A/N: Have plans for this one but it depends if I execute it well or not 😅
—
The TARDIS materialises in the snowy landscape of the Ood Sphere, and the Doctor and Kathy step out with the former wearing a Stetson and a lei and the latter wearing a Tudor dress. Ood Sigma is waiting for them.
Kathy had decided not to change as she knows that after this adventure and the Doctor regenerates, they meet Amy and Kathy remembers that little homemade doll.
"Ah! Now, sorry. There you are." The Doctor greets them casually though Kathy knows he's likely feeling the opposite. "So, where were we? I was summoned, wasn't I? An Ood in the snow, calling to me. Well, I didn't exactly come straight here. Had a bit of fun, you know. Travelled about, did this and that, Kathy joined in at one point. Got into trouble. You know me. It was brilliant. I saw the Phosphorous Carousel of the Great Magellan Gestadt, saved a planet from the Red Carnivorous Maw, named a galaxy Alison. Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer."
"Uuugghh," Kathy grumbles, screwing up her face.
"Ahem. Anyway, what do you want?" The Doctor quickly asks.
"You should not have delayed." Ood Sigma replies.
"The last time I was here you said my song would be ending soon, and I'm in no hurry for that." The Doctor argues.
"You will come with me," Sigma instructs.
"Hold on. Better lock the TARDIS." The Doctor points a remote key at the TARDIS. The door locks and the light flashes at it beeps. Kathy snorts. "See? Like a car. I locked it like a car. Like. It's funny. Kathy laughed. No? Little bit? Blimey, try to make an Ood laugh. Met an Ood yet Kathy?"
Kathy shakes her head. "Nope."
"Well, now you have." They walk along. "So how old are you now, Ood Sigma? Ah." Kathy and the Doctor see the Ood city. Kathy gazes at its beauty.
"Magnificent. Oh, come on, that is splendid." The Doctor compliments. "You've achieved all this in how long?"
"One hundred years."
The Doctor looks worried. "Then we've got a problem. Because all of this is way too fast. Not just the city, I mean your ability to call me. Reaching all the way back to the twenty first century. Something's accelerating your species way beyond normal."
"And the Mind of the Ood is troubled," Sigma explains.
"Why, what's happened?"
"Every night, Doctor, Kathy, every night we have bad dreams."
"Well, we can't have that," Kathy says.
—
The Ood Council sit in a circle in an ice cave. Kathy and the Doctor quietly enter as the Elder, one where the brain on the top of his head is exposed, talks, "Returning, returning, returning, it is slowly returning through the dark and the fire and the blood. Always returning, returning to this world. It is returning, and he is returning, and they are returning, but too late. Too late. Far too late. They have come."
"Sit with the Elder of the Ood and share the dreaming," Sigma instructs.
"So, right. Hallo." The Doctor awkwardly greets them as he and Kathy take their seats.
"Uh, yes, hello," Kathy adds, not wanting to be rude to a new species.
"You will join. You will join." All the Ood repeat. "You will join. You will join. You will join. You will join. You will join." The Doctor and Kathy link hands with the Ood and see the Master laughing.
"Bwahahahahahaha!" Kathy abruptly pulls away, she expected it but it still freaked her out and the Doctor looks shocked as he too pulls away.
"He comes to us every night. I think all the peoples of the universe dream of him now." The Elder tells them.
"That man is dead." The Doctor gives her a worried look which she's confused by. It's like something that happens in her own future is worrying for him.
"It's the Master," Kathy explains.
"There is yet more. Join us." The Elder says and the Doctor and Kathy take the hands of the Ood again. "Events are taking shape. So many years ago, and yet changing the now. There is a man so scared." There is the echo of the Master's laughter and a scene of Wilf, Donna's grandfather, sitting at his table looking frightened.
"Wilfred. Is he all right?" The Doctor questions. "What about Donna, is she safe?" Kathy is excited to meet Wilf but is sad that right now she can't meet Donna to not hurt her.
"You should not have delayed," the Elder answers, "for the lines of convergence are being drawn across the Earth. Even now, the king is in his Counting house." The Doctor and Kathy are given images of a man and his daughter being photographed.
