Of Alliances and a TARDIS, {{playtime for Tony & Koschei}}

The Master knew that some Time Lords liked to be showy in their displays that their TARDIS created, but he found Epsilon Zeta's to be downright ridiculous. A whole building?! The perception filter may have been present, but because of the offices, it didn't exactly always hide well. While most people's TARDISes didn't allow visitors in so readily, Tony certainly knew no boundaries when they presented themselves. The Master made a roll of his eyes, and stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, he strolled up to the main door.

It felt strange, being able to walk around in the daylight like this. Well, frankly it felt strange to move at all. His genetic pattern had been stuck in his old signet ring, accompanying Lucy wherever she went. While he wasn't exactly aware of being stuck like a genie in a lamp, his consciousness had felt strange, like being half-away and stuck underwater. He had felt so spent, but when the energy shot came towards him, he had never felt so alive.

Just days ago was when he had finally come back into being. There with Lucy in that hospital, such a wretched place. While he had wanted make such a show of things, they had to make a quiet escape so as not to totally ruin his future. He wasn't 100% sure how exactly he was going to make his come-back, but if it involved keeping his face as 'Harry Saxon' clean, then he was certain to do so.

They had talked of the future, he and Lucy, and he knew that he had to get his own TARDIS. No use, just sitting about if he was going to create his new Time Lord empire. Besides, he hated it so, being stuck in one place too long. He much preferred being able to travel at will, and the comfort of his own TARDIS was certainly over that of anything planet Earth could possibly attempt to provide. He didn't understand humans with their little houses and apartments - certainly not those apartments.

Still, his TARDIS wasn't exactly reachable. It had been stolen by that darn Susan, the Doctor's granddaughter. While he could go chasing after her, he decided it would be much easier to just find his own TARDIS, another to bond with. He was also certainly his old TARDIS may reject him, seeing how Susan had been with it all these years, assuming she was indeed still alive. But the plan on how to achieve this TARDIS had to start off small. He had to find someone with a TARDIS. And he knew just the person to go to.

The Master opened the door carefully, finding that it did indeed open. He figured Epsilon had some sort of security system, at least some sort of, for lack of better term, door greeter. He saw a girl far off in the room, and nodded at her. He didn't know how well his TARDIS would recognize him, especially since he wasn't sure Epsilon even knew him with this regeneration. Still, his mannerisms would perhaps provide some insight. "Go along, girly," he called to her, nodding his head off towards the back. "Fetch your master, and we'll be on with it. Tell him it's Koschei wanting to know if he'll come out and play." He smirked, gesturing her away from him with his hands.

He came to stand in the middle of the room, looking around. Yes, hopefully Epsilon would come to some sort of alliance with him. He hadn't been on Earth, the Master thought, while the paradox and all that had happened. The Master smirked; he supposed that Epsilon was still kicking himself to this day over that. He figured that he wouldn't mind joining in with the Master, and the Master in turned knew that he would much prefer some sort of light alliance than have yet another person to oppose him. Besides, the beginning of their alliance could be kicked off with a celebration of sorts - the type that involved a quick hit-and-run on Gallifrey whilst the Master grabbed a coral for his new TARDIS.

Kotomi turned at the voice. She was smiling, happily doing diagnostics on her systems, but it faded when she saw who had just barged in. At least the Doctor had the decency to knock before coming in. This made her feel sort of violated. Why Epsilon hadn’t taken him off the list when he had been abandoned on world was beyond her. "Go along, girly," … "Fetch your master, and we'll be on with it. Tell him it's Koschei wanting to know if he'll come out and play."

“How dare you speak to me in such a manner!” She said furiously with her hands at her hips. “One would think you were born without manners.” She sighed. “What is it you are looking for or want exactly with our Mathematician?” She asked, her arms now crossed over her chest… obviously not happy.

Tony was in one of his weapons labs creating something new that not only had the ability to kill someone but maybe the user too. Very dangerous. He’d have to get someone to test it for him later. A blue translucent screen then appeared in front of him. He tilted his head slightly at the person that Kotomi had been ‘conversing’, if you could call it that, with. He stood up one of his prized twin shotguns on his back and the other in his hands. He then started to make his way to the control room.

The Master turned back to her, raising his chin somewhat indignantly. He snickered at her anger, plastering a well-trained smirk on his face as she placed her hands on her hips. He chuckled a bit out loud as she mentioned that he was, perhaps, born without manners. "Actually most people aren't born with manners, my dear," he said with a grin. "Being polite is something you learn, and well... I suppose I missed that stage in my development." He turned his gaze from her, walking around slowly and taking a look at all of Epsilon's architecture in the room. It certainly was more creative than the TARDIS of most Time Lords. He paused, the smile fading from his face as he looked at her once more. "No one has to teach you anger or sarcasm or indignation." His smirk returned as he raised his chin again. "Some people just embrace the sort of thing that most people fight."

