Hally hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Silence lingered between them both. A moment of silent defiance against the inevitable onslaught. She forced herself to move, slipping off the bed. Behind her she heard a begrudging exhale fall from The Master's lips as he followed her lead, pulling on yesterday's clothes. The sun poked through the curtains as it continued to rise obnoxiously.
As The Master left the room to rouse the other two, the unmistakable thick hum of a helicopter crossed overhead. Her stomach tightened, a mixture of fear and resolution. She had half hoped that Toshiko's warning might have given them a little more time. Hally found The Master, John and Armitage in the open-plan living room/kitchen. Impatient irritation flashed at her from behind Armitage's stare. She tried her best not to flinch, after all, he had been willing them to relocate since they'd arrived. Plus, they were now cornered. His eyes flicked down to his phone.
"We've got twelve vehicles approaching along the track behind. Picking up two helicopters above." He clipped.
Hally's gaze moved to meet The Master's, thoughts rolled through his mind but in front a firm reluctance. She knew what he wanted to do. He could. But he was holding back, allowing her to show her hand first. Warm gratitude thrummed over their bond and his sharp stare softened.
John broke the heavy silence. "Are we retreating?"
Armitage flexed his jaw. "Bit late for that…"
"No." Hally cut over him firmly, eyes narrowing slightly. "We're not retreating straight away." She pushed down her shoulders and straightened up. "They've come to us. We're not running."
The Master nodded as if she'd actually provided any of them with a concrete plan and the pair of them turned to walk from the house, leaving the two human men to exchange a glance behind them before following.
Koschei fell into step beside her. The noise of the helicopters thrummed louder as they strode outside.
There were four helicopters that she could see.
Stopping just at the edge of the water she extended her consciousness. Twelve UNIT Jeeps advanced from behind, fanning out through some of the forest in a tight semi-circle. Helicopters circled the beach, snipers kept level, weapons trained on them.
They hadn't engaged.
They were waiting.
There was something else. Heavy. Far off the coast but very present.
"Three submarines…" She murmured, loud enough for the others to hear. A flicker of familiarity pulsed from the closest vessel.
"British, American and Russian." Her head tilted downwards as her expression darkened. "Jack's on board…"
Hart cleared his throat nervously. "Okay… so I guess that makes us surrounded. Would be really great if you've got a way out of this Princess." She could hear the underlying sincerity through his lilted jovial tone.
"Well. They haven't started shooting yet…" Armitage voiced their combined train of thought. A low hum vibrated in Koschei's throat.
John's vortex manipulator beeped and she and The Master turned to look at the offending device. With a sharp tilt of his chin, The Master motioned for John to answer it.
No one was surprised when the holographic video link blinked into life to reveal Captain Jack Harkness. "You have three minutes to surrender the Time Lords to the UNIT convoy behind you." Hally crossed her arms over her chest, fighting the urge to scoff. Jack's voice was robotically cold, his eyes fixed only on Hart as if the other three didn't exist. "Any resistance will result in offensive action and there may be civilian casualties."
John's face split into a poorly concealed grin, shifting into a childlike pout. "Are you calling me a civilian?" He batted back.
Hally stepped up beside John, her focus purely on his manipulator. She pressed a few of the buttons, opening up the communication link to all nearby receivers. Ensuring the whole fleet could hear their interaction. "Morning all." She drawled, finally looking up at the hologram of Jack's face. "Now, I'm not sure what the 'Captain' has told you all but let me bring you up to speed. I'm afraid… you are severely outgunned." She paused. An almost imperceptible sneer had started to pull at Jack's face. "You're nothing but the foot soldiers for a man with a personal vendetta and if you open fire, it will be the last thing any of you do. Hardly fair stakes to ask from the man who can't die, hmm?" She flashed Jack a wide grin that didn't touch her eyes. "So, I'm going to give you a different option." The expression fell from her face, to be replaced with a hard glare that only Harkness could see. "Back off." Heated anger burned behind her pupils as she kept her stare firmly glaring at her once friend. "Run back home and me, my civilians and my husband will forget this ever happened, ok?"
