Set: (sometime after The Stolen Earth, but before Children of Earth)
Characters: Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper
Chapter One
"Ianto! I need a status update on that lone Dalek!" Captain Jack boomed into his headset. Ianto was driving the Torchwood SUV, almost crashing into the many pedestrians on the streets of Cardiff.
"Jack, I can't concentrate on driving with you yelling at me. The Dalek is nowhere in sight." Ianto said. He saw a police car tailing him, and added: "It looks like I'm about to be pulled over by the long arm of the law right now."
Just his luck. It was bad enough that one Dalek survived certain destruction during the business with the Medusa Cascade one month ago, but now he was also going to be pulled over for reckless driving. He remembered the first time that happened, when he was 16 years old, with acne, long hair, and a surprising lack of giving a damn about anything but himself.
Ianto stopped the car to deal with Officer Friendly. To his surprise, it was PC Andy Davidson, Gwen's former police partner, who knew a couple of things about Torchwood.
Andy walked over to the car. "Ianto?"
Ianto replied "Um, alright Andy? What's occuring?
Andy sighed. "You do know how dangerous it is to be driving like that, don't you?"
"I am aware, but I really have to get going." Ianto explained. "Jack discovered a surviving Dalek from last month's invasion. We're giving pursuit before it causes any more damage."
Andy looked confused "You mean those things from when there were planets in the sky?" He stopped and thought for a second. "I would normally have to charge you, but because it's business, and because I owe Gwen a few favours, I'll let it slide. Just please be more careful."
"I will, thank you Andy." Ianto said.
"Say hi to Gwen for me!" Andy shouted as Ianto drove off. Gwen suddenly came in on the headset.
"Ianto! I've found the Dalek! It's in the alleyway behind Clever Boy Diner. I'm about to take it by surprise."
"Alright Gwen, I'm coming. Make sure there is something left for me to destroy." Ianto joked. He turned off his headset, and took a 180 degree turn.
Gwen, crept slowly behind the Dalek with a quantum pistol, her heart beating faster than ever before. She took aim and fired at the Dalek. The projectile barely missed the Dalek. It turned around. Gwen tried to fire again, but the Dalek shot the weapon out of her hands. Gwen fell over from the sheer force.
"DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD JUST SNEAK UP ON ME?" The Dalek said. "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" Gwen closed her eyes in fear.
The Dalek's third exterminate was cut off by a sudden explosion. Gwen opened her eyes and saw the top half of the Dalek blown up. She looked to her left and saw Ianto, pointing his quantum pistol at the remains. He sheathed it and ran over to Gwen to help her get up.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Gwen breathed in heavily.
"Yeah. I'm fine." she then hugged him. "I would've been killed if not for you.Thank you for saving me."
Ianto laughed awkwardly. "Um, you're welcome. Anytime."
Gwen turned on her headset and spoke to Jack. "Everything's fine now. Ianto took the Dalek out. We'll meet up at the Eli, alright?"
"Why aren't we meeting up back at the Hub?" Ianto asked.
Gwen smiled. "I'm buying us all a drink. This victory just screams celebration. And you certainly deserve one after saving my back."
Ianto laughed. "Really? Tidy. Alright, I'm up for-"
Ianto suddenly cut his conversation short with a blood-curdling scream. Gwen saw a Weevil behind Ianto, sinking it's teeth into his neck.
"IANTO!!!" Gwen yelled. She grabbed the Weevil and stabbed it in the head with her knife. Ianto dropped to the floor, his neck bleeding. Gwen bent down to his level and tried to stop the blood running. Suddenly, Jack came running over.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!" Jack shouted as he ran over to help Ianto up.
"It was a Weevil! It came out of nowhere and bit him in the neck!" Gwen started to cry, and Jack wasn't far off from doing the same thing.
"Get him back to the Hub, quickly!" Jack said. They both supported Ianto like he was a drunk man in a evacuation. Gwen looked back at the Weevil. It didn't look like the usual brand of Weevil they normally dealt with. This one was pale and clammy, with glowing purple eyes and black rashes all over it's skin.
"Look at the Weevil Jack, that doesn't look normal at all."
"Never mind that Gwen! Move!" Jack said. Ianto whimpered in pain, and after a few seconds he heard their voices become echoes as he faded out of consciousness.
