There's nothing here but what here's mine.

[standsonhigh]

This wasn't, exactly, how he had planned his return. He had expected to be on home turf, a place he understood and wanted to be. Surrounded by worshippers and already plotting. Not here with some strange man using the power he gave specifically to his followers to bring him back. The books of Saxon weren't meant to be public knowledge, they were his private notes, and yet this man decided to drag him into a world he didn't want to be in.

The Master always had a funny feeling that magic wasn't something he should of ever tried to toy with because as it stood, he didn't like where this was going. It defied the logic he knew.

Voldemort was a strange creature, a very unpleasant one at that. He looked sickly and his eyes were red like an albino. Still, he didn't say much on it, he'd looked worse himself and damages were just a sign of ambition and desire. It always took everything out of you, especially with humans.

The drums were raging in his head as he followed Voldemort into this meeting he'd decided to attend. He'd only been back a few days and already he seemed to of captured the imagination of this tiny little creature who was all but eager to introduce him.

An ancient ruler from another reality must of been interesting.

He didn't walk behind Voldemort, he kept in step, not willing to seem a lesser. Hey, the dark lord brought him here. If he was going to play with this merry band of psychopaths, he wanted to seem equal.

Comments

[liquidsky]

"Oh, yes. But you have a choice, don't you? Because you're you." Barty propped his chin up in his hand and smiled as he looked at the Doctor. It didn't even come close to reaching his eyes and he knew it didn't. "But I'm replaceable. Not much of a choice there."

His eyes flickered to the camera again and he licked his lips, leaning forward. Closer to the Doctor. Close enough to kiss, really, if he had wanted to.

"What do you want me to do, Doctor?"

[perfectten]

That smile, it was off. He'd seen in on the Master before when he was acting. The biggest tell was the eyes, peoples eyes always lit up when they smiled. But not Barty, they stayed dull and focused. Like his. And his eyes kept flickering to something. A security camera? Some sort of spying device? The Master was watching, he was always watching. And he wouldn't of sent Barty down here if he couldn't trust him.

Which meant reasoning with this one was probably as flawed as reasoning with the Master. So he really only had one move in this situation, to not back down and not give the Master a show.

"I'd rather you took a step back," the Doctor insisted as he pulled his head back himself, head gently bumping against the wall. "And stop playing games with me. I doubt you're doing it intentionally, I doubt much of what you do these days could be considered done in freewill. But lets be honest here? Just me and you."

[liquidsky]

"But it's not just you and me," Barty told him, since he hadn't had any intention of fooling him about that. That was why he hadn't bothered lying better. Why he had looked at the camera. He wanted him to catch on. "So what choice do I have?"

Victim, wasn't he? Completely under the Master's control.

[perfectten]

"You always have a choice," the Doctor insisted, he felt a level of sympathy but everyone had a choice. And if he knew the Master, he knew what he feared. And he feared the Doctor for a very good reason. Because he wouldn't give in, he really wouldn't. And he always won. "Bit cowardly, isn't it? Watching from a camera. Don't want to come down and watch? He must be sulking."

He was baiting now, not Barty but the Master. Maybe if he insulted him enough, he'd come down, they'd talk for a while and completely forget about whatever it was that the Master had ordered Barty to do. Sadly, the Doctor didn't know that the Master had very bluntly informed Barty he was coming in. Not until the Doctor was writhing in pain for denying his drums.

[liquidsky]

"A choice between hurting you and being hurt. Which would you rather I do?" Barty got up again, fingers tightening around his wand and his free hand tapping with the rhythm of the drums. He'd really heard them for the first time in here. Once before, sure, but that had been a mere shadow. In here they had almost broken him. Here it still seemed as if he could hear them.

"Don't brace yourself, Doctor. He likes to see you suffer."

[perfectten]

The wand was an odd thing to have pointed at him and at first he was sure it was a laser screwdriver or some sort of weapon the Master had made. But no, it was a wand. A wand. And, perhaps it was the wrong thing to do, but the sight of it just made him burst into laugher. Not over the top or rather loud, just a brief moment of childish amusement. Because magic wasn't real, both he and the Master knew that.

This was all an illusion by him... right? So this was just a game. There was no threat outside the usual.

"Is the wand really needed?" the Doctor asked, a bemused expression on his face. Magic in his universe was nearly always disproved. "It's a little silly, isn't it?"