Jack's face didn't shift. "60 seconds." He spat, before cutting off the link.
She stewed for a few seconds, resigning herself to the inevitable effort of what would have to proceed. Unwavering confidence fluttered around The Master's presence at the back of her mind.
"Fine."
Hally stalked back to the water's edge, leaving the humans behind her, their presence fading into the background. The Master followed her closely, maintaining enough of a distance while offering his silent support. She closed her eyes, a ritual that had been a part of her psychic routine since she could remember. The Master had once remarked that it probably didn't truly enhance her concentration, but it always felt like it did, like a reassuring touch from an old friend.
Her essence trickled out from within her, extending beyond her physical form, and it flowed over the surface of the water with an uncanny grace. She focused until she locked onto the closest submarine beneath the ocean's depths. Inside, humans moved with a purpose, arming themselves and readying their missiles. Hally brought her hand out in front of her, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation. She wrapped herself around the submarine's essence entirely, testing the weight of the vessel. It was heavy, as one would expect, but not unbearable. With a jolt, the vessel began to move against its will. Rising. Ascending upwards to the surface of the water. As it broke through, the force of its weight pressed heavily against her mind, a sharp tension crackling across the front of her temple.
Hally blinked open her eyes.
There it was.
The submarine.
Miles away, suspended not even five meters above the water, the submarine hung in the air. It hovered like a colossal, metallic marionette, defying the laws of physics.
Never one to pass up the opportunity to be dramatic, she twisted her palm incrementally, and the floating vessel rotated slowly before their eyes.
More importantly, in front of the eyes of their potential attackers.
They were still waiting for orders. Their fear and uncertainty spiked.
Hally held it, suspended for a moment. A demonstration.
Then, with a flourish, she let go.
Gravity reasserted its control, and the massive ship plunged back into the awaiting water. The waves crashed and rippled around the vessel as it descended, submerging once more into the depths of the ocean.
And they waited.
The Master had taken out his Laser Screwdriver, pressed into the palm of his hand tightly.
After what felt like minutes, but realistically was mere seconds the offensive hum of the helicopter blew over the top of their heads as it flew out towards the ocean. Away from them.
The other three swiftly followed suit.
They were retreating.
As were the UNIT troops behind them. Reversing.
Caressing over the closest Jeep, she felt the engine stall. Leaving one group of soldiers to abandon their vehicle.
Well, they were going to need a ride.
Hally turned back to The Master, attempting to ignore the sting behind her eyes. In fact, she was sure everything had gone a little blurry. "Ok... now we run." She offered Armitage a grim smile as she rubbed a hand across her forehead.
The Master took over, directing Armitage to collect the abandoned UNIT vehicle for their withdrawal. Then, his hand pressing into her lower back he led Hally inside. John followed, collecting his weapons. "I take it you're coming with us then?" The Master looked John up and down suspiciously, his face scrunched in displeasure.
John shot him a smirk. "Well, you've blown my nice hiding place, and plus... it's sort of fun." The Master's hum was full of discontent but he said nothing further.
Hally sat herself on the edge of the bed, feeling the blood rush to her head. She could feel The Master's eyes grazing over her. "Are you ready to let me do this my way?" He cocked his head, his tone a mixture of determination and impatience.
She huffed, shooting him a weakly disapproving stare. "No. But if you could just get us off this island, that'd be great." She clipped, offering him her hand. He obliged, helping her to her feet. The muscles in her legs took a few moments before they stopped shaking from the effort. Armitage sounded the car horn from outside, signalling his return and finite patience. John took the passenger seat while The Master got into the back with her. "Drive."
Armitage complied. "And where exactly am I driving to?" He asked, unable or perhaps simply unwilling to completely mask the edge of sarcasm in his voice as he glanced at The Master through the rearview mirror.
The Master glared at the back of the man's head. "Get us to the nearest airfield."
