Katy was all but shaking with anger as she pushed off away from the wall, her knuckles white as she balled her hands into fists. Everyone had their limits, and she was pretty sure she had just reached hers. The Master had the sense to step back a pace, as bitterness flashed over Katy's features. She wasn't sure what she was angrier about. The way the Master had tricked her, or the fact the Doctor still hadn't shown up.
" I am so fucking sick of Time Lords! " She snapped, before shoving the Master in the centre of his chest, almost sending him sprawling to the ground.
"It didn't seem that way a minute ago—" The Master began, as Katy's hand wrapped around his neck and slammed him into the opposite wall with as much force as she could muster.
Despite the way the back of his head hit the wall, the smirk never faded from his lips, not even as Katy's fingers tightened around his neck. They both knew she had the strength to snap his neck with ease and from the fury burning behind her eyes, it was clear she was debating it.
" There she is. You're a Krillitane...why don't you start acting like it?" The Master panted, only receiving a glare in response.
"And what about you? Playing schoolyard tricks, isn't that a little beneath a Time Lord?" Katy spat out.
"I told you...the perception filter shows you what you want. I didn't do...anything" The Master retorted, making Katy scoff harshly.
"Didn't do anything? You bloody kissed me!" She stated.
"You weren't complaining" The Master huffed, as Katy tilted her head to the side, an idea forming in her mind.
"...Well, two can play at that game" She muttered, before closing her eyes, focusing on the sensation of his skin beneath her palm.
She rarely played around with her telepathic abilities, too concerned with becoming lost in another's mind. But the itch was always there, just waiting to be scratched. Humans were simple, maybe a few decades of memory and standard emotions, but Time Lords...all that history was crammed inside their heads, just waiting to be picked through. The Master realised her intentions a few moments too late, as she had already slipped into his darkened mind. She winced as pain shot through her skull, as the Master attempted to push her out, his forehead wrinkled in concentration. She wasn't sure what race her people had obtained their telepathic gifts from, but they must have been powerful, as within a matter of seconds she was slipping through the Master's imaginary fingers. There was suddenly a large wooden door in front of her, which she stepped through without a second thought. Echoes of drumming surrounded her instantly as she realised, she must have delved deeper into the Master's mind. It was so dark, with only small flickers of light and memory whizzed past her, too quick for her to catch onto.
" Get...out " The Master growled, as Katy shook her head, leaning in closer.
The sound of drums seemed to follow her everywhere she turned, as she grew fearful of what would happen if they caught up with her. She had rarely entered someone's mind, but she was sure this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Every door was locked tight. There appeared to be nothing but pain and drumming.
"What're you looking for?" The Master mumbled, as Katy moved her hand up from his neck to rest against his cheek.
Just then a flash of light zipped above her as she reached out, feeling a strange electric sensation bolt through her. It wasn't unpleasant, just strange. Soft laughter caught Katy's attention as she whipped around to find she was now surrounded by slopes of red grass, feeling a steady wind blow through her hair. Glancing upwards, she found the sky above her was a burnt orange, casting a warm hue on her surroundings. A laugh caught her attention once again as she looked to her left to find a glittering silver tree, far larger than any she had seen before, and underneath it were two boys chasing after one another. A blond and black-haired boy, both dressed in red robes with fraying gold embroidery, grinning from ear to ear. It didn't take her long to figure out who she was looking at.
" Doctor ..." She hummed, in an almost dreamy tone.
"Where are you?" The Master murmured, able to feel her shifting through his memories, but always remaining one step behind her.
In the blink of an eye, the boys were both gone, and she found herself standing on the shore of a river. The sunlight was dimming around her, turning the orange sky and almost red colour. Katy took a step forward, wanting to find the boys when she almost tripped over a rock by her feet. Her brow furrowed when she saw the rock appeared to be stained with blood. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see smoke billowing in the distance and could hear hushed voices.
" Enough! " The Master exclaimed, as he grabbed her hand and pried it away from his face.
Katy managed to hold on to his mind, still connected through his hand on hers, but she had been pulled out of his deeper memories. Instead, she found herself looking through his eyes, from the memory of that very day. The pair were hiding in the wardrobe in Greg's flat, waiting with bated breath to be found. Or Katy was, at least. It was odd looking at herself through the Master's eyes. Whilst the Katy in front of her was tensely staring out of the wardrobe doors, the Master's gaze had lowered to where his hand was resting against her neck, the sound of her heartbeat echoing all around. It was the first time the drumming sound had stopped since Katy had entered the Master's mind.
Suddenly, she felt the Master drop her hand causing her to be wrenched out of his mind, her skull almost exploding with pain as she found herself back in her own body. She staggered back a pace, her hands flying to her aching temples, looking up to where the Master had sagged against the wall.
"Feeling violated, huh? Used, maybe? Not so nice, is it?" Katy pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah. I get your point. I shouldn't have used the perception filter on you" The Master muttered, running a hand over his face.
"I saw you...and the Doctor. On Gallifrey. You weren't lying. You really were friends" Katy frowned.
"Why would I lie about something so embarrassing?" The Master huffed.
"All those memories...you've locked them away. Why?" Katy pushed, as the Master only glared at her in response.
"Fine. Keep your secrets. I don't care. In fact, I'm out. I shouldn't have come here in the first place" Katy murmured, as she went to walk past him.
