Do it on your own
It makes no difference to me
What you leave behind
What you choose to be
And whatever they say
Your souls unbreakable

Muse - Invincible

Cyberwoman: Part 2

The lights were on the blink when she got back, Owen walked past her and whistled.

'Going to battle are we?' he asked jokingly.

'I don't know,' she replied and moved to stand by Jack near the fountain.

'Ianto we've got another dose of darkness, find anything?'

The comm was silent as Jack spoke into his manipulator, 'Ianto,' he repeated, 'I need to hear those beautiful welsh vowels.'

Nothing. Jack turned to Winter eyeing the get up for a moment and then to Toshiko.

'Power's draining to the storage room at the bottom of the building.'

'You mean cave,' Winter corrected. Jack smiled.

'I'm looking for heat signals. we've got,' Owen leaned over the computer, 'two signals.'

'So assuming one of those little red symbols is Ianto?' Winter asked.

'Who's the other?' Gwen finished.

Winter looked up to Jack who was staring at the flashing red lights.

'I'm thinking we're under attack.' Pip smacked his head comically but everyone was too scared to notice. Jack rushed over to the secure armoury, 'Security's been breeched. We assume battle protocols.'

'That's impossible!' Toshiko yelled. 'No one can get in without tripping seven separate alarms.'

'Yep, well looks like our system needs to be upgraded.' Owen cocked his gun as Winter attached her earpiece. 'I'll head down and look for Ianto,' he told them as he checked his cuffs.

'I'll come with you,' Gwen agreed.

Winter nodded. 'And me.'

Owen looked them both over for a moment before turning to Jack.

'You alright with that?'

Jack looked steadily at Winter, seeing the glint in her eye he pulled out another gun and handed it to her.

'What are you doing? I can't use this!'

'Yes you can, you're just not very good, but I'm not letting you go down there armed with some pointy metal sticks and a sword. And remember…'

'Stay behind them, I know,' she grumbled. 'You know, I'm more likely to hit Owen if I'm behind him'

'It's a risk I'm willing to take.'

Owen scoffed but didn't argue, slipping his earpiece in instead.

'Keep your comm's open at all times, any doubts shoot first, priority is to find Ianto.'

Owen and Gwen took off to the right and Winter followed behind them, placing Pip on the railings, the gun gripped tightly in her hand. She really hated the things, they hurt her wrist when she fired them and they made far too much noise. Plus her aim was far better with the bow and she didn't want to be the first Torchwood member for nine years to shoot a co-worker dead…unless you were counting Suzie.

Winter took the torch Gwen handed her and slowly walked behind them, keeping the gun trained on the corridor ahead as her seniors checked the sides of the tunnel. Her torch shone on a flashing light inside the room ahead. She quickened her pace slightly.

'There's something in there. Should there be?'

Owen shook his head slightly and they worked their way closer to the door. 'Normally? No, nothing.'

Jacks baritone voice filled her right ear as she headed closer, tightly squished between Gwen and Owen. 'Progress report,' he demanded.

Owen replied but according to Jacks response he couldn't hear properly. Gwen told him they were approaching the room. She could hear a jumble of static as he tried to speak to them but nothing understandable.

When they got to the door the light was still flashing but Winter couldn't get a clear view of what was inside. Owen pushed past and peeked through.

'What the hell is going on?' he growled as Gwen covered them.

Winter opened the bolts at the bottom and top of the door and Owen counted down. She stood back her heart racing.

The door opened with a crash and they all rushed through. In front of her was a large piece of alien machinery. Wires hung from every surface and the lights flicked sporadically. Owen had lowered his gun and was staring at the table as though it has spoken to him, Gwen looked as stunned as Winter felt.

'No, No, No, No!' Owen whispered.

Winter turned to him, frightened by his demeanour.

'What is it?' She asked quietly.

'It's wrong!' he exclaimed in a husky voice. 'It's beyond wrong it shouldn't be here.' He paused for a moment as they took in the electrified sight. 'Turn the thing off,' he demanded. 'Turn it off!'

Winter and Gwen rushed over to the control panel and Gwen pressed the first button she came across. The sounds of the wires died down with a hum and they were left staring at the cold metal.

Tosh's voice in her ear made her jump. 'Winter? Gwen, Owen? Can you hear me?'

She smiled and relaxed as Owen began his explanation.

'These thing's brought down Torchwood One… but they were all destroyed, why is there one in our bloody basement!' he yelled.

'Just tell me what it does,' Gwen replied as Winter crouched down to touch it.

'It's the remnants of a conversion unit, this machinery turns humans into cybermen.'

