Little ghosts and their games

[1137 words]

[AN: Basically the same chapter, just a few spelling and word changes. I wanted to rewrite it because it just didn't really feel right but in the end, I couldn't figure out what it was so I had to leave it. Might come back at some point]

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The Doctor, strung up by metal blocks attached to his forearms that glowed softly in the dim prison cell, silently rested his chin on his chest as he lolled in and out of consciousness. He was desperately attempting to get some form of sleep, trying to regain some energy from the pretty exhausting ordeal he had just gone through, but only ended up dipping in and out of consciousness and feeling like the cybernetic second coming of Jesus strung up like he was. The only thing that ruined the beautiful mental image was the metal mask on his lower face that was periodically pumping some sort of gas into his lungs.

'Actually, maybe this stuff is stopping me from getting to sleep...' Rolling his tongue around his mouth for a second, the Doctor pondered the taste. 'A Metallic base, most likely... mercury? What do they think I'm made of?' The Doctor couldn't help but widen his eyes, he thought they were trying to keep him prisoner not poison him. 'And a zingy after bite, hmm...'

He knew it, they had put adenosine in there somewhere as well. An utterly pointless endeavour if they were also trying to poison him at the same time if you asked him, but these 'Timekeepers' probably did care much for his opinions when he didn't even get a trial. Checking his heart rate, he confirmed the irregular beats and nodded to himself. Although this didn't exactly confirm it was the gas stopping him from sleeping, it definitely wasn't helping matters.

Sighing to himself, the Doctor squirmed in his holds before settling down. "It's going to be a long twenty-four hours"

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The Doctor snapped out of his half comatose state when he heard a feminine giggle echo around the room. Not wanting to alert whoever it was that he was awake, he kept his eyes shut, kept the same unsteady rhythm of his heartbeat and concentrated on his hearing, trying to pick up at least where they were. But try as he might, he just couldn't find them.

All of a sudden he felt two slender arms wrap loosely around his neck from behind and the intruder... sniff him? Before he could wonder what exactly was going on, a silk voice whispered against his ear, the warm breath sending a small shiver up his spine. "Hello handsome~, I know you're awake, you can't play games with me."

Snapping open his eyes, the game clearly up before it could even begin, he turned his head to get a glimpse of his attacker? admirer? Unfortunately, the culprit seemed to vanish into thin air and he was left staring at nothing. The giggle once again resounded around the room and as he turned back, he half expected whoever it was to be standing in front of him but was unexpectedly met with nothing. What little of his face he could move scrunched up and he rolled his eyes, not at all impressed with whatever this person was trying to do.

"Aw~ That won't do, don't make that face, I was only having a bit of fun~!" The voice spoke, the pout all too clear despite not seeing them. "I'm Merripen by the way. It's nice to meet you, mister." The voice abruptly and cheerfully introduced itself, along with the sudden appearance of two legs clothed in black stockings and wearing white trainers swinging back and forth atop one of his restraints.

Not to be fooled, he didn't try and see any more of their appearance, it was clear that they would only disappear again so opted for the better plan and ignored her. However, it seemed the temptress didn't like being ignored and started tapping his shoulder repeatedly.

"Hey, mister! Why are you ignoring me! Why aren't you introducing yourself!?" Merripen whined as she continued tapping him. Only for her to suddenly stop and, without a hint of shamelessness, say, "Oh silly me, you can't speak if you have that on your face, can you? Let me help you."

The Doctor took in a sharp breath of air as the mask unbuckled and fell to the floor, only now realising how stuffy and used to it he had gotten. "Ah! that's much better! these people really have no sense of hospitality..." he muttered, earning him another giggle from the only other person in the room. "So what do you want then?"

"That's not very nice mister, I'm just trying to be friendly!" Merripen protested, before mumbling. "And I was even going to help you escape."

"Oh really? And what makes you think I need help escaping?" He teased.

Hearing him, Merripen stop kicking her legs and disappeared again. "You seem very stuck to me mister! If I don't help you, you'll end up stuck here to the end of time!" She retorted, followed by an audible huff at the end.

Chuckling inwardly at the childish response, the Doctor relaxed into his holds. "Well, who's to say really, the universe is a mysterious place. Maybe I'm not even stuck."

Irritated to no end, Merripen completely forgot that she was hiding and stepping out of the shadows, stomped up to him. "Listen here, mister!" Every word accompanied by a poke to his chest with dainty fingers. "You don't seem to realise where you are! You're in the Null-Time Zone, a dimension that is solely homed to an organisation that governs over billions of universes! There has never, and I mean never, been someone who has escaped from here once they're locked up! And you! You happen to be locked in their most secure prison to date. So what mak-..."

Hissing interrupted her little speech as the large mechanically doors to the cell depressurised before they finally slid open and a man in a grey suit nervously stepped in.

"Um, Doctor? You in there?" A shaky voice called out.

"Ah! Agent Davis! Perfect timing! Hurry up and get me down from here," The Doctor glanced at what appeared to be a teenage girl wearing blue denim overalls with a pencil skirt and pink t-shirt, who looked suspiciously like Rose but with black hair, and gave her a grin. "so we can escape!" Drawing out the last word and popping the 'P' to really rub it in.

Merripen glared daggers at the Doctor as Davis quickly ran up and unlocked the restrains, blue gases pouring out of them as he did so. However, much to her growing annoyance, the Doctor completely ignored her and after rubbing his forearms, which felt terribly uncomfortable in the holds, he patted Davis on the back and started walking towards the exit, leaving her standing there.

Looking at the Doctors back as he walked out of the prison cell, Merripen muttered, "This is not going how I expected..." before promptly running after them.