13th Doctor and the Master | I'll Be Waiting

Steady Arms

I step out into the central, circular room. The guards spot me immediately. "I'm sorry." I pretend to huff. "I tried to stop him."
The tallest guard comes up to me with a slight snarl in his voice. "Where did he go?"
I pause for a moment. "I think I saw him go down those steps," I point "probably finding a place to hide."
Hopefully they buy it. By looks on their faces the guards seem satisfied enough. The tallest looks at me as he commands to the others. "Search down there, check every corner." The guards leave and I let loose a sigh in relief.

I snap a glimpse of The Master. Luckily he's made it to the top of the stairs. He thought it would be wise to disguise himself as a guard, by wearing the General's suit. It was a good decision, although I know for a fact that part of him just did it for the costume change.
He keeps his face down wearing the guards military cap, hopefully that'll last him long enough to shut off the power.

The guards come back up the stairs quicker than I anticipated. I growl silently a bit to myself.
"Nothing there, you sure you saw him go that way?"
"I...I must've been mistaken." I wobble.
The guard gives me stern glare.

Suddenly I hear a loud yell. "HE'S GOT MY BLOODY UNIFORM!" The General cries, running out into the hall with just a white shirt and underwear. He's got some nerve, I admit. "HE'S BLOODY DISGUISED AS ME."
I try not laugh as the General turns to me and I then remember. I remember that he knows I was the last person with him. He knows I must've allowed The Master to take his uniform. My inner laughter fades away.

"Doctor." He says firmly and with the authority of a king, despite his well....lack of clothing.
"You saw him last. What happened after I got knocked out? I would've assumed you'd call for a guard to let them know that their Head General had been struck down."
"I...well. You see..." I stutter in response.
"Or did you have it all under control?" He muses. I bite my tongue. This isn't good. "No answer?"
"He struck me down as well. After you." I reply. I'm not the best lair, I thought I sounded somewhat convincing, but the General sees through me.
"I don't see no wounds, Doctor from your knock down. You lie straight to my face. I'm afraid I have no choice. GUARDS! Arrest her!"
"No, no I tried to stop him, I did, I tried." I shuffle back but I'm surrounded. There's no escape. The tall guard from earlier walks up to me with a pair of cuffs. Well I tried. I'm just a pathetic liar.

Then it turns black. All the lights in the room suddenly snap out like bone crack. He did it. I want to cry for joy, but I waste no second. "RUN DOCTOR!" I hear from the booth.
I'm already sprinting up the stairs, feeling my way up in the dark.
Then I find a hand.
"This way." I whisper to The Master.
He stays close as I hear guards commanding orders, frantically to one another. We climb another set of stairs, I trip up a few but the Master's there to catch me in his steady arms. I'm glad he's making himself useful.
"Can you stop falling?" He moans. "I don't fancy carrying you up 10 flights of stairs."
I scoff in response.
"Who are you kidding? You'd barely be able to carry be up 1 step, let alone 10 flights. I don't see that 6 pack appearing any time soon."
"That's because it's an 8."
I let loose a quiet laugh. "In your dreams." I sense him smiling too. "You know, I honestly didn't think we'd make it this far." I pant.
"Don't jinx it now." He pants back as we reach the final set of stairs, the exit just within a few feet. But of course nothing is that easy. Not for me. Flashlights hit my face.
"Well, I told you not to jinx it." The Master sighs.
"You told me after I had said it so it was already jinxed, meaning that what you said was pointless." I reply with annoyance.
"I think I see now why all your companions end up in early graves."
"Probably because you're there."
"It's not always me!"
"That's debatable."

"Alright, enough! God, you're like children. Well, playtime is over. Sorry." The General says gloatingly.