Chapter 1: The Opportunity
Summary:
Chapter 1 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki Laufeyson, Variant L1130, adjusts to his new line of work: consulting for the Time Variance Authority. His partner, Agent Mobius, invites and prepares him for his first field mission.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
What makes Loki tick? Power? Control? Independence? Authority? Style?
If you were to ask him now, the answer he would give you would be a simple word: tragedy.
The tragedy of Loki Laufeyson of Asgard, the God of Mischief, is a complicated one. Plagued by pain, suffering, and death. A desire to claim what was owed to him, and what did he receive? The cold truth of his true heritage. A throne that stood alone, without him in it. A father whose love throttled between disdain and tolerance. A mother whose assassination had his distinct yet accidental touch. A brother who, despite everything, still harboured adoration for him. A glorious purpose, that was taken away with a simple crack.
You're bound to break when you're shown a life like that. Especially when you're shown your own gruesome death at the hands of someone who you previously thought was an ally.
Deep down, Loki's life had been a cruel, elaborate trick, conjured to inspire fear and grasp at once last chance at control. Conjured by who? Normally, the answer would be Loki himself. You are responsible for your own choices, aren't you? But deep down, he didn't have that choice. Not at the time. The Sacred Timeline is an artisan design, meticulously planned down to the very last stitch of detail. The universe is a masterpiece crafted by the TVA.
The TVA?
The Time Variance Authority. An organization that monitors all of time and all of existence, ensuring it plays according to one sacred outcome. This vast pocket of existence outside of the timeline had powers unlike anywhere else. Magic was muted. Everything that ever was and ever will be was written down in the largest known archival library. Everything and everyone that was out of place was processed and disposed of like recycling.
Loki, Variant L1130, lamented that his sacred outcome didn't involve escaping his arrest. He wouldn't be stuck here if it were truly fate. Then again, fate was a hard word to believe in by this point. Flashbacks of his 'Sacred Timeline' file replayed in his head constantly. He was shown a lifetime's worth of trauma in a few moments. All that was meant to be his glorious purpose, summed up in failures, betrayals, deaths, and the hope he had always wanted to live through. Although the shock had worn off, he couldn't help but linger on the bitter taste of knowing he'd never revel in being his brother's equal.
Despite all that he had gone through in such a short amount of time, Loki had a plan. He could've been disposed of, but he was not. Instead, he's starting a position as a consultant to the TVA. This will be the first domino of the TVA's downfall.
That's how Loki ticks. Even in the worst of situations, he can always find the opportunity.
Ding!
Loki exited the elevator and entered a room full of cubicles. As much as he wanted to figure out a way to escape the TVA, he did not have enough knowledge to do so. However, this played into his plan. Loki knew that this opportunity was well-wrapped between the art of infiltration and information. Starting by overtaking his arresting Detective's desk and fiddling with his electronics.
As Loki glanced at the nameplate reading 'Det. Mobius M. Mobius,' the TVA Agent's computer began to buzz. Compared to Midgardian technology, the orange and black squares were ancient, but the clock face that leapt out from the screen and joined Loki on the desk was anything but outdated.
“Hey, y’all!” the clock's voice hummed as Loki took to his seat, “Look at you in those sweet TVA digs!”
Loki glanced at his off-white dress shirt and brown slacks. It certainly was an improvement on the standard beige jumpsuit that he was forced to wear upon his arrest, but…
“Don't give your uniform department that much credit, Miss Minutes…” Loki muttered the clock's name with a heavy hiss, “This is no substitute for the prime Asgardian leather your organization destroyed. You'll be billed as soon as I'm released.”
“All right, all right…” Miss Minutes replied, “Now, before we start your review, you mind giving me the rundown one more time, about why you're here?”
Loki's eyebrow shot up in confusion, “I thought the TVA was all-knowing?”
“Well, yeah, but since you're here, you ought to give your testimony in your own words! Gives our records a bit of spice and an extra hint of authenticity!” Miss Minutes walked across the desk in a translucent stride, causing the objects behind her to slightly refract.
Loki's sigh was brief but poignant. Who was he to resist a moment of monologue?
“Well, I was arrested by the TVA for creating a branch, veering off the Sacred Timeline by escaping New York with the Tesseract. I was put on trial—”
“Becauuuse…” Miss Minutes interrupted, looking at Loki expectantly.
“I created a branch,” Loki repeated, “A moment of time that was not intended to exist.”
“Right! And since you're the cause of the branch, you are a…”
“Variant.”
“Correct! Gold star!”
“I thought this was my testimony, not a quiz,” Loki sneered, “May I continue?”
“Yeah, yeah, go on…” Miss Minutes finally found a spot on the desk to settle at. Loki paused to ensure she was listening before continuing.
“I was put on trial for my 'crimes,' I was shown my past and future by the Detective whose desk I'm occupying, and now he's swindled me into figuring out who's killing TVA officers.”
“Oh, we prefer Minutemen to officers, sug. Officer sounds too… low rank.”
“Right…”
The opportunity that the TVA gave him had several layers. The infiltration layer directly played into the TVA's dilemma. A Variant who knew of the TVA's existence was killing Minutemen at every ample opportunity. Loki was reeled into this dilemma because evidence suggested that the Variant in question also originated from Loki's Sacred Path. Essentially, Loki was on the hunt for a varying version of himself.
In other words, Loki had leverage.
“Frankly, I thought I was supposed to be consulting, not training to become one of you lot…” Loki's eyes wandered to a light blue magazine on the desk. Picking it up and flipping through it only offered photographs of oceanic views and Midgardians riding oddly-shaped aquatic vehicles like horses or airships. It seemed out of place on a desk that revolved around time.
“To consult with the TVA, you gotta learn the lingo!” Miss Minutes said in her particular drawl, “Now, let's review.”
Loki sighed, continuing to thumb his way through Sea-doos and Rec-lites. He didn't bother to give his new companion eye contact as she began to quiz him.
“So, Loki, who created the Sacred Timeline?”
Loki's reply was brisk and quick, “The space lizards.”
“Loki…” Miss Minutes huffed, placing her cartoon-like hands by the time markers where one would assume her hips would be.
Loki groaned with equal vigour, “The 'Time-Keepers'…”
“All-knowing and benevolent, the Time-Keepers brought peace by reorganizing the multiverse into a single universal timeline, known as…”
“The Sacred Timeline.” Loki looked up from the magazine in confusion, “Both you and I mentioned that earlier.”
Miss Minutes elected to ignore Loki's quip, “They protect and preserve the proper flow of time. And when they needed a little assistance, they created the TVA, including everyone that works within it! And when Variants like you try to veer the timeline off its course, it creates a branch. The moment that a branch is created is called a…”
“Nexus Event. Is the word 'Variant' really necessary, by the way?” Loki asked, “It's not appealing, you know. It makes me sound like a virus.”
“More like a mistake.” Miss Minutes' wink caught Loki slightly off guard, allowing her to continue, “The TVA fixes those mistakes right away! Because when Nexus Events are created, they can branch into madness if left unchecked…”
“Creating another multiverse…” Loki's tone became monotonous, his eyes drifting back to the glossy papers in his hands. His shoulders couldn't help but slouch into the office chair as he kicked his feet up onto the table, barely avoiding the spot where Miss Minutes was perched.
“Ah, no need for an answer there, Loki, but you are correct!” Miss Minutes smiled, “Now, what happens when a Nexus Event branches past red line?”
Loki's full attention was on the magazine as he muttered, “Very bad things…”
“Come on, Loki!” Miss Minutes sounded annoyed as she spoke, “What is it?”
Loki hesitated, resisting another snarky answer, “It's when the TVA can no longer reset a Nexus Event. Okay? Boring.”
“Right! And that would lead to the destruction of the timeline and the collapse of reality as we know it!” Miss Minutes said with a cheerful grin, clearly ignoring the tail-end of Loki's statement. It made him wonder…
“Can you hear me?” Loki asked Miss Minutes, “Are you a recording, or are you alive?”
“Uhh…” the clock checked herself for the correct answer, albeit the “Sorta both!” was not as eloquent as intended.
“Ahh…”
Before his brain had processed why he had done so, Loki found himself holding a rolled-up jet ski magazine. He glanced at the roll, then back at the TVA's mascot. In truth, such a mischievous being couldn't resist.
His feet swung to the floor, propelling himself upright and forward. His wrist flicked the magazine towards Miss Minutes, but she was quickly able to jump from the desk to the top of the computer.
“Watch it!” Miss Minutes squeaked, “Where's your manners‽”
As a sort-of alive projection, Miss Minutes ought to have known better. Loki was raised as an Asgardian; his shark-like grin at the notion of striking a nerve proved it. They commenced in a quick game of Whack-a-Miss, causing the orange clock face to journey across Mobius' desk, barely dodging the Variant's reflexes.
“Oh, hey! Quit it!”
“Hah!” Loki's last swing connected with the computer rather than Miss Minutes herself. Sure enough, the projection had retreated to the safety of the TVA computer just as quickly as she had emerged from it.
“That is not nice! Jerk!” Miss Minutes' voice became more static as she relied on the computer's speakers for audio output.
“You can't hide in the…” Loki's voice trailed off in mild defeat, as Miss Minutes closed her program, displaying Loki's failing grade, despite his flawless quiz score just moments before.
“Training goin' well, Loki?”
Loki turned in his swivel chair to face the man who normally sat in his position. He appeared as a simple Midgardian with a full silver moustache and a well-trimmed maroon suit. But Loki knew the truth: Mobius M. Mobius was anything but simple. He was the Agent that knew Loki's timeline better than he did. He was the one that reeled Loki into this strange hunt for his Variant. He wielded an intelligence that was almost on par with Loki's. Almost.
Loki knew he had to dumb himself down just a smidge to successfully infiltrate himself into the TVA's good graces. Mobius was a key piece of the opportunity. After all, a good reference from him could get Loki closer to the people or lizards that he truly needed to talk to.
“Uh… yeah!” Loki looked at Mobius with an innocent charm, despite what flimsy weaponry he held.
“Is that my jet ski magazine?” Mobius pointed at the rolled-up tube in a mild-mannered huff, “Put that down!”
Loki glanced at the magazine, then the man, then back at the magazine one more time. As he tossed the magazine down with an unceremonious thump, Mobius unveiled a transparent bag from under his arm. It was so well concealed because it was almost the same shade of brown as his blazer.
“Come on, gear up. There's been another attack.”
Loki took a moment to observe past the plastic. It appeared to be a sturdy, greenish-brown jacket. Flipping it around revealed the TVA's intricate orange logo emblazoned onto it. When Loki looked up, Mobius was already moseying his way across the TVA floor. A knowing glance prompted Loki to catch up, unbundling the jacket from its sheath as he strode across the gigantic TVA logo imprinted on the tile beneath him.
“Put it on,” Mobius encouraged his Variant as the jacket announced itself with a light fwumph.
Loki obliged, quickly tucking his arms into perfectly fitted sleeves. This jacket was not usually Loki's style, but the need to blend in outweighed the fashion standards that he usually held himself to. He fluffed the collar of the jacket as he glanced for his Detective's approval.
“Good, yeah, smart…” Mobius said as Loki adjusted both the jacket and his hair to a uniform fit. The familiar grin and outward posture of the demigod's palms didn't faze him. He ushered his Variant to the TVA's locker room.
Granted, ‘locker room’ wasn't an accurate term. In truth, they entered one of many existing locker rooms, as there were more Minutemen than one could reasonably count. Encasing them all within one room would be close to impossible. Minutemen were positioned and rotated according to their leaders, from what Loki gathered. There were Minutemen, who were nothing more than a series of numbers, and the Hunters who not only led the squadrons but also brandished a letter alongside their number.
Loki had yet to figure out why the TVA employees that put their direct lives on the line were nothing more than numbers and letters. During his brief time at the TVA, he found that the 'desk' workers - judges, analysts, archivists - all at least had a first name. The higher the rank, the fancier the name. So why not bestow these fighters with names as well?
The leader of this particular troop was Hunter B-15, a soldier that Loki was unfortunately all-too-familiar with. She was his arresting officer, his first taste of the TVA's particular brand of justice. Perhaps that was what gave her the upper hand early on in their struggle; the element of the unknown that the TVA had at the time gave her the advantage. But, as Loki absorbed knowledge and learned of the TVA's tricks, he managed to quickly adapt.
It did start with Loki's mastery of the Time Collar; a device strapped around the neck used to subdue and control Variant prisoners, ingrained with the ability to twist and alter a Variant's position in the TVA's particular timeline. During a tussle, he was able to get the upper hand on Hunter B-15, applying a Time Collar onto her and testing the limits of the Time Twister feature on her. The icy stare Hunter B-15 gave Loki as he entered the room proved that she was not one to forget such a battle.
When her troop entered the room and took to their positions, Hunter B-15 cleared her throat. She started her briefing by motioning to the chyron that was rolling information along like subpar news. The board scrolled slowly, allowing people of any reading comprehension to understand the mission at hand.
LOCATION: OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. YEAR: 1985. THREAT: HIGH.
“Hunter C-20 and her team went dark shortly after they jumped into the 1985 branch,” Hunter B-15 said, “All signs point to another ambush. We've grabbed enough temporal aura to know it's our Loki Variant. But which kind of Loki remains unknown.”
“They're the lesser kind, to be clear,” Loki clarified, much to the chagrin of his arresting officer.
Hunter B-15 sighed, “Let me see the back of that jacket.”
Now, Loki already had a hunch. He caught a glimpse of his backside as he entered the locker room. But to appease the room, he did turn on his heels. Both Mobius and Hunter B-15 shared a light snicker as the word ‘VARIANT’ shone as brightly as orange letters could on a mud-brown jacket. Loki even briefly heard the smirks of the Minutemen standing at attention.
“Very subtle, well done…” Loki said sarcastically as he returned to standing at a lax form of attention, hiding his hands in his pockets.
“I don't want anybody out there to forget what you are.”
“Oh, your only hope of catching a murderer?”
“No. A cosmic mistake.”
Ouch. That certainly sounded familiar. Did all of the TVA employees and entities pull from the same insult book?
“Lovely…” Loki kept his composure, keeping his gaze fixed on Hunter B-15.
“That's enough…” Mobius broke up the squabble between Variant and Hunter rather easily. He pulled out a small pager-like device from his pocket.
Loki knew this small computer as a TemPad, a device commonly used to store and display information from the TVA's entire database, as well as access any point of time along the Sacred Timeline or its corresponding branches. These machines were priceless among TVA employees, and painfully easy to pickpocket from unsuspecting detectives.
“Here's the deal. When we get out on the branch, we're not just looking for a Time Criminal,” Mobius said as he opened his TemPad, “We're looking for a Loki. A variation of this guy…”
As Mobius gestured to Loki, he remained unfazed. What Loki didn't realize was that Mobius wasn't pointing at him, but rather at the place where his TemPad's holo-projection was about to unfold. In the centre of the briefing circle, a display of Loki Variant L0107 shone in his Jotunheim blue glory.
“A type we should all be very familiar with… because the TVA has pruned a lotta these guys, more than any other Variant. And no two are alike… Slight differences in appearances, or not so slight.”
As Mobius ran his monologue, he cycled through more Loki variants. One had emerald robes and glamourous shades. Another seemed to be Midgardian, fitted with a tight yellow shirt and black shorts. The trophy he held proved him to be more victorious than the average Loki. The only Variant that caught Loki off guard was L6792, which looked like a horrific blend between himself and his true nemesis: the Incredible Hulk. Even his horned helmet looked atrocious.
“Different powers, although, powers generally include shape-shifting, illusion-projection, and my favourite—”
Alarmed, Loki cut Mobius off, “Duplication-casting.”
An awkward silence overwhelmed the briefing. Everyone else stared at Loki with a familiar, blank stare. Finally, after about ten seconds, Mobius removed the holo-projection from the room and spoke.
“Illusion-projection.”
“No, they're two completely different powers.”
“How?”
Mobius regretted the question as soon as it crossed his lips. Loki adjusted himself in a position that simply boasted how he was the smartest being in the room.
“Illusion-projection involves depicting a detailed image from outside oneself…” Loki demonstrated this by stirring his hands in the air for dramatic effect, “Which is perceptible in the external world.”
Hunter B-15 glanced at Mobius, indicating that she also regretted the question that crossed Mobius' lips. The Minutemen knew better than to fall out of line, but they weren't exactly excited by being caught up in the Variant's speech.
“Whereas duplication-casting entails…” Loki placed his hands on his shoulders and flushed them downwards, as if he were unveiling his dream coronation outfit, “Recreating an exact facsimile of one's own body in its present circumstance, which acts as a true holographic mirror of its molecular structure.”
As the Minutemen stood with mouths slightly agape, Loki motioned to Mobius and Hunter B-15 in a sweeping motion with the back of his hand, standing all too proud of himself in the process.
“But you already knew that.”
“Okay, take a breath. Noted,” Mobius once again quelled the talkative demigod, steering the briefing back on track, “We're gonna break into two teams, including myself and Professor Loki.”
“Why?” A Minuteman spoke. Hunter B-15 gave him a look that signalled that his question was not out of turn or out of reason.
“Because whoever this Variant is, we haven't been able to find them…” Mobius tucked his TemPad away and placed his hands on his hips, “So let's bring in an expert.”
The statement took a moment to register, but when it did, Loki gestured towards himself with a bold and brash thumb, “That's me.”
“Okay, team! Gear up! Gather your weapons! Line up at deployment in 10 units!” As Hunter B-15 ushered her team to their lockers to gather their weapons and armour, Mobius decided to make Loki skip that step.
“This way to the Deployment Hall. C'mon…”
Loki glanced at the Minutemen suiting up before following Mobius. At that moment, the reality of the situation dawned upon him. For the first time since his arrest, Loki was about to exit the TVA. This seems like a prime moment to make some basic inquiries, especially since this was Loki's first field mission.
“Do I get a weapon?”
“Nah…” Mobius said this unusually calmly. Considering what they both knew about the TVA and its unmatched power and strength, Loki had to question this further.
“Well, I'll no longer be suppressed by the TVA. I'll have my magic back. Is no one concerned about that?”
“Of what?” Mobius glanced at Loki briefly as they walked side by side.
“Me betraying you.”
“No.”
Loki aimed his eyes at Mobius, only to sharply narrow them. “Why not?”
Mobius shrugged nonchalantly, “Because you already know that we can catch you. And how's betraying us gonna get you any closer to the Time-Keepers?”
The pair stopped walking with Loki a few steps ahead of Mobius. The look he gave Mobius shifted from morbid curiosity to captive intrigue. “An audience with the Time-Keepers is on the table?”
“Keep that focus…” Mobius made no promises as he patted Loki's back. The Detective guided the Variant to where they both needed to be. Nestled between Minutemen for security, they entered the Deployment Hall that displayed the same Nexus Event chyron, down to the letter. Seems like a quiet day on the branching front.
Rectangular orange monoliths hovered above markers indicating that they matched the impending scene. These portals, known formally as Time Doors, allowed the TVA to cross from the safety of their sanctum to the perils of the Sacred Timeline. Or in this case, the fearsome 1985 branch.
Notes:
Hey y'all, hindsight is 20/20 and part of me realizes that I should have combined Chapters 1 & 2 together to better hook you into the story and how it diverges from the canon. It's a bit too late for that now without causing an aftershock on the other chapters, so I have to bite that bullet and accept the failures that come with it.
If you've made it this far, I appreciate you. If you give Chapter 2 a chance, you'll have my heart.
Chapter 2: The Part He Plays
Summary:
Chapter 2 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki and Mobius attend a Renaissance Fair, hot on the trails of the killer Variant. Mobius’ boss, Judge Renslayer, has harsh words for him after that mission. But somehow, it wasn’t as surprising as Casey’s words.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Enter Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Although this was supposed to be 1985, the setting was an ode to the 17th Midgardian century. Lutes and tabors echoed faintly against the overcast afternoon. Jesters and maidens mingled with those who rocked high-waisted jeans and bomber jackets. Monks congregated near the tavern, red plastic cups crinkled between their clean hands.
Mud squelched under Loki's loafers as he followed Mobius off the baseboard of ye olde gift shoppe. Minutemen mumbled to their lead Hunter as she led the way to the source of the Nexus Event. A teenager with the fair's largest perm gave Loki a look that he'd rather not have received. It was unclear how far they'd have to pace in this terrain, which begged a simple, yet logical, question from the TVA's newest consultant.
“Let me ask you this, Mobius. Why don't we just travel back to before the attack, when the Variant first arrives?”
“Nexus Events destabilize the time flow. This branch is still changing and growing, so you gotta show up in real-time.” Mobius waved his hands in slight protest, “Did you watch any of the training videos you were supposed to?”
Loki scoffed at the notion. They both knew the answer to that. Mobius did walk in on his review, didn't he? To continue playing his part, the trickster decided to humour the Detective.
“Well, as many as I could stand. Your TVA propaganda is exhausting.”
As Loki sighed, he felt a slight tinge of pressure on his back. He felt the press of an uneven cylinder. Looking back, Loki acknowledged a Minuteman who had been standing a pace just behind him. He tugged at the withered antique lanterns strapped to his chest like sticks of dynamite.
“And what do these do?” The Minuteman quizzed.
“Reset charges prune the affected radius of a branched timeline, allowing time to heal all its wounds.” Loki's voice wavered in about three octaves of sarcasm as he answered, “Which sounds like a nice way of saying disintegrate everything in its vicinity.”
Ironically, that answer timed nicely with the group arriving at the entrance to the scene of the crime. The whirring of Minutemen activating their weaponry did not phase Loki, despite being witness to their devastation early on during his TVA journey. Time Sticks, despite the lacklustre name, are detailed batons that are equally capable of disintegration and destruction. Even Loki knew better than to tempt fate against it, but he dare not show it.
“He's on it…” Mobius chuckled with his Minutemen as he lifted the flap to a weathered tent. Without so much as a second thought, he ensured the tent remained lifted for his consultant and his Minutemen.
“I watched the videos. I mean, some of them…” Loki's shrug went unnoticed as he followed Mobius into the tent.
The scene of the crime was a stage of sorts. Torches were the only things that illuminated the bleachers, poles, and other wooden infrastructure. The weapons were dulled, clearly meant to display a battle for show rather than actual violence. Yet, some of the jousting poles were dented and crumbled between the blades of grass.
Hunter B-15 was already completing her assessment as Mobius joined her side. She was quick to note that, amongst the deceased Minutemens' bodies, one helmet was separated from its head. The bright orange labelling depicting both letter and number as 'C-20' prompted major concern.
“So they're taking hostages now?” Hunter B-15 pondered aloud.
“The Variant's never taken a hostage before…” Mobius concurred.
“Maybe they're upping their game.”
A Minuteman was quick to interrupt, “Or they pruned her.”
Hunter B-15 turned on her boot, lightly scolding the Minuteman that talked out of turn, “A Loki couldn't have gotten the jump on C-20.”
While they were conversing, Loki had given himself distance from the others. He was examining the scene in full. The torchlight made it hard to see, but some of the blades of grass were stained by blood.
“I think you underestimate, actually—” Loki spoke unusually quietly. B-15 was easily able to talk over him.
“Fan out and search for her!” The leader commanded as she raised her left arm. The TemPad that was in her hand blipped, “And hurry up, we're at three units until red line.”
Minutemen spread out without question. Even Mobius looked at Loki expectantly, as if this was the only option. Footsteps started to wander towards the tent's only exit.
Yet, Loki couldn't take his eyes off the abandoned helmet.
“Wait…”
Surprisingly, everyone else stopped. Most likely because Mobius had stopped first, looking at Loki curiously. Loki didn't look back, keeping his hands pocketed and his gaze downward.
“If you leave this tent, you'll end up like them.”
Mobius led everyone back to Loki, who appeared lost in thought. He could see the cogwheels turning in Loki's mind. Was the consultant finally ready to give his first profile of the fugitive?
“What do you see?” Mobius asked.
“I see a scheme, and in that scheme, I see myself.” Loki gave Mobius a knowing look before stepping forward. He paced himself around Hunter C-20's helmet, eventually squatting down over it, like a vulture curiously lurking over a rotting carcass.
“We have a saying in Asgard: Where there are wolf's ears, wolf's teeth are near. It means to be aware of your surroundings…” Loki shot back up to standing, extending the palms of his hands toward his captive audience, “Which is absurd, because my people are, by nature, gullible fools. A trait that I, the God of Mischief, exploited time and time again simply by listening. My teeth were sharp, but my ears even sharper.”
Although they were all listening, Hunter B-15 started to grow rather impatient. Her eyes bulged slightly as she shot a glance at the man in charge of the rambling Variant.
“We're running out of time, Mobius.”
“Hold it. Just give him a chance.”
Hunter B-15 rolled her eyes. Seeing this against the torchlight, Loki made a special note to approach his arresting officer with bold, brash steps.
“You remind me of them. The Time Variance Authority and the gods of Asgard. One and the same. Drunk with power, blinded to the truth.” As Loki got within spitting distance of Hunter B-15, his tone grew about as sharp as his ears. “Those you underestimate will devour you. You underestimate me, just as you underestimate this lesser Loki. Which is why you walk into one wolf's mouth after another.”
Hunter B-15's TemPad suddenly beeped desperately. Without looking, she reiterated what that signal meant, “Two units. He is wasting our time!”
As she regained her distance from the Variant, Mobius filled the gap, “Okay, come on Loki. Make a long story short.”
“We need to look for C-20!” Hunter B-15 protested, stepping back slightly to complete the triangle between the trio.
“That's exactly what the Variant wants you to do. It's a trap,” Loki said, “They're waiting for you outside this tent.”
“Ma'am!” A Minuteman cautiously approached their commander from behind, “Should I secure the Reset charges?”
Before she could answer, Loki raised an outstretched arm between Hunter B-15 and her subordinate. His fingers were also stretched skyward, prompting everyone to freeze in place.
“No!” Loki exclaimed, “They want me. I'm the key to their plan. They know that I'm stronger.”
Chirp-chirp! Hunter B-15’s TemPad made another desperate plea for attention.
“Almost one unit!” Hunter B-15 groaned at the notion of another Loki monologue.
Loki continued, unfazed, “And they rightly believe that together we can overthrow and rule the TVA. But that's not what I want. I have a new purpose. I'm a servant of the Sacred Timeline.”
Loki leaned into Hunter B-15's space once more, giving her a wink that made her visibly recoil. Loki then turned his full attention to Mobius. As he did before with the helmet, Loki paced around the Agent as he spoke.
“And knowing what I now know about their tactics, I can deliver you the Variant… but I need assurances.”
“Yeah…?”
Mobius' tone was slightly icy as he glanced over his shoulder, towards the very spot where Loki decided to slow his pace to a stop. Loki jerked himself a bit more forward and softened his face to emphasize his point. Mobius turned towards Loki to acknowledge this gesture.
“Assurances that I won't be completely disintegrated the moment the job has been done.”
“Right…” Mobius muttered, watching Loki intently.
Just as he did with Hunter B-15, Loki leaned uncomfortably close to Mobius. He spoke in a chilling whisper, with eyebrows raised and a worried look.
“We'll need to speak to the Time-Keepers at once. They're in graver danger than we realized.”
An awkward tension filled the tent. Even the creaking buzz of Hunter B-15's TemPad couldn't break the moment. What did break the moment, however, was the heavy scoff that slipped from Mobius' lips. With his hands on his hips, Mobius was able to strike down the demigod with three simple sentences.”
“He's lying. Just playing games. There's no one out there.”
Hunter B-15's face went through several varied expressions — disgust, disbelief, frustration — before finally settling on simple anger.
“Reset the timeline!!”
Just as they did before, Minutemen acted on their Hunter's command without question. The whine of Reset charges began to chime as they were carefully placed around the scene of the ambush. As each one powered on, a light orange glow began to fill the canister. If they weren't TVA devices, they really could make for splendid lanterns.
Before Loki could protest against the accusations, Mobius turned to his Variant sharply. He wagged his index finger in the demigod’s face, even managing to lightly thump his fingerprint against his chest.
“You had me for a second…” Mobius scolded, “But my ears are sharp too.”
With that, Mobius walked away. Admittedly, this wasn't how Loki thought this scene would go. Was he really on the verge of success, or were his words that transparent?
No one waited for Loki to complete his self-lamentation as Time Doors suddenly emerged from the grass. Seeing this, Loki hurried to ensure he wasn't left behind. The hum of the Reset charges echoed behind him, prompting one last look back.
The glow shifted from orange to pink to purple. With a final click, a rainbow pulse was expelled from the charge. Although most of the scene was unaffected, every item and person that was affected by the Nexus Event began to disintegrate. This included the broken weapons, the helmet, and the Minutemens' bodies themselves.
That colourful display, according to the training videos, was the act of 'tidying' the Sacred Timeline. It was usually referred to as pruning, an action that both Reset charges and Time Sticks were capable of. It was nothing short of a death sentence.
Quickly, Loki tucked himself fully into the Time Door before he joined their end. Although this opportunity fizzled out similarly to the deceased Minutemen, he knew he couldn't be deterred. After all, how hard could it be to outsmart Mobius?
Loki would have to wait to find out.
Not long after Loki's return, he was immediately whisked away by Mobius down a set of narrow halls.
“Where are we going?”
“I gotta meeting request. You're going to a waiting room.”
“Excuse me?”
“You're under my supervision,” Mobius reminded as he turned the final corner, “Just stay here, then we'll talk. I'll try to be quick.”
As Mobius entered the sole door of this dead-end, Loki got a brief glimpse of an office, of course with the same shades of TVA oranges and browns. It looked much more interesting than this lobby, which was merely a set of leather couches surrounded by mahogany walls. Skinny yellow pot lights illuminated the engraving on the set of doors, which sampled the hourglass design from the TVA logo.
Above the door hung a metal plate that named the owner of the office: Judge Ravonna Renslayer.
The office of Judge Renslayer was, so far, the most fascinating room of the Time Variance Authority. Roughly 700 square feet of ordinance and elegance. Could you expect any less from who's widely considered the highest-ranking figure in the whole establishment?
Vertical blinds only let a fraction of light in from two wall-sized windows, but it was still enough to illuminate the room. The three pillars that outlined the windows were obscured by three imposing marble statues that stood almost as tall as the windows themselves. Lifelike representations of the trio that truly held the most authority in this establishment. They not only kept watch over all of time, but at this moment, they kept watch over the scene that Ravonna was about to unravel.
Ravonna stood from her desk and slowly walked past the neatly organized paper trays. Her heels clicked past full bookshelves, past the metallic TVA logo hung from the wall, and walked towards a small drink station. A few packages of unopened tea held a light layer of dust. The last bag of coffee was slightly crumpled to show just how much of it remained. Neither was her beverage of choice for when she had meetings in her office.
“Is it just me, or does this office keep getting better and better?”
Mobius had already been placed neatly on one of the two orange couches that sunk into the lower level of the office. He was always punctual when Ravonna summoned him. She expected nothing less from one of the agents that she respected the most. However, at that moment, Ravonna could only muster a sigh as she uncorked a bottle of her favourite whiskey.
From where he sat, Mobius admired the side of Ravonna's office that displayed some of Ravonna's favourite items. Cubbies that should've held more books were instead occupied by small antique figurines, a worn-out baton, and…
“Where'd you get that one, the snow globe? I love those,” Mobius said, “I don't remember bringing back that case.”
“You're not the only analyst working for me,” Ravonna replied, overpowering the sound of her pouring alcohol into two intricate glasses with her intricate voice.
“But, would you say, maybe, I'm your favourite one?”
Ravonna didn't reply as she picked up the two glasses she had prepared.
“And why do you get to keep all the trophies from my cases in here? You don't think I'd love having that roller skate there sprucing up my cubicle?” Mobius motioned toward the other unique relic that was saved from the Reset charge. For what it was, it certainly did fit well with the office's aesthetic, despite being picked up from the ancient era of 1980s California.
“Because I approve the missions.”
“Good point.”
Ravonna took the two steps downward necessary to meet Mobius in her little couch pit. She stood over him, her brown coat briskly straightened itself out on cue to acknowledge just how serious she was at that moment.
“Speaking of which, let's talk about the mission you just botched.”
Mobius' groan was akin to a small child that knew he was in trouble. Of course, he was called in about what happened in Oshkosh. He wiggled in his seat nervously as a glass half empty suddenly was extended towards him.
“You might need this for our discussion,” Ravonna said as Mobius accepted the alcohol into his hands.
“I hope it's a double…”
Ravonna took a seat on the couch opposite Mobius with her glass. Between them stood a coffee table that normally would've been marble, if not for the preparations Ravonna had made in place of their meeting. She placed her whiskey on a coaster just before picking up a beat-up folder. Flipping to the first page revealed a Nexus Event report, detailing just one of many things that went wrong in 1985.
“This Variant is... insubordinate, stubborn, unpredictable.” Ravonna crossed her legs as she read the report aloud, “Sounds like someone else I know.”
“I was just thinking it sounds like someone I know…”
No, Mobius did not know where he was going with that. He downed another shot as Ravonna continued to read through the report. She only looked up when she heard the naked clink of glass upon cherry oak wood.
“Mobius?”
“What?”
Ravonna was not looking at Mobius, but rather at the side table that was stained with two chalky rings. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remove those gashes upon her otherwise perfect office. Mobius turned his head to acknowledge where she was looking, in part to avoid her gaze when it shifted from the glass to him.
“Those rings were already there…” Mobius said.
Ravonna scoffed, leaning slightly forward with a brisk relaying of the truth, “And they're all from you!”
“Maybe it's from your other favourite analyst…” Mobius muttered to himself as he reached forward. Ravonna had a stack of hexagon-shaped coasters ready for this occasion, also branded properly with the TVA logo. As he tucked the acceptable wooden plate between the desk and his glass, he knew it was time to tell her what she needed to hear.
“Listen, Ravonna, I'm sorry. I realize that my, you know, methods with this Loki are controversial, but—”
“Towing a dangerous Variant into the field is controversial!”
“Yeah, it didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to today, but here's what we did find out…” Mobius explained, “The Variant likes to stall for time, and, eventually, we'll catch the other one doing the same thing. Because understanding this Loki helps me get closer to the one we're chasing. Right?”
Ravonna paused to take in what she just heard. It wasn't entirely flawed logic, but the issue came with the execution. She squinted, looking Mobius up and down before picking up her glass. Although she wanted to keep her imposing status, her voice subconsciously began to soften.
“Look, I know you have a soft spot for broken things.”
“I don't think so.”
“Yes, you do. But Loki is an evil, lying scourge.” When talking about the Variant, Ravonna's voice seemed to regain its tough composure. “That is the part he plays on the Sacred Timeline.”
“Maybe he wants to mix it up. Sometimes you get tired of playing the same part.” Mobius' head moved rhythmically as he pondered the notion aloud, “Is that possible? He can change?”
“Not unless the Time-Keepers decree it. And then, it shall be so.” Ravonna wagged her finger at Mobius briefly before taking a sip of whiskey herself. As she leaned back in her seat, she watched Mobius' gaze shift from herself to the statues that were looming over them. They were the ones that decided everything, including Mobius' employment.
“And how are the ol’ Time-Keepers?” Mobius asked.
Ravonna sighed, “How do you think?”
“I don't know. 'Cause I've never met 'em. Thankfully.”
Mobius' chuckle was quickly halted by Ravonna's deeper sigh. He fumbled over his words as he began to backtrack.
“Although, I shouldn't say that. That one looks—”
“The Time-Keepers are monitoring every aspect of this case,” Ravonna cut Mobius off, leaning forward, offsetting her volume with a whisper to ensure she wasn't yelling. “I've never seen them so involved. They want that Variant caught.”
“So do I!”
Ravonna huffed, exchanging her glass for a shiny blue pen. She wagged that in place of her finger at Mobius this time.
“And this is the last chance you're gonna get with this Loki.”
“Great. That's all I'm gonna need.”
It was Mobius' turn to sigh as he watched her sign off on the Nexus Event Report, ensuring that the issue had been discussed and verified for the TVA Archives. When she finished, they both stood up in sync and ensured the document changed hands. A verification needed signatures from both an overseeing judge and a presiding analyst, after all.
“Thank you, R-Slayer…” Mobius chuckled lightly as he made note of the way Ravonna signed her papers. It never got old, at least to him.
As his left hand drew out three simple Ms onto the page, something white caught Mobius' attention. He twisted the pen in his hand to show that it too was branded, but not with the familiar TVA jargon. Instead, a tiny white crest marked the pen which had text that read ‘Franklin B. Roosevelt High School’.
“I don't remember this…?” Mobius said aloud, “This must be from that analyst you keep on the side.”
“Stay focused…” Ravonna ignored his pondering as she took the pen and file back from Mobius.
“Eyes on the road…” Mobius took his own words to heart as he lightly jogged himself up the two steps towards the only exit; two chestnut brown doors that had hourglass emblems neatly engraved upon them.
“Mobius?”
Mobius stopped short of exiting, turning to face Ravonna with a nervous grimace underneath his moustache, “I was almost gone…”
Ravonna gave Mobius a curious look rather than a frustrated one. Her question seemed to come from a place of wanting to genuinely understand why she had to call Mobius in at all.
“Do you really believe in this Variant?”
Mobius scrunched his face as he thought of the best way to word his answer. Was it really smart to admit that he believed in this Loki? Did he believe in this Loki? Why this Loki, apart from the other Lokis he had processed beforehand? This Variant was not the first, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. He hasn't exactly proven himself to be a full beacon of trust just yet, despite glimmers of hope that he understood the consequences of his actions while he was on the Sacred Timeline.
“Luckily, he believes in himself enough for the both of us. And, hey, if it doesn't work, I'll delete him myself.”
As Mobius swung the door open, he whispered so lightly that no words almost came out as he said, “He's really arrogant…”
After all, the arrogant Loki was seated in the lobby just outside Renslayer's office. Mobius simply whistled at the Variant to show him that he was done. On cue, Loki sprang to his feet.
“You're probably wondering what happened out on the mission!” Loki grinned at an empty room. As he watched Mobius turn a corner, Loki dropped his pose and followed in hot pursuit to stake his official defence. So much so that he nearly missed the turn completely, skidding on his heels before quickly pivoting himself down a narrow TVA hallway.
“That was your first lesson in catching a Loki. Expect the expected!!”
Loki was keeping up with Mobius at a feverish pace. If one looked closely enough, one could see him vibrating on the high of a chance to detail how his trickster mind works to someone who could possibly comprehend it. As Loki bounced from Mobius' left side to his right, his hands began flailing in broad motions as he continued on his latest monologue.
“See, half the fun of being a trickster is knowing everyone knows you're a trickster, and then, many of your tricks can come from exploiting the fact that you know that they know…”
Although Mobius was not looking at Loki, he could certainly hear him. And the Analyst heard enough. He raised his hand, stopping Loki from crashing into him as they both completed another turn in the TVA hallway.
“Okay, just sh-shut up! Please,” Mobius shushed Loki, “What happened to the guy I met on the elevator after initially bailing him out of court? The guy who said he didn't like to talk. Remember him? Now I'm stuck with this guy who won't stop yacking away about what makes a Loki tick!”
Loki's face scrunched. He remembered that conversation because he was that guy.
“What? Isn't that precisely why I'm here?” Loki countered, “You said you wanted my consultation, to know what makes a Loki tick.”
“No. I don't care what makes you tick. You're here to help me catch the superior version of yourself. That's it!”
Loki's mouth stood agape at Mobius' sudden about-face. Although he was impressed that Mobius had such audacity in him, there was one particular point that Loki couldn't let slide.
“Hang on!!” Loki said arrogantly, “I'm not sure 'superior' is actually quite the right word.”
“See? There it is!” Mobius turned one last corner and stopped just short of a lone, plain elevator. The lighting gave the stainless steel a faux gold tint, much like most things that scattered the TVA.
Loki stopped beside him, raising his eyebrows to make a face that feigned ignorance. Mobius couldn't let that slide.
“I believed, stupidly, that insecure need for validation would motivate you to find the killer. Not 'cause you care about the TVA mission or bein' a hero, but because you know this Variant is better than you… and you can't take it.”
The way Mobius sang those last few words in a mocking tone took Loki aback. His face took all of seven seconds to pucker from a blank stare to a plastic smile. Even if Mobius was right, he wouldn't dare admit it. Certainly not for the sake of his mission. His opportunity.
After all, why agree with someone that couldn't even wear a tie properly?
“Very nice,” Loki finally spoke through gritted teeth, “I mean… it is adorable that you think you could possibly manipulate me.”
Loki reached over, taking hold of Mobius' necktie. As he spoke, he took careful time to adjust it so it was properly elongated and knotted. Even though he could see Mobius avoid every possible chance at eye contact, Loki thumped on Mobius' chest to show that it wasn't just about control, but also about fixing a fashion faux-pa.
“I'm ten steps ahead of you!” Loki declared as his smile widened, “I've been playing a game of my own all along!”
At this point, Loki didn't mind admitting a hint of his true intentions. The TVA was filled to the brim with idiots. By the time they knew of his true genius, it'd be too late. Besides, although Mobius was smarter than the average agent, there was no possible way he could—
“What, charm your way in front of the Time-Keepers, hustle them, and seize control of the TVA? Am I getting warm?”
… Shit.
As Loki's grin slowly dropped in temporary defeat, Mobius took a few steps aside. You could see the threads of patience leaving Mobius' body as he pressed a button to call for the nearby elevator.
“A double-cross by history's most reliable liar… maybe you should've said less in Oshkosh.”
Loki regained his composure, motioning to the halls from whence they came, “Is that how you truly feel? Why are you in there sticking your neck out for me?”
Mobius huffed. His last thread snapped. He charged back in front of Loki and spoke as calmly and clearly as one could when they were irritated.
“I'll give you two options, and you can believe whichever one you want. A: Because I see a scared little boy, shivering in the cold. And you kinda feel bad for that ice runt.”
As Mobius made his allusions, Loki took a slow, quiet breath. Mobius claimed he knew Loki's life on the Sacred Timeline better than he did. In that regard, he should know that Loki's heritage was rooted in a chilly realm called Jotunheim. How he was taken away from his homeland as an infant, and how his childhood in Asgard was his first lifelong lesson on how to hold a lie.
He wouldn't dare admit it to Mobius, but Loki did feel stung. Just because the Detective knew of his past, it didn't mean it was the motivation for whatever future he has left at the TVA.
Ding!
“Or B: I just wanna catch this guy, and I'll tell you whatever I need to tell you.”
Mobius hurried into the elevator. Loki made careful strides to follow, his hands folded into his pockets. As the elevator doors closed, Loki acknowledged that their conversation needed a proper conclusion. As much as he tried to avoid it, Loki's voice sounded humbled by Mobius' rant.
“I don't need your sympathy.”
“Good, 'cause I'm runnin' out of it.”
As they ventured a few floors down towards a destination only Mobius knew, Loki found his voice once more.
“What's this? Next step of your manipulation…”
“This is your final step,” Mobius corrected, “Your last chance.”
Ding!
“Oh, and what does my desperate last chance req—”
“Agent Mobius?”
As the pair exited the elevator, they were cut off by a nervous-looking Analyst. He had no blazer and three pens in his breast pocket to show that he was at a lower rank when it came to TVA office workers. Despite that, he did his best to make his look work with slicked-back hair and a properly made tie. Loki had come to know him as Casey, a fellow that handled the evidence gathered from missions. Casey was Loki's exemplary case to prove that most TVA employees were idiots, due to his lack of knowledge regarding marine life1.
“Yes, Casey?” Mobius said.
“There's something that Time Control needs you to see urgently…” Casey explained, “A new kind of branch has appeared on the timeline.”
“A new kind of branch?” Mobius repeated, dumbfounded, “There's only one kind of branch.”
“I thought so too! B-But it just cropped up out of nowhere! The other analysts are just FREAKING out.”
Casey took the time to wildly wave his hands around to faithfully recreate his co-worker’s reaction. The jittery fingertips and excess perspiration tucked into his armpits appeared to be his own add-ons to the situation, though.
“It’s all wavy and weird! It’s not THAT close to red line but—”
Mobius put a gentle hand on Casey's shoulder to reign him in. “Okay, okay, I get it…”
Loki chimed in, “If we’re being truthful, I don’t.”
Mobius, Casey, and Loki exchanged looks. Granted, Loki's look was of confusion, as opposed to Mobius' and Casey's look of mutual concern. It was clear that the gravity of this situation had not yet set in.
“Your work can wait, Loki,” Mobius relented, “Lead the way, Casey.”
Casey’s anxiety seemed to fade with Mobius on his side. As much as he didn’t want to deal with the Variant that wanted to gut him like a fish — whatever that was — he at least didn't seem like much of a bother at the moment. He quickly led them to Time Control to investigate something that no one at the TVA had seen before.
- Before meeting Loki, Casey didn't know what a fish was. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Yes, perhaps Good Omens inspired some footnotes. Special thanks to accidentaldemon for pointing me in the right direction regarding the formatting to make this work.
Chapter 3: The Ripple
Summary:
Chapter 3 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki and Mobius name and investigate the strange new branch, and the even stranger people and Variants within it.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Enter Time Control. An open office sort of area where the best analysts shone. Cubicles separated the entrances from benches and desks that surrounded a monitor that had to be at least 85 inches wide. Considering that analysts needed to view the chronomonitor from 180 different angles, it had to be. This particular monitor was programmed to pull up the most pressing issue on the Sacred Timeline. Because of this, important faces tended to frequent this Time Control room, the latest of which being Mobius.
Mobius stood on the TVA logo, with Loki not too far behind. Casey stood off to Mobius' left, his arms frantically motioning to the centrepiece screen.
“Do you see, sir?”
“Yeah, that's weird… it's all… wiggly…”
Mobius, Loki, and Casey all stepped closer, now hovering over an analyst’s shoulders as they focused on the problem timeline section. Normally, when they displayed branches on the timeline; an orange curved line would protrude away from a white horizontal line meant to represent the Sacred Timeline. On this chronomonitor, the orange line not only split from the white line, but it weaved its way through either side of the white line, stretching and wrapping around unnaturally.
“They're not supposed to do that, right?” Casey asked.
“They're definitely not…” Mobius nodded, patting the seated analyst's shoulder, “Pull up the timeline details, please.”
With a few keystrokes, a few text bubbles appeared on the screen. Unimportant footnotes on other smaller time periods faded away. What took their place was pressing details on this strange branch, similar to the chyrons from previous missions.
LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. YEAR: 2012-2017. THREAT: LOW
Mobius blinked. There were multiple issues with the text on the screen. He saw all of them immediately, but he made sure to address the most pressing one first.
“2012 or 2017?”
“Both. it's a five-year branch.”
“A five-year branch‽”
“Yes, sir.”
“With no report of a Nexus Event‽”
Casey stuttered a bit, saying nothing at first. Other analysts exchanged worried glances, knowing exactly what Casey was going to say to that.
“No, sir,” Casey stammered.
Mobius stared at Casey in shock. He couldn't believe what he was being told. The very notion of this type of branch existing betrays the very fabric of the TVA's mission. Even Loki seemed caught off guard by this revelation.
“Aren't Nexus Events the cause of the branch to begin with?”
“So you have been paying attention…” Mobius mumbled before looking to Loki, “Branches need to be resolved immediately, or else they'll breach red line. The longest branch I can recall was a month-long political campaign that barely frayed the Sacred Timeline until it spiked astronomically on election day. Branches are not supposed to last for years. This, by all accounts, should be impossible.”
“Perhaps that's why it's curving so dramatically,” Loki pondered, going so far as slipping his curled hand under his chin, “A branch confused by its own length.”
“Hard to say… this has never happened in the history of the TVA before. And that's a long time…” Mobius glanced back at the chronomonitor, “I don't think 'branch' is the right word for this, anyway…”
Loki shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his hip jutting outward. As much as he appreciated this distraction from work, he did want to get a bit of a move on. Surely this couldn’t be more important than his plans.
“What would you call it, then?” Loki asked.
“A… ripple… a ripple in time, causing many rings of effects that will likely need to be reset.” Mobius started pacing back and forth as he spoke as if viewing the monitor from different angles would cause the screen to update with better, sensible information. It didn't.
Mobius had several thoughts running through his mind. He had already addressed the most important one of them. One issue not yet acknowledged is the threat level. Mobius did not specialize in low-level threats, mostly because low-level threats were too simple for him. Yet, Mobius couldn't stop thinking about this low-level case.
“Casey, is the ripple registering as a low threat to the timeline?”
“Yes, sir… it's like a 'late to work' event on the Sacred Timeline. No violence, no force needed to resolve it.”
Mobius grumbled a little bit. Despite what the screen is showing, such an anomaly was not a low threat. At least not by the standards that the TVA has set.
“This might not be the Variant we're looking for, but we have to investigate this. This sounds like another Loki.”
Loki's eyes widened at Mobius' sudden declaration. This detour has officially turned into a setback. The Variant suddenly began wishing that he was working on his original case.
“Wait a minute!!” Loki interjected, “I only agreed to ONE Variant mission!”
“And this mission could help with that mission. Look at the time frame, Loki. New York, 2012? You and I both know that was when you staged your attack on New York. That can't be a coincidence.”
Loki grumbled under his breath. The only solace of this is that this setback could give him enough time to refine his plan that was so graciously called out by Mobius earlier. The opportunity was diminished, but not extinguished. Surely, there had to be another way to gain an audience with the Time-Keepers…
Mobius pulled his TemPad from his pocket, quick to copy the information needed to create a corresponding Time Door. As he worked, he glanced at Casey.
“Do you mind leaving a note to Ravonna about this? I don't think this can wait.”
“Judge Renslayer already knows, sir,” Casey reported, “Any need to investigate has been approved under an emergency order.”
Casey was even able to produce paperwork for it. From his clipboard, he pulled out a single sheet of paper, labelled as 'Nexus Event Warrant.' Although it was not yet updated with the terminology just established, the spirit of the warrant was still there.
“You're on it, Casey, I like it…” Mobius gave Casey a friendly pat on the shoulder, “Change all references to this anomaly to have proper naming. It'll be officially referred to as a 'Ripple' instead of a 'Branch.' We're going to have to assess the field in order to best determine how to restore the timeline from there. Loki, let's go…”
Mobius led Loki back to the area where it was safest to deploy Time Doors. Sure, Time Doors could be deployed anywhere, but Mobius was the type of guy to do things officially and properly, barring extraordinary circumstances. Loki followed, although his shoulders hung slightly as he walked.
“How am I suckered into this…?” Loki lamented aloud.
“Because a narcissist like you can't resist this. It's finally time for you to see another Loki.” Mobius winked at Loki, “Am I right, or am I right?”
He was right. Loki didn't like it, but he was right. There was a weird curiosity that surrounded meeting a mind like his own, yet different. That's partly why he didn't reject the notion of consulting the TVA to begin with. This was the only organization that could properly show anyone how life could've unfolded if they just did one thing differently. Whether it be one to rebel against it, killing its Minutemen or… whatever was happening in New York in 2017.
The spring New York air was brisk, seemingly recovered from the previous day's rainfall. The Time Door tucked itself against a detailed mural in a park, allowing Mobius and Loki to blend into the scene without tampering with the ripple any further. They hung close to the mural, as some nearby trees allowed them an extra layer of security.
Mobius kept an eye on his TemPad, confirming the ripple's information with the real-world surroundings.
“According to the TemPad, our Variant should be arriving any moment…” Mobius announced.
“And you truly believe this Variant is a Loki?” Loki crossed his arms, “Just.. waltzing around New York for five years?”
“Lokis do like their downtime, don't they?”
Loki's brow furrowed, “My downtime involves plotting, scheming, and maybe a warm bath with a glass of wi—”
“Shh!!”
In the blink of an eye, Mobius pulled Loki behind the trees. He glanced over his shoulder cautiously, as if they weren't already walking on sharpened eggshells. Mobius' TemPad buzzed obnoxiously, which he quickly managed to turn off. The strobing orange light that pulsated from the screen, however, wasn't stopped. Mobius' head swivelled between the scene ahead and his TemPad.
“There! That's our Variant!”
Loki looked to where Mobius was looking. Across the park, a young mortal was walking along a trail, admiring a nearby lake. They looked to the side when they slowed to a stop, allowing for a full assessment.
They appeared to be femme-presenting, standing roughly at Mobius' current height, none of which was exaggerated by their thigh-high boots. Form-fitting jeans were complimented by a blouse fitting for the springtime setting. Beautiful green ink spilled from their short sleeves and rested comfortably on their arms, depicting a variety of things from flowers to fae. Square black-rimmed glasses accentuated a rigid face. What stood out most was their hair; a gorgeous shade of crimson that hung past their shoulders and, despite the light wind, did not fall prey to its bullying tactics.
All in all, not a bad take. Would Loki make some changes? Absolutely, but he doesn't know their story… yet.
“The hair is a bit much, but I suppose if I needed to blend into Midgardian surroundings, I'd make such a look work…”
“What? No, Loki, not her,” Mobius interjected, motioning to his left, “The other one.”
“Other one?” Loki's eyes widened at Mobius' remark and looked back at the scene once more.
The redhead waved her hand at someone, her gaze further along the trail. Sure enough, the one that Mobius flagged as the Variant in question came running up with a wide grin on their face.
Granted, if Loki himself were the reference point for what a Loki should look like, this person was a much closer match than the redhead before. Their hair was almost as black as his. Not to mention that it was just as wavy as the ripple they were supposedly responsible for. They wore a gold dress shirt and matching skirt, seemingly unaffected by the breeze that passed by as well. Their style was plain and minimalist, but it was something that Loki wouldn't outright reject.
However…
There was one grave and fatal flaw to this Loki's form. Something that he could not overlook.
“You can't be serious‽”
“Variant L5242,” Mobius read from his TemPad to show that he was serious, “She seems to have adopted the alias 'Kaia' on this timeline. Her initial temporal aura reading is all but a perfect match to yours… By the way, if you're curious, the other one's name is Verity.”
Loki glanced back at this so-called Kaia. She ran into Verity's embrace for a friendly hug. Her face turned slightly to avoid pressing her nose into Verity's ribcage.
“A Loki would NEVER willingly choose to be that short!” Loki did his best not to yell, “I have standards!”
“A Variant is a Variant for a reason…” Mobius said nonchalantly.
“Then why hasn't the TVA stepped in to arrest this Variant for her egregious crime‽”
“First of all, the TVA just learned of this…” Mobius reminded Loki, “Besides… if someone isn't disturbing the Sacred Timeline, we have no reason to interfere right now. She's not causing a disturbance, just like Casey said… and yet, she's still creating this wavy ripple…”
“Like she's not supposed to be here?”
“Perhaps.”
Mobius and Loki watched as Kaia and Verity walked along the lake's trail, huddled closely, conversing with giggles and smiles smattered in between. In truth, they didn’t seem like they were out of place.
“C'mon, Loki, we gotta head back. Need to prepare our file and start recon.”
“Reconnaissance?” Loki said, preferring the proper word over its shorthand counterpart, “We're going to spy on them?”
“Since she's not outright creating a branch, we have some time to gather evidence. We need this Variant's information and behaviours recorded in case this goes to trial.”
“Mobius, this small creature hardly seems like a Loki at all, never mind a Loki worthy enough for a trial.”
“The proof's in the aura, Loki. We're going to have to clean up this part of the Timeline eventually. While the Hunters figure out how to do that as cleanly as possible, we need to prepare for the possibility of bringing her in. So hurry up, we need to get those files on this Variant and her friend.”
Friend?
Loki's eyes narrowed. He looked back at Kaia and Verity as they faded into the distance. Did they seem friendly? It was hard for Loki to say. He couldn't relate.
“Hurry up, Loki…” Mobius was already standing by the Time Door, waiting for his Variant to snap out of it. “We don't even have to dig too deep into their files. We can start with their summaries.”
And so they did. Mobius had taken the liberty of rerouting the Time Door to provide a seamless transition from the New York timeline to the TVA Public Archives. Supposedly, there are over 365 floors of the TVA solely dedicated to the Archival department, but even that didn't seem like enough. An outright refusal of upgrading beyond the paper trail seemed baffling on the surface, yet it seemed to fit the aesthetic of the TVA.
The duo had taken seats opposite each other at the same archival table. The emerald desk lamp was a nice contrast to the earthy tones that the TVA was known for. Loki was in charge of reading Kaia's summary, while Mobius took on Verity's. Even though he was tasked with just dealing with the surface file and not the full scope, Loki did his read-through in record time.
“Mobius, I truly don't see anything Loki-like here…” The Variant said, “She's lived a normal Midgardian life for five years.”
“Remember that we're not deep-diving into her file…” The Detective didn't take his eyes off of his summary, “We're just reading this so we have more knowledge on our subject before going back into the ripple for observation.”
“I probably could finish Kaia's full file before you finish Verity's summary!” Loki exclaimed, noting the sizeable difference between the two files.
Indeed, Kaia's did seem unusually thin for such a troublesome Loki Variant. Though, Mobius was quick to silently point out that Verity's file was based on her Sacred Timeline counterpart, rather than the threads of a fledging Variant like Kaia. Even Verity's summary file seemed to have more meat to it because of this.
“Don't take it out on me, I like to take my time while… I read…” Mobius trailed off for a moment; his eyes glued to the page. Loki only grew concerned when Mobius began to laugh.
“What?”
“This friend of hers, Verity… it seems she's gifted in her own right.”
Mobius laid his summary flat on the table so Loki could read. Sure enough, amongst all of Verity's basic details was a line dedicated to unique abilities, a row usually reserved for the heroes and villains of the Sacred Timeline.
PRIMARY ABILITY: ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND FABRICATION PERCEPTION.
Loki's eyebrows shot skyward. He had to admit it: the twists and turns of the TVA were certainly ones that he wouldn't have initially thought of. An unaware Loki paired off with a human lie detector? It read like a classic comedic play.
Granted, Loki's expression did not stop Mobius from his eternal chuckle. He was enjoying this far more than he should.
“You can't lie to her, Loki. I bet that breaks your heart, eh?” Mobius winked.
“Hardly.” Loki crossed his arms. “I'm the God of Mischief. She's just a human.”
“A gifted human. They're rare, but not impossible.”
“Give me time with her and I'll prove that her power is of no concern.”
“Oh, if we had that kind of time, I would take you up on that bet…” Mobius said, tucking the files away neatly, “But after this recon, we'll have to move on…”
“What do you mean?” Loki inquired, “You're the one that's insisting that this Kaia is a Loki. She's creating a Variant version of the branch. You said we had time!”
“But you've said it yourself, it doesn't look like she is a dangerous Loki. Although this case seems fun, it's not my department.” Mobius shrugged. “Once we square away this evidence, a detective that deals with non-threatening Variants will likely take on her case… remember that I only deal with highly dangerous Variants, remember?”
“Are you underestimating a Loki?” Loki's grin prompted a mild groan from Mobius.
“I know what you're trying to do…” Mobius said, “You're saying what you need to say in order to try and lie to Verity. I'm not letting that happen.”
“But don't you want definitive proof that she's a Loki?”
“I have the initial temporal aura reading…” Mobius reminded Loki, “While it's not as definitive as the scanners here at the TVA, the TemPad readings we get on the field are a good, broad outline to go by. Regarding Kaia, some tracings distinguish her from other Variants such as yourself and the superior Loki…”
Mobius paused — allowing Loki to let out a dissatisfied huff — before continuing.
“The sacred baseline matches with her baseline. Just as yours did. Your souls sprouted from the same place and diverged from there.”
“Interesting…” Loki said, “Anyway, I have more solid proof than a soul reading.”
Mobius groaned, “And how exactly is your proof more solid?”
“If you want me to prove that Kaia is a Loki, get me in front of them both. If I can lie to her, I prove that I'm right.”
“And once you're proven wrong?”
“If I am wrong,” Loki corrected, “I can prove to you that Kaia isn't a Loki with Verity's help.”
“Please leave all interrogations to the skilled detectives, Loki…” Mobius sighed, “Besides, that's not even the point. I'm not letting you engage with a Variant on an already-rippling timeline.”
“If you want to catch a Loki, you have to engage a Loki!” Loki retooled his mantra from earlier, “Half the fun is getting to see just how tricky she is.”
“We're not here to have fun. We're here to work on this case.”
“Well, that's no fun,” Loki said bluntly.
“That's what work is, trickster,” Mobius grunted, getting to his feet.
“How do you expect to gather evidence on a Loki if you don't engage her?” Loki followed Mobius, who was destined for the nearest paper copier.
Mobius loaded the necessary files into the paper tray. As the papers ran through the machine, Mobius turned his full attention to Loki, who was leaning on the copier as if he owned it.
“Recon is observing from a distance. I know better than to go headfirst into a situation, especially without the full scope of her potential.”
Loki huffed. Deep down, he knew he should let this go. This case was distracting from the inferior Loki Variant case, the one that was more likely to win him an evening with the space lizards upon his success.
And yet… there was something about this particular case that piqued his interest. Perhaps it was the lie-detecting friend. Or the fact that a Loki could genuinely befriend someone to begin with. Maybe it was just the bloated look of disappointment on Mobius' face that kept fuelling his fire.
“And again, you won't know her potential if you don't trigger said potential.”
Mobius rubbed his brow, letting a strained chuckle slip past his lips. Partly to lament just how slow the copier was doing its job, and partly to recover from the headache that Loki was applying directly to his forehead.
“We're not creating a Nexus Event just because you want to be petty.”
Loki feigned an offended gasp, “But petty is my specialty! Besides, a branch hasn't manifested for five years. A new one won't sprout now.”
“You don't know that for certain.”
“Oh come on, Mobius! You're with me, you can afford to be a tad more adventurous!”
“We're still observing a Loki…”
“So you agree?” Loki smirked, “That she has the potential to be dangerous if she is a Loki? Highly dangerous, even?”
Mobius and Loki stared each other down as the papers slowed to a stop. Loki had a way of fumbling words to a point where even you lost track of your point. This was precisely one of those situations. The shit-eating grin that the God of Mischief had on his face showed that he knew it, too.
Mobius lowered his shoulders, showing that he was ready for a verbal truce.
“If we get this over with now, will you stop talking?”
“Momentarily, yes.”
Mobius could only sigh, wagging his finger at Loki before collecting his papers. The pair did their work properly, ensuring that both Kaia and Verity's files were put away neatly before creating a new case file, consisting of both the copies that were made and the notes that Mobius had on Kaia, including her initial temporal aura. The case file itself was safely moved and tucked away into a paper tray on Mobius' desk.
With their current paperwork done, Mobius and Loki once again braced themselves for reentry into the Sacred Timeline. For Mobius, it was a unique foray into the life of the average TVA detective, investigating just how someone could be five years late to their own Nexus Event. For Loki… it was time for him to see just how different a Loki Variant can be. At any cost.
Notes:
Hello everyone, Star from the future here adding in a new note! I commissioned the lovely Natendo to draw Kaia in her outfit for this chapter and she truly did go above and beyond! She brought Kaia to life and I'll be eternally thankful for that and for Nat. 💕
Chapter 4: The World's Most Awkward Coffee Date
Summary:
Chapter 4 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki and Mobius inadvertently go on a coffee date with Kaia and Verity. By inadvertently, I mean that it’s Loki’s fault.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Re-enter New York City, 2017.
According to the TemPad, Mobius and Loki travelled across the full length of a five-block park in less than five minutes. They sat in front of a table usually reserved for chess players. All they lacked was the pieces… or at least, the plastic ones. The breathing pieces were all in place. Verity and Kaia were still happily chatting about something inconsequential, less than 30 feet away.
“Mobius, this is foolish.” Loki stared at the bare checkered table, “I'm sure we can get our evidence if we just talk to them.”
“No can do, buckaroo.” Mobius was looking over Loki's shoulder, squarely at the targets. “We can't risk the chance that this ripple could graduate into a branch.”
Loki glanced up at Mobius, but suddenly cocked his head to the side. Something behind Mobius had his attention.
“A branch like that?”
“Like what?” Mobius spun around, only to see a flimsy tree branch fall to the ground. Before he could inquire further, he heard the clatter of his partner's chair against the sidewalk. With a single curse under his breath, the Detective's chair also flipped, but not in time.
As Loki inconspicuously walked diagonally towards the duo, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. They were too drawn in by each other to notice the barrel of mischief heading towards them.
“You know that movie isn't a true depiction of how that went down, right?”
“What? But it was based on true events!”
“The keyword there is based…”
THUMP!
In an instant, Kaia was looking skyward. If she had been bumped into harder, an arm-shaped bruise would've been imprinted on her shoulder. Suddenly, the sky was obscured by a gentleman in a pristine greenish-brown jacket. Strands of his jet-black hair fell forward as he offered a helping hand to her.
“Ah, I'm terribly sorry about that…” he spoke with an overly polite accent, “I didn't mean to do that. Are you all right?”
“I'm all right, thank you…” With his help, Kaia managed to get to her feet. She gave her head a shake to encourage the kind stranger, but she just as quickly caught a glance of her friend with her hands on her hips and her bottom lip forward. Kaia knew that look. A look of disbelief.
“Why did you lie about that?” Verity asked, keeping her gaze square on him.
“Pardon me?” The gentleman asked, baffled.
“You just lied. You meant to bump into Kaia.”
“Sorry, she has a gift for this sorta thing…” Kaia herself laughed nervously before turning to her friend, “Verity, I'm fine, it's not that big of a deal…”
Verity's arms dropped to her sides. “It is if there's a reason.”
“An accident is a reason?” The stranger chimed in.
“Liar!”
“Loki!”
Verity and the stranger's epic stare-down was only broken by a sudden interruption. The three of them all turned to see a silver-haired gentleman in a maroon suit hurrying towards them. He seemed slightly out of breath, but his focus was on the stranger.
“I thought I told you NOT to engage!”
“But this is—”
“Never mind, we need to talk!”
Without so much as a goodbye, the suited man grabbed the stranger by his shoulder and led him away. The stranger appeared to have orange writing on the back of his jacket, but the other man's arm made the word or phrase unintelligible. As they faded in the distance, it became more and more clear that they were wearing the same pants.
Verity and Kaia could only watch, stunned by whatever spectacle that was. Only when they were completely out of sight, did anyone manage to find their voice.
“Weird…” Verity commented before turning her attention back to Kaia, “Are you sure you're okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine!” Kaia confirmed, “He bumped into me, is all. He didn't commit a crime.”
“I… I guess not…” Verity paused just to put her hand under her chin, “What did that guy say his name was?”
“Loki, I think?” Kaia replied, “With that accent, I didn't peg him for Norwegian…”
“Hmm… neither did I…”
If only they knew just how right they were. Or just how quickly their fates would change. The only thing quicker was Mobius' anger.
“Loki, what is the matter with you‽” Mobius shoved Loki into an insignificant alleyway. Granted, he only did so so he had free hands for his TemPad.
Loki staggered for a moment. Free from Mobius' grip, he dusted himself off before defending himself, “I was trying to get information!”
Mobius laughed, “Oh yeah? What did you learn?”
“That Verity's ability is a point of concern!” Loki said, his arms waving wildly toward the way they had just come from.
“We knew that from her file. You were wrong, what a surprise.”
“You cut me off before I could even introduce myself!”
“You didn't need to! Look, you're lucky you didn't create a branch…” Mobius waved his TemPad in the air, “But now, we're going to have to make sure that you didn't create another ripple in this timeline.”
“How so?”
“Well, now that we engaged with them, they have a memory of us.” Mobius grumbled, “If either of them starts thinking too hard about why you showed up and lied for seemingly no reason, they're going to converse.”
“So we'll have to continue reconnaissance?” Loki smiled. The more he realized he was annoying Mobius, the more he realized that he was starting to enjoy spying on the two subjects.
Mobius grumbled louder, “Since we gathered insufficient evidence, we'll have to do one more recon session. But we have to leave them alone!”
To his credit, Mobius was mostly right before. When they re-entered the TVA, they were quick to discover that Kaia's ripple began to twist just a smidge further. Luckily, all they had to do was adjust their Time Door to revisit New York a day later. Time passes differently in the TVA, which included the TemPad's ability to jump to any point in a branched or rippled timeline.
What Mobius didn't realize was that Kaia and Verity's conversation the following day was about more than just why someone lied to them. It was about who lied to them.
“Verity, over here!”
Kaia waived Verity down as she entered Delicato's cafe. She was already seated in the far corner of the establishment, right by the window. As it was a new day, Kaia opted for a new look. Her short hair was tied into a messy bun, though a few strands grazed the shoulders of her oversized green sweater. Her black slacks reflected how the day was a bit too blustery for her favourite skirt.
Two cups of hot beverages and two plates of glazed donuts were laid in front of Kaia like an offering. On Saturdays, this was their usual routine. The scuffed etchings of ‘V’ and ‘K’ on the wooden surface gave away that it was their usual table.
Verity waved and hurried over to the table. Her sense of style hadn’t changed too much; she sported a new light blouse and yesterday’s skinny jeans. This time, she wore a short black vest over her shirt, and she was hugging the heavy end of a matching shoulder bag close to her side. She quickly dropped some change on the table to acknowledge Kaia for grabbing her usual order on her behalf.
“I told you, it was my treat…”
“I insist.” Verity took to her seat. “Anyway… I was thinking about that guy that bumped into you yesterday…”
“Of course you were.”
“Did he seem familiar to you at all?”
“Vee, you know my memory is terrible…” As Kaia took a sip from her drink, marshmallows were quick to surround her lips.
“Well, I know who he is…” With that, Verity opened her bag.
“Wait, is this one of your trick questions?”
A sudden fwuph on the desk confirmed Kaia's suspicions. Verity had placed a stack of newspapers on the table, each one looking more worn than the last. On the top of the stack was the Daily Bugle, which had a rather imposing headline:
Verity tapped on the cover story's picture, which showed someone familiar in fanciful green and gold armour escorted through Central Park, cuffed and muzzled. Aside from some clear battle scars and sunken eyes, he looked just like the stranger that had allegedly accidentally body-checked Kaia.
“That is Loki!” Verity exclaimed, “He's the same guy that attacked New York five years ago!”
“Really?” Kaia picked up the newspaper that lay on top of the stack. Flipping it over revealed another picture of Loki, this time wearing elaborate golden horns and wielding a detailed sceptre.
“I know you moved here after that attack, but it was a really big deal at the time…” Verity said softly between sips of coffee, watching Kaia's face twist and turn as she scanned the papers.
“Awful polite for a criminal, ain't he?” Kaia jested as she set the newspaper back down neatly.
Verity's face scrunched. “Kaia, this isn't a joking matter. He's a criminal and he's walking freely in the city he terrorized!”
“Ah, yes, his master plan of knocking people down and immediately helping them up afterwards…”
“Kaia, including officers and militia, 107 people died.”
“Five years ago!” Kaia tapped on a coffee-stained paragraph, “It says here that Loki was sent back to his home world of Asgard. Five years here could be an entire life over there! Maybe he served his sentence?”
“Time doesn't work like that…” Verity sighed, “Doesn't change the fact that he's a terrorist.”
“Maybe he changed…” Kaia took another sip from her hot chocolate, “Did you really have those newspapers all this time?”
“It was a significant point of history, so of course I kept them.”
“And you really brought them here?”
“To prove my point!”
“When you have a perfectly working cell phone to pull up the same information on.”
“That's not my point!”
“To talk about a terrorist that's so well-known, you didn't recognize him immediately yesterday.”
“Please get to your point,” Verity sighed.
“People can change…” Kaia said, “I mean, look at how far you've come, Vee.”
Verity's mouth hung slightly as it processed what was just implied. You could see her mind doing mental gymnastics behind her brown eyes.
“I-I've never killed anyone!” Verity finally stammered out.
“No, but you thought you could never trust anyone fully enough to befriend them because of your ability… and yet, here I am!”
Kaia had a way to soften anyone with a smile. See, Verity should've been pissed that her insecurities were cross-referenced with the guy that nearly flattened New York like a pancake. But Kaia's smile had a certain sway to it. A grin nipped at her ears, off-white teeth shining like frosted holiday lights. And yet, it was rounded enough to cut at Verity's edges, allowing her to carve a small smile of her own.
It also was 100% honest. Verity was lucky to have a friend at all, never mind a friend like Kaia. But even best friends need boundaries sometimes.
“Thank you, but that's still not… my point…” Verity trailed off. Her body suddenly tensed up, steering her gaze away from the window next to their table.
“What's wrong?” Kaia looked over her shoulder to see the issue. As if the devil spoke it into existence, the exact person they were talking about was walking up the street, his head on a swivel, flipping glorious black hair back and forth.
“Don't let him see us, don't let him see us…” Verity muttered into her coffee.
A sudden thump against the window broke her heart. Verity didn't bother looking up. If she had, she would see Loki pressed against the window, waving frantically to get their attention. Kaia, to her credit, returned his wave and motioned to exactly where Loki could enter the café.
“How fortunate am I to come across you two so soon!” Loki grinned as he approached the table.
“Hey, Loki,” Kaia giggled, “It's like you knew we were talking about you!”
With a puzzled look, Loki glanced down, only to be greeted by a paper Variant of himself. It seems like the pair were reviewing his last ventures in this city, starting with reports of his arrest. It felt like yesterday. By TVA standards, it very well could have been.
“Looks like you've done your research on me, hmm?” Loki glanced at the pair.
Verity's eyes finally met Loki's. Her brown eyes barely hid her passion for the situation. “I do my due diligence when I see someone drop their red flags.”
“Verity!”
Before Kaia could play peacemaker, a frantic commotion by the café door intervened. The same scruffy stranger in the same maroon suit hurried over to the table.
“Loki! What did I tell you about not engaging with…” The stranger paused, taking note of his audience, “Ladies, I'm so sorry for his interruption. We'll be on our w—”
“You know, he really wanted to talk to you!” Loki patted the stranger's padded blazer, prompting a furrow along his brow. He looked like he was about to protest, but Verity beat him to the punch.
“Liar!” Verity crossed her arms, clearly at the end of her rope.
“Oh, come on!” Loki flashed a trademarked grin, “This here is Mobius. Just give him a chance, he's rather harmless.”
Mobius, ignoring Loki flatly, pulled out a strange-looking pager from his blazer's inner pocket. It looked unlike any device that either New Yorker had ever seen.
“Loki, we have to go.” Mobius grabbed Loki by the bicep, once again about to drag him away as if he hadn't been the bane of Earth's existence for a day. However, everyone froze at one simple question.
“Is that all you two can do; lie to us and each other?”
A brief pause allowed everyone to ponder what Verity had just asked. If no one knew of Verity's gift, it would have merely been an accusation. However, all four of them knew better. All four of them knew that Loki was a liar, and Mobius had just lied, too.
Curious, Loki glanced over to look at Mobius' retro device. A smirk of vindication flashed upon his face, which was all the ladies could see. What they couldn't see was the TemPad's screen clearly showing no indication of a branch formation or a desperate plea for draining units. By all accounts, there was no threat.
“Look at that, everything's fine! We've no reason to leave.”
“Great! You should sit with us!” Kaia said, “Have you been here before? If not, you really have to try the donuts.”
“And who are we to turn down such a recommendation?” Loki greeted Kaia's invitation with the same unnerving smirk.
With that, it was too late for either Verity or Mobius to object, despite neither wanting any part of this. The four of them were about to embark on the world's most awkward coffee date.
“Here, how about I play fetch, hmm?” Loki said, flashing a wad of brown leather all too familiar to Mobius, “You get yourself comfortable. This one's on me.”
Mobius didn't dare take his eyes off Loki as he waltzed to the café counter with his TVA-issued wallet. How did Loki even know about that? They did not need to make use of its convenient money conversion features, yet Loki didn't seem at all surprised when he managed to pull out exactly what was needed to pay for two coffees and two glazed donuts.
“That little scamp…” Mobius muttered under his breath, barely audible to Verity or Kaia.
“Okay, how do you two know each other?” Verity asked, “Are you his parole officer?”
“Or his date?” Kaia giggled a bit as she rearranged a few chairs, converting their usual table to a table for four.
“Not his date…” Mobius answered, keeping an eye on Loki as he, surprisingly, paid fairly for the order, “I'm Agent Mobius. Parole officer probably would be a more accurate description, by that logic…”
“Huh, so you are capable of telling the truth…” Verity quipped, “Why is he here? Walking free?”
“Community service, more or less,” Mobius did his best to give truthful, yet blasé answers.
“I told you!” Kaia exclaimed at Verity as she returned to her seat, “He's trying to change!”
Only then did Mobius notice the stack of old newspapers on their table. He did his best to hide his concern, now that he saw the full impact of Loki's first encounter with the pair. It was a wonder that no branch had been created.
“How does a terrorist change exactly?” Verity questioned openly. Although her wording was based on Kaia's statement, Mobius could tell the jab was aimed squarely at him.
“It's still early, and he only gets one chance,” Mobius clarified, “But he's providing intel on a case I need help on.”
“On… another terrorist?”
“So to say.”
“Mobius, are you really still just standing there like a fretting child?”
Loki returned to the table, two hot beverage cups and two paper plates carefully balanced in his hands. A fancy leather wallet distinguished which plate belonged to which newcomer at the table.
“These ladies offered such a kind invitation. Take it, won’t you?” Loki said as he took to his seat, setting the drinks and plates down by the newly placed chairs. Kaia nudged the newspapers closer to the window to allow this to happen without any spillage.
With a huff, Mobius took to the last empty seat. Before he did anything else, he tucked his wallet into a pocket that he was sure Loki didn't know about.
“First and foremost, I do want to reiterate my apology for bumping into you… Kaia, was it?” Loki took a sip of his coffee.
Kaia's face lit up in the sudden realization of her faux-pa, “Oh! How rude of us, to not introduce ourselves… My name is Kaia, and this is Verity.”
Verity smiled as politely as one could when she was seated across from someone that gutted her home city.
“I gotta say, Verity, I am impressed at how quickly you were able to call out Loki and I… How did you know we were lying?” Mobius asked before taking a quick bite out of his donut.
“It's… something I just know,” Verity shrugged, “Almost like a gifted gut instinct, I suppose.”
Mobius nodded, knowing better than to push her into saying more than she wanted to. She didn't need to know that he knew she had her gift. Lucky for him, Loki picked up on his cue to keep their knowledge close to their chests.
“Yeah, it's pretty amazing!” Kaia said, “Can't really hide anything when you've got a friend like her.”
Friend. There was that word again. The word that caused Loki to take a slight double-take. The word that made Loki doubt Kaia's status as an alternate version of himself.
“How long have you two been friends…?” Loki did his best to make the question not sound too strange aloud.
“As long as I can remember…” Kaia said, “Almost five years ago, right Vee?”
Verity nodded in agreement, “This café is where I first took Kaia to show her around town.”
Mobius' head slowly cocked sideways, giving Kaia a look that cooked just as slow, “You only remember the last five years?”
“I moved here five years ago. Met Verity shortly after.”
“That's not what I asked…” Mobius noted, taking a napkin to his newly glazed moustache.
“Why is this starting to sound like an interrogation…?” Kaia asked cautiously.
“Mobius here is just not that well versed in small talk…” Loki said. It was an explanation that prompted quiet giggles from Kaia, and brisk, lifeless laughter from the man himself.
“Well then, let's talk about work…” Verity took her chance to steer the conversation, “What kind of case needs intel from the likes of Loki?”
“Classified,” Mobius said sharply.
“Oh please, we're not journalists. We can keep the truth quiet, so long as it's the truth.” Verity leaned in, finishing the last bite of her dessert.
“Perhaps they could be of assistance?” The way Loki said this indicated more of a tease than a serious suggestion.
Mobius shook his head as politely as he could, as not to offend the pair near him, “They've told us a lot of wonderful things so far. There's no need to get them doing your work for you.”
Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!
Tiny, distinct beeping noises disrupted the conversation. Mobius fumbled for the same strange pager that he held beforehand. An even stranger insignia on the back of it made it clear that it was a standard issue device, though not even Verity and her pristine prescription lenses could read the print that was well weaved into its pattern.
“See, Loki, now you've jinxed us.” Luckily, Mobius had finished eating and drinking in time. He took to his feet and motioned for Loki to do the same.
“Duty calls? Already?” Loki lamented as he took to his own feet, minding his mess by picking up his paper plate, complete with a half-eaten donut. Although the pastry was too unbearably sweet to complete in one go, he wasn't about to insult the confection or the one that had recommended it.
“Afraid so…” Mobius stepped sideways a bit, almost ready to leave without his partner, “It was nice meeting you, ladies.”
“Same to you!” Kaia smiled, “It was a pleasure.”
“Oh, the pleasure's all ours…” Loki bowed, unfazed by Mobius' hand once again surrounding his bicep, leading him towards the door like a child's treasured toy, “Do take care!”
With a ring of the bell, the duo was gone once again.
Verity hummed to herself, glancing at Kaia as she pondered the escape plan that just unfolded in front of them.
“They told the truth…” Verity announced, “But that still felt weird to you, right?”
“A little…” Kaia admitted, “But they still seemed friendly, all things considered. I'm sure it's no big deal.”
They both would soon come to learn that it was going to be a big deal. Mobius knew exactly how distressing his TemPad's alarms were at that moment. He made no hesitation to retreat into the safety of an alleyway, prompting a familiar orange glow against his face.
“You said there was no branch! Why the haste?” Loki said, carefully juggling his plate to not drop his long-term snack.
“That was a page. A message from Hunter B-15,” Mobius explained, “All it said was that we needed to go see her, so that's what we're going to do.”
And with that, they both returned to the muted walls of the TVA. Specifically, they re-entered via the Deployment Hall, as that was where Hunter B-15 was waiting for them. Sensing a tedious and uninteresting TVA-centric conversation ahead, Loki seized the moment to finish off his pastry while the Detective spoke with the Hunter.
“Where were you?” Hunter B-15 skipped past the pleasantries.
Mobius quickly responded, “Impromptu interview with the ripple Variant. Why?”
“Variant L5242? The one we need to arrest?”
Before Mobius could question it, Hunter B-15 used her TemPad to flash the Variant Warrant that she was just issued. Sure enough, a low-resolution mugshot of Kaia was visible, alongside a quick description of where and when she could best be intercepted along the Sacred Timeline.
“So, the ripple’s line finally bleeds…”
“Yeah, a real late bloomer,” Hunter B-15 admitted, “Look, I know we were looking for a cleaner way to tidy the timeline, but we don't have time to craft a plan B. If we don't remove her now, she's going to breach past red line.”
The hollow echo of a fallen paper plate interrupted the conversation. Loki injected himself between Mobius and Hunter B-15 once again. She knew better than to question why Loki had scarfed down half a donut just before his intrusion.
“Wait, we just interviewed her. She's not dangerous,” Loki said, “How could she create a branch when she thinks she's human, never mind a Loki?”
“It doesn't matter what she thinks she is or what you think she is,” Hunter B-15 said, aiming a slight look of disgust toward him, “She's a Loki, and if she doesn't know her own strength, then that's all the more reason to arrest her. It's only a matter of time before her true colours show.”
“B-15, give me a few minutes. I want to come with you,” Mobius requested.
“You sure, Mobius?”
Mobius nodded, “We did start a brief rapport, and you have her arrest point flagged for about an hour after the point in time where Loki and I just returned from. If I'm there, she might not resist arrest.”
“Fine, but just you.” Hunter B-15's glare was fixed on the Variant as she issued her condition. She only continued when she looked back at the Detective, “Meet me by the doors when you're ready.”
As Hunter B-15 exited, Loki quickly spun himself in front of Mobius, as if he could stop him from following her.
“Mobius, you can't be serious about this.”
“You don't issue the warrants, Loki,” Mobius countered, “You don't know just how badly this affects the timeline. She needs to be brought in before her presence becomes potent.”
“Mobius, she doesn't realize she's a Loki. Kaia's friend wouldn't be calling me a terrorist if she knew of her Variant status.”
“All the more reason to bring her in. She can talk to me about her crime.”
“What crime has she committed?” Loki timed his exclamation with his arms swinging down towards Mobius' hips, “Having a friend‽”
“Kaia's a Loki Variant, and I’m starting to think that she's lying about being from this particular timeline,” Mobius theorized, “Or even playing dumb about who she really is, to the point of having a whole alias and pretending to be human. She'd probably have to in order to keep such a secret from Verity.”
“She's not doing anything harmful‽”
“She's on the Sacred Timeline, a timeline that already has its Loki. We have to know why she's there, making this ripple and subsequent branch. This is a major clean-up operation,” Mobius sighed, “Loki, you don't get a say in this. We need to reset the timeline five years back so Kaia never existed.”
Loki paused a moment to absorb the gravity of what Mobius said. There was a lot to ponder. How did another Loki end up on the timeline? How did she survive for five years? Yet, the only question Loki could muster aloud revolved around the word that haunted him.
“What about her friend? What will happen to her?”
“Verity will be set back five years, too,” Mobius said calmly, “She will never know Kaia existed.”
“What‽ You can't just do that to them!” Loki said, rage starting to simmer in the back of his throat, “They're bonded!”
“A bond that wasn't supposed to exist.”
“My hunch about you lot was right from the start. You really think you are divine arbiters, dictating who should and shouldn't exist‽”
“We don't think, we know.”
“She has a FRIEND!”
“A Variant is a Variant for a reason.”
Loki took a heavy breath, shivering in his own seething. He stepped up very close to Mobius, just so his breath could echo against his face. The look that the demigod gave the Detective was not one of mischief, but of pure malice.
“Mobius, you wanted me to consult? Here's your consultation, as I'm the expert on Lokis,” Loki hissed, “Kaia is not a threat.”
“I know how Lokis work, too. All of this could be a part of her big plan.” Mobius pushed past Loki but stopped short of leaving him in his dust, “If you actually want to be of use to her, go get Kaia's full file ready. She's about to go on trial.”
Without a chance for rebuttal, Mobius left to join Hunter B-15's unit.
Loki stepped back a bit, taking a moment to steady his breathing. It was hard to explain exactly where his anger originated from. Currently, it was beyond words. And yet, Loki's next plan was already fully formed in his head and his hand. His new plan had nothing to do with paperwork.
Loki fidgeted with Mobius' TemPad, still warm from being in the pocket close to his hip. You'd think Mobius would've learned better by now, considering that he had previously nicked items from him on multiple occasions: having previously stolen a device that had controlled his Time Collar during his initial arrest, and his wallet not too long ago. His thumb rubbing against the TemPad made him realize that the device that controlled the Time Collar — what Mobius called the Time Twister — was nothing more than a detachable appendage to the TemPad itself. It must've come loose when Loki pickpocketed Mobius for the first time. No matter; he didn't have to undo any collars.
Granted, with a TemPad of this status, Loki could go anywhere, anytime. He could go back to where he left off. To a point in time where he could rule in peace. To a point where he could apologize to his mother.
Yet, Loki chose to open a Time Door to go to New York during the year 2017. He knew exactly where and when he needed to be. For once, he wasn't going to cause the suffering.
Chapter 5: The Arrest
Summary:
Chapter 5 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia is officially arrested on behalf of the Time Variance Authority. Verity is faced with an impossible choice.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains an arrest carried out by time cops.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“I'll visit you tomorrow, okay? Say around four?”
“Four sounds good! See ya!”
Kaia left Verity on very good terms, considering their strange meeting just an hour ago. They conversed at least once a day, usually in person. They often met at the preferred hangouts: Central Park, Delicato's (the cafe from whence she came), and each other's apartments. Sure, New York was a big city, but sometimes, the familiar spots matter the most. Sure, you could have a lot of friends, but those you hold the closest matter the most. Until recently, Verity was all Kaia had.
If only Kaia could have Verity close for what was about to come next.
Kaia turned the corner on an unusually quiet New York suburb street. At first, she thought the glow that kissed her cheek was the falling sunlight. Imagine her wonderment when she found her gaze fixed on a floating orange rectangle. Imagine her shock when she saw strange-looking soldiers tumble out from the semi-translucent door.
“What the…”
Even though Kaia was frozen in place, the soldiers took the time to surround her from all angles, thanks to the supernatural doors both in front of and behind her. Authoritative figures in armoured suits, who were quite diverse in tone and height. Some even had their body cams protruding from their helmets. Each one held a riot baton, but it was not the standard-issue one from the NYPD. These had one tip lit with LED lights. The electric violet light made it unclear if they were for effect or just for show.
Then again, the NYPD didn't have the budget for whatever light show was going on here. This was… something else.
One last soldier walked out with confidence in her stride. The apparent lead soldier stood square in front of the strange orange monolith from where she emerged from. She had one hand on a baton, the other holding a small phone-like device, aimed straight at her like a scanner. It looked familiar, but Kaia couldn't quite place where she saw it before…
“On guard, everyone. This is a new form of sequence violation,” said the leader, “What was once a 'ripple' has now blossomed into a steady, stable branch. Variant identified. L5242 detected.”
“In English, please?” Kaia requested.
“Kaia, stay calm…”
It was not the soldier that knew her name. A familiar voice prompted sunken shoulders and widened eyes. Slowly, a stunned Kaia turned to face the moustached voice that suited his maroon suit to a tee.
“Mobius…?” Kaia said in humble shock.
“Your friend asked me what kind of case I was working on…” Mobius said, “I'm sorry to say that it's you.”
“Variant, on behalf of the Time Variance Authority, I hereby arrest you for your crimes against the Sacred Timeline,” the lead soldier followed up on her Detective's lead.
“My what and the what??” Kaia glanced briefly at the lead soldier before looking back at the Detective. “Mobius, what's going on?”
“I'm sorry…” Mobius apologized again, “You were never supposed to be here, but you knew that, didn't you? You’ve gotta come with us.”
Kaia's stare grew blank. This wasn’t happening, was it? Some fake cop and his unfamiliar militia were really about to corner a young woman alone to take her away. She was struggling to see the difference between the arrest and an attempted kidnapping. Her eyes darted as quickly as they could while she kept herself in place. She wasn't about to go quietly, but she had to play her cards right to make her escape.
Kaia pivoted and ran to her right, aiming between the two soldiers that were creating a gap slightly wider than the others. Surely, the lack of symmetry on their part would be key, right? Kaia ducked down as she ran in an attempt to get past the soldiers. The brief moment of having strangers out of her sight gave her a brief glimmer of hope.
But then, the headache started.
Kaia felt a firm hit on the back of her head, and her world suddenly stopped. She could feel herself falling, but the ground was nothing more than concrete molasses. Despite her body around her feeling nearly frozen, the aching pulsating that emanated from her head pounded against her as rapidly as her heart rate. Even as two soldiers took their time to reposition her into their lifted grip, her body still felt slow and her suffering still felt fast.
“Go ahead, B-15.” Mobius identified the lead soldier as Kaia felt her body sink into two lesser soldiers' arms.
The soldier — now known to Kaia as B-15 — pulled out a flexible strip from her tool belt. Said strip also looked like a belt, but it was far too small for anyone's waist. The belt buckle included a square display that matched the tone of the soldier uniforms. There was a little red and white patch with a decent amount of text inscribed on the strap, but 'DANGER' was the only word Kaia could catch before the strap faded from her line of sight.
Click!
As the collar fastened to her neck, Kaia felt her body return from its groggy state. She confirmed this with a steady kick, though she could only strike the air. In this particular position, the height that should've allowed her to flee was now her disadvantage.
“HELP! LET ME GO!” Kaia screamed; her airborne sprint was now at its full speed. Her gaze was now frantic, hoping for any bystander with some guts, or even just a smartphone. Kaia would not be that lucky.
“No one can hear you cry wolf, short stuff…” B-15 said with a harsh tone, scowling at her as if she had killed someone. It was a funny notion, the thought of the soldier looking at the civilian like a criminal. The tally marks that were on B-15's helmet gave Kaia that exact impression of her.
“Hey… I can handle her from here…” Mobius' tone was a bit more gentle as if that would make Kaia regain her trust in him.
“You will NOT handle me!” Kaia snapped back, “Release me!”
Mobius waved his hand downward. The two soldiers that were holding Kaia up slowly brought her feet to the ground. Before her reflexes could kick in, Kaia soon found herself in Mobius' grip, which was surprisingly firm for the one that lacked combat armour. The grip was so pronounced, that even the soldiers felt confident enough to release her.
Using all of her might, Kaia began to struggle. Two firm hands on her biceps made her writhing completely pointless.
“Kaia, just cooperate with us…” Mobius said, “There's a reason why you only wanna talk about the last five years. You're gonna tell me about the rest of those years.”
Mobius led Kaia towards the impossible door, despite her heels skidding against the pavement. Resistance was futile; she was going through that scary thing whether she liked it or not.
“Okay team, spread out!” B-15 commanded her troops behind Kaia's back, “Reset the timeline! All hands on deck, set the charges back five years!”
The way B-15 spoke still sounded foreign to her. What was so criminal about Kaia's five years in New York? What exactly did she mean by ‘resetting’ the timeline? Was it really as plain and simple as manipulating time?
In a continued attempt to resist, Kaia threw her head over her shoulder. Although the Detective did block her view, she did get a glimpse of soldiers setting odd-looking canisters down on the ground. They looked like lanterns, but what kind of officer used lanterns professionally? Especially when these lanterns started to hiss and fizzle, not unlike a series of bombs.
Mobius did not allow Kaia to stay for the show, finally forcing her through the door. As her vision suddenly became overwhelmed by the wash of a gelatinous orange glow, only one thought raced through Kaia's head.
Verity, please be safe.
Verity was safe, but her way home was in the opposite direction. She was not a threat to the timeline, but she didn't know that. She was ignorant about what was to come. Her world would also come to a glowing halt, but her revolution would come at a different angle.
Hsssss…
Verity glanced over her shoulder, noticing the strangest display. In broad daylight, the sidewalk across the street was set alight with fireworks, but they did not act like fireworks. They acted more like flames spread across gasoline. Some objects burned and fizzled out, while others remained unaffected.
“Verity!”
Before she could openly question it, a panicked voice beckoned for her. She spun around to see Loki, the allegedly-reformed terrorist of Asgard, standing in the alley. Behind him stood a floating rectangle, entirely made of light. Its glow was similar, yet different, to the light show that was setting New York alight behind her.
“Loki?” Verity took a hesitant step closer to Loki. “Wh… what's that behind you…?”
“A Time Door,” Loki spoke truthfully. Verity's slightly scrunched face confirmed this.
“A door… floating in the middle of the alley…”
Sssss…
The glow of the fading city spilled closer to the alley. Loki took a deep breath in as if his life depended on the upcoming speech he was about to make.
“Verity, I know how hard it is for you to trust. There are people in this world who’ll never lie to you. You found that in Kaia. That’s why I’m going to make an exception for you, too. This is going to sound preposterous, but if you don't come with me through this door, your life as you know it will be set back five years. You'll forget about Kaia, you'll never see her again. Perhaps some things that went poorly for you would never have happened. If you go with me through this door, you'll never reclaim this life but you'll remember Kaia, as she's on the other side of this Time Door. I won't force you along, but I strongly suggest you join me.”
Verity stared at Loki as he extended his hand out to her. She tried to move, but all she could do was stare. Her mind paralyzed her body as she processed what she had heard.
Sometimes, the truth was stranger than fiction. If sayings like that had dictionary pictures or examples for reference, this exact scenario would be sketched out. She was just told that she had to choose between her best friend and everything else that happened over the past five years, and she knew that this choice was not a bluff.
“Verity, we don't have long before those charges reset the timeline. Please, I urge you to come along.”
No, wait. She was being told to choose between five years of her life and her only friend.
Verity inched closer to Loki but stopped short of entering the magic passageway. Not for hesitance's sake, but mostly out of shock. She knew where she had to be, especially when the choices were framed a certain way, but the sudden realization of what exactly she was leaving behind started to overwhelm her.
Sssss…
The sparks of the Reset charge started to seep into the alleyway. Verity had her back to this, but Loki could see it. She could not see the urgency of the situation. If she had, she probably wouldn't be frozen in place.
Before he could think about what he was doing, he grabbed Verity by the arm. Just as the fuse of the Reset charge was about to nip her ankle, Loki pulled Verity into the safety of the Time Door. Loki made sure she stayed on her feet, what with the force of the pull and the disorientation caused by walking through the Time Door. It was admittedly a bit off-putting, even Loki had trouble with it from time to time.
See, if you were able to feel light, it would feel like a Time Door. Not in the sense that you feel the heat of sunlight on your skin, but rather you feel the physical push of the light pressing against every inch of your body. Your ears are briefly plugged by the gelatinous chill of the orange glow. Your movement slowed just enough to make you feel like you were wading through fresh snow.
Admittedly, when Verity's body felt normal again, she did not process where she was before initiating her new goal: to chew out Loki for what he just did.
“What happened to not forcing me along‽” Verity rubbed her arm as soon as Loki released her from his grip.
“I saw you inch closer!” Loki exclaimed, “You just weren't moving fast enough!”
“Look, I was going to come along anyway, that's why I'm not yelling at you at full volume,” Verity admitted, “But you really gotta stop with exploiting technicalities.”
“I'll have you know exploiting technicalities is one of my specialties!” Loki quipped back.
“I lived through what you did to New York. I know.”
“Exactly. I would've been a great, benevolent God.”
“Keep telling… yourself that…”
At last, Verity started to become aware of her surroundings. She was definitely not in New York anymore. They were in a square room, roughly the size of a closet. Orange tiled walls had curved and circular etchings in no discernible pattern. The planters and the ceiling lights were akin to a standard shared office room. The illuminated door frame disappeared from behind them, but there was a second physical door that was swung wide open. As they walked past it, Verity caught a brief glimpse of the black text that simply read:
TVA
Arrival Zone
Door One
Loki led Verity into the main lobby area, seemingly straight from the 1970s. The lobby was circular, with the same physical doors equally spread across its walls, the pattern occasionally broken by a set of elevator doors. The circular ceiling was a series of sunken pot lights that barely had space between them. Aside from the central circular desk and the occasional bench spaced between said desk and the bare brown walls, the office itself was rather plain. Even the centrepiece desk was plain, albeit fancy, with bright orange curves and a shine akin to porcelain.
Most of all, this office was deafeningly quiet. She could hear herself think, and not much else. Sure, there was the chatter of the armoured guard talking to the receptionist, but beyond that… silence. It was unlike anything Verity had seen before, but it was abundantly clear that this was not a stage or a movie set.
“Where the hell are we, Loki?”
“Trust me,” Loki cautioned, “This is not Hel1…”
“LOKI!”
A voice that was not used to being boisterous ruined the quiet mood. Across the room, Mobius stepped in from a similar arrival zone door. He marched around the desk, squaring up to Loki, meeting him eye to angry eye.
“Are you serious right now‽ What did I tell you‽”
Loki scoffed, “That you were about to set the timeline back five years.”
“And you STILL found a way to mess that up!” Mobius said angrily, taking a step back. His face softened before turning to Verity, who was just as frozen as she was when she had given her dire choice just a few moments ago.
“I'm sorry, Verity…”
Click!
Before Verity could acknowledge the apology, she felt a slight pressure on her neck. Loki's eyes widened as he recognized the Time Collar that Mobius had slipped onto Verity's neck.
“Ow, hey‽” Verity tugged, feeling out the collar on her neck, “What is this‽”
“The consequences of his actions,” Mobius made an emphasis to exempt her from blame, “Loki was supposed to leave you be. To let you live your life on the Sacred Timeline.”
“And to have her live life without knowing me? Insanity!” Loki quipped, prompting a scathing glare from Mobius.
“VERITY!”
A second shout interrupted the conversation yet again. From the same door that Mobius emerged from stood Kaia, wearing a matching Time Collar and a frightened face. The lack of context as to Verity's appearance in such a strange place only amplified Kaia's concerns.
Kaia attempted to sprint around the table in the same fashion that Mobius did, but with a simple press of a button, Kaia became a blur. Verity saw Kaia snap back to where she started running from. She stood next to an officer in similar plated armour. The unamused scowl on her face was perfectly framed by a helmet, from the scratched-up top to the pristine chinstrap.
“Kaia, don't make this worse,” Mobius cautioned.
“You have her under arrest too‽” Kaia exclaimed, making and failing another sprint to her friend's side.
“She's not under arrest, but you are, so I don't need to explain anything about her situation to you. Hunter B-15, would you…” Mobius waved Kaia off dismissively.
The officer — now known to all as Hunter B-15 — put a hand on Kaia's back, guiding her to one of the accent elevators. She pulled on an orange lever attached to an intricate panel of buttons and lights.
“If you so much as hurt a hair on Verity's head, I'll—”
Before Kaia could finish her threat, Hunter B-15 shoved Kaia into the now-open elevator. Her body was strategically placed so the prisoner could not escape as the elevator doors shut.
The room fell just as silent as it did just before Mobius arrived. Loki didn't realize Mobius could be that cold. Verity was about to prove that she could be even colder. Her arms folded across her vested chest, but her face was even more cross. Her upper lip stiffened and her nose crinkled just enough to lift the frame of her glasses upward, allowing her eyes to square perfectly centre to Mobius.
Verity's voice was as sharp as an icicle, “What did you do…”
“My job,” Mobius clarified, “I specialize in dangerous threats to the Sacred Timeline.”
“Kaia's never hurt ANYONE!”
“Not that you or I know of… she's going to have a fair trial like anyone else to prove her case.”
Loki found his voice, “You better step in for her.”
“I'll be at her trial, but I'll deal with you in a second,” Mobius scolded Loki, “Right now, we need to clean up the mess you made… B-15?”
Mobius' voice beckoned Hunter B-15 away from the elevator.
“Variant L1130 unlawfully removed Verity Willis from her point on the Sacred Timeline, preventing her from being reset. She is officially an Accidental Variant. Please fill out a report for this scenario and bring Miss Willis to Time Theatre 17 for holding. Make sure she's comfortable until we figure out how to reset her back to her point in time.”
As Mobius' and Hunter B-15's conversation fell into typical jargon, Verity managed to process what exactly happened to her. What was a Variant? What exactly is this place? Is she about to be detained against her will?
“What…?” Verity looked to Loki for answers, “You said—”
“I didn't know this would happen!”
A firm grasp on Verity's shoulder interrupted her read on Loki. She looked to her side, in which the Hunter that took her friend away now stood. Considering the situation, the firm hold she had was rather restrained.
“Come with me… Variant.”
As Hunter B-15 led Verity away, she glanced back, her gaze aimed at Loki. It wasn't a look of anger or pain. As her bottom teeth flashed a grimacing look, it was clear that Verity was scared. Scared by the situation, scared by the unknown…
Verity was scared by the silence in her head.
“Mobius—”
“Nope! You don't need to explain yourself!” As if someone had pulled a lever, Mobius snapped back to being angry at Loki, “You acted on your own selfish needs and wants, and now you've taken an innocent person out of her time!”
“She—” Loki had trouble even getting a short sentence in. Mobius wagged his finger in Loki's face to cut him off again.
“Here's what's gonna happen. I'm going to get ready for Kaia's trial. I'll be in attendance, much like how I attended your trial. Then, I'm going to go get Verity's situation sorted out peacefully. You're not coming with me for that. You've done enough damage to her,” Mobius seethed, “If you want to be of any help to Kaia, you're going to go get her full Variant file from the Archives.”
The only thing the humbled demigod could do was grumble. If he so much as formed a word, Mobius would just interject again. The Detective and the Variant parted on uneasy terms.
As Loki tucked himself away back to an arrival zone lobby, he pondered why Mobius didn't ask how he got Verity to the TVA to begin with. If he had, he might've been able to figure out that he still had Mobius' TemPad in his possession.
Ah well, what Mobius doesn't know won't kill anyone. It was the perfect shortcut to return to the Archives.
Again, Loki really could've used this TemPad to escape. To return to a point in time where he could rule, could cause mischief, or even make amends. Instead, he went to the Archives, compelled by some unknown force to aid Kaia in her trial, something that he didn't have until Mobius stepped in. Compelled to help Verity escape the TVA's clutches, even though it was only partly2 his fault that she was here.
The feeling was still unfamiliar to Loki. Was it… remorse? Compassion? Guilt? Hard to say. That would require prioritizing others over himself, but his actions were motivated by his desires. Which begged the question: is it still narcissism if your motivations directly and intentionally benefit others?
Loki made sure no one was looking as he propped up a Time Door to the Archives. He was smooth enough to land just off the centre of where he needed to be. He grabbed Kaia's Variant file carelessly in haste. He could not ignore the wafting fumbles of loose papers that slipped from the folder.
As Loki bent over to pick up the loose sheets of paper, he took the time to scan them. They were the sheets beyond Kaia's summary, detailing bits and pieces of Kaia's life. As he studied the files, Loki's face grew more and more concerned.
“What… that… can't be…?”
Loki hastily put the folder back together, opting to keep the TemPad hidden rather than risking another Time Door. He hurried through the Archives, asking in hushed whispers for the pedestrian directions to the TVA Courtroom.
To some, what Loki read appeared to be pedestrian itself. Just someone's past, not exactly relevant to the current situation. A lot of nothing, if you will.
But it was just that simple. It was a lot of nothing, but it's exactly what Kaia needs.
- Hel, to Loki, is a region nestled within Niflheim, the final resting place for the souls of the dead that did not meet the requirements for its heavenly counterpart, Valhalla. It's said that Midgardian souls come to rest there as well. But rather than the fiery underground visage that they conjured up to satisfy their wild imaginations, Hel is a frosty region, haunted by the screams of the tortured and bored. Loki imagined he would've ended up there at the end of his life, but the TVA felt like Hel in its own right. [ ▲ ]
- He wouldn't have had to step in if the TVA had been rational about resetting New York back five years, after all! [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Fun fact: the little 'join me' speech Loki gives Verity in this chapter was the catalyst for this whole fic.
Enter July 2021 (just before Loki S1E5 aired). That month ended up being a very bad month for me personally, for reasons I'd rather not get into. Loki (2021) was the escapism that kept me going. That might be why I have such a bias toward the show. On sleepless and cold nights, the show — and Loki in all media forms — kept me warm.
I had read Agent of Asgard and was talking to my moon about it. About what was answered, what was unanswered, and what could happen for the show. I texted a draft version of that speech to her, that was the first thing written for this fic. The months that followed included brainstorming & outlining, and in January 2022, I actually sat down and started writing chapter 1 of this fic. It's been a... process at times, seeing as I only started publishing last month, but this story has been an outlet for me when I needed it. It has a complete outline. It might have 80+ chapters; I don't have a final tally as of now. It does have an end, though it may be a years-long venture.
I hope this story brings you the kind of warmth it's given me.
Chapter 6: The Trial
Summary:
Chapter 6 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia, AKA L5242, is processed and prepared for her trial. However, Loki knows exactly what he needs to do for Kaia to be saved from an untimely death.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains non-sexual nudity, the post-arrest detainment process.
Chapter Text
“If you so much as hurt a hair on Verity's head, I’ll—”
The rest of Kaia's threat fell on deaf ears as she was shoved into an elevator. She scrambled back to the door, pounding on it in vain.
“Verity! Loki!” Kaia cried out. No one could hear her. It was eerily silent in the elevator. It wasn't even moving. Why was that?
Rrrrrrrr…
A robotic hum broke the silence. A pinch on Kaia's shoulder prompted her to twist herself 180 degrees. As she did, overhead lights finally illuminated the elevator interior.
The strangest television stared back at Kaia. Its circular monitor prominently displayed box-shaped eyes and a wavering line for a mouth. Its stock orange glow made Kaia believe that the screen originally had been for an old video game system. The monitor was framed by four protrusion points. The faded orange casing that coated the machine tapered off at the protrusions, as the extension shifted from arm-like joints to 'hands' that were just pinchers. Three of the pinchers clapped audibly, while the fourth seemed preoccupied with an inconspicuous cylinder. A mess of cables and tubes spilled out from behind the robot, defining the gap between the machine and the putrid grey walls.
The machine was the focal point of the room. In fact, it was the only point of the room. The rest of it was plain, save for the floor's hexagon pattern against a creamsicle colour scheme, which seemed perfectly imperfect at the centre of the room.
“H-H-Hiiiiiii…” The machine's mouth hummed in barely audible speech, drowned out by the sound of its arms, clicking and clacking to stretch and warm up. Its mouth made several varying patterns, from three lines to wobbly waves to a crooked grin. With nothing else for a warning, a pincher attempted to pinch Kaia once again, making a beeline for her best and only green sweater.
“Stop it!” Kaia swatted the robot's pincher away, leaning on her back heel.
The robot's face changed from one of fear to one of… concern? Its square eyes had holes punched into them, and slanted lines created the illusion of eyebrows. The mouth wobbled into solid waves evenly spaced apart. The concerned face returned to normal as the robot raised its cylindric arm. The cylinder aimed itself at Kaia like the barrel of a gun. Its tip began to glow in that sickeningly same orange glow as just about everything else around this 'authority' did. The glow shifted to a blinding light, and a faint sensation of heat started to waft throughout the tiny room.
“H-H-Hold very stiiiiill…”
BZZZT—
Kaia felt the buzz of the cylinder's laser on her entire body from the neck down. She wasn't on fire, but she felt the horizontal lines burn against her skin, like the world's worse scanner. As the heat sensation faded and as her arm chafed against her stomach in a much softer fashion than expected, Kaia looked down to realize a horrifying fact.
Save for the Time Collar tightly fastened to her neck, Kaia was now completely bare.
“Creep!!” Kaia screamed as she fell backward, her skin stung by the metallic singe of the elevator wall. Her limbs fell into strategic place to salvage what little modesty she had left. The skin on her underside meshed into the floor vents, helping her solidify her position.
Wait… What kind of elevator has floor vents?
When you're sitting on the ground, certain things become obvious. Some call this perspective. From this perspective, Kaia could both see and feel how a large square shifted the creamsicle pattern on the floor. The imprint of the silver steel marking this square thinly marked the back of her thighs. She realized all too late that the difference between the patterns was simply hollow.
Ker-chunk!
Kaia felt her feet give way to the newly formed hole in the ground. She scrambled in an attempt to not fall through completely, but her attempts at modesty impeded her, especially when the hinges that connected the floor to the vents began to slant her downward.
A gasp, a scream, a thud.
Kaia landed on the ground. It was hard to say how far she fell; her closed eyes ensured her fall was pitch black, despite the tears that greased her eyelids. When she dared to open her eyes, she first assessed herself. Much to her surprise, she was dressed once more, but not to her preference.
On her person was now a jumpsuit, akin to what one would wear in a state penitentiary. The suit itself was a gaudy antique beige as if wearing tortilla bread was suddenly in style. Typical to the setting, the suit was trimmed and embroidered with orange, best exemplified with a bold ‘TVA’ printed onto her left breast, sans pocket. Short sleeves let her bare arms breathe, but her legs were completely covered. Much to her relief, Kaia could feel a polo shirt amongst other measures of decent clothing beneath the jumpsuit. Little white velcro shoes were jarring by comparison, but they were at least passable.
Prrr…
Startled, Kaia's head swivelled fast enough to shake the tears off of her face. Admittedly, the last thing she was expecting to see in ‘time jail’ was a shorthair cat in the corner of the new room. It seemed just as startled, retreating to its half-full food bowl nestled between piles of paperwork.
Slowly, Kaia got to her feet to assess the new room. It had the same skeleton as the room before it, but the piles of filing furniture and paperwork made the space much more claustrophobic. The centrepiece of this room was a desk that almost took the whole width of the room. Much like the space surrounding it, it was utterly cluttered by every reasonable thing that could clutter an office desk. A retro printer, a rotary phone, paper baskets… hell, there was even a mug that had the very same cat screen-printed onto its side.
A stocky human sat on the other side of the desk, who wore his beard like how those strange armoured officers wore their helmet's chinstraps. He sat there with a neutral expression on his face, pushing a stack of papers toward Kaia. For comparison's sake, the stack stood at about half of the height of the mug.
“Please sign to verify that this is everything you've ever said,” the desk attendant requested.
Kaia stood there, mildly stunned. “I beg your pardon?”
Tzz-tzz-tzzzzzz!
Kaia's question brought the nearby printer to life. The waterfall of paper slowly trickled downward, feeding itself through the machine, spitting out a slightly marked sheet of paper towards the desk attendant.
“Sign this, too.” The paperwork attendant affirmed his statement by slamming both the new sheet of paper and a pen on top of the pile.
Kaia took a step closer to the desk to figure out what exactly just happened. Granted, there wasn't a lot printed on the new sheet of paper, but what was printed was abundantly clear.
Luckily, heavy sighs did not awaken the sentient office machine. Kaia made the wise decision to play along and sign without much fuss. Though, she did dot the ‘I’ in her name with venomous emphasis to silently voice her disapproval of the general situation.
As she took a step away from the desk, Kaia noticed one tiny detail that she did not pick up on before. Above the attendant hung a wall clock. Unlike some clocks, the clock face displayed military time. Unlike most clocks, the clock face was decorated with hands of all lengths and colours. Some pointers ticked at a rapid pace, others stood perfectly still. If this really was the authority on time, why did that clock read more like an abstract piece of art than… well, an actual clock?
Ker-chunk!
Once again, Kaia fell prey to the trap door. This time, she had no chance to grasp onto anything for hope. At least she managed to land on her feet, her legs bent and her hands instinctively grabbing stanchions that were not in the previous room. She remained in this position for a few seconds, as the pain that shot up her legs was about as sensational as the scanner that had stripped her down.
After her recovery, Kaia rinsed and repeated the process of small room assessment. The stanchions were brief and gave no slack to the thin, black velvet ropes. The last stanchion was actually a large metal gate, not unlike the one that's used at major airports to scan one's body and call out one's metallic bones for all to see. The gates were cherry red with a wood-like graining decorating the insides. At the very top of the gate was a horizontal yellow and red stripe that read 'WARNING' as if this room wasn't ominous enough. Like the perverse robot from the earlier floor, strange wires and cords were protruding from this device. Luckily, it lacked the eyes that made the previous machine so unnerving.
On the other side of the metal gate stood yet another employee, who stood shorter than Kaia1. They wore a woolly brown vest atop a powder blue dress top, the first deviation of fashion choices, considering how every other colour of this establishment wanted to mimic the tones of earth and clay. In their hands were both a pen and a clipboard, both of which were in pristine condition.
The scanner attendant read from their clipboard, “Please confirm to your knowledge that you are not a fully robotic being, were born an organic creature, and do in fact possess what many cultures would call a soul.”
Kaia's been through a lot in the past few minutes, much more than what one person should go through. She's heard a lot of things that shouldn't make sense. Yet somehow, that was the most baffling statement that's been said so far.
“To my knowledge?” Kaia repeated, “Well, robotic beings would be crafted, not birthed, right?”
“Thank you for your confirmation. Please move through,” Ironically, the scanner attendant themself spoke much like a robot.
Kaia inched closer to the scanner but stopped short of just walking through. What was once bafflement quickly shifted into curiosity. She leaned backward so she could eye the scanner attendant appropriately.
“What if I was a robot and walked through this gate?”
“The machine would melt you from the inside. Please move along!”
Horrified, Kaia gazed back at the scanner. What she thought was a wood pattern was actually charcoal black burn marks, courtesy of the robots that sacrificed their artificial lives. She inched even closer, placing the palm of her hands against the edges of the gates. What if she really was a robot?
Kaia felt her heartbeat quicken, her blood run cold. It was just the boost she needed. Robots don't bleed… right?
The organic being stepped into the scanner, stopped not by the machine roasting her organs, but rather by a blinding flash of light. If it had been a proper photo, it would've been awful, what with squinted eyes and flinched shoulders.
The scanner did print out a polaroid-like card. It had the typical white border. But instead of Kaia's body, the photo immediately developed into an array of infrared colours, with cool colours exploding from a red mountainous core. It jutted out from a track that protruded out of the exterior of the gate, allowing its attendant to gain easy access to showcase the ‘photograph’ in front of its subject.
“What's that?” Kaia asked.
“Your temporal aura.”
“What's that?” Kaia repeated herself, though it would only be in vain.
An exasperated sigh from the scanner attendant emphasized their point, “Please leave, Variant.”
Kaia braced herself to drop once more, but mercy shone upon her this time. Elevator doors let ominous orange light seep into the tiny room. She couldn't leave fast enough. It hadn't even crossed her mind that she could be entering somewhere worse than the hellevator she had just escaped from.
By all accounts, it was supposed to be a standard lobby. Two optical turnstiles marked the beginning of a sea of stanchions making the journey from the elevator to the opposing desk attendant windows a tedious and excessive trek. The pathway was clear but as long as possible amongst the maze-like partitions. Televisions clung to the walls on either side of the room, occasionally separated by the odd poster. These posters — of course being pro ‘TVA’ — carried ominous slogans touting constant surveillance and the dominance over Variants. The Variant herself wasn't amused by it.
What made this lobby stand out, however, was the ceiling. The ceiling was mostly lighting. A tiny lightbulb illuminated a deep radius etched into the top of the room. There were so many radiuses and lightbulbs on the ceiling, that staring at the ceiling too long would cause the room to twist. Thin slate grey tiling separated every light pit. In truth, the ceiling looked more like a series of widened eyes, passing judgment on all those that traversed underneath them. Just stepping into the lobby made Kaia uneasy. The quiet, cheery hum of lobby music that wafted in the air around it nearly made Kaia sick.
Kaia was so lost in thought that she bumped into something rigid. She took a step back to observe the stand in front of her. An orange dispenser hung underneath a black and orange signpost. 'Your Turn Automatically' was written in orange, while 'Take-a-Tab' was written in black. The tab itself was a paler orange, displaying a number that defied Kaia's logic, being a series of numbers and letters rather than just a few digits.
“Take a ticket,” the ticket attendant was no different from a faceless guard that had taken Kaia in. He stood still like a statue, but the baton in his hands was emitting a light hum.
“But… I'm the only one here?” Kaia pondered. She waved her hand across the room to prove that she was the only Variant in sight.
“Take… a… ticket…” The attendant repeated with a hint of venom in his voice. Although it was calm and plain, somehow this was Kaia's last straw.
Her hand formed a fist, but it was trembling too much to swing it. She wanted to be angry, but her rage could only fizzle into overwhelming frustration. She eyed the ticket attendant with hot tears welling up in her eyes.
“This is a mistake! I shouldn't even be here!”
The attendant said and did nothing. As if he was bracing himself for something.
“Hey there!” A strange voice echoed from the ceiling. The jolt of cheer in the voice was enough to make Kaia jump back, further away from the ticket dispenser.
“You're probably saying 'This is a mistake! I shouldn't even be here!'”
The sound of raging bugle horns blended into the voice. At that cue, all of the televisions in the room lit up with a starry scape. The space was painted and static, like the vintage cartoons that Kaia had discovered on her new cable plan. As the background moved in a clear horizontal plane, a character whizzed into the frame. The character was an orange clock with proper limbs and big cartoon eyes fitted neatly within the clock face. Kaia remembered the very visage from some of the propaganda posters nearby. Who would've thought it'd have a southern accent?
“Welcome to the Time Variance Authority! I'm Miss Minutes, and it's my job to catch you up before you stand trial for your crimes!”
Kaia couldn't bring herself to move, captivated by the very special episode detailing just exactly where she was and why those officers thought it was okay to bring her here. Despite being entranced by it, she found herself struggling to focus on the whole picture, fixating on little details that showed within the video.
Time-Keepers. Three androgynous beings with alien skins, dots that depicted either freckles or scales and royal gold capes. Gemstones on their heads and a strange glow from their hands were supposedly proof that they had the power to contain all of time into one 'Sacred' timeline. Could three beings really hold all that power?
Variant. A word that was tossed around and finally defined for her as someone that branched from their proper Sacred path. She wracked her brain to try and figure out exactly when she betrayed whatever path that could've been. Nothing came to mind, considering she never started an uprising and was hardly ever late for anything.
The TVA, and all of its 'incredible' workers. Kaia could've sworn that she saw an animated portrayal of Mobius in the mix. She had a few words for him, and 'incredible' certainly wasn't one of them.
Cl-lunk!
A thunderous sound boomed behind Kaia, overlapping the end of the video presentation. Only now did she notice the side door that seemed to encase emergency exit stairs. A frantic-looking Loki heaved for breaths as if he had sprinted down those steps by choice. Under his arm was a bundle of paperwork bound by a little manila folder. He took care to make sure loose papers did not fall out of place. When their eyes locked, his eyes widened. He rushed to Kaia's side, ripping a tab from the dispenser so hard, that the whole stand quivered in the face of his might.
“Take this. Do NOT lose that ticket!” Loki forced the tab into Kaia's hand. A bit stunned, all Kaia could manage was a nod before slipping the ticket into the oversized jumpsuit pocket.
Loki put a hand over Kaia's shoulders, not to comfort but to guide her through the turnstiles and maze of velvet ropes as if he had taken the same path before. She just walked along with him. She certainly did not feel comfortable at this time, even if Loki's hand placement was meant to be a gesture of goodwill.
“Loki…” Kaia's voice trembled, “What exactly is going on…?”
“A whole farce about you… never mind Miss Minutes, you were brought here by mistake,” Loki said through gritted teeth, “You needn't worry. Let me get this sorted.”
“How?”
“You're about to go on trial. Mobius will be there and so will I. Just let us do the talking, and we'll get you out of this. Think of me as your lawyer.”
Kaia paused, looking at Loki for any hint of sarcasm. She couldn't find it.
“I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better…”
“Just follow our leads. Mobius and I will get you out of the hearing room.”
“Mobius is the reason why I'm IN the hearing room!” Kaia took a step away from Loki, glaring at him a bit. “Your accomplice arrested me! And you arrested Verity!”
“I-I-I didn't arrest Verity!” Loki protested, “She was about to lose the memory of you, I found her and brought her here before that could happen. But of course, Mobius misunderstood my intentions and brought her somewhere else.”
“What‽ Where‽”
“I don't know. But one step at a time! Trial first, then we'll get to her. I want you and your friend to reunite.”
Kaia eyed Loki curiously. She didn't have Verity's gift, but she often told Kaia the tells that the average liar shows through their bodies when they're lying. Some cues were simple enough for Kaia to pick up on. Loki wasn't avoiding eye contact with her, nor was he shying his body away from her. Although the logic defied the moment… Kaia felt inclined to believe him.
But she wasn't about to tell him that.
“Why should I believe you?” Kaia crossed her arms over her chest, awaiting an answer.
Loki drew in a quiet breath. He should've known that the skepticism was coming. What Loki wouldn't be a skeptic? He had to show her some of his cards, but certainly not all of them. The red singe that her previous tears had left around her eyes showed that she had gone through enough in such a short time. Dropping the 'You're a Loki, too' bomb would possibly break her, and that certainly wouldn't help matters.
Instead, Loki turned his back to Kaia. For the first time, she was able to clearly read the orange word that ran across his jacket.
“I'm a Variant as well, Kaia. I've been through the same tribulations. Processed and brought to trial just like you were." Loki looked over his shoulder as he spoke. “The difference between you and I is that you've got me in your corner.”
Kaia's face scrunched, “I do…?”
Loki nodded with a wink, “Quite fortunate for you, to have a God as your lawyer.”
“Please stop calling yourself that. It's not helping.”
“Look, you've got to trust me." Loki repositioned himself, guiding Kaia to the end of the maze, “They're blowing your case out of proportion. I've got the proof.”
Kaia kept an eye on Loki as he aimed her toward the attendant's booth. When they first met, he stood with the man that coordinated her arrest. Now, he stood alone, showing that he and her shared similar Variant connections. He was trying to help… but can he?
Just as they were about to reach the end of the stanchions, a second ticket attendant stopped them both. Kaia had to do a double-take to make sure there were actually two armed attendants on either side of the room.
“Ticket, Variant.”
“Ticket…?”
“Your ticket, Kaia,” Loki said. Somehow, his words reminded her to check her pockets. He was the one that gave her the ticket, after all.
Kaia dug her hand into her thigh, only to have it reemerge with a little orange stub between her fingers, “This, right?”
The second ticket attendant nodded, “Please proceed.”
Kaia walked towards the booth that was sunken into the wall, sliding her ticket into the little metal well underneath the glass. She looked back expectantly but was surprised to see Loki being held back by the attendant.
“No visitors allowed during the trial.”
“I'm not a visitor, I'm her attorney.”
“No visitors, Variant.”
“But Mobius is in there! Summon him, he'll vouch for me!”
Kaia's shoulders sunk slightly, as it dawned upon her that Loki might not be about to help after all.
An unsettling chuckle approached Kaia from behind. She spun around just in time to see the familiar Hunter B-15 place a firm grip on her wrist.
“So you've met him, huh?” Hunter B-15 sneered as she spun Kaia's wrist behind her back, “Looks like you bet on the wrong horse to rescue you.”
Before Kaia could muster a comeback of her own, she was led into TVA Time Courtroom number 3. Once again, she was alone.
The courtroom itself was just as overstimulating as its lobby. The floor sunk from a black marble border into a nauseating pattern of orange and black circular tiles. Benches lined the room like church pews, making just enough room for an aisle for Hunter B-15 to escort Kaia through. The pews were mostly empty, save for a few TVA employees. Kaia could see the back of Mobius' head, but she didn't dare to look at him directly, even when she could've made eye contact with him.
Between brick walls were tall murals depicting different factions of the TVA. Several murals were dedicated to the Time-Keepers from the cartoon, seemingly depicting the legend of the strange trio crafting the Sacred Timeline. One mural was dedicated to typical office lackeys, another to the armed officers. The last mural depicted people with fancy suits and orange sashes. The scale in the bottom corner of the mural signified that they were some sort of judge. Kaia turning her attention forward confirmed her suspicion.
The Judge's bench was more akin to a theatre stage, neatly framed by the same brick walls. The bench had large blackened panels standing taller than any bench should, slightly curving so the thinner points met the brick borders. The black panels had slight brown patterns to match the gigantic bronze Time Variance Authority logo that pressed itself against the bench's widest point. The bench was backlit, separating the bench itself from a wooden wall, which had three impressive carvings etched out in full 3D glory. Each carving represented a Time-Keeper's face, but each face was severed with perfect vertical lines, giving the faces a distorted, melting effect.
“Next case, please!”
Atop the bench sat its judge. Just as the murals depicted, Kaia could see the orange sash falling across her right shoulder, overlapping a brown blazer. Her hair was perfectly permed but tied back to make her bubble-like ponytail float behind her neck. Her hands were folded neatly on her bench, fingers interlocked to showcase maroon nail polish to compliment her golden-brown skin. Between the logo and the top of the bench was a nameplate that simply read: Judge Ravonna Renslayer.
As Kaia was forced by the Hunter onto the orange-translucent defendant's stand, her charges were read aloud by the judge.
“Variant L5242, a Loki Variant under the alias 'Kaia Embla' is charged with sequence violation 9995, the manifestation of a 5-year branch, otherwise known as a 'Ripple'…” Judge Renslayer looked Kaia in the eye. “Variant, how do you plead?”
“Plead? Plead about what exactly?” Kaia questioned, so she could give herself a moment to process what was just said. How did this judge know her surname? Did she just imply that her 'branch' started five years ago? What the hell did she mean by a 'Loki' Variant?
“For your criminal acts against the Sacred Timeline,” Judge Renslayer said, “Do you plead guilty or not guilty?”
“I…” Kaia stammered, “I can't plead either way. I don't know what all of this means…”
Judge Renslayer's gaze narrowed into a full judgemental glare. “Surely, you can speak for your crimes, Variant?”
“Actually, she can't…”
Kaia winced as she heard Mobius rise from his pew. Despite Loki's earlier sentiment, she couldn't bring herself to believe that Mobius had her best interests in mind. Surprisingly to her, Judge Renslayer seemed to share a sour look of her own.
“Approach the bench, Mobius.”
As Mobius walked past Kaia, he motioned towards her as if her little podium was her display case, “Kaia here claims she can't remember anything beyond the 5 years of her rippling branch.”
“Mobius…” Judge Renslayer leaned against her chair slightly, a slightly exasperated look on her face. She looked like she was about to scold Mobius for speaking of the Variant as if she had a twinge of innocence to her.
Oh, if only she could.
SLAM!
All eyes looked to the back of the courtroom. There stood Loki, barrelling through two attendants who had attempted to stop him from entering the trial. Loki closely held the folder to his chest, as if lives depended on it. The attendants were not armed, but rather the ones that had escaped the safety of their booth. If their short statures weren't clue enough, their efforts to stop Loki were in vain.
“Honestly!” Loki flicked his hair back, shaking off the last of the attendants as he made his way down the aisle, “What's truly criminal here is that you'd let a trial proceed without the defendant's lawyer, madam!”
Loki tipped his invisible hat to Kaia as he approached her side. She couldn't muster anything beyond a weak wave back. Her face was frozen in bewilderment, her jaw unable to unclench from just how dramatically this situation had escalated. The only thing missing was the reveal of a camera crew and a smarmy host to indicate that Kaia was the victim of the world's most elaborate prank.
Judge Renslayer chose not to acknowledge Loki's statement. Instead, her full glare was turned to his keeper. The one in charge of this particular troublesome Variant, who was once again dead-set on causing trouble.
“MOBIUS!!” Judge Renslayer angrily exclaimed.
“Ravonna, please…” Mobius kept calm, “I just asked Loki to gather Kaia's case file…”
“The very same case file that will prove Kaia's innocence!” Without the Judge's consent, Loki approached the bench. Now, the bench was too tall — even for him — to dramatically lay the case file on her desk. Instead, Loki opted for reaching into the folder and pulling out a piece of Kaia's file, holding it high in the air to let the courtroom lights illuminate it.
What stood out for all to see was the several streaks of jet-black bars that decorated the paper.
“Kaia's file has been HEAVILY redacted by something or someone! See? Look! Pages upon pages of modifications!” Loki said as he handed out pieces of Kaia's file to Mobius and Judge Renslayer. The latter managed to make the effort to reach for it.
“Years of her life, including the years before the Ripple began, obstructed! Kaia herself has said she doesn't remember life beyond her five years in New York. These redactions would explain why she can't remember. If they're hidden from her file, that opens the possibility of said memories being obstructed from her mind as well! If any crime has been committed, Kaia is the victim!”
Kaia felt a single tear sprint down her cheek but found herself unable to move, let alone raise a hand to clear it. She just watched as Loki feverishly spoke on her behalf, explaining how she felt in words beyond her understanding. She never really thought about her life outside of New York, she didn't think she needed to. Never did it cross her mind that she thought she couldn't think about her past.
And to think, Loki was the one to keep his word.
“How do you expect her to speak on something you can't even prove happened in her file?” Loki continued, “She can't be charged with a crime if no one can explain how this happened to her! I rest my case!”
An awkward silence hung throughout the room. Only the odd shuffling of papers broke the monotony. During Loki's monologue, Mobius took great care to examine the files for any cases of trickery or mischief.
“Ravonna, as a Lead Analyst and Detective, I can confirm that these files have been modified and that Variant L1130 did not mark them as such to protect the Variant on trial. There are simply too many for one to perform in such a short time. Additionally, these redactions were not made with a marker or any tool at the Variant's disposal, but rather a proper blackening stamp.”
Loki took a moment to process the blame that Mobius excluded him from, not about to let him get away with the accusation without a small quip of his own. “Hey!”
Judge Renslayer groaned. Her teeth grazed her bottom lip, seemingly to brace herself for what she was going to say.
“I… detest admitting this, but this Variant does raise a valid point. No one's files should have any edits whatsoever, never mind… this." Judge Renslayer flexed her given papers before handing them off to her Detective. “Mobius, bring L5242's files to Analysis to investigate and determine the inconsistencies. I have no choice but to postpone this trial until this investigation is complete.”
Kaia gripped the stand tightly, giving herself a moment to bend her knees and recover from that announcement. Loki gave Kaia one of his signature grins as if to remind her that he knew exactly what he was doing.
Mobius looked up to the Judge's bench, “Ravonna, seeing as I oversaw her arrest, I don't mind taking Kaia into my custody.”
A light scoff escaped Judge Renslayer's lips. “Do you really think you can handle two Lokis at once?”
“I'd love nothing more,” Mobius said with a small smile.
Kaia didn't miss the way Judge Renslayer's eyes twitched, as if that was the answer she wasn't hoping for. It was such a slight twitch; Kaia suspected that not even Mobius saw it.
“On that note…” Judge Renslayer turned her head to Hunter B-15, “Variant L1130 is to be brought to his cell for purposefully breaking the timeline of one Verity Willis, who was prevented from being reset upon the Sacred Timeline.”
The high that Loki was riding from his earlier monologue has now completely dissipated. “I beg your pardon?”
Like a ninja, Hunter B-15 swiftly and silently made her way to single-handedly restrain Loki. Mobius took advantage of the moment to recover the rest of his files from his first Variant.
“Mobius, do something!” Loki exclaimed, “I'm with you, not them!”
“But you did do something I told you not to do, you gotta deal with the consequences of that…” Mobius said, “Just take a breather in your cell. I'll take care of things, and I'll go fetch you when I can. Take him away, Hunter B-15.”
“With pleasure!”
With that, Hunter B-15 dragged Loki away. The Judge banged her gavel to indicate the end of the trial. The smack of the wood seemingly woke Kaia up from her paralysis. Her body rocked back a bit, easing one foot off of the podium.
“Loki?” Kaia quietly called out, despite him being out of earshot. Hearing the call softened Mobius' gaze upon his new Variant.
“Kaia, come with me. We're going to go somewhere quiet to talk.”
- Coming up shorter than Kaia, who stood at 5 feet flatly, was not as easy a feat as one might think. You could reasonably guess that this scanner attendant stood at around 4 feet plus 3 inches. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 7: The Interview
Summary:
Chapter 7 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius brings Kaia into her Time Theatre for an interview.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Before leaving the courtroom, Mobius consulted a Minuteman to ensure that everything he needed was already in Time Theatre 36. What little the TVA had on Variant 5242, a copy of the Sacred Loki’s file, proper note-taking supplies, and of course, refreshments, would already be awaiting the pair. After all, it was a decent walk from the courtroom to the theatres, even with the elevators on their side.
Kaia was silent for the entire walk. Very un-Loki-like. She hardly even held her head up, not bothering to take in the TVA scenery around her as they walked through the halls. She only gazed up when Mobius announced that they had arrived at their destination. Two generic guards deviated from their idle guarding pose to unlock the room for them.
Time Theatre 36 looked like any other theatre, barring the instance of the number 36 painted to the left of the door itself. The walls were lined with concrete bricks, but the walls themselves weren't flat. On either side of Kaia, distant brick pillars jutted outward, slowly melting into amber panels as the connecting walls receded, crafting the strangest angular waves. The ceiling looked just as unstable. The bricks on the ceiling looked like moulds for pyramids, with the light fixture sitting at the tips. They crafted large square lights onto the orange floor, slightly illuminating a small round table and two wire chairs. The orange floor was surrounded by a slightly raised blueish-black floor, from which the wall waves rested.
The accent wall was directly opposite the doors, checkered squares created a concave dip for added depth. The floor was raised slightly higher, creating a black stage with orange trim atop the raised floor. Nested above the stage was a wall of crystalline lights, streaming from a little black box at the foot of the stage. They wavered in shades of cobalt and silver, and they appeared to be moving. Kaia tried not to think too hard about it.
The centrepiece of the room was the table that Mobius walked towards. He checked a few papers as well as a little orange machine. He grinned slightly as if everything was going according to plan. He then stuck his foot out, nudging a small chair away from the table.
“Come take a seat…”
Cautiously, Kaia obliged. It relieved Mobius to have such a cooperative subject. He didn't even have to use the Time Twister attached to his TemPad to quell her. A Loki of any other stature would've tried to attack the Detective by now.
Mobius motioned for Kaia to fill the metal chair, which looked like a mangled wicker basket. As she twisted herself to find a shred of comfort, she glanced at the desk. There were notepads, two unfamiliar soda pop cans, and the files that Loki had brought to her trial.
However, the centrepiece of the table was… an orb? Well, it looked like a bright orange bubble resting on a grey base, which had a keyboard peripheral welded to it. However, this bubble was popped on one side with a flat black panel. The most notable thing about the panel was a screen filled with white noise resting near the top, its convex glass bulging slightly outward. Underneath the screen rested a metal plate with two copper wheels. Surrounding that plate were several knobs, dials, and ports. Some dials ran the full length of the large black panel. Some ports were empty; others were filled with wires that ran down the table and snaked the floor, eventually burrowing at the back of the little black box from before.
The Detective took to the retro monitor's strange dials. With a few twists and turns, he commanded the lights against the accent wall to dance. They melted to form harsh white lights, solidly spelling out 'TVA' via a holographic projection. The projection on the wall matched the little screen to a tee.
After the projection settled, Kaia and Mobius locked eyes. She looked miserable, with tired eyes resting on puffed-up skin. Mobius attempted a sympathetic look. While he knew she was a Loki, he knew he had to approach her much differently.
“Are you okay?” Mobius asked.
“Is it not obvious?” Kaia scoffed with a bit of vitriol in her voice, “Why do you keep separating me from my friends?”
“Friends… plural?” Mobius pondered aloud. Although he didn't doubt Kaia's social status on her timeline, only Verity was relevant to her current case.
Unless… ah. In an instant, Mobius understood why Kaia suddenly created a branch after five years of rippling around New York.
“Do you already think of Loki as a friend?” Mobius asked, “You only met him, like, three times, and the first time wasn't so pleasant.”
“At least he's trying to explain what's going on!” Kaia started to find the volume in her voice, “Unlike you, moving me around like a chess piece with little elaboration as to why!”
“Then let me elaborate…” Mobius took a red can from the desk and opened it up. Between his fingers, Kaia could make out the brand name ‘Josta’, which remained unfamiliar to her.
“I'm Agent Mobius, and I work for the TVA. I specialize in the pursuit of particularly dangerous Variants, threats to the Sacred Timeline.”
“How am I a threat to the Timeline?” Kaia's arms folded across her chest, her hands slipping underneath her short sleeves.
“Your new friend mentioned it earlier…” Mobius shuffled papers around to let Kaia's files take centre stage, “Your TVA Variant file has these redactions that aren't supposed to exist. These redactions are especially heavy before your five years in New York. Probably explains why you can't remember before then, huh?”
“Because I can't remember before then!” Kaia repeated.
“The point being is that you shouldn't exist… You said you met Verity around this time, right?” Mobius set his drink away from the papers. “Did she do or say anything of note to you?”
Kaia's face grew cold. “You're not seriously accusing Verity of anything, are you?”
“Not accusing, just laying all the cards out on the table.”
“Leave Verity out of this!” Kaia slammed her hand on the table, rustling the papers slightly, “She would never hurt me!”
“Of course not. She's not the Loki Variant, you are.”
“My name is Kaia, not Loki,” Kaia reintroduced herself, “Why do you keep saying that?”
“Ah, see, that's where the memory issues might be causing some misunderstandings…”
Mobius rested his wrists near the keyboard, typing in a few inputs. This prompted the stage in front of them to illuminate with a singe of colour.
As if on cue, the footage looped back to the beginning. Granted, it wasn't the very beginning, given that the children that showed up on the projection were running around a grandiose hall. The hall looked ancient. Gold as far as the eye could see. But Kaia wasn’t focusing on the background.
All of the kids were dressed in somewhat formal clothing as if the tapestry were adjusted to look fashionable. One child stood out to Kaia. They were the smallest child, but the fastest. Their jet black hair flirted with their shoulders, adorn in a green tunic with matching leggings. The belt that fastened their top and the trim that lined the sleeves were shimmering gold. The child's smile was just like how Verity would describe Kaia's, down to the pronounced gap that split her grin in two.
“What… is that…”
“That's you, as a kid,” Mobius explained. He left out the tiny detail that this was footage from the Sacred Loki’s file. It would’ve only detracted from the point he was trying to make. “That palace is in a realm called Asgard. Your new friend was raised there as well.”
Kaia's head shook frantically, unable to process what she was hearing and seeing. “That's not real.”
“This is your life. The TVA documents everyone's every moment. Yet, somehow, we missed a spot. If you know better, then you tell me about your childhood, Kaia.”
Kaia could only stammer as Mobius reached for another shot of his drink. Both she and he knew that she couldn't fulfil such a request.
“I…”
“Can't remember?” Mobius' stifled scoff made his shoulders bounce. “This song's getting a bit old…”
“That's not real!”
“Is it?”
Mobius forcibly tapped onto the holo-projector's keyboard. A harsh clunking noise and the dip in video quality told Mobius that the reel shifted from the Sacred reel to the Ripple reel. The Ripple reel was a visual recreation of the five years Kaia spent in New York; the parts of Kaia’s file that weren’t mysteriously obscured.
For Kaia, the scene abruptly shifted to a much more recent time: last week. Kaia watched her past self curl up on the couch of her apartment. A face fully refreshed from an evening skincare routine was contrasted by the aggressive manner in which she gripped her video game controller. She moved eagerly with the action showing on her screen, sacrificing her posture for an elusive score.
A cold chill overcame Kaia, similar to the chill she felt just before she was forcibly fitted into her prisoner jumpsuit.
“How did you get this footage‽” Kaia asked, “Did you plant a camera in my apartment?”
Mobius simply shook his head, recovering from a sip of his fizzy drink, “The TVA uses omnipotent technology to record and recreate everything that happens. Time as depicted by the Time-Keepers, and time as defied by Variants such as yourself.”
“Hah, I’m glad that my self-care Sundays are considered deviant behaviour.” Kaia threw her hands up to emphasize her sarcasm.
“There's that Loki charm…” Mobius chuckled to himself, safely setting his drink down once more.
“Enough!” Kaia said, “You really expect me to believe any of this, that the TVA knows everything, when my file has 'gaps' as both you and Loki said?”
“That's a fair point, you do have discrepancies in your file. Here's the perfect opportunity for you to explain why they exist.”
“I can't! I'm not from Asgard, I'm from New York!”
Kaia's hands found their way back into her lap. Her face puckered and her shoulders hunched, much like a kid who wasn't being heard, despite desperate cries for help. Mobius' arms crossed as he looked Kaia over. All he saw was a spoiled royal, refusing to admit what they did wrong.
“You're making this difficult, Kaia. Let's try one more memory…”
With one more tack! of the keyboard, the pixels of the projection broke apart just to recreate Sunset Park. The scene focused on a bench, in which two familiar young women were chatting. Mobius muted the audio on purpose, but he was quick to gesture at the smiling redhead.
“This was the day you first met Verity, wasn't it? A fitting memory, since I can't help you without your honesty.”
While Kaia's face already had speckled red flares from crying, she could now feel her face flare up once more, this time with anger as the tinder.
“This has NOTHING to do with Verity!”
“But this is as far back as you can remember, right?”
“Neither of us knew that this place existed! How could she do anything you're implying‽”
“Everyone's got a peculiar past…”
“Well, not Verity, and not I." Kaia figuratively stood firm. “I don't know what you want from me!”
Mobius let out a small sigh. He was running out of angles to approach such a stubborn Kaia.
“I just want to help you fill out your file…” Mobius said gently, “Don't you want that, too? To remember yourself, to figure out your past?”
Kaia paused. Is that what she wanted? She could think of a few other things before she wanted that. Her freedom, her apartment, but most of all…
“I want to see Verity and Loki…” The Variant lost eye contact with the Detective. Sure, he saw her cry before, but she did her best to not show her weakness now.
“No can do… not yet…” Mobius paused the projection, freezing the visage of Verity and Kaia in a happier moment. A stark parallel to how dejected Kaia was now. If only Verity were here…
If only Verity were here!
Suddenly, Kaia's body jolted out of her slump. The tears that welled in her eyes jerked out onto the table, barely missing the loose papers on the desk. Despite that, she had a smile on her face.
“If you bring Verity here, she can prove I'm being honest with you!” Kaia said triumphantly, “I know she's my friend, but she values the truth above all else.”
“You would stake your life on that?”
Kaia nodded firmly. She knew her best friend well. Verity would tell the truth, even if it was against Kaia. But when you're telling the truth, you also have nothing to hide. This plan had to work!
“Well, you get to live a little longer. As much as I'd like her help, she can't.”
“What?” The slight grin on Kaia's face quickly washed away. The whole crux of her plan revolved around Verity. How could she not help? As she mentally circled possible reasons, the obvious came to mind; she hadn't seen Verity since she was tossed into the nightmare elevator.
Meanwhile, Mobius stood from the desk. “We're going to take a little break, Kaia.”
Kaia elected to ignore that, “Where is Verity‽”
“She's safe. In fact, I'm going to check in on her…”
Mobius made sure to bundle every necessary piece of paper into his perfectly pressed folder. He even made sure his soda pop can was secured for proper recycling.
“After all that, you're just going to leave me here‽”
“Yeah, but I'll come back.”
As the desk became the picture of cleanliness, Mobius noticed that the second can of his favourite fizzy beverage remained untouched. He slid it closer to Kaia, making the aluminum lightly scrape against the table.
“Use this time to decompress. The drink is good, I promise,” Mobius said, “When I'm done my rounds, I'll come back. We will get answers from you, Kaia.”
“You're really going to just leave.”
“I'm sorry, that's how this works.”
And with that, the Detective turned his back on the Variant. Despite not getting direct answers from Kaia, he felt that the interview was productive. Kaia revealed a bit more of her personality and her motivations. Her budding attachment to her fellow Variant and her undying stubbornness. It was different from his usual course of dangerous Variants, but that kind of difference is what keeps a good agent on their toes.
The latter bit of their conversation surrounding Verity especially turned Mobius' gears. Perhaps Verity could help after all.
As the theatre door shut, Kaia allowed herself to break. Mobius did give her permission to decompress, after all. She took to her feet and picked up the little red Josta can. Instead of popping the pull tab, she wound her arm back, channelling her heat to the object of the Detective's affection. She couldn't strike Mobius, so brutally throwing something he liked into the holo-projection was the next best thing.
Miraculously, neither the projection nor the Josta broke. The pixellated picture gave way to the real object, much like how the projection transformed in previous frames. The Josta, meanwhile, rattled against the stage's floor, emitting an audible fizzing noise as it settled down. Surely, the next person that picked it up would be holding a sticky, liquid grenade. Kaia had no interest in being that person.
As the anger left her body, Kaia heaved in place, staring at the paused image. Everything that Mobius had told her had spun her for a loop. It was hard to say what was true and what wasn't. He did show some legitimate things that happened to her on this projector thing, but the things she can't remember…
Through her tears, Kaia glanced at the computer that managed the holo-projector. Slowly, she sat in the chair that Mobius had kept warm. The keyboard looked mostly standard; the full alphabet and numeric system were staring back at her in stocky block form. The difference that caught her eye was the arrow keys. They looked similar to the arrows you'd see on a television remote, allowing one to fast forward or rewind.