Armitage didn't respond, but John swivelled around to check in with them. "Right. Let's go sit in a defenceless metal tube, thousands of feet in the air and hope they don't decide to blow us out of the sky."
The Master turned his glare onto him, but John wasn't as easily silenced. "I'm just saying... Harkness has brought himself and his Vortex Manipulator to your doorstep. Seems like a waste if you don't at least try to snatch it." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Hally and The Master exchanged a knowing look. Perhaps he was right. But Jack had brought quite a lot of backup, making the task of getting the Vortex Manipulator from him a nearly impossible task. They'd need him on the back foot, ideally alone. That seemed unlikely. "Even if he's lost his military buddies, he's not just going to give up now."
Hally hummed softly in agreement. Hart was right. Jack was hunting them down today, whether they ran or not. They needed a more permanent solution. Hally exhaled a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Well, we're open to suggestions." She shrugged, her gaze fixed on Hart.
He pouted, considering. "Alright, so we still head to the closest airfield... but maybe we stop off along the way. Quiet town, grab a bite. It gives him a chance to catch up. Any advance inland will be smaller. They'll send a smaller group. We can split them up, play a few mind games and take his manipulator. Bob's your Uncle."
There was a quiet moment of contemplation in the car as his plan settled in. The Master hummed in reluctant agreement. "Fine." He shifted in his seat. "But if you're selling us out, I will be taking your spleen."
Hally's eyebrows twitched as she looked between them both. Hart just grinned, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Armitage navigated them away from the cove. They drove for just over an hour until they passed through a small town Hart deemed suitable. Hally wasn't too sure what 'suitable' entailed, but she was sure it had something to do with the adorable little diner he was now ushering them all into. Considering their current predicament, John seemed surprisingly calm. Armitage was on high alert, obviously, and she could feel the undercurrent of tension emanating from The Master.
They certainly made for a strange quartet as they settled down in the booth, menus in hand.
"So we need a plane, are we just hijacking one? Can we even fly a plane?" John leant back, flicking up to look between Hally and The Master.
Hally's gaze shifted towards Armitage, across from her, who grunted in admission. "Flying is fine. Acquiring an aircraft might pose a few problems."
Hart chuckled lowly. "Excellent."
As they continued to quip over their unconventional travel plans, a short, mousey-haired woman approached their table. She seemed to be in her early thirties, harmless in appearance, but by the way Armitage immediately tensed at her approach, you wouldn't have thought so. The table fell silent, four pairs of eyes falling on her as she offered them an apologetic smile.
"Sorry... Umm, sorry, I was just wondering if that's your truck outside? The one with UNIT on the side?" She hesitated for a moment when none of them offered any kind of acknowledgement of her question. "UNIT is the extra-terrestrial people, right? Well... not like... I don't mean they're aliens, I mean they deal with that stuff, right? Sorry... are you here about the missing children?"
Hally frowned and turned to look back at her companions, who were all staring at the woman. "Missing children...?" Hally pressed, seeking more information. The human nodded.
"Mmhmm... we reported it to the police, I tried emailing some people. I did research see… but no one replied. And of course, the police didn't know... just... you know, shadows and ghost stories." Her voice trailed off into a nervous laugh. "But we saw them... I've seen them, they're not human. They'd float around... then they started to take stuff, and a week ago, they took them. Two kids. Down to the cave under the lighthouse."
"If you know where they are, why don't you go and get them?" The Master interjected with his usual unsympathetic tone, causing Hally to shoot him a glare, which he returned to her petulantly.
The woman bit her lip, wringing her hands nervously. "They tried... some of us tried, but they got hurt. Something attacked them. There's something inside that cave, and we... what if it comes back?"
The Master cocked an eyebrow. "Time to consider moving?" He suggested.
Hally cleared her throat in an attempt to cover her husband's infuriating lack of tact. The woman's face creased with pain and hopelessness as she asked, "So... you can't help?"
