yay next chapter, as usual i don't own SJA or DW or torchwood, this ended up as quite a short chapter but i found it a lot easier to write than the previous one, i decided after introducing the survivor in my second chapter that it deserved a little more time in the spotlight. and before i forget thankyou to TKLee, DannyP and kaetie, it's good to know you guys are enjoying this story, please enjoy

after a brief break for food they both arrived at the location jack had sent them, it was an overbearing museum, the outside was littered with stone statues, gargoyles, soldiers and angels

"please tell me those angels are just statues?"

Marcus was fairly certain that they were just statues, but he still felt a shiver of fear run down his spine

"come on lets go find Jack"

walking through the main entrance hall they were met by a flustered reception lady

"who are you? what do you want?"

her voice was high-pitched and she pointed her stapler at them with shaking hands, before they could respond Jack appeared behind her from deeper in the museum

"it's OK miss these two are here to assist me with the invesitgation just relax"

he motioned to Marcus and Luke and they all ventured deeper into the library

"is that woman OK? she seemed really shaken up"

Jack nodded and guided them towards a particular exhibit

"she saw the survivor however briefly, that spooked her, and then when she followed it she saw this" he motioned to metal security shutters that had previously blocked the entrance to the exhibit, they were in pieces "solid titanium and that thing ripped them apart like paper"

he lead them passed the shutters and into the main room, Marcus couldn't help but notice streaks of blood on the walls

"Jack who's blood is that?"

the captain turned briefly

"mine, anyway the reason i brought you here is because this is the second time this creature has attacked the museum, i need you to help me figure out why, and set a trap for when it comes back"

they all looked around the museum

"umm maybe there's a way into the vault from the museum, this place is pretty old"

they both considered the idea but Jack stopped them short

"no i made sure every entrance into the vaults is sealed up under at least 5 tonnes of concrete"

Luke examined all the exhibits carefully

"you don't think it's something to do with the statues on the outside do you?"

he really hoped not, there was an army of them outside

"i doubt it, although i wouldn't rule it out as far as these creatures are concerned"

Jack sounded fairly confident but they all spared a quick glance out the windows anyway

"Jack do you have any ideas for how we're going to stop the survivor if it does come back, it has all the powers of the angels but it won't turn to stone if we look at it"

Marcus hadn't even got a proper look at it when it attacked, it was so fast

"i've been able to injure it but that hasn't slowed it down much, if we could just slow it down enough for me to get a clear shot"

Luke looked thoughtful at that

"i have an idea, give me a minute to get something from my car"

Luke left Jack and Marcus on their own

"is Luke alright, he looks exhausted, you too actually"

Marcus new Luke was probably as tired as he felt

"we got caught in a virtual simulation, we had only just escaped when you contacted us"

it was sleep with none of the rest

"are you sure that's all, there's something else on his mind, i can see it"

Marcus considered Jack for a moment

"he met a version of himself from the future and he was warned about a meeting with a woman named River Song, she has a job for him to do and it has him worried"

Jack knew from experience that knowledge of the future was a heavy burden. he was tempted to offer some advice but not sure he was the best man to give it, before he could make a decision a flicker of movement caught his eye. outside by his car Luke found what he was looking for

"this might be enough to give Jack a clear shot"

locking his car he heard a gunshot from inside the museum

"Marcus get back!"

Jack moved between Marcus and the survivor it had knocked him flat and he was barely concious on the floor. before he could get a clear shot the survivor vanished from his sight. his gun was swiped out of his hand. Jack finally got a good look at the survivor, pale skin and tattered wings, it's eyes were empty and sunken and filled with malice. it lunged at Jack but moved slower than nomral giving him time to dive out of the way

"leave them alone" Luke was standing in the entrance, with the mitre headset, he raised his hand and focused on the survivor "Jack hurry up"

Jack dived for his gun and took two shots at the survivor, it screeched in pain and ripped free of Luke's control. before Marcus or Jack could react the survivor made Luke disappear, then vanished from sight

"Luke?" still trying to get his breath back Marcus ran to where Luke disappeared "Jack where is he?"

Jack knew the real question was when is he, he had seen the creatures injuries heal over, it must have sent him back in time to gain strength

"Luke was sent back in time, so the survivor could gain strength"

the real problem was they had no idea when

"OK we have to go find him, get him back, you've got that thing on your wrist can't we use it"

Jack had gotten the teleport working but he hadn't dared to try traveling through the vortex yet

"Marcus we can't right now, this is the third time that thing attacked the museum, we know there's a reason so we can't leave yet"

Marcus looked furious and was ready to argue, but Jack turned his back on him and started examining the room

"fine" he spat the word out before continuing scanning the room, after about five minutes his scan was complete "Jack there's nothing here, what does that thing want"

Jack could see a blaze of anger in the kids eyes, before he could calm him down he caught a glimpse of something

"i wouldn't say nothing" he was focused on the diamond that was part of the exhibit "cause when i look at you through this diamond, i see hundreds of versions of you"

refracted hundreds of times in the diamond was Marcus

"so what"

there was only one thing jack could hear in his head

"Marcus whatever holds the image of an angel is an angel, and this diamond could hold the image of hundreds of angels, if the survivor looked into this there would be an army of these creatures"

no one on earth would be safe

"fine, we'll stop it"

Jack made sure his revolver was realoaded

"how? i could kill it with this, but without Luke to hold it still..."

he'd never get a clear shot and Jack knew it

"i can give you a clear shot, if i can get in it's head"

