19

Ianto stood in silence as the team spread out, checking the facility.

It had taken Toshiko a while to find it, triangulate and work though Derp's memories and the CCTV footage that showed the strange vehicles coming and leaving from the gated faculty. To hear it was on fire was mot as surprising as it should have been. They just hoped they hadn't set something off poking around in the system.

"OK, it's been a deep cleanse" Owen confirmed as he turned to face Ianto and Jack, "I've not been down to the lower level but can see quite clearly that those dead up here were dead before the fire rolled over them. And it did roll. Gas, not a slow burn but hard and fast. High temp at high speed produces this bubbling of the fat and … sorry. Sort of get focused on the burst skin … sorry. It's … Ok. This is a woman in her mid… I would say twenties. Her skin tone was Caucasian based on her armpits, also, she was a redhead based on the fact she was due to get her armpit waxed. I can tell you her death was cruel, it was before the fire and due to the positioning of the body she was contorted almost broken in half in a most unnatural way."

"Like someone attacked her psychically" Ianto agreed "Someone powerful enough to kill so many."

"Well … some did die from the fire, not all. About half were clearly trying to escape it but it was too fast" Owen pointed, " I hate to say it but…"

"They did it to themselves" Ianto interrupted, staring to Owens left with a look of sheer terror "Owen. They were trying to escape, pooling their powers and it got way from them. They didn't have a gleaner, did not have someone to focus their energies so they just… imploded."

"Fuck" Owen nodded turning to stare at the spot beside him Ianto was focusing on "Are they still here?"

"Some. Poor bastards. They don't' understand what happened, they were so sure they would get away. Oh no. This is … they did this. Driven mad with the pain and suffering it was do or die" Ianto sighed "This woman was staff … all those killed pre-fire were probably staff. They then tried to get out, I guess a fire starter tried for a controlled explosion …"

"And others tired other thing all at once causing a cataclysmic event" Owen nodded "I've heard of these, never seen one though. Like a bomb. Flash Over."

Ianto crouched down, pacing a hand on the charred carpet and looked down, his despair growing as he listened to the whispers of the dead, begging him to help them, then he rose, taking a deep breath as he called out "MAMA"

Jack motioned for everyone to hug the walls and they moved around the bodies to watch as Ianto walked to the middle of the large foyer, his arms rising slightly to allow the wind to move his clothing. Wind. In a closed building. But … there it is. Ianto's clothing rustled as if in a wind tunnel, his hair that was usually immaculate started to move and strands loosening of the gel to become small curls that moved around his head as he closed his eyes, talking to his mother as he asked her to help these poor souls.

"Shit" Owen said softly, his jaw dropping as a beautiful woman walked towards them from a bright light, her blonde hair flowing like liquid and the white dress falling from her body like she was under water. Her face was full of love as she reached out to touch Ianto's face and he opened his eyes to look into her gaze with relief.

"Mama" Ianto sighed "Can you show them the way?"

Jack was transfixed with the beautiful woman that was now obviously Ianto's mother and he felt that twist in his gut as he saw what Ianto had lost. She was a bloody goddess.

"Yes" Ianto said softly "she is a goddess, isn't she. An angel at least right?"

She seemed to pause and turn to look over her shoulder at him, her hair flowing around her arms and then she walked into a flash of white light and the room seemed to flex, then the rush of air made Ianto's clothing suck towards the portal.

Then it all grew silent.

"Right. They are gone" Ianto said as he looked around "The Ferryman has moved them to the other side across the river Styx. Now … we must see what we can do to avenge them. Toshiko, check the backups, they can be accessed in the cloud. I know the pass codes, one of them whispered them to me … staff. Apparently they were left to fend for themselves with the door locked from the outside."

"Whoever did this, it was a deliberate shake and bake situation." Owen nodded his agreement then his brain caught up to the words, and he slapped his hand over his mouth as Ianto stared at him then started to laugh with mild shock.

"And that, Owen ... that is why we love you" Ianto sighed.