Lookin' For Trouble [open to anyone]

[Captain John Hart]

John wandered around Cardiff. He was bored with bars, bored with getting pissed every night and shagging someone nameless before waking up to another boring day of alcohol and debauchery. He wanted to do something. He wanted to cause trouble, to shake things up.

He wanted Jack to finally notice that he had returned.

If he was stuck in this bloody boring city than he would have some fun. Oh, he had no intention of blowing up the town again. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and is now using it as a dust-rag. He just wanted to shake things up a bit.

First, though, to get the attention of the man in charge.

He sauntered down to the bay, broad daylight, full Napoleonic jacket and sword ensemble. John couldn’t help but smirk at the odd looks people cast his direction as he knew very well he stood out. He would randomly cat call at strolling couples and hit on them. He had no pride.

His pride died the day Jack dismissed him like he was something the cat coughed up.

Why didn’t Jack need him to help out in Torchwood? Why? Wasn’t he good enough? Didn’t he have the same future knowledge Jack had? You’d think he would appreciate having someone like him around, someone willing to go to the seedy, low places to get information.

Well, he would go and get information. He had information. Information the likes that will shake this down deeper than the bombs he set off.

Something was coming. Something that was messing with the Rift and, obvious to him, his Vortex Manipulator.

He found a nice open place before that tall water tower and stood there looking pretty. John figured he’d stand there for a bit until someone noticed. If that didn’t work, he would start pegging stones at the tower and scream Jack’s name until he had no choice but to open up.

[Elizabeth Wright]

All Elizabeth wanted to do was go back to her small flat, feed her fish, and collapse into bed. Preferably with some ironic movie droning on in the background. That way, she wouldn’t be required to think. Hell, she wouldn’t have to do anything. Just for a few hours, she needed that. After an urgent call from Jack at two this morning, Elizabeth hadn’t stopped. They’d been weevil hunting, and Ianto had managed to get himself sliced open. It had looked worse than it had been, and had only needed a few dozen stitches. It said something about the job, that a few dozen stiches wasn’t considered such a big deal. But the blonde was well aware she’d picked up some new scars of her own over recent weeks.

Once she was out of her warm bed –which she’d only been in for a few hours after a late night at the office- and well awake after all the blood, she’d seen no point in putting off the autopsy of the alien that had attacked her colleague. Turned out it wasn’t a weevil after all, which meant paperwork and an in depth study of the new species for the files. A quick and restless nap at the computer desk, and she’d been woken by the other team members coming in for the day. Typical of her luck, it had been a busy one, and now, at five, had been the first chance to sign out and head back home. She closed her eyes wearily as she stepped into the elevator, opening them only to the faint bing alerting her that she was to exit. She elt herself out of the now-abandoned tourist shop that disguised the main entrance to the hub, and set out into the afternoon sun.

Rounding the corner, she caught sight of a man standing beside the tower that marked the below ground complex. She wouldn’t have glanced twice at him, except his strange attire caught her attention. The Napoleon style jacket wasn’t exactly on the runways, and was it even legal to carry around a sword? As the blonde focused on him, her stomach dropped. There was a reason this man had caught her attention, beyond the out of date clothing. She’d seen his face before, in the database. She’d been warned of John Hart.

[Captain John Hart]

John was looking around for something to start chucking at the tower and was tempted to go nick a boom-box and stand there al-a John Cusack in Say Anything, though he didn’t think Peter Gabriel was really his style.

He had been waiting and waiting and he figured Jack would have noticed him by now, or he was still pretending he didn’t exist. How bloody frustrating. He was more than just the crap Jack scraped off the bottom of his boots. He was so much more and if he had to kill Jack six or seven more times before he figured it out, than so be it.

Spinning around sharply, he spied something that momentarily pushed Jack out of his thoughts.

A very pretty blonde was coming his way. She was young and fit and he would definitely like to add her to his long list of conquests. He cocked his head to he side, assessing her. John wondered if she was kinky.

