18
Ianto knew he had to find out what the hell was happening. He also knew he had to be careful, not knowing who to trust was a bad place to be, especially when surrounded by those who you should be able to trust implicitly.
This in mind, he went to the one place he knew there would be impartiality, regardless. He sat and calmly went over the facts as he knew it from the start of the cell. The select few listening with interest as he NEVER gave stuff like this away.
"This cell was doomed from the start. Records say three technicians died during the gestation process. The babies were strong, healthy but… didn't cry. Didn't react to painful stimuli and seemed… unnervingly intelligent. This cell was considered inferior and the talk of culling it began while they were still pre-teen. A lot of money and time had already gone into breeding them, only the third complete cell so the Agency was under a microscope and a massive cull of an entire nest might look suspect to the outside world, so they persevered. Reports of teacher and three trainers injured, outsiders attacked, other cells bullied… the first signs of the cell's leader coming out as Snake asserted himself. A fight, a massive fight between Snake and Fuzzer resulted in Snake killing the other boy. Brother killing brother. Not only did it horrify the Agency who was so sure they had bred loyalty into their stock, but it cemented Snake as the leader of this cell."
Ianto reached for his drink and took a sip as the words hung in the air and those listening took a moment to digest it as well, then Ianto continued "So… they watched more covertly and it became evident that they were being covert too. Actively hiding things and having secret meetings, the realization that a secret language was being developed to thwart the powers that be the last straw. The cull was ordered."
"Fuck. Really? An entire cell? How many… thirty?"
"Forty. They dropped cells to thirty after this, the first three cells were forty bodies." Ianto corrected calmly "So… they entered the training room where there was a sparing match underway and lined the wall like it was a normal test of endurance, even had the climbing ropes dropped and as the Boss stepped forward to give the order Snake attacked, seizing a rope and swinging over to slam into the Boss, knocking him off his feet. It was pretty hard and fast… and nasty. They left those they did not pummel into the ground hanging from the ropes every few meters or so. They escaped the facility, killing all they came across including some of the second cell who tired to stop them. It was a dog's breakfast."
"I remember something about that in our training, remember Jax? They all had that mark behind their ear… they tattooed themselves. That had been the thing that scared them into realizing they were altered"
"Shut up and listen John" Jack said to the man who was once his friend, his now healed face no longer showing the effects of the beating Jack gave him that night but as his eyes flicked nervily to ianto now and then Jack knew he remembered full well what Jack had snarled into his ear ad he choked him out.
"You EVER touch him again and I will cut your hands off before I skin you alive!"
"So… forty per cell right?. Five fell during the escape, over the years another two have been discovered among the dead after terrorist attacks … one of which fell by my hand. Seven form forty. That left thirty three active mad dogs loose. Snake and his men came here, dug in and started their war against the worlds. Well.. we now have him and his facility is gone. We are doing head counts on those here and we are still compiling from the other off world sites that had Cell 3 leaders so we can find out exactly how many of the Cell 3 Deserters are actually still alive."
"I doubt any are" Henders said with a sniff of authority "We were thorough."
"Yes.. but they were not all in the facility with him. Those not off world were still undercovers, same as us. Trained like us, bred like us… different… like some of us." Ianto sighed "Our cell was the next one made, we were bred from the mistakes and tempered as such… you know full well I was not like the rest of you. You always deferred to me out of respect…fear… I knew my dominance came from within. The Bladesinger in me is strong, the only one of the cell that had the same DNA in me as the third cell. Their Harbinger percentage replaced with Bladesinger. I was made to hunt him down and kill him. To think as he thought, to run with the same stamina and desire the same thing… revenge."
"Bladesinger" John said softly "That explains the cunning."
"The point is… I am sure we do not have a full count but I also know we do not have them all. Some of Cell 3 are still alive, still active and still out there" Ianto sat back and drummed his fingers on the desk, his eyes sliding to Jack who was as surprised as everyone else.
"I estimate 28 accounted for, hopeful of a couple more in the DNA samples from those blown up on Gerrfial D. I recognized them in the DCCTV footage so… 31?" Toshiko finally said.
"Two unaccounted for" Ianto nodded "Well… two in the wind and I think they are is here. On this planet. With us."
"Bullshit!" Owen said with wide eyes "Are you sure?"
"As sure as the dust blows, I recognized one" Ianto sighed "She knows I know too."
