The Doctors staggered as they appeared in Rassilon's council room in a flash of brilliant white light. Short range teleportation was never going to be their preferred mode of transport, especially when they had guns pointed at them. The Eleventh Doctor peered through the glass wall, peering over the edge. The very top of the Citadel. It was a place that he had rarely been to thankfully. It stunk of unrighteous ego and self-importance. Even the chairs were decorated in intricate golden patterns, swirling messages of ancient High Gallifreyan. How much effort had the President put into creating this room, restoring it to its former glory, if it could ever have been attributed with that characteristic. He briefly thought of the other people across the planet, not fortunate enough to have a place in the capital, living in basic wooden huts and surviving on just enough food. And he had contemplated killing them all. Again. What sort of a man was he to be willing to do that twice in his lifetime. Maybe it was for the best that they had been immediately apprehended before they could try and enact their awful plans. He'd been blindsided by his anger towards the Time Lords, not for the first time either. The fury of a Time Lord.
He looked down where he could see a cloud of black smoke coming out from one of the towers, billowing away and leaving through the large crack in the glass dome. Well, it was something much stronger than glass, which meant that the entire structure hadn't shattered into millions of pieces when the Tardis crashed into it. Not strong enough to stop the ship though. He smirked as he thought of what his friends were doing. They were the best of him, normally on days when he wasn't meeting his usual standards. He was also worried about them, knowing that it was unlikely that they wouldn't be met with resistance from the many guards that patrolled the building. He had to believe in them. And he knew he did. This time, he had to allow them to go off on their own and win this battle. He could distract Rassilon for the time being and keep him preoccupied. He wouldn't be able to get any answers out of him because he had no clue what his friends were planning to do. The only person who appeared to have any knowledge was Twelve but he was keeping it very close to his chest.
Rassilon stood next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder that Eleven flinched away from. Even from one touch he could sense the diabolical thoughts running through his head. Time Lords were often a species with well attuned telepathic abilities so could often get a reading of one another's emotions and hopes. But this was as if Rassilon wanted him to see it, to make him envisage what Gallifrey's future would be if it continued like this. Taunting him. Goading him. He wanted the Doctors to make a mistake, to give in to their wild emotions because that was when they didn't think properly. That was when he would win. The one way to stop the Doctor had always been to weaponize his own personal demons. The man who carried too many to count.
"There's no point in thinking about whoever was foolish enough to try and break into here," the Lord President rasped close to him as they stared out of the window. The Doctor stopped himself from telling him that they had already succeeded in getting in. The guards lined the walls as the Masters and the other Doctors hardly moved in the centre of the room, listening intently to the conversation. Apart from the distant sound of the beam of time energy, the room was deathly and unerringly quiet. "They won't be able to put up a fight against my men." He peered closely at him. "What do you see?"
Eleven flicked his eyes over to the old man. "I see something wrong. A planet as mighty as Gallifrey shouldn't have stooped to survival tactics as barbaric as this. And it's all my fault."
Rassilon chuckled, a short period of delight being shown. "So, you finally see that what you did was the wrong thing to do? You shouldn't have trapped us here. Our power and position would have been restored by now if you had let us see out the final days of the war and defeat the Daleks!" He was speaking to the wrong man. He hadn't been through it yet. He hadn't made the choice to not press the button. That was all to come for him. The one man who had was looking at them with sorrowful eyes, obviously thinking back to that moment. He had given them some small details of what had transpired that day so that they could understand the context of the situation. Not too much to really jeopardise the timelines.
He held his eyesight, his lips set in a thin line. "No. What I mean to say is that I shouldn't have let it come to this. I shouldn't have let you survive for so long."
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A team of engineers deep inside the Citadel were working away, attempting to fix some of the Tardises that had been in there for years. The war had caused a great deal of damage to their armada of time machines and finding a solution to the problems that faced them had so far eluded them. But they'd been told that they would soon need them running once again. It wasn't their place to ask why that was the case; they'd been instructed to keep their heads down, focus on their work, and get the job done in time. They'd heard whispers sometimes of what the people in charge were talking about and it was pretty hard to ignore the unnatural beam of energy firing out of the building. When it had first appeared, the energy had coursed through every room, even down where they worked. It had been quite terrifying and definitely unnerving despite them working with the essence fairly regularly. They wanted to survive, which they'd been told would only happen if this worked, but they knew this wasn't the right way to do it. Low ranking people like themselves couldn't exactly debate it though - if they had the audacity of even questioning goings-on of the upper floors, they would likely be removed forcefully from the Citadel and never be able to work there again. When it was the best opportunity you could get, with very little other employment chances in the same vain, no one would risk standing up for what they believed in. It was always easier to try and ignore the methods that made them a so-called 'mighty race'.
