Vengeance - Chapter Twenty-Five
Author: Milady Dragon
3 February 5193 (Earth Standard Date)
The TARDIS
Jack had the feeling something was up with the TARDIS.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but she seemed…louder, than he'd ever heard. Not that her engine was like that; no, it was her thoughts that felt closer to him, as if she was somehow even more sentient than usual.
The immortal had always had a close relationship with the TARDIS, dating back to his first round of travels with the Doctor's Ninth incarnation. He'd been the one she'd let do small repairs on, even if he'd never learned to really pilot her, and he'd been able to sense her happiness and gratitude at his attempts to help her. He'd been the one to install her original extrapolator shielding, taken from that Slitheen that had tried to blow Cardiff off the map…damn, he couldn't remember her name. Another thing lost to his immortality and his frail, human memory.
But he liked to think him and the TARDIS were friends, and that she considered him the same. Now, though, it was obvious she was feeling just a bit more than that.
It was almost as if she was trying to speak to him. Jack could catch half-formed words in his mind, and her laughter was almost contagious. He'd found himself smiling several times since stepping on board the sentient time ship.
He'd caught the Time Lord looking at him several times on the trip to Dahlnia Prime. It was as if the Doctor was searching for some sort of reaction from him, and that told Jack more than anything that something was up.
"Okay," he finally said, once they were in the vortex and on their way to Trafusis, Cadi lounging on one of the chairs that dotted the control deck. "What's going on?"
The Doctor tried very hard to look innocent, but Jack wasn't buying it. "I don't know what you mean."
"Come on, Doc," he wheedled gently, using the nickname he'd once used back when they were officially travelling together, "you're looking at me like you're thinking I'm gonna grow a second head or something. I've done that once before, and it's never happening again, so you don't need to worry about that." He leaned a hip against the console. "What are you expecting me to do? Or say?"
Then it occurred to him. "Wait…you're waiting for me to say something about the TARDIS."
"I don't know what you mean."
"You're repeating yourself, Doc."
"You know I hate it when you call me that!"
"I know. That's why I'm doing it. Now, fess up…what's going on? Something's changed about the TARDIS, and you know what it is."
The Doctor looked down at the console, as if he didn't want to meet Jack's gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, the immortal saw Cadi perk up and lean forward in her seat, her own eyes narrowing as she regarded the Time Lord as well.
"What do you mean, Dad?" she asked.
Jack shook his head. "The old lady is a lot more…talkative…than I've heard her be. I've always been able to get impressions from her, but now…every once in a while, it's like I'm getting actual words, and that's unusual."
"But she was like that the last time I was in her," his daughter claimed. "I could feel her trying to comfort me. I thought that was just the way she was."
Jack frowned. Not everyone could sense the TARDIS, that he knew. In others, it was a nebulous sort of thing, a feeling of not being alone, but not in a bad way. He knew for a fact that Ianto was one of those that didn't feel her all that well, and while he was aware that Cadi hadn't actually travelled in her before Sabrina's death, he would have assumed she'd have been like her other father.
He mentally poked at the TARDIS a little, and he got laughter and a very strong sensation that he was loved, plus he thought she might be pleased with him for some reason.
"Now I know something's going on," he said. "Doctor…what is it?"
The Doctor sighed. He came around the console to stand next to Jack, his eyes suddenly very worried. "The TARDIS' mental presence is getting stronger. And it's been going on since the Library."
"Since…" And the pieces fell into place. "Wait…are you saying she got some of the dark magic that Merlin was tossing around?"
"Yes, I am. And I don't know what that exposure is doing to her."
Jack slumped against the console in shock. That…hadn't been what he'd been expecting. He was well aware that the TARDIS was a living creature, but she was something so much more than that. She had a connection to the vortex, the same force that fuelled her and where she lived most of the time. The time ship was very much a creature of Time, and that put her so far above normal people that only the Time Lords had been able to relate to her.
Jack was, in so many ways, also a creature of Time. He had the vortex coursing through his cells like a lifeforce, and it was what was keeping him alive long after he should have died. That had given him a strong connection with the TARDIS after he'd been brought back, but to be honest that had existed before Rose had dumped the time vortex into him in a well-meaning attempt to bring him back to life that had, in so many ways, failed miserably. That link had allowed Jack to know that he'd needed to stay with the Doctor at the onset of that Year, but it had been a little stronger then than it had been when he'd actually travelled with them full-time.
Truth be told, Jack felt a kinship with the TARDIS that was most likely as close to a Time Lord's as he could get without actually being from Gallifrey.
"But the Time Lords didn't have much to do with magic, did they?" Cadi asked. "I keep thinking Merlin said something like that once."
"You're right," the Doctor nodded. "Time Lords weren't into magic. Oh, we knew about it, but it wasn't something we were interested in, as surprising as that seems. Yes, there were certain Time Lords who tried to harness magic for their own uses, but that never turned out well. In fact, it's been a constant source of surprise to me that Merlin has any magic at all, let alone being the most powerful wizard of any age. The TARDIS shouldn't have been affected by all that power that Merlin channelled, but she has been, and I have no clue what it's going to end up doing to her."
