13 Novella 3

Torchwood

TW: mentions of assault

Fear like electricity runs though your body and panic envelops you.

Blackness threatens to overcome you, but still you can't physically move.

So you use the only defence you have left.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you force all the fear and rage and panic and grief and sadness from your mind to his. With the physical connection it was as easy as sliding your hand into his. You feel him release and fall backwards, twitching and reeling.

That's when the fury hits.

You add that too, throwing it with all your force into him, making him drown in it. Pressure builds behind your eyes as you throw every bad feeling you are experiencing into him in a single agonising moment. It's like drawing poison from a wound.

Your heads throbs and your eyes ache but there is a sense of power coursing through you at the same time. This was different to what you did to Missy, this time you didn't want to stop.

Never before have you been able to defend yourself, and now you could. No one would ever touch you again.

But no one would ever want to.

You see Missy and Jenny turning away, The Doctor's shocked face and Yaz's terrified one.

These images are enough to make you stop, but only just.

Pulling yourself from the murky power rush, you blink, taking in your surroundings. Owen lies twitching on the ground and you gasp at what you've done.

"Owen? (Y/n)? Answer me please! Jack they aren't responding!" Tosh is saying worriedly in your ear.

"Owen pick up, now" comes Jack and you wince at the addition to your headache.

"Let me try, (Y/n)? (Y/n) is everything ok? Doctor what do we do!" Says Jenny and you hear mutterings and scufflings as they make a decision. You are unable to talk. Instead you slide your back down the wall and place your head on your knees, weak and ashamed.

"I'm near enough, Tosh where were they last?" Asks The Doctor and she reads off your location.

You hear her voice coming from your mic and the end of the alleyway as her worried thoughts hit you, so it's a surprise when Jack is there too. Of course you couldn't hear him.

"OWEN!" He shouts upon seeing his unconscious form. "What happened? Was he attacked!?" demands Jack, feeling for a pulse and injuries.

You shake your head, eyes burning.

He looks at you then does a double take, stepping back uncertainly. He pulls out his gun and grips it tightly.

"Doctor what is she?" He whispers and you turn to her. Her own eyes are shocked and confused. You look down and catch your reflection in some broken mirror pieces. Your eyes are dark and cold, burning with intensity.

You gasp and trip backwards when Missy comes running down the alleyway then slides to a stop.

"What did he do to you?" She asks quietly and you shake your head.

"She's human! She's human with some extra abilities, I promise she's harmless, this was an accident Jack, she must have felt threatened." The Doctor tries to reason.

"I'm sorry Doctor but you know I have a duty." He apologises, pulling Owen in a fireman's lift over this shoulder.

"She's a threat." He says, looking you dead in the eyes.

What you don't expect is him to raise a small red gun and fire it right at you. You cry out at the pain, but it's not a bullet. It hits you in the neck and you feel numbness sweep over you. Dizzy and exhausted, the sedative takes affect and you drop to the ground.

* * *

You wake with a pounding headache and sit up slowly on a cold stone cot. You rub your aching temples and squint in the low light.

Standing, you realise you are in a small cell with three dirty sandstone walls, the last one completely transparent and plastic. You spot your reflection before you can decide not to look, and note that your eyes are back to (e/c).

This is a small comfort, but you are clearly a prisoner now.

You hear no noise and this scares you. No one is near. Actually that's not right, you can see depressing images which you thought were your own, but then Ianto appears holding a tray.

"I saw you were awake." He offers and you eye him speculatively. "I thought you might be hungry." He adds, lowering himself to the floor and sliding the tray through a box. He steps away and you drink the water thirstily.

"Why are you so sad?" You ask curiously, unable to listen to his melancholy thoughts any longer.

"Is it that obvious?" He smiles and you find yourself nodding.

"For what it's worth, Owen had it coming" he says with raised brows. You look away.

"I'm lonely" he says in answer, also looking away.

"By choice" you respond and he looks up, startled. He narrows his eyes but you know enough. His thoughts only changed around one person.

"Where is everyone?" You ask quickly and he nods upwards.

"Arguing over you." He says as you sit on the floor cross legged.

"What happened?" He asks gently and you find you struggle to feel threatened by him.

"He kissed me" you say quietly and he raises his eyebrows.

"And what did you do to him?" He asks, sounding as though he dreaded the answer. You happen to look up and spot a red blinking light. So they were listening. Well they could hear this.

"I gave him what I felt." You say expressionlessly. "I gave him guilt and sadness and anger and fear and loss and grief." You say. Ianto doesn't know how to respond. You sigh. "But only a fraction of it. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." You say, and you mean it. He nods and gets to his feet, leaving without another word. You sit back and close your eyes.

"Come on you" says a familiar voice and you race to your feet. "Out you come my love, we've got a lot to discuss." Says Missy sadly and you nod, allowing her to unlock your door and extend her hand into yours.