Zanna (zannabq) wrote,

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Losing the Edge, Part One

This is my first try at a Torchwood fanfic (although it's not the first story I've written). Some warnings beforehand: English is not my first language and I didn't have an English beta. So please forgive me any mistakes in grammar and spelling.

Title: Losing the Edge
Author: Zanna
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto, rest of team
Rating: open
Disclaimer: They belong to the BBC and RTD, not to me.
Spoilers: not really, maybe end of S1
Summary: Ianto is kidnapped by an alien and Jack has to go through a lot before he gets him back.

Losing the Edge



“Ok,” Jack said. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”


Owen, Tosh and Gwen, who were cowering behind one of the many rubbish containers near the warehouse, turned their heads to look at him.


“We don’t know if Ianto’s in there and if he is, where exactly, so we have to sneak inside and search around to find him.”


“What, no grand entrance?” Owen asked almost unbelieving. “You sure the Doctor didn’t do something to your head while you were away with him?”


“Funny,” Jack said, glowering at Owen. “Really funny. We don’t know who the alien is that kidnapped Ianto and we don’t know why he kidnapped him. If we storm inside he might get hurt. So we’re not going to do anything rash until we find him. Is that clear?”


“Clear enough,” Owen shrugged. “Just doesn’t sound like you, that’s all.”


Jack glowered a moment longer, then he turned around to the warehouse. This mission had taken them all quite by surprise as no one of them had been expecting anything. The four weeks since Jack’s return had been really quiet, the rift had been unusually inactive and they all had enjoyed the almost peaceful atmosphere in the hub. They should have known that something bad would happen sooner or later.


Jack shook his head silently while he pressed his back against the wall of the warehouse. Ianto’s disappearance had hit them out of the blue. He had been out to do some shopping – the coffee supplies had been running low – and hadn’t returned. It had taken them quite some time to notice his absence – Jack had thought Ianto to be down in the archives, completely engrossed in his work.


So when Owen had made that snippy remark about Ianto going all the way to Columbia to personally harvesting the coffee, Ianto had been already missing for hours. Jack was quite annoyed with the rest of the team for not being concerned about the unusual absence of their team mate, and even angrier with himself for not making sure that his lover really was where he thought he was. Those lazy weeks really hadn’t been good for them, they had let down their guards and because of that one of them was in danger now.


They had tracked Ianto’s way to the supermarket with the CCTV; they had seen him being grabbed by someone in a not-quite-human shape, rendering him unconscious with some alien device, shoving him in a car and driving into a supposedly empty warehouse. Which led to them sneaking inside exactly that warehouse in order to rescue their team mate.


Jack crouched down when he entered the building, cowering in the shadows, sneaking along the walls as not to alert anyone who could be inside. The others followed him in the same manner. The big hall seemed to be empty, but a part of the warehouse had been separated, apparently to form some smaller rooms – offices maybe?


They silently ran to the entrance to the separated part and Jack peeked around the corner. The hallway was empty, and he turned around to the others.


“We should separate,” he whispered. “Gwen, you and Owen go left, Tosh and I go right. We’ll keep in touch.” He gestured at the Bluetooth headsets they all were wearing. Owen and Gwen nodded and scurried around the corner and to the left of the hallway. Jack and Tosh followed, but they turned right.


First they found only empty offices, but at the sixth door Jack could hear a voice from inside. He gestured at Tosh to be silent and then he carefully opened the door. The voice was clearer now, but Jack still couldn’t exactly understand what was being said.


It took him a moment to realise that it was because the person was talking in an alien language. Jack shook his head over himself, then he listened more carefully. He knew that language, he was sure of that, he had heard it before. A minute later it recurred to him. Silently he closed the door again.


“Owen? Gwen?” Jack activated his Bluetooth. “I know who our kidnapper is. He is a Lysterian. His race isn’t exactly evil, but they’re – hm, how do I say this? They’re specialised in requisitioning exotic exhibits.”


“So what are you saying?” Gwen asked. “They’re after art? Then why did he kidnap Ianto?”


“Not art exactly,” Jack answered. “They provide exotic specimens for… zoos.”


