Act 9, in two parts due to length. I had received a private email that made a really good point I wanted to address here: I realize this story is getting longer and longer, particularly this chapter. It's not that I'm playing favorites on episodes. The Utopia arc has changed so dramatically in the AU that literally every scene needed to be tweaked where as in the previous ones, only parts were altered. Hence the unusual length of Utopia and, I'm afraid, the last few episodes as well as 'The Year That Never Was' (in my opinion) needs to be covered as well. Sorry.
Author: d8rkmessngr
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on.
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Warning For This Chapter: strong language, dark, angsty, disturbing imagery (a matter of reader's interpretation, though)
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to DW's "Utopia" and briefly mentions things from DW's "Army of Darkness", TW's "Out of Time", "CHJ" and "End of Days" but hopefully even withot seeing them, the story's fine.
Prologue + Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch. 12, Ch. 13, Ch. 14, Ch. 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19 , Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24 , Ch 25, Ch 26, Ch 27, Ch 28, Ch 29, Ch 30, Ch 31, Ch 32, Ch 33, Ch 34, Ch 35, Ch 36 Act I, Ch 36 Act II, Ch 36 Act III, Ch 36 Act IV, Ch 36 Act V, Ch 36 Act VI, Ch 36 Act VII, Ch 36 VIII
Chapter 36 "Utopia 2.0"
Ministry of Defense
Whitehall St., London
Present day…
Gwen watched Owen paced the length of their cell for the countless time. She wished there was at least bars Owen could rattle. Or someone in one of the other cells within shouting distance. Anything was better than watching him kick the Plexiglas, curse about his sore foot, then kick the glass again.
The cells looked new, painted to a dreary grey with coordinating benches that were bolted and welded to the wall. They were alone in the end of a dim, short corridor of five cells. Left alone to their own devices, soundproofed so no one could hear them. Gwen tested the walls. They were solid and thick, damn. Tosh reported there were no wires inside; all the recessed lighting were sparse and outside their tight space.
"Looks like one of our damn Weevil cells," Owen grumbled. He gestured towards the thick Plexiglas divider and it's small circle of holes for talking. "Since when did MOD have their own detention section?" Owen gestured wildly with his arms. "Isn't this illegal?"
Gwen agreed; however, there was a suspicion nothing here was being done by the book. She chose to keep silent though as she watched Owen from her bench.
"At least sit down," Tosh complained next to Gwen. She sat there with her arms folded across her chest. "You're making me dizzy."
"Sorry. I tend to get a little fidgety while I'm waiting to get executed!" Owen snarled. He kicked the clear wall again and howled. He hopped on one foot.
Tosh rolled her eyes and muttered, "Prat."
"I just order four hypervodkas for my last meal," a bemused voice spoke up beyond their prison. "It's usually less painful."
Gwen and Tosh shot up to their feet. Owen skidded to a halt.
"Jack!" Gwen cried, relieved. However, her relief was short-lived when Jack detached himself from the shadows he was hiding in. Jack's face was so pale it shone in the feeble light. His hair was plastered to his brow and it was clear he was a little unsteady on his feet.
Owen had his fists on the glass as he tracked Jack staggering to the keypad.
"You make one shitty looking rescuer, Captain," Owen said gruffly.
"And you make one sorry looking terrorist," Jack returned breathlessly. "Isn't there a height requirement for this sort of thing?"
Owen just scoffed. "Took you long enough. Thought you'd swan off somewhere."
"And miss this?" Jack rested his head on the glass. Jack took a deep breath.
"Jack?" Gwen asked anxiously. "What did they do to you?"
Jack just gave her an inscrutable look before his eyes shifted away. He stumbled, set a hand on the glass to steady himself before he faced the keypad. "This looks easy enough, kids."
"Jack!" Tosh tiptoed, her cheek making smudges on the glass as she tried to see the numeric pad by their cell. "I didn't get a good look at the locking mechanisms before—"
"It's okay, Tosh," Jack began.
