A Complex Man
TWTWTW
It was dark in the underground car park and nothing stirred, save Ianto Jones. He'd gotten turned around out in the darkness and was no longer with Owen and Gwen. He moved amongst the cars, gun drawn, not knowing what might be lurking behind the next car. As he moved forward, a sound pierced the air, causing Ianto to drop his gun, covering his ears with both hands. He didn't stand a chance, unarmed as he now was, if anything were to attack him.
Falling to the ground, Ianto rolled onto his back, his hands clasped to his ears, as the sound kept getting louder and louder. He tried to get back up, to get his gun, but his eyes watered and the pain in his ears made him cry out in pain.
The rest of the team had moved to the building across from the car park. Gwen and Owen, Jack and Tosh. Each with gun in hand, searching for the Tookalon Warrior.
It was Owen who first heard the piercing screeches.
Ianto touched a finger to his ear piece, hoping to contact Jack, but he couldn't talk, no sound escaped his lips.
The rest of the team's ears were filled with the screeching.
Ianto couldn't stay awake any longer and passed out.
Jack and Tosh joined Owen and Gwen at the entrance to the car park.
"What the hell was that?" asked Owen.
"The Tookalon," answered Jack. "He's looking for a meal."
"Ianto!" breathed Tosh.
"Where is he? I thought he was with us ?" Owen spun around. "He must of gotten separated. Come on, we have to get to him first!"
As they entered the car park, Jack halted. "No! You need to stay out here. I'll go in alone."
"Jack, it's dangerous, you can't fight it on your own!"
"It'll kill you all, if it gets the chance. We're all just meat to him. It's best I go alone. I'll find Ianto, bring him out."
Gwen nodded. "Okay, hurry Jack!"
"Owen, go back to the SUV. Get your bag."
Owen nodded and ran off, gun still lifted, just in case
Jack turned to Gwen and Tosh. "I want you to stay here and wait for Owen. Stay out of sight and remain silent. If it hears you, it'll home in on you, understood?"
They both nodded.
"Jack, just go quickly!"
Jack disappeared into the underground car park, Webley drawn. He knew it was useless against the Tookalon, but he felt better carrying it. After a few minutes inside, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could just make out a prone form about 50 yards ahead to his left. "Ianto?"
Ianto didn't reply, he was unconscious, because of the sound which had now died away.
Jack approached Ianto, kneeing beside him. He put a finger to the pulse in his neck. "Ianto, can you hear me? It's Jack."
Ianto woke with a jerk, putting a hand on top of Jack's. "W-where is it?"
"I don't know," Jack answered, looking around. "We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"
Ianto nodded and stood up on shaky legs, with Jack's help. He retrieved his own gun from the ground were it had fallen.
"What possessed you to come in here on your own? I told you to stay with Owen and Gwen." Jack spoke in a whisper, but his words were not spoken in jest.
"I thought I heard something call my name, so I followed it in here. I'm sorry," he whispered back, just as hushed.
"It was in your head, that's how the Tookalon communicate."
"I didn't realise that when I heard it."
Jack sighed, then made a move towards the entrance. "Let's just get the hell out of here. I don't want either of us to be on the dinner menu tonight."
Ianto nodded and moved close to Jack, towards the entrance. When the screeching started again, Ianto fell against the older man.
Jack heard it to, but he had to get Ianto out of there. Moving fast, Jack scooped Ianto up into his arms and ran with him.
Ianto could feel Jack moving but he couldn't move himself the noise completely immobilised him.
Once outside, Jack laid Ianto down on the ground for Owen to look at him. "He's okay, it's the screeching."
Ianto started to stir, he couldn't hear the screeching anymore. He put a hand to his head. "H-how the hell do we s-stop that thing?"
"I need to read up on it. I can't remember off hand what stops it. We need to send it back."
"Why can't we just kill it?" asked Owen.
"Because it's death screams will bring more, that's why." answered Jack, helping Ianto to his feet. "We need to take it alive at all costs."
"Thanks." Ianto said. "I'll have a-a look in the archives when we get back, s-see if I can find anything on it."
"I know exactly where the file is, I put it there in 1956. That was the last time the Tookalon were here."
"Okay, I'll pull it when we get back." Ianto smiled his thanks.
"Come on, let's get out of here," said Jack.
Owen cocked an eyebrow. "Hark at him."
Gwen smiled.
"I've been taken down by that screeching banshee twice. Let's not make it a third." Ianto told Owen.
They got back to the SUV. Jack drove them back to the Hub.
"What about that thing, Jack? People aren't safe with it around."
"It's late, Owen. Not many people around."
"It'll cut down on burglars," said Gwen, straight faced.
Ianto looked at her and smiled. He did enjoy Gwen's humour sometimes.
