Volume 3, Chapter 16:
The room went complete silence, you could hear a drip of water hot the ground after the Doctor's shocking discovery over Winter's sudden condition and one that no one could imagine. Just avoiding attacks by the Weeping Angels, one managed to enter the room with them but inside of Winter Schnee as her hand was slowly becoming stone. The Doctor checked her and took a glimpse in her eyes to see the Angel haunting her from the inside and potentially killing her.
Weiss: Doctor?! We need to do something!
The Doctor: I'm thinking! It's one thing to handle Weeping Angels but inside of a human being...this is different unlike what I've usually faced.
Winter: H-Help me Doctor...*tears fall*
Weiss: *tears up* We're going to do everything to save you sister, I promise! We promise!
His universe becoming the ultimate prey for the Weeping Angels and now her sister being killed and turned into a Weeping Angel from the inside. It has been such a long time since the Doctor has felt the flames in him rise up and right now in this moment, the Weeping Angels were fueling him even more. A nerve struck him when he heard the walkie talkie with the voice of a dead man used by an Angel.
Angel "Dave": Doctor? Excuse me? Hello, Doctor? Angel Dave here, sir.
The Doctor: *picks it up* Okay, Dave, enough games. Here's what I want to know. What have you done to Winter?
Angel "Dave": There's something in her eye.
The Doctor: Yeah, what is it exactly?
Angel "Dave": We are, sir. We shall take her. We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space.
The Doctor: No you won't. You were stopped and erased from existence once. Things are different now and believe me you don't want to continue crossing the line. I am not that same boy from my first encounter with your kind.
Angel "Dave": We felt the strong energy of time within your companion. She will suffer a long torture while we feed on the everlasting energy of time and space.
The Doctor: And what about Winter? You have yet to give me a good explanation of the Angel in her eye and her slowly becoming a statue.
Angel "Dave": It's our poison to her. To make her feel pain. To make her feel regret and guilt. To make her afraid, sir.
The Doctor: Okay, but why? Why for?
Angel "Dave": For fun, sir.
That was the tipping point breaking for the Doctor as he tried to hold his grip from breaking the walkie talkie with his bare hand. The others, including Weiss, felt his aura become a mix of fury and darkness. To her, she has seen the Doctor go through low points and moments that would anger him but not like this and it truly terrified her.
Angel "Dave": One more thing, sir, a message for Winter Schnee. You knew I was in doubt and scared of this mission, yet you did not care. You only brushed my worries away and pushed me to die. You let me down Winter, you let us down. This is your poison, your punishment for your acts, for your ego, for the lives you have raised and slaughtered. For-
The Doctor slams the walkie talkie into the ground, breaking it completely as a shadow loomed from the time lord who is now past his usual fun, cool, and calm personality. The soldiers, Marrow, and Schnee sisters felt it and they dared not to approach him but awaited what to do next.
The Doctor: How many explosive dust supplies do you have?
Atlas Soldier: Enough to blow up this entire area...
The Doctor: Do it.
Weiss: D-Doctor-
The Doctor: No, we're past that right now Weiss. If the Angels really want to see me play fire with fire, I'll show them. Cover this area as much as you can with those explosive dusts.
Weiss: What are you going to do?
The Doctor: I'm going to find them and lure them over here. Once this area is covered in explosive dust, continue through the passage that will lead you to the exit of this mountain. Weiss, the TARDIS is going to be there as well and I'll need you and Winter to stay inside for your own safety.
Marrow: You're not really thinking about doing this alone? That's mad!
The Doctor: Good, you finally caught up to who I am. The Weeping Angels broke me once, made me suffer even after they were defeated. Now it's my turn to make them feel that same suffering. An everlasting suffering in the fiery depths of this volcano.
Weiss: What about my sister? I'm not gonna lose her and have her become one of them!
The Doctor: You won't. Inside her head, in the vision centres of the brain, there's an Angel. It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming to shut her off. *Thinks and snaps fingers* Got it! We've got to shut down the vision centres of her brain. We've got to pull the plug. Starve the Angel.
Weiss: How do we do that though? Delete the image from her scroll?
The Doctor: That's the first step and the last step is killing all the Angels. But there's one more step in between. Winter, are you still with us.
Winter: I'm here...but the Angel is in front of me as well...
The Doctor: How do we make our lungs starve?
