Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 35 - Picking up the Pieces

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

Then

Will Markham surveyed the farm. They had been living in the eastern edge of the Ozark Mountain area in early 19th century America for several years. The US Civil War was still decades away, and Will's research indicated they had landed in an area untouched by the conflict.

The girls were teaching the twins what they could in their TARDIS (which the boys had re-dubbed the RAFT: Randomly Actual Functioning TARDIS, due to it's seeming uncooperative nature, only slightly better when compared to their father's). They had initially disguised it as a log cabin, with Will, Jenny, and the boys building an actual cabin around it, so the craft was now hidden as a spare room inside, should they be chanced upon in their current abode. Just in case, they had remodeled the main room and kitchen areas in a rustic type setting, a bit advanced for this era, but enough to fool the casual eye. All other rooms were bio-locked against any unwanted intruders, should they actually manage to penetrate the RAFT.

Part of the reason they had chosen this area was for Will to go sober, cutting him off from most of his vices, save the occasional herb. Even then, he had to swear to both Su and Jenny he would only partake with their permission, and away from the boys. It was hard on him, especially when building the cabin around the RAFT, as at the end of the day, he only wanted a hot shower, lager, and smoke, but Su would only allow him one smoke a week after his chores. He soon got the hint and tried to go clean with her encouragement.

Jenny was no help, starting a morning regimen that most army trainees would say was borderline excessive. On the other hand, Will was probably in the best shape of his life at this point. He also noticed he didn't seem to be aging. He wasn't sure if it was part of the RAFT's ambient artron energy, the clean living or what the cause, but he wasn't complaining.

Su wasn't complaining, either, as their relationship finally progressed past casual dates, their quiet dinners such as they were, and a lot of flirting. She had made him realize that he could dote on the memories of his wife Toshiko and Jackson all he wanted, with no hope of ever returning to them again, but he was doing little else. Jenny didn't say anything, but he overheard Jamie mutter "about time" on more than one occasion.

The group still kept their charade on the rare occasion of some new explorer hiking by of the girls being sisters and the boys their younger brothers, with Will posing as Su's betrothed. It wasn't long before she urged him to make it official, but he still demurred, claiming he was still technically married to Tosh. She didn't push him further until one day when she announced some news to him.

Everyone was happy for them, save Alistair's reticence. He had already been keeping to himself more often of late, but his casual disappearances became more obvious in hindsight.

Jenny was usually the one to track him down, but one day, Jamie came across his brother seemingly talking to himself in the woods while gathering firewood, but he denied everything, claiming he was merely talking to himself.

Then came the day that changed everything. Will and Su had taken a picnic by the river, enjoying the day and discussing their future together when they appeared. Both recognized the beings right away, from their encounter years ago in central Europe. Unfortunately, Will hadn't bothered to bring more than a contemporary flintlock (modified with a taser), and ordered Su to get back to the others while he held them off.

The camouflaged Autons swarmed them, soon taking Will and Su prisoner, and marching them back to their own camp. Once there, they found that Jenny and Jamie were also held captive. Alistair was nowhere to be found.

The Autons lined them up against the cabin and formed a similar line opposite them. No one needed to be told why. The robots held their hands stiffly at the captives and seemed about to strike when a wide-beam laser from the roof began felling the assassins.

"I'll never doubt your ingenuity again," Will exclaimed as they took cover from K9's chimney defense. The group knew it would only give them a short reprieve, as even with various improvements on his design, the laser still drained his battery faster than any of them liked. It was one of the robot dog's main design flaws. They scrambled to get inside when the ground began to rumble.

"Earthquake!" Su yelled, assuming the obvious. She couldn't have been more wrong. A second decompression knocked everyone, living and not, to the ground. Still, the group persisted to make it inside to the safety of the RAFT when they felt another rumble. It was obviously different from the first two and a reaction to the assault from the earth itself, an actual earthquake triggered by the time quake enveloping their camp.

The third blast whited out everything around them and Will panicked as he lost his grip on Su's hand. He felt himself tumble upward before landing in a strange building. He slowly pulled himself together and called out to the others, but no reply came.

Suddenly, a voice came out of seeming nowhere that made his heart break. "Will? Are you okay? I saw you stumble and fall on the camera?"

He denied it was her for a moment, then he heard her again. "Will? Do I need to come down there?"

He shook his head. "No! No, I'll be fine in a moment," he replied to the hidden voice, which he now recognized as coming over a wall comm system. His head spun as the possibilities ran through his head. Had he somehow been transported back home? To Albion? To his Tosh? And Jacks? Did he even dare hope? And if so, what about Su and the others? What had happened to them?