They couldn't properly ignore the crash that had reverberated around them a few moments ago, which had made the walls shake violently. They clung onto machinery and equipment that hung on the wall as they swung about wildly, not wanting any to break - resources were stretched far enough as it was without losing some needlessly. They got flashbacks from the time of the war, remembering what it had felt like to be in there when they were being shot at. Even engineers and craftsmen had been drafted into the war effort despite not having any previous fighting skills. That had been how dire the conflict was. They were worried that the Daleks had somehow come through without knowing, restarting their offensive tactics. But when they realised that it was only one hit they'd suffered, they reasoned that couldn't be the case.
One of the engineers, a young man with short black hair, looked over to his colleague, a man much older than him with greying hair and a short white beard. "What do you think that was?"
The other man shrugged. "How should I know? What the rulers do is none of our business. We were told to complete this task and I'll be damned if I don't do that." Being older than the other worker, he had more experience of dealing with those in charge. He no longer had the veracity of youth that made one want to defy orders. Life was simpler if you obeyed.
"They wouldn't be attacking their own building though!" The metal doors to the side slid open with a mechanical groan and three people walked in, a group they'd never seen before. They definitely weren't wearing the usual garb of Gallifreyans, whoever they were. What troubled them were the guns they were holding, pointing directly at them.
Graham looked around the messy room, trying not to get distracted by the strange objects around him. He wished that he could take a closer look or even bring something back as a souvenir. When Yaz caught him staring at something that wasn't related to their mission in the slightest, she nudged him with her elbow and gestured to the two people they were supposed to be dealing with. Nardole, when he figured out that no one truly hostile was in there, lowered his gun, the other two copying his action.
"Who are you?" the old Gallifreyan barked, reaching for something to defend himself with.
Graham held up his hands, hoping to calm him down. "Now, now. There's no need to do anything hasty. We're here to help you!"
"You know that's what people usually say before they hurt said person," Yaz whispered in his ear.
"They wouldn't think we'd actually harm them! We've got friendly faces."
"We're also holding guns and came in here unannounced," Nardole countered with a nervous smile.
Yaz reached for the small communications device she'd been given, an object not dissimilar to a walkie talkie, and spoke into it to reach the other groups. She wondered how they were getting on. "We've found two people. Hoping to retrieve them now."
"I demand answers! Is this something to do with our bosses? If they want to get rid of me and replace me with fresh meat, they can have the courage to do so in person." The engineer had heard stories of that happening down the years; there was always someone new who wanted your job and they were always better qualified.
"We don't have time for this!" Graham shouted. "We're not here to replace you. We're here to save you! This building is about to crumble around us and we want to get everyone out of here because of that." The two Gallifreyans appeared to relax, which encouraged them, but then they felt the cold end of blasters placed on the back of their necks. This wasn't the plan.
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Clara cautiously walked into the room as the doors opened. She grinned as they did so, happy that Cassandra's skills were being effective. But her smile fell as she realised that the lab was empty. She'd expected someone to be here guarding the machine or making sure that it was still working. Her attention was drawn to the wild energy flowing around the central column. She stepped over cables and wires carefully as she approached it. She wanted to reach and touch it, to know what it felt like. Yet she already knew what the answer to that was. She reckoned it would be a similar sensation to when she had stepped into the Doctor's time stream, that powerful burning euphoria. To be a part of something much greater than her, to be a part of time itself. She was already embraced by time though because of her adventures, probably more so than any other time traveller other than the Doctor. She felt lucky because of that fact but knew that she had to do this to have any chance of that continuing.
She fingered the weapon nervously. They didn't have an exact estimate on how long it would take for the Citadel to fall once she activated it but had a feeling that it wasn't going to be as long as she hoped for. It was a strong likelihood that she wouldn't make it out in time. She was okay with that. Her life against the billions on Earth and the trillions in the universe. It wasn't even a debate. The Doctor would argue strongly that she was worth it but he was a man in love and would try to save her at all costs. She was a woman in love and was saving him at all costs. Her echoes had done the same. Now it was her turn. She had advised her Time Lord escorts to stay away so that they'd have a better chance of surviving. This could be done on her own. Her face set in a resolute expression and she moved over to the set of computers on the wall, glancing up at the blackness above her. The column seemed to go on forever, only lit up by the swirling energy. It probably went on for miles, she reckoned. She was directly below the giant building, after all. That was a lot of building to have fall on top of you.
