In Wales namely Cardiff there was usually a variety of oddness which normally attributed to Torchwood who didn't exactly hide their presence in the city. So even a platinum blonde and deeply tanned man walking beside another tanned man whose hair was pulled into a ponytail didn't cause much of a fuss even if his compatriot's tattoos did raise the hunches of the more xenophobic residents.

"Monitor the move in for the new base of operations," the shorter of the two said. "I'm going to be exploring the area for things that we might need or be interested in."

"Is that wise Master Malik?" The taller one asked.

"I'm prepared for any fool that dares to cross me," he flashed what looked like a rod at the taller one. "You have no need to worry about me. Now go."

"As you wish," the taller one said bowing to the other before leaving him alone. Malik allowed himself to breath in harbor air as he walked down the wharf. Cardiff was a good place to open a base of operations. Especially since there seemed to be a boom in these "unusual" items that were now flooding the underworld market. Malik himself wasn't sure on what these parts or even where they came from but he'd been made aware of it ever since those...creatures attacked his base in Damascus. No one messed with his organization but most of all no one missed with his family. He had made sure to raze those people to the ground for their impudence and sheer gall. Malik was not a man that usually indulged in petty squabbles like some criminal overlords but this one he took exception too.

As he walked he noticed that there were men going into a warehouse nearby the wharf. Finely dressed men too that would have no business being in this section of town at this time of the night unless they were into his kind of business dealings. So what were they doing here?

Malik quietly slinked towards them keeping enough distance to be not noticed but close enough to hear the conversation. He stood in the shadows listening to a fool prattle on and on to their evidentially new recruit on how they had no purpose anymore or meaning their lives so they wasted their time on fighting a mere beast called a Weevil instead of looking for a meaning. The sheer vulgarity of beating some hapless creature and they used excuse that they had no meaning in their lives to justify this behavior would've made anyone disgusted. In fact, as it was normally it would've infuriated him since he'd discovered his own purpose by doing something but instead Malik's face curved into a sadistic smile at the men as he stood unnoticed in the shadows of the warehouse. They wanted purpose? Well he could fix that issue very well.

You wish to have purpose, he lifted up the Millennium Rod in there direction make them all freeze under his command. In his mind he heard the screams and the yelling of their minds of shock and fear as control of their bodies was wrestled from them. He pushed down hard on their minds silencing them in shock.

"You who say that you have no purpose have one now. From this day, you now live to serve my will should I deem you worthy", he thought to them. Most began with the standard "You can't do this to me?!" or "What is happening?! How is this possible?!" to a regular favorite: "Do you know who I am?!" to the most famous one: "Let me go! Let me go please! I'll do anything!" Really these people had no originality what so ever.

All these like so many others throughout the decade or so he'd been on the surface were ignored and squished by his might of his will. He'd gotten better in time with smashing the wills of those that stood against him. They didn't register anymore save for amusement. He smiled as he walked out of the shadows calling them forward. All of them came forward to be ready to be reshaped and remolded into something useful. Something with purpose as they so desperately wished to have. Well he was fulfilling that desire make no mistake. First though he'd weed out the weak ones. No sense in picking up useless people that would perish.

"Now then," he smiled. "Fight to see which will have the honor to serve me." If they were so eager to fight it out then he could oblige them if only to weed out the weaker ones.

"First thing, you," he pointed to the leader of the group. "Kill this beast." The beast in question was currently snarling at them from behind the cage looking ready to attack. "It's useless to me."

"Yes Master," the man said walking into the cage and with his bare hands he began beating down the beast. It took a while to subdue the animal...far too long in Malik's opinion, he'd have to punish the man for taking too long on that. Man fell down mortally wounded and the beast breathed it's last and soon laid on the floor dying.

"Drag the trash out," Malik ordered the remaining men. "Then fight to see who will have the honor of serving me."

"Yes Master Malik," they all said tonelessly turning back to cage. Together they dragged the dying man out throwing him to the ground like the trash he was and then went in to fight going in two by two. Soon they began to fight each other with the victor fought the next contender and the next until there were only five left standing...Good he had the better ones now.