He pulled himself together and saw he was in a storage locker of some type. Exiting it, he saw another door, and glanced in the porthole to see some sort of glass walled rooms. Some sort of detention area, he realized. Something snarling and fanged approached one of the glass walls and glared at him. He stepped back and made his way to the stairs. His feet seemed to know the way better than he did as he made his way to a conference room.

As he crossed the walkway, a voice called out. "Will? Are you sure you're alright?" This time it wasn't separated by any electronic device.

He froze and put on his best smile as he turned to face her. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He got a read off her in an instant. The thoughts he read seemed to fill in some hazy new blanks in his mind, but he knew they didn't fit. He was not the man she knew. That man had never existed in this world. He could feel the emotion in those memories, new and powerful. And false.

He continued to his destination. There were several adults and a pair of young children in the room. He immediately recognized all but two of the adults, one intimately. Of the other two, one he now recognized his face from a brief encounter once, the other was a complete stranger. None had seen him yet.

Will knocked softly on the door. He saw Gwen look at him in surprise. He entered and asked, "Room for one more?" Jack did a doubletake at seeing him, springing to his feet.

Now

"What are you talking about?" Will asked. "I've never met you before in my life."

John Hart laughed. "Well, I know I've met you. We both have. You were our teacher at the Time Agency." He nodded toward Jack then pulled a gun on the time-displaced man. "And I owe you this, at the very least."

Will and James sited the brash newcomer with their weapons as he aimed at Will. Ianto quietly sidestepped the line of fire as Jack stepped forward. "Don't you dare."

"Oh, I don't know, I dare an awful lot."

"John, we've got bigger problems to deal with right now. Put the gun down."

Hart finally broke his line of sight with Markham and eyed Jack. He finally snorted and gave his former lover a lop-sided grin. "Well, since you asked so nicely."

Jack started to breathe a sigh of relief when John's arm began to relax. He barely had time to move when he changed it suddenly and fired off a shot to the side. Tosh screamed as Jack tackled his ex to the ground.

A second shot fired off as Jack and John struggled. Hart threw off Jack's limp body. He aimed at Owen this time. "Put the guns down, everyone. You, ratmouse. Check the other bird," he ordered as he marched to Will. Dr. Owen Harper paused only a second before running to the side of his fallen comrade, Suzie. He could tell before he got to her it was a fatal throat wound, nearly beheading her, and she was already gone before reaching her. It had been mercifully quick.

"Why did you shoot her?" Will demanded as he glanced to see Owen shake his head. "She was no threat to you! What is wrong with you?"

Hart stepped up right to his alleged former instructor's face. "I don't know, teach, just something about one too many detentions, maybe?"

"Not enough, in my opinion," he growled. He could see James moving to cover Tosh as Rhys and Gwen finally joined the group, both holding weapons on Hart.

"Put it down and step away from him, Hart!" Gwen barked in a barely controlled rage. "I know Jack will be fine, but can you say the same?" Even James could tell not to make light of her, from now on.

"No concern for the bird?" Hart mocked. "Oh, that's right, she tried to kill you when you first hooked up with the Merry Marching Society here, didn't she?"

Her distraction was all Will needed, as he quickly took advantage and used a few moves to disarm and knock down Hart his Tosh had taught him that he hadn't shown anyone else here, yet. He made a mental note not to show anyone else, should he wind up in a teaching position as Hart claimed.

Will stepped back, allowing Hart to try and get up with four weapons trained on him. He never got the chance as Ianto snuck up behind him and planted his polished shoe right in Hart's favorite spot. His immediate reaction was to jerk back, rigid, only to have Ianto spin kick into the back of his head. The man went down for good, this time.

"Impressive," Gloucester noted. Will nodded in agreement.

A sudden gasp for air distracted them next as Jack sat up, clutching at his wound. Owen, James, and Ianto reacted to the injured man, believing he had taken a fatal shot as well. It was only after Harper had examined the already healed wound that this trio would realize the other three hadn't reacted to the 'miracle'.

Jack brushed them all off and began barking orders. "I want Hart stripped and in a cell, now!" he exclaimed. "Even then, I want cameras on him and a guard on duty. Do not put him next to Janet!"

Will bound Hart's hands, then motioned to Rhys and James, the first two taking an arm each while Gloucester brought up the rear keeping his gun trained on the intruder. Jack helped Owen with moving Suzie's body, as Tosh escorted Ianto and Gwen to Jack's office.

