This story was written in collaboration with deetatarant
Collaboration
The sky was a slate grey colour. Marble effect. Clouds went by quite quickly,
thunder rumbled in the distance and Jack gazed out of the Hotel room window and sighed. Unhappy at the prospect of rain and a long night running about outside and getting wet. Ianto watched him from his place at the desk having abandoned checking his e-mails and feeling just as unimpressed about being away from home as Jack was. London never did hold much appeal.
Owen had his head down in the fridge, looking at the mini bar selection and Tosh was sitting with her lap top, fanning her face with the Hotel menu.
"Typical bloody Gwen. How long is this honeymoon for anyway?"
The longer the better, Ianto thought.
"She'll be gone for another week," said Jack, dragging himself away from the view of the Hotel roof.
Ianto picked up the phone. "I'm gonna order room service. Who wants a drink?"
"Why not use the kettle and the instant coffee?" said Owen.
Ianto didn't dignify that comment with a response. Jack grinned at him.
"Triple espresso, black, one sugar."
Ianto nodded.
"Tosh?"
"Apple juice, please, Ianto."
"I'll have a beer, please, Yan."
Jack and Ianto glared at Owen.
"Firstly, Owen, no alcohol. We're on duty. And secondly, the last person that called me Yan ended up on decaf for a week."
"Yeah, I remember that," said Jack, with a shudder.
"I better have coffee then. Anyway Harkness, why have we come all the way down here?"
Ianto ordered their drinks.
"I have new information about Torchwood One."
Ianto stopped what he was doing and turned to stare at Jack.
"Oh yes, and what would that be?" demanded Owen.
"It seems they had an underground lab that we were previously unaware of. Tosh stumbled across the data yesterday morning."
Ianto glared at Tosh and hung up the phone, having completed his order.
"What is it Jack? What have they done now?"
"I thought we were all done with that lot when Canary Wharf went down." Owen remarked, sprawling out on the bed.
"We all did." This from Jack.
"So what is it?"
Jack noticed Ianto looking agitated, even though he hid it well. Jack could tell.
"It seems there was someone inside Torchwood One all the time, working with the Cybermen."
Ianto went white. "How is that possible? Did someone come through the dimensional breach before the ghost shift started?"
Jack nodded. "We think so, yes."
"But how Jack? The only earlier arrival was the sphere in the basement, I don't understand."
Jack sighed perching on the end the bed closest to Ianto, he was half wondering if he should have brought Ianto to London for this.
"I've been going through all the logs collated on the days before the ghost shifts started. I've had to look into it so I could add any anomalies into our own observation and defence programs. There was a micro breach, similar to the dimensional breach, but much smaller and it lasted for about an hour."
Ianto turned back to Tosh who had spoken.
"And you think something came through?"
"Yes."
Owen scratched his head. "That still doesn't explain what we are doing here."
"The reason Tosh ran the search of the logs in the first place was because a similar anomaly showed up on our sensors yesterday morning. It was in the same place as the previous one…."
"You mean a Cyberman has come through?"
Jack shrugged. "That's what we are here to find out. There's a T 1 facility just outside of Brixton, underground, there's a tunnel that leads to it off the underground rail network."
"Jack I thought we shut down that place right after….." Owen trailed off on seeing the look on Ianto's face.
"Don't say it Owen, not everyone who worked there was hell bent on world wide destruction." Ianto rose to his feet and went to the window. "If someone came through last time, you're basically saying that some one else has come through now and maybe another invasion is underway?"
Jack nodded. "We have to consider it a very real possibility."
"And we're all here to find out what it is?" said Ianto.
Jack looked at Ianto, but didn't say anything.
"Why now, Jack? Why wait this long?"
"I don't know, Ianto." Jack spoke quietly, knowing just how painful this was for Ianto to hear. "Maybe they were waiting for the second breach." He shook his head. "I really don't know the answer to that."
Ianto looked at the floor, wringing his hands, as if washing them. "Was it all for nothing? All those people dying. Lisa dying." His eyes began to fill with unshed tears.
