Disclaimer: This is a fan based creation. Doctor Who, Torchwood, and the Sarah Jane Chronicle are the property of the BBC and their assorted creators. Please support the official release.
In addition, I do not own Big Brother or Ninja Warrior.
A/N: I know it's been a bit since I last posted and for that I once again apologize.
I want to thank everyone who left me a review or favored this story. It means so much to me, as this is my first fan fiction that I am willingly sharing. As we come up on the season Finale, I ask you, gentle readers, if I should continue in another story, season two or just keep with this one? Adding more and more chapters. I am still in shock it has gotten up to 46 chapters and there are still at least three more coming before we end.
And thus, without further ado, on with the show!
Once More With Feeling
Chapter 46: Evictions and Reunions
"And with that slip, Rosa Swab is out of the competition."
"Seems she didn't have what it takes to become the next Ninja Warrior Queen, Tom."
"No she didn't. There is only one fate for a ninja who fails their mission, Bob. Termination."
"After this next commercial break, brought to you by our sponsor at Pabst Beer Forever, we get to see the new female fatale favorite make her attempt at the third stage."
Matani watched as the feed switched over to a beer commercial before she set her headset down and bellowed out over the control room, "What the HELL is wrong with the disintegrator beam on Ninja Warrior on Floor 205? Get security down there and fix it! We can't have non-winners surviving the games!"
A flurry of movement announced to the ice blooded woman that her commands were being met.
"All staff be aware," the voice of the Controller broke through the dim, halting all movement, "solar flare in thirty minutes."
Turning away from the Controller, Matani grumbled to herself about getting rid of the two trouble makers that were turning her Game Station into a playground and breaking not only her reputation but her rules at the same time.
Either that Doctor in Big Brother died or the mysterious Rose Tyler needed to go before the Doctor made good on his promise.
"Hey," Crosbie called out to her boyfriend quietly while the Doctor was prowling around the common area again, "you ever notice that the Doctor looks like that bloke from the old archival footage? You know, the one about the news stations?"
"No?" Strood answered, clearly annoyed that the Doctor had beaten his time in the challenge.
Lynda glanced at the Doctor as he once more ignored the summons for all housemates to meet on the couches for the results of the challenge. She agreed that he looked a lot like the man from the old historical footage of the fall of Satelite Five, but there was no way it was really him. Unless her dad had been right. Which worried her more.
"Doctor," she called out softly, "they want all housemates to gather on the couch. That includes you."
"Busy," the Doctor muttered distractedly as he continued to scan the building.
"If you don't then we all get punished," Lynda tried again. If her suspicious were correct, he would stop.
"Maybe I'll be evicted then," the Doctor smirked, glancing back at the blonde.
The sound of Strood scoffing made the Doctor stop and turn around. Ice blue eyes narrowed dangerously at the human male. He was a Time Lord, a superior being, ageless and wise, dead clever too, and this stupid little ape thought he could keep being so disrespectful? For a second, the Doctor's thoughts went very dark. Shaking his head, he shoved it all away. The last time that happened he and Rose were being held by another human, what felt like another lifetime ago. He had nearly lost control it then and that was after he had felt Rose die. Here, it was taking a fraction of the time and the inability to feel his mate that was ticking down to the explosion that was result in a persona flaw the Doctor worked hard to suppress.
"Don't be so stupid," Strood sneered at the Doctor. The man ignored Crosbie's hiss to be nice and continued, "You've only just joined. You aren't eligible for eviction yet. No matter how much I wish you would."
"Liam!" Crosbie gasped, looking horrified at her normally gentle lover. She saw Lynda toss a nasty look his way before it was gone a half a second later before the blonde returned to trying to coax the Doctor to the couch. Frowning, Crosbie feared for a moment that this Doctor man had no idea what it was he was in. How can someone play and be so carefree about eviction? It should be scaring the man right down to his heavy boots. Letting out a breath of relief, the Doctor finally strolled over to the group and dropped his lanky body onto an overly stuffed chair against the mock windows. The man looked so very bored and put out over the interruption. There was a part of the dark skinned woman that believed him, she wasn't sure why she did, when he vowed to escape and find this Rose Tyler woman.
She only hoped she lived long enough to see it happen.
The mechanical voice of Davina echoed around the room. Immediately the three eligible housemates clasped their hands together, silently praying.
"Big Brother House, this is Davina Droid. With the completion of the challenge, it is time to evict the eighth person from the Big Brother House. Liam Strood, Lynda Saxon, and Crosbie Smith, you are all eligible for eviction." There was a pause that made the Doctor roll his eyes as the three on the couch huddled down together. It reminded him of people readying themselves for an execution.
