Title: Hunter and the Hunted
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: gen
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Table: 50ficlets
Prompt: 27, Prey
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

He hated feeling as though he was someone's prey, feeling hunted down and having to go to ground to protect himself.

But that was how the Doctor felt at the moment, hiding himself in a disused room somewhere in this concrete complex of rooms. He couldn't be found; he had to find a way out of here and get back to the Tardis as quickly as possible.

The Master wasn't going to get away with enslaving this planet, not if he could find a way to stop those plans. If he succeeded in taking this planet, putting it under his sway, Earth could be next. There was no telling what sort of damage that madman could do.

He'd seen over and over again what the Master was capable of, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. The other Time Lord had already done enough in the world, wreaked too much havoc in the galaxy. No more.

This time, he had to put an end to it. No matter what he had to do, what sacrifice he might be called upon to make.

The problem was that to stop the Master, he had to have freedom of movement. And that was an option that he didn't have when he was forced to hide in this warren of buildings with dozens of rooms in each one of them.

He wasn't entirely sure which way he needed to go to work his way back to where he'd left the Tardis. And he knew that the clock was ticking; time was running out, and the longer he stayed here, the more minions the Master would have searching for him.

He had to find a way back to the ship quickly. So much could depend on that, on him finding his way back to safety.

But which way should he go once he took a step out of this building? The left, the right, or straight ahead? He was fairly sure that he'd moved to his left when he exited his ship, but he couldn't be absolutely sure of that.

He'd been set upon by the Master's followers almost as soon as he'd left the ship, before he'd really known what was going on. He'd only been able to find out that the other man planned to enslave this world by overhearing something.

He had been hiding in a closet, trying to hold his breath and hoping that he wouldn't sneeze and betray himself, when two of the men pursuing him had stopped just outside the door. His hearts had nearly stopped in his chest, his muscles tightening.

If they opened that door, it would be all over. He'd be caught -- and he was sure that the Master would have contrived a way to keep him a prisoner.

Fortunately, the door hadn't been opened; he'd been safe, and he had heard a great deal about what plans his nemesis had in mind. His own brain had begun racing with a plan of his own, one that he was sure he could put into action.

But, of course, he had to be free to put his own plan into being, and that was where the tricky part came into play. He'd have to get back to the Tardis, and that looked as though it was going to become more difficult by the minute.

If he couldn't get out of here .... then there was no telling what could happen.

No, he knew what would happen, the Doctor told himself grimly. The Master's plan would succeed, and he would be one step closer to his ultimate goal -- destruction and chaos for the world, his reign of darkness enveloping the entire universe.

The Doctor wasn't going to let that happen if he could help it. He'd foiled too many plans like this one before to let this one come to fruition.

But this wasn't going to be easy, especially if he didn't make it back to his ship. He might still be able to turn the tables without having the aid of the Tardis, but that would take more ingenuity than even he might be capable of summoning.

The Time Lord looked from one side to the other, closing his eyes and trying to remember which way he had come. He was fairly sure that he was headed in the right direction, but there was no way of knowing until he stepped out of this room and took a chance.

All right then. There was nothing for it but to trust in his instincts, hope that they were the right ones, and throw himself to the winds of fate.

After all, he told himself with a wry smile, hadn't his life always been like that? Taking chances, hoping that he would be able to prevail in the end and trusting in his own considerable intelligence to make the situation turn out well.

He might be the prey at the moment, but if he was lucky, the hunter would become the hunted and he would be the one calling the shots. It all depended on him being able to get back to his ship and put his own plan into motion without being caught

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and broke into a run, heading in what he hoped was the direction of his ship.

***