"What a pity," a dark voice came from the corner of the room. She tensed up at the sound, placing her back against the machines to protect the Nebulous device. "I expected more from him. To send one of his puppets here to do his work. Tut tut. You are one of his puppets, aren't you? One of those stupid apes he likes to keep around to make himself feel more intelligent." The Master appeared from the shadows, a sardonic grin on his face. He took in her appearance, how she was trying to hide behind that false sense of bravery every victim tended to cling on to. How perfect. He enjoyed it when they fought back.
"My name is Clara Oswald. I'm here to put an end to this. I know who you are and, despite that, I'm giving you the chance to escape."
The Master chuckled, his light blue eyes flashing menacingly. "How very courteous of you, dear. You must share the Doctor's pointless need to be merciless. I've done a lot of things. Terrible things. And you would help me live?"
"I'd gladly bring this place down upon the both of us if you want."
"Oho, you have a different fire to him. Just as raw but somehow even less tamed. No wonder he picked you. He always likes them with an added bite." She was wary of him getting closer.
"Which means you should be scared of me right now."
"Scared? Of you? A simple human? Don't be absurd!" He looked past her shoulder, his eyes settling on the device she was trying to use. "Ah. Now then. A Nebulous weapon. That would definitely work if you really wanted to end this. Very rare. How did you come across it?" She was about to answer when he shushed her. "Hold on. I don't care. Because I'm going to destroy it once I kill you." He fiddled with the golden laser screwdriver, tapping his fingers on it. He then chucked it on the floor dismissively, surprising her. "Far too boring. I must apologise for my need for theatrics but I'm just like the Doctor in that regard." He didn't break eye contact as he reached down to one of the large cables, ripping it from the floor. The end of it sparked dangerously and he smiled, almost as bright as the electricity building up. "Now this...is much more like it."
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The Eleventh Doctor's words wiped the smile from Rassilon's face. He turned around, waving his hand in the direction of the guards. "Be gone! I don't need protecting. The Doctor has always been a man of idle threats. His inability to follow through with his promises of death isn't going to change today." The soldiers dutifully walked out of the room, leaving them to it. The Master and Missy weren't too pleased with that decision. They'd found it was always best to have an insurance policy when it came to facing the Doctor. The old man was going senile by the looks of things.
The Twelfth Doctor, giving Missy another searing look, stepped over to the cause of all the suffering he'd seen on Earth. "Why haven't you killed us yet? If anyone has been boasting about their ability to get rid of someone, it's you."
"I've got something much worse for you than just death." They didn't like the small smirk on his face or the way his dark eyes seemed to light up at the prospect. "Killing you would be too easy and no fun at all after all of the times you've gotten under my skin. Why do you think I brought you here? This is the best view of the planet, my planet. You can see the hills roll on for miles and the sand drift slowly as if being guided by something much greater than us."
"I never took you for a poet. Have you taken up a new hobby whilst I've been gone."
"You have always hidden yourself behind jokes and laughter. A defense mechanism, plain as day." Rassilon enjoyed how that comment appeared to sting at the hearts of all three of them. He was onto something because he knew the rogue Time Lord better than they cared to admit. "Do you know what you'll also be able to see from here? The moment we are returned! I will make you stand here and watch as Gallifrey flies through the rift. You will be on top of the Earth as it crumbles beneath us. And, once that has killed your spirit and the final sparks of fight left in you, I can then get rid of you permanently. The first act of the new regime. How fitting. It won't be long now."
"We received a message that the device is in its final stages," the Master happily informed them. "Soon, the rift will be wide and strong enough to see us through, its gravitational pull doing the hard work for us."
"Excellent, excellent."
Ten angrily stepped towards his enemy, the Master not backing down when he came mere inches away from him. "And you're okay with this, are you? I never took you for someone willing to help the Time Lords. You were already the outcast."
"Just like you. But I saw sense. What's the point of being alone when you can be a part of something so much greater?" The Doctor knew that he was lying. The Master was doing this to mess with him by destroying Earth as well with Rassilon since he'd simply remove him when all this was done. He couldn't exactly tell the President that because there was no chance that he would believe him.