"With the slowest time in the challenge, the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother House is… Crosbie Smith!"
"NO!" Lynda burst out, tear pouring out her eyes as she turned and clung to Crosbie. "I'm sorry! I'm so-so sorry!"
Strood looked nearly as defeated as he wrapped his arms around the two crying women. "It should have been me… It should have been me. I'm so sorry, love. Crosbie. This isn't… No."
The Doctor frowned as he watched the display in front of him. Something wasn't adding up.
"Crosbie Smith," Davina's voice interrupted the little group, "you have ten seconds to make your farewells. And then," for the first time, the Doctor hear the tone of the voice change from cold to playful. It made his very essence shudder, "we're going to get you!"
For a second, the Doctor had a flash back to the Empty Child and his taunts. He was on his feet in a flash as he watched the three move towards the front door. Crosbie was shaking hard, swallowing back her tears as she made her farewells to Lynda and Strood. The whole scene was wrong to him. Everything was wrong. The Doctor felt like ice was moving through his veins and his hearts tightened as he watched Crosbie and Strood embrace and whisper confessions of love between them.
Something was terribly wrong here.
"Crosbie Smith, please leave the Big Brother House," Davina's voice chimed again.
Four pairs of eyes lifted to the ceiling.
The Doctor didn't hear what was being said, the sound of blood thundering in his ears was drowning out all sounds now. The door opened and Crosbie walked in. As soon as it closed, Lynda raced across the room, her face wet with fat tears of grief. Strood stayed at the door, one hand placed on it as he watched through the small window. The look on his face was one the Doctor knew all too well. It was the face of a man who lost his heart and soul. And never realized it until it happened.
"Oh, Crosbie," the sound of Lynda whimpering as she watched the screen, hands over her mouth.
In a calculated move, the Doctor glanced between the two with narrowed eyes. In a deceptively calm voice he asked, "What's all this? Tears? It's only a game show. She'll make a fortune outside. Sell her story of her romance, maybe record an album, video, all that. She'll be fine."
"What do you mean?" Lynda turned horrified eyes to him. "Outside?"
Looking at the screen, he watched a shaking Crosbie turn and look back. With a hand, she reached out to touch the door. Another image flashed in his mind, one he knew never happened but it was there. His Rose, locked in a corridor with a murderous Dalek behind her. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world," her sweet voice whispered in his mind.
"What are they waiting for?" the Doctor asked, his voice hardening, cracking with emotions. "Why don't they let her go now?"
"Stop it!" Lynda jumped to her feet, yelling at him. "You're not funny! This isn't funny, Doctor!"
The sound of Davina's voice counting down drew the Doctor's full attention to the screen. Twin cries of grief echoed around him as he watched a beam of light strike the trembling Crosbie in the head. A scream ripped from her, then she was gone. Horrified the Doctor noted idly the pile of ash left behind where the woman once stood. Even as he watched the ash fell through the grating, disappearing.
"…what… was that?" the Doctor asked in a deadly soft voice.
"Disintegrator beam," Strood broken voice answered him. The man had dropped to his knees, forehead against the door, completely uncaring that the world was watching his grief. How he ever thought he would be able to just move on and live like always after Crosbie, he didn't know. All he knew now was that she was gone, and he would be alone forever if he survived this stupid game.
Lynda's broken voice answered the next question before the Doctor could ask, "She was evicted… from life."
There was silence for a moment or two before the Doctor's rage exploded from within him. That Darkness he thought had conquered came roaring to the front. Spinning he leveled the pair with bright, deadly blue eyes, snarling at them both as if they were personally to blame for the death of such a sweet innocent.
"Are you all insane!? You just step right on into the beam?!" the Doctor raged. "Is it that important? Is your life, the lives of others before you worth it just to be on the telly!? THIS is worth killing, dying for?"
"What are you talking about?" Lynda stared in horror at the Doctor. It simply couldn't be. "You talk like we've got a choice!"
The Doctor said nothing, merely narrowed those chilling blue eyes at the remaining pair.
"It's not like it was," Strood muttered as he pushed to his feet. "Centuries ago, people had to apply to participate. Now… you get chosen whether you like it or not."
"Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant," Lynda explained with a sigh. "The beam just picks people at random, non-stop. Sixty other houses are running all at once. When one stops, they take enough time to clean it out then new housemates are selected."
"Did you say… sixty of these houses are running at one time?" If they thought the Doctor's voice before had been cold, this was absolute zero now.
"They cut back," Strood told him as he walked forward. "Used to be more. And I used to like watching it too. God, I'm so stupid."
"And the winners?" the Doctor asked carefully. Neither of the two in front of him knew that look he had. Jack and Rose would have known it. They would have stepped back, he was planning something. And that plan likely included an explosion.
