Mary thanked whatever genius invented seatbelts, it was the only thing that helped make her bones only tried to leave her body violently and not successfully. The explosion rocked through streets. Windows shattered, car alarms screamed louder than their drivers who were equally shocked by the pandemonium, and through it all was a question uttered by everyone. She could at least hear Wally's words.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?"
He didn't mean to shout, she knew their eardrums were barely protected by the reinforced shock absorption that Todd was no longer to be laughed at for being over-prepared. London was not as fortunate. Pulling over to a nearby alleyway, they carefully considered checked for any severe damage, but everything seemed fine.
"Y-You weren't kidding about them blowing up the building? How… many explosives did they use?"
"They didn't," the Doctor was leaning back in his seat, he seemed fine enough considering how badly they'd been harmed. Getting his bearings meant the best for them, the most brilliant soul she'd ever met. He also had the tact of a brick falling ones head.
"I'm pretty sure the building had those explosives installed already. Rekeza just too advantage of them."
"Whose that?" Wally said, a hand on his knife in case they had some bigger problem to deal with.
"Not a clue, yet, but she's the one who framed me."
Wally and Freddy both looked at Mary with growing dread. She hadn't exactly had a chance to explain what happened. They were supportive, no greater comrades could be found, and in her mind Mary intended to clear things up. Yet the danger this red haired devil presented… all she could see was more dead.
With horrific timing, the phone rang just as Mary intended to… explain.
Looking at the number, Wally put it on speaker.
"Put on the news. Now."
"Is that Walter?" Mary said.
"The lawyer?" Freddy said. "Not the one we used to clear those crooks?"
"No, Mr. Loomis." Freddy jumped away from the phone, Walter Tin was a very thorough man. It's why she hired him to clear up… misunderstandings. "And allow me to advise on not specifying possibly connection to robberies when on the phone with lawyer, unless I'm being paid."
"Lovely to hear from you, Mr. Tin," Wally said as he fiddled with the radio. "Any station we should switch it to."
"It's on all of them, just… prepare."
Mr. Tin missed a potential for the stage, Mary thought. All curiosity turned to dread. Within all the shouting voices, panic screams, and sirens, one thing stood out. A new headline in the making blasted across the airwaves. Freddy confirmed it when he pulled up a feed on his phone. Dropping the phone in shock, Mary steeled herself before walking over to confirm what was already being shouted.
MARY CINDER BLEW UP TONDAL INDUSTRIES
The worst part, besides the prior headline and a gnarled mugshot she definitely didn't remember having, was something far more chaotic. They had on camera performing the detonation. It looked exactly like her, perfectly cinematic. Only thing missing would have been a sign while she tap-danced beside the flames.
The building itself had been thankfully without people inside, but the damage to nearby people… many injured and thankfully none dead for now. Her eyes blurred with tears. Wally put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she covered it with hers. The Doctor glanced down at the phone, leaning back against a counter.
"Ms. Cinder, I wish I could help. But whatever you're tangled up in is worthy of being tried for terrorism. You need to get out of London, the whole world will be looking for you."
"That's where I come in."
All eyes turned to the Doctor.
"I'm sorry, who is this? I don't know your voice."
"I'm the answer to a lot problems when I choose to be, Mr. Tin, and right now I'm choosing to be Mary's."
And in that moment, like several ones earlier, Mary no longer saw a strange young man who had snuck into her getaway car. She saw a person who was human only in appearance, with eyes that carried knowledge that could probably make the Devil run screaming. There was more mystery than man, but she recognized they were someone who kept their word.
"Tondal had too much going on for one building," the Doctor explained. "And if there's competition, the world survives by keeping Mary safe."
"…You have a way of out of London?"
"Mr. Tin, we'll be on another planet in an hour."
Only those in the van could see this was not hyperbole.
"…fine, Samaritan, I hope you know what you're getting into or can hopefully delude yourself into not panicking eternally."
"We'll see," the Spaceman grinned. "But please, call me the D—"
"NO," Walter snapped. "Not even a damn nickname. I want NO information that can be traced anywhere. Ms. Cinder, as your lawyer, I will work to build a case and to counter this chaos of misinformation. We'll need evidence to secure your innocence."
"That's our part," Wally added in. Mary tried to disagree until she saw her dearest partner's smile. "What are more morally flexible pals for if not busting conspiracies? M, we'll do the leg work with Walter. All you need to do is give us some time."
"Don't worry, she's going to have plenty." The Doctor's enthusiasm flowed through the van, a growing fire started to rekindle. A small spark that could hopefully… definitely lead to an inferno to burn out the shadows that haunted her path. However, Wally's jovial mood shifted to cold rage for a moment when looking at the Doctor.
"You have the worst part, 'Samaritan', keep her safe or I find you."
Wally had a way with presenting pure lethal prowess without ever needing to clench a fist. The Doctor took a full blast and managed to still be standing. She allowed the small tremor in his fingers as 'passable' for nerves of steel. Thankfully, Wally's small glance towards her with a nod did the same.
