A perfect storm [fic]
Title: A perfect storm
Author: shadowbyrd
Rating: PG - 13
Pairing[s]: Tosh/Ace, mentions of Gwen/Rhys and hinty-hints of Ianto/Owen
Word Count: 1525
Summary: In the chaos of the year that never was, Tosh makes a new friend.
Upon learning that Jack was a prisoner of the Master, and had been since this hellish new world order had begun, Torchwood three came to a rather controversial decision.
Gwen is a worker by day, revolutionary by night (except when she’s on the night shift) sowing stories of freedom and words of dissent. Stirring up a revolution in this climate looks damned near impossible, but Gwen likes her challenges.
Owen and Ianto are undercover too, gathering information and intelligence.
Toshiko stays behind and goes underground, repairing and building and getting ready.
*
Three months in, and Gwen has found Rhys somewhere in the workcamps. Most of her efforts, she admits when she radios, are going into convincing him. But once he believes, he’ll be able to help her, and they’ll bring more people around to the idea and strengthen the resistance against the Master.
Three months in, and Ianto and Owen are on the run. They just manage to keep out of reach, but all it takes is one slip up and they’ve had it. When Owen radios he tells her they’re trying to make for Russia. When Ianto takes the radio he says they’ll stop in Germany.
Three months in and Tosh has a growing pile of tech, and no occasion to use it.
*
Five months in, and Gwen radios in with weary cheer, reporting that Rhys believes her and is going to help her. Her next radio message a few days later is crackled weak and her voice is watery, like she’s been crying. It was a trap. She only just got away. She doesn’t know what to do.
Five months in, and Tosh loses all contact with Owen and Ianto for almost two weeks. Five a half months in, Owen’s dead. He was shot down in Germany as he tried to buy Ianto time to escape with the information they had collected. Ianto will forward a copy of the information to Tosh and then make for Russia. His words are clipped and precise and he doesn’t answer any of Toshiko’s questions.
Five months in and Tosh begins to pack and prepare. She’s getting restless and there’s nothing left to mend - nothing within her capability or current resources, anyway. She does deals and fixes things with dodgy back-streeters and wannabe revolutionaries in exchange for information and parts. She’s building to something, she’s just not sure what yet.
*
Five and a half months in, Gwen gives up; without Jack, without Rhys, it just isn’t worth it, she tells Tosh. She throws her radio away afterwards and her name turns up amongst those of the executed.
Six months in, Ianto leaves a quick radio message to say that he’s arrived in Russia, found a position, but will not be able to contact her often. If - if he has not called in within three months, she should assume him dead. He tunes out before she can say anything.
Six months in, and Tosh is found by the Toclafane.
*
The bullets aren’t working. They can’t penetrate the outer casing.
It registers early on, but she keeps firing. It may not kill them, but from what she can make out it slows them down. They’re equipped with shields of some kind, but they still feel the impact. It sends them reeling away, giving her time. But not enough to run, set up a gun that would have some effect, get back to her shelter. Only just enough to reload, so she can shoot at them, giving her time to reload -
She continues to shoot one-handed, scrabbling through her shoulder bag for something - anything - that could help.
A shield. A neural screamer. The sonic modulator. Trajectories. Anything -
There’s flash of light to her left and a very, very loud bang as her shelter goes up in flames. Tosh wastes no time in locating her neural screamer. A hand clamps down on her shoulder and she jumps, almost activating it with her ears uncovered.
She whips around and shoves it in the face of a dark haired woman, probably a couple of years older than herself.
The woman just shoves it to one side, taking one of Tosh’s arms. “Sorry about that, my aim was off. You okay? Good. We need to move, that’s only going to hold them thirty seconds max.”
“What was it?” asks Tosh getting to her feet and reclaiming a knapsack loaded with tech.
The woman grins at her as they run. “Nitro-9. Simple, yet classic.”
Tosh doesn’t bother with the obvious in-joke. “Where now?”
“Hadn’t thought about it. You know anywhere?”
