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fandomweekly2019-12-08 03:10 pm
m_findlow) wrote in fandomweekly2019-12-08 03:10 pm
Entry tags:
[#034] ASK QUESTIONS FIRST, SHOOT LATER (TORCHWOOD)
Theme Prompt: #034 - Warning shot
Title: Ask questions first, shoot later
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: M (language). Post Miracle Day AU.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Rex is struggling to come to grips with an average day at Torchwood.
Red lights flashed in front of Rex's eyes, blocking out his view of everything else. Having reached the upper limits of his frustration, he yanked the visor off his face and threw it down on the ground with a clatter, not caring if he broke it. The thing was stupid anyway. He followed it up by tugging off the sensor gloves on his hands and unstrapping himself from the chair.
'That's what, fourteen deaths in a row, now?' Ianto observed, hands in his pockets as he was still studying the screen on the desk, now nothing more than a fizzle of black and white haze now that the virtual reality simulation was over and Rex disconnected from the device.
'Those scenarios are bullshit, man,' Rex replied, no longer in the mood for being polite to the Torchwood Director.
'They're based on real life situations faced by our operatives as well as artificial intelligence developed scenarios based on Shadow Proclamation data of the various alien species and cultures throughout the galaxy,' Ianto patiently explained.
'As if I'm likely to ever run into them,' Rex moped.
'Actually, we selected species that are prevalent in this sector of space. Your chances of coming up against one of them are relatively high.'
'I still say it's stupid. Your programming is bogus. I didn't even do anything and I still ended up dead.'
Ianto sighed. 'You started an all out war with them when you were meant to be brokering a peaceful exchange.'
'They weren't listening to me,' Rex argued, 'so I fired a warning shot into the air. What's the big deal?'
'And by doing so you did the absolute worst thing you could have done which was to shoot at the gods which they revere more than anything else in this universe. Always carry a gun, but avoid using it at all costs.'
Rex kicked the chair. Jack's boyfriend was even more obnoxious than him, dressed in his fancy suit and standing there like he knew everything. 'Lucky I can't die, then, huh?'
Ianto frowned his disapproval at Rex. 'Maybe you can't, but you just got your whole team killed in the process and started a war which is likely to cost millions of people their lives.'
'D'you know what?' Rex said, grabbing his suit jacket. 'You can keep your job. I don't need it. I can go right and back to my old life at the CIA.'
Ianto's brow furrowed. 'I thought you said they were treating you with kid gloves?'
'Oh, and you're not?' Why had he even taken Jack's call in the first place? He didn't want to work for Torchwood. Having the Miracle over and everything back to normal was just how he liked things. He did not need all this crazy alien shit in his life. He'd been glad to see the back of Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. His newfound immortality was still something of a secret at the CIA, with only the top brass knowing. Despite his indestructibility they were still giving him the same crappy assignments as before, only now they were in even more remote places, like no one wanted to lay eyes on him.
'It's really not that complicated,' Ianto insisted. 'You don't have a rift to worry about, spitting stuff out at you when you least expect it. It's an investigative branch. You're basically going to be dealing with stuff that's already here, or anything that passes through orbit and plans on making a pit stop on your patch.'
'You're saying there's aliens in the States?'
Ianto rolled his eyes. 'Don't even get me started on the mess they made of things out in Nevada. And you might want to keep close tabs on Congressman Poulson.'
'He's alien? I thought he was just some crazy Californian liberal.'
Ianto smirked at the description. 'Not the first and won't be the last either.'
'Huh,' Rex muttered. Half the politicians in DC were probably aliens. Who else would want that job?
'I know you can do this, Rex. Jack wouldn't have recommended you if he didn't think you couldn't handle it.'
'Funny, I get the feeling he just likes having a laugh at my expense.'
'Jack isn't easy to please. You must've done something pretty special to win him over. And Gwen.'
'I didn't sleep with him if that's what you're inferring. I'm not some homo.'
Ianto hummed. 'We might need to work on some of those prejudices before we let you loose. Aliens come in all persuasions.'
Oh shit, Rex thought, suddenly aware he'd probably pissed off and offended his potential new boss. He didn't really want to go back to the CIA if he could help it. 'Look, what I meant was-'
Ianto held up a hand. 'I know what you meant. Jack is... easier to take in small doses.'
Rex chuckled. 'You got that right.'
'You're a lot alike, you know that? Shoot first, ask questions later. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but you're going to need equal an measure of patience.'
'I spent a year with Jack without killing him, didn't I?'
'You get points for that,' Ianto replied, smiling. 'And a good thing too since he was the only one on the planet that actually could die.'
'Don't think I wasn't tempted.'
'I've had plenty of those days myself,' Ianto agreed.
Rex could just imagine how Jack might rub a stickler like Ianto up the wrong way. How they'd ended up together would forever be a mystery to Rex.
'Ready to give the simulator another go? Pass six of these scenarios and Jack might even let you tag along with him on a couple of real missions.'
Rex picked up the visor off the floor and gave Ianto a serious look. 'I'll pass all of them and we can skip the whole me trailing after Jack altogether.'