"Can I get you two anything? Coffee, tea, water?"

"No thanks, Tosh," Gwen replied, getting a startled look from her future friend. "Right, we haven't been properly introduced yet, have we? Sorry, still getting used to time travel," she noted. "I'm Gwen Cooper, the big lunkhead I came in with is my -will be?- my husband Rhys Williams. The PC is apparently married to me now, but I only remember us being friends?" She babbled, then failed at suppressing a confused laugh.

Tosh and Ianto shared their own confused looks.

"Again, time travel, sorry. Toshiko Sato, this is Ianto Jones. Cute, a bit of a dandy, bit of a fighter, makes great coffee, and- well, I should probably let you and Jack sort the rest out?" she introduced the pair (again?). "Ianto, this is Tosh, Torchwood's current resident genius and a good friend."

"H-how do you know so much about us?" he inquired.

"How long have you known Jack, is the better question," Tosh countered.

Gwen stifled another laugh. "Sorry! Sorry, but that's a bit of a tricky question, right now," she explained as she spied Jack returning. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I helped Owen square away Suzie, for, um- never mind."

"I can't say I'm going to miss her," she said flatly.

"Problem for another day," he replied.

"You knew Suzie, too?" Tosh asked.

Gwen pursed her lips and glanced to Jack, preferring to allow him to take over explanations at this point. "I decided to make introductions while waiting on you. I hope you don't mind?"

Jack glanced between his three confederates. "Not really, at least we can start there once the others come back up." He glanced to Ianto. "Are you okay with this? I know you weren't exactly on the front lines at Canary Wharf."

Jones gave a nervous chuckle and nod. "I think- yeah, not really. I feel I should be doing something to keep busy? Make coffee or something?" He glanced to Gwen. She bit her fingernail.

Jack caught this exchange. "Whatever you want. And Ianto? Please tell me if you're feeling overwhelmed, alright?"

Jones stood, straightened his tie and nodded "Of course" before beginning to fuss about with the coffee machine in the corner. Gwen and Jack shared another silent look before Tosh interrupted them. "Here come the others," she said, waving them inside.

"Where's Will?" Jack inquired.

Rhys shrugged as James answered. "He said he preferred to stay downstairs with the prisoner. You ask me, he couldn't get that punk stripped fast enough. It figures from one of your lot, Harkness."

"Don't," Jack warned. "Do not start any trouble with us, not today."

Gloucester held up his hands and nodded before taking a seat.

Tosh was quicker to catch on than Jack expected. "He's avoiding me, isn't he?"

"Tosh-"

"Is something wrong? Is he sick or mad or-?"

"Tosh, no," he told her. "It's nothing to do with you. It's him, and something everyone else in this room is going through right now," he explained.

"Gwen said something about time travel? Does something happen to me in the future? Something to him?"

Jack grabbed her shoulders. "Tosh, trust me, it's nothing like that. Calm down and we'll explain." He lead her to a seat as Ianto started handing out coffees. Jack grabbed the tray. "Ianto, sit. Please. This concerns you, too."

"It does? Time travel? This would explain what you said to me earlier in the closet?"

Rhys snickered, but was silenced by Gwen's elbow.

"Supply closet," Jack amended. "Ask James, he was there, too." This time, Gwen was unable to stifle her giggle even as she slapped her husband again.

"Well, it seems your two memories are reasserting themselves," Jack noted, making sure to catch Rhys' eye. "From this coffee, I would think yours may return soon, as well, Ianto," he added, taking a sip. "James, you never had any overlaid memories?"

"No, I did not," he declared. "From this lot, I'm well glad of that. It seems I've rolled back a few years, though?"

Jack held up his hand to silence the man. He turned to Toshiko. "What about you? Any memories of anyone else that shouldn't happen yet?"

Tosh looked around the room at the newcomers. She shook her head. "No? I mean, three of the four of you seem familiar somehow, but- It's like trying to hug a cloud? You can see it and feel it, but there's nothing there to hold on to?"

"And Will?"

"I-I...I'm not sure? It's like I know him, but the reasons why are starting to seem fuzzy?"

"He is, at that," Jack remarked, before turning serious. "I think that's why he's avoiding you. Whatever memories he has of you, in particular, he, ah..."