And Kaia did just that. Carefully pressing leftward arrows, she wound the projection back. A loud clunk didn’t faze her; she had heard it before when Mobius scrubbed ahead. What she didn’t know is that the files fell back onto the Sacred file. To her childhood; the memories she couldn't remember. None of the vintage children looked familiar to her, not even her alleged younger self. The laughter that emanated from the children on the hologram haunted her, especially the smallest one's sharp giggle.
She echoed that with a giggle of her own. Just as sharp, but slightly drowned by an audible sob. She watched herself run and play with her supposed childhood friends. She looked happy.
Maybe she did want to remember.
Chapter 8: The Silence
Summary:
Chapter 8 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Verity reflects on her new surroundings. Mobius and Renslayer reflect on Verity. Loki and Kaia reflect on recent events.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Accidental Variant.
The words echoed in Verity's head relentlessly. It was all she could do to fill the empty hollows of Time Theatre 17. The theatre had two chairs and a table. Sat on the table was a computer-like machine that Verity could not turn on at any juncture. Beside the machine sat a cafeteria tray with a full lunch to keep her company while she waited for any signs of life.
The Greek salad looked as pristine as it would in a recipe book. As if it had been preserved through the ages. The colours were the highlight of the muted room. Meanwhile, the greyscale face printed on the 'OK Soda' mimicked some of the posters that hung in the halls that preceded the theatre. After all the slogans about 'tidying the timeline' and 'deleting all Variants,' the notion that everything was going to be 'OK' seemed ironic at best.
Verity didn't have enough energy to eat. She was primarily still trying to process the silence, but the collar around her neck wasn't helping. It wasn't suffocating, but it was certainly snug. It must have some fancy title like many of the other things around here. The word 'time' is probably in there, somewhere.
Sacred Timeline. Time Door. Time Theatre. So much to do about time, and yet it felt like time was standing still in this room. All she had to entertain herself was her food and her thoughts. The latter felt more productive.
She thought about Kaia, restrained more roughly than herself. No, restrained didn't feel like the right word. More like detained. As if she were some criminal. It didn't make sense to Verity. In all of their time together, Kaia never did anything criminal. Did she do foolish things? Of course. What person doesn't? However, Kaia knew of Verity's gift from the start. That cemented her honesty. She wouldn't hide something this major, right?
No, Verity couldn't doubt Kaia. She was just as scared as she was. That truth was plain to see, even if it was only for a few moments before being thrown into another room.
Speaking of criminals, Verity then thought of Loki. Like most things, this was his fault. He pulled her through that Time Door, after all. Yet, she did take steps toward him at that moment. Unlike previous meetings, Loki told her the truth. She really left everything she knew to follow Loki. To follow Kaia.
But something bugged Verity.
“I didn't know this would happen!”
Did Loki really know this wouldn't happen? This new feeling that welled her throat… she was unsure. How could she be so sure of the truth in New York but not here? How could she be unsure of the truth at all?
Verity tensed up. She had a sudden suspicion. She didn't like it. She stood herself up for emphasis. She needed to break the silence as a test.
“I am Verity Alexandria Willis,” she said out loud.
…
Verity bit her lip. She didn't hear her truth echo back. She just figured out what Mobius and the rest of the TVA already knew.
Magic doesn't work at the TVA. That included Verity's gift to perceive the truth.
It was the thought that kept Mobius walking. Verity's ability was the perfect foil to any Loki, even more so than a skilled detective with as much experience as himself. What he wouldn't give for a partner like that.
Work at the TVA is tricky. They bring in plenty of criminals across time and space, often strong enough to threaten the Sacred Timeline. The Time-Keepers decreed the TVA as the safest place in existence. Therefore, no magic can be created or sustained.
Mobius wasn't entirely sure how the Time-Keepers could pull it off, or if there could be any exceptions. He's never made contact with the Time-Keepers, after all. Fortunately for him, he knew someone that does.
Judges are near the top of the TVA pecking order. Many of them speak directly with the Time-Keepers to relay and carry out their declarations. Judge Renslayer was one of the fastest-rising TVA agents. The dented Hunter helmet and Time Stick are the most prominent items on display in her office. It reminds her of just how far she's come.
With a familiar knock, Ravonna Renslayer beckoned for Mobius to come in. After the disaster that was Variant L5242's trial, she was anticipating a report from him regarding his second Loki Variant. For her part, she had been reviewing the transcripts of the court records, to see if there was anything she had missed about her curious new prisoner.
“What's her status, Mobius…” Ravonna didn't look up from her reading material.
“She's pretty scrambled…” Mobius admitted with a hint of defeat in his voice, “She truly believes that she's not a Loki.”
“But the temporal aura submitted proves otherwise,” Ravonna muttered, “Analysis is going to need more time to figure out what went wrong with our record-keeping…”
“Which brings me to my idea…” Mobius said, “But we're going to need to talk to the Time-Keepers about the TVA's anti-magic barriers.”
An audible fwumph of documents preceded Renslayer's gaze. Her eyes looked like razor-thin slots, anger channelled between her eyelids, aimed straight at Mobius. Her disgusted face said it all.
“Not for Loki! Not for Loki!” Mobius raised his hands in self-defence, quick to backtrack, “It's for Verity Willis!”
“Verity Willis?” Ravonna repeated, “L1130's latest victim?”
“And Kaia's closest friend. She likes her and trusts her. If I can get Verity on my side, it'd make interrogating all Lokis a lot easier, starting with Kaia.”
Ravonna simply raised an eyebrow. It did figure, with so many Variants and so many cases on hand, it'd be impossible to remember the quirks of every inhabitant of the Sacred Timeline.
“Verity has a superpower, the ability to always perceive the truth. Kaia even dared me to bring her in to prove her innocence. But I can't do that if her power doesn't work here…”
Ravonna rose from her desk. She knew where this was going, even if one of her finest analysts didn't.
“You're trying to recruit Miss Willis to the TVA, aren't you?”
Mobius' wince confirmed that that wasn't his intended angle. “Sounds harsh when you say it like that…”
“Because we don't just… hire Variants,” Ravonna said, “It's bad enough we had your Loki out on the field in 1985!”
“Ravonna, please consider it. Having a gift like hers would prove extremely useful,” Mobius bargained, “Not just for Kaia, but for our dangerous Loki Variant once we find them. She'd be able to tell us their true motivations.”
“And if Verity would lie about that?”
“I don't think Verity has the moral character to lie about the truth.”
Ravonna hummed a bit, considering Mobius' plea. Her heels clicked along her pristine office floor as she prepared the usual whiskeys for herself and Mobius.
“You know I can't mess with the barriers in place. They're there for our safety. I'd have to give the Time-Keepers a very good reason to allow this.”
Ravonna offered a glass. Mobius accepted. Since they remained standing, no surfaces would fall victim to Mobius' penchant ability to forget about coasters.
“How about a test run, then?” Mobius offered a compromise as thanks, “Ask the Time-Keepers if they'd lift the barrier in Time Theatre 36, but only for Verity's temporal aura. Let them watch Verity's ability against Kaia.”
“The Time-Keepers watch everything.”
“I know, but ask for all eyes on this. If the Time-Keepers don't like what they see, I'll back down. But I think they're going to like having Verity's gift in the TVA arsenal.”
Ravonna took a long sip of her drink. A request to stand before the Time-Keepers is a serious affair. A wrong move could be catastrophic. In the same breath, Mobius did offer reasonable upsides to this experiment. Any advantage they could get in apprehending and breaking the killer Variant should appeal to her bosses.
“Fine, I'll talk to the Time-Keepers. I'll page you if I get approval. But only for Verity. Only in the Time Theatres. And as soon as Verity's time is up here, it reverts to normal.”
“And not an inch further." Mobius smiled into his drink.
Ravonna timed her sip to his. The look upon her lips was much more pensive by comparison.
“What's wrong, Ravonna?” Mobius asked softly.
“I have a terrible feeling about this new Loki…” Ravonna admitted, “Reading over her file… these gaps should be impossible.”
“We'll figure this out…” Mobius' voice was somewhat reassuring, “She just needs a bit more coddling. I'm not used to a Loki being this sensitive…”
“Even more so with Verity's help… I get it. I'll try my best up there.”
Mobius kept his grin inward. He didn't want to gloat, but he knew Ravonna would come around eventually. Their bond was special, even among other TVA co-workers. It was hard to describe with words.
“I appreciate that, Ravonna.”
“Just don't make a fool of me, Mobius.”
“Who, me? Never!”
The Judge finally cracked a smile as she finished her whiskey. She took care to retrieve Mobius' transparent glass from him as well.
“For all time?”
“Always.”
It's how most professional TVA conversations ended. Even if the chatter was on lighter subjects, Ravonna and Mobius would say that over usual parting words.
Granted, those parting words came early. Mobius would have to bide time while Ravonna pitched on his behalf. He certainly wasn't about to tease Verity without a bargaining chip such as her magic. There was no point in trying to interrogate Kaia without Verity, even as a non-magical support system. This leaves one option left.
Mobius was allowed into Time Theatre 25 by guarding Minutemen, only to be greeted by a wound-up Loki. Hands dug into his mossy green pockets, legs restlessly striding across the glossy floor.
The Detective didn't have to step too deep into the Theatre to gather the Variant's attention. The latter had been bored out of his mind since being placed here. Although it didn’t look like the cell1 he was promised during Kaia’s trial, this holding room did the job all the same.
“Finally!” Loki blurted out, “About time you—”
A sharp whistle cut Loki off. Mobius did a simple motion, indicating that Loki should follow him out of the theatre. Now, in normal circumstances, Loki would not humour such a disrespectful beckon. He is a prince; what prince would obey a beck and call that dogs were trained to follow? But this is the first instance of face-to-face contact since being tossed into the theatre by an overzealous hunter. And he doesn't get a hello? Mobius had to explain himself!
“Where do you think you're going?” Loki's question echoed throughout the TVA halls.
Mobius didn't bother looking back “Going to get a snack.”
“And that's all you wanted to tell me?”
“No, I also wanted to congratulate you. Your little stunt worked.”
“Hm?”
“We're not going to reset Verity, at least not yet,” Mobius announced, “After all, her gift would be quite useful in the face of the Superior Loki… oh, and you, I suppose.”
Loki's nose scrunched at the admittedly decent quip. He was much more curious about what he led it with.
“Now hold on, Verity's gift is magic, is it not?” Loki asked, “Magic's not supposed to work here.”
“You're right. I'm glad you remember,” Mobius chuckled, “I'm just waiting on word for the anti-magic barriers to be adjusted for Verity's aura.”
Waiting on word? Oh, shit.
“That can be done?” Loki caught himself up to Mobius, patting his back like an old chum. He used that motion to distract from his other hand, swiftly returning Mobius' TemPad — the very same one that had brought Verity to the TVA — back to his blazer's left pocket.
“Nice try. That process isn’t even my pay grade, let alone yours.”
Mobius led Loki into the TVA's closest cafeteria. From what Loki gathered, a few floors on each TVA building were dedicated canteens. They all looked the same. Pale beige cement arches and matching pillars designated different rooms rather than walls.
Opposite the stairwells and elevators that led them here were wall-wide windows, proudly displaying the TVA skyline as if it were on television. Between them were standardized square tables and lime green chairs to match each border. A mushroom-like lamp barely illuminated its assigned off-white desk.
“So, how exactly is the lie detector going to use her magic?”
“We're going to test her power in a Time Theatre, under the watchful eye of the Time-Keepers. If they like what they see, she'll have her power in any theatre.”
“And they can customize their fancy anti-magic features for certain auras?”
“Specifically to annoy you, yes. But I don't know much more than that, so you can stop your prying.”
Mobius and Loki navigated the seas of tables as they spoke. The scenic monotony was only broken by an open room with several vending machines lined up in sequence. Rather than food displays, the vending machine displayed pictures of desired food objects. Each machine silo was dedicated to a certain type of edible; be it drinks, proteins, sweets, snacks… If a TVA Agent wanted it, it could be produced at the final vending machine, fittingly labelled 'Pick Up Order Here' in rigid TVA font.
“Didja want anything?” Mobius asked as he took out his wallet and his TVA-issued purchasing card, which looked suspiciously similar to a credit card.
“I don't… eat those salads you eat.”
“They're good!” Mobius protested as he pressed the sequence to order his favourite snack.
Cl-lunk!
The vent of the final vending machine spat out a TVA orange plastic food tray. Atop it was the usual can of Josta, a fresh Cesar salad in a ceramic bowl, and enough napkins and utensils to appease such a light snack. Despite the lack of plastic, Loki could smell just how synthetic the process felt.
“Or so the packaging says.”
“You haven't even tried one!”
“No need.”
Mobius rolled his eyes as he went to collect his food. “Are you coming or not?”
With a simple sigh, Loki followed, not bothering to take a snack of his own. Perhaps it was the TVA's unique passage of time, but he hadn't been hungry2 since his arrest. Mobius took a moment to find an open table close to where they had come from.
“So where's Verity now?” Loki asked as he settled into his seat, sitting to Mobius' left rather than directly across from him.
“Comfortable in a Time Theatre. As soon as I get the all-clear, I'm going to go see her and explain what's going on.”
“And what of Kaia?”
“She's in a Time Theatre of her own until she's willing to open up.”
Loki kept his flinch internal. As a trickster, his poker face had to be strong. He struggled to believe that Mobius was this stubborn. Perhaps he needed Verity's gift after all.
“You interrogated her? After all that I did for the trial?”
Mobius carefully spoke between salad bites, “We interview almost every Variant we arrest, Loki. It's protocol.”
“I convinced that Judge to pause her trial! Surely that has some weight?”
“Not as much weight as what the Variant herself will or won't tell me.”
“Won't or can't?” Loki's fist balled up. He wasn't about to get physical, not over something as small as this. He just needed to contain his frustration somehow. “You saw her file! An outside force was strong enough to block the TVA's record-keeping, surely they can block more on the subject at hand!”
“Well, that statement does confirm that she's a Variant of you. Said the same thing.”
“Because we're right!”
Unfortunately for Loki, Mobius notice the way he tensed up. His shoulders had been hunching up ever so slightly as he continued to defend his client as if they never left the Time Courtroom.
“You like her, don't you?”
Loki froze, save for his eyebrows shooting skyward. He didn't quite fully understand how to process that, but he certainly didn't like what he was implying.
“I-I beg your pardon?” Loki asked with a slight stammer.
“Do you like Kaia? 'Cause, she likes you…” Mobius paused just to take a swig of his Josta, “She kept asking for you and Verity during her interview before she shut down… she called you her friend.”
Friend. That blasted word again. How dare Kaia weaponize that word against him!
“Did she now?”
“She did." Mobius nodded, “But that must be a weird concept for ya, eh Loki? What, with you being such a lone tiger and all.”
“Right…” Loki took a breath to regain his composure. “What else would you expect from the God of Mischief such as myself? Can't rely on anyone else to carry out my plans but myself.”
“There you go again…”
Save for Mobius' bites into his fancy leaves, the table fell silent. Loki watched Mobius eat with the same curiosity that Mobius had for him during their first interview. He couldn't help but wonder if his harsh mannerisms that had been shown during the peak of said interview repeated themselves against Kaia.
Beep beep!
A familiar TemPad chime broke the silence.
Mobius reached for his TemPad at breakneck speed. Loki was fortunate that his quick thinking allowed him to get away with his earlier stunt scot-free. He watched as the Detective's face lit up at the sight of what he read. He was just as quick to tuck his TemPad away as he was to retrieve it.
“Time Theatre 36 is being altered as we speak, with Kaia none the wiser,” Mobius gleefully announced, “As soon as I'm done with my snack, Verity can test her power.”
“Seriously?” Loki replied, “All of that hype just for you to make her wait even longer?”
“I'm not about to interrogate someone on a half-empty stomach.”
“So your salad is more important than Verity's trial run?”
Loki found himself leaning into Mobius' side. Not an invasive type of close, but enough to make the average man uncomfortable. Mobius, aside from his life's dedication to the TVA, is an average man.
“How about you go accompany her then? Give her the good news while I catch up,” Mobius said, leaning his head back a bit to create some distance, “She's in Time Theatre 17.”
“You haven't even told her that she lost her power…” Loki retracted himself, slotting his hands into his pockets, “Surely that'd be a shock?”
“She came here with you, I'm sure she figured out that her power is inactive here.”
With a swift eye roll, Loki took himself out of the seat, “I wouldn't even call this 'good' news yet, Mobius.”
“You'll catch up.”
On that note, Loki carried himself to the closest elevator. As soon as he knew no eyes could fall upon him, he pulled out Mobius' TemPad from his pocket. For you see, a Loki must always have a plan, but every good plan needs a failsafe for moments such as Mobius expecting a message from the desired and stolen object. Loki perceived that Mobius didn't realize that it was his TemPad that brought Verity here, nor will he realize that this TemPad will allow Loki to make a little detour.
With apologies to Verity, Loki had to be selfish at this moment.
The Time Door that opened up nearly took up the entire width of the elevator carriage. The coordinates were strictly on Time Theatre 36.
While Loki wouldn't be as quick as Kaia to deem their relationship 'friendly,' per se, he couldn't deny his curiosity for her. What kind of Loki is she exactly? Are her capabilities truly limited by Midgardian mortality?
With a warble, Loki entered Kaia's theatre. It was like looking upon his reflection; if his reflection were more femme and considerably shorter. Kaia was hunched over the holocaster, replaying her unfamiliar past on the big screen, much like how he did when confronted with the truth of the TVA's power. The main difference is that he found himself fixated on his unfamiliar and tragic future.
“Kaia?”
Kaia herself scrunched up, startled by the noise. She looked back to see her lawyer, not quick enough to notice just how he got past the guards outside of her theatre.
“Loki, if you're not here to bust us out, I'm not sure if I wanna hear it…”
With a slight chuckle, Loki filled the only other empty chair. “I can't deny our similarities… are you all right?”
Kaia shrugged. She then put a hand to her cheek, rubbing away tears that had long since dried off against her skin. “I wish I knew what was going on…”
“From what I gather, you're safe from harm so long as your trial is paused. Mobius has an idea on how to do so, we'll see how that goes,” Loki's explanation, be it vague, was at least somewhat linear. “But if it fails, your fellow trickster is here in your corner as well.”
Reflexively, Kaia smiled. She knew it was his attempt at cheering her up. But as worry grew back onto her face, her mind focused back on what he said. Fellow trickster.
“So you believe it too, that we're… Variants of each other…”
“We are. There's no denying that.”
Kaia's lips twisted and puckered, adjusting to the bitter feeling that such a statement left her with. The bitter look of confusion.
“Does that mean we're… like, related?”
“Not exactly…” Loki, knowing he was about to make a long-winded talk happen, got comfortable in his seat. “I haven't been here long, but I've watched enough TVA propaganda to get a better understanding of this place…”
“They just… let you into their databases?”
“Kind of,” Loki opted not to go into the full details of his main mission for now. “But their videos on Variants streamlined the topic…”
Loki glanced at the desk. Noticing a pen and paper left behind, he quickly took to the writing utensils. Firstly, he drew a circle with two pointed horns on one edge of the paper.
“Every soul has a starting point, and one destined path… the TVA calls this the Sacred Timeline.”
A line as straight as Loki could manage swept from his circle to the opposite edge.
“But you and I, we've made choices that this Sacred Loki did not. These choices went against the path that certain people wanted us to make…”
From the straight line, Loki drew more lines spilling upwards and downwards to represent branches. He drew one line with a wavy effect as opposed to a straight or curved branch. When that rippling line ended, he wrote 'Kaia' at its resting point.
“But we all started in the same place?” Kaia asked, tracing a finger from her name back to the initial circle. She didn't know why he drew devilish horns on the circle, but at this point, she wasn't ready to ask.
“Exactly…” Loki said, adjusting his pen once more. This time, he drew door-like rectangles on the branching paths, including a perfectly-shaped box around Kaia's name.
“The TVA arrests the Variants and usually disposes of them. But for various reasons, you and I remain. The TVA allows us to exist at the same time, even though we shouldn't… In conclusion, we have the same aura… the same desire to disobey the predetermined path…” Loki put a hand to his chin, trailing off his tangent. “That would explain why there's so much of me to go around…”
Kaia lifted the corner of her lips upward to make a small smirk. That was enough to let Loki know that his demonstration had been successful. She did have one last trailing thought on the subject matter at hand.
“But, you and I… we look pretty different for being Variants of the same stock, no?”
“Outward appearances can be quite deceiving. We're more alike than you think, trust me.”
As much as Loki wanted to lecture her on the truth behind a Loki's nature, even he knew there was a time and a place to unpack such overwhelming topics.
The silence that fell between them was awkward but brief. It was interrupted by the holographic video that Kaia forgot to mute. Loki took note of the home videos that the TVA was well known for, especially the child's laughter that was responsible for the broken silence.
“Is that you as a child?” Loki asked, motioning to the kid with jet-black hair and familiar green clothes. He might’ve had the same outfit when he was younger.
“Allegedly…” Kaia's voice grew bitter again, “I don't remember any of it. It doesn't feel real.”
Loki drew in a heavy sigh, “Unfortunately, these projections are real records… Mobius showed me mine as well. My past, my future…”
“Your future?” Kaia repeated, “Your future hasn't happened yet?”
“Ah, rather, the Sacred Loki's future…” Loki corrected himself, “Our life as intended by the Time-Keepers… it's a bit bleak, admittedly. To watch your future self be happy, be heartbroken… to watch yourself die. But we won't experience any of that because we're here.”
Kaia watched Loki's face as he spoke. She wasn't sure what he saw on that file. She wasn't sure if she wanted to watch that future at all. Judging by his facial expressions, it was too much to take in at once for him. Surely it could break her if she watched it too soon.
“What happens to us now then? Now that we're here?”
“From my understanding, after they determine the issues with their files, they'll either fix you back to a point in time where you didn't deviate from the 'Timeline', or they'll prune you,” Loki anticipated Kaia's perplexed tiny nose scrunch. “Pruning is their fancy way of killing someone. We're going to avoid that.”
“Can we?”
“Of course!” Loki puffed his chest outward, boasting a confident stride, “We're clever tricksters, after all…”
“You are, maybe…” Opposite Loki, Kaia found herself sunken in her chair, “I didn't know any of this until I got here. I've always been Kaia, not Loki. I don't know the first thing about being a Loki…”
“Well, you're lucky that I'm here!”
Holding her pose, Kaia watched as Loki rose from his seat. He pulled out a familiar phone-like device from his pocket. The very same that Mobius had. The very same that the TVA officers had used during her arrest.
“What is that thing anyway?”
“This is a TemPad. The agents use this as their key tool for their time authoritative affairs. It allowed me to get in here without any nosey Minutemen watching.”
“Hmm…” Kaia suspected that a Variant like Loki wasn't supposed to have a TVA-issued device. “Where did you get that?”
“Trickster's secret!”
Loki winked at Kaia. With one button push, he opened up an orange portal, not unlike the one that brought her here in the first place. He then extended his hand out to Kaia.
“I'm expected somewhere else, so we're going to have to make this quick.”
“Wha—”
“Come with me!”
Before she had time to object, Kaia found herself on her feet, following Loki through the strange door. The portal's light filled her ears, muffling her sense of direction before emerging in the alley of a cityscape.
A brief glance showed that it wasn't New York, but it was the dead of night. A restaurant patio made itself known with the way the scent of steak wafted in the air. The glow of the signs and the building lights illuminated Loki and Kaia as he assured her that they were out of sight from onlookers.
“Where are we?”
“Don't know." Loki shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because magic fails within the TVA.”
Magic… fails…
Kaia's face fell to neutral. If you looked close enough, you could see Kaia connecting the puzzle pieces within her brain.
“Verity…?” Kaia mumbled.
“Yes, including Verity's gift.”
“Where is she?”
“Safe in a theatre. I'll take you to see her after,” Loki reassured Kaia, “But I wanted to show you something first.”
Loki raised his hand, hovering it between his chest and Kaia's face. His fingers arched over his palm as if he were holding the Tesseract3 or another desirable object. For now, his hand remained empty.
“You wanted to know what it means to be a Loki. Allow me to tell you the basics. As a Loki, I am known as the God of Mischief. I am mighty in magic, but I was not born with all of my abilities…”
Loki took a quiet breath. He lost eye contact with Kaia for a moment, lost in thought. He knew that what he was about to say was going to scrape at some fresh scars.
“When I was young, my mother taught me magic. She was the queen of Asgard, a good one at that. She was the type of person that you'd want to believe in you… and she believed in me…” His voice shook ever so slightly as he looked back at Kaia. He wasn't used to talking about his mother in retrospect.
“When I told her that her magic seemed impossible to me, she said I could do it too, because… because I could do anything…”
He tapped his fingers into his palm for a moment. This acted as a spark, manifesting a little green aura within his hand. When his digits flexed outward once more, they were joined by the flashes of tiny fireworks, sprouting from the palm of Loki's hand. Pink, yellow, green, and other pastel shades burst into the air, thinning out as soon as they breached a tiny radius.
Kaia's eyes sparkled in the wake of the miniature light show. She had truly not seen anything like it. A little whisper of wonderment was barely audible. Her amazement was contagious.
With his free hand, Loki lifted one of Kaia's hands to match his pose. Slowly, he placed his hand beside hers. When their skin made contact, the green pool of magic wafted from Loki's palm to Kaia’s. Much to her surprise, the magic wasn't lost in the transfer.
“You're capable of this too, Kaia,” Loki said, “You just need someone to remind you, or show you how.”
Now, it was Kaia's turn to draw a shaky breath. Her eyes slowly glossed up. The emotion of the moment was catching up to her.
“Th-thank you…” Kaia stuttered.
With a smirk, Loki clasped his hand over Kaia's, extinguishing the fireworks that he had created.
“We've plenty of time to figure you out. Now, we ought to head back before Mobius realizes I visited…”
Kaia managed to not outright shed her tears, if only for the sudden realization that Loki did all of this of his own volition.
“Wait, you weren't supposed to visit?”
“No, but how could I resist a Loki in distress?”
The Time Door that Loki had programmed had been well hidden behind him for this short visit. Loki made sure to shift his hand from Kaia's hand to the back of her shoulder, gently escorting her back to her Time Theatre.
Was his curiosity satisfied? Not quite. If anything, her lack of memory regarding her situation raised different questions. There was clearly much to learn about Kaia. At least they were both on board to find out the truth. The truth about her past, and the truth about being a Loki.
- There are more confining areas to the TVA than the theatres. Although Hunter B-15 was tempted to jam him into a tiny cell, her discretion guided her in the other direction. In her eyes, the less Loki knew about the TVA, the better. [ ▲ ]
- But even if he were starving, he'd have to truly be desperate to trust anything those strange machines produced. [ ▲ ]
- The Tesseract, in case you need the refresher, is the object that allowed Loki to create his branch in the first place. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 9: The Perfect Fit
Summary:
Chapter 9 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius has a job offer for Verity. The delightful news gets interrupted by a few meddling Variants.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
With newfound motivation and a filled stomach, Mobius gingerly made his way to Time Theatre 17. With word that Time Theatre 36 will be monitored by the Time-Keepers on his TemPad's cue, all he needed to do was to fit his associates into place.
The guards allowed him into the theatre, where he saw Verity slouched over her desk, nudging at a pristine salad with her fork like a bored child at a wedding banquet. Weirdly enough, she was alone. Didn't he give Loki enough of a head-start?
“Finally…” Verity muttered under her breath.
“I'm sorry this took so long.”
“You should be!” Verity exclaimed, “After I spent all this time trapped in here with just a salad to keep me company!”
Mobius' stance tensed. Something was very amiss.
“Loki wasn't here?”
“No?”
Mobius' eyes widened. He checked his pocket. What should've been a whole TemPad was just a lonely Time Twister.
“That… damn mischievous scamp…” Mobius shook his head and turned his attention to Verity, “Okay, slight change of plans…”
“What was the first plan‽”
“I'll explain after. First, you and I gotta go find the trickster that was supposed to tell you the first plan.”
Mobius made a slight lifting motion with his hand. Verity only needed one upward swipe to take herself to her feet. Though, she was compelled to also fold her arms over her chest. It was complemented by an unimpressed upper lip.
“For a bureaucratic organization, you sure are vague.”
“Thank you.”
Verity's eye twitched. That wasn't supposed to be a compliment.
“Are you gonna explain anything‽”
“Verity, if you want your power back, I suggest you comply with me.”
Verity's arms dropped to her sides. That wasn't the explanation she was expecting. Perhaps it did make sense that he knew her power was nullified, but it still made her feel slightly uneasy.
“How do you know I don't have my gift…?” Verity asked, with the edge in her voice notably absent.
“Because no one's supernatural gifts work in the TVA. Not even Loki's…” Mobius replied, “But he can still be a bastard without the magic.”
Without much more to converse about, Mobius gathered Verity and a few stray Minutemen. They followed his lead through a short elevator ride and a few shallow stairwells.
Verity glanced at the lettering that distinguished Time Theatre 36 from Time Theatre 17. Upon entry, save for the giant number printed on a wall and the lack of refreshments, the room was identical to her pseudo-prison.
“Why're we here?” Verity pondered, “It just looks like the same room…”
“Except this is where your friend was supposed to be.”
“Kaia‽” Verity cried out. She found herself running past Mobius, towards the empty chairs and table. It didn't seem likely that she was hiding anywhere, but it wasn't a zero percent chance. Especially if Loki had his sights on—
Wrrr!
Verity blinked, staring at the table and chairs from a distance. She was back near the door. Her ears popped from a sudden jarring moment, yet she didn't feel off balance. The collar around her neck was now lukewarm to her skin. Confused, she looked at Mobius, who nestled a small gold device between his fingers, embedded with a black circle. He had his ragged thumb over the circle, akin to a somewhat limited remote control.
“Patience is not only a virtue, but a currency that improves its value with time,” Mobius said.
Little did he know, Verity was barely scraping by with what little currency was in her account.
“What are we waiting for‽” Verity's question was more of a demand, emphasized by the click of her shoe against the marble floor.
“My 'gotcha' moment.”
Before Verity could interject, a sudden orange light encapsulated the room. The light took to a familiar rectangular shape. She and Mobius watched as Loki and Kaia returned to the Time Theatre, his hand over her shoulder, with not so much as a hair out of place. It was unclear where they came from, but neither had taken the chance to change out of their respective Variant uniform or prisoner jumpsuit.
They both froze as their gazes fell on Mobius, Verity, and a few armed Minutemen. The Time Door behind them faded without any prompt from the Detective's TemPad within the Variant's hand.
Mobius took his turn tapping his foot. With three clicks, he seized his moment. “Gotcha.”
“Mobius!” Loki exclaimed, “It's, uh… a simple explanation, really.”
“Really?”
“Really!”
“You know, Loki…” Mobius waved his hand forward. “You've been nothing but trouble since we arrested Kaia. I think you need a time out.”
On Mobius' cue, the Minutemen marched forward to the beat of his rant. Immediately, Loki surrendered Mobius' TemPad to the first approaching officer. While they backed off to return the stolen object, the other guards separated Kaia from Loki. Two Minutemen had a firm grip on Loki's arms from either side of him, preventing his escape.
“Hey!” Loki flexed his forearms in a failed attempt to resist. He had to wonder just how mere mortals could hold him back. Was magic really blocked off from this place, or was it just transferred to their armour?
“Loki!” Kaia tried to intervene, but she was quickly and easily held back by a Minuteman.
“Kaia!” At the sight of her friend held back, Verity made another run for it. Once more, Mobius twisted her position back to a safe spot.
“Verity, what did I tell you about patience…” Mobius mumbled softly, “No one's going to hurt her.”
Between light gasps, Verity looked at Mobius. She scanned his face thoroughly. Whatever promise he made about her ability being restored was false, as of now. But when you have a gift like Verity's, you become keen on not only verbal cues but physical cues to indicate someone's honesty. An involuntary bodily pattern that was reinforced by her gift.
Mobius' shoulders were relaxed as he took his TemPad back into his possession. His voice had been notably calm. Not a sight of sweat or worry dampened his skin. By all accounts, no one was going to hurt Kaia. Then again, the warmth against her throat indicated that she didn't have much more room to object further.
The Detective cradled his TemPad in his hands, completing a sequence of button presses that he hadn't pushed in a while. Another Time Door opened up, but this door had a notable blood orange hue to it, as opposed to the signature tangerine orange that the TVA was known for. It was unlike anything even Loki had seen before.
“What is this?” Loki asked.
“You'll see…” Mobius nodded to the Minutemen who had Loki secured. “Put him in.”
“Mobius!”
Loki made an honest attempt to dig his heels in, but his luck ran out. Admittedly, it did take the might of both Minutemen, who had enough of an advantage by matching him in height. The cry for the Detective petered out against the reddish light of the strange Time Door. The anomaly faded as quickly as it arrived.
“What did you do‽” Kaia didn't make a physical attempt at Mobius, but the frustration of what had just happened was plain on her face.
“As I said, he just needed a time out… even for a Loki, he's being quite disobedient.”
“If he really was being disobedient, why did he bring me back?” Kaia's anger climaxed, “You don't know where we were. You could've lost us both!”
“Actually, he knows better than anyone that he can't run from the TVA for long.”
Kaia shuddered slightly, determined not to let Mobius see her tear up again. She was torn between trying to help Verity make a run for it and stealing Mobius' device to find Loki. However, seeing Verity being warped backwards mere moments ago made her hesitate. She feared that he could do the same with her. They did have matching collars, after all.
“In any case, get comfortable, Kaia." Without missing a beat, Mobius turned to Verity. “Do you mind coming with me for a moment?”
“You can stay!” Kaia exclaimed, finding her footing, ignoring her better judgment. But rather than Mobius using his Time Twister, a Minuteman elected to force Kaia back into the scrawny seat.
“Actually, you can stay put. Show a little patience, and you could be rewarded.”
Kaia grunted and crossed her arms across her chest. All she could do was scowl as the Detective lead her best friend out of the theatre. What she didn't realize was that Mobius had no intention of straying too far.
The Minutemen that guarded Kaia's Time Theatre shuttered the door and stood back at attention. Verity leaned on one cobalt wall, Mobius along the other. The Minutemen at attention blended in the background, as if they weren't there for the discussion that was about to unfold.
“I hope you're not playing to be the good guy…” Verity huffed.
“I am a good guy, but that's beside the point…” Mobius relaxed his stance, showing his cards as best he could, “Verity, I'd like to make you an offer. The TVA and the Time-Keepers are willing to make an exception for you and your gift if you're willing to work with us.”
Without so much as missing a beat, Verity asked, “So you want to exploit me?”
Ouch. Tough crowd. Mobius could sympathize with her cynicism.
“Of course not! This is ultimately your choice, but just know that I’m motivated by finding out the truth,” Mobius clarified, “Remember, back in the café, when I told you Loki was assisting me on a case?”
Verity nodded ever so slightly. She found her limbs folding in on herself more and more as the two talked. She wasn't ready to show her cards.
“The TVA is looking for a Loki Variant much more worrisome than any other… I thought it was Kaia at first, but you may be able to prove that she's telling the truth about her memory loss. The Time-Keepers are interested in you. They're in the process of allowing your power to bypass the barriers that keep this Time Theatre, and all of the TVA, safe. If you impress the Time-Keepers and agree to help us find our Variant, we can swing a few favours your way. An immediate effect would be an office and a complete clearance from TVA custody. No lockdown in a Time Theatre or a cell.”
Verity's left eyebrow shot up as high as it could go. That was a pretty offer. A very pretty offer.
“What's the catch?”
“No catch.”
“There must be a catch.”
“Your power isn't active yet, but believe me. There's no catch. The TVA's got a job opening, and you're the perfect fit.”
“Then what exactly are the favours you can swing…?”
“Once you're hired, you can use your power in any Time Theatre,” Mobius clarified, “And because you'd be considered a TVA Agent, you won't have to wear that collar anymore. You'd get an issued TVA outfit and almost everything that goes with it. Perks of the job, really.”
Verity pondered the offer, adjusting her weight along the wall. She knew that, amongst what cards she held, she had Mobius' ace. How badly did he want her, maybe even need her? She could up the ante with just about anything, but there was only one thing Verity wanted out of this; her friend.
“Free Kaia and I'll do it.”
Mobius stared at Verity for a moment, stunned. Finally, he drew in a little laugh. “I like how you bargain…”
The redhead put her hands to her hips, “I'm being serious.”
“Oh, I know. Tell you what. If Kaia's telling the truth, I'll make it so Kaia has similar privileges to Loki. No collar. You'd both be free to roam within the TVA, within reason.”
Verity didn't have the best poker face. It was plain to Mobius that Verity wasn't expecting him to agree to her terms.
“How do I know you're not lying?”
“You're welcome to interrogate me in the theatre as well.”
“And what's stopping me from lying to you about Kaia, to get what I want?” Verity persisted.
“Your conscience,” Mobius said, “You're a very honest person, Verity. I like that about you. There aren't enough people like you on any Timeline.”
Mobius peeled himself off of the wall. He closed some distance between himself and Verity but left enough for her to feel comfortable.
“While you're here at the TVA, you could make a huge difference. You can make sure we nab the right bad guy, get to the truth of the matter.”
And so, Mobius finally figured it out. To get to Verity's heart, you had to appeal to her morality. It had taken her full adulthood for her to realize how to use her gift to make the world better. Granted, the TVA didn't have work-from-home benefits like her previous survey review job, but…
“All right. I'll take part in your trial run.”
The trial run did have the reason why she left her life behind in the first place, on the other side of the theatre doors.
Mobius happily lead Verity back into the theatre, eager for the gaze of the Time-Keepers upon them. Kaia, in the meanwhile, was just eager for the gaze of Verity.
“Vee!” Kaia's classic doe eyes lightened up at the sight of her return. She was so delighted that she escaped from her chair. Mobius had to remind her that she was still wearing her Time Collar.
“There's no need to rush, Kaia, we're coming to you…”
Mobius' return to the theatre pit was more of a saunter. He took his sweet time stepping down the stairs, watching as Verity ran ahead to embrace her now-seated friend. He let it slide this time, allowing their collars to make an audible, clunky noise when they bumped.
Verity's hand gently ran up and down Kaia's back. Kaia's hands clung to Verity's back in a tight embrace. Their reunion since their arrests was long overdue.
“It's going to be okay, Kaia…”
“Is it, though?”
Kaia looked up at Verity as they slowly escaped each other's arms. Verity's nod wasn't as confident as it could've been, but it wasn't an outright lie. Verity wouldn't lie, especially not to Kaia.
“Things will be okay if you cooperate…” Mobius injected himself into the reunion. He lifted the other empty chair into the open, offering its seat to Verity. As she sat, Mobius' TemPad chirped. Knowing what that meant by the audio cue alone, Mobius couldn't help but grin.
“Kaia, our conversation is going to have an audience. The obvious one is Verity, but also the Time-Keepers. They're observing from their chamber because they made adjustments to the TVA's anti-magic barrier in this room. You can't try anything, Kaia, but Verity will be able to tell if you're lying, or even if I'm lying. They're curious to see how her gift works.”
“What if Verity knows that I'm lying and she tells you otherwise?” Kaia's question was swift but fair.
“You and I both know she wouldn't do that, but if she does, she'd be risking both her and your life." Mobius, now left without a chair, found himself pacing a bit. “Worst case scenario, we'd have to prune you both.”
Verity glanced at Mobius. She had a feeling that he wasn't talking about fruits. Especially since, if the barrier was lifting, it was more akin to a window sliding open than shattering its glass.
“What does it mean to prune?” Verity asked.
Before Mobius could explain, Kaia piped up with her newfound knowledge, “Loki said it erases your existence…”
Mobius nodded, “More or less, yes. But like I said, Verity, I don't think you'd lie to us about the truth.”
“Right…”
Verity honestly wouldn't do such a thing. She had seen how lies broke communication, broke good situations, and broke good people. She never understood why people lied when all it did was delay the unstoppable truth.
Mobius settled his walk, standing behind Verity, but a bit off-centre. His focus was on Kaia, but where he stood allowed Verity to easily turn and make eye contact with him as well. He was ready to put on a show to his boss's bosses.
“Okay, Kaia, we're going to start simple.”
“But I already told you everything!” Kaia protested.
“You didn't tell Verity." Mobius motioned to the entire purpose of this second interview.
Verity, meanwhile, had glanced at Kaia. Her statement was vague, but it sounded like the truth.
The truth and the lie are two very distinct sounds. The truth is a shallow echo. An affirmation of what's been said aloud. It needs no grandiose entrance; it never sounded out of place. As such, Kaia's statement wasn't a clear definitive on whether or not her gift was fully intact, because the truth isn't as jarring as its opposite.
The sound of lies varies with the severity. In most cases, white lies produce white noise; not so significant but still obvious and irritating. The worst lies produce the highest frequency, akin to running power tools or chalk scraping awkwardly against a chalkboard. The kind of noises that would make your hair stand on end. Kaia was sympathetic to Verity’s struggle. She wouldn't trigger that kind of pain on purpose.
Verity needed to take a different approach. She turned to face Mobius.
“What happens to us after this interview?” Verity asked, “Where do we go?”
“Well, after that little offer I mentioned, we'll see it so we can place you two back on the Timeline.”
Mobius' fingers ran along his thigh as he brought them to his hip. He might as well have been running his fingernails against a chalkboard.
“You LIAR!” Verity exclaimed angrily.
Mobius kept his cool, “Perfect! Your power works!”
Verity grumbled, a bit more preoccupied with what Mobius had lied about, “You can't take us home‽”
“The Timeline was reset five years back because of Kaia's anomaly. You were removed before that, aged five years. You're now remnants of a time that no longer exists. Resetting you that far back now would devastate the Sacred Timeline.”
Kaia, used to Mobius' antics by this point, could only clench her fist. She was running low on newfound anger for him, but she was still kindled by the flames he had lit beforehand.
“For the record, Loki is a much better mediator than you!”
Mobius managed a shrug. “Loki will tell you what you wanna hear. I'll tell you how things will happen.”
“Says the liar,” Verity snarked.
“But I didn't lie about your magic working in this room. Now, enough about me…” Mobius looked to Kaia. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small wad of paper and a pen. Each was branded with the TVA's signature logo.
“Kaia, where did Loki take you just now?”
“I don't know… he didn't know,” Kaia admitted, “He said it didn't matter. He just needed to take me anywhere outside of the TVA.”
Mobius was standing in an ideal position to observe both Kaia and Verity. When he saw that Verity didn't react negatively to Kaia's statement, he continued.
“And why would he take you out of the TVA?”
“He showed me magic…” Kaia held her hand up, her fingers curled over her skyward palm, “Miniature fireworks shot out from his hand. He said I could do it too. I just need to be taught.”
Acknowledging the echo, Verity nodded, “We truly had no idea that Kaia was anything or anyone other than Kaia.”
In turn, Mobius had to acknowledge Verity. He sighed, “I'm going to have to have a word with the wannabe mentor…”
“Why? Because he wants to help me?” Kaia asked.
“Because he's not supposed to just take off like that.”
“Apparently, he can.” Verity motioned to the pocket where Mobius had put away his TemPad. Such a motion prompted Mobius to pat said pocket, just to prove to himself that his device was still there.
“He's not an agent, he's a Variant. He stole my TemPad. He was never supposed to have it.”
Kaia remembered what that meant, but Verity, who had been stowed away in a theatre for much of her time at the TVA, needed the definition.
“What does a TemPad do?”
“It allows us to access any point in any Timeline. Accessing digital TVA records, especially pertaining to ongoing Variant cases. It's also our primary field tool, letting us identify variance energy as well as the level of a new branch.”
Verity nodded. If part of the reward for her gift involved a desk at the TVA, she ought to know the ins and outs of the establishment.
Kaia leaned back in her chair, careful not to make it tip. “I thought this was my interview, Mobius.”
“Ah, you're eager now?”
“I just want this over and done with…”
“Fine, we'll get back on topic,” Mobius said, “What's your earliest memory?”
“Meeting Verity.”
“She's not lying, Mobius,” Verity confirmed, “That's as far back as she remembers.”
“Don't you both find that odd?” Mobius spoke as he jotted down notes on his little square notepad.
“Well, how far back do you remember?” Kaia quipped back, her hasty attempt at turning the table on her interviewer.
“I was created by the Time-Keepers to serve the TVA. I remember my promotion from Analyst to Agent, I can remember every almost Loki Variant case I've worked on, and that's a hefty amount…” Mobius glanced fondly at the holo-projector that was on the table, “And as time runs differently here, I've frankly lost track of how long I've been doing this.”
Now Kaia's curiosity was piqued. Nuts to her interview, it was his turn to sit in the hot seat.
“So you don't know how old you are?” Kaia couldn't hide her grin. She suddenly understood why Mobius liked his line of work.
“I… no, I don't,” Mobius admitted; his voice was a hollow echo, “But age doesn't matter here.”
“I'd argue that's odder than me only remembering five years.”
“But I was forged by the TVA. I have no purpose on the Sacred Timeline, so I don't need to think about trivial things like age.”
“Then why is it so bad that I can't remember?”
“You existed in your timeline for much longer than five years. My theory is that something, or someone, might have made you forget. Might've been you, might've been someone else. Whatever it was, the force was strong enough to wipe TVA records.”
As Mobius pondered, he found himself on the move again. This time, he found himself walking closer to Kaia, eyeing Verity from a different angle.
“If I had a friend like Verity, wiping my own mind like that would be the best way to keep a secret safe.”
Kaia found herself glancing at Verity for reassurance. She made sure to give positive reinforcement to her friend. The only lie that had been uttered so far was the feeler to prove that her gift worked in the room.
“What could I possibly be hiding?” Kaia questioned.
“That's what I'm trying to find out. If this is your own doing, it's a scheme that a Loki would definitely come up with.”
Kaia still had a hard time wrapping herself around the concept of her other name. It didn't feel real, even with everyone saying otherwise.
“But it might not be your doing…” Mobius walked to the other side of the table. “There's a possibility that an outside force did this to you, or you did this to yourself for protection. Even going so far as jumping through time and forgetting your own name.”
The silence that fell on Kaia grew. Her lip twisted upward and downward as she struggled to process what she was being told. In truth, Verity's presence wasn't just for Mobius, but for Kaia, too.
“Kaia, I want to help both of you,” Mobius said, “You being a Loki doesn't change that. I want to solve this mystery, for both the TVA's sake and yours.”
“Right…” Verity echoed, “So Kaia was never supposed to exist in New York.”
“Not in your Timeline at all, Verity,” Mobius confirmed, “You were on your Sacred path before you met Kaia.”
A Sacred path that is now impossible to return to. That was a truth that didn't need to be repeated.
“So what happens to us now?” Verity asked.
Ding!
Mobius raised an apologetic hand, excusing himself to check his TemPad. He read a short message. His grin was impossible to hide.
“I'll tell you exactly what happens. Firstly…” Mobius put away his pen, paper, and TemPad as he walked to Verity. He straightened his arm out, extending his hand to shake. “Congrats! You’re hired, Miss Willis.”
Verity's lip dropped slightly, showing just a bit of her tongue. She had nearly forgotten that this was, in a sense, an interview as well. As Verity accepted the handshake, they both shared a smile. Meanwhile, Kaia's face flattened to a truly neutral look.
“W… what?” As shocked as she was, Kaia's reaction was ultimately deadpan.
“Did you already forget that the Time-Keepers were watching?” Mobius chuckled, “They're impressed by Verity's gift, so they're going to allow her ability to bypass the barriers within any Time Theatre.”
“I basically became an Agent,” Verity admitted, “But I only agreed to do so if you were set free as well, Kaia.”
“Which reminds me…” Mobius recovered his TemPad, holding down the large, black button.
Bzzzz-click! Bzzzz-click!
With a ceremonious thud, two Time Collars clattered to the ground. Kaia and Verity both rubbed their newly free necks, quick to rub off any imprint the band may have given them.
“You're going to have a similar role to Loki, Kaia…” Mobius explained, “You're to consult us with anything you know, aide us with research on our cases.”
“Cases, plural?” Kaia said, quick to reference a quip he had used on her.
“Your case and the case of the fugitive Loki Variant…” Verity explained, “He wasn't lying in the café. He and Loki really are working on a case with a dangerous Variant.”
“I'll catch you both up,” Mobius said reassuringly. He pressed a different sequence on his TemPad, opening up a blood-orange Time Door.
“But first, I think a certain Variant has had enough time in his Time Loop Cell.”
“Time Loop Cell?” Verity repeated.
“It's exactly what it sounds like,” Mobius couldn't hide his laughter, “Follow me, you're in for a treat…”
Chapter 10: The Reason I'm Here
Summary:
Chapter 10 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki finds a familiar face in his Time Loop Cell. The familiar face isn’t as happy to see him.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains violence, implied intimacy.
Notes:
Hey! If you're from the future and binge-reading this... wow, thank you! Now's a good time to get yourself something to drink if you haven't done so in a while.
If you're not binge-reading this... this is still your hydration check. You're cool for being here, after all.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Put him in.”
Mobius had said it with such smug confidence. If only Loki had a moment, he could take the smirk off his face. All he did was show his magicless Variant her potential, and this is how he's treated?
It would've been barbaric if it didn't look like home.
The reddish-orange Time Door spat Loki out into a room that looked right in place at Asgard's grand palace. Golden cauldrons, lit with heartening flames, were placed strategically between the old-growth vines draping down from the ceiling. Elongated couches sat on the raised floor, surrounded by flowers both potted and put to bed. Each flower was pristine and glowing, just like how his mother would've wanted them to be.
Loki questioned his surroundings, caught off guard by the serenity of home. If he hadn't been wearing the TVA's blasted Time Collar, he might've believed what he was seeing. Even then, he couldn't help but find humour in the situation.
“Hah! Seriously?” Loki relaxed his stance, his smirk far and wide. He brushed his tousled hair out of his face, then brought his hands outward, as if expecting laughter from an audience. When he received none, he brought his hands to his hips and took in the room once more.
At that moment, Loki remembered exactly which room he was supposedly in. This was a lounge within the castle walls. It was hilarious to him that the TVA couldn't even remember what Asgard's dungeons had looked like. He could think of a few fates worse than being stuck here.
“YOU!”
It was at that moment, that Loki realize he did have an audience of one.
Loki turned around to see a warrior at the edge of the room, standing under a triangular archway. Her chest armour was plated gold, but her sleeves were oddly bare, save for a few armoured cuffs around her wrists and shoulders. Chainmail was visible both under and above a maroon blouse, tucked well within her armour plates. A tattered maroon skirt flowed above matching leggings. Thigh-high boots made from fine Asgardian leather had shin armour strapped over top of them.
Loki knew this warrior well, for she was the Goddess of War.
“Sif!” Loki exclaimed the warrior's name, somewhat in relief. He wasn't expecting this familiar face, nor was he expecting to enjoy seeing his brother's friend, his own acquaintance. Of course, this wasn't the true Lady Sif, but even if she were a Variant, she could still be able to—
“You conniving, craven, pathetic worm! You did this!”
As Sif charged into the fire-lit room, Loki noticed one major detail about her. The right side of her head had her signature brunette hair spilling onto her shoulder. The left side was significantly shorter, a mauled pixie's cut that showed no care to the cut. Instead of her traditional sword and shield, she firmly held jagged locks of her hair in her hand.
“What?”
Crack!
The front of Sif's hand — and the armour that protected it — greeted Loki's left cheek with a slap mighty enough to swing him sideways. As he rubbed off the sting, he could hear the simmering of Sif's anger within sharp but quiet panting.
Sif seethed, “I hope you know you deserve to be alone, and you always will be.”
It was that quote that took Loki back; that made this room choice sensible. Sif had said the same thing to him long ago, long before Thor's coronation. In fact, it was the morning after a heavy night of victory and mead. Everyone had paired off with other warriors, and neither of them wanted to be alone. They kept each other company for the night, and not even Thor knew the wiser.
Now, this could've been the intoxication talking, but Loki thought of that night fondly. Lady Sif was quite ravishing, and that was undeniable. To allow himself to be vulnerable at that moment with her… It was a fun change of pace. A night that could not have happened if either or both of them were sober. A night that never happened again.
Loki had awoken first that morning. Even back then, his trickster reputation preceded him. He knew he had to leave her room with haste before his brother — or any other warrior within her battalion — discovered what had happened between them. But he didn't want to leave empty-handed. He watched a sleeping Sif, her sprawling hair rising and falling with her slumbering body, and did the only thing a mischievous God could do at that point.
The haircut wasn't Loki's best knife work, admittedly.
“All right. A bad memory prison? How quaint!”
Loki spoke, but not to Sif. He looked past her, hoping to speak to Mobius or any other eavesdropping TVA Agent that found this funny.
Sif looked behind her, making note of how Loki was speaking to no one. It was a disrespect she expected from Loki, but it still enraged her nonetheless. This Sif knew nothing of the memory she represented. She was constructed solely with the heart and soul of the Sif that was wronged.
Silently, Sif took Loki's shoulders into her hands. Using him as leverage, she yanked him by his shoulders, propelling her knee square between his legs. Loki hunched forward, taking that brief moment to thank the Norns for the lack of metal upon her knee. He knew what was coming next, but that didn't make Sif's final blow hurt any less. She wound her right arm back just to punch a doubled-over Loki in the nose. The impact flung Loki backward, sweeping him off his feet faster than she did on that glorious night. Loki's body twisted and tumbled to the ground, landing on his knees and forearms. As he recovered from the damage, he could hear Sif walk past him, just as she did on that morning after.
As Loki writhed on the ground, he understood why the TVA chose this moment to imprison him.
Slowly, Loki brought himself up to sitting. The fabric of his Variant jacket squeaked against itself as he rubbed the pain off of his inner thigh. Groaning, he looked around the room. He was alone again, as far as he knew.
“Some punishment…” Loki spoke aloud to his invisible audience. He exhaled a heavy grunt as he took to his feet.
“I remember exactly what I did after that. I went and had a nice, hot, bath… and a glass of wine1… and I never thought about it again, because it was just a bit of fun.”
Loki and Sif never spoke about that night beyond this memory. Sif still kept to the story of Loki cutting her hair to explain her look; she just neglected to tell anyone about what preceded it. Loki knew this because Odin had given him a lax punishment in comparison to Sif; he gave him one of his lectures on how to treat a lady. Loki presumed it was not sampled from Odin's experience.
“YOU!”
Before Loki could exit the room to prep his bath, Sif reappeared at her previous starting position. Oh, no.
“You conniving, craven, pathetic worm! You did this!”
A TVA punishment couldn't ever be simple, now could it?
“Hang on—”
Slap!
“I hope you know you deserve to be alone, and you always will be.”
“Just a min—”
A kick, a punch, a thud. Sif was gone as quickly as she reappeared. Loki was once again left writhing on the ground.
Loki's groan was louder than how it was previously. It had to be, now that he knew that he would not be rewarded with his bath. This wasn't a bad memory prison. That didn't fit the TVA brand of throwing 'Time' in front of everyday objects and themes.
“A Time Loop…” Loki growled, “How lovely…”
Loki was a bit slower to get to his feet this time. He needed to find a way out of this awful cell. He didn't even have a chance to think before Sif's footsteps grew louder once more.
“YOU! You conniving, craven, pathetic worm!” Sif charged in with the same thunder as before.
Loki pre-emptively winced. Insanity would be letting this Time Loop play out whilst expecting a different result. He needed to act differently to have any hope of a new outcome.
“Okay! Okay, Sif. Hang on!” Loki's new plan? Bargain with his past using present logic.
The sudden thwack! of Sif's slap against his skin didn't bode well, but Loki couldn't give up so easily.
“No, you hear this!” Sif spoke an unfamiliar line. Loki's eyes lit up; his plan had legs after all.
“You deserve to be alone—”
“And I always will be!!” Loki rushed to complete Sif's sentence, “All right, I get it.”
Sif looked Loki up and down, much like she did on the night that caused this whole mess. However, they were both sober, he was a different person from that night, and she? Well…
“You are a reconstruction of a past event, created by the organization that controls all of time,” said Loki, “So if you trust me, you can help me escape.”
Sif crossed her arms while Loki explained himself, his hands feverishly moving to emphasize his points as he always did. That innocent look he radiated while he whiled away his logic? That was Loki's bread and butter. Sif knew this, which is why she needed a moment to ponder over her next move.
Ever so slowly, she reached out and patted Loki's shoulders, sheathed by a jacket that certainly wasn't made from Asgardian leather. This prompted Loki to smile and nod, even when her grip on his shoulders remained firm.
“Okay… good…”
There was just one problem with Loki's plan. This version of Sif was a reconstruction of a past event, that had no knowledge or stake in present logic. This version of Sif had no reason to trust Loki, not even with her hair.
Sif's face scrunched, just as it did on that painful morning. Loki's hope for his plan was replaced by the searing pain that Sif inflicted for the third time upon his crotch.
Just like the previous punches, Sif's third punch spun Loki clockwise, the momentum giving him little time to catch himself as he fell to the ground. Surprisingly enough, this iteration of Sif had one more difference to lay upon Loki before she left.
Sif took a step forward, watching Loki grovelling on the ground, and spoke one simple word: “Pathetic.”
As her footsteps faded, Loki realized the awful truth of the Time Loop Cell. Sif was right. He was a—
“You call THAT a treat‽”
Confused, Loki sat himself up. He now had an audience of three. At the triangular archway stood Mobius, Verity, and Kaia. Mobius had his TemPad firmly in his grip, which was sensible considering that this whole Time Loop Cell was the Detective's fault.
For her part, Kaia looked horrified. She led the charge into the faux Asgardian lounge.
“Are you okay??” Kaia asked, offering a hand to help Loki to his feet.
Loki stared at Kaia's hand. After the repeated castigation that he had to endure, a hand offering help instead of hurt took a moment to adjust to. With a slight nod, Loki accepted Kaia's hand and pulled himself to his feet once more.
“How long were you here?” Loki asked.
“Long enough. Norse mythology, right?” Verity smirked, “So, you really did cut off Sif's hair?”
“Oh, Verity, do not get me started on how inaccurate Midgardian interpretations2 of Asgard are…” Loki grumbled.
“So, Loki, how was your reunion?” Mobius interrupted Loki's train of thought. He still had that snarky look on his face from earlier.
“It… certainly was nostalgic,” Loki said through gritted teeth, not about to give Mobius the satisfaction of a surrendering call.
“Good. I hoped you learned your lesson…”
“Hardly." Loki stood firm. What was the harm in taking Kaia on a field trip?
Speaking of Kaia, Loki glanced at his smaller Variant once more. It was easy to spot the difference when all you were given to wear was TVA-issued prisoner gear. He glanced over at Verity, who was spared from changing out of her street clothes, to find that she shared the same difference.
Loki motioned to Kaia's neck, “I see the collars are off…”
“Your observation is correct,” Mobius grinned, “While you were in here, I got you some new co-workers.”
“Apparently, we're helping solve both my case and yours,” Kaia elaborated. Referring, of course, to why Kaia's history is a TVA enigma, and what kind of Loki Variant has a bloodlust for TVA soldiers.
“Oh, dear,” Loki replied, “Brace yourselves for the training videos. You'll be bored out of your skulls.”
“Training videos?” Verity repeated. There was no warning about training videos.
“You gotta learn how the TVA works somehow,” Mobius said, “We're going to get you two in uniform and sit you down for some videos on TVA basics.”
“Oh…” Kaia looked at Mobius with a disappointed face, “You didn't say anything about time cop propaganda.”
That quip prompted a various range of reactions, the loudest of which was a snicker from Loki. It made Mobius' groan sound like a lullaby by comparison. As the Detective prepared a Time Door for the quartet to vacate the Time Loop Cell, Kaia watched as Loki's laughter simmered down.
“Are you sure you're okay…?” Kaia asked once more. She had one hand cradled in the other, fingers slightly spread so they interlocked as she rubbed her knuckles.
“I've been through worse…” Loki rewarded Kaia's question with a reassuring smirk, “The bad memory could've been one of my deaths.”
Verity, who had been walking towards the newly erected Time Door, froze in her tracks. She looked back at Loki with a look of utter confusion. The Time Loop Cell didn't count as a Time Theatre, therefore she had no gift to rely on.
“One of your what?” Verity asked.
“He's joking3…” Mobius said, motioning for his ragtag crew to follow him through the orange passageway.
With little fanfare to follow, Mobius used the Time Door as a shortcut to bring them to what looked like the world's largest laundromat. Rows upon rows of orange washers and dryers, tumbling the black, brown, and beige waves of analyst uniforms and hunter under-armour fabric. Only solitary numbers differentiated the machines to ensure its user didn't grab the wrong garments.
Near the entrance of the room was a reception window with endless racks of clean clothes of all sizes and shades of brown. A lone worker had an issue of Mirabella magazine, adorn with fashions that could've served as inspiration for the sea of suits behind them.
Mobius approached the desk, motioning to Kaia and Verity while pitching his request. Sure enough, the TVA's tailor whisked themself away for just a moment, only to return with two shrink-wrapped bundles. One bag had a notable earthy green jacket prominently shown on the outermost layer. After thanking his co-worker, Mobius brought himself back to his group.
“Here we go, one for each of you…” Mobius said as he gave Verity the brown bundle and Kaia the green.
Sure enough, Kaia noticed little orange letters seeping out from the air-tight bag. She had a good guess on what those letters spelled out.
“I'm sure this is the most subtle jacket you've ever given anyone,” Kaia sarcastically remarked.
With a small giggle, Verity took a closer look at her bag, “I don't see a jacket in my bag. How come?”
“Although you're technically a Variant, you're not the kind that our agents need to worry about…” Mobius explained, “Plus, it wasn't entirely your fault that you were taken off your timeline, so you don't need the extra label. You'll be provided with your own TVA jacket when you need it.”
“Well, aren't you lucky…” Loki rolled his eyes slightly as he spoke. He was sure to aim them at Mobius if only to not offend Verity. There was one thing they could agree on; this situation wasn't entirely Verity's fault.
With the Detective leading the way, the foursome took a short walk to the closest locker room. Mobius made note of a set of steel doors, which secured a more private changing area. Verity led the way into the changing room, but couldn't help but notice the lingering look Kaia gave to Loki before following her along. The look had lingered long enough for them both to know Loki and Mobius chose separate benches to sit on while they waited for the ladies.
The changing room had no lockers since they were situated just outside. Instead, it was a tiled room with private stalls barricaded by walls and bright orange curtains. The floor patterns and ceiling lights took cues from the Time Theatre, but the room felt narrow by comparison. There was the odd shallow table with flowers and TVA-themed statuettes for decor, but there wasn't much else to the fitting room.
“What was that?” Verity asked this as soon as Mobius and Loki were out of earshot.
“What was what?” Kaia looked at Verity, genuinely perplexed.
“The way you couldn't stop staring at Loki,” Verity explained, “From rushing to him in that cell, to that trailing look just now… I hope you haven't forgotten that he's still a terrorist.”
Kaia sighed. She hadn't expected Verity to revert to this song and dance. Though, it was also clear that she didn't see what Kaia saw in him.
“Stop calling him that.”
“Oh yeah?” Verity took her frustration out on her bag, tearing the plastic into two clean pieces, “What is he to you, then?”
“He's the reason I wasn't pruned.”
Verity paused, looking at Kaia up and down. Her face was determined and firm. So concentrated on the moment that she hadn't even started loosening her change of clothes. You didn't need a perception check to know that Kaia was being as honest as possible.
Verity's frustration petered out. Mobius and Loki could wait a little longer. It was clear that she and Kaia needed to catch up first.
“Kaia, what happened?”
“You saw me get shoved into that room… well, it was a processing room…” Kaia shuddered. “They stripped me into this jumpsuit, prepped me for trial… I think I got a preview of one of those propaganda videos we're going to watch. But Loki found me just before going to trial. He promised to help me. Like a lawyer, in a way?”
Verity wanted to let Kaia have her moment, she really did. But the mere thought of Loki posing as a spokesperson of justice triggered the most unsightly, boisterous laugh Verity had had in years. She laughed so hard that she let the tattered plastic slip from between her hands.
The laughter was contagious, but Kaia held it back to just a smirk. It was hard to be stoic with giggles that contagious. She allowed Verity to catch her breath before continuing.
“Yeah, okay, I'll give you that one,” Kaia conceded, “I was skeptical, too. Especially when he was kept out of the courtroom.”
Now that she calmed down, the seriousness of the moment dawned on Verity, “Wait, you were really brought to trial?”
Kaia nodded, “My mere existence in New York was criminal… but before I could be sentenced, Loki found his way into the courtroom. He had taken a deeper look at my file, he was the one that proved I couldn't remember…”
“How?”
“Every living thing and its Variant apparently has a file. Loki discovered the 'gaps' in my file, that somehow, the authority of time doesn't have a record of my time beyond New York…” said the Variant, “Because of what he found, my trial was paused, as they could not prune me without just cause. Mobius took me into his custody and, you kinda have the gist from there…”
“Yeah… I'm sorry, Kaia. I'll lay off the whole 'terrorist' schtick…” Verity sighed softly. He did help Kaia in her time of need, and technically…
“He's the reason I'm here, too…”
“Well, yeah, he had you arrested,” Kaia remembered, “I saw you two at the main lobby.”
“He didn't arrest me,” Verity admitted, “He found me, said a whole bunch of stuff about you and ‘resetting New York’ … It sounded like nonsense, but it was wholly and fully the truth. I was going to lose you if I didn't follow him…”
As she spoke, Verity sorted through her new outfit, unfurling freshly ironed pants. Kaia should've been opening her bag, but she was too enthralled by Verity's moment. A soft, genuine smile appeared as she spoke her and Loki's truth.
“Granted, he technically forced me through the door anyway…” the redhead continued, “But I would've gone regardless. You mean the world to me, Kaia. Life wouldn't be the same without you.”
Verity was about to turn to finally enter a changing stall, but she was suddenly held back. Looking down, she saw Kaia hugging her firmly, the sealed bag pressed against her back.
“I'm… I'm so glad you're here, Vee…” Kaia's voice was slightly shaky but still warm. Warm enough to shake a layer of ice off of your heart, if you had it. They both knew that wasn't an issue for Verity.
“Weirdly enough, I am too…” Verity hugged Kaia back, her arms tucked under her friend's.
The mutual embrace warmed them both, like sparks merging to become a mighty flame. They both needed it after all of the chaos and disorientation that the TVA brought them. What they needed was a moment alone together, a reunification without the audience to distract them. Though, such audience participation should not be neglected…
“And you have Loki to thank!” Kaia giggled, much to Verity's chagrin.
“Oh, you shush!”
Verity lightly smacked Kaia's back, prompting them both to let go of each other. Their bundles of clothes were slightly wrinkled, but not beyond reason.
“We should hurry up and get changed, Kaia.”
“Right, right…”
And so they both entered separate changing stalls, pulling the curtain over themselves. They didn't bother to explain to Loki or Mobius what had taken them so long, even going so far as to deny that their room had been filled with gorgeous, boisterous giggles on more than one occasion.
- Wine as a beverage to accompany your morning bath? It's more likely than you think on Asgard! [ ▲ ]
-
Loki had taken to studying Midgard even before the thought of conquering it had crossed his mind. A great ruler had to know their potential land, after all. Midgard historical events? Pitiful. Midgard cuisine? Interesting. 'Norse mythology,' as Verity put it? Hmph! If anyone dares to accuse him of being bested by a steed… [ ▲ ]
-
Mobius knew most of all that Loki wasn't joking. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
This one's for the estimated four people that lost their minds in a good way when Natalie Holt implied that Sifki happened. People were mixed on this, but I found it fun enough to work with.
Chapter 11: The Orientation
Summary:
Chapter 11 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia and Verity get orientated into their new roles at the TVA. Mild shenanigans ensue.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains a brief description of graphic violence.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Mobius' desk was situated in an open office sort of room. There were little dividers defining individual workstations, but it wasn't so difficult for one employee to converse with another, or adjust one's work area for better accommodations.
This was such a plan for the TVA's newest employee and newest Variant. Mobius had arranged it so they shared a desk that shared a divider with Mobius'. An extra chair was brought in so they could both nestle in neatly. Luckily, when he and Loki returned from the archives with extra files, they were still situated and hadn't run off. They were both watching a computer screen intently, which had just wrapped up explaining the tools of the TVA trade.
Kaia, as expected, looked absolutely bored. She was dressed like a carbon copy of Loki, down to wearing the very same brown tie. She was curled up in her swivel chair, fiddling with the flaps of her greenish ‘VARIANT’ jacket. She was observing the videos, but it was plain to see that her concentration was waning.
Verity sat properly — feet flat on the ground, back straight — as she watched the tail-end of yet another training video. Her TVA outfit differed from even Mobius' fit in a few ways. Firstly, she ditched the tie and blazer. The tie especially felt too confining after dealing with the Time Collar. The blouse that she wore was a very light shade of blue with full-length sleeves concealing her tattoos. The sleeves were flexible enough to be buttoned or rolled up, but she feared her tattoos would make her stand out too much in such an unknown place. She wore a cozy brown sweater vest overtop the blouse, which matched her brown slacks to a tee. On the left side of her vest sat a solitary golden pin with the text version of the TVA logo, in case it wasn't clear whom she now worked for. She opted to keep her hair down, but she kept a hair-tie around her wrist for when she needed to keep her crimson locks out of her face.
“How's training goin', ladies?” Mobius asked as he and Loki approached their desk.
“Boring…” Kaia quipped back, her busy hands now extending to entertain themselves beyond her person, “You'd think there'd be a few more practical examples!”
She opened a junk drawer and was immediately drawn to the shiniest objects within it. A tiny gasp encapsulated her curiosity, as she counted out several rocks, each with a rainbow-bright colour. Some were green, red, and purple… only two of them were yellow, but they were the largest by comparison. The core of each stone was where its colour shone the brightest, with the intensity fading out as it spread to the edges.
Kaia picked up the smallest rock, a little blue rock, so all could see what had her attention. It felt smooth to her touch. These pretty little things were not in any of the videos. If Kaia had noticed the TVA's evidence tags that were also in that drawer, she might've been able to answer her own obvious question.
“What's this?”
“Infinity Stones. They're only the most powerful objects of the universe… reduced to mere paperweights here.”
Loki crossed his arms, still lamenting at the fact that such objects — powerful enough to even aid in the capture of their killer Variant — were permanently defunct thanks to the TVA. Seeing such a desirable object brought to nothing… that was the moment that made Loki respect the TVA's power.
“You used these in New York, didn't you?” Verity asked, tossing a few loose strands of her hair back over her shoulder.
Loki nodded along, but he felt compelled to go into greater detail. “The one Kaia's holding, the space stone. Though, as it's usually in a full cube shape, it’s better known as the Tesseract…” Loki explained.
Verity recalled her knowledge and her first-hand experience, “They must be magic stones, if they don't work here at the TVA, right?”
Mobius nodded, “Right on. You're getting it.”
“Just because I get it, it doesn't mean I don't think it's weird…” Verity reached around her neck, loosening the one button on her blouse that poked above her vest. Learning about the TVA also meant unlearning everything about time. You can't say it wasn't a little bit weird.
At that moment, the video that the new recruits were watching suddenly cut out. The screen went black, and a bright orange circle appeared in its centre. That circle then popped out of the screen, manifesting in an orange spinning blur. The circle grew into a familiar clock face, fitted with cartoon eyes, white-gloved hands and a full Southern drawl.
“Hey, y'all!” said the clock.
The greeting made Kaia jump back in fright. She dropped the space stone back into the drawer. Mobius was quick to reach over and shut the drawer again, tapping a key slot with his TemPad to make sure it locked.
“This is Miss Minutes…” Mobius reminded the pair, “She's here to assist you guys with your lessons.”
“Are we ready to review what we've learned about the TVA?” Miss Minutes said with a cheery smile.
“That’s… the same mascot from the videos…” Kaia glanced at the screen, and then the clock that emerged from it, “How did you do that?”
“I'm a projection, silly goose!” Miss Minutes said with a wink.
“A projection that responds to us in real-time…” Verity gawked slightly. Holography was a thing in her time, but not quite to this detail, scope, or intelligence.
“She's a computer program with the ability to respond like AI…” Loki shrugged, curving up the thick file he held in his hands into a tube-like shape, “She's also interactive! Just watch.”
“Nuh-huh, buster!” Miss Minutes, recognizing Loki's behavioural patterns, retreated into the computer screen, “That one has no manners!”
“What do you expect? I was raised by Asgardians…” said the Asgardian as he unfurled his papers.
“I'm sure Asgardians have manners?” Verity glanced at Loki, who offered a cheeky grin back at her.
“I'm also adopted.”
Verity could only roll her eyes at that.
Kaia, catching on late to the implications of what he had said, glanced up at Loki. She couldn't help but ask, “So I'm adopted, too?”
“Most likely.”
“Okay, enough distracting them…” Mobius pulled Loki aside, allowing Miss Minutes to resume her lesson.
Mobius brought Loki to his cubicle, which admittedly was just three steps away from the newly established one. The adopted Asgardian was easily able to glance at the pair partaking in their orientation.
“And you're sure they'll be of help?” Loki questioned.
“I wouldn't put them through this if I didn't…” Mobius said, “Hell, they might be of more help than you.”
“Rude.”
“I didn't forget that I need my ears sharp around you…” Mobius set his papers down, labelled prominently with reviews on previous cases from the killer Variant.
“And not with the one that truly could lie if she wanted to?” Loki said, clearly referring to Verity.
“Even if she wanted to, she has a lot more to lose than you do.”
“What, and I don't?”
“Tiger, she's got her friend. I thought you were better off alone.”
Friend. A word Loki still had a hard time wrapping his head around.
“Right… is that why I'm holding my own file?” Loki asked. It was hard to miss his name printed on heavy red ink.
“Precisely. Happy reading.”
With an unceremonious ending to their conversation, Mobius turned to his work. Loki sighed, plopping himself into another nearby chair. Admittedly, he'd rather read about his own life than sit through yet another TVA video. Even though Miss Minutes' dialogue was still clear as day due to proximity, he found it easy enough to keep his focus.
There was one fatal flaw with the notion of Loki doing work. The chair he was seated in had wheels. It was only a matter of time before the mischievous Variant floated from one cubicle border to another. Sure enough, he found himself settled close enough to Kaia.
During the time Loki had been away, Miss Minutes found her setting comfortable enough to re-emerge from the computer that prompted her appearance. She walked along the desk, using the same screen as a proverbial blackboard. In this case, it was exemplifying what a branching Timeline looked like from a TVA perspective. A solid horizontal white line on a graphing chart was bordered by thick red lines. An orange curve split out from the white line on an upward slope.
“Next up, we're talkin' bout red lines. When we run outta units, a branch red lines. When that happens, it can no longer be reset!”
As Miss Minutes continued talking, Kaia found her eyes wandering again. It didn't take her long to notice Loki reading his papers. The lettering against the paper was what truly distracted her.
“What's that?” Kaia whispered to Loki, prompting him to glance up at her.
“This is a file of my events on the Sacred Timeline…” Loki said, “It could serve you well to read this, too…”
Kaia nodded in agreement. She even found herself sliding closer to Loki's side. If only the squeak! of her wheels didn't give her away.
“Variant!” Miss Minutes turned to Kaia, her hands against the spots where her hips would've been, “You should pay attention!”
Kaia looked back at Miss Minutes sheepishly, “Sorry…”
Loki helped nudge her back into the cubicle but elected not to stray too far from the lesson.
Verity didn't pile onto Kaia further. She was a bit too accustomed to Kaia's limited attention span. Instead, she helped bring the focus back onto the lesson, with a genuine question that she had while reviewing this particular lesson.
“How long is a unit?” Verity asked.
“Depends on the type of branch, of course!” Miss Minutes smiled, “That's why TemPads are vital on the field. They measure everything about the Sacred Timeline!”
“When do we get to go into the field?” Kaia took her turn, bringing one of her legs up onto her lap.
“Only when needed,” the TVA mascot cautioned, “Every time we go into the field, the Timeline should be reset, juuust in case a lookie loo sees something they shouldn't!”
“A… lookie loo…” Verity repeated.
“Right! Now, if we don't have any more questions, let's talk about Variants…”
That was a topic that Kaia considered herself an expert in. If that was supposed to get her to focus, she knew it wouldn't work. She did at least keep an ear open, but she soon found herself enthralled by the notion of her chair in motion. Slowly, she used her planted foot to propel herself into a gentle spin. Eventually, her eyes fell upon her chair neighbour, Loki, who now had his back to her. If she propped herself high enough, she could see bits and pieces of what he was reading.
… Elves? Did she read that right? Elves were a real thing?
Kaia stretched herself as best she could, trying to read over Loki's shoulder. The creeeak of her chair gave her away again.
Miss Minutes turned to face Kaia, “Variant, do you remember what happens to Variants that are found guilty of their crimes?”
Kaia swivelled herself back to face Miss Minutes, a bit less sheepish, “They're 'reset' so they can live out time as intended.”
“That's one outcome, Variant…” Miss Minutes now stood on the edge of the desk, eyeing Kaia with all her might. “They can also be pruned.”
It took a moment for everyone to register what the AI had said. Even Loki found himself prying his eyes off of his reading material. He turned himself around just in time to see Kaia's eyes narrow with laser-focused precision.
“Is that a threat?” Kaia asked.
Before the clock could answer, Loki cut in, “You're not pruning anyone!”
“That's up to the Time-Keepers, not me, Loki." Miss Minutes shrugged off any culpability of what she had said. She is just a projection, after all.
“Hey, wait, Loki has a point,” Now it was Verity's turn to speak up, “How are they supposed to help if you prune them?”
“And what if I pruned you first?” Kaia huffed.
By this point, the commotion caught Mobius' attention. He was just on the other side of the wall, after all. All he needed to do was stand up to peer over the wall that separated them.
“Hey, now what's all this?” Mobius said, “Why're you ganging up on Miss Minutes?”
“She started it!” Kaia pouted, “She threatened me!”
“It's not a threat to you if I don't name you, Kaia." Miss Minutes winked.
“So you do admit it!” Loki caught on, reading between the lines she put up.
The outburst then caught the attention of a TVA Analyst across from their booths. Loki only knew this by an audible and annoying tone: “Shhhhhh!”
Loki blinked. His head bobbed backwards in stunned shock. They were in an important argument and some random TVA Agent had the gall to interrupt.
Loki turned to face the person that shushed him. They had a rounded face to match their rounded frameless glasses. Their brown hair was tied into a high bun, curls streaming out of the bundle like streamers. They seemed due for a new blazer, for their sleeves seemed short at the wrists, implying a snug fit. They, by all accounts, looked normal. They definitely had no authority to butt into this conversation.
In a slow, jagged motion, Loki put his hand to his face. A solitary index finger stuck out from his knuckle. Eventually, his hand rested so his fingertip grazed the notch of his upper lip. He did not press too hard if only to ensure what he had to say wasn't muffled by his hand.
“SHH.”
Loki turned back only to see Mobius unimpressed by Loki's harsh hush.
“Loki, I need you over here." Mobius motioned to the empty space in his cubicle.
“But—”
“The ladies need to concentrate. Get over here.”
Begrudgingly, Loki scooted his chair across the floor, landing back in Mobius' booth. Kaia followed her Variant's lead, nudging her chair back, creating as much distance between herself and Miss Minutes. The orientation continued without further interruption.
Without a lesson to interrupt, Loki decided that Mobius was fair game.
“What exactly are they going to do to help your case? Kaia has no memory of her Loki traits, and Verity's gift isn't exactly physical.”
“Verity will be key after the arrest, determining exactly why they did what they did,” Mobius explained, “Kaia might just need a little spark to get her memory back. If seeing our dangerous Variant triggers that, it could connect them to that instance.”
“Lokis aren't exactly known for memory-wiping powers, especially to Kaia's scale…” Loki noted, “I highly doubt they're the same.”
“But not impossible,” Mobius retorted.
“And I thought you knew a Loki's habits…” Loki said, flipping his fingers through his history.
“I've certainly met a variety of them." Mobius rolled his eyes, “What's with the attitude now?”
Loki scoffed, “Aren't I here to consult you?”
“Yeah, consult, not annoy me…”
“You clearly haven't met enough of me, then.”
Mobius audibly groaned, “Just read your damn file…”
At last, Loki settled down to read his file. Mobius went back to his. He was reading a summary of a case in Salina, Oklahoma, 1858. A troop of Minutemen led by Hunter U-92 entered an abandoned field, which mostly consisted of grass, squelching oil seeping through the mud, and a futuristic, third-millennium shovel that definitely did not belong in that timeframe. From the way it was described in the report, it appeared to be a quantum shovel. Pretty standard time travel shenanigans, seeing as quantum items were made by intelligent but self-unaware mad scientists.
Oh, how obvious a trap it was. It made Mobius wonder how such a seasoned Hunter fell for it.
The Minutemen that followed up on the incident described the crime scene as brutal. The oil and grass were still smouldering. Remnants of an old-time lantern were found at the fire's base, which quickly used the oil as a track to ensnare and suffocate the Minutemen. The subordinates never stood a chance. Their armour had melted onto their skins, making for a brutal, agonizing death. Hunter U-92's body was the only one outside of the ring of fire, though his helmet had fallen within it. His body was not scorched. It appeared that he had crawled out of danger and attempted to escape. And yet, his body still managed to find a way to slip underneath the quantum shovel, its weighted blade digging past his armour and through his chest.
The fugitive Variant had struck again, leaving terror behind and only taking Reset charges as their prize. Reading such a horrific report made Mobius certain of one thing; he couldn't let Verity enter the Sacred Timeline without some proper training.
It was easy enough for Mobius to slink away, now that his team had settled into their respective videos and research. Especially since he noticed Loki's eyes growing heavy as he scanned his files. As much as he wanted to appreciate the silence, he knew that the orientation involved more than just watching and reading.
Time was a tricky thing to track in the TVA. It felt like mere moments between Mobius leaving the offices and finding one of his most trusted Hunters at a cafeteria, just as she was wrapping up her meal break. Hunter B-15 was still wearing bits of her armour, but her helmet was notably absent, allowing for her picture-perfect afro to have some breathing room.
“B-15! I'm glad I found you…” Mobius lightly jogged to Hunter B-15, who was stowing away her lunch tray into a cleaning station, done so by inserting the tray into an aptly labelled slot.
“What do you want, Mobius?” Hunter B-15 said, unimpressed. She had an inkling of where this conversation was going already. She didn't like it.
“I need your help…” Mobius explained, “I've got a new recruit, but—”
Hunter B-15 dropped her arms to her sides, exasperated. She was quick to cut Mobius off. “It's strictly against protocol to aide a prisoner.”
The Detective shook his head. “You’re not training a Loki Variant, I promise. Her name is Verity.”
Thankfully, the name was familiar to Hunter B-15. Variants very rarely avoid trial, after all.
“The redhead?”
Another shake of the head, this time vertical, answered the hunter's question.
“She's an accidental Variant. She didn't choose to veer off the path, she was led astray,” Mobius continued, his open hands bouncing up and down slightly, “It's too late to reset her back on the Timeline, but she's on our side. She's also got no combat experience, and I wouldn't trust her with anyone else.”
Another exasperated sigh. She didn't like to admit it, but even the Hunter could acknowledge that the Detective could easily find someone's soft spots. For Hunter B-15, it was her pride in herself and her work. The thought that only she could be trusted with such a unique situation boosted her confidence just a tick. Not that she needed it, but the acknowledgement was just as important.
“Fine. I'll meet you at Gym 4.”
“Oh, now?” Mobius said with a smile.
Hunter B-15 had started to turn away, but she looked back at Mobius with a keen look, “Better now than during another ambush.”
Before Mobius could retort, Hunter B-15 carried herself away. It wouldn't be her if she didn't hold her allies' deaths over his head. At least she was willing to help.
As quickly as he disappeared, Mobius reappeared back at his desk. Although he had jogged in heartily, he still opted to let his voice precede him.
“Verity?” Mobius called out.
“Shh…”
Verity was quick to hush Mobius. Silently, she motioned to two sleeping Loki Variants, each nestled into their respective chairs. Loki had his arms laid over the desk, his head resting on the nook of his elbow like a pillow. Kaia somehow slept while curled up in her chair. The chair was resting against the wall of the cubicle to prevent sudden movement, but it was impressive that she could sleep while hugging her knees.
The recruit quietly got out of her seat. The lack of Miss Minutes implied that all of the videos were complete.
“Turns out it's a Loki thing…” Verity softly chuckled.
Mobius complimented her laugh, “While they're settled down, I've got a surprise for you.”
“Oh?”
“Some one-on-one action, if you will…”
Mobius opted for the Time Door for efficient travel to the corresponding gym. Gymnasium #4 looked pretty standard to a high school gym, save for the proper TVA brown on the walls and a slew of targets and punching bags protruding from the ground.
The very same officer that brought Verity to her theatre was already training in the room. She had a baton in her hands, gripped in her hands similar to a baseball bat. Her helmet was strapped on; the scratches in her helmet shone against the fluorescent lights. The notches looked deliberate, like tallies. When she realized she wasn't alone, she fell out of her training pose.
“Well, well, welcome to the force. You can call me Hunter B-15.” she introduced herself to Verity.
“I'm Verity…” The recruit nodded out of reflex, but she couldn't help but ask, “Your name is a number?”
“And yours isn't?”
Verity's lip puckered, tucking itself into her left cheek. Touché? She supposed so.
“Well, I'll leave you two to it…” Mobius said, inching towards the Time Door that hadn't yet closed, “I know better than to let sleeping Lokis lie.”
“Wait, you're just gonna leave me here without a way out?” Verity aimed her sour look at Mobius.
“I've gotta TemPad if you need to go somewhere…” Hunter B-15 said bluntly.
“See? There ya go. I'll be at my cubicle if you need me, B-15…” And with that Mobius disappeared into the orange abyss.
The redhead huffed slightly. Just when she thought Mobius was on her side, he up and leaves her with someone she barely knows. At least Hunter B-15 didn't appear to be outright hostile. Even more so when she plopped the baton she was training with against a nearby bench.
“Here, I've got some gear for ya.”
In comparison to B-15's armour, Verity was packing light. The Hunter helped the Agent into a fitted bulletproof vest. The TVA logo was embedded into the chest plate because of course it was.
“Since you're not on the front lines, you don't need as much gear as us Hunters…” Hunter B-15 explained, “But you should never go on the field unprotected. We deal with threats of all shapes and sizes.”
A quiet statement of gratitude passed Verity's lips as she adjusted the heavy vest overtop her woolly vest. It felt a little tight on her, but it'd probably be a bad bit of armour if it wasn't a snug fit.
Hunter B-15 walked over to a back wall. Hung against it was a supply station of sorts. She opted for pulling down another black baton from a wall rack. The wall baton looked similar to the one she was holding; a pristine black with two rubber ridges. One just protruded in a circle, while the other was a border for a rubber handle. One end of the baton was translucent as if it could light up. The main difference between the batons was merely the word ‘REPLICA’ etched against the wall baton's side with an orange stencil.
“This is a replica of a Time Stick. The real thing is dangerous to newbies, so we're going to practice with this until you settle in.”
Cautiously, Verity accepted the replica into her hands, “This is your main weapon on the field, right?”
“Ah, you've done your training videos already.”
“Feel free to refresh me,” Verity said graciously, “None of those videos included practical examples.”
“Right on…” Hunter B-15 recalled her Time Stick, which was very much the real deal, “These weapons have a few settings. Your replica is merely meant to help build muscle memory, but it will light up the same way, depending on what you want to do. Just hold this ridge near the base end and twist it…”
Hunter B-15 made sure to demonstrate the motion slowly. She gripped the rubber ring that sat isolated along the stick. She turned her wrist counterclockwise and pulled the ridge inward, bumping the two rubber ends together. As she let go, the lone grip automatically went back to its initial position. At the same time, the business end of her Time Stick began to glow a pastel indigo hue. As the lamp lit up, she waved the weapon like a magic wand, twirling it in a spiralling motion, floating upward until her forearm halted it in its tracks.
“The twirl is just for show,” Hunter B-15 grinned, “Steady your Stick under your wrist when you're idle. That way, if you need a two-handed grip, you'll only need to pull your hand down.”
Hunter B-15 also took the moment to plant her feet in a ready stance to perfect the idle pose. She didn't dare aim her real weapon at Verity, but she did glance over at Verity to observe her first attempt.
Taking the silent cue, Verity attempted to activate her Time Stick. She did the fancy twirl, lightly tapping her replica against her wrist, only to realize she blanked on activating her weapon. With a sigh, she lowered her weapon and thought about what she was asked to do. She gripped her fake Time Stick, cocking the grip inward, and watched as the tip of her twirl gradually shone into an artificial blue under her arm.
“You'll get there,” Hunter B-15 smirked, “It's all about practicing from here.”
Verity simply nodded, content with her successful attempt.
The instructor took this as her cue to continue her lesson, “Now, pulling the ridge inward triggers an indigo light. Indigo for time flow.”
Without warning, Hunter B-15 charged ahead, heading straight for a training dummy. She whacked the dummy's head, prompting the prop to wobble back and forth on its base. However, the motion was incredibly delayed. The dummy was moving unnaturally slow; slow enough to see the fabric ebb and flow from the dent that the Time Stick had made.
“When you strike an enemy in Indigo, they'll move at 1/16th of their regular speed. The pain from the strike happens in real-time internally, though,” Hunter B-15 explained, “This allows us to detain the target safely, be it with Time Collars, cuffs, or any other device. We have about 20 seconds of real-time to perform any apprehensive action before the target returns to normal.”
Right on cue, the target snapped to standing upright without any delay.
As she was talking about this particular function, Hunter B-15 was much more content, relaxed, and dare Verity suspect: happy. It was all in her body language, with the way she nonchalantly held her Time Stick once the indigo light faded.
“Is that how you apprehended Loki?” Verity guessed.
Hunter B-15 needed only to laugh to confirm her suspicion. It must've been a good arrest.
“We'll practice our idle pose again. This time, move your grip forward.”
The Hunter demonstrated once again, sure to voluntarily move at a reduced speed for Verity to observe. The flick of her wrist was quick, only needing two fingers to slide the ridge forward. It nearly breached where the metal met the lights before falling back into place. This time, the tip of the Time Stick illuminated a familiar orange as the weapon fell into its resting position. Verity managed to successfully recreate the pose, down to switching the replica’s light from indigo to orange.
“Orange is the most common function. It's also self-explanatory.”
Hunter B-15 attacked the dummy again, but this time, she lunged forward, stabbing the target in a sword-like motion. She may as well have lit a firework because it produced the same effect. The dummy became overtaken by pale orange sparks, exploding from where the blow landed. The sparks transitioned from orange to blue, then finally from blue to nothing. The fizzing noises the action emitted were consistent until nothing of the target remained. Even the stump it had stood on had vanished completely.
Verity watched in awe. She knew what had happened from the training videos, but seeing it in person was a whole new experience.
“That… must be what pruning looks like…”
Hunter B-15 nodded, “That's also why you're training with a replica.”
Verity's grip on her faux stick subconsciously tightened. Seeing how permanent pruning was in the flesh made her feel unnerved.
“I'm… really not sure if I'll get used to combat…” the recruit admitted.
“Verity, you'll never enter the field alone and you'll never be asked to join the front lines. Especially as an Analyst,” Hunter B-15 reassured her, “This training is just to ensure you can defend yourself in case you're ever separated.”
Verity audibly exhaled with relief. She wasn't expecting such compassion out of such an authoritarian organization, but Hunter B-15 was a welcome exception. She was in a silent room, yet she was able to hear the honesty in her voice.
The recruit twirled her fake Time Stick with bravado, opting to rest her weapon on top of her wrist, rather than under it. An open palm was just an inch away.
“Were you always just Hunter B-15?” Verity asked as she 'pruned' her own training dummy.
“I was created to protect the Sacred Timeline,” said the Hunter, “So I always am and will be Hunter B-15.”
Notes:
Hello everyone; it's Star from the future interjecting. In case it's not obvious enough this entire story was plotted BEFORE Loki season 2 dropped, I'll just note here for this story that B-15 is not related to Verity Willis in ANY way for this story. Get S2E5 out of your head; that plot twist won't crop up here.
Chapter 12: The Salad of Asgard
Summary:
Chapter 12 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia and Loki review some of the Sacred Loki’s files. A sudden realization preys upon Mobius’ lunch.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains the desecration of a perfectly good salad.
Chapter Text
During their shifts at the TVA, there were times when Verity was whisked away by Mobius for the odd ‘solo’ training session. Kaia didn't really get it, apart from the hint that Variants such as herself would be excluded from this type of training. At least Loki, used to being left to his own devices, knew what to do in a situation like this. He allowed Kaia to tag along. They exited an elevator together to enter an open room filled with tables, chairs, files and filing cabinets.
Kaia had never been in a room like this before. She was used to being surrounded by walls. Seeing a balcony was interesting, even though the landscape beyond it was just more balconies.
“Where are we…?”
“These are the Archives. Where all records of all Timelines are kept.”
Well, that makes sense.
“Why're we here?”
“I told Mobius it was for research's sake. He thinks I'm here alone, reading all of the necessary files, but I'm not boring like him…” Loki pulled Kaia into a makeshift hall. He sifted through a shelf until he found a stack familiar to him. “It's time for your first Loki lecture.”
Loki took care to lower his hands so Kaia could see what he was holding clearly. Sure enough, a familiar 'LOKI LAUFEYSON' was printed onto the outer folder. That was his Sacred file.
“You were being serious about the whole mentorship thing?” Kaia's mouth was slightly agape, hopeful eyes staring Loki down.
“But of course!” Loki retorted, “Since you are a Loki, and one with no memory of such at that, it's vital that I help you gain your sense of self back. You are just like me, after all; a powerful, benevolent God.”
“That also can't use his magic.”
Loki paused for a moment, then continued, “Technicalities. That's why we're starting simple, with an overview.”
By this point, Loki had found a suitable table for the pair to share, tucked away in a far corner of the Archives, yet close enough to enjoy the view of other balconies. He assigned Kaia to her seat and laid out the files he carried before taking his own seat.
“For this lesson, we'll go over a Loki's abilities, personality, and strengths.”
“What about weaknesses?” Kaia asked.
“I think you already know what your handicap is, Kaia. Living as a human for so long, out of practice with your magic. We're going to focus on what makes us Lokis so great. Starting with our weapons.”
Loki pulled out a few of the file photos that jutted out awkwardly from the pages. Black and white polaroids of various blades and weaponry, each with little footnotes scribbled on the white spaces.
“A Loki's favourite weapon is a dagger, but we can handle all sorts of blades and knives. I once killed several enemies with a single dagger.”
A quiet murmur of adoration slipped past Kaia's lips as she took in the images. She was most drawn to a staff with a piercing edge protecting a glowing core.
“What's this?” Kaia turned the picture around so Loki could see it clearly.
“Ah, that Sceptre…” Loki needed no reminder of what that was. It was given to him, possibly only a few days ago. “Remember those Infinity Stones you found in those drawers?”
With a simple nod from Kaia, Loki continued.
“The Mind Stone was infused into that Sceptre and given to me in order to invade New York… It allowed me to fully control almost anyone's mind, including a Chitauri army.”
“Wild…” Kaia pretended to know what a Chitauri army was. “Who gave it to you?”
"Undying?"
Loki flinched. Recorded words echoed in his head briefly. He had to choose his words carefully.
“A mad titan called Thanos… Hellbent on collecting all of the Infinity Stones…” Loki flipped the stack to the very last page of his file. “It turns out that he had manipulated me into doing his bidding and, at the end of my file, he was the one that killed the Sacred version of us.”
Kaia's face was solemn. It couldn't have been easy for Loki to recall his death, but it was her own as well. She had to show some form of respect.
Loki had chosen to show Kaia the paper version of his file for a reason. He didn't want to watch his own death again, never mind subject Kaia to such a graphic sight.
“So, step 1 of being a Loki, don't get manipulated?”
Loki paused again. He looked at Kaia, who was showing him nothing but her pride through her teeth.
“I see you need no training on the witty comebacks.”
“Thank Verity for that…” Kaia said with a giggle, picking up part of Loki's file at random to read.
“Then you're ready for our next topic: trickery. We're cunning and clever Gods of Mischief. We use deceit to—”
Kaia was quick to interrupt, “We can't lie around Verity, you know…”
“Assuming there's no human lie detector,” Loki corrected himself, “We use deceit and trickery to gain the upper hand. Let me find a good example…”
It took Loki a minute, but he did. Kaia watched as he flipped the stack back upright. He nipped at early pages until he found a page with polaroids of young boys side by side. Surprisingly, these images were in colour. The one with the black pixie haircut was clearly Loki, but the other was unfamiliar. He had blond hair covering his head like a bowl. Edges of a red cape were flowing out from the shoulder armour that he wore. They both seemed happy.
“Who's that?” Kaia asked, tapping her finger on the cheek of the unfamiliar blond.
"I thought the world of you."
Loki grabbed at his own pant leg in order to hide his second flinch. He thought he was ready to talk about everything regarding his life, but this wound proved to not be fully healed. Not yet.
“That's Thor, my… our elder brother. God of Thunder, the intended king of Asgard…”
The words Loki spoke came out bitter. He didn't intend it to be that way. Kaia didn't notice.
“We grew up together, and being brothers, he was the most frequent target for practice. Read this…”
Loki slid the page of the file to Kaia's side. She set aside her initial reading to pick up her assignment. The file was written in a script format, which she appreciated. It made it all the easier to read.
It didn't take Kaia long to look away from the file. She immediately had a question for her newly established mentor.
“Why are we reading a story about Thor in your file?”
“Remember, Kaia. Trickery." Loki wagged a finger, encouraging her to put her eyes back on the paper. Kaia read further.
Kaia gasped loud enough to garner a look from the odd TVA analyst that shared the space with them. It wasn't enough of a disturbance to prompt a (probably warranted) shushing, despite what followed.
“You STABBED him‽” Kaia shot Loki a horrified look.
Loki could only shrug. “I didn't hit any vital organs.”
Sure, the file did confirm that to be true, but the mere notion was something that Kaia had trouble fathoming.
“You were eight years old!” Kaia exclaimed, “Where's the trickery in stabbing someone?”
Hmm. Loki needed a moment to gather the reasoning. He wasn't expecting the pushback on something so simple.
“Kaia, this is merely Asgardian roughhousing. Asgard is founded on old royal foundations… I think the historic Midgardian equivalent is 'Viking Age',” Loki said, “Young Asgardians were trained for battle, especially with a royal lineage like ours. We were supposed to be prepared for battle, and yet, not seek it…”
“Well, I'm certainly not seeking to stab anybody. Especially not someone I'm supposed to care about…”
Kaia returned the snake story back to its proper place in Loki's file. She made sure the photo of Thor and Loki were properly attached to the paper, to emphasize her point. Unlike the file, she had no attachment to Thor. However, both of them knew whom Kaia was thinking of when she said that.
“I wouldn't dare ask you to stab your friend, but you do need to be ready to stab to protect yourself, and to trick those you intend on tricking.”
Loki folded his hands together, creating a pedestal for his chin. He wasn't about to sugarcoat why his life wasn't an easy one to lead. His life involved doing things that heroes wouldn't do. Doing things that good people wouldn’t do. What someone like Kaia never thought of doing at all.
“Right…” Kaia conceded with a whisper. She recollected the little chunk of file she held previously but didn't have the energy to read it.
Loki didn't want Kaia to fold in on herself like that. After all, this lesson was supposed to focus on the benefits of being his Variant.
“You've got so much potential bundled in that tiny body of yours. Super-strength, excellent marksmanship, illusion manipulation, duplication casting — and yes, there's a difference between those two — conjuring almost anything you desire, and so much more…”
Kaia puckered up with a familiar look of doubt, “Are you sure?”
“Of course! At first, I had my doubts as well, but your aura reading doesn't lie,” Loki conceded in his own right, “That aura is what connects us as Lokis, Kaia. We may not share DNA, proper height, or memories, but we do have the same soul.”
“The same soul?” Kaia repeated, her gaze zeroing in on her tall mentor.
“We have more in common than you think. A cautious approach to the TVA, the snarky comebacks and quips… the stinging glimmer of self-doubt…”
Kaia's hazel eyes flickered slightly against the table lamp's light. She stayed silent, reflecting on what Loki had to say as he continued.
“You should keep your name. I'll keep calling you Kaia. It seems right for you,” Loki suggested, “But remember, even not in name, you are a Loki. And you are powerful. It'll just take time to unlock those powers.”
“Thank you…” Kaia conceded with a simple nod, “But how do we train if we have no magic or weapons?”
“Well, we still have to befriend our way through the TVA… We'll work on manipulation and trickery first,” Loki explained (quietly, as to avoid the gaze of anyone else using the facilities), “We have to cozy up to these analysts and detectives in order to gain their trust and gain access to more areas. Hopefully, their armoury included.”
As Loki talked, Kaia's eyes wandered down to the file she was holding, in hopes that it would relay another story. The papers in her hand quietly ruffled as she turned a page.
“Don't they just have those death sticks?” Kaia asked, referring to the Time Sticks that most TVA agents use.
“I'm sure they have blades somewhere, perhaps in an evidence holding room…” Loki pondered the possibilities aloud, “A dagger, a knife… Hel, even a machet—”
A quiet gasp interrupted him. Loki looked up to see Kaia completely enthralled in her reading material. Kaia couldn't even pry her eyes from the files, but it was clear that something had her attention.
“You had a sugar daddy?”
… ??? ...
“A sugar WHAT…” Loki growled, his face narrowed at the sudden shift in conversation.
“Look here!!”
Kaia spun her small stack of files around so Loki could read them from his vantage point. In bold print, the file made note of a place called Sakaar, somewhere unfamiliar to him. Meanwhile, Kaia was beaming from ear to ear. She finally found her stride in this Loki lesson. Even if it was something as unconventional as snooping in on romantic outings.
“You were on this junkyard planet and had a fling with some old guy for like, two weeks!”
Loki read these files, slightly unimpressed by the notion. Despite Kaia's Midgardian slang, he was able to piece together what she was implying. The 'old guy' appeared to be in a position of power, and she may be misinterpreting his persuasion for flirting. Flipping another page, Loki noticed an important detail. The detail explained why he couldn't fathom much of this file.
“You, young lady, are reading ahead!” Loki tapped on the top corner of the file, noting the date. “This happened in 2018. I was pulled out of the Sacred Timeline in 2012; I didn't experience this firsthand.”
Kaia, deciding to overlook how the Sacred Timeline graded all of time by just one measure of time, elected to rephrase her initial comment.
“So… Future you had a sugar daddy?”
With an audible grunt, Loki lightly smacked Kaia's bicep with the back of his hand. Nothing to hurt her, of course, but rather to reprimand her for such undue conduct.
“Class dismissed." Loki gave Kaia a slightly indignant look. “We'll continue our talk later.”
“Nice!” Kaia jumped from her seat, “Verity said she got some card that lets her access the vending machines. When do we get those?”
“I'm not sure if we do,” the Variant said to his counterpart.
“Then I guess she's my meal ticket! See ya!”
Kaia scurried off to the nearest elevator, quick to leave Loki with the mess of papers behind. Some Loki traits seemed to be ingrained across all Variants.
“She's going to take some work…” Loki admitted.
One by one, Loki sifted through the files to ensure they were in order. Even the ones that Kaia was so fond of. Sakaarian arenas, spaceship garages, the Destruction of Asgard…
Wait, what?
Loki brought the archival inquiry to the forefront, examining it intently. Sure enough, this event was listed as an inquiry, not a Nexus Event or anything peculiar. As soon as he saw the event analysis summary, everything clicked.
Ragnarok. The prophesied destruction of Asgard that's said to come about when the fire demon Surtur sets his crown ablaze with Asgard's eternal flame. The fires that will lead the kingdom to smoke and ruin. The Sacred Loki had lived to see his home's demise.
Loki read on, how a group of ‘Revengers’ aided and abetted a group of refugees to flee before the realm collapsed upon itself. So it seems that the 'entire' annihilation didn't include them, and subsequently, himself. He did just recall how he died, after all.
And yet, he was struggling to stave off misty eyes.
It was a good thing that Kaia couldn't sit still for long. He certainly wasn't about to let her see him get emotional so early on in her training. Reading about the end of his home and his people on branded letterhead tested those limits. It took a fair amount of energy for him to accept this.
Energy.
Loki's eyebrows knotted briefly. He had just read the word, didn't he? He found himself coming back to a particular line in the inquiry.
Zero variance energy detected.
Surely, that was just a part of the document template, right? It's the Time Variance Authority. Of course, there'd be a row about variance energy. And yet, he couldn't wrap his head around variance mattering at the apocalyptic end of a realm like Asgard. Variance energy shouldn't exist, never mind matter at the end of a world.
… … …
What if it did?
Loki's head snapped up straight, a shimmer of realization in his eyes. He lightly swatted his file against the desk. What was supposed to be an aide for one Variant case turned out to be a revelation for the other.
The God of Mischief was suddenly feeling quite peckish.
In the blink of an eye, Loki found himself making strides into the TVA canteen, armed with weapons of knowledge and the Ragnarok event inquiry. Familiar faces were occupying the room, but he only had eyes for the one who had both a bright red aluminum can and a jet ski magazine wilting off the side of his table.
“I found something!” Loki announced his presence at Mobius' lunch table with the feeble tap of papers against the Detective's shoulder. As Loki pivoted to face Mobius, he was met with a disgruntled man, showing the palm of his hand while chewing the remainder of a mouthful of salad.
“No,” Mobius managed to choke out, “I said to not bother me until you've read all of the files.”
“I have.”
“Every file?”
“Yes.”
Mobius glanced up at Loki, hovering over him with mischievous optimism. He twisted his palm sideways and swiped it down slightly to emphasize how short on temperament he was. How dare he interrupt a very important lunch break!
“Pertaining to the Dangerous Variant?” Mobius said, clarifying to make sure he hadn't sidetracked himself with Kaia's case. The Detective needn't know about what lecture recently took place.
“The answer isn't in the files, it's on the Timeline." Loki sat himself down at Mobius' table without losing a step of his eagerness. Mobius begrudgingly didn't object to this, opting for another small bite of his food to buy himself a little patience.
Loki announced without a single stutter: “The Loki that's killing your Minutemen is hiding in apocalypses.”
Mobius stared plainly at Loki. He was going to need a bit more than that.
“Which apocalypse?” Mobius asked, offering a weak shrug in return, “Any time in history? There's like, a million of them.”
Loki mirrored the eager paper flip that Kaia had done to him. This allowed Mobius to see the inquiry with 'DESTRUCTION OF ASGARD' stamped in bright red letters.
“Ragnarok. Are you familiar?” Loki leaned over the table as he spoke, his finger tapping on the exact word he was referring to.
Mobius grimly nodded. What sort of Loki expert would he be if he didn't know of Ragnarok?
“Yes… The destruction of Asgard and most of its people. I'm sorry.”
“Yes, very sad…” Loki took a moment in. This was to show Mobius that he did feel bad for his people but still, he wasn't about to show his grief. All he needed was a split second to snap his posture upright. His hands tensed up as his fingers flexed outward. He was back to his usual self. “Anyway! It got me thinking!”
Mobius looked at the Variant expectantly, his head notched at a roughly 45-degree angle. This allowed the pause to linger a moment longer than either of them anticipated.
“Go ahead,” Mobius broke the silence with his permission.
Loki propped up his shoulders and readied his hands, letting the file flatten out on the table. Unbeknownst to Mobius, this was Loki's second lecture of the day. Although this topic was actually a theory, he knew just how to sell it as if it weren't.
“Nexus Events happen when someone does something they're not supposed to do, right?”
“Well…” Mobius bobbed his upper body in a jittery way. It was hard to tell if he was agreeing or if it was just the caffeine kicking in. “It's a little more complicated than that, but yeah.”
“Great!” Loki flicked his two thumbs toward the ceiling. “And then, that thing that they're not supposed to do cascades into a whole range of other things that aren't supposed to happen.”
Loki's hands painted the scene as he spoke. Smooth transitions from his index fingers tumbling over themselves in a cascading effect to his fingers branching forward demonstrated how invested he was in his theory.
“So on, so forth, until a new timeline branches. Yes?”
Mobius acknowledged Loki's correct statements with hand motions of his own. The way Mobius jerked his hand up and down was closer to an ice sculptor's chisel, as opposed to a gentle paintbrush.
“Chaotic alterations of a predetermined outcome…”
“Exactly! So…”
The God suddenly froze with both of his fingers pointed straight at Mobius, whose face was as plain as his personality. This moment made one thing abundantly clear. Hands weren't enough to explain this brilliant theory. He needed an example that would truly help the Detective understand where his mind was at.
Loki reached across the table, picking up Mobius' half-eaten bowl of romaine salad from its orange tray placeholder. The overlapping conversation that ensued was the mild form of chaos that Loki thrived under.
“Let's just say that—”
“What are you doing?”
“Your salad is Asgard in this scenario.”
“No, it's not Asgard, that's my lunch.”
“It's a metaphor. Just hang in there.”
“I want that salad…”
Mobius' body shifted from a neutral posture to one of a thirsty flower. Leaves wilted down either shoulder, stem wilted to keep the head askew. The dejected Detective could only watch as the Variant prepared to do something far worse than pick up a utensil.
“So, I could go down to Asgard before Ragnarok causes its complete destruction…” Loki said, his head swivelling frequently between the Detective and his lunch, “And I could do anything I wanted. I could…”
Loki trailed off with a little hum. His hands had wandered from the salad bowl, lifting a pair of spice shakers off the table. Salt in one hand, pepper in the other. He glanced at his newfound props, admiring them just before he realized that he needed them.
Loki wagged the salt shaker and announced, “Push The Hulk1 off of the rainbow bridge!” just before flipping it over, sprinkling the minuscule white bits into the salad of Asgard.
Mobius could only manage to cross his arms. His stiff upper lip was now even stiffer as the edges sunk his face into a rigid frown.
“There he goes…” Loki softly said, watching his own hand perform a different kind of magic.
“The salt's Hulk…” Mobius quietly rephrased the 'scenario' that was giving his lunch an unhealthy amount of sodium.
“And also!” Loki ignored Mobius, choosing instead to draw his attention to the pepper shaker in his left hand, “I could set fire to the palace!”
“No,” Mobius groaned, “Just stop—”
Like a scale, Loki's hand shifted. His right hand stopped shaking, the left taking its place. Black and grey specks joined the white ones in a bath of assorted green leaves.
“Don't set fire to the palace…”
Mobius could hardly watch the continued desecration of what he wanted to enjoy. When Loki decided to once again add salt to his spiced-up metaphor, the annoyed Detective decided he couldn't bear it. He glanced to his side as the Variant continued talking.
“I can do whatever I want to do, and it would never matter. It wouldn't go against the dictates of the timeline because…” Loki clicked the shakers down against the table. He needed an apocalyptic metaphor. A splash of red would do the trick.
Loki went for Mobius' typical can of Josta. However, when he was about to complete his train of thought, he was derailed by the unusual, airy feel of the can. A fruitless shake confirmed the truth: it was empty.
Mobius snickered under his breath. He had been one to down a can of his beloved energy drink in merely a few swigs. That odd skillset wasn't supposed to come in handy, but for now, it did.
The Variant wasn't about to let himself be thwarted so easily. Yet, his table now lacked suitable options, especially now since he was married to the thought of having edible-based stand-ins for his metaphor. There had to be another way.
“When do you think I'm getting one of those food cards, Vee?”
A-ha.
With a single finger, Loki excused himself from the table. He spun around to see Verity and Kaia sitting together at a table not too far away from them. Verity had her shiny new TVA-issued purchasing card in hand, despite having her lunch clearly laid out for her. Her salad appeared to at least have some protein, with slices of boiled egg sailing the dressing seas like little warships. Whatever Kaia had to eat was already devoured, seeing as her tray only had an empty plate and a small bottle with a crystal-clear beverage in it, save for the red, white, and blue label wrapped around it.
“Ah, hello!” Loki hurried to their table. A weak “Oh, God…” uttered by Mobius went unnoticed.
“Hi…?” Verity's reply was more of an unsure remark than anything. She hadn't even noticed Loki storm in. Kaia looked just as confused. She wasn't expecting to see him so soon after the lecture.
“Mind if I borrow that?” Before Kaia could respond, Loki scooped Kaia's soda bottle into his hands. “I just need this for a second.”
Slowly, the cog pieces fell into Kaia's place. “Uh… yeah? I do mind?”
“Thanks." With a wink, Loki returned to Mobius' table with Kaia's drink.
“HEY!” Kaia leapt from her chair to give chase. A curious Verity abandoned her lunch to follow her. They both ended up at the same table, eavesdropping on Loki and Mobius right in the midst of their lecture.
“Because the apocalypse is coming! Ragnarok!” Loki pointed to the carbonated prop as he lifted it higher, “Surtur will destroy Asgard no matter what.”
“No, don't do—”
Before Mobius could stop him, Loki flipped the bottle upside down. Two hands steadied the container as its transparent liquid poured out and dampened the salad. If you looked close enough, you could see the specks of salt and pepper glimmer before they fizzled out of existence.
In the same vein, Mobius' tolerance for Loki's bullshit also fizzled out. He sunk into his chair, staring into his ruined food, now swimming in unwanted seasoning and equally unwanted bubbles.
“There's the apocalypse…” Loki, now with the bottle just above his head, flashed his signature mischievous grin. “Ragnarok obliterates the salt and pepper.”
“The real apocalypse here is the death of my drink!” Kaia snatched the now empty bottle from Loki's hands. A hollow thunk! soon followed. She had swiftly bopped him on the head in her own act of retribution.
“Hey…” Loki rubbed his head, fixing his hair in the process. Kaia could only huff in return. Literally and figuratively, she was letting Loki off lightly. They both knew that.
“What am I looking at…” Verity finally spoke up. She watched as the salad dressing bled into the soda, making the crystal drink not-so-crystal anymore. She was doing her best not to fall ill at that very moment.
“The clumsiest metaphor I've ever heard…” Mobius said, his voice still weighed down by his broken heart.
“But you see what I mean!” Loki interjected, “It doesn't matter where. That Variant could be hiding in any apocalypse. A tidal wave, a meteor, a volcano, a supernova.”
“You wanna see a real supernova?” Kaia threatened, placing the bottle down harshly to emphasize her point.
“Let me finish and I'll offer you something better than a carbonated beverage.”
The sheer ambition of such a statement was enough to quell Kaia for a moment. In that brevity, Loki picked up the ruined salad of Asgard like a holy artefact. He turned back to Mobius, who was still slouched in his seat like a wounded fighter on the ropes.
“If everything and everyone around you is destined for imminent destruction, then nothing that you say or do will matter.”
Loki quickly switched again, setting the bowl down and reuniting with the shakers. As his hands rhythmically added the salt and pepper back into the dish, Verity took a step back. She wanted no part in this metaphor, especially as the unsightly smell of sticky soda residue started to become airborne.
“The timeline isn't going to branch 'cause it gets destroyed. Hence!” Loki timed the glass smacking against the table perfectly once more, “The Variant could be hiding in apocalypses, doing whatever they want, and we wouldn't know!”
Mobius rubbed his forehead, taking in the bulk of what Loki theorized. Although the crime of destroying his salad could've been avoided, the Detective had to give his dues to the Variant that did his research.
“Not bad…” Mobius said, albeit with muted emotion.
“Take us to a real apocalypse and I'll prove it. Like Ragnarok." Loki yanked Kaia closer to him, pulling her arm down slightly so she hunched over the table. “Give Kaia a chance to see Asgard before its apocalypse.”
As Kaia processed the sentences and connected the 'Asgard is your homeland' dot with the 'Asgard is destroyed in an apocalypse' dot, her eyes widened in bewilderment.
“H-how am I supposed to feel about a sentence like that‽” Kaia stammered out.
A sharp laugh from Mobius stopped that tangent from taking off, “With or without her, I'd never take you to Asgard. Bring you to your homeland so you could run off? No!”
“Fine, we don't have to go home,” Loki conceded, “We could go anywhere!”
Mobius did not concede. “I’m not taking you for a stroll on the promenade, much less an apocalypse.”
“Oh, Mobius, come on!” Loki lightly slammed his hands against the table, “What could possibly go wrong?”
“Give me five minutes and I'll make a list.” Now it was Verity's turn to chime in. Although she believed Kaia when she said Loki had her interests in mind, she also firmly believed that Loki has his interests in mind and in priority.
Kaia, giving up on the notion of reclaiming her drink, decided to invest herself in this conversation as well. “How else would we test a theory like this?”
“Hey, here's a fun theory…” Mobius glared at Loki. “You lure me out into the field and stab me in the back. That's a theory I don't wanna test.”
Loki's jaw hung agape at the audacity. He leaned back in his chair, arms outstretched to nearly their full length. He sure did look offended by Mobius' accusation. In this room, Verity couldn't quite tell if it was authentic.
“I'd never stab anyone in the back!”
Stifled laughter escaped past Verity's lips. She had her answer just from his tone of voice.
Despite this, Loki continued to talk with a wispy, overdramatic lisp, “That's such a boring form of betrayal!”
“Loki, I've studied almost every moment of your entire life,” Mobius reminded him, “You've literally stabbed people in the back like, 50 times.”
… … …
The only thing that could be heard for a solid three seconds was the murmur of general cafeteria chatter. Not from this table, but from others.
… … …
Loki knew Mobius was right but he didn't intend to give him that satisfaction.
The God of Mischief's eyebrows shot upward. He showed his palms once more and put emphasis on his words: “Well, I'd never do it again! Because it got old!”
The emphasis was not intended to be comedic. Yet, both Mobius and Verity found themselves openly laughing at the absurdity of that statement. Mobius didn't need Verity's power to know that that wasn't true.
Kaia, for her part, missed the joke.
“Vee and I can hold him accountable.”
Verity stopped laughing.
“Wait, what?” Verity said blankly, looking to Kaia for answers. What exactly was she being volunteered for?
“Take us with you two to an apocalypse,” Kaia said to Mobius, “We'd be witnesses to make sure Loki doesn't betray you.”
It didn't sound like a scheme. Certainly not a trick. Yet, Loki was satisfied with Kaia's suggestion, as it would allow him to actually test his theory.
“See! It'd be a good chance for me to teach Kaia some Loki ways,” Loki concurred, “Plus, you get to take your little test agent on the field. A fine training opportunity for her.”
Mobius' lips vibrated slightly as a low hmm spilled out. He wouldn't get Ravonna's approval for this type of mission. Certainly not with two Lokis on hand. But it wasn't only his well-being at stake with this plan.
The Detective turned to the truth-teller, “Verity, what do you think?”
Verity, recovering from the initial shock of Kaia's offer, briefly thought about the plan.
“I think an extra set of eyes on him wouldn't be so bad… Plus, I'd like to learn how that little TemPad thing works.”
Loki's in. Kaia's in. Verity's in. The votes are three to one.
Mobius reluctantly asked, “Do you three promise not to tell a soul about this?”
All three of them nodded, each at their own pace. Loki, as usual, had to be the one to add one last quip.
“Anything to prove me right.”
- If Loki twisted his body just right, he could still feel the impact of The Hulk after he had utterly humiliated him, pummelling him against Tony Stark's condo like a rag-doll. This scenario played out the revenge fantasy that Loki could only dream of now. Doubly so for the way The Hulk had rampaged against those that arrested him, freeing the Tesseract that allowed Loki to create a branch at all. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 13: The End of the World
Summary:
Chapter 13 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius, Loki, Verity, and Kaia go to Pompeii to conduct research on Loki’s apocalypse theory.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Enter Pompeii, Italy, 79 AD.
The stone huts that lined a village crafted a small market on a pristine yet warm day. The flimsy fabrics were tied to each building and propped up by outward poles. Each early awning protected an array of fruits, vegetables, and basic supplies for sale. Villagers carried wicker baskets filled to the brim with goods, avoiding the odd cart carried by a farmer as they shared the broken rocky paths.
A towering mountainscape hung over Pompeii. The volcanic properties of Mount Vesuvius could've fooled anyone. The ragged valley showed no signs of eruption, but Mobius had brought Loki, Verity, and Kaia to a precise point in time. The first wave of pumice rain and volcanic ash was due to arrive in mere moments. One of the most devastating apocalyptic events in Midgardian history.
The TVA agents were hidden in an alleyway between two huts. They would surely stand out against the villagers, who wore an array of robes, jewellery and armour, denoting their job title or general status. Mobius took great care to ensure that this experiment was as controlled as possible, seeing as no one else knows they were there.
“Wow, we're… really in Pompeii…” It was Verity's turn to let the light of adoration bask in her eyes. For someone who could only thrive on the truth, be it the past or present, living through history felt like a lie before now.
“Don't get too excited, we still have to be careful…” Mobius cautioned.
“Careful about what?” Kaia asked, her arms crossed across her chest, hands folded under the opposite bicep.
“Kaia, I thought you saw me reading that book…” Verity pulled Kaia slightly closer to her. She pointed at the mountain that kissed the daylight horizon. “That volcano's going to erupt and wipe this entire town off the face of the planet.”
“Any minute now…” For once, Loki shared Verity's excitement about something, “Imagine, all that volcanic ash!”
“Okay, everyone hush,” Mobius demanded in a whisper, “If this goes wrong, we'll cause a branch.”
“I thought that was the point of this test?” Kaia asked.
Loki was quick to add, “And it's cool!”
“Well, yes, but for one, that's not in good taste, Loki…” Mobius said, reaching his hand into his jacket, “And no one knows we're here. I would like to keep it that way. Verity, here…”
Verity was surprised to see Mobius present his TemPad to her. It was already loaded with a screen graphing the energy levels of the area.
“You want me to work it?” Verity asked for reassurance as she accepted the Detective's TemPad.
Mobius nodded, “Might as well give you the field experience since you're here. We're going to monitor the scene for any variance energy while Loki and Kaia cause a small or mild disturbance on the timeline. Like bird noises.”
“Bird noises?” Loki repeated, “Mobius, come on!”
The Detective was quick to bring about a scolding gaze towards the Variant, “If you're wrong — and there's a good chance you are — the branch that this creates could be massive.”
Loki scoffed, furrowing his brow at the notion. He loved to be right. That's what he insisted on, what with his unique salad-tossing skills.
“Oh, Mobius! You make even the end of the world sound boring!”
The only one that saw the humour in the situation was Kaia. Her quiet giggles were overshadowed by a disgruntled Mobius.
“Listen! We're not meant to be here.”
“I guess what we do here can impact the course of history…” Verity said as she adjusted the grip she had on the TemPad. The weight of the device was minuscule compared to the weight of the situation they were in.
“That's right." Mobius turned to Verity. “Stepping on the wrong leaf is one thing, but if someone survives when they aren't supposed to survive, that could cause a butterfly effect that could change the entire timeline! And if anyone finds out that we're the cause of the branch…”
Now, Mobius ought to know better by this point. It was never a good idea to turn your back on a Loki, never mind two. While Mobius lectured Verity, he could not see how the Variant rolled his eyes and took his short counterpart by her arm.
“Kaia, I think it's high time for your field experience.”
Before anyone could object, Loki ran out into the Pompeii market, dragging Kaia along for the ride. Her meek squeak of surprise stopped Mobius mid-speech, who instantly knew how badly he had messed up when he saw the Variants' idea of a disturbance.
“Loki!” Mobius' yell wasn't at full blast — for fear of making the situation worse — but it was enough to showcase his disdain.
“Kaia!” Verity gasped. She was about to follow but was quickly stopped by a firm tug on her wrist. She looked to see Mobius holding her back.
“This is gonna be rough enough with just the two of them. Monitor.”
With a reluctant nod, Verity pulled the TemPad back to chest level. Mobius was quick to draw Verity back behind him as if shielding her made a difference for what was to come.
Meanwhile, Loki found himself at the side of an idle cart, resting in the middle of the street, its owner nowhere in sight. He used his right hand to remove a wooden pin and his left to pull down the cart's gate. Within the gate stood a herd of six goats, revelling in a pathetic amount of their own hay. Kaia, who had been too short to see the cart's contents prior to the dramatic reveal, soon found herself jumping onto the cart's side, climbing it to avoid the impending stampede.
That didn't happen. They seemed perfectly content. They weren't as mighty and fearful as the goats upon Asgard, but they would do just fine in this chaotic scenario. Loki knew just how to fix that.
“GO!” Loki shouted with absolute glee. He climbed onto the cart side opposite Kaia and gazed upon the creatures, who were donned with their majestic headwear. He needed the full length of his arm, swinging it in full rounds, the tip of the pin grazing just enough fur to goad the goats out of their confines. He uttered an old Asgardian war cry to usher the goats along with noise, but only he knew of its significance. To Kaia, the TVA associates, and every Pompeii resident staring at the scene, it just sounded like shrill yelling disrupted by the rolls of Loki's tongue.
This was Loki's lesson in chaos, but he didn't have time to tell Kaia what to say or do. Still, she attempted to pick up on Loki's cues by helping the goats out of their cart. Granted, she couldn't whirl her arm around without falling from the cart, so the best she could do was nudge a goat along with a gentle tap from her foot whilst holding onto that cart for dear life.
“Be free, my horned friends, be free!”
Loki switched his grip on the cart. The hand that had spun around now gripped the edge of the cart. The other now held the pin, which the God of Mischief held to the sky like a winning baton in a relay race. His gaze fell forward as he watched the shepherd helplessly try to wrangle his flock of goats back.
If he had bothered to gaze further, he'd have seen Mobius' teeth clenched and eyebrows shadowing his eyes. A gritted glare, unlike anything the Detective knew that he could've produced. He would've also seen Verity just behind Mobius, TemPad postured in her hand like some sort of remote control. Her eyes were not on the screen, but instead shooting a worried look at Kaia. They both realized that the entire village stopped to watch the spectacle. Kaia wasn't used to the attention. Loki was. He was quick to turn to address the crowd that had cautiously formed around the empty cart.
“My name is Loki! And this is Kaia!”
Much to Verity's surprise, the start of Loki's speech was not in English. Given both the timeline cues and what little she did recognize, Loki spoke in perfect Latin1.
“Really?” Verity turned to Mobius. “He can speak Latin?”
“Most Lokis are fluent in Allspeak, the ability to understand and speak any language,” Mobius explained, “Comes in handy for foolish villains that like to talk.”
Kaia wasn't in earshot to hear that, so it came as a surprise to her that she made perfect sense of what Loki was saying, despite the complete tonal and verbal change in her mentor's voice. Still, she was polite enough to offer a wave to the crowd when she heard her introduction.
“We are agents of the Time Variance Authority!” Loki continued in the local native tongue, still using the pin to conduct his warning to them, “We bring you all dark tidings!”
Was this another lesson? Surely, thought Kaia. What else would it be? This had to be the whole notion of trickery. Or perhaps deceit?
Kaia cleared her throat to make her first attempt at speaking Latin: “Daaark tidiiiings!”
Loki looked to Kaia who, for what dramatic repetition was worth, sounded impressive. Her body betrayed the prideful notion, seeing as she had all ten fingernails clamped to the cart, and the faint blush of embarrassment upon her face.
“Decent try, but allow me…” The mentor leaned over the cart and whispered to his mentee in English before returning to face the citizens in Latin, “You're all about to die! That volcano is about to erupt!”
Kaia wasn't offended by Loki wanting to lead. In fact, she preferred it for this scenario. She carefully adjusted herself, now using her full left arm to grip the cart, freeing just enough of her right hand to point dramatically at Mount Vesuvius, which still looked like just a mountain.
“Oh, Kaia…” Feeling a hint of secondary embarrassment flush her face, Verity opted for focusing back on reading the loaned TemPad. There was no sign of anything strange, even when Loki continued to address the crowd.
“We would know because we're from the future!” Loki smiled as he finished his round of Latin, his instrumental wooden piece now pressed against his own chest. There was no visible reaction from the villagers. In fact, the only one to show strong emotion about the situation was Mobius. His forehead was buried in his left hand, physically holding the headache that Loki was inducing at that very moment.
Seeing this, Loki switched back to speaking in English, “We are from the future, right? Wouldn't the TVA be from the future?”
Before Mobius could say anything, Kaia interjected.
“Well, it's gotta be, because there are records of everything that's happened… but to fix the timeline, it's gotta be from the past as well?” Kaia scrunched up her face to showcase just how much brainpower she was using, “So it's like… future-y and archaic at the same time, no? I mean…” With her free hand and no one to stop her, Kaia tugged at her TVA-issued Variant jacket, “This colour palette is not very future-y, but—”
“Kaia." Loki turned to his mentee, which was enough to give her pause. “You might be overthinking it.”
KA-BOOM!
Everyone's heads spun back to face the commotion. Mount Vesuvius was no longer a mountain, but a full-fledged volcano. An enormous portion of the land gave way to ash and smoke, propelling rocks and other debris to fly skyward at a record pace. Pompeii's doomsday had arrived.
The crowd, seemingly unaffected by the warning they were given, began screaming in a variety of pitches. As they recovered from the vibration of the blast, they all began to scramble for their lives, collecting what little they had. One had even bumped into Kaia, who had fallen from her perch in reaction to the eruption.
“Ah! Right on cue!” Loki shouted, “Enjoy your last meal while you can!”
The God of Mischief excitedly jumped down from the cart, thriving on the mayhem that was ensuing around him. He was quick to rush past the villagers to a food stall, chucking some helpless tomatoes, greens, and the cart's wooden pin into the air.
Kaia was unsure if this was part of the Loki lesson or just a general part of the experiment; seeing what was possible in an apocalyptic setting. Either way, she found herself unable to wipe the smile off of her face. To find herself living in such a poignant yet chaotic moment in time?
This was cool.
Kaia grabbed hold of a young woman in a flowing pink gown, who was struggling to pick up her basket. She helped set her upright and just as quickly pushed her forward so she could flee, belongings in hand.
“NOTHING MATTERS!” Kaia cackled at full volume, her arms posed dramatically as she let her guest run away.
Loki grinned at Kaia, echoing her sentiment as he threw a potato across the street. “Nothing has ANY consequence!!”
The two mutually reunited in front of the empty goat cart, its contents and its shepherd no longer in sight. Kaia thought this was a moment to confer, so it caught her off guard when he took her hand into his. He raised her right arm towards his shoulder as he slipped his other arm around her back. Loki was mindful not to hold her too tightly as he posed her in a dancer's rest position. The height difference made this tricky, but feeling Kaia's left hand grip on Loki's side told him that she was ready, too.
“Dance while you still can!” Loki said as he started to turn both himself and Kaia like clockwork. They spun in an informal waltz, careful to avoid the jagged stone path underneath them, ignoring the plumes of ash that drifted closer to them.
Neither of them noticed the paths around them turn hollow, its frightened citizens no longer out in the open. The mentor straightened his arm as he tossed his mentee out of the spin, quick to grab both of her hands, prompting her to lean back on her heels. Her grip on him was solid; as if they had this whole routine rehearsed.
Yet, neither Loki nor Kaia were acting.
She couldn't stop her laughter, even if she wanted to. It was infectious enough to even get him to crack a smile that Verity could vouch for. He had no choice but to reel her back in, twirling her under his arm before she could have a chance to see his face.
At that moment, time felt inconsequential. The Variants were both happy, dancing in the apocalyptic street.
It was enough to make a detective fraught with worry. How in the name of the Time-Keepers would Mobius explain this to Ravonna? She'd sooner display his head in her office, right next to the spherical shot from Montréal, 1976.
“Uh… Mobius?” Verity snapped Mobius back into the moment with a simple tap on his shoulder, “Am I reading this right?”
Verity shoved the TemPad into Mobius' line of sight. The graph looked just as clean as it did when he handed it off to her. There wasn't even a speck of ash on its screen.
“Yeah, you are…” The Detective said through gritted teeth, “I don't believe it, but it's true…”
Loki could not hear Mobius and Verity conversing with each other, but he could see it. He finished his dance, landing a triumphant pose facing them. The only thing that made this pose less intimidating was Kaia, slightly dizzy from the twirling, who clung to one of Loki's arms to ensure she didn't wipe out.
“How'd we do?” Loki asked, unaffected by his mentee using his arm to right herself.
“Zero variance energy!” Mobius shouted, “No branching in the timeline!”
“So all of this was pointless?” Verity asked at equal volume.
“Not true! The TVA would never even know we were here!” Loki grinned, jerking his head sideways and extending his arms in a manner that prompted Kaia to let him go. “If it were me, this is where I would hide!!”
All of this yelling made Kaia wonder why everyone was yelling. She was the first to look back. She was the first to notice that the pumice and ash had made quite the journey.
“Uh… Loki?”
That was enough to draw everyone's attention to the impending apocalypse. The TVA would certainly know if the four of them were to die in this part of the Sacred Timeline.
Mobius was about to reclaim his TemPad, but found himself at a loss. Verity was already feverishly pressing buttons. It wasn't helpless, but methodic. In a flash, she found herself summoning a Time Door just behind herself.
“MOVE! MOVE!” Verity exclaimed to her co-workers. Despite that, she was the first to move. Mobius put a hand on her shoulder and guaranteed that she'd be the first to safety. Mobius knew he'd have to go in last. He wasn't about to let his Variants out of his custody.
Not that Loki would attempt to flee the TVA now. Not when the heat of the volcano was now apparent. He was quick to take the hint and fled for the Time Door. Kaia didn't need any prompting to know that she should follow.
After the third swoosh of the live Time Door, Mobius escaped Pompeii last to create the fourth reverberation. And not a moment too soon. The only evidence that the quartet had been away was the lone fume of ash that trickled behind Mobius. Verity managed to shut the Time Door before something far worse followed.
Everyone took a moment to collect their breaths before they realized that Verity landed them in an elevator. By some minor miracle, no one else was in there. It was a tight fit, but they made it work.
Wordlessly, Mobius sent Verity an approving nod. Verity reciprocated by attempting to give Mobius his TemPad back. Much to everyone's surprise, the Detective motioned for his protégé to pocket his TemPad instead.
“Hold onto it for now. We've got work to do.”
Before Kaia could bemoan that concept, the elevator doors slid open. They had arrived at the very floor that housed Mobius' cubicle. Verity quickly pocketed Mobius' TemPad before they all piled out.
“Doomsdays." Mobius led both the conversation and the group to his cubicle. “The Variant's been ambushing our soldiers and hiding in doomsdays to cover their tracks.”
“You're welcome!” Loki quipped.
“Yeah, but in order for this theory to hold, the disasters have to be naturally-occurring, sudden. No warning, no survivors.”
When they arrived at Mobius' desk, they watched as he gathered an assorted amount of files pertaining to the dangerous Variant's case.
“Across all of time?” Kaia's nose crinkled at the thought of just how much work was ahead. Her face outright soured when Mobius confirmed her suspicion.
“How many of those disasters could there be?” Verity asked.
“I don't know, but we're gonna find out.”
'Finding out' wasn't as simple as cutting to the solution. 'Finding out' was going to be a process. The Archives became the perfect backdrop for the study group. A large table in a little archival nook became cluttered with files on the Variant, Nexus Event reports, and a slew of the most well-known doomsdays across the Sacred Timeline.
Mobius organized a pile of files for each of them at the table, “Each of us is gonna take a bunch, maybe we'll make a game of it.”
Verity only had eyes for the remainder of the files, which looked like they were about to erupt in their own volcanic right. She couldn't help but ask, “We don't have anything to narrow it down further?”
“Afraid not…” Mobius confirmed, “But be my guest if you want to look at the Variant's files instead.”
“How long are we doing this?” Loki grunted.
“As long as it takes. Now, if you'll excuse me, this isn't everything…” Before anyone could object, Mobius disappeared into the halls of the Archives, in hopes of finding more apocalyptic events.
Kaia was equally unimpressed as she picked up her first folder, “You'd think such a future-y place would rely a bit less on paper files…”
“I'm sure there are advantages to paper files, Kaia…” Verity said, reaching for the TemPad that Mobius had entrusted her with.
Loki was quick to pick up on this. “She says as she plays with that little TemPad.”
“I never said Kaia was wrong.”
The TemPad interface was somewhat archaic compared to the modern user interfaces that she was used to. Verity nearly got lost in the directory, which could only showcase so much information on doomsday missions on such a tiny display. The search bar wasn't too helpful either, with a noticeable lag between making physical inputs.
Now, Verity was several folders deep in a TemPad with no clear way to navigate her way back to the splash screen. Yet, she didn't want to have this venture turn up empty-handed. There was no obvious 'Home' button on the TemPad's mediocre keyboard, but there was one button that seemed to be the sensible solution.
Verity pressed the lone button floating in the bottom left corner, displaying an icon of a familiar clock face. Sure enough, this prompted a projection of the TVA's mascot to manifest itself in the room. Audible clicks of her lowering her volume could be heard before she spoke.
“Hey, Mo—” Miss Minutes paused when she realized not where she was, but to whom she was speaking. She eyed the new recruit cautiously, “You're not Agent Mobius…”
“Sorry…” Verity apologized, “We're helping Mobius investigate the Loki Variant killing off Minutemen.”
“Consult! We're here to consult!” Loki corrected. No one was too particularly fazed by this.
“We were hoping you could help us pull more information on the Variant, especially if it pertains to apocalyptic events.”
“Sorry, sweetie." Miss Minutes frowned with as much sympathy as a hologram could muster. “But because you're calling me on an Agent's TemPad, I need their approval before pulling up such classified documents.”
“Go ahead!” A distant cry from Mobius indicated just how much of the conversation he heard. He was quick to hustle with another handful of papers, mindful to not let any of them spill out from under his arm.
“Sorry about the confusion, Miss Minutes. We're investigating a lead pertaining to the dangerous Variant. I lent Verity my TemPad, and it seems that she's figured her way around it quicker than I expected.”
Verity shot a prideful smile across the room.
“The key appears to be doomsdays,” Mobius continued, “Any connection between attacks on our Minutemen and doomsdays would be greatly appreciated. With such broad terms, there are quite a few ways that topic can branch!”
If looks could kill, Kaia's fatal eye-rolling blow was self-inflicted.
“On it! But this might take a while… I'll letcha know if I find somethin'! At least you got one hardworkin' prospect, Mobius!” With the tip of her invisible cap, Miss Minutes vanished into the TemPad.
Recovering from her lethal wound, Kaia glared at the TemPad. “I don't like her…”
Verity shook her head at her friend. “Kaia, she's just an AI.”
“Does the A stand for asshole?”
Loki buried his mouth behind a curled hand, barely managing to hold back his laughter. The corners of his smirk were too wide to be obstructed.
“Now now, let's focus…” Mobius said as he took the final seat at the table, “We had a good lead with Pompeii. Let's build on it…”
With a new foundation to their case, the build essentially started from scratch. Luckily, the foursome was in a setting where time was only abundant.
- For your convenience, dear reader, all conversations in other languages will be translated into English automatically. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Transparency note: I did change the footnote on this chapter. Read here for more.
Chapter 14: The Façade
Summary:
Chapter 14 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: With a bit of help from Mobius and Kaia, Loki finally sorts out the nagging feeling he’s had about Kaia since he first met her.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
For what it's worth at the TVA, time was a very fleeting thing to keep track of. Clocks on the walls often had branching hands, making them unintelligible to the average person. While it made sense to him, Mobius certainly wasn't paying attention. They had all made good progress when it came to reading about apocalypses, but when it came to connecting them to the Variant that's been killing TVA Minutemen… not so much.
For all intents and purposes, the broad strokes of their search only crafted a massive dead end.
When it came to determining when to take a break, instinct took over. Mobius was trained to go at this until he found the answer, but minds like Verity and Kaia hadn't yet developed that stamina. They called for a food break, and it didn't take long for the pair to hurry off to the canteen.
This left Mobius alone with Loki. Quite the dangerous scenario when it's said out loud. The Detective figured that he could also do with a moment to breathe. They opted to venture through the TVA's winding corridors, side by side, each with a file tucked under their arms.
Mobius also opted to delve further into this Variant's true motivations. A Loki that's this patient was bound to be up to something. Mobius had a guess as to what… or in this case, who.
“You're fascinated by her,” Mobius said the statement without so much as a prompt or follow-up.
This caught Loki off guard slightly, “Who?”
“Kaia.”
It was apparent to Mobius that Loki exhibited an unusual amount of tolerance when it came to Kaia. The wrinkles that formed on Loki's face as he pondered about her implied that this hadn't crossed his mind before, but Mobius had his doubts.
“I… don't think ‘fascinated’ is the right word…” Loki admitted, “It's just that… she's so peculiar? A Loki with no knowledge or her status, a Loki with genuine motivations and allies…”
“Ignorance is bliss…” The empty saying echoed throughout the hall as Mobius led the turn.
“Yet, she has started opening up to the possibility of learning…” Loki ruffled the papers under his arm slightly, “During our initial research on the Variant, I showed her some of my files…”
Mobius nodded. He remembered giving Loki permission for that session. Who was he to leave initiative unrewarded?
“And how did she react?”
“She handled it better than how she reacted to you showing her those files…”
Mobius hunched his shoulders forward and his forearms around his chest. They crafted a physical shield to match his defensiveness over such a statement against his interrogation tactics.
“Look, we had just met, and I thought she was tricking me…”
“Just drop the façade. It's clear that she doesn't know her past,” Loki said with a bit more force behind his voice, “She didn't even recognize Thor!”
Such a core statement shook off Mobius' shield. The shoulder drop was nearly audible.
“Yeah, that's a strong tell…” Mobius admitted, “At least she has you.”
Loki did his best not to flinch, but a slightly tightened grip on flimsy paperwork gave him away. That had to be yet another quip to disarm him. Mobius had been trying to break him since the moment they met. He had gotten close amid the interrogation and the end of his file, but both of them knew that Loki had not shown his centre.
“I'm not her brother,” Loki said flatly.
“No, but it's clear she's taken a shine to you…” Mobius' pursuit continued, eyes glimmering at the notion of peeling another Loki layer away, “I mean, back in Pompeii? She was your little shadow once you brought her out there.”
Loki swung his wrists skyward while keeping his elbows downward. The contrast of his posed arms formed the shape of a W, which then rose and sunk like a wave. His shrug was mightier than the giants1 of his hidden lineage.
“Well, she can't really follow you or Verity to learn the ways of a Loki…” His response was nonchalant, but it did get him thinking. “And what about Verity? You let her use your TemPad.”
Mobius, feeling the weight of the turning table, parked their conversation in an unassuming TVA elevator lobby.
“With her, I am certain of her intentions.”
A brisk chuckle helped ease Loki's arms back to his sides. It amazed him how quick the Detective was to fawn over such a curious Midgardian, especially over him.
“After all this time, you still don't trust me?” Loki's grin held for about two seconds before one last silent chortle broke the corner of his lip. They both knew how easy it was to answer such a rhetorical question.
“Once a Loki, always a Loki…”
Even with the anticipation, such a dismissal was enough to smooth out Loki's smile. “Rude.”
“Says the Loki that stole my TemPad on multiple occasions…” Mobius seemed unfazed, though the way his hands brushed his blazer told the true story. “Besides, Verity took to the TemPad rather quickly, wouldn't you say?”
It was hard for Loki to object to such a plain yet factual statement. Her quick handiwork did come in handy.
“Your suit was saved of soot thanks to her.”
Mobius eyed Loki up and down quickly. Surely, that sentence sounded smoother in the Variant's head. If any doubt sprouted out after it was spoken, Loki at least had the gumption to keep his composure.
“Indeed it was. In any case, I'm thinking of giving Verity her own TemPad.”
Of all of the facial exchanges that he could've chosen, this particular look of intrigue that Loki presented Mobius was the sharpest. Blue eyes were narrow; eyebrows as parallel as slightly parted lips. Even the slightest strands of crow's feet that spilled from his eyes were accentuated by the lighting of the room. Such a rigid expression built up to one firm yet fair question.
“Why would you tell me that…?” questioned the known TemPad thief.
“I thought we're building some sort of a rapport here…” The lack of concern in the Detective's voice was starting to irritate the Variant.
Although there were TVA employees periodically walking around and by them, none seemed to notice how Mobius drifted closer to the Variant. His eyes locked firmly on his target as his loafers silently stepped closer. Mobius lacked the ability to tower even over the smallest of giants, but his gaze was enough to command attention.
“Besides, now you know I have the power to issue you a TemPad, too. No sticky fingers involved.”
That was a true statement, but it was as sweet as honey could be. Even if Mobius hadn't stepped up to uncomfortably close heights, the trap would've been obvious. Loki wasn't one to become so easily ensnared.
“What's the catch?”
“Heh, wouldn't you like to know…” Mobius chortled, “For starters, you'll need to be on your best behaviour, including whatever example you set for Kaia.”
“I'm here to set her example for mischief, not to model the best behaviour.”
“Actually, you're here to help us find the killer Variant, which is also a condition." Mobius winked an irritating little wink. Of all the things he could've done, somehow that was what prompted Loki to crack.
With a winding groan, Loki twisted out of step, examining the room for an exit point that didn't involve dead-end lifts. Eventually, his focus locked back onto Mobius.
“When you have your Variant, my job will be done! I'll be long gone with that blasted TemPad!”
Mobius, for his part, didn't miss a beat. “And where would you go?”
“Anywhere but here! I'll settle myself back on the Timeline!”
“Back to Earth?”
“Asgard sounds much more inviting.”
Mobius mimicked Loki's signature grin. Of course, it looked much worse on him; the dimples of his smile couldn't bend quite as sharply. The added complication of his facial hair made the smirk even less threatening. But the sarcasm that oozed from his lips still reeked nonetheless.
“Ah, Loki, King of Asgard…”
“Oh, don't start…”
“The nine realms?”
“Really, must you—”
“Alone on the throne…” Mobius spoke quietly and slowly, putting emphasis on his tone, “Ruling over those you've trampled to get there.”
There was a moment of palpable silence, only broken by the white noise of idle office chatter and varying decibels of footsteps. No one was privy to the tension that was building in the tiny TVA out-cove.
“I thought we established that I didn't enjoy harming others…” Loki lowered his volume to match Mobius' tone.
“Which is why I know you wouldn't really leave. Imagine you, abandoning Kaia after all of that bonding.”
Mobius paused, allowing Loki a moment to respond. Surprisingly, there was none.
“So, by extension… you don't want to hurt Kaia, right?”
“Of course, I don't." Loki leaned back on his heel, creating a slightly larger gap between himself and Mobius. “I'm not sure if I feel the same for you after this interrogation, though.”
“Oh, this wasn't an interrogation…” Mobius winked at Loki. “It's an indication to me that you've still got a long way to become the person you wanna be…”
“And who do you think I want to be?”
“The Loki that wanted salvation, atonement for his sins… I'm on base there, right? It's going to take a lot more than nicking TemPads, messing up my papers, and charity work on Kaia to get you there.”
