I didn't even include Danny's parts in the Nethersphere and this ended up over 7K words. I guess I've still got it.

I feel I need to keep apologizing - I honestly have never meant for there to be so much time between updates for my Doctor Who books. For other writers reading, some of you might have had moments where your muse leaves one fandom entirely and focuses on another? That's exactly what happened with me and I focused entirely on DC, specifically the Arrowverse. However, Series 11 and writing my crossover with The Lily Carter Chronicles rekindled my muse for this, and I have to say, the hype for Infinity War and Endgame have helped, too. Still haven't seen the latter of those yet, so #don'tspoiltheendgame, please and thank you. Though I think it's killing shavingforsherl0ck that I haven't seen it yet. Hopefully it'll be soon, dearie.

Anyway, hopefully my muse is back and will stick around this time. I've got some very exciting twists, turns, and surprise additions for the rest of Capalry's time, and don't get me started for all the chaos that'll happen when it's time for Thirteen to come around. There's a lot to look forward to, so I suppose I should let you get started with this, hmm?

Something happens that rocks Clara, a terrible notion arises, and the Doctor and Jessie get the surprise of their lives as old enemies return. Of course it always happens in London, too.

Enjoy "Dark Water!"

***

Two hundred twenty-six, two hundred twenty-seven. Sigh. Two hundred thirty-one. Two hundred thirty-two. Deep breath. Two hundred thirty-eight. Two hundred thirty-nine.

Pietro finally cleared his throat, stopping his girlfriend mid-pace. "If you pace for another sixty seconds, it will have been five minutes since you decided you would call Danny." He pointed to the various Post-It notes around her flat. "And you had me put all of those up so you knew what to say."

"I'm sorry," Clara buried her face in her hands. "It's just – "

"I will be right here," Pietro promised, gesturing to the chair he was sitting back in.

"OK," Clara took another deep breath, pulling out her Stark phone. "Calling him now." Pietro playfully sighed and looked at his watch, and Clara rolled her eyes, showing him she really was dialing the man now. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say a word," Pietro held up his hands.

"Yeah, but you wanted to," Clara huffed, biting her lip and putting her phone to hear ear.

Danny picked up after the second ring. "Clara?"

"Shut up," she ordered.

Right away, she winced, knowing how bad that probably sounded. "Is that how we communicate now?" Danny asked as Pietro snickered.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Clara insisted, talking both to her coworker and her boyfriend. "I need to talk to you."

She could hear Danny frown over the phone. "All right. Well, I can be over in a couple of minutes, so – "

"No, no," Clara shook her head. "Not while you're in the room."

"Oh, stupid me," Danny snorted. "The very idea!"

"Shut up!" Clara groaned.

"OK."

"Stay shut up."

"OK."

"Things to say," Clara turned around to look at her Post-Its, putting her back to her snickering boyfriend. "Not all of them good."

"Oh. Wouldn't it be better if I was actually there, face to face?"

Clara made a face. "Because all of our conversations face to face about this topic have gone so well."

Pause. "Point," Danny conceded. "All right. Talk away."

"OK," Clara nodded, taking a deep breath. "Before all of that, before all of the stuff I want to tell you, I want to tell you this. I'm sorry."

"What?" Danny sounded surprised.

"Not the casual throw it out there, sounds insincere apologize," Clara said. "Not the just say it, turn around, and walk away kind of apology."

"Clara – "

"I mean it," Clara said. "My life as an Avenger and a time traveler is my own, my choice, and I can't always tell everyone everything, but I honestly didn't want that to ruin a friendship we could have had. That's why I'm sorry." She turned around to give Pietro an uncertain look, but he just gave her two thumbs up. Clara nodded and turned back around, hearing more cars than she had previously. "So, er, that's a thing." She paused, not hearing anything from Danny. "OK, Danny? Er, there's more, but that's kind of the headline."

"Clara?" Pietro asked, standing up from his seat.

"OK, Danny, please speak to me," Clara bit her lip nervously. "This is killing me."

"Hello?" a woman's voice suddenly came over the phone. "Hello? Is someone there?"

"Hello?" Clara blinked in surprise. "Er, yeah, who's this?"

"I just picked up the phone, I'm sorry. I found it."

"Oh," Clara frowned. "Er, OK. Can you please just put me back on the phone to Danny? I was talking to Danny."

There was a pause on the other end. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Clara gave Pietro a worried look. "OK, er, what are you sorry about? Could you please just pass the phone back to – "

"He was crossing the road," the woman interrupted, and Clara froze in place, eyes widening. "I found the phone. It must have just been thrown. The car . . . it just came out of nowhere. I'm sorry."

"Clara?" Pietro asked after Clara didn't speak for a few seconds. "Clara, is everything – ?"

Clara's head shot up when she heard sirens starting to wail, and she swallowed hard. "Danny," she whispered.

Pietro looked out the window when he heard the sirens, then walked back to Clara. "Hold on," he told her.