A big one.
"They get to live, Doctor," Lynda looked at him. "The best prize they could give, I think. Unless you are on Weakest Link, then you get credits and to live."
The Doctor staggered a little as a thought hit him. Rose was out there, in these games. She was a contestant too. His precious girl had been caught in the transmat beam as well. He must have gasped her name and gone pale at the thought. Both Strood and Lynda took a step towards him, worry written on both their faces.
"You mentioned another housemate, Linda with an I was forcibly evicted, yeah?" the Doctor asked, looking around the room now with that critical look in his eyes.
"Yeah," Strood answered. "Property damage."
"Oh? You mean like this?"
No one had time to react when the Doctor turned suddenly, pointing that pen thing he had on him at all times at a camera. Strood and Lynda jumped when the camera suddenly exploded. The trio had no way to know that there was a scream far above them from the woman in charge as one of her cameras was destroyed beyond repair.
"What are you doing!?" Lynda screamed, terrified.
"What in the Hells!?" Strood shouted out at the same time.
"The Doctor, you've broken the House Rules," the automatic response chimed in immediately. "Big Brother has no choice but to evict you. You have ten seconds to say your farewells, then," once again the automatic voice turned sing song like, gleeful, "we're going to get you!"
"Like bloody hell," the Doctor muttered as he walked swiftly towards the front door. "Open up, then! Come on."
Lynda covered her mouth, horror turning her inside to ice as she watched the Doctor impatiently demand to be let into the corridor. Strood stood there, his face blank. Maybe, in another life, he would have seen this mad man as a plant, something to kick up ratings. Something snide, and uncaring. But not in this lifetime. In this life time, he had learned something and lost it. That snide man he was when he arrived was gone, long gone and dead.
"Do you want to die, Doctor?" Strood heard himself asked. "What about your Rose?"
The Doctor ignored the other two as the door opened and he all but ran into the white corridor. He belatedly heard Lynda calling him "mad" and "bonkers", like it was something new. That was him. The Mad Man in a Blue Box. Except now he was without his box and his precious mate. So, a mad man was a good way to describe him right now.
"Alright! I'm here," the Doctor called out, looking up at the camera. "Come on then! Disintegrate me! What are you waiting for!? Do it!"
The mechanical voice of Davina began the countdown, just like it had with Crosbie. The Doctor eyed the camera critically, a little dark smirk playing around his thin lips. He was waiting to be proven right, impatiently, but still waiting. Suddenly the whole machine shut down completely and he let out a bark of laughter, followed by a crow of victory.
"Ah ha! Knew it!" The Doctor turned back where the door was still open with Lynda and strood watching him. "You see, someone brought me here, into this game. If they'd wanted me dead, they would have put me somewhere else. Like a volcano."
Turning back he looked at the door that lead out into the unknown. "Betting security on this end isn't nearly as tight. Hope you are getting this up there?" he tossed to the camera. "As promised, I'm getting out!"
Once more he turned back to his temporay prison and held out his hand. "Come with me, you two."
"We can't!" Lynda cried out.
"We're not allowed!" Strood pointed out with wide eyes at the same time.
"Look," the Doctor offered. "Stay here, possibly get sent back home, one of you. Lynda, you have a fifty fifty chance of surviving. You are sweet, and I don't think I need to tell you what your world does with sweet? Liam, you could stay here too. Or you could come with me and we can learn what this is all about and maybe, just maybe, we can avenge Crosbie."
The pair looked at each other, then back into the house that was still not functioning correcting. Lynda looked at Strood and took a deep breath.
"For Crosbie," she murmuered. "And Linda. David. Two Bits. Everyone."
She turned from her house mate and rushed to the Doctor. He already had the other door open. He ushered Lynda through before turning back to Strood. The blue eyes of the Doctor begging the man to take a chance.
"For Crosbie," Strood looked back at a camera. "I'm coming for you."
Back in the control room, Matani was arguing with the Controller. The rest of the workers watched their boss slowly losing her temper as the blind woman hooked into the system ignored the other woman nearly completely.
"Continue working," the Controller would reply. "They are no one."
"This is a security problem!" Matani all but screamed this time. It was the sixth time she said it. The answer was always the same.
After receiving the same answer yet again to ignore the situation and continue working, she lost patience. Turning on her heel, Pavel watched his boss stalk over towards a door that housed the Archives. It was the sixth room on the floor, the most recent one. The man turned his gaze to the Controller, unable to shake the feeling she was doing something to the system itself. It was the only answer he had to explain the strange occurances.