There was a knock at the door. Tosh went to open it.
"Room service, Miss."
Tosh signed for the drinks and took the tray. She smiled and gave him a tip, then closed the door.
The mood inside the room had changed. Even Owen, usually sarcastic and annoying, was sombre. All eyes were on Ianto.
Tosh passed out the drinks and Ianto accepted his with a nod of thanks as an uncomfortable silence settled in the room.
"What's the plan then?" Owen asked finally.
"Access to the off site lab will be impossible from Canary Wharf as the tunnels were destroyed during the attack and we finished the job off when we shut the site down afterwards." Jack explained
"But you can get there via the Victoria Line tunnels." Ianto added.
All eyes turned to Ianto.
"I know everything, remember." He forced a smile, looking at Jack.
"Have you been there before?"
Ianto shook his head. "Had no reason to. I guess this will mean a night in the tunnels will it?"
Owen looked distinctly unimpressed.
"Yep. I'm afraid so."
"Not scared are you, Owen?" asked Tosh, smiling.
"What me? King of the Weevils?"
Ianto smiled as well. "You'll be right at home then."
Jack was relieved to see a brighter expression on Ianto's face.
"So kids, we'll have some dinner and then head out to Brixton Tube station."
Ianto rolled his eyes. "There is the slight problem of the Tube trains Jack."
"So we'll get a timetable."
Tosh smiled. "Or I could work a little magic."
From the now deserted platform the tunnel was dark and uninviting. Owen shivered involuntarily.
"It's colder than I thought down here," he said, as Tosh noticed his shivering.
Jack smiled. "Okay, Tosh, work your magic. We need a clear line for at least fifteen minutes."
Tosh opened her lap top and punched in some numbers. A grid appeared on her screen and Tosh hit a few more keys and then pressed enter.
"I wouldn't worry too much the bloody Victoria Line was always running late when I was living here." Ianto commented dryly.
"Ok, I've put in a signal fault which should stop any trains running for the next couple of hours, just in case we need a little extra time."
Jack jumped down from the platform careful to plant his feet between the shiny tracks.
"Are the tracks live Tosh?"
"Why don't you touch them and if you don't fry up we'll know it's safe." Owen suggested.
Ianto wished he had something to hit him with, as he cautiously followed Jack down and pulled a flashlight from his coat pocket.
"I guess I should put in a bill for a new suit then, because I am sure this will be ruined by morning."
Jack chuckled. "You could always take it off."
Ianto offered him a long suffering look in reply.
Owen rolled his eyes. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"
"Got a date, Owen?" asked Jack.
"Funny. No, I just don't like it down here. We don't know what's up ahead and I don't like not knowing."
Ianto silently agreed with him.
Jack helped Tosh down from the platform, his chivalry coming to the forefront.
"Thank you, Jack."
They walked single file, Ianto taking point. The beam of his flashlight aimed at the ground to see where he was putting his feet.
"I bet there's loads of fuckin' rats down here."
Tosh looked around after Owen's statement.
Jack decided to keep his rude comment to himself.
They walked in total silence for the next few minutes, the light from the platform disappearing behind the bend in the tunnel. It was extremely creepy and Ianto imagined all sorts of horrible crawly things scuttling about in the shadows that danced and stretched with the movement of their torch beams. The faint glow from the overhead bulkheads doing little to penetrate the encroaching blackness. All they could hear was the sounds of their own breathing and the crunching of their feet on the gravely surface.
"It stinks down here!" Owen's voice echoed down the passageway and Tosh choosing to ignore him took out her PDA and began to run her pre programmed scans as she walked. Ianto had his left hand resting on the butt of his gun, feeling somewhat unnerved by the claustrophobic darkness, but he kept up a steady pace.
"How much further along here Tosh?"
"The service tunnel we need is about another 300 metres ahead and on our left."
On reaching the service tunnel, Ianto waited for the others to catch up with him.
"I better go first," said Jack.
No one disagreed with him.
They turned off the main track line and into a much narrower tunnel that had no lighting at all. The smell of damp and decay was almost over powering. Tosh put a hand to her nose.