Loki's face soured at the facet of multiple inconsistencies in such a statement. If it was Mobius' goal to ruffle his feathers, he succeeded. In spite of such a blow to his character, Loki took note of one particular offence.
“My intentions with Kaia are genuine. I'm sure her friend would agree.”
“If it's the truth, Verity would,” Mobius said in a matter-of-fact manner, “See, that's what I like about her. She's reliably consistent. Lives for honesty, both in her words and actions.”
“Her power only works within the confines of any given Time Theatre,” Loki was quick to point out.
“But she's also shown to keep that honest record going, even when her powers don't work. That's called a high moral character.”
A familiar scoff slipped past Loki's lips, “I too have high moral character!”
Mobius looked Loki up and down, his gaze resting upward upon the God of Mischief's face.
“When I say high, I mean high in terms of a heroic standard.”
Loki's eyes could only roll so far back, but he gave it a good go. “Is apprehending a killer Loki not heroic? Or helping a fellow Loki in need?”
“Helping in self-interest, right?” Mobius prodded.
“No, I'm helping her learn about herself!” Loki corrected, “Memory loss this drastic is not a Loki's doing… much less a killer Loki… If I were on a killing spree, I would want to remember it. Savour the moments, thrive upon the victims' screams…”
“That is a fair point…” Mobius admitted, “Thanks for the proof that your motivations are in your self-interest, by the way.”
“I can't help it that this revolves around so many of my Variants!” Loki said with a hint of irritation. After all, he was speaking within the mindset of this alternative, merciless Loki. Not that Mobius seemed to pick up or care about his impromptu projection.
“You're a Variant too, Loki. Remember that.”
The Variant in question exhaled. He didn't like being reminded of that. After all, the Sacred Loki had chosen his face throughout a good portion of his life. Why shouldn't he feel so sacred?
“And what happens to us Variants after we do your job for you?” Loki asked, “What happens once this mission is over? To us Lokis? To Verity?”
“We'll cross that bridge when we get there…”
Admittedly, what happens to the Variants wouldn't be up to Mobius. It wouldn't even be up to Ravonna, though he knew exactly what she'd do in the face of Loki Variants. Any Variant's fate would be up to the Time-Keepers. When they have a moment to pull away from creating the end of the Sacred Timeline, they would decide any Variant's fate, and carried out by the judges appointed to represent them. This Loki didn't need to know that, though. He would just confuse such a moment as an opportunity to make mischief.
“Here…” Mobius selected carefully from his pile and shoved a file into Loki's hands. A quick glance at it would show that it was the most recent Nexus Events of the Variant in question. In plain print, you could even see their assigned number: L1190.
“How about you go find your friend and you read through this together?”
Now it was Loki's turn to look Mobius over. This was not a gaze of a predator upon his prey, however. The confusion was plain on Loki's face, with perfectly arched eyebrows and forehead wrinkles to match. His eyes, slightly awash by the orange fluorescent lights of the room, didn't lose their intensity as they scanned the Detective over. It's what he deserves for such curious phrasing.
“What?” Mobius uttered in equal confusion.
“You're referring to Kaia?”
“Who else would I be referring to?”
“I'm Kaia's mentor, not her friend,” Loki reiterated, “I don't 'do' friends.”
“Keep telling yourself that…” this particular Mobius chuckle was a bit more subdued, but it existed nonetheless.
Ding!
With perfect timing, the elevator that towered near them revealed its internal golden glow. The Detective took that as his cue, walking backwards into the confining space solo.
“Have fun with your new file!”
Before Loki could retort, Mobius disappeared behind the elevator doors, leaving Loki dumbfounded in its lobby. The new reading material in Loki's hand wilted as the aftershock settled down.
Is Kaia truly his friend?
Loki honestly had to think about it. It's not like he had a personal point of reference. He saw how Thor interacted with Sif and the other warriors in Asgard. The camaraderie they shared was founded upon hard-fought victories in battle and a mutual weariness around Loki's mischievous nature. Comparing that to the general and mundane friendship between Kaia and Verity felt unfair.
Sure, Kaia was friendly, but Loki chalked that up to her years amongst the Midgardians and the heritage-specific memory loss. Her kindness was founded on unwittingly living in the wrong den. Once she realized her true nature, she'd become as cold as the average Loki… right?
“Loki? Loki!”
A firm pat on the shoulder jolted Loki out of his own thoughts. He spun around to see Kaia, her arm still raised from nudging him into focus. Her cheery smile was replaced by a neutral look. Lips flattened by concern.
“Is everything okay?” Kaia asked, “You were staring a hole into that elevator.”
“I'm fine, Kaia…” Loki managed to collect himself. He lifted up the file in his hand for her to see, “Mobius just dropped more of his workload on us. For such a high-ranking analyst, you'd think he'd do his own paperwork…”
“Having a high rank means he gets the credit for delegating, doesn't he?” Kaia had a point.
“He also takes the fall if something were to go wrong…” Loki also had a point. A self-satisfying point that became more apparent as a grin grew upon his face. “Perhaps we can stage such a fall…”
“Why?” Kaia questioned, “Wouldn't that sabotage us as well?”
“This is nothing new for us. Lokis are known for mischief and self-destructive tendencies.”
Kaia's eyebrows arched at Loki's particular statement. He never mentioned the latter in any of his Loki lectures so far.
“Though, my downfalls were of my own doing…” Loki took a few steps forward as he recounted his known history, “Losing my mind to Thanos… losing to the Avengers in New York… losing countless battles to Thor… I know you haven't fought any battles, but it's something you'll come to know, Kaia.”
Kaia watched as Loki paced around the room. It soon became apparent that this was a path he's walked many times. Not in this particular room, but to keep a worried mind subconsciously settled. A distraction that was needed to keep one's own worries at bay. A concern that was familiar to Kaia.
“Was Mobius actually here?” Kaia asked, “Did he say something to you?”
A sharp turn of Loki's head as he struck his own brakes confirmed Kaia's suspicion. Loki elected to play coy anyway. “What makes you say that?”
“For one, you're talking really weird…” Kaia said, “And Mobius kinda has that influence on you. He can say one thing and make you start questioning yourself.”
Loki huffed, “That's not true.”
“You know it's true… he's an expert on Lokis, he knows the story better than you,” Kaia parroted what she had previously heard from both Loki and Mobius themselves, “You shouldn't let him influence you like that.”
“He does NOT influence me!” Loki bellowed. He was louder than he thought.
Perhaps he could blame it on the small square footage of the lobby, or pent-up anger from the thought of a TVA Agent manipulating him. But Loki had only himself to blame for the sudden look of fear that appeared on Kaia's face. Her arms were bent slightly, folded in front of her stomach. It wasn't quite a 'fight' pose in a fight-or-flight response, but the intensity of how she held herself was enough to make Loki backtrack.
“Pardon me. I shouldn't have yelled,” Loki apologized, “Why don't we go out onto a balcony to read these files? No one ever works there.”
Much to Loki's surprise, Kaia's reaction was not one of excitement but bewilderment.
“What balconies?” Kaia asked, her arms dropping to her sides.
“A few of these floors have balconies…”
Loki couldn't take his eyes off Kaia as her face widened further with each revelation. The way she processed information was like a show in and of itself.
“There's an outside to the TVA?” Kaia rephrased her question.
“Yes?” Loki said, slightly puzzled that she hadn't noticed, “They show an overview of the cityscape. You've seen it before in the canteen.”
“Those were windows??”
“What did you think they were?”
“Stock videos of some point in the future! Like, nothing like that even exists??”
Oh, what an innocent little Variant.
Ding!
“This way, Kaia…” Loki gently took Kaia by the arm, leading her into a conveniently open elevator.
Despite the seemingly pristine elevators and straight hallways, the TVA tends to twist the more you traverse it. Corridors melt into one another due to their symmetry, with the smallest of differences separating them. Navigation was an impossible task for Kaia. Loki's limited time spent within the TVA showed as he hesitated on a few turns himself. Eventually, the Trickster led his Trickster-In-Training through an automatic sliding door, entirely new to the latter.
The first sensation that Kaia felt was warm air. As if she had stepped outside and into a humid New York summer afternoon. It wasn't an unbearable temperature, but it was enough to signify that you had left the confines of four walls and air conditioning and entered a place that produced natural oxygen.
The balcony barely qualified as such. It could be more accurately described as a narrow room with half of its fourth wall missing. Sliding doors were on both narrow walls, while the full-width wall was pure concrete. The fourth wall partially had this but also had gaping openings separated by thick concrete pillars that connected to the plain ceiling, embedded with typical long office lights. There were two square tables with feeble folding chairs to represent the sitting area that Loki had previously described. A horizontal bar resting atop the balcony wall protected its people from a certain fall.
Once Kaia saw what was beyond the balcony, she simply had to test the guardrail. She rushed to the balcony, tearing away from Loki's grip as she marvelled at the view. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
By all accounts, it was an outdoor scene, considering it was mostly buildings. Some buildings looked like your average building, with only a few stories to their name. Others were full-length towers, shooting right up through the sky, as far as the eye could see. Some of the towers had bright orange tubes spilling from them. Some tubes were connected to other towers, others to the lower or upper levels. When Kaia's gaze glossed upward, she noticed even more buildings. Some buildings were connected to the towers; many of which were much too wide in mass to be safely standing at a 90-degree angle (yet, they did). Other buildings seemingly had no support to hold them (yet, they did). The buildings were in various mechanical shades, though most of the towers were branded with an arbitrary TVA naming scheme to signify the importance of that particular tower.
It wasn't all buildings. The light source of this scenery was not visible from this balcony, but it had to exist somehow. It lit this scene without providing an impactful shadow upon anything else. Especially not the centrepiece; the structure that wasn't a building. Three human-shaped beings were carved in beige sandstone. They stood taller than a fair majority of the small buildings upon the known ground level. The trio were crafted with their backs towards one another dressed in a ruffled robe attire, complete with frills, rolls, and headpieces. Their arms were fully stretched upwards; six hands held a circular object above their stone heads. It seemed to be made from the same material, but a gargantuan chronomonitor display was fully wrapped around the structure. Upon its black screen were familiar digital orange numbers, letters, and wavelengths, giving those on the outside a summary of the Sacred Timeline's status.
There was no sun, no moon, no cloud, no star. Nothing to represent anything organic. Only building after building, light after orange or white light. The farther you go along your horizontal plane, only darkness and tower windows could be seen. Looking down gave you your ground level, layered by more and more buildings below until you couldn't see past them. You couldn't rule out that there were even more buildings below, considering the towers seeped down as far as your eyes could see. Looking up gave you a look at the undersides of wide buildings, layered atop one another until you couldn't see past them. You couldn't rule out that the farthest underside could've just been a brand new floor level for another TVA tier situated above.
In the open spaces, flying vehicles tore through the so-called skies. They looked like cars; they just lacked tires. It was as if they had been plucked from the retro cartoons that Kaia had found while channel-surfing the televisions of New York. Shows from the 1960s predicted flying cars and zero-gravity buildings for hundreds of years in the future. Those shows depicted much more sleek and modern designs. The TVA's aesthetic wasn't too far off from what she had seen or read about in terms of Earth's past. Yet, it was clearly embedded in the future of… well, everything.
The TVA, by all accounts, felt eternal. Either that, or it was an infinite loop tethered by a force unseen by anything conceived before. Kaia had never felt so small in her entire five years of known memory.
Kaia's breath shuddered as Loki approached her side. He couldn't help but notice how she couldn't look away from what she was seeing.
“You're telling me that this is real…?” Kaia finally managed to say.
“Supposedly so.”
“But there isn't supposed to be magic here?”
“That's what Mobius says…” Loki said himself, “I can hardly believe it either.”
Loki tugged on a chair, letting its legs scrape against the floor slightly to snap Kaia out of her concentration. He politely offered to tuck her into the seat. She obliged by settling herself down, immediately adjusting her position once she was pushed inward. These were not the most comfortable chairs that she had sat in.
Kaia watched as Loki circled the table to his own seat. “I don't think Verity knows that this is real.”
“Let's not complicate things with her right now. Apparently, she's rather focused as a newfound analyst. We might ruffle too many feathers if we mess her up concentration.”
Loki found himself writhing for a moment in a chair that barely managed to contain him. When he settled down, he noticed Kaia not looking at him, but back at the TVA's outdoor scenery. Her eyes were sharp, focused on the setting beyond the balcony. The rest of her face seemed… soft. Especially her lips, which were parted slightly and wilting to the hollow shivers of her pensive thoughts.
“Kaia?” Loki called out, “Is something the matter?”
Kaia didn't respond straight away. She raised her hand to her face, pressing the side of her fist into her cheek. An audible inhale and exhale whistled against her nostrils, timed perfectly with a slow blink. Ultimately, she didn't pry her eyes away from the outside as her fist bounced forward slightly, signifying that she was ready to talk.
“Other places are like this, aren't they? Asgard? Future Earth?”
“Not to this scale…” Loki admitted, “But Asgard does have skiffs2 to pilot.”
“I really don't know anything…” Kaia sighed. She looked back at Loki, eyes slightly misty with a wistful look. “There's a whole world… no, a whole universe out there, and all I knew about it were the New York streets…”
“That wasn't your fault, Kaia,” Loki tried to reassure Kaia. The paperwork that he spread onto the tiny table did not help with this.
“Still!” Kaia swung her hand above and across the same table in a sweeping motion, “How am I supposed to help with any of this?”
“With your best effort.” Loki shrugged. “It's not like we're in a rush.”
The lack of urgency slowly dug Kaia out of her funk. Her glassy look faded with each befuddled blink.
“People are dying, aren't they?”
“Nameless TVA officers, yes,” Loki's nonchalant tone persisted, “Besides, time moves differently here, as Mobius likes to say…”
Kaia decided to let that conversation trail out there. It's hard to say whether or not he truly understood the weight on her shoulders, but it wasn't his weight to bear.
Her attention shifted to the files on the table. Some files were incident reports, others were medical records of those that were slain or maimed. One file was even branded plainly: ‘Profile; Variant 1190’ inked by a red stamp.
“So, what are these files…?” Kaia asked.
“Summary sheets of the known appearance and whereabouts of this 'bad' Loki." The… good (?) Loki crafted quotation marks in the sky to emphasize the difference between himself and this Variant, “We'll just have to correlate this to our apocalypse theory.”
As if there was any other theory to correlate this with.
Kaia flipped the folder open to view the killer Variant's profile. It seemed to be a list of information on the Variant to carry over onto a rap sheet upon their arrest. In comparison to what she had read about Loki, there wasn't much new information to go on.
![Variant: L1190. Variant Name: [To Be Determined]. Race: Frost Giant. Height: 5'6" (1.7 metres) [Estimated]. Eye Colour: Unknown. Gender: Fluid [Per Temporal Aura]. Birthplace: Jotunheim [Per Temporal Aura]. Alias: Loki Odinson, Loki Odindottir, Loki Laufeyson, Loki Laufeydottir, Devil, God of Mischief, Goddess of Mischief](https://img3.pillowfort.social/posts/4de1251bb344064d73ce.png)
One small tidbit did stand out, though. Kaia asked, “Why do some names end in 'Dottir'?”
“Ah, simple patronymics, Kaia!” Loki perked up, fully back in his mentorship mode. He hunched over the table, running the tip of his finger along the 'Alias' line of the paperwork as he explained his point.
“Dottir means daughter, Son means son. Traditionally, Asgardians, Jotunns, and other races adopt a compound word to describe their heritage, as opposed to a surname. For example, Loki Odindottir would mean 'Loki, daughter of Odin.'”
“So, these aliases are just listing the possible Variant name they're trying to determine.”
“Sure looks that way, doesn't it?” Loki agreed, “I'm personally rooting for Devil.”
Kaia meant to laugh. It accidentally sounded like a scoff. Normally, her laughter would have sounded cheerful, but she felt her weight pushing her down once more.
“What happens to us once we apprehend the Devil Loki?”
“I don't think you're leaving until your case is settled…” Loki alluded to the trial that linked her to Mobius, just like him. He watched as Kaia ruffled papers a bit aimlessly, shifting from incident reports to grainy picture printouts of crime scenes.
“As for me, I just need to please the old man enough to gain an audience with the Time-Keepers.”
“You want to gain an audience with the Time-Keepers?” Kaia repeated. She was louder than she thought.
Loki was quick to hush Kaia with an audible hiss. He looked around the balcony, ensuring no nosy TVA agent was putting their nose in business that didn't belong to them. It was risky enough to tell Kaia his plan, but if he couldn't key in his protégé into the opportunity he discovered, who could he let in?
“Quiet down, Kaia. Nobody needs to know about my plan…”
“I'm certain that the 'old man' has seen through your plan, right?”
How did she figure that out so quickly?
“That's the thing about us tricksters,” Loki tried to keep up his façade, “They think they know what we're doing, but we're always ready with a plot twist.”
“He definitely saw through your first plan,” Kaia repeated, a bit more boastful.
The silent tension held for about three seconds before being broken by Loki's brisk huff. At least the quiet assured him that the pair were truly alone.
“Look, there has to be more than one way to gain an audience with the Time-Keepers,” Loki bargained, “If you're lucky, it might involve you.”
“Really?”
“If my theory about your memory loss holds water, then the Time-Keepers are the way to 'fix' you. Or at least understand why you've no memory of your past.”
Granted, Loki never explained this particular theory in detail to Kaia before. Yet, this was a pitch that Kaia was interested in. Yet again, the plan involved breaking past all of the TVA's security barriers to get to the top of the food chain.
“Am I sure I want to be involved with this?” Kaia pondered.
“Trust me, you're better off with me than with this circus.”
“That's big to say as we're wearing their outfits…” Kaia tugged on the Variant jacket, freshly cleaned from the Pompeii incident. “Why are you working for them?”
“I'm working for me, not for them,” Loki clarified, “Sometimes you have to blend in with the grass before striking.”
“And once the work's over, what do you want?”
“Lots of things! My freedom. Chaos. My proper wardrobe back…”
One could feel the bitter venom on Loki's lips as his sentence trailed off. The mutual understanding that the outfits they were wearing upon their arrests were permanently destroyed was a tough truth to take. Perhaps that was why the giggle that Kaia spat out was a bit disjointed. At least she understood that a Loki was supposed to take some sort of pride in their appearance.
Kaia gazed down back at the paperwork before them. One hand ran up and down the opposite forearm, fingertips pressuring her sleeve as they dragged themselves along the fabric. A motion that Loki finally recognized as a nervous grab, though this particular motion was unique to her.
Loki leaned back in his chair, moving his arms away from his chest. He held his hands up, visible and bare for Kaia to witness. A gesture to show that he had no trick or ulterior motive (for once).
“Believe me, Kaia, you'll want to accept my offer as an ally. The answers you seek could be along the way.”
Kaia looked up to see a relaxed, open Loki. She found herself sitting straight in her chair, with the weight slowly being lifted off of her shoulder.
“I'm certain of that, Loki,” Kaia said with a smile, “I'm just a little puzzled at how you'll achieve your goal… they're the Time-Keepers.”
The Time-Keepers were touted as the strongest beings of any given universe since they prevented a multiversal war by picking and building upon one of those timelines to craft the Sacred Timeline. Or so the propaganda goes.
“Those space lizards are just part of the TVA's illusion. I'm an expert on illusions and how to break them.”
“Illusion?” Kaia repeated, “I thought you brought me out here to show that there's no magic here?”
“Magic or otherwise, there's something more to this place,” Loki said, “And we're strong and smart enough to figure it out.”
Despite Kaia's hands losing their grip on her arms, she remained unconvinced.
“I thought the role I played in this 'get to the Time-Keepers' plan was being the dumb Variant that doesn't even know—”
“Kaia, don't ever call yourself that.”
Loki's brow was completely furrowed, casting a slight shadow over his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so unsettled by a statement, especially one of self-deprecation.
“You are not dumb. Your memory loss is not willful ignorance.”
“But I don't know anything!” Kaia protested quickly.
“You know you're a Loki!” Loki's counter was just as quick, “You're a powerful sorcerer, a cunning trickster! We still need to unlock your potential!”
Kaia looked Loki up and down. Such a fanatical statement was hard to take in. Outside of Verity, what she's seen on TV, and Loki's fireworks display, she's never really seen magic.
“You really mean that…?”
Loki winced, his head tilting ever so slightly to his left. “Do we need to break Verity's concentration?”
Kaia shook her head meekly. She didn't need Verity around in order to trust people. Deep down, she did believe Loki. Just like how he believed her before and during her trial.
“It's ironic to say here, but give yourself some time. You will harness and fully control your power.”
Just like how he believes in her now.
“Thank you, Loki.” Kaia smiled at him. “You're a good friend.”
Friend.
Just when he thought he had heard the last of that word. Now she brings it up herself. Kaia's smile was warm. A bit unbecoming of a Loki, despite how genuine he was being to Kaia just before. It didn't make sense to him. Despite what he had seen in his file… Lokis were always meant to be alone, weren't they?
“I can't believe Verity is still neutral on you, I promise—” Kaia stopped herself mid-sentence when she noticed Loki staring at her as if she were the embodiment of space. “There's that look again! What's wrong?”
Well, there's no point in keeping up the façade now.
“You… really do think of me as a friend?” Loki clasped his hands together, fingers interlocking with one another.
“Of course, don't be silly…”
“Without a doubt?”
“Without a doubt!” Kaia said reassuringly, watching as Loki's fingertips rubbed along his opposite knuckle. It was an immediate tell as to how nervous he suddenly became.
“I… I've never…” Had a friend. He didn't need to complete that sentence. She knew what he meant.
“You'll get used to it…” Kaia said with a chuckle, “And I'll work on getting Verity on friendly terms with you, too.”
Loki's chuckle, by comparison, sounded more mocking and unsure.
“I mean it!” Kaia said with a slight pout, “Think of it this way: a friend is an ally for life. No matter what.”
Huh. Loki had heard Midgardians refer to love as a battlefield during his time studying it, but not life entirely. Yet, it made perfect sense. He'd be the first to attest that his centuries of life had felt just like war, especially as of late.
“That does put it into a bit of perspective…” Loki admitted.
Before he could add more, Kaia interjected with glee, “So we're friends!”
“Yes, Kaia. Friends and allies.”
Loki freed his hands from his own grip and held one open hand over the table. Happily, Kaia mirrored him. The pair firmly shook hands over the foundation of their newly minted friendship.
“Don't make too much noise about us, though,” Loki urged over the ripples of their handshake, “The plan to meet with the Time-Keepers requires skill and stealth.”
“Ooh! So we're like secret agents?”
“Trickster agents!” Loki winked as the pair freed themselves from the handshake, “Now, we ought to at least play our helper roles properly for now. I've been told that we might manage to gain access to a TemPad properly this way too.”
“Too?” Kaia could've asked plenty of things revolving around the acquisition of a TemPad. She honed in on the one that implied she wasn't the first.
“Verity's getting one. Apparently, Mobius is quite fond of her work…”
Ah. That explained so much to the one that knew her well.
“She's always been a bit of a quick study,” Kaia explained, “Not in a Loki way, but in a nerd way.”
“Perhaps, I can start you on some pickpocket lessons…”
Much to Loki's surprise, Kaia shook her head no. It reminded him at that moment that, although they were now friends, he was not her first friend.
“Verity knows me too well. She'll know if I stole something, and she'll know if you do so too…” Kaia kept firm on her convictions. A semi-awkward silence passed before she muttered, “But yeah, teach me how to pickpocket.”
Loki laughed, “I will, later on. Let's study these files for now. Part of our plan involves reigning in this Devil Loki, so we'll have to learn about our target…”
With that, the friends picked up files and dove into their reading. The silence between them no longer felt awkward, for they were a unit in the same battalion. Allies in their newfound life, refining their plan, their opportunity for chaos.
- Loki's birthplace was in Jotunheim, among the Frost Giants. He had been left behind at birth due to his ‘small’ stature. A 'runt,' as one Detective had so eloquently put it earlier on. By the time he had learned the truth, he was much too accustomed to Asgardian culture to fully abandon it. [ ▲ ]
- Skiffs on Midgard were merely shallow boats that skimmed the seas for leisure. Skiffs on Asgard hovered the skies with both speed and plasma cannons. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Last update before the new year!! Excited by how much I've posted, can't wait to keep writing for you. <3
Chapter 15: The TemPad
Summary:
Chapter 15 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius wants to issue Verity a TemPad. Renslayer has thoughts on that, not all of them are good.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
When there was no trial to oversee, Ravonna Renslayer was usually in her office. Behind every incident on the Timeline, there's a thin stack of paperwork to go alongside it. Paperwork that, sadly, doesn't complete itself.
She preferred to complete her paperwork in her formal suit, as opposed to her Judge’s robes. She had loosened her orange-and-white tie ever so slightly to make herself even more comfortable, hanging a little low around her neck. It still aligned perfectly with her golden dress shirt and brown blazer. Formalities didn’t matter as much in her private office.
Judges are the highest rank in the TVA, save for the Time-Keepers themselves. Eons of service as a hunter brought her to this point. The dented sheen of her helmet on display made sure no one forgot it when they stepped into her office.
She preferred the solitude over the hectic pace of leading the TVA. Perhaps it was because the quiet moments alone were fleeting.
Knock-knock-knock!
Very fleeting.
“Come in…” Ravonna said with a sigh, setting down her pen. It was not easy for someone of her status to have a moment alone. The click of Mobius' dress shoes against her polished floor was proof of that.
“There you are, R-Slayer…” Mobius could never say that nickname without a light laugh following it. This particular laugh seemed… nervous.
Ravonna looked at him with her head at a slight angle. “What happened, Mobius?”
“N-Nothing!” The stutter didn't help settle the Detective's nerves.
“Yeah… let me guess. Those Lokis did something wrong.”
“Actually, they're working right now. I handed off some files regarding our killer Variant for them to review.”
Admittedly, Mobius didn't know for sure that Loki and Kaia were together. All that he had to go on was the state he left Loki in and the assumption that the energetic Kaia would gravitate to him after her lunch break. He knew Lokis well enough, but he also knew that he was lucky he was talking to Ravonna and not Verity.
Although Ravonna had no reason or instinct to disbelieve Mobius, she still had her doubts.
“Leaving those Variants unsupervised doesn't sound like the smartest idea…” As she trailed off, the tips of her teeth grazed against her bottom lip. She didn't dig deep enough to allow her cherry red lipstick to stain her teeth.
“I've got it under control…” Mobius said in a reassuring manner, “I still believe we can get some of that Loki insight if we have them look into the files too!”
“But that's not why you're here, is it?” Ravonna couldn't have gotten to the Judge's position if she didn't have an elevated sense of perception.
“Yeah, you're right,” Mobius admitted as he stepped closer to Ravonna's desk, “I'm here to talk about Verity.”
“Another rogue Variant…” Ravonna said dismissively.
“But she's a smart one!” Mobius excitedly waved his hands ahead of his body, “She's quick to learn and eager to help!”
Ravonna's eyebrow raised upward silently. Her lips pursed together too tightly to speak, but a sharp glance gave Mobius his cue to keep talking.
“She's doing really well… we could have her work with us as an analyst!”
“Mobius, don't be ridiculous!”
“We could issue her a TemPad and—”
“Absolutely not!!” Ravonna took to her feet, yet remained behind her desk. Her chair nearly toppled over due to the sheer force of how she stood up.
“No Variant works for the TVA! And no one that isn't a TVA employee will be issued a TemPad!”
“She's technically working for us right now,” Mobius countered, “Like a temp!”
“A temp closely aligned with a Loki!”
“Kaia doesn't have any magic and she's fully aware of Verity's ability… she won't steal the TemPad or coerce Verity into giving hers up.”
“That's not good enough, Mobius.”
Ravonna sat back in her chair, not bothering to tuck herself back into her desk. This allowed her to cross her legs over one another, solely to prevent them from jittering up and down as a stress outlet.
“She's only working for you now because we haven't figured out where best to return her to the Timeline. With that five-year gap, putting her in the wrong place could cause major damage.”
“So let us work with her while we have her…” Mobius met Ravonna's impassioned objection with a calm resilience, “She has potential, Ravonna, I know you've seen it in her, too.”
Ravonna wasn't about to admit to that now. “She is a Variant.”
“A valuable one! With the ability to detect lies!”
It's a broken song that Mobius sang. Ravonna's heard a few covers of this particular tune, but they each elicited the same jilted reaction. What started as skewed lips and a disgusted gaze ended with the same prophetic observation.
“You're always so fond of the broken, aren't you?”
Her face gave her away. Mobius had already braced for her statement and readied an immediate retort, “Verity's not broken.”
“I'm still against giving her a TemPad, Mobius.”
“You could give her a chance!” Mobius exclaimed, his arms dropping to his sides, “Start her off with a restricted TemPad. All she needs is remote access to the directory anyway. No doors, no bells and whi—”
“Not even with a restricted TemPad!”
“Seriously?” This particular tête-à-tête was starting to take a toll on Mobius. “She's not a Loki!”
“Her interests align with one.”
“Verity just wants to help her friend. I'm sure you can relate to that, Ravonna,” Mobius said, “As your friend, I want you to understand where I'm coming from.”
“And as your friend, I must remind you of at least two moments where a Loki has stolen your TemPad for their nefarious gain. Putting one in her hands is just trouble.”
Mobius paused. He wanted to keep praising Verity. Her insight, her ability to connect, her wisdom. As the conversation started to spin onto Mobius' own shortcomings, the grip he had on the moment began to loosen.
“You shouldn't get so attached to these Variants, Mobius. As you said, they're only here temporarily before they're placed or pruned.”
Ravonna finally returned to her initial pose; feet flat on the ground, forearms leaning on her desk, a stern gaze to match her intensity. Although she considered Mobius to be a great friend, her patience on this particular topic was all but depleted.
“All TVA employees need to maintain a professional boundary with Variants because we're in charge. Not them!”
Mobius finally conceded, “Right…”
“Mobius, I cannot stress this enough. I do not recommend giving that Variant a TemPad, regardless of limitations,” Ravonna said firmly, “That is my final answer.”
With a sigh, Mobius accepted Ravonna's answer, “Just give her time. You'll see that it's great to have her on the team.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m leaving, I’m leaving…”
Mobius’ steps were heavy as he walked towards the door. He would understand hesitance over issuing TemPads to Loki or Kaia, but Verity shouldn’t have prompted such a contentious battle. It seemed so unlike Ravonna, whom he had known for her fairness. It was almost like she was a different person.
He was about to touch the doorknob when Ravonna’s voice made a soft interjection.
“For all time?”
Maybe she’s the same Ravonna after all.
An airtight pause lingered for longer than either of them expected. Mobius did not look back at Ravonna, but he did eventually reply with full sincerity.
“Always.”
Mobius left Ravonna’s office, leaning on her door to shut it with his back. Their familiar beck and call always reminded him of how close their friendship was. He couldn’t have approached any other judge with this proposition. Perhaps that’s why her rejection made a particularly deep scar.
However, Ravonna did have a point. All TVA employees should maintain a professional boundary with Variants. It was a good thing that Mobius considered Verity to be a TVA temp.
For her part, the TVA temp was doing her job. She had a moment of privacy in her cubicle, as Kaia was quick to run to Loki after their lunch break. Although she wouldn’t have picked him, she understood why. Verity knew that Kaia had a hard time with the research part of the mission assigned to them. She always had trouble focusing on doing one task for a long time, even if that task was to binge-watch a fantasy TV show that Verity couldn’t relate to. If she needed Loki’s help to her get herself back on track, who would Verity be to deny Kaia?
Verity always preferred to intake historical or scientific media, even in her youth. It was the only genre that she could properly perceive; everything else looked awkward against the green screen. Reading was her preferred method of escapism, as making mental images of historic towns or textbook enigmas was about as close to ‘imagination’ as Verity could manage.
To say the least, reading files pertaining to the Sacred Timeline was right up her wheelhouse.
She wasn’t reading in any particular order, but she had been reading up on both the Sacred Loki and the Killer Loki that the TVA had been hunting down. She hoped to find some connection between the two that might have been missed. While she didn’t find that, she did read up on other… interesting things that Loki had done. It was interesting to her because the TVA records are nothing but the truth.
She was so enthralled in her reading, that she hadn’t noticed Mobius enter until he breached the boundary of the cubicle.
“There you are, Verity! Hope the reading’s goin’ well?” Mobius smiled at Verity, who matched him with a bewildered but excited look on her face.
“So Loki was DB Cooper?” It was the oddest way that Verity had greeted someone to date. Yet, she had to blurt that out as soon as she saw another sign of life.
It just so happened that true crime was a niche favourite genre amongst her non-fiction limitations of media consumption. The reason why she liked the genre was in the name, of course. The infamous plane hijacker’s case enthralled Verity, not only for its brazenness but for its consequences on the modern world. It turns out the world had Loki to thank for the standardization of several airport security measures, including metal detectors and the now poorly-named Cooper vanes.
“Oh yeah! That was one of my favourite Loki moments…” Mobius chuckled as he pulled his chair over, “Even the Time-Keepers like to see a bit of mischief along the Sacred Timeline now and then…”
As Mobius took his seat, Verity’s face fell to neutral. An inquisitive look that one held as they realized two puzzle pieces would click together perfectly.
“So that was supposed to happen?”
“Just the stuff in Loki’s main file,” Mobius explained, “Anything labelled with Variant keywords or tags is a deviation of what’s supposed to happen.”
“Right… so all those times that Loki faked his death…?”
“All a part of the plan too. The Loki with us now is actually a big fan of the death he didn’t partake in1…”
“Why do they keep ‘killing’ him…?” Verity pondered aloud, “How’s that all a part of the plan?”
“It’s hard to say, I’m not a Time-Keeper,” Mobius admitted, “But what they write for all of the Timeline is how things should be, for the betterment of everyone that lives in it. Even all the ugly stuff, all the death and misfortune… Sometimes, people need to see the worst of life in order to make the best of it.”
Verity raised an eyebrow. She needed a moment to recover from how deep the conversation became. “That’s… very profound.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it…” Mobius chuckled, “Much like how you’ve gotten a lot of work done in your time!”
“Well, I’ll have to prove myself to gain the trust of others, right?”
Spoken like a true skeptic. Reading and verifying paperwork wasn’t too far off from her previous job: confirming the validity of anonymous surveys submitted to various firms across America (home to some of Earth’s most notable liars). They were surveys that one wouldn’t need to lie on, but if ever given the opportunity, humanity will compensate to display a socially acceptable height or weight. After making a career out of weeding out bad data from bad liars, is it any wonder that Verity was barely sociable?
“You’ve got my trust, Verity. That’s why I got you a little something.”
Verity perked up in her seat. As someone that could count the number of loved ones she had on one hand, presents were a luxury.
Mobius propped himself up in his seat, carefully reaching across his lap. He snuck his left hand into the opposite pocket, only to reveal a familiar-looking device. The gold plating on the outer shell glimmered in the fluorescent lights above as Mobius placed the valuable item into Verity’s stunned hands.
“You’re… giving me a TemPad?” Verity asked as her eyes fell upon her new toy. Its pristine condition made it clear that it was brand new.
The Detective nodded. “I have to admit, it's slightly restricted… You can only create Time Doors within the TVA. But you can access all remote files that have my clearance. Being an agent myself, that's plenty of reading material.”
“Thank you, Mobius.” The Temp didn’t need to be in a Theatre to know he was telling the truth.
The pair exchanged smiles over their unlikely bond. Verity had thought her friendship with Kaia was unique, mostly in the fact that it existed at all. Turns out it’s not so hard to make friends when you don’t have a special power with a hairpin trigger shadowing you.
Verity fiddled with the flap that bonded the screen to the keyboard, swinging the device open. The TemPad keyboard looked incredibly pedestrian, with two columns of single-digit numbers and a directional pad encompassing the main navigational functions. The accent button was in the bottom right corner; a grey rectangular button with black lines etching in a familiar clock face.
“Can I still access Miss Minutes?” Verity felt safer asking Mobius than testing the button herself.
“Yes, if you need to narrow down your search, she can help.”
Verity’s cheeks were starting to ache, what with the newfound dimples making themselves comfortable in their new home. Mobius wanted to match her energy, but he felt a twinge of guilt holding him back. He never did get his superior’s permission for this promotion, after all.
“Gotta warn ya, though… Ravonna wasn’t awfully eager on giving you this type of clearance. Best if you kept this to yourself for now.”
“Ah, you skirted her authority?” Verity did her best to not sound so scolding.
“I know, I’m such a rebel, aren’t I…?” Mobius laughed lightly, “Ravonna’s like you; she needs to see something in action before she believes it. Once she sees what I see in you, she’ll realize that the ends will justify the means.”
The ‘means’ in this case was a quick tidy of inventory to make sure one measly little TemPad didn’t cause a notable discrepancy. Not many people would have the guts to question Mobius M. Mobius’ cycle count.
“This is very generous…” Verity said as she slipped her new TemPad into her pocket, “All this for me?”
“Well, after Loki took you out of your timeline, I figured that you deserve a chance to forge your own path here. Your own glorious purpose, if you’ll indulge me.”
Mobius leaned onto his lap with his elbows slightly. He gave Verity a steadfast look that lacked wrinkles and edges. Instead, his face glowed with optimism.
“I’d like to mentor you for as long as you’re here. Help with missions; learn interrogation tactics to work in tandem with your gift. I see a fantastic agent budding within you. You’d be an asset to the TVA, especially with all of these Variants of Mischief running around here.”
Well, that was quite the job offer. Verity didn’t even realize that this was an interview. Yet… it felt right. Even if her power weren’t suppressed, she had the feeling that she would’ve been just as calm as she was at this moment.
Dare she think it; Verity was happy.
“I… yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer.” Verity wasn’t about to walk out regardless, but the acknowledgement of her efforts made her feel warm. Made her feel welcome. Made her feel like a friend.
With a firm pat on her shoulder, Verity was officially welcomed to Mobius’ team. The warm welcome didn’t alter Verity’s drive. She still kept to her reading, just with a bit of extra help. She didn’t even feel pressured to use Time Doors all that often. That function was used only when she found herself lost within the TVA corridors, or if she needed to collect Kaia so she could continue her work.
Miss Minutes had come to Verity’s aide only once so far; when she wanted to correlate the weapons suspected in the Salina incident to the known range of Loki’s preferred weaponry. There was still much for Verity to learn about everything pertaining to the TVA. Especially about the true sentience that Miss Minutes had.
She said it herself to Variant L1130 not so long ago; Miss Minutes was both a recording of files written into her database, and a living being capable of artificially intelligent thought. She knew that the TemPad issued to Verity was issued improperly. Her logical breakdown of this situation obligated her to report this anomaly to the relevant superior.
As Miss Minutes spawned on top of Ravonna’s TemPad, she was nose-deep into fulfilling her paperwork for the day’s cases. After all, there were more Variants to judge upon than just Lokis.
Ravonna didn’t even bother looking away from her pen streaking across the form, “I’m in the middle of something…”
“Ma’am, you might want to know that there's a new TemPad being used.”
The pen clattered against the paper with a subdued slap. Ravonna had an inkling of what she was about to hear, but her suspicion still needed to be confirmed.
Ravonna turned her full attention to Miss Minutes, “What do you mean?”
“Y’know that stranded Variant that Agent Mobius is keeping an eye on? She has one now, accessing files and the like,” Miss Minutes reported, “I know because she called me for information on TVA files. She knew how to call for me even before being issued her own TemPad, but I thought that was just a fluke!”
“Mobius…” Ravonna muttered under her breath. She should’ve known that he was capable of double-crossing her.
“Didja want me to disable her access?” Miss Minutes asked.
“No… no…” Ravonna thought about her desire. What to do about such a betrayal?
She could call Verity in to discuss. If Mobius had spoken truthfully of her, Verity would be compelled to speak truthfully of how she obtained her TemPad. But does Verity need to know of Miss Minutes’ true tracking power? Of Ravonna’s true reach? She was starting to doubt that Mobius remembered just how powerful she could be.
No, they didn’t need to know that she knew. The TVA is best off when Ravonna held her cards close to her chest. It was her turn to draw another card.
“Bring up Verity Willis’ file.”
Wordlessly, Miss Minutes projected a digital replication of Verity Willis’ Sacred file, complete with a current picture matching the Variant’s appearance. Ravonna reached out, pinching and flexing her fingertips to command the screen to zoom in on her summary. Tapping on a paragraph compelled text-to-speech commands on her TemPad.
“Verity Willis is fully human, but has the ability to always perceive the truth,” Miss Minutes read the highlighted paragraph aloud, “She inherited these properties when, as an infant, she swallowed an heirloom ring that her father misplaced. The ring dissolved and assimilated into Verity’s body. The magical properties were unknown to both Verity and her family as a result of being passed down for so many generations.”
“Were? Does she find out?” Ravonna placed her search query in the form of a question.
Miss Minutes paused to scan the full file for an answer, “Verity would have learned of the ring and its familiar properties when organizing her late father’s estate in 2022. Not much comes of it.”
“I see…”
It was only an initial look, but Ravonna already had to pause herself. Human Variants aren’t supposed to be this concerning. Granted, there wasn’t much she could do for now, but the only thing a Variant needs to create issues is time.
“Miss Minutes, I have a few commands for you to run,” Ravonna said as she squared away her paperwork.
“I’m at your service, ma’am!” Miss Minutes cheerfully said. A coy little wink emphasized her enthusiasm. Her superior couldn’t match it.
“Firstly, I need digital copies of Verity’s Sacred file, as well as those of her immediate family,” Ravonna commanded, “I also need information on that ring. Bring forward all files associated with that ring, and if there are any Variant rings locked up in evidence that matches the heirloom’s description, inform me of the holding place.”
Miss Minutes nodded. The whites of her cartoon eyes flickered slightly as the new commands were installed into her system.
“Lastly, I want you to treat Verity just as you would any other agent. However, I need you to keep track of all searches she makes and all Time Doors she accesses. If she asks for something she’s not supposed to see, allow it, but inform me immediately.”
“Of course, ma’am, but I’ve gotta ask… All this for a human Variant?” Miss Minutes inquired, “She was registered to the Sokovia Accords as a Category D-7. A non-threat.”
Ravonna laughed. The Sokovia Accords were a result of humanity trying to keep track of every gifted or destructive individual. Humans really thought they could process superheroes like cattle. Sure, it was as the Time-Keepers decreed it, but it was still a sore spot for the TVA. All it really prompted were superpowered tantrums and a hotspot for Variant branching points. The repeal couldn’t have come fast enough. Every day she’s thankful that she’s not the judge specifically assigned to deal with Superhuman Civil War branches.
“The Sokovia Accords are limited to the rules of the Sacred Timeline. They bear no relevance to threats within the TVA walls; accessing my files, flirting with my agents…”
Ravonna glanced to her right. Boxed in a cubby on her display cabinet sat the Time Stick and helmet she wore when she was just a hunter. The dented sheen on her helmet glimmered just a bit stronger in this light.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve hunted for dangerous and suspicious Variants… For my sake, I better not be out of practice.”
- Loki had faked his death more times than Verity bothered to count in the span of his Sacred life, including a few times in his youth. The fake death that Mobius is referring to is the one that saw him ‘die’ soon after making a killing blow on the Dark Elves that were responsible for his mother’s death. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 16: The Day We Met
Summary:
Chapter 16 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: There’s only so much whining that one Detective can take. Mobius relents and brings Kaia, Loki, and Verity to a bar for happy hour.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains prominent alcohol consumption.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Without a proper track of time in the TVA, it was easy to lose it. Moments mesh and meetings meld together. When you’re managing Variants in your research crew, it’s easy for certain moments to stick out amongst the mixing.
“We should go out! To a bar or something?”
“When are we gonna take a break?”
“You’d think the TVA would establish some sort of work-life balance.”
Kaia’s nagging echoed in Mobius’ head like an out-of-tune bell. Verity warned him that she could be easily distracted, but this was a bit much. Every brainstorming session included at least one interjection from the impatient Variant. Eventually, enough poking and prodding hit the right spot.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“You’re right. We’ve worked very hard. We deserve a break. I think I know where we can go…”
Mobius stood up, fiddling with his TemPad. He was far too busy finding the desired location to tend to the facial reactions at their table. Responses ranged from Verity’s full-on hesitance to Kaia’s outright glee, with Loki’s unadulterated confusion situated somewhere in between. Three different reactions to learning that Mobius possibly might not be as uptight as advertised.
An outing like this had to meet Mobius’ protocols, of course. The Time Door was launched with minimal fuss, lacking interference from Miss Minutes on his secured TemPad. The location chosen was due for an apocalyptic event mere hours from the chosen timeframe of entry. The Lokis promised under Verity’s watchful gaze to keep their Variant jackets on, so the time of day was a cool evening for this particular moon.
Enter Phobos, 2167. Yes, Mobius had to clarify to Verity that they were in fact on one of Mars’ moons and that Earth’s space race has exponentially improved over such a short amount of decades, to the point where several species called this land home safely. It’s also fallen prey to Earth’s tendency to colonize and monetize via the tourism sector. At least the earthlings brought trees and oxygen with them.
It was a peaceful moon, with little to no known Variance activity. It truly felt like the safest place to bring the group of Variants. Well, save for the incoming spacial tornado that will touch down in approximately two hours, thus wiping out this bar and sending its debris into space.
“A… tornado? In space?” Verity now had her ability back, but she still had trouble digesting this truth.
“Well, plasma generates them as opposed to wind…” Mobius explained, “Moons don’t have as many protective layers as planets do, so they’re a bit more susceptible. What’s aurora borealis to you is a flattened tourist attraction over here.”
“Then get IN here before it’s flat!” Kaia waived at her companions from the entrance of the bar, beckoning them to follow her.
The bar itself, named Jack of All Pots, looked modern and flashy. Neon lights lined the edges of the building, rotating a rainbow’s worth of colours. Marble-swirled tiles lined the exterior and stood out against the moon’s chalky dirt. There were no windows, balconies, or patios, so it must’ve taken its Vegas inspiration to heart.
The interior of the bar was typical of any given bar. A table made of maple and its matching marble bar back stretched nearly the entire length of one wall. Neon signage adorned the wall behind it, drawing one’s eye to the selection of drinks proudly display. Most of the other walls were either lined with gaps indicating restroom facilities or black-leathered booths for patrons to relax in. A dance floor was accented with formal marble pillars, not unlike those seen in tourist-y earthly palaces. The occasional ensemble of a table and several stools filled the gaps between the booths and the dance floor.
The bar’s entrance had no doors. At least, no doors that were visible to the naked eye. They were likely garage doors tucked away to keep up the illusion of a welcoming and inviting space. The blaring music and the nauseating feeling were anything but inviting to Verity.
Verity barely made it through the widened archway before stopping. She placed her fingertips on her forehead and took a heavy breath inward. She shouldn’t have gotten used to the TVA’s silence. Everything, everyone was so loud. If deception were the seeds, a bar like this would be the fertilizer, watered well with varieties of liquor to embolden inhibition.
Seeing as Kaia was quick to the bar to order the drinks, Loki and Mobius were left behind to notice Verity’s sudden shift in skin tone from fair to a sickly pale tone.
“Are you all right1…?” Loki asked.
“Gimme a minute…” Verity said between breaths, “Mobius, why here…?”
“It was the least conspicuous place I could think of2…” Mobius explained, but his face had concern scribbled over it. “Verity, what’s wrong?”
“All of these people… are cheats and liars…” Verity stammered, “It’s a bit overwhelming…”
Hearing a lie spoken aloud by someone is an irritant at worse. As more lies are spoken in greater numbers in a more public setting, it was easy for someone like Verity to be thrown off. Even more so when she had become accustomed to the TVA shutting off her power. Her only saving grace is that everyone’s lies were indiscriminate and not addressed to her directly.
“Verity, I’m sorry…” Mobius apologized, “I picked this place because it’s well away from the TVA’s radar. I didn’t anticipate you having such a bad reaction to a place like this.”
“What did you think would happen… to a lie detector brought into a liar’s lair?”
“Fair point…” Mobius admitted meekly, “Should we go back?”
Seeing Verity like this made him regret the idea of a night off outside the TVA. She had described what her power felt like to him before, but there was no true way for him to fully empathize with her in moments like this.
“No… I just need some time to adjust…” Verity managed a smile, “And maybe a drink to soften the migraine.”
“Looks to me like your friend’s on it…” Loki motioned to the bar, where Kaia was too distracted by the drink order — and the attractive bartender — to notice the scene a few feet away from her.
Verity managed a little laugh, “That’s Kaia for you…”
Loki and Mobius were quick to locate the closest available four-top table to occupy. Sitting helped Verity settle, even though her stool wasn’t the most sturdy. She closed her eyes, taking slow and steady breaths to help stabilize herself. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Kaia still flirting with the barkeep, four drinks sitting idly by with beads of watery sweat starting to form upon the glasses.
“That’s definitely Kaia.”
“Allow me.” Loki swiftly stood up, straightened out his TVA-issued jacket, and sauntered towards the bar.
The barkeep that Kaia was talking to was attractive, Loki had to admit. They were a Light Elf, freshly immigrated from Aflheim to call Phobos home. Light Elves were known for living a peaceful life, more often than not resulting in being pushovers on the battlefield.
Their blue skin gave them away specifically as an Ice Elf, but don’t you dare confuse them with a Frost Giant. Ice Elves are of average height and have ears stretched and sharpened to match the Fae of Midgardian imagination. This particular elf had violet hair braided intricately close to their scalp, streams of cornrows weaving from left to right like a river until the loose strands cascaded on either side of their right shoulder. Snow white irises blended into their sclera almost seamlessly, save for little silver linings outlining them. By all accounts, the black dress top and green dealer’s vest combination that served as their bartender uniform looked like an abomination against such a fine-looking Ice Elf.
“I’ll be sure to flag you down for round two. These drinks look perfect…” Kaia remarked on the beverages. They looked better when they weren’t melting, not that she was paying any mind to that.
“Well, I certainly hope ya stick around, snowflake…” The bartender said before glancing to Kaia’s side, snapping back to their duty, “And what can I getcha?”
“Perhaps just a glass of water? We’ve got someone at our table who isn’t feeling her best.”
A bit startled by the familiar voice, Kaia turned to her fellow Variant. “Loki?”
“Verity’s a bit under the weather,” Loki said to Kaia, “A bit taken aback by the scenery…”
“Oh, shit, her power… thanks again, Skald!” Kaia hopped down from her barstool, frantically balancing the four drinks in her hands, taking advantage of the stemming glassware. It prompted a mutual chuckle between Skald and Loki as they served him a complimentary glass of water, fresh off of the imported tap.
Droplets fell from Kaia’s fingertips as she led the drinks back to the table she didn’t find, to the pained friend she didn’t initially notice. “Vee, are you okay??”
“I’ll be fine…” Verity smiled, “We’re out of practice from our evenings out, is all…”
“I thought you didn’t like going out?” Mobius asked as Loki returned to the table, sliding the fifth glass into Verity’s open hand.
“I didn’t like going out alone…” Verity smiled into her glass of water, glancing softly at Kaia, successfully easing her worries.
“And now you get a taste of what it’s like to drink with us!” Kaia exclaimed as she climbed onto the last stool. “Go on, grab what suits you best.”
Before anyone else could grab a drink, Kaia snatched up a golden amaretto sour, garnished with three crimson red cherries pieced by a single toothpick. The scents of sweet cherry and sour lemon bubbled up to the surface as she cupped the glassy goblet close.
Verity was just as quick to take her preferred drink. Kaia knew her well enough to order a simple gin & tonic, complete with a wedge of lime and a sprig of rosemary. Thankfully, neither garnish was coated with fine sugar. She preferred her drinks with a bitter edge, especially when she needed the distraction.
Loki took to the merlot red wine. Unlike him, this drink needed no fanciful crown impacting its pure flavour. Swirling this liquid left no trace upon its glass as minuscule bubbles frothed and settled in record time. They were not unlike the wines of Asgard. Perhaps these were a particular import as well.
This left Mobius with whiskey on the rocks. Or, in this case, a single, spherical, icy rock. He had no doubt that Kaia ordered this drink solely because the whiskey’s shade of brown matched his blazer. What the Detective didn’t expect was the sweet diluted residue that lingered after his initial sip. Maker’s mark always seemed to hit its mark.
“I suggest a toast,” Loki announced, “In honour of us taking a proper break.”
“And to good drinks…” Kaia said as she snuck in a sip.
Mobius chuckled, “And to, hopefully, finishing our mission…”
Cli-click! Click! Clunk!
With the drinks properly toasted, the foursome took a moment to enjoy their beverage of Kaia’s choice. Verity alternated between her liquor and her water, slowly but surely alleviating the cognitive pain she felt upon entering the bar.
“You’d think these migraines wouldn’t hit you so hard…” Loki remarked, “When you unwittingly had your own personal Loki for a best friend.”
“Keyword being unwittingly…” Kaia chimed in.
“She also knew better than to lie to me at all…” Verity added, taking a sip from her glass of water.
Loki’s lips twisted as he swished his wine once again. The moral high horse that she held herself to was starting to get a bit tiresome on his ears. “A lie is a story told. That’s it. Nothing more nor less.”
Verity switched to her tonic, “Well, I prefer true stories.”
“Then tell us one. A true story,” Loki dared, “You should tell us about the day you two met.”
Clunk!
Verity’s drink made a hearty thump against the provided coaster. She should’ve seen this moment coming. Perhaps she wasn’t yet used to having Loki’s genuine interest.
“The day we met?” Verity repeated, “You mean you hadn’t read up on us yet?”
“We’ve been a bit busy with other things…” Mobius admitted, “Besides, if given the opportunity, I’ve always preferred hearing recounts from the interviewee themself.”
A second clunk! prompted a bit of fruity froth to spill out from the side of Kaia’s drink. She caught onto the game and was a bit surprised that Loki was reeled into being an active participant.
“Why are we asking work-related questions?” Kaia called out, “I thought this was our break!”
“It is! We just want to get to know you…” Mobius said calmly, “If you remember, you can add to the story, Kaia.”
“It’s kinda hard to forget your first known memory…” Kaia mumbled into her drink.
“Well, if that’s not an enticing start to a story, I don’t know what is.”
Kaia’s earliest known memory was seared into her brain. To the group, she described a clear Brooklyn sky, embroiled in the peak of a June spring. She was standing in an unsuspecting tourist district, lined with fanciful boutiques and endearing little restaurants. One restaurant manager approached Kaia frantically, which is what snapped her away from the beautiful urban view. The manager offered her a seat at her restaurant, lunch on her, so long as Kaia filled a gap in a special lunch event, where the number of patrons was crucial.
“Speed dating?” Mobius’ eyes fluttered in disbelief, “Your earliest memory is being roped into a round of speed dating?”
“More like free lunch while a bunch of dudes talked my ear off for ten minutes each.” Kaia shrugged, “Besides, the most interesting person there was Verity, and she didn’t even come to my table.”
On that note, Loki’s gaze was fixed on Verity, “And why were you there?”
“My mom wanted me to try it. It was how she met my step-father…” Verity explained, “Especially back then, I wasn’t sociable. I had my job, my apartment, and my family. But I never really left my place; I had no need to.”
“So, the one time you weren’t a shut-in ended up changing your life.” Loki took a hearty swig of wine to avoid Verity’s slanted glare.
“If only it had gone a bit smoother… every single one of those ‘dates’ was a liar.”
Verity could remember each one clearly. Manish didn’t have his own condo near Times Square. Phil was cheating on his partner to chat her up. Ray wasn’t actually Ray’s name. But the one that had sent Verity over the edge was Dario.
Dario looked like your typical businessman. Grey suit, striped velvet tie, heavily gelled brown hair, powdered white skin. His voice was slick like snake oil, and his eyes showed no signs of life behind them. She knew he was trouble from the moment he sat down, but Verity doesn’t know if someone’s a liar until they speak.
“He introduced himself as an executive of a charity… firstly, most charities don’t have those. But then he had to say he worked for Roxxon!”
Roxxon is one of the biggest conglomerates globally. The very antithesis of a charity. Had just made headlines earlier that week for a workplace ‘accident’ that set a neighbouring school on fire.
“Fine… some kids died. Four or five tops!” The slimeball had sneered at her table. Just repeating those words made Verity simmer.
“Ooh, right, that’s what he said to set you off!” Kaia glimmered.
Before Mobius or Loki could ask for elaboration, Verity herself recalled what she had said to that creep. The anger she had felt at that moment was as searing now as it was back then.
“Children died, and you have the gall to tout yourself as good‽ Roxxon is the textbook definition of capitalistic immorality, and it’s clear you threw away your compassion at their door!” Verity recited to the table, “You’re nothing but a rotten, no-good, lying bastard and no one on this dating charade should have the misfortune of sitting opposite you!”
“She had stood up in a rage and everything while she said that! Threw her drink on him and stormed off!” Kaia was giddy as she added the descriptors to her friend’s speech.
It really painted the scene perfectly. A sopping wet scoundrel, reeking of iced tea and indignity, sitting bewildered at a dining table. The eyes of all dating candidates were on his pathetic self, save for Kaia. She had her eyes on Verity, who had been quick to tip her waitress as she exited stage left.
Mobius leaned back slightly, allowing his hands to create a slow, rhythmic clap. “I can see why you were more interested in her, Kaia.”
“I mean, the guys I talked to were nice enough, but they were just boring!” Kaia shrugged, her head tilting from one shoulder to the other to replicate her lack of interest back then. “Plus, I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to any of the ladies; they didn’t rotate around. She had spunk. I followed her out.”
Kaia had followed Verity until they both reached Sunset Park. Verity had made sure to find a bench that could allow for a reasonable amount of distance from any sort of social situation. Kaia, who didn’t know any better in retrospect, had no concept of this. When she saw the redhead hunched over the bench, head in her hands, heart heavy… she just saw someone who was upset.
“I remember telling her: You were a total badass back there!” The current Kaia smiled at the current Verity.
The current Verity, for her part, shied away slightly, “I was just embarrassed that I drew in such an audience…”
“So, seeing that she was embarrassed and possibly wanted to be left alone, you naturally sat with her, didn’t you, Kaia?” Loki made a fair assumption, considering how the four of them were together now.
“Well, I sat with her because she was clearly sad…” Kaia’s face softened into a more stoic look, sipping her drink before continuing, “I just wanted her to be okay.”
“She asked if I needed help… It was genuine, which is what threw me off,” Verity’s facial expression followed Kaia’s lead, “I think I was immediately suspicious, like ‘why did this random person want to help’ kind of feeling. Turns out she just really wanted to be nice.”
Loki stared at Kaia, confounded. She felt the weight of all their lectures haunting the room, expressing mild disappointment.
“What? I didn’t know much back then, never mind my status as a Loki!” Kaia pouted.
To which Loki simply said, “We’ll work on it.”
Mobius heaved a heavy sigh before looking to Verity, “Ignore him. Please continue. Tell us more about how nice Kaia was to you.”
“It… oddly carried on like a normal conversation?” Verity adjusted her glasses, “We made our introductions. Kaia had recently moved into the city; she was exploring the neighbourhoods and was invited to the speed dating round. I had to explain my power, and the nagging migraines and lack of friendships or relationships that came with it.”
“It was rather rude, how people were inconsiderate of the side effects and just opted to avoid her,” Kaia interjected, “I said at that moment that I wanted to be her friend.”
“Just like that?” Loki raised his eyebrow. He hadn’t figured that ‘making friends’ could be that simple, especially considering all of the mental gymnastics he performed in order to figure out that Kaia could be trusted.
“Yeah, I was surprised too.” Verity slipped her hand under her hair, scratching the back of her head.
“But the answer you gave then seems a bit obvious now…” Mobius was also capable of making a fair assumption.
Verity nodded, “There was a cafe3 not too far from my apartment that I wanted to try, so I invited her to join me, and the rest was history from there.”
“And it turned out that I wasn’t living too far away from that cafe either,” Kaia giggled, “My apartment was about the same distance away, but in the other direction!”
Mobius’ interest suddenly spiked. He hunched over the table, locking eyes with Kaia. “How did you get the apartment? Didja have a job? Or rent?”
“Mobius, you’re interrogating,” Loki called him out on Kaia’s behalf. She nodded along in agreement.
“I’m working on her case,” Mobius corrected.
Kaia sighed. She figured that it’d be better to give Mobius what he wanted in this case, since she didn’t have much to offer.
“I already told you my earliest memory. I don’t remember how I got the apartment,” Kaia explained, “But it was all ingrained for me. I knew where I lived, a basic grasp of what New York was like. Money really hadn’t been an issue, but I did try odd jobs here and there…”
Huh.
The Detective thought he was going to get answers. Instead, he found himself with more questions. Mobius looked to Verity for a second opinion, “And that never bothered you?”
“It wasn’t my place to ask about her financial or job situation. Besides, she never lied about it.” Verity shrugged just before she knocked back the last of her gin and tonic. Considering her naturally hesitant nature, she couldn’t afford the energy of being needlessly bothered over someone living a vague but honest life.
“So she was everything a Loki wasn’t supposed to be,” Mobius said to Verity, faithfully ignoring the huff from the very person he was talking about across the table.
“She encouraged me to actually get out of my apartment. Go out to eat or drink for social reasons, to hang out… She showed me that the outside world could be okay sometimes,” Verity smiled, “She’s Kaia, my best friend.”
Kaia beamed. Her eyes showed only a bit of glossiness before she successfully managed to bat it away. She couldn’t flush the blush out of her cheeks, for it wasn’t caused by the disappearing remnants of her amaretto sour. She was proud to call Verity her best friend as well. Now that she thought about it, they were one another’s best friend. Their only friend for five years.
“Well, we’ll do what we can to figure out your best friend’s memory situation…” Mobius concluded, “I’m sure you’ll be a big part of that.”
Verity smiled. Mobius smiled. Kaia smiled. Loki felt his teeth starting to rot from such sugar-sweet sappiness.
“Enough talk about work. We’re here for play!” Loki raised his now-empty wine glass, “ANOTHER!”
SMASH!!!
The decimation of the wine glass upon the bar floor caught everyone in the vicinity off guard. It was rather customary on Asgard, to consider a drink so good that the chalice that held it could not hold a better drink. A space Viking tradition, if you will. Surely it caught on beyond Asgard by now, right? What else could it be considered as; destruction of property?
Loki looked around expectantly, only to be met with Kaia’s wide-eyed confusion, Verity’s shocked expression, and Mobius planting a perfect facepalm.
“What was that‽” Verity asked, her eyes widened in shock.
“The Asgardian way to ask for seconds…” Mobius groaned into his palm.
Oh, was that the case?
“ANOTHER!” mimicked Kaia.
Loki looked on with pride as she threw her glass onto the floor. It shattered with such force that the toothpick rattled across the floor like a skipping stone. It rolled until a commanding boot stomped on it.
That boot belonged to a hulking figure that served as security. The all-black uniform he wore barely fit upon his calloused and dense body. His skin was a paltry shade of green, withered to give way to showcase the intricate red tattoos that spilled over their face and body. The tattoos had thick and thin strokes depicting a strong pattern, highlighting the tribal nature of art telling a story. Half of the table seemed to realize that the story they were about to hear wasn’t going to be pleasant. Loki was not a part of that half.
“Ah, yes, hello,” Loki turned to the guard, ignoring his scowl, “We’d like another round of—”
Skrrrrch!
Two stools skidded and toppled over as the Kylosian security guard picked up Loki and Kaia with ease. Kaia was small enough for him to throw over his shoulder, while Loki remained uncomfortably acquainted with their hand tugging on his jacket collar.
“Hey! What’d we do?” Kaia awkwardly tried to turn herself around to make eye contact. It was unsuccessful as the security guard wordlessly escorted the Asgardian Variants towards the open entrance — or in this case, exit — of the bar.
Verity looked at Mobius. Mobius looked at Verity. They were both stunned by just how quickly that scene transpired.
“Time to go?”
“Yup.”
It was common TVA practice to carry cash on the timeline you were tending to. While pruning or resetting made the gesture ultimately irrelevant, Mobius made sure to slip a generous tip under his empty glass to apologize and keep the peace amongst these bar employees. They were about to meet a worse fate in less than two hours, anyway. Why would he intentionally make their last hours sour?
Mobius and Verity hurried out to see the bouncer walk past them, all but ignoring their presence. They did nothing wrong, unlike their counterparts. Kaia and Loki were writhing in the moon dirt, recovering from being literally thrown out of the bar.
As he approached them, Mobius couldn’t resist: “We just can’t take you anywhere, can we?”
Loki promptly sat himself up, glaring. “I just wanted another drink!”
As both Loki and Kaia took to their feet, Mobius searched his own pocket. As he fished out his TemPad, an audible groan echoed into the vastness of Phobos.
“Already?” Kaia grunted.
“It’s a break, not a vacation.”
Mobius opened the Time Door and closed the door of a nice night out. A reprieve that told the foursome a bit more about each other than they expected. All in all, it was a productive night.
As it turned out, it was also the calm before two storms: the one that would land on Phobos, and the one that was yet to come.
- Yes, he was genuine. No, it’s not significant enough for it to count for major points. [ ▲ ]
- He was honest too, but he didn’t have to earn as much trust as the previous. [ ▲ ]
- The cafe was Delicato’s, the same one where the foursome had their first bonding conversation. Manhattan’s hidden gem became a frequent lunch date for the new friends. It just sunk in for Verity that she’ll never have the pleasure of their coffee or glazed donuts ever again. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
I don't drink, so special thanks to my Moon for helping me figure out the right kind of drink for each of the foursome.
(Also, transparency note: I needed to change the timeframe of when Verity and Kaia met from April to June. Kaia appeared after the Battle of New York (May 2012) so saying they met in April was a mistake on my part that I needed to tweak. And I changed Morningside to Sunset park because the latter is actually IN Brooklyn! Forgive me, trying to do my best researching New York as a Canadian.)
Chapter 17: The Right Apocalypse
Summary:
Chapter 17 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The race is on to find the apocalypse in which the killer Variant calls home.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Henceforth from the Phobos incident, the group agreed to keep their breaks on TVA grounds. Namely, the cafeteria. Kaia had hoped that the TVA would harbour some sort of alcohol, but alas, it’s still a workplace. A sober workplace. It was a brave sacrifice on Kaia’s part, to cope with breaks without a preferred beverage.
Mobius treated everyone to a round of Josta. Loki declined, so Mobius took his can. Kaia found the drink to be a disappointing downgrade, but she decided to spare Mobius from her bickering for one break.
Verity had a habit of reading the labels of every food or drink item. Most of the time, those labels didn’t lie. Being back in the quiet TVA meant that Verity had to rely on her gut. The ‘nutrition’ in the beta energy drink checked out in her mind. She was a bit more captivated as to why Mobius’ favourite drink heavily relied on guarana, a known aphrodisiac. It didn’t feel like an appropriate question, though.
Without a drink to nurse, Loki found himself in thought. They had come from the cubicles, breaking from their apocalyptic research. He had gone through plenty of natural disasters with no promising sign of the totally-not-superior Loki. None of those events were even that extraordinary. Instead, Loki found himself thinking about a different stack of papers.
“That magazine on your desk, Mobius…” Loki trailed off. It was enough to pry Mobius’ attention away from his can.
“The one on jet skis?”
“Yes. Why do you have that?”
Mobius only needed to think about it for a nanosecond. “Because they’re awesome!”
Verity mustered a laugh that lasted for one solid syllable. Although his statement was subjective, she had to back him up. “He’s not wrong.”
“I suppose they are…” Loki conceded, his eyes falling onto his lap, then the table.
“Yeah… You know, some things — actually, most things — in history are kinda dumb and everything gets ruined eventually.” Mobius signified the monumental shift in conversation with his left leg bouncing ever so slightly. The way he slouched in his chair seemed contrary to his sudden excitement about the new topic.
“But in the early 1990s, for a brief, shining moment, there was a beautiful union of form and function which we call… the jet ski. A reasonable man cannot differ.”
It was now Mobius’ turn to use his hands to paint a picture, what with his form hand and function hand bumping together to represent the conceiving moment of the aquatic vehicle while he gave his little speech. The demonstration prompted quiet giggles from Kaia. It even got a smirk and a nod from Loki.
“Have you ever been on one?” asked Verity.
Mobius snorted as if that would clear the disappointment from his throat. “No, no…”
“Why not?” Kaia jumped on the follow-up question, “You could go wherever, whenever you want in time!”
“I think a TVA agent showing up on a jet ski on the Sacred Timeline would cause a branch for sure…”
“It’d be fun though!”
Now it was Mobius’ turn to draw his eye contact towards the floor, away from everyone else. “Yeah, it’d be really fun…”
Loki had his eyes on Mobius. His head tilted slightly, watching the agent with pure, captivating curiosity. His fingertips even thumped against the tabletop until he found his opening for a question. “So why read about them?”
“It just helps remind me of what we’re fighting for.” Mobius shrugged as he looked back up at Loki. His head wobbled ever so slightly as he thought about it more. Loki assumed it was because he had just given a nonsensical answer to that question.
The Variant’s eyes wandered across the canteen. Sea-green table sets and concrete walls wandered as far as the eye could see, save for the orange glow of the food dispensers in the distance. This is what Mobius was so passionate about?
Loki shook his head as his gaze continued to float around the room. “You really believe in all this stuff, don’t you?”
Verity felt like piping up since it’s hard not to believe that physical objects are there, but she knew this was a question for Mobius. A question not to take so literally.
“I don’t get hung up on ‘believe’ or ‘not believe.’ I just accept what is.”
What Mobius accepted was still beyond Loki’s grasp. It was the setting of the opportunity he crafted, yet it still sounded unrealistic when spoken aloud.
“Three… magic… lizards…” Loki drew the words much longer than intended for emphasis.
“Time-Keepers,” Mobius corrected without a hint of a drawl.
“Created the TVA and everyone in it.”
“Right!”
This wasn’t the first time this sentiment was affirmed. Verity couldn’t hold her curiosity back anymore. “Including you?”
“Including me.”
Her thirst for the truth became more insatiable. “So you’re as old as the TVA?”
“Well, one would infer.”
Verity and Kaia exchanged glances. Neither one would’ve pegged Mobius for being an immortal figure trapped in a middle-aged man’s body. Loki made a mental note of the girls’ reactions as he put his own hand to his furrowed brow.
“Every time I start to admire your intelligence, you say something like that,” Loki huffed as his hand parted from his head with a little flex towards Mobius.
While the disdain was clear on Loki’s face, Mobius had a different outlook. One could suspect that he saw this coming. They all knew that this wasn’t the first time Loki had lamented about the fantastical foundation of the TVA. However, as someone that had lived as long as the TVA existed, Mobius knew of a better rebuttal.
“Okay, who created you, Loki?” Mobius was smug as he spoke, his posture picking up slightly.
Loki blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden shift of the conversation. How did questioning the structure of the TVA shift to questioning the circumstances of his birth?
Still, Loki managed an honest answer, “The Frost Giants of Jotunheim.”
“And who raised you?”
“Odin and Frigga of Asgard.”
Mobius crinkled the walls of his empty aluminum can with a tight squeeze of his fingers. The motion doubled as a loose metaphor to represent his state of mind. If he wasn’t such an expert on the matter, he would’ve suspected that Loki had made some of those words up.
“Odin and Frigga of Asgard,” Mobius repeated mockingly, “Odin, God of the Heavens. Frigga, the Wisest Person in Asgard. Asgard: mystical realm beyond the stars… Frost Giants! Listen to yourself.”
“It’s not the same! It’s completely different!”
“No no no, actually, it’s exactly the same thing!”
The way Loki and Mobius spoke over each other was nothing short of a spectacle. Verity and Kaia synchronized a shot from their soda cans as the mild war of words boiled over.
Eventually, Mobius got the last word in: “Because if you think too hard about where any of us came from, who we truly are, it sounds kinda ridiculous.”
An awkward pause lingered. Kaia knew that the statement wasn’t addressed to her predicament, but she couldn’t help but relate to the meaning behind it. Out of the four of them, she’s thought the hardest about where she came from, and she had nothing to show for it.
Kaia looked at Loki while pointing at Mobius. “He’s not wrong.”
Loki glanced at Kaia for a moment. Before he knew it, he found himself gazing downward again, caught up in his thoughts once more. He wasn’t giving Mobius a higher level of credence; he knew precisely where he came from… after the truth was hidden from him for most of his life. Loki at least had the awareness to realize that Mobius was trying to flip his interpretation of the TVA on its head. Attempting to undermine him in front of Verity and Kaia, no less!
“Existence is chaos,” Mobius’ monologue waited for no one’s eye contact. “Nothing makes any sense, so we try to make some sense of it. And I’m just lucky that the chaos I emerged into gave me all of this… my own glorious purpose.”
Loki scoffed loudly. Sure, that had been one of his more memorable quotes, for it drove home his goals and desires. If only Mobius knew how meaningless that phrase had become to him since being processed by the TVA.
“The TVA is my life. And it’s real because I believe it’s real.” Mobius picked up his second, not-crinkled can of Josta and took a sip from it. It helped him cool off from his riveting speech. He was too busy drinking to notice the way Verity’s face softened in admiring his passion.
With a single nod, Loki relented. While he could conjure up and take away things with ease and magic, he had a hard time taking away someone’s beliefs.
“Fair enough. You believe it’s real.” Loki tapped on the table with the side of his hand in a sequence of three, “Everything is written. Past, present, future. There’s no such thing as free will.”
Mobius’ face wrinkled. “Well, that’s a bit of an oversimplification—”
“So in fact, in a way… us here at the TVA, we’re the only ones who are actually free.”
Mobius’ eyes squinted as his head tilted slightly. His lips pursed as he sized Loki up and down. He knew that he wouldn’t be hearing a tangent like this if it didn’t have an ulterior motive.
Mobius straightened his head as he finally mustered the guts to ask, “Where are you going with this, Loki?”
Instead of chopping at the table, Loki’s hand swept across it in a broad stroke, stopping right at the edge. “How does it all end?”
The Detective smirked. He thought he would’ve heard a tougher question. “That’s a work in progress.”
“Oh, those lazy Time-Keepers…” Loki rolled up his sleeve, checking the invisible watch on his bare wrist, “What are they waiting for?”
“Au contraire…” Mobius quietly chuckled. He was about to continue, but a wave of Kaia’s hand interrupted him.
“Wait!” Kaia exclaimed, “You just said everything was written?”
“No, I said that was an oversimplification.”
Kaia huffed. Outsmarting Mobius would have to be a marathon, not a sprint.
Mobius turned so he faced all three of his companions equally, “You see, while we protect what came before, they’re toiling away in their chamber, untangling the epilogue from its infinite branches.”
“Ahh…” Both Verity and Loki said in unison. Her awe was genuine. His was not.
Only Loki had the follow-up question, “So when they’re finished, what happens then?”
“So are we,” Mobius said bluntly, “No more Nexus Events. Just order. We meet in peace at the end of time.”
Loki’s eyebrows flexed from a furrowed wince to an arching look of bewilderment. He glanced at his table-mates to gauge their reactions. Kaia had her face hidden by her drink, but the way her head shook sideways made it clear that she seemed less than impressed.
Verity, on the opposite end of the spectrum, was… smiling? It was hard to understand why unless you were in her shoes. She had always been wary of humanity, even with Kaia’s intervention. She knew the truth of things; that society thrives on dishonesty and under-appreciates honesty. She never would’ve thought that there’d be a day when the world could ever be at peace. Even if it were the very last one.
“That… almost sounds nice…” Verity muttered wistfully.
“Nice? That sounds boring!” Kaia objected by making her now-empty Josta clatter against the table.
Loki lightly thumped the table with his fist in agreement. “Only order, no chaos?”
Mobius hummed, “Mhm, I’m sure it sounds like a drag to you Lokis…”
Loki shook his head. It wasn’t just about liking or disliking knowing the end of time. He certainly didn’t like the way his time ended. Or rather, was supposed to end. He now had time to turn things around, starting with this conversation.
Loki addressed Mobius, “You know, you called me a scared little boy.”
“I called you a lotta things.”
“You did.”
As the two of them bickered, Kaia registered how that conversation began. Did Mobius really insult Loki like that?
“Wait, what?” Kaia sat up sharply. “When did that happen?”
“Before you came along.” Before Mobius could tell Kaia to settle down, she found her voice and her nerve.
Kaia leaned forward, her forearms on the table, her eye contact dead-set on the Detective. “You’re wrong about him. If anyone should be scared around here, it ought to be Verity and me. With us being plucked from our timeline and all.”
All eyes at their table were on Kaia. Mobius kept quiet, allowing her to have her moment. For once, Loki had no words. He wasn’t used to anyone coming to his defence, save for his mother. Kaia couldn’t fill her shoes, but it was a valiant effort.
Verity was fully empathetic to her friend’s sorrow. She knew how hard it was for her to adjust to the new landscape. She patted a gentle hand on Kaia’s arm.
“Kaia, we can’t change that now,” Verity softly reminded her.
“I know that, but still! Does our removal just signify order?” Kaia didn’t tear her eyes away from Mobius. “We aren’t pieces of a puzzle, toys for the Time—”
Another hand invaded Kaia’s personal space; this one simply held onto her shoulder and gently reeled her back in her seat.
“It’s all right, Kaia…” Loki said just as gently, “May I finish?”
Silently, Kaia complied. She relaxed in her chair, but aside from a nodding glance at Loki, her gaze was fixed on Mobius. The Detective had remained silent throughout the entire moment. His lack of acknowledgement of her hurt pained her just as badly.
With his friend somewhat calmer, Loki took his turn to speak back, “I know something that children don’t, you know.”
Mobius finally spoke, “What’s that?”
“That no one bad is ever truly bad. And no one good is ever truly good.”
It was something he had known even before being arrested by the TVA. It was a lesson he had learned as he grew out of his youth. When he was young, he had thought he would grow to be good enough to surpass his older brother for the throne. His ambition festered into mischief, which festered into actions that many would consider bad. Verity certainly wasn’t fond of one of his missions. But he was made to believe he was doing good; did that mean his actions truly matched? It was a dangerous train of thought that Loki frequented like clockwork.
Mobius, however, found himself on a different train. Not one of morality, but of memory. The start of Loki’s conversation reminded him of something he had nearly forgotten about.
“Scared little boy…”
The smell of the French church filled his nostrils, reeking of ageing wood and spilled Minutemen blood. It was the investigation just prior to the trial of L1130, the very same Loki that reminded him of this moment. A moment that was interrupted by a scared little boy, teeth as blue as a Frost Giant’s skin, stained by a gift from the Devil Loki themself.
When Mobius’ mind disembarked from the train and returned to the canteen, he heard Loki addressing what Mobius must’ve muttered aloud.
“Yes, it was quite patronizing. I thought it was a bit too far actually,” Loki said as he turned to Kaia, “Thank you, Kaia, for being in my corner about that—”
“You’re very clever.”
Mobius scrambled to his feet, leaving his colleagues and his Josta cans in the dust as he rushed out of the cafeteria. Verity was the first to react, taking her can with her to recycle as she followed Mobius’ lead.
This left Loki and Kaia behind. Loki was clearly confused, his face recessing into itself as a perfectly curved frown formed upon his face. Confusion shifted to mild disgust as the obviousness of the parting shot settled in. Clearly, he was clever. How else would he have gotten here, if he hadn’t been clever enough to escape with the Tesseract and into the Hel that is the TVA?
“I know?” Loki blinked as he looked to Kaia for answers as to what just happened. She hadn’t much to offer, save for another obvious statement.
“I don’t think they’re coming back…”
The Variants got up and followed Verity, who had followed Mobius. The foursome reunited in the elevator and disembarked in the archives. Only then did Mobius explain why he led them on this chase.
“Loki, you reminded me of the crime scene I was at when I was informed of your arrest,” Mobius explained, “The Variant left something behind at that crime scene. A cathedral. A candy box. An obvious anachronism.”
Kaia hadn’t heard of that word before. “An ana-what?”
“An item that didn’t belong in the time period…” Verity knew of anachronisms all too well. They were a staple in terms of the disillusion she felt from fictitious or inaccurate media.
Mobius walked down an aisle that contained both files and shelf-friendly storage boxes. Some were labelled and some were not. Some were locked and some were not. Mobius used his TemPad to manage the lock of an unlabelled box.
“I gave it to Analysis, but they couldn’t find anything real,” Mobius said as he opened the lid on the miniature evidence box.
“This matters because…?” Loki inquired.
“Now we have our second variable. We cross-reference our list of apocalyptic natural disasters with…” Mobius reached into the box and revealed today’s saving grace: "Kablooie."
Kablooie is artificially flavoured chewing gum that featured the atrociously spelled ‘blooberrie’ to indicate the flavour. Complete with a caricature of an imp’s face to imply a ghoulish theme. The font faces used on the branding were rounded and bouncy, just like gum, but the purple, blue, and white stripes on the packaging were tattered enough to show some age. No, it certainly didn’t belong in 1549 France as labelled on the evidence bag that preserved it, but much to Kaia’s surprise, the ‘correct’ timeline field indicated it was from a year between 2047 and 2051.
“That’s from the future?” Kaia thought she had seen this candy featured in a cartoon from the 1950s, not the 2050s.
Mobius didn’t have anything better to say than a blasé answer: “It was a very old crime scene.”
Loki had a more basic question. Despite all of his Midgardian studies, this particular confection confounded him.
“What’s that…”
Mobius gave Loki a side-eye glance with as much professional energy as one could manage, then swiftly said, “Candy.”
Verity also made note of how confused Loki sounded. “Do you have candy on Asgard?”
“Yeah…” Loki took care to list some of his favourite Asgardian desserts, “Grapes, nuts…”
Mobius’ face soured. All of those petty battles at the vending machines suddenly made a lot more sense. Asgardian treats were basic fruits and glorified seeds.
“No wonder you’re so bitter…” Mobius loudly grumbled as he walked past everyone.
Verity giggled at an appropriate volume for the archives as she followed suit. Loki executed a slight eye-roll, which only Kaia saw. It was about as much energy as he was willing to give to a snide comment like that.
Eventually, the Lokis caught up to a table that Mobius had set up for the quartet. It was longer than the average desk, indicated by the presence of two table lamps rather than one. It’s hard to say how Mobius managed to get a large table covered in a few file towers so quickly. He must’ve snuck in a few messages to the nearest archivist to set the scene for him. Files were separated by year, with the year 2047 having a few paltry folders by comparison to the others. The desk wasn’t completely covered, as you could see the maple wood peek out between papers. It was just enough space to place files that had been read through.
“How much does that evidence actually narrow our search…?” For once, Kaia had a smart, work-relevant question. Mobius nodded at her to acknowledge this.
“To just over four years. Kablooie was only sold regionally on Earth from 2047 to 2051…” Mobius made note of the files, sectioned off accordingly, “And there’s still a decent amount of doomsdays for that timeframe. We’ll each take a year to cross-reference. Let’s make it a competition, let’s see who finds it.”
“Sure…” A chance to beat Mobius at his own game? How could Loki resist?
“You wanna bet something?”
“If Loki loses, he eats the candy!” Kaia chimed in before anyone could say anything. A light nudge on her shoulder from Loki indicated that he wasn’t so fond of that idea.
“We can’t eat the evidence…” Mobius chuckled. If there was no protocol, the Detective might’ve approved that.
“How about a friendly wager?” Verity suggested, “Play for pride?”
“I prefer that!” It was Loki’s turn to hastily chime in. The taste of pride was preferable to whatever horrors were within that evidence bag.
“May the best person win then. Go!”
And with the foursome sinking into their seats in unison, the competition commenced. Who would find the right apocalypse first? Place your bets now!
Would it be Loki, who took on the monumental task of searching through two years rather than one? Sure, 2047 only had a month’s worth of files, as this particular flavour of Kablooie made its debut on December 1st, 2047, but a doomsday is still a doomsday. It was big of Loki to take the handicap of extra files, but that did provide him with more opportunities of finding the right file.
“Not the climate disaster of 2048…”
Would it be Mobius, who secured 2049 for himself? It was the shortest stack of files, which Mobius didn’t mind. He didn’t need to win, per se. He had plenty of pride in himself and his work. Just so long as someone finds the event that matches, he’d be happy1.
“Krakatoa erupted in 2049… no Kablooie…”
Would it be Verity, who had the year 2050? The dawn of a new decade seemed to usher in some of the more dramatic apocalypses, which were all true events. With all of the practice she had from reading previous files, she was able to coast through her correlations with ease.
“2050… The extinction of the swallow? That’s a thing??”
“Completely screwed up the ecosystem…”
“Yikes…”
Or would it be Kaia, who claimed the final year of 2051? Kablooie had discontinued abruptly in December of 2051 after a choking incident brought bad faith upon the whole brand. No, that wasn’t an apocalyptic event in itself, but it’s good trivia for your local game night. It also meant that Kaia had a fair fight in terms of apocalypses to sift through.
“Not the tsunami of 2051…”
Ironically, Mobius was the one that kept the group lively as they read through files, periodically checking in to see what event they were reading about.
“We’re making good progress…” Mobius said, despite the growing piles of ‘wrong doomsdays’ building up on the tabletop.
“Portuguese firestorm disaster, 2047, no Kablooie…” Loki reported. Mobius’ eyebrows shot up when he remembered that the 2047 files that Loki had solely consisted of December disasters.
“God, it’s just one damn thing after another, isn’t it?” Mobius muttered.
“Yeah… cyclone, famine, volcanoes, floods…” Kaia concurred, “Kinda glad I didn’t make it to 2051…”
While the others chatted, Verity kept focused on her papers. She had been turning pages at a record pace, but one file made Verity freeze in her tracks. At first, she was disgusted to learn that Roxxon not only did not go bankrupt but expanded into the retail sector. However, her tone shifted when a small polaroid slipped out from the file. It was a greyscale photo of a storefront’s checkout stations, with several little bloo candies lining little shelves.
“I got it!”
Everyone turned to Verity, who in turn flipped her file over. The report page had ‘Roxxcart Disaster’ stamped in red on the top left corner, where all disasters and doomsdays were aptly named for easy remembrance. She even pulled up the photo that fell from the file for emphasis.
“Alabama, 2050. The town of Haven Hills, owned by Roxxon Energy Corporation, is wiped out by a category 8 hurricane,” Verity reported, “Over 10,000 casualties, a good portion of those happening within Roxxcart mega-mall, which sells Kablooie right by the registers.”
Mobius’ head shook ever so slightly. It was meant to be a nod, but it presented itself a bit askew. His glimmering eyes spoke better of the situation.
“You’re gonna take my job if I’m not careful,” Mobius said, ending his sentence with a soft smile.
“Showoff…” Kaia gave Verity a congratulatory pat on the back, which prompted her to bask brightly in her newfound pride.
So, she found the right apocalypse. What next? Paperwork, of course!
Mobius did the heavy lifting, preparing a draft and mission statement for the task at hand. He’d need a few Hunters and their teams of Minutemen in order to case the store in question for their Variant. Sure, there wasn’t a guarantee that they’d find them, but the setting did bode well for a Variant’s home base.
Verity, Kaia, and Loki were included in the squadron, but not in the presentation. The trio was now left stranded in the outside lobby while Mobius entered Judge Ravonna Renslayer’s office. Kaia couldn’t stand it, so she sat rigidly on the couch, elbows buried into her thighs so her arms could keep her head afloat.
“I don’t get why we need her approval for this…”
“She’s the one in charge, Kaia,” Verity spoke a bit more rationally as she fixed her blouse cuff, “Everything the TVA does goes by her or another judge.”
Kaia was not convinced. “We should just go!”
“Kaia, we were looking into this Variant before you two came along…” Loki, who was seated beside her, opted for a different method of explaining, “They’ve been killing Minutemen. It’d be foolish to go with limited resources.”
“Says the superior Loki?” Verity smirked, arms folded across her chest.
Loki matched her sass with a mischievous wink of his own. “Every good Loki needs an army.”
Although he wouldn't phrase it like that, Mobius was trying to raise an army. However, the scowl that appeared on Ravonna’s face snapped his expectations back to a somewhat reasonable level.
“You want me to approve deployment of a fully-armed task force to the Variant’s potential hiding spot?” she was not pleased with the notion of what she just said. If it had been any other analyst to bring forth this proposal, she would’ve thrown them out on the spot.
Mobius kept a straight face, his speech clear in his head, “Haven Hills, Alabama. Corporate town owned by Roxxon until it’s wiped out by a hurricane. All the food and supplies one could ever need! If they like it there, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t just keep going back and camping out, over and over in some weird loop!”
Ravonna twirled her fingers in the air to mimic said weird loops. “And this is all based on a theory from the Variant who just blew your previous mission?”
“Almost. He contributed; he’s doing great. But it was actually Verity that made the connection.”
“The one you gave a TemPad to?”
Mobius’ heart dropped into his stomach. He truly thought he managed that situation well enough. All he wanted to do was show Verity’s potential without bias.
But still, Mobius had to ask, “How did you—”
“Nothing gets by me, Mobius. You should know.”
Mobius remained silent. He didn’t dare ask why she didn’t intervene sooner if she had known. He didn’t want to tempt fate; not when the stakes were so high. Fortunately for him, that didn’t seem to be a high priority for Ravonna either.
She leaned over her desk with the palms of her hands pressed together, fingertips aimed at her misguided agent. As much as she cared about Mobius, these repetitive conversations were starting to grow tiresome.
“Mobius, as your friend, I have to tell you that trusting these Variants is not a good idea.”
“What? I get your hesitance around the Loki Variants, but Verity is wonderful.” The Detective frantically waved his hands back and forth, struggling to maintain eye contact with the Judge. “She’s a hard-working person despite her circumstances. She’s going through all this trouble for us, for the mission.”
Ravonna watched Mobius’ desperate plea, keeping a stoic face, not so much as moving an inch. It was hard for her to believe that he had so much investment in three Variants he barely knew, at least in comparison to her eons with him.
“And even then, with Loki discovering the truth about doomsdays, he just uncovered a massive hole in our security.”
“That’s what concerns me!!!” Ravonna yelled as loudly as one could through gritted teeth.
Mobius took a deep breath in, his arms dropping to his sides. He got where Ravonna was coming from, but if he gave up now, then the TVA may fall. He couldn’t go down without a fight.
“Maybe the three of them are worth the trouble. I can handle them. Especially Kaia; she’s shown no signs of threatening anything. If she wasn’t assigned to me personally, she probably wouldn’t even be classified as a dangerous Variant…” Mobius raised his hands in a moment of true vulnerability. “Trust me, Ravonna. This is where we get our Variant.”
“You, I trust… but them…” Ravonna allowed her back to rest against her cushioned chair. Her head did not rest, shaking violently from side to side. Her lips puckered upward to double down on her disapproval.
“Listen, Verity has a high moral standard. She’s honest, nearly to a fault, because she hates the feeling of being lied to. Kaia trusts Verity enough to follow her lead. And again, I can handle Loki,” Mobius said as he feverishly swung the side of his hand into his open palm, “Every instinct is telling me this is where we nail the Variant. Where we stop them from killing our Minutemen.”
As his dialogue picked up again, Ravonna watched his nervous quirks once more. One could see her tongue grazing the back of her front teeth, the faintest way for her to expel her anxiety about the situation. She really wasn’t going to approve this just because of Mobius, was she?
“Come on, you don’t usually see me this worked up, right? I’m excited! I’m chomping at the bit!!”
Ravonna grimaced and glanced to her side. She knew what was staring back at her; she didn’t want to acknowledge it. It might just make her cave.
The silence growing between them was too awkward to handle, so Ravonna turned back to see Mobius, who hadn’t turned his gaze away from her. His face was frozen in place, eyes glazed with what little hope he had, dimpled cheeks pleading for a good outcome. To juxtapose that, he was bouncing ever so slightly on his heels, his arms jittering up and down to match. He stood there, like a child begging for the newest toy on the market. In actuality, he was begging to save the TVA Minutemen from another round of slaughter.
Shit, what kind of leader would she be if she let them down?
For a brief moment, Mobius saw the whites of Ravonna’s eyes as they rolled their gaze around the room. He braced himself for the worst but instead heard what he needed to hear.
“Okay.”
“Yes! Okay!” Mobius heaved forward a bit to let out the longest sigh of his life. That’s about as much celebration as he could get in before Ravonna tempered his expectations.
“But Mobius?”
“Yeah?”
Ravonna and Mobius leaned on the same desk at the same time. She repeated a previous pose almost verbatim, with her forearms resting on the table. The main differences this time were that she wasn’t as rigid nor as accusatory, showcased with her fingers interlocked rather than pointed at him. His arms were fully outstretched, resting his palms on the edge of the desk. His elbows and knees were slightly bent to meet her eyes at a reasonable height. Her eyes were pensive, glazed with caution instead of hope.
“There’s not much I can do if it doesn’t work out,” Ravonna warned.
Hah, she said something similar last time, didn’t she?
Mobius knew the risks from the moment he took on the task of bringing in this dangerous Variant. He had to use methods he thought he’d never use. Hell, he had Variant allies now. At the end of the day, this was a career case. You can’t have a career case without betting on your career.
Mobius pushed his theoretical chips into the pot with a familiar calling card: “For all time.”
“Always…” Ravonna whispered.
They exchanged nodding glances. She even saw a flash of his smile just before he hustled out of the office. The faded exclamation of “We’re on!” followed by scrambled cheers reminded her that those Variants weren’t too far away. They had their talons sunk into her agent.
Now that she was alone with her thoughts, Ravonna’s head sunk to stare holes into her pristine cherry oak desk.
Oh, Mobius. If only you knew how much trouble you were getting into.
- On second thought, maybe he’s not a good bet… [ ▲ ]
Chapter 18: The Variant's Haven
Summary:
Chapter 18 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The group gathers their bearings and go to Alabama. They have a sneaking suspicion that the killer Variant uses a battered Roxxcart mall as their home base.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
With the research done and the paperwork cleared, the next step in a TVA mission is mobilization. AKA the action; AKA the good part.
Mobius led his team of Variants into the locker room that had Mobius’ gear. Granted, there were a few locker rooms that had Mobius’ gear, but this one was the one issued by Judge Renslayer’s sign-off. Loki couldn’t tell if he had been in this locker room before. They all looked the same.
“We are doing some good work today…” Mobius said aloud as he turned an open corner.
Loki nodded firmly in agreement. “I thought so too…”
Mobius stopped in front of an orange full-length locker. It just so happened to be on the edge of the wall that deemed this room to be the 26th locker room.
“I’m telling you guys… if you actually help us catch this Variant… Who knows, my friends? Doors could open for ya.”
He timed his words well to match the opening of his locker door. From her vantage point, Verity could see rain jackets, protective gear, and something glimmering in the highest cubby.
Loki leaned against the stencilled ’26’ wall, though it was a challenge considering the wall sloped at a top-heavy angle. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of doors would open for him.
“Good enough for a face-to-face meeting with the Time-Keepers?” Loki asked, his grin and his eyebrows bending in opposite directions on his face.
Mobius shook his head as he shed his blazer. “I didn’t say that…”
“Good enough to get them to tell me what happened to me, then?”
Loki and Verity looked to Kaia, who had been quiet until this moment. For her part, she looked puzzled by their puzzlement.
“What? If they created everything along the Timeline, then they know the past.” Kaia shrugged as she explained her logic. “They must know who messed with me. Right?”
Mobius sighed as he exchanged his blazer for two TVA-branded slates of armour. The chest plates looked identical to the chest and back plates that the Hunters wore while on duty. He handed one chest guard to Verity, then silently demonstrated how to slip the guard onto one’s body.
“I can’t guarantee that talk either, Kaia, especially if another Variant did that to you…” Mobius said, adjusting the plates snug to his body, “One step at a time, you two…”
“Yeah, Kaia, we’ll figure that out… let’s focus on this first,” Verity reassured her as she followed Mobius’ lead, accepting his instruction on how to wear the plated gear. She even found the flexible straps that adjusted how tight the armour could be worn. Of course, since she didn’t have the muscle garnered by extensive Hunter or Minuteman training, she had to adjust the armour for a slimmer fit.
He was about to reach for his rain gear, but Mobius noticed a small sparkle from the top shelf of his locker. Oh, is that where he had those all this time? Those were supposed to be locked away in evidence after case L3421.
Well. Now that they’re here… and since he didn’t have spare gear for his Lokis…
Mobius reached into his locker and revealed two daggers. Identical to both each other and to what Loki would be proud to wield. He took each dagger into each hand, presenting one to Loki and the other to Kaia.
“Just in case…”
Loki gasped in awe at the weapon’s beauty. He accepted it into his hands wholeheartedly. His eyes glistened just as the dagger’s blade did against the ceiling lights. He had an ally in his new friend, Kaia, and now they were both armed with a signature dagger… Finally! The culmination of his efforts within the TVA was starting to pay dividends.
Verity watched Loki admire his dagger, a bit uneasy by the thought of him holding such a lethal weapon. Yet, Mobius didn’t seem worried. In fact, he was almost too calm as he pulled out mossy green rain jackets for both himself and Verity.
“Yeah, doesn’t that feel nice?” Mobius egged Loki on as he closed his locker shut.
Meanwhile, Kaia held her blade with much more caution. She studied each weave of the fabric that formed the hilt. The dagger was double-edged, so she was sure not to press the blade too tightly in her palm. Despite the weapon being not much longer than her forearm, it felt heavy in her grip. Dare she say it; it was intimidating.
“I don’t know how to use this…” Kaia said meekly. She looked to Loki, whose face lit up in an equal mixture of alarm and elation. She felt another lecture coming on.
Thump, thump, thump.
“Well, Kaia, it’s quite simple!”
Thump, thump, thump.
“To best hold a dagger, you just—”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
Loki was swiftly interrupted by Hunter B-15, one of the assigned Hunters to lead this field operation. She wasn’t thrilled that she had to let the Lokis in on the mission at all. She certainly wasn’t about to let them have any sort of upper hand, even if that meant contradicting Agent Mobius.
With an effortless sweep of her right hand, she took both daggers away from Loki and Kaia. Both were caught off guard by the swipe. She was stunned into silence. He scowled in a fully offended manner.
Hunter B-15 didn’t care. She carried her heavy boots across the locker row, hiding away the daggers in her assigned space. The locker slammed shut with an equally audible thud.
“Hey, B-15…” Verity piped up, “Do I need a weapon?”
Hunter B-15 turned to Verity, her manner much more cordial. “Not a dagger. But we’ll fit you with a Time Stick so you can defend yourself. Like in training.”
Like in what?
“Training?” Kaia repeated, looking at Verity. “You got hunter training?”
She did. Did she not tell Kaia? It must’ve slipped Verity’s mind. It felt like ages ago. Was that when Kaia was still incarcerated? Possibly. Not to mention that so much more had happened between then and now. Verity bit her lip with guilt. She should’ve told her. Hunter B-15 elected to tell her instead.
“Basic defence skills needed for all field operations for hunters and analysts.” Hunter B-15 walked to Kaia, towering over her as she made emphasis on the exception: “Not Variants.”
With a rhythmic thump, thump, thump to her step, Hunter B-15 left the locker room.
Mobius knew where she was going. “Come on, you guys, she’s leading the briefing…”
Mobius had already slipped on his rain jacket during the commotion. Like the gentleman that he is, he draped the spare jacket over Verity’s shoulders as he led her to the next room over. Verity managed to poke her hands through the sleeves just before turning the corner.
Kaia watched as the humans left. Her ‘Variant’ jacket wasn’t really suited for rain, but that was beside the point. No armour, no rain jacket, no weapon, no training. It would’ve made sense for Variants such as herself to be treated differently if they weren’t consultants. But that’s not the case. How was Kaia supposed to face off against such a ‘dangerous’ Variant in this state?
She rubbed her jacket sleeve with her opposite hand. Her confidence was waning at the thought of going in. Sure, she wanted to do more than reading and research, but this felt like quite the jump, no?
A firm grip upon her right shoulder told her otherwise. She followed the pressure of an arm draped around her shoulders, looking to her left to see Loki shadowing her. He didn’t seem lost or downed. In fact, he seemed emboldened, despite the loss of the daggers.
“Kaia, just stick with me.” Loki boasted as he urged her to walk towards the briefing, “I’ll show you how a Loki fights.”
That’s right. She had Loki in her corner.
Kaia smiled at Loki, a silent acknowledgement of their situation. In times like these, Lokis need to stick together. Especially when they could be mistaken for the problematic Variant.
Loki led Kaia into the Deployment Hall. The room had the same style of chyron lining the walls to indicate which mission was the focus of the particular task force. This might’ve been the same room which led him to Oshkosh, but it’s hard to say. There could’ve been a hall for every ten locker rooms for all he knew. Perhaps the cookie-cutter layout of the TVA Tower is what bent the passage of time to unreasonable rates.
A team of Minutemen huddled around Hunter B-15 in a circle, akin to a football team listening in on the coach’s instructions. Loki made sure to weasel himself and Kaia into the circle’s eye, which featured Mobius, Verity, and another Hunter standing by Hunter B-15’s side.
The new hunter matched Loki in height and skin tone, save for the 5 o’clock shadow accentuated by the helmet’s chin strap. His entire demeanour was square and rigid, down to flat shoulders and ironed-out pants. His helmet hardly had any battle scars, so the ‘D-90’ that indicated his letter and number glowed against the lights above.
It made sense for a mission of this scope to have multiple Hunters assigned to delegate the troops. For this briefing, Hunter B-15 took the lead.
“Roxxcart is a vast superstore common to the era. It consists of a series of sprawling sections, including a large warehouse. This warehouse is being used by civilians as a shelter, tryin’ to ride out the storm.”
Hunter B-15 was stoic and calm as she spoke. She did not exaggerate with hand gestures or vocal inflections. Despite this, she was sure to swivel her eye contact from side to side, ensuring she had the attention of every person in attendance. She had complete command of the room and the respect of everyone within it.
“Remember, this is a Class 10 apocalypse. While the Variant shouldn’t know we’re coming, they could be hiding anywhere and should be considered hostile. So stay alert.”
Despite standing directly across from her, Hunter B-15 did her best to avoid making eye contact with Loki or Kaia.
“Every time there is an attack, the Variant steals a Reset charge. They’re planning something. We just don’t know what. So keep an eye out for the missing charges, and if you see a Loki… prune it.”
Instinct begged Kaia to huddle into Loki’s side a bit. She did not want to be pruned. Sensing her unease, Loki affirmed his grip on her.
“The bad Loki, preferably,” the consulting Variant clarified on the Hunter’s words, much to her displeasure.
With a signature eye roll, Hunter B-15 motioned for the Time Doors to be opened. A few clicks from the helmets of straggling Minutemen were soon drowned out by the forward march.
As she pulled her hood over her head, Verity eyed Loki and Kaia. If you didn’t know better, they could’ve been glued to each other. She wanted to reassure Kaia in particular that she’d use her newly issued Time Stick to protect her as well, but the waves of bodies pushing her forward didn’t allow for such a moment to pass.
No, the TVA didn’t have time to waste. Not when they knew of the Variant’s haven.
Enter Haven Hills, Alabama, 2050. Formerly known as Pinto Island. Now known as a division of Roxxcart, which is a subdivision of Roxxon1 Energy Corp. Currently taking the beating of a lifetime via a Category 8 hurricane. The chill of the rising sea level, the heat of the electrical fires, and the crush of the raging winds all combined into one truth: this was no safe haven for your average person.
The TVA squadron piled out in the parking lot of Roxxcart mega-mall, the crowning jewel of the floating town. Compared to the surrounding debris, the oversized lot held out remarkably well. The holographic advertisements displaying the latest budget fashions and Roxxon’s double-X logo were even intact. The shopping carts strewn about the lot had seen better days, but that could be said for any shopping establishment, no?
Minutemen in the first wave led with Time Sticks lit. They were completely unfazed by the aerial aquatic assault battering on their heads. This wasn’t their first hurricane, but it was Verity’s. Even with her hood pulled up, she found herself shielding her glasses from the threat of the battering storm. She stayed close to Mobius in case the heavy raindrops washed out her vision.
Mobius also had his hood up, since he lacked a helmet. The rain didn’t bother him too much, despite the way his face scrunched up in reaction to the splashes. Although the apocalypse made the scene dark and hazy, he was still able to see Hunter B-15 assessing her new location with her TemPad.
“See anything??” Mobius had to shout over the rumble of distant falling debris.
“Nothing yet!!” Hunter B-15 matched his volume as she motioned to the rest of her team “Move out!!”
The second wave of Minutemen soldiered on, making sure that Loki and Kaia couldn’t escape back into the Time Doors or into the apocalypse. Not that that was the plan for either of them. After all, Mobius was ahead, leading Verity with a guiding hand on her shoulder into Roxxcart mega-mall, presumably towards where the killer Variant was recovering from their latest heist. Both Loki and Kaia’s interests were within this mission.
The ‘Variant’ jacket issued to them lacked hoods. Loki had no proof, but it probably was intentional for scenarios like this. After all, he was capable of magic here. He could power through all of these foolish toy soldiers and escape into this dead-end timeline. But all in all, it’d be rather messy. He had no TemPad, no means to make a true escape. Why go through the trouble when the TVA potentially could lead him straight into his Variant?
After all, he proved that he could make himself an ally out of one Loki Variant in Kaia. Why not two?
Boom!
The sudden and furious peal of thunder prompted Loki to tightly squeeze Kaia’s shoulder. She noticed since his sudden embrace nearly lifted her off of the ground. She looked up at Loki, only to see him looking skyward with a sense of dread drawn upon his face.
“Loki? Are you all right?” Kaia didn’t feel it was necessary to yell.
Only then did Loki notice how strongly he held onto her. A grip rooted in retribution that she wouldn’t understand. She didn’t realize how lucky she was, to not remember the sins they shared.
Loki nodded solemnly. “I’m just not overly fond of storms like these… or what follows.”
As he escorted her into the impromptu shelter, Loki had to ponder to himself. Did Thor live to see this particular year? What if Thor could help? Would he want to help him, the god of faking his own death? He almost wanted to find out, if only to see his brother’s face.
Splish, splish, splish…
The task force spilled onto the Roxxcart floor, flooding themselves between packs of stranded Alabamans. They were clutching their essentials and front-end rack snacks as they were directed by blue-vested store employees to safety. Mobius even saw a scared little boy walk by him, speaking to his guardian in confidence; his teeth stained blue with a Timeline-compliant piece of Kablooie.
Loki observed the scene around him as he released Kaia from his grip. Civilians and Minutemen, unaffected by one another’s presence, were all coated in rainwater. Verity had swiped a pack of nearby travel-sized tissues to dry her glasses manually. Mobius flung droplets onto an unsuspecting Hunter D-90 as he removed his hood from his head. A life-sized robotic employee tracked water along the floor as it guided people with pre-programmed facts and statistics.
Why, if it were him they were hunting, he’d already know they were there.
With a sigh, Loki cocked his head to his side and flicked his fingers up slightly. From his loafers stemmed a ring of green light that encased him perfectly. As the line of magic floated upwards around him, he felt the weight of the storm literally evaporate. In wake of the relief, his clothing lit up a few shades and escaped a wilted state. His hair even fanned out to rival the volumed look of the models on the magazine covers.
This all happened in the blink of an eye. Hunter B-15 caught the flash of magic from the corner of her eye, but only saw a properly presentable Loki when she turned to face him. She looked him up and down as if he had changed his wardrobe entirely.
“The HELL was that??” Hunter B-15 spoke as if they were still outside.
Loki looked at Hunter B-15 with a stern look on his face. He was slightly disappointed that he had to explain something so obvious to someone of her rank.
“That was me. Using magic to dry my clothes. So I don’t announce myself with every squeaky footstep like the rest of you!”
Hunter B-15 just shook her head. She should’ve expected that level of backtalk from him. Well, she certainly wasn’t going to beg some Variant for magical favours.
As it turns out, that would be Kaia’s job.
Kaia carefully pinched Loki’s sleeve with as little friction as possible. She didn’t want to make his magic for naught by dripping all over him once more. When his head swivelled to meet her gaze, she had eyes that glistened just like her sopping wet hair. Her lips shivered ever so slightly, pleading for relief. She looked like an injured wolf pup, knowing full well she was incapable of the feat he had pulled off.
Loki had to respect that he couldn’t pull off the begging technique as she could. Eventually, she’d have to come into her own magic, but this situation took priority over chipping away at her true potential.
“Fine…” Loki sighed once more. He had to mask the true depths of his relationship with Kaia whilst in front of Hunter B-15 in particular. Even if she appeared to shift her focus onto directing her team, she could still be paying attention to them.
The only difference between drying himself off and drying Kaia off was a simple hand on her shoulder. Loki channelled his magic onto her, pressing his fingers into her shoulder. The magic emanated from his fingertips, drying her off from an angle rather than from the ground up.
Kaia produced a small smile that inflated alongside her now-dry outfit. The quiet signal of gratitude was overshadowed by a sudden flash of darkness. The overhead lights flickered between bright, dim, and dark. The building was showing signs of struggle against the storm, but it was by no means a reason to evacuate.
The Hunters were quick to confer with one another, with the higher ranking B-15 instructing D-90 to lead the Minutemen throughout the storm shelter. A brisk nod and “Yes ma’am” affirmed there were no cracks in the TVA armour.
Mobius quickly followed up with eyes on his team, “Loki, Kaia, Verity, with me. Let’s go check out the greenhouse. We’ll meet—”
“No.”
“—back at the show… room… no??”
Mobius pivoted on a dime to eye Hunter B-15. If anyone had the authority or nerve to challenge someone of Mobius’ stature, it would be Hunter B-15. The bigger question would be why she didn't want them to go to the greenhouse.
Mobius thought Hunter B-15’s emphasis was on the greenhouse. Turns out her emphasis was on them instead.
“You and Verity go with D-90. Those Lokis stay with me.”
Hunter B-15 stood at attention with Hunter D-90 waiting just off to the side. She was wholly serious about dividing Loki and Kaia from the rest of the team. She waited on their compliance, but they needed a moment to absorb what they had just heard.
The foursome exchanged concerned glances with one another. Verity and Kaia in particular shared worried faces with each other. Through both survival documentaries and fantasy murder mystery shows, they both learned that splitting up the group almost never ended well.
“What are you talking about?” Mobius objected, “They’re under my supervision!”
“This is my field-op, Mobius! If they’re not threats, it won’t be a problem.”
“Of course, they’re threats!”
Threats, plural?
In the face of such an offensive statement, Kaia’s shoulders suddenly hunched up, nearly touching her earlobes. After all this time of being handicapped with a lack of training and touted as a Loki in name only, how is she only finding out now that she’s a threat?
“Pardon me?” Kaia huffed at Mobius. Her hands planted themselves on her hips, anticipating what answer the Detective could drum up to explain this sudden attitude shift.
“All you need is a spark to find your Loki potential. Maybe it involves hanging out with him for too long, maybe it involves this new Variant.”
Mobius spoke truthfully to Kaia. Those were all things that possibly could happen while they were assessing the storm shelter. It’s part of the risk of bringing a Loki into an unstable point of time, never mind multiple Lokis. Thankfully, no one asked him if he thought that would actually happen. He didn’t need Verity calling his bluff out in front of Hunter B-15.
Speaking of which…
“Besides, B-15, do you not remember your little skirmish with Loki in the Time Theatre?”
“Mobius…” Loki tried to interject. He failed.
“That’s why I want them with me,” Mobius nearly growled that sentence out. The flickering lights above them accentuated why he didn’t enjoy this stalling argument.
Hunter B-15 didn’t like the bickering either, but she had to stand firm. “You are more than welcome to go back to the TVA and litigate with Judge Renslayer, but right now…”
“We’re here! We’re not going back! The Variant is here—”
“Mobius!” Loki gently placed a hand on Mobius’ arm, not caring that his sleeve was still soaked, “It’s fine, it’s fine…”
Verity sensed where this was going. She didn’t like it, but she had to ask, “Are you sure, Loki?”
“You all can trust us…”
Everyone’s eyes were on Loki as he shifted his hand and his eyes off of Mobius and onto Hunter B-15. Mobius had been scowling slightly, with a familiar furrow fixed on his forehead. By comparison, Hunter B-15’s looks were ready to kill. She was a snide Loki comment away from blowing a gasket. The only saving grace seemed to be that Loki was agreeing to her plan.
“I understand that I especially have to earn that…” Loki’s open palm bobbed up and down in the air, showing no signs of dishonesty. “So I will. Kaia will too, won’t you?”
“Yeah, of course…” Kaia agreed. Not that she needed to justify the ‘threatening’ allegations, but she rose above her resentment.
Loki looked once more to Mobius, who was studying his face intently. His head wobbled to one side, then the other, analyzing every wrinkle of the demigod’s bone-dry face. Loki’s sudden agreement on splitting up the team did not ease Mobius’ feelings about Loki in general. This wouldn’t be the first time that Loki tried to trick him. Who’s to say that the last time would ever come?
Finally, Mobius spoke, “Why is it the people that you can’t trust are always saying ‘trust me’?”
Hunter B-15 opted for a more logical approach, looking past Mobius and Loki and onto a more reliable source. “What’s your opinion, Verity?”
Verity drew in a deep breath, clutching her deactivated Time Stick with an unintentional intensity. Loki and Kaia had spoken truthfully; she would have spoken up if the truth had been otherwise. The only problem is that the truth can’t always vouch for the unknown future. The future in front of them had a particularly menacing variable, one that she didn’t want her friend to face short-handed.
Perhaps Loki could quell her troubles, but Verity needed assurance. She sought it in the form of two questions; one to appease Hunter B-15’s mind, and one to appease her own.
“Do you promise to listen to B-15? And to keep Kaia safe?”
Loki put a hand to his chest, splattering the last few raindrops from Mobius’ sleeve onto his jacket. “I promise, Verity. Trust me.”
… … …
Verity put her Time Stick at ease, letting the dim baton tip scrape harmlessly against her leg. She gave Mobius a silent nod, reflecting the quiet relief she got from Loki’s rare moment of honesty. Although this was normally something to celebrate, Mobius felt his final excuse to object escape between his fingertips.
“Okay…” Mobius eyed Hunter B-15. He waved his hands around his neck to mimic putting a device on his neck. “Try to hang onto your Time Collar this time.”
“We’ll see you in the showroom.” Hunter D-90 saluted the field-op leader, then motioned for the last few lingering Minutemen to move out with him.
Mobius started to follow but stopped when he noticed Verity wasn’t following suit. Sure, she had taken a few backwards steps, but she couldn’t hide the lingering worry of leaving Kaia behind in such a terrifying apocalypse.
“Kaia, please be safe…”
“I’ll be fine, Vee. You take care.”
“Hurry up, you two!” Hunter B-15 interrupted with a harsh emphasis on each syllable. She led the march to the greenroom, her Time Stick already prepared to encounter the killer Variant.
Kaia and Verity shared one last glance as Loki and Mobius respectively led them to opposite ends of the store. They parted on the notion that one another would be okay.
At least, Verity had to call it a notion. She could only believe in the factual truth, not the faith that Loki won’t be given a reason to go back on his word.
No, she couldn’t think like that. She had to keep to the notion, for it was what everyone planned out.
Verity’s path was buzzing as the TVA employees blended in with the doomed civilians. Her mind filled with a low hum white noise as she overheard mothers talking to their children and employees talking to concerned elders. She wished for quiet, but her heart grew heavy as she walked among people that lied to themselves and their little ones, pretending that they’ll be okay.
Hunter D-90 led Mobius, Verity, and a few Minutemen downstairs into the main warehouse lot. Instead of pallets of goods, the racks were lined with cots and wellness supplies. Rows of people overflowed on the thin makeshift beds. Some were huddled in emergency blankets, recovering or resting as best they could. It’s not an easy scene to take yourself out of, especially when the agonizing cries of an infant tug at your heartstrings.
Mobius saw the frown that painted Verity’s face. This was her first major mission; the shock of such a worrying scene was to be expected. He leaned into her ear, whispering what little comfort he could offer.
“It’s tough, I know,” Mobius whispered, “They’ll be at peace soon. We have to focus on our task.”
Hunter D-90, primed by previous missions, was able to command his Minutemen without much issue. Time Sticks were retracted as Minutemen began to search each survivor’s bag for any signs of the Variant. Under most circumstances, the TVA would blend right into a scene as they hunted for their target. But when people become desperate, circumstances become more exceptional.
A rotund gentleman in a blue coverall outfit approached. His drooping silver hair and spotted shadow of a beard indicated he had his dream retirement on a now-unreachable horizon. A blue logo on top of a little yellow patch over his left breast tagged him as a Roxxcart employee. A miniature digital name badge identified the employee as Hank.
“You guys FEMA? National Guard?” Hank asked as he waded through the sea of rescue cots.
Hunter D-90 ignored Hank. Instead, he loudly muttered, “Could be any one of them…”
“Hey!” Hank cut off Hunter D-90’s path, forcing him, Mobius, and Verity to pay attention to him. After all, he had a very important plea to whom he thought were people who could save the day.
“If y’all got a ‘copter or other transport, now is the time to use it,” Hank said as he motioned to the people around him, “We got women and kids and that weather ain’t playin’.”
Well, this was no time to lie.
“No, I’m sorry, we don’t,” Mobius rejected the suggestion of a rescue helicopter. Those tended to cause more Timeline problems than what they were worth.
Not that any of that mattered to Hank. He looked at the trio, utterly baffled, “Well, how the heck did you get here?”
Hank tried to get closer to Mobius, but he was suddenly stopped by the force of Hunter D-90’s gloved hand on his stomach. Hank had unwittingly blocked the path of an unchecked bag. D-90 wasn’t about to let that slide.
Hunter D-90 roughly shoved Hank back, who was barely able to stop himself from falling onto a sleeping man. Without so much as a word, D-90 approached the bag and started rifling through it, much to both Hank’s and Mobius’ bewilderment.
As Mobius followed Hunter D-90, Verity gave Hank a sympathetic look. She could not offer the promise of relief. That wouldn’t be fair. The least she could do was offer the same comfort she had been given just moments ago.
“I’m sorry, we’re not FEMA…” said Verity, “We don’t know when help will be coming.”
Hank figured as much. Although his shoulders hung dejectedly, he had his head up high as he shot Verity a worried look.
“I just hope they come soon, miss…”
With that, Hank waddled off to comfort some of the sheltering shoppers. It gave Verity pause, to know that even in someone’s darkest moment, they could suspend a lie to themselves. Creating hope out of a faulty foundation. If there’s one thing she learned about humanity — even before the TVA — it’s that hope was the biggest lie of all.
Hope, after all, is just a purgatory between a lucky truth and a heartbreaking reality.
Verity followed Mobius, who had followed Hunter D-90 rustling an abandoned bag. The Detective was still disgruntled by the way his comrade treated the civilian.
“What are you doing?”
Hunter D-90 ignored Mobius, too focused on the mission at hand. Mobius wasn’t about to let that insubordination stand. He grabbed onto the back of his chest guard, lifting the plate slightly as he forced his Hunter to attention.
“Hey! These people are scared.”
Hunter D-90 stood a mere inch shorter than Mobius, even with the helmet on. That didn’t stop him from being an intimidating force. He wouldn’t be a hunter otherwise. Without so much as blinking, Hunter D-90 leaned in close to the Detective’s face, his voice quiet enough to respect the people around him, but gruff enough to emphasize both Mobius’ and his point.
“They’re about to die. They should be scared.”
Verity didn’t dare interject herself physically between the two. D-90 was stoic, firm, and pointedly cold as he spoke. He merely spoke his truth.
“Okay. Not of us.” Mobius whispered in equal measure as he pointed his finger square into Hunter D-90’s armour. “Take it easy.”
D-90 remained silent, but the tension was firmly placed in a balled-up fist. Was this about to not end well?
Verity was about to speak up but hastened footsteps overshadowed all of them. A Minuteman ran past Verity, calling for the attention of their superior officer, Hunter D-90.
“Sir!!” The Minuteman’s voice quaked from their nerves.
Hunter D-90 acknowledged them without missing a beat, “What is it?”
“I… we… we found…”
“Hey, it’s all right…” Verity channelled the calm vibes she was about to give to the quarrelling colleagues and instead gave them to the Minuteman. She put a hand on their shoulder, patting it lightly to assure that they could say what they all needed to hear.
“What did you find?” Verity asked.
The Minuteman’s answer explained why they were so jittery. Its implication made Mobius so alert that he nearly bolted as soon as they said it.
“We found Hunter C-20.”
- Using the name Roxxcart over Roxxon is a purely strategic choice, given that the latter’s extensive PR team could rival the number of Minutemen sent into the corporate town. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
If by chance, you haven't watched Loki season 1 (2021) and don't know the Variant's name, ignore this note.
If you do know their name and have some sort of hesitance in continuing, I made an addendum on Pillowfort addressing my thoughts on the way the show portrayed the Variant, and how differently I'm going to approach their character development for this story. I know this character has a bit of a polarizing stance online; all I can ask for is a chance to take in my interpretation of the character. Be mindful that mild story spoilers come with that addendum.
Chapter 19: The Variant
Summary:
Chapter 19 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki, Kaia, and Hunter B-15 meet the Variant. Mobius, Verity, and Hunter D-90 find Hunter C-20.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment.
Chapter Text
‘Greenhouse’ was a generous term to describe this particular section of the store. Miniature metal racks of various potted houseplants wilted in the waning humidity of the troubled room. Every other overhead light in this room blacked out every other second. Hunter B-15 had to use the orange glow of her Time Stick to keep track of what was ahead of her. To guarantee that the impromptu flashlight led, she had Loki and Kaia follow beside her rather than in front or behind.
Loki kept himself in the middle, ensuring a safe distance between Kaia and the troublesome pruning baton. This was a stance he would have taken even if he hadn’t publicly promised Kaia’s safety to Verity. It would be disadvantageous if he or Kaia fell victim to a sudden pruning. If this was Hunter B-15’s plan to lure them out for a private execution, he certainly would be ready for it. Yet, as they silently traversed the lavender-scented rows, that scenario seemed less and less likely.
Loki decided to break the ice. “I, for one, am glad we’re getting to spend this time together.”
Hunter B-15 did not want that ice broken. She angrily whispered, “Quiet!”
“I mean, I’m saying we got off on the wrong foot…”
“Hey, Loki?” Kaia had a thinker’s look across her face, her mind preoccupied with something said earlier in the mission. “What was Mobius talking about before? With a skirmish and a Time Collar?”
Loki grinned. Out of all of the adventures he had during his brief time in the TVA, this was one of his favourite tales.
“Ah, when I was initially arrested, I managed to briefly escape with a device that controlled the Time Collar. It was limited, as I was only able to navigate the TVA. When madam B-15 caught up to me, I put the Time Collar on her and had quite a bit of fun with the controls.”
Kaia nodded in understanding. Mobius’ parting shot suddenly made a lot more sense.
“Sounds—”
“SHH!” Hunter B-15 hushed them both harshly. She raised an unarmed hand in the air, bringing attention to the scene around them. The faint echo of a ringing bell rose above the hum of the buzzing lights. The dainty dings seemed out of place, especially since they seemed to come from an aisle to Kaia’s right.
Hunter B-15 and Loki exchanged looks. They silently agreed to a temporary truce, allowing the investigation to commence. Hunter B-15 took the lead by a few paces, Time Stick primed under her wrist. Loki took Kaia under his arm, protecting her back as B-15 led them out of the aisle. The light ringing grew louder with each step the trio took. Loki was taller than the racks, so his gaze was transfixed in the direction of where the bell’s toll was coming from.
Suddenly, he saw a hand graze a plant in the neighbouring aisle. Target acquired.
The flashing lights became more erratic as the trio rounded themselves into the offending aisle. They first caught glimpse of the noise they heard: a decorative bell attached to the leaf of an azalea plant, meant to add flare to a product on sale. The person ringing the bell was a young man dressed in a blue hoodie and jeans, long since dried out. The short cloudy curls on his head looked as if they hadn’t set foot outside. He seemed lost in the veins of the potted leaves spilling out. He was primed to be ambushed, but Hunter B-15 wasn’t one to charge blindly.
“HEY!” Hunter B-15 aimed her Time Stick toward him.
For someone being yelled at, the man turned his head rather slowly. However, when he noticed the heavily armed officer with her weapon aimed at him, he was quick to snap up straight and surrender his hands in the air.
“Whoa-whoa-whoa! It’s okay, it’s okay!” The shopper’s speech was shaky as he spoke.
Hunter B-15 did not advance but did not back down either. “What are you doing?”
Much to everyone’s surprise, the tension from the man’s body started to evaporate. Perhaps he was expecting a harsher question; a threat over an inquiry. But for solidarity’s sake (and perhaps his own life), he offered up a simple answer: “Shopping for plants.”
Kaia squinted. That answer seemed expected on a normal day, but not on a day as finite as today. She had to ask the obvious question: “In this storm??”
“It’s a hurricane sale…” The man lowered his hand slightly, motioning to the signage that advertised the bargain. “Azaleas are half off.”
Loki kept quiet throughout the entire exchange. The demeanour of this man was awfully suspicious. If they were planning to look and act in the least Loki-like manner possible, they succeeded in spades. Yet, being a Loki isn’t solely about appearance. A Loki ought to be a better actor than this.
His train of thought was interrupted by Hunter B-15, who tilted her head toward him. Her question was framed in a hushed whisper, “Could that be you?”
Loki looked at the Hunter, then back at the shopper. He was still complying with the command that wasn’t ushered, keeping the palms of his hands fully visible. No weapon seemed obvious, despite the baggy clothing he wore. By all accounts, he appeared to be a normal, susceptible human.
But what Loki would he be if he judged another Loki by their shapeshifting cover?
The Consultant finally offered some consultation, “Well, I probably would’ve worn a suit, but yes, maybe.”
That’s all that Hunter B-15 needed to hear.
The Time Stick lacked projectiles. It’s a baton, after all. Wordlessly, Hunter B-15 walked in bold strides toward the suspect. Kaia followed, but Loki ensured she didn’t stray too close to such a potent weapon.
Such caution became wholly justified in a mere moment.
As soon as Hunter B-15 was within arms reach, the man made his move. He grabbed hold of Hunter B-15’s higher wrist, careful to avoid the glowing weapon resting underneath. Just before he clamped down, Loki caught a glimpse of familiar green magic overshadowing the man’s brown eyes and black hand. The magic seeped into Hunter B-15’s clothing and skin as he twisted her wrist, swimming up her arm before eventually petering out. As soon as the shades of green faded to nothing, the man’s knees bowed out, narrowly avoiding crashing into Hunter B-15 and the nearby racks as he fell to the ground.
Kaia, with widened eyes, barely managed to side-step away from the sudden thud. She tilted her head slightly, examining the man as he lay on the ground. The ripples of his clothes made it hard to tell if had movement underneath his chest.
“Is… is he dead?” Kaia asked aloud.
Surprisingly, Hunter B-15 offered an answer. “No, they usually survive…”
She spoke nonchalantly, with an added chill to her voice. A stark contrast from her rousing briefing earlier on. The sudden shift in her tone completely befuddled Kaia. What confused her the most was the presumptive way that she spoke. As if this wasn’t the first time a suspect collapsed upon touching her.
Kaia took two steps towards Hunter B-15, her head tilting in the opposite direction. “How do you…”
Loki placed a hand on Kaia’s shoulder, stopping her before she could ask or get too close. He knew what she was about to ask, just as he knew the answer.
How did Hunter B-15 know that? She didn’t. But they did. They knew precisely how their puppets reacted to their magic, with the Hunter now christened as their newest toy.
Hunter B-15 pivoted in place, her feet taking a wide stance as she powered down and put away her Time Stick. They made her place her hands behind her back like the attentive soldier she was supposed to be. Their gaze upon the lopsided duo was slow and self-indulgent; allowing their hunger to fester through her eyes. Rumour had it that the TVA became desperate to stop their streak. Seeing the culmination of that desperation in the form of a tiny Variant and an actual Loki? It was almost cute.
“So, you’re the fools the TVA sent to hunt me down.”
An audible sigh made it clear that Kaia caught up to what Loki perceived. They were finally face-to-face with the Variant. Sort of.
Loki’s face remained stoic in the face of the revelation. As the last few droplets of rain rolled off of Hunter B-15’s helmet, her puppeteer made her gaze match their own intensity.
“Me, I presume?” Loki asked formally, his voice rumbling in a low growl.
Was that supposed to be intimidating?
“Oh, please…” Hunter B-15 nearly choked on her scathing chuckle as she replied in her overseer’s name, “If anyone’s anyone, you’re me.”
On that note, Hunter B-15’s head creaked over her right shoulder, prompting the last raindrop to roll off of her helmet. They painted a store-bought smile onto her face. Loki knew a grin like that anywhere. Any doubt that this was some other sort of magician faded away in that instant. This was definitely a Loki.
He matched their grin in equal intensity, enough to have crow’s feet perch themselves on either side of his eyes. His head swivelled to accentuate his enthusiasm. Or at least, what he thought enthusiasm was supposed to look like.
Kaia eyed the compromised Hunter B-15, then Loki, with a slanted lip. Both of them looked uncanny, staring holes into each other’s teeth. They both looked like mannequins; holding their smiles as if they needed to blend into their surroundings.
Kaia’s eyes finally rested back on the Variant’s vessel. “N… Nice to meet you, I guess?”
The Variant broke the pose first, rolling B-15’s eyes viciously as they made her walk.
She took off, leading Loki and Kaia out of the greenhouse and into aisles dedicated to hygienic care. Although a plasticky smell lingered down these aisles, the scent of flowers never left them.
Loki led the charge in pursuit, maintaining the buffer between the magicless Kaia and the magic-inclined Variant. In fact, Loki had them and their magic figured out. It was now clear to him that this wasn’t illusion-projection nor duplication-casting. No, this was enchantment: using magic to possess another living being. It was a skill he hadn’t yet learned for himself. Of course, it was a thought that crossed his mind, but he had reservations about this type of magic, especially in its reputation.
“Enchantment is a clever trick,” Loki complimented while flexing the backs of his hands in his pockets, “Cowardly. A bit amateurish. But clever.”
As she walked, Hunter B-15 spun on her heels, rotating between walking forward and back to avert and meet Loki’s gaze. At this moment, they made her face him.
“Almost as cowardly as working for the TVA…” Hunter B-15 dragged the last ‘A’ long, allowing her jaw to slack in the process. She reflected her parasite’s provocation with the obnoxious smirk that lingered on her face. Such a baiting statement was bound to fish up information on these fools, and that’s exactly what they got.
“Uh, for the record, we’re not really agents…” Kaia chimed in.
Loki nodded in agreement. “We work for ourselves.”
The Variant made Hunter B-15 laugh, “You really believe that, don’t you?”
Controlled hands created controlled claps in reaction to Loki’s nod of affirmation. The Variant could hardly contain themself within this body. Not when being prompted by such outlandish statements. It was all so incredibly comical.
“And to think, I was worried that they’d found a better version of me…”
They’d bet a Reset charge that this so-called Loki viewed himself as superior. As if!
Click-click-click!
Kaia was the first to notice that they were, once again, not alone. This time, a teenager1, no older than seventeen approached. His pale white face was littered with blemishes along the forehead and the struggling buds of fuzz along the jawline. His short brown hair had more sizeable curls than the tail of a pig.
He wore a fitted blue polo shirt with solid yellow stripes racing around the sleeve and neck collars. The miniature Roxxcart logo and animated name badge made it even more obvious that he worked the store floor. The sales associate had no tact or awareness as he approached the trio, not as quarrelling enemies, but as customers.
“Hi, are you guys looking for the disaster shelter?” The Roxxcart employee asked, stopping square in front of Hunter B-15. They both locked eyes with one another.
Uh-oh.
Another perfect smile crept upon B-15’s face. “No.”
The Variant made their next move. They made B-15 clasp the employee’s arm. From this angle, the magic was now obvious to Kaia. An unfamiliar green glow emanated from Hunter B-15’s hand, seeping past the royal blue threads and into the teenager’s skin. Both of their eyes flashed with the same green light. His body suddenly relaxed, shoulders dropping and adjusting, allowing the Variant to settle into their new puppet. Much like an old toy, the discarded Hunter B-15 dropped to the ground as soon as the transfer was complete.
Kaia gasped. Despite her reservations, she was concerned about the Hunter. The curse of basic compassion. She advanced towards Hunter B-15, doing her best to assess what had happened. Hunter B-15’s gear may have protected her from the fall, but it was impossible to tell just how deep unconsciousness took hold of her.
This time, two firm grips on her shoulders held her back. Kaia looked behind her, only to see Loki shaking his head.
He quietly warned her, “Enchantment by touch…”
Who’s to say that the essence of the Variant didn’t linger in Hunter B-15? Loki didn’t know how Kaia would react to such a potent touch. That’s not the type of gamble Loki wanted to make. He had a much better plan in mind for this Variant.
“Aww, bless…”
Despite the age of their new body, the Variant was able to make this boy’s voice velvety and intimidating. It bordered on sultry as they observed the two fools attempt to reconvene on the same page.
“Are you going to call your little friends for help?”
The teenager pivoted on his heels, commanded to lead the fools astray down yet another aisle. They could lead the march anywhere throughout the store, knowing for certain that they’d be followed.
Loki and Kaia took a familiar position, with him leading the charge and her walking beside him. She looked back on Hunter B-15 as they abandoned her body — and any means of calling for TVA backup — behind.
They all walked at an incredibly slow pace down a grocery aisle. A predator led his understudy through the motions, analyzing the prey with an intense look in his eyes. The prey in question did not walk in fear, but rather in confidence, as if their adolescent vessel was enough to protect them. The new body only emphasized the ‘cowardly’ aspect of enchantment for Loki.
“What’s the matter?” Loki inquired, “Too scared to show yourself face to face?”
The Variant didn’t flinch in words or body language. Loki wasn’t about to let them wall him now.
“You know, gaining their confidence was no mean feat.”
The Variant stopped their puppet. Just as slowly, the employee twisted his lanky body to face the pair. At first, they must admit that they were stalling, trying to shrug these pests away. But now, the talkative fool now had their complete attention.
“Oh… my… God…” The Variant imposed a fake gasp upon their host body, “You went undercover!”
Loki drew in a wispy breath between gritted teeth, “If you could possibly sheath your smarm for a moment, Loki…”
Much to everyone’s surprise, the teenager twisted his face in disgust on the Variant’s behalf.
“Ugh, don’t call me that…”
Kaia kept silent but wondered why this Loki was so uncomfortable with their own name and body. Her own circumstance seemed too unique to be repeatable, much less in a Loki who had a kill count.
“You can call me…” The Variant paused. A quick glance at his animated name badge allowed the Variant to name their host accurately. “Randy!”
Loki wasn’t about to argue semantics now. “I have an offer for you, Randy. That’s why I found you.”
Both Kaia and Randy looked at Loki. Their faces ranged from confusion to intrigue.
“Go on.” Randy beckoned Loki to continue with a wave of his hand.
With that, for the first time, Loki explained aloud the opportunity he saw from the moment he realized the TVA’s true power.
“I‘m going to overthrow the Time-Keepers. And, cards on the table…” Loki’s gaze was transfixed past Randy and onto the Variant. “I could use a qualified lieutenant.”
The Variant had to admit that it was a curious offer. Presumptuous, but still thought-provoking. How could someone be so bold… so generous…
So… wrong.
“And I assume you mean… me?” Randy’s head tilted, shifting from Loki’s face to his companion’s. “Your friend seems surprised.”
Indeed, Kaia was surprised. Her stare could’ve pierced through Loki’s neck if she had that kind of power. Loki faintly felt the sting, but he didn’t flinch. Someone had to make an attempt to save a shambling united front.
“What say you, Randy?” Loki asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Before anyone could answer, Kaia applied a firm elbow to Loki’s arm. This finally snapped him out of his trance. As soon as his eyes turned to her, Kaia made herself as tall as possible to maintain reasonable eye contact, going so far as to shift her weight off of her heels entirely. He couldn’t even get a word in. She launched into a quiet tirade.
“What’re you going on about??” Kaia asked in a hushed haze, “Overthrow the TVA‽”
Loki glanced back at Randy and waved at him to kindly pause their conversation. Perhaps a united front needed more than just a brave stance. But what else could it need? Communication?
“Kaia, keep it cool…” Loki’s whispers sounded far less worried, “They seem enticed…”
“You never said anything about a hostile takeover!” Kaia emphasized, “Or aligning with the Variant! What if that puts us in danger?”
Kaia fell off of the tips of her toes, rocking back against the shelf filled with supplements. They were both too enthralled with themselves to notice just how quickly the scene was shifting around them.
As much fun as it was to watch these two from Randy’s perspective, the Variant couldn’t hear them. From their new hiding spot — the opposite end of the shelf that Kaia had nearly bumped into — the Variant could now eavesdrop much more easily.
So… her name is Kaia.
The towering fool was right about one thing. They were enticed. But not by his offer. Not when there’s a dainty wrist wavering helplessly on the other side of the shelf.
THUD!
Loki’s head spun to see what shattered the whisper war. Randy now lay on the ground, his limbs strewn about, much like the previous victims of enchantment. There was one obvious difference this time. Shouldn’t he have touched someone else in order for the Variant to pass through bodies?
“Oh, dear…”
Loki tensed up, if only not to show a shudder. That was a voice he knew, but it was slightly off. Warped by something… or rather, someone.
“By the way, the name 'Randy' is a bit out of style now…”
A small foot kicked away a little white supplement bottle that had fallen on the floor. Loki’s eyes started there and made their way up along Kaia’s body. Physically, she was the same, save for her own eyes. He was just in time to see two emerald rings fade out from her irises.
The Variant looked at Loki, but not through their own eyes. They didn’t have a good vantage point from the aisle they were in, but they knew someone who did.
“I’d prefer it if you called me Kaia.”
Loki stared at Kaia, who was now fully enchanted by the Variant. The smirk they painted upon her face didn’t suit her at all. It wasn’t a look of mischief, but of prideful malice. A look of petty victory, knowing they had gotten to the one being on this floor that truly mattered to him.
Loki drew in a deep sigh. Of all the feelings that he had stewing as a result of this development, he wasn’t expecting empathy to make itself vocal first.
“Gods, now I understand why Thor found this so annoying…”
After the empathy had passed, he managed to hide a slight rush of panic. He was fortunate that Verity wasn’t here to witness the Variant breaking Loki’s promise. With Kaia now in danger, he had made an enemy out of two Variants; one of Asgard, and one of Manhattan.
Now, Verity could have found out, if she had the focus of mind to note the wall of security camera footage that draped the security room. That’s not why she was here, though.
The worried Minuteman had led her, Mobius, and Hunter D-90 into this room because this is where he had found Hunter C-20. Marked as MIA from a previous mission, she now sat against a horizontal cabinet, alive but not well. Her wrists and ankles were bound by cable ties, but the rest of her was not restrained. She was stripped of her helmet, her dreadlocked hair frazzled from what apparent horrors she had seen. Her brown eyes were hollow, blankly staring ahead as her chapped lips could only repeat one phrase.
“It’s real, it’s real, it’s real…”
Everyone kneeled down to Hunter C-20’s level, with Mobius and Verity ending up closest to her.
“You poor thing…” Verity muttered her sympathies, searching her pockets and scanning the room for anything that could help with the Hunter’s restraints.
Hunter D-90 and the Minutemen that led them there hung back slightly, so as to not overwhelm her. Despite the apparent sympathy, Hunter D-90 did his part to make a verbal log of what they had come across.
“Hunter C-20, status alive. Showing acute signs of trauma, possibly shell-shock…” D-90 reported into his TemPad.
“It was real, it was real…” C-20’s mantra shifted slightly.
“What’s real?” Mobius was fully fixed on Hunter C-20. He inched himself forward, pressing himself on both his hands and knees, careful not to breach her bodily boundaries too quickly.
“It’s real…" she continued on as if no one was there.
“Mobius, she’s clearly off the dial…” Hunter D-90 said.
Verity’s head snapped up, looking past Mobius to get D-90’s attention, “Then let’s help her get back on it!”
Verity and D-90 exchanged tense gazes. He certainly wasn’t reporting to her. She certainly wasn’t up for his blasé attitude towards his cohort. He was lucky that she saw scissors sitting on top of a supply shelf behind him. She sprung to her feet to gather a possible tool to help Hunter C-20. He let the standoff die with a simple eye-roll that no one saw.
Mobius, for his part, kept his composure. The bickering happening behind him wasn’t about to help now. “C-20, look at me. It’s me, Mobius.”
Hunter C-20 twitched, her head propped up on its own to meet Mobius’ gentle face. Her eyes flickered; a slight spark of life sitting in shallow pools.
“I wanna go home…” Hunter C-20 said meekly.
By this point, Verity had knelt back down in her original spot, now armed with office scissors to aid in breaking C-20’s restraints. What held her back was not her own confidence with the blades, but what C-20 had just said. Surely, she had to be talking about the TVA, but Verity found it hard to believe that anyone could describe such a place as home.
“We’re gonna get you there…” Mobius grazed Hunter C-20’s shin with a pat so soft that she barely noticed. The Detective then turned to the Minuteman, who didn’t have enough rank or expertise to do more than watch. “Call the TVA, let the infirmary know—”
“NO! No!” Hunter C-20 yelled, a frantic face aimed at both Mobius and the Minuteman, “I gave it away! I-I gave it away!!”
Verity thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t yet aimed the scissors on the Hunter’s ties. The scissors slipped through her fingertips and clattered on the floor instead of breaking through plastic or fabric. It wasn’t just the volume of her words that rattled Verity, but the ferocious truth that propelled them.
“What did you give away?” Verity asked.
“The Time-Keepers!! Where they are!” Hunter C-20’s shallow pools now overflowed with tears, “I-I gave it away, where to find them…”
Mobius and Hunter D-90 exchanged their concerns silently. Save for C-20 turning up dead, this was the worst-case scenario. The Time-Keepers, the TVA, and everyone that worked for them were now compromised.
D-90 whipped out his TemPad once more, making use of its communication features rather than its logging system. “B-15, what is your status?”
Mobius turned his focus back to Hunter C-20, “Look, Verity’s going to break your restraints, and we’ll evacuate you, okay? We’ll handle this from here, you just need to get to a safe spot…”
The Detective’s hidden orders were easy to pick up on. The Minuteman stood up, calling for the infirmary’s paramedical team on his own TemPad. Verity recovered the scissors and carefully worked her way through the black zip ties. She wasn’t about to question why a Loki Variant wouldn’t just use magic to make their point with their hostage.
“B-15, come in…” Hunter D-90 repeated. The silence that followed was eerie.
“No word…?” Verity asked. She snapped one restraint upon remembering just who was with the unresponsive Hunter.
“B-15, do you copy??” D-90’s call was a bit more forceful. He still got no reply.
Mobius jumped to his feet. He also remembered who Hunter B-15 was with and whom they were all looking for.
“You, take care of C-20 from here. Make sure she’s evacuated.” Mobius gave the Minuteman direct orders. With a quick salute from the Minuteman, Mobius led Verity and Hunter D-90 out of the control room and towards the showroom greenhouse.
Still, no one bothered to check the cameras before they left. If they had, they would’ve seen Hunter B-15, waking up in the middle of the hygienic aisle, slowly coming to terms with what had happened to her on one camera. On another, they also would’ve seen the glow of a small row of Reset charges, hidden behind certain shelves.
It would’ve been the foresight they needed to know just how little time they had left.
- Kaia is devastated to report that the teenager is, in fact, taller than her by a sizeable margin. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 20: The Variant's Plan
Summary:
Chapter 20 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Everyone converges just in time to see the Variant pull off their plan. But only Loki gets a clear view of the Variant’s face.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment, violence.
Chapter Text
Enchantment is a tricky skill to master. The Variant had it down pat by now. They hadn’t bothered to keep track of how many times they’d used this technique over the years, but Kaia was the latest in a long list. Enchantment is puppetry, using the brain as the rod to steer their breathing marionette.
As soon as The Variant took hold of Kaia, they immediately noticed her quirk, the very same issue that led her to the TVA in the first place.
“This one is a Loki?” The Variant examined Kaia inwardly, flexing short limbs to help them settle down.
Loki said nothing but nodded to confirm. It was hard to see Kaia like this, but even harder to figure out how to free her from the Variant’s control without harming her.
“Three of us in the same room, and still no branch. You did your homework…” Kaia scoffed, “Though, then again, this weak little Loki barely has an impact, doesn’t she? She must take after you.”
At that moment, Loki understood. The Variant needed another player for their mind match, but he wasn’t prepared to entertain.
“Enough with your games! I’ve been trying to help you! I had kept the TVA vulnerable for quite some time.”
Kaia scrunched her nose and shook her head slightly. The Variant simply had to test this vessel’s limits and range. And why shouldn’t they? It was the most interesting bodily takeover they’ve had in a while. They weren’t used to using a vessel as an emotional tether to keep an enemy captivated.
“Oh gosh, and that was just SO nice of you!!” Kaia spoke in a squeaky tone that oozed sarcasm, “Buuut… after eight to ten seconds of consideration… me? As your lieutenant? The answer is no.”
Kaia stepped up to Loki, not bothering to prop herself onto anything to achieve even eye contact. The way her puppeteer positioned her, down to the way she folded her arms behind her back, maximized what little intimidation Kaia could pull off.
What Kaia said next was quite chilling. Not only for what it meant but because she seemed to say it in tandem with the Variant themself. Two voices spoke the same line at the same time with the same mouth:
“I’m not interested in ruling the Time Variance Authority.”
A Loki that wasn’t interested in conquering a realm of great value or power? What kind of bastard Loki was this Variant?
Loki blinked, only to see Kaia’s back turned to him. The Variant took quick, striding steps to compensate for their host’s short legs. Loki followed in hot pursuit, not only to make sure they didn’t escape with Kaia, but also to prod the foe further in hopes of uncovering their true motive.
The Variant had a decent head-start, leading the foolish Loki down a multipurpose aisle, its shelves cascading from food storage tubs to small appliances. They marched towards the larger appliances, with the distant glow of full-blown television showcases adding lighting that proved to be somewhat more reliable than the lights above them.
Loki inquired, “If you don‘t want to rule the TVA, then what do you want?”
“It doesn‘t matter," the shared voices stitched together to sound more like Kaia once again, “You’re too late.”
“I think you’ll find that I’m well ahead of schedule,” Loki pressed on, “I found you and your hiding place in a snap! I‘d say that makes me the superior Loki, wouldn’t you?”
Loki timed the snap of his fingers perfectly to his words. Although they weren’t facing him, the sudden twitch that crept up Kaia’s shoulders visualized just how sharply the Variant cringed in the shadows.