Weiss: We stop breathing. *gasps*
The Doctor: Exactly. Winter, close your eyes!
Winter: *shakes head* N-No! I don't want to! I don't want to die!
The Doctor: Very good... because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you. It's afraid. Do it. Close your eyes. It'll make the Angel starve, slowly erasing from your mind, and reversing the transformation. Weiss, you will need to guide her to the TARDIS and stay inside until all of this is over.
Weiss: And what? Let you do this on your own? To hell with that Doctor, you can't do this on your own! You tried that twice and it hasn't been on your luck! You went through so much with what happened, imagine what I'm feeling right now especially this suicide plan of yours.
The Doctor: *grabs her hand and kisses it* Weiss, you said you trust me, right?
Weiss: *sighs and nods* Yes...
The Doctor: Now is that from the heart...or an obligation.
Weiss: *looks up at him* From the heart! Always! There's not a single time I lost trust or faith in you.
The Doctor: Then that's enough for you to know I can pull this off. Besides, Winter needs you now more than ever just like you needed her before. That is your very sister right there who has helped you grow to become someone extraordinary and different. Now it's your turn to be there for her. Winter! Get ready to feel your little sister become the protector and huntress you helped her become. Just make sure to keep your eyes closed.
Winter: *nods* I know. I believe in her. And Doctor...good luck.
The Doctor: *nods then looks at Weiss* You two go first. They'll follow once this area is ready to blow up. Once I'm back and I will, we'll trap the Angels then get out of here.
Weiss: *gulps then nods* You better comeback. *Kisses his cheek* Winter, grab my hand and follow me carefully.
Carefully grabbing her little sister's hand while maintaining her eyes closed, Winter follows Weiss and are the first to make their leave through the passage as the remaining soldiers continued to spread dust around the area while the Doctor observed the blocked entrance where the Angels were soon approaching.
Marrow: What's the plan now Doctor?
The Doctor: We lure them in. Those that are inside and those that are out there.
Marrow: Like Weiss said, it's suicide watch!
The Doctor: For me, yes. For the rest of you, not even close. And I have the perfect solution. *Pulls out my Sonic sunglasses*
Back with the Schnee sisters, Weiss continued to carefully guide Winter through the passage on their way to the TARDIS, but she felt the presence of the Angels nearby once her hand was glowing again which meant they needed to hurry up.
Winter: I...I can feel them...
Weiss: Me too but keep your eyes closed Winter. The Angel wants to worry you so you can open your eyes but don't let it get to you. I'm right here with you.
Winter: *smiles softly* Brings back memories when there would be a terrible storm back at home and you were so scared of them. Whenever you couldn't find mother, you try looking for me and I always said the same thing to you, I'm right here with you.
Weiss: Times before father was becoming a power consuming person. Even when I was a little girl, times with grandpa and mom felt safer until grandpa's passing.
Winter: *sighs* I was wrong...wrong about what I said of who had more fascination for the Doctor, you or him. It was cruel and wrong on my end...now here I am paying the price.
Weiss: Don't you dare say that Winter! What the Angels did to you isn't what you did or said, it's their cruelty and desire to kill. Believe me...the day we first faced them stayed in my mind and never left.
Winter: You've faced them before?...
Weiss: It's...*looks upfront* THE TARDIS! CMON SIS!
The joy and relief from Weiss as she pulled Winter and approached the TARDIS. She opened the doors as the clear words from the Doctor came to her mind that it's always safe when inside the TARDIS. She looks back with a despair and worry expression hoping he can stop the Angels and come back to her. To come back with the survivors and finally end this. As she helped Winter walk inside and close the doors, Dalek Khan approached them.
Dalek Khan: Thank goodness you made it back safe. Where is the Doctor?
Weiss: He's...planning to trap the Angels beneath the ground since it's filled with magma. He's gonna try to lure them in while the remaining soldiers escape.
Dalek Khan: On his own?!
Weiss: You already know him. To make matters worse, there is a Weeping Angel inside Winter's mind. Can you give her a full scan?
The Dalek moves forward and makes a full scan of the oldest Schnee sibling to which the results appear as told by Weiss, a Weeping Angel. However, the Angel is in a complicated state of being inside of her but at the same time, slowly disappearing with Winter's hand slowly reverting back to normal.