Jack knew a little about the solaran abilities

"being connected like that will put you at serious risk, you have no idea what you'll find in that things head"

he could see Marcus's determination waver slightly

"it's the best chance we have of stopping the survivor" he turned his head and focused on the far wall "it's coming again get ready"

they both waited in the near dark, Marcus could sense the survivor on the edge of his mind, before either of them could react he felt a searing pain rip through his mind

"Jack!"

the captain fell to the floor dead, his gun slid across the ground, the survivor turned to the diamond but Marcus was in the way

"no you aren't taking it"

he reached out with his mind into the dark, but realised his mistake a second to late, the survivor in his mind towered above him, he was nothing more than a frightened child in comparison, he barely felt the strike to his shoulder. the survivor ignored him and shattered the case surrounding the diamond, before it could take the diamond Luke appeared behind him

"stop!" Luke's shout caught the survivor's attention "you don't want the diamond, and you don't want Marcus, you want me, i'm the one that sealed the other angels away in the dark, i'm what you really want"

the survivor paused, arms extended towards the diamond, with a screech of fury it turned on him, arms rippling through the air, but it's claws slashed right through him leaving Luke standing there unharmed

"you can't hurt me, none of your kind can"

Luke had moved and was standing off to the side, the survivor struck again but passed right through Luke

"i'm sorry for what i did to the other angels, but you can't have this world, and i can't let you hurt anyone else"

the survivor struck out a third time but once again passed through Luke, enraged it kept striking, never stopping, it never noticed the real Luke step up behind it,
taking Jack's revolver in hand he aimed it carefully at the creature

"i really am sorry"

the shot rang out through museum loud and echoing, the survivor dropped to the ground before fading into dust, Luke threw the gun aside disgusted before running out of the museum, supporting himself on one of the exhibits Marcus pulled himself to his feet, clutching at his shoulder he followed after Luke, he found him outside on the steps of the museum, Luke sat their with his head in his hands, Marcus sat down gently beside him

"i'm glad you're OK, when the survivor made you disappear, i was worried i'd never find you again" he could feel Luke trembling beside him, he put a comforting arm over his shoulder "i'm guessing those were holograms or something right " he still couldn't hear anything from Luke "Luke come on talk to me"

his friend finally stirred and emerged from his hands

"the angel can't have had much energy, it only sent me back a week, that gave me time to lay that trap, i just had to stay out of sight until i got sent back in time,
all that time i knew what i might have to do...what did i do"

he had tears welling in his eyes

"you did what you had to Luke, it wasn't easy, but it was necessary, i'm just sorry you were the one that had to do it"

Jack had revived and sat down on Luke's other side

"i killed it, and left the other angels in the vault to die, there has to be a better way of doing things"

Jack put a comforting hand on his shoulder

"i'm sorry kid, sometimes there just isn't a better way, even the Doctor would tell you that"

he looked over Luke at Marcus who nodded

"home for both of us, we haven't stopped since Kubla Kahn and her virtual world, even longer for you spending a week hiding in the past, i think you need to stop and rest for a while"

he guided Luke down the steps, Luke got into the drivers seat, Marcus waited to talk to Jack

"we'll see you around Jack, do me a favour and don't call us again, at least not for a while"

Jack nodded in understanding

"agreed, as impressive as the both of you are there are some things in the universe that are too much for a couple of kids, i'll see you around"

he watched Jack walk away before climbing into the car next to Luke

"are you okay to drive?"

Luke nodded beside him and turned on his car

"mum will be angry with me won't she?"

Marcus could feel waves of regret and shame wash over him

"no she won't Luke, you did what you had to, if you hadn't then it would have used that diamond to make an entire army of angels just like it" Luke eyes widened in surprise "me and Jack figured it out"

they stopped at the lights and Luke turned to look at him

"i'm not sure i can keep doing this, keep fighting aliens i mean" his eyes were fixed and serious "there are moments where things are brilliant and amazing, but doing this on our own without mum or the doctor to help us make the big decisions, it's too much"

Marcus could feel it all, the weight of everything they had to do, coupled with the knowledge of his future

"then we'll stop" Luke looked at him shocked "i'm serious Luke, nobody ever said we had to do this job, maybe it's time we hang up our alien fighting boots, just focus on uni and living our lives"

the lights turned green and Luke moved his car forwards

"what will mum think though, she always says she is so proud of what we do"

he smiled a sad smile

"and she still will be, but she wanted you to have a normal life, she won't think any less of you, neither will your friends"

turning a final corner they arrived outside the university

"will you stay with me"

Marcus let loose a small laugh and hugged his friend

"i don't stay with you because we have crazy alien adventures, i stay with you because i love you, ya dopey genius, besides how am i gonna pass my exams without you"

Luke laughed along with him

"i'll talk to mum tommorow, you're right, she'll understand"

Marcus guided him upstairs to get some food, he sat back and watched Luke for a moment, he looked tired, not just because he hadn't slept properly for a week, he had the weight of the future on his shoulders, a lot like the doctor. when Luke almost fell face first into his food Marcus decided it was time for sleep

"come on sleepy head"

he waited for Luke to fall asleep before gently reaching into his mind, his friend needed a peaceful nights sleep, so he brushed asides the fears and concerns for the moment, he could deal with that tommorow, laying down beside him Marcus let himself drift off as well

dun dun dun, well not really but a bit of an interesting turn of events. i think after this story i might try a Dr Who story, i have lots of ideas and it will give me a chance to try something new while i plan out the story that is coming after this one