FIC: Someone to Say Goodbye To (Part I)
Sep. 1st, 2008 08:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ficwizeTitle: Someone to Say Goodbye To
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Pairing: Ianto/Lisa, Jack/Ianto
Warnings: Violence, sex, death, the end of the world.
Rating: Adult.
*************
Return to Prologue and Notes
********PART I********
“Ianto?” Ianto moved his hand down Lisa’s naked back, loving the feel of her skin under his fingers, pale skin against dark.
“Hm?”
“Do the ghosts scare you?” Lisa rolled onto her back, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts and exposing the side of one long and shapely leg. She searched his face curiously.
“No.” Ianto smiled and pushed himself up on his forearms so that he could lean over and kiss her. “Do they scare you?”
“Not really.” Lisa made a face. “But it just seems so bizarre, you know? They just showed up one day, all shimmery and indistinct. Some of the blokes at work think they’ve always been around, only we couldn’t see them until now.” She made a face. “Not that we can see much now. Just shapes really.”
“Which blokes at work?” Ianto demanded and Lisa poked him in the chest with a smirk.
“Don’t you want to know?”
“Yes.” Ianto caught her hand and kissed it. “That’s why I asked.”
“Be serious.” Lisa ordered, but her eyes were dancing with amusement. She pulled Ianto’s hand to her mouth and kissed it in return. “About the ghosts. Don’t you think it’s a little creepy?”
Ianto looked at her thoughtfully, deliberately trailing his hand down her arm and then down her side. “I dunno. I haven’t thought much about them after the initial shock of them showing up.” He grimaced at the memory of those stressful days at work. “It took us almost a week to convince the world not to dissolve into blind panic.”
“I remember. I didn’t see you for days. Do you believe it, though?”
“What?” Ianto asked, distracted by the fact that the sheet dipped lower on her chest.
“Do you believe that we shouldn’t panic?” Lisa caught his chin and forced his eyes to her face so that he could see her roll her eyes at him.
Ianto grinned and sat up more, tugging teasingly at the sheet. “They seem harmless enough, I suppose. At least the powers that be think that they‘re harmless. That’s why we called them ghosts to begin with.” He shrugged. “Do you believe in life after death?”
“I don’t know.” Lisa sighed, glancing at the clock and abandoning the sheet to Ianto’s tugging. “But I don’t believe in being late back to the office. The ghosts may not scare you, but Yvonne Hartman scares me.” Lisa smiled wryly. “And we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
Ianto groaned as Lisa climbed from the bed. “Let’s call in sick for the afternoon.”
“Both of us?” Lisa raised an eyebrow at him as she shimmied back into her underwear. “You don’t think anyone will notice both of us copping off at once?”
Ianto lifted one shoulder in an unconcerned shrug. “We could tell them we had food poisoning.” He suggested, watching Lisa shift through the bed linens. He sat up further and dug under the pillow, fetching out a bra which he dangled with a lascivious grin. “Looking for this?”
Lisa snatched it from his hand with a laugh. “Get up, you daft idiot. I’m leaving in a minute and you’re coming with me.”
“I could call in with food poisoning,” Ianto countered as Lisa shrugged into the bra and stretched her arms behind her to fasten the clips. “No reason I shouldn’t stay relaxed.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re after a promotion, remember?” Lisa climbed back onto the bed, straddling his legs and Ianto leaned forward so that he could kiss her again. She giggled against his mouth. “You’re applying to be a field agent this fall, remember?”
“I could stay in PR,” Ianto offered enticingly, his arms moving to circle her waist so he could pull against him snugly. “I’m good at it.”
“It’s not PR,” Lisa ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s Disinformation. And of course you’re good at it, Ianto. You’re good at everything.” She kissed his forehead. “But you’re too good to spend your days hacking into computers and erasing information.” She leaned back, her expression determined. “And you deserve more. You’ve worked to hard for this chance to throw it away for quick romp.”
Ianto grumbled good naturedly. “I didn’t anticipate a quick romp.”
“Don’t you want more?” Lisa demanded.
“I want you.” Ianto sighed and let her go as she pulled back. “That’s all I want, Lisa. Live with me?”
Lisa froze where she was bent over retrieving her blouse from under the bed. She looked up at him slowly, eyes huge and shining with tears. “Ianto. Are you serious?”
Ianto grinned, his mouth spreading into a wide smile. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. I love you, Lisa Hallett.”
Lisa made a noise that was half laugh and half sob and then she flung herself back into Ianto’s arms. “Yes, yes! Ianto, yes! When can you move in?”
Ianto held her, pleasantly surprised at her enthusiastic response. “I thought you’d never ask.” He rolled so that she was under him and he kissed her slowly, taking his time. When he broke apart, she looked breathless, but her eyes were shining with love. “When can you help me pack?”
“I love you, Ianto Jones.” Lisa spoke softly.
“Does this mean that we can call in sick?” Ianto asked with a grin.
“Ianto, quit taking the piss and kiss me.” Lisa demanded and Ianto complied happily.
Forty minutes later, they walked hand in hand back through the front doors of the Canary Wharf Tower. Flashing their badges at security, Ianto and Lisa ignored the knowing smirk of the security guard and leaned in for a quick kiss.
“Can you sneak away for tea after the afternoon Ghost Shift?” Ianto asked softly and Lisa shook her head, but her eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Don’t be so greedy. We’re almost an hour late.” Ianto gave her his best puppy dog face and Lisa faltered. “I’ll meet you in the break room on twenty-five at 3:30.” She turned away, but he pulled her back.
“I wasn’t the one who insisted we come back.” He kissed her, ignoring the guard completely. “And today is a special occasion. I’m allowed to be greedy.” Ianto let her go and she laughed.
“It is a special occasion. I’ll see you at half three. Don’t be late!”
Ianto watched as she went to the lift on the left, unable to either tear his eyes off her, or stop smiling. When the doors slid shut, he glanced at his watch and hurried down the hall to a second set of elevators and pushed the button, relieved when one of the elevators opened immediately. Sticking his hands in his pocket, Ianto whistled cheerfully as he waited for the lift to reach the eighth floor. The doors slid open and he turned left and was nearly run over by one of his office mates.
“What’s the rush?” Ianto snapped, rubbing his shoulder. “Where’s the fire?”
“What?” The other man turned, eyes wide. “Ianto, where have you been?”
“Michael? I was just out for lunch with Lisa. What’s going on?”
“It’s him! He’s here!” Michael was shaking with excitement. “The whole building is on alert!”
“Him?” Ianto knew instantly who Michael was talking about. “When?”
“The announcement wasn’t even ten minutes ago.” Michael turned and started hurrying down the hall again. “You’d best hurry. Clive will be looking for you!”
“Bollocks,” Ianto muttered under his breath. Why the Doctor had to pick today, of all days, to show up was beyond him. “Sodding typical.” He shoved open the door to his office suite and Clive was barking at him before he’d even made it all the way into the room.
“Where have you been? And why aren’t you in a tie and coat? There’s procedure to be followed around here!” The short blonde man was shouting and Ianto sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon. He slid into his desk with a muttered apology and typed his password. As soon as the computer logged him on, an instant message popped up.
LHallett: Ianto! The Doctor! He’s in the building!
IJones: I heard. Is everything alright?
LHallett: Yeah. Yvonne went to find the Doctor, but she told everyone that the Ghost Shift will continue as planned. I see Addie, Gareth and Matt at their desks. Business as usual, I suppose.
IJones: Business as usual. Only - you and I are going to live together Ms. Hallett
There was a pause and Ianto grinned, imagining the look on her face.
LHallett: why yes we are, Mr. Jones. :)
LHallett: I’d best get to work. Be careful today!
IJones: the only dangerous thing down here is clive, and he's only barking about the fact that I’m not in a coat and tie.
LHallett: You can’t blame him. Your arse looks good in professional trousers. Now get to work and earn that promotion!
IJones: I will.
IJones: But you know that comment about my arse is sexual harassment. You’d best be careful that I don’t file a complaint.
Lisa signed off without saying anything else and Ianto chuckled.
“Ianto!” Clive snapped at him. “If you’re done flirting with your bird, we’re having a crisis here. In case you haven’t noticed!”
“I’m here, Clive. You’ve got my undivided attention. And I don’t see any crisis. Everything is under control.”
“Good, because the Ghost Shift starts in thirty minutes and we’d better be ready!”
“We’re ready, Clive.” Ianto soothed him. “We’ve been doing this for two months. I think we have the hang of it.” Ianto ignored the slight apprehension that he felt following his words. Really, what could go wrong?
***************
Thirty minutes later, Ianto felt foolish for his earlier bout of nerves. From the rumors flying around the building, the Doctor was actually quite nice. One of the guards that had been sent to arrest him said that the TARDIS looked just like they’d been told, only then it opened and the Doctor strolled out, nice as you please.
Ianto heard that the guards had lowered the guns and clapped. They’d actually clapped! So much for being enemy number one, Ianto thought wryly. In fact, the only abnormal happening was that Yvonne had decided to delay the Ghost Shift inexplicably.
Of course, that had set Clive into a frenzy of panic until Ianto had hacked into the BBC news channel and fed them a story about sunspots. He had done that, and fed the same story to CNN and Russia Today as soon as Clive announced the delay. Leaning back, Ianto watched smugly as the news casters speculated on whether or not the unexpected solar activity could be responsible for the delay in the appearance of the ghosts.
“The public is too easily led,” Clive had muttered under his breath when Ianto had finished. Surprised, Ianto agreed with him.
“I know. They wouldn’t know what to think if we didn’t tell them.”
“It’ll backfire someday,” Clive sighed, pulling a chair up next to Ianto’s so that they could both watch the news in relative comfort.
“Do the ghosts scare you at all?” Ianto asked, suddenly reminded of Lisa’s earlier hesitations.
“They scare me almost as much as we do,” Clive replied dryly. “We don’t have a clue what they are, but ever since they first appeared two months ago, we’ve gone about leaking fake news stories the world over, reassuring people that these so-called ghosts are harmless.”
Ianto frowned. “They are harmless. They’ve never done so much as say boo to your mum.”
“And that’s another thing,” Clive twisted so that he was facing Ianto, both chairs crammed into the small space in front of Ianto’s computer. “The ghost that walks through our office every time, it smells like peppermints to me. Me mum smelled of peppermints.”
“I didn’t realize that your mum had passed,” Ianto answered uncomfortably.
Clive gave him a look that clearly told Ianto he was missing the point. “Does it smell like peppermints to you?”