"It smells like something died down here."
"Let's just keep going. We haven't got all night."
Ianto stepped back allowing Tosh to follow behind Jack. He hesitated and Owen glanced at him with concern.
"Ianto, are you alright, mate?" he whispered.
Ianto nodded stiffly. "Yep, fine." He followed Tosh and Owen fell in step behind him, shaking his head.
"Don't worry about me, Owen. I'll be okay."
"Yeah, right," Owen said under his breath.
Jack carried on up the tunnel, looking around him as he went. Tosh followed, almost colliding with Jack once or twice.
"Sorry," she said, moving slower.
"It's okay. I think we're nearly there." Jack looked behind, but couldn't see Ianto or Owen.
He waited and Tosh also looked in the direction they had just come and couldn't help but sigh with relief when Owen and Ianto came into view. He turned forward, confronted by a steel security door and after a moment of searching with his torch he found a lock and keypad.
"Damn looks like there's no power."
"Hardly surprising Jack, it probably hasn't been used for at least two years." Tosh added.
Ianto stepped forward. "Here let me. The locks for Torchwood One are all standard."
Jack stepped back to give Ianto access and both he and Owen drew out their weapons in anticipation.
Ianto keyed in a thirty digit code into the numerical pad and a small panel lit up on the wall above it and he laid his hand flat against it. There was a loud clank and hiss and the metal door slowly slid aside.
The stench that hit them was overwhelming and Jack and Owen stood firm, guns at the ready as they peered into yet more darkness.
"I'm impressed, Ianto," said Jack, going through first.
"Here, take the torch, you'll need it."
Jack accepted the torch, but then the lights came on automatically, as he stepped in through the door.
They stood blinking, adjusting to the brightness.
Tosh was studying her PDA intently.
"How come the power is still on?" asked Owen.
"I don't know, but perhaps they use the same power source as we do in the Hub."
Jack nodded. "Yeah, they probably do."
"It's probably a standard for all Torchwood facilities."
Tosh looked from Jack to Ianto. "Do we go on?"
Jack nodded. "We have to."
"Were all the bodies recovered after Canary Wharf?" asked Owen. He looked at Ianto. "Sorry Ianto, but the smell. Decaying flesh."
Ianto looked at Owen and then down the tunnel. Jack put a hand on Ianto's shoulder, letting him know he was there for him. Ianto smiled his thanks.
"Okay kids, let's move."
Jack led the way with Tosh close behind him. Ianto came up at the rear, looking behind him every few meters.
It was strange for Ianto, being so close yet so far away from Torchwood One. Memories of Lisa came flooding back, threatening a panic attack. He swallowed hard, and kept moving. The rest of the team needed him, he had to remain in control. Now was not the time or place for him to fall apart.
"Ianto? Where next?" called Jack.
Ianto made his way to the front, his face slick with sweat.
"You okay?"
Ianto closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I wish you would all stop asking me that. I'm fine." He looked ahead. There were two doors. "This one," Ianto told him, pointing to the one on the right. "It leads to a stairwell."
"I thought you said you hadn't been here before."
Ianto grinned at him, "I can guess can't I?"
Jack smiled back. "Of course, I shall have to have words with you about that won't I."
Owen's eyes widened. "Enough Harkness, I do not want to know what things you need to discuss with Tea Boy."
Ianto shot him an affronted look. "Coffee King…. Not Tea Boy."
Tosh was smiling as well and Ianto opened the door. Sure enough a stairwell was before them winding down several flights.
Ianto look down over the metal hand rail. "I hate it when the way out is the same way in." He muttered to himself.
Jack stepped past him and his boots clattered on the metal risers as he started down the steps. Tosh followed, her PDA held up in front of her. Ianto glanced at the screen over her shoulder.
"Is that a life sign?"
Tosh shrugged. "Not sure."
Jack paused and looked behind him at her. "You got something?"
"I'm not certain Jack, just be cautious."
He nodded. "Okay. Ianto, Owen keep your weapons ready."