"But she sounds…happy," Jack replied. "Downright joyful, actually."
"She is." The Doctor reached out and stroked her console lovingly. "She's positively ecstatic that she can very nearly talk to us. And, for a short while, so was I. But I can't help but be concerned. She's my best girl, after all."
Cadi laughed. "I'll be sure to tell River you said that."
"Oh, River's very much aware of it, and she doesn't mind sharing me." The Time Lord gave her a cocky grin.
That made Cadi laugh even harder. In Jack's head, the TARDIS joined in, and he didn't want to think this was a bad thing, but it was dark magic, and there were valid reasons why he was concerned.
Phillip didn't seem to be much affected, and neither did River. But Merlin was practically running scared, and it had only been in the last couple of days that he seemed a little calmer about what had happened on the Library.
Jack might not have had a single magical bone in his body, and he might not have the knowledge that Merlin, Rory, and Nicole had, but he knew enough about dark magic to keep an eye on his loved ones…
And he had another epiphany.
"Is that why you've been hanging around?" he exclaimed. "You've been keeping an eye on Merlin, River, and Phillip!"
The Doctor shrugged self-consciously. "Merlin and Phillip, yes. But I haven't been all that worried about River. She's always had that core of darkness in her, and I think she can handle things on her own."
That was an understatement. River was a sociopath, and quite a happy one, and Jack had confidence in the Doctor's opinion on the subject. "But Merlin and Phillip?" he pressed.
"Phillip seems fine, although I have questions about his sudden and complete control over his magic. He also seems a bit more…comfortable, than I'd like. But I'm not worried about him."
Not yet, was the unsaid conclusion to that statement.
"As for Merlin…River had a talk with him, and it calmed him down a little. I do think we need to keep an eye on him for a little while longer, though." Then his face went a little angry. "But those aren't the only reasons I've been staying in one place like this, Jack. HYDRA needs to be stopped, and Sabrina was my family, too. So are Rowena and Henry and Skylar. We need to stop them before they wreak any more chaos on the universe."
Jack believed him. It had taken the events at the Library for the Doctor to finally realise that he really was a part of their family now, and the immortal was glad of it. They might not always have gotten along, but there had been a part of Jack that would love the Doctor for eternity. Not in the same way he loved Ianto, of course, but the Time Lord had saved him, and had helped him to become the man who deserved the dragon that had chosen him as his mate.
He was so very glad that the Doctor was with them now, instead of out there on his own.
"And we're glad you're here," Jack told him sincerely. "You know we are."
The Time Lord didn't say anything; instead, he simply nodded, acknowledging Jack's words as truth.
Cadi, though, took it a step farther. She reached over, resting a hand on the Doctor's arm. "I'm grateful you were the one to come for me and Sabrina," she murmured. "You and Grandtad Rhys…just by being there, you helped. I'll never forget that."
The Doctor was obviously touched. He put his hand on hers, squeezing her fingers. "It was my honour."
Jack didn't even try to hide the tear he wiped away.
The unmistakable ping of landing sounded, breaking the moment. The Doctor moved away, checking the console and making certain they'd materialised where they'd needed to. "Here we are," he announced. "The planet Trafusis. I have to admit, I've never been here before. Cadi, you have…what can we expect?"
Jack could tell the Doctor was including her on purpose, as his usual style was to fling open the doors and stepping out into the unknown. He appreciated his restraint in this case; Jack knew that everyone had been worried about Cadi, but his daughter seemed to be bouncing back to her usual, confident self.
And he could tell that Cadi knew it, too, and decided that humouring the Doctor was the way to go.
"Trafusis is a trading hub," she began, and to Jack's ears she sounded a lot like her twin did when Rowena gave a lecture. "A lot of it is above-board and legal, but there's an underside to Trafusis that not a lot of people know about. Weapons…drugs…even slaves have been known to come through the planet. ImpSec and Torchwood have been after all of it for decades, but they get rid of one and two more pop up in their place."
"Sort of like a Hydra," the Doctor commented idly.
Cadi blinked; that obviously hadn't occurred to her. "That's…a little too close to home."
Jack didn't blame her for feeling that way; he did, too, now that the Doctor had pointed that out. Just how long had HYDRA been in the shadows, and no one had noticed? Or was this just a coincidence? Cadi using a metaphor to describe something that didn't have a damned thing to do with a hidden terrorist organisation, and all about criminals taking advantage of the vacuum left behind when one of their own is taken out of the picture?
Shit, when had he gotten so paranoid?
Oh yeah…about the time they'd figured out that a group of terrorists that should have been long gone were back and had murdered his daughter…
"The first thing we should do," Cadi started again, after clearing her throat roughly, "is to meet with one of my contacts here. He should be able to point us in the general direction of H and G, since he has his ear to the ground and usually knows what's going on around here."
