Fic: Smell the Glove (Torchwood/MCU, PG-13)
Title: Smell the Glove.
Author: Prochytes.
Fandom: Torchwood/MCU.
Rating: PG-13. Angst and dark themes.
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper; Nova Prime, The Collector, The Ancient One.
Disclaimer: Not mine at all, any of it.
Summary: Five ways Torchwood didn’t stop the creation of the Infinity Gauntlet, and one way they did.
Word Count: 600 (six drabbles).
A/N: Small spoilers for Avengers: Age of Ultron and Torchwood to the end of S4; big spoilers for Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Avengers: Infinity War. Angst and dark themes. Originally posted on AO3 in 2019.
1. A king of infinite space.
“In 1995,” said Jack, “I was eaten and regurgitated by a cat.”
“I think that means Owen wins the pool,” said Ianto. “He was the only one who went with ‘death by domestic pet’.”
“Technically, she was a flerken, not a cat. I was chasing something in her stomach.”
“What?”
“An item of unimaginable power.”
Ianto lifted his head, professional instincts roused. “Is that still in the cat?”
“S.H.I.E.L.D. has it now. Safe as houses.”
Ianto snorted. “I saw Tosh break into a semi-detached over by Roath Park in fifteen seconds on Tuesday. Houses aren’t safe.”
“I know. Sleep well.”
2. Mind, mind has mountains.
“So there are six crystals, which clusterfuck Creation when they’re assembled.”
“Yup.”
“The Key to Time.”
“No, Gwen. The Key to Time is something else. I should know: I dated part of it.”
“There’s more than one world-killer artefact? This Universe and its flat-pack Armageddons…”
“Anyway, here is our chance to grab the Mind Gem. Strucker has it over in that compound.” Jack flexed his knuckles. “This time, the plan is water-tight.”
“Jack…”
“Oh yeah. Punching a Nazi never goes out of fashion.”
“Jack, it’s a clear sky. And I just heard thunder.”
Jack’s reply was swallowed by things exploding.
3. If, drunk with sight of power, we loose wild tongues.
“One of the outlying worlds sent an ambassador to Terra, forty cycles ago,” said Nova Prime. “Your Institute sent him back in surgical bags. At least you didn’t bill them for the stamp.”
“I wasn’t the guy in charge, back then.”
“Torchwood trades on faith it never earned. There are two Captains of Terra I would trust with the Power Stone, Jack Harkness. You aren’t either.”
“War is coming.”
“Then go back to your troops – both of them – and prepare for it. The Power Stone is alien, Captain Harkness.” Nova Prime, standing to leave, beckoned a guard. “And it’s ours.”
4. Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
“Dice you for it,” said Jack.
The Collector rolled his eyes. “Games are my brother’s bag.”
“Then trade the Reality Stone to Gwen and Rex, and take me as an exhibit in its place.”
The Collector sighed. “I’m tempted. You’d look swell between the Psyche-Magnetron and the mouthy duck.”
“There you go. Who needs infinity when he can display eternity instead?”
“But the thing is, Jack: you make the mistake of thinking that all of my collection is behind glass. You want the Aether so bad that I already own you. And your pain is so much more piquant free-range.”
5. World enough, and time.
“I could stop this.” Jack evicted desperation from his voice.
“I’ve seen the path where you do. She never forgives you.”
“What?”
“No matter. It stays with me.”
“You know the stakes better than anyone. With your Time Gem, Thanos could keep the TARDIS at bay.”
“Yes.” The Ancient One looked sad. Lambent, diminished vistas span around her. Her eyes were bright with the light of lives unlived.
“We’d go into that fight without The Doctor.”
“I know.” The Ancient One plucked a future from the air: a car on a darkling road, beset by rain. “I’ve found a locum.”
(6. A little soul for a little.)
“The Soul Gem’s on Vormir.”
“Great.” Gwen sipped at her mug of tea. “When do we leave?”
“I’ve already been. Met a guy I hadn’t seen since World War Two.”
“Happy reunion?”
“No. He’s still an ass-hole.” Jack had not moved from the doorway. “He asked me for something I couldn’t give.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m Captain Jack Harkness. All the things I could have given, I gave already. Gwen…”
“Yes?”
“… I’m going to need your help.”
Gwen saw the look in Jack’s eyes, and shut her mouth. Silence fell. They heard laughter from the garden, where Anwen played.
