Fic: Welcome To The Bat Cave - Follows ‘Necessity’
Title: Welcome To The Bat Cave - Follows ‘ Necessity’
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: PC Andy, Ianto.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada
Summary: PC Andy receives an offer he wouldn’t dream of turning down.
Word Count: 1401
Written For: Prompt 23: Cave at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: This is the much longer version of the ficlet I wrote for the community.
Arriving home from doing some shopping on his day off, Andy was startled by a voice coming from behind him.
“PC Davidson, just the man I was looking for.”
He turned around to see who’d spoken, intending to tell whoever it was that he was off-duty and if they didn’t need urgent assistance, to call the station, but the words died on his lips when he recognised the man who’d spoken. “I know you. You’re Torchwood,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Young and dapper, dressed in an immaculate three-piece suit covered by an expensive-looking overcoat, the man gave a polite smile and held out his hand for Andy to shake. “Ianto Jones. Perhaps we can go inside and talk?” He inclined his head towards Andy’s front door; somehow it didn’t surprise Andy that Torchwood knew where he lived.
Juggling his shopping bags, Andy shook Jones’ hand. “Sure, of course. Just let me…” Rummaging in his pocket for his house keys, Andy unlocked the door and led the way inside, along the narrow hallway and into the kitchen, where he set his bags down on the counter and started to unpack them, quickly shoving perishables into the fridge and freezer. “Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?” he asked, remembering his manners.
“Thank you, a cup of tea would be lovely. It’s quite chilly out, and I’ve been waiting a while.”
“Tea it is.” Andy put the kettle on, dug out two mugs and dropped a teabag in each one, then leaned his back against the counter, arms folded over his chest, while he waited for the kettle to boil. “So, what can I do for Torchwood?” A thought crossed his mind. “Is Gwen alright?”
“A bit battered, like the rest of us,” Jones said with a wry smile. He’d slipped off his overcoat while Andy was busy, draping it over the back of a chair, and for the first time Andy noticed the other man’s left arm was in a sling. “Been having a rough few weeks and it doesn’t look like things will be letting up any time soon. That’s actually why I’m here.”
“Oh yes?” Andy turned away to make the tea, adding a dash of milk before setting one mug near his visitor. “Sugar?”
“No, thank you.” Jones picked up the mug, taking a careful sip. “Lovely.” He waited until Andy had picked up his own mug and had a sip before continuing. “Some time ago, I believe you asked Gwen to put in a good word for you with Torchwood.”
Andy nodded. “Yeah; not that anything came of it.”
“We’re a small organisation; we didn’t have any vacancies at the time, but with our workload increasing recently, it’s become necessary to make a few changes, starting with adding a few more field agents to the team. While we were discussing potential recruits, your name came up.”
Andy’s jaw had dropped as Jones was speaking; now he hurriedly pulled himself together and found his voice. “Seriously? You’re offering me a job?”
Jones nodded. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on you, and we think you could prove an asset to the team. Detective Inspector Swanson, our liaison with the Heddlu, had some very good things to say about you. Of course, it would mean giving up your current job, but… Are you interested? Or do you need to take a few days to think about it?”
What was there to think about? This was something Andy had wanted for years and he wasn’t about to pass it up when it was practically being handed to him on a plate. “I’m definitely interested.”
“You should understand that the work we do is beyond top secret; you won’t be able to talk about it with anyone outside the team.”
“I can live with that. Not much different to being a copper really.”
“Excellent. I was hoping you’d say that.” Jones finished the last of his tea, filed the mug with water from the tap, and set in on the draining board before putting his coat on. “Right, shall we go?”
“Now?”
“Can you think of a better time? You’ll want to have a look around your new workplace and meet the rest of the team, make sure the job is really for you before you hand in your notice to your superiors. You don’t want to burn your bridges and then realise you’ve made a mistake.”
“Point taken.” Andy drained his mug, left it on the counter, pulled his jacket back on and followed Jones out of the house. Torchwood’s big black SUV was waiting out front with the engine running, the weaselly little man who worked with Gwen behind the wheel. Andy noticed he had a black eye and bruised jaw; it looked like Jones hadn’t been joking about the team being a bit battered.
Jones ushered Andy into the back seat and climbed in beside him.
“Andy Davidson, meet Dr. Owen Harper, team medic.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Harper gave a slight nod but didn’t say anything, just pulled away from the kerb and turned the imposing vehicle towards Cardiff Bay. Andy stared at the banks of equipment in front of him, looking like something out of a sci-fi movie. “What’s all this?”
“Gives us access to the computers back at our base no matter where we are. We’re very hi-tech.” Jones sounded faintly amused.
