The Doctor Of War ³

The Doctor Falls pt.2

*Time skip*

"Why are there so many children in that house?"

"Small community, several hundred at most. So they keep the children together for their protection." He indicates the Cyber-scarecrows.

"Those things, they make it up here sometimes. They try to take the children." We gasp and lean against a tree. Regeneration energy glows briefly in our hands.

"You two all right?" Bill asks.

"Yes, we're fine." He breaks off a dead branch, and hands me another stick, to use as a walking aid.

"What was that?"

"They target the children because conversion is easier with a younger donor. The brains are fresher, and because the bodies are smaller, there's less to er..." I trail off.

"Less to what?"

"Less to throw away." The Master spoke up.

"You said. I remember, you said you could fix this. That you could get me back. Did you say that?"

"We did say that, yes."

"Were you lying?"

"No."

"Were you right?" Bill asks.

"No. Bill."

"We're not going to get out of this one, are we."

"Well, I don't know. There are always possibilities."

"No. I can feel it. In my head, the programming. The Cybermen are taking me over, piece by piece. It's like I'm hanging on in a hurricane, and I can't hang on forever."

"Bill, look, whatever it takes"

"No, I want you both to know, as my friends, I don't want to live if I can't be me anymore. Do you understand?"

"Yeah." The doctor replied.

"And that's not possible, is it?"

"Well, I'll tell you what else isn't possible. A Cyberman crying. Where there's tears, there's hope. Come on."

---

Missy sonics up a column of light.

"Weird, how you don't remember any of this."

"The two of us together puts the timelines out of sync. You can't retain your memories, so I don't have them."
The Doctor, Bill and I approach them.

"You absolutely had to bring her, did you?"

"Her? It's a Cyberman now."

"Yes, sorry."

"Becoming a woman's one thing, but have you got empathy?"

"Where is it?" I ask.

"Lift shaft? Right here." The Doctor sonics the column of light, while I lean on the stick and take a shaky breath, the doctor looks at me worriedly.

"Hologram. Mustn't ruin the pretty forest. It's a wonder more people don't turn to genocide."

"And the doors."
She sonics them visible.

"This is how we evacuate the children. There have to be more lifts, quite close." I sonic another two into view.

"We know Operation Exodus is ready. We can't hang around here."
Missy sonics the Call button.

"What are you doing? You just called the lift!"

"Yeah, well, we're going to need them, aren't we?" Missy says.