Opening his mouth to answer, Ianto paused. “Actually, no. It smells like gardenias. My grandmum always grew them in her garden.”
“So then, how is it that the same ghost smells like two different people?”
Ianto fumbled for an explanation for a long moment before shrugging. “It’s a mystery beyond our understanding.”
“That’s my point. We don’t understand these things. What business do we have telling the world not to worry? Maybe the public should be rioting in the streets.”
“That wouldn’t do any good,” Ianto protested. “Besides, it’s not just us. Every security branch in the country has cleared these ghosts. Every security unit in the world has cleared them!”
“Aye, maybe.” Clive sighed. “But not every security unit in the world is going to have to take responsibility for bringing them here if something goes wrong.” He gave Ianto a piercing look. “How will you deal with it, Ianto Jones, if these ghosts turn out to be dangerous?”
Ianto tapped his fingers against the desk top sharply. “I don’t know. But that’s what Torchwood’s about? Taking risks that the rest of the world isn’t prepared to take?”
“True enough, I suppose.” Clive took his glasses off and polished them on his shirt. He slid them back into place just as a red alert flashed up on Ianto’s screen.
Leaning forward Clive read the message aloud. “Intruders in the Void Room? What on earth?”
“I don’t know.” Ianto sat forward, uneasily. He was reaching for his mouse so that he could open the security feeds and observe the room for himself, when his instant message popped on.
LHallett: Ianto. Addie, Gareth and Matt are acting very strange.
IJones: strange how?
Ianto’s heart rate sped up. Behind him, Clive was already calling out orders to one of the other employees, but Ianto wasn’t listening.
LHallett: Yvonne is with the Doctor, but she told us not to start the Ghost Shift. I think they’re going to start it against her command --- OMG! They are!
Almost before Ianto had finished reading the message, he could feel the building start to hum. It was a familiar sensation, one that signaled that a Ghost Shift was indeed starting.
“Ianto!” Clive bellowed. “Take care of the sunspot story!”
Ianto ignored him.
IJones: Lisa what’s going on up there?
LHallett: Ianto! Yvonne and the Doctor… Run, Ianto! Run!
Ianto obeyed instantly, ignoring Clive’s shouted instructions to get back to his post. Slamming the door to the suite open, Ianto ran as fast as he could to the lifts and punched his finger into the button. He could see the shimmer of a ghost forming behind him and a second one down the hall near the door to the PR suite.
When the elevator door didn’t open immediately, Ianto abandoned it and ran for the stairs. Flashing his badge against the security sensor, Ianto shoved open the door just as he heard a scream from down the hall. Twisting around, he saw the iridescent shape of the ghost still standing by the lift solidify.
It wasn’t his grandmum, and with a sick feeling, Ianto knew that it wasn’t Clive’s mum, either. There was nothing warm and nurturing about the metal form at all; a living suit of armor, scanning the hallway. Instinct took over and Ianto slipped into the stairwell, shutting the door softly so not to alert the creature.
Ianto pressed back into the wall. His heart was thudding hard enough that his whole body shook. He held his breath, trying to understand what he had just seen. The ghost was no kind of ghost at all.
Fighting for a grip over his runaway thoughts, Ianto considered the possibility that whatever it was might still be friendly, but the militaristic way it had turned and the hardware strung from its arms belied that possibility.
Ianto shook his head and breathed out. He could worry about that thing later. First, he had to worry about Lisa. His Lisa, who was trapped almost thirty floors up from where he was standing. Grabbing the banister in his right hand, Ianto began to run up the stairs.
His feet slapped against the concrete stairs loudly, echoing up and down the stairwell until it sounded like a horde of people were chasing him. Rounding the turn on his way to the twentieth floor, Ianto tripped. He fell forward, knees banking sharply on the edge of the stairs sending pain radiating through his legs. He caught himself on his hands, barely escaping knocking himself stupid. Laying there, chest heaving, Ianto forced the panic to subside.
The pain helped him think clearly and Ianto remembered his headset for the first time since his flight. Normally, he hated the earpiece and refused to wear it unless Clive was threatening bodily harm. Now, he whispered a prayer of thanks as he pulled it out of his jeans pocket, fingers fumbling as he turned it on and clipped it to his ear.
He was almost deafened by feedback and his whole body jerked in reaction. When it became clear what he was hearing, Ianto started running again. The voices over the earpiece were speaking over each other, making it hard to pick out individual words, but the overwhelming fear and panic came through clearly. Whatever the metal creatures were, they weren’t friendly.
A sharp sound caused a high whine to emit through the earpiece and Ianto stumbled again, barely keeping his feet as he jerked the headpiece away. Even without benefit of the transmitter, Ianto could hear the rat-a-tat of gunfire and it made his chest clench. He pounded up the stairs towards twenty-six, but he was slowing down. Gasping, he paused by the door and bent over, hands on his knees.
Lisa was still twenty floors up, but he needed a plan. He couldn’t just run into a room full of walking suits of armor and save Lisa by sheer force of will. Ordering himself to think, Ianto took stock. The ghosts weren’t ghosts. They were something else entirely, and given Torchwoods raison d’être, Ianto was more than willing to believe they were alien. They were clearly hostile. If the Ghost Shift had started against Yvonne’s orders, it was likely that’s where the aliens were. It was definitely where Lisa was.
“Christ.” Ianto wasn’t sure if it was an epithet or a prayer, but he steadied himself. He was going to find Lisa and he didn’t care if he had to walk through a battalion of metal aliens to do it. Whatever it took. He’d just have to wing it.
Carefully, he put the headpiece back on. Taking a deep breath, Ianto wiped the sweat away from his eyes and listened intently to the voices over the transmitter. There was still the occasional shout and the even more distressing scream, but it sounded like the aliens were focused on something else entirely at the moment.
Swiping his security pass, Ianto opened the door to the twenty-sixth floor. A long hallway stretched in front of him. Ianto's stomach dropped when he saw a security guard lying half in and half out of a doorway, horribly still. Carefully, Ianto stepped forward, tensed to run, but he didn’t see anyone else in the hallway.
Easing the door closed behind him, Ianto walked quickly and quietly to where the guard was lying. Kneeling, Ianto looked at the guard’s face and quickly looked away, gasping and swallowing hard to keep from vomiting. The top of the guard’s head had been blown off. Ianto closed his eyes and breathed out hard then scrambled forward on his hands and knees, snagging the strap of the guard's gun. Ianto tugged it towards him and picked it up, cradling the gun against his forearm.
Ianto felt better armed, not that the gun had done the guard any good. All Torchwood employees were given at least nominal training in weapons, but Ianto had pursued it aggressively. Lisa had encouraged him, determined to help him succeed with his goal of becoming a field agent. It only took a few seconds for Ianto to check the chamber. The guard hadn't fired a shot.
Continuing down the hallway, Ianto froze when he heard a noise like a buzz saw. Crouching down, Ianto turned slowly, until he located the source of the sound from a hallway that veered off to the left. Hesitantly, and against his better judgment, Ianto made his way towards the noise. His palms were slick with sweat, but he thumbed the safety off the gun and eased towards a sheet of plastic that marked the beginning of the construction area. The buzzing was definitely coming from behind the plastic sheets.
Carefully, Ianto pushed the plastic aside with the barrel of the semi-automatic weapon, revealing a walkway. He held his breath as he crept around the sheets, unable to see anything beyond them clearly. When he reached the final sheet of plastic, and the sound of buzzing was unbearably loud, Ianto stopped. He could see one of the metal men indistinctly through the plastic, but it paid him no attention. It was focused on something out of sight, further into the construction room.
The noise stopped; the silence deafening. “Partial Upgrade complete.” The words were English, but the voice wasn’t human and Ianto felt the hair on his neck stand up. “Subject has been modified.”
The computerized tones crept down Ianto’s spine, making him shiver in horror. Before he could retreat or advance, the metal figure turned. He squeezed the trigger without thinking about it, and miraculously, the spray of bullets peppered the torso of the thing. Three bullets slammed into its head. Ianto couldn’t clearly see what happened, but a spray of sparks fanned across the room and the metal man collapsed forward with a tinny squeal. Ianto dodged to the side, ducking as the plastic sheet caught in the thing’s arm, and the whole set up came crumbling down in a crash of rustling plastic, clanging metal, and ceiling plaster.
When the dust settled, Ianto could see the rest of the room. A woman knelt to the left of where the metal man had been standing and Ianto reached out to her. “Are you all right? What did it do to you?” She moved her head slowly, eyes dilated and unresponsive, and Ianto froze, hand outstretched. “What’s wrong?”
“Target assessed. You are a threat to the Cybermen and must be eliminated.”
“What are you talking about?” Ianto slid his left foot back another step. “I saved you!”
“You must be eliminated.” The woman repeated. Her voice was still human, but her diction was mechanical. “Eliminate threat.” She repeated, lunging forward at Ianto.
“Wait! Stop!” Ianto shouted, trying to run backward. His feet tangled in the plastic sheet and he tripped over the legs of the Cyberman. Arms thrown wide for balance, Ianto dropped the gun as the woman crashed into him. Her fingers tightened around his throat and Ianto choked as they both crashed into the wall and then rolled onto the ground. He ended up on his back as she attempted methodically to choke the life out of him.
Fighting back, Ianto pushed at her arms with no success. His vision was slowly blacking out, but he reached up to claw at her face. She titled her head back and his hand closed on her earpiece. With no other options, Ianto grabbed at the earpiece and pulled.
The woman screamed, a high pitched noise that was almost more mechanical whine than human pain and Ianto realized with horror that the earpiece was pulling a long white cord from her ear. She stiffened, still making a horrible screaming noise, her throat exposed, her entire body thrashing and then she collapsed to the right, falling heavily to the ground on her shoulder.
Stunned and terrified, Ianto lay frozen for a moment, struggling to get his breath back. Then he rolled over and looked at the face of the woman who had just tried to kill him. She stared back with unseeing eyes and Ianto returned the gaze in disbelief. Painfully, he climbed to his knees, and stared down at the slimy white cord in his hand in disgusted confusion.
Realization clicked into place with startling horrifying clarity. Upgrade. The thing - the … Cyberman - had said that just before discovering Ianto. The Cyberman must have transformed her somehow, turning her into something more like itself, or at the very least killing the part of her that was human. Ianto looked back at her and his eyes flicked down to the smiling photo on her security badge “I’m sorry, Margaret.” Ianto choked, his voice raspy. He coughed again, reaching up to feel his neck. It was undeniably bruised, but he could breathe easily enough and he wasn’t going to be singing opera any time soon.
