The lightning stopped, and the stench of ozone made Ianto want to be sick. Jennifer was hunched over, panting. Ianto knew what a first quickening did to a person. The first time? Well, he'd been amazed his body hadn't exploded into flesh and bone confetti. The pain was excruciating and the pleasure just as immense. Ianto saw a mad, hungry look in Jennifer's exhausted face. Her hair was in disarray as she threw it back, laughing. She wiped tears from her eyes and stood up, unsteady and wobbling. She ran her hands through her hair and then slid them down her neck and chest. She rubbed along her breasts and down her belly, squeezing her legs together as she panted. Her eyes were wild and dazzling. Miranda had warned him that some immortals became addicted to the sensation, that it was more powerful than any sex act or drug and it was working into Jennifer's blood.

"Wow…" she gasped.

She was certainly handling her first quickening better than Ianto had. "Jennifer? Are you all right?"

"Oh yeah," she said, smiling. She ran her hand through her hair again and laughed. She looked at Ianto's face and saw the expectant look. "Oh, right, sorry."

She put down Kent's sword to free up her hands. She dragged Kent's body off towards the shelves, leaving a long smear of blood. Then she walked over to Ianto and bent down.

"It's your turn," she said. Instead of untaping his arms and legs, she grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him into the centre of the room. She dropped him and then wiped her hands. She stepped back and picked up Kent's sword again, pointing it at him. "Let me guess? You thought I was gonna untie you. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids."

Ianto felt his stomach up in his throat. When he'd woken up in the warehouse, he knew he was lucky to be alive. Now, he understood just how lucky. He wasn't surprised Jennifer had betrayed him. He wasn't completely thick and he'd never completely trusted her. He'd hoped for the best and expected the worst. What had surprised him was how much the betrayal hurt. It had drained more from his spirit than he thought it would or should. Ianto wondered if he'd ever take a chance like this again. Would he never be able to trust anyone? And if he did, would it cost him his life?

He'd have plenty of time to ponder the philosophy of it all and kick himself later. He needed to regroup, be calm and rational. A sword is only as sharp as the mind that wields it… He shifted his hands to test the bonds. There was no way he'd manage to break them from behind. The only hope he had would be to get his hands in front of him, somehow. He wiggled. Sharing a bed with Jack Harkness had certainly made him flexible enough. Her voice brought his attention back to her. She was pointing the sword at him, wagging the point back and forth.

"You know, you might want to rethink the whole gay thing because I swear, when I shake my ass and puff out my tits all you men start thinking with the downstairs brain." She gave him a nasty look and smirked. "This was all way too easy. Fooling Perry. Fooling you?" She planted the point of the sword on the floor and leaned on the hilt and Ianto tried not to wince again at the mistreatment.

"You know, there's two types of men in the world. Men like this son of a bitch here." She kicked Kent's body and then pointed the blade at him again. "Then there's men like you. And I'm pretty sure your kind's worse. A man like this? You know exactly where you stand. You know your place." She'd emphasized the word with another sharp kick. "But you? You 'knight in shining armour' types? You're the ones women gotta watch out for. You wine and dine and smile. You're the ones who treat us real nice. All disarming, like." She leaned over and seized Ianto's face. "Then, one day, the factory shuts down and you lose your job. And then? Then you start drinking. Start knocking around your wife. Your kids. And everyone wonders what happened to that good, sweet man you used to be, but the truth was that you were always an asshole. You just hid it better than men like Perry."

He gave her a disappointed look. "I'm a man of my word, Jennifer."

She let out a sarcastic snort. "Ain't no such thing."

"I wanted to help you.I still do. Let me help you," he pleaded.

"I didn't ask for your fucking help. I don't want it," she spat. She lifted the sword, giving it a few swings. "And it looks like I don't need it, neither."

