Chapter IX (I): Under Pressure

Barty trots in the direction of the Tenth Doctor.

"My Second Dark Lord and Master, does Your Lordship remember? You have something that belongs to me." the wizard shows as much reverence as possible.

After all, his wand is at stake.

" With this attitude you will certainly not get it back, " the Doctor argues. " Then don't you think we'd better take care of our new guest first? " he likes to provoke him a bit.

It's damn fun to watch Barty's face flush white and blush at the same time. How he does, is a mystery to the Doctor.

Barty quickly turns to the newcomer, who is still looking around very confused. He glares at him, scanning him from head to toe, trying to frame him in his mind.

"You will see, uppity Muggle, the cakes you can find here are very good, not at the level of those that Winky used to prepare, but almost, " he softens for a moment, perhaps overwhelmed by a sudden nostalgia and the Doctor notices that. "But you'll have to wait a few more minutes before you get it! " he adds, with a tone that is back to being authoritarian but still kind enough.

"What did he call me? " the detective frowns, not understanding half of the words that were addressed to him, but that creepy guy also said that the cake is good.

" Let me give you some advice, cop, the less you ask the better it is! " Peter turns to him, also because the Death Eater's total attention is back to the Time Lord.

"Can you give me my wand back now, my Dark Lord? " he tries again, hopefully extending his hand towards him.

" Even a little less formal and it will be alright." the Doctor encourages him, he is still having fun studying the magician's reactions.

"Return my wand, please, my Doct ... I mean, Doctor! " Barty tries hard, stopping at the last second from declaring himself.

"I'll tell you what, 'my Doctor', I like it. You can continue to use it. " the alien winks at him, persuasively, handing him his wand back again with a smile.

Barty doesn't know whether to be happier for getting his wand back or for what he just told him.

"Everybody, to the cake room, now! " the captain of that spaceship spurs his crew.

With all the sweets that that kind angel has persistently supplied him with, and with the TARDIS keeping that food from all kinds of spoilage, the Doctor can really boast he has a cake room for real.

The others are a bit bewildered by his way of eating. They are enchanted in looking at him, it almost seems that he hasn't eaten in a lifetime, it must be only a considerable appetite to make him act so. There can be no further reason in the way he seems to kiss the cream on his fork, before putting it in his mouth to take the rest of the piece, licking the whipped cream of the first slice of a Meringue Cake. Or in the way he stroked the dark chocolate ganache of the second slice of a Sachertorte with his finger, and then voluptuously sucked it before starting the process again. Nor in the way he wooed with his tongue, mouth and teeth the strawberries that were on the last slice, this time from a Pavlova.

However, the temperature in that room seems to have risen for everyone, except for the reason for the rising of said temperature. .

It is only at the third slice that Peter Carlisle decides to speak.

"Okay, now, seriously ... what am I doing here? Why do you all look like me? " he looks at them suspiciously and then a realisation hits him. " Ripley sent you, right? He wants to confuse me to sidetrack me, so he has hired you, making you figure as my look alikes ... yes, it must be like this ... but I don't understand how this could stop me from investigating ... " he continues his monologue, before dwelling on Kevin and Peter " But you're way too old to impersonate me, " he comments, hurting the two most narcissistic egos of the group.

"No, wait a minute, right age or not, you all look too much like me ... there must be another explanation, but I don't know which one, I don't like it at all ... " he starts to get agitated more and more as he gets up from the table and searches for an escape route.

He doesn't want to be there anymore, he's a little scared of those lookalikes.

"How dare you call me old, insolent? You should… " Killgrave is about to command something terrible, to make him pay for that insult, but he stops hearing a strange music, a continuous bass riff and sporadic piano notes.

"Oh no, not again… " the persuader mutters.

"What kind of spell is this? I know it has nothing to do with the TARDIS this time, I feel something else! " Barty gets nervous, clutching his wand in his fist and moving his tongue to the left corner of his mouth in a flick.

"Pressure pushing down on me

Pressing down on you, no man ask for"

Peter Carlisle has already started singing over that Queen song that everyone in the TARDIS can hear.

If there was already a certain demon among them, he would go into raptures.

"Under pressure that burns a building down

Splits a family in two

Puts people on streets"

The detective goes on expressing his emotions of discomfort and anguish, moving along the music, wandering through the corridors of the TARDIS.

The other four follow him, without losing sight of him.

"It seems we have ended up in a fucking musical! This stuff isn't contagious, is it? Because of you two, I fucking danced, " Peter snarls, both to Barty, and especially to Kevin. "I don't want to end up singing my sodding feelings! "

"Oh, I could make you do it so easily! " Kevin grins, looking at him. "I could make you end up in a Musical, like My Fair Lady , me as the elegant and cultured professor and you as the rough flower girl I have to transform into a high"class Lady! " he suggests, amused.

