#and start convincing yourself that you are the bane of this whole fandom's existence?

[somegrumpynerd]

I have got to stop getting distracted

[myotishia]

Time hopping part four

Fandom: Torchwood. Trigger warnings: None I don't think but tell me if I've missed anything. Characters: Owen Harper (Past and present), Toshiko Sato, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Elise Carter (oc) Rating: Teen and up Tropes: We’re fixing things right over here.

Blurb: As Elise gets better acquainted with the team Jack is forced to face is past in a more direct manner than he’d like.

The captain listened patiently as Elise recounted the events since she met her Owen, taking in every detail.

“... and now I’m here.”

“Do you know how dangerous what you’re doing is?”

“I do… But wouldn’t you do the same if you had the chance?”

“I shouldn’t let you carry on but knowing Owen that wouldn’t work. From now on just report everything to us and let us deal with it.”

“He tried that once. It didn’t work. I think he’s tried everything over time.”

Jack looked as if the whole thing was starting to give him a headache. “So what do you get out of all this. You’ve told me a lot about Owen but not much about your motives.”

“Me? … It was this or ending it all. And now I’m in too deep. Then again, I don’t think I want to turn back. It’s impossible to go back to normal once a pteranodon had preened your hair.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re certainly something.”

“Being nobody is my superpower at this point.”

“You aren’t nobody.”

“I am and that’s ok. My biggest achievement before all this was reprogramming my roomba and it just ended up humping a lamp. I was born nobody and I’ll die nobody.”

“Elise.”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t talk about myself.”

“You should. You’ve travelled through time, infiltrated one of the most secure places in the world and worked under our radar for some time now.”

“I just wanted to help.” She shrugged.

“Then stay. If you want to help us, then help us.”

“I can’t just abandon Owen. My Owen I mean.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not asking you to. You can still carry on with whatever his plan is just not hopping through time constantly.”

“You just want to keep an eye on me.”

“I’ll be doing that anyway.”

She paused, studying the back of her marked hand. “Did Ianto ever tell you what happened to his girlfriend.”

“It took a week or so but yes. Why?”

“I need to apologize to him.”

“Don’t. Just let it go.”

“But I killed her.”

“No. The cybermen killed her, you just put her body to rest.”

She considered it for a moment but wasn’t convinced.

“Owen says immortality is just suffering. Is it the same for you?”

Jack was taken aback by the sudden question. “Not always… But I’m guessing we aren’t the same kind of immortal.”

“No. He’s dead, just still sentient. He told me he’s been around for eons now. Alone.”

“You said he’s connected telepathically to you. Can you contact him any time?”

“Yes.”

“When my Owen goes home can yours come here?”

“That should be fine I guess.”

It was two am before past Owen was satisfied that Elise would be fine without him there, so he could go home. When the coast was clear future Owen made his way in. Jack watched as a black mist collected and began to solidify into a humanoid figure. It was recognisably Owen but his skin had a sickly pallor and his eyes were much too dark.

“You look…”

“Like shit. I know.”

“I’ve got to admit. I didn’t really believe it was you. I thought it was just something using your face.”

“You always do. The first time I found you after I became a giant dust bunny you tried to trap me.”

“What’s your endgame here?”

“I can’t go out the way I did. I have to change things. Elise… Could you give us a moment?”

Elise, who had been sitting quietly by Owens desk playing with the rubix cube, nodded and headed back towards the autopsy bay, playing music on her phone with some borrowed headphones.

Once she was out of sight Owen continued, speaking quietly. “Each time I stop something happening to my past self it stops existing with my present self. When I stop my past self dying… I think I’ll cease to exist.”

“Is that really what you want?”

“I’ve been here for so long. I’m ready to go.”

“Owen-”

“I know… Promise me two things Jack.”

The captain nodded.

“One, the second gauntlet. Destroy it and forget it ever existed. And two, take care of her. She’s smarter than she thinks she is.”

“I can promise that much.”

“Thank you Jack. I mean it.”

“What happens next then?”