As she continued to test the sword, Ianto watched how she handled the weapon carefully. He felt confident he could get his bound hands in front him and also defeat her. The swing for Kent's head had been a lucky one. Her stance and grip all spoke of someone who had little or no training. Still, it would be better if he didn't face her unarmed. His own sword was still laying on the crate. The swords weren't the only weapons Ianto needed to worry about. Jennifer obviously wasn't above using the guns and Ianto was certain she knew how to aim and fire correctly though her accuracy may be questionable.

He'd have to worry about that later. The more immediate concern was the duct tape around his wrists and ankles. Now, he understood why Miranda walked around armed to the teeth with concealed blades all over her person. If Ianto had something hidden within his belt or his shoe, the duct tape would be a simple matter but he had nothing. Hindsight

He'd have to move very quickly. He looked around and began to plan. Once he was free, he'd need to find immediate cover. The shelving behind him was completely full of various crates and boxes. Playfully swinging the sword about would only distract Jennifer for so long. Ianto didn't think he had time to wait for a moment when she was turned away. He shifted, dropping his shoulders as far as he could while arcing his back. He blew all the air out of his lungs, stretching his belly and chest. The movement squeezed his shoulder blades together even more, dropping his wrists lower.

With one quick movement, he slid his taped wrists under his rear and brought his legs through. Jennifer immediately noticed her prize was escaping. She turned, and started to run towards Ianto with the sword raised. He rolled, so he was sitting with his knees bent. He put his arms between his knees and with all his might pushed his legs apart. It worked, the tape ripped. He rolled away just as the sword came down exactly where he'd been sitting. He landed a firm head butt to the side of her face, then sprang up and bolted for the shelves. He ran down a few rows and then stopped, quickly toeing off his shoes. He put them on top of a box, pushing them out of sight. He ran down the row to the end. His feet slapped the concrete, feeling uncomfortable and harsh. He made a mental note to begin running in the archives without shoes once in a while… if he got out of this. He put his back against the metal and listened.

Jennifer's footsteps sounded close but far enough away that he had a few moments. He took a deep breath and held it. He puffed out his chest and then bent his arms. As hard as he could he slammed his elbows into his body. The tape around his wrists ripped. He was free. He yanked the tape off and pushed it out of sight. With his socked feet, he began slowly making his way back to Kent's body and his own sword. The sound of Jennifer's footsteps was getting further away.

He ignored Kent's headless corpse as he reached for his sword. He quickly checked the edge, glad to see it was undamaged. The point could use some honing but he could take care of that later. The next thing he picked up was Kent's gun; probably an item he'd purchased locally on the streets. He went over the weapon quickly. The revolver certainly looked like it'd been through the mill but it looked functional. It would have been more helpful if it wasn't empty. Ianto knelt down and began to dig through Kent's pockets, locating a handful of bullets. He quickly opened the chamber and tipped it back. The empty casings fell out onto the floor and he winced at the sharp metallic noise, looking around for Jennifer. He began loading the gun as quickly as he could, listening for her shoes. He put the loaded gun into the waistband of his trousers and walked over to the shelving. He put his sword down the back of his shirt, the crossguard resting on his collar and began to climb.

When he reached the top, he looked around and found that he hadn't been the only one with the idea. Shawn Graham was crouched between two boxes, attempting to hide while also observing. He shot Shawn a look of concern but the Watcher shook his head and gave him a thumbs up. He was fine. Ianto returned to his own situation. It had been a few minutes but Jennifer showed no signs of returning. She had no real reason to come back. She had Kent's sword and Ianto's gun. He was about to climb back down when he heard a door open and shut. A few moments later, he saw her. She must have assumed he'd fled and wasn't coming back so she'd turned her attention to Kent's body. She was carrying a large roll of thick bin liners. She obviously didn't know that the Watchers would take care of it for her.

Turnabout is fair play… he thought. He raised the revolver and took careful aim. He fired off all six rounds and Jennifer fell forward, trying to brace herself but fell into the shelf in front of her. Ianto could feel Shawn's eyes staring into him like daggers in an unspoken accusation. He gave the Watcher an offended look and began to climb down.

