I lifted my head, my cheek still stinging yet I bared my teeth in a crazed smile.
"Little shit!" the man snarled, but I laughed.
"It will be fun to break you." I grinned. My promise earned me another strike, but the look of fear that shadowed his face made it worth it.
"Stop tormenting my workers." A bored voice echoed from behind the man. I looked around the man and saw her in the doorway, a guard behind her.
"But why? Its so much fun! You are such delicate little things. Humans!" I laughed, but she looked anything but amused.
"Stop being a pain while we wait for the specialist." she snarled and I heard her mutter "Why didn't Torchwood just keep the the bloody bastard."
"Spoil sport." I growled. Suddenly a thought echoed through my head and I smiled
"What? Another human?" I tossed back my head laughing. My head snapped back down, my laughter gone, and a crazed smile took its place. "I'll enjoy breaking your toy."
"Oh but he's not human, and he knows exactly what you need." She began to saunter over, her high heels clicking on the concrete floor. "Just like any-" Her heels touched the floor in time with her words. The guard stepped forward to stop her approach but she waved him off. She was within an arms reach of me and for the first time I felt fear of this woman. "Good. Doctor. Should."
Those three words caused me to slip back. Well as much as I could. The handcuffs that held my wrists above my head prevented me from moving to much.
"Oh..." I muttered, but quickly a smile reached my lips, the drums leaped, excited to meet our old friend. "I'll wait with baited breath." I growled happily, my teeth bared in an animal like snarl. "Let him come." I lunged towards her, biting the air directly in front of her thin neck. She recoiled in fear and she and her clicking shoes left my cell quickly. Let him and his bleeding hearts. I licked my teeth in anticipation. I'll wait happily for the challenge for I am The Master.

"Press that lever there" The Doctor pointed and I grabbed it, uncertain.
"This one?" I asked and after his nod I pushed down.
"Not that hard!" he cried and grabbed my hand that held the the lever, but I'd already fixed the problem and he retreated briskly, nodding.
"Alright, now, here. " He gave me a mallet with a smile and I passed it back and forth between my hands. I raised my eyebrow at him, wondering what to hit. He patted the console and without a second thought I brought it down. The Tardis sparked, but the Doctor didn't seem worried. He quickly reached in front of me and pressed a button and twisted something. He pulled back and rocked on his heels.
"Now pump that lever, and... Brilliant" He smiled as the Tardis began to shake and move quickly. I slid back into the chair behind me and the Doctor crashed beside me laughing. Suddenly we were still and he was up again. Ever moving I thought with a smile as I looked at him. His eyes were on the console and his hand was in his hair. I could still remember the sadness the old Doctor had, and though this one did as well, this Doctor, my Doctor was always moving. Always excited, always running. He turned his quirky smile towards me, his eyes meeting mine. His hand had moved to scratch his ear and I smirked. Always moving. Suddenly the monitor began to beep and we both turned. He grew suddenly still, looking at symbols the Tardis wouldn't translate.
"Doctor?" I asked, seeing his face. "What's wro-? but his hand flew towards mine and grasped it.
"Rose." He whispered my name. "Oh my dear Rose." He turned towards me, taking my other hand. "The Master is alive. He's back" I stepped back, remembering the year that never happened.
"But you said..." I paused to collect myself, I was whining like a child. "We watched him die. I stood by your side as you burned his body." I shuddered at the memory. I didn't like anyone dying, even a psychotic. "How..." I asked.
"I don't know." Was the only answer. He dropped my hands and turned back to the monitor whispering to himself.
"Why didn't I sense him?" He muttered.

I slept, or at least that's what I got them to believe. But I was thinking. The drums wanted me to leave a present for the Doctor. And why not? I smiled. And why not? I just needed to find a way out of these really good handcuffs. And here it comes! I smiled as I heard her footsteps, but when I looked up, I made sure I looked as miserable as possible.
