FIC: Torchwood drabble - Underground

[fajrdrako]

Title: Underground
Author: fajrdrako
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack/Ianto
Challenge: tw100, challenge: turn left - putting Torchwood characters into the dark alternate world in which the Doctor was dead, experienced by Donna Noble in the Doctor Who episode "Turn Left".
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine, no claims, all property of the BBC.
Notes: Cross-posted to my LJ and to tw100.


Underground

My lover lives underground. He used to have power and authority: Torchwood was respected. Now, Jack's on the run, living a secret existence, known only to a few.

I am one of those. I see him when I can - it's too dangerous to openly live with a man with no identity. He jokes he's an illegal alien, and I don't laugh: I just hold him tight. He can't die, but he can be imprisoned. I wish he'd leave earth. He'd be safe elsewhere, but he says he needs to stay, to defend us.

He can't save us from ourselves.

Comments

[louiex.livejournal.com]

Utterly tragic but still beautiful in so few words~

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Such a sad scenario, but I like the idea that even in those circumstances, Jack and Ianto have each other, and Jack hasn't swerved from his purpose.

[louiex.livejournal.com]

It really is but you're right~ I have no doubt that Jack wouldn't ever stop trying to do the right thing, Ianto's loyalties would have him stick by Jack while still doing as many of his duties as he still could. (Its one of those fun 'Year that Never Was' enjoyable scenarios :D Guerrilla!Ianto :D)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Guerilla!Ianto - yes! what a great concept. I think the Turn Left scenario would make Ianto even more dedicated to Jack, and to changing things.

[louiex.livejournal.com]

Mmm... Guerrilla!Ianto... Now that is inspiring :D But yes, you're totally right that in harder times it would only make him more loyal. Probably skew the grays of morality into very neat black and white lines too~

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I love it when one idea leads to another. I also love it when Ianto rises to the occasion.

[louiex.livejournal.com]

He's just awesome like that! It can't be helped~ But yes, I must gnaw on this idea for a while :D It fits into something I was poking at a while ago, could be interesting to pick it up again ^_^

See? Your drabble of awesome win is so extra win-filled that it spiraled outward into all of this!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I must gnaw on this idea for a while :D It fits into something I was poking at a while ago, could be interesting to pick it up again

How wonderful - and intriguing! I wait with bated breath for the results.

Happy and more than happy to inspire you any time, m'dear. If I can.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

probably skew the grays of morality into very neat black and white lines too~

Yes, which is a very interesting concept. I think Ianto would be more likely to obey Jack without question, and less likely to hesitate to shoot.

[louiex.livejournal.com]

I think Ianto would be more likely to obey Jack without question, and less likely to hesitate to shoot.

Its like in Meat when Jack and the others were in danger, Ianto stopped dragging his heels and just went into serious soldier mode. He certainly has that potential without trying hard at all. His hardcore-ness felt like it was out of nowhere but its always been there just behind the suits and hand-fiddling nervousness. Ianto's that classic character of frightening potential to just need little shoves to skew him one way or the other. Its probably his youth that's keeping all the canon traumas he's had to suffer through that's kept him from seriously just becoming such a weapon of a person.

Personally, I also think Jack doesn't want that life for him per se. In that deleted scene, he laughs with Ianto playing around, he keeps Ianto on his toes with flirting, and encourages jokes (when the time is right XD). The last thing Jack wants to see is the human element in his team -aside from Gwen of course!- fade into just orders and missions. Mostly because Jack needs that himself to not turn into just a soldier too as we've seen him do that on Satellite 5 when he fought the Daleks the first time with the Doctor. (Its what made Adam's version of Ianto so scary is that he was all that murder and mayhem but still enjoyed it :D) .... I could talk about this for weeks I'm sure! I hope you don't mind the meta on your fic here!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Its like in Meat when Jack and the others were in danger, Ianto stopped dragging his heels and just went into serious soldier mode.

This is one of many reasons I think "Meat" is my favourite episode of series 2. (Though there are few other contenders.) Ianto was closest to the way I want him to be.

Ianto's that classic character of frightening potential to just need little shoves to skew him one way or the other.

Yes, and motivation. He does well when focussed on a goal that involves someone he cares about.

And yes, Jack is a very humanistic person, who wants to keep Gwen and Ianto balanced - not to turn them into weapons but to help them be balanced, complete people even in circumstances of madness. Moreover, he's got the Doctor's values guiding him, and the Doctor disliked militarism. Jack sees its value - but he's not going to make those kinds of sacrifices. I think being in the military when young was difficult for him, and he's still protective of Ianto and Gwen that way.

I could talk about this for weeks I'm sure! I hope you don't mind the meta on your fic here!

Oh, I love it - any excuse to talk about Jack and Ianto. Singly or together.

[louiex.livejournal.com]

Meat goes up and down for me but I think overall I really liked that one too :D Adam still reigns up pretty high (mostly just for brilliant OOC scenery chewing) up there with Fragments~ Is it a character consistency that Gwen, when talking of love, forgets all the terribly tragic love stories of those around her and can't fathom that they might actually know her terror/pride/pain when it comes to her relationship with Rhys or his new relationship with her job? Her speech at the end bothers me because there was no on-screen repercussions for her forgetfulness of the suffering (like I don't know, the episode prior with Tosh losing Tommy) of her team. /rant :D

You're right about Jack though, especially with what he revealed in CJH about his friend being tortured and killed so young. He does want to savor that innocent sheen that still coats his team but he doesn't want that to be a crutch or inability to function when they DO need to be soldiers. Ianto is a superb covert ops sort. He's able to retain scads of information without it being a bother, versatile enough to use various weapons, can think quickly in suddenly changed situations; just look at all he did to get Lisa in the Hub! I hope in coming seasons we get to see them flex him more because the keep teasing little skills here and there that he has. Jack seems to be one of the few people who CAN see what Ianto's capable of and has kept him on because of that, especially in the wake of the Cyberwoman episode~

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Adam still reigns up pretty high (mostly just for brilliant OOC scenery chewing)

I love 'Adam' too, especially the parts featuring Jack and Ianto. When Jack kisses his forehead I melt. Oddly enough, I don't like the parts about Jack's past. But that's okay. I liked the rest of the story. And of course 'Fragments' was wonderful, and would have been even if it hadn't featured the pterodactyl.

Her speech at the end bothers me because there was no on-screen repercussions for her forgetfulness of the suffering (like I don't know, the episode prior with Tosh losing Tommy) of her team.

I'll have to think about that.

He does want to savor that innocent sheen that still coats his team but he doesn't want that to be a crutch or inability to function when they DO need to be soldiers.

Yes. I think that's why he is sometimes over-careful of them, and sometimes harsh. Depends on the circumstances. Ianto proved his secret ops skills in keeping the secret of Lisa hidden for months, right within Torchwood. He's very clever... and sometimes shockingly inept, or able to miss the obvious - maybe because he's so focussed. I am still irritated with him for his inability to shoot the Blowfish; that should have been a no-brainer.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Poignant. Well done.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Many thanks.