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hellhathfrozethover · 1 year

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Mega Man 2 Powered Up - Dialogue (*Mega Man route)

uh.

out of nowhere, I know. but also....please...I've been thinking abt this concept for years. turning it over and over in my head for quite literally, years. at least since 7th grade.

it needs to get Out of my system and Put somewhere...even if it sucks and plenty of people have tread this ground before.

It's not just banter either! got ideas for extra modes, challenges, bonus content, dlc....fuck man i just miss mmpu, what can I say? but i need to focus on one aspect at a time or we'll never get a thing done.

this kind of blossomed out of an abandoned project i was doing w former friends. as far as i know (unless one of them wants to step up and take it from me), it was pretty much left to my hands. we didnt get very far, but i'm fairly secure in Rock's, Metal's, and Air's exchanges, and the circumstances surrounding the Wilybots' playability.

i have plenty of thumbnails, but they're all scribbly and just for personal ref. it's hard to tell what's going on in some of them so i decided not to include them. i might do the ones i scrapped up for the opening cinematic and ending, but eh. only if anyone gives a shit lol.

further apologies if these characterisations don't agree with you lmao. you must understand going in that ive got my own ideas of how ppl sound and act and it reflects in the way they're written.this may lead to Cringe. please contact your health provider if you feel an acute sensation of Cringe lasting longer than five hours after reading this script. other side effects such as dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, and diarrhoea have been rep

(OPENING MONOLOGUE)

Narrator: The year is 200X. Dr. Light's former lab assistant, Rock, has since been modified into a super robot named Mega Man. Mega Man was built to stop the evil desires of Dr. Wily. As such, he rescued his fellow creations of Dr. Light from his clutches and saved the people of Earth. After his defeat, Dr. Wily retired to the cover of shadow…only to return boasting eight new robots of his own…

(TUTORIAL STAGE CUTSCENE)

[Mega Man runs across a terrorised city street in the middle of the night.]

[His COM unit begins to ring as he's running. It rings twice before he picks up, still running.]

Mega Man: Professor? Is that you?

Dr. Light: It is. Roll and I have gathered some intel for you: We have the approximate locations of Dr. Wily's robots.

Mega Man: Right. I'll be back to the lab as soon as I can.

Dr. Light: Don't be reckless, Rock. The maps show danger on the roads ahead of you. Please be careful out there.

[Dr. Light hangs up. Shortly after, an explosion is heard. Mega Man narrowly avoids bullet fire and proceeds to the right, beginning the tutorial stage.]

(VS. WILY - 1st TIME)

--WARNING!--

[Dr. Wily approaches from the background in his new capsule. The top opens, and he steps forward. His irises are distinctly red.]

Dr. Wily: Nu-ha-ha! You are too late, Mega Man! My robots are already busy conquering every major institution in your country! Soon, nothing will stand between me, and a seat at the top of this world!

Mega Man: Dr. Wily, why are you doing this?! You told me you were a changed man!

Dr. Wily: And you truly believed me? You are worse than the idiot human who constructed you! But enough talk -- I have business to attend to!

[Dr. Wily retreats into his capsule, and flies vertically out of sight. A cumbersome red battle mech named PLAT-4M stomps in menacingly from the right side of the screen.]

Dr. Wily: Fare-well, you insignificant little helper robot! Nwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!

(POST-TUTORIAL STAGE CUTSCENE)

[PLAT-4M is totaled, but still present after the fight. Mega Man's COM unit rings, twice again, before he picks up.]

Dr. Light: Rock! Are you alright?

Mega Man: Yeah…I just beat the mech Dr. Wily sent after me…

Dr. Light: Let's have a look…oh, that's very interesting…do you think could you do me a favour? Please, send this machine back to the lab. I have an idea.

Mega Man: What is it, Professor?

Dr. Light: Its moving parts in isolation may be useful to you, if reconfigured. I don't know precisely how quite yet, but I'll keep you updated on future developments as I work.

Mega Man: Understood, I'm on it. Over and out!

[PLAT-4M is sent off to Light Laboratories in a beam of red and white light. Mega Man follows shortly thereafter.]

