"Disciple…"

Summary: The 13th Doctor finds restoring Gallifrey has consequences involving old friends and associated others…

[Note-Some references are made to events in my dual tales "Philippi" and "Missy Song"]

[Spoiler warning…Flee or proceed at your peril!

The events of "Spyfall I and II" are mentioned…

I've been awaiting the return of the Master in some form, disappointing as it was so far as Missy's partial redemptive arc went…And suspected they'd try another "Gallifrey destroyed" storyline largely to ease the budget and frankly due to lazy writing and imaginative slacking. Yes, yes but I'm not a well-paid BBC writer/producer so my drivel doesn't count…]

Disclaimer: No copywright infringement intended.

Part III…

The TARDIS…

"Aren't you going to tell me?" tense, grim voice…

"Tell you what?" The Doctor eyed her guest.

"This isn't like you…Torturing psychologically. I mean, on the surface…" the Spyfall Master in "O" form noted…

"Of course we both know you torture innocently…" he sneered. "Not a brute, like me…Oh, no. You just 'hold back' to 'protect' people from knowing things that could only hurt them. Yes, you are more like me than you know, Doctor."

"You were asking me something? To tell you…Ah…Here we are. Your TARDIS is parked outside. Best to be off before the Nazis find a strange old farmhouse in the middle of Paris, you know."

The Master frowned… "So just like that? I can go, off to do my mayhem? Even now, when you know…What I've done?"

"A thank you for getting you out of that dimension might be nice…Why not surprise me and try that, something utterly new for you?" the Doctor smiled at him.

"You look lovely." He grinned.

"There you go…Something utterly new. Thanks." She nodded.

"So…You plan to try to reverse what I've done, eh? Save Gallifrey…?" he eyed her.

"Done and done…Only…" she paused. "No, I'm sure you want to tell me…Well, go on…Tell me."

"What do you mean? I said I wouldn't tell and make it easy for you. The great secret of the Time Lords…The Lie they told us, all these centuries. Rescuing me, foolish act, won't change that."

"No…But…Hardly matters."

"You…You and your arrogant smugness. You never change!" he glared. "One day, Doctor…I will wipe that smug look from your face. Perhaps I'll take your form and kill all your Companions! Or, even better, win your trust as a Companion then betray you…And your arrogance…!"

He stared as she drummed fingers…Sipping at a cup of tea.

"I see I bore you…" he fumed.

"Yes, you do…Same old, same old…Well, do you want to tell me or just leave it for some future encounter…?"

He reddened…You…

"You're even worse as a woman than a man…One day, I'll regenerate into female form and Doctor, I will so torment you…"

She smiled…

"What?"

"Nothing…You really should either finish or just go…Nazis? Do you want to repeat that 77 years?"

"What is so amusing…? Wait? Have I been a woman? No…" he mentally checked his memories. "Damn you, why are you smiling like that?!"

"Kolschei…I'll be seeing you, I know…All too well. But I don't want to hurt you, as much as I've reason to…"

"Then…Know the Truth, Time Lord…Old friend." He gave a dramatic flourish…

"You…" "I…" "Destroyed Gallifrey!" both together on end, he staring.

"Sorry…" she sighed, shrugging… "Guess I do have a little of you in me. I shouldn't have stolen your thunder like that but…After poor Bill. Someone you haven't met…Yet."

"You know…Wait, who? Not met…Yet?" he stared.

"You're Time War, aren't you? Second or first regeneration after they brought you back?"

"What?!" he stared. "Nooo…No! You're simply trying to confuse me. I checked synchronization…"

"Davros' incursions during the War probably threw you off…No, Kolschei…You're early. And yes…I did destroy Gallifrey, with the Moment in the bubble they'd created. Or thought I had. But I didn't."

She paused…Always kind…She thought.

And it's only the truth…

"But you did have me for a moment when I followed those coordinates. Took me a moment to realize you'd sent me to the future but too early."

"Gallifrey is Destroyed! And you the Cause! Through me! I made you possible!" he insisted. "I made you capable of doing it!"

"But not permanently…Or, for real, if you prefer. If it's any comfort…? It did wound me, for a long, long time. Now you have a Time War to fight and keep trying to flee and I have much to do myself in all those centuries. Don't make me drop you out in mid-air…Nazis hate people falling on them." she eyed him.

"Liar! You lie!" he insisted but went to the door. "I will show you what you are, one day, Doctor! Like me, only worse! Because…"

"Because I had a choice and you didn't…Poor, poor Kolschei. I know." She nodded. "And I'm afraid it's worse than you know…Right now. Go on, then." She pressed to open the TARDIS' door. Sounds of alarm sirens and shouts from the street, German mostly…

"Enjoy it, Doctor." He grimly eyed her. "Enjoy being like me!" he went out the door and was lost in the fog of the street in an instant.

"And that was all…I shouldn't have told him but…" The Doctor, seated in the Storm Cage cell of Emperor Davia, noted, sighing.

"I'd no idea my breaking into the Time Matrix would have that kind of residual effect…" Davia pondered. "We need to factor that in…Did you ever see that one again?"

"I may…But never in the War…He must have been killed and regenerated, he could only escape the Time Lock for so long at that time, the Matrix was still too strong."