I don't suppose we could lock Snape and Nygma in a cell in Zero together with no magic and no weapons and let them sort it out Death Zone style?

No, I suppose not.

I'll be ready tonight. Your cabin, his, or neutral territory somewhere?

You know how I abhor violence.

His cabin. I want him somewhere familiar, where he can at least feel like he has the advantage.

Pacifist. [He says as a teasing insult.]

All right. Just tell me when.

I'll meet you by your room in ten. Apparently when Arthas isn't murdering he leads a rather blasé life.

Murder is hard work, I imagine. It takes all the energy out of a person. No wonder he rests between times.

I'll be outside my door.

Obviously, Narvin, that's why you make them kill themselves. [A bit of dark humour from the Doctor there. And he leaves then, giving Narvin time to think on that before he shows up without his usual oafish grin. He just looks tired and irritated.]

Have you been dragged into it?

[Well, that wasn't a sentiment he expected to hear from the Doctor. Although when he thinks about it, he's not surprised. That was essentially what the Doctor had done to Skaro.]

Nygma had requested my...help--or perhaps advice--just before the situation exploded. He believed that Snape might have been deliberately concealing Mozenrath's culpability, which is something I found troubling and I noted as much to him privately at his inquiry. But once Shego and Mozenrath's deeds became public, I though further digging would be counter-productive. Politically speaking.

It's still not the full story. [He pulls off his hat, runs a hand through his hair, and replaces the hat. He might as well admit what was happening. At least Narvin came out about his own distress.]

You recall when you caught me... upset, on the upper decks. When we were in port, Jim stole my credit from the Admiral and set out to bribe Shego to take Arthas off into space. Hoping that the ship would leave without them and they'd be abandoned to those identities. He did this because Arthas took revenge on Nygma for Nygma's last altercation with him. The one I found him in a state in afterwards.

Persephone before that, murdering Cooper. The Joker, driving Rex to addiction and Tim to violence. Shego a victim twice over because of men under my watch. I lost my temper, Narvin, and I barely had the restraint not to rewrite the man into a new person right then.

I see. Well, we're only mortal.

I've often thought that would certainly be a simpler solution than this zoo the Admiral has set up. And when the Master was my inmate...I'd told him explicitly that every time he committed a major crime, I'd wipe some of his memories. If he hadn't vanished, it would have happened eventually, probably more than once. Probably enough times to wipe clean his whole history eventually. A large part of me still thinks the Master would have been the better for it. It wouldn't have been the first time I--

[And he switches topic suddenly. Some of the things the CIA did, things that he did under orders as an operative for the CIA, aren't sitting well with him lately now that he's taking the time to go back and think about them.]

This continuing cycle of retribution has to stop. At this point in the conversation, Braxiatel would probably quote some pretentious line from Shakespeare or Greek tragedy about vengeance. I simply think it's a bloody nuisance and a security risk that's growing worse and worse.

You're one of the Doctors, right?

I am. Dr. John Smith. [He hates those numbers.] And I'm rather keen on clearing all this up for the sakes of everyone involved.

I'd rather this be over with, and I owe Edward Nygma nothing. My Warden does not either.

...However, I personally would like for someone other than my Warden to admit I'm telling the truth.

Then I'll have an honest look.

I will forewarn you this will betray feelings and sensory perceptions as well, unlike say, watching something on a screen. In any case, I would like your warden to be there. Or at least a second of some sort.

Nygma may not trust Snape alone.

Does someone else have to be there?

You know, I don't believe they do. It's not as though they would be seeing what I was, and I can record it just as well on a private channel if there's a demand for evidence. Though it wouldn't be much more than touching your face.

How do I know you're not going to look where you shouldn't? Or try to attack me?

That would be a good reason for a second to be there.

It seemed like a better idea than his insistence upon a truth serum. I have no reason to attack you, and quite honestly I want it all to be done with. My inmates were responsible for both these situations and I want to help with what I couldn't prevent.

...Yes it did.

I don't really care when, it's not as if I'm doing anything.

I'll be along shortly with Narvin, then.

[And he will be, with said little evil bureaucrat in tow.]

[The door on most days would open more dramatically, but this time it just swings on its hinges to reveal a sullen Arthas, clearly none-too-comfortable in his borrowed modern clothes. The room behind him is an empty white cube. Someone pissed off the Admiral. He doesn't step aside immediately, instead cocking his head at Narvin inquisitively.]

Oh. I know you.

[After that, which apparently passes for a greeting, he backs into the room to let both Time Lords in and takes a seat on the floor.]

Furniture is gone.

[In case you didn't notice.]

[He glances over his shoulder incredulously at the oh so brave Narvin, but he looks into the room, though.

It reminds him of a Zero room! That's comfy. And at least between the lot of them Arthas is probably the most sensible at the moment.]

Well, we'll make due, won't we? So, we were thinking of a rather simple starter. One of us gives you a command. Sit. Stand. Raise your hand. That sort of thing. All with a psychic push and the other directs you on resisting it.

Edited 2011-07-22 07:30 am (UTC)

[There's something vaguely ego-shattering every time Arthas only barely remembers him. Intellectually, he knows that Arthas has killed thousands of people and it's not surprising that his death doesn't stand out. But in his hearts (or his ego), it's off-putting that he was *that* unmemorable.]

It might be a little disconcerting or unpleasant being psychic commanded, doing things you didn't authorize your body to do...but do try not to kill us.

[There's a SUSPICIOUSLY LONG PAUSE here.]

Yeah.

[He's not looking at either of them and he's slowly flexing his hands and re-curling them. This is ...nervousness, actually. But he's working not to let that be apparent.]

What do I do? Just resist it?

[He notices the flexing and keeps an eye on it, and while he's willing to get closer to Arthas, he also keeps himself sort-of-between him and Narvin.] It's more difficult than resisting it. Say... if you were told by me to "raise your hand" with no pressure behind the words- there was none then -you shouldn't especially feel the need to.

But if there's influence it'll feel as if you came up with the idea yourself.