A/N: Yay! I'm alive!

So, yeah. I'm so sorry it's taken me such a long time to update. I was honestly not that happy about writing these next few chapters, so I kept avoiding doing so. I didn't have as a clear idea as I thought about which direction this story was heading to.

Anyway, let's get on with the chapter!

Thank you for kirahvikoira (stalk her on tumblr!) for beta reading this one. She's a champ for putting up with my overuse of commas.

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and Torchwood belong to BBC. I only own the characters you don't recognize.

Chapter 6: The Sound of Drums

Next morning Susan attended the reveal of the Toclafane with Lucy and Harold Saxon, still posing as Harold's sister. She was wearing black jeans that were a bit uncomfortable around the middle and a small TARDIS blue jacket that barely hid her black, hand-pressed t-shirt that was donned with the text: "He'd be lost without his blogger." She wasn't completely sure who the text referred to, anymore.

They exited the elevator and the Master went past the cameras straight to the President of U.S. and asked with that cheeky tone of his, "Anything I can do? I could make tea, or isn't that American enough?" He smiled. "I don't know, I could make grits. What are grits, anyway?"

President Winters raised his left eyebrow at him. "If you could just sit down," he said. His eyes wandered over to Susan. "And who is this? I told you, only authorised personnel allowed."

Susan silently agreed with him. The guy could be a thick headed idiot, but even she didn't fully understand the exact reason for her to be present. After all, it seemed a bit suspicious for Harold Saxon to keep his stepsister around him all the time.

The Master grinned. "Oh, I assure you, she's fully authorised." Susan had to fight hard to keep her face straight and not to strangle him. "This is my sister. She just couldn't keep away. You know, since we are making official first contact."

Winters frowned at them, but let the matter drop. They strode to the table and sat down, Lucy on the Master's right and Susan on his right.

"What do you think?" the Master said. "It's good, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful," Lucy said in that awed voice of hers.

"Some of my best work. Ministry of Defense," he whispered and grinned. "I helped to design this place. Every detail."

Susan had to grudgingly admit that it was impressive. It was good in a modern sort of 'I'm very new and shiny' kind of way, but still classy enough not to look too like something out of a scifi movie. The Master glanced at her and grinned. "You've never been up here before, have you?"

"You know I haven't," she said and rolled her eyes. A thought struck her. "Should I be sitting here?"

"I assure you, my plans aren't in any way restricted by seating arrangements," he whispered and smirked. Winters bellowed for all the armed personnel to leave the deck, informing the rest of them that they were going live in two minutes. The Master took a white paper bag out of his pocket. "Jelly baby?"

Susan rolled her eyes, but took one anyway. Delicious.

"Broadcasting at seven fifty eight with the arrival timed for eight hundred hours exactly," Winters said. "And, er, good luck to all of us." The Master made an amused face at him.

Winters stepped up to stand upon the stairs, preparing himself for the live audience.

Susan kept glancing towards the doors, wondering if she could see through the perception filter. They hadn't tested it before, but maybe... The Master's hypnosis hadn't worked on her, so maybe this wouldn't either.

"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world," Winters started. "I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew."

From the corner of her eye she could see the Doctor, Martha and Jack coming through a door. The Doctor's face didn't look happy. At all. Martha was also glaring at her. Oh. Yeah. Martha's family was being held captive. Susan swallowed and stared straight ahead.

"For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone. And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you..." he turned around. "The Toclafane."

Four spheres appeared out of thin air, floating around President Winters.

"My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations." Susan could see the Doctor circling the people around the table, staying close to the wall. She glanced at the Master, who was smirking. "I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

"You're not the Master," one of the spheres sang.

"We like the mister Master." They kept circling around the president.

"I...can be master, if you so wish." He seemed at loss for words. Susan wanted to slam her head to the table at the next words coming out of his mouth. "I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will."

One of the spheres giggled. "Man is stupid."

"Master is our friend," another one continued.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?"

The Master grinned. "Oh, all right then," he said, holding up his hands. "It's me." He sprung up from his chair. "Ta da!"

People stared at him in confusion.

"Sorry, sorry, I have this effect," he said, smiling widely. "People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself?" He shrugged. "I don't know. It's crazy!"

Susan had to fight hard to stop herself from either laughing or melting on the spot. This was hundred times better than seeing his crazy antics on the telly. He was just... God.

Winters, however, didn't seem impressed. "Saxon, what are you talking about?

The Master swirled around to look at him, and crossed his arms. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you." He gestured for the spheres, the cheery facade gone. "Kill him."

The spheres blasted President Winters into little pieces. People screamed, and scrambled to get out of the room. That's when the Saxon employers drew out guns. The Master laughed at the panic and applauded. "Guards!" he bellowed.

"Nobody move!" the guards yelled, holding all the people at gunpoint. "Nobody move!"

The Master jogged up the stairs and leaned his weight on the rails. "Now then, peoples of the Earth," he said, staring straight into the cameras. "Please attend carefully."

Susan was still sitting in her seat. She looked around uncertainly, fearing that Martha or Jack would come at her from behind and punch her in the throat. However, they both seemed too preoccupied to do so. The Doctor didn't pay her any notice at all. He just took off his perception filter and ran towards the Master.

"Stop him," the Master called out. The guards easily got hold of the Doctor. The Master stared at him, pleased smile twisting upon his lips. "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho," he laughed, looking like he was going to burst. "I love saying that!"

The Doctor struggled. "Stop it! Stop it now!"

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me," he said, raising an eyebrow. He glanced Martha and Jack, both who were staring at him with burning eyes. "And look, it's the girlie and the freak." He reached into his pocket. "Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

Jack ran towards the Master, clearly intent on punchimg him in the face, and yelled out in pain as the Master zapped him with his laser screwdriver. He fell down and Martha ran to him. Susan felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach at the sight and averted her eyes.