"Don't berate him so callously," Rassilon interrupted. "Just because he is much wiser than you. I showed him the prophecy. How you would always be the cause of our destruction and he opted to stand with us and stop you! And look at us now! Accomplishing just that! There is no way that the Hybrid can come to fruition now." He let out a loud grunt in shock before falling to the floor. The Master whipped his head around in surprise before he was too met with the blunt end of an umbrella. Missy dusted herself off and did a little curtsy. Twelve sputtered, none of them expecting this.
"You...what did you do?"
"I was waiting for the perfect moment to really make him seem like an idiot," she answered. "He started celebrating. I wasn't going to pass up that opportunity."
"But...why?"
She looked at him seriously. "You know why." The Doctor couldn't believe it. He'd hoped that he'd make a breakthrough but this was something else. But now he had new thoughts running through his head, a new hope brimming inside him.
"Well then!" he shouted happily. "We need to find the others, make sure they do what they're doing in the right way, then get out of here as fast as possible."
"No," Missy simply said, prompting him to arch one of his bushy eyebrows. "You all need to get out of here. Myself included. I'm not planning on dying on this forsaken planet."
"The others though…" Ten murmured, unsure as to what her true intentions were. They were still processing what she had just done, glancing down at the two men lying on the floor.
"Will be fine. You already have an idea of what they want to do." She looked at Twelve who nodded his head. "Good. You're not as stupid as you look. Who do you think gave the Sontarans the Nebulous device in the first place?" She grinned at his shocked expression. She always enjoyed getting the better of him. He was trying to follow all of the events that had led to this point, coming up short. But he knew that she was right. If they got out of the Citadel, it'd be easier to get everyone with their Tardises although he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
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"Extractor fans on!" The Curator held a handkerchief to his face, covering his mouth and nose, as he moved back into the Tardis. An electronic whirr sounded through the console room and the ugly black smoke that had been pouring out began to be sucked away into the walls. He had no idea where it all ended up but he could tell that he didn't want to know. He turned back to see Sarah Jane still behind him, giving her a large smile. "I'm always surprised when that works!"
She smirked as they walked around the console, the Curator looking closely at all the warning lights. "I'm always surprised when anything works in here."
He gave her a wounded look, rubbing the machine. "How could you say such a thing? She always got us where we needed to go."
"One word: Aberdeen," she countered. When he showed no sign of knowing what she meant, she scowled and started shouting. "You left me in Aberdeen! Instead of Croydon, you dropped me off in another country!" He was pressing buttons but stopped when she brought that mistake up.
"I swear that I apologised for that at some point."
"Decades later," she grumbled.
"One of my better turnarounds. Only the best for my Sarah Jane."
She gave into the smile wanting to creep onto her face, just enjoying being with him again. Her favourite place was being in the time machine, watching him as he tinkered away on something that she didn't really understand. She liked to think that she had a better knowledge nowadays than when she had first travelled. "So, I'm still yours, hmm?"
This time, he fully stopped what he was doing. He smiled sadly at her, stepping closer and taking her hands in his. "No matter how long I live, the time we shared will always be looked back upon with fondness by myself. How you could think otherwise is rather surprising."
"Because I know you and what you're like. You prefer to move on from people because it hurts too much to look back. I understand why you do it or...at least I do now. It hurt at first."
"There are some people that are too difficult to forget about. We were the greatest of teams. We always will be. Look at us now, working together yet again! We'll always have this. Sometimes, I realise that the pain that comes with leaving my friends is worth the enjoyment of their company. You're the one that made me realise that."
Sarah Jane had tears in her eyes and he allowed her to wipe them away, offering to give her his handkerchief before remembering that it would be covered in all manner of dirt now. "We just have to count our blessings that we're getting this bonus time together."
"Exactly! Now you're seeing sense."
"Because we never know when an adventure will be our last."
"Now, now. This isn't the time to be thinking of such morbid thoughts. When that day comes, it will be a happy occasion because we'll be able to look back on all the things we did with pure unadulterated joy."
"Is that why we're reminiscing now? Because this is the last time for us?"
The Curator shrugged as he moved back to the console, trying to deal with the small fixes he needed to address. "Who knows? I certainly don't. I never do know what's to come in my future."