Clara quickly hung up and put her arms around his neck, and Pietro sped them out of her flat and to the streets. He stopped in the back of an alley, and the two of them ran out towards where the sirens were headed.

They got to the street just as crime tape was being put up, and Clara clapped a hand over her mouth when she saw Danny's broken body lying on the pavement, Pietro closing his eyes in sadness.

***

Are you OK?

Clara looked down at the text message she received on her phone, then put it away without answering. She looked up as Mr. Armitage walked up to the podium at the front of the room, the students quieting when he cleared his throat. "By now, I'm sure you've heard the rumors, and it is with great sadness that I must confirm them to be true," he said. "I have gathered you all here today to say that Mr. Pink . . . that Danny Pink has sadly passed away." Hushed whispering began around the students, and Clara bowed her head as Armitage cleared his throat again. "I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing his family and friends out sincerest condolences. Mr. Pink was an inspiration to all of those who knew him. A soldier, a teacher, a friend."

Quiet footsteps stopped next to Clara, and she swallowed, recognizing those motor boots easily. "I was talking to him on the phone," she whispered. "I distracted him."

Rose simply wound her arm around her shoulders, and Clara leaned against her friend as Armitage looked over at them. "It was no secret that he was close friends with Miss Tyler and Miss Oswald, and our thoughts and prayers are with them, too," he finished.

Rose nodded in acknowledgement for both of them.

***

"I'm sorry, Clara," Jessie whispered to Clara from where she sat in the captain's chair, the brunette sitting on the steps of the TARDIS with her head in her hands, the Maximoffs on either side of her. "I really am."

"I didn't like maths, but he didn't deserve that," the Doctor agreed.

"It's awful," Wanda nodded.

"It wasn't terrible," Clara mumbled.

"What?" Jessie frowned.

"It was boring."

"Boring?" the Doctor parroted, looking surprised.

"It was ordinary," Clara explained, looking up. "People just kept walking with their iPods and their shopping bags. He was alive, and then he was dead, and it was nothing, like stepping off a bus."

The Doctor slowly nodded. "Someone you care about dies, and yet everyone around goes about their business as if something hasn't happened to you that is an impactful change."

"Exactly," Clara whispered.

Jessie looked at the Doctor as he nodded more firmly. "The Master?" she asked. He looked up at her with slight guilt in his eyes, and Jessie reached out and took his hand. "He was your best friend at one point and was the only other Time Lord you had left. It's OK to feel that way about when he died on the Valiant, my love."

The Doctor gave her a tight smile. "Thank you, Jezebel."

Jessie squeezed his hand as Clara spoke again. "That's not the worst part of it, though."

"Oh?" the Doctor tilted his head, looking back at her. "What is?"

Clara swallowed. "It was my fault."

"Clara," Pietro began.

"I was the one who called him," Clara interrupted. "I was the one who kept talking and telling him to stay on the phone. I distracted him when he walked into the road and got hit. That's on me."

"Clara, how in the world could you have known a car would hit him?" Wanda asked. "Or that Danny wouldn't be paying attention to the world around him?"

"That's not on you," Jessie agreed.

Clara closed her eyes. "Feels like it is, though." Pietro rubbed her back, and Clara sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I just want to tell him I'm sorry."

The Doctor tilted his head thoughtfully, then abruptly nodded and moved around the console. "OK."

"OK?" Clara blinked, seeing him flip levers. "Wait, what are you doing? What could we possibly do now?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as the TARDIS engines started. "Go to hell."

Clara's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Seriously, Doctor?" Wanda scowled.

Jessie closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I have lived for centuries and I'm quite confident that's the first time I've ever heard that phrase be used literally."

"First time for everything, love," the Doctor grinned.

"Wait," Pietro blinked, standing from the steps. "We're actually going to hell?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "We're going to hell. Or wherever it is people go when they die, if there is anywhere. Wherever it is, we're going to go there and we're going to find Danny, and if it is any way possible, you'll get the chance to tell him exactly what you want to tell him." Clara gawked at him, stunned, making Jessie grin at her. "Almost every culture in the universe has some concept of an afterlife. I always meant to have a look around, see if I could find one."

"We're actually doing this?" Clara looked at Wanda in bewilderment.

"I thought that was a given," the Doctor blinked, looking at her as the TARDIS landed. "You want to apologize – even if you don't need to – and I want to help you do that."

"But . . . why?"

The Doctor did a double take. "Well, why wouldn't I help you?"

Clara stood up from the steps, folding her arms. "You said it yourself, you didn't like Danny."

"I also said he didn't deserve dying like that," the Doctor reminded her. "Do you really think that would affect my decision when I can very clearly see how much this action would mean to you?" Clara stared at him in shock, and the Doctor fidgeted. "Oh, stop it with the eyes," he complained as tears filled them. "Don't do that with the eyes! How do you do that anyway? It's like they inflate!"

"I think you broke her, Doctor," Jessie said loftily.