She pulled her hand back quickly as though she had been burnt. Looking up at the walls of the basement with a frown. So, where was Ianto, she just wanted to find him and get back to Jack. Thinking of Jack…

'If I don't hear something within thirty seconds I'm coming down there,' he threatened.

'Jack, it's Gwen, the comm's dropped out, we're back online now.'

'Any sign of Ianto?'

'No…'

Owen cut through Winter's reply. 'But we have found parts of a cyber conversion unit fully powered up and working.'

The words seemed to hang in the air as everyone waited for Jack's reaction.

'This is no time to be kidding around Owen,' he replied.

'I'm deadly serious,' Owen told him darkly. 'I don't know why it's here or how it got here, but that's what's draining our power.'

There was silence. Winter stood up and watched Owen's eyes flutter around the room.

'Jack you there?'

'I want the three of you back up here immediately.'

Winter fixed her eyes just behind Owen, in the dark. Something glinted. She opened her mouth in terror.

'but we still haven't found …'

The creature Winter had seen hit Owen on the back of the head and she crouched back to the floor, crawling around the back of the table. She heard Gwen tell Jack they were under attack and rounded the room to see Owen on the floor. She crept up towards him quietly but the thing heard her and turned around. Gwen yelled.

'Hey!'

The thing turned back to her and slapped the gun from her hand. Winter watched her pick Gwen up in the air. Owen was out cold, Gwen had no weapon, it was down to her. She picked up the gun Jack had given her and aimed it right at the creatures head but it bent down, placing Gwen on the table. Winter growled and dropped the gun, pulling her bow and an arrow from her quiver, as the machine began to shudder to life.

'Hey! You!'

The thing turned around and Winter took the shot, the arrow penetrated its stomach area but it just looked at the offending object and pulled it straight out, snapping the thin piece of hardened aluminium in her hand. It stalked towards her and she backed up as far as Owen's body on the floor.

A shot rang out.

She covered her head and looked up to see the creature had disappeared Gwen was screaming on the table. She rushed over, narrowly missing the boiling water, squirting from the pipes. She pressed the same buttons Gwen had but nothing happened.

Gwen looked over at her panicked. Suddenly a hand wrapped around her waist and twisted her out of the way. Ianto was stood in front of the controls pressing the buttons as if he knew them. She backed away steadily and returned to Owen, still lying on the floor. Replacing the discarded bow in her quiver and the gun in her back pocket. She looked up to see the lights go out and Jack shinning a torch in her face.

'Gwen!' he asked, still staring at Winter. 'You ok.'

'I'm fine, I'm fine, sort of. Jack, please get me out of here.'

Winter gently tapped Owen's face and touched the back of his head, no blood, just a large bump.

'Where is she? Where did she go?' Gwen asked.

Jack's light moved to shine directly onto Ianto's sweaty face. 'Stand guard by the door,' Jack ordered before returning to Gwen.

'I'm sorry,' Ianto spoke, 'I'm really sorry.'

'What for?' Winter asked in a quiet voice.

He looked at her and then turned to stand by the door. Jack glanced around then fiddled with his manipulator. 'Let's just get out of here.'

The clamps on Gwen's arms freed her and she stepped out. Jack crossed to Winter. 'He ok?'

'I think he's just unconscious but…I…I don't know.'

'Hey,' Jack spoke. 'You're alright. Come on, help me get him on my back.'

They flipped Owen onto Jack's shoulder and Winter retrieved his gun. She caught up with Ianto and walked beside him. He didn't speak but she was too frightened to want a conversation. Suddenly up ahead the monster turned the corner and stood in front of them. Once again she felt Ianto's hand on her waist, this time the arm wrapped backwards around her front as if pushing her back.

'There she is!' Gwen stated. 'What is she?'

'Some form of cyberman,' Jack replied. 'They're us, upgraded. Human's with emotions removed, created on a parallel world and supposedly destroyed on this one.'

'You mean. She was human. She was like you and I?'

Winter didn't need to turn around to know Jack was nodding.

'What are we going to do?' Gwen asked.

'I don't know.'

Winter's whole body froze. She'd never heard Jack sound so frightened before. The woman turned and Ianto relaxed his grip.

'She's gone,' he sighed.

Winter heard a click behind her and she turned to see Jack had redirected his gun at Ianto's head.

'Jack!' she cried. 'What the hell are you doing?'

'Resisting the urge to shoot,' he told her coldly.

