Screeching To A Halt (Book Eight of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Silence in the Library

It felt weird rewriting this . . . but it felt amazing rewriting Davesa! I have missed these two so much. So, welcome back David Tennant and Teresa Palmer to TBWC universe! Hopefully River's POV does them justice. The gif, by the way, is also done by maddisondevil.

Enjoy "Silence in the Library" . . . again!

***

River adjusted her helmet as she led the rest of the crew into the Library. Evangelista was still being . . . quirky, but she was on a mission. She had sent a message to the Bad Wolf on her psychic paper, and judging by the readings she had, there were at least two other people in the Library. The Library had been empty for a century, and all they had to work with was the one last message they had received: Four thousand and twenty two saved. No survivors. Four thousand and twenty two was the number that had been in the Library when it had been breached.

Now, they were finally about to find out what happened.

She blew open the door to the next room, hearing a voice saying "The Library has been breached. Others are coming." She stepped into the room, the five others following, and she stopped right in front of a familiar man, albeit one she had not met yet. She raised her visor and smirked. "Hello, sweetie," she greeted the Doctor, then winked at the stunned blonde girl behind him. "Sissy."

Right away, something was off. She blinked before scowling. "Did you just call me sissy?" she demanded, her voice an Australian accent.

"Get out," the Doctor ordered.

"Doctor!" the ginger woman on his other side groaned. River eyed her; she looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite remember where.

"All of you," the Doctor continued, looking around at the rest of the members of the expedition. "Turn around, get back in your rocket, and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you."

"Pop your helmets, everyone," River ordered, taking hers off. "We've got breathers."

"How do you know they're not androids?" Anita asked, even as she obeyed.

"Because I've dated androids," River smirked. "They're rubbish."

The Bad Wolf laughed, and Lux scowled. "Who is this? you said we were the only expedition! I paid for exclusives!"

"I lied," River shrugged. "I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

Lux turned to Evangelista. "Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts."

"You came through the north door, yeah?" River asked the Bad Wolf as Evangelista hurried to pull out contracts. "How was that? Much damage?"

"Please, just leave," the Doctor sighed, exasperated. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave." He blinked, the words suddenly sinking in. "Hang on, did you say expedition?"

"My expedition," Lux grumbled. "I funded it."

"Oh, you're not, are you?" the Doctor complained. "Tell me you're not archaeologists!"

River raised an eyebrow. "Got a problem with archaeologists?"

"We're time travelers," the Bad Wolf explained, as if she didn't know. "I don't mind them as much, but this guy likes to point and laugh at you."

"Ah." River decided to play along. As none of the others on the expedition knew who the Doctor and the Bad Wolf were, she was willing to go along with it. "Professor River Song," she extended her hand to her sister. "Archaeologist."