"Tell us about the last time it was here, Jack," said Tosh.
"It killed 14 people in one night. Ate most of them...bits anyway." He looked in the rear view mirror at Ianto. "It can hear a pin drop from 100 yards away."
"And apparently it communicates by telepathy.
"I heard it call my name." Ianto remarked.
"That's how it lures it's victims." Jack said, parking the SUV in Roald Dahl Plass.
"It would have been nice to know all that before we went hunting it," said Ianto, irritated.
Jack gave Ianto a look, and then they all entered the tourist office. Once inside the Captain went to the main computer and tapped in 'Tookalon'. He pulled up a picture.
Owen looked over his shoulder. "Ugly son-of-a-bitch ain't it?"
"I recognise it now, I've seen it in the archives."
"A face only a mother could love," remarked Gwen, laughing.
"Let's get serious people." said Jack, going up to his office. "We're going back out there tonight." He looked back. "Except you, Ianto. You can guide us from here."
"What? Why do I have to stay here?"
"Like you said," began Jack. "It's got you twice now. You're sensitive to it. Too sensitive for my liking. You stay here."
Ianto was going to argue again, but he could feel all their eyes on him. "Fine!" He stormed off to the archives.
"What's with him? I'd be happy if I was stayin' behind," said Owen.
Nobody said anything.
Ianto walked into the archives, annoyed. He knew Jack was doing this because of their relationship.
Jack tapped his coms. "Ianto? I know you can hear me, so just listen...this has nothing to do with us. Read the file and you'll know why. I can't risk loosing you, not now." Jack listened. "Ianto, please answer me."
Ianto didn't answer him. He had the file in front of him, reading up on the Tookalon. Reading the actual notes Jack had written all that time ago.
'It can sense when you're near, it's hearing is that good. Lost 14 men, woman and children tonight. Torn apart like rag dolls. Have to stop it at all costs. Send it back to where it came from and stop others getting through the Rift. But how? Guns don't work, not ours, anyway. The Doctor could do it. Where is he when you need him? I can face it, as long as no one sees me. But we need to get it back to the Hub and transport it back to it's own planet. Russell died because he didn't take any notice of what I told him...do not go too close and keep quiet. Two things he was unable to do. It ripped his arm off and then toyed with him for the next three hours. The screams could be heard for two hours after he'd been taken. Can't let that happen again. Once you've heard it's screeches, you become more sensitive to it. The more you hear the more vulnerable you become...Caught it tonight. Took four dart guns and a keep net the size of a lorry, but we managed. Sent it back, thank God. Hope I never see it again. Captain Jack Harkness.'
Ianto leaned back in his chair, he realized why Jack was doing it. He touched his coms. "I found the file, Jack."
Jack could hear the regret in Ianto's voice. "I can't risk you getting taken, I'm sorry. I need you here."
"I'll stay, see what I can find out and let you know."
Jack smiled. "Thanks, Yan. We'll need all the help we can get."
"I'll do my best, sir."
"Yeah, I know you will."
They went quiet.
"It'll be okay, I promise."
"I know it will….just look after the others okay?"
"Yeah, I will. Ianto...maybe we can go out for dinner tomorrow night."
"Get through this and we will talk about it."
Jack looked out of his office window. "Okay. See you when we get back...Love you."
"I love you, too. Come back in once piece. It's a bitch to clean your coat."
Jack laughed. "Yeah, I will."
Ianto smiled at his laugh "Be safe."
"Always." Then he was gone.
Ianto sat for a moment, before he was up out of his seat and up at Tosh's desk tracking the monster
As they passed through the tourist office, Jack lagged behind, touching the keypad on the computer and running his fingers along the counter.
'Foolish' he thought and moved out onto the board walk.
The night was getting colder, as Jack drew his greatcoat around him, feeling the wind bite into him. The rest of the team were already seated in the SUV, waiting on Jack.
"Jack," asked Owen. "you okay?"
Getting into the car, Jack did up his seat belt and just nodded, before starting the engine and heading back into town.
Ianto was tracking the monster when it switched direction. "Jack, it's on the move."
"Okay. Keep me informed." Jack turned the next corner, parked the SUV and turned off the engine. "Better to be safe than sorry. We walk from here, guys."
"I'm not wearing the right boots!" Gwen groaned.
"Just pick your feet up and walk on tip toes," Jack suggested.
"Oh, right." Gwen was not amused.
"Tosh, you okay?"
"Fine, Jack."
"Ianto, what have you got for me?"
"It's heading towards the city centre, Jack. Hurry up!"
"We're on foot, now. Be there in about ten minutes."
"Okay," Ianto answered, then he frowned. "Jack, there are two of them now."
"You're kiddin', two? Wow, now we're in trouble." Jack thought for a moment. "Ianto, go to the armoury, get the biggest gun there and bring it to us. We're by the Gas Building."
