Odyssey
a Torchwood crossover story
by RoadrunnerGER
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the related shows. I just love to play with their characters.
Summary: Investigating a series of mysterious disappearances, Torchwood gets just one step too close. One of them is left behind to begin a wild goose chase across the universe in order to save the team because this time Jack is among the missing. crossover
A/N: Thank you all for reviewing. If they finished the budget is Jack and Ianto's little secret. ;) Special thanks to my faithful beta reader. Enjoy… and Merry Christmas!
Chapter 2
When team Torchwood met again Toshiko did not have good news.
"I didn't find Rift activity of any kind," she reported, "but when I double checked I discovered energy spikes that our equipment hadn't picked up before. I had a closer look at them and they were alien."
"Alien?" Jack asked, uncertain if he should be relieved by the news that this was not Rift related. He had been keeping secrets that would come to light if his team found out that the Rift did not only work one way, and he was not quite ready to share them yet. That the disappearances seemed to be related to alien intervention was a disturbing thought as well.
"Yes," Toshiko confirmed. "I have no idea, though, what could've caused them."
Thoughtfully Jack rubbed his chin with the knuckles of his right hand.
"Well," the captain started carefully. "I don't like having to say it, but knowing that people have vanished we have to assume that the energy spike was caused by some kind of weapon… or transporter."
"Transporter?" Owen echoed. "You mean like Beam me up, Scotty?"
"Excuse me?"
"You've never seen Star Trek?"
"No…" Jack replied carefully.
"Well, there's a gap in your education, Captain."
"He means some kind of teleport, sir," Ianto whispered. As he sat to Owen's left side he had to whisper loud enough to reach Jack across half of the table, so everyone heard it.
"Hey, teaboy," Owen said. "We're not at school where you have to whisper the answer to the test to your classmate."
Ianto scowled at the doctor but could not help turning an adorable shade of red. Jack coughed to hide his smirk behind his raised hand.
"Anyway," Toshiko continued as if nothing had happened. "I added the parameters to the Rift detector. It should alert us in case the…"
She could not finish her sentence because her PDA started to beep madly.
"What is it?" Jack demanded to know.
Toshiko stared at the display and shook her head with disbelief. "That can't be…" she mumbled. "Look."
And she brought up the readings on the big plasma screen.
The team looked at two spots on Cardiff's map that blinked steadily and became bigger with every blink.
"Can't be the Rift," Toshiko said. "It's too regular."
"It's not," Jack rasped, an uneasy feeling in his gut. "Get your weapons," he commanded, leading the way to the armoury. "We'll have a closer look at it."
xXx
Jack did not like that they had to split up to examine both energy sources at the same time. Of course they were wearing their Bluetooth earpieces but the feeling that something would go terribly wrong remained. Jack would have liked to just take his team and five pizzas and two pots of Ianto's coffee and have a sit in at the Hub, but he knew that was impossible. The human race might be in danger. Torchwood had to help.
Still the feeling of dread nagged at him.
That's annoying, Jack thought. We split the team up before if the situation required it. What's so different this time?
Jack felt hesitant and that was something he could not afford at all. Biting his bottom lip he led his team out of the Hub. Gwen and Owen took the doctor's car and drove to the hot spot in the city centre while Toshiko, Jack, and Ianto rode to the shore.
"What are we searching for?" Ianto asked as they alighted from the SUV.
"I have no idea, Ianto," Toshiko groaned. "It's agile, maybe airborne."
"I hope not…" Jack mused aloud. He did not feel fear, but his unease was short of becoming overwhelming.
"Um, Jack?" he heard Owen over his earpiece.
"What?"
"There are people, unconscious people."
"Are they injured?" Jack demanded to know.
"Not as far as I can see," Owen told him. "No sign of anything alien yet, though we're getting those energy readings."
"Yeah, it's especially strong around the people," Gwen said.
"And not only around the people…" Owen snarled, almost at the same time as Toshiko said, "Jack, there's something in the air, I think."
