A/N: so a mixed one with a good twist
Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian
Jack rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms. It was silly of him to act this way. He was more than a few centuries old now. This was just another challenge, and he wouldn't be scared into submission this way. He'll fight them with their own weapons.
With that he exited, determined to fight this. He entered the bridge just to hear Trianca cry out blasphemy and throw one of her scales away. Jack picked it up talking just to say something. His mind was preoccupied with strategy and planning ahead. Still, he took the shell. Trianca threw them away if he didn't. It was appalling to her that it had value of any sorts. But these days Jack took money everywhere he could. A bit of a rogue was awaked in him and he looked where he could to score some. He had quite nice pile until now but he couldn't stop collecting. Because money was a protection of sorts in any time. He was far from the kind of wealth to be protected for real, or in real danger for it, but he had time. Even a small thing like this shell will worth a lot in the future when Trianca's race would perish and die. He was saddened to know that, but his original timeline was in the future from this one so he couldn't avoid pre-knowledge. No one said he couldn't use it. Even the Doctor.
With that he sighed deeply preparing himself for the talk, the first one, the rest would hopefully be easier. He dialed wondering if he would make a fuss in answering but his face was quickly on his screen.
"Oh, it's you" said Mark 2 "I thought he had something more to say."
"Obviously you're convincing to yourself" Jack joked tiredly.
"You're rude now" he snapped at Jack "we're not one and the same, we're different."
"Sorry" Jack rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes.
"What did you want?" Mark 2 growled. "And don't give me that 'I'm so tired everyone should indulge me' face."
Jack shook his head to make himself stern, Mark 2 was right, this required focus.
"I want you to come to the Hive when we locate it, come and help" Jack said firmly.
Mark's 2 eyebrows jumped up in surprise.
"I won't come aboard" he said thoughtfully "but I could get a ship" he looked to the side "and bring reinforcements if that's what you need."
"No, no others, just you" Jack shook his head "I don't know the others, who knows how far this someone has its spies."
"Why not, they are Flesh just like me, we share thoughts, I would know" Mark 2 was offended.
"You share thoughts to certain degree, they aren't your Hive. Besides even with shared thoughts you still are different people. They aren't Ianto, I don't trust them" Jack stayed firm.
"Why would you trust me then? I'm not Ianto either. You made that very clear" Mark 2 crossed his arms across his chest and Jack thought how rarely Ianto did that, how rarely he would protect his heart from him.
Jack looked down, nodding.
"You're Ianto enough to trust you" Jack said not looking at him. "I would trust any version of Ianto more than any other person. Because Ianto always came through for me. If you're anything like him, and I think you are stark picture of him, you have to be, you'll do what's right in any occasion. Besides, that's your Hive that's being held hostage over me out there. And I think you should have a say in it, what should happen to it."
There was a silence, Jack didn't look up; his eyes were too open, too sad. He kept thinking of that moment on the Master's ship when Ianto came in to save him, and he did, with a kiss.
"Jack" said Mark 2 gently "you put too much value in me, time has distorted your memory, I'm not that valuable."
Jack smiled tightly and shook his head.
"Time gives you clearance on what is real" he said sternly, finally looking up at that face he loved so much.
Tears were now running down Mark's 2 face and Jack let his roll down too.
"I damn that time" said Mark 2 "send me coordinates and I'll be there for whatever is worth. Sorry for calling you a monster, real me would never do that."
"But he would" said Jack with a sad smile "and he did, you must remember that."
"But that was before…" Mark 2 stopped himself.
"Before what?" Jack frowned.
"Nevermind" he looked away shoving his hands in his pockets looking more Ianto-like. "So it'll be me, you, and that one too? Not a lot of reinforcements, is the secret plan just to melt us all and be done with it" there was no emotion in his voice anymore, just professional demeanor. Jack smiled because it was so Ianto, he could ask that way about anything from sex to dispensing trash.
"No, I'll go and fetch the others, Mark 3 and 4 at least, Mark 5 didn't check in to say where he went" Jack said looking at him carefully.
"Don't look at me like that" Mark 2 frowned "I'll survive them being there. I don't mind them, it was just hard to be second in line and discover our disability to…" he trailed off and Jack rubbed his palm remembering when he stopped being so freaked out by Mark 2 that they tried to touch, just a hand shake to start anew. It was like old Earth's joke with a teaser on a palm. "So I guess I was the worst in reacting to the news, the others must have taken it better."
"No" Jack looked at the ceiling "you weren't the worst, not even close. Mark 6 is first on that list, he dissolved himself, Mark 3 crashed a shuttle; you came in third I think, yeah I think diving into the Hive beats diving into the abyss, more gross effect."
There was a short silence then Mark 2 laughed out loud.
"You were always such a bastard, I loved that" Mark 2 shook his head looking at peace now. "Don't be too harsh on that version you have on board."
"I don't know" Jack rubbed his jaw "kindness proved to be unsettling for you lot."
"Try it, I think he's more solid than he looks like, besides we can see how that harshness is costing you, remember we knew how to deceive you, and not the other way around."
Jack frowned, dissatisfied.
"Only that one time" he complained.
Mark 2 smiled with a crooked smile that made Jack angry, in a way he could understand the frustration these versions of Ianto went through, it was a frustratingly nice smile.
"If you prefer to see it that way" he said cheerfully. "It's an orgy then, see you there" he said and ended transmission.