The two men nodded and the four of them slowly made their way down the stairwell, the harsh artificial light shining down on them from above.
"Okay Jack, just what was in this lab then, do we know?" asked Owen.
"It was an experimental facility. They used aliens who just 'happened' by," said Jack. "One of the many reasons why I distanced myself from Torchwood One."
"And you didn't try to stop it?" accused Owen.
"I'm just one man Owen. What do you suggest I should have done?"
Owen didn't have an answer.
"It's a miracle they didn't try experimenting on you Jack," said Owen.
"Oh, but they did. Back when I first got involved with them, Alice Guppy kept detailed records."
Ianto sighed. He had read them.
"Oh, shit!" Owen muttered under his breath.
After what felt like an age, they finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, and came to another locked door.
"Ianto?"
He closed his eyes. "It's a different code altogether."
"Think, Ianto."
"I won't have had access Jack. I didn't have high enough clearance."
Tosh stepped forward waving a small shiny alien device at Jack. "I should be able to open it with this."
Jack smiled. "Thank God for alien technology."
Putting the device against the lock, Tosh worked her magic and soon the door opened. She stood back, waiting for Jack to pass through.
"Why does it I feel like a lamb on it's way to the local kebab shop?"
Ianto tutted.
As Owen went through the door behind Jack, he walked in to the back of him. Jack had stopped and was staring at the walls. As the lights flicked into life, the odour was rank and overpowering.
"What the fuck…."
Ianto was quite certain he didn't want to look.
Tosh gasped in horror.
The far wall was the worst. It was covered in what looked like flesh. Bones and sinew hanging and stretched from ceiling to floor. The carpet was squelch with blood and bile. The moment Ianto saw it, he turned away and wretched.
Jack quickly composed himself. "Owen, what am I looking at here?"
Owen realised that he would have to take a closer look. Reluctantly he stepped forward and gazed about at the gore strewn around them.
"It looks like the stuff is growing out of the walls…. This is disgusting… I mean look. It's as if the walls were alive and started to digest the people." He pulled out a sampling kit from his medical bag and Ianto stepped forward to assist him, doing his level best not to look around him. "I'll need a minute Jack."
Jack wandered about the room his feet making sloshing sounds as he moved through puddles of slimy stuff on the floor. He didn't want to think too much about what it could be. He risked a quick glance in Ianto's direction and saw the younger man valiantly trying to hold it together.
"Is there anyway to tell how many people were in here?"
Tosh was still looking at her PDA as she moved about the space.
"So far I've identified at least three human skulls, one Weevil and one Blowfish. There's a door behind that." She pointed in the direction of the far end of the room and Jack realised the wall was hidden beneath a layer of the flesh like substance hanging there. He walked over to it.
"Be careful not to touch anything Jack." Owen warned. "We have no idea what this is, it could be some kind of flesh eating acidic spitting thing for all we know."
Ianto shook his head. "Now he tells us. This doesn't explain the readings though does it?"
"No, it doesn't. We have no way of knowing what the hell happened here either."
"I could try to find the computer." Tosh suggested looking around wondering where best to begin her search when every surface was covered in the bloody sludge and rotting bone.
Ianto handed her a pair of latex gloves and then passed a set to Jack. Jack realised that Ianto had a distinctly grey colouring to his face and seriously wondered if he was about to faint but didn't comment, Ianto wouldn't thank him for it.
Ianto went back to helping Owen and Jack found the door that lead to the next room. He carefully pulled away at the stuff on the wall and it came away with a sickening sucking sound.
Owen and Tosh were so preoccupied with watching Jack, that neither of them saw the figure. From behind them, they heard a thud, and Ianto shrieking in pain.
The three of them swung round to see an enraged Weevil trying to tear Ianto's throat out.
Taking out his Webley, Jack shot it dead, but not in time to stop the Weevil from tearing opening a nasty wound in Ianto's left shoulder.
Jack was beside Ianto in a heart beat, kneeling down beside him. Owen had to push Jack out of the way, so he could check Ianto's wound.
"Jack, move!"
