RP for endlessdrums 'A year on the Valiant.'

[quitehomoerotic]

It was cold when Jack woke up. There was no blood on his chest, no wound other than a deep pain in his chest. That Lazer screwdriver had been the weapon, and it was a sharp pain, second only to that of the Dalek's extermination. The death had faded but the sting remained.

It had taken him a while to reorientate himself, to recognise the room around him as a section of the underside of the Valiant. He felt the metal around his wrists before he saw it, so cold it seemed damp against his skin. The corners of the shackles were sharp and bit harshly into his skin. But then, he didn't suppose they were built to be comfortable.

He tugged on the chains a little, to test their strength, but they were secured fast to the wall. He'd been put here to stay.

It was amusing at this stage. He didn't intend to be kept. Not when the Doctor might need his help. If he ever had motivation then that was it. He wouldn't let him down, not now.

He had expected that someone would come, that they might try and get information out of him (information that he of course wouldn't give), but nobody did. Nobody came that day and nobody came the day after. The only way he knew night or day was an LCD clock in the corner of the room. No light reached him, everything seemed to fade into one.

It became his focus though, that clock. Because someone would come, that much he knew, and when they did, he'd have something to say.

Comments

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't fond of them at first, Lucy wanted one and I gave in early in our relationship." he bounced the ball as he spoke. "Do try not to eat so fast, you'll make yourself sick."

He rolled his eyes. "I was thinking more contemporary. Something with a beat that you could dance to." Or he could come, exchange pleasantries and not do a thing; make him worry about what would come later if he was in a foul mood.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"You gave into something?" Jack laughed in the back of his throat. "You'll have to get her to tell me her secret."

He glanced over at him, watched curiously as he bounced the ball. A sign of tension, perhaps. "I think being sick is the least of my problems."

"Oh sure, yeah. Though you'll have to count me out. Can't say I really feel like dancing."

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

"I doubt she'd share it with you."

It was a sign of tension. Of irritation. Of a lot of things. "True." he mused, going back to bouncing it off the wall just behind his head. The way he had it, he was barely missing hitting Jack but it would be comical if he accidentally miscalculated.

"You can rattle your chains to the beat at the very least."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Shame," Jack mused, "thought I could have used her tricks to plot my way out." He smirked a little, dry humour, and perhaps a little dangerous to use to the Master, but Jack was past caring.

When the ball hit again and he felt the air around him shift a little he reached a shackled hand up and caught it. "Enough, seriously, you'll give me a headache."

Such a flagrant disregard for the power the Master had, at times. But Jack considered, what's the worst he could do? He's probably already done it.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

He snorted softly before giving him a mild glare, holding out his hand. "Give it back." They were having a good(ish) conversation. Don't ruin it.

"And I'm meant to suddenly care? I could kill you and make it go away just as quickly as it came on, you realize."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Say please," Jack said, testing the water, pushing things a little bit.

"Which you probably will do anyway," he pointed out, nodding slightly, "so the way I see it, I should complain while I want to complain. I mean, it's not like I have a whole lot else to do around here, is it?"

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

He glared then, motioning for the ball the be thrown back.

"Don't make me retrieve it myself." he warned, watching the other man, annoyed.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack knew than to push too far. Frankly he thought he was lucky to still be alive in wake of that little streak of disobedience. But perhaps... one tiny little display...

He threw the ball back with a little force, right to the Master.

"Better now?"

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

He caught it, managing not to grimace cause that had been a bit harder than he'd expected.

He pulled out his laser screwdriver then, directing a short burst of energy along the same trajectory he'd been throwing the ball, dangerously close to his head and grinned.

"Much."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"So is there anything else you want?" Jack asked, sounding like he'd had enough of this little game. "Other than to tell me about your plans for the new Valiant pop-group, that is."

He rolled his eyes a little and leaned his head back against the wall.

He was tired.

He was always tired. Emotionally and physically, he wasn't sure how long he could keep up his pretence of being okay. Inside he knew he had to crack eventually, but he'd be damned if he'd allow that to happen.

He had to have hope.

He had to.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

The Master chuckled, not a nice sounding one at that, as armed guards joined him in the cell. Taking a moment to look at his watch, he nodded for them to release the other man for transport.

"I've got something of a bonfire going on. I thought you could join the rest of us and enjoy the view."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

As the guards entered Jack bristled. His muscles tightened with worry. He hadn't been taken out of this small holding area in months. He didn't like to imagine why that was changing.

The guards pulled him to standing and removed the shackles on his feet and hands, only to replace them with new ones, chains connecting them together, and chains from his feet to his hands, giving him little room to move at all.

"Think I'd rather stay here, Saxon" he hissed at him, any lightness that was in his voice before, all gone now.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

"There we are. Comfy? Ready to move onto more fun things?" he asked, motioning for their mini convoy to move onwards.

"Now now, don't be like that. Off we go to see the fireworks. Didn't I mention that there would be fireworks too?"

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah, just cosy," Jack said with sarcasm. He was steadfast in his position where he stood, and it took one of the guards tugging a length of chain to make him walk. He didn't have an option.

He walked out, or more accurately shuffled, and when they left the room they were joined by two more guards with guns. He had to admit that somewhere in his mind he was amused that they were obviously that worried about him getting out to go to such security measures.

"This party better have nibbles," he said, looking back at the Master.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

That would be a rather self satisfied smirk on his face when he turns back to him. There's also a bounce in his step as they walk onto the observation deck where they are joined by the Jones family.