“For the record, I’m not actually your little pet Kaia," the Variant reminded him, “You’ll have to sell that snake oil to someone else.”
“If you don’t free her from your grasp and reveal yourself, you’ll wish you had my offer… to accept…”
Loki’s threat ran on empty, his words trailing off as his eyes locked on something familiar. Kaia stopped walking, glancing back to see Loki frozen in his tracks, fixated on a key component of the Variant’s plan.
Sat amongst the headphone and stereo stock stood a lone Reset charge. Its centre core bubbled but was not illuminated. The lid of the charge was tampered with; rainbows of frayed electronic cables attached to the lid were splintering at the seams. A black anchoring cable appeared to tether its Reset charge to other charges, obscured behind the store’s inventory, presumably stretching down the aisle. If one didn’t know any better, one would assume that the strange device was actually one of many improvised explosive devices.
“I see… so that’s your plan?” Loki looked back to Kaia, his arms extended in a grandiose gesture, “Lure us all here so you can blow this place up?”
The Variant made Kaia giggle through a gritty grin. Her gaze pierced through Loki like tiny daggers.
“Oh, Loki… you truly have no idea.”
Abruptly, Kaia’s eyes fluttered. Between each blink, her irises shone a different shade of green. As her eyes relaxed, so did the rest of her body. Just as they did with the others, the Variant released their mental stranglehold on their shield. Just as they did with Randy, the Variant’s host didn’t touch anyone to do so.
Unique to Kaia, however, Loki didn’t let her hit the floor.
Loki flexed his left hand, flashing a hint of his own emerald magic. A thin outline surrounded Kaia’s body as he eased her to the floor from a distance. Much to his relief, a magic touch did not allow enchantment to pass through onto him. He did not fully release his telekinetic grip on her. Not yet.
Loki looked down the aisle to his left. Silence.
Loki looked down the aisle to his right. More silence.
Behind? Just as quiet.
In front? Just as eerie.
Either the Variant wasn’t watching or things were about to get very ugly.
Loki looked to Kaia once more. She didn’t appear to be waking up anytime soon. One could only assume that being controlled so forcefully would be exhausting. If the worst was about to come, he wasn’t about to let her get caught in the thick of it. That's what allies do for one another, right?
Lifting his hand also lifted Kaia. Loki shifted her from the middle of the aisle, further down the showroom, and into a decorative hammock that was meant to accent a stainless steel grill, displayed and advertised at a price 30% below market value.
Granted, if there was going to be an explosion, there was no safe place for either of them. But it’s not like he could take Kaia and run. Loki knew he had to find the Variant so—
WHAM!
Loki’s chest cavity caved to the application of a blunt and forceful footprint. He skidded across the polished floor on his back, watching as the offender came into full view.
The Variant had a new body, and this one seemed primed for a fight. The country hoss wore reliable work jeans, a Midgardian hunter’s vest, a backwards-facing trucker’s hat, and a shirt coated in forest-fitted camouflage. The ginger facial hair that he sported wrapped around his cheeks and upper lip strongly, but had a shaven fade across his chin and lower lip. His appearance couldn’t mask the muscles that he carried on his person. Certainly a more suitable candidate for a physical tango than Randy or Kaia.
Loki rolled onto his side, leaning on his arm as he sat up in a sideways slouch. He hadn’t known this brutish human long, but he didn’t give off a good first impression, especially since he was chuckling in glee over the agony he imposed. Of all the hosts the Variant had taken on, he liked this form the least.
Loki missed Kaia. A quick glance past the attacker told Loki what he needed to know, that she was still bundled in the hammock, out of the Variant’s line of sight.
The Variant didn’t have that much interest in Kaia, not in comparison to Loki. He was the one with the ‘plan’ of petty rule, the brash assumption of false superiority, and the sympathy for lesser beings. The eyes he had on the hammock they had to walk past proved it.
“Sentiment… a true weakness," the hoss remarked with a southern drawl as he approached a downed Loki, “Thanks for helping me stall for time! You really do love to hear yourself talk.”
During that speech, Loki scrambled onto his knees, a few strides away from regaining his footing. He paused, save for flicking his head back, caught off guard by the observation the Variant had made about his frequency of speech.
Loki looked up at the brute with a cheeky grin. Even in the face of an imminent strike, Loki couldn’t resist saying the first thing that came to his mind, with a heavy dose of sass for good measure.
“You’re the first person to tell me that!” Loki lied1.
The Variant elected to ignore this, prompting their puppet to grab Loki by the shoulders. With a quick heave-ho, he threw Loki face-first down the aisle of televisions like a bowling ball. Loki slid on his stomach, using his wrists to ease himself to a stop, strands of hair tumbling over his face as he did so. He could hear heavy footsteps and mocking chittering from behind him.
Once more, Loki threw his head back with style to clear his vision. His hands pressed down on the cold floor, taking a brief moment to reflect. This foe was supposed to be a variation of himself?
“I would NEVER treat me like this…” Loki remarked just before he pushed himself up and jumped onto his feet. With a quick nod of acknowledgement, Loki swiftly dodged the country hoss’ punch, not bothering to watch the 60-inch TV screen shatter behind him.
The fight that ensued was a decently loud affair, but it could not be heard from the self-care aisles from which a disoriented Hunter B-15 staggered down. She had so many thoughts overwhelming her mind, but the priority was to find the Variants that had escaped while she was unconscious.
She didn’t have to stray far to find signs of life, but it wasn’t the faces she expected to see. Mobius, it seemed, intended to find her, for when they locked eyes, he stopped dead in his tracks. He had halted so suddenly that Hunter D-90 had to swiftly pivot just to avoid crashing into him.
As Hunter B-15 approached, she saw a blur whiz behind them. A trailing streak of red hair implied that it was Verity, but she didn’t have time to question why she didn’t stop running.
Mobius was giving her an expectant look. After all, she was alone. He clearly mouthed “Where’s Loki?” with barely any vocal power behind his lips. There was no sense in dodging the truth.
“Mobius, I lost them…” Hunter B-15 quietly admitted.
“You lost them??” Mobius found his voice at a normal volume, “What happened‽”
“I-I don’t… I…”
Much unlike her usual demeanour, Hunter B-15 was rattled. She didn’t have a real explanation. As far as she could remember, she just… lost consciousness, losing Loki, Kaia, and the Variant in the process. Her mind was in a haze, but this was not the time nor place for impromptu therapy. Not when Hunter D-90 had a different take on what happened.
“Looks like your favourite Loki betrayed you, Mobius!” D-90 said with a huff.
Mobius grunted. He didn’t need to be jostled right now. Not when he realized just how far Verity had sprinted ahead of them.
“Just move!” Mobius grunted as he led the hunters in Verity’s rushed footsteps.
By this point, Verity was a speck down the winding store aisles. Her weapon was withdrawn; it was enough trying to run with such heavy armour weighing her down, never mind while wielding a lethal weapon. Yet, she had to press on. She had her heart set on finding Kaia. With what they’ve learned about the Variant, they had to reunite before it was too late.
Verity hadn’t a clue she was running straight towards said Variant, disguised as a country bumpkin tussling it out with Loki. All while Kaia lay in blissful ignorance, sound asleep and sunken into a sleeper’s sling in the distance.
Now, Loki was not the fool that the Variant thought he was. He had his magic in this forsaken time and place, but he couldn’t use it to destroy this Midgardian body. Firstly, it wouldn’t be fair on the hoss himself; he clearly wasn’t in his right state of mind to regret his life choices. More importantly, such recklessness would likely prompt the Variant to flee this host as well. Loki couldn’t afford to keep up with the Variant leapfrogging from one body to the next.
No, for this battle, blunt force trauma was on the menu. The Variant was comfortable with this battle style in this body, so it seemed fitting to match. But why dirty his own hands when he had a store-wide selection to choose from?
Their foray had led them to an intersection of aisles. To his right, Loki saw a vast array of cleaning apparatuses. Without so much as thinking, Loki cast his hand out, using his power to draw the closest vacuum in reach…
… And to his hand came a disk. Sure, it was as small as the killer Variant’s creativity and as thick as Loki’s longest spell-book, but it was still a circular, cordless vacuum. He could feel the gaps and bristles meant to perform its duties on its underbelly. Loki grinned at the thought of imprinting these ridges through this host and onto the Variant themself, but he didn’t have much time for that.
Loki smiled in the face of the brute, who already had a raised fist swinging down onto him. He steadied the robotic vacuum into both of his hands, blocking the blow.
The human turned his wrist, gaining grip upon Loki’s miniature shield. He also brought his other hand forward to bring it onto the machine.
There they stood, hands alternating on each corner of a circular vacuum, struggling for dominance as if it were the last item in stock during a hurricane sale. From a distance, they looked ridiculous. It wasn’t any better when looking at them close-up.
“Oh, come on!” Loki said as they tossed the disc from one side to the other, “Stop hiding!”
With a grunt, the hoss leaned into the toss and swung heavily in the opposite direction. He pushed the robot upward for added momentum. The combined efforts were enough to propel Loki into the air, forcing him to lose out on the deal of the day. As he landed flat on his back, the Variant tossed away the tiny vacuum, for it had served its unintended purpose.
The fall wasn’t substantial; Loki managed to bring himself back up without missing a beat.
“LOKI!”
What did catch him off guard, however, was the worried cries of a fledging TVA analyst, barreling towards the battle. Over the hoss’ shoulder, he could see that Verity was a fair distance away, but she showed no signs of stopping. He didn’t account for this. This battle was no place for Kaia, much less for Verity. This was something he needed to handle on his own.
Loki tried not to react to his own name, simply swinging a hand sharply, mimicking the motion of pushing something aside. The Variant heard a high-pitched yelp from behind them. They didn’t see Verity’s sudden panic as she was telekinetically lifted and tossed down an aisle parallel to Loki. Sure, she was steered clear of the battle, but Loki’s actions didn’t quell the Variant’s curiosity.
“Another friend of yours?” The Variant teased.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Loki reached for a new weapon of choice: a massive corded vacuum, complete with a massive handle. He ripped the appliance off of the display, smacking the brute in the head with the plastic curved part of the wand.
The Variant, in sync with their vessel, felt the impact of the blow all the same. They still had control of the mind, but the body staggered forward, needing a moment to recover from the attempted concussion. With a heavy grunt, the hoss turned around to face their enemy once more.
FWUMP!
The Variant felt the punch of broken air, left behind from the blurry rotation of an airborne vacuum. Loki had wildly swung its body like some sort of domestic mace. He swung in a complete circle, unable to slow his momentum. He was hoping for another headshot, but the predictability allowed the brute to catch the barrel one-handed instead. The hose sagged as the combatants stared each other down.
A battle deadlocked again with a vacuum between them? It’s amazing that this has happened twice.
The Variant broke the ice, guiding the hoss to grab the vacuum hose. With a quick yank, he freed the flimsy tube from the handle, leaving Loki with a hollow plastic stick, complete with a semi-heavy floor nozzle.
Loki gripped the handle, attempting one more headshot with his makeshift hammer. He swung…
Thunk!
… And missed, creating an audible echo against the showroom floor. The Variant had managed to make their enchanted human duck away in time, disguising their true intention. The vacuum body clattered to the floor as the country hoss readied the true lethal component: the cord.
Before Loki could react, he felt the weight of the brute on his back and a cold cord to his neck. They both stood upright on the Variant’s command, successfully binding Loki into a dangerous chokehold. He had managed to slip a few fingers between his neck and the cord, but the opportunity he needed to free himself was fleeting, considering that his enemy wasn’t letting up.
Loki grunted as tried to stop himself from gargling on his own restrained spit. Lurching, pulling, doing anything he could think of to free himself, even if it was just in the shape of creating some breathing room.
After all, not even attempted strangulation could stop Loki from talking.
“If you had any honour…” Loki sneered, “You’d fight as yourself!”
As Loki used his knuckles to create a larger barrier between his neck and the cord, he was yanked back by the forearms that sandwiched him on either shoulder. The husky man hushed the fool with one simple dismissal.
“I have shit to do…” The Variant whispered into Loki’s ear before finally deciding that they had stalled long enough.
The crushing weight on Loki’s shoulders shifted to his arms. As he was lifted off the ground, Loki internally concluded that this Variant’s enchantment included channelling their superhuman strength upon their very human hosts.
Loki’s world suddenly spun. He saw the ceiling blend with the aisles, the aisles blend with the floor, the floor blend with… a tower of metallic dogs?
CRASH!
The tower fell under Loki’s weight, but not before taking his breath away. Although he was spared from being crushed underneath the display, he felt his arms and legs wilt in the wake of the impact. As Loki settled on his back, an uneasy silence overwhelmed him, for he was too dazed to notice footsteps fading away.
…
Yip yip?
True to what he briefly saw, Loki glanced up to see a tiny yellow dog-shaped robot come into focus. LED eyes mocked his repeated blinking with a matching animation. Tiny wheels replaced paws, allowing it to add even more insult to injury via a love tap upon his spinning head.
Was it as bad as the smashing that the Hulk had dished out to him in New York recently? Technically no, but considering that Loki needed more than a moment to recover, he had to concede that the spirit was there.
Believe it or not, Loki could now relate to Verity, who also had the wind knocked out of her sails by an unexpected bodily throw. The only difference is that Verity was recovering on top of the barbecue grill that she had been forcefully thrown into. The impact was so strong, that the grill had dents from hitting both the floor and Verity’s armoured vest.
“Loki… you bastard…” Verity coughed. And she was starting to tolerate him too! Why would he revert back to being so insufferable? Who exactly was he squabbling with? And why would he throw her into a grill‽
Verity slowly got to her feet. She had a newfound appreciation for the protective vest that she had been given to wear earlier on. She looked around. Loki and the stranger were nowhere in sight. Kaia looked peaceful as she slept in a hammock. The lights above them still raged in an ongoing war versus the oncoming storm.
… Wait.
“KAIA!” Verity rushed to Kaia’s side, shaking her shoulders intentionally, and the hammock unintentionally. “Kaia, Kaia, wake up!”
She only needed a moment longer before Kaia began to stir. Her hands gripped the edges of the hammock in a failed attempt to steady herself. As she came to, Kaia’s eyes were glossy, presumably adjusting back to being awake.
“Vee…?” Kaia said quietly.
As a relieved-looking Verity came into focus, Kaia could also see Mobius, Hunter D-90, and Hunter B-15 over her shoulder. That trio looked tense; as if such a tender moment had interrupted something important.
“Kaia, what happened?” Verity asked as she helped her out of the hammock.
“Uh… we found the Variant… and…” Kaia started to recall. She wanted to say more but stopped for two reasons.
The first reason? The Variant was not there.
The second reason? Neither was Loki.
“Where’s Loki?” Kaia asked, her voice slightly raised by panic.
As much as Verity wanted to tell her about the fight and the barbecue, a sudden crackle interrupted all of them. All lights blacked out for a solid second, before about a third of the lights recovered from the power surge.
“I have a guess…” Mobius muttered. Once again, he led the troupe down the aisle, following the trail of upended store products. Kaia and Verity picked up the rear, if only because they both needed time to get back in their own heads.
The trail that they were following would soon peter out with fewer damaged goods. It would become harder to navigate, but if they persisted, they would eventually find Loki.
Recovering both his breath and his dignity from the earlier crash, Loki abandoned the litter of mechanical puppies. His hair was frazzled; strands of hair were clumped into distinct sections, thinning out in wavy split ends. His ‘Variant’ jacket was wrinkled but not torn completely. He was tired, but he was not done, for the Variant has now made this personal.
Loki followed his gut instinct, breaching new territory. He trudged down to the aisle labelled ‘Computers’ to find the country hoss on one knee, tinkering with something much smaller than himself. It was unclear just what it was. The only hint Loki had was a sea of wires that tumbled down from the display laptops and computer towers like streaming waterfalls, converging to whatever was being obscured. The wires were akin to the ones attached to the Reset charge he had stumbled upon earlier.
So, this was the shit they had to do.
After all that, Loki wasn’t about to let them just complete their plan.
“What do you want from me‽” Loki loudly growled, “What is this about‽”
A curious glance was sent in Loki’s direction from the brute. With about as much grace as he could muster, he got back onto his feet. With each clunky step, the laughter that echoed throughout the dreary halls became more boisterous.
“Brace yourself, Loki…”
What do they want with him?
The very notion kept the Variant laughing, even as they freed their last puppet from their control. They were sure to topple him over strategically, leading Loki’s eyes to the crown jewel of their plan.
At the bottom of the corded waterfall sat a metallic frame, buried even deeper in a nest of thin rainbow wires. Lines fringed in every direction weaving in and out of each other. The entry points for each wire were soldered onto the frame with much-needed precision. At the bottom of the terminal sat a TemPad. Its display was completely taken over by an analog clock, beeping loudly with each passing second. At the top of the terminal sat another timer, ripped from a standard alarm clock; its red numbers blinked in perfect harmony with the orange countdown below.
Now, that looked like a bomb.
Loki sighed. The device was built to look potent. The timers, now counting below a minute, told Loki that there wouldn’t be enough time to cut the right wire or risk collectively blowing everyone up.
“What do you want from me‽”
Even if he had the time, one final distraction pried him away from tinkering with the Time Bomb.
“What is this about‽”
Loki’s last words were spoken, but not from him. His words were scratchy, each sentence overlapping one another, and sounded like they should’ve replayed through the distant display speakers, but they weren’t.
Clunk… clunk… clunk…
Slowly, Loki turned around as unfamiliar footsteps slowed to a stop. There stood a figure shorter than him, yet taller than Kaia, completely cloaked by both a shadowy cape and the shadow of dimmed store lights. Glowing green fingertips gave the figure away as the Variant in their true form.
The thunder from outside roared, loud enough to be heard from the showroom floor, prompting another blackout, then a surge of light from the uncertain ceiling lights. The flash gave Loki a better look at the Variant. They wore standard black pants, not nearly as skintight as armour should be. Each pant leg was contained by jet black combat boots, which looked just as heavy as the brute’s work shoes.
A flowing cloak overtook their body, from their knees all the way up to their head. Chest armour could barely be seen, for most of it matched their black theme, save for a few green and gold straps near the top of their chest. Their fingers lost their magic as they raised their hands up to their hood. The sleeves of their cover rolled down, revealing leathery forearm guards decorated with worn green circles. Fingerless gloves removed the cover from their head, at last revealing the Variant’s true face.
As soon as the hood dropped, Loki’s eyebrows skyrocketed. They nearly flew off of his face entirely. The last thing Loki expected to see out of one of his Variants was blonde hair.
Yes, the killer Variant had blonde hair. As golden as Thor’s, though the wavy locks drooped only to the length of their face, not even breaching past their jawline. Their face looked spent, in spite of the smug look across their face. It was a face that had seen a thousand lifetimes, in a sense. Their eyes were just like his, a shade of blue that pierced through him. And yet, the most interesting piece of their ensemble was their crown. Painted gold and worn across the forehead, it should’ve been immaculate. Yet, this sorcerer hadn’t taken good care of their horns… or rather, horn. Their left horn was missing, a jagged stump left behind. To give them a little credit, their right horn looked just as sharp as it should be.
“What do you want from me‽ What is this about‽”
The echoes of Loki’s question faded, allowing the Variant a chance to answer.
“This isn’t about you.”
Loki paused, letting the sneer on his counterpart’s face settle back to one of confidence. This was the face of a killer. An enchanter. A Loki.
“Right…" he finally breathed out. As if things between himself and his Variants weren’t interesting enough.
Beep… beep… BEEEEEEP!
The Variant smirked as their timers reached zero. The Time Bomb engaged itself, prompting sparks to literally fly from the device. Electricity soared through the wires, climbing the copper waterfalls, infecting every electronic that was connected. A chain reaction of charges overwhelmed the system, but there was no fiery explosion. There was no death to this branch nor to the Lokis or TVA agents lured to it.
Instead, the timer prompted a power surge unlike any other. The entire floor blacked out, this time staying black. The silence was just as deafening if you didn’t count the hiss of the blown-out fuses or the rattle of the reset charges that were triggered by the Time Bomb. The TemPad initialized the Reset charges, prompting a domino effect of activations. Every Reset charge that the Variant had stolen began to glow purple, illuminating the entire showroom ominously.
This caught everyone off guard, especially those that had to stop running in the name of not crashing into an aisle or display. Hunter B-15 and Hunter D-90 had ignited their Time Sticks to act as torches in the face of the blackout. Yet, they realized they weren’t needed when they were all surrounded by the familiar glow of the charges.
Mobius watched as the closest Reset charge hissed, its core bubbling and alternating between violet and orange glows. Then, for reasons unknown to all, a miniature Time Door appeared underneath the activated Reset charge. As the canister sunk into the portal below, the Detective could feel his adrenaline surge.
“Where’re they going??” Mobius asked aloud. No one could offer an explanation.
Without warning, the lights returned, but everything became awash in a gaudy red light. A shade of red meant to induce panic, anxiety, and danger. Verity and Kaia could relate, especially when the latter locked eyes with a familiar figure in the distance.
“Loki?” Kaia muttered quietly.
Sure enough, all five of them took to sprinting as soon they saw Loki in the distance. He had his back to them, staring at someone new. Someone who could only be assumed to be the new Variant, the reason why all of the Reset charges were here, merely to disappear.
When the lights recovered in red, the Variant had already moved from their position. Loki had to turn back to the Time Bomb, only to watch them retrieve the TemPad from the contraption’s slot. How did this Variant get a hold of a TemPad?
Their eyes were locked on Loki as they tapped a sequence onto their device. To have the talkative fool stunned into silence was a dream come true. They had to savour it. After all, they had called upon a Time Door a thousand times before. Muscle memory allowed them to do so by heart.
It was true, Loki could only watch as the Variant strutted towards the portal they had created, only to stop themself short. They hadn’t turned away from Loki but took the moment to briefly wiggle their fingers in a subtle wave. They showed some of their teeth with a sly smile just before turning their back on the fool one last time. The Variant disappeared into the Time Door they had created.
Such a cheeky wave and grin was their beck. He had to answer their call.
Loki walked towards the Time Door, knowing it too was on a timer. If he didn’t follow, he—
“LOKI!!!”
… He could lose his train of thought.
Loki looked back. As some of the red lights above turned back to white, he saw Mobius winning the race to reach him. Hunter D-90 and Hunter B-15 weren’t too far behind. Verity and Kaia were picking up the rear. At least Verity knew that he could keep one promise. But this was still no place for Verity. Nor for Kaia. Not even for Mobius. This Variant was his battle. He had to handle them in his way. He couldn’t promise to hold himself back.
Loki turned on his heel, running into the Time Door the Variant had created. As soon as he did, the Time Door vanished into nothing.
“NO!” Mobius kicked the air. “DAMN IT!”
They were so close! Now both the Variant and Loki were gone, with no clue as to where or when they could’ve gone.
The frustration was written on both his and Hunter B-15’s face. Her arms dropped as she paced around in place, careful to avoid the unconscious body of a hulking southern man. She had her hunch on how he came to be in that familiar state.
Verity and Kaia panted, alternating on who breathed in and who breathed out. They knew they weren’t stuck in this apocalypse, but there wasn’t much else for them to go on. Verity was about to ask about those next steps, but she was swiftly overshadowed.
“Mobius, we gotta go back…” Hunter D-90 sounded grim. His eyes were transfixed on the TemPad on his arm. Hunter B-15 could see the display on his screen acting erratically. Words of warning ticked above and below a tiny replication of the Sacred Timeline. A solid white line fractured by orange splinters, growing by the second, flirting with the red borders placed at the top and bottom of the chart.
Before Mobius could ask, Hunter B-15 confirmed that one of his worst fears had come true.
“The Sacred Timeline has been bombed.”
And so, the Variant succeeded in their plan. Reset charges were scattered all across time, setting off unintended sequences around the realms and worlds. Branches were breaching into red lines almost immediately. Chaos along the Sacred Timeline has been established.
“B-15, D-90, you and all of your Minutemen, to your posts. Help restore the Sacred Timeline.” Mobius had no choice but to keep his composure. Someone had to be calm in the face of a crisis.
Doing as they were told, the hunters used their TemPads to recall their teams and deploy themselves to a point in time where they were needed.
Mobius fetched his own TemPad as he turned to Verity and Kaia, “You two come with me. Time is unstable. We’ll be safe at the TVA.”
“What about Loki…?” Kaia asked.
“We’ll find him…” Mobius promised.
After all, Loki had to answer for his betrayal.
- For the curious, Fandral of the Asgardian Warriors Three was the first to say that to him. [ ▲ ]
Chapter 21: The Aftermath
Summary:
Chapter 21 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia somewhat reflects on the mission. The Variant tries to carry out their mission. Loki’s mission is simple: get in this Variant’s way.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains violence, biting, an arrest carried out by time cops.
Notes:
Hey there! Whether you're binge-reading or you're just here for the update, make sure you're hydrated! I appreciate you!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Sacred Timeline was under attack. From Asgard to Morag to Tokyo, time was disrupted by Reset charges. When these charges are deployed prematurely, they eat away at the world around them. Sometimes they destroy the area from the inside out. Other times, they introduce a threat from another time into a new environment.
The Variant had taken well over 100 charges, with well over 100 branches splitting, even as you read this sentence. Time was not on the TVA’s side. All hands were needed on deck to deal with the threats. If too many branches hit red line, the sanctity of the Sacred Timeline would be destroyed.
Mobius had been summoned by Ravonna to explain what exactly had happened. He had been sure to help Verity and Kaia settle down in the cafeteria before leaving. Even if you excluded the recovery time they both needed, they were too new to help the TVA beyond menial tasks.
Without any other worker taking a break, the canteen was still and silent. Kaia watched from the window as a few floating vehicles rushed to towers, presumably late-comers eager to help save the day.
Verity watched Kaia stare off into the distance. Her friend had been spaced out since they returned to the TVA. She could only assume that Kaia was worried about Loki. It was in her nature, to be thinking of others, even when they might not have needed the thought. Verity could relate since she had been in the shoes of the latter.
“We found Hunter C-20…” Verity said before taking a sip from a Josta can.
The abrupt start to the conversation thankfully caught Kaia’s attention. She looked at Verity with heavy eyes. “Is she okay?”
Verity shook her head. “She was really shaken up. Turns out the Variant coaxed some sensitive information out of her.”
Kaia only had an understanding nod to offer.
“It was so weird, though…” Verity continued, “She kept repeating ‘It’s real’ as if she saw something she wasn’t supposed to see…”
“Yeah? Yeah…”
Watching Kaia’s glance drift back to the window irked Verity slightly. Not because it made Kaia appear uninterested, but because she knew that such flippancy wasn’t her normal reaction to things.
“Kaia, are you okay?” Verity asked, “This isn’t like you, you’re so… quiet.”
Kaia laughed weakly, “Am I that much of a talker, too? I guess I am…”
“Talking can help sort out your feelings, you know…” Verity extended the invitation.
Kaia accepted. “Loki, B-15, and I were walking along that greenhouse when we found the Variant. Their magic revolved around enchanting people.. possessing them, controlling them, and talking to us through them.”
“So, you didn’t see the Variant?”
“Not unless that one that went through the Time Door was them…” Kaia shook her head, “Their power is scary… they possessed shoppers, store workers, even Hunter B-15… when they let someone go from their enchantment, they were instantly knocked out.”
Verity’s drink can hit the table abruptly. That last sentence completed a small jigsaw puzzle in her mind. It explained why Hunter B-15 was separated from the others. Why a man in a camouflage shirt had been in a standoff with Loki. Why Loki had sent her away from them, and straight toward an unconscious Kaia.
“Did the Variant enchant you?”
Kaia’s eyes became as glossy as they were when she had woken up. She fiddled with her unopened soda can. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Verity. She could only watch as Verity’s hand came into frame, her comforting hand overlapping her own nervous hand.
“Kaia, if it makes you feel any better, I think Loki protected us both…” Verity said, “I saw him alone, fighting the Variant. But when he saw me, he used magic to throw me down an aisle, away from the fight.”
Kaia found the neck strength to snap her head up. “Are you all right??”
Verity smiled at Kaia, “I’m okay, thanks to the armour, but I landed near you, passed out in a hammock. Well away from the fighting, too. I’m beginning to think that was on purpose.”
“I don’t think he would’ve led you to the TVA to begin with if he didn’t care about you…” Kaia smiled back at Verity, letting go of her drink so she could rub her hand. “I knew that bastard was lying, he does care…”
Oh?
“What did he lie about?” Verity asked.
“He spun a story to the Variant about how he was gonna overthrow the Time-Keepers and how having them with him as an ally would be useful…” Kaia chose her words carefully, in an attempt to keep her status as a trickster agent, “He must’ve said that to try and coax them to show themself.”
“Yeah, that had to be a lie…” Verity thought back on the material she had read regarding the TVA’s structure. “No one’s strong enough to overpower the Time-Keepers.”
Kaia breathed a heavy sigh, “That Variant might, considering the enchantment and the bombing…”
“Do you remember anything from your enchantment?”
Loki! Come play with me!
Kaia glanced at Verity, who had a look of innocence that matched her innocent question. She didn’t know. She couldn’t have known.
“It’s too much of a blur, really…” Kaia lied. She regretted it so badly that she had to cover up her tension with a truthful follow-up statement, “They used me to talk to Loki, but I don’t know what they made me say…”
“Right…” The conversation trailed off. With how quiet everything was, Verity had no reason to prod further.
Yet, Kaia still felt uneasy. Things were still a bit too blurry for her liking.
“I… I’m sorry, Verity. I think I need a moment to myself.” Kaia abandoned her soda can as she got to her feet. “I’ll just see myself to my Theatre so no one thinks I’m up to anything.”
Verity raised an eyebrow. “You’re willingly going to a Time Theatre?”
“I’ll be okay…” Kaia lied again. This attempt wasn’t convincing enough for Verity.
“Kaia, I don‘t need my power active to know you‘re not okay…” Verity wasn’t mad or disappointed, but her line of questioning was fully rooted in concern. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Kaia shook her head to indicate no. She knew that Verity wouldn’t understand.
“I just need some time alone…”
“Okay…” Reluctantly, Verity relented. She took to her feet as well. “Are you at least okay enough for a hug?”
Say no more.
Kaia and Verity intertwined into a warm, familiar embrace. Verity had long since shed the extra gear she had worn for her mission, so she was just as soft and inviting as she had always been. Her vest was a bit scratchy on the face, though.
“You come back if you need anything…” Verity instructed with a gentle pat on her friend’s back, “I’ll stay near our desks.”
“Thank you, Vee…” Kaia said, soothed by her hug and her kind words, “I promise, this isn’t your fault.”
Verity didn’t doubt that. Her demeanour had shifted during the time she had been away with Loki, B-15, and the Variant. Something more happened to Kaia on the field, but she clearly wasn’t ready to tell. She could only watch as her friend made her way towards the Time Theatre that she previously wanted no part of.
With a sigh, the new TVA analyst gathered her finished drink and Kaia’s unopened can. She made her way past the scurrying agents and back to her desk if only to see if there was a menial task that needed her help.
With every analyst tied up and each Minuteman spread thin across the Sacred Timeline, now was the perfect time for the Variant to return to the TVA. As soon as they entered an empty locker room, they swiftly hid their TemPad under their cloak. They also used the motion to retrieve a small band from their pocket, which was promptly used to tie half of their hair up and away from their face. They marched down the halls, guided by the information they had gotten from their one and only hostage.
Their elevators are gold. There should be 10 guards spread out down the halls leading up to them. With their plan in motion, the Variant expected that number to drop.
The lone Minuteman receiving orders on a wall phone boded well for their plan. All they had to do was enchant this guard and they’d have the ultimate cover. They approached from behind and forcefully put their hand on the side of his head.
The only missing component was their magically charged hand.
The targeted Minuteman, naturally, spun around and prepared to defend himself against the intruder. He reached into his holster and powered up his Time Stick, settings firmly locked to prune the stranger.
The Variant looked at their bare fingertips in confusion. They didn’t account for their abilities to be suppressed by an unknown force. But when they saw the challenger approach, they grinned in the face of plan B. They had executed this plan a thousand times before.
The Variant kicked the Minuteman square in the chest, knocking him back against the wall. His Time Stick fell from his grip; their reflexes were quick enough to catch their enemy’s weapon. The Minuteman didn’t even have a chance to recover before feeling the heat of their own Time Stick against their hip. He bellowed a horrific scream as he fizzled into nothing.
Someone was bound to hear that. Oh well. At least their path was now clear. They just had to open that door and—
“Hi.”
As soon as they heard the greeting, they felt the stolen weapon slip out of their grip. They were mindful to avoid the potent tip as they spun on their boot heel to see who would dare interfere. Sure enough, the fool had followed them through their Time Door and ended up here. He stood tall over them, with a sickly sweet smile.
Loki could’ve pruned them now, but where’s the fun in that?
Instead, Loki deactivated the Time Stick and swiftly broke it in two against his knee. He held the pieces to the Variant’s visage, pretending that they were his loyal daggers.
“There’s still time to accept my offer, you know.”
“Urgh!” Just as they did with the Minuteman, the Variant knocked Loki back with a boot to the chest. This made him drop his newfound weapons, but he did not lose his balance completely.
“Rude!” Loki exclaimed, “I wasn’t finished talking!”
“I am.” The Variant swiftly turned around, wanting to return to their mission.
Oh, what a mistake it was to turn your back on Loki. He charged at the Variant, knocking and pinning them to the ground.
“I’m baffled by your hesitance!” Loki said, “You and I both want the same thing!”
“No, we don’t!” The Variant growled as they managed to free an arm. They pushed themself upward and drove their elbow into Loki’s chest, managing to catch him off guard just long enough for them to turn the tide.
They both rolled to the left, now with the Variant pinning Loki down by his shoulders.
“You want an alliance. I need revenge.”
Loki, gifted with the size advantage, managed to initiate one more roll of both himself and the Variant. They had run out of floor space, so Loki now had them awkwardly pinned to the wall.
“Actually, I want an alliance AND revenge,” Loki corrected, “There’s a difference.”
With a reignited anger, The Variant pushed back on Loki’s shoulders, attempting to get the upper hand once more. They had just about enough of Loki, a sentiment not uncommon among those that have come to know him.
“You’re an absolute blubbering fool and—”
“HEY!”
Loki and The Variant looked down the hall. Before them, a gaggle of TVA employees blocked the path, led by Judge Ravonna Renslayer. An unusually meek-looking Mobius was just off to her left. Four Minutemen were also ready to serve their judge. Mobius was the only one without a Time Stick in hand.
An awkward hush fell upon the scene, as everyone needed a moment to adjust to what they were seeing.
Loki was the first to recover. He sprang to his feet, pulling the Variant up with him. He had no vacuum cord to work with, but he did manage to cuff his right arm around their neck in a classic chokehold. His left arm held the Variant firmly just above their matching hip.
“Ta-daaah!” Loki proclaimed, “Variant apprehended!”
Said Variant was not pleased with such a premature claim, nor with being so aptly restrained. With the way the fool held them, they could not reach for a weapon or make a meaningful blow. It’s a good thing that there was more than one way for a Loki to mouth their way out of a troubling situation.
It was a sensation that Loki was not used to. Even though everyone — himself included — saw the Variant widen their mouth dramatically, no one expected a somewhat smaller fugitive to pack a wicked bite. Literally.
“ARGH!” Loki crowed, recoiling at the sudden clamp on his forearm. Their chomp was not enough to break the fabric of his jacket, never mind his skin, but the intent was acutely apparent.
Despite the valiant attempt to break free, Loki managed to keep his grip on the Variant, preventing their escape. As they squabbled in the corner, Renslayer powered up her Time Stick. She had enough of their little sideshow.
“Prune them both," she commanded.
“Wait!”
A gentle hand on Ravonna’s shoulder gave her pause. She looked to Mobius, who had a furrowed, frantic glint in his eyes. The same look he usually had when he was about to make a valid point.
“We still need proper statements from them both before we close this case,” Mobius said, “Besides, Loki apprehended the Variant. He technically didn't do anything worth pruning.”
That look never lied. Ravonna hated it. She looked at the two offenders — who were now captivated by their sideshow — with a scathing glare.
“Arrest Variant L1190.” Renslayer motioned to the caped Variant. “Bring her to Time Theatre 47.”
Loki couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the Judge’s confident assumption regarding this Variant’s presentation. How could she be so bold on someone that the TVA could only capture now? The Variant simply grunted instead of objecting, so perhaps the attempt wasn’t offensive, but the very action still irked him the wrong way. Little did he know that his little twitch would then guide Renslayer’s ire toward him.
“L1130, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll back up against the wall.”
As Minutemen swooped in on the duo, Loki complied with the Judge’s orders. He backed himself against the wall as the Variant was taken into custody. Two Minutemen were needed to hold the Variant back by her arms.
She didn’t put up as much of a fight as one would assume. By all accounts, she was also compliant. What she did manage was a look of pure rage aimed in Loki’s direction. He couldn’t resist grinning and cascading his fingers in a wiggly wave, not unlike the one she had used to taunt him in the superstore. The little growl he provoked out of her made his gesture completely worth it.
Renslayer watched as her Minutemen escorted the prisoner to her Time Theatre. She didn’t look away, but she had a point to make with someone else in the hall.
“Mobius.”
“Yes, Ravonna?”
“I’m getting tired of dealing with these Lokis.”
“I’ll handle it, Ravonna.”
“Will you?” Ravonna looked at Mobius. She pushed down her anger for his sake, but she couldn’t hide her unease or her frustration.
“Yes.” Mobius gave her a reassuring smile, “Let me settle him down, then I’ll get her ready with her final interview before pruning.”
Ravonna wanted to say more, but approaching footsteps interrupted them both.
“Judge Renslayer?”
Mobius was surprised to see Hunter D-90 so soon1. He thought he had dispatched him to protect the Sacred Timeline. He hardly looked shaken from the battlefield.
“Yes?” Ravonna asked.
“You’re needed in C-20’s debrief.”
That at least made sense to Mobius. Although she was shaken, C-20 didn’t appear to be too far gone to give her statement on the incident. Ravonna’s voice of reason must be needed to help guide her through her trauma in a sensitive manner.
“Understood.” Before she departed, Ravonna looked to Mobius for one last command, “Handle this, Mobius.”
And with that, the Detective was left to his Loki once more.
By this point, only he and L1130 remained. Mobius beckoned Loki to come closer. As he did, he couldn’t resist a sly grin of his own.
“Am I sensing a change in your sails? A shift to the good side?” Mobius asked.
Loki rolled his eyes, “No, you’re sensing a rivalry, and a desire to prove once and for all that I’m the superior Loki. Hence why I did what your little organization couldn’t do in… how long?”
“A long while,” Mobius conceded, “Which is why you’re not getting pruned…”
Loki smirked as he walked alongside Mobius down the deserted halls.
“I must admit, I do appreciate you bailing me out in that particular moment…” Loki said, “Seems to be a habit of yours.”
“Look, I’m just glad you didn’t run off with her in the vastness of nowhere. You had us all worried back there in Roxxcart, but you were able to detain her,” Mobius not only acknowledged Loki’s efforts but inadvertently confirmed that he hadn’t heard Loki’s prior argument with the Variant, “Considering our Minutemen are stretched thin fixing the Timeline, we don’t have the time nor the resources to dole out little punishments for civil disobedience…”
Neither Loki nor Mobius had much to say beyond that. Perhaps it was the fading adrenaline calming them both down as they lost the will to bicker amongst themselves. All they could do was observe as the silent halls shifted to bustling offices. Analysts were shuffling and scurrying at a frantic pace, trying to keep up with the paperwork and coordination efforts needed to guide each branch away from its impending red line.
Mobius had his own and his team’s desks positioned a bit further back specifically to avoid the hustle and bustle on not-so-good days. This day was on pace to be the worst of them. If vacation days were a thing at the Time Variance Authority, Mobius definitely would have taken advantage.
So imagine his surprise when he saw a familiar face sitting at his desk, red hair tied in a messy bun, willingly working.
“Verity?” Mobius stated her name so sharply that it prompted her shoulders to jump up. “You’re back already?”
Verity simply nodded. When she realized it was just Mobius and Loki — as opposed to another anxious analyst asking for another printout — she relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath in.
“We have the Variant detained. I’m going to need your help interviewing… her…” As Mobius explained the next phase of their mission, his eyes wandered around the cubicles. An obvious component of their team was missing. “Wasn’t Kaia with you?”
“She was…” Verity stuck out her bottom lip. She didn’t want to elaborate, but she knew she couldn’t leave it there. Not with both Mobius and Loki looking at her inquisitively.
“She said she needed some time alone. She willingly went to her Theatre.”
“She what??” Loki blurted that out with all the elegance of an elk on ice. His face soured into a look of disbelief.
“Yeah, something’s wrong.” For once, Verity agreed with Loki’s sentiment. “I’ve never seen her upset like this… I’m worried.”
You and I both. Loki wanted to say this, but he knew he had to hold his tongue. He couldn’t show those cards; not now, not yet.
“I’ll go keep her company,” Loki offered, “You two should focus on your interview with that Variant.”
Now it was Verity’s turn to look puzzled. After all of that extra effort that he went through for that Variant, she was surprised to see Loki so willing to bow out of a proper meet and greet.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. In case she didn’t mention it to you, I can confirm that she was enchanted by the Variant,” Loki explained, “It can be a traumatic thing, to have someone invade your mind like that. I might be able to better sympathize with what she’s feeling now.”
Loki then turned to Mobius with a mischievous smirk, “Not to mention that Mobius doesn’t have time to deal with such inconsequential things when the Sacred Timeline’s a mess.”
With a wink on Loki’s part to end that sentence, Mobius soon found himself stumbling over his own words.
“I… he… ugh…” Mobius groaned before shooting Verity a look of disdain, “I hate it when he’s right.”
A quiet giggle slipped past Verity’s lips. She watched as Mobius turned back to Loki, his hands firmly placed on his hips. She anticipated that he was about to let Loki go find Kaia, but he wasn’t about to be let off lightly.
“Just… don’t do anything stupid,” Mobius cautioned Loki.
Loki openly balked. He extended his arms to exaggerate how unjust such a statement was. Not that he needed to justify his intelligence to Mobius, but Loki could instantly call upon testimony delivered by a certain Detective.
“You’ve said it yourself, Mobius! I’m clever and smart!” With a cheeky grin, Loki excused himself to go find which Time Theatre Kaia had run off to, leaving the analysts alone together.
Verity had a small smile painted on her face, even though she had stopped giggling. As she watched Loki leave, she soon realized that she too had a new perspective to reflect on.
“Maybe Kaia was right…” Verity muttered.
Mobius heard her. He looked to Verity and asked, “Right about what?”
“Back when we first realized we were talking to… that Loki, Kaia thought he could change.”
“Out of being a terrorist?” Mobius quoted Verity. She nodded at the callback.
“It seemed impossible at the time… but I’m starting to see it now.”
“Showing someone their future can do that sometimes.”
Just like Kaia and now Verity, Mobius had the inkling that Loki could change. Mobius thought back on when this particular Loki had first been brought in. Sure, he had his moments of mischievousness —the usual smack talk, running loose around the TVA with his first nicked TemPad — but it was the aftermath that Mobius remembered fondly.
He remembered the way a tired-looking Loki sat on the Time Theatre's interior steps, hunched over a Tesseract that had no power. Loki had finally admitted that he didn't enjoy hurting people, that it was all a means to an end, the person that the Sacred Timeline decreed him to be. Not every Loki he had come across was able to perform such an intricate introspection on themself. That was when Mobius knew that this particular Loki Variant was capable of change.
“C’mon, we ought to get ready for the interview.”
Mobius helped Verity to her feet and escorted her throughout the TVA. He had a little ritual before interviewing Variants. Evidence and files needed to be gathered, guarding Minutemen needed to be informed, and cans of Josta had to be chilled for the occasion. With the killer Variant off of the Sacred Timeline, the pressure to act quickly was alleviated. At last, there was no need for them to rush.
If only Loki felt the same way.
He didn’t run throughout the TVA Halls; he didn’t want to appear desperate or threatening to the minuscule handful of Minutemen that remained. But his walking pace was brisk as he made his way to Time Theatre 36, which had been left completely unguarded.
Loki could relate loosely to the notion of being controlled by an outside force. When he was a victim of being controlled, it wasn’t exactly enchantment. With a mind like his, only the likes of an Infinity Stone, buried deep into gifted weaponry, could allow someone to puppeteer a mighty God such as himself. The Variant’s enchantment seemed limited in comparison to the Mind Stone, but that wouldn’t matter to magicless people like Kaia.
Kaia sat on the edge of the step that separated the table from the stage. Her legs were bent and drawn to her chest. Her bleary face rested on her knees. She wasn’t a clean crier. Heavy eyes glanced sideways as she noticed Loki’s company.
“You’ll be happy to know that the Variant has been apprehended by yours truly…” Loki announced. He took a seat next to Kaia. He didn’t butt up right beside her, but he was still within arms reach.
Kaia didn’t verbally reply but acknowledged the achievement with a small nod and a smaller sniffle.
“Come now, it’s not like a Loki to keep quiet.” Loki then asked a question he hadn’t ever envisioned himself asking: “How are you feeling?”
Loki, hurry up!
Kaia twitched. She wasn’t all right. She had unfamiliar visions dancing around her head. Blurry visions that she couldn’t explain, not their appearance nor their origin. Mental images disguised as memories, ones that she didn’t remember having a part of.
When her hazel eyes met Loki’s concerned face, she knew that only he could help her break down what she had seen. Even if it had nothing to do with the mission they had returned from.
“I saw… I saw my life in Asgard…”
“You did?” Loki’s head tilted from one side to the other, “How?”
“In one moment, I was in the store with you, looking at you… a-and then suddenly, I was in a golden palace…” Kaia’s voice wobbled as she recalled her haunting thoughts. “A room wide and long… I-I felt small, the size of a child… toy weapons were on the floor…”
“Ah… You mustn’t have heard anything she said through you. She only realized you were a Loki when she entered your mind,” Loki theorized, “Perhaps the Variant unintentionally triggered a memory for you as she gained control…”
It certainly was an interesting effect of enchantment. He had only read about it prior to witnessing it from the Variant. To possess someone so boldly… that wasn’t the type of magic his mother wanted to learn, nor to pass down onto him.
“It felt very real…” Kaia continued, “Footsteps echoed across the room… looking up, I saw a child about my age… Red tunic, golden blond hair flowing down, b-but I couldn’t see their face…”
There weren’t too many blond kids that gave a damn about Loki, especially in his youth. Only one name came to mind with that description.
“Thor…”
“T-they asked if I wanted to play, pestering me to follow… and… and then Verity woke me up…” Kaia drew a breath in, but it sounded like a hiss. She turned away from Loki and hugged her legs in an attempt to stop herself from trembling. It didn’t work.
“I-I think I’m truly believing it now, Loki… … t-that I had… I had a whole life that I can’t remember…”
As he watched her cry, Loki froze. Her broken state, unfortunately, was familiar to him. It reminded him of how he felt when he realized he had been denied of knowing his true ancestry. He didn’t like how he felt then, he certainly didn’t like the reflection it gave.
“It must be a hard truth to realize…” At last, Loki thawed himself out. He placed a hand on Kaia, patting three gentle taps upon her forearm.
Kaia lifted her head when she felt the subtle touch. She watched as the feeble attempt at comfort transitioned into a resting hand on her arm. Tired eyes climbed up the attached arm to meet Loki’s face once more. He looked solemn, yet hopeful.
“Perhaps we can try reviewing your files once more,” Loki suggested, “Try to decipher the redactions by comparing them with what you know now.”
“You’d do that?” Kaia asked.
“Truthfully, we haven’t at much time to look at your file, but… you’ve heard about the bombing, right?” A swift nod from Kaia allowed Loki to continue instantly. “Everyone’s distracted by that at the moment. We could roam freely around the TVA, do whatever we like… I wouldn’t mind having someone to bounce theories and ideas with.”
As Loki rambled, Kaia watched him in awe. She expected advice on what she saw shown, but to be given such suggestions, such comfort… She hadn’t felt so warm since she first met Verity.
Kaia unbundled herself, the last beads of tears falling away. She threw herself into Loki’s chest, her arms winding around his back. Kaia moulded herself into Loki’s shape, pressing all of her gratitude into him.
For his part, Loki didn’t move a muscle. His arms were raised slightly so as to not bump into Kaia. Or was he supposed to lower his arms? Very few people had the nerve to embrace him in this manner. Of all the things they were free to do, Loki didn’t anticipate this.
“What… are you doing?” Loki finally asked.
“Giving you a hug?” Kaia said, confused. She looked up at Loki in abject horror. “Oh no, have you not been hugged before? You poor th—”
“I’m not that much of a tragedy!” Loki exclaimed. He gently weaselled his way out of Kaia’s grip, lightly straightening out his jacket. “You just caught me off guard, is all.”
“Ah… s-sorry…” Kaia apologized.
Loki shook his head. “I can’t blame you for how you are or how you’ve been. It’s clear to me that someone was dead-set on decimating your identity as a Loki. Let’s see what we can do to fix that.”
Loki helped Kaia to her feet. Her face was still speckled from her emotions, but she looked and felt better. Upon being told that Verity and Mobius were preparing for an interview with the Variant, she was now fully prepared to invade the Archives with Loki. Here’s to finding her truth.
- “But time flows differently in the—” Yes, but the TVA is still in crisis mode. This is still quite soon. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Fun fact: "Introspection" was the first working title for this fic. It took me a while to get off that word and onto "I Know of Liars" but I'm quite proud of it.
Another fun fact: The bite was inspired by a blink-and-you-miss-it moment from the Loki episode of Assembled. CHOMP.
Chapter 22: The Armadillo
Summary:
Chapter 22 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius and Verity interview the Variant.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains deadnaming, implied violence.
Notes:
That's right, we've breached the 100k threshold! Thank you for reading. <3 I appreciate you.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The structural design of the TVA would confound even the smartest of architects. Although Time Theatre 36 and Time Theatre 47 were on different floors, the winding corridors, stairwells and elevators allowed many ways to reach the same place. When the Lokis left Time Theatre 36, they had no chance to cross paths with their human counterparts.
Mobius and Verity stood on the steps in front of Time Theatre 47. They were fully prepared for the interview with the killer Loki Variant, which had included ceremonial Jostas consumed prior to their arrival. The Detective held the TemPad that the Variant had used to traverse the timelines, sealed away in a transparent evidence bag for preservation. Verity, who had taken the time to fix her hair into a braided ponytail, clutched an elongated evidence bag, weighed down by the Variant’s sword. The weapon had been stripped away from its owner to protect the arresting Minutemen. Even though she was primed with a Time Collar to reset her position quickly, a sword can swing quicker.
The Variant’s sword was gorgeous. The hilt had hints of gold, complete with a carving of a boar etched into its blunt end. The blade was a mix of a steely blue and sea-foam green, with a bump to make sure only one section of the blade was dulled. The tip of the blade was double-edged; its acute end actually pierced the corner of the evidence bag. Intricate lines and Asgardian symbols were carved into the blade, but no one in the room knew what they stood for.
Mobius noticed the way Verity fiddled with the edge of the bag with her fingertips. The crinkle of plastic was unmistakable.
“You excited?” Mobius asked.
“A little… might be nerves, too,” Verity answered honestly.
“First interrogation jitters, I get it. Let me take the lead on this one, but feel free to quip in whenever you’d like. I just need you in my corner.”
“Of course…”
With a smile, Mobius ushered the guarding Minutemen to open the doors on his behalf. Due to the nature of the Variant, there were more Minutemen than usual hovering around her Theatre. However, only Mobius and Verity were allowed to pass to formally meet the one that had devastated the TVA and the Sacred Timeline.
The Variant sat casually in her scrawny TVA seat. Her legs were stretched, laying flat on the table. Combat boots were nudging the bubble-shaped computer ever so slightly. Her arms were crossed over her leather-plated chest, not bothering to remove the restraining collar from her neck. She said nothing, sizing up the TVA employees sent to taunt her. The redhead in particular looked mismatched while holding her sword.
Verity examined the Variant carefully as she and Mobius approached the table. The Variant’s size and presentation did not surprise her, but she had to wonder what Loki thought of the prisoner’s fluffy blond hair and chipped crown.
Mobius politely helped Verity to a seat before seating himself. The table was long enough for them to place the evidence on the table, well out of the Variant’s reach, even if she had been sitting properly.
“Well, well, well…” The Variant spoke up first, “Are you the executioners?”
“Actually, we’re the ones who’re gonna help you write out your will…” Mobius said, “I’m Agent Mobius, and this is Agent Verity.”
Verity smiled reflexively upon her introduction and her newly bestowed title. The speech and actions in tandem piqued the Variant’s curiosity.
“Why the courtesy?” The Variant pondered as she crossed her right leg overtop of her left.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“And yet you work for the TVA… How righteous of you.” The Variant crossed her arms. “Next, you’ll tell me you’re good people, hmmm?”
Verity’s smile dropped instantly. The sarcasm that the Variant exuded was not only excessive, but it was a front. Putting up a front like that is one of the more intrusive forms of lying, for fronts are pitched up like tents around the liar. She wasn’t sure why the Variant was posing rhetorics that she wasn’t interested in herself, but the damage had been done.
“Ugh, please lighten up…” Verity said as she put a hand to her forehead, “Sarcasm is the worst cover-up; you’re gonna give me a migraine…”
The Variant eyed Verity as she massaged her temple. She couldn’t enchant her here, nor did she lay a finger. Did the ‘sarcasm’ really do that much damage? What a pitiful human.
“You’re one to talk about righteousness, aren’t you?” Mobius piped up, “You bombed the whole Sacred Timeline and made a big mess of it. You’ve killed plenty of our Minutemen. Not to mention the poor Hunter you’ve traumatized and abandoned in the control room of that supermarket…”
As Mobius recited her crimes back to her, the Variant only had a smirk to offer up. He had to cover up his true feelings, but Mobius was irritated by the Variant and her nonchalant, callous attitude.
“What was your motivation? Was this your sick, twisted form of liberation?” Mobius asked, pulling a provided clipboard closer to himself.
The Variant scoffed, “Liberation would require respect for the organization and all of its representatives…”
Verity then asked, “Why do you feel disrespected?”
The Variant felt her eyes fog up, clouded by memories of what she had lost. These underlings didn’t deserve her full manifesto, so a vague statement would suffice.
“You omniscient fascists took everything from me…”
“Ah, so your file indicates…”
Mobius thumbed through the clipboard and pulled a few files out. He had ordered a copy of L1190’s file sent to the Time Theatre in preparation for her interview. Verity didn’t have the chance to read it, but Mobius was able to succinctly summarize.
“You’re one of the few Variants that escaped TVA custody, previously filed under L0852. There was an incident that made it appear you were deceased shortly before the Minutemen killings began. Hence why you’re now Variant L1190 and why you weren’t considered when narrowing down the options among Variants…”
Verity nodded along. “Apparently, it’s pretty Loki-like to fake your death…”
Th-thump!
The Variant’s boots clattered onto the tile floor. She swung herself forward, forearms leaning on the table, glaring at Verity all the while. “Don’t… call me that…”
Wait… Did that make her angry? Verity kind of liked the way that felt.
“Ooh, is that a sore spot for you, Variant?” Verity smirked, reacting to the sudden rush of confidence flowing through her.
At first, the Variant didn’t respond. Instead, she found her semi-gloved hand stretching forward towards her blade.
“Not as sore as you’ll be aft—”
The Variant blinked as her arm suddenly bumped against her own chest. That wasn’t part of her plan. Her eyes narrowed, and she tried to retrieve her sword again.
It was such an easy move for the Detective to anticipate. Why else would he allow her sword to be brought into an interrogation? Mobius already had his Time Twister ready for the occasion. Once again, he rewound the Variant’s hand to keep her away from the evidence bag.
“That’s not gonna work,” Mobius scolded, “Use your words, Loki.”
“Don’t…” The Variant growled, “Stop calling me that!!”
“We don’t have another name for you…” Verity said matter-of-factly, “Unless you have one to offer?”
The Variant grunted. The redhead was right, and she didn’t like it. She would have to concede this battle in order to win the war.
“My name is Sylvie,” the Variant introduced herself1.
“Sylvie…” Mobius repeated. He fumbled his pen in his hand, drumming its blunt end against the paper. “Is that with an ‘I’ or an ‘I-E’?”
Sylvie just grumbled in response, allowing Mobius to wager a guess. As he scribbled an ‘E’ onto the newly given name, Verity leaned back in her seat. First Loki, then Kaia, now Sylvie? Verity picked up on the common denominator amongst these Variants very quickly.
“There’s always an ‘I’ in ‘Loki’…”
The offhand remark wasn’t meant to rile up Sylvie, but it did just that. Surely, there was an ‘I’ in Verity, and Mobius too? What difference did the letter really make, aside from agitating her? Aside from making these agents all the more insufferable? Aside from reminding her why she spent most of her life working toward this very moment?
Sylvie had enough. Enough of the TVA. Enough of the fascists. Enough of the slimy underlings that stood between her and her mission. Time for plan A.
“You know what else? There’s also an ‘I’ in ‘armadillo’.”
Armadillo?
Mobius and Verity first exchanged looks with one another before staring Sylvie down. She was technically right; the word ‘armadillo’ did, in fact, include the letter ‘I’. For that matter, Mobius didn’t doubt that an armadillo Variant of Loki existed somewhere. But what did armadillos have to do with anything, let alone Sylvie?
“Pardon me?” Mobius spoke first, looking at Sylvie carefully. Verity didn’t have an add-on, but her face matched his confusion.
“You heard me. Armadillo!” Sylvie perked up. No one noticed her hand slip under the table.
“The armadillo is one of my favourite creatures. Solitary, nocturnal, armoured… I relate to them a lot. I even picked this up in one of my hiding places.”
From her pocket, Sylvie placed a toy armadillo on the table. She had picked this up in a Mexican tourist trap amid a devastating heatwave. It was a realistic portrayal rather than a cartoonish take; grey with beady black eyes. Cheap plastic and tiny pins held the hinges of its legs together, and nine distinct bands stretched along the width of its armoured shell. The only thing odd about it was a wind-up key lodged in the place where the tail should have been.
“In Spanish, armadillo translates into ‘little armoured one,’ though the armour doesn’t fare well against man-made contraptions like cars…”
Sylvie giggled a bit as she reached for the so-called tail. Mobius didn’t rewind her hand as she wound the toy up. The bizarre turn of events was enough to catch him off guard.
Verity shot a semi-worried glance at Mobius. Shouldn’t the Minutemen have confiscated this as well? It’s not a weapon, but it was still Sylvie’s possession.
“The best thing about armadillos…” Sylvie concluded, “is that they’re full of surprises.”
The armadillo trotted across the table as soon as Sylvie stopped playing with it. Only the hum of its key could be heard as its little march commanded the room. The TVA agents were captivated briefly by the odd sight. The keyword there being ‘briefly,’ for Mobius notice a tiny pair of red infrared lights blinking through its beady eyes.
The way the ‘toy’ stopped confirmed any suspicions Mobius had. When the ‘toy’ powered down, it formed a little ball with its body. Its eyes held their red lights and tiny barrels could be seen hidden underneath the plastic plates.
… Ah. Maybe it is a weapon after all.
“GET DOWN!”
Mobius leapt to his side, tackling Verity clean off of her chair. They both huddled underneath the table just as smoke exploded from gaps between the armadillo’s plates. As clouds overcame the room, the pair found themselves coughing into their sleeves. Mobius used his body as a shield to cover Verity, blocking her from the foggy chaos surrounding them. They couldn’t see much, but they did hear the commotion that commenced around them.
CRASH! BOOM!
“Stand down, Variant!!”
Whriii… fiiizzz…
The worst noise was the scream. A bellowing, blood-curdling scream overpowered the hiss of a Time Stick. Even the silence that followed didn’t compare to that horrific scream, for it was someone’s last scream.
Mobius peeked first. The smoke was starting to clear, and he didn’t see or hear Sylvie. That was a bad sign. He was about to say something bleak, but the groan of his co-worker distracted him.
“Verity, are you all right?” Mobius asked as he rolled off of her.
“I’ll… be fine…” Verity said between coughs.
It was the truth. The only painful part of that experience was Mobius’ ability to sack her as if she were a quarterback. The soreness will fade, just like the smoke around them.
Mobius helped Verity up, and they both assessed the damage. Hurricane Sylvie left the Time Theatre in complete disarray. The table was the only item to stand firm because the table was attached to the ground. Chairs were toppled, files were torn on the floor, and the retro monitor lay broken on the ground. The ‘toy’ armadillo lay on the ground; on its side, hinges snapped to better let out its hidden smoke. The edits made to turn the toy into a smoke bomb were all the more obvious now that it had served its purpose.
Missing from the mess was the TemPad and sword that had been bagged into evidence.
The trail of destruction bled out past the Theatre pit. Minutemens’ helmets marked the spots where noble sacrifices were made on behalf of the Sacred Timeline. The Variant now known as Sylvie was long gone. Mobius and Verity were left untouched and alone.
“Shit…” Mobius whispered under his breath. Luckily, his TemPad was still intact and on his person. The first step of protocol for this type of concern is to issue an all-points alert to every TemPad. The Detective did just that, not that it would save him from the world of trouble that Ravonna was going to lay onto him.
Verity looked around, slipping a hand under her neck. Maybe she shouldn’t have aggravated the suspect in her first real interview.
“I’m sorry, Mobius…” An apologetic Verity looked at Mobius with big brown eyes. A quick nudge to the frame of her glasses helped her focus.
“Hey, this was my interview. The blame’s on me,” Mobius promptly dismissed any guilt Verity showed him. All she did was follow his instructions. She followed his lead and stayed on his side. Not to mention that she got a few good quips in. It wasn’t her fault that this Variant has thin skin. He’d at least made sure Ravonna would understand that before going off on her.
“We’re gonna have to hurry, though,” Mobius announced as he pocketed his TemPad.
“Hurry where?” Verity asked, “She could be anywhere.”
“Where C-20 told us to go…” Mobius said, “We’re gonna go to where the Time-Keepers reside.”
The clock that had stopped upon the Variant’s arrest had just started up once again. Time was now of the essence among the TVA agents and Minutemen that were left in the towers. Sylvie was back on track to find the Time-Keepers’ elevator. If the Time-Keepers met with a grave fate, the Sacred Timeline would be incomplete indefinitely.
Sylvie must be pruned at any cost.
- Much to the author’s relief. Good God, that took a while. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Firstly, for those that knew Sylvie's name all along, thanks for bearing with me while it took a few chapters to get to her name.
This chapter's loosely inspired by the chaotic way Episode 3 ALMOST started. Did you know that Sylvie could've punted an armadillo on the beach like a soccer ball?
This chapter was going to go a bit differently, but I had a daydream at work about this version of Sylvie's escape. That sequence was SO VIVID I wrote it down with my very shitty handwriting and plotted the outline for that particular chapter as soon as I got home. In case you ever wanted a scope of how invested I am in my own fic, check the timestamp on that tweet.
Chapter 23: The Wait is Over
Summary:
Chapter 23 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki and Kaia were supposed to carry out more research, but get side-tracked by both the Variant and the Time-Keepers.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains violence.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“I thought we were looking at my files.”
“We are.”
“Then why are you holding the Variant’s files?”
“Because there's two of us. We're multitasking!”
Kaia sighed. She and Loki had camped up in the Archives, which were quieter than usual. Only a pesky archivist remained, whose scowl pierced through Loki for as long as she had him in her sights. They were sure to find a table where no prying eyes could watch.
Yes, Variant L1190’s file was rather thin, even compared to Kaia’s five-year ripple. The impact of the Sacred Timeline Bombing had yet to be fully recorded, after all. However, Kaia did not appreciate how Loki distracted himself with the extra file. He had just coaxed her out of the Theatre to research her past, not some stranger terrorist that was already being interrogated.
“Loki, we’ve looked at her files before. You said you arrested her,” Kaia said bluntly, “Why is she a priority now?”
Loki understood Kaia’s annoyance. She had a blissful state of ignorance to fall back on. She had listened to her, but she barely saw the Variant. He had a much more intricate and intimate account with the Variant.
“Kaia, I saw her natural state…” Loki reminded her. His eyes drifted down to the thin file. It lacked pictures, but visions of her danced in his head. “It’s so off-putting, to see a blonde Loki. Something doesn’t sit right with me about that.”
Kaia’s face finally softened, but only by an inch. This was a new development. It was hard to tell what colour her hair was when doused in red alert lights.
“Did she look like Thor?”
“For Hel’s sake, no! That would truly be terrifying!” Loki exclaimed, “But this updated bundle includes all of her incident files… L1190. All plain as day.”
There was a rushed annotation on her file to note that she had previously been known as L0852. The ink on that stamp seemed fresh. Those files weren’t attached, which also supplemented this file’s diet. Variant file L1190 simply had a basic profile and incident reports of every Minuteman she killed. The pronouns on the file hadn’t even been updated to reflect the genderfluid Variant’s current effeminate preference.
Reluctantly, Kaia indulged in researching the Variant. She wedged a single sheet of paper between her fingertips and drew it closer to her. She was careful not to mix up the Variant’s record with her own. She had picked up a Nexus Event report in which the Variant killed four Minutemen and one Hunter in 19th-century Oklahoma.
“You’re curious about her, aren’t you, Loki?” Kaia guessed as she studied the report.
“Just like how I was curious about you.”
“I haven’t killed anyone!” Kaia puffed out her chest righteously, “She doesn’t appear to have friends, either.”
“No, but she appears to have a mission. We’re going to figure out what.”
“Her mission seems pretty clear in these reports…” Kaia hummed, “Kill some Minutemen, steal some Reset charges, and leave.”
Loki nodded along in agreement, happy to have Kaia on the same wavelength. “Those thefts culminated in the bombing of the Sacred Timeline, thinning the TVA’s defences enough for the Variant to sneak into the TVA. But she didn’t account for me!”
Loki unleashed a signature wink in Kaia’s direction. He refrained from repeating just how glorious the take-down was, for he already told Kaia in the elevator. Complete with the exaggerations he wouldn’t have gotten away with if Verity were here with her gift unbound.
Although Kaia had a better gist of what happened, there were still some gaps in the story that she needed to fill. “Where was she going?”
“Not entirely sure…” Loki admitted, “She didn’t get too far, but she only spoke of vengeance and violence.”
That didn’t surprise Kaia. What other reason would prompt such a vicious cycle of terror?
“Yet another Loki scorn by the TVA…”
Yes, she was. But what made her different from Loki? From Kaia? He knew.
“Who had single-handedly crafted the perfect opportunity… of course! That’s brilliant!”
Kaia looked up to see a wide grin on Loki’s face. He sprang to his feet, only to be met with a puzzled partner, who remained seated.
“What’s brilliant?”
“She did my work for me!” Loki pumped his fists. “Remember our little talk about being trickster agents?”
Kaia wasn’t sure she liked where this was going. Her words were slightly drawn out as she replied, “Yeeaahh… why?”
“The wait is over!” Loki proclaimed happily, “It’s high time we get some answers, straight from the top!”
Suddenly, the gears snapped into shape. Kaia officially did not like where this was going. “You’re not seriously suggesting…”
“Yes, it’s time for us to go see the Time-Keepers!” Loki winked, “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but I’ll be glad to have you by my side. After all, as I said before, they might have the answer regarding your past as well.”
It was an unnerving suggestion, to approach such omnipotent figures while the TVA defences were down. Did Loki still want to follow through on overthrowing them? Three against two isn’t a fair fight, especially since Kaia had a notable handicap.
Before Kaia could protest, Loki had already abandoned his papers, making the long walk toward the closest elevator. With a little squeak, Kaia followed. They were in this together, no matter what. Besides, Verity and Mobius were just as distracted as any other TVA employee. They were keeping the Variant busy.
Or were they? They weren’t the only ones that wanted to speak to the Time-Managers, so to speak.
Loki retraced his steps to the locker room where the Variant had created her Time Door. It was there that he and Kaia were introduced to a complication to their plan. Unconscious Minutemen or the remnant armour of the pruned were strewn about the locker room. There was only a small amount of them, but there were enough to draw a clear path of where the destructive force was going. Loki and Kaia could only assume that this was the Variant’s doing.
“Uh… Loki, do you think Verity and Mobius a—”
“We have to assume they’re okay. Perhaps she escaped before they got to interrogate her.”
Much to Kaia’s surprise, Loki was rummaging through the TVA lockers. Only then did this locker room become familiar to her (even though they all looked the same). Loki dramatically turned to face Kaia, both hands wielding the beautiful daggers that Mobius had tried to give them before. His grin was about as wide and as mischievous as a grin could get.
“We best be prepared for anything.”
“So… I get a weapon?” Kaia’s eyes lit up, only for Loki to douse her spark.
“With her expertise in battle, I fear sending you to face her won’t be the best option…” Loki admitted, “We’ll have to adjust our plan: I’ll stave off the Variant if she tries to stop us. You get to the Time-Keepers at any cost. Just make sure to leave the door open for me.”
It was an elaborate, indirect way for Loki to make another promise to protect Kaia. For her to get answers, she needed to be alive. He wanted to ensure that for her. It was the least he could do for his friend. That… is what friends do, right?
Kaia relented. It probably was the smarter plan, between that and letting Kaia loose with a sharp blade and little-to-no training versus a Loki with a sizeable kill count. She didn’t want to risk using a Time Stick either, so she pressed on, unarmed.
Loki and Kaia followed the trail of destruction. They walked down the hall where the Variant had previously been arrested in. As they continued, the halls became browner. The walls were more ornate. The distant noise of combat and pruning grew louder. As an overhead plaque indicated a unique set of golden elevator doors were a few steps away, Loki adjusted the daggers in his hands to a ready position.
The lobby that hosted the golden elevators did not attempt subtlety. The only pieces of furniture were two plain benches that sat on the left and right sides of the room. Above the left bench was a decorative tile mosaic of the TVA logo and three clock faces; one orange, one black, and one white, all hands aimed at different times. Opposite that was a more muted mosaic, with caricatures of the Time-Keepers crafted on a brown, white, and gold background. Although they weren’t lizards technically, the square tiles that painted their eccentric faces didn’t help the allusion to scales; even the pieces that depicted a blocky drooping moustache on one and wispy floating eyebrows on another.
The last wall was completely crafted on black marble. Faint golden swirls were streaking along the sides, while five metal rectangles radiated out from a set of golden elevator doors. Etched in the doors were the same hourglass insignias that marked any judge’s office. Above this elevator, a golden plaque hung above it with a simple engraving of the TVA’s slogan: For All Time. Always.
Sylvie had just pruned the last of the Minutemen guarding the Time-Keepers. Their Time-Sticks ran out of juice upon pruning their original owners. Not that she needed them. She threw them behind her, only to catch a glimpse of two fools that had not yet learned their lesson. The smaller fool looked just as minuscule as she did in Roxxcart, hiding behind her taller companion like a shield. The taller fool, unfortunately, did not seem to be reeling from the damage she had caused earlier on. He looked primed for another fight.
Against the echoes of the Variant panting, Loki opted for a bit of showmanship. He flipped his daggers simultaneously in the air, each completing a few rotations before catching them by their handles. With a flick of each wrist, he aimed his blades toward the Variant.
“A few questions,” Loki started their conversation sharply.
Sylvie matched his energy by drawing out her recovered sword from its hilt. “Have you really got nothing else better to do…?”
“Rude…”
Loki started to pace forward, daggers still at the ready. Kaia opted to stay behind Loki as the three of them completed an awkward circular revolution into the lobby. The Variant kept her distance from them both, but still had the tip of her blade aimed at Loki’s neck.
“We were planning on speaking with the Time-Keepers, but you’re in our way.”
By the time they slowed to a stop, now it was Loki and Kaia that stood between Sylvie and the Time-Keepers. The ire that she had for this predicament was plain on her face.
“You’re in my way!” Sylvie exclaimed angrily.
“You are my way!” Loki said it before he thought of why he had said it like that. He was going to end this Variant if she tried to stop him from reaching the Time-Keepers, wasn’t he? Such a statement rang the opposite of this sentiment.
Yet, it also rang as the truth.
Kaia’s face soured, eyeing the Variant up and down. Sure, she had the crown and the colour of a Loki. However, per her friend’s lectures, she seemed far too temperamental for the average Loki. In Kaia’s own words, the Variant had no chill.
“Are you sure you’re a Loki?” Kaia asked the Variant.
Sylvie did not like the question, if only for the disrespect of her name. Not that this little runt deserved to hear it, never mind being allowed to live to hear it accidentally.
She swung her sword at Kaia with the full force of her arm, only for Loki’s left dagger to deflect it upward. The spark from the kinetic energy made Kaia jump back.
“Don’t need the commentary, Kaia!” Loki said as he took to swinging his daggers at the Variant.
“Noted!!” The plan was for Kaia to get to the Time-Keepers above all else. She backed away from the fighting frantically, bumping her back against the golden elevator. She looked above and around, eventually finding the lone button meant to call the elevator. She smacked it firmly and waited, unaware that opening such a prestigious door couldn't be that easy.
Meanwhile, Sylvie had her sights trained on Loki. He pushed his right arm forward in an attempt to stab her, but she was quickly able to lean out of the way. With his momentum jutting him forward, she promptly used her free hand to grab him by the elbow. With a twist of his arm, Sylvie threw Loki out of the lobby.
Loki managed to stay on his feet, merely stumbling past the threshold that he had just entered. He quickly popped back up and looked at the Variant, unimpressed by such aggressive behaviour.
“You know, I meant what I said back at Roxxcart…” Loki started, but he was cut off by another attack.
The Variant kicked Loki in the chest, forcing him against the wooden hallway wall. She could’ve used enough force to knock him down, but she just wanted this talkative joker out of her way.
Loki grunted, dropping one dagger in the aftermath of the blow. At least this Loki was as stubborn as expected.
“I thought, perhaps, that we could work together.” Loki aimed the tip of his dagger at the knot of his necktie. Before he completed his sentence, he swung his weapon away from his body, aimed at no one in particular. “But now I see you lack vision.”
All Sylvie could do was roll her eyes. She wound her arm back, making a broad enough swing to knock the other dagger out of his hand. This forced the fool to lean back to avoid losing an assorted body part. She didn’t even bother to revel in Loki’s stunned silence, assessing where his weapon went; she had a mission to complete.
Sylvie turned around, her eyes fully trained on the golden elevator and the weak Loki that stood in front of it. She grinned, her tongue rolling over her teeth in anticipation of one last warm-up kill for her sword before the grand finale. In particular, she enjoyed watching Kaia frantically mash the elevator button in the fading hope that it would work.
Fortunately for Kaia, Loki was quick to march after the Variant, closing in before she could harm her.
“So, either you come willingly…” Loki grabbed the Variant by the shoulder with his left hand.
Sylvie suddenly dipped down, twirling under Loki’s arm in an attempt to gain the advantage once more. If he wanted to die first, who was she to refuse the request?
However, Loki anticipated another stabbing attempt, and he was glad that she used his arm to steady herself first. He stepped back to avoid the sword and gripped the Variant’s right arm with his left hand. He dragged the Variant across the floor, switching hands so he was able to firmly hold her by her shoulders. He quickly adjusted, driving the blunt end of his left palm into the Variant’s shoulder. This forced her to bend over awkwardly; her right arm and sword twisted and compromised.
“… Or you won’t,” Loki hissed the continuation of his sentence, “Either way, I’ll be speaking with the Time-Keepers first.”
“Why can't you SHUT UP‽”
The only weapons Sylvie could use were her low centre of gravity and her left hand. Digging her heel into the tile, she pushed back on Loki’s chest, barely managing to twist around to grab hold of him with her free hand. The might that she used to knock him off balance forced both of them onto their backs. Sylvie even did a proper somersault, thanks to the momentum.
Despite that, the Loki Variants still were locked in each other’s grip. They popped up on their knees squarely in front of Kaia. She couldn’t help but stare at the way they clung to each other’s wrists. The Variant had her sword aimed at Loki. Loki — previously disarmed by the Variant — had a fist aimed at her.
The elevator still wasn’t there! Kaia’s heart raced, thinking of what she could do to help Loki. Should she disarm the Variant, or—
“HEY!”
Sylvie and Loki felt a sense of déjà vu. Sure enough, their heads swivelled in unison to eye Judge Ravonna Renslayer, this time with two Minutemen on either side of her. The trio activated their Time Sticks in unison. The Judge was absolutely done with all three of them.
Sylvie didn’t have any sense of the Judge’s relation to these fools, but she had nothing else to lose. She sprang to her feet, freeing her arm from Loki’s grip, only to lock a stunned Kaia into a chokehold, not unlike the one Loki had previously held her in. The only difference this time was the sword that Sylvie was able to place under her hostage’s neck.
“Come any closer and I’ll kill her,” Sylvie announced.
Renslayer smirked. “Go for it.”
Kaia could only offer a weak scoff. She didn’t want to risk major movement with a blade so close to her. Yet, the verbal slash from Renslayer cut deeper. So much for unbiased justice.
Loki, still on one knee by the Variant’s side, scanned the scene for any glimmer of hope. Fortunately, that came in the form of an all-too-familiar predicament: a shiny TemPad on her belt, prime for pickpocketing whilst the Variant had her hands occupied.
Renslayer approaching with her Minutemen distracted everyone from Loki. He plucked the Variant’s TemPad off of her belt. He navigated his way as quickly as he could to the Time Door deployment coordinates. Between the Variant threatening Kaia and Renslayer winding up her Time Stick, there was no time to mull about.
In fact, he rushed the process so quickly, his fingers mashed the ‘Rotate Time Door position’ option.
All three Variants barely avoided Renslayer’s Time Stick, thanks to the Time Door that Loki opened up directly underneath them. Three distinct screams spiralled into the orange abyss, fading just before the portal sealed itself shut.
One scream was familiar to Verity. It was definitely Kaia. She picked up the pace just ahead of Mobius, only to be the first to see Renslayer deactivating her Time Stick in front of nothing in particular. What else to assume but the worst?
“You pruned them‽” Verity shouted.
Renslayer turned to face Verity, the scowl that had appeared upon the Lokis’ disappearance remaining just as stiff. “Mind your voice.”
Verity did not mind her voice. “Where’s Kaia‽”
“Hey, hey, stay here…” Mobius wound Verity back before she could charge their boss. Instead, he closed the gap to approach her. “What happened? Are you ok—”
Ravonna glared at Mobius. Her shoulders were still arched as she gripped her weapon tighter.
“They got AWAY, Mobius!” Ravonna shouted, “L1130 had ANOTHER TemPad! Why did ANY OF THEM have a TemPad‽”
Mobius, not realizing this question was rhetorical, started to explain, “I had the Variant’s TemPad during the—”
“This is the second time you let a Loki Variant get away, Mobius! Now all THREE of them are on the loose. FOCUS and FIND them!!”
With that, Ravonna trotted off, her blank Minutemen in tow. Only Mobius and Verity remained in the golden lobby. Not that Verity felt comforted by that. Verity couldn’t even be comforted by the notion of Loki and Kaia being lost together.
“So, Kaia’s lost in time with the Loki that killed a bunch of Minutemen to get here‽”
Mobius gently raised his hand to Verity. “We know how to fi—”
Verity was the second woman to cut Mobius off in the span of a minute, “What if we’re too late‽ If she doesn’t make it out alive‽”
She swatted Mobius’ hand away and retreated to the bench that sat underneath the Time-Keeper’s portrait. She tucked her hand into her blue sleeve, using the cuff to clear away tears that were forming underneath her glasses.
Mobius took that quiet moment to catch his breath. He could understand Verity’s frustration. She had never been in a situation like this before. He had experience on this front, knowing that this sort of escape act did not happen often. And every Variant that escaped was always brought back to face the TVA once again.
“Look, I’m sorry…” Mobius said softly, “You need to find your friend, I need to bring the other two back in. We need all hands on deck to find them.”
“They could be anywhere. Anytime.” Verity reminded Mobius.
“That’s why I had an archivist create a digital copy of the files on Sylvie’s TemPad before the interrogation…” Mobius explained, “We’ll be able to narrow down the possible escape routes by cross-referencing the information stored on that TemPad. You’ve got that attention to detail, you could make the difference when it comes to finding them.”
Verity choked on a brisk laugh, “You know exactly what to say to make it sting.”
“I mean it, Verity…” Mobius reached into his breast pocket, offering a TVA-issued bright orange handkerchief. “I’ll get you a special desk at Time Control for this. Please?”
Verity sniffled. She looked at Mobius, then the peace offering. She didn’t have another choice, did she? He had the tools and paperwork to offer, but he didn’t have the one thing she needed. Not yet.
“I just want my best friend back…” Verity swapped her sleeve for the handkerchief, clearing the last of the teardrops.
“We’ll find her, together. C’mon.” Mobius offered his hand. “Clock’s always tickin’… which is better than the alternative.”
Verity’s heels clicked together as Mobius helped her to her feet. As they made their way to Time Control, Verity glanced back at the portrait of the Time-Keepers that she had sat behind. If they really were as powerful as she read about, how could branches happen at all? If Sylvie was as dangerous as the TVA proclaimed, why haven’t their CEOs stepped in to save them?
Is the end of the Sacred Timeline more important than the lives of those that are created and sworn to protect it?
Notes:
For legal purposes, this is not a fic endorsement, but last week Jeff Loveness (quantumania writer) gave me a bit of a jumpscare last week when I was rambling about how his movie energized me to write more for this fic. I'm only bringing this up because good vibes multiply. Thank you for being here.
Chapter 24: The Dying Moon
Summary:
Chapter 24 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki, Kaia, and the Variant escape Renslayer’s Time Stick and the TVA entirely. But where did they end up? One could argue that this place is worse than the TVA.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains deadnaming.
Just a quick FYI: even though you know that the Variant's name is Sylvie, Loki and Kaia don't know that yet, so that's why there's a bit of back and forth between paragraphs, depending on that paragraph's character perspective. Sylvie will fully reveal her name in the next chapter, so please bear with me and my immersion for a chapter longer.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
An eerie chill brushed against Sylvie’s face. She was the first to awaken from the sudden drop away from the TVA.
She, Loki, and Kaia were all flat on their backs against a set of lumpy mattresses. If she had taken better care to look at her surroundings, she would have noticed that the three of them landed in a tent. A few red mattresses were on the ground, lacking any sort of duvet or blanket. The tent was pitched by the borders rather than a centre pole, each waning wall protected by metal shelves of mining tools, large equipment, and bright standing construction lights. The sands beneath them refracted a lavender light into the whole of their surroundings.
However, Sylvie only had eyes for her TemPad, which lay in the glistening gravel, just across from Kaia and Loki’s writhing bodies. She sprang up, making no qualms about kneeing Kaia in the hip as she leapt over them. She landed on all fours, just off of the mattress, the TemPad that she needed was within her line of sight.
When she tried to reach for it, she felt her knees rub back against the ground.
By then, Loki had rolled off of his back. He secured a grip on the Variant’s leg. He dragged her back to the mattresses, once again drawing her ire.
“Get off of my leg!” The Variant growled. She tried to regain her footing, only for her face to be met with the palm of Loki’s hand.
Kaia recovered from the sudden pain in her hip, rolling on her side to see Loki and the Variant squabble with each other, fighting like toddlers over a TemPad-shaped piece of candy. She saw the precise moment where Loki used his height to grab hold of the TemPad, only to have the Variant grab hold of him.
Sylvie wasn’t about to let that bastard mess around with her TemPad again. She stood up with bent knees, holding Loki by the shoulders. She wasted no time slamming Loki’s head against the closest blunt object to them: a small tray. The impact of Loki’s face against the object flipped both it and the flashlights that stood on it over.
“Loki!” Kaia cried out. No response.
As she hurried to check over her fellow fool, Sylvie stood proudly over them. She cradled the TemPad in her hands, preparing her grand exit.
“Goodbye… Variants!" she announced with confidence.
Smack!
If only it hadn’t been premature. The TemPad was unresponsive when she tried to navigate its menus. The orange screen blinked twice, only to switch to a splash screen featuring a pictograph of an empty battery, various written prompts to declare the device’s status, and a caricature of an orange clock.
Meanwhile, Kaia had given Loki three shakes to his shoulders with no response, so she could only assume he was out cold. It was up to her to protect him in the interim. She remained crouched over Loki as she tried to scan the scene for anything of value to protect them. The only reasonable weapon, a miner’s axe, was far too out of reach to make a run for. Not when the Variant’s boots were uncomfortably close.
Kaia looked up to see the Variant struggling with the TemPad. Hollow slaps against the tiny screen rendered fruitless as a voice that sounded like Miss Minutes diagnosed the TemPad’s issue aloud.
“You’re outta juice!” A digitized voice read the cartoon’s speech bubble aloud.
“It’s not working…” The Variant grumbled.
“I mean, it does sound like a dead battery…” Kaia chimed in with her commentary. It was still unwanted.
“You’re both just incapable of silence, aren't you?”
Sylvie flexed one hand to her side, telekinetically calling for her signature sword. Kaia had been fortunate to not have been nicked by the sword during their sudden descent. Sylvie wasn’t about to let that happen twice.
As the Variant raised her sword to the ceiling, Kaia rocked back on her ankles. Her arms instinctively stretched out, perfecting the flimsy shield look. As if two arms outstretched would fully shield Loki from the blow about to strike down on them.
Kaia squeezed her eyes shut, but that wasn’t the tension that she needed. No, what she needed was the sudden grip on her wrist. That’s when her world went green.
Wooosh!
A sudden green glow disintegrated Kaia before the blade could make contact with her neck. Sylvie furrowed her brow. Wasn’t she the incapable Loki? The one that had to cower and hide whilst the taller one maintained a low bar for competence? How could she disappear?
Well, she couldn’t. Not without Loki’s help.
If the Variant had paid attention, she would’ve noticed Loki’s steady breathing, even when he had laid on his stomach. He was conscious the whole time, he just had to feign unconsciousness to hear out for an opportune moment. If Loki was an expert on anything, it was playing dead.
Wooosh!
Loki manifested his and Kaia’s grand reappearance behind the Variant. They were both on their feet, now with Loki placing himself between Kaia and the Variant.
Much as she had done unto him, Loki grabbed the Variant by the shoulders and swiftly tossed her into a collapsible cabinet. She was thrown so harshly that she had flipped midair; she had to drop her sword prematurely to prevent falling headfirst onto its blade.
The Variant also dropped the TemPad she had been so desperate for. Kaia emerged from Loki’s shadow to pick up the device, which had shut down completely due to the lack of power.
Sylvie sprang back to her feet, ready to charge at the little Loki, “Give that TemPad back! You don't even know how to recharge it.”
Instead of downing the Variant once more, Loki opted to simply extend his arm forward to stop her from charging. It was refreshing to see that she was at least willing to talk.
“Of course we do,” Loki replied, “You’re not the only tech-savvy Loki, especially in the face of one that’s been living on 21st-century Midgard for five years.”
Loki was blatantly referring to Kaia, but he opted to pat her shoulder with his free hand for emphasis. Kaia looked up at Loki, flustered by the gratitude. Five years on Midgard was no experience marker for TVA tech, especially since a certain other invasive robot disintegrated her phone alongside her clothing.
“Thank you?” Kaia echoed her unease by questioning her own gratitude.
Their antics meant nothing to Sylvie. However, it was the repeated use of that name that threw her into another tizzy. These fools clearly weren’t briefed by their fascist friends.
“DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!” Sylvie snarled.
Loki paused, then looked at the Variant. “Tech-savvy?”
“No, a Loki!”
Loki squinted at her. He thought that name game was just a charade in Roxxcart. This was the true killer Variant, right? Why would such a Variant reject the Loki name? He highly doubted that she had met a fate similar to Kaia's.
Speaking of, a yelp from his friend brought him back to focus. The Variant had shifted away from his barricade and made a weaponless attempt on the TemPad in Kaia’s hands. She managed to jump out of the way just in time. She eyed Loki and threw the TemPad square into his chest while the Variant was crouched down.
By the time Sylvie realized the switch had been made, Loki had encased the TemPad in his signature green magic. As he flicked his hands outward, the TemPad vanished from his hands. He shone a smug grin to boast about his cheap parlour trick.
“So you’re just fully a magician, then??” The Variant rhetorically asked.
“Fine!” Loki opted for a genuine answer just to tick her off. “For my next trick…”
With the green glow and dual swishes of scathing blades, Loki conjured a set of daggers, identical to the ones he had left behind in the TVA. He could’ve manifested any blade he wanted; he’s mastered all types before. Swords could be oversized and clunky. Axes lacked any sort of elegance or refinery. No, the daggers were his weapon of choice for they were lightweight, gorgeous, and very, very personal.
“I’ll make you disappear.”
Sylvie used her own magic to telekinetically retrieve her sword from the ground. Now, this was the type of challenge she thrived on. She was too excited by the thought of ending this fool to notice a concerning whistling noise rapidly approaching from above.
CRASH!!!
A foreign object burst through the soft ceiling of the tent, halting any and all bickering or battling between the three of them. A miniature crater landed in the very spot where Loki and the Variant would have collided if they were able to start their fight. They all took a moment to stare at the new crater that was created. At first glance, it was a rock that matched the size of a balled-up fist.
If Thor were here, Loki would suggest the small object was a physical representation of his wisdom. Since his brother was not here, he’d have to adjust his commentary for his Variant adversary.
“So, you’re just a rock summoner, then??” Loki mocked.
As the smoke cleared from the fallen object, Kaia noticed that this thing wasn’t just a decadent rock. No, it had to be more than a rock, right? It came from the sky, with glowing red cracks, radiating heat as if it breached several atmospheres to interrupt them.
No, that wasn’t a rock. That was a meteor.
“Loki…” Kaia looked at her friend, concerned. “Where did you send us?”
“I don’t know!”
“You didn’t look?”
“I only had a fraction of a second to pick something! If I didn’t, we would’ve been dead!”
As Loki and Kaia bickered, Sylvie caught on to the sounds around them. Various crackling and popping noises were occurring outside of their indoor landing point. That shouldn’t be alarming; Sylvie’s TemPad was saved with the coordinates of every known apocalypse the TVA had recorded. She had visited most of them. Some were preferential to others; Roxxcart and its recurring replenishment of food and shelter was a particular highlight.
Most apocalypses were barren wastelands of despair and destruction. They showed Sylvie how to survive, and how to toughen up. However, there was one apocalypse that Sylvie avoided due to just how brutal its end was. What are the chances that this fool had picked that one?
BOOM!
Sylvie exited the tent, confirming her worst fears. As another small meteor landed near her feet, she realizes those chances were fully realized. He picked that one.
“YOU IMBECILE!” The Variant yelled loud enough for the fools to hear, “Look what you’ve done!”
Loki led Kaia out of the tent. The trio was nestled in the heart of a quarry. The lavender gravel from within the tent was a mere foreshadowing of this area’s gorgeous minerals. The massive cliff faces, large boulders, and smallest rocks were coloured just like amethyst. The minerals around them coated the whole area — even the orange tents that littered the land — in a purple haze. Depending on what colour the haze came across, some shades of violet looked bluer, while others looked pinker.
All of the mining equipment scattered around them was abandoned, weathered by time and the destruction falling around them. Meteors just like the one before were crashing all around the quarry. Looking up past the cliffs and into the sky showed a foggy magenta sky overtaken by an enormous grey planet. The planet had sizeable cracks and craters testing the durability of the structure. The dying planet was the source of the meteors. The dying moon was the apocalypse that Sylvie never wanted to visit.
“Oh, is this a new planet?” No, Kaia, it’s a moon.
“This is Lamentis-1!” Sylvie shouted over the destruction as she sheathed her sword.
“I don’t know what that means!” Loki matched her volume and energy by yelling and hiding away his daggers.
“You’ve sent us to literally the WORST apocalypse stored on that TemPad!”
A meteor crashed mere inches from Loki to emphasize this point. They all covered their faces with their hands or capes. Sylvie studied this apocalypse enough to know why they shouldn’t be here. These fools didn’t live long enough to know of this apocalypse’s existence.
Enter Lamentis-1, 2077. Lamentis was the moon that rotated around Lamentis, the neighbouring planet that was falling apart above them. The inbound destruction was imminent, and it made no qualms about hiding it. Seismic tremors and meteor showers were only appetizers to just how destructive this apocalypse truly was.
“That planet is about to crash on and destroy this moon! No one makes it off of here!” Sylvie paraphrased as she sprinted off to find cover. Loki and Kaia were quick to follow, though the one with the shorter legs did lag a little.
“As I was saying, madam,” Loki huffed, “I was under a bit of a time constraint when it came to avoiding certain death! There wasn't a brochure!”
“Watch out!”
Kaia grabbed the Variant and Loki by the cape and jacket respectively, winding them back just in time to avoid another meteor. Although this one was small, the blast radius was the largest yet.
Loki was the only one to acknowledge Kaia’s efforts with a nod. He was quick to continue his little rant to the Variant, though.
“By the way, I thought you wanted us dead.”
It was true. She did want to be rid of them. And perhaps the runt could still die without consequence. But there was one order of business that needed to be sorted before she could be rid of the magician Loki.
“If you die now with that TemPad hidden, the TemPad is dead, then I end up dead!”
While the Variant and Loki bickered, Kaia scanned the scene for any sort of refuge. The tents would be no good, they’ve proven to be faulty. Mining trucks and other large vehicles couldn’t exactly harbour all of them. There had to be something sturdy and sizeable to keep them safe, at least until the shower passes.
“We can hide there!”
Kaia pointed to a standalone metallic building. Its baseboards had built-in lighting that illuminated the rippling aluminum walls. Odd fans, lampposts and wires protruded from the roof at different heights. What purpose it served remained unknown. But considering the lack of alternatives, it was by far their best bet.
Kaia led the charge toward the building. The Variant sprinted ahead, leaving Loki in the rear. Seeing her enthusiasm to follow Kaia’s lead made him wonder…
“So, we’re a team then?”
“Oh, fuck no!”
Well, it was worth an ask.
“Get down!”
Loki grabbed the Variant by the cape, spinning her around to avoid another crater in the making. She ought to be thankful that Loki still had enough manners to keep her safe. He decided that taking the lead ahead of her would be his reward for his generosity.
Sylvie grumbled as she straightened out her cape. The fool nearly choked her. And now he’s running ahead of her? Cheap!
The Variant yelled, “I don’t need your help!”
“You’re so weird!” Loki briefly glanced back at the Variant as she kept pace with him.
The meteors crashing into the vehicles and equipment behind them served as motivation for Sylvie and Loki to keep pace. She watched as she and Loki caught up to Kaia, managing to grab her arm and tug her out of the way of another falling rock.
“For the record…” Kaia huffed as Loki ran ahead of her, “I don’t mind the help!”
Loki barrelled ahead, barely managing to avoid slamming himself into the rusty door. He used a quick flash of magic to ensure no rust nor lock could prevent them from entering. As soon as he opened the door, the Variant barged past to enter the shelter first. Kaia didn’t follow.
Loki looked out onto the landscape to see Kaia struggling against the current of the meteor storm. The latest aerial blast missed her but had enough blowback to sweep her off of her feet.
Kaia tried to scramble back up but found herself going above and beyond. Literally. As she floated in the air, she noticed a thin green border envelope her skin. Sure enough, Loki telekinetically reeled her to him, placing her on the doorstep. She was too winded to thank him verbally, so she simply nodded at him. He echoed her, for only now was the adrenaline of avoiding lethal projectiles starting to fade away.
Loki entered the shelter last, shutting the door behind him. Chances are that this interior served as a shed, for its walls were lined with wire racks and shelves. Some were bare, others had small fans, tools, and other foreign devices. Dim crimson lightbulbs lined the ceiling, coating the small room in a soft red light. Not even the lavender streams of light pouring in from the outside walls could overpower it. Every surface of the room was lined with a thin layer of dust.
Hostility took a momentary bereave to make way for everyone to catch their collective breath. The only things that could be heard were the outdoor destruction and the trio’s staggered panting. Loki took to the south side of the room, leaning against the only wall that lacked any shelving. Kaia didn’t stray far from the centre of the room, studying the strange series of fan blades that hung within a caged rack.
Sylvie had been pacing on the north side of the room, but she slowed to a stop. She had recovered from the run first, and she knew she had the advantage. She looked at Loki up and down as he rested his arm against the window, completely unaware. Her cheeks dimpled to form a subtle smirk.
Kaia glanced over to see the Variant eyeing Loki like prey. Her balled-up fists and shark-teeth smile spoke on her behalf.
“Oh, really, come on…” Kaia bemoaned the penchant for violence, opting to place herself between the Variant and her target. “This is the LAST place to—”
Nope. Not you.
Without saying a word, Sylvie grabbed Kaia by the shoulders. She didn’t even blink as she swiftly tossed the runt into the caged wall rack that she had been staring at. The metal rattled and reverberated a whiny vibration as Kaia bounced off of it. She complimented the noise with a groan of her own as she slumped to the floor, conscious enough to land in a sitting position.
The disturbance was enough to snap Loki to attention, but before he could properly scold anyone, the Variant had encroached on his personal space. He watched as she raised her hands between them, emerald emitting from each fingertip. Loki’s huffing and puffing slowly petered out as the Variant made her move.
Sylvie wanted to enchant him. As soon as she had control, she would get him to reveal the TemPad’s location, and then she’d be clear of this speed bump. She put her glowing hands around Loki’s neck, rubbing her index fingers under his jawline. Both of their heads bowed as she tried to finish the job.
The heavy breathing faded from all involved as the Variant’s magic hummed in a high pitch. The noise fizzled in time with the glow flashing unsteadily. Loki watched as she studied his face in confusion. He was unaware of the light show that was strobing lightly upon his neck. It didn’t even tickle.
Loki finally broke the tension of the moment. “What are you doing?”
He spoke on his own. He’s not supposed to be speaking on his own. Why isn’t she in control?
“What are you doing?” Sylvie echoed, her eyes slightly widening with worry.
Ah. Of course. That explains it. This Variant was just a one-trick Loki.
“Are you trying to enchant me?” Loki guessed, “It won't work.”
“Why, because you’re a magician‽” The Variant’s head bobbled from side to side before letting go of Loki’s neck. She lightly pushed him away by his shoulders before marching off to the opposite end of the shack.
“No, because my mind is too strong!” Loki snapped back, raising an index finger to his temple to emphasize his point, even though the Variant still had her back to him.
Sylvie broadly flung her arm in Kaia’s general direction. “Stronger than that one’s mind, I’ll give you that much.”
“Hey!!”
Kaia got back up to her feet only to see Loki and the Variant settled on opposite ends of the shelter; weapons had re-emerged within their hands. They both grunted and entered a standoff, waiting for the other to make the first move. With a light eye roll, the unarmed Kaia opted to make that first move instead.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Kaia yelled as she stood directly in the path of both the sword and the daggers, arms semi-outstretched. “This won’t solve anything! There’s an apocalypse outside and all you can think about is killing each other‽”
“Yes,” said the Variant. Kaia could only grumble at such a blunt response.
Admittedly, even Loki had enough of the anticipation. He wanted to get this fight over with and he didn’t want his friend to get hurt. “Kaia, don’t be brave. Get out of the way of the sharp objects.”
Slowly, Kaia’s head turned to Loki. Her eyebrows were ruffled over her narrowed hazel eyes. “And where would I go? Back outside?”
Loki didn’t have an answer for that. A light boom outside reminded him that the outdoors wasn’t exactly the safer option at the present moment.
Kaia’s head swivelled to the Variant. By this point, her face softened to a calm and neutral look. “Look. You want the TemPad. We want to not die and get back to our friends. Let’s call a truce so we can find a power source to charge the TemPad.”
The Variant lightly chortled in a way that reeked of sarcasm. Loki, however, saw some logic in Kaia’s suggestion. He magically put his daggers away. “She has a point. No one’s getting out of here so long as the TemPad is powerless.”
The Variant did not care about Kaia or her point. She stabbed the air, stopping just short of stabbing Kaia between the eyes. Startled, the runt rocked back on her feet, only to have steady hands grip her shoulders. Loki walked Kaia back until she bumped into his chest.
Sylvie snarled at Loki and his little shield, “Where do you have it HIDDEN‽”
“In my heart!!”
“Well then, I’ll just cut it out!”
“Nice, very droll, lovely.”
“That’s not how a truce works!” Kaia interjected, ensuring the distance between herself and the Variant’s sword, “Look, I don't know where he hid it either, but you’re not going to figure it out if you keep trying to kill him every thirty seconds!”
Loki was quick to add, “And you certainly won’t help your cause if you harm Kaia.”
The way Loki patted her shoulders felt comforting to Kaia. The singe of a heated blush left a light dent on her cheeks. Not out of embarrassment or adoration, but out of the simple pleasure in knowing that she wasn’t alone.
The whole demeanour between them made Sylvie ill. These fools were disgusting in both opinions and actions. They were almost too pathetic for her blade. If they didn’t have what she needed, she wouldn’t just take such sad bargaining.
“You won't be able to get that TemPad charged without me! That’s the only reason why you saved me out there, isn’t it?”
Loki’s arms dropped from Kaia’s shoulders, his hands landing squarely on his hips. He knew how to work the TemPad, sure. But recharging it? Now that he thought about it…
“Maybe, yeah. I mean, sure, perhaps that was a factor as well…” Loki sputtered out as he fully relaxed his arms. What he wanted to say sounded much more eloquent in his head.
“All the more reason to work together…” Kaia said to the Variant, “Just till we’re out of here, then you can do whatever you had planned…”
Hah, what I had planned?
Now it was Sylvie’s turn to look around aimlessly for a moment. Not to gather her thoughts, but to manage her anger. She used all of her restraint to put away her sword. Only the mission spared these two fools from a worse fate. When she could bring herself to look at them, she met them with as neutral a face that she could muster.
“The plan you two interrupted was YEARS in the making… YEARS!” Sylvie exclaimed, “As soon as I turn that TemPad back on, I’m going straight back to the TVA, to finish what I started.”
Kaia twitched as she heard such familiar words. “Isn’t that what I just suggested?”
“And then I’ll kill you both.” The Variant winked.
Kaia’s face flattened. She did not suggest that.
Loki snapped back, “Or I’ll kill you first.”
It only made Sylvie scoff and flex her eyebrows. As if. As she marched towards the door, she listened intently for a quiet lull in the meteoric storm. The reprieve did not come immediately, so of course, a mouthy Loki had to get a word in.
“Where’re you going?” When you consider that he had just issued a death threat, Loki asked this rather calmly.
The Variant pointed at the soft purple light entering their hiding spot. “There’s power somewhere on this moon, we just need enough of it to make the TemPad work…”
A device that allows its user to travel through inter-dimensional time and space needed a lot of power. Lamentis had small clusters of a population, but they were well away from any signs of life. That was plenty of time for the magician Loki to scheme against her. She needed assurance. Lucky for her, he gave away his pinch point, and she was within arms reach.
The Variant’s semi-gloved hand suddenly grabbed Kaia by the wrist.
“And you're gonna make sure he doesn’t stray with my TemPad.”
With a slight tug, Kaia stumbled to join the Variant’s side. Any attempt to wriggle herself free fell short. She couldn’t offer up much beyond bewilderment.
The Variant kept her grip on her hostage as she glared at Loki. A simple “Hurry up!” announced their departures. Loki had no choice but to follow. Despite the Variant’s emphatic rejection earlier on, the trio officially became a team, all trying to find a way to escape the dying moon.
Notes:
Also, minor transparency thing if you're new or re-reading: at first, I gave Lamentis-1's planet a quirky name (Sitnemal) because I wasn't 100% sure what the planet's name was, but I've since come across information that seems to canonically refer to the crushing planet as Lamentis, so I'm going to adhere to canon on this one and the sentence in question has been updated to reflect that. (Sylvie's eyes in this story are blue though. And she's not cisgender.)
Chapter 25: The Homesteader
Summary:
Chapter 25 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Throughout their journey, the group of Lokis come across a homesteader, standing guard at the end of her life.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Sylvie led Kaia out of the mines and up to the surface. The scenery slowly morphed from a miner’s pit to an excavation site. Oversized pipes and dump trucks were abandoned in the Lamentis dunes. Eventually, the site would lead to a village, then a town, then a city. It was merely a matter of finding something worthy of the TemPad’s battery. Unfortunately, there was no generator in sight in the immediate vicinity. She’d have to try the town ahead.
The Variant was deathly silent as she marched along. Kaia couldn’t help but notice that her wrist was starting to match the tone of the amethyst gravel they were walking on, thanks to her adversary’s tight grip.
“I can walk on my own…” Kaia finally spoke up.
“I’m not having someone like you slow me down," the Variant snapped back, “Or would you rather I enchant you instead?”
“Fine, fine…” Kaia sighed, exasperated by the whole situation. The only form of comfort that she had was the encroaching footsteps of Loki, who caught up after the Variant had a head-start.
Loki announced himself with a question. “So, what’s your plan?”
“There’s a town ahead we can search… Can you shut up, by the way? The both of you?” The Variant already missed the silence they once shared. “Just because I’m forced to work with you, it doesn’t mean I want to hear either of your voices.”
“Well, all right, just…” Loki paused as he jogged to join Kaia’s side, “Slow down, Variant.”
Just when she thought the tension on her grip was at its limit, the Variant squeezed Kaia’s wrist even harder.
“Don’t call me Variant.”
Kaia’s groan doubled in stature. Once for the pain, twice for the new hurdle that the Variant had set up.
“First we can’t call you Loki, now we can’t call you Variant…” Kaia lamented aloud, “What do you want us to call you?”
Sylvie huffed as a horrific realization struck her. She was stuck with these two for the long haul. She would have to relinquish her chosen name to them.
“I’m Sylvie.”
“Ah, brilliant!” Loki clapped exactly once. “At least we can tell us three Lokis apart with different names! Thank you for letting me keep the original, seeing as I’m superior and all.”
“Oh, get out of your own head. ‘Loki’ is not who I am anymore. It’s called an alias.”
“That’s not Loki-like at all.”
“Oh yeah? What exactly makes a Loki a Loki?” Sylvie yanked on Kaia’s arm once more. “I’m sure your pet would like to know.”
If eye-rolls could be audible, Kaia’s would’ve matched the pitch of a thunderstorm.
“First of all, she’s not my pet, she’s her own person,” Loki clarified, “Secondly, a Loki has three main principles: independence, authority, and style.”
Sylvie’s lips puckered sideways. Those were not the words she would’ve picked if she were to wager a guess.
“So that’s why you two decided to work for the boring, oppressive time police?” Sylvie asked flatly.
“We’re not technically employed there…” Kaia piped up, which allowed a quick follow-up from Loki.
“Yes, we’re consultants.”
Ah, they did mention that in Roxxcart, didn’t they? From what she remembered, that plan did not rely on independent authority.
“And your plan was to blend in and work your way to the top? What a shambling mess…” Sylvie paraphrased, “You don’t know what you want.”
“Oh yeah? What about your years-in-the-making plan?” Loki countered, “Destroy the TVA, create the ultimate power vacuum and then just.. walk away?”
“Yup.”
“I’d never have done that.”
“Yeah? Well, I never asked for your input. I’m not you.”
Sylvie picked up the pace despite Kaia starting to stumble behind her. The strides she made reflected her impatience. Judging by how fast the falling rocks around them travelled, they had approximately twelve hours before imminent death approaches them. It’s not her fault if Kaia couldn’t walk as far as she could.
“Sylvie, you can let Kaia walk. I won’t run off with the TemPad,” Loki bargained.
Sylvie glanced back slightly; the way her irises filled the corners of her eyes illustrated her doubt.
“I’ve been following you this whole time, haven’t I?” Loki continued, “You made a good point earlier, how we’ll all be blown to smithereens if we don’t work together.”
Now it was Kaia’s turn to look back at Loki. Wasn’t the truce her idea? The irk in her mind faded as soon as she felt the clamp on her wrist starting to give out.
“You make sure she doesn’t drag behind. I have no need for her baggage.”
With that, Sylvie let Kaia go and marched on into a junkyard ghost town. A town long since abandoned by its people, searching in vain for salvation. The waning neon signs and shuttered sheet metal buildings wouldn’t be strong enough to help the TemPad. No, the device needed a massive power source to feed from in order to even relight the screen. They’d have to find a place more tech-savvy than this and press further on.
Kaia kept walking, but she was more focused on getting blood back to her wrist. She frantically ran her opposite hand up and down all edges of her forearm, smoothing out Sylvie’s imprint and bringing her skin tone back to normal.
Loki did as requested, walking alongside Kaia for both her sake and Sylvie’s. As much as he wanted to betray the latter, she did have the expertise that they all needed to escape Lamentis. He’d have to make sure that he and Kaia played along for now.
Quick glances and reassuring nods told one another that they were both all right. They had to be, for neither could’ve foreseen how much walking they had to do. They followed the fading footprints of those that fled the tiny town. The town eventually deteriorated into another open field, littered with meteoric potholes. The crumbling planet loomed overhead with every step they took.
After hours of trudging through a wasteland, the trio found a lone house, propped up on raised wooden boards and surrounded by scrap parts. It looked more homely than the miner’s shack, with a mushroom-cap roof and sizeable windows to take in the vast, empty view. A tarp loosely clung to a portion of the porch, flapping against the vibrations of the odd meteor impact. Kaia was quick to make note of a ribbed machine-like protrusion sticking out of the front of the house. With the way the machine hummed, she quietly guessed it was a generator of some kind. A few circular lights stuck out from within its cage, illuminating half of the porch, including a sunken front door. It was the first official sign of life that they had come across.
Because most of the house protruded, the threesome had a blind spot to their advantage. Who knows what kind of person would stand their ground in the face of a world-ending event? They needed to formulate a plan.
Sylvie already had a plan in mind, for she had already drawn her sword by the time she climbed the final porch step. She was about to step forward when a light tap distracted her. She turned to see Loki meddling once more with his hand lightly cuffed around her forearm.
“Brute force is no substitute for diplomacy and guile,” Loki advised. His suggestion was unwarranted.
Sylvie raised their linked arms up, cuffing her unarmed hand over his forearm. Her nose scrunched as her grin exemplified just how much she didn’t care. “Noted.”
With a smile, Sylvie shoved Loki back further onto the porch with her unarmed hand. It was a light push, but it was enough to prompt a few steps back. Kaia, who had been standing behind Loki, took her turn to steady him. They both watched as Sylvie left the blind spot. An audible THUD and a grizzly grunt implied that Sylvie kicked the door in.
What no one expected was to see Sylvie suddenly fly backwards, followed by a trail of vibrating air. A sonic boom blasted her into the air, sending her spiralling 20 feet back, eventually skidding to a stop in the dirt. The wind from the strike was enough to blow back Loki and Kaia’s hair, who both instinctively jumped further back into the safe zone. A faint trill could be heard powering down from inside the home. Chances are that a good offence was used as a defence by a Lamentian homesteader.
Sylvie writhed on the ground, groaning to herself as she make sure her sword was still in her hand. Slowly, she pulled herself up, propped herself up on one knee, and dusted herself off. Sections of her cape were torn by the tiniest of rocks, but her armour and already-broken horned headpiece remained intact.
Look at what a lack of diplomacy got her! Loki shook his head at his adversary. “It’s remarkable that you made it as far as you did.”
Sylvie only offered him a growl as she shifted her stance to a simple squat. She watched as Loki leaned into the edge of the blind spot, offering a word to her attacker. She had a front-row view of the attempt at guile that Loki was about to try. Judging by how they looked, Sylvie wasn’t so sure that his plan would work, either.
The villager that had struck Sylvie down was sitting just inside the doorframe. Although only dim red lights illuminated their face, one could easily see just how worn down they were by protecting their home. Their white face and hands were marked with dust and oil. Their brown hair was matted and frazzled. A grey shawl was worn over a striped blouse and wide-leg pants. Two hands held onto a triangular bazooka, smoke billowing from the force used to sweep her stoop clean.
Loki was careful not to get into their line of sight, so he could not see any of that. It did not matter what they looked like; someone that could exert that kind of blast should be approached with caution.
“Sorry about that!” Loki apologized.
“Don’t be!” The Lamentian’s voice was clear but abrasive, “I enjoyed it!”
Loki chuckled to himself. He couldn’t see them, but he liked them.
“Oh, I did too! But I can assure you, despite my…” Loki looked straight at Sylvie as he said, “acquaintance behaving like an animal…”
A huff and a glare on Sylvie’s part did not go unnoticed, but neither Loki nor the homesteader chose to acknowledge it.
“We mean no harm. We’re simply weary travellers,” Loki concluded, placing a hand on his chest despite the lack of audience.
“Uh-huh, sure. And I’m the mayor of Shuroo.”
Huh. They sounded unimpressed. And Loki really thought he had something going there!
Loki paused. As he was trying to figure out what to say next, he caught Kaia snooping into the homesteader’s window. He glanced back to see a portrait of an ordinary couple, posed rigidly in front of the very home they were trespassing on. The frame did not look worn or dusted, though the pictured house looked more pristine in photographic retrospect. Judging by the pitch and courage of the villager’s voice, Loki guessed that they were talking with the wife, pictured on the left.
By contrast, the husband looked aged, unkempt, and frail. He wore a limp robe over a button-down shirt and sagging pants. Silver stubble lined the lower half of his face. Their matching flat smiles told Loki that the stiff soulmates were a perfect fit for one another. And yet… there was no sign of the husband within the villager’s home.
Loki grinned at Kaia. Ever so quietly, he whispered to his protégé: “Watch and learn.”
Kaia silently shot Loki a puzzled look. He clearly had a new plan, but what exactly?
Loki turned back towards the homesteader’s door and coated himself in his signature green magic. From his power emerged a perfect replica of the man from the photo. Kaia nodded to herself, for she understood what he did. This was an illusion, projected over himself like a second skin, allowing Loki to limp towards the villager’s door without initial hostility.
The trickster played his part well. As he met ‘his’ wife’s eyes, he feebly held his hands together, humbled by their reunion. At the sight of him, the homesteader sat up straight in their chair, the bazooka in their hands slightly tilted towards the ground.
“Hello, dear…” Loki conjured a withered voice to match his new role.
The villager squinted. “Patrice?” They named him with a soft, yearning voice.
‘Patrice’ nodded, tears lining his eyelids. He sniffled a few times, holding back emotions conjured up to match his faux front.
“It’s… it’s been a long time…” ‘Patrice’ continued, “You’re as beautiful as—”
Wrrrrr… BOOM!
Kaia gasped as she watched Loki fall victim to a second sonic boom. Whilst Loki was airborne, green light washed over him. It takes a decent deal of concentration to hold an illusion. When you’re knocked senseless like that, it’s easy to lose your focus. By the time he skidded on his back to a stop, he was fully and truly Loki once again.
There were a few things off with the stranger’s plan, now that the homesteader had time to think back on it. She had just been chatting with him at a distance; surely Patrice would’ve confronted him before trying to re-enter their broken home. Barring that, Patrice had gone out to hunt for food days ago. He hadn’t yet returned. They weren’t sure if their Patrice was ever coming back for them, though they couldn’t say for sure if he was truly dead yet.
Barring that…
“PATRICE NEVER SAID A THING THAT NICE IN 30 YEARS!” The homesteader shouted out the fatal flaw to his plan. Loki couldn’t read minds; how was he supposed to know that‽
As Loki sat himself up, he was greeted by a chorus of giggling. Sylvie was to his right, for he had landed right beside her. She looked at him coyly, crouching on both legs as she inched closer to her adversary.
“So, which one was that?” Sylvie asked after the laughter subsided, “Diplomacy, orrr…”
“Don’t.” Loki raised a finger to shush Sylvie, not bothering to look at just how smug her face became in being vindicated. “Just… don’t.”
“You’re no travellers, you’re devils!” The villager proclaimed just before making a stand… literally. They took to their feet, marching a few steps out onto the porch, the tube that powered their weapon scraping against the doorframe. When their porch suddenly creaked, they glanced at the side to meet the third face.
An already small Kaia felt even smaller in the presence of such a huge weapon. She raised her hands above her shoulders to surrender, her face pleading for mercy. Fortunately for her, she was able to elicit pity from the homesteader instead.
“Devils with a hostage!” They adjusted their declaration.
Sylvie rolled her eyes as she and Loki took to their feet properly. They both ensured that they did not step closer to the house or the weapon that was still aimed at them.
“No, no! I’m no hostage, we’re really travellers…” Kaia corrected. She kept her hands raised as she backed down from the villager’s stoop, taking careful steps to place herself between her travelling companions and the weapon that they both fell prey to. The villager did not seem interested in shooting Kaia, despite keeping the barrel aimed dead ahead. She took advantage of that.
“Please, we just wanna ask you a question… where is everyone?”
The homesteader looked at the trio, baffled. How did they not know? Perhaps they really were travelling devils.
“The ark…” When the devils looked at each other in confusion, the villager knew they had to spell it out further. “The evacuation vessel in Shuroo…”
An evacuation vessel! Sure, it would end up being a doomed spaceship, but it was supposed to help the Lamentians escape.
Sylvie leaned towards Loki, whispering so only he could hear, “Surely, that would have enough juice to repower the TemPad…”
Ignorant of the conversation behind her, Kaia pressed further, “How do we get to Shuroo?”
Only then did the homesteader purposely lower their bazooka barrel. The pity they held for the little traveller grew. They nodded their head over their right shoulder.
“There’s one last train at the edge of town, but they’ll never let you on. Not even with a sad face like yours, child.”
Huh? Kaia had several things to think over, thanks to such a statement. Why wouldn’t the Lamentians work together to save everyone? What exactly made her face look sad? Or child-like, for that matter??
“Come on, let’s go…” Sylvie spoke up suddenly, “That train might be all we need.”
Sylvie marched diagonally past the villager’s home, guided by a horizon that thickened with watch towers and a stroke of train tracks. The homesteader was sure to raise their bazooka barrel again to ensure that the blonde devil didn’t trudge too close to her home.
One question lingered in Kaia’s mind. She knew better than to ask the villager to join them, but she had to know, “Why aren’t you trying to evacuate?”
“I’ve lived my life, child. A life that isn't deemed worthy by those that funded that ship.” The homesteader offered Kaia a thin, peaceful smile. “Don’t fret about me.”
Kaia held one hand with the other, anxiously pressing fingertips into her palm. And they thought she was sad? Imagine knowing the end was near and accepting the isolation that was thrust upon you without much of a fight. Now that was a sad end to a life, thought Kaia, to move on without the comfort of loved ones to see you off. She could only hope that their loveless Patrice would come back in time to see the end with them.
Footsteps approached from behind Kaia, derailing her train of thought.
“Kaia, we should follow…” Loki looped his arm through Kaia’s, gently pulling her along to follow Sylvie’s footsteps. With a small nod and show of gratitude to the villager, Kaia followed her friend out.
The homesteader could only sigh as the trio pressed on toward the train station. Marching toward a fruitless endeavour. The moon they walked on was mere hours away from dying. Why couldn’t those travellers just accept their upcoming deaths?
Chapter 26: The Decline
Summary:
Chapter 26 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The TVA is frantically looking for the Loki Variants. Mobius checks in with Renslayer, Hunter B-15, and Verity during the hunt.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains offscreen character death.
Chapter Text
Mobius had been frantically pacing in the Time-Keepers’ lobby for a while now. He had managed to delegate his team — Verity included — to examine every location recovered from Sylvie’s TemPad. They had to be in some apocalypse. He knew he’d find them eventually. But it wasn’t soon enough for Ravonna. She had been called in personally for a meeting with the Time-Keepers regarding the case of the missing Loki Variants.
Mobius still hadn’t met the Time-Keepers in the flesh. Most TVA Employees haven’t. Heck, this was a rare occasion even for Ravonna, and she’s one of the TVA’s best.
Ravonna had been in there for what felt like hours. Mobius couldn’t help but worry for her. She’s a great colleague, a great friend. This wasn’t her fault.
It was that blasted Loki’s fault. He took the TemPad that Sylvie had taken. He crafted the Time Door that prompted them both to disappear, even dragging Kaia along for the ride. Lokis were prone to mischief, but this? This was so much worse.
This was a betrayal of the progress Loki had made. The Detective couldn’t help but feel disappointed by that.
Vrrrrr…
The elevator doors opened. The Minutemen that replaced the downed elevator guards were unfazed when Ravonna walked past them. Her head was tilted down. Her shoulders were horizontal. Despite her hair maintaining a perfect bubbly ponytail, her state of mind matched the distressed look on her face.
Mobius hurried to her side, despite her walking in his direction. “What’d they say? Are you okay?”
“No, no, Mobius. I'm not,” Ravonna’s eyes widened at the mere thought of those questions. “Under the best of circumstances, it's jarring to stand before the Time-Keepers. And this is not the best of circumstances.”
“Yeah, but they can't blame you?” Mobius vocalized his inner thoughts. It’s not like Ravonna made up the whole ‘The Lokis used a Time Door to escape’ reasoning. Her Minutemen corroborated her on that.
Ravonna pulled Mobius into a quiet indent of the hallway, out of earshot from the guarding Minutemen. There was the odd agent speed-walking by, but they were too busy dealing with the effects of the bombing to care about their conversation.
“They can and do. The Variant was right here!” Ravonna motioned back towards the golden lobby. “What if she got to the Time-Keepers?”
Mobius lightly shook his head. “I know. But she didn’t."
“No. But she got away! Along with the two Variants that I got you permission to bring in here!!”
The heavy thuds of combat boots interrupted Ravonna. She and Mobius glanced down to look at an adjacent hall. They watched as a Minuteman on a stretcher got a personalized escort from her Hunter and fellow troops. Not a soul stood in their way, for everyone had a job to do. That sign of devastation was a mere snapshot of just how destructive the killer Variant was. With that single blow, she caused a devastating ripple of her own throughout the TVA, with an overflowing infirmary taking the brunt of the aftershock.
Ravonna cleared her throat to regain Mobius’ attention. She took the time to acknowledge that scene as an example of the dire implications of the situation.
“Do you have any idea how impossible it is to keep the timeline stable‽” Ravonna lowered her voice to a scathing whisper. “The Time-Keepers are all that stand between us and full-scale calamity.”
“And I'm glad they're on our side. But if they want me to find these Lokis…” Mobius took great care to whisper the following: “I need access to Hunter C-20.”
No, you don’t.
“I'm sorry, but that's impossible.” Ravonna couldn’t stop her eyes from darting around the room. She couldn’t bear to look at Mobius. Not when she knew why that couldn’t happen.
“Look, when we found her, she kept saying: ‘It's real. It's real.’ Over and over.” Mobius rolled his hands over and over as he rambled on. “Verity said that it was genuine. I need to find out what that meant, and what else she saw when she was with the Variant.”
Shit. He’s not shutting up about this.
Ravonna looked up at Mobius as he looked at her with that stupid, innocent face. He’s not listening to her again. She’s just going to have to say it now, isn’t she?
“Look, I know there's protocol, but she could have information—”
Quietly now, Ravonna…
“She’s dead, Mobius!”
Ravonna was quiet enough for no one else to notice, but piercing enough for Mobius to stop dead in his tracks. The colour drained from his face in a flash. That was the last thing he expected to hear.
“What? How?” said the shocked Detective. Even after the words trailed off, his mouth hung in abject horror.
“The Variant…” the Judge slowly explained, “She enchanted C-20… scrambled her mind.”
Mobius watched as Ravonna looked over her shoulder, drawing in a shaky breath. It’s not that he doubted her; what reason would Ravonna have to lie? Yet… he thought about C-20 in her petrified state. She was scared, a little freaked even. But physically? She was more than alert. She was wired.
“I don't get it. She seemed okay. She seemed fine.”
“At first, yes. But by the time she got to debrief, she could barely speak.” Ravonna finally managed to look Mobius in the eyes once more. “The decline was steeper after that…”
Guilt washed over Mobius. Although ignorance was the explanation, it didn’t excuse how he forced that information out of her. He didn’t like making anyone feel like that, much less his closest friend.
“I didn't know. What—”
“Nobody does,” Ravonna quickly interrupted, “We don't want people to panic. Can I trust you to keep that between us?”
“Of course, yes…” Mobius humbly folded his hands in front of himself. “I'm sorry.”
Why did he apologize? It was hard to say. It felt reflexive by this point. Ravonna was the type of superior that make you think twice about your words. But she was right: although many Minutemen were falling, if word of just how gruesome and traumatic Hunter C-20’s end was, it could cause hysteria and fear amongst the forces. Fear is the snake venom in the fight for the Sacred Timeline; it would do no good for morale, to say it simply.
“Every moment those Variants are out there, we're all in danger. Find them!” Ravonna concluded, her eyes lingering on Mobius as she started to walk off.
The Detective said nothing as the Judge faded down the hallway. She had a lot on her plate and on her mind. She was needed at the top of the food chain, processing guilty bomber Variants and preparing on how to deal with their creator once she’s captured.
Mobius had a lot on his mind, too. But his mind was of no use in this lobby. He hurried back to Time Control. He had a skeleton crew of analysts scanning every option, in hopes of finding the right dead end. Verity was in Mobius’ cubicle, using her computer and TemPad feverishly. Even Casey was here, filling the void for an analyst that needed a breather. His station was placed squarely in front of the chronomonitor, overlooking a Hawaiian volcanic eruption in 2036.
Mobius walked up behind Casey’s workstation. “You gotta update for me?”
“There’s nothing, sir.”
“Even with a magnified Nexus threshold?”
Casey could only shake his head.
With a procedure as delicate as the Nexus threshold, any difference in an apocalypse from its sacred dictation should crop up, even ones that may not necessarily initiate a Nexus Event. Whether it be a person that didn’t die, an escape route that was inadvertently discovered, or even a leaf that wasn’t supposed to be stamped out. Think of it as following paw-prints to find the bear; evidence of a Variant moments before their split-second decision. If they had thought to use the threshold sooner, perhaps they could’ve found Sylvie munching on some supermarket snacks before her grand plan could succeed.
But hindsight is hindsight. This procedure was only used in drastic cases due to the amount of energy it used up. Mobius couldn’t think of a case more drastic than this.
The threshold was the magnifying glass needed to find the three needles lost in a haystack. But Mobius knew that they were green needles against yellow hay. They couldn’t be invisible; they couldn’t hide forever.
“Mobius…”
The Detective looked back to see Hunter B-15, once again dripping wet. Before he followed up with Ravonna, he had asked the Hunter to return to Alabama just in case they ended up back at that sunken shopping mall.
Mobius skipped past the formalities, leaning toward her side. “Didja see anything at Roxxcart?”
“They’re gone…” Hunter B-15 confirmed with a simple shake of the head. It was a much more peaceful apocalypse, considering she re-entered a branch that was now unaffected by the Variant. Surely, she was off on another branch, planning her next massacre, now with allies in tow.
The duo took a moment of silence to acknowledge the main chronomonitor. The Sacred Timeline was zoomed in on another world-ending event, this one being an earthquake in Japan. No signs of deviance. The charts looked peaceful, in spite of the chaos that overwhelmed the TVA.
All that time spent in Roxxcart left an impression on Hunter B-15. How she let the Variants slip from her control. How she couldn’t be there for her fellow Hunter, despite not being on the team when she had been taken away.
Hunter B-15 glanced at Mobius. “Any news on C-20?”
Mobius glanced back at her. With his vantage point, he could see Verity over her shoulder. He was thankful that they were not conducting their operation in a Time Theatre. As much as Verity would hate to hear it, Mobius knew that there was the odd occasion where lying was the right decision.
“No…” Mobius solemnly shook his head, keeping his promise to Ravonna in the process.
B-15 echoed his motion with her own head. The whole situation was starting to take its toll on her. She felt the mental crevasses starting to build, starting with her thoughts.
“We need to find them…” her voice cracked. It was uncharacteristic of her to let emotion slip past her lips, especially while on the clock. It did not go unnoticed.
Mobius offered Hunter B-15 a gentle pat on her padded shoulder. “We will.”
The new promise was acknowledged with a shaky nod and a shaky breath. Hunter B-15 didn’t seem completely resolved — not with the thoughts plaguing her mind — but the optimism brought enough comfort for her to carry on. She kept her eyes fixed on the chronomonitor. Currently, most of her team was either aiding the infirmary or were injured themselves. That’s why she had agreed to investigate Roxxcart alone. Now that that was over, she felt that she earned this moment of recovery.
As he let go of Hunter B-15, Mobius noticed Verity, who was still seated at his station. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and the desk littered with notes. She had clearly been busy, but she had her eyes fixated on him. How long had she been trying to get his attention?
A silent acknowledgement brought Mobius across the shiny floor straight to Verity. Only then did he see the myriad of sticky notes attached to the monitor and other loose papers. Each note was scribbled with potential hotspots. Most of the sticky notes had tally marks littered underneath each title. Seeing her diligence laid out in her work patterns made him all the more grateful to have her on his side.
“How’re you holding up?” Mobius stood over Verity.
“I think I have something…” Verity announced. Somehow, she sounded both sure and unsure of herself.
Mobius quickly glanced at the table in hopes of any spoilers. When he saw none, he replied, “Please, tell me…”
“Sylvie’s TemPad kept track of every time she visited a certain timeframe…” Verity reported, “There’s only one apocalypse that she didn’t visit…”
Verity brought forth an Apocalyptic Event report. The report looked thin in comparison to others. That’s a bad thing. When a generic event report is composed of short, concise sentences, that meant that the apocalypse was particularly lethal. And because this was not a Nexus Event report, these events were tragically supposed to happen.
The Detective recognized the doomsday as soon as he saw the title. He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Lamentis…”
“A-A class 10 apocalypse in 2077…” Verity reported with a stutter, “Total lunar destruction c-caused by total planetary destruction…”
“Zero survivors…”
Verity looked up at Mobius. She too was shaken by emotion, but for different reasons than Hunter B-15. Mobius knew it as clearly as she did: the truth-teller’s motivations were solely fuelled by Kaia.
“Please say she’s not there, Mobius…” Verity pleaded. For the first time since her arrival, she was thankful for the silence in her head. Part of her wanted comfort more than the truth.
Mobius could lie to Verity at this moment. He wanted to say that there was no way these Lokis would hide out in the most lethal doomsday stored on that TemPad. But this was one of those times when lying wouldn’t do anyone any good.
“She might be…” Mobius answered honestly.
Verity didn’t have a verbal response to that. Her shoulders tensed up. Her posture stiffened. Her eyes glossed over ever so slightly, despite her best attempts to hold herself back. The ways that Kaia could perish in a class 10 apocalypse flashed through her mind. She didn’t always use her imagination, but when she did, it was always rooted in some sort of possible outcome.
“Hey, don’t give me that look.” Mobius crouched down, putting another gentle hand over another rigid shoulder, “Verity, you’re doing great. I think this lead is going to take us somewhere.”
“You really think so…?” Verity asked quietly, managing to bat away the shine in her eyes without any fallen drops.
Mobius nodded. “We’re gonna see this lead through. Search every inch of Lamentis. We’re gonna find Kaia. Why don’t you take a break from all this and join me up front, hm?”
Verity nodded, dropping the file flatly on the desk. She had just about enough of dealing with doomsday scenarios.
“Casey!” Mobius spun around, walking back to the centre of Time Control. “Shift the chronomonitor’s focus to Lamentis-1, 2077. We need to scan every inch of that apocalypse for any sort of variance.”
As Verity got up and followed Mobius, she heard the unmistakable sound of wheels scraping against the tile floor. Casey had spun a full 180 degrees on his swivel chair, causing the whole chair itself to slide away from its desk. The name Lamentis seemed to be a notorious apocalypse amongst apocalypses.
“Sir?” Casey questioned, “You think they’re on Lamentis-1?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“If they’re there, nobody survives.”
“Don’t underestimate these Lokis,” Mobius cautioned, “I need all eyes on Lamentis. Now!”
With that, Casey twirled himself around and complied. The coordinates shifted from Japan to Lamentis. The decades-long time jump made no difference on the charts, but they started their scan from the first meteoric fall. They had to turn over every rock and check every leaf for any sign of three Lokis.
Mobius would stop short of comparing any Loki to a cockroach. But if there was one thing Mobius was sure of, it’s that the two have one thing in common: they can survive during unsurvivable times.
Chapter 27: The Train
Summary:
Chapter 27 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki, Kaia, and Sylvie board a train. Chaos ensues.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment, prominent alcohol consumption, violence, minor character death.
Notes:
Hello! This is the longest chapter so far, so now's a good time to get a drink or snack, then get comfortable for some chaos!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The sky had darkened by a few shades by the time Sylvie, Loki, and Kaia had reached the train station. They followed a trail of mining stations to get there, at least until they came upon the train’s pristine tracks. The metal rails glistened in the pride of its maintenance. Brass posts that stood parallel to the tracks each had cyan flags draping down. A little black train icon was exaggerated to look like a bullet, speeding off toward the next station. The unreadable script written above the pictograph most likely described the name of this particular station.
The train itself looked desolate by comparison. The massive machine was copper red, but parts of its body had been blackened by wear and tear. It was highly possible that the train had made many journeys, or was in the midst of a very long journey. Either way, lights were lit and smoke was billowing from its carts as it idled at a wooden platform.
The platform was bustling with activity. On the platform walked a select few Lamentians, each adorn in extravagant, fashionable outfits. Each one dragged suitcases or luggage bags with them. This was the train to take them out of a doomed moon, after all. They secured their tickets hours ago. They had to prepare for the next life. They crossed the decaying planks like a runway, greeted by workers that looked more like goons than attendants.
The station guards wore full-length indigo armour, save for red insignias stitched onto their sleeves. Their hands were covered with gloves, thigh-high boots shielded their feet, and knees and forearms were protected with form-fitting pads. The chest guard and helmet looked… cozy, for they looked like wool weaved together with the care of a loving maternal figure. A strap with supplies draped over one shoulder, while the other was suited for a hooked spear. A black diamond-shaped visor shielded their faces from the spit and splatter of those that formed a line around the base of the train’s platform.
The crowd that loitered around the station was dressed like the homesteader that led the trio here. Simplistic robes, shawls, and head coverings draped each Lamentian. Some clusters were clearly families, some as young as newborns. Most of them also had their skin dusted with a thin coat of dirt. Very few had belongings on their person, despite standing in line for the last train to Shruoo. Guards stood over them despite their lack of physical weapons. These Lamentians were only armed with words; accusations of discrimination pointed straight at the officials that prevented them from boarding their only chance at salvation.
The clamouring discord was music to Loki’s ears. The commotion amongst the locals allowed the Variants to walk up the line unnoticed.
“Well, this looks fun…” Loki said sarcastically.
“Come on…” Sylvie was fresh out of sarcasm. Her fingertips grazed the hilt of her sword, drawing a pensive sigh to Loki’s lips.
“We can’t fight our way onto that train,” said Loki.
Sylvie tilted her head at such a presumptive comment. “Who said anything about fighting?”
“All your plans involve fighting.”
“Not if I enchant a guard to lead us through the crowd and let us on board…” Sylvie explained, “Whether or not there’s a fight.. that’s up to anyone who gives us trouble along the way.”
Loki could only roll his eyes. At that point, they might as well brazenly hijack the train and draw as much attention upon themselves as possible.
Although she had been listening, Kaia wasn’t taking part in this round of bickering. She found herself enthralled with watching the Lamentians they were walking around. They wouldn’t look too out of place if they were in New York’s most despondent neighbourhoods.
As she shifted her ears from her cohorts’ conversation to those in line, her mood became more solemn. The queue’s weaponized words were heartbreaking to hear aloud.
“We’ve been standing here for hours!”
“They’re only giving tickets to the wealthy!”
“The Ark leaves tonight! You’re going to kill us all!”
The simmering crowd sparked Kaia’s imagination. It was her turn for an idea.
“Can’t we just inspire some chaos with these guys?” Kaia suggested, “Strength in numbers, we can storm the train in a riot?”
Loki shook his head. On a normal day, he’d love a good riot. But he was a few steps ahead of Kaia on this front. The rowdier the riot, the harder it became to predict its consequences.
“I fear that might stop the train from departing altogether if it doesn’t just up and leave us behind…” Loki stopped walking, which prompted his companions to stop with him. “We’re doing this one my way…”
Without warning, Loki grabbed Sylvie by the shoulders. She tensed up, glancing back over her left shoulder just to see a flash of green disappear behind her. Meanwhile, Kaia had a full view of Loki using Sylvie like a curtain, despite the fact that he stood a few inches taller than her. Her body couldn’t hide his magic washing over only himself. However, instead of completely crafting a Lamentian illusion, he conjured away his TVA-issued outfit. What seamlessly took its place was a physical manifestation of the same uniform that the train security guards wore. The only differences between Loki and the other guards were the lack of a weapon on his shoulder and the visor that was positioned on top of his head. Why obstruct a face as handsome as his? By some miracle, no one else noticed the magic act that was performed openly.
As Sylvie shifted herself to look to her right, Loki released her from his now-gloved grip. He posed proudly in his new outfit. His top felt as comfortable and as snug as sheep’s wool. He could hardly believe that it was supposed to be guarding his chest.
“How do I look?” Loki asked with a smile.
Well, that ridiculous chinstrap is doing no favours for your jawline, you fool.
As much as she wanted to lambast his physical appearance, Sylvie opted for brutal honesty instead. “Like someone with a shit plan.”
Loki dropped his arms and his grin in protest. “This plan is great!”
Sylvie hummed to herself a bit. It was that graining kind of hum meant to trick a child into thinking they were doing a great job. Loki was far from a child, however. His face flattened as he took Sylvie and Kaia by their left hands.
“Just follow my lead, the both of you…”
Loki pulled Sylvie and Kaia’s arms behind them, knotting their wrists together lightly. He pushed each bundle against their backs, using that momentum to steer them past the line and onto the train platform. Loki’s new uniform and strong demeanour with his ‘prisoners’ was enough to appease the line guards, allowing the three to pass. Both of the prisoners could’ve broken out from Loki’s confinement at any time, but that wouldn’t be playing along, now would it?
As they marched onto the platform, Kaia wondered just how they got past the first wave of guards unscathed.
“Wouldn’t this scenario make more sense if there were two guards and one escorted person?” Kaia asked quietly.
Sylvie rolled her eyes. “I’m not giving this ‘plan’ any credit.”
“And unfortunately for you, I can’t conjure enough height upon you to make you look this convincing,” Loki added, much to Kaia’s agony.
And why can’t a vertically challenged Loki impersonate a guard? Discrimination, Kaia felt like shouting aloud. But alas, they were too close to the train to break out of their roles now. With a little pout, Kaia settled into her role as Prisoner #2.
Sure, Loki could’ve given Kaia a little outfit to appease her, but his plan was so much more than a costume. It was a performance. An act that needed certain expertise. He did not have a frame of reference for Kaia’s acting ability, so it was best not to chance it.
“Tickets, please… thank you…”
Loki knew he had to step into a leading role when the last guard that stood between him and the train stopped him before he could sneak his prisoners past him.
“Whoa, hey!”
Loki walked straight into the guard’s outstretched hand. They exchanged befuddled looks, for neither had met the other before. This particular guard had no outstanding characteristics, even with the visor removed from his face. Whatever hair he had was short enough to be contained by his helmet. Lines along his forehead gave away some age, but by all accounts, he looked like a run-of-the-mill middle-aged Midgardian man. His head twisted to his left, silently asking what the hell Loki was doing without a ticket or a reason to cross.
He should be easy to outsmart. Time to slip into his new role.
Loki the guard planted his feet firmly on the station’s platform. His chest puffed out forward, boasting only confidence. His eyebrows narrowed forward and his lips puckered up to form his most stern-looking face. He cleared his throat and…
“Taking these two to Shruoo!”
Oh, Loki’s voice. He had dropped his suave British accent and replaced it with a rigid American voice. By comparison, it was a bit deeper than the Lamentian guard’s voice. The aim must’ve been to make himself sound macho and brooding, kind of like that cocky American soldier his brother had befriended back on the Sacred Timeline.
Kaia snorted, barely managing to keep her composure. Loki sounded ridiculous. She had to bite down on her lip just to make sure she didn’t audibly laugh aloud. She was fortunate that the guard was too confused by Loki’s statement to notice her auditory writhing.
“Okay?” the guard acknowledge Loki, “And their tickets?”
Loki continued on with his thousand-yard stare and his performative voice, “Orders come from the top to get them on this train!”
Sylvie managed to keep a straight face, although her eyes were slotted sideways, aimed straight at the foolish guard. Loki still sounded ridiculous.
The guard got a sense that this was starting to sound ridiculous as well. He looked past Loki’s shoulder and Kaia’s head. Behind them was a second guard, mulling about with another guard.
“Hicks, sir? This…”
Before anyone could react, Sylvie freed one hand from Loki’s arresting position. With an enchanted hand, she slapped the guard’s arm, imprinting her mark on him. She was able to pull this off because the guard took his eyes off her for just a moment, though Kaia and Loki did witness her skills at work. Any sign of enchantment faded before Hicks, this guard’s superior, approached the scene.
Hicks pushed his visor up to reveal his face. His face was also fairly generic, but his eyebrows seemed to permanently furrow over the rest of his face like an awning.
“Everything okay, Hudson?” asked Hicks.
“Yeah, everything’s fine…” Sylvie silently instructed Hudson to say, “I just remembered that HQ radioed in his request this morning.”
The guards and the prisoners exchanged looks. Hicks hadn’t seen this guard either, nor did he receive word of a radio request for such strange guests. They certainly weren’t dressed in prisoner or Nok Tamal wear.
However, private Hudson had no reason to lie to him. If HQ allowed it, he wasn’t in a position to deny it, not even as a Corporal. He wasn’t the one to handle such busy work requests anyway, it was his job to delegate them to the ranks beneath him.
“Okay.” Hicks relented.
Sylvie forced Hudson to stand aside, adding her own dramatic flair. One hand on his spear, the other extended outward as he pirouetted out of the way. The open arm pointed up the raggedy stairs that led into a rear train car. The trio was officially welcomed aboard.
“Okay!” Loki maintained his role as he nudged Kaia and Sylvie forward. Admittedly, he didn’t have to nudge Sylvie far, for she had taken two steps ahead as if that would distance the embarrassment she felt over being seen with Loki.
The train departed not long after the Loki trio boarded. From the whispers of the non-armoured railway workers, this train would arrive in Shuroo in less than two hours.
With the uniform on, Loki was able to breeze through the passenger and baggage cars with little consequence or questioning. There were the odd exchanges of pleasantries he slipped to passers-by as they passed by.
It was Loki’s boisterous “Good evening, passengers!” in his faux Avenger voice that forced Kaia to put her foot down, figuratively.
“For the love of everything holy,” Kaia whispered, “quit it with that voice.”
Loki couldn’t quit on that voice. There were observers that… weren’t really observing them, but the chance of someone eavesdropping isn’t zero.
“My voice is fine as is, madam!” Loki reiterated in the same voice.
Kaia put her foot down — this time literally — on Loki’s foot.
“Ow! Hey!” Loki exclaimed as his voice sharply returned to normal.
Kaia could only giggle in response, briefly losing hold of her composure. Only a loud “Shh!” from Sylvie snapped them both out of it.
The trio entered the moon’s most gorgeous dining car. The walls were padded with emerald cushions, broken apart by a horizontal strip of chartreuse circles and vertical beams separating several sections. Beneath diamond-shaped windows was a whiskey ledge, where one fit to rest their whiskey whilst they admired the view. If there was no window to a section, there was a beige booth, complete with copper borders and an oval table to feast upon. All tables had a small orange orb acting as a lamp to set the mood. A select few in extravagant wear were enjoying figgy ports and sparkling drinks as they conversed about insignificant things. Don’t tell those that were left behind that there were plenty of empty booths on this cart.
The true centrepiece of the car was the circular bar. A lone bartender sat within an open-circle bar station. Its countertop was made of black marble, bordered by a wooden ledge, and littered with glasses and appetizers on its surface. Its walls were sea-foam green planks, complete with backlighting spilling down from the countertop to add depth. The station sat directly underneath a flower-shaped lighting fixture, the connecting point on the ceiling for all of the dividing vertical beams. Parts of the ceiling also acted as a sunroof, allowing the dimming lavender light to seep into the dining car. Overall, Kaia felt like they had just stepped into a Fabergé egg.
No one paid any mind as the trio approached an empty booth. Though, Loki did take heed when Sylvie broke from his grip and sat on the edge of the booth. Not just any edge, but the edge that allowed Sylvie to face the front of the train.
Loki felt his stomach churn. Merely standing with his back to the motion of the locomotive reminded him of just how brutal his battle against the Avengers was. Being blasted from sky to building, being tossed by the brutish menace… No, this won’t do at all.
“Erm, excuse me…” Loki sounded unusually polite as he took off his helmet. “I can’t go backwards on a train…”
Even if Sylvie knew of his past tribulations, she probably wouldn’t have cared. Not when she had concerns of her own.
“I never sit with my back to a door,” Sylvie countered.
“What?” Loki looked to his left, then to his right, confirming their location. He did not bring her to the caboose. He certainly did not bring her to the engine. That left Loki to state the obvious. “There are doors on both sides!”
Kaia groaned in time with an eye roll of her own. This squabbling was fruitless. She plopped herself down, lurching forward slightly with the motion of the train against her.
“Sylvie, scoot in the middle. Loki, sit where Sylvie is.”
Sylvie and Loki exchanged looks. Neither expected such assertiveness from Kaia of all people. However, she did propose a solution that aided both of their issues. With a shimmy and a helmet’s thud, Sylvie and Loki complied with Kaia’s instructions.
Seconds pass. Loki looked at Kaia. Kaia looked at Sylvie. Sylvie looked at Loki. The silent exchanges only made the situation unnecessarily tense. Sylvie opted to break the moment with what she knew she could do best: insulting Loki.
“For the record, that wasn’t even a plan.”
“Oh, really?”
“A plan has multiple steps,” Sylvie said dryly, “Dressing as a guard and getting on a train is just… doing a thing!”
Loki matched her energy with a light glare, “Noted.”
Hmm, no. This scene is too dry, don’t you think, reader? Do you know what fixes parched stalemates? Alcohol!
Cue the barkeep, who just slipped out of her station to make her rounds in her dining car. She wore a blue blazer, buttoned up with three huge black buttons. The buttons matched both her pants and the tie that spilled down from her white collared shirt. Her bobbed haircut stopped short of her neck, so it was only short enough for one wave. The motion in her hair happened to coincide with perfectly rounded cheekbones, which were emphasized by her customer service smile. She approached the trio’s table with a golden serving tray. On top of the tray sat three translucent malachite flute glasses, each full of fizzy nectar better known as…
“Champagne?” the waitress offered.
