Kiel
When I came to, I found the three had returned to the laboratory. Sitting up, I clutched my head, feeling the pounding and hearing the bells in my ears. Looking around, I saw Martha crouching down by Chantho. I quickly scrambled over to the women. Although I hated the predicament I was in, Chantho had been a friend to me since we'd arrived. Angrily, I brushed past Martha and placed a hand on Chantho's cheek, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. Although I had been there against my will, she was but an innocent bystander in the entire thing; she had nothing to do with it. The Master had fooled them all, and in the end, she had paid for it. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I brushed it off and stood. I didn't need any sympathy, or want it for that matter. These people were nothing but strangers to me, they meant nothing.
"I'm sorry about her," the woman, Martha, said. I knew she was sincere but I couldn't help the fact that I was pissed. Usually, I was the worst to be around when my temper flared but, I took time to control it while around Chantho. She always ended up a bit scared when I did blow up.
"She was a friend," I coolly replied, turning away from her, before moving over to the men. Jack seemed to be having a hard time keeping the door closed but I was unsure if they'd actually want my help. Both men seemed to be proud, although one, the Doctor, spewed arrogance. It made him wonder how he could have gotten to be that way... if he was always that way. "What do you need me to do?" The Doctor said nothing as he did whatever he had taken to doing. I wasn't looking forward to hearing him answer though; I was banking more on Jack, and he delivered.
"Help me hold the door. We need to keep the Future-kind out." Nodding, I went over and pushed against the door with all I could. It was a moot effort considering there were however many Future-kind trying to push their way in and only two of us attempting to keep them out.
As we did our best to keep the Future-kind out of the room, the Doctor finally stopped what he was doing and ran over, grabbing Jack's arm and using his sonic device on it. "Hold still!" He ordered as the door was pushed against and Jack was forced back some. "Don't move! Hold it still!"
I rolled my eyes at him, but then realised he was probably frantic over Rys. She was just kidnapped by a murderous maniac; who knew what he would do to her. Jack on the other hand seemed to be incredibly annoyed with the Doctor and whatever he decided to do with the vortex manipulator on his wrist. "I'm telling you, it's broken. It hasn't worked for years!"
"That's because you didn't have me. Martha, Kiel, grab hold. Now!" Releasing the door, I placed my hand atop the bracelet and felt a rush of air. Suddenly we appeared in an alleyway. To be honest, I was slightly surprised that he'd included me. Then again, Rys might have said something to him. Even if he'd left me behind, I'd built my own means of transport. With the little technology we had, I'd built up my own manipulator, one coded to my genetic structure. Unlike the trip we'd had, mine would have left me with no side effects, but hey I wasn't going to complain... much.
"Oh, my head," Martha complained as she held her head for a moment. I stumbled a bit, gaining my balance a second later.
"Time travel without a capsule," the Doctor and I said in unison. He turned, eyeing me suspiciously. I guess he wasn't used to people being as knowledgeable as him, although it was pretty damn obvious that travelling without a capsule would have some effect on the body.
"How did you know that?"
"Just do. I know a lot of things."
"How? Even if you're from the year hundred billion, there's no way you could know that."
I rolled my eyes at his idiocy. If the Master wasn't from that year, what the hell gave him any idea that I was. "Does it really matter? My…" I stopped, catching myself before I said anything further. He didn't know but I knew she did, I could feel it. Sighing, I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Look, your wife or whatever was kidnapped by a psychotic old man. Who knows what he's done… or has planned to do to her." The Doctor and I glared at each other before I stalked off down the sidewalk, leaving the others to follow.
Trying to ease the tension that had grown, Jack spoke up. "Still, at least we made it. Earth, 21st century, by the looks of it." He chuckled. "Talk about lucky."
"That wasn't luck. That was me," the Doctor ground out. With the uneasy expression Martha had, I moved her to a bench and pushed her down, knowing that a bit of rest would do her good, especially if it was her first time travelling without a capsule. The other two sat with her, leaving me to stand behind the bench.
"The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator."
"But this Master bloke, he's got the Tardis. He could be anywhere in time and space," Martha reasoned. She was making a very good point. The only way anyone could be certain that he was in the times would be if the Tardis controls were fused in a way that would allow for him to travel between the last two destinations. From the way the Doctor was, that was probably what he did.
"No, he's here. Trust me."
"Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor."
"No, it wasn't. Yana was just the human persona of the Master. If you hadn't mentioned anything about the watch, we wouldn't be in this predicament," I snapped, causing the Doctor to glare at me, not that I cared. If they hadn't showed up, if Martha hadn't brought the watch to his attention, everything would have been fine. He would have died and I would have left; my plan would have been completed in full, with no worries about him.
"If the Master's a Time Lord, then he must have regenerated."
"What does that mean?"