"You are all my pawns to serve me as your new purpose. Now come," he commanded the survivors. They nodded helplessly as they followed him into the shadows for him to command and do as he saw fit now. His new legion of soldiers with a new purpose. He'd come to scout but now brought in new recruits. This was a good night for him. Now to return to the lair and Rishid...

"Bloody hell," Gwen whispered as they walked into a quite literal bloodbath. This wasn't what they were expecting after all. What they thought would be them arresting a bunch of foolish people turned into something that Gwen had only seen once with Torchwood and hoped she wouldn't again. It was jarring to say the least. She rushed over towards the bodies feeling for pulses and seeing if they were breathing...Most were breathing but badly wounded which Gwen tried to wrap up with some gauze provided by a helpful Ianto while others were dead.

"Owen!" Toshiko cried out as she found their teammate among the group. She held his wrist checking his pulse and soon she sagged with relief as she found something.

"He's alive," Toshiko sobbed. "Barely."

"I'll get him a hospital in fact I'll call on the way there to see if they can get someone out here," Ianto said grabbing him in a fire men's carry and running off towards where they'd parked the SUV. She trusted that Ianto would be able to get him a hospital.

"What in the ever loving heaven happened here?" She looked at Jack who looked a bit shell shocked at the scene. This was bad if the world weary immortal man looked shocked.

"That's a good question," Jack said shaking his head. "One that I'd like answered too but sadly I get the impression that it won't be the case at all."

"How you mean? Why not?"

"No tracks, no paper trail and more importantly no cameras here. I doubt that most of these guys are even going to make it. Even Owen..."

"He's going to live," Toshiko said confidentially. "Ianto won't let him die."

"Not so sure about that..."

"Have faith Jack," Gwen said resolved. "He'll do it."

"So you say. Toshiko, I want you to look into the computers or CCTV nearby to see if they saw anything. Gwen, you're crowd control once the Ambulance and probably the police show up. We'll reconvene in the Hub."

"And Ianto?"

"He can keep an eye on our patients. He's good at that. Alright people let's do this now."

Ianto drove as fast as he feasibly could and got to the AE. As he pulled in he grabbed Owen and sprinted into the Casualty Ward. Fortunately they were equal to the task. After he'd told them of the others and the address they could find them at he was waiting in the AE for news.

It was a bit nerve-wrecking especially after Lisa to be back worrying for someone that he cared about or at the very least didn't mind working with. While he was waiting he saw various people from the incident being wheeled in. Some in body bags while others were being frantically cared for. None of the team came which was to be expected. They needed to investigate and get the Weevil body out of the way so authorities wouldn't ask any awkward questions.

"Mr. Jones?" An Asian woman wearing a doctor's jacket stepped forward towards him. "I'm Dr. Souyana. I understand you brought Mr. Harper into our care?"

"I'm his co-worker and well there was a bit of accident. I think, I don't know, I wasn't present I just came in the aftermath of the event."

"Some accident," she commented a bit dourly. "Well I don't suppose you can tell what happened."

"Actually I was wondering if you could tell me," Ianto said. "I came in later and found him like that. Did Owen say anything?"

"No he's under heavy sedation and being prepped for X-Ray as well as several scans and most likely surgery. Given he's suffered from blunt trauma, has a severe concussion, several protrusions and from the looks of it a few broken bones I'd say he's lucky to be alive. From what I hear the others are at death's door. Your co-worker is a survivor Mr. Jones."

"Hang on all those people are dead?" Ianto was caught completely off guard but the information. He expected a few deaths but that many...

"Unfortunately," Dr. Souyana shook her head. "I'm going have to inform their families about this. So you don't how this happened?"

"No, as I said before I in came later."

"I see," Dr. Souyana nodded. "Well if you're planning on staying here I'd suggest you get comfortable because this will be awhile."

"Ah..well thank you for the information," Ianto usually didn't stumble over his words like this but the combination seeing the bodies as well as finding out the full extent of the event was bit much even for his jaded sensibilities. He sat down heavily placing his face into his hands breathing in and out. What a mess.

