Fic: Carnival Of Sins Chapter 2 (Torchwood Jack/Ianto Time Verse Ianto Big Bang)
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Chapter 2
Ianto broke into a run. “Jack! Get down here with Gwen and Owen now! We're going to need your help retconning everyone. Tosh, jam any calls to the emergency services. Owen, drive the bus down. We're going to have to accommodate some guests.” Donna ran after him and straight over to a couple of teenagers, a brunette who was howling in horror and clutching at her blonde female friend. “Donna-” he started as he headed over to a different group of kids.
“I know!” she yelled back, and waved him off. “Are you alright?” she asked the girls. The screeching girl who turned to her started screaming again. “Oi! Knock it off!” Donna yelled, grabbing her arms and shaking her a little. “What happened?” she asked.
“I don't know!” the brunette girl cried, grabbing Donna's arms hard. “I don't know! We were in the Haunted House and when we came out I turned to look at Sarah and she was like that!” The other girl was crying and grabbing at her elongated face. “What the hell did that to her face! Her mum is going to kill me! We weren't supposed to be here!” The girl started crying harder.
“Martha!” Donna called out. “Martha! I... I need... Hell, I have no idea!” She looked at the two inconsolable girls. “Listen to me. I'm here to help, okay? We all are, and we're going to find out what caused this, okay? Now, you just sit down there, and you stay here, right? There's a doctor on the way, alright? Don't move. Just stay here.”
“Where are you going?” the brunette screeched, grabbing at Donna and pulling her back. “You can't leave!”
“I'm just going over there,” she pointed to Ianto. “See? That's my boss. I have to see if there are others that need help too. Don't worry, I won't forget about you. I promise.”
“You'll come back?” she asked tearfully, her fingers digging into Donna's arms.
Donna's heart broke. “I'll come back.” She squeezed the girl's hand and watched as she wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her, rocking her back and forth. Donna took a deep breath and ran over to Ianto who had gotten another two groups of similar affected teenagers to calm down and sit on the ground. “What the hell is going on?”
He looked at Donna after he surveyed the area. “I have no idea, and that drives me crazy.” Martha and Mickey ran over. “Where have you two been?”
“We got stuck in the crowd exiting off The Matterhorn,” Martha explained breathlessly.
“Damn kids. I hate school holidays. Teenagers drive me nuts,” Mickey complained. “What are we gotta do, boss?”
Ianto nodded to the group of teenagers huddled over by the Haunted House exit, half of them in tears. “See that group of teenagers over there?”
Mickey and Martha turned around. “Yeah.”
“Go look after them,” Ianto ordered.
Mickey groaned. Ianto's eyes flashed and Mickey immediately apologised. “Sorry, boss.”
“Martha, check them over. I don't know what it is, but something has changed them. My guess is it's some sort of alien technology. I've never seen anything like it, but whatever it is, it's elongated their faces. Mickey, see if you can keep them calm. I don't need hysterical teenagers starting a riot. It's going to be hard enough figuring out what to tell their bloody parents.” Ianto frowned. “Jack! Where are you?”
“We're on our way,” Jack's voice caressed his ear through the comm unit. “We've run into some traffic.” Ianto heard a car horn blaring. “C'mon! Move it!” Jack yelled.
“Get here in one piece, okay?” Ianto said. He looked at Donna. “Can you find the owner or manager of the Park and get either of them to shut the Haunted House down?”
“And just what in the hell am I supposed to tell 'em?” Donna asked incredulously. “Sorry sir, your Haunted House is turning people's faces into the mask from 'Scream'? He'll look at me like I'm barmey!”
“Whatever you have to do to keep people away from this area. Maintenance, gas leak, sewerage pipe break, water mains break, I don't care, just tell them to cordon off the area, got it?” Ianto watched as the wheels in Donna's mind started spinning.
“Whatever will keep people away. Got it!” She nodded and then took off running.
Ianto made his way over to Mickey, who was crouched down next to a couple of crying girls. “Mickey.”
“Yeah boss?” Mickey looked over his shoulder, looking grateful for the interruption.
“You got caution tape in your bag?” he asked. Mickey immediately shrugged off his backpack and knelt down on the ground. Opening it up, he pulled out the yellow and black CAUTION tape and tossed it at Ianto. “Thanks. Jack and the others are on their way. Donna's gone to get this place shut down. I'm going inside.” He turned and started towards the Haunted House.
“Shouldn't you wait for backup?” Mickey called out, frowning. “We don't know what's in there!”
“Ianto, stand down!” Jack said in his ear.
“Good lord, this is all we need. A lover's spat over the comm units,” Owen muttered. “Hey!” There was a sound of a car horn. “I'm driving here!”
“Owen, shut it. Jack, it's fine. I'm just going to do some recon around the building. I won't go inside without backup. I'm not incompetent,” Ianto huffed, unbuttoning his jacket. “Really, you all make it seem like I've never done this before.”
“Ianto knows what he's doing, Jack,” Gwen said quietly.
“I know, but, Ianto, just-” Jack had that tight tone in his voice and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Thank you Gwen. I got it Jack, loud and fucking clear,” he muttered, as he made his way up the stairs of the Haunted House. He pulled on the CAUTION tape and stuck it over the entrance in a large cross, tearing it off the roll.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Ianto heard behind him. He turned and saw a group of teenagers pointing at him.
