The Deads
Part 1
Where am I? I should be dead shouldn't I? My last memory was of Toshiko talking to me before my body degraded in the radiation.
I can't think strait, I'm disorientated, and I've got a bloody headache. "Tosh! Tosh!" Maybe it was just a dream, a really bad dream, yeah that's it.
Some guy is running around in a panic asking people if they've seen Zoe. Who in the world is Zoe? Whoever she is, this guy is going to have to find her on his own. None of the people here know. They look just as confused as I do.
"Ianto," What is he doing in a blooming dumpster? "honestly man, I realize you're gay but do you need to be searching for your tie at a time like this? I know it holds sentimentality but-"
"Shut up, Owen, just shut up. Where's Jack, I need to find him. I need to find Jack."
"Calm down, mate." Great as if it isn't bad enough that I'm disorientated. Ianto isn't helping anything.
"Calm down? Calm down? I'm not going to calm down! I just died!"
"Wait, hold on. Say that again."
"I died?"
"I died too...again...Ianto, we need to find Toshiko...Something weird is going on."
"Right, I'm on it...she went...that way." he points just down the street toward an abandoned coffee shop. "I think she went to check if there was food there." he runs toward the building.
"Ianto," this is something different "my feet are killing me, could you slow down."
"She might be gone if we don't get there fast enough. I'll run ahead and you take your time."
I see him enter the shop and I limp the rest of the way there. As I walk in I find Toshiko and Ianto hovering over a young man who is laying in the middle of the floor.
"What is he doing here?" Toshiko asks and Ianto shakes his head.
"No idea. What are we all doing here? I died about five minutes ago and so did Owen. What about you?"
"I was shot."
"So the link is death..." Ianto trails off.
"It looks like it."
They both are silent for a moment and then the man on the floor gasps, startling everyone.
"Where am I? Am I dead?"
"You're...in a coffee shop...and we don't know if you're dead." Ianto says slowly.
"Is the eye safe?"
I laugh, suddenly realizing who it is. "Eugene Jones. You're the ghost that saved Gwen."
"Yeah...I died...Can you see me?"
"Wouldn't be talking to you if I couldn't, would I?"
"I suppose not. But how did this happen? Am I still dead?"
"Doesn't look like it, mate. Then again, we're all supposed to be dead. Maybe this is the afterlife."
"That assumption would be incorrect." I hear a familiar voice say and I turn my head to discover Rhys standing in the doorway holding the hand of a little girl who is hiding behind him and peeking her head out to see me.
"Daddy, who is this?" she asks shyly and her father smiles.
"Anwen, this is your Uncle Owen and that's your Uncle Ianto and Aunt Toshiko."
"But why have I never met them before, daddy?" Anwen curiously steps out from behind her father.
"They've been away for a very long time, Anwen. They're close friends of momma."
"But why hasn't mommy mentioned them before?"
"My, she's quite a curious one, isn't she?" I smirk and Anwen shyly steps back behind Rhys.
"Are you shy?" Ianto walks over and kneels down to her eye level. "You know, I don't bite." he laughs. "Although I don't know that I can say the same for Owen. Tosh is relatively safe."
Anwen slowly comes out from behind her father and hesitantly gives Ianto a hug.
"She sure warms up to strangers quickly, doesn't she?" Ianto grins at Rhys. "How old is she?"
"Four years old." Rhys replies.
"So it's been four years since our deaths." Ianto says thinking out loud to himself. "We did die, didn't we?"
Rhys nods "After all of you died there was no Torchwood, it ceased to exist. Gwen tried to move on with her life but I think that she never quite got there. Still attached to all of you, I suppose. Jack left for a while...and then miracle day happened...and he came back, but only until it was over."
"Is Jack still here?" Ianto asks hopefully.
"Sorry Ianto, Jack left about four months ago. He said he still needed to clear his mind...the poor man lost it after the death of his grandson."
"Steven died?" Ianto asks horrified. "But how?"
"Jack was forced to sacrifice him by transmitting a signal to the 456. In the process the 456 would be destroyed."
"But the child at the center of the signal would die." Ianto says, clearly shaken up by the thought. "Jack did it because he couldn't bear the thought of hurting anyone else's family."
"Not to mention he was the only one close enough to get to in time."