"Alright, thanks Ianto and no you don't have to stay overnight... Oh alright if you insist. Thanks for letting us know. Cheers," Gwen hung up the mobile and fell back into her workspace exhausted by what had happened. The police were of course insist on what had happened which Gwen of course couldn't explain fully which of course exhausted her and now she'd just found that most of the victims save Owen and two others were dead. Owen himself was barely clinging to life as it was while the other two were equally uncertain. All in all this was a mess.

"So," Jack said conversationally leaning over her desk. "How's the miserable ba-?"

"Jack he's barely holding on, as are two others. Everyone else is dead."

"What I-well..." Jack exhaled at a loss for words for once. "I didn't see that coming."

"Okay, maybe I did," he confessed when Gwen glared at him. "But not so suddenly and to be honest I didn't expect survivors like at all."

"Well it's happened and thing is I don't think they'll remember since one's got brain damage and other one is comatose and Owen is just barely clinging to life."

"So...pretty much as I said save for the survivors."

"Yeah," Gwen sighed.

"Jack!" Toshiko called. "I've just finished reviewing the CCTV and aside from some movement outside there's nothing. Not in the warehouse and nothing I can see on the outside either. So it's a dead end now."

"Of course there isn't footage that would be useful," Jack rolled his eyes. "Your tax dollars at work here."

"Yours as well mate," Gwen countered rolling her eyes before getting up. "Right I'm heading hospital to see if Ianto wants some company. There's not much we can do now except wait."

"I'm going to the hospital to be with Ianto as well," Toshiko said. "You go ahead I'll grab some takeout so we'll have something to eat if he hasn't eaten in the cafeteria."

"Sounds like a plan." Both women didn't wait for Jack's response and soon grabbed their personal artifacts then walked out the Hub with a goal in mind. Gwen felt almost bad for leaving Jack like that. Well almost given what had happened before with the other crap he'd pulled. Yeah let him be alone for a bit now. She had a co-worker to watch over.

"I was under the impression you were investigating Master Malik not recruiting," Rishid commented as Malik came in with a bunch of bloodied and wounded men.

"I did both," he shrugged. "Get the medics to treat them. They're ours now."

"Yes Master."

Tosh was reading a report next Owen's bed when she heard a slight groan at her side. Ianto was getting her something to eat while Gwen was spending some needed time with Rhys. She hadn't back to the Hub so Ianto had provided her with a laptop for work purposes. Not as extensive at the one in the Hub but still workable. She looked up from her work and saw Owen was blinding awaking for the first time in days.

"Hey," she said to him. "So how are you feeling?"

"Like something crapped me out and chewed on me for good measure." What happened?"

"You tell me," Tosh shrugged. "We're in the dark as you are. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Talking to Mark about the..."purpose" of the club then it was like someone sucker punched me then next I knew I'm here."

"Well you're lucky because everyone else save one is dead," Tosh sighed. "Originally it was three including you but that bloke went into a persistent vegetive state a couple of days ago and the family decided to pull the plug him. There was no way he was coming back. So it's just you and another one."

"No damage on me? I'm flattered. I'd rather be-"

"Don't," Tosh ordered with a fire in her eyes. "We nearly lost you. So don't even-"

"Alright fine," Owen held up his...finger which was the only thing he could move now much to Tosh's amusement. Typical that it was his middle finger. Well he could flip off the world at least. "I'll behave alright."

"Good."

"Hey," Ianto said as he entered the room bearing the goods. "I see Sleeping Beauty is awake."

"Piss off."

"And feeling better as well," Ianto dryly noted before looking at Tosh. "Jack called me. He says needs you for a run. Since you turned off your mobile he reached out to me. I'd call Gwen on it but he said he needed your technical expertise."

"Alright I'll be there," Tosh said packing her things into a carry on bag. "See you later."

"I'm going back to the Hub to monitor but I'll be here later," Ianto said looking Owen who looked disgruntled. So he really was recovering now? Good. Soon they'd be firing at all cylinders.