6
Fuck, fuck.
Think.
I don't know what the hell I am doing!
I am saving him.
YES
.
.
.
.
Ianto didn't know if the boy was hurt or just afraid but the noise was enough to urge him into top gear, now dropping to his hands like a gridiron player going after the ball carrier and he headed straight for the thing's un-damaged leg as it howled.
Then gunfire as Ianto rolled with it, claws biting into his clothing, skin, flesh … anger button.
Ianto roared louder than the creature as he got a leg hold around its massive neck, grabbing his own ankle as he started to choke it out, the scrabbling and wresting not unlike riding a bucking bronco. More gunfire and Ianto vaguely recognised the Webley barking as Jack stormed in, Gwen now running for the sofa and the child hidden behind it.
Ianto saw her running from the room, the little one in her arms and put more energy into putting down the creature, Owen's voice distantly filtering through the noise as he plunged something into it that made it scream, then rear up.
Ianto broke his hold and cursed as he was thrown back against Jack, then the creature slammed through the wall. Ianto now knew whatever its purpose, it was not to take out Ianto's DNA … it didn't even register him.
"The kids" Ianto gasped as he struggled from Jack's arms, "Its targeting all the kids, must be the ages. It didn't even hesitate, must know I am their parental but … I'm not a target."
They ran in to find Owen hugging the child, shielding it with his body as Gwen screamed, kneeling as she fired over his bowed head, the Creature screaming as well while slapping at the air around its head.
Gwen's bullets were pissing it off.
Ianto took a moment to consider choices, Jack reloading and entering the fray.
Then a banshee roar filled the apartment as Ianto ran from the kitchen area with a butcher's knife held high over his head, the creature struggling to raise it's arm to deflect and the other blade by Ianto's hip swung up in an arc slicing into its armpit, followed by Ianto who threw his weight behind it.
The satisfying crunching noise of knife hitting bone made him snarl, then the creature was gone smashing out the large windows and disappearing into the darkness.
"Fuck" Own said after a beat of shock, "It's ten stories up right?"
"Terminator" Ianto panted "It will probably make another pass."
"Or skip this one and come back after it's gone through the alphabet like that Final Destination series" Gwen added while wiping blood off her face, "You got it good. Stuck it good."
"But it still runs" Ianto sighed as he slumped against the wall, "Why does it feel like Owen jinxed us with that terminology of the Terminator when all this started?"
"Ianto?" Gwen asked as she watched him slide down the wall, finally seeing that some blood was still smearing on the wall from his clothing, "Oh my god, it got you?"
"Not to worry. Not like it is an important member of the team right?"Ianto sighed as his head fell back, "When we were in the Himalayas looking for that Yeti … remember when I pulled PJs out of my backpack and you asked if I was even human?"
"We should never have gone on that trek, I should have told the PM to shove it up his blonde arse" she said as she crouched to reach for him.
"Me Mam used to ask the same question. She would look into my face and ask that like I was somehow created for her amusement. 'Ianto' she would say 'are you even human?' then she would snort and take another drink of wine. She drank ya see, after Da left. Hung herself." Ianto was rambling but didn't care as he sighed again, "The boy, forget his name, is he OK?"
"Max" Gwen supplied, Maxwell Harvey and he's fine."
"Good. Good. I'm not."
"The father just bled out" Jack squatted beside Gwen and looked into Ianto's face, "Are you alright?"
"What do you care. Never even took me on that date ya promised me, even the weevil hunts are boring now" Ianto slurred, blinking owlishly at him, "I'm not. OK, ya see? Not. My offspring are good enough to send a killer after with strict protocols but me … the architect of said children doesn't even rate a proper killing myself. Typical really. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Not that I would wear a veil or nothing. A white suit maybe…a little bit of colour."
"Come on" Jack lifted Ianto to a standing position, staggering to Owen with him and the acrid doctor frowned.
"Bang ya head?"
"Yes."
"Against what?" Owen demanded as he shone a penlight into Ianto's eyes.
"Well … I think it was that Yeti you shat all over in Tibet … or maybe a cousin … cousin IT on steroids?"
"You are a funny bugger when concussed, look. That Yeti wasn't real ... it was just a bloody Borrifen remember? We vaporized it when we found it eating a Yak thing." Owen said calmly as he prodded at Ianto's ribs.
"Oh yeah. But you did shit on it"
"I was pissing not shitting and didn't know it was on the ice shelf below us. Lucky hit!" Owen snorted with amusement, "Come on. Let's go back to base and consider things."
"What about Max?" Gwen asked, "It will come back for him, right?"
"Bring him with" Jack shrugged as he led Ianto to the SUV and motioned for Owen to drive the other one, "Why not."