"What happened to you?" She asked. I kept my laughter to myself. Ah, humans, so easily lied to. I looked her straight in the eyes and she crumbled a little. I opened my mouth and let out a moan that wasn't completely forced. I let my head drop. I felt her hand grab my chin and she pulled my head up gently till our eyes met. She whipped around, dropping my head and I stared at the concrete again. "Why hasn't he been fed?" she snarled, turning on the guard. "And look at his hands." she snapped, gesturing to me. "They must have no blood left in them, being above his heart and all. Can't you tie him to the floor and not the ceiling?" she growled. I allowed myself one smile. This was going better than I planned.
30 minutes and 43 seconds later, I'd been fed and a distrusting guard was swapping my handcuffs. As I pulled my hands down to me he pulled out another pair. I rubbed my sore wrists. He reached for my hands but I grabbed his arm calmly and twisted. He fell to his knees with a cry, but I cut it short with a punch.
He gasped for breath but I clamped my hand around his mouth and nose, blocking the air to his lungs, the drums enjoying the struggle, but the voice, my conscience began to weep. I'd had the voice for as long as I've had the drums. Two conflicting entities, both fighting for control, and slowly I began to build myself between them. The drums won the battles, so I went with them. I could still remember when I would fight the drumming, and it would nearly kill me. I shivered at the thought and turned back to the task at hand. The man was pulling at my hand, one around his throat and the other on his face. I brought back the hand on his face and lifted him by his neck. I brought back my fist and struck his face. A crack echoed around the room and blood flowed freely from his nose. I shook out my hand and wiped his blood on his shirt. I brought my arm back again, this time aiming at his stomach, he was screaming too loud. The guards would be coming soon. I tightened my grip on his throat until he was choking, and I struck him in the stomach. He gasped for breath and his knees crumbled. His eyes watered and for the first time, he looked truly afraid. I let go of his throat and he fell to the side, one shaking arm holding him up, the other blocking his coughs. The voice begged and pleaded for me to stop, but as I stood over him, the drums grew too strong. I crouched down next to him as he tried to get his breath back. He scrambled away, but he couldn't go far before my hand caught his ankle and pulled him back. I saw something glinting at his side a split second before he went for the knife. He pulled it out, but his arms were shaking and a rattled cough shook his body. I grabbed his arm that was holding the knife while he was still coughing and pulled his hand under my armpit trapping it long enough that I could push up his elbow. He let out a cry and dropped the knife. I flung him away from me and scrambled for the knife. I grabbed the knife and he let out a scream. I heard the feet of the guards. I flung myself back at the man as he tried to stand. As the door hit the wall, the man fell to the floor, a hole in his heart. The guards pulled out guns but I was in the center of them before they could blink, two down, three. I lost count quickly, and the few bullets that flew ended up in other soldiers. Slowly the pile of dead guards grew, until none were left to fall and I began to walk out of my cell, slick with blood and sweat. I still held the knife and the drums were as happy as children on Christmas. Suddenly a hoarse voice echoed from behind me and whispered.
"What are you?" I turned at the sound, surprised. I found one of the soldiers laying on the ground his leg shot with a bullet at the thigh, and his stomach slashed. I smiled and walked slowly towards him. I pulled him up by his suit and leaned in, whispering.
"I am a Timelord, you puny human. I am forever, and you are as long lived as flies." I paused to brush off the man's suit.
"And as you drop I only.-" I dragged him back to my handcuffs. He realized what I was doing when I grabbed his arm, but it was to late, and he'd lost to much blood to put up much a fight. He moaned no a few times before whimpering. I clamped one of the handcuffs to his hand and grabbed his other hand.
"Raise higher." I smiled, snapping the other handcuff around his wrist. His face held an expression of horror, but there was defiance there too. He's too big a risk, Kill him! The drums screamed, but I ignored them for a moment.
"Can you hear that?" I asked "The drumming?" The man looked at me, confused and scared and I knew he could hear nothing.