He dragged her body and left it by Kent's. While he'd waited for Jennifer to revive, Ianto had retrieved his shoes and the bits of duct tape. He saw no reason to leave a mess behind and he liked those shoes. After he took back his gun from her, he leaned against one of the crates and continued to wait. He knew what he needed to do but he spent the entire time trying to find another way. Miranda would kill her without hesitation. Despite Henry's assurance that their teacher wouldn't follow her own advice, if Miranda allowed her to live, it would've shocked Ianto. Duncan, at the other end of the spectrum, would let Jennifer go with a deadly warning to never cross his path again. He wondered what Henry would do. Would he let Jennifer go? Would he kill her? Ianto put the thought out of his mind. It didn't matter what anyone else would do. It only mattered what he was going to do and his mind only saw one way.

When he'd been in the alternate reality, he'd had no code of honour. He had fought when opportunity knocked or the whim struck him. Sometimes it was in his own defence and sometimes not. He'd been a loner then, but not anymore. If he let her go, he doubted he would ever see her again but he couldn't take that risk. The Game was what gave him and Jack more time together. Every threat he allowed to persist, was a threat to him and Jack's future together.

But this wasn't just about his safety. If he let her go, even if she never crossed his path again, she'd go on with her deceptions and scams and others would die. Miranda had advised him early on to find his own code of honour within the Game, to find what was and was not acceptable to him. She'd double crossed Kent. She'd tried to kill him. She wasn't a manipulated and naive girl. She knew exactly what she was doing and had all along. This was about duty. People like Jennifer made the Game more deadly for them all and the Game was deadly enough. They policed their own and Ianto wouldn't allow someone like this out of the penalty box. This was her red card.

He was leaning against one of the crates, his legs crossed at the ankles. He didn't look up when she gasped to life. She let out a long string of hacking coughs, rolling onto all fours. Ianto knew exactly how she felt. Dying and coming back once was straining enough. Dying and coming back twice in a few hours was enough to make you feel like a lorry had dragged you half a mile and you hadn't eaten or drank in weeks.

"I'd offer you some water, but I don't have any," he said.

"Eat shit and die, asshole," she snapped. The loud comment earned her another coughing fit.

"How colourful," he said, rolling his eyes. He pushed off the crate and brushed the bits of wood from his suit. He took off his suit jacket, tossing it aside. Then he made a great show of rolling up his shirt sleeves. He dropped Kent's sword onto the ground and kicked it towards her. "I'll give you five minutes to rest. Try to run and I'll hunt you down."

Ianto saw no fear in Jennifer's eyes, only defiance. Instead of resting as he advised, she reached for the sword and stood up. She jumped up and down a few times, swinging her arms, trying to loosen them. Under the guise of warming up, she dropped the sword and bolted. Ianto reacted just as quickly. He bent for discarded weapon and ran, overtaking her and blocking her path. She tried to push passed him but he shoved her. She fell backwards, staring up at him with fearful eyes. He could see that fear was genuine now; the falseness not masked with nervous fidgeting. He tossed the sword to her side.

"Pick it up," he ordered.

"Stop being a fucking pussy and just do it!" she shouted at him.

"Pick it up," he repeated.

"Don't got the balls to kill a defenseless woman," she sneered.

Perceptions were everything in the Game. He wasn't a murderer or an executioner but she didn't need to know that. Channeling Miranda, Ianto leaned forward and put the edge of his sword against her neck. "If you think I can't kill you because you won't fight back, you're wrong. If you think I can't kill you because your non-functional reproductive organs are on the inside rather than the outside, you're also wrong. I'm trying to give you a fighting chance. Some of us might say that's foolish but it's a question of honour - something you and Kent clearly knew nothing about. So pick up that sword."