“Ah, how lovely! Thank you…” Loki knew better than to turn down a free drink. He accepted the offer, alleviating the waitress of the need to pick up the glass for him. Kaia followed Loki’s lead with a supplementing “Thank you!” and an outstretched hand to claim the champagne.
Sylvie, by contrast, wanted no part of the offer. She merely shook her head so as to not offend the service worker. It’s not like she could tell her that she needed to be sober in order to steal the train’s electricity.
Loki knew better than to turn down an abandoned free drink.
“Ah, I’ll take hers…” With a smile, Loki claimed the last drink off of the tray. The barkeep nodded, as this action allowed her to relieve her arm of holding the tray properly. She tucked the disc under her arm as she excused herself back to her station.
Sylvie sighed as she watched Loki and Kaia drink from their glasses. The unsanctioned break is what currently stands between her and figuring out where the train’s power source is. The scenario was less than ideal. She doubted the champagne would be strong enough to lower the fools’ defences, but one can dream, can’t she? Dreaming honestly didn’t sound like a bad idea… but she had to resist.
Try as she might, Sylvie couldn’t stop herself from masking a sleepy wisp with her semi-gloved hand. Loki wasn’t about to let the yawn that slipped from her lips go unnoticed. “Oh, are you tired? Feel free to get some rest.”
Sylvie scowled. Thanks to him, she snapped herself awake. “I can’t sleep in a place like this.”
“You can’t sleep on a train?” Kaia asked for elaboration between sips of her drink.
“No, I can’t sleep around untrustworthy people.” Sylvie clarified with a bold vocal emphasis. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to aim her glare at Loki or Kaia, so she opted to alternate side-eyes between both of them quickly instead.
“Oh, you mean us?” Loki grinned, inching slightly closer to Sylvie’s side. “The two people you’re stuck between?”
Kaia didn’t mirror Loki’s motion, for fear of Sylvie remembering that her sword rested between the two of them. She was fortunate that Sylvie knew better than to start a scene here and now.
Sylvie hadn’t blinked since the moment she yawned. She settled her stare on Loki, despite addressing them both with her counteroffer: “Why don’t you two take a rest, then?”
So she can trick her way into recovering the TemPad and whisk herself away to safety without them? HAH!
Loki wasn’t tired in the slightest. He downed the rest of his first drink as if it were a shot.
“Nice try,” Loki inwardly chuckled. He knew she’d never find the TemPad, even if used the full force of her enchantment.
Sylvie shook her head. What was Loki thinking, that she was going to try enchanting him again? It didn’t work in the shelter; why would she waste time with that again? A mind powerful enough to resist enchantment was not born, but it was conceived. Founded on years of learning, practice, and effort. A strong seiðr mind seemed to be the only Loki-like trait that she shared with him.
“Look, I’m not gonna try and root around for the TemPad when someone clearly taught you fairly decent magic,” Sylvie conceded.
Once more, Loki’s guarded chest puffed outward, bumping against the edge of the table. This time, pride inflated his ego, for he could only think of one sorceress more proficient in magic than him: “My mother!”
Kaia heard this story before. She wanted to retell it.
“She taught Loki how to shoot fireworks out of his hand!” Kaia giggled, fuelled by the bubbles that enhanced her drink. “It’s really neat, do you wanna see it?”
What part of ‘lay low’ did these two not understand?
“I can believe it, no need for party tricks.” Sylvie waved her hand dismissively.
It was Loki’s turn to scoff. “Would you prefer it if I made a frog leap out from your hair?”
Sylvie could only grumble to herself. Of course, she wouldn’t want a frog to draw attention to the table. Though, the act of conjuring life from magic did sound impressive. She wasn’t capable of that. Her mother and Loki’s mother were two different people, even if they shared the same temporal aura. It made her wonder…
Loki watched as Sylvie turned to him. This time, she did not glare or pucker her face. Her face looked neutral, but her eyes looked inquisitive. If Loki didn’t know better, he would’ve guessed that she had taken her drink to loosen up after all. What she asked, however, caught him off guard.
“Your mother… what was she like?”
“She…”
“You’re a good son. We mustn—“ … “—’t make this worse…” “… Always so perceptive, of everyone but yourself.”
A heavy pang echoed in Loki’s chest. He hated that his last memory of her was now what he saw when he watched his Sacred outcome. Perhaps he deserved that pain, but she didn’t. He filled the cavity he created with a decent swig of the second drink.
When he settled his drink down, he noticed that both Sylvie and Kaia were hanging on his wavering word. He knew that Kaia had no memory of her mother. Sylvie seemed eager to compare and contrast. He had to choose his words carefully. He wanted to tell Frigga’s story the right way. To do right by her, since none of them were able to do so while on their right timeline.
“She was… the Queen of Asgard…” Loki spoke softly, “A good woman… someone you’d want to believe in you…”
A good woman? Sylvie could believe that. But… a purely decent person went on to birth and raise a bumbling fool like him?
The corner of Sylvie’s lips curled into a smirk. “You sure she was your mother?”
Loki’s face soured as he recalled the truth in his mind. As much as he wanted to lie, honesty spilled out from his mouth before he could stop himself.
Loki flashed a grimace as he announced: “Oh, no, she’s not, actually, I was adopted. You’re lucky that’s not a spoiler for Kaia.”
“Don’t act like I remember my mother…” Kaia muttered into her glass. She couldn’t exactly contribute to this conversation, so she decided to work her drink and listen instead.
“Oh, was that a spoiler for you, Sylvie?”
“Nope, I knew I was adopted.”
“What‽ They told you?”
“They didn’t tell you?”
“No!”
Sylvie’s eyes bulged a bit, so she aimed them at the orb-shaped lamp at their table. Her lips parted ever so slightly. That explained a lot about Loki. She couldn’t imagine what life would’ve been like if her heritage had been held back from her.
“I mean, they did eventually…”
Even knowing that Queen Frigga had wanted to be honest with him from the start didn’t change much.
An awkward hush fell upon the table as that conversation trailed off. It was hard to figure out what to say after such a heavy revelation.
Kaia decided to take a stab at it. It wasn’t too hard to redirect. She looked at Sylvie and asked, “What was your mother like?”
Sylvie shook her head lightly. “I barely remember her. Just a blip of a dream at this point…”
Loki’s face winced a bit before it softened up once more. He glanced at Sylvie. Now that he thought about it, her odd hair colour choice may have been sampled from her mother, not her sibling. That explained a lot about Sylvie. He probably would’ve killed a lot more people if Queen Frigga hadn’t raised him.
Suddenly, Sylvie’s hand thumped on the table. Her mind caught up too late to the ramifications of a sentence previously said at the table.
“Wait.” Sylvie looked at Kaia. “Why don’t you remember your mother? I saw your memories plain and clear when I enchanted you.”
Kaia’s eyebrows arched a bit. She wasn’t expecting a turn in this riveting maternal tête-à-tête.
“I don’t know why. I was displaced from my timeline, even before the TVA,” Kaia told Sylvie, “The farthest I remember back was five years ago. I have no memory of Asgard or anywhere else I’ve been before I started living in New York.”
“Ah, is that why you’re so weak?”
“You could’ve said that nicely…”
Loki found a moment to interject on Kaia’s behalf. “She did spend her time in New York thinking she was human.”
Sylvie felt like she already knew Kaia. This revelation merely confirmed it. She wouldn’t have survived her life on the run if she didn’t have her magic.
The killer Variant briskly patted the magicless Variant once on the shoulder. “I pity you, truly…”
“Thanks?” Kaia elected to just take the backhanded comment on the chin. It wasn’t worth the fight.
Loki set his second empty glass down. “I’m actually consulting for Kaia’s case as well. The TVA can’t explain why Kaia can’t remember Asgard. In turn, Kaia didn’t believe them regarding her Loki status. The truth only made sense to her after you enchanted her.”
Kaia stiffened up, unable to pick up her drink. Her flushed cheeks were masked by the light filtering in from the roof. She knew Loki was right. She didn’t know if being this honest with Sylvie was a good idea. Was that even Loki’s story to tell?
“Is that how your enchantment works?”
Ah. Both Kaia and Sylvie picked up on Loki’s true reasoning: he was being nosy.
“Why would I tell you that?” Sylvie wondered aloud, though her glance was sharply aimed at Loki. Her tongue ran across the tips of her teeth, aloof to the audacity that he presented her.
Loki played coy, putting a hand to his chest. “Kaia and I, we’ve told you so much about ourselves already. We don’t know the first thing about you.”
“I’m a fan of the tactical advantage.”
“Look, we already know how part of your magic works.” Loki lifted his hand away from himself. With an open palm, he motioned to Kaia, a first-hand witness to Sylvie’s enchantment. “You might as well come clean about everything.”
Loki couldn’t enchant as Sylvie could. He truly wanted to know how it worked. If it was something she could do, could he and Kaia do it too? Could Kaia build up immunity for it as Loki already did? They weren’t necessarily the same person, but they were all of the same soul. Was that notion enough for the three of them?
“How do you even learn to do that…?” Kaia pondered. She raised her hands up, placing a chokehold on the air, mocking the scene she had seen in the shack earlier on.
Sylvie swatted Kaia’s hands down. She looked down on her like the naïve little Loki that she knew her to be. “I taught myself.”
Oh???
Loki leaned back in his seat. Wide eyes glimmered against the orangeish lamp light. Broad shoulders and the waves of forehead wrinkles cast by stretched eyebrows reflected how taken aback he was. He almost didn’t believe it.
“You taught yourself that magic?” Loki inquired with quiet amazement. His probing rewarded him with yet another smug smirk from Sylvie.
“Yeah, I did. It’s simple, really.”
“So, you just go into their minds and project some illusion?”
If only Sylvie could demonstrate enchantment on Loki. It’d be so much easier. She could recover the TemPad and leave these two behind for good. But strong minds don’t suddenly back down, not even intoxicated ones. She had to lure the TemPad out of him the hard way. It was interesting for her to hear that Loki was so focused on her and her magic, though. Was he really that worried about her power?
“No, that’s not how enchantment works,” Sylvie squinted. “Do you really think you can fish that information out of me?”
“Yes,” Loki said bluntly, “I need to know that I can trust you not to kill Kaia or myself when the TVA shows up.”
So he is scared… why did she respect that?
“Okay, fine,” Sylvie relented, “Here’s how enchantment works: I have to make physical contact and then grab hold of their mind.”
“How?” Loki questioned.
“Depends on the mind… most minds, like Kaia over here, are easy to overtake instantaneously.”
Kaia pouted with an airy huff, though it wasn’t loud enough to derail Sylvie’s train of thought.
“But the stronger minds… it gets tricky. I’m in control, but they’re there too. So in order to preserve the connection, I have to create a fantasy from their memories.”
“Hold on!” Kaia jumped in before Sylvie could continue her explanation. “If I’m so weak, why did you distract me with my memories‽”
“You didn’t look like a Loki on the surface… when the truth came to light, I couldn’t resist.”
Kaia sunk into the booth, cheeks rounded with air like a foraging squirrel. If that whole stunt in Roxxcart hadn’t shaken her into believing her truth, she’d have stronger words for Sylvie.
Meanwhile, Loki found himself caught up in a different kind of enchantment: fascination.
“And you called me a magician…”
Sylvie stood by that. Only the strongest minds could ward off her enchantment entirely. She guessed that his magic allowed him to resist, but it wasn’t the only way. Sometimes, minds have to be broken before they become strong.
“That young soldier from the TVA, they messed her poor mind up… Everything was so clouded, more so than Kaia’s…” Sylvie veered the conversation sideways. Loki and Kaia were quick to figure out that she was referring to Hunter C-20, the one she stole in order to figure out where the Time-Keepers laboured away.
“I had to dive deep into her memory, hundreds of years prior, before she even fought for them…”
… … … Wait.
Loki uttered a baffled “What…” as a statement rather than a question.
Kaia was just as confused. “Before she fought for the TVA?”
“Yeah?” In turn, Sylvie was confused by their confusion. “She was just a regular person on Earth.”
“Regular person‽” Loki parroted.
Sylvie shook her shoulders. “Loved margaritas.”
Loki looked at Kaia. Kaia looked at Loki. Sylvie wasn’t lying. She had no reason to lie and she had the mind-invading magic to back her up on it. But that didn’t make sense against what they knew about the Time Variance Authority.
Kaia shuddered as she turned back to Sylvie. “We were told that, aside from my friend, all TVA employees were created by the Time-Keepers.”
“That’s ridiculous. They’re all Variants, just like us.” Sylvie said, unfazed by the lie the fascists had fed them.
“They don’t know that…” Believe it or not, Loki’s face can pale deeper than its usual state. He couldn’t help it. This was a brain-breaking revelation.
Loki thought of Mobius. The do-good dopey Detective, sworn to his duty to protect the Sacred Timeline from Variants. He doesn’t know that he was saving the timeline from people like himself. Was Mobius a Variant led astray like Verity, and merely made to forget his past life to make his job easier? Or was he taken more forcefully?
Kaia gripped her half-drunk glass a bit tighter. Sure, the Time-Keepers were omniscient and all-powerful, but weren’t they busy with creating the Sacred Timeline? Did the Time-Keepers have the… well, time to brainwash thousands of Variants like that? Where did they all come from?
As Kaia managed a small sip of her drink, her thoughts started to wander further. Maybe the Time-Keepers really did understand why she had no memory of her past. Maybe they had practice.
“More champagne?”
Kaia’s head snapped up, startled by the sudden return of the barkeep. She was making her second round, but she only had two champagne glasses left on her platter.
“Yes! You’re too kind, thank you…”
In a show of good manners, Loki placed the empty glasses on her tray before claiming a new drink. He was playing the part of a noble train guard, not a rude one.
Sylvie upped her nose at the tray. “No, I’m still good, thanks.”
Kaia found an opportunity of her own. She smiled widely as she stretched her left arm upward. “Oh, I’ll take hers!”
However, just as she was about to seize the glass, pale lanky fingers swooped in to swipe the glass from its stem. Kaia leaned sideways to see Loki, the newly designated drink thief, once again with a glass in each hand.
“HEY!” Kaia shouted at Loki, completely unimpressed.
“I’m just looking out for you, Kaia,” Loki tutted, motioning to Kaia’s right hand, “You’re still on your first glass.”
Kaia narrowed her eyes into a firm glare. So what if she was still nursing her first drink? She was nearly done! She had a decent hold on her alcohol, didn’t she? Why did he get to have all the fun?
Loki couldn’t help but chuckle in the face of Kaia’s disdain. That’s what she gets for stomping out his foot earlier. He considered themselves even.
“Cheers?” Loki offered his right hand forward to lighten the mood.
Reluctantly, Kaia mirrored Loki’s motion, extending her arm forward until her almost-empty glass made a sharp clink against Loki’s pretty-much-full one.
“To the end of the world, I suppose…” Kaia said loftily as she brought her drink back to her lips.
What neither Kaia nor Sylvie saw was the way that Loki’s fingertips glowed before he downed his third drink. He blended his coloured magic to match the shade of green that held his drink, tripling the effectiveness of the alcohol within it. With all that was revealed earlier, he needed a much stronger shot than the average glass of bubbly to figure that out.
Sylvie tapped her fingertips impatiently on the table, watching the bottoms of their glasses graze the sky. “Don’t get distracted from the plan.”
“Plan? We have a plan on this train?” As far as Kaia knew, the setting for their mission was in Shuroo.
“This train should also have enough energy to repower the TemPad… all we need to do is force our way through to the engine with a hostage.” Sylvie grinned at Kaia as she said this. “They’ll comply with showing us where the power source is. We charge up the TemPad, go back to the TVA, and then we’ll never see each other again.”
Kaia finished her drink, letting both the bubbles and Sylvie’s implication sink in. She didn’t like where this plan was going.
“And you want me to be the hostage…?”
“You’re not doing much in the way of fighting with a sad face like yours.”
“Ladies, please…” Loki broke the pair up as he finished his self-spiked drink. “We can relax a little before then…”
In the brief silence that followed, Kaia’s eyes flickered against the dim lamp light. Mention of her ‘sad face’ reminded her of the homesteader that guided them here. Sure, this was a dead-end apocalypse for all involved, but the despondent attitude on her fade stuck with Kaia.
“It’s a pity that woman didn’t follow us…” said Kaia, “She chose to die.”
“Perhaps she was waiting for the real Patrice,” Sylvie was nonchalant as she spoke, “She was in love.”
“She hated him, I still have the ache to prove it.” Loki resisted the urge to rub his sore side. He didn’t want to give Sylvie a tell in case her intentions were devious.
“Maybe love is hate.”
Huh? That was a baffling contradiction. How could something be defined by its antithesis?
Loki let his mouth gape open, hamming up the gears that were, in truth, barely turning in his head. Finally, he muttered, “Should probably remember that…”
Loki raised his open hands in the air; his right hand raised above his head, while his left hovered just above the table. Two quick blips of green lights indicated another showcase of his conjuring skills. In his lower hand hung a piece of paper, aged slightly and tattered at the top. It was too short to be a scroll, but its off-white shade was a perfect match for the writing utensil that appeared above it. In his higher hand rested a pre-inked quill, its white feather sourced from a majestic swan. It looked pristine but it wasn’t overtly fluffy. Its tip didn’t brush against Loki’s face as he put quill to paper.
“What was that?” Loki sneered as he scribbled on the withered scroll. “Love… is… love is hate…”
“Oh, piss off!” Sylvie met Loki’s mockery with a flat mouth and parallel eyebrows. Her stare did not change as Loki smirked back at her.
Kaia took a deep breath in. The subject of love was an interesting turn in this conversation. She was about to ask a question that would probably irritate Sylvie, but it had to be asked. Sylvie was the Variant that couldn’t settle in one place for too long, always on the run…
“Do you even know what it means to love, Sylvie?” Kaia made sure her tone of asking came across as genuine, not snarky or demeaning. “Like… is there someone special waiting for you at the end of this whole crusade?”
Sylvie hesitated. Did she want to talk about that? Did it matter? It’s not like they’d be around much longer to gossip about it.
“There is, actually.” Sylvie let Loki and Kaia dispel quiet ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ before elaborating. “I have maintained a serious long-distance relationship with a letter carrier whilst running across time from one apocalypse to another.”
“Ah…” Loki shook the last few droplets of his third drink into his last. “With charm like that, who could resist you?”
Sylvie took his sarcasm at face value. “Well, people are quite willing in the face of certain doom.”
“Surely…”
Kaia couldn’t help but wonder about the logistics of such a relationship. Did the postman remember her when she revisited his time? Or did Sylvie take advantage of the position of letting an unintentional amnesiac fall in love with her over and over again? She doubted Sylvie would tell her, and it wasn’t Kaia’s business, so she didn’t bother to ask.
Sylvie leaned back in her seat, looking at Loki. She told these two quite a bit about herself, including how her enchantment worked. It was her turn to pry into personal business, starting with him.
“How about you? You’re a prince. I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of would-be princesses… or perhaps potential princes?” her eyebrows bounced twice as she asked her question.
Loki’s hesitation paired well with his wince. He blinked rapidly, thinking of how best to word it. Asgard didn’t really have shorthand terminology to describe such things. At least, not in the way that Kaia described Midgardian identities to him whilst on a break at the TVA. As he grew up, he learned that there were intimate acts and intimate preferences; no more and no less. He knew who he was — and who he wasn’t — to himself and others.
“A bit of both, the same as both of you, I suspect…” Loki admitted, using his drink as a breather, “But nothing ever…”
“Real…”
Loki did a double-take. He wasn’t expecting Kaia to finish that sentence. “You too, Kaia? What about Verity?”
Verity? Sylvie had heard that name before, but wh… oh. Oh?
“That redhead agent?” Sylvie asked for clarification.
Kaia silently complied with a nod aimed at her. However, her shaking head shifted from vertical to horizontal when her gaze shifted from Sylvie to Loki.
“I know we’ve been best friends for five years, but she…”
It was Kaia’s turn to hesitate. Such a question from Loki did make sense. She missed Verity. She didn’t want to reveal anything that her best friend wouldn’t be comfortable sharing, much less with someone like Sylvie.
“She’s… she’s struggled a lot with love. She couldn’t date anyone that wasn’t honest with her. She’s not really sure if that’s the kind of relationship she wants with anybody anymore. I respect that wholly.”
With a gift like hers, Kaia couldn’t blame Verity. Every transgression, be it well-intentioned or downright adulterous, would come to her light immediately. Early in their friendship, Verity had confided in Kaia that it was only after the speed-date disaster did Verity realize that romance wasn’t the type of love that she needed. Kaia empathized with that.
“Besides, our friendship goes beyond that…” Kaia finished her drink. “Sometimes, love is friendship.”
Hmm. On a surface level, that makes sense. It’d be hard to love someone if you didn’t like them. But are the two concepts on equal footing? Neither Loki nor Sylvie had enough experience in either department to say.
Loki didn’t have the willpower to make his quill reappear, but he had to quip. “That makes ‘love is hate’ sound like poetry.”
Kaia balked. Et tu, Loki?
“What is it, then?” Sylvie challenged Loki. “Love is mischief?”
“No… love is…”
A hush fell over the table as the God of Mischief finished his last drink. The buzz of the drinks that had come beforehand settled down nicely.
Yes, Loki loved to make mischief, but that never boded well for his relationships with others; even the ones that had no romantic interest. Love isn’t anything previously mentioned by anyone else at the table…
“Love is a dagger.”
Loki washed his body in his magic once more, much to Sylvie and Kaia’s surprise. In an instant, he was back in his TVA uniform, holding a single dagger gingerly in his hands. His blueberry eyes were glassy and any edge on his face had softened up significantly.
Sylvie and Kaia shared worried glances. There was only one explanation for such a brazen shift in appearance and demeanour: Loki was inebriated. How did he end up like that on such little champagne?
“What’re you doing‽” Sylvie hissed through gritted teeth.
Loki ignored her. He had a monologue to perform!
“It’s a weapon to be wielded from far away, or up close…” Loki pointed the blade close to Sylvie, high enough for her to see her reflection. “You can see yourself in it; it’s beautiful… until it makes you bleed…”
Kaia’s concern was amplified tenfold when Loki suddenly turned the tip of his dagger toward his own chest.
“Loki, should you really be waving that thing around when you’re drunk…?”
“I’m not drunk, I’m full. Very full.”
Kaia buried her forehead in her hand, mindful to keep a worried eye on Loki. She didn’t like an inch of this.
Loki turned his attention back to Sylvie, offering the hilt of his weapon to her. “Ultimately, when you reach for it…”
Sylvie played along, making a grab for the dagger. However, a quick envelope of light made the dagger vanish before she could grab anything solid.
“It isn’t real…” Sylvie concluded.
Loki nodded. An innocent smile formed on his lips, reflected by arching eyebrows atop his face. He was quite proud of himself, even when Sylvie crossed her arms over her chest.
Kaia grimaced. “Love is an imaginary dagger?”
Wh… why did Kaia say it like that?
Loki’s eyebrows fumbled into a furrow. “Doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Nope. Terrible.” Sylvie waggled her head a bit. “Worst one yet.”
“Damn!” Loki lightly stamped his foot underneath their table. “I thought I had something there…”
Sylvie didn’t care. Not when this blubbering fool was in the midst of compromising the mission.
“Loki, get your uniform back on! We’re meant to be laying low.”
“Sylvie, it’s the end of the world!! I don’t think anyone cares if I change out of that stuffy unif—”
Hssss…
The hydraulics of both cart doors opening up in unison caught the whole room’s attention. Real guards entered the dining cart, guided by the pointer finger of a concerned passenger. If the trio had been more perceptive, they would have seen said passenger exit from their neighbouring booth to inform a guard of their presence. He did overhear a plan to hijack the train with a hostage, after all. It was his civic Lamentian duty to report it!
Kaia hummed nervously, looking to the sober one for tips on how to handle this.
“Keep it together…” Sylvie advised.
Not to be overshadowed, Loki quickly added, “It’s going to be fine, Kaia…”
Kaia hummed a bit quieter. She wasn’t entirely reassured.
A guard approached their table with his visor away from his face. Although he had a pedestrian-looking face, he had just enough features for the table to recognize him as Corporal Hicks.
“Excuse me, folks,” Hicks said diplomatically, “We need to see your tickets.”
“Ah! Hello… tickets?” Loki stammered as he tried to think of a way out. “Ah, yes, of course… here they are!”
Loki feigned a reach into his pocket. The warmth of his magic heated his hand, aiming to conjure three tickets into his palm. However…
Rrrrribbit!
When Loki’s hand blossomed over the table, a lone red-eyed tree frog sat pensively in his palm. Loki looked at his hand, confused by the outcome that he created. Kaia and Sylvie’s faces shrunk. Hicks watched in bewilderment as the ‘ticket’ leapt from the man’s hand and jumped out of sight. A quiet “oops” that slipped from Loki’s mouth did not help in the slightest.
Let this be a lesson to y’all: practice magic responsibly.
The guards only needed to see the Corporal lower his visor. Two to a trespasser, the guards forced the trio out of the booth and into standing.
“Is this really necessary?” Loki asked as he writhed in the grip of a lackey on each arm, “There’s a simple explanation…”
Kaia, being the shortest one, wasn’t the easiest to gain hold of. One guard held her by both shoulders, walking her back into their chest. With no shoulder to grasp, the second guard in front of her put a hand squarely on Kaia’s chest. Their fingertips were a bit too close to certain areas for Kaia’s liking.
“Hey!” Kaia extended her arm up, jabbing her elbow down to get the hand off of her. She was unimpressed when the guard smacked her arm away, placing their grimy hand back on her chest. It was a flat hand, not trying to grope any particular place, but that didn’t matter to Kaia. She saw red.
Kaia lurched forward, using the momentum to jump up and smack the guard on the head with a balled-up fist. To Kaia’s surprise, she had enough force to knock them back a few steps. She didn’t have enough time to think about it, not when she suddenly found herself off of the ground. The guard that had been behind her yanked her back and up, detaining her with an unfriendly hug.
A squeak from across the room caught Loki and Sylvie’s attention. As they were distracted by their own handlers, they only saw Kaia compromised by a single guard. Loki wouldn’t stand for that. He rolled his shoulders back, charging a kinetic blast out of his body. A green wave threw his two guards into furniture, allowing him to teleport across the room without any hitchhikers.
Loki reappeared behind Kaia’s keeper, twisting their head with an audible crack. Both Kaia and the guard dropped to the ground. Being a bit more lively, Kaia managed to scramble out of the guard’s loosened grip.
Excited by the distraction, Sylvie landed an elbow on one guard’s neck and knocked the other down with a kick to their knees. A maniacal grin overtook her as she flexed her fingers, ready to spar.
Pandemonium ensued as the brawl between Lamentian guards and trickster trespassers began. Passengers fled from either exit, soon replaced by more guards. Loki had built up enough of a reprieve to aide Kaia, though he didn’t help her up. Rather, he shielded her as he guided her underneath the table they previously shared.
“Stay there,” Loki cautioned, “We’ll handle this.”
Kaia nodded. She wasn’t much of a fighter, especially since she had no magic to work with. That strike against the guard must’ve been a fluke. It was the smarter play to let seasoned pros handle this.
A guard charged Sylvie with their spear leading the way. An armoured forearm allowed her to deflect the stab with no issue. The follow-up swipe that the guard tried with their free hand also failed, for Sylvie was able to dip back with impeccable timing. With the guard wallowing in their sorrow, Sylvie pried her horned tiara from her head. Before the guard could react, she clobbered them, using her tiara as a weapon. She jabbed the sharpened horn into the foe’s neck. A woolly collar protected them from a fatal blow, but just enough wind was knocked out of them, allowing Sylvie to topple them over with a well-placed kick.
Footsteps behind her hinted at an impending ambush. Sylvie ducked in time to avoid getting clotheslined by a new guard’s spear. With a quick pop-up and pivot, she tossed her tiara like a frisbee. A loud crack! could be heard as the guard’s visor took the brunt of the blow. The horns that represented a Loki’s ability were left stuck in the tinted plastic, impeding the guard’s vision. As a former Loki, Sylvie had no qualms about leaving her horns behind. Especially not after they helped her win a fight. She took this guard by their shoulders, throwing them — and her horns — into an empty booth, abandoning them once and for all.
Meanwhile, Loki took on his guards with grace. The crunch of broken bones sounded elegant against the guards’ wails of agony. He was coming down from his magically-enhanced stupor, but he didn’t want to chance complicated magic, not with the mistake that had led them into a fight to begin with. The one exception to this rule was simple kinetic blasts. When someone tries to bash your head in with a spear swung like a baseball bat, you have to show them why that was a bad idea. That particular guard ended up smacking their back against the copper backboard that stood underneath a window. They won’t be getting up for a while.
The guard that had initially grabbed Kaia took aim at Loki. They had no spear, opting for gloved fisticuffs instead. The guard tried to elbow him; Loki managed to deflect. The follow-up punch was caught swiftly with his other hand1. With this leverage, he was able to pull the guard towards him and cup the back of his head with his free hand. Loki slammed the guard face-first into the barkeep’s countertop with full force. More specifically: a glass bottle of alcohol that was abandoned in the evacuation was decimated by the guard’s face shield. When the guard popped back up in a dazed state, they were covered in glass and booze. All Loki needed to do was shove them down at the foot of the bar to keep them down.
Kaia watched from under the table as her cohorts continued the battle. The guards seemed endless, but they persisted. Loki managed to conjure a few daggers to help the fight. Sylvie had to draw out her sword, for she was in the midst of a battle with a guard that was skilled with their strange baton. Staying hidden started to feel like a mistake. Kaia didn’t like staying still as it is. She had such a hard time focusing on office work in the TVA. She knew this was the right move, but part of her wanted to get in on the action. Part of her wanted to help.
Kaia watched as the duelling guard managed to grab Sylvie by the arm. They forced Sylvie to stab the bar with her sword, wedging it in what little wood the rim had. The guard laid their spear on top of the sword to disarm their foe completely.
Loki was too busy fighting to see Sylvie being taken into a chokehold. He was fighting two guards at once, and one of them managed to knock a dagger out of his hand. No matter, he had felt steadier with his magic attacks.
Meanwhile, the thrown dagger skidded to a stop just short of Kaia’s knee. She looked at the dagger, then at Sylvie. She appeared to be choking as the guard dragged her towards an exit. Didn’t Loki say early in their training that Lokis were supposed to have excellent marksmanship?
It’s now or never, Kaia.
Kaia abandoned the safety of her cover, taking a widened stance as she wielded a dagger for the first time. There wasn’t enough time to make a run for her, but perhaps a saving throw could literally save Sylvie. Kaia went axe-throwing with Verity exactly once; how hard could it be to throw a dagger?
Kaia wound her right arm back, putting her left arm in front as a guide. The guard had a bit of height in comparison to both her and Sylvie. They reminded her of a paper target used in shooting games. Their visor was the bullseye. With a grunt, Kaia used all of her might, Kaia threw the dagger. The weapon twirled in the air, and arched decently for what it was worth.
Thwack!
The dagger did not hit the visor. The dagger didn’t even hit the guard. The dagger hit the post that outlined the exit, barely avoiding hitting Sylvie in the face.
“Awful throw!” Sylvie criticized her attempted rescuer.
“Well, sor-ry!” Kaia snapped back. Hmph, how ungrateful.
The only upside to Kaia’s poor shot is that it caught the guard off-guard. Sylvie took advantage of the moment to wrestle herself free from the guard that nearly bested her. She took extra measure to punch them to a pulp, so she didn’t notice when Kaia found herself in her own sticky situation.
A guard that Loki had downed noticed Kaia, alone and unarmed. They tried to hand a blow; Kaia barely caught the punch. She struggled to hold it in place.
“Let’s not and say we did!”
The guard didn’t care for her quips or for her subsequent shove. Kaia ran to the other end of the bar, but the guard followed in hot pursuit. She managed to dodge the guard’s attempt to grab her, but she was still at a disadvantage.
Kaia’s back was now against the bar. The guard blocked the view of a window, eyes locked on their target. Sylvie and Loki were caught up with finishing their respective battles.
No, she couldn’t rely on them. Kaia had to fend for herself.
She gripped the ledge of the bar countertop. Using all of her power, she used the leverage to push herself off of the ground. She leaned her upper body back against the station, using the momentum to swing her legs and reel them in close to herself.
The guard didn’t seem intimidated. He charged forward just as she wound her legs completely inward.
“And BYE!”
Kaia kicked the guard with both feet in the chest. The guard wasn’t ready for such a mighty force behind a tiny trespasser. He flew back, crashing into the diamond-shaped window. The shattering glass caught the whole room’s attention. Loki, Sylvie, and the guards were able to piece together that Kaia had ejected the guard from the train
In their defence, Kaia didn’t know she had that in her, either. Her aim was just to knock the guard down, it really was. That must’ve hurt. Oh, no, did she kill them? No, they had so much armour on, they—
Another guard that Loki fought pulled themself away from him. Before anyone could react, they grabbed Kaia by the shoulders and threw her out of the window after the guard. Her high-pitched scream faded with the wind.
“KAIA!” Loki’s eyes widened with panic. That was not ideal, to put things lightly.
Loki used magic to clear his path of any guards, alive or dead. But it wasn’t a guard that stopped him short of jumping out the broken window. He paused when he heard his cohort scold him.
“You’re not seriously going after her‽” Sylvie exclaimed, “She’s probably dead!”
Loki snapped his head sideways to look at Sylvie. As much as he wanted to look and sound ominous, he had bigger worries on his mind.
“If she’s dead, then we’re all dead!”
With that, Loki willingly jumped out of the window to follow her. He left a bewildered Sylvie behind, left to revel in his vague parting words.
We’re all dead? How could we all be dead if Kaia— …
The last puzzle piece clicked together in Sylvie’s mind. She had a complete picture now: Loki brought Kaia close to his chest when he remarked that her TemPad was hidden in his heart.
“Oh, you slimy BASTARDS!”
Sylvie retrieved her sword and stabbed every guard that stood between her and that window. She lost her cape along the way, but she didn’t care. She now knew that as soon as she found Loki and Kaia, she was going to kill them both.
- During his childhood roughhousing, Loki learned that an ambidextrous battle style was key when fighting unarmed. He’d be sure to mention that to Kaia later. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Hello, it is me, your local 'a bit of both' defender.
I know some people wanted it to be a bit more on-the-nose, but in terms of being bi, Loki S1E3 made me feel warm. The whole episode is coated in bi lighting, and it acknowledged that both Loki and Sylvie are bi, but in a 'we're doing things and we just happen to be bi' and not in a patronizing way. Of course, this doesn't mean stop showing bi Loki and Sylvie, more can and should be done! But we shouldn't have it explained to us like we're five by straight writers. So the bi side of me is a bit nervous about S2, not gonna lie.
I also came across this comic panel a while ago and... so much of it made sense that a paragraph above references it. It made me think: "Yeah, why would Asgard have the specific terminology that Midgard developed? It's a whole other realm." Honestly makes me want to read a few more stories that stripe to get a sense of how the Asgard culture depicts love, romance, etc.
Anyway, you've read more than enough from me. Thank you for indulging. This is one of my favourite chapters so far.
Chapter 28: The Nexus Event
Summary:
Chapter 28 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The end of Lamentis-1 is nigh. Loki, Kaia, and Sylvie slowly accept their fate and reflect on their lives.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The tumble was long but thankfully wasn’t far. The world around Kaia rotated faster than a ceiling fan. Purple skies soon blended with indigo gravel, roughing her up with each passing cycle. Eventually, she stopped moving. At least, her body did. Her head was still spinning. Why was her head spinning?
Ugh, right. Those pesky guards threw her out of the train.
Kaia now lay on her belly in the dirt. The dusted wind brushed against her face with little effect. She dug both palms into the rocks to confirm that she was on solid ground. She was suddenly thankful that she only had one glass of champagne. If she had downed the second one, it might’ve come right back up.
“Are you all right?”
Before Kaia could process the question, she felt a gentle grip under her arm. She rose to her feet involuntarily, steadied and aided by a pair of large hands. That had to be Loki. She would recognize that accented voice anywhere by now. He must’ve gotten thrown out too. Or did he follow? It didn’t matter why. At least she wasn’t alone.
“Ask me again in five minutes…” Kaia’s eyes fluttered a few times before finally regaining focus. She looked around to scope the new scene.
Kaia and Loki stood in a gravel field, void of major landmarks nearby. Mountains towered over them, rattled slightly by meteors that fell from the planet above. To her left were train tracks, still smoking from the bullet train from whence they were thrown from. There was no sign of Sylvie nor the guard that Kaia had reverse-dropkicked out of the window.
On the distant horizon was a sprawling cityscape, nestled in a dip between mountains. The tallest tower in the city was a skyscraper that had a gorgeous rectangular rocket attached to it. The magnificent spaceship pierced the sky with a pointed tip. One couldn’t make out many details from this far away, but one had to assume that the city was Shuroo and the rocket was the Ark.
Kaia couldn’t make much more of Shuroo out because Loki stood in her way. She looked him up and down. Something about him was different. Hair? Check. Cocky hands-on-hip pose? Check. Outfit? C—… wait… A-hah!
“Where’s your jacket?”
“Threw it out. It was as mangled as yours.”
Kaia looked herself over for the first time since the fall. Bits of her dress pants were mired by the dirt, but she felt physically fine. She couldn’t say the same for the jacket. Jagged rocks must’ve torn into the fabric when she accelerated down the shaky slope. Her sleeve was half-torn from the elbow down. She felt a newly-created flap slump down her back, forming the imprint of an open hole. As Kaia shed her jacket and dropped it into the dirt, she was relieved to see that she hadn’t sustained any injuries underneath.
The situation they found themselves in wasn’t ideal. The train was long gone. The walk to Shuroo was likely hours long. Loki still looked a little buzzed, but not nearly as giddy and reckless as he was before.
Well, no time like the present.
“Hey, Loki…?” Kaia took a place beside him as the pair started walking. “How do you… fight like that when you’re drunk…”
Loki chuckled, “Lots of practice with my brother…”
A glimpse of a memory passed through Loki’s mind. The Asgardian Warriors Three — Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun — had decided to take on an Asgardian scavenger hunt and needed both training and a celebration. Thor was proud to oblige for both. To quote that oaf: “If you can fight whilst drunk, you can win whilst sober!” The mead flew and the swords jousted just as fiercely. From what he could remember of that night, Lady Sif ran circles around the trio, and she had drunk the most among the warriors. The nostalgic merriment nicked his heart.
“But it seems like you’re starting to find your footing in battle, haven’t you, Kaia?”
As Loki took his turn to ask questions, neither noticed the way that distant gravel rumbled behind them.
Hup, hup, hup.
“Would you care to explain that mighty kick?”
Hup, hup, hup.
“I don’t think I can. Aside from just, y’know, using the countertop to—”
FWISH!
Kaia froze as soon as she felt a cold blade press just above her collarbone. Sylvie couldn’t technically teleport, but with the way she snuck up on them, she might as well have. One hand snatched Kaia across her chest, pressing her back into Sylvie’s chest. The other used her trusty sword to stop her from squirming forwards or downwards. The way her arms surrounded her body ensured her hostage had no means of escape.
Sylvie carved her head down slightly just so she could hiss into Kaia’s ear. “Give me the TemPad, you little witch!”
“I-I don’t have it‽” As Kaia's voice trembled, the sword found flesh to nip at. Her neck started to flush red with the scrapes.
Seeing this, Loki knew he had to intervene. She figured out his little magic trick. Took her long enough.
“Sylvie, stop!” Despite the shout, Loki sounded apologetic. “She doesn’t know.”
Even with the weapon threatening her life, Kaia found her loudest octave yet. “DOESN’T KNOW WHAT‽”
What most beings don't know is that they all have an inter-dimensional pocket on their body. A hidden cavity that allows one to carry as much or as little as they want without the weight or the baggage. However, this pocket can only be accessed with expert magic. Most beings go their whole lives not knowing the pocket exists on their corporation, never mind having a magical ability strong enough to use it. It was one of the first tricks Loki’s mother taught him.
It’s normally impossible to access someone else’s pocket, even with the right magic. However, with Kaia being a Variant of himself — not to mention her weaker mental barriers — Loki knew how to slip the TemPad into her pocket. With the way Sylvie underestimated Kaia, it was the most logical hiding spot. Or at least, so he thought.
Loki reached his hand towards Kaia. He performed the motions of reaching into her front pant leg’s pocket, but he did so in the open space between their chests. Tiny green particles swarmed Loki’s fingers like fireflies and clustered to make an opaque oval, indicating he gained access to her pocket. As his hand breached the magic portal, Loki braced himself, for he knew that Kaia was not about to let him go unscathed.
“You have got to be KIDDING ME, Loki!” Kaia, once again, was the last person to figure out what was going on. But now that she knew of this, she felt her face go hot with unbridled rage for the first time in a while. She was hurt, not by Sylvie’s blade, but by Loki’s deception.
“If you’re going to trojan horse me, you need to TELL ME!!! Preferably BEFORE I get threatened at sword-point!!”
Loki silently accepted the verbal smackdown. He had to maintain his full concentration on closing Kaia’s hidden pocket. As the magic faded, he twisted his wrist upward to reveal Sylvie’s TemPad. When they all looked into Loki’s palm, a horrific truth hushed the group.
Smoke spilled out from the LED screen, freshly caved in. Computer chips stuck out from underneath the casing that held the TemPad together. A quiet fizzy noise triggered sparks to jump from where the battery should have been.
The TemPad broke. That’s not ideal.
The only solace that this moment brought forth was a stunned Sylvie. She lacked the willpower to keep her sword raised. Her heart started to rattle; she stole shaky breaths between parted lips in an attempt to steady herself.
Loki’s pitiful attempt at explaining himself did not help.
“Well, she did take quite the tumble…”
“You ASSHOLE!” Sylvie took her turn to yell. The rage in her voice masked her accent slightly. “You’ve KILLED all three of us!”
“Maybe we can fix it! Hang on, let me just…”
Loki held the TemPad as if it were working. If he just nudged this piece in and clicked on the shell with his Frost Giant hands, he…
Crunch!
He could fumble the shattered screen out from between his fingertips. GREAT!
As the rest of the TemPad disintegrated, Loki looked back up with a nervous smile on his face. Kaia uttered a quiet curse under her breath, but that did not compare to the lethal glare that Sylvie employed upon him.
“You’re not a serious man.”
“You’re right, I’m a God.”
“You’re a clown!” Sylvie shoved Kaia into Loki’s chest. “Drunk on a train, using your little pet as a vessel to toy with me.”
Kaia was about to protest that she was the toy. The way she was passed from Sylvie to Loki, then set off to his side? She certainly felt like a forgotten doll in that sequence.
“I’m hedonistic!” Loki pressed his hands into his hips. “It’s what I do!”
“I’m hedonistic! More than you, surely. But I never compromise the mission!”
Sylvie stepped up to Loki. Her weapon was still low but she regained a proper grip on it. Loki noticed this. He mirrored her step and placed a dagger into his own hand, though he also kept the sharpest point low.
“Oh, the mission? Is that your glorious purpose?” Loki mocked, “Give me a break! You can’t stop the TVA. You’ve seen what they’ve done to their soldiers, how magic means nothing there, and—”
“Hey, hey… we need to focus…” With her own ire slowly subsiding, Kaia inserted herself between the bickering duo. She felt a bit safer to do so as their weapons were pointed away from harming anyone. She motioned to the skyline, making note of the twinkling city lights. Another fight wasn’t going to fix their situation, but she had one last idea to save them all.
“Maybe, if we get to Shuroo, we can still escape on their Ark.”
Sylvie grunted, “The ship that doesn’t actually take off?”
“Because we weren’t on there!” Kaia patted her chest, almost shivering with excitement at the thought of a space-themed heist. “We need to just—”
KRA-KRA-BOOM!
A harsh quake interrupted Kaia. An orange-and-white ball of fire bloomed from the top of the Ark, compromised by the largest meteor yet. As the explosion melted into smoke, so did any hope of anyone leaving Lamentis-1 behind once and for all.
Loki waited until the rumbling settled before making an attempt to lighten the mood. “Well, now we’re definitely dead.”
Sylvie withdrew her sword. She turned her back on those fools. They derailed her plans, destroyed her TemPad, and doomed her to die. After years of effort and a lifetime on the run… this is how it ends?
Sylvie pumped her arms in the air, and as she brought them down, she screamed. A visceral, volatile scream, unlike anything uttered on this moon before. Her hands trembled in front of her chest and shone with raw magic. The magic built up in her hands until it released itself with a burst, prompting an aftershock of its own. The dirt puffed around her feet as the yell simmered down.
Loki could only grimace in the face of such a strong reaction. He tucked his dagger back into his magical pocket, for it was no longer needed. Kaia looked behind her to see loose boulders roll down a mountaintop, triggered by either the decibels or the magic blast. They exchanged glances with each other. Neither could blame Sylvie for being frustrated by a situation that just became hopeless.
They both looked back to see that their adversary hadn’t stopped walking. A silent agreement to follow Sylvie was forged. If they were going to die, they might as well die together.
Sylvie led the silent march for what felt like another hour. What one could’ve perceived as daylight had now fully dimmed into a plum sky. The planet that rained terror above them had officially abandoned the shape of a planet. The planet was now in more obvious pieces, and very close to breaking into the moon’s atmosphere.
Eventually, they all stopped at Shuroo’s outskirts. The city was not only fully engulfed in flames, but on a hill. No one wanted to bother with the effort or the fire. Loki and Kaia found Sylvie sitting on a large rock, located on the shores of a water-filled crater. Floodlights pointed downward and illuminated the water, painting a beautiful refraction with swirls of orange and purple.
There were two more large boulders to the right of Sylvie. Loki cautiously approached her, mindful not to go any closer than arm's reach. He took to the rock next to her. She didn’t flinch.
Kaia took the last rock on Loki’s opposite side. She let another meteor fall before asking, “Did the scream help?”
Sylvie didn’t nod, but she slotted her eyes sideways to acknowledge them. “Yes, it did. You should try it sometime.”
As she glanced over, she noticed how different Loki looked. His sleeves were rolled up to each elbow. His posture was not as pristine or as proper as it had been before. He didn’t bother fixing up his hair; intertwining strands spilled out behind him like blackened wisps. The purple glow that shone over his face couldn’t hide just how weary he looked.
“I’m sorry.”
The look on Loki’s face as he apologized… Sylvie never thought she’d see it. His head rocked slowly from side to side. The corners of his lips were dipped in a slight frown. His hands were folded into his lap, fingers pressing into his knuckles. For once in his life, he actually looked sympathetic.
Sylvie's face softened. Perhaps it was the impending fate of imminent death getting to her. Perhaps her armour, after a lifetime of fights, was bound to crack. Though, is it cracking when you choose to loosen the armour yourself?
“I remember Asgard, you know…” Sylvie said, looking at Loki more so than Kaia, “Not much, but I remember… my home, my people, my life… The universe wants to break free, so it manifests chaos… Like us Lokis, Gods of Mischief…”
Sylvie looked out on the lake once more. She swallowed. She felt weird calling herself a Loki. It wasn’t her name. Not anymore.
“As soon as that chaos creates a big enough detour from the Sacred Timeline, the TVA shows up. They stole me from my home, erased my reality, and took me prisoner…” Sylvie clenched her hand into a fist, “That day replays every day in my mind. I was but a child at the time, playing with my toys…”
Her hands flexed for a moment. She thought she heard her wooden valkyrie clatter against the palace floor. In reality, it was just another fallen meteor.
“That was your Nexus Event? Playing with toys…?” Kaia asked gently.
Loki shook his head. “There has to be more to it; I also had toys when I was a child…”
“The full extent of my Nexus Event; I don't know why they took me…” Sylvie admitted, “Why they stole me, processed me like a common criminal… stripped me of the life I should have lived…”
Sylvie put a hand to her hair, patting the split ends. She seemed to grasp at longer strands that should have been there.
“Treating every Variant like the number on their helmets… A sequence to process, an event to file… Never mind the heart of each case.”
Sylvie's hand dropped slowly, her fingers falling last, grasping the last of her invisible hair. The hair she used to want to flow down her back.
“But I escaped. Stole that hunter's TemPad right from her hand. A device that was easy enough for a child to navigate. I've been on the run ever since, perfecting my magic, becoming strong enough to take my revenge on their omniscient, fascist rule…”
Loki and Kaia kept quiet as Sylvie told her story. Loki stopped fidgeting with his hands, simply taking the storyteller in as she glowed against the doomed evening light.
“I've ran for a long, long time… and it really sucked. No matter where I went, a Nexus Event would occur. Set up a smoke signal to the TVA. Since I’m… not supposed to exist…” Sylvie choked on that last sentence. She inhaled, steadying herself before continuing. “Eventually, I figured out where to hide. At the end of a thousand worlds, where the TVA cares little about consequences. That's where I grew up…”
Loki sighed softly, his head slowly rattling once more. All of their sparring from Roxxcart till now felt pointless. Not when Sylvie was more than her crimes.
“And now… that’s where I’ll die.”
There was no TemPad. No failsafe. No backup plan. The trio looked out onto the lake. Sylvie and Loki’s bodies were pointed toward each other, knees nearly touching. Kaia shadowed Loki’s opposite side, her body hunched closer to her seat’s edge.
The water in the crater reflected the sky show above. Large asteroids twirled in the sky, with the last major chunk of the planet serving as the backdrop. The whistle and fall of each space rock got bigger, louder, hotter, and closer with each passing second. Some even broke the serenity of the water, though the splash seemed quiet by comparison.
Loki craned his head up, watching each meteor as it fell. The crashing meteors reminded him of the shooting stars he observed in Asgard as a child. He learned a sense of wonderment from the stars. He also learned how small he was while existing in the Nine Realms. Somehow, he felt even smaller now than back then.
“Won’t be long now, will it…?” Kaia pondered aloud. Her head was looking down at her lap as she rubbed her thighs. It was the only sensible way to let out the tension.
Sylvie merely shook her head to acknowledge it. The palms of her hand also lay on her legs, but they were perfectly still. Her head was still level, eyes on the lake’s opposite shores. She felt more at peace now, with her anger subsided. Her mission has ended, and she failed. She defied many apocalypses, but they all ended the same. She shook the foundation of the TVA, but they still won.
Was this how the story was supposed to go all along? Is fate nothing more than a trick?
“Do you think that what makes a Loki a Loki… is the fact that we’re destined to lose?” asked Sylvie.
It was a question only Loki himself could answer. The answer came to his lips almost immediately.
“No…”
There were many things that shape him, but his defeats were not one of them. Not when there was an opportunity to succeed.
“We may lose, sometimes painfully, but we don’t die. We survive.” Despite the rumble of the falling sky, Loki spoke with a hush to his voice. “All of us are proof of that… why, after reading my file, I’ve lost track of how many times1 I’ve died…”
Loki turned his body slightly. His eyes were still on Sylvie, but his posture was broad enough to allow him to gesture toward Kaia, who had the perfect vantage point to observe them both.
“Kaia here, who knows how deep her memory loss runs… She could have decades, centuries of life she can’t remember, but she’s still here to find the truth.”
Kaia didn’t have much to add to that. Even if she did, a sudden smattering of space rock overshadowed her. She’s still here, but how much time did she really have to find the truth?
Loki turned back to Sylvie. He shifted so his body was fully turned to her. His knees inadvertently grazed against hers. His bare forearms were pressed into his lap. His hands were no longer entangled but did hover in the air as he continued.
“And you most of all, Sylvie. Look at all you’ve done!” Loki exclaimed, “You were just a child when the TVA took you, but you nearly took down the organization that claims to govern the order of time. You did all that on your own. You’re amazing!”
The scenery around them shielded Sylvie, for she truly lost a piece of her armour. If there wasn’t a lavender haze upon her, you would’ve seen her face pale by about three shades. She held a steadfast face but didn’t dare speak. She didn’t have the words to describe how she felt.
She had been given many names upon her travels: Stranger, Muse, Variant, Terrorist, Killer. But… Amazing? No one’s said that to Sylvie before.
Sylvie’s hand slithered forward, only to gently rest upon Loki’s wrist. She watched as Loki and his little shadow observed the gentle touch. Perhaps it surprised them that she could even be gentle. She always wanted to be gentle, but the life she led never allowed her to put her guard down. With death raining on them, and at the sight of this silver-tongued fool, she finally felt ready to rest.
Sylvie took Loki by the hand. She smiled at him. Much to her surprise, he smiled back. Amidst the chaos, the pair found a moment of peace in each other’s faces.
CRRRASH!
Everyone turned their heads in time to see two enormous meteors flatten the horizon. Volcanic-like smoke bloomed from the skyline, covering the mountains with fiery fury. The unsettling aftershocks were enough to make a startled Kaia lurch into Loki’s side. This was the loudest disruption yet. The final strike seemed imminent. Kaia wasn’t ready for her story to end; not when she barely got started in her search for answers.
A pang of guilt struck Loki as he felt Kaia leave her imprint on his bicep. He had taken her under his wing as a Loki, and look where it got her. Yes, Lokis tend to survive, but his earlier monologue was more of a consolation speech than a rallying cry. They were supposed to be tricksters, but the truth of the matter is that they were a pack of wounded cats, running low on their last life.
Loki didn’t let go of Sylvie’s hand, but he did adjust his position to include Kaia in his embrace. He lifted his free arm up and over, wrapping it around Kaia. One last time, he took her under his wing. He let her nestle in neatly, even allowing her left arm to drape over his shoulder. He was not used to such a physical form of comfort but with practice, he came to learn that he was fond of it.
As she held onto Loki, Kaia reached out. Sylvie was caught off guard when she felt Kaia’s sudden grasp on her free hand. Kaia gave no verbal warning nor a preceding glance to forecast this. Hell, she still had her head turned in toward Loki’s chest; as if shutting her eyes could prevent their impending demises. No one had the power to stop the crashing wave of debris that started to barrel toward the lake.
Sylvie wasn’t that naïve, yet she couldn’t help but wonder why Kaia would also offer a comforting hand to her. It wasn’t worth the energy to be confused, never mind being angered by it. She didn’t reject Kaia’s grip, but she couldn’t bring herself to tighten her grasp either. Kaia didn’t earn that in the way Loki just did.
Hate, friendship, mischief, imaginary daggers. All of those things were absent. None of those things mattered now. And yet, deep down, it felt like love did not abandon them.
Perhaps love is when you know you’re not alone, even in death.
…
Chirp chiiiirp!
…
Perhaps death would be preferable to what was actually to come.
…
Chirp chiiiirp!
“Agent Mobius?”
“Hm?”
“We’ve got something!”
Mobius, Verity, and Hunter B-15 rushed to Casey’s desk as he highlighted a temporal lock on the focal chronomonitor. The Detective leaned forward, arms on Casey’s chair, hunched over his shoulders to watch as the closing moments of Lamentis-1 came into focus.
Sure enough, a little orange stub sprouted from the Sacred Timeline, indicating a divergence from how time was supposed to flow.
“So, they are on Lamentis…” Verity swallowed her unease. The relief of finding them didn’t quell the notion of them being at such a potent point in time.
Hunter B-15 silently patted Verity on the back. She had heard only good things about the newbie’s progress from Mobius. Such effort and commitment to the cause ought to be commended, especially from a greenhorn.
The patting stopped when the chronomonitor began to trill louder. The branch that had bloomed climbed the screen rapidly. An almost perfect curve bending at an 80-degree angle, reaching for the thick red line that bordered the top of the Timeline.
“That’s… not just somebody stepping on the wrong leaf…” Mobius muttered to himself before catching Hunter B-15’s worried gaze, “Have you ever seen a branch like that?”
Hunter B-15’s face looked frozen as she uttered a shaky “No…” to him. They both knew that this wasn’t just a branch. This was a full-blown Nexus Event.
Casey used the temporal lock to close in on the Nexus Event. The line that represented it looked a little wavy upon closer inspection, but it still soared past several units. If the branch went past red line, irreparable damage would be done. But still, the end of Lamentis-1 is charted on the far right side of the screen. This was uncharted waters. No one could account for what kind of damage could occur if a red line was broken at the end of a world’s end.
This paradox confounded Mobius. He was expecting to find some sort of subtle anomaly that would prove the trio’s impact on their surroundings, hence the repeated leaf analogy. But this? No, a Nexus Event isn’t supposed to happen within an apocalypse, never mind one to this scale. It betrayed the way Sylvie was able to hide from the TVA for so long. Betrayed the security breach that Loki had discovered. It nearly betrayed the way the TVA perceived branches entirely.
“B-15, go.” Mobius wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. He needed those Lokis back here, alive.
“On it.”
As Hunter B-15 spun on her boot’s heel, she brought her arm up to her chest. She flipped a panel that hid her TemPad on her person. Wearing her device in her armour not only freed her hands for her Time Stick but also allowed her to take full advantage of the TemPad’s verbal dictation capabilities.
“All available units report to Deployment Zone 15. Open Time Doors to Lamentis-1, coordinates 2-3-7-6 dot 1-7-4. Apprehend all Variants on sight; do not prune. I repeat, all available units…”
As Hunter B-15 marched out of the room, Mobius noticed just how tense Verity looked. The tips of her front teeth were planted firmly on her lower lip. She wrung one hand with the other in front of her stomach. Her glasses reflected the chronomonitor screen that captivated her mind.
“Hey, Verity, don’t worry…” Mobius pushed himself off of the chair and walked to Verity, “We wouldn’t have found them if it wasn’t for you. You did great!”
Great? The compliment felt hollow in the hall of uncertainty that Verity stood in.
“But…” The reflection vanished from Verity’s lenses as she turned to Mobius. “What happens now?”
“To put it bluntly, justice. We have to investigate that Nexus Event and Sylvie in particular needs to attest for her crimes.”
Verity released the pressure that held her hands together. “Even Kaia’s under arrest?”
“She left with them too…” Mobius nodded. He spoke in facts, not speculation. It was a trait that Verity could respect, even though it didn’t ease her worries.
Mobius watched as Verity’s lips puffed up to a slight pout. The Kaia she knew couldn’t scheme like Loki nor harm like Sylvie. The Kaia he knew had opened up her mind to learning what it means to be a Loki. Their gut instincts could both be right or wrong. There was only one way to confirm that.
“Hey, don’t give me that look…” Mobius gently held Verity’s shoulder. “There’s still an investigation to do. With you on the case, we’ll figure out the truth, okay?”
Verity nodded. Although the last interrogation didn’t end well, she was ready to make things right.
“Great. Let’s go…” Mobius let Verity go and looked at the analysts that remained in the room. “All right, team, keep things running here. Follow Casey’s lead.”
“Yes, sir!” A few analysts echoed their replies in an awkward overlap.
As Mobius led Verity out of Time Control, he took out his own TemPad. He usually preferred to page his cohort with the provided keyboard, but he couldn’t hold back from telling his device what to type verbally this time: “Ravonna, we’ve got ‘em.”
- It was a habit, admittedly. There was one false death that Loki didn’t experience himself, and plenty of tricks from his youth that had escaped his memory. Loki stopped counting after 5. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Trans Sylvie is a very important (and unfortunately, just a) headcanon. I want to give a special nod to this mini-comic since it was the first piece of fan creation I saw that aligned with my way of thinking. The deadnaming, the lack of regard for her horns, the way she deviates from the Sacred Loki... it all kind of piles up and perhaps if queer writers got a chance, they could've rearranged the pieces the show gave us into one affirming nod of Sylvie's queerness. Instead of just giving us the toys only to deny that they exist.
Fun fact, Sylvie talking about her Nexus Event was actually the first chunk of this chapter I wrote. It's also the first chunk I wrote after posting Chapters 1 & 2 publicly last year. Don't worry, this won't be the last time I'm gonna talk about Trans Sylvie. I want her to be more than a secondhand thought.
Also, the Shuroo oner (the last scene of S1E3) intimidated me too much to write it out in this format. :')
Chapter 29: The Easiest to Break
Summary:
Chapter 29 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The TVA narrowly arrested the Loki Variants, mere moments before they died. Renslayer puts her foot down to ensure that these Lokis are dealt with once and for all.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
FYI: Multiple Major Character Deaths (via pruning) will occur between chapters 29 and 39. I will give away the chapter(s) that this happens in the chapter's spoiler summary, so avoid clicking on this if that matters to you.
Notes:
Posting this a little early because this past Wednesday, this story reached 1000 hits, and I'm not sure how else to celebrate! Thank you for being here, I appreciate you. 💖
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Judge Renslayer was nothing short of delighted when she got the confirmation page from Mobius. At last, the Loki Variants are properly detained. A mass murderer and two pests, whom all managed to weasel their way out of the TVA. Under her watch, that won’t happen again.
She turned the corner in a TVA to see the prisoners escorted by Minutemen. The scent of smoke lingered on all of their clothes, save for the newly applied Time Collars on each of their necks. One Minuteman was enough to manage L5242. L1130 had a Minuteman draped on each arm. L1190 was fully surrounded: a soldier on each arm, one marching behind her, and Hunter B-15 herself leading the charge. Renslayer thought that she’d be happier for bringing in such a big arrest.
Sylvie puckered her face and swung her arm in an attempt to break free from the arrest. She boasted so much effort that she even jumped in the air. The might of the TVA’s finest was enough to bring her back down. When she was forcibly settled, Sylvie noticed a TVA Judge standing in the corridor, smirking at her struggle.
“L1190 goes to Time Theatre 47.” Renslayer commanded, “No one is allowed in her cell unless I personally approve it.”
Sylvie locked eyes with the Judge as she was dragged away by her underlings. It was all coming back to her now. Same hairstyle. Same voice. Different wardrobe. Different bravado.
The Minutemen pulled Sylvie around a corner, allowing her a fleeting look at Loki just before he fell from sight. His eyebrows sloped downward, his mouth hung slightly ajar. He looked… worried.
As soon as Sylvie disappeared from sight, Loki mimicked her earlier thrashing. He rocked his body from one side to the other, hoping to knock his captors off their feet. Perhaps if he was at full strength, he could do so. But the weary aches from Lamentis and the lack of magic served to be a handicap.
“Loki…” Kaia sighed, “I don’t think that’ll help…”
“She’s right,” Renslayer confirmed, “Savour what little time you have left. L5242 goes to Time Theatre 36.”
Kaia’s head shot up. She protested, “But we’re both under Mobius’ supervision!!”
“Doesn’t matter. L1130 to Time Theatre 25.” With a simple statement to overrule, the Judge walked away.
As Ravonna marched on, Mobius and Verity turned the corner to meet the disintegrating scene. She ignored both Kaia’s fruitless pleas to be freed and Verity's sudden sprint past her toward the Variants. However, she couldn’t let Mobius go on just yet. She put a hand to the Detective’s chest and gave him one ominous parting shot.
“You can interview your Variants separately, but L1190 is off-limits.”
Mobius wasn’t given a chance to debate the statement. His head spun around, eyes following her as she left the hall. He was frozen in place, stunned by what he had just heard. Ravonna had never denied him a chance to interview any Variant before now. Didn’t he correct the situation?
Meanwhile, Verity hurried ahead just in time to see Kaia pulled away fully from the scene by a lone Minuteman. The little “Loki!” that she squeaked as she vanished from view only lit Verity’s fuse. She knew that Kaia would be all right. Loki, on the other hand, had plenty to answer for.
“YOU!” Verity blocked Loki’s arresting officers from marching further. Her fists were firmly planted on each hip. Loki stopped resisting in equal turn. As much as he was hoping for a friendly face, the knotted brow and narrow glare on her face implied otherwise.
“Verity? It’s—”
“No. You’ve got a lot of nerve.”
Loki balked, “Me‽”
“Such an awful trick!”
“What trick‽”
“Your big plan to go on the run!” Verity exclaimed, “Records and testimony prove that YOU used a stolen TemPad to escape!”
Ah. Of course, Loki thought to himself, Renslayer twisted the narrative to make their escape appear as a Loki problem and not another TVA security problem. Loki could explain if Verity just gave him a moment.
“Renslayer was about to prune—”
“And of ALL places to go to,” Verity cut in, not giving Loki a moment of reprieve, “You had to choose a class ten apocalypse‽”
Well, it did look bad when you phrased the situation like that.
“Verity—”
“And I was really starting to think you could change…” As the anger subsided from Verity’s voice, Loki recognized her new tone. The bitter scent of disappointment lingered between them. His Sacred counterpart would’ve revelled in it, but he himself felt uneasy. Why did he care what Verity thought of him? Was she his friend, too?
With energy fading, Verity loosened her fists. She turned to acknowledge the Minutemen that were trained to keep stoic during hard conversations.
“You heard your boss. Time Theatre 25. Let’s go.”
The Minutemen, seeing both Verity dressed as an analyst and Mobius in the distance, knew better than to deny orders. Their grip hadn’t loosened on Loki, who still had a bit of fight left in him.
Loki walked in a jagged pattern, forced ahead by his two escorts. He watched as Verity now led the strides toward his imprisonment. He thought he had been making progress with Verity, but now it seems that it’s all fallen back to square.
“Well, what’s your big quip? I’m sure you’re just dying to say it.”
How gracious of Verity to allow him such a moment after that earlier scolding. Well, if she wasn’t going to be courteous with him, why should he show her the same respect?
“I don’t have a quip,” Loki scoffed, “I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
“That’d be a first.” Verity rolled her eyes as they all returned to Mobius’ range.
It took a moment for Mobius to realize that Verity had led the last Variant prisoner to him, but it did shake him out of the funk that Ravonna had passed onto him. He’d have to figure out what her concerns were later on. He had to deal with Loki first.
“Mobius!” As soon as Loki noticed his cohort, he sought out an opportunity for an ally. “Surely you won’t stand for her talking to me like this?”
“And step into the path of her storm?” Mobius chuckled, “No, thanks.”
Deep down, Mobius was guilty of taking pleasure in Loki getting his comeuppance from Verity. He had just observed just how hard Verity worked to bring him back here. She earned her moment to let off some steam.
Loki huffed. He felt his arms stretched out further by the silent Minutemen, who each now had one hand on his wrists and the other around his biceps. If they had been giants, perhaps they could have lifted him off the ground. But since he was the tallest in the hall, the spectacle of his forcible arrest looked ridiculous.
“By the way, I should have an equal amount of security, compared to that dangerous Variant! This is insulting!”
This prompted another laugh, this time from Verity. “There’s the quip! You just can’t help yourself.”
It was true, in a sense. Words tumbled from Loki’s mouth without his signature calculation. “You betrayed me!”
“Betrayed you‽ For what‽” Verity couldn’t bring herself to look at Loki. “If we didn’t find and arrest you three, you would’ve been dead!”
“If anything, you betrayed us,” Mobius added.
“Grow up!” Loki shouted as they all turned the corner to face Time Theatre 25’s mahogany doors.
Verity stopped short of walking down the small stairwell. The audacity of such a statement snapped her last straw.
“I’m not dignifying that with a response other than this,” Verity glowered, “You’re only still alive because I wanted to save my friend. Remember that.”
That harsh comment put a full stop to the tit-for-tat that the trio took part in. As he was led down the three steps, Loki wondered if Verity realized that they were all capable of befriending more than one person. It was a newfound lesson that he himself wasn’t expecting to learn before now.
The two Minutemen that guarded Time Theatre 25 swung their respective door open, allowing their cohorts to bring in the prisoner. Loki wasn’t struggling as much, but he did keep an eye on Mobius. The Detective was reaching into his jacket’s inner pocket, his new hiding spot for his TemPad.
“You know…” Mobius said as he walked through the archway, “You’re not really the God of Mischief.”
“Oh, joy, you’ve got a quip now, do you?” Loki sneered sarcastically, “Here it comes, the folksy, dopey insult from the folksy dope!”
As the regular doors shut behind them, Mobius prepared the sequence to summon a red Time Door. He did stop short of outright summoning it, for he and Verity were intrigued by the sudden resurgence of Loki’s ire. The so-called God of Mischief twisted in the grips of the Minutemen who were walking him across the inner pit of the Time Theatre. Eventually, his head swivelled to glare at the two TVA loyalists.
“Well, what am I, then?” Loki bargained for an answer, “The God of Self-Sabotage? Of Back-Stabbing?”
Mobius’ reply came quick and fast, “Actually, you’re just kind of an asshole.”
Verity stood by Mobius’ side. “And a bad friend!”
Somehow, Verity’s insult stung more.
“Bad friend‽” Loki repeated, “Would a bad friend purposely send you to Kaia during a fight to protect both you and her?”
A familiar echo rang out through Verity’s ears. It served as a stark reminder that they stood in a theatre, that truth and deception could no longer hide from her. Loki spoke in simple truths. She had her suspicions about him casting her to Kaia in Roxxcart on purpose, but she wouldn’t have guessed that his actions were meant to protect both of them.
“I protected Kaia as well as I could the WHOLE time we were on Lamentis!” Loki shouted, “From meteors, from guards, even against the other Variant! You’re not the only one that cares about her, Verity!”
It was all true. He knew it. She knew it. They both knew that the other one knew it. They had a mutual friend in Kaia, and he was genuine about it. The back of her mind lingered on the sentiment behind protecting both of them. Did he see her as a friend, too?
In spite of that, Verity kept on a brave face. As much as she appreciated the truth, she also knew that it couldn’t get Loki out of this sticky situation. Mobius had keyed her into his game plan as they made their way from Time Control to the Time Theatre halls: soften Loki up in a Time Loop Cell, then interview Sylvie, then Kaia, then Loki.
Verity turned to Mobius, maintaining a poker face she didn’t know she had. “Is it ready?”
“It’s ready.” Mobius pressed one last button on his TemPad.
In a flash, Loki’s new nemesis returned: a Time Door as red as the blood that Lady Sif would make her enemies shed. Was this door the same loop as before? Or a new nightmare to lock him into? He really didn’t want to find out.
Loki bent himself down and up, trying and failing to buck the Minutemen off of him. His feet skidded along the floor, his loafers making a notable squeak as the relentless Minutemen inched him closer to the Time Door.
“Mobius! Verity!” Loki cried out as he continued to thrash about.
The Minutemen seemed done with Loki’s continued resistance, but Mobius waved his hand at them, merely to give them pause.
“No no, let him…” Mobius shifted his palm upward to make a grandiose hand gesture towards Loki, “One last desperate trick from the desperate trickster.”
Loki stopped thrashing, locking eyes with Mobius. He stared at him for a moment, panting steadily to recover from the cardio. He knew what he had to say, especially in the presence of Verity. But he couldn’t predict how the Detective would react to such devastating news.
Caught off guard by the trickster’s sudden silence, Verity beckoned, “Well? Go ahead.”
Loki took in one last heavy breath, a softer face still aimed straight at his target. “The TVA is lying to you, Mobius.”
That… was also the truth. Verity bit her tongue just so she could continue to hold her miraculous neutral look. Though if one looked close enough, you could see the cogwheels of her mind turning behind her eyes. She thought she had a good grasp on the organization at this point, quirks and all. What could the TVA be lying about? How could Loki have come across information like that during an apocalypse? She was about to speak, but Mobius’ sudden burst of laughter surprised her.
As much as he valued her input, Mobius wasn’t looking for Verity’s opinion on this. He knew Loki was just trying to weasel his way out of the loop. He wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Put him in,” Mobius said with a cheery smirk.
A small gasp echoed against the walls as Loki was wound back by his captors. It took the might of both Minutemen to toss Loki through the door like an over-served patron tossed out from a bar. The red Time Door closed behind him instantly.
Silence lingered after the laughter subsided. It thickened the air, with unresolved implications looming. Verity wanted to tell the Detective about the truth that she heard. She sidestepped around to stand in front of him as he put his TemPad away. But once again, before Verity could say anything, Mobius cleared his throat.
“We’re gonna have to make a pit stop at Ravonna’s office before we go on our interrogation spree…” Mobius announced.
Verity paused before uttering a quiet “Right…” to him. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to mention such a concerning truth. She absolutely will tell him, she just needed to wait for the moment when he’d be ready to listen.
Because of that, there wasn’t much conversation between the pair as they collected their Variant paperwork and made their way to Ravonna’s office. Verity held the files and took a comfortable seat in the lounge that preceded the room in question, per Mobius’ request. He wouldn’t tell her exactly why he needed to meet with Ravonna, but he promised he’d be quick.
Mobius knocked on Ravonna’s door, but couldn’t wait for her to allow him to come in. As he swung the door open, he saw the Judge sitting at her desk, mulling over paperwork with a hand to her forehead. The pen in her right hand hung in the air while files slipped between her left fingertips. She painted a smile on her face as she watched the meek Detective slink into her office. At least he shut the door behind him.
“Hey…” Mobius chirped softly.
The friendly face Ravonna had shown earlier gave way to her confusion. “Shouldn't you be interrogating your Loki Variants?”
“He's softening in the Time Loop Cell. She’s set in her Time Theatre and doesn’t need extra measures,” Mobius explained as he navigated the length of her office, “But while they marinate, I thought maybe I'd interview the other Variant?”
For reasons that Mobius couldn’t explain, he couldn’t bring himself to address her as Sylvie in front of Ravonna. He didn’t need to, however, for Ravonna knew that he was referring to L1190.
“Oh, no,” Ravonna said firmly. She twirled her little blue pen between her fingertips before aiming an end at Mobius. “Just stick with your Lokis and figure out what that Nexus Spike1 was.”
“I know, but I think I can get there faster if I work all three of them together?” Mobius suggested. He pinched his fingers together, then waved his hands in front of his chest, his knuckles nearly grazing each other. This hand gesture abstractly mimicked the sentiment of working the Lokis together through protocols and strategic questioning.
“You said we have a part to play, and the part I play—”
“Absolutely not!” Ravonna’s mouth hung wide. Her jaw could barely contain how loudly she scoffed at the notion. “Did you not understand me back in the hall? She’s off-limits. She’s just too dangerous.”
“Too dangerous? Come on, Ravonna. This is what I do.”
“And this is what I do. Do I need to remind you that she’s escaped from your custody before?”
Mobius fell silent. He was hoping against hope that she had forgotten about that.
“Nobody speaks with that Variant.” Any lighthearted interpretation Ravonna may have shown before has now completely melted away. Her eyes were wide and her lips were pursed. She tilted her head, looking keenly at Mobius for his reply.
Mobius glanced down at the ground. His feet started to shuffle towards the door. He knew better than to debate Ravonna when she had her heels dug in like this. It looked like he wouldn’t get to interview Sylvie after all.
Unless…
“I mean…” Mobius suddenly stopped walking, looking back at Ravonna one last time. He spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, “If there's a mastermind here, I don't think it's Loki or Kaia.”
“Good. Then they should be the easiest to break.” Ravonna matched his energy with a stern smile. “Work your Lokis and figure out what caused that spike. The Time-Keepers are watching, Mobius.”
“They're always watching…” Mobius groaned. His body swayed as he finally made a beeline for the door. He didn’t even bother to initiate their usual parting exchange.
“‘Work your Lokis, work your Lokis,’” Mobius muttered to himself, “That ought to be my mantra…”
When Mobius reemerged from Judge Renslayer’s office, Verity took note of how different he looked. His shoulder hung heavy and his face clouded over with irritancy.
Verity took to her feet. “What’s wrong?”
“We can’t interview Sylvie,” Mobius grumbled. He walked ahead, nearly leaving Verity in his dust. She quickly caught up to him. She had planned to talk to him about what Loki had told them now, but she decided against it. Mobius wasn’t in the right mood.
“What happens now then?”
“We’ll skip ahead to the next part of the game plan: we’ve gotta talk to Kaia.”
Kaia was still placed in Time Theatre 36. There’s the odd time when Variants make multiple stops between Time Theatres and other rooms before their fates are decided. Because of this, it’s TVA protocol to place them in the same theatre until they’re pruned or reinstated with their Sacred counterpart. Makes a tidy TVA even tidier.
With the way the TVA twisted, Mobius and Verity had to follow the theatres in descending order to get to Kaia’s room. Naturally, this means they’d pass Time Theatre 47, where Sylvie was being detained. Although no one was allowed to interrogate Sylvie, someone had to place her in the theatre. She wasn’t about to let that happen without a fight.
“You’re all right…”
Mobius and Verity caught Hunter B-15’s soft sentence of encouragement to her team. A group of three Minutemen had all seen better days. The first one had a bruise on their cheek. The second one had to set his helmet straight. The last one had a napkin to her face, bloodied by a busted lip.
Hunter B-15 herself had just finished tending to a wound when she noticed her colleagues gawking at them. She had taken her helmet off, showing Verity her afro for the first time. Her black puffy curls blended seamlessly with one another, aiding each strand to stand at full attention. But she didn’t have enough hair to make elongated braids or knots. Those hairstyles wouldn’t be ideal with her helmet, which had already shaped her afro to keep a short, crescent form over her scalp.
“They don't go gently, do they?” Mobius quipped.
Hunter B-15 shot the Detective an unimpressed look. “Aren't you supposed to be interrogating your Variant pets?”
“Just stretching our legs…”
Verity nodded in agreement. It wasn’t technically a lie. “We’re heading to go interview Kaia now, actually…”
Under normal circumstances, this is where the group would part ways. The soldiers had earned a break and the analysts had places to be. But between being secondhand witness to Sylvie’s resistance and hanging around Loki for too long, Mobius found himself bitten by a brief moment for a monologue.
“Y’know, we’ve brought in Kree, Titans, vampires…” Mobius recounted, “Why is it the three orphan demigods who are such a pain in the ass?”
“And yet it was your idea to bring in another two,” Hunter B-15 remarked. Her helmet and armoured breastplate glistened in the fluorescent light as she turned her body to face him.
Mobius smirked at Hunter B-15. He had sensed how distressed she was while the Lokis were on the run. It was good to see her be her usual witty self once more.
“I'm happy to share credit for that idea…” Mobius sassed back as he started to walk away. He almost missed the heavy footsteps that followed him.
“Mobius?” Hunter B-15 hustled up the three steps that separated them. “You gotta minute alone?”
“Yeah, sure…” Mobius stopped walking. Before addressing the hunter’s concern, he looked at his interrogation partner. “Verity, keep walking that way, I’ll catch up.”
With a simple nod, Verity walked ahead at a brisk pace. Hunter B-15 inched even closer to Mobius, escaping the earshots of both Verity and her subordinates.
“Did you bring Loki to his theatre?”
“Straight to his cell.”
“Did he say anything while you were in there?”
“Yeah. He said the TVA is lying to me,” Mobius chuckled to himself once more. A flashback of Loki struggling during his arrest, making one last desperate con to throw him off guard… It was adorable of him, thinking he could get the jump on good ol’ Mobius.
As he settled himself down, he noticed that Hunter B-15 didn’t laugh along. She seemed to be pensive in thought. It was strange, he didn’t think he said anything worth a second glance. Mobius had to ask, “Why?”
“Just doing my job…” Hunter B-15 blinked a few times before ultimately shaking her head.
With one last show of gratitude, Hunter B-15 made her way down the opposite end of the hall. She could feel Mobius’ gaze lingering on her for a moment. Eventually, snappy footsteps complimented her heavy march, fading to follow the greenhorn’s head-start.
Hunter B-15 found a quiet nook in the winding hall. No theatre door nearby, no Minuteman prodding her for questions. She placed her helmet on the ledge. Her heart started to rattle against her armour. Her breathing started to fall off the rails. She needed a moment to collect herself.
A vision flashed through her head. She saw a golden dress flowing down her body. Its ends trailed down the gorgeous red carpet that she found herself strutting on. Skyscrapers shielded her from a brisk autumn chill.
Hunter B-15 gasped, and she was back in the hall. Not this vision again. It hasn’t stopped since the bombing.
She blinked. Blinding lights were a welcome sight. But they were still a foreign sight. It was a moment that she had never seen nor experienced before. Yet, with a chorus beckoning, it felt like home.
No, no. It’s just a trick. It has to be!
She shook her head. A blur of teal stood out in the moment. When she refocused herself, her eyes fell on a pro-TVA poster that hung proudly on the wall.
The poster was mostly teal but had shades of sea green to go alongside it. The portrait was split into two halves. The top half had silhouettes of Variants, some in brighter shades than others. A thick mossy green border separated the top half from the bottom, which featured the caricature of a man’s gruff face. He didn’t look like anyone Hunter B-15 recognized. An elegant version of the TVA logo was stamped onto the bottom right corner.
Underneath the last row of silhouettes, but above the green border, were two lines of text: ‘DID YOU GET THEM ALL? VERIFY THOROUGH DELETION’
Are we thorough enough? Hunter B-15 thought to herself. Is it even possible to delete every Variant?
- The term Nexus Spike refers to the steep shift that triggers a Nexus Event. Considering that they were found in an apocalypse, any Nexus Event the Lokis set off would’ve caused a spike. But even then, this Nexus Spike was the sharpest incline on TVA record. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Two more housekeeping things:
• Credits go to this Figma page for the TemPad asset template. Normally, you can take these files and basically turn your phone into a TemPad screen, but I'm using it to make more assets for future chapters. This isn't a one-off. :D
• For transparency's sake, Hunter B-15's visions at the end of this chapter are influenced by set photos from Loki season 2. I'll go into greater detail about this after chapter 32.
Chapter 30: The Bias
Summary:
Chapter 30 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius and Verity conduct a post-Lamentis interview on Kaia. Renslayer conducts her own interview on Verity.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Verity lingered in front of Time Theatre 36, waiting for Mobius to join her side. The files in her hand started to crumple at the corners. She stared at the door, knowing who was on the other side. She was thankful that her best friend was alive but didn’t enjoy that she was once again processed like a criminal. Kaia wasn’t the killer Variant. Kaia wasn’t the one that used the stolen TemPad. What was Kaia guilty of, other than association?
Mobius finally caught up to Verity. He gingerly made his way down the three steps, only to be met with worried eyes hidden behind black-rimmed frames.
“I think I’m going to be biased,” Verity blurted out, “I don’t think she did anything.”
“I kinda expected that…” Mobius, per usual, appreciated her honesty. “I’ll ask the questions, just let me know if she’s lying.”
Verity nodded. Part of her wondered if she really was cut out for the interrogation portion of the job.
“Truthfully, I mostly want to prod Kaia on what exactly happened out there,” Mobius admitted, “But if she starts lying, we’ll have to press further. Ready?”
With another nod from the redhead, the Detective silently beckoned for the guarding Minutemen to let the duo into Kaia’s Time Theatre.
Kaia was in a familiar position: sitting in the wire chair, simultaneously looking bored and frazzled. She was allowed to keep her TVA uniform on, despite its less-than-ideal condition. The Time Collar sat snug around her neck. She was staring holes into the table, so she hadn’t noticed her company until Mobius broke the silence.
“Heya, Kaia…”
The prisoner looked up. Her face was dry, but there were faint red speckles to show where she had previously cried.
“We’re here to ask you a few questions…” Mobius said as he and Verity walked towards the theatre’s core. They stopped short of going past the highest ledge.
Kaia sniffled. “W-Where’d you take them?”
“They’re in their own theatres.”
Verity flinched. She eyed Mobius, who still had his gaze on Kaia. A Time Theatre and a Time Loop Cell were two different rooms. Unfortunately for Mobius, Kaia caught Verity’s shift from the corner of her eye. She'd recognized that semi-scathing look anywhere.
“That’s not true! Where are they really?”
Mobius’ head snapped back lightly. He looked at Verity.
“Right. Human lie detector,” Mobius muttered before looking back at Kaia, “Loki’s in his Cell. At least until we get to interview him.”
As Mobius and Verity joined Kaia in the Theatre’s lower pit, Verity had her head down. She felt torn. She wanted to ensure that the truth was clear for Kaia’s sake, but she didn’t want to make Mobius’ job difficult in the process either.
“Let him go!!” Kaia pleaded, “He was trying to save me! It just all went wrong…”
“Don’t worry about Loki right now,” Mobius cautioned, “We’re focused on you.”
Mobius offered Verity the opposite chair, but she refused. She placed the files on the table, allowing the Detective to set up his operation while seated. A notepad, a pen, and a hasty summary of the Nexus Spike were visible to all on the table.
Once everything was prepared, Mobius cleared his throat. Normally, he liked to start interrogations lightly, but he was in no gaming mood. “Start from the very beginning.”
“We were heading to the golden elevators when we found S—”
“Why were you going there?”
“Uh… Following a hunch.”
For the first time in a long time, Verity heard Kaia’s voice scratch. Her best friend knew better than to lie so bluntly, but she could hear the truth being held back by careful word choice. One could go as far as to say that her gift not only allowed her to perceive the truth, but also someone’s intentions.
“Tell the whole truth, Kaia.” Verity gently folded her arms over her chest.
Kaia winced. Loki had cautioned against revealing their secret agent personas. However, with them separated, arrested, and recovering from the brink of death, holding back with partial truths didn’t feel worth it.
“Loki and I thought we could speak with the Time-Keepers, but Sylvie was already at the elevator…” Kaia explained, “Loki and Sylvie fought, but when Renslayer showed up, Sylvie grabbed me as hostage…”
As she spoke, Kaia felt her tears well up. Not even due to emotion this time, but rather the exhaustion setting in after that time on the run. Sylvie had threatened to harm her more times than she could bother to count. Just thinking about it tired her out. She was too tired to notice that no one questioned her when she brought up Sylvie’s name.
“If Loki didn’t steal Sylvie’s TemPad and open that Time Door… R-Renslayer would’ve pruned all three of us.”
Verity’s eyes widened. She could only nod to Mobius, a silent statement to confirm Kaia’s honesty. Although she didn’t doubt Kaia, Verity thought of Loki. She remembered him boasting a similar accusation at Renslayer back in the halls, but she was with her anger and without her gift. A twinge of guilt started to bud within her. Maybe he actually was having a genuine go at being honest.
Mobius accepted the truth. He jotted down bullet points of what Kaia recalled before turning to a new page.
“And that Time Door took you all to Lamentis-1, mere hours before it was due to collapse,” Mobius stated, “What didja do on Lamentis?”
“Well, the TemPad ran out of battery, w-we were trying to find a power source…” Kaia’s voice unravelled more and more as her testimony shifted into a full-on vent. “But there were so many meteors and a lady with a bazooka! We had to s-sneak on a train but we were caught and literally tossed out! The TemPad broke and Shuroo blew up and—”
“Kaia, breathe…”
The bias that Verity acknowledged beforehand had now fully surfaced. She walked to Kaia’s side, patting her back gently. With her best friend’s encouragement, Kaia started to collect herself. Cheeks that had turned rosy from the sheer velocity of her rambling now started to cool off. To help calm down, she watched as Mobius wrote more notes on his wad of paper. She did spill out quite a bit of information; it was a testament to his expertise that he could keep up.
When Mobius finished writing, he looked back up. He was none too pleased to see his interrogation partner comforting the subject. What happened to their unified front?
“Verity…”
“I warned you, Mobius.” Verity’s hand shifted down, now taking hold of Kaia’s hand. “I don’t like seeing her like this.”
Mobius exhaled. She did warn him. He didn’t have the time to banter with her on it either. He had to remember why they were here.
“Kaia, what caused the Nexus Event?”
“Nexus Event? We were in an apocalypse. I thought—”
“You three still created a branch. Not even a branch, a full-on Nexus Spike!” Mobius’ voice started to bubble over. Kaia was the most logical choice for a straight answer. The last thing he needed was her acting smart or shutting down. He didn’t want to break her, per Renslayer’s suggestion, but with the way she so easily bent, collateral damage might be unavoidable.
“What was the most extraordinary thing that any of you did on Lamentis?”
Kaia hummed a bit. According to her understanding of Nexus Events, anything an out-of-place Variant does on the Sacred Timeline could trigger it. As Sylvie so eloquently put it, any action they did would’ve set off a smoke signal.
“A Lamentian shot Sylvie and Loki with a bazooka?”
“Sad I missed it. But it needs to be something you three did.”
“I kicked a dude in the chest.”
“A spike that strong has to be more than just a kick.”
“The TemPad broke?”
“TVA devices don’t cause Nexus Events.”
“I don‘t KNOW!!” A frustrated cry echoed throughout the room. A tear snuck down Kaia’s cheek. “We were just there and the whole planet was falling apart above us… We literally just accepted the fact that we were going to die before your little toy soldiers showed up…”
Mobius leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. A frumpy frown formed on his face. He felt that he hadn’t even pushed her that far, so it was upsetting to see her fold so easily.
“Kaia, I’m not trying to be mean here. I’m just trying to get a picture of what happened. What caused that Spike?”
“Mobius, she genuinely doesn’t know what set off the Nexus Event…” Verity rubbed the back of Kaia’s hand a bit before letting go. “They traversed Lamentis-1, failed to hijack a train, and were about to die like everyone was supposed to. Right, Kaia?”
The suspect Variant nodded. The Detective still looked unimpressed.
“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of what happened. That’s all,” said Mobius, “I’m not a fan of you three bolting like that, creating more headaches that the TVA hasn’t—”
“Yeah? Well, I’m not a fan of the TVA!” Kaia blurted out, “How they use you all and lie to you!”
Hah, so they rehearsed that line together?
Mobius gathered his paperwork and took to his feet. He didn’t bother tucking his chair in. He wasn’t in the mood to entertain the thought of being turned against the TVA, the only life he’s ever known. His throat grew hot with resentment.
“This interrogation's over. Verity?”
“Give me a minute.”
“We’re leaving.”
“I’m taking a minute!”
Mobius climbed the few steps out of the pit before acknowledging that Verity really was taking a minute. He looked back to see Verity squatted down, holding Kaia in a tight embrace as she remained seated in her chair. He kept his thoughts about it to himself. He wouldn’t have minded playing Good Time Cop, Bad Time Cop if Verity had requested it.
The conversation between friends was loud enough for Mobius to overhear.
“You’re not in trouble, Kaia,” Verity reassured her. “And you do realize that Mobius truly has your best interests in mind?”
Kaia opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder to meet the eavesdropper in the distance. She held eye contact with him as she managed a brisk, slow nod into Verity’s shoulder.
“We’re gonna go talk with Loki now,” Verity continued, pulling herself back to look at Kaia directly, “But you have to stay here. Please be patient while we figure everything out.”
“Okay…” Kaia sniffled.
With a reassuring smile, Verity let go of Kaia and joined Mobius’ side. With one final fleeting show of thanks towards Kaia, the Detective beckoned for the Minutemen to pull the door open. The prisoner did as instructed, staying put as the pair of analysts left her alone once more with her sorrow.
By this point, Mobius had cooled down a bit. As much as this was a sore spot for him, Verity knew she couldn’t hold back the truth further. What if Loki repeated it and broke Mobius’ last straw?
“Mobius…” When they were truly alone in a hallway, Verity pulled Mobius to the side. "Loki and Kaia were both being honest about that…”
Finally, Mobius was open to hearing Verity out. “About what?”
“‘The TVA is lying to you,’” Complimented by raised hands and arching fingertips in motion, Verity quoted Loki, “But we cut the talks short before they could explain…”
“Because that’s a hearty allegation…” Mobius sighed.
He didn’t want to tell Verity this, but he knew that the Variants were being honest. Verity was quick to call out lies; if they had been dishonest, she would have spoken up sooner. It wasn’t something that Mobius wanted to believe, however. The bulldozing wasn’t to discredit Verity, but rather to keep himself in denial for a little bit longer.
And yet, the statement itself was still vague. The TVA could be lying about something minor or something major. It could be a lie told secondhand; a lie believable to them, told to them by a liar. There were too many variables and not enough evidence to just blindly believe a being sometimes known as the God of Lies.
It was a drastic time; Mobius knew he needed to take drastic measures.
“Verity, I’m gonna need to play hardball with Loki. I need him to squirm. I need to go talk to him alone.”
Verity anticipated this, what with the way she couldn’t stand idly by against Kaia’s anguish. She knew she wouldn’t have given Loki that level of sympathy, but she hadn’t given Mobius solid proof of that during that last interrogation. It still hurt to hear.
“You don’t think my power can help in there?” Verity asked softly.
Mobius was quick to shake his head. Even though her conduct in the theatre contradicted the norm, Mobius couldn’t hold that against her. She was always true, especially to herself.
“You’re always a big help. I just need to dust off some of my… more intense interrogation tactics,” Mobius admitted, “It’s gonna get ugly. I’d rather not have you witness me like that.”
“Or you don’t want me giving away when you lie…”
Slowly, Mobius agreed, “That too. But it’s just for this interview.”
“And you’ll figure out what Loki and Kaia meant?”
“If it plays right, yes.”
Verity smiled. If the truth was at stake, she was willing to play any role necessary, even if it was placed in the back seat.
Grr…
A sudden pang his Verity in the stomach. Perhaps she was better off placed in the cafeteria.
“I… think I should swing by the cafeteria for a snack…” A raspberry blush flushed upon Verity’s face, “You’ll call for me when you need me?”
“Guaranteed. Keep your TemPad on.”
Mobius and Verity parted on good terms.
By this point, Verity knew her way around the TVA decently well. She knew how to navigate to the canteen without any help. The vending machines that dispensed food for the TVA workforce did wonders, especially when you wanted something not explicitly from a discontinued point in time. The salad machine allowed for limitless options, down to the finest detail. She decided to treat herself by mixing peaches into her caprese salad order.
As soon as the curved orange plate hit the tray, a ping from her TemPad chimed loudly from her pocket. She checked her TemPad before going for her tray.
Verity sighed into her device before putting it away. She wanted her snack, but she technically was free. It seemed like a bad idea to keep the Judge waiting unnecessarily. As she claimed up her plate, fork, and a few napkins — leaving the tray behind — she wondered if Judge Renslayer would be lenient.
As she made her way to the Judge’s office, Verity picked at her lunch. With the empty hallways, it was easy to get away with eating on the go. She was sure to clear her face of any dressing before knocking on the intricate doors.
“Come in!”
Although she had waited in the lobby many times, this was the first time Verity had entered the office of Judge Ravonna Renslayer. It was gorgeous, with the way the ambience of the outer TVA seeped in between vertical blinds. Shelves were lined with books, folders, and knick-knacks commemorating various successful landmark missions. Not a speck of dust nor an item out of place. Everything looked like it belonged somewhere, especially the miniature bar that was just off to her right.
Renslayer herself was seated at her desk, but she set aside her busy work as soon as Verity allowed herself in. The flawless smile on her face looked genuine.
“Ah, Verity! I’m glad you could make it.”
“Of course, Judge Renslayer…”
“Please, Ravonna is fine.”
Verity nodded, carefully juggling her snack as she shut the door behind her. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing my lunch?”
“Not at all! I’m sure you’ve been working hard. You’ve earned it,” said Ravonna as she took to standing, “Go on, take a seat.”
Ravonna gestured to the curved orange couches and marble coffee table that were sunken in the centre of her office. The headstone-shaped gap had two wooden ridges; one level with the couches and another to make the step onto the brown shag rug below not as steep. The TVA interior design team really liked their shallow floor pits.
Verity sat on the flattest edge of the right-hand couch. There was a significant amount of legroom that separated the couch from the table, so she opted to keep her salad on her lap in order to avoid the constant reach. She nibbled on the balsamic leaves as Ravonna joined her on the same couch. The Judge sat on the part of the couch that bowed towards her desk, a mere arms-length apart from the Analyst. As she turned to face her, Verity noticed that Ravonna’s blazer was significantly longer than Mobius’. The way it draped over the edge of the couch and flowed under her body reminded her of a flowing current.
“I got the update from Mobius, that he’s planning to interview L1130 alone… I thought this would be a good time to check in with you and see how you’re doing,” Ravonna explained, “By the way, I overheard you yelling at L1130 when the three Lokis were arrested. Good job.”
Ravonna ended that sentence with a wink. If she was quick to commend anyone, it’d be someone who was willing to stand up to a troublesome Variant with only their voice as a weapon.
Dimples pierced Verity’s cheeks; she had to in order to hold back the fact that she now regretted her tirade. She decided to disclose the truth behind such an outburst back then, instead of delving into her updated opinion on the situation now.
“He needed to hear that, is all…” Verity waved her hand dismissively in the air. It helped the dents in her face flatten out.
Ravonna had her full attention on Verity. She smiled as she crossed her leg over her lap. Her pant leg rode up to show her shin, sheathed by sheer amber leggings. The colour match was remarkable; if Verity hadn’t had her glasses on, she would’ve confused the nylon sheen for impeccably smooth bare skin. It glimmered like the tip of a Time Stick. Which reminded her…
“I should apologize, by the way…” Verity said, “I’m sorry for lashing out at you on the elevator. I didn’t have full context on the situation.”
She continued to speak in truth, even though she also knew Ravonna had almost pruned Kaia. Ravonna was doing her job; she tried not to hold that against her. The truth merely comforted Verity in retrospect since Loki inadvertently saved Kaia at that moment (just before taking her to one of the most deadly apocalypses known to the Sacred Timeline).
“Consider it forgiven,” Ravonna replied, “If I had walked in on a scene where I thought one of you analysts or hunters were pruned, I’d have the same reaction.”
Ravonna watch as Verity nodded along, biting into more of her meal. That apology did remind her of that moment by the elevator. Although she understood the sentiment, she wondered why Verity’s passion was so driven toward that Loki. Mobius had mentioned it too, how Verity and the so-called Kaia had a five-year friendship, how that could be used to the TVA’s advantage. The payoff for that seemed stagnant at the moment.
“Tell me something, Verity…” Ravonna continued, “Why do you consider Variant L5242 a friend?”
Ravonna made it a constant habit to refer to Variants by their number. Whereas Hunters were imbued with pride from their rank, Variants fell in line when stripped of their names. Part of the processing process is reminding the Variants that they’re not the ones in charge of their story. Or rather, that they never were.
“Kaia’s my only true friend.” Verity didn’t mean to sound defensive, but it certainly came off that way. “She‘s been the only person who‘s accepted me for who I am, and stuck with me nonetheless.”
“Ah, but that was then. Now, she seems to have a few more friends…” Ravonna was obviously referring to Loki and Sylvie, “Perhaps they’re more important to her than you?”
“I doubt that…”
“I‘m just stating that she ran off with Variant L1130 instead of sticking with you.”
Verity’s eyes narrowed. She knew Kaia much better than Ravonna. Kaia had only tagged along with Loki because they were together. After all, Verity had been preoccupied with interrogating Sylvie. Her best friend wouldn’t pick Loki over her so blatantly… right?
No, she wouldn’t. There was ample logic behind it, too. Verity hid behind the logical answer to deflect Ravonna’s doubts.
“Kaia wants answers as to why she can’t remember her past… Admittedly, Loki answers those questions better than I can…” Verity took a deep breath. She didn’t think she’d admit this so soon, but the truth was also this: “He cares for her.”
“He’s a Loki. A villain. A liar,” countered Ravonna, “He’s going to backstab her eventually.”
Verity shook her head. “When both of them said he protected her on Lamentis-1 in the theatres, they were both telling the truth. He wouldn’t hurt her on purpose.”
That gave Ravonna a bit of pause. She suddenly regretted sitting down empty-handed. She could do with a notepad to write down a development, or a drink to help swallow it. With neither at the ready, she pressed her fingertips into her thigh. The pressure helped her make a mental note. She opted to say nothing, inviting Verity to conclude her thoughts.
“Not to mention that Mobius and I were kind of occupied when they ran off…”
“Right, when you two let L1190 get away.”
Verity’s face fell flat. She had no rebuttal. The guilt that Mobius had helped put out started to regain its spark.
“I hope you understand that that incident is, in part, why I’m not letting any analyst interview her. I’m handling her personally.”
Verity understood what Ravonna meant, but it was still a hard truth to acknowledge. She muttered weakly, “We wouldn‘t let her get away…”
“Even so, she overpowered you two. You’re lucky that you and Mobius weren’t seriously hurt. I‘m not taking that risk again.”
Verity stared down at her half-eaten lunch. She should be thankful, shouldn’t she? That Mobius had protected her. That Ravonna was dedicated to protecting her now.
The guilt had bubbled up to the surface. Verity croaked, “It wasn‘t Mobius‘ fault…”
Ravonna twisted her head, leaning into Verity slightly. Her neck stuck out as if to physically replicate the way Verity was sticking her neck out for Mobius. Yet, she still managed to look sympathetic.
“Those Loki Variants are his responsibility, you don‘t need to defend him…”
“It’s not defending, it’s me being honest…” Verity gave Ravonna a sombre look. “I can’t lie to myself either, Ravonna…”
It was hard for Verity to talk about her gift so bluntly, even in a place where she was temporarily free of it. Even though she had learned to live with it, the burden of her life weighed heavy on her heart.
“I agitated the Variant and prompted her to retaliate. I-I’m nowhere near Mobius’ level of interrogation skills, and I know it…” Verity confessed, “Even now, I understand that he needs to interview Loki without me or my ability.”
“That is big of you to admit…” Ravonna’s face softened. “Verity, you’re not in trouble for what happened. However, as the TVA is my responsibility, I need to do whatever it takes to keep you all safe. That Variant has killed so many Minutemen. We can’t afford to let her kill anyone else, including you or Mobius.”
“I understand.”
“Good…” Ravonna placed a gentle hand on Verity’s knee, patting the cap three times before retracting. A gesture of compassion that neither could have predicted.
“Other than that, how’re you doing? I’ve heard whispers of you making quick breakthroughs in your analysis…”
“I’m doing well,” Verity smiled, “With such a good mentor in Mobius, it’s hard not to succeed.”
“I don’t doubt that. He is one of our best.” If Ravonna had a drink, she would give a toast to him. “Considering his niche, he usually works alone.”
“I consider myself lucky, then.”
Verity could relate to the solitude wholly. It’s how she lived most of her life. In recent years, she had grown fond of the friendship she forged with Kaia. She felt the same way about Mobius now. The kindness and mentorship that Mobius had given her throughout her time at the TVA is something she didn’t take for granted.
“I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes,” Ravonna agreed, “Just be a help, not a hindrance, to him. Then I’ll be lucky, too.”
Verity grunted in agreement as she scarfed down the last of her salad. She managed to clear her throat before adding, “I really do feel like my work makes a difference here…”
“From what I gather, you already have had a great impact. Keep it up.”
“Thank you, Ravonna…”
“No, thank you for meeting with me on such short notice…”
Ravonna held out her hand to the redheaded recruit. Verity accepted with a sliver of a smile.
“You can go if you wish, Verity. I still need to make some preparations before we finally put an end to this chapter…”
“Understood.”
“For all time.”
“Always.”
Mobius had taught Verity that the TVA’s slogan also served as a formal way of saying goodbye. It wasn’t required, but the sentiment was shared between two colleagues that were on close terms. Considering how the impromptu meeting started and the agitated statements that flew, it was a minor miracle that Ravonna felt compelled to initiate such parting words.
Satisfied, Verity collected her dish and made her way back to the cafeteria to dispose of them. She was technically still on her break, wasn’t she? A brief glimpse at her TemPad told her that Mobius wasn’t ready for her just yet.
Renslayer herself went back to her desk. She pulled the computer’s keyboard close to her and jotted down the mental notes she had taken during that meeting.
In her mind, the conversation with Verity went well. Its main purpose was to provide Ravonna with information, but it included information she didn’t anticipate. She learned more about the bond between L1130 and L5242. About how one could be the other’s weak spot.
She learned more about Mobius. How gracious he was in his mentorship. How he influences others around him.
She learned more about Verity. What she liked to eat. How she interprets the truth that’s given to her. How closely she valued Mobius and those Variants.
So the saying goes, Ravonna got to know her enemy.
Chapter 31: The Interrogation
Summary:
Chapter 31 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius conducts a post-Lamentis interview on Loki
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains violence, implied character death.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Loki — the conniving, craven, pathetic worm — had been stuck in his Time Loop Cell for what felt like an eternity. What fleeting hope he had for a different bad memory faded as soon as Lady Sif’s anger bellowed for the first time since re-entering the cell. He had long since lost track of how many times she had entered, punished him brutally, and left. His left cheek and nether region in particular had a tingling sensation persisting, indicating early stages of numbness, which only felt more obvious when his wounds were given moments to breathe between lashings.
Every attempt to stop Sif has failed so far. He couldn’t even get her to alter her dialogue before she kneed him and slapped him to the ground. At this point, Loki didn’t bother getting up. He sat on the fancy circular emblem that was etched into the false Asgard’s tile floor. He had his legs bowed around him and a hand on his thigh, attempting to get his blood flowing back to where it needed to go. He glanced up at the ceiling so painstakingly recreated from his memories and took a pained breath. A slow inhale and an even slower exhale from his body told him three things. He was tired. He was spent. He was alone.
Click-click-click!
The echo of Lady Sif’s boots preceded her both appearance and her script. Loki didn’t bother looking up. He knew she stood at the archway with a clump of jagged hair in her hand. That’s how it always started.
“YOU!”
Loki cringed. The first go-around with Lady Sif was enough. He had just about enough of this second season of this bad memory. She already launched into her familiar diatribe of name-calling before Loki could muster one last attempt to halt her.
He was officially not above grovelling. It’s not like anyone else was here to witness this.
“Please, please, I beg you, no more…” Loki panted. He took his hand off of his leg and aimed his palm at Sif, beckoning for her to stop. “I get it, I’m a horrible person… I really am…”
Sif stopped walking and stood above Loki. She watched as he used his arms to shift his body to face her. Still lacking the desire to stand, he propped himself onto his knees and sat on his hamstrings. His chest rose and fell with every laboured breath he took. Eventually, he found the energy to look up at his fabricated acquaintance. The desperate look he gave her was anything but false.
“I cut off your hair because I thought it’d be funny… and it’s not…”
Loki looked Sif up and down, expecting something out of her. A difference in her speech, another slap, what have you. To his surprise, Sif said and did nothing. Perhaps she was stunned by his sudden turn. If this had been in the timeframe of that brisk Asgardian morning, Sif wouldn’t have seen Loki like this: on his knees, covered in moon dirt, hair twisted and frazzled by brushes with death.
“Uh… I crave attention, because…”
Loki paused. His tongue grazed his chapped lips as he thought about why he needed all eyes on him and why he liked it. Why he drew Sif’s ire that day. Why he stole TemPads. Why he didn’t mind having Kaia in his shadow. Why he was so prone to mischief for his whole life.
“Because I’m… I’m a… I’m a narcissist…” Loki finally admitted.
His choices led him here. He stepped off the Sacred Timeline in hopes of escaping his arrest. He crafted his opportunity to make his way to the Time-Keepers through the TVA ranks.
Cutting Sif’s hair served his pride, not her. His tricks with the TemPad took Verity off the course of her true life and annoyed Mobius endlessly. Befriending Kaia led her to the danger that he sought out. His tricks with the TemPad also doomed Sylvie and Kaia to Lamentis-1. The spotlight he wanted only served to devastate the people around him. People that, so it turns out, he cared about. People that he wanted in his life.
“And I suppose… that’s because… I’m scared of being alone.”
Loki didn’t want to be alone anymore.
Sif’s eyes darted around the room, processing what she had heard. Whatever intelligence programmed her didn’t plan for a confession of this magnitude. Her lip puffed up and she inhaled sharply through her nose. What does one do with a demigod that learned his lesson?
Eventually, Sif extended her right hand to Loki. He accepted. She stood firm, allowing herself to be leverage as Loki brought himself to his feet. He was about to thank her and let her go, but he found himself jerked forward not even a moment after being helped up. Sif’s stare pierced through Loki as she used his semi-bare arm to reel him in closer to her. This allowed her to deviate from the script of that loop, but what she said was true to her brutally honest nature.
“You are alone and you always will be.”
Loki said nothing. He only managed to writhe his arm free of the simulation’s grip. With nothing left to say, Sif left the room. She did not slap him physically, but her words accomplished that for her. His face had paled by about four shades, his eyelids fluttering as he shifted focus from cauldron to cauldron. He didn’t even notice that Sif didn’t return in time to start the next loop. He was too absorbed in his selfish thoughts.
He was alone. Who’s to say that won’t change? Everyone he knew in his previous life was on their sacred path. Everyone he knew now is gone. Sylvie? Arrested and separated. Kaia? Arrested and separated. Verity? Working for them and still ticked off at him. Mobius? That folksy dope can—
“Okay, Loki…”
Loki’s head snapped to look at where the voice came from. Mobius stood where Sif was supposed to stand, his silver hair and stern face illuminated by the torches on either side of him. He only held his hands in balled fists, allowing each arm to rest on either side of him.
So perhaps Loki wasn’t alone now, technically. But he did not feel welcome in his presence. What concerned Loki more than that was that Mobius was alone. No Sylvie was to be expected, but the lack of Verity or Kaia was noteworthy.
“You ready to talk?”
Loki took a breath in with his whole body. His chest puffed out as he inhaled, and his entire body rocked back as he exhaled, from head to toe. His whole body ached, but he kept his balance. His head slowly nodded up and down of its own volition. After all, his choices were either to talk to Folksy Mobius or stay with Lady Sif.
Loki was ready to talk.
Through a red Time Door, Mobius led Loki back into the heart of Time Theatre 25. The table was tidy. The holo-projector was powered down, for it wasn’t needed at that time. Mobius already had a solitary clipboard and pencil on the table, placed in front of the chair that he now claimed as his own. The prisoner eyed the Detective as he lackadaisically made his way to his own cagey chair.
“Fancy technology. Threatening interrogation tactics…” Loki recited as he plopped himself down into the seat, “Seems you and I are in a loop of our own.”
Mobius was unfazed. “Well, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.”
“Certainly has.”
As he tucked himself into the table, Loki felt his bravado seep back into his veins. His adrenaline shot his spine up straight and formed a perfect posture. Although he had been rattled by his loop, he knew that he could not afford to show Mobius any weakness. That resilience is how a Loki perseveres.
The pencil twirled between the Detective’s fingertips. He looked ready to write, but instead, the utensil slipped from his left hand and smacked the blank paper instead. His gaze was still on his clipboard as he started talking.
“Okay, you said the TVA is lying to me. Go ahead.” Mobius’ head suddenly shot up to look Loki dead in the eye. “Or is that just a cockroach's survival mechanism kicking in?”
By the time Mobius looked up, Loki already had his bare forearms knotted over his chest. “Let me out of this place, stop beating me up, and I'll tell you.”
“Cockroach. Got it.”
Mobius glanced down, scribbling the prominent word on the top of his note-taking sheet. He swiftly ignored the quiet tch that Loki gritted out between his teeth.
“So, how long have you been working for the Variant?”
The mere thought of working under Sylvie’s lead made Loki recoil.
“Me? Working for her?” Loki scoffed, “Please, I don’t work for anyone.”
“You sure were quick to leave with her when our Minutemen were preoccupied with cleaning up her mess.”
Once again, the Judge’s misconstrued narrative resurfaced. Loki could only shake his head.
“Kaia and I found her. She and I fought, she took Kaia hostage, and I activated a Time Door to save us all from Judge Renslayer.”
“Uh-huh…”
“If I didn’t use that TemPad, we would’ve been pruned by your precious Judge!”
“So you saved the Variant, but you don’t work for her…” Mobius strung out Loki’s words to find the true meaning. “You’re partners?”
The Time Collar chafed more and more as Loki found his head in a constant swivel. How could one detective be so wrong so often? Loki’s arms dropped out of their fold, and his eyes even drifted away from Mobius as he processed where he and Sylvie stood.
“Absolutely not…” Loki protested, “She’s difficult and irritating, and she tried to kill both Kaia and me on several occasions…”
She’s headstrong and assertive, and she can hold her own in battle…
“No, not partners, no.”
“Yeah, I guess you don't do partners…” Mobius took a literal and mental note, “Unless, of course, it benefits you and you intend to betray them at some point.”
“It was a means to an end, Mobius.” Loki locked eyes with his interrogator. “Welcome to the real world. Down there, we're awful to one another to get what we want.”
“So now I’ve gotta have a prince tell me how the real world works? Were you awful to Kaia too?”
Under the table, Loki gripped his knee. Exerting such pressure helped him hide his frustration. Was Mobius that much of a fool; to disbelieve Verity when Loki told the truth about how he wouldn’t harm Kaia?
“Don‘t twist my words.”
Mobius complied by ignoring his words entirely. “Why don't you just tell me what caused the Nexus Event on Lamentis?”
Even if I did know… “I'm not going to tell you just so you can turn around immediately afterwards and prune me!”
The bitter malice in Loki’s voice cemented how he felt at that moment. The point of the interrogation was to get information out of him, and Loki wasn’t exactly feeling cooperative at the moment. Not with someone who valued his job more than him. Not with someone who he thought was on his side.
Mobius’ shrug was atypical from what one would imagine. In full synchronistic fashion, he pumped his eyebrows, waved his right hand, and tapped the metallic clip of the clipboard with the pencil in his left hand. His face puckered sideways, tasting Loki’s pushback for what it was.
“I guess we’ve reached a dead end, then.”
“Seems we have. It’s over.”
“I’m going to miss these little tête-à-têtes.”
“Me too.”
As they bickered one last time, Mobius tucked his pencil into his clipboard, and then his clipboard under his right arm. The makeshift shield further obscured Mobius’ hand as he reached into his inner jacket pocket, his Loki-proof home for his TemPad.
“Shame you thought we were playing checkers when ol’ Mobius here was playing chess… but, yeah…” Mobius stood up. He opened up his TemPad, “Give my regards to Lady Sif…”
Hang on. Lady Sif? After all that, he’s going to just toss me back into the loop?
“N… What…?”
Loki glanced at where the Time Door had spawned. The space was vacant for now, but the look on Mobius’ face heavily implied that he was ready to fill that void.
“I’ll give your goodbyes to Verity and Kaia before they—”
“No! N-no no, please, no…” Loki was NOT ready for a third go with Lady Sif. “Wait, Mobius.”
Thankfully, it worked. Mobius waited, stopping short of summoning the red Time Door.
“Yeah…?” Mobius said softly. He surely was expecting another lie. Who could blame him?
What a dope he was, for attempting to tango with the God of Lies without a safeguard like Verity. In an instant, he figured out a lie that could easily pass for the truth.
“Of course, it was me!” Loki said with his whole chest. “Pulling the strings all along…”
Why shouldn’t Mobius believe that he, the superior Loki, was the puppet master?
Snap!
Mobius clicked his TemPad shut as he slowly retreated to his seat. Deep down, he had an inkling that he was about to be told a tall tale. Perhaps this time, this story had some smatterings of the truth hidden within it. What detective would he be if he didn’t try to figure them out?
As he sat down, Mobius did not put his TemPad away. Rather, he placed it on the edge of his side of the table, well out of Loki’s long reach. He also placed his clipboard back down but hesitated to start writing. His full focus was now on Loki, watching and listening intently as he started to elaborate.
“The Variant, she came to me on Asgard a long time ago…” Loki explained, “She took me to one of her apocalypses and that‘s where we hatched our plan together.”
“Which is?”
“Coming along very nicely, thank you.”
Mobius resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He should’ve expected his prodding to be met with a snarky reply.
“And the Variant?”
“Doesn‘t matter. She‘s a pawn.”
“Much like how you‘ve pawned Kaia into your scheme? Three of a kind…” Mobius switched his game from chess to poker. He had the perfect face for it.
Now it was Loki’s turn to ignore Mobius’ bait. In fact, he opted to play into the narrative Mobius wanted to believe. “Something very, very big is going to happen. And when it does, I’ll have no need for them anymore. I can dispose of them.”
Loki leaned over the table and smirked. This was the Loki that the Detective wanted to see, right? The cold, callous God of Mischief, who was ten steps ahead of everyone, including those who had every record and resource to fact-check his claims. He figured out the gap in the TVA’s security, after all. Who’s to say that he didn’t figure it out before the TVA found him?
Mobius did not react to this, at least not outwardly. Internally, the seismic shift in Loki’s demeanour intrigued him. Someone who was so determined to prove his change through Kaia was now this quick to toss her under the bus? Well, two could play at that game.
“Funny, Kaia mentioned nothing about this plan when I talked to her… seems you’ve really got her under your thumb.” Mobius picked up his pencil once more, wagging its eraser towards Loki. “But in any case, we saved you half the trouble, the Variant’s already been pruned.”
Sylvie’s… pruned…?
The grin on Loki’s face slowly dropped. Once it found a resting place, he did something no Frost Giant could normally do: he froze.
“Call me if you ever plan to dispose of Kaia though, I’d love to see it.” Mobius hunched over his side of the table, preparing to take more notes. “So, assume I do set you free. Is the—”
“Hang on!” Loki cut Mobius off, “What did you just say‽”
Mobius paused. Then, he repeated what he just said: “Assume I do set you free.”
“The Variant. She’s gone?” Loki was also hunched over his side of the table, but he looked far tenser. A hand outstretched, eyebrows and lips slanted down with the faintest lines of concern. Although he hesitated to give Mobius her name, Sylvie’s well-being was on his mind.
“Yeah, not before she took out two of ours!” exclaimed Mobius, “After she broke free during her escort to her Time Cell, B-15 stepped in, popped her…”
Mobius kept talking, but Loki couldn’t focus. His eyes flickered between Mobius and the tabletop. He couldn’t feel his fingertips, nor could he recall his hand from the table. He could feel each shade of his already awash skin grow paler and paler.
Mobius was still talking, but his voice sounded distant, despite not getting up from his chair. “So you might want to send a thank-you note to Hunter B-15 because it looks like you’re the superior Loki now.”
Why don’t I feel superior?
“I would’ve bet on her, but that’s what makes a horse race.”
Loki slowly leaned back into his chair. A heavy head finally managed to look up, but only after heaving his shoulders up in a shrug. He needed the momentum. His body felt sluggish, but his insides were flipping and twisting in ways unimaginable to him. But one disturbance within Loki confounded him the most.
Why is my heart racing?
“… Good riddance…”
When Mobius had finished his speech, he was looking down at his clipboard. But the way Loki muttered his ‘relief’ aloud prompted him to do a double take. Then a triple take. The Detective couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Loki was slouched in his chair, dressed with the fakest smile he could muster. Although these were slight tells of the lies he told, what truly gave him away was his eyes. Blue eyes that would’ve glimmered like the ocean on a good day were overtaken by a storm. His eyelids were lined with fraught tears. Every inch of his body had been strategically placed to hold himself back like a dam protecting a village from a ravenous river.
Pawns, partners, prunings; those were all lies uttered by both parties. But the eyes told Mobius the truth. In his own dignified way, Loki was distraught at the thought of Sylvie being pruned.
And at that precise moment, Mobius figured out what caused the Nexus Spike. Or rather, who.
“Pfft…” Mobius’ chuckle started with a slight wheeze and developed into a deep rumble, “Ha ha hah hah…”
Loki’s eyebrows teetered from a sympathetic gaze to a confused furrow. “What’s so funny?”
A brief “Come on!” barely escaped past Mobius’ laughter. He took a second to compose himself before continuing. “Like, look at your eyes. You like her!”
“What?” Loki said this in a hushed tone. He still looked baffled. Either he genuinely didn’t know or he was playing the long game. Mobius could only assume the latter.
“You like her! Does she like you??”
“Was she pruned?”
Loki’s indoor voice allowed Mobius to steamroll his quiet questions. It was a stark contrast, to see Loki folded onto himself and Mobius animated. It was a staggering contrast, to have Mobius be the rambling disruption and Loki attempting to be a voice of reason. Mobius’ head bobbed and weaved as he listed off what he perceived, overlapping any interjections that Loki made ever so meekly.
“I mean, no wonder you have no clue what caused the Nexus Event on Lamentis, with both of you swooning over each other!!”
“Mobius…”
“It‘s the apocalypse!”
“Tell me the truth!”
Oh, Mobius knew the truth. It just wasn’t the truth Loki wanted to hear.
“Two Variants of the same being — especially you — forming this kind of sick, twisted romantic relationship…”
Loki felt his heart slam against his ribcage. Romantic… is that the right word?
“That's pure chaos! That could break reality! It‘s breaking my reality right now!!!”
For once, we agree, Mobius.
“What an incredible, seismic narcissist! You fell for yourself!!”
She’s not me.
“Her name was Sylvie…” Loki finally spoke up. Mobius knew that already but opted to continue to play his part.
“Ah, right, Sylvie…” The way Mobius said her name was downright venomous. “Seems like female-presenting Lokis have a habit of distancing themselves from the Loki name. I wonder why…”
… … …
Mobius started to scribble on his clipboard, only to pause after a few lines. “Remind me, is that with an I-E or just an I…?”
If Mobius wanted Loki to snap, he succeeded.
“IS SHE ALIVE‽” Loki’s sudden yell reverberated throughout the whole theatre. He found himself propped forward once more, his chest leaning over the end of the table. Messy strands of hair still unkempt from the apocalypse fell to touch his cheeks.
Mobius squinted. Loki still looked prim and proper despite the seething and dishevelled hair. He looked in control of himself to not comply if he continued to lie about the lover Variant.
The Detective finally retracted his lie with a simple sentence: “For now.”
Relieved, Loki eased himself back into his chair. A heavy sigh swung his face up at first, glancing at the unsettling lights that hovered above them. He had to shut his eyes as his face slumped at a 45-degree angle. His rumbling heart started to steady itself. For now.
“But don‘t you think for one second you‘ll see anyone in your little harem again, Loki.”
Loki’s head shot straight back up to glance at Mobius, his brows already hunched up. ‘Harem’ was the last word he expected out of Mobius’ vernacular. Loki suspected that Mobius didn’t know what that word implied. Certainly not with Kaia.
“As much as I’m sure you thrived on the attention of having the two of them all over you, your little band of Lokis has officially broken up.”
Loki cringed slightly, “It’s not like that, I—”
“There’s that word again! I, I, I, me, me, me! It’s always about you! Your needs, your grand plan!” exclaimed Mobius, “That was sorta your ‘grand plan,’ right? Infiltrating the TVA?”
Loki jumped at the chance to shift away from the current topic at hand. “Our interests are aligned.”
Both Loki and Mobius knew what Sylvie’s interests were.
“Overthrowing the Time-Keepers?”
“Maybe they need to be overthrown!”
Offended, Mobius dropped his pencil. “I ought to box your ears…”
“Mobius, listen!” Loki attempted to regain control of the conversation, “If what Sylvie told me about this place is true, it affects us all!”
“Oh, here we go…” Mobius rolled his eyes. “You‘ve already told me about 50 lies in the past 10 minutes.”
“I‘m not lying this time!”
“Right, right, now who am I supposed to believe? Your terrorist girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend!” Loki denied the accusation aloud as he smacked his palms against the table.
“Whatever you wanna call her! This… this femme version of yourself that you’ve got some demented crush on…” Mobius said as he pointed at Loki with his open palm, “Do I believe her or Kaia, who’s so under your spell that she’d cover for you in a heartbeat, despite you admitting that you’d dispose of her?”
If you should believe anyone, Mobius, it’s me!
Loki’s fingers started to curl into his palms. He had to do so to keep his composure, all while Mobius twisted the dagger from Sylvie and onto Kaia.
“Where is Kaia…?”
“Dunno.” Mobius shrugged, freshening up his poker face. “After my interview with her, Judge Renslayer downgraded her to a non-dangerous Variant. She’s no longer in my custody, as she’s no longer in my department.”
“After all this‽ You’re just giving up on her‽” Loki raised his balled fists in the air for emphasis. “You need me to solve her case!”
“And what help were you? Aside from dragging her along from scheme to scheme, moulding her to fit your plan?” countered Mobius, “In any case, the problem solves itself once we prune Kaia. Renslayer won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on that one.”
“Under what charge? She did nothing wrong!”
“Says the God of Mischief?” Mobius scoffed, “She’s just a Variant of you, nothing more.”
Loki’s fists had been trembling in his hands as Mobius went on and on. But upon that fateful word, he simply couldn’t hold back anymore. It didn’t matter that he had no one to verify him. He needed his fr… He needed Mobius to believe him.
“You‘re all VARIANTS!” In sync with his shout, Loki slammed his fists onto the table, rattling the clipboard and TemPad on Mobius’ side. “Everyone who works at the TVA, not only Verity! The Time-Keepers didn‘t create you; they kidnapped you from the timeline! Erased your memories!”
So this was the ‘truth’ Verity alluded to…
“Memories Sylvie can access… through enchantment…”
Mobius said nothing. It was his turn to freeze. He merely continued to watch Loki intently as he spoke.
“Before this, you had a past…” Loki’s voice softened as his speech petered out, “Maybe you had a family… A whole life on the timeline…”
Mobius silently inhaled. He looked down at his clipboard, hesitant to write down this new revelation. He used the silence between them to process the allegation. Were the Time-Keepers truly responsible for stealing him from his life?
… … …
“Nice try…” Mobius looked back to Loki with a bitter taste in his mouth. He smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, replacing a single scoff with a tiny clicking noise. He fiddled with his pencil, missing a poignant shift in Loki’s facial expression.
His face dropped into a frown. He sunk into his chair without an inch of care for posture. The edges of his hands skidded over the table as he dragged himself back. His head shook dismissively. That was Loki’s final card to play, and Mobius set it on fire.
In their game of poker, Loki folded.
“You won’t even bring in Verity to prove it, would you…?” Loki knew the answer, but it couldn’t have hurt any worse if he didn’t ask.
“She’s on her break,” Mobius said dismissively, “Besides, how do you think I got work done before Verity came along?”
If only you were doing the right work. Your work with me! Why don’t you believe me? Loki could only think this. He wouldn’t dare admit that he just wanted to be on Mobius’ side. Not now, not in the face of this type of betrayal.
“That was real good, yanno? It’s unbelievable!” Mobius filled the empty space with his words. “Wherever you go, it’s just death, destruction, the literal ends of worlds…”
Mobius picked up his TemPad. Stealing the device hadn’t even crossed Loki’s mind, but it wouldn’t have mattered. If he ran, he’d look more guilty. No, he could only watch as Mobius flipped the lid open. Punchy digital sounds emitted from the TemPad as the Detective typed out a sequence.
“This case is closed, and I’m sure Kaia’s case will close shortly after. I officially don’t need you anymore. Or as you’d put it, our interests are no longer aligned.”
Mobius’ inputs accomplished its goal with a pronounced creak. Two Minutemen entered the theatre through the big brown doors. They swiftly approached Loki from behind, each around and under an arm, and lifted him out of his seat. Loki couldn’t let the familiar humiliation affect him. Not when Loki had made one last observation.
“You know…” Loki did not resist as he was forced to his feet. “Of all the liars in this place, and there are a great many… You’re the biggest liar of all.”
Loki pointed at Mobius, but the latter wasn’t looking. He was too busy punching in the commands to open up the Time Cell.
“Why? ’Cause I lied about your little harem?”
“Oh, no, that I can respect.” Despite the lack of audience, Loki leaned as close to Mobius as the Minutemen would allow him. “I’m referring to the lies you tell yourself.”
Woooosh!
The red Time Door opened. The Minutemen wasted no time in tossing Loki back into his cell.
Rrrmph…
Mobius turned to watch his cell door close. The Minutemen that came to his aide left with a mere motion of the Detective’s hand. Now it was just him and his thoughts, absorbing all that the interrogation with Loki had revealed.
The Nexus Spike was caused by whatever affection Loki and Sylvie shared. It was hard to say if Kaia managed to make it a trio or if she was just collateral. Loki seemed ready to lie about her in one breath, yet protect her in the next.
And according to them, the TVA is lying to Mobius. Loki was quite vocal about that. Liars tended to be loud, but sometimes the volume was merely a distraction.
But Loki told the truth about one thing: Mobius knew that he was lying to himself. An inhale preceded an exhale. Mobius needed to approach this allegation from a new angle.
Just before Mobius got up from his seat, he wrote one last note down on the bottom of his sheet: We’re all Variants?
Notes:
I just need you to know it took everything in me to not change that one line to name-drop the title of this fic. But I do have the name-drop written out. When you find it, you know you'll be close to the grand finale of this story.
Chapter 32: The Same Side
Summary:
Chapter 32 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Hunter B-15 is dealing with a crisis, and only Sylvie can help her. Meanwhile, Mobius has his own problem to deal with.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains prominent alcohol consumption.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Her helmet was put away. Her chest plate was slightly loosened. Her gloves were off. Hunter B-15 was now prepared to do something she hadn’t done in a long time: take a break.
Sure, she always took time to rest and eat, but her mind was always on her duty. Training, fighting, detaining, debriefing, the cycle repeating. But now, she was able to take a proper moment, selfishly thinking about herself as she ate her Angus burger. She needed it, for she knew she’d have to make some risky choices when she got back to her shift.
A memory had been imprinted on her. It felt so familiar, yet it couldn’t have possibly been her. She had only been on the Sacred Timeline to fix its mistakes. There was no place for her to actually live that kind of life… was there?
That’s what happens when you give your mind a break; you fill the void with questions. Imagination running wild with possibility and conspiracy. Of all the questions she had for herself, one stuck out the most.
What if that vision really was her?
“There you are!”
“Hmmpf?” Hunter B-15 lingered on her bite as she acknowledged Hunter D-90’s presence. She hadn’t even heard him enter the nearly empty room. The break was paying off.
“Hope you don’t mind…” Hunter D-90 invited himself to the seat opposite Hunter B-15. A quick shake of her head indicated that she didn’t mind. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
Like B-15, D-90 also had his helmet off. His black buzzcut was a purposeful choice, as were eyebrows that spanned the full width of his face. His rigid facial structure matched his personality. Without any balaclava or helmet straps holding them back, his ears fanned out like a Reset charge’s spread. He only had a ‘Jolt Cola’ on his person; a dinner of champions.
“Just wanted to give you your dues. Congrats on the big haul!” said Hunter D-90, “Word around the cooler is that Judge Renslayer is prepping a commendation for you!”
“Yeah…” Hunter B-15’s reply was a bit dreary, more than intended. Her cohort noticed.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“I just thought you’d be more excited.” Hunter D-90 shrugged. “If I were getting accolades from Judge Renslayer, I’d be beaming!”
“It’s just a part of the job…” Hunter B-15 countered, “It’s not about how we’re rewarded, the reward is in what we do.”
“Spoken like a true Hunter!” D-90 nodded along. He drank the last of his energy drink to that. His leg also bounced up and down slightly, but that wasn’t a result of his overly caffeinated beverage.
B-15 noticed the shift in his posture. He seemed as eager to leave as he was to sit down mere moments ago. “Leaving already?”
“Yeah, Judge Renslayer wants me to help her escort the Variant for her execution.” D-90 rose from his seat, empty can in hand. “Maybe that’ll help me get my medal.”
With a brisk laugh, Hunter B-15 waved Hunter D-90 off. Another exchange of congratulations and well wishes helped them separate. It couldn’t come fast enough for her. D-90 was a great Hunter and good friend, but there were times when he was just domineering. Especially if he had a moment to remind someone that he was Judge Renslayer’s right-hand Hunter. It was a point of pride for him; being the Hunter that Judge Renslayer would call upon to escort or protect her personally for her missions.
The brief talk did remind Hunter B-15 of one very important note. The execution was imminent.
Hunter B-15 cleaned her hands with a napkin and put her gloves back on. As she tidied her table, she knew she was ready to get back to work. First stop of her shift? Time Theatre 47.
Her haunting vision started after Roxxcart. After she woke up on the floor. After that Variant got hold of her. If anyone had the answers she sought, it’d be her.
She took the shortest path to the Variant’s theatre. Renslayer had said that her theatre was off-limits, but what she forgot is that guarding Minutemen were a hunter’s subordinates, too. Though, it helps to approach the guards armed with a Time Stick, adorned with a bright orange tip.
“Open the door.”
There was no pushback from the Minutemen. They stepped aside and complied with the order. For all they knew, Hunter B-15 came on a Judge’s order. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
The reports said she called herself Sylvie instead of Loki. Hunter B-15 couldn’t blame the Variant for not wanting to be associated with such a brand, but she knew better than to underestimate any prisoner.
As the doors closed on Hunter B-15, Sylvie looked up to see her new visitor. She had her legs bent in the air; her boots firmly wedged into the edge of the table. Tiny half-gloved hands held onto the rim of her chair to keep her stable in her otherwise slouching pose. The Time Collar on her neck held a solid red light, illuminating her fluffy blonde hair and piercing blue gaze. She hung her mouth open, allowing B-15 to see her tongue roll in front of her teeth. She had been so insatiably bored during her second stint in this theatre. Her visitor was just the spice that she needed.
“Hello… oh.” Sylvie squinted. Her tongue poked out from the corner of her mouth, avoiding any notion of being tongue-in-cheek. “I don’t know. Your name’s a number, I can’t read it from here…”
Sylvie swung her legs down, planting her feet on the ground. She kept her face trained on the armed Hunter as she pushed herself to her feet and inched herself to meet her oppressor. She had no sword and no magic, but she did have confidence as a fighter. If she were to be pruned at this moment, she would at least go down swinging.
So imagine her surprise when the Hunter powered down her Time Stick.
Indeed, Hunter B-15 had no intention of pruning Sylvie. At least, not yet. She snapped her Time Stick back into its holster and retrieved her TemPad. She punched in coordinates that allowed a Time Door to open up behind her.
“Come with me.” Hunter B-15 was stoic and clear in her word choice just before she disappeared through the portal that she created.
Was this Hunter about to aid and abet Sylvie’s escape? Despite the chuffing of her Time Collar reminding her to think smarter, the moment did pique Sylvie’s interest. She opted to wear a cautious face as she followed.
The familiar Alabama raindrops stormed down on Sylvie as soon as she left the Time Door’s archway. It nurtured her like a flower in bloom. This apocalypse was one of her favourites. How kind of the Hunter to give her home-field advantage.
Hunter B-15 stood square in the parking lot, managing to find a clearing amongst the debris. Before she met her foe’s drenched face, Sylvie scanned the supposed battlefield.
"Fine. You wanted a fair fight. I respect that!” Sylvie shouted over nature’s fury.
Hunter B-15 almost laughed. Did she really think that she was that simple?
“When you were in my head, I saw something,” Hunter B-15 stated. A long pause followed. When she continued, Sylvie could hear the brave voice start to falter. “What did you do to me?”
Huh. So perhaps Loki and Kaia were right: the lower rungs of the TVA ladder didn’t know the truth.
Sylvie rewarded an honest question with an honest answer: “I showed you your life before the TVA.”
Before… the TVA? Hunter B-15 had to remember that she was talking to a Loki Variant. Why wouldn’t this be a creative rouse by one of the few Variants with TVA knowledge? Perhaps Sylvie was sparring for a fight after all; a war of words.
“That’s a trick. A deception!”
“No, it’s not!”
“I was created by the Time-Keepers!”
“No,” Sylvie said sharply. “I can’t create memories. I can only use what’s already there.”
By now, Sylvie's flowing hair had been decimated by the rain, as flat as the armour that protected her chest. Hunter B-15’s curls were thick enough to outlast the storm’s assault, but her face and armour were drenched.
“The Time-Keepers took your lives from you,” Sylvie continued, “You’re all Variants. We’re the same.”
When Hunter B-15 agreed to teach Verity her Time Stick tricks, Verity offered her services in return. She gave the Hunter some advice from her level of expertise: perceiving liars. As much as she wanted to disregard Sylvie, she could hear Verity’s lecture on body language echo in the back of her head.
“If someone has trouble maintaining direct contact with you while speaking, they’re either neurodivergent or they’re lying. Look at their body; are they shielding their body or showing their body openly?”
Sylvie’s body was perfectly parallel to hers. Arms down. Palms outstretched. Hips and feet pointed to Hunter B-15.
“When they speak, are they clear, or are they trying to hide their mouth?”
Sylvie had spoken with a concise bravado the entire time. While she waited for the Hunter’s response, her lips were on full display, not hidden in any capacity.
“Are their eyes locked on you or are they struggling to face you?”
Even with the raindrops billowing down on her, with the wind in her face… Sylvie didn’t blink once.
“But at the end of the day, unless you’re me, you shouldn’t assume you know someone’s circumstance. It never hurts to ask the right questions.”
At the time, Verity had meant something simple like outright asking if someone was lying or confirming whether or not their mind worked on a different spectrum. But this was a special case. Sometimes, Lokis are known as the Gods of Lies. Their minds worked in their own special way. Hunter B-15 knew she wasn’t supposed to ask the right question; she was supposed to find the right evidence.
Hunter B-15 shifted her weight from her left to her right. She raised her gloved right arm, offering her own open hand to Sylvie. She knew from experience that bare-skin contact didn’t matter for Sylvie’s brand of magic.
“Show me,” Hunter B-15 commanded. The shiver in her voice didn’t belittle the seriousness of her request.
Sylvie accepted Hunter B-15’s hand. Her fingertips instantly glowed green when they made contact. Her enchantment seeped through the Hunter’s body. The action culminated in two green spots of magic shining underneath her skin, right beside her eyes.
If an Alabaman had dared to venture outside of Roxxcart, they would’ve seen two women holding hands in the parking lot, with one woman staring intently at the other. What was actually happening was Sylvie taking part of her consciousness into Hunter B-15’s mind. They could both vividly see the life she had before the TVA.
Hunter B-15 felt like a stranger in her own body. She stood on a red carpet, silver flats poking out from the trim of a flowing golden dress. The flashing lights emitted from a row of photographers felt overwhelming, so she didn’t walk the line just yet. She looked around and managed to find a window that gave her a better glimpse of herself through a reflection.
Her dress in its full glory was nothing short of stunning. A strip of fabric wrapped around her waist to exaggerate the hourglass silhouette that her dress wanted to make. Her dress was sleeveless, but a matching golden cape draped down her shoulders and over her arms. The U-shaped neckline of her dress gave way to the platinum necklace, pointed ends spilling from the anchoring chain like sunbeams. The jewellery was complimented by matching hoop earrings and a silver head cover that matched her flats. Despite the elegance of her outfit, her muscles still shone through and complimented her fully.
The woman in the dress smiled. Hunter B-15 couldn’t hold the same smile. She watched as an unfamiliar second person approached her on her left. They wore a simple tuxedo and their head was clean-shaven. They snuck their arm past her cape to link her arm with theirs. They rested their head on her shoulder. She smiled back at them through the reflection. The look they had for one another was nothing short of affection.
They asked if she was ready. She said yes.
Hunter B-15 looked at her past life walk away with her past love. She let her memory go, keeping her eyes on the window that had given her clarity. Looking into the reflection deeper, she could see Sylvie staring back at her. She was drenched, despite the dry, brisk night.
The green in her mind faded. Hunter B-15 opened her eyes. She was back at Roxxcart, still caught in its torrential downpour. Sylvie was standing just as she was before, apart from letting her enchantment drop. Sylvie was stoic but sympathetic.
Hunter B-15 couldn’t say the same for herself. Her lip couldn’t stop quivering. Teardrops blended in seamlessly with the raindrops that streaked down her face. Any control she had in her throat was faulty at best.
“I looked happy…” B-15 barely managed to say. Her broken voice told Sylvie all she needed to know.
With the war of words long since faded, the pair stared each other down. They understood one another. They were both Variants, broken by the unrelenting rule of the TVA. They were the same. Despite standing apart from one another, they knew they were on the same side.
“What now…?” Hunter B-15 asked, her voice still unsteady. Without the TVA’s guidebook to rely on, she felt a little lost.
“I need to kill the Time-Keepers…” Sylvie said softly, “… and overthrow the TVA.”
Hunter B-15 cleared her throat. She managed to regain a bit of her composure. “Rumour has it that the Time-Keepers want to see your execution personally.”
“Then I need to fight.” That’s the only life Sylvie knew, after all.
Fight… against the Time-Keepers? That’s a tall order. Very few have met the Time-Keepers in their full glory. The majority only knew of their legend and their omnipotent power. They shaped reality as intended. They gave hunters like her the power to fix variance; who’s to say that power source didn’t come from them?
And yet, Sylvie was the one that had the drive to defy the TVA for years. Hunter B-15 could both respect and work with that passion.
“I have an idea, but I need your cooperation…” Hunter B-15 said. “Wait for Judge Renslayer in your theatre.”
The pair shook on it in the rain. They had forged an alliance. Unbeknownst to Agent Mobius, who had to rely on one of his most recent allegiances to solve one of his problems. Mobius didn’t have the luxury to confide in Hunter B-15. He didn’t even realize that he needed it. His mind was too occupied to make room for those thoughts.
“Mobius, where are we going?”
“Somewhere to talk.”
“And where is somewhere?”
“A place where nobody knows your name. Or mine for that matter.”
Verity only had to ask because Mobius was taking her to new territory. She didn’t even realize the tower they were in had a ground floor. Yet, Mobius held the front door open for her, letting her experience the ‘outside’ for the first time.
Kaia had mentioned to her that the view outside the canteen wasn’t just video but a real, living landscape. It was no illusion, but the concept of cars flying above her and walkways leading to another city below her was a whole other reality to get used to. And yet… parts of the TVA looked like a modern city’s downtown core.
Mobius led Verity past a few nondescript buildings and turned a corner. At a dead-end stood a square silver building. It lacked windows but had a single door. The word ‘BAR’ was written above it. The sign was written in the same orange block letters as the TVA logo. Other than the building, the corner was desolate. No winding tracks that connected the towers passed here, nor did any cars seem to glide above it. Compared to the hustle and bustle of such a busy place, this scene was downright dead.
“Mobius—”
“I know what you’re thinking, why did we go to Phobos instead of here?” Mobius said as he opened the door on Verity’s behalf once more, “It’s unheard of for Variants to be seen traversing outside of TVA Towers. That’s a status quo even I can’t get away with.”
“Actually, I was… wow…" she had a thought, but it could wait.
Verity looked around the nameless bar. It was dazzling. Stainless steel littered the walls and tables, creating a sleek and sterile setting. She certainly did feel like anything to come out of the bar would be met with the highest safety standards. There were a handful of TVA employees of different backgrounds, neckties loosened and fully relaxed. Some were enjoying a beverage or bar-friendly treat. It was almost like Mobius had taken her back to New York. The only hints of their true location were various portraits of the Time-Keepers, permanently punctured in sheet metal that hung on the otherwise clean walls.
Mobius chuckled as he led Verity to a booth, which thankfully had proper upholstery made from cushions, not metal. As Verity sat down, Mobius flashed his TVA purchasing card to the barkeep behind her perch, signalling for two bottles to be dropped off at their post.
“Why here, exactly?” Verity finished her thought.
“I need to tell you about what happens next…” Mobius said as he sat down, “I think we’d both need a drink and a safe setting to process this.”
Verity’s lips skewed sideways. That didn’t sound promising. “This is about your interrogations, isn’t it?”
“Sort of…” Mobius kept his sentiments vague as the bartender brought two ‘Falstaff’ bottles to the table. A quick tap of his card and a signal of gratitude satisfied her enough to drop the drinks off safely and venture back behind the bar. One of Mobius’ reasons for this location was to minimize the chance of potential eavesdroppers.
“Our interrogations are over. We’re going to have a meeting with Ravonna, to close the case on the killer Variant, AKA Sylvie.”
“Wouldn’t it be a trial?”
“No, this is a cut-and-dry case. But forget the Variants for a sec; the point of this conversation is that meeting with Ravonna.” Mobius took a decent swig of his beer before he continued. “I… need to do something a bit risky. I need you there for support, both moral and immoral.”
“You… what?” Verity took a sip from her own bottle. At least he wasn’t asking her to do something risky and potentially immoral.
“S-Sorry, let me backtrack a bit…” Mobius rubbed his thumb along the bottle’s label. He wasn’t used to feeling this uneasy. “During his interrogation, Loki alleged that every TVA employee is a Variant. That we weren’t created but taken from the Sacred Timeline to work here.”
“‘The TVA is lying to you…’” Verity repeated. Mobius simply nodded to confirm that he too was included among every TVA employee.
“I still have my doubts, but I can’t let this rest without proof…” Mobius confessed. Admittedly, he was baiting Verity for possible solutions. Ones that were better than the plan he had in mind.
“We could go back and ask Kaia?” Verity suggested.
Mobius shook his head. “If I brought you in to see either of them, they’d pass your magic. They both believe it’s true because they heard it from the same source.”
“Sylvie…” Verity sighed. Mobius was right. The only person that they could count on for a proper evidential statement was currently off-limits.
Mobius also sighed. It was time for plan A. “I… need to steal Ravonna’s TemPad.”
Verity could only blink and drink her drink. She understood why Mobius brought her here instantly.
“Loki and Kaia weren’t the only ones to have prolonged contact with Sylvie. Hunter C-20 was her hostage. But before I could talk to her, Ravonna reported to me that after she came back to the TVA, she died.”
Verity’s beer nearly escaped through her nostrils. She managed to choke it down. Mobius’ gentle, apologetic pat on her arm helped a bit. He must’ve felt guilty for neglecting to mention that stunning statement sooner.
“I need to know what happened to C-20. It’s gotta be on record.”
“Wait, you think Ravonna’s lying to you?” Verity asked.
“More like withholding information,” Mobius clarified, “Her TemPad has special judicial access that I don’t have. It’s gotta have more info.”
As much as she admired Mobius’ ambition, Verity still had very logical doubts. “And how should you take a TemPad from a judge?”
“That’s where you come in. I just need you to distract her.”
Mobius suddenly reached into his jacket. He pulled out his TemPad and laid it out on the pristine tabletop.
“We close cases in the couch pit in her office. When closing cases, Ravonna always has her TemPad out. She cites her TemPad when filling out the form for each case. We’re all going to sign papers, have a few drinks, and maybe get a little chatty. It’s easy to get Ravonna to talk casually when she’s happy. I’m sure she’s over the moon right now.”
As Mobius kept talking, he pulled out an invisible TemPad from the same breast pocket.
“You distract her, maybe even get her away from the table. Meanwhile, I’ll switch my TemPad with hers. You think you can do that for me?”
Surprisingly, Verity didn’t hesitate when she nodded. “You’re not asking me to lie, so I think I can pull that off.”
“Ravonna has a lot of trinkets and trophies from past cases, I’m sure—”
“I know.”
“You know?” Mobius scrunched his eyebrows together. He couldn’t recall when Verity had been in Ravonna’s office.
“Oh, yeah, Ravonna asked me to visit her in her office while you were interrogating Loki.” Now it was Verity’s turn to feel guilty over holding back information. “Just a check-in, really, to make sure I was okay.”
“Ah…” Mobius smacked the roof of his mouth lightly with his tongue. “And how did you feel about Ravonna after that?”
“I mean, I felt reassured by the end…” Verity couldn’t feign any pep. “She was stern when talking about Loki, Kaia, and Sylvie, but I’m sure that’s just a result of her work.”
“That sounds like Ravonna, all right…” Mobius cracked a small smile. Somehow, it made him feel better too, to know that his timeless friend and his newest friend got along.
Verity finished her drink. The beer helped a little bit with her nerves, but one last outcome pestered her mind.
“Mobius, what if we get caught…?”