She stepped back from him and took Ianto's arm. Ianto blinked moisture out of his eyes and glanced at her. Seeing she was watching he snapped his eyes back forward and continued to walk back up to the main Hub. She could feel Jacks stare on her neck. He wanted her to move but that wasn't going to happen.

When they reached the fountain base she felt Ianto's grip over her hand tighten.

'Tosh get everything from the weapons room as fast as you can!' Jack called.

'It's looked down, there's no manual override.'

Winter felt a hand on her shoulder trying to pull her away from Ianto but she shrugged it off.

'Just open the store.'

The hand pushed Ianto to the ground. 'On your knees,' Jack ordered.

They both turned around and Ianto fell to his knees, Winter refusing to let go of him as he did.

'Hands above your head.'

Ianto tried but it was too difficult with his arm locked in her hand.

'Nemo let go!'

'No' she replied.

'Now!'

'No!'

'Nemo, let go of his arm that's an order!' Jack yelled at her.

'I'm not going to leave him here while you point a gun at his head! You're not even telling us what's going on!' she yelled at him.

Ianto turned to look at her and gently peeled her fingers away from his arm, giving her a look of total surrender. Defeated, she let Gwen drag her away to the side.

'Did you know that thing was down there?' Jack asked.

'I put her there,' he replied.

Jack grabbed his hair and Winter whimpered.

'You hid a cyber man within Torchwood, and you didn't tell us! What else are you keeping from us?'

'Like you care,' Ianto replied. 'I clear up your shit, no questions asked and that's the way you like it. When did you last ask me anything about my life?'

Winter pushed Gwen away and knelt down in front of Ianto her hand on his face. Jack pulled the gun away the second her head got in the way of his shot.

'Who was she?' Winter asked.

Ianto looked at the ground, 'Ianto?' Tears mingled with the sweat on her face as she repeated her question. 'Who was she?'

He sniffed quietly. 'My girlfriend.'

Winter's face fell.

'Her name's Lisa. I pulled her from the wreckage of Torchwood One. I wanted to save her. I didn't want to hurt anyone. Especially not you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

She pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around his neck stroking his hair gently. After a few seconds his arms wrapped around her waist and he sobbed into her shoulder.

'Why didn't you tell us?' Gwen asked.

Ianto pulled back and looked over Winter's shoulder.

'Torchwood was created to destroy alien threats. Why would I tell you about her?'

'A little loyalty perhaps.'

Winter turned to see Owen had woken up.

'My loyalty is to her,' he whimpered. 'she worked for Torchwood. She was caught up in battle. I owe it to Lisa. We owe it to her. To find a cure.'

Jack approached and Winter shuffled closer scared of what he might do. 'Ianto, you have to believe me, there is no cure.'

Winter's head and heart sank at the words. She knew how hard it was to be forced to give up on someone.

'There never will be those who are converted stay that way. Your girlfriend will not be the exception.'

She winced at the harshness of his last few words and gripped Ianto's hand tighter.

'You can't know that for sure,' he looked up pleadingly at Jack.

'Look, you need to know what's happening here. Because this is where these things start. Small decisions that become mass slaughter. These creatures regain a foothold by exploiting Human weakness. Then they take a base. Rebuild their forces and before you know it the cyber race is spreading out across the universe. Erasing worlds, assimilating populations all because of the tiny beginnings here. We need to stop her.' Jack turned to give Winter a pointed look. 'Together!'

She looked at Ianto and then back at Jack, her loyalty torn between her two best friends. Ianto pulled her to her feet, hand gripping hers. 'You're not listening to me. The conversion was never completed.'

'She already tried to kill Gwen do you think she's gonna stop there,' Jack snapped. 'What happens when she comes back. What happens if it's Nemo next? What would you do then? There is no turning back for her now!'

Ianto stood his ground defiantly. 'I'm not giving up on her. I love her. Can you understand that Jack? Haven't you ever loved anyone?'

She couldn't tear her eyes from them, Jack looked stony and yet there was a hint of sadness deep in his eyes. She understood, yes, of course he had loved someone that much and this was so hard for him but he was doing it because someone had to do it. Not for the first time she realised how much she admired Jack, because she knew. Given the choice, she would not be able to make the decision he had.

'You need to figure out whose side you're on here because if you don't know, you're not gonna make it out of here alive.' Jack said, then turned on his heel and stormed back up to the computers.

'There is no way, the weapon store is gonna open,' Owen sighed, braking the lull in conversation.

'It's going to take six hours for the power to come back online.'

Ianto dropped Winters hand and stepped forward. 'Let me talk to her,' he begged. 'I can still save her, save all of us. She's not a monster.'