"…But I think it runs on a aliquot sequence with a Benzian subset so I think if we go with a reversal Catalan's conjecture, we could probably figure out the divisors to open this door."
Jack blinked at her.
"Or," Jack said slowly and carefully. "I could just cross the positive and negative wires together and open this door."
Owen threw his hands up towards the ceiling, shaking his head, when Tosh gave a meek, "Oh. That could work, too." Gwen patted Tosh on the back.
Jack gave her a wan smile. His hand stroked the glass where her cheek was before he focused on the task at hand.
There was a quick flit towards them while he worked, blue eyes although glazed were still shrewd as he scanned the cell with a single glance.
"I had to take the service corridors so there was nothing telling me about this place. Anyone know where we are?" Jack mumbled as he swept a hand across the keypad that controlled their small room.
"MOD," Tosh answered in a tight voice.
Jack paused for a moment before he continued with whatever he was doing.
"London," Jack mumbled as he managed to finally pry off the cover of the keypad. Something dark flashed across his face.
"You don't remember?" Gwen asked. Owen scowled and shuffled closer to the glass. Tosh was pressed up against the glass next to him, pointing and giving him suggestions as Jack yanked the wires.
"Just up to getting off the invisible lift," was Jack's curt reply. "Right after I woke…" Jack cleared his throat and didn't finish the sentence. "Almost got it," Jack said brusquely.
Owen cleared his throat. "Oi, Jack, listen—"
"Not now, Owen," Jack cut him off.
"But—"
"Owen. We dealt with it." Jack stopped what he was doing. He leveled an intense look at Owen. Gwen couldn't see what it was but she saw Owen nodded.
"Yeah," Owen rasped. "Alright."
Jack nodded once and went back to the keypad.
Jack's gaze darted back towards them again.
"Where's Ianto?" Jack asked tersely. Jack couldn't hide the worry in his words.
"He's with the Doctor," Gwen blurted.
Jack jerked so suddenly, Owen lunged for him before he remembered the cell and banged his knees and chin trying to get to him.
"What?" Jack came up to the front of the cell, and stared at them; his palms were flat and white on the surface. "He's with the Doctor?"
Gwen was taken aback at the fear in Jack's gaze.
Tosh muttered under her breath and drew up to the glass in front of him.
"No, no," Tosh hastened to say, staring into his face. "Jack, listen to us! That man! The one you thought was the Doctor. He—"
Pop.
It was silent. The sound of Jack's body slamming into the glass was much louder and at first, Gwen was confused as to why Tosh had screamed. Owen began yelling, his fists banging on the Plexiglas, Tosh slapping hers on the surface as she followed Jack's odd slide down the glass. There was a look of surprise on his face, too much like when they had unknowingly unleashed Abbadon, that Gwen was surprised when she didn't see Owen holding another gun.
"Jack!" Tosh cried out as she dropped to her knees, refusing to look away from his face. Jack groaned, his fingers clawing uselessly on the glass and made to rise. He twisted to face forward and lunged towards something with a growl.
Another pop. This one was louder. This one sent Jack crashing back towards them. But it wasn't until the wide red smear that painted the clear wall that it finally registered to Gwen. She gasped and dropped to her knees as well behind Tosh, who was now crouched with her face nearly to the floor.
"Jack! Jack!" Tosh pleaded.
Jack grit his teeth. He grunted as he got his knees underneath him and trembling, pushed up and reached for the exposed keypad.
Pop. Jack slammed onto the cell glass again with a choked off cry. His arm dropped and folded awkwardly under his own body.
"Stop! Damn you, stop!" Owen was hollering to something or someone outside. His face was red with fury.
Jack's eyes were fluttering closed despite Gwen and Tosh's calls.
Pop. Jack jerked in place but nothing more.
"Son of a bitch!" Owen bellowed. He kicked the bloodstained glass.
"Is he dead yet?"
The faraway voice was a contrast to Owen's howling; quiet where as Owen's was loud, flat where as Owen's was crazed. Owen silenced and stared down the corridor.