-LOADING...-

[Mega Man touches base and stops in front of a large, idle monitor. Dr. Light and Roll are waiting on the left.]

Roll: Welcome back! Oh -- here's the location data Dr. Light was talking about!

[The screen cuts on, showing the eight robots available on the stage select.]

Dr. Light: They may not be exact, but the readings show they are stationed in these general areas. A quick search may turn up results.

Mega Man: Thanks, Professor. I'll head out as soon as I can.

Roll: Good luck, Rock! We're counting on you!

(VS. METAL MAN)

--WARNING!--

[A Metal Blade flies across the room just over Mega Man's head. Metal Man flips himself up on the belt from below to catch it, and pose.]

Metal Man: Sorry kid, no access past this point. Afraid I'm gonna have to cut you off here.

Mega Man: I'm not leaving until you give up control of the recycling plant, Metal Man!

Metal Man: Stubborn, are we? Heh…if you wanna get sent home in shreds, that's fine by me.

(VS. AIR MAN)

--WARNING!--

[Similarly to his appearance in Mega Man: The Power Battle, Air Man emerges from the eye of a developing tornado.]

Air Man: HARK! The vagabond rapscallion appears! What wind blows you here?

Mega Man: The winds of change! I'm here to stop you!

Air Man: FORSOOTH! The great AIR MAN will not be defeated by an insolent whelp such as yourself! Have at you, MegaMan!

(VS. BUBBLE MAN)

--WARNING!--

[Similarly to his appearance in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Bubble Man rises up in a giant bubble. When it pops, he performs a backflip stroke.]

Bubble Man: Buh, what was it…oh! Ahem... Welcome, Mega Man, to Davy Jones' Locker!

Mega Man: Aww, a bubblemaking robot, he's totally harmless... We don't have to fight, do we?

Bubble Man: B-buh? Harmless?! I…I'm dangerous I tell you, super dangerous! Take me on, I'll make you eat craw!

(VS. QUICK MAN)

--WARNING!--

[Quick Man dashes across the raised floors in a blur. At the peak of his third jump, he flips into a pose on the room's right end.]

Quick Man: What took you so long? Waitin' on slowpokes really drives me crazy, y'know?

Mega Man: Quick Man, hurry and shut this place down! You're gonna wreck the city's central power grid!

Quick Man: No way! Now that you're finally here, I'm runnin' you into the ground! Don't blink -- you'll miss me!

(VS. CRASH MAN)

--WARNING!--

[The pipes on the right end of the room explode violently. Crash Man is blasted in, but recovers with a roll and stumble to a stand.]

Crash Man: You're Mega Man…the evil monster Dr. Wily warned me about…

Mega Man: Evil…? No, you're wrong! I'm fighting against world domination!

Crash Man: I WON'T FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS! For the sake of Dr. Wily, and all my brothers, I WILL DESTROY YOU!!

(VS. FLASH MAN)

--WARNING!--

[Everything freezes until there's a sudden burst of white light. As it clears, Flash Man materialises on the right end of the room in a pose.]

Flash Man: Oh my…even from here, I can see your heart's been blinded by the light…isn't it sad?

Mega Man: Huh? What are you talking about…?

Flash Man: Forced to fight to protect those close to you…hasn't it clicked that we're one in the same?

(VS. HEATMAN)

--WARNING!--

[Heat Man's box sits plainly on the floor until it jumps. His arms and legs pop out, and the lid opens in a flare of fire once he's fully standing.]

Heat Man: Ugh. Guess I don't get my five minutes…hang on, I'll get ignited.

Mega Man: If you don't have the fire, we don't have to fight…

Heat Man: And get roasted by Dr. Wily for ignoring orders? How stupid do you think I am?

(VS. WOODMAN)

--WARNING!--

[The trees and their leaves above shake vigorously. Wood Man falls to the ground in a crouch, with a resonant rumble.]

Wood Man: The air, trees, water, animals, all innocent, all ruined…what kind of hero are you, man?

Mega Man: I…I didn't want to, but if I don't weed you out of here…

Wood Man: I can forgive a lot, but messing with the natural world…you just barked up the wrong tree, little dude.

