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Sound of The Drums

"Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer." Harold Saxon, A.K.A The Master, continues as Prime Minister over them all. Martha Jones's heart is beating fast in her chest.

"Oh, I don't know, every medical student?" The Doctor swings to look at her as she gasps sharply, barely audible. He reaches out and swerves the TV around, revealing a ticking bomb.

"OUT!" He yells.

Oh God.

Martha sprints toward the door and Jack pushes her out with his hand on her back securely as the Doctor grabs the laptop. Adrenaline pumps through them as they run onto the street just as the flat blows. Martha Jones twists and dives to avoid fire. Jack's hand moves to her waist. She yells. They recover and pant rapidly.

"Everybody okay?" The Doctor hollers.

"Fine, fine." Jack shouts back. Martha Jones, medical student ignores them and dials on her phone.

"Martha? What are you doing?"

"He knows about me, what about my family." she mutters.

"Don't tell them anything!"

"I do what I like!" She demands back.

Martha walks through the cold, dripping warehouse with a few plastic bags on her shoulder.

"How was it? " Jack asks upfront.

"I don't think anyone saw me. Anything new?" She hands him the contents of the back, mainly food.

"I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing." He holds up his bracelet-thing.

"Yeah, I meant about my family. " Martha corrects, slightly breathless.

"It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning. " The Doctor pipes up."Tell you what, though. No mention of Leo.

"He's not as daft as he looks." She grins, then wonders slightly. "I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen? "

"Nice chips." Jack points out.

"Actually, they're not bad. " The Doctor admits. Martha sits down and shares a glance with Jack. She gestures her head towards the Doctor. He nods.

"So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath? "

"And what is he to you?" Martha asks. "Like a colleague or -?"

"A friend, at first. " The leader says.

"I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something. "

"You've been watching too much TV. " He shoots back.

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so, perfect. " Jack points out.

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad. Brr. I don't know. "

Martha raises her eyebrows at the vivid description. "What about you? "

"Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped. " He picks at a chip. Jack's bracelet beeps.

"Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it. " Jack states.

"Patch it through to the laptop. " The Doctor orders.

"Three Tardis keys. Three pieces of the Tardis, all with low level perception properties because the Tardis is designed to blend in. Well, sort of. But now, the Archangel Network's got a second low level signal. Weld the key to the network and Martha, look at me. You can see me, yes? "

Martha looks skeptical. "Yes. "

"What about now? He puts the string with his key on it around his neck, and Martha finds it difficult to look straight at him. What the-

"No, I'm here. Look at me. " He teases. She blinks.

"It's like I know you're there, but, I don't want to know. " Martha explains carefully.

"And back again." He takes ofd the key. " See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed. Oh- I know what it's like. It's like, it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like. Come on. " He dashes off as she looks on, wistful.

Jack meets her eyes."You too, huh?"

" Oi! That thing is rough." Martha gasps as she leans against a pipe. They all struggle.

"I've has worse nights. Welcome to the Valiant." Jack announces.

"It's dawn? Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea? " She presses her hand against the cold window pane.

"A ship for the twenty first century, protecting the skies of planet Earth. " He joins her beside the pane.

"We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that. " The Master grins.

"Stop it! Stop it now! " The Doctor demands, guards holding him back. Martha's hand finds her way to Jack's, who squeezes it with either comfort or anger.

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me. And look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which. " Martha massages her palm as her mouth tightens in anger. Before she can analyze the scene, Jack runs forward. The Master zaps him with his screwdriver. Martha runs to his aid.

"Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself-"

"Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go. "

"It's that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help? " Martha looks on in horror.

"Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do."

" I've got his hand!. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years? "The Master declares, the corpse of Winters under him.

Her aims his screwdriver at the Doctor, who goes into rapid convulsions. Jack revives in Martha's arms.

"Teleport.' He gasps.

"I can't. " She refuses.
"We can't stop him. Get out of here. Get out. " He pleads, takes her hand and slips the bracelet onto her wrist. The Doctor trembles, now over 100 years of age.

"Doctor? I've got you." Martha grabs his arms.

"Ah, she's a would be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in all the way from prison. " Clive, Tish and Francine are brought in, their wrists fastened together with cable ties.

"Mum. " Martha trembles.

"I'm sorry. " Francine sobs. Martha's chest ached.

"The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they? "

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break. " I. Hate. Him.

She hesitates while glancing at her family. Jack nods slightly. Martha trembles. teleports away.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. The Doctor and Jack look at each other, and the Doctor nods.

Hampstead Heath

Still wearing the Tardis key, Martha watches London burning. She thinks of the Master. She think of her family. She thinks of Leo, cleverest brother in the world. Tish, small little sibling, now alone with Mum and Dad. Sh think of The Doctor, Jack, and why she escaped.

"I'm coming back."