The Doctor frowns. "I don't know who they are."
"Joshua Naismith and his daughter Abigail. Meddling far out of their depth." Kathy tells him.
"And there is another. The most lonely of all, lost and forgotten." A woman, whom Kathy recognises as Lucy Saxon, sits in a cage.
"The Master's wife." The Doctor confirms.
"We see so much, but understand little. The woman in the cage, who is she?" Sigma asks.
"She was. I-It wasn't her fault, she was. The Master, he's a Time Lord, like me. I can show you." The Doctor side eyes her again. Kathy gathers that she was also there in the year that never was and something happened with or to her.
The Doctor shows the Ood images from Last of the Time Lords. "The Master took the name of Saxon. He married a human, a woman called Lucy. And he corrupted her. She stood at his side while he conquered the Earth. I reversed everything he'd done so it never even happened, but Lucy Saxon remembered. I held him in my arms. I burnt his body. The Master is dead." Kathy is relieved to not see any particular spoilers about her in the images as she doesn't want to have that foreknowledge on her mind.
"And yet, you did not see." The Elder argues.
"What's that?"
"Bwahahahahahaha!" Echoes again as a woman picks up the Master's signet ring.
"Part of him survived. I have to go!" The Doctor tries to leave but Kathy and the Ood pull him back.
"But something more is happening, Doctor." The Elder continues. "The Master is part of a greater design because a shadow is falling over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark." All the Ood gain red eyes. "The Ood have gained this power to see through time because time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil, and these events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past."
"What do you mean?" The Doctor asks.
"This is what we have seen, Doctor. The darkness heralds only one thing."
"The end of time itself." All the Ood say. The Doctor and Kathy run outside and back to the TARDIS.
—
Kathy and the Doctor run out of the TARDIS to see the ruined shell of Broadfell Prison signalling they are too late like Kathy expected but she knows there are been an attempt to stop him. Kathy takes a moment to mourn the loss of Lucy.
"We need to find him!" The Doctor declares and turns to dart off but Kathy stops him.
"No, hold on! Before we do anything, there's something you're keeping from me." Kathy calls to him.
"It's nothing."
"Doctor!" Kathy snaps.
"Fine. You did say I could tell you. The Master had a child with an Apalapucian who then had a child with a human, which, well, um, resulted in you."
"What?!" Kathy screeches.
"Well, now that's done, let's find him!"
"Doctor you can't—" Kathy tries to say but the Doctor has already run off. She huffs, hikes up her dress, and runs after him.
—
A little later, the Doctor and Kathy stand on a small cliff in a derelict site. The Doctor sniffs deeply and Kathy looks at him funny but the Doctor simply gestures to her to do the same. She rolls her eyes and does so and actually detects a smell, one not too dissimilar to the Doctor, in the distance. The sound of metal clashing in a rhythm of four beats sounds. The Doctor and Kathy run through piles of girders on the dockside until they see the Master up against the skyline. Kathy swallows tightly at the sight of him. This man is actually her grandparent?
The Master does his Incredible Hulk impression then and leaps into the air. The Doctor and Kathy give chase. The Master waits for him on a pile of girders, and his skeleton briefly flashes.
"Please, let me help. You're burning up your own life force." The Doctor yells. They run again, and then Wilf appears in their way, with the rest of the Silver Cloak close behind.
"Oh, my gosh, Doctor, Kathy. You're a sight for sore eyes." Wilf exclaims.
"Out of my way!" The Doctor pushes him aside Kathy knows that the Master will be nowhere to be seen so she doesn't follow and stands by the group.
"Did we do it? Is that them?" One of them, Winston, asks.
Another, Oliver, answers, "Tall and thin, big brown coat with a shorter female with brown hair. Though you didn't mention that outfit, Wilf."
"Yes, they are! Oh, Kathy, you said if I tried hard, I'd find the two of you and I did!" Wilf says.
Kathy laughs awkwardly. "That's great Wilf though I haven't met you yet."
"Private Wilfred Mott at your service." Wilf salutes and Kathy nods with a smile.
