Hard choices leave you with nothing [for slayers_desire]

[fractured_agent]

It's been a while since Jack needed a stiff drink, and he usually abstains in case the Doctor picks that moment to return. But after a day like today... sometimes he can justify letting himself slip a bit.

The rest of his team is sent home, and the Hub is empty, save for Jack and the pterodactyl roosting in her eyrie. Leaving him alone with only a drink and his memories for company.

He looks down at his wristcomp. Very few times has he been able to call anyone for help, since his time at Torchwood began. And it still doesn't quite work... but he's spent too much time with only his thoughts for company. He's terribly lonely, in the way that only the immortal truly know, and right now his heart is aching for the loss of Estelle.

He calls up April's number, before he can talk himself out of it.

Comments

[fractured_agent]

"Pure animal instinct is a powerful thing. Sounds like we'll just have to step up our game for managing them until the Rift settles down." If it does happen. For all they know, this level of Rift activity could be the new normal.

[slayers_desire]

"Instinct is powerful. Right now they are reacting to a calling... and I am not sure what else could prevent them from attacking."

[fractured_agent]

"Can't expect to have all our answers in one day," Jack says with a shrug. He's learned more about Weevils today than he expected to, and that's important enough to him. "We have a system in place for dealing with them, we'll just need to use it more often."

[slayers_desire]

April backs away from the cell, so that the Weevil can stop cowering. "I am glad that you have a few answers."

[fractured_agent]

"Me too." He leads April back out into the main area of the Hub, letting the Weevil enjoy not being stared at once more. "Weevil hunting's a pretty regular part of our job. You ever want to chase aliens through dark streets and take them down before they can hurt people, you know who to call."

[slayers_desire]

"It has been so long since I have been on a chase." April gives a slight purr.

[fractured_agent]

He grins at her. "Thought you might like that. Does it matter to you if you don't get to sample the goods at the end of the hunt?" He has no problem with killing Weevils if necessary, but he prefers to subdue them and take them alive, and release them back into the sewers once they're not as aggressive. And he doesn't know if Weevil blood would be safe or palatable for her to drink, anyway.

[slayers_desire]

"I don't always drink the blood of the creatures I hunt." April chuckles lightly. She would treat the Weevils like they were criminals that she used to hunt. Catch, subdue and release to the proper authorities.

[fractured_agent]

"No, but I imagine it's like cracking open a beer after a long day of satisfying work," Jack says, still grinning. "Not necessary but it's a nice way to finish the evening."

[slayers_desire]

"Definitely the thirst for blood gets stronger when I hunt. It is the primal instinct."

[fractured_agent]

"If it's something you'd like to do, I can probably arrange to have some fresher blood on hand that we know is safe for you. No one's going to look twice at a jug of blood in the autopsy fridge."

[slayers_desire]

"That would be appreciated." April is glad that he would go through that effort.

[fractured_agent]

"Got a preferred species? We can get human, if you want."

[slayers_desire]

"Animal blood is fine."

[fractured_agent]

He nods, and makes a mental note of that, too. "Shouldn't be too hard to get."

[slayers_desire]

"Thanks Jack."

[fractured_agent]

"No need to thank me. Different species have different diets; that's just the way the universe works."

[slayers_desire]

"Not everyone is so understanding. So I appreciate it."

[fractured_agent]

Jack is one person she'll meet who would never judge a person for what their biology demands of them, having been raised in the far future amongst a multitude of species as he was. The rest of Torchwood are a bit more prone to being weirded out at first, but if they ever do learn about April in that way, they'll get used to it fast.

"Speaking of which, sorry if the old smells here bother you at all," Jack adds. His own senses are a little sharper than a contemporary human's, but sometimes he can't tell if it's just memory or if the scent of blood is still noticeable after all these years.

[slayers_desire]

"I did notice the blood first thing when I entered. But I wasn't bothered by it..."

[fractured_agent]

"Because it's not fresh?" he guesses. The blood scent in the main area is several years old, at least. It's difficult to clean out of concrete and stone, and it isn't strong enough to bother his human employees, so he hasn't gone through the effort to get rid of it completely.

[slayers_desire]

"If it was fresh, the temptation would have been worse."

[fractured_agent]

"I'll keep that in mind. I don't plan to have anyone bleeding in the Hub that much, but this job is unpredictable." And if anyone's going to bleed in the Hub, it's probably Jack, at that.

[slayers_desire]

"That is one good thing about working with so many super-enhanced people on our team. Not a lot of bleeding on the job..."

[fractured_agent]

"Must be nice, being part of a team like that." Jack likes working with ordinary humans, but he definitely misses being part of a more diverse team. The Time Agency didn't discriminate based on species, and that's one of the only things he misses about it.