Here's this next bit. I've got the next chapter started but have been bouncing around fanfics I need to update and other things. My brain is being very changeable right now.
I'm going to try and get something started for alexander (for those of you wanting more of that) but I do plan on ending that soon. It's just getting harder and harder to keep it going. it will still be a while for an update on it though, as I need to rewatch the episode and I write long chapters for that anyway. Sorry!
If you want me to post more fanfic ideas I've got lying around, do vote in the poll I have up. I've got over 50+ doctor who folders lying around that you might be interested in. Those on the discord are aware of this and I've shared some documents there for those who want to join the discord.
Martha had just returned with some food, the warehouse being rather damp and cold, but the only thing the group had to work with at the moment. After getting trapped with the Master stealing the Tardis, all they could do to get back to where they needed to be was work with Jack's vortex manipulator. Then, they found out the Master had used the bit of leeway he'd been given to somehow become Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Doctor dubbed at his face tiredly, worn out with everything that had happened in the last few moments. They were on the run now from him. He had the police, the army, everyone on his side, and the Doctor hadn't quite yet figured out how.
Not only that but there wasn't much they were able to do currently. He needed to get to the Master, reverse this whole process he'd put on the people of Earth, and stop him from whatever his end-goal was, because it wouldn't be good. Enough people had been lost already and the Doctor didn't want to lose more. Chantho had been grabbed by the Futurekind before they'd made it anywhere near the locked room. Martha's family had been arrested; most of them, anyway. Then, the other member of their team… Ripley.
The Doctor didn't want to think about it. He hadn't been able to tell if she'd been torn apart by the Futurekind or taken by the Master or whatever else. The guilt was tearing away at him already. She'd known. She'd known and tried to tell him about the Master from the start and all he'd done was ignore her and blow her off. Her senses had proven invaluable time and time again, so why did he choose this moment to doubt them?
Martha handed him a packet of chips and he muttered a small thanks before reassuring her that at least her brother had gotten away from the Master.
"I'm talking about my brother on the run," she said, rather stunned herself at the turn this adventure had taken. "How did this happen?"
Jack complimented the chips and the Doctor accepted the slight detour from her question before Jack brought up a different point.
"So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"
"And who is he to you?" Martha added. "Like a colleague or—"
"A friend, at first," the Doctor admitted, knowing that he had to offer them some information given the disastrous turn of events the Master had caused.
"I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something."
"You've been watching too much TV."
"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack countered.
"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy.
"And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad…" He shrugged, lounging back in his chair to focus on his chips once more. "I don't know."
"What about you?" Martha asked.
"Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped."
Jack's vortex manipulator beeped, drawing their attention to him. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it."
"Patch it through to the laptop."
"Since we're telling stories, there's something I haven't told you," Jack said then as a logo appeared on the laptop that made the Doctor's gaze turn chilly.
"You work for Torchwood."
"I swear to you, it's different," Jack pressed. "It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."
"Everything Torchwood did, did to Ripley even, and you're part of it?"
Jack bristled at the accusation. "The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, I changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honor. We wouldn't ever hurt Ripley or anyone like that."
The Doctor didn't look convinced but with this new message they'd been sent and the information about the Archangel Network, they finally had some beginnings of a plan set in place. They just needed to make some perception filters and wait for the right moment.
"Doctor," Jack started.
"Hm?"
"About Ripley…"
The Doctor's bit of hope faltered as he dropped the wires he was trying to connect, picking them up again. "What about her?"
"You think she's all right?"
"I don't know, to be honest. If she managed to escape into the Tardis to get away from the Futurekind, then…" He didn't want to think about what the Master would do with her, and he set down his tools with a regretful sigh. "She's been through enough. If I'd just listened to her when she warned me."
"She warned you?" Martha questioned, making him nod.
"Didn't you notice?"
She frowned. "How am I supposed to tell anything with her? I'm not a dog whisperer, and you're the only one who can talk to her."
The Doctor hadn't thought of that. He was so used to being able to just talk to Ripley that he hadn't thought about how others struggled to do the same.
"Is that why she was ignoring you?" Jack interjected, hoping to keep them from infighting. "Back then, when she was on the couch?"
He nodded. "She was telling me that Yana—the Master smelled different. Familiar but off in a way that had her worried about us. She wanted me to keep an eye on him and I agreed, though I was just kind of placating her. Yana was just… kind. I thought she was maybe picking up on something else."
"And turns out she was picking up on him then? On the Master?"
The Doctor sighed, picking up his tools again. "Seems so. We'd done something similar before where I sealed my Time Lord self away and became human. She could smell that before and was just picking up on it again. After spending so long as a human, his Time Lord self must've been leaking out from the watch. He's one of the worst people she could've ended up with. She had enough trouble with Torchwood and that was my fault too." He paused again, running a hand through his hair. "I can understand her now and I'm still screwing it up."
"Maybe she got away," Jack offered, giving him a pat on the back. "That's possible too, you know."
"Yeah, but then she'll be running around as a stray again. If we meet up, it'll be a miracle."
Though jealous once more, Martha couldn't help but feel compelled to comfort him. "Well, miracles are what you're known for, right?"