“Your murder addict ex turns up, poisons Gwen and shoots me. Do yourself a favour, take the time watch off his wrist, retcon him into the last century and move on.” Owen stopped suddenly as if there was something else he wasn’t sure he should say.

“Come on, you’ve said this much, what is it?”

“Your brother.”

Jacks eyes widened “How…”

“He’s alive but he’s not your brother anymore. He buries you alive Jack. John rescued him and just ended up a victim like the rest of us. He kills Tosh in cold blood just to make you suffer. I end up trapped in the nuclear plant as it melted down listening to Tosh die of blood loss. I hadn’t been able to feel anything once I died... but I felt myself burn.  Please, if you care about us at all…”

“Stop!” Jack pled, tears running down his face.

“I’m sorry.”

Ianto returned from finishing his duties for the night. He’d wanted to keep an eye on Jack after the earlier blowout and thought it was over, at least for now. When he made his way to the main area of the hub he found Jack hunched over, a drink in one hand.

“Jack?”

Jack didn’t look up.

“What’s wrong?” He sat across from the man who, red eyed, finally acknowledged his presence.

“Am I a bad person?”

“No. No, is this about earlier? Owen was just upset.”

“It’s about everything.” He finished his drink in one shot. “I thought I was better than I used to be.”

“Look at me! It doesn’t matter who you used to be, you’re a good man now.” Ianto took the man's hand and looked him right in the eye. “When was the last time you slept?”

“A few days.”

“You might be immortal but you need sleep just like the rest of us. Come on.”

“Are you going to kiss me goodnight?”

“Brush your teeth and I’ll consider it. Whisky breath.”

Back drifting in the dark, facing down the robed figure, Elise was confused. She hadn’t time jumped since being there last. Would this happen each time she slept? No, she couldn’t cope with that, not every night. She awoke with a painful gasp and a swift fall, landing hard on the floor.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, rolling onto her back to try and regain her senses.

“Need a hand?” Asked a figure standing, silhouetted in the light above her.

She took the man's hand and clambered to her feet. “Thanks.”

Ianto quickly checked to see if she’d hit her head or anything serious but she seemed fine, if a little embarrassed. “Coffee?”

“Yes please. You’re Ianto, right?”

“Oh god what’s he told you about me?”

Elise laughed softly. “Nothing bad, though he still calls you tea boy.”

“Some things never change.”

“It’s not malicious or anything.”

“I know. It doesn’t make me want to punch him any less.”

“I’m not getting in the way, am I?”

“Jack gave everyone the morning off, so no.”

“Is he ok? I fell asleep before I could find out what happened.”

Ianto shrugged, not wanting to get into detail. “He’s sleeping. You can relax upstairs while I get that coffee.”

“Sure, thanks.”

Sitting in a soft chair Elise smiled at the sound of Myfanwy stretching her wings and screeching above.

“Milk? Sugar?” Ianto asked, placing down two mugs.

“No thanks. I never have sugar in anything. Too expensive. Then again so’s coffee.”

“Oh?”

“The economy pretty much collapsed when I was little so anything that had to be imported cost a bomb. Add to that the tax on anything too high in sugar, salt or fat and it just wasn’t possible to have on a regular basis.”  She picked up her mug and sipped at the coffee, smiling broadly. “Your skills have been sorely underrepresented.”

Ianto chuckled warmly. “So, Owen’s told you about all of us then?”

“Yea.”

“Alright then, quick game.”

“Sure, I’m in.�� She said, looking over the rim of her mug.

“Right I’ll start and you finish. Owen is…”

“A bit of a dick but a good doctor and a lot more sensitive than he lets on.”

“Gwen is…”

“A soft heart and worryingly naive but a good investigator.”

“Jack is…”

“A shameless flirt, not as in control as he thinks he is and has a huge weakness for a pretty face.”

“Tosh is…”

Elise blushed a little. “A genius, a sweetheart and the bane of security systems worldwide.”  

“I am…”

“Smarter than you let on, a snarky git and a coffee god. How did I do?”

He pretended to think it over, taking a long sip of his drink. “I’d say you won.”

“What prize do I get?” She teased.

