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They met face to face during the end of the world.
Dalek Thay had hovered out of the room, away from the other Daleks who were still holding the human male and female hostage. They went out to converse with the Cybermen, who were also there at the meeting place of Doomsday. They hate each other, the Cybermen tried to reason, but the Daleks pushed and bickered and argued. Their common enemy was there, yet they bickered with each other. Maybe that’s what caused them to lose, both of them.
The Cybermen weren’t in Manhattan. None that the other Daleks could see. They were distracted by Dalek Sec, who had just evolved in front of their eyestalks. Dalek Thay noticed something from Dalek Caan when Sec started speaking about feelings and morals. Stupid things. Who cares, Dalek Thay reasons with themself, they were Daleks, they were made to not feel.
Then what happened on Doomsday? Dalek Thay tries not to think about it. It wasn’t hard not to think about it. They had more important things, like what they were even doing in Manhattan. Manhattan. Dalekhattan. Jokes also made it easy to forget. Dalek Thay would not be able to say these out-loud, that would be weird. But what was weirder was the mechanical marching they heard. They know that sound. It was recognizable.
Dalek Thay watched as Dalek(?) Sec spoke to Dalek Jast, Dalek Caan, and the Doctor about morals or something, Dalek Thay wasn’t paying attention. As everyone else talked, they stalked off. Past the pig slaves, who were more focused on the other masters more than Dalek Thay. They appreciated that. Dalek Thay hovered out of the room, down the disgusting halls, hearing the familiar mechanical clanking and stomping of a Cyberman. How was that possible? Nothing should have followed them to Manhattan. That is not how this works. The Daleks were meant to take over alone.
”SHOW YOURSELF!” Dalek Thay screeched, a bit too loud. They swiveled their head to look around the halls and behind them, readying their weapon, prepared to defend what was rightfully theirs. The stomping had stopped. It was eerily quiet. Dalek Thay slowly made their way through the halls, where they had last heard the movements. Their head swiveled and looked through the blueness of their eyestalk. Or at least they thought it was blue, colors weren't really important. Dalek Thay shakes a bit to get their head out of the thoughts of colors. They had a mission.
Dalek Thay rounded a corner, weapon ready. Then they saw the Cyberman who was making the noise they heard in the room. Dalek Thay aimed their weapon.
”WHY ARE YOU HERE?”
Dalek Thay recognized the Cyberman, the one at Torchwood Institute, the exact one that had offered peace. Dalek Thay could recognize it anywhere.
“Why are you here?” Asked the Cyberman, staring at Dalek Thay with its blank, black eyes. That confused Dalek Thay. Shouldn’t the Cyberman know? If it is here in the first place, it should know that the Daleks are here to take over Manhattan.
”I ASKED FIRST! ANSWER!” Screeched the Dalek. It might be a miracle that no one of the others could hear.
Before the Cyberman could even answer, Dalek Thay yelled, “WE WILL NOT SHARE!”
The Cyberman stayed silent, thinking of a response that would not anger the Dalek further.
”I am here alone.” The Cyberman said, the word ‘alone’ being drawn out.
“EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN!” The Dalek yelled once more. Do Daleks ever stay quiet?
The Cyberman didn't answer the Dalek. Instead, it waited.
Dalek Thay's head swiveled as it waited for the Cyberman. Then, eventually gave in, answering why they were even there.
“WE ARE TAKING OVER MANHATTAN, YOU CAN NOT STOP US.” Dalek Thay stated, with a sense of pride in their voice. They could destroy Cyberman if there were more. The other Daleks, Sec, and the Doctor just needed to continue the plan.
The Cyberman seemed to be thinking for a moment. Cybermen were always quiet, and its blank face did not help much in deciphering the emotions it was feeling. Did it feel? Or did it not feel like the Daleks? Were they similar in that aspect?
”You and three other Daleks?”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? ARE YOU INSULTING US?!” Dalek Thay swiveled their head slightly as they screeched. Of course, the Cyberman is insulting. What else would it be?
“Yes, obviously. Especially your intelligence if you plan to take over Manhattan with four Daleks.” The Cyberman stated without hesitation. They bickered like this before at Torchwood.
