xxᴠɪɪɪ. ꜱᴛʀᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ
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Martha reboots the monitor by typing Atillo into a hiragona keyboard.
"We lost picture when that thing flared up. Doctor, are you there?", Thea asks.
"Receiving, yeah. He's inside.", The Doctor reports.
"And still alive?"
"Oh, yes."
"But he should evaporate. What sort of a man is he?", Yana asks.
"Impossible.", Juliet grins, repairing the word she heard in her head.
"I've only just met him. The Doctor and Juliet sort of travel through time and space and pick people up. God, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are.", Martha sighs.
"They travel in time?", Yana hears voices whispering in his head.
"Don't ask me to explain it. That's a Tardis, that box thing. The sports car of time travel, he says.", Anastasia adds.
"That's a Tardis. Time travel. That's a Tardis. That's a Tardis.", He hears Martha's words, although she sounds very far away.
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"When did you first realise?", The Doctor questions him.
"Earth, 1892. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War One, World War Two, poison, starvation, a stray javelin. In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew.", Jack replies.
"That's why I left you behind. It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, because you're wrong."
"Thanks.", Jack's laugh is both bitter and sarcastic.
"You are. I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the Tardis reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you.", The Doctor explains.
"So what you're saying is that you're, er, prejudiced?"
"I never thought of it like that."
"Shame on you.", Jack comments.
"Yeah."
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"Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life."
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"What happened?", He asks.
"Rose."
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"I thought you'd sent her back home."
"She came back. Opened the heart of the Tardis and absorbed the time vortex itself.", He remembers the memory.
"What does that mean, exactly?"
Yana is crying.
"No one's ever mean to have that power.", The Doctor says.
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"If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful god. But she was human."
"I bring life.", The Doctor remembers her saying.
Jack remembers his first coming back to life.
"Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life.", The Doctor shrugs.
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The words echo in Yana's head.
"Time war, time war."
"Do you think she could change me back?", Jack asks, hopefully.
"Jules took the power out of her.", The Doctor shakes his head.
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"She's gone, Jack. She's not just living on a parallel world, she's trapped there. The walls have closed."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah.", The Doctor nods.
"How's Jules?"
"She's...coping.", He answers, trying to find the right word.
"I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up. Never said hello. Timelines and all that."
"Do you want to die?", The Doctor asks him, suddenly.
"Oh, this one's a little stuck."
"Jack?"
"I thought I did. I don't know. But this lot. You see them out here surviving, and that's fantastic.", Jackie replies, unsure of his feelings.
"You might be out there, somewhere."
"I could go meet myself.", He grins.
"Well, the only man you're ever going to be happy with.", The Doctor jokes.
"This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky."
"Hmm.", The Doctor hums in agreement.
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"Regeneration. Regeneration.", The words continually echo on Yana's head.
"I never understand half the things he says. What's wrong?"
"Chan Professor, what is it tho?", Chanthro asks, also.
"Time travel. They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked.", He pulls out an ornately inscribed fob watch.
"Martha, these watches are us. We're going to become human.", The memory stickers Martha hard, upon seeing the watch.
"Time and time and time again. Always running out on me."
"Can I have a look at that?", Thea asks, kindly.
"Oh, it's only an old relic. Like me."
"Where did you get it?", Anastasia asks, her interest piqued as well.
"Hmm? I was found with it."
"What do you mean?", Martha asks.
No one seems to notice as Juliet's eyes roll back into her head, and she falls to the floor, unconscious.
"An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this.", He explains.
"Have you opened it?"
"Why would I? It's broken.", He shrugs.
"How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?"
"It's stuck. It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know."
Martha turns the watch over and recognises the inscriptions.
"Does it matter?", He asks her, confused by her interest in the object.
"No. It's nothing. It's- Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm going to see if the Doctor needs me.", Martha she quickly. She throws a look towards both Anastasia and Thea, silently telling them to stay there.
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The final connection is made.
"Yes!", Jack cheers.
"Now, get out of there. Come on!"
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The Doctor uses the telephone.
"Lieutenant, everyone on board?"
"Ready and waiting.", Atillo replies.
"Stand by. Two minutes to ignition."
"Ready to launch. Outer doors sealed."
"Countdown commencing. T minus ninety nine, ninety eight-", The computer starts the countdown.
Jack and the Doctor rush around, flicking switches. Martha enters.
