The Master's Game (Doctor Who)

Farewell

"That's..." Roka glared at the Gallifreyan symbols that seemed to be some sort of countdown.

"Short?"

"Oddly specific," she ended her sentence, suddenly feeling numb.

The Master brought up the same screen she had seen inside the TARDIS and he pointed at some numbers. "At that time my calculations will be done. I was simulating what your death will do to reality. To what extend it will be damaged and if it will recover from it."

"What for? It will happen anyway." She tried to focus her thoughts on this, instead of what was ahead.

"Oh, I just like to know what awaits me. How I can keep myself safe. What places to avoid for a while and whether or not I can benefit from it all." He chuckled to himself. "The biggest catastrophes sometimes yield the most unforeseen possibilities."

"I see," Roka mumbled and closed her eyes.

Suddenly she felt fingers at her throat, feeling her pulse.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked quietly.

"Who says I am?" She smiled sadly. Her mind was racing, barely able to form a coherent thought.

The hand vanished, but instead grabbed her shoulder to turn her around. She didn't want to look at him, not show him how bad she actually felt.

"I don't get it." He stared at her, head slightly tilted. "Why do you chase after death? Nothing you did was so bad that it would justify it. You just make no sense." His eyebrows furrowed.

A sad smile whizzed over her face and finally she looked at him. "Because there never was a reason left to stay."

That was a lie. She wanted to stay with him, wanted to continue this way of living. But that wasn't a thing she could tell him. Not even now. Especially not now, when her end was inevitable. Instead she poked him playfully and smiled.

"You just want to finally see me begging for my life, don't you?"

He chuckled. "Would be nice for a change." Then his face got serious and he cupped her chin. "Any last wish?"

Plenty. But none really mattered. What could one wish for, there at the edge of existing. Everything she could ask him to do would get reverted anyway. She could have some fun and make him do something ridiculous. Or she could visit some of her favorite places a last time, have the biggest and most expensive meal in the universe... So many possibilities... all of them without value to her.

He leaned down to look her straight in the eyes. "Nothing?"

Would he feel her pulse now he would find it racing all of a sudden. It was such a weird thought, coming out of nowhere. Or maybe it had been there all the time, lingering hidden in the back of her mind. He was so close, but there was still way too much distance. Just... once.

"One... small thing," she mumbled, feeling her pulse quickening even more.

And then she knew how stupid it would be. It would just make it harder for her. Hastily she took a step back, took a deep breath and gave him a cheeky grin. "Tell me your name."

Confused he blinked at her. "You know it."

"Your real name." She stuck out her tongue and tried to hide what was going on inside of her.

"Mhmm... why should I tell you?" He squinted at her, then smirked. "And I could ask the same of you."

"Hey, it's my life that's going to end."