Prodigal Son
A short story by Chris Pollard

Part of the Seventh Doctor Fiction collection

Krub held his gun tightly to his chest. The man was the best there was and Krub had to kill him. He couldn't let Sanchez down, not after all the time he'd spent looking for his murderer. Sanchez had died when a rogue agent had gone mad and gone on a killing spree in the name of vengeance. In a fortnight an empire that had controlled Columbia was destroyed. But Krub had survived; just. Scarred horribly, thoughts of revenge were all that kept him alive.

Seven o'clock at the Gemini hotel. The man slept during the afternoon, he wouldn't be waking for an hour or two, Krub opened the room with a key he had stolen from the maid and crept in. Moonlight spilled through an open window onto the bed where the man lay, still fully clothed. Krub raised his gun, when the figure lurched. He span up and round to face Krub, his own gun raised. Wildly Krub fired, but the figure stood tall. Then for Krub it was over. He fell against the wall leaving a bloody trail. The surviving man began to shake, and fell to his knees. White light shone from him as his face began to shift unsettlingly. He clutched at his stomach, removing the bullets. Then he stood up, a new man. "Today is the start of the rest of your life." He laughed, then headed for the casino.

***

The Doctor entered the casino, his eyes searching. They fell upon the handsome man in the corner who was hogging the baccarat table, a cluster of beautiful women surrounding him. He was smiling as he defeated another opponent. The Doctor made his way to his table and took the seat opposite him. The stranger looked at the Doctor's hat with distaste. "The name's Bond, James Bond."

"I'm the Doctor." He smiled, "Do you play Whist?"

***

"Do you know how long it's been since I was beaten at cards?" Bond looked much smaller once he'd lost. "Not since the start of your exile?" the Doctor replied. Bond glared at the Doctor. "You're one of them? What do you want?"

"Yamesbohbnd, You're coming home. Your father's dying."

"And what if I refuse?"

"It's your choice." The Doctor began to walk away but Bond chased him, "I'll go."

***

The Tardis appeared in the centre of the Palace of Omega. The two Timelords walked out and the Doctor spoke. "He's in his bedroom. He says he'll only admit you." The Doctor left Bond on his own. Slowly Bond began to climb the multitude of steps in front of him. It was clear he didn't like where he was going.

Eventually he got to the bedroom. A guard was standing on watch. He spoke, "Borusa will see you now." The door swung open to reveal what looked like a five-year-old. "Come in." The voice was gruff, the last regeneration had not been completed properly. Again the child that was the leader of the Timelords spoke, "Do you know what eternity is like Yames?" Bond knew better than to answer so he let his father continue. "It isn't a length of time, it's a loop. There for a moment and you are there forever." Borusa stopped for a moment to let the weight of his words sink in before continuing, "But it wasn't anything, next to waiting for you to return Yames. I want to die, and I want you to kill me."

Bond answered, "I couldn't, not my own father!"

But Borusa's voice was stern. "You never seemed to have trouble killing, even when we exiled you, you found a job where you could kill freely."

Bond was visibly angry, "I killed for reasons. Not since I arrived on Earth have I killed an innocent."

Borusa smiled. "I'm no innocent, now don't disappoint me like you always used to. Prove you're the best assassin there is, and shoot me."

Bond now spoke sarcastically. "So you called me back to destroy you, to prove that I'm a good son after all?"

Borusa smiled. The sarcasm had been wasted. "Yes, that's about it. I'm bored. I want to leave this plane of existence, but first I want to be sure of you, Yames, so kill me, and do it well."

***

The gun was raised; Bond didn't even grimace as he fired. The little boy fell, but he was regenerating. "No, don't do this to me father!" Borusa was back, but he had regenerated in the image of Tracy Bond. Borusa laughed. "Be the best Son!"

Once more the gun was raised and again Bond fired. Borusa collapsed on the floor, quite dead. Bond kneeled down, crying softly. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the Doctor. "I think I'd better take you home Yames."

