No flash backs here.
Selection.
Phoenix made her way back into the hub as Ianto made his way into the main hub holding a brown bag and walking to the sofa area and placing the bag down on the coffee table. They all left their workstations and made their way to the seating area and Gwen delves in and starts handing out the sandwiches and then she comes across a special one.
"Who's is this Ianto," Gwen asks holding up a large, paper wrapped sandwich.
"That's Phoenix's," Ianto tells her and takes it from her.
Ianto turns and sees Phoenix walking over to the boardroom stairs so he walks over to her as she climbs the stairs.
"I thought I should grab you some dinner. I didn't know what you would want so Jack told me you have a thing about bacon, fried egg and fried mushrooms sandwiches so I got you one of those," Ianto tells her handing her the sandwich.
"Thanks Ianto but you don't have to run around for me. It's not your job," she tells him taking the sandwich from him and sitting down at the boardroom table, putting her feet up on the glass table.
"Jack told me about the fact that you said that you might not make it out of this alive. He is really worried about this and he needs to know what you meant," Ianto tells her looking down at her as she unwraps the sandwich and tucks into it.
"I knew he would. There is nothing that anyone can do Ianto. I wish he would understand that. If I don't make it, then I don't make it. At least I would have died for a good cause," she tells him and he leaves it at that as he had gotten enough answers for now.
"I will leave you to your dinner. Just let Jack know when you are ready for the first member of the team," Ianto tells her with a smile and he leaves.
Phoenix puts her sandwich down and begins to think. She knew all the possible outcomes of this battle.
1: She hadn't trained the team enough and they all die including her.
2: She hadn't trained the team enough and they died but she didn't.
3: She trains them enough but are over whelmed and she can't protect them and they die.
4: She trains them enough and they succeed but she burns herself out and dies.
Those were the most likely outcomes and she didn't really like any of them but if there was one that was more favourable, it was the latter.
She eats her sandwich and then collects the weapons on the table and takes them down to the range where there was more space to try out the weapons. Once everything was laid out, she went and sat down on the floor with her back against the wall. She closed her eyes and before she knew it and could stop herself, she had drifted into sleep.
Phoenix was awoken by Jack and Ianto shaking her.
"Wake up Phoenix. Your dreaming again," Ianto tells her and her eyes flash open, still feeling her nightmare.
"Not again," she tells them and got up off of the floor. She walks over to the targets of the Weevils in the range and starts punching one of them, frustrated that she feel asleep again.
"It's nothing to worry about Phoenix. You need the sleep," Jack tells her and Ianto agrees with him.
"No Jack. What I need to do is concentrate on what I need to do to get the team ready. I'll start with you Ianto as you are already here," Phoenix tells him turning away from the Target.
"What are you going to do?" Ianto asks her looking very worried all of a sudden.
"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt Ianto. I just place my hand on the side of your head and face and then touch the weapons and see which one would suit you best. It doesn't hurt and it isn't uncomfortable, it just feels a little strange that's all," Phoenix tells him with a smile and as Ianto turns to go to the table, Jack gives her a concerned look and she just walks off.
Ianto and Phoenix reach the table and Ianto prepares himself and Phoenix places her left hand on the side of his face and the other, she holds over the weapons that she had set up on the table. Phoenix can sense Ianto's tension as she closes her eyes.
"Calm down Ianto. You are too sense for me to do this. Relax," she tells him but it doesn't work and Ianto's shoulders rise as he closes his eyes.
"Jack. Help Ianto relax or I can't do this," Phoenix tells him and Jack walks over to Ianto and puts his arms around Ianto, resting his chin on his shoulder and Ianto almost instantly relaxes under Jack's touch.
As Phoenix senses Ianto and her hand hovers over each of the weapons on the table, she senses something else. Jack was holding onto Ianto but looking at her. She frowns at him and he looks away from her. The Phoenix senses what she needs to sense and them makes sure that she has it right but she did. She moves her hand away from Ianto's head and face.
"I have done what I needed to do and your weapon has been selected," Phoenix tells Ianto as he opens his eyes and Jack lets go of Ianto.
"Are you going to tell me which weapon it is then?" Ianto almost demands from her.
"Not yet Ianto. Not until I have done everyone," she tells him and turns to the table to make a mental note of which one it was.
"You both can send the next one in please," Phoenix tells them and they look at each other and then leave.
One by one, Owen, Gwen and Tosh come in and Phoenix does the same to them as she did to Ianto and the results were surprising to her. After each one of them had left, Phoenix sorted them into order. She was surprised at the order the weapons ended up in, not expecting two of the choices. She calls the team into the range and them puts them into the order that the weapons were placed in.
"I have sensed each of you and the weapons I believe that are best suited to you are placed behind you. Before you check out the weapons, let me explain why these weapons. These weapons were found to be the most affective against the treat that is approaching. Unfortunately for the creators of the weapons, they were created just in time but no-one was ever trained to use them and subsequently, they were all killed. I commandeered them and starting tomorrow, I will train you in their use. You may turn around to your weapons," Phoenix tells them and they turn around to find their swords.
"Your kidding me. Toshiko and a broad sword?" Owen asks and she punches him in the arm.
"Actually, that surprised me too but that weapon came through the strongest by far for Toshiko.
"I have a samurai style sword," Ianto announces picking his up.
"Yes Ianto. Out of everyone, you have the greatest control so that weapon is best suited to you," Phoenix tells him knowing about his conflict 2 months prior to her arrival.
Everyone picked their weapons and checked them out and as they did, Jack went over to Phoenix.
"Do you see any problems with this?" Jack asks her, almost whispering in her ear.
"They all have problems Jack. Toshiko has a confidence issue that I need to address. Gwen has a problem with fighting people's battles for them that I need to deal with. Owen has an aggression problem that needs to dealt with and Ianto, Ianto is strange one. He doesn't trust himself. He believes that he could quiet possibly loose control which scares him to death, he has been at the threshold before and just made it back to the right side," Phoenix tells Jack watching the team with the weapons.
"How did you know that?" Jack asks her referring to Ianto's troubles.
"The sensing Jack is a nice way of saying that I was probing them, probing their characters, troubles, problems and I'm glad that you cut Gwen some slack and let her spend more time with Rhys. She had a sense that she would have to leave Torchwood if you hadn't of as Rhys always comes first," Phoenix tells Jack and he looks at her and she smiles at him.
"Right, training starts tomorrow and it starts with you all getting a feel for your weapons and how they move," Phoenix tells them and she leaves the range as they all put their weapons down on the table ready for the next morning.