Chapter 23: Red-Handed
The flow of customers into the diner finally began to let up. Between lunch and dinner was the only time the place wasn't completely packed. The last few lunch patrons paid their bills and left, leaving the restaurant mostly empty.
Clara finished sweeping under a table and checked her watch. Finally, a chance for a short break. Missy had already taken hers earlier, so now it was Clara's turn.
"Missy, I'm going to take a fifteen, do you two have it covered up here?" she asked the Time Lady who was busy setting out liquor bottles for the evening crowd.
"Yeah," she waved her off without turning around. "Go."
"Thanks," Clara replied, setting the broom in the corner. Not waiting any longer, she pushed past the kitchen door into the Tardis. She was starving and more than ready for a snack.
Once inside, she looked up to the velvet armchair. The Doctor was still there, snoring softly. He continued to sleep more than normal, but less every day. She considered asking him if he wanted a snack too, but he looked so peaceful that she decided not to wake him.
Without a second thought, she disappeared into the kitchen for a well-earned meal break.
Back in the diner, Missy took advantage of the slow business to count the money in the register drawer. She grinned broadly. They were only a few hundred Kapponian dollars away. They would definitely hit their goal tonight.
She had already picked out the perfect crystal at a local shop. It was easy enough to install it. During the past few days, she and the Doctor had worked on repairing the burnt-out circuitry, so all they needed was the Kapponite itself.
Outside, the whirr of approaching hovercraft reached her ears. Judging by the noise, it sounded like a lot of cars. She closed the register and locked it, ready for the next influx of customers.
The vehicles landed with a series of thuds, kicking up dust into the air. The engines hummed in a low pitch as they powered down. Doors slammed shut. Voices of at least a few people chattered. They bickered and shouted to each other in muffled tones. Missy looked up but the blinds were drawn. It had been too hot today to allow the sunlight in.
Straightening her back, she prepared herself to greet the early dinner crowd. She smoothed down the front of her dress, making sure she looked her best. Reaching under the counter, she pulled out a pen and notepad, ready to take down orders.
She and Alycana could handle the rush. They were experienced restaurateurs now. She looked around for the young Kapponian, unable to find her. She furrowed her eyebrows. That was strange. Maybe she was off doing dishes, or in the bathroom.
Suddenly, the glass door flung wide open. The doorbell smacked into the wall with an angry clang, ringing harshly. Missy snapped her head to the entrance, irritated. They did not need to be so rough.
Six heavily armored police officers burst into the diner, and before Missy had a chance to react, they trained their sights on her chest. Any customers remaining quickly bolted up from their seats and fled. The laser guns powered up with a droning sound, glowing bright blue from the Kapponite crystals within.
Missy stepped backwards, inwardly terrified. She held up her hands in surrender.
"Now, boys, this isn't a very nice way to order," she chuckled nervously, putting on her best nonchalant face.
She knew shit had just hit the fan. They had been found out, and she had no way of warning Clara or the Doctor. She could try yelling, but the diner portion of the Tardis was nearly soundproof to the rest of the ship. Realistically, all she could do was stall.
The lead officer slammed his fist down on the chrome countertop, making the entire bar shake. "Where is the Doctor!?" he bellowed. "I know he's in here!"
Missy lowered her hands, cocking her head innocently. "I have no idea who you're talking about. Do you require medical care?" she feigned concern. "I have a first-aid kit under th–"
"Silence!" he boomed. He motioned to two of his subordinates. "Arrest her!"
The two policemen gripped her by the arms hard enough to leave bruises. Behind her, they yanked her wrists together.
"Naughty boys," she chided sweetly. "Drinks are on the house tonight if you just–"
A loud slap echoed throughout the diner. Missy bit back a shout, instead hissing in shock. Her face started swelling immediately where the burly Kapponian had struck her. A small scratch on her cheekbone bled where a claw had caught her skin. She had also bitten her tongue. Hawking up a bloody loogie, she spat at the officer defiantly, catching him on the chin.
He slapped her again and this time her head spun. Her vision became wavy and distorted like a cheap TV. The two officers flanking her shoved her face into the bartop, one holding her down while the other cuffed her hands behind her back. Bloodstained drool dribbled onto the polished metal. Muffled, she could hear someone yelling at her. Something about harboring a fugitive.
Roughly, the two Kapponians yanked her back upright. Deep red blood trickled from her lips down to her chin, staining her immaculate dress collar. "Search her!" the superior ordered.
The officers did as they were told, diving their scaly hands into her pockets. Finding nothing in the waist pockets, one of them stuck a claw into her breast pocket.
Missy jumped, furious. "Oi, watch the goods!" she growled.
Pulling out a shiny steel key from her pocket, the officer handed it to his boss. He rummaged around more, finding the fake fob watch. Her eyes widened. Now she was really in trouble. That watch held her entire consciousness within its cogs.
"Well, well," the leader chuckled, inspecting the circular inscriptions carved into the surface of the pocket watch. "This is Gallifreyan."
"Don't touch that!" Missy snarled. "It doesn't work anyway. It's just a good luck charm. My father gave it to me, please," she begged.
Without understanding the significance of his actions, he pressed the button on the side. The brass cover flew open, revealing a bright golden energy within. Immediately, it flew out of the watch, stabbing into Missy's chest like a knife. She grunted hard, the wind knocked out of her lungs.