“I’ve had a few clients hide in the tunnels, but even if we got the doors shut they’d be able to cut through.”
“Then let’s go set up for them,” says the woman.
Tosh glances at her and realises she’s serious. But then she takes a moment to consider the tech she has to hand and calls, “This way!”
It’s really amazing, Tosh marvels, how long thirty seconds really is. Something you can only appreciate when you’re running for your life, or waiting for some machine to power up and take action.
The ever dependable door key manages to drag the doors to the now disused tunnel system closed just as the Toclafane’s enraged, childish screams reach their ears.
“Right, what have you got?” asks Tosh, shoving the neural screamer away in favour of her sonic modulator.
“Have these.” The woman holds up a sub-machine gun and an old revolver.
“It’ll slow them down, but it won’t stop them,” Tosh tells her, nonetheless re-loading her own handgun. “What about that Nitro stuff?”
The woman shakes her head. “Too volatile for a space like this - could bring the ceiling down on us,” she sighs. “I really should have taken more time to perfect it. Just never thought it would happen to us y’know? Not on this scale.”
Tosh pauses and shakes her head. “No. You always think someone else is going to sort it out.”
“That’s what I’d come to you for, actually,” the woman continued. “I have a gun I’m developing, to try and beat them. Worked last time I used it, only - well. It’s mangled beyond me. Probably beyond you now unless you’re genius.”
“Not that much of one,” says Tosh, putting the modulator to its highest setting. “Get ready to cover your ears,” she adds to the woman as the blades begin to pierce the industrial strength metal doors. They back away, Toshiko holding the modulator out in front of her. She won’t be able to cover both her ears. Considering the setting it’s on, that’s bad news; she’ll lose her hearing in that ear at the very least, but there’s nothing else for it.
The blades retreat and a second later there’s a loud, empty Clang! as metal gives way to one of the Toclafane.
“Found you!” it cries in a murderous sing-song.
Toshiko flicks the switch and hurls the modulator forward.
Only for the Toclafane to fire at it mid-air and for it to fall, lifeless, to the ground.
“No!” Tosh starts forward. She can fix it, she can beat them, she can get revenge -
“Get down!” The woman lunges at Toshiko and the two go sprawling forwards and out of the laser’s path, the contents of Toshiko’s knapsack strewn across the concrete floor. Tosh grimaces and clutches at her head. And then sees it - their way out, just within reach -
“I’m sorry,” says the woman above her. “I’m so sorry.” She grabs Toshiko’s chin and pulls her into a last desperate kiss.
Tosh shoves her back with both hands. She’s not in the mood for desperate. “Not now!”
“When am I ever going to get the chance to kiss you again?” asks the woman, sounding a little sore.
Toshiko reaches across, snatches up a stone and her new favourite device and pulls the woman into a tight embrace. “If this works, as many times as you like.”
Above, four Toclafane circle around them, giggling like maniacs on helium. The blades flick out with an ominous Shllnkt! that echoes in the tunnel’s curved walls. Tosh hurls her stone at the modulator and activates the shield.
In a second they’re enclosed by a milky glow, the enraged howls and screeches of the Toclafane cut off mid-way. The woman pulls off her and Toshiko sits up in time to see her stone knock the sonic modulator back into life. They don’t hear the noise, or the Toclafane, but they see them shake, an odd piece of casing rattling loose, a viscous clear fluid bleeding out.
Within minutes they’re falling out of the air. The two of them cheer and the other woman seizes her shoulders, taking Toshiko at her word.
“That was amazing!” she laughs.
“I’ll say,” Tosh says with a shaky sigh, allowing herself to be pulled into another kiss and then a fierce hug. “I’m Toshiko, by the way.”
“Ace,” pants the other woman. “Ace McShane.”
Tosh giggles and pats her on the back. “Nice to meet you, Ace McShane.” Ace starts laughing too and Tosh kisses her on the cheek. “I think you were saying something about a broken gun?”
A/N: Because Tosh and Ace? They would have been brilliant together, for more reasons than I can list right now. you know I'm right.