("WILY CASTLE APPEARS" CUTSCENE)

-LOADING...-

[Mega Man returns to the laboratory. The room's lights are lower. The screen is idle and no longer reflects the stage select.]

Roll: Rock! Look at this!

Dr. Light: We've finally managed to tag Dr. Wily's ship.

[The screen settles into a clouded sky. The camera zooms into it until the perspective is from the sky itself, which is tracking Dr. Wily's capsule as it moves through the growing storm.]

Mega Man: That's him, alright, but…where's he going?

[Dr. Wily flips open the lid. His irises are still red. He briefly acknowledges/teases the camera by pulling a face and waggling his eyebrows. He shuts it again, and tries to outpace the camera.]

Dr. Light: A building mysteriously appeared from underground on a South Pacific island just recently…we have reason to believe it's his base of operations...Wily Castle.

[While Dr. Light is speaking, Dr. Wily vanishes through the clouds. When the camera catches up through the fog, it focuses at the bottom of the fortress. Cue prelude. It tilts up just in time to see Dr. Wily retreating into the eye of the skull. There is a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder.]

Roll: It's under super tight guard...

[The monitor then comes back into play as the view of the fortress becomes a grid map.]

Roll: The only way in, is to break in.

[The camera pulls out and fades back in to Light Labs, where the three are standing, facing the screen.]

Roll: If you climb around the outside wall, you might be able to sneak through the air ducts.

[The three turn to face each other.]

Dr. Light: We'll be geotagging you to build a map of the area as you proceed, so you won't get lost.

Mega Man: Then, I can find Dr. Wily and figure out what's throwing me off about him...

Dr. Light: Throwing you off?

Mega Man: ...N-no, forget it, there's no time. Thank you both -- promise I won't let you down!

Roll: Give it your all, Rock! You can do this!

[The map then becomes selectable, per fortress stage.]

(VS. MECHA DRAGON)

--WARNING!--

[Mecha Dragon's body lurches bit by bit. She then roars out a blaze of flames.]

Mecha Dragon: Rrrrr...chaarrrrrrr…

Mega Man: I-I've been tailed into a corner...there's no backing out now!

Mecha Dragon: Charrr….CHHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!

(VS. PICOPICO-KUN)

--WARNING!--

[The eyes in the walls peek before flashing various colours in quick succession.]

Picopico: FOREIGN PRESENCE IDENTIFIED. SCANNING...PLEASE STAND BY FOR CLOSING WALLS.

Mega Man: Who's talking to me...? Where are you?!

Picopico: MALICIOUS INTENT DETECTED. PLEASE WAIT...ENGAGING TERMINATION PROTOCOL.

(VS. GUTS TANK)

--WARNING!--

[Guts Tank rolls onscreen, then straightens up, punching its fists together.]

Guts Tank: I'VE...GOT...GUTS.

Mega Man: G-Guts Man? As a tank?! Where does Dr. Wily come up with these things...?

Guts Tank: I'M TAKING...YOU DOWN...WITH ME.

(VS. BOOBEAM TRAP)

--WARNING!--

[The eyes of each cannon rove about and glow until they fix on Mega Man. They then blink in unison.]

Boobeam: Mega Man is here? Mega Man is here! He is? Here! Where? There!

Mega Man: Who's controlling this room...? Can you hear me? Please, let me underground!

Boobeam: Request? Negatory! Invalid? Failed check! Fire? At will! At will? We will!

(VS. THE DR. WILY TELEPORT STATION)

*Conditions for this one being, only the first robot you encounter here is the one you have any dialogue with. The WARNING! also only shows up once.

--WARNING!--

[The robot you're rematching appears in the same manner and pose as they did when you first fought them. Their textures appear somewhat holographic.]

(VS. WILY MACHINE #2)

--WARNING!--

[The mech descends on screen with just a bit of puffing steam. Dr. Wily then drives his capsule into it, and pushes the windshield open. His irises are still red. His skin is now very slightly discoloured.]

Dr. Wily: Ack! You, are still alive?! My robots were better than that human Dr. Light's, so much stronger, and not a one of them could put a stop to you?!