She looked at him closely. He wasn't answering the question because he had the same fears that were consuming her. She couldn't do anything if it was truly their last stand by each other's side so there was no point worrying about that possibility. She caressed his old, worn hand and his eyes met hers. "I don't care if this is goodbye. Because they have always been your weakness and you always find a way around them. You'll do the same in the end with me. For now...should we save you from yourself yet again?"
"It's like you read my mind," he grinned. A blue button was pushed down, a yellow lever swung in a quick anticlockwise circle, and the Tardis came back to life, the lights becoming brighter as its gentle hum resonated around them. "That's more like it! The old girl still has it in her. Even a crash as big as that can't stop her just yet."
"Will she be able to get through the rift again?"
"We'll find out when we reach that hurdle. Live in the moment, dear child." Only he could still call her a child. It was both insulting and amusing. "We'll stay here for a bit longer to see if any of our colleagues are silly enough to try and return before running for our lives."
"Or...we could send a message out to say that we'll meet them outside."
His eyes widened as he pondered that idea, placing his finger on his lips in contemplation. "I knew there was a reason why I kept you around for so long." Her smile matched his large grin as he raced back to the dematerialisation lever. This is what she loved so much. The unpredictability. The thrill. The sense that he was making it all up on the spot. All she could do was enjoy it for as long as she was a part of it.
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"Sontar-ha!" Strax blasted down a door, charging straight through it, much to Vastra's dismay. He hadn't been expecting to run into a group of soldiers though, making him halt for a moment. They all immediately reached for their own weapons and he was ashamed to say that he hadn't read the situation properly. He would have to add that to his battle report if they got out of this.
"What did I tell you about running about?" Vastra asked as she followed after, not yet knowing what problem he'd caused. Jenny was by her side along with Wilf - Clara had told him that they would be the best at protecting him, even if he'd argued that there wasn't a need to babysit him. "Not only does it make them think they're being invaded, it also gets your blood pressure rising and you know what the doctor told you about that happening." If the Sontaran hadn't been too preoccupied, he would have thought back to the time he'd been forced to see that pathetic practitioner that hardly had any medical knowledge compared to him. He hadn't enjoyed the large needles.
Jenny stopped in shock as she took in the large group they'd inadvertently run into. "Oh, hello," she murmured quietly. Vastra put a hand on her shoulder as they lowered their weapons.
"Who are you?" one of them asked. "Do you have clearance for this area?" They looked at one another - a Sontaran, a Silurian, a young woman from Victorian London and an old man from modern day London - and couldn't understand why they'd need to ask such a question.
"We're here to help," Vastra explained. "You need to follow us now. We don't have a lot of time to explain. You can ask whatever questions you have when we're outside."
"If you're not going to give us answers, then I'm just going to have to inform Command about your intrusion." He reached for a communications device on the wall and Wilf moved closer, raising his gun again.
"Don't do that. Because I reckon whoever is in charge will want to stop us and then we'll all be dead," he said. The guards seemed to think over what he'd said before holding their guns even straighter, pointing at him. Wilf realised that he hadn't made the best of decisions.
"Lower your weapons, men!" A strong voice came from the door and Ohila, dressed in her typical red robes, serenely entered the room. She hardly glanced at the strange group (she already knew how the Doctor didn't care about where his friends came from), instead focusing on the stubborn Gallifreyans. They didn't move although some now had nervous expressions on their faces. "Lower your weapons!"
"We don't receive commands from the likes of you," one foolish young boy said. He'd obviously been poisoned with the more unsavory stories of the Sisterhood of Karn. It was a shame to see people so easily influenced.
"But you do listen to me." The General appeared behind her and the soldiers immediately stood straighter. "Now, do as she said and leave the Citadel. Any of you who wish to question my orders, I'll see to it that you get sent to the furthest reaches of the universe with no way of getting back. Have I made myself clear?" They all nodded and began filing, leaving him with a satisfied look.
"You were meant to be looking after Clara!" Wilf said angrily, worrying about her safety. The General put up a tired hand, using the arm that wasn't damaged.
"She said that she would be alright on her own. We let her believe that would be the case but she still has some protection. Don't worry. I know how the Doctor would react if she came to any harm."
"But he is of greater use to us when he can order the people to leave," Ohila explained. They didn't know who she was but Vastra was liking how she seemed to take no nonsense. "Speaking of…" She stepped over to the communications device the soldiers had wanted to use. "Rassilon won't like me tampering with his own technology, which makes this even more satisfying. We can get a message across the Citadel and help your other friends who are probably in similar positions to what you were just in. Honestly, you plan things out just as carelessly as the Doctor." She glanced back at the General. "Would you care to do the honours?"