"Jack," Tosh whimpered. "Oh my God…Jack…" She stroked the glass Jack's face was pressed over. Her fingers went up and down the spot where his cheek rested.
Owen dropped his arms to the side. He lowered himself next to Tosh and pulled her away from the glass.
"He'll be alright, Tosh," Owen muttered into her hair. "Jack won't stay dead. H-he'll come back." He shot Gwen a look. Something in his terse expression cracked when she nodded.
Gwen looked up. Through the blood smear, she could see a person standing at the end of the hall of cells.
"Who are you?" Gwen demanded the shadow. She fought to keep her voice steady. "Show yourself!"
The graceful silhouette that came forward was not what she expected. Golden blonde hair pinned up neatly to frame a heart-shaped flawless face, slender build, dainty walk, the shadow stepped into the light and solidified into a…woman?
"What the fuck?" Owen muttered.
"Ah," a bright voice spoke up from behind the carefully dressed woman. Saxon, a startling contrast against her light colored suit in his dark attire, came up from behind the woman, his hands on her shoulders.
"I seen you've met my lovely wife." Saxon took the hand not holding the gun and lightly brushed his lips across the back of her fingers. "Lucy Saxon."
Lucy, Gwen realized with a sickening lurch in her stomach, was frowning at Jack's body with mild disapproval as if she found dirt on her shoe.
"He broke through," Lucy murmured. She didn't react as Saxon took the gun out of her hand. Saxon picked up the weapon with his index and his thumb. He wore a grimace of distaste.
"A .38? Oh, never liked those, so messy." Saxon tsked before slipping it into his pocket.
Lucy was still staring at Jack. "Oh, I've retired Mr. Davies," Lucy murmured, not looking away. "He is no longer under your employment. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not," Saxon practically purred. "Always thinking of me. My loyal, faithful Companion to the very end."
Lucy smiled, but it never reached her vacant eyes. "He won't stay dead, Harry," she reminded him. "And he will break through again." There was a little satisfied smirk on her face. "Perhaps he lied about hearing the drumming—"
"He didn't lie!"
Gwen almost felt sorry for Lucy when Saxon grabbed her by the arm and wrenched her around. Lucy gasped as she was twisted around to Saxon's fury.
Saxon's wife cringed. Gwen thought she looked like a porcelain doll. She took a step closer about to speak until she caught sight of the bloody holes on Jack's back. All sympathy fled at that point.
"Harry," Lucy whispered, her eyes wide.
And just like that, the rage vanished from Saxon's face. Saxon's pale face flipped to a more congenial and remorseful expression.
"Ah, I'm sorry, darling." Saxon kissed her hand again, then the other.
"I still don't understand," Lucy sighed, relaxing.
"It's like cutting open the TARDIS," Saxon murmured. His lips lingered over her left knuckles. "Oh. If only you can taste the heart, its power, like I can, but alas…" Saxon stroked her face.
"You're only human."
Lucy looked about ready to cry. Her lower lip trembled.
"There, there," Saxon cooed as he settled her head over his shoulder. "It will be fine," he assured her. "Did I ever tell you about the time I visited Arcateen V? Wonderful merchants there sell this unusual piece…" Saxon pulled out a tiny pendant from his pockets and dangled it in front of Lucy. "It has all sorts of uses."
Tosh stiffened.
"Tosh?" Owen asked, noticing. "What? Do you recognize it?"
Saxon turned towards her with an oily smile. He held up the crystalline pendant like a hypnotist.
"You would, wouldn't you, Ms. Sato?"
"Tosh," Gwen hissed. "What is it?"
"Mary," Tosh seethed low under her breath. Owen jerked. Out loud, Tosh replied, "It's able to read thoughts." She reached down a hand and touched the glass over Jack's hair. "It won't work on Jack." Tosh's chin jutted out. "You won't be able to read Jack's mind with that."
"Oh, I don't need it for that."
