Lightning split the sky as the Doctor gazed down at the man who had once been his greatest friend, his constant companion. The man before him bore no resemblance to the man he had been. Many years and regenerations had passed between what was and what is. But the man had been his friend, and that made him the Doctor's responsibility.
The Master had been beaten, due to both his arrogance and his underlying insanity. Insanity that, the Doctor had realized too late, wasn't entirely the Master's fault. No, his madness had been the construct of the Time Lords during the last days of the Time War. A repeated noise, a signal that could echo through even a Time Lock.
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4.
The heartbeat of a Time Lord planted in the mind of an 8 year old boy. Designed to turn him both into a weapon and an anchor. An anchor destined to pull Gallifrey back into existence. But not just Gallifrey. It would shatter the Time Lock that encapsulated the War; allowing the horrors of that dark time to escape. The Nightmare Child. The Deathsmiths of Goth. The Skaro Degradations. The Horde of Travesties. The Could've Been King and his army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres.
The terrors that flooded the last days of the Time War would've been unleashed on Earth. Put simply, the Master was dangerous just existing, let alone acting and affecting the Universe. His presence had the capacity to cause the destruction of reality and bring about the downfall of everything. When lined up alongside the many crimes that the Renegade Time Lord had committed and he would be sentenced to death on any planet in the Universe.
But the Master was his friend. Was. Did that justify removing a necessary death sentence that was well deserved? He didn't know. For the first time in a good many years, the Doctor was well and truly lost. The decision was his and his alone. Technically speaking he was classed as the Lord President of the Time Lords due to him being the only one. Well, the only one who wasn't a condemned criminal. He sighed. He didn't know what to do.
He looked at the Master again. He then made a decision and offered his hand to the man. The Master looked at the hand and recognized it for what it was.
Redemption.