“An advance on your first paycheck so you can buy some clothing and necessities. You would have got that either way but now you get the feeling of accomplishment to go with it.”

She sat bolt upright. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly serious.”

“But how, I don’t even exist here yet.”

“Neither does Jack but it's never stopped him before. I took the liberty of opening a bank account for you and Toshiko is in the process of creating a past for you. And you might want this for your phone.” He pulled a sim card from his pocket and handed it over.

“When did you have time to do all this?”

“As the only administrator here I’ve learned to perform miracles.”

Elise finished her drink and placed down the mug. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Now if everyone else would notice-”

He was cut off by Elise pulling him into a hug.

“The caffeine kicked in then.” he laughed as she pulled away.

She unclipped the back from her phone and swapped the sim cards. “Now all I need is a soldering iron and a few small cables and this baby’ll be as good as new.”

The screen lit up and a slightly crackling tone rang out telling her she had one new message.

Jack leant back in his chair, feeling better than the night before but his newfound knowledge sat heavy on his shoulders. He’d lived most of his life being sure his younger brother was dead and the idea that he was alive but filled with so much hate that it was like losing him all over again. Of course John had to be involved too. His past always seemed to follow him no matter what he did. He needed to ground himself before he started spiralling.

“I gave Elise that sim card.” Said Ianto. He’d been standing there for a little while seeing if Jack was just being his usual odd self but no.

“Is the tracker working?”

“Perfectly.”

“We should go out for dinner.”

“I’ll grab everyone's preferences in a minute.”

“No. I mean you and me. We should go out to dinner.”

“Like a date?”

“Why not?”

Ianto smiled. “Ok then. Yes.”

Elise placed down the bags she’d been carrying.

“I think we went overboard.” she laughed.

Tosh gathered her own shopping bags and tidied them under her chair. “Only a little. Are you having fun?”

“Yea. Thanks for taking me.”

“It’s fine. It’s been fun for me too. We still need to sort out where you’ll be staying until you have your own place.”

“I hadn’t really thought about it to be honest.”

“Well, staying at the hub would get uncomfortable rather quickly. You could stay with me. If you want to I mean… Owen’s picky with how he lives and Gwen has Rhys so it could be a little cramped.”

“Ok.”

“And- wait… Ok?”

“Sure. As long as you don’t mind me waking up the way I do. I’ll try not to scream or anything.”

“No, no it’s fine… I’ll go and order our lunch.” Tosh smiled and walked off, a spring in her step.

I familiar voice crept through Elise’s head. “Having fun?”

“I am actually. How about you?”

“Keeping an eye out for the usual bullshit.”

“Sounds fun. How did the meeting with The Doctor go?”

“Pretty well. I explained the situation and I think he understood. There was nothing he could do for me but I expected that much.”

“That’s good. Sorry I fell asleep before you left last night.”

“Did you have another nightmare?”

“Yea. Past you said that after I woke up from collapsing I was giving off radiation. He said my brain activity showed that the pain I felt in my dream made it react as if it was real.”

There was a long pause.

“Owen? Are you still there.”

“Just take some time to relax. I need to do some research.”

“About what?... Owen?...”

Toshiko sat down across from Elise placing down drinks for both of them. “Daydreaming about anything interesting?”

“I was just chatting to my Owen.”

“So Owen was your agent? How did he get hold of working time travel technology? Jack is always so wary of that kind of thing.”

“I don’t think Jack had much of a hand in it to be honest. Things went off track in his timeline.”

“Does he still remember me?”

“Of course he does. From the way he talks about you he misses you a lot.” Elise sipped her drink. “Cola’s a lot sweeter here than I had.”

“What happened to your hand?” It was the first time Tosh had noticed the pattern of scars, pink and raised, on the back of Elise’s right hand.

“This is my connection to Owen. I don’t mean symbolically or anything. I think whatever he did actually mixed our cells in this pattern so when he time jumps so do I. It’s what lets me speak telepathically with him too.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Not really, though I was hopped up on adrenaline at the time. I kind of like having it now. It’s like a tattoo.”

