Watching the Doctor

by RedRobyn2

The Doctor is stranded in prison, dealing with the revelations of the Timeless Child and the memories of her time travelling, all alone. Until the Tardis decides enough is enough and gathers her and some of her more recent companions to help her deal with her past and make some amends by watching her adventures. Characters watch the show, set after Timeless Child/Pre-Resolution.

5. Spyfall Part 1

Hello!

I just wanted to say thank you again for all the support, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I love seeing your comments.

A couple of things: I totally forgot to mention that I got the scripts online from /Doctor Who (so the asides aren't mine). Also I am making up my own kind of backstory/pre-leaving Gallifrey Doctor backstory so please no complaints about it not being canon (I know but Doctor Who canon is very wobbly so I am going with my own stuff for some parts). Third: I am planning to do the Timeless Child arc and then I ma absolutely going to want suggestions on what to do next - I have vague plans of episodes I want to do soon but I always want to know what you all want!

Again thank you for everything, I love you all and I hope you are staying safe!

Robyn

---

The words 'Spyfall Part 1' appeared on the screen in the same manner as the others had. The Doctor and her fam shared a glance, they had a very good guess about what this video would show. The Doctor cleared her throat before turning to the rest of the room to try and explain a bit.

"Erm, I think this video takes place about a year and a half or so after the last one so quick explanation for contexts sake. Got saved from space, found the TARDIS. Managed to get home after a couple of wrong landings-."

"16." Graham muttered, cutting of the Doctor who smiled a bit sheepishly before continuing.

"Okay 16, thank you Graham. Had a few adventures along the way-."

"13." Ryan mimicked his grandfather with a small grin.

"Okay, 13. Thanks Ryan. Anyway." She stopped for a second to see if anyone would interrupt her before determinedly continuing. "Anyway, eventually got home. Had a bit of trouble with massive spiders in Sheffield. This lot decided to travel with me on and off and that's about it." She checked with her fam who answered with a mix of nods and shrugs. The rest of the former companions smiled at the group; it was always good to see things never really changed around the Doctor.

"Well on with the story then." She finished with a grimace, thinking about what they were all going to see. She turned briefly to glare at the Master who only smirked, oh he was excited to see this video. The other three couldn't deny that they were curious to see what had really happened between the Doctor and the Master, she had never really explained the full story but she had been off since then.

[Ivory Coast, West Africa]

(A lady sniper is camouflagued and lying on a rock.)
SNIPER: Come on.
(A truck comes into view travelling along a track.)
SNIPER: Got ya.
(Things start to emerge from the rockface behind her.)
SNIPER: Just a little closer.
(A shadow falls across her, and she turns to look.)

[Aeroplane over the Pacific Ocean]

TANNOY: Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be commencing our descent into Tokyo in approximately thirty minutes. Please take a moment to use the washrooms and collect up all your belongings.
(An older man speaks to a bespectacled woman in an aisle seat.)
MAN: Excuse me. Is this washbag yours? I just found it in the aisle.
WOMAN: Yes. Sorry. I'm so clumsy. My sister's always having a go at me for this. Thanks.
MAN: No problem at all. Enjoy your flight.
(She takes the bag to the washroom and locks the door, then opens the bag and removes the toothpaste. The tube contains a written coded message. She photographs it with the camera built into her spectacles' frame, then eats it. There is a noise, she turns, and something is coming out of the metal door.)

[Moscow, Russia]

(A running man - of Asian descent - dodges traffic, then goes through a pair of iron gates into a building. He makes a phone call.)
AMERICAN: I'm at the safe house. How long for the extraction team? Just make it fast.
(He sits down, and things start coming out of the plastered ceiling, then drop down onto him.)

"Well, that doesn't look good. What trouble have you managed to get yourself into now?" Marth asked, the way the three newest companions and the Doctor were acting was making her worried. It didn't help that the Master was smirking, that was never a good sign. Whatever happened had been big and was leading up to whatever the Tardis wanted to show them.

[Sheffield]

(A pick-up basket ball game is going on. The sounds are muffled as we concentrate on Ryan, who has just caught the ball and is shooting for the basket.)
BOYS: Go on, Ryan! Shoot!
(It bounces off the rim.)
BOYS: Unlucky, man. So, next week? Yeah.
TIBO: Laters. You can play now, man. You never used to step on the court.
RYAN: I should've got it in. I'll get it in next time.
TIBO: You've been sick, though. Appendicitis, right? That's why we ain't seen you?
RYAN: Oh, yeah, yeah.
TIBO: And the hernia before that?
RYAN: Oh, yeah. That was bad.
TIBO: And that detached retina? Oof, that sounds painful. You've been so unlucky.
RYAN: So unlucky.
TIBO: So what, we don't see you and now you're off travelling?
RYAN: Only for a bit.

"Are those the excuses you use to explain why you disappear when you travel with the Doctor?" Rose asked curious.

"Yeah, I'm not really a great liar and don't particularly like it, but travelling with the Doctor is amazing. Even if it is hard to explain to our friends and family." Ryan shrugged. The rest of the companions nodded in understanding; it was always hard to explain to other people why they kept disappearing.

TIBO: Better be. I've missed you, man. We all do.
(Two men in black, wearing shades, are standing by a black car.)
TIBO: Is there a problem, guys?

"Ooh, what have you done?" Jack sang over excited. Rose and Martha shared a glance before Rose elbowed him hard in the side, earning a (mostly fake) wine of pain from the immortal.

[Khan household]

SONYA: Just give me his number.
YASMIN: No!
HAKIM: Alexa, play Rubber Soul.
ALEXA: I'm sorry, I didn't get that.
SONYA: Why not?
YASMIN: Because I don't want to give you his number. I'm packing.

"C'mon Yaz, just give her my number." Ryan begged Yaz who look at him with an expression of disbelief.

"No, I am not giving her your phone number so you can flirt together thank you." Yaz crossed her arms giving him a stare saying she wasn't going to back down. Graham shook his head in fond exasperation at the pair.

NAJIA: This is the third secondment you've been selected for.
YASMIN: Is it? I thought it was the second.
SONYA: You're not even going to be here.
NAJIA: And all this during your probationer period?
YASMIN: I know. It's amazing.
SONYA: Is his number in here? Oh! (Yasmin snatches her phone back from her sister.)
HAKIM: Play Rubber Soul!
ALEXA: The nearest shoe shop is one point two miles walking distance.
SONYA: I think it just hates your voice, Dad.

"Your family seems nice. I'm guessing they don't know where you are?" Martha asked, expression unreadable. The Doctor resisted the urge to glance at the Master, instead sending a worried look at Martha. It hadn't just been Martha that had suffered due to the Master, her family had gone through a lot during the Year that never was.

"Thanks. They don't know details, but they have met the Doctor and the others, you can thank the spider mess for that. Really awkward to explain." Yaz recalled, looking a bit unsure of where the other woman was going with the question.

"Do I even want to ask about the spider comment? I think you mentioned it at the start of the video." Donna asked exasperated, looking like she very much already knew the answer.

The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham shared a look before turning back to the rest of the room in unison. "No." The Doctor expanded on that slightly. "It was a messy affair, all human though, no alien. Which was a nice change, accept that man." She looked at her current companions. "The one that wasn't Ed Sheeran."

The three companions rolled their eyes at her, while the rest of the room looked even more confused. Ryan just turned to the rest of the room. "Trust me, you don't want to know." The rest of the room seemed to take that as a descent answer and let the matter drop.

NAJIA: And your boss is all right with you being away on this?
YASMIN: Totally. He's totally all right with it.

[Outside the Police Station]

SUNDER: I'm not all right with this, Yaz. This is your fourth secondment. Fourth time I get a load of secretive paperwork, and you not telling me anything. Why do I keep losing my best probationer?
YASMIN: It's all really good experience. Honest.
SUNDER: I'm not daft. Have you had a tap on the shoulder? Is this undercover?
YASMIN: Sort of.
SUNDER: Last time. You have to be here to finish your probation.
YASMIN: I know. I'm coming back, I promise.
SUNDER: And I presume they're with you?
(Two men in black.)

"Okay, so definitely all of you. What have you done now Doctor?" Rory asked, knowing who was to blame. The Doctor just grumbled her complaints about the accusation as the rest of the room laughed slightly.

[Hospital examination room]

(Graham is sitting on an exam table, rolling down his shirt sleeve.)
COLLINS: Four years since your procedure. Time flies.
GRAHAM: Yeah, don't it just?
COLLINS: Test results are all as they should be, you'll be pleased to hear. Any weight fluctuations?
GRAHAM: No.
COLLINS: Tiredness? Muscular aches or pains?
GRAHAM: No, none of that.
COLLINS: I was sorry to hear about your wife.
GRAHAM: Yeah. Thanks.
COLLINS: We all miss her.
GRAHAM: Yeah.
COLLINS: Right. I don't need to keep you any longer. Sign on there. Tick all the boxes. Data protection.
GRAHAM: Right.
COLLINS: Are you working?
GRAHAM: Er, no, travelling.
COLLINS: Oh. Anywhere nice?
GRAHAM: Sometimes.

That earned some chuckles from the group. The Doctor crossed her arms with an expression she would deny was a pout. "Oi! I always take you to nice places."

"What about that death eye turtle army?" Graham asked.

"Or that junk galaxy where we got blown up by a sonic mine and ended up almost getting killed on the med ship?" Ryan added.

"Or Tranquillity Spa?" Yaz said.

"First of all, I apologised greatly for the death eye turtle army and the sonic mine. Second, Tranquillity Spar was technically Graham's fault. Third you're only mentioning the trouble, I took you plenty of nice places." The Doctor tried to defend herself. The three grinned at her, they had only been teasing. The rest of the room looked slightly nostalgic at the similar conversation and topic.

(Two men in black are waiting for him outside the hospital.)

[Garage]

(The Tardis is up on a hoist while the Doctor works on cables and stuff hanging out of the base. She is also on her mobile phone.)
DOCTOR: Ah, there's the blockage. Oh, sorry! Group message. Got to concentrate. Just calling to say hi, fam. Where are you? We said an hour. You're late. Very late. All of you.
(She closes her flip phone as a car pulls up and doors open and close. The three sets of black cars and black-suited men are there.)

"Oh, so now you have figured out how to use a phone but you still can't spare a minute to call me?" Martha raised an eyebrow accusingly. The Doctor shrunk a bit under her glare trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. Before she could, Martha started laughing, she'd mostly been teasing and seeing the Doctor's panicked expression was worth it. The Doctor pouted at her.