"I-I can't he-hear any-ny-thin-ng" His teeth chattered uncontrollably and his knees were shacking. The drums were pleased at his fear and so was I. I let him go and he slumped down. The handcuffs biting into his wrists, but his wounded leg and stomach couldn't hold weight. I stood back, admiring my work when the drums whispered how to make it better.
"Quite right." I muttered and the man looked up.
"W-wha-." He began but I rushed to him and placed my finger to his lips.
"Shhh." I whispered and placed the knife against his cheek. The cold blade causing him to recoil but I grabbed his chin and pulled him forward. In a fluid motion I kneed his hurt leg and pulled him closer to me, driving the knife into his chest. He opened his mouth but no words came out. His eyes were wide with fear, and slowly they glazed over.
"What a wonderful present for the Doctor." I laughed and the pounding of the drums lessened. They were content for now, but I knew that wouldn't last long. I left my cell, the door already askew, and with no guards nearby, I could rest easy as I walked. I turned around suddenly, if the doctor was to discoverer this, I want the door to remain closed. Torchwood will show him to my cell, and he shouldn't be able to prepare himself for the mess, even if he could smell it. I shut the door, leaving the blood and guts hidden, and walked away.
"It's a shame to have killed them all. Their lives are short enough as it is." I muttered sadly, but the drums quickly began pounding louder, punishing me for my thoughts. I slowed my pace to a stop and grasped my head, slowly massaging my temples, but the drumming would not cease until I apologized.
"I'm sorry!" I cried out, but the drums didn't stop and I screamed, "I wish there were more to kill!" Suddenly, as quickly as they came, the drums left, and I was left in near silence. I swallowed. Stuck between silence, which was almost as frightening as the other side of the drums. I shook my head at the irony of it. I couldn't live with the drums, but I can't live without them. I walked down the hallway, hoping I was going the right way. I turned with the hallways, always 8 doors on the right, and 7 on the left. I pounded the nearly gone drums on my leg as I walked. A noise suddenly split the air and I stopped, cursing my luck. It was the sound of time. I began to run but there was a way to go till the hallway turned. I skidded to a stop in front of a door on the right that led, who knows where and pulled it open. Apparently the extra door is a closet. I heard the Tardis door open and I turned. My eye's met the Doctors and we stood there for a moment, just looking at each other.
"Your looking good. Still the same." I commented calmly.
"As are you, well, except for the blood." He arched his eyebrow, obviously wanting an answer and I smiled.
"Oh Doctor, you'll love your surprise." I bared my teeth in a wider smile, and the Doctor stiffened. Suddenly Rose stepped out of the Tardis, putting a jacket on. She shrugged on the jacket and looked up, her eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and disgust.
"She's still around then is she Doctor? Well these flies are lasting longer and longer aren't they? I don't understand why you take them, only to loose them. Then again, they are so much fun to play with." I licked my lips and growled at her. Rose glared back at me and I snapped my teeth at her. She flinched back from the sound, but her face didn't loose it's anger. The Doctor took her shoulders and pulled her behind him, or tried to at least. She shook him off and stood beside him. She grasped his hand and I laughed, the sound echoing through the halls.
My head snapped down, the laugh gone from my voice as a serious tone took my voice, "I'll enjoy breaking her." I licked my lips and her defiant look turned to fear, yet she kept her stance, and as quickly as it came, the fear left, replaced by annoyance.
"Well you haven't changed." She snarled and stepped forward.
"Don't." The Doctor whispered but she ignored him.
"You didn't break me last time, so what makes you think you will this time?" She spat angrily.
My soft voice contrasted against hers as I whispered calmly, "Oh really? What if I killed him?" I asked motioning to the Doctor. She recoiled slightly and tightened her grip on the doctors hand. I laughed quietly at her look of fear, but she stepped forward again and a look of defiance took over.
"Leave her alone." The Doctor snapped.
