A well-attended cortege, with quite a solemn crowd following the four black horses pulling the hearse moves down the street.
"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time. God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the TARDIS. This is hardly work for a woman" the next Doctor says to Rosita.
"Oh, don't mind me saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?"
"The Doctor's companion does what The Doctor says. Off you go" the Doctor and {Y/N} watch Rosita leave. The Next Doctor works on a back door, which suddenly opens.
"Hello" {Y/N} and the Doctor say.
"How did you two get in?"
"Oh, front door. I'm good at doors, that's what theses come in for" {Y/N} says holding up a bobby pin.
"Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?" the Doctor asks.
"Yes. I'd be lost without it" it's an ordinary screwdriver.
"But that's a screwdriver. How's it sonic?" {Y/N} asks.
"Well, er, it makes a noise. That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view."
"This investigation of yours, what's it about?" the Doctor asks.
"It started with a murder."
"Oh, good," the Doctor says, he looks over at {Y/N} who happened to be giving him the look "I mean bad, but whose?"
"Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death."
"Cybermen?" {Y/N} asks.
"It's hard to say. His body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence."
"So whose house is this?"
"The latest murder. The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution."
"But who was he? Was he important?" the Doctor asks.
"You two ask a lot of questions."
"We're your companions" {Y/N} smiles.
"The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities."
"Children again. But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?" the Doctor asks.
"It's funny. I seem to be telling you two everything, as though you both engendered some sort of trust. You both seem familiar. I know your faces. But how?"
"I wonder. I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch" {Y/N} says.
"Is that important?" {y/N} laughs a little.
"Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch. Do you mind?" the next Doctor hands her the watch "it's said that if it's opened..." she opens it and the works fall out "oh. Maybe not."
"It was more for decoration."
"Yeah. Anyway, alien infiltration" the Doctor says.
"Yes. Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine" {Y/N} and the Doctor surreptitiously scan with their sonic screwdrivers "It could even seem to be organic but unlike any organism of the natural world. Shush! What's that noise?"
"Oh, it's just me, whistling. I wonder what's in here, though" the Doctor says as {Y/N} opens the writing desk.
"Ah. Different and metal, you were right" {Y/N} says taking out two cylinders "they are infostamps. I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this" she presses one end and images are projected from the other, "see? Compressed information. Tons of it. That is the history of London, 1066 to the present day. This is like a disc, a Cyberdisc. But why would the Cybermen need something so simple? They've got to be wireless. Unless they're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves. Are you, all right?"
"I'm fine," the next Doctor says.
"No, what is it? What's wrong?" {Y/N} asks handing the Doctor the cylinders and walking over to the next Doctor.
"I've seen one of these before. I was holding this device the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated. The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self. And you two were there. Who are you?"
"We're friends. I swear."
"Then I beg you, John, Mary. Help me."
"Ah. Two words we never refuse. But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house. It'll make more sense if we go back to the TARDIS. Your TARDIS. Hold on. I just need to do a little final check. Won't take a tick. There's one more thing I cannot figure. If this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping" the Doctor opens a door. There is a Cyberman behind it "ok" he closes it again.
"I think we should run" {Y/N} says, helping the next Doctor stand, the Cyberman smashes the door down.
"Run, Doctor! Now, Doctor!" {Y/N} shouts.
"Delete. The Doctor will be deleted."
"Delete."
"Stairs! Can't lead them outside!" the Doctor says, as he grabs something only to discover it is an umbrella. He takes a sword from the wall instead.
"Delete."
"I'm a dab hand with a cutlass. You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these. This is your last warning. No? Olay, this is really your last warning! Okay, I give up" the Doctor says.
"Delete."
"Listen to me properly. Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, we can help! I mean it. We're the only people in the world who can help you! Listen to me!" {Y/N} says pointing at herself and the Doctor.
"Delete."
"I'm the Doctor and this is {Y/N}. You need us. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!" {Y/N} gets a foot onto the leading Cyberman's chest and pushes them back downstairs.
"Delete."
"{Y/N} and The Doctor, remember?" {Y/N} says.
"I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor and {Y/N}, and that's us!" the Next Doctor is on the landing, studying the second infostamp. The Cybermen knock the Doctor and {Y/N} down.
"Delete" the Next Doctor activates the infostamp and aims the beam at the Cybermen. They fall to their knees then their heads explode.
"Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core. You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only the Doctor would think of that" the Doctor says.
"I did that last time," the next Doctor says.
"Come here. You'll be okay. Let me just check" {Y/N} says.
"You told them you were the Doctor. Why did you do that?" the next Doctor asks.
"Oh, I was just protecting you," the Doctor says.
"You're trying to take away the only thing I've got like they did. They stole something, something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?" the next Doctor asks.
"We'll find out. All of us together" {Y/N} says.
---
~Bread 🍞