A/N: Ianto by the pool.

Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian


It was strange to get out of the ship. Apparently the ship had Earth-like gravity because loss of weight came as a surprise to Ianto Mark 7. He bounced away and Vren had to pull him to the ground.

"Easy youngster" said Vren "don't want you to fly away so soon. This one" he pointed at Jack "is moody enough without you lot getting in trouble all the time."

Mark 7 felt somewhat relieved to be called 'youngster' instead of Flesh. It sounded so raw and unpleasant to be someone's Flesh version, like he had no soul anymore. Since when had he cared for his soul? Maybe since it was questionable if was he real at all.

He focused himself on his surroundings because Jack was already ahead talking to the human-like creature. It looked human but from up close Ianto could see his features were blended away like he was melting away. The creature looked at him and somehow Ianto knew it to be a Flesh, just like him. Would his features melt away in time? He hated that thought, he liked his face, or should he say, Ianto's face. That thought annoyed him. Nothing on him was his own, it was just an imitation. Jack entered the complex and Ianto followed thinking of the Hive they mentioned. Would he be able to plug himself in? One version of him had chosen to return to it. Maybe it had something plausible to offer.

They walked along dark and damp corridors and Ianto thought of how nothing really changes. People built these corridors in hope that they would stay new, shiny and metal, but time progressed on and like in the Hub everything was conquered by must and damp. It seemed they followed people into space too. All the cleaning this place would require to be at least fit for living was unbelievable. It seemed that Flesh didn't care much for tidiness or order. What did Flesh care about?

That seemed redundant as they stopped by the pool of beige liquid that bubbled and stirred like it was boiling. Everyone stared at it in silence. They said that Mark 2 jumped in.

"You mean to tell me that this is home" he spoke up.

"Think of it like a spa boy" said Trianca harshly. "If you mean to change sides do it quickly."

Ianto Mark 7 frowned.

"I wasn't aware that I'm on anybody's side" he grumbled.

"And that's the right way to see it" said an echo of his voice and from the shadow appeared his spitting image. He even wore the same suit, only his wasn't crumpled.

He was mesmerized by the version of himself. It was perfect in every way, but he surely wasn't so confident and arrogant, was he?

"Well this is an honor" said the other him and stopped to stand in front of him. "I've never seen myself like this, from the outside. Maybe I should create another me to keep me company, I'm rather dashing."

Ianto Mark 7 lifted his eyebrow ironically.

"Well I surely don't talk like that" he said. "What did you get here, an ego trip?"

The other him laughed out loud, cheerfully and careless.

"We could keep this one" he said to the pond, the pond responded with a burp.

"You're no fun" he sneered at it. "I know, we have our mission to fulfill, no time for fun."

"What mark are you? I'm Mark 7" said Ianto feeling strange saying it.

"I'm nobody's mark" he snapped at him. "I came in first, but even that makes me second, always second, no one important enough to…" Mark 2, apparently, leaned his face in but then he stopped and looked at him thoughtfully. "Mark 7" he smiled, "I'll let you find out for yourself. He was harsh to all of us in the end. You are standing by his side because everyone before you left."

"Don't be rude" Jack snapped at him. "It's hard on all of us and you know it, don't pretend you don't. I thought you'd be smart enough to stop them from making new Iantos."

"I'm not the boss of them" Mark 2 turned towards Jack. "You should know I'm not a boss of anything."

Muscles played under Jack's skin and Ianto Mark 7 knew he was making an effort not to yell, the sad part was that Mark 2 had to know it as well, he knew everything of Jack, like he did.

"Maybe not the boss, but you have the intel, you're on the inside now" Jack growled under his breath, controlling his anger.

"Is that why you came?" Mark 2 advanced at him. "To check in on your spy" he stopped when he was an inch away from Jack, Jack didn't back away although Ianto felt he wanted to "because I'm not that anymore, I'm one of them now, I was created that way."

"By whom and why" Jack asked calmly and Ianto Mark 7 had to admire his guts, Mark 2 looked furious. Ianto Mark 7 thought he could never look like that, intimidating.

Mark 2 looked at him infuriated for a few seconds, then he lifted his hand like he would touch Jack's face but he just let his hand fall down, diverting his gaze looking sad now. Ianto Mark 7 kept watching Jack and now he could see the sorrow on his face that Mark 2 didn't see. It was just a moment of weakness, his face was stern again when Mark 2 lifted his gaze.

"I don't know. The Hive doesn't know either" he sighed. "Someone out there has an amount of raw Flesh that isn't free yet. That's why you were summoned, that's why I was also summoned, to find that someone and free that Hive. Unless you want to bombard us all and be done with it."

"That's not why I'm here" Jack shook his head. "I came to negotiate a truce with this Hive."

"That's the condition of the truce, you have to prove yourself by freeing that Hive" Mark 2 said wistfully "I was to accompany you, but you have your version on board already" he glanced at Mark 7.