He offered a small smile at that, returning to work.
"The thing is," Martha went on. "I don't know anything about her."
The Doctor looked up, confused as she continued.
"You two talk to each other all the time, but all we hear is barking and whining. Like… I know her name's Ripley. I know she's human stuck in a dog from some parallel universe, but that's it. I dunno her last name, her favorite band, or anything about her past before she was human. She's more of a mystery than you are, and that's saying something."
The Doctor blinked. "I… I really never said?"
"Nope. Not a thing," Martha replied, folding her arms over her chest as the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Right… Well, I hadn't meant to not tell you."
Jack raised a brow. "You forget people can't understand her, don't you?"
He flushed a bit, embarrassed. "It's not my fault she can't talk to humans!"
Jack chuckled, sitting down as well and munching on a chip. "So? What's the story with her then? Human turned dog. Gotta be something exciting, right?"
The Doctor smiled softly. "She used to travel a lot."
"Ah, course she did," Jack chimed, giving Martha a nudge and smile. "What'd she look like?"
"Dunno," he shrugged. "Never said and I never really asked. It just wasn't important."
"I bet she was blonde," Jack teased, earning a disgruntled look.
"Oi."
"What? You've gotta admit, Doc, you two have a nice relationship for a Time Lord and a dog."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "She's technically human, you know."
Jack shrugged off the technicality as the Doctor continued.
"She… She had a heart condition before," he informed them, making the atmosphere more solemn. "Given a time limit, lived for decades in the hospital, just surviving. The traveling… it happened after. She said one day the doctors came in and said this is the day you're gonna die and she decided that until then, she was going to live as best she could. Traveled all over the world, just seeing and exploring. Then, one day her heart gave out."
"But then… how did she end up as a dog?" Martha asked. "How did she end up here?"
The Doctor shrugged. "We don't know. She just woke up in that body in some alleyway and I stumbled across her."
"How did Torchwood get a hold of her then?" Jack asked, concerned.
"It was my fault," the Doctor admitted quietly. "It was before we could talk to one another. After I picked her up she was just so upset. She didn't want to leave the Tardis or do anything. I assumed she missed being out there or that she might have a family waiting for her. So, once her broken leg was fixed up, I took her out and let her go." He shook his head, still frustrated with his poor decision even now. "It was a stupid mistake. I hadn't known she was human before. That maybe she was mourning her family back home or whatever else. She never told me what was wrong, but I shouldn't have kicked her out like that. Yvonne found her and tormented her.
"She was just a puppy. A small, starved thing. Being mentally human, only made it that much worse. Experimented on, brutally trained, and brainwashed. She came out of it even more skittish than before. Scared of any human touch, of crowds, loud noises, and shouting. She's only just now been coming out of her shell." He paused thinking. "You know, I don't think she's ever once asked for anything for herself. Don't know if that's because of Yvonne or if it's just her nature. I honestly don't know her as well as you think. I couldn't tell you what she'd be doing right now, if she got away from the Master."
Martha scoffed at that, surprising him. "If there's one thing I know about Ripley, it's that she's probably out there looking for you right now."
Even Jack grinned at that. "Man's best friend, right?"
The Doctor shook his head with a fond smile. "She's not a dog, Jack."
"Doesn't mean she's any less loyal."
Sneaking around was hard when you were a massive beast of a dog, but I did my best and had yet to get caught. There were a few instances where the Master had gotten word of me or I edged a little too close to where he was. I couldn't stray too far away though, not since my goal was tucked away under his thumb. The Tardis song hummed idly in the back of my mind, something I hadn't noticed until just recently during the 18 months I'd been hiding around the Master. She was the one who'd influenced me before, which I wasn't thrilled about. She'd taken advantage of my dog mentality and how I connected with others' emotions and used it to try and keep herself out of the Master's hands. I'd failed, of course, and a hint of guilt ate away at me for that.
My stomach clenched and growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten in a bit, but I ignored it. I'd been surviving off scraps for some time, but today was different. They were moving her, and I needed to get inside. It was almost too easy to do so too. They pulled a truck up back and lifted the Tardis into the back of it. They started to drive off and I threw myself up into the bed of the truck without being spotted by anyone. The Tardis knew I was there too and opened the door for me.
I've never been more relieved to see you, I panted as the ship hummed apologetically. She knew I wasn't happy about being manipulated earlier, but I was over it at this point. Having someone to talk to and a warm place to stay and eat was all that mattered right now. And the fact that sticking with her will give me a chance to meet back up with the Doctor. I frowned at the thought, remembering how he's ignored my warnings and everything. No. Stop it. There's no point in dwelling on it now. It's happened and that's it. I… I can't expect people to understand me like this. I groaned, shaking my body off to throw the thoughts aside as I bounded further into the Tardis.
Knowing what I was looking for, I let out a long whine of joy to walk into the kitchen and find a nice bowl of food waiting for me. Eating something other than leftover takeout in the garbage and rats or cockroaches. Once full, I felt exhaustion creeping in. It had been a long 18 months of high alert and sneaking around or escaping the Master's clutches. The Tardis hummed softly in understanding and as I wandered back out into the halls, she brought me to my room where I clambered up onto the bed and collapsed.