The Master's hand shot out instantly, his palm pressed against the wall, crowding her in. She quirked an eyebrow, almost daring him to try something. But as much as she did want to put a whole continent in between her and the Time Lord, she couldn't help but feel intrigued. He was the first clue she had found about who the Doctor really was. The Master was the key to his past.
"And where will you go? Back to the Tyler residence, hmm? Bring that creature back there? I don't think the Doctor's beloved companion would appreciate that" The Master pointed out.
"Face it, pet. You don't have anyone else to turn to" The Master stated, watching as Katy's jaw clenched.
"...Where's your kitchen?" Katy inquired, as the Master's brow furrowed.
"What?" He retorted.
"If I'm gonna' have to stay here, the least you can do is feed me" Katy muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, as a smug grin spread over the Master's lips.
"All this food expired like six months ago" Katy complained, opening the numerous cupboards in the ridiculously large kitchen.
"Came with the house when I bought it. I don't need to eat like humans do" The Master pointed out.
"Well, there's a lot of things people don't need to do. Still nice to do them once in a while" Katy went on.
The room itself was probably as large as Jackie's entire flat, housing two industrial-sized fridges, which were bare much to Katy's disappointment. The only food that seemed edible were ten packets of jelly babies crammed into the back of a cupboard. She wasted no time in opening the nearest packet and in the span of a minute had devoured half the packet. She glanced up at the Master who was leaning against the large glass table behind him, a slight smile on his face, almost appearing lost in thought.
"What?" Katy frowned, as the Master was quick to mask his expression, but gave no reply.
"So, Elemental Shades. How the hell did they get to Earth?" Katy inquired, hopping up onto the kitchen counter, placing the jelly baby packet beside her.
"The Eternals imprisoned them millennia ago. In the Howling Halls. One must have escaped, made it to this wretched place" The Master explained, as Katy's frown deepened.
"But the Howling is the name the Eternals gave to..." Katy trailed off, as her eyes doubled in size.
" The Void " The Master finished.
"You're saying that thing escaped from the Void? That doesn't concern you at all?" Katy gaped.
"I think it's brilliant" The Master replied, a manic laugh leaving his lips.
"I think our definition of that word is very different" Katy scoffed.
"This whole world might be about to fall into the Void. Once the Doctor returns from his little honeymoon with Miss Tyler, he might find all his favourite pets have gone..." The Master trailed off, mimicking an explosion with his hands.
"I think you're forgetting the part where an unkillable monster is after us. We'll be lucky to see sunrise" Katy mused, ignoring his comment on the Doctor's 'honeymoon', knowing he was just trying to goad her.
"There's a reason the Shade has been going after young apes. They're simple. Easy to use as a vessel. Us? Not so much" The Master explained.
"So, you're saying we might be alright? Oh, well, I feel so much better now" Katy grumbled.
"...What was he like? The Doctor?" Katy asked, after a few moments of silence, followed by a low groan from the Master.
"Oh, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor. Doesn't anything else run through that little brain of yours?" The Master complained.
"I'm just...curious, that's all" Katy shrugged, as the Master cocked his head to the side.
"You know, that telepathic bond you did back there...it goes both ways. And my, my, some of those fantasies of yours are enough to make a Time Lord blush" The Master mocked, walking toward her.
"Bullshit. You didn't see anything" Katy retorted, firmly.
It wasn't exactly a lie. Any thoughts about her future relationship had been pushed to the far recesses of her mind, too deep for the Master to find. She hoped. There was a teasing look in his eyes as he came to loom over her, once again completely forgetting about the concept of personal space.
"So, you haven't been thinking about what you and your precious Doctor were getting up to in your bed before you came here? I'd be more than happy to give you a few pointers—" The Master started, as Katy held up a warning finger.
"Alright, alright. Enough with all the flirty little comments. Since when are Time Lords so horny, anyways?" Katy huffed.
"Maybe you just bring that out in us" The Master smirked, leaning a little closer to her, as she rolled her eyes.
"Try to kiss me again and I'll castrate you, got it?" Katy warned, as the Master held his hands up in mock defence.
She was still trying to process the way that she had reacted the way she had when the Time Lord kissed her. She hadn't exactly pushed the Doctor away in the past, but this had been different. If it were real, she reminded herself. The Doctor hadn't actually kissed her. It was all just part of the Master's stupid game.
"Feisty, aren't you?" The Master murmured but took a step back, nonetheless.
"...Can we throw it back into the Void? I mean, if the Elemental Shade came through, there must be an opening somewhere. A breach?" Katy suggested, turning her attention back to the creature that was after them.
"There is another way. Far easier than ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe" The Master stated.
"Spit it out then" Katy pushed.
" You " The Master replied, causing her forehead to wrinkle.
It took a few more seconds for Katy to realise what he was suggesting. She was a Krillitane, after all. What her species did best was cherry-pick the best things from the beings they destroyed. An Elemental Shade was one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Unkillable. Immortal. Any Krillitane should have jumped at the chance to take on those characteristics.
"No. No fucking way. The last time I tried that I got stuck jumping through the time vortex!" Katy exclaimed, in a panicked tone.
"An unfortunate side effect. You'll do better this time" The Master told her, in a dismissive tone.
"I don't even know how I did it. The TARDIS let me, that's why I didn't..." Katy trailed off, with a sigh.
"Kill her? I suggest you do the opposite this time" The Master huffed.
"You don't get it" Katy muttered, turning away from him.
