Anythingdrabble Challenge 200 - Leaving an impression

[m_findlow]

Title: Leaving an impression
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Gwen, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 200 - Imprint at anythingdrabble
Summary: The signs that tonight's alien incursion is under control are not looking good.


'Every bloody time,' Gwen swore as she pressed down hard on the accelerator, forcing the sedan to go faster than Ianto would have liked. He was a bit funny about other people driving his car, but since Jack had taken the SUV and his was the next closest, he hadn't argued very hard when Gwen demanded the keys from him. She was driving and that was simply that.

'You'd think we'd have him on a shorter leash by now,' Ianto said in reply, mirroring her own frustration at Jack just taking off without them in pursuit of whatever their most recent problem happened to be. He couldn't help himself. He always thought he knew best and that feeling only multiplied when he thought it was something ridiculously dangerous. As if he could stop them throwing themselves into danger. That was the job after all. They'd signed up for it.

'How bad is it?' Gwen asked, knowing Ianto was simultaneously researching whatever he could before they caught up with Jack.

'Maybe an eight point five?' He erred on the side of caution. 'It says here it can set itself on fire and sort of, er, explode.'

'Great. Any suggestions on where we find an enormous fire extinguisher?'

He assumed she was joking. 'Still working on it. Maybe we should find Jack first?'

Gwen swung the wheel wildly. 'Got the SUV's tracker pinging on Castle Street. Be there in thirty seconds.'

She actually made it in twenty, screeching tyres to a halt and throwing herself out. Ianto wasn't far behind her, leaving his precious car unlocked.

Gwen's head pivoted. 'Where's it gone? Where's Jack?'

They expected commotion and chaos but Castle Street was dead quiet. The SUV was parked just where the tracker had it placed, but there was no sign of anything alien.

'I think we're about twenty minutes too late,' Ianto replied, pointing at the brick wall of the building nearest to the SUV. It was completely black and charred from an explosion of some kind. All except one patch that bore the distinctive imprint of a man shaped exactly like Jack which was virtually pristine. He'd been backed up against it when the thing exploded into flames leaving behind his outline as he tried to shield his body in an act of futility.

Ianto could make out the shape of the arm raised against his face and the other pressed to the wall, palm splayed and the outline of each individual finger marked in red brick and charcoal. Ianto tried not to think about the rest. Jack dying in any fashion was bad, but being burned alive had to be up there with the worst of them.

Gwen stayed all business. 'So, where do we look now?'

'Oh, I don't think they should be that hard to find. Just look for screaming people running in the opposite direction to a fiery, exploding alien and a man running around the city without any clothes on.'

'Every bloody time,' Gwen repeated.