"Wonderful," the Doctor huffed, turning around to work on the console, though a small smirk was on his face as Wanda gave Clara a comforting hug, making the other brunette smile. "Right, cut the chatter, everyone. We've got work to do. This is it, Silver Scarlet and Zero. One of those moments."

"What moments?" Pietro asked, moving forward to help.

"The darkest day," the Doctor answered ominously. "The blackest hour. Chin up, shoulders back. Let's see what we're made of, the five of us. Jess?"

"Switching off the safeguards," Jessie checked one of the monitors. "Turning off the nav-com."

"Remember, we did this before," the Doctor walked over to Clara. "We plugged you into the TARDIS telepathic interface."

"We ended up all over Danny's timestream," Clara recalled.

"Because either he made a big impact on you at that time, or you and he are linked," the Doctor said. "Either way, if he's anywhere at all, that link will hold. Give me your hands." Clara nodded, stepping forward, and the Doctor guided her hands into the telepathic interface. "Now, think about Danny. Think about the man you lost. Let it hurt, let it burn, but don't bleat. Don't ask, why him? Why could it be my fault? Forget all that. Ask one question, just one. Ask where is Danny Pink right now? Where is he now?"

Clara closed her eyes, thinking hard. A few seconds later, Jessie looked up when the time rotor revved. "Well," she raised an eyebrow. "Guess Idris thinks he's somewhere."

***

When the TARDIS landed, all five of them looked at each other. "Where are we?" Clara finally asked.

"Nav-com's offline," the Doctor shrugged. "We'll have to do this old school."

"So this is where Danny is?" Pietro asked, grabbing his jacket from where it was over the railing.

"Almost certainly not," the Doctor shook his head, heading for the door. "It's where there's a connection with Danny. According to the TARDIS, this is where it's most likely that Clara's timeline will re-intersect with his."

"How possible is that when he's dead?" Wanda asked.

"If we make him un-dead."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like that's obvious, Doctor."

The Doctor shrugged. "We're here to allow Clara to talk to Danny. Which should not be possible if he's dead. Let's go."

Clara looked nervously at Jessie, who shrugged and followed the Doctor. Pietro squeezed her hand, and Clara took a deep breath, following the Time Lords. When they made it outside, they saw Jessie had formed a fireball in her hand, using it to examine an obelisk nearby. "Rest In Peace, We Promise," she read.

"That's . . . " Wanda wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I like that."

"Me, neither," the Doctor shook his head. "Because do you know what that means?"

"What?" Pietro asked. The Doctor pointed to his ear, and Pietro frowned, listening intently. "Water?" he finally asked.

"Fish tanks?" Clara guessed.

"In a mausoleum?" the Doctor shook his head, turning and walking up the steps. "I don't think so."

Jessie followed after him, stopping short when they turned the corner and saw the right side of the hall was lined floor to ceiling with tanks. And inside each tank . . . "Skeletons in chairs," she said slowly.

"That's new," Pietro tilted his head, examining one of the skeletons.

"I don't like it."

"Why?" Clara gestured vaguely at all the tanks.

"I don't know," the Doctor shook his head.

"Please tell me they didn't actually drown in these," Wanda bit her lip.

"No," the Doctor examined the tanks. "They were placed, after death. These are tombs. Water tombs . . . some sort of fluid, anyway."

"Conveniently placed in chairs," Jessie scratched the back of her head.

"Chairs, yes," the Doctor nodded. "Extra comfort for the deceased. It pays to die rich."

"So . . . this is where we'll find Danny?" Pietro looked at the tomb of Xylo Jones.

"Oh, God," Clara shuddered. "I don't want to see him like this."

"Yeah, me, neither," Jessie shook her head, walking away from one of the tombs. "Tombs with windows? I would never want to watch my loved ones rot."

"So why would anyone go to so much trouble just to keep watch on the dead?" the Doctor hummed, walking with his wife.

Jessie stopped at a book on a lectern, and curious, she flipped it open, scanning through it. When she came across a blank page, a holographic cube rose up from it. Surprised, Jessie plucked the cube from midair and flicked it down the corridor. The cube burst open into the air, forming the logo they had seen earlier: a large circle with a small one at the 7 o'clock area with 3W inside. "3W," a woman's voice said, and the symbol morphed into words, scrolling with the woman's voice. "Death is not an end. But we can help with that. Ever since 3W encountered the truth about the death experience, we have been working hard to find a better life for the deceased. At 3W, afterlife means aftercare."

"I prefer F.R.I.D.A.Y.," Jessie wrinkled her nose.

"Bit strange," Clara mused.

"Very," the Doctor agreed. "Why have the scrolling and a voice? Is it difficult?"

"Is what difficult?" Clara blinked.

"Reading all those words back to front," the Doctor gestured. "Come on. We've come a long way."

A dark-haired woman in a Victorian-style suit stepped through the hologram, beaming as she got right into the Doctor's space. "Hello," she smiled. "I hope you're well. How may I assist you with your death?"