Tosh reached forward and ran a thumb over the raised skin. “We should look up the symbol.”

Elise intended to answer but found herself just nodding, red in the face and heart pounding.

That night Elise sat at Toshiko's desk with her phone taken apart spread in front of her. She’d smoothed down the case and a fresh layer of resin reflected the light from the lamp above it. Most people, when they go their first Torchwood paycheck, would buy something brand new but Elise wasn’t most people. She bought the small parts to refurbish her phone. The old speaker sat at the bottom of the bin as she connected the new one to the tiny sound card. Toshiko watched fascinated at the miniature computer as it was rebuilt. It was put together the same way a pc would be but on such a small scale that she thought many of the parts shouldn’t work. Then again she saw things that shouldn’t work but did every day. She’d worked them all out eventually.

“Didn’t Ianto think I’d notice the chip on the sim card he gave me?” Elise held up the small card, tilting it in the light to show the indent where something had been painstakingly hidden inside the card itself.

“What?” Tosh asked, having been told nothing.

“It’s ok, just tell me what it does.” she handed over the card.

It only took a moment to recognise the chip, after all she’d developed it. “It’s a tracking device. It uses the phones network connection to send its location back to the hub.”

“Well, Jack did say he’d keep an eye on me.”

“Ely he just-”

“It’s fine. One, there’s nowhere I need to go that you all wouldn’t know about anyway. And two, it can’t track me through time.”

She handed the sim card back. “You’re going to jump again?” The disappointment barely masked in her voice.

“Not unless we really need to. I think what happened last time really shook Owen up.”

“Didn’t it scare you?”

“I hadn’t thought about it. Everything’s been such a rollercoaster ride since that night I think I just haven’t let it sink in. Whatever happens is better than my body being found in the bay.”

“What?! Were you in some kind of trouble?”

“Just desperate. I’ve got things to hold onto now though.” Elise slipped the sim card back into the back of her phone.

Tosh pulled her chair a little closer. “So, did you ever meet any of us from the future?”

“No. I don’t think it was possible.”

“I was dead… Wasn’t I?”

“Sorry, but I won’t let it happen this time. If Owen can fight his way back through time then the least I can do is make sure he succeeded .” She snapped the back of her phone back into place and switched it on. “Let’s see if this worked.”

The phone lit up and, after being unlocked, Elise opened the music application and hit the first song on the playlist. A soft ballad played out, crystal clear and filled the room.

“Fixed. We should get the parts and upgrade everyone's pho-” She was cut off by Tosh turning her head and kissing her.

Future Owen stood in the hub waiting. Jack had sent Elise a message and though he hadn’t gotten a reply Owen had certainly got the idea. His past self had already gone home but, little did future Owen know, Ianto and Gwen had both stayed. They were curious about this shadow of their workmate. As much as they tried to trust Jacks judgement they knew he wasn’t impervious to manipulation.

“He looks like he does on a Monday morning.” Whispered Ianto.

“Even the black cloud?”

“Especially the black cloud.”

“Do you think it’s really him?”

“If it isn’t it’s doing a good impression. I asked Elise what she’d been told about us.”

“And?”

“And it sounded exactly like Owen would describe us. Except Tosh but I think Elise has a crush on her.”

“Do you think she’s everything she says?”

“There’s no record of her anywhere. From the blood sample Owen found almost nothing.”

“Almost?”

“Her and Owen have the same blood type.”

Jack finally made his entrance. “I didn’t think you got my message.”

“Elise was busy. What do you need?”

“I was thinking about what you told me.”

“I’m sorry for lashing out at you.”

“No… No, I needed to hear it. But I need more proof.”

“Fair. Ianto, mind coming out of your little hiding spot? You too Gwen. Two witnesses would be better than one for this.”

The two looked at each other, a little shocked they’d been noticed.

Owen continued. “When you were buried John had a plan. It ended with you in Torchwood hands. Specifically in cryo storage. Until it stops being a possibility your body will still be there. You can’t meet yourself but they can confirm it for you.”

Jack nodded. “Alright. You two ok with that?”

Gwen looked between the captain and the ghoulish reflection of Owen. “If it can prove that all this isn’t a con.”