"You save the day and get an upgrade. Sounds good to me" The Master went on, as she shook her head, vehemently.
"Krillitanes were the scourge of the universe once. Bloodthirsty monsters. But they weren't all like that. Back on Krillia. And why do you think that is? What do you think was the difference between all those families? It's the ones who took and the ones who didn't. It changed them. It was too much. They became too powerful, and couldn't stop it. And all the power they took was passed down from generation to generation. Do you know how many dead races traits I had when I was born? I didn't ask for it. I didn't have a choice. But I do now" Katy explained, twisting back around to face the Time Lord.
" I'm already enough of a monster " Katy spat out, making the Master grimace.
"This is what he does. The Doctor. You put him on a pedestal like nothing could ever compare to him. You certainly couldn't" The Master scoffed.
"You're wrong" Katy retorted, as the Master raised an eyebrow.
"I hated myself. The first day we met, I actually hoped he would kill me. I thought I was already too far gone but...for whatever reason, he doesn't seem to think so. And I hold onto that. He's never looked at me like a monster" Katy admitted, surprising herself with the blunt honesty.
"Then you're lucky" The Master snapped, angrily.
He was storming out of the room without another word, as Katy realised she had invertedly touched on a sore subject for him. With a sigh, she pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat down at the table, dropping her head into her hands. It was going to be a long night.
She wasn't sure when exactly it had happened, but at some point, Katy had fallen into a restless slumber, using her arm as a pillow as she laid her head down on the glass table underneath her. She could feel the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks, causing her eyes to flutter open when she felt a new sensation. A hand was brushing through her hair, their finger skimming down the side of her neck as they repeated the motion once more.
"Dreaming about me?" The Master suggested, as Katy's head snapped up, shooting him a glare.
There had only been one theme throughout her dreams that night. The Doctor. She could remember one depressingly vivid dream of her throwing herself at the Doctor only for him to reject her none too gently. She really didn't want to repeat the scene in real life. Most of her other nightmares consisted of her being stranded on Earth until she died of old age or something even more gruesome.
"Yeah, dreaming about kicking you in the face" She huffed, running a hand down her tired face.
It hit her then. The sun was up. They had survived the night. She leant back in her chair, the relief evident on her face. The Master jumped up onto the glass table beside her, his intense gaze never leaving her face.
"So, we're alive then" Katy murmured.
"You almost sound disappointed" The Master stated, as Katy chose to ignore his comment.
"Your theory worked. They can't get through artificial light" Katy exclaimed.
"Actually, I turned all the lights off an hour before sunrise" The Master confessed, as Katy's mouth went slack.
"...Are you insane? Oh wait...of course you freaking are" Katy grumbled.
"If the Elemental Shade wanted to kill us, it would have. It's as I told you; it has no interest in us" The Master explained.
"And if you were wrong?" Katy pointed out.
"Then we would have died horrible deaths" The Master shrugged, as Katy threw her hands up in the air.
He leant over to grab a remote on the table and turned the television on, as the local news flashed up on the screen. Bethany's body had been found in Greg's flat, torn apart from the inside out, and Greg himself was nowhere to be seen. He was being blamed for both sister's death. When in reality, Katy and the Master both knew the Elemental Shade had used him for its new vessel.
"What do we do?" Katy sighed.
"Move?" The Master suggested, as she scowled at him.
"I already told you how to stop the Shade. It's not my fault if you're too uptight to do anything about it" The Master huffed.
"There has to be a way to return it to the Void. There's always a way" Katy stated.
"Good luck finding it" The Master muttered, as he jumped off the table, ready to leave the room.
Katy's hand shot out before she even realised what she was doing, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, holding him in place. She looked up at him with an almost pleading expression, as he glanced between her face and hand a few times.
" Help me " She insisted, in a soft tone.
"Do those puppy dog eyes really work on the Doctor?" The Master scoffed, as she gave a half shrug.
"What do you want me to say? Please?" Katy sighed, as the Master tilted his head to one side.
"Say my name" He commanded, causing Katy to roll her eyes.
"Please... Master " She mumbled, through gritted teeth, looking away from him.
"That's better" The Master grinned, hooking his finger under her chin, forcing her gaze to return to his.
"Background radiation" He announced, a moment later, causing Katy's forehead to wrinkle.
"Huh?" She retorted, brushing his hand away from her chin.
"Anything that comes through the Void will be steeped in background radiation. Any breach will be leaking with tons of the stuff" The Master explained.
"Well, looks like you've got some work to do then" Katy stated, standing to her feet.
"I don't recall agreeing to help you" The Master pointed out.
"Like you have anything better to do. C'mon, you're interested, and you know it. Why don't you try saving people for once? You never know, you might just like it" Katy smirked, watching as the Master grimaced at the idea.
"Don't be disgusting" He huffed.
"I was thinking we could have Chinese tonight?" Jackie suggested, as Katy held her mobile to her ear, lying down on the dirty sofa underneath her.
"Hmm" She hummed in response, rubbing at her brow, feeling a headache coming on.
"Or Indian?" Jackie continued.
"Sounds good" Katy replied, staring up at the ceiling above her, which had darkened with mould.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? You haven't been yourself all week" Jackie pointed out.
"It's nothing. Just tired. I better be getting back to work. What are you doing up anyway, it's like one in the morning?" Katy exclaimed, pushing herself up into a sitting position.
"Howard came round" Jackie admitted, as Katy made a face.