He pasted on a smile. “Sorry. Closed for maintenance. Try the Ghost Train. I hear that's properly scary.”
“Properly scary?” Owen mocked with a snort. “Nice one, Tea-boy. Way to sell the attractions.”
“I heard Amy say it once,” Ianto replied in a huff. “I don't have Tosh's flair for advertising slogans at the drop of a hat. Sue me.”
“Amy? Who's Amy?” Owen asked, curiosity piqued. “Have I met her? Would I like her? Would she like me!?" Jack laughed in Ianto's ear. “What? What's so funny?”
“Nothing,” Jack replied.
“Amy already loves you Owen, considering you waved a gun in her face and threatened to shoot her,” Ianto deadpanned, as he made his way around the perimeter of the Haunted House.
“I don't remember waving any guns around in the faces of any women,” Owen intoned.
“Well, it wasn't exactly you,” Jack explained. “It was another you in another reality.”
“Great. Trust me to cockblock myself,” Owen muttered.
“She's married, Owen,” Ianto said quietly. “Besides, she'd toy with you like a mouse to her cat until Rory came along and ripped your head off.”
“What, she married an alien?” Owen asked incredulously.
Jack laughed. “Nah, a centurion Scotsman.” There was a pause. “It's a long story. Ianto, how you doing there?”
Ianto had made his way around the building and found nothing. “Building perimeter is clear. Whatever it is must be inside. There aren't any windows. Everything's bordered up tight, presumably to keep the mystic of the place.” Ianto snickered his disapproval. “We're going to have to go inside and see if we can find it.”
“Stand down until we get there. That's an order Ianto,” Jack demanded.
Ianto sighed. “Roger that.”
As much as Jack acknowledged that Ianto now had more experience in combat than he did, Ianto still acknowledged that Jack was Torchwood's leader, and as such he had to listen when Jack gave him an order, even if he disagreed with it. Jack still had a far greater knowledge and experience with alien technology than Ianto did and therefore he knew that when Jack said to wait, it was in his best interest to listen. He didn't have to like it, though.
Ianto made his way back to Mickey, Martha and Donna, who now had a group of ten teenagers, about five affected and five trying to comfort their friends or ask questions of his team.
“Jack, what's your ETA?” Ianto asked, anxious to get inside that Haunted House.
“Two minutes,” Jack replied. “Don't you dare go inside that building until I see you, Ianto Jones.”
“You gave me an order Jack,” Ianto spat back, annoyed that Jack was still on at him.
“Just making sure.”
“Owen?” Ianto addressed, ignoring the bait that Jack was dangling. “ETA?”
“I can see the SUV in front of me. I'm right behind them,” Owen replied. “We're turning into the parking lot now.”
Ianto nodded. “You know exactly where we are, yeah?”
“Yeah, we've been tracking you all the entire way,” Jack confirmed. “What, you think I'd let you out of my sight and not know where you are?”
Ianto couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew that Jack wouldn't let him out of his sight without tracking him. He'd never completely let go of his fear of Ianto disappearing again, ever. It was something Ianto had learned to live with, even if it was smothering at times. Things had improved since he'd had the tracking implant grafted onto his skull. Jack had peace of mind, knowing where he was, and Ianto had some freedom instead of feeling like an animal on a leash.
“Never, Jack,” Ianto said, his tone coloured by affection. “Just get here.”
A few minutes later Ianto looked up at the sound of feet pounding on the tarmac to see Jack racing towards him, his coat billowing out behind him looking like the hero he was to Wales, and the UK at large, and Gwen running behind him. Owen, carrying a large medical kit, brought up the rear. Ianto walked briskly out to meet them by the edge of the cordoned off area.
“What have we got?” Jack asked when they reached the fences and jumped over it.
“Showoff,” Gwen muttered as she rolled her eyes. Jack turned back and both Ianto and Jack reached back to brace her waist as she put her hands on their shoulders and pushed as they helped to lift her over the fence. “Thanks boys.”
Jack grinned, “No problem.” Ianto glared. Jack's grin fell off his face as he looked around him. They had a job to do.
“Here!” Owen said, lifting the kit. “Someone take this.” Gwen grabbed the kit from him and moved out of the way. Owen jumped the fence himself. “Right then. What the hell is going on in this place?”
Ianto filled them in on what Martha, Mickey and Donna were doing and what they had found so far. “I think Owen, Martha and Donna should stay with the kids while you, Gwen, Mickey and I recon inside the Haunted House,” Ianto said to Jack.
Jack nodded. “I agree. Owen-”
“On it. Find out what Martha knows and go from there,” Owen said, taking the kit from Gwen and heading quickly over to Martha and Donna.
“Mickey!” Jack called out, turning to look at his team that were tending to the kids. “Over here.”
Mickey spoke quickly to the boy he'd been talking to, did some sort of fist bump action and then got to his feet and ran over. “Cap.”
“You're with me, Gwen's with Ianto. We're going to head into that Haunted House and find out what the hell is doing this to these kids.” Jack swept his way towards the large building in front of them, expecting everyone to follow. Mickey was hot on Jack's heels.