DOCTOR: Hi, fellas. Rocking the ominous look.
AGENT: We need you to come with us.
DOCTOR: Can I finish up first? I'm just draining the water slides. And the boating lakes. And the rainforest floor. Plus, I'm waiting for my mates.

The room (bar the Master and River) looked at her as she continued listing rooms, looking more and more surprised. They knew the TARDIS was big, but surely, she was joking? They'd not heard of, let alone seen, most of those rooms. The Doctor didn't even seem to notice their stares just nodding along with herself on screen.

AGENT: Your friends are inside the car.
(Graham sticks his head out of the rear window of the middle car.)
GRAHAM: Worst Uber ever!
AGENT: Look, it's in all your best interests that you come with us.

Ryan glanced at his grandad. "Loving your priorities." Graham shrugged at him; it was a bit funny looking back on it. Yaz was smiling widely, both at the interaction but also at the comment from on-screen Graham.

[Car]

(So the convoy drives through an underpass.)
SATNAV: In half a mile, continue ahead and merge with motorway.
(Graham, Yasmin and Ryan are crammed into the back seat, the Doctor is up front.)
DOCTOR: How are you doing? Everything go all right? Apart from being kidnapped.
YASMIN: Come on. What's the plan?
DOCTOR: I thought, let him take us to where we're going. That way, we find out who wants us.
RYAN: What if he kills us along the way?
DOCTOR: Look at him. He's obviously doing this at someone else's orders. Don't you want to know who that is?

"You realise he can hear everything you are saying right?" Amy questioned. The four just shrugged, they hadn't really thought about it at the time, too preoccupied with what was going on and trying to make a plan.

SATNAV: In one hundred yards... (crackles and distorts)
DOCTOR: Your equipment's not up to much.
AGENT: It shouldn't be doing that.
(He taps the screen and a stream of energy lances out, disintegrating him.)

"Well, that went very wrong very quickly." River declared, raising an eyebrow at the four who had been in the car.

The Doctor sighed. "And it only got worse." That didn't really reassure any of the companions. The three current companions shared a similar look to the Doctor – like they were relieving bad memories. Jack noticed the Master was grinning, and started to get an even worse feeling about what they would be seeing.

DOCTOR: Oh, God!
(Then the accellerator pedal floors itself and they swerve through the traffic before coming to a very abrupt halt. Traffic drives past on both sides.)
YASMIN: We can't get out!
DOCTOR: Yes, I got that, Yaz!
(She tries using her sonic screwdriver.)
GRAHAM: Hey, Doc, the sat nav's just started again!
SATNAV: In five seconds, die.
(The map screen shows die instead of street names.)
SATNAV: Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

"What is it with cars trying to kill you Doctor?" Martha shared a private grin with Donna and the Doctor, a little worried about the situation but calming herself with the fact all four were with them currently.

"What does that mean?" Rory asked bemused, voicing the thoughts of many.

In sync the Doctor, Donna and Martha drawled, "Atmos."

"Of course, you were involved in that Doctor." Jack shook his head, not even sure why he was at all surprised. That didn't seem to answer many questions for most of the group but they let the video continue, knowing if it was important it would be shown and they weren't likely to get anymore answers otherwise.

(The sound distorts and the vehicle drives off - backwards. The Doctor climbs into the empty drivers seat.)
DOCTOR: The brake's not working! Someone's controlling this car and it isn't me.
(Smoke comes from the gear box as it passes 80MPH in reverse. She tries the sonic on the satnav.)
DOCTOR: There's got to be a way to stop it!
(Another energy beam zaps out, but only shatters the rear window. They are suddenly on an unfinished on/off ramp.)
GRAHAM: Look behind us! The road's out! We're going over the edge!

"Because things weren't bad enough." Clara shook her head. That was just typical with the Doctor. Anything that could go wrong would and then it would get even worse.

SATNAV: Die. Die. Die.
(Another energy beam misses them all.)
DOCTOR: I need a reflective surface.
SATNAV: Die. Die. Die.
(She pulls off the rear view mirror and holds it in front of the satnav screen. It blows itself up.)
DOCTOR: Hold on!
(One of the little orange lights on the traffic cones at the edge of the ramp flies off as the car hits it. Traffic continues to rumble into the underpass below them.)

The room seemed to collectively let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. They knew that the group were safe (they were in the room with them after all) but still, it was hard not to get worried.

C [OC]: What the hell just happened? What have you idiots done with my car?
RYAN: Who's talking?
DOCTOR: Your car just assassinated its driver and then attempted to kill us.
C [OC]: That's not possible.
DOCTOR: Tell me who you are, and I'll tell you face-to-face just how possible that actually was.
C [OC]: This is C. I was having you brought to London. To MI6.

"MI6? That's new. How do they even know about you?" Clara asked, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"UNIT is my best guess maybe? Aside from that I don't really know much about how they knew me." The Doctor frowned; she hadn't really had a chance to think about that at the time. She should probably investigate that actually; it wouldn't do well for them to know too much about her.

RYAN: What? MI6 is trying to kill us?
C [OC]: No!
YASMIN: Well, you nearly managed it.
DOCTOR: All right, C. You want us, we want answers. We're coming in.
(The Doctor fastens her seat belt and drives back to the road.)

"You can drive a car?" Bill asked raising an eyebrow.

"Bill, I am a very old alien from a highly advanced planet that has spent a lot of my time around Earth, of course I can drive a car. Used to own one back when I worked for UNIT." The Doctor said, thinking back fondly on her old car Bessie.

"Of course, her driving is only slightly better than it is for the TARDIS." The Master smirked at her, she glared back in return before turning away. There were several things about to be shown in this video she really didn't want to see again, let alone have her friends see.

[London - MI6]

(That big building at Vauxhall Cross, by the Thames, as featured in various Bond films. Can't miss it. Going up the staircase as a blue box is being trundled in from the deliveries area.)
DOCTOR: Ah! At least they managed to transport my Tardis without damage.
GRAHAM: Ryan, MI6. I always wanted to be a spy.
RYAN: You'd be a rubbish spy.
GRAHAM: I'd be a great spy. I'd just blend in.
(Stephen Fry walks up to him.)
C: Well, well, well. Finally we meet. You actually do exist.
GRAHAM: What?

The companions look confused for a minute before realising what was going on. Most of their expressions turned a bit darker or angry, sometimes they really hated 21st century prejudices. It was definitely better than it had been but compared to some of the places they had seen? It still had a way to go.

"Ah, sexism. The joys of being a woman." Clara's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she shared a sympathetic look with the Doctor. It likely wouldn't be the first or last time someone had caused trouble or mistaken her for something else just because she looked female now.

The Master scoffed at the screen; he didn't know how they could mistake the Doctor for one of her little pets. Well, it was his former idiot of a boss, but still the Doctor was far better than any of the little humans no matter her appearance she shouldn't be mixed up with them.

(C's aide whispers to him.)
C: Don't be ridiculous, Franklin. I've read the files. The Doctor is a man.
DOCTOR: I've had an upgrade. Hi.
C: Oh.

"You aren't taking any nonsense are you, Doctor." Rose grinned at the blonde who grinned brightly back.

"Honestly, I don't know what you humans are stuck about on gender. Why does it matter?" The Doctor shook her head exasperated, she loved humanity but the 21st century still had some stupid prejudices. Though to be fair, she had looked like a man for the past 13 bodies - but it didn't mean she would always look like a man. UNIT definitely would have been better, after all they'd seen Missy first-hand. But this was MI6, they barely knew she existed let alone everything UNIT knew. That was just another reason for UNIT to get back together.

DOCTOR: You just had us picked up like criminals and put in a car which tried to kill us.
C: We were trying to bring you here, not kill you, but our systems got hacked.
YASMIN: Not exactly the best demonstration of MI6 skills.
C: I have been authorised to speak on behalf of every security agency around the globe. We need your help, Doctor.

"Something really serious is happening then. No way all the security agents just decided to agree to ask for help for a little reason." Mickey contemplated, he and Martha knew first-hand what intelligence and security agencies were like, between Torchwood and UNIT, plus their time as freelancers.

He didn't get an answer which didn't help him feel much better. The four that had experienced it shared a glance, it really hadn't been anything small.

[Corridor]

C: Over the past week, there's been a spate of attacks on intelligence officers worldwide, of every nationality. None of these attacks has been ordered by rival intelligence agencies.
DOCTOR: At least that's what you're all telling each other.
C: No, we all have a very good working knowledge of what our enemies are up to. No agency possesses the technology to carry out one of these attacks. None of us understands how it was done, or even what has been done. But every agent has suffered the same fate.

[Medical area]

(C's palmprint opens an old wooden door into a facility with just one bed, and a woman linked up to life support monitors.)
C: She was found unconscious on the floor of an aeroplane washroom on a flight to Tokyo. She'd made pre-arranged contact with an informant.
YASMIN: Is she in a coma?
C: Apparently, it's a little more horrific than that. Now, I'm told this is your expertise - dealing with the impossible.
(The Doctor looks at the pad showing the woman's vitals and DNA.)
DOCTOR: You're right. That is impossible. Her DNA's been rewritten. Every strand corrupted and reshaped. She's no longer human. Just a shell with a human appearance.
GRAHAM: Is she going to live, Doc?
DOCTOR: There's nothing of her to live. It's like she's been erased. This is beyond any human technology.

"That's horrifying. What has the power to do that?" Martha asked, voicing the opinion of many in the room. Whatever this threat was it was dangerous and nothing they had seen before. Both River and Jack were combing through their knowledge of species trying to figure out a likely culprit and both coming up blank.

C: Ah. I was rather worried you were going to say that. Doctor, the security of this entire planet is at stake. Can we rely upon you?

[C's office]

(Cases are opened, showing off products from Q division.)
C: Anaesthetic darts, laser shoe gun, infrared ID duplicator, calendar hacker, lock-breakers, rocket-launcher cufflinks, retinal ID decoder and tongue-immobiliser chewing gum. How much more do you want?
RYAN: Yeah, it's great. Keep 'em coming, C.
GRAHAM: Yeah, bring on the bling.
C: They are not toys.
RYAN: Yeah. They're not toys, Graham.
GRAHAM: No, they're not, Ryan, and if you say otherwise, I will shoot you with my laser shoe.
C: All of the assassinated agents were investigating leads relating to this man.
YASMIN: (reading file) Daniel Barton. Born in Bromsgrove. Now lives just north of San Francisco. Oh, he's the founder of VOR.