The Master signed as she asked him what he wanted with the Mathematician. "I don't exactly see the point in my telling you everything I will say in a moment to him," he said with building impatience. He stopped, turning to stare at her pointedly. He gestured around at the TARDIS, letting his annoyance obvious. "And aren't you a personality of his TARDIS, anyway? Does the name 'Koschei' not ring any bells?? Ring, ring, anyone home?" The Master turned around in a circle a few times, looking up for cameras that he figured would be in the room. He didn't want to mess any more with this girl; she wasn't what he came here for.

He let his arms drop, figuring that by now, perhaps, Epsilon would come to him. If not, well... Perhaps he would go searching for him, himself. The Master sighed, annoyed. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He had been surprised enough that he had been able to walk right into the TARDIS, and because of that, the anger stemmed that he couldn't immediately find Epsilon like he had expected as a stem of that. If he could get in, what was the big hold up? The Master turned as he felt a presence on the edges of the room, then let a smirk spread on his face once more. "Epsilon," he said, holding out his arms dramatically. "It has been too long!"

He began to walk forward towards him slowly. "I was just talking to your little... assistant here," he went on, glancing and glaring at the girl. "Surely you remember me? Yes? No?? Well, go on, try." He grinned a little more at his old friend and rival. "Koschei? The Master? I've come for a sort of..." his voice trailed off as he looked around the establishment of Epsilon. "Business proposition."

Kotomi looked like she was going to hurt someone. Was he laughing at her?! How dare he! She was the higher life form "Actually most people aren't born with manners, my dear,” Was be mocking her now? She growled slightly. "Being polite is something you learn, and well... I suppose I missed that stage in my development." She watched him turn away from her. “Obviously…” She said going back to her diagnostics. When she finished see seemed to catch the tail end of his rambling. "Some people just embrace the sort of thing that most people fight." She looked back to him with a half smile. ”Like our partner.”

"I don't exactly see the point in my telling you everything I will say in a moment to him," She sighed. What an annoyance. She wondered what Epsilon ever saw in him. ”Patience is a virtue you know.” She said pushing a few buttons. "And aren't you a personality of his TARDIS, anyway? Does the name 'Koschei' not ring any bells?? Ring, ring, anyone home?" She gave out a long sigh. ”It does. You abandoned our Mathematician on planet when your little paradox toy was destroyed.” She said with a hint of spite. She didn’t like it when others tried to hurt her partner. She watched him spin around in circles. ”You wont find them.” She giggled slightly.

"Epsilon," …"It has been too long!" You could hear some type of gun being cocked as he walked into the room shotgun in hand. “Not to my logs apparently.” He said maybe just a tad too bitter. He backed up just a tad as the Master walked up to him.

"I was just talking to your little... assistant here," Kotomi glared back at him and then disappeared to some other part of her. Epsilon raised an eyebrow looked twixed the two but then dismissed it. He ignored most of what he had said. "Business proposition." He looked a bit wary of his old friend. “What sort of proposition?”

The Master was really beginning to tire of the TARDIS's personification in this girl. He really couldn't understand how Epsilon could possibly get any work done around here, her always talking it seemed. Did she ever shut up? He rolled his eyes as she went on, blabbering about patience and other things he could care less about. Virtues? Since when did he have those?

It does. You abandoned our Mathematician on planet when your little paradox toy was destroyed. The Master spun around at her angrily, gesturing to himself. "Do you think I've been in this body since I've left?" he snapped. "I died. There isn't exactly a way to take care of anyone else when you're not exactly around." He smirked. "I just got back. Figured I catch up with some old friends upon doing so." He rolled his eyes at her, turning his attention back to Epsilon. No more from the annoying girl for him.

What sort of proposition? "What sort of proposition do you expect from me?" the Master asked, snickering a bit. "The plotting the end of the world type, my dear Epsilon." He walked towards a chair, sinking down onto it and leaning back, putting his hands up to rest behind his head. He looked up at the ceiling, as though reminiscing. "Oh, it's like going back to those days of old." He laughed, shaking his head slightly. "If only Theta were here. Then he could just try to stop us."

The Master stood back up, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Really, though. It's back to the same old deal. I'm trying to get to the top, and I figured, hey, why not take the best with me." He grinned at Epsilon, wondering if he was buying this. Not that the Master was trying to be tricky or anything - in fact, he was actually making an honest deal for what might have been one of the first times in his life. But he had something of a soft spot at times for his old friends - evil plotting buddies, you could call them.

"Just something of a light alliance is all I'm suggesting," the Master went on, shrugging a bit. "You can contribute however you'd like. You can stand back for all I care. It's just something of 'we won't kill each other' sort of thing, and perhaps, we'll even work together every now and then." He walked a bit towards Epsilon, looking him in the eye. "The Time Lords are back after all. And you know where we belong." He smiled slightly, an evil glint in his eyes. "Right at the top. We're superior; you know that as well as I. The Time Lord Empire is possible again, what, with this New Gallifrey and all."

