The Master's routine had persisted for three weeks, a relentless cycle of training that left her both amazed and uneasy by the extent to which The Master could push her power. He scrutinised her every move, his gaze intense and unwavering. Whatever she demonstrated, he probed her relentlessly, digging into the intricacies of what she'd done and how she'd done it. Each new skill or technique they explored, he dissected it meticulously until both of them grasped every nuance. He made sure to expand on each and every possibility, from telekinesis and object manipulation to conjuring, healing, energy transfer, and even manipulating the very atmosphere itself. The Master constantly picked her apart, needing to comprehend every facet of her powers.
At that particular moment, the sun creeping higher into the sky, they were deep into the third hour of The Master bombarding her protective shield with rocks, or simply whatever he could find to throw at her. She stood her ground with her arms crossed, a determined expression on her face. Armitage observed the proceedings as usual, his watchful eyes darting between her and The Master.
In a swift motion, he rose from his seat and circled around behind her. The Master's gaze caught Armitage's, and he raised an inquisitive eyebrow in a silent query.
Armitage took a moment to study her from head to toe, his face etched with contemplation. She couldn't help but snap at him, frustration creeping into her voice. "What?"
He hummed thoughtfully. "I just think you're anticipating him," he replied, his eyes shifting from her to The Master. "There are no stakes."
Her scowl deepened as she shot back, "Well, I do prefer not to get hit in the head with a—" Her sentence abruptly cut off, drowned out by the sudden deafening gunshot. The bullet struck her protective shield with a sharp impact, only to bounce harmlessly away. Her mouth fell open, her eyes narrowing into a glare. But before she could utter a word, Armitage pulled the trigger again, and once more the bullet connected with her shield with a bang. A dark chuckle emanated from her husband behind her.
Armitage continued to circle around her, his gaze never leaving her face. She was about to protest when from the house, John's voice chimed in, laced with curiosity, "Oh, are we shooting at her now? Can I join?"
Hally was on the brink of telling Hart where to shove it, but Armitage beat her to it with a deadpan drawl. "Please do."
Suddenly, two more bullets collided with her shield from behind, causing a brief but noticeable tremor across the surface. She felt the impact reverberate through the shield and heard the bullets thud against the sand as they fell to the floor. She shot a furious glare at Hart, who had joined in the impromptu target practice. Another bullet slammed into the shield from in front, the resulting ricochet edged dangerously close to pain.
"Would you please stop shooting at me!" Hally yelled, her patience wearing thin. The continuous barrage of bullets was beginning to take its toll, her head throbbing with fatigue. The Master watched intently, his curiosity undiminished.
Armitage didn't let up, although, despite the relentless assault, her shield held, but she could feel it growing heavier with each impact. The effort it took to keep it held in place grew by the second. Hart, undeterred, fired three shots in rapid succession. Hally's patience reached its limit and she thrust her hand out towards him, sending him tumbling backwards, crashing to the floor with a burst of energy. As her hand moved, her shield momentarily dropped, and Armitage grasped the opportunity to open fire on her. She swiftly turned back to him, raising her hand to intercept the incoming bullet.
The bullet stopped in mid-air, suspended by her focus. She intended to do the same to Armitage as she had done to Hart, raising her hand to throw him to the ground, but The Master jumped in front of him, his eyes wide with excitement and fascination.
"Oh! Stop!" The Master exclaimed, his gaze fixed on the bullet hanging in the air, half a metre from Hally's head. His face broke into a wide, delighted smile as he circled closer. "Stop..."
Meanwhile, Hart grunted as he picked himself up from the ground. "You're packing some punch there, Padawan."
Hally furrowed her brow as her husband approached, examining the bullet still suspended in mid-air. He gently moved her by the shoulders out of the bullet's path and cautiously touched it, utterly fascinated. "Did you slow it to a stop?"
She glanced at him, then to Armitage, and then back at the bullet. She shrugged, her effort concentrated on keeping the bullet in place. "Umm... I don't think so. I just stopped it."
The Master's eyes lit up with excitement as he moved behind her, his hands on her shoulders with his head resting over her right shoulder. "Alright... what happens if you let it go?"
Hally raised an eyebrow. "Let it go?"
"Mmhmm..." The Master's eyes shone with anticipation as he squeezed her shoulders. "What happens? Show me."