Mega Man: Enough is enough, Dr. Wily! You're finished! Come out of the ship and turn yourself in!

Dr. Wily: I am "finished", am I?! We will see about that! My Wily Machine #2 is bigger and better than ever! One can only get lucky once, Mega Man! Say good-bye -- this is game over! Nu-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

[He shuts the windshield and prepares the guns.]

(PHASE 2)

[The face of the ship breaks off, revealing Dr. Wily in the cockpit.]

Dr. Wily: RAGE!! No-no-no-no-no-no-no! Now you've gone and done it! But I am not defeated just yet!

[He improvises a temporary solution, shedding any extra broken parts. Wily Machine #2's HP refills.]

(PHASE 2 - END)

[Wily Machine #2 fully breaks down. While it does, the floor begins to rumble.]

Dr. Wily: Irritation...it appears I must rely on my true form after all...if you can break your fall, that is!

Mega Man: What? True form...?

[The floor gives way from underneath of Mega Man before Dr. Wily is seen getting away. This transitions the player directly into the secret final stage.]

(VS. DR. WILY?)

[Quietly, Dr. Wily's capsule descends. He jumps out of it and floats idle in the darkness. It spins away on autopilot without him. Roll is not heard giving a warning.]

Mega Man: What...what is this? Dr. Wily, where are we?!

Dr. Wily?: Tear down my robots, will you? Meddle with my perfect plan, will you? You have no idea WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH, MEGA MAN.

[Halfway through the last sentence, his body begins to transform. Mega Man takes a step back, horrified.]

Mega Man: N-no...there's no way...!

[The vast starscape fades in around them once the Alien is fully transformed.]

Alien: EVERLASTING PEACE IS NOTHING BUT A FARCE. HERE AND NOW, EARTHLING, I WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW MUCH YOUR PRECIOUS JUSTICE IS WORTH.

(POST-ALIEN BATTLE)

[Mega Man looks around as everything begins to deteriorate.]

Mega Man: It was...just a hologram...?

[Dr. Wily is seen trying to get everything back in good working order behind his terminal. He looks quite ragged.]

Dr. Wily: Guh...uh-oh! ...Please, have mercy?

[The machine that generated the alien hologram falls at Mega Man's feet. He shoots it, causing it to explode. The projector atop the room then powers down to dormancy.]

Dr. Wily: YIPE!!!

[Dr. Wily jumps out from behind the terminal, and proceeds to bow frantically.]

Dr. Wily: M-Mega Man, please forgive me! I-I had no intentions of going any farther, really! I'll pay reparations! [Cue fanfare.] I'll even make amends with Dr. Light, alright?! You win! I give, I giiiiiiive!

(ENDING CUTSCENE)

[The camera is focused on the now black stage select screen. Light Laboratories, shrouded in darkness, is then dimly illuminated by it whirring to life. Dr. Light and Roll meet up in front of it from opposite ends of the room. Its display shows Wily Castle billowing with smoke, and returning underground.]

Dr. Light: It's over...it's all over, he's done it! Rock's defeated Dr. Wily!

Roll: Oh, thank goodness he's out safely! So, when can you get him back home?

[Dr. Light immediately gets to work trying to locate Mega Man's signal. The monitor cuts to static.]

Dr. Light: If I can get a read on him, he's...ah...

Roll: Professor? What's the matter? What's wrong with Rock, is he okay?

Dr. Light: ...This...may take a bit longer than I thought...

**[Ending cutscene will be fully animated. There's more than 30 thumbnails. Will need to be a separate post in the future.]

(POST-CREDITS STINGER *pending)

[The screen is black.]

Dr. Wily: I know all the harm I've done. You don't have to forgive me, Thomas.

[The light lifts marginally. The two doctors are silhouetted, sitting in what looks to be a detention center. Cue music: a slow, melancholy remix of Dr. Wily's final boss theme from the original Powered Up.]

Dr. Light: I wouldn't have if I didn't get a chance to see you like this. To punish a man already deep in remorse…that isn't me. I only wish I could help you build a better future.

Dr. Wily: …We could start over.

