AN: Written for a prompt from The Muse Bunny - "helpless".


Helpless

"And so it came to pass that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all, and I thought it...good."

--

He steps back from the window of the Valiant, his gleeful, evil grin far too wide for his face, and heaves the Doctor away by the lapels, steering the man roughly into a chair. The Doctor, now old and feeble and pathetic, stares at the Master with eyes full of fury and sadness as the Master looms over him, resting his hands on the armrests of the chair and staring at the Doctor. Still grinning. That sinister, victorious grin.

"I've won," he tells the Doctor smugly, his pulses racing, the drumming in his head nearly deafening. "I've finally beaten you, Doctor."

The Doctor looks at him, and it's a thrill for the Master to see the fear and anger in the Doctor's eyes, feel the Doctor's sorrow as billions of people scream and die below them. "You haven't won," rasps the Doctor. "You never will."

The Master frowns, straightens up, ignores the brief flash of infuriating pity that passes across the Doctor's features. "If you're talking about Miss Jones, I'll find her sooner or later, Doctor. And besides -- she's just one of your little humans, there to keep you company. She can't do anything. No, I am victorious. There is nothing you can do to stop me now, and you know it, don't you?" He smirks madly, leans back down to whisper in the Doctor's ear. "You -- are -- helpless. I win."

Then he turns, strides forward to take Lucy's hand -- sweet, faithful Lucy -- and pulls her into a long kiss. When the Master breaks away he gives her a gentle push away from him, and looks around at his prisoners, his guards -- his audience. And he smiles. There's Jack, still on the floor, glaring daggers, and the Master raises his laser screwdriver and kills the man again for good measure. There's the Jones family -- sans Martha, of course, and Leo, but probably not for long. Their expressions are despairing and furious and the Master basks in this, his heartsbeat quickening ever more. All this is his now. Earth and all its inhabitants belong to him, at last.

"Take them away," he tells a guard, waving a hand airily. "Make them, oh, I don't know...servants or something. I could do with someone to make the tea." His finger whips round to point at Jack, who scowls. The Master scowls back mockingly and says, "Not him though, him I want tied up somewhere, below deck. I don't like him."

Spinning round and darting back to where the Doctor still sits, the Master smiles evilly and taps his chin in overdramatic thought. "Now what should I do with you, Doctor? My new pet." He spits the word, then his eyes brighten with malicious glee. "I know -- we'll build you a nice little doghouse, how about that?"

The Doctor is silent. The Master's smile twists downward into a glaring frown; this isn't enough. The Doctor should be sobbing and begging for mercy, begging the Master to stop. Perhaps he hasn't gone far enough. Maybe decimation is too tame to break the Doctor. The Master holds out his hand at arm's length beside him, not tearing his gaze from the Doctor's, and snaps his fingers. A solitary Toclafane appears.

"I've decided," he announces slowly, savouring the moment, "that one-tenth isn't enough." Terror creeps into the Doctor's face, and the drums in the Master's head intensify, his breathing coming quicker, his hearts reaching bursting point they're pounding so fast. "Japan," he decides. "All of Japan, everyone. They die."

"No," the Doctor breathes. "No, please..."

"Say my name," counters the Master, almost absentmindedly.

The Doctor hesitates, but complies. "Master. Please -- don't."

The Toclafane is still waiting expectantly, hovering excitedly beside the Master, who suddenly sneers. Turns to a guard. "You know what? Bring the Joneses back in here. I want his precious humans to watch. I want them to be here, to bear witness as Japan burns." Then after a moment, because he knows it will kill the Doctor with guilt, "Just like Gallifrey."

Fin.