"Daniel Barton? UNIT was investigating him before they got shut down." Mickey stated, he and Martha may have been mostly freelance but they had still helped out at UNIT occasionally.

"Yeah, talking of. What happened to UNIT? I tried to contact them start of last year to help with a situation and got told by a rude lady that they had a budget cut and were shut down." The Doctor queried, looking at the married couple as they were the most likely to know the answers.

"Yeah, all this nonsense with Brexit and the fact nothing too bad has happened for a while meant the Prime Minister shut down UNIT citing budget cuts." Martha explained. Shaking her head disapprovingly. Then she registered something in the Doctor's question. "Wait. What was bad enough for you to try and phone for assistance?"

The Doctor grimaced alongside her current companions, thinking back on the incident. "A Dalek. Recon scout. It arrived on Earth a long time ago and was defeated but lived. It started controlling and killing people to try and rebuild its shell. It then tried to call for an armada. Managed to throw it in a supernova though eventually. Remind me to see what I can do about UNIT. This world needs to be protected and they are the best ones to do it." The Doctor nodded decisively to herself, ignoring the worried looks of the rest of her companions when the Dalek was mentioned.

RYAN: The search engine.
YASMIN: Web apps, social, global mapping, advertising, scientific and medical research, robotics, data polling, human analytics...
C: Right now, VOR is more powerful than most nations. Daniel Barton is the man who built it all up from the ground.
DOCTOR: We're going to need your best man on this. What do you call him? Horizon-watcher?
C: Oh.
DOCTOR: Exactly.
C: Ah, well, he er... He left. I... sacked him.
DOCTOR: The only person with an open mind about all this and you let him go?

"I take back every nice thing I say about O." The Doctor announced to the room, which made no sense to the majority of the room but her fam nodded behind her with grimaces on their faces. She glared sharply at the Master when no one was looking. He just smirked proudly back.

C: MI6 has never countenanced the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
DOCTOR: Well, you should talk to your mates at GCHQ.
C: The country has other organisations that deal with all that. UNIT. Even Torchwood.
DOCTOR: They're all gone. Oh, C! You took your eye off the horizon just as things were coming over it. Don't worry. I'll call him.
C: You can't. He's off-grid. We can't find him anywhere. Believe me, we've tried.
DOCTOR: Shh. I'm WhatsApping. Hi. It's me. I'm at MI6 with C. Crisis. Big crisis. Serious crisis. Big, serious crisis. And C says you were right and he's sorry for being an idiot.
C: I did not use those words!
DOCTOR: Send us your location. Kisses. It's quite French, that, isn't it? Kisses? (Phone bings) Ah! See?

The Master smirked at the Doctor who was now trying her best to ignore him to his annoyance. They had spent quite a while texting and the Doctor had spent a long time going through all their messages once she'd seen Gallifrey. Looking for any signs or hints to his actual identity. It had driven her slightly insane for several days, sitting in the ruins of her planet, well of Gallifrey, ging through the texts to try and find anything that suggested O wasn't who he said he was.

The Master would never admit it, but he had absolutely enjoyed texting the Doctor, getting the chance to have her attention, the attention she normally focused on her little pets. Having the chance to talk to her like they used to do before they left Gallifrey and even the chance to talk to her like Missy had with Eyebrows. It had been thrilling and frustrating to text her without her knowing who he was, there were so many times he had almost let something slip or been disappointed when she had thought he was just some little human.

C: Yes?
GRAHAM: It's a fish.
DOCTOR: I know!

"Doctor!" Clara rolled her eyes. Of course, the Doctor was getting over excited over a puzzle while they were all in danger, and she wasn't explaining it as normal. The Doctor offered a sheepish grin at her, maybe it hadn't been the time to get excited.

C: Can we please focus? Daniel Barton isn't just a powerful businessman. He was also one of our agents when he first went to work in the US. Then he withdrew cooperation. It's possible he became a double agent. Or even a triple.
YASMIN: Who for?
C: Well...
(Bang, glass shatters, C clutches the side of his neck.)
C: Oh. (Head hits desk. The hole is visible in the window.)
DOCTOR: Down!
(They crawl for cover from rapid laser bolts. Ryan and Graham grab the gizmo cases and uses them as shields.)
DOCTOR: Go! Get to the Tardis!
(As she runs out of the room, aliens emerge from a hatstand, a tattered union flag in a frame labelled Flag of General Davis and even a portrait of Queen Victoria.)

"What are those things!" Donna shouted shocked. Things had rapidly taken a bad turn.

"I haven't seen anything like that before." Jack spoke in slight awe, leaning forward in his seat to try and get a better look at the new beings.

"No, you wouldn't have." The Doctor muttered darkly.

DOCTOR: Argh!

[Tardis]

"Ooh, new TARDIS console. Nice, very yellow. Lots of crystals. Kind of hive-y." Jack grinned, leaning forward to try and inspect the new TARDIS interior like many of the others in the room.

"What are those circles near the bottom? They were on the main pillar of the last design as well." Bill asked, tilting her head to the side as if it would allow her to see them better.

"That's Gallifreyan, my language."

Bill rolled her eyes. "I know that, I mean what does it say?"

River who had started translating them when Bill had pointed them out, smiled. "Oh, you old sap." She laughed happily at the Doctor who blushed slightly.

"They're your names. All my friends, the people who travelled with me - they're your names. A reminder." She explained, fidgeting and looking at the floor.

Her friends smiled at her, a mix of feelings bursting in each of them that they were unable to articulate.

DOCTOR: We've got to get out of here.
GRAHAM: We've still got the gadgets.
RYAN: We just saw the head of MI6 get assassinated.
YASMIN: Yeah, by the same sort of bolts that came through that satnav.
DOCTOR: Where's that picture? I need to set the coordinates. Ooo, I've got it.

"Doctor!" Donna complained. "You need to think about your priorities." She shook her head before looking at the current companions. "At least two of you mostly have your priorities straight, honestly."

Yaz and Ryan grinned while the Doctor pouted. Ryan nudged Graham who started grumbling, he'd been focused on the gadgets as he didn't know what to do about the head of MI6 being assassinated in front of him.

GRAHAM: So, wrong place, wrong time, twice in one day. That's got to make us targets. And why do you keep looking at pictures of a fish?
DOCTOR: Steganography. There's another image hidden within the pixels of that photo. It's basic spycraft in your time. Easy way to smuggle out information because there's no pattern to look for. No two stegs are the same.
RYAN: So one's hidden inside the other?

"Smart, love. Who's this O?" River asked her wife curious; it wasn't often she took interest in a human who wasn't her companions for very long and it seemed she had been texting this human for a while. Plus, the comment from her wife about taking everything she said about him back was making her very curious – there was definitely a story there and clearly it was relevant to the Tardis's worries.

The Doctor sighed, "You'll see."

GRAHAM: Doc...
DOCTOR: Exactly. Luckily, I can read pixels. I took a correspondence class.
(Graham is pointing at a slightly wibbly Tardis door.)
GRAHAM: Doc...
DOCTOR: Ooo, the outback. Gone full hermit.

"Doctor, you really need to pay more attention to your friends sometimes." Clara sighed exasperated. She always got distracted when she found something interesting even in the face of danger. The Doctor looked a bit sheepish, she'd been so distracted by the steganography so she could find answers she hadn't given the threat as much attention as she probably could have.

YASMIN: Doctor, something's trying to get in!
(One of the aliens is halfway through the door.)
DOCTOR: Oh, no, you don't!
(She dematerialises the Tardis, and the alien is sucked away. Then she scans the door.)
YASMIN: I didn't know things could get into the Tardis like that.
DOCTOR: Neither did I.

"That is very worrying." River spoke, glancing concerned at her wife who seemed to be having a silent conversation with the Master, she was glaring and he was smirking. Whatever was going on was clearly to do with him and she wasn't sure how to feel about that.

RYAN: But you got rid of it.
GRAHAM: Yeah, but what was it?
DOCTOR: At a guess, the same thing that attacked all those spies. And possibly us. What? No readings? The sonic can usually read everything. All right, park that. Live attacks. They're after us, but we need intel. Split resources. Graham, me and you are off to Australia to see my old mate from MI6. I say old mate. I've met him once, but he seemed very nice. We text, though. Does that count?
GRAHAM: If you say so.
DOCTOR: Yaz, Ryan, how do you feel about undercover work?

"You're splitting up?" Rose asked despite already knowing the answer. The group shrugged at her in answer, they had split up and it hadn't gone particularly well.

YASMIN: Definitely!
RYAN: I don't know.
DOCTOR: Daniel Barton. He's our best lead. Well, he's our only lead. We'll get you a cover story. Hack his diary, get in there, check him out. Infiltrate VOR. Have a nose around their systems.
YASMIN: Be spies, basically.
GRAHAM: What, with absolutely no training?
RYAN: We got the gadgets.
GRAHAM: Well, yeah. All the gear, but no idea.
RYAN: Oh, thanks a lot.
GRAHAM: No, no, no, I think you'll be great. I have total confidence, you know? Just, er... just be careful, though. (to the Doctor) It's safe for them, though, right?
DOCTOR: Yeah. Eighty percent sure. Seventy five. Forty percent absolute minimum. Take this. Bio-scanner disguised as a digital recorder. I want to know everything about Daniel Barton. Like Graham said, be careful. Stay in touch. And remember. Rule one of espionage? Trust no one.

"Bit dramatic Doctor." Clara raised an eyebrow, channelling her years of teaching.

"Well, I'm sorry, everything seemed to be trying to kill us." The Doctor threw her hands in the air in mock offense.

"That's normal with you though." Amy received a pout for her comment.

[VOR HQ San Francisco]

RYAN: Diary hacked, got us in. Loving these toys. Which building is it?
YASMIN: That one there. Though according to the files, this whole development is down to Barton.
RYAN: So, you journalist, me photographer?
YASMIN: Yeah. That works, doesn't it?
RYAN: I reckon. We've just got to try and be confident with it, haven't we? Try not to panic that we're blagging our way in on someone who might be dangerous. And don't obsess on our total lack of spy training.
YASMIN: Yeah. Don't obsess on that. Think how the Doctor would do it. Swan in like she owns the place, big smiles, loads of chat, total confidence. We can do this. Why are you looking so worried?
RYAN: I decided my spy name would be Logan, and now I'm worried I don't look anything like Hugh Jackman.
YASMIN: Ryan, you're panicking. Rule one, no panicking.
RYAN: I thought Rule one was don't trust anybody.
YASMIN: Rule 1a, then. No panicking while you're not trusting anyone.

