Ready for the twist? Here it comes...


The woman glared at the Doctor through the camera feed as he climbed into a cab. He was harder to kill than a cockroach. Her plan had been perfect. Absolutely flawless, but he survived. He always managed to survive, but not this time. It had taken the energy of a continuum crystal, something she had to destroy an entire planet to acquire, but it was worth it.

She pulled out all the stops for this one because this time it wasn't merely her job, it was her life, it was personal because when he managed to worm his way out of her last attempt she'd almost been executed for her failure. She wasn't about to chance that happening, which was why she'd spent ten years sifting through his secrets, looking for the few bits that when put together would lead to his destruction.

Locating all the players was the first step. Travel between parallel worlds was risky and she had to be careful. Not that she cared about destroying another universe, but she couldn't chance alerting him. Couldn't be found out until it was too late for anyone to save him. Locate and watch. Find their weaknesses and use them.

Then there were the breadcrumbs she had to leave. Making sure to keep everyone on the right trail until they were all led to the goal. Her goal. First there was the doctor, not the one she was watching, but the other one. Locating a doctor who didn't mind working outside the system, outside the law, someone who might find psychological reprogramming interesting. Not that he would actually have anything to do with the meta-crisis' reprogramming, but she needed a front and Dr. Hastings was perfect for that.

The meta-crisis was first. She knew he'd never be satisfied merely being human. Not with all those memories. So, she gave him a way out, but not from her. He would've known something was going on so she stayed in the background. Used someone else to give him his way out. Hid the plans where she knew he'd discover them.

He started his experiment, but she knew it wouldn't do exactly what he wanted. Something he wouldn't know until it was too late. She wrapped enough truth around it to make it believable. A bit of what she'd done to the child.

He didn't tell the girl, but she knew he wouldn't. A surprise. Only, he was the one surprised when the experiment backfired and he was pulled through the rip, coming out near the hospital, exactly where she wanted him.

Adam was next. A diversion she could use later, but she knew he could very well become a loose cannon and she wouldn't have that again. So, she brought him aboard. Altered his implant. He would be her puppet, staying out of the game until he was needed without ever realizing what he was doing. Altering him warped his mind, but she really wasn't concerned with that. It wasn't as if he'd ever see the end of the game anyway.

Rose, the girl the Doctor was still in love with, was next. She was the one the woman had to wait on because Rose was the honey in the trap. The one thing that would draw them all in and hold them there until it was too late. If she was taken right away she'd realize what happened to the meta-crisis and she'd look for him, which would make the plan fall apart. The woman couldn't chance that. So, she waited. Three months. Five. Eight. Creating the rips. Holding the last one open long enough for the girl to jump through.

The girl came out exactly where she wanted. She knew Rose's sudden appearance would intrigue the fictional detective enough to make him interested. Keeping the girl where she needed her to be.

The Doctor was last. Pulling the TARDIS out of the time vortex and through the final rip nearly drained the continuum crystal, but once all the players were on the board she really didn't need it anymore.

Now it was only a matter of moving the pieces in the right direction. She picked up the communicator.

"It's time. Give him the idea."

"Yes, ma'am," a man replied, probably one of the doctors keeping him sedated.

Keeping him under proved to be more difficult than she anticipated. He was human like Amy, but unlike the child's mother his mind was more powerful. Not as easily manipulated, but it could be manipulated.


Standard Disclaimer.

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