We Will Rise |2| The Ascension

Chapter Thirteen: Four Things And A Lizard

The Doctor cursed as his phone lit up with a call, vibrating on his bedside table. Usually he was tinkering somewhere in the TARDIS when he couldn't sleep, but this time was different. This time, he needed to feel the warmth of his girlfriend pressing against him, a reassurance that everything was okay again. He didn't want to leave her. "Hello?" he muttered, picking up the phone before it could wake McKenzie. He'd move to talk a little louder, but she was sleeping on her front, one leg wrapped around one of his, so that was a bit impossible.

"Hey, Doc," Tony Stark's usual cocky voice came down the line.

The Time Lord rolled his eyes. "You guys are never gonna stop calling me that, huh?"

"It's no fun that way. Did you just wake up or something? I don't know how time works with you guys, so..." Tony trailed off awkwardly.

"No, it's okay. Kez and Martha are sleeping, but it's cool," the Doctor assured him.

"Martha?" Tony asked.

"Uh, new companion," the Time Lord brushed off. "So was there a reason you called?"

"Yes, actually. We just got word from Clint, says his mission is moving him to Cardiff. Apparently, though, there's something going on in London he thought was weird," Tony reported.

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "Tony, it's London. There's always something weird going on."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, but something weirder. Our level weird."

"I'm listening."

"Strange disappearances, that sort of thing. Centred around one area. JARVIS is sending you the details now. We figured you guys'd like to take a look. It is MK's home turf, after all," Tony pointed out.

"Yeah, we'll check it out," the Doctor agreed. "In the morning, definitely."

Tony chuckled. "It's noon here."

"Whatever, Stark. Say hi to the guys for us," the Doctor requested, rolling his eyes.

"Just me and Banner here at the moment, but I'm told the others send their love as well. Romanoff and Rogers spent the last few weeks fighting HYDRA, and they just collapsed SHIELD to shut it down completely. They're... recovering." Tony explained.

"Wow. You've been busy." The Doctor sighed. "Anyway, night."

Tony sighed amusedly. "G'night, Doc. Tell MK I said hi."

"Will do." The Time Lord hung up, smiling, before setting his phone down and lying back, staring at the ceiling. It was always good to hear from the other Avengers.

***

Although they had garnered a certain amount of media attention in the aftermath of the Battle of New York, they had never actually had someone recognise them in the street. Until now, that is.

"Doctor! Angel! Martha!"

The Doctor turned, surprised, and flashed a smile at the blonde woman. "Hello! Sorry, bit of a rush. There's sort of a thing happening. Fairly important we stop it."

"Oh my God, it's you!" the woman exclaimed. "It's really you!" She sighed. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Martha checked her watch anxiously. "Doctor, Kenzie, we haven't got time for this. The migration's started." She was carrying a quiver of arrows, McKenzie holding the bow.

"Look, sorry," the ginger said, giving an apologetic smile. "We've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to us in quite the right order. Gets a bit confusing at times, especially at S.H.I.E.L.D. We're rubbish at S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. just collapsed," the Doctor mentioned, remembering his earlier conversation. "Infiltrated by Hydra, Nat and Steve shut the whole thing down."

"You're kidding!"

The blonde woman's eyes widened in realisation. "Of course! You're time travellers. It hasn't happened to you yet. None of it. It's still in your future."

The Doctor frowned. "What hasn't happened?"

"And the blond guy isn't here," she continued. "It's all to come for you, of course it is."

"What blond guy?"

"Guys, please. Twenty minutes to red hatching," Martha stated, rolling her eyes.

"It was me," the woman realised. "It was me all along! You got it all from me."

The Doctor and McKenzie shared a bewildered look. "... got what?"

The blonde woman grinned. "Listen. One day, you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it." She handed over a red folder full of papers.

"Doctor!" Martha exclaimed, exasperated.

"Yeah, er..." McKenzie bit her lip, confused. "Sorry, got to dash. Things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

The blonde woman just grinned. "Okay, no worries. On you go. See you around someday."

The Doctor paused. "What was your name?"

"Sally," she replied, hesitating only for a second. "Sally Sparrow."

He grinned. "Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow." The trio headed off, leaving the woman on the street corner.

She beamed, watching them go. "Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Angel." Then she turned away, hitting a speed dial on her phone. "Yes, sir. Mission accomplished." She glanced back over her shoulder, watching the TARDIS trio disappear around a corner. "Case closed."

~~~