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to insult your sex bunny." I shrugged and looked at my blood crusted nails as if I couldn't be bothered with him, though I saw both their blushes out of the corner of my eyes.
"Master." He snapped.
"That's right. I am The Master, your The Doctor, and that's Rose. Wonderful, now we know each others names!" I smiled sarcastically and clapped my hands together in mock excitement.
"Master." he warned.
"You always warn me... But you could never do anything, you bleeding heart." I muttered. The Doctor stepped towards me but I'd said my part. I lifted my finger to my lips and pretended to zip them closed. A poorly stifled sigh slipped from Roses lips. I smiled, but didn't remove my lips from each other.
"Master don't make this hard. Please." The Doctor whispered, his voice cracking.
"Mmhrmrmmhmrmhhmr." I nodded my head as I spoke, my lips still together. Rose tried to hide a smile and I smiled for real at her, but again, not showing my teeth. I unzipped my lips and spoke to Rose.
"Do you think me a worthy opponent?" I asked mischievously.
"I think your just a rabid dog who's lost his teeth." she taunted.
"Oh!" My hands flew over my hearts in mock pain. "That hurt." I cried concealing a laugh. But when I caught sight of the Doctor's confused face, I burst out , it wasn't a crazy laugh. It was my old laugh. I hadn't laughed like that in... forever. Angry at myself for the laugh, I snarled at her calmly "Do you want to see my teeth?" I licked my teeth and began to calmly walk past them, towards my cell. One confused, and the other terrified. They followed though, and that was all that mattered. For the drums wanted to see our enemies' faces when they saw our present. It didn't matter if we were captured, they knew we would escape. But they wanted to see our enemies face as he witnessed my, our, present. I walked through the hallways until the smell of blood hit me. We were getting closer. I saw the Doctor's face in my peripheral vision and I smiled. He could smell it to. He stuck one hand in his pocket and grasped Roses hand in the other. Rose couldn't smell it thought... Yet.
"So Doctor. Destroy- um I mean save any lives yet?" I asked, knowing he felt as though the universe would be better off without him. He looked forward, the light dying from his eyes and he looked nearly dead. He looked at the ground at my feet.
'Yeah actually, we have. We saved the universe a couple times, saved New New York, and Shakespeare. And well, a lot more." She smiled and squeezed his hand. He smiled back, some of the light returning, but his eyes still held his age, which was saying a lot. I looked back, surprised she hadn't caught what I'd been saying, but her glare told me she'd understood. I looked forward again shrugging.
"Too bad that'll go to waste once I'm out. Oh I can't wait to taste the blood and hear the screams." I smiled and I heard her shiver. I turned with the hallway, the smell of Blood almost overwhelming.
"What's that smell?" She asked the Doctor quietly, but he shook his head and looked down. I would never understand him, if I was destroying something, he always made himself look, even if he didn't want to. If he didn't want to see he didn't have to, but his bleeding hearts probably felt as though he owed it to the dead. I stopped in front of my cell, waiting in anticipation. A voice suddenly began whispering in my head, hiding behind the drums happiness. Suddenly I realized it was me.
"They never have to know." My conscience whispered, becoming more urgent as I listened and the drums noticed. A cry cut the air and all my troubles with showing the gruesome scene went away. I looked at his face and smiled as the drums whispered what to say. They were so happy.
"It's your fault. What lies behind that door, you could have stopped if you'd been here sooner." I hissed and a panicked look passed over his face. Rose suddenly spoke up.
"Whatever lies behind that door, whether it's a dead cat or person, it's not his fault. Who killed them?" She snarled and the annoying voice pipped up again.
"We did" It cried. "Please don't show them, they don't have to see. Please st-!" Another scream split my skull, but I gave no indication of the murder in my head.
"Step right this way." I smiled and grasped the handle, reading to pull the door open.
"Stop." Came the quiet command and I stopped. I actually listened to him! I'd have to watch that.