"It means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything- new man," Jack explained. I nodded in agreement before I turned to a beggar tapping a four beat rhythm on his tin mug. It was odd but it was something that barely mattered at the moment.
I glanced at Martha as she began to speak. "Then how are we going to find him?"
"I'll know him… the moment I see him. Time Lords always do."
"But hold on. If he could be anyone… we missed the election. But it can't be," the woman trailed off as she turned to a series of public televisions that were broadcasting the news.
"Mister Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters." An extremely blond man and woman walked down the steps with a familiar lilac haired woman slowly walking behind them. Her head was down, hiding her features from the view of the cameras. It seemed as if all her energy was being put into getting down those stairs. She looked a lot thinner than she had just minutes ago, and I couldn't help the flash of anger that coursed through me. Unable to control it, one of the televisions exploded, bringing attention to it from pedestrians and the three with me. Before they could question it though, Martha decided to speak.
"I said I knew that voice when he spoke inside the Tardis. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."
"That's him. He's Prime Minister."
"That's not the only thing," Jack said, pointing to the woman behind the pair. I brought my eyes back to one of the televisions as the others saw her for the first time. Rys seemed to have looked up, no longer having to walk down the stairs. However, she seemed to be swaying a bit, a guard having a steadfast hold on her arm. Her face was gaunt and there were dark circles under her eyes, most likely from the lack of sleep, or whatever the Master was doing to her.
"Mister Saxon, this way sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir."
"Rys… Wait, the Master is the Prime Minister of Great Britain." the Doctor said bewildered. I gritted my teeth as my anger increased; he seemed to not care about her, his curiosity of the matter seemed to override the fact she looked so unwell. "The Master and his wife?"
"Does it matter?" Jack snapped, thankfully. I was about ready to hit him for his lack of concern. "Why the hell is Rys standing there with him and why does she look sick?"
Before the Doctor could reply, the Master spoke. "This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now… is a Doctor." The three of us glanced at the Doctor before I turned away and moved a few feet away from the three, fuming. He knew we were here and it was only a matter of time before we all were in the same room. When that time came, I'd make sure to have him pay for everything he'd ever done to me and her. The Master wouldn't live to see another regeneration.
Pulling a face, I moved a bit closer to them and turned to Martha. "Hey, you have a computer, right?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"We're going to your house. I could use it to figure out what that bastard's planning." Martha nodded and began to lead the way to her flat.
As we walked in, Martha let out a content breath, seeming happy to be in the very familiar place. "Home." After she'd closed the door, the three of us followed her into the living room.
"What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything," the Doctor questioned before he turned to Jack who had taken out his mobile. Martha disappeared into another room, most likely her bedroom, to retrieve the computer. The Doctor turned to Jack, eyeing him suspiciously. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here." I rolled my eyes as I plopped down on the sofa. The Master already knew we were there, maybe not our exact location but he knew we were around. It was only a matter of time... though, then again, humans were habitual by nature and the first place most went when in danger was home. If he was going by that, then we were screwed.
"Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply."
Martha returned with her laptop, setting the machine on a desk. "Here you go. Any good?"
Jack nodded and sat in the chair, taking control of the computer. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages." He continued to click away as the Doctor hovered over him.
"That's so weird, though. It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you and Rys."
"We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time."
"You going to tell us who he is?" Martha finally asked. I'd been waiting for someone to ask that question and to be honest, it took way too long for my liking. It should have been one of the first ones asked.
"He's a Time Lord."
"What about the rest of it? I mean, who'd call himself 'the Master'?"
"That's all you need to know," he replied, barely glancing at the woman. I rolled my eyes but understood why he didn't want to say anymore. Instead, I silently watched the two men scramble for information. "Come on, show me Harold Saxon." I watched Martha sigh and move to an end table, turning on her answering machine, only to shut it off a moment after the woman has started to speak.
"Oh, like it matters."
Finally pulling up the screen, commercials of Saxon advocators popped up. It was a bit shocking that he'd gotten so many people to rally for him, but then again, he did always seemed to have a sort of hypnotic aspect to him. It was subtle but for the most part, it worked for him. Not caring for what was being said in the commercials, I ignored them, only tuning back in when Jack began to speak. "Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." He turned to the Doctor. "Nice work, by the way."
"Oh, thanks."
"But he goes back years. He's famous. Everyone knows his story. Look," Martha said as she pointed to the screen. "Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the Athletics thing. Wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life." I sighed and sank further into the chair, watching as Jack stood and left the room. He returned a few minutes later, four mugs of tea in hand.
"But he's got the Tardis. Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades."
