DOCTOR WHO: The Odd Life of Nova Sue -- PART 1: Becoming

Chapter 41: 'The Fall of the Eleventh'

"Hello, 'Sydney,'" my former instructor growls at me, enunciating my old name in a way like he knew it to be fake from the very beginning. "Long time no see. Didn't expect me to be one of them, did you?"

"Not until now," I shrug, no longer feeling surprised. "Now I see why you were always such a dick toward me all those years ago." Typical 'Silence' behavior.

"You watch your mouth, girl!" he snaps at me, pointing his gun directly at me in a threatening manner. He then gestures to the empty chair opposite from Kovarian. "You heard the Madame! Take a seat!"

He releases the safety on his gun for good measure in an attempt to increase the level of fear in the room, but it doesn't scare me...at least much. A part of me thinks about refusing just to see what he would do, knowing that the Silence want me alive—at least for now—but I ultimately decide against it, thinking that 'Kang the Conqueror' won't be so merciful, even with his boss in the room. I reluctantly sit in the chair, keeping my cool.

After I get settled in my seat, I glance down at the tea set. The table is filled with everything that people would generally have at a tea party, including an assortment of freshly baked goodies displayed on large plates, but the one thing that catches my eye immediately is the large butter knife placed next to my empty plate, and I immediately have an idea to use it, though my idea is not to use it like a typical butter knife. As I slide my napkin in my lap, I move it across the table in such a way that it drapes over the knife, and I make sure I take the knife with it as I lay it across my lap. Thankfully, Kovarian doesn't notice this as she pours more tea into her empty cup, and Master Kang is busy standing and staring at nothing across the room, gripping his gun tightly in hand, and I do the same with the knife tightly in mine under my napkin, ready to use it when I get the chance—a chance that I definitely do not plan to miss.

"Allow me to pour you some tea, dearie," Kovarian says as she reaches over with the tea kettle and pours some hot tea into my empty cup, even though I never asked her to. "I think you'll really like it; it's been an absolute favorite of mine since I was a child." A large puff of steam wafts up from the cup as the tea is poured, and a fruity scent fills my nostrils, but it is a scent of a fruit I don't recognize. "I hope I haven't made the tea too hot for you."

I shake my head, not interested in touching the tea at all, nor the various pastries, no matter how wonderful they smell. "No. It's perfectly fine, thank you." Not that it matters, I think to myself, as I won't be touching any of it.

Stranger Danger 101: never accept anything from one, especially from one who wants you dead.

"I have also made you some white chocolate and cranberry scones," Kovarian adds as she gestures to one of the large plates. "Your favorites, from what I remember from your mother's memories. I understand your mother-guardian seemed to be an excellent baker and cook."

"Perhaps I will try them later," I nod, feigning honesty. For all I know, everything here is laced with poison, specifically from the Judas Tree, making me think back on Dad's story from that trip to Berlin, 1938. Despite it all, I can't help but wonder where Kovarian got the ingredients from.

There is an awkward silence (no pun intended) between us for a minute before Kovarian speaks up again.

"This must all seem very surreal to you," she points out, "drinking tea with the person you most deeply hate."

"That's a pretty accurate assumption," I shrug carelessly with a raised eyebrow.

She chuckles at this. "Oh, I wasn't assuming things. I know." She then shakes her head, saying, "But you shouldn't hate me. Instead of hating me, you should thank me."