Iluminatus - Of Smoke and Mirrors

[Jack Harkness]

When the gloves and hat came off it was as if the world came back in view. Still blurry but already sharper than before.
"Show me." the human asked him. Not ready to let him go off just yet.

And if she needed to be shown, then he would not hide his talent from her.

Denatus closed the distance between them and slid his hand to her chest.
'I promise you, you will have them back...'

And as his palm pressed down to her chest he took away her memories of his world, nothing more. Just those before tilting his head slightly.
'you desired me to show...so I do...Where did I take you?'
The memory was warm in his palm, swirling around against the glass skin in a feint silver color. As if it were trying to get back where it came from.

And He'd give it back, as soon as he had convinced her of his talent.

Taking away a small memory would not show anyone like her how his telepathic tricks worked.
He needed it to be big and obvious in order to convice her.

[Sarah Jane]

He came close, seeming more the man now in clothing. She her heart beat quickened under his hand, a rivulet of fear in her. What are you inviting in, Sarah Jane? She asked herself, but her heart also beat faster with her excitement. Could such a thing really be done? She gripped at his elbow, and looked up into his smooth glowing face.

'I promise you, you will have them back...' he said, voice clear and warm, putting her at ease. She felt nothing, but a moment later he was asking her-


" . . .so where did I take you?"

Like a dream woken up from too soon, she has a fleeting impression that there had indeed been some journey, but in the very next instant it was gone like smoke. She frowned up at him, thinking hard as she studied where his eyes would have been.

"I . . . .I can't imagine it at all, though, I think maybe we did. Oh! Denatus . . ." She suddenly hushes after her revolution. "Could you take any memory away? Unwanted memories?"

[Jack Harkness]

The slight hint of confusion in her mind proved him he had done it right.
The silver memory still pressed against his skin, ready to go back.
And when she remembered she had gone somewhere he nodded.
'Does this suffice?' Her next question suprised him a bit though.

Memories were harder to remove when they were old, new memories were easy. Old ones would need more time and maybe multiple sessions to take it all away.
'I believe I could do so...' He gently pressed his palm back to her chest and watched the silver memory fade from his palm.

Giving it back to her and letting it slip into it's rightful place.
'why do you ask?'

[Sarah Jane]

Memory of Denutus' planet came back in a rush that left her gasping. A flood of beauty. She clutched at his arms, laughing a little, eyes closed, tears streaking her cheeks again, his hand reassuring on her chest, his arms solid and smooth through his clothes, under her hands. She blinked her eyes open, laughing. She bobs up and down on the balls of her feet a little in her excitement.

An instant later, the memory fit as though she had never lost it, and her feet are solid under her again.

"Oh, that is wonderful - "She started to say, half covering for the fact that suddenly, achingly, she wishes to rid herself of many a memory. They flash through her mind. The pain of them sear a bit after the beauty of the city a moment ago..

The Arachnoid Queen in her mind. The Tyrannosaurus Rex descending upon her, knocking her out cold, certain she would die. Her time caught in a Sontarn experiment where they tried, and failed, to kill her with her phobias. Condo. The Cybermat's fangs pumping poisn into her throat.

Davros, and the time strapped into his torture chair.

She had to stop thinking of everything she wanted to forget.
Right now.
She is shaking her head as though to escape from it.

[Jack Harkness]

Denatus remembered the next emotion, radiating off of the human like heat as he turned his head slightly.
Terrifying memories bubbling up to the surface and showing themselves to the telepath.

'You have seen so many things, why do you fear them?'
Denatus had never really feared anything, there had been no reason for him yet.
He had never been injured and he had nothing left to lose anyway.

His planet was off limits and he had no loved ones.
All he had was knowledge and the curiousity that always kept him going.

[Sarah Jane]

She pushed away from him, suddenly wanting very much for him to take those moments from her mind. It was only those moments of fear that stayed with her. The times she thought she would die.

She went to sit on the piano stool again, not ready to look at him until she could quell her weakness.

"All humans are afraid of dying." She said pressing a hand to her chest, her heart pounding strongly there. "Though some handle it better than others." She turned and faced him, under control again. "Don't ever kill one, or make them think you will. Most people will think you're going to hurt them just because you are different. The fear will make them want to hurt you, irrationally."

She regarded him quite seriously.
"You're more powerful than you know. Humans are the sum of their memories. It would be very tempting to ask some memories be taken from us. That would be dangerous." She bites her lip and regards him warily, hoping he will continue to follow her will. "I need you to come meet some humans with me to help figure out what to do. Can we start there? You'd have to come home with me first."

[Jack Harkness]

Denatus was learning a lot already. How humans worked, how they were being guided by instinct and emotion.
They were amazing, and rather complex as well.
Being afraid of dying was something strange though.

The Lux weren't afraid of dying, there was no use to it.
Death was inevitable, they were ought to accept it and they did.

"I need you to come meet some humans with me to help figure out what to do. Can we start there? You'd have to come home with me first."
The glass man turned to look at her, she seemed so fragile like that.
Fighting the urge of something he couldn't read.

'Where is your home?'

[Sarah Jane]

"We'll have to travel in the dark" she said, worry clear in her voice. Was she really going to drag him on the back of her Vespa for two hours in the dark? Perhaps she would have to go down to the village and try to rent a car. She could come back for him tomorrow. No. Plan B.

"No. It's too dangerous. We should see if Torchwood will come to us." Her cell phone is one of the newest models, smaller even than a coffee cup. "I've rung Torchwood once before."

Sarah Jane has come to realize she has a better memory for details than most. She closes her eyes, waits for it. Dials.

"Hello, Yes. My name is Sarah Jane Smith. I've just made friends with an Alien, and I'd like some advice from someone who knows what I'm talking about."

