Struggling To Adjust (Book Three of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Nightshade, Jones, and Nightshade

"I'm heading for America," the Bad Wolf told Martha as they went, taking the Vortex Manipulator. "Where are you going?"

Martha stopped, staring at her. "You're not coming with me?" she asked.

The Bad Wolf stopped, shaking her head. "We both have what the Doctor told us to do," she said. "I have to find the Archangel Network. I'm heading to STARK Industries. Whatever you have to do, Martha . . . " She sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't help."

Martha stared at her. "But - "

"You can do it, Martha," the Bad Wolf told her with a smile. "I can't help you, but you'll find your way."

Martha swallowed, nodding. "Good luck with what you have to do, then."

The Bad Wolf smiled, then teleported away.

Martha stared at where her best friend once stood, taking a shaky breath.

"She's right, you know."

Martha spun around, wondering where the voice was, instantly on her guard, when she saw who it was.

And her jaw dropped in astonishment.

***

Jack hung from where he was now chained when two familiar people stepped into the room. He grimaced. "Come to gloat, Agent Coulson? Agent Simmons?"

"When did you start traveling with him?" Coulson asked. "And took Agents Romanoff and Barton with you?"

"Only recently," Jack replied. "Saw the year one hundred trillion. Got the best scare of my life. Met a professor that regenerated into the bleeding Prime Minister, and here we are today."

Jemma glared at him. "What did the Master mean? What did that blonde say to him?"

Jack smiled at her. "Nat was right. You never tried to find out the whole story before you tried to find the Doctor. Did you?"

"We know that Jessie, Skye, and Saleen were on the list of the dead from Canary Wharf," Coulson told him. "We know enough."

"No, you don't." Jack laughed. "I was stupid. I didn't try to find out, either. And when we were at Utopia - not a bad place, except for the Futurekind - I got the best surprise of my life."

"Oh?" Jemma asked, folding her arms. "What was that?"

He grinned at her. "The three of them are still alive."

Jemma's face drained of all color, and Coulson stepped forward. "What do you mean, still alive?" he demanded.

"Saleen came from a parallel world to fight, didn't she?" Jack asked. "She could've easily gone back. She did. And she took Skye with her. They're safe and sound."

Coulson closed his eyes, and Jemma looked at Jack. "And Jessie?" she asked hesitantly.

"Still traveling with the Doctor," Jack replied. "She got a bit of a makeover, though. Doesn't look or sound anything like she used to."

Jemma's eyes widened. "The blonde."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. That's her."

"How did that happen?" Coulson demanded, crouching down.

"The TARDIS happened," Jack replied, thinking back to what Jessie had told him. "Jessie's skull caved in after they closed the Void, and Jessie hit the wall the Void was coming from. She died instantly. There was nothing the Doctor could've done. Except the TARDIS was changing her DNA the entire time after she opened the heart of the TARDIS. The TARDIS changed her human DNA to that of a Time Lady. She regenerated into our lovely blonde friend who succeeded in making the Master terrified of her. She goes by the Bad Wolf now. Not Jessie."