“His highness has spoken,” Gwen muttered as she shoved her hands in her front pockets of her jeans, blushing when she caught Ianto watching her. He gave her a smile of empathy and she gave him a small one back.
“Better follow before he gets cranky. You know how he gets when he thinks we're not following his lead,” Ianto whispered conspiratorially to her, knocking her shoulder with his.
Despite their earlier argument, he didn't like being on bad terms with Gwen. They had formed an uneasy truce over the last few months, though Ianto still didn't think that Gwen fully trusted him. She tended to listen to Jack more than him unless they were in the field, and every now and then would play them off against each other. Only when they were in the field and it was clear that Ianto was in charge would Gwen defer to Ianto. She at least acknowledged that he was better skilled than either she or even Jack, even if it was grudgingly.
Gwen knocked him back and they took off together at a run after Jack and Mickey. Jack ducked under the tape that Ianto had stuck up across the doorway, and then turned back.
“Mickey, you got a flashlight?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Mickey said, shrugging off his backpack and pulling out two flashlights. He handed one to Gwen and the other to Jack.
“Okay, looks like it's a maze. You two go right. We'll go left,” Jack instructed, pointing with his flashlight.
“Got it,” Ianto said, and was about to start down the hallway when Jack grabbed his jacket and pulled him back. Ianto was surprised when Jack's lips pressed firmly against his.
“Be careful,” Jack said softly when he pulled back. “I got a bad feeling about this place.”
“Don't worry, Jack,” Ianto said with a small smile, “I haven't seen a single clown yet.”
Jack growled and shoved him away with a small smile, “Go! Find the tech! Keep talking.”
Ianto turned and headed down the dark hallway, Gwen at his side. She flashed the light around the hallway from side to side slowly, checking every nook and crevice for potential hazards or technology not of this world. In the silence of the Haunted House, Gwen's piercing scream shattered the peace when her beam of light caught on something ugly that jumped out at them when she didn't expect it, causing Ianto to jump.
“What! What is it?” Jack asked in Ianto's ear.
“It's alright,” Ianto said, his own heart thumping in his chest, as his hand rubbed up and down Gwen's back while she caught her breath. Her hand was on her chest as she panted. “Gwen found your evil clown. One of them, any way. It jumped out at us as we walked down the hallway. Must work on a motion detector.” At Ianto's words, Gwen immediately flashed the light around and sure enough, found the telltale sensors of the motion detectors they'd passed.
“Those complete and utter bastards!” she complained half-heartedly. “Nearly gave me a heart attack. That thing is properly scary, as you put it, Ianto. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so scared.”
“It's quite ugly,” Ianto said, looking at the paintwork on the clown mask. It was white, with pink and purple colouring for bruising in patches. Its eyes had giant dark green diamonds painted over them, with blue and purple paint streaking up from the edges of the middle points of the diamonds to join at the centre of the clown's head. It had a hideously large, overly painted red grin for it's mouth with too many teeth to fit in the jaws provided, so they were pointing outwards and crooked. The teeth were stained and brown. The clown's cheeks were highlighted by red rosy dots, and it's head was surrounded by a mop of bright red, curly hair. “Heh.”
“What?” Jack asked.
“Oh nothing,” Ianto regarded the clown carefully. “It's just well done, that's all. The actual creation of it.”
“It's a clown, Ianto.”
“It's a mask, Jack. Let it go,” Ianto reminded him patiently. “C'mon Gwen, let's keep going.” Ianto pushed the clown back and they continued on their path down the hallway. “You two haven't found anything interesting yet?” Ianto asked.
“Nuffin' except a badly done vampire that tried to bite me,” Mickey said, sounding bored.
“And you didn't even squeal like a girl, I'm impressed,” Jack teased.
“Nah, I leave that for you, Cap, hey,” Mickey said, sounding distracted. Gwen giggled and Ianto covered his snicker by coughing.
“I do not squeal like a - AHHHH!” Jack squealed.
“You were saying?” Mickey asked dryly in their ears.
“You okay?” Ianto asked as he heard a couple of gunshots ring out. “Jack?” He tensed up as his hand flew to his own firearm.
“Yeah, Boss, we're fine. One dead clown though. Doubt the owner's gonna be too impressed,” Mickey reported back, coughing a little.
Ianto, and he noticed with pride Gwen too, relaxed at Mickey's words. “Jack. Don't kill the mechanical clowns.”
“It was going to kill me, Yan.”
“It was not! Jack, it's mechanical, an inanimate object, by definition unable to harm you. The only reason it can move is because of the machinery that allows it to,” Ianto was starting to lose his patience.
“Yeah, tell that to Rose when those mannequins were after her,” Jack retorted back. “How do you know? Huh?”
“You're being a petulant child,” Ianto muttered, and drew in a deep breath.
Gwen and Ianto continued on, rounding a corner where Gwen once again jumped.
“What? What is it?” Ianto asked.
“Something touched me!” Gwen said shrilly, turning in circles and patting herself down. “Something touched me, Ianto. I don't know what it was but something definitely touched me!” Her hands ran through her hair as Ianto came over and checked her over. There was nothing on her.