"One's outside the tourist office, Jack." Ianto watched in horror on the CCTV monitor above Tosh's desk. He ran a hand through his hair.
Jack stopped dead in his tracks. "What? We just came from there! Are you sure?"
"What?" asked Owen.
"There are two! Ones back at the Bay," Jack began to run back to the SUV. "Outside the tourist office! You guys track the other one!"
"It's heading toward the city centre, Jack."
"I'm positive, Jack," said Ianto after a few minutes. "I'm tracking it now."
"Okay. Whatever you do, don't go near the tourist office. Stay in the Hub. You'll be safe there. I'm about seven minutes away."
"Jack, you can't just leave them to fight the other one alone! I can distract this one from in the Hub. Get the other one and come back after."
Jack thought for a moment. "As long as you do as I said. Don't go outside."
"Okay," he muttered.
Jack 's brow furrowed. "Ianto? Please, don't try anything on your own. Wait for us to get there."
"I heard you the first time Jack"
There was strained silence and then. "Sorry. See you soon."
Ianto closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll be fine….don't worry about me, Jack."
Jack half smiled. "Get that coffee machine of yours prepped."
Ianto chuckled. "Yep."
Ianto watched the monitor as the Tookalon walked up and down the board walk, touching as it went.
Running down to the firing range, Ianto picked up a pair of ear defenders, then headed for the locker room. Going into the bag he always kept in his locker, Ianto pulled out his iPod, and dashing back up to the main Hub. Looking at the monitor again, Ianto could see that the Tookalon had settled itself on the bench nearest the tourist office door. Putting the ear phones and ear defenders on, Ianto took a deep breath, turned up the volume on the iPod, got a gun from the armoury and headed toward the cog door.
'Jack is gonna kill me!' he thought
Going up the short corridor to the lift, Ianto stood inside and pressed the button. The lift door closed and it started to ascend. Once at the top, the doors opened and Ianto got out, walking the short distance to the secret door leading into the tourist office. Once inside, he took a few deep breaths before unlocking the outer door and stepping outside.
"Jesus, Owen was right. You are one ugly son-of-a-bitch!"
The Tookalon turned it's head and saw Ianto. It opened its mouth, but Ianto couldn't hear anything. He smiled to himself.
'They're working!' he thought.
He raised the gun and took aim. The Tookalon stood, moving a step closer to the Welshman. Ianto pulled the trigger. Kept pulling the trigger until the alien was no longer standing in front of him. Opening his eyes - which he unknowingly shut when he started firing - Ianto looked around him and smiled. The smile didn't last long, when Ianto remembered what Jack had said about the death screech bringing other Tookalon Warriors through the Rift. He closed his eyes, lowered the gun and sighed.
'Yep, Jack is gonna kill me!'
TWTWTW
Jack and the other team members walked further into the city centre. The Tookalon still wasn't visible to them. Then they heard an awful sound, drifting on the night air.
Jack 's head whipped round to the direction the sound came from. "Ianto!"
Up ahead, they saw the Tookalon, it saw them but continued to move in the direction of the sound.
"We need to get back to the SUV and the Hub. Something tells me the other one is dead!"
"I thought Ianto was watching it!" said Owen, annoyed they had to run back to the car.
"So did I!" came the reply.
Ianto rushed back inside the tourist office and back down to the Hub. He hadn't hear the mournful cry, but if what Jack said was true, he knew the other alien and maybe more, were on their way.
He put the gun back in the armoury, returned to Tosh's workstation and took off the ear defenders and ear phones. He put on his coms and pressed it, taking a deep breath and swallowing hard.
"Jack…."
"Ianto! What happened?"
"Well, I….I went outside, and I…. ""Killed it…." finished Jack.
"Yes. Sorry."
"Too late for that now. You don't know what you've started, Ianto. I told you not to go outside. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"I understood, Jack, I just….wanted to help."
"Just keep me informed. We're on our way back," Ianto heard him sigh. "So's the other Tookalon."
Then the coms went quiet. After 5 minutes, Ianto couldn't stand the quiet any longer.
"I'm sorry, Jack."
"Yeah, I know."
Switching off his coms, Ianto sank into the seat and looked at the monitor. He could see the beeping on the screen as the Tookalon came closer. Further out, near the Penarth barrier, another beep came onto the screen. It was followed by two more, closer this time. Ianto wasn't sure if the team would make it back before the Bay was over run by grieving Tookalon Warriors.
"Jack, three more Tookalon in the Bay area. Come in via the secret lift."
"Will do."
"I'll put the coffee on, shall I?"
"There won't be much time for coffee." Jack replied, in a vexed tone.
'God, what have I started?' thought Ianto.
TBC