23- Tinkering here and there

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack is sitting on the sofa normally found in his office, a small coffee table in front of him. On it lies several tools, along with what appears to be the pieces of his wristband. It has been taken apart completely, the leather strap holding only a hollow metal casing at this point. All the wiring and small parts are laid out neatly on the surface of the table, seemingly taken apart as thoroughly as possible without actually breaking anything.]

Comments

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[Sorry, Jack, you're getting cut off quick there. And Master, you too. He sees you wanting to kill over there.]

Oh no no no, no one is playing with anyone. Both of you stop it. It isn't going to help anything.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[Jack struck a nerve - or, well, at least a nervous system]

I think I'd find it very soothing, actually. And I'm sure Captain Harkness would love a chance to fight back, wouldn't you, Jack?

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't that be a nice change of pace. Think you can handle it?

[Before the Master can reply, Jack reaches over the Doctor and cups the Master's cheek, pressing his hand firmly against the skin]

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor throws out his arms, putting his hands to their chests and pushing back.]

Stop it right now! [Drops his voice.] Jack, please. Just...none of this today. Either of you.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[the Master swings his screwdriver up to kill Jack again, but is stopped by the Doctor. He is not pleased]

Your pets are not as well trained as they used to be, Doctor. Perhaps I should step in and assist you with discipline.

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack doesn't look any happier, though he does drop his arm. Begrudgingly, he takes a step back]

Funny. I thought you were the one who was meant to be kept on a tighter leash.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor, being smart like he is, quickly grabs the Master, holding him back. Because Jack does such a good job riling him up.]

Yes yes, leashes and pets and all those wonderfully degrading metaphors. That can stop now and just calm down.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[calmly] Let go of me, Doctor. I'm going to remind him of old times.

By the way, Jack. Good to see so many of your little friends here. How do you think they'd look if their blood was a bit blacker?

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[There's the slightest twitch of his hand over his gun holster]

A more interesting question is, would the same happen to you? Or would I have to learn to aim at a whole new face? I'm sure Sam would be appreciate it.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor is so glad he's blocking the Master, in case of bullets.]

Look, both of you, stop it. I mean it. [Obviously irritated and tired.] Fine. Fine. Then it's come to this. [He reaches into his pocket, pulls out SOMETHING which he then throws to the ground. There's a bang and a flash of light followed by a lot of smoke.

Have fun with that, boys.

Oh and he doesn't actually leave, he just wants them to cool their heads. He's still going to stop them if they try anything. :|]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[there is silence, and then, incredulous]

A smokescreen? Really? A smokescreen?

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack actually pauses, if only to stare]

And this is meant to do what, exactly? It doesn't stop me from reaching over.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[You can't seem him but you can hear that he's beaming now.]

Aren't they brilliant? Present from Dorothy! Apparently they're pebbles from the Impassible Desert, which I suppose someone must have passed, actually, to go and get the pebbles. Or maybe they gave up halfway through. Technically then it hasn't really been passed, exactly... Anyway! She was right, those really are fun.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

{Stop gloating.}

[And in silence, the Master moves back, because hey, let's face is: allergies suck. His screwdriver is still out and he's more than happy to kill Jack the second the smoke clears.]

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack, on the other hand, doesn't wait for the smoke to clear. He steps through it and heads straight towards where the Master should be if he hasn't moved to the side, gun raised]

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[Mental sigh. You both suck.

Situation! The Master is on the edge. Jack is actively pursuing the target. He also has a better chance of stopping Jack than he does the Master.

So he slides in, grabbing for Jack's gun first, intent on taking him down on the floor the second the weapon is gone.

Yep.]

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack hits the floor with a soft thud, a little dazed. He was not expecting that at all. It only takes him a split second to get his bearings, though.

He twists his body, easily changing their momentum so that the Doctor is the one pinned beneath him. Pinning his hands over his head with one hand, he uses the other to easily pluck his gun from the Doctor's fingers] Sorry Doctor, this is one toy you're not allowed to play with.

[It's worth noting that he doesn't stop pressing the Doctor down against the floor. His expression can only be described as 'devilish']

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[bad luck, boys, because now the Master knows exactly where Jack is, and his screwdriver is pointing in that direction]

Doctor, get away from him. His hands on your body is making us both sick.

[For the Doctor, there is the cheery consequence of the Master giving an amplified feedback loop of the Master's own illness in response to Jack]

Or haven't you figured out, Captain, that hurting one of us hurts the other?

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor struggles a little but mostly out of panic and shakes his head, biting back a whimper. Jack isn't causing him pain but the Master is.]

Stop being so dramatic. You're just getting sick because you've stayed around so long.

[Yeah he's going to try denying this forever and ever.]

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack frowns,but he doesn't pull back]

I'm not an idiot, Doctor. I've been forced to listen to him long enough. What does that mean?

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

That the bond between one Time Lord and another is a very beautiful thing, don't you think, Doctor? His house is my house, my pain is his pain, we pay the taxes together and the Doctor's pregnant with our first child. I was thinking of calling him 'Adolf.'

[he walks up to the pair of them and points his screwdriver to the back of Jack's neck]

Off of him. Now. The Doctor doesn't want to see you killed, now does he?

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

One chance, Doctor. Tell me if there was anything to the Master's words.

[speaking to the Master] All he has to do is answer, and I'll leave you both be.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor tenses and he really doesn't want to lie and he doesn't want Jack to hate him but he really doesn't want this to happen now. He's just too tired for it. Or for much of anything. So please welcome defeatist!Doctor. He goes slack and speaks very softly.]

He...it's a sort of telepathy. Time Lords naturally have telepathic abilities, as you know, so that isn't so different. Except this sort allows empathetic and physical sharing as well. I still have immunity but he has a deficiency, so there's a, ah, a feedback loop from me to him and back again. [Rather lost sounding.] I'm sorry, Jack. I...you deserve to know.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[the Master doesn't say anything, doesn't move, though the edges of his mind ache with the dull pain of surrender, and he tries to recoil against it, tries to feed fire back into his thoughts to keep himself from drowning in the Doctor's own despair]

[itsthecoat.livejournal.com]

[Jack doesn't say anything, doesn't even seem to react. For a split second, he looks angry and hurt and betrayed. A blink, and his expression is blank, devoid of all emotion.

He let's go of the Doctor and stands, without another word dropping from the Plane]