Hally couldn't deny her curiosity was piqued. She reached out her hand, gently brushing the tips of her fingers over the woman's hand in what would come across as a soothing gesture. She skated across the outskirts of the woman's mind, just to be sure. It was immediately evident that she wasn't lying; this didn't appear to be a trap.
Well then.
It would be irresponsible to simply leave without at least taking a look…
"Don't you dare…" The threat rumbled low in The Master's throat.
Ignoring him, she offered the human a kind smile, rising to her feet. "No... Of course, we can help." She motioned for the woman to lead the way. The woman's face lit up with hope, and she thanked Hally profusely.
Hally shot a glance behind her and The Master grumbled as he reluctantly got to his feet, his expression dark. "You and your fucking bleeding hearts."
Hally simply hummed, moving away from him and following the human. She knew he would keep up. The woman, who eventually introduced herself as Jan, led them to a small community hall, where a few other volunteers were gathered. It seemed they'd set up some kind of town committee in the hopes of finding the children and returning them home. Jan ushered her over to view the pinned-up map on the far wall, explaining exactly where they believed the children to have been taken. The Master hovered like a toddler preparing to throw a tantrum as Hally extracted as much information as she could from those present.
"We'll see what we can do." Hally assured her with a smile, before leaving the hall and heading back to the car where John and Armitage were waiting.
It was clear to deduce what was happening next from the light victorious smile gracing Hally's face and the shadow of sulk that had stuck onto The Master's
Beside the car, John mused. "I swear we were busy."
Hally huffed. "We're detouring. Gives Jack a chance to catch up doesn't it?" She smirked, prompting a disgruntled groan from The Master.
He crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed.
"Oh, come on. This won't take that long. Just rescue some kids and banish a few unwelcome 'wraiths' or whatever they turn out to be." Hally tried a different tactic, pouting playfully. "Please?"
His eyes darkened and narrowed, and he let out a dramatic exhale. "Fine. Fine!" He conceded, immediately grimacing at the bright smile that spread across her face. "But if everything goes to shit... we do this my way. Understood?"
She gave a noncommittal shrug in response.
He clicked his tongue against his teeth, giving her a final irritable look before nodding towards the Jeep. "Get in."
Armitage drove them as far as the road would take them. A short convoy of townspeople, including the volunteers, followed in their wake. The road narrowed off into a dirt track and eventually disappeared completely, the only way down to the cave along the semi-worn path down the edge of the cliff into the otherwise inaccessible cove below.
"Hart, stay behind. Call if Harkness shows up." The Master instructed. John responded with a mock salute.
The trio descended along the rugged shoreline, the wind catching violently at the cliff face as they walked and sometimes climbed further towards water level. Hally raised a protective shield around them as they approached the cave entrance, the ocean waves crashed against the rocks illustrating the dramatic setting. Beyond the mouth was cloaked in darkness. Suitably nightmarish. They advanced cautiously, The Master hovered insistently at the bridge between their minds, allowing her to take the lead with an almost stubborn resistance, but on high alert nonetheless. His Laser Screwdriver primed.
They found the children.
Almost half a kilometre deep into the cave, it widened and opened up and revealed the structure within. Something had constructed a nest of sorts. Bike tires, car bumpers, tree branches, anything it could get its hands on it seemed. And at the centre, nestled between a broken branch and a snapped highway sign lay a large, perfectly formed, black egg, and curled up next to it, the two children slept. Their peaceful energy pulsed gently. What was infinitely more concerning was the apparent absence of whatever creature had created the nest. She couldn't sense it around them. Which was either a happy coincidence or very bad news.
Turning her head, she nodded her head towards the nest, eyes fixed on Armitage. He approached, climbing inside the nest, both Time Lords keeping a wary eye on the walls of the cavern. Gently, he woke the sleeping children, keeping them hushed as he lowered them down.
A high-pitched screech cut through the air, bouncing off of the jagged rock. Hally whirled around, eyes wide as she tried to get a visual on the creature. Armitage jumped the rest of the way down, dragging both of the kids with him. A young boy and girl, neither older than seven or eight.