“We won’t.” As confidently as he spoke the sentence, Mobius downed the last of his drink. “Without Sylvie, this is our last chance for information regarding this case…”
With that in mind, Mobius and Verity lingered in the bar a bit longer. Neither asked for another drink; it wouldn’t be smart to go into such a mission fully impaired. They allowed both their stomachs and their doubts to settle down. Mobius even helped Verity perfect her poker face. Not being able to access her gift gave her a bit of an advantage with that.
Time must’ve passed. It was hard to say with no windows in the bar, no sunlight in the TVA outdoors, and no true correlation of how time passes in the TVA. But a little beep! from Mobius’ TemPad cued them both to turn in their bottles to the proper bin. He didn’t need to glance at his pager, but he humoured Ravonna anyway. She probably checked her read receipts.
Notes:
So, B-15's dress is loosely based on a Loki season 2 set video. It influenced the scene in a sense that, if the footage hadn't surfaced, I wouldn't have actually peered into B-15's mind. I didn't have a particular vision for what she saw, so the plan was to focus on the outward emotion, like how the show handled it. Honestly, I don't think I have the context right in comparison to season 2, but it'll be fun to see how it all lines up... once we get even a trailer!
Chapter 33: The Switcheroo
Summary:
Chapter 33 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: In order to find out what happened to Hunter C-20, Mobius and Verity attempt a risky manoeuvre.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
Yes! As you can see above, I figured out how the spoiler tags worked on AO3! Going forward, the spoiler tag will contain a brief summary as well as relevant content warnings for that particular chapter. This allows people who need the heads-up to click on it and those who want to read without spoilers to ignore it. It's the best of both worlds!
I also retroactively added a spoiler tag to all previous chapters in case you want to check those out.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Knock-knock-knock!
Ravonna knew that knock well. She knew the face that peeked out from a creaking office door just as well. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw his moustachioed muzzle. “If it isn’t the man of the hour!”
“With Verity, as requested.” As the door edged a bit more ajar, a streak of red hair was visible behind Mobius’ shoulder.
“Get in here already!” Ravonna said, beckoning Mobius to fully cross the threshold.
Although Mobius did swing the door open as requested, he allowed Verity to pass before entering the office himself. Verity fluttered her fingers in a small wave, and Ravonna responded in kind. As soon as the pleasantries were passed, Ravonna walked across her office floor and towards the bar.
“Please, take a seat! Drinks are just about ready!”
Ravonna’s office was, for the most part, as Mobius and Verity remembered it. Trophies still lined her walls, the Time-Keeper statues still looked imposing, and the bar was still stocked. The main difference was that, on one of her couches, sat the Judge’s briefcase and thick closing file, filled to the brim with papers. Little red tabs stuck out of certain sheets, some of which were shaped with arrowheads.
As the duo sunk into the couch pit, the clinking of glasses cheered them on. Carefully, Ravonna brought down three ornate, old-fashioned glasses with her two delicate hands. Verity helped Ravonna claim the first glass for herself, watching the whiskey swish a bit close to the rim. Ravonna whispered a simple statement of gratitude for it allowed her to hand Mobius his glass personally. With the last drink to claim as her own, she settled herself between her briefcase and her file. She smiled into her sip before placing her drink down, trading her glass for a little blue pen from the coffee table. The coasters were already strategically placed along the table for safety’s sake.
“Forgive me, but I’ve gotta be blunt. Ravonna, I’ve never seen you so… peppy.” Verity commented.
“We’ve been hunting this Variant for years, and now we’re at the end stages! This is a celebration!”
Ravonna pulled the file close to her and signed one last page. She had already taken the liberty of signing off on most of the paperwork, but she still needed Mobius’ famous triple-M signature in a few places. She was quick to spin the file around and pass her pen along to Mobius, who wasn’t quite ready to accept. He was looking into the drink from which he had stolen a sip from.
“Mobius?” Ravonna waggled the pen in the air. That caught his attention.
“Oh, yeah…” Mobius set his glass down (on the coaster!) and proceeded to complete the finishing touches on Sylvie’s case.
“You okay?” Ravonna asked, a hint of concern hidden in her voice.
“Yep, I’m good…” Mobius said as he flipped from one red arrow stub to another.
Verity didn’t need to sign off on anything, so she merely peered over Mobius’ shoulder to watch. He had given her the gist of the forthcoming moment between the bar and the office. In order to officially close a case, the presiding judge and detective had to sign a series of papers to confirm their records. The types of papers depended on the intensity of the case. Given Sylvie’s kill count, her case required severe documents. A Nexus Report to verify that the Variant has been apprehended, a Detainee Waiver that bypasses the need for a debrief with the Variant due to sufficient evidence, and an Ex Parte Motion to guarantee that the Variant had no say in objecting to their execution.
With a few simple squiggles, Mobius signed off on Sylvie’s death sentence. Verity was glad that she didn’t have to bear that much responsibility for someone else. Even with knowing little about Sylvie beyond her track record and the botched interview, she might not have had the heart to do what he did.
Mobius closed the file to literally prove that the case was also closed. He laid Ravonna’s pen on top and slid it across the couch cushion. This allowed the Judge to receive the papers and put the last bundle on her other side, directly in front of her briefcase.
“Case closed!” Ravonna said triumphantly. She picked up her glass from its coaster with an equal amount of pride. “Cheers, to putting all this behind us!”
Ravonna was the first to hold out her glass. Mobius and Verity followed suit. A chorus of clinks signified the cheers that the trio decided to share. It’s customary to drink from your glass after a toast — and they all did so — but Mobius’ sip was delayed by comparison. With all that was on his mind, could you blame him? With what he was about to do to his closest friend?
He spat out a little “Amen…” to cover his tracks. With the way his friend hooked her bent arm over the couch, he could tell it worked. She looked relaxed with the weight of the case off of her.
Ravonna pushed a new topic like a sled down a snowy hill. “If you could go anywhere, anytime, where would it be?”
Verity looked up from her drink, confounded by the question. By all technical terms… “We can go anywhere, anytime?”
“You know what I mean…” Ravonna chuckled, “Okay then, smarty, you tell first. Where and when would you go?”
Ravonna couldn’t tilt forward to eye Verity fast enough. As the one that had the freshest perspective on the Sacred Timeline, Verity had her biases. She already had a place and time in mind.
“There’s a little café called Delicato’s near my apartment. I loved going there, even when I didn’t have anyone to share it with,” Verity recalled, “But the best times I had there were with Kaia.”
“Right…” Ravonna had to ponder why Verity insisted on using such a personal name for a Variant. It won’t matter for much longer.
“Why wouldn't you let me interrogate Sylvie?”
Ravonna blinked. Verity blinked. They both looked at Mobius, who had shifted the subject like a tectonic plate. The latter bit her lip, guessing that this was a part of his script. The former was just plain confused.
“Sylvie?” Ravonna didn’t know anyone named Sylvie.
“The Variant, that's what Loki calls her.” Mobius explained, “Why wouldn't you let me, you know, question her?”
“I told you, we couldn't risk her escaping again,” Ravonna said bluntly as she readjusted her sitting position on the couch.
Mobius shook his head. “She wouldn't have escaped.”
As soon as he saw Ravonna’s face sour into a squinting glare, he regretted his word choice.
“That other Variant got away during your first interrogation, didn't he?” The pronoun choice made Ravonna’s choice of Variant clear. Hunter B-15 wrote that Loki’s name on that incident report with the fury of a Hulk.
“Ouch…” Mobius looked into his lap, where he held his glass gingerly, with a light chuckle.
Perhaps if he kept looking down, Ravonna would stop squinting at him. She would relent… right?
…
She didn’t.
“And the dangerous Variant herself got away again after you got her back from Alabama, too.”
“Double ouch…” Instead of a chuckle, Mobius opted to bring his whiskey to his mouth.
Verity exhaled. She tasted a familiar feeling of guilt in the back of her throat. Didn’t she and Ravonna just have a conversation about that? “That wasn’t his—”
But before Verity could reiterate anything, Ravonna waved her hand dismissively, cutting Verity off. “None of that matters now… the case is closed…”
Verity couldn’t argue with that. She settled in her seat, washing away those lingering feelings with her whiskey.
With the smarty quelled, the Judge turned back her focus to the Detective. “Come on, Mobius. Anywhere and anytime on the timeline. Where'd you go?”
Mobius also had a quick answer: “I like being here now, with you and Verity, doing the work.”
It was the only answer he had on hand. Even with the questions he still had in his mind, he had no reason to disavow the only answer that he knew. At least, not yet.
“Fine…” Ravonna rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression. To her, that was the quintessential Mobius answer. How could she expect anything different from one of the TVA’s finest?
Speaking of… the paperwork wasn’t the only reason why she had called these two into her office. She finished her drink in lieu of the second celebration.
“By the way…” Ravonna found a more gentle segue, “I received word from the Time-Keepers.”
Verity’s eyes fluttered. This was news to her. According to what she had read, the Time-Keepers were much too busy with crafting the end of the Sacred Timeline to deal with such matters. She would’ve thought they would delegate to their judges through more impersonal means, not direct contact. Despite her thoughts, Verity did not interrupt.
“They want to personally oversee the Variant's pruning. And…” Ravonna pointed directly at Mobius. “They want you there, too.”
Wow! Mobius thought to himself. Would he be the first detective… hell, the first analyst to meet the Time-Keepers face-to-face?
“It’s about time. Great…” Mobius’s small but constant nods accentuated his thoughts. If all the checks and balances really ran clear, this would be a true milestone.
“So that explains the Ex Parte…” Verity said.
“Nothing gets past you, hmm, Verity? Maybe the Time-Keepers won’t mind one more in the audience…” Ravonna pondered aloud, “In any case, that Variant’s been enough trouble for the TVA. We can’t ch—”
“When…" Mobius interrupted, his eyes still fixed on Ravonna, “When did you first notice what was going on with C-20?”
A stunned silence swept across the office, with the Judge herself looking the most bewildered. She could’ve sworn that she told Mobius to keep all talk on C-20 strictly between them. And now to so brazenly barge in with such a sensitive issue, in front of Verity no less? There were many things that she had to wonder about. It made her wonder what he told his red shadow.
“Mobius, what is going on with you?” Ravonna scoffed.
“Nothing!”
“We did it!”
“I know.”
“The Time-Keepers are happy!”
“It's great.”
“Mission accomplished!”
“Mission accomplished…”
As Ravonna and Mobius entangled themselves in overlapping dialogue, Verity nursed her drink. Mobius opted for improv in terms of this plan, and she was starting to see why. He needed her reactions genuine, including in regard to Hunter C-20. Mobius had been blunt in explaining her passing. There was no mention of a build-up or signs that Renslayer may have ignored. Her teeth gritted against the rim of the glass. Sometimes, when you don’t know what’s going on, it’s best to hold your tongue.
“It was just that…” Mobius’ ramble continued, “She seemed fine when I... When I saw her. I mean, a little freaked, but fine.”
“Well, she quickly wasn't fine.”
“Okay…”
“Okay.” Ravonna felt her eyes flirting with the edges of her sockets. Her frustration was starting to show in spite of her eased posture. “C-20? The Variant? All these questions, what are you getting at?”
“I don't know. I…” Mobius conceded. He threw his free hand onto his lap, twirling the contents within his glass. “Something just seems a little off.”
“He‘s been a little on edge since everything happened…” Verity added. Her form of improv had to dabble in a bit of honesty. They were both a bit on edge, but at least here, half-truths didn’t have to gnaw on her brain.
Ravonna glanced away from her guests, looking at her table. She didn’t want those under her, Mobius especially, to feel ‘on edge’ or at any sense of unease. L1190 was captured! Her pruning is imminent! What’s so off about that?
“Fine. You want the truth?” asked Ravonna. A flutter of a nod from Mobius allowed her to answer. “I'm trying to protect you. Would you normally interview someone like that? Yeah. That’s why you went in the first time around. But the Variant scares the hell out of me, especially after that last escape. And I didn't want to see anything happen to you again. ”
Ravonna didn’t blink as she talked. Though her body did shift slightly, aiming her posture toward Mobius. She laid one open palm on her lap, though her other hand gripped her knee lightly. As her speech intensified, she leaned over her bent arm to close the gap between herself and her friend. Her stiffened posture was contrasted by the emotion that softened her word choice.
“C-20 lost her mind. She couldn't even form words by the end! I just couldn't deal with that happening to you, Verity, or anyone else… Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Yeah…” Mobius looked at Ravonna intently, “If it's the truth?”
Verity wasn’t any help in this particular room. She couldn’t discern the noise from the echoes in anyone’s voices here. But her unwavering face must’ve given Ravonna the reassurance she needed to laugh off Mobius’ question.
Of course it’s the truth. Who did he take her for?
“You've been spending too much time with Lokis…” Ravonna said in jest.
“Yeah…” Mobius looked away from Ravonna and laughed lightly, “I definitely have been spending too much time with Lokis…”
"What we do here matters.”
“I know…”
“When we're out there fighting for the fate of the Sacred Timeline we're also fighting for this. For us. Friends against time, allies to the end.”
Ravonna swivelled her head up and down, searching for Mobius’ eyes. Verity, who still thought it best to hold her tongue, nudged Mobius’ thigh. This seemingly reminded him of the task at hand, answering his friend’s call to look at Ravonna.
“You've seen all of existence, same as me. Friendship like ours is… uncommon. And worth fighting for… Same as the Sacred Timeline,” Ravonna concluded. She pulled her bent arm from the couch to stretch it forward. She almost missed Mobius’ smile.
“Good speech.”
Ravonna chuckled, “Thank you…”
“I knew I was your favourite analyst!” exclaimed Mobius, “Was that so hard to admit?”
The joke between them helped Ravonna’s chortle graduate to full-on laughter. A widened smile, gums and all, helped lighten the mood of such a heavy speech. For Verity, it was the most honest, genuine exchange she had seen from anyone within the TVA.
“I just need to make sure Verity here doesn‘t suddenly take my place!”
“Oh, don’t bring me into this!” Verity laughed as she downed the last of her drink. She highly doubted she could replace Mobius in any capacity.
When she leaned forward to place her empty glass on its coaster, Verity did a double take. Behind the glasses and coasters laid Sylvie’s sword. It was so long, its tip and hilt stretched beyond the length of the table. But the blue steel of the blade had blended in surprisingly well with the black marble tabletop.
“Ravonna has a lot of trinkets and trophies from past cases…”
Mobius’ words from the bar rang out in Verity’s head. Sylvie’s sword must be here as the ultimate prize. And with Ravonna’s TemPad resting not far from the sword’s handle, Verity pieced together an idea that would help them claim their prize.
“Hey, Ravonna, what are you gonna do with that trophy?” Verity asked, lifting her finger to point at Sylvie’s weapon.
Following her point, Mobius caught on to Verity’s gist immediately. “Yeah, where’s that gonna go?”
“Oh! You’re right!” Ravonna carefully picked herself up, then the sword. “Let's see…”
Verity quickly got up, her eyes fixed on the display areas directly across from them. “Maybe there?”
Ravonna and Verity climbed out from the couch pit, leaving Mobius in their dust. Ravonna seemed to agree that placing the sword parallel to her Time Stick would be perfect. Verity helped make room by clearing an umbrella from Xandar that previously rested on a porcelain perch. Their backs were to Mobius, completely absorbed in one another as the newcomer asked about the backstories behind the Judge’s prizes.
Perfect.
Mobius took full advantage of Verity’s distraction. He dug his left hand into his inner jacket pocket, pulling out his TemPad. Silently, he studied the position of Ravonna’s TemPad and swiped it off of the table. He posed his TemPad perfectly in place before hiding away his superior’s device in the very same pocket. The switcheroo was complete.
The only difference between his TemPad and Ravonna’s was the odd nick and scrape from the field. She wouldn’t notice the swap unless she tried to access high clearance files. He planned to have her TemPad back in place before then. For now, this will do.
“Mobius?” Verity looked back first, ensuring that he was in the clear. Mobius nodded, posing himself perfectly before Ravonna followed suit. The pair took a step away from each other to show the adjusted display area. Ravonna’s Time Stick hovered above Sylvie’s sword, both awash in tiny pot-lights.
“How’s that?” Ravonna asked for Mobius’ verdict.
“Looks perfect!” Mobius complimented, “You're running out of room there!”
Verity giggled, “That umbrella would agree.”
While Mobius had conducted the swap, Ravonna had instructed Verity to stow the Xandarian umbrella away in a drawer just underneath the display. It would serve as a temporary placeholder until Ravonna could find a better place for it. A task for a less busy day. They had an execution to prepare for, after all.
“All right then, we’ll see you later on?” Mobius grabbed his glass before standing up. “If you don’t mind me snatching Verity away…”
Any excitement Ravonna had for the moment completely dissipated. “One drink??”
“We had two, didn't we?” Mobius bluffed as he finished the last of his first drink.
“Mobius! This is a career case!!” Ravonna walked back into the couch pit with her hands in her pockets. “You sure you're okay?”
“I'm just exhausted, dealing with all these Lokis…” Mobius admitted, “I can't even imagine what toll it’s taken on you, Verity?”
Instead of re-entering the pit, Verity circled around the perimeter, edging herself towards the door. “It‘s been a long few days… hours? Days, I think. We should get some rest and freshen up if we’re going to meet the Time-Keepers.”
Ravonna lifted her right eyebrow. She watched Mobius as he put his glass down on the coaster. She glanced at Verity, who now stood on the rug that rested between the group and her office door. They both did look weary. They could look better for a face-to-face with the Time-Keepers.
“Fair enough…” Ravonna looked back at Mobius. “Let's finish this.”
Mobius nodded in agreement, placing his own hands in his pockets. “For all time?”
“Always.” The faintest smile came upon Ravonna’s lips.
“We’ll see you up there…” Mobius waved as he turned to leave the room. He walked up to Verity, who had already made her way to the door in the meantime.
“Thanks for the drink!” Verity added as she pulled the door open. She did the courteous gesture of holding the door for Mobius.
Ravonna stayed perfectly still, watching the duo as they left her office. What little curve her lips had fell flat. He could say that he’s okay all he wanted to. She knew Mobius like the back of her hand. He wasn’t okay. Something was bothering him. Verity’s supplementary behaviour implied that she knew something was bothering him, too. The lie detector wasn’t a great liar, go figure.
They did raise one good, truthful point, though. The concerns she had needed to be set aside. Ravonna still needed to prepare for the execution. She needed to get her completed files and herself in order.
Ravonna’s priority — first, last, and always — will be the Sacred Timeline and the TVA.
Mobius would normally agree with such a sentiment. But his mind was seeing cracks in the TVA foundation. He needed to know if they were real.
Throughout the entire march to the TVA archives, Mobius praised Verity for her quick wit in such a straining situation. His hands were a constant blur, either accentuating his words wildly or patting her on the shoulder or back. It got to the point that Verity held onto his jittery hands to help him slow down. She only did so briefly, enough to bring him back to the moment.
“Mobius… are you okay?” Verity asked.
Mobius knew he had to be truthful around her, even when approaching the balcony. The relief that was supposed to go along with that never came. “Gotta admit, I’m nervous about what we’re gonna find…”
“The truth isn't always the easiest read…” Verity sighed. She let go of Mobius' hand. “But I’ll be with you. We’ll do this together.”
Mobius nodded with a bit more confidence. “Thanks, Verity… or, can I call you Vee?”
Verity put a hand to her mouth, barely avoiding a snort. From Kaia, ‘Vee’ sounded cute. That’s why she allowed it. But when Mobius said it, it sounded like an honest attempt to sound hip with the kids. It didn’t really suit the Mobius she grew to appreciate.
“Kaia’s got dibs on that nickname.” Verity winked.
Mobius had his suspicions, so he took the hint in stride. He only really asked to lighten the mood for both Verity and himself. (It worked.)
Mobius and Verity settled in an archival hallway, made solely of independent racks. Binders and folders insulated the spaces on either side of him. Verity positioned herself on Mobius’ right side, providing an additional shield for him as he pulled out the nicked TemPad. Although Ravonna had different credentials, the navigation was easy for a skilled analyst like Mobius to pick up on.
All eyes were glued on the duotone screen as Mobius put in an inquiry for Hunter C-20. It took a few seconds to load, but a simple profile did pop up.
Mobius sighed heavily. The way the word ‘DECEASED’ flashed on the top of the screen distressed him. Deep down, he had hoped that Ravonna was lying about that. But if it was on record like this, it must be true.
“Mobius…” Verity whispered, pointing at the bottom right corner of the screen, “What does ‘Mission Info’ mean?”
“Those are the most recent missions that Hunter C-20 partook in…” Mobius quietly explained, “Each date will take us to its case file, starting with a debrief… if… provided…”
“You’re needed in C-20’s debrief.”
Mobius’ heart skipped a beat. Ravonna was not only present but requested in Hunter C-20’s debrief post-Roxxcart. The Alabama storm occurred on March 15, 2050, which just so happened to be the case file that the TemPad defaulted to. Its bright orange highlight was too much of a temptation.
Click!
The screen faded to black, save for the few icons on the TemPad screen’s interface. When the screen restored itself, the TemPad reported that it had located the corresponding file. On the right-hand side was a simple grainy picture of Hunter C-20, but on the left was a text summary of what file was found, including a note on what they were about to view was fully classified.
The visual from the right automatically expanded into a full-screen view after a five-second delay. Although the picture was at a terrible resolution and littered with static, one could still tell that Hunter C-20 was seated at a Time Theatre desk, backlit by one of the room’s jutting pillars. A TVA computer was on the far right of the screen, but nothing else was on the desk. C-20 lacked her helmet and looked just as frazzled as she did when Mobius and Verity found her in the security control room.
It turned out that the visual was also a video thumbnail, for the file played automatically, too.
“You're not hearing me. I was there. This was real, what I saw. This is a place that I've been.”
Hunter C-20 had her fists on the desk. She looked sure of herself. Unlike in Roxxcart and in contradiction to Ravonna, the words she formed were clear and concise.
“This wasn't the TVA. This was a memory. I lived down there. I went to that bar. I had friends. I had a whole life on the Sacred Timeline.”
A second voice intruded on the testimony. The tiny TemPad speakers made it hard to discern any definitive features. Mobius should’ve expected this, as debriefs were never conducted alone.
“Calm down.”
“Calm down? I'm a Variant!” Hunter C-20 exclaimed, “So are you. So is every single person in this place.”
“I'm ending this.”
The video ended with a strange visual. C-20 watched as the secondary voice approached the right side of the screen to adjust the keyboard that lay in front of the computer. The video stopped as C-20’s interrogator looked at the camera that recorded the debrief.
Mobius’ heart stopped for a second as he recognized her worried face.
He knew who the interrogator was, but he used the TemPad’s circular pad to zoom in on her face anyway. The quality on the TemPad screens is a bit choppy, his eyes could have been deceiving him.
No, no they weren’t. The punched-up image proved that the concerned face belonged to Ravonna Renslayer.
Mobius lowered the device and stared into the shelves across from him. He leaned back on the shelf behind him for stability. His world was swirling with the evidence that showed Loki was right. The Time-Keepers didn’t create him. He had a Sacred life. They all did. They were all Variants. Ravonna knew this, and she’s covering it up. They lied, she lied, the whole foundation of the life he knew…
“It’s… it’s all a lie…” Mobius finally said.
“Mobius…” Verity gently patted his shoulder. “You’re not a lie… you’re still you.”
Although he appreciated the comfort, Mobius couldn’t shake off the fear that haunted him. “I’m… a Variant…”
“But it doesn’t change who you are. It only changes where you’re from. You’re still Mobius M. Mobius.” Verity sidestepped so she stood in front of Mobius. “Didn’t you say to us that, if we thought about where we came from for too long, it all sounds ridiculous?”
Mobius could only nod. That speech had ironically come from a time when he defended the TVA.
“Well… the truth is ridiculous sometimes. But we accept it for what it is. And now that we have the truth, we can do something about it. We can fight for everyone’s truth.”
Mobius couldn’t speak. He felt his overwhelmed throat close up. He slipped the stolen TemPad into his pocket and swiftly pulled Verity into a hug. They embraced for a few moments, arms respectfully wrapped around each other’s backs with a feathery soft touch. Although it was about as professional as a hug in the workplace could get, the hug provided the comfort that they both needed. After a deep inhale and an even deeper exhale, the Detective started to get a hold of himself.
“Thank you, Verity…” Mobius whispered into Verity’s ear, “You’re right. We have to get the truth out… and that starts with busting Loki, Kaia, and Sylvie out before the execution.”
“Sylvie too?” Verity echoed. That sounded risky.
“I know what you’re thinkin’ and yeah, it’s risky. We’re gonna have to divide and conquer, and we’re gonna have to do it now.” Mobius pulled himself back to look at Verity. He slowly felt readjusted in his body as the plan formed in his mind. “You go on foot to get Kaia and bring her to Loki’s Time Theatre via a Time Door. The four of us will go get Sylvie from there.”
“Do I have that kind of clearance?” Verity asked. She had never entered a Time Theatre alone before, especially on official business.
“They should know you by now.” Mobius sounded like himself again. “But if you’re doubting yourself, keep your TemPad out and keep a brave face. Fake it till ya make it.”
“All right…” Verity managed a smile for Mobius’ sake. He matched her smile as he took his turn in patting her shoulder.
“You’re wonderful, Verity. Don’t ever forget that.”
Verity felt her face flush, accentuated by the dimples on her cheeks. “Stop talking like you’re on your deathbed!”
“Then we better hurry and get to our Lokis.” Mobius was about to take off but managed to stop himself before sprinting. “Oh, Verity?”
“Yeah?”
“Apologize to Kaia for me. I was wrong about her quite a few times since I met her. But while she’s got the soul of a Loki, she got her heart from her best friend.”
“Aww…” Verity nodded. “She’ll appreciate that. Why not tell her yourself?”
“I don’t think it can wait, much like us.”
Mobius fished for the TemPad — yes, Ravonna’s TemPad — and crafted a reddish Time Door behind him. There are times when rushing can lead to unwitting recklessness. Perhaps this was the most egregious example, for neither he nor Verity caught the risks of what he had done. Instead, they started the next phase of the plan with a familiar beck and call.
“For all time.”
“Always.”
Notes:
TRANSPARENCY NOTE: I had to update Hunter C-20's personnel file because I had the wrong date for Oshkosh! It's fixed now. I also hid a new Easter Egg on the date below that.
Chapter 34: The Word of a Friend
Summary:
Chapter 34 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Verity and Mobius hurry to their Lokis to let them in on the plan. They need to find Sylvie before she’s executed. However, their plan didn’t account for one very angry judge…
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains major character death via pruning.
Chapter Text
Verity stopped walking. She stood in the hallway at a precise blind spot that shielded her from the Minutemen that guarded Kaia’s theatre. The only eyes on her were the glowing eyes printed onto a TVA poster. Oh, the irony of knowing that the TVA is ‘always watching’ her every move.
She’d have to give the eyes a show. She had no mirror. She only had her instinct to rely on to play her part. She had to transform into someone that could enter a Time Theatre without escort or question.
Verity tucked the edges of her blouse under her slacks. It took an extra moment to finagle her way around the belt, but she did it well enough. She flattened her vest to hide the trim further. She guaranteed that no inch of her ink shone through her sleeves. The cuffs were shaped to box in her wrists perfectly.
She wove her fingers through her hair, shaping the red strands into waves. She adjusted her part to make the largest wave sweep over her head, from right to left. Extra pats ensured her hair didn’t frizzle out, especially at the uneven ends. She pushed her glasses as close to her face as possible. Her eyelashes stopped just short of brushing against the lenses.
As a finishing touch, per Mobius’ request, she pulled out her TemPad from her pocket and flipped it open. A perfect prop for a case of pseudo-infiltration. She even used the empty reflection of the screen to check her face. She settled on a neutral glance, with flattened eyebrows and a slight dip to the corners of her lips.
Verity felt stuffy. More of a square than usual. But she was ready.
Hup, hup, hup…
She threw himself around the corner as if she didn’t spend the last minute hyping herself up. Her dress shoes slapped with each step, feigning a sense of urgency for the situation.
The Minutemen stood like statues, outwardly unaffected by Verity’s display. They do not move to actions, but merely to words.
“Let me in,” commanded Verity.
She had to hold her excitement as she watched the Minutemen comply.
Verity rushed into Time Theatre 36. Kaia was still there — of course, she had no means of escape — and still sat in her little wire chair. The droop of her eyelids and the lax sway of her arms draped at her sides reflected just how bored she was in the interim between interviews.
Kaia rolled her head to meet her friend’s resting face. Although her eyes did light up, part of her still looked unimpressed. The prisoner waited for the privacy of closed doors before initiating the conversation.
“Hm? No Mobius?” Kaia noted, “You’ve graduated to solo interviews now?”
“Mobius believes you and Loki. About the TVA’s big lie.” Verity cut straight to the point. “Everyone’s a Variant.”
“What, he didn’t trust you to verify things?” Kaia rolled her eyes. That sounded like the Mobius she knew.
“Sylvie told you two that the TVA consists of Variants. You believed her, so you would’ve passed my check,” Verity explained, “We weren’t allowed to interview Sylvie, so we had to find the truth another way.”
“Right…” Kaia still sounded unimpressed. Verity didn’t have time to work around her best friend’s disinterest.
“Mobius is sorry, Kaia. For being so harsh on you and Loki.” Verity now stood by Kaia’s side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “He agrees that you have your heart in the right place.”
Verity watched as Kaia processed the information. Her lips parted and her eyes widened, nudged by an unexpected dilation. A flat face morphed into one of genuine bewilderment.
“He… he said that…” Kaia repeated, but not in the form of a question. Verity wouldn’t lie, not even on someone else’s behalf. Such sentiment was nothing short of unexpected. She didn't know Mobius had it in him.
“And he meant every word.” Verity smiled. “That’s why we need your—”
“Wait, he couldn’t bring himself to say that in person?” Kaia interrupted, ignorant of the sense of urgency in Verity’s voice.
“He’s getting Loki out of his Time Cell. We need to go, too.”
Verity waved the TemPad in front of Kaia’s face. She took two paces to her left and prepared a Time Door for Time Theatre 25. In the interim, Kaia put the pieces together. Verity is going to help her leave, and through the back door, no less.
“Ooh, a jailbreak‽” Kaia exclaimed excitedly.
Kaia flew out of her seat, toppling the flimsy chair behind her. Verity chuckled as her best friend joined her side, throwing her arms around her waist into a firm hug. The side of Kaia’s head — Time Collar included — pressed into Verity’s arm.
“We’re gonna meet up with Mobius and Loki, help Sylvie escape, then get the truth out for everyone in the TVA.”
“Can we take my collar off before that last step?”
“I don’t think this TemPad has clearance for that…” Verity admitted. Prior to now, she mostly used the TemPad for research purposes. It took her longer than she would’ve liked to create the Time Door that manifested before her. If this TemPad did have the function, Verity would’ve found it eventually, but there were more time-sensitive matters at hand.
“Fiiine…” Kaia teased playfully as she released Verity from her grip. A newly reformed Mobius could prove his apology by undoing the collar from her neck.
At least, that’s how things should have gone.
Loki’s Time Theatre should have been empty.
So imagine the duo’s surprise when they walked through the Time Door, and straight into the waiting arms of Hunter D-90’s miniature battalion.
It was a swift dance, led by armed Minutemen, that resulted in one Minuteman taking Verity by her shoulders and another Minuteman swinging Kaia’s arms behind her back. Only after landing the final pose did either detainee notice Hunter D-90, and Ravonna Renslayer herself standing before them. The warble of the disappearing Time Door was overshadowed by the Judge’s scoff.
“Well, well…” said Renslayer, “Not the analyst and Variant duo I was expecting to see… but I’m not entirely surprised.”
Kaia didn’t acknowledge this. She was too busy thrashing against the grip of the Minuteman, too inexperienced to overwhelm her captor. In turn, any demands on her part to be released went ignored.
Verity’s pupils shrunk, small as a speck of dirt. With the way she was being held, she managed to fit her TemPad back into her pant leg pocket. Renslayer allowed this, for it was not her TemPad that she was concerned with.
“Ravonna? What are you doing?” Verity’s voice did not match her face, for she spoke unusually calmly for someone being held against her will.
“Just some post-case clean-up work…” Ravonna said dismissively, “Why are you here with L5242?”
Oh, no. Verity couldn’t exactly tell Ravonna that, could she? The orange glow of Hunter D-90’s Time Stick had her attention. If she were honest about the uprising that they were planning for the TVA, they’d prune them. If she said anything otherwise, Ravonna would be able to tell that she was lying and she’d still be pruned. It was a no-win situation Verity was tangled in.
Fortunately for her, she wasn’t alone.
“There’s some… uff, some detail in my case that they needed Loki to consult on!” Kaia lied on Verity’s behalf, “So let us GO!”
Renslayer glanced at Kaia, unimpressed. She didn’t lower herself enough to address her directly, though. “Silence the Variant.”
Note the word choice, dear reader. When Renslayer says prune, a Minuteman will prune. When she says arrest, they’ll arrest. When she says silence…
The Minuteman that wasn’t restraining anyone stepped up to Kaia. With her hands behind her back, she was an open target. She was helpless to do anything but watch as their fist wound up past their left hip and came crashing down on their stomach, just shy of striking her ribcage.
If silence was the goal, they… sort of achieved it. Kaia couldn’t talk back, but she did heave heavy coughs in an attempt to regain her breath. The Minuteman that held her mercifully let her bend forward, ensuring the saliva that she spat out splattered on the ground. Eventually, Kaia steadied her breathing, but she had nothing to say by then.
In contrast, Verity had plenty to say about that. “Hey! Was that necessary??”
“Yes,” Renslayer said flatly, “You might have a history with her, but at the end of the day, she’s a Variant. She’s less than. Remember that.”
Verity held her tongue. She knew that Renslayer didn’t forget that she was a Variant, too. And yet… the Judge knew the truth about herself too, didn’t she? Why would she let Hunter C-20’s debrief be cut short; why let her death slide under the radar if there wasn’t an inkling of truth to what she said? She saw Renslayer in a whole new light: a Variant in denial.
With simple waves of her hands, Renslayer aligned her underlings. The Minutemen that held Kaia and Verity moved to Renslayer’s left side, while the last Minuteman stood to her right. Hunter D-90 stood in front of his superior and closest to the table. It was here that Verity noticed two things. Firstly, Hunter D-90 was the only one of Ravonna’s guards to not wear a helmet. This was either a reflection of the urgency taken by the Judge or evidence of D-90’s bravado. It could’ve been the latter, for the second thing that Verity noticed was that the Hunter stood on the front lines against a blood-orange Time Door. The precise kind of Time Door that hosted a Time Cell. The Judge was expecting to see a different analyst and Variant duo, after all.
Whrrr…
Verity didn’t even flinch when a Minuteman applied a Time Collar to her neck. She was too focused on her sinking heart. Renslayer hadn’t lied when she said this was ‘clean-up’ work. But the setup betrayed the truth. What part of closing the case involved foreshadowing a confrontation with Mobius and Loki?
Verity had to ask, “Is this really clean-up work?”
Renslayer let out a single, brisk laugh. The lights above illuminated the smug smirk she shot in Verity’s direction, crafting a golden brown glow on her face.
“Oh, it is, but not the way that you’re thinking…”
Renslayer knew she had to break up this little alliance once and for all, and she had the plan to do it. The Loki Variants would soon be taken care of permanently. Verity can be contained once the distractions are out of place.
But Mobius… Mobius would be the hardest step of all. She wanted to save her friend, to work side-by-side with him again, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he was too far gone.
Mobius was gone, at least on a physical scope. He had entered Loki’s Time Loop Cell long before anyone else intruded Loki’s theatre. When Mobius breached the reddish archway, he found L1130 on his knees, writhing in pain and lamenting the loop he had been banished to for a third time.
“I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times…” Unaware of his audience, Loki pulled himself to his feet. As he rambled on, his voice gained a tone to mock the manufactured Lady Sif’s anger. “YOU! You conniving, craven, pathetic worm. You did this… Right‽”
Loki expected Sif to return. His eyebrows shot up when he heard Mobius’ voice from behind him instead.
“What are you doing?”
“Passing the time?”
Loki spun around to meet Mobius’ cloudy gaze. Little did he realize that Mobius had a storm within him, and he was past the point of bickering.
“Do you care about them?” Mobius pressed.
“Them?” Loki needed clarification. “Sylvie? Kaia?”
“Both of them. Verity too.”
As Mobius hustled to him, Loki blinked. He certainly wouldn’t think of ‘caring’ as the right word, at least as a blanket statement for that trio. That word would best suit Kaia solo, for he was empathetic to her struggles. The word he’d choose for Verity would be respect; she was formidable with her gift and her perception of the world around her. And Sylvie…
Wait. Why was Mobius trying to rehash their last conversation? Why was he even here?
“I think we covered this—”
“Shut up!”
Mobius stopped mere inches in front of Loki, cutting the air with his left hand as he issued his demand. He didn’t have time to process the fact that Loki actually obliged and stopped talking.
“Do you really think you deserve to be alone?”
… … …
It was a true anomaly. Loki drew a breath but said nothing.
… … …
“Loki!” Mobius’ voice was gruff as he shouted. There wasn’t time to waste! Why wouldn’t he answer?
“You told me to shut up,” Loki noted.
Mobius groaned. Of all the times for Loki to be compliant…
“Do you believe that you deserve to be alone?” Mobius repeated his question. His hands were stiff yet animated, bouncing in the air from his own body out to Loki, who looked about as rigid as water by comparison.
It was quite a question to consider. Sif would agree with it. His past life was one filled with mistrust and mischief, uncaring for those he had affected with his actions. Kaia would disagree. She saw him as a friend, an ally for life, someone she could confide in. Strangely enough, he felt like he could confide in her, too. But the question wasn’t about other people believing that about him. Did Loki believe it?
“I don’t know.”
“Then you better figure it out quick!” Mobius spoke with a feverish fervour, one unlike anything Loki had seen before. “The Nexus Event that you guys caused; whatever that connection is, it can bring this whole place down! So, we better understand…”
Loki squinted. He caught the curious word straight away. “We?”
Mobius halted mid-speech. No, with the way they had parted, Loki wouldn’t know just how quickly the tides were changing. He had to take a different approach.
“Do you swear that Sylvie didn’t implant those memories?” Mobius knew the truth, but he wanted to hear how Loki would answer.
“Mobius, I believe her.” Loki flashed his eyebrows as he spoke. His posture had remained firm and tall, his arms relaxed on either side of him. He was being honest, like how he was honest before.
Mobius realized what he needed to do. He needed to let Loki hear the truth from his mouth.
“You were right about the TVA. You were right all along,” Mobius conceded. “Frankly, without Verity here, I’d have a hard time trusting the word of a Loki…”
With a light scoff, Loki looked off to the side. After all this, was he really just a Loki? No, with all of the research, reconnaissance, and recreation they’ve done, Loki knew he was more than just a Variant. More than that, Loki knew what he wanted to be. He wanted to care about lives beyond his own. He wanted to be an ally for life. He wanted to not be alone.
Loki looked back at Mobius. The fire set alight a twinkle in his eyes, capping off an intense gaze. Although the look was with passion, the voice that accompanied it lacked heat. Gently, Loki asked: “How about the word of a friend?”
Friend. A word that Mobius didn’t think he’d have to consider. He wasn’t naïve to the concept, of course. There was Ravonna, Hunter B-15, and he's even come to trust Verity like a true confidant. But there was supposed to be a sense of professionalism between an agent and a Variant, wasn't there?
No, those rules were for the old TVA.
The TVA that Mobius wanted now involved telling everyone the truth. Figuring out his past life on the Sacred Timeline. Establishing a culture of reciprocal trust in the TVA. Easing up on interrogations, getting along better with Kaia, who hopefully heard his apology second-hand by now. He wanted the TVA to be fully reformed and restructured. He couldn’t imagine pulling that off alone.
Mobius nodded to his friend, Loki.
“So here’s the plan: Verity went to go get Kaia and we’re gonna meet up with them. No one has clearance on Sylvie because she’s due for execution. If you want to save her, you need to trust me. Can we do that?”
Isn’t that what friends are for? Loki nodded along and agreed to trust Mobius.
“Okay…” Mobius was about to lead Loki out of the room, but he stopped himself. He couldn’t end such a conversation on ‘okay,’ could he?
Mobius looked back to his friends, swinging his arms up to his chest, then back outward. “You could be whoever, whatever you wanna be… even someone good… I mean, just in case anyone ever told you different.”
Loki was speechless. It didn’t happen often, though it’s happened more outside the timeline than within it. The might of the TVA, the quick wit mustered by his companions, but this sentence of sentiment left him in awe. A soft, genuine smile was all that Loki could offer back to Mobius. Even the crow’s feet that burst from his eyes were dulled in the glow of the room.
“C’mon, Verity should have Kaia by now…”
Mobius ushered Loki out of the Time Cell. Together, they left the den of an Asgardian and entered the den of a lioness.
It was true, Verity did have Kaia. But Mobius and Loki froze when they saw that Ravonna Renslayer had Verity and Kaia in her custody, Time Collars and all. One Minuteman wrestled against Kaia, who twisted herself from side to side in a weak-willed attempt to break free. Another Minuteman had Verity’s wrists firmly in their custody. Verity wasn’t resisting; she simply looked at Mobius with apologetic eyes. Hunter D-90 and another Minuteman only had their Time Sticks to hold.
Ravonna herself was merely holding Mobius’ TemPad. She gave Mobius a stern look and scolded him, “I think you have something of mine.”
Hah, so the jig is up.
“Oh yeah, I got all the way down here, before I even realized that I picked up yours…” Mobius attempted to sound light-hearted. All he heard back was crickets.
Mobius reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his boss’ device. Hunter D-90 powered down his Time Stick, stepping up to accept the surrender of the stolen TemPad. The only sounds that could be heard during the exchange were the quiet grunts of a resisting Kaia. Renslayer didn’t bother shushing her; she had more important matters at hand.
Without taking his eyes off of the Detective, Hunter D-90 extended his arm backward. Ravonna reached out to accept her TemPad back into her rightful hands. She placed it atop Mobius’ TemPad, leaving her with two and him with none.
“What’s goin’ on…?” asked Mobius.
No response. Hunter D-90 stood squarely between Mobius and Ravonna, though they were far enough apart to stare each other down over his shoulder. He held his Time Stick in a ready position, just shy of activating its tip.
“What’s the problem, Ravonna?” Mobius repeated, “Why all of the collars and restraining…?”
Mobius gestured to Verity and Kaia, who remained stuck in their Minutemens’ holds. Another shimmy from Kaia proved fruitless for the smallest Variant. Verity could only watch as Mobius’ questions grew more pressing.
Loki desperately wanted to make a move. He wanted to free his friends and escape to find Sylvie. A little red flash on Verity’s neck reminded him that he knew better. All of the held TemPads were in enemy control; they could easily twist him back into place, rendering his actions moot. The way Hunter D-90 stroked the grip of his Time Stick didn’t assure him either. What good was he if he were struck down and pruned?
No, the power was with Mobius and Renslayer. This was an unusual standoff; with expectant gazes and pointed questions used as weapons.
Mobius took two deep breaths. He drew his next weapon, which was the biggest question… no, the biggest answer in his arsenal.
“You know where I‘d go if I could go anywhere?” Mobius had an answer to Ravonna’s question from their last meeting: “Wherever it was I’m really from.”
Verity and Loki looked straight at each other. They mirrored each other’s faces perfectly: eyebrows shot sky-high; the whites of their eyes overwhelmed any sense of colour; gritted teeth bordered by dried lips. Their worry was mutual as their frozen faces turned to look at Mobius. They both knew where this conversation was going, and neither of them liked it.
Ravonna had no outward reaction. Inwardly, her heart raced. Mobius, stop talking.
"Yeah, wherever I had a life before the TVA came along… Maybe I had a jet ski.”
Even Kaia quieted down a bit to watch Mobius who — in the face of Hunter D-90 striking his Time Stick alight — started chuckling to himself.
Ravonna didn’t even blink. She could only think to herself. Don’t make me say it. Please.
“That‘s what I‘d like to do…” Mobius concluded with a smirk, “Just riding around all day on my jet ski—”
I’m sorry, Mobius.
“Prune him.” Judge Renslayer’s command was Hunter D-90's duty.
With one fell swoop, Hunter D-90 stabbed Mobius in the stomach with the lethal end of his Time Stick. From that pinch point, an orange wash of sparks fanned out and spread on his body, like a lit fire following a fuse. As the fireworks fizzled, they left nothing but a rainbow light in their wake, making the target’s body fully disappear.
Mobius lurched forward, face crumpled in pure discomfort, eyes shut. His last words weren’t actually words; just a visceral grunt. It was evident that his last moments were nothing short of painful. His face was the last part of him to vanish. Nothing of Mobius was left behind, not even ashy remnants of the body that was so brutally pruned.
Ravonna took no pleasure in issuing the command, nor in facing its consequence. She turned away, her head pointed down into her shoulder and her eyes shut tight. Silently, she mourned for her friend. Mobius was a brilliant agent, a skilled detective, and a great friend. If only he hadn’t been tainted by such venomous Variants.
A raspy gasp was all that Loki could manage outwardly. He stared into the empty space where Mobius once stood. He had seen the act of pruning done once, not long after his initial arrest and procession. Even on a total stranger, Loki had respected the ferocity of a TVA execution. But knowing that they could do that to their own people? If he wasn’t so distraught, perhaps he could respect such a blatant backstab.
Loki’s vision started to cloud up as tears lined his eyelids. His mouth still hung agape. His hands shook in tiny trembles. He didn’t even bother to swat away the Minuteman that approached and took him into custody. He was far too stunned by the loss of his friend to fight back.
Verity had read about pruning, but this was the first instance of seeing the action in person. The permanence of pruning was not lost on her. Her mentor, her friend… gone in the blink of an eye. Set on fire by those he worked with for eons. Every muscle in her body tensed up, putting pressure on every inch of her, including her tear ducts.
“Mobius…” Teardrops fell from under her glasses as she turned to Ravonna. “How could you‽”
Ravonna had nothing to say to Verity. She didn’t have to justify her actions to any Variant, never mind her.
In the madness of everyone’s reactions, no eyes fell on Kaia. Which is a shame, for her feelings were not of grief, but of a newfound rage. She had just started to feel a sense of connection to Mobius. He was a man who, despite their disagreements, did his job well and knew what to say. He held himself accountable. He proved that he had his heart in the right place all along. And what thanks did he get? Only the wretched taste of death.
Kaia would not stand for it.
The smallest Variant suddenly jerked herself down toward the ground. She flung her arms to her sides, managing to fully escape her arresting officer’s grasp just before popping back up. With two mighty steps, she stood in front of Judge Renslayer, her arms still spread on either side. Her left arm dropped down, but her right arm — and its hand’s open palm — moved in a sweeping motion instead.
SLAP!
Renslayer’s head spun from one side to another. She put a hand to her face, feeling the hand-shape sensation sting her cheek. This insolent little Variant had quite the nerve. The Judge looked back to see her Minuteman regain control of their detainee, but not before a few more choice words flew.
“You HAG!” Kaia screamed, “You miserable bit—”
The Minuteman cut Kaia off with their Time Stick; not via pruning her, but via using the handle to lock her in a chokehold. She hacked on her curse words, thrashing about until her struggling turned into coughing. With both the Time Stick and the Time Collar pressing down on her neck, grasping for air became a much more difficult task.
Loki understood her rage, but he knew that using so much energy so quickly would do her no good. “Kaia, stop…”
With a gasp, Kaia’s eyes slotted to look at her remaining friends. Loki looked solemn, empathetic to her plight. Verity’s sorrow spilled out of her eyes at a noteworthy rate. If she wasn’t being held by a Minuteman, she would have been trembling. Mobius was already gone; she didn’t want to lose Kaia too.
“He’s right…” Verity agreed, “Or you’ll get pruned…”
“Oh, she’s getting pruned regardless!” Renslayer chimed in, completely recomposed from the sudden assault. The faintest bruise started to form a blemish on her cheek, though it looked more like an oval than a hand.
“She’s just lucky that the Time-Keepers want to see all three of these Lokis pruned in front of them, or else I would’ve gladly gotten rid of L5242 personally!”
All three? Loki and Kaia glanced at each other. As the weight of the sentence set in, they had a mutual internal reaction. Oh, shit.
“Verity Willis stays in my custody. Bring the Lokis to the elevator.”
Renslayer took a step back. This was another cue for the Minutemen in Hunter D-90’s battalion. D-90 powered down his Time Stick and accepted Verity from his subordinate. This particular Minuteman moved on from Verity and onto Loki. The pair took draping and restraining each of his arms. D-90 didn’t hold Verity as harshly, but that didn’t stop Kaia from attempting to break free once more. In her mind, the last person that should be touching Verity was the man that offed Mobius.
“LET HER GO!” Kaia demanded. Another tug on her neck reminded her that she was in no position to do so.
Renslayer promptly ignored her assailant’s cries. Instead, she issued another statement to the Minutemen. “Wait for us at the elevator.”
Each Minuteman held their Variant firmly. The one that held Kaia switched from using their Time Stick to merely using their arms to keep her in check. Despite regaining the upper hand, that particular soldier still needed their full focus to drag a fussy Kaia out of the theatre.
Loki wasn’t nearly as much trouble. Perhaps because he had an adequate amount of security. Perhaps it was just fatigue. But as he was escorted out of the room, Loki held an unrelenting glare. His scowl latched onto Renslayer, who merely watched without a shred of contempt as he too was swept away toward the Time-Keepers’ elevator. Loki’s eyes stayed locked on Renslayer, for he couldn’t bear to look at Verity’s scared face. He feared that he would break if he did.
Ironic, isn’t it? Loki was about to enter the golden elevator he had been craving for his entire TVA stay, but not on his terms. The nameless troopers were bringing him to his execution. With no magic to save him, this could very well be his last life.
As he marched, Loki watched ahead of him as Kaia continued to struggle down the hallway. She stopped walking, digging her feet into the floor in an attempt to ground herself.
The Minutemen worked in ways that Loki hadn’t quite figured out yet. No one spoke a word, yet they knew how to adjust to the situation at hand. One of Loki’s Minutemen readjusted to twist his arms behind him. The other abandoned his post to help Kaia’s Minuteman. In tandem, they scooped Kaia up from under each arm and picked her up. They were tall enough to leave her dangling, no longer able to use the ground against them.
Well, Kaia wasn’t one to give up. With her arms out of the question, she used her dangling legs to kick at her captors.
“Kaia, please stop…”
Kaia did stop, but only because Loki asked her to. She spun her head around, looking over her shoulder as best she can. Shades of frustration amalgamated in her beet-red face, complimented by glassy eyes.
“Don’t give them an excuse to prune you prematurely,” Loki cautioned, “Save your energy. Trust me.”
The way Loki said that implied that he had a plan. This was enough to get Kaia to stop resisting. She let her limbs hang in the air, focussing on steadying her fast-beating heart.
It was Loki’s greatest bluff yet. His plan depended on factors well beyond his control. Did the Time-Keepers have access to magic? Can he be rid of the Time Collar fastened to his neck? And what of Sylvie? He hadn’t seen her since they were brought back to the TVA. If they were going to escape their execution, they would truly need each other’s help.
Chapter 35: The Golden Elevator
Summary:
Chapter 35 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The Time-Keepers not only watching, but they are also waiting for the grand show. Renslayer lines up every Variant to play their part.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
Hey, it's been too long. I know that I owe you an explanation.
Recently, I lost a loved one, which threw me into a tizzy. The reality of the world consumed me and I'm still not in a place where I'm normal. But I did manage to write and edit a bit more, and I found the energy to update today. It's a shorter chapter and I promise that was NOT on purpose.
I've been trying to update every six days before this derailment. I may need longer than that for the next little while, but I'll do my best to get back on track. This story is very close to my heart and I fully intend on finishing it.
Thank you for your patience while I was gone.
Chapter Text
Unbeknownst to Loki, Sylvie was fine for now. She had returned from her little field trip to Roxxcart, and it showed through her dripping-wet composition. Her blonde hair was matted down into squiggly strands. Puddles formed around the base of her chair and on the table that she was using in place of an ottoman.
As the refined doors to her prison swung open, Sylvie took in the curious sight of her new audience. Another numbered hunter, the redheaded interrogator — fitted with a collar matching her own — and the all-too-familiar Judge. She must have a proper name by now. But when she blinked, Sylvie saw her officer against her home as a backdrop, beckoning for her arrest on behalf of the Sacred Timeline.
“Apologies, A-23,” Sylvie sneered, “I don’t have your TemPad anymore.”
Renslayer ignored her former name.
Verity picked up on it, but she wasn’t in much of a position to comment. It was a miracle that Hunter D-90 had trusted her enough to walk along without restraint. She wasn’t about to mouth off to Ravonna now. Not when Sylvie’s soaked status should not be possible from here.
“How did she get drenched…?” Verity asked aloud.
Sylvie kept quiet. A smirk masked her inner thoughts. She suspected that something was different about the redhead lackey. What kind of sad person gets migraines from sarcasm? She was better off not speaking in front of her, if only out of an abundance of caution.
Renslayer didn’t have the answer to Verity’s question, but she did have a hunch. Someone clearly disobeyed her direct orders.
“Who was in here with her?” Renslayer demanded an explanation.
Directly behind the group, one of the Minutemen who had guarded Time Theatre 36 offered up an answer and an apology. “Sorry, ma’am. B-15 insisted.”
And so the guilty party was named. The reports did confirm that Hunter B-15 was downed at one point during the Roxxcart mission, but this development was disturbing. First Mobius, now her?
Renslayer eyed the Variant that Mobius had dubbed Sylvie, who was watching the show with delight. The Variant’s boots wiggled on the table, synchronized with the flashes of her pencil-thin eyebrows. This must’ve all been a part of her malicious plan. Oh, how Ravonna wanted to wipe that grimy smirk off of her face.
Renslayer rigidly turned to face D-90, her faithful Hunter. The bubble of her ponytail bounced against the back of her neck. It seemed to hit a nerve, for her next command was issued with a cracked, solemn voice.
“Put out an alert for B-15. She too has been compromised by the Variant.”
Judge Renslayer’s command was Hunter D-90’s duty. As much as he would’ve liked to be by his boss’ side for the executions, she wanted him to find Hunter B-15 instead. Perhaps there was still time to talk some sense into the compromised Hunter before she faces her punishment.
It would be a shame to lose such a good Hunter to such corruption. D-90 already had to prune one renowned TVA worker. He didn’t want her death on his hands, but he’d do it for Judge Renslayer. For the TVA. For the Time-Keepers. For all time, always.
The walls melted from grey to gold as Sylvie marched down the halls. With each step, she felt the last few droplets shake off of her body, though her previously soaked state was still evident. This performative escort was against her will, for two Minutemen held her by her biceps and wrists to ensure she didn’t strike back. She was well aware that she was being brought to her planned death, but she refused to bow her head. If this were to be her last stand, she would go down proudly in combat, and not like the submissive prisoner that they wanted her to be.
Renslayer and Verity walked behind Sylvie and her guards. Verity fully cooperated, not needing any handsy assistance. She knew well that the collar around her neck tethered her to the Judge regardless. There was no sense in fighting it.
Renslayer kept her whisper low as she addressed Verity. “Just know that what happened back there is on you, too. Not just those Lokis.”
Well past the pleasantries, Verity bit her lip to form a scowl. “I didn’t make the call to prune Mobius.”
“You aided the theft of my TemPad. I’m not naïve, Verity.”
“Neither am I, ma’am. This is about more than just a TemPad.”
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn't…” Renslayer kept her cards and her TemPad close to her chest. “We’ll talk after we enjoy the execution.”
They were on their way to the golden elevator, after all. Sylvie was the last of three Variants being brought to the Time-Keepers’ chambers. Renslayer was the presenter, and she decided that Verity ought to witness the death of her little Variant friend before proceeding any further.
One last corner turn brought them to the same lobby where the Variant trio had first disappeared from. Loki, Kaia, and their three Minutemen escorts were already standing in position, squarely in front of the elevator and still restrained.
Kaia didn’t have the strength to look back at the approaching footsteps. Loki’s hopeful words had tamed her too late, for she was exhausted by her prior frenzy. This moment of weakness gave one of the Minutemen the leverage to stand between the two Variants, seizing their wrists firmly. This, in turn, allowed the leftmost Minuteman to focus on securing Kaia, and the rightmost to keep an eye on Loki.
Loki had painted over his grief-stricken face. He now wore a neutral stare, void of emotion. His outfit was disrupted by the detainment, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair still riddled in moon dust. This was not the way he wanted to present himself to the Time-Keepers, but he was stripped of the choice. Silently, he wracked his brain for any plan, any narrative, any words for his silver tongue to muster before the Time-Keepers. Anything to say or do in order to prevent the execution.
All thoughts stopped when two Minutemen parked Sylvie beside him.
Loki anticipated this. Sylvie’s body count in and of itself warranted a punishment as harsh as execution. The story behind her damp and dreary appearance must’ve been the cherry on top. What he didn’t account for was Sylvie’s gentle whisper.
“Are you okay?” she asked. Only she, Loki, and the Minutemen between them heard.
A dead man’s words echoed through Loki’s head: “You like her! Does she like you??”
Does she? Loki pondered the thought. Considering the circumstances of their first meeting, her blatant compassion seemed impossible. However, no one that outwardly disliked him ever asked him such a question.
Loki’s nod was stiff and slow, despite not having any constrictions above his biceps. He bowed his head down and held it for a moment before propping his body completely upright. The silent response answered both her question and his.
Ignorant of the scene in front of her, Renslayer retrieved her TemPad from her coat pocket. She pried on the seams, separating the Time Twister from the device’s body. The body retreated back into her pocket as Renslayer cleared her throat. She had one last command for her subordinates.
“I’ve got them from here,” Renslayer stated with full confidence. Knowing that one little twister could lock onto any Time Collar was crucial to that bravado.
The Minutemen peeled themselves off of their Variants and stood at attention in front of the tile murals that ordained the lobby. Their gaze fixed on the subjects ahead of them, Time Sticks in hand to protect the lobby. The only way in and out of the chamber.
Ding!
No one in the lobby called for it, but the elevator door automatically opened before them. The Time-Keepers are always watching, after all.
Renslayer made the first move. She put one hand on Verity’s back, leading her into the elevator. The Time Twister glimmered in Renslayer’s hand as she walked past the Variants. The tiny beacon proved escape to be truly impossible. If they ran or fought, they’d be warped back into place. So the Variants followed Renslayer and Verity of their own volition. All five of them turned around just in time to see the golden doors trap them in such an enclosed space.
The elevator walls were elegant. Large black marble panels were bordered by thick golden crown moulding, column casing, and baseboards. The marble had orange cracks streaking through them, accentuated by familiar hourglass patterns engraved into them. Even the floor and ceiling had the same design. The elevator doors also had the same design, but its colour was a matte white instead. There was a single lever in place of elevator buttons. The circular light above it had already been lit red, indicating it had been pulled. By who? it was hard to say. Above the light read a ‘TKC’ engraving. One could only assume that the abbreviation stood for ‘Time-Keepers’ Chamber.’
The elevator was lit by a strange chandelier. Metal pieces that looked like wings surrounded the light on all sides, but there were no panels facing the floor. The light glared on Loki especially, for he stood directly under the spotlight. Kaia and Sylvie stood on either side of him, while Verity and Renslayer stood behind them.
For Kaia, it felt right to have her back to Renslayer, even at the cost of having her back to Verity. She wanted neither to see just how frightened she was. She didn’t want to be pruned, never mind in front of her best friend. She had enough composure to confine her shaking to her hands.
Kaia looked at Loki. The posture he posed in was stiff and strong, arms resting on his sides. The face he wore was brave and unwavering, complete with a stoic glaze to his eyes. She dreamed of having such confidence, but for now, she only needed comfort. She tried to reach out to Loki. She only wanted to hold his hand. She only wanted to not feel alone.
Wrrr…
Kaia’s hand snapped back in front of her chest, tiny tremors and all. She didn’t bother looking behind her. She knew that Renslayer was smirking, content with robbing her of a fracturing glimmer of hope. Kaia couldn’t give that vile Judge the satisfaction of seeing her upset.
The warble of the Time Twister did catch Loki’s attention. He watched Kaia’s hand and lip quiver in unison. A scared look from a scared little Variant. If he could overlay a visage of his younger self over her, they’d perfectly align.
Loki could not touch her; his body would be forcibly twisted back in place. All he could muster for her was a sympathetic gaze. His eyebrows bowed away from his eyelids, but the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly. A look to calm her. A look to reassure her that she was not alone.
Kaia used one hand to still the other. She did so on Loki’s behalf. Her unease didn’t fade, but the look he gave her was enough comfort to last for a brief, shining moment.
Aside from the one instance of the Time Twister, the ride up to the Time-Keepers was eerily silent. The air was thick enough to cut with a dagger. Or a sword. Sylvie wished she had her sword at the moment. She wanted to balance Renslayer’s head on its blade. Not just for now, but for what she did back then.
Her crispest memory of Asgard was her last. She was alone, on a castle porch, playing with her toys. Her Valkyrie figurines and dragon figures flew in her hands. Imagination let her believe they actually flew. She wanted to fly and fight like them. She wanted to save her imaginary Asgard.
However, Hunter A-23 and her fleet of nameless soldiers weren’t imaginary.
“There’s our Variant.”
That voice was seared into her memory. The voice that told the soldiers to take her away. The voice that declared she committed a crime with no evidence. Even at her tender age, she knew not to make accusations without proof. She knew to help people that cried for her.
But she was too small. She was just a child. Even back then, she was just Loki.
Perhaps her stature was an advantage. After all, during her time in the TVA courtroom, her tiny frame implied that she was easy to detain. A-23 certainly wasn’t expecting her to bite down on her hand or stomp on her foot. The way she stole the Hunter’s weird little device from its holster as she twirled her way out of her detainment was just icing on the cake. Even at her age, she savoured the look on A-23’s face when she realized that she was outsmarted by a child.
She was quick to adapt. It was one of her best traits. To shift into whatever she needed to be. She toyed around with the pocket machine, learning every aspect of it. She knew how to research her past life through digital records. She knew to avoid the button with the clock face when the little mascot came to life in front of her, flagging her down to the workforce she represented. She learned that going back home would be impossible, for the TVA would find her every time she landed somewhere new. She eventually learned that the Time Variance Authority didn’t care about worlds that were running out of time.
She grew up from one dead-end world to the next. She did what she had to do to survive, to be unrecognizable. She did what she had to do to not be the Loki that they knew. She cut her hair from elbow-length to above her shoulders with her second sword. When she first discovered Roxxcart, she used their stock to dye her hair blonde. She became less and less mischievous, and more and more methodical. Despite the circumstances of her childhood, she became someone better.
The TVA killed Loki. She was not Loki anymore. Not a god nor a goddess; not a prince nor a princess. She was reborn through the doomed forests, through the scorched earth. She fought through grit and grime to survive. She was Sylvie, now and always.
And here was A-23, Judge Ravonna Renslayer, sitting pretty in her little bureaucratic suit. Seemingly unaffected by destroying her life.
“Do you remember me?” Sylvie broke the silence in the elevator. She did not move her head to face anyone, but it was clear to whom the question was addressed. All uninvolved parties didn’t flinch; they helped to hold the established quiet.
There was a long pause before Renslayer answered. She had to mull about the answer, deny it for longer than Sylvie would have liked. She had come across a universe’s worth of Variants. Should one expect to be a standout amongst a countless amount?
Well, L1190 certainly built quite the reputation for herself. To be one of the most prolific Variants the TVA had ever seen. Even when she was a child. It was a minor miracle that Hunter A-23 overcame such adversity to rise through the ranks to become a judge.
"I do…” Renslayer finally said, “What do you want to say to me, Variant?”
All of the pain that she and her organization had done could not be undone. Sylvie was not naïve to that. Any hopes of completing her revenge faded with each passing moment. If this truly were her last moments of existence, she could only think of one consolation prize to complete her life.
Sylvie asked, “What was my Nexus Event? Why did you bring me in?”
Renslayer’s head tossed lightly from side to side. At first, the thought of entertaining this Variant’s last rites amused her. But what a waste of a final question.
“What does it matter?”
“It was enough for you, the great former Hunter, to take my life away from me…” Sylvie explained, “Your actions prompted all of this… It must’ve been important. So what was it?”
Sylvie didn’t look back at Renslayer. Neither did Loki or Kaia. Only Verity could peek at Ravonna as she pondered the repeated question.
Renslayer’s head tilted slightly into her right shoulder. Her eyes narrowed as they blinked repeatedly. The corner of her maroon-painted lips lifted slowly, slower than the elevator carrying her.
Verity knew that look well. It was a look sometimes posed when one held the truth behind their mouth.
“I don’t remember…” Renslayer’s lie ran long on her lips, lacking any sort of shame. The TVA jewel pinned to her tie glistened in the light.
Verity didn’t need her gift to know the lie. No one needed her to speak aloud to confirm it.
Sylvie didn’t know the full extent of the redhead’s quirks, but that was at the back of her mind. She felt all of the muscles on her face give out. Her eyes were wide like a doe, and her jaw had dropped just low enough for her teeth to show. The grimace she wore was something she had become accustomed to for physical pain, recovering after a hardened battle. But that was an emotional strike that she hadn’t been prepared for. A wound she wouldn’t recover from.
Of course, Renslayer knew what her deviance was. She did the paperwork for that case. But such information was far too generous. Renslayer wouldn’t dare give to any Variant that type of salvation. The last one that deserved it was the Loki that massacred so many of their own, Hunter C-20 and Mobius included.
Renslayer knew something that Sylvie didn’t. There was no such thing as a heroic Loki. No kings, no queens, no valkyries, no rulers. All Lokis existed to lose, to be defeated by up-and-coming heroes. That was the role any Loki was to play on the Sacred Timeline. To be the villain that inadvertently assembled Avengers to stop them. Any Loki that thought otherwise was destined to be pruned.
She promised she would bring these particularly egregious Lokis for a personal execution.
Ding!
The Time-Keepers were in for a treat.
Chapter 36: The Time-Keepers
Summary:
Chapter 36 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: At long last… we meet the Time-Keepers. But, like everything else about the TVA, there’s more to the trio than what the eye can see.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains graphic violence, major character death via pruning.
Notes:
This is the second-longest chapter so far!! So now's a good time to grab a drink or snack and settle in. Stay hydrated, you're cool for being here! <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When the elevator doors opened, the fog wafted in. A cobalt blue light overwhelmed the chamber past the fog. Not unlike the TVA’s exterior, the floor in front of them wasn’t truly the floor. It was instead a widened platform with no border to protect one from falling into a pit of stairs.
The stairs. So many stairs. In fact, there weren’t really walls. The walls were stairs. Beneath them, above them, around them; all walls protruded with steps going into each other or to places far beyond the eye’s reach. The stairs seemed to mirror and meld into one another, like a labyrinth composed by one’s own broken mind. The fog seeped in from the endless abyss and from under the perceived base of each staircase.
Four guards stood at attention in the chamber. These guards differed from your typical Minutemen, for their armour was not as bulky. The uniform looked like a retro soldier, complete with a waistcoat, a sash from the right shoulder to the left hip, and a decorative rope draped around the left shoulder. Each chamber guard stood with their right hand extended holding their Time Stick, which differed from the usual model. One end had the familiar chamber for pruning inactive; the other was sharpened to look like a primitive stake. Two chamber guards stood by the elevators, while the other two waited on either side of the largest staircase in the room, which directly faced the elevator door.
The wide focal staircase towered above them all, with the most steps to account for. Its lowest perch was backlit by a red light. A square platform broke the staircase into two sections. The enlarged staircase led to a receding focal wall. On that wall, framed by more staircases, a glowing symbol hung like a neon sign. The red pipes formed a few shapes; a diamond sat on top of two incomplete triangles. The triangles’ tips were each pointed toward the bottom corner of the diamond, and its vertical sides were both missing. In front of the red insignia, three sideways staircases served as platforms for three floating chairs. In those chairs sat the very trio that beckoned the Variants’ arrival: The Time-Keepers. They were void of names but each distinct in their own right.
The leftmost Time-Keeper had orange skin. Their eyebrows and facial hair were bulges on their skin rather than fuzz. The full moustache and goatee that formed looked like crescents, each pointed tip drooping downward. Their chair floated at an equal level to the rightmost Time-Keeper, whose skin was mostly blue. The aquamarine blue on the top half of their face tapered as you looked down; the turquoise patches around their mouth and cheeks resembled a 5 o'clock shadow. Their eyebrows were crafted in the same ombré, but instead of receding into their skin, all four points of their V-shaped eyebrows pierced the foggy air.
The Time-Keeper placed in the centre had their chair raised slightly higher than their cohorts. It was likely due to the fact that their sapphire face was the most conventional — and by extension, the plainest — by comparison. If they were human, they’d be clean-shaven with no notable anomaly. Perhaps this was to accentuate the refined bone structure on their cheeks. The scales on their face were especially harsh on their forehead, though.
Despite their bodily differences, they all wore the same silver helmet and fanciful yellow robe, complete with a hexagon scale pattern and a collar that expanded like a frilled lizard. Each of their hands rested on tiny floating platforms. They all wore metallic plating along their chests that matched their helmets. They each had a red gem embedded into their foreheads and their eyes all glowed in the same shade of an unnatural yellow. No, they were not lizards (even with the scales), but they did dress the part.
The elevator door was quick to shut behind Renslayer and Verity as they officially escorted the Variants down a small fleet of stairs to their final destination. Renslayer had done this walk a few times before, but this was the happiest she had ever been in facing them.
“Gracious Time-Keepers!” bellowed Renslayer, “As promised, the Variants.”
Ravonna kept her Time Twister ready in one hand, using her other hand to guide Verity into position. As they had done in the elevator, they allowed the doomed Variants to remain a few paces ahead of them. Verity could only comply, her teeth gritted by worry. Although she wasn’t on death row or caught in the Time-Keepers’ gazes, she wasn’t in a position to refute or rescue anyone from the upcoming event.
The highest Time-Keeper was the first to speak. Their voice sounded choppy; as if they were speaking through the blades of an active fan. “After all of your struggles, at last, you’ve arrived before us…”
The leftmost Time-Keeper spoke with a heavy lisp; as if they had several marbles in their mouth instead of teeth. “What do you have to say for yourselves before you meet your end, Variants?”
The way the orange Time-Keeper banged their fist on their chair did not faze Loki. All of the confidence he festered within himself culminated in Loki doing what he does best: talk.
“Is that the only reason you’ve brought us here? To kill us?” Loki jeered, “I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been killed, so go ahead. Do your worst.”
Unamused by the ill-timed joke, Kaia looked sharply at Loki. Tremors returned to her visage. The thought of Loki offering his life so carelessly and recklessly, even without proper intention, rattled her.
The rightmost Time-Keeper grinned with smug confidence. Their voice was wispy yet bitter. Each word they whisper-shouted ended with a sharp emphasis on the last syllable. “You and your bravado are no threat to us, Variant.”
“Oh, no, I don’t think you believe that…” Sylvie took a step towards the stairs. “I think—”
Whrrr!
Instantly, Sylvie warped back to her starting place. She turned back to glare at the culprit: a stoic Renslayer with her Time Twister in prime position. The faintest grin was on her lips.
Sylvie’s glare turned to the Time-Keepers, who all had a varied satisfied reaction, from the sapphire smirk to an aquamarine leer. She knew what was underneath all of that veneer.
“I think you’re scared!” accused Sylvie.
“No, Variant,” said the orange Time-Keeper, “The only one that appears to be scared is your small cohort over there.”
Their pointer finger led everyone’s gaze to Kaia. As much as she hated to admit it, they were right. She couldn’t hide behind her rage, which had been long since depleted. When your will to fight is exhausted, the fear that motivated it is left fully exposed. At least Kaia had the sense to admit it. At least she had the sense to remember what she was planning to ask the Time-Keepers, back when meeting them was a plan.
“S-sure, I’m scared…” Kaia spoke, complete with a slight stutter, “But you were scared enough of me, weren’t you? To let me drift as a ripple in time for years. I-I had no power, no plan on doing harm. Why were you so scared of me?”
“Your unique deviation matters not. All paths lead Variants here in the end,” the top Time-Keeper ignored her question. “You cannot escape the life we crafted for your Sacred counterpart.”
“You are all children of us Time-Keepers,” the aquamarine Time-Keeper hissed, “We birthed your destined path: to cause pain and suffering and death. You are a source of evil, a stepping stone so heroes can achieve their best versions of themselves.”
Kaia’s face dropped. Her shivers ran throughout her body, preventing her from speaking. She was denied an answer for her missing history. She felt her future slipping from her hands. And she didn’t even live life as intended? Her whole existence felt insignificant. She was as small as the tears that she shed.
“ENOUGH!” shouted Loki. He knew lies when he heard them; he needed no lie detector magic to justify it. He wasn’t about to let his friend believe those lies in particular.
Loki stepped forward, shielding Kaia from the verbal assault. Because he didn’t advance toward the Time-Keepers, Renslayer allowed this. Kaia used the given reprieve to recollect herself, clearing her tears with unsteady hands.
“You may claim to be Time-Keepers, but you lack absolute control,” Loki made a lofty accusation, “If you were as high and mighty as you claim, no one should be able to branch! You are not the gods you wish to be!”
“Foolish Variant!” the orange Time-Keeper’s garbled voice seethed, “You three are nothing more than pencil marks gone astray, awaiting the eraser to tidy their mess.”
“The three of you are nothing but cosmic disappointments,” the sapphire Time-Keeper concluded the conversation with one last command: “Delete them.”
From ahead and behind, the familiar sound of activated Time Sticks echoed against the staircases. The guards stood in a familiar position, aimed at the three Variants that were slated for execution.
“No!” protested Sylvie, “I’m not done with you yet!”
She pumped her fists and charged forward. Renslayer rolled her eyes. Did she really not learn?
As she did before, Renslayer used her Time Twister to stop Sylvie from advancing. However, this time, the Time Twister made a low crackling sound. Everyone in the room watched as Sylvie went blurry, disappearing and reappearing in the exact same spot, not the spot where Renslayer wanted to reset her to.
A firm crease formed on Renslayer’s forehead. She wound her thumb on her device again. The same low clack! It was a noise unfamiliar to her. It certainly wasn’t the Time Twister losing power, for Sylvie was still phasing in and out of place.
No, this was interference. Any Time Twister can lock onto any Time Collar. If two twisters locked onto one collar, they’d cancel each other out, causing problems like this.
Renslayer looked to Verity. Her hands were empty. This was not her doing. Her guards had their hands full with their Time Sticks; not that any guard was going to defy her in the first place. Mobius is gone. Who would have the nerve to invoke such a betrayal?
Ding!
All eyes fell on the elevator doors as they parted down the middle. The chandelier light gave Hunter B-15 a chartreuse glow as she entered the chamber. She was in full hunter gear save for her helmet, including a Time Stick in its holster. She led with her left arm extended, holding her Time Twister in the same manner as Renslayer. The glint of something shiny poked out from over her shoulder. A knot in her brow and a locked jaw cemented her serious demeanour as she rubbed her thumb over her device.
Bzzzz-click! Bzzzz-click! Bzzzz-click! Bzzzz-click!
Four Time Collars hummed against four necks. With four unceremonious smacks, Loki, Sylvie, Kaia, and Verity all felt the relief of their restraints loosening and falling off of their necks. They still had no magic, but they were no longer susceptible to being wound into a disadvantageous place. Sensing the threat, all guards twirled their Time Sticks from one arm to the other, reversing their lead. Now they pointed their weapons’ lethal stake towards the Variants that were supposed to die.
The little smirk that spread across Sylvie’s face was unmistakable. Everything went to Hunter B-15’s plan. All Sylvie needed to do was let herself be brought to the chamber and stall. How fortunate she was to have the long-winded Loki to help her with that task. They gave the Hunter enough time to sneak into Renslayer’s office, retrieve her sword, and breach the golden elevator herself. After all, Sylvie proved that she was ready to fight. Why not give her the edge, literally?
No one else knew of this plan, so all eyes were wide when looking at B-15. Renslayer’s eyes were the widest. She knew that her subordinate was compromised, but this? A full-blown act of treason upon the Time-Keepers? How deplorable.
“For all time…” proclaimed the deplorable Hunter B-15, “Always.”
Hunter B-15 twirled Sylvie’s sword out from behind her back. With a mighty heave-ho, she threw the sword by its hilt. It bounced in the sky and soared across the chamber; an easy catch for its rightful owner.
“Protect the Time-Keepers!!” Renslayer ordered. While her troops advanced towards the Variant trio, Renslayer ran up to Hunter B-15, leaving Verity in her dust.
“Verity!!” Kaia made a motion for Verity to hide against a staircase near the elevator, only to feel a hand press against her back.
“Kaia, go to her!” Loki was the one to shove her forward. “We’ll cover you!”
Perhaps that was for the best. Neither Verity nor her were equipped to deal with these guards. By the time Kaia landed in Verity’s embrace, Loki and Sylvie were engaged in combat, two on four. Loki and Sylvie each took two partners and danced with fists and weapons flying.
Loki’s dance was more of a waltz. His hands flew with precision: his left hand deked, so the guard could fall prey to his right. When a guard tried to play into the hit, spinning to make a pirouette of their own, Loki managed to duck down to dodge the barrelling Time Stick that they held. He lacked his magic, but he still had his elegance. Even when the tip of a guard’s spear cut through his right bicep, he danced.
Sylvie’s steps were much more savage. She had her sword, so she was able to slice and dice at her dance partners. Nicks and bruises wore down the Time Sticks. When they grabbed her arm, she’d use the momentum to kick at their chests. When one Time Stick came down on her, she used her sword to deflect it in a different direction. It wasn’t her fault that the guard was standing in the way of the redirected weapon, now was it? They were in the way, and now they’re not.
Over the grunting and growling, Loki managed to roar over them all. “A little help here?”
Sylvie managed to hold back her remaining guard whilst checking over their shoulder. She saw Loki, down on his knees, bending over backwards to avoid the two guards. He wasn’t down for the count, per se, but he was at a distinct disadvantage.
If this had been a different time, she couldn’t have cared less. But now, at the cusp of the end of her plan, with her targets floating above her… she needed every ally she could get. She needed to be rid of these guards. She needed Loki.
“Here!” Sylvie mimicked Hunter B-15’s earlier toss, hoisting her sword airborne. It twirled 720 degrees in the air, allowing Loki time to scramble to his feet. He caught the sword before it could dare to tumble into the abyss of the chamber pits. It was what she expected of him. She would have killed him herself if he had missed the catch.
With the position of the weapon adjusted, Loki and Sylvie continued to dance.
The performances were centre stage, with Kaia, Verity, and the Time-Keepers watching from their respective corners. Although their fight was entrancing to watch, a noise to Kaia’s left caught her attention. She looked over to see that both Renslayer and Hunter B-15 were out of sight.
The newfound adversaries had engaged their battle within the elevator that brought them there. Neither would call it a dance; it was more of a wrestling match. They took turns slamming each other against the wall. There was no shortage of kicks, punches, and screams. There were no words for the betrayal that both felt. Accomplice to awareness of the TVA fleet’s kidnapping from the timeline. Aiding and abetting the Variant that killed their own. Explanations would come later, but only for the winner of this bout.
Not once did Hunter B-15 think of reaching for her holster. Perhaps it was against better judgment, but her judgment reminded her that Renslayer was still her superior. She’d get no answers if she pruned Renslayer.
POW!
Renslayer felt her past life as a hunter flow back into her veins. She threw her fists toward Hunter B-15’s unguarded head.
BAM!
Hunter B-15 took a blow to the left side of her head. The lift wasn’t moving, but the walls started to spin.
SMACK!
Instead of a fist, Renslayer tilted her arm sideways and chopped the Hunter’s throat with her full forearm. The zenith strike knocked the air out of Hunter B-15 entirely. With one last gasp, Hunter B-15 sunk onto the elevator floor, unconsciousness conceding the match on her behalf.
A chill ran up Renslayer’s spine as she stood over B-15’s body. What a shame that it had to come to this. Silently, she disarmed B-15 and pulled on the lever. She slipped out of the space before the doors could close on her. Hunter B-15 unknowingly rode the elevator down. A quick alert from Renslayer warmed the guards below to treat the person in the elevator like any other prisoner.
She’d deal with B-15 later. There were still a few more prisoners to deal with in the chamber.
Renslayer walked out of the elevator and into full view, Hunter B-15’s Time Stick in hand. A loud bang confirmed that the elevator doors locked behind her. Her head swivelled to her right, just in time to see Kaia and Verity’s hearts drop.
At times like these, instincts kick in. Fight or flight is a common phrase for this kind of situation, no? Kaia’s had to confront these instincts before. Roxxcart, Lamentis, and even just now with the Time-Keepers. Her plan had always been to flee, to hide, to let others take the lead. But capable hands are tied; Loki and Sylvie were still in combat. Verity had some training, but she had no weapon or armour. Sure, Kaia had no armour either, but if she could survive being thrown from a moving train, she must have some otherworldly endurance in her, right?
Kaia stood up, directly placing herself between Renslayer and Verity. She bent her arms and raised her fists. Her glare was solid. Not even a cocky laugh from the Judge broke her concentration.
“What gall you have!” Renslayer cackled, “L5242, the weakest of all Lokis, do you think you’re any match for me?”
Kaia didn’t flinch. She didn’t say anything. She just stood in place, ready to go blow-for-blow with the former Hunter.
It’s your funeral, Variant.
Renslayer only needed one hand to activate her Time Stick. A perfect twist lit its tip up in orange. Her hands united on its base, winding the weapon back like a baseball bat. With the full intention to prune Kaia in front of the Time-Keepers, Renslayer swung her still down at an angle…
Thunk!
… only for it to be stopped by another Time Stick. Blood dripped from its spear-end tip.
“How about a real fight, then?”
Sylvie stood at Renslayer’s left, using a Time Stick instead of her usual sword. The pruning end was not active, so it tucked in well under her arm. Over her shoulder, Renslayer could see the guard that Sylvie had previously fought, laying face down in a puddle of their own blood.
Sylvie’s panting flattened with each deep breath. She couldn’t resist running the tip of her tongue along the edges of her teeth. The clattering behind her confirmed that Loki could manage the two remaining guards on his own. He had her sword, after all. Sylvie wanted a clear path to the Time-Keepers. It seemed only fitting that the last one she needed to take out was the one that brought her to this hell.
Renslayer kept her calm. Slowly, she descended the two steps that separated her and Sylvie. She readjusted her grip on her stolen Time Stick, holding the weapon as she had been trained to do all those eons ago. Sylvie mirrored her, setting its lamp alight and immersing her gloved hands in its bloodied base. Sylvie stood firm, but her eyes followed Renslayer as she took her sweet time settling down.
“This time…” Renslayer snarled as she paced around her new dance partner, “I finish the job.”
The Judge kicked off the dance by stabbing at the killer Variant with her stake. She deked to her left successfully, following up with a failed swipe of her own. The two tangoed, clattering Time Sticks against one another, dodging the lights and the heap of a guard that lay helplessly on the platform.
Loki had been forced onto the square platform that marked the gargantuan stairwell’s midway point. He could have proceeded toward the Time-Keepers, but his two opponents were keeping him quite busy. Their weapons were glowing orange; most of his movements had to account for that. With Sylvie’s sword, he was able to swat away the weapons as each guard alternated in taking their blows. When one bowed back, another charged forward. An annoying game of whack-a-guard, but Loki would not give up.
While the two battles raged on, Kaia and Verity stayed a few feet away from the combat. Kaia covered Verity as she tested the elevator. The doors did not part. The button did nothing when pressed. Their only way out was sealed off.
“We’re stuck…” Verity’s shoulders hung a bit as she rejoined Kaia.
Kaia didn’t have much to say to that. Her gaze was transfixed on the Time-Keepers opposite her. The omnipresent godlike figures were watching the same battles before them, but they had hardly moved, save for a clunky head swivel from the leftmost Time-Keeper.
By all accounts, they were sitting space ducks (that happened to look like lizards).
“Maybe I can get to the Time-Keepers, while everyone is distracted…” Kaia muttered just loud enough for her best friend to hear.
“And do what‽” Verity whispered harshly. As much as she admired her best friend’s ambition, basic logic went against Kaia risking her life like that.
There was only one path to the Time-Keepers. The battles that Loki and Sylvie were taking part in were directly blocking the said path. And if Kaia somehow managed to avoid those battles and avoid falling off the platform… what would she do if she were in front of the Time-Keepers? She wasn’t armed. She wasn’t guarded. What could she do against the beings that decreed her very existence?
“Kaia, this fight isn’t our pay grade…” Verity cautioned, “Please stay…”
Verity pulled Kaia to the side and then to the ground. They both sat down on one of the staircases that bordered the elevators. Only after that did Kaia nod back, resting herself between two steps. Maybe that was for the best.
It wouldn’t be wise to step in Sylvie’s path whilst she was in battle. The same could be said for Renslayer. Every step of their match had a consequence. Renslayer twirled on her heel to dodge a Time Stick. Sylvie pushed Renslayer back with her bare hand. Renslayer shrugged the hand off of her shoulder and swiped her Time Stick forward.
It was the spear end that struck Sylvie’s forehead, whipping her head back at a 90-degree angle. Perhaps if Renslayer had been more methodical, she could’ve struck Sylvie with the pruning end of her stick. Stabbed, pruned, it didn’t matter… Renslayer needed to execute Sylvie herself.
“Hah…” Sylvie lightly panted as she turned back to face her foe. Her eyes were wide and her jaw hung slightly. She felt a faint drop of blood sneak along the contour of her nose, but she didn't care. She wound her arm back to swing her Time Stick. Renslayer was prepared for this.
Bang! Clang!
The women smacked their weapons against one another, cancelling out their planned actions. At one point, the impact of their weapons drew them to a moment of standstill. Sylvie came down on Renslayer with a vertical baton. Renslayer fended her off by holding her baton horizontally. Each one put pressure behind their weapon, fending one another off. X marked the spot where Sylvie needed to break through. But perhaps going through wasn’t the right way of thinking.
Sylvie flicked her weapon over and down, catching Renslayer’s Time Stick just enough to steer it out of the way. Renslayer bent with the flow of the strike, leaving herself exposed for the first time. Who wouldn’t take advantage?
Swish!
The sharp end of Sylvie’s Stick scraped Renslayer across her left shoulder. Tattered cloth and blood followed the spear’s lead, setting off a scathing stare from the Judge. The glare sent in her direction warmed Sylvie’s heart, despite not landing a fatal blow. Bleeding her out, pruning her, it didn’t matter… Sylvie needed to execute Renslayer herself.
Sylvie threw her arms back behind herself before swinging them up over her shoulders. It was all the momentum she needed to propel her right leg up. The kick usually worked. If only Renslayer hadn’t seen it coming. Sylvie’s kick landed in the air rather than Renslayer’s chest, allowing the latter to catch the former by her hamstring. Even with her right hand occupied with her weapon, Renslayer managed to grab Sylvie on both sides, driving her to the ground with a swift shove. Sylvie fell on her back with a notable thud, dropping her weapon along the way. Without any hesitation, Renslayer plopped herself down on top of Sylvie’s hips, throwing herself and her Time Stick toward her.
The turning tide caught Loki’s attention. If only he wasn’t currently outnumbered, perhaps he could assist. The hum of a Time Stick was the only warning he needed. He turned away from watching Sylvie and led his sword into the charging guard’s chest. Loki only needed to tilt the weapon down; the skewered guard slumped to the ground of their own volition in a bloody heap. You’d think that a guard of their calibre would know better than to run into a blade like that.
Sylvie’s hands overlapped Renslayer’s. All hands were fighting for control of Hunter B-15’s Time Stick. Sylvie was attempting to steer it off of her narrow chest. Renslayer put more weight behind her right hand, attempting to drive the pruning end of the weapon into Sylvie’s shoulder.
As she put on the pressure, Renslayer’s eyes bulged slightly. She couldn’t remember the last time she blinked. Any drip of sweat or blood went unnoticed. All focus fell on the mission: to eliminate Sylvie.
Sylvie dug her nails into the back of Renslayer’s hand. The heat of the Time Stick’s light drew closer to her cheek. Pruning was a death sentence. She didn’t have time for that. She tried to stave off the light, nudging it back down slightly. They were at a standstill. That’s when Sylvie realized that this time, going around wasn’t the right way of thinking.
With all her might, Sylvie pushed through. She extended her arms forward, driving the weapon back into Renslayer’s chest. This caught Renslayer off balance, as her weight had already shifted to her right side. To further the momentum swing, Sylvie cuffed onto Renslayer’s leg with her own, allowing her to twist and turn.
The new tide turning in accomplished two things. Firstly, Renslayer managed to deactivate the Time Stick before its potent tip grazed the platform. More importantly, the tumble allowed a reverse in the power shift. Now it was Renslayer that lay helpless on her back, with only a Time Stick separating her from the foe pinning her down.
Would Sylvie have liked to have pruned Renslayer? Sure. She would’ve liked to stab her too, but her sword was preoccupied. No, the fastest route to her revenge was a bare white-knuckled fist.
POW!
One sucker punch was all it took to knock Renslayer out cold. Sylvie had relied on her bare hands a lot during her life on the run. This wasn’t the first time that she had killed someone with a blow to the head. Under normal circumstances, she’d commit a second shot to ensure the death went through, but this was not a normal situation. A semi-distant grunt caught Sylvie’s ear. A worthy distraction, a signal that all was going to plan.
Atop the raised platform, Loki had his last guard hung limply over his shoulder. The tip of Sylvie’s sword peeked out from their back. He locked eyes with the sword’s owner briefly, then tossed the dead guard down the steps like an unwanted toy. With the sword unsheathed and doused in blood, it was ready to return to its rightful owner.
Sylvie got up and waded over Renslayer’s body, meeting Loki at the base of the steps. Loki gracefully hoisted the sword up to hold it by its blade, grasping the only spot where it wasn’t bloody. All this effort was to ensure Sylvie accepted her weapon by its shiny golden hilt. How polite.
As the exchange occurred, Loki noticed Verity and Kaia seated on a set of stairs. They seemed to be unscathed, but the way they huddled into each other’s sides told a different story.
Loki drew a deep breath in. That battle took a bit more energy than he anticipated. He had no voice, but his mouth formed his words clearly: “Are you okay?”
Kaia nodded.
“Stay there,” Loki silently cautioned, complete with a gesture of two open palms.
Verity nodded rapidly, her arm instinctively wrapped around Kaia’s to ensure she complied.
With his instructions assured, Loki looked back. Sylvie had climbed some of the steps toward the Time-Keepers. The space lizard that hung the highest over them stirred up once again.
“You’re a child of the Time-Keepers too, Sylvie,” the tallest Time-Keeper said calmly, “We can talk.”
Talk? After a lifetime of misery, now you want to talk‽
“Oh yeah‽ Talk to this!”
Sylvie wound her arm back, her sword horizontal and ready. She threw her whole arm forward, and her weapon flew out of her hand like a boomerang’s first trip forward. It tumbled through the air, completing several rotations before reaching Sylvie’s intended target.
But the strangest thing happened when the sword severed the sapphire head from its body.
Kzzzzzzzzzt!
Instead of blood, sparks flew from the jugular.
Its head fell flatly on its own lap, then tumbled down the stairs. Sylvie’s sword also slapped the corpse’s lap before falling further, landing squarely on a step near the top of the stairs. The orange and aquamarine Time-Keepers shared a chortle with each other, chuckling heartily as they were designed to do.
Loki took a step back as the decapitated head landed at his feet. That’s when Loki got a true scope of what had just happened. No blood pooled onto his shoes, but a mess of wires and cords spilled out from the raggedy neck. A few more sparks spilled out as the head came to full rest.
Sylvie did not notice the sparks. She was too blinded by the bemusement that the remaining Time-Keepers shared. Was their comrade’s death a joke to them? Sylvie hurriedly reclaimed her sword at the top of the steps. She was about to make another throw. Only a voice of reason could stop her.
“Wait!!” Loki extended his hand out, reaching for Sylvie as if his magic had meaning. But it was merely his cry that made Sylvie take pause.
She cranked her head up just in time to see the laughing Time-Keepers jitter in their seats. A heavy creeeaaak followed. The bodies slumped in their respective chairs, as lifeless as the guards that lay on the chamber floor. The yellow in their eyes burnt out like bad lightbulbs.
No, bodies aren’t supposed to die with that type of sound. Where’s the gargle? The organic, hollow gasp of a dying breath?
Sylvie sheathed her sword and joined Loki at the base of the staircase. She ran straight for the decapitated head, still sputtering senseless sparks.
Loki took two more steps back, urging caution. Sylvie ignored it and directly picked up the sapphire head. Even through her fingerless gloves, the head was cold to the touch. Not just the metallic helmet, but the scaly skin. The only part that was warm was the mess of wires and circuitry that animated the Time-Keeper.
Kaia and Verity could see Sylvie’s face twist in abject horror, even through the foggy distance. Verity’s jaw dislodged in a similar manner. Perhaps if she had her gift, she could have seen the truth. But no, for what they were, they were very convincing lifeforms.
“The Time-Keepers…” Verity whispered the now-obvious truth, “They’re fake…”
“Mindless androids…” Sylvie couldn’t hear Verity from where she stood, but they reached the same conclusion. Her hands sunk, weighed down by the robotic head and the heavier truth.
Loki panted heavily. Between breaths, he muttered, “It never stops…” before his eyes darted around the chamber. His chest grew and shrunk with each passing glance. From side to matching side, an abyss of dead ends. He shot his neck straight upward, only to see a hopeless, stair-filled ceiling.
He was looking for answers and couldn’t find any. All he had left was a question. “Then who created the TVA?”
Loki looked back at Sylvie. Her head shook no, but her blank gaze told him a deeper story. She couldn’t pry her eyes from the android squirming in her hands.
“After all this…” Sylvie’s voice rumbled. She didn’t want to accept this reality. Her life’s work, her years-long plan. Down the drain… because they’re not real‽
“I THOUGHT THIS WAS IT!”
Sylvie threw the head across the chamber, its head clattering before rolling to a stop against a dead guard’s corpse. She also needed a moment to take stock of her surroundings. This whole chamber was just an elaborate piece of fabrication. Who created the TVA? Did it matter now?
“Sylvie, we’ll figure this out together…” To her, Loki’s hopeful words rang hollow.
“We’ve no leads, Loki!” Sylvie took a shaky step backward. “We’ll never find them, not from here!”
Loki took a step backwards as well, though he was a bit more solid with his footing. He once again found himself on a swivel. He wasn't looking at anything or anyone in particular. Although he knew where he was and who he was with, he felt lost.
Any eye contact that fell on Verity or Kaia was unintentional. The pair watched as Loki stared aimlessly around the chamber. Although his face showed no creases, his eyes flickered. The mind behind them was firing on all cylinders, but it was impossible to guess what he was thinking about. Was it a plan? Was it a concession? Was it an attempt at finding the right words for comfort?
The voice that he staved gave Verity pause. She whispered her comment to Kaia, “He’s acting differently…”
Kaia could only nod. She knew this was different, but it wasn’t an anomaly. She saw the silver tongue tie itself in knots once before. A quiet moment amidst a lethal apocalypse.
Loki looked back to Sylvie. Any anger she had dissipated. Her shoulders hung low. Strands of her hair started to frizzle from dryness. Her eyebrows formed depressed slopes, making her blue eyes look like saucers. No, it wasn’t just her rage that left her, but her hope. Her hope of finishing her mission and finding a purpose in her life… all of her hope abandoned her. And when those emotions leave you, a broken heart is usually what was left behind.
Loki couldn’t bear to see her so brokenhearted.
“Sylvie…” Loki’s face softened as he spoke.
At that moment, Sylvie saw Loki make a familiar face. The chamber walls faded; a flash of Lamentis briefly took its place. A face to rally in the face of death, to spout inspiration. A face she didn’t need, for this time she couldn’t let comfort into her heart.
“Not another pep talk, please,” beckoned Sylvie.
“No…” Loki stepped back to Sylvie. “I have to tell you something…”
At least, he thought he did. He breathed in and out, but he couldn’t find the right words to say. He couldn’t remember the last time he involuntarily hesitated. How… unfamiliar. Even Sylvie looked puzzled by the lack of follow-through.
Loki and Sylvie were locked on each other. Their conversation grew quiet, impossible to hear from a distance. Despite that, Verity looked back and forth between the strange-acting duo and the even stranger android corpses that loomed over them. Kaia was the only one to notice the fog stirring and breaking apart.
Kaia felt like time was at a standstill. Ever so slowly, she saw Renslayer wake amidst the fog. And boy, did she look pissed off. Her ire was drawn straightly towards the one that stabbed her and her accomplices. Her light cut through a piece of the fog with a simple, one-handed twist.
Kaia saw the future, and she didn’t like it. Not because of the revelation of the false Time-Keepers. Not because of Renslayer inching her way to standing. Not because Loki and Sylvie were too enraptured in each other to notice. No, Kaia didn’t like the future because she knew she had to make a very risky choice.
If this choice failed, she’d leave her best friend behind.
Yet, if she didn't make the choice, Loki and Sylvie would be pruned. What good would they be then? To find the real Time-Keepers; to find out the truth? No, for the TVA to fall, Loki and Sylvie needed to be here.
The choice was made in Kaia’s mind. She looked at Verity, who hadn’t yet grasped the reality of the situation yet, either. She couldn’t make this choice without potentially saying goodbye.
“Vee… I’m sorry. I have to do this.”
Before Verity could register what was happening, Kaia pulled her into a hug. Verity felt her best friend imprint her lips and a single tear against her cheek.
“Defeat that bitch. I love you.”
Verity was stunned. Where was this sudden outburst of affection from? This wasn’t too far off from the usual course for her. She had always been emotional. But this felt… sentimental.
“Kaia?”
Before Verity could spit out the rest of her words, Kaia leapt out of her arms. Her eyes followed her best friend as she charged the gap between the Loki Variants and the armed Judge. The realization of what Kaia had to do suddenly dawned on her.
Oh, no.
While the scene unfolded behind them, Loki and Sylvie paid no mind. They were lost in each other. He was lost on what to say. She was lost upon witnessing his sudden demeanour shift.
Loki finally managed to say, “We will figure this out.”
This did not ease Sylvie’s worries. “How do you know that?”
“Because… uh…”
Great. More hesitation? Get a hold of yourself, Loki!
“Back on Lamentis…” Loki threw his hands to his side, hoping the motion would help him find what he wanted to say. It didn’t.
He knew the spirit of what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the words to say aloud. In Sylvie, he saw someone who persevered through adversity head-on and fought for change. Someone he thought he could never be. And yet now, right when the life preserver was in reach, she was choosing to drown in sorrow, to give up on the person that brought her this far.
That’s when Loki realized it. This wasn’t a matter of saying what was needed to woo an influential person. This wasn’t a matter of crafting a lie worthy enough for his brand of mischief. This wasn’t even a matter of being a friend; motivating Kaia, Mobius, and even Verity to see his way of thinking.
This was a matter of sifting through uncharted waters.
Loki sighed. He curled his hands towards himself, his fingertips grazing his stained shirt. Then he admitted the truth: “This is new for me…”
“What?” Sylvie continued to look at Loki with wide eyes. Her befuddlement was unwavering, only accentuated by just how weird Loki was acting.
Loki took a breath out. He couldn’t look away from her. He gently placed his hands on Sylvie’s arms, grasping the muscles on her biceps. There wasn’t as much armour there, in comparison to her chest, back, or shoulders. A contradiction to Sylvie’s presentation; her arms were… soft. Neither of their fractured faces changed.
“Loki, what’s new? What is it?”
“Sylvie, I—”
“NO!!!”
A shrill third voice cut in on their quiet moment. The voice came from behind Loki. It was a voice he knew.
Kaia?
Loki had enough sense to push Sylvie back before turning on his heel, shielding her from the scene that had suddenly unfolded behind him. Kaia had thrown herself in front of Renslayer, who decidedly hadn’t died from Sylvie’s brutal punch. All hands were on Renslayer’s weapon, with Kaia steering the lamp off to the side, away from herself and her allies.
Kaia wasn’t objecting to Loki or Sylvie. She was objecting to Renslayer, who had her Time Stick ready to prune them. Her grunts and groans only emphasized just how hard she fought against the Judge.
Loki’s heart sank. The thought of him being mere moments away from being pruned so abruptly rattled him. But more than that, he didn’t want that fate for the one that saved him.
“Kaia, wait!”
Loki wanted to reach for her. To bring her to safety. But it happened too fast.
With one mighty pull, Renslayer won the tug-of-war that the disobedient Variant had initiated. The shift in balance caused Kaia to stumble forward, but she bowed back in time to avoid walking straight into the potent tip.
Luckily for Renslayer, she didn’t need L5242’s help in that department.
“The weakest Variant!” bellowed Renslayer as she thrust her Time Stick forward.
A direct hit landed square in Kaia’s chest, setting her alight. Her scream was unlike anything anyone in the room had heard before. A blood-curdling cry, fitting for a victim of such personal arson. The fire ate at her very existence until there was nothing left of Kaia Embla.
An eerie silence fell over the chamber. The only thing anyone could hear was a muffled gasp that escaped from between Verity’s fingers. She held her gaping mouth, unable to stop tears from spilling down her face and hands. She couldn’t move from the step, completely paralyzed by the horror of seeing her best friend drown in the sparks.
Loki also felt his limbs lock from the stunning scene that had just unfolded in front of him. No one had ever sacrificed their life for him before. Certainly not as poignantly and as brutally as his mentee’s sudden death. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Renslayer, but not for the same reasons as Sylvie. Towards Renslayer, Loki felt nothing but disgust. He already knew that her moral character was low when she ordered the hit on Mobius. He could hardly believe that someone could rival the evil that he had once exuded.
Renslayer looked at Loki, who had nothing to offer her. No words, no actions, no drive to fight back. This prompted her to snap back to her senses.
As quickly as she struck Kaia, Renslayer slashed Loki across his chest with her Time Stick. Another direct hit.
Unlike Kaia, Loki did not disintegrate with a roar. All he could manage was a shivered gasp, despite the heat of his body transforming into sparks. The length of his body gave Loki a few more moments to savour what little time he had left. He first looked over to Verity, who was still locked by her grief over Kaia. His eyes shone an apology on his voice’s behalf, for not being able to stay with her any longer. With the last of his strength, he glanced over his shoulder to look at Sylvie one last time. Her eyes contracted, as scared and as sad as they were before. His heart broke before it disappeared, for he knew he couldn’t say what he truly wanted to say.
“I’m sorry,” mouthed Loki. His face was the last part of him to vanish.
Sylvie and Renslayer breathed heavily at one another. Renslayer kept the tip of her Time Stick trained on Sylvie as if that would intimidate her. As if losing Loki was supposed to bring her past the bottom she had sunk to.
No, if anything, the fuse inadvertently helped Sylvie find her spark.
When Renslayer pressed on, Sylvie dodged to her right. She grabbed hold of the Time Stick, taking extra care to steady the lamp away from her back. She used the sharp end of the weapon to knock Renslayer off balance, swinging her to the ground in one fell swoop. Perhaps that was what Kaia was trying to do. A shame that good intentions can’t get you far in combat.
Sylvie yanked the Time Stick out of Renslayer’s grip. She twirled the baton so now she could threaten Renslayer with a fiery death. She jabbed the air with the Time Stick but stopped just short of stabbing Renslayer in the neck.
Renslayer was on her knees, her arms reaching for the sky, her palms showing signs of surrender. She glanced at the twice-stolen weapon held towards her, hesitating to finish the job. She looked back to Sylvie, who had made every effort to contain her snarling lip. She looked ready to kill her. What was taking her so long?
“Do it,” dared Renslayer.
“No,” Sylvie snapped back, “You’re going to tell me everything.”
Sylvie shoved the Time Stick in Renslayer’s face, making her lean back even further. Silence swept over the chamber once more, save for a distant snivel that crept over Sylvie’s shoulder.
Sylvie didn’t bother to look back at the source of the sound but still addressed her. “And if you know what’s good for you, redhead, you’ll come with me, too.”
Verity could only agree and surrender. No Mobius, no Kaia, no Loki. Where else could she go? She complied, finding her footing, needing no pointed lamp to escort her. The same couldn’t be said for Renslayer, who unlocked the elevator on Sylvie’s behalf under the duress of a Time Stick hovering near her back.
Verity could only keep quiet, hoping to survive where this moment was about to go. When your last ally is the one that’s holding you hostage… who needs adversaries?
Notes:
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Chapter 37: The Dogma
Summary:
Chapter 37 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Sylvie holds Renslayer and Verity hostage. She needs answers in order to figure out who’s really behind the TVA.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains major character death via pruning, implied self-harm.
Chapter Text
The courtroom looked especially dreary when it was empty. Some lights were dimmed, but enough were lit to allow the three new occupants to see their way around. The wood carvings of the outdated Time-Keepers’ faces loomed over Verity as she walked down the main aisle.
It was as Sylvie instructed: Verity led the way to the courtroom, and Renslayer walked between her and their captor. This guaranteed that Renslayer didn’t bolt ahead nor lagged behind. The threat of a sharpened Time Stick hovering over her back ensured this.
Not one Minuteman had made themselves known throughout the whole escort. Sylvie was not surprised; this is why she had spent years stealing Reset charges. Thinning out the forces allowed her to slip through widened cracks. It was fortunate that with all of the hurdles she had come across since then, she still reaped the benefits of the bombing.
Now, she just needed to clear out the last survivor.
“URGH!”
Verity stopped walking when she heard a sudden struggle behind her. Renslayer now lay face down on the ground. Sylvie stood over her, a bare hand outstretched, still smoking from whatever act of aggression was needed to knock the Judge down. Sylvie’s golden sword hilt glimmered in one of the few harsh light spots in the room. A stark reminder that only one of the three was armed.
“You stay there and you watch us,” Sylvie said to Verity, “My issue is not with you, so long as you comply. You’re a fan of honesty, right? Remain impartial.”
Verity could only nod and blink back tears that had been welling up. This was their first real conversation since that botched interview. She couldn’t have known that much about her unless Kaia had told her while they were on the run together. That alone pressed down on Verity’s bruised heart.
But she took her new role seriously, like an ice pack mending a muscle. She had to be impartial to see the truth, especially in such a quiet room.
Renslayer was still down on the floor, careful not to be too brazen. Her position was still too precarious to make sudden movements. When she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, she relaxed and allowed it. She also allowed herself to be flipped onto her back, where she could see Sylvie towering over her. She heard her captor’s boots rest on opposite sides of her hips.
Sylvie stood in such a way to assert dominance, down to using her head to block a ceiling light from Renslayer’s face. Sylvie’s hair had fully dried out, resulting in blonde strands swirling like corkscrews down the length of her head. She aimed the Time Stick at Renslayer’s neck with merely one hand. She had multiple ways to break her, but she needed a few things first.
“Give me your TemPad,” commanded Sylvie.
Renslayer’s hands flew for the sake of self-preservation. Polished fingertips retrieved a scruffy-looking TemPad from her blazer’s outer pocket. She surrendered the offering to the captor.
Sylvie accepted it into her free hand, but she still needed more to be appeased.
"Who’s really behind the TVA?”
“I’m just as in the dark as you are…” Renslayer was quick to find out that the right answer was the wrong answer.
Sylvie lurched forward, bringing her boot down on her prey’s left shoulder. With an agonizing moan, Renslayer leaned into the pressure, doing her part to prevent her shoulder from fracturing.
Briefly, Renslayer allowed her eyes to open. What stared back at her was a curly blonde-haired Variant, whose sadistic snarl and crazed eyes inferred that she was beyond reason.
“Ohh, poor Judge Renslayer!” mocked Sylvie, “Your whole reality’s been destroyed! Tell me, how does it feel to be on the other side of it? To be one with the pain that you bring to us Variants?”
Sylvie mercifully stepped off of Renslayer, allowing her to wince and writhe on the ground beneath her. She kept the spear trained on her target but also allowed her to inch away as she checked on her bruised shoulder.
Verity watched on, compelled to stay in place. She couldn’t exactly fault Sylvie for her rage, but she couldn’t let Renslayer in on her sympathy. Much like the truth, she had to navigate this path straight down the middle.
“Why did you bring us here, Sylvie?” asked Verity. By all accounts, this last stand could’ve been held in the chambers.
“Simple, redhead. This is the room where she dragged me to after she stole my life. The courtroom I escaped from…” Sylvie used her weapon to make a broad sweep of the pews. Her eyes followed the pointed edge. Her eyes dimmed. Her rage took a back seat to her resentment. It was an antique backdrop burned into her memory since childhood. A scar that never healed.
As Sylvie reminisced, Renslayer managed to scramble to her feet. She now stood between Verity and Sylvie. The Judge eyed her captor, her chest taking steady breaths in and out. Running would do her no good. She was better than that.
“What a fitting place to take her life,” Sylvie mused as her gaze fell on Renslayer once more.
Despite throwing up her hands in apparent surrender, Renslayer couldn’t let that threat go unchallenged.
“And what if I said Loki wasn’t dead?” Renslayer posed her faithful question with an addendum, “Not yet, anyway.”
Verity’s heart skipped a beat. It took all of her might to not croak out a sob. If Loki were still alive, then Kaia and Mobius would also still be alive. She couldn’t fathom a reasonable explanation. Every tutorial she read stated that pruning was equivalent to death. But for once, oh for once… she wanted to believe in something without the heavy weight of the truth on her mind.
Sylvie, on the other hand, was not ready to fall for such a statement. The sharpest point of her weapon glinted as she inched it closer to Renslayer. “I’d say you were lying.”
“Well, you certainly brought us to the wrong killing room.” Renslayer shrugged. “Verity can’t confirm or deny anything without her power.”
How gracious of Renslayer to give Sylvie the last piece needed to forge the redheaded puzzle. From her anti-sarcasm quip to Kaia’s previous description of her, Sylvie figured out what kind of power Verity had. Sure, it’d be nice to have, if the one that wielded it really was willing to help her. For now, Sylvie could only trust one person: herself.
“Besides, maybe the three of us all want the same thing…”
“How?” Verity stared holes into the back of Renslayer’s head. “Are Kaia and Mobius still alive too?”
“And how would saving them get us closer to who’s really behind the TVA?” Sylvie quickly added. Her head was cocked sideways as she spoke; an external reaction to hearing that Mobius had been pruned as well. It didn’t surprise her that Renslayer was willing to off her own kind. But the notion that he had been executed at all proved to Sylvie that Mobius would be keener to her mission (if he weren’t actually executed).
Renslayer glanced at Verity before looking back to Sylvie. They were asking valid questions that didn’t have easy answers. “It’s complicated.”
Sylvie puffed out her lips. She hoisted the stabbing end of her Time Stick just a bit higher as she jolted forward. A stark reminder that Renslayer only had verbal defences; she had to use them better.
Renslayer stepped back in sync with Sylvie’s advancement. “I’m telling you this willingly.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanna know who’s at the top of this,” Renslayer admitted with a quiver in her voice, “I want to know who lied to me.”
Hmm. Is that the case?
Sylvie watched Renslayer’s face. Muscles along her cheeks and her neck were visibly tense. Her eyes shone with a dash of desperation. A single bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. She wore the skin of someone in crisis. Her reality was shattered, after all.
Over Renslayer’s shoulder, Sylvie could see Verity looking on. Her face was clouded with concern, but calm. No grandiose gestures or verbal objections. Sylvie knew that she couldn’t enchant anyone now; perhaps Verity really was met with the same anti-magic fate. Perhaps Verity was just good at reading people naturally. Perhaps one of them was lying about her lie-detecting abilities. But Sylvie now had a hunch that Renslayer wasn’t lying about the primary topic at hand.
With all that in mind, Sylvie lowered her weapon slightly. Silently, she gave the Judge permission to explain herself.
“When we prune a branched reality, it’s impossible to destroy all of its matter. So we move it to a place on the timeline where it won’t continue growing,” Renslayer explained, “Basically, the branching part of the timeline isn’t reset. It’s transferred.”
“To where?” Sylvie preferred a blunt and narrow line of questioning.
The information that Renslayer was tapping into was highly classified. Those documents were restricted and classified to those in the higher ranks due to their sensitivity. It was much easier to equate pruning to destruction en masse, but the truth of the timeline is much more nuanced. Like how a sturdy rope is strung together by hundreds of microscopic threads. Such a complicated retelling needed visuals.
“A Void at the end of time.” Renslayer lifted her hands higher with rolling motions. Her left hand rose higher, fingertips fluttering to the top of the demonstration.
“Where every instance of existence collides at the same point and simply…” Renslayer’s index and thumb pinched together as soon as she whispered: “stops.”
Verity shot a glance over Renslayer’s shoulder. Sylvie caught it. They were both on the same wavelength. How could a statement sound so outrageous, yet be too detailed to be purely falsified? This ‘Void’ likely does exist.
Sylvie pressed further. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” With a shake of her head, Renslayer lowered her hands to her sides. “The dogma states that the end of time is still being written, that the Time-Keepers are transforming it into utopia.”
“Is… is this Void the utopia?” Verity crossed her arms. If the dogma didn’t connect to the Void, why bring it up?
“Not at all. One can only assume that the Void is an aside at the end of time. An intentional placeholder, so to speak,” Renslayer clarified, “Where the discarded branches can’t affect what has already happened or affect the real utopia where everything and everyone will be at peace.”
And since when has anyone on or outside of the Sacred Timeline known peace? And to think, Renslayer really had her in the first half of her ramble!
“That’s nice…” Sylvie scoffed, barely containing her sarcastic smirk, “Suuuper believable…”
Renslayer continued, unfazed, “Whatever the real reason… nothing ever comes back from there.”
Sylvie’s face slowly dropped. She couldn’t say for certain if everything Renslayer said was true, but there were honest pockets hidden inside. Despite being the one with the weapon, she felt her power draining. Once again, Renslayer dangled her life like a carrot on a string. Her childhood? Yanked away, forever evapourated. Her mission? It all led to three robotic decoys. Loki? Yanked away, never to return.
Meanwhile, Verity’s face twisted to match her arms. She had to state the obvious: “How is anyone supposed to save them if they can’t return?”
Renslayer turned her head slightly, shooting a glance over her shoulder. “There is an idea I do have, something beyond your scope.”
Verity could barely register the look that Renslayer gave her before it retreated. Instinctively, her forearms pressed further into her chest.
Renslayer looked back to Sylvie just in time to see her eyebrows perk up in interest. She doubled down on her chance. “I can help you if you trust me.”
And so, Renslayer hung her carrot on yet another string. To place a literal spin on the metaphor, she held out her empty hand toward Sylvie. The promise of doing something impossible, saving Loki, finding the real Time-Keepers, ending her mission… it all hung on whatever secret that Renslayer was keeping from her.
Sometimes, knowledge can be the most powerful weapon in one’s arsenal.
Slowly, Sylvie reached behind herself. She had hidden the TemPad in a rear pocket as soon as she retrieved it. She knew the ins and outs of it, but she was limited by her own knowledge of the TVA. Things have changed here since she was initially taken as a child. She’d have to trust that the Judge knew of the intricate details that could break her workplace’s foundation. So she surrendered the TemPad back to Renslayer.
Renslayer led Sylvie and Verity to the front of the courtroom, stopping right by the defendant’s podium. As she walked, Renslayer brought her scuffed TemPad to her chest, preparing the next phase of her plan. She paid no mind to Sylvie, who opted to fall out of line, landing herself squarely in one of the pews. The blonde Variant hung her feet on the pew in front of her and erected her Time Stick to full mast. Despite not standing, her presence loomed over the TVA servants, even the one that might be faltering.
Verity felt like she was being pulled in two directions. The direction that wanted to save her friends in a blaze of glory, and the direction of self-preservation that relied on being nice to the one that sent her friends into peril. Right now, the latter felt paramount. If there really was a way to save them, that needed to happen before anything else.
“What’s your plan?” Verity whispered to Renslayer, “Will it really save them?”
A tight grip suddenly wrapped around Verity’s arm. Renslayer pulled her closer, whispering in a much more huffy tone. “Just keep your mouth shut and play along if you want to live.”
Verity hid her panic behind a stoic face. She nodded, which prompted Renslayer to release her from her grip. Self-preservation mode fully kicked in as she backed herself up to fit perfectly on the defendant’s platform. This gave her the perfect vantage point to observe both of her captors: an eavesdropping Sylvie and a plotting Renslayer. The latter had some sort of plan, one more elaborate than her own. If she wanted to see her friends again, she’d have to trust the process.
Renslayer’s plan had a few steps, some of which were already complete. With Sylvie somewhat on board, the next phase involved a bit of research. With the simple push of a button, Miss Minutes manifested herself upon the top of a pew in the row opposite Sylvie. She had no concept of gravity; she could’ve materialized anywhere. It just looked nicer to stand on her own personal perch.
“Hey, y’all!” Miss Minutes let out her standard greeting before recognizing who summoned her. “What do you need, ma’am?”
“Miss Minutes, I need you to remote access a series of restricted files from the archives.”
“Ooh, doggy! On what?”
“The beginning of time,” Renslayer commanded, “The founding of the TVA.”
“Right away!” Miss Minutes waved her hand, which prompted a series of file icons to appear beside her. They were posed to form a floating wheel, which Miss Minutes could thumb through like a carousel. Files spun as she searched, clacking audibly as the animation spun faster, loosely interpreting the notion of loading documents.
No one noticed Sylvie’s eyes twitch. Something amidst Renslayer’s instructions caught her off guard. Since when did they mention the beginning of time?
“Wait!” Sylvie threw her boots on the ground. “What about the end of time?”
Renslayer’s mouth hung slightly as Sylvie made a steady, non-threatening approach. Eventually, she spat out, “It’s just a Void. It’s the placeholder, remember?”
“A placeholder, yeah, but what if the Void isn’t the end? What if there’s something beyond it?”
Miss Minutes stopped loading the requested file. It was an interesting query, but she wasn’t programmed to accept commands from Variants. She looked to Renslayer, who seemed lost in her own thought.
It was an interesting take on her theory. With the way the restricted files described the Void, Renslayer interpreted it as an aside or a holding spot for the end. Never did she think there’d be something after the end. It was worth a shot.
Renslayer’s head swung from her captor to her assistant. With a solitary nod, the Judge made a snap judgment. “Change your search.”
Miss Minutes followed through on her modified search. The files twirled with a series of snaps before her white glove injected itself along its gaps. Her magic touch brought a file out of the circle, blinking in its prominence before the file ‘screen’ disappeared completely.
The open file was a Time Chart, not unlike the average screen Verity would observe on a chronomonitor. It lacked tickers above and below, but the familiar glow of a white line shone against thinner yellow graph lines. With a smile, Miss Minutes used her gloved fingertips to push the screen along to its rightmost edge. The ‘end’ of time showed the Sacred Timeline’s line splitting wide open. A lump of fracturing rainbow colours encapsulated the so-called end of time. Not a branch nor anomaly was in sight prior to the end.
“Hiding in the shadow of apocalypses obscured me from the TVA because I couldn’t create a diverging branch there, right?”
Renslayer nodded to Sylvie’s leading question. In response, Sylvie gestured to Miss Minutes’ simulation with her unarmed hand.
“So, if all of this is still being written… whatever happens there is just a new timeline. It would be impossible to start a Nexus Event there. You could be completely undetectable.”
Renslayer’s eyes widened. This wasn’t a part of her plan, but she graciously accepted the material she was given on a silver platter.
“That’s it. That’s the only place the real creator could be…” Renslayer said. Verity couldn’t help but notice how her proclamation came out so… flat.
Sylvie’s finger pointed to the technicolour blemish, leading her next question. “So how do we get past the Void?”
Renslayer sighed. If she had known, she wouldn’t have told her. She’s safe to lie here. But truthfully, even amongst the few that knew of the void’s existence, that wasn’t something anyone had even thought to try.
“It’s impossible,” Renslayer conceded, “There’s nothing for the TemPad to lock onto. No destination.”
“We can’t get to the Void with a TemPad…” Verity repeated. Renslayer shook her head in agreement.
Such a problem didn’t faze Sylvie. “Then we go through the Void.”
Through the Void? As in… live out the days in the Void? To a point in time that might never come‽
“That’s suicide,” Renslayer said dismissively. Her TemPad wilted in her grip.
Well, the information was nice while she had it.
“Then I guess my need for you, Judge, has passed.”
Sylvie pivoted to face the Judge fully. Her Time Stick shifted from one hand to the other, its point primed to meet with flesh. If she had nothing else of value to say, she would now meet her end. Sylvie wasn’t one to rely on anyone but herself, especially now that she knew what she needed to do to meet her goals.
“WAIT!”
Miss Minutes’ sudden exclamation was about as effective as an ice storm. Everyone froze in their tracks to acknowledge her, who had her little cartoon arms airborne to match the universal ‘stop’ hand gesture.
“What about the Void Spacecraft?”
“The what…?” Verity said breathlessly and delicately. She was sure that no one heard her.
“Oh! Yes!” In contrast, Renslayer’s eyes popped with her flat voice. “The prototype!”
Sylvie eyed Miss Minutes with a slanted gaze. She watched as the holographic graph retreated. The carousel of files reclaimed its rightful place beside its commander.
“Great! I’ll get the file…” Miss Minutes turned on her intangible heel, flicking through her files to simulate her search.
Like a snake in the grass, Sylvie’s gaze fell back onto her prey. Not a word was uttered. The contempt on her face spoke for itself. The deus ex machina that had suddenly manifested itself was a bit too convenient for her liking.
A nervous chuckle escaped past Renslayer’s lips. “I-It’s a spaceship designed to withstand the temporal void. It could conceivably take us to the end of time.”
Woof. And here Verity was thinking that she was a bad actor.
Over Renslayer’s shoulder, Verity and Sylvie locked eyes. Words couldn’t be uttered, but thankfully, their eyes spoke on their behalf. Ever so slightly, red hair twisted from left to right. Blonde curls bobbed up and down to her, disguised as acknowledgement for the woman between them.
“Find Loki…” agreed Sylvie.
Blissfully unaware, Renslayer nodded back at Sylvie. “Find the creator behind the curtain…”
“And kill them?”
“All of us, together…”
Renslayer hastily threw her TemPad into her left hand before rigidly swinging her right arm toward Sylvie. A humble peace offering to seal the deal. To tame the beast that is Sylvie.
What a painfully lame trap.
Sylvie had her suspicions. Renslayer’s deflated tone, her nervous demeanour. The strange glances from Verity wordlessly confirmed it. The Judge had thrown out her morality, succumbing to lies in order to get what she wants. That sounds like something a Loki would do.
Her eyes slotted down at the Judge’s hand. Perfectly manicured fingers branched out from her palm without so much as a crook to twist them. Her gaze jolted back up with a double entendre. Renslayer thought that Sylvie was looking at her. She was actually looking at Verity, whose mouth hung slightly, jarred by the thought of Sylvie falling for such an obvious lie. A stern glance did its best to reassure her.
If Sylvie had to choose her sole allegiance, it’d sooner be with the one whose hand she didn’t shake. That’s why she didn’t let go, even with Renslayer’s feeble attempt at freeing herself.
“Miss Minutes, where are the files on this Time-Craft??” Sylvie asked. A shiny plastic smile was plastered on her face.
“Still lookin’, hon…” the TVA AI reported as she continued to spin her loading animation.
Renslayer glanced at Miss Minutes’ continued stall tactic before looking back at Sylvie. She fiddled with her scuffed TemPad in her free hand, for it distracted her from the pain in her trapped one. Sylvie had an ironclad grip on her hand. She could feel bones shifting and bruising as if her hand was a footbag. As more pressure points were pinched, the Judge’s glare became tenser.
Sylvie, fully aware of her own actions, did not break her smile nor her eye contact with Renslayer. She beckoned for another update with a sickly sweet cry. “Nothing?”
“Hmmmm…” Miss Minutes said nervously, “Buried pretty deep…”
The clock and her summoner exchanged rapid glances, checking on one another’s well-being. Possibly communicating something more. It was hard to say, it all happened too quickly.
“It’s… highly restricted…” Renslayer alleged, “I might not even have clearance.”
A file that’s too top-secret for the second in command? Sure.
“Oh, no, I think you would…” Sylvie scolded, “If it’s real.”
Renslayer’s mouth hung slightly agape. She knew her plan was cutting it close.
Her real plan was to pull her silent alarm for backup. Searching for files regarding the ‘beginning of time’ was actually a secret code for Miss Minutes to call for backup. The ‘end of time’ graph was to stall and appease Sylvie. Everything after that… well, it was a sign that there were very few Minutemen available. That blasted bombing affected so many hotspots and warranted so many med-bay calls. In normal circumstances, they would’ve already disposed of the threat. But there she stood, still squeezing her damn hand. The glint of Sylvie’s stolen Time Stick hinted that she would be the next infirmary visit soon enough.
“How long?” Renslayer threw the full weight of her irises to Miss Minutes. Only a fool would think that she was still asking about the spacecraft.
“Any second now!” Miss Minutes’ eyelids furrowed as her circle of files became a golden blur.
Verity watched Miss Minutes as she continued to run her animation, ‘searching’ for a file that she knew didn’t exist. She didn’t know what she was really doing, but it didn’t matter. Miss Minutes wasn’t being truthful. Verity’s head wagged back and forth subconsciously and involuntarily. It baffled her to no end. It scared her, too. She knew that Miss Minutes had some sentience, but the artificial program lied so freely. That concept was beyond her scope.
Sylvie scoffed. She was done with this little game. “And to think, you almost had us fooled for a minute there.”
Renslayer’s left eyebrow propped itself higher by just a smidge. Us?
BANG!
The courtroom’s doors swung wide open. A flood of four Minutemen — led by Hunter D-90 — swooped in through the doorway, Time Sticks blazing. It was a small cavalry, but at least it arrived.
“GO! GO! GO!” cried one Minuteman.
“MOVE IT!” another one added.
A little whoop from a startled Miss Minutes announced her departure from the scene, retracting with a shrinking swirl into an abyss of nothing. Verity envied her for that. The best she could do was sidestep off of the defendant’s stand to ensure she couldn’t be boxed in by the oncoming storm.
Sylvie looked back momentarily to assess the incoming threat. By the time she turned back to Renslayer, her body already knew what to do. She lurched forward, using the long side of the Time Stick as a battering ram to her chest. The Judge had to bow her head back to avoid the upward swing of the spear’s tip.
Sylvie didn’t have time to savour the potential injury she caused. She broke off from Renslayer and made a running leap towards the Judge’s oversized bench. Using the adjacent wall as additional footing, she scaled the bench with no issue. Even with her hands a bit more full than usual.
Renslayer stumbled backwards, landing squarely in Verity’s arms. At least the lowly analyst had enough sound mind to ensure she didn’t fall. What concerned her more was the way her fingertips grazed her palm, with no TemPad blocking the way. A quick glance around the room confirmed that the hostage-taker was now in hiding, holding a new stake-out behind her own bench.
Hunter D-90 led the crawl down the aisle between the pews. He approached the bench with his Time Stick ready. Although he had his eyes glued to the unfolding scene, he had to check in with his superior.
“Are you okay, ma’am?”
“I’m fine, but she took my TemPad,” Renslayer reported.
Granted, she used the term ‘my’ liberally. Did you really think she’d let her TemPad get all scratched and bruised?
Sylvie stayed hidden underneath the desk part of the bench. She looked at the TemPad she had stolen, none the wiser that she held a detective’s TemPad instead of a judge’s. Not that it mattered too terribly; she did get by most of her runaway life on a hunter’s credentials.
She contemplated her next move. She could hear the Minutemen shuffling closer to the bench. No doubt that they were surrounding her rather limited perch. A tiny bump and squeak told Sylvie that the redhead analyst bumped into something unwittingly during her retreat. She was the only one whom she felt a smidge of pity for.
Verity settled for sitting down in a pew. She had backed up into one as the armed guards prepared to make their arrest. She wanted no part in those blasted Time Sticks right now. They had taken away so much from her already. She watched from a safe distance, as did Renslayer, who swapped places with D-90 down the courtroom aisle.
“Sylvie?” Renslayer cried out, “Not thinking of going on the run, are you?”
Of course! Sylvie kept her thought inward. That’s always an option!
“We know where you hide. Sooner or later, we’ll catch you…” Renslayer continued, putting on her bravest face, “It must be so exhausting…”
A scoff echoed sharply against the focal wooden wall.
“Don’t even pretend to think you can relate to me!” Sylvie snapped back, “Or, did you get a little real before?”
It was Renslayer’s turn to hold her tongue. She didn’t want to give Sylvie that kind of satisfaction.
“Did Judge Renslayer really feel betrayed by her beloved TVA?” Sylvie pondered aloud.
“Why don’t you come back out and we can… talk about it?”
Renslayer didn’t like the way she hesitated on her own words. It just gave her negotiation less merit. It gave her enemy a bit of ammunition to chew on.
“Sure! Just tell your little armed goons to piss off and we can settle this between us!” Sylvie bartered boldly, “You can even let Verity go; I have no qualms with her.”
Oh, I’m SURE you don’t.
“Works for me!” Renslayer rolled her eyes. She gave her leading Hunter his cue.
On her command, boots scuffled as quietly as they could toward the Judge’s bench. One Minuteman hung on each corner, another and their lead Hunter near the centre emblem. The hush that fell over the room was supposed to disguise them. Instead, it gave them away, for Sylvie would have only breached the bench if she heard footsteps receding.
“What happened to finding the creator behind the curtain? To saving Loki? Kaia? Your analyst friend?”
Verity clutched her knee. The reminders of whom they were supposed to be fighting for juxtaposed poorly with the current deteriorating scene.
D-90 aimed his Time Stick toward the Variant’s voice. He wondered if he could vault over the bench as the fugitive did earlier.
Renslayer exhaled. She breathed her confidence back into her body. Broad shoulders and a straight spine made themselves at home upon their post.
“Tell you what. You come out with your hands up, and I’ll put you in a Time Loop. Something not so bad,” Renslayer pitched her counteroffer, “You can spend the rest of your days living out a good memory. Do you have any good memories?”
If that question had been asked when she was first arrested, Sylvie would have said no. But now? One good memory echoed in her mind.
“You’re amazing!”
Never would she have imagined having one, let alone having that memory be him. He was a nuisance, foolish, and downright annoying. Yet… he had compassion. She saw a flicker of it in his overabundant protection of his tiny friend, but to receive such kindness directly was a whole other sensation. After everything she had done, he was empathetic. He was understanding. He was… sentimental. She didn’t know she had craved such a thing until she had a taste of it.
“Just one, really…”
Sure, she knew she could do things independently… but… that one good memory would be nice to have alongside her. He was an ally; he wanted to help, but he needed help now. And she knew what she needed to do to save him.
Sylvie stowed her stolen TemPad in her back pocket, intentionally brushing her wrist against the hilt of her sword to remind herself of its existence. For what she was about to do, she knew she needed extra protection.
Chi-unk! Wrrr…
The Minutemen aimed their Time Sticks upward as the unauthorized chime of an unseen Time Stick rang out. When the fugitive bounced up into view, they advanced. She had both hands on the Time Stick, both arms extended as far as they could go, and the spear end pointed at Judge Renslayer. Alas, she was too high up for the Minutemen to make an impact, or to stop her from carrying out her real plan. How fortunate for Renslayer that this plan didn’t involve throwing the baton at her heart.
Instead, Sylvie closed her eyes and plunged the Time Stick into her own chest.
The spotlight that shone down on Sylvie added to the self-induced pruning. A full light show: hot white lights made the orangish sparks glimmer with extra intensity. The fire spread from her chest to her entire body, sparing no expense in her destruction. As the pruning ate away at her head, Sylvie’s face softened. She did not appear to be in pain as she disappeared. By all accounts, her ‘death’ was peaceful. She knew where she was going. She knew this was what she had to do.
It was an odd paradox: what happens to a Time Stick when it prunes its holder? Time Sticks are the only non-grounded objects inside and outside of time designed to withstand pruning. It wouldn’t end well if these objects — and the potent pruning energy within them — were able to explode on contact. So naturally, Sylvie’s Time Stick persisted. As her hands evapourated, the Time Stick remained and fell. It flipped in the air in a full rotation before it clattered onto the flat side of the Judge’s desk. Upon impact, the lamp doused itself. Every Time Stick had a failsafe for this type of scenario. If there was no hand to guide it, the Time Stick would power down automatically to ensure it didn’t set everything ablaze.
Verity looked on, stunned by the standoff’s epic finale. She shuddered as the truth of the moment set in. “She… pruned herself…”
“Good. Then she’s dead too.” Renslayer snapped her head sharply to look at Verity. “And you should thank your lucky stars that I have no plans to prune you.”
… What?
“You’re under arrest.”
Before Verity could say or do anything, she felt herself get forcibly swept out of the pew. Hunter D-90 had taken care to holster his Time Stick before restraining Verity. On Renslayer’s cue, he rifled through her front pant pocket, confiscating her TemPad to give to his superior.
“I’ve been at this much longer than you, Verity. I could tell you were giving that Variant cues that contradicted me.” Renslayer accepted Verity’s TemPad into her hands. “Remember whose side you’re supposed to be on.”
And what, deny the truth?
Verity was fitted with a Time Collar as she wordlessly accepted Renslayer’s tongue-lashing. The Time Collar did not affect her ability to speak; this was a premeditated choice. Sometimes, silence is easier than speaking, especially when you’re morally confined to the truth. If she had no fear of the consequences, she would go on and on about how awful Renslayer was. How she was the liar.
Renslayer turned to Hunter D-90. “She is to be detained in my office. I need to make some detours, so guard my office door until I return. Dismiss your crew to help with the restoration of the Sacred Timeline.”
Everyone took their cues personally. The Minutemen scattered first, followed by Hunter D-90, who guided his prisoner with not even half of the usual strength required. At least she knew better than to resist him.
All Verity could do was eye Renslayer as D-90 made her walk past her. She was the last of the resistance to stand strong. She couldn’t help but wonder why Renslayer needed her alive. Did she really need her on the side of the TVA? After so much truth had come to light?
Whose side was she on? What a question.
With one side pruned out of existence and the other rooted in her oppression, Verity settled down on no one’s side. She was in her own corner, bracing herself for the worst that was yet to come.
Chapter 38: The Judge's Mission
Summary:
Chapter 38 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Renslayer’s on a mission. She won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not Hunter B-15. Not Miss Minutes. And definitely not the traitorous Verity.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains prominent alcohol consumption, implied spiked drink.
Notes:
Hey y'all, I recently learned that ao3 does show me a quantity of how many people subscribed to a fic. There are over 15 of you!! It doesn't show who but I don't need to know that much. Thank you immensely if you're subscribed to IKOL, it humbles me to be a part of your notifications like that.
Any interaction with this story is appreciated, even though there hasn't been much of it as of late. I'm admittedly trying to get back into a rhythm after everything that happened last month, and I think that funk affected things too much. I haven't been writing as much as I wanted to. So for my sake, a new chapter every weekend (as opposed to one every six days) will be my schedule for now.
Thanks again for being here. 💚
Chapter Text
When Renslayer first realized that her TemPad wasn’t her own, she knew she had to do some housekeeping. It turned out that tidying the TVA wasn’t too different from tidying the timeline. You identify your targets, then you deal with them. Be it with solid evidence and subsequent execution.
Although the execution was messier than intended, she succeeded at the end of the day. Loki? Pruned. Kaia? Pruned. Sylvie? Self-pruned. Mobius? Regretfully pruned. With the clutter out of the way, that left Renslayer with her primary objective: Verity.
During her downtime, she had taken the time to study Verity Willis. She knew Verity better than she knew herself. And Verity was none the wiser! Just how the Judge liked it. She knew her prey’s past, present, and future, as decreed on the Timeline. All of her likes, dislikes, and quirks. Especially when it came to her mental magic.
You’d think an ability as plain and as bold as hers would be more widespread, but initial readings contradicted this. Verity was the only being on the Sacred Timeline to have the gift of absolute truth perception. Although it was a curious thought, Renslayer currently didn’t have much time to ponder why. Not when Verity had to pay her penance for her traitorous ways.
As such, a collared Verity was promoted to Renslayer’s personal assistant.
They had both taken the time to change into a clean set of clothes, nearly identical to the outfits they had previously worn. Verity’s new fuzzy brown sweater hugged her chest a little tighter than the preceding one. She didn’t mind. She pushed aside the self-pity, for the snug fit brought her comfort that she could no longer garner from her friends. If Mobius, Kaia, Loki, and Sylvie were alive, they were trapped in a Void near the very end of time. Much like in the old days, Verity now only had herself to rely on. She needed time to figure out her way to escape this situation, so for now, she accepted her involuntary job switch.
Renslayer led Verity into Time Theatre 38. It was just as tidy and orderly as any other theatre. Two Minutemen stood at attention on either side of the door. Verity scanned the room for the prisoner they were guarding and found no one else in sight. A quick “Leave us!” from the Judge prompted the soldiers from standing within the theatre to standing outside of it. They were sure to close the door behind them.
Renslayer snapped her heel down to catch Verity’s attention. “Your sole job is to remain quiet during this interview, confirming the truth.”
“Okay, but…” Verity scanned the room in case she had missed an invisible person, “Who’re we interviewing?”
Renslayer could only scoff at such a question. She cut the floor in a diagonal motion, dipping her toes into the lower level of the floor only to emerge on the side of the jagged right wall. Verity followed, all the more puzzled by her traces.
Renslayer approached an orange dip in the wall that hid between two raised concrete protrusions. Silently, she raised a pristine-looking TemPad up to her chest. She cradled the device gently as she pressed a sequence that Verity couldn’t quite make out. Its purpose, however, made itself apparent very quickly.
Click! Vrrr…
A sharp click announced that a straight crack had formed down the centre of the orange wall. The two sides parted like elevator doors, revealing that the wall had a hidden cell behind it. Tiny orange lights twinkled prominently, showing that they were in the foreground as well as the back. A digital bead curtain served as prison bars, keeping a bruised Hunter B-15 encased like a trophy. Any blood drawn during the previous fight had long since been cleaned, but the cut that split her bottom lip open lingered. She sat cross-legged in her cell, her hands in her lap and her shoulders aligned with her straight back.
Verity could only do as she had been told: keep quiet and be prepared to transcribe the truth. Renslayer had this much sway, to not only silently call for B-15’s arrest while fighting in the chamber, but to call for backup while being held hostage by Sylvie? Verity’s window to escape might require some sort of shrinking device.
B-15’s gaze pierced through the cell. She may have been defeated, disarmed, and detained, but they could not take away her dignity or her defiance. She had that in spades, something that her new adversary clearly lacked.
“Why am I locked in here?” the prisoner asked.
“You freed the dangerous Variant,” Renslayer said flatly, “You were disloyal to the TVA.”
“Disloyal?”
“Did you really think you’d escape punishme—”
“Disloyal to who…?”
Word travels fast when you’re kept close to Renslayer’s chest. Her colleague, Hunter D-90, and a select few of his Minutemen were tasked with arresting and processing her. She retreated into herself, letting D-90 gloat and scold to his heart’s content. His taunts didn’t faze her. What did catch her off guard was when Hunter D-90 mumbled a message as he read aloud from his TemPad. He was quiet enough for his underlings to not notice, but his prisoner heard him clearly.
“The Time-Keepers are androids. Keep this information to yourself.”
That was all she could make out, for the command seemed to sew his lips shut. Being promptly thrown into this cramped cell afterwards didn’t help matters, either.
“You were both in the Time-Keepers’ chambers! Th—”
Hunter B-15’s reminder was sharply cut off by Renslayer, who cast her left hand in front of Verity. The hand was nowhere near her physically, but Verity still found herself rocking her body away from Renslayer’s palm. She stepped backwards, giving the pair a bit of extra space, and herself a better vantage point of both of their faces.
“Don’t involve Verity in this conversation!” Renslayer snapped, “You’re talking to me!”
The interruption didn’t derail Hunter B-15. She pinched her gloved fingertips together and raised both hands in front of her chest. She even managed to shift her body to fully face Renslayer as she continued.
“They weren’t real!!”
“Why does that change anything?”
“That changes EVERYTHING!” Hunter B-15’s hands exploded; her fingertips metaphorically reenacting a bomb’s tracings. One of her pointer fingers drifted to point to the floor beneath her. “The people need to know the truth!”
Verity admired the integrity as she realized that Hunter B-15 must’ve caught up to speed at her own pace. She already knew that the Time-Keepers were fake. Her betrayal against the TVA to fetch Sylvie’s sword implied that B-15 now knows of her Variant status. And she wanted to take that information and spread it to her colleagues. It was a noble notion. Too bad Renslayer didn’t see it the same way.
Information is power. A power that could spiral if a universe’s worth of TVA workers didn’t react well to it.
“No. The TVA needs stability,” Renslayer announced sternly, avoiding the dumbfounded gawk that B-15 drew on her own face, “And until we figure out what’s going on, that is what it will get.”
Only people that needed to know ought to know. Frankly, Renslayer felt uneasy with the handful of Minutemen that knew what went down in the chamber. It’ll take great effort on her part to tidy the TVA after this.
Renslayer took two paces forward. Her glare narrowed as she watched Hunter B-15 recompose herself in her miniature chamber. “So you need to tell me everything.”
“What exactly do you want from me?
“You had a link with the dangerous Variant.” Renslayer rejected naming the Variant — never mind her chosen name — in front of B-15. What did it matter? They both knew to whom she was referring.
“I want you to tell me what drives her.”
“Revenge drives her.”
A quick side-eye on the Judge’s part and a nod from her new assistant confirmed the prisoner’s testimony.
“Killing the Time-Keepers…” Hunter B-15 tilted her head to her right, popping her eyebrows up slightly as she spoke, “But they turned out to be fake, in case you forgot.”
No, it’s kind of hard to forget about a severed head, be it real or mechanic.
“So she’ll be searching for whoever created them.”
Renslayer didn’t doubt that. Why else would she self-prune after such little information? She didn’t even have proof that what she had been told was true. And yet, she leapt at the chance that might lead to the deaths of invisible overlords. Potentially invisible, at least.
Hunter B-15 watched as Renslayer processed her words. Her gaze went down, then up. No looks for her assigned lie detector off to the side. She wished she could be of help to Verity, but there was no way to unlock these types of cells from within. The lined walls disabled all of her tech, TemPad included. The only way out was on the outside. There was no way Verity would know how to free her.
Only the likes of Renslayer could do that, but she did not appear to be of service. Instead, she looked lost in her own gaze. She was seemingly looking at B-15, but there was no light behind her eyes. They seemed clouded by what she had said.
And that’s when it clicked for B-15. She didn’t need magic to confirm it; Renslayer’s face told on her. Regarding the truth of the timelines, she was just as in the dark as anyone else.
Hunter B-15 sighed. “This isn’t about protecting the TVA at all, is it? You just want to find whoever is behind all of this, too.”
Renslayer’s eyes puckered closer together, stopping short of closing altogether. She kept her laser focus on B-15, ignoring Verity and her stoic face. The prisoner’s guess was correct, and although she appreciated Verity’s attempt to keep a straight face in front of B-15, she would have to deal with Verity knowing this truth later.
She couldn’t deal with that now. Not when Hunter B-15 began to laugh in her face (as best as one could when confined).
Her head shook from side to side. Her sitting stature was fully at ease. Her smirk mocked Renslayer from within the cell. “You’ll never find them. Not before she does.”
Renslayer’s lip snarled upward as she asked, “And why is that?”
Was it not obvious?
“You only want it.” said Hunter B-15, “She needs it.”
Such an accusation drew Renslayer’s final straw. She swiftly pulled up her TemPad and — without so much as a goodbye — closed the doors to Hunter B-15’s cell. Compared to the opening crawl, the doors swung shut on her at a much quicker pace.
“We’re leaving,” Renslayer announced. That gave Verity merely a moment’s notice to follow.
The redhead managed to tail the Judge as she called for the theatre doors to open. The Minutemen did the heavy lifting, not daring to question their superior as she stormed out with a flash of crimson trailing her. The orange sash draped on Judge Renslayer’s person did not falter as she climbed the small flight of stairs, readjusting her grip on her TemPad. This time, she made a call for an artificially intelligent opinion.
Ding!
Miss Minutes whirled herself into existence beside Renslayer and in front of Verity. A cheery “Hey, y’all!” was her standard greeting. She crafted a tiny white circle at her cartoonish feet to walk midair alongside her summoner’s upper body.
Renslayer skipped past the pleasantries. “I need all the files on the founding of the TVA. Everything from the beginning of time.”
The clock’s eyes shifted from one side to the other, calculating the gravity of such a request. Despite that, she kept her voice upbeat. “Well, that’s a mighty tall order!”
Renslayer, however, was not in a gaming mood. Yes, she wanted to figure out who ran this place, but not for the reasons that B-15 suspected.
“Whoever created this place is in danger. I need to find them.”
When told of the reasoning, Miss Minutes generated a more concerned face. She certainly didn’t want any TVA official to be in danger, let alone her superior.
“Okay. Right away, ma’am!” Just as quickly as she appeared, Miss Minutes disappeared into a little swirl of fading orange light.
Renslayer wasted no time in snapping her TemPad shut. As she slipped her device into her pocket, she glanced back to ensure Verity was still behind her.
“Follow me.”
The command was issued. Verity had to oblige. What else could she do, with no TemPad to work with? With no true allies to fall back on? Although she was in Renslayer’s custody, Verity hadn’t felt more lonely.
Eventually, the Judge’s footsteps led her assistant back into her office. It was Verity’s personal Time Theatre, her prison. The lack of her magic made this room all the more terrifying. Even the ironic presence of the Time-Keepers’ statues lingering over the office didn’t help mellow Verity out.
Perhaps a shot on the rocks would help instead.
Renslayer gravitated to her bar as Verity retreated to a familiar seat on her couch. It would be a while until Miss Minutes completed her search query. She did ask for some of the oldest and most classified files in all of TVA existence, after all. A wait was to be expected. What better way to pass the time than to probe her personal lie detector?
“So… that was interesting, wasn’t it?” Renslayer said rhetorically as she poured bourbon into two short glasses, “I certainly hope you were honest with your gift back there…”
“What good would lying do me now?” Verity conceded. She never wore lying well, even before the TVA, before Kaia. Verity speaking a lie was akin to a lactose-intolerant person downing a carton of milk. Technically, she could do so, but she’d regret it sooner rather than later. A painful pang would resonate within her; figurative butterflies would eat away at her stomach until speaking the truth expunged them. She hated even the thought of that horrid feeling.