[liquidsky]

Barty had enough ridicule of magic to deal with from the Master on a daily basis that he just kind of lost his patience this once, because he could afford to. No argument, no explanation, just his wand slashing the air and angry red slashes appearing across the Doctor's face. There were more under his clothes, but they couldn't be seen, only guessed at by how his shirt was starting to turn just a little red.

"Not needed, but it helps." And then, after a short pause. "Crucio."

[perfectten]

It was a strange experience. It all happened at once in a blur of pain and he didn't feel the slashes right away, maybe he was in shock from the pain? Or unprepared? Either way, it didn't hit him till they started to bleed. And before he could even properly react, something was said and suddenly it felt like every nerve in his body was on fire and every muscle was being pulled. A strange never ending pain that he didn't even think was possible.

He wasn't overly sure if he screamed or not.

But judging by the noise he could hear, he was pretty sure it wasn't Barty crying out in pain like that. With a desperate pained gasp, he tried to force himself to regain his control, to not give the Master what he wanted. The cries of pain soon turned into desperately held back choked noises, not unlike a wounded animal.

[liquidsky]

Young he might be, but Barty had seen and used the Forbidden Curses more often than most ever got to. He watched calmly, glancing at the camera once more as if he could actually look at the Master like this. He knew how to time it right for what effect he wanted, for the effect he'd been asked for. And with the Doctor making sounds like that, Barty was sure that the Master would be satisfied.

He ended the curse, finally, lowering his wand although he didn't put it away again. "In this world, Doctor, magic is real."

[perfectten]

The Doctor slowly regathered his senses, pushing through the pain and trying his best to remind himself that he couldn't blame Barty. The poor sod was a victim, perhaps he was willing but he was still a victim. And it was admittedly hard to want to help him when being tortured... but he wouldn't be the Doctor if he didn't try. Taking a shaky inhale, he let his head fall back.

And refused to respond to the taunt. Because that had been made painfully aware to him already. So, instead of playing into whatever reaction he was looking for, the Doctor simply closed his eyes and didn't say another word.

Silence was golden. It was the one thing that annoyed the Master the most. And really, what could he say?

[liquidsky]

Barty watched him quietly for a while, looked at the man in front of him and thought. Then he fell down on his knees, taking a ragged breath and shaking his head while he echoed the Doctor's words back at him. "I'm sorry."

He bit down on his lower lip and crawled to cover what little distance there was between them, reaching out for the Doctor again but not touching him this time, instead letting his hand sink down again. "I'm so sorry."

He'd known despair. Knew it too well, really. It wasn't difficult to mimic, especially down here. "He won't let me stop. They won't."

[perfectten]

The Doctor didn't trust it, he couldn't trust it. Not after what he'd just experience. Everything hurt, his body tingled in pain and he could feel every cut vividely. He'd seen the way Barty had attacked and it wasn't out of force or fear, it was out of anger. And yeah, maybe the Master had brought him to this point and made him this. But he couldn't fix it if he was stuck down here, on the floor, arms cuffed awkwardly behind him. So he had to wait for the Master, he had to defeat him before he could save anyone.

That's why he still said nothing and did nothing. He just sat there, looking at Barty with pity in his eyes. Pity and sadness.

But he couldn't get pulled into this again,

[liquidsky]

Barty turned, just a little. Just enough to that his back was to the camera when he spoke as quietly as he could and still be audible. "I don't want to hear the drums again."

He rubbed his face and stared at the Doctor for a moment or though, actually subconsciously mimicking his same expression. Not a lot of trust in those eyes, but then, he'd never really experienced trust in the first place.

[perfectten]

He knew he should of kept his silence, he knew he should of resisted. But he couldn't help himself, he had to correct this madness and keep firmly with what he believed. Because while he knew it was an act, he supposed Barty wasn't about to give up and give him a break. "They're not real."

The drums had never been real. He didn't know what this man had heard or what he thought they were but at least he knew saying that would piss off the probably gloating Master. Good. He had to get back at him somehow. "The drums are just his madness, you can't hear them. No one can but him."

[liquidsky]

"Then I have the same madness," Barty concluded quite logically and then he got up again, hiding the triumph he felt over having gotten him to talk again once he shut down. Good enough. For now. He would have to think of a strategy.

