And here's the second part - The Doctor Falls (a great emotional two-parter with brilliant speeches)
Up next is The Runaway Bride (Donna's introduction)
Enjoy
The Tardis apparently heard their decision and immediately started the next video. The group watched in tense silence, not liking the cliff-hanger the last video had ended on, and desperate for answers.
"The Doctor Falls." Martha read out the title that appeared briefly on the screen, "Promising." And she was very much willing to blame this whole mess mostly on the Master (both of them at that; the Doctor was responsible for many 10% of the mess, the Masters the other 90%).
The group all shared worried glances. With a title like that and the mess they'd already seen develop, there was no way this video was going to end well.
Bill, Nardole and the Doctor shared a long look; they were all aware of how accurate the title was.
Amongst rolling hills, ponies drag a wagon with children in the back through a field to a farmhouse. Crucified cyber-patients are in the field as scarecrows. The number on the sky says 507 as the children are greeted by a woman at the door. Later, a pillow fight is going on upstairs in the farmhouse when a bell starts to ring and the woman comes out holding a rifle
"Erh, are we sure we're watching the same video?" Ryan asked confused about the sudden and drastic change of scenery. They'd really gone from industrial city/factory of Cybermen to a farm. The only signs they were was the cybermen being used as scarecrows.
"Oh yes." Bill replied, eyes never leaving the screen. She was bracing herself for seeing herself as a Cyberman again. The brief glimpse earlier had been hard enough, now she was going to have to see it until Heather changed her.
The woman – Hazran – orders everyone under their beds, Alit, a little girl, asks again, and Hazran repeats her order. Outside the adults shoot the approaching cyber-patients as Alit watches from the window and the other children hide under their beds
"Guess that's what happens to the Cybermen and the people sent up to the higher levels." Rose said, remembering Razor's mention of earlier trips further up the ship.
Alit says it is new scarecrows, another girl Gazron mutters it will be okay. Outside a man, Rexhill, shouts to save their ammo, then fire!
"They're prepared at least." Graham nodded at the screen.
"Yeah, but for how long?" Mickey frowned; he knew all too well how Cybermen operated. The humans may be wining now, but that wouldn't necessarily last forever.
The next day the shot cyber-patients are tied up as scarecrows too. Alit wanders through the field when a noise like thunder hits and the ground splits letting an aircraft zoom upwards before it crashes back down. Alit runs as there is stomping feet revealing a Cyberman carrying an unconscious Doctor
"I have a feeling we missed something." Rory announced, eyeing the screen warily. Last that they'd seen the Doctor they were more conscious.
"You don't say." Amy rolled her eyes fondly at her husband's obvious statement.
Earlier, the Doctor has a nasty head wound and his vision is fuzzy as the Master asks how many times he's died, and Missy adds how many different ways?
"Double Masters, and the Doctor's already down. This is going to go well." Clara eyed the Masters on screen wearily. Missy was bad news on her own, and based on Martha and Jack's reaction to the other Master, they were as bad or worse. Add on that the Doctor likely wasn't in the best mental state with Bill's fate and it ended with a recipe for disaster.
"I don't like where this conversation is going." Jack grit out, tense and hand lying almost protectively on the Doctor's arm as he glared at the Master who only smirked in response.
The Master asks if he has burned, Missy knows he's fallen. They continue, alternating asking if he's drowned or felt the blade. The Master says what they're really asking, his dear, is, Missy cuts in, any requests?
"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Martha glared at the Master; words almost hissed. The view of the pair of Master's debating how to kill the wounded Doctor was not one any of them enjoyed, it also served to only worry the group more than the last video and title of the current one had.
Even earlier, he flashes back to the conversion theatre with Cyber-Bill reaching for him as the Master and Missy attack him. He is knocked against a computer keyboard by Missy as Nardole flees
"Guess we didn't miss too much then." Mickey muttered at seeing the events unfold rapidly on screen. It was scary sometimes how fast things could go south.
They're on the hospital room, a waltz is playing as Master and Missy dance together, the Doctor is tied to a wheelchair and Cyber-Bill is standing nearby
"Well, this is disturbing on several levels." Donna remarked, arms crossed with a scowl at the dancing Masters.
The Master says he assumes Missy is the next one, and Missy admits she's a bit hazy on the regeneration thing but she thinks so
The story the current Master had spun at the start of their time in the video room would explain that, though they'd have to wait to see the details.
The Master is annoyed he's going to turn into a woman and not even remember it, Missy asks if she is a woman now. She tells him to hold her, he says to kiss him, and she replies make her
"Do we really have to watch this?" Ryan muttered with a disgusted impression at the screen. The flirting was really not making this video any more desirable to watch.
The Doctor asks if they want to be alone, which with them would mean more than it usually does. The Master groans saying grandad's back
"For once, the Doctor's acting like a responsible adult. The end really is near." Clara grimaced despite the attempt of humour in her tone.
The music and dancing stops as the Master mentions they've been debating the best way to kill him. The Doctor demands to know where Bill is
"Oh Doctor." Bill sighed; she wasn't sure how she should feel about it. On one hand, it was reassuring to know the Doctor was still thinking about her; on the other hand, he really had other priorities to deal with – such as the two Masters planning his murder.
Missy adds they thought of throwing him off the roof but don't know how many regenerations he has left, the Master continues they could've been up and down the stairs all night
The tensions in the room rose even further, people shooting glances at the smirking Master in the corner, and the Doctor who was avoiding eye contact.
"Wouldn't have been very exciting, now, would it?" The Master smirked at the Doctor, the grin becoming more brittle as the Doctor didn't meet his gaze, "Doctor!"
His frustration only seemed to make the Doctor more eager to ignore him, eyes firmly locked on the screen. River and Jack gave the Master a matching glare from either side of the Doctor, reluctantly the Master grit his teeth than turned his own attention back to the screen.
Missy says they could shoot him but that's boring, the Master chimes in it is old school which could be nice for a change. The Doctor repeats where is Bill
"One of these days you're going to focus on your own wellbeing, Doctor." River sighed, even if she was already resigned to her wife's antics.
The Doctor only shrugged, a non-answer if there ever was one.
The Master admits if they told him he'd be really upset, so they both tell him she's right behind him
"The worst kind of pantomime." Donna snorted.
The Doctor looks round as Missy tells him there is Bill – dead, dismembered, fed through a grinder and squeezed into a Cyberman, doomed to an eternal afterlife as a bio-mechanical pyscho-zombie. The Master shares they spent ten years chatting at the top and he missed her by two hours
"Two hours." Rose shook her head, "You were so close."
"I'm sure the Master had great fun in making sure it was so close." Martha sent a glare at the Master, who looked far too smug.
Missy adds they ripped out her heart, threw it in a bin and burned it all away. She comments he's internalising and she loves when he's Mr Volcano. The Doctor turns to the Master saying the last time he saw him he was on his way to Gallifrey
"After Pinstripes regenerated right?" Yaz recalled the video they'd watched a while ago. That was the last time they'd seen this version of the Master, though they'd all thought it meant he was trapped on Gallifrey where he'd regenerated at some point than escaped. Apparently, they'd all been wrong.
The Master replies he didn't stay, why would he? The Doctor says they cured his condition then and kicked him out, the Master argues it was a mutual kicking out
"They like having me around about as much as you like being there, remember Doctor?" The Master grit his teeth, growing more and more annoyed as the Doctor continued to ignore him.
Missy is bored, repairing her lip goss. The Doctor adds he ended up in this dump somehow, and he never could drive
"Like you can talk." Bill offered the Doctor a teasing grin. These videos were taking a lot on them, and any moments of respite were desperately needed. It also helped to remind the Doctor she was there, alive, well and not a Cyberman.