-Kind of like what I tried to do with my Jessica, before things got out of hand ...- the handsome charmer ponders.

"I do not know that Musical, but if in the end those two end up in a bed together, count me in, indeed, we can even play only that part! " the sexy vampire hunter's answer leaves him breathless with anticipation.

"Um ba ba be

Um ba ba be

De day da"

The detective continues to move with a bewildered attitude, moaning his disappointment, as he approaches closer and closer to the doors.

"I find it wonderful! " the Doctor grins maniacally, putting on the 3D glasses to better enjoy the show. "And I have also been to Chantoria , where the inhabitants sing according to their mood, I wonder if one of them has arrived here in Blackpool! " he laughs.

"I don't like all this ... " Barty mutters.

"Not even this way? " the Doctor takes him by the arm, taking off his glasses to put them on him.

And the Death Eater suddenly likes all of this, not so much for the distorted way he's looking at the scenario, but for that close contact with the Doctor.

"Oh yes, everything is more beautiful this way..." he murmurs, clinging more to him.

In the meantime the panic of the newcomer rises, so much so that he clings with all his strength to the doors of the TARDIS, trying uselessly to open it.

"Ee day da, that's okay

It's the terror of knowing what the world is about

Watching some good friends screaming

Let me out! "

"Switch off! " Killgrave intervenes, exasperated. "Sorry, but I can't stand the things I can't control!"

"Yeah, me neither, you anticipated me by a second, I was ready to cast an Imperio at him... " Barty approves.

" Killjoys, both of you! " snorts the Doctor, taking back the loaned glasses.

Killgrave realizes once again that he has given a too literal command, because Peter Carlisle has completely shut down: he does not speak, he does not move, he does not make a sound, his eyes are fixed on the ground, motionless.

"Speak and move if you want, but at least for tonight just don't sing anymore! " he corrects his order.

And the detective moves and speaks again.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me? How do you do it? And who are you all? " He looks at them more and more suspicious and frightened, especially when he sees the least dressed one approaching him, with his shirt half unbuttoned, under the long leather jacket left open.

"As my namesake, I want to warn you, singing cop, " Peter Vincent passes an arm around his shoulders, catching him off guard. " I'm Peter, indeed, and I'm an illusionist with the hobby of driving a stake in the hearts of vampires. That one is Killgrave, but when he's in the mood you can even call him Kevin, he liquefies your brain and you find yourself doing whatever he likes, " he begins, pointing to Kevin, who nods smugly. "That one, Barty Crouch Junior, is a magician as powerful as dangerous and with a mood swings that's scarily easy to happen, he could hit you even if you make a mistake in breathing, " he continues, with Barty brandishing his wand with a grin, proud of that description. "But nothing will make me change my mind about the conviction that him, the Doctor, is the most dangerous of all! " he concludes, pointing to the Tenth Doctor.

"Who, me? " the Time Lord whines, pointing to himself, deeply upset.

"As a matter of fact, that hair so red denotes evilness ... " the detective mutters, stroking his chin.

"Oh yes, my Doctor, you are dangerous and very feared! " Barty approves, enthusiastic with an incredibly big and maniacal grin on his face.

"Oh well on second thought... For the Daleks I am dangerous for sure, yes, and neither do the Cybermen jump for joy when they see me, mostly because they can't jump! " he laughs alone at things that only he can understand.

Meanwhile, Kevin approaches the newcomer who looks at him fearfully, trying to shield himself behind his namesake, but the persuader easily bypasses him.

"Look, little thing, it's late, we're all tired because we traveled a lot and it was a trying evening, so we'll give you the explanations tomorrow. For now, stay calm and don't ask questions."

"Questions, why should I ask questions? It's all so clear!" Peter Carlisle smiles, feeling calmer, although the situation is anything but relaxing.

"Oh, finally I'm not the only jerk who for your fault or his, " the illusionist pauses, pointing to Barty, " Ends up being ridiculous! "

"Sleeping, that's true, we must sleep! " the Doctor trills happily. "I'll think of everything, I'm going to choose the rooms. Barty, in my absence, you are my deputy, as always! " the Doctor walks away, commending him with that responsibility.

"I am the right hand of my Dark Lord. Some things never change." the Death Eater grins, observing everyone with an air of superiority.

"Listen, Pedigree Wizard, am I allowed to talk to you or will you fry me another fucking time? " Peter Vincent approaches him.