"He doesn't want to lose them," Gwen interjected. She knew it wasn't her or Jack's place to explain everything to her, especially since it wasn't exactly her he was really avoiding. "Like I said, I thought I was married to Andy at first, but now that's fading like a dream." She glanced to Rhys as he squeezed her hand. "I don't want to think what that means for our- my children, right now. Did they both exist, or-" She let the thought hang there a long moment, unconsciously reaching for her belly as Rhys put his arm around her and kissed her head.

Jack noticed, and he saw Tosh understood, too. He turned away and grabbed his computer keyboard, clicking through the screen on his desk until the detention level popped up. On the divided screen, Will stood leaning against the glass of Hart's cell, watching the naked man lie on the floor. On another, a feral humanoid sniffed the air and growled at the duo. Jack pressed a button on his desk. "Will?"

Markham glanced around. "Jack?"

"Camera, far corner," he explained. "Are you coming up here?"

"I'd rather not. Someone needs to keep an eye on this-" The last word was seeming gibberish to them, but the meaning was clear. Jack knew it was a word from his homeland, but without the TARDIS translating it for the others, it was better to let it go unexplained.

"Shout if you need anything," he replied before turning back to the group. "Okay kids, the score so far. Most of us were already together when we got, I don't know, time scooped? We were dropped off here, a few years before we left. Somehow, things were altered. James, you were up for your UNIT liaison position early. Gwen and Rhys, you broke up your relationship, among other things, including Gwen apparently marrying Andy in Rhys' stead. No offense, big guy. Meanwhile, Rhys, you remember being attacked and my team came to your rescue, whereupon you joined us, correct?" He left the rest of the details to Rhys to share, but he didn't. Tosh kept her silence as well. He moved on.

"Ianto, you were still at Canary Wharf office with Lisa. There was no Void Sphere there, Yvonne claimed she had never heard of it nor the Doctor, which should be utterly impossible. Why? Because it was the Doctor's actions at the original Torchwood House that caused Queen Victoria to found this organization."

"So? What's the big deal if he did or didn't meet her there?" Gloucester huffed.

"Because James, if the Doctor had not been there, then Queen Vic would have died there. No Doctor, no Victoria, no Torchwood. Yet here we are and the current head of Torchwood's main office is oblivious to the organization's founding! That, my friends, is one big plot hole we have to figure out how to use to our advantage. We have a good idea who is behind this, but the why is still a mystery."

"Hold on," Rhys interjected. "Aren't we missing a couple? Where are Martha and Mickey?"

"Glad you asked. Tosh?"

"You asked me to track them down earlier," she replied, going to Jack's computer and pulling up a file. "Martha Jones is in her residency at Royal Hope Hospital. She was already on file thanks to her cousin Adeola at Torchwood 1?" Jack glanced to Ianto, but didn't say anything. "Mickey Smith was a bit harder to find, but he does seem to be working at a garage near the Powell Estate, as you guessed. He was suspected in the disappearance of his girlfriend, one Rose Tyler, whereabouts still unknown."

"Hmm, I had almost forgotten about her," Jack muttered to himself. "The thing is, if she's still listed as MIA, then there is a chance that whatever altered our lives is less tidy than expected." He had to believe that preferred possibility as he reached for the intercom again. "Will? What year did you arrive here from Albion?"

"Solstice 2005, Glastonbury, why?"

"The Doctor met Rose right before that. March, I think? That's when he blew up Henrik's." He ignored several alarmed reactions. "But if he already caused Gwen and Rhys to separate before then, then he doesn't seem to have a vendetta against Rose, just us and the Doctor?" he mused. "He should know of her, if he went after me, Martha, and especially Mickey."

"We are talking about Abaddon, right?" Rhys asked. Jack nodded.

"Right. So whatever his beef with you lot is, it started after this Rose chippie left the Doctor?" James surmised.

"Right." Jack turned back to Tosh. "What can you tell me about Amy Pond and Rory Williams? Her full name is Amelia."

Tosh clicked away at the keyboard for a minute. "Looks like we have an Amelia Pond in Leadworth, by way of Scotland? Numerous psychiatric visits in her youth? Seems to be self-employed? Rory Williams is a resident nurse in Leadworth. They're engaged to be married."

"Okay, now cross reference those two names with a 'Melody', start with school records. Do we have anything?"

"Hold on," she urged, typing furiously. "No, there doesn't seem to be anything, but these school records, they don't look right?" She kept typing. "They've been altered, at least one student's records are missing, but it I can't tell who. This Melody would be the place to start. Do you have her last name?"

"No, which is part of the reason I was hoping you would find her. No last name, no way to track her foster parents," he explained.

