Summary: Coming across a strange man in a blue suit in the park, Astrid thinks he's just another addict or alcoholic or even psychotic but ends up learning that there might be more to this strange man then meets the eye.

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Episode 2 – Astrid's Discovery

Character Description:
Name: Astrid Beatrix Wolf
Birth Date: March 18th, 1978
Hair: Red, chin length, naturally wavy
Eye Color: Green
Skin: Light tan and light freckles under her eyes and across her shoulders
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 108 lbs.
Employment: Wolf's Den Comic Book & Video Game Shop
Year-Round Attire: black denim jeans, black and white sneakers - black on the sides and the rest is white - with laces, white t-shirt, and black leather jacket with a wolfs head howling in front of a full moon embroidered in white on the back - typically left unzipped unless it's wet or cold.
Up Until It Gets Cold Attire: black cashmere fedora
Cold Weather Attire: black mink ushanka
Normal Pocket Contents: a black leather wallet with a wolf standing on a cliff edge howling at the full moon off to the left embroidered in white on the front and a key
Favorite Foods: Fish and chips, onion rings, fried tomatoes, fried pickles, spaghetti with alfredo sauce and mushrooms, potato skins, lasagne, pizza, ramen, and salad
Favorite Desserts: Fudge, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon
Favorite Drinks: Slushie, French vanilla cappuccino, and pumpkin spice cappuccino
Favorite Comic Books: The Avengers, X-Men, Justice League, and Hellboy
Favorite Manga: Death Note, Dragonball, and Naruto
Favorite Games: the Final Fantasy series, the Mario series', Pac-Man, Tetris; the Donkey Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken series'

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Astrid locks the door to what is both her place of business as well as the second floor being her home. Wolf's Den Comic Book & Video Game Shop wasn't scheduled to open until 8 which gives her just enough time for her morning jog to the park and back.

Stopping at a park bench after making it to the park, she just shakes her head, and thinks, 'Perfect, another damn addict! Either that or he was just to damn drunk to get home'! Even though, she had to admit that drug addict or alcoholic, they would typically get woke up around daylight - either by a stray police or detective something-or-other or just by the occasional passerby. That got her to thinking, just what was this bloke still doing on the bench? If she'd been anybody else, she probably would have just called the station and had them send somebody to deal with him but there was one very specific reason why she wouldn't - or more accurately, couldn't do that - which was why she carried both military grade pepper spray and a taser on her morning jogs.

Astrid crouched down and then put her left hand on the man's right shoulder and gave it a good shake. It wasn't how quickly his eyes popped open that startled Astrid, what startled Astrid was when he put his right hand on the top of her head and said, 'I always wanted to be ginger'. That made Astrid think, 'Definitely an addict or someone off their psychiatric meds'. Even though she did have to admit, she liked her hair.

Astrid took hold of the man's right wrist with her left hand which resulted in him sitting up - albeit a bit sluggishly, pulling his hand back, and saying something that Astrid couldn't quite catch. Astrid stood up in front of the man and signed, 'I'm Deaf, if you're going to try talking to me, you need to be facing me'. She was actually surprised when the man nodded. She knew she shouldn't be surprised every time someone she didn't know could actually understand her but she normally was, anyways. Astrid signed, 'Who are you'? The man shook his head and then said, 'I don't know. I know who people say I am but I don't know if I want to be that man'. Astrid signed, 'You're not supposed to be on any sort of psychiatric medication are you'? The man laughed and then asked, 'You think I'm crazy'? Astrid signed, 'Well, if the shoe fits'.

The man looked down at his shoes before again looking at Astrid. Astrid couldn't help but smile when she saw the confused look on the man's face. Astrid then signed, 'Is there at least something you would like to be called? It doesn't have to be your name - just something. My name's Astrid'. The man just shook his head.

Astrid was surprised at how easily she got along with this strange man - attic, drunk, psychotic, or something else entirely - it was just so easy. She ended up explaining how her father was German which was how she got her name, Astrid Wolf, but that her mother was Scottish which probably explained her 'ginger' hair. She also explained that she'd actually been born in Berlin, Germany but that she'd been raised in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland but that she'd been living in London since she was eighteen. She also admitted that she didn't like her middle name, Beatrix.