The Master tried to wave him off claiming he doesn't understand. The Doctor replies let's see how well he does, the Master's Tardis got stuck, he killed people and took over the city, lived well until they rebelled, and has been hiding since in disguise as everyone knows his stupid round face
"Typical Master plot." The Doctor remarked with a roll of her eyes. Purposely not glancing anywhere near the Master's direction.
The Master is stuck on the round comment, and Missy says it is a little bit
"Apparently insulting your other selves, is typical of Time Lords and not just a Doctor thing, who knew." Amy shook her head. She couldn't deny it was entertaining to see Missy insult the Master.
The Master tells him to shut up, asking if he wants to see his city, does he want to see what happens when he's too late to save his little friend and everyone else
"I've seen that far too many times." The Doctor muttered to herself, getting lost in bad memories for a moment.
He wheels the Doctor to the edge to watch people escorted by patients. The Master says it used to be just a hospital and now it is mass production, Cyber Foundries. Missy adds the whole city is a machine to turn people into Cybermen, isn't it exciting seeing them get started?
"Not the word I'd use." Ryan crossed his arms over his chest.
The Doctor replies they always get started, wherever there's people – Mondas, Telos, Earth etc, some things are inevitable. Missy notices an aerial pulsing out a signal and worriedly asks the Doctor if he's done something, what's happening?
A few people smirked, glad to see the Master's panicking and reassured to know the Doctor wasn't in as precarious a position as they'd thought (though it was still very precarious).
The Doctor comments people are wrong about the Cybermen, there is no evil plan just parallel evolution. The Master asks what he's done as the Doctor continues people plus technology minus humanity, always read the comments as one day they'll be an army
"Another commonality between Time Lords; all of them like the sound of their own voices." Donna raised an eyebrow at the Doctors speech even as she was glad to see him more in his element.
Missy realises they're coming for them as the Master shouts back that doesn't make sense, the Doctor asks, doesn't it?
"What did you do Doctor?" River asked, turning to her wife beside her confused and a bit worried. The Doctor just smirked.
The Master says the Cybermen are primitive, programmed to track and convert humans, home in on human life signs only. The Doctor remarks the two of them should know by now, when they're winning and he's in the room they're missing something
"Smug old man." The Master muttered with a flared nose across the room. The Doctor still chose to ignore him.
The Master asks what they missed. The Doctor tells Missy she shouldn't have hit him as he was waiting for his chance, the computer contained the algorithm to define human life signs and he only had time to change one detail. A single number – one heart to two hearts, he updated the definition and it took them a while to update the net but here they are, welcome to the menu
"Doesn't that add you to the menu as well Doctor?" Jack asked nervously, it made the Master's life more troublesome but the Doctor was the one tied up and vulnerable right now.
"Erm…" The Doctor couldn't offer an actually reply.
Cybermen are stomping up the stairs to the now floodlit roof, the Doctor continues they think they count as humans now and they want to fix that quickly. Missy sonics the doors shut as the Master sonics a Cybermen coming up the fire escape, setting its chest unit on fire
"How the tables turn." Yaz smirked, maybe enjoying the Master's being scared of the Cybermen a bit too much – though with their history could you blame her?
The Master says there must be other ways up there and they can't cover them all. The Doctor says they can't fight the whole city, and they know the stories, there is only one way to stop this many Cybermen – him. The Master sonics another Cyberman and then goes to the Doctor
"Ah, smart! Trick the Masters into freeing you." Rose nodded proud, "What's the next step of the plan?"
"About that …" The group all groaned as they realised in true Doctor style, they did not have a fully prepared plan, and were winging it.
The Master demands he does it, stop them. The Doctor remarks it is a new record for begging for his life, the Master counter he's not begging, he'd rather die than beg him
"Well, you're in a tight spot then." Rory mused.
The Doctor says it is his lucky day then. The Master muttered they can do this, it isn't difficult, they're Cybermen. The Doctor tells him to knock himself out, Missy pirouettes and does just that, hitting the Master with her parasol
"Very literally, I like it." Amy grinned at the Master-on-Master violence. Maybe Missy wasn't a completely lost cause after all.
Missy declares his wish is her command, she unties him claiming to be secretly on his side all along
"Really?" Clara asked, eyebrows raised and voice dripping with disbelief.
"You can't argue otherwise." The Master smirked pointedly.
The Doctor asks if it is true and Missy says not to spoil the moment. The Doctor holds her hand and says he needs to know, it is true?
"It's a love triangle!" Bill muttered, hands covering her face in disbelief. She'd been far too occupied with being a Cyberman and barely conscious at the time but it was so obvious now. "It's a love triangle, with two of the people being the same person! Only you Doctor."
Missy admits it is hard to say as she is in two minds but fortunately the other is unconscious. The Doctor leaps onto the edge and speaks into is sonic asking Nardole if he's been useful
"You know I almost forgot about the little guy." Graham blinked. None of the group had registered Nardole's lack of presence on screen until the Doctor brought it up.
Nardole replies he found this in the loading bay, a little space shuttle rises to be level with the Doctor
"That's useful, yeah." Martha said.
"Just got the issue of Bill." Mickey added, then winced and glanced at the younger woman in the room with them, "No offence intended."
"None taken." Bill waved him off.
Nardole flies higher and drops a rope ladder down. The Doctor tells them to get Junior up there, and they pick up the Master as he wakes, complaining about how hard they hit him
"Not hard enough." Jack muttered earning a disapproving look from the Doctor.
Missy mutters he's telling her; she thinks she still has the bump. The Master climbs the ladder
"Why are you taking him with you?" Ryan asked incredulous, gesturing to the screen.
The Doctor shot him an understanding smile, "Unfortunately, I needed him to stop this mess and fix Bill. It also meant I could keep an eye on the idiot." And he wasn't going to leave him to the Cybermen went unsaid, they all knew the Doctor still cared from the Master despite everything.
The Doctor is hit with electricity as a Cyberman grabs him from behind, he cries out in pain. Missy picks up his sonic but before she can do anything, the Cyberman is zapped by another Cybermen (Bill), letting the Doctor go
"Bill!" Yaz grinned. That was a good sign that it was still Bill within the Cybermen shell. It gave the group hope for the young woman's fate.
The Doctor mutters Bill before collapsing
"Bad timing Doctor." Nardole shook his head.
"Well, it's not like I meant to pass out!" The Doctor protested, arms waving in the air.
Missy asks what was that Doctor, he'll only slow them down? Yeah, he's right, she puts her parasol between her teeth and climbs the ladder
"Missy!" Clara sighed; she really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up for her so quickly. She was still ultimately the Master – and self-survival was their main prerogative.
The Master sits next to Nardole in the shuttle, telling him the Doctor is dead and told him he'd always hated Nardole, let's go. Nardole says no, then Missy climbs up and repeats the same words, Nardole replies he heard the first time
"They really are the same person." Mickey remarked with a roll of his eyes. The Master was nothing if predictable at times.
The Master makes a grab for the joystick but Nardole protests. The Master argues they have to get away from there, telling him to find a hole in the roof or make one, is there a big gun on front as that would be good
"For once, he's right." Rose grimaces, hating that she had to even remotely agree with the Master.
The shuttle lurches and Nardole says he doesn't think they're going anywhere as Bill is back. On the roof, Cyber-Bill is holding onto the ladder as the Doctor's eyes open, he swears he will fix it, he will get her back
"Definitely do that, but get out of there first." Amy proposed.
