Jack hopped the kerb on City Hall road and drove the SUV across the grass towards the War Memorial. The scene in the park was bedlam. Smoke bombs had been detonated all over the park and the air was thick with the smoke and confusion. Jack jammed his foot onto the brakes and the SUV skidded to a halt, leaving deep gouges in the grass despite the frozen temperatures.
The entire Torchwood team poured out of the SUV, circling the memorial with their guns raised. The War Memorial had been defaced, the pillars splattered with paint and the columns draped with coloured streamers. Across the top, above the etched Welsh, someone had painted the words 'blaidd drwg'. Jack stood there for a few moments staring at the words, transfixed and ashen. Ianto shook his shoulder and he came back to the present. The whole team scanned through the chaos but there was no sign of the perpetrators. Local police were also just arriving on the scene, trying to clear the park. Even though it was the winter, there were still people. They were running and shouting, panicked. Suddenly, shots rang out and the screaming intensified. Some froze, all trying to identify where the noise had come from. Some fell to the ground, ducking for cover, as more shots flew through the air. They didn't seem to be aimed at anyone, just a tactic to scare and cause chaos. The immortal members of the team didn't care. They scattered, fanning out to protect as many civilians as they could. The mortal team members took cover, searching for the source of the shots. It didn't take them long to locate the black clad terrorists. There were four, using the trees for cover as they shot wildly at the running civilians.
Hart managed to take the first one down with a head shot. Ianto was the second. After securing one of the civilians behind a pillar, he winged one of them and landed another shot center of mass. One of them broke off and ran straight for the front of the government building. Gwen ran forward, firing her weapon only once. She also managed a head shot. He fell forward at the base of the stairs, a metal sphere rolling out of his hand.
"GRENADE!" she shouted. She hesitated only long enough to ensure no one was in the blast radius. Gwen turned and ran as fast as she could. She heard and felt the grenade go off. She was well out of the blast radius but the shockwave knocked her to the grass. The wave of heat from the fireball washed over her and she slammed her eyes shut.
In the confusion following the explosion, the fourth terrorist managed to slowly make his way down the park. He was walking calmly, slowly and that was what set him apart from the others frantically fleeing for their lives. Jack had taken cover behind a tree, facing opposite from the explosion and that was when he saw him. He wanted to pursue but Miranda was standing closer. The immortal woman was standing, staring at the explosion and looking around for anyone who was injured. Jack whistled and she looked up and turned in the direction he was pointing. Once Miranda saw the black clad man, she sprinted. Hart saw her whiz past him and followed to help.
The terrorist had managed to get more than halfway down the park, slipping through the chaos. He had a significant lead. Miranda was running as fast as she could but he'd managed to get across the street, past the police. He was getting away. He'd slipped between some of the buildings and was crossing a car park. He was walking, keeping his head down so he didn't notice Miranda and Hart behind him.
Hart wasn't taking any chances. He drew his gun and fired. The bullet landed in the shoulder, probably just above the tactical vest. The black clad man fell face first onto the car park pavement. Miranda was the first to reach him. He was crying out in pain and holding the wound. It was trickling green blood. She rolled her eyes at the display. Just as she was bending down to restrain him, Hart appeared.
"This is an excellent shot, Captain," she said.
"Careful, Dollface, people might get the wrong idea, you paying me compliments," he said with a playful smile. He was a bit out of breath from his run and hugging his chest. "Bloody cold."
"Breath through your nose. It will warm the air before it gets to your lungs," she said, turning their prisoner over.
The painful display had been a feign. Their perpetrator sat up with a knife in his hand. His arm arced around, burying that knife hilt deep in Miranda's side. She screamed, falling backwards, blood spattering her lips. Hart's gun was still in his hands. He fired. The bullet went straight through the man's throat. He too fell backwards, green blood spurting from the wound as he died. Hart ignored him, kneeling at Miranda's side immediately.
She grabbed for the hilt and Hart stopped her. "Woah! Don't do that, Dollface! It'll be okay! Just stay with me!"
Hart fumbled for the comm unit he never wore. He hated all this antiquated garbage Torchwood used. He couldn't manage to get it into his ear. He threw it, frustrated. "Fuck this!"
He opened his wrist strap and tapped. "JACK! She's hurt bad! Hurry!"
Miranda made another attempt to grab at the knife and Hart tried to stop her. "No, no, no! Don't do that, Dollface! Leave it!"
She coughed and more blood coming up. It sprayed into the air, landing on her face and the ground around her. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. She was drowning in her own blood. Hart had no idea that Miranda was immortal and that she was trying to remove the knife to speed her demise. All he knew was that it was the worst thing she could possibly do. He thought she was incoherent, blindly grasping at what she felt was a source of pain. He hauled her up into his lap. Grabbing her wrists, he crisscrossed her arms over her chest, holding her close. He had no way of helping her. He'd have to wait for the others.
"John…" Her eyes started to slide closed.
"Dollface! Hey! Hey, don't do that! Stay with me!" he shouted at her, shaking her a bit. She opened her eyes. "That's it. Open those honey sweet eyes for me."