"The Silver Cloak. It worked." Minnie cries joyfully. "Because Wilf phoned Netty, who phoned June, and her sister lives opposite Broadfell, and she saw the police box, and her neighbour saw this man and this woman heading east."
The Doctor turns to Wilf. "Wilfred?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you told them who we are? You promised me." The Doctor hisses.
"No, I just said you were a doctor and his friend, that's all." Wilf answers. "And might I say, sir, it is an honour to see you again." Wilf salutes. The Doctor salutes back.
"Oh, but you never said he was a looker, her too." Minnie remarks. "They're gorgeous. Take a photo." She hands a camera to Oliver.
"Not bad, eh? Me next." Oliver says.
"I'm Minnie. Minnie the Menace." The woman introduces herself. "It's a long time since I had a photo with a handsome man and woman." She stands next to them with her arms wrapped around them.
"Just get off him. Leave him alone, will you?" Wilf tries but everyone else joins in.
"Hush, you old misery. Come on, Doctor, Kathy. Give us a smile." Minnie stretches their cheeks to get them to smile. "That's it."
"Hold on. Did it flash?" Oliver asks after trying to take a picture.
"No, there's a blue light. Try again." Minnie tells him.
"I'm all fingers and thumbs."
"We're really kind of busy, you know." The Doctor tries to say.
"Oh, it won't take a tick. Keep smiling." Minnie says.
"Is that your hand?" Kathy can tell the moment Minnie squeezes his bum as the Doctor jumps, yelping, "Minnie?!"
"Good boy."
—
The group's minibus drops Kathy, the Doctor and Wilf off.
"Come on, then. Here we are, hurry up." Wilf calls as they get out and wave to the group. "Bye. You behave, bye." The minibus drives off with the rest of the Silver Cloak. As she stands on the street, Kathy knows she's probably drawing attention with her outfit but she honestly doesn't care.
"Over here, come on," Wilf says as they walk over to a café.
"What's so special about this place? We passed fifteen cafes on the way." The Doctor questions. Kathy knows why. Her eyes flicker about to see if she can see her.
"Yeah. Afternoon." Wilf greets the people passing instead of answering.
—
"Oh, we had some good times, didn't we though?" Wilf says as they sit at a table, him on the opposite side on his own. "I mean, all those ATMOS things, and planets in the sky, and me with that paint gun. Though Kathy probably hasn't done any of that." Kathy smiles and shakes her head. "I keep seeing things, Doctor. This face at night."
"Who are you?" The Doctor abruptly asks.
"I'm Wilfred Mott." Comes the confused answer.
"No." The Doctor disagrees. "People have waited hundreds of years to find me and then you manage it in a few hours."
"Well, I'm just lucky I suppose."
"Or the fact he lives in London, you've got to stop that," Kathy says to the Doctor.
The Doctor shakes his head. "No, we keep on meeting, Wilf. Over and over again like something's still connecting us."
"What's so important about me?" Wilf asks.
"Exactly. Why you?" The Doctor pauses before continuing. "I'm going to die."
"Well, so am I, one day." Wilf jokes.
"Don't you dare." The Doctor warns, his voice rough with emotion.
"All right, I'll try not to." Wilf lets out a slight chuckle.
"That's the spirit," Kathy adds.
"But I was told. He will knock four times. That was the prophecy. Knock four times, and then…" The Doctor's voice drifts off.
"Yeah, but I thought, when I saw you before, you said your people could change, like, your whole body," Wilf argues.
"I can still die. If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead. Even then, even if I change, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away, and I'm dead." The Doctor says. Kathy looks down sombrely, he has a point. The Doctor notices Wilf looking elsewhere. "What?" The Doctor looks over his shoulder.
Kathy looks out the window and sees Donna outside in the street getting out of her car. Her eyes widen at the sight of the Donna Noble.
"I'm sorry, but I had to. Look, can't you make her better?" Wilf begs.
"Stop it." The Doctor hisses to him before looking back at Donna.