"Alright, we got a plan," Mary said, feeling enough of her old self to speak clearly. "Mr. Tin, consider yourself on the clock, starting now."
"Agreed," Walter's voice over the phone came across even more firmly. "Ms. Cinder, Mary, stay low until the time is right. Just be ready to take our call. Good luck."
The call ended a second later. They were still park in an London alley, barely ten minutes had passed and yet the world turned little more hostile in the silence. London's air bristled with an anger, searching for her. The storm can always be weathered, an old lesson learned from dire struggles in the past. What awaited ahead promised to be worse than anything known before, and definitely stranger. Luckily, she found the best guide through the weirdness… hopefully.
"Alright, Spaceman," Freddy said as he shifted the car into reverse to get back on the main roads. "Where's your flying saucer?"
The Doctor looked ready to retort when he narrowed his eyes. Reaching into his coat, the stranger pulled out a small gold key. It resembled the one Mary had seen earlier, but different. This one had a golden glow to it. Flicking the metal gave off a high chime a tad higher than the best tuned piano key could achieve. While the humans marveled the curious sound, the Doctor appeared to be doing something deeper than listening. He nodded along to a conversation only the Spaceman could understand. Closing his eyes, the sound almost seemed to be resonating off him like some type of tuning fork. Pulling the metal key away from his head, the sound abruptly stopped. The Doctor opened his eyes with a curious smile.
"Head for the junkyard past Coal Hill School. We're looking for a blue police box."
Arriving in the outer layer of an old junkyard was not the start to her grand escape Mary imagined. The place was infamous in parts for rumors of vanishing schoolteachers and haunting sounds from time to time over the past sixty decades. No one knew who was in charge of the space, but some unforeseen forces made sure it would never be run down to be replaced. A space truly lost to time, yet the Doctor rushed with the enthusiasm of greeting an old friend.
He passed out of line of sight when two thick hands turned her into a fiercely tight hug. She quickly joined Wally's embrace, their foreheads touching, Mary always giggled at how her dearest friend in the world needed to hunch over to held them heads meet. Breathing in, feeling the other's heartbeat, this would always be her way back home. Letting go promised this would be a longer goodbye than usual. A small tremble, half struggled breath, was all Mary allowed for herself before she gently broke away from Wally. The two nodded, as soldiers from shadows, before she marched into the shadows of the junkyard.
Searching past broken vehicles, shattered clocks, and various knickknacks possibly older than most of greater London, she rounded one path in the junk labyrinth and found something blue. An old police box, the kind found on streets to phone for emergencies. The shade was curious, dimly lit windows, and despite its size there was no sign of it having been dragged away from the junkpiles despite it appearing relatively impeccable. Except… for a massive hole by the front door, the shadowy stab showed nothing inside the gaping would. Mr. Raven's defeat had not come without significant damage.
Then the Doctor came out. He looked more… impressive, having traded him the thief attire for a crisp brown-checkered jacket with matching pants. Fine Leather shoes walked the ancient soil with casual strides as he approached Mary with the brightest orange shirt that could be seen from orbit possibly, and she almost asked if he had double checked to be sure.
"Alright, good news first, the wardrobe chambers are more or less stable, so we'll definitely have some things that should fit you too. Bad news, I guess… obvious, my friend will need repairs but we should be safe for small ju—"
"Did you read the paper?"
She knew he could easily trace the question back to when they left her home and she switched outfits with Alice. The headlines weren't too subtle and even sincerity could be belittling if they both pretended the details of her condemnation didn't matter. The more serious true face of the Doctor appeared for a moment as he nodded. No anger in the face, only recognition of what kind of danger they would need to overcome.
"Why are you doing this?" Mary asked, a question floated out in a tone that meant it could be directed at anyone.
The Doctor took a moment before responding.
"I'm old, Mary, older than… lots of places and things. When I see this level of hatred directed so brutally, it means that person has to be quite special. The moment we met in your car, I saw someone extraordinary in need of some help. I'm with you, until you're free, partner."
Offering his hand, she took it and squeezing firmly the two both accepted to face the things they expected and everything they didn't, together.
"Besides," the Doctor said with a returning smile. "I promised you breakfast. Why not try pancakes at the other end of the galaxy?" She would never get used to the way he made anything possible, even when explaining it. Following him inside the box, she almost managed to point out the curious contradiction of pushing and pulling he ignored when her shocked gasp was drowned out by a deep groaning sound as the police box vanished from sight.
Down the twisting pathways of the junkyard, a paper had been dropped off earlier. The latest excess rubbish carried the headline that now haunted the two traveler's future journey. Worn down from lack of care in its short-term existence, the images and lettering were crisp enough to make two picture. One was a laboratory where many sheets highlighted tragically slain figure. Next to it was a demonic visage of a clever thief painted with as much cruelty as possible. Above them was the headline that the whole world now knew.
MARY CINDER
THE WOMAN WHO KILLED THE FUTURE