A shadow rolled over the wall to her right and she twisted around to face it. The dark presence screeched again, shifting, flickering from one crevice to another. Large, wide eyes reflected the small amount of light. She couldn't quite make out the shape of the creature. It could have had wings. Some sort of solid form but the way it flickered, leaving behind wisps of black, shadowy smoke led her to believe it was also phasing around them.
It lunged downwards, aiming for Armitage. A loud crack sounded as it collided with the protective shield that Hally hastily erected above him and the children. Its eyes shifted from Armitage to her, sparkling with intelligence. Recognizing her immediately as the source of the barrier. It then dived towards her. She countered with a forceful shield, but the creature slipped through it like smoke, hissing menacingly. Armitage had managed to grab the children by their hands and was pulling them back behind him as they retreated. The Master wasted no time in firing endlessly towards the creature while Hally sporadically hurled sharp blasts of energy, most simply phased through, but finally, one connected, throwing the creature back against the cave's wall. It shifted, almost shaking itself off, readily for another assault.
They ran.
They emerged from the cave's gaping maw, the air crisp against their skin in comparison to the oppressive, damp confines of the underground. Hally's heart raced, the creature was not far behind. Ensuring Koschei and Armitage with the two children had cleared the entrance she turned back to cave mouth, resolute determination pumping through her hearts.
She pulled her hands in towards her chest, channelling her fear, panic, rage and desperation into the space between her palms. Everything she had squashed since Toshiko had called that morning, the reality of the burning fury inside her. The complete helpless fear. An orb of pure, shimmering light pulsed and grew between her fingertips. Whipping up winds around her as its might slipped through her hold, crackling dangerously. With a sharp cry, she let it go and it torpedoed into the cave. The explosion rippled into the air around them, the ground trembling beneath their feet. What followed was a simple symphony of destruction that resonated throughout the cave's depths.
The creature and its helpless egg, had no chance to escape the cataclysmic force Hally unleashed. The explosion tore through the subterranean chamber, reducing everything within to ash.
Turning back to her companions, she noticed that both children were staring at her. The boy spoke up, his eyes wide. "Are you an angel?"
Hally furrowed her brows, glancing at The Master and then Armitage, silently seeking help.
"I'm sure they'll just put it down to PTSD," Armitage offered with a shrug.
She hummed.
Getting back up the side of the cliff was substantially more difficult now that they had two small humans traipsing up with them. Much to Armitage's amusement, the young boy had dropped his hand and had instead decided to cling to Hally as they ascended.
Less than five minutes before they reached the top, Armitage paused and brought out his phone, bringing it to his ear. "Hart." Armitage's face creased as John's muffled voice buzzed from the other end. "Media…?"
He looked from The Master to Hally, she held out her hand for the phone. The atmosphere was tense, charged with urgency, hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
Hally's fingers tightened around the device. "Hart?"
"Ah yeah… we have a little bit of a situation up here." Hart clipped.
"What?" Hally pressed, anxiety etching lines on her face.
"Uhuh… so our mutual frenemy has alerted every media outlet in town, NBC all the way to a little man writing a blog in his basement."
Hally paused, frowning, her mind racing to grasp the information he'd dumped on her. "Wait… like, cameras? TV?"
John made an unenthused noise of affirmation. "Yep. The whole hog. We've got quite the audience."
"What? Why…? I mean, he can't exactly enact his revenge in front of cameras?"
"Oh ho… yeah, I think his angle is more in line with incapacitating you, sweetheart. Him and his itty bitty team can arrest you live on camera, and you can't pull a Jean Grey because the world is watching."
"Fuck…"
Armitage shot her a look, his eyes moving pointedly to the child's hand she was still holding.
"Oh good, you understand the situation." John teased, an undertone of bite to his words.
"Does he have his vortex manipulator?" Hally tried, her mind racing for solutions.
"Nope."
She swallowed another expletive. "Right. Ok. Thanks for the heads up. We'll be twenty minutes."
"Gotcha." Hart hung up, leaving them with a heavy silence.
