Author's Note: I'm continuing for the time being (hope you're happy Drox!
). The title of this chapter is an amusing AC/DC song. Additionally,
sorry this chapter was so long in the making. I wrote half of it a long
time ago, forgot about the story, and recently rediscovered it. Please
read and review!
Chapter 4: Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap
Peri awoke to find herself chained to the wall. The fear in the pit of her stomach knotted up after she tried to pull away from her cuffs, to no avail. Like a frightened rabbit she examined every corner of the room for any signs of the Master, any signs of possible escape. The Doctor had taught her well in her time with him. The only things she could find to use as a weapon were her own two feet.
{{If only I could get him in range......... then BLAM and I'd have him doubled over before------}} Her mind clicked over. {{Before what? That would only make him mad and then..........}} She cut herself off before she could finish that train of thought. Peri could only imagine the horrible things he had in store for her.
Whistling interrupted her internal conversation. The Master sounded jovial, all things considered. He got what he wanted, and now it was time to have fun!
With considerable flair, the Master swept into the console room, checking the coordinates and their progress, eyeing Peri every so often. She had trouble reading the look in his eyes. It went the full range of emotion, from exquisite enjoyment to lust to absolute wickedness.
{{ But never hate. He doesn't hate me. Well there's something. }} After another few minutes in silence she had to wonder why he was not speaking to her, or even regarding her with one bit of interest.
"You may wonder why I have not killed you yet Ms. Brown."
Peri didn't move at all, but regarded him with a calm stare as he finally settled against the edge of the console, looking at her.
"I have not killed you yet because I do not intend to kill you. I intend to make you pay for every indignity the Doctor has ever bestowed upon me."
{{ Oh never mind. He does hate me, but not directly. Not yet...... }}
She started to protest. "But I wasn't even around for most of those......... indignities. And don't you think you brought them upon yourself with your... your harebrained schemes to take over the universe!?!?"
He gave her a look to kill and turned away slightly, rubbing his beard with one gloved hand. "No actually, I don't think I brought them upon myself. And, even though you may not have been around, you are his weakness. He always has had a weakness for his traveling companions, and now I intend to use it to crush him utterly." Through all of this his manic smile had gotten wider and wider from imagining the look on the Doctor's face as his companion-child was returned to him in permanent shock, mind-damaged and beaten.
Peri knew this smile was not out of goodwill towards her, and she shrank back to the wall without comment. The cold wall gave her goose bumps on her bare skin. These goose bumps multiplied the closer he got to her. She looked away from his face to avoid being hypnotized again.
"Do not be afraid child, you have nothing to fear from me." He reached out and clasped her chin in one of his hands, wrenching her head to face him. "The only thing you have to fear is yourself. For though I will punish you, I will punish you with your own worst imaginations......... things that you yourself created."
A thousand fractions of images crossed through her mind and Peri bit her lip to keep from expressing her anguish.
After another brief glare from the Master, he stepped away from her, satisfied. Almost flippantly, he queried "Ready to begin?"
In a few confident strides he crossed the console room, pressing a few buttons on the far wall, which opened many built-in storage compartments. As each cabinet swung or flipped open, Peri swallowed convulsively. Each one contained an array of ... devices. Flails, paddles, needles, hooks, knives, hypnotizing equipment, and all manner of electrical shocking implements were laid out.
{{ Ready to be used on me, }} Peri thought gravely.
The Master ran his gloved hands lovingly over each piece, weighing how to begin the systematic destruction of the girl before him. Drugging would be too simple. Pure mind-play too subtle. A good mix of physical and mental pain would need to be found. Strong enough to destroy her self, but not brutal enough to kill her. {{ No, I definitely want a nice surprise for the good Doctor. I want her alive. Painfully, vacantly alive. }} A wide smile crept onto his face as his right hand settled on a leather riding crop. {{ Perfect. I will begin with conditioning, just as I do all my... pets. }}
Lifting the riding crop, the Master quickly advanced on Peri, lashing out multiple times before she had a chance to make noise. She writhed, unsuccessfully trying to pull away from the blows. He stopped long enough for her to scream but Peri surprised the harsh Time Lord. Head held high, she simply clenched her jaw and stared at him, letting tears of shock and pain fall silently.
