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This one moved differently, this was the first thing Ianto saw from his vantage point, it was crouching, every now and then using it's hands to push itself along almost like …

"Jack, they are mutating" Ianto cried out with new horror as he clung tighter to the tree, do these things jump? Obviously not climb but if they are more powerful…

The Webley barked twice, then Jack cursed as he turned to run, the thing never hesitating as spurts from it showed he had aimed true. The boom of the shotgun had it tumbling back as Owen slammed back against the SUV and then pumped again, running towards the trees and Jack met him, grabbing the shotgun to turn and fire once more while still in motion.

The head exploded over the rocks.

"Ew" Mica said softly and Ianto snorted.

"Yeah. Ew" he agreed, watching Owen approach and look up, "Owen, he's preoccupied, wanna see if you can scrape some paint off by driving under me?"

Owen's grin told Ianto he was eager to piss Suzie off more and he ran back to the SUV as Jack crouched over the Zomboid with a look of extreme interest. The engine had him rising to watch Owen drive it like he stole it, bouncing in the seat as he clutched the wheel with a maniacal grin and he did touch the tree with the bumper but managed to get under Ianto without too much scrapping.

"OK Love, cling to me, just me" Ianto crooned as Jack caught on and clambered to the roof of the SUV, within reach and he helped Ianto untangle himself from the branches to step down onto the roof of the reinforced cab.

"Hi" Jack said softly, Ianto held fast against him with the little one between, Ianto's blush as he looked back making Jack lose time.

"Finished?" Own asked, "She might wanna breathe now ya saved her. Shame to smother her to death."

Ianto laughed softly as he stepped back and Mica looked at the handsome man with the bluest eyes in the entire world. She smiled.

"Wow, she has your smile" Jack said softly, then he looked down and gestured for Owen to open the back, giving them another level to clamber down on. Once on firm ground Jack let Ianto walk off to one side away from the thing Owen was now taking photographs of with wonder.

"Mama's gone" she said sadly, "He eatted her."

"I'm sorry love, bad things happened and a lot of people are gone" Ianto decided on honesty, "We are scared too but we have to stick together and look after each other, right? Lisa is gone too, I am all alone."

Crypto leaned against them and Ianto snorted, "Apart from Crypto, we still have him and he's pretty cool he sez."

She threw her arms around the large creature and nuzzled into him as he comforted her and Ianto rose to walk back to the other two.

"It moved more like a quadruped, not upright, more on all fours. I've not seen that before" Ianto said as he crouched next to them, "Its back was hunched, it looked like something out of a video game."

"Yeah, thinking the same" Owen muttered, "Mutating. Maybe… sounds stupid but… regressing? I mean, early man used his hands maybe? Like monkeys?"

"Moved so fast" Ianto looked at Jack, "Faster on all fours than upright, like they are getting smart in that form."

"Agreed" Jack froened, "Same lack of hair, ugly skin…looks like he was trying to tear the clothing off."

"I think the problem is all the turns we've seen are fresh. This is the first one that has had a few days or so. What will they be like in a week?" Owen sat back on his heels and looked at Ianto, "Not in those files?"

"No, I think they put them down before that, or hid them better" Ianto rose to look back, checking Crypto was still happy to babysit.

"Well, I vote we nuke them from space" Owen rose as well, "Got a spaceship handy?"

Ianto laughed softly, "A Ripley quote? Really?"

"Aliens, the second movie. Loved that" Owen smiled, then it faded, "Although these look more like the ones in the third one. Mixed with dog DNA or something."

Ianto glanced at Crypto again as his face paled, "Or something."

"You said they didn't get him" Jack said as he swung to look as well.

"They didn't. His mate… she died on impact and her remains were… scattered." Ianto sighed, "We never found all of her to bury. The sirens were getting close and I had to hide him. I introduced him as my pet, like a normal dog. He came to work with me and hid in the archives most days, everyone thought he was a lovely doggie. Even Yvonne petted him with no idea he could bite her head off. When called on for ELite Missions he camewith. They thought he was a service animal or something."

"What the fuck are we talking about?" Owen asked softly, looking from one to the other then at the creature who was lifting its head to look back at them.

"Crypto is from the planet Gerovia" Jack said calmly, "Shape shifters who prefer animal form. Usually Dog or Cat or forms similar. They are telepaths, Jesus he must have been so relieved you were first on the scene."

"Actually I wasn't" Ianto grimaced, "The Heddlu officer wasn't telepathic and panicked when a dog the size of a horse appeared. He attacked and Crypto killed him. Then I came along and was able to show him an image in my mind of a dog, much better than a glow in the dark teeth gashing alien."

Owen blinked as he looked at the creature, "Shit."

"One of his favourite words too" Ianto laughed, "He likes you ya know."

"Thank fuck for that then."