Hello Everybody,
I decided to write this as a bit of a distraction from my 3rd Doctor story, simply because I'm having a bit of writer's block.
This is my "Cyberwoman" story, which every Torchwood author seems to have to attempt, and takes place straight after the episode ends. I'm experimenting with writing a slightly darker kind of story, so I'm sorry if the chapter isn't as good as it could be.
This was originally going to be a One-Shot, however I soon realised how long it was becoming (What can I say? I love vivid description) so I have decided to split it into 2 or 3 chapters.
I hope you enjoy, so please read on...
As Ianto found himself kneeling on the blood covered floor of the archives, it took awhile for everything to sink in. The fact that he was responsible for the deaths of 2 people. The fact he was nearly responsible for the destruction of the entire planet. And the fact that the cold metal corpse he had clutched to his chest was Lisa. His beautiful, intelligent, perfect Lisa. Lisa, who he had worked so hard to save, the woman he had sworn to devote his whole life to, cut down by a shower of bullets. It just didn't seem real. It couldn't be real. He just felt detached as he heard great echoing sobs, which he dimly realised were his own, and as he watched his own agonised tears dribble down to mix with the spills of blood which occupied the hard concrete floor. Blood. So much Blood. Not just Lisa's, his mind reminded him sluggishly. There was that poor girl; Annie. Just another death that he was responsible for. He'd met her a few times delivering to the Tourist Office; she was nice. And now she was dead. Her body completely mangled; like Lisa's. His poor, poor Lisa. This couldn't be real, could it?
As he continued to weep, clinging to the mess of metal and flesh that had once been his girlfriend, he was aware that the rest of the team were still behind him. He could practically feel their gaze burning into his skull. The villains and heroes of this sad piece. They'd killed his beautiful Lisa, but had at the same time saved her and the rest of the world. The woman he'd loved would never have wanted to hurt people; to kill. She never would have wanted to live as what she had become. But, despite this, Ianto had to cling to the idea that she had still been his Lisa. That she'd still been alive. That he could save her, because the thought of losing her was just too much to bear. So, now he was just waiting. Waiting for the inevitable click of a gun, and the blast as it fired. Then the nothingness as the bullet pounded into his skull. He waited for it. He longed for it. However, it never came. All he heard was the thud of approaching boots, and an all too familiar voice booming down at him from what felt like 100 miles away,
"Get up." The voice commanded neutrally, as a large hand fell heavily onto his shoulder. However, Jack Harkness could get stuffed if he expected Ianto to move. Moving meant leaving Lisa. Finally admitting that she was gone, and that was something he just couldn't do. He had to cling on to her somehow.
"Ianto. Come on." Came Harkness's voice again, the grip on his shoulder tightening, as his voice seemed to become more authoritative. Couldn't he just shoot him already, Ianto thought as he continued to hug Lisa's corpse, the coldness of the metal contrasting to the remaining heat radiating from her tender flesh. He just wanted to hold her like this forever. He wanted to die with her in his arms. All he needed now was the bullet. However, apparently Harkness had other idea as the hand on his shoulder was removed, to be replaced by two strong arms, grabbing him up under his arms and attempting to drag him out of the room. Drag him away from Lisa.
"No!" He screamed, his cries echoing around the concrete cavern, as he began to struggle. They weren't taking him away from her. He had to be with her! As he kicked and threw his arms about desperately, he was aware of Harkness's grip on him becoming firmer, but not hard enough to hurt him,
"Owen!" He heard Harkness call as he continued to struggle, before suddenly another pair of hands grabbed him, the hands digging painfully into his flesh, apparently less concerned about his wellbeing. He continued to kick and scream obscenities, desperately trying to get back to the one he loved. However, even he had to admit he wasn't in the best of shape, looking after Lisa left little time to eat and sleep, and soon found himself overpowered, by the two other men. Within a second, he was being forcibly dragged from the room, and down the various corridors that made up the archives. He was sure that if he'd been in a better state of mind he would have recognised where they were going, but his brain refused to function. Seeming to have broken; along with his heart. Without her body in his arms, everything seemed so unreal. Like it was all just a bad dream, and any minute he would wake up to find he'd never been involved with Torchwood, and that Lisa, his Lisa, was alive and well.
It seemed as if his whole body was numb, refusing to obey his instructions. His legs not even being able to support him, as he attempted to regain his footing, while Owen and Jack continued to pull him along in stony silence. Vaguely, his was aware of footsteps behind them, more specifically the clicking of heeled shoes; Tosh and Gwen. Were they coming to watch him be executed? That didn't seem like a thing that they'd do. However with the amount of betrayal he'd shown, they had every right to want to see his death. It was only fair. But if they were all there, that meant they had left Lisa all by herself. They couldn't do that. Lisa hated to be by herself! Here he once again began to struggle in earnest, he had to get back to Lisa. He had to. Rationally, he knew that Lisa was gone, but the rest of him refused to believe that. He had to get back to her. However, his struggles did not last long, as a searing pain ran up his groin from where he had just been brutally kicked, causing him to double over, and allowing the two other men to continue pulling him along.
"Owen!" He heard Jack say sharply, in response, apparently unhappy with his medics treatment of him. Why did he care, if they were going to kill him, what was a little pain? The only response he got was a rough grunt, Owen always had been an uncaring bastard. Finally, the endless corridors ended, as Ianto was yanked into the main section of the Hub. Within a moment he was dragged over to the sofa and thrown down there, his chest the only thing to break the fall. The world then seemed to become muddled as he looked up at the faces of the others; his team. The people who just killed the love of his life. The people he had almost killed. Did he love them or hate them? His entire mind was just a mix of emotions. Suddenly, Jack stepped forward, grabbing hold of his wrists and pulling them into his lap, before removing a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and quickly clicking them into place, before Ianto even realised what was happening.
