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Title: A Perfect Prism
Author: Trobadora
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3723
Author's Summary: "It's brilliant, in a way, isn't it?" Jack says, conversationally. "An Artron Suppressor. Just about the only way to incapacitate a Time Lord." - When we first met him, Jack was missing two years of his memory. This is why.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Jack Harkness
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: Because sometimes you just need a "Doctor gets captured by the Time Agency" story, and this one has a fascinating premise involving remnants of the Time War and does a good job painting shades of gray in the Agency's motivations. It makes their treatment of the Doctor understandable though no less gut-wrenching. The Doctor's faith in Jack Harkness rings true, as does Jack's slowly growing trust. But then, there are those two years unaccounted for in future Jack's memory, and Jack had never met a Time Lord before the London Blitz...

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"It's brilliant, in a way, isn't it?" Jack says, conversationally, and lifts a device in his hand. Some sort of remote control, it must be. "An Artron Suppressor. Just about the only way to incapacitate a Time Lord. I thought these things were just a myth - but of course, Time Lords are a myth too."

It's killing him. He's a Time Lord - Artron energy is at the very heart of his being. He can't feel time any more, can't feel himself, can't feel anything. And what's left inside him is a slowly dying flame.

"What do you want?" he rasps. "Because you're killing me, in case you couldn't tell. Is that what you're after? There are easier ways."

He shivers. Not much longer now, and what a horrible way to go, isolated from time. Isolated from his very being. Can this really be how it ends?

The Time Agent seems to hesitate. "That bad?" There's no sympathy in his voice.

"Worse," he admits. Not that that's any revelation - if he looks even half as bad as he feels, anyone can see he's an utter wreck.

Jack gives him a dark look. He knows this man. He knows him, but he doesn't dare hope.

"Your time machine." Jack says.

The Doctor blinks without understanding. Jack must realise, because he elaborates: "You asked what we want. Your time machine, of course. You yourself, we'd just as soon never have laid eyes on."

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