Dropping the earpiece, Ianto rubbed his hand on his jeans, trying to get the slime off. Then he stood up painfully, and fetched the gun he’d dropped. He didn’t know what these Cybermen were, or what they wanted, and he didn’t care.
He had to get to Lisa and he had to get there fast.
***************
The lifts didn’t appear to be working any longer. The call button didn’t stay lit after Ianto pushed it, and he hurried to the west staircase. If he had to climb all the way to Lisa, so be it. Hesitantly, he put his own earpiece back in his ear. He heard only static.
Taking the stairs much slower this time, Ianto paused on every floor and listened intently. It was eerily silent. Climbing carefully, Ianto tried to think. He needed to find Lisa, and then he needed to escape. He needed a plan, but he couldn’t think beyond the next step.
Suddenly, the earpiece crackled to life.
This broadcast is for humankind. Cybermen now occupy every landmass on this planet, but you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and pain. You will become identical. You will become like us.”
The message only added fuel to his panic. They wanted to Upgrade humanity? “Fuck that,” Ianto shouted hoarsely, his voice echoing off the concrete walls as he raced upwards again. He was only six flights from Lisa now, and his thoughts narrowed to her and only her. The warmth of her skin, the smell of her soap, the taste of her mouth on his – he would never give her up. He would never stop fighting for her.
He was two flights from Lisa's floor when he heard a door open above him. Ianto froze, waiting for signs of more Cybermen. Seconds later, he heard footsteps, heavy and metallic, descending the stairs. Immediately he retreated back down half a flight to the nearest door. Swiping his security card, he stepped through it and eased the door closed behind him.
Bending from the waist, he hurried down the hall, fearful that the dead Cyberman had been discovered, or at least noticed missing. Worse, his earlier shout might have been detected and the Cybermen were looking for him even now. Turning left, Ianto ran for the south stairs. He was so close; he wouldn’t be caught now. Tightening his hand on the gun, he skidded to a stop when he heard yet more marching footsteps in front of him. The Cybermen were just around the corner, by the sound of them, and Ianto looked around frantically for a hiding place.
He shoved open the nearest door, shutting it hastily behind him. There was a window along the top and he craned his head to peer through it. A noise in front of him drew his attention and he had the gun aimed before he’d even registered what it was.
“Don’t shoot! For fuck’s sake, don’t shoot!” A man crouched half under a desk. “I’m Torchwood!”
“Sorry.” Ianto lowered the gun, lifting a warning finger to his lips as the marching footsteps began to pass outside the door. For a long tense moment, Ianto and the other man waited, silent and breathless, for the Cybermen to pass. “Stay hidden,” Ianto ordered when the footsteps faded down the hall. He had his hand on the doorknob, when a crackling sound stopped him.
Turning, he noticed the computers in the room springing to life of their own accord. Half of the screens showed what appeared to be a camera aimed at two of the Cybermen. The other half revealed a different creature, one that Ianto wildly thought resembled R2D2 from Star Wars… if R2D2 had a thing for BDSM and fetish gear.
“What the hell is that?” The other man fell backwards in his haste to move away from the computers, but Ianto found himself drawing closer for a better look.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Those are Cybermen, but I don’t know what that thing is.”
Suddenly, his earpiece crackled to life again. “Identify yourself.” The second alien spoke in a high pitched voice that made Ianto wince.
“You will identify first.” The Cybermen replied.
“State your identity.”
“You will identify first.” The ridiculous circular nature of the conversation made Ianto clench his teeth.
“Someone bloody identify and tell us what the hell is going on!” He half yelled, making the other man shush him loudly and Ianto glared at him, suddenly irrationally angry.
“By all means, keep hiding under the desk. It’s very helpful.”
“Daleks do not take orders.” The last bit of that statement caught Ianto’s attention and he snapped his head back to look at the computer screens again.
“What’s a Dalek?” He demanded, and the other man shrugged.
“You have identified as Daleks.” The Cyberman almost sounded smug.
“Outlines resemble the inferior species known as Cybermen.” The Dalek definitely sounded smug.
“Useless,” Ianto muttered scathingly. He abandoned the computer and went over to the door. He peered through the window for a moment, but the hallway appeared empty. Hoping that the Cybermen were busy with the Daleks, he pushed the door open and stepped into the hall.
Still clutching the gun, Ianto debated which way he should go. Finally, he decided to continue to the south stairs. The ridiculous conversation between the two alien species was continuing in his ear, but Ianto did his best to ignore the comments about elegance as he opened the south stairs.
“Our technologies are compatible.” The Cyberman’s comment startled him and he slowed for a step. “Cybermen plus Daleks together, we could Upgrade the universe.”
Before Ianto could even process that thought, the Dalek responded. “Request denied.”
“Suspect elements will be deleted!” For a species who claimed not to be capable of emotion, Ianto thought it sounded pretty fucking angry. Two blasts sizzled over the ear piece, and Ianto reached up to remove it, thinking that the Cybermen had killed the Dalek.
Then he heard, “Exterminate!” Obviously the Dalek wasn’t dead, and whereas the Cybermen seemed determined to remain emotionless, the Dalek didn’t even attempt to hide its fury.
Two more blasts followed, with a different sound than the Cybermen weapons, more diffuse with static. It reminded Ianto of cheesy science fiction blaster guns.
“Daleks be warned. You have declared war on the Cybermen.”
“This is not war. This is pest control.”
“We have five million Cyberman.” Ianto gasped, stumbling as he struggled to grasp that staggering number. “How many are you?”
“Four.”
“You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks.”
“We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect.”
“What is that?”
“You are superior at dying. Raise communications barrier.” The Dalek closed the link and static buzzed through the earpiece again.
“I hope you bloody kill each other,” Ianto swore, reaching his destination at last. He paused for only a second before opening the door. Peeking out, he didn’t see anyone and he slipped into the hallway. The main office housing the Ghost Project was down the hall to the left, but Lisa’s office was to the right and Ianto turned that way. He lifted the gun and cradled it in his arms, finger ghosting the trigger, as he crept down the hallway.
Every nerve Ianto had was screaming at him that something was wrong. Where were all the employees on this floor? Where was Yvonne? Where were the Cyberman?
Heart pounding painfully against his ribs, Ianto reached the door to Lisa’s office. She shared the space with seven others and on any normal day, Ianto would have considered them friends. Today, he didn’t care about anyone except Lisa. The door had been broken off its upper hinge and it dangled listlessly into the doorway. Pushing it aside with his foot, Ianto climbed into the room and looked around in horror.
Obviously, Lisa and her work mates had fought back. Ianto could see the remains of a barricade that had been piled in front of the door. The desks were shoved around in random order, papers and books strewn over the floor. Even more distressing, there were holes around the room, proving that the Cybermen had discharged weapons at the fighters. Turning to go back into the hallway, Ianto heard a soft groan. Whipping back around, Ianto ran towards a desk on the right. Once he reached it, he saw a leg sticking out at an awkward angle. The person attached the leg groaned again. “I know you’re there.”
“Chase?” Ianto rounded the desk, dropping to the ground next to the blonde man. It took him a second to be able to speak. “Chase, it’s Ianto. What happened? Where’s Lisa?”
“They broke in through the door.” Chase answered with a wheeze and Ianto had to struggle not to give away his dismay. The normally glamorous Chase looked like he’d been trampled by a stampede of bulls. His face was bruised and swollen, barely recognizable. He peered blearily at Ianto through the one eye that was still open and clutched his chest with one hand. Gently, Ianto moved Chase’s hand and then quickly pushed it back in place when he noticed that the area around Chase’s fingers was stained dark with blood. There was more blood seeping between the other man’s fingers, and a small trail of it was coming from Chase’s nose. “I tried to stop them, but…” He broke off into a cough and Ianto spent a terrified ten seconds hoping Chase wasn’t about to die before he explained what happened.
“It happened after the Daleks…. One of the Cybermen gave an order to start… emergency Upgrades…”
“Chase, listen to me.” Ianto put a hand on Chase’s shoulder and squeezed it gently leaving a bloody handprint on the once-crisp business shirt. “Where did they go?”
“They took everyone… I didn’t see.” Chase grimaced, giving Ianto a shallow impersonation of a smile. “Didn’t see the need to take me, though. Didn’t think I’d live long enough… I showed them.” He broke off into a second horrendous coughing fit and Ianto stayed silent, holding Chase’s shoulder through it.
It ended as abruptly as it began and Chase’s head lolled back on his neck. His eyes looked at Ianto unseeingly and Ianto watched as the light faded from them and whatever it was that made Chase himself vanished. Dropping his head, Ianto squeezed his eyes shut as he fought off tears.
“You did good, mate.” Ianto reached up and shut Chase’s eyes with his fingers. “You did very good.”
Leaving Chase’s body lying in the demolished office space was the hardest thing Ianto could remember doing. But he did it. As he went back to the hallway, the panic that had propelled him up the stairs faded and left a burning rage in its wake.
Standing in the hallway, Ianto blinked moisture from his eyes. Looking around, he remembered that all of the upper floors were being remodeled, providing an excellent hiding place to perform Upgrades. Turning to the left, he raced towards the construction. An explosion from behind him made him skid to a halt. He half turned, gun automatically rising and he sighted back down the hallway towards the main office where the Ghost Shifts were coordinated. Shouts rang down the hallway, but Ianto relaxed. The voices were human.
Ianto smiled unpleasantly. The Cybermen were probably realizing that humanity didn’t surrender so easily. They’d fight to the bitter end. An unpleasant sensation crawled down Ianto’s back and he whispered a prayer that he hadn’t just had a premonition. Shaking it off, he left the fighters to their own battle. His focus was the construction rooms where he suspected the Upgrades were taking place.
Running again, Ianto careened around a sharp turn and nearly collided with a blonde woman pelting towards him. “Go!” She shouted.
“Wait!” Ianto grabbed her hand, spinning her around to face him. “What’s back there?”
“The Cybermen are murdering people!”
“How many people are back there?” Ianto asked, his heart in his throat.
“I’m it. Everyone else is dead!” The woman clawed at Ianto’s hand. “We have to run!”
“I have to find Lisa!”
“She’s not back there, whoever she is.” The blonde woman reacted to the terror in Ianto’s voice, her fingers tightening painfully on Ianto’s arm. “It was just Yvonne and me and men.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t see a black woman?”
“No.” The woman glanced back over her shoulder as the now familiar marching steps started down the hallway towards them. “They’re coming.”
