12..x
Rachel yawned and rolled over. Looking over at the clock, 6:30. Rachel groaned, trying to remember what it was that woke her up, 5 minutes of useless thinking later she gave up.
Never Mind, I doubt it was important.
It wasn't me.
I know, I'd have ignored you.
John murmured next to her, rolling onto his back. Rachel grinned, looking around at the snubbed out candles. A new day, luckily one better than yesterday. Without Jessica Harrow there it was bound to be.
"Morning," Rachel called to the hub.
She was immediately handed her own mug of Coffee. She grinned at Ianto as he passed.
"Rachel have you opened that thing yet," Jack called down to her
"Almost,"
"Get to it then,"
"Good Morning to you too." Rachel laughed,
Rachel settled down in the garage lay underneath the propped up, well it was just a lump of metal really.
Rachel
"Hello?" Rachel had thought she had heard someone call her name. but when she called out there was no answer.
Was that you? Rachel thought
No, I thought it was you. The Demon replied.
Rachel shook her head, she was losing her marbles.
"We've had a spree of killings, from human to livestock for the last 3 days," Tosh explained, as the team sat in the boardroom.
"Now we didn't realise at first but they all seem to be happening in the same area, plus the remains of the victims have similar aspects." She continued.
Owen stood up to talk, "The only things left from all the victims is skin and skulls. But the slashes on the skin suggest that the victim was still alive while whatever was happening happened." He said with some disgust.
"They also all have four slash marks, like claws. Whatever is doing this is not human."
Rachel was sat on John's knee, playing with his fingers. She hid his thumb so only his four fingers showed.
"So where about are all the killings happening?" Gwen asked, Tosh brought up a map with each killing locations dotted.
"We're going to have to sweep the area," Jack said.
Rachel looked up at the map. "It'll be in there," She said pointing to a dull building.
"How do you know?" John asked.
"Tosh does that building have a basement," Rachel asked.
Toshiko paused for a moment tapping on her PDA, "Yes, why?"
"It's there," Rachel nodded.
"And the reasoning behind that is…" Ianto said.
"It's dark, damp and goes deep underground. This thing will kill at night, it can take down a cow. If something like that came out during the day people would notice. It'll be there, trust me. If I'm wrong I'll buy you all a drink."
At dusk the full team headed out it was just a sweep, checking the warehouse that Rachel had predicted the, whatever it was, would be.
Rachel The same voice as before whispered.
"Did you hear that?" Rachel said to her colleagues.
"What?" Gwen asked.
"Nothing." Rachel shook her head.
Something is wrong. We should go. This isn't right.
Calm down.
It's not me I'm worried about it's them.
Rachel let her eyes rest on each individual person, lastly on John. They headed towards the large warehouse. Rachel regretting telling them, she should have gone on her own first, checked the coast was clear.
These people aren't your gang of crooks, your not the leader. It's for jack to take care of them.
So you expect me not to care. I know I'm not the leader, but these people are still my family.
The warehouse ground floor was empty, so they made their way down the stairs, torches out and guns at the ready.
Rachel's eyes automatically adjusting to night vision, her torch unnecessary.
The smell reached her before the others. Her face pulled back in disgust, a smell of decaying flesh and metallic blood reaching her.
"It's down there," She whispered. "I can smell it's victims,"
They reached the bottom of stairs, a light clicked on, showing the horrific basement, rotting carcasses and scattered remains were around the room. And lay in the middle against the back wall was a man, blood around his mouth, bare-chested watching the torchwood team intently. His hair was dark and scraggly, his eyes a hollow green. He smiled showing off a double-set off gleaming canines. Rachel stepped forward, standing in front of all the team in a protective stance.
The man stood, behind his shoulders were a set of black ragged leather wings.
Rachel drew both of her guns, pointing them at him. He simply grinned, a bullet wound wouldn't kill him.
"What are you doing on earth?" Snarled Rachel, Her team in shock behind her, though they had mirrored her action. Drawing their guns.