"No, but you're so clever," Wilf argues. "Can't you bring her memory back? Look, just go to her now. Go on, just run across the street. Go up and say hello."
"If she ever remembers us, her mind will burn, and she will die. Do you want that?" Kathy warns him, pleadingly.
They hear Donna speak to the traffic warden. "Don't you touch this car!" They chuckle.
"She's not changed." The Doctor says.
"I look forward to meeting her properly." Kathy grins.
"Oh, there he is." Wilf points out. A man meets Donna. "Shaun Temple. They're engaged. Getting married in the spring."
"Another wedding." The Doctor says.
"Yeah."
The Doctor frowns. "Hold on, she's not going to be called Noble-Temple? That sounds like a tourist spot."
"No, it's Temple-Noble." Kathy nods pleased.
"Right. Is she happy? Is he nice?" The Doctor asks.
"Yeah, he's sweet enough. He's a bit of a dreamer." Wilf answers. "Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes I see this look on her face, like she's so sad, but she can't remember why." Kathy feels tears building up, she sniffs and looks away.
"She's got him." The Doctor points out.
"She's making do," Wilf says.
"Aren't we all?" Kathy wonders.
"Yeah, how about you, Doctor? Who have you got now other than Kathy?" Wilf questions.
"No one. Travelling alone until Kathy. I thought it was better. But I did some things. It went wrong. I need—" The Doctor starts crying.
"Oh, my word. I'm sorry." Wilf gasps. Kathy places her hand on the Doctor's arm.
"Merry Christmas." The Doctor says, recovering.
"Yeah, merry Christmas." Kathy mumbles.
"Yeah, and you." Wilf returns the greeting.
"Look at us." The Doctor lets out a watery chuckle.
"But don't you see? You know, you need her, Doctor." Wilf pleads. "I mean, look. Wouldn't she make you laugh again? Good old Donna?" Donna and Shaun drive away. "Eh?"
The Doctor and Kathy soon get up to leave. They need to find the Master.
—
They arrive at an abandoned warehouse. The Doctor tells Kathy to stand back as he approaches the Master. Kathy had noticed that the Doctor has been tense when faced with the idea of her and the Master being near one another.
The Doctor walks towards the Master, who fires bolts of energy at him from his hands. He misses and sets fires burning behind the Doctor. The third try hits the Doctor squarely in the chest, stopping him from moving forward. Finally, the energy stops and the Doctor falls to his knees. The Master catches him and then lets him fall to the ground.
"I had estates. Do you remember my father's land back home?" The Master speaks, sitting next to the Doctor who's on the floor. "Pastures of red grass, stretching far across the slopes of Mount Perdition. We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky. Look at us now."
"All that eloquence. But how many people have you killed?" The Doctor retorts.
"I am so hungry." The Master replies.
"Your resurrection went wrong. That energy. Your body's ripped open. Now you're killing yourself." The Doctor explains.
"That human Christmas out there." The Master says almost slavering as he talks. "They eat so much. All that roasting meat, cakes and red wine. Hot, fat, blood, food. Pots, plates of meat, and flesh, and grease, and juice, and baking, burnt, sticky hot skin. Hot. It's so hot." Kathy grimaces at him.
"Stop it."
"Sliced. Sliced. Sliced."
"Stop it."
The Master doesn't listen. "It's mine. It's mine. It's mine to eat and eat and eat."
"What if I ask you for help?" The Doctor questions after he stops. "There's more at work tonight than you and me."
"Oh yeah? Where's that granddaughter of mine?" The Master asks. Kathy recoils back. The Doctor doesn't reply. The Master inhales and grins. "She's nearby."
"She's not your concern right now." The Doctor warns. "I've been told something is returning."
"And here I am." The Master proclaims.
"No, something more." The Doctor disagrees.
"But it hurts." The Master groans.
"I was told the end of time."
"But it hurts. Doctor, the noise." The Master groans louder. "The noise in my head, Doctor. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Stronger than ever before. Can't you hear it?"
"I'm sorry."
"Listen, listen, listen, listen. Every minute, every second, every beat of my hearts, there it is, calling to me. Please listen." The Master begs.
