The Sweet Embrace of...

The guard’s voice slithered through the damp air of the dungeon, low and hypnotic, as he shed his coat with a slow, deliberate grace. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural intensity, pupils dilating as if swallowing the dim torchlight, and converting it into pure darkness. The heavy fabric hit the stone floor with a soft thud, revealing a physique that seemed too perfect, too sculpted, as though carved to entice. Osgood pressed herself against the cold bars, her breath catching and not entirely from fear. Kate’s grip tightened on the edge of her cell, her soldier’s instincts warring with a strange, unwelcome, heat creeping up her spine.

“Join usssssssss,” the guard repeated, his voice hypnotically enticing the two humans, each syllable laced with a promise that made Osgood’s heart pound, and Kate's knees shake. Osgood clutched her inhaler, but her fingers trembled too much to use it. The Master, leaning casually against the wall, tilted his head, his smirk sharpening.

“Oh, now this is interesting,” he purred, his tone dripping with amusement. “A mind controlling parasite with a penchant for... what exactly?" He asked. "The King said that you got angry, and... well... busy."

“Shut up!” Kate snapped, her voice cutting through the haze. She banged her fist against the bars, her eyes locked on the guard. “You! Step back, now!”

The guard, or... the Embrace, didn’t flinch. Instead, he took a step closer, his movements fluid, almost snake-like. His shirt strained against his chest as he breathed deeply, as if savoring their presence. “You resist,” he murmured, his gaze flicking between Kate and Osgood, “but you feel it. The pull. The warmth. Let it take you.”

Osgood’s cheeks flushed, and she shook her head violently. “No, no, no, this is... this is wrong, very, very wrong...” she stammered, but her eyes betrayed her, lingering on the guard’s form longer than necessary. She fumbled with her inhaler, finally taking a puff, though it did little to calm the racing in her chest.

Kate’s jaw clenched. “Master, do something useful for once,” she growled, her hand itching for the pistol that wasn’t there, as it had been confiscated by the Peladon King's guard. “You said you sensed something. What is this thing?”

The Master pushed off the wall, his eyes narrowing as he studied the guard. “Oh, Katherine, it’s not a 'thing' it’s a collective. A psychic parasite, latching onto minds like a lover’s embrace. Hence the name, I assume.” He chuckled, stepping closer to the bars, his voice dropping to a low, teasing drawl. “But that's not the question... The question is... Why?” He said, Osgood frowned, those words sounding so similar to the ones that Curator had spoken to her just a little while ago.

The guard’s lips curled into a smile that was both inviting and predatory. He reached out, his fingers brushing the air just inches from the bars, as if he was trying to touch Osgood through the iron. “You,” he said, his voice softening, almost tender. “You’ve known loss. Pain. Let us soothe it. Let us make you whole.”

Osgood’s breath hitched, her eyes wide. For a moment, she seemed to sway, her body leaning forward as if drawn by an invisible thread. Memories of her other half, maimed and broken, flashed through her mind, and the guard’s words felt like a balm, promising relief, connection, completeness. Her hand reached out, trembling, toward the bars.

“Petronella!” Kate’s shout snapped her back. Osgood stumbled, blinking rapidly, as if waking from a trance. “Inhaler!” Kate barked, and Osgood obeyed, her hands shaking as she took another puff.

The Master clapped slowly, mockingly. “Bravo, my dear. Resisting a psychic seduction on your first try? You’re stronger than you look.” He turned to the guard, his own eyes gleaming with something dangerous. “But you… you’re not just here to flirt, are you? What do you want? The Doctor? Why are you attacking this backwards little insignificant rock?”

The guard’s smile widened, but his eyes darkened, a flicker of something ancient and hungry passing through them. “The Doctor… resists us. He fights, but he cannot win. His mind is vast, a banquet for The Embrace. We will have him. And you… you will join us in his surrender.”

Kate’s stomach twisted, not just from fear but from a sudden, unbidden image of the Doctor, ****, overwhelmed, lost to this thing’s thrall. She shoved the thought aside, her voice steely. “Where is he? Tell us, or I swear I’ll find a way to rip you apart.”

