4 - Without Witness

"Remember sinner, in darkness we are revealed", Nardole finished, Rafando growing inpatient behind him. The guards stirred, looking on with hawk-like eyes at Missy, who looked down like a scolded child. Rafando toyed with the device on his wrist, watching as the seconds counted down on the timer he set up.
"I regret, gentlemen..." he cut in, making The Doctor spin around to see him. "But this consultation is over".

"I regret it too", Missy commented, still glaring at the lever in front of her. The Doctor thought that if she stared at it any longer, it may just spontaneously combust before her eyes. If that would help her situation or not was another matter.

"The sentence must now be carried out", Rafando continued, ignoring Missy's quips, and he gestured towards the platform.

"Take a few more minutes if you like. Knock yourself out", the Time Lady added, frowning. "In fact, you do that. Knock yourself right out". Looking around, rather disgruntled, Rafando turned his attention towards the Doctor, who narrowed his eyes at Nardole. Was he trying to talk The Doctor into executing Missy or not? He now wished that he had programmed him to not speak in riddles. The said android just glared back, pulling the hood over his head with a quick action. The Doctor walked along the lakeside towards the lever, hands quivering slightly. If the Heriotza found out that he had defied their rules and sabotaged the execution, they would have his head. Not that he worried - there had been bigger and worser things he had faced. A couple of men with sticks weren't exactly worth panicking about.

He was surprised at Missy though. No handcuffs and practically free to go if she took out the guardsmen, so why was she still here? Was it a game? Usually it was, The Doctor admitted. Anytime it seemed The Master showed any sort of submission, she was just waiting for her moment to strike. But this was different. This was... Sincere. So then, was she making a point? What point though? What point could she possibly want to make to him?
She sat bolt upright, confident yet almost saddened, and... Were his eyes deceiving him? No, no, they weren't. There was a run of tears just below her chipped-ice irises.

:/:
"I'll be good", she said, not being able to stop herself. This was her last chance, her last chance to prove herself. To prove that she could withstand the darkness and that she could... Be his friend again. "I promise". Missy looked on, trying to find any sort of microexpression in his face, in his magnificent eyebrows, but didn't find anything. He didn't believe her. Her Doctor didn't believe her. It broke her a little, she felt her hearts falling. Of all the people she thought would actually know that she was being sincere, she thought that he would.
"I'll turn..." she stuttered, not being able to get the words out. They were stuck in her throat, held back by pure instinct. It was painful to say, especially when it seemed like her entire past was fighting against it.
But no, she had to do this for The Doctor. For their friendship. It meant more to her than anything. She had to do this. "I'll turn good. Please". Her eyes began welling up. This is what she wanted. This is what she wanted so badly. So why did it hurt so much? "Teach me... Teach me how to be..." she started, unable to finish her sentence. His eyes were taunting her, tempting her to call his bluff. 'Go on', they said. 'Say it out loud'.

"Good", she finished, finally unable to hold back the tears that had built up in her eyes.

"Without hope?" he asked, his bitterly twisted face softening slightly. "Without witness? Without reward?" It was a low blow, to say the least. He was testing her, how far she could keep up the façade. But it wasn't one.

"I am your friend", she murmured.

:/:
Why? Why did she have to say that? He was fine. He was alone, but it wasn't like he hadn't spent years travelling by himself, just with his thoughts, thinking the universe had abandoned him. And he was fine with it. All those days thinking that he was the last Time Lord, that no one survived, he had closure. And now The Master was making him fall in love with her again, fall in her trap again. She stood for everything that he fought: maliciousness, killing, destruction, so why did he want her so much? Why did he want her as a friend again so much?

"Makes no difference", he answered.

"I know it doesn't. I know I'm going to die. But I have to say it - the truth", Missy said somberly. "Without hope, without witness, without reward". The words were getting caught, she twisted and her eyes darted down. "I am your friend".

:/:
She couldn't quite work out if she was fighting for her life or her friendship. Perhaps both. But she was tired. Tired of being on the wrong side. The Doctor could help, however if he would give her a chance was a different matter altogether. She used to be able to read him like a book, but now, who knew what he was thinking. Or even if he believed her. He still had his hand hovering over the lever; there was some overconfident voice inside that said he would never pull it.

But it was proved wrong.

It didn't hurt at first. It was more shock than anything, which pinned her in one position. Then it grew to an ache, travelling up her spine in waves and around her neck. She realised it only took a moment, but it felt like a millennium. And she couldn't help feeling betrayed, though she knew she deserved it. Maybe it was for the best. It had been a good run, and that's all she wanted. That and The Doctor, of course.
Her vision began blurring, as she put her arms out to support herself and found nothing but blue electricity. Then, darkness. The smell of smoke. 'If this coat is ruined, I promise I will slay every one of you', she thought, then backtracked. How could she still be thinking if she was dead? Surely he didn't.... No. Did he do something to the device?
'Tut, tut, Doctor. Sabotage? I'm rubbing off on you', Missy wondered with a small smile.

