WARNING: Scenes that some people may find a little uncomfortable.
A Cold Hearted Woman Still Has A Heart.
Phoenix spent her dinner hour looking out at the sea, feeling the air against her face, hearing people around her, feeling them around her, sensing them. She enjoyed being around people, around life and everything it brought. It reminded her that even if it was only the smallest part of her, she was still human. This cold hearted act was hard for her as she craved human company and conversation but she had to do it. She couldn't be close to anyone in any way, not when she knew her chances and not Jack of all people.
She knew she had to spend another two hours in the hub, training Toshiko and Ianto. She didn't worry too much about Toshiko, what would she say but Ianto, he was different. She felt guilty around him, she had slept with Jack, Ianto's partner and then wiped it from Jack's mind. Even though Jack didn't remember he had done it, they had still made love and she had both of their memories of it. She didn't want to be near either of them, Jack or Ianto. She didn't know if she could hold it together around them.
She looked at her watch and saw that it was time to walk back to the hub, time to get back and do the last two hours of the day, playing the cold hearted ice queen so no-one wanted to be near her. She dragged her feet as she walked into the tourist information office, Ianto standing behind the desk as she closed the door behind her.
"Hello Phoenix. Did you enjoy dinner?" he asks her as she reaches for the button to release the door but Ianto gets there first and presses it.
"Who said I ate anything?" she tells him as the door opens and she disappears through it.
She makes her way down to the main hub and opens the cog door. Once the door is open enough, Phoenix slips through it and heads straight for the range.
"Phoenix! Phoenix!" Jack shouts after her but she keeps on going until she gets to the range.
The range is empty and Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief. She took the two weapons that had already been trained with, the standard sword and the smaller standard and she put them in the bag that she had brought them in a slid them under the table and then waited for whoever would turn up next. Phoenix heard footsteps coming towards the range and by listening to them, she could tell they belonged to a smaller woman, Toshiko. As the footsteps stopped just inside the range, Phoenix looked up and saw her standing there.
"I thought you would want a few minutes to get settled before I came down," Toshiko tells her and Phoenix gets off of the table.
"Thank you. Now I want you to retrieve your weapon and come to the mark," Phoenix tells her and Toshiko does as she is asked very timidly.
Phoenix guides Toshiko through the stances and strikes and Toshiko follows. Phoenix can see that Toshiko isn't quite comfortable with the weapon. Phoenix goes over to the table and puts her broad sword down and goes back over to Toshiko.
"I can see your not comfortable with the sword. Can I ask why?" Phoenix asks her taking the sword from Toshiko's hands.
"It's not the sword I am uncomfortable with, it's what I have to do with it," Toshiko tells Phoenix not quite looking in her eyes.
"And what makes you uncomfortable Toshiko?" Phoenix asks her sitting down on the edge of the table with Toshiko's sword in her hand.
"Killing all those people. I don't know if I could do that," she tells Phoenix coming to the table where she is sat.
"Come with me and I will show you and tell you what these people help do," Phoenix tells her getting off of the table and heading for the door of the range, Toshiko following her.
"Where are we going?" Toshiko asks her following Phoenix back to the main hub area.
"Through the Vortex to where I call home," Phoenix tells her as they reach the main hub area.
"I have never been through a Vortex before," Tosh tells her as they both stop.
"It won't do anything to you. You come out a little light head but nothing you can't handle. I want you to know what these people do," Phoenix tells her as she dials up a Vortex and it appears in front of them.
"Where are you two going?" Owen asks standing up.
"Don't worry, I'll have her back in a minute Owen," Phoenix tells him and she holds her hand out to Toshiko and she takes Phoenix's hand and they walk through the Vortex together, it closing behind them.
They arrive a few minutes later on the dead planer that Phoenix was living on and Phoenix let's go of Toshiko's hand as she takes a minute to get over the affects of travelling through the Vortex. Phoenix walks over to her hut and grabs the open bottle of water and takes it to Toshiko and hands her the bottle. Toshiko takes it and takes a few sips and then give Phoenix the bottle back.
"Where are we?" Toshiko asks her as she takes a few deep breaths.
"We are on the dead planet where I stay at the moment," Phoenix tells her pointing out the hut where she slept.
"Why did you bring me here?" Toshiko asks her looking a little confused.
"I brought you here to show you what those people and the entity do. The entity's foot soldiers come first, starting their attack and then the entity comes. The foot soldiers kill every inhabitant of the planet that they come across in the most brutal ways. They don't need weapons. The entity that possesses them, gives them extra strength. They ravage the people, killing everyone and then the entity comes and drains the life out of the people that have been killed and anything else like animals, cars, anything that has energy ending with the planet it's self," Phoenix tells Toshiko and then they begin to walk.