"The one who farts in his sleep?" Katy grimaced.
"What, he's a good kisser!" Jackie insisted, making Katy snort.
"Alright, alright. Don't do anything I wouldn't do" Katy chuckled, hanging up the call and stretching her shoulders.
Her birthday was only a few weeks away. She never celebrated it. It wasn't even her real birthday, after all, just the date she chose. But she thought that year it would have been different. She at least thought the Doctor would have remembered it. But there had still been no sign of him.
Four months.
And just...nothing. She had been forced to return to a normal, everyday life. With the help of the Master. She had been given a new identity by the politician and managed to find a job at the hospital nearest to Jackie's flat. It wasn't exactly simple though. She was always mindful that there was a past version of her roaming around on the other side of the city. People gave her looks sometimes on the street, lingering glances as they tried to work out if she was the girl they knew.
"Hey, Katy. We need you back on the ward" A healthcare assistant exclaimed, as the door burst open.
"I've got twenty minutes left of my break, Tina" Katy sighed.
"Well, Bed 3 started fingerpainting...on Bed 2" Tina informed her.
"Fingerpainting with what? They had dinner hours...oh no...you don't mean...?" Katy trailed off, her face turning green.
"His pad's on the wall...along with a hell of a lot of bodily fluids. Bring an orange bag. Actually, bring three" The healthcare assistant warned, as Katy collapsed back down onto the sofa.
She had never minded her normal life before meeting the Doctor. She'd wake up, eat, go to work and sleep again. Simple, boring and easy. But now? When she knew everything that was out there...it was getting harder and harder to keep up with her old life.
Forcing herself onto her feet, she walked through the dark corridors of the ward, letting out a long yawn. Night shifts had been kicking her arse lately, and no matter how many red bulls she drank, she seemed to constantly be tired. Maybe life was just getting to her, she figured. She came to a halt when she noticed the Sister of the ward at the nurse's station, tapping away on her phone, looking without a care in the world.
"Sister, I think we're gonna' need your help in Bay One" Katy exclaimed.
"I'm a bit busy at the moment" The Sister retorted, as Katy peeked closer to see she was playing snake on her phone.
"Yeah, I can see that" Katy huffed, beginning to put some gloves on.
"If you can't handle a group of old men, maybe you're not in the right job" The Sister murmured, as Katy's jaw tightened.
"Well, I just figured seeing as you're so much closer to their age, maybe you'll be able to get through to them better" Katy stated, with a shit-eating grin.
"What did you say?" The Sister huffed, quirking an eyebrow.
" I think she basically just told you to shut it " A familiar voice echoed from behind her, as Katy twisted around to find the Master walking out of the shadows.
"I thought I told you to stop visiting me at work" Katy hissed.
"And miss out on the uniform?" The Master replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Uh, Mr Saxon. Sir, we...we weren't expecting—" The Sister began, as the Master placed a finger to his lips.
" Leave. Do whatever grimy task she was about to do" The Master ordered, in a firm tone.
The Sister stood on her feet without another word, a blank expression on her face. Katy crossed her arms across her chest, irritated that he had once again used hypnotism on a human.
"Wait...say you're sorry first" The Master said, holding up a hand to stop the woman in her tracks.
"I'm sorry" The Sister announced, in a shaky tone.
"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you" The Master snapped, as Katy pushed herself in between the pair.
"Enough. You've made your point" Katy scolded, all but shoving the Sister away from him.
"Prude" The Master muttered, childishly.
"What are you doing here?" Katy insisted, as he pulled out a small file from inside his jacket.
"Another body dropped" He informed her, as she began flicking through the file, finding the picture of a corpse, with its eyes burst.
"How old?" Katy asked.
"Eleven" He answered, watching as she winced.
"Come with me" Katy announced, tapping his arm and walking down the corridor the way he had just come.
"Where are you going?" The Master frowned.
"I'm forcing the Doctor to return to Earth" She replied.
The pair made it to the roof of the hospital just as the sun was starting to rise in the sky. There was still a chill in the spring air, which Katy took little notice of, a look of determination on her face. The Master opened his mouth to question why she had brought him to the top of the building when she began to climb up onto the ledge.
"What the hell are you doing?" The Master hissed, as she kneeled on the narrow ledge.
"Giving him an ultimatum" Katy retorted, glancing over the edge of the ten-story building.
Her heart was thundering in her chest as she pushed herself up onto shaky legs, as the wind whipped her hair against her face. She balled her hands into fists as every instinct in her body told her to move back. All but one. There was a small part of her that was urging her to jump. One that she was often able to push down.
"Come back to Earth. Right now. Fix this...or I'll jump" Katy announced, as she felt the Master grab her leg, almost causing her to topple forward.
"He's not here! He's not listening!" The Master insisted.
"He must be. He must be doing this, or I would have jumped through his timeline again" Katy suggested, as the Master's grip on her ankle tightened.
"Am I gonna' have to count, huh? Fine! Ten...nine..." Katy began, as the Master let out a groan of frustration.
She never got to eight, as he was jumping up and grabbing her waist, dragging her down from the ledge before she even had a chance to argue. Her heart was still beating quickly in her chest, as she shoved him away from her, a scowl on her face. She had been wondering how far he would be willing to let her take the ruse.
"So, you gonna' admit it now?" Katy exclaimed.
"...You know" He realised, as she let out a harsh laugh.