Dr. Light: What do you mean?

Dr. Wily: Let me join you again. With our strengths combined, I can do what I've always wanted: show the world the true power of robotics.

Dr. Light: If your intentions truly are honest…then working towards everlasting peace is the only way.

Dr. Wily: That's it! A peacekeeping robot! We'll build one so supermassive, no evil could ever threaten it! We could retire MegaMan's hero act for good!

Dr. Light: He has always hated fighting…but to build a guardian for the entire planet…

Dr. Wily: It would take materials beyond what's available on Earth, but that's a non-issue in our modern times! If we work together, I believe all things are possible…don't you?

Dr. Light: …I do.

Dr. Wily: I knew you'd come around. But…I can hardly do anything held captive by the state.

Dr. Light: That won't be a problem. I'll post your bail by tomorrow and hire you back at Light Laboratories ASAP. Your robots, too. For such a big project, we'll need all hands on deck, possibly another set altogether…this is going to be revolutionary. I'm proud of you, Albert, truly.

Dr. Wily: I can't thank you enough. You're making the right decision, Thomas. From now on, I promise…we won't speak anymore of war.

[The player is prompted to save once more before being returned to the company logos and opening cinematic.]

--END--

#mega man #megaman #rockman #ロックマン #mega man powered up #mega man 2 powered up #MM2PU #head vomit #200th post. not 200th original post but yk. in general #hopefully this is passable right #IVE REALY JUST GOT SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT IT.....from the music to the art direction #the UI the gameplay the way old style mode works....construction mode #since they gave us a christmas and halloween pack in the original like #i started thinking about more holidays. new years pack. valentines day maybe #AND THEN OUTFITS FOR ROCK BC HE NEEDS TO SHARE IN THE COSTUME FUN AS WELL #we'll save all that for separate posts tho bc hell. the art of pacing oneself is a virtue lmao

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4pondsinabox · 1 year

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Eleventh Doctor/River Song, The Doctor/River Song Characters: River Song, Eleventh Doctor, The Doctor (Doctor Who) Additional Tags: Flirting, Fluff and Humor, a lot of flirting, like they really should just get a room honestly, So Married, Stormcage Containment Facility, Romance, Smitten Doctor (Doctor Who), Sexual Tension, Power Couple, Mild Language, Innuendo, Banter Summary:

The Doctor's birthday gift for his wife does not go as planned. Once again, River can't decide if she's more annoyed or amused.

River strolled down the eerily silent corridors of Stormcage, trying in vain to loosen the thick clumps of sand lodged in her curls. Hours spent on the desert planet Akh-Mun III, uncovering the legendary vault of Emperor Nauhu, had left the archeologist filthy and exhausted – but far from disappointed. Her theory on the mysterious disappearance of his third wife was now proven correct and The Queen’s involvement in the regime’s downfall shed a fascinating new light on The Emperor’s spiral into insanity. River could have, of course, just stolen a vortex manipulator and seen the events unfold herself, but where was the challenge in that? This was a major step towards her first post-university publication. Besides, she had learned early on that time travel was not a suitable substitute for field work.

Most of the cells she passed by were empty, but every now and then River could feel a set of resentful eyes on her. Pausing before the next corner, she placed the flat, circular device in her hand against the wall. It briefly flashed yellow. One of the many useful features found on a Murustec was its ability to rewind the footage of every camera within a five-meter radius by ten seconds, allowing River to slip by them unnoticed. Naturally this was something she’d procured by entirely legal means.

As she neared her cell, River glanced at her scanner for the time. Nearly half past seven, which meant Gregory wouldn’t be making his rounds for another two hours – she had made a point to memorize each of the guards’ schedules within her first week of prison. A shower would have to wait then. Just as well, a long nap was also - River stopped in her tracks, having looked up to find her cell completely transformed from how she had left it. She must be far more exhausted than she thought. That or her exposure to the three suns of Akh-Mun III had seriously affected her eyesight because spread all over the walls and floors of her sleeping space couldn’t really be-

“Alliums!”