"It depends on what you have to tell me, " the Dark Wizard replies. "And anyway, I don't mind 'Pedigree Wizard' ." he chuckles smugly.

"Oh, but you are much more than that. I remember the ease with which you called that pocket square to you. " the Vampire Hunter flatters him very slyly. " But that is, after all, such a small and light object, I think it's pretty easy to evoke it. I would like to see you try something more demanding " he challenges him, without disrespecting him.

" I could even summon an elephant here in this spaceship, if only I wanted to! " the Dark Wizard replies, snotty.

" What an exaggeration! Not that I don't believe you can, but… do we want to make something a little smaller than an elephant and a little bigger than a pochette? " Peter keeps luring him.

" Name the damn item and you'll have it here in a few seconds!" Barty growls.

"A case of Midori, they will certainly have more than one at the Arcade where we were tonight. " the illusionist makes his request.

" What is Midori? " the young Death Eater frowns.

" Oh well, let's say Midori is a Pureblood among alcohol drinks! " Peter tries to speak his own language.

" I confirm. You start drinking it by saying 'I don't like it!' and then you would like to reach the third bottle. " Kevin recalls.

" Okay, I like it." Barty approves, pulling out his wand and concentrating. " Accio Midori! " he pronounces with determination and a case of the liqueur so loved by Peter is revealed on the grill of the TARDIS not far from Barty, who seems thoughtful.

" You are fantastic, my dear Pedigree Wizard! " Peter rejoices, he's so happy that he could hug that case.

Kevin approaches him.

" I am really, really touched " he smiles at him, not resisting the urge to caress his face. " After all this time with me, you are starting to manipulate people, without even having my powers! " he murmurs, proud.

" You can only learn from the best. " Peter smiles at him.

The other Peter is in a state of numbness and is quiet, without asking questions, but this has not prevented him from noticing a golden key hanging with a cord on a hook on a column. He also didn't stop looking for ways to escape in every corner of the room. There seems to be only the main door, though.

A key. A door to open. And he is a detective.

-I don't want to ask questions, but I want to escape from here and maybe, when there will be no one left ...- he already plots in his mind.

"I am back, I have a room for each of you and I'll show you, " the Doctor returns , cheerful, before frowning, noticing something.

"And what is that? " he asks, pointing to the bottles. "Barty, didn't I tell you to check ... "

When he turns to him, the Death Eater has a delirious expression, which the Doctor doesn't like at all.

"Oh, but I did check, my Second Dark Lord, indeed. Because I control ... I can control everything! " the Dark Wizard bursts out laughing. "Why should I confine myself to evoking a stupid box when I can call summon what I really want? " he continues to laugh, drawing his wand out.

"Barty, no! " the Doctor tries to admonish him.

He has already understood everything.

"Too late, ah, ah, ah! Accio Slot Machine!" Barty commands and within seconds one of those money"sucker machines takes its place next to the case of Midori.

"Barty! I can close an eye for the liquor, but ... the absence of a slot machine will be noticed, especially since the Arcade is still open at this hour ... " the Time Lord tries to reason with him.

"Do you think I'm so naïve, my Lordship? There's no need to say that I have replaced it with an aesthetically identical copy, but perhaps not as well functional ... mostly because I still haven't understood the mechanism, " the Dark Wizard mutters, embracing the oh"so"craved object.

"But I did, my dear, what do you say if we make a deal? " the Tenth Doctor tries again.

"A deal, my Lord? " the Death Eater looks at him curiously.

" That's right. Now you put this slot machine back where you picked it up, tomorrow I'll build you a customized one, ten thousand times more beautiful and exciting than this one " he offers him.

- My Second Dark Lord will build something especially for me, I will have something of his, created by his lovely hands, designed by his lovely ingenious mind. And in return, I just have to get rid of this thrilling Muggle invention. Do I even have to think about it?-

With a wave of his wand, Barty puts the slot machine back in its place.

" Bravo, my Dark Wizard, you made the right choice. " the Doctor affectionately ruffles his hair. "But you'll see it tomorrow, now, really, we should sleep, all of us. " he yawns, finding full consent.

But he still has to drop the bomb.

"Ah, in the TARDIS we all sleep naked. My spaceship. My rules! " he adds with a grin, flicking his tongue against his teeth.

" I don't know what a TARDIS is, but if we have to sleep naked, who am I to object? " Peter Carlisle replies, almost like a zombie, starting to take off his coat, jacket and unbutton his shirt.

"This has to do with you, doesn't it? " The Doctor glares at Kevin.

" Maybe I could have invited him not to ask too many questions ... " the persuader replies vaguely.

(End part I)

Notes:

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L&L