"No," the Doctor and I said. That earned me another untrusting glare to which I rolled my eyes at. I wasn't there for him to trust me. The only reason he'd brought me along was because Rys had probably told him to do so. I ground my teeth as I thought of her. She knew and everything told me the Master was hurting her, it was almost as if I could feel it, hell, seeing her on the steps was enough to tell me that. Glancing at the Doctor, I saw his grim and angry expression. He probably felt it more than I did, them being together. His eyes were frantic and his body rigid. He was silently seething, holding it all in until he was in the presence of the Master. If it came to it, I wouldn't stop the man if he killed him, but I knew he wouldn't. One thing I'd realised since I'd met him was that he aimed to help, not kill. It did, however make me feel a bit better and come to understand that he was doing his best to remain calm. The fury of a Time Lord was something one wanted to avoid... the receiver would always get what they desired; bring their own downfall. I could see it, he was holding back so he wouldn't scare us, although something told me both had seen some of his fury.
"Why not? Worked for me."
"When he was stealing the Tardis, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them, permanently," the Doctor explained to Jack. "He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the Tardis landed, which is right here, right now."
"Yeah, but… a little leeway?"
"Well, eighteen months? Tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months. So how has he managed all this? The Master was always sort of hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale." I gave a chaste nod in agreement before taking a sip of tea. It wasn't half bad, then again, everything's better than the crap I had before.
"I was going to vote for him."
The Doctor snapped his head in her direction. "Really?"
"Well, it was before I even met you… and I liked him."
"Me too," Jack agreed. The Doctor seemed bewildered by their confessions, but he seemed to be forgetting just how hypnotic the man could be.
"Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?"
"I don't know. He always sounded… good," Martha replied, a distant expression on her face. Glancing down at her hands, I saw her tapping the same four beat rhythm as the beggar. "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about… I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice."
"What's that?"
"What?"
"That- that tapping, that rhythm. What are you doing?" the Doctor growled, making the woman jump.
"I don't know. It's nothing. It's just- I don't know." As she answered, there was a pop up that said Saxon was broadcasting. The Doctor reached for the remote that sat on the end table beside me but I grabbed it before he could and turned on the television.
"Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom," the Doctor said, bitterly might I add.
"Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen- Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London, all those ghosts and metal men, the Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me, not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this- citizens of Great Britain… I have been contacted- a message for humanity, from beyond the stars."
A black sphere appeared beside the Master. "People of Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts- we bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."
"Ooo, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane."
"What?"
"What the hell is he doing," I growled, causing Jack to glance at me. I paid him no mind, my attention solely on the Master.
"And tomorrow morning, they will appear- not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe- every man, woman, and child, every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?"
The Doctor raced to the television and turned it around, showing sticks of explosive strapped to its back. "Out!" the Doctor ordered as Jack and Martha ran out. I followed behind him, waiting until he had grabbed the laptop to race after him. As we reached the street, the first floor exploded, a massive fireball smashing the windows. "All right?"
"Fine, yeah, fine," Jack replied as he dusted some debris off his coat.
I moved to the nearby building and leant against the wall, watching as Martha took out her mobile. The Doctor turned, seeing her as well. "Martha? What are you doing?"
She continued to dial a number on her phone, seeming to ignoring him as she did so. "He knows about me. What about my family."
"Don't tell them anything!"
"I'll do what I like," she snapped. Someone must have answered since the tone of her voice changed. "Mum! Oh my God, you're there."
I stood up, walking towards a camera and examining it. The whole place was littered with CCTV, making things a lot more difficult for us. "We should move. We're too exposed out here," I said as I faced the trio.
The Doctor scoffed. "Right, and you would know all about that."
"Yes, I would. Listen, I know you're worried about her but don't take it out on me. I've done nothing to harm her."
"You could have kept him away from her. You could have protected her!"
"Right, because I chose to be hit with a metal pipe and knocked unconscious."
"You could have done something. You have no idea what he's capable of. She could be dead," the Doctor snarled, taking a menacing step towards me. I stood my ground, glaring at him; there was no way in hell I would back down. Too much had happened for me to let him bitch me about.
"I know exactly what he's capable of! Who are you to say I don't know? You know NOTHING about me. So keep your damn opinions to yourself and piss off, old man because right now, the only person I care about is with the Master and I'll do whatever it takes to rescue her." I then stormed off, opting for an alley in order to calm myself down. From my spot, I could hear Martha and the Doctor arguing. A moment later, Jack stood before me. There was a sympathetic expression on his face as he looked at me. I did my best not to let it bother me; it wasn't his fault the Doctor was an arsehole.
"Come on. We're leaving." I nodded and followed the man, getting into the back of Martha's car with him. Once piled in, she sped off like a demon out of hell.
As she sped down the road, Martha did her best to avoid oncoming traffic as she manoeuvred the busy streets. As she did so, she began to make another phone call, begging for someone named Tish to answer. Tish did so but a second later we all heard as she seemed to be taken from wherever she was. "What's happening? Tish!" Martha turned to the Doctor. "It's your fault. It's all your fault!" As we pulled up to Martha's parent's... or maybe her mum's place, men were trying to get the older woman into a police van.
