Breaking Point

Martha staggered downhill with millions of Toclafane zooming overhead. She silently prayed that the perception filter worked on them and that they'd ignore her as they kept heading towards the city… a horrible thought, knowing what those orbs were capable of. She was tired, cold and that landing had nearly dislocated her shoulder. Worst of all, she was scared and alone, terrified that she'd made the wrong decision by just teleporting herself off the Valiant. Maybe she should have brought The Doctor with her and tried to reverse the ageing at Lazlabs… If they'd managed to get anywhere near the facility. In his present aged state would he have even survived the journey? She choked back another sob as her thoughts turned to her family. What would happen to them, now? They were no good to The Master. The Doctor was important for something and Jack couldn't die… Mum, Dad and Tish could, though. Oh, what had she done? She reached the wooden perimiter fence of the field where she had landed and climbed over. Catching her breath, she sat on the fence completely at a loss as to which direction to go. Maybe she could take a car and go… somewhere. Back to the hospital, back to her mum's house, to Brighton and Leo. She needed a friendly face… She needed someone to swoop in and tell her they were taking over and everything would be okay.

Before she went any further, her phone rang. Martha debated whether to answer. It could be Leo… She flipped up the phone. It wasn't.

"Hello Martha." The Master said in that grating, mock cheery tone. "You left the party early. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay." She said nothing… what would be the point. "I never thanked you, did I?" The Master strutted around the Valiant's boardroom like a peacock, admiring the havok he'd wrought. The Doctor looked too weak and aged to do anything. Jack had been manhandled into one of the boardroom chairs and tied securely with the same heavy duty binders used on the Joneses. "Without you, I'd still be under the illusion that I was this batty old professor. You freed me, Martha Jones. My triumph is all because of you."

Jack yelled out. "Don't listen to him Martha! This is not your fault!" His outburst was rewarded with a backhanded punch across the face from the Master that almost sent him careering to the ground.

"Now Martha, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," The Master flexed his hand, cracking his knuckles. "I want to thank you in person for your part in my success here today. So beam yourself back up here, there's a good girl."

"No." Martha stood firm.

"No?" The Master frowned. "No is not an option. Teleport back up to the ship, or I'll kill the Doctor."

"No you won't." Martha said trembling, despite the confident tone in her voice. "If you were going to kill him, he'd be dead already. And there's no point in killing Jack because he'll always come back." There was a note of pride in her voice, if just to piss off the Master.

"Your mother won't." The Master said casually wandering to the end of the table where the Joneses were still being held. "Or your father, or your very pretty sister." He stroked Tish's face. She, in turn, recoiled in disgust burying her head into Clive's shoulder. As helpless a captive as the rest of them, all Clive could do was loop his bound arms over her shoulders in an attempt to protect her. The Master just smiled. "Aww what a touching display of family unity. Pity we couldn't find… what was her name Annalise?… to complete our little tableau." He then turned to Francine. "Mrs Jones, you've been so helpful in the past, reason with your daughter." He held his phone to her ear, taking the pistol from one of his nearby henchmen.

"Martha?" Francine's usually strong, confident voice was cracking with fear.

Martha couldn't take the pressure any more and just sobbed down the phone. "Mum, I'm so sorry."

The Master could hear Martha's distress and grinned. "Tell her to come back, Mrs Jones. Come back to Mummy."

"Martha, I love you very much." Francine said. "We all do…"

"Tell her…" The Master interrupted, tracing the gun down Francine's arm.

"But you keep running." She said. "Stay free." The Master snatched the phone away, furious that nobody seemed to be able to do what they were told! "Do you hear me Martha!" Francine was practically screaming. "Don't come back here!" She only stopped when The Master pointed the gun in her face.

Martha could hear the screams and pleading from her family, Jack and even the Doctor. Amidst it all, The Master had a calm, even tone. "Come back now Martha, or I'll kill them all."

"And when I come back you kill me too?" Martha asked, defiantly. "Why? I'm nothing. I'm nobody. What could I possibly do to stop you? What difference could the girlie make against millions of Toclafane?"

The Master's expression changed. His eyes widened, nostrils flared and his teeth were gritted in an angry grimace. "I am The Master and you will obey me."

Throughout all the commotion, Lucy was watching the Doctor. He may have been old and feeble, but before Harry transformed him, he just materialised in the room without security detecting him. He could still cause trouble. The threats to the Jones family seemed to cause him great distress. Lucy watched him claw at his shirt and tie as he gasped for breath. "Harry! There's something wrong." The Master turned around to see the Doctor slump over in his chair.

"He's going to die and regenerate." Jack yelled, struggling with his bonds but having no success.

"No nono nononononono! No you don't, Doctor." The Master raced over and pushed the Doctor back up into a sitting position, still keeping on the line to Martha. "See the trouble you're causing, Martha. You're upsetting everyone by not doing what you're told."

"Seems like the choice is yours now, Saxon." Martha growled into the phone. "Who's more important to you? Me, or the Doctor?" And she hung up.

The Master screamed and threw the phone at the nearest structure. It bounced off the wall and skittered along the floor, practically landing back at his feet. He took out his laser screwdriver and aimed it at the Doctor. "Seems I have to do a reversal. But know this, I can keep going back and forth as long as I like. And if you think it hurt the first time, it's nothing compared with the second!" The Master flicked the switch and once again, the Doctor's body was wracked with agony while the transformation took place. Jack could only look on, unable to do anything but helplessly watch the Doctor's body convulse and spasm while he screamed out, in pain. Eventually, it stopped, but not before the Doctor, back to his young self, fell off the chair and onto his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

"You needn't think this changes anything." The Master kicked out, catching the Doctor in the side of his face and knocking him cold...