She glanced over her shoulder to ensure John was still behind them, then turned her attention back to the suspended bullet. She wasn't entirely sure herself, but she took a deep breath and nodded. "Release it..."
She eased her hold on the bullet, however, it didn't simply plummet to the floor as she had half-expected. Instead, with a resounding smack the bullet made contact with one of the trees lining the beach behind her. She turned to look at the damage, confusion creeping over her.
The Master, however, let out a gleeful laugh, clapping his hands together with childlike excitement. He spun her around and pressed his mouth to hers in celebration. "Oh-ho, you beautiful, beautiful creature."
It was impossible not to smile back at him; his joy incredibly infectious. Hally, still somewhat dazed, raised both her eyebrows. "Umm... what?"
He laughed and pulled her mouth back to his for another kiss.
Hart chimed in, clearly bemused. "And the Jedi Master is so happy because?"
Armitage hummed in equal confusion, sharing their curiosity.
Koschei, still grinning, explained. "You didn't slow down the bullet." His eyes were wide with wonder.
"Okay…" She replied, searching his face for more details.
He chuckled, shaking his head, his elation overshadowing any potential teasing. "Oh, sweetheart... You paused it. You didn't touch the bullet at all. The momentum of the bullet remained the same. You manipulated it in time."
Oh.
Oh.
Before she'd really thought about it she was shaking her head.
"I thought you might…" He murmured softly, almost to himself, as he shifted away from her starting to pace back and forth in front of her. She could see the possibilities racing across his face, his eyes alight.
"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself, K-, Master," She quipped lightly, raising an eyebrow at him.
He arched an eyebrow back at her. "You don't have nearly enough belief in yourself." His voice echoed in her mind as he moved closer. "What's the power of the Time Vortex without a little Time manipulation, hey?" His mouth curved with a smirk.
"Well, yes... when you put it like that. But there's no way I can do anything useful with it at this point…" She replied sceptically, needing to curb his expectations.
She noticed Hart's forehead furrow with a frown out of the corner of her eye.
The Master shot her a confident grin. "That's what practice is for." He noted with a chuckle, moving out from between her and the other two men. "Shoot her again."
"Wait, n-!" She began to protest, but Armitage, ever the loyal employee, obeyed The Master's command.
The gun went off and she stopped the bullet once more, sending a withering glare at her husband. "Seriously?! Stop it! What if I hadn't caught it?"
The Master shrugged nonchalantly. "I've shot you in the head before. You seem to be fine." He shot her a shit-eating grin, and she growled in response.
Once again, The Master moved her out of the bullet's path and examined it closely. His face contorted in thought as he brought his hand to his face, biting at his nails as he considered it deeply. "Alright. Don't release it completely. Can you release it in increments?"
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You mean, can I slow it down?"
He nodded eagerly. "Yes. But, not physically. Don't touch the bullet. I want you to slow the time around the bullet."
She couldn't help but huff in response to The Master's excitement. "You know, I'm not a performing animal…" She retorted, rolling her eyes at his eagerness. He clicked his fingers impatiently, urging her to proceed. With a focused gaze, she watched the bullet closely and attempted to execute what he had asked for, releasing her hold on it incrementally. The bullet started to move, albeit slowly, following the same path it had always been on.
The Master couldn't contain his delight. "Oh, brilliant! Good girl!" She hated the blush that crept across her face.
"Okay, what if you reverse it?" His eyes gleamed with anticipation. She increased her hold on the bullet, slowing it to a stop once more. "Move it backwards, to where it has been..." He glanced back at Armitage and chuckled. "You might want to move out of the way in case she overshoots." He warned with a smirk.
Armitage received the message loud and clear and quickly distanced himself from the area where he had fired the bullet.
The Master hovered beside her, placing his hands at her waist. She could feel his excitement and pride practically vibrating through him. His fingers dug into her waist, and she fought the urge to shrug him off, muttering, "You know, you're sort of distracting."
He hummed knowingly, his breath tickling her neck, but he didn't move from her. She huffed and tried to ignore the small circles he was drawing over her hips. Her concentration was wavering, she held up her hand to try and refocus on the bullet. She had stopped the bullet before; she knew what that felt like. She had released it and controlled the release to slow it down; she knew that sensation too. But to reverse it... she wasn't entirely sure what it would entail. Would it be a push? A reversal? She bit into her lip, feeling around the bullet's temporal presence. She could feel it, existing within its own little pocket of time. Make it younger. Move it back. She moved her hand in a twisting motion, working on instinct. Earlier, younger, not a pull but a twist. The bullet shifted backwards slowly, retracing its path back towards the place Armitage had shot it from.
