Subplot:

House of Lungbarrow,

( Operations. )

Summary:

The Domestic life of the Doctor's family, and their extended Clutch.

CHAPTER:

42 Cycles after the Time War.

Smartholomew, or at least his eternal child face, sat at his Ops station, monitoring the Styx Leyline. The rest of him were out in the field. But one of each of their faces stayed behind, to monitor the situation.

They were each at their own stations. Sitting in a massive tower, running through the Center of S'mouth's Realm. Just looking through data, observing the ripple effects of the changes they made, throughout the Leyline.

It really did seem like a ripple. More often then not, unrelated changes occured, from temporal backlash a Galaxy away.

"How are things progressing?" The Rassillion Narrator asked. As he approached Smartie. Taking a look at the holographic screens, showing his different counterparts in the field.

"Great so far," Smar eagerly informed. "My counterparts have been observing most events from a distance, and are stealthily collecting the temporal backlash."

"Good, good," The Narrator smiled, before ruffling the boy's hair. "Be sure to keep your eyes on the Timelines, and tell me if I need to send someone to get involved."

Smar pouted, "Can't I go?"

Rassillion looked down at the boy, sternly. "We've been through this, far too many times. You don't do field work. You're an immortal child, be thankful I'm letting you work in tactical ops."

Smar hung his head. "But the rest of me gets to!"

Rassillion shook his head. "Your whining is not convincing me, you're ready for more responsibility."

The boy just pouted.

• Flashback: At the Beginning of this Cycle .

The Council of Rassillions, sat in the cafeteria, discussing what they should change for this cycle, over dinner. The rest of their clutch was here as well, at different tables. All mingling and laughing, and occasionally butting into Rassillion's discussion with themselves... their Clutch had grown informal, after so many centuries living inside Htuom.

The first Rassillion, The First Tecteun herself, looked over their options on holographic screens. "We're planning to do an awful lot of changes, to the history of the Destiny Verse's Earth, all at the same time."

An older Rassillion acknowledged. "We'll have to coordinate, but I think we can do it."

"The Doctor's Meta Crisis may notice the changes." An Omega spoke up, as they got to a nearby food dispenser. Materializing a Salad. Before sitting around their table.

The Master waved off, "He's not connected to the Doctor's Hive Mind, so there should be no issue."

"Once we're done," asked Smar, whom was currently enjoying being in his Kobold Form. "Could we pay, the Doctor's Meta Crisis, a visit? We've never been that dimension before."

The First Tecteun reminded, "Cause we're trying to stay off the Doctor's Radar... he occasionally stops by his Refugee worlds, throughout this Leyline, long before the Time War ended. We have to be careful, or we might create a Paradox big enough to rip a hole in the very cosmos."

The Corsair came over from her table, having something to say on that matter... that she wanted to for a long time, "I think we've traced all incidences of the Doctor's interference, pre-Time War... it might be time to contact his Post-Time War Self. We know which are which."

The Master smirked. "It would be nice to see him again."

"One thing at a time," Rassillion insisted. "Let's get the Susans, and Smartholomews, in their new bodies first."

The third Susan sighed, "Do I get a say in this."

"Of Course," Rassillion insisted.

Everyone turned expectant eyes on her. Susan sighed again. Quickly conversing with her own Hive mind, they found their answer. "Fine, since everyone is counting on me, We'll do it."

"We'll be monitoring you the entire time," Rassillion debriefed her... well, more like, was trying to talk her into a dangerous assignment.

Susan sighed. She'd done this before. A few times now. It let them cause the biggest temporal backlashes.

The Clara Doctor did something similar. Sending her soul to merge with a fetus... But when a Time Lord sends their soul back in time, to inhabit a body that wasn't their own, their memories become clouded. Guided by a subconscious "Mission" in the back of their mind.

Their memories didn't resurface until they turn 42, when their Time Lord biology reasserts itself.

Susan and Smartholomew, were often put into these reincarnation jobs. So the others could monitor them, and protect them, well shaping the universe around them.

While The Clara Doctor had to rely on Paradoxes, Susan and Smart Mouth had a lot of outside help.

Regardless. "We've never gone after a target this big before." Susan warned.

Rassillion pointed out the advantages. "If all goes according to plan. We'll completely rid the world of Tom Riddle, long before Harry Potter is ever born. If we shape things right, reality will greatly alter, Friendships will never collapse, and the temporal backlash will feed S'mouth a great deal."

Romana sighed. Not particularly happy they had to continuously make alterations to the Styx Leyline, and the various dimensions throughout it... but it was the only way to feed S'mouth.

She changed little things, when she was travelling with the Doctor, but going after the History of Lily Evans was too much. If they made one wrong move, Harry Potter would never lead humanity into a golden age.

Romana didn't approve of how their Clutch had devoted themselves to Chaos. They bound themselves as S'mouth's Agents. Gaining true immortality, and boost in magical power, in exchange for feeding him.

As a Royal Fae, S'mouth had to feed on a Cosmic Law, in his case, he had to disrupt fate, in order to survive.

Rassillion agreed to help the Master feed his child. Devoting, what was left of their clutch, to the task... and it wasn't like they had to do this often. Maybe once a cycle, they left the paradise of S'mouth's Realm, in order to "Harvest Destinies".

One member, of each Hive Mind, used the Various gateways of their TARDISes, travel the multiverse. Then split up, across the Leyline. Shaping a more benevolent future for all, while largely rewriting the fates designs... Unfortunately, they often ended up butting heads, with this multiverse's "Time Agency" organization. Whom wanted to preserve the Timelines, to ensure their own future.

They played their part, when House Lungbarrow wasn't around to guide things, but they were quite annoying. Romana was half tempted to just erase their timeline all together... but that do more harm, then good, in the long run. Especially when the organization would eventually be restructured, to something that would actually help them shape a better universe.

The Saxon Master smiled, as the immortal child version of his son, came to join them.

The group of much more seasoned Time Lords, too smiled, as the little Kobold flew into the room, holding a Data pad.

"You might want to see if any of your other ships are interested in this." The truly tiny lizard, handed over the pad to Rassillion.

Rassillion gently took it. "A divergence?" He puzzled.

"This one wasn't caused by us," the boy informed. "Although I managed to collect the energy, from the temporal backlash. I'm not sure what caused it.

"Somehow, Astro Boy met someone he shouldn't have. It's just a little blip right now, but it has the potential to grow. There is a large temporal signature, as well as void residue. But nothing bad has come of it, nothing good either. So the little robot might have just run into a friendly demon... but they don't appear to be parting ways."

Rassillion thought for a few moments, "Keep an eye on it, but leave it be."

The boy deflated. Really wanting to meet Astro Boy... given he too was trapped in a child's body. Smar felt a kinship with his Champion... they were both saviors of worlds, with the faces of near infants.

Smar thought this might have given him the opportunity to meet a kindred spirirt, but it didn't seem meant to be... an odd choice of words, considering his profession.