A look of annoyance crossed with confusion crossed the Valeyard's face as the device refused to fire. Irritated, he examined it, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
With surprising speed, the Doctor knocked the weapon out of his hand and expertly caught it. The smug look of victory in his eye, he pointed the laser screwdriver at his evil incarnation.
"Isomorphic controls, only responds to the Masters touch! It won't fire for anyone else!" the Doctor said triumphantly. The Valeyard was unimpressed.
"You can't shoot me Doctor."
"And why wouldn't I do that? Is it because you think you know me, you think that this incarnation is so adverse to violence that I would stop myself from destroying you, the literal embodiment of evil? Well let me tell you, I may have the same body, but I am a different man now than I was before Kalaya. I understand the power that is invested within me. I know that I can rebuild civilisations and tear down evil empires. No matter how hard I have fought in my life, evil has ultimately always managed to survive. But today, here and now, I decree no more! I am the Doctor, the Oncoming storm! I am claiming my right as Time Lord Victorious!"
The Valeyard regarded him with a blank look. Behind him, the Master groaned as he regained consciousness.
"Well... I can honestly say I didn't expect that. I was just going to say that you're not the Master either, you can't shoot me."
The Doctor's eyes widened, his mouth gaping. Slowly, he lowered the small device in defeat. He uttered a single sentence under his breath, audible only to himself; "Well, when you put it like that..."
The Valeyard began to laugh. Elegantly, he began to descend the stairs of the TARDIS, coming closer and closer to the Doctor with every step. The Master got to his feet unsteadily.
The laughter of the Valeyard, however, was cut short by a sudden and unexpected occurrence.
Amy had quite suddenly tore herself away from Rory and snatched a pistol from the holster worn by Jenny. Her hands shaking, but a determined look in her eye, she levelled the weapon at the head of the Valeyard.
"Amy!" the Doctor and Rory yelled as one, shocked by what the actions of the young woman. Jenny seemed more overcome by surprise than anything else, as did the Valeyard.
The Master got to his feet, the palm of his hand pressed against his forehead. The Valeyard, unmoving, glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"Don't even think about moving!" Amy yelled, her voice surprisingly strong and steady. Observing the scene unfold, the Master chuckled.
"It's always the women y'know," he said simply, folding his arms and leaning against the console. The Doctor looked both frustrated and panicked.
"Amy you can't shoot him!"
"Why not? You were going to!"
"Me? As if I ever would have! I knew I couldn't fire it!"
"My my Doctor, you weren't, dare I say it, lying? You do seem to make a habit of that."
Jenny's eyes, which had been carefully fixed on the revolver in Amy's hands flicked, just for a second, in the direction of her father. Though the movement was subtle, the Valeyard easily noticed it. He did not betray this fact, however, forcing his face to remain blank and expressionless.
"Oh yes Amy, you know how much the dear Doctor lies, don't you. And you, Rory. Do you really believe that kiss was just a kiss? Such naivety," mockingly, he shook his head. Amy pulled the hammer of the revolver back, the loud click sounding throughout the TARDIS.
"You can kill me now Amy, but you'll always remember, and always feel the guilt of, the night you betrayed your husband."
Sobbing with anguish and anger, Amy pulled the trigger of the gun. It merely clicked, revealing that it was unloaded. A grin broke out across the face of the Valeyard.
Pulling the trigger again and again, weeping weakly, Amy muttered the same two words over and over again; "You're lying... You're lying..."
Rory, who had been all but silent until this point, suddenly got to his feet. Ignoring the limp and shaking body of his wife, he turned to the Doctor, the bright spark of rage in his eye. The Valeyard had to fight back the urge to smile.
"Is what he said true Doctor?"
"Shut up just now Rory, I'm thinking." the Doctor said coldly, his eyes focused on the Master.
"IS IT TRUE!" he repeated, blinding fury in his voice. The Doctor turned to him, his face stony.
"He's lying because I lie and he's me. Now please shut up." the Doctor said simply. Or, rather, complexly.
The Valeyard extended an arm towards the Doctor. "From the horses mouth!" he boomed, looking now at Jenny. "Daddy ran away from you, didn't he? And I'll bet he told you that he thought you were dead. What a poor excuse. He's a Time Lord, and so are you. He knew that, so obviously he'd have known that a mere bullet wouldn't kill you. No... I think he just wanted you out of his life before you could even get into it, and he needed only the slightest excuse. He lied to you, just as he lies to everyone. You're all pawns to him, in his mind. And in his own little world he reigns as king."
The Doctor seemed unconcerned with the speech, instead continuing to focus on the Master.
"You're lying!" Jenny cried, stepping forward in front of her father. The Doctor blinked, as if he had been woken from a waking dream, before sidestepping slightly to the right and locking eyes with the Master once more.
"A conundrum, isn't it? Two admitted liars, trying to convince you that this one time they are being honest. But who do you believe? The man whom you trust? Or the man who makes sense?"
Jenny paused and took a long look at her unconcerned father. Doubt creased her forehead. She turned her eyes back to the Valeyard, indicating that she was willing to hear more.
"The man I trust, any day." said a man's voice, unexpectedly. Everyone, with the exception of the two Time Lords, turned to stare at Rory Williams.
"He may lie, but he is not evil. You are!" he cried, stepping forwards towards the Valeyard ominously.
"You're unarmed and weak. Do you really expect me to be threatened by you?"
"No. But that makes no difference, I am going to kill you anyway." Rory said coldly. Amy looked up at him, fearful for his safety. Jenny regarded him with a new respect. Her father had taught her that killing was wrong, but he was a different man now. A man who had shown a willingness to use a weapon. A man who may have lied to her. Was he really worth listening to?
Suddenly, the Doctor and the Master broke their eye contact. With childlike glee, the Master began to flick controls on the TARDIS. The take-off noise sounded loudly throughout the machine.
The entire group was thrown to the floor as the machine dematerialised and the room began to spin.