14

Ianto is at the back sliding glass door. He hears the soft lapping of the pool, looks out - sees the fallen lantern lying on the concrete... but no Owen.

IANTO RUNS FOR THE POOL.

Arrives at the edge. Shines his light down into the dark water. Can't see Owen. Ianto reaches in... his hands searching... water splashing everywhere... desperate - AND THEN HE GRABS HOLD OF SOMETHING.

Pulls.

It's OWEN.

Coming up out of the water. Head sagging. Drenched. Lifeless.

"No no…. no... Owen, c'mon." Ianto strains with everything he's got and manages to hoist Owen out of the pool. Lays him on the concrete. Owen doesn't move at all. Ianto puts his ear to Owen's chest... listens for a heartbeat. His expression says it all - this isn't good. Ianto shakes Owen.

"Owen" he shouts desperately -Nothing. Owen's not moving. Not breathing. Ianto puts his hands into CPR position. He pumps on Owen's chest. Again. Again. - - Owen's whole body JOLTS as he coughs up water.

Gasps for breath.

Eyes blinking.

Taking in air.

He finally focuses on Ianto. Realizes he just saved his life.

Ianto holds a look with him - relieved.

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Toshiko enters a bathroom. Clutching her light in the darkness. She scans the small space. No sign of Gwen... about to leave when - there's a sound. Coming from behind the glass shower door. A dull THUMP... THUMP. Toshiko turns. Stares at the shower. She waits for the sound to come again, but it's just silence.

She takes a step closer.

Flashlight trembling in her grip. Trying to see through the opaque shower door glass. Another step - and THUMP! Something SLAMS against the other side of the glass. A DISTORTED FIGURE. One HAND - then another SLAMS against the glass!

Toshiko FREAKS!

Swings her light wildly as - the shower door creaks open and the figure stumbles out, colliding right into Toshiko!

Toshiko's light finally settles to see that it's Gwen. Her eyes are dazed. She looks totally disoriented. Traumatized. Toshiko holds her. Brushing the hair out of her face. Gwen's so scared, trying to get the words out –"He told me..."

Her voice fades. Eyes unable to focus.

"Hey. It's me. Gwen? It's Toshiko. Are you hurt?" Toshiko asks gently "Talk to me"

Gwen is falling apart. Shaking all over like she has hypothermia. "He's playing with us."

"Just breathe." Toshiko soothes, rubbing her arms as she tries to calm her down.

"This is the only thing he wants... that taste of life again." Gwen sobs "He finishes with us and then it's another game. It keeps going and going..."

Toshiko puts her flashlight into Gwen's hands."Gwen - I want you to stay right here. Turn on the water, stand under it … they cannot pass through moving water. You'll be safe."

"Don't leave me." Gwen sobs.

Toshiko pulls away...

"Toshiko!"

But she's gone. Hurrying off into the dark house.

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Jack is standing stock still as he feels the room undulate round him. Whatever this thing is, it has found him and is now closing in on him at a great rate of speed.

Ianto enters the room from a side door and stands with his back against the wall, watching as Jack slowly turns in a circle trying to see what it is trying to grab at his coat tails. Ianto knows this will hurt, but it is the only way as he takes a deep breath and raises his arms to waist level then slaps his hands together in a loud bang that seems to stop time, Jack in mid turn with his coat flying up and attached to the hem is an inky black hand.

Ianto calmly walks towards the entity, his hand reaching out to touch it and as contact is made the world speeds up again, Ianto now grasping the shoulder of the entity as Jack swings to face them.

"Ianto?" Jack whispers, then he looks at the boy. Yes. Late teens… eighteen…nineteen … clearly surprised to be here all of a sudden. "Hello there. I'm Captain Jack Harkness, I think someone just took your abilities for a moment or three."

Jack seizes the thing's hand while Ianto is holding it and the eyes suddenly burst into beams of light as he connects with it, Ianto groaning as he struggles to contain the being that writhes in his clutches, then grows still, the inky shadowing gone and a fully formed young man stands there.

Jack releases the hand as Ianto releases the shoulder and they both look at the young man who is looking at them with equal relief and fear. Ianto clearly struggling with the power needed to do what he just did, pulling the boy into the light.

"Like I said … I am Jack. That's Ianto. Hi. Why are you in my house?" Jack asks politely.

"I … I was sent for the Gleaner" the youth splutters "I was told … told he is powerful."

"Yes.. He is. So am I. Right? So much life in me. Took you by surprise.. imagine how it feels to be near me all the time. Ianto is. So … he's a Gleaner, with my power to feed off on a daily basis and they sent you here to … what… snatch him? You do see they sent you on a suicide mission, right? Ianto could kill you. Easily. They might think he already has with the world going quiet. They have no idea how strong he is… they only see the surface."

The youth blinks slowly "You… you are not what you seem either. You… you are … oh. I see. Yes. You are not from here … you are mixed with another. Your bloodline so strong with the old blood… as is his."

The youth turns to Ianto "Together you are so strong. I didn't stand a chance. I … sorry about your team. I was only doing my job. I was to scare you off … stop your snooping … take one or two for the scoreboard."

"Scoreboard, they keep score?" Ianto sighs "See? That is the difference … they call it scores, we call it losses. You were taken young, a forced becoming at an early age? Grew up in a unit? A cell of other like-minded Alts? A good solider. Only … this is the real world out here and they did not prepare you for this. For real people. You are being used … not fair. So not fair."

"You … you live with humans in peace" the youth looks at them with accusation "What about the betterment of our kind?"

"They ARE our kind. Did they not tell you? We are human. Just… more. Your parents are at least one of them human … their parents… you were born with an advanced gene that come from the ethos. You are human … a ….super human if you will, but human. Not a freak .. not a monster… definitely not a mutant. You are human, the next generation … a new stage in the evolution of mankind. You are killing your own people."

The youth seems to slump as he accepts this.

Jack places his hand on the youth's shoulder, this time comfortingly "Come on. Hungry? That meal is going to waste."

Jack led the youth into the other room giving Ianto a chance to drop to his knees, dry wretching from the pain of transference.

Hurts like a bastard… every time.

Only Jack.

Only Jack feels good.

Just him.

Only him.