"Don't move."

“Don’t move.”

“This is the second time we’ve stumbled across them!” she growled, running with the Doctor as they were chased down – not an unusual occurring to them both. “Are you mad?! Where’s the TARDIS when we need it, get us out of here or I will cut you into half!” the Doctor grumbled to himself and stopped in front of a door, stumbling for his Sonic Screwdriver and using it to unlock the metal doors. They opened and yet they ran again, she cursing him for even bringing her to that place.

Her heart stormed in her chest at the sound of the Cyberman coming from behind, and she ran and ran, blindly following the man as he led them to a place where they could hopefully hide. It wasn’t like the time the Angels had cornered them or the time Ood were out to get them. This was different; it was the Cybermen – after witnessing what they could do and how they converted people into their own kind, all Arianne wanted was to get out of their safely. But the Doctor intended to save everyone on that planet – as usual, because of his noble trait that she admired and detested the same time.

Numerous times had he told her the following:

Everybody lives.

It was childish, it was silly, but it always worked. They would leave with the enemy gone and the people saved, history still intact and the whole of time and space going on as if nothing happened in the first place. The Doctor explained, that’s what it always did. Time would always make a way for something to happen, whether impossibly mad or fated to occur. But there were times in which things didn’t go as planned. And at that, his eyes would turn a shade darker and he would go back to controlling their ship, leaving her confused as he redirected them to the next planet, galaxy, or point in history.

She never understood it.

In fact, she never actually understood him –

“What are you lazing around for?” he snapped. “You need to run or you’ll be Cyberman bait! Do you really think I’d like that to happen?”

“Watch your tongue, ginger-face, or you’ll be the one converted to a Cyberman, not me.” She muttered, and took a sharp left. The Doctor merely rolled his eyes and slowed his face, both of them walking instead, seeing as their enemies were gone for the moment. She took this moment to study him. There he was, tall and ginger with an unusual pair of orange goggles around his neck that apparently enhanced his vision. His sleeves were rolled up and the screwdriver was in his pocket, ready to be used anytime.

And there she was, much shorter with her short black hair held back by a single white headband he constantly scoffed at. White shirt and dark pants with sneakers, bracelet and watch around her wrists. She held no weapon in her hands or in her pockets, unless she’d come across a possible one much later. Arianne knew he couldn’t quite comprehend her as well – the short-tempered, irritable, stubborn, joyous, compassionate companion that he picked up on that fateful night as she walked come from college.

“I’ve heard much believable stories from kidnappers, ginger-face,” she scoffed. “So don’t expect me to hop into your weird box from England that can be the cause of my potential death.” She gave him a glare and turned around, starting to walk off to a place where she could hail a taxi and get on her way home. The man watched her, amused, and ran after her with a slight grin.

“You really want to walk wherever in this kind of night and environment?”

“It’s a cloudy night, I don’t think it would rain.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the weather, dear Arianne.”

She spun around and stared in disbelief.

“How do you know my name!?”

The man, highly amused now, pointed at the ID she was wearing.

“Your ID.”

“…right, I knew that.”

“Well, if you don’t want my company, I guess you can leave. Just take this piece of advice from me, will you?”

“And what would that be?”

He looked around before replying.

“Don’t blink.”

He turned and left, going back to his box and leaving her in shock as she pondered over that bit of advice. The man smiled to himself as he walked, counting down in his head from five to one.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One –

“Goddamn it, fine!” she caught up to him, books in hand and bag on her shoulder. “I’ll let you come with me, but only until I see a cab! Your advice is crazy, but I don’t know what the hell can be out here this time of the night, so come with me or God so help me I will bring your sorry ass to the police.”

“So, do you trust me?”

“I might if you give me a name.”

“Ah! I’m the Doctor. Pleasure meeting you, Arianne.”

“The Doctor who graduated from a mental institute,” she muttered to herself, but allowed herself to walk with him nonetheless.

“Hey, hey Doctor.”

“Hm?” he looked up as he figured out how to block the door. “What is it?”

“You didn’t keep your promise this time.”

The man blinked, confused. “My…promise?”

“You told me, remember?” she ran a hand through her hair. “Many times throughout this adventure. Everybody lives.”

“Ah.” He looked away for a moment. “…I didn’t, huh?”

“Those people were converted into Cybermen. I saw a mother taken from her child, do you realize how horrible that is?!” she snapped. “Doctor, you said that everybody would live. Where’s that promise now, huh?”

“I can’t always keep my promises, Arianne, you have to understand that.” he said without looking back at her. Her eye twitched.

“Then why did you make it in the first place?”

He stopped.

“Well, that was a mistake.”

“…a mistake?”

“A mistake of mine. I never really do learn, eh?” he looked at her now, blue eyes unfeeling. “I can’t do anything to block the door. We have to run again.”

Run.

“Oh. Okay. Give me a minute more.”

He nodded and tucked the screwdriver back into his pocket.

A full minute passed, and they ran out of the room.

 They ran for what seemed to be hours – the Doctor cussed at the sound of the looming Cyberman and they took a right, eyes widening at the sight of two doors – doors he knew she saw as well.

“Doctor, those are doors!”

Doors to their escape.

“Doctor?”

“Arianne, run.”

“Of course I’ll run – hold on…” she stared at him in disbelief. “Y-You’re coming with me, right? We’re going to get out of here, right?”

He merely stared, and she started yelling.

“NO. I’m NOT leaving without you, Doctor – are you insane, the doors are there and we have to go before something happens!” she glared at him, grabbing his wrist. “You’re coming with me, ginger-face, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re an idiot – a freaking idiot – if you’re considering being a noble fool just like you always are, you can do it in another place, just not now!” she stepped back and let go of his wrist, meeting his stare. “Well then, if that’s how you’re going to react…”

The marching grew louder and louder.

The Cyberman was in the room.

“Incompatible.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!” he demanded as she stepped in front, blocking him from the remaining one in front of them.

The doors will cut off in fifteen seconds.

To his horror, the door to their freedom slowly started closing. They would make it if they ran, but –

Did he have to break his promise again?

“Are you deaf, you idiot?!” she turned her head to him. “Did you hear me?”

“I didn’t,” he tried, but she cut him off, words sharp like a knife.

“The TARDIS is outside. Therefore, you need to do the following for me Doctor, just this once.” She flashed a quick smile. “Don’t move.”

“Don’t move – Arianne, what are you talking about –”

The next thing he felt was the cold floor against his back.

His blue eyes widened as the doors fully closed, metal separating them as she was left with the one remaining Cyberman he knew he himself could kill.

“You are incompatible. You will be deleted.”

A mocking sneer from her. “Try me, you lugging lump of crap.”