"I can't hear it." The Doctor replies.
"Listen." The Master mind melds with the Doctor. The Doctor hears the beats and pulls away.
"What?"
"But—"
"What!"
"I heard it. But there's no noise. There never has been. It's just your insanity. What is it? What's inside your head?" The Doctor gasps.
The Master cackles with relief. "It's real. It's real. It's real!" The Master flies off and the Doctor runs after him and Kathy follows. They run out into the derelict site. They stop when they find the Master standing still on a mound.
"All these years, you thought I was mad. King of the wasteland. But something is calling me, Doctor. What is it? What is it? What is it?" The Master demands. A bright light shines down on the Master, then two more illuminate the Doctor and Kathy. A pair of SAS types come down on ropes, grab the Master and inject him with something to knock him out. Kathy groans in annoyance at rich people putting their own priorities over the safety of others.
"Don't!" The Doctor cries. Others fire their guns at the Doctor and Kathy to make them stay back, and the Master is hoisted up into the helicopter. The Doctor and Kathy run anyway. "Let him go!" Something hits the Doctor and Kathy in the back and they fall down.
—
Kathy and the Doctor soon get on their feet and use the TARDIS to arrive outside the Nobles' home. The Doctor throws some rocks at a window causing Wilf to poke his head and then join them. As he walks over, Kathy remembers that he is carrying his gun.
"We lost him. We were unconscious." The Doctor tells Wilf as soon as they are close enough. "He's still on Earth, I can smell him, but he's too far away."
"Listen, you can't park there. What if Donna sees it?" Wilf hisses.
"You're the only one, Wilf." The Doctor continues. "The only connection I can think of and Kathy says you're important, it's the only hint she'll give me. You're involved, if I could work out how. Tell me, have you seen anything? I don't know. Anything strange, anything odd?"
"Well, there was a…"
"What? What is it? Tell me." The Doctor demands.
"Well, it was. No, it's nothing." Wilf dismisses.
"You can tell us, Wilf. Anything is important. Out of the blue maybe? Connected to you?" Kathy encourages.
"Well, Donna was a bit strange," Wilf admits. "She had a funny little moment, this morning, all because of that book."
"What book?" The Doctor asks.
Wilf walks inside and comes back with the book and a man Kathy recognises from the Ood vision and on Tv. "His name's Joshua Naismith." Wilf shows them the book.
"See? Told you." Kathy says to the Doctor. "He's the man the Ood showed us."
"By the what?"
"By the Ood." The Doctor replies.
"What's the Ood?"
"They're just the Ood," Kathy says. They really don't have time to explain.
"But it's all part of the convergence." The Doctor realises. "Maybe? It may be touching Donna's subconscious. Oh, she's still fighting for us, even now. The Doctor Donna."
"Dad, what are you up to?" Sylvia asks as she steps outside and freezes for a moment as she takes in who her dad is with. Kathy notes that she's literally meeting one of the many angry mothers. "You two. But. Get out of here."
"Merry Christmas." The Doctor says.
"Merry Christmas." Sylvia automatically says before continuing. "But she can't see you two. What if she remembers?"
"Mum, where are those tweezers?" Donna calls from inside. Kathy has to control her excitement at that voice.
"Go." Sylvia hisses.
"We're going," Kathy says. "Lovely meeting you, Sylvia." The Doctor follows her as she leaves.
"Meeting? Wha—"
"Yeah, me too," Wilf says, following.
"Oh no, you don't," Sylvia grumbles and follows the rest of them. "Dad, I'm warning you."
"Bye, see you later," Wilf calls.
"Stay right where you are," Sylvia yells.
"You can't come with me." The Doctor says to Wilf as he unlocks the TARDIS.
"You're not leaving me with her," Wilf replies, pointing to his daughter, who stands in front of the house looking angry.
"Wilf, that's your daughter!" Kathy exclaims though she's not really telling him off.
"Dad!"
"Fair enough." The Doctor says and the three of them step inside and the TARDIS dematerialising.