"Of course, I know. You have a device that can throw me through the vortex. Makes sense that it can also keep me in the same place. You're the reason I haven't jumped in months" Katy went on, as the Master pursed his lips.
"And using a lot of energy doing so. You should thank me" The Master suggested, as she gave him a look of disbelief.
" Thank you?! " She gaped.
"The Doctor only keeps you around for convivence. I took you out of the TARDIS, and he forgets all about you" The Master told her, spitefully.
"No. No, you're wrong" Katy shook her head.
"Then where is he?" The Master pointed out.
They both knew she didn't have an answer for him. She wasn't sure what was worse...thinking the Doctor was dead, or he simply didn't care enough to go looking for her.
"You can send me through the vortex again. Do it" She insisted.
"Oh, but what about all those defenceless apes that the Shade will kill? You'd let them all die?" The Master went on, in a mocking tone.
"I'd make him come back" Katy argued.
"When? We both know the Doctor's not exactly good at keeping time. How long does it take for you to return? A few weeks? Months? What if it's a year? All those dead bodies...all because of you" The Master said, as Katy clenched her jaw.
"You're that desperate to keep me here, huh? You want to mess with the Doctor so badly? Or are you just that lonely?" Katy accused, as the Master's eyes snapped up to meet hers.
"You're just as alone as I am" He muttered.
"... I know " She replied, in a hoarse voice.
With a shake of her head, she turned away from him and walked back to the ledge, leaning against it as the sun burnt brighter in the sky. The truth was she had tried her little experiment months back, on a much smaller scale. She had hoped if her life was really in danger the Doctor would magically show. But she had been wrong.
"Hoping for something and losing it is worse than never hoping for anything at all" Katy exclaimed.
"You're not going to start spouting some hideous Earth poetry, are you?" The Master winced, coming to stand beside her.
"Maybe. It's what you deserve" Katy huffed.
"You didn't read the whole file, did you? I found a lead" The Master announced, as Katy turned to him with an expression full of hope.
"What lead?" She questioned.
" Torchwood " He smirked.
Katy could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end the moment she stepped through the glass doors of Canary Wharf. It felt wrong to be there. She knew Torchwood had something to do with Rose being taken away. Maybe this was the start of it? A full-body shiver swept over her a moment later, like someone was walking over her grave.
"What's wrong with your face?" The Master murmured, glancing at her conflicted expression.
"Just tense about having to spend the day with you again" Katy responded, with a mocking smile.
"Oh, you wound me" The Master huffed, placing both his hands on his hearts.
"So, what's our game plan?" Katy asked, as the Master gave her no reply.
They two continued walking through the large reception area, as Katy noticed the half a dozen soldiers dressed in camo close by. Her gaze lingered on the rifles in their hand, feeling her shoulders go rigid. She was debating about turning on her heel and making a beeline out of the building when she felt the Master place his hand on the small of her back, ushering her forward. They soon came to the front desk where a smiling woman greeted them, a circular communication device in one ear.
"Harold Saxon and companion here to see the Director" The Master announced, as Katy pushed down the urge to stamp down on his foot for calling her his companion once again.
"Have you got an appointment, Sir?" The receptionist asked.
"No. Now, be a good girl and tell us what floor we'll find them on" The Master commanded, staring directly into her eyes.
Katy went rigid as she realised he was trying to use his hypnotism on the woman. The receptionist's brow furrowed, looking at who she thought was a simple politician as if he had lost his mind.
"I don't think so" She replied, in a sharp tone.
"Psychic training. Nice" The Master mumbled to himself, with a nod.
"Okay, new plan?" Katy inquired, as the Master's hand returned to her back, leading her away from the receptionist's desk.
"Let's hope these fellas aren't too trigger-happy, eh?" The Master grinned, with a slightly manic look in his eyes.
He was then shoving her forward, as she gave him a questioning look before he was chucking his laser screwdriver toward her. A beam of light instantly shot out from the device, hitting a nearby wall, and causing a scorch mark to stain the white wall. Suddenly, alarms were blaring all around them, followed by bright flashing red lights as all eyes turned to her.
"She's an alien!" The Master called out, pointing to Katy, who gave him a murderous look.
"No. No, I'm not!" She exclaimed, as the soldiers came rushing over to her, their rifles raised in the air.
"Exactly what an alien would say" The Master suggested, as Katy chucked the laser screwdriver at his head.
"Guys, come on. This is all a big misunderstanding..." Katy trailed off, as the elevator door behind her pinged.
"I don't think so, Ms Smith" A voice announced, as Katy twisted around to find a middle-aged man, dressed in an immaculate suit approaching her.
"Uh...I surrender?" Katy mumbled, slowly holding her hands up.
"A good thing too. Seeing as you are documented as an enemy of the crown" The man stated.
"Didn't realise I was so accomplished" Katy sighed.
"So, what exactly are you doing here?" The man continued.
"She got dumped" The Master interjected, as Katy elbowed him in the stomach, almost knocking him off his feet.
"I'm here to save your arses. You've got a breach somewhere in this building, an opening to another dimension" Katy announced, as the man's mouth went slack.
"...In that case, I suppose you better come with me. Director Cooke, pleased to finally meet you" The Director greeted, holding his hand out for her to shake.
"Likewise" Katy replied, linking their hands to give a firm shake.
"May I ask what you're doing with a politician?" The Director inquired, in a hushed voice.