“This way.” Ianto hauled the blonde woman towards the North stairs. He swiped his pass and shoved her through the door. The two of them stayed silent for a moment, waiting until the stomping footfalls fell away. “Who are you?” Ianto whispered.
“Jackie,” the blonde woman whispered back.
“Jackie, do you know where the other people on this floor were taken?”
“No, I have no idea.” Jackie shook her head, fear in her eyes. “I’ve got to find my daughter. She’s down in the Void Room.”
Ianto made a snap decision. “Take these stairs down to the bottom. You can get out through the fire door at the bottom.”
“Thank you.” Jackie clutched his arm for a moment. “I hope you find your Lisa.”
“I hope you find your daughter.”
***************
Ianto took the stairs down one flight and began his search again. Jackie had said no one was left on the top floor and Ianto had no reason to believe she would lie to him. He could only hope that the Cybermen hadn’t taken the prisoners far.
The sound of gunfire echoed up and down the stairs and the entire building shuddered. Giving up all pretenses of being stealthy Ianto screamed out Lisa’s name. There was no response, but the floor shifted out from under him, throwing him to his knees. Overhead, the ceiling cracked. The sound of gunfire was mixed with the steady noises of both Cybermen and Dalek weapons now.
“Lisa! Where are you?” Ianto pushed himself back to his feet and running down the hall.
“Ianto! Help me!” A scream resonated down the hall and Ianto’s heart stopped beating for a moment then began to pound faster.
“Lisa! I’m coming, Lisa!” Ianto sprinted down the hallway. Turning the corner, he fired the gun into the cluster of Cybermen standing in front of the plastic. They turned towards him and time stopped. Sighting down the barrel of the gun, he aimed at one’s head and fired, then the other. They both went down in a clang of metal and Ianto ripped the plastic sheet down frantically. “Lisa!”
“Ianto!”
When the last sheet of plastic fell, Ianto froze. “No, no, God, no! Lisa! NO!”
“Ianto, help me!” Lisa was strapped to a strange apparatus. There was blood all over the floor, pooling from where it dripped down her arms and legs. The machine made a noise and she arched, screaming in pain. The sight of her writhing, unable to escape sent Ianto into a panic and he dropped the gun. Rushing to her side he reached for the wires.
“How do I stop it?”
“You do not.” The Cyberman voice behind him made Ianto spin around. “Upgrade is not yet complete. You will be upgraded next.”
“No!” Lisa cried. “Run, Ianto!”
Ianto turned slowly, fear and rage making his face hot. Reaching out, he traced a gentle finger down her face. “I’m not leaving you.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“Emotions are weakness.” The Cyberman commented as Lisa sobbed against Ianto’s mouth. Ianto stood up, but he didn’t take his eyes from Lisa’s.
“I love you, Lisa Hallett.” Ianto’s voice was utterly calm. He reached out and grabbed the wires connecting her to the machine.
“Do not disconnect!” The Cyberman barked and Ianto didn’t have to see him to know that he had raised his arm, and aimed the weapon at them both. He didn’t even pause. With a mighty jerk, he yanked the wires free from the machine.
Lisa screamed Ianto’s name and her body vaulted away from the Upgrade apparatus. He reacted instinctively and caught her, even as she slammed into him, knocking him backwards. At the same time, the Cyberman fired a blast from his arm. The energy bolt blew the machine up and pieces of it rained down over the two lovers.
“You should have run away,” Lisa whispered and Ianto reached up to brush his fingers over her forehead, moving along the warm skin until he hit the metal plate that covered her head.
“I’m exactly where I should be.”
“You will be eliminated.” The Cyberman took aim again and Ianto closed his eyes, sliding his arms around Lisa and holding her, metal bits and all, as tightly as he could.
Suddenly, without any explanation at all, the Cyberman let out a wail. Eyes snapping open, Ianto looked up in time to see the Cyberman levitate. “Temporal shift detected.”
“What’s he on about?” Lisa asked weakly and Ianto shook his head.
“Something’s going on.”
Then, the Cyberman shot upwards through the ceiling and was gone. Rubble rained down on them again, but Ianto was already moving. Rolling, he covered Lisa with his body until the ceiling plaster stopped falling. Then he climbed to his feet and ran to look up through the hole. “It’s gone.”
A loud bang on the window made Ianto spin, and he saw Cybermen and Daleks both streaming through the air towards the upper floor. “They’re all going.”
“Where?” Lisa tried to move and Ianto ran to help her sit up.
“I don’t know.” Ianto laughed, a touch of hysteria in his voice. “And I don’t care.”
Lisa smiled shakily and for the first time Ianto hoped that everything just might be all right in the end. “You came for me.” Lisa’s eyes brimmed full of tears.
“I will always come for you,” Ianto promised.
“I can’t move right,” Lisa gestured down to her legs. “The machine… broke me.” The tears spilled over.
“We’ll figure something out.” Ianto looked at the remnants of the Cybermen’s apparatus. “If this thing can change you, it can fix you.” Ianto helped her lay back against the wall. “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back for you. I just need to get some supplies.”
Lisa managed to nod through her tears. “I’ll wait for you.”
Ianto kissed her forehead before he pushed away and went into the hallway. He needed something to function as a wheelchair. And medical supplies. And someone who could help Lisa. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t almost didn’t notice the Cyberman come around the hall.
“I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country.” The Cyberman’s mantra pierced his thoughts and he glanced up with just enough time to duck into a side office. Heart pounding, Ianto reached for his gun only to realize that he’d left it on the floor in the transformation room. He could hear the Cyberman chanting. “I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country. I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country. Cybermen invaders are defeated. Dalek invaders are defeated. Torchwood and the earth must be made secure.”
Ianto’s breath hitched. What had happened? Why wasn’t this Cyberman gone with the others? The Cyberman stopped outside the door of the office and Ianto’s heart stuttered. “Cybermen, report. Return to the top floor.”
The intercom system in the building buzzed. “Torchwood One is secure.” The voice over the microphone was not human and Ianto dropped to his knees. Whatever had happened, not all of the Cybermen were gone.
“Gather all conversion systems. Earth must be protected. Humans must be Upgraded.”
Ianto pressed a hand to his mouth to keep from screaming. He had to get back to Lisa and get them both out of here. It wasn’t over. It was far from over.
As soon as he heard the Cyberman move away, Ianto pushed the door open. He could see it going back to the stairs and he crept down the hall to Lisa. “Ianto?” She opened her eyes, and he was alarmed to see that she was clammy, but he didn’t have time to sorry about it now.
“Shhh!” He lifted one warning finger and pressed it to her lips. “We have to go.”
“What’s wrong? What is it now?” Lisa asked, fear making her voice sharp.
“Cybermen.” Ianto bent from the waist and lifted her to her feet. Bending down again, Ianto snagged the gun and hoisted it to his shoulder. He braced Lisa on his other shoulder and guided them both back to the hallway. There was no way he was going to make it down 45 flights of stairs with Lisa, so he steered them towards the elevator. Every step she took was painfully slow and agonizing. She was crying softly by the time they finally reached the lifts.
“Ianto, I can’t do this.” Lisa sagged heavily against the wall. “It hurts.”
Ianto’s heart broke and he cupped her face in his hands. “Listen to me, Lisa Hallett. You are the strongest woman I have ever met. You can do this. You will do this. I’m going to help you.”
“Look at me!” Lisa lifted one metal clad arm and stared at it in horror. “Look what they’ve done to me!”
“We’ll fix it.”
“What if it can’t be undone?”
“It can!” Fear made Ianto answer harshly and he stopped and took a breath, mashing the call button repeatedly. “It can be undone.”
“I’m part Cyberman now.” Lisa’s voice cracked.
“No, you are Lisa Hallett. You are human. You are a beautiful woman.” Ianto smiled at her, still pushing the call button. “You are the woman of my dreams and I love you. We are going to get through this. You are going to get through this!” The arrival of the lift stopped further conversation and Ianto helped Lisa in before slamming the button to close the door. He hesitated for a just a second, before hitting the button for the basement.
“We can hide in the basement. There’s medical equipment down there. Someone will come eventually. We’ll be fine until then.”
Lisa didn’t say anything else. The next few minutes were spent in agony as Ianto expected the lift to stop on every single floor, opening and exposing them to the enemy. He was almost too preoccupied to wonder if he’d just lied to his girlfriend. After an eternity, the lift reached the bottom floor. Ianto stepped in front of Lisa, leveling the gun and waiting with bated breath for the doors to open. He nearly cried in relief when the hallway was empty.
He grabbed Lisa’s arm and threw it over his shoulders. “Come on, love. This way.”
“Where are we going?” Lisa’s voice was thready with pain and fear.
“There’s a storeroom at the end of the hall. No one uses it anymore, except to store old computer equipment.” Ianto panted, taking as much of Lisa’s weight as he could. “We can hide there.”
“For how long?”
“As long as necessary,” Ianto snapped, almost instantly apologetic. He couldn’t imagine how terrified Lisa must be. As scared as Ianto was, he still had possession of all his working parts. Lisa didn’t answer, but her hand on his shoulder started to shake.
“Here, we made it.” Ianto shoved open the door the storeroom with relief. The room was filled with spare desks and computer parts, but there was a sofa towards the back against the wall and Ianto dragged Lisa over to it before he let her down. She landed heavily and cried out in pain, her face contorting until it eased. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Lisa opened her eyes and managed a weak smile. Ianto knelt beside her and leaned in until his head was resting on her chest. There were metal braces embedded in it, but he could hear her heart beat and it settled him. Lisa rested one arm gently on his head and held him and the two of them stayed in that position until the intercoms crackled to life one more time.
“Torchwood belongs to the Cybermen. Humans, you should report to the main lobby for Upgrading. We will take away your pain and fear. It is your duty to Queen and Country to obey.”
Lisa gasped and Ianto looked up sharply. “What?”
“That’s Yvonne’s voice.” Lisa’s eyes were large and dark with fear. “She was taken before we were.” Tears leaked down her face. “She must have been converted.”
“Yvonne Hartman?” Ianto’s stomach sank. Yvonne knew every nook and cranny of Torchwood. They wouldn’t be able to hide forever.
“Ianto, what are we going to do?” Lisa whispered.
“We’re going to survive.” Ianto replied grimly. He stood up, suddenly exhausted. “But we need supplies.”
“Don’t leave me!” Lisa cried out. Ianto took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll come back, Lisa. I’ll always come for you.” After a second, Lisa nodded and let him go.
“Hurry.”
Ianto nodded. He didn’t have much time.
