badly_knitted (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
badly_knitted) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly2025-04-05 01:02 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2025-04-05 01:02 pm
Entry tags:
[#255] Bad Choices (Torchwood)
Theme Prompt: #255 – Defiance
Title: Bad Choices
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG. Spoilers for Cyberwoman.
Bonus: Not really.
Word Count: 941
Summary: Ianto has been a model employee up to this point, but now, with a cyberman loose in the Hub, he’s defying Jack at every turn.
Jack had known young Mister Jones had a stubborn streak a mile wide. His persistence in following him around, offering assistance, compliments, coffee, and a pterodactyl, just to get a job with Torchwood’s Cardiff branch, had been ample evidence of that. Ever since then, however, he’d been a model employee: quiet, efficient, respectful, hardworking, seldom making any kind of complaint despite his workload being three times that of any other team member. He followed orders, spoke when spoken to, and kept out of everyone’s way, practically blending into the background most of the time, dispensing coffee at regular intervals, and keeping the team and the Hub organised, all without drawing undue attention to himself.
Until now.
Maybe this was Jack’s fault. He probably should have asked more questions before deciding to break his own rule and allow a former Torchwood One employee to work for him. Jones had bribed his way into a job by way of a prehistoric bird, using it like a Trojan horse, and now that the reason behind his persistence was finally revealed, Jack felt justifiably angry at the deceit, the betrayal, the fact that he, a former conman, had allowed himself to be conned by a pretty face… He was also scared, only too well aware of what might have happened, what might STILL happen, if Ianto’s cyber girlfriend couldn’t be contained and destroyed.
Jones still thought of the metal monster as Lisa, was either unwilling or unable to separate the two in his mind, the woman he still loved and the monster she had become, but Jack didn’t have time to explain, to educate, to FORCE him to see and accept the truth, that the woman he loved was long gone, and all that remained was a shell under control of the cyber consciousness that had taken over from the moment conversion had begun.
Ianto didn’t want to hear it anyway; all he wanted was to save ‘Lisa’. Any suggestion that his goal was impossible was instantly rejected, because after months of caring for her, trying to find a way to save her, his mind shied away from the possibility that all his efforts had been for nothing. It was understandable, Jack supposed, but not helpful.
Now Ianto was angry, defiant, berating them all for not caring about him, for expecting him to clear up their shit while never bothering to ask him anything about himself. Would he have answered if they HAD asked? Jack didn’t know, but it was a moot point because Ianto was right. As long as he did everything they expected of him, working longer hours than anyone else, no one had paid much attention to him. Except for Jack, and all he’d been interested in was how attractive Ianto was, how good he looked in a suit, and whether or not getting him into bed was a possibility. Shortsighted of him, yes, but it was a bit too late to worry about that now.
Even after Lisa tried to kill him, Ianto wouldn’t give up, and under other circumstances, maybe that would have been noble, even honourable, but with the lives of every human on the planet at stake, Jack couldn’t afford to think that way. Okay, maybe it was unfair, even cruel, ordering Ianto to execute all that remained of the woman he’d loved, but he needed to understand there was no other choice, not anymore. Strictly speaking, there never had been, no matter what Ianto thought.
“I won’t do it! You can’t make me! You like to think you're a hero, but you're the biggest monster of all!”
Ianto’s words cut deep, but Jack remained unmoved, he couldn’t allow himself to feel sympathy, or empathy, he needed to hold on to his anger, let it drive him, if they were to have any hope of getting through the next hour, alive and neither converted nor deleted. Anyway, defiance didn’t change the facts. If Ianto died at Lisa’s hands… it would be a waste, but it would solve the problem of what to do with him. Whatever happened now, their only option was to destroy the Cyberwoman, and if Ianto refused to help with that, then he was part of the problem, and would be eliminated if that should become necessary. Jack hoped it wouldn’t, but he couldn’t predict the future. If he could have, maybe this entire situation could have been avoided.
Just like actions, all choices had consequences, and Ianto had made a lot of bad choices, leading to unpleasant consequences not only for himself but for the rest of the team, sand potentially for the rest of the world. It was time for him to face the music, take responsibility for the mess he’d caused, and if he couldn’t do that… Well, they’d cross that bridge if and when.
“I'm giving you ten minutes, then we're coming in.”