Winter crossed her arms over her chest tightly, barely holding herself together. She was so frightened and confused and worried for Ianto, the emotions were overwhelming.

Suddenly the cyberwoman appeared at the opposite side of the lake and she took two steps towards Ianto. He held out a hand to warn her away and turned to reason with the cyberwoman. Before she could take another step he was already edging across the bridge.

'Ianto!' Winter choked out, she glanced over at Jack and he shook his head to her, more worried than angry.

'Lisa!' Ianto called out.

The cyberwoman's head swivelled to look at him. 'It's me.'

'You can't just let him go!' Gwen shouted, Jack shhed her and edged across the grating towards Winter.

'The army will be re-built from here,' Lisa said. 'This building is suitable.'

Jack spoke up loud and clear, 'Who are you?'

'Human point two,' she replied immediately.

Ianto took another step forward. 'No. Lisa.'

Jack came to a stop next to Winter and yelled out, 'So how come you look like human point one?'

'I do not understand,' she stated simply.

'Look at yourself. Go ahead.'

She turned to look in the glass behind her.

'Remember Lisa?' Ianto begged, 'Remember who you are.'

'The upgrade is incomplete.' The cyberwoman sounded almost shocked.

'You're still human,' Ianto tried to convince her.

'I am, disgusting. I have…I am… Wrong.'

For a moment Winter thought they'd done it. She thought they had made her realise what she had become and now she would switch off or be more human and they could sort this whole thing out and go home, safe, but her wishful thinking was soon cut short.

'We can help you,' Ianto said.

'I must start again. Upgrade properly.'

'For god's sake have you heard yourself?' Ianto yelled, 'Lisa please, I brought you here to heal you, so we could be together.'

Something in Winter's heart dipped at that and she had a sudden epiphany. She wanted Ianto to be happy, she really did but she didn't want this cyber woman to be healed. Because she wanted him to be happy with her. She let out a choked sob and grabbed Jacks shirt. He didn't seem to hold a grudge because she felt his arm wrap around her side and pull her closer.

'I'll get you out of here, I promise,' he whispered.

She nodded into his shirt and peeked out to see what was happening.

'Together, yes,' Lisa said. 'Transplant my brain into your body, the two of us, together fused. We will be one complete person, isn't that what love is?'

He shook his head in despair and replied.

'No.'

'Then we are not compatible.'

Winter screamed as Lisa picked Ianto up and flung him across the room. He landed a few feet from her and she fell to her knees in the water and rolled him over. Jack trained his gun on the cyberwoman as she stroked Ianto's face gently, and begged him to wake up.

'Come on Yan, Come on. Please cariad, I love you, please wake up.' She heard a yell from behind her and Jack pulled her away from the body. She didn't hear what he was shouting. All she could see was Ianto, lying still as the water gently lapped at his sides.

Jack was pulling her around until finally she felt a sharp slap across her face. She came back to the present and blindly followed Jack as he rushed around the hub. He suddenly span her around and boosted her up into the mess of ropes and poles leading up to the ceiling of the Hub.

She pulled herself up with great difficulty because her hands were covered in water and sweat. A terrified Peregrine leapt across in front of her and she stalled when the bow on her back got caught on one of the lower ropes. Taking a chance she held onto the pole with her legs and undid her belt and strap, slipping the quiver and sword off and tying them to the low rope. Knowing she was better off moving fast than taking them with her.

The pole maze was harder to navigate as Winter and Pip got further up and across towards the caves and lift entrance, the lights from the alarms and the back ups didn't extend this far and it was almost impossible to see what was coming up. She gripped one of the longer poles and slipped down until she was at the second second level of the hub.

She just saw Owen and Gwen as they escaped into the med bay and then turned at the sound of her name.

'Nemo, no!'

She looked down to see the cyberwoman reaching for her pole.

'The metal, move!' Jack yelled from the second floor balcony.

She panicked and looked around. Pip jumped to a rope above them but she couldn't reach it and she was too far from the floor to survive if she fell. Only one thought occurred to her, if she could just get a bit lower she could leap for the staircase.

She let the pole slip through her hands and slid with speed down to the floor. At the last second she pushed her body away from it, but she wasn't quick enough.

The blast of electricity just caught her ankle and she fell short. When she hit the ground, with a sickening thud, her eyes closed and nothingness took her.

TTT

There was pressure on her lips, warm pressure, pressure breathing air into her lungs.

She coughed and gasped as the cool air inside the hub hit her throat and squirmed sluggishly when she felt a hand over her face. She opened her eyes and saw a blurred image of Jack above.

'Can you walk?' he whispered, pulling her to her feet.