Owen headed down towards the morgue draws, typing in the code to retrieve Jacks specific draw. A loud metallic grinding echoed before stopping and a draw opened, an icy mist seeping out. Ianto was the first to look and it took a moment for what he was seeing to sink in. Gwen, daring to look, gasped and backed away.

“You were telling the truth.” She breathed.

“I was.”

“Owen. What really happened to you?”

“I died and didn’t completely stay that way.”

Ianto closed the draw and locked it before walking out without another word.

“You should go with him.”

“Owen… I…”

“It’s ok.”

“No it’s not! This is-” She tried to reach for his hand but found herself grasping air, her hand surrounded by the fine black mist.

Owen sighed and looked down, pulling his hand back together. “Did the message I left work?”

“We didn’t do anything. I came to my senses and so did you.”

“Good.”

“In the past did we …?”

“Fuck?”

“Sleep together. Yea.”

“Yes. It shouldn’t have happened and it made things complicated between all of us.” He frowned deeply.

“And Rhys?”

“You told him, then retconned him... You stayed together.”

“All this going back in time and saving people… Thank you for not letting me make a big mistake.”

“You weren’t alone in making mistakes Gwen.”

“I know, but still.”

“Go and tell Jack what you saw then go home. Enjoy the downtime.”

“How long have we got until it gets crazy again?”

“Longer than you’d think. Shorter than you’d like.”

“When did you start on this mysterious thing?”

“I have to cultivate a persona. I’ve got fuck all else left.”

Drifting in the dark again. Elise held her breath, determined not to drown this time. She wasn’t going to let this thing almost kill her every night. The grim figure watched her, circling like a shark. Just looking at it pulled a primal fear from the very depths of her heart and she tried to swim away, fingers going numb and blue the further she went. Her jaw clenched as her lungs screamed for air, muscles spasming in her chest. She couldn’t keep swimming. Her legs had gone numb and her body felt like it was made of stone. The skeletal figure appeared in front of her face.

She awoke with a painful gasp, Toshiko at her side trying to calm her down.

“Ely? Ely! Look at me.” She begged, her arm wrapped around Elise’s back.

Elise coughed and caught her breath, shivering. “I’m ok.”

“You’re freezing. I only went out of the room for a second and-”

“Wait. My coat! Please. Inside pocket.”

Though Tosh was confused she still ran to get Elise’s coat and dug into the inside pocket finding the radiation sponge. The womans panic finally made sense. She couldn’t know if she was throwing off radiation or not.

“It’s ok. See?” Tosh pulled the blanket around her bedmate, holding her hands to warm them up.

“I’m sorry… I can’t do this every night. I thought I could but I…” Shuddered Elise, tears streaming down her face.

“We’ll find a way to stop it. We’ll go in today and find some way. You’re going to be fine.”

Past Owen took a gulp of his coffee, looking through the footage from the night before, trying to catch a glimpse of the thing proclaiming itself to be him. The interference made it impossible but he thought it had been worth a try. Even one clear frame would be enough. When he got nothing he switched to footage of Elise. When she had first entered after the time jump the interference made the footage useless but after a while it settled until only her right hand seemed to cause the distortion. Specifically when he had given her the radiation sponge. It made sense but he worried about the effects on everyone else if the radiation was harmful. He couldn’t even identify it fully.

The sound of the cog door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Morning.”

Tosh threw her bag onto her chair and didn’t sound happy. “Good morning.”

“Does your roommate snore or something?”

“Owen, she woke up this morning freezing.”

“I’d tell you to put the heating on but it looks like you’d slap me.”

“Her lips were turning blue and she was shivering. I only left the room for a moment.”

He sat forward. “Alright, that sounds a bit more serious. Are you sure she hadn’t got cold overnight.”

“Yes Owen I’m sure! She was right next to me the whole time.” Tosh caught herself moments too late.

He smirked. “You two had a fun day off then. Where is she? I’ll see what I can do.”

“She’ll be in in a second. Don’t say anything about … you know.”

He mimed zipping his lips closed.