"Ah, nearly there. The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable.", The Doctor says to Jack.
"Doctor, it's the Professor. He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours and Jules'. Same writing on it, same everything."
"Don't be ridiculous.", He scoffs.
"I asked him. He said he's had it his whole life."
"So he's got the same watch.", Jack shrugs.
"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing."
"No, no, no, it's this, this thing, this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human.", The Doctor explains.
"And it's the same watch."
"It can't be."
An alarm sounds.
"That means he could be a Time Lord. You might not be the last two.", Jack grins, excited.
"Jack, keep it level!"
"But that's brilliant, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died.", He reminds them.
"Not if he was human."
"What did he say, Martha? What did he say?"
"He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."
"What about now? Can he see it now?", The Doctor presses.
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Yana looks at the watch.
"The Tardis. The time vortex.", The Doctor's voice echos in his head again.
Anthony Ainley's laugh.
"Regeneration. Regeneration."
"The drums, the drums, the drums, the never ending drumbeat. Open me, you human fool. Open the light and summon me and receive my majesty.", The watch calls out to him.
"Destroy him! Then, you will give your power to me."
"Chan Yana, won't you please take some rest tho?", Chanthro says, sounding concerned. Anastasia and Thea finally notices that Juliet is unconscious.
"Oh my god!", Thea cries before they both rush over. Yana past them no mind, but Chanthro watches them, worriedly. Not sure how to help, she stays back with the Professor.
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"Thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine-", The countdown continues.
"If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide. The end of the universe.", Jack suggests.
"Six, five-"
"Think of what the Face of Boe said. His dying words. He said-"
"One."
The Doctor turns the last switch and the rocket engines fire. Yana opens the watch and golden energy streams into him. Juliet starts to violently stir in her sleep, but she doesn't wake up.
"You are not alone.", Boe's voice echoes in the Doctor's head, now.
"Outside, Futurekind watch the rocket blast away.", Yana says.
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"Chan Professor Yana tho?"
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Juliet opens her eyes to see a dark room once again. She sighs, upon seeing no sign of Sexy or Winnie.
"Sexy? Winnie? What's happening? Where are you?", She calls as she walks around, searching for them.
Suddenly, a door opens and the room is momentarily flooding with a blinding white light.
"Dove!"
"Sweets!", They exclaim as they see her.
They all meet each other in the middle of the room as Juliet explains what is happening.
"I fainted but I'm sure he's back. He's coming back and there's nothing I can do."
"I'm so sorry, Love, he's coming. But you'll be okay, I'm sure of it.", Winnie manages to calm her down. Her words are comforting in of itself, but the moment she touched her cheek she was immediately calm.
Juliet nods.
"What's going to happen?"
"Spoilers, Dove.", Sexy, regretfully, tells her.
"Figured. What can you tell me?"
"Ah! Finally asking the right questions, I see.", Winnie laughs.
Juliet smiles as well.
"As Winnie said, it will be alright. That's all we can say for now, Dove. But I don't think you're going to stay here for much longer.", Sexy nods towards Juliet's shaking legs.
"What's happening?"
"You're going back now."
"But it feels weird, it feels like something bad is waiting for me."
Winnie takes in a shaky breath, so Sexy steps forward.
"You'll be okay. See you soon."
"Goodbye, Princess. See you next time."
"Bye.", No sooner than the word left her lips, Juliet fell unconscious into Winnie's lap, once again.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take! She has no idea who I am. And I know it shouldn't kill me, but it does.", Winnie turns to Sexy with tears in her eyes.
"Come here.", Sexy holds Winnie as she cries into the other woman's hair.
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"Lieutenant, have you done it? Did you get velocity? Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?", The Doctor asks.
"Affirmative. We'll see you in Utopia."
"Good luck.", He wishes them.
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Yana moves a lever and the control room door slams in the Doctor's face.
"Chan but you've locked them in tho."
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"Get it open! Get it open!"
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"Not to worry, my dear. As one door closes, another must open.", He turns off the silo's defences.
"Chan you must stop tho. Chan but you've lowered the defences. The Futurekind will get in tho.", The tribe bursts through the gates. The Doctor and Jack finally get the control room door open
"Chan Professor, I'm so sorry, but I must stop you. You're destroying all our work tho.", Yana turns and sees Chantho is pointing a gun at him.