"Are we going home?" The little girl unknowingly broke the silence, looking up at Armitage, her innocent eyes wide with curiosity.
He shifted his attention to Hally, who nodded, placing a warm smile on her face. Hiding the internal panic that was beginning to build again. "Mmhmm… we just need a minute to catch our breath, okay."
"Cameras…?" The Master looked at Hally, his face dark, eyebrow cocked in uncertain curiosity.
"Yeah." She sighed, frustration seeping into her voice.
He shrugged, his forehead pinching. "Doesn't mean we can't still blast our way out."
Hally let out a frustrated whine. "No, I think it does." The Master opened his mouth to disagree, but she continued, "If we blast our way out of this, live on TV, then Jack has his narrative to not just get some small pocket of the Government to come after us. We'd have the whole planet against us. They'd know our faces, even more than they already do, and there wouldn't be anywhere to go… we can't come out of this with humans fearing us; we need them to…" She trailed off as a thought struck her, she paused.
"Are you having a stroke?" He mused, eyebrow arched in mocking.
But, something was formulating in her mind, a plan that would require more finesse than raw power and might just help fix a few of their imminent problems. Perhaps even some long-term ones too.
She swallowed and cleared her throat, turning to address Armitage. "Keep the guns out of sight ok? Even if one gets pulled on us. Got it?"
"Umm…" He looked from her to The Master, but she'd already moved her attention to Koschei.
"I need charming, ok? But not like… Harold Saxon Prime Minister charming, I need real, human, Harry charming. Smile. You're 'funny' and 'charming' but not smug. You're not better than all of these people, you're modest. Can you manage modest?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Only as much as you." He shot back. Eyes glittering with mirth.
She shook her head, almost shaking away his unhelpful input. "Obviously, your face is still… problematic. So don't try and hide that. Own it. Sure you look like the Prime Minister who shot the President but there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Ok?"
He was observing her intently, but he offered her a slow nod. She turned to continue walking up the cliff before a thought struck her and she turned back. She motioned to the young girl. "Oh… actually, maybe pick up the kid."
The Master cocked a disbelieving eyebrow, his eyes trailing from her to the young child and back again. "Really?"
She nodded, face set in immovable determination. "Uhuh… yeah. Pick up the kid."
The Master looked like he was going to argue before exhaling in defeat. He crouched down, meeting the girl's gaze at eye level. "What's your name?"
She looked from Armitage to The Master, biting her lip. She didn't look afraid of him, but even a young child could ascertain that The Master was not the huggable, approachable kind. "Luna…" She mumbled.
His face cracked with a small genuine smile. "Ok, Luna, you've been really brave haven't you?" She surveyed him, and nodded. He opened up his arms to her and after a moment's deliberation, she ran into his hug, letting him wrap her up in his arms and lift her up off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he manoeuvred her in his arms. Hally didn't realise she was staring until The Master looked up at her expectantly.
"Ready?" He shot her an impatient look.
"Oh…" She nodded, swallowing. Warmth coiled in her chest and across her face. "Yep. Yeah. All good. Great." She gave him a short nod and turned away from him quickly, gently leading the boy along with her. She chose to ignore the snort of laughter from their human escort behind her.
The boy squeezed her hand to get her attention. "I think you're an angel."
"Err… no." She offered him an awkward smile, hoping to shut down his train of thought.
He simply grinned up at her, as if he'd discovered her secret. "I was saved by an angel." He hummed to himself.
She exhaled a slow laugh. "Let's say you were saved by him, ok?" Hally pointed her thumb back towards The Master, nodding in encouragement.
"And an angel."
"Sure… let's call him an angel." She grinned at the boy, who obliviously grinned back.
Coming over the top was surreal. The steep incline they had just conquered gave way to the dirt track and finally back to the road. Even before they'd reached anywhere near the car lights were flashing in their faces, the harsh, intrusive sunspots. A gaggle of humans, their faces a mix of concern, curiosity, and relief, pressed forward, eager for any glimpse of the 'heroes' who had ventured into the abyss to save the missing children.