—
"Naismith. If I can track him down." The Doctor says as he and Kathy get to work on the controls. The Doctor pauses when Kathy pokes him and points at a bewildered Wilf. "Ah. Right. Yes. Bigger on the inside. Do you like it?"
"I thought it'd be cleaner," Wilf replies.
"Cleaner?!" The Doctor cries offended. "I could take you back home right now."
"Honestly, when will people stop disrespecting the TARDIS?" Kathy mutters. The TARDIS sounds like she'sgrumbling in agreement.
"Listen, Doctor, Kathy, if this is a time machine, that man you're chasing, why can't you just pop back to yesterday and catch him?" Wilf asks.
"I can't go back inside my own timeline. I have to stay relative to the Master within the causal nexus." The Doctor explains.
"Understand?" Kathy asks cheekily.
"Not a word." Wilf answers.
"That's the spirit."
"Welcome aboard." The Doctor shares a brief handshake with Wilf.
"Thank you."
—
The TARDIS materialises in the stable block and Kathy knows the Master smells it.
"We've moved. We've really moved!" Wilf exclaims as they step outside.
"You should stay here." The Doctor tells him.
"Not bloody likely."
"And don't swear. Hold on." The Doctor points the key at the TARDIS, which disappears. "Just a second out of sync. Don't want the Master finding the TARDIS. That's the last thing we need."
They slip onto the Mansion grounds, trying to find a way in as well as hiding from patrols.
"Down here," Kathy says and opens a small door in an archway with her sonic.
They scurry down to the basement. The voice of the female Vinvocci, Miss Addams, trails up to them, "The shatterthreads have harmonised, the friable links have densified and the multiple overshots have triplicated—"
"Nice Gate." The Doctor cuts her off as he sticks his head in.
"Hello. Sorry." Wilf pipes up from the other side. Kathy just waves her hand and smiles.
"Don't try calling security, or I'll tell them you're wearing a Shimmer." The Doctor says as he steps inside the room. "Because I reckon anyone wearing a Shimmer doesn't want the Shimmer to be noticed, or they wouldn't need a Shimmer in the first place."
"I'm sorry. What's a Shimmer?" Addams says the words oddly as if to show she has no idea what they are talking about.
The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at her. "Shimmer." Addams turns green.
"Oh, my Lord. She's a cactus." Wilf exclaims.
"Miss Addams?" The male Vinvocci, Mr Rossiter, calls.
"He's got it working, but what is it? What's working?" The Doctor questions as he darts between the machines.
"The device can restore the body forever. The Immortality Gate. It's what Joshua Naismith wants for his daughter." Kathy explains.
"That can't be what the Master wants."
"No, it isn't."
"What are you doing here?" Rossiter exclaims when he sees them.
Without turning around, the Doctor points the screwdriver at Rossiter. "Shimmer!" Rossiter turns green. "Now, tell me quickly, what's going on? The Master, Harold Saxon, Skeletor, whatever you're calling him, what's he doing up there?"
"I checked the readings. He's done good work. It's operational." Rossiter insists.
"Who are you, though? 'Cause I met someone like you. He was brilliant, but he was little and red." The Doctor questions.
"No, that's a Zocci." Addams retorts.
"We're not Zocci, we're Vinvocci. Completely different." Rossiter explains.
Kathy rolls her eyes. "Obviously."
Addams glares at her. "And the Gate is Vinvocci. We're a salvage team. We picked up the signal when the humans reactivated it. And as soon as it's working, we can transport it to the ship."
"But what does it do?" The Doctor asks.
"Well, it mends. It's as simple as that." Rossiter replies. "It's a medical device to repair the body. It makes people better."
"No, there's got to be more." The Doctor disagrees. "Every single warning says the Master's going to do something colossal."
"So that thing's like a sickbed, yes?" Wilf asks.
"More or less," Addams replies.
"Well, pardon me for asking, but why is it so big?"
"Oh, good question. Why's it so big?" The Doctor asks.
Addams lets out a chuckle in disbelief. "It doesn't just mend one person at a time."
"That would be ridiculous." Rossiter snorts.