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The intercom buzzed into life, a voice sounding out. "Code Alpha Delta 7-6A. Evacuation procedure Twelve. All residents are ordered to leave immediately." They'd never been happier to hear the General's voice as the soldiers behind them cautiously lowered their weapons. Graham, Yaz and Nardole let out a collective sigh of relief and they turned around to look at the men who had been threatening them. It wasn't the time to hold grudges as Graham waved his hands frantically.
"You heard the man! Go on, cockles...get yourself out of here if you know what's good for you," he ordered with a smile, hoping to reassure them. They looked at one another before turning around and doing as they were told, escorting the engineers too. They weren't about to ignore a direct order from the second most powerful man on the planet. Although they were sure that he hadn't been present for some time.
Yaz patted her companions on their backs with a small chuckle. "That was touch and go for a bit there. Whose job was it to watch the door by the way?" Her voice took on an accusatory tone as she eyed the both of them.
"Nardole!"
"Graham!" They spoke in unison before glaring at each other, making Yaz laugh again.
"Next time, I'll be going with a different group when we have to infiltrate somewhere. Preferably with people who actually know what they're doing."
"Hey! We got them to go!" Graham complained. "Mind you, it's a good job that they're so happy to listen to instructions. I thought it would have been more difficult."
Yaz's high-tech walkie talkie started humming, a static noise coming through. She activated it properly, holding it out so that they could all hear. It was Jack's voice, more jubilant than they had expected. "Just checking up on you! Everyone, and I mean everyone, is leaving the Citadel. We might just do this."
"Have you run into any trouble?" Yaz asked.
"Not at all. Well, one person started complaining before River demonstrated what she could do with her laser gun. That got them walking. More like a run, actually."
"Yeah, that sounds like Professor Song," Nardole agreed.
"I love that woman! If the Doctor wasn't so close to her, I'd be taking her out for a drink or two."
"Don't tempt her. And, anyway, she'd be the one taking you out."
Jack's laughter sounded from the small contraption. "My sort of woman! Now, less talking...get out of here too. Just follow everyone. You can't miss them." Then the device cut out, leaving them alone once again.
"Ready to run?" Yaz asked them.
"Oh, I don't like running!" Graham moaned as they started to do just that.
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"Step away from her." Ko Sharmus entered the room with an angry look, pointing a gun directly at the Master, who only smirked more. Clara was grateful to see him even though she had told him to leave before. She was becoming too much like the Doctor to think that she didn't need some help at times. They were trying to show him the error of his ways by doing this so it was annoyingly ironic for her to be making the same mistake.
"Look at you," the Master sneered. His hair was even more bedraggled than usual. They were both worried that he had lost the small bit of sanity he had left. "Old man. I was surprised to find out that you still had the energy to escape. But you don't have enough to beat me." He pointed the sparking cable towards him and then back at Clara, enjoying how they both took steps back in fear. "I could kill you both before you pull that trigger."
"Could you kill three of us though?" Cassandra appeared in another doorway, holding her own weapon. She'd never held one before, he could tell that instantly. That was the thing that worried him. She didn't have the experience of killing before, which meant she wouldn't hesitate. Killing was always more difficult when you knew what it did to your soul. Well, for some people anyway. He hardly had a soul left to worry about.
"Now, who are you?" he inquired with glee, despite it being obvious that the odds were now against him.
"Someone you wouldn't have ever paid attention to before. Just a lowly technician. But it's much easier to notice someone when they're pointing a gun at you," she replied with a steely voice.
"You know, if you weren't threatening to kill me, I would have been inclined to say that I like you."
"I take that as more of an insult than you realise."
The Master chuckled, still clutching the cable. "Oh, I can tell. Why do you think that I said it in the first place?"
"Why don't you just go and run away?" Clara said, moving ever closer to the computers that were operating the machine. "The Doctor's talked about you a lot. You always flee when things go wrong. It's what makes you so different."
"Do you take comfort in believing that?" he inquired callously. "Tell me...has your precious Doctor never run away from a difficult situation? When he has to clean up the messes he's caused? Maybe that's why we're so different. I don't kid myself...I admit to what I've done whereas he pretends that he's some saint."