She was coming from the other side of the bay, near Mermaid Quay. He remembered there being another entrance into Torchwood but Jack wouldn’t bring him in that way. Tourist entrance he said. Ha! He couldn’t judge is this pretty was Torchwood, though, if she was it was about time Jack took his advice. They definitely needed a blonde. Not knowing, though, didn’t deter him from trying. He couldn’t afford to ignore this beautiful specimen just in case she could get him inside.

With a smile plastered to his face, he sauntered over in her direction, his hand out. “Captain John Hart. I dare say, I do believe you’ve blinded me with your radiance.”

[Elizabeth Wright]

Elizabeth’s forehead creased in a slight frown as the man sauntered over. Instinctively, her body tensed, as if in reaction to a threat. And with what she had been told about this man, he certainly fitted into the category.

The others didn’t like to talk about it much. It was still fresh; Liz understood that and didn’t push the matter. They seemed to cope well, but she noticed it still, in the little things they did. Staring just a little long at the desk she knew belonged to her predecessor, before being passed to her. Gwen, saying hello to her photo of Tosh and Owen every morning. But although she’d got not much more than warnings from her colleagues, the files on the events were more than detailed enough. He had blown up half of Cardiff for crying out loud, leading to the death of Owen, the former T3 medic. He had also led to Toshiko’s death. And his first visit hadn’t exactly been pleasant either, beginning it with luring the team into a trap, and proceeding to try and kill them one by one. Liz might not have been involved, but any threat on the people that were becoming more family than her parents, was a threat to her.

“Not interested.” she replied crisply, ignoring the hand and instead zipping her leather jacket a little higher. Although a slight blush coloured her cheeks at the what could only be described as very corny pickup line, she ignored the comment. “May I ask, what are you doing?”

[Captain John Hart]

“Not interested.” The Pretty seemed rather stiff as she refused to shake his hand. “May I ask, what are you doing?”

Oh yeah, she was one of them. She knew him instantly.

He pulled his hand back and wiped it down the side of his jeans. “Jack must have warned you about me. Ah well, so much for a night of mind blowing sex.” He turned his back on her and began to assess his situation.

The Pretty was most likely carrying something to protect herself. He could grab her, kiss her and paralyze her but he needed her awake. Jack would frown on him for hurting another member of Team Bikini Kill.

“I’m just looking up an old friend,” he said, waving a hand toward the water tower. “Pretentious, that. Like he has to advertise or something. Look at us, we’re a secret organization and I’ve got a big knob!”

He turned back to the Pretty and smiled like a cat caught with the cream. “Oh, you probably think I’m all evil and dangerous. I’m not. Actually, Jack used to be just like me, before he was neutered and became Tea-Boy’s bitch.” His smile changed only so slightly, it was still mischievous but now it held a sharp edge. “Some of us just refuse to be tamed. Now be a love and let me in.”

[Elizabeth Wright]

He knew she was Torchwood. Well, that was no surprise. She imagined most people would be somewhat more friendly to him. He wasn't a bad looker, and he certainly had charm by the bucket load. But there was no way she was letting herself fall for any of it. The warnings were too fresh in her mind. She raised an eyebrow as he commented on what he had hoped would come of the night, and crossed her arms firmly over her chest.
"Even if I hadn't been warned, I wouldn't have been betting on your chances."

As he turned his back on her she watched him warily. He didn't appear to mean her any harm, but there wasn't a hope in hell that she was going to take his intentions at first glance. There was more to this man than she let on, and her gut was telling her to watch him. She let him rant, watching him in cool silence. At least until he asked to be let in. She scoffed, shifting her weight to her other foot. "Fat chance." she said. Her mind flashed to the gun in her bag, and she moved the bag's position, to better grab the weapon if she needed to.

They normally didn't take them home, but things had been so hectic lately, you didn't know when you were going to need it. And frankly, it was a bitc hto check it in and out every time she needed it. "You're going to have to get Jack to let you in himself."

[Captain John Hart]

"Even if I hadn't been warned, I wouldn't have been betting on your chances."

John smiled, devilishly. “Ah, so you have been warned, though.” He turned back to the fountain, his Vortex Manipulator up to eye level as he tried to figure out the frequency to get that bloody lift to move. He’d even resorted to jumping up and down on it a few times earlier. Hey, it was a try.