Back to the countryside where Alit is staring at the crashed ship, more figures emerging from the smoke
"And we're back to where we started." Donna noted, recognising the scene from earlier in the video.
Missy asks what level they are on, and the Master says it has to be one of the solar farms with the hologram sky and atmosphere. Alit asks who they are, as Nardole says the engine is blow so this is as far as they can go, he spots Alit and says they are form downstairs and are going to need her help
"Maybe find the parents." Martha suggested.
Two weeks letter, Hazran comes out the house in the evening with some blankets and goes into the barn, putting them next to a sleeping Bill who wakes – she looks human
"Wait what?" How is Bill not a Cyberman?" Yaz exclaimed, glancing between the screen and the group in the room.
Bill frowned, glancing briefly at the Doctor who looked confused before turning to the room, "Things aren't as they seem, just watch."
Hazran apologises for the fact she has to stay out there but she'd scare the children. Bill asks where is she, saying she can't remember
"Oh, Bill." Clara muttered, giving the younger woman a concerned look.
Hazran tells her the Doctor put her to sleep as she needed rest, Bill asks why she's in the barn and what's wrong. Hazran apologises, it's just the Doctor said she wasn't dangerous but it's difficult
"You're still a Cyberman aren't you." River declared, looking at the screen thoughtfully, "Your mind's protecting you from the reality of the situation."
Bill just nodded, avoiding all the sympathetic gazes sent her way.
Bill asks what it difficult, where is the Doctor? Hazran says his injuries are being tended to
"Injuries?" Rose asked worriedly. They'd all seen the Doctor hurt before they'd arrived in the upper levels but for the Doctor to still be injured two weeks later it mean things were really bad. It didn't help but the title of the video was still lingering in the back of their minds.
Bill asks about the injuries, every time she moves forward, Hazran retreats and then finally runs out as Bill calls after her that she needs to see the Doctor and speak to him
"I'm so sorry Bill." The Doctor's voice was soft, but genuine. Bill reluctantly looked up to meet her gaze, giving the Doctor an attempt of an understanding smile. Neither of them were in a good place back then.
The next morning the barn door opens and Alit enters saying everyone is too scared to talk to her but she isn't
"Brave little girl." Donna smiled.
Bill asks why they're scared. Outside in the farm, they're piling up sandbags and reinforcing the barricade around the farmhouse
"They're preparing for war." Rory remarked, noticing the defences.
"Wouldn't you under the circumstances?" Amy raised an eyebrow at her husband.
Nardole tells them to put their backs into, Hazran tells him he's working them too hard. Nardole counter sit isn't work, but war, Operation Exodus is looking for fresh meat and they're it
"Really the only person who is safe from them is Nardole." Bill mused, attempting to distract both herself and the group from what was unfolding in front of them.
Alit enters the barn again and Bill asks is that it as she puts down something covered in cloth. Bill says she really won't harm her, Alit replies she knows but backs away as Bill steps forward and uncovers the cloth to reveal a mirror – she's still very much Cyber-Bill
"Still a Cybermen." Graham grimaced; they'd all been hopeful for a moment but they'd have to wait and see how Bill was unconverted.
She says that's not her, Alit apologises scared as Bill gets more insistent that she's Bill Potts
Bill winced, hands fidgeting as she realised how much she'd scared that little girl. She's been so focused on her own crisis of conversion (which was understandable given the circumstances) that she hadn't noticed how scared Alit had been. No matter how brave she was, it still must have been terrifying to be there.
Alit runs away into the Doctor, he calls out to Bill, making her put down the mirror as the Doctor greets her by name
"Doctor." Jack acknowledged their entrance with a relived sigh, if anyone was going to reassure Bill, it was the Doctor. Plus, they could see how injured the old man really was and the state of the escape plan.
Alit apologises for giving her a mirror, the Doctor tells her not to be sorry as she was being kind and there is nothing wrong with kind, he offers her a jelly baby
The Master rolled his eyes, snorting in disdain at the return of the Doctor's jelly baby habit. He was sure this whole conversation with Bill was going to be sickening to watch.
Alit thanks him and leaves, closing the barn doors behind her. The Doctor has a bit of a limp, and Bill sees herself as human
"Look at the two of you." River shook her head with a long-suffering sigh. They were not in a good state to deal with an army of Cybermen and two Masters on a time-warped ship.
Bill asks what was in the mirror and the Doctor tells her it was a Cybermen, she asks what a Cyberman is
"Oh, you didn't even know what they were." Mickey's eyes widened. No wonder she'd panicked so much when seeing her reflection and why she was so confused about why people were scared of her. Knowing what had happened would have been horrifying enough; not knowing must have been terrifying.
The Doctor explains they are a technologically augmented human designed to survive, a great idea but all they want to do is turn everyone else in Cybermen too, they go viral
"Like a disease." Ryan muttered with a scowl at the screen. No encounter with the Cybermen and the Master ever went well.
Bill asks why and the Doctor says they see themselves as an upgrade. Bill corrects him saying why does she see a Cyberman in the mirror, there is a long pause
"Awkward." Nardole muttered, eyes shifting side to side. There really was no easy way to break the news to Bill.
The Doctor asks what she remembers, and Bill says quite a lot as she was down there ten years. The Doctor agrees adding one day they took her to the conversion theatre; does she remember that? Bill says bits of it, he turned up
"Too late." The Doctor criticised herself with a frown, more than a bit disappointed in herself.
The Doctor asks if she remembers what they did to her, Bill claims they did nothing, saying to look at her she's fine! She touches her forehead and sees a Cyber-hand. The Doctor says she's so strong and amazing and her mind has rebelled against the programming, built a wall around itself and she's inside saying no, not her
"Your mind is protecting you. You've not registered what's happening." River nodded, "It's probably why the programming hasn't taken over."
Bill asks what he is talking about and the Doctor says all that time living under the monks she learned to hand onto herself
"Monks?" Rose asked curious.
Bill, Nardole and the Doctor exchanged a long look before the Doctor turned back to the room, "It's a long story."
"That's putting it lightly." Bill snorted.
Bill argues she's fine, look at her! The Doctor tells her what she sees isn't her, her mind is acting like a perception filter and she sees herself like she used to be. Bill asks about that and the Doctor tells her it won't last forever, Bill pushes what does he mean used to be?
"And never again." Bill muttered quietly to herself, making sure no one else could overhear her. She was never quite human in the same way again, but at least thanks to Heather she wasn't still Cyber-Bill.
She advances and he retreats, she sees her shadow on the wall. The Doctor apologises, saying she can't be angry anymore, temper isn't a luxury she has. Bill asks why, why can't she be angry?
"This isn't going to go well." Yaz grimaced.
The Doctor tried to calm her, begging, but Bill is angry saying he left her for ten years, don't tell her she can't be angry! Her helmet blasts the barn door to firewood and the children scream
Bill looked away from the screen, unable to see things from the outside perspective like this. The Doctor tried to shoot her a reassuring smile, but Bill's eyes were focused on the floor.
Jack whistled lowly, "Good old Cybermen weapons."
Rexhill shouts for them to get back, as the Doctor tells Bill that's why, because she's a cyberman. Nardole ushers everyone back to work saying there is nothing to see there
"Thanks, Nardole." Bill shot him a thankful smile, glad that no one was left gaping at the destruction.
Bill comes outside and the Doctor tells her it is okay, they're just scared. Bill says people are always are going to be afraid of her aren't they
"Oh, Bill." Clara muttered sympathetic, not sure if there was anything she could say to make this better.
