"Jack? He's back again," Toshiko called out to the Captain from where she was monitoring the CCTV for any sign of the man who had been repeatedly showing up outside the secret entrance to the Hub and just standing there doing nothing.

"Who?" Ianto asked as he returned from the archives.

"Someone has apparently been scoping the place out," Owen informed their resident factotum as Jack silently walked over to the invisible lift which would bring him to the surface, unnoticed, right in front of the water tower where their visitor was.

Somehow, however, the stranger was able to see right through the perception filter; he watched the Captain steadily as the mobile paving slab raised him up to street level, eyes locked with his the whole way. "Hello again, Harkness," he offered when the lift came to a stop with a gentle bump.

Jack raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

"I've seen you around," the man replied shortly.

"That a fact?"

"It is indeed." He smirked. "As often as you drop by, you should be getting frequent-flyer miles."

Jack was completely clueless as to what he was talking about and entirely unamused by this nonsensical banter. "What exactly are you doing here?" he demanded.

The man shrugged unconcernedly. "I'm King of Hell. I do what I want."

Jack staggered at that seemingly offhanded comment and blinked in shock. He took a moment to adjust his stance and regain his composure before clearing his throat and asking, "Come again?"

"I bet you say that to all the boys," the stranger responded immediately. Jack shook his head in disbelief, but before he could say anything the other man declared, "Don't deny it, Harkness, I've seen you do it. You flirt more than anyone ever, and it is frequently the last thing you do."

Jack suppressed a shudder as a chill ran down his spine. It wasn't just the uncanny feeling that this man knew Jack couldn't die, but the blasé tone with which he spoke about it? The Captain licked his lips as his mouth seemed to have gone incredibly dry all of a sudden, then he whispered shakily, "Who are you?"

The man smiled. "King of Hell, like I said. Name's Crowley."

Jack swallowed nervously. "I… I don't…" He always tried to avoid thinking about Hell. He had no idea what it was actually like, but if the journey back was any indication then it wasn't pleasant.

"Oh, Harkness," Crowley chuckled as though he knew exactly what Jack had just been thinking and tsked, "the journey back is worse than whatever happens there… for you, anyway; you never stick around long enough to really experience anything." Having said this, his humored expression abruptly turned sour, as though he had just been reminded of something unpleasant, and he was suddenly all business. "You asked what I was doing here." Crowley paused then, so Jack nodded mutely in confirmation. "Well, I'll tell you, Harkness: I'm not happy. Ask me why I'm not happy."

"Why aren't you happy?" Jack was aware of his mouth moving, and the words coming out through numb lips were in his voice, but he was almost certain he hadn't actually spoken.

Crowley looked him up and down before saying, "Death doesn't have a return policy – ask pretty much anyone and they'll tell you the same thing – yet you are the exception to that rule; when your life is taken, we are required to give it back."

"What do you expect me to do about it? I mean, I know I can't die–"

"Oh, you can die, Harkness. You die all the time. The thing about you is that you don't stay dead. That's what I don't like."

"So… what? Have you come to void my receipt or something?"

"Ah, if it were only that easy. Unfortunately, the contract (or 'receipt' as you so eloquently put it) in question is held by an unreachable third party. Nothing I can do about that. No, I came here to see if you were interested in making a deal."

"A deal?" Jack repeated uncertainly. "What kind of deal?"

"I know you're not exactly fond of the situation either," Crowley offered shrewdly. "A deal with me might be your only chance to get out of it."

Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he began, "If I do make a deal with you…" He hesitated.

"…how do you know I'll keep it?" Crowley grinned. "Because my deals aren't sealed with a handshake, Harkness; when you deal with me, it's sealed with a kiss."