Gwen tensed and saw the other two did the same.
"What are you planning, Harry?" Owen drawled.
"Very versatile," Saxon declared as he twirled the pendant around his finger, his right arm around Lucy's middle. "Not only can they bridge minds, they can also create a controlling link with organic and inorganic systems…" He made a lazy smile that made Gwen's skin crawl like little ants up her back.
"And those in-between." He approached their cell and stooped to Jack's body.
"Don't you touch him!" Gwen snarled. Owen came up next to her, his jaw set.
Saxon blinked at her. He lifted a finger up for show, his mouth shaped into an "O" then he slowly reached down and poked Jack sharply on the head. He looked up, sneering, as if daring Gwen to say something else. She didn't. She fumed as Saxon tapped Jack in the head again and again.
Tosh, still on the floor, kicked her heels off, pulled her feet back and slammed both of them heel down on the spot closest to Saxon's head so hard Gwen winced. Tosh merely smirked when Saxon, startled, fell back on his ass.
Saxon sat there on the ground and stared at her. He ignored Lucy coming up to crouch by him.
Suddenly, he grinned.
"Oh, you're a feisty pretty little bird, aren't you?" Saxon breathed. "I may just keep you Toshiko Sato."
Owen growled. He went over, hoist Tosh up to her feet with a yank and he kicked the same spot, his eyes blazing.
"Hm," Saxon pretended to think. "Not as effective the second time around. No, better luck next time Owen Harper."
"Fuck you!"
Saxon sneered. He gave Jack one last poke, patted the back of Jack's head, lingering long enough to make Gwen's blood boiled. Saxon rose to his feet just as a few men in dark suits entered and hoisted Jack up. Jack's head lolled to his chest.
"Where are you taking him?" Gwen went up against the glass with the others. She craned her neck to see them drag Jack out the door, his blood painting a morbid broad line that marked his journey.
"Well, executing him with you would be pointless, don't you think?" Saxon asked in a bored voice to no one in particular. He spun the pendant around his finger as he slipped his other arm back around Lucy again. They walked slowly towards the door. Saxon raised his arm and wiggled his fingers farewell behind him. He ignored their shouts, merely laughing as he exited the door.
Owen shakily dropped down next to Gwen on the bench. Tosh wordlessly copied him. They sat there in stunned silence, staring at the blood streaked across their cell wall. Gwen couldn't look at the spot where Jack had lain. Her eyes pricked whenever she had glanced over to the glossy wet splatter.
"Well," Tosh said in a stunned voice. "This has been a very bad day."
Owen snorted what might have been a laugh but it came out strangled. Gwen sniffled and settled her head on his shoulder. Owen said nothing when Tosh did the same on the other side. He merely took both their hands, clasped them with his and they sat there, their combined hands on Owen's lap. They all sat there, their heads bowed together, and avoided the stain of Jack's blood on the cell wall together.
Act IX (2/2)
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Comments
Oh, small typo - "at the spot where Jack had lay", I believe that should be "had lain"...
Thanks! Corrected! :)
Doubtful. :) I'm writing him that way. What does that make me? LOL.
but i love the master~ he's just so evil in such a fun way~!
I pity this TW team. At least in the other version they got a holiday in Tibet out of all the horror!
K, I'm off to part two now! -grin- -runs-
Holiday or easy targets to be captured. :)
And, interestingly, Lucy herself is a total paradox at this point.
But she's in the future. Where as the Topflane went back to the past. :)
See? Timey-wimey-rubber-bands. And she's like a pair of scissors, or a Stanley knife, or something...
(By the way: Toclafane.)
Very Timey-wimey. Which is why it took me since chapter three to sort out the master plan (pun intended). LOL
I think this is really great!
LOL! love this line.
understatement of the day.
i haven't read the chapter yet, but just wanted to tell you that you don't need to apologize for the lenght of your stories, the longer the better IMO :D
besides, i'm new to the famdom and read most of your fic in one go last week, and it's well structured and written :)
thank you for sharing