He wipes a tear from her face and Bill asks if it is engine oil or something, the Doctor replies no, it is an actual tear but it shouldn't be
"That's good right?" Rory asked hopeful.
River answered for the group on screen, shocked but smiling, "Yes."
Out of the corner of her eye the Doctor noticed that the Master looked surprised at Bill's development, apparently neither of the Masters had been aware.
The Master approaches saying while the Doctor's been busy chatting with Robo-Mop, him and himself have been busy, they found it. He changes his voice to Razor as he greets Bill saying she was so boring all those years but it was worth every day for this
"You stay away from her!" Martha spat, leaning forward in her seat, only Mickey's hand on her arm keeping her from leaping off to get in the Master's face.
The Master only smirked, far too happy with himself. Jack shot a look at Martha, an attempt to calm her – now was not the time no matter how much he wanted to attack him.
The Doctor tells Bill to not let him upset her, the Master continues didn't she used to be a woman? He's going to be a woman soon, any tips or old bras? Cyber-Bill claims she is not upset
"Good, don't let him know how much he upsets you; it only entertains him more." Yaz nodded at Bill who offered a fragile smile back.
"Talking from experience, Yaz?" The Master gave her a smirk and pointed look. Yaz just glared back before diverting her eyes and ignoring his chuckles.
The Master tells her not to take all the fun out of cruelty. Inside, Bill is crying
The Doctor shot Bill a worried look but Bill's eyes never left the screen in an attempt to ignore the Master's chuckles which were renewed with the discovery of Bill crying.
They walk the countryside and Bill asks why there are so many children in the house. The Doctor explains it is a small community, several hundred at most, so they keep the children together for protection
"Keeps them safe, allows them to get educated together, and make some friends." River noted, with a small smile.
He motions to the Cyber-scarecrows, saying they make it up sometimes and try to take the children. He gasps and leans against a tree, regeneration energy glowing briefly in one hand
"You're dying." Amy noted, eyes widening at the realisation the Doctor was more than just injured.
The Doctor shrugged, with a weak smile; "It was almost time."
"So, Bill's a Cyberman. You're dying. All three of you are trapped with two Masters on a time warped ship with a group of colonisers. There is an army of Cybermen coming at any moment to kill everyone." Jack summarised the mess of a video so far, ticking things off on his fingers as he went. "You've really outdone yourself this time Doctor."
Bill asks if he is alright, he claims he's fine
Rose groaned disapproving of the Doctor's secretive ways, "Doctor, she'll need to know!"
The Doctor just shrugged, not taking her eyes away from the screen.
The Doctor breaks off a branch to use as a walking aid. Bill asks what it was but the Doctor instead tells her the Cybermen target children as conversion is easier, the brains are fresher and the bodies are smaller so there is less, less to throw away
"Lovely." Donna grimaced; very glad she hadn't had the misfortune of dealing with the Cybermen herself.
Bill remembers he said he could fix this, get her back, asking if he said that. The Doctor says he did, Bill asks if he was lying and he says no
"A rare occurrence." Amy snorted quietly. It was maybe not the time, but she couldn't help it.
Bill asks if he was right and the Doctor says no, she realises they aren't getting out of this one
"Not in the same way we entered." Bill answered her own question, sharing a long look with the Doctor and Nardole. The rest of the room shared their own looks, not remotely liking the implications in Bill's statement.
The Doctor argues there are always possibilities, but Bill says she can feel it, the programming in her head taking over her piece by piece, it's like hanging on in a hurricane and she can't hold on forever
"Come on Bill, you've got this." Ryan encouraged the Bill on screen, earning a small smile from the Bill in the room with them before he'd even release what he'd done.
The Doctor says whatever it takes but Bill says no, she wants him to know as her friend, she doesn't want to live if he can't be her anymore, does he understand that? He does, and Bill says it isn't possible is it, the Doctor tells her what else isn't possible – a cyberman crying and where there are tears there is hope
"He may understand, Bill." River spoke to the younger girl softly, "But he'd never be able to do it."
Bill nodded her understanding, both of them ignoring the Doctor.
In a clearing, Missy sonics up a column of light as the Master comments how weird it is that she doesn't remember this. Missy tells him the two of them together puts the timelines out of sync and he won't retain his memories so she doesn't have them
The Master rolled his eyes at his past selves, clearly there was something else at play but the two geniuses back then hadn't made the connections. Two heads weren't better than one in their case, apparently.
She sees Bill and the Doctor approach and comments he just had to being her, the Master corrects her it is a Cyberman now, not a 'her'
Clara raised an eyebrow at Missy's 'slip', maybe she wasn't as far gone as they had assumed. Maybe she wouldn't have even turned against the Doctor without her other regenerations influence. It was likely they'd never know.
Missy apologises and the Master asks if she has empathy now. The Doctor interrupts them asking where it is, and Missy says the lift shaft, right here. He sonics the column of light
"Okay, so why don't you just take them to the top. Get the people to the Tardis and get them somewhere safe?" Graham asked confused.
The Doctor just shook her head, "Wish it was that simple Graham. The lifts are down at the bottom, when they come up, they're coming up with an army of Cybermen."
The Master says it is a hologram to not ruin the pretty forest and it is amazing more people don't turn to genocide. Missy sonics the doors visible as the Doctor says this is how they'll evacuate the children as there has to be more lifts nearby
"But you just said-?" Mickey asked confused as the Doctor had just explained why they couldn't do that.
The Doctor chuckled, "Just watch Mickey, it'll be explained."
He sonics another two into view adding they know Operation Exodus is ready so they can't hang around. Missy sonics the call button
"Idiot." Jack took great fun in calling out the Master's mistakes. The Master gave the grinning immortal a sneer, not enjoying having his past mistakes being called out.
The Doctor shouts what it she doing, she just called the lift! Missy points out they're going to need them but the Doctor reminds her the lift was downstairs and quite possibly not empty
"More than 'quite possibly', try definitely." Rose countered.
Cyber-Bill tells them to stand aside, the Doctor says to do as she says, and the Master complains asking if the future is going to be all girl
"It should be." Donna gave the Master in the room a long glare.
For once the Master leaned back in his seats slightly, raising his hands in surrender even as he smirked at the fiery ginger. "I'm not like my idiot past self. I'm all for girl power and all that jazz."
Yaz grimaced, disliking both the Master's tone and words.
The Doctor remarks they can only hope. Bill takes point as the other three ready their sonics behind her. The lift opens and a more modern Cyberman is revealed
"They've upgraded since you were down there." Mickey remarked with a frown, that was not a good sign and frankly the last thing any of them needed.
The Doctor shouts fire and the Master screams to kill it, they succeed between them
"You have the lifts now, but they also know where you are." River warned the Doctor, pointlessly.
The Doctor orders Missy to sonic the lift and keep it here as Bill asks why it looks different. The master tells her it evolved and the Doctor agrees saying they've built a weapon-grade version to come after them and they just gave up their position, congrats genius twins
The Doctor's remarks earned a few snorts and chuckles from the group, despite the bad news, any excuse to mock the Master.
Missy argues it doesn't matter as they can just take the lift to the top and escape with the Tardis, she adds they can even evacuate the others if he's feeling ridiculous
"Why do I have a feeling it's still not that simple?" Clara sighed.
"Because it never is?" Amy remarked with a long-suffering sigh. The pair shared a commiserating smile.
The Doctor explains they can't go to the top, they can only go up four of five floors at most as time moves slower, the higher they go up, by the time they reached the top the Cybermen would have had thousands of years to work out how to stop them. There is no safe way to the Tardis – it is a mathematical impossibility
"Your favourite." River sighed, the weight of this video really hitting her. At every turn there was a new obstacle in their way.
