The TARDIS jerked out of control, knocking the Doctor off his feet. He grabbed on the railings, attempting to regain balance.
"What?" he questioned to no one in particular, staring at the controls. He ran forwards, grabbing the screen. He screwed up his face, squinting at the screen. He put his foot up on the controls as the TARDIS lurched again. He kept tight hold of the screen as the TARDIS tipped this way and that. Finally, she landed. The Doctor jumped back, still staring at the screen. He looked almost speechless as he stared towards the door. He grabbed his long brown coat as he walked towards it. He opened the door cautiously, peering out.
The dismal scene wasn't unfamiliar. He stepped out, shutting the TARDIS door behind him. He turned in a circle, taking in the scene. Then he stopped, as if he couldn't quite believe it. Looking towards his TARDIS, he cocked his head.
"Why here, again, old girl?" he muttered, clearly confused. He looked around again, running a hand through his hair.
Then, against the slowly darkening, light-blue sky, upon one of the piles of scrap metal, stood a silhouette. Although the Doctor could not see the figure's features, he could smell the familiar scent. He put his hands in his pockets, and bowed his head as he walked towards the bottom of the pile of scrap metal. He looked up at the figure, who wasn't looking back, although it was certain he had acknowledged the Doctor, yet had decided to ignore him. He looked majestically into the distance - if he was feeling any of his usual resentment towards the Time Lord below, he wasn't showing it. His ignorance was the only emotion he showed, as he gazed at the approaching darkness.
"Well, this wasn't expected," the Doctor said loudly, looking away. The Master made no movement to suggest that he had heard him. He continued to stare. The Doctor continued, "Really unexpected, actually," he looked up at the sky, where the Master was staring. A smirk crept upon the Master's lips, slowly creeping into his eyes. The Doctor sighed, looking up to the Master once again. He shrugged slightly, "I must say, I would have thought this an almost impossible conversation." The Master rolled his head and looked towards the Doctor.
"Hello, Doctor," he said loudly, grinning. The Doctor ignored his slightly unnerving and unusual delighted greeting, rubbing his chin.
"Master," he said, the realisation of what was happening, who he was talking to sinking in. He looked at the Time Lord, "So," he said, slowly, "How?" The Master sighed, climbing down his palace with ease. He stopped, still a bit above the Doctor and jumped to a seated position, legs apart, clasping his hands together and resting his arms on his thighs. He leaned forward.
"Now, that's an interesting story," his green eyes twinkled as he smiled. The Doctor felt his heart drop. He had missed the Master. It was a hard thing to admit, he supposed, but it was true. There was fun with him, the same species. He was no longer the last of his kind, not if the Master was back.
"What happened?" asked the Doctor, his curiosity betraying him, "You went back into the Time Lock... How did you get out of that?" The Master shrugged.
"Didn't belong there, didn't fit in with the pattern." He said, simply. The Doctor frowned,
"But you can't just... decide that –" the Doctor started, confused. The Master was smiling as he interrupted him.
"Oh, but I can, Doctor," he laughed, making the Doctor frown, confused. However, he let it go.
"Well, I suppose you probably could," he muttered, knowing there was probably a bigger back-story. Yet, his main focus was to find out why the Master was there, what his plans were and why the TARDIS had brought him there.
"No, I don't think so," said the Master, still smiling, unnervingly, "No, no, no, no, no," he said, pouting and shaking his head. He laughed, his eyes crinkling as the Doctor showed his confusion. He began to explain, "I don't have many answers for you, Doctor. I don't quite know how you're here," he said, simply, jumping down from his perch and standing infront of the Doctor. He then realised that this was a bad move as he was smaller than the Doctor. However, he stood his ground, continuing with the same tone, "Yet you are." The Master smiled as the Doctor continued to frown. He laughed again and began to walk away. The Doctor watched him go, his hands still in his pockets, his head on one side. The Master strolled along, a spring in his step. "Oh, I don't know, Doctor," he called back, lightly.
