Title: Armageddon

Rating: T

Warnings: Major spoilers for "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords"; violence; mild language; allusions to rape (but I promise nothing explicit or graphic)

A/N: As always thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry I didn't update last Wednesday—I really tried, but last week was not a good week for me, especially Wednesday. I didn't sleep and I was feeling really bleh for most of the week so not much got written.

Still, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Please don't forget to review!

Armageddon:

Part III: The Year of Hell

Chapter Forty-Five

The following morning Tosh sat at the computer, impatiently tapping at the keys while she waited to see if they would get a response from Sarah Jane or Donna. It was nearly ten thirty and they hadn't heard anything yet. Behind her, she could hear John and Sherlock in the kitchen bickering and she wondered whose idea it had been for them to be on kitchen duty together. She also wondered if John knew that his voice carried and rose in volume when he was getting frustrated.

"Sherlock! The water's nearly boiled out entirely! I told you to watch it!"

Sherlock made a disinterest noise and Tosh nearly laughed. Kitchen duty with Sherlock was always a nightmare—the man did not care for cooking and she suspected that it was because he was awful at even the simplest of tasks. They'd once been lucky enough to acquire tea—nothing great, but tea was tea—and he had somehow managed to make it so bitter that no one could go near it. It was odd because Sherlock seemed adept at chemical experiments and other tasks that required the same skills and attentiveness as cooking would, but Tosh supposed if he didn't have interest in something he didn't bother learning it.

There was a sound of hissing and John muttering swears and then water splashing and Tosh just shook her head.

"Anything yet?" Jack came up behind her and rested a hand at the back of her seat. She glanced up at him and sighed, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Jack. I don't think they're going to respond."

Jack pressed his lips together and frowned, fingers tapping against the chair for a moment.

"Alright. Looks like we're heading into the city. Sherlock! Get ready, we're going to check on Donna and Sarah Jane."

"Are you sure two people is enough?" Ianto spoke up suddenly and Tosh almost jumped—she hadn't realized he was even there. "What if you get caught or separated?"

Jack grinned at him. "Don't worry; we'll be fine. Don't want to take too many people with us into the city anyway, not with the Master's patrols everywhere. The smaller the group the less chance there is of us getting caught."

Ianto didn't look convinced, but he nodded.

"Would three be a crowd?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face. Before Jack could respond, Sherlock walked past them, already sliding his coat on and marching toward the door.

"It would probably be intelligent to have someone else with military training with us on this expedition. I'm sure John or Jake would be beneficial."

Bristling, Ianto frowned and drew himself up a bit. Jack smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I think we can risk one more pair of eyes if you want to join us, Ianto." The younger man smiled gratefully at him and nodded before hurrying to get his coat and a weapon from the back room. Sherlock watched him with a frown, but didn't say anything.

"We'll be back before tomorrow morning if everything goes well," Jack said, turning to Tosh.

Tosh nodded. "Don't do anything reckless, Jack, alright? I don't want to lose you again."

He smiled and kissed her lightly in the cheek. "I never do anything reckless," he said. "See you tomorrow!"

~/.\~

"What are those red dots?" McGee frowned at the computer screens where Garcia and Abby had been working for most of the morning. He sat down behind them and tilted his head curiously.

"Strategic locations for the others to put their alien-fryers," Ash answered, coming up on McGee's left and taking a long swig off the beer in his hands. Patrick, Rigsby and Juliet had just returned from a food run—Juliet's second since her leg injury—and apparently they had managed to find alcohol somewhere. McGee shouldn't have been surprised; a good portion of the others seemed to enjoy drinking as a vice, especially the hunters.

He turned his attention back to the screens and realized that the little dots were scattered across a map that looked to include all of North and South America.

"Do you think we can get this far?" he asked, nodding to the some that were in southern Mexico. "Seems like a long hike to get there."

"For us, sure," Abby said. "But once we're finished figuring out all the best locations that we haven't already used we're going to send the map out over the network—that way everyone can see it."

"Plus, we've got enough people here that we can send out a couple of groups at once in opposite directions and we've made pretty good distance before. We can handle this," Garcia said.

"And if the Master cracks our codes and finds the map?"

"He hasn't so far," Garcia pointed out. "I think Sarah Jane was right about the Doctor helping to keep us hidden. We've stayed under the Master's radar this long."

"I wish he could talk to us," Abby sighed, frowning at the screen. "He must know a lot about the Master's plans being onboard the Valiant."