"It mends whole planets. It transmits the medical template across the entire population." Kathy butts in. The Doctor runs out of the room and Kathy darts after him as they go through the corridors. She knows Wilf is following behind but further back.
—
They run into a room lit by a domed glass roof. The Naismiths, the Master in a straightjacket, scientists and security litter about around the Immortality Gate.
"Turn the Gate off right now!" The Doctor yells.
"Ah, my lovely granddaughter." The Master smirks. Kathy flinches at his tone.
"Please don't do this." She begs him.
"At arms." A man orders. The soldiers in the room aim their weapons at Kathy and the Doctor.
"No, no, no, no, no. Whatever you do, just don't let him near that device." The Doctor pleads.
"Oh, like that was ever going to happen." The Master scoffs and throws off the straitjacket and leaps over their heads on pillars of energy from his hands, into the Gate. "Homeless, was I? Destitute and dying? Well, look at me now."
"Deactivate it. All of you, turn the whole thing off!" The Doctor cries. But the humans around the room seem unable to concentrate and are shaking their heads. It had started. Kathy realises that while she's part human, she's not human enough to be affected.
"Bwahahahahahaha!"
"He's inside my head." Joshua Naismith complains.
"Get out of there!" The Doctor runs forward but the Master's blast of energy knocks him down.
"Doctor!" Kathy exclaims. She turns to the Master.
"Don't make me, Katherine." He warns.
"Doctor! Kathy!" Kathy turns to see Wilf entering the room and holding his head in his hands. "Doctor, Kathy, there's, there's this face."
"What is it? What can you see?" The Doctor questions him as he and Kathy huddle around Wilf.
"Well, it's him. I can see him."
"There's something wrong." The anchor woman says on the TV. "It seems to be affecting the President." The TV shows the President of the United States has his face in his hands.
The Doctor goes to the computer and tries to shut down the Gate. "I can't turn it off."
"He's locked it." Kathy points out.
"Of course, idiot." The Master retorts.
"Wilfred! Get inside. Get him out." The Doctor drags Wilf over to the glass cubicles. Kathy swallows tightly, remembering their significance. The Doctor enters one of a pair of glass sided cubicles, and Wilfred swaps places with a technician in the other. "Just need to filter the levels." The Doctor fiddles with the filters.
"Oh, I can see again! He's gone." Wilf tells them.
"Radiation shielding," Kathy explains.
"Now press the button. Let me out." The Doctor instructs.
"You what?"
"I can't get out until you press the button. That button there." Wilf does. Wilf's cubicle is now locked and the Doctor's is open.
"Fifty seconds and counting." The Master says.
"To what?"
"Oh, you're going to love this."
Wilf's phone rings. He pulls the revolver out of his pocket instead. "Hello? Oh, Gawd." He pulls out his phone. "Donna?" There's a response. "But wait a minute. I mean, what about you? Can't you see anything?" Wilf's phone beeps for a call waiting. "Not now, Winston." He picks up.
"What is it, hypnotism? Mind control. You're grafting your thoughts inside them, is that it?" The Doctor questions.
"Oh, that's way too easy. No, no, no. They're not going to think like me, they're going to become me." The Master mocks. "And, zero!"
A blast of energy moves out from the Master and the Gate and spreads across the entire planet. Everyone's face becomes blurred except for Donna and Wilf, and the Doctor and Kathy of course.
"You can't have." The Doctor gasps.
"What is it?" Wilf cries.
"Doctor? Kathy?" Wilf calls after a moment. "She's starting to remember."
Everyone's face resolves into the Master's.
"What is it? What have you done, you monster?" Wilf yells to the Master.
"Oh, I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" The Master in the gate asks.
"Or to me?" Joshua Naismith-Master asks.
"Or to me?" Abigail-Master asks.
"Or to me?" Asks the security man.
"Or to us?" The Master-guards ask.
"Breaking news." Kathy looks to see that the news anchor has also become the Master. "I'm everyone. And everyone in the world is me!"
"The human race was always your favourite, Doctor." The original Master says. "But now, there is no human race. There is only the Master race. Bwahahahahahaha!"
Kathy knows the worst is coming.