The room was trying to hide their laughter but gave in when Ryan and Yaz started. Looking back on it like this made it more entertaining. At the time it had been very stressful, trying to not get caught especially now knowing they had already been at a disadvantage.

[Foyer]

AIDE: I am so sorry about the diary snafu, sir. Oh, dear, this must be them. Hi! I'm sure you recognise Mister Barton.
(Say hi to Lenny Henry with shaved head and goatee. Very snazzy.)
RYAN: Certainly do.
AIDE: This is Sofia Afzal.
YASMIN: Hi.
AIDE: And this is
RYAN: Logan. I'm Logan. The name's Logan Jackson. I'm the photographer.
YASMIN: I'm Sofia. He's nervous. Big fan of yours.
(The aide giggles.)
RYAN: I'm not nervous. Who's nervous? Hi. Logan. I'm... I'm Logan.
BARTON: Daniel. Don't be nervous. I don't bite. Only my own staff. Especially after this mix-up. I had to fire half the PR team.
YASMIN: You haven't?
AIDE: No, not half. He's kidding. Just... two. Shall we go up? I'm sure they'll be able to find other jobs, won't they?

"First of all, I already don't like him – he is absolutely up to something." Bill declared. "Second, no offence but you aren't exactly doing well at the whole playing it cool thing."

Yaz started laughing, Ryan had definitely been struggling with the undercover thing and she couldn't have laughed at the time but looking back at it now was definitely entertaining. Ryan grinned a bit sheepish he had definitely started panicking. He poked Yaz. "Hey, you at least had your police training to fall back on." Yaz just grinned back.

[Great Victoria Desert - Australia]

(Actually South Africa, never mind. The Tardis materialises at an isolated station to meet a man who has two armed minders with him.)

Everyone, who didn't already know turned in sync, heads snapping round to face the Master who was leaning back in his chair like it was a throne, smirking proudly.

"Well, that explains why the Doctor rescinded everything she said about O." Jack muttered, glaring at the Master who only grinned more, looking like a cat that had gotten the mouse. Martha glared sharply at the Master.

SEESAY: Worth racing up from the city just for that.
BROWNING: Got to be a trick, right? Projection? Mirrors?
O: Say hello to the Doctor. I see you decoded the fish. Fancy a cuppa?
DOCTOR: Very much. Hello. This is my friend, Graham.
O: O.
GRAHAM: Sorry, you're...?
O: O.
GRAHAM: O?
O: O.
GRAHAM: Oh.
O: It was a joke by the others at MI6. Whenever I came into the room to meet C, he'd go, Oh, God!
GRAHAM: Oh.
O: It sort of stuck, and now I've owned it. This is Seesay and Browning. Just arrived. Australian Secret Service.
SEESAY: We'll be here for the whole of your visit. We're under orders to keep all of you safe.
GRAHAM: Safe from what?
BROWNING: Not sure.
DOCTOR: You're going to be a right lot of help, then, aren't you? Can I take a nose around your gaff? I love the outback. I once lived in the outback for a hundred and twenty three years. I saw some great rocks.

[Homestead]

DOCTOR: Cosy!
O: You mean messy.
DOCTOR: You're right, I do. Didn't realise you were this much of a hoarder.

"Seriously Martian. You would've thought at your age you would at least know some manners!" Donna exclaimed exasperated. The Doctor shrugged; she may have felt a bit sorrier if she didn't know it was the Master.

She was analysing the screen, looking at both the 'house' and the interactions between herself on screen and 'O' for any sign of his true self. She felt so stupid looking back on it, knowing that his 'house' was a Tardis – she should have realised as soon as she stepped in.

GRAHAM: What is all this stuff?
O: The full MI6 record of the unexplained, as compiled by me. Human disappearances, sightings of unidentified objects, mysterious beings, possible alien incursions going back centuries. And a complete set of Fortean Times in mint condition. Look at all the evidence I gathered. And they just mocked me.
DOCTOR: No one's mocking you now.
O: I heard C was shot.

The Doctor glared at the Master; she should have noticed that – how had he heard about C? They had made their way to Australia within about an hour of the assassination, which wasn't much chance for them to reach out and tell as stray MI6 agent. He had definitely been behind C's assassination.

GRAHAM: We were there. Nearly got us an' all.
O: Does this connect to the attacks on agents? I have been monitoring the chatter, Doctor. Is it aliens? Aliens attacking spies all over the world?
DOCTOR: And rewriting their DNA.
O: That's terrifying. But wow! Why would they do that?

"As much as I am getting the feeling that I am supposed to hate you, I have to admit you are an amazing actor." Amy admitted with a shrug, she didn't really know much about the guy but everyone seemed on edge about him. She thought she maybe could recall the Doctor mentioning his name once or twice but she didn't really know what he had done to deserve all the glares. Her comment drew several disbelieving eyes her way from those that had the misfortune of knowing his crimes all too well.

"He's always liked his disguises. The Master of disguise." The Doctor sighed; eyes screwed shut as she took a moment to calm the rising anger. She had been analysing the screen for any hints of his true identity poking through the O façade and hadn't been able to find much.

"And yet the Doctor of hope keeps falling for them, despite millennia of the same games. I have had to tell you straight to your face who I was the last few times. You're getting slow, dear." The Master tilted his head with raised eyebrows, glaring at the Doctor who had been refusing to look at him.

His comment caused her to turn sharply and glare back. "You keep dying and I keep thinking 'oh, maybe this is really it this time. Maybe he's actually dead' and I stop looking for you and then like a bad penny you show up again. Besides I had thought you had run off with past you, why would I be looking for your next regeneration, let alone suspect someone I met centuries ago." The answer seemed to calm the madness coalescing in the Master's eyes as he settled with a simple nod, face impassive.

DOCTOR: I don't know. They almost infiltrated my Tardis as we were taking off. I thought you might have something in your research banks that might give us some clues.
(Graham draws back a curtain to reveal banks of screens.)
GRAHAM: Wow! This is some set-up. Paranoid, are we?
O: No. I prefer cautious. I like to know if anything's watching me. And if you're already in the middle of all of this, how do you know they won't follow you here? How do you know you haven't become targets too?

The whole room turned to glare at the Master who leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed and grinning smugly.

[Barton's office]

(Ryan is unpacking the camera.)
BARTON: I have to be honest with you. You only got in cos you're Brits, and my mum reads your paper. She's old. Still into legacy media.
YASMIN: We know you're busy, so Logan will take a few photos while we chat. (she activates the DNA scanner) Okay if I record? (beep) Right, then. Good to go?
BARTON: (tapping on phone) Just searching you up. Check you are who you say you are. (he finds their names on the staff list) Fire away, then.

"At least you thought ahead and had something to back up your story." Mickey nodded approvingly, that was far better than normal with the Doctor – they weren't completely winging it. Martha nodded along with her husband, smiling at the pair.

YASMIN: Boy from Bromsgrove. Council estate, local comprehensive. Now with his own collection of planes and motorbikes. And a private airport.
(Ryan gets the camera set up and takes one shot before removing the lens cover and taking some more.)
BARTON: We couldn't afford to go abroad when I was a kid. Now flying's one of my big hobbies. I've even got my own passenger plane. I fly my mates around the world and insult them over the intercom during the flight.
YASMIN: I bet that goes down well. So, how did you end up here, then?
BARTON: A combination of inspiring computer science teacher, plus being one of the few non-white faces at my school. I spent a lot of time in my bedroom with my computer.
(Ryan's camera takes a scan of Barton's Level 5 security pass and starts duplicating it.)
BARTON: I started small, just trying to build a knowledge base. Trying to connect people with data. And that became the biggest search engine on the planet.
YASMIN: And more. This company is far more than just a search engine now.
BARTON: Sure. But the same principles apply. The more data we share, the better it is for the world.
YASMIN: Unless you count disinformation. Online abuse. Cyber bullying. All of which you've been accused of ignoring. Haven't you?

"You've really done your research." Rory grinned, Yaz was holding her own in a very high-pressure situation. She was clearly good at her job, on the occasion that she was actually there.

BARTON: Well, we have three start-ups currently trying to figure out how to combat them. We did something great, and it got hijacked. I get to see both sides of humanity in this job. And do you know what, Sofia? It turns out you can't entirely trust everyone.
(Barton's phone buzzes.)
BARTON: Sorry. I've got to cut this short. Something needs my attention.
YASMIN: We were just getting started.
BARTON: You want to know who I am? You want to see my house, meet my friends? Cos it's my birthday tomorrow. I'm having a party. Everyone who knows me will be there. Come along, as my apology for running out on you.
(Barton leaves.)
RYAN: I've managed to duplicate his access pass. If we find a place to hide and do some snooping around whilst everyone knocks off... Hey. Why are you looking all weird?
YASMIN: DNA profile. Only ninety three percent human. What's the other seven percent? Who is this guy?

"93% human. That's new and definitely not very promising. You're in some serious trouble." Jack looked worried, glancing between the group and the picture onscreen. He hadn't been able to place the creatures, which didn't necessarily mean much – yes, he had seen a lot of things over the years but the universe was massive and ever expanding, there was plenty he hadn't seen.

"Yes, we are." The Doctor frowned; it had been very close at times but they had survived. Her sanity and peace of mind hadn't really come out the other side intact though. Everything seemed to spiral after this.

[Outside the homestead]

BROWNING: This place, it's open and flat and empty the whole way round. So why does it feel like there are things moving out there?
(Something dark whizzes across the screen. External lights come on and security cameras start moving.)

[Homestead]

O: What just happened? Two movement sensors tripped.

[Outside the homestead]

(More security lights come on.)
BROWNING: What's doing that?

[Homestead]

O: What have you brought here, Doctor?
DOCTOR: I don't know. Let's take a look outside.
GRAHAM: Looking outside was actually quite low on my list. But when does she ever listen to me?

Rory and Mickey nodded their heads in understanding, offering Graham commiserating looks.

[Outside the homestead]

(A dingo howls.)
SEESAY: Please, all of you, back inside!
(The Doctor waves her sonic around.)
DOCTOR: No readings.
GRAHAM: You didn't get any readings off that thing in the Tardis either.
DOCTOR: Exactly. There's something. It's like I can sense them.
O: I know what you mean.
DOCTOR: They're out there, hiding. Tripping the sensors to let us know that they're here. It's like they're watching us.
O: Like animals stalking their prey. Sorry, that wasn't helpful.