Jack threw himself into his chair crossing his arms over his chest unsatisfied. Even in his Flesh version Ianto still managed to put the last word in. But that was a futile anger. Mark 2 would be there, that's what's important. Even though Jack risked more this way, there would be more than one version of Ianto to manipulate him with, he knew this was the right way. Because Mark 2 wasn't far off calling him the monster, and insinuating that he'd destroy that Hive if necessary. He got so used to making those decisions, in destroying to prevent rather than sit through an entire war or suffering. It was right to make the Iantos choose because he wasn't reliable in this case. Because if that was a Hive that gave out Iantos he would hesitate, he wasn't sure he would be able to know if he should destroy it or not. But the Iantos had no sentiment toward themselves, they would know how to choose.
That made him type in coordinates for the planet Mark 3 had crashed that shuttle, he would be there somewhere if he was still whole. He waited but ship didn't move. That meant that Trianca was too preoccupied in talking to Mark 7. He got up tiredly knowing he'd have to find a way to address the new Ianto. With the older versions he'd already gone through the first tantrum and now he knew how to talk to each of them. This one still hadn't gone through his, Jack wondered what it'd be. Now he knew he's Flesh, that he's the 7th, and that they couldn't touch, and none of those things caused tantrum. Maybe Mark 2 was right, maybe he was more solid than he appeared.
"I'm guessing he'll ask you…" Trianca said to Mark 7 and Jack cut her off demanding to go already, but she argued with him. He was too old to be doubted like that, too tired to wait for her to comply. So he leaned forward and just started the ship himself.
"I wasn't aware I had to answer to you now" he glared at her to make her take a stand. Being forced on him by the Shadow Proclamation gave her too much attitude. And with her not sleeping at all it made him feel observed all the time. He couldn't do anything, she was always there at the bridge, controlling and listening in.
"No you don't have to" she was patient "but I have to answer to authorities. They ask questions about our progress, this ship and everything on it costs."
Jack snorted and leaned towards her.
"No, it doesn't" a short noise distracted him, there was Mark 7 by the far end watching him, he returned his gaze towards Trianca, he had no problem with Mark 7 behind his back. "I know exactly what it costs and it's not a lot, not for them, especially since I don't cost them anything. So why are you reporting so tidily?"
"Because there is a war on" she said sternly crossing her arms across her chest and Jack wondered once more when her race got rid of their additional limbs to adapt to a universe crowded with four limbed mammals, or did they just dropped off naturally. "And they need to know how many Hives are out there."
"Well this one isn't their concern, this one doesn't wage war with the Universe, just me, understood?" he was menacing now, last thing he needed was to drag all the Iantos there only to be torn apart with them by a star cruiser blast power. He wondered would they stay and collect his pieces or would they leave him to drift in the vacuum of space trying to compose himself back together. He would probably fall on some hard surface eventually. Would he be conscious about what's happening like he was when he was putting himself together on Earth after the Torchwood Hub exploded?
"You are the Captain" she said mockingly and turned towards the console "and you steered us wrong, but don't worry I can compensate for you. I can always compensate. Stupid mammals and your excessive emotions. I was just conscious about my assignment."
"I'm sorry" he put his hand on her shoulder. She dropped it to avoid contact, he was still amazed by the way her shoulders moved; there were more degrees of freedom there. "But really, don't send messages. We're not trying to find the Hive at the moment, I just need to talk to Mark 3. That's not their business."
"Isn't the one on board enough?" she frowned at him. "You humans confuse me, if anyone sent that kind of drama my way I would cut his head off."
"I'm sure you would" Jack nodded. "We humans bleed, so we tend to avoid cutting off heads."
"Boring, we can grow another if we like" she said shaking her head.
"Body?" Jack was curious.
"No, head" she smiled "our brains aren't in the head, so it's easy to reproduce. I don't understand why you would keep your brains in such an exposed position, or why you don't know how to regrow limbs. There's been too many unfortunate accidents for me to understand that. If I knew that, I would never be obligated to report to them anything. Why are you more normal than them? You can regrow things too."
"Just lucky I guess" he said and went in search of Mark 7. His smiling by the wall was somewhat disturbing. He wouldn't be having his tantrum by himself would he? That reminded him of Mark 6 and how desperate he looked just before he…
Jack hurried through the corridors towards the cabin for passengers. Why else would he retreat like that?
Jack slammed open his door not bothering with knocking.
"Hey" Mark 7 was lying in his bed covering himself up "knock please. You're not at home here."
"No, I'm not" Jack stopped himself, feeling silly. "It was a stressful day for you, I got worried. You're ok?"
He approached the bed and supported his hand on the side of it. Why did they make beds so high these days? Didn't people fall from beds anymore? This one was so high it reached Jack's waist. He preferred to sleep on the floor in the rare occasions he would sleep.
"I'm fine" Ianto's voice got impatient. "Did you need something?"
"I just wanted to let you know that we'll be collecting the other Iantos to assist us with this Hive of yours. I hope that won't disturb you."
"I don't disturb myself" Mark 7 said offended "I think I'm quite dashing from the outside."
Jack smiled.
"Isn't that the truth" he inhaled deeply "if there was no obstacle of touch it would be quite a nice orgy."
"An orgy?" Mark 7 frowned. "I highly doubt that. If there was a split of a second I was considering an orgy, it was with you and Captain Hart and that was just because of his strange appeal, but even that was crossed out easily. Me, myself, and I would agree that an orgy is a terrible idea, even worse than when Owen suggested it."
Jack blinked for a moment finding every option above as an interesting one.
"Jack, stop picturing it" Mark 7 ordered and he shook his head quickly.
"Sure, you're the boss. Then you're fine?" Jack checked again.
Mark 7 pressed his lips together before he answered.
"Just peachy" he said but then something twitched under his cover and Jack's too well trained reflexes against all kinds of danger cut in and he jerked the cover away just to expose Mark's 7 naked and well aroused cock twitching hard.
"Oh" said Jack lost for a moment.
"Exactly" Mark 7 deadpanned. "Oh, couldn't you just knock and I would send you away?"
So...
