"You know what?" Methos said. "I've changed my mind. I think I prefer the arena after all."

The Doctor grinned. "Ah, but where's the fun in that?" he said. "This is much more exciting."

Methos threw him a disbelieving look. "In case it has escaped your notice, we're completely surrounded."

The doctor shrugged, a feat more difficult than it sounds, considering they both had their hands in the air. "Look on the bright side; at least we've found their secret lair."

"You will be silent!"

"Yes, he does go on, doesn't he?" the Doctor said conversationally. "I keep telling him—"

"Silence, or you will be exterminated."

"Oh, well, that's told me, hasn't it?"

"Will you please shut up," Methos hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Relax, they can't kill us yet," the Time Lord drawled. "Not until the high muckity-muck has had a chance to gloat over me – isn't that right?"

"The Emperor is God!" the Daleks shrieked in unison.

"See what I mean?" the Doctor sighed. "So where is the Emperor, then; hiding in the shadows? Not very Godlike of him, is it?"

The circle of Daleks drew tighter, leaving them even less room to manoeuvre in. "Um, Doctor, maybe it's not a good idea to goad the evil robots with laser guns."

"You know, maybe it's just me but I always thought those things looked silly," the Doctor plunged on. "But what can you expect when you're working with a second rate God."

"The Emperor is God, the Emperor is all powerful. You shall not mock the Emperor."

"Where is he then?" the Doctor asked amiably. "Popped out for a bit of lunch, has he?"

"Soon the gateway shall be ready, and the Emperor will come - and you shall be exterminated!"

"They really don't like you, do they? Methos observed aloud.

"Yes, well, I did destroy their entire civilisation," he said, shrugging. "People tend to take that kind of thing personally."

"Indeed," Methos said dryly. "I don't suppose you have a plan, by any chance?"

"No, not really," he said. "But let's have a stab at it anyway. My arms are getting tired."

Methos wasn't really sure what happened next. One moment, the doctor was standing right beside him, smiling widely; he next, he was leaping over one of the Daleks, his screwdriver glowing on his hand. "Bloody hell!" he growled as he dove between two of the advancing Daleks and winced as a laser singed his hair.

"Come on!" the Doctor yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted down a corridor. "You can have your nap later."

Cursing under his breath, Methos scrambled to his feet and ran after him, "You actually get a kick out of this, don't you?" he said, through gritted teeth, as he noticed the gleeful look on the Doctors face."

"What's not to love?" he asked, as they skidded around a corner.

"You know this is madness."

"Not as mad as an Earth ruled by Daleks, trust me on this," the Doctor declared as they entered another, smaller chamber. "Now, if I was gateway from a nether-dimension, where would I be?"

"Nether-dimension? You just made that up, didn't you?"

"I wish. Nasty things, nether-dimensions, and nearly impossible to access…but what else could it be? It's the only feasible way he could have survived – this way."

Methos was beginning to get the impression that the Doctor did a lot of running down corridors, he certainly seemed to have a lot of enthusiasm for it.

After what seemed like an age, they halted at a pair of large, double doors, and Methos put a hand on his arm as the Doctor grabbed the handle. "We don't have any idea of what is on the other side," he pointed out.

"True," he agreed. "But, on the other hand, we know exactly what's behind us. How could it get any worse?"

"You had to say that, didn't you?"

"Kind of, yeah," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "Ready?"

"Would no be an acceptable answer?"

"Not really," he said, pushing the door open.

The room glowed; there was no other description for it. The walls glowed, the ceiling glowed, the great big transparent vats of weird blue liquid glowed; hell, even the floor glowed.

"I wouldn't look too closely at those, if I were you," the Doctor said quietly as Methos took an involuntary step towards one of the vats.

"Who not….oh," Methos gulped down a wave a nausea. "What are they?" he eventually asked.

"They are…or should I say were, a gladiators," the Doctor said. "Not pretty, is it? The Dalek's have a twisted sense of perfection."

"Another thing they've got in common with the Romans," Methos said softly.

"Yes, and before I'm finished they'll be another yet," the Doctor said, his voice grim. "It's time to see the Dalek Empire fall."