Needle and Thread

Save Rock and Roll

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

[Fandom+ (1)]

In the ruins of one of the vast cities of Android, the TARDIS materialized on the roof of a skyscraper.

"Are you sure it's safe up here?" Andesine asked, looking at the ruins of the city around him. "I mean, Roxy really did a number on this place. I wouldn't want to--" he stopped suddenly, as Lyra stamped on his foot, hard.

"It's structurally sound," Benny said.

"Glad to see one thing I didn't destroy utterly," Roxy said sarcastically, glaring at Andesine.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

"So.. how is the Boss going to come here?" Winter asked. "I mean, it's kind of in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh, that's because we're going to call them," Benny said. "The Boss doesn't exactly have a telephone, but I think it can pick up certain signals. Namely, the ones that the TARDIS gives off. It should be here at some point soon-- oh."

Everybody looked up to where a small point of light in the sky grew rapidly bigger.

"That was really fast," Lyra said. "Can it even breathe?"

"I doubt a little thing like deathly cold and zero oxygen will stop the incarnation of destruction," Andesine replied.

They watched the light grow brighter and brighter.

"We should move," Roxy murmered.

"You know the plan?" Beny called, as he ran over towards the TARDIS.

"That's a roger, Roger," Lyra replied.

"See you on the other side, then."

[$^$]

The TARDIS dematerialized. Everybody around Winter leapt off the rooftops. Lyra called one of her key guardians and flew off, Andesine clinging to her leg so tightly that he might have cut off her circulation. Roxy stepped off the roof and onto the air, and kept walking as though she'd never known what gravity was.

Winter instinctively grabbed Ananda's hand as they ran off the roof of the skyscraper and onto one of the other, smaller buildings, rolling as they hit the pavement. By the time he turned around, the Boss had struck the roof of the building they'd all been standing on. The long, pink hair that Winter had come to know as Nereida's was nearly all gone, torn out from the skull, which was putting forth spikes the way the ground put forth flowers in the spring. It stood, its eyes glowing red and gold, and smiled with chipped and broken but still stomach-clenchingly sharp, shark-like teeth.

"You've called me. Come to surrender?"

Winter had to cover his mouth to keep from saying yes. "Y'all're gonna get messed up!" A faint voice called.

"Shut up."

"Naw, mate! Go jump in a bucket of angry porcupines."

Winter laughed despite himself. Lyra was... definitely something special.

The Boss lunged away from him, screaming with frustration.

"Time for me to go," Winter said. He hugged Ananda. "Be safe."

"I think I should be saying that to you."

"I've got it covered," Winter muttered. He began to grin.

[@2D3D4D]

Benny landed the TARDIS and picked up Ananda. They left Winter standing on the rooftop, staring at the Boss.