Daughter of Torchwood

1941

Just a quick note for this chapter, we meet the real Captain Jack Harkness in this chapter, so Torchwood's Jack Harkness I will refer to as Jack, the real Jack Harkness I will refer to as The Captain. Hope that makes sense.
The Torchwood SUV roared down the Cardiff street, its horn blaring with a sharp, insistent honk as it cut across an intersection without so much as a glance at the brakes. It skidded to a halt outside a derelict dance hall, the entrance of which was plastered with tattered posters, including a prominent Vote Saxon flyer peeling in the wind.

Jack, Starla, and Toshiko stepped out of the vehicle. Toshiko was dressed to the nines, looking elegant as she finished a conversation on her mobile, speaking fluent Japanese. Jack and Starla made their way toward the entrance.

"You look amazing, Tosh," Starla said, eyeing the sophisticated outfit, "Going somewhere special?"

"Thank you. It's my grandfather's eighty-eighth birthday today," Tosh explained, tucking her phone away as she caught up to them.

"Oh, and here I thought you'd gone to all this trouble for me," Jack joked, though his eyes were fixed on the readings on his wrist strap.

Tosh let out a soft laugh, "Eighty-eight is a joyous year in Japan. I'm heading to London after this to watch grown men throw rice."

"You can get that in the Balti after stop-tap," Jack quipped, his tone shifting to professional. "Okay, down to business. What have we got?"

They pushed through the doors. Inside, the furniture was shrouded in heavy grey dust sheets, the air thick with the smell of damp and decades of neglect. They scanned the lobby and looked up the wide, sweeping staircase.

"The Ritz Dance Hall," Toshiko briefed them, "It's been derelict since 1989, but locals have been complaining about music drifting out into the street lately."
Jack began to jog up the stairs, reaching the landing halfway up.

"Music from the 1940s," Tosh added.

Jack paused, holding up a finger, "Shh." From the upper floor, the faint, tinny sound of a big band began to drift down the stairwell. A grin spread across Jack's face, "Listen. You two coming?"

He didn't wait, jogging the rest of the way up with an uncharacteristic lightness in his step. Starla and Tosh exchanged a cautious look before following. They pushed through a set of tall double doors and entered the grand ballroom. The décor was a frozen capsule of the past, hidden under layers of dust and silence.

"Wow, look at that chandelier," Jack murmured, looking up at the crystal fixture. "No neon lights back then. Just dashing young soldiers..." He suddenly grabbed Starla's hand, pulling her into a playful spin and tucking her against his chest as he took a few dance steps.

"...and pretty young ladies," he continued, smoothly swapping partners and taking Toshiko's hand. He twirled her, but Tosh stumbled slightly, clutching her equipment.

"Jack, watch the laptop!"
"I was thinking more along the lines of, 'How long before you head off to war?'" Jack laughed, releasing her. They continued across the hall, heading toward a back staircase. A large, vibrant piece of modern graffiti stood out on the landing wall, a stark contrast to the vintage architecture.

They paused on the steps, Jack resting a hand on Tosh's elbow as she checked her sensors. "Come on. There's nothing here but memories and dust."

Starla took a few steps down, but stopped dead. The muffled silence of the building was suddenly replaced by the vibrant, echoing roar of laughter and brass instruments coming from behind the doors they had just closed. She looked back at Jack and Tosh; without a word, they turned and headed back into the hall.