When I woke up, it was after a fitful nightmare. I couldn't remember what happened exactly, just that I was in pain and crying out and no one was there to help me. No one could. It was something that had to happen, something I'd tried to prevent but couldn't. It was as if someone had tore into me and twisted me into something completely different that was so against what I was that I was in constant agony. My own body felt like this now, aching as though I'd run a marathon. I chalked it up to the 18 months I'd just spent on my own and slipped out of the room, only to feel dread.
The halls were lit red and the Tardis seemed to be crying in pain. My nightmare wasn't about me at all, but about what had happened to her while I'd been resting. Something terrible had happened, was happening. I took off running through the hall, rushing to the console room but I had to pull to a halt when I reached it. The Master was standing in there, welding a cage around the center console that had become twisted and altered. The room was lit red and the cries of the Tardis were far louder here, echoing in me and making me want to cry out for her. If I did though, I'd be caught. The Tardis was weakened. If he saw me, I would be caught. She couldn't keep me safe in her halls and there was nothing I could do about what he was doing to her.
A feeling of guilt and failure welled up in me, reminding me of before when I'd failed. Failed to alert the Doctor to the Master. Failed to climb a ladder. Failed to keep Rose from falling into another universe. Failed to be a good child for my parents. Failed to listen to my doctors and nurses.
I shrunk visibly, ducking low to the ground and backing up slow as my tail tucked between my legs. Once further out of sight of the Master, I turned and ran back into the halls, tears slipping from my eyes as the feeling tried to smother me. I was useless again. I couldn't help, not like this. There was nothing I could do, and I was stuck waiting. Waiting for the Doctor to swoop in and do something, and it was tearing me apart.
The Doctor and the others appeared on the Valliant and took off running to reach where the Master would be having his meeting, but the Doctor pulled to a stop early, making Jack frown.
"We've no time for sightseeing."
"No, wait. Shush, shush, shush, shush. Can't you hear it?" The Doctor asked them, hearing something on the edge of his consciousness that was familiar.
"Hear what?"
"Doctor, my family's on board," Martha hissed, reminding him of their priorities, but he was focused on what he was hearing.
"Brilliant. This way."
They begrudgingly hurried after him and found a door that he opened before grinning at what was waiting inside.
"Oh, at last!"
"Oh, yes!" Martha smiled, hopeful.
When they stepped into it though, their hope faltered.
"What the hell's he done?" Jack breathed as the Doctor looked around at his ship, heartbroken.
"What's he done though?" Martha asked. "Sounds like it's sick."
The Doctor edged closer, looking at the misplaced wiring as understanding dawned on him. "It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be."
"Doctor, what is it?"
"He's cannibalized the Tardis."
Jack started to understand too. "Is this what I think it is?"
"It's a paradox machine."
I perked up, poking my head out from under the blankets I'd stuffed myself in since I"d returned from the console room. The Tardis had a hint of hope and worry mixed into her usual cries. I wasn't sure what was going on and a part of me wanted to just bury myself into the covers once more, but the Tardis gave me a mental nudge. I growled, ducking into the blankets. No. What's the point? There's nothing I can do anyway but sit here and wait to be rescued like all the other times.
She prodded me further and when I didn't budge, the bed vanished, leaving me to yelp as I hit the floor. I stood and barked repeatedly expressing my annoyance and frustration in the only way I knew how, but the Tardis was adamant, and even with as little strength as she had, she still managed to boot me from my room and out her doors. I was a little calmer once outside, wondering if her pain had been influencing my mood a bit while remaining tucked away. Still, I didn't like being out here in the open where the Master was undoubtedly roaming about. One more mental nudge to look around had me begrudgingly trodding off, being careful to keep my nose and ears out for guards or other people wherever we were.
Surprisingly enough, there weren't any people roaming around and it wasn't until I found a meeting room that I could poke my head into that I noticed people. A group was sitting around and guards were standing by the doors, making me keep alert and my ears flicked back uneasily. A man stood at the front of the room, addressing some floating orbs of some sort that set me on edge. The fur on my back bristled at the floating things and while they didn't give off any sort of scent from what I could tell, they were definitely dangerous.
"You're not the Master."
"We like the Mister Master," the orbs chimed, unsettling me with their voices that grated on my sensitive ears.
Then, a whiff of something. I perked, nose working to try and find the source but not seeing who I thought I smelled. Doctor? I was startled though when the Master abruptly stood.
"Oh, all right then. It's me. Tada! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy."
"Saxon, what are you talking about?" The man up front demanded as my ears were pinned back to my head in uncertainty as to what was happening.
"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you. Kill him."
The spheres pointed weapons at the man and disintegrated him, shocking me as guns were drawn, herding people back and the Master cackled and bounded up the stairs at the head of the ship.
"Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully."
Suddenly, someone rushed forward and I stared wide-eyed at the Doctor as he was grabbed by a guard.
"We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that."
"Stop it! Stop it now!" The Doctor shouted.
"As if a perception filter's going to work on me. And look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which."