Reluctantly, Jack moved to one side and let Owen in.
Taking off Ianto's jacket carefully, Owen ripped his shirt so he could see the wound clearly. "He needs medical attention, Jack. Now!"
Jack shook his head. "It's too far back. We have to keep going forward."Owen rolled his eyes. "He needs stitches. The wound needs sterilising. I can't do either down here."
"Wait," said Tosh. "I have a bottle of water and a sewing kit."
Owen gave Tosh his Get the fuck out of here look.
"Your bag Owen, you have your bag."
"Take a look around us, Jack. Decay and disease everywhere you look. He's at risk every second he's in the room."
"The Weevil has marks all over it's body. Dead and decaying flesh. What did this?" asked Tosh.
"Something got at it, too," said Owen
Jack shook his head, pushing Owen out of the way. "Then I'll carry him the rest of the way myself."
"Jack…What fucking good is that going to do? Bollocks, give me a minute I'll get this dressed at least."
Ianto had remained silent through out concentrating on gritting his teeth against the pain, but he was rapidly losing his patience with the two men.
"Owen, can I at least have some pain killers?" He bit out and Owen nodded.
"Yeah mate sorry." He sorted through his med kit and pulled out a preloaded syringe and Ianto sighed with gratitude when the needle went into his thigh. It would take a couple of minutes to work and Owen got busy with cleaning and dressing the still bleeding wound as best as he could.
"I'm gonna give you a shot of antibiotics as well mate, just to be safe." He glanced up at a very worried Jack.
"We really do need to get him out of here."
Jack looked at the door in front of him. "Then we go on. I've cleared off most of it now. Once inside the lab, you can treat Ianto. Then we figure a way out, after we get what we came here for."
"We are very close to the co ordinance that the dimensional breach occurred." Tosh looked around. "I wonder if whatever came through did all this?"
"I've never seen anything like this before," commented Jack.
"Owen's right about the Weevil. It's clearly been infected by something."
"Fuck, that means we're gonna have to be put in quarantine. Do we call UNIT?"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here." Jack looked at Owen.
"Jack?" this from Tosh. "Jack, what do we do?"
"We find the exact co ordinates. See if we can find out what came through."
"And what about Ianto, Jack?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm just as concerned as you are Owen." He looked at Ianto.
Ianto bit down on his lower lip, trying to hide his own fear.
"Can he walk."
"Speak to me Jack. I can talk."
"Sorry."
"Yes, I can walk."
Owen glared at Jack.
Owen and Jack helped Ianto to his feet.
"Arh!"
"Sorry mate," said Owen.
"Let's just get out of this room, it's freaking me out, to say the least," said Tosh.
Ianto nodded in agreement.
They all walked through the door into the next room. As soon they pass through, the door behind them automatically closed. The light flickered into life. Owen suddenly realised, they were in a glass airlock, leading to what was clearly a laboratory beyond.
Tosh looked at her PDA. "This is definitely where the breach took place."
They all peered through the glass and were shocked to see remnants of a conversion table, and a row of tanks filled with what looked like hybrid human Cyberman experiments.
"Oh my God, Jack! Tell me that's not what I think it is."
Jack didn't have an answer.
Owen tightened his grip on Ianto to stop him sagging to the floor. "Come on, Jack, open that door. I need to sort Ianto out."
Tosh stepped forward and used her alien lock pick.
The door hissed open, letting Jack and Owen helped Ianto through, sitting him down on a chair. They took a moment to take in the white, clinical wall tiles and laminate floor.
"This looks like it's been recently abandoned," said Tosh.
Owen picked up a nearby cup. "This wasn't made too long ago either." He took a sip. "Milk's, not sour yet."
Ianto frowned at him. "Was that wise Owen?"
"Shut up, Tea Boy. I'm the one who's going to sew you up in a minute."
Ianto grimaced. "Better get on with it then."
Jack and Tosh turned to the tanks to get a better look.
"What the hell's been going on here Jack?"