"I was helping you! Get off me! Martha, get out of here! Get out!"
One of the men said something and the armed police took their positions. I stared at the woman with us, wondering if she was so shocked that she had become paralysed. I'd seen it happen a few times and the current situation wasn't the best for her to freeze up on. "Martha, reverse," the Doctor said from his spot beside her.
"Take aim."
"Get out now!"
"Fire!" Martha finally came out of her shock and put the car in reverse, pulling a three point turn as bullets slammed into the car.
"Move it!" Jack yelled as the rear window shattered, showering him and me with glass. Sitting back up, I brushed the glass off and stared out the destroyed rear-view window.
"The only place we can go planet Earth. Great!" Martha said spitefully as she drove.
"Careful!"
Groaning, Jack sat up in the seat, placing himself between the two front seats. "Martha, listen to me. Do as I say. We've got to ditch this car. Pull over. Right now!" She did a Jack said and we were soon standing at an underpass in the rain.
"Martha, come on!" the Doctor said to her as she began to make another phone call. I sighed, understanding her need to contact her family. It was instinct, the desire to know that your family was safe and so far, it seemed as if the relative she was speaking to was the only one out of the Master's grasp. At the same time though, I could understand the Doctor's desire to leave them. They weren't his family and the only person he cared about was in the Master's clutches. He wanted to reach her, to take her from whatever nightmare she was experiencing. I looked up as the voice on the other end changed.
"Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me! Let them go!" The Doctor quickly strode over and took the phone.
"I'm here." I walked over to him, ignoring the glare the man sent me. I needed to know what he was saying. I needed to know she was safe. Still, with the Doctor's constant glare, I kept just enough distance so that I could clearly hear the Master's end of the conversation.
"Doctor."
"Master."
"I like it when you use my name."
"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."
"As you chose yours- the man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"
"So… Prime Minster, then?" I rolled my eyes at the conversation. I was getting nothing out of it, no useful information. It was just two men basically sizing the other up.
"I know! It's good, isn't it?"
"Who are those creatures? 'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane- it's just a made up name, like the Bogeyman," the Doctor replied, ignoring his previous comment.
"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor?"
"Gone."
My eyes shot to the Time Lord before me. "How can Gallifrey be gone?" the Master asked in quiet outrage. I wondered the same thing as well. How could our planet be gone? What had I missed? What happened?
"It burnt."
"And the Time Lords?"
"Dead. And the Daleks, more or less. What happened to you?"
"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. So was your darling son. We saw it. We ran. We ran so far. I made myself human, so they would never find me, because… I was scared. But that worthless boy," he angrily spat, "he didn't change at all. He remained a Time Lord and so I locked him up, kept him from leaving, from alerting them. I was so scared." I looked away, silently recalling everything the man had done to me prior to becoming Yana. Unknowingly my fists had clenched and the sudden urge to make my way to wherever the man was filled me. Realising my murderous thoughts, I began to count, only to stop when I had fully calmed. While he deserved to die, I didn't want to be in a rage when it happened; that would be a quick death. I wanted him to suffer.
"I know."
"All of them? But not you, which must mean…"
"I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything."
"Did she stand beside you? Did the Destroyer see the monster you'd become?"
"She had already left."
"What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilisations, burning. Oh, tell me. How did that feel?"
"Stop it!"
"You must have been like God."
"I've been alone until ever since, but not anymore. Not after finding Rys. Don't you see? All we've got is each other."
"Are you asking me out on a date? I don't think your wife would like that very much."
"You know she's not just my wife." Both men were silent for what seemed like an eternity. "You could stop this, right now. We could leave this planet, the three of us. We can fight- across the constellations, if that's what you want, but not on Earth."
"Too late."
"Why do you say that?"
"The drumming. Can't you hear it? Your precious wife does… you should see her, writhing in such… agony. I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."
"I could help you. Please, let me help."
"She's heard it, you know. It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums." The four of us turned our attention to a lounging man as he began to tap the rhythm Martha had earlier on his thigh. I snatched the phone from the Doctor.
"What the hell have you done?"
"Ah, has he figured it out yet? I'd guess not. He's so thick sometimes. Always has been. Would you like to speak to mummy?"
"Shut up! What the hell are those things? The Toclafane are just nightmares, tall tales. What are they… no, who are they?" I snarled. It would be idiotic not to recognise the genius the man was. Especially since he couldn't really use the Tardis. However, whatever he was using her for, it wouldn't and wasn't good.
"You've obviously inherited your mum's brains. Tell you what… Ooo look. You're on TV."
"Answer me!"
"No, really. You're on the telly. You and the rest of the gang, which…" I growled and handed the phone to the Doctor, turning to the shop window that had a television on. The ticker said there was a nationwide hunt for terrorist suspects, then showing the picture of the four of us.