“Hmm… maybe you are smarter than you look.” The condescending comment was met with Renslayer descending the short steps embedded in her office. She placed one glass in Verity’s hands before seating opposite her with her own.
Verity accepted the drink but was hesitant to down it. She stared holes through the glass and spherical ice, accepting the chill along her fingertips. It certainly paled in comparison to the pretty drinks on Phobos.
A light scoff frosted the rim of Renslayer’s glass. “There’s nothing in it. I need you alive.”
The Judge took a sip from her own drink to accentuate this point. Reluctantly, Verity followed suit. The whiskey ignited her throat. Perhaps that was the tinder she needed to find her voice.
“Why did you prune them…?”
“They were all in the way of the mission!” Renslayer exclaimed, “Besides, all of those Lokis were meant to be pruned.”
“What if they changed?”
“Lokis never change.”
“They certainly can’t change if you prune them!”
“And how would they change? To be even eviler? Or like how your beloved Mobius turned against me?”
Beloved? What a weird choice of words.
“Mobius spent his whole life here unaware of the truth! That can change anyone.” Verity gripped her glass a bit tighter. “Aren’t you concerned that you were taken from your timeline??”
“Why sweat over something I can’t remember?” Renslayer took a quick sip of her whiskey. “Your little… ‘friend’ would’ve done better with that mindset.”
“Vee… I’m sorry.”
Verity’s friend’s words lived on in a corner of her mind, nestled in a spot where it hurt the most. The thought of not seeing Kaia again alone was enough to make her numb. She did her best not to show such raw emotion in front of Renslayer.
“Leave Kaia out of this!”
“Oh, she took herself out of it, thinking she could stop me…” Images of Kaia struggling and failing to best her in battle dressed Renslayer with a smirk. “I doubt she’d last long in that endless Void…”
“She’s strong!” countered Verity.
“So strong that she sacrificed herself for a Loki. Not for you! She left you behind.”
She did what she thought was right. That’s what Kaia always did. She cared for others, even if that risked her own well-being. Verity could never be swayed against Kaia. Renslayer ought to know better. Kaia’s sacrifice wasn’t going to go in vain; not on Verity’s watch.
Verity puffed out her chest and her lower lip. She saw no harm in showing one of the cards in her hand. “She gave me a mission of my own.”
“Oh, a mission? Let me guess: she wants you to stop me?” Renslayer sneered, “Trust me when I say that you are no threat.”
“Even when you bring me along everywhere? I know the same truths that you use me to seek. I know everything that you know.”
“And that‘s where you‘re wrong!”
CLUNK!
Drips of whiskey flirted with the edges of Renslayer’s glass as she slammed it onto a perfectly placed coaster. “I know lifetimes and lifetimes of endless timelines! I’ve seen more than your tiny mind could comprehend to exist. More than my former colleague could ever hope to teach you.”
As Renslayer rambled, Verity took in a bolder swig of whiskey. She wasn’t used to having such intense company, let alone having to defend herself against them. She needed the liquid courage for the swipe she was about to take. She needed to meet Renslayer at her level.
“And what would Mobius say if he could see you now? After seeing how far you’ve fallen?”
“After eons together? He’d still want to be my friend, that I can assure you,” Renslayer boasted, “He’s quite fond of broken people. I just happen to be the least broken of them all.”
And after everything he had done to undermine her, the choice of words she’d have for Mobius M. Mobius would be very different.
“He was weak. Soft. He not only picked a bunch of Lokis over the TVA, but he also picked you.” Renslayer leaned over the table that separated her from Verity. She had studied her specimen from afar. Prodding at her person was a whole other sensation. “Were you his favourite? Do you feel something… more for him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” And Verity truly didn’t know. What a baseless wonder. Mobius’ favourite was clearly the jet skis.
“I’ve seen the way you looked at him. Don’t lie to me!”
“You and I both know that’s impossible.”
Verity blinked back tears. The accusation hurt almost as much as the constant rehashing of her good-as-dead friends. The decimation of character for those that could no longer speak for themselves.
“Then why are you getting so emotional about it?”
Because he’s my friend.
Verity did not say that aloud, though. She just frowned into her drink. She knew Renslayer would keep refuting it, so why bother saying it? Sometimes, the enemy of the truth is stubborn disbelief.
“You ought to stop lying to yourself.”
Ignoring her own drink, Renslayer took to her feet. Silently, she walked back to the open shelves she used to display her trophies. Her personal Time Stick had been safe during the scuffle in the chamber. Renslayer hadn’t anticipated needing it; perhaps a mistake in retrospect. Her fingers grazed the important notches and dips of the weapon. This Time Stick had seen many days and many timelines. Not once did she ever need to replace it.
Verity watched as Renslayer kept her back facing her, her hands gently picking up her weapon from her earliest days. She knew a threat when she saw one.
“I-I’m no good to you if you prune me. You said so yourself; you need me alive.”
“For now, Miss Willis.”
Renslayer turned around. Instead of twisting the centre barrel to activate the Time Stick’s light, she pulled on it. The butt end of the stick detached, revealing the spear that was hidden within it. She tossed the hollow end to the ground before pointing the sharp end at Verity. The old weapon now looked like the shorter sticks that the chamber guards had. The scratches and dents shimmered as the baton hung parallel to the ground.
“When it’s time to get rid of you, it’ll be this end. Straight through your heart.”
That shut Verity up very quickly. Renslayer paid no mind as she returned to the spot where she had previously been. She stopped short of sitting back down.
“You really think I’d send you to a place where you could maybe find them again? I’m not idiotic.”
“Then what do you want with me…?” Verity finally mustered a question. The edges of her fingertips were flushed white with the pressure exuded onto her borrowed glass.
“Look, in case it wasn’t obvious, the Time Bomb incident devastated our front line. The infirmary has every spare unit. Even the Minutemen that arrested you went back to assist there once I dismissed them,” Renslayer waved her free hand just as dismissively. “It’s impossible to say when the infirmary will recover.”
“So you just need another body.”
“Forgive me if I need to see for myself why Mobius was so impressed with you. He kept going on and on about how you’re such a gifted analyst.” Referring to Mobius in the past tense still hurt Renslayer. She did her best not to show it outwardly. “I’ve looked through your file and reviewed your performances. Currently, you do have some worth to keep here, Verity. But I will not hesitate to discard a tool when it becomes… defective.”
How flattering.
“Your new job will be to research what I tell you to research. It will be done on a TemPad personally restricted by me. You are to provide your services to me in any given Time Theatre when I command it. Your loyalty and co-operation will be undying. So I can figure out who created the TVA.”
The Judge’s mission was not unlike Sylvie’s. She wanted to find the creator behind the curtain. But she wanted to be an ally, not a foe, to the unknown and omniscient being.
“In exchange, Verity, I will let you live. You can keep your memories. Perhaps in the end, I’ll let you live out your days in a pleasant one.”
“What about the others…?” Verity felt herself relax into the back of the couch. She nested the near-empty glass that she had nursed throughout Renslayer’s speech. “Kaia, Mobius… can we save them?”
“Oh, come now. You knew I wasn’t being fully truthful to Sylvie back there, didn’t you?” Renslayer laughed, “There’s no magic way to return from the Void.”
“Sylvie has a TemPad.”
“So did every Minuteman and Hunter that’s ever been pruned. No one’s come back from the Void, TemPad or not. Nothing survives that Void.”
…
“They’re gone, Verity. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
“I can research the Void,” blurted Verity. The words tumbled without so much as a second thought. There was little that anyone knew of the Void. Why not break it down as best they could from afar?
Renslayer only saw the humour in the absurdity. A quaint giggle slipped through her teeth. “Yeah, right. So you can self-prune and help them find their way back? Tough luck. You get no weapon, no armour, just that limited TemPad. The only things you need to worry about are the things I tell you to do.”
Verity lazily plopped her empty glass on a coaster. Tears began to seep through as she found herself retreating into the cushions. Her arms tingled, numbed by the sting of her body giving up.
“You are WEAK!” Renslayer yelled as she drew herself closer to Verity. “Crying won‘t get you anywhere!”
“I just lost my best friend!” Verity spoke of Kaia.
“As have I!” Renslayer spoke of Mobius.
Renslayer grew tired of Verity’s whining. She bent herself forward, leaving mere inches between her face and her assistant’s. Each salty bead that dripped down her face did nothing to warrant mercy. Not when Renslayer knew just what Verity was capable of.
“Let me get one last thing clear, Verity. You are not in charge. You’re to do what I say you do. I am the Judge, Jury… and if needed…” Renslayer let the spear of her Time Stick hover just above Verity’s chest. “Executioner.”
Verity had nothing to say. She merely whimpered meekly, trying to create as much space as possible between herself and Renslayer. The couch she sat on did her no favours, for she had already sunken back as far as she could go.
“Remember your place, Miss Willis.”
Mercifully, the conversation died at that moment. Renslayer tidied her office — sheathing her Time Stick and collecting the whiskey glasses — before heading to her desk. Within one of its drawers was the very TemPad that Mobius stole on Verity’s behalf.
She overrode Verity’s account; resetting the permissions she had to a bare minimum. No Time Doors, no Miss Minutes. Only two options were in place: pager messages to receive instructions and files from Renslayer, and a directory limited to the very same links that Renslayer approved. No wandering, no disobedience. Just absolute loyalty to the mission. Wordlessly, Renslayer walked back to Verity to give her the reconfigured device.
All the while, Verity didn’t move. She managed to accept her refurbished TemPad into her hand, but she didn’t have the energy to fiddle with it. She barely managed to slide it into her front pocket. Everything felt heavy. She didn’t feel spiked; the bourbon was not off. But perhaps the alcohol was stronger than her usual dose. The adrenaline that encouraged her to drink her courage was starting to fade. She gave into her exhaustion, settling in on Renslayer’s couch.
And for the first time in her life, Verity hoped. She hoped for Mobius’ reliable advice. Hoped for Loki to manifest with some wise-cracking one-liner. Hoped to see Kaia again. Here? Or in the Void? It didn’t matter. She just hoped for a familiar face to help her out of this hell. She knew the devastating reality of things, how unbearable the TVA is. Yet, she still found hope overwhelming her heart. It’s what allowed her to finally shut her eyes and rest.
Truthfully, Renslayer didn’t care how much Verity worked.
She could’ve been the busiest bee or the slouch that slept on her couch for hours on end. Verity was under Renslayer’s thumb, and that was all she needed. With or without her, Renslayer will find the true Time-Keeper. It was only a matter of time. With the threats out of the way, time was now in abundance.
Renslayer had done hours of research at her desk. She moved to the couches for a change of pace. An exhausted Verity had shifted herself so she was sleeping on her side, using the full length of a couch as a makeshift bed. She was silent and she wasn’t misbehaving. Renslayer was content with this. In fact, Renslayer found herself sitting on the edge of the same couch as Verity. A stack of paperwork separated her from her dozing assistant’s feet. Some of the files were on Verity, others were relevant to the old Time-Keepers and the dogma that now seemed outdated.
Brrrrr…
The faint clicks of her TemPad downloading digital files went on for quite a while. As such, Renslayer couldn’t search for any files remotely. She had ordered the historic files to pass the time. There wasn’t any major hint hidden within them so far.
Finished files ended up on the coffee table beside her busy TemPad. That’s where the last bit of reading went. She reached for one last bundle of papers that sat on the side table beside the edge of the couch. As she removed it, a blemish on the surface caught her attention. Chalky white rings stained the cherry oak wood. They had been there for quite a while.
“Those rings were already there…”
Renslayer sighed. She missed Mobius. He would have been an invaluable partner in her mission. But he had been swayed too far away from her. He gave up everything he had known for what? A couple of Lokis and a crack in the TVA mantra? She got the former out of the way. in his memory, she will get to the latter.
Ding!
The right side of Renslayer’s face was illuminated by an orange glow. A friendly “Hey there!” prefaced Miss Minutes spawning on her coffee table, squarely beside her TemPad. Finally!
Renslayer sharply turned to face the projection. “What took you so long?”
“Sorry. Some things had to get worked out, but I’m downloadin’ the files you need now!” Miss Minutes gestured towards Renslayer’s TemPad. True to her word, the progress bar that had been trotting along quickly crept up to completion.
Renslayer scooped the TemPad into her hands just as the screen flickered. She was expecting a classified document on something relevant. The true Time-Keeper. The beginning of time. Any new development to help with her mission.
But it wasn’t.
As Renslayer read, a knot formed between her eyebrows. Her head shook vigorously. She didn’t know what she was reading. There must be some sort of mistake.
“This… isn’t what I asked for…” said Renslayer.
Miss Minutes grinned. “I know, but they think this’ll be more useful.”
The notch on Renslayer’s forehead faded with a quick jolt of her eyebrows. A thousand pardons were in order. Last she checked, Miss Minutes answered to her or to another judge. Unless…
“Who?”
“Happy reading!” Miss Minutes dodged that question like a bullet. She wiggled her animated fingers before vanishing with her signature swirl. Any attempt to call her back with the TemPad proved fruitless.
With no other options left, Renslayer read the mysterious files. Some of it looked to be in code. Others seemed to be temporal coordinates. Were they TemPad-friendly? She couldn’t say, she hadn’t seen coordinates like this before. What little she could decipher felt too extraordinary to be real.
Perhaps she needed to bring the truth along with her on her mission after all.
Chapter 39: The Void
Summary:
Chapter 39 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: SURPRISE! Loki’s not dead! And neither are his new friends!
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
So, we have an official release date for Loki season 2!! I think we're going to be at Chapter 55 by the time S2E1 releases, so I just want to remind you that I had everything for this story planned before any details of season 2 came out! What little we've seen so far actually doesn't connect to anything I have in mind, which actually has me really excited. Again, if any part of this story becomes influenced by season 2, I'll be transparent about it within notes or commentary.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“They’re gone, Verity. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
My dear reader, it’d be a pretty lame story if they were actually gone. We can’t end now! Not when the author didn’t name-drop the story title yet Loki just woke up from his most recent demise! Let’s check in on him, shall we?
There was no particular thought or noise that jolted him awake. The last things he remembered were the burning sensation on his person and the way a fractured Sylvie stared back at him. His heart twice burnt to cinders. He thought he had felt the worst of life at that moment. But now, his mind and body were in complete disarray. He had to gain his bearings.
He first did a check on his body. He breathed heavily, just to make sure he still could. His singed heart raced for a moment but soon steadied with his breathing. He could feel his arms rise and fall atop his chest and stomach as he inhaled and exhaled. He lay flat on the grainy ground — perhaps gravel or sand? — though his long legs brushed up on what felt like blades of dead grass. He was able to wiggle his extremities to prove his body hadn’t been broken by his fiery demise.
His head was crooked when he woke, catching a glimpse of both the ground and the sky. He rested at the bottom of a hill, for an imposing mess of debris towered over him. Roots, vines, and other forms of overgrowth infected hunks of scrap metal. Cars, airplanes, and even skyscrapers were consumed by the nature that grew around him. Despite the way the plants thrived, their colours consisted of muted greens and earthy browns. The whole landscape looked dull, even in comparison to the TVA.
Loki’s gaze shifted to the sky above him. It was foggy; not a sunbeam in sight. Yet, it didn’t look like there was rain on the forecast either. There were just clouds as far as the eye could see. Most were grey and gloomy, but the tips of his vision showed dark purple puffs looming overhead. The darker clouds rumbled like thunder.
Everything around him looked deceased. It was enough to make a Loki doubt themself.
“Is this Hel…? Am I dead?” Loki huffed to himself. Or so he thought.
“Not yet.”
Loki’s face furrowed in an instant. He was not expecting someone to answer him. Slowly, he lifted his head on his own accord, for whoever was speaking to him was not in his direct line of vision.
“But you will be unless you come with us…” the voice continued. Compared to himself, the stranger’s voice sounded wiser, bolder, and somehow, kinder.
Perhaps because it turned out to be a variation of his own.
Loki hitched his elbow underneath himself, allowing him to sit up properly. Only then did he get a true view of the Variants that stood before him.
Three Lokis were in front of him. He had no reason to believe that they went by a different name, like Kaia or Sylvie. As such, his mind raced to analyze the new folk in front of him, garnering any means to distinguish one Loki from the other. You, dear reader, are encouraged to steal Loki’s observations in order to tell them apart as well.
Loki guessed that the voice that spoke to him came from the Variant that had come of an older age. His face was pale and wrinkled, not at all helped by a stern gaze drawn upon it. His face was the only part of his head visible, for the rest of him was completely consumed by a green and yellow lycra suit. A plain brown satchel sorely mismatched such a bold choice of clothing. The base suit was green, but the boots, elbow-length gloves, cape, cowl, and other pieces of armour were all a bright yellow. The armour did well to protect his hips, chest, and shoulders, but they looked worn with age and not nearly as refined as Asgardian leather should be. Even the wickedly curved horned helmet that he wore overtop his cowl looked old, but that only made their beauty even more glorious. All in all, this Loki had a very Classic look to him.
Beside this Loki stood a Loki that looked much more contemporary. Green armour adorned him, from a green-and-black tartan top to solid green faulds protecting the necessities. Sleeves and pant legs included several horizontal straps. Fluffy grey furs draped down his shoulders, though not to the length of another cape. The furs from his shawl matched the furs that lined the rims of his boots. Black skin basked in what little light this realm gave off, though his hair grew on the wrong side of his head. In one hand held the strap of a messenger bag, but the other… oh, wow, the other held his weapon. The hammer was too golden and too rustic to be Mjolnir1 itself. Yet, he held it with the confidence needed for any weapon to deal this wielder worthy. A strong stance and a puffed-out chest completed and complimented him. This Loki looked rather… prideful? No, Boastful feels more accurate.
Lastly, squatted down in front of them was a baby-faced Variant. Loki remembered this look fondly, for he had this outfit when he was younger. It was all the same… The wispy black hair fringed upward at the tips. The horned headband with a tiny V-shaped horned emblem, bordered by tiny golden wings on the sides (which were totally not there to mock Thor’s childhood helmet). The gold-and-green tunic — which was complete with the same V-shaped logo strapped to the chest — layered atop the grey ensemble. The added golden armour that his mother wanted him to wear was on his elbows and chest. The only item out of place was a backpack; its two grey shoulder straps lay overtop his person, not unlike the Midgardian children that flocked to education establishments. In all regards, this Loki really was just a Kid.
The Kid held a reptile in his arms. It was green, long, and scaly. Its V-shaped snout flared up, shining teeth on both the upper and lower parts of its mouth. It wore a little hat that had Loki-like horns protruding from it. How cute! Loki always wanted a pet crocodile! It must be their companion in… whatever this miserable place is.
Loki pushed himself to his feet, complete with his head swinging his hair back. This allowed him to get a better scope of his surroundings. Not that there was much more to look at. Midgardian buildings and contraptions in ruins, consumed by vegetation. If Loki hadn’t known better, a lesser Variant had taken poor care of their New York conquest. But this couldn’t possibly be Midgard, never mind one of its prominent locations. And that’s when the questions found Loki’s lips.
“What is this place? Where are we? Who are you?” Loki blazed through his interrogation at a rapid pace. The eldest Loki stepped closer to him, completely unmoved by the quake in Loki’s voice.
“This is the Void.” The Classic Loki nodded his horns skyward, past Loki’s shoulders. “That’s Alioth.”
Alioth?
Loki spun around to look where the horns had pointed towards. The only landmark was the wall of purple clouds that consumed the sky above them and devoured the horizon it stood on. Streaks of violet lightning preceded the smoke shifting. Some clouds pushed upward, creating the illusion of a dragon-like head. Magenta light pierced through to give Alioth ferocious eyes and to backlight the clouds that gave him a fanged snarl. Although clouds were supposed to stay skyward, Alioth hovered uncomfortably close to the nearby hills, consuming the city rubble not too far away from them.
Well. That’s certainly less than pleasant.
A firm nudge on his arm brought Loki back to focus. Loki looked back to see his aged Variant push his gloved hand off of him for momentum.
“And we’re his lunch. Come on!” Classic Loki gestured his hand forward as he started striding towards a hilly horizon. The other Lokis followed suit, including the pet that had found its footing to waddle along. Loki, not about to be left behind to deal with the strange storm by himself, pumped his arms as he hurried along to catch up.
If the end of time were a utopia, then the Void that preceded it would be a dystopia. The murky fields were awful on the feet. The squad of Variants trotted past a creaky pirate ship, an eerie not-currently-flying rocket ship, and an oversized version of a star-spangled shield.
Loki had nearly tripped on an abandoned link of char-coated chains in his attempt to keep with the strides of his newfound variations. They had been trotting along silently for an uncomfortably long amount of time. The lack of conversation was enough to drive a Loki stir-crazy.
As he managed to catch up to the elder Variant’s yellow cape-tails, Loki huffed, “Might I suggest we take a quick breather so I can ask several THOUSAND questions…”
“Tough,” Classic Loki said with a snip to his voice, “Gotta keep moving so we don’t die.”
“I can get behind that, but what’s your plan?”
“Don’t die.” The Boastful Loki echoed from behind. A quick glance from Loki acknowledged his contribution.
“Okay, understood, but beyond that?”
“Don’t die!” The eldest Loki shouted. What part of ‘don’t die’ did this greenhorn Loki not understand‽
“‘Don’t die’ isn’t a plan! It’s a general demand of living!”
As the group walked between two boulders that looked suspiciously like gigantic human skulls, frustration started to swell on Loki’s face. “If you’re Lokis, you should always have a pla…”
Loki stopped talking and stopped walking. As the rest of the Lokis marched onward without him, he soon realized that his words were falling on deaf ears. He started to suspect that the ignorance was intentional. No, he needed answers. The only ones that might have the answers to his questions were nearly sprinting away from him.
Chit-chit-chit-chit!
When Loki tried to pursue them, however, he found himself cut off by blue blurs. A flock of creatures skittered past, with one pausing just long enough for Loki to assess. And what an assessment he had to make.
At first look, the creature had the shape of a bird. Four pasty legs shuffled underneath a mass of blue and violet feathers. The quills were elongated and elegant, like that of a peacock, yet the shape of the body it encased was rotund and far less graceful. The squabbles it made sounded like a turkey, but there was no beak to speak of. In fact, there wasn’t even a head. The neck ended abruptly; instead, a liquid-like orb held its shape and floated above the stub. It had no face, yet it seemed to look on at Loki before scuttling away in fear of the new life-form encroaching on its territory.
Loki didn’t realize he had so few straws until that… that orb-bird creature stepped on his last one.
“WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HEL IS GOING ON‽”
The Loki brigade parked themselves on top of the hill. They turned around just in time to see this new Loki hunched over nothing, arms waving frantically, talking himself up into an absolute frenzy.
“Look, it’s been a very, very, VERY trying past few… days? Months? I don’t even know how long it’s been since I attacked New York! All I know is that I got pruned and I woke up here. And now I’m surrounded by Variants of myself, plus a crocodile, which I’m heartbroken to report that I don’t even find all that strange!!”
For its part, the croc tilted its head to the side in the wake of its presence being acknowledged. This did nothing to stop Loki from working himself up even further.
By this point, Loki was shouting at his fullest volume. “And now we’re running from God2 knows what, trying to get to God knows where, when what I need to be doing is trying to find a way back to the TVA!!”
The only thing that rumbled louder than Loki was the purple thunder. The youngest Loki glanced back, confirming that there was a lethal blemish amongst the overcast sky. Alioth is a cloud. Therefore, Alioth doesn’t have eyesight. Alioth relies on the sounds of the Void in order to find its food. This unkempt Loki was seasoning himself up to be the perfect appetizer. Kid Loki wasn’t about to become an entrée because of a greenhorn, immature Variant of himself.
An airy chime rang out as Kid Loki swung his arm forward. He manifested a golden blade. It was shorter than a standard sword but much longer than a dagger. Its length didn’t matter, for it stabbed at the same rate.
Kid Loki jabbed the space that separated himself and the enraged Loki, which was thankfully enough to catch the latter’s attention. He abruptly stopped talking; so caught off guard that he tripped on himself to avoid the sharp tip. His eyes crossed as he stared down the sword. This looked just like one of the first weapons he had as a child.
Two steps forward ensure the Kid towered over his future self, who now lay flat on his back in wilted grass. The sword hovered mere inches in front of Loki’s nose, for its wielder had a point to make in more ways than one.
“Stop wailing or you will signal Alioth.” The Kid Loki finally spoke with a hushed whisper.
Loki took the hint to heart. He brought himself down a few notches if only to match how flat he literally was on the ground.
“You mean the monster in the sky?” Loki inquired. He was met with a mocking head shake and insolent rolling eyes from the child. He didn’t need a TemPad to know that this Variant’s temporal aura matched his own.
He twirled his wrist to magically put his sword away. Organically, he offered his bare hand to help his counterpart up. With a gentle gratuitous grunt, Loki managed to get to his feet. As soon as Loki was steady, Kid Loki swung his arms around to showcase the Void in its full glory.
“This is the place where the TVA dumps its rubbish. Everything they prune. And Alioth…” Kid Loki’s quick pointer finger guided gazes toward the dark tear in the sky as he spoke, “he ensures none of it ever returns.”
“A living tempest that consumes matter and energy,” Boastful Loki added, “They send entire branched realities here that are devoured in an instant—”
“We’re in a shark tank.” Classic Loki was much more succinct than his bearded counterpart. “Alioth is the shark.”
A snarl from the pet crocodile caught everyone’s attention. It sounded dissatisfied with the analogy. Much to Loki’s surprise, his elder bowed his head slightly to meet the crocodile’s eyes. His tone became much more sympathetic as he spoke to the reptile directly.
“Oh, there’s no such thing as a crocodile tank. Besides, it’s a better metaphor.” As Classic Loki turned from his oldest companion to his newest one, the patronizing hint to his voice morphed into a knowing whisper. “He’s overly sensitive, like the rest of us.”
He? So that’s not a pet? Could it be…
Loki froze. He looked at the crocodile, then back at Classic Loki. Only now did he consider the possibility of a fourth Loki Variant coming to his aid, not three. That the tiny set of horns that he wore wasn’t just for show or for superficial decoration.
“Hang on.” Loki pointed to the crocodile. “You’re telling me that crocodile’s a Loki too?”
“Oh, yes.” Not a hint of sarcasm nor lies dressed Classic Loki. The truth was simply this: the crocodile is a Loki.
Loki arched his head back. Repeated blinking settled into shut eyelids. His arms stretched forward to maintain balance. If one looked at Loki outwardly, one would assume he was fighting a ferocious windstorm. But there wasn’t even a breeze to tease his locks. The reptilian revelation was more than enough to induce a brief blowback.
It took Loki a solid second to open his eyes and recover. “Okay. Fine. Willing to accept that.” The hands that had weathered the nonexistent storm swept across to acknowledge the full group of Lokis. “Why are there so many of you?”
“Because Lokis survive,” Classic Loki said curtly, “That’s just what we do.”
Lokis… survive. Loki knew of another Loki that was pruned in the same manner. By that logic, she must’ve survived!
“Kaia…”
“Kaia?”
Oh, he said that out loud, didn’t he?
“Kaia’s a Loki as well. Goes by that name for complicated reasons. She was pruned shortly before I was…” Loki himself glanced around before continuing, “But she wasn’t anywhere near, was she?”
“No, just you,” Boastful Loki confirmed.
“Time between prunings matters not. If she was pruned a minute before you, that could correlate to an entirely different area in the Void,” Kid Loki added, “It’s a dumping ground; the TVA doesn’t care where the rubbish is dumped.”
“But there’s still a chance we could find her?”
“If you’re lucky.” Kid Loki shrugged. The chances of finding this ‘Kaia’ seemed unlikely, but he found his Loki ensemble, so he knew better than to dash out all hope entirely. He sensed that this Loki wouldn’t heed such pessimism if he had shown it.
“And when we do, we can leave!” Loki’s chest puffed out with raw confidence. “So, in anticipation of that… how do we escape?”
“We don’t.” Classic Loki saw no need to cover up the truth. “All of us were arrested at the TVA and pruned, just like you.”
Loki thought he had gotten the shock out of his system. It turned out that he needed one more moment.
“Even the crocodile?”
“Even the crocodile. Again, overly sensitive.”
Another low growl hummed out of the crocodile’s mouth to confirm this. The shine to his teeth made Loki swallow any last doubt he had over this Loki’s validity.
“In any case,” Classic Loki continued, “we stood around making bad plans that went nowhere once we got here, just like you.”
Loki held his tongue. Perhaps they were making bad plans, but finding Kaia and escaping from this lowly Void certainly was not a poor option. If they all visited the TVA on their way out, perhaps they were as cunning as a young Sylvie?
“Have you thought about using a TemPad?”
“Oh, the one thing that could easily get us out of here? Yes!” Boastful Loki chimed in, looking around at his brethren with a dramatic flair to his arms and a flashy smile. “They’re all over the place, right, guys?”
In case the grin that quivered to hold back a chortle didn’t make it obvious, he was being sarcastic. The elder and younger Loki joined to join a chorus of jovial laughter. Loki picked up on the hint. He didn’t have a moment to pickpocket Renslayer on his way out, so he wasn’t one to talk beyond that.
“Fine. What about causing a Nexus Event?”
Boastful Loki shook his head. “The TVA doesn’t care what happens here.”
Right. Dumping ground.
Loki was great at plans, but the constant shutdown of his suggestions triggered his frustration to resurface. “Surely, there’s something to do!”
“There is. Survive.” Classic Loki’s cape wavered to the bounce of his shrugging shoulders. “That’s all there is, all there ever was. Perhaps you can even find your Kaia-Loki and you two can survive together.”
Loki’s hands dropped to his side in dejection. The cut on his arm singed in what little air did push through the desolate wasteland. It was a reminder that he definitely could survive. Yet, the prospect of such a dull future didn’t exactly motivate him to do anything other than find his way out of the Void. If this place wasn’t a part of the Sacred Timeline, he could carve a new path for himself.
“We’re done talking. Let’s go!” Kid Loki cut himself into the conversation. He allowed the purple tear in the sky to be his backdrop as the naïve Loki turned his hollow gaze toward him. He waggled his arms in an unenthusiastic shrug. “Just… do what you want, I guess.”
And just like that, Kid Loki walked away.
He led a new charge down the hill, using a mountain of coloured hospital lunch trays as a landmark. Classic Loki followed, though his long legs allowed him to overtake the lead. The crocodilian Loki scuttled along; the extra legs giving him a slight speed advantage over his bipedal counterparts. Boastful Loki couldn’t resist a judgemental parting glare with Loki before taking the rear of the entourage.
KRA-BOOM!
The violet storm’s distant rumble now caught Loki’s ears. He looked above and around. Alioth lived in the sky; there was no reasonable way to take on the cloud so quickly. There were no tangible weapons to speak of nearby. Barely anything looked tangible. Nothing looked sanitary. And — aside from the thunderclaps above — the Void was eerily silent. There were no other beings around. No Kaia, no other Lokis, not even a bubble-headed bird remained to gawk at his misfortune. The only signs of life were the four Lokis, veterans of the Void, who were marching towards a destination only they knew of.
They had knowledge of this place. They had the upper hand that he needed. For the first time in a very long time, Loki had to resign himself to be a follower.
“OKAY! Wait, wait, wait!”
Loki barrelled down the hill, catching up and cutting through the tiny crowd at a record pace. His lumbering stature fazed no one, not even the eldest Loki, who still towered ahead with the youngest Loki’s order. Under that thought, the horned helmet he wore looked figuratively dimmer.
“Why do you wear the horns?” Loki asked his older Variant, “You let a child command you.”
With not a shred of hesitance, Classic Loki spun himself backward. A minor miracle allowed him to not snag his tattered cape on low shrubbery as he replied, “You’ll do well to respect the boy. This is his kingdom.”
Really now? This Variant of himself that didn’t look a day over 15? He is the king of this vast Void?
“Right…” Loki couldn’t help his hesitance. He firmly placed two hands on his hips and stopped walking. “What was your Nexus Event, your majesty?”
Everyone paused at the utterance of this question. The heat of collective stares didn’t make Loki flinch. It was a valid question, was it not? What could this Loki have done in his short life to make these other Lokis fall unto him?
Kid Loki stepped up to Loki. He crushed a flimsy plastic tray under his boot for that added bit of leverage to lurch ahead and meet his questioner’s eyes. His stare was so cold that he tempted himself to show his own Jotunn skin. Alas, he relented. He only wanted to say this once, if only to keep his own historical resentment at bay.
“I killed Thor.”
Oh.
The band of Lokis walked on, save for the newest Loki. He found himself petrified; both physically and mentally. A Loki so young succeeded in the one thing that most Lokis dreamt of: killing Odin’s golden child. Now he understood why these matured Lokis became his retainers (or, in one Loki’s case, became the reptilian mascot).
Perhaps it truly was best for Loki to retain as well. At least, until he had enough information to lead these Lokis out of the Void.
So Loki pressed on and officially embraced his new home.
Notes:
It's my fic and I get to decide that Croki is actually a crocodile instead of an alligator. :D (I also plan to work the term 'Croki' into the dialogue eventually but I want it to be organic. You'll see.)
Chapter 40: The Army
Summary:
Chapter 40 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia’s not dead either. Her new friends are a bit sketchy, though.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment, kinda skeevy behaviour. (Reminder: there is NO smut! No matter how sleazy a certain character is, nothing sexually inappropriate will happen.).
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A dialogue of detached voices repeated in Kaia’s subconscious:
“Oi! Boss!”
“What?”
“Have you ever seen a Loki this small?”
Thump, thump, thump.
“Not even the bratty Kid is that small…”
“You sure that’s a Loki?”
“Are you sure they are alive?”
“Now now, settle down, all of you. Who are we to leave a Loki behind? Loki, pick them up. We shall bring them with us. If they don’t wake by the time we reach the throne, they can assist in Get Help.”
“Understood, boss.”
Fwuph, fwuph…
“And don’t dawdle! Storm’s a-brewing! Let’s find a suitable den.”
As she was trying to find her body again, Kaia tried to make sense of the looping track. One could only assume that she was the small Loki. But many more questions remained. Who was talking? One of them sounded like Loki. One of them called another one Loki. That made no sense; weren’t Variant gatherings only possible in the TVA?
But she wasn’t at the TVA. Just the opposite, in fact. She was dead by Renslayer’s Time Stick… Wasn’t she?
Kaia’s eyes fluttered open, startled by the sound of her own gasp. She threw her body upward recklessly before freezing in place. She was deceased, but she was somehow still tangible enough to sit up on her own. This must be the afterlife, Kaia thought to herself. At least she wasn’t a ghost.
The next life looked dreary. She was staring at a grey wall, withered with dust and age. Cracks suggested otherwise, but the structure looked solid. She felt no breeze on her skin, so she must’ve spawned in some sort of shoddy shelter. Her hands grasped at the floor as they held up her body, but the floor itself was made of grass. Indeed, her eyes trailed downward to find the seam that connected the manmade wall to the natural foundation. It was slightly unsettling, but no one said that life after death had to make sense.
She wiggled her toes and looked at herself. She was wearing the very same outfit she had worn in the chamber. There was no burn residue from the Time Stick on her chest. A green blanket with golden trim hung loosely on her lap, thrown askew by the notion of Kaia jolting herself awake. Who knew that death could be so hospitable?
Well, now what?
Perhaps this was lazy reincarnation, what with the lack of a new body. Kaia remembers Loki vaguely mentioning that Valhalla and Hel — the World Tree's equivalent of heaven and hell respectively — do exist, but were impossible to access until you’ve seen your end. This place looked like neither. Was it even possible to reach either realm if you died outside the timeline? She wouldn’t know unless she picked herself up and left. However, just as she tossed the blanket aside, she was soon informed that she wasn’t alone.
“Ah, so you are alive, little one…”
A refined voice crawled over her shoulder, but not just any voice. She knew that voice. She shouldn’t be hearing him in this afterlife. Unless he died, too.
“Loki‽” Kaia twisted her full body around to meet Loki’s voice. And… well…
Loki was standing a few feet away from her, but something was off. Namely, his outfit. He wasn’t in his TVA gear, but rather a tattered greenish-grey suit, complete with stuffing spilling out of a shoulder seam. Underneath the ratty blazer, he wore a white dress shirt, a lime green vest, and a deep green woven tie held. A curved golden clip held the tie in place, which was the only part of his ensemble that was remotely straight. Atop his head, he wore his pristine golden crown — complete with two full horns protruding and a smaller horned emblem embedded in between them — which held back a mane of messy black hair. On the lapel of his jacket sat a big circular button. It was glazed in a familiar red-white-blue combination, but bits of black letters were hard to make out from a distance.
“You got pru…” Kaia couldn’t even finish her thought as she processed Loki’s new fit. “What in the world are you wearing?”
Loki’s raised eyebrow was strong enough to cock the crown askew. “I could ask the same of you.”
As he strode over to Kaia, he pulled his hands from his pockets. They were bare; not even a hint of magic bordered his fingertips. Yet, for reasons that she couldn’t explain. Kaia found herself on the defensive. She turned to face him fully, watching as he examined her with inquisitive eyes.
Now that he was closer, Kaia could read Loki’s button. It simply read ‘LOKI for President’. A baffling sentence in and of itself. Or at least, it was until this Loki asked, “Where did you come from, little one?”
Oh no. Did Loki die and respawn next to Kaia only to dress like a raggedy politician and become an amnesiac? Maybe this was Hel. Or perhaps still a dream? It was starting to feel like a nightmare.
“The same place as you! Loki, it’s me, Kaia!” She hoped that her self-appointed name would jog her friend’s memory. No such luck.
“Ah… you’re not the sharpest dagger in the armoury, are you…?”
Loki bent himself forward, leading with his arms. The tie clip did wonders to keep his tie pinned back, though strands of his hair did fall past his crown. Kaia flinched. Why did she flinch? Loki was her friend. She didn’t like seeing him like this. She wasn’t used to him staring her down with his crisp green eyes.
Even though she hesitated, he did not. Two firm grips on her biceps allowed him to pull her up onto her feet. He hummed to himself as he examined her fresh face. His rumble was deep, at a much lower frequency than what Kaia was used to hearing out of him.
Loki lifted her arms up and down like a tiny action figure. He tucked his hand under her chin to check each cheek. Kaia’s wide stare followed him despite every turn. Granted, she let him do this because she was stunned by his abrasive and assertive examination. As if he were trying to decipher the illusion that he knew she was incapable of. Or at least, he should know.
However, Loki had a different assertion to make of his newest acquisition.
“You’re not all that strong, either,” he concluded, “But a Loki is a Loki, and that’s what you are!”
Kaia huffed. He completely invaded her personal space and still didn’t recognize her‽ That should be impossible, unless…
Oh. Oh no. Kaia’s eyes glinted as her mind figured out why she felt tense around this version of Loki.
That’s not her Loki, even though this Variant wore most of his face. The dazzling green eyes, the deeper voice, the outright gaudy fashion sense. Perhaps magic could alter his eyes and voice, but she should’ve known that her Loki would never let a suit fall to ruin in the way that this Loki did.
This Loki didn’t seem to mind his wear. He was too focused on watching this self-proclaimed ‘Kaia’ process her new situation. The paled face, the twists and turns of lips and eyebrows… It was always enjoyable to see a Loki adjust to life post-pruning. He even stepped back to allow her to look past him. She certainly was too small to do so on her own.
When the new Loki sidestepped to allow Kaia to see past him, all of her confusion subsided. The dream she had heard in her head was no dream at all. The looping lines had been said aloud by a whole group of Loki Variants, including the politician1 beside her.
Kaia was humbled by the scene; nine Lokis huddled together in the plain stone building. She hadn’t seen so many Variants in one room before. They were all Lokis, but they were all drastically different from her Loki and the one that stood beside her. Perhaps none were starker than the Loki with red hair; a few shades brighter and a few inches shorter than Verity’s locks. Although they had scraped together things like a cape and a ski visor to their person, they didn’t bother hiding their green-and-white striped prison jumpsuit. Another standout was the one that wore a variety of culinary finds. From the golden utensils that sprouted from their strange metallic grated sunhat to the beige apron that hid underneath their sleeveless jacket. They even had a bottle of wine and a wheel of rare cheese attached to their waist like weapons.
Despite their differences, they were all still Lokis, unified by a few overarching themes. Most wore horns, though not all were as traditional as the one the politician wore. One had woven their hair into horns, which worked in cohesion with the glamshades and abundance of prayer bead necklaces that they wore. Another wore a dusty helmet with bicycle handlebars welded on top of it to mimic the horn shape. How inventive!
Every Loki wore green somewhere on their person. One wore a shamrock green fabric as a hood, impressively attached to a breastplate made exclusively from car license plates. Mossy green was the green of one Loki’s choice, for they were covered completely by it, aside from the eyes and golden horns, which appeared to be made from the sickles of kamas.
Each Variant wore a matching ‘LOKI for President’ button somewhere on their person. The Loki that was bundled in furs fit for a not-space Viking had theirs hidden in their ushanka hat. Another had their button slotted into a more traditional set of shoulder pads, not unlike one that professional athletes would wear. Kaia could only assume that this unification factor meant that the Loki that greeted her was the President of this little ragtag club.
The cluster of Variants were all seated around an elaborate wooden barrel. It was laid on its side, held in place by a matching wooden stand. This not only prevented unwanted rolling but also allowed the tap to dispense red wine with relative ease. Each Loki had a glass of wine in hand, except for the Loki who allowed their exceptionally long black hair to cover their face. Their dreary head was matched by their dreary viridian robe, which seemed to house many mysteries within it. From within the fabric, this Loki was able to retrieve two empty wine glasses.
“Wine for you, little Loki?” the Dreary Loki asked.
Well, alcohol is a solution (in more ways than one).
“Ooh, yes, thank you…” Kaia hurried ahead as Dreary Loki steadied each glass underneath the tap. The Viking Loki initiated the pour as President Loki sauntered leisurely behind her. As is customary, the leader of the group was served before the newcomer, but the latter didn’t mind.
The wine refreshed her in ways that one could only dream of. It served as a signal that she actually was alive. She hadn’t considered that pruning and death were two separate actions. Everyone touted the action as one and the same. That gave her hope; this wasn’t the TVA, but she had to find a way back to Verity, to Loki, to Sylvie. Perhaps she’d be lucky enough to find Mobius along the way.
But for now, she had to find her way out of this Loki den.
“My fellow Lokis,” President Loki said between swigs, “This little Loki seems to have met another Variant of us before being pruned.”
Kaia nodded in agreement. “I hope he’s still alive…”
“We’re Lokis. We survive.” Perhaps the redhead Loki left their prison gear on so one could be inclined to call them Pokey Loki. “Where’d you leave your Loki?”
“At the TVA…” Kaia watched a few heads bob in understanding. “We were trying to overthrow it…”
“A game for fools!” exclaimed Viking Loki, “No wonder you are here!”
‘Here’. What a vague word. Kaia couldn’t see much more to her scenery than blank walls and dying grass. She knew ‘here’ wasn’t the TVA, but…
“Where is ‘here’ exactly?” Kaia asked.
“Ah… beyond this den, my little one, is the Void.” President Loki paced around to face Kaia directly, gesturing wildly at nothing in particular. “Where everything the TVA deems too good for the Sacred Timeline is discarded. And you are looking at the future ruler of the Void!”
President Loki extended his arms and curved his thumbs back to himself. A grin fit for a Loki swept his smile up and over. All that effort for the little Kaia-Loki to give him a blank stare in return.
“Oh… okay.” It was a cool story. Kaia didn’t have time to deal with voids and other Lokis. Not when her Loki needed her. “So, how do I get back to the TVA?”
Glamshades Loki cut as sharply as his fashion sense. “You don’t.”
Kaia’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t just not-die to be told that she can’t go where she needed to go. “But I need to go back!”
“What?” President Loki balked, “You don’t want to join us…?”
“Look, it’s a nice offer, but you said it yourself: I’m not that strong. I’d just get in the way.” Kaia downed the rest of her wine before continuing. “You guys can rule and I’ll figure my way back to the TVA…”
“You’ll get yourself killed.” Bicycle Loki chimed in. The Ninja Loki that loomed over his shoulder nodded in agreement, without so much as a whisper passing their balaclava.
Kaia’s face scrunched. She used her empty wine glass as a pointer, aimed straight at Pokey Loki. “They just said that Lokis don’t die!”
She gently put her glass down on the base of the wine barrel and bowed accordingly to the army of Lokis. She had no ill will for them, but they were certainly no replacements for the ones she called her friends.
“I think I’ll take my chances out there, but thank you for the thought…” and Kaia bid the army adieu. She turned around, quick to find the only brown door that allowed anyone in and out of the shelter, and marched. Somewhere in that Void was a way out, and she was going to—
“Kaia, was it?” The deep purr of President Loki crept over her shoulder once again. “I don’t think you understand how unwise leaving would be…”
Kaia stopped walking. But not on her own accord. She looked down. Her legs were still attached to her body, but they refused to march forward. Her arms could do nothing to lift her legs in any way. In fact, she couldn’t even move her arms. She felt just as spacey as she did when she was recovering from her pruning, save for the notion that she knew she was in her body. She knew this wasn’t her doing. This was the work of a Loki. She had a guess as to which one.
“What… are you doing…?” Despite her frozen state, Kaia was allowed to move her mouth.
“Saving you from certain doom…” President Loki owned up to his magic immediately. Kaia couldn’t see the way he lifted his hand toward her. A little green glow capped his index finger as he flexed it toward himself.
“Come here,” President Loki commanded. To Kaia’s chagrin, her body complied. Her protesting cries fell on deaf ears.
No one flinched as she marched straight to her commander. He literally took her under his arm and guided her to the sole window of the lowly den’s room. Was that always there? Kaia couldn’t say for sure. However, when Kaia looked through the window, her questions about its existence melted away.
In the distance, a bright violet cloud spread itself thin along a gloomy grey skyline. Electricity rained down on the ground below as what fell under the cloud’s haze did not re-emerge once the rolling storm passed.
“Throughout the Void is a monster, Alioth, that ravages the land to feed on any variance. It ensures nothing discarded here ever tries to return to any timeline. That is why we’re resting in this den. If we don’t make noise, we’re safe,” President Loki explained. His voice was unexpectedly sincere. The stem of his empty wine glass brushed her hip as he held her steady. “If you leave this den and attempt to find any way to the TVA, you’ll be devoured instantly… You’re stuck here, little one.”
Kaia said nothing. The words needed a moment to sink in. All hope for possibly finding Mobius evapourated faster than what stood in Alioth’s path. All hope of seeing Verity, Loki, even Sylvie… all of that died in place of herself. For the first time in a long time, Kaia was well and truly alone.
“What good would it do you to go out on your own?” President Loki continued, “It’s clear to me that you were pruned at a stage in your life where your abilities were damaged. Perhaps that was your Nexus Event? Being too weak to learn proper magic?”
The political Loki raised his right hand for Kaia to see. His magic seeped through his skin as he swung his index finger in a circular loop. Her vision spun in a similar fashion, for she found herself twirling in tune to his enchanted finger. The grumpy furrow of her brow was met with the grin that proved that he was having far too much fun.
“Lucky for you, I see no need to exploit that or harm you…”
Kaia, whose eyes were blinking away any lingering dizziness, was understandably puzzled. “Then what the hell was—”
“In fact, I’d like for you to join my army…”
“What?” Kaia’s face flushed. She couldn’t tell if the rosy cheeks were his doing or her own. “You’d take me in, even though I have no magic?”
“There’s always room in my army for one more Loki. You’ve actually got perfect timing, little one…” President Loki pointed out the window. “Just beyond these hills lies a bratty Kid Loki who has assumed my rightful throne. We are on our way to overthrow this Loki, so I can take my proper place as King of the Void!”
“Hmm…” Kaia hummed. Her eyes followed his finger to the distant outdoors. She found it hard to believe that any Loki could consider themself a ruler when the sentient storm loomed overhead.
In blissful ignorance, President Loki continued his campaign speech. “It’ll be more than worth your while. You wouldn’t even have to fight! We’ll do all of the heavy lifting. I’m sure you’re a Loki that wants to be on the winning side, right?”
Before Kaia could think about it, her head was forcefully cranked sideways. Her eyes locked with the imposter Loki, whose free hand now crept up to her cheek. On most days, she didn’t mind touch. Usually, she was a proprietor of hugs. But this Loki was puppeteering her body in ways that she didn’t appreciate. He wouldn’t even let her pull away. She didn’t like him.
Yet… part of him was right. She was alone in a foreign land. She had no magic to rely on nor friends to lean on. That was a losing hand. Kaia wanted no part of that. And if she had to choose solitude or this grubby Loki’s army…
“Uh… well, yeah, who wouldn’t be?” Despite the lack of voluntary motor function, Kaia’s words and thoughts were her own. She wanted a winning hand, even at the cost of aligning with the army.
“Excellent! I could always do well with an… assistant.”
Kaia could not see the silent cacophony of scowls and rolling eyes behind her. It was the same song and dance that every Loki had heard before: join me and be on the winning side! They’ve heard it so many times. What made the little Loki’s induction so different?
Well, for one, none of them were welcomed with a kiss on the hand.
President Loki did so without thinking. It was second nature, and it wasn’t even for his own pleasure. He had never met a Loki that didn’t go by ‘Loki’ before, never mind her short stature and lack of magic. He wasn’t expecting to enchant her so easily, but now that he had her captivated, he found himself fully entertained by her. Her reactions to him in particular were priceless.
He watched as her face processed the little peck. Disgust shifted to confusion, then shifted again to a lightheaded glaze. It wasn’t the wine nor her own volition that caused Kaia’s legs to buckle, but rather a well-timed enchanted request. As such, he used his arm to help ease her down onto her knees, crouching beside her as she settled into the grass.
Kaia had fallen before she could comprehend what had happened. She knew it wasn’t herself; she wasn’t one to be so easily wooed by a small smooch. She knew it wasn’t the wine; she barely had a glass and there was no off-putting aftertaste. She blamed this gross Loki, who very clearly prided himself on steering her body so easily. It was all the more evident as he squatted beside her, getting uncomfortably close to her ear.
“In the end, my little one, everyone will kneel before me…” President Loki growled.
The chill that ran up Kaia’s spine was catastrophic. She already regretted aligning with him, but what other option did she have? Her unease was only made worse by President Loki, who recklessly pulled her back onto her feet as he took back to his own.
“Another!” he shouted as he dropped his glass haplessly into the grass, “The little one appears to be in need of assistance.”
Kaia grumbled to herself as the Hooded Loki took their turn with the pour. Aside from whatever sorcery was induced onto her, she was fine! She was not fond of the scenario she was in… but she wouldn’t mind another drink.
Hooded Loki’s urban armour rumbled as they brought a fresh pair of glasses to their leader and new partner. Despite the rigid getup, they seemed comfortable. They accepted Kaia’s gratitude for the beverage with a bow before returning to their seat on the ground. Makeshift weapons and shields were in a pile beside them, salvaged from scraps of the Void.
“Do I at least get a weapon?” Kaia asked.
President Loki shrugged as he took his drink in hand. “Step into my office, we’ll discuss this more in private…”
Office? Kaia didn’t remember an office. There was only one door, wasn’t there? When Kaia was magically turned around, she was met with a new dent in the den wall; a curtain of green beads separated the new room from the old, though when they walked through it, Kaia was met with more of the same. More concrete walls boxing in a square of grass, and not much else to show for it. At least two chairs manifested in the centre of the patch.
“I can walk on my own, you know…” Kaia mumbled as her body was piloted toward the chair.
“Oh, but this is much more fun!” President Loki grinned as he took to his temporary throne. “It’s not every day that I get to tap into my enchantment powers, Lokis are usually strong enough to resist…”
Enchantment? That wasn’t the word Kaia would’ve used for this. With Sylvie, she was locked out of her body completely. Her conscious was hidden behind her lost memories while Sylvie said what she needed to say to Loki. But here, Kaia’s presence was completely intact, even though it wasn’t connected to her nervous system.
“You call this enchantment?” Kaia blurted out, “I’ve been enchanted before, but I was basically possessed… I didn’t remember it at all.”
“Ah, I don’t like that…” President Loki’s eyes winced in time with his disapproval. “I’d basically be talking to myself if I control you completely. I prefer your… natural reaction.”
It was Kaia’s turn to wince. She cursed herself for not being strong enough to break free and just run. Instead, she was compelled to watch this Loki ramble, who hadn’t missed a beat.
“So, I’ve perfected my enchantment, blending it with my telekinesis to a superior manner of puppetry.” Benevolently, President Loki took a moment to demonstrate. The wave of his hand eased the tension in Kaia’s arms. This allowed her to drink her drink at her own pace. She was still seated. The temptation to get up and toss her drink at him was forced to subside because of this.
“So, you like to talk…” Kaia sighed into her drink, “If that doesn’t make you a Loki, I don’t know what does.”
“I should hope my pin does not deceive both me and you.” President Loki winked. “I bet you like to talk, too.”
“I’ve been told.”
“Tell me more about yourself, then. I like to get to know my army…” President Loki leaned back in his chair, folding one leg over the other. “What was your Nexus Event, little one?”
“It’s not a typical Nexus Event, but some force was strong enough to wipe out my memories as a Loki, as well as any record the TVA had of me, aside from my branch. A five-year ripple in time…” Lying would do no good, especially if deception stood between Kaia and the army’s armoury. “The TVA eventually discovered me in New York, as well as the discrepancies in my files after my arrest. Because my case is so unique, they kept me around to try and figure out what affected me and why, but now I’m here…”
A wistful wheeze slipped past President Loki’s lips. Two words triggered a wave of nostalgia. “Ah, New York, how I long to see that skyline again… The hot pavement! The scummy slums! If I could return to the timeline, I would go straight there.”
Kaia’s eyebrow arched suddenly. Regrettably, she became invested. “You were in New York too?”
“Most Lokis end up there. That’s part of the Sacred Timeline, after all,” President Loki remarked, “The plan is to conquer it with force, but after seeing how gullible humans could be… well…”
“You thought you could rule politically…” Kaia made an educated guess. She was correct, technically.
“Not just New York, but all of America! Why not start at the place with the most nuclear backbone behind it?”
“And how did that go…?”
“Oh, I nearly had it all, but the blasted TVA found me… On election eve of all nights!” President Loki snarled. “Ruined my moment entirely…”
Kaia wasn’t expecting to find common ground with this Loki, but she had to concur. “They tend to do that, yeah…”
A quiet rumble echoed throughout the room. President Loki’s snickering grin was the epicentre. He couldn’t help it. Kaia had the gall to agree with him whilst not wearing a speck of green on her person. How could she possibly join his army dressed like that?
“And yet you reek of their bad fashion! Here, allow me.”
Luckily, President Loki had that magic touch. A snap of his fingers not only aided Kaia’s wardrobe issue instantly but also relaxed a bit of his enchantment on her, allowing her to fully bask in her new glorious outfit.
The breeze of the Void hit Kaia first. She looked down on herself only to find herself awash in a sea of green sequins. Of course, a round pro-Loki political pin adorned the left side of her new blouse, although it was missing sleeves and lacked any sort of bagginess. The hem of a grey pencil skirt also hugged her from her hips to her knees. The makeover wasn’t anything particularly immodest, but it certainly wasn’t hiding her figure. The mere thought of him altering her outfit without so much as asking sent Kaia into a tizzy.
“Are you joking‽” Kaia was at a bit of a loss. Her body recoiled into itself; a weak attempt at regaining her dignity. Though, when her legs curled under her thigh, a glimpse at her new golden footwear sent her over the edge.
“And HEELS‽ In this terrain‽”
“I think it suits you perfectly!” President Loki applauded himself. His eyes were locked on Kaia’s blouse. “And to think, you’ve never shape-shifted to gain those… enhancements.”
Not that Kaia doubted President Loki’s residency in New York, but nonetheless… yuck! Kaia cringed.
“You dick!”
“Wrong president.”
“Have you really lacked womanly contact for that long‽”
She blurted that out before thinking of the consequences. No, none of the army Lokis appeared feminine at first glance, but who’s to say that one couldn’t relate to her? But before Kaia could backtrack, she noticed President Loki put his hand to his chin. Although he was still grinning from his previous comment, he also appeared to be taking her question seriously.
“Now that you mention it, it has been a while since we’ve seen any sentient life-form that isn’t man-shaped, Loki or otherwise. Though, that tends to be the trend, what with how a Loki defaults…”
President Loki’s words were intentional. It helped Kaia come down from the creeper vibes he gave off before, although she was still cautious. She asked, “How a Loki defaults?”
“Oh, little one, you really have been neglected as a Loki…” President Loki balked once more, “At least humour me: your Loki told you that we’re all genderfluid, right?”
Kaia nodded. The political Loki was satisfied with this.
“Gender is just a construct for us to transcend, made all the easier by our shapeshifting abilities. A Loki’s ‘default’ is the shape that we’re most comfortable in,” President Loki explained, “When Odin stole us away from Jotunheim, he imprinted a spell to mask our Frost Giant skin from Asgard. Some Lokis were pruned before they learned of the ‘adoption,’ but we’ve altered our default long before then.”
“When did you figure out you were genderfluid?” Kaia asked.
“So long ago, I barely remember…” President Loki took a swig of his wine. That usually helped. “I’d like to say it was when I discovered my mother’s wardrobe, aged 5. I was fortunate that she didn’t seem to mind as much as others…”
Kaia smiled. Her Loki always talked fondly of his mother. She wondered if her mother was just as accepting.
“In any case, there are some Variants that chose their Frost Giant state as their default. Some even took liberties. But a lot of Lokis defaulted to their Asgardian skin. It’s how we wanted to look. And there’s never a wrong choice to default to,” President Loki continued, “When the TVA arrests us Variants, all magic fades. We cannot hide underneath illusions. We revert to the state in which we’re most comfortable. Our default is no illusion, though we have the power to tweak it whenever our abilities aren’t suppressed.”
“And every Loki defaults a little bit differently?” Kaia guessed, “That’s why no Loki in your army looks quite the same?”
“Precisely! Though, even with the freedoms of the Void, I must admit that my army tends to be more comfortable under a masculine gaze. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Kaia crossed her arms over her chest. “Get back on topic.”
“The Sacred Loki defaulted as male for a fair majority of their life. It was hard enough to grow up as an Odinson. Being an Odindottir felt insurmountable. We had to choose our moments wisely.” President Loki admitted, “Some thought our feminine side was an illusion, others were just…”
“Narrow-minded?”
“You’re familiar?”
“I spent more time in New York than you did. Humans experiment with gender as well, but they have to go about things differently…” Kaia said, “I bet some folks would appreciate having some of that Loki magic.”
President Loki’s eyes glittered slightly. “To smite the mortal enemies that disapprove of them?”
Kaia blinked. She should’ve expected him to say something so dark with a sugary coat. “I… was going to say that defaulting would be a cheaper alternative to gender-conforming surgery, but… I suppose one could do that, too.”
“You know that you can do so, right?”
“I would love to smite you.”
For the first time since meeting Kaia, President Loki found himself stunned. He had to admit, that was a sharp quip. He did manage to quickly pivot though. “I meant changing your default. You are a Loki.”
“I know, but firstly: I don’t have magic.”
“Right…”
“But even if I did…” Kaia motioned to herself. “With all that I’ve been through, I’ve gotten used to this default.”
“At your own pace, then.” President Loki shrugged. “No matter how you look, you’re still a Loki.”
Kaia felt herself mellow out slowly. This Loki flip-flopped between crass and compassion so easily. It was hard to gauge his true intentions. Perhaps that was how he liked it.
Kaia took her mind off of things by doing what she does best: prodding. “How many Lokis are in the Void altogether?”
“Oh, there’s plenty! More than just my army. But we’re all hiding from Alioth. Anyone that isn’t a Loki tends to die under Alioth’s fog soon after arrival. Us Lokis, we survive. That’s why I’m fit to rule this Void.” President Loki pointed to himself with one hand and held his wine glass close with the other. “Some Lokis allege that this is the end of time… I’d be the last ruler! No one to supersede me!”
Again with that talking point? Kaia couldn’t hold her tongue anymore. “I mean, it sounds like Alioth could supersede you real quick.”
“Clever girl…” President Loki growled into his drink. He ensured Kaia blushed into hers.
A quiet grumble fell out from Kaia’s flushed face soon after the mini blood rush. “You make my Loki look like an angel…”
“So I’m devilishly more attractive, got it.”
Kaia groaned in the face of President Loki’s wink. She wasn’t enjoying the game they were playing as much as he did.
“Since we’re on the topic, let’s talk about ‘your’ Loki, then…” The politician switched topics faster than making a new campaign promise. “I suppose they’re a male-presenting Loki as well?”
“He is…” Kaia confirmed this with a nod. “We were working together, to figure out what the TVA really does and to figure out what happened to me…”
Both Variants took in the last of their drinks at the same time. Kaia finished a sip with a sigh. She missed her Loki terribly.
“I hope he’s okay…” Before President Loki could ask, Kaia vented, “When I last saw him, he was about to get pruned by that bitch of a judge… I managed to divert her Time Stick away, but…”
“You got pruned in the process?” President Loki’s guess was spot on. When Kaia confirmed it for him, his eyebrows shot up. “You sacrificed yourself to protect your Loki??”
Another affirming nod. President Loki could hardly believe it. He took to his feet and forced Kaia onto hers as well.
“How curious…” They met in the middle. He cupped his hand around her jaw once more. Although she had fulfilled her quota by entertaining his need for mischief, he saw her for what she truly was. “Femme-presenting and noble enough to put your life on the line for a fellow Loki? You’re a refreshing surprise.”
Kaia’s cheeks heated up. Unfortunately, she knew that this time, it was of her own accord. “Are you saying that because of how I am or how easy it is to enchant me?”
“A bit of both.”
Kaia’s reddish cheeks were met with President Loki’s green glow. He lifted her by the jaw, floating her up with telekinesis so she could lock eyes with him fairly. When he lowered his hand, Kaia remained in the air. She once again found herself unable to move, so she had to hear his plea once more.
“Although I can make you agree, I won’t. I want to hear you agree to join me in your own words.” President Loki insisted, “You’ve no magic, no other Loki, and no way to return to the TVA. If you’ve got a better idea of how you should survive the Void, I’d love to hear it.”
Admittedly, Kaia’s initial silence was just to inconvenience President Loki. She knew she didn’t have magic. She didn’t have anyone else to rely on. She didn’t know the first thing about the Void or how to leave it. She just needed a moment to build up the courage to concede.
“I don’t like it when you’re right.”
Good enough! President Loki thought. He loved being right.
“Splendid!” President Loki plucked Kaia from the air, bringing her down to the ground and shielding her around his arm. “Glad to have you on board, Little Loki.”
No, that didn’t feel right. Not when he said it.
“I default to Kaia…” she said once more, rephrasing it in a way that he understood.
With a nod, President Loki shifted the shower of beads and brought Kaia back to the main room of the den. The rest of the Loki army looked on as their leader brought the little one back. He kept just enough enchantment on her to steer and steady her. After all, really, who braves uneven grassy fields in heels?
Despite the discomfort, Kaia’s smile was her own. This was her new normal. She had no choice but to accept it. At least these Lokis were welcoming. Crude and quirky, but accepting.
“My army! I have news!” President Loki cleared his throat before launching into another uplifting speech, “Firstly, the Loki you shall henceforth refer to as Kaia is our newest recruit. But more importantly, Alioth has passed! Now, we’re not far from the palace that the Kid calls home. This is the final stretch before we invade, conquer, and claim my rightful throne once and for all! Are you ready‽ Onward!”
The rally worked, for his army cheered and took to their feet. They gathered their maces, knives, and scrapyard shields. They were prepared to follow through on their grand plan.
Kaia did not get a weapon, but at least she got a second chance. She was not dead, and she had an army to protect her. Even though she was a Loki, she knew she’d need their help to survive the Void.
- This Loki’s deeper voice only managed to trick her earlier because it had been so fresh in her mind.. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
First, let's get these out of the way:
President Loki, Glamshades Loki, and Bicycle Loki use he/him pronouns. Pokey Loki, Ninja Loki, Viking Loki, Hooded Loki, Rare Cheese Loki, Athletic Loki, and Dreary Loki all use they/them pronouns. And yeah, Rare Cheese Loki is a kinda-official name.Now to my main point: the whole concept of a Loki's 'default' is a close concept for me. It's one of the first headcanons I had about Loki Variants. It was initially to answer why our Loki didn't revert back to Frost Giant skin when he entered the magic-less TVA. But I also wanted to make sure Loki's genderfluidity was respected, as the Loki Variants don't all just look like the Sacred one. No matter their skin tone, height, or other features, a Loki is a Loki, and the core of a Loki is stronger than the way they looked when they were born. Because of that, it kinda turned into a whole allegory for gender expression and I'm glad it panned out like that. This is a theme that will carry forward for all of the Loki Variants. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Chapter 41: The Sentient Storm
Summary:
Chapter 41 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Sylvie’s not dead, but she knew that going in. What she didn’t expect, however, was to come across a familiar not-Loki-shaped face along the way.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sylvie’s eyes shot awake. Her chest still felt hot from where she pruned herself, but the heat was fading without so much as a second thought. Dim, rusty metal greeted her from above as she felt herself sinking into prickly material underneath. Slowly, she sat herself up, eyes narrowed as she started to recognize objects around her.
She was in an enclosed space, surrounded by square windows, stretching all the way down like a hallway with no point A or B. As light filtered in from the open hole above her, raggedy leather humps and yellow paint came into view. It looked like the interior of a school bus, not unlike the ones used to shuttle scared people away from apocalyptic events. What a fitting landing place, thought Sylvie, to usher me into the last apocalypse.
Nature seeped its way into the bus. Leaves bordered the impromptu sunroof and moss clouded some of the glass panes. The blank skies flashed, giving way to a dazzling light show and dark thunderclouds rolling overhead. At least Renslayer didn’t lie about the Void’s existence. The last hurdle in time before the final utopia.
She was sitting in an oversized nest; sticks, straw, and hay overwhelmed the back of the bus. She put a hand to her head, pulling out matching blonde straws from her hair. By her other hand rested two eggs. One blue, one orange, each with metallic spots and sat at roughly the size of Sylvie’s thigh. She did not want to meet the eggs’ mother. She had to take her leave.
Sylvie climbed out of the nest, using the shoddy seats as leverage. Twigs crunched under her boots as she eased her way through the despondent path. A quick shoulder check ensured she was in the clear before she approached her target: the windshield.
CRASH!
Shards of glass exploded onto the bus’ hood, quaking in the wake of Sylvie’s accelerated kick. Her gloves protected her hands as she climbed out of her ‘safe’ space. What is safe in such a wasteland, anyway? She’d have to explore to find out.
So far, the Void looked like a ruined outdoor movie theatre. On her far left, she could see a run-down sign advertising the Wrightville Drive-In Theatre. Many of the words were missing from the board, but the theatre’s last showing was on a Wednesday. A distant billboard that should’ve housed the screen was run down to bare planks. The cars that should’ve been enjoying the show were in just as rough or in worse shape than the school bus that she stood on.
As she looked on past her surroundings, the stranger the scenery became. Hills poked up through and blemished the ground, crafting unforgiving terrain. On one side, the remnants of a forest covered the horizon that separated the land from the sky. The other side of the skyline was bare, save for the arches of what was unmistakably the Golden Gate Bridge poking out from behind a large hill. Sylvie had visited one apocalypse in San Fransisco. It had been a long time ago, but she distinctly remembered that bridge being near the ocean. But here? Not a drop of water was in sight.
In the far distance, Sylvie saw a flash of chartreuse light break the sky. A black speck dropped from the wormhole, crashing into some ground that Sylvie couldn’t see from here. Just as quickly as it appeared, the break in the sky disappeared.
Between what she could see and Renslayer’s testimony, Sylvie deduced that the Void really was a landing place for the pruned, breathing or otherwise. Of course, there were no special spacecraft or other fancy ways to traverse the land other than by foot. But time existed here, and that’s all she needed. She would need to regroup before getting the mission back on track. Perhaps, she could find Loki, and then they could—
THUD!
A crash behind Sylvie jolted her back to her surroundings. Admittedly, she was expecting a very angry oversized oviparity when she looked over her shoulder, but what she got instead was something just as absurd. A billow of stormy smoke slammed against the school bus’ roof, caving it in completely. Ash and sparks flew as the purple pillar rumbled. Somehow, this was a worse fate than meeting whoever crafted that nest.
Sylvie jumped from the hood of the car and ran. The hills were not kind to her boots but she kept her legs and arms pumping forward. The storm followed suit with purpose. Its track was unsteady, but it still pushed forward. Miasma with a mind of its own pursued Sylvie in the hopes of making her suffocate, or maybe a death worse than that.
As she ran, Sylvie shook off bits of hope. If the predators here were this fast, Sylvie had to accept the reality that Loki might not be alive after all. Yes, he alleged that Lokis survive, but that saying was clearly crafted before this creature’s time.
Besides, she wasn’t Loki. She was Sylvie. She had flirted with death a few times, but this encounter was a bit too close for her liking. Wisps of the storm crept closer, but she managed to force herself to press on. If the gases were strong enough to crush a bus like a tin can, what hope would she have if shoestring snippets tripped her up?
BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEEEEEP!
Sylvie ran towards the annoying noise before registering what it was. The source of the noise was the horn of a little blue blocky car. The dusty vehicle barrelled towards Sylvie with what little horsepower it had. As it swerved on the dirt and grass, a rather strange appendage became apparent. A statue shaped into an oversized pizza slice bobbed back and forth on the roof of the delivery car by an equally oversized spring coil. As the car drove closer to Sylvie, it made an arching turn, showing off the ‘Skinny’s Pizza’ branding emblazoned on the door in musky red paint.
Sylvie was satisfied with the offshoot chariot. It was no racing car, but it was faster than how her legs could carry her. All she’d have to do was break the door open, enchant or kill the—
Thunk!
Or… the driver could open the back door willingly. Cool? Sylvie didn’t have the luxury to second guess the generosity. Not when the ground beneath her was starting to turn purple. Not when white lightning blinded her for a split second.
Sylvie sprinted but resisted diving into the back seat of the car. She had to keep her head up, so she landed herself in a sitting position against maroon leather seats. Unfortunately, the car smelt like leather, not pizza, but it was safe. She was too relieved to be off of her feet to close the door. She let the wind bellow, opting to clear strands of hair from her face manually.
She looked to the driver’s seat and was met with a familiar face. He was wearing a standard TVA suit, hunched over a skinny steering wheel and not letting up on the gas. His grumpy face kept his eyes on the road; the look was completed by a matching frumpy moustache.
“You!” Sylvie exclaimed. She recognized him, though his name escaped her tongue. He was the Detective, right? The one that got pruned before she was brought to the Time-Keepers…
“Shut that door! We’ve still got a little bit of a situation here!”
Ah, right! His name is Mobius.
Sylvie complied with the request. With a grunt, she slammed the door shut.
“By the way…” Mobius knew whom he picked up, so he couldn’t resist a little quip. “You should be careful, just jumping into a stranger’s car like that.”
Sylvie rolled her eyes at the ill-timed comment, grasping onto the car seat ahead of her instead of her sword. Normally, she wouldn’t rely on anyone for her mission, especially not someone from the TVA. However, a quick look around the car’s interior made her realize that keeping him alive was to her advantage. This car had a manual drive and Mobius already had decent acceleration going. Best not to stab a plan when it’s working.
See, Loki? Not all of my plans involve fighting.
Mobius hadn’t let off the gas since he had found this car. It was the only one he could find that would start. The little palm tree air freshener and dancing figurine glued to the dashboard were just proofs of fate. He whipped around the forest edge, using the bridge as a sightline for escape. The car’s figurine hula’d her way to the beat of the accelerating engine.
The sentient storm picked up the pace. Spikes of smoke pulled away from the main mass, reaching for the hulking heap of metal. The gas wasn’t close enough to sneak into any car openings, but not for lack of effort. Although the dust from the tires kept some of the storm cloud at bay, it was the one plume that circulated itself to jump ahead to the front of the queue that caught the attention of its prey. Sylvie pointed beyond the windshield to mark the occasion. Her hand nearly smacked Mobius’ shoulder in the process.
“Watch out!”
“I see it, I see it!”
“Really? ‘Cause you’re driving RIGHT towards it!”
“God, you really are one of you…” Mobius grumbled to himself before adjusting his grip on the steering wheel, “Hang on!”
Sylvie dug her nails into the leather of the front passenger seat, per Mobius’ request. He accelerated and rotated the wheel as far left as it could go, whipping the vehicle into a sharp left turn. With a grunt, he leaned into the turn, admiring a pyramid and a sphinx that had previously been hidden by trees and smoke. As the car kept veering to the left, Mobius countered by twisting the wheel to the right, aiming the hood towards a set of ruined ancient columns resting on a hill. Even with the brace, Sylvie’s face puckered when physics took over. She wasn’t one to get carsick, but the little junk car’s surprising amount of horsepower was starting to test her limits.
Mobius’ driving eventually steadied. He aimed the car to the horizon, between the Egyptian structures and the cluster of Greek pillars. A check of the rearview mirrors confirmed that the storm expended itself too much in order to keep pace. The wisps of gases fizzled out into nothing. The clouds gave up on touching the vehicle and its occupants, but the base of the storm still loomed a patch of the sky above them.
Sylvie opted to watch her driver instead of her surroundings. The sky lightened slightly around them. They were encased by metal, glass, and gas fumes. And here she was, reunited with the man that first interrogated her. The man that was apparently the first of many to recently fall victim to Renslayer’s manipulation.
“I was wondering where you were earlier…” Sylvie said as she loosened her grip on the seat. “I thought you would’ve enjoyed the show…”
“Ravonna pruned me before we could… get to you…” Mobius opted for the shorter explanation for his absence, given the flow of Sylvie’s outward pondering. “What show?”
“Myself, Loki, and Kaia were sent to the Time-Keeper’s chamber to be pruned in front of them. Your precious Renslayer and the redhead agent watched, though only Renslayer seemed to derive pleasure from it.”
Ouch. Given that the trio were the targets, Mobius could only guess that Loki and Kaia also ended up in this trash heap of a place. He had to interject with a quick check-in on the one that wasn’t a target.
“Is Verity okay?”
“I don’t know…” Sylvie said, “See, things didn’t go quite to plan if I can explain from the beginning.”
“Well, we’ve got time…”
Mobius kept his eyes on the road — if one could call a thin wobbly trail of dirt that — while Sylvie made herself more comfortable. She folded her arms over the top of the seat ahead of her. Even when covered in armour, her arms were much softer to lean on than the shoddy maroon leather.
“We were sent to be pruned, but Loki and I were able to break free from custody and fight in the chamber… Kaia, being the weak one she is, monitored over Verity,” Sylvie explained, “Eventually, we got to the Time-Keepers and… they’re fake.”
Skkrrrrch!
Mobius hit the brakes, though the car did not stop on a dime. Clumps of grass were dismantled by the tires chewing them up as they aided the vehicle to a full stop. It was the responsible thing for Mobius to do. When you can no longer focus on the road ahead of you, you have to stop driving. Briefly, the low hum of the engine was the only noise that could be heard.
“They’re what‽” Mobius turned his full attention to Sylvie. He had enough of a time adjusting to the concept of being a Variant himself. Leave it to someone like Sylvie to throw yet another wrench into his core existence.
“They’re androids,” Sylvie reiterated, “Mindless placeholders for whoever really runs the TVA.”
Mobius grunted again. The bitterness in Sylvie’s voice gave away her honesty. If this weren’t the truth, she wouldn’t have ended up here. Thinking back on his time at the TVA, the explanation seemed plausible. The Time-Keepers were recluse and exclusive. The few that did stand before the Time-Keepers in person tended to be humbled by the experience, like an acolyte after a theophany with their preferred saviour. He doubted that anyone got close enough to discern this truth from the Time-Keepers before this, not that anyone at the TVA would be brave enough to question it.
“And I’m guessing you didn’t figure out that last bit…” Despite Mobius’ muttering, he was loud enough for Sylvie to hear.
Sylvie nodded in agreement. “Renslayer pruned Kaia and Loki before I could get real answers from the chamber.”
As if on cue, the distant storm clapped with its thunder, reminding the two of what exactly they were avoiding. Mobius paused the conversation for a mere moment, revving the engine and driving at a more normal pace.
“The TVA was my entire life. That’s all I knew. No Variant bestowment, no robotic revelations…” Mobius rambled, “Then you came along and blew up my foundation in multiple ways…”
“All I did was tell the truth.”
“I know…” Mobius sighed, “All this time, I really believed we were the good guys…”
The weight of Sylvie’s gaze heavily shifted onto Mobius’ side profile. Any hope of sympathizing with him was suppressed by that last ironic statement. “Annihilating entire realities, orphaning little girls, even that weak one. Classic hero stuff.”
Mobius felt the heat of Sylvie’s glare on him. He chose not to meet it this time. Not when he had his hands at a proper 10-2 position on the wheel, driving through a field where literally anything could become roadkill.
“Well, I guess when you think the ends justify the means, there’s not much you won’t do…” Mobius matched Sylvie with his own version of the truth. “By the way, you did some annihilating, too.”
Yes, she did. And she didn't regret a single instance of annihilation. When an endless wave of brainwashed minions comes at you in the name of their oppressive leaders…
“I did what I had to do.”
“Yeah? Well, so did I.”
“You hunted me like a dog.”
The road was still clear. Mobius took advantage to take a quick glance at Sylvie. She herself was glancing out the window. Her arms now hung a bit deeper over the empty passenger seat, hugging it like a child’s oversized toy. Tension was evident, what with the way her fingertips discoloured the leather near her grip. Her face was painted by the hurt she had lived with her entire life.
That’s when the switch flipped for Mobius. He and Sylvie were more alike than he had realized. Both were scorned by the TVA. Both were robbed of their true lives. Both did what they needed to do before they knew just how dire their situations were. Both played for control of their own lives, regardless of whether or not they realized it was out of desperation.
Mobius drew a silent breath in, drawing out the silence longer before speaking up. “I’m sorry about that…”
Sylvie glanced at Mobius again, though this time with a more gentle tone. His apology was raspy, yet soft. Blunt, but transparent. Blanketed, but… no, he wasn’t directly responsible for her particular situation. She doubted she would ever get an apology from those that hurt her first-hand; not Renslayer, certainly not the real Time-Keepers. And yet… the words comforted her just a pinch because they came from a TVA agent with a freshly opened mind.
Mobius’ blindfold was off. Sylvie could work with that.
“How did you end up here, by the way?” Mobius piped up, “You didn’t mention anything about getting pruned yourself.”
“I overpowered Renslayer and took her hostage. I tried to get answers from her about everything,” Sylvie continued her story, “She’s hiding something, but I couldn’t quite get it all out of her. Not even with Verity and her little lie-detector ability.”
Mobius perked up a bit. “You took Verity as a hostage too?”
“Not formally, but I made her come along when I turned the tables on Renslayer. I didn’t know whose side she was on…” Sylvie stared through the windshield, though her eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular. “But during my interrogation, she gave me signals that Renslayer wasn’t being truthful with me… even in a room where her power allegedly didn’t work…”
“Verity does pride herself on her honesty…” Mobius nodded along. That didn’t surprise him. He knew that if he stood between Verity and the truth, she’d shove him out of the way.
“If only I could’ve rewarded it…” Sylvie sighed. If given the choice, she wouldn’t have left Verity behind. She didn’t like owing people favours. “Renslayer managed to call for reinforcements. I was backed into a corner, but I still had a Time Stick. I pruned myself to get here.”
Mobius didn’t stop the car, but he was tempted. He shot a quick look at Sylvie, just to assure himself that she was serious. Even knowing now that pruning wasn’t the end, self-pruning still sounded like suicide in his mind. He would understand if she had just fallen in battle, but… “You pruned yourself?”
“With what little information I did get out of Renslayer, it’s that this place, the Void, is not a death sentence. It’s a vast place situated near the end of time, at least until the true ending’s all said and done…”
Sylvie watched Mobius’ face as she repeated what Renslayer told her. His face didn’t react too harshly to anything that she stated. That meant one of two things: that she really was being truthful or that he didn’t have enough knowledge of the Void to say otherwise.
“When I pruned myself, I thought I might be able to find Loki. If I was going to escape and find the real Time-Keepers, I would’ve needed his help. But that storm, that thing… it’s likely already got him.”
“You really believe that?”
Yes…? No… Sylvie didn’t want to believe it. Deep down, she really didn’t. Lokis survive, but…
“It doesn’t matter what I believe…”
The Void is vast and endless. It didn’t seem likely that one could find anyone else intentionally unless they truly knew their way around the wasteland. And that’s before you factor in a cannibalistic storm. Belief faltered to logic. She couldn’t rely on anyone that wasn’t here with her now. She didn’t plan on staying here any longer than necessary, even if that meant leaving a lost-but-alive Loki behind.
“The only thing that matters now is getting out of here and finding out who’s behind all of this,” Sylvie said, “Perhaps if you want to make amends with your past, you can come with.”
“Hell, I’ll go just to shake some sense into Ravonna.”
“You say that as if there was any sense in her to begin with.”
“Sylvie, focus…” Despite his circumstance, Mobius wasn’t quite ready to hear words against Ravonna. Not before she could explain her actions. “You wanna get outta here? Sounds great! Me too. How do we do that?”
Mobius asked this rhetorically. Sylvie answered this sensibly.
“We turn around.”
“Turn around?” Mobius repeated, “What, and go back to the angry cloud?”
Sylvie didn’t have much to go on, but there was one thing about this place that stood out. She had a theory that she needed to explore.
“The people behind the TVA crafted this Void and curated everything within it, including us and that storm. But it’s just a backyard full of junk. There has to be a way back into the house, AKA the TVA. If that way out is anywhere, that storm must be guarding it. We’re going to need immense power to overthrow the real Time-Keepers, a power that matches or exceeds that storm. If I can use my magic to encapsulate the essence of the storm, it’ll be a good start.”
“You wanna absorb the storm because it might be blocking the way outta here?” Leave it to Mobius to shorten such a brilliant plan in laypersons’ terms.
It was a plan Sylvie had never executed before, but only because the means of survival didn’t call for her to try to defeat any apocalypse, never mind the timeline’s last intended end. That’s not to say that she was incapable of such a new feat.
“I can’t say for sure if I can enchant it, let alone touch it, so that’s the next best thing.”
Mobius was impressed by Sylvie’s boldness. With what he knew about her, she merely channelled all of her magical ability into her enchantment skills. Part of him still had his doubts. “You can do that?”
“With my magic, I can do anything.” Sylvie stared holes into Mobius’ cheek. “We’re going back to it.”
Mobius could’ve rolled just his eyes, but he opted to roll his entire head instead. He didn’t really have a choice in terms of his team-up partner. It seemed fitting for him at least, to have a Loki-shaped partner, though he knew better than to use that name with her now.
“You’re really determined there, aren’t cha, Sylvie?”
“Do you want to get back to your precious Renslayer or not?”
Mobius sighed. He wouldn’t have phrased it like that, but yeah, he wanted to get the hell outta this Void.
With one more big swing of the wheel, Mobius completed a successful U-turn. By now, the historical ruins were long gone. There was no real sense of direction here. Especially when pruned objects can drop into the Void at any moment. Take that motorcycle that just dropped into the remains of a post-hurricane residential area, for example. With an ever-changing landscape, it was hard to say if they would ever end up in the same place twice.
The only real landmark of anything in this miserable place was the moving storm that could either make them dead meat or break them out once and for all.
It was hard to say if they would come across Loki or Kaia along the way. Neither held their breath on that thought. He thought they would still be alive, she didn’t share the sentiment. But even if they were united on the former front, the sheer mass of the Void made it impossible to start the search for them. That is unless they were alive enough to come to the same conclusion as they did; to barrel straight toward their potential death in hopes of controlling the cloudy reaper.
The rest of the road trip was relatively silent from that point going forward. There wasn’t much else to say, now that they knew they were driving into danger head-on.
Notes:
Honestly, we did not get enough Sylvie and Mobius interaction in season 1. I challenged myself to expand on this car ride, and I think I did okay. :)
Also, if you noticed the differences between this scene and the show... I promise that'll be explained in due time.
Chapter 42: The God of Outcasts
Summary:
Chapter 42 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki and his ragtag bunch retreat to an underground bunker. They all reflect on their lives, both on and off the Sacred Timeline.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The band of Lokis traversed throughout the Void. The sights along the hike were… interesting, to say the very least. They passed a cliffside coloured precisely like clay, surrounded by the Void’s familiar dead green fields. Ruins of a castle lay along a distant horizon, though the bricks and grime did not lend themselves to Asgardian architecture. A helmet with yellow bug-like eyes rested at the bottom of a hill that they climbed over. This helmet was quite literally the size of a house. Loki shuddered at the thought of what hulking beast needed head protection of that size.
The particular path they were on was notably darker than the grass that surrounded it. This was not due to Alioth darkening the skies just behind them. It was a path that the veteran Void Lokis had walked many times before. For them, it represented safety. It was as close to home as one could get in these end times. And it was all underneath a heavily guarded storm pipe, hidden between the rubble of missiles, tanks, and a bright yellow helicopter that was much too small to hold its namesake, Thanos.
Classic Loki led the charge, waving his hand over the metallic cover. Magic surrounded the lid, twisted the valve, released the pressure, and opened the hatch without a single imprint.
“In here!” Classic Loki shouted as he threw his satchel down the pipe.
“Down there?” Loki looked around the scenery, in hopes of finding one thing they didn’t see on their journey: any sign of life. “We haven’t found Kaia y—”
“Alioth is too close,” Kid Loki cut Loki off, “We cannot waste time searching for someone who might not have survived Alioth.”
That shut Loki up very quickly. Logic proved his younger self right, shelter from the storm mattered above all else. Emotion beckoned for him to keep himself visible, in case Kaia spotted him first. Logic crept back in, wondering if Kaia was alive; if she could survive without him.
…
No. Lokis survive. He needed to keep his faith in his friend. He needed to believe in her, as she did with him.
Bags and weapons were thrown down the hatch before the Lokis themselves descended the ladder. All climbed down except for the crocodilian Loki, who clung to Kid Loki whilst he did the hard part. Loki was last to climb down, but he didn’t have to shut the door behind him. A sorcerer’s pull did that job for him.
The ladder stretched at least six feet downward, with each rung alternating between wood and red-and-white plastic with each passing step. Fitting, for not even burying a Loki that deep could stop them from surviving. Why not make a home of it?
Loki landed at the foot of the ladder and took a moment to admire the shelter for all its glory. The landing ground was more of a lobby, surrounded by a mass of inconspicuous items, organized by chaos. The walls were lined with cabinets; some with regular drawers, others offering snacks or beverages. The longest wall also housed a cluttered desk with sturdy shoes laying on the counter, a wooden bed frame, and a baby-blue refrigerator. Each item had signs of wear and tear, but the only pointless item in the door was a set of glass doors, for only dirt was visible on the other side. One could wager that the receding walls marked with ‘EXIT’ signs were just as fruitless.
Along the red-and-blue pinstripe walls and above the door to nowhere hung a logo of an elephant balancing on a tiny orange ball. Three holes were added to the ball, crafting the points of an invisible triangle. On either side of the elephant hung neon letters. Some were lit, some were dim, and a solitary ‘B’ lay among the rubble in the corner. Loki pieced together that this establishment was formerly known as BONUS LANES1.
Red, white, and blue chairs surrounded tables in clusters. Some tables were tall and housed projectors not unlike the ones the TVA used. Some tables were only knee-high and only wide enough to host heavy-looking coloured balls, each with three small gaping holes on one side of the surface. Some of the tables and parts of the floor were littered with white irregular statues, save for the red stripe that wrapped around each statue’s thinning neck.
The chairs and some of the tables faced forward, watching as the ground ahead of them dip dramatically. Several lanes crafted a downward slope. The wide lanes were made from thin, shiny, wooden strips. Most obeyed the bend, while others were betrayed by the patches of grass that were able to grow through the planks. Some lanes were adapted to form more manageable staircases. Each lane was separated by two red gutters and one cyan protrusion that aligned perfectly with each table that rested on top, be it knee-high or not.
At the bottom of the ramps rested the crown jewel of the Loki hideout: an open throne room with even more strange objects and appliances. With each passing glance, you could find a new object that you hadn’t spotted before. Say, a white Midgardian bathtub, complete with a poor excuse of a curtain surrounding its rim. Or the glass cabinet that housed a strange fluffy substance called ‘Pop-Corn,’ according to the case’s label. There was a wall dedicated to objects that had screens or flashing lights.
The nature that surrounded them still found a way to decorate the room. Some walls and statues were lined with moss. Wires and plant stalks broke through the shoddy ceiling. It was a roof that — despite the breaking planks and questionable lighting — was preventing the dirt that separated the bunker and the surface from crashing down on their cozy, colourful home.
A dirty disarray of extremely detailed carpets made a pile for itself in the centre of the room. Atop these rugs sat a collection of chairs and couches that clashed with one another. The odd ottoman, lamp, or desk did lay near each chair, if only for function. Each chair faced a cluster of familiar statues, though these ones were charcoal black instead of white. They were piled in a way to suggest that this pile served as an open fireplace. The crocodile Loki Variant was quick to scuttle down a ramp, past the doused bonfire, and make his home in a blue circular tub, shallow in height and even shallower with water.
And what throne room would it be without a throne? This regal chair was not of Asgardian quality; one would be more likely to find something like it in a Midgardian shopping centre. The gold was cheap in appearance and its red velvet lining needed new upholstery. Circular emblems with various red-and-white patterns lined the very top of the backrest, while two horned stags stemmed from each armrest. The fancy chair rested on a platform with three short steps. On either side of the platform sprouted six cane statues, each painted red and white with various thicknesses. At the base of the platform sat a plethora of the same small white statues that Loki himself stood over. Some were upright while others were toppled over. Although they were circular enough to not appear to have a front side, the pin-like figurines were positioned to adore the crown like peasants. Above the throne, a solitary ‘L’ glowed in an orangish-red light. Regardless of the oddities, Kid Loki plopped himself down into his earned throne, complete with a small boxed beverage he had fetched for himself along the way.
Simply put, these Lokis took the junk of the Void and turned it into a palace. Loki was impressed.
A clearing throat snapped Loki out of his trance. Classic Loki must’ve been staring for a while, judging by how stern his stare was. Well, sterner than usual.
“Why do you want to return to the TVA so badly?” Classic Loki asked.
Boastful Loki wagged his hammer in agreement before adding, “Did you leave your glorious purpose there?”
Glorious purpose? Loki previously thought he had lost that plot, but the words that echoed in his head contradicted his heart.
“I taught myself.” “You taught yourself that magic?” “Yeah, I did. It’s simple, really.”
An amazing accomplishment.
“I think you’re scared!”
A brave bravado.
Loki blinked. At the moment his eyes were shut, he could’ve sworn he saw a lock of short, blonde, wavy hair. How he hated that he let himself be pruned. That he left her behind to fight a battle that they should’ve fought together.
Did Loki leave his glorious purpose behind? He finally managed to mutter: “Something like that…”
His eyes fell back on the wonderment of the Lokis’ home base. He saw a few more new things, like pink flowers blooming on the oversized plants, and a whole shelf dedicated to the gargantuan Midgardian orbs, each speckled in unique colours and patterns.
“Welcome to our secret hideout!” Kid Loki shouted from his throne. “Alioth cannot penetrate beneath the soil. We’re at our safest here.”
“The Midgardians called this structure a ‘bowling alley,’” Classic Loki added, “The ‘bowling balls’ are of a notable weight while the ‘bowling pins’ are not. We are unsure of how the ‘bowling’ battle occurs, but it matters not. Not when we’ve used our sorcery and our resources to bring the comforts of home into this shelter.”
While he spoke, Classic Loki had retreated to the fridge. Now, he walked back towards the alley with steps with a few colourful boxes in hand. On each box, a gorgeous red nectar was filling a translucent glass. The brand was ‘RoxxiWine’ and the flavour was ‘exceptional’ Pinot Noir.
Loki exhaled. “I’ve never been so relieved to see alcohol in my entire life…”
“Join us for a drink, then!” Boastful Loki slammed his free arm against Loki’s back. In his other hand, he held his hammer airborne and wagged it back and forth. “We’ve nothing better to do while we pass the time!”
Boastful Loki escorted Loki down the same stairwell, allowing Loki to get a closer look at the open throne room. More knick-knacks announced themselves, such as a drum with rope weaved into its barrel, goblets that had clearly seen better days, and the little plastic soldiers that guarded Kid Loki’s throne.
Kid Loki slung his leg over the armrest, careful not to stab himself with the stag’s antlers. The only stabbing necessary was plunging a lime-coloured plastic straw into his beverage box. He did not favour the wine but chose some sort of juice. Loki had never heard of the ‘Hi-C’ fruit.
“What was your Nexus Event, new Loki?” Kid Loki didn’t need to clarify with whom he was speaking, but he took petty joy in doing so anyway.
“Oh… it’s short but sweet.” Loki plucked the chalice equivalent of a shot glass and poured some wine for himself. “Some of the Avengers travelled through time to retrieve the Tesseract from New York. But in doing so, they gave me an opportunity.”
He remembered that day like it was yesterday (which honestly? It very well still could have been). His brother and some of his pesky friends had him muzzled and chained, but their escort was interrupted by a raging Hulk, who threw a tantrum over being denied a spot in an elevator carriage. Chaos ensued, and as always, that only did Loki favours. The Tesseract fell to his feet, like a stray dog returning to its master’s lap.
“The Tesseract came into my possession, and I made my quick but grand escape! Landed in a Midgardian desert of sorts.” Loki winced. A phantom taste of inedible grains of sand lingered in his mouth. “But as soon as I mingled with the desert’s locals, the TVA found and arrested me.”
He could also still feel the sting of Hunter B-15’s time-tampering weapon against his face if he twisted his head juuust right.
“And get this: the Avengers’ time shenanigans were all a part of the Sacred plan! And yet when I do the same, I’m the sequence violation, I’m the problem!” Loki ended his story with displeasure and a sip of his wine. It wasn’t nearly as bitter as the taste of the wrong side of favouritism.
“A fitting tale of the TVA’s signature hypocrisy!” Boastful Loki set his hammer down on a yellow ottoman and claimed a cyan rocking chair for himself. “Now, let me tell you of my numerous victories that culminated in my Nexus Event! Get comfortable, my fellow Lokis!”
The wink that snuck up onto Boastful Loki’s face wasn’t just a reflex. It was a warning. This Loki had a story to tell. He needed no invitation and he was about to spare no expense when it came to detail.
Wisely, Loki topped up his drink. He chose the lone couch as his perch to rest on. It was the only seat with more than one cushion. Loki knew he would need it.
“It all started when I was but a frosty child, taken to Asgard under King Odin’s beard!”
While Boastful Loki boasted, the other Lokis had time to do many things. Classic Loki poured wine into his own goblet. He also dedicated one of the wine boxes to dispense wine automatically, per his sorcery’s timer, of course. This allowed the crocodile Variant to happily drink his wine from the comfort of his own circular pool.
Yes, the crocodile drinks wine. What of it?
“Leave it to me, the world’s greatest trickster, to trick the might of the enchanted Uru and claim my mighty hammer!”
Kid Loki had taken to a second juice box, littering the first one a few feet away. Only then did Loki finally get a closer look at the child’s drink box. He couldn’t possibly conceive the concept of ‘Ecto Cooler’ and he certainly wasn’t about to taste test it.
“And thus, I harnessed the full power of the Destroyer to conquer the realms! Starting, of course, with the realm that abandoned me.”
It was hard to say how much time passed as Boastful Loki quite literally told his life story. Kid Loki sunk into his throne. Classic Loki buried his face in his goblet. Loki was having trouble keeping up with such a fantastically strange autobiography. But the lack of drowsiness meant that not too much time had passed… right?
“So! After I vanquished Captain America… and Iron Man…”
Loki’s face crumpled up like a wad of paper. Boastful Loki’s boasting truly did keep getting weirder and weirder. The lack of shame on his face made Loki question whether or not he was being truthful.
“I claimed my prize…” Boastful Loki glanced around the room, with his eyebrows arched and a full grin plastered on his face. “All six infinity stones!”
A long, low rumble radiated from the plastic pool. The crocodilian Loki bared his teeth, aiming his snout toward the storyteller. From what an outsider could gather, he seemed less than impressed.
Admittedly, Loki’s Allspeak was rusty when it came to animal languages. He wasn’t exactly planning on conquering animal kingdoms. It was troublesome enough to keep up with the thousands of dominant languages across the nine realms. How fortunate he was that his new comrades were willing to translate.
“That’s crocodile for growling,” Classic Loki clarified, “and saying ‘liar’ at the same time.”
Loki smirked. He knew someone that would agree with that sentiment. A previously unfathomable thought crossed his mind; he longed for Verity’s insight.
In contrast, Boastful Loki refuted the accusation. “Well, at least my Nexus Event wasn’t eating the wrong neighbour’s cat!”
Before Loki could process the thought of any version of himself eating a cat, ferocious splashes of water rang out. Crocodile Loki hissed before making a mighty leap out of his habitat. He soared in the air, successfully sticking the landing on Boastful Loki’s right wrist, teeth first.
Horrified, Boastful Loki took to his feet, flailing his arm in a vain attempt to shake off his attacker. He managed to rip the reptile off of him before he could break his pristine godlike flesh. Crocodile Loki nipped at the air that separated his snout from the Boastful one’s face. The only thing that this accomplished was Boastful Loki firmly wrapping his hands around the croc’s throat.
Before Boastful Loki could finish the job, both the elder and newcomer versions of himself were by his side, who had abandoned their goblets onto nearby tables in order to help break up the fight. Classic Loki took Crocodile Loki by the tail, yanking him just low enough to disrupt the chokehold. This was aided by Loki pushing the reptile away with one arm and pulling the Boastful one’s arm towards himself. The friction he created seemed insignificant, but it was the best he could do as he emerged from the fog of his own confusion to help. For his part, Kid Loki lounged on his throne, legs crossed and posture melting into the velvet. He couldn’t help but admire the free entertainment as he sipped from his juice box.
Eventually, Crocodile Loki was dislodged just enough for Classic Loki to break the moment. With one fell swoop, Classic Loki swung his small counterpart by the tail.
SPLASH!
Crocodile Loki landed on his back, bouncing once before revelling in the water. He wrapped himself in a coil, letting off one more dissatisfied hiss. The stern, knowing gaze from Classic Loki was the only force strong enough to prevent a second round in the ring.
Not a word was spoken as calm returned to the palace. Classic Loki was the first to sink back into his skinny recliner, legs draped on either side of its footrest instead of directly on it. He was quick to reclaim his elaborate goblet from the nearby TV tray he shared with his arrogant counterpart. Boastful Loki was mindful to check the leather that cuffed his wrist before sitting back down himself. Loki was the last to retreat to the sitting position, for the whole flash-pan moment stunned both his mind and his body. His face in particular was locked in a grimace, not quite used to this form of roughhousing. If one could call attempted crocodile asphyxiation that.
Kid Loki waited until all of his subjects were seated. As much as he enjoyed physical comedy, he liked stories more. Even the ones he had heard before. He pointed at his older self with his juvenile beverage. He commanded, “Tell them your story, Loki.”
“Me?” A quiet chortle slipped past Classic Loki’s lips. “Nobody wants to hear about that…”
“I… I would, actually…”
All eyes turned to Loki, who had one hand raised meekly, like a shy student in a classroom. The tiny wine glass in his other hand juxtaposed the sight perfectly.
Loki hummed to himself, appreciating the moment given to pause. In truth, he was humbled by Classic Loki’s existence. After the ‘sugar daddy’ file incident with Kaia, Loki had taken great care to pre-read his own file before presenting it to her. In turn, he memorized his last day as if he himself had lived it. He observed Asgard’s fall as well as the ship that intercepted them before he and his brother could find land to form New Asgard on. He diverted the Mad Titan’s attention away from Thor with a distraction, the Tesseract, and his favourite dagger. The last few pages of his file supplemented what he saw at the end of his visual file after his arrest: a horrific death that snapped his entire life’s mission out of sorts. The end of his file was enough to make him reevaluate everything he had done leading up to that point. He had to face the fact that he would never rule over others. He would never grow old on a throne. He would never live long enough to see centuries, nor his slender hair shift from black to silver. A Variant is not only a Variant but a version of oneself that was never meant to exist.
“It’s just, I’ve been wondering because I’m…” Loki bounced his free hand between pointing at himself and pointing at his impossible self, “Well, we’re supposed to die, right? Thanos kills us after Ragnarok.”
“Thanos?” It was a name he hadn’t cared to think about in a long time. Classic Loki took one large swig of his glass before setting down his goblet. Perhaps his story would be worth telling after all.
“In my timeline, everything proceeded correctly — my entire life — until Thanos attacked our ship.”
“So… you… didn’t try to stab him?”
Classic Loki’s chortle graduated to a hearty chuckle. “Certainly not. Take no offence, my friends, but blades are worthless in the face of a Loki’s sorcery. They stunt our magical potential.”
Loki’s face softened with a smirk. As much as he had an affinity for his daggers, he had to second-guess his Sacred instinct to bring a knife to that kind of fight.
“But they… look… AWESOME!” Boastful Loki interrupted with a borderline orgasmic growl. His eyes rolled back, captivated by the shimmer and sheen of blades and metal. Even with his version of Mjolnir by his side, what Loki could resist the beauty of a dagger?
Classic Loki gave his cocky friend the sides of his eyes. “Oh, yes… especially when they clatter to the ground just before your neck is snapped.”
Boastful Loki frowned. He resigned to his chair with a huff, slamming his back down. The rocking chair’s springs rocked him back and forth. Meanwhile, Classic Loki’s own neck snapped to the curious Loki, whose tendered gaze was still fixed on him.
“I cast a projection of myself so real, even the Mad Titan believed it. Then… I hid as inanimate debris. After I faked my death, I simply drifted in space… away from Thor, away from everything.” Classic Loki himself drifted his gaze away from anyone, staring aimlessly at the strange objects that littered the palace. “I thought about the universe and my place in it… and it occurred to me that everywhere I went, only pain followed. So, I removed myself from the equation. Landed on a remote planet and stayed there in isolation, in solitude, for a long, long time…”
And he didn’t cause a ripple in time as Kaia did? Loki thought to himself as he watched Classic Loki pick up his goblet and take one last gulp of his wine. Perhaps the lack of outside contact meant that he couldn’t create any ripples in time.
“How did the TVA find you?” Loki inquired.
“When I lived alone, I did not disturb the Sacred Timeline. I was dead to all, as I was supposed to be, so I did not cause or craft any Nexus Events during my isolation. But during that time… I got lonely…” Classic Loki’s last laugh was incredibly forced. A single bark that could’ve been interpreted as a bitter sigh. “To tell you the truth, I missed my brother. And I wondered if he missed me, or if anybody else did…”
Classic Loki stared into his younger self’s eyes. Although he stopped short of tearing up, the pain behind the unanswered questions and eons of loneliness rose to the forefront of his own blue eyes.
“But, as soon as I took my first steps to getting off the planet, the TVA arrived. Because we, my friends, have but one part to play…” Classic Loki did not rise to his feet, but he did extend his arms on either side of himself. One hand gripped his chalice tightly, and the other flexed his gloved fingertips fully outward. “The God of Outcasts. Nothing more!”
Classic Loki took a final drink from his goblet. The circular bottom of his goblet grazed the sky as he leaned forward, draping his free arm on and over his leg. He extended his arm upward, raising his now-empty glass above his elongated horns. The corners of his cape wilted underneath the forcefulness of his action.
When you strip away a Loki’s mischief, lies, and stories, what do they have left?
Classic Loki proposed a toast, to the true title of his kindred temporal auras. “The God of Outcasts!”
Boastful Loki drank to that. Kid Loki shook his drink box in the air in solidarity before taking the straw to his lips. A magical automated swish timed Crocodile Loki’s box perfectly to let him gulp a satisfying splash of wine.
The only one who didn’t drink to the wise outcast’s words was Loki. His eyebrows were fully furrowed on his face. His eyes were squinted from the moment the word ‘outcasts’ was muttered. His mind was running at a breakneck pace. This was his future? Wallowing in sorrow? Hiding from the big, scary monster that terrorized the skies above? Living as an outcast among outcasts?
No.
Loki didn’t bother finishing his drink. Droplets leapt out from the tiny goblet as he slammed his drink down on the table. Loki stood up and announced: “I’m going.”
“Going where?” Boastful Loki asked. He took to his feet as well, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Classic Loki rose as well, even though he had no intention of going. Crocodile and Kid Loki remained in place, observing the sudden burst of excitement from a distance.
“Out of this place! Out to find Kaia! Out of the Void! Back to the TVA!”
Kaia. That name crept up again. It made Kid Loki wonder. This Loki kept prodding on and on about her as if he cared.
“Is this Kaia-Loki really that important to you?” Kid Loki asked from his throne.
“Yes, because she betrays the very notion of being an outcast. She was arrested for having a friend.”
“A… a friend?” Kid Loki repeated. He sat straight on his chair, though his posture still left more to be desired. Sure, he had his allies here in the Void, but the notion of being friendly on the Sacred Timeline seemed rather unlikely, even for a Variant.
“It’s complicated,” Loki backtracked. For this to make sense, he would have to explain Kaia’s circumstances on her behalf. “See, Kaia lived at a point in time where she wasn’t supposed to. She didn’t invade New York, she lived in it for five years, completely unaware of her Loki status. She befriended a human and lived life as such before the TVA caught wind of her existence. She didn't even realize she was a Loki until her arrest.”
“She lived as a Midgardian?” Boastful Loki prodded, “No magic, no weapons?”
“None at all. She blended in and lived a full life. A stark contrast to Loki’s post-Thanos solitude.” Loki gestured to Classic Loki before continuing. “By all accounts, she should’ve caused countless Nexus Events by merely existing amongst others, but she didn’t. Her crime was so strange that the TVA called her incident a ripple instead of a branch.”
It was a unique Nexus Event; Kid Loki would give her that, but not much more. “Well, a Loki that’s not practiced in being a Loki is definitely dead.”
“You don’t know that! She’s survived quite a lot already!” Loki protested without so much as taking a breath between sentences, “Us Lokis, we may be good at surviving, but we’re also good at escaping. I wager that gives us a decent chance as any!”
Loki marched to the creaky wooden staircase, in tune with the words of caution that Classic Loki offered.
“You won’t do either! You’ll both be BRUTALLY murdered, if she hasn’t passed already!”
“Then so be it! That was my destiny to begin with!”
Loki stopped short of climbing the stairs and looked back at his Variants. Classic Loki let his yellow cape fall by the wayside, crossing his arms over his chest. Boastful Loki stood in defiance, with one raised eyebrow studying his brazen disregard for his own life. Even with his height, Loki couldn’t see his crocodile self, but he was sure that the distance was for the best.
Kid Loki still hadn’t stood up, but he did uncross his legs and planted both of his heels on the ground. He handled his drink gingerly with his fingertips. He looked at Loki with heavy eyes. He wondered how another Loki could harbour such reckless plans and an even bigger load of audacity. Did he really think he was the first to devise an escape route?
“You’re different?” Kid Loki mocked, “Why?”
“No, I’m not.” Loki wagged his finger and retreated back into the pits of the throne room. “You see… I’m the same, really. I’m the same as all of you: pruned with the will to persevere. Kaia’s a bit different due to her circumstances, but at her core, she’s the same too.”
A swish of a sword echoed in his memory. That’s not the full headcount, and Loki knew it. He wouldn’t dare forget the magician he left behind.
“There’s one more of us, but she wasn’t pruned. Have any of you met a blonde Variant of us?”
Blonde‽ A Loki with locks as golden as Thor’s‽ What Loki in their right mind would make that choice with their body‽
Boastful Loki shuddered, rustling every strand of fur that he wore on his person. Kid Loki took to his feet, jolted up by the very concerning concept. Even Crocodile Loki, with the inherent inability to grow hair for himself, growled in mild disgust.
Classic Loki shook his head, his face grimacing as if he had been stabbed. “Sounds terrifying!”
Considering how many times Sylvie nearly killed him, Loki couldn’t disagree.
“Oh, she is. But that’s kind of what’s great about her. She’s different. She’s not trying to take over the TVA, she’s trying to take it DOWN! And she needs me!”
As he referred to himself, Loki pointed dramatically at his own chest. Although the room was silent, he could hear an orchestra building up behind him, supporting every part of his rousing speech. Now that he knew what needed to be done, he called upon each of his cohorts (or at least, the ones that could speak back to him).
“Now, child, you said Alioth is what keeps us here.”
Kid Loki planted a hand on his hip as he slowly nodded.
“You said it’s a living thing.”
Boastful Loki grunted in agreement.
“You said it’s a shark.”
Classic Loki offered one brisk nod. He was still quite proud of that metaphor.
“Well… if it lives, it dies,” Loki growled, “So, I’m gonna kill the shark! I’m gonna kill Alioth! And I could use all the help I can get!”
As Loki finished his proclamation, he found himself panting heavily to recover. He spread his arms outward; an outreach to his fellow Lokis. He flashed his own shark-toothed smile from ear to ear. Never had he been so proud of a plan before. He was going to free the Void of its sky-locked terrorist. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to do so yet, but when Lokis put their minds together, they were bound to get the job done.
Classic, Boastful, and Kid Loki all exchanged stoic looks. Was this greenhorn Loki serious? They waited… and waited… for any sign that he was merely jesting about killing the gargantuan killer monster of the Void.
…
By the Norns, he was serious.
…
Boastful Loki broke first. His laugh boomed across the room. Three claps of his hands applauded such a jovial joke. His body ebbed and flowed with hearty laughter until he could no longer stand it. He retreated into his rocking chair with a thud.
Classic Loki wheezed. He threw his head back first. Then, he grabbed the edges of his cape and threw them skyward, draping himself in tattered gold. This allowed him to fall back into his recliner gracefully, kicking his legs and slamming his boots onto the footrest.
Although he was not as dramatic as the others, the child couldn’t hold back either. Kid Loki laughed with his nose. A squeaky, almost innocent laughter, like one he would’ve had after playing a harmless prank on Thor in their youth. This plan to kill Alioth… was a prank, right?
Even Crocodile Loki growled in rhythm. His snout poked out from his pool, eyeing Loki in the most judgemental way that a crocodile could stare at someone he didn’t consider to be prey.
Loki’s grin dropped. He didn’t have the words to vouch for how he felt at the eruption of laughter. This was his best plan yet! And these Lokis… mock him? Without even so much as a consideration of his plan? Preposterous!
As tears of laughter welled up in his eyes, Boastful Loki leered, “You hear him‽”
“Yeah, baby!” Classic Loki jeered, kicking his feet up again in uncontrollable laughter.
They continue to mock him as if he wasn’t standing there!
Loki slammed his arms down to his sides in defeat. “This is precisely why I need to find Kaia! She would never dismiss me like this!”
Loki was more-so talking to himself than anyone else, but Kid Loki’s quip was the final nail in the coffin.
“From the way you described her…” Kid Loki said between laughs, “she ha-has NO idea what it’s like to be a Loki! Good luck finding her… you’ll need it!”
Then so be it.
Loki huffed. He finally retreated, waving a hand dismissively before hustling up the makeshift staircase. He didn’t bother saying goodbye to the so-called allies. They were too busy laughing to stop him from ascending to his so-called demise.
As he reached the bowling alley plateau, he saw little things that Kaia would’ve enjoyed. Treats, drinks, and little Midgardian party games with far too many physical components. There was one more reason why he missed Kaia. Above all else, she would have hope. She’d have faith in his plans, no matter how ambitious they sounded on the surface.
Loki needed to believe in Kaia, as she did with him. In his heart of hearts, he knew she was alive. That’s why he needed to find her before setting off to kill Alioth.
Loki gripped a red-and-white rung of the ladder. The laughter from behind still hadn’t ceased. They’d still be laughing by the time he got the job done, wouldn’t they?
“Monsters…” That was all Loki could offer as he ascended the ladder, coating his hand green with magic to help him loosen the hatch that kept him safe.
If only he knew what monsters were really out in the Void.
- Of course, the ‘L’ was lit. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Hell yeah, the name of the bowling alley was a complete guess!! And you can't stop me from guessing!!
Anyway, don't expect a huge deep dive into Classic Loki's Nexus Event beyond this. The show handled it so well, and there are some stories on here that handled it better than I ever could. I hope I did that justice, and I hope you enjoyed the way I edited the only lines in season 1 that outright made me uncomfortable. (I'm gonna chew my arm if I ever hear Loki say 'female' ever again. Stop that. He has class.)
Chapter 43: The Bite
Summary:
Chapter 43 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Two Loki armies collide for a mighty war in order to claim a mighty throne.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment, graphic violence, body dismemberment.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Grrrrr… nope.”
And with that, every magically-inclined underling in President Loki’s army had their try at the titanium vault. It didn’t even budge.
The intel came from someone on the inside, according to President Loki himself. A Loki that hadn’t officially joined the ranks of his brigade, but served a finer role in espionage. A careful exchange of supplies for information has all led up to this. A final circular lid and a final battle versus Kid Loki separated President Loki from his throne.
“Amateurs…”
In order for President Loki to focus his magic on the door, he had to loosen some of the control he had over Kaia. As promised, he had safely escorted her with his enchantment, and she looked fabulous while traversing the land. If there were any notable bystanders, they would have marvelled at her beauty.
“Just remain behind me, little one! You won’t have to lift a finger!”
“Uh-huh…” Kaia crossed her arms, revelling in what little freedom she could reclaim. She didn’t care about anything other than her aching feet.
Sure, she had been guided along, but she still had to take each agonizing step with every bit of those two-inch heels. Up and down hills. Through dirt, grass, and gravel. Past strange ruins and through even stranger landmarks. The ‘final stretch’ was much longer than the phrase implied. If this was a hint of her foreseeable future, she didn’t like it.
Now, she was figuratively stuck. Her back hovered against President Loki’s; the sea of bandit bodies fully shielded her from the menacing hideout entrance. Not that she cared.
Hss… Crrrrrrr…
She didn’t care that the pipe lid shuddered and unlatched of its own volition. She cared slightly that the back of President Loki’s legs brushed up against her, presumably from leaning into the pipe. She did her part and nudged herself forward to give herself some space.
“Ah… hello. Which one of us are you?”
She didn’t care that President Loki’s rumbly voice sounded even more rumbly when spoken into a hole in the ground. She didn’t care that the question was met with an overdramatic, wispy sigh springing into the air.
“This is a nightmare.”
… ‽ ‽ ‽ …
That voice! Could it be? It had to be! In hearing the voices back-to-back, it couldn’t have been more obvious!
Kaia whipped herself around, bursting through the tiny gap that existed between President and Viking Loki. She looked down at the hole, and at the all-too-familiar figure that clung to the ladder that lined it.
“LOKI!!!”
“Kaia! You’re alive!”
“You were pruned‽”
“Shortly after you!”
A brief silence passed as the reunited pair got a better look at each other. Kaia realized just how worn Loki’s TVA dress shirt was from the combination of what happened in the chamber and what could’ve happened to him in the Void. The splotches of red on his sleeves and bare arms were worrying in particular. Meanwhile, Loki registered just how drastically Kaia’s whole outfit changed in the short time she had been away. Her TVA clothing was gone, replaced by outright gaudy business attire. The heels did her about two inches of favour, but the rest of her ensemble made her look like a Midgardian intern, complete with a shiny green vest that primed her up to be any villain’s target.
“What ARE you wearing?” Loki’s emphasis on certain words did more than just imply judgment. It implied a choice.
Kaia groaned in protest, “Long story, I’ll tell you—”
“Hmm…”
A low growl interrupted their reunion. President Loki placed a firm hand on Kaia’s shoulder, physically preventing her from doing anything reckless. She could feel his enchantment creeping back into her body, so she bit her lip to shield her Loki from any worry. The one good thing about his version of his enchantment was the way he kept her mind intact.
“So, you’re the little one’s Loki…”
Loki raised an eyebrow. As flattered as he was that Kaia kept him in her memory, he didn’t like the way that this less-handsome version of himself handled her.
“Kaia, why are you with this knob?”
“This knob saved her from the sweet relief of Alioth. You ought to show some respect!” With that vent out of the way, President Loki turned to Kaia. He made sure that she followed suit before continuing. “You seriously had me confused for this guy? My fashion sense is far superior to his.”
“Superior‽” Loki balked. Sure, the way he wore his battles on his sleeves didn’t look pretty, but at least they were earned. From his sharp eye, he could tell that the wear and many tears on that Loki’s three-piece suit weren’t deliberate or intricate. “You look like you were defeated by Thor in his youth!”
“Hey!” It was Kaia’s turn to interrupt. “Is this really the time to bicker?”
After a pause, President Loki responded first. “No, it’s not.”
That must’ve been a super-secret coded phrase because the motion of several weapons cut the air around Kaia. The bandits aimed a variety of sharp weapons at the Loki in the hole. From saw-blades to scythes, even a two-pronged fork. Loki had to admit, the diversity was impressive, though he didn’t like which side of the weapons he was on.
“Be a dear and let your guests into your home, won’t you?”
It was Loki’s turn to hesitate. As much as he wanted to protest, it wasn’t wise to fight back when you’re a few feet above the gritty, sloped ground.
“Right…” Loki recoiled, revealing the first few steps of the ladder to the invaders.
With a grin, President Loki brought Kaia to the forefront. The way she moved was more rigid than usual. He winked as he delegated. “Little ones first!”
Loki really didn’t like that. A sour cherry on top of the whole situation. Was it nice for Kaia to come to him instead of having to search the Void alone for her? Of course! But he was not naïve to the nefarious side of himself. He could see through the Seidr that he thinly laid upon her. Puppeteering her movements. Influencing her style. His magic control over her was plain as day.
As Kaia started to navigate her way down the ladder, Loki made sure to keep his eyes off her. Although her given skirt hugged her legs too tightly to compromise her, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable with a stare. Besides, this wasn’t her fault. His entire focus was on the leader of this new Loki squadron. The one who surely used his face to gain her favour.
“You’ve got some nerve…” Loki said the quiet part out loud. It wasn’t any secret with whom he was addressing.
The political counterpart took offence. “For what? Being chivalrous? Honestly—”
“You enchanted her!”
“It’s not my fault that her mind was already unlocked for me.”
Loki sighed as he landed at the base of the stairs. He could hear the laughter he had abandoned fade behind them. He didn’t care. His focus shifted into slight worry as Kaia descended the rickety ladder.
“Kaia, this clown is not worth your time…” Loki pleaded in the hope that she could hear him over the enchantment.
Kaia looked back at Loki, this time of her own volition. She wanted to agree. Now that her Loki was here, she didn’t have to rely on these other Lokis. But for the first time since joining the army, her tongue was held back. Perhaps the head turn was just President Loki’s way of teasing.
President Loki forced Kaia back two steps, ensuring that he had enough of a clearing to jump down. He forwent the ladder, landing squarely between Kaia and that miserable Loki. This Loki talked too much, even for a Loki.
“This clown heard you,” President Loki snarled at his newfound foe, “Do you really wish to play with fire?”
A light thud followed the threat. Kaia watched as Ninja Loki placed one of their sickle-shaped horns to her Loki’s throat. Her jaw was unclenched just enough to let out a worried gasp. It was music to her leader’s ears.
President Loki remembered the way Kaia spoke of this Loki. Met by circumstance, bonded by adventures, blinded by reckless ambition. He watched as Loki’s fingers twitched toward Kaia. There was no doubt that he was willing to do anything to get her back under his control. Perhaps some enchantment of his own? No, the soon-to-be ruling Loki wouldn’t allow that. Kaia consented to join his side. What president would he be if he let tyranny win over democracy?
“I suggest you stand down,” President Loki said, “Lest I make an example of you in front of Kaia.”
Under normal circumstances, Loki would’ve gracefully thrown down. No one usually talks to him like that and gets away with it. Unfortunately, this inferior Loki had the upper hand, for Kaia’s face was visible over his shoulder. Kaia stared back at Loki, hazel eyes shaped like saucers, sending silent signals to prioritize self-preservation over pride.
Her face gave sage advice. Loki nearly lost Kaia once. He wasn’t about to lose her again. That started with a surrender.
Two weaponless hands gave Loki permission to escape Ninja Loki’s chokehold. He gestured to the set of stairs, allowing the Loki army into Kid Loki’s palace. Naturally, President Loki led the procession, but not before scooping Kaia into one of his sides. He led her down with a smirk and a protective, unrelenting shadow. More bandits separated Loki from Kaia, forcing him to the end of the ensemble as they filled the lower bowl of the throne room.
The Loki army was slightly spread out. President Loki and Kaia were front and centre, with sprinkles of the remaining bandits in a semi-circle formation around them. By this point, Loki was shoved to the outskirts, straddled between a redhead Loki and a machine that advertised a mighty space mission encased within a light-up table littered with bumpers, paddles, and illustrations. Loki watched President Loki as he relieved Kaia of his smarmy grip, slipping his hands into his pockets.
The group that Loki had befriended was now backed onto the base of the throne. They stared back at the unsightly sight. Whispers of a rogue band of Lokis were heard along the winds of their foraging, especially word of a jealous Loki that wanted to overthrow Kid Loki. The reason for such was beyond the current ruler’s comprehension. Who would want to rule this place? He was only here by default (though he really did like the fancy chair that he found during palace construction).
Boastful and Kid Loki analyzed each new face that had trespassed into their shelter. Meanwhile, Classic Loki only had eyes for the familiar, traitorous Loki.
“You bastard!” Classic Loki scolded, “You led the wolves to our door!”
Loki stood politely — hands folded in front of his navel and all — but considering what he had just gone through, he needed to refute the allegation. “In my defence, they were already waiting at—”
“Never mind him…” President Loki interrupted the friendly dispute before it began. “Besides… we prefer snakes to wolves.”
“I’ve eaten both. They die just the same.” Kid Loki barked.
It was true, Kid Loki was considered the ruler of the Void, merely by default. He was here first. He founded the ways to survive in the Void. He foraged for scraps, hunted for his dinner, the whole nine yards. He even gave Alioth its name. Although his body could no longer age, he had seen enough death to drive one mad. But you never forget the first life you take, no matter how often you try to bury the memory away.
He had met countless Lokis. Some stayed, some left, and an unlucky few were seized by Alioth. So word of his Nexus Event was quick to spread along the words of the Lokis that survived, even to the ones he had never met. His reputation had been built with no investment on his part. Perhaps because fratricide was the forbidden Nexus fruit amongst Lokis. To his knowledge, it was a feat that no other Variant had repeated.
Kid Loki saw no interest in his given title, but with everything he had gone through, he was too hardened to be intimidated by a Loki that wanted his spot. This politician wasn’t the first to issue the challenge. As he had done before, he stepped forward to accept. However, before he could reach for his weapon, the cold chill of a different weapon pressed upon his cheek.
“Apologies, my liege.” Boastful Loki grabbed hold of the back of Kid Loki’s head with one hand, and his hammer to the front of Kid Loki’s head with the other. “I’ve betrayed you, and now I will be king!”
His narration was brief but smug. He shrugged and grinned without a hint of shame. Kid Loki was mindful to remain still, but the apathy was clear on his face. He and the elder Loki both knew that he was also not the first liar amongst their changing roster.
Admittedly, if any of the Loki bandits had asked Kaia to pick out the insider that had given away the throne’s location, she would’ve picked the burly Loki whose hammer was clearly more of a boasting statement than anything else. He lacked the campaign badge, but he fit right in with the ragtag group she had joined.
Kaia’s thoughts were interrupted by a brush along her shoulder. President Loki stepped ahead of her by two paces, enclosing the circle of bandits around her.
“About that…”
Shhh-ink!
It was another coded phrase that Kaia hadn’t been clued in on. Each bandit raised their weapon towards Boastful Loki, regardless of whether or not they had a direct line of sight. She was still incapable of moving, thanks to the passive enchantment, so was inadvertently standing in the line of fire. At least Rare Cheese Loki was mindful enough to keep their oversized fork away from her head.
Loki was quick to avoid the actual ball-and-chain mace that the Loki in a jumpsuit had in their hands. The succession of double-crossing was overly rapid, even for his liking. He was well and truly stunned by how quickly the tension was thickening. He couldn’t even make a move to get to Kaia, for he didn’t need the changing tides to turn on him.
None were caught more off-guard by the betrayal than Boastful Loki. He muttered flatly, “You can’t be serious.”
“Come on…” President Loki raised both of his arms in the air and greeted his foreign adviser with a slight bow. “What did you expect?”
“That was NOT the bargain!” Boastful Loki snapped back, “I gave you the location of the palace in exchange for supplies, you give me your army, and I take the throne!”
“Ah, yes…” That was the arrangement the politician Loki had planned with the boastful one, but… “Not so good a bargain.”
President Loki smacked his lips together. His fingertips grazed the thick air as he reconsidered the plan. After all, there was no notarized document to finalize the spoils between the two parties. He finally settled to curling his fingers, save for one index finger pointing at Boastful Loki.
“How about this one? My army…” President Loki flexed his arms outward, his palms upward, and his winking eye forward. “My throne.”
“About that…”
This time, it was Rare Cheese Loki that gave the signal. The Loki army turned their allegiance and their weapons against their leader. They all inched forward, aiming the tips of their blades or pinchers at President Loki’s neck, back, or shoulders.
No one saw this coming. Not Boastful Loki, who lowered his weapon in amazement. Not Kid Loki, who was quick to side-step away from his traitorous retainer. Not Classic Loki, though he wore exasperation on his face like a snug glove.
Kaia — being weaponless and enchanted — also found herself in the line of fire. She was frozen in place, standing directly under some of the weapons that found themselves pointed at President Loki’s neck or back. The only thing she could do was widen her eyes in fright. She did not like this sudden mutiny.
President Loki’s face soured. He was careful enough to not make sudden movements, not even bothering to lower his prideful arms. He took in every single one of these rogue Lokis, not unlike the way he had just accepted Kaia under his good graces, and THIS was the thanks he got for it‽
“Why, you beef-witted, half-face scrubs!!” President Loki scolded, “We had a deal!!”
Loki sighed and shook his head. It was a song and dance that even he had grown tired of. All of this backstabbing and double-crossing… Did they even remember why they were lying to each other? Loki scanned the scene, looking for any sign of Kaia through the sea of bodies. He had enough mulling about. He had to make his—
“Grrrrrrrrr…”
Ah. Seems like he’s not the only Loki that ran out of patience.
Crocodile Loki had been by Classic Loki’s boot during the whole exchange, but he emerged with the grace of a predator, growling at the confounding bumble of Lokis menacingly. He had blended into the elaborate rugs quite nicely, even with the tiny set of horns that he wore on his scaly head. He bared his teeth, as a threat.
However, his entrance was met with confusion when there should have been caution.
Even with weapons aimed at his neck, President Loki had the audacity to scream, “Why the HEL is there a crocodile in here‽”
“He’s a Loki!” shouted Kid Loki.
Unbeknownst to him, that sentence was one last super-secret coded cue.
With a hiss, Crocodile Loki scuttled along the platform, using the top stair as leverage for his hind legs. He leapt into the air but did not land on the ground. No, he landed on President Loki’s arm, clamping down on his right hand in a full, toothy embrace.
The bite forced every bandit Loki to retreat. They recalled their weapons and backed away from the fearsome scene. They watched as President Loki wrestled the crocodilian Variant for control of his hand. President Loki was too focused on the struggle to focus on anything or anyone else. Not his foes. Not his treacherous army. He even forgot about the hold he had on Kaia. As soon as she realized she could move on her own, she threw herself backward to avoid the squabble.
President Loki charged his free hand with magic and grabbed onto the crocodile’s neck. This round of magic was meant to subdue the croc, perhaps even kill him. He pulled his stuck hand upward and his magic hand downward, desperately clamouring for any relief from the teeth digging into his skin.
Fwwwiph!
The mighty crunch and eerie squelch that signified the end of the fight didn’t register at first. President Loki was free! The breeze brought a brief reprieve before a searing pain took over. Pain? Why was he in pain? The crocodile was scurrying away, his jaw clenched in defeat. Complete with a red trail of his battle wound dripping from his mouth…
Wait… his mouth? Didn’t he grab that Loki by the neck? He should be harmed there. Unless…
President Loki’s eyes followed the red trail down to his shoes. Some droplets were on his loafers. And his pant leg. And the cuff of his sleeve. But not his hand.
President Loki froze, save for his suspect arm. He bent his arm upward to be met with a horrific sight. His right hand had been bitten clean off. Not even a bone was in sight. All that remained was a bulbous mess of bloody internal mass, wrapped neatly by a not-so-neat-anymore white shirt sleeve and green blazer screen. Spurts of blood made the ghastly sight all the more gruesome. The blood loss and the searing pain that jolted up his body was a jolting combination.
The only thing President Loki could do was scream.
A shrill, high-falsetto of a scream held solidly without any sort of break. He couldn’t pry his eyes away from his mangled wrist. He couldn't manage any sort of magic to protect or replace his missing appendage. He didn’t even see Viking Loki sneak up behind him, wrestling him down with their firm hands gripping under his arms.
And with that, true chaos was unleashed upon the palace. Every Loki took that as a cue to spar against one another. The theme of the brawl was simple: survive. It’s every Loki for themself.
Loki barely dodged the swing of Pokey Loki’s mace.
Kid Loki scooped up Crocodile Loki into his arms, not paying any mind to how his mouth reeked of presidential flesh.
Dreary Loki rammed their iron stake into Hooded Loki’s plated armour.
Kaia tried to flee, but fell back onto the grimy wooden bowling alley lane, breaking her heel in the process. The fall also broke her final straw. She was done with this army.
She kicked off her faulty shoes before getting up. She didn’t even care that she was barefoot. She just needed to find Loki and leave.
She looked to her left. Bicycle Loki was thrown into the air by Athletic Loki. Not her Loki.
She looked to her right. Boastful Loki swung his hammer down on Ninja Loki’s daggers. Not her Loki.
She looked behind her. Glamshades Loki had found a vine strong enough to swing from. He was coming straight for her, barrelling down feet first, ready to strike her. Definitely not her Loki.
Kaia only had a split-second to react. Her instinct was to duck. And she was about to, she really was! But the familiar, warm embrace of green magic hugged her before she could move. Instead of ducking down, she was dragged sideways like a lassoed target. The result was the same in the sense that she avoided the dropkick. She did, however, fly into a hidden corner of the hideout, away from the fighting. She landed harshly in someone else’s arms. Fortunately, when she looked up, a friendly face greeted her.
“Loki!!”
At least, friendly in theory.
Loki dropped the telekinetic hold he had on Kaia and put his hands on his hips. “Are you back to your senses or do you have your own betrayal to enact?”
“What‽ Loki!” Kaia’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t even know you were HERE until you opened that lid!”
“Well, are you on my side, or his?”
Broken glass distracted Kaia and Loki. They glanced over their shoulders to see Viking Loki dusting off their hands and walking away from a popcorn machine. A limp President Loki had his head buried in a sea of popcorn. The stub of his amputated arm smeared blood onto the cabinet.
So much for the fearsome President Loki.
Kaia was the first to look back at Loki. “Definitely your side.”
“Great.” Loki’s eyes wandered around the room, getting a grasp of how far the violent brouhaha was spreading. “Now we just have to worry about escaping these savages.”
“Wait. We’re Variants of them! Are you calling us savages?”
“That’s enough bickering, children.” A third voice suddenly cut in.
Kaia whipped her head around and instinctively caved into Loki’s chest. The older Loki stood before them, and she wasn’t sure if he was about to strike. A single gentle pat on her arm from Loki swiftly reassured her otherwise.
Classic Loki raised his right arm up. His golden cape was swept up with the motion, for it was entangled around his forearm. As the cape fell, his gloved hand formed a glowing green fist, pumped into the air like an enthusiastic truck driver.
Such a simple motion performed an amazing feat of magic.
In the middle of the throne room, four perfect illusions manifested with a familiar green light. One for himself, one for Loki, one for Kaia, and one for the Kid that had been threatened earlier on. Kid Loki had been holding the crocodile that bit off President Loki’s hand. The very same Loki that had regained enough consciousness to stumble his way out of the popcorn abyss. Or at least, just enough to collapse in front of the steps of the throne he desired.
The illusionary Kid threw the illusionary Crocodile at the very real President. The faintest halo discerned the illusion from the real deal, but the illusions fought just like the real deal. President Loki writhed on the floor, panicking at the sudden reunion with the Loki that harmed him. The fake Classic Loki struck down three other Lokis with a real magic blast. Even Kaia got revenge, although it was her false form that landed a punch on Glamshades Loki.
“It’s time to go!”
Classic Loki led Loki and Kaia up the stairs to the top of the hideout, the same hill that Kid Loki had just ascended with a tiny but lethal Loki in his arms. He raised a free hand to stop Kaia from advancing.
“We aren’t taking that one, are we?” Kid Loki inquired, “She sided with that army!”
Loki vigourously shook his head. “This is Kaia. The Variant I told you about, the one with stunted powers. I told you that she survived!! She was enchanted to stay with that prick, but she’s back to normal now.”
Kaia blinked thrice. As much as she appreciated that Loki kept her in his memory… “You could’ve said all that with a LOT more tact…”
“She’ll be your responsibility, then,” Classic Loki said to Loki, “Come on!”
Classic Loki grabbed the corner of his cape, purposefully spreading its wingspan as he swung his arm fully upward. His fist grazed the low, tattered ceiling. He grimaced as he spiked his hand down to the ground, being sure not to bend his elbow during the follow-through. As his yellow cape surrounded his body, a hole of emerald-green energy cut into the space in front of a table. It was about as tall and wide as a Time Door. It was too green and too rounded to be considered an official Time Door. However, since Classic Loki was able to disappear as he walked into the mass of magic, one could only assume that it served the same purpose as any other portal.
Kid Loki was quick to follow. He kept Crocodile Loki cradled in his arms as best he could, though his tail hung past the embrace. Crocodile Loki — who had his head rested on the child’s shoulder — saw Kaia for the first time. He squinted as he registered that she was coming along, though his visage disappeared before he could do much else.
Kaia grumbled to herself as Loki pushed her through the green portal. She grew tired of her growing reputation as his pet. He would agree with the sentiment.
Loki was the last to leave. Selfishly, he looked over his shoulder, looking down on the palace he had once looked fondly on. What was an organized mess was now just… a mess. Lokis brawled aimlessly, destroying every relic that made this place homely. Various grunts and war cries overlapped one another. They were each none the wiser that some of them glowed, even the one with no magic. Loki would bet that not one of them could recall a purpose for this bout either. Especially since the Loki that they needed to kill to supersede the throne was long gone.
Savages.
Loki emerged last from the green portal, allowing Classic Loki to seal it shut. Classic Loki had chosen an aimless field of the Void as an escape route. But they’re all like that, aren’t they? Loki certainly didn’t recognize what few landmarks littered the land.
He did recognize Kaia, who was still in her very strange attire, save for bare feet. She looked like a bedazzled stem of kale. Loki couldn’t resist.
“Explain the outfit.”
“He just PUT this on me with magic! I never got a say! Said I needed to fit with his army or something like that…” Kaia lamented, “So if you’re able, I would REALLY like my old outfit back!”
Loki was more than capable of rescuing Kaia from her fashion disaster. It was a general skill that he prided himself on. However, as Loki raised his arms to prepare his magic, he noticed just how far he had let his own appearance go. He had his excuse; fighting for his life and traversing the Void can take a toll on the body. But now that they all had a moment to breathe, now would be a good chance to refresh.
Loki placed a hand on Kaia’s shoulder, setting off a flashy fashion spell. As green light washed over them, their damaged or disastrous clothes were replaced by the standard-issue TVA outfit they had worn previously. Each outfit was as pristine as it was when it was first given to them; not a scrape nor stitch out of place. He even made sure Kaia had her shoes back! Although, Loki never liked the ‘Variant’ jacket, so he opted to leave them out of the spell.
Silently, the group of Loki got their bearings. The crocodile settled back down on the ground. The elder Loki scouted for the best way forward. But Loki took a step away from Kaia. Although their outfits were restored, the tension of the situation lingered. Kaia shouldn’t have been dressed up like that to begin with. Certainly not touting the badge of an inferior Loki.
“Honestly, what were you thinking?” Loki bemoaned as he rolled his sleeves back up, “Banding together with Lokis that looked like that. They couldn’t dress their way out of a paper bag! And they would’ve betrayed you in a—”
“Loki, I thought I’d never see you again…”
Kaia looked at Loki. Tears welled up in her eyes, mostly out of relief. She didn’t realize just how badly she had missed her friend until their reunion.
“When I realized I wasn’t dead, I wanted to get back to you! To Vee! To everyone! But there’s this BIG cloud monster thing — Alioth, I think? — that prevents anyone from leaving… I thought it was just me, stuck here in the Void while you were at the TVA, fighting… I-I wouldn’t have survived alone… W-Where else was I supposed to go, besides with Lokis that offered safety and could enchant me to cooperate?”
Loki let Kaia ramble, taking in every word that she had to say. He couldn’t argue. She was right. She didn’t know that he was pruned. She was only doing what she needed to do: survive. Resentment seemed pointless in the face of that.
Loki rejoined Kaia’s side, offering her a gentler, magic-less pat on the shoulder. “You’re not alone anymore, Kaia. You’re with better company.”
Kaia smiled with gratitude. She knew she could always count on him for company. But the heat of their audience, who were quite literally just standing there as Loki and Kaia shared their heart-to-heart, was somewhat noticeable.
“Who is this company, by the way?” Kaia gestured graciously to the other Lokis.
“Right!” Loki wrapped an arm around Kaia, pivoting her around to fully face the ever-changing roster of Lokis. He pointed to each one as he explained their differences. “This Loki survived past his intended death and is an older version of us.”
Classic Loki gave a stern nod in return.
“This is us as a child.”
Kid Loki offered a meek salute to Kaia.
“And you’re already familiar with the crocodile Variant of us.”
“Very.” Kaia paled a little bit. She did not want to end up like President Loki.
Crocodile Loki examined Kaia from a distance. The growl he offered her was different from the one he offered President Loki. It was a low murmuring noise, rattling like a drumroll because he kept his jaw firmly shut. Kaia wasn’t sure what to make of it. She was told post-Pompeii that she had some semblance of Allspeak, but did that gift extend to the animal kingdom? She couldn’t make words of it, but the tone of the rumbling didn’t seem aggressive.
Fortunately for her, Kid Loki offered a translation. “So long as you do not display tendencies like that politician, your hand will be spared.”
“Appreciated.” Kaia waved her right hand peacefully. This appeased the fearsome Loki almost as much as the politician’s hand did.
“So, you’re the Loki with no sorcery?” Classic Loki unwound his cape. “It’s a miracle you haven’t perished.”
“That army found me…” Kaia admitted. “I woke up in their care, they took me in…”
Classic Loki scoffed, “Well, you’re better off without sorcery than with those ANIMALS!”
The emphasis he made on the last word startled Kaia greatly. She jumped back, bouncing off of Loki’s chest like a rubber ball to a brick wall. Meanwhile, Classic Loki climbed a small mound backwards to accentuate his upcoming monologue.
“Us Lokis, we lie and we cheat. We cut the throat of every person who trusts us, and for what? Power? Glorious power… Glorious purpose‽” Classic Loki snarled, “We cannot change… We’re broken… Every version of us, forever.”
“And, whenever one of us dares try to fix themselves, they’re sent here to die!” Kid Loki’s voice was wavering, teetering on the edge of breaking entirely.
The contrasting clash of anger and sadness humbled Kaia. The tension throughout her body melted away, resulting in sunken shoulders and a sympathetic frown. She had only just met them, but she understood them. All they wanted to do was break free of the cycle they were born into, the life that was intended for them.
In that rousing speech, Loki found his footing. “That’s why we need to get out of here! Nothing can change until the TVA is stopped!”
“Oh yeah?” Classic Loki locked eyes with his younger, bolder Variant. “And who’s left waiting for you there now? Your numbers are dwindling.”
“Sylvie, the blonde Variant I mentioned earlier…” Loki reminded, “She’s still there, fighting. Her passion to stop the TVA is unmatched. That is her glorious purpose.”
Somehow, Kaia wasn’t surprised that Loki spoke of Sylvie in such high regard. Even with all of the murder attempts under her belt.
“And our friend Verity, she’s still there too…” Kaia added, “She’s not a Loki, but she’s my best friend. She knows the TVA like the back of her hand now. I’m sure she’s figuring out a way to stop the TVA from the inside, but she needs our help too…”
Classic Loki pushed the hood of his cowl up with one eyebrow. “And you two trust those two?”
“They’re the only ones I do trust.” Loki put a hand on his chest. “And right now, I believe they’re our only chance of stopping the TVA. That’s why we need to return.”
Classic Loki bounced on his boots as his face contorted into a pout. He now wore his cape like a robe, though it did little to shield his nervousness. The impossible task of escaping the Void, compounded by the earlier proposed solution of facing Alioth head-on, stomped on every boundary that he had grown to appreciate. It’s what kept him and his allies alive, after all.
Classic Loki’s eyes wandered until they met with Kid Loki’s. Unlike himself, Kid Loki stood solid on his feet. He wore no worry on his face. In fact, he seemed… content.
“That’s good enough for me.” Kid Loki confirmed his thoughts with words. He didn’t know what it was like to have a ‘friend,’ but he knew what it was like to place his trust in a minimal amount of allies. Perhaps if he hadn’t guarded his trust so closely, that hammer-happy Loki wouldn’t have betrayed him.
But… these two are different. Kid Loki could tell from the tones of their voices and their general persistence. Loki and Kaia weren’t lying or cheating. They wore their trust on their sleeves. They showed signs that a Loki could change. He respected that.
“Okay! Okay…” Kid Loki’s counsel was enough to sway Classic Loki. One more stiff nod affirmed the changing tide. “We’ll help you… but… approaching Alioth is a death sentence.”
Kaia’s face flattened faster than a popped balloon.
“Wait, your plan involves the evil death cloud?”
“Kill the beast, get back to the TVA!” Loki puffed his chest out as he explained his plan’s synopsis.
This did not put Kaia at ease. “Did anyone tell you that that’s a RIDICULOUS plan??”
“Vocally!” Kid Loki piped up.
Loki’s brows furrowed over his eyes. Naysayers stood on almost all sides of him and offered remarks but no alternatives. “But we’ve no other plan!”
Classic Loki cleared his throat. He was decent at cutting past the squabbling with minimal effort.
“Look, we’ll take you two to Alioth, but that’s as far as we go.”
Loki silently nodded. He could sympathize with the thought of retiring from grand plans and ferocious battles. He hoped to join him as soon as his business with the TVA was settled.
Amidst the chaos of the Loki tussle, both Classic and Kid Loki left their bags behind in the palace. The bags were filled with disposable resources; think food, drinks, and the like. The bags mostly served to conserve their magic for more important matters. In short; no valuables were left behind.
The most valuable resource one could have in the Void emerged from Kid Loki’s hidden pocket. On the surface, it looked like a remote control. It had a wily antenna that stood straight up. But the base was circular. Dials and knobs surrounded a glass bubble. Within the bubble was a small, flat display with a green-and-black grid. The lights on the display pulsated rhythmically, but there was barely any activity.
“This tracks all nearby variance drops that land throughout the Void,” Kid Loki explained, “Variance makes noise and energy, which Alioth feeds on. When we find the variance, we find Alioth.”
With a mutual understanding of his device spread across the newcomers, the King of the Void took the lead. His gaze rapidly flickered between the land ahead and the map in his hands. It wouldn’t be long before they intercept Alioth and his next meal.
The elder and the crocodile followed the child closely, leaving Loki and Kaia to follow, walking side by side. They weren’t lagging by any means, but there was a bit of distance between the duo and the group ahead. The distance created silence. The silence created wandering thoughts. Loki’s mind wandered to a not-so-distant memory, one brought about by the sudden resurgence of his not-so-dead friend.
Kaia’s searing scream echoed off of the chamber walls and into Loki’s mind once more. He was glad that this wasn’t Kaia’s last gasp, but no one knew that at the time. Now that they had a moment alone, Loki needed a tiny bit of closure.
“Kaia, why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“You sacrificed yourself to stop Renslayer from pruning me.”
“Yeah, and you were supposed to last a bit longer!”
Loki croaked out a stifled laugh. Kaia wasn’t wrong. He had no excuse for the way he clammed up in the wake of her pruning. He’d be with Sylvie, fighting against the TVA, and perhaps discovering how the Void works from the outside to rescue her and Mobius…
Kaia didn’t realize it, but she snapped Loki out of an internal self-loathing cycle with one simple sentence.
“Loki, that’s what people do when they care about each other…”
They kept walking, but Loki and Kaia were now looking squarely at each other. Loki’s eyes were softened by the blow, leaving his face somewhat dazed. Meanwhile, Kaia gazed intently at Loki with not a shred of jest. Every word that she had to offer him was nothing but the truth.
“They do things that can be irrational, unthinkable, maybe even selfless… I guess that makes me an even worse Loki, all things considered…”
Kaia’s face fell, glancing down ahead of her as she walked. Now that she said it out loud, that wasn’t very Loki-like, was it? Lokis are supposed to be crafty, powerful, and a bit self-serving. Bluntly running out to face death head-on with no backup plan certainly wasn’t that.
Then again, it’s not Loki-like to waste a graciously given opportunity, either.
“We’re on even footing, then.”
From the corner of her eye, Kaia saw Loki hold her hand. A gentle squeeze prompted her to follow his arm all the way back up to look at Loki’s face. He wore a smile proudly. No amount of mischief could hide the gratitude he had for her.
“Thank you, Kaia.”
Kaia smiled and squeezed Loki’s hand back. “Just don’t make me do that again.”
Notes:
Will any of the Loki Variants left behind return? Wait and see. 👀
Chapter 44: The Tides of Your Misfortune
Summary:
Chapter 44 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki has a plan to face Alioth and… let’s just say it’s a plan. He’s going to need help from a few friends who are definitely not dead.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“I have to say, it feels odd walking towards the gargantuan creature…” Classic Loki couldn’t help but acknowledge the obvious out of thin air.
This part of the Void was more of a narrow valley. The group was following a string of down, inactive power lines, tethered by crooked poles and towers. A pathetic excuse of a white picket fence stretched as far as the eye could see. A thin layer of fog coated various junk that lined the footpath. As they ascended up a small hill, the grass became more matted and lifeless. It wasn’t a path walked too many times for the seasoned Lokis, but this was no ordinary forage.