At the bottom of the ship, a Cyberman commands troops to attack phase. At the farm a siren sounds and Hazran asks Nardole what it is
"Attack time." Rory grimaced, recognising the sound for what it is. "You're out of time."
The Doctor runs up to Nardole, saying the Cybermen don't have fear but know how to use it, Operation Exodus, they're announcing their arrival, they're coming
"I hope you've got a plan." Jack raised an eyebrow at the Doctor next to him. The Doctor just shrugged, not giving any indication one way or another.
Bill asks how long until they get there and the Doctor replies two-hundred-miles of time-dilated spaceship, based on his calculations they need a plan quick
"That's not a proper answer." Rose raised a pointed eyebrow.
Hazran says they realise it is hopeless, right. Nardole is using a laptop and replies he hoped someone would say that as he was starting to feel a glimmer of purpose
"Nardole." River sighed fondly.
Bill pushes, asking the Doctor if they have long enough. The Doctor counter there is no such thing as long enough with the Cybermen, opening the trapdoor to the cellar
"It's the Doctor." Martha shook her head fondly, "There's never enough time."
The Cybermen they shot has been brough to the farm and Nardole connects his laptop to it. Hazran tell him to look at it, they have armour and they don't have enough guns to shoot through. Nardole asks her to give him one of the rifles, saying look
"What have you got up your sleeve, Nardole?" Ryan asked curious and hopeful. Nardole replied with a proud smirk.
At the farmhouse, the Master is applying eyeliner as Missy approaches saying she's been thinking and needs his Tardis as they can't go up but can go down and his Tardis is at the bottom of the ship, right? The Master replies he supposes, and Missy pushes is it, or isn't it?
"Oh great, the two scrooges are up to trouble." Jack sighed.
"If they run then at least they're out of the way." Amy offered.
Martha shook her head, "No, it's the Master. They'll find a way to cause trouble no matter what."
The Master leered, "Why, Dr Smith, you flatter me." Martha grimaced, leaning away from him to his amusement.
In the cellar, Bill points out a hole asking what it is. The Doctor reminds her they're on a spaceship so it is a service duct, rusted shut. He asks her to get angry with it and she blasts a human-sized hole in the metal covering
"As terrible as it is, it's a bit convenient." Mickey offered, "Sorry Bill."
Outside, Nardole asks if the windmill is important. Hazran asks why and Nardole fires, blowing it up as she squeals
"That's some serious fire power." Donna whistled, "How've you managed that?"
"Watch and learn." Nardole smiled proud of his prowess.
Nardole replies no reason before telling one of the men to shoot a bush nearby and it took explodes. Hazran says he thinks he is quite something, doesn't he and Nardole says he tries not to miss the obvious. Rexhill asks how it is possible and the Doctor reminds them it isn't the countryside, this is a spaceship
"You're shooting fuel lines." River realised, eyes widening as she started chuckling. "That's brilliant."
In the farmhouse, the Master and Missy are arguing about the Tardis and whose it is. The Master reminds her it is in the middle of a city full of cybermen and Missy points out they're coming here. The Master admits it doesn't work, Missy asks why not
"Two people, one brain cell." Yaz muttered to Ryan who started snickering. The Master levelled narrowed eyes at the pair unable to hear them but strongly suspecting they were laughing at him.
Outside, the Doctor continues if it fooled them, it will fool the Cybermen as they still have monkey brains and you can always fool a monkey brain with a bit of theatre
"I feel like that's an insult." Mickey narrowed his eyes at the Doctor.
The Doctor smirked, "Well, monkey brains make it hard to tell."
Inside, the Master admits he landed and then had trouble taking off due to being too close to the event horizon. Missy says he screwed up and went too fast, he adds he blew the dematerialisation circuit. Missy says that reminds her, a funny thing happened to her once. The Master asks what and she grabs his lapels and pushes him against a pillar
"Do we have to watch this?" Clara scrunched up her face in disgust. She really didn't want to see anymore flirting between the Masters, and this was dangerous territory. The Tardis didn't listen as the video kept playing.
Missy continues, a long time ago a very scary lady threw her against a wall and made a promise to always carry a spare dematerialisation circuit. She doesn't remember much about her not but she left an impression, she pulls a dematerialisation circuit out her jacket pocket
"Why are things going well for them and bad for everyone else?" Graham shook his head.
"Because the world isn't fair grandad." Ryan shrugged.
The Master argues she basically has him to thank for this, Missy says he's welcome. He asks is it wrong if he, er, they both glance down, Missy says yes, very
"Ugh, uh. No, no, no. That's disgusting." Bill shook her head and hands in denial, "I never wanted to see that!" She was very glad she hadn't seen that in person, seeing it on video was bad enough. The room shared her opinion based on their matching disgusting looks.
In the dormitory, the Doctor is gathering up toys as Alit says she doesn't understand. The Doctor says it is very simple, the Cybermen have removed all fear from themselves but she is going to put it all back. He puts down a small doll then knocks the rest of the toys over. The Cybermen are zooming upwards, trailing clouds of exhaust flumes
"Oh, so you do have a plan." Jack raised an eyebrow, "That's rare."
Night in the farmhouse, the windows are boarded up and the Doctor sits on a chair on the front porch with a rifle
"You've got a gun?" Yaz's eyes were wide in surprise. They were all very aware of the Doctor's no guns rule.
The Doctor let out a sigh, "Just watch."
Inside, Hazran comments she's never met anyone like Nardole, asking where he is from. Nardole replies he doesn't know, he was sort of found. She pushes her mug to him, asking who loved him, he pulls his mug away
"More flirting? Really?" Bill shook her head. Apparently, a lot had happened in those two weeks on floor 507.
Nardole says he should tell her he isn't human, Hazran replies she'd try anything once. Stomping is heard and Hazran leaps up and starts shooting at the Cyberman
"Wait!" Clara protested, recognising Bill.
Nardole shouts for her to stop as it is Bill, Hazran puts the rifle down and apologises. Cyber-Bill says she understands, turning and leaving
"Bill …" The Doctor didn't know what else to say, just giving the young woman a sad look.
Bill tries to say something to the Doctor but the Cybermen start to arrive with a boom. The Doctor warns them they have a maximum of ten minutes before they attack as Alit asks if it is time. The Doctor checks with Nardole who says it is time, Alit asks if that is her gun he has
"Do not give that child a gun, Doctor." Donna turned a pointed look at the Doctor, who raised her hands in surrender.
The Doctor says no, no, he doesn't like guns, he gives it to Hazran saying he has a better idea, is she good at throwing? Alit says she is better than all the boys
"Brave kid." Rose smiled.
The Doctor offers her humanity's first weapon, an apple, saying it is tempting isn't it
"A bit religious for you, Sweetie." River rolled her eyes.
The Master and Missy lounge by the wall, the dematerialisation circuit in the Master's hand
"This is going to end well." Jack remarked with a sigh upon seeing the Master duo.
The Master declares him and her and off now, but they were wondering what his plan is. Missy adds whatever he has, he can't save them
"Why you so curious if you're running off?" Martha remarked with a raised eyebrow at the Master in the room, who only scoffed and turned his attention to the screen.
The Doctor explains there is another solar farm five levels above, he wants to get the children and most of the adults up there. The Master cuts in the Cybermen will find them again, but the Doctor counters it is the best he can do, so he's doing it, do they have a problem with that?
"It's a short-term solution, and you know it." Amy sighed. It wasn't good that the Doctor was giving up already.