All five blinked. "Well, there is, er, no immediate hurry," the Doctor cleared his throat. "We're just, er . . . we're just – "

"Browsing," Jessie interjected.

"Yeah, yeah, browsing," the Doctor nodded quickly.

"Please, take all the time you need," the woman told them. "At 3W, you always have the rest of your life."

"I am not appreciating the puns," Pietro grumbled.

"That's good to know," Wanda sighed.

"Yeah," Clara smiled nervously. "Great."

"Exactly what is 3W?" the Doctor asked.

"Apologies," the woman tilted her head. "Clearly, you have not received the official 3W greetings package."

"Well, you know, it's just an unexpected – " the Doctor began.

The woman shoved him backwards against the wall, and Jessie quickly slid between the two of them, one hand outstretched and planted on the other woman's shoulder. "I don't know what 'greetings package' you were about to give," she narrowed her eyes, "but he is a taken man."

"Extremely taken!" the Doctor agreed, showing the wedding ring he wore. "Not up for grabs! Completely hers!"

"Hmm," the woman narrowed her eyes, then flashed a quick smile. "Welcome to the 3W Institute." She turned to observe the three humans nearby. "You also have not received the official welcome package."

"I'll pass," Pietro held up his hands.

"No, thank you," Wanda backed away.

"We're good, thanks," Clara waved her off.

"Right," Jessie folded her arms as the Doctor pushed himself off the wall, winding an arm around her waist. "Who are you?"

"I am Missy," the woman answered.

"Missy?" Wanda repeated.

"Mobile Intelligent Systems Interface," she nodded. "I am a multi-function, interactive welcome droid. Helping you to help me to help you."

"Help who with what now?" Pietro blinked.

"I am fully programmed with social interactive norms appropriate to a range of visitors," Missy said. "Please indicate if you'd like me to adjust my intimacy setting."

"Oh, yes, please," the Doctor nodded, grimacing as he tugged Jessie closer. "Please do that. Do that now, right now."

"You heard him," Jessie smiled sweetly.

Missy rolled her eyes, but shifted a bit. "We need to speak to whoever's in charge here," the Doctor told her.

"I am in charge," Missy told him.

"Well, who's in charge of you?"

"I'm in charge of me."

"Well, who repairs you? Who maintains you?"

"I am programmed for self-repair. I am maintained by my heart." She stepped forward, but Jessie held up her hand again. Missy raised an eyebrow, then took her hand instead. Jessie opened her mouth to protest, but Missy pressed her hand to her chest. Jessie's mouth froze in an O, staring at Missy. "Is everything in order?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Bad Wolf?" Pietro asked, narrowing his eyes.

Jessie gulped. "Who maintains your heart?"

"My heart is maintained by the Doctor," Missy smirked.

Three pairs of eyes went to the Doctor, but his eyes were focused on Jessie, who hadn't reacted for the first time. "Jess?" he asked.

"Doctor who?" Jessie asked instead.

Missy smirked and looked away. "Dr. Chang!" she shouted, walking away from Jessie.

She looked at her hand in shock, making the Doctor move in front of her. "Jessie?" he asked, cupping the side of her face. "Are you all right?"

She swallowed, looking up at him. "For a robot, those were two very realistic hearts I felt."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Two?" he repeated.

Jessie simply nodded, and a throat clearing made them turn. "Hello," a man in a suit smiled nervously at them.

"Hello," Clara nodded.

"Hello," the Time Lords waved as the Maximoffs waved theirs in acknowledgment.

"So," Chang nodded. "Hey. Condolences."

"Condolences?" Clara repeated.

"It's a mausoleum," Chang shrugged. "It's our hello. Is there a particular dead person you want to talk to?"

"Yes," Clara nodded anxiously. "Yes, there is."

"This way, then," Chang gestured.

Clara took a deep breath, and Jessie walked over to her. "You OK?" she asked.

Clara gulped. "No."

"Good," Jessie patted her shoulder. "There would be something very wrong if you were."

Pietro squeezed Clara's hand, and the Doctor walked with them after Chang. Wanda hung back with Jessie, the two of them giving Missy a long look before following the others.

***

"Come in, come in," Chang led the five into his office, dimly lit with a large tank and skeleton in the center. "Going to need to take a reading off you."

"A reading?" Clara asked.

"Won't hurt," Chang promised, flipping a switch.

"What won't?"

"How does the body keep its integrity?" the Doctor asked, examining the skeleton. "Why isn't it just a bunch of bones floating about?"

"Each body is encased in a support exoskeleton," Chang explained.

"An invisible exoskeleton?" Wanda tilted her head, surprised.

"It's only invisible in the water," Chang told her. "There's a specially engineered refraction index in the fluid so we can see the tank resident unimpeded by the support mechanisms."

"So each skeleton is inside something?" Jessie clarified.

When Chang nodded, Pietro snorted. "What, this is X-ray water?"

