9

The bell tolled.

Ianto was flying, looking over the city like Neo in the Matrix, his robes fluttering out and he even had the glasses.

Blood, the streets of London were doused with it, like rivers running as the blood of his children stained the earth.

Metal men were marching, their feet drumming on the cobbles

Boom

Boom

Boom

Boom.

Ianto woke with a strangled bark and swore as he rubbed his face. Stupid dreams, stupid baby hormones. Stupid movie, shouldn't' have watched it last night.

Matrix.

They had it easy.

The talk about Lisa with Rhys, then the movie and this weird feeling, this infernal headache banging on the back of his head. Ianto sighed. He rose and dressed, a nice suit with loose trousers and one of Jack's shirts so Bumpy was able to move freely.

They should discuss names, Bumpy was such a silly name for the future.

Ianto was soon restlessly prowling the vessel, something stirring in the back of his mind that wouldn't go away and he finally found Jack in the engine room behind a large turbine.

"Are you hiding from me?"

"Huh?" Jack turned to look at him with oil smeared on his face and a wrench in his hand, "The knocking was coming from the end piston in this one, and I had to replace a part. Did you hear it banging? We can move again now."

"Something is coming" Ianto said strongly, "What is it. I feel it, hovering over me, looming. What is it?"

Jack frowned as he looked at Ianto, then shrugged.

Ianto waited as Jack started to search his mind then he spoke, "Well, the cleansing begins soon. It was…is…about a year away?"

"Tell me what it is!" Ianto demanded.

"Well, they went house to house pulling Riftlings into the street, into large buses and taking them away. Those who ran or resisted were shot."

Ianto blinked, "and you didn't think to tell me this?"

"But its ages away." Jack defended with a frown. "After Bumpy is here and you are strong again!"

"Jack, Gwen was not supposed to die yet, Rhys jumped the gun. I saw it in your face" Ianto said softly, "If we are tinkering with time, keeping fixed points but moving their marker posts is it not possible we had sped up the entire progression?"

"Babe, I…I don't know" Jack frowned, "Why?"

"I've been having these dreams…looking through a fog or a mist. I am over the city looking down" Ianto said softly and Jack dropped the wrench making the sound echo though the vessel, the large boom like a bell tolling.

There is was.

The sound.

They moved to the flight deck and Ianto was soon searching as Jack and Tosh checked the servers at the Agency.

Jack swore as he saw the papers for the Cleansing already there.

They were following the progression. Gwen dies, the cleansing starts. Shit.

"Jack"

He turned to face his beloved and knew he couldn't lie, couldn't keep this part of the story from him and he sat, talking softly as others listened as well. He described the camps, the tests and the large mass graves.

"Jack, you know the words, words long since spoken, yet to be formed" Ianto said softly, "Tell me. Tell me what happens next."

"The Man" Jack whispered, his eyes large with fear, "The Man comes around."

"He comes around" Ianto repeated, "Cariad. Tell me. Think. Like words to an old song that only gets remembered once the music starts, think. Listen to the music in your soul. Tell me the words, the words long written down. Hear the words, as if sung…voices singing."

Jack's eyes flew open as he stared at Ianto and he could only swallow thickly as Ianto stepped closer, his breath soft as he whispered in his ear, "Tell me of the burning, tell me of the clay. Tell me Cariad for you are not the only one who feels it. Hear the angels singing, heard them marching to that drum, drum, drum, drum…tell me the words."

"Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still.
Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still.
Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still.
Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around."

"The…the song? Johnny Cash?" Ianto asked with shock, "Are…oh my god. Virgins. Innocents, right? He was a Riftling with foresight?"

"First time I heard that song on the radio I crashed the SUV" Jack snorted, "Couldn't for the life of me work out why, then I heard it again in a supermarket and I felt the ground shift like a quake."

Ianto breathed deeply as he listened and some fled the room to tell what they were hearing, Jack watching Ianto pale and hating himself for saying the words, the words that must be spoken.

When he was done he was shaking, Ianto's hands so cold within his. Then he felt it, like someone turning up a thermostat as those hands started to warm, then become almost too hot to hold and Ianto's face was changing to one of complete and utter fury.

"Well then…we still have a choice here" Ianto finally said, "The only question now is…who is the Man and who is the unjust."

As Ianto turned to look around the room Jack already knew.

.

.

.

.

.

"The Man is the Dragon King" Jax said as he looked away from the Old Mother and he addressed those around the fire, "The Man, who turns those to clay and others get wings. The Man is 'He With Whom Not to Fuck!' isn't he!"

"Yes baby" she purred as she reached out to stroke his hair, "One day you will remember that. The Man is a good Man, a just Man. Your Man. And all those who are called home shall be righteous too."

The small face that smiled up at her was full of love and she could only smile back as her hand stroked the face of her little love.

"Harken" she whispered, "Jax, Harken."

His eyes shone like sapphires even as the cleft chin wobbled.