Jack ran forward and I couldn't sit back, throwing myself out of the door with a growl, lunging and grabbing the Master by the wrist before he could use whatever was in his hand.
"Ah! You damn mutt!" He shouted as guards raised their weapons but didn't fire, afraid of shooting him. "Get off!"
"Ripley!" The Doctor gasped as the Master struggled under my weight and I bit down harder to try and get him to drop what was in his hand. "Ripley, stop!"
He's trying to hurt you! I mentally shouted in return, as the Master sneered at me.
"Let him go, Ripley! You'll kill him!"
It hurt to think that the Doctor assumed I would kill him. That our trust in each other was that fragile. The hurt was enough to make me loosen my jaws and the Master smirked, kicking me in the stomach and knocking me off the platform before turning the item in his hand on me. My eyes went wide and the Doctor shouted for him to stop. I clenched my eyes shut and a blast went off before everything went quiet. I peered my eyes open and saw Jack lying beside me, dead.
"Pesky interference," he sneered, before grinning and waving the device he'd tried to kill me with. "Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"
"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself—" The Doctor tried.
"Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute," the Master told the filming camera, before frowning at the guards holding the Doctor. "Let him go."
I wasn't listening to what they were talking about at this point. I was whining over Jack, who'd sacrificed himself to save me. Why? Why would you do this? I-I wasn't even useful. I just caused more trouble for you. I killed you and you don't even know me! There was screaming then and I turned, whipping around to see the Master aiming his screwdriver at the Doctor who squirmed. I saw red, teeth bared and I lunged for the Master to stop him before a gunshot went off and pain ripped through me. I hit the ground at his feet as he laughed. When he stopped, the Doctor was old and crippled, wrinkled and hunched over and tired.
I whined, forcing myself to my feet and fumbling over to him as blood dripped off my fur. Martha grabbed onto him and the Master cooed, bringing in her family for a laugh as I leaned regretfully up against the Doctor. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I had just stopped him getting the Tardis—
"It's not your fault, Ripley. You tried to warn me. This is my problem," he mentally chimed back, sounding tired even then as his hand brushed over me before pulling away with blood on his fingers. "I'm so sorry, Ripley."
I sagged in his lap, just wanting to be close to him as he faced the Master down, as though he hadn't just been torn down by the man.
"The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?"
"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break."
The Toclafane grew excited and the Master started dancing as a sharp pain went through my head. The Tardis was screaming and the Doctor grabbed hold of me, hanging onto me tight and murmuring comforts in my ears.
"I want you to do something for me, Ripley. Can you do that?"
I-I couldn't even help you.
"There was nothing anyone could have done, you need to understand that, Rip. None of this was on you. I just want you to help me with something important. It's going to be hard and I'm sorry I have to ask this of you, but I want you to go with Martha."
No. No! I want to stay with you! I-I need to help you!
"And you will be, but I can't have you stay here. The Master, he… he's already hurt you. This is important, do you understand? You need to go with Martha to keep her safe. So, long as she's safe and protected by you, we can fix this."
What about you? I whined, tucking my face into him in a vain attempt to stay close.
"I'll be okay. I promise. So, you need to keep her and yourself safe from the Master. Can you do that for me?"
I nodded solemnly and he offered me a small smile as I pulled away slowly.
"Thank you," he muttered, giving me a light nudge to go over with Martha.
When he pulled away though, his hand shimmered with gold ever so briefly and some of the pain I'd felt from getting shot was gone. I wondered what he'd done, but when a hand tangled in the fur on my back, I turned to Martha and knew that it was time. Then, we were gone, landing on a grassy hill to watch the world burn.
A full year had passed and with it came the resistance. All those people who'd gathered together to band up against the Master and his tyranny. They hadn't made a big move, not yet, but they were preparing one step at a time, and the leaders of this resistance were the least likely of people. Or, well, the least likely of people and the dog who followed her.
The rumors had spread all over the globe. Martha Jones was the only hope, the only possible hope humankind had to fix this mess. She had a weapon, it was rumored. One that could defeat the Master for good. No regeneration, no nothing. Just death. People had banked their hopes on her. After all, she was the only one who seemed to be accomplishing things. The others who'd tried to stand up against him were gone. Blown away with one sweep of the Toclafane. She had yet to be caught and secretly, where none of the Master's spies could hear, people prayed that she might reach them too and spread the bit of hope that followed.
The dog had been rarely mentioned, surprisingly, but was always there. Occasionally someone would ask if she had a name, but she never really responded to anyone but Martha. She'd grown quiet, aloof, and alert. Her form had bulked up, her puppy fur growing more wild and untamed. She was nearly two now, just about full-grown and reaching a massive size. Her paws alone were massive and threatening but added to her scruffy fur and sharp teeth, she was an imposing figure.
She wandered off on her own sometimes and no human dared approach her. The Master hadn't bothered with her after the Valiant. What damage could a dog do, after all? Yet, even his men were afraid of the beast and hoped they never returned to England. There was a side she rarely showed though, one that had earned Martha's respect. Ripley could read people and understand them far better than she or anyone else around. She knew exactly who to go up to, who to defend her from, who to comfort. She'd saved Martha more than once from spies or people sent to hunt her down for whatever bounty the Master placed on her head. She'd also find lost children or mourning elders and would curl up around them, letting them pet her and sob into her fur.