Owen pulled a chair over to his desk. “Come in to my office.”

Elise sat in the chair provided, the sleeves of her jumper pulled over her hands.

“Looks like it isn’t the time jumping that’s causing your dreams.”

“Apparently not.”

“Tosh told me it happens suddenly so we just have to stop it before then. All we need is for something, or someone,” he shot a glance at Tosh who was giving him a death glare, “to wake you up before that last rem cycle. It doesn’t fix the problem but it’ll limit the damage until we can find a permanent solution.”

“Thanks. “

“It’s what I do. So…”

Tosh looked at him with murder in her eyes.

“I heard that you’ve found your way into my friends bed.”

Elise blushed but smiled. “Maybe you need to up your game then Harper. I’m over here stealing your girl.”

“Tosh, I don’t like this one. You’re going to have to send her back.”

Toshiko’s death glare softened and turned into a smile.

“Sorry, I don’t have a returns policy. Looks like you’re stuck with me.” Elise grinned.

After a peaceful break that allowed Elise to settle in the rift decided it was time to make them earn their keep.

Chasing a anthropomorphic fish in a stolen sports car had not been anyone's first choice of activity on a Friday night, but Torchwood rarely got to choose their cases.  It began the same as it had last time except Jack had insisted on driving, much to everyone’s displeasure. Owen sat on the passenger side window, shooting out the stolen cars tyres, Gwen insisting he was showing off. He didn’t argue the point. The SUV skidded to a halt as the fish made a run for it, grabbing a woman who had been drawn out by the commotion. A hostage situation was the last thing anyone needed, especially the hostage. The blowfish, an aptly named creature as he was high as a whole handful of kites, threatened the poor woman with a gun noone was sure he knew how to fire. Little did the amphibious criminal know Elise had split off to sneak around the back of the house, slipping in silently through an open window. Though she couldn’t keep up with the others in a flat running race she’d found her calling in stealth.

The blowfish thought he’d reached a stalemate, his back to a wall, not realising how much space he’d left for anyone to slip round, out of his line of sight. He never saw the shot coming as his body slumped to the floor, light visible through the hole in his head. Gwen moved to comfort the hostage who was clearly in shock.

“When did Earth become an intergalactic drug den?” Asked Elise, handing over the blowfish's weapon.

Jack pushed the creatures body back with his foot, laying it out flat. “It happens every few years.”

“You should see one of these things when they O D.” Owen smiled, dropping a body bag from his shoulder. “They start changing colours. The body ended up being neon pink and green.”

“You find way too much joy in that.” She sighed, shaking her head.

“And for that you get to help me get him into the bag. I’ll grab his feet.”

“Oh come on!” She grumbled, looking down at the creatures head slowly oozing grey matter onto the carpet. She was about to lean down when a familiar voice drifted into her mind.

“Look in his coat. There’s a small pyramid. Don’t activate it, just hand it over to Jack. He’ll know what to do.” Future Owen said softly.

She reached over and found the object.

Past Owen looked up. “The ghost in your head telling you things again?”

“That ghost being you, yes. Jack, I was told you’d know what to do with this.”

Jack took the pyramid and slid it into his pocket. “That time already?”

“Apparently. Looks like he’s told you more than he has me.”

“I’ll go and deal with this.”

Owen looked up from dragging the body into the black bag. “Planning to walk Harkness? He’s already starting to smell like shit so I’m not waiting for you with him.”

“Good point.”

Future Owen waited, watching John carefully in case he decided on a whim to shoot up the place. John could feel that this man was different and it bothered him more than he thought it should. As soon as Jack turned up it would be fine but until then he could feel those dark eye bore into him. No, he’d had enough. John turned and fired what should have been a perfect headshot, causing everyone else in the bar to scatter. Owen’s head bloomed into a spiral of black mist and then reformed, the bullet imbedded in the wall behind him. John fired three more shots before conceding that it was pointless.

“What are you?”

Owen shrugged. “Dead. You?”

“You don’t look dead to me.”

“And you don’t look like a time travelling con man so that’s both of us wrong.”