"I don't know but it looks like unsanctioned experiments on Cybermen, Weevils, Blowfish and humans. What I don't understand is how we didn't know that this place was operational after Canary Wharf was destroyed."
"Then that means the cure for Lisa could have been here all the time." Ianto said unhappily. Jack faced him with a grim expression.
"I doubt it Ianto, this looks more like they were trying to make some kind of hybrid. It seems unlikely that they were successful." He turned to Tosh. "We need to get into the base records and find out exactly what has happened here."
"I'll get right on it Jack."
Owen was setting out his stitch kit on the work surface beside the abandoned mug of coffee.
"It looks like whoever was here, left in a hurry." He commented as he worked.
"Yeah, looks that way." Jack added coming over. He helped Ianto peel off his ruined clothing revealing Owen's dressing soaked through with far too much blood to be good.
Ianto was wincing with the pain.
"Sorry Ianto." Jack held up the tattered remains of the silk dress shirt. "Looks like you were right about that bill for your suit."
Ianto hitched a brief smile but didn't reply.
Owen eased the dressing off the ragged gashes on Ianto's shoulder and upper arm, blood was still oozing steadily.
"This will need some deep stitching mate to stop the bleeding, so I shall have to give you a local before I start. But I'll have to patch you up properly when we get back to the Hub."
Ianto swallowed none too happy at the prospect of another needle. Jack stood by, a hand gently rested on Ianto's head.
"How's it coming Tosh?"
Toshiko had settled herself at a computer terminal. "Everything looks intact and the records appear to go back some three years. I'll download it all onto my laptop."
Jack nodded. "Fine, what about the most recent stuff?"
"Give me a minute and I'll take a look at the CCTV log, that may tell us what happened to the people here and what came through the dimensional breach."
Ianto gritted his teeth as Owen administered the local anaesthetic. "Sorry Ianto, this is gonna sting a bit."
Ianto laughed nervously. "Now you tell me." Ianto turned his head away, and looked towards Tosh. "Has this lab been here since before Canary Wharf then?"
"I think so. Actually, it could have been built before Canary Wharf."
"So why isn't there any record of it them?"
"Come on Ianto, you know what Yvonne's regime was like. If it's alien, it's ours."
Ianto rolled his eyes. "UNIT will go mad if they find out.""We're not going to tell them," said Jack.
"But what about this place," Owen asked.
"We'll have to destroy it. There is no way we can risk any of this stuff getting into the wrong hands. Forgive me Ianto, but we know what happened with Lisa."
"Thanks Jack, I really didn't need the reminder." Ianto gazed at his feet.
"Oi, Tea Boy, I need to work here. Put your head up."
"I thought you were stitching my shoulder."
"'ho's the bloody doctor here then?"
"Owen, knock it off."
"Jack, you need to see this," said Tosh.
Jack moved away from Ianto's side. "What is it Tosh? Whadda ya got?"
Looking at the computer screen, there were images of people running for their lives. Of people being ripped limb from limb. Tosh looked away as one young woman was being decapitated. Jack turned the volume down and Owen paused in his work as both he and Ianto turned their heads towards the sound. Owen shuddered, returning to the task in hand.
"That didn't sound too good Jack," Ianto said, unable to see the screen. Jack recognised the creature on the screen that was attacking lab coated employees as they were torn to pieces. It brought back a memory from when he worked for the Time Agency. Not a good one, either.
"It's an Anuti Warrior."
"What the fuck is one of those?" said Owen.
"Very bad news," was Jack's terse reply.
"And where is it now?" asked Ianto.
"That's a very good question," replied Tosh.
Jack was annoyed that he couldn't answer Ianto's question. He was the one person Jack needed to keep safe right now. He'd been through enough for one day. It broke his heart to see Ianto hurt and in pain. And being here, were Lisa might have been brought, was too much to even think about right now.
"So, Jack. Anuti Warrior. Sounds exotic," commented Owen, changing the subject.
"Believe me, you do not want to meet them in a dark alley. When I was with the Time Agency, we came up against one of them. He overpowered five of us killing two off our friends."
"Jack," said Tosh. "movement up ahead. 400 yards."
