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It was amusing watching them, like rats in a maze responding to each change in their environment, they each had their own way of dealing with things and The Master couldn't help but find them fascinating to watch, this bizarre little group she had assembled. The soldier off in front methodically tackling this challenge a step at a time whilst doing his best to guide and support the others.
His determination to return to his beloved Clara, a thusly rid Missy of the irritation of The Doctor's latest companion, was the only thing keeping Missy from killing him for having ruined her plans. The Doctor conquering the universe now what a twist in the tale that would have been…
Her adorable Dr Chang, it was like kicking a puppy. He had been so eager to learn and it had felt nice to have someone to look up and admire her after all those years…there…
Missy wondered if that was why The Doctor kept on taking companions even if they broke his hearts every time one was lost. Goodness knows he was a slow learner for a timelord but even he must have realised that mortal pets inevitably led to goodbyes; so clearly there had to be more to it than simply having someone to worship you?
And well she shouldn't admit to having favourites but…
The Master had chosen to hang back to the back of the group, having ordered them to climb to the top of what appeared to be the tallest building in the Nethersphere. She was old fashioned after all and couldn't be doing with having any of those mortals staring up her skirt. Besides it gave her the opportunity to watch their progress or in the case of her delightful Osgood a distinct lack of progress.
Hooking her hand around a support strut Missy easily swung herself up and over to where her latest pet had seemingly frozen, her arms gripping onto a service pipe for dear life eyes clenched shut, and Missy smirked as she caught a snatch of muffled noises that almost sounded like praying.
"You're praying to the wrong timelord my dear." Missy gloated, her manic smirk sliding off her face as Osgood seemed entirely insensible to her arrival, and that irritated her, irked her, she wasn't accustomed to being ignored. "You're being awfully quiet Skip normally I can't be shutting you up. Don't tell me you've developed a fear of heights"
"You pushed me out a window." Osgood's reply was muffled by terror and the pipe that she seemed intent of fusing herself to.
"What are you moaning about you didn't die!" The Master snorted, these earth girls were so dramatic. The Doctor fell out of a plane and you didn't see him whingeing about it.
"No but I thought I was going to, again, because of you."
Finally there was a bite, The Master smiled, pleased as Osgood opened her eyes even if it was only to scowl somewhat wobbly at her. But the Master gave her some credit for the attempt; it was a little difficult to get good and vindictive when you were clearly terrified out of your wits.
"Exactly it was a joke…and you should have seen your face…"
"Hysterical I'm laughing on the inside."
"Honestly earth girls no sense of humour, I really can't understand what The Doctor sees in you...well apart from the obvious…" The Master drawled suggestively, surprised when Osgood actually looked confused.
"Which is?"
Rolling her eyes at such naivety Missy couldn't help but laugh. "That you're pretty, mortal, no threat to him intellectually…oh and have a disturbing propensity to massage his ego and god knows what else."
"You are disgusting."
"Just telling it like it is sister. Now have you finished playing the damsel in distress Skip? The Doctor is not coming to save you, only you can do that so move it!" Missy ordered pleasantly surprised when Osgood actually moved to obey, taking a deep breath before inching her way up the pipe.
"Honestly at the rate you're going even I will be grey before we get to the top….You need to stretch." Missy chastised throwing her own hand up and digging her nails into any slight purchase that would afford her traction.
"Forgive me for not taking advice from a lunatic." Osgood muttered under her breath yet from the wide smile The Master threw in her direction the timelady had clearly heard every word.
Gritting her teeth Osgood reached down into reserves of strength and bravery she didn't realise she had. She was not going to let this beat her; she was not going to let Missy win. She was going to get the hell out of this place and she was going to convince The Doctor that she should be his next companion. She just had to keep looking up, not down…never down.
Flinging out her hand she grabbed a hand hold and pulled herself up another foot and then another, slow and steady does it. She wasn't exactly closing the gap on the others but at least it had stopped growing and Osgood felt absurdly proud of herself. She was ready, she had brains and courage, she could be a companion…
Perhaps he hadn't really meant it?
No The Doctor was nothing like her sister's friends, he wouldn't raise her hopes only to expose her at her most vulnerable not like James Kendrick at the sixth form disco confessing loudly to anyone who would listen that he had only invited her because he owed Osgood's pretty perfect sister Stacey a favour.
As if able to read the bent of her thoughts The Master turned and grinned and Osgood was filled with righteous fury on The Doctor's behalf.
"You're wrong the Doctor is nothing like that…His companions are champions, protecting the earth from people like you, they are not fluff or window dressing."