"Even if there had been other children though, Jack wouldn't have done it. He's always felt that personal loss was better than anyone else having to suffer. I just wish he wasn't so noble. He causes himself far more pain then he aught."
"That's Jack alright, wanting to save everyone and nearly getting himself killed in the process. Anyway, we were left with specific instructions from Jack to raise as many experienced people as we could to fight a war. Normal people would only be concerned about their families, might go running off, might get scared, so we brought back the best."
"War?" Ianto asks confused and Rhys starts turning a pale color.
"You see, there were some people who got to a certain alien technology before we did. It could raise anyone in any universe, even the parallel ones, back from the dead. The enemy got hold of it, the three families working with phicorp, and they used it as revenge, to destroy Torchwood. That's why we brought you back. You're going to help fight them."
"In a ghost town?" I see Tommy Breckless step through the door and Toshiko nearly has a heartattack. That's lovely, and just when I was falling for her too.
"This looks the way it does because it's been deserted. See, the people that Phicorp brought back weren't all in their right mind. They liked to play games, mess with people's homes, kill people. As a result all of the people in this area were driven from this place. We brought you back here because it was a quiet place where Phicorp and the families wouldn't notice us."
"I'm sorry, you mentioned bringing back experienced people?" I ask.
"Yes, I did. Why?
"Well no offense, but where do Tommy and Eugene fit in with all of this then?" I catch a glimpse of Toshiko who casts me a death glare. "What? It's a valid question."
"About that," Rhys says embarrassed. "Tommy and Eugene weren't supposed to come back but the device we used brought back other random people. We don't know why, we don't know who but we do know that others have been brought back as well."
Tommy's face is turning beat red. I kind of feel sorry for the poor guy, just found out that his life didn't even matter to Torchwood and Eugene has his back turned to us with a clenched fist. Can't imagine it's a great feeling to not be wanted.
"Don't worry guys. We're glad you're back." I say almost apologetically but I'm not wholeheartedly sorry for Tommy since he's going to steal my girlfriend. Wait, did I just say the word girlfriend? That's funny, it usually isn't part of my vocabulary.
"Yes, we're very happy you're back." Toshiko says joyfully running over and giving Tommy a hug, who's face lights up with enthusiasm.
"It's good to be back especially with me being shot and all. What happened to you? How did you die?"
"I got shot by Jack's brother. Died trying to help Owen out. Wasn't much of a success. He didn't make it out alive."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Owen." Tommy says truthfully as he hugs Toshiko. "It's nice to be here."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't that terrifying, I died once before." I say and Tosh glances at me and grins knowing full well that I completely freaked out in the end. For a second, I think she might say something sarcastic but she doesn't. Whatever she's thinking she just keeps it to herself.
"Well, I hate to break up the party but shouldn't we be planning for a fight?" I hear as Gwen steps into our midst, smiling. Glad she's here, would have been devastated without her.
"Yes dear." Rhys says as Anwen lets go of his hand and jumps into her mother's arms.
"Have you been making friends?" Gwen asks and Anwen nods.
"Yes momma. I met Uncle Owen, Aunt Toshiko, and Uncle Ianto. Who are they?" She points to Tommy and Eugene and I can tell by the look on Gwen's face that she isn't prepared for the question. We didn't know Tommy and Eugene very well and it's bad enough they don't feel like they're welcome. "That's Uncle Tommy and Uncle Eugene." Gwen says and Anwen smiles.
"It's very nice to meet you."
Tommy and Eugene both grin in unison.
"Pardon me." Eugene speaks up. "I was wondering if you maybe still had the old eye I used to carry around with me. I know it's been a long time but I was hoping I could see it again."
"Of course." Gwen reaches into her pocket and pulls out the eye, handing it to him. "There wasn't much left when Torchwood was destroyed but I went back and salvaged what I could from it's remains. This was amongst the few things that were left. I guess I kept it to remember."
"To remember what?" Eugene asks curiously.