"It's so cool," Chang grinned. "Look at this." He walked around a table and opened up a jar of the water. "We call it dark water." He slid his arm inside, and Jessie's eyebrows shot up when it was like his wristwatch and jacket sleeve disappeared. "Only organic matter can be seen through it." He pulled his hand back out, drying it off. "I keep saying they should use this stuff in swimming pools."

Jessie choked, then started coughing violently. "Why?" the Doctor asked in confusion as Wanda closed her eyes and facepalmed.

"Think about it," Chang frowned.

"Yeah, we're thinking about it," Pietro scoffed. "Mind out of the gutter, if you please. It's the dead we're talking about."

"Right," Chang cleared his throat. "Apologies."

"Back on topic," Clara folded her arms. "3W. What kind of name is that? What does it mean?"

"Well, you know, don't you?" Chang frowned. "You're here on business, or they wouldn't have let you in. Sorry, should've checked. Who are you?"

"I thought that you would never ask," the Doctor sniffed, pulling out his psychic paper and holding it up. "Sort out your security protocols. They're a disgrace."

Chang read it, then gulped. "Another government inspection? So soon?" He did a double take. "Why is there all this swearing?"

"He's Scottish," Jessie smirked.

"Oi!" the Doctor took his psychic paper back and bopped her on the head with it. "Excuse you, love! I've got a lot of internalized anger, thank you very much. But what Clara said – what does 3W stand for?"

"Well, the three words," Chang answered.

"What three words?" Clara asked.

"Seriously?" he stared at them. "You don't know?"

"Never mind what we know and what we don't know," the Doctor scowled. "Just answer our question."

"Because people who don't know, when they hear about this, they can freak out."

Pietro snorted. "I doubt we're going to 'freak out.'"

"If you've had a recent loss, this might be – this will be disturbing."

"She'll be fine," the Doctor waved it off.

Clara scowled. "Speak for me again, I'll detach something from you." She looked back at Chang, nodding. "I'll be fine."

Chang nodded back, moving to his desk. "You know how people are scared of dying? Like, everybody?"

"Of course," the Doctor nodded. "It's the most fundamental fear in the universe."

"They'd be a lot more scared if they knew what it was really like," Chang said, flipping a switch and sitting down, flipping his see-through computer screen to show the others. He gestured to the seats in front of him, and Jessie and Clara sat, the Doctor rubbing Jessie's shoulders, the Maximoffs standing behind Clara. "White noise off the telly," Chang began, playing noise. "We've all heard it. A few years ago, Doctor Skarosa, our founder, did something unexpected. He played that noise through a translation matrix of his own devising. This is a recording of what he heard."

He clicked on his mouse, and a wavelength appeared on the screen. Wanda tilted her head, frowning as the noise transformed. "People's voices," she murmured.

"So what?" the Doctor asked.

"Over time, Doctor Skarosa became convinced these were the voices of the recently departed," Chang answered. "He believed it was a telepathic communication from the dead."

The Doctor snorted loudly. "Why? Was he an idiot?"

"He was able to isolate some of the voices, hear what they were saying."

The Time Lord rolled his eyes. "So, an idiot, then."

Jessie sighed. "If you please?"

The Doctor yelped when Wanda's hand hit the back of his head. "Scarlet!" he protested.

"Shut up," Clara sighed in annoyance.

Chang cleared his throat. "What I'm about to play you will change your life, and not for the better. These are the three words which caused Doctor Skarosa to set up institutes, like this one, all over the world, to protect the dead. If you'd rather not hear these words, there's still time – "

"Can you just hurry up, please, or I'll hit you with my shoe," the Doctor huffed.

Chang swallowed, then clicked his mouse. Jessie froze as the chatter morphed into a single male voice. "Don't cremate me! Don't cremate me! Don't cremate me! Don't cremate me!"

"There is one simple, horrible possibility that has never occurred to anyone throughout human history," Chang told them.

"Don't," Jessie whispered, hand over her mouth, the Doctor's hands tightening their grips on her shoulder.

"Don't say it," Clara shook her head.

Chang looked at them apologetically. "The dead remain conscious. The dead are fully aware of everything that is happening to them."

"Oh, my God," Jessie immediately shot out of her seat, hand pressed over her mouth.

"Jessie," the Doctor guided her towards the nearest trash can, helping her lean against the table edge. "Jessie, you're OK. You're OK."

"But the dead?" Jessie croaked, looking up at him, tears in her eyes. "They're conscious?"

He gritted his teeth. "It has to be fakery," he glared at Chang as Jessie kept one hand over her mouth, trying to keep her nausea down, her other arm tight around her stomach. "All of it. It's a con, it's a racket!"

"I promise you, this is not a con!" Chang shook his head.

Pietro narrowed his eyes at Chang's computer, which had morphed into a radar-like circle. "Is it supposed to be doing that?" he pointed. "And the beeping?"

"Never mind the beeping," the Doctor snapped. "Who cares about beeping? The dead are dead! They're not talking to you out of your television sets. They're just gone, and all these poor souls down there in these tanks, I'm sorry, but they're just dead, and they're not coming back."