The Master says he can't win, the Doctor counter he knows, and? The Master tells Missy to come on saying he doesn't know what she sees in him, Missy replies likewise
"Well, that's the biggest loud of absolute nonsense I've heard, and that's saying something." Donna snorted with a pointed look at the Master in the room who was conveniently avoiding eye contact. "We all know how you feel about the Doctor; you're not fooling anyone mate."
They walk away and the Doctor shouts no, running after them, saying when he says no, they turn back around
"That's surprising." Clara blinked.
"What is?" Rory asked confused.
Clara turned her attention to the Doctor as she answered, "I'd have thought the Master would have snapped first."
He continues he's going to be dead in a few hours so before he goes, let's do this, him and them once and for all
"About time." Martha muttered lowly, though she couldn't deny she was curious where this conversation was going. Eyebrows had very different reactions to the Master then Pinstripes had.
Winning? Is that what you think it's about? I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because, because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun and God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do, because it's right! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just kind. If I run away today, good people will die. If I stand and fight, some of them might live. Maybe not many, maybe not for long. Hey, you know, maybe there's no point in any of this at all, but it's the best I can do, so I'm going to do it. And I will stand here doing it till it kills me. You're going to die too, some day. How will that be? Have you thought about it? What would you die for? Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand, is where I fall. Stand with me. These people are terrified. Maybe we can help, a little. Why not, just at the end, just be kind?
The group listened in awe to the Doctor's impassioned speech. The Doctor had always had a way with words when they really needed them, and the pair of Masters complete disregard for their situation had seemed to bring it out in Eyebrows, or maybe his impending death also played a part in it.
The Doctor just listened on sadly, her last regeneration had learned a lesson that her former regenerations had struggled with, and she'd gone right back to struggling with it.
The Master scoffed quietly in the corner, going ignored by the rest of the group.
The Master tells him to look at his face, as that is the face that didn't listen to a word he just said, he walks off
Martha scoffed, not at all surprised by his reaction to the Doctor's speech.
The Doctor pleads with Missy saying she's changed, he knows she has, and what she's capable of, he asks her to stand with him, it is all he's ever wanted. Missy replies her to, but no, sorry, just no. She takes his hand thanking him for trying before leaving too
Clara sighed, she'd been hopeful for a moment that Missy would hesitate or even stand with the Doctor but it seems that all three Time Lords were doomed to fall alone.
The Doctor glanced at the Master for the first time since near the start of the video. He met her eyes briefly, something she couldn't distinguish flickering across for a second before he glanced away. The Doctor would see what had really happened soon.
In the countryside, the Cybermen march in arrowhead formation, stopping suddenly as they spot Alit. The Cybermen tell her she won't be harmed but upgraded, Alit replies no thanks, throwing the apple to them. They look at it, then Nardole presses a key on his laptop and kaboom, Cybermen go flying in all directions. Nardole shouts for her to go
"Very clever, but get those kids out of there now." Rose ushered.
More Cybermen are coming, the Master and Missy hide as another explosion happens. By the farmhouse Nardole asks if they get it yet, the whole floor is fuel lines and fusion turbos, if you happen to be good with computer skills you can remote spark a critical failure and boom. Nardole says they weren't listening to a word of that and Hazran admits she still isn't getting it
"Don't need to as long as the plan works." Mickey said.
Rexhill warns about incoming and Nardole works his laptop as the Doctor and Bill enter. The Doctor says ay any moment now the Cybermen will decide they have significant weaponry. Nardole comments to Alit about awesome weaponry, the ultimate apple upgrade
Ryan snickered at the little refrence, "She won't understand that."
Nardole just shrugged with a little smirk.
The Doctor continues it means they will change their campaign parameters, Nardole asks how's that, and the Doctor shares up until now this has been a mercy mission
"Would hardly call killing and conversion a mercy." Graham scoffed.
Hazran asks what, and the Doctor explains they want to upgrade them, take their children, but now they think they're a military target and they will fall back, regroup and plan a bigger assault
"And why is that a good thing exactly?" Amy asked the Doctor incredulous.
"Just watch." The Doctor replied to her frustration.
Amy rolled her eyes, "Oh I can't wait to see how this plan of yours unfolds."
Bill sarcastically says good, but the Doctor agrees more seriously as they will stop tracking the children. Rexhill interrupts that they're moving back and the Doctor says it is time to go
"Which means you can sneak the children out while creating a distraction." Clara realised with a grin.
Rexhill protests they are surrounded and the Doctor says he loves being surrounded as it means everyone if looking at him, he tells Hazran to get going. Hazran starts to lead the evacuation down to the cellar as the Doctor tells Nardole he wants him to lead the evacuation. Nardole protests but the Doctor continues there is another solar farm on floor 502 which should have enough livestock in the cryogenic chamber
"You're trying to protect Nardole." River gave her wife a sad look, though not surprised.
The Doctor's gaze didn't leave the screen even as she answered, "I'd already failed Bill, I had to at least try and protect Nardole for a little while longer."
Nardole protests he needs him with him, the Doctor ignores him downloading the laptop data onto his sonic, he thanks Nardole for the software saying he'll take it from there. Nardole says with all respect, he's worried about his plan, the Doctor asks what plan?
Donna shook her head, "Oh, you have a plan. It's just not one with a happy ending for anyone but those kids." She gave the Doctor a pointed look, the tension in the room increasing further as they all knew how exactly this was going to end. The Doctor didn't move their eyes from the screen.
Nardole continues that he thinks once the place is evacuated, he's going to blow the whole floor, killing as many Cybermen as he can
"And himself." Nardole added on.
The Doctor replies of course not, he won't do that until he's left. Nardole calls him a liar saying it can't be done remotely, the Doctor counters Nardole can't do it remotely
"And neither can you, Doc." Jack sighed. For once the Doctor didn't contest the nickname.
Nardole knows neither can he, and he isn't being sent to babysit a load of smelly humans. The Doctor says that's exactly what he's doing. Nardole protests this is him they're talking about, he knows what he was like, if there are more than three people in a room he starts a back market. If the Doctor sends him with them, he'll be selling their own spaceship back to them in a week, he says please, he'd rather stay down there and explode, the Doctor should go and farm the humans
"All three of you are out to get yourself killed." Martha threw her hands in the air in frustration, "I swear, for once the Master is the only one with self-preservation instincts!"
The Doctor couldn't help but glance at the Master, if what he'd said was true than for once none of them had any self-preservation, Master included.
The Doctor tells him to listen, one of them has to stay and blow-up silly tin men and the other has to go and look after very scared people, day after day for the rest of their lives, keep them safe. The question is, Nardole, which one of them is stronger
"He's got you." Bill shook her head, knowing both Nardole and the Doctor well enough to know how this was going to end.
After a long pause Nardole says damn, the Doctor offers his condolences and Nardole promises to name a rubbish town after him, and probably a pig. Nardole turns to Bill saying she's coming with him, no argument as he si still empowered to kick her arse
"She's not going to go with you." Yaz shook her head, very confident in her statement.
"And how do you know that?" Nardole raised an eyebrow at the young woman behind her.
"Because I wouldn't." Yaz replied, "None of us would." She didn't even need to glance around the room to know the others were nodding along.
Bill retorts he'd have to go down to the hospital and find it then
A few people winced at the dark humoured joke, if anyone had the right to them, it was Bill but it was a bit too soon for their liking.
Nardole tries to protests but Bill pushes her arse got kicked a long time ago and there is no going back, she stands by the Doctor adding all sha has left is returning the favour. Nardole mutters, great, she's allowed to explode
"She's special." The Doctor tried to give Nardole a smile. "And she's capable of making up her own mind, especially after everything that had happened."