“Flashlight?” He asked. She handed it over, and he ran it over her. She was clean. “You're clean. Here.” He handed it back. Her role in their recon was to man the light, and he wasn't about to take it from her. Their working relationship was precarious enough as it was. “Move the light over there, in the back corner. I can't see anything there, but it's pitch black in here,” Ianto frowned. It was so dark inside and only flashes of light from the Haunted House maze itself came on so randomly and irregularly, he was sure it should have a warning for sufferers of epilepsy. It was bound to set off seizures with the random flashing strobe lighting.
“Found it!” Gwen said triumphantly, shining her torch on the culprit. What seemed like a still statue of steel armour stood in the corner when no one would see or notice it. When someone walked past the motion sensors, the armour's arm rose as if to reach out and his fingertips had touched her hair as she walked passed. Gwen's beam of light found the sensors on the floor in the hallway they'd just come from. “Sneaky, clever bastards.”
“I'll give the creator's one thing,” Ianto said as they inspected the suit of armour, “they certainly know how to play on their patron's fears.”
Gwen waved her torch over the suit of armour to give them a good look. “It's quite a good thing to use, really, just standin' there in the corner, waitin', and when you walk past, pop down comes the arm and gives you the fright of your life.”
“Unique,” Ianto agreed.
“C'mon, Ianto, let's keep moving,” Gwen suggested.
Ianto nodded. “I don't think Maximilian is going anywhere.” Gwen looked at him strangely. “It's the type of suit of armour... nevermind.” Ianto turned and headed down the hallway.
“How do you... you know what? Don't answer that, I already know,” Gwen said, staring after him.
“Boss knows everyfing, Gwen, remember?” Mickey said in her ear, the amusement clear in his voice.
“Yeah. I remember,” she muttered, looking back and giving the suit of armour one last once over with her torch before she turned and made her way in the direction that she saw Ianto head down. When she reached the end though, she came to a T intersection. “Ianto?” she asked. “Ianto, did you go left or right?” She shone her light down each hallway. They were both empty. “You can't have walked that far that fast.”
“I went left. There doesn't seem to be anything here other than-” Ianto broke off mid-sentence to silence.
“Ianto?” Gwen asked, tapping her ear. “Ianto!” she called out, breaking into a run.
“Ianto?” Jack asked. “Ianto, talk to me! Let me here those Welsh vowels again.” Panic tinged Jack's voice.
“Ianto!” Gwen called out as she looked around with the flashlight as she moved quickly through the hallway she was in. She found herself in a hall of mirrors, the type that changed the person's body type when they looked into it. Gwen saw herself in the first mirror, which expanded her body outwards.
“Gwen, you find him?” Jack asked.
Gwen shook her head at herself and started moving again. “Not yet, Jack.”
“Find him, Gwen. Find him, please!” Jack said, his voice breaking. “We're coming to you now, okay? Just... find him! He's still here, somewhere.” Gwen went through another mirror that made her extremely thin. “Gwen?!”
“I heard you, Jack!” she called back, flashing her torch around. “He's not in here.” She frowned and turned around. “Why isn't he in here?” she asked aloud. “He said he turned left, so why isn't he here?”
She continued down the hall, her torch reflecting off the mirrors creating glare that was blinding her. She came to another intersection. “Great! Another intersection.” She waved the torch down the left, but she couldn't see anything. She waved it down the right and saw a body on the ground. “Ianto!” She ran over to him.
“Gwen?! Gwen, what's going on?! What did you find? Is he okay?” Jack yelled into her ear. Gwen could hear Jack running, not just through the ear piece but his footsteps echoed through the Haunted House. “Fuck this fucking stupid place!” Jack yelled out in frustration. “Ianto, I'm coming!”
“He's not moving, Jack,” Gwen said as she ran down the hall towards him. “I can't see a thing!”
“J-jack,” Ianto mumbled quietly, his head rolling from side to side.
“Ianto!” Gwen slid down on her knees as she came to a halt next to Ianto. “Ianto, love, it's Gwen. I'm here okay? I'm here, and Jack's on his way, okay? I promise.” She used the flashlight to check him over, and when she got to his face, she dropped it. “Oh! Oh my God! Ianto!” She reached out and went to touch but pulled her hand back.
“G-gwen?” Ianto mumbled, and moved his head, trying to open his eyes. His ear piece had fallen out and was lying on the floor next to his head. “G-gwen.”
“I'm here, love, I'm here.” Gwen grabbed Ianto's hand and squeezed hard.
“Don't... let... Jack...” he started, and then stopped.
Her eyes welled with tears. “Don't let Jack what, love?” she asked, holding his hand against her chest.
“Shoot... people,” he finished, and closed his eyes again.
Gwen let out a laugh as tears fell down her cheeks. “Aw, now Ianto, you know I can't make that promise. When Jack finds us, he's going to shoot something, you know he is.”
“Don't... let...him.” Ianto squeezed her hand.
“Oh Ianto... I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do!” Gwen begged, not wiping the twin salty tracks sliding down her cheeks. She reached out with a cool hand, her fingers cupped his elongated cheek as she sat there and cried silently as she waited for Jack and Mickey to find them. There was nothing more she could do, but somewhere in their vicinity was the alien technology that had changed her colleague and, dare she say it, friend, the same way it had the teenagers outside.