Dalek Khan: The Angel that is inside of her is slowly disappearing by Winter keeping her eyes shut. Without any source of energy as food or a victim, the Angel is defenseless and dying by its own power.
Weiss: So the Doctor was right on how to defeat the Angel on the inside. The Angels greatest strength can also be their weakness.
Winter: T-Then what do we do?...
Weiss: We wait...and hope the others make it back...
Outside in the snowy hill of the mountain, Marrow continued to run through the blizzard as more Weeping Angels continued to follow him and outnumber him. By the second, more appeared as it became an infestation of Weeping Angel around this mountain.
Back inside, the Doctor ran on his own with a flashlight as the Angels were following him as well every time his flashlight flickers but that's what he wanted. To follow him to lure them to the trap. It was beginning to become more difficult as each pathway across the mountain led to more Weeping Angels appearing and trying to corner him as it began to feel like the Invasion in Vale all over again.
The Doctor: Cmon you lots! Aren't you supposed to be the Silent Assassins? Fast, Silent, Deadly? Doesn't seem like it!
His flashlight went out for a moment which startled the Doctor, until he used his Sonic Screwdriver to send another bright flash in the room for a few seconds as he stared at all the Angels after him. It wasn't like the first time where fear was inflicted on him, this time it was fury and he wanted to make sure the Angels got a glimpse as he pointed his Sonic towards one of the Angels and destroyed it to pieces as the other Angels faces turned into raging expression.
The Doctor: That's for Dave! Have fun catching me!
Once his flashlight turned back on, the Doctor continued running as the Angels went after him with the stronger urge to kill him and his friends. Back outside with Marrow, he looked around for the entrance of the cave despite the blizzard blocking the complete view, but he saw the multiple shadows of the Weeping Angels surrounding him.
Marrow: SCREW THIS! COME ON YOU STATUES!
The blizzard got stronger as the Angels got closer towards him until he was nowhere to be seen, confusing the Angels and looking for their prey until they noticed him running back in the cave which they followed afterwards. The plan was slowly coming together as the surviving soldiers watched from a safe and hidden spot until there were no Angels in sight as they were right by the exit, but they needed Marrow to get back to them as soon as possible. One of the soldiers watched on the trackers for the Doctor's coordinates as he was beginning to have second thoughts.
Back in the TARDIS, Weiss was also tracking the coordinates of the Doctor as she prayed that this was going to work. Winter continued to have her eyes closed but hated the silence that filled the room, so she thought it was time to have a heart-to-heart with her younger sister.
Winter: So... you've been travelling with him for quite some time huh? You seem to know how things work around here, what kind of creatures we have faced, trust him very much...
Weiss: *looks at her then sighs* If I told myself about a little over a year ago...that I would do the impossible and travel across all of time and space in a spaceship that looks like an old police box with a young man that happens to be a 500-year-old alien...she would look at me crazy and think I've been spending too much time with my team. But the Doctor is more than just a time traveler, he's someone who cares about the universe, the stars, and us being able to exist everyday, someone who doesn't kill or harm but simply tries to give others a second chance to make a difference.
Winter: Doesn't seem like it. He froze that shapeshifting alien which in reality killed it, the destroyed the Dalek ship and killing all of them inside, and now he's here trying to kill the Weeping Angels by trapping them in the lava.
Weiss: Sometimes Winter...there are creatures out there that are just like Grimm, creatures with no feelings or remorse, so when the Doctor's usual plans don't work, he goes for the very last option which is to end them. It's a difficult choice for him. Did you know that his home planet was destroyed by a 400-year war between his people and the Daleks.
Winter: Wha...that's...really terrible.
Weiss: Why do you think he despises soldiers? People with higher power? It's trauma of the war that he had to go through.
Winter: He...was a soldier?
Weiss: No, he was a survivor...yet he turned that trauma and scars into strength so that what he went through, it won't happen here. Yes it can be messy at times but as long as he finds a way to save the day, that's enough.
Winter: You...also said that you've encountered these Angels before...how come we didn't know about them?
Weiss knew eventually there was going to be a day where she needed to talk about what only her and the Doctor went through on that traumatizing day. A day that left a scar to the both of them. Weiss took a deep breath and sat down next to her sister holding her hand.
Weiss: Alright, I'll tell you but what I'm about to tell you will be very heavy for you to take in at once.
