30

Ianto had relented and agreed to hang back, choosing to stand by the jungle gym with Anwen, watching her hang upside down and wave happily at Rhys who sat on a bench watching.

Ianto could see the two predators, glowering at the world in general as they stood behind the bench mostly watching him. It was wondrous that he could see them within this cloak, this strange amour that had grown from the simple wristlet.

The black man came first, tentatively walking towards the jungle gym and he came to a halt less than a meter from Ianto and Ianto held his breath as he moved to the other side, the smell too much.

Once upwind he breathed again and watched the man pull gingerly at his shirt sleeve as a stain seemed to grow.

Then two more entered, looking like they were picnicking, except for the side arms clearly visible thanks to the strange technology … no. Wait.

No.

Ianto felt a chill as he realized that he was seeing with a Predator's eye, nothing to do with tech, everything to do with his new DNA.

He made a mental note to ask Mardlenia about it later, right now he was more interested in Gwen, striding towards Rhys with an intense focus.

Rhys didn't move, knowing what was at his back giving him strength and he leaned back as if taking in the sun.

"Where the fuck have you been" she snarled.

"Careful" he warned, "Little ears can hear you."

"I don't' give a fuck about ears" she snarled, "All I want is Jack Harkness. You know where he is, come on. I need Jack. Rhys, if you love me, if you ever loved me you will help me."

She had sat as she spoke, grasping his hand and looking pleadingly into his eyes, "Please Rhys. Jack can help me … help us. Don't you want … us?"

Rhys looked at her and felt the hands clasping his. The cold, slightly damp things like lumps of raw meat encasing his hand and he looked down.

They were not his wife's hands.

They were the hands of a monster and he looked back up with horror as he looked at her hairline and knew with clarity that she was wearing a wig.

"Gwen? What's happened?" he whispered.

"It was supposed to help, it didn't" she shrugged, dismissing it, "Jack can make it better. He can fix it … fix me. Us."

"I thought I saw a man that looked like Ianto with Jack the other day. Which frankly is a bit weird, chasing after a past sex conquest. Jack needs to move on from his part time sex" she snorted as she leaned in so he could see her cleavage better, "the CCTV was grainy but at least he chose a look alike with a bit more meat on him."

"Gwen …" Rhys topped talking as Anwen gave a little yelp and he turned to see one of those picnickers standing in front of her talking to her. "What's he doing?"

"Just need a little DNA, just some blood and stuff, Mum's too old" Gwen said softly, stroking his arm with a cold, dead lump of flesh, "She won't be harmed. They will sedate her before the procedure. Come on, I'll give her back, I promise, Pet."

"Get away from her" Rhys rose and Gwen grabbed for him, her face changing into a sneer of rage and he turned to shake her off, struggling and pushing at each other.

"Rhys, don't fight it" she warned and then squealed as her wig flew off.

Rhys stalled out ….

Time stopped.

Gwen was bald … well OK. Not quite bald, there were scales were covering her scalp and Rhys watched with increasing disgust as they seemed to move.

Oh god, they were moving independently.

Shit.

Rhys then looked at the wig, still suspended in the air and he started to snigger, imagining the Predator's confused expression as it looked at the damn thing.

Gwen turned to follow his gaze and Mardlenia chose that moment to de-cloak.

She looked down at Gwen and silently offered her the wig back as Rhys started to laugh, stepping back as Gwen released him with a quivering gasp.

Rhys took another step back and turned towards his child in time to see the man reaching for her fly back with a cry of pain, clutching at his arm as it started to seep from a wound and Rex called out for back-up as he surged forward, only to meet an immovable object.

Jesus, is that Ianto?

It was as if a wall of invisible bricks had stopped Rex and he simply folded and gracefully hit the deck stunned.

"Tadda!" Anwen wailed, running to him and he scooped her up, looking to Mardlenia who was leaning down to look into Gwen's face.

A large hand reached up, removing the face plate to Mardlenia's face plate and the Predator showed her face, the mandibles opening in challenge.

Gwen screamed as she backpedalled, falling to her butt on the wet ground as she started to crawl backwards from the monster that was canting its head in a familiar way.

Ianto's laughter boomed out from it and then she heard it in stereo as it came from by Rhys and Anwen.

Then … another behind Rex had him yelping as he struggled to his feet.

Rex was now on his feet, running for Gwen and he pulled her to her feet, "Run you stupid bitch there is more than one!"

"Mama is silly" Anwen sighed dramatically as she shook her head, "What a silly billy!"

"Yeah baban" Rhys agreed as he walked quickly to the SUV that was pulling up, Mickey still giggling from the scene he'd witnessed from the parking lot.

The SUV suddenly lurched as Ianto entered, de-cloaking as the doors swung shut and he grinned as he offered Rhys the wig.

"Christ, Mardlenia scalped her" Rhys giggled and Ianto laughed again, the same musical sound that had terrified his ex-teammate moments ago.

As they swung around a corner and headed up an ramp to a parking building where a covered truck waited with its ramps down to swallow the SUV before departing under the nose of the stupid bitch still pissing herself, Rhys looked at Ianto and watched with awe as his eyes swiveled and settled, going from a cat's eyes to human.

Rhys felt like he was looking at that giant eye thing from Lord of the rings, but a brilliant blue instead of red.

And just as powerful.

Then he smiled.

And Rhys smiled back.

Whatever …

No!

Whoever he was becoming …

Rhys was glad he was on his team.