Shrouded (comic story)

Shrouded was the seventh story printed in Torchwood The Official Magazine. It was written by Gareth David-Lloyd and set after the death of David-Lloyd's character, Ianto Jones. It was the first Torchwood story to be set after Children of Earth.

Plot
Ianto notices an attractive coffee saleswoman who introduces herself as Mairwyn, a time-traveller who has come to manipulate Ianto into travelling back in time and acquiring some vital technology from Torchwood One with which she can enslave the world. She has chosen Ianto because of his access to Torchwood One security and because, with the knowledge of Torchwood Three's destruction, Tosh and Owen's deaths, Ianto's own demise and Jack's abandonment of Earth, he is exploitable. He is visited later by Rhys Williams and John Hart, who have travelled from the future to stop Mairwyn, who had previously introduced herself to John Hart as "Beatrice" and stolen a vortex manipulator from him.

Despite this, when Mairwyn next drops by Ianto, she uses a device to show him his future and comments to him that Captain Jack is not a loyal lover, and is a heartbreaker, and won't take very long to get over Ianto's death. Ianto later views the Hubs CCTV footage of Jack's attempt to romance Gwen, where he discovers her engagement, not long before Jack formally asked Ianto out. Jack comments, "I don't know what I'd do without you" when he recommends Ianto get on with his computer work; his wonted coldness leaving Ianto visibly upset. When Mairwyn next appears to Ianto, he immediately kisses her, and takes her home and has sex with her. When he uses her device again to see the future he would be responsible for creating, he refuses her original offer and eventually stabs her. After saying goodbye to John and Rhys, he sends his sister Rhiannon Davies an uncharacteristically friendly email, saying he loves her, before retconning himself. The timeline restored, Gwen and Jack are at Ianto's funeral, watched from afar by Captain John. John says his final goodbye to Ianto, "Take care, Eye Candy." Further afar are alternate universe doppelgängers of Ianto and Mairwyn; Ianto comments, "I can't believe there's a reality where I said no."

Characters

 * Ianto Jones
 * Mairwyn
 * Owen Harper
 * Rhys Williams
 * John Hart

Continuity

 * When Rhys calls Ianto he mentions the giant alien whale. (TV: Meat)
 * Ianto sees the deaths of Tosh and Owen, (TV: Exit Wounds) as well as that of his own. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Three)
 * Ianto watched on a security monitor when Gwen told Jack that she had got engaged to Rhys while he was away. (TV: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)