Her floppy haired, baby-faced husband popped up out of the center of the mess, wearing a wide grin and a white tuxedo. River eyed him up and down appreciatively. She noticed the flowers themselves were growing directly out of the concrete.

“Genetically modified so they’ll grow anywhere!”

“You don’t say.”

River was having difficulty deciding if she was more annoyed or amused. She really had been looking forward to that night in.

“And what, may I ask, is the occasion for all of this?”

The Doctor maneuvered over to the cell door, only to trip over the crisscross of stems and leaves, landing in a tangle of limbs at River’s feet. It took every ounce of effort not to roll her eyes.

“Well, I was just browsing the stalls at Letos when I noticed them,” he said, stumbling back to his feet to try and regain his dignity, “And they reminded me of you.”

“Because they’re from Earth?”

The Doctor scratched his cheek nervously.

“Well… no, actually. Your hair.” He mimed an explosion with his hands, adding a sound effect for emphasis.

River threw back her head and laughed. Any weariness or tension that had accumulated from the day’s excavation dissolved from her shoulders and she suddenly felt wide awake. Only to the Doctor would such a correlation make perfect sense. She supposed she should feel quite flattered. River bit her lip to try and suppress her mirth.

“I’m to understand you transformed my cell into a garden because some flowers bore a vague resemblance to my hair?”

“Also, your birthday-”

“Was two weeks ago.” River cut in, leaning against the cell bars with folded arms. The poor man looked crestfallen.

“You don’t like them?”

“Oh my love, of course that’s not true; but do you have any idea how prison works? I’ll be lucky to get away with a slap on the wrist after they see this.”

His eyes widened in shock.

“Over a few flowers?”

“I’d hardly call this a few.”

“But…But that’s-” He spluttered, trying to find the words to sum up their predicament.

“You’re welcome to file a complaint but, seeing as you’re the man I’m supposed to have murdered to land me here in the first place, that could make things a bit awkward.”

The Doctor deflated, another unsuccessful attempt at a grand romantic gesture added to his ever lengthening list. River plucked the stem of a stray flower whose blossoms had eagerly poked their way between the cell bars, smelling it thoughtfully.

“What kind of Alliums are they?”

Still pouting somewhat, the Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced at the source of his disappointment.

“Purple Sensation, Gladiator, Globemaster, the usual. I thought…” His gaze lingered on her for a moment. “I thought they were the prettiest.”

“You have an excellent eye.”

She drew closer to him, using a finger to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes.

“You know, there are many ways to celebrate a birthday. I might have a few ideas of my own.”

“Oh?”

River tucked the stem of the flower she held into her husband’s coat pocket.

“Although, most of them do involve removing this dapper suit of yours.”

“But it’s my special birthday suit, why would I-”

Alarms split the air with an ear shattering screech, filling the prison with flashing red lights. Unconcerned, River glanced upward in mild annoyance at the interruption.

“Did you forget to adjust the live camera feeds before your visit?”

“Of course not!”

The Doctor looked offended, pulling his coat sharply by its lapels.

“I’ve programmed the TARDIS to automatically reverse them by fifteen minutes when in range.”

“Mhmm and how long ago did you land?”

“Oh, about fif-” the Doctor blinked. “Ah.”

River raised an eyebrow at him

"TARDIS?"

“No time.”

Thundering footsteps sounded from the corridors on either side, drawing rapidly closer. The Doctor grabbed her hand, pulling them both into the confines of her cell and the alliums that had recently made their home within it. Seconds after River was across the threshold, he turned to lock the door with his sonic before swiveling back to dive into the thick foliage. Unfortunately, his foot had once again caught in one of the wandering stems and this sudden movement brought his flailing limbs tumbling downwards, dragging River into bed of blossoms with him.

Mmph!

The Doctor spat out a mouthful of petals, rolling over to face her pointed stare. He blinked.

“You know, I’m beginning to see your point.”

“I thought you might.”

At the very least the flowers provided more than sufficient cover, shrouding them both completely from the outside world. River had to admit, hiding from the Stormcage guards in her own cell was a new one.