When his overprotective partner found out, there would be hell to pay.
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Ianto broke into a run. “Jack! Get down here with Gwen and Owen now! We're going to need your help retconning everyone. Tosh, jam any calls to the emergency services. Owen, drive the bus down. We're going to have to accommodate some guests.” Donna ran after him and straight over to a couple of teenagers, a brunette who was howling in horror and clutching at her blonde female friend. “Donna-” he started as he headed over to a different group of kids.
“I know!” she yelled back, and waved him off. “Are you alright?” she asked the girls. The screeching girl who turned to her started screaming again. “Oi! Knock it off!” Donna yelled, grabbing her arms and shaking her a little. “What happened?” she asked.
“I don't know!” the brunette girl cried, grabbing Donna's arms hard. “I don't know! We were in the Haunted House and when we came out I turned to look at Sarah and she was like that!” The other girl was crying and grabbing at her elongated face. “What the hell did that to her face! Her mum is going to kill me! We weren't supposed to be here!” The girl started crying harder.
“Martha!” Donna called out. “Martha! I... I need... Hell, I have no idea!” She looked at the two inconsolable girls. “Listen to me. I'm here to help, okay? We all are, and we're going to find out what caused this, okay? Now, you just sit down there, and you stay here, right? There's a doctor on the way, alright? Don't move. Just stay here.”
“Where are you going?” the brunette screeched, grabbing at Donna and pulling her back. “You can't leave!”
“I'm just going over there,” she pointed to Ianto. “See? That's my boss. I have to see if there are others that need help too. Don't worry, I won't forget about you. I promise.”
“You'll come back?” she asked tearfully, her fingers digging into Donna's arms.
Donna's heart broke. “I'll come back.” She squeezed the girl's hand and watched as she wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her, rocking her back and forth. Donna took a deep breath and ran over to Ianto who had gotten another two groups of similar affected teenagers to calm down and sit on the ground. “What the hell is going on?”
He looked at Donna after he surveyed the area. “I have no idea, and that drives me crazy.” Martha and Mickey ran over. “Where have you two been?”
“We got stuck in the crowd exiting off The Matterhorn,” Martha explained breathlessly.
“Damn kids. I hate school holidays. Teenagers drive me nuts,” Mickey complained. “What are we gotta do, boss?”
Ianto nodded to the group of teenagers huddled over by the Haunted House exit, half of them in tears. “See that group of teenagers over there?”
Mickey and Martha turned around. “Yeah.”
“Go look after them,” Ianto ordered.
Mickey groaned. Ianto's eyes flashed and Mickey immediately apologised. “Sorry, boss.”
“Martha, check them over. I don't know what it is, but something has changed them. My guess is it's some sort of alien technology. I've never seen anything like it, but whatever it is, it's elongated their faces. Mickey, see if you can keep them calm. I don't need hysterical teenagers starting a riot. It's going to be hard enough figuring out what to tell their bloody parents.” Ianto frowned. “Jack! Where are you?”
“We're on our way,” Jack's voice caressed his ear through the comm unit. “We've run into some traffic.” Ianto heard a car horn blaring. “C'mon! Move it!” Jack yelled.
“Get here in one piece, okay?” Ianto said. He looked at Donna. “Can you find the owner or manager of the Park and get either of them to shut the Haunted House down?”
“And just what in the hell am I supposed to tell 'em?” Donna asked incredulously. “Sorry sir, your Haunted House is turning people's faces into the mask from 'Scream'? He'll look at me like I'm barmey!”
“Whatever you have to do to keep people away from this area. Maintenance, gas leak, sewerage pipe break, water mains break, I don't care, just tell them to cordon off the area, got it?” Ianto watched as the wheels in Donna's mind started spinning.
“Whatever will keep people away. Got it!” She nodded and then took off running.
Ianto made his way over to Mickey, who was crouched down next to a couple of crying girls. “Mickey.”
“Yeah boss?” Mickey looked over his shoulder, looking grateful for the interruption.
“You got caution tape in your bag?” he asked. Mickey immediately shrugged off his backpack and knelt down on the ground. Opening it up, he pulled out the yellow and black CAUTION tape and tossed it at Ianto. “Thanks. Jack and the others are on their way. Donna's gone to get this place shut down. I'm going inside.” He turned and started towards the Haunted House.
“Shouldn't you wait for backup?” Mickey called out, frowning. “We don't know what's in there!”
“Ianto, stand down!” Jack said in his ear.
“Good lord, this is all we need. A lover's spat over the comm units,” Owen muttered. “Hey!” There was a sound of a car horn. “I'm driving here!”
“Owen, shut it. Jack, it's fine. I'm just going to do some recon around the building. I won't go inside without backup. I'm not incompetent,” Ianto huffed, unbuttoning his jacket. “Really, you all make it seem like I've never done this before.”
“Ianto knows what he's doing, Jack,” Gwen said quietly.
“I know, but, Ianto, just-” Jack had that tight tone in his voice and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Thank you Gwen. I got it Jack, loud and fucking clear,” he muttered, as he made his way up the stairs of the Haunted House. He pulled on the CAUTION tape and stuck it over the entrance in a large cross, tearing it off the roll.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Ianto heard behind him. He turned and saw a group of teenagers pointing at him.
