72
"Cooeeee" Mickey called out in a cheerful voice, "Anybody home?"
Jack listened intently and heard shuffling, pointing to the chiller they had been looking for.
"Hello in there?" Martha tried in case a female voce was more soothing, "Are you OK in there? We think the air in this part is OK, the double glazing kept the gas outside."
The door cracked and a young woman peered out at them.
"Hi, I'm Martha, that's my husband Mickey, our friend Rhys and that man there in the Great Coat is Jack" Martha smiled, "We came to investigate the crash."
"Crash?" a rotund little man in a woolly jersey pushed past her and waddled out to stare at them, "What crash?"
"I believe an Alien Spacecraft crash landed in your lake and the air vented from inside it had reacted with the water creating this gas" Jack waved an arm behind him, "They are called Humerdons and they are unpleasant to say the least. Unfortunately this gas is conducive to them and they are loose in the town."
"Well fuck me sideways" the man said as he leant close to the glass and a small furry thing slammed against it making him squeal and jump back.
"Careful, they might work out its breakable" Jack warned, "They are a bit thick so they won't know to seek a door."
"How do you know what they are" the fat man turned to look at Jack, then blinked, "Of course you do. You're Jack Harkness, Captain of Torchwood right?"
"Yeah" Jack smiled as he realised he was looking at a Woodie, a fan of Torchwood who had followed their activities in an underground group "Although Torchwood is no longer officially active I still am. Martha is also an ex-companion, so is Mickey."
"Mickey, the Iron Dog" the Fat man's eyes widened as he looked at him "You were with Rose first, right? WOW!"
Rhys blinked "What the hell is all this?"
"Back story" Jack replied as he strode over and held out his hand, "Captain Jack Harkness, Ex-Time Agent and universal flirt."
The man's face lit up as he accepted the hand, "Harvey Moore. Ex-librarian and café owner."
"Of course you are, in a sensible jersey like that, even has pockets" Jack gushed, "Ianto would love…ah…hear that?"
"Hover!" Mickey said as he pulled his torch form his belt and placed it to the glass, turning it on, "Come on guys, give him a light to follow."
"Clever" Jack grinned, "All my people are so clever."
The sound drew closer and Jack felt his innards twist as he saw Ianto in his Predator gear, totally safe within the gas ….from the gas.
Several small creatures immediately rolled towards him as he calmly stepped down and started kicking them off into the mist, then he canted his head and pulled his baton out, elongating it into something like a double ended light sabre, swinging it around to cut through more balls.
They lay sizzling and smoking, his head canting again as he looked at the glass and walked towards it, "Sir, I think this gas might become flammable if I offer some more O2."
"Ouch" Jack grimaced, "So UNIT of you darling. A clean sweep?"
"We check for life, we pull out" Ianto shrugged, "I go, we nuke the site from space."
Rhys started to laugh as he got the movie reference and they were soon ready.
"But if the doors open the gas gets in" Harvey pointed out and Ianto held up breathers.
"Oh, OK then" he shrugged.
They moved quickly and Toshiko scanned via her on board equipment on the Hover and when they got to the SUV Mickey drove it up out of the valley. They found five more alive, the rest were already gone, devoured by the growing balls of doom.
Ianto walked back down with the air canisters from the SUV and released the oxygen, watching the furry balls converge eagerly to see what was making the hissing noise.
As he strode back up towards those still alive he flicked a road flare he had taken form the back of the SUV over his shoulder, Mickey howling with glee as the entire place went up.
"Well shit" Harvey said softly, "I don't know if insurance will cover that."
"Gas leak?" Ianto said calmly as his helmet disengaged and he removed it.
"You're human" Harvey gaped.
"Sort of" Ianto smiled, then turned to look back over the burning town, "Sorry about your friends."
"Moved here six months ago and they still hate me for being a newbie" he snorted, "I am sorry they are dead but not my business. Fuck, I don't know what I was thinking."
"That we all need somewhere to be" Jack said softly as he patted Harvey on the shoulder, "All any of us want. To belong."
"Yeah well I belong somewhere else, clearly" Harvey laughed as he watched Ianto walk to the Hover, "And right now it's on that thing!"
The flight back to the Farm was done with a fat man in the back of the Hover, sitting in the middle with his arms thrown out like wings.
Flying.