Entering through the two-doors, the freezing cold hit them like a wall of ice, so much it felt like it absorbed every bit of heat from the men as they braved entering through the doorway into a long corridor, the stone walls continuously filled with portraits of the Master with banners, flags, shields, swords, and then some.
To count everything the Master stolen, it would be astronomically impossible to put into words, the lives he led, the lives he systematically destroyed, even if they're successful killing him, it led them to question if it's enough to give everyone he harmed or killed the peace and justice they rightfully deserved.
"Brr, feels like I'm on Pluto!" David commented how cold it's becoming as they're entering the deeper parts of the corridors.
Beside him, William commented, "It's worse when you're in your pants, mate."
His bushy brow raised, David looked towards William with a questionable look, until William gave context, "Never make a woman with a portal gun angry."
A mistake that made things quite cold for William, until the TARDIS located and rescued him from freezing to death in his pants.
"What'd you do to deserve that?" David inquired more on the matter, stifling his laughter when William exhaled while he told him, "I forgot our date."
He tried explaining why he was late, it was Judoon trying to kidnap him that made him late, one of the rudest types if he ever, she wasn't happy with his explanation, used a portal gun to send him away, wouldn't talk to him for over a week until he bought her flowers.
She threatened that the next time he's late for a date, he won't be wearing pants!
"Thankfully, I only have to worry about spoons being tossed at me for not calling ahead!" David remarked how his and Jenny's relationship was different.
There are times when David's been late, it's the life of the Doctor for you, but he made sure to phone ahead so Jenny would know, of course there's times he'd forget, and the moment he walked through the doorway of the kitchen, there's a projectile spoon ready to greet him.
Wooden spoons, precisely.
At least only one spoon, not the whole cutlery.
Pete got a laugh out of it, remarking it reminded him of running into the same predicament with Matilda, how she'd get on him being late.
"Lucky!" William looks at him with his dark green eyes as David shrugs, saying that William's lucky that he gets sent places with the portal gun.
Wooden spoons still hurt!
"At least she doesn't leave you near naked!" William counters though David remarked that while it's an inconvenience, at least he gets to places quicker with a portal gun.
Rolling his eyes, William utters, "Says the madman in a blue box!"
To which David retorts, "So are you!"
Their bickering was stopped by a look from Hamon, as he noticed them reaching towards the end of the winding corridor.
It felt like they're in the coldest parts of Hell, David expected demons to come out of the walls trying to grab them, but they never came, and the only thing he realized's that they're close to the Devil, himself.
His caramel eyes seeing the faint light up ahead, Pete commented that they're a few steps from reaching the Master's hiding place, but Hamon warned him that for the Master, there's no hiding place, this is his realm, and he had no reason hiding.
An affront to him, personally.
"Remember, boys, as I've taught you," Hamon's quick reminding the men of what's expected of them when they finally reach the Master, that this could very well be the last time they see each other.
He made sure they're still prepared to go through with the plan and all the men affirmed their choice in the matter, wanting vengeance for the wrongs the Master wrought.
"May the gods watch over us," Hamon utters as he braved with the men, leading them around the corner, into an opened area, circular, the walls lined with books, going upwards in a circular motion until disappearing into the darkness.
It's quiet, barely a patter from the men as they uneasily walked through the circular room, seeing tables lined with scrolls, opened books, Hamon recognized them with ease, as forbidden texts from Gallifrey, the Master stole them before escaping the Vanguards.
He didn't get everything before the Vanguards led siege on his lab, just what he needed to continue his work.
Something's burning somewhere in the circular area, no, more than one thing's burning, and the more the men smelled it, they found burning incense on an end table with purple and gold cloth underneath.
Hamon recognized the scents immediately, one's a type of root that only grew on Gallifrey that's been conserved in greenhouses dotting the domes, a common sight in homes, even he had an incense burner with the root burning in it when he lived on Gallifrey, and he gifted a set to Medikus and Sarah as a customary for their new life together.
It had a distinct scent when it burns, a tinge lavender with a smell of strong peppermint, enough to clear out the nostrils on a rough day, but subtle enough that it doesn't assault the senses.
A second type only found on Gallifrey's the prized lithium rose, got its name because of its striking colour, ability to radiate any colour when held in direct light, few knew that when dried and burnt, the petals gave a striking scent, mixed with the root, it's impossible to describe to outsiders.
The other one, mugwort, not something found on Gallifrey, likely the Master took a liking to it, mixing it with the combined incense he gotten from Gallifrey, it gave an unusual tinge to the wafting scent.
It's then, the men felt a jolt, as they heard phantom footsteps echoing throughout the circular room, they huddled close together as they became alarmed.
"As I've told them, I never forget a face," they heard the posh voice echoing as their eyes darted to all corners of the circular room.
Ducking, they're surprised by a long whip as it snaked through the air, almost getting Pete in the chest hadn't David pulled him to the side.
Seeing it move like a snake, Theodore sees that it wasn't an ordinary whip, electricity flowed from it, and it had blades like swords tucked inward, segmented to allow it to move freely.
It wasn't a weapon either men have encountered until now, but they were alerted by Hamon beforehand the possibility of the Master having it.
The whip recoiled, the metal chittering, as it disappeared into the darkness across from them, the footsteps coming out from the shadows, the Master, wearing a prim black outfit, his peppery hair and beard immaculately trimmed and primped.
His lavender eyes narrowed on the men as the whip returned to its original form, a walking cane, as the Master used it.
"My, my, my, what an interesting sight," he says as he looks at the men, "what has my headmaster been telling you?"
Struggling to get up, Hamon shouted, "It's over, Alhazared!"
Snorting at this, the Master echoes, "Over, is it?"
He didn't take kindly to Hamon calling him by name, preferring his exiled title, and it showed in his tone of voice.
Seeing the men, there's more contempt in those lavender eyes, more when he laid them on Theodore and David, counterparts to their respected fathers, seeing them, the Master knew instantly their parentage.
He mocked them without raising his voice, calling their mothers slurs in his native tongue, David barely understood it, but Theodore knew it well as he scowled at the Master in return, that he got the idea, scowling with him.
"Only they'd breed with lesser beings!" The Master decried the relationships.
Retorting back, Theodore shouted back in the native tongue, "He was your brother!"
Scoffing, the Master tells him, "Once."
At one point, he might've considered the elective Medikus a brother, but that was then, this was now.
"Murderer!" Pete suddenly had an outburst as he shouted at the Master.
He's yanked back by the other men as the Master looked at him with not annoyance, but amusement, before remembering him.
"Is that why you've come here, to die?" Pete hears the Master asking him.
Pity.
"I killed you all before, I'll do it, again," the Master coolly tells them as he proceeded to lift his weapon, like a snake it uncoiled from the hilt, slowly rising in the air, coiling around the Master, protecting him from all sides.