After Darillium - The Master Plan

by LM541

After years of searching the Doctor closes in on the Master, but a fight against his greatest nemesis has never been simple. Old friends return return and enemies, long forgotten, step out from the shadows. The continuation of my story 'After Darillium', so you should read that first otherwise this one will not make sense.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1
The Search

The TARDIS materialised on Regulon V, a small backwater planet in Straden system. The Doctor let out a heavy sigh, after five years of chasing whispers, rumours, coded messages anything, he had finally caught up to the Master. A cold shiver ran down the Doctor's spine, even that man's name could spark some fear in him.

Slowly stepping out of his ship, the Doctor took in the view in front of him. Regulon V was a trading colony, there was space ports and markets as far as the eye could see. The Doctor turned back to the TARDIS and picked the sonic from his pocket. Activating it against the ship, a few seconds passed and the ship faded from view. With the Master around the Doctor wasn't risking anyone finding the TARDIS. He'd also programmed it to seek out River if he didn't return within 5 days.

The Doctor's thoughts went to his wife. It had been five years since he'd seen her. Knowing River she'd probably gone on an adventure with his younger self, which meant that he would have always brought her back from the Library.

The Doctor began walking through the many streets and markets the covered the planet. He knew that he was within at most 3 miles of the Master's hideout. The streets were quiet, there were people, but it was quiet. The people in the street moved out of his way and avoided all of his attempts at communication.

He remembered River once told him about being too noisy and lately he had been just that. Chasing down the Master and Jenny had brought out a new anger in the Doctor. He had never thought himself a violent man but in these last five years of anger and hate, the Doctor had changed. Gone was the twelve year old that this body used to be, even his old collage professor attire had gone and been replaced with darker, less vibrant feel. The tweed and bow-ties remained, bow-ties were still cool.

Amid the silent trading and shuffling feet the Doctor heard something that returned all the feelings of compassion and destroyed those of anger. A child was crying. The Doctor looked around trying to determine where it was coming from. On the other end of the street there was a child curled up crying into his arms. No one around was doing anything, there were no parents and no one even looked at the boy. Slowly, so not to scare him, the Doctor walked up to the boy.

"Hello," the Doctor said softly, crouching down next to the boy, "my name's the Doctor, what's the matter?"

The boy looked up, there was no sign of tears or that he had even been crying. In fact the boy had a sly smile on his face.

"Hello Doctor,"

Before he could even question what was happening the Doctor was surround by people in black stealth suits, mercenaries, this wasn't the Master's style. When the Doctor turned to find somewhere to run he felt a sharp pain in his neck. Looking back the child had a device that worked on the same premises as a needle.

The world around him began fading away, sounds became blurred and his heartbeats rang out through his ears. The Doctor fell onto the floor and blacked out.