"It might be better I go. Is there anything you need, Doctor?" Suddenly quite the good and helpful servant.

[perfectten]

"Let me go," the Doctor tried, knowing it was a silly idea to even ask but hey, what was life without trying. "Someone has to stop him and I will, I always do. We're just playing a waiting game till I can get free. Please, undo these cuffs and we could stop him together. I can help you, but you have to help me."

He knew Barty wouldn't go for it. He was broken, he was the Master's little 'pet' or whatever. But he was allowed to try. One last chance before he shut down completely and waited for the Master.

[liquidsky]

Barty stared at him, nothing much changing, except for his stance. There was a hesitation there that hadn't been there before. Fear and excitement. But then his shoulders fell and he turned around.

"I'm not you, Doctor." It wasn't another apology, but the tone definitely made it sound like one. "Even if I look like this." With that he headed for the stairs, which was a good way to hide his smile.

[perfectten]

With a sigh, the Doctor slumped back sadly and rested against the wall, pushing the pain to the back of his mind and escaping into his head. He could focus, keep himself centred and resist any torture thrown at him. As long as he could defy the Master in some way, he was winning.

[liquidsky]

Barty locked the door behind him and ran his fingers through his hair. Not even sure whether he was trying to look more or less like the Doctor, he couldn't quite shake how strange the whole thing felt off anyway.

After a minute he finally made his way to the Master, entering the room with the video feed without a word and just waiting for whatever reaction awaited him. It was hard to tell.

[standsonhigh]

"He's so lovely when he screams. He doesn't scream like you, he tries to hide it so desperately," the Master mocked with an amused snort, turning his head and smiling so fondly at Barty. He knew there was a reason he liked Barty and it wasn't just that face of his. "He's going to ignore us now, he always does. Good, let him rot down there."

Getting up, the Master finally moved away from the screen he was watching and moved towards Barty, hands in his pockets. Barty had done an admirable job but ... well, everyone knew what he was going to object to. "Magic is still cheating. Bet you couldn't get him to scream like that without magic."

[liquidsky]

"Maybe not," Barty actually admitted, lifting his shoulders slightly as he looked at the Master, "He's hard to read." Which wasn't anything he hadn't expected, but it was still rare that he faced someone he couldn't just figure out easily. Combined with the face and his importance to the Master, it did make him feel uneasy, not that he'd admit that out loud.

"He doesn't care that much about himself. Or at least he wants to believe that."

[standsonhigh]

"He doesn't, he cares too much about everyone else. Or he used to. This one is a little -- shall we say vain? He values the body he has and he doesn't want to lose it. As much as he's willing to give up, he won't give up this body without a fight," the Master found it all very funny because who valued a body that much. Sure he loved his now but he wouldn't be that bothered if he died.

This version of the Doctor was. It was his weak spot. That and his need to help. Though he supposed it was a good thing because it did give him a rather amusing little idea. He turned to Barty, unable to hide his smile. "Show him. Show him what he really thinks. Expose to him how much he really cares."

[liquidsky]

"Well, it's a good body," Barty reasoned, eyeing the smile and not quite sure what to make of that. Hm. "You want me to mess with his body?" Because that was rather twisted, he supposed. It was his body, too, after all, in a manner of speaking.

On the other hand, who knew. Perhaps a certain catharsis might come with it. After all, he was aware of having quite a few issues with himself, really. And while he liked to deny any jealousy toward the Doctor, he knew it was there. "Is that it?"

[standsonhigh]

"I don't want what you do. But scars are always nice, don't you think? Constant reminders to be stuck with," the Master remarked casually, standing in front of Barty with a relative amused expression. He wasn't super giddy like he tended to get with torture, more a casual sort of appreciation for the moment. Like one might get over a film they found quite thrilling.

"Tell you what, Barty, you like a challenge. So lets make this fun for both of us and play a game. If you can make him scream in pain without using your wand or any magic, I'll get you season tickets to that silly broom game thing you like," the Master bargained, waving his hand vaguely at the game he'd entirely forgotten. Clearly not a memorable date. "If you make him cry, I'll do you one free favour you can call on any time. Make him beg for mercy and I'll let you fuck me."

Okay, the last one was impossible and he knew it was impossible. Hence the reward. But hey, he had to reward Barty sometimes. A little challenge never hurt anyone.