41
Rex didn't know what was worse.
How easily they had captured him or the way Jack seemed to resist the idea that this was all Gwen's idea.
The USB helped and as they all watched footage of Gwen and her demands for the next transformation and Jack slumped as he finally accepted that it was no longer Gwen they were dealing with, more like some hybrid thing.
Rex watched Ianto as he wandered past and frowned, trying to work out where he had seen him before and then as Ianto canted his head and smiled softly at Jack, he remembered.
"You are supposed to be dead" he blurted.
Ianto swung to look at him as Jack laughed "I get that a lot."
"I mean him" Rex pointed.
Apparently pointing is akin to a challenge on some worlds and Mardlenia took it as such, looming into existence over Rex's seated figure, her snarl quite effective in letting him know that Ianto was out of bounds.
"Sorry about that, she's a bit protective" Ianto smiled, "you need to be less threatening to me."
"Christ" Rex finally gasped.
"Gwen can never recreate what Jack has … what you have. Or me" Ianto looked Rex in the eye, "this is neither a gift or a curse. It is the first step in a new world. Baby steps and we must be calm."
"And you must remember that I will destroy you if you harm him" came a deep snarl.
"Sister, that's enough" Ianto scolded softly, smiling at her as he reached around to lower the arm pointed at Rex, "No blowing people up indoors. It will make a horrid mess you bad girl!"
She snorted and lowered the arm with obvious reluctance and walked calmly for the room, Ianto following.
"Leave them" Jack said as Mickey made to follow, "He is safe with her. Rex is our problem now."
"Are you still immortal?" Martha asked.
"No. I men … I heal but slowly. Not … not all the way" Rex said and Martha shifted closer.
"Show me, I'm a doctor, one who has survived time with him" she hooked a thumb at Jack who squeaked with fake horror and then grinned.
Rex pulled back a sleeve and she made a nose as she looked at the boil on his forearm.
"God, that must hurt" she said as she gently prodded at it and Ianto entered to watch.
"Do you trust me to help you?" Ianto asked as he sat between Rex and Martha, "I might have something here that will heal that."
"Go for it" Rex snorted, "It can't be any worse that the things Gwen did to me in the name of fucking science."
Ianto had a small metal case in his hand and he opened it to reveal packets of powder.
"This may hurt, she wasn't specific but Predators never are, they like to be all mysterious and shit" he muttered as he opened the first bag with strange markings on it and showed it to Rex, "This means One."
He tipped some onto the boil, covering it with white dust. "OK, take a breath."
He picked up another packet and tipped some over it, causing a chemical reaction that smoked and then a green flame blew into the air like a miniature atomic cloud.
"Wow! Happy new year" Ianto snorted. "Did that hurt much?"
"No, it kind of … it felt more like a pinch." Rex answered, and then leant over his arm, "Christ. It worked. Look at that!"
"She said she would return with a large supply once she had talked to the rest of her crew, apparently she needs to decide if she is going to kill you or not" Ianto smiled at him, "Don't worry. She always gives in. She likes me."
"Really?"
"Remind her of her brother" Ianto grinned and then handed the pack to Martha, "Go see to what other ones are really bad, then we can nuke the smaller ones when she gets back."
Rex found himself grinning back, seeing why Jack went on about this boy.
"She's not going to stop" Rex realized, "She's never going to stop is she?"
"Always was a stubborn bitch" Ianto huffed, "No. She won't."
"Then we have to stop her" Rex said, "Right?"
Ianto looked at Jack and waited, knowing this had to be his moment.
He has to be the one to accept this.
Please.
Jack nodded, turning and looking to the room where Anwen was playing with her toys, unaware of what was happening.
Rhys nodded.
"Good." Rex said softly, "Sorry. But, really … she is quit insane. The way she killed him was … I mean. What do we do?"
"We lure her out" Ianto sighed and then he looked at Jack, "With what she really wants."
Everyone looked at Jack and Ianto felt sick as they all realized what he already knew.
Only Jack could get close enough to kill her now.