"Oh. Now I can say I was provoked.", He takes hold of a live energy cable. The Doctor, Jack and Martha have to double back to avoid Futurekind.
Meanwhile, Juliet wakes up and notices Yana and Chanthro's conversation. Thea and Anastasia's faces brighten but she gestures for them to stay quiet so she can hear what is being said.
"Did you never think, all those years standing beside me, to ask about that watch? Never? Did you never once think, not ever, that you could set me free?", Yana spits at Chanthro.
"Chan I'm sorry tho. Chan I'm so sorry."
"You, with your chan and your tho driving me insane.", He glares.
"Chan Professor, please-"
"That is not my name! The Professor was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."
"Chan then who are you tho?"
"I am the Master.", He reveals.
Juliet nearly pukes then and there. She gasps lightly and moves Thea and Anastasia behind her, even though she is nearly leaning against the wall for support.
Yana thrusts the live end of the cable at Chantho. He turns his gaze, remembering something.
"Juliet. There you are.", He says in a sickly sweet voice, as he approaches her.
"Why are you protecting them? Hmm? We both know their just going to die anyways."
She glares at him, not daring to back down for even a moment.
"Leave them. This is not their fight, you have trouble with me."
He sighs.
"Fine.", He suddenly yanks her into his grasp.
Both girls try to grab her back but she shakes her head at them, silently begging them not to interfere.
They back down and watch as he harshly throws the Time Lady to the floor. She winced as she hits the ground with enough force to break a bone, luckily she does not.
She is given no break however, as he hits her over the head with a random machine part that had been lying around.
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"This way!"
Yana caresses the jar's with the Doctor's hand and Juliet's foot inside, before sharply looking at the time lady and smirking at the small trickle of blood running down her forehead.
His smirk grows as he hears Thea and Anastasia sniffling in the corner, both scared and confused as to why he hates Juliet so much.
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"Professor! Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open now!", The Doctor begs from the other side of the door.
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"Professor! Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch."
Yana removes a circuit board from the gravitational field navigation system.
"Utopia.", He mutters.
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"They're coming!", Martha cries.
"Professor!"
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Yana disconnects the power cable from the Tardis.
"Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor. Please, listen to me."
Chantho is not yet dead. Behind Yana's back, she reaches for her gun.
"Just open the door, please.", The Doctor begs.
Chantho shoots Yana, then dies. Jack smashes the control panel and the door opens. Yana steps back into the Tardis, carrying the jars and Juliet somehow, and shuts the door on the Doctor. He locks it just before the Doctor can insert his key then goes to the console and presses a switch.
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"And locked.", He grins.
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"Let me in. Let me in!", The Doctor bangs on the door.
"She's dead.", Martha sighs, referring to Chanthro.
"Where's Juliet?", Jack asks.
"The Master. He took her.", Thea informs them all.
"He hurt her. He was angry.", Anastasia adds.
The Doctor's eyes widen. No one can quite tell if it's in angry or because he's worried. He starts shouting even louder as his banging grows harder.
Jack is trying to hold the door closed.
"I broke the lock. Give me a hand!"
"I'm begging you. Everything's changed! It's only the three of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!", He cries, worried for Juliet, but not wanting to lose the Master either.
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"Killed by an insect. A girl. How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor and Juliet can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master reborn.", Yana scoffs before throwing his arms out. His hands and face blaze like fire and he transforms into a much younger looking man.
The Doctor watches the golden glow through the Tardis window.
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Futurekind force the door open.
"Doctor! You'd better think of something!"
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"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Oh.", The Master laughs loudly, trying out his new voice.
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"Now then, Doctor.", He starts.
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"Ooo, new voice. Hello, hello."
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"Hello."
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"Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to-", He grins.
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"Stop me, I don't think."
"Hold on. I know that voice.", Martha mutters. Thea also recognizes the voice.
"I'm asking you really properly. Just stop. Just think!"
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"Use my name.", The Master demands.
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"Master. I'm sorry.", The Doctor begrudgingly apologizes.
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"Tough!"
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"I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!", The Doctor activates his sonic screwdriver while the Master starts up the time rotor.
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"Oh, no you don't! End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"
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"Doctor, stop him! Help us. They're getting in!", Anastasia shouts at him, despite tears running down her cheeks.
The Tardis dematerialises.
To Be Continued...
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