Oh hell guys, I'm so sorry about this. But I had to get this up somehow, and it looks like it's worked. *Fingers crossed* I'd also like to apologise with the whole unbeta'dness - Kiarra-Chan's off round Europe, and SchmEthan and I are up to our eyeballs in exams (Him more so than me, I'm just spending my time having mental breakdowns about them) So here we are! Thanks a bunch for bearing with me! :D

What if I wanted to break? Laugh it all off in your face -
What would you do?
30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill

The guys who'd built the prison in TORCHWOOD 6.2 had followed the instructions to the letter. Harsh white light. Glass box with one cot, one pillow and one blanket and the basic sanitary requirements. A guard with a pistol standing outside the door with one pass code and a prisoner in the Abstergo prisoner's black uniform.

The perfect mind game.

And it was slowing getting to its occupant, grating on her sanity like her teeth did against each other. How long had she been in here now? God knows how long. It was becoming more and more difficult to define one day from the next – all her hours were either spent sleeping or sitting on her cot watching the security guard at the end stare back at her, with the pistol on his belt. Although he couldn't tell if he was staring back at her, really, what with the sunglasses.

She worked at Abstergo before. She knew its tricks. She knew what it was trying to do with her mind. She wouldn't let it.

But it was slowly, ever so slowly, getting to her. She was frustrated at herself. And she knew that if it kept getting to her for too long, she'd end up fighting herself, which would do no good at all.

She didn't know that she'd began to rock very slightly, and that she was biting on her lip so hard she was near to drawing blood. She just didn't feel the pain.

This was Lucy Stillman in 2012.

There was activity outside her prison. Her head snapped up as the guard stepped smartly aside as the door opened inwards. He saluted smartly as a small group filed inside the room. She recognised two members. That nervous looking one, that was that McDonald asshole. He'd personally escorted her to her prison and shown her every nook and cranny with a look that was so full itself that she'd just wanted to rip his face off. She didn't recognise the two guys in front of him in big black suits, they looked like your average body guards, but the man in front had a strange effect on Lucy. If she wasn't behind solid glass and had just a few seconds to spare, she would've torn him apart. Literally. With her bare hands. She entertained an image of flinging his heart across the room, and had to hold down a surge of spite as he nodded at the saluting guard and moved towards her glass box with a very diplomatic look about him.

'Miss Stillman.' His voice sounded somewhat artificial through the speaker in the corner of her box. There must be a microphone outside or something. So there was probably one in the box, too.

They'd elaborated somewhat on what the handbook said, it seemed.

'Vidic.' Lucy said, but her voice came out in a strange croak as her vocal cords stirred themselves into life again. She couldn't remember the last time she spoke. She'd screamed for the first few days she'd been in her box, but after that? Nothing. 'What do you want?'

'Nothing special. Just your cooperation.'

'Fuck you.'

If Vidic was surprised at her choice of language, he didn't show it. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked slightly on his heels, watching her through the glass with a slightly bored expression. It agitated Lucy beyond belief, and to her disgust, her hands began to twitch.

'Is our little box getting to you?'

Lucy chose not to answer that one.

'Don't worry. You won't be in there much longer, I can assure you.'

She couldn't help it, but her eyes fixed on Vidic like an eagle on a mouse. He noted it, and he raised his eyebrows. 'Of course, that'll be if you cooperate with us. If you don't, then you'll be stuck in here for a little while longer. In these four glass walls - where no one can touch you. And you can't touch anyone.' Lucy's narrowed eyes followed him as he leant against the glass, looking in with a smug expression and raising one hand to tap against the surface with his knuckle.

Taptaptaptap.

Lucy physically flinched at the noise. Vidic grinned. Taptaptaptap.

She turned her head away from him and glared at the wall. But she could still see him out of the corner of her eye, only slightly blurred.

But she could still hear the tapping.

Taptaptaptap.

Don't listen.

Taptaptaptap.

It's all in your head.

Taptaptaptap.

You don't have to do what he wants you to do. You're your own person. Remember that.

Taptaptaptap.

But if I do what he wants, will the noise go away?

Taptaptaptap.

Its worth knowing. Just knowing. You don't have to do anything.

Taptaptaptap.

'What do you want me to do?' Lucy forced the words out in a growl.

'There's my Lucy.' Vidic said happily, and he stepped away from the glass. Lucy just glared. 'What we want you to do is make a phone call.'