"I am not saying The Doctor doesn't make the best of them but he doesn't go around picking them for their stellar credentials, I mean please let's run down his latest selections shall we? A doe eyed school teacher, whilst a noble profession it is hardly nuclear fission…Before that oh yes a model and part time stripper gram!" The Master scoffed watching as the scales began to drop from Osgood's eyes, enjoying the souring of such innocent belief, it was like a fine wine kept for years in cellar now uncorked and allowed to breathe for her delectation.
"Shut up…"
"Then before her there was the big busted temp, the love struck trainee doctor, oh yes and the shop girl." The Master ticked them all off on her manicured fingers, able to maintain her hold on the building with one hand and a carefully wedged boot.
"And I suppose you chose Lucy for her skills in science and engineering?"
"Someone really did do their homework I see." Missy grinned. "No I considered her for her family connections, money and position in society, I chose her in particular over the other suitable candidates because she had at least completed her education with reasonable success and was an interesting conversationalist."
"And that she was blonde and pretty had nothing to do with it?" Osgood scoffed.
"Do I detect a wee note of jealousy there Skip?" Missy teased enjoying the way her pet's face convulsed. "Come now it's just us girls together, you can tell me…"
"Go to hell." Osgood spluttered pushing on with her climb determined to ignore anything else that came out of The Master's mouth as she quickly overtook her.
It wasn't fair to bring up Harold Saxon and his brief period as Minister of Defence and then Prime Minister, the time before anyone had realised just who he really was. The man had been brilliant and there had been more than a few members of unit crushing on the cute charismatic politician who had shown an unusual level of interest and insight into their work. Osgood would admit to herself, and only to herself, a few moments of fangirl excitement when Saxon had visited the research base alongside his advisors. The man had just seemed to get them, and whilst he spoke Osgood had actually believed that the human race would one day soon be unshackled from the confines of this singular planet and that the universe would be theirs to explore.
It had been a bitter blow when the truth had come out. The Master had been using them; once again the human race was merely a pawn in his never-ending battle with The Doctor. Yet this time it stung deeper because the wound had been personal, because The Master had used their trust and their innocence against them. He had taken the hopes and dreams of the human race and laughed at them and they had let him do it…
She had let him do it…
Blinking back tears of shame Osgood refused to let them fall…
Osgood had voted for Saxon just like they all had, she had proudly ticked the voting box beside his party name and had gone home with her heart full of hope and excitement that tomorrow would be the dawn of a new world…and it had, just not the one Osgood had been dreaming of.
Freeing one hand to brush at her cheeks, wiping away the tears that escaped, Osgood glared at the damn skyscraper through blurred vision yet hearing Missy closing on her forced her onward. She reached up, pushing up with her feet and stretching for the next ledge her fingers closed around the edge and she lifted one foot blindly scrabbling for a foothold through fogged up glasses, catching something she went to lever herself up and her toehold slipped.
Flailing against the tower held up by only her fingertips Osgood couldn't contain the scream that burst from her throat, her fingers giving way and the sensation of falling once more causing her stomach to shoot up into her mouth. Only this time there would be no convenient balcony complete with Scandinavian designed patio furniture sitting on the floor below.
Yet a vice like grip stopped her sudden descent and Osgood could only stare upward in mute stupefaction at her most unlikely saviour. The Master's grip on her wrist was crushing and Osgood could feel the screaming of the ligaments in her arm and shoulder, yet it was better than being splattered all over the Nethersphere. Still she was more than relieved when the time lady pulled her up and wedged her somehow between her body and the cool surface of the skyscraper.
Unable to stop the tears from flowing now Osgood literally shook with them, insensible to the shushing noises or the hair petting that Missy was doing in a bizarre effort to sooth her.
"Silly Skip." Missy tutted, scrunching her nose in disgust as the little human actually snorted her snotty nose and rubbed it against the sleeve of her lab coat; humans really were a walking germ factory. "Come on now stop being a baby up you go."
"No!" Osgood insisted stubbornly. She wasn't playing this game anymore.
"You'll never get out if you don't…"
"I don't care, I'll stay dead." Osgood interjected causing Missy to scowl at being interrupted. "You can't make me!"
"Oh can't I?" The Master sneered, fingers that had been gently stroking through Osgood's hair now turned savage and Osgood whimpered as they dug into her temples and The Master's mind slivered into hers like water into the cracks. Osgood tried to fight back, it was instinctive and yet it was futile. Missy would brook no disobedience and Osgood felt her will being swept aside as easily as an elephant would a fly and Osgood could taste The Master's disgust at her weakness…so why…
Why did you save me?
The question reverberating around in Osgood's head as The Master took systematic control of her motor functions and forced her body to climb. Yet always the timelady remained carefully within reach as they mastered the long climb.
Why…Why?
Osgood pleaded into the mental link surprised when The Master seemed to pause, a flicker of surprise echoing through the link and Osgood caught the fleeting impression of an answer.
I don't know.
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