Cheers for the beta, Lali!
Author: shadowbyrd
Rating: PG - 13
Pairing[s]: Tosh/Ace, mentions of Gwen/Rhys and hinty-hints of Ianto/Owen
Word Count: 1525
Summary: In the chaos of the year that never was, Tosh makes a new friend.
Upon learning that Jack was a prisoner of the Master, and had been since this hellish new world order had begun, Torchwood three came to a rather controversial decision.
Gwen is a worker by day, revolutionary by night (except when she’s on the night shift) sowing stories of freedom and words of dissent. Stirring up a revolution in this climate looks damned near impossible, but Gwen likes her challenges.
Owen and Ianto are undercover too, gathering information and intelligence.
Toshiko stays behind and goes underground, repairing and building and getting ready.
*
Three months in, and Gwen has found Rhys somewhere in the workcamps. Most of her efforts, she admits when she radios, are going into convincing him. But once he believes, he’ll be able to help her, and they’ll bring more people around to the idea and strengthen the resistance against the Master.
Three months in, and Ianto and Owen are on the run. They just manage to keep out of reach, but all it takes is one slip up and they’ve had it. When Owen radios he tells her they’re trying to make for Russia. When Ianto takes the radio he says they’ll stop in Germany.
Three months in and Tosh has a growing pile of tech, and no occasion to use it.
*
Five months in, and Gwen radios in with weary cheer, reporting that Rhys believes her and is going to help her. Her next radio message a few days later is crackled weak and her voice is watery, like she’s been crying. It was a trap. She only just got away. She doesn’t know what to do.
Five months in, and Tosh loses all contact with Owen and Ianto for almost two weeks. Five a half months in, Owen’s dead. He was shot down in Germany as he tried to buy Ianto time to escape with the information they had collected. Ianto will forward a copy of the information to Tosh and then make for Russia. His words are clipped and precise and he doesn’t answer any of Toshiko’s questions.
Five months in and Tosh begins to pack and prepare. She’s getting restless and there’s nothing left to mend - nothing within her capability or current resources, anyway. She does deals and fixes things with dodgy back-streeters and wannabe revolutionaries in exchange for information and parts. She’s building to something, she’s just not sure what yet.
*
Five and a half months in, Gwen gives up; without Jack, without Rhys, it just isn’t worth it, she tells Tosh. She throws her radio away afterwards and her name turns up amongst those of the executed.
Six months in, Ianto leaves a quick radio message to say that he’s arrived in Russia, found a position, but will not be able to contact her often. If - if he has not called in within three months, she should assume him dead. He tunes out before she can say anything.
Six months in, and Tosh is found by the Toclafane.
*
The bullets aren’t working. They can’t penetrate the outer casing.
It registers early on, but she keeps firing. It may not kill them, but from what she can make out it slows them down. They’re equipped with shields of some kind, but they still feel the impact. It sends them reeling away, giving her time. But not enough to run, set up a gun that would have some effect, get back to her shelter. Only just enough to reload, so she can shoot at them, giving her time to reload -
She continues to shoot one-handed, scrabbling through her shoulder bag for something - anything - that could help.
A shield. A neural screamer. The sonic modulator. Trajectories. Anything -
There’s flash of light to her left and a very, very loud bang as her shelter goes up in flames. Tosh wastes no time in locating her neural screamer. A hand clamps down on her shoulder and she jumps, almost activating it with her ears uncovered.
She whips around and shoves it in the face of a dark haired woman, probably a couple of years older than herself.
The woman just shoves it to one side, taking one of Tosh’s arms. “Sorry about that, my aim was off. You okay? Good. We need to move, that’s only going to hold them thirty seconds max.”
“What was it?” asks Tosh getting to her feet and reclaiming a knapsack loaded with tech.
The woman grins at her as they run. “Nitro-9. Simple, yet classic.”
Tosh doesn’t bother with the obvious in-joke. “Where now?”
“Hadn’t thought about it. You know anywhere?”
“I’ve had a few clients hide in the tunnels, but even if we got the doors shut they’d be able to cut through.”