"How many."
"One, definitely. And maybe something else. "
Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Owen, you nearly finished stitching Ianto?"
"Five minutes, or he'll look like a patchwork quilt," quipped Owen, smiling at Ianto. "You can't rush a job like this. Besides, it'd only open up again if I rush."
Jack nodded.
"Jack, they're getting closer."
Owen looked at Jack. "I need more time, Jack, or he'll start bleeding again."
Jack looked from Owen to Ianto, then to Tosh. "I'll go on ahead, see if I can stop them."
"No!" said Ianto, raising his voice.
Jack turned to look at him. "Ianto, I'll be fine." He forced a smile.
"Please, Jack." Pleaded Ianto.
Jack smiled, sadly. "I'll be right back." Then he was gone.
Ianto closed his eyes and sighed.
"Don't worry, Jack'll be okay. He can't die, remember?" said Tosh.
"But he can still get hurt and feel pain," said Ianto in a low voice.
On the other side of the door was a well lite corridor. Jack could see the Warrior up ahead. It was flanked by a much smaller alien - a Bazanti soldier - The Anuti Warrior looked like something from Predator, with it's armour clad body and dagger like teeth.
Jack watched them approach and then ducked into a side room. They went to follow him. The soldier turned to the Warrior and they exchanged words which Jack couldn't make out.
He waited in the side room amongst laboratory equipment, chairs, waste bins and body bags.
Opening the door slightly, Jack looked out. They were just yards from him. Picking up a chair, Jack threw it against the far wall, trying to coax them in. It worked. Backing away, Jack pulled off a vent cover and climbed inside. As they entered the room, Jack made his way along the vent and towards the room the rest of the team were in.
Pushing through the vent, Jack said, "Okay, no more time. Get Ianto out of here.""What about you?" said Ianto.
He rubbed Ianto's arm. "I'm right behind you."
Jack followed them back through the door and shoved a metal lamp through the door handles to give them more time to get to the room beyond. Once inside they could lock it and hopefully prevent their two pursuers from following them.
"If they're behind us, how do we get out?" asked Tosh.
"We have to destroy them first," replied Jack.
"Great," said Owen, settling Ianto on a chair.
Jack looked around. "There's another airlock next door. If I can somehow lure them into it, we can extract the air and kill them."
"With you as bait I suppose." This from Ianto.
"You worry too much."
Ianto looked away. "Will you die too?"
"Yeah."
Owen looked at Ianto. "It's the only way we're all gonna get out of here in one piece."
"Will they follow you? They'll still be able to see us."
"There's a frosting button." Jack demonstrated, the windows were covered in a white colour. "See, they won't be able to see in."
"Okay," said Ianto, resigned to the fact Jack was going anyway, no matter how much he protested. "Go."
Leaving the room and going outside, Jack removed the lamp and kicked the door to the room the Anuti Warrior and Bazanti soldier were in, then he went into the other airlock. Pushing the suction button, Jack waited for the two aliens to follow him. The air began to be sucked out of the airlock just as they entered. The door automatically locked behind them and they turned, trying to open it. Jack stood at the back, watching them, the life being drained from him each passing second.
The Bazanti soldier was the first to feel the effects, passing out on the floor. The Anuti Warrior looked at his comrade, then at Jack. Jack smiled before passing out. The Warrior followed suit a few minutes later.
After ten minutes, Owen pushed the 'open door' button from the outside of the chamber and went inside. Air began to rush into the room again. Owen knelt beside Jack. A few minutes later, Jack took a deep breath and bolted upright.
"Arh!"
"Easy," said Owen. "Breath slowly. Let the air get back into your brain."
Jack looked around him, he saw the two bodies on the floor a few yards from him. "Tosh and Ianto?"
"We're all fine."
Owen helped Jack to his feet.
"Let's get the fuck out of here."
"Has Tosh got all the data?"
"Yep and then some."
"Good."
Going next door, Ianto meet Jack's gaze and smiled.
"Okay, let's get out of here. Times nearly up on the train stoppage."