The guard laughed, a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down Osgood’s spine. “He is close,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “So close. His scent lingers in the air, his thoughts echo in our minds. Find him… and you will find us.”

The Master’s smirk faded, replaced by a rare flicker of concern. He stepped closer to the bars, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ve made a mistake, my friend. You think you can toy with a Time Lord’s mind? It is far more than you can handle.”

The guard’s eyes locked onto the Master’s, and for a moment, the air seemed to hum with psychic energy. Osgood clutched her head, a sharp pain spiking behind her eyes, and Kate staggered, gripping the bars for support. The Master, however, stood firm, his gaze unyielding. “Spack off.” he hissed, and the guard flinched, his seductive demeanor faltering.

The moment broke as footsteps echoed down the corridor. Another guard, Peladonian, or so it seemed. rushed into view, his face pale. “The King demands their presence! The Changed are attacking the outer walls!”

The infected guard hesitated, then stepped back, his smile returning but less certain. “We will meet again,” he said, his voice lingering like a caress before he turned and vanished into the shadows.

Kate and Osgood exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding. The Master adjusted his jacket, his smirk returning. “Well, ladies, it seems we’ve stumbled into quite the party. Shall we go to the King… and perhaps have a little fun along the way?”

Kate glared at him. “Move. Now.”

As the new guard unlocked their cells, Osgood whispered to Kate, “Ma’am… that thing… it knew about Osgood... The other, Osgood I mean. How did it know?”

Kate’s face hardened. “It’s in your head, Petronella. Don’t let it in again.” But her own voice trembled slightly, betraying the unease she felt. The Embrace was no ordinary enemy, and the Doctor, wherever he was... Oh God... *when*ever he was... He was running out of time.

They were led back to the throne room, where King Aggedor stood, his youthful face lined with worry. The sounds of battle, shouts, plasma blasts, and the guttural roars of Ice Warriors echoed from beyond the castle walls. “The Changed have breached the outer defenses,” he said, his voice tight. “They’re coming for the castle. For me. For all of us.”

The Master raised an eyebrow. “And you think we can help? A charming offer, your majesty, but I’m more interested in finding my… friend.”

Aggedor’s eyes narrowed. “You lied about being the Doctor. Why? Who are you? In this moment it's more important than ever to tell friend from foe! Please... Tell me... Can you help me and my people? And why should I trust you?”

Kate stepped forward, her authority cutting through the tension. “Because we’re your best chance. The Doctor came to us for help, and we’re here to find him. But we need information. Where was he last seen? What was he doing?”

The King hesitated, then gestured to a map on the wall, depicting Peladon’s rugged terrain. “He was investigating the old mines, where the Changed first appeared. He said something about… a signal. A psychic beacon drawing them in. He went alone, against my advice.”

The Master’s eyes lit up. “A psychic beacon? Oh, Doctor, you do love to poke the hornet’s nest.” He turned to Kate and Osgood. “We need to get to those mines. If the Doctor’s caught in this… Embrace’s web, that’s where we’ll find him.”

Osgood swallowed, her mind still reeling from the guard’s influence. “And what if we find more of them? What if they… try that again?”

The Master grinned, a wicked glint in his eye. “Then we’ll have to be very, very persuasive ourselves, won’t we?”

Kate’s hand twitched, wishing for her pistol. “Stay focused, both of you. We move out now. Your majesty, can your Ice Warriors escort us?”

Aggedor frowned. "We are under attack now. We cannot spare any men on..." But The Master cut him off. "You're under **** by these... Changed... And their numbers will only increase if we don't rip out the weeds by their roots. Your best hope is to hold the walls while we, and a small strike **** head to the mines to deal with the problem head on." Aggedor stared at the Master for a moment, before his shoulders slumped, his head fell and he nodded solemnly. “General Sslanek will accompany you. But be warned, the mines are a labyrinth, and the Changed are everywhere.”

Sslanek turned his head, hissing out. "We are *not his* Ice Warriors. We stand together, but we are our own." He said, Kate inclined her head. "I meant no... disrespect..."