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"On my oath as a Time Lord of the Prydorian Chapter, I will guard this body for a thousand years", The Doctor pronounced, the electric crackling off the copper spheres behind him. He took a breath. If his calculations were correct (and they usually were. Usually), the shock would cause a short term of unconsciousness, but no lethal effects.  The only sound in the small valley was the thump of leather boots hitting the ground as two guards walked towards her limp body.

"Oi! Get off!" Missy hit out, pushing the guard's fingers from around her arm. "I've just been executed. Show a little respect".

"You didn't actually think I'd let you go, Missy", a voice said in her head. Not The Master's this time, but The Doctor's Scottish lilt, which brought a smile to her face. "Funny the machine they were going to use didn't even have any security. I would have thought-"

"I meant it", she answered quickly, cutting him off. "I... I meant what I said. I want to change. For you... For... For us".

"You know, that's all I've ever wanted", The Doctor murmured. He was treading on thin ice and he knew it. "I never wanted armies, Missy, or planets. I don't know what made you think I did, but all I really wanted... Was you".

"Oh Theta... I guess I just doubted myself. I knew that I could never become like you, so I thought that you could become like me. Instead of exploring the universe, we could conquer it together. King and Queen of the galaxies. We wouldn't need companions, or whatever you have, we'd just need... Us. I see I'm wrong now, though. Perhaps your way could be possible. But I would need help. And lots of it", Missy looked at Rafando, who stood, disbelieving at the impossibility in front of him. "I think you upset him".

"He'll get over it", The Doctor replied, passing off the green-clad leader of the Heriotza. "I want to help".

"Well, if you're willing to teach me, then I'm willing to listen".

"However it'll have to be in the Vault", The Doctor added swiftly. "I'm sorry, but I made a promise, even if it is to these goons. It's not a good idea to have the Shadow Proclamation on your back".

"I don't mind. It's... Private", she replied, with a flirtatious look in her eyes that forced a surprised microexpression in his face. She chuckled to herself - such the prude.

"She's- She's alive", Rafando finally got out, exasperated.

"I was just a bit sleepy, all right? Let's not split hairs. Shut up", she commanded at the people around her, then turned her attention to The Doctor. "Night, night". He watched as her blue eyes rolled back into her head. This was going to be hard work. But worth it, he hoped. There was that pesky emotion again - hope. One step at a time, you can hope at the end.

"Of course she's not dead. She's a friend of mine. I may have fiddled with your wiring a little bit", he explained theatrically, finding humour in Rafando's put-out expression.

"You swore an oath!"

"I swore an oath I'd look after her body for a thousand years. Nobody mentioned dead".

"You cannot do this. You will not leave this planet alive". Ah, the threats. It seemed the Heriotza was characterised by empty threats. He could have just left, let them wonder if he could have died or killed him anyway. But words were his weapons. And he couldn't help himself.

"Do me a favour. The Fatality Index. Look up The Doctor", he announced.

"You have an entry, just like any other sentient being".

"Under Cause of Death". Twisting the device on his wrist, he looked on, quite surprised as it clicked rapidly, finding result after result.

"You do seem to have an impressive record of fatalities credited to you". The ticking continued, growing quicker and quicker. He was suddenly quite relieved at his clumsy nature, for half of his deaths were caused by him tripping over something, walking into some deadly trap or falling down something.

"A truly remarkable record". The guards behind him were growing anxious, who could blame them? The Time Lord was unkillable and this record proved it. Finally, they cracked and ran for it, leaving their leader behind.

"Where are you going? He's unarmed! You are unarmed?"

"Always".

"You stand alone?"

"Often". Though he said so, he couldn't help feeling a little pleased that he had the chance to perhaps change his answer and have someone to travel with him. And who better than one of his own kind?

"You're the one who should be afraid" 

"Never".

"Have a nice day, then", Rafando nodded, turned and ran away. Quickly.

"Nardole", The Doctor called over to the said android, who still stood with his hood covering his face. "Help me move Missy to the Vault".

"Yes sir", Nardole answered, his voice muffled slightly by the fabric, as he moved over to the unconscious Time Lady. The Doctor bent down, running his hand down Missy's coat and onto her cheek. He felt for her pulse and was relieved when it beat under his fingers, clear as a bell. "Are you sure about this?" Nardole asked behind him, taking Missy's legs. Before he took her by the arms, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life".

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