"Who also identifies himself as the 'Captain'. They are known to be armed and dangerous."
"He can see us," the Doctor said before he used his sonic screwdriver on the CCTV camera. "He's got control of everything."
"What do we do?"
"We've got nowhere to go."
"Doctor, what do we do?"
"We run," the Time Lord simply stated.
I stared at him bewildered. "We can't just run!" Running wasn't something I had banked on. It was never a solution. I'd always been taught to stand and figure out a solution. Running only led to more problems.
"What are we supposed to do then? He has eyes everywhere and we have no plan. Right now, we run!" I grimaced but said nothing more. Silently, I followed the trio, no longer caring where they led me but knowing I would stand before the Master one way or another.
The four of us stopped running when we reached an abandoned warehouse in a less populated area of London. After squatting for a few hours, Martha had left to gather up some food. Majority of those hours were spent with the trio silently planning their next move and me standing in the farthest corner. More than once Jack and Martha had tried to get me to join their group but I refused, feeling irritation set in the longer I was around the Doctor. The entire phone call, he didn't even ask about her, he didn't even question whether or not she was safe. Granted, I hadn't either but his mention of her, it told me she was AT LEAST alive.
When Martha had returned with the takeaway, the two men sat down in two of the three seats as she came and handed me a box. I thanked her before setting it aside and inching a bit closer to the three. While I didn't want to be anywhere near the man, I wanted to know what was being said; I had to know what the conversation was about.
"How was it?" Jack asked her as he fiddled with his Vortex Manipulator.
"I don't think anyone saw me. Anything new?"
"I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing."
"Yeah, I meant about my family," Martha snapped in irritation. I smirked as Jack gave her a sheepish grin in apology.
"Still says the Jones family taken in for questioning. Tell you what, though- no mention of Leo."
"He's not as daft as he looks. I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"
"Nice chips."
"Actually, they're not bad." I watched as Martha and Jack shared a glance, the former silently asking him to question about the Master. It was slightly amusing to see them so hesitant to ask him about the Master. It wasn't like it was something to be hidden.
"So, Doctor… who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?" I snorted at Jack's wording. It was extremely accurate in respect to the Master. The man never had any regard for life besides his own... much like a dalek.
The three glanced at me, the Doctor's more of a glare, but they returned to their conversation... or well light interrogation. "And what is he to you? A colleague or…"
"A friend, at first."
"I thought you were going to say your secret brother or something," Martha chuckled.
"You've been watching too much TV."
"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect."
"Gallifrey was far from perfect… at least once the Time War kicked in," I stated with a shrug. "Prior to, sure, it could have been up there but it was stifled by war."
"He's right. It was 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, are taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. 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. I don't know. Thing is, how do you know this, Kiel?"
"You honestly thought you were the last three Time Lords?" I said with a scoff. "Rys figured it out… spent the whole time trying to figure it out."
"You're a Time Lord?"
"Born and bred. I even fought in the war for a short time."
"What happened?" Jack questioned.
"I was kidnapped and declared dead."
"Wait, what about you?"
"Huh?"
"Which one were you, Doctor?"
"Oh, the ones that ran away. I never stopped."
"What about you, Kiel?"
"I don't fit in any of the categories," I answered just as Jack's Vortex Manipulator beeped.
"Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognise it."
"Patch it through to the laptop."
"Um, since we're telling stories, um, there's something I haven't told you," Jack hesitantly stated as he glanced up at the Doctor. I stared at the two in confusion as the Torchwood logo appeared on the laptop as he patched his vortex manipulator to the laptop.
"You work for Torchwood?"
"I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."
"Everything Torchwood did... all the anguish and death, and you're part of it?"
"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you, in your honour." The Doctor glanced at Jack a moment before he pressed the space key, starting the transmission.
"If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means if you're watching this, then I'm…" the woman on the screen paused, not really wanting to address that she was dead. "Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started, when Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network."
"What's the Archangel Network?"
"I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it."
"It's a mobile phone network, 'cause look," Jack said, pulling up the screen of what he wanted to show us, "it's gone worldwide. They've got fifteen satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel."
"It's in the phones! Oh, I said he was a hypnotist. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He soniced Martha's phone and it began to beep, sending out those four thumps that I had been hearing since we'd arrived. Always those four beats. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere, ticking away in the subconscious."
"What is it, mind control?"
"No, no, no, no, no. It's subtler than that. Any stronger, and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code, 'Vote Saxon. Believe in me', whispering to the world." The Doctor ran his hands through his hair as he figured it out. "Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from me, 'cause I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth, I should have known way back, but… the signal cancelled him out."
"You couldn't sense me."
"Yes, but that's extremely different." I shrugged, believing him. There were multiple things I could do to keep myself hidden from other Time Lords; it helped during the war, keeping me safe from the Daleks and giving the Master that much of a harder time in finding me. He did eventually, but it took him months of searching. It was the one thing that I hadn't understood for a while, but then I realised that his insanity that allowed him to see through perception filters.