The Master hummed in approval behind her. "Alright... now let it go. See what it does."
With a deep breath, she released her hold on the bullet, and to their mutual amazement, it shot forward, moving back onto its original trajectory. She hadn't tampered with the bullet's momentum; she had achieved what The Master had asked.
The Master's mouth kissed and nipped down her neck to her shoulder, and she playfully wriggled free of his grip, laughter bubbling up within her. His eyes gleamed with a cocktail of awe, love, and belief, and she couldn't help but shiver in response.
"Please stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" She could hear the amusement lacing his tone.
"Like… I'm… I don't know…"
"Like you're brilliant? Like you're the most beautiful, perfect creation in the entire universe?" His face fell into an openly proud smile.
She shifted on her feet. "Mmm… yes, that."
He barked a laugh and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his mouth to hers in an easy kiss. She chuckled softly against his lips, wriggling in his grip, very aware that John and Armitage's attention was fixed on the both of them.
The Master smirked, pulling back with a knowing glint in his eye. John hummed, drawing her attention over to his inquisitive gaze. He hesitated for a moment before addressing them with a raised eyebrow. "Are you two...?" He pointed back and forth between The Master and Hally. "Communicating?" He emphasised his question by tapping his head with his finger.
Armitage, with a hint of irritation, crossed his arms and replied. "Yes. It's quite rude."
Hally bit her lip, quelling the laugh that wanted to escape. "Sorry... it's just that quite a lot of his thoughts are better left unsaid."
The Master raised an eyebrow at her with a dangerous gleam in his eye. "My thoughts? Darling, your thoughts could make even Armitage blush."
She huffed, shooting him a scowl in return. His laughter filled the air.
The Master clapped his hands together, effectively shifting the focus back onto their current task. "Right. Again."
The smell of food woke her.
Mmm, bacon.
Her senses sharpened as she shrugged off the remains of sleep, and the scent of eggs joined the delightful mix. She shifted onto her back, her hand automatically reaching out to find The Master, but the bed was empty beside her. She noticed sunlight was already streaming into the room. Interesting. He hadn't roused her early for their usual training session.
That meant he was likely up to something he shouldn't be…
She couldn't help but chide herself mentally for returning his screwdriver to him.
With a sigh, she dragged herself out of bed, compelled by the enticing scent, and followed her nose into the kitchen. A small smile tugged at her lips when she saw that it wasn't John busying himself over the kitchen counter, as she'd grown accustomed to.
"I didn't know you could cook?" There was amusement in her voice as she commented wryly.
The Master snorted softly, not bothering to turn and face her. "How do you think I survived on this planet for 18 months? Of course, I can cook." He shook his head with a chuckle.
"Figured you probably made your minions make your food."
He cocked his head, a low rumble humming in his chest. "Well, yes, that too." She moved closer, peering over his shoulder to inspect his culinary creation. Mmmm, how was he good at everything? She snuck her arms around his waist, hugging herself against his back, he hummed pleasantly in response.
"This is a pleasant surprise." She admitted, her voice filled with unassuming warmth.
He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "You needed a rest. Plus, John has gone to get more supplies, and I knew you'd be hungry. Thought I'd get a head start before the whining began."
She snorted playfully, squeezing him. "Uh-huh, you can't for once just admit that you wanted to do something nice?" She smirked, pressing her mouth against his neck, leaving a light kiss.
"Never." He replied with a hum, the smile evident in his voice.
"Do you need a hand?" She shifted from behind him to lean against the counter.
He shot her a warning look. "Certainly not. Don't you touch anything." He pointed towards the barely used dining table. "Sit. Wait."
She rolled her eyes and moved to sit herself at the table. "Such a romantic."
He chuckled. "Darling, I would die for you, in fact, I did. But I will never allow you anywhere near anything I am to consume." He busied himself, moving scrambled eggs around the pan.
She pulled a face at his back. "You didn't die for me. You died to make a point." She clipped, crossing her arms over her chest.