"The people that the entity possesses are long dead, their souls gone, their bodies dead, there minds dead except from the entity that invades it. They aren't humans, they are what you would call zombies but possessed zombies. How strong are you, in mind not body as I want to show you something and you have to be strong?" Phoenix asks her as she knows only too well that human minds can be fragile.
"I am strong in mind. Show me what you want to show me," Toshiko almost demands from Phoenix.
"Follow me but I warn you, this isn't nice," Phoenix tells her walking down the side of a huge, derelict building with Toshiko in toe.
As they reach the far corner of the building, Toshiko begins to see it. It was a cemetery and as they cleared the corner, Toshiko took in the sheer size of the cemetery. It was the size of 7 lengths of a football pitch by about 10 lengths of a football pitch. There were so many crosses, made of piece of wood or twigs or anything else that could be used.
"How do you know about this place?" Toshiko asks Phoenix, fighting the urge to throw up.
"I know about it because I made it. I was sent here 6 months ago to study the place as the recent victim to the entity. I was suppose to learn all I could and then come to Torchwood and help you to defeat the entity as it was moving onto Earth. After about a week here, I couldn't stand to see the bodies laying around here anymore, the bodies laying where they had died, no-one burying them, everyone here being dead. I had to bury them so I started with the ones that where closest to the hut. One by one, I took the bodies and I buried them. I went into all the huts, all the buildings, taking them out two at a time, transporting them in my huge bags as I didn't want to mix there bodies up," Phoenix explains to Toshiko.
"But…..but…..," and then Toshiko throws up against the building and Phoenix rubs her back and gives her the water once Toshiko had finished throwing up.
"Each I could find has their own grave, each one had a prayer said to the them and each one of them I made a promise. I spent 5 months collecting every body or what was left of the bodies and burying them with respect," Phoenix tells her once Tosh had collected herself.
"You said you made a promise to them all. What promise did you make?" Toshiko asks Phoenix.
"I promised each of them that I would make the entity pay for what it did to them. I was sent here on purpose, to see this, to see them, to see what the entity does. I was sent here to prepare myself as so far, through years of searching, I am the only one powerful enough to take the entity on and stand any chance of destroying it," Phoenix tells Toshiko as she crouches down and takes a handful of dust and lets it run through her fingers.
"Why Torchwood? Why were you sent to Torchwood Cardiff?" Toshiko asks the obvious question standing next to Phoenix's side.
"Because this is where the entity will strike first. You are a threat to it, more of a threat than anything on Earth and it needs to take you out first. Torchwood Cardiff is well hidden and the entity only knows a rough location, it doesn't even know what the location is called but it knows that it is Cardiff. We don't know how it knows about Torchwood Cardiff but it does. You, Torchwood Cardiff is the first and last line of defence against the entity and it's foot soldiers and that is why I was sent. I have history with Torchwood Cardiff, history I can't talk about as it could change history and if history changes, I might not be around to do this, destroying my own history. It's complicated," Phoenix finishes explaining as she gets up and starts walking back to the hut.
"I understand now. I understand so much more about why you have such an urge to train us to defeat the foot soldiers. If we defeat the foot soldiers, you can focus all your energy on the entity and destroying it. I also understand why you can be so cold. What you have done over the past 6 months, what you have seen, I understand Phoenix," Toshiko tells her as they reach the hut.
"This is where I have called home for the last 6 months. You are welcome to come in and take a seat but there isn't much in there," Phoenix tells her as she holds the material back and Toshiko ducks under it and goes inside.
Phoenix was right. There wasn't much inside. Toshiko sees an old bed that wasn't very far off of the floor and a old set of drawers. Something caught Toshiko's eye and she went over to the drawers and on top where three photo's. One was of Phoenix, a little younger with a man and a woman who looked like her parents, one was of Phoenix and a team of soldiers and the last, the only one in a frame was of Phoenix and a man that Toshiko recognised anywhere. It was Jack. Phoenix and Jack were stood on a beach, Jack stood behind Phoenix with his arms around her and his chin resting on her shoulder. They both looked very happy, both smiling but not in a fake way or posed way.
"You loved each other didn't you?" Toshiko asks Phoenix putting the photo back down and looking at her.
"Yes, we did. We had been together for 5 weeks when we went on that weekend holiday and I believe it was on this holiday that I conceived our son," Phoenix tells her as Toshiko walks over to her.
"I'm sorry," Toshiko tells her putting her hand on Phoenix's shoulder.
"It's ok Tosh. It's something I have to live with. Are you ready to go back?" Phoenix asks as she takes a sip of water and then puts the bottle back with the others.
"Yes. I am ready," Toshiko replies and they walk out of the hut together.
They take up their position and Phoenix brings up a Vortex. Toshiko takes her hand and squeezes it looking at Phoenix. Phoenix looks over at her and Tosh smiles at her and they step through, the Vortex closing behind them.