fandomweekly | [#115] Frontpage News (Torchwood)

Theme Prompt: #115 – Breaking News
Title: Frontpage News
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Practically overnight, Ianto and the others have become world famous for defeating the 456 and saving earth’s children.

It was frontpage news across the globe. Every newspaper in every country around the entire planet was running the story, which was hardly surprising. Nothing, not even two world wars, had ever impacted the population of earth quite so universally.

It had started a few days earlier with all children below the age of puberty chanting in unison, and it had ended less than twelve hours ago with a massive and very visible fireball in space, the destruction of a vessel that had arrived to demand ten percent of the earth’s children.

In the days that had followed the first instance of chanting, parents everywhere had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, from confusion and concern, to worry, to terror, and now to guarded relief. Their children were safe, most of them physically unharmed, although many were showing symptoms of shock and trauma. The parents were, if anything, even more traumatised, unwilling to let their little ones out of their sight, which was hardly surprising.

The people of earth had been lucky, the threat had been dealt with most effectively, but they couldn’t return to the complacency they’d enjoyed before, because now the whole world knew for sure something that had been nothing more than a matter of academic and scientific speculation before.

Aliens were real.

Out in space, there was at least one planet other than their own that was inhabited by a race of intelligent non-human beings. A race of beings vastly more advanced than humans, with technology that allowed them to travel between the stars, and to control the minds of children. What else might they be capable of? More importantly, if one such advanced extra-terrestrial race existed, how many more might there be, and were they all as hostile as the 456? Those were questions that so far had no answers.

One thing that was being reported was the identity of those responsible for defeating the aliens and saving the children, a mere handful of people from Cardiff, Wales, a small country that was part of the British Isles.

How four relatively ordinary people could have taken on the 456 and won was impossible to imagine. Surely it would have taken an army! Government officials, members of the press, and civilians alike all made the same comment when they were informed: “That seems unlikely.” And yet, the more information that was released, the harder it became to deny the reality.

For one thing, those four ordinary people apparently comprised a secret organisation whose task was to defend earth against alien incursions. It seemed the team had suffered losses a few months earlier, during a spate of bombings in Cardiff, but they had continued to carry out their responsibilities to the best of their ability, despite another, larger organisation attempting to prevent them from doing their job. They’d risked their lives against seemingly impossible odds, and every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, and child on the planet owed them a debt of gratitude.

Ianto was still trying to wrap his head around everything. “I had no idea there were so many newspapers in the world. At a rough estimate, we’re on the front page of all of them. Not just the nationals, but the local papers, the online newsfeeds, even the celebrity gossip magazines. We’re more famous than Madonna, or David Beckham, or… Well, anyone in the history of being famous!” He pushed the borrowed laptop away from him. “I don’t want to be famous.”

“I don’t think we have a choice.” Jack reached out to squeeze his lover’s hand. “If it’s any consolation, everyone seems to like us. Half the world wants to award us medals, and the other half probably will as soon as they can come up with something suitable.”

“I hope they don’t expect us to go on a world tour or something. We need to get back to Cardiff, we’ve got a job to do. God knows what the Rift’s been spitting out while we’ve been gone!” Ianto ran his free hand agitatedly though his hair. Then a thought occurred to him. “We don’t have a base anymore!”

“Don’t worry about that; Lizzie will see to it that we get whatever funding and practical assistance we need. We’ll manage. Probably have to do some press interviews though.”

“You’re the boss so you can handle those. For once you can be the centre of attention without having to Retcon everyone afterwards.” Ianto managed a faint smile. “Your face splashed across magazines and billboards everywhere from Cardiff to Timbuktu; you’ll like that.”

Jack grinned. “I am very photogenic. It’s the jawline; once seen, never forgotten.”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s the smile, and the coat.”

“You think so?”

“Definitely.” Ianto fell silent for a long moment, staring into space. Finally he sighed. “So what next?”

“Like you said, press conferences, public appearances… There are a lot of very grateful people out there.”

“Just as long as they don’t all want to shake our hands and get autographs. That would be a bit much.” Ianto Jones, master of the understatement.

“Ooh, maybe we’ll get our own action figures! A little bendy you and me to play with! They can sit on my desk.”

“Right, so you can pose them in improbable positions anytime you get bored with paperwork. I know what you’re like.”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want a little plastic Jack Harkness of your very own.”

Ianto met Jack’s eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Why would I need one when I’ve got the real thing?”

“Good point. Well, are you ready to go out there and meet your adoring public?”

“What, now? No!”

“We can’t stay in this room forever,” Jack pointed out.

“Why not? We’ve got a bed, bathroom, and room service.”

“You’re the one who said we need to get back to Cardiff. We can’t do that without leaving the hotel.”

“Times like this, I wish your Vortex Manipulator worked. Fine, let’s go smile for the cameras.”

The End

[#115] Frontpage News (Torchwood)

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