Master

"Koschei."

The tall man spun around, his long black hair whipping the side of his face. An evil grin spread on his face, and his green eyes filled with wicked delight.

"Why, if it isn't one of the mighty ones coming down to warm the heart of a poor wretched prisoner," he said, scratching the stubble of an oncoming goatee on his chin. His eyes narrowed, and his smile grew even larger. "How are you Theta?"

The younger man, tall, thin, and with a head of thick blonde hair pulled into a pony tail, pulled up a nearby chair and sat down in front of the cell, staring into Koschei's eyes. "I've been better," he replied, trying to hide the sorrow and pity that sat in his prominent blue eyes.

"Oh? Has something happened?"

Theta shook his head. "It's just… why did you do it Kos?"

"Do what?" The innocent tone sounded genuine.

"You know what I mean."

Koschei's smile turned dark. "I felt like it."

Theta leaned in closer. "You felt like killing all those people?"

Koschei nodded.

"But… why?"

"Do I need a reason?" Koschei asked. "They were inferior slugs. And they were in my way."

"They were women, children, and infants…"

"Slugs," Koschei repeated, intentionally letting a little spittle fly and hit Theta in the face. Theta ignored it.

"They were half-human…"

"The pathetic outsiders which live on the outskirts of our great cities."

"… like me Kos," Theta finished.

Something inside of Koschei stopped, and the malicious glare vanished.

"You used to say you didn't care about that sort of thing," Theta continued. "Has only three hundred years changed that?"

"A lot can happen in three hundred years…" Koschei muttered. "A lot…"

Theta sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I suppose so." He looked back at the prisoner, his eyes filled with sadness. "Kos… they're going to kill you."

The fire rekindled inside of the other, and the evil smile reappeared. "I am Koschei, The Deathless. They will find it not so easy to rid of me. I am not some virus to be stamped out, regardless of what they say. They will pay for this…"

Theta suddenly grabbed the bars and lunged forward. "Stop it Kos! Stop it, please!" Theta screamed. "Listen to yourself! This isn't you!" The tears that had been held back finally managed to break through, and his voice cracked. "This isn't you!"

There was a silence. Koschei leaned forward and reached out, wiping away one of Theta's tears.

"I guess you're right" he said in a soft, quiet voice. "This isn't Koschei…"

Then, he smiled, his entire face contorted into an evil image. "This isn't Koschei." He grabbed Theta's throat, his hands applying pressure. Theta gagged and tried to pry himself out of the death grip, but couldn't.

"This is not that pathetic, weak mama's boy who you clung to like a child does a toy! Tell me what I am… TELL ME WHAT I AM!" Koschei's roars carried down the hall. Theta heard the guards running towards them.

"No…"

"Say my name… SAY MY NAME!"

"Never!"

His voice was cut off by a strong squeeze, and he couldn't get air to his lungs.

"SAY MY NAME!" Koschei shrieked.

"… Master."

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the grip vanished. Theta fell to the ground, coughing, as Koschei leaned back into his chair. The guards rushed in and hoisted Theta up, dragging him away.

"We warned you Lord Doctor," one of them said, using the name the Time Lord had chosen for himself many years prior. "He's unstable. You shouldn't have provoked him."

Theta ignored him, still staring at Koschei. The wretch was laughing, an evil, cold sound.

"Can you hear them Theta? The drums… THE DRUMS!" he screamed as his old friend was taken away. "The drums… the drums…

A few days later, Koschei escaped from prison and his scheduled execution. All that was found in his cell was a dead guard, whose blood had been used to write a rather polite letter, saying the accommodations were not suitable any longer, and that another place of lodging was needed. It was even signed, Love, The Master.