"Mummy!" The boy let go of Hally's hand, immediately racing towards a couple who wrapped him up in a tight embrace. The Master followed close behind her, Luna still clutching to him, her wide eyes scanning the many faces for a familiar one.
The now incredibly busy atmosphere was charged with anticipation and tension, the media crowd closing in around them. "It's alright," The Master murmured softly to Luna, "We'll find them." He gave the anxious girl an encouraging smile. John was moving in on Hally's peripheral vision. She hadn't seen Jack yet.
Hally knew she had only a small window to get this right, to get ahead. To spin this before Jack could spin it first. It took mere seconds before a camera was thrust into her face. She composed herself, placing a calm and composed smile on her face as she greeted the crowd with a friendly, "Hi."
A brunette woman stepped forward, microphone in hand. She wasn't outright pushy, but she'd still managed to get in front of Hally first. A semi-circle of onlookers formed around her. "Julia, Raycom Media. Your team was able to successfully rescue the missing children. What did you find down there?"
Hally shot her a warm smile, her eyes briefly scanning over her shoulder towards The Master. He'd been joined by Luna's mother, the woman, Jan, who'd approached them. She was crying. Happy tears, as she took her daughter from The Master's arms, squeezing his hand in a gesture of thanks. He offered Luna a small wave which she returned enthusiastically.
God, she hoped someone had caught that on camera.
His gaze then returned to her, his face remaining the perfect picture. But she could see her husband glittering behind the spark in his eyes. Both Armitage and John were also at her back.
"Is it true the threat came from an extra-terrestrial source?"
She turned back to the cameras. "Mmhmm. Yes. But we can assure you the threat has been neutralised."
A different human spoke, pulling her attention. A man, with dirty blonde hair. "We have reports of involvement from the Unified Intelligence Task Force? Are UNIT now assisting at a domestic level?"
She saw him then.
Well, she saw Ianto first and then her eyes trailed over towards the familiar WWII coat.
Jack.
He moved towards them through the crowd, his face set in a cold determination.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
She shifted her attention back to the reporter. "Oh, we're not UNIT." She offered him a wide smile.
Jack was advancing quickly, his approach heavy with intent and urgency.
"We're Torchwood." She clarified, her voice firm and resolute, loud and clear to cut through the crowd.
The incoming WWII coat stopped in its tracks. Hally cleared her throat, preparing to deliver her message with conviction. "Well… Torchwood Four, to be exact. Torchwood America."
"Torchwood?"
"Mmhmm." She confirmed to the camera, a glint of mischief sparking in her eye as she explained, "Outside the government, beyond the police. Fighting for the future on behalf of the human race. The 21st century is when everything changes. And you've got to be ready." She offered the reporter a final, enigmatic smile, all the while her eyes never left Jack's. The challenge unwavering.
Jack stood frozen in place, his face cracked as his utter disbelief rushed through him. Before his eyes hardened once more. Reporters in the vicinity bombarded Hally with questions, but she chose to ignore the chaos, her gaze shifting backwards to Armitage. It was time to make their exit. He shifted forward, creating a parting for them to escape through. With her hand at his back, she eased The Master in front of her, not taking her attention off of him or his surroundings for a second.
They moved through the group of people, expressions of gratitude being showered upon them. The Master responded with warm smiles, radiating charm as he shook hands and modestly accepted the thanks.
Well, she had requested charming.
They moved past Jack, still separated by onlookers. Hally didn't look back. Her focus was solely on returning to the Jeep. They got inside, making a swift exit.
"Airport?"
"Airport."
Hally let herself take a breath as the engine of the car vibrated smoothly underneath her. She couldn't deny the almost addictive rush of adrenaline that came with outsmarting Jack. But she knew, that every time she 'beat' him, it would only break him further.
She didn't want that. Truly.
"Are you going to let us all in on your little plan?" The Master prodded with a low drawl.