They stood on the sandy beach and stared up at the sky where nothing could be seen.
Still something made Jack's skin tingle. Looking around he did not spot anything suspicious, but he just knew it was there.
"Jack?" Toshiko asked.
"I can sense them," Jack murmured. His face darkened. "You're right, Tosh. They must be somewhere up there." Jack felt a prickle on the back of his neck. Something was out there and it made him anxious not to know where. That he could not see the enemy left him on edge. Taking out his Webley he said, "Go back to the car."
"What the heck…?" Owen panted right then when he saw two ships uncloak right on top of them. The ships came down from the clear blue sky.
Jack let his gaze drift over the beach and the cliff. No one was there and that in itself felt weird. Spotting the entrance to a cave the captain decided to check it out. He did not get far, though, when he heard Ianto call out.
"Jack!" the young Welshman yelled, alarmed. "Tosh!"
His coworker was by his left side, her gun in hand.
Her real gun. Stun guns would not do them any good against the attackers they were facing now. From out of nowhere a ship appeared on the beach between them and the SUV.
"Ianto! Look out!" Toshiko yelled back, shooting at the humanoid creature she saw behind the Welshman. Ianto looked around just in time to see the being fall.
"Thanks," he panted.
"Tosh, Ianto! Where are you?" they heard Gwen over their earpieces.
"On the shore," Toshiko replied. "Where are you?"
"At the castle! We're trying to fight the aliens, defend the people, but it's just the two of us! We're as good as defenceless!"
"How many attackers?" Toshiko wanted to know.
"There are three ships above us, coming down rapidly. They're landing in the park!"
"They must have a mother ship somewhere!" Ianto said. "They didn't come through the Rift and are too small to cross long distances!"
When Jack now looked back over his shoulder and saw the ship the blood froze in his veins.
"Gwen! Owen!" he shouted into the comm. "I don't want you near those ships! Do you hear what I say? Don't get near those ships!"
"Jack, we've gotta help the people!" Gwen gasped. "We can't stand back and do nothing!"
"We don't have a choice!" Jack yelled. "I know them! And you'll do as I say. Stay away from…!"
Owen's shriek for help cut him short.
"Owen! Owen, do you copy?!"
There was no answer and panic gripped Jack's heart, squeezing it painfully.
"Jack! They're taking whoever crosses their paths!" Gwen screamed. "We've gotta help them!"
"There's nothing you can do!" Jack insisted. "Stay out of the line of fire! That's an order!"
"Owen!"
"Gwen! Don't!" Through his earpiece he heard screams and shots. Jack ran along the beach, closing the distance to Toshiko and Ianto who ran toward him. What Gwen was doing he did not know. He could only suspect that she went to help Owen and he knew that she would not be a match for the attackers. If Owen was in their hands already… Jack refused to think so. He trusted them to get away. But if they don't? He shuddered.
As soon as Ianto and Toshiko ran past him Jack raised his gun and fired at their pursuers. Then he pivoted around to follow them.
"Run!" he screamed. "Run for your lives!"
The cave he had spotted was no option for them. It would turn into a trap. They had to try and outrun the aliens. Knowing that a ship could uncloak right in front of them at any time was not reassuring.
"We should fight them!" Toshiko gasped.
"We can't beat them! Just run!"
Jack shooed them forward, turning back and shooting at their pursuers. He thought his heart would stop when he saw Ianto stumble.
"Don't stop!" Jack screamed, grabbing Ianto's hand, pulling him with him.
"Jack!" Ianto panted.
Toshiko was a bit ahead. Every now and then she glanced over her shoulder, judging if she should stop and shoot.
"Keep running!" Jack shouted, searching desperately for a place to go. Somewhere to hide. Something to barricade themselves in.
"Ah!"
Ianto's yelp made Jack's hair stand on end. He felt the younger man slow down and grabbed him harder in order to keep him right behind him.
Ianto stumbled, though.
In a horrifying repetition of events Jack felt Ianto's hand slip out of his own.
tbc…