23

The vessel was trying her best to account for the rapid leap but even her advanced capabilities could not stop some sway, those who had boarded knowing immediately that the vessel had leapt from the port and they were now trapped on board heading for deep space.

Their leader roared with anger, demanding they 'fucking do something' and one stood opening his weapon at the doors cutting them off from the main vessel, soon several more doing the same.

"Trillium" Ianto said softly as they watched on the screen "Bullets are powerless against that steel. Let them use up their ammo a bit more."

They watched the four men drop their expended clips, stepping back as another four stepped up and tried as well, working until all weapons were clicking empty then their leader yelled at them to stop and looked around finding the camera and grinning as he yelled "Nice one. Good idea… Trillium right?"

Ianto snorted without amusement, then watched as one of the men started tapping the walls, seeking some tripper or control panel to open the doors and Ianto leaned in, touching the coms button as he purred softly "Sax. All you had to do is knock old man."

"Old man" Saxon snarled "Yeah. Look at me!"

They all did.

He looked like he was ninety if he was a day, his hair white and thinning his back slightly hunched over and his anger was clear, the hatred running off him "Come and face me Phoenix. Come on. You fucking coward. Look at me! Look! I die, I come but but I do not reset my age like you, do I. I am doomed to grow older and older without ever knowing the youth you seem to have. What will become of me?"

"That's not my fault Sax. I did not start this, nor did I create it. You chose same as me to do this. You stood beside me as they injected the shit into us and made those wild promises of eternal youth. They paid us handsomely to give away our souls. Do not stand there and make out it is my fault now that you have fucked up again when I know full well it was your own father who was the one holding the syringe." Ianto spoke with an ice calm that he was not even sure he possessed until now "You are angry that you did not get the youth part of the bargain. Boo hoo, poor little Sax. Wahhhhh. We all feel your pain .. oh .. no … wait. That's right. We don't."

As Ianto stood there giving a hollow laugh to the man, John swung to Jack with wide eyes and pointed at the screen 'Saxon, the other survivor! The fourth!"

"Yes" Jack said softly, "This was all to get him here. Flush him out John. Don't you get it? It's him. IT was him all along. His family funded the entire shit-show from the word go. They did it all for him but it didn't work, we got the benefits and he got the trade off."

"So … he still ages" John turned to watch the screen again "No wonder he's pissed."

"Oh, I am too" Ianto said gently "You have no idea how angry I am too. Now hush, Taddy is working."

"Come face me!" Saxon was shouting at the camera, jumping up and down waving his arms like he could fly into the camera to pluck out their eyes "Come on Phoenix! Come on. Come down here and we will see how strong and brave you are! I still have your balls in my grip!"

"Shit" Jack whispered softly. "I don't like that threat. What has he got?"

Ianto turned to face Jack and they took a moment to stare one another down then Ianto said with a steely gaze "Are you ready to sacrifice everything? This is it Jax. This is the end of the line. One way or another, that man must never go back, he must die. To protect everyone else … No matter what we have to lose up here, out here in the black we have to give it all. Sacrifice all we have, love… treasure. It's the end. It's all or nothing. We have to do this for those who still have lives to live. Even if we finally give our last one."

"I know what you are saying and I see the plan you have put in motion. I agree and I am behind you 100% Tiger. Initiate"

Ianto nodded, turned to look at the screen again and demandeded "Initiate."

Myfanwy opened the doors and the men leant back, Saxon laughing as he waved a hand at them "Don't be fools. He doesn't to want to hurt us, he can't risk it … can he. Come on darling, let's go."

His companion looked at the hand reaching back for her and let her delicate hand slip into his, nodding as she let her blood red stilettos click across the expensive flooring and she walked confidently alongside her husband.

"All for you" Ianto whispered softly, sorrow etched on his face then he sighed and turned to the two men still there with him. "Right, here we are. The last of us, the three musketeers … the Triad. Everyone else is gone, the vessel only holds us and them. We will not hurt anyone else now, the rest of humanity is safe. Myfanwy has protocols built in for any and all scenarios I could think of as an outcome for what we must do now. Jack … be strong and true. My Cariad. I know your heart, he stands beside you. Time to steel it."

Jack sighed and turned to John, finally sharing the last part of the memories needed now and while they were contained on the bridge, their quarry below and the rest of the worlds safe … John screamed with a rage he did not know could exist without setting your soul on fire.

Maybe he was on fire.

It felt like nothing he had ever felt and as he panted and writhed with the psychic pain of Ianto's secrets. On the screen the man walked confidently along a corridor with his wife in tow, having no idea what was about to happen as John finally got control of his anger and turned to face his partners once more.

"Right" he snarled "Let's play."