The Master and Yaz || Gentle Monster

Price To Pay

My legs started to wobble.
The Cybermen had found us.

"RETURN THE CODE NOW AND NO HARM WILL BE INFLICTED TO YOU OR YOUR SHIP." They lied. I knew the Cyberman would show no mercy to any of us.

"STAND OUT OF YOUR SHIP..."

"TARDIS." The Master corrected.

"....WITH THE CODE IN YOUR HANDS NOW!" The Cyberman boomed.

He sighed and turned to the Doctor. "Did you do this?"

"What? Lead them here?" She moaned.

"Lead them to me."

"No! Don't be absurd, of course not!" She snapped and took a long sigh. "You know if you destroy the code they'll kill you. And if you surrender yourself...."

"They'll kill me anyway, I know." The Master groaned.

I looked between them. The same distrust and rage in their eyes.

The Master turned away to think.

"We need to leave." She whispered to me, barely audible.

"And what? Leave him here?" I uttered back in confusion.

"Yeah, this is his mess. He'll figure it out. But I need to keep you safe."

The Doctor grabbed my hand. But I refused to take it.

"No." I said loudly, which grabbed the Master's attention.

He didn't look too surprised that the Doctor was planning on deserting him, and that hurt me more than I expected.

"Yaz, we have to leave." She protested with urgency.

The Master's eyes flicked between the Doctor's and mine.

"You want this?" He asked me, steadying his eyes.

The look on his empty face of distress and sorrow tore me in half. My head said to run. Run away with the Doctor and never speak of this day, but as usual my heart overpowered my thoughts and senses.

"No." I said to the Doctor. "I won't leave him." I gulped, realising what I was saying.

She reached for my hand again. "Yaz, don't...."

I waved it away. "No." I stated, more sharply this time.

The Master breathed a small laugh. "Well, this is certainly a turn of events. Were you planning this bit as well Doctor....."

"You be quiet!" The Doctor yapped.

"In your dreams darling."

I didn't really know what I was doing. All I knew was that I wouldn't let the Master die. Not now. Not here. And not alone.

"What did you give her? The Doctor panted in bewilderment of my actions. "A drug overdose? Love potion? Brainwash?"

The Master's mouth gawked open. "I can't tell if that was a joke, or if you're actually saying that I've given her a love potion."

"I don't know you tell me." The Doctor said.

"I haven't idiot, those don't exist."

"Drug overdose does though."

"And why the hell would I....."

"He hasn't given me anything!" I shouted. "This...this is all me. My choice."

The Doctor put her hands on arms to make me face her. "You want him to come with us? Is that what you want, Yaz? Because I can't keep you safe with him on board. I don't know if he'll decide to kill someone one day or wreck a city on another. I don't....I can't trust him, Yaz. I never will."

I shook her hands off my arms, I didn't care that she had trust issues with him. This was just wrong.

"So you're just going to let him die here? He's your friend, Doctor. Your oldest, closest friend..."

"Used to be." She corrected. "Now he's nothing but a psychotic, selfish, evil brute."

The Master snorted. "Charmer."

"No he told me what happened." I announced. "He told me about the lords of Gallifrey, how they made him go insane and how you didn't do anything to help. That you didn't understand. That you were too busy being perfect."

"And you believe this story?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes...yes I do."

"Because this idiot lies for a living."

"I'm right here you know." The Master moaned.

"How do you know it's the truth?" The Doctor continued, ignoring him.

"It doesn't matter whether it's the truth or not, you're going to let a person DIE, Doctor!" I yelled.

"Yes! Because that's the price I have to pay to keep you safe Yaz. I'm sorry."

The Doctor held out her hand again. "Please. I don't want to loose the both of you."

The Master's eyes lit up. "Awwww...."

"...Don't ruin it." The Doctor mumbled.

"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES REMAINING!" The Cyberman echoed angrily, I could feel their patience wearing thinner by the second. "STAND OUTSIDE OF YOUR SHIP NOW WITH THE CODE IN YOUR HANDS."

The Master eyed me once again, knowing that I was his only hope for survival.

"He's coming with us." I ordered. "I will not leave without him."

The Doctor sighed whilst the Master grinned in her face.

"I'm going to regret this." She moaned.

Then without thinking, I grabbed the Master's hand and we ran out the doors.