“How do you know that?” Johns frustration was clear as he slowly closed the gap between them.

“You’re a sorry fucking excuse for a time traveller if you can’t work that out. Let me give you some advice. That pyramid you’re looking for? It doesn’t lead you to a diamond. Hand it over to Grey and move on with your life, unless you want to end up as his slave of course.”

“He wouldn’t-”

“Yes he would. You just can’t see past your own ego to realise it.”

John made a grab for Owen but found himself clutching air. Jack walked in just as the black mist dissipated, seeing John lost in confusion.

He sat at the bar. “Done fighting shadows?”

“Jack!” John turned, the shadow being seemingly forgotten, and moved to pull the captain into a kiss. He found himself blocked by the pyramid in Jacks hand. He took a step back in shock. “How did-”

“How long have I known you?”

“That’s not the point.” He grabbed for the object but Jack pulled it away.

“I’ll give this to you once you’ve answered my questions.”

“Do you always have to be such a tease?”

“I’m not in the mood John.”

“That’s rare. What do you want to know?”

“Grey. You found him.”

“I did. How did you find out?”

“You know how. You met him before I got here. How is my brother?”

“Damaged. I’m doing my best but years of torture can’t be fixed overnight. I’m sorry.”

“No. I am. This pyramid isn’t a map, it’s a bomb. Give it to Grey to open.”

“Are you serious? He’s your brother!”

“My brother died when I was a kid! The man you rescued is a twisted echo using his face.”

“Jack…”

“No! If you ever gave a damn about me, about us, then you take that to him and you let my brother rest!” He ordered, tears welling in his eyes. “For both of us, please.”

John paused, the pyramid settling in his hand. “And if I fail?”

“You won’t.”

John didn’t say another word, he simply opened up the time portal and stepped through, leaving Jack alone. He couldn’t stay for long as sirens came closer.

Elise had ended up helping carry the body bag and her arms were aching. She rolled her shoulders and flopped down in a chair.

“Ready to move on?” Asked future Owen in her mind.

“To what? As long as there’s no heavy lifting I’ll see what I can do.”

“Do you know what a sleeper agent is?”

“Yes, why?”

“We’ve got a few to deal with.”

“When you say deal with…”

“Kill. Yes.”

“Slow down there. Have they been activated yet?”

“No. That’s the point. We aren’t going to let them.”

“Owen, I’m not ok with hurting people who haven’t done anything yet. Can’t we try another way? I can tell everyone and- “

“And they’ll try and stop them activating, fail and have to deal with people exploding.”

“Still.”

“You killed Billis and the blowfish. What’s the difference?”

“They were actively hurting people. I was stopping them killing anyone else.”

“You’ll be doing the same.”

“No, I’ll be killing someone for what they might do. That’s some big brother bullshit.”

“It’s not what they might do. It’s what they will do.”

“Just give me the names and I’ll do my best but I’m not going to start killing just because you tell me to! If I did that I may as well be one of them myself.”

She didn’t get a reply.

“Owen?... Hello?... Fine, ignore me.” She pulled out her phone and sent a message to the team, telling them what she’d been told, deciding to keep his insistence on her action to herself. She didn’t feel right about the situation. Maybe he’d just gotten used to her following orders blindly but the idea of just going out and murdering these people made her feel ill.

“You look like someone just kicked a puppy. What’s up?” Gwen asked, sitting next to her.

“I had an argument with the Owen in my head.”

“Oh? What about?”

“He wants me to take out these sleeper agents before they activate… But until they activate they’re just innocent people aren’t they? They don’t know what they’re going to be made to do.”

“I don’t know the whole story but if it helps I’m on your side. He’s spending the whole time looking back and trying to make the world fit into how he thinks it should go, but the world doesn’t work like that.”

“I wish he would actually talk things through we me instead of just giving orders. It was different when we spoke face to face.”

“You should ask him to meet up then. Help him pull his head out of his arse.”

“Yea. You’re right.”

“We have to do it all the time with our Owen.”

Elise stood in a familiar spot, looking out across the bay, waiting for the man who had saved her life. She was grateful, very much so, but she couldn’t leave her morals behind.