"You were having too much fun with that." The Doctor snapped at the Master who gave her an innocent 'who me?' look, which was ruined by the smirk.

SEESAY: From what I understand, we were sent here cos you're one of the few people that can stop the attacks on our colleagues. So please, go inside, figure it out, and let us do the job we came for.
GRAHAM: Doc, come on.
SEESAY: I'll take round the back. Stay on comms.
SEESAY [OC]: Circling around eastwards.
BROWNING: Understood.
(A nearby security light goes out. Another comes on. And off. And on.)
SEESAY: See those lights going on and off?
BROWNING [OC]: It's where I am, but it's not me.
(The lights go off, then suddenly a bright humanoid figure appears. She fires at it and it vanishes, then reappears closer.)

[Homestead]

(The shots are heard inside.)
DOCTOR: Browning!
(She runs outside.)

[Outside the homestead]

BROWNING: Stay back!
SEESAY: Run!
(More bright figures appear.)
SEESAY: Oh, my God! What are they?
(They leap upon Seesay and Browning.)
DOCTOR: Get away from them!
O: We can't fight them out here, Doctor. Strategic retreat.
DOCTOR: Fine.

The Doctor glared at the Master again, as did Martha, Jack, Clara, Bill and the three current companions. They knew whatever trouble happened was at least partially his fault. The Doctor didn't care about the fact that she wouldn't have been able to save them even if the Master hadn't dragged her away, she was just too angry with him for the deception and frustrated with herself for not noticing.

He refused to meet her eyes, purposely focusing on the screen until she gave up and looked back to the screen. He only risked a glance at her when he knew she wouldn't notice it.

[Homestead]

(Alarms going off.)
DOCTOR: No signals off any of them. They've just obliterated those bodies. What can they be?
O: Looks like they're moving.
GRAHAM: They're surrounding the building, look.
O: That's what we want.
DOCTOR: Do we?
O: Yeah. Just a little closer.
(Screen says Fence Activated. The glowing figures approach, he hits a button and a honeycomb barrier lights up and zaps them. All but one disappear.)
GRAHAM: Did you kill 'em?
DOCTOR: More like they retreated.
GRAHAM: How did you know that would work?
O: I didn't. Gambled.
DOCTOR: Some kit you've got here.
O: I've had a few years to rig it out. Just in case.

The Doctor glanced at him deep in thought. Did he have those defences just to fool her or was it for his own protection. It wouldn't exactly be the first time his plans had backfired on him. Had he practised before? Or did he really not know it would work? The Master caught her watching him and sent a feeling of questioning-curiosity-smugness along their open bond. The two had always been connected and having opened the link again recently left it a lot more open than normal. They were too used to being in each other's minds, even after all these millennia.

GRAHAM: No, no, look. There's one still outside.
(It walks up to the door.)
O: Plan B. I've got a plan B. It's in the blueprints, Doctor. Just under the folder. I rigged it in case anything got past the first line of defence.
(She rummages on the desk.)
GRAHAM: It's coming through the wall! How can it do that?
(A filing cabinet is in its way.)
DOCTOR: Well, physical boundaries don't stop it, but it's still not used to this planet, or maybe even this reality.
(The being is fully inside now.)
DOCTOR: Spring-loaded?
O: Yep.
GRAHAM: What are you talking about?
(The Doctor aims her sonic at the ceiling and a containment tank drops down over the being.)
GRAHAM: Oh, you could have warned me about that!
DOCTOR: Re-route the charge. We've got to keep it in there. A bit quicker!
O: Yes! Doing my best.
GRAHAM: That thing can't hold it.
O: Is he just here for the running commentary?
(Agent O hits enter on his keyboard. Energy re-routed. The being inside the tank is belted with energy from all sides.)
O: It worked! It actually... it actually worked.

"Did you genuinely not know if it would?" The Doctor asked, face blank.

The Master watched her for a minute, looking for cracks in her blank look – any emotions she let break through (he found nothing). "I didn't exactly have much chance to test it beforehand but I was hopeful."

She watched him for another couple of minutes, trying to see if he was lying, before conceding and turning back to the screen as the video resumed.

DOCTOR: Who are you? What are you doing to the people on this planet? Why are you changing their DNA? And why spies? Why are you only attacking spies? What are you, exactly, except for reluctant to talk?
O: I'm thinking one more blast.
DOCTOR: How many are you, in your race or species or whatever you are? Where are you from?
KASAAVIN: Far beyond.

"So, they do talk." Clara said, half to herself.

No one was particularly excited by the development. It meant they could maybe get answers but it also meant they were more than simple drones; they had some intelligence. As if they weren't unnerving enough.

DOCTOR: So you can communicate, then. Beyond where?
KASAAVIN: Your understanding. (laughs)
GRAHAM: I think it's laughing at you, Doc.
DOCTOR: Yes, I got that. Is this your native form, wherever it is you're from? Is this what you look like at home?
KASAAVIN: We take this form to mock you. Your shape amuses us.
DOCTOR: Very funny.
KASAAVIN: We are stable now. We are ready.
DOCTOR: What does that mean, stable? Ready for what?
KASAAVIN: To take this.
DOCTOR: To take this what? Hut? Country? Planet?
KASAAVIN: Universe.

"Oh, starting off small then." Rose tried to break the tense atmosphere with some sarcasm, but it fell a bit flat. She did get a few smiles for her attempt though.

[VOR HQ]

RYAN: Data from Barton's pass says he left the building hours ago. Everyone must have gone by now. Let's have a look.
(Yasmin uses a gizmo on the CCTV cameras to make themselves vanish, then they use the cloned pass on Barton's office door.)
RYAN: We're in.

Graham raised an eyebrow at his grandson. "You've been dying to say that haven't you?"

Ryan grinned but just shrugged as Yaz rolled her eyes. "You watch way too many spy movies." She grumbled.

"Hey, it saved our lives later. Plus, you enjoyed parts of it too. The parts we weren't almost dying anyway." Ryan complained as Yaz just sighed.

[Barton's office]

YASMIN: Right. Got to be quick. If the Doctor's right, that should download every piece of data his computer has ever had access to. Have you seen this?
RYAN: What? That thing in the case over there? Yeah, a bit creepy.
(A silver humanoid figure.)
YASMIN: No. All these cameras. He's got screens monitoring half the building.
RYAN: Control freak, innit? How long do you reckon the thing's going to take?
YASMIN: Let's see.
(Barton enters the building and heads upstairs. Ryan looks out of the office door.)
YASMIN: Still clear?
RYAN: Yep, all good.
YASMIN: You know my sister's still proper cross I haven't given her your phone number.
RYAN: Why haven't you?
YASMIN: Ryan, you're my mate. I don't want you snogging my sister.
RYAN: She's all right, your sister.
YASMIN: Can you not, please?
RYAN: Just give me her number, Yaz.
YASMIN: Shut up.
RYAN: I could be your brother-in-law. I'd be a good brother-in-law.

"I think you too should be focusing on the mission rather than arguing about that, as entertaining as it is to see." Graham chided the pair who shrugged a bit sheepish. They had gotten a bit too confident and distracted.

(The cloned pass beeps and lights up with Original Pass Utilised.)
RYAN: Barton's back in the building. His pass just got access. He's coming this way!
YASMIN: I'm not done! How close is he?

"You have no luck." Martha sighed. It was typical with the Doctor but still very worrying to see.

(Ryan peeks outside and sees Barton approaching.)
RYAN: Quick, Yaz! He's coming. Get off the computer.
(Download at 95 percent. 96. Barton enters.)
BARTON: Bag, bag, bag. There is it.
(Yasmin and Ryan are hiding behind a sofa.)
BARTON: I know you're here. Show yourselves.
(The lights flicker and two bright beings appear.)
KASAAVIN: There have been... obstacles.
BARTON: I told you to be discreet.

"So, they are definitely working together, good to know. But you are now in some real trouble." Amy said, watching the screen. It was good to have confirmation of their theory but not always worth it if they managed to get into serious trouble, which they normally did.

KASAAVIN: We must remove them all immediately.
BARTON: No.
(The beings come very close to him.)
KASAAVIN: The project must continue as planned. We must defend.
(They vanish. He breathes deeply then notices his computer screen is live. He turns it off, picks up his satchel and leaves.)
YASMIN: He knows what they are.
RYAN: Come on, out.
YASMIN: No. Let's see what else is here.
RYAN: No. No.
(One of the beings emerges from the desk.)
RYAN: Yaz!
KASAAVIN: Obstacle!
(It leaps on Yasmin, who screams.)
RYAN: Yaz. What have you done with her? Get her back here right now! Where is she?
KASAAVIN: She is gone.
RYAN: I'm sorry, Yaz.
(He runs away.)

Ryan turned to his side, where Yaz sat, opening his mouth to apologise properly but she beat him to it. "Don't worry about it, Ryan. There was nothing you could have done. I'm okay now. Just glad you got out safe." She nudged him with her elbow to reassure him. She had been shaking up after her 'trip' and it had featured in several nightmares since but she was safe now and surrounded by people looking at her worriedly.

[Alien realm]

(Surrounded by what could be giant kelp stalks if she was underwater and not in a strangely lit place.)
YASMIN: Okay, PC Khan. Nothing to worry about.
(She moves slowly between the stalks.)
YASMIN: (echoing) Hello? Anyone here? Ryan?

"Where are you?" Bill asked gaping at the screen. It looked spooky.

Yaz shrugged. "Honestly? No idea but it wasn't pleasant."

[Homestead]

DOCTOR: Interesting. That glow's increasing. Life getting more intense?
O: It's fighting back.
DOCTOR: Or something going on.

[Outside VOR HQ]

(Bright figures start to appear on the outside of the building.)

[Alien realm]

(Worms of light travel down the stalks.)
YASMIN: No. Stay away from me!

[Outside VOR HQ]

RYAN: What's happening?
(The figures are flickering on and off.)

[Homestead]

O: This isn't good, Doctor. It's trying to overload my systems.
(He gets an electric shock.)
O: It's like it's taken a suicide pill.

[Alien realm]

YASMIN: No.
(She vanishes into a bright light.)

[Homestead]

(And appears in the containment tank.)
DOCTOR: Yaz. Turn the power off in there.
O: It's already blown out.
DOCTOR: Yaz! How are you even here?