"Any way you can stop it?"
"Not from down here. But now we know how he's doing it."
"And we can fight back."
"Oh, yes!" I watched as the Doctor took apart the phone and laptop. He then began to weld the parts to three Tardis keys. As he did that, I walked the outline of the small area we hid in I didn't have a Tardis key, and I knew the Doctor wouldn't give me one since he had no trust in me. It was fine though, I had my own tricks. Coming out of my thoughts, I turned to face Martha as she approached me.
"You all right?"
"Peachy. All's well in the world." The woman stared at me a moment before a soft smile littered he face. I stared at her in confusion. "What?"
"Nothing. You just sounded a lot like Rys just there. If she were here, I'm pretty sure the Doctor would be in a better mood and she'd have already figured it out... what the Toclafane were I mean. She's brilliant, you know? Somehow she always seemed to figure things out long before the Doctor but she'd never tell him. Always have him figure it out on his own."
"He enjoys it too much. Figuring things out."
"He does. For the most part, she'd just smile at him or give little nods when he was getting closer to the answer. I think it's one of the things he loves about her. She understands that he likes to figure things out on his own."
"They're in love, aren't they?"
"Seems like it. They've been together for almost five centuries, at least that's what the Doctor's said. I'm guessing they've been through a lot."
"Are they happy?"
"Very, at least from what I witnessed. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Come on, the Doctor's finished what he was doing," I hurriedly replied as I led her back to the camp.
"Three Tardis keys. Three pieces of the Tardis, all with low level perception properties, because the Tardis is designed to blend in. Well, sort of- but, now, the Archangel Network's got a second low level signal. Weld the key to the network and… Martha, look at me. You can see me, yes?"
"Yep."
"What about now?" He placed the stringed key around his neck and I watched as Martha struggled to look straight at him. Jack too began to struggle as she tried to focus in. "No, I'm here. Look at me."
"It's like… I know you're there, but I don't want to know."
I chuckled, the first time in a while. "Yeah, that's a perception filter."
"And back again," he said, pulling the key from around his neck. "See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed. Oh, I know what it's like. It's like- it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like. Come on!"
"You too, huh?" Jack asked with a small smirk, sharing a look with Martha. I stared at the two, understanding his words. I suppose it was unfortunate for one to fall for another and never truly be seen. It was heart wrenching to be honest.
"Wait, what about Kiel?" Martha asked as she shot me a quick glance.
"Don't worry about me. I have my own methods of going unnoticed." The woman nodded and the three placed the key around their necks. Smirking, I focused on creating my own filter and soon, the four of us were stealthily making our way down the streets.
"Don't run, don't shout, just keep your voice down. Draw attention to yourself, and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows," the Doctor ordered as we were halfway through a pathway.
"Like ghosts," Jack simplified.
"Yeah, that's what we are- Ghosts." Quietly, we slunk through the dark streets, side stepping people to keep from walking into them.
After a while of walking, we found ourselves standing atop a hill at an airport watching the Master speak to the U.S President. I felt my jaw clench as I saw Rys' sickly form standing behind him and his wife. After an exchange of words, the woman and the president left and a police van pulled onto the tarmac. As they left, he looked up at us a smug smile on his face before he turned to the approaching van. The Master quickly ran over to it, dragging Rys along with him, his hand tightly wrapped around her arm. She could barely keep up with him, stumbling every few steps or so. It took everything in my power to resist the urge to approach the man as he waiting for the doors to open. A moment later, Martha's family were pulled out. I quickly glanced at her, taking in the woman's pained expression. "Oh my God."
"Don't move."
"But the-"
"Martha, you can't," I muttered lowly as the three were pushed into a range rover.
"I'm going to kill him," she angrily spat. Luckily, she didn't move from her spot.
"What say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack offered.
"Now, that sounds like Torchwood."
"Still a good plan."
"He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility."
"OUR responsibility," I snapped.
He ignored me. "I'm not here to kill him. I'm here to save him."
"Well you know what, Doctor? If you don't kill him, I will."
"And that'll make me your enemy."
"You wouldn't be the first."
"Who are you?"
"I'm sure you'd love to know."
"Actually, I would."
"That's very nice to know. Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you a damn thing."
"Enough! We don't have time for you two to act like children." Jack snapped, obviously tired of our bickering. I looked at the man, turning my attention from the Doctor. I could understand his irritation and he was right; time was of the essence and we had so very little of it. "Aircraft carrier Valiant. It's a UNIT ship at fifty eight point two north, ten point oh two east."
"How do we get on board?" Martha asked.
"Does that thing work as a teleport?"
"Since you revamped it, yeah." Jack began to type in our next destination. "Coordinates set." Placing our hands on his wrist, we soon found ourselves in what looked to be an engine room. The three again regained themselves, the Doctor taking the less time of them.