As they prepared to leave, Osgood caught the Master staring at her, his gaze lingering a moment too long. “What?” she snapped.

He leaned in, his voice a low whisper. “You felt it, didn’t you? The Embrace. It’s not just in their minds, it’s in their bodies, their desires. Be careful, Petronella. You might enjoy it too much.”

Osgood flushed, shoving past him. “You’re disgusting.”

Kate grabbed the Master’s arm, her grip like iron. “If you try anything, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

The Master only smiled. “Oh, Katherine, I’m counting on it.”

With General Sslanek, Kate's fire arm returned to her, and a small contingent of Ice Warriors and Pels, they set off toward the mines, the TARDIS left behind under guard. The air grew colder, the wind howling through Peladon’s rocky landscape.

"Remind me again why we couldn't take the TARDIS?" Asked Osgood, as the group was climbing a particularly sheer cliff. "The old type 40s are unreliable at best with short hops like that. We could try it, but it's just as likely we'd end up getting there 20 years in the future, or even 20 years in the past."

Kate and Osgood exchanged looks. "But the Doctor does it all the time." Osgood said. "Yes, and how often is he late? How often do you think he misses the mark and gives it another go? You just don't notice because he's persistent and keeps bouncing around until he hits the right spot."

They weren't entirely sure if they believed him or not, but it didn't really matter, the group was nearing the top of this particular cliff.

They got to a flat spot and Sslanek pointed to a spot. "Here issssss where we shall make camp!" He declared, and the others all began to set up their bedrolls and tents.

Kate and Osgood stared at the Pels and the Icewarriors, "How... Long... Is this going to take?" Osgood asked, "We will arrive at the mine tomorrow." One of the Peladonians explained. "But it's too dangers to continue on foot through the dark."

"Don't you have helicopters?" Kate asked, which prompted a questioning look from the Peladonian guard. "Heli... what?"

"Hover crafts." The Master spoke up, though he was perched, nonchalantly, on a boulder, looking over the cliff, without really looking back. "And it's because they're afraid to be seen or heard..." He explained for the soldiers. "... They've sent at least... oh... three hover crafts in the past 2 days towards these mines and none of them have reported back."

"That's... That's right... How... How in the world did you know that?!" One of the other Pels asked. The Master pointed down into the valley on the otherside of the cliff.

There were three wreckages, two of them were still lightly smoking, while the third rested just a little bit away from the other two, with no smoke in sight.

About two hours later, night had fallen, and The Master hadn't moved an inch. Kate was still sitting up, watching him, her eyes not moving from him. Osgood had long since fallen asleep, leaving Kate to watch over The Master.

"Are you going to watch me all night?" The master asked, finally breaking the silence.

Kate didn't reply, she just sat on her own boulder, her gun at her side, the fire they had made crackling passively between them.

The Master turned his head, looking at the human woman, and smiled. "You have his eyes." He said, causing Kate to frown deeper, she didn't say anything in response, but The Master could tell that she was questioning his meaning. "Your father's. Your eyes... They're very similar."

"Don't mention my father." Kate snarled at him. "Don't you dare."

The Master chuckled and shook his head. "You misunderstand me, Katherine, I liked your father. Truly. He always had guts, and grit. He challenged me in ways I never thought a human was capable of."

Kate snickered and shook her head. "He despised you. Always told me a story about how he knocked you out in one punch on Gallifrey." The Master frowned, rubbing his jaw as if, several regenerations, and bodies, on... he could still feel the impact of The Brigadier's right hook.

"I'm not going to run away you know..." said The Master, changing the subject. "Then go to sleep." Kate replied. "Time Lords require fewer hours of sleep." He explained, but Kate just stared at him. The Master frowned, and then chuckled. "Very well..." He said, standing, and Kate stood as well...

She moved to her bedroll, and the Master moved to his, they both laid down... but Kate didn't sleep a wink...

The Master closed his eyes, and let his mind reach out, let it latch onto Osgood, laying just a few feet from him...