“I can see that.” Andy kept his hands folded in his lap, not wanting to touch anything he shouldn’t, more than a little worried he might break something and have to pay for it if he did. Almost before he knew it, the SUV was pulling up at the edge of Roald Dahl Plas, letting him and Jones out. As Harper drove away, Andy followed Jones towards Mermaid Quay, where he was ushered into the small Tourist Office at the bottom of the steps. “What’re we doing here?”
“This is the entrance to our secret base, of course,” Jones said, locking the door behind them. Striding across the room, he slipped behind the desk where he did something that made a whole section of the wall swing open, revealing a stone walled passageway beyond. Once again, Andy’s jaw all but hit the floor. Jones smirked at the expression on his face. “This is nothing; wait until you see the Hub. This way.” He set off down the corridor, with Andy hurrying along in his wake. Around a sharp corner they came to a lift, which they entered, going down Andy didn’t know how far. Reaching the bottom, they stepped out and to the accompaniment of loud alarms and flashing lights, a door made from the biggest cog Andy had ever seen rolled aside. Jones led the way through, gesturing at their surroundings with a wide sweep of his uninjured arm. “Welcome to the Bat Cave!”
Once again, Andy was left gaping in amazement. For a moment he forgot how to breathe. “Bloody hell!” he eventually managed to wheeze out breathlessly.
The place was immense; a vast underground cavern on several levels that looked like it had been carved from the bedrock. The floor beneath his feet was bare and pitted concrete, part of the cave had been partitioned off to create an office space, there were grilled metal catwalks in various places, and desks laden with computer equipment in the main area. At the far end of the cavernous base, the lower part of the water tower extended right down through the ceiling, ending in a pool of water.
A loud screech came from above him, and looking up, Andy saw a huge winged reptile soaring high overhead.
“Bloody hell!” he said again. “Is that a dinosaur?”
“Pteranodon; you might say she and I joined the team at the same time. Her name’s Myfanwy. Word of warning; if you bring chocolate to work, be prepared to share it with her. She prefers dark, but she’ll take whatever’s going. Ready to see the rest?”
“There’s more?”
“Trust me; this is only the beginning. You’re about to see things you’ve never even imagined.”
A giddy grin spread across Andy’s face. This morning he’d been an ordinary copper, and now here he was, standing in Torchwood’s secret base. Better yet, from now on this was where he was going to be working! He could scarcely believe it! “I can’t wait!”
The End
Sequel: ' Team Expansion'
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: PC Andy, Ianto.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada
Summary: PC Andy receives an offer he wouldn’t dream of turning down.
Word Count: 1401
Written For: Prompt 23: Cave at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: This is the much longer version of the ficlet I wrote for the community.
Arriving home from doing some shopping on his day off, Andy was startled by a voice coming from behind him.
“PC Davidson, just the man I was looking for.”
He turned around to see who’d spoken, intending to tell whoever it was that he was off-duty and if they didn’t need urgent assistance, to call the station, but the words died on his lips when he recognised the man who’d spoken. “I know you. You’re Torchwood,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Young and dapper, dressed in an immaculate three-piece suit covered by an expensive-looking overcoat, the man gave a polite smile and held out his hand for Andy to shake. “Ianto Jones. Perhaps we can go inside and talk?” He inclined his head towards Andy’s front door; somehow it didn’t surprise Andy that Torchwood knew where he lived.
Juggling his shopping bags, Andy shook Jones’ hand. “Sure, of course. Just let me…” Rummaging in his pocket for his house keys, Andy unlocked the door and led the way inside, along the narrow hallway and into the kitchen, where he set his bags down on the counter and started to unpack them, quickly shoving perishables into the fridge and freezer. “Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?” he asked, remembering his manners.
“Thank you, a cup of tea would be lovely. It’s quite chilly out, and I’ve been waiting a while.”
“Tea it is.” Andy put the kettle on, dug out two mugs and dropped a teabag in each one, then leaned his back against the counter, arms folded over his chest, while he waited for the kettle to boil. “So, what can I do for Torchwood?” A thought crossed his mind. “Is Gwen alright?”
“A bit battered, like the rest of us,” Jones said with a wry smile. He’d slipped off his overcoat while Andy was busy, draping it over the back of a chair, and for the first time Andy noticed the other man’s left arm was in a sling. “Been having a rough few weeks and it doesn’t look like things will be letting up any time soon. That’s actually why I’m here.”
“Oh yes?” Andy turned away to make the tea, adding a dash of milk before setting one mug near his visitor. “Sugar?”
“No, thank you.” Jones picked up the mug, taking a careful sip. “Lovely.” He waited until Andy had picked up his own mug and had a sip before continuing. “Some time ago, I believe you asked Gwen to put in a good word for you with Torchwood.”