"No nibbles but I am pleased to report-" he rifled through an inside pocket, producing a small bag. "-I did remember the marshmallows this time." he beamed at him.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

As Jack was paraded out onto the observation deck, he tried not to appear worried or uneasy, but seeing the Jones family, and the looks they gave him when he got there did nothing to allay his fears.

"What is this?" He demanded, angrily. "What's this latest game?"

His eyes turned and looked at Tish. He could see she wanted to say something, that she wanted to go to him, but he gently shook his head, just a little. No, he didn't want her getting hurt, and these guards looked tetchy with their trigger fingers.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

"Oh don't sound so angry. I haven't given you reason to get your pants in a twist yet."

He smirked, taking the chain from one of the guards and tugging a bit, as the others were brought to the window. "No game, just a show for all of us to enjoy."

The glare of the flames was reflecting off the window, shining in the Master's eyes in a way that more than likely makes him seem more mad than he already is. "Isn't it beautiful?" he asked then, voice soft with a sort of awe.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Haven't you?" Jack retorted sharp and pointedly.

He was reluctant to move, and waited until the tug of the chain would almost pull him over to walk forward. Outside was fire. Nothing but fire. Burning spires and skyscrapers. A city being torn apart before his very eyes. He felt sick to the core.

The Master spoke, but Jack didn't dignify him with a response. He couldn't. He was too choked, staring out the window, stricken by what he saw. Plumes of smoke billowing from out the flames.

A tear streamed down his cheek, and it was all too much. He looked away, he couldn't bare it.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

"I think, now, you could say I have." he laughed softly, a darkness to it.

Buildings tumbled down and a small motion from the Master tuned them into emergency frequencies that were nothing but pure chaos. People screaming for their families, children crying in the streets. The flames licked higher into the sky.

"Tokyo." he murmured. "But that isn't the city that's burning. It's the whole of Japan, consumed in flame."

Watching that tear stream down his face in obvious fascination, he reached up, touch deceptively gentle and wiped it away. "Now now, no tears." he hushed softly.

"It gets worse." It was a promise, not a threat.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack had accepted things were bad. Long ago he knew things were bad. But there had always been a disconnection. And there had always been a hope. Martha was out there, and if the Doctor trusted her then so did Jack. But this? How could Martha cope with this? She was just one woman and the Master had well and truly made himself all powerful. He was ripping apart the world and he was enjoying it.

It shook Jack. Shook him in a way that no death or taunt to himself ever could, because this was so much bigger than that. This was everything, and he was helpless to do anything.

He didn't speak, because what could he say? He just closed his eyes tight, tried to shut out the noise and the fire. But the image still burned beneath his eyelids. This was the end of the world.

"I've seen enough," he said with a hoarse voice after a pause long enough to gather himself.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

Of course he was enjoying it. He'd told them time and time again how things were in his dominion. How quickly rebellion was crushed underfoot and they'd chosen to depend on hope on Saint Martha.

He squeezed Jack's shoulder in an imitation of comfort. "No, I think we'll all stay here a while, till the fires burn down."

And with that slightly psychotic, energetic flair that he seemed to have an overabundance of, he grinned, looking around. "Anyone know any good songs to sing around the campfire?!"

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack hated it, but he felt his eyes burning hot with more threatening tears. He felt for the people below, dying, so painfully dying. Being burned alive was one death Jack hadn't experienced. He didn't need to to imagine how horrendous it must be. A terrible way to go. A terrible end.

At the touch, Jack bristled. He didn't want false niceties from this genocidal maniac. From this monster. Jack wondered just what had happened to turn him into this. How could the Doctor have ever called him his friend?

With eyes open Jack looked out the window, looked at the utter despair before them, and quiet, so very quiet it was hardly there, he whispered, "This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper."

He glanced down and took a deep breath. The chains felt heavier than ever. He felt tired. So tired and so old and completely and utterly without use.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

The Master smiled, feeling that under his hand and gave another, small squeeze before pulling away. He leaned against the observation room window and tossed the chain back to a guard so he could open the bag of marshmallows.

Things were very different then. It was a very long time ago when he was young and stupid, when they both were and they thought things could work out. Fairy tales were just that, stories for idiot children with innocent hearts. Not them. Not anymore.

"How very poetic." he mocked, popping a few treats in his mouth as he watched.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack moved as though every muscle hurt, as though each minute shift had to be planned and pre-determined. Like his body was giving up.

He turned his head to the Master and his face was cold and harsh. There was a fire in his eyes and he looked dangerous. He looked deadly. Like an echo of a man that he once was, shades of his character that long since faded away.

"One day," he told him, his words even and with a dangerous edge, "you will die, and you will die slowly and painfully. And if I can, I'll sit there and watch. I'll sit there and watch and hope you scream and beg for mercy. And when you do, because oh you will, I'll laugh and you know what I'll say? I'll say no."

With all the energy that he had, and all the adrenaline he could muster, he tugged at the chains. Maybe, just maybe he could break them long enough to ring his neck.

[endlessdrums.livejournal.com]

The Master watched him, that right there wasn't something he expected and his voice held a sort of awe. "I rather like this side of you."

It would be his own fault that Jack got loose, he should have made sure that idiot of a guard (soon to be dead idiot) had a good hold of the chains. But he pulls out that screwdriver, aiming it at Ms. Jones.

"Shall we add another number to the steadily growing list of the dead then, Jack?" he sneered, eyes flashing. "Can you stop me before I kill all three and they riddle you with holes so they can drag you back to your cell? Want a bit more blood on your hands?"

He eyed him critically. "No? Then down, boy."