He emitted a non-committal noise from the back of his throat. "If I'd have regenerated, Lucy would have shot you again. Most likely, me dying saved your life." He turned his head to show her the sly smile that curled at the corners of his mouth.
She clicked her tongue against her teeth, her response laced with playful scepticism. "Hmm, keep telling yourself that."
"Trust me... having you spend so long entangled with Hero Hair was never part of the plan." He muttered with a tone of disdain, his voice taking on a sharp edge.
She let out a short laugh, but she could sense the underlying tension rolling from him. She didn't want to label it as jealousy, but the feeling lingered, that dark hum that seemed to crackle around him whenever Jack was brought up. "We were not entangled." She noted quickly, a sigh escaping her lips. She didn't like the haze of doubt that drifted through The Master. "I needed to be on Earth to bring you back, Koschei... so I stayed with Jack because it was convenient, it gave me connections, and because I could trust him."
She could see the tension running across The Master's shoulders. She pocketed it, making a mental note to revisit the subject later. Instead, she shifted the conversation in a completely different direction.
"Did you know The Doctor knew the whole time?" She asked, expecting a ripple of amusement from him. What she didn't anticipate was the complete denial that rolled through her husband.
"No, he didn't."
She cocked her head, her curiosity piqued. "Apparently he did. He told me."
"The Doctor lies."
"Mmmm, I don't think he was lying."
The Master turned away from his task to pout irritably at her. "He can't have known. He didn't know. I would have known if he knew. How would he have known?" He spat.
She shrugged, maintaining her stance. "Apparently, he came back to Gallifrey to check on me after Abstrax. He'd come to the same conclusion as me and Rassilon and wanted to stop him."
The Master scoffed, his irritation clear. "Unlikely."
She bristled but decided to let the comment slide. "Anyway…" She continued pointedly. "He said he realised I'd already sorted the problem myself and left. He knew we were married."
The Master shook his head, levelling her with a sharp glare. "No, he didn't. My entire plan rested on the very fact that he didn't know."
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in her tone. "Well... your plan didn't work, though, did it?"
He growled in response, and she quickly backpedalled. "Okay." She conceded. "He said he knew we were married, he didn't realise it was anything more than that."
The Master ground his teeth together, visibly deep in thought as he mulled over what she'd said. He hummed to himself, trying to process the information. "So... he still thought I was torturing you... he thought our marriage was meaningless?"
She cleared her throat, choosing her words carefully. "Yes, initially. And... also, technically you were torturing me." A wicked smile danced on her lips.
Something dark briefly crossed The Master's face, a shadow of emotion he quickly suppressed as he rolled his shoulders. "Initially?" He inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes. Apparently, we were quite obvious." She replied with a sly, knowing grin.
He begrudgingly hummed but didn't dispute it. "I can't believe you told him you were going to resurrect me." The Master muttered, shaking his head in disbelief as he turned away from her to plate up the meal.
She let out a soft huff of laughter. "Me neither. I didn't plan on it. I can't believe he didn't stop me..."
The Master paused in his cooking, his mind clearly wandering as he contemplated something. She sensed his thoughts, just out of reach. He plated up three servings and brought two over to the table, sitting down across from her.
Her mouth tugged into a smile. "A full English breakfast?"
He looked up at her unapologetically. "Yes, it's my favourite."
She cocked an eyebrow, amused. "Oh, you have a favourite Earth food now?"
He growled at her, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. They ate in companionable silence. Comfortable. It struck her just how comfortable they'd both become existing on this island. Even with both of the humans. Even with Hart, a sense of camaraderie had settled in, the four of them had formed a rather unexpected dysfunctional family dynamic.
They were just missing Alina.
A pang of guilt welled inside her.
Koschei picked up on her shift immediately, lifting his gaze to her, his eyes swirling with understanding. She cleared her throat and shifted, attempting to shake off the feeling. In response, he offered her a small smile, a reassuring gesture. "You did the right thing."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Coming from you?"
He chuckled softly, eyes glinting with mischief.
They were entwined in each other as the night surrounded them, the warmth of their bodies pressing close. Hally could feel the steady rhythm of his two hearts against her chest. The distant sound of drums, thrumming in his mind, provided a gentle lullaby. In this intimate cocoon, she could easily lose herself in him, but she needed to drag his tension from him
"Is it that you don't trust me...?" Her voice broke the tranquillity and she met his eyes, searching for an answer. It was clear what she was referring to – Jack.