He was getting bored with the Pretty. She knew about him, well, Torchwood’s version of him and she wasn’t giving him what he wanted. He needed to see Jack. So much information to share, so much time to catch up on. So much to bloody hide and, perhaps, a kiss or seven shared in secret. Jack did like those secret office romances. Must explain his obsession with Eye-Candy.

"You're going to have to get Jack to let you in himself."

He turned to her, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Bored now. Want to talk to Jack.” With a swift movement he pulled the katana sword out of it’s scabbard and held it to her throat.

“I’m done with the nice. I want in, you know how to get me in. Bugger Jack. If he wanted to help he would have already. It is a matter of life and death that I see him.” He cocked his head to the side and licked his lips.

“Now, who’s death is still up in the air,” he said, slightly nudging the sword. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will. I have no qualms with such trivialities.”

[Elizabeth Wright]

That sword was definitely illegal. They wouldn’t be allowed on the streets, in case someone did this. Elizabeth froze as the sharp tip pressed against her throat. Her mind ran through her options, and they weren’t promising. The gun was completely useless in her handbag, even within easy reach. She could make a grab for it, but this man wasn’t stupid, and he wasn’t slow. He would see what she was doing in an instant, and she wasn’t tempted to take the risk. You might doe young in Torchwood, but there was no way she was dying this young. She raised her chin slightly, as it fell into a stubborn set.

She raised an eyebrow. “Because killing his team has clearly worked for you in the past.” she said, praying to whatever would listen that he wouldn’t just kill her on the spot. She wasn’t normally religious, but she’d bow gratefully to some help right now. Hell, just some time would be enough, until she could work out how to get herself out of this mess. She should have just kept walking. “Hurting me will only make your mission that much harder to achieve.”

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Jack had been down in the lower levels of the Hub. There were items he kept down there that he needed to check every few months. It wasn’t something he had Ianto do because these items were caustic, explosive and very deadly. If something ‘escaped’ and he died, at least he would come back.

As he entered the main Hub area he sneezed. The dust was thick in those lower chambers and he wasn’t one for tidying. He pat more dust off his shirtsleeve as he headed up to his office. He was expecting a call from UNIT as per those cross-references they were looking into. He had no information for them. He rarely did. Well, that wasn’t true and it wasn’t like he was hiding anything from them. Perhaps when they asked a question he could answer with a good conscience then he would. That day has yet to come so he just keeps telling them he has nothing for them.

He passed by the CCTV monitor with a glance and kept going. Halfway up the stairs he stopped. The reality of what he had seen hit him like a tonne of bricks. John Hart, standing in the middle of the Plass, with a sword up to Liz’s neck.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He grabbed his coat and felt for his Webley. Both in place, he took the gun out, readying it as he went up to the lift. He came up just behind John. He didn’t want Liz to see him, afraid her eyes would give away his position.

Jack got to right behind John and cocked his gun, the muzzle flush with the side of his head. “Let her go, Hart,” Jack growled.

[Captain John Hart]

“Because killing his team has clearly worked for you in the past.”

John opened his mouth to protest. He immediately closed it. Is that what they thought? That he had killed Jack’s team? He hadn’t been the one to do it and he hated the insinuation that he had. He was a killer but he wouldn’t have killed that pretty Asian. She was smart and bloody gorgeous. Harper he might have done but even he wasn’t good enough to trap a man in the middle of a meltdown.

“Hurting me will only make your mission that much harder to achieve.”

“Listen, love. I don’t care what you think of me. All I know is that I need to talk to Jack. I need inside the Fortress of Solitude and I want it now.” He was quickly losing his patience.

A click from behind him brought him up short, though. A smile curled his lips as he knew who was behind him before the voice spoke. He cast the Pretty a quick wink.

“Let her go, Hart,” Jack Harkness growled.

“I guess you caught me, copper,” John joked, lifting the sword from Liz’s throat and holding it skyward, his empty hand palm up. John turned to face Jack. “’Bout bloody time. I was beginning to think you didn’t love me anymore.”