A/N: we get to know bits of other Iantos

Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian


Ianto wondered how to address to himself now that he knew he wasn't real. It wasn't an easy task to procure himself a cool name, something that wasn't lame.

"Which number am I?" he asked and all looked at him startled. They were just about to disembark.

"Why are they all thinking the same?" Vren asked disconcerted.

"Because they are the same person" said Trianca adjusting her gun.

"Or because they are Flesh" said Vren fastening his space suit, his clasp got stuck.

"Let me help with that" said Ianto and fixed his problem.

"But he would be a good pet" Vren said again. "Should we lock him up? Just in case, the Hive is right here, they can hijack his mind at any moment."

"It doesn't work like that" Jack growled and rechecked Vren's clasp. Ianto was annoyed by that. "They have to choose to plug in, and it's possible only after they get in touch with original Flesh substance."

"That's silly and you know it" Trianca said. "Mark 2 returned to the Hive without ever touching it, he just jumped in. Mark 4 went bonkers and smashed our shuttle into that space ship and don't let me start how the hell Mark 3 knew how to get that whole group of Flesh to follow it to the abyss."

Ianto thought about it, it didn't look like a cheerful perspective of a future.

"Those were unfortunate circumstances" said Jack sternly, fastening a belt full of gadgets. Ianto missed the suspenders more than was comfortable. "But it doesn't have to be a rule."

"So I'm Mark 5?" said Ianto thoughtfully thinking how it didn't sound all that bad, Ianto Mark 5.

"No" Trianca shook her head. "You're Mark 7. Mark 5 disembarked and we haven't heard from him, Mark 6 dissolved on our console."

"So there is just Mark 5 out there somewhere, since I presume that Mark 1 is the original version" said Ianto thinking how Mark 7 didn't sound so great, it sounded like a joke on a Star Trek theme, he wasn't Seven of Nine… or was he? To be replaced by another; newer Flesh seemed demoralizing.

"It really freaks me out how they all talk in the same way. I would always think Mark 1 as the first human version" Vren shook his head.

"Yeah, me too, now that you say it" Trianca leaned her head thoughtfully. "But it's because Mark 2 came up with the system. Remember he freaked out shouting how he's not Mark 2 of anything…"

"Shut up" Jack snapped at them "And no, Mark 5 isn't the only one" Jack tapped the screen beside the exiting shaft. "Mark 3 surely survived the fall, gravity was low on that planet. Mark 2 is safe with the Hive and he's one of them now. Only Mark 6 is surely gone" he said with a hint of discomfort in his voice and Ianto thought how difficult this must have been on him, to decide what to do with all the spare Iantos running around. "Now focus, there is a Hive here and this one is crazier than one before, the only thing that's keeping us alive is our ability to destroy it completely. Keep your mouths shut and let me do the talking."

"Can I go?" Ianto was suddenly unsettled by the possibility of being left behind alone on the ship with the prospects of them never returning. Well, Jack would come back eventually, but that wasn't comforting, not here.

"Why are they always asking the same questions?" Vren was upset.

"And why are you letting them tag along, didn't the previous trips convince you to make him stay behind?" Trianca tried to reason with Jack.

"And what? Sit here alone with our ship, what if you're right and his mind was able to be hijacked this time around?" Jack got angry at her. "Besides" he tapped and opened the shaft "all of those incidents saved your lives, didn't they?"

The others murmured and got out.

"And a space suit for me?" asked Ianto suddenly reluctant to go out. "I mean you can't die… but I…"

"You're Flesh, remember?" Jack said sternly taking a gun-like something in his hands. "You'll be fine. This Unit Factory was human based so your form will be stable. They need suits because some of protective protocols on this station are harmful to their outer shells."

With that he disembarked and Ianto Mark 7 saw no other way but to follow Jack into action like he always had.


Lets see what's in the Hive.