"He doesn't happen to be another reincarnation, does he?" Jack felt the need to ask.
His child chuckled. "No, Dad…not that he's told me. But he's been around for a long time, and for someone who usually operates on the right side of the law he certainly has enough connections with the criminal underworld to get us what we need."
"What does he do?" the Doctor asked curiously, even as he was heading toward the TARDIS doors, his purple coattails billowing out behind him.
"He's a medical doctor." Cadi followed, and Jack took up the rear. "He has a clinic that looks after some of the poorer people in Argent, the main city of the planet. It's how he gets in contact with a lot of undesirables…he's not afraid to look after anyone who comes to him for help. He gains a lot of trust that way, and that pretty much allows him to have a nearly unlimited freedom. I've gotten him supplies several times when he's asked." She grinned as the Doctor waved her through the now-open door. "I don't even charge him anything, I just ask that he shares things with me sometimes."
Jack moved past the Time Lord as well, and once he was outside he got his first look at Argent, the capitol city of Trafusis.
It was a morass of people, all bustling about what looked to be a major marketplace.
From where the TARDIS had parked, they were just off the main thoroughfare, which was lined with all sorts of stores and open booths. It reminded Jack of Farpoint Station in a way, only they were dirtside instead of on a space station.
Hawkers were calling out to the pedestrians, trying to get the various races to check out their wares. Cadi led the way, pressing through the crowd, having to shove at least one person out of the way in order for them to get through. She got a lot of angry looks, but the holstered gun on her hip and the sharp stares she gave them had each and every one of the irritated people backing down instantly.
Yes, Jack was quite proud of his badass daughter.
The immortal could tell that this wasn't exactly the best part of town. It was smelly and overly crowded and loud, the people dressed in worn clothing and were well-armed. He was glad he'd retrieved his Webley before they'd left, although the Doctor had given him an expression that would have anyone else questioning their life choices, but Jack did enough of that on his own on a good day, so it didn't faze him.
They ignored the wares on display as Cadi led them onward. Jack wasn't interested; it wasn't as if he hadn't seen this sort of thing before, and really didn't see the need to browse when they were on business. He still had the feeling that time was passing too fast, and that something was bound to happen soon.
It was the large vidscreen mounted on the wall of one of the shops, a crack along one side of the actual screen, that was showing a familiar vista that had him stopping in his tracks. The Doctor, obviously not paying any attention, rammed right into Jack's back, knocking him a single step forward.
"What?" the Time Lord asked, concerned.
"That," Jack answered, pointing toward the newsfeed.
As soon as the Doctor caught sight of what Jack was seeing, he cursed somewhat creatively. It wasn't often that the Time Lord used such profanity, but Jack figured the occasion warranted it.
There had been an attack on Throneworld.
But it was the sheer amount of ice holding the middle tower of the Imperial Palace upright that absolutely stunned Jack.
Cadi must have noticed they weren't with her any longer and had doubled back to find them. She gasped as soon as she saw what was up on the screen. "How is he doing that?" she murmured for Jack's ears only.
"I have no idea," he confessed, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
The Doctor was shaking his head. "I should have guessed…"
Jack turned his head to look at his friend. "What?" he demanded.
"Phillip received a power boost from all that dark magic," he said quietly, was if he didn't want anyone to overhear, which was a good idea in Jack's opinion. "He's been more confident with his magic ever since."
"You're saying...?" Jack didn't need to finish the sentence, because it made way too much sense.
They'd managed to fix Phillip's magic, and to be honest Jack had thought his son-by-mating had been set back to normal…or as normal as anyone could be after absorbing so much dark magic. But this…of course, being exposed to that sort of magic would have changed things, and they were seeing the results of that up on the viewscreen.
He wanted to push them all back to the TARDIS and get to Throneworld as soon as possible. This had to have been HYDRA, striking at the Imperial family, and it was only Phillip's ice magic that was preventing a disaster. He thought of Danielle, and David, and little Joshua, and everyone else that might have been up in that tower when the explosion – according to the ticker across the bottom of the images – had gone off, taking out a huge chunk of the building.
Cadi had her hand on Jack's arm, her fingers clutching at his bicep almost painfully. "Do we go?"
As much as Jack wanted to, he knew what they were doing was important. "You know Clint is on his way," he answered her. "And Nathan is already there." In the camera, he could make out his grandson's dragon form flying around the damaged Palace, most likely searching for his Dad…and other survivors. "We need to trust our family to take care of things."
The Doctor rested his own hand on Jack's shoulder. "They'll take care of things on Throneworld. We need to complete our own mission."
In his head, Jack knew that was the truth. Tracking down H and G had to be their priority. This was their task, and it would be one more piece of their vengeance.
It needed to be done.
"Let's find this doctor of yours," he added. "Then we can finish up here and go to be with our family."