Tosh, who had been watching the door in case the alien decided to exit, turned her head sharply in Jack’s direction. “Zoos?” she mouthed silently, accompanied by the louder and surprised cries of Owen and Gwen through the headset.


“Not the kind of zoos you know,” Jack answered, “there are no animals. There are many different sentient species in the universe. And some people pay a lot of money to see them. The more exotic, the better. They are mostly private collections, belonging to rich and unscrupulous people. And they are extremely illegal, prohibited by the Shadow Proclamation. Which is why the Lysterians kidnap mostly people from planets that don’t have space travel yet.”


“So, teaboy’s been selected to be the main attraction in some alien zoo?” Owen’s voice made it very clear how much the doctor enjoyed this situation.


“Stop it, Owen,” Gwen could be heard. “That’s not funny!”


“Oh yes, it is!” Owen snickered, then he asked, “Do you want us to come and help you and Tosh to secure the Lysterian, Jack?”


“No,” Jack answered. “The Lysterian won’t be a problem; they’re not a very brave or violent species. They rely mostly on secrecy, speed and their superior technology. Keep on searching for Ianto, Tosh and I’ll handle him.”


Owen acknowledged and Jack looked at Tosh. “Ready?”


“How much superior is his technology?” Tosh asked somehow worriedly.


“Don’t worry,” Jack answered and smiled dangerously. “Superior to common human technology. We’ll be able to subdue him. But I’m hoping to surprise him so that we won’t have to use any weapons. Ready?” he asked again.


This time Tosh nodded, and with a returning nod Jack pushed open the door and stormed inside.




Owen and Gwen had to open a lot more doors to finally find anything. But when they encountered a locked door they knew they had found their missing team mate. Luckily they had one of Tosh’s modified alien gadgets with them, and so it didn’t even take a minute to open the door.


When they entered they didn’t only find Ianto but five other people as well who were looking at them with a mixture of surprise and fear. They all had a weary look about them, but aside from Ianto, who was showing a nasty bruise on his jaw, no one seemed to be harmed. Ianto also seemed to be the only one who was chained.


“Oi, teaboy, come on, rescue’s here!” Owen sauntered over to where the Welshman was sitting and used the device to open his chains. When Ianto didn’t answer with a sarcastic quip, Owen looked closer at him. “You alright?” he asked.


Ianto frowned at him. “Who are you?” he asked.


Owen stared at him for a moment, then he snorted. “Good one. Almost believed you, too. Come on, Ianto; let’s get the hell out of here.”


Ianto stood slowly and rubbed his wrists. “Who are you?” he repeated. “Do you know me? Where am I? And why am I here?”


Owen gaped at him. “You seriously want me to believe that you’ve amnesia? You don’t remember anything? Not me, not Gwen, not Tosh, not Jack, not,” he cast a quick glance at the five other people who were being calmed by Gwen, then added with a lowered voice, “Torchwood?”


“No.” Ianto shook his head.


Owen grabbed Ianto’s head in both hands and felt around quickly for a bump or something like that. Ianto could have a concussion, after all.


“Hey!” Ianto protested immediately and started to struggle. “What are you doing?”


“Stop squirming,” Owen answered. “I’m a doctor.” He took a light out of his pocket and shone it into Ianto’s eyes. “No, no concussion as far as I can say. You sure you don’t remember anything? You’re not just trying to take the piss out of me?”


“Why would I do that?” Ianto seemed to be genuinely surprised, but Owen still didn’t believe him completely. This was Ianto, after all. No one could master the look of surprised innocence as well as the Welshman.


“Gwen!” Owen called. When Gwen came over, he asked her, “Does anyone of the others have amnesia?”


“No.” Gwen shook her head. “Why do you ask?”


“Teaboy here says he can’t remember anything.”


“Oh pet, is that right?” Gwen addressed Ianto compassionately, laying a hand on his upper arm. Ianto nodded and gave her a grateful and friendly smile.


That decided it for Owen. Ianto absolutely hated it when Gwen called him ‘pet’, especially when she used that pitying tone of voice; he would never just smile at her instead of rebuking her acidly. Ianto wasn’t lying; he really had lost his memory.

Part Two
Tags: fic, fic:losing the edge, jack/ianto, torchwood

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