Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained herein, I merely make them dance in what I hope is true to their rhythm.

Chapter Ten

The Makings of a God

"Okay," said Hermes, opening the book back to the instructions. ""If in the event a god has been killed or otherwise incapacitated, you must locate the successor and return him or her to Olympus. To do so, place your finger to the name of the successor in question."

"So that's how you got here?" interjected Gwen. "You just put your finger there and you were transported here?"

Jack nodded. "It makes sense," he said. "It activated the rift energy. I wonder where the other heirs are and if those places will set off rift signatures as well."

I still wasn't sure what he meant by rift energy, but whatever it was must have been important.

Gwen saw my confused look and tried to explain. "The rift is a tear in space time," she said. "It's centered right here in Cardiff, and this tower just so happens to be built right in the exact spot that it centers on." She smiled. "I have an ancestor of a few hundred years ago that was the subject of a bit of rift activity. Charles Dickens was there too, along with some old friends of Jack's."

I looked at Jack. He didn't seem that old, but since he said that he couldn't die, perhaps that meant that he couldn't age, either.

"We monitor the rift here in the hub," she went on. "All these wires and systems are hooked up to it. When you were transported, it set off some alarms that we have in place. That's how we found you."

"What's next in the book?" asked Jack.

Hermes was reading. "Once you have located the heir, they must pass the test of their predecessor."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I have to pass a test?" he asked incredulously. "I haven't even studied though!"

Gwen looked up. "If Zeus had already chosen him to become the heir, why does he have to pass a test?"

Hermes read on. "The successor must prove him or herself worthy to carry on the name of the god or goddess that chose them."

"That doesn't make sense though," said Jack. "Shouldn't the choosing itself prove that the heir is worthy?"

"Gods are not all perfect," said Hermes. "We make mistakes, just as humans do. We may choose someone that is unfit for our position. The successor must pass the test to prove that they are truly the right decision."

"Okay," said Jack. "What's my test?"

"Each test is specified by the predecessor, and is listed along with the record of their chosen successor," said Hermes. He flipped back Zeus' page, that listed Captain Jack Harkness' name and location. He looked on the facing page and read aloud. "The test for the successor of Zeus is to ride the lightning."

Jack's brow furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. "Ride the lightning?"

Hermes shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said. "Of course, Zeus has been known to throw bolts of lightning, and that is his symbol. How one is supposed to ride the lightning, I'm not sure."

Jack held out his hand. "May I see the book?" he asked.

Hermes nodded and handed it over. Jack looked at it carefully, and peered at the page listing his test. "So when you touched my name, it brought you to me, right?" he asked.

"That's correct," said Hermes. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," said Jack. "If the rest of this book works the same way that your transport system does, then maybe I just have to touch the test."

"Touch the test?" asked Ganymede. "You mean the words that are written there?"

"Yes," said Jack. "Then I'll be either transported to the test, or the test will begin." He held his finger poised above the words 'ride the lightning'. "There's only one way to find out," he said, grinning.

We all watched with bated breath as he pressed his finger to the words. After a few seconds, we let out a great sigh of disappointment. Nothing had happened.

"Oh well," said Jack. "It wouldn't be much of a test if it were that simple, I suppose. I guess we have to find some lightning then."

"How do we do that?" asked Gwen.

Jack smiled. "We stir up a storm." He pointed at the rift machinery.

Gwen stood up and shook her head. "No," she said. "You are absolutely not allowed, Jack Harkness."

"Don't worry, Gwen," he said. "We've manipulated the rift's energy before."

"Yes," she said. "And hundreds of people died because of it."

Jack waved her off. "I can't believe you've forgotten already. I beat that creature, dying in the process, and I'm back. We've messed the rift other times too, and it hasn't been too bad. Besides," he said, heading over the machinery. "We can change the settings to activate it only very mildly, and not to allow anything through."

"And what about the weevils?" she asked. "The weevils will go mad, never mind that beast. There will still be mass murder in the streets with those things coming out of the sewers."

"What are weevils?" I asked.

"Aliens," said Jack. "That's essentially what they are. They are carnivorous beasts that live underneath the city. The rift messes with their biology, and they come out whenever it's especially active. But," he said, holding up a finger to Gwen. "I can fix that too." His fingers flew over the machinery and I heard a lot of clicking. "There," he said. "Now there are the perfect settings for a mild lightning show and no adverse effects on Earth or elsewhere in time and space."

Gwen went over to him. "I don't know about this, Jack," she said.