"Rose." The Doctor turned to her. "Rose if you don't want to see this, you don't have to." He whispered but she shook her head.
"Whatever it is, I can take it." She replied, and from his look of horror I knew the Doctor could smell the amount of blood spilled.
"Rose-" He began again, trying to dissuade her, but she shook her head.
"I can take it." She repeated, stronger this time. She swept ahead of him and I opened the door for her as she stepped forward. She stopped on the threshold, shell shocked. The Doctor took her shoulders and pulled her beside him. She turned and buried her tear streaked face into his brown jacket. His face held so many emotions I couldn't tell what he was truly feeling.
"Some bite for a dog with no teeth." I laughed, yet instead of it breaking them more, they both seemed to grow furious at me. From broken to storm.
"You!" Rose screamed and flew at me, fists flying.
"AH!" I cried out and stumbled back, placing the door between us. I reached for my side and found nothing to defend myself as the door was ripped from between us. I grabbed her wrists and held of for my life as she tried to free herself. She realized quickly she couldn't get away and began to kick my shins.
"OW!" I yelped and twisted her arms to the side and she bent, biting her lip to stop the scream of pain and anger. Her eyes flooded with tears again as she fell to her knees. I smiled at her fear-stricken face, yet her eyes still screamed anger and I found myself with a growing respect, but that didn't stop me. She growled at me, but it came out as more of a moan and I laughed. The punch caught me off guard, though I should have expected it. I flew back into the wall, letting out a pained cry. Rose slapped me across the face and I raised my hands to block the next ones, but they never came. I looked up and I could see the Doctor standing behind her, anger in both their faces, but neither were willing to gang up on me.
"Don't." He muttered to her and she crumbled against him again. He whispered calmly into her hair, but his furious brown eyes never left me. His look snarled if you ever hurt her again, you'll wish you were never born.
I opened my mouth, the drums screaming to continue the attack, but my conscience was back and whispered to apologize. Torn I did both.
"Sorry I hurt your toy." I snarled.
"Looks like she hurt you more." He commented calmly but I saw he'd noticed the apology. I rubbed my jaw and stepped away from the wall. I began to back away, time to escape.
"Is it the drums Master? Did the drums tell you to do this?" He asked and I stopped. The voice screamed to tell him, but the drums beat them down again.
"Oh don't start." The Drums snarled to the voice and the whimper followed till it was just the drums in my head again.
"Can you hear them?" I asked the Doctor hopefully, but he shook his head and I deflated.
"But I can help-" He began.
"Oh don't start." I growled, repeating the Drums.
"Please." Came his pitiful reply and I almost caved, but I smiled.
"My dear Doctor." I laughed. "Do you think I want my friends gone? Do you think I would even be tempted by such an offer? Rose, You and I all traveling the stars. The hero and the his... sidekick don't exactly leave much space for the villain." I rolled my eyes.
"You don't have to be-" He pleaded but I waved him away.
"Really? You don't think I've changed over this time?" I asked him and he deflated again, Rose holding him this time. "Then again, you seemed to be the same. We'd travel through the universe saving planets, helping worlds... Changing lives... Then you'll be off running, leaving them all behind. Or don't you remember?" I snarled.
"Well do you?" I snapped. Rose glared at me and I turned to her. "Do you not believe me sweetheart?" I asked. "When he's done with you, he'll pack up and leave without a warning." I growled.
"That's not tr-." The Doctor argued quietly.
"Don't you dare. Don't you BLOODY DARE." I screamed at him. "You did it to me, you did it to. Hm... let me check. You've done it to everyone. Even your own race. You left every human you ever traveled with, or they left you. Their lives are so, very, short." I snarled.
"I'd be honored to spend every moment with them.-" The Doctor began.
"What happens when she can't run anymore Doctor?" I ignored him.
"Will you settle down? No. That's not your way, it's never been your way. You'll leave once she can't run, and never mention her again. Just. Another. Mistake." I snarled, glancing between the two of them, cuddled together and gripping each other, his hearts bleeding. But I wasn't done, for I could still see defiance in Rose's gaze.