Continue to Part II
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Pairing: Ianto/Lisa, Jack/Ianto
Warnings: Violence, sex, death, the end of the world.
Rating: Adult.
*************
Return to Prologue and Notes
“Ianto?” Ianto moved his hand down Lisa’s naked back, loving the feel of her skin under his fingers, pale skin against dark.
“Hm?”
“Do the ghosts scare you?” Lisa rolled onto her back, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts and exposing the side of one long and shapely leg. She searched his face curiously.
“No.” Ianto smiled and pushed himself up on his forearms so that he could lean over and kiss her. “Do they scare you?”
“Not really.” Lisa made a face. “But it just seems so bizarre, you know? They just showed up one day, all shimmery and indistinct. Some of the blokes at work think they’ve always been around, only we couldn’t see them until now.” She made a face. “Not that we can see much now. Just shapes really.”
“Which blokes at work?” Ianto demanded and Lisa poked him in the chest with a smirk.
“Don’t you want to know?”
“Yes.” Ianto caught her hand and kissed it. “That’s why I asked.”
“Be serious.” Lisa ordered, but her eyes were dancing with amusement. She pulled Ianto’s hand to her mouth and kissed it in return. “About the ghosts. Don’t you think it’s a little creepy?”
Ianto looked at her thoughtfully, deliberately trailing his hand down her arm and then down her side. “I dunno. I haven’t thought much about them after the initial shock of them showing up.” He grimaced at the memory of those stressful days at work. “It took us almost a week to convince the world not to dissolve into blind panic.”
“I remember. I didn’t see you for days. Do you believe it, though?”
“What?” Ianto asked, distracted by the fact that the sheet dipped lower on her chest.
“Do you believe that we shouldn’t panic?” Lisa caught his chin and forced his eyes to her face so that he could see her roll her eyes at him.
Ianto grinned and sat up more, tugging teasingly at the sheet. “They seem harmless enough, I suppose. At least the powers that be think that they‘re harmless. That’s why we called them ghosts to begin with.” He shrugged. “Do you believe in life after death?”
“I don’t know.” Lisa sighed, glancing at the clock and abandoning the sheet to Ianto’s tugging. “But I don’t believe in being late back to the office. The ghosts may not scare you, but Yvonne Hartman scares me.” Lisa smiled wryly. “And we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
Ianto groaned as Lisa climbed from the bed. “Let’s call in sick for the afternoon.”
“Both of us?” Lisa raised an eyebrow at him as she shimmied back into her underwear. “You don’t think anyone will notice both of us copping off at once?”
Ianto lifted one shoulder in an unconcerned shrug. “We could tell them we had food poisoning.” He suggested, watching Lisa shift through the bed linens. He sat up further and dug under the pillow, fetching out a bra which he dangled with a lascivious grin. “Looking for this?”
Lisa snatched it from his hand with a laugh. “Get up, you daft idiot. I’m leaving in a minute and you’re coming with me.”
“I could call in with food poisoning,” Ianto countered as Lisa shrugged into the bra and stretched her arms behind her to fasten the clips. “No reason I shouldn’t stay relaxed.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re after a promotion, remember?” Lisa climbed back onto the bed, straddling his legs and Ianto leaned forward so that he could kiss her again. She giggled against his mouth. “You’re applying to be a field agent this fall, remember?”
“I could stay in PR,” Ianto offered enticingly, his arms moving to circle her waist so he could pull against him snugly. “I’m good at it.”
“It’s not PR,” Lisa ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s Disinformation. And of course you’re good at it, Ianto. You’re good at everything.” She kissed his forehead. “But you’re too good to spend your days hacking into computers and erasing information.” She leaned back, her expression determined. “And you deserve more. You’ve worked to hard for this chance to throw it away for quick romp.”
Ianto grumbled good naturedly. “I didn’t anticipate a quick romp.”
“Don’t you want more?” Lisa demanded.
“I want you.” Ianto sighed and let her go as she pulled back. “That’s all I want, Lisa. Live with me?”
Lisa froze where she was bent over retrieving her blouse from under the bed. She looked up at him slowly, eyes huge and shining with tears. “Ianto. Are you serious?”
Ianto grinned, his mouth spreading into a wide smile. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. I love you, Lisa Hallett.”
Lisa made a noise that was half laugh and half sob and then she flung herself back into Ianto’s arms. “Yes, yes! Ianto, yes! When can you move in?”
Ianto held her, pleasantly surprised at her enthusiastic response. “I thought you’d never ask.” He rolled so that she was under him and he kissed her slowly, taking his time. When he broke apart, she looked breathless, but her eyes were shining with love. “When can you help me pack?”
“I love you, Ianto Jones.” Lisa spoke softly.
“Does this mean that we can call in sick?” Ianto asked with a grin.
“Ianto, quit taking the piss and kiss me.” Lisa demanded and Ianto complied happily.
Forty minutes later, they walked hand in hand back through the front doors of the Canary Wharf Tower. Flashing their badges at security, Ianto and Lisa ignored the knowing smirk of the security guard and leaned in for a quick kiss.
“Can you sneak away for tea after the afternoon Ghost Shift?” Ianto asked softly and Lisa shook her head, but her eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Don’t be so greedy. We’re almost an hour late.” Ianto gave her his best puppy dog face and Lisa faltered. “I’ll meet you in the break room on twenty-five at 3:30.” She turned away, but he pulled her back.
“I wasn’t the one who insisted we come back.” He kissed her, ignoring the guard completely. “And today is a special occasion. I’m allowed to be greedy.” Ianto let her go and she laughed.
“It is a special occasion. I’ll see you at half three. Don’t be late!”
Ianto watched as she went to the lift on the left, unable to either tear his eyes off her, or stop smiling. When the doors slid shut, he glanced at his watch and hurried down the hall to a second set of elevators and pushed the button, relieved when one of the elevators opened immediately. Sticking his hands in his pocket, Ianto whistled cheerfully as he waited for the lift to reach the eighth floor. The doors slid open and he turned left and was nearly run over by one of his office mates.
“What’s the rush?” Ianto snapped, rubbing his shoulder. “Where’s the fire?”
“What?” The other man turned, eyes wide. “Ianto, where have you been?”
“Michael? I was just out for lunch with Lisa. What’s going on?”
“It’s him! He’s here!” Michael was shaking with excitement. “The whole building is on alert!”
“Him?” Ianto knew instantly who Michael was talking about. “When?”
“The announcement wasn’t even ten minutes ago.” Michael turned and started hurrying down the hall again. “You’d best hurry. Clive will be looking for you!”
“Bollocks,” Ianto muttered under his breath. Why the Doctor had to pick today, of all days, to show up was beyond him. “Sodding typical.” He shoved open the door to his office suite and Clive was barking at him before he’d even made it all the way into the room.
“Where have you been? And why aren’t you in a tie and coat? There’s procedure to be followed around here!” The short blonde man was shouting and Ianto sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon. He slid into his desk with a muttered apology and typed his password. As soon as the computer logged him on, an instant message popped up.
LHallett: Ianto! The Doctor! He’s in the building!
IJones: I heard. Is everything alright?
LHallett: Yeah. Yvonne went to find the Doctor, but she told everyone that the Ghost Shift will continue as planned. I see Addie, Gareth and Matt at their desks. Business as usual, I suppose.
IJones: Business as usual. Only - you and I are going to live together Ms. Hallett
There was a pause and Ianto grinned, imagining the look on her face.
LHallett: why yes we are, Mr. Jones. :)
LHallett: I’d best get to work. Be careful today!
IJones: the only dangerous thing down here is clive, and he's only barking about the fact that I’m not in a coat and tie.
LHallett: You can’t blame him. Your arse looks good in professional trousers. Now get to work and earn that promotion!
IJones: I will.
IJones: But you know that comment about my arse is sexual harassment. You’d best be careful that I don’t file a complaint.
Lisa signed off without saying anything else and Ianto chuckled.
“Ianto!” Clive snapped at him. “If you’re done flirting with your bird, we’re having a crisis here. In case you haven’t noticed!”
“I’m here, Clive. You’ve got my undivided attention. And I don’t see any crisis. Everything is under control.”
“Good, because the Ghost Shift starts in thirty minutes and we’d better be ready!”
“We’re ready, Clive.” Ianto soothed him. “We’ve been doing this for two months. I think we have the hang of it.” Ianto ignored the slight apprehension that he felt following his words. Really, what could go wrong?
Thirty minutes later, Ianto felt foolish for his earlier bout of nerves. From the rumors flying around the building, the Doctor was actually quite nice. One of the guards that had been sent to arrest him said that the TARDIS looked just like they’d been told, only then it opened and the Doctor strolled out, nice as you please.
Ianto heard that the guards had lowered the guns and clapped. They’d actually clapped! So much for being enemy number one, Ianto thought wryly. In fact, the only abnormal happening was that Yvonne had decided to delay the Ghost Shift inexplicably.
Of course, that had set Clive into a frenzy of panic until Ianto had hacked into the BBC news channel and fed them a story about sunspots. He had done that, and fed the same story to CNN and Russia Today as soon as Clive announced the delay. Leaning back, Ianto watched smugly as the news casters speculated on whether or not the unexpected solar activity could be responsible for the delay in the appearance of the ghosts.
“The public is too easily led,” Clive had muttered under his breath when Ianto had finished. Surprised, Ianto agreed with him.
“I know. They wouldn’t know what to think if we didn’t tell them.”
“It’ll backfire someday,” Clive sighed, pulling a chair up next to Ianto’s so that they could both watch the news in relative comfort.
“Do the ghosts scare you at all?” Ianto asked, suddenly reminded of Lisa’s earlier hesitations.
“They scare me almost as much as we do,” Clive replied dryly. “We don’t have a clue what they are, but ever since they first appeared two months ago, we’ve gone about leaking fake news stories the world over, reassuring people that these so-called ghosts are harmless.”
Ianto frowned. “They are harmless. They’ve never done so much as say boo to your mum.”
“And that’s another thing,” Clive twisted so that he was facing Ianto, both chairs crammed into the small space in front of Ianto’s computer. “The ghost that walks through our office every time, it smells like peppermints to me. Me mum smelled of peppermints.”
“I didn’t realize that your mum had passed,” Ianto answered uncomfortably.
Clive gave him a look that clearly told Ianto he was missing the point. “Does it smell like peppermints to you?”
Opening his mouth to answer, Ianto paused. “Actually, no. It smells like gardenias. My grandmum always grew them in her garden.”
“So then, how is it that the same ghost smells like two different people?”