"Laser screwdriver," the Master said, holding it up. "Who'd have sonic?" He nodded at Jack, and gleefully continued. "And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"

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

The Master raised an eyebrow at him and then looked at the cameras. "Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute." He glanced at the guards. "Let him go."

Susan winced with sympathy as they threw the Doctor on the floor.

"It's that sound," the Doctor said, looking up at him. "The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"Ohh," the Master said and mimed a babbling mouth with his hand. "How to shut him up?" He raised his eyebrows. "I know... Memory lane!" he said cheerfully and sat down on the steps. The Doctor stared at him, looking unsure what he meant.

"Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device?" The Master asked, and at the Doctor's expression, continued, "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?" He held up his invention. Then paused, looking thoughtful, his chin held up in his hand. "But, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do."

The Master stood up and ran to a metallic case, and opened it. "I've got his hand!" he yelled cheerfully, then started fiddling with the screwdriver. "And if Lazarus made himself younger... what if I reverse it?" He smirked and pointed it to the Doctor. "Another... hundred years?"

Susan couldn't bear to look at the Doctor, as he screamed, flailing around, his body aging at a tremendous speed. Instead she stared at Jack, who had just woken up and was giving his vortex manipulator to Martha. If only she could have the chance to explain what was happening...

The Master stopped and the Doctor fell down. Martha crawled up to him. "Doctor?" she asked, taking hold of his arm. "I've got you."

"Ah, she's a would-be doctor," the Master said, his voice pitying. He looked down at her. "But tonight, Martha Jones," he started, back to his cheery facade, "we've flown them in, all the way from prison!"

Susan turned as double doors opened, revealing Martha's parents and her sister, their wrists fastened together with cable ties. Martha stood up and stared at them, her eyes watering. "Mum," she breathed out.

"I'm sorry," Francine sobbed. One of the guards was holding a gun against her head.

Susan took use of the distraction and tiptoed towards the Master, going past him and stopping to stand on Lucy's right up on the deck. She leaned against the railing, and feeling her slowly heart break at the sight of the Doctor, who was breathing hard, his whole body trembling.

"The Toclafane," he rasped out, staring hard at the Master. Martha took hold of his elbow and held him steady. "What are they?" The Master glanced at him questioningly, bent down, and gestured at his ear. The Doctor repeated himself. "Who are they?"

"Doctor," the Master said quietly and put his hand on the Doctor's chest. "If I told you the truth, your hearts would break."

The spheres appeared above the three of them. "Is it time? Is it ready?"

"Is the machine singing?"

The Master glanced at his wrist watch. "Two minutes past," he said and jumped up the stairs, settling next to Lucy and Susan. The cameras were pointed at the three of them, and it the live broadcast was still continuing. Damn, her face was going to be on national television, and that would bring its fair share of trouble. The cameramen zoomed in on the Master's face. "So, Earthlings. Basically, er," he smiled thoughtfully. "End of the world." Every person in the room stared stared at him as he held up his laser screwdriver, took a breath and yelled. "Here come the drums!"

'Voodoo Child' by Rogue Traders started playing in the background.

Susan saw the Master slip past them towards the window, so she took her time to look around. Jack was still lying on the floor, and she really wanted to go to him. He noticed her gaze, and glared. Susan grimaced, and mouthed, 'Sorry', as subtly as she could. His eyes narrowed.

The Master came back on the deck, and gestured for Lucy and Susan to follow him to the big windows. Thousands and thousands of spheres were falling down to Earth. Susan took solace in the fact that it wasn't technically happening at all.

"How many, do you think?" he asked.

"I, I don't know," Lucy hesitated. Susan glanced at her, and felt bad. She looked so nervous.

"Six billion," the Master breathed out, clearly satisfied. He waved down. "Down you go, kids!" He grabbed Lucy by her waist and pulled her up close. "Shall we decimate them?"

He glanced at Susan from the corner of his eye and smirked as her expression tightened.

"That sounds good. A nice word, decimate." He smiled, then turned his head, his voice suddenly clear through the whole ship. "Remove one tenth of the population!"

This isn't really happening, this isn't really happening, Susan chanted.

What about Martha's family and Jack? They're going to be suffering for a year, a familiar voice commented. Susan fought to keep her face straight.

There's nothing I can do. They were already here. I can't bear to change anything that could lead to a different ending for this insanity.

She turned slightly to watch over her shoulder, as the Master and his wife stared at the destruction, seemingly satisfied with themselves. Doctor was whispering something into Martha's ear.

In the background, she could hear people at different military bases calling for help. "Valiant, this is Geneva. We're getting slaughtered down here. Valiant, report. Help us. For God's sake, help us! They're everywhere!"

After a few seconds, Martha stood up, and glanced at Jack and the Doctor, and then at her family, who were staring at her with various faces of sadness mixed with disbelief.

"This is London, Valiant. This is London calling. What do we do? They're killing us! The Toclafane are all around. They're killing us!"

Martha glanced towards the ceiling, maybe for heavenly guidance, maybe for something else. Then she gazed at her family for the last time. Martha pressed the button on the wrist strap and disappeared.

Susan saw the Doctor and Jack exchange glances. The Doctor seemed to feel someone was watching them, because he looked up and straight into Susan's eyes. Jack noticed her too, and they both stared at her with equally betrayed eyes. She bit her teeth together and clenched her fists, nodded at them curtly, and turned around to face the window.

Lucy and the Master dragged the Doctor over to the window by his elbows and showed him the destruction they had accomplished.

"And so it came to pass that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all, and I thought it...Good."

Susan stared at the rising fires on planet Earth, and tried to ignore the Doctor's anguished face next to her.

I don't care what happens to me, as long as Martha succeeds.