50
"Twelve hours, half way point and we are not even in yet" Kev muttered as he looked around nervously.
"Don't worry Cinderella, you will go to the ball" Sean teased and Kev glared at him, considering pushing him down the stairs with an obvious lean over to look at the height they were at then glare some more. Sean sniggered at the empty threat.
They were all traveling down the huge staircase that slowly curled around like a snake, heading down the levels as the elevators were a no-go. They were all tired, sweaty and getting mightily pissed off with the constant bickering between these two. Randy was up and about but slightly concussed, Abner sticking to him.
Ianto had been surprised when it started, unaware there was a rivalry until now, so well hidden that it had remained undetected when the lists were being drawn up. Had Ianto known they had a dislike for one another he would not have placed them in this small group but waited for some large recon where they did not have to be in one another's pocket.
"You" Dean whispered as he walked beside his Tad, "They fight because of you."
"Me?"
"Kev is your brother too. Uncle is jealous that you spend time sparing with him, playing with him. Like Frank, he has impulse control issues there" Dean explained and Ianto smiled softly at the wisdom on display, his son was already showing leadership qualities in detecting the problem Ianto was mulling over.
"Makes sense. Your Uncle and I … we were at a different level in development and didn't always get along. Siblings are like that. Like you and Rosie sometimes push one another to get to the table, I know you love one another but she crows so much if she wins" Ianto nodded to him "Sean and I always competed I think. For Nainny's love, for Poppy's approval. Not that we don't love one another, always did but … with mama and Da gone we felt the loss keenly. The loss of a Parental is a deep cut, a wound that never heals. It is easy to look for blame within yourself, as a child you feel a lack of self worth."
Dean considered "Why Mimi doesn't want to give the baby to others for a hold even when she is annoyed and tired?"
"Yes. Her mama gone, she feels the need to be an extra good one like it will make up for it" Ianto nodded "Humans are complex. We judge one another and ourselves constantly."
"Kev lost everyone too" Dean remembered him talking one night about losing his entire group to Zs.
"The bitter taste of defeat is something I wish you never have to learn" Jack chimed in as he joined them "But you will feel it, son. One day you will feel the pain of 'what if' and it can haunt you in the deep recesses of your soul."
"Do we have souls?" Frank asked in the guttural grunt they were used to.
"You are loved" Ianto assured the Weevil "Anyone or anything loved has a soul. Love grows them."
"Why some have more than others" Dean agreed "And I love you big."
"Good coz you are mine" Frank said to Dean before lopping forward to help take point.
"You know … he is getting a bit fresh!" Dean said with amusement "He was gonna bite Kitty if she didn't step back and stop. He didn't understand."
"Understand what love?"
"They she didn't want to be my girl. She wanted to be my second. Like you and Dad. She wanted to be … like … my right hand man or whatever. She loves Freddy but wants power too." Dean sighed "Dangerous. She needs to learn humility."
"Don't we all" Jack smiled, patting his son's shoulder "You are already a leader my lovely boy. You see with our eyes, hear with our ears and your heart makes decisions in tune to ours."
"But it is mine" a faint growl echoed back and they started to snigger as Frank again tried to make a point.
"See?" Dean whispered "So touchy."
"DOOR" Billy shouted and they reached to blast doors, Ianto keying in the code that had worked for the last three then sighing and trying another.
A light flashed and they opened without fanfare.
"Ta-dah" Ianto flapped a hand at the wrist and everyone sniggered. Then paled as something moved in the darkness that had Frank raising his head to sniff the air.
"Rotten"
"Jack?"
Kev was peering into the murk and his face changed to one of horror as he began to back away from the black void, his hand going to his weapon.
"Kev, what do you see?" Jack asked. "KEV!"
"KRAKEN!" Kev screamed as he watched a huge tentacle slide out the side of the blast doors, a creature the size of a fucking whale slithering towards them.
A giant quid.
A Kraken.
Jack screwed up his face then paled "No it's not …that's a fucking Darlek"
Ianto took it all in and screamed as he opened fire, everyone else following suit.
Dean could have sworn his Dam was screaming 'DAAAAAAAAAA' with horror.