robots encircle them.
"He's getting away!" Claudia warned.
The booth starts up the shaft. "Your friend is intelligent. He'll know better than to follow me," the android noted and he left.
"We'll be okay, just get him!" The bluenette said.
The Doctor nods and holds on to a bar underneath the booth as it goes up, living them with those robots.
"It is our intent to leave," Madam Vastra claimed. "If it is your intent to stop us, perhaps we should get down to business."
Claudia takes out her dagger that she kept on her dressing gown as she, Madam Vastra, Jenny, and Strax fight all robots around, while Clara just simply watches, and cannot do anything else as she's not a combatant like others.
"How many do you estimate, my dear?" Madam Vastra asked her wife.
"More than upstairs, about 20, 30?"
"I think it's more than 30," Claudia added, cutting three robots' heads.
"The ones upstairs were mere decoys. These are battle-ready," Madam Vastra clarified. "I anticipate a challenge."
"Don't worry, my boy, we shall die in glory!" Strax announced, firing his laser.
"Okay. Good-o!" Clara hoped.
They continuously fight. However, no matter how hard they strike, the robots stand back up and continue the fight.
"Why can't you stay dead, coward!" Strax demanded with laughs, invigorated by the battle. As Vastra and Jenny keep pushing the robots away, Claudia keeps slicing the enemies and shielding Clara away from them. But still, it won't matter as all robots already surrounded them.
"Jenny!" Madam Vastra called.
"Hold your breath!" Clara suggested. "They're stupid. Everybody hold their breath."
Everyone holds their breath and the robots pull away from their weapons and pause. Claudia finds the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and crawls away. She tries to use the sonic on the door, but still nothing.
"Stop!" Madam Vastra shouted and they all release their breath. Claudia shakes the sonic as the robots reach out for her and Clara, ready to kill them.
But then, the robots suddenly shut down. Their bodies collapsed to the floor.
Claudia sighs. "Finally," she breathed.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Arthur sighs, feeling bored with all of this silence.
True to the Doctor's word, as soon as they arrive at Madam Vastra's house, he told them everything. He entrusts Madam Vastra, Jenny, and Strax to come up with a plan as he's gone back into the restaurant after changing his clothes and leaving Arthur to them. The boy protest, of course, but the Doctor insists to keep Arthur away from the restaurant.
And apparently, Madam Vastra takes the Doctor's words seriously, she made Strax lock him up inside her house, in case he's wandering off. Damn.
Time passes as the boy's waiting, hoping they're safe and sound without any danger.
He heard the door unlock. Arthur gulped. Who open it? Is it Madam Vastra? But there aren't other voices alongside. Then... is it the enemy? Did that android locate this house?
"Sunny?"
Immediately, he feels relief. It's just the Doctor.
"I'm here," the boy replied, taking his backpack and walking to him. "Did everything go smoothly?"
"Yeah," he noted, holdings his hand, and leading inside the Tardis. Arthur frowns upon the new interior inside. It seems the Tardis looks more... bookish, with some bookshelf around. Not that complained, of course. He loves a good reading.
He and the Doctor walk into the largest wardrobe he has ever seen in his life. As the Doctor changes his attire, Arthur changes his clothes back into the normal ones that he finds inside the wardrobe.
"I assume you have many questions?" The man asked after they get back into the console and pulled up a lever from the console. "I'll try answering them. But not many, since some might potentially be spoilers. So be my guest."
Arthur cocked his head. Sure, he has many questions. But since there are so many, he doesn't know where to start first. Well, he can ask the very first question he needs to know the answer to. "How can I be here, Doctor? I mean, I was with you, and then suddenly, I got here."
The Doctor checked his console. "Where were you before?" He asked. "Past or future?"
The blonde boy opens his diary. "Uhm..."
"Check my photos. The labels indicate my timeline. For instance, I'm the Twelve Doctor. If you're just met the floppy hair one, who's number 11, that means you're in my past. But if the numbers are above me, that means you're in my future before."
Ah, so that's what those labels mean. And since the Doctor Arthur met got labels '13', that means... "I was at your future."
"Okay. Don't give me any details. Spoilers and stuff. I assume my future self didn't explain anything to you?" Arthur shook his head. "I see." The Doctor looks at the monitor, set things up, and approaches Arthur. "Well, the thing is... you're born with a special gift. You have an ability that allows jumping between my timeline. Whenever in my past or my future. The jump itself is very random and unpredictable, so it's hard to navigate. Which is what the diary's for."
"As my guidebook."
The Doctor nods. "That's very vital, Sunny. The diary is important so the timeline can be preserved so you know which version I am, was, or will be. Same goes for me." He takes his diary with the same blue Tardis' color on the cover. "Since you always appear randomly, I need a guide as well, so I don't accidentally tell you things beyond your knowledge. And sadly, the details are spoilers, so that's the only thing I can tell you."
"Are you close?" Arthur suddenly asked. "With my parents, I mean?"