They were lying a hair’s breadth apart. River’s breathing slowed as the initial thrill of a chase faded and her gaze began to caress every detail of her husband’s face. She’d heard it said before that a Time Lord’s eyes are the only thing that can betray their age on a surface level, but in the months following Lake Silencio and their increasingly perilous date nights, she had found herself beginning to disagree. The way his mouth tightened when facing a particularly dangerous enemy, for example, or how his forehead creased sometimes when he looked at her. Age was not just written on the surface of a person’s face but rather how that face expressed itself. The signs were all there if one knew where to look.

The Doctor’s own gaze had fixated on hers for a moment before drifting downwards. He opened his mouth to say something, but River placed a finger on his lips. The guards outside had discovered his birthday gift and a mixture of surprised and confused voices now reached them. Another low, gravelly voice cut in.

“Focus! Doctor Song isn’t here, we’ll need to split up to search each floor. And for God’s sake, don’t let her within arm’s reach.”

River rolled her eyes. That would be Claude, the head of security. He of all people should know by now that she did not need to be within arm’s reach to successfully neutralize an opponent. Further orders were given out and the group disbursed, footsteps gradually fading into the distance until all was silent once more. The only sound in the still air was their steady breathing but River still couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Was it possible Claude knew her better than she thought?

She realized the Doctor was smiling at her. River raised an eyebrow in question.

“You’re sunburnt.”

A playful finger tapped the tender skin of her nose. River’s body had unconsciously closed the gap between them, and she could now feel the steady thumping of his hearts against her chest.

“Archeologist.” She reminded him, voice barely above a whisper.

“A minor flaw.”

“Is it?”

Their eyes were locked, faces inches apart. His response was so quiet she might have thought it her imagination had the word not been so clearly shaped by the lips in front of her.

“No.”

One hand was slowly tracing a button on his suit. Not here. Not now. An annoying little voice in River’s head warned that they would be entering very dangerous waters if she were to continue the way she wanted, knowing what could be waiting on the other side of the cell door. There were times patience was indeed a virtue, especially if it meant avoiding awkward questions about husbands inexplicably rising from the dead.

“Hold that thought.”

The Doctor made no effort whatsoever to hide his dismay as River maneuvered away from him into a sitting position.

“River, what are you-?”

“I’m getting us out of here, now hush.”

She rose to her feet, shaking a few petals from her hair before stepping over a tangle of stems towards the cell bars. Her psychopathic instincts had been right. Two soldiers stood watch outside and one of them was the familiar, dark imposing figure of Claude. Both gave a start and trained their guns on her as she approached, smiling out at them.

“Hello boys, I believe you called?”

Claude scowled at her.

“I should have known.”

“I think you can put those away, don't you? I confess I have many talents but walking through steel is not one of them.”

Claude, for his part, did not appear convinced. The soldier beside him was much younger, with pale blonde hair sticking out from his guard’s cap and not one River immediately recognized. Must be new, the poor chap. The grip on his gun had slackened but the young man still flicked wary eyes between her and the flowers that framed her cell. She fluttered her eyelashes innocently at him.

“I hope my redecoration efforts aren’t too conspicuous.”

“Redecoration?”

The young man looked positively perplexed and River laughed softly.

“You know how it is when you’re sentenced to 12,000 consecutive lifetimes, might as well make oneself comfortable. Although, I don’t suppose you would know, would you?” She ran a hand over a couple of the alliums nearest her. “Perhaps I was a bit over enthusiastic about the project.”

“Who else are you hiding in there?”

Straight to the point, Claude was not going to partake in pleasantries when a potential security threat was at hand. Which was almost always the case whenever he and River crossed paths. She leveled her gaze at the tall man.

“Are you implying I would go to the trouble of smuggling someone into the highest security prison in the universe when I could just as easily break myself out?”

“Frankly I don’t give a damn what your reasoning behind any of this is. What I do know is that you, Doctor Song, are not stupid enough to risk the consequences of flaunting illegal goods just for the sake of redecoration.”

River, like every Stormcage prisoner on their first day inside, had learned about those consequences in detail, and it was why she’d been so particular about securing a discreet hiding place for her blaster and scanner. It was also why she had every intention of finding a way to reverse the effects of genetically modified alliums before the evening was out.

