After Midnight We're All the Same (open)

"I think perhaps she knows? Sorry didn't catch your name."

"Rachel," she replied promptly, adding, "Like I said, dunno what it is, but it's big, and probably just what I'm looking for. You said you heard a noise over that way?" The last question was spoken to the new woman who had shown up, and almost before it was past her lips, Rachel had turned to head in the direction the woman had come from. It was near enough - maybe the thing had ended up coming this way.

It's about time, Rachel thought. She saw the SUV pass and thought it looked almost familiar to her - had she seen it out "hunting" before? - but she didn't think much of it. Not at the moment. Instead, she hastened to cross the street, heading purposefully towards...

Well, towards whatever it was.

"Well open your eyes and make use of the LED torch!" Ianto retorted, irritated. "This is Torchwood, after all..." He said, rolling his eyes as he took another turn, getting them further into the darkness.

"Oh, you're clever, come up with that all by yourself?" Owen rolled his eyes. Why did Jack send him with Ianto? He saw movement ahead of them on the left and pointed it out to Ianto, "There!"

As Rachel took off into the dark night, Jared stood stunned for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then he took off at a rapid pace, chasing after her. "Hey, wait up! You shouldn't go alone."

Lynne was glad not to have been on the street when a black SUV came roaring by. "Way to drink and drive, asshole!" she shouted after it impulsively, noting the way it took the curve. "Jesus..." she muttered under her breath.

When she looked back at the group, the girl who introduced herself as Rachel was starting away. Jared had called out to her and started to follow.

"Whoa, time out," Lynne said, quickly, coming back down off the stoop to follow as well. She jogged 'round until she was ahead of Rachel, walking backwards as she spoke. "You can't just go off on your own looking for that thing. I mean, if we're talking about the same guy, he's not just big, he's HUGE. Like...HUGE," she said, gesturing her arms to illustrate. "I mean...you know, like fucking ginormous? As in...don't go off looking for him by yourself kind of huge!"

"No, no, where is she going?" Angelina asked the others, horrified. As the man started after the girl, so did Lynne, and Angelina ran towards them, deciding her curiosity would get the best of her eventually, might as well be while other people were around.

"Hey, wait up! You shouldn't go alone."

"You can't just go off on your own looking for that thing. I mean, if we're talking about the same guy, he's not just big, he's HUGE. Like...HUGE, I mean...you know, like fucking ginormous? As in...don't go off looking for him by yourself kind of huge!"

Rachel glanced back at the man - Jared, he'd said his name was - and gave him a bit of a puzzled look, though she didn't stop walking and quickly turned her attention back to where she was going... only to find herself confronted with the woman before, whom she side-stepped as she spoke. "Why not? I do this all the time."

In retrospect, that might not have done anything to make her look more responsible or sane. Ah, well.

Ianto grimaced sarcastically, wondering what he'd done to get Jack so mad he'd have to pair him off with Owen, of all people. As the medic pointed, Ianto steered towards it again, making the tires screech. "Low beams, or high beams for now?" He asked, because the stronger lights would make them see better, but could also make the weevil run away.

Jared was glad it was Lynne berating Rachel. It saved him having to look all chauvinist pig again, but Lynne's rant didn't seem to be slowing Rachel down any. He continued to follow along behind them.

"What do you do all the time, exactly?" he asked, curiously.

"Are you a crazy person?!" Lynne screeched as she hurried to catch up with Rachel. "No, I mean, really, are you? Or, like, d'you have a death wish? If that guy is a thing like you say, don't you think it'll rip you to shreds?!" She looked back at Jared with wide eyes asking for help. Not that Lynne knew this girl, or would normally care, but...well, she didn't want to be an involuntary assistance to a suicide, for crying out loud, which is exactly what she thought this would turn out to be if Rachel went off alone.

"Low, I'd say..." Owen said quietly as Ianto drove on. "Just a bit further..." Owen readied a can of anti-Weevil spray in one hand, the other hand ready to throw the door open and run out after the damned thing.

Angelina walked after them, trying hard to keep up after she'd ran that much earlier. She was listening to everyone's ranting with curiosity.

"Are you even armed? Is anyone armed?" She asked, turning to the man, Lynne, and the other woman. "Because you shouldn't go about that way if you're not armed. Why do you think I ran?" She blinked twice, and then continued. "Well, that and I was scared out of my mind."

"What do you do all the time, exactly?"

Rachel shrugged, and if it weren't for the fact that she was being shouted at by the other girl, she probably would have smiled. Maybe. Being called insane did little for her. "I'm looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life on Earth," she said, perhaps too cheerfully, clarifying, "I hunt aliens."

"No, I mean, really, are you? Or, like, d'you have a death wish? If that guy is a thing like you say, don't you think it'll rip you to shreds?!"