Unfortunately this only infuriated the Master and he redoubled his efforts, leaving bloodied streaks all over her. The only sound she made was a slight whimper when he landed a strike directly across her face.
Stalking back over to his table of "options," the Master picked up an electroshock device. From across the room he fired it at her, the tazer- prongs sticking in her abdomen. A split second after impact a steady stream of electricity poured through the wires, causing her to arch violently, mouth agape in a silent scream. Turning it off, the Master laughed, ripping the leads from her and once again taking her face in his hands.
He looked at her, covered in blood, sweat, and tears and knew it was time for phase two. "Oh my dear Peri, my dear," he chanted, gently brushing her hair away from her face, "all your resistance will come to nothing because, in the end, he's not here to save you! The Doctor will never find you and you... you only have me to keep you alive."
As he leaned in closer, she closed her eyes, only feeling his breath and his hands caressing her features. The Master's voice dropped and he whispered seductively into her ear. "I am the Master. You will obey me."
Hands firmly around her neck, he spoke louder. "I am the Master. You will obey me."
He pulled away. "Open your eyes my girl. Look at me. Do as I say!" Her reddened eyes fluttered open against her will. "Look at me! I am the Master! You will obey me!"
Peri shook her head. "No..." she whispered, then louder "No!"
Defenses weakened by pain and loss of blood, she found herself wide open to his manipulations. His laughing face loomed in her vision, completely filling the edges of her mind. Suddenly, all she knew was the Master; all she could feel were his slick gloves pressing into her skin, and his spiced cologne was all she could smell. Darkness followed him, claiming her hopes and dreams, her faith in rescue, her confidence in her sanity. Mercifully, all went black and even the faintest sounds were silenced.
Then the Nightmare began.
To be continued...
Please review! It's dark but the Master is an evil evil man! (That's why I like him!) Oh yeah, I do like Peri too so it's okay, this is not one of those "Torture the Companion you Least Like" fics. Otherwise Adric would have been roasting over a spit by now
Chapter 4: Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap
Peri awoke to find herself chained to the wall. The fear in the pit of her stomach knotted up after she tried to pull away from her cuffs, to no avail. Like a frightened rabbit she examined every corner of the room for any signs of the Master, any signs of possible escape. The Doctor had taught her well in her time with him. The only things she could find to use as a weapon were her own two feet.
{{If only I could get him in range......... then BLAM and I'd have him doubled over before------}} Her mind clicked over. {{Before what? That would only make him mad and then..........}} She cut herself off before she could finish that train of thought. Peri could only imagine the horrible things he had in store for her.
Whistling interrupted her internal conversation. The Master sounded jovial, all things considered. He got what he wanted, and now it was time to have fun!
With considerable flair, the Master swept into the console room, checking the coordinates and their progress, eyeing Peri every so often. She had trouble reading the look in his eyes. It went the full range of emotion, from exquisite enjoyment to lust to absolute wickedness.
{{ But never hate. He doesn't hate me. Well there's something. }} After another few minutes in silence she had to wonder why he was not speaking to her, or even regarding her with one bit of interest.
"You may wonder why I have not killed you yet Ms. Brown."
Peri didn't move at all, but regarded him with a calm stare as he finally settled against the edge of the console, looking at her.
"I have not killed you yet because I do not intend to kill you. I intend to make you pay for every indignity the Doctor has ever bestowed upon me."
{{ Oh never mind. He does hate me, but not directly. Not yet...... }}
She started to protest. "But I wasn't even around for most of those......... indignities. And don't you think you brought them upon yourself with your... your harebrained schemes to take over the universe!?!?"
He gave her a look to kill and turned away slightly, rubbing his beard with one gloved hand. "No actually, I don't think I brought them upon myself. And, even though you may not have been around, you are his weakness. He always has had a weakness for his traveling companions, and now I intend to use it to crush him utterly." Through all of this his manic smile had gotten wider and wider from imagining the look on the Doctor's face as his companion-child was returned to him in permanent shock, mind-damaged and beaten.