The Doctor asks if she is sure, Bill replies he knows she is. Nardole admits he doesn't know what to say and Bill says he'll think of the right words later. Nardole nods to both of them and starts to leave, before adding she's wrong, he will never be able to find the right words
"And I still can't to this day." Nardole sighed, gaze lingering briefly on the Doctor and Bill in turn, both meeting his eyes for a moment.
Nardole leads the group down the cellar telling them he needs them to be big, brave and follow him. He leads them into the service duct
"Advice to them or for yourself?" Rose muttered.
In a clearing, the Master calls up a lift which is empty
"Convenient." Martha scoffed.
"They're all a part of the attack force." Mickey muttered, not really wanting to argue with his wife but unable to resist pointing it out.
The Master tells Missy to get in then straight down to the Tardis. Missy tells him to come here, planting her parasol on the ground and repeating her words when the Master doesn't
"What are you up too?" Clara narrowed her eyes at the screen, glancing briefly at the Master in the room. Something felt wrong about the situation between the Masters. The Doctor joined her in glancing at the Master who had taken a page out of the Doctor's book and was ignoring all eye contact.
The Master asks if they're seriously going to do this, embracing her. Missy tells him she loved being him, the way he burns like a sun, she remembers the feeling and always will, she'll always miss it
"But…" Martha narrowed her gaze; Missy was up to something.
The Master tells her that was nicely done, Missy thanks him, he leans back revealing he has blood on his fingers and she has a stiletto blade
"You killed him." Jack declared in disbelief, "You killed yourself." In all his encounters with the Master they had primarily shown self-preservation to be their number one priority. Excluding dying in the Doctor's arms – thought that could be written off as driven by spite; this was arguably for the Doctor.
The Master adds it is nice to know he hasn't lost his touch and Missy says he deserves the best
"Killing themselves, and still flirting." Bill shook her head in disbelief; the Master had been telling the truth at the start; Missy had been intending on coming back to the Doctor. Maybe he's been right, she had been changing. It was almost ironic that the very mission that was supposed to be a test if Missy was changing her ways was the thing that led to him losing it.
Back at the farm the sirens are going again. The Doctor mutters they love to advertise, telling Bill they need to keep them away from the house until everyone is clear, they need to buy them time
"Distraction duty, great." Amy sighed.
In the service ducts, Nardole checks on the group as they keep moving. At the farm, Bill says they'll attack on both sides so she'll take the back. The Doctor agrees before saying he's afraid this is the end so it there anything they ought to be saying?
"Goodbyes are never easy." River muttered solemnly; glancing concerned at her wife.
Bill can't think of anything, neither can the Doctor. Bill checks he knows she's all about woman and people her own age, the Doctor knows so Bill is glad
"Bill, I think everyone knows that." The Doctor rolled her eyes with a soft smile at the younger woman.
Bill shrugged with a grin, "Just wanted to make sure."
No one else could find the effort to enjoy the humour with the tension unfolding in front of them.
Bill leaves, and the Doctor declares without hope, without witness, without reward
"Beautiful words from an idiot who wants to die." Donna gave the Doctor a deadpanned look.
At the clearing, Missy helps the Master to the lift as he asks how long he has. Missy shares she was precise so he'll be able to make it back to the Tardis though he might leak a little. The Master adds he regenerates into her
"Would explain the lack of memories and escape." The Doctor sighed, glancing at the Master. At the moment all that had been proven that Missy and killed her previous regeneration, but that doesn't mean she intended to come back or what happened to her.
Missy welcomes him to sisterhood and he asks why. Missy declares the Doctor's right, it is time to stand with him, it's where they've always been going and it is happening now, today. It is time to stand with the Doctor
"You were coming back." The Doctor whispered hoarsely, she'd been hopeful after hearing the Master upon their entry to the room, but this was final proof.
"Like I told you," The Master replied, teeth gritted, "And you never believed me."
"Master-."
"No." The Master cut off the Doctor, reaching his snapping point. Arms waving as he leaned forward in his chair. "No, Doctor. For once I was coming back to you, I was trying to change!" The Doctor listened silent, the rest of the room watching on. "I was doing what you wanted! But it will never be enough, never, will it?"
The Doctor swallowed, "Why didn't you come back?" She finally managed to choke out.
"No, oh no! You don't get to ask that Doctor. I tried! I really tried!" The Master cut himself off, scoffing and shaking his head. "Just watch. If you really want to know, just watch."
The Master turned away from her, back to the screen. Any protests the Doctor could have tried were stopped by the video continuing.
The Master denies it saying he'll never stand with the Doctor. Missy turns saying yes, he will, he zaps her in the back with his sonic
"Double suicide and double homicide. An impressive feat." River sighed. That answered the Doctor's question; the Master had prevented her own reunion with the Doctor.
"I live to impress." The Master practically snarled, refusing to meet the Doctor's pitiful gaze he knew was being directed his way.
The Master tells her to not bother regenerating as she got a full blast, they both laugh. The Master continues this is where they were always going, the perfect ending, they shoot themselves in the back
"Only a temporary ending." Martha snorted quietly not quite willing to be so sympathetic to the Master.
The lift closes and he descends chuckling as Missy dies in the clearing. Nardole leads the children out of the duct towards the lifts
"This is a mess." Rose shook her head, "This whole situation is a mess from start to end." The video had ended in a death rate of three out of five so far; both Masters, and Bill. Plus, with the way things were going the Doctors death (or regeneration at least) was almost guaranteed.
He tells the group to squeeze as many people into the lifts up as they can as it will take years to get back. They hear explosions in the distance as Hazran hurries them along. Elsewhere, Cybermen explode as the Doctor leaps amongst them detonating fuel lines with his sonic. The Doctor shouts his past victories against the Cybermen – Telos, Canary Wharf, Planet 14, every time they lose, even on the moon
"Focus less on your victories and more on not getting shot." Clara gave the Doctor a pointed look.
Rose and Mickey shared a look at the mention of Canary Wharf but quickly looked back to the screen. They both knew how Canary Wharf had ended, but they didn't know how this mess would.
The Doctor gets zapped in the back by a Cyberman
"What did I just say?" Clara shook her head disapprovingly.
"There's only so many of those shots he can take." Jack muttered worriedly, glancing at the Doctor beside him who didn't take her eyes off the screen.
The Doctor introduces himself but the Cybermen say doctors aren't required, it aims at him again. The Doctor cries out in pain before correcting he is not a Doctor but the Doctor, the original, you might say
"I don't think they're going to care Doctor." Rory muttered concerned.
Amy scoffed, "In fact it probably makes it more likely for them to attack you again."
He gets blasted again, falling to his knees as regenerating energy builds in his hands
"Doctor…" River muttered, heartbroken as she watched her husband – and it really was her husband, the one that had spent twenty-four years on Darillium with her – taunt the Cybermen into shooting him again and again. He didn't have any intention of escaping, just distracting the Cybermen long enough for Nardole to lead the kids to safety.
The Doctor mutters to himself to let it go, time enough. He raises his sonic and detonates a massive explosion leaving him lying amongst fires, watched by a weeping brown eye
"The Doctor falls." Bill mimicked the title of the video, tone dead. She hadn't seen what had led up to the Doctor's death before, but she'd seen the aftermath; it didn't make watching it any easier. Rose was right, this video was a train wreck.
The Doctor says it is a pity there is no stars, he hoped there would be stars
"Sweetie…" River trailed off, not sure if there is anything she could ever say to express her feelings at seeing her husband lying on the ground dying muttering about stars.
