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“Stand with me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
The Doctor was surprised at the words that came out of his own mouth, but even more surprised to find that he truly meant them.
Missy looked at him with those dangerous eyes that always seemed to hold the impression that they knew something you didn’t; those eyes that had deceived too many people and watched countless innocents suffer. But now they were glassy with tears, and the Doctor couldn’t doubt her sincerity when she said, “Me too.”
He reached out his hand to her. He wanted to say more, wanted to talk about their childhood and how he had always known that she would choose right in the end. But they didn’t have time.
There was never enough time.
Missy held up her left hand like she was going to take his. Then she smiled, almost like it was all a big joke. “But no,” she said, only flippancy in the voice that was so genuine just a moment ago. “Sorry, just…no.”
Her smile faded, but the Doctor still felt his hearts being crushed in his chest. He had expected rejection from the Master, but Missy was different. He’d thought she had changed.
But maybe there was too much of the Master in her still. Her self preservation instinct was too strong.
Suddenly Missy stepped forward in a quick movement and grabbed his hand with her right hand, which had previously remained by her side. She pulled herself closer to him.
“But thanks for trying.” She pressed his hand harder and aligned their wrists, only for a moment.
But it was long enough. The Doctor felt the hidden blade under her sleeve. For a moment he felt another stab of betrayal as he thought he was the intended victim, but then Missy gave him a knowing look and he understood fully.
If she stayed with him now, they would get embroiled in a fight with the Master, and that would only waste time. But if she pretended to go along with him…
He didn’t condone her plan, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
She gave his hand one last squeeze and then walked away.
Still, when the Doctor watched her leave, his hearts sank to his toes. He was alone.
The Doctor yelled as he set off another mine, blowing several Cybermen sky high. He couldn’t deny that part of him was satisfied to see the metal bodies go flying. He ran forward, avoiding the dead, until his eyes caught something that shouldn’t be there.
A body that wasn’t metal.
The Doctor’s hearts leapt into his throat. Had he hurt one of the colonists? Though he could clearly hear the marching of more Cybermen coming closer, he ran towards the body.
He slowed as he recognised the familiar purple dress.
“No.” He rushed the rest of the way forward and dropped to his knees beside her. Her pale skin and vacant stare told him immediately that he was too late. She was gone.
He clenched his hands into fists. “No!” How had her plan gone wrong? How had she died?
He ran his sonic screwdriver over her body and sighed as he scanned over the readings. The Master’s laser screwdriver. It seemed like he had gotten the upper hand; he had probably sensed her plan and killed her first.
How typical of the Master to kill himself just because of his stubborn hatred.
The Doctor rested one hand on the grass beside him and used the other to close her eyelids. He let his hand hover over her face for a prolonged moment, hoping beyond hope that he could sense her telepathic presence.
But he couldn’t. This time, it seemed, the Master was truly gone.
The Doctor grabbed a fistful of dirt and grass as his gut churned with anger, but he was quickly overwhelmed by curiosity when he felt something wet on his palm. He opened his hand and saw red painted across his skin.
“Blood,” he muttered. On an impulse he reached for Missy’s right hand and felt around her sleeve. Sure enough, he removed a sharp knife and saw that it was stained with blood.
“She wouldn’t have missed,” he said to himself as he carefully set her arm back down. Then the awful truth hit him:
They must have killed each other.
“I always suspected your hatred was stronger than your self-preservation instinct. Now I know.”
He stared at her face, lips slightly parted, expression up towards the sky. He wondered what she had felt like in her last moments. Trapped. Betrayed. Alone.
The emotions washed over him like he could feel them himself. Had she really changed? Had she really been going to come back and stand with him?
Where I stand is where I fall.
The Doctor looked up and saw the gleam of a Cyberman’s shiny armor through the trees. He crossed his legs and sat on the ground next to Missy’s body.
“Do you remember when we were kids?” He closed his eyes, trying to remember. It had been such a long, long time ago. “Do you remember that day?”
He looked up at the night sky and felt like it would swallow him up. In fact, he wished it would. It was impossibly vast, always changing, forever growing. He felt the need to be up there so badly that it made him shiver. Just think: seeing endless different planets and galaxies and people, and no answering to anyone.
“We should visit them all.”
His best friend looked at him with something like fear in his eyes at first, before quickly turning his face back up towards the sky. “Is that possible?”
“We’ll make it possible.” The boy smiled. “Every star. Every planet. Every galaxy. Just the two of us. No school, no headmasters or High Council.”
“I do like the sound of that…”
“Then promise me.” The boy turned and stuck out his hand. “No matter what, we’re going to see them all.”
His friend looked at his hand for a moment, hesitant, before shaking it with a smile. “All of them,” he agreed.
“It’s never felt quite right, seeing it all without you.” The Doctor sighed and took Missy’s limp hand in his. “But you were always too afraid, and you had to take control of everything so you’d never have to be afraid again.”
The ground trembled as the marching Cybermen neared. The Doctor remained seated.
“But I know you changed. I’m just sorry I never really got to see it.” He smiled at her lifeless face. “Can you imagine both of us, saving the world? Well,” he said with a half-hearted laugh, “I suppose we did. You stopped the Master. I’m stopping the Cybermen.” He felt regeneration energy coursing through his veins, trying to break free. He fought against it. “And I think this is where we’ll both fall.”
With a sigh he squeezed Missy’s hand one more time. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Sleep well.”
And with that he stood and armed himself with his sonic screwdriver. Rows of Cybermen in formation came to a halt in front of him. The Doctor maneuvered himself in front of Missy’s body; there was no way he was going to let them even touch what was left of her.
“Target identified,” one of the lead Cybermen said. “You will be upgraded.”
“I don’t think so.” The Doctor lifted his arm high up in the air and activated the sonic screwdriver. A huge explosion sent the Cybermen shooting every which way, but this time the Doctor didn’t feel any satisfaction.
He just felt tired.