'Deal. If I'd known Jack was more stick than carrot we'd have had Torchwood Washington already up and running by now.'
Title: Ask questions first, shoot later
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: M (language). Post Miracle Day AU.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Rex is struggling to come to grips with an average day at Torchwood.
Red lights flashed in front of Rex's eyes, blocking out his view of everything else. Having reached the upper limits of his frustration, he yanked the visor off his face and threw it down on the ground with a clatter, not caring if he broke it. The thing was stupid anyway. He followed it up by tugging off the sensor gloves on his hands and unstrapping himself from the chair.
'That's what, fourteen deaths in a row, now?' Ianto observed, hands in his pockets as he was still studying the screen on the desk, now nothing more than a fizzle of black and white haze now that the virtual reality simulation was over and Rex disconnected from the device.
'Those scenarios are bullshit, man,' Rex replied, no longer in the mood for being polite to the Torchwood Director.
'They're based on real life situations faced by our operatives as well as artificial intelligence developed scenarios based on Shadow Proclamation data of the various alien species and cultures throughout the galaxy,' Ianto patiently explained.
'As if I'm likely to ever run into them,' Rex moped.
'Actually, we selected species that are prevalent in this sector of space. Your chances of coming up against one of them are relatively high.'
'I still say it's stupid. Your programming is bogus. I didn't even do anything and I still ended up dead.'
Ianto sighed. 'You started an all out war with them when you were meant to be brokering a peaceful exchange.'
'They weren't listening to me,' Rex argued, 'so I fired a warning shot into the air. What's the big deal?'
'And by doing so you did the absolute worst thing you could have done which was to shoot at the gods which they revere more than anything else in this universe. Always carry a gun, but avoid using it at all costs.'
Rex kicked the chair. Jack's boyfriend was even more obnoxious than him, dressed in his fancy suit and standing there like he knew everything. 'Lucky I can't die, then, huh?'
Ianto frowned his disapproval at Rex. 'Maybe you can't, but you just got your whole team killed in the process and started a war which is likely to cost millions of people their lives.'
'D'you know what?' Rex said, grabbing his suit jacket. 'You can keep your job. I don't need it. I can go right and back to my old life at the CIA.'
Ianto's brow furrowed. 'I thought you said they were treating you with kid gloves?'
'Oh, and you're not?' Why had he even taken Jack's call in the first place? He didn't want to work for Torchwood. Having the Miracle over and everything back to normal was just how he liked things. He did not need all this crazy alien shit in his life. He'd been glad to see the back of Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. His newfound immortality was still something of a secret at the CIA, with only the top brass knowing. Despite his indestructibility they were still giving him the same crappy assignments as before, only now they were in even more remote places, like no one wanted to lay eyes on him.
'It's really not that complicated,' Ianto insisted. 'You don't have a rift to worry about, spitting stuff out at you when you least expect it. It's an investigative branch. You're basically going to be dealing with stuff that's already here, or anything that passes through orbit and plans on making a pit stop on your patch.'
'You're saying there's aliens in the States?'
Ianto rolled his eyes. 'Don't even get me started on the mess they made of things out in Nevada. And you might want to keep close tabs on Congressman Poulson.'
'He's alien? I thought he was just some crazy Californian liberal.'
Ianto smirked at the description. 'Not the first and won't be the last either.'
'Huh,' Rex muttered. Half the politicians in DC were probably aliens. Who else would want that job?
'I know you can do this, Rex. Jack wouldn't have recommended you if he didn't think you couldn't handle it.'
'Funny, I get the feeling he just likes having a laugh at my expense.'
'Jack isn't easy to please. You must've done something pretty special to win him over. And Gwen.'
'I didn't sleep with him if that's what you're inferring. I'm not some homo.'
Ianto hummed. 'We might need to work on some of those prejudices before we let you loose. Aliens come in all persuasions.'
Oh shit, Rex thought, suddenly aware he'd probably pissed off and offended his potential new boss. He didn't really want to go back to the CIA if he could help it. 'Look, what I meant was-'
Ianto held up a hand. 'I know what you meant. Jack is... easier to take in small doses.'
Rex chuckled. 'You got that right.'
'You're a lot alike, you know that? Shoot first, ask questions later. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but you're going to need equal an measure of patience.'
'I spent a year with Jack without killing him, didn't I?'
'You get points for that,' Ianto replied, smiling. 'And a good thing too since he was the only one on the planet that actually could die.'
'Don't think I wasn't tempted.'
'I've had plenty of those days myself,' Ianto agreed.
Rex could just imagine how Jack might rub a stickler like Ianto up the wrong way. How they'd ended up together would forever be a mystery to Rex.
'Ready to give the simulator another go? Pass six of these scenarios and Jack might even let you tag along with him on a couple of real missions.'
Rex picked up the visor off the floor and gave Ianto a serious look. 'I'll pass all of them and we can skip the whole me trailing after Jack altogether.'
'Deal. If I'd known Jack was more stick than carrot we'd have had Torchwood Washington already up and running by now.'
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