"Doll, let me tell you something." I stepped towards her and she raised herself taller, but I stood over her. "Not one word I've said is false. The man beside you isn't who you think he is. Don't you think he'd leave you? Don't lie to yourself. Someone who loves running so much isn't going to stop for you. Not if he didn't stop to save his entire race. He broke his planet, just as he'll break your heart." I finished softly, barely a length away from her. Her eyes didn't leave mine, yet I could see I'd hit her heart. I turned to the Doctor and the spell over Rose broke. She turned from the Doctor and I, from the blood and painful memories, and she began to walk.
"Rose." Came the voice, so pitiful, so full of pain, but she didn't even glance back.
"I'll meet you at the Tardis." She called, her voice carefree, but she was hurting. The Doctor turned back to me and tried to meet my eyes, but I was watching Rose; a crazed smile plastered to my face.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because of what you put me through. Do you realize how long I waited for you?" I asked simply, knowing my words held all the meaning, I didn't need to shout. "I don't understand why you destroyed Gallifrey, and nor do I understand why you left when we were kids..." I trailed off, letting real emotion show, knowing it was breaking him more, but the Timelord was already shattered. "Remember my fathers fields? All gone now I suppose. Gone with everyone. We're the last two Timelords in the Universe, because of you." I snarled the last few words, my anger finally showing.
The Doctor said nothing, just stood there, looking at the ground. He looked back up at me from under his eyebrows, and my conscience cried out, as if seeing him in pain hurt.
"Why, you asked. Well aside from the hatred I feel towards you..." I trailed off as if pondering the question I'd already answered, the drums wanting me to continue.
"Because it's so fun." The drums whispered to me, but I agreed with the voice. I'd stepped to far and though I knew the consequences, I fought. I opened my mouth, ready to apologize, to forgive the Doctor, but the drums pounded harder, louder and more painful than they had in a long time. I grabbed my head in pain, closing my eyes though images behind my eyes were much crazier than the Doctor's face. The voice and I fought, the sound of a battle cry split my head, and what seemed to be two armies of fire closed on each other. One red, the other golden like the streams of time.
"Haven't you learned from history?" The Drums taunted, a god's voice emanating over a puny child. The drums took the battlefield as the red fire devouring the golden. The Drums laughed as the voice screamed and the last spark of gold slipped from existence. I fell with the voice, unable to fight any longer. I fell to my knees and began to shake as the dancing red line of pain approached, my own thin defenses of blue shivering as the fire began to attack.
"No!" I whispered sharply and attempted to stand again, forcing the blue fire forward, and the blue fire began to fight. Everything turned blue and red and I couldn't see anything but fire. But even through the pain and the screaming, I could think clearly. I was 8 again, just after the drums had first attacked. I remembered the Doctor, holding me as I wept to him.
"The pain Doctor, the pain. It hurts so bad." I cried into his shoulder, and he just stood there and hugged me. I changed from weeping to attacking him and back again but he didn't let go of me. He'd been at my side, but the drums had made me forget. I opened my eyes and blinked through the tears forming on my eyes and saw the Doctors surprised face, much more handsome now, but his eyes are still the same. To old for his age, and much too wise. He'd always surprised me, always overwhelmed me. But even remembering the Doctor couldn't save me. It never could stop the drums. They were winning, the red fire dancing with and destroying my blue, as I began to forget again.
A surprised cry from the Doctor hit my ears, muffled and the drumming and screaming overpowered it, the sounds joining the ocean of fire in my head, but it rang out for a moment, like the call of a Firebird, giving me the strength not to give in.
Through the fire-ocean's unclear and loud crashing, a continued scream split the air.
"NO!"
"PLEASE! NO!"
"NO! PLEASE! STOP!"The screams were as clear as day, and suddenly as the overwhelming darkness fell, I realized it was me.