Lucy was genuinely surprised. 'A phone call? That's it?'

'Absolutely.'

'And then I get out of here?'

Vidic turned back to look at the guard, who tilted his head in a response whose meaning was lost on Lucy. Meanwhile, McDonald looked slightly miffed that he hadn't been included in this little bout of secret communication, and looked as though he was about to say something when Vidic turned to Lucy again.

'It will be something we'll discuss.' He said. McDonald retreated, looking rather put out. No one even spared him a glance.

Lucy was torn for a moment. She knew Vidic, and she knew that he wasn't to be trusted, but she felt herself weakening. One phone call. One harmless phone call. She wouldn't be helping them that much, would she?

There had to be a catch! And her mind found it, and it was hard to keep her triumph to herself. 'And who would I be calling?'

Vidic didn't even pause when he made a response. 'No one of great importance. Just a man who we'd like to talk to.' Vidic motioned to someone behind him, and one of the bodyguards stepped forward to the glass prison. As he did so, he pulled out an average looking mobile phone, and a tiny key Lucy recognised as copy of one that opened the slot her meals came through. When it was unlocked, the mobile was flung in, and it slid across the glass and stopped at her feet. The only noise in the room was the slot being locked again. 'You'll find the number in the contacts. It's the only one.' Vidic prompted as Lucy bent to pick it up. The screen came to life under her fingertips, and she immediately went to the contacts on the phone.

There was one number, just like Vidic had said.

But it was the one thing in the world that Lucy feared the most.

'No.' She whispered. Her hands started shaking. 'No, not him. Not ever. Screw your call.' The phone slipped from her limp fingertips, and hit the floor. It wasn't too long a distance, and even though it produced a clatter that made Lucy start, it was only the plastic that cracked. 'No.' She said again.

'No?'

'Never.'

'Well, that's too bad.' Vidic sighed. 'You can stay down here then. You're a big girl now – you'll be just fine. Just leave Subject Seventeen to us.' Vidic turned away just as Lucy's eyes went wide. 'Come on boys. Back to the limo.'

As the group began to file out the door, Lucy propelled herself off the bed. 'WAIT!' She cried, pounding on the glass. 'Come back, please!'

Vidic stopped in the doorway, and turned back. 'Have you changed your mind, Miss Stillman?'

'What did you say about Desmond?'

Her throat constricted after she said his name. Her heart thudded uselessly. She'd do anything.

Vidic turned back, and walked back into the room. He walked up to the glass, and looked in at Lucy.

'Do you know how long you've been in here?'

He took Lucy's petrified silence as a sign that she didn't know.

'Two months, Miss Stillman. And that's how long Subject Seventeen has been in the Animus.'

Lucy moaned as her heart broke. She found herself moving downwards until she was on her knees, one palm pressed up against the glass.

Two weeks. What was left of him?

'And I do believe it was three months that we left Subject Sixteen in the Animus before he went gaga, wasn't it? Yes, I think it was.'

Lucy's shoulders began to shake. Vidic bent down to her level, and stared at her through the glass.

'If you make that call now, Miss Stillman, I'll get him out of there by tomorrow morning. Give him some recovery time before he goes back in. But if you still persist in not complying with us, we'll keep him in there for much longer. So much longer. He'll be brain dead by the time we pull him out. So you either make the call, or you kill Subject Seventeen.' He hissed.

Lucy looked up at him. Those bastards. They knew she wouldn't make the call, so they threatened Desmond's life. She couldn't say no. Never. And how did she even know they were telling the truth? They could leave him to rot in there, and they wouldn't care past their paycheques.

But what if they were?

Those bastards.

She stared at the phone. Tears clouded her eyes as she found the number and hit the dial button.

'There's a good girl.' Vidic said as the dial tone beeped in her ear.

Oh, and by the way, who's seen the trailers for Revelations? OH MY GOD NOVEMBER CAN'T COME QUICKLY ENOUGH! ^^! Oh, and does anyone fancy a couple of games on ACB multiplayer? :D My XBOX Live is IfEaRnOfIsHh (It wouldn't accept it as it was, so I shoved an extra h on the end) If you wanna' add me, send me a message saying you're from ff. net (I don't accept anyone who I don't know/don't wish to know D: ) And we'll play some sweet murder together! :3
Thanks for sticking with me through all the technical difficulties, and please review! :D *Less than three*