"Leave. Now. Before I order them to shoot you." Ko Sharmus and Cassandra steadied their guns to back up her statement.
"Would the Doctor care to hear you speak like that? My, what would he think if he saw you right now?"
"Thankfully, the Doctor isn't here right now."
"You're too late. The rift is almost steady. I sped up the process. Even if you took out the transmitter now, it wouldn't do anything."
Clara let out a laugh. "I expected you to be a better liar than that. I've had a lot of experience reading the Tardis' monitor, trying to understand it. And, since these computers are taken from other Tardises, I'm sorry to say that I can tell we have just enough time. Just enough time also for you to leave."
The Master scowled. "Do you expect me to give up my ambitions?"
"Your ambitions have always been to survive for as long as you can. Ruling Gallifrey isn't your style." Clara flicked a switch and he disappeared in a shimmer of blue light. Ko Sharmus and Cassandra looked at the now vacant spot in surprise.
"What did you do?" he asked urgently.
"He wouldn't be foolish enough not to have an internal teleportation circuit wired in here. I saw it on the screens, a spike of energy that wasn't going to the machine. I had to assume that it was an escape route."
"You let him survive?" Cassandra wondered. Clara shrugged in response.
"I'm not a killer. The Doctor hasn't been able to bring himself to kill him. Why should I have the right? Letting him go keeps the time lines intact. That's what we're here for." She looked at the Nebulous device, beginning to hook it up to the computers. If it wasn't for the Great Intelligence all that time ago, she wouldn't have had any clue about how to do this. "You two should go too. This thing has a timer but you'd be pushing it to get out in time once it's primed."
"We're not leaving you," Ko Sharmus said defiantly. Clara rolled her eyes but continued to busy herself. She took a green wire and slotted it into the weapon. It was soon up on the central column, Clara having to be careful not to get too close to the swirling energy. The room shuddered as she placed it there, which they took as an encouraging sign. With one last look at the two of them, she pressed a red button in the centre of it. Nothing happened at first, in the initial seconds that took place, before it started shrieking. The column began to vibrate and the golden wisps of energy began to shoot out at the walls. Stone and dust started falling from the ceiling.
"Should we start running?" Clara asked.
"Don't be silly," Cassandra answered. "We have experience of getting out of here." She grinned at the old man now by her side. "The repair shop is right down here. You're lucky that I know how to fly a Tardis now."
xxxxxxxxxx
They clambered up a sandy hill, looking upon the Citadel. The Doctors and Missy could see hundreds of people swarming out away from it, crossing the bridges that led them to safety. They weren't too happy to see that the Lord President had managed to get out too, angrily striding over to them. The Twelfth Doctor was the one to stand forward, motioning to tell the others to stay back and guard their Tardises. He looked up once again at the rift that was still holding for the time being. Then the ground underneath their feet seemed to shake for a moment. He knew that she'd done it. Of course it would be her who had to press the button. She was an egomaniac after all. He started worrying about her before remembering how he'd been told the Nebulous device gave the user enough time to evacuate. He had to keep telling himself that it would be enough time to get to a Tardis. Otherwise, he'd be running to his own Tardis and flying into the building, regardless of his own safety.
Rassilon fell to the ground as the sand gave way underneath his feet due to the shockwave. He looked up at the Doctor, scowling. He still felt that he was better than him despite the position he was now in. The Doctor could have laughed but he wanted to keep the dark look on his face.
"What...have you done?" the President shouted. They turned to look as a white vortex of wind began to circle the Citadel, building up from the base. He had an open mouth as he stared at the sight in horror.
"You were told a prophecy a long time ago. That a Hybrid creature would walk in Gallifrey's ruins. Two species joining together. You always thought that I would be involved. At least you were right about that." He crouched down to whisper in his ear. "But I don't need to see Gallifrey burn again. I thought I had to but some very special people made me see sense. I was told once that prophecies aren't entirely accurate. So...say when one talks about Gallifrey...what happens when those in power only see Gallifrey as its main point of importance, the Citadel? You always forgot that the planet was much more than just that building." He stood back up. "As for the Hybrid creature. It was never just two individuals together. I thought it was for a time too." He gestured to his friends who were approaching them to escape the increasingly wild winds. "They...those very special humans, as well as those from other planets...have always been a part of me. It took me a while to realise that I have always been a Hybrid because of them. And, because of them, you can watch as the prophecy is finally fulfilled.