Three unauthorized transmats adding new contestants to the shows and games. The disentigratior on Ninja Warrior failing to work at random times. The whole Doctor thing. And now there were three contestants, outside their game, wandering around. By definition this was a security problem. And yet, here was the one who controlled the whole of the system refusing to alert security, nor allow security to deal with this.
The sound of the Controller crying out in pain broke Pavel from his thoughts.
"Archive Six is out of bounds," the Controller announced.
Since when, thought Pavel.
"Since when?" Matani demanded. "I need to check the transmat logs. Open the door."
"Archive Six is out of bounds. No one may enter Archive Six," the Controller returned. If the people watching didn't know any better, it sounded like her tone got hard. "Return to work."
"I can't," Matani ground out, her teeth grinding together. "We have contestants outside their game, and another malfunctioning."
"Return to work," the Controller seemed to be insisting. "They are no one. Return to work."
Pavel and the others watched as the vein on Matani's forehead started to throb and her face turn red.
"Inform all staff," the Controller suddenly announced, "solar flares in delta point seven. Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one."
No one said anything as the matter was completely dismissed and there was nothing anyone could do. There was a growl from the boss as the woman snatched a phone up.
"Security to level 56," Matani snarled. "Now."
Rose Tyler was tired.
She had been fighting a headache for the last however long she had been in this butcher's excuse for a game. To top it off, she was hungry, sore still from the insanity that had been Neo-Nippon, and she couldn't feel the Doctor at all. Around her were other contestants in the game modeled after the old show Ninja Warrior from her time. The difference was they were inside a massive room, that reminded her of the training room back in Torchwood in the other universe. Like the training room, this room simulated being outside, complete with weather patterns and a sky.
Rose hated it. Hated it with a complete passion.
But at least it wasn't The Weakest Link this time. She knew the answers this time. And would have loved to have a little revenge on Rodrick who had condemned her and the other to die for his greed. A stab of guilt hit her heart when she remember what his fate ultimately was in the other timeline. As strong as she was, physically and mentally, Daleks on the rampaged still scared her to the core.
The sound of cheering from the other contestants brought the blonde out of her thoughts as another person successfully managed to get through the third stage. Letting out a breath of relief, Rose rushed over to hug the woman who made it. They were joined by the other survivors in a massive group hug.
Rose had learned early on, during stage one, that the contestants were selected randomly (something she already knew, but for their sakes, she let it go.), and she learned that they tended to keep themselves separated. Unlike other games on the Station, this game afforded multiple winners.
You just had to get through all four stages.
Imagine how surprised she was when Rose learned that three of the contestants, two man and a woman, had been on the course now four times. That was the problem with winning, you became a repeat until you failed. The two men were both of Japanese descent, Bumpei Ryu and Nagano Kyo. Turned out these two Ninja Kings were the latest in a long line of contestants since her time. Another fun fact she loathed was if you had a relative that conquered the course at any point in your family history, you were automatically added to the que. The woman, a lovely dancer from Southern Ameri, Yesinia Lopez, currently was the only woman to have completed the course. Four times.
Rose, being the Rose Tyler that she is, immediately started shouting out encouragement to the runners. At first she shocked people, but quickly the others joined her, cheering for and shouting tips to the other contestants. She would not let anyone die without trying to save them. Having dealt with this death house before, she remembered all too clearly the despair in people's eyes when they were forced to play.
Not this time.
And of course, as the mate and forever companion of the Time Lord that was the Doctor, Rose Tyler cheated the system as often as she could. And by cheating, she would use her sonic to shut off the distenigrator beam as few times. Those who didn't get caught because she was in time or not in danger of being caught, were sent to sit off to the side. But that didn't stop them from cheering on the others. After all, if they could survive, so could anyone else. Hope was alive in these people and nothing was going to take it away from them now.
The newly escaped housemates took a moment to breathe.
The last few minutes of their lives had been fueled by adrenaline. Now, Lynda and Strood were coming down from the emotional roller coaster to both look at the large eared, leather jacket sporting man who called himself the Doctor. They were waiting on him.
Lynda was forced to close her eyes and take a series of deep cleansing breaths as the shielding of the game was gone and the achingly familiar buzz of another mind in her own returned. It was a dizzying sensation having been without the feeling for so many years after the disappearance of her father. It was a lonely ache that was constant to the hybrid.
The Doctor turned sharply to stare at her.
"You," he breathed out. "You're a Time Lord…"
"Lady," she returned, opening her eyes. "That's what Mum always said. Hated it when Dad called me Lord. You really are the Doctor, like, the Doctor, aren't you?"
Strood looked between the two before snapping his eyes towards the Doctor. "That's impossible to be that man! That was almost two hundred years ago."