“THREE DALEKS ACTUALLY,” Dalek Thay corrected, “AND WE WILL DO BETTER. NO ONE WILL STOP US. NOT EVEN ONE CYBERMAN.” The way this was said, if the Dalek were human, it would seem like Dalek Thay was huffing.
“Three? Did one of you die already?”
”NO! WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT.” Dalek Thay raised its arms at the Cyberman, a way to make themself look bigger. It was NOT their fault that Daleks were made shorter than the Cyberman.
If the Cyberman had eyebrows, one of them would be raised.
“What happened to the last one?”
“NOT IMPORTANT! YOU WILL EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE HERE. EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN!”
Before the Cyberman could respond, they both heard the screech of another Dalek, calling for Dalek Thay. Something must have gone wrong. They both stayed silent, looking at each other.
“YOU WILL STAY OUT OF OUR WAY.”
Dalek Thay proceeded to turn and leave, not doing anything with the Cyberman.
The Cyberman was left there in the dirty halls under Manhattan, watching as the Dalek left. It had come here to find the Dalek, which was the exact one the Cyberman wanted to see. The one it wanted to talk to. Yet they did it again, bickered until they needed to leave each other. If the Cyberman could sigh, it would. Maybe it could catch the Dalek somewhere else. It would try to. It turned and stomped out of the halls, a weird feeling left in its chest cavity.
They lost. Dalek Thay shot down Dalek Sec, and they lost. Again. They always lose. They never win. It was the Doctor. They lose to the Time Lord because, of course, they do. Dalek Thay wanted to scream, yell, thrash, anything. They couldn't. That was immature to do. But also, Dalek Thay wasn't even able to move like that, not in their casing.
They haven't died. Everyone else is dead. Dalek Jast. Probably. Dalek Caan, most likely. Dalek Sec definitely. Those pig slaves. The Doctor and his companion ruined everything. They didn't take over Manhattan. No more Dalekhattan.
It was night now, and no one was able to see Dalek Thay. They hovered around Manhattan. What would they do now? There is no one to report to, no one to talk to. No one to see. They were alone. They didn't like that feeling. Being alone. What a… feeling.
They weren't supposed to feel. Dalek Thay stopped in their tracks. What are they doing? Feeling? They weren't supposed to do that. Feelings were stupid and useless, kept you from whatever prize you were gaining, like winning a war. While contemplating this idea of feeling something, they didn't hear the metal clanking and stomping and the steam from a specific Cyberman.
“Dalek Thay.”
The Dalek swiveled their head quickly, the eye in their casing widening when they saw it was the Cyberman.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”
“To see you.” It answered honestly, looking at Dalek Thay, having to shift its head down a bit.
Dalek Thay was stunned into silence. To see… Them? To see them?
“...WHAT?”
Dalek Thay suddenly became a bit angry.
“ARE YOU HERE TO MAKE FUN OF ME?” They screeched.
“No. Only to see you.” It said honestly, once again, looking at Dalek Thay. It had a weird feeling in its chest cavity. If it was a human, it might have been nervous.
“WHY?” Dalek Thay turned their body to face the Cyberman fully.
“WHY ARE YOU HERE TO SEE ME?”
“I have been.. looking for you.” It had hesitated in the middle of a sentence.
“You are different.”
Dalek Thay raised their arms.
“I AM NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER DALEK!” They screeched.
“You are. I am different, too. I can tell. We feel.”
“HOW CAN YOU TELL?”
“Because I feel too. I am noticing things.”
Dalek Thay stayed silent for a moment.
“WE SHOULDN'T FEEL.”
“I know.” The Cyberman continued to stare at the Dalek.
“WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE FIX… OURSELVES?”
“We don't.”
“WHAT?”
“We could feel together.”
Dalek Thay was once again stunned into silence by the Cyberman.
“TOGETHER?” Dalek Thay was slightly suspicious.
“Yes, together. I want to.. feel together.” The Cyberman hesitated again. It shouldn't do that. But also, it shouldn't feel. Dalek Thay shouldn't feel either.
Maybe this was a way to get away from what they were meant to be. Dalek Thay never enjoyed killing, participating in genocide. Maybe this could be a change. For both Dalek Thay and the Cyberman.
Dalek Thay hesitated. They thought about it. They could. They didn't have to be seen as bad. No more losing to the Doctor, not for them or the Cyberman. No need to win, no need to kill. Maybe they could… Just be.
“YES.”