On level 502, Nardole waits by a lift door on the higher level with an identical farm
"Identical." Ryan muttered, "Easy to settle down again, if not a bet eery."
Alit tells him his friends might still come, Nardole says no, he doesn't think so
Bill and the Doctor shared a look, Nardole knew them too well to think there were going to be any happy endings for them.
Alit asks about the Cybermen and Nardole tells her the Doctor destroyed most of them and it will take them a while to regroup before they find them again. Alit asks then what, and Nardole is sure he'll think of something
"What did happen?" Yaz asked curious.
Nardole glanced at Bill briefly, the Doctor watching too curious as she didn't know. "If the video doesn't show, I'll say at the end." Yaz nodded her agreement to the deal, just happy for promised answers.
Someone shouts for the pair as Hazran says the food is ready, Nardole tells Alit they should go find the others. Alit tells Nardole Hazran likes him, and Nardole replies she's only human
"A happy ending for one at least." Mickey sighed, "However temporarily it was."
Back down on level 507, the farm is a charred wasteland with some fires still burning. Cyber-Bill limps through the ashes and finds the Doctor, falling to her knees and touching him gently as she weeps
"Oh, Bill. You never should have had to see that." The Doctor gave Bill a sad look. She'd known that Bill had to have found her or someone anyway to end up in the Tardis, but she hadn't really thought about Bill finding her like that.
"I'm glad I did." Bill argued, stubborn and not willing to give in. "I needed to, and I'll never let you say otherwise, Doctor."
A tear falls on his forehead then she stands and looks skywards. Rain begins to fall and a familiar figure rises out of rapidly accumulating pool of water - Heather
"Heather?" Rose asked, surprised, "Right? The girl from the space oil, puddle thing."
"Yes." Bill smiled.
Bill remembers Heather's promise to not go. She then sees her Cybermen body fall backwards and asks if she is dead
"Are you?" Graham couldn't help but ask, it wouldn't be the craziest thing in the room.
"No." Bill managed to chuckle, "She made me like her."
"So, in saving you from being a Cyberman, she turned you into a puddle person?" Rory shook his head, the lack of surprise really went to show how much crazy they were used to, "Okay, why not."
Heather kisses her, asking if that feels dead to her, she tells Bill she's like her now, a different kind of living. Water is pouring off Bill's hands as she asks how Heather found her. Heather reminds her she left Bill her tears
"You were crying, and she came to save you." Yaz smiled, turning a teasing look on the other woman, "I think that means you're the damsel in distress and Heather's your knight in shining armour."
Bill laughed, "I'm okay with that, as long as we all agree that the Doctor's the ultimate damsel in distress."
"I'll go for that." Amy joined in laughing. The Doctor's protests fell on deaf ears as the group laughed, very thankful for the break in the tension.
Heather finishes she knows when Bill is crying them, and it is time to go. Bill protests saying they can't leave the Doctor, Heather agrees of course not
"Take him back to where he belongs." Martha smiled softly.
Bill nodded, "The Tardis."
They appear in the Tardis, now dry as the Doctor lies on the floor by the console. Bill guesses this is the only place he'd rest in peace if there was anywhere he would
"What about regeneration?" Ryan asked surprised. Bill was talking as if the Doctor was really dead.
Bill bit her lip for a second before answering, "He wasn't planning on it. Remember the … second video we saw? That came right after this I'm pretty sure."
"The one with his first regeneration and the people being stolen out of time." Clara nodded, "That makes sense, the idiot would absolutely try this."
Heather operates the controls and Bill asks how she can fly the Tardis, Heather reminds her she's the pilot, she can fly anything, including Bill
"That feels like an inuendo." Yaz gave Bill a little smirk. Bill just grinned in response.
Bill says she's like Heather now, not human anymore. Heather offers to make her human again as it is all atoms, and she can put Bill back together and she can go home and live her life or she can go with Heather. She leaves the decision to Bill, but wants to show her one thing before she makes up her mind
"Good, she's giving you a choice." The Doctor sighed relieved. She'd been a little worried how Heather had just changed Bill without a warning, even though Bill had claimed she was happy.
Heather opens the Tardis door to reveal a bright star shining in space
"It's stunning." Rose smiled.
"It never gets old." The Doctor nodded, a fond look on her face.
Heather offers to show her around, Bill asks if they'll be back in time for tea, and Heather replies if she wants. Bill turns to the Doctor, calling him an old man, and saying she's never going to believe he's really dead because one day people will need him too much. Until then, she kisses his cheek, adding it is a big universe and she hopes to see him again
"I was right." Bill smiled softly, waiting until the Doctor met her eyes.
The Doctor returned the smile, a bit more bittersweet. "Two for two, couldn't get anything past you Bill, could I?"
There is a tear on his face and Bill says where there's tears there's hope. She turns to Heather, saying she's been through a lot since last time they met, so she'll show Heather around
"Travelling the universe with a friend by your side. Not much better out there." Jack grinned, nodding at the younger woman. Apparently, they'd have to add her to the little club (consisting of River, Clara, and himself – the former companions still travelling the universe, in various states of half-death and weird aliveness).
They hold hands and step out into the infinite. The regenerating begins as they leave
"It's starting." Clara sighed, recognising the signs.
The Doctor remembers his companions, all shouting his name. First Bill and Nardole, then the Tardis powers up and we see past companions – Rose, Martha, Donna, Jack, Vastra, Jenny, Sarah Jane, Amy, Clara, River, even Missy. He sits up with a gasp
"Well, now I'm offended Doctor! I didn't see myself in your memory flashes." Mickey spoke up, trying to inject some humour back into the room which had fallen silent in awe. "Even Captain Cheesecake over there was included!"
"I have no control over memory flashes!" The Doctor raised her hand in surrender, "Besides that wasn't all of them … I remembered everyone." The Doctor refused to meet anyone's eyes, lost in memories of the past. Mickey's smile and joking demeanour fell, apparently now wasn't the right time for jokes.
DOCTOR: Sontarans perverting the course of human history! I don't want to go. When the Doctor, when the Doctor was me. When the Doctor was me. It's starting. I'm regenerating. No! No! No! No! No! No!
He stops the regeneration as the Tardis materialises. He asks where the Tardis has taken him as if she's trying to make a point he isn't listening, he doesn't want to change. Never again! He can't keep being someone else, he's staying. He runs outside as the Cloister Bell sounds
"Doctor …" River tried to start, turning to her wife with a soft look.
"No." The Doctor shook her head, not meeting River's eyes. "We've had this conversation already, now is not the time to have it again."
River hesitated, shooting a look at Jack who shrugged. "Fine, but we're talking later."
He ends up in a snowstorm, shouting no and plunging his glowing hands into the snow with a sizzle to stop the regeneration again. He refuses to change, and then hears someone else also saying they won't change and calling the whole thing ridiculous. He calls out asking if someone is there and the person asks who he is in return. The Doctor introduces himself and the elderly figure emerges from the storm – the first Doctor – repeating the Doctor's earlier words about not being a Doctor, but the Doctor, the original
"And we know how that mess ends." Donna nodded at the screen as it went blank, the last scene mimicking the first scene from the second video. The group took a few minutes to just take in what they had seen, aside from a trainwreck.
Yaz immediately turned to face Nardole, "So, what happened with you?"
Nardole snorted, "Bill and Heather came back, took all of us somewhere safe. I stuck around until I got taken here."
"So happy endings for everyone but the Master." Martha summarised, "Well happy ish." She could live with that.
Amy shook her head, "These videos keep getting worse and worse, what's next?"
The Doctor shrugged, "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."