McGee nodded. "Maybe he will be able to eventually," he said. "He did manage to almost get through once…"

"Probably not up to it yet," Ash said. "Saving his strength for when we get to his endgame."

"I just hope the Master doesn't get to his first," Garcia sighed.

"If we keep doing our part, and Martha keeps doing hers then he won't," Abby said. "We aren't going to let him win."

Garcia smiled. "Of course not," she said. "We're going to show that arrogant alien dictator what the human race can do."

~/.\~

Jack didn't think he would ever get used to how empty London looked without its citizens. It was nearly midday and everyone was relegated to the factories or the work camps; no one was outside except for the Master's soldiers, patrolling in groups of three and four. It was unnerving.

"You know those old apocalypse films?"Jack asked quietly, glancing over at Sherlock and Ianto. He didn't wait for confirmation and turned back to look out at the empty city. "This looks like a scene out of 28 Days Later…"

"All we need now are the zombies," Ianto commented, smiling.

Jack grinned. "Wouldn't be the strangest thing we've ever seen."

"Turn here," Sherlock suddenly interrupted their conversation, already making a sharp left down a narrow street that used to hold what looked like a small café and a bookstore. "We're nearly there."

"Got to hand it to you, Sherlock," Jack said, "you do know your way around this city."

Sherlock didn't really smile, but he nearly glowed with the praise—his eyes glinting just a little. "Necessary for the job. Of course, I already had the city maps memorized before then."

They followed Sherlock down the street and then up another as he took them through the city as only he could. Jack and Ianto stayed a respectable distance and Jack glanced over at the younger man every second or so and brushed his arm gently. He still felt strange being around Ianto again, being around Tosh. He'd spent so long on that ship and then in the US that being here felt like home and he didn't want it to slip through his grasp again.

"It's just through here," Sherlock said, coming to a stop suddenly and peering cautiously around a corner. "Perhaps you should go first, Captain."

"Right," Jack nodded and slipped his gun from his belt, edging forward. They hadn't run into any guards due to Sherlock's circuitous route, but they could never be too cautious. He moved into the alley carefully, silently, and spotted no one.

The door was tucked away and hidden carefully, the small carving on the TARDIS making him smile. He remembered what Donna had said about their coded knocks and tapped on the door carefully, hoping that everything was as peaceful as it seemed.

The door was carefully pulled open to reveal a squinting red-head who immediately grinned at him when she recognized him, throwing the door open.

"Captain Jack Harkness!" She beamed, holding a hand out eagerly. "Donna Noble. Nice to meet you. Didn't think I'd ever get the chance to say that."

Her eyes roved his body mischievous and he laughed, winking at her and grasping her hand in his own before waving for the others that it was safe to come forward.

He brought Donna's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers gently. "The pleasure's all mine Miss Noble," he said. "But—if you're all okay why haven't you been responding to our messages? We've been trying to get through for days…"

"Oh, gosh, our computer's been down for the last days," Donna explained before stepping back and waving them in. "Come on, get in her. Can't stand outside all day. Anyway, the computer overheated. Sarah Jane and her little tin dog were working on. She says it should be running again by tonight."

"So we have wasted a trip," Sherlock said.

"Sherlock," Jack shook his head and frowned.

"Well, we're sorry you came all this way for nothing," Donna said, continuing to lead them further into the building until they were in a large living are. "But it's probably good you did. The Master's men have been getting closer and Sarah Jane and Granddad both think it's time for us to move before they discover us. We could use the help. The city isn't easy to get through."

"We've got room," Ianto said. "We're just outside the city. You can stay with us for a while."

Donna grinned, throwing another glance back at Jack appreciatively. "I like the sound of that," she said. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."

~/.\~

A/N: Bleh. This chapter was awful to write guys—I really had to force myself to sit down and write it. You know how you can have these things in your head but they just refuse to come out onto the paper? I have this whole big picture in my head but for the life of me I can't get it out. It's maddening.

And the result is yet another short chapter—you guys have been so wonderfully patient and supportive, but I really hate writing chapters this short. I want to write long, substantial chapters again! Ugh. Maybe if I wasn't so exhausted for no reason this would be easier.

As I said last update, I'm going to try and get new chapters out EVERY Wednesday, but no promises. I hope I'll be able to post again next week, but if not look for the new chapter the Wednesday after.

Please don't forget to review!