He pulled his arm away from her touch. "You said it yourself, Gwen," he said. "These people need me, and the only way to make sure that I can help them is to pass their test." He nodded at the rift. "This is the only way to ensure that I can even take the test. At least support me while I try."

She looked pleadingly at him, and then turned away. "Okay, Jack," she said. "But I would like you to visit me now and again."

Jack went to her and pulled her into a hug. "Whenever I can," he said. He looked at Hermes. "I can come back and visit," he said. "Can't I?"

Hermes sighed. "I'm not very sure about that," he replied. "I'm sure, as king of the gods, that you will have certain privileges afforded to you."

Jack grinned. "You better believe I will," he said. He kissed the top of Gwen's head. "Wish me luck," he said. He pulled on his coat, and headed back out of the hub.

I looked at Gwen. "You'd better go after him," she said. "He'll need you as much as you need him, I think."

I was suddenly overcome with emotion, and I went and wrapped my arms around Gwen in a hug.

"Thank you, Gwen Cooper," I said. "I don't know how to repay you."

She pulled away and smiled. There were tears in her eyes. "You can make sure that you all get through this alive," she said. "And make sure that Jack Harkness comes back here to visit."

I nodded. "I promise," I said. I then turned and followed Hermes and Ganymede out of the hub, up the stairs, and out into the open.

We looked up at the building above us, and saw Jack standing on the edge of it. The storm was building up over the tour, and lightning and thunder were flashing around it. People all around us were running to and fro, trying to get into shelter. Jack had his eyes closed and his arms open, and he appeared to be waiting for something. I saw his hair stand on end even more than it already was, and his eyes snapped open. At that moment, he jumped into the air and off of the building. Lightning came down from the clouds at the same time and struck him.

I screamed as he turned completely white and fell down to the ground, twitching.

After a moment of standing in shock, we ran over to him. I tried to bend down over him, but Hermes held me back.

"He's just been struck by lightning," he said. "His body is charged right now, so it would not be wise to touch him."

I watched with bated breath, hoping that he had been telling the truth about not being able to die. His body was charred from being struck by the bolt, and mangled from landing on the rocky ground.

Suddenly, Jack took a huge gasp of air, and his body repaired itself in moments. He looked over at me and smiled. "That one will stay with me for a while," he said. "I've fallen off of taller buildings, but that is the first time I've been struck by lightning in the process." He looked over at Hermes. "So," he said, standing up and brushing himself off. "Did I pass the test? I think that what I just did certainly qualifies as riding the lightning."

Hermes made a noncommittal jerk of his head as he pulled out the book. "Let's see," he said. He turned to Zeus' page and his eyes widened. He turned the book around to show us.

There, in the place where an image of Zeus had been, was an image of the man standing before us. Down below, the words 'Successor: Captain Jack Harkness' had vanished, and been replaced by the words 'Successor: To Be Appointed.'

We all looked up and stared at the new Zeus. He grinned back at us. "I'm still Captain Jack Harkness," he said. "I don't feel very different."

Hermes smiled. "That's excellent, Captain," he said. "That, more than anything, is proof that your predecessor chose wisely." He knelt before Jack and bowed his head. "Your Highness," he said reverently.

Ganymede got down in the same way, and after a look from him, so did I.

"Okay, that's enough," said Jack. "Get up and stop bowing to me, I get enough of people on their knees in front of me."

Hermes snorted. "Yes indeed," he said. "Zeus has chosen well with his successor."

"Now," said Jack, clapping his hands together and looking a little surprised to see sparks fly from them. "Do we go back to Olympus?"

Hermes shook his head. "There were other gods that the Master converted," he said. "We need to find their heirs as soon as possible before he discovers the truth of them." He opened the book. "We will need Athena most of all," he said, turning to the goddess of wisdom's page.

There was the image of the goddess I had seen struck down. I scanned the page down to find the name of the successor.

"Hermione Granger," read Hermes. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Jack barked out a laugh. "I hate to tell you," he said. "I really do, but witchcraft and wizardry is fake."

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you serious, Captain?" I asked. "After all that you have seen in your life, you don't believe in magic?"

"I believe in science and technology," he said. "After all, that's all magic is in the end."

"Okay," I said. "Explain the lightning that came out of your hands."

"Static electricity," he said without hesitation. "I was only just struck by lightning a few minutes ago."

I shook my head. "Let's just touch the girl's name and find out for sure whether or not this place is real."

Hermes held out the book for us each to touch. It was more difficult now with four people trying to touch the name, but we managed it. In seconds, I felt the sensation of a rush of wind and a flash of light.