Wanderer of Time: Silence Begins (doctor who)

Chapter 14: Cold War

Wanda leaned against a wall in the corner while the Doctor and Zhukov stared to the monitor. They were watching the images of Skaldak chained up to the piping and Clara going into the torpedo room to talk with the Ice Warrior. Grisenko hovered close behind them as he observed what was happening. Wanda watched anxiously while the Doctor told Clara what to do and say to the Grand Marshal. Wanda made sure to keep her face clear of any anxiety, and that her pinching thumb was hidden behind her back. She really wished she could break the silly nervous habit.

She kept thinking over what the Doctor had said. Wondering exactly what was wrong with her mind that required someone to place up barriers within it. Something hidden within so dangerous that it frightened the Doctor enough to deem it deadly. Well, she would like to find whoever placed the barriers up and ask them to strengthen the darn things. They seemed too fragile if they kept on cracking. Then again, they were not real barriers, only a mental state of sorts. They were not a real physical force that kept her at bay. They could be easily removed. If she really wished to break them down, she always could.

But that was the thing; she did not want the barriers to go away. If whatever was inside her mind truly was dangerous, then she would rather have them there. If it meant protecting her family, then she would deal with not knowing the truth. Not only that, but she would rather stay oblivious for now. Learning of the truth only made her fearful. She suspected though, that she already did know most of the mystery. Like she had believed before, what made her so dangerous was the information she held within her mind of the Doctor and his timeline. The barriers might have been placed there to keep others from accessing such knowledge. To keep her from becoming a weapon against him and her family. And for that, she was grateful to whoever placed the barriers up.

Wanda glanced up to the ceiling when all the lights went off. Lovely. In a sinking submarine, with an Ice Warrior wanting to kill them, and nuclear warheads ready to be armed and fired, complete with darkness. All together that just screamed great fun. She sighed, twisting her thumb more and wishing Clara were back in here safe and not in the dark room with Skaldak. Wanda knew things should turn out fine, but then again, things had a habit of changing very quickly. She should have looked into a possibility before allowing Clara to venture off.

Wanda had gotten into the habit of looking into a possibility at least once every adventure. Only far in enough until she got the basics of what needed to be done or what changed. Simply until her head started to hurt, then she would pull back to reality and move forward. She made sure not to do it more than once. It would only weaken her if she did.

"Hey, it's okay, Clara," the Doctor calmed the slightly panicking girl over the audio feed. He stared at the monitor, carefully watching her and Skaldak. "Keep going."

Wanda saw how Clara reached in her pocket and pulled out the torch the Time Lady had given her. Wanda was glad she remembered that Clara would need it.

"You're a long way from home," they heard Clara speak over the monitor. The girl slowly approached the Ice Warrior as she spoke with the torch pointing straight at him.

"Five thousand years," the Doctor told her.

"And five thousand years adrift in time," Clara repeated what the Doctor told her, scooting in closer. "Please, let us help you. You are not our enemy."

"And yet I am in chains," retorted Skaldak with a hiss. Wanda had to admit, he had a good point there.

"Doctor, what do I say?" Clara asked quietly to her headset.

"Yes, Doctor," spoke up Skaldak in annoyance. "What should she say?" The Doctor shifted some, seeming to realize sending Clara in might have been pointless.