"You can come too" Jack said reluctantly and Mark 2 laughed again acting cocky and arrogant.

"Again you with your chivalry, haven't you realized by now that it only brings pain? Besides I couldn't stand to be near him that long" he said with disdain. "When you find it and release it from mind control we'll know instantly. Then we'll make peace."

"Ok, where should I look?" said Jack firmly.

"If we knew we wouldn't need you, would we?" Mark 2 stared at him and Jack stared back, finally lifting a smile on a side.

"Of course you wouldn't" he said cockily and Mark 7 felt a jolt of something unpleasant, he didn't like to see Jack smile at that other him.

Mark 2 obviously felt something too because he got enraged.

"I hate you, you monster" he said with a heavy voice, Mark 7 didn't realize his voice could be so deep, and Mark 2 grabbed Jack's face with his hands.

They stood there frozen and Mark 7 took one step forward but then stopped wondering what he could do. It looked like Mark 2 would kiss Jack but instead he just started to shake. Finally Jack reached up and removed Mark 2's hands from his face.

"Why doesn't it hurt you?" Mark 2 cried and fell to the floor. "You're the monster here, not me" he said weakly.

"It does" said Jack stiffly and turned away with a stony expression. "We'll get your Hive free."

With that they left. Mark 7 hesitated but then he approached Mark 2 and crouched beside him while he sat on the ground.

"We're not monsters" said Mark 7 in low voice "not you, not me, not him."

"Of course you would say that" he murmured back darkly and Mark 7 did only thing he could think of, he reached out and put his palm on Mark's 2 face; that made him look up.

"Why should we love him" he asked, now looking bewildered. "He never loved us back, not then, not now, we were just a consolation to him, and he will never love us."

"It was never about him loving us back, remember?" Ianto smiled kindly, he felt compassion for Mark's 2 sorrow, and he also could feel that sorrow.

"What it was about then? Remind me" Mark 2 now sounded like a child "because all the memories got mixed by anger and nothing is sure anymore. You still remember it well."

"It was about purpose, he gave us that" Mark 7 said gently. "And the love was good to, it was a peaceful feeling remember."

"I do remember that" Mark 2 sighed "that's why it hurts so much not be able to touch him, more so, him not wanting to touch us back."

"You must not obsess about that, remember what happened with Lisa? There are other things to do besides caring for Jack, remember them. Just look around, doesn't this place need tiding up? What do you lot do all day when you let your home fall into disrepair like this?"

"Do?" Mark 2 frowned and looked around. "We don't do much, the Hive provide us everything, but you're right, I've noticed how messy everything is but never thought I could do something."

"I'm sure you can, I wouldn't want to come back and see it like this dump and dark, why would I choose your side, you don't advertise well" Mark 7 joked a bit.

Mark 2 looked at him and frowned.

"Our side, that's right, stay, stay with us, we'll protect you from him, you don't have to die for him" Mark 2 demanded.

"No, I don't think I will" Mark 7 shook his head "they promised to leave me somewhere civil, you should try that too, we loved Lisa and Jack, surely we can love someone else."

"Yes" Mark 2 nodded, "sure we can, and you do that, get away from him, and shave, your stubble has grown, you don't want him to touch your face because of it. His touch hurts like hell, we should have left him in it to rot, and none of us would be here without him."

"Ok, I will shave" Mark 7 smiled thinking how silly and scared Mark 2 looked "for you, and for myself it's terrible" he rubbed his stubble. "Will you be fine?"

"Yes" Mark 2 took a deep breath "thanks to you I will. Thank you" he extended his hand and Mark 7 took it.

They held each other by the hand and Mark 2 stared at him.

"I like you, I never expected to like you" he said thoughtfully "we're so used in hating our reflections here that I forgot how benevolent my memories were. Don't let that change when you see monstrosity in him."

"Why would I see monstrosity in Jack?" Mark 7 frowned.

"You'll see, he's not the same smiling, flirting Jack we remember, time has changed him, he's grown cold and mighty, he thinks he knows what's right, and that's dangerous."

"I'll keep that in mind" said Mark 7 feeling strange reluctance to leave Mark 2 out here alone but he couldn't really drag him out so he leaned forward and gave him a tight hug.

"I like you too" he said in his ear "and you're not a monster, not if you choose not to be one, and don't worry, I will know to drop Jack if he chooses to become one."

"Beware" said Mark 7 as they parted "he will want to destroy the Hive when you find it, because it contains an essence that make us Ianto-like. Protect it from him because we will cease to be if it disappears, and if others aren't keen on living, I like to be me."

"I doubt he would do that" said Mark 7 getting up and helping Mark 2 to his feet "but I'll stop him if he tries, I like being me too."

Mark 2 laughed again but this time without sharp end, just amused.

"I bet you do" he said and with that they parted.


Well we have our assignment, lets see how it goes.