Yet, she kept back, as though her role wasn't important in this whole mess. It's why so few bothered to remember her. There were some. Those she'd helped or comforted spoke of the wolf-like beast that followed Martha Jones, but most focused on the story they passed along or on Martha herself who told it. If Ripley cared, she never showed it. She was far quieter lately, which made Martha struggle further with understanding her. There wasn't much she could do though. No one could connect to her like the Doctor could, so she'd gone quiet. There were moments, though, when Martha was mostly asleep where she swore the dog curled up against her, keeping her warm, had said something. A soft "good night" or "nearly there." But they rarely happened. Not enough for her to think anything of them.
Their boat pulled ashore late that evening, dropping them back onto the banks of England and Martha clambered out with a smile at the man who awaited them as Ripley jumped out and shook off the dampness of the sea. Martha met up with the man first, knowing that Ripley could smell him where she was with the breeze blowing her way. Given her lack of aggression, Martha assumed all was safe for now and nodded to the man sent to pick them up and take them on.
"What's your name then?"
"Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are, the famous Martha Jones. How long since you were last in Britain?"
"365 days. It's been a long year. Shall we?"
He nodded and started walking, giving Ripley a brief glance as the dog wandered around the beach, not really following but not quite lagging behind either. "Is your dog not coming?"
"She'll come when she wants," Martha shrugged, used to the distance at this point.
They'd gone through a lot in the last year and the relationship between the two wasn't exactly a good one. Still, they were doing what they were told. Ripley protected Martha from whatever she could and Martha spread word of the plan.
"So, what's the plan?" Tom asked, curious himself what would bring them back to Britain where the Master could capture them at any moment.
"This Professor Docherty, I need to see her. Can you get me there?"
"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant Seven. I can get you inside. What's this all for? What's so important about her?"
"Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk," Martha said bluntly.
"There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend."
"And what does the legend say?" She asked, having heard it all.
"That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America, that you were the only person to get out of Japan alive. Martha Jones, they say, she's gonna save the world. A bit late for that."
He brought her over to a vehicle waiting nearby, a little surprised to see Ripley already there and sniffing at the tires.
"How come you can drive?" Martha asked. "Don't you get stopped?"
"Medical staff. Used to be in pediatrics back in the old days, but that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labor camps."
"Great," Martha said with a quirk of her lips. "We're traveling with a doctor."
The vehicle shook a bit and they turned to see Ripley already having climbed into the back and getting settled. The drive was short as they dropped by the nearest area where rockets were set up and Ripley stayed in the truck to wait. From there, they drove on to the workshop where Dotchery would be waiting.
"Professor Dotchery?" Tom called out when they entered, not even drawing the attention of the woman hunched over a television.
"Busy."
"They, uh… they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones."
"She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy," the woman replied, getting a scoff from Ripley before the dog started to roam the yard.
"Televisions don't work anymore," Martha pointed out.
"Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen? But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself." She smacked the TV a few times before the static screen turned on to reveal the Master.
A low growl startled Dotchery, making her eye the snarling Ripley uneasily.
"That thing trained?"
Martha waved her off, focused on the television. "She's fine. She's with me."
The Master was as confident as ever, smirking at the camera as he spoke to his people.
"My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there are all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you, how much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed?"
Ripley had gone quiet as the Doctor was set in front of the camera and the laser screwdriver was aimed at him once more.
"What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them? Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years," he mocked as the Doctor screamed until he vanished into his clothes. "Doctor?" The Master went to see what was left before facing the camera seriously. "Received and understood, Miss Jones?"
The screen went to static and Tom looked at Martha sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
"The Doctor's still alive," she declared, hiding how much the Doctor's screams bothered her.
Ripley brushed her nose against her hand briefly before plodding off herself, letting Martha relax her tense shoulders. Without the transmission, Martha was able to speak with Dotchery about the project she had planned. Namely, taking down a Toclafane to find out what it was.
"No one's been able to look at a sphere close up," Martha said with a smirk, holding up a disk. "They can't even be damaged, except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down, just by chance. I've got the readings on this."
Dotchery was quick to put the disk into her computer, smacking the device when it struggled to work properly. Tom, though, was eyeing Martha curiously.
"So is that why you traveled the world? To find a disk?"
"No. Just got lucky."
"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon," Dotchery mused before the readings finally came up. "There! A current of fifty-eight point five kiloamperes transferred charge of five hundred and ten megajoules precisely."
"Can you recreate that?" Tom asked, hopeful.
"I think so. Easily. Yes."
"Right then, Doctor Milligan, we're going to get us a sphere," Martha grinned, only for a whine and grumble to interrupt their joy, making her frown over at Ripley who was watching them from nearby. "What? You know that was the whole point of me getting this data. Why are you trying to argue with me now?"
Ripley just watched her calmly, not moving from her spot lying on the cement. Martha huffed, shaking her head and muttering under her breath.
"Never understand her. Damn dog." She took a calming breath before speaking up again. "If you don't want to help, then don't. Not like you'd be able to do anything anyway."