He sighed softly, a hint of withdrawal in his movements, but she held onto him more firmly, unwilling to let him pull away. His hand brushed across her face, the touch laden with complication. "I do trust you." The words emerged reluctantly, his muscles tensed under her hands.
"Then what is it?" Her voice was gentle, patient, needing to coax it from him. Too firm and he'd shut down completely.
He groaned softly and buried his face into the crook of her neck. She suppressed the urge to laugh; it was so unlike him to hide his face from her. "You can be embarrassed, Koschei, you're still going to tell me." She hummed softly, her hands tracing soothing patterns up and down his back. He nipped at her neck in warning, but she didn't back down.
"It feels like jealousy…" She started for him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I. Am. Not. Jealous." His response was sharp, his frustration evident in his tone.
"Mmm, so what is it?" She persisted, determined to draw out the truth.
He shifted in her arms, his emotions churning beneath the surface. "Master, tell me. Please."
Reluctantly, he moved his head back, his fingers gently cradling her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "It bothers me that you would be with him if I had never come back." His voice echoed in her mind, not ready to speak it out loud.
The words hit her like a sudden blow. Her initial reaction was anger, a fierce indignation at his implication.
How dare he.
But then, in the quiet of the night, a nagging doubt crept in.
Was he entirely wrong? She had contemplated this very question before, hadn't she?
She opened her mouth to retort, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she frowned, conflicted by her own thoughts.
The absence of an immediate denial shook him, a prickling hurt burning in his chest.
She released a long, thoughtful breath, her brows furrowing as she grappled with what to say. "Master..." She shook her head, searching for words that would bridge the gap between them. "That's... That's like me being annoyed at you because you might have married someone else if I hadn't smacked you over the head with that book." A mischievous glint sparkled in her eye. "I... hmm."
"I get it." She pressed on, reaching out to touch his face, hoping the warmth of her hand against his cheek would ground him to her. "I understand that feeling. I wanted to rip out my own eyes watching you with Lucy. But..." Her voice grew earnest, she needed him to understand, to truly grasp the depth of what she was trying to say. "I choose you. Forever. There is no one else in the universe I would rather exist with. I don't want Harkness. I have never wanted him the way I want you. It may have crossed my mind but not out of anything deeper than a fleeting want for a companion. My whole being burns for you."
"Everything I am, everything I want to be, I see you."
She pressed her emotions onto him, allowing everything she felt to wash over him like a tidal wave. "I want you to let this go..." Her words were a plea, a fervent desire to banish the shadow of doubt that lingered within him. "This doubt that you have... that haze of darkness that tells you that for some reason I won't choose you." Something in his eyes softened and she continued. "I have chosen you. I'll always choose you. No matter what."
"You are mine." She sealed the promise with a soft kiss, pressed onto his lips.
He drew her in close, her forehead resting against his. "I am your Queen. And you are my King." The words fell from her lips in a soft breath.
There was little more to say. He didn't speak but she felt a pool of content well inside his chest, an assured shield against the haze of self-doubt. Both of them shed their barriers completely, her consciousness shifted and blended with his. A singular space. The now, semi-familiar feeling of forgetting their separate bodies, for as of now they existed within one another. Their essence intertwined, hearts beating in unison. Endless. It settled him. Calming the tempestuous whirlwind that was him. Like a boat, no longer tossed violently on the waves but swaying gently in the soothing rhythm of shared existence. She cherished the sensation, the danger, the unknown, the chaos of their union. The exhilarating moment when your stomach is left behind going over a hill—an intoxicating mix of joy and fear. That was them. His memories were her memories. There were moments she hadn't seen. Hadn't been there for.
The Master's consciousness flickered to life, greeted by an overwhelming brightness that seared into his senses. His eyes struggled to adjust as the blinding white light slowly dissolved into the darkness of the room. Shadows danced up the walls, he could just about make out the humans around him. Ah, Armitage. But… where was she? Lucy was in front of him? No… where was his wife?
A surge of white flames engulfed him. Resurrection. They had done it. Or rather, she had done it. But where was she? Panic began to claw at the edges of his consciousness.
