The Time That Never Was: Day 232

[notsoperfect10]

"The Time That Never Was: Day 232"
Who: The Doctor & The Master
When: During the Year That Never Was, Pre-Merge

His jaw had healed nicely but their attempt to break out had been impossibly mangled and now, the Doctor found himself hardly able to hold up his head.  He liked the bird cage much better than he liked the tent though, so there was that.  He

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[iehcsok]

"Don't tell me what I would or wouldn't of wanted you miserable creature!" the Master snapped, jumping to his feet with a look of utter anger on his face. He wanted nothing more in the world, he had always hoped-- he followed him so long after he'd been expelled, waiting for the chance for them to run away together. Instead, the Doctor left without warning, like he always did.

"That's what you do though. I always thought it was me but every companion you just leave them like they mean nothing to you. Did you leave Jack? Will you leave Martha?"

They were all good points and the Master was lost in his fury that he didn't even see Owen finally free his hands. He didn't move though, he merely put his arms behind his back carefully and turned his head to Jack.

Well, he was free, now what?

[cpt_51century]

Now they needed to get out. So many guards. And toclofane. It was a bit of a nightmare, really. Though the Master, right now, was making such a scene that as Ianto crawled towards the door, no one took any notice.

Save for Lucy. But she stayed quiet. Likely because she found the idea of escape the be...highly desirable right now.

The Doctor was still carrying on. "Of course I leave them. I leave everyone. My wife, my children, my grand daughter. You. Well. No. You worked for people that wanted me to stay forever exiled. Oh, Magister. How could you ever come with me when you thought so small?"

The words weren't true. The Doctor had not thought it all through at the time. He was impulsive.

[iehcsok]

Ianto was free, the guard didn't stop anyone, why would they? They were terrified of the Master and wanted out as well. they just played dumb, they always did. But Owen didn't leave after him, he got carefully to his feet and all eyes were on him as he snuck carefully across the room, taking a hold of the rather solid metal serving tray that once held the cake.

Course, the Master was far from paying attention because he'd been in rant mode for the past few minutes.

"I though bigger than anyone, you know I did. I always dreamed of leaving and you knew-- you just knew they'd never give someone like me a job. They used me, you all used me. But who's laughing now, Doctor? I've won, game ove--"

He didn't get chance to finish, instead he slammed to the floor. Kicking the bastard in the head, Owen gave the Doctor a panicked look because the Toclafane were advancing now. "How do I unlock the handcuffs?!"

I only stayed up til midnight to do my lecture notes ><

[cpt_51century]

The Doctor's eyes widened. His first instinct? Check on the Master, obviously! That was-- Pathetic. Stupid. Knock on the head, really? Nothing that would hurt him long term at all. The Doctor had to reason it out and force himself to understand before he did something stupid. "Pocket. Screwdriver. I'll need to see it. His is not like mine."

A guard hoisted their gun up and the Doctor held up one hand, terrified. He knew that the Master tortured them all. Killed their families, help them captive, forced them to work building missiles. He still could not allow them to kill him!

"The moment you do, the Toclofane will kill everyone! BACK OFF! Get me the screwdriver!"

((Also, all of my ads about getting my doctorate and Master's degree. XD))

[iehcsok]

The Master groaned, it would take a lot more than a slam to the head to knock him out, but it did stun him to the point where he couldn't see straight, merely slurring his words as he attempted to order the toclafane to attack. Before he could, Owen knocked him hard once more, resisting the urge to stamp on his head as he started going through the Masters pockets

[iehcsok]

This was hopeless. They were outnumbered. The Toclafane would overcome them soon. Too soon. The Doctor was trying to buy Jack some time, to buy Jack's lover some time, because both could do better working with Martha--

But no, Jack, the idiot, had to play hero. He had to rush after the Doctor as the Doctor ran after the Master, ducking down to figure out where the man might have went.

The sound of the Toclafane and Jack's growl of pain and the sudden soaking of blood into the back of his suit made the Doctor stiffen and twitch. He did not look over his shoulder. He did not want to see. "MASTER! Master, we need to talk!Ah, but too late for that

[notsoperfect10]

The Master missed. He was no soldier, not really, made for war, perfected for war, or so it was set and they were made to believe. Not no. The screwdriver missed. Unfortunately. Equally unfortunate was the way that the Doctor fell on the Master, protecting him, and putting himself at risk.

He didn't care. He couldn't let the Time Lord be injured in good conscious! "Stay still," he hissed, shielding the other with his body as he curled in against him. "Stay still and with me and I'll keep you safe!"

But who would keep the Doctor safe from the Master or the Toclafane? They were upon the Valiant. Easily. In moments, they'd take the guards.