"How do we find someone with no record trace?" Gwen inquired.

"I know who she is, but she was using a pseudonym at the time. Well, partly."

"A school child using a fake name? Come off," Rhys chided.

"No, you don't understand. She may have looked like a child, but she was years older than her appearance," he explained. "We're looking for River Song."

"The Doctor's Wife?" Gwen asked.

"The same. She was in hiding, trailing Amy and Rory to find him at this time, but it will be a few years yet before they meet him again. If he's been wiped from the timeline- Let me think, if Rose is missing, but no record of Torchwood being founded, but here we are? Rose was there with the Doctor and Queen Victoria, I just missed landing there after we parted ways in the future. Amy has been to her shrinks, likely meaning she met the Doctor. A chance Melody went to school with her, implying her existence and involvement with the Doctor." Jack paced the room. "I'm missing something, but what?"

"How about the obvious? You're an idiot."

All eyes had been on Jack and Tosh had covered up the detention monitor window in her searches. No one had realized that their prisoner had escaped and was now pointing a gun at Jack.

"Nobody move," he warned. "That goes double for you, sweetheart," he motioned Tosh away from the desk.

"Where's Will? What have you done to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him. I woke up and my cell door was open. You idiots even left my gun with my clothes," he informed them.

"No, we didn't," James countered. Rhys agreed.

"Everyone settle down," Will demanded. He stood behind Hart, with Janet snarling behind him. In a quick move, he pinched at Hart's neck, driving him to the floor. Jack grabbed the gun as it skittered across the floor. "I'm sorry, but I was reading him and found out this was supposed to happen. Arm."

John held up his arm with his vortex manipulator on it. Without losing his grip on the man's neck, Will reached for it and pressed a button. A hologram sprang to life in the middle of the room. An older man stood before them. Jack stepped forward. "That's-?"

John smirked. "I told you I recognized him."

The elder holographic Markham began to speak. "I'm sorry, everyone, but you must listen to me. What you will have to do next will be one of the more trying experiences in your lives. Sacrifices will be made, but you lot are the only chance the Doctor has to survive. Load up your gear and be ready to fight." He turned and looked directly at his younger self. "Brave heart, Will. Roll with it and you will survive. To get them to where they need to be, type in her name. All my best to you, you will need it."

"Right, I'm totally lost," James announced.

"Will?" Jack pressed. "Do you have any idea what he -you- were talking about?"

"Vaguely." He started to turn away. "Come on, you lot, time to mount up. Grab any weapon you can carry, this is the big one."

Janet started to snarl at the group. Will held up a hand and said something in his native tongue. She stepped back and let the others file out, giving him questioning looks.

"I told him to watch the weasel, and not to harm anyone else," he explained.

"You speak Weevil?" Jack asked.

Will glanced to Janet then followed the rest to the armory. "That's not what they're called Jack, if you remember."

Jack followed him. "What are you on about?"

"That was the second message loaded in his strap, Jack," he confided. "The other was meant for me and me alone."

"But it has to do with me?"

"All in due time, Jack. All in due time."

As the group quietly packed on as many weapons as they could carry, Gwen pulled Jack aside for a moment. "Are you sure we shouldn't track down Mickey and Martha? Maybe some of the other friends of the Doctor?"

Jack shook his head. "I kept tabs on a few of them myself, back here, now, whatever, before they met the Doctor. None of them have the experiences they'll need to help us. They aren't the warriors we'll need."

She hesitated at the word warriors, but nodded to Tosh and Ianto. "Even those two?"

"Better to risk keeping them with us than leaving them behind to who knows what," he decided.

"In other words, you're willing to sacrifice them but not the others?"

"I didn't say that, and you know it."

"He's fully human? Not still one of those Flesh clones?"

Jack drew grim. "He must be. He has to be."

She scowled at him and returned to Rhys, double-checking his body armor was secured and weapons were ready. She had taught him as much as she could after the 456 Incident, but he still had no real combat experience like her. Even hers, limited as it was, she knew was probably meager to what they were about to face. She turned to double-check Tosh's gear as the others loaded up.

Within the hour, they were ready to go. Will had Jack assemble the group around the Rift Manipulator. He whispered something to Jack then approached John, grabbing his wrist and tapping in a code. No sooner had he done that then the Hub alarms began blaring.

"Intruders!" Tosh yelled, stepping away to one of the consoles. She clicked on the entry monitor. "It's Yvonne?" she said in surprise, twisting the monitor around to show Ms. Hartman leading a group of Torchwood security into the Hub.