"I heard the mighty Fawks had been tamed. I came to see if it was true," The man's voice was rough and unused.
"I'm not, now go." He simply smirked. She replaced one of her guns with her sword.
"Usual rules apply," He smiled.
"No," He laughed, stretching out his muscles his body seeming to ripple. He charged.
"Move," Rachel shouted dragging Owen and Tosh with her into a side wall, the other being pushed aside by Jack. Mid-stride the man let out a yell that changed into a deafening roar. His body rippled and shook, and he changed mid stride, his body stretching and changing. Landing on four legs, the huge grey beast turned to look at Rachel, its wings open, tail thrashing furiously.
A demon. Its claws four inches long stronger than steel, sharper than knives with teeth to match. Ragged Black leather wings now doubled in size, opened in an attempt at intimidation. Its grey fur matted and long. With a muzzle similar to a wolves, spikes down its spine, and stubs of horns on its broad head. The green eyes of the man disappeared behind a veil of black.
The torchwood team open-fired on the monstrous creature.
Rachel caught john's eye on the opposite side of the room. She could see the worry behind his eyes but he nodded.
You ready for this?
I've been dying to get out.
She stepped forward. Leaving Tosh and Owen behind.
"Rachel, what are you…" Ianto started but was cut off by john.
She walked to the creature, a calm face, meanwhile inside her body was pumping full of adrenaline. She was giving the control of her body to the other side of her mind. Her body beginning to quiver and shake. A snarl ripped up her throat as the creature charged her.
Dodging under the creature on two legs she spun around to face it and bounded forward, losing control as adrenaline bounced through her system. Then it all went black.
Jack watched in awe, as john pushed them towards the wall where Owen and Tosh were, as Rachel's body rippled and shook. She turned on the spot, bounding forward and like the man before changing mid stride. The fur on Rachel was the same colour as her hair, a light brown shade, her wings and tail a dark burgundy. Silver caws gleaming in the dim light, and her eyes an electric blue like when he had first seen her. Her fur was clean and short, and she was visibly smaller than the male demon. Her horns like a ram's grey as stone, and like a protective cage around her face.
A growl ripped up both their throats as they circled each other, taking in strengths and weaknesses. Like two big cats waiting for the other too move first. The male charged and Rachel dodged underneath taking the advantage, and pushing up, his claws cut into forearms through the fur, causing her to roar out in pain. She dropped one of her shoulders, the male rolled of onto his side. She turned to pounce but as she slammed down he rolled. The concrete foundations cracked under the power of the slam. He rammed into the side of her, her ribs crunching together. Her silver claws dug into the male's shoulder, ripping and tearing the skin away. He rammed her into the wall and bit down into her waist. She opened her wings pushing him off, then charged pushing him back, pinning him to the floor. She let out a ferocious snarl before biting and breaking his neck. She stood walking from the broken and bleeding body of the male demon.
She turned to the torchwood team, her eyes still electric blue. She let out a growl as she stepped menacingly forward.
"Shit," Murmured John, "Stay still, don't move a muscle." He whispered to the team.
The demon still in control took another step forward, her body curling up as if to pounce. John shot at her. She let out a roar, as he went to the other side of the room. The demon's eyes followed him, she charged at him.
He stood his ground in the middle of the room as the 8 ft tall demon charged at him.
"Come on, Rachel, I know your in there," He whispered.
The team watched in horror as the demon ran for their colleague.
NO!
The demon let out a strangled yell, metres from John. It screeched and snarled, it's claws on it's head, in obvious agony. It shook and staggered back into the wall. Roaring in pain, it began rapidly shrinking. Fur shooting back, its bones rearranging, it stretched its head up and the roaring changed, into screams. Its claws slowly forming back into fingers, its muzzle retracting back into a human face.
Rachel stood by the wall, panting and bleeding. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed on the floor.
She drifted in and out of consciousness on the way back to the hub. every time she opened her eyes there was someone staring fearfully at her. She felt herself hit the cold metal table.