She shot him a look of exasperation paired with a sigh. "Alright. Fine. Our current predicament is that right now, thanks to Jack, we're targets of multiple Government agencies. Mainly because of you and your recognisable face."
He acknowledged her observation with a subtle hum.
"So, we spin the whole thing to our advantage." She continued. "You ruled out of fear. What if we try the opposite? We exist as loudly as possible, but we make the human race fall in love with us."
The Master raised an eyebrow, sceptical but intrigued.
"Not literally. But hey, you did it before. Great Britain voted you in. They loved you. They wanted to be around you. And the best bit, you don't even need psychic suggestion anymore, humans invented Twitter." Hally added with a mischievous grin. Armitage chimed in with a thoughtful hum. "We become 'famous', likeable, we're loud and everyone knows who we are and where we are. Becomes a lot harder for anyone to take us out when the whole world is watching."
The Master's eyebrow twitched, the only sign on his face that he was actually considering her plan to be a possibility. "Sure. But I still look like the 'dead' Prime Minister."
Hally shot him a coy smile. "We use that too. Spin it. Humans can't deny the existence of aliens now so we make up a story. They love an underdog. I don't know, Torchwood realised the President was an alien… so we planted you undercover so we could take him out? Heroic don't you think? We're loud and we're charming. We become their obsession. No one can touch us."
The Master considered her words, analysing every possible angle they could approach this from.
Armitage added from the front. "If executed correctly, it could actually work."
Hally grinned triumphantly. "See, even Armitage's on board."
The Master let out a low hum, considering the possibilities. "So we push the story. Torchwood America rescues kidnapped children from Aliens." She could see him running the scenario through his mind. "And we spin Harold Saxon as being the good guy?"
"Yep." Hally affirmed with a sly grin. "Rebrand and relaunch." She winked at him. "If Harold Saxon was just a cover we can rebrand you as anyone. We'll play the heroes…"
He hummed, narrowing his eyes at her as he relented. "Alright. We'll try this your way." He clicked his tongue against his teeth, grimacing. "Doesn't solve our current inability to get off this fucking island though does it."
"I don't know, genius, why don't you sort it? I've fixed enough of our problems today." She retorted, shooting him a childish scowl.
Just as their conversation reached a momentary standstill, Armitage's phone vibrated, drawing their attention. He answered it, and after a brief exchange, brow furrowed, he passed the phone back to The Master.
"It's... for you." He said, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of concern. The Master brought the phone to his ear, his expression growing inscrutable as he listened. Hally hung on the edge of his mind, but he subtly blurred her out of the conversation.
The Master brought the phone to his ear, his typically inscrutable expression shifting as he listened intently. Hally hung on the edge of his mind, her curiosity piqued, even though he had subtly blurred her out of the conversation.
The Master's eyes widened imperceptibly, his curiosity growing. "You're insinuating..."
"Apparently more than I thought." The Master replied, his tone tinged with a mix of intrigue and scepticism.
The Master's lips curled into a sardonic smirk. "Hmm. I hope you're not expecting a thank you."
The Master's response was succinct. "No."
Whoever was on the other end had evidently hung up, leaving The Master to clear his throat. He passed the phone back to Armitage and spoke with an air of self-assuredness. "Coordinates are on the phone." He shifted his gaze to his wife. "Sorted it."
Hally couldn't help but cock a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "Sorted it?"
The Master, wearing a smug smile, leaned back in his seat. "Yep."
"Looks like you're in a bit of a pickle. Not to worry. Fixed it now. After all, she did ask us so nicely."
"You're insinuating…"
"Oh, I'm doing more than insinuating baby version. I'm lending a helping hand. Vested interest. You understand."
"Apparently more than I thought."
"I've sent coordinates to this device. A new friend of mine has sent a private plane. It'll take you where you need to go. And I've sorted the rest. Apartment. PR team. The works. Only the best for our little Queen."
"Hmm. I hope you're not expecting a thank you."
"Certainly not from you. Give her a kiss from me."
"No."
"Tootles."