He knew she didn't die here. Everything that had brought him here - her love and her passion - hadn't happened yet. She survived this. He knew it. He just needed to be patient. The others would come. They'd get her to hospital. She'd be fine.
"John…" she tried to say more but she coughed, spraying blood again. She had to tell him the truth.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead. He said, "You're going to be fine. Right as rain, I promise. Help's on the way. Hold on, love. It's just a scratch…"
"Liar…" she accused with a weak smile.
"Don't try and talk…" he said, blinking back tears. He shouldn't have underestimated the terrorist. Miranda's eyes began to close again and Hart shook her. "Hey! Hey, Dollface! DOLLFACE! Stay with me!"
Once she'd opened her eyes again, Hart looked up and saw the others. They weren't running. They were walking! What was wrong with them? She was dying! He let go of her wrist and waved, frantically. "HERE! WE'RE HERE!"
The distraction was all Miranda needed. She seized the knife and yanked it from her side.
"NO! NO!" Hart grabbed for the wound, trying to staunch the gush of the blood. He saw her eyes beginning to close again. "You stubborn bitch! Open your eyes!"
She looked up at him.
"You were right. I've never said anything really honest but how can I lie to a dying woman?" He said, speaking as fast as he could. It wasn't fast enough. Her eyes slid closed and her head lolled to the side. He shook her. This time she didn't answer. "Dollface?!"
It was impossible that she died here. Impossible. The doubt crept up over his shoulder, dousing his heart in ice. He felt a lump form in his throat as her whole body relaxed. He held onto her and said, very quietly, "You wanted to know why I stayed? The truth is this Torchwood thing… it makes me want to be a better man… to atone… and… and so do you."
He should have kept that ridiculously antiquated mobile telephone that Ianto had given him. He would've been able to summon an ambulance. He chastised himself for the thought. He hadn't bothered with CPR either. Neither would have mattered. There was no saving her. The tip of the knife had likely pierced her heart. He was amazed she'd lived as long as she had. It isn't supposed to be this way… he thought as he let his fingers run down her cheek. He remembered when he first saw her. The image of her tear streaked face filled with so much love and longing appeared in his mind's eye. He'd dared to hope for that look again without the grief marring the love's purity. He gently kissed her cooling cheek and ran his fingers through her hair. Now that hope was gone and it had wounded him as deeply as any weapon could. The others gathered around them. He cradled her gently for a moment and then lowered her to the icy pavement. He took off his Napoleonic jacket and draped it over her face.
Hart looked up. "I tried… I couldn't… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Angry and distraught, he turned and stormed off. She'd managed to creep under his skin. His mind didn't even try to think about how that was possible. Now she was gone. They all stared at his retreating back, looking guilty; even Gwen. Jack said something in Gwen's ear and then Fish and then Ianto. Gwen went off to try hold back the local police and collect a body bag from the SUV. Fish and Ianto walked towards Hart. Fish caught up to him first. He was leaning on the bonnet of a random car. Fish put a hand on his arm.
"John… Listen, mate, I know this is hard to hear right now-"
"Joe, if you're going to tell me some twenty first century bollocks about her being in a better place you can fucking stow it," Hart barked. He shook his head. He slammed his fists down onto the bonnet of the car, denting it. He turned and shoved Fish. Ianto caught him. "It's a cosmic joke. All of it!"
Hart turned and his fist flew straight into the window of the car, shattering it. How? How could she die here? He'd seen a completely different future!
"John, that's not it-"
"Nothing means anything," he said, punching his fists down on the bonnet again. "She was a beautiful accident of chemicals and evolution. A radiant creature your fucking God created just to live and die on this useless ball of rock!"
Fish hissed, "She's immortal, John."
"All that eternal soul bollocks-"
"That's not what I mean!" Fish said, shaking him. "She can't die, mate."
Hart backed away from the car, his mouth open. "What?"
"She's immortal like Jack. She's going to heal and revive. She'll come back!"
Hart looked at Miranda's body covered with his coat and then at Fish and then at Jack and Ianto. Even Gwen was casting nervous backward looks at the former Time Agent as she walked back towards the park. He could see the guilt on all their faces. He looked from the body to Fish and back again. Then his eyes settled on Jack. The anger at Miranda's 'death' shifted focus. He ran at Jack, shoving him hard. He shouted at Jack in that incomprehensible language. The two of them yelled back and forth, shoving at each other. Finally Hart recoiled back and balled up his fist. Fish grabbed his arm, protecting Jack from the blow. Ianto grabbed him by the shoulders. The two of them dragged him back as he continued to yell at Jack. No one needed to understand what they were saying to know Hart was pissed. He shoved off Ianto and Fish and hissed something at Jack.
"She didn't want you to know," Jack said, in English.
Hart came at him again, shoving him. He gave Hart one last shove and Ianto grabbed him. He dug a finger into a pressure point by Hart's elbow. The pain got the former Time Agent's attention.
"We need to get her out of sight," Ianto hissed into his ear.
"Go work the scene. I'll stay with her. That's an order," Jack said.
"C'mon, mate. She'll be fine in an hour, probably less," Fish said, gently.
Hart shoved off Ianto's grip. He bent down for his coat but thought better of it. Despite the cold, he walked back towards the park in only his stained t-shirt.