The man asked, 'What do you do'? Astrid signed, 'Sell comics and video games at the shop I own and run. The man asked, 'Is that what you've always done'? Astrid signed, 'Since I moved to London, yes'. The man asked, 'How long have you been Deaf'? Astrid signed, 'I was born that way. And no, it doesn't bother me'. The man asked, 'Did you have to go to a special school'? Astrid signed, 'If I had wanted to go to what you apparently consider a normal school - I could have - but I felt more comfortable with teachers that didn't turn their backs and just keep on talking and while I'm fully capable of reading lips - I can't do that if I can't see the persons mouth'!

By the time that Astrid had to leave to get back to her place of business, she'd gotten the man to at least give her a last name, Noble. She really had to question his sanity though because at the same time he would admit that Noble was his sister's last name, he would then turn around and deny even having a sister. Maybe she was imaginary or a delusion or maybe she was 'like a sister' but not really a sister. It was strange, he seemed as sane as anybody else - right up until he was asked about himself and then he quit making sense. Even though, the part about a man traveling around in the blue police phone box she believed for no other reason then because of the story she'd heard after those metal men - Cybermen - started showing up. She'd admitted to him that she'd seen the Cybermen which had been different for her because she didn't actually like telling anybody that. The strange man had ended up laughing and saying that the madman in the police phone box was his older brother. And unlike with the 'sister' comment, he didn't turn around and immediately deny it. What was it that he'd called that phone box?

Continuing to jog back to her place of business, Astrid thought about how she'd joked with the man about why he didn't like the name John - apparently that was the name that his 'brother' went by sometimes despite it not really being his name. That somehow ended up with her making the comment that she was partial to the name Matthias because it was - different. And, something else she learned from that man was that his 'brother' went by the name 'the Doctor'. Even though, she had had fun with the 'game' where he'd say a name and then she'd have to think of the Scottish Gaelic equivalent, if there was one.

When Astrid had gotten home, she glanced at the words on the front window to her left that read 'Wolf's Den Comic Book & Video Game Shop'. The hours listed on the front glass door 8:00-22:00 Sunday-Friday. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. The backroom behind the counter and to the right was the stock room. And, back past the backroom was a staircase which led to the second floor which was where she lived.

After opening her shop, Astrid logged onto her laptop, opened up her browser, and typed in the search bar 'the Doctor - blue police phone box'. She got a bunch of junk results which she couldn't say really surprised her but one result or more accurately one picture caught her attention. Clicking the picture to enlarge it, she thought, 'What the - bloody hell, it's him'! She covered her mouth with her left hand because while she couldn't hear it herself, she could tell by the vibrations in her throat that she was laughing. When she stopped, she couldn't help but wonder 'If he is the Doctor, why did he say that the Doctor was his brother'? But then, she remembered something he'd said, 'I know who people say I am but I don't know if I want to be that man'. That got her to thinking, with as little information as there was about the Doctor - next to none unless you count that picture - was it possible that 'the Doctor' wasn't a good man? And that that man is 'the Doctor' but doesn't want to admit it? Was it possible that he was a good man but just had a brother that he didn't get along with? Even though, by the picture they could be identical.

Continuing to stare at the picture, Astrid noticed something else and thought, 'That's Pete and Jackie Tyler's daughter, Rose'! She knew there were some strange stories surrounding millionaire turned Torchwood operative, Pete Tyler and his wife Jackie - not the least one being that Jackie Tyler had been killed by/converted into a Cyberman during that whole mess with Lumic and that this second Jackie is - well, she's not real sure on that one but she knows enough to know that they're not the same Jackie. And, that that Rose Tyler woman is the second Jackie's daughter. But, did that mean that there was a connection between the Tyler's and the Doctor? And then, there was that whole thing with Ricky Smith or Mickey Smith depending on whether you were asking before or after the Lumic mess. Due to the simple fact that neither Jackie nor Ricky had an identical twin, either somebody had taken up cloning, or something weird was going on! Did 'the Doctor' or his 'brother' have answers? Because the whole thing with the Tyler's and Ricky-Mickey always made her head spin!