"Well, that explains that better." The Doctor mumbled almost to herself. She couldn't resist glancing at the Master, had he known that would happen? No, he had seemed surprised she was still alive later when he revealed himself. That had not been part of the plan but she was glad beyond belief that Yaz had survived.

(The Doctor's phone rings.)

[Outside VOR HQ]

RYAN: Doctor, you've got to help! I've lost Yaz!

[Homestead]

DOCTOR: Yaz? I've got her. We're coming for you now.

[Outside the homestead]

(Later, daytime, Yasmin is sitting on the verandah. Ryan comes out of the building and sits beside her.)
RYAN: You okay? (nod) You get any sleep? (shake) What happened to you?
YASMIN: Don't know. It were just like... nothingness. Nowhere. And I was totally alone. I was so scared. Ryan... I thought I was dead.
RYAN: No, I'm never going to let that happen to you.
(Yasmin wipes away a tear.)

Ryan slugged an arm around the back of sofa on Yaz's side. She leaned in, her head against his side. It wasn't a romantic gesture; they were family simply offering comfort to guard against bad memories.

[Homestead]

(The Tardis is now inside the building.)
GRAHAM: You chose to exile yourself here?
O: Yeah.
(Puts down a mug of tea.)
GRAHAM: Ta. Thanks. You never get lonely?
O: Yeah. But it's for the best.
GRAHAM: Right.
O: How long have you known the Doctor, Graham?
GRAHAM: Oh, that's a tricky one to answer, that. You see, things never really happen in a straight line with the Doc. How much do you know about her?
O: A bit. Our paths crossed very briefly once, when she was a man.
GRAHAM: When she was a what?
O: Has she never mentioned that?
GRAHAM: I thought she was joking.
O: You got any idea where she's from?
GRAHAM: Well, we've tried to ask, but she just changes the subject, you know.
O: I've got a whole shelf over there all about the Doctor. Everything I could gather. A lot of inconsistencies, but it's very, very interesting. Do you want to have a look?

"Trying to convince my friends to go snooping?" The Doctor asked giving the Master a dark look before another thought occurred to her. "Also, why do you have records on me?"

"They aren't very good ones. Only what the humans have on you. I keep my better records hidden. Know thy enemy and all that." The Master's attempts to appear neutral and uncaring failed spectacularly. The Doctor managed to hide her small grin. He may claim it was because they were enemies but she knew there was also a small part of him that was worried about her. He didn't like it when other hurt her. These videos were going to be very interesting; she was sure he may know a lot about her adventures. More than probably anyone else knew and more than she was probably comfortable with, but there were definitely things he didn't know.

(The Doctor comes out of the Tardis holding a large glass tankard full of dark liquid.)
DOCTOR: Come on, you two. Everyone out front. Lots to catch up on. I made iced tea. Possibly.
(The ice cubes rattle.)

"I'm really hoping you didn't drink that. The Doctor is a terrible cook and any food she makes should never be trusted." Martha smiled, ignoring the Doctor's protests.

Yaz chuckled. "Don't worry, we learned that very quickly."

[Outside the homestead]

(With the download gizmo on a laptop on the verandah.)
DOCTOR: Daniel Barton's DNA registers as 93 percent human.
GRAHAM: Which makes him, what, alien?
O: No, it can't be. I've been through Barton's records. There are thousands of photos of him online at all ages. If he's not human, that's one very impressive legend he's put together.
YASMIN: Not impossible, though.
GRAHAM: All right, MI6, help me with something, cos I can't get me nut round it. C told us that Barton's company is more powerful than most countries. That can't be true.
O: Governments these days are full of people who don't understand technology, so countries rely on outsourcing their tech requirements and expertise to private companies that transcend national boundaries. Companies like VOR. VOR seeps into every corner of modern technology. We're talking leisure, commercial, military. It leads the way on face-tagging, biodata, robotics. And then there's all the military systems across the globe which rely on servers operated by VOR.
RYAN: So do we think Barton's behind the assassination of C? And the attacking of us in the car? And is in league with these aliens?
DOCTOR: What did he say to those creatures in his office?
YASMIN: That they should have been discreet.
DOCTOR: So it was like he was in control of them?
YASMIN: I couldn't work out who's in charge of who.
(The laptop beeps.)
DOCTOR: Ah, found something. I've been searching through all the data you took from Barton for any codes or languages not of this planet, and it's found something. In the furthest corner of the smallest system of the most obscure company in Barton's empire - alien code. Just decrypting. Running about 90 billion possible languages. Ah. Nothing. That can't be right. I've checked it against every known language in the universe and there's no match. Ah, wait! I keep the Tardis systems open for new languages, even on the fringes of the known universe. If I can synch that. Bingo! Right, need a dark wall. Come on.

[Homestead]

(A wavy image is being projected against a curtain.)
RYAN: What is that?
DOCTOR: I'm not sure. A single image encrypted in alien code. Trying to decode. One image, though.
YASMIN: Steganography. Like what he sent you. A picture of a fish.

It hit the Doctor that he was very likely aware of the image and that was why he had used steganography to reveal his location. Subtle hints scattered around. A trail of breadcrumbs all leading to his real identity.

GRAHAM: I can't see a pattern at all, Doc.
DOCTOR: Decoding takes a moment.
(She sonics the laptop and the movement resolves into solid dots that look like Ursa Major.)
RYAN: What's that? Join the dots?
DOCTOR: I think it's coordinates.
YASMIN: Coordinates for what?
(Another sonic and multiple lines join the dots. Now the image is recognisable.)
DOCTOR: Locations for those creatures across planet Earth. (more dots appear) Oh. That's more than just a few.
YASMIN: There's hundreds of 'em.

"That's really not good." Amy declared while her husband rolled his eyes slightly at the obvious statement which Amy noticed and elbowed him in the side for.

GRAHAM: We can't deal with all those.
RYAN: What are they doing here anyway?
DOCTOR: It's all in the patterns. Steganography, encrypted code, attacks on intelligence agents. It's all spycraft. They're alien spies embedded here on Earth!
O: No, no, that's not possible.
RYAN: Spies from where?
DOCTOR: I don't know. I don't recognise them. I don't recognise the language, or why they're attacking people. Or what happened to you.
GRAHAM: The image is still changing, Doc.
DOCTOR: More layers still being decrypted.
(The image replicates to ten Earths.)
DOCTOR: Oh. Why's it doing that? I don't understand. Multiple Earths? what does that even mean?
O: Okay, okay. If you really think they're spies, we should be asking who's the spymaster? Who's running the alien spies? Because that's the person who holds the answers.

The four of them hared a glance with each other. The Master had been trying to reveal himself and they hadn't seen it. Not that the three companions were really in the position to actually figure it out but the Doctor was mentally hitting herself. She should have known.

GRAHAM: That's got to be Daniel Barton, right?
YASMIN: C said they thought Barton was a double or triple agent.
DOCTOR: We need to pay Barton a visit.
RYAN: Good thing he's having a party, then. We got invites.
DOCTOR: Yes! Nice work, you two.
GRAHAM: Got invites for us all, have you?
DOCTOR: I'm sure I can hack a guest list. What do you reckon, O? Fancy a trip in the box?
O: I really, really would.
(The Doctor opens the Tardis door.)
DOCTOR: Be my guest.

[Tardis]

O: Shut up!

"I'm surprised she didn't give you away. I think she still hates you for turning her into a paradox machine." The Doctor commented.

"That was a long time ago, besides we came to some agreement when I was working on her as Missy. She doesn't shock me and I do the maintenance you forget to do. Don't forget I saved you and your little pets from Mars." The Master snapped.

"They aren't pets, they're my friends. Besides, she held a grudge against Clara for a long time before she had actually done the thing that made the TARDIS hate her." Clara grumbled something to herself in the background. "Still, she should have told me."

"Erm Doc. Why are you talking about the ship like it's alive?" Graham asked. The companions had been sharing glances while the Time Lords bickered. Martha and Jack were the only two who had been around for the paradox machine, and were glaring at the Master for it, but a few others had heard the story.

"Because she is. I've told you three this before plus she was the one to bring us here remember? TARDISes aren't built, they're grown." The Doctor explained, smiling proudly of her old girl. The ship was her one true constant since she ran away, the Master may have known her longer but he wasn't always there and he continually hurt her. The TARDIS was always there, with few exceptions, they looked after each other.

[Homestead]

O: Ridiculous.
DOCTOR: Somewhere in the lower substrata, there's a wardrobe hall. I think it's the first right after the karaoke buses.
GRAHAM: What do we need a wardrobe for?

[Vallis Estate]

(The Tardis is parked in the vineyard next to the main gates. Doctor is still wearing her half-mast trousers and ridiculous boots, but she and the men are in dinner jackets, white shirt and bow ties. Yasmin has chosen a tastefully understated trouser suit with sequinned jacket.)

Jack whistled lowly. "You all clean up very nice."

"Oi! Stop it."

"He's right sweetie. You look good in that suit. Though I think you would also look good without it."

"River!"

DOCTOR: Shall we?
(Cue Bond-style music as they walk up to the check-in by the main doors.)
DOCTOR: The name's Doctor. The Doctor. We're on the list.
RECEPTIONIST: Welcome. Go right on in.
SECURITY: Five more coming in.

[Villa]

O: Is this a bad time to mention I've never really done undercover work?
GRAHAM: You said you worked for MI6.
O: As an analyst. In the office.
DOCTOR: It's a party. We're guests. Blend in. And keep an eye out for Daniel Barton.

River gave her wife a look. "Sweetie, you don't know the definition of 'blend in'." The rest of the companions laughed, that was absolutely true. The Doctor tried desperately to protest, but was ignored.

(Barton is standing on the mezzanine gallery with his PA, overlooking the roulette table. They are watching security film from his office.)
YASMIN [OC]: That should download every piece of data his computer has ever had access to.
BARTON: Thanks, Anya.
(At the roulette wheel.)
RYAN: Red seven. Put it on red seven. Lucky number seven.
GRAHAM: What, all of it?
CROUPIER: No more bets.
GRAHAM: You'd better be right. Seven. (The ball falls.)
GRAHAM: Yes! Yes!
CROUPIER: Seven.
RYAN: Get in! Get in! I'm rich! Good evening, ladies.
GRAHAM: That's my grandson. Seven! Get in!
(Meanwhile, at the blackjack table.)
DOCTOR: Card. Card. Card. (she now has 6 in her hand) Snap!
(Everyone laughs.)
DOCTOR: Is that not the game?

