"All right. I see. That's... It's gotta be temporary, right? His powers have a time limit." He ran his fingers through Ianto's hair, gently massaging his scalp as he tried to make him feel safe. What an invasion, someone getting into his head like that. "Can I ask about the memories? I'm sorry, I know this is awful. But I'll have to review the tape anyway."
There was protocol there. "It's not real, Ianto. He can't change reality."
"I know it's not real but it feels like it is. It feels like I did it." He exhaled tiredly and tried to think of how to best explain it. "There's a child. I hold him down for experiments. I manipulate him. I hurt him. He's a weak boy, he's scared, his-- his nose bleeds. And all he wants is his parents but I won't let him have them." And no, it couldn't be real, it made no sense, it fit no timeline but it was there, in his head.
"I don't know what it is but he got angry. He was yelling at me. I think it's someone he knew. Maybe it's him. I don't know." But now it was in there and the guilt was unstoppable. "It's horrible. When he's in your head. How did Sam last so long?"
"Right. Okay. We can use that." Did that sound awful? Maybe, given what Ianto had just said, but Jack was trying to be practical here. "Definitely a pressure point." If it made him angry like that. He'd have to review the tape.
For now he kissed Ianto's forehead and shrugged. "I don't know. I assume, with Sam, he escalated slowly. Mostly good at first, honeymoon phase. It's how it goes, like any other toxic relationship." Just with someone seriously overpowered. "We'll ask Sam how to get rid of the false memories."
"You should watch the tape. He gets so angry. It's personal but it's not... it doesn't-- it doesn't feel like it's him." Maybe he was wrong but there was a protectiveness about it that seemed so strange. Or maybe he just saw his younger self as someone else. "I made him a tool. That's what he said. Maybe it is him, he must have disassociated from that sort of childhood."
He couldn't even begin to imagine it.
Shuddering at the memory, he frowned at Jack. "What do you plan to do with Barty? He thinks you want to weaponize him."
"Not really our department. He's considered a nuclear level threat, given his powers." He was sure that much was obvious to Ianto, especially after this confrontation. He was still playing with his hair. "What we're supposed to do is capture and neutralise him as much as possible. After that he's given over to special handlers."
He supposed he could see how that could be triggering for Ianto after that memory insertion, so he added. "He's too dangerous to not be controlled."
"And there's nothing we can do for him? Sam said--" Well, Sam said a lot of stuff but he wanted to find a way to reduce the power. Wouldn't that be the nicer option? "It's not his fault. He told me, they made it worse, they experimented. He spent his childhood like that and... his adult like too?"
It didn't much feel like they were doing the right thing.
"I don't think you can do anything unless you reduce his powers. He's too strong. Jack, you can't even get close to him without him calling the shots." It was just redundant at a certain point. It wasn't just his words, it was intent and gestures. It was in his head. "I know he's dangerous, trust me but ... how do you stop a man like that?"
"That's what we've got to figure out. That is our department. And after that... Look, Ianto, higher up they are not concerned with less power. They just want it to be their power." That was what it boiled down to. "If it was up to me, honestly? I think shooting him in the head from a distance would probably be the most humane for everyone involved."
But he was on the ruthless side. "Owen has found some interesting things with the blood sample. Now we have whatever he's done to you to comb through and maybe Sam can help us again. There might be something or someone that can help us with him."
"I think you're right. It would be humane to just kill him. It's not fair, the way he lives." Ianto sighed and pulled away from Jack, running his fingers through his hair. "My head is a mess, I just keep thinking of that kid and I can't get it out of my head. It's probably colouring my thoughts."
If that was Barty's childhood, it was hard to celebrate his upcoming fall and feel good about it.
He got back up to his feet and smiled a little at Jack, it was a sad smile but it was good to know that Jack was always there to help him. "Come on, let me show you the tape."
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no subject
There was protocol there. "It's not real, Ianto. He can't change reality."
no subject
"I don't know what it is but he got angry. He was yelling at me. I think it's someone he knew. Maybe it's him. I don't know." But now it was in there and the guilt was unstoppable. "It's horrible. When he's in your head. How did Sam last so long?"
no subject
For now he kissed Ianto's forehead and shrugged. "I don't know. I assume, with Sam, he escalated slowly. Mostly good at first, honeymoon phase. It's how it goes, like any other toxic relationship." Just with someone seriously overpowered. "We'll ask Sam how to get rid of the false memories."
no subject
He couldn't even begin to imagine it.
Shuddering at the memory, he frowned at Jack. "What do you plan to do with Barty? He thinks you want to weaponize him."
no subject
He supposed he could see how that could be triggering for Ianto after that memory insertion, so he added. "He's too dangerous to not be controlled."
no subject
It didn't much feel like they were doing the right thing.
"I don't think you can do anything unless you reduce his powers. He's too strong. Jack, you can't even get close to him without him calling the shots." It was just redundant at a certain point. It wasn't just his words, it was intent and gestures. It was in his head. "I know he's dangerous, trust me but ... how do you stop a man like that?"
no subject
But he was on the ruthless side. "Owen has found some interesting things with the blood sample. Now we have whatever he's done to you to comb through and maybe Sam can help us again. There might be something or someone that can help us with him."
no subject
If that was Barty's childhood, it was hard to celebrate his upcoming fall and feel good about it.
He got back up to his feet and smiled a little at Jack, it was a sad smile but it was good to know that Jack was always there to help him. "Come on, let me show you the tape."