Ripley simply lowered her head back onto her paws and stared out into the night. It wasn't until after they managed to catch one and open it that understanding dawned on Martha. The Toclafane were the people from the end of the universe. Those very same people they'd helped climb into a rocket were actually sent off to get turned into flying murder machines. She hadn't expected it and it hurt to finally find out that those things were people she'd met, people like them. Then, she remembered Ripley's whining. The way she tried to warn her about looking at the Toclafane and a flare of anger rushed through her.
"You knew, didn't you?" She bit out, storming over to the dog as she solemnly stared out at the dark. "You knew what they were. How long? How long did you know!"
Ripley didn't respond. Not that she could've really answered Martha in any way. Frustrated, Martha stomped her foot and stormed away slightly, dragging a hand through her hair and shouting again.
"I don't even know why he sent you with me! You haven't done anything! You're just a dog! Why don't you just go! The Master's not even after you! He doesn't even know you exist!"
Ripley shifted, making Martha stop and immediately feel a hint of regret, but her stubbornness prevented her from saying anything as the dog stretched and slowly edged out of the warehouse and into the night.
"I don't need you," Martha breathed, clenching her fists and trying to forget how comforting it had been to have someone there with her when running across America and fleeing Japan before it was bombed. "Not you… and not the Doctor. I can do this on my own. I have to… they're counting on me."
I was tired, exhausted, but trudged forward through the remains of the city. My stomach ached with hunger but I knew there wouldn't be any scraps lying around here. The humans surviving here were struggling and wouldn't leave anything behind. As I checked a few nearby crevices in an alley, I was sorely disappointed. Not even rats. I huffed, moving further into the concrete jungle, occasionally catching a flicker of movement or voices of survivors tucked away in buildings. Hours of wandering only turned up an old, half-rotten rat carcass that was easily downed before I started searching for a place to rest for the night.
I found a knocked-over dumpster and nudged some of the old garbage in it aside before curling up in it. I could hear the chatter of people in the building beside me and as Martha's scent drifted on the breeze, I sighed. I knew she would be entering this city sooner or later and just searched for the biggest gathering of humans I could. She may not be thrilled with me but I wasn't going to forget my promise to the Doctor. He sent me to protect her and I would, whether she wanted me around or not.
It's the only thing I can do.
I listened idly to the murmur of people before I started to drift off to sleep. Then, the sounds changed. I heard the whir of machinery, the hum of cars, and multiple footsteps. It didn't bode well and I crawled out of my hide to see a woman in rags rushing into the building Martha was in. What bothered me wasn't her, but what I saw when I peered out from the alleyway.
Cars blocked the one side of the road and Toclafane hovered as soldiers and the Master himself stepped out to call out to Martha within. I growled low in my throat but stayed just out of sight for now. There was no point in rushing out before I knew what he was planning and what options were available to me. I need to stick to Martha. She'll come out if he threatens people and us returning here was all part of the plan anyway. Still, I have to be cautious. I kept watch on the situation as the Master readied his men.
"I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself. What would the Doctor do?" He teased and, sure enough, Martha stepped out of the flat.
"Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. He trained you well. Bag. Give me the bag," he demanded, pulling out his laser screwdriver as I crept closer to Martha while staying out of sight. "No, stay there. Just throw it."
Martha tossed him her bag and he destroyed it easily, sending a chill down my spine. Between him and the soldiers, any sudden movement on my part could very well end up with my death. I'd gotten lucky on the Valiant. The Doctor had helped me somehow, but there was no Doctor here.
"And now, good companion, your work is done." He lifted the screwdriver and pointed it at her, making my hackles rise just as Tom rushed out from the flat.
"No!"
I saw the Master turn the device towards him and mentally cursed, rushing out and grabbing his arm, twisting him and pulling him to the ground just at the shot was fired that would've ended his life. The Master sneered at me as I turned and growled, bristled and baring my teeth as I stood beside Martha and protectively in front of Tom.
"The Doctor's dog," he spat. "Stupid beast, but loyal as ever, it seems." He turned his gaze to Martha. "But I suppose when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm? Almost dawn, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war. Take them," he commanded and soldiers started forward, making me move in front of Martha and he aimed the screwdriver my way. "Don't."
I licked my chops uneasily, instinctually not wanting my one job of protecting Martha to be ruined, but she tangled her hand in the fur on my scruff and I calmed myself. The Master walked back to his car and Martha was cuffed while I was leashed and muzzled begrudgingly. We were brought up to the Valiant as dawn approached, edging ever closer and making me anxious. I pawed at the muzzle that was strapped too tight and pressed against my snout and rubbed the back of my head. The soldier tasked with watching me bumped my ribs with the butt of his gun, making me snarl at him as he jerked the prong collar around my neck.
It reminded me of Yvonne and the correction only made me angrier as I was shoved into the room with Martha. I snarled and snapped at the soldier who continued to try and control me with just the leash and collar before the Master sighed.
"Enough. Just shut the dog up, will you?"