"Oh, that thing is rough," Martha complained.
"I've had worse nights. Welcome to the Valiant."
"It's dawn. Hold on, I thought it was a ship. Where's the sea?"
"A ship for the twenty first century, protecting the skies of planet Earth."
"Right."
"No time for chit chat," the Doctor snapped as he took off.
As we ran down corridors, the Doctor and I came to an abrupt halt. The man spared me a small glance. "Hear that?" I asked the man to get a curt nod in reply. I grimaced at the sound, my heart aching as I heard it. It was the sound of a sick Tardis.
"We've no time for sightseeing."
"No, wait. Shush, shush, shush, shush. Can't you hear it?"
Jack stared at the man confused. "Hear what?"
"Doctor, my family's on board."
"Brilliant. This way!" The man then ran down a gangway and opened a door at the end. Before us, surrounded by boxes was the Tardis. "Oh, at last!" the Doctor exclaimed as he ran to it, pushing the blue doors open. I followed, instantly stopping as I saw the red light that bathed the Tardis, and the cage that surrounded her console.
"What the hell's he done?"
"Don't touch it!"
"I'm not going to," Jack replied from his spot by the door.
"What's he done though? Sounds like it's… sick."
"She's sick." I turned to the Doctor, yelling at the man. "This is why we should have killed him when we had the chance, or at least have me do it if you didn't want to dirty your hands."
"Keep talking about killing and you'll make me your enemy, Kiel."
"Not an enemy… a disappointment."
The Doctor stared me down for a moment before he turned his attention back to the Tardis, seeming to figure out exactly what had been done to her. "It can't be," he stated as he seemed to figure out what the Master'd done. "No, no, no, no, no, no. It can't be."
"Doctor, what is it?"
"He's cannibalised the Tardis."
"Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked and I walked towards the console's base and examined a gauge that stood by the mesh.
"It's a paradox machine." The Doctor joined me, tapping the gauge. "Soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger at… two minutes past eight."
"First contact is at eight, then two minutes later…"
"What's it for? What does a paradox machine do?"
I began to explain it to Martha but Jack ended up cutting me off. "More important- can you stop it?"
"Not till I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit, blow up the solar system."
"Then we've got to get the Master."
"And how do you suppose we stop him?" I asked the woman.
"Oh, I've got a way." I glared up at the Doctor. "Sorry, didn't I mention it?"
"No," I snapped before exiting the room and heading for the one place I knew the Master would be.
Reaching the flight deck, the four of us stood in the back, watching as President Winters spoke to the cameras. I ground my teeth as I saw Rys sitting beside the Master, her head tilted down in almost submission. Although I couldn't see anything physically wrong with her, meaning no wounds, I knew he'd done something to her. She swayed just a bit and her complexion was a tad paler than usual. I wanted nothing more than to kill that man but it would make no difference. He already knew we were there, something I'd kept from the three beside me. Due to his insanity, he could see past perception filters, even mine. I watched him turn and we made eye contact, a sickening grin crossing his lips. He turned and whispered something into Rys' ear, causing her to turn as well. Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced at us, before she quickly faced the front. She also seemed to be able to see past the filters, something I was glad for... something that she had passed down to me. Yet, the feeling of uneasiness boiled in my stomach.
"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world," Winters began. "I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew. For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone."
"This plan… you going to tell us?" Jack whispered to the Doctor.
"No longer unique in the universe," Winters continued.
"If I can get this around the Master's neck, cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just… hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me, you've got a key."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll get him," Martha nodded. "Kiel?"
"Yeah, sure," I answered half heartedly. There was no way I was going to do anything to the man while it was being broadcasted, especially since I was intent on murdering him. I refused to do anything to bring attention to myself.
"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." Four black spheres appeared. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."
"You're not the Master," one said.
"We like the Mister Master."
"We don't like you."
"I can be master," Winters said uncertainly, "if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will."
"Man is stupid."
"Master is our friend."
"Where's my Master, pretty please?"
The Master then stood, his arms spread and a grin on his face. "Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da! 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."
I watched as Winters stared him down. "Saxon, what are you talking about?"
"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you. Kill him," he ordered. One of the spheres opened up a bit and pointed its weapon at Winters, shooting him once. The man disintegrated into bits and the people in the room began to go into hysterics. The guards that had arrived with the President drew their guns as the Master laughed and applauded. "Guards!"
"Nobody move! Nobody move!"
"Now then! Peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully." The Doctor then took off and removed his key. Before he was close enough to the Master, two guards grabbed him. "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho! I love saying that." He turned to glance at Rys who hadn't moved from her spot.
"Stop it! Stop it now!"