"Right. Yes, Mr Saxon is...my companion. Not my best, it's got to be said" Katy replied, shooting the Master an amused grin, who rolled his eyes.
Katy fidgeted restlessly as they ascended in the glass elevator, a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. She still wanted to run, but it was too late now. Would the Director even allow her to leave?
"So, since when am I an enemy of the crown?" Katy questioned.
"1879" The Director replied, as the elevator doors slowly opened.
"Huh. And that doesn't seem strange to you at all?" Katy frowned, as the Director gave her a slight smirk.
"We know all about you and the Doctor travelling through time, Ms Smith. We've been watching for a long time" The Director answered.
"You didn't seem surprised about her suggesting you had a breach?" The Master pointed out, as the group exited the elevator.
"In 1991, Torchwood Tower, known publicly as Canary Wharf, was built to reach and study a radar black spot and became Torchwood One's headquarters. We've experimented by tapping into the resonance around the anomaly, believing it could provide massive amounts of what we believe to be free energy" The Director explained.
"And?" Katy pushed.
" Nothing. Nothing happened. Not until a few months back, but it doesn't seem to have been our doing. Something came through the breach" The Director admitted, as they turned a corner.
"You enjoy being vague, don't you?" Katy groaned.
"Whatever it was, it's classified. Even I don't know what it was" The Director confessed.
"But you're the Director" Katy pointed out, in confusion.
"We all answer to someone" The Director responded.
"It would appear that more came through than you thought" The Master stated, as they entered a large room.
It was empty apart from a small office on one side of the room and a few computer desks. Or that was how it first appeared. Katy cocked her head to one side as she noticed there was a disturbance in the air. It was too thick somehow. She walked forward, feeling goosebumps rise over her arms. As she neared the white wall opposite her, she heard the computers on the sides of the room whir to life. As soon as she placed her palm onto the wall, it almost appeared to ripple, just for a split second.
"How...how did you do that?" The Director gaped.
"It's too long to explain" Katy murmured, running her hand down the wall.
"Try me" The Director insisted.
"I accidentally integrated part of the time vortex into my DNA. This is a hole in space, I'm making it react" Katy went on.
"Then you can open it?" The Director suggested, as Katy whipped around to face him.
"Are you fucking crazy? You shouldn't be anywhere near this thing! All these experiments need to stop...hell, you need to evacuate this entire building!" Katy pushed
"It's a massive source of energy. If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent!" The Director stated, as Katy ran a hand down her face.
"And this is the kind of idiot you want to save?" The Master scoffed, gesturing to the Director.
"How did you know about the breach in the first place?" The Director inquired.
"Something came through here recently. An Elemental Shade. A living shadow and it's been killing its way through London. And this...this is the only way to stop it" Katy murmured.
"How?" The Director frowned.
"We're going throw it back into Hell" Katy announced.
"Explain this to me again" The Director insisted, as the Master rolled his eyes, his fingers typing furiously on the keyboard in front of him.
"The breach at the moment is closed. It's solid. We don't want to open it all the way, the whole planet would boil. We just need to change the molecular density surrounding it. Change it from a solid to a liquid" Katy went on, as two soldiers entered the room, a large weapon in their hands.
"You're going to melt the breach?" The Director realised, as Katy rushed over to take the weapon from them.
"With this" Katy grinned, gripping the particle gun tightly in her hands.
"Careful with that. It took us eight years to get that to work!" The Director warned, as Katy gave him a mocking salute in return.
"How we doing on your end?" Katy asked, coming to hover over the Master's shoulder.
"I should be able to limit the effects of the breach to this room with a containment field. In one, two, three..." The Master trailed off, pressing the shift key on the keyboard, as alarms blared in the room.
"Right. Stage 2 then" Katy murmured, walking over to the fire alarm and pulling the small lever.
"What're you doing now?" The Director sighed.
"Once we open the breach the Shade is gonna' feel it. It'll come back here. We don't want any more human causalities" Katy explained, as the two soldiers remaining in the room gave each other a look, before making a hasty exit.
"Why would it come back to the place it escaped from?" The Director pointed out, as the Master stood to his feet.
"Elemental Shades hunt in packs. The prison it escaped from is on the other side of the breach. It's going to want to bring its friends through" The Master theorised, as the Director's face turned pale.
"How are we gonna' get it go back through? Once the breach opens, the others are just gonna' push through? It could be a slaughter" Katy whispered to the Master.
"I'll reverse the polarity. You just shoot" The Master told her, as Katy's eyes narrowed.
"Don't try anything" She warned, as he held his hands up in defence.
"Alright...today's as good a day as any to die, I guess" Katy gulped, as she walked toward the wall and held up the particle gun.
"Please work" She prayed, before pulling the trigger as a strange energy beam shot out from the weapon.
A bright light almost blinded her, as the white wall began to ripple, turning from a solid to a liquid just as they had planned. Katy backed up a few steps, rushing over to the computers to see the breach had fully opened. Alarms and warnings blared instantly, as Katy expected it was due to something trying to break through from the other side. They had assumed it would be other Elemental Shades, but what if it was something worse?
"It's amazing. I never thought...this truly makes it all worth it" The Director murmured, walking toward the wall, almost in a trance.
"I imagine it's difficult for your tiny ape brain to comprehend" The Master stated, coming to stand beside him.
"Master! We've got a problem. A lot of problems. The computers saying there's... holy shit . There's over six million life forms trying to push through the breach! Whatever your plan is, better do it now" Katy insisted, as the Master gave a curt nod.