Back in the chase, the Doctor continued to run as he was getting closer to the trap but the lights flickered for a moment again and stopped on his tracks to see the Weeping Angels in front of him.
The Doctor: Not good. *Turns around* Ooooooh No...
He turned around only to be surrounded by more Weeping Angels as he was trapped and used the scroll to stare at the Angels behind him while staring at the ones in front as well. He was cornered once again, just like Vale, with no way out as he tried to think of a second option to get himself out of this.
The Doctor: If you think I'm scared like last time; Then you are dead wrong because I'm not afraid, I'm angry. And you have just come across the Fury of the Time Lord and I want you lots to remember that very well.
The Angels got closer...
And closer...
When it all seem it was over...
Gunshots rang the room which startled the Doctor as he looked to his left and saw one of the Atlas soldiers blasting his weapon towards the roof as it collapsed on a few Angels and the others began to approach him.
The Doctor: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GO BACK!
Atlas Solider: GO DOCTOR GO! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!
The Doctor: YOU'LL DIE! THEY WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE! I PROMISED ALL OF YOU WILL MAKE IT OUT!
Atlas Solider: That's the thing Doctor...not all promises can be complete...but if you get the others out and stop these monsters...that'll be enough worth one sacrifice and my death won't be in vain. Your hope is strong Doctor and nowadays, not many people have that in them...but you do and that hope is going to spread, just like it did to me...
The worst pain the Doctor would feel is not being able to save everyone despite how much he tries to do so. Even when it looks like nothing goes wrong in the end, one dies in the end, and it pains him. But to hear that what he does, what he tries to bring impacts other people brings a glimpse of light.
Atlas Solidier: There will always be three options when it comes to saving people Doctor: Save one if you can't save them all, Save the others if you couldn't save one, and save everyone. I have been there as a soldier...as a huntress...and as a man who once had a family...
The lights flicker again as a painful grunt came from the Atlas soldier as one of the Weeping Angels has their arms around his neck. The Doctor knew it was too late to save him which carried that burden even more but like he said, he can still save the others.
Atlas Solider: Run! Save them! I will die in the knowledge that my courage did not desert me at the end. For that I thank the Brothers, and bless the path that takes you to safety.
The Doctor: *sighs in defeat* I wish I'd known you better.
Atlas Soldier: I think, sir, you know me at my best. Not as a soldier...but as a decent human soul.
Looking down in defeat momentarily, The Doctor nodded to the soldier as a thanks and makes the run as the other Angels follow him once again while the Atlas Soldier closes his eyes and accepts his fate...
Winter: I feel...like I'm going to throw up...
Weiss just told Winter everything that happened on that day at Vale. The moment the Angels arrived, when her teammates were killed, to looking into the heart of the TARDIS, erasing all the Weeping Angels, being slowly killed by the last Angel, to the Doctor saving her but at a cost.
Winter: A-All of that happened...and only you two remember it...
Weiss: Because I reversed everything that happened on that day.
Winter: And your powers...
Weiss: *looks at my hand* A portion of the Doctor's regeneration energy, a portion of the Time Vortex, and my Semblance...all merging into one power...and taking away the chance to age physically. I can age in numbers but physically, I'm stuck like this until I eventually lose my powers one day.
Winter: Which means you'll outlive us all...doesn't that bother you?
Weiss: Of course it does-
Winter: Then why doesn't it bother you that he did this to you?
Weiss: *grunts and stands up* You know what I hate most right now Winter? You have grown so cold and so focused on all of this government bullshit that you didn't even care to check up on me! Didn't it ever occur to you that just maybe what you did to rid yourself of the Schnee name was too much? But it's always on how Remnant is nowadays or my friends or The Doctor! But it's NEVER. ABOUT. YOU! *Tears fall* What happened to you Winter...what happened to my big sister who I once looked up to, trusted the most,...who promised that no matter what happens...she was going to be there for me...*sniffs*
Winter: *sniffs* I-I'm sorry...*tears fall and sobs* I'm...so...sorry...
Winter was always the strongest person Weiss ever knew and saw ever since she was a little girl. Even when things got so difficult and complicated, Winter maintained a strong persona to calm down her sister. This would be the first time she saw Winter break down and it broke Weiss as well as she approached her big sister and wiped her tears to avoid opening her eyes.