Martha grabbed me by the scruff. Not hard or anything, just getting my attention and tugging me to her side as the soldier watched in uncertainty. He still held the end of the leash but it was slack and he seemed rather grateful Martha had taken control of me over him. She wasn't really paying attention now though, her eyes focused on her family nearby and loosening her grip on me as we moved further into the room. The soldier stayed behind this time, forcing me to stop with him, which made me growl and start to trudge forward. Given my size, the only thing really against me was the lack of traction on the ground and the soldier struggled to stop me as the Master rolled his eyes.
"Oh, just let her go. Not like she can do anything like that, and if she does…" His eyes went cold. "Just shoot her."
I growled, but the soldier let me go as I moved up between Martha and the Master as the man started down the steps to face us.
"Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten," he demanded, and Martha tossed it to him. "And now, kneel."
Martha knelt down without issue, but I didn't move, hovering partially over her now.
"Down below, the fleet is ready to launch," the Master hummed, tossing around his laser screwdriver before checking on a monitor. "Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"
"The fleet awaits your signal, rejoice!"
"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"
The Toclafane outside the ship buzzed. "We will fly and blaze and slice," they chanted, making my ears flick back as I circled and paced around Martha.
"At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die. My first blood. Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless. More than your damn dog."
I growled again, moving in front of Martha as he aimed his sonic.
"Maybe I should take care of it first. Damn creature doesn't have a clue, does it? Loyal to a fault. Ugly looking thing. Why bother with a beast like this anyway, Doctor? Short lifespan, can't even use a weapon other than its teeth which—as you can see—are easily made useless."
I barked aggressively again, making him roll his eyes.
"Oh, shut up!"
I expected the fire of his laser screwdriver, but it didn't come. He hadn't fired because a noise had cut through the air when I growled. Chuckles. Laughter from Martha. He scowled, lowering his weapon as I shifted to Martha's side.
"What? What's so funny?"
"A gun," she reminded him, mentioning the rumor that had been spread across the globe.
"What about it?"
"A gun in four parts?"
"Yes, and I destroyed it."
"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?" She mocked him, making him angry.
"What do you mean?"
Then, a gravelly voice from the hanging birdcage across the room. "As if I would ask her to kill," the Doctor breathed.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her," the Master said.
"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here at the right time."
"Oh, but you're still going to die," he laughed.
"Don't you want to know what I was doing, traveling the world?"
"Tell me," he gave in.
"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own with Ripley. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."
"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master scoffed.
"No, because I gave them an instruction, just as the Doctor said. I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time—"
"Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer? Your dog could do better!"
"—Right across the world, in word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites."
Understanding started to dawn on him. "What?"
"The Archangel Network," Jack spoke up as Martha nodded.
"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor."
The Master's counter hit zero and the Doctor began to glow as everyone in the world came together to think of him. Of his stories and hope, of all the things he did and was going to do. The Master was beginning to panic now and I winced at the echoing of the Doctor's title being spread out all across the globe. My head throbbed and I whined slightly but kept my place between Martha and the Master as the Doctor began to return to himself and faced the man who'd caused all this.
"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices. The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this."
Martha rushed back to her family and the Master brought up his laser screwdriver to fire at the Doctor but I'd taken the time to finally pull off my muzzle and rushed at him, taking the screwdriver from his hand and crushing it in my jaws. Call me stupid again, I dare you, I snarled as I growled at him, his eyes widening as he frowned at me.
"H-How did you…"
"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized, drawing his attention back to him. "I'm so sorry."
Te Master had run out of options. "You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!"
"And you know what happens now," the Doctor said calmly, drifting towards the man who cringed away and sank to the ground. "You wouldn't listen because you know what I'm gonna say."
And the Doctor did something amazing that no one thought would've happened. His feet touched the ground and he walked over to the man cowering in the corner, pulling him close.
"I forgive you."
"My children," the Master hissed, trying one last thing.
I could hear the buzzing of the Tocalfane coming towards us, growing uneasy as the Doctor called out.
"Captain, the paradox machine!"
Jack took the guards to go help the Tardis just as the Master reached for the vortex manipulator he'd taken from Martha.
"No!"
The two vanished and I looked around, uncertain of what to do as Martha rushed for the controls.
"We've got all six billion spheres heading right for us!"
We could see them outside the windows now and I growled in frustration before they suddenly vanished and the ship jostled and jerked. A white-hot flare of pain went through my head making me cry out and stagger to the ground. It was the Tardis again. She'd been screaming in the back of my mind the entire year, crying and fighting and doing her best to keep it quiet for me. With the paradox reversing though, the pain was brought back in full force.
"Everyone, get down! Time is reversing!" The Doctor shouted, having reappeared at some point as I slipped on the floor and fell in the corner under the stairs.
Then, everything stopped as though it'd never happened. My body went slack as I panted, ears ringing and head aching. I didn't dare try to stand, worried I'd just tumble again or the ship would jerk under my feet.
"The paradox is broken. We've reverted back," the Doctor called out from the upper deck. One year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning." He tweaked a comms control to hear UNIT questioning the assassination of the President. "See? Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."
"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.
"Trapped at the end of the universe."
"But I can remember it," Martha's mother breathed, scared.
"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know," the Doctor explained before greeting her husband joyfully.
