We Will Rise |2| The Ascension

Chapter Seventeen: Surprise

Late one night, about a month after the Weeping Angels incident, the Doctor was messing around with the TARDIS, trying to figure out the broken chameleon circuit. He tried connecting two bits of wire, but they just sparked in his face, making him drop them with a yelp, cursing. Just as he was about to try again, the phone rang on the console.

The Doctor frowned, picking up. "Hello?"

"Doctor?" a familiar voice asked.

The Time Lord smiled. "Hi. It's been a while. What's the problem?"

"I was just wondering, is that offer was still open?" Clint Barton inquired. "For a trip with you guys?"

"By all means," the Doctor replied. "We're going to have to refuel soon, actually, so we could meet you in Cardiff, give the girls a surprise." He smirked.

Clint laughed. "Sounds good, Doc. I'll be there for the 7th. That's December 7th 2012, mind." He smirked. "McKenzie's told me about your driving."

"Oi!" the Time Lord complained. "All right, midday, 7th of December 2012, the Roald Dahl Plass. Okay?"

"Okie dokie," Clint agreed. "I'll see you then. Don't tell the girls."

There was a click, and then the dialling tone hit. The Doctor sighed, sketching out the date, time, and location onto a Post-it note in circular Gallifreyan, before sticking it onto the edge of the monitor. McKenzie was going to love this.

***

"Cardiff," the Doctor announced as the TARDIS landed in the middle of Roald Dahl Plass.

Martha didn't look very impressed. "Cardiff?"

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space, just like California and the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy," McKenzie explained. "Every now and then we need to open up the engines, soak up the energy, and use it as fuel."

"So it's a pit stop," Martha realised, nodding.

"Should only take twenty seconds," the Doctor stated, eyeing a familiar man approaching on the monitor.

"God, it's been ages since I've been here," McKenzie grinned. "Sweet memories." She jumped as someone opened the door, walking in.

"Mind if I join?" Clint Barton asked, before opening his arms to embrace McKenzie as she zipped towards him, laughing happily. "I guess not."

"Hi, Clint!" Martha greeted, then blinked as a realisation came to her. "Wait a minute. They had an earthquake in Cardiff seven years ago. Was that you two?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen," the Doctor replied, smiling at the way McKenzie had brightened considerably just at the sight of her best friend.

"That was a long time ago," she agreed. "Lifetimes. We were different people back then."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Clever." He grinned as he checked a dial. "Finito. All powered up."

McKenzie set the time rotor moving, but had to jump back as something exploded on the console. "Whoa!" Clint steadied her as she stumbled, the flight swiftly becoming much more turbulent.

"What's that?" Martha shrieked, clutching onto the railings as the Doctor ran to check the monitor, his eyes widening.

"We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion? What? The year one hundred trillion?" His eyebrows raised as he stared at the screen in shock. "That's impossible."

"Why?" Clint questioned. "What happens then?"

The Doctor didn't respond, but McKenzie read the answer from his mind. "We're going to the end of the universe!"

~~~

Quick interlude before "Utopia" sets in. I have been waiting for this for so long!!!