The Doctor looked at the pair before leading them out of the massive room they found themselves into another bigger one. Narrowing his eyes, his brilliant mind working at the speed of light, piecing information together. He knew this place.
"This is Satellite Five," he stated as he walked forward with more confidence. He had been here before, knew the lay out better than likely anyone alive today. "No guards, that makes change. Big at the Satellite is, you'd think it'd be armed to the teeth. But there's no one. Just us chickens."
Strood gave him a look that stated plainly that he thought the Doctor was incredibly stupid. "Don't be daft. It hasn't been called that in ages. It's Game Station now."
"Been called that for about," Lynda did a mental count, "a hundred and fifty years now."
The Doctor turned again and looked at them, once more his mind assimilated all the information he was taking in. So many things needing to be addressed but not enough time. He couldn't really explain the feeling he was getting, but it felt to him like the clock was ticking down. Dread filled him as he was still unable to feel the TARDIS or Jack or, more importantly, Rose. Hopefully that just meant they were still inside a game and not dead.
"So it's the Game Station now," he started, letting the information flow for the two with him. He did like to show off. It was a thing. "The year is now two zero zero two five zero. They changed the engines to reduce vibrations of the station. When I was here before, I was on Floor 139."
"What?" Strood asked softly. "You were here 150 years ago?"
"Yep!" the Doctor grinned widely, popping the 'p' like he heard Rose do so incredibly often.
"Back then, it was a new broadcast," Lynda stated as she walked forward. "According to official records, a terrorist working with a criminal alien took over it for about fifty years."
"Exactly," the Doctor preened, rather happy to know that it wasn't covered up. "Had a bit of trouble upstairs, they did. Easy for me. Brilliant I am. So, Rose and I gave 'em a hand, home in time for tea."
The two former housemates exchanged looks before Lynda spoke up.
"Doctor," she offered, "after that, the news was shut down for about a month while everything was investigated by Torchwood." The Doctor arched a brow at hearing that name again. "After a month, it came back on. Cathica Jones, brilliant woman she was, was the one who brought the Earth and all colonies back together after fifty years of separation. Became President of the new Earth Sphere Alliance. Slowly, shows were added to Satellite Five. The something happened, my Dad swears it was someone messing with the Earth. And the shows were all the people had."
"She died roughly 150 years ago," Strood added, leaning against a pile of supply crates for the other houses on the level. There was six doors on the floor that all lead to different houses currently in the middle of broadcasting. "Some thought she was assassinated, others thought it was suicide. Whatever it was, it was fishy, that's for sure."
"Then things really changed," Lynda tacked on.
The Doctor just looked at them, a slow burning rage under the surface. He remembered Cathica all too well. Such a strong woman. He was proud that she took the ball he offered her and the advice that Rose gave. If anyone could pull the worlds together like that, it would have been Cathica Jones. But to think someone murdered her, send his blood boiling. Turning away, he wandered the once busy central space. It was dark now, empty of people except them three. Here and there he noted the supply crates; everything needed to clean, reset, or restock one of the houses. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the six doors, remembering what Strood had told him before.
Murdered, his mind snarled.
Lynda jumped a bit and looked at him a little weary. She heard him.
Instead of explaining or asking, the Doctor turned back to his investigation. Sonic screwdriver in hand he wandered from place to place until he got to a control like panel. Hydra lock. He hated those. Took him longer than he liked to unlock.
"Funny sort of readings," he told the pair. "All kinds of energy, just making this place hum. Not like before. It's weird. This is very beyond simple normal transmission."
"My dad used to say the Game Station was just a front for the real danger," Lynda told him offhand.
"Your dad?"
"Yeah, Harold Saxon," she grinned proudly. Strood snorted, not believing her.
"In any case, I had friends traveling with me," the Doctor mentioned as he continued to investigate. "If we were all caught by the same beam, shouldn't they be on this floor with us?"
Strood stayed oddly quiet as he looked up at the ceiling, thinking on what he is being told. Wondering if history was really repeating itself or is this merely another chapter?
"It's possible they were sent to a different game," Lynda offered as she leaned against the wall next to the Doctor. "Hundred of different games, each as nasty. I mean, there are ten floors of Big Brother alone. There is Call My Buff, played with real guns. Countdown, Ground Force, nasty that one."
"Don't forget Wipeout or The Weakest Link," Strood offered off handed. "Oh, and Stars In Their Eye." That one made him shudder.
The Doctor turned to the two again, once more sporting that look of twined disgust and rage. "And you watch this stuff?"
Strood just shrugged, moving over to the two now. "Everyone does. It's all there is. All sorts, nonstop. With a whole planet of contestants."