"Put her on her side," John's voice called from far off. " She might throw up,"
She definitely felt like she would but her body hurt to much just thinking.
"No point with them Owen, they'll have no effect. To much pain already," John stated as Owen set up some painkillers.
Rachel woke some time later. She tried sitting up, with a hiss of agony she managed it. Her stomach twisted as someone handed her a bucket. It emptied itself of blood and bile until she was left retching and coughing. Her entire body was hurting, form skin to bone, all the way through.
"Shower," She grunted, attempting to stand. She let out a whimper as her broken ribs protested. Owen had hold of her.
"You need to rest," He commanded.
"No, I need a shower." She replied. Stumbling forward. Owen merely picked her up, to weak and tired to protest she let him carry her back to the table. Where she fell right back to sleep.
Rachel woke again hours later, feeling better. She sat with less difficulty, then stood, her ribs numb. She looked down, at herself, gashes on her arms now only long scratches. Her body still in agony but not as much. The thing that hurt the most was her head, like a knife stabbing through her skull. Rachel let out a sigh, and walked towards the showers. She shed her leather attire, and stood into the boiling water.
"I thought you'd come here first." Jack's voice called out.
"How'd you guess?" She croaked, her throat sore.
"It's where I'd come. Are you ok?" He asked his voice worried.
"What do you think?" She almost smiled.
"Sorry, stupid question."
"No problem," she said, shutting the shower off, "Close your eyes,"
"I won't peek," He laughed.
"Unsurprisingly, I don't believe you,"
She reached for a towel and wrapped it around herself. Walking out of the shower and gathering some normal clothes from her locker. Chucking her other clothes in the wash.
"Ok, I'm decent." She smiled, as Jack peeked through his fingers at her.
"I'm pretty sure your more than decent," He grinned. She sat on a bench, he sat next to her.
"Who was he?"
"One of the few like me. I think there's about 6 of us. Well, 5 now."
"You remember?"
"Flashes, like watching a montage in a movie. He is, was, what most humans become when they go through the void, insane. Plus with the power of a demon. Dangerous."
Rachel was quiet for a moment.
"I knew him, and his brother. Normally we stay well away from each other, like tigers, each has their own territory, if you cross another's most likely, a fight to the death. His brother is like me, more human than demon. But some of us, temptation's too strong."
"Temptation?" Jack asked.
"Think of it, all that power. You'd be a god." Rachel shook, " He was my elder, in two ways, he'd been a demon longer and he was older when it happened to him. He was called Gora, not a friendly bloke."
"We got that," Jack smiled.
"He's what I see in a mirror," She said quietly.
"What?"
"Well, not him exactly, but the demon side," She stood, wandered to a steamed up mirror. And wiped it clean. Jack looked into the reflection and saw him, and where Rachel's reflection should be was a tatty looking woman, her brown hair ragged, scars scattered her face, her eyes electric blue she sneered and showed off blood stained double canines. Rachel smashed the mirror. Jack jumped.
"Sorry," Rachel murmured.
"Ah, well. Seven years bad luck is nothing on us,"
Rachel brushed her teeth as Jack sat and thought.
"So, you were 6 weren't you,"
"Mm hmm," She grunted.
"Then how come you didn't give into the temptation, you were only a little girl,"
Rachel shrugged.
"Proves how strong you really are," Jack smiled proudly.
"Just one question, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to. I'm just curios, what does it feel like,"
"Exactly as it sounded. Have you ever had all your bones break at once, and them heal instantly. Or feel your skin tear and ligaments snap. Or loose all control of your own body and will. It feels like that. Can't really explain it."
Jack hugged her, because it's what she needed. A nineteen year old girl who acted past her years, because she had to mature so fast, otherwise she wouldn't have survived.
"Your one of the bravest people, I have ever met. You fantastic, you know that right," He whispered.
"Course I know that," Rachel grinned.
Next time: Torchwood goes on a weekend away, for a team bonding exercise and we see the less mature side of the torchwood team.
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