She collapsed slightly and shook her head. He looked around and swept her quickly into his arms. Racing over to the pavement lift he laid her down on the stone and whispered, 'I'll be right back.'

Something soft and warm sat by her hand and curled up between it and her body. She could hardly hear or see but she knew it was Pip. She felt like she was using the transducer, only with an added pain in every muscle.

Someone touched her arms and felt herself once again lifted. This time it was less lady-like however, she could feel the shoulder of whoever was holding her digging into her stomach. There was someone yelling in her ears and suddenly the cold night air hit her face and back. She felt the ground underneath her and a different set of hands turning her head and checking her pulse. Her hearing was getting better as well; she could hear their conversation at least two meters away.

'You could have saved her!'

That was Ianto screaming, he was alright! She smiled tentatively but it was too much effort to hold it. Owens voice spoke in her ear.

'Don't move. You've had one hell of a shock. Sorry, didn't mean it like that.'

This time she didn't bother smiling. Not worth the effort.

'You're worse than anything locked up down there!' Ianto cried, 'one day I'll have a chance to save you and I'll watch you suffer and die.'

She let out a whimper partially because the fighting was upsetting her and partially due to the pain of the increasing spasms in her muscles. Owen took her hand and squeezed gently.

'It was the only thing that would stop her!' Jack yelled. 'Have you looked behind me? Have you seen what your precious girlfriend has done to your friend? The friend that was willing to take a bullet for you, she loves you so much.'

Winter heard scuffling close to her. 'Take a good look at what that thing did. You watch her suffer and then tell me that the cyberman down there is still your human girlfriend!'

The yelling was too much to bare but even worse was a gentle sobbing in the back ground. She wanted to get up, to tell them to stop yelling but her stomach twinged again and she could barely control the whimper of pain.

There was another commotion and she felt as if she was being dragged across the pavement. Suddenly without warning she felt totally alone.

She stayed in the same position for a few minutes but finally, her stubbornness won out over her pain and she forced herself into a sitting position. She was alone. They had run off, leaving her on the lift in case anyone walked by.

She curled up on her side and saw, sitting at her feet, Peregrine, keeping watch. She guessed he didn't realise that the people who passed them couldn't see her, he bared his teeth at anyone who got remotely close.

A jolt told her that they were bringing the lift down. Which most likely meant it was over and they were safe. When she reached the bottom she saw Gwen, and Toshiko quietly packing up their things for the evening. Owen and Jack stood by the lift. Jack picked her up gently and kissed her forehead before taking her into the med bay where Owen set to work testing for any lasting muscle damage. She lay back on the table and closed her eyes, Jacks hand gripped in hers.

TTT

September gave way to October and Ianto's return to the Hub.

Winter was fine, she had completely healed other than some soreness after extended periods climbing. She watched him enter and decided to wait for him in the kitchen. Sat at the table she fiddled with the book in her hands as she waited for him to walk through the door.

He stopped just inside when he saw her sitting in front of him. She smiled tentatively but he just glanced away. Sighing, she stood up. 'I don't blame you,' she said. 'Not for getting me hurt, or for frightening me and the others and I certainly don't blame you for trying to save her. I just… I want you to know that I understand what it's like to be powerless while someone you love is taken from you and, I want you to know that, when you're ready, I'm here if you want to talk about it.'

He fidgeted so she decided to round up the one-sided conversation. 'But until you're ready, I thought you might like this.'

She handed him the leather book. He took it and looked at it, still not meeting her eyes. 'If you can't talk about it, maybe it would help if you wrote it down.'

She smiled and then headed past him to the door.

'Winter…'

She turned around quickly. 'Yeah?'

For just a second she thought he would hug her but he grasped the book tightly and met her eyes for a moment. 'Thank you. For everything.'

She smiled again and left, slowly making her way to Jack's office.

Owen and Jack were discussing leaving off on the teasing for a while when she entered. Jack glanced at him and he headed over to start a new game on the machine at the back.

'Everything okay?' Jack asked her.

'It will be,' she replied looking out of his window.

Ianto was clearing away the coffee cups on the desks outside. He looked tired but unless she was mistaken there seemed to be a little hope in his eyes. She smiled.

'You love him don't you?' Jack said plainly, 'I heard you tell him, even if he didn't.'

She continued to stare at the retreating man as he left to clean the cups. It didn't really require an answer.

'You wanna know a secret?' Jack asked her.

She nodded glumly.

'So do I.'

Smiling a little, she sighed and wrapped her arm around his waist.

…

'SHIT, I swear this game is rigged!'

…