Everyone laughed alongside the people on the screen, albeit more fondly. The Doctor still looked confused, no one was willing to explain the game to her.

(While Yasmin blows on the dice and rolls. People cheer.)
YASMIN: What, did we win?
O: No.
YASMIN: Didn't know what I was doing anyway.
O: You know what they say - lucky at dice, unlucky in love.
YASMIN: Do they say that?
O: No.

Yaz glared at the Master who just smirked smugly at her. She'd spent more time with him than either of the other really and she's started to like him – before the whole tried to kill them thing, which she still hadn't forgiven him for. Plus, whatever he had done had hurt the Doctor badly and he was the reason she had been missing for the last few months.

(Barton enters and walks past Yasmin. The Doctor comes over.)
DOCTOR: Time for a chat.

[Outside the villa]

DOCTOR: Nice party. Nice house.
BARTON: Daniel. Don't think we've been introduced.
DOCTOR: I'm the Doctor. I'm a plus-one. So, did you assassinate the head of MI6 yourself, or just order it?

"Absolutely no subtly. Straight to the point. I still wonder how you are still alive you moron." Donna sighed, exasperated. The Doctor grinned sheepishly.

BARTON: I think you're at the wrong party. Casino theme, not whodunnit.
DOCTOR: Why is there an alien code embedded at the edge of your company's systems? We both know you're in league with a race of alien creatures.
BARTON: Think you'd better get your medication checked, Doctor, or maybe some psychiatric help, because I don't know who you are or what you're talking about.
DOCTOR: How long have they been here? Where are they from? Who recruited whom? Are you running them, or are they running you? Why is your DNA 7 percent non-human?
BARTON: You're properly unhinged.
DOCTOR: No. I'm onto you, and I'm going to stop you.
BARTON: I'm going to walk away now and you're going to stay away from me for the rest of both our lives, either voluntarily or because of my security people. Understand?
DOCTOR: I'm really hard to get rid of, Mister Barton.
BARTON: Are you?
(Barton leaves.)
DOCTOR: Barton's heading your way, gang. Keep an eye on him. Don't let him out of your sight.

[Villa]

DOCTOR: None of you saw him come back in? He must be here somewhere.
YASMIN: There he is.
(Getting into a blue Bentley.)
DOCTOR: Oh, no, you don't!

[Outside the villa]

GRAHAM: He's off!
RYAN: I mean, who leaves their own birthday party? He's definitely guilty. So what do we do now?
DOCTOR: Remember our trip to the Great Kalisperon Bike-Off?
(So they steal three motorcycles with handy helmets - Doctor in the lead, Graham with Ryan on pillion, O holding on to Yasmin.)

Yaz grimaced slightly again at the reminder of how much time she had spent with 'O'. She had thought it was fun to hang around someone else who knew the Doctor but it hadn't exactly ended well.

She was distracted from those thoughts by Graham and Ryan grinning and muttering about the Great Kalisperon Bike-Off, that had been great fun until they had run into some trouble (as was typical with the Doctor), but unlike this video – that had been easily solved with minimal danger.

[Track through vineyard]

DRIVER: Sir, it seems we have three of your motorcycles following us.
BARTON: What exactly do I pay you for?
(The driver accellerates along the dirt track.)
RYAN: Go, go, go, go!
GRAHAM: I'm going! I'm going!
(Barton has a hand gun - is that a Desert Eagle? - and starts shooting at them.)
RYAN: Hey! He's shooting at us!
GRAHAM: Yes, I got that!

Ryan rolled his eyes at Graham who just grinned at him while Yaz chuckled at the pair.

(The bikers go between the rows of vines. Bullets bounce of the chromed bits.)
YASMIN: Oh!
O: Is this what it's like being with the Doctor?
RYAN: Argh!
YASMIN: Mate, this is one of the quiet days! Argh!

Almost in sync, everyone who knew the Master turned to glare at him again. He just ignored them, but he was radiating smugness.

[Airfield]

(The Bentley drives into a VOR hangar as an aeroplane flies over to land.)
YASMIN: What now?

[Hangar]

(The Doctor sonics the hangar door open.)
BARTON: Is she ready to go?
MAN: All secure, Mister Barton.
RYAN: How many planes does one guy need?
DOCTOR: There he is.
RYAN: That's one big plane.
YASMIN: Where's he going in that?
DOCTOR: I don't know, but we can't let him get away.
GRAHAM: How? It's not as if we're gonna just jump on a plane with him, is it? Oh, come on.

[Aeroplane]

(Barton is his own pilot.)
BARTON: Lonsdale tower, Barton one-niner, request clearance.
(The Doctor sonics open the cargo hatch as he starts to taxi.)

"Are you seriously going to try and climb on a plane as it takes off?" Clara shook her head before answering her own question. "Of course, you are, what else should I expect."

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Cleared to Hawkston radar vectors to Skaggs Island, then as filed. Squawk 4634.
(There's an Alert on his panel.)
DOCTOR: She's in! Fix alert sensors.
(The alert goes off, Yasmin reaches the ramp.)
YASMIN: Argh!
DOCTOR: I've got you, Yaz.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Barton one-niner, climb 3,000 feet, maintain runway heading, clear for takeoff. Runway zero one. BARTON: Clear for takeoff. Runway zero one. Maintain runway heading. Climb 3,000 feet, Barton one-niner.
(His phone is ringing. Caller ID says Private Number.)

"That's not a good sign." Rory sighed, this video seemed to just get worse and worse.

MAN: Hey, where are you going?
(Graham and Ryan are on board, just O to go.)
GRAHAM: Come on, son!
DOCTOR: I need to close the door!
(O makes it with a last big effort.)
O: Sorry. I've never been good at sprinting.
DOCTOR: What?
RYAN: Come on, Doctor. We're about to take off.
DOCTOR: In the main cabin!

"At least you're all on board safely." Martha declared. Things were going badly so it was nice to see not absolutely everything ended in disaster.

(She sonicks the cargo hatch closed and they make their way between the rows of seats.)
DOCTOR: Here.
YASMIN: What are we actually going to do?
DOCTOR: Sit tight. See where he's going. Never been good at sprinting?
O: I was the last one in every race at school.
DOCTOR: No, no, no. I read your file. You were a champion sprinter.
O: Mmm. Got me. Well done.
GRAHAM: What's going on, Doc?
DOCTOR: I don't know.
O: You'd best take a look out of the window.
(The homestead is flying through the air.)
GRAHAM: How's your house out there?
O: Bit Wicked Witch of the West, but you get the gist. Maybe. Maybe not.

Jack glared fiercely at the Master. "I thought you hated human things, yet you know about the Wizard of Oz?" His voice was scathing, he didn't really acre about the answer he was just trying to annoy the Master

The Master glared back, holding back a sneer (barely) but didn't answer. He'd spent periods of time stuck on Earth on several occasions and been forced (*cough* chose to *cough*) watch some pop cultural things. It was kind of necessary for some of his roles – he'd spent several years as O; it wasn't like he could always avoid the references (he even enjoyed some – Blondy had really liked the Teletubbies and Missy liked lots of cartoons). But he was never going to admit that to anyone here. He was purposely ignoring the Doctor who absolutely knew the answer (they had watched several movies and cartoons together during her imprisonment at the university).

DOCTOR: No.
O: Oh, come on, Doctor, catch up. You can do it. Come on.
DOCTOR: Oh!
O: That's...that's my name, and that is why I chose it. Oh, so satisfying. Doctor, I did say look for the spymaster. Or should I say spy... Master? Hi.
DOCTOR: You can't be.
MASTER: Oh, I can be. I very much am.
RYAN: So what's going on, then? He's not really O?
MASTER: I'm her best enemy. Call me Master.

"Best enemies? What does that even mean Doc?! You never really explained who he was." Graham asked, voice revealing an edge of frustration. It hadn't been the time to play twenty questions on the plane and afterwards she had been in a bad mood, but now they weren't in immediate danger he would really like some proper answers. The other two nodded alongside him, as did many of the other companions who didn't know the Master. The ones that knew the Master exchanged looks.

"She never does. He took over the Earth and practically murdered everyone before she put it right, but she still wouldn't tell us the full story." Martha crossed her arms, still sore (and rightfully so) about the whole Year That Never Was.

"You were the one who fixed everything that year Martha." The Doctor sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to avoid answering the question but also not quite sure what to say – the Master was a very complicated topic, their whole relationship was very hard to explain. "The full story is thousands of years long and highly complex. It's very hard to understand if you haven't lived as long as us and especially if you don't know Gallifrey. He's known me longer than anyone, even the TARDIS."

The Master was watching, stuck between amusement and curiosity of what she would say. The smirk he directed at Martha was full of teeth however, compared to the almost gentle questioning grin he sent to the Doctor. Those that knew the Master watched her expectantly while those that didn't know him leaned more towards simple curiosity.

"You and Missy both said similar things to me and I know you explained a bit about being school friends but I don't think I would still care about an old friend if they became a mass murdering psychopath." Bill crossed her arms and glared at the Master. Missy had terrified her and the knowledge that it was a past version of him that had turned her into a Cyberman still hurt. The Doctor was just thankful she hadn't brought up the whole crush thing. That was an even more complicated matter (and embarrassing – she didn't want to explain that to Martha and Jack especially).

"It's more complicated than that Bill. I know you have all the reasons in the world to hate him. Bill, Clara, Martha and Jack especially but it's endlessly complicated." The Doctor braced herself but couldn't help glancing at the Master to check his expression. She would be sharing at least part of their story and she needed to know his thoughts but as ever he remained blank. She was on her own. "We've known each other since we were eight. Initiation on Gallifrey meant you were taken from your families and forced to look into a tear in space and time, a glimpse into the Time Vortex. It inspires some people, drives others mad and some run away. The Master had a signal planted in his head. A beat of four which drove him mad until just after the Year when we figured out the truth about it. On the other hand, I stared into the gap in time and space and it terrified me. I ran all those years ago and have been ever since."

She took a deep breath to steel herself before continuing. Her hands flying clumsily in the air to emphasise her story. "We were at the Academy together. Best friends since day one. Gallifrey isn't exactly a loving place especially if you are a child but we looked after each other for all 92 years of the academy. We were roommates and spent our whole time together, we were basically inseparable. He was the only person who really cared about me for a very long time."

