Sooner than later, books were piled on top of the little table in the center of the room. Lucy Luxorm approached the Doctor nervously. "Um... Doctor, I know this isn't exactly the right time, but... we're called the Ghostfacers, not the Ghostblasters." she informed him. He whirled around and regarded her almost angrily. "Really, do you think this is the right time? One wrong move, we're stripped of our flesh, and you're worried about your little team name? Lucy, really. Get a grip!" he scolded. Suddenly he made a shocked face, seemingly taken aback by himself. "Oh, that was rude! Sorry, sorry, being rude again. A little bit of my past regeneration bleeding through... You're lucky I had Rose. She toned it down a bit, didn't she then?" he began prattling off to himself. Suddenly he got very quiet and very sad, staring at the pile of books with mournful woe. Lucy was about to ask about Rose, but Tish wandered over, holding her precious camera. "Doctor? What happens now? You've got all the books in the living room, like you requested, so now what? Are we going to read through each one until we find something?" she interviewed. The Doctor didn't look at the camera, only scooped up a book, leafed through it, scanned a few pages with the sonic screwdriver, and tossed the book carelessly behind him, where it landed with a thud! in the shadows. "No. I go through the books, and you all just... sit. Stay there. Nothing into the shadows. If you like, you can have a bite, but do not move." he warned icily. Lucy sighed in frustration at her sister's intrusion and grudgingly walked to Harry and Ed, quietly conversing as Sam and Dean sauntered over to the Doctor. "Anything we can do?" Sam inquired. The Doctor tore himself from the books and flashed their helmets quickly with the sonic screwdriver, darkening the visors. "What the hell!" Dean exclaimed. The Doctor turned back around to the books as they tried to peer through the dark. "What was that?"
"Darkened your visors. Harder for the Vashta Nerada to get inside; they'll think they're already in there. Hopefully. Last time..." he cut himself off before anything could slip out, but Dean wasn't fooled. "Last time what? You better tell us, Doctor, or so help me I'll shoot you in the eye."
"Oh, you're that lot? All the guns and explosions and bullets? Blimey, out of six billion humans I get stuck with the ones that like to kill. Lucky, I am."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't here that and restate my question. Last time what?"
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you if you really want to know. Last time, Darkening the visor didn't work. Well, granted, she was already being infected- two shadows and all - so you might be safe."
"'Might'?"
"C'mon Dean. You've been through worse situations than this!" Sam protested. The Doctor perked up, but continued scanning the books, suddenly interested. "Worse? What could possibly be worse? Well, actually there are a lot of things that are worse than the Vashta Nerada, these are tame compared to some."
"For instance?"
"Daleks, Weeping Angels, Sontarans, even the Master, I'd think."
"Who are they? Other aliens?"
"Yeah. The most dangerous and deadly creatures in the Universe, the only things to kill you nicely- unless they already have enough energy and don't need more -the aliens that relish war and death- much like Daleks, but less deadly and dangerous -and one of my own. Driven mad by our people and made to be the perfect warrior."
"You said you were the last."
"Oh, I am. He either died or was sent back to the Time War. Along with my planet."
"Your planet? Oh my God! Those... planets in the sky a few years back? Those were your planets?"
"No, those were other planets. But, good idea, remember those things in the sky? The big, flying things that came down and starting killing everyone?"
"Yeah! They were all over the place!"
"Yes, they were, and those were Daleks!"
"You mean... those are the most deadly and dangerous creatures in the Universe? They used plungers and whisks as weapons!"
"Yes, well, no. Well, kind of. But that doesn't matter, they're still evil." the Doctor finished with a nod of the head. "Anyways, you were saying you've been through worse?"
"Yeah, Dean here went to Hell for a while."
"What?"
"Yeah. I died, he sold his soul to a demon, and when his time was up, he went to Hell."
"And he's back because...?"
"An angel swooped down from Heaven and rescued me from the Pit." Dean replied for his brother. The Doctor made an disbelieving face. "Angels and demons? Heaven and Hell? What kind of human religion is this?" he demanded. Sam snorted. "This isn't a religion, Doctor. What? After all your years- how many? Twenty? Maybe even thirty?- you haven't fought a single demon or a single angel?"
"Not thirty, try nine-hundred. And no! I've fought something that liked to believe it was Satan, yes, but I can't know for sure! You can never know for sure!"
"Wait... what?"
"Yes, I killed the Devil. Happy?"
"No, you said you're nine-hundred? You don't look older than thirty."
"Really? Oh, that is rather depressing. I look thirty? Thirty? Don't tell me I've gotten wrinkles. You know what, if my next regeneration looks sixty, I'll-" the Doctor's tirade was cut short by a drawn out scream exploding from one side of the room. He tossed down the book he was holding and sprinted to the scene, his long legs carrying him there in a matter of seconds. "What? What's happened!" he demanded. Tish was there, still holding her camera, but she was shaking so violently that she couldn't have been taping very excellent footage. "L-Lucy went outside the circle to get a b-book she s-saw, and-and..." she sobbed, unable to finish. Harry was by her side, rubbing her arm and comforting her quietly, while Ed only stared with a pallid complexion at the gleaming skeleton just outside the circle of light. One bony hand had fallen inside, beyond the floodlights, a finger pointing at nothing in particular. The Doctor stooped down on one knee and flicked on the sonic screwdriver, running the blue tip along the bones of the hand. Ed looked down at the Doctor with disbelief shining past the tears welling in his large, round eyes. "You're kidding me. That's the alien? That'swhat it does?" he swallowed down vomit and turned away from Lucy's corpse. "Yes. It isn't too late to get out now. Just run. There's no shame in running." he advised. Harry puffed out his chest, overcome with pride and stubbornness. "Of course there is! We're not running away. We'll stay until either all of us are dead, or the alien is dead. And that is that." he insisted. The Doctor sighed. "Very well. Doesn't seem like I can stop you, does it?"
"Nope."
"Fine. Just... take a hint from poor Lucy and don't set a toe outside this circle. Got it?"
"Yessir."
"Good. Now I'll finish with the books, and you stay in the circle." the Doctor hissed, pointing his sonic screwdriver aggressively at the remaining five humans. They all nodded obediently and milled about, making polite conversation with each other, though Harry and the Winchesters made an effort to stay away from each other. The Doctor watched them out of the corner of his eyes as he finished with the books, growling to himself while he tossed the very last one into the shadows. Suddenly, his face brightened, and his eyes widened, and he sprinted to one side of the circle, peering into the shadows. Dean and Sam were the first to spot his sudden movement, and were quickly by his side, trying to see what he did. "The book! Tish said Lucy was after a book she saw. Tish!" he called over his shoulder. She was immediately by his side, filming still. "Find the book your sister saw." commanded the Doctor. She nodded and gave the camera to Ed quickly before snatching the Doctor's torch from him. "I-I can't see it anymore! It's too dark!" she stuttered in shock. The Doctor smiled and jumped excitedly. "Oh yes!" he cried triumphantly. "And I'm gonna go find it!"