"Clara?" All five turned to see Chang working on a device, the radar-like circle making a warping noise. "Clara? Clara, are you there?"

"Danny!" Clara breathed in shock, running over. "I can hear you! Is that you? Oh, please say it's you!"

Static came up, and Chang frowned, going back to his device. "Just lost the signal," he murmured. "But I can track it back, I'm pretty sure."

"I don't," Clara stammered as Pietro stared at the computer. "I don't understand. What is happening?"

"We've been scanning you telepathically since you came in," Chang answered. "You said you wanted to speak to someone who'd passed, and we've found you a match in the Nethersphere."

"This isn't possible," the Doctor shook his head. "The dead don't come back!"

"It was him!" Clara protested. "It was his voice!"

"A telepathic scan could lift a voice print," Jessie frowned uneasily.

"Yes, it could still be a fake," the Doctor pointed at her.

"Getting him back, very nearly," Chang reported.

"Clara, can you hear me?" Danny's voice came out.

"Yes, Danny, I can hear you!" Clara leaned forward eagerly. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Danny answered. "Yeah, I can hear you, Clara! Oh, God, Clara . . . "

Clara swallowed, looking up. "What do I do?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Hang on just a moment," Clara directed to the computer before looking at the Doctor with wide eyes.

"Question him," the Doctor answered. "Ask him questions only he'd know the answer to. Be sure. You, you, and you," he pointed from Chang to Jessie to Wanda. "With me."

"Where are you going?" Pietro frowned.

"I've got to check out those tanks," the Doctor answered, offering Jessie his hand as Wanda and Chang joined him. "There's something that I'm missing."

"Clara?" Danny's voice rang out.

"Skeptical and critical, remember?" the Doctor told Clara. "Be strong, even if it breaks your heart."

"Connection's stabilized," Chang told Clara. "It should be OK."

"Doctor," Wanda looked at him as they headed out the doors. "Who would harvest dead bodies?"

"I know, that's what I'm asking myself," the Doctor scratched his head, going right through the doors with the 3W logo on each symmetrically. Jessie took a long look at the double logo before being pulled along with the Doctor. "I feel like I'm missing something obvious!"

***

Pietro watched the doors closed, then folded his arms and tapped one anxiously. "I swear that looks familiar," he muttered.

"Danny?" Clara said quietly as she sat down.

"Yeah, I'm here."

She swallowed hard. "Danny, I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you some questions."

"Questions? I swear on anything it's me!"

***

The doors back to the gallery slid open, and the moment they stepped out, Jessie froze, eyes widening when she heard hissing. "Are those the tanks?"

"Oh, my God," Chang ran further in. "The tanks . . . the tanks are activating! They're not supposed to do that!"

"I also don't think dead people are supposed to be standing!" Wanda pointed out. "That's the biggest concern!"

"Now, now, children," Missy clicked her tongue as she stepped between Chang and the three time travelers. "Naughty, naughty."

The Doctor scowled, pointing at her. "Doctor Chang, your welcome droid has developed a fault."

"That's not a droid," Chang shook his head. "That's my boss!"

Missy smirked as the Doctor stared at her. "You know, I might have been guilty of a just teensy little fibette." She turned around, pointing a device at Chang. "Doctor Chang, I really liked working with you. I've enjoyed every day of it."

"I'm sorry?" he sputtered.

"You know, I've even got a little photograph of you looking so sweet. I'm always going to keep it. Always!"

He swallowed hard. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Now, come on," she huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Let's not dwell on horrible things. This is going to be our last conversation, and I'm the one who's going to have to live with that."

Chang gulped. "Please don't kill me!"

Missy shook her head. "Say something nice."

"Please," he stammered. "Please! I don't – I don't want to die! You're – " Missy's sorrowful face turned into a smirk, and he froze. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Say something nice," Missy repeated.

"Please!" he protested.

"Doctor Chang, I've got all day, and I'm not going to kill you until you say something nice."

Chang smiled nervously. "It has been an absolute pleasure working with you, and I truly believe that you'll never be able to find it in your heart to murder me."

Missy smiled in satisfaction, raising the device she held. "Wanda!" the Doctor shouted. Wanda ran in front of the man, raising a scarlet shield just as Missy fired. The heat ray sizzled against her magic, and Missy narrowed her eyes, adjusting a dial. Wanda yelped and staggered backwards, staring at her charred hands. Jessie drew her blaster just as Missy fired again, disintegrating Chang without further ado. "Wanda!" the Doctor ran for her, pausing and looking between her and Jessie.

"I've got her, go!" Jessie barked.

"Now, I'll be with you in a moment," Missy held up a finger to Jessie, sniffing as the Doctor cradled Wanda's hands in his, the enhanced trembling in shock. "Just feeling a bit emotional at the moment."