“You wanted to talk.” Owen leant on the railing next to her.

“Owen… I know you think you have everyone's best interests at heart but I have to live with everything I do. I have to be able to face myself after it’s over.”

“Just understand that if you don’t act, that’s on your conscience too.”

“I understand… You seem a lot quicker to jump to killing than your past self.”

“Maybe I lost something over time… Maybe I just want this all to be over as soon as possible.”

“The direct path might always be faster but what’s the point if it means running everyone else over.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “I’ll give you that list of names. Don’t fuck it up.”

With future Owens knowledge of the sleeper agents biology past Owen began devising a way to remove the explosives implanted within each agent. He’d gotten past the natural defence and even managed to suppress the activation temporarily, but he couldn’t seem to separate it from the central nervous system without killing the person or completely removing the arm. To get any further he needed a body to test but that stepped into murky ethical waters.  Until he had a test subject everything was theoretical. Elise leant on his desk.

“Your future self will not shut up until I suggest a singularity scalpel. Literally, he hasn’t stopped all morning.”  

“He should know that it’s nowhere near ready to be used on anything living. I can barely get it to function at all and when it does I end up having to decontaminate the whole autopsy bay.”

“Show me.”

“No.”

“It’s good for you to take a break. Come on. I promise if something explodes I will do my very best not to throw up.”

“You’re not going to sod off until I do, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Fine.” He said, exasperated, throwing the pen he’d been chewing onto the desk.

She followed cheerily, finally getting a moments peace in her mind.

Owen took the item from storage then grabbed a cup and a piece of paper. He placed the paper ball under the cup.

“If it works then it can destroy the paper without damaging the cup. I’ve worked out how to set the location but there are a few more parameters that I can’t pin down.” He showed her the screen as he tried to set it correctly. The paper was visible on the screen but when the scalpel was activated the paper ball and the bottom of the cup disappeared.

“See?” He grumbled.

“You’re letting something like that beat you?”

He knew she was winding him up but his competitive side could not let it go.

Sixteen cups and an entire stack of paper later Owen was closer but still couldn’t make it work perfectly, plus he couldn’t seem to find a way to change the size of the affected area. It seemed to shift at random.

“Do you think it has a telepathic element?” Asked Elise, putting down the clipboard she’d been using as a shield.

“It must be low level to not show up in scans.”

“Well, it doesn’t need to be much if it’s just deciding on the size and shape of whatever you’re destroying.”

“The amount I’ve practiced it should have linked up just fine by now.”

“Not necessarily. Maybe we need to up the stakes a bit. Get you and it on the same page.” She balled up another piece of paper and covered it with her left hand on the table.

“No. You’re going to lose your fucking hand.”

“Only if you fuck up. Come on, I give my full consent for this experiment.”

“Tosh will kill me if this goes wrong.”

“Then don’t let it. Scenario for you. This paper is a bomb that is moments from going off and taking out half of Cardiff but if I move my hand even a hair it’ll immediately go off.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Fifteen seconds.”

“Elise.”

“Thirteen seconds.”

“I’m not go-”

“Eleven.”

He was sure she wouldn’t be this insistent if she didn’t think it would definitely work. She probably had that voice in her head saying it would be fine. But what if it wasn’t. His heart was pounding in his ears, adrenaline charging through his system.

“Five… Come on Owen…. Three… Two…”

He looked down and felt a buzzing in his fingertips, seeing a light halo around the ball of paper then it was gone. It worked. Elise waved her hand and flexed her fingers.

Owen took a deep breath in. “The fuck Elise?! I can’t believe you just made me do that. I can’t believe I just fucking did that.”

“But you did do that, and it worked. It was different that time, right?”

“Yea. He told you it would work didn’t he?”

“No. I just believe in you. You should see your pupils, you look high.”

“So you were just going to let me vaporise your hand?!”

“It worked didn’t it? It wouldn’t if I hadn’t stressed you out. You’re too confident for your own good so I gave you a bit of a push.”

“You are such a bitch!”

“Want to do it again?”

“Yes!”