After closing her shop, Astrid headed upstairs to what was essentially a studio apartment. Off to her right was a stove with a microwave above it - whether anybody else liked that set-up or not, she did. To the left of it was a counter with enough space for a drain pan, to the counters left was a sink, and then a refrigerator. Then was the bathroom. Off to her left was a flat-screen TV mounted on the nearest wall with a collection of video games and video game consoles underneath - in a display case with glass doors in the case of the games themselves or on top of the display case in the case of the consoles , five feet back from that was a black recliner - between the size of the apartment and the simple fact that she didn't really have guests or friends who wanted to come over, she just never saw the need for anything more. To the right of the recliner were three full bookcases of comic books. She didn't like shows or movies much because they didn't all come with subtitles but she didn't just sell comics and video games, she enjoyed them herself. Three feet behind the recliner was an area that was partially blocked off - surrounded - by two divider walls which was where her bed was. There was a single window in the apartment - between one of the dividers and the bathroom, her dresser being under the window.

As Astrid began to settle down for the night after having eaten and taken a shower, she began to think, she knew if she were to search herself online - a mistake she'd only made once since the internet took off - what she'd find. The death's of both of her parents mere weeks before she left Edinburgh for London, the odd goings-on that had happened even earlier in her life in Glasgow, and due to how quickly her parents had fled Berlin with her once she was born - there were rumors that she was one of the 'freaks' that had 'infected' the Earth. The main reason that was dismissed as merely a rumor though was because of her 'disability'. 'Freaks' were not Deaf!

Astrid knew about what most of the world called 'freaks', because she'd learned about them in school, but once she started taking an interest in comics books, she thought they sounded more like the 'mutants' in X-Men! But, the rest of the world believed in them - they were either 'freak-friendly' or 'anti-freak'. There was only a small group in the whole world that didn't believe in them. Did Astrid believe in them? Yes. In fact, she had the opinion of not caring whether you were human or 'freak', treat her kindly and she'll do the same but treat her wrongly and well she kept a 12-inch knife 'on her person' at all times - except when she was asleep or in the shower - whether downstairs in Wolf's Den or upstairs in her apartment for that exact reason. Even though, while she called it a knife she wasn't actually sure if it was technically a knife or not due to the simple fact that she considered knives to be sharp and pointed while hers was sharp with no tip - a 'chopper'. She had to admit though, she certainly preferred the 'chopper' to the machete she had considered.

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Author's Note 1: Before I say anything else, I didn't realize just how difficult trying to right a Deaf character could be! And, while I have exactly no idea whether or not the Doctor actually knew sign language or not, I figured if he - or at least, his 11th and 12th selves - could speak baby of all things, then why not? Remember, the Meta-Crisis Doctor is supposed to be a duplicate of the Doctor except for the fact that he's more human then Time Lord. And, if the Meta-Crisis Doctor did in fact have all the Doctor's memories then wouldn't he also have his skill with languages which if I remember correctly isn't entirely reliant on the T.A.R.D.I.S. translating for him.

Author's Note 2: The bit in the character description about the fedora and ushanka doesn't take into account Astrid's jogging, she doesn't run wearing a hat. And, before you ask - which if you've read my Tegan Harkness Chronicles, you will - yes, I do like fedoras. And, I like the ushanka too but it was actually this year before I even knew what they were actually called, up until then, I'd known them as a Russian hat.

Author's Note 3: With manga being Japanese comic books, I really didn't think it was necessary for it to be mentioned that Astrid sold and read manga too for the simple fact that they're still comics!

Author's Note 4: Yes, this is the first time I've actually tried writing a single POV for a chapter instead of bouncing around from one to another.

Author's Note 5: And, don't worry, there'll be more on the 'freaks' the further we get into the story.

Author's Note 6: This is something I will say once and will probably never repeat, when I first developed Astrid Wolf, it was with a completely different character design including the fact that she could hear and her middle name was Dagmar. She was not originally developed to be in 2008, she was developed to be in 1937. She was not originally developed to be a half-German and half-Scottish woman living in London, she was developed to be a blonde haired, blue-eyed female Nazi! She was not originally developed to even appear in a Doctor Who fan fiction, she was developed to be in a Spies of Warsaw fan fiction - which I've since abandoned trying to write! So, having to completely redesign Astrid was probably part of the problem I was having. And, to those of you who don't know what Spies of Warsaw is, it's a book but it's also a mini-series starring David Tennant as Jean-Francois Mercier.

Reviews/Comments/Critiques welcome!

Written on March 18th-20th, 2019