Winter: Y-You... You were so right...about everything...*sniffs* I went too far. I pushed myself beyond the limit thinking it wouldn't impact me without knowing it would impact everyone else around me. I broke the promise we made as kids...because I did not want to be there anymore...I knew the consequences and I didn't care...I'm sorry...my little sister...
The two sisters hugged emotionally and finally breaking that barrier that has been between them for many years. For Winter, it was finally a chance to lower her guard and embrace the sisterly care she hadn't felt for a long time. For Weiss, this is what she hoped when she first arrived at Atlas to find Winter, to be with her sister once again and she was truly grateful.
The Doctor continued to run as the Angels were gaining up on him and at the very same time, Marrow was running as well towards the pinpoint of the trap. Both men spotted each other from across and met up in the center as their lights flickered and the Weeping Angels have surrounded them.
Angel "Dave": We have you surrounded Doctor. You have failed to stop us just as you failed to save the soldier who gave his life.
The Doctor: He wasn't a soldier. He was a good man and it's like he said, save one if you can't save them all, Save the others if you couldn't save one. And I got news for you lots, this whole chase of cat and mouse gave the remaining survivors the chance to escape and if I'm right Marrow, you guys are on the ship, right?
Marrow: We should be now.
The Doctor: You Angels are so hungry and desperate that you didn't realize the fatal errors you made. Not so smart or clever.
Angel "Dave": And what would that be sir?
The Doctor: One of us isn't even here and yet you followed.
The Doctor activated his Sonic Screwdriver for Marrow to be displayed as a hologram before disappearing which leads Marrow to wake up back on the Atlas ship with the remaining survivors. Before beginning the chase, The Doctor gave Marrow his Sonic Sunglasses which created an advanced holographic version of Marrow for the Angels to follow while this whole time Marrow was with the soldiers.
The Doctor: Sonic Sunglasses. What a screwdriver can't do, these babies will.
The lights flickered as all the Angels displayed their anger expressions and were getting closer to the Doctor as he looked around for a way out. The lights went out one last time as the Angels snatched the Doctor or so they thought once the lights came back on and they only grabbed to his coat. Loud explosives came from both passages as they were blocked by falling boulders and rocks, trapping all the Weeping Angels in the pinpoint of the cave. The Doctor was able to sneak himself out of there once it went pitch black and made it back to the TARDIS with still one more thing left to do.
Weiss: DOCTOR!
The Doctor: Not yet Weiss. How's your sister?
Weiss: Her hand is almost back to normal.
The Doctor: Good, this should speed up the recovery. *Turns up the speakers* Attention guests, the mountain tour is coming to its closing hours which means...time to go.
The voice of the Doctor echoed throughout the mountain as the Angels heard him but didn't see him. The Doctor watched them from his screen panel and was ready to push the button that'll blow up the area and send the Angels to the volcanic magma.
The Doctor: I warned you of what would happen when you cross the line. You killed innocent people who had daily lives, people I liked like Dave...and the soldier that saved me. Everyone else including us survived while your plan, your ambush comes to a collapsing end and now you'll get to feel my fury that I have carried for a long time now because of YOU!
Angel "Dave": This will not be the last of us, sir. We are everywhere. Past, Present, and Future. You can't stop us. For we are time itself, we are the inevitable and we will come for you, sir.
The Doctor: *smirks* And I will be there.
Pushing the button, the dust blows off the entire area especially from the ground as one by one, the Angels fall from the ground to the boiling lava beneath it as the Doctor watched on with a soulless expression. It wouldn't kill them immediately, but it was going to be torture for them until they die. The area continues to collapse as the TARDIS sets off for the Weeping Angels have once again come to an end.
(THE NEXT MORNING)
Weiss: Winter...Sis...
Winter heard her little sister's reaching out to her as she woke up from what felt like a horrifying nightmare as she sat up and slowly opened her eyes to only see Weiss in front of her and they were inside the TARDIS.
Winter: Wha-*eyes widened* THE ANGEL! *Closes my eyes*
Weiss: No No No! It's okay! The Doctor did a full scan after escaping, you're back to normal and the Angel inside of you is gone.
Winter: Oh...*breathes and opens my eyes* So...the Angels...it was all true...
Weiss: Yeah...but they're finally gone...I hope.
Winter: Where is he?
Weiss: The Doctor? He's outside, I think he wanted to watch the sunrise.
