justprompts;
Prompt: Fear is a great motivator. -Art Bell
Verse: Paradisa
Word Count: 354
Zagreus knows fear.
It’s not surprising, really. His name is taken from a nightmare, a childhood story that has left its mark on countless species. The beast hiding in the dark. The spider in the web of Time. He terrified billions before he was even brought into existence in this universe.
He knows the terror from the other in his mind, the one called the Doctor. He still there, somewhere, desperate and fearful and fighting to be free. But it’s Zagreus who has control now, Zagreus who is in command. All the Time Lord can do is watch, helpless, as Zagreus surveys the Timestream, and slowly plans its destruction.
He doesn’t feel fear himself, of course -- what does he have to fear, in a place such as this? An tiny universe, home of the sentient planet that foolishly brought him into being. It was a fatal mistake -- Zagreus will no more spare it than he will anything else in this reality. It is his for the taking.
The people here are apathetic, jaded. He will change that, and very soon.
He doesn’t take much, at first. He is anti-Time, and his opposite is spread out before him like a buffet. Zagreus has, quite literally, all the Time in the universe. He toys with it, idly, like a cat would toy with its prey. A time loop here, a few missing minutes there -- snacks, appetisers before the feast.
But before he truly begins, there are time-sensitives he must take care of. A predatory smile crosses his lips -- they would, undoubtedly, attempt to stop him. The Doctor’s other self was already suspicious. Best destroy them now.
The castle is obliging as ever, and the sword it has provided is warm in his grasp. He tests it with a short, vicious thrust, and Time splits beneath the blade. Another few seconds are obliterated, and Zagreus feels a rush of visceral pleasure. He steps quietly into the corridor, leaving distortions in his wake as he begins his hunt.
And perhaps, before their timelines are obliterated and their histories shredded, Zagreus will help these people remember fear.
Verse: Paradisa
Word Count: 354
Zagreus knows fear.
It’s not surprising, really. His name is taken from a nightmare, a childhood story that has left its mark on countless species. The beast hiding in the dark. The spider in the web of Time. He terrified billions before he was even brought into existence in this universe.
He knows the terror from the other in his mind, the one called the Doctor. He still there, somewhere, desperate and fearful and fighting to be free. But it’s Zagreus who has control now, Zagreus who is in command. All the Time Lord can do is watch, helpless, as Zagreus surveys the Timestream, and slowly plans its destruction.
He doesn’t feel fear himself, of course -- what does he have to fear, in a place such as this? An tiny universe, home of the sentient planet that foolishly brought him into being. It was a fatal mistake -- Zagreus will no more spare it than he will anything else in this reality. It is his for the taking.
The people here are apathetic, jaded. He will change that, and very soon.
He doesn’t take much, at first. He is anti-Time, and his opposite is spread out before him like a buffet. Zagreus has, quite literally, all the Time in the universe. He toys with it, idly, like a cat would toy with its prey. A time loop here, a few missing minutes there -- snacks, appetisers before the feast.
But before he truly begins, there are time-sensitives he must take care of. A predatory smile crosses his lips -- they would, undoubtedly, attempt to stop him. The Doctor’s other self was already suspicious. Best destroy them now.
The castle is obliging as ever, and the sword it has provided is warm in his grasp. He tests it with a short, vicious thrust, and Time splits beneath the blade. Another few seconds are obliterated, and Zagreus feels a rush of visceral pleasure. He steps quietly into the corridor, leaving distortions in his wake as he begins his hunt.
And perhaps, before their timelines are obliterated and their histories shredded, Zagreus will help these people remember fear.