Armitage's form came into focus before him, but something else was happening. Lucy was shouting. Another figure, a female human, was in motion, something in her hand. Panic settled into a familiar feeling—anger, seething and all-consuming.
Two gunshots shattered the tension in the room. Armitage. Both Lucy and the approaching female collapsed to the floor. The Master felt an energy surge within him, dragging the life from the half a dozen humans surrounding him. His feet finally made contact with the cold floor. The energy swirling and dissolving into his skin. He surveyed the room, taking in the lifeless bodies of the Cult of Saxon scattered around. His eyes lingered on Lucy, a dark red pool blossoming from her chest where Armitage had shot her.
There was a swell of justice inside him at the sight.
"Sir...?" Armitage's voice held a hint of uncertainty. The Master's attention snapped up to him, advancing.
"Where is she?" His voice was a venomous hiss, his eyes blazing with fury as they bore into Armitage's. "You're supposed to be with her. Where. Is. She?!" He seized Armitage, shoving him against the wall. The drums beat a deafening rhythm in his mind, fueling the storm.
Armitage didn't resist, holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "She's fine. She asked me to come. She requires your assistance, Sir. Please, if you could give me a moment to explain."
The Master saw the truth in Armitage's eyes, and his anger simmered, though the tension remained palpable. He growled in frustration and released his grip, allowing Armitage down from the wall.
Armitage cleared his throat and indicated towards a dark rucksack leaning against the wall. "There are clothes in the bag..."
Clothes?
Ah right.
Humans were weird about nakedness.
He stalked towards the bag and dressed quickly while Armitage brought him up to date with the important details. She was nearby, she had been on her way, but something had gone wrong.
Armitage watched him intently. "She told you to take a look out of the window..." The Master narrowed his eyes at him, something in his tone hinted that he was perhaps paraphrasing.
The Master frowned and moved from the room, Armitage trailing behind, carrying the bag. He cast his gaze outside, taking in the view of the sky.
Planets.
Daleks.
Indeed.
"Oh." The Master's acknowledgement was curt. His wife had gone to save the planet. He would have been disapproving but it was also the planet they were currently stuck on.
Fine. Daleks first.
Armitage pulled out a laptop from the bag. "She said she'd email you instructions."
The Master hummed softly and ran a hand through his hair, his mind working over what he'd woken up to.
No time to set in motion a plan.
He was alone, but not abandoned.
Alone.
Alright, she had sent Armitage.
He almost chuckled at the irony.
"Fine." He moved forward to take the laptop from Armitage.
Saving the Earth.
That was new.
At some point, The Master had captured her mouth in his, a pleasant current drifted across between where their lips met. As she lingered in his memories, she felt him trace over her last few months. Delving himself into every detail of her existence at Torchwood. It seemed, that the more The Master saw of it, the more he infiltrated himself into it, the less it bothered him.
There was something happening from outside of them.
A disturbance.
Noise.
It tugged at her attention like a persistent whisper. The edges of herself began to reappear as their minds untangled. Receding back into herself as both of them were drawn out to acknowledge the noise.
Vibrations. Something was vibrating. It wasn't long before they identified the source—her phone. Her phone was ringing. With a soft whine, her mind pulled fully back into her own, although he lingered at the edges. She shifted and grabbed the phone from the bedside table, checking the screen.
Toshiko's name lit up the display.
Her face creased with confusion.
"Answer it." The Master's voice was hushed, his body tensed against hers, readying for danger.
Hally brought the phone to her ear, her voice hushed, a slither of light fell into the room, the very beginning of the morning. "Tosh?"
Toshiko exhaled at the sound of her voice, but it was Owen who she heard first, grumbling in the background. "I told you she'd still have it. Idiot. Phones can be traced, you know."
Hally couldn't help but scowl. "You wouldn't need to trace my phone to know where I am, Owen."
Toshiko hummed softly, likely silencing Owen with a look. "Hally."
Hally's curiosity piqued at the desperate tone in Toshiko's voice. "Yes...?"
Tosh continued, her voice laced with concern. "I... are you okay?"
Owen's impatience cut through the conversation as he took the phone from Toshiko, his voice nearing as he spoke. "We don't have time for a catch-up. Look, Jack's coming for you. With backup... and then some."
Hally met The Master's gaze in the dimly lit room, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling determination.
Toshiko's voice returned, her tone urgent. "Look, just… get out of there."
