The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Thirty-Two

The group go back to the Torchwood car, and pile into it. Jack goes a little over the speed limit, until they spy a chip shop along the side of the road. He pulls over at the little shop, and the man hops out.

He comes back a few minutes later, four bottles of vinegar in his hands, "Right, so never mind phasers or photon torpedoes. Never mind Arnie's Uzi nine millimetre. We're taking on these aliens with bottles of vinegar from the chippy?"

"Personally," Jack starts, pulling back out onto the road, "I'd love to use a proton torpedo against a Slitheen."

"Do you have one on you?" Sophie asks.

"No, that's why I said I'd love to. I can't, but I want to."

"It's acetic acid," Sarah Jane says, getting them all back on track. "Slitheen are calcium life forms. Calcium and acetic acid don't mix, trust me."

"Don't I know it," Jack mutters. "Also, never let a Slitheen look into the heart of the TARDIS." He pauses, and then looks in the rearview mirror at Mr. Jackson, "Also, never kiss a female Slitheen." He shudders, "Never making that mistake again."

"Right," Maria's dad says.

***

It doesn't take long for them to get back to the Pharos Institute. Jack is the first one out of the car. He holds his gun at the ready, aiming it toward the door. Sarah Jane rolls her eyes, but allows him to proceed. They enter Nathan Goss' lab, and find it in complete disarray.

"What happened here?" Maria asks, turning to Sarah Jane.

"With a little luck, Luke did."

"Oh," a voice says. Jack turns on instinct, pointing his gun at the unsuited Slitheen climbing to its feet, "Oh. Oh. Oh, my head. Oh."

Maria's father turns as well, holding his bottle of vinegar out, "I'm armed."

The Slitheen blinks slowly, and Sophie steps toward Jack, also holding out her vinegar. "What exactly is going on?"

"What have you done with my son?" Sarah Jane asks.

"The misbehaving little brat?" a voice asks from behind the group. Jack turns, his gun aimed at the other Slitheen, this one it's skin suit, "Back on Raxacoricofallapatorius we'd spank his backside with a Bartleboigle tree."

"Yes, but we're not there," the journalist says angrily, "so where is he?"

"He got away," a younger voice says.

Jack turns once again, aiming his gun at Nathan Goss, who unzips his forehead, and reveals a Slitheen child., "J*sus, how many of you are there?"

The boy grabs Sophie around the neck, holding her tightly, "That doesn't matter."

"Leave her alone," Jack growls, swapping his pistol for the bottle of vinegar.

The Slitheen boy glares at Sarah Jane, "You killed my father, Sarah Jane Smith. At the school?"

She gasps, "You were the Slitheen child? I didn't want any of you to die, but you were going to kill our entire planet."

Jack takes a step forward, his glare deepening, "I said, get away from her, you overgrown newt," his growl intensifying.

The Slitheen child increases his grip on Sophie's throat, raising her slightly off the ground, "You drop your weapon, or she dies." Jack continues to glare, but places his vinegar bottle into a steel bin that the female Slitheen is holding out. Sarah Jane and Mr. Jackson put their bottle in as well. Jack carefully picks up the bottle Sophie dropped, and places it into the bin as well. The boy lifts Sophie up a little higher, and turns his alien gaze to the Captain, "All your weapons."

He pulls his pistol from it's holster and places it into the bin, "There, you f*cker. Now let her go."

The Slitheen let's her go, and Sophie rushes over to Jack, and he immediately pulls her to his chest.

"What now?" Sarah Jane asks.

"Now we contact the Xylok," the female Slitheen says, "Get this deal back on the rails, once we've found the youngling again."

"The Xylok?" the journalist asks.

"You know him as Mister Smith," the male Slitheen snarls.

"Why would Mister Smith make a deal with you?" Maria asks, her father blocking her from the Slitheens' view.

"He contacted us," Nathan states, "He said he had seen what you did to my family. He wanted to help us get revenge."

"Well, if that was what he wanted, why did Mister Smith send me here to find the telekinetic energiser?" Sarah Jane asks, crossing her arms.

"He sent you here?" the male asks.

"It must be his plan," Jack says.

"He brings the Slitheen to Earth to build the telekinetic thing. Then he tells Sarah to come here. Sounds pretty complicated."

"I don't understand," the female Slitheen states.

"Neither do I," the journalist starts. "Not yet. But I think the last part of his plan is just falling into place. Mister Smith knew Luke would escape. And he knew that when he did, he would run straight back to my house. Right back to him."

"So what does Mister Smith want with Luke?" Maria's father asks.

Jack turns to the older woman, "You said the kid, Luke, was a product of the Bane, right?" She nods. "The Xylok said that the telekinetic energiser needed the right mind to become world ending."

"And he has both," Sarah Jane finishes.

"I don't care," Nathan whines, "I'll deal with the Xylok later. We don't need him to avenge our family."

Sophie takes a step away from Jack, who grabs her arm to keep her from going too far, "If you kill us, you'll never be able to stop Mr. Smith. And you'll have a terrible time trying to get off this planet. In fact, I'd say it will be impossible."

"Save your breath. You'll need it when the screaming starts." He starts to stalk toward them, and the female grabs his shoulder, "Get off! Let me go! She's my kill! A claw for a claw!"

"When you're older, you'll learn not to make snap decisions. Now what do you mean?"

Sarah Jane smiles, "Something Mister Smith said about the telekinetic energiser. With the right mind, it could be a destroyer of worlds. He meant Luke's mind. I think he's planning to destroy the Earth."