Ianto fumbled for an explanation for a long moment before shrugging. “It’s a mystery beyond our understanding.”
“That’s my point. We don’t understand these things. What business do we have telling the world not to worry? Maybe the public should be rioting in the streets.”
“That wouldn’t do any good,” Ianto protested. “Besides, it’s not just us. Every security branch in the country has cleared these ghosts. Every security unit in the world has cleared them!”
“Aye, maybe.” Clive sighed. “But not every security unit in the world is going to have to take responsibility for bringing them here if something goes wrong.” He gave Ianto a piercing look. “How will you deal with it, Ianto Jones, if these ghosts turn out to be dangerous?”
Ianto tapped his fingers against the desk top sharply. “I don’t know. But that’s what Torchwood’s about? Taking risks that the rest of the world isn’t prepared to take?”
“True enough, I suppose.” Clive took his glasses off and polished them on his shirt. He slid them back into place just as a red alert flashed up on Ianto’s screen.
Leaning forward Clive read the message aloud. “Intruders in the Void Room? What on earth?”
“I don’t know.” Ianto sat forward, uneasily. He was reaching for his mouse so that he could open the security feeds and observe the room for himself, when his instant message popped on.
LHallett: Ianto. Addie, Gareth and Matt are acting very strange.
IJones: strange how?
Ianto’s heart rate sped up. Behind him, Clive was already calling out orders to one of the other employees, but Ianto wasn’t listening.
LHallett: Yvonne is with the Doctor, but she told us not to start the Ghost Shift. I think they’re going to start it against her command --- OMG! They are!
Almost before Ianto had finished reading the message, he could feel the building start to hum. It was a familiar sensation, one that signaled that a Ghost Shift was indeed starting.
“Ianto!” Clive bellowed. “Take care of the sunspot story!”
Ianto ignored him.
IJones: Lisa what’s going on up there?
LHallett: Ianto! Yvonne and the Doctor… Run, Ianto! Run!
Ianto obeyed instantly, ignoring Clive’s shouted instructions to get back to his post. Slamming the door to the suite open, Ianto ran as fast as he could to the lifts and punched his finger into the button. He could see the shimmer of a ghost forming behind him and a second one down the hall near the door to the PR suite.
When the elevator door didn’t open immediately, Ianto abandoned it and ran for the stairs. Flashing his badge against the security sensor, Ianto shoved open the door just as he heard a scream from down the hall. Twisting around, he saw the iridescent shape of the ghost still standing by the lift solidify.
It wasn’t his grandmum, and with a sick feeling, Ianto knew that it wasn’t Clive’s mum, either. There was nothing warm and nurturing about the metal form at all; a living suit of armor, scanning the hallway. Instinct took over and Ianto slipped into the stairwell, shutting the door softly so not to alert the creature.
Ianto pressed back into the wall. His heart was thudding hard enough that his whole body shook. He held his breath, trying to understand what he had just seen. The ghost was no kind of ghost at all.
Fighting for a grip over his runaway thoughts, Ianto considered the possibility that whatever it was might still be friendly, but the militaristic way it had turned and the hardware strung from its arms belied that possibility.
Ianto shook his head and breathed out. He could worry about that thing later. First, he had to worry about Lisa. His Lisa, who was trapped almost thirty floors up from where he was standing. Grabbing the banister in his right hand, Ianto began to run up the stairs.
His feet slapped against the concrete stairs loudly, echoing up and down the stairwell until it sounded like a horde of people were chasing him. Rounding the turn on his way to the twentieth floor, Ianto tripped. He fell forward, knees banking sharply on the edge of the stairs sending pain radiating through his legs. He caught himself on his hands, barely escaping knocking himself stupid. Laying there, chest heaving, Ianto forced the panic to subside.
The pain helped him think clearly and Ianto remembered his headset for the first time since his flight. Normally, he hated the earpiece and refused to wear it unless Clive was threatening bodily harm. Now, he whispered a prayer of thanks as he pulled it out of his jeans pocket, fingers fumbling as he turned it on and clipped it to his ear.
He was almost deafened by feedback and his whole body jerked in reaction. When it became clear what he was hearing, Ianto started running again. The voices over the earpiece were speaking over each other, making it hard to pick out individual words, but the overwhelming fear and panic came through clearly. Whatever the metal creatures were, they weren’t friendly.
A sharp sound caused a high whine to emit through the earpiece and Ianto stumbled again, barely keeping his feet as he jerked the headpiece away. Even without benefit of the transmitter, Ianto could hear the rat-a-tat of gunfire and it made his chest clench. He pounded up the stairs towards twenty-six, but he was slowing down. Gasping, he paused by the door and bent over, hands on his knees.
Lisa was still twenty floors up, but he needed a plan. He couldn’t just run into a room full of walking suits of armor and save Lisa by sheer force of will. Ordering himself to think, Ianto took stock. The ghosts weren’t ghosts. They were something else entirely, and given Torchwoods raison d’être, Ianto was more than willing to believe they were alien. They were clearly hostile. If the Ghost Shift had started against Yvonne’s orders, it was likely that’s where the aliens were. It was definitely where Lisa was.
“Christ.” Ianto wasn’t sure if it was an epithet or a prayer, but he steadied himself. He was going to find Lisa and he didn’t care if he had to walk through a battalion of metal aliens to do it. Whatever it took. He’d just have to wing it.
Carefully, he put the headpiece back on. Taking a deep breath, Ianto wiped the sweat away from his eyes and listened intently to the voices over the transmitter. There was still the occasional shout and the even more distressing scream, but it sounded like the aliens were focused on something else entirely at the moment.
Swiping his security pass, Ianto opened the door to the twenty-sixth floor. A long hallway stretched in front of him. Ianto's stomach dropped when he saw a security guard lying half in and half out of a doorway, horribly still. Carefully, Ianto stepped forward, tensed to run, but he didn’t see anyone else in the hallway.
Easing the door closed behind him, Ianto walked quickly and quietly to where the guard was lying. Kneeling, Ianto looked at the guard’s face and quickly looked away, gasping and swallowing hard to keep from vomiting. The top of the guard’s head had been blown off. Ianto closed his eyes and breathed out hard then scrambled forward on his hands and knees, snagging the strap of the guard's gun. Ianto tugged it towards him and picked it up, cradling the gun against his forearm.
Ianto felt better armed, not that the gun had done the guard any good. All Torchwood employees were given at least nominal training in weapons, but Ianto had pursued it aggressively. Lisa had encouraged him, determined to help him succeed with his goal of becoming a field agent. It only took a few seconds for Ianto to check the chamber. The guard hadn't fired a shot.
Continuing down the hallway, Ianto froze when he heard a noise like a buzz saw. Crouching down, Ianto turned slowly, until he located the source of the sound from a hallway that veered off to the left. Hesitantly, and against his better judgment, Ianto made his way towards the noise. His palms were slick with sweat, but he thumbed the safety off the gun and eased towards a sheet of plastic that marked the beginning of the construction area. The buzzing was definitely coming from behind the plastic sheets.
Carefully, Ianto pushed the plastic aside with the barrel of the semi-automatic weapon, revealing a walkway. He held his breath as he crept around the sheets, unable to see anything beyond them clearly. When he reached the final sheet of plastic, and the sound of buzzing was unbearably loud, Ianto stopped. He could see one of the metal men indistinctly through the plastic, but it paid him no attention. It was focused on something out of sight, further into the construction room.
The noise stopped; the silence deafening. “Partial Upgrade complete.” The words were English, but the voice wasn’t human and Ianto felt the hair on his neck stand up. “Subject has been modified.”
The computerized tones crept down Ianto’s spine, making him shiver in horror. Before he could retreat or advance, the metal figure turned. He squeezed the trigger without thinking about it, and miraculously, the spray of bullets peppered the torso of the thing. Three bullets slammed into its head. Ianto couldn’t clearly see what happened, but a spray of sparks fanned across the room and the metal man collapsed forward with a tinny squeal. Ianto dodged to the side, ducking as the plastic sheet caught in the thing’s arm, and the whole set up came crumbling down in a crash of rustling plastic, clanging metal, and ceiling plaster.
When the dust settled, Ianto could see the rest of the room. A woman knelt to the left of where the metal man had been standing and Ianto reached out to her. “Are you all right? What did it do to you?” She moved her head slowly, eyes dilated and unresponsive, and Ianto froze, hand outstretched. “What’s wrong?”
“Target assessed. You are a threat to the Cybermen and must be eliminated.”
“What are you talking about?” Ianto slid his left foot back another step. “I saved you!”
“You must be eliminated.” The woman repeated. Her voice was still human, but her diction was mechanical. “Eliminate threat.” She repeated, lunging forward at Ianto.
“Wait! Stop!” Ianto shouted, trying to run backward. His feet tangled in the plastic sheet and he tripped over the legs of the Cyberman. Arms thrown wide for balance, Ianto dropped the gun as the woman crashed into him. Her fingers tightened around his throat and Ianto choked as they both crashed into the wall and then rolled onto the ground. He ended up on his back as she attempted methodically to choke the life out of him.
Fighting back, Ianto pushed at her arms with no success. His vision was slowly blacking out, but he reached up to claw at her face. She titled her head back and his hand closed on her earpiece. With no other options, Ianto grabbed at the earpiece and pulled.
The woman screamed, a high pitched noise that was almost more mechanical whine than human pain and Ianto realized with horror that the earpiece was pulling a long white cord from her ear. She stiffened, still making a horrible screaming noise, her throat exposed, her entire body thrashing and then she collapsed to the right, falling heavily to the ground on her shoulder.
Stunned and terrified, Ianto lay frozen for a moment, struggling to get his breath back. Then he rolled over and looked at the face of the woman who had just tried to kill him. She stared back with unseeing eyes and Ianto returned the gaze in disbelief. Painfully, he climbed to his knees, and stared down at the slimy white cord in his hand in disgusted confusion.
Realization clicked into place with startling horrifying clarity. Upgrade. The thing - the … Cyberman - had said that just before discovering Ianto. The Cyberman must have transformed her somehow, turning her into something more like itself, or at the very least killing the part of her that was human. Ianto looked back at her and his eyes flicked down to the smiling photo on her security badge “I’m sorry, Margaret.” Ianto choked, his voice raspy. He coughed again, reaching up to feel his neck. It was undeniably bruised, but he could breathe easily enough and he wasn’t going to be singing opera any time soon.
Dropping the earpiece, Ianto rubbed his hand on his jeans, trying to get the slime off. Then he stood up painfully, and fetched the gun he’d dropped. He didn’t know what these Cybermen were, or what they wanted, and he didn’t care.