He pasted on a smile. “Sorry. Closed for maintenance. Try the Ghost Train. I hear that's properly scary.”
“Properly scary?” Owen mocked with a snort. “Nice one, Tea-boy. Way to sell the attractions.”
“I heard Amy say it once,” Ianto replied in a huff. “I don't have Tosh's flair for advertising slogans at the drop of a hat. Sue me.”
“Amy? Who's Amy?” Owen asked, curiosity piqued. “Have I met her? Would I like her? Would she like me!?" Jack laughed in Ianto's ear. “What? What's so funny?”
“Nothing,” Jack replied.
“Amy already loves you Owen, considering you waved a gun in her face and threatened to shoot her,” Ianto deadpanned, as he made his way around the perimeter of the Haunted House.
“I don't remember waving any guns around in the faces of any women,” Owen intoned.
“Well, it wasn't exactly you,” Jack explained. “It was another you in another reality.”
“Great. Trust me to cockblock myself,” Owen muttered.
“She's married, Owen,” Ianto said quietly. “Besides, she'd toy with you like a mouse to her cat until Rory came along and ripped your head off.”
“What, she married an alien?” Owen asked incredulously.
Jack laughed. “Nah, a centurion Scotsman.” There was a pause. “It's a long story. Ianto, how you doing there?”
Ianto had made his way around the building and found nothing. “Building perimeter is clear. Whatever it is must be inside. There aren't any windows. Everything's bordered up tight, presumably to keep the mystic of the place.” Ianto snickered his disapproval. “We're going to have to go inside and see if we can find it.”
“Stand down until we get there. That's an order Ianto,” Jack demanded.
Ianto sighed. “Roger that.”
As much as Jack acknowledged that Ianto now had more experience in combat than he did, Ianto still acknowledged that Jack was Torchwood's leader, and as such he had to listen when Jack gave him an order, even if he disagreed with it. Jack still had a far greater knowledge and experience with alien technology than Ianto did and therefore he knew that when Jack said to wait, it was in his best interest to listen. He didn't have to like it, though.
Ianto made his way back to Mickey, Martha and Donna, who now had a group of ten teenagers, about five affected and five trying to comfort their friends or ask questions of his team.
“Jack, what's your ETA?” Ianto asked, anxious to get inside that Haunted House.
“Two minutes,” Jack replied. “Don't you dare go inside that building until I see you, Ianto Jones.”
“You gave me an order Jack,” Ianto spat back, annoyed that Jack was still on at him.
“Just making sure.”
“Owen?” Ianto addressed, ignoring the bait that Jack was dangling. “ETA?”
“I can see the SUV in front of me. I'm right behind them,” Owen replied. “We're turning into the parking lot now.”
Ianto nodded. “You know exactly where we are, yeah?”
“Yeah, we've been tracking you all the entire way,” Jack confirmed. “What, you think I'd let you out of my sight and not know where you are?”
Ianto couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew that Jack wouldn't let him out of his sight without tracking him. He'd never completely let go of his fear of Ianto disappearing again, ever. It was something Ianto had learned to live with, even if it was smothering at times. Things had improved since he'd had the tracking implant grafted onto his skull. Jack had peace of mind, knowing where he was, and Ianto had some freedom instead of feeling like an animal on a leash.
“Never, Jack,” Ianto said, his tone coloured by affection. “Just get here.”
A few minutes later Ianto looked up at the sound of feet pounding on the tarmac to see Jack racing towards him, his coat billowing out behind him looking like the hero he was to Wales, and the UK at large, and Gwen running behind him. Owen, carrying a large medical kit, brought up the rear. Ianto walked briskly out to meet them by the edge of the cordoned off area.
“What have we got?” Jack asked when they reached the fences and jumped over it.
“Showoff,” Gwen muttered as she rolled her eyes. Jack turned back and both Ianto and Jack reached back to brace her waist as she put her hands on their shoulders and pushed as they helped to lift her over the fence. “Thanks boys.”
Jack grinned, “No problem.” Ianto glared. Jack's grin fell off his face as he looked around him. They had a job to do.
“Here!” Owen said, lifting the kit. “Someone take this.” Gwen grabbed the kit from him and moved out of the way. Owen jumped the fence himself. “Right then. What the hell is going on in this place?”
Ianto filled them in on what Martha, Mickey and Donna were doing and what they had found so far. “I think Owen, Martha and Donna should stay with the kids while you, Gwen, Mickey and I recon inside the Haunted House,” Ianto said to Jack.
Jack nodded. “I agree. Owen-”
“On it. Find out what Martha knows and go from there,” Owen said, taking the kit from Gwen and heading quickly over to Martha and Donna.
“Mickey!” Jack called out, turning to look at his team that were tending to the kids. “Over here.”
Mickey spoke quickly to the boy he'd been talking to, did some sort of fist bump action and then got to his feet and ran over. “Cap.”
“You're with me, Gwen's with Ianto. We're going to head into that Haunted House and find out what the hell is doing this to these kids.” Jack swept his way towards the large building in front of them, expecting everyone to follow. Mickey was hot on Jack's heels.