"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. You even brought the lost child. Aren't you going to look at him, Rys? Or is it too painful to see?" She began to turn but suddenly returned to how she was. "Too painful, I see. Well, it doesn't matter." I glared at the man, seeing Jack run forward. The Master shot him with a screwdriver. "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 Master rolled his eyes and turned to the other people in the room, mainly the camera crew. "Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute- let him go."
The guards released the Doctor. "It's that sound- the sound in your head, what if I could help?"
"Oh, how to shut him up? I know- memory lane. Professor Lazarus- remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time, and if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver… but, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute- I do." He opened a large metal briefcase. "I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another… hundred years?" The Master aimed the screwdriver at the Doctor and the man began to convulse rapidly. Jack took in a deep breath and Martha ran towards him. I ignored them, keeping my gaze on the Master, breathing a small sigh of relief as he stopped torturing the Doctor, who had been aged into an old man with his barely there white strands of hair. I saw Martha leave Jack's side and rush to the Doctor's.
"Doctor? I've got you."
"Ah, she's a would be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in, all the way from prison!" Martha's family, sans her brother, were brought in with their wrists fastened together with cable ties.
"Mum!"
"I'm sorry," the woman sobbed.
"The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?"
"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break. Rys' already have."
"Is it time? Is it ready?"
"Is the machine singing?"
"Two minutes past. So! Earthlings… basically, um… end of the world. Here... comes… the drums!" Rogue Trader's Voodoo Child began to play as the paradox machine kicked up. I grimaced as thousands of spheres began to appear at the windows, coming down from a hole in the sky. It stuck, thanks to the paradox machine the Master had made out of the Tardis. I saw his wife walk up to him as he stood by the window and placed a hand on his arm. He glanced down at her. "How many do you think?"
"I- I don't know."
"Six billion. Down you go kids! Shall we decimate them? That sounds good. A nice word, 'decimate'. Remove one tenth of the population." I felt anger build up in me and I took a step towards the Doctor and Martha. "How sweet. Checking the old man." I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed Martha's arm as she held onto Jack's vortex manipulator.
"Valiant, this is Geneva. We're getting slaughtered down here. Valiant, report. Help us. For God's sake, help us! They're everywhere!" More reports began to pour in and each time, Martha flinched. "This is London, Valiant. This is London calling. What do we do? They're killing us! The Toclafane are all around. They're killing us." Sharing a glance, she pressed the button and we teleported away and landed in Hampstead Heath. Helping her to her feet, we turned, seeing the destruction the 'Toclafane' had already imposed.
"We're coming back," she promised before we turned away from the burning London and went on our way.
28/2/2015
Hey all. Yes, I know, I'm FINALLY updating Her Secrets. Like I had said before, my computer ended up dying (broken screen and water damage) and I've had to wait a while to get my new one. During the wait, I hadn't factored in my CB since the last time I tried to use it for Her Secrets, it froze the damn thing since there was so much to the file. But yeah, I've been having one technical difficulty after another with the onslaught of school so I hope you guys can forgive me. Since I have figured things out, it should take less time for me to update, which I'm hoping the next one will be by next Wednesday but don't hold me to it.
So, I finished editing this chapter in three days mainly due to laziness. It literally took me putting on Return of the King in order for me to really buckle down. Before I was listening to the Dragon Age soundtracks, which were working wonderfully but then I would be lulled to sleep. Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter. I did say in the previous that I would be switching the POV and I hope you liked getting things from another perspective. It was actually pretty fun writing from Kiel's but it won't happen very often. In fact, this is pretty much the only POV change in this work. I will however, if you guys want, add his stuff to the Her Secrets: One Shots... after I get up to it of course. With that said, thanks to everyone who stuck with the story, and with me these past few weeks. I'm sure waiting might have been a bit hard but it is finally updated. Thanks again to all who followed, favourited, and reviewed. It literally makes my day. Now, onto the reviews.
Squidtastik: Hope you liked the reveal.
NicoleR85: Not much of the Master's treatment of Rys in this chapter but it will be coming up soon.
Muirgen79: Thanks. He just can't stay away from the Doctor.
Takara Matsudaira: Yay! I'm totally viewing that as an accomplishment lolz. I think that was the shortest review I've gotten from you to date. To be honest, I always expect a paragraph or two but now you're keeping me on my toes haha. I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter and I hope you liked this one as well.
margie-me: Thanks so much. I'm happy to hear/read that you enjoyed the chapter. Yeah, dealing with the Master is never fun. I think it's more of him apologising for not being able to help him. The Doctor chose his name because he wanted to help people and he could do so for his childhood friend. That has always been my way of looking at it. He most definitely is an amazing foil for the Doctor. They just are so perfect together. As for Rys, yeah, the 18 months have been hard on here but there's also the year that never was coming up as well.
tardiscompanion101: Thanks for reviewing. I'm so glad you liked the chapter. Your request has been granted. Hope you liked.