She grimaced, looking at Lynne only for a second. "I'm not crazy. Quick on my feet, though," she chirped, as if the words didn't bother her at all. They grated on her - how many years had she gone being called mad? - but she tried to ignore that.

Subject at hand, Rach, subject at hand, she thought sternly.

"Are you even armed? Is anyone armed?"

"No guns, no knives... I'm wearing heels," Rachel commented with a shrug. "Camera. I do okay."

Ianto did as Owen instructed him, waiting for him to jump out of the SUV and run after the weevil.

"I'll catch you on the other side!" He said before driving off, turning again, hoping he wouldn't have to do this a lot before Owen caught the creature.

Lynne didn't think before reaching out and grabbing Rachel by the arm. "Don't. Seriously," she pleaded. "Come on, I'm telling you...that guy is creepy as fuck and what if he attacks you? You know? Are you gonna use the flash on your camera to scare him off? Because, really I think that wouldn't exactly be wise..."

She looked over at Jared. "Help me out here? You're the...man, here..."

The woman from the bar whose name she couldn't remember had a very good point. Lynne sure as hell wasn't packing, and if Rachel wasn't and clearly the woman from the bar wasn't, then if Jared wasn't, it was most definitely a horrible idea to follow the thing.

"I hunt aliens."

"Ooooooh..." Angelina grunted, suddenly feeling a little sick. She couldn't help it if she didn't enjoy being around alien-catchers, as ditzy as she was, self-preservation did have its moments. She slowed down, wondering if she should keep going, or run away again. Too bad it was too dark for her to even hope finding the way back.

"Come on, I'm telling you...that guy is creepy as fuck and what if he attacks you? You know? Are you gonna use the flash on your camera to scare him off? Because, really I think that wouldn't exactly be wise..."

Rachel looked at Lynne when she grabbed her, surprised and pulling back automatically. "I'm not stopping," she said quickly, determinedly continuing to walk - picking up her pace a little. "So, it's dangerous, I can deal with that," she added. In the heat of the moment, she didn't try to rationalize - she just wanted to find what she was looking for, once and for all.

Owen jumped out of the car when Ianto had gotten close enough and ran towards it, anti-weevil spray going as Ianto drove on past it. The Weevil was quick though, and knocked him down, cutting into his shoulder before the SUV frightened it again and it ran off. "Shit!" Owen screamed, trying to get back on his feet.

Lynne looked over at Jared and swatted him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Do something!" she panicked. "You can't just let her go after that thing!"

"Are you even armed? Is anyone armed?"

"No guns, no knives... I'm wearing heels," Rachel commented with a shrug. "Camera. I do okay."

Jared was somewhat amazed by this woman... he'd go so far as to say he was fascinated even. She didn't even slow down, so intent on her goal. And only armed with a camera. There was a small grin forming on his lips, though he tried not to let it grow any further. He knew there may well be aliens out there, but he wasn't about to let on.

"You know, we'd be better off with some sort of weapon. Whatever is out there, it doesn't seem likely that it'll want us all finding it." Jared picked up a large stick from the ground. Wouldn't do much, but he was a guy and guys felt more secure with a big stick... even ones who were trained well enough to know it probably wasn't all that much use.

Lynne looked over at Jared and swatted him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Do something!" she panicked. "You can't just let her go after that thing!"

"She seems pretty determined, Lynne. What do you want me to do, pick her up and throw her over my shoulder?" he asked.

They heard a pained shout from somewhere up ahead and suddenly Jared was running toward it. Someone seemed to be in trouble.

Ianto heard the shouting, and drove around the block again, trying to get back to where he'd dropped Owen off. "Are you down?" He asked through the bluetooth.

"She seems pretty determined, Lynne. What do you want me to do, pick her up and throw her over my shoulder?"

"Well...yeah!" Lynne said, exasperated, but then there'd been a shout of pain and Jared had taken off. "Fuck," she grunted and took off after him, pulling her mobile phone out of her back pocket to call for help if it was actually needed. "Can't believe I'm doing this..." she muttered to herself as she ran.

Rachel heard the shout, as well, and when Jared took off towards it, she followed. Grateful that she could at least run in these boots, heels or not, and she was pretty quick on her feet. Dialing for help didn't even occur to her, of course.

"Yeah, it hit me, I'm fine, though, just find it! I'll look from here. I think it headed east," Owen replied over bluetooth, holding his wound as he stood up. "Fuck." He muttered angrily as he stood.

Angelina decided she couldn't go home now. And then maybe if she helped hunt the grunting alien, the others wouldn't realize she was one, too. Furthermore, as she looked back, she realized it was too dark, anyway.

A shout was heard, and the others ran towards it, and so did she, picking up a couple of heavy stones and stashing them in her purse before she did.