I could feel it though, the terror, the bitterness, and anger. The people here were scared, terrified, and furious. A whole year of their lives everyone else forgot but one that will hold them hostage for decades to come. Nightmares, anxiety, the thoughts of "Did I imagine it?" and "Will it happen again?" rattling through their heads. I could sense it and even as I hauled myself to my feet, I began to wonder what this meant for me.
I'd done my duty as the Doctor wanted, but I felt no more accomplished than I had when the Master had gotten into the Tardis. I still felt like I'd done little to nothing. I'd changed nothing. Helped no one. I wasn't even a threat on the Master's radar, just a daft mutt with no business even being near the Doctor, much less his companion. So, was I angry with the Master and what he'd done? Yes. The man tormented a whole world, a species, for fun. He'd slaughtered their future and brought it back to kill them before ruling the world and planning on nuking the universe. Did I want him dead? Surprisingly, no. I wanted him punished. I wanted him to regret what he did, but there was something off about him that had annoyed me ever since we'd first met.
I hadn't paid much attention to it then. I'd been so focused on running away and searching for the Doctor. Now though, I could feel it. He was scared. Scared more than anyone, and it wasn't because he knew he would get punished for what he'd done. It wasn't really because of the Doctor and his kindness either. He took that with begrudging acceptance because that was a very Doctor thing to do. No, there was something else he was frightened of and it was just on the tip of my senses.
Said man had tried to make a run for the door but was easily stopped by Jack who cuffed him and hauled him back to the center of the room.
"So, what do we do with this one?"
"We kill him," Martha's father bit out, followed by her sister.
"We execute him."
"No, that's not the solution," the Doctor tried to stop them, but I wasn't really listening right now.
No, I'd edged closer to the Master, sniffing at his ankle despite his scowl and light shooing me off with his foot. Francine had picked up a pistol then, leveling it with his head and I paused in my sniffing, perking up lightly at the panic and frustration and fear she was feeling.
"Oh, I think so. Because all those things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."
"Go on. Do it," the Master encouraged the woman who was on the brink of tears as the Doctor came up beside her.
"Francine, you're better than him."
She was quivering and I knew she needed another push. I could feel her debating the pros and cons to shooting him, so I slowly moved in front of the Master, drawing her eyes to me. As expected, her face crumpled and the Doctor pulled her close as she dropped her gun. He handed her off to Martha though, giving me a fond look before frowning a the Master.
"You still haven't answered the question," the Master snapped. "What happens to me?"
"You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lord left in existence," the Doctor replied as Jack headed over.
"Yeah, but you can't trust him."
"No... The only safe place for him is in the Tardis."
The Master's expression fell. "You mean you're just going to keep me? Like your damn dog?"
"If that's what I have to do. It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long. Now, I've got someone to care for."
A gunshot rang out and the Master faltered back, surprising even me as I hadn't noticed the buildup of tension coming from the calmest person in the room. Lucy, the Master's wife had picked up the pistol Francine dropped and shot him. My eyes tore from her to the Master as my mind seemed to jolt into a panic. I did it again. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't notice before it was too late. Why? Because she's so detached? Because the Doctor was talking as though I didn't exist? The Master is the only one he cares for? What about me? Do I not matter? Did I not do a good enough job? What do I do? What do I do now?
The Doctor rushed past me and grabbed the Master as he crumpled, leaving me standing by awkwardly, just staring in shock while Jack took the pistol from Lucy and disarmed it.
"Always the women," the Master scoffed, wincing in pain.
"I didn't see her," the Doctor apologized.
"Dying in your arms. Happy now?"
"You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate," the Doctor argued, but the Master was stubborn.
No. The Master was scared.
"No."
"One little bullet. Come on," the Doctor pressed, ignoring his refusal.
"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."
"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please. Please! Just regenerate. Come on!" The Doctor cried, his pain echoing in me as I edged closer, catching the Master's attention.
"Look. You've even got your damn dog worrying." He scoffed. "Spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you. Please."
You're scared.
His eyes snapped to me, cringing as he shifted and snapped at me. "Shut up."
Frightened. Terrified. Of what? I pressed, sniffing at him in confusion. The Doctor, sure. Being trapped with him would be hard for you but not because you'll be imprisoned. Because you'll be changed. You don't want to change. You…
Dun dun dun dun.
I paused, body going stiff. I'd found it. I found what he was scared of and my eyes went to his in understanding as he bristled.
"Don't you dare," he snarled, a hint of that fear welling up again. "You're an animal. Just a fucking beast. You don't know me. You will never understand me."
"Ripley?" The Doctor murmured, confused and I spared him the briefest of glances as I sat and turned to stare back down at the Master.
You want to die to make it stop.
The Master said nothing, just glaring but with a hint of uncertainty. He didn't like my prying but I understood. I knew better than the Doctor what he was scared of because no one else could hear it but us. He looked over at the Doctor then, cracking a smirk as the man cried.
"How about that… I win." Then, his mask cracked a bit. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?"
The Doctor didn't have an answer for him and I bowed my head solemnly as the Master died and the Doctor wailed. Once again, he was the last.