"Stay there." He ordered bluntly, in a voice which left no room for argument; you had to obey. So, with little effort, Ianto sat stock still, his breaths only coming in short pants. Keeping his eyes down on his hands, as he heard the rest of the team move away; to talk about him. He could only make out the odd word within the whispered conversation, though frankly he wasn't listening. What did he care what was going to happen to him? His only reason for living was lying cold in the basement; he was alone. All he could focus on was his hands. Covered in blood. Her blood. His Lisa's blood. She was really dead. Oh God! Here he suddenly realised that he was once again crying his tears silently dribbling down his cheeks, as he continued to stare at the now drying stains on his hands. Though what surprised him more, was the fact that he had actually stopped at all, he felt like he could cry for all eternity. Maybe the tears could wash away the crushing despair in his chest, where his heart had once sat.
"What!" Someone exclaimed from the huddle a few metres away, the exclamation causing Ianto to once again stare at the group. Everyone looked horrified about something; well everyone but Jack. He had his back to him, but Ianto could clearly see he had his Captain's stance on; the one it was impossible to argue with.
"You can't be bloody serious, Harkness!" Owen shouted, his face seeming to contort in hatred and rage. Was it really that bad? Surely if they just going to kill him, Owen should be pleased, he had every right be. He'd probably volunteer to be the one pulling the trigger.
"This is my decision." Jack said evenly, aiming it towards all of them, not just Owen, "Go home. Take tomorrow off. I'll call you if your needed."
"But Jack," Gwen started, seeming to move towards the Captain, as if to shake some sense into him. Was the death he was planning really that bad? Was he going to torture him? It hadn't been unknown at Torchwood London, and Jack had every right to want to punish him, to drag the death out. So be it. He'd failed Lisa, he deserved every bit of pain that he got.
"No arguments." Jack replied curtly, taking a step away from Gwen's approaching figure. "All of you, go home. Now."
Apparently, that was the end of the discussion, as Jack walked away, leaving the other three standing there with their mouths hanging open. Without so much as looking at him, Jack passed Ianto on the sofa and walked straight into the office, allowing the heavy steel door to slam shut behind him; then there was silence. Complete silence as the other three members of the team picked up their things from their desks, and made to follow their Captain's instructions. Each of them seeming to turn and stare at Ianto as they made their way out . Tosh's eyes seemed to be full of pity, as she looked down at him. Pity that Ianto just couldn't bear to see, as he found his eyes once again dropping to look at his hands. Then it was Gwen's turn. Her eyes seemed to be full of confusion, her brow furrowed as she glanced down at him. She looked as if she wanted to understand what he had done, why he'd done it. Then again, how could she ever understand? No one could understand the love he felt for Lisa. She'd claim that she loved Rhys in the same way, that she'd do anything for him. Though, if that was the case she wouldn't spend every other night in Owen's bed. Then of course there was Owen himself. He looked down at him with blazing eyes, looking as if he'd like nothing more than to beat the crap out of him. Pure and honest fury.
Then they were gone, leaving Ianto alone. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to being left by himself, he'd done it for months, it was just the waiting. He just wanted to get it over with. Just wanted to die; to end it all. Clearly it was Jack that was going to do the deed. How ironic, he thought to himself, the man that had separated him and Lisa, would be the one to send him back to her. Now all he had to do was wait. Though thankfully, he did not have to wait too long, as within a minute of the others leaving, the cold steel door was thrust open, leaving Harkness framed in the doorway. He stopped and stared at Ianto for a moment, with cold calculating eyes, as if sizing the younger man up. And, though Ianto tried to meet his gaze, he soon found his eyes dropping, unable to look at his love's murderer; for hate and shame.
Then, suddenly Harkness was no longer stood in the doorway, he had grabbed a seat from one of the work stations and was now sitting in front of Ianto, and though they were now at the same height, he still seemed to be looking down at him. His eyes were cold, but seemed to be filled with a mix of emotions ranging from pity to rage, and everything in-between. Ianto couldn't bear to look. Vaguely, through the haze of his thoughts, he was aware that Harkness was touching him, pulling his hands forward on his lap and pulling up the sleeve of his, now blood covered, suit. He was aware of something cold being rubbed onto his skin, and then the all too familiar sting of a needle. This caught his attention long enough to notice the syringe being removed as Harkness placed it on one of the desks, before he looked down to the tiny hole that had been made. A small amount of deep red blood trickling out, to mix with Lisa's blood that covered his body. So, little compared to the amount that Lisa had shed.
"What?" Ianto asked quietly, all too aware of how weak his voice sounded as he spoke. The crying having made his voice sound as raw and tired as he felt. What had Harkness, just given him? Lethal injection was not normally Torchwood's style, and from the team's earlier conversation, he had been expecting a much more painful ending. Was it poison?
"Sodium Pentothal." Harkness stated, apparently just having read his mind, a humourless smile gracing his lips, "We're going to have a little talk."
So, that was my attempt at a slightly darker story, I hope I didn't over do it.
I will attempt to get the next chapter up with the next 3 or 4 days, as I'm currently on study leave, so have a lot of spare time.
Please Review, Favourite and Alert. I always love to know what people think.
So, until next time.
TTFN (Tah Tah For Now)
