THE MASTER, THE DOCTOR AND THE WOLF

Chapter Sixteen

The Valeyard walked up to the doorway of the lab and peered in at his captives.

"Knock, knock," he said sweetly. "How are things progressing in here?"

The Doctor was running another scan on Rose's DNA while Rose sat up on the gurney. The Valeyard smirked at Rose and kissed the air when Rose glowered at him.

"Hello, Sugar Bumpkins, are we finding out what we are yet?" he said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"No, we're finding out you're a git," Rose said.

The Doctor stood at the analyzing machine, trying not to smile. He glanced at the Valeyard and noticed the ire on his face and delighted in it. Rose was in peril and yet she still had the courage to stand up to the Valeyard. It was one of the things he'd always admired about her.

"I wouldn't be so cheeky, Rose, unless you want your tongue on the floor in front of you," the Valeyard said menacingly.

Rose shrugged and the Doctor felt he better intervene because he could see the Valeyard's annoyance and rage growing by the second. As much as he admired her courage, the last thing he wanted was to see Rose shocked into unconsciousness or worse. So he stepped in front of the doorway, making the Valeyard focus on him.

"Haven't found anything conclusive," the Doctor said, deciding not to let on that she had Time Lady DNA in her system. "As for the Bad Wolf and the miraculous healing you saw, my theory is nanogenes are inside her body and they heal her every time she's injured. But that's also inconclusive since I can't see the nanogenes with my own eyes."

"What about you data? Show me the data," the Valeyard said.

"Not yet, I'm still compiling it," the Doctor said mildly.

The Valeyard snorted.

"You're lying, old man," he said to him.

"Believe what you want to believe, I don't care," the Doctor said flippantly.

"If you're lying, you'll both suffer," the Valeyard growled at him.

"Oh, look at you, the big grown up Time Lord throwing a childish little fit and threatening people like a cowardly little bully if you don't get your way," the Doctor sneered at him. "You may harm us but you won't do much to us because you enjoy having us as your prisoners. Not to mention you still have Clara to find and trust me, if she finds out we're dead, you're gonna have a short, bossy, bad tempered woman to deal with and even you don't want that!"

"Oh please, I can handle that bitch," the Valeyard said.

"Really? Because she's scattered throughout my timeline and I'm pretty sure she's helped fight every villain I've ever faced. But barring that," the Doctor said gleefully as he pointed a finger at Rose. "This one over here got angry when I was threatened by the Daleks and disintegrated them out of existence. So if I were you, I wouldn't arouse her wrath either."

"You said the Bad Wolf wasn't there," the clone said.

"No, Mister Thickety Thick, I said the tests were inconclusive. I never said the Bad Wolf wasn't there so if I were you, I'd play nice," the Doctor said, smirking.

The Valeyard glared at him for a moment and then chuckled.

"What now?" the Doctor said. "Have you thought of a funny joke?"

"Yes, I have. Because I am tracking another TARDIS with presumably another Doctor inside it," the Valeyard said. "And guess where we're landing?"

"Vinnie Valeyard's World of Fun?" the Doctor said.

"No, London in the year 2175. Which is about ten years after the Daleks invaded London, is it not? Which is also…where you left Susan?"

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!" the Doctor roared at him as he ran up to the forcefield.

"Oho, suddenly Mister Smirky has lost his arrogance and wisecracks," the Valeyard said gleefully. "No, I won't leave her alone, especially since the other TARDIS seems to be there. And we can't have one of your companions wandering off when there still might be stray Daleks about. That wouldn't be very pleasant for her, yeah? So…how's about this? You and Wolfy Girl go and find her and bring Clara and possibly Susan and the other Doctor back here or…I go look for all of them and they die horribly, bloody deaths."

"And what's to stop us from joining up with them once we found them," the Doctor said to him.

"Hmmm, good point. Okay, you find them, I keep Wolfy here as a hostage."

"NO!"

The Valeyard chuckled at the murderous look on the Doctor's face.

"I will make a deal with you, Gramps. You do this for me and I give you my word no harm comes to her. In fact, I will allow you to secure her in a nice room with several aminities. However," the Valeyard said, holding up a finger. "If I see the slightest hint of betrayal, her hotel room becomes a torture chamber and since the Bad Wolf seems to heal any wound, it's gonna take a look of umph to kill her and that will be very icky and unpleasant for your beloved, right? So…your choice."

He smiled at the angry look on the Doctor's face, knowing he had him right where he wanted him.

"I'll do it on one condition," the Doctor finally said.

The Valeyard stared at him in disbelief.

"You're really not in the position to negotiate, old man," he said.

"I don't want the Master or the child harmed either. Set them free and seal them up in a room so they can't do any damage but let them go."

"What? Why?" the Valeyard said. "Why do you care what happens to them?"

"Because the Master was my friend and I don't like seeing the child under your control. So let them go and leave them alone and leave Rose alone and I'll go in search of everyone else."

"Alright, fine, whatever, I was tiring of them anyway," the Valeyard said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. You're the one that has to hold up your end of the bargain," the Valeyard said.

"No, you do. Because if I find out they've been harmed, there's nowhere in time and space that you'll be able to run to escape me," the Doctor growled. "And I wouldn't take that threat lightly…young man, because I have a new personality that's still sorting itself out and so far I seem to be the sort that doesn't bat an eye at killing others and caring about it. So watch it!"

The Valeyard snorted.

"Fine, just get everyone in a room and get going before I die of boredom," he said flippantly as he waved his hand around.

The Doctor turned to Rose and Rose was momentarily taken aback when the menacing look faded and she saw tenderness on his face as he walked over to her.

Come with me, Rose, he thought to her. I'm thinking of a way to get us out of this but for the moment, I need to put you somewhere comfortable.

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