Chapter Eleven
When the Doctor reached the cell in which the Master had been held, he found nothing inside. Outside in the corridor however laid the solitary guard, unconscious. The Doctor snapped his fingers next to the Guards ear and he jerked awake. For a moment he stared into space his eyes clouded and black, then with a gasp, they cleared and rolled onto the Doctor.
"Look at me," said the Doctor. "What happened?"
"I don't… I mean… One moment I was standing outside the cell, I heard a grunt from within so, thinking the prisoner was injured in some way, I opened the door. After that all I remember is him whispering something. It sounded like no language in Middle Earth yet I understood it completely. He said, "Kill me." Then I blacked out," explained the Guard. The Doctor frowned, deep in thought. From around the corner came Aragorn, led by River.
"What has happened?" enquired Aragorn. The Doctor snapped out of his reverie and was about to answer when he heard a sound. A sound that, in the current situation, made his stomach drop and his hearts turn to ice. From three floors below came the sound of the TARDIS engines.
The newly regenerated Master, raced round the TARDIS console, setting the controls for his own universe. The time machine however, had other ideas. It groaned and crashed, sparks flying from the console as it fought the Master for control.
"No, no, no you don't," hissed the Master through gritted teeth, in a crisp English accent. He now stood just over six feet tall, with slick black hair and strong features.
"Oooh that's just cheeky," he spat, reprimanding the TARDIS, who had just activated security protocol three.
The Doctor almost made it. He and River raced round a corner to see the Tardis fade from view. The Doctor's face fell, and his shoulders slumped. Well, they did for about a second. Moments after it had dematerialised, the TARDIS began fading into view, a foot in front of the Doctor.
"Ha ha! Security protocol three! In an emergency, the TARDIS will lock onto the primary pilot and materialise at his position! Atta girl!" he laughed, utterly delighted. It was short live however. With a bang, he was flung back from his ship landing heavily on his back. The doors opened and the Master stuck his head round the door.
"EMP blast Doctor. I think you'll find one heart quite a struggle for now," he sneered. River fired a blast at him from her Sonic Blaster and he ducked back within, the red blast exploding on the Police Box door. With a final groan, the box, beaten, faded from view, leaving the Doctor on the floor, his Sonic fired up and pointing at his beloved ship.