With a dry sob, she rolled and obeyed. She stood up and held the blade up. Slowly, determination crept over her face. Maybe she convinced herself she could get lucky. She attacked, swinging laterally and Ianto parried the blow but didn't riposte. He swung in retaliation, and she blocked it awkwardly. The force of his swing sent her off balance. He eased back, fighting simply to allow her to adjust and she was barely keeping up with him. He bypassed several opportunities to wound her, trying to give her more of a chance.

Now, Ianto was regretting this. His earlier assumption was correct. Jennifer had no training whatsoever. He should have done her the courtesy of just killing her. This fight was a sick joke. A gesture that had meant to be a kindness was causing her suffering. It hadn't been his intention, but he was mocking her and toying with her. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that. He saw the terror on her face. She knew she couldn't win and drawing this out was torturing her. As the seconds ticked away, the terror and panic spread further over her face until fearful tears began to fall. Ianto could see her free hand was shaking.

Her strength was fading. Her next swing was weak and Ianto easily blocked it. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it and she dropped the sword as pain shot up her arm. He turned, switching the grip and driving the point of his sword straight into the middle of her chest. Her eyes went wide and she gasped. He closed his eyes, feeling the guilt wash over him.

"It didn't have to be this way," he said. He bit back the apology that nearly escaped. He clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth together. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her opening her mouth. Was she about to beg? Ianto didn't give her the chance.

"There can be only one," he said, hollowly. He yanked the blade from her chest and swung.

Once her head fell forward, Ianto closed his eyes. He dropped his sword with a metallic crash and stepped back, leaning against the end of the shelves. He felt the hairs on his arms raise as the electricity charged the air. His skin crawled from it. As the quickening took hold, Ianto gripped his chest. He held on tightly, riding out the pain and the pleasure. When it was over, he sank down, burying his face in his hands.

When he felt someone touch his shoulder, he jerked away, startled. Shawn took a step back, holding his hands up. "Woah! It's just me."

Ianto relaxed. He settled back down, feeling his come soaked pants shifting beneath his trousers. They were uncomfortably cold and sticky. He knocked his head back against the shelves and opened his eyes. He stared down at Jennifer's body and banged his head against the shelves a little harder.

"Hey, hey! Stop that," Shawn snapped. He knelt down and shook Ianto's shoulder. "You did what you had to, man. It was the right move."

He let out a rueful chuckle and banged his head against the shelving again. "You think so, yeah?"

"I do," he repeated.

Ianto shook his head and spat on the ground. He stood up and angrily stomped towards the warehouse exit. He didn't look at Shawn as he pushed past him but said, "You're not the one who has to live with it."

Shawn took out his mobile and was about to call in the cleaning crew but he stopped. He bent down for Ianto's sword and then ran out of the warehouse, catching Ianto by the arm.

"Hey, Ianto, wait…"

"Piss off, Shawn." He tried to shove Shawn off but failed.

"Look, I get it. The Game sucks. I'm not just your Watcher, Ianto, I'm your friend." Shawn let go of Ianto's arm and stepped back. He pointed between them and the warehouse. "This is important to me and I don't just mean my damn job. I'm not supposed to get involved but you must be really fucking stupid if you think it's easy for me to stand there and watch while you're unconscious on the floor. I actually care about you, Ianto. You're my friend. You know how many Watchers are on the take? Pushing the lines and working the grey zone? Believe it or not, you need me. I'm the only friend you got on the inside."

"I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help." Ianto reached into his suit jacket pocket and took out a packet of cigarettes and lit one. "This isn't going to get any easier is it?"

"Man, I've seen some fucked up shit since I became a Watcher. I'm sure you've seen the same at Torchwood. No, it doesn't get any easier." Shawn reached out and took a cigarette, swapping it for the sword. Ianto lit it for him.

Shawn blew the smoke out and sighed. "There are some nasty people in the Game, Ianto, and you just removed one from play and kept another one from springing up in his place. It was a clean fight."

