14

Moses was sniffing the shoes with a look of disgust and Ianto looked at them with surprise "Where did these come from?"

I don't know

Ianto rose from the cat carrier he had just released Moses from and looked around the house. These shoes were not his. They were not even polished for goodness sake and he pulled his sidearm as he began checking the rooms, Moses heading back into his carrier he had only just vacated.

Ianto reached the main room's doorway and stopped, scenting the air as he felt something in the bottom of hi gut, whirling to strike out. He struck the man in the jaw, sending him flying into the wall and the second man fired off a warning shot that did not have the desired effect.

Kitty was ready to play with this red dot.

Ianto never made a sound, the entire thing in silence as he stepped forward and swung, the man staggering back as he bounced off furniture and walls, Ianto calmly swatting at him as if he were a fly and the gun was long gone as Ianto finally tired of the game and seized the man by his shirt front, head butting him.

He had forgotten about the first one.

The shot was loud after the silent display and Ianto grunted with surprise as he felt the bite to his shoulder, turning slowly with his mouth open, displaying his teeth.

The man faltered, the gun wavering as Moses screeched and latched onto his arse, the leap of faith impressive.

Now Ianto was beyond enraged as he saw his little man defend and with a huff of indignation he took only two steps to cross the entire room, almost floating through the air with an animalistic grace to seize the man and lift him by his throat until his head connected with the ceiling … maybe a few times.

Ianto made sure Moses has disengaged before dropping the man, not wanting to accidentally harm the little guy, then he crouched and started patting down the two unconscious men. UNIT, naturally.

He found the earwig that one had lost, popping it in to hear the voices still clambering to understand the weird noises their end.

"Do you think it was him?"

"Shamus, sound off! Did you get him? Shamus, if you cannot break silence give two taps, remember your instructions ya moron."

Ianto tapped the earwig twice, also pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping something else sure to get a response. He then settled into a kitchen chair with a nice cup of coffee to wait for the extraction team.

And the hit squad.

You know … in that black SUV with a sweet little man hanging out the window screaming with rage while Gwen tries to pull him back in, Jack ignoring them all while he grinds his teeth. Tosh in the back seat strapped in as she works as if she is not being tossed about like a salad.

That one.

Interesting times.

Ianto nodded his agreement to the cat who now sat primly on the chest of the hallway prey, licking his foot with that distracted nonchalance only a feline can possess.

"Shamus, we are on you."

Ianto turned to watch the door open and four enter, pausing as they looked at the mess and the two men laying prone on the floor.

"They are not dead …just …. In stasis. I might release them … if I want to" Ianto informed the one who did not look, but stared directly at him. "I suggest you take a seat and we discuss things. Ah. Here he is now."

Finally the man spoke "He?"

"Captain Harkness of course" Ianto smiled sweetly, "You didn't think I would have a party without the main entertainment, did you"

"Ianto's parties are always to die for" Jack said was he seemed to fly into the house, the Great Coat filing the hallway like it was twice its size and Ianto felt a flowing of warmth entering with it.

"I was just saying … ah … Moses, not nice. He might need that!" Ianto said as the cat paused it's claw sharpening stretch and looked at the crotch it was using, then grunted as Owen bounced in and picked him up for a health check and cuddle.

"Are you OK sweets? Did the big ugly men get stinky breath in here? Awwww, poor little man. Come on, we will go to the garden and play with their laser sights, yeah?"

Jack pulled out a chair and sat, grinning at the man "Hamish. Hello there old man. Thought you had been retired after you blew that bus up on Honduras. Well, well, well. According to scuttlebutt you are a bit …well … hot potato at the moment. UNIT are disavowing all knowledge of this exercise."

"Pity" Ianto said blandly to Jack like they were having a private conversation, "had they leverage I may have considered arguing their case but it seems they have nothing to bring to the table."

"Literally" Jack smiled.

"Ah. Well. Eeny, Meeny or Moe?" Ianto asked.

Jack raised his eyebrows and Ianto pointed to the two prone men on the floor, then Hamish, "Eeny, Meeny or Moe?"

"Oh. Ah….." Jack closed his eyes and place a hand over them, pointing with the other.

"Meeny it is" Ianto nodded, "Fine. He is forfeit."

The world seemed to slow as it happened.

Gwen and Tosh instinctively flattened themselves against a wall as the Mata entered with a swirl of leaves and rose petals, seizing the one Ianto pointed at and dragging him from the house, his screams as he roused to find hell approaching muted.

Time resumed and what had been seen by Ianto in normal time was as if fast forwarded at x30 by those around him, the man called Hamish leaping from his chair with a bark if horror.

"Next?" Ianto asked sweetly "They might still be hungry."

Hamish stared at Ianto, then slid back into the chair.

Jack smiled softly as he settled back to listen to what the hell was happening here.

.

.

.

.

No. He had not noticed. It would be later that Jack notices blood for the first time and sees that Ianto was shot.