"Let me guess," the Doctor scoffed turning back to what he was doing, "you don't watch, you die?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them both nod. "Fantastic. Alright, let's concentrate on getting out of here so I can swan off. As fast as I can, bloody stupid apes. Can't get anything right apparently. But before that, we need to know who our enemy is. Who is controlling all this? Why?"
Lynda said nothing as she walked over to a far wall. In the dark, one could make out words on the walls, likely the name of the new corporation that took over. There were two glowing signs marking the elevator and stairs. The blond ran her hand over the wall before grinning in victory. The sound of a massive switch being flipped echoed in the empty space. Stepping back, she and Strood looked at the large red letters on the wall.
"Behold," Lynda stated quietly as the Doctor turned and bit back a growl. "Your lords and masters."
The Doctor found he never hated two words more in his long life as he did right now. Now dread started to fill him as he started at the words. The clock was getting close to zero.
BAD WOLF CORPORATION
"Fantastic," the Doctor growled.
Jack Harkness shrugged on the leather duster from the many clothing racks.
For no other reason than it made him look even more handsome and mysterious.
At first he had been completely confused at the situation. It was like a dream or hallucination at first. He had been on the TARDIS, the Beast and his sexy Reaper had stayed behind on Kyoto to attend to the cleanup of the mess that was the temple re-enactment. The three newly minted Time Lords were placed in a hyper sleep and taken on board their TARDIS, which Jack was shocked to learn was in fact that woman, Mirage. She was the hard light interface of the ship.
Another shock was to learn their TARDIS was not a Type 40, like Sexy, but was a sleeker Type 900. Turned out that is a warship. Jack spent a little time with Reaper asking her questions while the Beast and the Doctor spoke quietly off to the side. Imagine the fun Jack felt to found out they were their own mystery to solve. Mina had informed him that she couldn't tell him too much.
"Timey Wimey," she had laughingly told him.
The former Time Agent and conman strongly suspected their story was similar to Rose's in more than one way.
Especially after experiencing one of the worst Time Storm ever. He suspected it was more than that, like a compression point where space and time were pressing in on itself. Paradox at its finest without bringing out the universes antibodies. Mina called it a Paradox Point, explaining the machine itself that they destroyed was the result. She had privately informed him that these points are riding on ripples in time, popping up all over space and time. The Red Fleet was tasked by their Commander to located them and shut them down. In most cases, they would arrive before the wave peaked and resulted in the storm like they experienced.
Letting his thoughts flow and ebb as was natural for the dark haired male, Jack turned his attention to creating himself a weapon. He was brilliant in the human standard, observant and had an amazing reaction time. Empathic and slightly telepathic, like most of his people, he was an amazing Time Agent until they had screwed him over. Then he was an even better conman. Military and killing was in his veins. Everything about the man called Jack Harkness could be used as a weapon.
And a lot of his skills he honed to a deadly point while traveling with his Rosie and Doctor.
They were his family and if there was one fault that Jack had, it was that when he trusted, he trusted with all of his being. When he loved, it was unconditional and unwavering. And when he gave his loyalty to someone, nothing could make him give up on them.
Thus, he was putting the puzzle together in his mind of the bigger picture. He needed more information about this situation to form an opinion. But after nearly being bodily rearranged by two female droids as a 'make over', he very clearly deemed the situation deadly. The Doctor would have the rest of the information he was missing. So there was only one thing left to do.
"Compatible systems, very nice," Jack grinned, knowing the camera was still broadcasting him. "Just a little alignment and… Attaboy! Got myself a gun."
Turning back to the smoldering remains of the two droids, he gave his most charming smile as he lifted what was once a machine designed to remove fabrics from the body without causing harm to the wearer. It was now amped up and would cause some serious damage. He knew the Doctor hated guns as a whole, but this was a bit outside of their normal adventure so hopefully, Doc would give him a pass this time.
"Well, Ladies, the pleasure was all mine," the look in his blue eyes was almost cruel as he turned from the remains of the hostess, "And, frankly, in the end, is the only thing that matter."
The viewers at home cheered as Jack left the screen, escaping from death so damn dramatically. Needless to say, his fan base in this century had rocketed.
Outside, he blinked at the massive empty central space. Around him were about ten different doors, all, he suspected led to other killer games. Making a sound of disgust, Jack turned his attention to his Vortex Manipulator. Not long after their frozen adventure in Russia, he had programmed the Doctor and Rose's bio signatures into the thing. It allowed him to track them when the group would inevitably separated during an outing. Not long after that, he added Thorn and the TARDIS as well. Neither of which was showing on the scan. He did get a lovely, if not rough map of the station.
Helpful, he thought.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if he was going to have to add Jenny sooner than later. Likely, if she was like her mother at all.
Beep!