He had to get to Lisa and he had to get there fast.
The lifts didn’t appear to be working any longer. The call button didn’t stay lit after Ianto pushed it, and he hurried to the west staircase. If he had to climb all the way to Lisa, so be it. Hesitantly, he put his own earpiece back in his ear. He heard only static.
Taking the stairs much slower this time, Ianto paused on every floor and listened intently. It was eerily silent. Climbing carefully, Ianto tried to think. He needed to find Lisa, and then he needed to escape. He needed a plan, but he couldn’t think beyond the next step.
Suddenly, the earpiece crackled to life.
This broadcast is for humankind. Cybermen now occupy every landmass on this planet, but you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and pain. You will become identical. You will become like us.”
The message only added fuel to his panic. They wanted to Upgrade humanity? “Fuck that,” Ianto shouted hoarsely, his voice echoing off the concrete walls as he raced upwards again. He was only six flights from Lisa now, and his thoughts narrowed to her and only her. The warmth of her skin, the smell of her soap, the taste of her mouth on his – he would never give her up. He would never stop fighting for her.
He was two flights from Lisa's floor when he heard a door open above him. Ianto froze, waiting for signs of more Cybermen. Seconds later, he heard footsteps, heavy and metallic, descending the stairs. Immediately he retreated back down half a flight to the nearest door. Swiping his security card, he stepped through it and eased the door closed behind him.
Bending from the waist, he hurried down the hall, fearful that the dead Cyberman had been discovered, or at least noticed missing. Worse, his earlier shout might have been detected and the Cybermen were looking for him even now. Turning left, Ianto ran for the south stairs. He was so close; he wouldn’t be caught now. Tightening his hand on the gun, he skidded to a stop when he heard yet more marching footsteps in front of him. The Cybermen were just around the corner, by the sound of them, and Ianto looked around frantically for a hiding place.
He shoved open the nearest door, shutting it hastily behind him. There was a window along the top and he craned his head to peer through it. A noise in front of him drew his attention and he had the gun aimed before he’d even registered what it was.
“Don’t shoot! For fuck’s sake, don’t shoot!” A man crouched half under a desk. “I’m Torchwood!”
“Sorry.” Ianto lowered the gun, lifting a warning finger to his lips as the marching footsteps began to pass outside the door. For a long tense moment, Ianto and the other man waited, silent and breathless, for the Cybermen to pass. “Stay hidden,” Ianto ordered when the footsteps faded down the hall. He had his hand on the doorknob, when a crackling sound stopped him.
Turning, he noticed the computers in the room springing to life of their own accord. Half of the screens showed what appeared to be a camera aimed at two of the Cybermen. The other half revealed a different creature, one that Ianto wildly thought resembled R2D2 from Star Wars… if R2D2 had a thing for BDSM and fetish gear.
“What the hell is that?” The other man fell backwards in his haste to move away from the computers, but Ianto found himself drawing closer for a better look.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Those are Cybermen, but I don’t know what that thing is.”
Suddenly, his earpiece crackled to life again. “Identify yourself.” The second alien spoke in a high pitched voice that made Ianto wince.
“You will identify first.” The Cybermen replied.
“State your identity.”
“You will identify first.” The ridiculous circular nature of the conversation made Ianto clench his teeth.
“Someone bloody identify and tell us what the hell is going on!” He half yelled, making the other man shush him loudly and Ianto glared at him, suddenly irrationally angry.
“By all means, keep hiding under the desk. It’s very helpful.”
“Daleks do not take orders.” The last bit of that statement caught Ianto’s attention and he snapped his head back to look at the computer screens again.
“What’s a Dalek?” He demanded, and the other man shrugged.
“You have identified as Daleks.” The Cyberman almost sounded smug.
“Outlines resemble the inferior species known as Cybermen.” The Dalek definitely sounded smug.
“Useless,” Ianto muttered scathingly. He abandoned the computer and went over to the door. He peered through the window for a moment, but the hallway appeared empty. Hoping that the Cybermen were busy with the Daleks, he pushed the door open and stepped into the hall.
Still clutching the gun, Ianto debated which way he should go. Finally, he decided to continue to the south stairs. The ridiculous conversation between the two alien species was continuing in his ear, but Ianto did his best to ignore the comments about elegance as he opened the south stairs.
“Our technologies are compatible.” The Cyberman’s comment startled him and he slowed for a step. “Cybermen plus Daleks together, we could Upgrade the universe.”
Before Ianto could even process that thought, the Dalek responded. “Request denied.”
“Suspect elements will be deleted!” For a species who claimed not to be capable of emotion, Ianto thought it sounded pretty fucking angry. Two blasts sizzled over the ear piece, and Ianto reached up to remove it, thinking that the Cybermen had killed the Dalek.
Then he heard, “Exterminate!” Obviously the Dalek wasn’t dead, and whereas the Cybermen seemed determined to remain emotionless, the Dalek didn’t even attempt to hide its fury.
Two more blasts followed, with a different sound than the Cybermen weapons, more diffuse with static. It reminded Ianto of cheesy science fiction blaster guns.
“Daleks be warned. You have declared war on the Cybermen.”
“This is not war. This is pest control.”
“We have five million Cyberman.” Ianto gasped, stumbling as he struggled to grasp that staggering number. “How many are you?”
“Four.”
“You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks.”
“We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect.”
“What is that?”
“You are superior at dying. Raise communications barrier.” The Dalek closed the link and static buzzed through the earpiece again.
“I hope you bloody kill each other,” Ianto swore, reaching his destination at last. He paused for only a second before opening the door. Peeking out, he didn’t see anyone and he slipped into the hallway. The main office housing the Ghost Project was down the hall to the left, but Lisa’s office was to the right and Ianto turned that way. He lifted the gun and cradled it in his arms, finger ghosting the trigger, as he crept down the hallway.
Every nerve Ianto had was screaming at him that something was wrong. Where were all the employees on this floor? Where was Yvonne? Where were the Cyberman?
Heart pounding painfully against his ribs, Ianto reached the door to Lisa’s office. She shared the space with seven others and on any normal day, Ianto would have considered them friends. Today, he didn’t care about anyone except Lisa. The door had been broken off its upper hinge and it dangled listlessly into the doorway. Pushing it aside with his foot, Ianto climbed into the room and looked around in horror.
Obviously, Lisa and her work mates had fought back. Ianto could see the remains of a barricade that had been piled in front of the door. The desks were shoved around in random order, papers and books strewn over the floor. Even more distressing, there were holes around the room, proving that the Cybermen had discharged weapons at the fighters. Turning to go back into the hallway, Ianto heard a soft groan. Whipping back around, Ianto ran towards a desk on the right. Once he reached it, he saw a leg sticking out at an awkward angle. The person attached the leg groaned again. “I know you’re there.”
“Chase?” Ianto rounded the desk, dropping to the ground next to the blonde man. It took him a second to be able to speak. “Chase, it’s Ianto. What happened? Where’s Lisa?”
“They broke in through the door.” Chase answered with a wheeze and Ianto had to struggle not to give away his dismay. The normally glamorous Chase looked like he’d been trampled by a stampede of bulls. His face was bruised and swollen, barely recognizable. He peered blearily at Ianto through the one eye that was still open and clutched his chest with one hand. Gently, Ianto moved Chase’s hand and then quickly pushed it back in place when he noticed that the area around Chase’s fingers was stained dark with blood. There was more blood seeping between the other man’s fingers, and a small trail of it was coming from Chase’s nose. “I tried to stop them, but…” He broke off into a cough and Ianto spent a terrified ten seconds hoping Chase wasn’t about to die before he explained what happened.
“It happened after the Daleks…. One of the Cybermen gave an order to start… emergency Upgrades…”
“Chase, listen to me.” Ianto put a hand on Chase’s shoulder and squeezed it gently leaving a bloody handprint on the once-crisp business shirt. “Where did they go?”
“They took everyone… I didn’t see.” Chase grimaced, giving Ianto a shallow impersonation of a smile. “Didn’t see the need to take me, though. Didn’t think I’d live long enough… I showed them.” He broke off into a second horrendous coughing fit and Ianto stayed silent, holding Chase’s shoulder through it.
It ended as abruptly as it began and Chase’s head lolled back on his neck. His eyes looked at Ianto unseeingly and Ianto watched as the light faded from them and whatever it was that made Chase himself vanished. Dropping his head, Ianto squeezed his eyes shut as he fought off tears.
“You did good, mate.” Ianto reached up and shut Chase’s eyes with his fingers. “You did very good.”
Leaving Chase’s body lying in the demolished office space was the hardest thing Ianto could remember doing. But he did it. As he went back to the hallway, the panic that had propelled him up the stairs faded and left a burning rage in its wake.
Standing in the hallway, Ianto blinked moisture from his eyes. Looking around, he remembered that all of the upper floors were being remodeled, providing an excellent hiding place to perform Upgrades. Turning to the left, he raced towards the construction. An explosion from behind him made him skid to a halt. He half turned, gun automatically rising and he sighted back down the hallway towards the main office where the Ghost Shifts were coordinated. Shouts rang down the hallway, but Ianto relaxed. The voices were human.
Ianto smiled unpleasantly. The Cybermen were probably realizing that humanity didn’t surrender so easily. They’d fight to the bitter end. An unpleasant sensation crawled down Ianto’s back and he whispered a prayer that he hadn’t just had a premonition. Shaking it off, he left the fighters to their own battle. His focus was the construction rooms where he suspected the Upgrades were taking place.
Running again, Ianto careened around a sharp turn and nearly collided with a blonde woman pelting towards him. “Go!” She shouted.
“Wait!” Ianto grabbed her hand, spinning her around to face him. “What’s back there?”
“The Cybermen are murdering people!”
“How many people are back there?” Ianto asked, his heart in his throat.
“I’m it. Everyone else is dead!” The woman clawed at Ianto’s hand. “We have to run!”
“I have to find Lisa!”
“She’s not back there, whoever she is.” The blonde woman reacted to the terror in Ianto’s voice, her fingers tightening painfully on Ianto’s arm. “It was just Yvonne and me and men.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t see a black woman?”
“No.” The woman glanced back over her shoulder as the now familiar marching steps started down the hallway towards them. “They’re coming.”
“This way.” Ianto hauled the blonde woman towards the North stairs. He swiped his pass and shoved her through the door. The two of them stayed silent for a moment, waiting until the stomping footfalls fell away. “Who are you?” Ianto whispered.