"We need organic material. Roughly 180 pounds. It'll reverse the pull of the breach" The Master suggested.
"Alright, so where are we gonna' get that much organic material—" Katy began, but was cut off by a startled scream.
Her head snapped up just in time to see the Director falling through the rippling breach, disappearing completely as his cry was cut off. Katy's jaw dropped open as she raced forward, noticing the alarms around them had finally stopped blaring.
"You pushed him!" Katy accused.
"He tripped" The Master shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.
"On what? Air?! " Katy cried, throwing her hands up.
Suddenly, a crashing sound had them both whipping around to find a grey-looking teenager stumbling toward them. Katy audibly gulped as the body then slumped to the ground and the Elemental Shade broke out of the corpse. It hoovered toward them, its shadowy hands outstretched.
"We need to increase the pull of the breach" Katy mumbled, as she tried to edge toward the computers.
The Shade instantly sprang toward her, as she jumped back a few paces, meaning she and the Master were only a few metres away from the rippling breach. Whatever was on the other side, she had a feeling neither of them would survive it.
"What do we do?" Katy asked, in a shaky voice.
She felt the Master reaching for her hand a moment later, thinking he intended to hold her hand. Instead, she felt a sharp pain, causing her to let out a yelp, finding he had cut her palm open. Blood dripped down her hand as she gave him a questioning look, receiving nothing but a raised eyebrow in response.
"It'll make the transfer easier" The Master stated, as she gave him a horrified look.
"...Fuck, this was your plan all along, wasn't it?" She realised.
"Coming here was the only way to lure it" The Master responded, as she grabbed the collar of his shirt.
" No " Katy spat out, through gritted teeth.
"No?" The Master frowned.
"Looks like you miscalculated. I'd rather die than integrate with that thing" Katy snapped, shoving him away from her.
"That's not what I'm counting on" The Master smirked, before turning to the Elemental Shade and taking a step forward.
The Shade instantly turned its attention toward him, raging forward before anyone could stop it. Katy's feet were moving instinctively, her hand raised out as her blood dripped across the floor. The moment her palm touched the shadowy creature, she felt something snap in her skull and then there was nothing but darkness around her. It burnt through her, causing every nerve in her body to burn. She gasped for air, but all she found was an empty vacuum all around her. There was nothing but shadows.
And then she opened her eyes.
She bolted upright in a panic when she found she was no longer in Canary Wharf, but instead the inside of a car. She clutched at her throat as she gasped for breath, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest when a hand clasped her shoulder. She flinched as she turned to find the Master beside her, something almost akin to concern in his eyes. Almost.
"How do you feel?" He asked, as Katy looked down at her bandaged hand.
She was quick to rip away the bloodied bandage, her breathing turning shallow when she found the large gash on her palm had turned a strange black colour. Tendrils of shadow drifted out from her hand, as she watched the wound pulsing. Bile rose in the back of her throat at the terrifying sight.
"You bastard. I told you...I told you this wasn't what I wanted" Katy hissed.
"You made the choice. The only way the transfer would work" The Master shrugged.
She thought back to the first time she had integrated with the TARDIS. She had done it to save the Doctor. And now she had done the same. To save the Master. She noticed him pull his laser screwdriver out of his jacket pocket, turning a few switches, as she suddenly felt faint.
"What did you do now?" Katy complained.
"Unanchored you. Won't be long now till' you start whizzing through the Doctor's timeline again. You're welcome" The Master muttered.
"You realise that doesn't even start to make us even" Katy huffed.
"How about I sweeten the deal then? I could save Miss Rose Tyler" The Master suggested, making Katy frown.
"What?" She questioned, her head aching too much to comprehend what he was saying.
"I've seen your future, remember? I know what happens to the Doctor's little girlfriend. Torchwood. I killed the Director. I could make sure no one takes his place" The Master explained, as Katy's eyes doubled in size.
"...The Doctor would never lose Rose" Katy realised, as the Master nodded.
"They'd live happily ever after. Not so sure about you though" The Master stated, as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Let's face it, pet. You'll never get a second glance with Rose still around" The Master goaded.
She wanted to curse at him, hit him even...because he was right. Again. Whatever there was between her and the Doctor in the future, it would never happen if Rose was travelling with them. He loved her, anyone could see that. Katy would always be living in Rose's shadow.
"...Or I could do nothing. Torchwood continues as it was. The Doctor loses his beloved and your there to pick up the pieces" The Master grinned.
"I think there's one thing you're forgetting, Master. Rose is my friend. And I don't abandon my friends. Any of them" Katy retorted, as he pursed her lips.
" Fine. I'll see what I can do. Don't say I didn't warn you" The Master scoffed, reaching over her to push the car door open, gesturing for her to leave.
"I meant what I said, you know. I never give up on my friends, not even the ones that drive me crazy" Katy told him, watching as his brow furrowed, before she left him alone in the car.
Katy stood on the roof of Bucknall House, watching as people milled about their everyday life below. She held her hand out in front of her, finding the wound on her palm still looked no closer to healing. It was odd. The wound itself didn't hurt, only the skin surrounding it. But every time she looked at it, a feeling of overwhelming wrongness washed over her. She didn't want to be like her parents. She wanted to be like—
The fire escape door suddenly sprung open as a familiar face came rushing through, panting for air, their cheeks red as if they had just run up every stair in the building. Katy could barely contain the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't the first time the Master had used his perception filter to look like the Doctor since that first time, but she hadn't expected it so soon.