"That should make me feel better but it doesn't," Ianto said, inhaling deeply. "And I didn't remove Kent. Jennifer did."

"Yeah, well, you say potato… If you hadn't killed her, she would've gone on playing dirty. A leopard don't change its stripes," Shawn said.

"I know." He took one more small puff and then crushed the cigarette under his shoe.

Shawn smiled and said, "I mean I could give you some horseshit about being the change you want to see in the world…"

Ianto laughed and shook his head. "But you won't do that."

"Nah, man, I'm too classy," he replied with a smile. He held out his mobile. "We're just east of the city. Wentloog Avenue. Just take the phone and call up Jack or someone to come pick you up. It's a long ass walk back to the Hub."

Ianto took the phone from him and, after a moment's indecision, dialed Henry's number. "Henry? Yeah I'm fine, mate… Wentloog and Lamby, by the roundabout… Right… Thanks… Cheers, mate."

He rang off and was about to hand the phone back to Shawn when he saw the screen. Shawn's recent calls had come up automatically. He raised an eyebrow at the last dialed number.

"You have my husband on speed dial?" Ianto asked, turning Shawn's phone around.

Trying to lighten the mood, Shawn shrugged and said, "Yeah, well, you know, I'm a straight man who's comfortable and secure in my sexuality but if I ever get curious about playing for the other team, I want my tips from the best…" He trailed off at the look on Ianto's face. He took his mobile back and put it into his pocket. "All right, all right… Jack asked me to keep him in the loop. So I did."

He could see Ianto's temper flare. Shawn held up his hand. "Hey, look, man. I'm not one to poke my nose where it don't belong-"

Ianto rolled his eyes and spoke over him. "Says the guy who follows me everywhere…"

"-but you should ease up on him. I don't want to be the one to point out the fact that you just called up your old pal Henry instead of your husband to come get you. I get you're trying to keep this away from Jack because it worries him but he loves you. He's never gonna stop worrying about you. I admit he could go about it better sometimes but having me shoot him a call to let him know you still got your head doesn't hurt anybody."

Ianto put his hands on his hips and nervously asked, "What did you tell him?"

"Don't worry. I just told him you won. I didn't tell him about anything else that went down. Give me some credit. I'm not that stupid," Shawn assured. He slouched a bit and asked, "We cool?"

Ianto nodded and reached out for Shawn's hand. "Yeah. We're cool."

Shawn tapped on his phone to bring in the appropriate cleaning crews. "You should get out of here."

"What's going to happen to her?"

"You really wanna know how that goes down?"

Ianto nodded.

"She's got next of kin so that makes it more complicated. It doesn't happen often," Shawn said, shrugging. "We'll transport the body back to the States. We'll figure out which city they last thought she was in then dump it there in a well known crime area. Probably make up a story - ritual gang killing for initiation or extremist religious based beheading works as a cover these days…"

Ianto expected as much. He would've done the same - a coverup is a coverup whether it was immortals or aliens. "Will you give me contact information for her next of kin?"

"You don't want to go doing that, Ianto," Shawn warned. "That isn't going to make this easier."

"No, but it'll be easier on her family if they don't have to pay for a funeral," Ianto said.

"Suit yourself," Shawn said. "I can't give it to you until after this whole thing plays out though."

"Fair enough."

The two of them looked up as a car pulled up. Shawn raised his hand, waving at Henry. Henry got out of the car, stepping forward with his sword drawn. A nervous look passed between Ianto and Shawn and Shawn began to back away… just in case.

"I had no way of knowing if you were under duress," Henry said, putting his sword back in his coat. He turned as the Watcher van pulled up behind his car. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I take it the situation is resolved?"

Ianto nodded.

"Miss Richter?" Henry asked, delicately.

Shawn nervously scratched at his head and wandered away. Ianto didn't say anything. He just walked towards the car with his head down. His silence was all the answer Henry needed.