The energy glowed and swirled around her limbs and head as if she were regenerating. She coughed harshly, trying to regain her breath. The light dove into her mouth, filling her insides with its brilliance. It seared hot through her veins, burning everything it touched as it rewrote her biology. She screamed, convulsing violently. She had forgotten how bloody painful these things were.
The Kapponian officers stood back in a mixture of horror and awe, transfixed. The light became blinding, drowning out the double sunlight filtering in through the blinds. The lead officer brought up a hand to shield his eyes, dropping the watch. It clattered to the floor, bouncing once. On impact, the crystal glass popped out of its socket and shattered on the checkered tile.
Suddenly, the light disappeared, swallowed up. Missy fell limp, held up only by the two officers' hands on her biceps. Back in their rightful place, her two hearts beat fervently. Residual energy tingled in the tips of her fingers and toes.
The sensitive ears of the Kapponian police immediately picked up the sound. "Two hearts," the leader breathed. "You are a Time Lord!"
Missy scoffed, blowing a lock of disheveled hair from her face. "It's Time Lady, thank you very much."
He pointed to the men standing at her sides. "You two, take her to the car," he ordered.
Tilting their jaws in acknowledgement, they began leading her away. Listlessly, her feet skipped against the waxed floors, lagging behind her. Blood rushed through her head, pounding at her temples. She felt like she could hardly breathe, flushing her cheeks. Blood dripped from her mouth to the floor, smearing as she was dragged through it. Try as she might, she was too weak to stand.
Glancing towards the dishwasher, Alycana appeared in the corner, peeking out. Guilt practically dripped off her features. She hadn't expected the officers to be so violent.
Missy raised her head weakly, spitting in her direction. The dirty traitor she was. "You're fired!" she shouted, enraged.
With the last of her strength expended, she slouched forwards, allowing herself to be carried out of the building.
The leader motioned to the rest of his crew silently. Charging up his laser gun, he clutched it tightly to his chest. In his other hand, he held up the steel key.
"Come on, men, let's get this door open." He ordered, approaching the kitchen. He stopped, pressing a finger to his lips. "Remember, stealth."
His men nodded, positioning themselves by the sides of the door, guns loaded and pulsing. The leader crouched, quietly turning the key in the lock. Obediently, the door opened to reveal the console room. One by one, the men flooded in, scanning with their guns.
Realizing the full majesty of the Tardis before them, they gasped, taken aback by the beauty and impossibility of it. They had never seen a Tardis in person before, let alone been inside one. They really were bigger on the inside.
One of them spotted the Doctor, still sound asleep in the maroon armchair. He pointed at him silently. The others followed the direction of his finger. Their eyes widened.
It was true. The Doctor was alive. How the hell had he survived? How did he get back here without being captured? Training their weapons on him, they crept up the stairs.
The Tardis rotors spun wildly. Lights flickered at a feverish pace. Powerless to do anything else, the Old Girl whined loudly.
Startled awake by the sound, the Doctor jumped in his chair. He looked around wildly, realizing, mortified, that he had unwelcome company.
The officers tensed up at his movement, readying their fingers over their triggers. Thoughts raced through the Doctor's mind like a runaway train. How the hell had they been found out? How did these strangers get into his Tardis? Where was Clara?
With nowhere to run, he stood up and raised his arms in surrender. "Clara!" he called desperately, hoping she could hear him, wherever she was. "Clara, run!"
The cops pounced on him, seizing his arms. They brought his wrists together and slapped on metal handcuffs with a click. His stomach dropped to his feet. The gig was up. He had been discovered, and surely the Kapponians would rectify their mistake.
Hearing the commotion, Clara emerged from the kitchen, confused. There were not many reasons for the Doctor to be shouting, and none of them were good. Something must be terribly wrong.
She rounded the corner to the console room and climbed up the stairs. The cadre of officers came into view. She froze, swallowing hard. What the hell?
One of the officers at the base of the stairs noticed her. "Freeze!" he yelled, pointing his gun at her. The others turned their heads, taking notice of the stunned human below them.
"Clara!" the Doctor cried. "The vortex manipulator! I fixed it, I–"
A heavy fist impacted his jaw with a loud crack. He dropped to his knees, stars exploding in his eyes.
"No!" Clara screamed, starting towards him. "Don't hurt him!"
"I said freeze!" the officer shouted back. "One more step, human, and you're fried!"
Clara knew there was nothing she could do to help the Doctor now. Of no use if captured, she needed to find another way. She flicked her eyes to the desk next to her, eyeing the vortex manipulator.
"Don't even think about it!" the chief officer barked, readying his finger over the trigger. "Or it'll be the last thing you do!"
Forced to his knees, the Doctor watched the standoff in horror. His beloved Clara, in mortal danger, all because of him.
In a split second, Clara lunged towards the device. The officers fired their weapons. A crackle of electricity lanced across the room. An ionic smell permeated the air. Brilliant azure light shot out, speeding towards her. The lasers impacted, sending a cloud of gray smoke billowing up to the ceiling. The echo of the shots bounded off the walls. After a moment, the dust and smoke cleared, revealing nothing but a scorched railing.
The Doctor grinned, laughing triumphantly. He sneered in his enemies' faces. They had failed.
Clara Oswald had escaped.
A/N: well shit lol. They've really stepped in it now. Don't forget to review!