“Then let’s go set up for them,” says the woman.
Tosh glances at her and realises she’s serious. But then she takes a moment to consider the tech she has to hand and calls, “This way!”
It’s really amazing, Tosh marvels, how long thirty seconds really is. Something you can only appreciate when you’re running for your life, or waiting for some machine to power up and take action.
The ever dependable door key manages to drag the doors to the now disused tunnel system closed just as the Toclafane’s enraged, childish screams reach their ears.
“Right, what have you got?” asks Tosh, shoving the neural screamer away in favour of her sonic modulator.
“Have these.” The woman holds up a sub-machine gun and an old revolver.
“It’ll slow them down, but it won’t stop them,” Tosh tells her, nonetheless re-loading her own handgun. “What about that Nitro stuff?”
The woman shakes her head. “Too volatile for a space like this - could bring the ceiling down on us,” she sighs. “I really should have taken more time to perfect it. Just never thought it would happen to us y’know? Not on this scale.”
Tosh pauses and shakes her head. “No. You always think someone else is going to sort it out.”
“That’s what I’d come to you for, actually,” the woman continued. “I have a gun I’m developing, to try and beat them. Worked last time I used it, only - well. It’s mangled beyond me. Probably beyond you now unless you’re genius.”
“Not that much of one,” says Tosh, putting the modulator to its highest setting. “Get ready to cover your ears,” she adds to the woman as the blades begin to pierce the industrial strength metal doors. They back away, Toshiko holding the modulator out in front of her. She won’t be able to cover both her ears. Considering the setting it’s on, that’s bad news; she’ll lose her hearing in that ear at the very least, but there’s nothing else for it.
The blades retreat and a second later there’s a loud, empty Clang! as metal gives way to one of the Toclafane.
“Found you!” it cries in a murderous sing-song.
Toshiko flicks the switch and hurls the modulator forward.
Only for the Toclafane to fire at it mid-air and for it to fall, lifeless, to the ground.
“No!” Tosh starts forward. She can fix it, she can beat them, she can get revenge -
“Get down!” The woman lunges at Toshiko and the two go sprawling forwards and out of the laser’s path, the contents of Toshiko’s knapsack strewn across the concrete floor. Tosh grimaces and clutches at her head. And then sees it - their way out, just within reach -
“I’m sorry,” says the woman above her. “I’m so sorry.” She grabs Toshiko’s chin and pulls her into a last desperate kiss.
Tosh shoves her back with both hands. She’s not in the mood for desperate. “Not now!”
“When am I ever going to get the chance to kiss you again?” asks the woman, sounding a little sore.
Toshiko reaches across, snatches up a stone and her new favourite device and pulls the woman into a tight embrace. “If this works, as many times as you like.”
Above, four Toclafane circle around them, giggling like maniacs on helium. The blades flick out with an ominous Shllnkt! that echoes in the tunnel’s curved walls. Tosh hurls her stone at the modulator and activates the shield.
In a second they’re enclosed by a milky glow, the enraged howls and screeches of the Toclafane cut off mid-way. The woman pulls off her and Toshiko sits up in time to see her stone knock the sonic modulator back into life. They don’t hear the noise, or the Toclafane, but they see them shake, an odd piece of casing rattling loose, a viscous clear fluid bleeding out.
Within minutes they’re falling out of the air. The two of them cheer and the other woman seizes her shoulders, taking Toshiko at her word.
“That was amazing!” she laughs.
“I’ll say,” Tosh says with a shaky sigh, allowing herself to be pulled into another kiss and then a fierce hug. “I’m Toshiko, by the way.”
“Ace,” pants the other woman. “Ace McShane.”
Tosh giggles and pats her on the back. “Nice to meet you, Ace McShane.” Ace starts laughing too and Tosh kisses her on the cheek. “I think you were saying something about a broken gun?”
A/N: Because Tosh and Ace? They would have been brilliant together, for more reasons than I can list right now. you know I'm right.
Cheers for the beta, Lali!