Ashena stopped suddenly and put a hand against the wall as if steadying herself.
White Coat was next to her immediately. "Why have you stopped?"
Behind her Seska let out a groan and would have fallen to the floor if Ianto hadn't caught him.
"Move," White coat ordered but Ashena wasn't listening to him; her faced was lined with fear.
"Move or he will be punished," White Coat threatened.
Ashena shook her head and began backing down the tunnel, every inch a frightened young woman.
White Coat scowled and took out the control box but he was stopped by Jack who said. "Can't you see she'd frightened of something, we have no idea of what's in these tunnels."
White Coat seemed to consider Jack's words and put the device away. "Agreed...scout ahead," he said to two of his men. "We will wait."
Ianto helped Seska to the floor and wished he could take that god-awful collar of; he'd seen what it had done to the Doctor and he often wondered if it wasn't partly responsible for the Doctor's degeneration into insanity. You treat someone like an animal they will eventually become one.
Thankful at least that White Coat hadn't bound them he took out his water bottle and managed to get a mouthful past Seska's lips and thankfully he swallowed.
"I hope you don't hate humans...we're not all like him."
Seska looked up and said. "He's a monster."
"That's being unfair to monsters," Ianto replied. "But I see your point."
"He'll pay for this," Seska said and Ianto frowned...did he hear more than just anger in his voice, was there a little fear?
"Of course he'll pay...Jack won't let..." he began but was cut off by Seska.
"No not by Jack, but by what's coming."
"What do you mean what's coming?"
But Seska didn't reply; he was silent, head turned in the direction the two men had taken.
Gwen glared at White Coat's men as they pushed Ashena to the floor and put her arm around her, trying to protect her from the cold of the rock wall.
"You were frightened by something...what is it cariad?"
Ashena said nothing at first; she just shivered and looked over at her brother.
"Ashena, what frightened you?"
"Something's coming...something...something...," she fell silent and looked in the direction White Coat's men had gone.
The Master tried to get off his knees but it felt like a giant hand was holding him down.
"You will stay on your knees...my new master seek answers."
The Master's wilier instincts took over; ever looking for an advantage.
"Answers, I can give answers, if you let me up."
Whatever the Doctor was now looked at him and he felt like an insect trapped in a jar and he felt the weight disappear.
"What answers does your master want?"
"Where is the gateway?"
The Master frowned...the gateway?
"Where is the gateway?"
"The gateway?"
"You do not question, only answer. Where is the gateway?"
"Well, if I knew what the gateway was for..."
He found himself on his knees again and struggling for breath. "If you do not answer, you will die."
"No...wait," the Master choked out and the pressure on his throat lessened and he sucked in air.
"Then give my master the answer he requires."
"But I need to know and don't think I'm being obtuse...but I need to know what the gateway is for?"
The Doctor seemed to still for a minute and then he said. "To be free."
The Master frowned...that was helpful not, and then it came to him. "You mean a prison door?"
"It binds my master and those that follow him."
"Not a prison door...a barrier...between worlds then?"
"I must open the gateway, to set my master free."
The Master narrowed his eyes at that...whatever was controlling the Doctor needed a Time Lord...a temporal gateway and there was only one gateway that it could be.
He smiled then grinned. "I know where the gate is."
His grin faded slightly when the light in the Doctor's eye flared as what could only be described as a look of avarice crossed his face.
"Then show me."
The Master didn't move and the Doctor or whatever he was now glared at him. "We will go."
The Master plastered on his most charming smile. "What do I get if I help you?"
The way the Doctor looked at him made the Master very uncomfortable but he never got an answer to his question as the Doctor turned away from him.
"Someone approaches," and he moved from the cave out into the tunnel.
The Master, his morbid curiosity piqued followed.
The two men walked cautiously down the tunnel; their eyes not yet adjusted to the light.
"Just wander down a dark tunnel and see if there's anyone home," one of the men grumbled.
"Shut it," the other man said.
As they carried on in silence, the tunnel seemed to close in on them.
The man in front stopped suddenly. "I heard something."
"It's just you, there's nothing down here."
"No, there's something up ahead...I can feel it."
Enough," the other person said and then he stopped talking as he then saw something...a shadow...there couldn't be a person down here?
"Hello?" he said, not really expecting a response.
He did however get a response but not the one he expected.
If he could believe his eyes a pair glowing eyes appeared in the dark and he felt like worms were crawling inside his head.
He couldn't stop himself from falling to his knees as the tunnel became lighter and they saw the person they were expected to drag back to White Coat.
Then he heard a voice in his head.
"You have a new master now and you will serve only him...obey and live."
He heard his fellow soldier say something and then his compatriot began to scream and suddenly burst into flames which burnt with an unnatural intensity and within seconds he was a pile of ash.
Those hellish eyes then turned to him and said. "Obey and live."
The man nodded dumbly...better to be alive than the pile of ash next to him.
The Master stepped up next to the Doctor
"Well, that was impressive."
"Silence, this body may have been subservient to you but I am not...you will speak when directly spoken to."
The Master laughed. "I don't think so."
He soon realised that was a mistake as he found himself on his knees.
The Doctor's eyes glowed fiercely. "You are not my master...your reign is over Time Lord and my master's reign is just beginning and anyone that oppose him shall perish."