Peri knew this smile was not out of goodwill towards her, and she shrank back to the wall without comment. The cold wall gave her goose bumps on her bare skin. These goose bumps multiplied the closer he got to her. She looked away from his face to avoid being hypnotized again.
"Do not be afraid child, you have nothing to fear from me." He reached out and clasped her chin in one of his hands, wrenching her head to face him. "The only thing you have to fear is yourself. For though I will punish you, I will punish you with your own worst imaginations......... things that you yourself created."
A thousand fractions of images crossed through her mind and Peri bit her lip to keep from expressing her anguish.
After another brief glare from the Master, he stepped away from her, satisfied. Almost flippantly, he queried "Ready to begin?"
In a few confident strides he crossed the console room, pressing a few buttons on the far wall, which opened many built-in storage compartments. As each cabinet swung or flipped open, Peri swallowed convulsively. Each one contained an array of ... devices. Flails, paddles, needles, hooks, knives, hypnotizing equipment, and all manner of electrical shocking implements were laid out.
{{ Ready to be used on me, }} Peri thought gravely.
The Master ran his gloved hands lovingly over each piece, weighing how to begin the systematic destruction of the girl before him. Drugging would be too simple. Pure mind-play too subtle. A good mix of physical and mental pain would need to be found. Strong enough to destroy her self, but not brutal enough to kill her. {{ No, I definitely want a nice surprise for the good Doctor. I want her alive. Painfully, vacantly alive. }} A wide smile crept onto his face as his right hand settled on a leather riding crop. {{ Perfect. I will begin with conditioning, just as I do all my... pets. }}
Lifting the riding crop, the Master quickly advanced on Peri, lashing out multiple times before she had a chance to make noise. She writhed, unsuccessfully trying to pull away from the blows. He stopped long enough for her to scream but Peri surprised the harsh Time Lord. Head held high, she simply clenched her jaw and stared at him, letting tears of shock and pain fall silently.
Unfortunately this only infuriated the Master and he redoubled his efforts, leaving bloodied streaks all over her. The only sound she made was a slight whimper when he landed a strike directly across her face.
Stalking back over to his table of "options," the Master picked up an electroshock device. From across the room he fired it at her, the tazer- prongs sticking in her abdomen. A split second after impact a steady stream of electricity poured through the wires, causing her to arch violently, mouth agape in a silent scream. Turning it off, the Master laughed, ripping the leads from her and once again taking her face in his hands.
He looked at her, covered in blood, sweat, and tears and knew it was time for phase two. "Oh my dear Peri, my dear," he chanted, gently brushing her hair away from her face, "all your resistance will come to nothing because, in the end, he's not here to save you! The Doctor will never find you and you... you only have me to keep you alive."
As he leaned in closer, she closed her eyes, only feeling his breath and his hands caressing her features. The Master's voice dropped and he whispered seductively into her ear. "I am the Master. You will obey me."
Hands firmly around her neck, he spoke louder. "I am the Master. You will obey me."
He pulled away. "Open your eyes my girl. Look at me. Do as I say!" Her reddened eyes fluttered open against her will. "Look at me! I am the Master! You will obey me!"
Peri shook her head. "No..." she whispered, then louder "No!"
Defenses weakened by pain and loss of blood, she found herself wide open to his manipulations. His laughing face loomed in her vision, completely filling the edges of her mind. Suddenly, all she knew was the Master; all she could feel were his slick gloves pressing into her skin, and his spiced cologne was all she could smell. Darkness followed him, claiming her hopes and dreams, her faith in rescue, her confidence in her sanity. Mercifully, all went black and even the faintest sounds were silenced.
Then the Nightmare began.
To be continued...
Please review! It's dark but the Master is an evil evil man! (That's why I like him!) Oh yeah, I do like Peri too so it's okay, this is not one of those "Torture the Companion you Least Like" fics. Otherwise Adric would have been roasting over a spit by now