"I'm seriously not in the mood for your bullshit right now—" Katy was cut off, as they raced toward her, their hands instantly clasping her shoulders.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" They asked, their tone brimming with concern.
"Like you care..." Katy trailed off, as they reached up to cup her face, as her eyes connected with hers.
Warm, brown eyes stared down at her, swimming with worry in a way that she wasn't sure the Master could manage. She reached up to touch the hand that was touching her left cheek and found she just...knew. The man standing before her was the Doctor. There was no doubt in her mind.
"You came back" She mumbled; her voice thick with emotion.
A genuine smile spread across the Doctor's lips at her words, as Katy felt her stomach flip at just the sight of it. She cringed inwardly at her reaction as the memory of her kiss with the Doctor/Master resurfaced. It was definitely not what she should have been thinking about considering how close they were to each other at that moment. The Doctor moved his hands down to her shoulders, looking as if he was about to pull her into a hug.
" Ow! " He cried, as Katy suddenly punched him in the shoulder, hard enough to leave a bruise.
"What was that for?!" He exclaimed, as Katy simply punched his other arm, with even more force this time.
"Four months! Four freaking months, Doctor!" Katy shouted.
" Ah . Well, I can explain about that...partly. Mostly—" The Doctor replied, but was cut off as Katy suddenly wrapped her arms around him, her head resting against his chest.
"I missed you, idiot" Katy sighed, her own lips twitching into a slight smile as she felt the Doctor's arms circle around her shoulders.
"I like this better than you punching me" He murmured, as she snorted.
"Don't get used to it" She replied, despite the way she clutched at his coat a little tighter.
It was ridiculous how much better she felt just being in his presence. Safe, even. He would help her, like he always had.
"I'm sorry. Really, I am. When I noticed you hadn't shown in a few weeks, I took the TARDIS back to—" The Doctor said, as Katy interjected once more.
"Hold on. You noticed? You realised I wasn't jumping through your timeline anymore?" She frowned, pulling back from the embrace.
"Well, I noticed a distinct lack of bruises on my body" The Doctor teased, as Katy bit her lip, to stop the smile that was already on her face from growing any wider.
"As I was saying, I started going back on our past adventures. I figured if you were looking for me, you'd turn up at one of them sooner or later. But then...Rose and I got stuck in the casino prison again. They're really mad at me for exposing their cons, aren't they?" The Doctor huffed.
"And it never occurred to you that I might be back on Earth?" Katy pointed out.
"Well, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. I was..." The Doctor trailed off, with a sigh.
"Were you worried about me?" Katy smirked, poking him in the chest.
"I suppose, I was. Yeah" The Doctor admitted, as Katy looked over his face.
He was young. This was only the beginning of his tenth regeneration. He'd likely only known her for a few months but already he... cared. He hadn't forgotten about her.
"Jackie said you'd been hurt" The Doctor stated, as Katy looked down at her hand.
"I'll be alright" Katy shrugged, as the Doctor tried to catch her eye.
"Can I help?" He questioned, as she mulled it over for a moment.
"... Take me home " She exclaimed, as a broad grin spread over his lips, before he held his hand out to her, which she quickly took.
Both of them knew where she considered to be home. It was his home too. The TARDIS.
The Master walked through the dim corridors of his house, his entourage following close behind him. He had spent so long focusing on the Elemental Shade, that his plans for political rise had been put on the back burner. But not anymore. His eyes were firmly set on the election.
"I've got a call from a Yvonne Hartman. She's to be the Director's replacement at Torchwood, Sir. What do you want us to do?" One of his guards informed him, as the Master pursed his lips.
"Congratulate her on her job. Tell her she'll have all the funding she needs once I am in power" The Master responded.
"But, Sir...I thought we were to put an end to Torchwood?" The guard questioned.
"Oh, no, no. Quite the opposite. I want that breach open within the next few months. That will be all" The Master explained, walking into his study, closing the wooden doors behind him.
Despite his words to Katy, he had never considered changing history and keeping Rose Tyler with the Doctor. His despair at losing his favourite companion was too good to change. And pushing him and Katy together, only to pull them apart...that would be his best revenge.
A low hum caught his attention, as the Master rolled his neck before taking a key out of his pocket and opening one of the locked rooms in his study. He had almost forgotten about the other part of his revenge.
"You know, I still haven't quite forgiven you for calling attention to yourself when Katy was here" The Master exclaimed, unlocking the door.
"Although perhaps I should thank you. I never would have got the inspiration to put on the perception filter if it hadn't been for you making her think the Doctor had returned..." The Master trailed off, turning the lights on in the cramped room.
"And that was quite the kiss we shared, don't you think?" The Master grinned, as he received a whirring sound in response, which almost sounded like a scoff.
"Now, now. Don't be glum. You and I are going to have so much fun together" The Master announced, walking over and running his hands down the wooden panels.
The TARDIS gave no reply.
A/N: I think this is one of the longest chapters I've written so far, I hope you guys can get through it still in one sitting! The Master has a lot of plans for Katy, and none of them are good. We're going to be seeing a lot of side effects occurring over the next few chapters due to Katy's new integration. I hope you guys didn't find this chapter boring, as I know it was a bit of a filler, but it'll make sense in the long run. Thanks for all the support!