“His highness has spoken,” Gwen muttered as she shoved her hands in her front pockets of her jeans, blushing when she caught Ianto watching her. He gave her a smile of empathy and she gave him a small one back.
“Better follow before he gets cranky. You know how he gets when he thinks we're not following his lead,” Ianto whispered conspiratorially to her, knocking her shoulder with his.
Despite their earlier argument, he didn't like being on bad terms with Gwen. They had formed an uneasy truce over the last few months, though Ianto still didn't think that Gwen fully trusted him. She tended to listen to Jack more than him unless they were in the field, and every now and then would play them off against each other. Only when they were in the field and it was clear that Ianto was in charge would Gwen defer to Ianto. She at least acknowledged that he was better skilled than either she or even Jack, even if it was grudgingly.
Gwen knocked him back and they took off together at a run after Jack and Mickey. Jack ducked under the tape that Ianto had stuck up across the doorway, and then turned back.
“Mickey, you got a flashlight?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Mickey said, shrugging off his backpack and pulling out two flashlights. He handed one to Gwen and the other to Jack.
“Okay, looks like it's a maze. You two go right. We'll go left,” Jack instructed, pointing with his flashlight.
“Got it,” Ianto said, and was about to start down the hallway when Jack grabbed his jacket and pulled him back. Ianto was surprised when Jack's lips pressed firmly against his.
“Be careful,” Jack said softly when he pulled back. “I got a bad feeling about this place.”
“Don't worry, Jack,” Ianto said with a small smile, “I haven't seen a single clown yet.”
Jack growled and shoved him away with a small smile, “Go! Find the tech! Keep talking.”
Ianto turned and headed down the dark hallway, Gwen at his side. She flashed the light around the hallway from side to side slowly, checking every nook and crevice for potential hazards or technology not of this world. In the silence of the Haunted House, Gwen's piercing scream shattered the peace when her beam of light caught on something ugly that jumped out at them when she didn't expect it, causing Ianto to jump.
“What! What is it?” Jack asked in Ianto's ear.
“It's alright,” Ianto said, his own heart thumping in his chest, as his hand rubbed up and down Gwen's back while she caught her breath. Her hand was on her chest as she panted. “Gwen found your evil clown. One of them, any way. It jumped out at us as we walked down the hallway. Must work on a motion detector.” At Ianto's words, Gwen immediately flashed the light around and sure enough, found the telltale sensors of the motion detectors they'd passed.
“Those complete and utter bastards!” she complained half-heartedly. “Nearly gave me a heart attack. That thing is properly scary, as you put it, Ianto. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so scared.”
“It's quite ugly,” Ianto said, looking at the paintwork on the clown mask. It was white, with pink and purple colouring for bruising in patches. Its eyes had giant dark green diamonds painted over them, with blue and purple paint streaking up from the edges of the middle points of the diamonds to join at the centre of the clown's head. It had a hideously large, overly painted red grin for it's mouth with too many teeth to fit in the jaws provided, so they were pointing outwards and crooked. The teeth were stained and brown. The clown's cheeks were highlighted by red rosy dots, and it's head was surrounded by a mop of bright red, curly hair. “Heh.”
“What?” Jack asked.
“Oh nothing,” Ianto regarded the clown carefully. “It's just well done, that's all. The actual creation of it.”
“It's a clown, Ianto.”
“It's a mask, Jack. Let it go,” Ianto reminded him patiently. “C'mon Gwen, let's keep going.” Ianto pushed the clown back and they continued on their path down the hallway. “You two haven't found anything interesting yet?” Ianto asked.
“Nuffin' except a badly done vampire that tried to bite me,” Mickey said, sounding bored.
“And you didn't even squeal like a girl, I'm impressed,” Jack teased.
“Nah, I leave that for you, Cap, hey,” Mickey said, sounding distracted. Gwen giggled and Ianto covered his snicker by coughing.
“I do not squeal like a - AHHHH!” Jack squealed.
“You were saying?” Mickey asked dryly in their ears.
“You okay?” Ianto asked as he heard a couple of gunshots ring out. “Jack?” He tensed up as his hand flew to his own firearm.
“Yeah, Boss, we're fine. One dead clown though. Doubt the owner's gonna be too impressed,” Mickey reported back, coughing a little.
Ianto, and he noticed with pride Gwen too, relaxed at Mickey's words. “Jack. Don't kill the mechanical clowns.”
“It was going to kill me, Yan.”
“It was not! Jack, it's mechanical, an inanimate object, by definition unable to harm you. The only reason it can move is because of the machinery that allows it to,” Ianto was starting to lose his patience.
“Yeah, tell that to Rose when those mannequins were after her,” Jack retorted back. “How do you know? Huh?”
“You're being a petulant child,” Ianto muttered, and drew in a deep breath.
Gwen and Ianto continued on, rounding a corner where Gwen once again jumped.
“What? What is it?” Ianto asked.
“Something touched me!” Gwen said shrilly, turning in circles and patting herself down. “Something touched me, Ianto. I don't know what it was but something definitely touched me!” Her hands ran through her hair as Ianto came over and checked her over. There was nothing on her.