Chapter Two
Ianto woke up to a terrible throbbing pain in his neck, and a sickly feeling in his stomach. He observed his surroundings. He was back in the Torchwood Hub, on the operating bed in the medical bay. He darted his eyes over towards Jack and Gwen, who were hurrying around in a panic.
"Is there anything we haven't tried yet?" Gwen asked Jack. "You said you had some medical supplies that are super advanced and futuristic. Where did you get those from by the way?"
Jack sighed. "They're from the abandoned hospitals around Boeshane Peninsula, 51st Century stuff. You'd think it would help, but I've checked for anything Weevil related, and nothing on those prescription bottles comes up. Plus, 51st Century drugs aren't really adaptable to people who originate from over 2000 years prior, one of the reasons why the Doctor hasn't brought back cancer cures to share with the world. It could kill him."
Ianto saw the worried look on both their faces. It made him worried too. Was he really going to die?
Jack started speaking again. "This virus seems to be practically indestructible. It's so small that it can basically avoid any antibodies and healing supplements that we give to Ianto."
"So, we can't get it out?" Gwen asked, twirling her black hair out of stress.
"Not like this, no." Jack said. He then pointed to a strange looking circular metal pad, with at least 10 glowing blue probes pointed at it. "Tosh was working on a way to fight viruses on a microscopic scale. She discovered a strange subatomic substance, (try saying that three times fast) known as Pym Particles. These particles, when combined with an energy source, let's say... rift energy, can be used to blink atoms into a pocket dimension, rearrange them closer or further together, and place them back into existence."
Gwen looked puzzled. "Sorry Jack, I didn't study at a 51st Century university. Could you maybe put it in simpler terms?"
Jack smiled. "Basically, I'm going to shrink myself down to microscopic size, and extract the virus personally."
Gwen gave Jack a worried look. "I-is that safe? How will you surv- Oh, right, yeah, you can't die."
Jack got up and dialed a combination into the machine. "Yep! Which makes me the perfect candidate! You'll need these."
He passed Gwen an apron, rubber gloves, and a pair of lab goggles. She rolled up her sleeves and put on the kit. Jack ran over to Ianto.
"Ianto, did you catch anything I said?" Jack asked.
Ianto nodded weakly. "Yeah, I heard most of it. If it's the only way, you'd better get started."
Jack and Ianto kissed. "I will get this thing out of you, I promise."
Ianto laughed slightly. "I always wanted you inside of me, but I didn't exactly mean like this."
Jack ran into a decontamination chamber. He came out 8 minutes later in a futuristic looking diving suit. He passed Gwen a strange device with a screen and speaker. "This is for communication and keeping track of where I am." Gwen nodded, and Jack centered himself into the middle of the metal pad.
"Now, are the coordinates set on the shrinking machine?" Jack asked. Gwen looked at the monitor, and gave Jack a thumbs up.
"Alright! Fire that baby up! Wish me luck!" Jack shouted. Gwen punched the big red button, and the machine started chugging. Ten lasers fired at Captain Jack, and in a flash of blinding light, Jack disappeared. All that was left in his place was a small glass tub full of gelatinous water. Gwen ran over to the tub and picked it up. She turned on the device Jack gave her. "Jack? Are you alright?" she said into the speaker.
After a few seconds, a familiar voice came through. "Yep! I'm fine. Looks like it was a complete success. It looks so weird here Gwen. Like I've entered some kind of strange dimension. Pretty beautiful too."
"You can send me a postcard." Gwen joked. "What should I do now?"
"See that syringe on the table, I want you to stick the needle into the tub, and suck the liquid into the syringe."
Gwen carefully stuck the needle in the liquid, and pulled back on the tab at the top. All the liquid rose to the top of the syringe. She once again asked if Jack was okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What a wild ride! Whoo! Anyway, now I want you to inject the syringe into Ianto, not directly into the wound."
Gwen went over to Ianto and got ready to inject him with the liquid. "Sharp scratch, Ianto." she said as she injected him. "Jack?"
"I'm here!" Jack said, breathing rather frantically. "Damn I'll never get used to that speed!"
Gwen smiled. "This'll be a great story to tell Rhys when I get back. He'll want an explanation as to why I wasn't in tonight."
"Okay Gwen, I want you to make sure Ianto is comfortable, and that he doesn't move too much."
Gwen looked at Ianto, and saw his forehead was sweating rather badly. She placed a wet flannel over it. "He's got a bit of a fever, but I'll do my best to make sure he's alright."
"Alrighty then. Let's get to work!" Jack said.