62
The Gitteron were waiting, nervously watched at a distance by John Hart as they stood high on the building overlooking the city below. The four of them were watching the gaily dressed man as he paced, glancing at the door for the incoming.
Right on time, it opened. Of course it was on time, John might doubt Jack's ability to arrive at an agreed time but Ianto? No, Ianto would never be late. It would be like a sin to him. John stepped to one side, watching as Jack strode forward, Ianto at his heel.
"Gentlemen!" Jack called out as he drew near, then added "and madam?"
They Gitteron did not respond, staring at him silently as he came to a stop, Ianto coming to rest on his right. John eagerly rushed to stand the other side of Jack, hoping he looked half as aloof at Ianto seemed to be.
One of the Gitteron spoke, the voice modulator tinny and crap "You called this meeting Time Agent."
"I want to know why you are on my planet" Jack replied calmly in English, knowing their modulators were translating for them "What do you want?"
"We lost a… shipment… of… medical supplies" one of the others said in halting nervousness.
"Is that what you are calling it?" John chortled, then sobered as Ianto turned his head slightly to glare at him. WOW. That man can curdle milk with that stare. John grinned back but did fall silent.
"Well, one of your lot… or maybe a couple of them.. they usually like an audience for their fuckery right? Anyway… they came here and tried to cut the product with Sol3 drugs. It has not gone well, the… ah… reanimation of the users has been accompanied with… well… death."
"Reanimated and dead?" came a snort "Make your mind up."
"No… the deaths of others."
"Ah… psychotic?"
"Let's just say that it is not conducive to the sensibilities of these humans and we are not happy about the situation. There was talk of contacting the Shadow Proclamation… I personally considered calling the Doctor…" Jack paused to let them shimmer slightly with alarm before continuing "Then I thought… we are civilized. We are all adults and maybe we can sort this out before it goes global. Right? Only pockets, only… small cancers."
"We did not condone this. It is not our fault."
"Do you think he will care?" Jack grinned wider "You know he will scoff, run and poke at things then make a bigger mess for you to explain when the Big Heads arrive to bark at you."
The Gitteron all turned to huddle and talk in a language John could not understand, their modulators turned off but Ianto's soft snort told him that the Welshman could understand every word, as did Jack who swung back to grin widely at Ianto, then resume his parade rest.
Finally they turned back to him and said "We will clean it up."
"How?"
"Meteor storm? Terrible" one of them giggled softly.
Ianto turned his head to eyeball the thing and it's grin faded, making it step back as he intimidated with that look of doom Jack loved to see directed at someone other than himself. Jack grinned on.
"We will contain and try for minimal damage" the leader said, making a motion to the one who had spoken out of turn to step back.
It seemed to be the end of the conversation and they started to move away towards the edge of the building so Ianto called out in their language, no modulator to translate "we will hold you to your word!"
They all froze, turning slowly to stare with shock at him as he simply stepped back and then in behind Jack to seemingly disappear in the twilight shadows of his coat.
Jack crossed his arms and grinned.
Nuff said.
.
.
"Do you think they will do it? Quietly and with minimal deaths?" John asked as he walked along between the two men. For some reason he had to take two steps to their one and was literally skip running to keep up as their long limbs moved in sync. It was weird. They were all almost the same height, why was it so hard to keep up?
"They don't like the Shadow Proclamation but they clearly like the Doctor less. He would enjoy the whole posturing and speech thing at them, scolding them before pushing a button to cause them untold misery" Jack replied "But… Ianto is right. We can't rely on him for everything and it's time we let the universe know that Sol3 is protected by more than a mad man in a box."
"But what now?"
"We sit back and wait" Ianto replied "We wait and see if they do it like they said they would. I think they will, there might be some mess but in the long run you have to cut the cancer out."
"And you are OK with some deaths? Some innocents might get caught up in it" John warned.
"John, all people are innocent and all people are guilty. Unfortunately that is the way of things. We live. We die. Well… they die" Jack shrugged as he swung at the elevator doors to look back at him, Ianto moving past them to push the button.
"And in the end Javic?"
"In the end the Gods decide."
John sighed as he knew the Gods were not kind merciful creatures at all.
No.
The Gods were fickle.
But Jack was right.
Their part was done.