[iehcsok]

The Master would never admit it aloud but he'd completely lost control of the situation now. A dark red patch spread on his shirt and he could feel it throb with every attempt to move. The Doctor was right again him, covering him like a loyal dog-- though he rather wished he'd put some space between them, it was pretty awkward.

"Would you get off?"

Trying to shove the Doctor off, the Master cried out in pain and kicked his legs, trying to knock the idiot off him. He had to get his control back. He had to sort all of this out.

"They're going to slice you to pieces if you don't get off!"

[notsoperfect10]

"So stop them! You're their Master!" Master of the Toclafane. The Humans that will be in a few odd billions of years or so. Dreadful, terrible Utopia. The Doctor hoped to never return to where even the stars go out and blackness fills the nothingness as Time erodes and collapses. It was not poetic. It wass bloody terrifying!

He tore away the Master's shirt, and seeing the wound there, he breathed a sigh of relief. Just some old organ to assist in basic photosynthesis. Time Lords rarely used that anym ore.

"You'll be fine!" he breathed, head touching the Master's shoulder. "It'll hurt but you'll be all right!"

[iehcsok]

The Master didn't stop them, he just closed his eyes shut and whined-- because, well, he always was a bit of a drama queen when it came to wound. He had been as a boy, which is why he always used to make the Doctor give him piggy backs home if he hurt himself while playing. Some things never changed, especially when it came to the two of them.

The toclafane whizzed about but seemed to realise that attacking the Doctor wasn't wise, he was protecting the Mister Master. The guards? They were less lucky.

Their screams rang out as the Master wriggled in the Doctors arms. Looking up with darkened eyes, he gave the Doctor a unsettling smirk.

"I love it when they scream."

[notsoperfect10]

The Doctor's returned look was sad and terrible. He could see the monster that he helped create in the Master's eyes but there's just no help for it now. The time of appealing to a higher power or sense of self in the Master was gone. Over. Too late. He hated it, that feeling of uselessness, but there was just nothing to be done now.

He couldn't take back time. Not without his TARDIS and a lot of time lock breaking. Not worth it, unfortunately.

"Shh!"

The Doctor pressed his hand against the wound, glancing up to see the last man die.

It was horrid.

[iehcsok]

The place was horrific, the doors sealed them into the gory room and with the Master passing out from his wound, he didn't tell the Doctor how to get them out. Bits of Jacks team littered the door, except for Ianto of course.

Who knew if he was going to get out? One could hope.

The Toclafane in the room were crashing down, still hurt by the Doctors attack earlier. Most had used what was left of their power to fight and the rest? Well, they were too weak to even fly. The Master remained slumped in the Doctors arm, blood soaking his suit.

But he'd be fine, he always was.

[notsoperfect10]

The Doctor gently rocked his Master. Back and forth. Back and forth. His suit was ruined and his mind was cracked. He could already hear bits of flesh begin to reform. Jack Harkness was coming to life again, slowly, and the Doctor, unable to watch, pressed his face against the Master's neck.

He could have escaped. He could have put an end to it all, but the Doctor was a man of very precise needs. This moment called for comfort. He'd deal with the rest later.

Love conquered all though, right? Just love?

Maybe if he loved the Master enough, he'd understand.

[iehcsok]

When the Master woke up, he didn't expect to still be cradled by the Doctor like some sort of sickly child. He blinked up at the other man and winced at the pain in his arm. Shoving the Doctor with his good arm, he hauled himself upright and peered over his shoulder.

The blood and the gore. His broke Toclafane. It was not a happy sight.

"Oh what did you do to my wonderful control room? I knew inviting Torchwood was a bad idea," the Master lamented, thought it had been fun. Hilarious even, the freak was so sad... it was sort of perfect.

He loved it.

[notsoperfect10]

Jack was still only half formed and the Doctor looked like he had literally bathed in blood. His hair was even covered in it and the Master's attempt to get up streaked his face in red as well.

The Doctor watched the Master walk across the room, checking on body parts or his Toclafane as the Doctor sat there and waited. When he did stand up, it was on spindly, weak deer legs, his knees shaking.

"This has to end."

[iehcsok]

The Master made sure all limbs were attached and looked over each Toclafane with a look of sorrow. He was bloody, his children were down, he was shot and his party was over. And, worst of the worst, he'd lost Ianto somewhere. Not really what he needed, was it?

Growling, he whipped his head round and stayed where he was with a challenging look on his face. Because no, he was not about to give up because the Doctor wanted him to. He had so much more he wanted to do.

"You've lost Doctor, accept it and move on."

Because he was never going to let go and lose. Gripping his arm, he winced in pain. If he never got shot again, he'd die a happy man.