ashes
/aʃ/
the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
•✽•
How dare you.
How dare you show me the edge of the universe and then drop me back where you found me.
Was I just a placeholder? Something to talk to instead of yourself.
What...
A truck, loaned to them by the army, carrier several armed agents alongside soldiers - the soldiers were part of the deal for the truck. Everyone had been debriefed and it was quiet on the journey up.
The danger was real and they were riding towards it. Since Torchwood first started dealing with the extraterrestrial horrors facing Earth's people, this was the largest incident to date. For the first time they were facing something that could potentially overtake the entire human race.
Penelope, sitting in the back with her men, was equally decked out in protective gear. And she was now far more comfortable with a gun, which would've sent alarm bells ringing only a few months before.
The silence was broken - honestly quite eerily - by Penelope's phone ringing. A few of the men jumped, including the soldiers, which calmed the tension that had built in the quiet.
Picking it up, it was hard for Penelope to wipe the grin off her face after watching Jack practically jump a mile.
"Hello?"
"Ma'am? This is Private Thompson, the Hungarian Army have figured out how they infect people and their weaknesses. They're letting everyone know now."
"Right, what is it? .. Thank you. Stay safe and thank you for your service." Hanging up the phone, she stood up as best she could and held onto the fabric strap attached to the ceiling. "Alright lads, listen up. Our Hungarian counterparts have figured out how they infect people and how to beat them."
There was a wave of muttering as they realised how quickly their odds went up.
"Contact through open wounds, any open wounds. That's how the mist gets in and infects you. So anyone with so much as a paper cut is staying on the perimeter. And fire, the mist has become highly flammable. So we're going to torch the ruins and check after it's died down."
There were mixed emotions, people who knew they were injured and couldn't continue, and those who wanted a main part in burning these creatures to the ground.
"Just because we now know a finalised way to defeat them doesn't mean we let our guard down. They're still dangerous, don't assume any different."
The truck came to a stop and there was a settled hush amongst the agents and soldiers. Penelope was right, of course she was right, and they all knew it. These were dangerous entities that could destroy life as they know it.
In rows they exited the truck and checked that none of them had any small injuries that would be missed, or any they couldn't see. About 7 of the agents and soldiers together couldn't go in. They were tasked with setting the perimeter, and making sure no civilians made it in.
Those who were going in changed their gear slightly. Incendiary rounds were swapped in for the normal ones. And the higher trained soldiers were given enough accelerant to ensure the whole area was burned. Nothing could remain.
But first the area had to be searched, make sure no one was inside that was yet to be infected. They had to make sure that there was no one they could save.
Penelope led the group of soldiers and agents up the hill, aware that the last time she walked up here - grass staining her shoes - not everyone came back.
This time she was determined to get everyone home.
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