Title: The Angel of Death (10/?)

Author: Emma

Characters: Jack Harkness, others

Rating: Starts PG. That's all I know.

Disclaimer: Oh, please. If I owned them, would I let some of those idiots write the scripts? And if I were making any money off them, would I be where they could find me?

Summary: Far in the future, Jack meets someone he never expected to see again

Author's Note: I don’t know where this came from. I really don’t.

Author's Note: I'm sorry, but I went off to a conference for a few days and the chintzy hotel (very pricey and otherwise quite nice) wanted to charge for internet access. Combined with the fact that by the time I got to my room I was pretty much wiped out, well, there wasn't any posting.

Part One is here; Part Two is here; Part Three is here; Part Four is here; Part Five is here; Part Six is here; Part Seven is here; Part Eight is here Part Nine is here

The old woman tapped Jack's cheek with a long red fingernail. “Jack Harkness. As sentimental as ever.”

“I tell a beautiful woman she's beautiful and she won't believe me.” Jack sighed theatrically. “Must be that reputation of mine. May I introduce my companions? Ianto Jones, Leah Davidson. Guys, this is the legendary Ai-Shi McPierce, designer of the station's biosystems and not coincidentally, the gardens you were admiring earlier.”

Ianto and Leah bowed. Ai-shi gestured towards the sideboard. “Welcome to my house. Please help yourselves. Befriending strangers is almost always done best over a good meal. Jack?” She tapped her own wrist. “I'm sure you're hungry too.”

Jack pressed a button on his wrist strap and started a slow circuit around the room. “Now that you mention it, I am a bit peckish. Nothing like outrunning a flash mob to open the appetite.”

“They are getting worse,” Ai-Shi said. “The new fields haven't panned out as expected and the younger ones are unquiet.”

Jack arrived back where he had started. “We're clear.”

Ai-Shi's tone grew perceptively crisper. “Thank you. My dearest relatives keep trying to eavesdrop. Jack, what the hell is going on?”

“The Ylnagii think someone in Exec has cut a deal with the 456.”

Her only reaction was a small, jerky movement of her hands, as if to push something dirty away. “I wish I could deny it, but... Marcus has disappeared. I received a message through the Tech net four days ago. Sit tight and find Jack. And here you are.”

'Where was he sending from?”

“Tech net couldn't pin it down, but they think somewhere around Retirement.”

“That's about right.” Jack chuckled as he watched Ianto and Leah pile their plates high. “I think I better grab a plate before it disappears. You?”

“I think I've lost my appetite.”

“You will eat something,” he said firmly. “We need you still, beloved.”

She sighed. “I'll hang on a little longer, Jack. Don't worry.”

“You will eat.”

He went to the sideboard and filled a large plate, then ladled some fragrant broth into a cup. He placed the cup in front of Ai-Shi, and the plate carefully equidistant between them. Ai-Shi gave him a cool, ironic look and turned to the other two.

“What should I know about you, children? Other than your ancestry, of course, which is not hard to guess.”

“We're not very interesting, really,” Leah answered blithely as she speared a slice of red pepper. “But you, madame... wait until I tell my brother I met you. He's studying biosphere design. I think he has memorized all your books.”

Ai-Shi chuckled. “Nice try, child, but I am much too old to be cozened.”

“Tell her, Leah,” Jack ordered.

Leah shrugged and proceeded to repeat her story. By the time she was finished the old lay's face had acquired a faint look of distaste that told them more than an explosion ever could.

“We shall have to clean house, Jack,” she said calmly. “Corruption is one thing, but this is treason against the human race.”

“Not the first time it will happen, nor the last,” Jack said. “And in this particular case, not the most important thing either. No, hear me out, beloved. We have a chance to get rid of the 456 for keeps.”

“How?”

“Me, madame,” Ianto said easily.

Ai-Shi looked from to to Jack and back again. “I don't understand.”

“I was bred by the Ylnagii to destroy the 456.”

“That would make you an angel,” Leah blurted.

“A very specialized one,” Ianto said. “I am an Angel of Death. There are no others like me.”

“And how will you kill them, child? What can you do?”

Ianto made a face. 'That I cannot tell you. Not that I don't want to, I can't. It's sealed in my subconscious. I will know when I need to know.”

“A suicide mission, child?”

“Perhaps. Jack thinks he can rescue me, and I've decided to trust him.” He popped a small sandwich into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “He is easy to trust.”

She laughed. “That he is, child.”

She exchanged a look with Jack and he nodded. Reaching into her robes, she took out two small metal buttons and handed one to Ianto and one to Leah. “Place these behind your right ear.” They did, and winced as they felt the bite of sharp metal teeth as the buttons burrowed under the skin. “You are now connected to the Tech net. One single tap and someone will come on the line. Two taps, and you're calling for reinforcements.”

Now it was Leah's turn to look confused. “I don't understand.”

“The Techs are not simply machines, Leah,” Jack said. “And they have very strong opinions about certain things. They will help us if they can.”

“Can I ask a question?” Ianto said, and seeing no objection in either Jack's or Ai-Shi's faces, continued. “Who is Marcus?”

“I should have told you that when Ianto needs to know something, he simply asks.” Jack said to Ai-Shi.

Ai-Shi smiled. “It's no matter. Neither one of us is ashamed of it.” She reached out and took Jack's hand in hers. “Marcus is our great-grandson.”