[Jack Harkness]

Denatus tipped his head slightly before pulling his hands back to his sides. Fingertips stretched slightly as he tried to get used to his dulled senses.

Torchwood? The Lux had no idea what this could be, but it was obviously something and not someone.

Sarah Jane contacted Torchwood. And on the other end of the line a caramel skinned girl picked up the phone.
Her amber colored eyes lazy as she supressed a yawn.
"Sarah Jane Smith?....this is Torchwood..."

The moment the word 'alien' made it through the phone Aylee sat up. "You've got an alien?"

Somewhere in the back of the messy underground head quarters someone overheard the conversation.
knee deep in the warm water as he glanced up from his work.
The thought of having another case was way more interesting as rewiring the electricity. He was the only one who could do so without it being a real hazzard anyway.

"Are you capable of bringing it here?" The black haired woman unfolded her legs slightly and stared down at the amount of paper work that seemed to litter her desk.

In the old mansion Denatus could pick up other thoughts.
Feint..he could only sense the said words.
'I could take us both there...If you tell me where to go that is..'

[Sarah Jane]

She looks at Denatus. Weighing his soul as best she can. So far, she was fairly certain he meant her no harm. However, did he know enough about himself and humans to know what he could and could not do without hurting her? Four long seconds later, she realizes it is worth the risk. She can't go through life afraid. She would not live that way. Live boldly, and accept the consequences.

"Tell me how best to find you. Where we come?" She listened and hung up. She tucked her phone away even as she imagined that spot in her mind. She knew of it, she could imagine it on this gray day. She closed her eyes and held out her hand to him.

"It's here."

[Jack Harkness]

The Lux was happy to learn, so when Sarah Jane reached out for him he gladly took her hand.
The location sparking up his arm in golden flames before he nodded.
'I believe I can take you there now'

With his other hand Denatus softly touched something in mid air.
The point lighting up in bright golden before engulfing them both.

Traveling through portals was easy for a Lux, something they learned very early in their lives.
This was also the way they traveled through space.

But unlike humans Lux did not need air or heat.
So traveling through space was easy, this was also why Denatus would only take Sarah Jane with him if the location would be on earth.

-
Deep within the labyrinth that was supposed to be 'Torchwood'
Aylee was tapping the tip of her pencil against the stack of papers.
Already curious to what kind of alien wasn't ripping their planet apart.

And it seemed her questions would be answered sooner than expected.

A blinding light flashing through the HUB, two figures appearing.

The young woman jumped from her seat, drawing her weapon and aiming it directly at the two. She couldn't just trust an alien. Not after the ones she had seen.

[Sarah Jane]

She shrieked as they were engulfed in the bright light, wondering suddenly if it would burn her. Did he even know she was flammable? There was no pain though, except the eye watering bright light. Not enough to complain about.

The last of her shriek echoed out in a new place, high and thin, cutting off with embarrassment for her needless fear. Sarah Jane blinked her eyes open, fingers still holding Denatus' smooth hard fingers tightly.

The first thing she saw was the woman aiming a gun at her.

"Hey, hey, it's me, Sarah Jane Smith. You invited us here." She was holding out her free hand begging not to be a target. "Why don't you aim that thing somewhere else" She said, stepping in front of Lux. " And then maybe you could call for someone who isn't afraid of Aliens, eh?" She challenged gently.

[Jack Harkness]

Aylee didn't lower her gun just like that, the revolver was the one thing she would never truly lay down.
"Yeah..I invited you here...but how'd you get here?"
Her honey colored eyes were trained on the puppet like thing.
"Did that thing take you here? Is that the alien?"

Denatus slowly let go of his friend, rather oblivious to the dangerous situation.
He simply stayed still, not in need to move anywhere out of shooting range.

From behind Aylee a familliar immortal man stepped into view.
His legs soaked as he rubbed the oil from his hands.
"No need for guns Aylee, these two don't look that dangerous nopw do they"
Jack smiled one of his cheeky smiled before lowering the gun for her.

[Sarah Jane]

It was a stand off for a moment between her and the agent with the gun. Her heart was in her throat, though she tried not to show it.

"He brought us here." She explained briefly, defiance in her jaw. "You can ask him how yourself, but if you think you're going to do it with a gun in your hand, we'll leave as quick as we came." Sarah Jane was ready to fling herself back into Denatus Lux's arms if the gun-toter pressed the point.

That was when the man entered, putting her almost at ease. It wasn't his handsome face, though that he had for certain, with a nice dollop of pretty on top. It was his confidence. It was the tenderness of both his rebuke to his college, and the care with which he handled her. There was a cat-by-the-hearth lazy grace to him.

It was also reassuring that he didn't seem interested in shooting any of them any time soon.

"Hi. I'm Sarah Jane Smith. This is my friend, Denatus Lux. We need some advice."

[Jack Harkness]

Aylee could nearly kick Jack in the groin for touching her gun like that. No one had the right to tell her what to do.
Too bad he was her boss. Her honey colored eyes were sharp for a moment before she stuck the revolver back in her belt and slipped back into the chair. It was clear he was going to get rid of them.

Jack smiled at his fiesty colleague before turning toward the guests.
"Well Sarah Jane, Denatus Lux, Welcome to Torchwood"
He moved over to the two and offered them a hand.

Denatus could softly pick up on words, but the second the man offered him a hand he took it.
Slowly raising his hand to touch that of Jack and leveling in on the telepathic field. This man was different from Sarah Jane.
He was much much older, did all humans get this old?

The golden sparks danced through his fingertips as they touched Jack's hand.
The immortal man just raising a brow at the alien as he seemed to be caressing his hand. "I take it this is usual?"
He smiled at Sarah and casually let the Lux feel his palm.