She took a deep breath, steeling herself to continue, "Everything just seemed to go wrong shortly after we graduated. We made several decisions that hurt each other and when I eventually left, he chased after me. He keeps hurting me but ultimately, I still miss the little boy I spent decades running through the red grass with, skipping classes with. I miss the little boy who looked after me and cared for me when everyone else told me I was useless and would never amount to anything." Her friends and family listened intensely and remained silent at the end of her story, trying to absorb everything that had been said. She was grateful there was no comments on the way her voice started to crack at the end or the tears starting to form in her eyes.

"You proved them wrong. You were better than all of them." The Master spoke up, breaking the silence. "But you left out the part where you abandoned me and betrayed me, dear." The last bit was laced with venom, a sharp contrast to the almost reverent tone of his first comments.

"You betrayed me too! And you keep hurting the people I love." She shouted back, frustration and pain rising to a boiling point. She looked up at him pleadingly. "Don't you miss it? The trouble we found as kids? the Deca? Being friends? Our families?"

"Of course, I miss it. But they're all dead and you ran from them and me a long time ago."

"Well, you two clearly have a library full of issues." Amy spoke up ignoring her husband's disapproving/worried hiss of her name. "So many questions, but first of all - 92 years at the Academy? School, right? Also, what's the Deca?" The majority of other companions were giving her disbelieving looks, none were quite brave enough or willing to speak up and get between the two arguing Time Lords. River and Rory rolled their eyes in sync (you could really tell they were father and daughter) at their mother/wife's bluntness.

The Doctor gave her a sad smile. Happy for the distraction from the Master. "Yes, the Academy is essentially school, it's how you become a true Time Lord. It's that or you join the army really, there aren't many options. At the end of the academy, you choose your name. I hated it mostly, some of my friends made it okay but I was a terrible student." She ignored the Master's chuckle. That was an understatement to say the least. He had always been the perfect student, except from the trouble that she usually dragged him into. "The Deca was a group of students we became friends with later in the Academy. A group of ten of us. I think we drove our teachers insane with our chaos, that and all the questions they could never answer. A lot of the Deca became renegades like us but they're all dead now I think." She frowned, stuck in memories. Even if they had survived the war, they were very likely to be dead now or at least somewhere else in the timeline – chances weren't high that she would run into many of them again, and even if she did it wasn't likely to be a friendly reunion.

"Wait, you said you chose your name at the end of the Academy. So, did you use your real names?" Rory asked, curious despite his usually strong sense of self-preservation and sanity. He had always been one of the saner of her companions.

It was the Master who answered after sharing a long look with the Doctor, both cycling through expressions faster than they could be read. "On Gallifrey you have a real name which only your parents and then spouse know, occasionally a sibling or someone else but that's rare. They are long and hard to pronounce for most species, plus they wouldn't make much sense to any of you anyway. Then through your childhood you go by a nickname until you finish the Academy and choose a new name for you to be known by."

"But you two know each other's real names? You're not family, are you? Like secretly siblings this whole time or something. Also, can we know your nicknames. Please. I bet they're embarrassing." Bill queried. She was always too curious for her own good. The rest of the room watched eagerly as the pair tried to come to a decision, they all wanted to know.

"No Bill, we're not family. Our families hated each other in fact. Really disapproved of our friendship." The Doctor smiled at the young girl. She was always full of questions. She also avoided mentioning the real reason he knew her real name, outside of the whole childhood friends thing. She wasn't going to explain how they had been so much more, that was so much harder to explain and incredibly painful. Distraction was their best bet to escape the questions and theories she could practically see mentally forming in many of their heads.

She was definitely putting it off now but she always avoided talking about her life before she ran away. Even River only knew vague details and parts of the story, she hadn't even told her this name. Her real name yes, somehow that one hurt less; but the childhood nickname, no. Mentally reasoning it as not important but in truth it was because it was too painful and always brought back the memories associated with it. Plus, a part of her felt like it still belonged to the two little boys running through the red fields under the orange sky of home. Or what she had thought was her home. But that was a whole other depressive spiral.

"Later, Bill. Maybe later. They're really personal and no one has called me that since I left, since I lost my family." She felt a bit guilty putting it off, refusing to tell them, but the names were personal and she wanted to hang onto them for just a little bit longer. She would tell them eventually. She was ignoring the Master, too scared to see what he was thinking. Would he be smug she hadn't shared the names or annoyed? You could never tell with him.

The room delved into a contemplative silence, everyone trying to digest what they had heard. When no one spoke after a few minutes the video restarted.

GRAHAM: Call you what?
RYAN: Master?
MASTER: Me and her, we go way, way, way back.
DOCTOR: I met O.
MASTER: I know.
DOCTOR: Years ago.
MASTER: I know! (laughs)

"Oh, admit it Doctor. You liked O." The Master grinned, full of teeth.

"Of course, I did. You designed O so I would like him. Got my attention by helping me with an alien invasion then texted with me for years. Across three faces. Then you had fun revealing yourself." She shook her head almost to herself. "I should have known but I was blinded by how much he reminded me of you as a kid." Her statement seemed to take all the wind out of his sails as he practically collapsed back into his arm chair where he had been sitting forward, curled like a cat about to catch a mouse. Both were thinking back to the years of texting and all the messages sent between them. The Doctor had liked O and, though he would never admit it, the Master had liked being O for more reasons that getting one over the Doctor.

RYAN: But there was an O at MI6. C was talking about him.
MASTER: Yeah. A man very close to my heart. Well, in my pocket, actually. Do you want to see him? It's always good to keep a backup of one's work. Tissue compression, it's a classic. Oh.
(He slowly pushes open a matchbox to reveal a tiny figure. That's a lot smaller than they used to be.)
MASTER: Ambushed him on his way to work for his first day. Shrunk him, took his identity and set myself up in MI6. Surprisingly good staff canteen.
(He throws the matchbox away.)

The companions collectively winced as the real 'O' was thrown away like he was nothing, they didn't even know his real name. They were also very weary of his new (as far as they were aware) weapon. Only Jack had heard about the TCE from old UNIT files.

MASTER: I have had a lot of fun.
DOCTOR: I need to warn Barton! (she runs into the cockpit) He's not here! (and out again) Where's Barton? What have you done to him?
MASTER: Barton!
GRAHAM: Who's flying the plane?
MASTER: Wrong question. Check the seat.
(A timer counts down from 1.00 to 0.59)
MASTER: Cockpit bomb. Short fuse. I can relate to that!

"Yeah, you are a bit madder than Missy. Not that Missy wasn't terrifying." Bill muttered, not really intending for other to hear her but the Doctor did.

"He wasn't always so unhinged. He got worse when he ran out of regenerations around about my third or fourth, maybe fifth? face. Then it was a downhill spiral until we managed to get the drums out. Missy was more like he used to be." The Doctor tried to explain her face grim.

"You didn't get the drums out, dear. That was the Time Lords after you stopped them coming back. Gallifrey's always been the reason behind my madness, Gallifrey and you. Every time. Even now, my madness is because of you." The Master's eyes were wild as he glared at her.

"No, this madness is your own. I had no true part in it, at least this time. Gallifrey I agree with but what you discovered is on them and you can't blame me for the decisions you made because of it." She barely managed to spit her words out. Just because she was the Timeless Child or whatever did not mean he could blame his current madness on her. She had no willing part in it, she couldn't even remember it.

(The Doctor tries to sonic the bomb.)
MASTER: Now, do you really think that I would not make that sonic-proof, Doctor? Come on! Deadlock sealed. And I made sure - no parachutes on board.
DOCTOR: There must be a way! Ah. Okay, okay.
YASMIN: But where's Barton? We saw him coming in.
MASTER: Called away before takeoff. By me! Stick with me, Yaz, cos I control... everything. Even these guys.
(He whistles and clicks his fingers. Two light aliens appear.)
MASTER: Yes!
(The timer on the bomb is down to 0.08)
DOCTOR: I can't do it! Get away!
(She shuts the cockpit door just as the bomb explodes and knocks her out, decompressing the cabin.)
MASTER: Yah! One last thing. Something you should know in the seconds before you die. Everything that you think you know... is a lie. Got you, finally.

"What does that even mean?!" Surprisingly it was River than snapped. Her fists clenched tight, turning her knuckles white. The Doctor had never told her the full story of the Master, though she bet she knew more than the others in the room (baring maybe Jack), and the Doctor had tried her best to ensure the two never met. River was sick of seeing her wife hurt, especially by the Master who wasn't even making sense anymore – this was a who new scale of madness and she couldn't understand it.

"Oh yes. Do tell your little pets everything Doctor. Tell them the truth about Gallifrey's lies." The Master smirked sluggishly teetering on the edge of manic energy and sluggish carelessness.

She glared at him before turning to River pleadingly, even as she addressed the whole room. "You'll find out soon I imagine. It's what the TARDIS brought us here to see, I think. The Master went home and he found out a secret about the founders of Gallifrey that drove him insane. We should have both expected something, maybe not the details, but we both knew what Gallifrey was like and it wasn't nice. We've both found out endless horrors over the millennia about home but this secret was just the last straw." She frowned, refusing to say more. They would find out eventually and she wasn't looking forward to it.

(He vanishes. The light creatures rush the Doctor and she disappears as Graham, Yasmin and Ryan hang onto seats and scream as the aeroplane goes down.)

"I really need to stop going on planes. This is the third time the plane I have been on had blown up in recent-ish years." The Doctor sighed looking thoughtful. Her companions gave her concerned looks but were too scared to actually ask. Then another thought occurred to the Doctor. She turned to the Master. "Did you really expect that to kill me?"

He simply shrugged. "Not really, I can always hope though."

[Alien realm]

DOCTOR: No. No, no, no, no, no.

"Well at least you aren't on a crashing plane." Clara sighed. At least if the Doctor wasn't on the plane, she would be able to figure to a way to save her friends. She couldn't help but think about the Zygon invasion when Bonnie had blown up her (at the time - his) plane and she had been forced to watch.

"Gee, thanks." Ryan snarked though it didn't really hold any bite, he understood what she meant. Clara just offered an apologetic smile but Ryan just smiled.

The whole group was nervous, wanting to know what happened and how they got out of the situation. Clearly, they had, as the group were all here but it didn't make it any less worrying. Especially adding in the Master's presence.

Whatever the secret the Tardis had brought them here to see, things were heating up. Especially between the Mater and Doctor – there was some real tension there and they seemed to be the only ones aware of what they were here to see but neither was eager to share.

They weren't given any time to contemplate what they had just seen before 'Spyfall Part 2' showed up on the screen. The story was continuing.