"Aha! There you are, Doc," Jack grinned, hope making his heart speed up. "Wait… a second dual cardiovascular detected. Hrm. One is definitely the Doctor. Which floor are you on, Doc?"
The ride on the lift was likely one of the most boring experience of Jack's life up until that moment. Unless you counted that time back in sixth grade math class when… wait, Jack caught himself thinking, was it science class? Letting that mull over in his mind, Jack leaned back against the back wall of the lift. He held the make shift gun in front of him easily, though looking relaxed he was still on guard. For the moment, he knew he was safe and it was safe to think over that last two days. First thing on his mind was Rose's confession about being from an alternate reality and universe where she not only died, but woke up after said death in her nineteen year old body. She mentioned that she had made a few changes that she could, being that she could see to an point the time lines. Thus she knew she would meet him and played him like a violin, he chuckled at that. It was a point of pride he didn't think he would feel to know he was out conned like that. But this was his Rosie, his sweet adopted sister. He must have taught her well when they knew each other in her timeline.
But the thought that mildly troubled him and he told her so, was the fact things were happening that she had no memory of because it never occurred to her originally.
This only laid the foundation for the theory he had floating around in his mind.
Meeting the Beast and his little killer, Mina or Reaper, also added to the mystery. They had some very valid claims they believed with all their beings. Jack was many things, but being able to spot a liar was one he was rather proud of. And being with the Doctor, the King of Lies, only made him have to work harder to spot them. That other Time Lord and his crew firmly believed that they were sent away during the worst of the fabled Time War. Even now, to hear that it was real and not some mythical fantasy or fairy tale still terrified Jack completely. Mostly that such a thing was possible and did in fact happen… better not to think of it, he reminds himself.
Rose told him she came from an alternate universe.
The Beast claims to have survived the war in this universe after being sent away by his Lord General, the High Commander of the Gallifrey fleet and told to wait. According to them, it was the Doctor who gave that order.
And last, the Doctor. The Time Lord legend himself.
The Time Agency was aware of his presence and work throughout time. They just figured it was best to stay out of his way. He was responsible for many terrible and brilliant things all through the known history of everywhere. Deemed extremely dangerous but necessary overall. That and the fact he help found the Agency after the end of the War. According to the archive anyway.
Part of the Agency was also founded on Earth as a sub unit to the fabled Torchwood Institute.
Jack shuddered thinking about them.
Pulling his thoughts back on track, Jack thought over what little he learned about the Doctor and what little Rose shared. Thorn was more open in giving information about the War than either of the other two shipmates of his. The Doctor fought in the War, that much was true, but from what Jack gathered, he was never Lord General. His brother was, or so says Thorn.
The Doctor has a brother, Jack shook his head. Just what the universe needed, two of them out there.
Oops! Back on track, Jack, he thought to himself.
If he went by what the Doctor said, what he knew from Thorn, what he learned from the Beast, and from Rose Tyler, there was every possibility that-
DING!
The lift came to a smooth stop and the doors slid open.
The main area came into view. Cautiously, Jack stepped out, scanning the area for other life forms or energy signatures that were not the reason he was here. Three blips answered him as his manipulator worked on syncing with the computers system here.
One single heart, signature unknown, race human.
Two heart beat, signature unknown, race: … Time Lord?
And another dual cardio vascular system. Energy signature matching the Doctor.
"Gotcha, Doc," Jack grinned, moving swiftly toward where he was being shown. "Tag you're it."
As Jack neared the observation deck, he heard a woman's voice.
"Blimey! I've only ever seen pictures of it, but that's it, isn't it? The Earth, real and right there."
"Lynda, look," a second voice, male called out, "you can see the Great Atlantic Smog Storm."
Jack stopped in the doorway, watching as the back of the Doctor's leather jacket moved to stand between the two with him. A pretty little blonde woman and a rather nondescript looking man. He could hear the Doctor asking the pair questions before he snorted in disgust and spun away. From where he was standing, Jack could see the rage boiling in the Doctor's beautiful eyes. Another look around the room confirmed once again that Rose was not there.
"Hey there, Handsome," Jack called out in greeting as he came forward, setting the gun down. "Good to see you, as always. Where's Rose? Any sign of her?"
The Doctor looked up at him and something flashed in the alien's eyes before a wave of despair washed over Jack's mind. Damn, must be bad, he thought, if the Doc was projecting like that.
"Can't you track her?" the Doctor asked, his tone that carefully controlled one he used only when he was beyond furious.
Shaking his head, Jack stood at the Time Lord's shoulder and put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "She must still be in one of the games. Damn place is massively shielded from scans. Can we use this piece of crap?" Jack nodded at the century old terminal that looked like no one had touched in it in about as long.