"We have to leave. Now!" Will exclaimed. "Tosh get back down here, Jack punch it!" he ordered.

Nothing happened.

"Will?"

"NO! No, no, no, no!" he muttered, glancing between John's vortex manipulator and Tosh's screen showing Yvonne on the other side of the blast door.

"Captain Harkness!" she called over the intercom. "I think we need to have a discussion. Open up, Jack."

"You had the wrong code," Jack realized.

"That was the only code I would know!" he said as he realized his mistake. One glance told Jack all he needed to know as the blast door began rolling open.

Owen broke away this time, taking up a defensive position. "GO! I'll hold them off!" Ianto moved to cover Toshiko, while Rhys took aim at Gwen's side.

Yvonne entered, surrounded by a dozen soldiers, with more in the entryway behind. "Captain Harkness, you are hereby ordered to surrender and lay down your arms!" she declared. "Let's not make this more difficult than it has to be, Captain! Hand over Lord Gloucester and Mr. Jones, and inform your personnel to surrender and we'll go easy on you."

"Think again, blondie," Owen exclaimed as he aimed his rifle on the intruders. Janet began a charge at the intruders.

Everything happened at once. The Hub lit up with a blinding glow as several soldiers engaged Owen's defense. When everyone could see clearly again, Two soldiers lay dead, four more wounded, and Owen laughed as felt his body give up. His last thought had been of his late fiancée.

Then

"Have you thought about my offer, young one?"

"Leave me alone."

"I thought we were friends?"

"I shouldn't be talking to you. The others are already suspicious. I'm away for too long." He picked up another small branch, adding it to the pile in his arms.

"You have greatness inside you, boy. You could be even greater than your father."

"He left us with that fat chump," the boy said. It wasn't a disagreement.

"Meanwhile, he travels the breadth of time and space with your mother. You were a burden he tolerated for only a few short years before realizing you were dragging him down."

The boy picked up another branch.

"He doesn't want you to travel as he does. He has called himself Lord of Time for far too long," the man informed him. "He doesn't want any usurpers to his title."

The boy walked along the forest floor.

"He refuses to share the adventure, the delights, the praise he gets for all his interference." The man pressed on. "Did he tell you he destroyed his home world? He was the one who erased two rival factions from the universe, among many others felled in the wake of his actions."

The boy turned away.

"He never grieved for them. Did you know that? He once had the chance to save his planet but banished them to be destroyed once more. He has never regretted that decision."

"How would you know?"

"I've followed him for centuries. Shadowing his every move."

"How?"

"I have used agents who have traveled with him in his blue box. Others have simply reported his actions after the fact to me. They were unaware of why I wanted such information, but I paid them quite well."

"And now you want me to tell you everything I know about him? Is that it?"

"I offer you more than simply whispers in my ear, boy. I have such plans in motion. Plans that will lead to his downfall. Remove him from the universe's chessboard, wipe clean his interference forever and always."

The boy hesitated.

"What do you say, boy?"

"What do I have to do?"

"A few simple tasks, which will allow you to transverse time and space as he does, but without the use of his outdated, ancient vehicle."

"What do you mean?"

"I will allow you to travel on your own. You may recruit whoever you wish to assist you, but you will still follow any commands I give you. In that way, we can hinder his influence, perhaps destroy it and him."

"What do I get in return?"

"I will show you where to acquire an army that will do your bidding and mine. They will perform any task I wish."

"Then what?"

"You may take his place, if you wish. Lord of all Space and Time. You will still answer to me, of course."

"Of course."

A branch snapped. The boy looked around to see his brother approaching. He didn't need to look to see his ebon clad friend had disappeared, had he even been present at all.

"What are you doing?"

He held up the bundle in his arms. "Getting firewood."

"I heard voices?"

"Talking to myself. It's the only intelligent conversation around here." He walked past his brother, heading back to their camp.

The other boy looked around, but saw and heard nothing. It didn't occur to him that the silence of the forest in itself should have been a warning.

Less than two days later, the attack came. The boy watched from afar, alongside his dark ally. "Excellent. We may make something of you, yet," he gloated.

Something inside the boy went cold and dark. This was no longer his family before him, being led to their demise. He really was on his first steps to greatness. Time to abandon such foolishness as friends, family, and allies. Yes, abandon...Abaddon. His new name.

His father would pay for his crimes against the universe. Yes, the End of the Doctor was nigh. Abaddon would see to that.

To Be Concluded.