Work With No Pleasure.
Jack looked at his watch and it was a minute to midnight as he stood at the bay wall, hoping that he hadn't gone too far along for Phoenix to find him but then he remembered, she was an expert tracker so she would find him if she wanted to. He gazed out at the sea, the stars of this clear night reflecting off of the almost still sea, the water's surface sparkling. He was so lost in this sight that jack didn't notice someone approaching him.
"What is the teams decision?" comes a woman's voice from behind him and he turns around to see Phoenix stood a distance behind him.
"Hello to you too Phoenix. Nice night isn't it. Clear skies, stars shining. I love these kinds of nights," he tells her trying to get into some kind of conversation with her.
"The teams decision Jack, what is it?" she asks him again louder with a stern voice.
"Why are you being so cold to me? I thought we had worked through everything this morning?" he asks her as he takes a few steps towards her and she backs off.
"This is work Jack, no pleasure involved. Their decision Jack?" she asks him again.
"What has happened to you?" he asks her, again taking a few steps towards her so she raises her hand and stops him dead in his tracks.
"Their decision Jack? What is it?" she orders him this time.
"Their decision is that they want to train so they can be prepared now release me," Jack tells her and she releases him, lowering her hand.
"I'll be in the range at 10 o'clock waiting for the first person to arrive. I only need to see Owen, Gwen, Toshiko and Ianto," she tells him and she turns away, her long waistcoat flying behind her and before Jack can even think about going after her, she was gone.
Jack is left stood there all alone wondering what had just happened, why she had been like that with him. He stood and contemplated the answer before returning to the hub and a waiting Ianto.
The team arrived at their usual time as Jack sits in his office and Ianto is in the kitchenette getting the team's coffee together. As the team get settled into their seats, Jack came out of the office and addresses the team.
"Phoenix will be in this morning at 10 o'clock to start training so who is going down first?" Jack asks them and they look at each other.
"I'll go first," Gwen tells Jack as Ianto arrives with the coffee.
"Is she coming in through a Vortex as usual?" Ianto asks Jack as the team get their cups.
"I have no idea. She was acting really strange when I spoke to her last night. Something's wrong but I have no idea what it is," Jack tells them all as Ianto arrives with the coffee for Jack.
"I thought that you two had worked everything?" Ianto asks him as Jack takes his coffee.
"So did I," Jack replies.
Ten o'clock on the dot and the cog door begins to roll back and the cage begins to open. The whole team looks to see who had walked through the door when they spot Phoenix walking through the door holding a huge bag over her shoulder and she walks past them.
"Morning Phoenix," Gwen shouts to her but Phoenix carries on walking soon disappearing from their sight.
"That is a totally different person than the Phoenix that left here," Toshiko tells others as they look at each other.
"Maybe she is sick or something?" Owen asks and then Jack appears.
"Phoenix doesn't get sick, ever. There is something else going on," Jack tells them.
"Shall I go down Jack?" Gwen asks him as she clutched her coffee.
"Give it a minute or two so she can get set up. Ianto, could you make her a coffee. She doesn't have anything like that where she stays," Jack tells them as Ianto leaves to make the coffee.
"Where does she stay Jack?" Owen asks him.
"By what I saw which wasn't much, she lives somewhere that is very much deserted. There is nothing or no-one around. She is all on her own there," Jack tells the team.
Ianto returns a few minutes later with a coffee in his hand and he gives it to Gwen and she makes her way to the range with both hers and Phoenix's coffee. When Gwen approaches the range, she sees Phoenix with one of the weapons. Gwen watches as Phoenix handles the weapon as though she was fighting with an invisible enemy, her movements so fluid, so controlled, like Phoenix was dancing to music only she could hear.
"Are you coming in or are you staying there and watching me?" Phoenix asks taking Gwen by surprise as Phoenix's back had remained to Gwen.
"I'm here for training but I didn't want to interrupt you. Ianto sent you down a coffee," Gwen tells her as she comes in with the coffee and puts it down on the table as Phoenix puts the weapon down.
Phoenix takes the cup off of the table and drinks the whole thing in one and then puts the cup down.
"Now we can train. Pick up your weapon," she tells Gwen as she picks her weapon up and Gwen picks hers up.
"Stand on the mark you would for firing," Phoenix tells Gwen very coldly and matter of fact.
Phoenix walks Gwen through the stance, attack moves, defence moves. Phoenix does it first and then Gwen does it until she is comfortable and then Phoenix shouts out a move and Gwen does it. After the hour, Phoenix sees that Gwen is more comfortable and progressing well.
"Ok Gwen. Your hour is over and you are much more confident than before. Will you send the next person down please," Phoenix asks her to Gwen's surprise.
"Oh, ok," Gwen replies as she lays her weapon down, picking up hers and Phoenix's coffee cups and taking them out with her.
Jack was waiting for Gwen when she arrived in the hub.
"How did it go?" Jack asks her in front of everyone.
"It went well but there is definitely something different about her. I took the coffee in and she downed it straight away even though it was burning hot and then she got straight into the training. She hardly spoke except when she had too. It was almost as though she was automated, almost like a robot. There was something though, when I first arrived at the range, she was practicing herself. She looked amazing. Her movements so fluid, so graceful, like she was dancing with the sword," Gwen finishes telling Jack.
"What are you going to do Jack?" Ianto asks him as Jack looks like he is thinking.
"She made it quite clear last night that she only wanted to see you four today and not me. If I go and see her, it might start something and her leaving is the last thing we need Ianto," Jack replies.
"What did she say last night?" Toshiko asks Jack turning from her computer.
"Apart from demanding the answer to her question, she said that she only needed to see you four and that she would be in the range at ten o'clock. She was very cold and kept her distance from me and then disappeared after saying that," Jack tells them.
"Sounds like she has a problem with you Jack," Owen tells him getting up off of his chair and leaving the workstation area.
"Where are you going?" Toshiko asks him.
"I have an hour of training to do Tosh. Where do you think I am going?" he asks her with a typical Owen smile.
He makes his way to the range and Phoenix puts him through exactly the same training as she put Gwen through and this time, Owen didn't mess about. He concentrated more on what Phoenix was showing him and what he was doing with the smaller sword. He became more confident and Phoenix seemed happy with his progress but she didn't show it and Owen could see what Gwen meant about her being automated. As their hour came to an end, Ianto arrived at the range.
"Ok Owen. Your hour is up so if you could leave your weapon on the table as you leave," she tells him and he does as he is asked.
As he leaves, he stops at Ianto's side and leans into him.
"Gwen was right. She isn't right," Owen tells him unaware of the fact that Phoenix could hear him and then he leaves and it is just Ianto and Phoenix.
"What can I help you with Mr Jones?" Phoenix asks him as she straightens out the weapons.
"We are just about to have dinner and we were wondering if you wanted to join us Phoenix," Ianto asks her, not actually sure whether she was listening.
"No thank you Mr Jones. I don't fancy being there to be stared at. I will go back home and then return in an hour to resume training," Phoenix tells him as she walks to the door where he is stood.
"Have you any food, anything proper to eat where you call home?" he asks her as she passes him.
"What concern is it of yours? I am here for training purposes only and not to get friendly. I am fine on my own like I have been for so long," she tells him heading down the corridor as he watches her walk away and he feels uneasy about letting her go.