Author's Note: Here's another snippit. Again, thanks to scrivener for editing help.
The Master hovered in midair before a massive snowy mountain. Snow fell from above and winds howled all around him, but the Master felt none of that thanks to his ring shields. After all, his ring had been designed to operate in the depths of space itself. The Master had taken precautions to hide his energy signature as he slipped past the sensors of the Watchtower onto the Earth below.
''Ring, is the Lazarus Pit nearby?'' The Master asked.
''Affirmative at forty-six meters in.'' the ring reported.
The ring had briefed him on many things while in-flight to Earth. Overall, this Earth was mostly similar to the Earth he had left behind. It had shared the same basic history culture and languages with the prior Earth he had once ruled. However the Master noted a number of minor differences.
Unlike in his dimension this earth had its own share of superpowered defenders. The Earth is this dimension was quite a different nut to crack than the Earth of his own dimension, but that just made the challenge sweeter. Earth, despite being a backwater, was also seemingly host to some universe-changing events, such as the ''Blackest Night'' phenomenon and something called the ''Crisis''. Even in this universe Earth still managed to be important somehow.
But something that caught his attention was the mention of a ''Lazarus Pit'' the similarity to one of the projects he funded while as Prime Minster of Britain caught his attention. It apparently was a source of mystical energy to restore the body.
Magic. The Master knew his history well. Back in his home universe Rassilon had banished magic out of reality and reshaped in in rational thought. But now the Time Lord was in a place where the irrational now thrived. He would have to watch out for magic. The Master was knowledgeable about many things, but not about magic.
However it could prove the key to his current deterioration problems. The ring was keeping it in check, but the Master preferred a more permanent solution just in case something happened to the ring and he needed to survive on his own.
Quickly, he flew right at the mountain, using the ring to phase his body right through the rock. Faster and faster he went until he emerged in a massive cavern over a boiling orange-yellow pit full of unknown liquid. All around him were masked and hooded soldiers and various servants. There were shouts of alarm all around him as various guns were brought up. There was another warning, which the Master ignored as he landed near the pits.
Gunfire then rained off his ring shields harmlessly. The Master laughed and conjured up a tide of ghoulish, twisted constructs and set them loose on the various assassins and soldiers around him. Screams echoed in the chamber as the Master's creations tore them apart.
''That was fun. Now let's meet the boss shall we? Ring, locate the one called Ras al Ghul.'' The Master grinned.
''Complying.''
Ras al Ghul, the master of the League of Assassins, hung crucified on a giant yellow construct that jutted from the ground. He looked up, gritting his teeth in pain as the man who did this flew around inspecting the Lazarus Pit.
''What a wondrous thing this is. A little immortality pool. But you keep it all to yourself. How greedy is that?'' the Master chuckled.
''Who are you?'' Ras asked, surprisingly calm for a man in his position.
''The Master.'' The Time Lord smirked.
''Your arrogance will be your undoing. There are people on this planet that will hunt you-'' Ras began before the Master promptly put a gag construct on him.
''Silence human.'' The Master lazily grabbed one of the more intact corpses. ''Let's test this shall we?'' the Master proceeded to toss the corpse of the man into the Lazarus pit.
After a few moments the pits boiled and then a screaming howling figure emerged from the pits. It leapt out of the pool and ran screaming at the Master, hands outstretched. The Time Lord then proceeded to restraint the man with a construct and scan him with the ring.
As Ras al Ghul gagged, the Master looked over the data with interest. The man was indeed returned to life, although in a heightened state of aggression of madness. According to the ring that would be only temporary.
''Well then I have no further use for you.'' The Master promptly disintegrated the resurrected man and then turned to fly up to meet Ras. He looked the assassin lord in the eyes.
''I can tell just from looking at you that you would never bend a knee to me. Such a stubborn little man.'' The Master brought his ring up and unceremoniously killed the Demon's Head with one single blast, vaporizing him. As the ashes settled to the ground the Master flew hesitantly over the pit and looked down.
He took a deep breath and promptly plunged in. For a few seconds the pit was still before a screaming figure emerged from it. Then several more figures covered in blood and liquids as they howled and ran around the room. A cloaked screaming corpse smashed into another bearded figure as over a dozen bodies claws at each other in fits of madness. Screams echoed in the chamber as the figures stamped and ran about everywhere.
The Master himself slowly collapsed to the ground. Golden atron energy wafted off him as he slowly pushed himself back up to his feet. It was like undergoing another regeneration, except instead of his former self fading away and a new one coming to fore, it was like everything was being set back to the way it was. It was painful, but shorter than he expected.
Then the Master paused and looked around at the figures. After a moment he realized they were yellow constructs, covered in the pit's liquids. He must have unconsciously generated them during his fit of madness.
The constructs then disappeared and the Master hung in the air for a few seconds, taking slow deep breaths. He paused to scan himself with the ring. When that was finished he smiled and began to laugh.
The Master sat back in Ras Al Ghul's office, after he had finished scanning the entire place for any traps with his ring. Once he had done that and he had removed anything dangerous to people, the Time Lord now sat comfortably at Al Ghul's personal computer. Here he had an entire criminal empire at his fingertips, but he had no intention of staying here on this mudball of a planet for much longer. With the power ring at his finger he had the entire universe to conquer.