Andy nodded. “Yeah; not that anything came of it.”
“We’re a small organisation; we didn’t have any vacancies at the time, but with our workload increasing recently, it’s become necessary to make a few changes, starting with adding a few more field agents to the team. While we were discussing potential recruits, your name came up.”
Andy’s jaw had dropped as Jones was speaking; now he hurriedly pulled himself together and found his voice. “Seriously? You’re offering me a job?”
Jones nodded. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on you, and we think you could prove an asset to the team. Detective Inspector Swanson, our liaison with the Heddlu, had some very good things to say about you. Of course, it would mean giving up your current job, but… Are you interested? Or do you need to take a few days to think about it?”
What was there to think about? This was something Andy had wanted for years and he wasn’t about to pass it up when it was practically being handed to him on a plate. “I’m definitely interested.”
“You should understand that the work we do is beyond top secret; you won’t be able to talk about it with anyone outside the team.”
“I can live with that. Not much different to being a copper really.”
“Excellent. I was hoping you’d say that.” Jones finished the last of his tea, filed the mug with water from the tap, and set in on the draining board before putting his coat on. “Right, shall we go?”
“Now?”
“Can you think of a better time? You’ll want to have a look around your new workplace and meet the rest of the team, make sure the job is really for you before you hand in your notice to your superiors. You don’t want to burn your bridges and then realise you’ve made a mistake.”
“Point taken.” Andy drained his mug, left it on the counter, pulled his jacket back on and followed Jones out of the house. Torchwood’s big black SUV was waiting out front with the engine running, the weaselly little man who worked with Gwen behind the wheel. Andy noticed he had a black eye and bruised jaw; it looked like Jones hadn’t been joking about the team being a bit battered.
Jones ushered Andy into the back seat and climbed in beside him.
“Andy Davidson, meet Dr. Owen Harper, team medic.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Harper gave a slight nod but didn’t say anything, just pulled away from the kerb and turned the imposing vehicle towards Cardiff Bay. Andy stared at the banks of equipment in front of him, looking like something out of a sci-fi movie. “What’s all this?”
“Gives us access to the computers back at our base no matter where we are. We’re very hi-tech.” Jones sounded faintly amused.
“I can see that.” Andy kept his hands folded in his lap, not wanting to touch anything he shouldn’t, more than a little worried he might break something and have to pay for it if he did. Almost before he knew it, the SUV was pulling up at the edge of Roald Dahl Plas, letting him and Jones out. As Harper drove away, Andy followed Jones towards Mermaid Quay, where he was ushered into the small Tourist Office at the bottom of the steps. “What’re we doing here?”
“This is the entrance to our secret base, of course,” Jones said, locking the door behind them. Striding across the room, he slipped behind the desk where he did something that made a whole section of the wall swing open, revealing a stone walled passageway beyond. Once again, Andy’s jaw all but hit the floor. Jones smirked at the expression on his face. “This is nothing; wait until you see the Hub. This way.” He set off down the corridor, with Andy hurrying along in his wake. Around a sharp corner they came to a lift, which they entered, going down Andy didn’t know how far. Reaching the bottom, they stepped out and to the accompaniment of loud alarms and flashing lights, a door made from the biggest cog Andy had ever seen rolled aside. Jones led the way through, gesturing at their surroundings with a wide sweep of his uninjured arm. “Welcome to the Bat Cave!”
Once again, Andy was left gaping in amazement. For a moment he forgot how to breathe. “Bloody hell!” he eventually managed to wheeze out breathlessly.
The place was immense; a vast underground cavern on several levels that looked like it had been carved from the bedrock. The floor beneath his feet was bare and pitted concrete, part of the cave had been partitioned off to create an office space, there were grilled metal catwalks in various places, and desks laden with computer equipment in the main area. At the far end of the cavernous base, the lower part of the water tower extended right down through the ceiling, ending in a pool of water.
A loud screech came from above him, and looking up, Andy saw a huge winged reptile soaring high overhead.
“Bloody hell!” he said again. “Is that a dinosaur?”
“Pteranodon; you might say she and I joined the team at the same time. Her name’s Myfanwy. Word of warning; if you bring chocolate to work, be prepared to share it with her. She prefers dark, but she’ll take whatever’s going. Ready to see the rest?”
“There’s more?”
“Trust me; this is only the beginning. You’re about to see things you’ve never even imagined.”
A giddy grin spread across Andy’s face. This morning he’d been an ordinary copper, and now here he was, standing in Torchwood’s secret base. Better yet, from now on this was where he was going to be working! He could scarcely believe it! “I can’t wait!”
The End
Sequel: ' Team Expansion'