He looked away. Before he can say anything, the door suddenly opens. Arthur turns around and sees Clara and Claudia step inside, now in modern cloth.
"You've redecorated," Clara noted.
"Yes," the Doctor confirmed.
"I don't like it."
"Not completely entirely convinced myself. I think there should be more round things on the walls. I used to have lots of round things. I wonder where I put them," he checks the console for a brief moment before looking back at her. "I'm the Doctor. I've lived for over 2.000 years and not all of them were good. I've made many mistakes," he rounds the other side of the console to face her, "and it's about time that I did something about that. Clara, I'm not forbidden your relationship with Claudia."
"I never thought you were."
"I just want you to know that. So both of you understand," he looks at her and Claudia before putting the Tardis in motion and then shows off his new clothes. "What do you think?"
"Looks great," Claudia admitted. But Clara doesn't say anything. "Doctor. There's something that keeps bugging me. Who put that advert in the paper?"
"Who gave you my number?" The Doctor alluded to Clara. "A long time ago, remember? You were given the number of a computer helpline, and you ended up phoning the Tardis. Who gave you that number?"
"The woman. The woman in the shop," Clara recalled.
"Then there's a woman out there who's very keen that we stay together." He soon pulled the lever up like before. "How do you feel on the subject?"
"Am I home?"
"If you want to be." He smiles
Clara looks at him, then Arthur, and then at Claudia. "I... I need some time," Clara spoke. "Can I?"
Claudia took in a deep breath. "Clara..."
Suddenly, a phone rings.
"You'd better get that," the Doctor suggested.
Clara takes her phone out of her pocket, frowning, looking at the Doctor curiously before leaving. Claudia sighs, pressed her hands to her cheeks. "I'll check on her," she stated and leave the Tardis.
The Doctor steps outside and Arthur follows him. He sees Clara still talking to someone over her phone with Claudia beside her. "So who is it? Is that the Doctor?" He asked.
"Yes," Clara replied and frowning. "Arthur... he wants to talk."
The Doctor nudged him. "Go on," he said.
Arthur takes the phone from Clara. "Hello?"
"Sunny?" A tired man's voice called.
"Yeah?"
"Oh. It's good to hear your voice again. I... I miss it," he chuckles. "Are you okay? Do I hurt you?"
Arthur looks at the Doctor who has already stepped outside the Tardis. "No. No, you don't hurt me."
"Good. Good. I'm glad... for that. I... I made mistakes. Mistakes I wish... I... I can undo." He sighs. "And I know... I know you're scared and confused, Sunny. But believe me. Often I'm... I'm also scared. Of you... and others... him as well..."
Strangely, Arthur can believe that. He can see in the Doctor's eyes. He looks stern, and probably grumpy, but his eyes... there's so much fear in his eyes. A fear that Arthur sees every time looking in a mirror or whenever he got bullied. "I believe you."
"I know... and I thank you for that. Be brave for me, okay?"
"I will," he nods.
"Good. Can you give the phone to Clara? I need to talk to her."
Arthur gives the phone back to Clara. As Clara and Claudia quietly listen, Arthur steps towards the Doctor... and hug him again.
"Well?" The Doctor responded to Clara after Arthur let go of him and the brunette ended the call.
She wiped out her tears, facing him. "Well, what?"
"He asked you a question. Will you help me?"
"You shouldn't have been listening."
"I wasn't. I didn't need to. That was me talking." He starts back to the Tardis then stops and turns. "You can't see me, can you? You look at me, and you can't see me. Have you any idea what that's like?" He glances sadly at Arthur and Claudia before talking back to Clara. "I'm not on the phone, I'm right here... standing in front of you. Please, just... just see me."
Clara walks over slowly and looks up, studying his face, and smiles. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Phoning." She hugs him.
"I... I don't think that I'm a hugging person now," he admitted, holding hands out behind her back.
"I'm not sure you get a vote."
"Whatever you say."
"Also, this isn't Clara's home, Doctor," Claudia informed with a pointing look.
"Sorry, I'm sorry about that, I missed."
"Where are we?" Arthur wondered as Clara let go of him.
"Glasgow, I think."
"Ah! You'll fit right in. Scottish," Clara remarked.
"Right, shall we, er... Do you want to go and get some coffee or... chips or... something, or chips and coffee?"
"Coffee. Coffee would be great."
"And chocolate!" Arthur added.
"And matcha tea," Claudia offered as they starts down the pavement, walking together.
"I don't have any money," he admitted.
"You're fetching, then," Clara simply suggested.
"I'm not sure that I'm the fetching sort..."
"Yeah, still not sure you get a vote."
Claudia and Arthur just laugh at the Doctor's confusion on his face.
Note: I'm always happy with that ending.
Also, we've introduced to another OC! Beside Claudia, we'll get one more OC that we'll met in the next chapter. Try to guess what sort of relationship she has with Arthur and others. FYI, I'll imagine Claudia looks like Mary Elizabeth Winstead.