This intrigued the Doctor, the lightness of the Master's tone. Perhaps he knew something that the Doctor didn't. A galactic war, perhaps? The collapse of a civilisation? Something to do with Earth? One of his old companions? He didn't know what kept him interested, really. He just was.
He followed the Master. Not saying a word, he carried on, as the Master walked through the towers. Eventually the Master stopped, around the back of a large shelter, which was open, apart from the brick wall at the back, which they were stood outside of. The Master leaned against it.
"So... Doctor..." he smirked once again, "What's the matter? Scared I'm going to invade Earth?" he said tauntingly, "Ooh, I wouldn't mind. All them silly little humans –" he paused, grinning, "They wouldn't stand a chance against me, would they?" he teased, "Ooh, I'm very tempted now, to take over... ONCE AGAIN!" he said, joyful and spreading his arms.
"Shut up," the Doctor said, through gritted teeth. The Master looked gleeful.
"Nah," he dismissed the Doctor's advice, "Nah, I don't think I will. I'm still so tempted to take over. Or maybe just grab a handful and have some fun, showing them 'aliens'... Or I could cause panic, by introducing another species to Earth... Oh! That reminds me! I could bring back Harold Saxon." He looked smug at the Doctor's face, "I'd need to find myself a new Mrs Saxon, though... Donna Noble, perhaps? Martha Jones? Or her sister, Tish! She was gorgeous –" the Doctor had lunged forward and pinned him against the wall. He held on to the soft fabric of the Master's hoodie, his knuckles white as he gripped. The Master's head had banged against the wall, which had stopped him talking. The Doctor breathed heavily.
"I – told – you," he said, between breaths, "To – shut – up." He finished, letting the Master go, slowly and cautiously. The Master smirked.
"Yeah, I heard," he said, "And I didn't. And I'm not going to," he revealed, seeming keen to work the Doctor up again. He carried on, regardless, "Yeah, she'd be good... Or perhaps I could break through to an alternative reality and take Rose?" the Doctor scoffed,
"You can't do that, it'd be too complicated," he said, shaking his head.
"Worth a try. Although if I can get to her in this reality, just travel back in time..." he smiled as the Doctor's face fell, "Oh, and I met a young girl called Jenny just last week – she took my number... Small, blonde, determined, wore her hair in a ponytail, very pretty –" this time the Doctor had shoved him against the wall by a shoulder and a hip. He didn't really concentrate on where he was pushing and the Master looked taken-aback. He was looking down, they both were, at where the Doctor's hand was pushing. The Doctor looked up, his brow still furrowed and a hint of annoyance still in his eye. The Master slowly brought his eye-line up to meet the Doctor's. Their faces were inches apart. The Master could feel the Doctor's heavy breathing, and the Doctor could see the slight child-like panic in the Master's eyes. The sort that he had seen before when the Master had been in a situation and was scared. The Master frowned, feigning confusion or anger, the Doctor didn't know. Suddenly, the Doctor's expression changed, he looked at the Master, pitifully, his eyes welling up. He swallowed.
"I've missed you," he said, softly. The Master glared at him.
"Oh, how to shut you up." he tried to say, grumpily and loudly. It came out as more of a hissed remark. The Doctor rested his forehead against the Master's, hearing the familiar drumming noise.
"It's still there, then?" he asked, quietly. The Master's eyes filled with tears, which he tried to furiously blink away. He swallowed.
"Yeah," he said, choked, "Thought it might have stopped, did you?" he sighed and looked up. Then he looked back into the Doctor's eyes. He gave a slight smile.
"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, lowering his eyes and then looked back into the deep green ones, "I'm so sorry." The Doctor leaned in closer to continue his point, just as the Master did. Though his intentions were far from talking and his actions seemed to surprise even him as he kissed the Doctor lightly on the lips.