“Jackie,” the blonde woman whispered back.
“Jackie, do you know where the other people on this floor were taken?”
“No, I have no idea.” Jackie shook her head, fear in her eyes. “I’ve got to find my daughter. She’s down in the Void Room.”
Ianto made a snap decision. “Take these stairs down to the bottom. You can get out through the fire door at the bottom.”
“Thank you.” Jackie clutched his arm for a moment. “I hope you find your Lisa.”
“I hope you find your daughter.”
Ianto took the stairs down one flight and began his search again. Jackie had said no one was left on the top floor and Ianto had no reason to believe she would lie to him. He could only hope that the Cybermen hadn’t taken the prisoners far.
The sound of gunfire echoed up and down the stairs and the entire building shuddered. Giving up all pretenses of being stealthy Ianto screamed out Lisa’s name. There was no response, but the floor shifted out from under him, throwing him to his knees. Overhead, the ceiling cracked. The sound of gunfire was mixed with the steady noises of both Cybermen and Dalek weapons now.
“Lisa! Where are you?” Ianto pushed himself back to his feet and running down the hall.
“Ianto! Help me!” A scream resonated down the hall and Ianto’s heart stopped beating for a moment then began to pound faster.
“Lisa! I’m coming, Lisa!” Ianto sprinted down the hallway. Turning the corner, he fired the gun into the cluster of Cybermen standing in front of the plastic. They turned towards him and time stopped. Sighting down the barrel of the gun, he aimed at one’s head and fired, then the other. They both went down in a clang of metal and Ianto ripped the plastic sheet down frantically. “Lisa!”
“Ianto!”
When the last sheet of plastic fell, Ianto froze. “No, no, God, no! Lisa! NO!”
“Ianto, help me!” Lisa was strapped to a strange apparatus. There was blood all over the floor, pooling from where it dripped down her arms and legs. The machine made a noise and she arched, screaming in pain. The sight of her writhing, unable to escape sent Ianto into a panic and he dropped the gun. Rushing to her side he reached for the wires.
“How do I stop it?”
“You do not.” The Cyberman voice behind him made Ianto spin around. “Upgrade is not yet complete. You will be upgraded next.”
“No!” Lisa cried. “Run, Ianto!”
Ianto turned slowly, fear and rage making his face hot. Reaching out, he traced a gentle finger down her face. “I’m not leaving you.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“Emotions are weakness.” The Cyberman commented as Lisa sobbed against Ianto’s mouth. Ianto stood up, but he didn’t take his eyes from Lisa’s.
“I love you, Lisa Hallett.” Ianto’s voice was utterly calm. He reached out and grabbed the wires connecting her to the machine.
“Do not disconnect!” The Cyberman barked and Ianto didn’t have to see him to know that he had raised his arm, and aimed the weapon at them both. He didn’t even pause. With a mighty jerk, he yanked the wires free from the machine.
Lisa screamed Ianto’s name and her body vaulted away from the Upgrade apparatus. He reacted instinctively and caught her, even as she slammed into him, knocking him backwards. At the same time, the Cyberman fired a blast from his arm. The energy bolt blew the machine up and pieces of it rained down over the two lovers.
“You should have run away,” Lisa whispered and Ianto reached up to brush his fingers over her forehead, moving along the warm skin until he hit the metal plate that covered her head.
“I’m exactly where I should be.”
“You will be eliminated.” The Cyberman took aim again and Ianto closed his eyes, sliding his arms around Lisa and holding her, metal bits and all, as tightly as he could.
Suddenly, without any explanation at all, the Cyberman let out a wail. Eyes snapping open, Ianto looked up in time to see the Cyberman levitate. “Temporal shift detected.”
“What’s he on about?” Lisa asked weakly and Ianto shook his head.
“Something’s going on.”
Then, the Cyberman shot upwards through the ceiling and was gone. Rubble rained down on them again, but Ianto was already moving. Rolling, he covered Lisa with his body until the ceiling plaster stopped falling. Then he climbed to his feet and ran to look up through the hole. “It’s gone.”
A loud bang on the window made Ianto spin, and he saw Cybermen and Daleks both streaming through the air towards the upper floor. “They’re all going.”
“Where?” Lisa tried to move and Ianto ran to help her sit up.
“I don’t know.” Ianto laughed, a touch of hysteria in his voice. “And I don’t care.”
Lisa smiled shakily and for the first time Ianto hoped that everything just might be all right in the end. “You came for me.” Lisa’s eyes brimmed full of tears.
“I will always come for you,” Ianto promised.
“I can’t move right,” Lisa gestured down to her legs. “The machine… broke me.” The tears spilled over.
“We’ll figure something out.” Ianto looked at the remnants of the Cybermen’s apparatus. “If this thing can change you, it can fix you.” Ianto helped her lay back against the wall. “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back for you. I just need to get some supplies.”
Lisa managed to nod through her tears. “I’ll wait for you.”
Ianto kissed her forehead before he pushed away and went into the hallway. He needed something to function as a wheelchair. And medical supplies. And someone who could help Lisa. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t almost didn’t notice the Cyberman come around the hall.
“I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country.” The Cyberman’s mantra pierced his thoughts and he glanced up with just enough time to duck into a side office. Heart pounding, Ianto reached for his gun only to realize that he’d left it on the floor in the transformation room. He could hear the Cyberman chanting. “I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country. I’ve done my duty for Queen and Country. Cybermen invaders are defeated. Dalek invaders are defeated. Torchwood and the earth must be made secure.”
Ianto’s breath hitched. What had happened? Why wasn’t this Cyberman gone with the others? The Cyberman stopped outside the door of the office and Ianto’s heart stuttered. “Cybermen, report. Return to the top floor.”
The intercom system in the building buzzed. “Torchwood One is secure.” The voice over the microphone was not human and Ianto dropped to his knees. Whatever had happened, not all of the Cybermen were gone.
“Gather all conversion systems. Earth must be protected. Humans must be Upgraded.”
Ianto pressed a hand to his mouth to keep from screaming. He had to get back to Lisa and get them both out of here. It wasn’t over. It was far from over.
As soon as he heard the Cyberman move away, Ianto pushed the door open. He could see it going back to the stairs and he crept down the hall to Lisa. “Ianto?” She opened her eyes, and he was alarmed to see that she was clammy, but he didn’t have time to sorry about it now.
“Shhh!” He lifted one warning finger and pressed it to her lips. “We have to go.”
“What’s wrong? What is it now?” Lisa asked, fear making her voice sharp.
“Cybermen.” Ianto bent from the waist and lifted her to her feet. Bending down again, Ianto snagged the gun and hoisted it to his shoulder. He braced Lisa on his other shoulder and guided them both back to the hallway. There was no way he was going to make it down 45 flights of stairs with Lisa, so he steered them towards the elevator. Every step she took was painfully slow and agonizing. She was crying softly by the time they finally reached the lifts.
“Ianto, I can’t do this.” Lisa sagged heavily against the wall. “It hurts.”
Ianto’s heart broke and he cupped her face in his hands. “Listen to me, Lisa Hallett. You are the strongest woman I have ever met. You can do this. You will do this. I’m going to help you.”
“Look at me!” Lisa lifted one metal clad arm and stared at it in horror. “Look what they’ve done to me!”
“We’ll fix it.”
“What if it can’t be undone?”
“It can!” Fear made Ianto answer harshly and he stopped and took a breath, mashing the call button repeatedly. “It can be undone.”
“I’m part Cyberman now.” Lisa’s voice cracked.
“No, you are Lisa Hallett. You are human. You are a beautiful woman.” Ianto smiled at her, still pushing the call button. “You are the woman of my dreams and I love you. We are going to get through this. You are going to get through this!” The arrival of the lift stopped further conversation and Ianto helped Lisa in before slamming the button to close the door. He hesitated for a just a second, before hitting the button for the basement.
“We can hide in the basement. There’s medical equipment down there. Someone will come eventually. We’ll be fine until then.”
Lisa didn’t say anything else. The next few minutes were spent in agony as Ianto expected the lift to stop on every single floor, opening and exposing them to the enemy. He was almost too preoccupied to wonder if he’d just lied to his girlfriend. After an eternity, the lift reached the bottom floor. Ianto stepped in front of Lisa, leveling the gun and waiting with bated breath for the doors to open. He nearly cried in relief when the hallway was empty.
He grabbed Lisa’s arm and threw it over his shoulders. “Come on, love. This way.”
“Where are we going?” Lisa’s voice was thready with pain and fear.
“There’s a storeroom at the end of the hall. No one uses it anymore, except to store old computer equipment.” Ianto panted, taking as much of Lisa’s weight as he could. “We can hide there.”
“For how long?”
“As long as necessary,” Ianto snapped, almost instantly apologetic. He couldn’t imagine how terrified Lisa must be. As scared as Ianto was, he still had possession of all his working parts. Lisa didn’t answer, but her hand on his shoulder started to shake.
“Here, we made it.” Ianto shoved open the door the storeroom with relief. The room was filled with spare desks and computer parts, but there was a sofa towards the back against the wall and Ianto dragged Lisa over to it before he let her down. She landed heavily and cried out in pain, her face contorting until it eased. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Lisa opened her eyes and managed a weak smile. Ianto knelt beside her and leaned in until his head was resting on her chest. There were metal braces embedded in it, but he could hear her heart beat and it settled him. Lisa rested one arm gently on his head and held him and the two of them stayed in that position until the intercoms crackled to life one more time.
“Torchwood belongs to the Cybermen. Humans, you should report to the main lobby for Upgrading. We will take away your pain and fear. It is your duty to Queen and Country to obey.”
Lisa gasped and Ianto looked up sharply. “What?”
“That’s Yvonne’s voice.” Lisa’s eyes were large and dark with fear. “She was taken before we were.” Tears leaked down her face. “She must have been converted.”
“Yvonne Hartman?” Ianto’s stomach sank. Yvonne knew every nook and cranny of Torchwood. They wouldn’t be able to hide forever.
“Ianto, what are we going to do?” Lisa whispered.
“We’re going to survive.” Ianto replied grimly. He stood up, suddenly exhausted. “But we need supplies.”
“Don’t leave me!” Lisa cried out. Ianto took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll come back, Lisa. I’ll always come for you.” After a second, Lisa nodded and let him go.
“Hurry.”
Ianto nodded. He didn’t have much time.
Continue to Part II
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 08:09 pm (UTC)Jack kissed her forehead before he pushed away and went into the hallway. I presume this is meant to be Ianto?
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 08:12 pm (UTC)Also, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!