Jessie scowled at her, then the lowered water level, which had just dropped below the top of a skeleton's head. She nearly dropped her blaster when she saw the top of a silver helmet made completely of metal. "Oh, my God," she breathed, looking back at Missy, who had a small smirk back on her face. "Cybermen?!"

***

"It's me!" Danny's voice insisted. "I swear on anything, it's me!"

"There were times we met up for drinks without Rose, just you and me," Clara said, and when Pietro raised an eyebrow, she sighed. "Not like that!"

"Clara?"

"That restaurant we went to when it was just the two of us, which we ditched immediately because we hated it, what was it called?"

"Clara, it's me!"

"Then what was the name of the restaurant? What was it?"

"I can't remember!"

***

"They're Cybermen?" Jessie demanded, looking at Missy. "All of them?"

"Found the biggest concern, haven't you, dearie?" Missy smirked, making Jessie blink. "The Nethersphere," she pointed up at the sphere with glowing red spots. "You know, it's ever so funny. The people that live inside that think they've gone to heaven."

The Doctor looked up at the sphere, and he inhaled sharply, making Wanda look up as well. "Doctor?" she asked quietly. "What is that?"

"My birthday, when is it?" Clara questioned.

"November 23rd," Danny answered promptly. "That's right, wasn't it? I got that one right."

"All the Avengers know that, too," Pietro pointed out.

"Right, it's pretty basic information," Clara nodded in agreement. "Anyone could know that. Say something only you could say. Tell me something only Danny would know."

"That's a matrix data-slice," the Doctor answered slowly. "A Gallifreyan hard drive. Time Lord technology."

"Imagine you could upload dying minds to that," Missy smiled darkly. "Edit them, rearrange them. Get rid of all those boring emotions, ready to be re-downloaded. Meanwhile, you upgrade the bodies. Upgrade the mind, upgrade the body. Cybermen from cyberspace. Now, why has no one ever thought of that before?"

"How could she have gotten Time Lord technology?" Wanda frowned.

"Because she has two hearts," Jessie answered, making Wanda look sharply at her. "I felt them. Two hearts."

"And both of them the Doctor's," Missy smiled sweetly.

Jessie growled, stepping forward and aiming right for Missy's face. "Bad Wolf," the Doctor began.

"You're a Time Lady," Jessie spoke over him. "Which one?"

"The one the two of you abandoned, Bad Wolf," Missy narrowed her eyes. "The one you left for dead. Not before I left one of you for dead, though. Surely you thought I'd find my way back?"

"What about Clara and Pietro?" Wanda asked, looking at the doors.

"Oh, Clara and Pietro," Missy rolled her eyes dramatically as the Doctor ran for the elevator. "I should shoot you for that, Miss Maximoff. I've turned the lift off," she called over her shoulder. "And the doors are vibranium, you won't be getting through those."

"How did you – ?" the Doctor looked at Missy incredulously before pointing at the next set of doors over. "I presume you have stairs?"

Missy gestured to herself. "Well, I'm not a Dalek."

Without further ado, the Doctor sonicked the doors open and burst through them. Jessie gestured Wanda after him, and without taking her gun off Missy, she backed out after them. When she stepped outside, she was greeted by loudly ringing bells, and with a wince, she held one hand over her ears. "What the hell?" she began, then stopped short when she saw where they were.

"Oh, dear, Bad Wolf," Missy tsked as she came out after them. "Didn't you realize where you were?"

"But – " Wanda looked up at St. Paul's Cathedral, then back out at the streets. "We're – !"

"London," Jessie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why is it always London?"

***

"I forgive you."

"What?" Pietro blinked.

"For all the lying, the not telling. I forgive you."

"No," Clara shook her head, feeling tears sting her eyes. "No, no, no. I'm sorry, but no. Anybody could say that. Anybody would know to say that. Say something only you could tell me. Prove to me you are really Danny."

"How?!"

"'I forgive you' means nothing right now, not until I know who's talking. Say something only Danny could say."

"Clara!"

"Danny, if that is you, wherever you are, whatever it takes, I'm going to know it's you."

"No, you won't. You are not coming here."

"Nothing will stop me, nothing in the world, as long as I know it's you."

"There is only one way to come here, and you are not doing that."

"You were right, saying this needs to be done face to face, and the only thing to do that is to see you," Clara argued. "So tell me something only you could say!"

"Clara, you have your life. You have your whole life to live. You have to stay there. I forgive you."

Clara sniffed. "Stop saying that! Don't say that! If you say that again, I swear I will switch this thing off!"

There was a moment of silence. "Clara."

"Yes?" she asked timidly.

"I forgive you."

Clara sniffed violently, then reached out and switched the computer off, the soundwave disappearing. She leaned her head on her arms, taking a deep breath when she felt Pietro lay a hand on her shoulder. "Do you think that was really him?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Pietro answered truthfully. "You knew him better than me."

Clara nodded numbly, then sat up and pushed away from the table, rubbing her eyes. "That was the right thing to do," she told herself.