Winter slowly got up and was helped by Weiss as well with both sisters slowly walking out to the exit of the TARDIS and to find the Doctor building some sort of rock formation while watching the sunrise.
Winter: It's...so beautiful...
The Doctor: *turns around* Finally awake sleepyhead. How are you feeling?
Winter: Like all that happened was just a nightmare.
The Doctor: Bad news. It wasn't. Good news. You two and the remaining survivors live to see another day...thankfully. All of the Angels are now trapped and slowly dying in the lava by heavy hunger. Oh, and because of that the volcano will erupt sooner than originally expected.
Weiss & Winter: WHAT?!
The Doctor: Yeaaaah, it'll start releasing smoke 138 years from now then it'll erupt in 2 years afterwards, so you got about 140 years before it erupts.
Both sisters gave a deadpanned reaction to the Doctor for the small scare he gave them while he just returned a light chuckle as the three continued to watch the sunrise.
Winter: Weiss...told me everything that happened the first time you faced these Weeping Angels...
The Doctor: It's a day which I wish I could forget but it's stayed with me and it has helped me. The me back then wouldn't have planned this out on stopping the Angels but the trauma...the fury...the guilt...it built up to me in making sure they would be stopped for good.
Weiss: But they said they were going to come back...
The Doctor: For me, and I doubt there's any more Weeping Angels in Remnant. But out there in the universe...that's a different story.
Winter: Still...*breathes* I can't thank you enough for saving my little sister. You risked your life...and your happiness just to protect her.
The Doctor: I'm not perfect, Winter. No one is. It hurt but I knew it was the right choice. We lost a few good people today as well including Dave.
Winter: And I take full responsibility for their deaths...you two were right. I didn't listen to your warnings and I made this mess...I even almost got killed as well...
The Doctor: The soldier who helped cover the trap with explosive dust...he sacrificed himself after I was surrounded by the Angels...*clenches fist* If there's one thing that breaks me...it's not being able to save everyone. Even when I save many...losing one makes me sick in the stomach... Sometimes sadly it's the only choices you have...
The burden of loss and death is what could bring the Doctor down and it shows. Gallifrey, The Void, Pyrrha, Summer Rose, the people who have converted into Cybermen, and the people who died at the hands of the Weeping Angels. Winter now understood that this isn't just some time traveling alien that wants to be a superhero, she could only see a broken soul that doesn't want to repeat the same trauma.
The Doctor: If there are two things I despise most, it's killing and not being able to save people...but unfortunately when thing get tougher, horrible, painful, those are the only choices left...and you still have to choose...
Winter: But you don't stop...you keep running across the entire universe. You keep running not out of fear, but to be there in the times of danger. And sometimes, like what we encountered today, you have to go past your limit. I was wrong about you Doctor, I truly am, and I am sorry.
The Doctor: I don't want people to know me as the Oncoming Storm or the Fury of the Time Lord. Those are only for the threats that come our way. There's only one name I want the people to know me by because it's the name I gave myself with a promise. The Doctor.
Weiss: *giggles* Doctor Who?
The Doctor: Weiss! Way to ruin the moment.
The two shared a small laugh together as Winter watched on with a soft smile. For her sister, she found someone she can truly be happy with and open her heart to. For the Doctor, he has found a family here with Weiss and the rest of their friends.
The Doctor: Right then! Back to the Academy!
Winter: Doctor! Before we do go, I'd like to say something and for you to promise me something.
Weiss: Winter?
The Doctor: Go on.
Winter: You are officially a free man and no longer under arrest. I know your friends back over there will truly be happy to hear that.
The Doctor shared a soft smile and nodded to Winter as a thanks while Weiss jumped on the Doctor for a happy hug as the Doctor spun her before Winter raised her hand to get their attention.
Winter: And promise me this Doctor. Just like you do everything you can to protect our world, our universe, our friends and family...promise me that you will protect my little sister as well. Sometimes, I won't be able to be there and one day...I won't be there at all...
The Doctor: *smiles and nods again* You have my word, Winter.
Winter nodded and saluted the Doctor which he didn't like much so he just gave a thumbs up in return as he held hands with Weiss and the three made their return to the TARDIS, ready to head back to the Academy, and rest from the difficult nightmare they have faced. They know that there will be more danger to come but they will be ready.