FINIS
Author: Prochytes.
Fandom: Torchwood/MCU.
Rating: PG-13. Angst and dark themes.
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper; Nova Prime, The Collector, The Ancient One.
Disclaimer: Not mine at all, any of it.
Summary: Five ways Torchwood didn’t stop the creation of the Infinity Gauntlet, and one way they did.
Word Count: 600 (six drabbles).
A/N: Small spoilers for Avengers: Age of Ultron and Torchwood to the end of S4; big spoilers for Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Avengers: Infinity War. Angst and dark themes. Originally posted on AO3 in 2019.
1. A king of infinite space.
“In 1995,” said Jack, “I was eaten and regurgitated by a cat.”
“I think that means Owen wins the pool,” said Ianto. “He was the only one who went with ‘death by domestic pet’.”
“Technically, she was a flerken, not a cat. I was chasing something in her stomach.”
“What?”
“An item of unimaginable power.”
Ianto lifted his head, professional instincts roused. “Is that still in the cat?”
“S.H.I.E.L.D. has it now. Safe as houses.”
Ianto snorted. “I saw Tosh break into a semi-detached over by Roath Park in fifteen seconds on Tuesday. Houses aren’t safe.”
“I know. Sleep well.”
2. Mind, mind has mountains.
“So there are six crystals, which clusterfuck Creation when they’re assembled.”
“Yup.”
“The Key to Time.”
“No, Gwen. The Key to Time is something else. I should know: I dated part of it.”
“There’s more than one world-killer artefact? This Universe and its flat-pack Armageddons…”
“Anyway, here is our chance to grab the Mind Gem. Strucker has it over in that compound.” Jack flexed his knuckles. “This time, the plan is water-tight.”
“Jack…”
“Oh yeah. Punching a Nazi never goes out of fashion.”
“Jack, it’s a clear sky. And I just heard thunder.”
Jack’s reply was swallowed by things exploding.
3. If, drunk with sight of power, we loose wild tongues.
“One of the outlying worlds sent an ambassador to Terra, forty cycles ago,” said Nova Prime. “Your Institute sent him back in surgical bags. At least you didn’t bill them for the stamp.”
“I wasn’t the guy in charge, back then.”
“Torchwood trades on faith it never earned. There are two Captains of Terra I would trust with the Power Stone, Jack Harkness. You aren’t either.”
“War is coming.”
“Then go back to your troops – both of them – and prepare for it. The Power Stone is alien, Captain Harkness.” Nova Prime, standing to leave, beckoned a guard. “And it’s ours.”
4. Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
“Dice you for it,” said Jack.
The Collector rolled his eyes. “Games are my brother’s bag.”
“Then trade the Reality Stone to Gwen and Rex, and take me as an exhibit in its place.”
The Collector sighed. “I’m tempted. You’d look swell between the Psyche-Magnetron and the mouthy duck.”
“There you go. Who needs infinity when he can display eternity instead?”
“But the thing is, Jack: you make the mistake of thinking that all of my collection is behind glass. You want the Aether so bad that I already own you. And your pain is so much more piquant free-range.”
5. World enough, and time.
“I could stop this.” Jack evicted desperation from his voice.
“I’ve seen the path where you do. She never forgives you.”
“What?”
“No matter. It stays with me.”
“You know the stakes better than anyone. With your Time Gem, Thanos could keep the TARDIS at bay.”
“Yes.” The Ancient One looked sad. Lambent, diminished vistas span around her. Her eyes were bright with the light of lives unlived.
“We’d go into that fight without The Doctor.”
“I know.” The Ancient One plucked a future from the air: a car on a darkling road, beset by rain. “I’ve found a locum.”
(6. A little soul for a little.)
“The Soul Gem’s on Vormir.”
“Great.” Gwen sipped at her mug of tea. “When do we leave?”
“I’ve already been. Met a guy I hadn’t seen since World War Two.”
“Happy reunion?”
“No. He’s still an ass-hole.” Jack had not moved from the doorway. “He asked me for something I couldn’t give.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m Captain Jack Harkness. All the things I could have given, I gave already. Gwen…”
“Yes?”
“… I’m going to need your help.”
Gwen saw the look in Jack’s eyes, and shut her mouth. Silence fell. They heard laughter from the garden, where Anwen played.
FINIS