No, he was simply here to use al Ghul's television and computer systems. That and to sample his food stocks. For a man that railed against the abuses of the wealthy aristocracy, Al Ghul had some extensive culinary tastes.
The Master currently sat back sipping some very expensive wine as he currently watched a television show on al Ghul's massive plasma screen TV. The newly restored Time Lord watched the figures of brightly fishes on the screen.
''Who lives in a pineapple under the sea.'' The voices on the television sang as the Master switched with interest to a new station. Talking sea life. Such a fascinating idea. The Master always had a weakness for Earth television. The Clangers, Teletubbies and now this.
Not that it would stop him from conquering them all, oh no. The Master switched the channel and took a long swig of his wine.
''And today Metaltron was spotted flying in New York City after a suspected altercation with Major Force.'' The television said. The Master's eyes widened as he spotted the figure on the TV and he abruptly spit out his wine in shock, choking and hacking.
The Master lurched forward as he gasped for air, clearing out his throat. A Dalek was here. A Dalek. How in Rassilon's name did it get here? He most certainly did not expect this. This would change things greatly.
He moved over to al Ghul's computer and he pulled up the files. In minutes he had pulled up the files that al Ghul had on various metahumans and came to the one on the ''Metaltron''. The Master quickly took on everything that Ras al Ghul had observed. Rapidly he pulled up audio and video clips that the League had recorded of the Dalek. He silently watched the Dalek's interview with Lois Lane and the digital records of the Dalek in action with Metallo and Toyman.
He leaned back and snorted. The Dalek's tale of being the last survivor it's kind after a great war destroyed it's race was technically true, even if it had failed to mention that, incidentally its race was a heavily armed, genocidal, xenophobic army of Master pushed, resting his hand on his chin. The last time he had seen an actual Dalek face to face had been in his previous regeneration during the Time War. Seeing the Dalek brought back memories of the battlefields and sieges he had fought in before the Dalek Emperor seized the Cruciform and breached Gallifrey's defenses.
That was when he fled from the Time War, using the chameleon arch to make himself human at the end of the universe to escape the Daleks. There the Doctor had found him and accidently released him and their game had begun all over again. But now the Daleks still hounded him, even in another universe entirely. The Master laughed bitterly. Now apparently it was chosen by a Red Lantern ring. That made it more dangerous than ever in the Master's view. The Time Lord knew full well how the Daleks handled rage.
A head on confrontation would be unwise, but the Master disdained brute force. Regardless he would only have to make minor alterations to his plans. al Ghul's resources and databases on the League had been enormously helpful. For a human al Ghul had provided interesting insights on the League's mentality and fighting styles. The old assassin had even crafted a variety of possible plans to counter the League if necessary.
Ras al Ghul also had a link to virtually every form of communications system in the world. Thus the Master began his latest plan. First a hack into the LexCorp mainframes to access their satellite systems. The Master proceeded to upload a form of the Archangel Network into Luthor's systems, a task made much easier with the use of his power ring.
It was something subtle of course, something too overt would result in the Justice League noticing him when the entire point was to focus the Justice League's attention elsewhere so he could pay more attention to the next stage of his plan. The Master then began hacking into a different part of the planet's network going right into the various mainframes of several metahuman prisons.
The Slab. Belle Reve, Iron Heights and several other metahuman prisons, built to hold those with powers above the rest of humanity. Here some of the most powerful beings on earth were kept locked away from the outside world.
Once he had access to their systems, it was child's play to reach into those systems to release each and every superpowered prisoner on the planet simultaneously. All across the world, computerized cell doors holding back the worst this world had to offer deactivated and swung open.
''Have fun kids.'' The Master grinned. It would be a good distraction for the superhero population while he made a few stops. He got up and headed out. Time to put the next part of his plan into action.
The Dalek flew through the atmosphere again. It had overseen the construction efforts on its new base for about a week before it had judged it sufficient to let the automated drones continue their current construction efforts on the planet.
''Willpower apporching.'' His ring reported. The Dalek paused to spot the emerald form of Kyle Rayner flew up and look him over cautiously a set of ring shields extended protectively around him. The Dalek turned to look at him quizzically.
''GREETINGS FELLOW CRIME FIGHTER.'' The Red Lantern said as casually as a Dalek could.
''What the- what the hell happened? Where is the Butcher? Why aren't you possessed?'''' he asked in confusion.
''I GOT BETTER.'' The Dalek told him.
Kyle just stared at him.
''Dude, you can't just walk away from that kind of possession just casually. I got possessed my Parallax once, it was not pleasant. How did you even free yourself from it? Where is it now?'' he asked.
''THE BUTCHER IS CONTAINED. I AM NO LONGER UNDER ITS CONTROL. I HAVE COME HERE TO FIGHT CRIME.'' The Dalek told him.
Kyle paused, this was not what he expected. He had already reported the Butcher's appearance to the Guardians on Oa and its prospective new host. Now it was apparently gone again or somehow imprisoned by this Red Lantern.
''Where did you contain it?'' Kyle pressed again. The Dalek was silent for a moment before Kyle ring's beeped again. Just like last time Kyle was interrupted by an emergency. The Green Lantern looked at his ring.
''Yes?''
''Kyle, this is John, we got a major emergency on our hands. The prisons, somebody opened all of them.'' John Stewart hurriedly told him.
"What do you mean, 'all of them'?" Kyle asked.
"Every single meta-human prison on the planet, Kyle. All of them."