"I won't be sorry to get out of here. It gives me the creeps," said Tosh.
As they travelled back the way they came, Ianto looked at the remnants of a conversion table. His eyes misted over, remembering. Then he saw the tanks filled with the hybrid human Cyberman experiments. He tried to block it from his mind, but his head kept turning towards them.
Jack was beside him, holding his arm, guiding him forward. Ianto forced a smile, happy that Jack was there for him.
"Let's keep moving. We've a long way to go and not much time."
"Are you gonna blow this place?" asked Owen.
Jack nodded. "Soon as we clear the next level." He took an explosive device from out of this greatcoat and wound the timer. "Ten minutes should do it."
As they went back through the room where all the blood and guts was all over the walls, both Tosh and Ianto wretched.
Owen helped Tosh, while Jack stayed beside Ianto.
Going back through the steel security door, Jack closed it behind him. Next were the stairs. All seven flights of them. It was a hard slog, but as they reached the top, Jack primed the device and threw it down the stairs as the others continued up the tunnel. A few minutes later they felt the ground move and heard the soft thud as the device went off.
"Whatever was down there is buried for good now." Jack told them.
"Thank God," added Ianto.
They continued up the tunnel until they came to the bend. They could see a shaft of light up ahead.
"Nearly there." Owen said to Tosh.
"Jack?" started Owen.
"Yeah?"
"There's a train coming towards us!"
"Get to the side, quick!" Shouted Jack.
Tosh and Owen jumped to the side while Jack helped Ianto. They hugged the wall hoping that the train would miss them. Seconds later, it whizzed by. They had a narrowly escape. For the second time that evening.
"Jesus, that was close," said Owen, bending over and placing his hands on his knees.
Ianto laughed.
Jack frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
"We went through all that and narrowly escape being mown down by a train."
Jack began to laugh. "Yeah, I see your point."
"Let's get outta here, Jack. I need a nice hot shower." said Owen.
Tosh led the way. Jack held on to Ianto. His wound had started to bleed slightly. Owen looked at him and winked.
"Once we're back, I'll take a good look at you."
"Thanks," replied Ianto.
Owen climbed up on the platform while people looked at him curiously. He helped Tosh up and then waited while Jack climbed up and they both helped Ianto.
The foursome made their way up the escalator and out into the fresh air.
"God, it's good to be outside." said Owen, breathing in deeply.
Ianto sagged against Jack. "I think I'm gonna pass out," he said, seconds before he did.
When Ianto opened his eyes again, he way lying on the autopsy table. Owen was just removing his latex gloves.
"All done, mate."
Ianto smiled. He looked around. His eyes found Jack.
"Well, welcome back to the land of the living. You had us worried there for a time."
"I've transferred all the data to hard copy and I've also sent it to UNIT Headquarters," said Tosh.
"Thanks. Why don't you two head home."
"You gonna be okay with Tea…Coffee King?"
"Yeah."
Jack and Ianto exchanged smiles.
"Great. Come on Tosh, lets go grab a coffee, or something a little stronger maybe."
Tosh smiled, waving goodbye to Jack and Ianto.
"See ya," said Jack. He turned his attention back to Ianto. "Better get you to bed. Rest up."
Ianto smiled and then yawned. "How long have I been out?"
"A few hours. Time enough for Owen to work on your shoulder."
"Mmm, feels better." Ianto felt his shoulder, then swung his legs over the side of the autopsy table. "Bed sounds good. This table is not for the living."
Jack laughed, helping Ianto up the few stairs to the main Hub. Then they climbed the stairs to Jack's office.
"Feel like a nightcap?"
Ianto shook his head. "Just wanna sleep in our bed with you."
Jack went down the ladder first and helped Ianto down. Very slowly, Jack helped Ianto undress and get into bed. For the first time since they became lovers, Ianto kept his boxers on and Jack put his still warm T shirt on his lover.
Ianto smiled at Jack. "Thanks."
Climbing into bed, Jack took Ianto carefully into his arms. The young Welshman was asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow. Jack kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, Yan."