"What Torchwood used to be like when Ianto, Owen, and Toshiko were still with us. The only one who isn't here now is Jack. God knows I miss that bloody fool." Gwen sniffs and Rhys hugs her. She takes a second to calm down then changes the subject rapidly. "Anyway, Tosh, Owen, Ianto, I have two people for you to meet. Since you died we've gained a total of four people. Esther was one of the four, although she was lost during the Miracle Day crisis. Rex joined us while Esther was still alive. He was part of the CIA. Jack left, and at the time we needed another person. Rex suggested a man that had saved Esther previously by shooting Colin Maloney who had attacked her. His name is Ralph Coltrane. Of course when I went and knocked on his door he wasn't so thrilled about the idea, poor man just wanted to be left alone, but in the end he felt guilty for covering up the murder of Vera, another one of the four who tragically died, and he decided to fight for us. Ralph, Rex, come say hello to the rest of the team."
The two men step into the already crowded coffee shop and I grin as the one does a soldier solute, still in his army uniform.
Gwen looks at him and laughs. "As you can probably already tell Ralph is only about two months into the job. Ralph, you don't need to solute." she says and he mumbles a "Sorry." looking away humiliated. "Don't worry Ralph, it's typical. All you have to do is get used to the job. The military handles rules differently than Torchwood. No need for solutes, there are no higher ranks in Torchwood. I'm not your commander, I'm your friend."
Ralph nods, still looking slightly embarrassed and Rex pats him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Now, I believe we have some work to get done." he says stepping out the door. "If you'd all follow me I'll lead you to the rest of the group. I've had a chance to talk with them and get their names, most of them anyway." He takes us out of the shop and brings us to a small gathering of people next to the door of a convenience store. "Here we are." he turns to the people in front of us. "Torchwood, these are the men and women who will be working with us to bring down a company called Phicorp. Their names are Hoban Washburne, Tracey Smith, Amy and Rory Williams-"
"Pond." the redhead smiles and cuts him off.
"Sorry, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, she doesn't go by her husband's last name very often apparently."
"Why would I take the last name of that wuss?" she winks at her husband who grins.
"Two thousand years protecting her as a Roman centurion and I'm the wuss. She's lucky I still keep her."
"Two thousand years protecting me as a Roman centurion and yet he still screams at the sight of a spider."
Rory laughs. "She got me there."
"Anyway," Rex says moving on to the next people in line "there's also Nathan Petrelli, Ted Sprague, Topher Brink, and someone who goes by the weird name of Guy of Gisborne." the last guy shoots a piercing glare at Rex who holds his hands up innocently. "In today's society it is a weird name."
"Rex," Gwen says hitting him the back of the head and I smirk. "let's not insult the people who are on our side. We don't want to end up with any more enemies. As it is we already have Phicorp, the families, James Moriarty, Uther Pendragon, and Emile Danko after us."
"Yes sir." Rex says sarcastically and imitates Ralph's soldier solute which causes Ianto to giggle. Gwen looks at him disapprovingly and Ianto attempts to keep a strait face but fails miserably.
"I'm sorry," One man steps out from behind everyone else. "it seems you forgot me."
Ianto's face goes pale and I wonder what's wrong about this man.
"No." Ianto says disgustedly. "I refuse to work with him."
"What is it, Ianto?" Gwen asks concerned.
"Jack showed him to me, a picture, a file kept away in the computer system that only he could access. He almost brought about the end of the world. He tortured Jack! I won't work with him."
"Is this true?" Gwen asks him seriously and the man nods, confirming the accusations.
"It's true, but did he tell you that I died saving The Doctor as I fought to return Gallifrey back to where it belonged in the time lock?"
"It's not true! Jack said he was a villain."
"Jack didn't tell you everything then."
"Either way I will not work with you."
The man steps closer to Ianto who stands his ground. "You need me."
"We don't need you to help us with anything." Ianto says furiously.
"Yes you do." the man says patiently. "Because I know how a villain thinks. I know their tactics and their strategies, the tricks they'll try to fool you with and the people they will kill to get to you. Get rid of me and you lose a very powerful ally."
"What's your name?" Rex butts in, slightly confused.
"I'm The Master and I'm here to help you take down your enemies." the man says simply. "Call it a favor to The Doctor. I owe him. He'd want me to help Torchwood."
"As long as you're here to help us then you're in." Rex says and Ianto stomps back to the coffee shop which I find quite ironic.
"Now," Rex says quickly "we're going to need to discuss a few things before we take on Phicorp. We'll head back to the coffee shop and then we'll decide what we need to do. Everyone follow me."