Even ten minutes might be considered the height of foolishness, a lot could happen in that length of time, but he had to give Ianto a chance to fix his mistake. What he did next would dictate whether or not he should be allowed to live beyond tonight, if he even survived the next ten minutes. It was a calculated risk on Jack’s part. Maybe Ianto was right and he WAS a monster, but he didn’t want to be, and if Ianto wouldn’t accept the truth from him, perhaps letting him go alone to face the monster he’d been protecting would be enough to open his eyes. This was the last chance he was getting; all Jack could do was hope Jones made the right choice this time.
The End
Until now.
Maybe this was Jack’s fault. He probably should have asked more questions before deciding to break his own rule and allow a former Torchwood One employee to work for him. Jones had bribed his way into a job by way of a prehistoric bird, using it like a Trojan horse, and now that the reason behind his persistence was finally revealed, Jack felt justifiably angry at the deceit, the betrayal, the fact that he, a former conman, had allowed himself to be conned by a pretty face… He was also scared, only too well aware of what might have happened, what might STILL happen, if Ianto’s cyber girlfriend couldn’t be contained and destroyed.
Jones still thought of the metal monster as Lisa, was either unwilling or unable to separate the two in his mind, the woman he still loved and the monster she had become, but Jack didn’t have time to explain, to educate, to FORCE him to see and accept the truth, that the woman he loved was long gone, and all that remained was a shell under control of the cyber consciousness that had taken over from the moment conversion had begun.
Ianto didn’t want to hear it anyway; all he wanted was to save ‘Lisa’. Any suggestion that his goal was impossible was instantly rejected, because after months of caring for her, trying to find a way to save her, his mind shied away from the possibility that all his efforts had been for nothing. It was understandable, Jack supposed, but not helpful.
Now Ianto was angry, defiant, berating them all for not caring about him, for expecting him to clear up their shit while never bothering to ask him anything about himself. Would he have answered if they HAD asked? Jack didn’t know, but it was a moot point because Ianto was right. As long as he did everything they expected of him, working longer hours than anyone else, no one had paid much attention to him. Except for Jack, and all he’d been interested in was how attractive Ianto was, how good he looked in a suit, and whether or not getting him into bed was a possibility. Shortsighted of him, yes, but it was a bit too late to worry about that now.
Even after Lisa tried to kill him, Ianto wouldn’t give up, and under other circumstances, maybe that would have been noble, even honourable, but with the lives of every human on the planet at stake, Jack couldn’t afford to think that way. Okay, maybe it was unfair, even cruel, ordering Ianto to execute all that remained of the woman he’d loved, but he needed to understand there was no other choice, not anymore. Strictly speaking, there never had been, no matter what Ianto thought.
“I won’t do it! You can’t make me! You like to think you're a hero, but you're the biggest monster of all!”
Ianto’s words cut deep, but Jack remained unmoved, he couldn’t allow himself to feel sympathy, or empathy, he needed to hold on to his anger, let it drive him, if they were to have any hope of getting through the next hour, alive and neither converted nor deleted. Anyway, defiance didn’t change the facts. If Ianto died at Lisa’s hands… it would be a waste, but it would solve the problem of what to do with him. Whatever happened now, their only option was to destroy the Cyberwoman, and if Ianto refused to help with that, then he was part of the problem, and would be eliminated if that should become necessary. Jack hoped it wouldn’t, but he couldn’t predict the future. If he could have, maybe this entire situation could have been avoided.
Just like actions, all choices had consequences, and Ianto had made a lot of bad choices, leading to unpleasant consequences not only for himself but for the rest of the team, sand potentially for the rest of the world. It was time for him to face the music, take responsibility for the mess he’d caused, and if he couldn’t do that… Well, they’d cross that bridge if and when.
“I'm giving you ten minutes, then we're coming in.”
Even ten minutes might be considered the height of foolishness, a lot could happen in that length of time, but he had to give Ianto a chance to fix his mistake. What he did next would dictate whether or not he should be allowed to live beyond tonight, if he even survived the next ten minutes. It was a calculated risk on Jack’s part. Maybe Ianto was right and he WAS a monster, but he didn’t want to be, and if Ianto wouldn’t accept the truth from him, perhaps letting him go alone to face the monster he’d been protecting would be enough to open his eyes. This was the last chance he was getting; all Jack could do was hope Jones made the right choice this time.
The End
no subject
no subject