THE MASTER, THE DOCTOR AND THE WOLF

Chapter Nineteen

Finally, the Doctor was ready to go, albeit reluctantly. He was forced to wait while the Valeyard installed an artron tracker on his shock collar so he could track him and then listen to another round of threats against him and Rose as he walked to the front door.

"Remember, find them and bring them back here as quickly as possible or Rose dies," the Valeyard said to him as he opened the front door.

That did it for the Doctor and without warning, he suddenly lunged at the Valeyard, seizing him by the throat and shoving him up against the wall.

"I have my limits, Valeyard, and you are severely testing them," he growled at him.

"Let go of me or Rose dies in front of you, slowly and painfully," the Valeyard growled back.

"She dies and you die, slowly and painfully," the Doctor growled at him. "You may think you can bully me by threatening Rose but if she gets even one scratch on her while I'm gone, you will find out just how much I've changed from your progenitor."

He roughly let go of the Valeyard's neck. The Valeyard glared at him but the Doctor took pleasure in seeing a hint of fear in his eyes. He glowered at him.

"No one is to be harmed," the Doctor said, sticking a finger in the Valeyard's face.

"Yes, fine, whatever. Go!" the Valeyard said angrily.

The Doctor kept his eyes on him as he turned to the door and then finally, he turned his head around and the Valeyard breathed a sigh of relief as he left the TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joseph sipped a cup of tea while he listened to the Doctor's proposal. Sheila sat next to him on the sofa and everyone else was sitting in chairs in a semicircle around it. Clara was listening to the Doctor state his case but she wasn't sure Joseph was eager to go along with it, especially since the Doctor was explaining about yet another threat to London.

"I am sorry to hear of your troubles, Doctor," Joseph said when he finished speaking. "But why should we concern ourselves with this matter. The Daleks were a worldwide threat. This, however, seems to be a personal matter between you, your friend and this Valeyard chap. We have matters that are more pressing, like the rebuilding and recovery of London."

"I understand that, Councilor," the Doctor said. "But the Valeyard threatens the safety of everyone, like the Daleks did. He is just as ruthless and heartless and we need all the help we can get. I realize that the council has no quarrel with him but that won't stop him from harming you. He will do everything in his power to stop us and that might mean harming anyone that gets in his way and that could include you, your granddaughter or any other civilian."

"And what exactly do you need from us, Doctor?" Joseph asked.

"I need people to help us out. I need places to shelter and to make a stand against the Valeyard or possibly to trap him. If he finds out where we are, the entire area will be affected. You need to move people away from this area because he'll be trying to track my…ship and he won't hesitate to use people as human shields or as leverage. I also need stun guns, something nonlethal that will allow us to stop him."

"If he's as big a threat as you say, Doctor. Why not kill him?" Joseph said.

"Because he tries not to do that," Susan said to him. "He tries to be merciful."

"And were you merciful towards the Daleks?" Joseph said to the Doctor. "Because the Daleks also enslaved and robotized humans, used them as leverage and shields and showed no mercy to them."

"I do not take killing another living being lightly," the Doctor said. "Sometimes, yes, it is unavoidable but I try to find other solutions first. The man who used to exist before the Valeyard was awakened might still be salvaged if I can capture him. I want to try to purge this evil from his mind or at least seal it away. I want to try to save him if I can and I want him alive for that purpose."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Joseph said, shaking his head. "I understand your point of view but the city has more pressing matters to attend to. I can't spare the manpower to go and fight a threat that is a danger only to yourself."

"But he's not just a danger to himself, he's…"

The Doctor held up his hand to silence Clara and he nodded at Joseph.

"Thank you for your time then, Councilor," he said.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I hope you are able to contain the threat. Perhaps if this Valeyard proves to be a bigger threat to London, we will convene a meeting and talk it over but until then, I'm afraid you're on your own. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Everyone stood up when Joseph did. Sheila gave them an apologetic look as Joseph leaned on his cane and slowly left the room.

"Sorry, Grandfather," Susan said.

"No, it's alright. I understand they're all less than eager to tackle another big threat to London. Clara and I will make do without them."

"And me, Grandfather, I told you I'm fighting with you," Susan said.

"And you can count me in as well," David said.

"And me."

Everyone looked over at Sheila when she entered the room.

"My grandfather is old and set in his ways," she said to them. "Most of the people around here have been traumatized by the Dalek invasion and they want to stick their heads in the dirt and pretend its business as usual. They want to pretend that the Daleks are gone and nothing bad will ever happen again and so when you bring us news of a possible new threat, he digs in his heels and pretends that it won't affect him. Most of the people around here are tired and demorialized and if the Daleks came through again, they wouldn't put up much of a fight. I'm not like that though. I want to join you and help you. I can be a guide and show you the best places to hide. I know a few deserted buildings that would be great in an ambush."

"So do we," David said, nodding at Susan. "You don't need the council, Doctor. All they'll do is sit around and discuss and vote. What we need now is action."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"Just let me tell Grandfather that I'm going with you so he won't worry," Sheila said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clara and the others stood outside waiting for Sheila to join them. As they milled about, Clara turned and froze when she saw Twelve nearby signaling to her.

"Doctor, look!" Clara said to Eleven.

Everyone turned and Twelve gazed at Susan with pain in his eyes when he saw that she didn't know who he was.

"That's him, Doctor, that's you," Clara said to Eleven, pointing to Twelve.

"Oh my God, I'm old," Eleven said with disgust. "I asked about not being ginger but I should have asked if I'd gotten old as well. Ugh!"

"Shut it, Chinny," Twelve said as he walked up to them. "I don't have much time. I'm supposed to be hunting you down and bringing you back to the TARDIS."

"Grandfather?" Susan said, stepping forward.

Twelve smiled and nodded.

"There you go, Susan, someone who actually looks like your grandfather," Eleven said.

Twelve flipped him the vees which made Clara grin.

"Now that the wisecracks are over, Babyface Me, can we go somewhere and talk in private?" he said to them.

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