"If I can get inside this computer," the Doctor mumbled, "I'll find her."
"Might want to hurry up then," Jack quipped. "These games don't exactly have happy endings."
The Doctor spun suddenly, grabbing Jack by the collar of his jacket. In three easy steps, the enraged alien had Jack pinned to the thick exoglass that protected the inside from the vacuum of space.
"You think I don't know that!" the Doctor snarled in Jack's face. "I can't feel her! I can't see her or hear her! Do you think I don't know what happens after watching their friend be disintegrated before my eyes!?"
Jack paled in the true face of the Oncoming Storm. It was the only thing Thorn truly feared, aside from Rose getting hurt. The Doctor released Jack and went back to the computer, sonic in hand. Glancing to the side, Jack saw the other two standing close to each other, both pale and more than a little shaken. Stealing a moment to settle himself, Jack watched as the Doctor muttered to himself in varying language before reverting to his native tongue. Straightening, Jack took a step towards the Doctor only to freeze again when he suddenly roared in anger, throwing his sonic against the wall. The three watching as the Doctor nearly attacked the console now.
"I can't get it to work!" he cried out, looking at Jack with desperation in his eyes.
Pushing his sudden fear in the face of the Oncoming Storm to the back of his mind, reminding himself that the Doctor would never really hurt him, Jack unlatched his vortex manipulator and held it out to the Doctor. "Use this. It's configured to lock onto her signature. Also, it's been syncing up with the system since I got out of my death trap."
The Doctor could only nod at him, swallowing hard as Jack moved to his side once more and the pair began to work. Lynda watched a moment more, waiting until the tidal wave of emotions from the Doctor eased up before she moved. Her father once told her that the man called the Doctor, his dearest of friends and most favorite of adversaries, was a very emotional man. And that the last time he saw the other Time Lord, the poor man had poor shields when his wife was in danger. Lynda guessed this Rose woman was the wife. Funny, she thought. Her father always spoke of the woman like she was some kind of Goddess to fear and respect.
Based on these two men, she mused as she walked over, reterving the sonic from where it landed, it was more like this woman was a powerful human in the end. Weird, but then no one said Harold Saxon was known for being sane at times. Without a word, she held the sonic out to the Doctor who gave her a little smile.
"Well, hello, beautiful," Jack turned, since there was nothing he could do at this moment. "Captain Jack Harkness, and… you are?"
Lynda giggled and blushed prettily at the flirty introduction. "Lynda Saxon."
"Flirting outside," the Doctor suddenly muttered, not even looking up.
"I was just saying hello," Jack replied, sounding offended.
"For you, that is flirting," the Doctor returned.
Lynda just giggled again at the pair as Strood came up beside her. "I don't mind."
Instantly Jack's attention was on the male as he eyed the other man with a grin. Holding out his hand he opened his mouth to introduce himself.
"Jack, there is a time and a place for everything," the Doctor, still not even looking at the others chimed in.
Jack just started at the Doctor while Strood actually laughed, for the first time since he learned that Crosbie was going to die. "Liam Strood, nice to meet you, Captain Harkness."
That got a look from the Doctor.
"Damn!" the Doctor suddenly swore, turning all attention to him. "It's not compatible! How is that even possible!?"
Jack swiftly took his manipulator from the angry Time Lord as he stormed away. Lynda stepped up and looked over Jack's shoulder. Without another word, Strood actually took the manipulator from his hands and started tinkering. Jack spared the man a look before moving to the Doctor's side again. Since Rose wasn't there to calm him, that was now Jack's job.
"This place," the Doctor was saying. "It should just be a basic broadcaster, but system is twice as complicated. Sending and receiving in multiple directions. I don't get it! What am I missing, Jack?"
Jack could only shake his head at a loss.
"I noticed the words 'Bad Wolf' again," Jack pointed out.
For a moment the two men shared a look, at how many times they saw or heard those words in the time they traveled together.
"It has to be some kind of trap," the Doctor muttered, turning to watch Strood and Lynda working the computer. "A mass manipulation of this life, no. All my lives… I've seen it many times before. And Rose is somehow stuck in the middle of all of this, Jack."
"We'll find her, Doc," Jack told him and grinned. "This is our girl we are talking about. You know, Rose Tyler, Defender of Earth, stopper of Armies, tamer of Daleks."
Lynda twitched for a moment, her eyes flickering up towards the two men and then back down.
"Got it!" Strood suddenly crowed, grinning in his normal cocky way. "Floor four six nine."
"Oh my God," Lynda breathed in horror. "That's reserved for two games only." Looking up at the older two men, she added "She's in Ninja Warrior. We have to get her out of there!"
No one needed to tell the Doctor or Jack twice.