Pietro nodded, then a glint of silver caught his eye. He looked to his left, and in a second, he was off the table, eyes wide. "Clara!" Clara turned to look as well, and she gasped, shooting out of the chair. There in the tank, labeled Dr. Skarosa, was a standing Cyberman instead of a sitting skeleton, all of the water drained. "Dark water," Pietro swallowed. "We couldn't see the metal!"

Clara ran for the elevator, banging on the doors. "Doctor!" she shouted. "Bad Wolf!"

The tank swung open, and Pietro rolled out his neck, narrowing his eyes as the Cyberman stepped out.

***

"We have a problem, Boss."

From where he was watching ambassadors from the United States and the United Kingdom speak in the UK United Nations headquarters, Tony turned towards the windows, discretely reaching up to tap the side of his sunglasses with a frown. "I'm in the middle of something, F.R.I.D.A.Y."

"I know, Boss, but I have picked up a Code Red from the Unified Intelligence Taskforce."

Tony straightened and looked behind him, seeing Secretary Ross and several others looking at their phones and devices, starting to mutter. "Code Red?" he repeated, paying much more attention as he pulled out his Stark phone, tapping madly on it. "Where?"

"Worldwide, Boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered, making Tony blink. "London, New York, Paris, Rome, Brisbane, and Glasgow are among them."

"What's it for?" Tony demanded.

"UNIT databanks identify the threat as the Cybermen."

Tony swallowed hard, thinking rapidly. Cybermen, all over the world? "And the Time Lords?" he asked, making a final tap on his phone and striding towards the door. "Scan worldwide, find them if you can."

"Got them at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Boss."

Tony snorted in amusement. "It's always London."

"Stark!" Ross barked as he stood up. "Where are you going?"

"Sorry," Tony threw over his shoulder, sounding very unapologetic. "I have a Code Red to deal with." He delighted in Ross's incredulous sputters as he walked to the nearest balcony. "Get me a suit and give me their location," he ordered his faithful AI. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fight these guys."

"Mark XLVII is inbound, Boss."

Shouts came from the streets below as the red, gold, and silver armor landed, and Tony swiftly stepped inside. "St. Paul's Cathedral, and let's get a move on," he ordered as the suit closed.

"On it, Boss."

***

"Get away from here!" the Doctor shouted as he ran around St. Peter's Hill, civilians watching in bewilderment even as Cybermen marched from the cathedral and among the people. "All of you, run! Go! Go!"

"They seriously don't see they're a threat?" Wanda asked incredulously, looking around at the Cybermen.

"Get away from here! Run away! Run, run! Get away from here, all of you, now!"

"Apparently not," Jessie shook her head.

"I'm sorry, everyone!" Missy called from where she was sitting on the steps to the cathedral. "Another ranting Scotsman in the street. I had no idea there was a match on." She held up her hands when Jessie aimed her blaster at her. "All right, all right," she huffed as she stood up, the Doctor huffing from nearby. "No need for you to make a fuss, either. It's too late anyway."

"What do you mean?" Jessie narrowed her eyes.

"All the graves of Planet Earth are about to give birth," Missy answered with a smirk. "You know the key strategic weakness of the human race? The dead outnumber the living."

There was a roar overhead, but Jessie ignored it in favor of stepping closer to Missy, blaster almost touching her. "Who are you?"

Missy just snorted. "Mr. Stark!" she smiled jovially as one of the Iron Man suits hovered nearby. "How wonderful of you to join us."

"The lady asked you a question," Tony snapped, holding up his hands and arming his repulsors. "I'd answer it."

"Go on," the Doctor sneered. "Tell us. Who are you?"

"Oh, you know who I am," Missy rolled her eyes. "I'm Missy!"

"Not ringing any bells," Tony shook his head.

"Who's Missy?" Jessie demanded.

"Please, try to keep up," Missy sighed. "Short for Mistress." Jessie frowned in confusion, and Missy clicked her tongue. "Well, I couldn't very well keep calling myself the Master, now, could I?"

Jessie blanched and stumbled backwards, feeling the Doctor's arms go around her immediately. "You?" she croaked in horror.

"Oh, yes, dearie," Missy cackled as Tony and Wanda immediately raised their hands, repulsors and scarlet magic flaring to life. It was the same cackle Jessie remembered from regenerations ago at Christmas time . . . the same cackle her husband's former best friend had given when he fired the blasts that ultimately killed her and led the Doctor to sacrifice himself to end her pain. "Who else were you expecting? Of course it's me!"

***

My first episodes back from writing Lily, and I get to write the finale episodes of Series 8. I love it. And hey, Tony's back, too! Who knows, we may get another familiar face next episode. ;)

I'm crossing my fingers that I can get "Death in Heaven" done this week, too. It's finals week, so I will have extra time outside of testing, but how much of that will be dedicated to writing, I can't promise. As always, please respect my time, and I promise to give "Death in Heaven" my full attention when I can so I give as good as I've got. :)