“Really Claude, you flatter me.” she gestured towards the mess behind her, “Have a look if you’d like, I'm hardly in a position to stop you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, thinking for a few moments. Apparently deciding her point was a sound one, he gestured at her with the gun in his hands.

“Stand against the left wall where we can see you.” Claude turned towards the younger soldier beside him. “If she so much as lifts a finger in my direction, shoot.”

River tilted her head obligingly as the young man nodded, shoulders straightening. Once she was safely out of the door’s range, Claude strode forward to unlock it. Before stepping inside, he pushed his gun between the first row of stems to separate them, intently searching for any sign of life that might be concealed within.

“Whoever you are, you can’t hide. Not from me.”

Walking further into the cell, his legs and part of his torso were soon enveloped in green and purple. He turned slowly, frowning in deep concentration. Suddenly, Claude stopped, eyebrows shooting upwards. A tremor shot through his entire body and he collapsed, disappearing entirely in the foliage. Something long and circular shot out from where the head of security had landed and River caught the sonic screwdriver in midair.

The blonde-haired soldier outside had been so enraptured with the disappearance of his superior that he hadn’t noticed River move until his weapon was lying on the ground a few inches away from him. He blinked slowly in surprise back at the sonic screwdriver pointed in his direction.

“What’s your name?”

River asked calmly.

“P-Pierre.”

“Pierre, I’m not an unreasonable woman, but I have an important date tonight and would hate to have any complications in getting there. You’re going to help me by first removing your communication device – yes, toss it there – and now lie face down on the floor. Close your eyes and count to twenty, understood?”

River maintained her threatening stance holding the sonic screwdriver, thanking her lucky stars the young man apparently had no idea what it was. Once she was assured he posed no threat, she turned around just as the Doctor’s head poked out of the alliums behind her. Scattered petals and stems stuck out of his hair and his suit was now wrinkled in multiple places. River tried not to dwell too much on what she must look like.

Grabbing his hand, they moved over the motionless legs of Claude towards the door.

“What did you do to him?”

“Venusian aikido always comes through in a pinch.” The Doctor examined his free hand with some satisfaction. “Thought I’d be rusty after the last few decades.”

“I thought you needed four arms to practice Venusian aikido. Or was it six?”

River locked the door behind them with a flick of the sonic as her husband grinned widely at her.

“Two are perfectly adequate if you have nimble enough fingers.”

“Ah, you do have exceptionally nimble fingers."

"I don't suppose you'd be interested in a lesson or two?"

"More than two, definitely."

They were off running hand in hand down the corridor, turning the first corner they reached while the Doctor explained in the vaguest terms possible that he couldn't risk parking out in the open after an "incident" last time. He glanced at her.

“Spoilers.”

“And here I wondered if you’d finally learned how to operate her stealth settings.”

He flushed at this.

“I know perfectly well how-”

The sound of footsteps approaching cut him off and he pulled her into a small alcove from which a familiar blue light glowed softly. The TARDIS hummed in greeting as River placed a hand on the door, mentally communicating one in return. Poking his head briefly back out in the corridor, The Doctor turned again towards her, looking apologetic.

“River, about your birthday-”

“It doesn't matter.”

“But-”

River pressed a hand against his crumpled bow-tie.

“What matters is right here, right now. Let’s just enjoy tonight, shall we?”

The Doctor nodded before frowning suddenly, as though a thought had just occurred to him. Then his eyes widened.

“Hang on, most of them?”

“Hm?”

“You said … most of your ideas did not include this suit.”

River grinned wickedly at him.

“You caught me. All of them do.”

She grabbed one of his suspenders to pull him into a fierce kiss, backing into the TARDIS until the door shut behind them with a soft click.

#dw fanfic #doctor who fanfiction #river x eleven #river x doctor #otp: old married couple #soooo this was originally supposed to be a valentines day fic #and then when that didn't happen I resolved to post it on Alex's birthday #since the idea originated from Alex's favorite flower - or at least what I've been informed her favorite flower is #basically I can't keep to a fic posting schedule to save my life but hey at least a full year hasn't passed since the last one #em writes

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