"What do you mean Time Lady?" Amy asked. "Doctor, you said…"
"Oh, he thought I was dead. Easy mistake to make. Like that idiot over there," she said gesturing to the unconscious man. "I was pushed out of this dimension. He," she nodded in the Doctor's direction, "was the lucky one. He got away with a regeneration." She grinned at the Doctor. He stared back vacantly. "…Doctor?"
"Who are you?" he asked, a dangerous tone in his voice.
"Wh- what do you mean? Doctor, it's me! Ava! Remember? I'm your best friend. You know, the moody, fun-loving companion who has a flair for music and trouble? Stop messing around!"
"I'm not messing around. You're lying. There are no Time Lord's left. And even if there were, there was never one called 'Ava'. Now tell me who you are!"
"Doctor! It is me! I am a Time Lord! I'm the reason we came to Earth, remember? It was my idea!"
"No. It wasn't. Su-"
"It was Susan's idea to go to the school! I always wanted to go to Earth. I loved their music, remember? It took so long to convince you. Then Susan and I started going to school," she gave a laugh. "And Ian and Barbara, they followed her home, and pushed their way into the Tardis. I can still remember the look on your face. You were furious! And then you kidnapped them! And then there were the Cavemen, and the Daleks. Then they went home, after a while." She looked sad. "They're professors now. And they're married. "Then she perked up. "We should go visit their wedding. I'd love to see their faces."
"Stop it," the Doctor commanded. "I don't believe you. You could be a mind reader. Or maybe you interrogated them. I don't know yet. But trust me," he said, walking up to her and leaned close to her. Her breath quickened. "I am going to find out." Then he pulled away abruptly. "Okay everyone, into the Tardis. You too," he said, glancing at Ava. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, right now." She nodded.
He led the way back to the Tardis, parked in one of the room a few corridors away. He walked sternly, almost angrily. Amy and Rory caught up with him. Ava walked a few meters behind them.
"Doctor," Amy whispered. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"
"No chance," he replied. "They were all wiped out. All of them."
"But why pretend to be a Time Lord?" Rory asked.
"Maybe she wants the Tardis. Or intel on the future. I don't know yet. She may be a spy, but if she is she's a very bad one…or a very clever one."
"Clever?" Amy asked.
"Having a story so unbelievable that we have to believe that she's telling the truth, because no spy would ever be stupid enough to have such an unbelievable story."
"Oh. But…what if she is telling the truth?"
"She's not."
Ava listened to their conversation with a heavy heart.
"So you really don't believe me?" She asked sadly. They stopped and looked at her.
"No, I don't." he said and walked off.
"Wait…How did you hear us?" Rory asked.
Ava grinned, and touched her ear. "Super hearing. One of the benefits of being a Time Lord."
"Can the Doctor do that too?"
"Of course he can't." Ava scoffed, walking to catch up with him. "He's a 'Regenerator'. I'm a healer. There's a difference."
"Really?" Amy asked curiously, slowing to walk with them.
"See, Time Lords are… powered by Artron Energy. See, this energy can be used in two ways. Its decided by your DNA. In one case, such as the Doctor's, the energy builds up, so in cases of near death, it causes complete renewal of the cells. But with 'Healers' as we are sometimes called, the energy is constantly in play. See," she stopped walking, and pulled out the dagger. She ran it across her left palm, drawing blood. Then she watched Rory and Amy stared in disbelief as the wound healed itself in mere seconds. She grinned, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.
"So what," Amy asked, continuing to walk. "You're practically immortal?"
"With small wounds like this, yeah pretty much. But with big wounds like… gunshot wounds and stab wounds, and in one case falling off a building, it takes longer. The more wounds, the more energy. And it takes time. If I got an infection, I could die. Or if the wounds are too big to heal. Its…complicated." They turned into the room. The Doctor was waiting near the door.
"Done?" he asked, then, without waiting for an answer, took off his key and walked to the Tardis door. However, before he could reach it, the air shimmered in front of him, signalling a new arrival. The Doctor took a step back. The image solidified. River Song took a step forward.
"Hello Sweetie." She said.