“Flashlight?” He asked. She handed it over, and he ran it over her. She was clean. “You're clean. Here.” He handed it back. Her role in their recon was to man the light, and he wasn't about to take it from her. Their working relationship was precarious enough as it was. “Move the light over there, in the back corner. I can't see anything there, but it's pitch black in here,” Ianto frowned. It was so dark inside and only flashes of light from the Haunted House maze itself came on so randomly and irregularly, he was sure it should have a warning for sufferers of epilepsy. It was bound to set off seizures with the random flashing strobe lighting.
“Found it!” Gwen said triumphantly, shining her torch on the culprit. What seemed like a still statue of steel armour stood in the corner when no one would see or notice it. When someone walked past the motion sensors, the armour's arm rose as if to reach out and his fingertips had touched her hair as she walked passed. Gwen's beam of light found the sensors on the floor in the hallway they'd just come from. “Sneaky, clever bastards.”
“I'll give the creator's one thing,” Ianto said as they inspected the suit of armour, “they certainly know how to play on their patron's fears.”
Gwen waved her torch over the suit of armour to give them a good look. “It's quite a good thing to use, really, just standin' there in the corner, waitin', and when you walk past, pop down comes the arm and gives you the fright of your life.”
“Unique,” Ianto agreed.
“C'mon, Ianto, let's keep moving,” Gwen suggested.
Ianto nodded. “I don't think Maximilian is going anywhere.” Gwen looked at him strangely. “It's the type of suit of armour... nevermind.” Ianto turned and headed down the hallway.
“How do you... you know what? Don't answer that, I already know,” Gwen said, staring after him.
“Boss knows everyfing, Gwen, remember?” Mickey said in her ear, the amusement clear in his voice.
“Yeah. I remember,” she muttered, looking back and giving the suit of armour one last once over with her torch before she turned and made her way in the direction that she saw Ianto head down. When she reached the end though, she came to a T intersection. “Ianto?” she asked. “Ianto, did you go left or right?” She shone her light down each hallway. They were both empty. “You can't have walked that far that fast.”
“I went left. There doesn't seem to be anything here other than-” Ianto broke off mid-sentence to silence.
“Ianto?” Gwen asked, tapping her ear. “Ianto!” she called out, breaking into a run.
“Ianto?” Jack asked. “Ianto, talk to me! Let me here those Welsh vowels again.” Panic tinged Jack's voice.
“Ianto!” Gwen called out as she looked around with the flashlight as she moved quickly through the hallway she was in. She found herself in a hall of mirrors, the type that changed the person's body type when they looked into it. Gwen saw herself in the first mirror, which expanded her body outwards.
“Gwen, you find him?” Jack asked.
Gwen shook her head at herself and started moving again. “Not yet, Jack.”
“Find him, Gwen. Find him, please!” Jack said, his voice breaking. “We're coming to you now, okay? Just... find him! He's still here, somewhere.” Gwen went through another mirror that made her extremely thin. “Gwen?!”
“I heard you, Jack!” she called back, flashing her torch around. “He's not in here.” She frowned and turned around. “Why isn't he in here?” she asked aloud. “He said he turned left, so why isn't he here?”
She continued down the hall, her torch reflecting off the mirrors creating glare that was blinding her. She came to another intersection. “Great! Another intersection.” She waved the torch down the left, but she couldn't see anything. She waved it down the right and saw a body on the ground. “Ianto!” She ran over to him.
“Gwen?! Gwen, what's going on?! What did you find? Is he okay?” Jack yelled into her ear. Gwen could hear Jack running, not just through the ear piece but his footsteps echoed through the Haunted House. “Fuck this fucking stupid place!” Jack yelled out in frustration. “Ianto, I'm coming!”
“He's not moving, Jack,” Gwen said as she ran down the hall towards him. “I can't see a thing!”
“J-jack,” Ianto mumbled quietly, his head rolling from side to side.
“Ianto!” Gwen slid down on her knees as she came to a halt next to Ianto. “Ianto, love, it's Gwen. I'm here okay? I'm here, and Jack's on his way, okay? I promise.” She used the flashlight to check him over, and when she got to his face, she dropped it. “Oh! Oh my God! Ianto!” She reached out and went to touch but pulled her hand back.
“G-gwen?” Ianto mumbled, and moved his head, trying to open his eyes. His ear piece had fallen out and was lying on the floor next to his head. “G-gwen.”
“I'm here, love, I'm here.” Gwen grabbed Ianto's hand and squeezed hard.
“Don't... let... Jack...” he started, and then stopped.
Her eyes welled with tears. “Don't let Jack what, love?” she asked, holding his hand against her chest.
“Shoot... people,” he finished, and closed his eyes again.
Gwen let out a laugh as tears fell down her cheeks. “Aw, now Ianto, you know I can't make that promise. When Jack finds us, he's going to shoot something, you know he is.”
“Don't... let...him.” Ianto squeezed her hand.
“Oh Ianto... I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do!” Gwen begged, not wiping the twin salty tracks sliding down her cheeks. She reached out with a cool hand, her fingers cupped his elongated cheek as she sat there and cried silently as she waited for Jack and Mickey to find them. There was nothing more she could do, but somewhere in their vicinity was the alien technology that had changed her colleague and, dare she say it, friend, the same way it had the teenagers outside.
When his overprotective partner found out, there would be hell to pay.
Chapter 3