He thought back to finding that ship, making all that research, connecting himself to that energy, leaving the documents for the Doctor to find... He had been quite prepared, and he prided himself for it. Perhaps that was how they were all doomed to live the rest of their days, the Master never quite figuring how to stay dead, and the Doctor trying to make sure he didn't push the universe into utter chaos. Never-ending cycle, maybe, but the Master had to keep trying. Those drums would never stop any other way.

"Do you think I've been in this body since I've left?"…"I died. There isn't exactly a way to take care of anyone else when you're not exactly around." … "I just got back. Figured I catch up with some old friends upon doing so."

Epsilon was suddenly twixed the pair, shotgun loaded cocked and ready to fire. “’Tomi you have diagnostics to run. Go and do them.” It was the tone of his voice that gave away that it was an order and not a request. Kotomi reluctantly left. His full attention was now on his ‘friend’ in front of him. “You will never speak to my best friend in this whole big existence like that again. Understand?” He said quite angry and gun still trained on him. His eyes were a nice shade of very dark brown almost black. Yep… this little timelord was pretty po’ed. “I may not remember what happened but I damn sure have the logs. I helped you build that floating toy of yours and if you ever disrespect the three of us again I can damn well sure guarantee that you will not come out of it alive. Understand Mon Ami?”

"What sort of proposition do you expect from me?" ... "The plotting the end of the world type, my dear Epsilon." Epsilon listened but wasn’t sure why he was snickering with a gun in his face. Though he had to admit he was interested in the whole ending of the world idea. He lowered the shotgun slightly as he watched the Master headed to a chair. "Oh, it's like going back to those days of old." "If only Theta were here. Then he could just try to stop us." He chuckled… slightly. He was still mad and thus the Master still had a gun pointed at him. “Heh… he’s been here already. Tired to convince me to go ‘home’”

"Really, though. It's back to the same old deal. I'm trying to get to the top, and I figured, hey, why not take the best with me." He watched him intently as he stood up. He smiled as his friend now that inflated his ego some. But all this was already fairly obvious and didn’t really calm him down from his state of anger.

"The Time Lords are back after all. And you know where we belong." … "Right at the top. We're superior; you know that as well as I. The Time Lord Empire is possible again, what, with this New Gallifrey and all." He nodded. Course he knew all of this already. One: Theta had told him about his race’s revival and two: of course he was superior. “So Theta-chan has told me.” He said smirking somewhat. “And yes I am superior, thank you.” He chuckled but then looked to be a lot more serious. “But as I explained to Theta I’m not going back.” He said quite firmly. “I almost died leaving.”

The Master was, at this point, trying to keep back his own anger. Quite frankly, he didn't understand why Epsilon had the right to be this angry at him, nor did his TARDIS. He hadn't been able to find him while he had done the whole taking over the world bit - he knew that Epsilon hadn't been on Earth and that time, and seeing as he didn't have his own TARDIS, there was no way that he could have contacted him. Before that, he had been under a chamelon arch at the end of the universe, sure that he was just a human professor trying to help the humans of the future get to Utopia. And since the Year That Never Was... well, as he said, he had been dead.

Apparently Epsilon didn't want to have anything to do with explanations, and there was nothing the Master could do about it. Again, he was actually telling the truth, and he couldn't exactly force Epsilon to believe him. He couldn't help his own anger in return, and he wasn't exactly one to point a gun at someone at the current life he was in. He half-considered his laser screwdriver, but... well, he was trying to get Epsilon to take him to Gallifrey, and he wasn't sure that would help at the moment.

The Master raised his eyebrows at the thought that Theta had already been there. Really? That was actually surprising. Somewhat, anyway. After all, he was always one to try to redeem those that had gone off the path that he thought was so right. He had just found out that Epsilon had been alive himself, and on Earth, so he was surprised more so that the Doctor had been able to find him so quickly. The Master wasn't here to get Epsilon to redeem himself though, certainly. And he wasn't exactly trying to talk him into going back to Gallifrey either; permanently, at least.

"I'm not here to convince you to go back to Gallifrey to stay - now at least," the Master said, shrugging. "I'm just here to throw out the idea of our Empire. The Time Lords deserve to be the heads of all these inferiors races. You and me, though, in particular, at the top. Once the Empire is established... then we can go back to Gallifrey and rule it from there. Going back now and trying to present ourselves to the Council or anything would just be ignorant."

The Master glanced at the gun out of the corner of his eyes, deciding now wasn't the time to go asking for a quick run to Gallifrey for a TARDIS. Going on, he decided to try to calm his old friend down. He wasn't exactly here asking for trouble; Epsilon should have known better - the Master wasn't exactly the most calm, polite, or even-tempered person. "I honestly just got back, really. I was under a chameleon arch as a... a human since the Time War. And I was just released from it right before my little run as Prime Minister. And at the end of that... I was shot. I was just able to come back, and I found out you were alive. Thus my being here." The Master looked at him, smirk gone, wondering if this was worth it.