Every electric crackle signalled that the group was walking closer to where Alioth might appear.
The tracker of Kid Loki’s design was crafted to ensure they could avoid Alioth; not cross paths with him. If they were close enough, the tracker could even predict a surge or pruned energy before he tears a hole in the Void’s endless skies. This would normally allow the advantage of turning around or hiding until the storm passes.
But no, this time, the energy was a guide. The brazen Loki’s plan was to kill Alioth, and the Kaia-Loki was just as reluctant to agree as the other Lokis. So long as they were the only two foolish enough to face Alioth head-on, the others didn’t mind helping their quest.
Loki and his elder Variant walked on either end of the group, with the child and the magicless Variant sandwiched in between. The Loki with the shortest legs gingerly trotted ahead of all of them, swimming through the blades of wilted grass like the ferocious beast he was.
Classic Loki turned to Loki. “Do you have a plan of action?”
Now that Loki had time to mull it, that plan became more clear in his mind.
“Get inside, find its heart, or brain, or whatever…” Loki said eloquently, “And then, you know… do it in.”
The shorter Lokis shared looks at one another. Although the look was slanted in Kid Loki’s favour, the sentiment of the stares was mutual. That was it?
“You’ve known him longer, Kaia,” Kid Loki stated, “Tell me, are his plans truly this… plain?”
Kaia thought back on the plans Loki had. Going to Pompeii, visiting the Time-Keepers during the bombing, et cetera. Though, the ‘sneaking onto the Lamentis train’ plan stuck out like a sore thumb.
Kaia admitted, “I’d be lying if I said this was the first one-step plan he’s had…”
“Hey!” Loki snipped, “Just because it’s not complicated doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
“It also doesn’t mean it’s good.” Kid Loki eyed his older Variant with the despondent look that only adolescent faces could truly pull off.
The group settled on the top of the small hill, which happened to be the end of the power line’s trail. The repeated crackling of Kid Loki’s tracker signalled that a drop was all but imminent. The human-shape Lokis all stopped to the left of Crocodile Loki, who looked on at the darkening skies. A single, loud roar overlapped the tiny sparking sounds of the handheld device.
“See? He’s on board!” Loki still wasn’t in tune with animalistic Allspeak, but he understood the tone.
Or so he thought.
“Actually, he’s praying,” Classic Loki corrected, “He thinks we’re going to die.”
Kaia shouldn’t have laughed at the thought of impending death, nor at the correction made at Loki’s expense. She knew this. That’s why she forced herself to cough in order to drown out the giggles that wanted to escape. A light push on her bicep from Loki indicated that she didn’t quite succeed.
Whee-wrrr-wahh…
The tracker winded up and wound down as a circle burst out from the centre of the display. It wouldn’t be long before Alioth’s food would land on the grassy plate, located at the empty field at the bottom of the hill.
Zzzzzzrt!
Sure enough, a pocket of orange energy opened in mid-air. Threads of energy spiralled out from the core-like fractured glass. The orange shifted through all colours of the rainbow before fizzling out entirely. The orange energy core shifted shape from a bulbous orb of nothing to a massive gunmetal grey warship. It was impossible to miss, even from a fair distance. ‘USS Eldridge’ was painted on its side. Anchors slammed onto the walls of the ship. On its deck, tiny specks of sailors ran between bow, port, and starboard to assess their new landlocked view. The barrels of cannons and turrets were adorned on all levels of the warship, certainly not to be outdone by the antennas and satellites on its crown.
The rattling and prattling of the sailors caused the darkened sky to fall. Plumes of Alioth started to manifest port side. The smoke tumbled down the hill with the rumbling force of a drumroll. Occasionally, flashes of purple lightning could be seen stirring within its body. This was to be expected of Alioth. It may be a fearsome beast, but it was also a creature of habit.
“A large vessel, brimming with loud sailors…” Classic Loki commented, “Alioth’s favourite meal is noise…”
Primitive. Premeditated. Predictable. Loki was taken back to the days when Odin showed him and Thor how to hunt.
“Alioth is like any animal…” Loki’s narration could fit well overtop a documentary on gaseous predators. “He’ll go after the big meal first. While he’s busy with that, we can sneak around the back and—”
VA-VA-VOOM!!
Alioth interrupted Loki with a mighty snap. The waves of his fog were mere moments from striking the ship. The Lokis could only hear disjointed shouting from the ship and not any particular words. All the weapons that the Eldridge could offer were aimed at the mysterious miasma, but they truly had no clue what they were up against.
Alioth struck first, sending a piece of itself down onto the ship like a meteor. It hit a sailor dead-on in the face, knocking him out of sight to his comrades. Comrades that foolishly continued to call for fire. Reddish-orange blow bloomed from various spouts, landing on their large target perfectly. The strikes of man-made bombs and missiles did what one would expect to a cloud: absolutely nothing. There was nothing they could do to stop Alioth from washing onto the warship.
Each Loki’s eyes widened as they witnessed Alioth’s feast. They couldn’t see the clothes of the souls that had lost their bodies to the beast. They couldn’t see just how many lives were lost. But they saw just how quickly Alioth reduced the massive warship into a rusted, ruined hull. The bronzed ship now looked right at home at the grassy crater, especially since Alioth darkened the fields it floated over as he retreated.
Fortunately for the group of Lokis, the beast’s next meal was elsewhere in the Void. Even if they were on the menu, the dead silence that radiated around each Loki was the perfect cover. Kid Loki stood as still as a statue. The all-knowing Classic Loki could only shake his head. Kaia’s mouth hung slightly ajar, bewildered by just how quickly that all transpired, and what was left behind. Did Alioth feed by aging its prey out of existence? She didn’t want to test that theory.
The cogs in Loki’s mind churned as he hunched his arms up. Information on the enemy’s power is power in its own right.
“Okay. Maybe… we, uh… think more about this, huh?” Admittedly, the emissions of Loki’s mind only shot out blanks.
If looks could kill, Classic Loki would have one last murder under his massive yellow belt.
BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEEEEEP!
The pestering noise was faint, but Kid Loki picked up on it. He whipped around to look over his shoulder. A pair of headlights cut through the fog, swerving to avoid the debris that littered the other side of the fence.
Perhaps Kid Loki should’ve sounded worried, but his announcement was actually monotonous. “Car.”
“Car?” Kaia repeated as every other Loki followed the Kid’s lead.
“Along the horizon…” Classic Loki pointed ahead, flexing his cape as if it were his wingspan in the process.
Sure enough, a speck of blue metal was being driven erratically in their general direction. Whoever was driving it seemed to hone in on the lone gap of the white picket fence. It lacked any sort of gate to stop the car, though if it were as sturdy as the rest of the wood, its existence wouldn’t matter.
“What?” Loki seemed baffled by the mere existence of a working engine. “Is that bad?”
Kid Loki shrugged. “Well, it usually means cannibalistic marauders or cannibalistic pirates.”
“Delightful!” Loki almost wanted to return to the malice at the Loki palace.
Kaia squinted. As the car found the dirt path that flattened the terrain, she picked up on a detail that no one else commented on.
“Wait, if they’re cannibalistic, why are they driving a pizza delivery car?” Even Kaia knew that cannibalism only counted if you ate the meat of your own species.
Loki’s expression matched Kaia’s. He too noticed a peculiar change in this car’s methods, one that certainly didn’t read as aggressive. “Why’re they slowing down?”
It didn’t just slow down. The car parked, though it stopped short of clearing the gap between the fence posts.
“Just stay on guard…” Kid Loki cautioned. He inched forward. He was ready to protect his crew, be it from Alioth, other Lokis, or pirates.
The tuft of blonde hair that emerged from the car proved to Loki that she was none of those things.
“Sylvie!!” Loki bolted down the hill without a shred of hesitance. He led his strides with his heart, not with his head, which didn’t have time to ponder the implications of her appearance.
Admittedly, confusion clouded Classic Loki’s mind. He only remembered the name ‘Sylvie’ vaguely. “I don’t understand; is he a coward or is he being brave?”
“A bit of both,” Kaia replied flatly. The puzzle pieces connected for her straight away. If she’s here in this pruned purgatory, then she’s not at the TVA.
“Is that the blonde Variant?”
Kid Loki’s question echoed in Kaia’s mind for just a moment. Her mouth dried up when she saw the second figure climb out of the driver’s seat. It was a tall man with silver hair and decked in TVA browns. There was no sign of red among the sea of other colours.
“It is…” Kaia finally acknowledged the question. “Come on!!”
Kaia hurried after Loki, who had quite the head-start on them. Classic Loki cast a protective arm over Kid Loki as they approached the scene with hesitance.
Sylvie stood bewildered as she watched Loki charge at her, crossing the boundary of the raggedy white picket fence to meet her. When she saw the off-white speck at the top of a hill, she blurted out the suggestion of it being Loki. Of course, Mobius took her seriously and drove towards him instead of Alioth.
She was glad that he did.
“You’re alive!”
“What happened‽” Loki’s brain finally caught up with the fact that Sylvie wasn’t at the TVA. “Are you okay?”
Aw, he was worried? Cute.
Hearty chuckles answered the question on Sylvie’s behalf. She glanced over herself to smirk at Mobius, who had the biggest grin plastered on his face as he settled down beside her. He knew he was onto something during their last interrogation.
If you had told the Loki that started this TVA journey that he would be happy to see the Detective that detained him alive and well, he would’ve stabbed you.
“Mobius!!” But no, Loki was elated to see a non-Loki survive such a horrid, lifeless land. “Wait, how did you—”
“We thought you could do with some backup.” Sylvie looked at Loki with that know-it-all composure. A light-hearted jab that Loki somehow managed to take in jest. She watched as Loki’s mouth flattened like a plank. The judgemental sideways head tilt and hand placement on his hips might as well be trademarked at this point.
The readjustment did Sylvie one favour, though. She noticed a few figures approach from over his shoulder. She recognized one of them as Kaia1, but the other figures that approached were strangers. They were foreign. They were suspicious.
Instinct took over. Sylvie pivoted on her boot to face the new group. Her arms were pumped and she was ready to go, but Loki’s cry was enough to stop Sylvie from outright reaching for her sword.
“Sylvie, no. These other Lokis are friends!” Loki gestured to mould the two groups together. “Other Variants that pruned at other stages in their lives. And yes, one of them is a crocodile.”
Crocodile?
Both Sylvie and Mobius glanced down. Between the boots of the past Loki and the future Loki sat a crocodile. His golden eyes matched his tiny horned helmet. His growls sounded more cautious than predacious.
As soon as she registered that, in fact, she was staring at a crocodile version of her former self, she glanced at Loki with her chin low and her eyebrows high. Her eyes begged for a rational explanation. A Nexus Event. A spell that had gone wrong. Anything!
Instead, Loki chuckled nervously, “It’s… best not to question it.”
As Sylvie sighed, Mobius gingerly threw his hands up in the air. Granted, they didn’t go above his hips, but his jovial spirit was still intact. “Man, you throw a rock out here, you hit a Loki…”
“Speaking of which, look!” With that reminder, Loki took Kaia by the hand and pulled her closer to himself. He stood her in front of him, presenting her like a prized weapon. “I’ve even found Kaia!”
Oh, she was here? Mobius nearly missed her. She hadn’t said a peep throughout this entire conversation; not so much as a squeak. No grand gesture, no hyper energy to her. Normally, she’d have to be confined to a collar and theatre to be left in such a miserable state. It worried Mobius.
“What’s the matter, Kaia?” Mobius asked.
Kaia shook her head. Mobius couldn’t answer her question. She glanced at the car one last time before addressing an inquiry to Sylvie. “Verity isn’t with you?”
Sylvie shook her head. “No, she was too close to Renslayer’s grasp. I had to fend for myself.”
“So she’s trapped there? She could still be in danger?”
“Most likely.”
“And there’s really no way out of here?” Kaia looked back to the eldest and youngest Loki for any sign of hope. Two shaken heads offered no solace.
“I’m afraid that, without a TemPad, there’s no true path out of the Void,” Classic Loki reaffirmed. He looked sternly at Loki. “Even your plan to kill Alioth doesn’t guarantee an exit, Loki.”
“Alioth?” Mobius locked in on the unfamiliar word. “Is that the storm monster we’re all heading toward?”
Loki nodded twice, first to Classic Loki, then to Mobius. But before he could talk about his amazing plan…
“I’m sorry,” Sylvie quickly cut in. She locked in on a different word. “Come again, kill it?”
“Yes, kill Alioth, get ba—”
“Oh my God, that’s your plan! Paper cutting a giant cloud to death‽”
“Well, we haven’t decided how—”
“And you all went along with it?” Knowing how susceptible Kaia was to stupid plans, Sylvie turned her disappointment to the band of unfamiliar gods behind her and Loki instead. Each of them retreated into themselves slightly, quick to wain to the blonde one’s intimidating scowl.
“I-I had my doubts…” the younger self stammered.
“Probably unsafe…” the elder self added.
The crocodilian self was quick to waggle his snout from side to side.
Loki huffed to himself. He kept his thoughts inward, for they were not so savoury for his newfound allies. Instead, he decided to protest more vocally at Sylvie. “What’s your plan, then?”
“Well, it was to harness the cloud’s power for myself, buuut…” Sylvie fished into her pocket. She had actually locked onto two words earlier, but she only had urgent questioning for one of them. The other one leant itself for a dramatic reveal.
She slowly revealed a rectangular device from her pocket. She didn’t bother opening it up, but it was familiar to all as a standard-issue TemPad. Sylvie smirked as she said, “I got a little parting gift from Renslayer before I came here.”
Mobius recognized the scratches and scuffs instantly. He exclaimed, “My TemPad!”
“Ah, really? Shit, I thought it was hers.”
“Why didn’t you mention that in the car??”
“Pardon me, but when I was running for my life from the smoke monster, checking my pockets fell off of my list of priorities.”
“Sylvie, you’re brilliant!” Loki chimed in. After the show that Alioth had put on before, the easy way out of the Void looked much more appealing. “We can go anywhere, anytime! We could find where the real Time-Keepers are!”
“Not without Verity!” Kaia squeaked. She inched closer to Sylvie, in hopes that she could delay her mission for just a moment. “We have to see if Verity’s okay.”
“We will.”
Kaia blinked. She didn’t anticipate Sylvie suddenly becoming so agreeable.
“But we have to come up with a plan first,” Sylvie cautioned, “Something the seven of us can manage—”
“The four of you can manage…” Classic Loki corrected.
Mobius raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had only been here for a little while, and he was already sick of the Void. He would’ve thought that those among them who had been here the longest would’ve jumped at the chance to escape.
“You boys don’t wanna ticket outta here?” Mobius asked.
“No,” Kid Loki confirmed, “We’re staying here.”
“What about Alioth?” Loki was equally baffled by the call.
“This is our home, quirks and all,” Classic Loki reaffirmed his stance on the matter, “If anyone else were to fall prey to the Void, we ought to be here to lend a helping hand.”
Crocodile Loki growled in agreement. Loki and Kaia could only hope that he concurred with the sentiment figuratively and not literally.
“So be it, then,” Sylvie wasn’t a salesperson. It was a big ask, to ask anyone to risk their lives, especially on such little information. She fully respected their decision to bow out.
Sylvie turned to face Loki, Mobius, and Kaia. She ran a quick synopsis of what had happened after Loki’s pruning. The hostage situation, the false spacecraft, and the ambush that forced Sylvie to escape the TVA on fire.
Loki in particular was humbled to hear that she pruned herself to find him. He kept his gratitude to himself, for he knew better than to interrupt the plan that she wanted to tell. He had enough respect for her to at least do that.
“We can‘t just bust into the TVA blindly,” Sylvie concluded, “I can guarantee that Renslayer has the whole place locked down.”
Loki nodded in agreement. “Truthfully, we’ve no clue where Verity could be hidden away, or how many Minutemen stand between us and her. We have to be prepared for a fight.”
A fight? Kaia was worried that it would come down to that. She wrung her hands nervously, worried about the battles to come. The battle for Verity. The battle that she’d be an anchor for, once again. She was so absorbed in her own pity party that she didn’t notice her audience.
“You say that you’re a Loki, Kaia?” Kid Loki’s question caught Kaia off guard. He watched as her shoulders jumped ahead of the rest of her.
Kaia’s head was the last to turn and face Kid Loki. “Yeah, but I’m not much of one. Even with Loki’s assurance, I haven’t recovered my powers from being displaced…”
Her tone grew more despondent as she rehashed her tragedy. Everyone knew her story by now, what purpose did it serve to repeat it?
“Perhaps this will turn the tides of your misfortune, then.”
From his magical pocket, Kid Loki brandished his sword. It was short by a sword’s standards, perhaps half the size of Sylvie’s blade. But the blade and hilt blended with a flawless gold sheen, while the black leather binding that held the handle together was blemished with a repeated strong grip. Kaia could only see the wear and tear etched into the handle because Kid Loki offered it to her with his open palm.
Kaia could feel the tears encroach on her eyes with each blink. She was actually being offered a weapon! Yet, it felt so… wrong.
“N-No…” Kaia’s voice trembled, “I can’t accept this. Don’t you need it here?”
“We’ve survived here this long. We know what we’re doing,” Kid Loki said reassuringly, “You need this sword much more than I do.”
Classic Loki was quick to add, “Nothing is stronger than a Loki‘s sorcery. But a worthy blade is a good start.”
Slowly but graciously, Kaia accepted the sword. It was lighter than she thought it would be. Between the hilt and the handle, Kaia noticed a thin golden band that had Asgardian runes etched into it with laser-like precision. She could read the runes as ‘Lævateinn,’ with sole thanks to her Allspeak ability. The gratitude tore through Kaia’s face like a fault line. A jagged smile crossed paths with falling droplets from above.
Behind her, the audience took in the quiet moment. Crocodile Loki hummed an upturning rumble. The noise could only be interpreted as approval, even to those who weren’t freshened up with their reptilian translation skills. Loki smiled in earnest at his friend’s genuine happiness. Mobius matched Loki’s excitement with equal vigour. He knew that, deep down, not all Loki Variants were truly rooted in evil. Mischief? Of course. But outright villainy? He didn’t see it that way. Especially not when Lokis are capable of gestures as grand as this.
“Can we continue with the plan?” As wholesome as the moment was, Sylvie’s patience started to wane in the absence of action.
Loki nodded in agreement. “Yes, so we’ll—”
“Thank you, Loki!!”
“Oof!”
It happened so quickly that both Loki and Sylvie missed it as they conversed. Kaia carefully held her new weapon away from Kid Loki as she consumed him in a deep hug. Kid Loki, for his part, had his hands raised as if he were being detained. He hadn’t been held like this in a long, long time. And certainly not this forcefully before.
“What… are you doing?” Kid Loki croaked.
“Giving you a hug?” Kaia felt a sense of déjà vu seep deep from within. She opted to avoid the follow-up question that she had asked before this time.
The answer didn’t aid Kid Loki. He looked to the gallery over Kaia’s shoulder for help. An unimpressed pout from the Sylvie-Loki and a nervous shrug from Mobius did him no favours.
Loki raised a hand in a semi-shy wave to catch the Kid’s attention. He knew the feeling he had all too well. “It’s best not to question it.”
What else could Kid Loki do but take the advice to heart? A small pat on Kaia’s shoulder was enough of a reciprocation to appease her.
“So! The plan!” Sylvie raised her voice abruptly in order to take charge. “We’ll enter the TVA and divvy up into pairs.”
Kaia peeled herself off of Kid Loki. That plan betrayed every lesson she had learned from various horror movies she had watched in her New York life. “Are we sure that splitting up is a good idea?”
“We’ll cover more ground this way…” Mobius agreed with Sylvie, “There’s a lot of nooks and crannies to the TVA. I can’t be the solo tour guide, or else we’ll be found first.”
“I’ll be a guide!” Loki volunteered.
“Right…” Sylvie glanced at Mobius instead, “I’ll team up with Kaia. Mobius, you can keep an eye on Loki?”
Mobius winked back at Sylvie. “That’s my job, isn’t it?”
“Hey!” Loki protested. It’s not that he didn’t mind being paired up with Mobius, it was more so the principle of not being allowed to lead.
Kaia, for her part, eyed Sylvie curiously. “You wanna team up with me?”
“Someone’s got to teach you how to use that blade,” Sylvie pointed to the hilt of her own sword, then to her chest with her thumb. “Might as well be the superior one.”
Loki’s jaw nearly dislodged with the force of audacity. “I beg your pardon‽”
“Loki, focus…” Mobius patted Loki’s shoulder. “We’ve got a common goal here.”
“You can’t seriously let her imply that she’s superior‽”
“I’m superior with a sword, which is the weapon she has, dagger boy.”
Once again, Loki’s face felt steamrolled by Sylvie’s verbal jabs. Was he to be more offended by the lack of sword proficiency allegation or the impromptu nickname? In his current state, he’d sooner be a god of daggers, thank you very much.
“I like her confidence…” Mobius’ blue eyes still found a way to glimmer against the overcast Void skies. He was glad to learn that her determination was not to be underestimated. If change really were to come to the TVA, she’d be a key ally for that.
The only one yet to smile so far was Kaia. Her thoughts were too heavy in other places. “Wh… what if Verity’s been pruned? What if she’s here?”
Sylvie bit her lip a bit. She wasn’t one to shy away from reality. “Then she‘s most likely already been devoured by—”
“She‘s fine, Kaia,” Mobius cut in, “I‘m sure she‘s at the TVA, hiding in a safe place.”
Loki’s mind couldn’t help but wander into the land of worst-case scenarios. “Or she’s being held captive as collateral for—”
“Geez, Loki!” Mobius shook his head. “Gotta work a little harder on the sympathy department here, you guys.”
Kaia whimpered a bit. She really wanted to just go.
“You said your friend was resourceful at the TVA, didn’t you?” Kid Loki remembered how highly Kaia spoke of Verity. “Perhaps Lokis aren’t the only Variants capable of surviving.”
Classic Loki nodded in agreement, “Verity seems to know of the Void as well, thanks to Sylvie. With that reassurance, she’ll persevere in hopes of your return.”
A tiny squeak of relief slipped past Kaia’s lips. Leave it to the Lokis that lived in misery the longest to lend empathetic words. “Thank you…”
“We should still be prepared for anything, be it better or worse.” Sylvie’s lived through a lifetime of the worst. Could you really blame her for being grounded?
“Then gimme that TemPad, Sylvie.” Mobius held his hand out. “Maybe there’s new data.”
As Sylvie complied with Mobius’ demand, Loki inched closer to Mobius. He was curious about this ‘new’ data, and to whom it pertained.
“If they apprehended Verity, then there’s definitely a record of it…” Mobius explained as he keyed in several sequences. He felt the heat of every Lokis’ eyes on him, including the scaly one, who once again found a height boost by Kid Loki’s gentle arms.
“The TemPad can update here?” Sylvie had her doubts. If Verity were detained, it would’ve had to have happened after her self-pruning.
“Data’s stored and updated on one big beyond-universal cloud storage system…” Mobius could only hope that the Void’s time flow was similar to the TVA’s time flow so the cloud could sync accordingly. “Besides, you’re not the only one that knows their way around a TemPad…”
Mobius projected the display so all could see Verity’s status screen on a vertical projection.
The way the word ‘DETAINED’ flashed rang Kaia’s alarm bells. Her rattled voice barely composed her fraught aloud. “Vee…”
“Hey, hey, this is good news…” Loki gently gripped Kaia’s shoulder. “This means that she’s alive.”
Yes, she’s alive. But Renslayer doesn’t leave ends loose. Everyone knew this, even the Lokis that hadn’t seen the likes of any judge in eons.
“Judge Renslayer must have a reason to keep the young lady alive, then,” Classic Loki speculated, “Question is: why?”
“It’s probably related to her gift… to make sure no one lies to Renslayer.” Kaia’s voice seemed to settle down with Loki’s comfort. Though, the thought of Verity being exploited by Renslayer brought no comfort to her.
Sylvie’s face scrunched. She thought back to the courtroom. How Renslayer claimed that she brought her to the ‘wrong room’ for Verity. It contradicted what Kaia just said. “She can always perceive the truth, right?”
“Her power is suppressed at the TVA except for when she’s within the confines of a Time Theatre,” Loki explained, “But she’s had a lifetime of practice. There are times when she doesn’t even need her powers to know that someone’s lying.”
… Oh.
“Then this might be a prisoner situation after all…” Sylvie mumbled.
Perhaps Renslayer wasn’t planning on using Verity, but instead making sure no one uses Verity on her.
…
Blip!
Amidst the inter-Loki conversation, Mobius had pressed the mission button pertaining to Verity’s arrest.
Despite the profile picture depicting Verity’s visage, the actual debrief didn’t feature her. Instead, Ravonna narrated with her office serving as a backdrop.
“Variant VAW1 — Verity Alexandria Willis — has been arrested for conspiring against the TVA,” Ravonna reported, “with the assistance of the Variants L5242, L1130, L1190, as well as former TVA Detective Mobius Mobius Mobius.”
Ouch, thought the former Detective.
“All traitors have been pruned except for Variant VAW1. She is to be kept under my personal custody until further notice.”
The debrief ended abruptly, catching everyone off guard. Mobius expected additional information to be stored in the debrief. Theatre number, cell coordinates… anything to hint at where Verity could be in the TVA. But without that, they truly have no map.
“Under her ‘personal custody’ honestly means that she could be anywhere,” Mobius sighed.
“Then we’ll just have to look the old-fashioned way…” said Sylvie.
Kaia wasn’t sure if Sylvie meant just searching on foot or brutally maiming everyone that stood between them and Verity. The latter probably counted; most, if not all, of Sylvie’s plans involve fighting. But for Verity, Kaia wouldn’t mind going scorched earth on the TVA, especially now that she wasn’t going in unarmed.
With the light show over, every Loki took a step away from Mobius. Kaia looked at Classic, Kid, and Crocodile Loki with a gracious smile. “Thank you all for your help…”
“‘Tis our pleasure,” Classic Loki nodded back. “All that better now that you’ve avoided the need to provoke Alioth.”
“Her plan to return to the TVA was better, anyway.” Kid Loki pointed at Sylvie as he said this. She was the one to bring a TemPad with her, after all.
Sylvie looked straight at Loki. Loki looked straight at Sylvie. She winked with the ferocity of a know-it-all. Her wink was strong enough to flatten Loki’s lips once again.
“You sure you guys don’t wanna tag along?” Mobius offered, “I bet Verity would love to meet you!”
Crocodile Loki growled. It wasn’t a threatening growl, but it also wasn’t a growl that one should argue against.
“We will stay,” Classic Loki translated, “Best of luck with your glorious purpose.”
Kid Loki winked at Kaia. “Don’t die!”
“I’ve been told that Lokis survive, so we’ll be fine!” Kaia winked back, wagging her new sword against the open air for emphasis.
The first rule of being a weapons user is knowing how to store it properly. This was a lesson that Loki could teach.
“Ah, Kaia, here…” Loki flexed his fingertips towards Kaia’s shoulders. It was much too soon to teach her how to access her dimensional pocket, so instead, he conjured a sheath onto Kaia. Two leather straps wrapped around Kaia’s shoulders like a hug. She felt a long pouch press diagonally onto her back, with the lower tip dipping onto her left side.
“Wow…” Kaia admired the sheath quietly, though it took her more than one try for the blade to blindly find the opening of the pouch.
“Okay, everyone, keep your ears sharp…”
Mobius readied his TemPad to open a Time Door. The woosh of Loki’s magic calling two daggers to his hands and two sheaths to his hips caught his sharp ears.
“Let’s burn this place to the ground.” Mobius looked at Loki with a smile. “Thanks for the spark.”
A ginger cackle slipped out of Loki. He was the only one who knew of the callback.
When Loki was first held on trial, a man in a brown suit interrupted the procedure. He claimed that he knew what Loki was capable of. That he wasn’t merely someone to be pruned. He intervened, personally escorting Loki to a private room for an interview. Loki was seething the entire way. He distinctly remembered what he had said when they walked across a balcony that let the full majesty of the TVA shine on one side.
“I’m going to burn this place to the ground…”
“I’ll show you where my desk is. You can start there.”
The suit’s reply intrigued Loki. His kind was supposed to be scared of him. Even without magic, a mere mortal should cower in the wake of a god such as himself. Usually, this was a mere sign of ignorance. But no, he was a man fully immersed in the world of the TVA. A world that was full of flying vehicles, departments devoted to nightmares, and paperwork. A man who knew only of his world back then. A man now scarred by the lie that his world had been founded on.
The man later introduced himself in the elevator as Agent Mobius.
Agent Mobius, now armed with knowledge and three Variants, led the charge through the Time Door. The group had plenty of tinder to work with, in order to save Verity and bring an end to the Time Variance Authority.
- Sylvie lost a bet with herself. She surely thought that Kaia would’ve been a goner. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
I guess I'm committing to he/its pronouns on Alioth. 🤷 Genderfluid cloud monster, what about it?
Also, from this point forward, we no longer follow Loki S1 by the rails. There are scenes from the back end of S1E5/all of S1E6 that will be adapted (some more heavily than others) but this is an unofficial turning point in the story. We'll go through and well beyond the source material and into my own world, no more training wheels. I hope you all enjoy it, because I'm honestly a little scared, haha.
Chapter 45: The Unlikely Duo
Summary:
Chapter 45 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Kaia and Sylvie team up to try and find Ravonna and Verity. They decide to scope out the common rooms and Time Theatres in hopes of coming across them in transit.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains mild violence.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As the foursome arrived at the TVA, they reached an agreement. Mobius knew Ravonna best. He and Loki opted to search high-restricted areas, the places where she’d have prime access. Sylvie didn’t know the TVA as well, but as a repeated prisoner, she was somewhat familiar with the holding areas. She and Kaia scoured every common area for soldiers and prisoners, in hopes that Renslayer hid Verity in plain sight.
For the first time since her initial reentry, Sylvie got to admire the consequences of bombing the Sacred Timeline. The lobbies and halls were mostly clear. The two analysts that did see her ran, for they were unarmed and unarmoured. Intelligence is often mistaken for cowardice. She could respect someone that knew better than to challenge her. But even then, Sylvie opted for caution, for the last thing anyone needed was an interruption from an overzealous Minuteman, especially if their pruning or death triggered reinforcements.
Kaia followed Sylvie’s directions willingly, whether it was to run or hide. It was odd. Sylvie was expecting resistance from Loki’s shadow. The compliance, paired with the lack of magic and combat skills, proved to her that Kaia really was a wayward Variant, a Loki that didn’t know what it was like to be a Loki.
Unfortunately, she did inherit a Loki’s incessant need to talk.
“So, what does the superior swordswoman know about handling a sword?” Kaia exaggerated her bravado as she toyed around with her blade. She waved it as if she were expecting the blade to wobble like rubber. Although the weapon wasn’t outright floppy in her hand, it was certainly careless in Sylvie’s eyes.
KLING!
A thick blade halted Kaia’s sword mid-swing. Kaia froze as well, for Sylvie’s much-larger weapon hovered only a few inches above her hand. She looked over to see Sylvie glaring with the full force of a disapproving teacher.
“She knows better than to be reckless,” Sylvie scowled, “Don’t dick around with your weapon.”
“Fine, fine…” Kaia retracted her weapon but stopped short of putting it back into its holster.
Despite this, Sylvie continued to utter caution. “Your twig of a sword still has some might to it.”
“Twig?” Kaia didn’t get it.
“Lævateinn. That was my first sword, too.”
Ah. Kaia glanced down at the engraving that was on her blade. It still read as ‘Lævateinn’ to her, not as ‘twig’, so perhaps Allspeak counted as magic to suppress.
Sylvie huffed as she pulled her arm back. “I thought I was clever. It was as big as a large twig and it dealt damage. I guess it’s not so clever if every other Variant had the same thought process.”
Sylvie’s life on Asgard was brief. Her life under her former name didn’t hold very well in her mind, not after all the horrors she had seen in apocalypses. One of the few highlights was her sword, gifted to her by her adoptive parents. It was a show that they respected the training she had and the training she wanted to do, even at the tender age of ten. She nearly had it for three years before her life was disrupted by nauseating shades of orange and black.
Her Lævateinn was her last worldly possession that the TVA took from her. Her adoptive father had her hide her blade in her cape for scenarios just like that arrest. And yet… she clammed up. She let them take her. She let that strange elevator confiscate her armour and her weapon.
She let that moment serve as her inspiration to find and master bigger and better blades.
“Your sword is an extension of yourself,” Sylvie explained, “With a hilt that size, you may feel more comfortable only using one hand. So, make sure your free hand is used wisely, whether it’s supporting your blade or steadying your foe.”
Kaia nodded. The leather did fit nicely into her right hand.
“It takes a lot of brute strength to stab straight through with the tip, so you may be best off slashing with the edges. It can be a kill spot if you hit thin skin pockets, like wrists or necks.”
Kaia nodded again. She hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, but she had no excuse to cower behind anyone now.
“And if all else fails, just follow your gut.” Sylvie shrugged. “If your memories are buried behind a wall, so are whatever fighting skills you may have.”
Kaia nodded one last time. She had already accepted her status as an outlier Loki. Perhaps this was the opportunity she needed to fit in with the Lokis (and in turn, Sylvies) of her aura.
Sylvie and Kaia reached Time Theatre 35. It was the first theatre they had come across along their journey. Neither of them had the energy to invest thought into how they skipped the previous theatres. There we no guards tending to the doors, so the interrogation room was safe to inspect for Verity. Sylvie ushered Kaia to open the door so she could lead with her sword. The door served as Kaia’s shield as she pulled it towards herself.
The room was cold and empty. Not a soul in sight. Yet, Sylvie marched inward, walking towards the jagged wall on her right-hand side.
“What’re you doing?” Kaia followed Sylvie in. “It’s clear?”
“We haven’t checked the room yet.”
Before Kaia could ask for an elaboration, Sylvie grunted. She threw her right leg up, kicking the orange wall with a roundhouse kick. Two panels rattled, separated by a predetermined crease right down the middle. Sylvie kicked again, her foot landing slightly higher than before.
Vrrr…
Finally, she hit the right sensor. The orange doors parted ways to reveal a very tiny room. The room was circular and had a basket-weave pattern lining the walls. At the very front, orange lights cascaded to make a transparent, impenetrable curtain. Little digital lines draped and pulsated, with some sections shining brighter than others.
Kaia squinted. The shape was abstract, but she slowly managed to put the figure in place. “Is that a cell?”
“When I was arrested as a child, I went through the same strip search, but I was briefly placed in a cell like this before my trial.” Sylvie put her semi-gloved hand against the barrier. “A small cell using technology to build an impenetrable forcefield. Only air can pass through it. It can only be disabled from the outside.”
“Verity could be hiding in a cell…” Kaia shuddered.
“If she is, I’ll give it a few kicks before we hunt someone down for their TemPad.”
The unlikely duo worked surprisingly well in tandem. They both knew to keep quiet as they shifted from theatre to theatre, so as to not draw attention to themselves. They knew to only hold conversations while investigating for any hidden signs of anyone. And most of all, they carried the same conversation without so much as skipping a beat.
“Was Verity okay when you last saw her?” Kaia asked as Sylvie unlocked the hidden door for Time Theatre 36 in one kick.
“She was scared,” Sylvie admitted, “A familiar kind of scared.”
Kaia could only sigh. What would words do her now? Her best friend was a little red pin in a bright orange haystack. They don’t even have a smoke trail guiding them toward her or the flint known as Ravonna Renslayer.
Sylvie bit her lip as the pair transferred themselves into Time Theatre 37. Kaia would be no good if she were overly emotional about her friend. Emotions clouded everything; Sylvie would know best. She knew she had to say something to Kaia if only to keep her head on straight.
What’s the word she was looking for… Reassurance? Ugh, yeah, that was the word. She’d have to reassure someone with words. Well, there’s a first time for everything.
“I think she’ll be okay…” Sylvie’s soft tone contradicted the force she exerted to break the door. “When you’re scared like that, you do what you need to do in order to survive… She’ll hold on until we find her.”
“Thank you, Sylvie…” Kaia smiled, “And after all this time, I was starting to think you didn’t like us.”
Truth is, Sylvie still had her reservations. She had reservations about nearly everyone she met. When trust is broken at such a young age, it’s very hard to put it back together. Only one person has come close to mending it, and it certainly wasn’t Kaia.
“At the end of the day, you’re helping me complete my mission…” Sylvie said nonchalantly as she started walking back towards the exit.
“Am I, though? Or would you rather have gone with Loki?”
Sylvie stopped walking. She watched as Kaia’s little legs took her to stand right beside her at the door. They both knew that they needed to finish this conversation before they proceeded into the quiet zone.
“If we had done that split, you and Mobius probably wouldn’t have survived.”
“Rude…”
“Not as rude as insinuating I’d pair off with Loki…” Sylvie crossed her arms over her chest. “I still haven’t forgiven him for that stunt on Lamentis.”
“Even after that look you gave him at the lake?”
Sylvie didn’t take the bait. She didn’t even flinch. Her eyelids did form curtain-tight slits as her gaze glared at Kaia, though. She stopped short of saying it, but every inch of her body language told Kaia to drop her train of thought.
However, Kaia didn’t take the hint. “Do you like him?”
She didn’t clarify, but Sylvie knew exactly what Kaia meant. She didn’t mean it in a friendly or ambiguous way. She didn’t even mean to accuse her that she ‘liked’ him. She just didn’t have the gall to say what she meant.
‘Love.’ The ultimate four-letter word.
Sylvie didn’t remember what it was like to feel ‘love.’ It had been far too long. She couldn’t even take the word seriously in her mind anymore.
And now, she had to confront the accusation head-on.
Did she ‘love’ Loki? It was hard to say. A few good moments couldn’t offset everything. He was bumbling, annoying, and a bit of a simpleton when it came to plans… Yet, he was capable of things that she couldn’t do. She couldn’t teleport or perform non-enchantment magic as he could. She couldn’t keep optimism, not when he found hope in the form of a stupid plan. She couldn’t show empathy, certainly not in the way he had kindly shown to her.
A long, long time ago, her adoptive mother told her that opposites attract. It was what united her with the warrior she would grow to love. Was this the same case?
Did her life’s mission inadvertently lead her to… love?
…
Sylvie truly didn’t know.
Regardless of whether she knew or not, Kaia wasn’t going to get a clear answer. Sylvie decided it so.
“I told you, I’m tolerating all of you for the sake of my mission,” Sylvie clarified, “If I have to say it again, I’ll leave you behind.”
Kaia took that hint. But could you blame her for prodding? The mentorship moments? The reassurance about Verity? Kaia could see that Sylvie’s rough edges were starting to dull. It was a breakthrough that had to be acknowledged! But alas, even dull blades can still leave a mark.
Sylvie and Kaia moved on to Time Theatre 38, just as they did with all previous theatres. Unlike the other doors, however, when Kaia pulled the brown door towards herself, the pair heard a conversation from within.
“And how the mighty fall!”
“Oh, fuck off.”
The latter voice was familiar to both of them, but it wasn’t Verity.
Sylvie snuck in first. A man with a terrible haircut had his back to her. He was talking to Hunter B-15, trapped behind the shimmering wall of a not-so-hidden cell.
“No more accolades, no more glory. Was it worth it, B-15?”
“You don’t get it—”
“Backstabbing the TVA like some degenerate Loki?”
Creeeak…
The door cut in, prompting Hunter D-90 to look over his shoulder. The Ripple Variant was at the door, easing it shut. The blonde killer Variant was running toward him… but didn’t she prune herself in front of him? How is she alive?
“Actually, my name is Sylvie!” she shouted as she brandished her sword.
D-90 barely got his Time Stick in the way of Sylvie’s blow. He didn’t even have enough time to activate it. She swung at him at breakneck speed, giving him no chance to gain the upper hand. They sparred without sparing a pause, with Sylvie steering D-90 around the edges that bordered the lower bowl of the Time Theatre.
As they fought, Kaia ran around the perimeter to meet Hunter B-15. No, she wasn’t Verity, but her show in the chamber proved that she had a change of heart from most of the TVA’s finest.
“Kaia?” For her part, Hunter B-15 was dumbfounded as she watched the little Loki scour the cell’s outer perimeter.
Kaia only had time to nod. She had no soft spot to kick, nor the firepower on her person to actually kick the digital wall down. There had to be a way to break the barrier quickly.
“Hah!” Kaia swung her sword down at the crease that connected the digital wall to the real one. She dug the tip in, hoping to hit a wire, a fuse… anything to knock out power to free the Hunter.
But nothing happened.
Dissatisfied, Kaia jabbed the same spot. Not so much as a millimetre of progress was made. Dragging the blade up and down along the ridge did no better.
“It’s no use, this wall is impenetrable…” said Hunter B-15, “You have to get D-90’s TemPad to unlock this cell.”
Kaia was afraid of that.
She looked over her shoulder. She could see the shiny TemPad latched into Hunter D-90’s arm guard. It was well-protected as he squared toe-to-toe with Sylvie. It glinted as he managed to bat the sword down and out of Sylvie’s hand. Sylvie threw a right hook instead of hesitating, distracting him long enough to disarm before he could power up his baton.
With weapons out of the way, Sylvie and Hunter D-90 resorted to fisticuffs.
Swish!
A swing and a miss! Sylvie ducked down to avoid D-90’s wailing arm.
Thunk!
D-90 managed to get an arm out in time to block Sylvie’s uppercut.
Wham!
Sylvie tried to punch again, but D-90 was well-prepared with another block. He held Sylvie by the shoulders and swung her around, whipping her in the air and throwing her into the lower pit of the Time Theatre.
CRASH!
Sylvie inadvertently knocked the TVA computer clean off of the unsuspecting table. She hadn’t been thrown like that in a while. If this were a friendly fight, she would’ve let herself be impressed. But she had to bounce back. As Sylvie picked herself up, she saw a little blur finally make her move.
“Hah!” Kaia huffed as she threw herself feet-first at Hunter D-90. She was smart enough to withdraw her sword before diving, so no one could fall on its blade. She slid across the floor, letting herself lay dormant at the aggressor’s moving feet.
Without a moment to brace for it, D-90’s boot snared itself on Kaia’s hip. The well-timed move made his world move more slowly. Although he found himself airborne, his flailing limbs still lumbered helplessly. Eventually, he cleared the hurdle named Kaia, landing awkwardly in the lower bowl of the Time Theatre, near the equally disoriented table.
When he looked up, he was greeted by the two Loki Variants, who now stood over him. The blonde one drove her fist into her opposite palm. The smaller one had a smirk drawn upon her face.
Maybe I shouldn’t have forgotten my helmet. That was Hunter D-90’s poignant last thought.
Hunter B-15 could only watch from her confinement as Sylvie and Kaia pounded the ever-loving shit out of Hunter D-90. If she had some popcorn, she would’ve gladly munched on it. The show was great! The armour only shielded so much, and considering how much backtalk he had for her earlier… D-90 had it coming. Kicks, hits, elbows… nearly every appendage got a turn at the beatdown. Though, Kaia did opt out of using the fancy new sword that she was holding. Perhaps it was because she was the first to notice D-90 bow out of consciousness.
“Whew…” Kaia pilfered through D-90’s armour, undoing the case that kept his TemPad embedded in his armour. The case did its job, for not even a scratch fell upon its screen during the skirmish.
“You should’ve used your sword,” Sylvie gave her critique as she retrieved her own sword.
“Through all that armour?” Kaia protested as she stood up with her prize. It was her first time holding a TemPad. She took a moment to admire it.
“He’s got skin showing above his shoulders.”
Kaia blinked. She looked back down at the knocked-out Hunter. The skin above his shoulders… his head? Did she mean to stab his face? Slit his throat? Kaia shuddered at the thought. Gross!
Sylvie’s word choice was intentional. She needed to throw Kaia off. She snatched the TemPad from Kaia’s hands before she could do any damage. A tiny protest didn’t faze her. Sylvie knew better than to trust a newbie with a TemPad, navigating blindly to see what sticks.
“Main menu, theatre, input ’38,’ cell control, off,” Hunter B-15 recited the commands, not knowing that Sylvie was already typing in the relevant theatre number.
Wrr…
A moment later, all orange faded from the tiny room. B-15 was free.
“Thank you…” B-15 took to her feet, taking each step as a moment to stretch her sleeping legs.
“Eh, it’s karma for you retrieving my sword earlier,” Sylvie grinned. She always preferred being on even terms with others. One down, one to go.
There wasn’t enough time for the trio to catch up with one another. There was a more pressing task at hand: finding Kaia’s best friend.
Kaia turned to Hunter B-15 and asked, “You haven’t seen Verity, have you?”
“She’s with Renslayer. Time Collar and all, so she must be under arrest…” Hunter B-15 sighed, “I can only guess that they’re still together, but they can be anywhere.”
“We’ll have to keep checking theatres then…” Sylvie said, “In case they’re not in whatever spots Mobius and Loki are checking.”
Hunter B-15 raised her eyebrow. Four people searching the TVA on foot was a tall order if you’ve got no clue where to look. “Just you four?”
“Wanna make it five?”
“I can make it better than that. Can I borrow that TemPad?”
Cautiously, Sylvie complied with the request. B-15 had proven herself before, but too much was on the line to blindly trust anyone. Her fingertips inched toward her sword as she watched.
Fortunately, Hunter B-15 only needed a few keystrokes to do what she needed to do. As she gave it back to Sylvie, the Tempad crackled with radio static. The screen was mostly blank, save for a thick orange line that ran across the grid and tiny icons off to one side.
“D-90 is very close to Renslayer. She usually calls on him if she’s in trouble…” B-15 explained, “I’ve defaulted his TemPad to its messenger setting. If you get a page or radio call giving away the location, you can use that to your advantage. Keep searching theatres until then.”
Sylvie nodded, reassured by the modification. One wrong move from Renslayer and she can finally strike. Perhaps the one she needed to slay was Renslayer herself.
“What about you?” Kaia could only guess that her gift meant that the Hunter wasn’t coming with them.
Hunter B-15 shook her head. “I’m sure word of my arrest got out. I need to repair my reputation, starting with my squadron. They should hear me out, and maybe some of them know what happened to Verity. I’ll clue you in if I do.”
“Sounds like a plan…” Kaia grabbed her sword from its holster. Though she’d rather not admit it aloud, Sylvie did have a point. In order to become better with her blade, she’d eventually have to use it.
“Then we should go. We don’t have time to waste!” Sylvie brandished her sword in one hand and held the rigged TemPad with the other.
With the information at hand, Sylvie and Kaia were able to power through more Time Theatres with confidence. Knowing that Renslayer had taken Verity to see a captive Hunter B-15 meant that they could be interrogating another traitor in another theatre. And if that wasn’t the case, they have a wire that could inform them of a better search point.
As they checked Time Theatre 42, their hard work and patience paid off.
… “Hunter D-90, to my office immediately!!” …
Hunter D-90’s unconscious body still lay in Time Theatre 38, completely impervious to his leader’s command.
Kaia gripped her sword. It would only take a moment to summon a Time Door to take them straight to Renslayer and Verity.
Sylvie’s heart skipped a beat. She was ready to dish out Renslayer’s last rites.
Notes:
HI EVERYONE IMPORTANT NOTE: There will NOT be an update next weekend (July 29/30) because I'll be on a little weekend vacation! I don't plan on taking my laptop with me. Apologies for the wait, but I promise the next chapter is going to be juicy. ☺️
Chapter 46: The Answers I Need
Summary:
Chapter 46 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius and Loki team up to try and find Ravonna and Verity. Mobius knows all of Ravonna’s haunts, so he has a map in his mind to follow.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
I'm back! Thanks for waiting for me! I'm slowly trying to get over a writers' block, so bear with me if things are a little slow here. Any consequences of the writer's block won't be seen for a few chapters though.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When it came to looking for Ravonna, Mobius had a checklist in his mind. When he and Loki split off from Sylvie and Kaia, he took off like a heat-seeking missile. First stop? His locker.
Mobius had most likely been marked as dead, if not a traitor. Sylvie and Kaia had swords. Loki had his daggers. If they were going to burn this place down, he needed a light.
At first, Loki was wondering why Ravonna and Verity would linger in a locker room. Seeing Mobius throw an orange-red metal door open snapped Loki into his senses. This was a necessary detour for Mobius to arm himself with a Time Stick.
“You can work one of those?” Loki asked curiously as Mobius shrugged the dust off of his baton.
“Every TVA employee learns how to use one of these. It’s all a part of the orientation,” Mobius explained, “I will admit that it’s been a long time, though…”
Mobius fiddled with the handle to reassure himself that he knew what he was doing. Indigo for time flow, orange to prune.
Would it come down to pruning? Is that what it takes to take down the TVA?
“Mobius?”
“Hmm?” Mobius looked up from his Time Stick, only to see the God of Mischief looking strangely at him.
“What’s wrong? We should really get moving.”
Right. They needed to find Ravonna. Armed with a Time Stick.
“I… hope it doesn’t come down to this…” Mobius admitted, shaking the inactive weapon in his hands, “The Ravonna I knew… this hostility is so out of character for her.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that Renslayer pruned you. She pruned almost all of us!”
“D-90 pruned me.”
“She told him to!”
Loki put a steady hand on Mobius’ shoulder. If they were going to confront Renslayer and help Verity escape her clutches, their minds couldn’t be clouded in any way.
“The right thing to do is rarely easy. I should know, I’ve taken the easy route for a long, long time.” Loki put his other hand to his chest as he said this. “But the right thing includes getting answers. She knew about everyone’s Variant status, including yours. You deserve to know why she kept that secret from you.”
Mobius inhaled and exhaled. He didn’t like it when Loki was right.
“Yeah, yeah…” Mobius wasn’t thrilled, but he could give Loki that. He did deserve answers. After all the trouble he went through in the Void, it was the least he deserved. “It’s just hard to say if Ravonna will spill the beans, especially if she was so willing to get rid of us for it.”
“I promise I won’t stab her until you’re satisfied with what you hear?” A cheeky grin found itself drawn upon Loki’s face as he retracted his hand.
Mobius just laughed and nodded. Somehow, that was the second spark that he needed to get his confidence and his legs moving.
“Okay, Loki. First stop, Ravonna’s office.”
It was an obvious choice, no? If she wasn’t in her courtroom or in transit, she was usually in her office, organizing paperwork or plotting out the sacred proclamations. The walk to Ravonna’s office was a familiar one, but this time felt more daunting. The hourglass-etched doors felt taller.
Mobius rested his inactive Time Stick on his shoulder. He looked at Loki. Loki looked back at him, with one of his daggers in hand. They nodded together. They were ready.
Knock-knock-knock!
A muffled shout greeted them. “I said I wasn’t to be disturbed!”
Mobius mouthed a scoff as he pushed the door open with his left hand. At least they found Ravonna without much hassle.
“Well, you‘re not gonna be happy to see us!” Mobius said jovially as he led Loki into the office.
They might as well have walked into a Jotunheim palace. Ravonna stood in front of her desk, but not at her chair. Her desk was littered with books and paperwork, but her left hand was left hovering over the briefcase that sat at the middle of its length. Her frozen fingertips were unobstructed from view due to the way her body twisted to meet Mobius’ ghostly face. Her irises were shrunken and her teeth were gritted together. It was all she could do to keep herself together in the wake of confronting her past.
Verity was also stilled by the sight, but she was seated on one of the couches below them. Her hands were folded in her lap, patiently waiting for a moment that now didn’t matter. The only sign of movement was from the tears that lined her eyes. A smaller bag similar to Renslayer’s sat beside her, but physical things were inconsequential compared to this moment. To those who just crossed the threshold of both the office and life-altering blows.
Mobius… Loki… both of them were pruned in front of both Renslayer and Verity. The Void was real but allegedly inescapable. And here they stood, defying the odds by merely breathing at the TVA. They looked a little weary, but they had done the impossible.
“We’re baaack…” Loki mewled in a sing-song voice, flexing his arms in his signature outstretched pose. He stood just off to Mobius’ right, letting his cohort take centre stage. The glint of his uncovered dagger caught the light above as the door clicked shut behind him.
The cocksure smarm of L1130 snapped Renslayer out of her trance. She abandoned her desk, taking two steps forward. Her movements were rigid as she settled into place. She stood squarely opposite Mobius at the edge of the sunken hole in her office. Although there were two of them that defied expectations, she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the one she knew best.
The Judge found her voice, but it was quiet. Hushed. Humbled. “If anyone was ever gonna make it back from the Void, I suppose it was gonna be you two.”
Loki winked. “Madam, it’ll take more than certain death to stop a Loki.”
“One man’s Void is another man’s piece of cake,” added Mobius. The way his Time Stick rested on his shoulder did not go unnoticed.
Ravonna took a slow breath in, and an even slower breath out. “So, you’re gonna prune me?”
“Ooh, I quite like that idea!” Loki nudged Mobius’ back lightly with his free hand. He leaned into his friend’s side, egging him onward. As an expert eye trader, he knew that a prune for a prune sounded like a fair exchange.
The devil on Mobius’ shoulder could not sway him, though.
“Eh, my standards might be a little bit higher in that area…” Mobius motioned to Verity with his unarmed hand. “Considering you’ve got a young lady hostage and all.”
“She’s free to move about as she pleases,” Renslayer said dismissively.
Loki and Mobius eyed Verity. She might as well have been a piece of artwork, for she hadn’t moved at all to her cue. Her Time Collar blinked to its own rhythm. Her stare was still locked on the friends she thought she lost. The tear that raced down her cheek was the only sign of life that she showed. Even her breathing seemed brief, for her chest barely rose and fell. Renslayer’s words didn’t appear to match the situation at hand. Free to move? How bold was Renslayer, to lie in front of the lie detector?
“So, what’d you do, Mobius?” Ravonna asked, “Bring back an army of Variants to face me?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, Ravonna,” Mobius exhorted, “I’m more concerned about free will and the truth.”
“Look, I’m sorry, Mobius. It had to be done for the mission.”
“What mission‽ The Time-Keepers are fake but you knew that already, didn’t you?”
The former close personal friendship crumbled as Mobius and Renslayer dove into a heated exchange. Their gazes were locked on one another. They were both distracted.
Loki inched away from Mobius’ side, not only to let him stand tall but to test Renslayer’s word. He found himself aligned behind the couch Verity was seated on. She seemed to find enough of herself to follow his steps with her face. Silently, Loki withdrew his dagger. He was sure that she knew his true intentions, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Loki stretched his arm to Verity, his palm upward and outward. He watched as her gaze fixated on his hand.
The pose reminded Verity of the time when Loki first stood in front of a Time Door, offering her a choice between her past and her friend. A distant memory, but at least Verity knew that it happened to her. This… didn’t seem real.
Between her arrest and now, Verity had spent countless hours working on Renslayer’s mission. Sleep and alertness blended. She couldn’t even remember why she and her overseer were packing their briefcases. The exhaustion made her doubt her very foundation. Was this her first dream? Were they the first illusions that she could perceive?
Verity couldn’t hesitate anymore. She had to know the truth. She got up, accepted Loki’s hand, and climbed over the couch to meet him. Renslayer was too distracted to decry it.
As soon as she planted her feet on the ground in front of him, Verity’s grip shifted from Loki’s hand to his arm. It was a solid, muscular forearm. Reflex made her tug on his rolled-up sleeve; polyester, just like hers. She looked up at him, looking for any shred of falsification that her gift-less mind could find.
“Are you all right?”
Loki’s quiet whisper somehow sealed the deal. He was real. That’s her friend, back from the Void.
Wordlessly, Verity threw herself into Loki’s arms. Her body moulded into him as he reciprocated the hug. She didn’t want him to see her outright sob. The heat that stained his shoulder gave her away. Relief overwhelmed her. For the first time in a long while, she felt somewhat safe.
“I’m so tired…” Verity finally mumbled into Loki’s ear.
“Just stay here.”
Loki guided Verity behind himself, allowing her to peer over his shoulder to watch Renslayer and Mobius from a safer distance. She clung to him like an oversized shield. It was a role that Loki didn’t mind starring in. The weariness on her face told her all he needed to know.
Renslayer put her through the wringer. As her friend, Loki wouldn’t stand for it.
Loki retrieved one of his daggers. He was sure to keep its sharp tip away from Verity as their eyes fell back to the verbal tussle ahead of them. If things were to get physical, he was more than ready to go to bat.
Mobius’ brow was furrowed, but the frown on his face was soft. He felt like he was talking to a mural. Beautiful, yet still made of bricks and stone. “Why aren’t you concerned about the truth?”
“I am concerned about the truth,” Renslayer snapped back, “Do you really think I have all the answers?”
“You knew that we’re all Variants. Kidnapped from the Sacred Timeline to form… this whole thing.” Mobius gestured vaguely at the window behind Ravonna, showcasing the picturesque view of the TVA. The curtains were semi-drawn, but enough of their home’s light shone through.
Ravonna knew the view. She kept her back turned to it.
“This whole thing, it can‘t have been for nothing! That‘s why I had to prune you.” She kept her eyes fixed on Mobius as she curled her right arm upward. Her tight grip on her TemPad was accentuated by brighter knuckles. She grazed a button that allowed her to transmit a message verbally like a walkie-talkie. “Hunter D-90, to my office immediately!!”
…
No response.
“Hunter D-90!” Renslayer repeated.
…
Still nothing.
“Guess he’s not so immediate…” Loki quietly cooed. Only Verity heard him. If Renslayer had heard, things probably wouldn’t have ended well for him.
“While we’re waiting, why don’t you give us a bit of truth, huh?” Mobius tapped his foot. “I think we’re ready to hear why the TVA is a lie.”
“What if it’s a necessary one?” Ravonna’s arm dropped back down to her side. Trembles travelled down her arm. “Someone created the Time-Keepers, someone created the TVA…”
Wooosh! No one noticed the Time Door that opened in the corner.
“They must’ve had some reason. I need to know why… why did they give us a purpose?”
“I’LL SHOW YOU PURPOSE!”
All eyes fell on the voice that bellowed from the back of the room. Sylvie charged in, her sword leading her path as she made a beeline for Renslayer. Only a careful manoeuvre from Mobius stopped her. He barely managed to hold Sylvie back by reaching over and slipping his free arm between her blade and her chest. He was sure to grab her shoulder, avoiding her guarded chest and unguarded neck as best he could.
“Hang on, hang on, no stabbing yet…” Mobius glanced at Sylvie, then looked over his shoulder to reunite with Ravonna. “We’re just getting to the good part, aren’t we?”
Renslayer’s stare was blank. Of course, this was his grand plan. He really did rally a whole gaggle of Lokis to do his bidding. The Time Door hadn’t disappeared yet, so surely there were more on the way, right?
Wwhmf…
Renslayer was proven right, merely by the tip of a golden blade.
Kaia led with her sword, just as Sylvie taught her. When they intercepted Renslayer’s message on D-90’s TemPad, they couldn’t hold guarantees on what they would walk into, apart from being led to the judge herself. She almost expected a slew of Minutemen in her way, but that wasn’t the case at all. She felt the wind of the Time Door closing push her hair forward as she assessed the room. To her left, Sylvie was ensnared by Mobius. That seemed to be the only reason why Renslayer was still breathing. To her right, she noticed Loki standing off to the side… and who was behind him.
“VEE!”
Verity couldn’t even call out Kaia’s name. She choked on her sob as Kaia ran to her, hiding her fancy new sword along the way. Verity’s red hair draped its strands over Kaia’s black waves. They melted into one another, warmed by the reunion that almost didn’t happen.
The best friends had reunited behind Loki. He stood firm, allowing for as much privacy as one could afford in such a grand office. Even then, the quiet murmurs and cries from the pair couldn’t be muffled. At least he could shield them from Renslayer’s icy stare.
“Look at the little army you’ve amassed…” Renslayer sneered, “Pathetic, Mobius. Just pathetic.”
“Pathetic? After what I've gone through, I’m giving myself a bit more credit than that…” Mobius shook his head. “I‘ve seen the horror that awaits people when they get pruned. There is nothing necessary about sending people to the Void. And these Variants are one of the reasons why I’m standing right here, right now. So tell me, what purpose?”
“You know what would happen if we didn‘t prune the timeline? Chaos! Death!”
The anatomy of a Loki… Loki thought to himself.
Sylvie growled, “Free will.”
“Free will‽” Renslayer scoffed at L1190. “Only one person gets free will. The one in charge.”
Ravonna shuffled back to her desk, not at all concerned with the looming threat of Sylvie’s sword. She knew Mobius well enough. No matter how mad, upset, or disappointed he pretended to be, he wouldn’t betray her physically. No matter how many Lokis he had under his command, he wouldn’t let any of them hurt her.
“Friends across time, allies to the end…”
Ravonna knew that truth, but she didn’t like hearing it from Mobius’ mouth.
“Shut up.” Ravonna shook her head furiously. She stuffed one last paper into her bag, ignoring how badly it crumpled under her force.
Mobius knew that she didn’t want to hear him out. All the more reason to persist. “It was beautiful, our close personal bond… unusual, even. And then you sent me to die.”
Mobius choked on a bitter breath. He managed to quell Sylvie long enough to release her without the thought of her running ahead. He could only hope that he had her captivated too. It was taking every ounce of his strength to not break down at that very moment.
Mobius took two steps down and entered the circle pit. He watched Ravonna as she struggled to close the latch on her briefcase. He could barely recognize her.
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing, Mobius. I didn‘t change.”
“You didn‘t change‽ You betrayed me!”
“NO! No, YOU betrayed ME!” Ravonna raised her voice as she whipped herself around again. She ignored the déjà vu of abandoning her briefcase on her desk as she stormed to meet Mobius at his level. She stopped herself short of walking into her own coffee table. “I looked out for you, hung my neck out for you, and you suffer a crisis of faith and turn to these Variants‽”
The Variants in question opted to keep quiet. Kaia and Verity’s sniffling had been fully quelled if only subdued by the yelling off to the side. With the assurance that no outsider would interfere, Loki inched closer to the centre of the office. Partly to show support for Mobius, partly to make sure Sylvie didn’t swoop in recklessly. He could see it in the way she gripped her sword and tapped her foot. She must’ve really wanted a go at Renslayer. However, her self-imposed reservation showed that she was aware of the tension at hand. Sylvie could hold herself back, but for how long?
“Eons of friendship. And you threw it all away on a couple of Lokis.” Renslayer didn’t blink. It made her glossy brown eyes all the more obvious. “No, Mobius, I didn‘t betray you.”
Mobius tried to speak. At first, no words came out of his mouth. She gave the command to discard him like a used rag. And she didn’t see that as a betrayal? He couldn’t reason with her at that angle anymore.
Finally, Mobius opted for a different approach. He appealed to her humanity. “We can‘t take away peoples’ free will, Ravonna. Can‘t you see that?”
Immediately, Renslayer’s eyes darted down. She pulled her TemPad out into the open and retreated with two steps backwards. She managed to help her TemPad dodge a falling tear as she inputted a few commands.
“What are you doing…?” L1130 asked. His voice was the furthest thing from intimidating. He didn’t matter.
None of this matters.
“What I need to do.”
Renslayer turned so her left profile was fully visible to Mobius and Sylvie. With one big push, a new Time Door manifested itself in front of Renslayer, far away from any daring Loki to intercept.
“So, you need to run??” The grains of Sylvie’s patience were slipping through her hourglass. She wasn’t about to let Renslayer run now. Not when she had a bone to pick with her, too.
The only thing that could stop her was the blunt force of Mobius’ dulled Time Stick crossing paths with her sword.
“Sylvie, please, let me.”
Mobius looked at Sylvie with determined eyes. Letting Sylvie kill her would be Ravonna’s easy way out. Changing his closest friend’s mind would be more difficult, but it was a task that he was up for. It was a task that only he could do.
Sylvie took in Mobius’ stare, then glanced back at Renslayer. Her eyes were also on Mobius, seemingly intrigued by what the analyst could offer her. As much as she wanted blood on her sword, Sylvie knew that she wasn’t the only Variant affected by the TVA’s omnipotent reach.
Sylvie relented, but she did not lower her sword. “Final chance.”
That’s all I need.
Mobius walked around the coffee table, now within arms reach of Ravonna. Nothing said now could change what had happened between them, but that didn’t mean that change wasn’t possible.
“Look, maybe we can rebuild the TVA into something better… together…”
Together? After all this, did he really think that they could work together?
Renslayer shook her head rapidly. “I’m sorry, Mobius…”
For a moment, only the faint hum of the Time Door could be heard. Its presence loomed over Ravonna, beckoning for her to go once and for all.
Mobius took his turn to shake his head. “You know I can’t let you go, right…?”
The high-pitched whine of Mobius’ Time Stick sounded aghast in his hands. It took enough of his nerves just to turn it on, but he kept a brave face. He could feel the doubt radiating from Sylvie and Loki’s stares, but he knew that, deep down, he couldn’t let her leave. Either they would work together, or she would get a taste of her own medicine.
“Please, Mobius…” Ravonna believed his bravado least of all. “Even with that, you‘re of no danger to me.”
“Is that what you think?” Mobius adjusted his grip on his TemPad. “Let’s see.”
Mobius charged at Ravonna, though it almost looked like a saunter. It took him a whole second to wind his TemPad backward. He solely relied on his left arm to steady his stick and to throw his weight around. If only it wasn’t such an obvious tell.
Renslayer dodged swiftly, only needing to sidestep in order to avoid Mobius’ stab. She clamped down on the weapon with her left hand. All she needed was a light yank to disarm Mobius. The mere grip on the Time Stick helped her resettle into her former Hunter role. She knew how to handle a Time Stick without accidentally pruning herself. She knew how to defend herself from threats against the Sacred Timeline. If only this threat wasn’t one of her own.
Renslayer threw her right leg up, kicking Mobius squarely in the stomach. She stepped backwards, perching herself up just to watch him stumble back. Mobius fell backwards, his back slamming against the leather couch before bouncing off of it. He groaned as he slumped down onto the floor, winded but not knocked out entirely. If he had landed on the coffee table to his left, perhaps it’d be a different story. Maybe that was on purpose.
Renslayer only needed one hand to twirl her Time Stick forward, its potent end aimed straight at L1190. She knew what was coming, perhaps even before that Variant did. Rage is such a predictable emotion. So much so, that she knew the perfect way to thwart her.
“Enough of this!” Sylvie had no fear. Not of Renslayer, not of a Time Stick, not of the Void. She sprinted across the room, dodging both Mobius and the table in her wake. Her sword screamed for blood. Perhaps if she could sever that bureaucrat’s head clean off, that could fill the void of her mission.
If only Sylvie noticed that Renslayer’s hand was in her pocket, placed firmly on her Time Twister.
Wrrr!
Sylvie heard the familiar, blasted noise, and froze mid-swing. Instinct saved both her and Verity, the victim of Renslayer’s plan. The Judge had wound her Time Twister far back enough to place Verity in front of her, a place she had stood long before retreating to the couch or that bastard L1130’s embrace. Sylvie’s sword hovered along Verity’s Time Collar, saving Renslayer’s head from a worse fate.
Verity, jolted by the twists and turns, felt sick. The near-death experience with Sylvie’s sword compounded that. She barely held back her nausea, even when a seething Sylvie inched backward with her sword. The Time Stick held in front of her chest didn’t ease matters. One wrong move and she could become the Void’s next visitor.
A panicked squeak from Kaia prompted Loki into action. If he hadn't stopped her, Kaia would’ve thrown herself into another active Time Stick.
Meanwhile, Mobius sat himself up. When Sylvie parted, it gave him a clear view of Ravonna holding Verity hostage again, this time more directly. He shook his head a little bit, fuelled by disappointment.
“You really think you can prune an innocent party, Ravonna?” Mobius croaked, “You’ve got it in you?”
Admittedly, Renslayer had to think about it. Verity had her uses, hence why she saw no need to prune her. The light of the Time Door in her left eye reminded her that the lie detector had no place in the next part of her plan. She didn’t need the baggage of lugging Verity around; she could prune her! But… does she need the baggage on her soul?
Brrr…
Renslayer wrapped her arms around Verity, but only because the weapon in question was in front of her. She powered down the Time Stick without her sight. Then, her arms parted. One arm kept her weapon in her grip, the other planted itself on Verity’s back. The violent shove prompted the redhead to stumble straight into Sylvie.
Sylvie managed to steer Verity away from her sword. Even then, she knew that attempting to make Verity fall on her sword was not Renslayer’s intention. She was merely an obstacle. By the time Verity was out of the way, Renslayer was already flirting with the Time Door frame. The stolen Time Stick was in one hand, her briefcase was in the other, and her TemPad was in her pocket.
“Where do you think you’re going‽” Sylvie shouted.
Renslayer stopped just short of breaching the barrier, gifting every intruder in her office one last side-eye. This was the last time she planned on ever seeing these insolent faces ever again; she might as well get a good look. Those meddlesome Lokis, tainting her finest. Verity, the easily quelled, the one who eventually bowed down to serve the TVA. But Renslayer’s eyes settled on Mobius, who was only now managing to get to his feet. In an army of backstabbers, his blade was the biggest. The one that hurt the most.
Perhaps, if Mobius came to his senses, they could’ve worked together. Ravonna had banked on that life here. But even then, the setting would have to change. This place didn’t have what she truly desired anymore.
“To find the answers I need…” Renslayer admitted, “… and to avoid the bounty on all of your heads.”
And with that, Ravonna Renslayer left. The Time Door closed behind her promptly afterward. An eerie silence was left in her wake.
Where did she go? Not even Mobius had a clue. He was still wrapping his head around her parting words. Mobius mumbled aloud, “The bounty on our heads…?”
The spoken word was the log that broke the dam. All at once, everyone scrambled.
WHAM! SLAM!
Loki had sprinted across the room. A long, silver, full-length lamp had his attention. He had torn it from the wall and used his brute strength to tear its wide ends apart. No one was fazed when the base and the illuminated bowl of the lamp broke off under Loki’s force. For his plan, he only needed the long, narrow stem. He ran back to the entryway, rattled the office doors to ensure they were shut, then weaved the metal rod through the C-shaped door handles. It may look thin to the average eye, but this stainless steel snare would ensure them a warning call if nothing else.
Meanwhile, Verity didn’t register the urgency of Loki barricading the office from within. She meandered her way to the same couch from which this whole ordeal began. Her kneecaps clattered together as she sunk into the leather. She dug her elbows into her knees and buried her head in her hands. She wasn’t sure what hurt worse: the weight of the situation at hand, or said weight being lifted from her shoulders. The gentle brush of Kaia’s embrace couldn’t sway Verity from the pose. Nor could the bellowing from above and around the couches.
“You should have let me STRIKE!”
“I couldn’t letcha do that…”
“Bullshit!” Sylvie sheathed her sword. It was all she could do to prevent herself from lashing out at Mobius physically. "She could be ANYWHERE across time and space!”
In contrast, Mobius unsheathed his own TemPad. Although he had his eyes trained on the sequence that would remotely unlock Verity’s Time Collar, his words were for Sylvie.
“And she’s just as in the dark about the Time-Keepers as us. Killing her wouldn’t get you the satisfaction that you want.”
Bzzz-click!
Kaia caught the device that had slipped from her friend’s neck and chucked it away. Verity had already been burdened with too much; Kaia didn’t want her to worry anymore.
“Vee?” Kaia whispered, not daring to let her friend go.
The quiet call eased Verity out of her unease. She pulled one hand away from her face and slipped her arm around Kaia.
“She… made me work under her directly…” Verity blurted out. “To figure out the truth about everything…”
A frown hid under Mobius’ moustache. He crouched down to meet Verity’s weary face, one that hadn’t seen a lunch break in who knows how long. He could see the singes of a burnt-out face under her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Verity, you shouldn’t have been treated like that…” Mobius placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Do you know where she went?”
Verity only had the energy to shake her head no. Mobius didn’t have the heart to follow up on it. Prodding Verity wouldn’t help, especially not as she started to allow herself to settle down in Kaia's arms.
The display of sentiment playing out on the couches started to rile Sylvie up. To her, sentiment was like molasses; a slow, weak black hole that was easy to sink yourself into. She tapped her foot down rapidly to remind herself that she wasn’t stuck.
“Are we not concerned about that other part of her farewell speech?” Sylvie crossed her arms. “It sounds like she put a hit out on all of us!”
“So, we'll prepare to run, too…” Loki piped up. “We’ve got three working TemPads and the motivation to keep searching for the real Time-Keepers…”
A loud sniffle from Verity cut in. Although she was starting to feel a bit better, the residual effects of what she had gone through now interfered with their planned escape. She fished through her pocket to show her gifted device in its new sorry state.
“S-she restricted my TemPad…” Verity said with sorrow. “I-I can’t—”
“I can fix it. Don’t worry about it.” Mobius stood himself up straight as he gently took the TemPad out of Verity’s hand. “You just relax with Kaia here, and we’ll figure out where to go from there…”
Fixing a TemPad's accessibility levels was an easy task for a high-ranking bureaucrat such as Mobius. It’s not like it was physically broken; that’s another department. All he needed was Ravonna’s desktop computer, which was thankfully too big for her briefcase. He took over her desk, miming the motions she must’ve done to restrict Verity’s TemPad in the first place. A simple cord connected the device to the machine, and a program launched by Mobius allowed him to start the soft reset. Verity’s TemPad would work just like it did when he gave it to her, but the actual reset process would take time. As the progress bar ticked up from 0% to 5%, he anticipated the anxious boot taps from an anxious Variant.
“We don’t have time for this!” Sylvie protested.
“Then we need to make time… Rushing around aimlessly won’t get us anywhere right now.” Loki walked over to Sylvie, though stopping himself short of reassuring her physically. “That door will hold until Mobius fixes that TemPad. We should figure out where we should go…"
“Anywhere is better than here!” Sylvie hissed, “We’re sitting ducks with everyone against us!”
“Not everyone, Sylvie…” Kaia didn’t dare to leave Verity’s side, but she did look up at her theatre-traversing teammate. “B-15, remember?”
Sylvie merely grunted. That was a quick tell to all in the room that Kaia was right.
But Mobius, long since out of the loop, needed a quick briefing. “Hunter B-15 can help?”
“I showed her the truth with my enchantment.” Sylvie looked off to the side as she explained. “She understands that you’re all Variants.”
“And we freed her from a cell before coming here…” Kaia added, “She’s checking in with her Minutemen.”
Mobius nodded. That was all the assurance he needed. If the TVA really was going to turn on them, they’d need all of the help they could get. He took to his TemPad and issued a simple page to Hunter B-15. Nothing more than a call to meet him in Ravonna’s office by the way of a Time Door, neglecting to mention why the front door wasn’t exactly an option. He tucked away his TemPad to glance at the computer screen. 9%. Ugh, what a hunk of junk.
Mobius leaned back, observing the sorry state that Ravonna had left her desk in. Although things were somewhat neatly arranged into piles, the desk was littered. Be it papers, folders, books, or other office trinkets, one could barely appreciate the cool marble granite that juxtaposed the warmth of the office around her. The ceiling lights gave everything on her desk an orangeish hue, from the black corded phone on her desk to the clay cup that held a bundle of blue and red pens. Familiar pens. Pens that had white, bold letters etched into their lengths.
Cautiously, Mobius picked up a blue pen. The print was as he suspected: ‘Franklin B. Roosevelt High School’. A pen from her ‘favourite’ analyst, if it was decidedly not Mobius. But how could there be more than one, if this was a place of no importance?
Mobius looked ahead with a newfound light of his own in his eyes. He was met with the confused stares of two Lokis, the incredulous glare of an unimpressed Sylvie, and a tired Verity who seemed too comfortable on her friend’s shoulder to notice what was going on.
“Mobius, what is it?” Loki inquired.
“I think I know where she went… catch!”
Mobius flicked the pen at Loki loftily, who managed to snatch the blue plastic before it could dare to make contact with his forehead. He lowered his hand down and adjusted the position of the writing device, allowing both him and Sylvie to read the inscription.
“This is your plan?” Sylvie asked flatly, “Some school on a dead timeline?”
Mobius nodded as he cleared some space on the desk. He took a red pen and primed it for a TemPad-styled photoshoot, one that would give Mobius the information he needed to continue. As he did so, he couldn’t help but monologue about the importance of such a different trinket.
“Most of the trophies Ravonna keeps are unique, that’s why she puts them on display. Official TVA pens obviously have TVA logos printed on them. She has duplicates of this type of pen. That’s not an accident. She has a connection to these pens and whatever time they came from…”
Just like living, breathing Variants, displaced items have a temporal aura as well. The aura doesn’t serve the TVA purpose beyond logging the item’s metadata. What it is, when and where’s it from, even whether or not it had a hand in triggering a Nexus Event or Spike.
… Beep! …
The temporal scan announced itself with a light buzz. The irritating noise helped Verity’s eyes snap open. Her head drifted up just in time to see Mobius pump his fist in the air. Something on his TemPad had lightened his spirits.
“Looks like we’re goin’ to Ohio!” Mobius announced.
“Ohio…?” Verity lazily repeated. The exhaustion read plain on her face, strong enough to give Mobius reservations.
“Verity, if you’re not up for it, you can stay here…” the Detective was quick to backtrack, “but I don’t feel great about leaving you behind without—”
“I am NOT babysitting!” Sylvie snapped suddenly. As far as she was concerned, she already paid her dues to the redheaded truth-teller.
“No one said you were…?” A brisk, awkward pat on her shoulder solidified Loki’s confusion. Slotted eyes on her part prompted his palm’s retreat. It seemed that only Loki anticipated what was to come next.
“I’ll stay with Verity,” Kaia offered, “You all do what you need to.”
Sylvie nodded with a notable huff. In retrospect, perhaps it was the obvious choice for Kaia to stay with Verity. Could you blame her for being on edge, all things considered? The current leading judge of the TVA was gone, leaving her lackeys to dispose of them, with nary a new lead to find the real fascists that she needed to kill.
Fwoosh!
The sudden appearance of a Time Door didn’t help.
The cautious Variant put a hand to her hilt, only to loosen her grip when she saw a Hunter B-15’s somewhat friendly face breach the tangerine rectangle. The weight of her heavy armour rattled against the arsenal strapped to her person. Time Stick, Reset charge, whatever other little weapon or tool you could think of; she had it. As soon as her body crossed the threshold fully, the Time Door collapsed upon itself. Sylvie was somewhat surprised to see that the Hunter didn’t have her Time Stick lit.
That’s because the Hunter knew what she was walking into.
The message on her TemPad was simple enough. Use a Time Door because Mobius needed to see her urgently. The meeting with Sylvie and Kaia kind of foreshadowed this. What she didn’t expect to see was the whole five-some in one room, which was barricaded from the inside. The Loki Variants all stared at her with a mixture of emotions ranging from contentment to indifference. Verity looked safe and sound, though her eyes seemed to drift close to slumber. Mobius just looked relieved, as if the situation itself didn’t appear absurd without context.
“You’ve got a whole Loki army now?” Hunter B-15 jested to Mobius.
“That’s how my cookie crumbled,” Mobius chuckled lightly.
Sylvie’s growl was just as light, but serious all the same. “I work for myself!”
“Of course you do.” Loki got away with one last pat on Sylvie’s back before walking towards Mobius and B-15. “So, us four to some Midgard region whilst Kaia and Verity stay here?”
“That’s the plan, but…” Mobius sighed. He looked back at the computer, which was still chugging away at resetting Verity’s TemPad. 13%. Mobius grumbled. He started to suspect that this sluggish failsafe was placed on purpose. “I’d rather not leave Verity and Kaia without a working TemPad. Just in case…”
It was a fair fear. With the supposed bounty on their heads, splitting up wasn’t ideal. But neither was dragging around Verity, who now found herself safely snoozing on Kaia’s shoulder. With Verity’s TemPad out of commission (until it finished updating), they needed another option.
Luckily, Kaia had an idea. “Sylvie, do you still have that TemPad we got from D-90?”
“Ah, yeah…” If it were any other circumstance, Sylvie wouldn’t dare give up her TemPad to someone as inexperienced as Kaia. But this wasn’t her TemPad. “You can borrow it. If you can work it.”
Sylvie knew better than to throw a TemPad. The fragility of the device was made all too clear back on Lamentis. However, Mobius still found his way to intervene, hustling around the desk so he could intercept D-90’s TemPad.
Mobius didn’t have the time to give Kaia a quick rundown on how to work a TemPad. Nor did he want her to feel pressured to wake Verity up prematurely. He carefully punched in a series of letters and numbers before handing the miniature device to Kaia.
“I’ve added in the coordinates of the timeframe we’re gonna go to…” Mobius explained, “If you sense any trouble at all, just press that call button and a Time Door will open in front of you.”
Kaia nodded as she accepted the TemPad into her free hand. The task sounded simple enough. All she needed to do was press a button.
“If worse comes to worst…” Hunter B-15 noted the wall display, which prominently showed off the shiny Time Stick that once belonged to Hunter A-23. “Verity knows how to work that Stick.”
“Right, we’ll stay safe…” Kaia set the TemPad nearby, choosing to fully hold her sleeping friend instead. She felt the occupied sheath press on her back as she adjusted her position. She had her weapon too, should it be necessary.
With a mixture of pleasantries and grumbles, Kaia watched as Mobius summoned a portal with his own TemPad and led Sylvie, Loki, and Hunter B-15 to a high school in Ohio. Which would surely be an exciting and thrilling adventure, because only unique and interesting things happen in Ohio.
Once more, Kaia was reunited with silence, save for Verity’s steady breaths as she slept. No chatter or clatter on the wrong side of the barricaded door. No sudden ambushes. No Sylvie nagging away for immediate action.
The quiet reminded her of the odd Sunday morning, in which either Kaia or Verity would crash at the other’s apartment. Usually, this sleepover was prompted by a lighthearted, bubbly Saturday night. Regardless of whether they were busy the night before, they’d find pleasure in sleeping in, only waking when the idea of brunch appealed to the duo. A mixture of prepared cereal and quickly-cooked eggs and bacon paired well with the array of fruit juices that they’ve both amassed in their fridges.
But this was not brunch. Nor was this even New York. This was the TVA, a floating speck of existence in which Sundays were nonexistent. Apartments weren’t a thing here. Neither were bedrooms, strangely enough. Kaia still hadn’t figured out where anyone could get proper sleep.
But the exhaustion of her imprisonment allowed Verity to rest, even in such an uncomfortable position. Kaia didn’t mind being Verity’s pillow (this was far from the first time), but she wondered how she didn’t find the leather couch uncomfortable.
No, this wasn’t an ideal place to take a break. But Kaia had silence, security, and her closest friend. This was about as close to home as she would ever get.
Maybe, if Kaia closed her eyes for just a moment, she could pretend to relive her favourite day of the week.
Notes:
Hoo boy, that Loki trailer, eh? 🤩 Maybe I threw in one extra sentence this chapter to lightly reference the Repairs department, but I'm still not entirely sure how Season 2 will influence this story. Considering that everything is plotted already and I just need the energy to write it.
Chapter 47: The Improvisation
Summary:
Chapter 47 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Mobius, Loki, Sylvie, and Hunter B-15 investigate Franklin D. Roosevelt High School for any sign of Ravonna Renslayer. But none could’ve predicted what — or rather, who — they end up finding.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Enter Freemont, Ohio, 2018. ‘Franklin D. Roosevelt High School’ was the name emblazoned on Mobius’ pen, so that was the school in which the four Variants entered.
The hall they walked down was narrow but bright, thanks to the early morning light that cascaded out of several windows lining the right wall. Along the left wall was a series of blue lockers, the monotony only broken by the dents of entryways to classrooms and offices. The ceiling was dusty, though twisted blue streamers hung from one edge of the ceiling to the other, sagging across the full width of the hall. Any free space on the white walls was broken by construction paper posters. Colourful eyesores ranging from the promotion of school pride to advertisements regarding rallies, theatre productions, and elections. The wafting scent of books and paper reminded Mobius of the Archives, though not to the intensity of having a universe’s worth of alternate outcomes bound to folders.
The halls were completely dead, despite it being a Monday. There were no clocks down this hallway, so it was hard to say just how early these Variants were for their field trip. Hunter B-15 had her eyes on Loki and Sylvie. Although they were on the same side, she still had reservations on their reputations. The way they cautiously gripped their sheathed weapons on school grounds only fuelled her flames.
“Look, you two, this is a high school. There could be kids here. There’s no need for stabby-stabby.”
“But all I know is stabby-stabby!”
Sylvie’s protest could not be contested. Though, Mobius had his doubts about whether or not her skillset would be needed in the Buckeye State.
“The chances of finding someone armed in a high school are slim…”
“We… we are in America, aren’t we?”
“Loki!”
Loki scurried ahead to check one of the rooms before Mobius could scold him properly. He knew he’d hit a nerve with that thanks to the brief, yet angry, lecture Verity gave him whilst on a research break a long while ago. Her ire on the state of civilian-level militia weapon control legislation in Midgard’s most prominent country was palpable. Their firearms were useless to a god like him; they only seemed to harm other Midgardians in their reckless abandon. What a shame.
The room that Loki had entered seemed unimportant on the surface. He didn’t notice the plate that read ‘VICE PRINCIPAL’ as he skidded to a stop at the doorframe. A glance to his left and right preceded the “All clear!” he gave to his cohorts, who decided that his earlier quip wasn’t worth the fight.
Everyone entered the office, which was relatively small. Framed pictures and motivational posters made the walls feel cluttered. Short wall cabinets and the centre desk ate up nearly a third of the whole room. Each surface was far from barren, with books, small plants, and other school supplies scattered neatly around the room. A bulletin board hung above the office cabinet-turned-coffee station. The brown cork was barely visible behind a plethora of thank-you cards, posters for upcoming school functions, and a calendar detailing the next three months on one wide sheet of paper. Checkmarks filled the date squares, though the ticks stopped just ahead of October 15th. The only wall space free of clutter was actually a second wooden door, firmly shut along an adjacent wall.
Loki found himself behind the largest desk, the only piece of heavy furniture that didn’t touch any wall. He pushed a large swivel chair aside to pick up one of many pens resting in a transparent cup. Some were black, red, or blue, but the engraving was the same. A perfect match to the pens in Renslayer’s office.
“Seems like we’ve found the right room off the bat..” Loki remarked as he wagged the pen between his two lanky fingers.
Mobius scratched his head as he glanced around the office. The clock above the caulk board read that it was precisely 6:22 am. The inner halls were serene, devoid of anyone. What the heck could’ve happened in such a quaint space? Only an insignificant, unimportant Nexus Event could dare crop up here.
“This feels like a dead end…” Sylvie tried to keep calm, but the dwindling light on this lead didn’t help matters.
“We only JUST started searching…” Hunter B-15 stated. A call for patience can come in many forms; as Sylvie was starting to learn.
“Renslayer doesn’t keep trinkets from failed missions…” Mobius added. His eyes lingered on the diploma that hung on the wall over Loki’s shoulder. “This place has some importance to her, but what…?”
Click!
Whether anyone liked it or not, they were about to get the answer to that question.
All eyes fell on the closed wooden door as the handle wrestled free from its latch. Sylvie inched backward as the door pushed open, reflexively drawing her sword in the process. However, all tension faded when the stranger entered. All eyes widened as they registered the familiarity of the figure.
The woman that walked into the room looked just like Ravonna.
She wore a maroon cardigan overtop a free-flowing sundress. The black dress was littered with red polka dots scattered at random along the fabric. The neckline plunged modestly, just shy enough to allow a thin golden chain to decorate her neck. Her curly hair was free of its tight ponytail restraints, instead draping down either side of her head naturally. A favourable part swept over and around her right side. Any makeup she wore on her face was just as natural; all the better to not detract from the complete confusion that she crafted upon herself.
“What the hell is going on here‽” In the lady’s defence, that was a fair reaction to seeing unfamiliar people in her room, not even counting the fact that the women were wearing fully armoured suits.
“Renslayer…?” Sylvie winced. She knew that was the wrong answer, but she couldn’t stop the name from falling out of her mouth.
“What?” Not-Renslayer shook her head at Sylvie before glancing at all of them. “What’re you all doing in my office‽”
“She’s a Variant…” Mobius mumbled. His observation was loud enough for all to hear, including the Variant in question.
“Variant?” The woman repeated. This time, she locked eyes with Mobius. “Michael, what are you talking about‽”
Michael‽
Loki, Sylvie, and Hunter B-15 all shared looks with one another. None of them knew anyone named Michael. They never knew of Mobius as Michael. The ‘M’ in Mobius M. Mobius stood for Mobius, according to Mobius. So, imagine their further surprise when they heard Mobius go along with her line of questioning.
“Sorry, Rebecca, I forgot to mention that I was bringing some old colleagues over today…” said Mic—… no, said Mobius.
Rebecca??
Hunter B-15 was the next to figure out what was going on, after Mobius of course. She silently drew the Lokis’ attention to the fanciful paper that hung framed on the wall. It was a certificate that certified that one Rebecca Tourminet was fit to lead this high school as their esteemed vice principal, per Ohio State University. Ravonna Renslayer was the name she was appointed after her promotion to Judge. She was Hunter A-23 before then. It only made sense that her life on the Sacred Timeline would come with a different name entirely.
Ignorant to the revelations that his cohorts were realizing, ’Michael’ continued, “They’re my consultants for the play… I just wanted to give ‘em a little tour of the school first, while things were empty.”
“And they really needed to bring their swords with them??” Rebecca pointed at Sylvie with an accusatory finger. If she had been close enough to graze her pointer finger along her blade, she would’ve been horrified to realize that it was a real sword.
Sylvie’s face suddenly flushed with embarrassment. She had never felt this way before. The only way to dispel it was to silently and slowly hide away her blade. She made it a point to not look at Loki as she did so. She had a feeling that he was enjoying this moment a bit too much.
“Yeah, they specialize in costumes and props.” Mobius’ dedication to the improvisation was nothing short of impressive.
“And practical effects, I’m guessing?” Rebecca folded her arms across her chest. “Or are you testing out such an ugly wig and moustache just for fun?”
Ouch. Mobius was starting to not like being this Michael fellow.
“Nah, not for me…” Somehow, Mobius managed to laugh off the burn. “You know how theatre kids can get; they really wanted good costumes. I just wanted to surprise them today. I’ll take it off at the end of the day.”
“Well, good. Blond looks better on you.”
Mobius could only hum in alleged agreement. Not once did he ever question his silver hair being anything but a Time-Keeper birthright. With the Variant revelation, he had to open himself up to the possibility that this look was actually aged with time instead.
“Michael, how long do you plan on being in here?” Rebecca snapped everyone to attention once more. “I still need to do my morning prep…”
Loki folded one arm over his stomach and bowed. “We apologize for the intrusion. We‘ll see ourselves out shortly.”
“Yeah, Rebecca, why don’t you go take a breather? I’ll clean up in here for you,” Mobius smiled, “I’ll meet you for recess, yeah?”
Rebecca contemplated leaving. She needed something at her desk. But with a face like Michael’s — in spite of that godawful hairdo — who could resist? Rebecca’s passive face melted away with a smirk.
“Better yet, meet me in the break room after your friends leave. We still gotta talk about our date tonight.” Rebecca winked. “After this, I don’t think I’m up for any more surprises.”
Much like her TVA counterpart, Rebecca turned on her heel and carried herself away before any rebuttal could be issued. She left utter silence in her wake, with Mobius standing frozen as the epicentre. He didn’t even bother brushing away the hint of pink that stained his cheeks. In his eons of existence, not once did he ever think about... well, a date. Dates, in a literal sense, were just another measurement of time, something that never mattered to him in the way that Rebecca and other lifeforms perceived it. Dates between co-workers, if we must go the romantic route, were also an impossible concept. Everyone was too professional and too occupied with their jobs to worry about such menial actions. Work is work; he knew not of what a personal life was. That was much too Sacred for the TVA’s finest.
Behind his back, Hunter B-15 and Sylvie shared the same stunned look with one another. Both of their eyebrows were arched sky-high, juxtaposed with flattened lips that almost started to frown. Sylvie hadn’t known Mobius for long. Hunter B-15 was very close with Mobius. Neither knew that he or any of his Variants had it in him, never mind scoring with someone that looked like Ravonna.
Meanwhile, Loki could barely contain himself. He truly did his best to hold his tongue when Rebecca dragged Mobius for his hairstyle, and he succeeded. But this? Oh, this was prime mischief material.
Loki broke the silence with a hearty chortle and a hand clap. Mobius didn’t bother looking over as L1130 walked up to his side. He knew Lokis well by this point. Instinctively, he hunched up his shoulders in anticipation of the roasting of a lifetime.
“And to think, I was starting to suspect that you weren’t a Casanova in your heyday!” Loki lightly slapped Mobius’ back. “I stand corrected! Humbled, even!”
“Shut it.”
Loki did not shut it. He swung an arm out in a familiar grand gesture instead.
“Do you think your Sacred Timeline name reads as Michael M. Michael, with that other ‘M’ standing for Michael?”
“Stop…”
“And is there something you haven’t told us about yourself and Judge Rensl—”
“Goddammit, Loki!”
Mobius flimsily waved his arms at Loki, managing to bat away the meddlesome Variant. Loki giggled as he vacated the Detective’s personal space. Of all the times he slithered his way under Mobius’ skin, this was by far his favourite.
Mobius turned to Loki, a mild squiggle of disgust dressed his lips and his very real moustache. Such an insinuation was not only unprofessional, but it was downright wrong.
“Ravonna and I were not a thing. Certainly not like... that.” Mobius aggressively waved at the empty spot in which Rebecca had once stood. At least Loki succeeded in helping him shake off the unusual tinge to his cheeks.
“Yeah, we’re much too busy dealing with the Sacred Timeline for hook-ups of any kind.” Hunter B-15 corroborated for Mobius.
“You gotta Reset charge, right?”
“Just say when.”
Hunter B-15 rattled the lone canister strapped to her side. It was second nature for every Hunter or Minuteman to have at least one on their person. On a normal day, she would let her squadron do the heavy lifting. But if her arrest taught her anything, it’s that she needed to be prepared for anything and anyone.
Meanwhile, Sylvie tried to ignore the distracting performance in front of her. Her mind kept falling back onto the mere existence of Rebecca. A Variant of Renslayer… no, Renslayer must be a Variant of Rebecca, right? They were already anticipating this current timeframe transforming into a branch. This Rebecca, the one that mistook Mobius for Michael, would soon be reset to become blissfully ignorant of their interference. They would vacate this branch-to-be, no closer to finding Renslayer.
But the pen led them here for a reason. She had that pen for a reason. Renslayer knew about Rebecca… Who’s to say that she’s the only one?
“Could the key to finding Renslayer lie in finding one of her Variants…?” Sylvie pondered aloud, thankfully catching everyone else’s ears. “She knew that you were all Variants, right?”
“Yeah…” Mobius agreed, “Maybe she was scouring her Variant files to find her so-called answers…”
“Or perhaps scouring yours?” Loki aimed his theory at Mobius. “How did your little mantra go? Friends about time…?”
“Friends across time,” Mobius corrected, “It was something we said to each other to summarize our friendship.”
“Who said it first?”
Mobius needed a moment to consider it. The first utterance of the phrase was buried within eons of kinship between the two. They had only started to bond when she became a judge and he was promoted to the detective rank. Their paths crossed quite often due to the nature of their jobs. Work conversations turned into small talk. Small talk turned into long chats. Long chats turned into significant exchanges that affirmed one another as their ideal, platonic companion.
But who said the saying first? Mobius finally remembered the first utterance.
“She did.”
Spoken in the canteen, over key lime pies, from her lips to his ears. It was a phrase that she crafted to show that they could confide in one another about anything. Well, almost anything.
Mobius felt his heart sink into his stomach. How long did Ravonna know the truth? Was their friendship merely based on a predetermined fate? Or was it as genuine as Mobius wanted it to believe?
Mobius shook his head at Loki. Despite the suggestion, he knew that he was as in the dark about Ravonna’s motivations as anyone else was. She never divulged those feelings to him.
“Look, even if Ravonna was curious about other versions of me, I doubt that my Variants have anything to do with this…” Mobius dismissed the notion of being connected to whatever truth lay beyond the TVA. If he truly knew what was going on, he wouldn’t be meddling here in some American school.
“But even if we focus on seeking Renslayer Variants, as Sylvie suggested…” Loki took his turn to make a hypothesis, “Who’s to say that there isn’t a Mobius Variant right beside her?”
Mobius took a silent breath in and out. Was the phrase ‘friends across time’ really that literal? He didn’t have a good answer for that, but he did have an observation.
“Well, the Ravonna I know doesn’t have her Mobius beside her…” Mobius muttered. He couldn’t help but wonder if his face was going to haunt her while she partook in her journey.
Beep!
“Reset the timeline. Keep it off the record,” Mobius issued the command as he gathered his vocal TemPad.
Hunter B-15 did as instructed. The lack of paperwork was merely a cherry on top. But readying the charge was a task that required her full attention. One wrong move and the charge would consume them too before they could escape.
So to say, Hunter B-15 didn’t see Mobius’ face lose all colour in an instant. But Sylvie did.
“What’s wrong?” Sylvie caught the sickly look on the Detective’s face. She couldn’t see what Loki could see by simply peering over Mobius' shoulder. But when she saw Loki’s face match Mobius’, she knew that the situation was something dire.
“Verity…”
Who knew that such a tiny message could invoke such fear?
Without another word, Mobius swiftly summoned a Time Door back to Ravonna’s office. Loki pulled out his daggers. Sylvie and Hunter B-15 followed his lead with their respective weapons. Even though they didn’t see the desperate message, the task at hand was clear: Verity and Kaia needed them back at the TVA, now.
Hunter B-15 slammed the Reset charge on Rebecca’s desk. No one bothered to observe the light show that it manifested. There wasn’t enough time. This Rebecca wouldn’t know about the play’s strange costume, nor would Mobius know what kind of date Michael had in mind. Such a minuscule thing was nothing short of insignificant now.
Their feet carried them all back to Renslayer’s office with haste, running blindly into whatever danger lay on the other side. Their stomachs sank with panic as they breached the doorway, not hearing any sort of screaming or confrontation. Their hearts sank when they were greeted by the putrid stench of blood.
Chapter 48: The Life of a Loki
Summary:
Chapter 48 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Verity and Kaia wait for the others to return, but they’re not alone for long.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains graphic violence, gratuitous descriptions of blood, character death.
Notes:
Hey. I know it's been a while. But I know that the odds of people reading this blurb the day the chapter went up are very slim. I'm not really adhering to an upload schedule anymore. Read here if you wanna know why.
Just know that I am still gonna finish this. I just need to recognize that there's a lot going on right now, and I need to give myself a break, especially when I need to remind myself that this isn't a platform for instant gratification.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
96%… 97%…
Verity was blissfully unaware that her TemPad was almost back to normal. She had been asleep the entire time, however long that may have been.
Clang!
She was abruptly awoken by the sound of something bouncing off of wood. She groggily focused her eyes — glasses somehow already perfectly aligned — only to find Kaia on the opposite side of the couch pit, clutching a TemPad with all of the innocence of someone who definitely did not just drop their TemPad.
“Sorry, Vee.” Kaia shrugged sheepishly.
Verity hummed as she pushed herself up from the couch. She didn’t remember laying down. Hell, she barely remembered the whirlwind that happened during Renslayer’s exit. But Kaia was here, so everything she did remember must’ve happened. She, Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie all came to her aid. And Renslayer left them all behind to go somewhere unknown.
“I’m just glad you’re back… that you all survived…” Verity yawned, “I thought the Void was inescapable…”
“Apparently, Lokis are good at the impossible. And so are TemPads.”
Kaia dove into Verity’s arms as she plopped herself down beside her best friend. For both sides, this reunion was once thought unimaginable. How thankful they were to be with one another. They cuddled as they checked in on each other.
“How ya feeling?”
“Still tired, but emotionally better."
“What’d you dream about?”
“Oh, you…” Verity playfully pushed Kaia out of her embrace. “You know that dreams are just cognitive illusions designed to help ease someone to sleep, and—”
“And you can’t see illusions, blah blah…” Kaia stuck her tongue out. “You should tell your brain to let you have a bit of fun!”
“Believe me, I would if I could…” Verity's eyes wandered around the office. The proverbial fog started to clear her mind, but bits were still fuzzy. “Where are the others?”
“They went to investigate where Renslayer could’ve gone, remember?”
“Right… Ohio.” Verity shuddered.
Kaia giggled, “We should be safe here while they do their search. You can always borrow Renslayer’s Time Stick if you need to.”
Verity glanced over at the display. Sure enough, the Time Stick that Renslayer had used as a Hunter was still in its display rack. Yes, it was good to know that it was there, but…
“It better not come to that…” Verity sighed, “I’ve had enough excitement over here to last me a long while.”
Kaia didn’t like the way Verity said that. Her eyes narrowed. “You sure you’re okay?”
At the sight of her friend’s unease, Verity gave Kaia a reassuring smile. “Yeah… so long as you don’t have any paperwork for me.”
DING!
A loud chime rang out from Renslayer's desk. A small rectangular glow radiated from its countertop. The TVA’s slowest factory reset program was complete and successful.
“Oh yeah, Mobius fixed your TemPad.” Kaia pointed to the audibly intrusive computer. “Good as new!”
“Nice!” Verity, energized by the notion of her fixed TemPad, jumped to her feet. She hustled around the desk and pulled her device from its cord and ran a few innate sequences. Sure enough, her TemPad could pull up Time Doors and pager messages, just like any other…
Wait… this is her TemPad.
Verity looked back at Kaia, who had someone else’s TemPad clutched in one hand. Verity slipped her TemPad into her pocket as she leaned over the desk incredulously. Her head tilted down but she kept her eyes level to her friend.
“And whose TemPad is that?” Verity did her best to not accuse Kaia of anything. Luckily, Kaia didn’t seem bothered by her sudden shift in posture and demeanour.
“Oh, it’s Hunter D-90’s,” Kaia explained, “Sylvie and I beat him up while we were looking for you. Came in handy when Renslayer came calling for him.”
Verity’s nose scrunched. She wasn’t sure what was more incredible: the normally passive Kaia helping assault D-90 or the normally independent Sylvie working cooperatively with anyone.
“Right… and you still have it?” Verity lightly pestered Kaia as she put her TemPad away.
“Your TemPad was still updating; Mobius didn’t want to leave us without a way to reach him.” Kaia wagged the TemPad in the air carefully. “This has the time coordinates for Ohio—”
FWOOSH!
A Time Door opened up in a familiar corner of the room. The intensity of the summoning and the subsequent footsteps, however, signified that this time would be different. That his face would be different.
Hunter D-90 emerged from the orange portal, wearing a new TemPad on his wrist, and looking worse for wear. Black and blue bruises blended into his skin. A large gash was hidden along the scalp of his close-shaven head. The only thing bigger than that scar was the scowl on his face.
“YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD THE LAST OF ME, VARIANT‽” The scorn Hunter screamed as he made a beeline for Kaia. His weapon was lit and ready for a fight.
Swish!
Kaia leapt from the couch just in time to avoid the Time Stick. In the scramble to retrieve her sword from its holster, she realized her hands had been empty. Horrified, she looked over and saw the glint of the stolen TemPad a mere moment before it was crushed under its rightful owner’s boot. The juicy crunch of computer chips and metal dashed all hopes of ever escaping to Ohio.
But his TemPad’s destruction was no barrier. Hunter D-90 persisted in his pursuit. He was blind to the fact that the blonde Variant wasn’t here. He had his sights on the tiny Variant. She would be the first to feel his fury.
D-90’s Time Stick and Kaia's sword collided, creating an X shape briefly before she managed to deflect his weapon away. Kaia tried to adjust her position, but the Hunter didn’t let up. Every time she tried to create distance, he closed the gap until he could try for another blow. He was a bull, trained to shed Kaia’s red blood.
“KAIA!!”
D-90 had no eyes for Verity, who called for her friend from behind. Kaia stole a quick glance back as she took some steps backwards. The redhead hid between a corner and a Time-Keeper’s statue. She clutched Renslayer’s Time Stick with a grip as tight as she could muster. Her face was frozen with fear. Kaia matched her like a reflection.
“VEE!” Kaia cried out, “Get out of here!”
“I can’t leave you‽” The mere suggestion was audacious to Verity. They had just been reunited. She couldn’t dare turn her back now. And even if she wanted to, the Ohio time coordinates went up in smoke alongside the crushed TemPad. She didn’t know exactly where or when the others were.
“We need help! This fight is not our pay grade!”
Admittedly, Kaia was panicking. It wasn’t just because she was running out of room to run. She knew that she’d have to fight on her own one day, but being Verity’s last line of defence frightened her. At least if Verity escaped and called Mobius for help, she wouldn’t be in the line of fire. She wouldn’t be staring down Hunter D-90’s Time Stick, not in the way that Kaia was.
Hunter D-90 grunted as he swung his arm over his chest, his weapon sky high. He was ready to let his baton crash down on her; to end her presence at the TVA once and for all.
Thunk!
If only the force of the swing didn’t embed the handle into the sword’s sharp blade.
Kaia noticed it straight away; the way her weapon snagged the Time Stick’s barrel with a newfound nick. She had to take advantage, right? She pushed further on her sword. Hunter D-90 placed both hands on his baton and tried to retract his swing. A brief tug-of-war ensued, fighting for control of the entangled weapons.
Luckily, Kaia learned from her previous loss.
With a grunt, she backed up, yanking both weapons from D-90’s reach. Without a second thought, she swung her blade horizontally with all of her might. She missed the Hunter, but that was her intention. She crashed her weapon against the wall, using it like a vertical cutting board. With a defined crack, D-90’s Time Stick snapped into two jagged pieces. The lamp died out instantly. The two chunks clattered to the floor unceremoniously. They could no longer prune or otherwise harm anyone.
If Kaia’s intention was to make Hunter D-90 angrier, she succeeded in spades.
“YOU LITTLE BRAT!”
The roar preceded the assault. D-90 grabbed Kaia by her wrist first, targeting the weapon that destroyed his own. His right hand clamped down with the might of a vice grip while his right elbow planted itself along Kaia’s neck. The length of his guarded forearm pinned Kaia against the wall, blocking any chance of her breaking free. The sheath on her back only aggravated the pressure on her spine. She gagged and choked on words that, if they even escaped her mouth, only come out as garbled nonsense.
With his left hand, Hunter D-90 forcefully pried Kaia’s fingers back. He wasn’t sure where this little brat got this sword, but she surely didn’t deserve it. He let the weapon drop to the floor once all grip was lost. He had no need for her sword, not when he had his hands.
He adjusted his grip, but he did not lighten up on the intensity. He grabbed Kaia from under her arms, keeping her pinned to the wall as he raised her up to force eye contact. Her breathing was erratic, not at all eased by the pressure D-90 now put on her biceps and chest.
“WHERE IS JUDGE RENSLAYER?” Hunter D-90 shouted into Kaia’s face.
Kaia winced. She wasn’t about to give away her friends, who were seeking to answer the same question. But even if she were broken down enough to comply, he certainly wasn’t making it easy for her to actually talk.
“She’s… gone…” was all Kaia could manage to spit out.
Technically, she didn’t lie, but of all the answers L5242 could’ve given, that was probably the worst.
“GAAAH!” With all his might, Hunter D-90 threw Kaia headfirst horizontally toward the most jagged wall in the office. With bookshelves, radio equipment, and the harsh wood pieces that formed the cubbies protruding out, he wanted her put down once and for all.
Kaia briefly saw Renslayer’s drink station grow larger in her eyes. There was nothing she could do to steer herself away. It happened too quickly.
CRASH!
The glass bottles exploded around her as her limbs made rough contact. The glass shelf that separated the cubby into two sections somehow stayed firm, but not before jabbing Kaia underneath her ribs. She popped in and out of the crevasse before settling on the floor, managing to twist herself to face downward in the process. Liquor lost its colour as it spilled from the shelving onto Kaia and the floor around her. She groaned loudly, alive but not well. The drinks felt like acid on her skin; the glass felt like sandpaper. The blood she shed wasn’t in one major spot but rather in tiny places all over her body. Somehow, this was a worse fate. She could barely move. D-90’s distant laugh sent a shiver down her sore spine.
Kaia managed to get to her knees, but she couldn’t lift her head up. She kept her head down, staring at the ground beneath her. A dark smattering of her own blood and a little white speck stained the floor directly underneath her face. Kaia blinked. As her own tooth came into focus, she instinctively ran her tongue along her gums. Sure enough, her tongue settled on the newly minted gap, formed slightly off-centre, putting pressure along the gum line to dissipate the bleeding that didn’t trickle out from her mouth. There was already enough bleeding, she may as well try to stop the most sensitive spot.
The struggle broke Verity's heart. She had loaded the messenger function on her TemPad but hovered on Mobius’ logs. Surely, she could do more than that, right? Hunter D-90 wasn’t paying attention to her at all. She had a damn Time Stick in her other hand. She could save Kaia!
Firstly, Verity did page Mobius for help. She typed it so quickly, she might’ve forgotten a letter or two. No matter, that was the backup plan. She needed to hold D-90 off until they could come.
Verity timed her light footsteps to hide within D-90’s heavy boots. It was all she could do to sneak up on him. She gripped her hands on the barrel, twisted her wrist, and aimed straight for his back.
She noticed too late that the lamp didn’t light up. She was already mid-swing when she felt her wrist give up on the twist too soon.
Clunk!
Hunter D-90 felt the poke of an inactive Time Stick on his heavy-plated back. He turned around to see Verity, Mobius’ protégé, fumbling with the baton with trembling hands, trying and failing to twist it so it could illuminate orange. How pathetic.
Disposing of the tiny Variant can wait if this one was so eager to die first.
“You…” Hunter D-90 growled. With one swipe, he snatched the weapon cleanly from Verity’s hands. He watched as the recoil — or perhaps the fear he invoked — sent her stumbling backwards. She crawled back into a corner. Nothing was near her, nothing could save her.
It was a horrific sight for Kaia to see. She managed to lift her head, just in time to witness Hunter D-90 take a few steps closer to Verity.
“At least you’ll make this easy…”
Hunter D-90 didn’t botch his turn. Or rather, his pull. The hollow shell of the Time Stick’s sheath hit the floor with an equally hollow thud. The spear glistened in the office light as he aimed its tip at Verity. During his last briefing with Judge Renslayer, she commanded that if Verity needed to be disposed of, she was to be breathless before she was pruned. Who was he to disobey his Judge’s last order?
Kaia’s heart pumped faster than her own comprehension could account for. She couldn’t let that bastard harm her best friend, no matter how badly she ached. She found the strength to get to her feet.
Hunter D-90 paid no mind, for he had his eyes on an easier target. He spoke simple words that inadvertently stopped time.
“Goodbye, Variant.”
… … …
The life of a Loki involves doing things that heroes wouldn't do. The things that good people like Kaia wouldn’t do. It involves tricking others before you can be tricked, and stabbing back before you can be stabbed. Normally, this is a self-defence mechanism. For Kaia, this defence was for her best friend’s sake. Purely motivated by fear, by love, and most importantly, by rage.
Kaia recovered her sword.
Verity had been frozen in place. She could only watch as Hunter D-90 arched his Time Stick. For the first time in a while, she blinked. Brief relief came when her eyes had shut, it was supposed to delay the inevitable. But when she reopened her eyes, a new mental snapshot was burned into her mind; an image she’d be unable to unsee.
Hunter D-90 stood, arm stretched up but blocked from swinging down. Kaia had climbed onto his back and had her left arm pulling his arm back towards her. It was merely to steady her. The light drained from Kaia’s eyes as she methodically moved about. Her gaze fully fell upon her sword, which wedged itself perfectly between D-90’s chin and necktie. She scraped the blade along his neck, paying no mind to the blood that leapt from his veins.
One coarse, raspy breath from Hunter D-90 scratched the air. The tension in his arms faded. The Time Stick he held dropped to the ground without harming anyone. In an instant, D-90’s eyes were just as hollow as Kaia’s; with no signs of life behind them.
A bit of blood splattered onto Verity’s clothes. She didn’t flinch. She could only watch as Kaia’s eyes went fully dark. She could only watch Kaia as she jumped down from her perch and repositioned herself.
Kaia now stood in front of Hunter D-90. She used her left hand to hold her target while she used her right hand to repeatedly jab his chest with her sword. Only three cracks rang out before she pierced through his armour. He bled the same, whether it be from his chest or his neck. He bled the same, even as Kaia guided his standing shell of a body away from Verity and down the two steps into the couch pit.
The blood from D-90’s jugular rained down on Kaia. She didn’t care. In, out, in, out. That’s all Kaia could think about as she plunged her weapon in and plunged her weapon out. It’s what she needed to do for Verity’s sake. For her own.
Fwoosh!
A new Time Door opened, this time in a corner near Renslayer’s desk. Loki and Mobius breached the portal at the same time, equally worried by the message the latter had received. The coppery scent of blood overwhelmed the room, silencing any cry either might’ve had for Verity. It took a few paces for them both to stumble to a stop, allowing enough clearance for Sylvie and Hunter B-15 to follow them in. The foursome had a front-row view of a downright gruesome scene.
Verity sat crumpled up in a corner. Bits of blood stained her clothes and the walls around her, but it was evidently not her own. Following the trail of blood led one’s eyes to a one-sided battle between Kaia and Hunter D-90. Blood drops and cuts decorated Kaia like irregular polka dots. She didn’t flinch at all at the sight of her friends. She didn’t even notice them. She was fully focused on her blade, watching her weapon go in and out of Hunter D-90’s chest. D-90 didn’t react to the new intruders either. He just stood there, taking in his punishment, propelled by the force of the stabbing upon him. If you looked past all the blood, you might’ve been able to see the tinge of blue on his lips.
“Holy shit…” Hunter B-15 broke the silence.
“He’s dead on his feet…” Sylvie remarked at the sight quietly. She’s got good form, at least.
Mobius and Loki split off from the ladies and each other at the same time. Mobius ran for Verity, whose eyes were still locked on the horrific display ahead of her. Mobius crouched down in front of Verity, directly blocking her view.
Verity looked so incredibly scared. She had her legs crooked underneath herself. Her arms were pulled to her chest, fists formed and ready for impact. Her perfect teeth gritted against one another in a painful-looking grimace. Blood was on her clothes, not a heavy amount, but enough to accentuate just how badly her fear paled her. The sight broke Mobius’ heart.
“Hey, Verity…” Mobius was careful not to outright invade her personal space. “I got your message… We’re here now…”
Verity said nothing. Her head tilted slightly. Did she want to see Kaia? No, Mobius couldn’t let that happen yet.
“Hey hey, focus on me for a sec…” Mobius inched closer, offering his hand to Verity. “You’re safe now…”
Verity’s head tilted back to look at Mobius. Her eyes were blinking rapidly. The lenses of her glasses exaggerated just how shiny her falling tears were. Slowly, she took his hand. She passed her tremors onto him.
“M-Mobius…” Verity’s fragile voice cracked. Tears clouded her vision, making the Detective blurry after every reprieving blink.
“That’s it, let it all out… c’mere…”
Mobius handled Verity gently, holding her in his arms like a porcelain doll. He offered her an orange handkerchief from his pocket. She accepted it with a shaky hand. It was a TVA-issued handkerchief. Verity probably still had hers. But at the moment, it only felt right for Mobius to offer a bit of comfort to her physically.
Verity gave herself permission to just sob. In a strange way, crying helped alleviate the pressure and stress. It was the safest she had felt since Mobius’ pruning. The blood on her clothes had already dried out, so it didn’t rub off on Mobius’ suit. He let her cry on his chest instead of his shoulder, so she couldn’t steal a glance at Kaia and Loki. Mobius knew that Loki could help bring Kaia down in a similar fashion.
If only Loki had Mobius’ composure.
“Kaia… Kaia!” His voice sounded fraught as he tried to gain Kaia’s attention verbally. He wanted to avoid a sudden grab on her person. Startling someone with a bloody blade wasn’t a smart idea on any front. (He knew from experience.)
However, Kaia didn’t stop. Her repetitive motion continued as if Loki had said nothing. Her face was fully turned to Hunter D-90, so Loki jumping into her point of view was out of the question. So she kept going. In, out, in, out. Whatever state of rage she was in locked her in a trance. Yet, she was unfazed by the blood on her, the blood he shed. Her face was unnervingly calm as she did her deed. No emotion, no expression, just a blank face succumbing to darkness. A wormhole that was all too familiar to Loki.
Kaia left Loki with no choice. On one of her upward swings, Loki caught Kaia’s wrist. He was careful not to squeeze her hand, but he was firm enough to stop the stabbing motion. In the faintest hope that she could hear him, he cried out once more, “Kaia, stop!”
And it worked. Kaia stopped.
She didn’t resist. She let Loki guide her backwards up two steps. She and Loki watched as Hunter D-90’s body swayed with no support. Back and forth until the lifeless body couldn’t hold itself up anymore. Hunter D-90’s body fell back.
CRASH!!
The weakened armour only added to the force that fell upon Renslayer’s pristine coffee table. The marble shattered upon impact immediately. Hunter D-90’s body sank into the rubble and the table’s circular base. Blood seeped from his armour as his skin paled out. Hunter D-90 had been dead before any other Time Door opened up in the room, but the realization only hit his assailant now.
Kaia dropped her sword. She slowly squirmed her way out of Loki’s grip to look at her hands. Her skin and sleeves were stained with blood. Some of it came from her battle scars, while other splatters were clearly not her own.
She glanced past her hands, down at the body. A man now lay dead at her feet, and blood was on her hands. This was her doing, wasn’t it?
“Kaia…”
A gentle voice called her name. That had to be Loki, right? Slowly, Kaia turned herself around to acknowledge him. She watched his eyes contract and heard his breath hitch ever so slightly. Hot shame washed over her, for that reaction confirmed that she was responsible for the atrocity behind her.
Seeing Kaia from the front took Loki aback. She looked like she had been caught up in a crimson downpour. A good dose of blood was on the front of her dress shirt as well as her face and hair. But her face also twisted with sorrow. As she struggled to find words to say, a black gap along her smile made itself prominent.
“I… What did I…” Kaia couldn’t finish the sentence. Part of herself knew, but she needed to be properly blamed.
“It seems like you did what you needed to…” Loki phrased it gently, “You saved Verity…”
By killing a man.
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
Liar! Liar! LIAR!
“Of course, you didn’t mean to…” Loki’s words sounded muffled, diluted by water. She could see his body slowly morph from standing to bent on one knee. As if meeting her at eye level could change anything.
Kaia found herself in a loop of her own, merely repeating hollow words, not saying anything meaningful between hiccups and sobs. When Loki tried to pull her into an embrace, she jerked back. She didn’t want blood on him. She didn’t deserve his comfort.
“Shh…” Loki hushed her as softly as he could. He took Kaia by the hand. She didn’t resist but she didn’t play into it, either. She just let him reel her in closer. She had to accept the consequences.
From his pocket, Loki pulled out a small orange cloth. Mobius had a similar one, supposedly for glasses or sudden sneezes. Loki had no issues with either. He didn’t know why he had it. Hel, he almost threw it away. But then he realized that this cloth was for more than just those two purposes.
Kaia’s snivelling tamed itself as she realized that Loki was cleaning off her face. The orange handkerchief became redder with each passing swipe. An occasional dark splotch showed when the dry fabric picked up a tear. She watched Loki’s face twist in frustration with each stroke of his hand. The blood must not be coming off like he had imagined it. She doubted that she’d ever be truly cleaned of all the blood, of all the guilt.
As Mobius and Loki tended to Verity and Kaia respectively, Hunter B-15 took a step back and absorbed the whole office’s destruction. She saw floorboards stained by blood. She saw a Time Stick broken so irregularly that its inner spear was still hidden. She saw the utter disaster zone that was Judge Renslayer’s vintage liquor collection. The barrier that locked Renslayer’s door was still in place, but it wouldn’t be long before someone else needed a favour from her. It won’t be long before someone finds this.
Hunter B-15 whispered the obvious to Sylvie: “We’re not safe here.”
Sylvie nodded in agreement. There wasn’t enough time to clean the scene. They needed an escape route. Luckily for them all, she knew a place.
“Roxxcart, Haven Hills, Alabama, 3-0-7-0 dot 5-3 dot U-S-2-2 dot 1-2-5-5,” Sylvie had those temporal coordinates burned into her mind, “takes us to the moment when the mall’s first evacuated. Everyone’s in the warehouses, nary a soul in sight to question us.”
Fortunately, Hunter B-15 already had similar coordinates saved from the previous Roxxcart mission. All she had to do was dial them back by a few units.
“All right, everyone grab your plus-ones!” Hunter B-15 bellowed as she made adjustments to her TemPad, “We’re moving out!”
Mobius looked over his shoulder as he asked, “Where to?”
“Sanctuary,” Sylvie stated simply.
There wasn’t time to waste. Mobius could recognize that in the way Sylvie darted around the room. Her movements were a mission within a mission. She hustled towards the farthest wall and gathered the Time Stick that had its barrel roughly broken, possibly by a blade. She brought both pieces to the centre of the room. She ceremoniously doused one piece’s jagged tip into Hunter D-90’s epicentre of death. The blood colour of a fresh corpse was indistinguishable from any living body, after all. She opted to leave that piece in like a stake while placing the other piece down at his side. The way she staged the scene was nothing short of brilliant. It made Mobius wonder if she ever had to do something like this before.
Verity found the strength to sit herself up and out of Mobius’ hug. She put his handkerchief to her face, minding her tears carefully. She gracefully accepted Mobius’ help in getting up. She accepted the Time Stick that almost killed her — with its spear now safely sheathed — into her hand for safety’s sake. She even accepted the way he tucked her into his side, blocking her view of the dead body. It’s not the bloodshed she wanted to avert her eyes from, though.
“I didn’t mean to… I… I…”
Kaia’s whimpers started to pick up steam again, loud enough for all to hear. Verity couldn’t bear to look at her, for fear that she would break down, too.
Loki didn’t quite clear all of the blood from Kaia’s face, but it’d have to do for the moment. He heard two footsteps near his right side. A tiny shine caught Loki’s eye. He glanced over to see Sylvie picking up Kaia’s bloodied sword. Surely, the removal of the real murder weapon would aid in staging the scene that she wanted any unfortunate TVA agent to see.
Seeing that she had his attention, Sylvie voiced her concerns to Loki. “Enough dawdling. We have to leave before more of them show up!”
Sylvie was right. They needed to leave urgently. However, if the plan truly was to leave no trace of themselves, there was one fatal flaw that everyone else had overlooked. One final missing piece that needed to be found.
“Just one moment…” Loki said to Sylvie before he turned back to look at Kaia. He remained knelt on one knee for her sake. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Kaia, where’s your tooth?”
Sylvie’s eyebrow skyrocketed. Somehow, that wasn’t the inquiry she expected Kaia to relate to. But sure enough, as Kaia opened her mouth to inhale a shaky sniffle, it became evident that one of her canine teeth had been dislodged during her earlier scuffle.
Kaia breathed in and out. She didn’t have the energy to form new words. She only managed to muster a pointer finger towards the sticky pile of broken bottles and glasses. Fortunately, that was all Sylvie needed to go on. She sprinted to the pile on Kaia’s behalf. She carefully eyed each piece before plucking a little white bone out from the glassy rubble.
“Nice souvenir,” Sylvie hummed as she pocketed the tooth, “But we really need to go.”
“Then get in here!” Hunter B-15 spoke up. She had already summoned the Time Door amidst the chatter between the Loki Variants. The backs of Mobius and Verity melted into the portal. Sylvie sprinted to follow.
Kaia watched as Loki’s face floated away from her vision. She thought he’d leave her behind, fodder for the TVA wolves. But no, an arm pulled her close instead. The same arm guided her as she was led toward an eerie orange gate. She wanted to melt into the warmth of Loki’s side, to escape the horror that she created. But no, perhaps facing the consequences outside of the TVA would be safest for the group. It’d be a cleaner execution if it happened in an apocalypse.
As Loki and Kaia walked through the portal, Hunter B-15 looked on at the office one last time. She stared at the mangled body of Hunter D-90. The one that was loyal to a fault. The one that mocked her in lieu of listening to her. The one that met his end at the hands of a small yet fearsome Loki Variant.
“And how the mighty fall.”
Hunter B-15 saluted her fallen co-worker and escaped through the Time Door.
Notes:
Yeah, this is the chapter that bumped up the rating from T to M. Aside from my Moon, I don't really have a beta so this is a gut decision. A bit of a 'be safe over be sorry' mindset as it's an example of Kaia snapping in a way that scared even her.
As an aside, Kaia isn't meant to be an exact reincarnation of Agent of Asgard Loki; she has issues unique to her that she's going through. The lost tooth just felt like a nice touch to nod to the ways that she is similar to AOA Loki (Lævatienn, her close bond with Verity, etc).
Chapter 49: The Damage Control
Summary:
Chapter 49 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The group of six flee to Roxxcart, a safe haven from the TVA and everything else. It soon becomes evident that for them to feel even safer, some need absolute silence.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of PTSD, disassociation.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The temporal coordinates that Sylvie gave Hunter B-15 were similar, but not the same as the ones that were used to first hunt her down. This timeframe was roughly 12 hours prior to the disaster. The storm was intense, but not debilitating. The rain was annoying, but not crashing down like bullets. The warehouse was officially deemed as a place of shelter, so the entire store was evacuated.
Those were Sylvie’s favourite coordinates. She treated them like the keys to her front door.
Sylvie charged ahead and led everyone inside, out of the downpour. The automatic doors held themselves so all could cross the threshold, which boded well for those that had their hands filled.
“All the food and supplies that we need, all in one handy, abandoned location,” Sylvie boasted, “Even weapons!”
“Let’s… not talk about weapons for a bit…” Mobius urged for calm as he ran a gentle hand up and down Verity’s bicep. It was clear that she and Kaia were too shaken up to deal with another encounter with a weapon. The dripping wet shivering that Verity exuded only added to her plight.
Loki sympathized with the soggy demeanour. It certainly wasn’t comfortable the first time he was here. Without the proper rain gear, the average mortal ought to be miserable. He ensured Kaia was in a safe standing place before walking to Mobius and Verity. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. His digits were faintly glowing green just before he made contact. Not all of his magic needed physical contact to be passed on to others. The ‘drying off oneself’ spell was an exception, lest he just dry himself off instead.
Woosh!
Loki’s Seidr washed over Mobius and Verity in a flash. Instantaneously, their hair was dried and puffed up. Their clothes were no longer bogged down by rainwater. Loki even managed to clear the blood droplets that stained Verity’s uniform. At least she can be as good as new in a physical sense. That was the least he could do. Mobius thanked Loki on his and Verity’s behalf. Verity managed to bob a small nod with her head. Somehow, the latter was more rewarding for Loki.
With a soft smirk painted upon him, Loki moved on to Sylvie and Hunter B-15. He mimicked the same motion as before, letting his magic overtake his fingertips before gently placing a hand on each shoulder. Sylvie grunted her appreciation before glancing away from Loki, but it was not her reaction that he was looking forward to. Instead, his smirk grew wider as he turned to Hunter B-15. He didn’t forget her bewildered reaction to his magic the last time they were here. Neither did she. Previously, that magic was clearly self-serving to preserve Loki’s vanity. Par for his course. But now that she had a taste of what that magic felt like herself…
“Okay! I admit it!” Hunter B-15 conceded, “It’s cool!”
Kaia watched as Loki convened with Sylvie and Hunter B-15. They were talking about something, but she couldn’t quite hear. Her mind raced, trying to figure out why Loki had to pace away from her before speaking with the others. Then, she saw the flash of magic wash over their bodies.
That’s it. They’re preparing for her end.
Kaia inched back on her heel as Loki turned on his. He stepped closer. She stepped back. As she tried to maintain the distance between them, Loki took his turn bathing in the green magical light. His appearance changed along the line he manifested upon himself. His physique bulked up. His hands were outstretched, complete with an emerald ombré upon his skin.
“N-No!!” Kaia’s back slammed into the glass wall as she screamed. She had no weapon to hold, but she wouldn’t have wielded it if she did. She braced herself again the pane of glass, hoping that he would yield. Hoping that her saucer-shaped eyes showed that she was pleading for mercy against her crime.
Loki didn’t get it. All he did was dry himself off.
“Kaia? What is it?” Loki's face clouded with bewilderment. He stopped approaching, giving her a moment to catch her breath.
Kaia said nothing. She inhaled and exhaled audibly, looking at Loki with a foreign gaze. If one didn't know better, one would’ve thought that he had donned an entirely new outfit in place of simply drying his clothes.
“It’s trauma, Loki.”
All eyes fell onto Hunter B-15, who stood firmly on her distant diagnosis. She had seen that look on Kaia’s face a thousand times before. The sight of seeing someone pruned was enough to bring some greenhorn Minutemen to their knees, never mind developing the nerve it takes to conduct such a manoeuvre on a regular basis. Kaia was the reddest greenhorn that B-15 had ever met.
“She’s going through it right now, processing the kill. She’s not thinking clearly.”
“Well, that seems rather obvious…” Loki knew Kaia well enough by now. She would've been offended by the tone of this talk; speaking of her as if she weren't within earshot. If Kaia were truly herself, she would've shut this conversation down. Instead, she remained hushed and weary as Loki continued. “And what might you suggest in order to help her think rationally?”
“For a start, tone down the magic.” Hunter B-15 motioned to Loki’s hands. “Disarm yourself, no sudden movements.”
Loki followed Hunter B-15’s gaze, landing squarely on his hands. His fingers were still glowing neon above the knuckles. Was that really agitating Kaia? She hadn’t been distressed by magic since the ‘trojan horse' incident1 on Lamentis, and this spell was far less intense.
Yet, Loki had to give the suggestion some credence. He dimmed his digits back to normal. He showed his palms to Kaia, proving that he was unarmed both physically and magically. He opted not to say anything, letting his posture speak for itself. And much to his surprise… it worked.
Kaia’s panting steadied and faded into the silence of the mega-mall. Her eyes darted up and down, welling with tears on each pass. But she did not recoil when he closed the gap between them. She let him approach, allowing him to perceive her in her miserable, soggy glory. As relieved as he was to see her somewhat calmer, this did not solve the initial problem that he was trying to resolve.
“And how is she supposed to dry off now?” Loki said indignantly.
“There are washrooms over there.” Sylvie used the tip of Kaia's sword to point toward a set of blue doors. Three doors stood adjacent to the rows of cash registers. Each door had a decal depicting different types of people; some standing, some sitting.
“This place has to have a massive clothing section too, in case things don’t come off…" Mobius added. As a servant of the Sacred Timeline, Mobius had no need for a varying wardrobe, but he had always admired the creative ways that humans designed and donned unique outfits.
“Somewhere west, near the beauty and wellness supplies,” Sylvie answered this from cognitive reflex, and not from experience, thank you very much.
“Or I can just will the stains away when she’s ready…” Normally, Loki would be one to emphatically join in talks of fashion, but it seemed ill-timed as of now. Somehow, the fitting option was to ruin his immediate laundry job and accept a still-damp Kaia under his arm once more. All things considered, she was calm. It was a minor miracle that she didn’t flinch or fidget herself out of his grip.
To all, it became abundantly clear that Loki would be the only one suited to aide a struggling Kaia. And who knows how long that could take? Sylvie cleared her throat. She made sure to capture Loki’s attention, for it was obvious that he would need directions to catch up with the rest of the group. And of course, Sylvie knew the best hiding spot.
“We’ll be in the control room. Near the coffee bar, there’s a ‘Staff Only' door that will lead you to a series of administrative offices. There are plaques along the walls that’ll guide you to the control room from there.”
Loki accepted Sylvie’s instructions with grace and a slight bow of his head. "We won’t be long, I assure you.”
With a gentle guiding arm, Loki led Kaia away from the group and towards the washrooms. Kaia had snapped back into her default face: tearful and weary. She couldn’t even make eye contact with Verity, who silently had her gaze trained back on her.
Verity could at least manage to swivel her head. She stole a look at Loki as they passed her. A small, soft smile from him truthfully told her that he would tend to her genuinely, but it didn’t make the parting any easier to take in.
“Loki will help her, I know you know that…” Mobius reassured her with both his words and a gentle stroke of her arm. “Let’s go rest in the control room.”
Verity nodded. Rest sounded like a wonderful idea, despite waking up from a nice nap not long ago. Outside of the TVA, one could feel the weight of the passage of time much more harshly. The darkened afternoon stormy skies seeping in from the windows didn’t help matters in the slightest. The adrenaline drop from the harrowing ordeal back in the office was merely a cherry on top. Verity managed well enough on her feet to keep up with the others as they walked. But as soon as she could, she was going to take another much-needed nap.
Sylvie led the charge, weaving her smaller brigade through grocery aisles toward the control room. Most of the food items were canned or mere ingredients to compose a greater dish. No one in this foursome had an appetite for anything; recent events were much harder to swallow.
Hunter B-15 fell back in her steps a bit. She joined Verity’s other side, who remained a bit closer to Mobius than her. Although the redhead was a bit more subtle about it, Hunter B-15 could still tell that Verity had her own trauma that she was dealing with.
“Do you wanna talk about what happened, Verity?” Hunter B-15 offered.
“Do you wanna hear it?” Verity’s face scrunched up. Despite practice on the timeline with Kaia, talking with such a vulnerable undertone was still a foreign concept to her.
“Debriefs are a common task after a mission…” Hunter B-15 smiled, “Talking about these heavy missions tends to help shake the weight off your mind.”
A debrief usually happened in a Time Theatre, for the sake of a quiet room and the recording equipment inside. A sit-down interview with the lead witness for a personal account of the mission or the Nexus Event. It helped form the paperwork that all higher-ups would sign to officially close a major case. The type of debrief that Hunter B-15 was asking for was much more informal. A heart-to-heart, an honest vent, a chance for release.
Who was Verity to doubt an expert like Hunter B-15? Talking might actually help this time. She drew in a quiet breath as she recounted the memories that her mind had tried to shield her from.
“We were talking and he just stormed in… He attacked Kaia first. He was so angry…” Verity paused. Kaia’s cries of anguish replayed in her memories. She needed a second to recover from it. “They fought… she broke his Time Stick and he threw her into Renslayer’s bar… and…”
Sylvie stopped walking under the arch of the ‘Staff Only’ doorway. She looked back to see Hunter B-15 and Mobius standing close to Verity, who had suddenly stopped walking. Verity wasn’t looking at any of them but at the empty abyss of a disjointed shopping aisle. Her eyes were lost in thought, yet her lips dipped with sorrow. Sylvie knew that type of face; a subtle look of regret.
“I was such an idiot… I should’ve just gone to a safe place and called for help...” Verity teared up, “B-But I couldn’t just leave her, so I sent that page and tried to attack him back… but I choked…”
“Hey, you didn’t choke, we got the message, we got back in time…” Mobius’ hand respectfully drifted to comfort Verity’s back.
“Not before Kaia found her inner Loki,” Sylvie interjected with her grip still firmly on Kaia’s murder weapon, “You’re fortunate to know someone that would kill for you.”
Mobius’ face flattened in the wake of such brass tact. “Really? You gotta word it like that?”
“I’m not going to lie to a truth interpreter.”
“A-appreciated…” A simple word from Verity brushed off any hard feelings. Sylvie wasn’t wrong; she was an interpreter of the truth and those that tell it (or don’t). Each person has their own style to their manner of speaking. She hadn’t known Sylvie for long, but her brand of honesty seemed to be blunt and raw. No fluff nor elegance; just cut to the chase. It wasn't exactly polite, but neither was the truth.
“Look, if it helps, I know D-90 wouldn’t have listened to you two…” Hunter B-15 said, "He was always so attached to Judge Renslayer. He wouldn’t believe us over her.”
Verity nodded. The rational part of her brain knew that Hunter D-90 had full intention to end them both. It was either him or them; Kaia ensured that it was only him. Although she was grateful to be alive, seeing someone so brutally stabbed to death wasn’t an easy sight to take in.
Yeah, talking about it made her feel a bit better. She took a step forward, encouraging the others to climb the stairs with her.
On the other side of those stairs rested a strange new area; a corporate-like administrative floor. Sterile white walls, occasionally spotted by directional signs that gave one a sense of direction. Equally plain white doors, each with a vertical window and a precise black plaque set aside to each room’s purpose. A singular vending machine was no temptation to the foursome, despite its array of bottled beverages. As Sylvie followed the halls toward the security guard’s nest, bits and pieces of the floor flooded back into Mobius’ and Verity’s minds. These walls had once been a blur to them, only when they had gotten word of then-hostage Hunter C-20’s location. Sure enough, at the end of one hallway, they entered Sylvie’s favourite room in all of Roxxcart. The very same control room in which they had found Hunter C-20.
As per usual, Sylvie wasted no time. She placed Kaia’s sword down in front of the security desk before she hurried around the room, setting up the scene for a breather. Her movements were meticulous as she pulled foldable furniture from the walls into the centre of the room. She positioned several metal chairs around a circular pop-up table, one chair for each of them, even the two that were currently missing. It wasn’t much, but it would serve as a good break room.
“We’ve got quite a while before we even need to think about looping back to the beginning. But all Roxxcart employees are either on the main floor or in the warehouse for the entire apocalyptic timeframe. No one will bother us here, at least not until Loki and Kaia return,” Sylvie said as she finished her set-up of musical chairs. She took to one large cabinet in the far corner of the room. She sidestepped from the cabinet as soon as she tampered with an unusual door.
THUNK!
The sidestep was to avoid the skinny wall bed that creaked down from the hollow furniture. Calling it a ‘bed' might be too generous; it was more of an army cot with a thin mattress carefully strapped to it. Sylvie had to unceremoniously dislodge a pillow from an inner compartment of the cabinet to complete the ensemble. It wasn’t much, but it was serviceable. Sylvie could speak well of it, especially in comparison to other apocalypses.
“If you truly do need to rest, Verity, use this.” Sylvie turned 180 degrees and offered her bed to Verity. “Otherwise, we can keep an eye on things with the CCTV and readjust our plan.”
Verity’s nod was a bit slower this time. As thorough as Sylvie was, her words started to fuzz out from Verity’s ears after ‘rest’ was mentioned.
“Thank you…” Verity said quietly as she delicately placed herself down on the cot. The Time Stick she had slipped out of her hand and rolled a bit towards the table. She barely managed to take off and place her glasses in a safe spot. It was the last thing she remembered doing before clocking out of consciousness.
Mobius smiled. He wasn’t sure what he was happier about seeing: Verity sleeping peacefully or Sylvie showcasing a sliver of compassion.
“That was nice of you…” Mobius said as he took a seat.
“Don’t get used to it,” Sylvie reiterated. “I won’t be coddling anyone going forward.”
Mobius rolled his eyes. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Hey, now that we’ve got a minute to breathe, maybe we can figure out that new plan, hmm?” Hunter B-15 said as she collected Verity’s Time Stick. She was used to being the mediator. She was also used to the mutual grunt that Mobius and Sylvie shared; a simple audio cue told the Hunter that she was right (like usual).
“Well, the obvious is to figure out where Renslayer went…” Sylvie walked across the room, past all of the chairs she set up, and sat down in the swivel chair in front of the wall of television screens. She scanned the cameras slightly. No familiar or unfamiliar faces in sight.
Hunter B-15 hummed in agreement as she settled in another seat. She laid Verity’s baton across the table, though it tempted no one. A few chairs spaced her from both Mobius and Sylvie, but more importantly, she had a clear view of the open door. Although she believed Sylvie’s memory of this timeline, the harrowing tale of an unexpected guest fed her mild paranoia.
“She probably had files to go on…” Hunter B-15 dislodged her TemPad from the protector on her wrist. “You think we can access those types of files on here, Mobius?”
Mobius sighed as he pulled his own TemPad out, “I don’t have the same level of access she does… we’ll be looking blind.”
“Maybe Miss Minutes can help?”
“Who knows what Ravonna told her about us… Let’s not involve her just yet.”
Mobius didn’t want to outright say that he didn’t trust Miss Minutes. She was a core aspect of the TVA as a whole! However, so long as no one calls on her, she would remain dormant. Her limitless memory wouldn’t make a log about search history made on the TemPads of those recently noted as traitors to the TVA. Or worse, a search carried out by a man marked as pruned in his status screen. Until he had time to sort that out, Mobius figured that the best course of action was to keep their digital tracks to a minimum.
Meanwhile, Sylvie eyed the two TemPads curiously. She was still without the one she had nicked from D-90; either Kaia still had it or it was among the rubble back in the office. If she could just get her hands on one, perhaps she could find Renslayer’s whereabouts faster than either of them.
“I don't suppose you have a third TemPad in there, hmm?”
“Not unless you wanna wake Verity up.”
Sylvie grumbled. It was a cruel suggestion on Mobius’ part, and they both knew it. A roundabout way of saying ‘no,’ for they both knew better than to disturb Verity’s sleep after all she had gone through. Despite the mould that she had to form for herself, she was not entirely devoid of empathy.
To keep her hands busy, she picked up Kaia's sword. Its golden blade was decorated with Hunter D-90’s blood. The blood was no longer wet, but it hadn’t completely soaked the medal yet. If Kaia had lost the fight, this weapon would be evidence of her worthiness to Valhalla. But she won. Sylvie knew of a different way to honour that victory.
Sylvie used the chair’s wheels strategically, pushing herself closer to the furthest end of the desk. There was a set of drawers resting underneath the desk and against the blue wall, all of varying sizes. Within the largest drawer was a humble set of cleaning supplies. She plucked a tub of disposable wipes from its resting place and plopped it onto the table’s surface. The force was enough to dislodge the worn lid. It was hard to say just how many wipes were left within the canister, but it didn’t matter to her. They were damp enough to do the job. She twisted her chair, kicked up her legs on the table, and started to clean Kaia’s sword.
The next few moments were silent, save for the occasional trill from the active TemPads. Not even the security cameras made noise; there was no audio attached to them. Six large monitors kept an eye on most of the mega-mall, though the storm outside prompted the feeds to stutter or jitter more often than not. Keyboards that were hooked up to the computers allowed Sylvie to alternate feeds at her will. She flicked the screens to show the 31st feed, which was a rather unorthodox number assigned to the main entrance. The washroom doors were small but still visible, understandably the closest anyone could get to Loki and Kaia. The storm outside showing through the glass entrance doors was proof that the feed wasn’t frozen. But not a soul was stirring within that entryway; Loki hadn’t brought Kaia out from that washroom.
The eerie quiet of the feeds caught Hunter B-15’s attention. She couldn’t help but ponder, “Do you think Loki could really bring Kaia down from that kind of trauma?”
It was an open question. An honest one. It takes time to bring someone down from immediate shock. The impact from such a brutal sight, however, can be impossible to truly shake off. B-15 wasn’t sure if Loki had the skillset to help.
Predictably, Mobius answered first. “I trust him.”
Just as predictably, Sylvie rejected the notion, “No one can be trusted.”
“Yanno, if you wanna get anywhere in your mission, you’re gonna have to learn to trust us.”
“Then trust me with a TemPad. You can borrow Verity’s.”
It was Mobius’ turn to grumble. He walked right into that one.
“All right, all right, break it up…” Hunter B-15 regretted bringing Loki up. She decided to divert back to the topic they were researching. “Mobius, do you remember anything else like that pen? A trinket that Judge Renslayer had that could lead to another location?”
“Not by heart, no…” Even if Mobius could remember the many objects Ravonna treasured from missions, he couldn’t pin down a pattern to what she picked. Heck, she even archived some pieces when a new trophy caught her fancy. From what he knew of her — and he knew her very well — Ravonna wasn’t overly sentimental.
“I could go back to the office and search?” Sylvie offered up her services without a second thought. Her eyes were fully transfixed on Kaia’s blade as she spoke.
“Not while the body’s hot,” Mobius objected, “And definitely not by yourself.”
“Yeah, if we’re splitting up, we do so in teams,” Hunter B-15 added.
“Then what happens when someone else finds the body?”
Mobius and Hunter B-15 both set their TemPads down. Sylvie had a point. Time may pass differently in the TVA, but someone was bound to discover the missing parties and the dead body eventually. Someone was bound to check personnel files and realize that Ravonna needed to be flagged as missing or possibly deceased. Someone was bound to ask too many questions, possibly about Verity, one of the last people seen in that office. Someone was bound to issue a warrant or six.
Mobius sighed. He wasn’t quite a judge, but as a lead analyst and detective, his ranking did give him some extra merit to deal with emergency situations. Perhaps now was the best time to sort that out after all.
“I… might have to do the damage control part first, then…”
Sylvie raised an eyebrow. Her interest was genuine. “Can you do that from here?”
“Partially. I can’t do anything about D-90 from here, obviously. But I can fix personnel files remotely, so that Hunter B-15 and I can go back to the TVA without being questioned as to why we're not detained… or in my case, why I’m alive.” Mobius eyed Sylvie. She was staring at him like an eager student. It would’ve been endearing if the golden glint didn’t catch his eyes. In spite of that, he caved. “Do you wanna see?”
Sylvie nodded. She set Kaia’s now-clean sword on the desk and nudged herself away from the blade. Not that Sylvie had any need to harm Mobius anyway, but the gesture was the best form of reassurance that she could do.
Mobius got up. He walked around Hunter B-15, dragging an empty chair behind him as he repositioned himself to sit down beside Sylvie. He let her watch his screen as he navigated to his TemPad through a database of TVA personnel. His fingertips moved masterfully along the tiny keyboard as he made a beeline for Hunter B-15’s status screen. Not even Sylvie could make out what he was typing, so she focused fully on the tiny TemPad screen’s rapidly flashing lights until they settled on a familiar personnel file.
Sylvie could see the ‘DETAINED’ status notation flash within an orange box for only a moment. Just as quickly as it blinked in, the word disappeared entirely. A messy wall of text overflowed onto the screen. Sylvie couldn’t make heads or tails of it; it was all gibberish to her.
Meanwhile, the word vomit didn’t faze Mobius. He kept his eyes on his keys as he calmly explained his thought process to her.
“Admittedly, we at the TVA rely on our TemPads too much. Any TemPad can scan any Variant for their temporal aura. In a TVA employee’s case, we would scan them for their personnel file. There are too many of us to keep track of normally, so we use this database to recall information on each other and the respective missions that they log. Our file is seen as gospel.”
“Like a really lame social media site?”
“I wouldn’t describe it like that, but I suppose it’s got the spirit.”
Mobius’ fingers moved like magic, pressing a series of buttons flawlessly, like a memorized cheat code. His presses weren’t replicated on the screen but rather cleared certain lines like rows on Tetris. Not even he made full sense of the mumbo-jumbo on his screen, but ultimately, he knew what he was doing.
“This is a hidden administrative command, letting me override and edit the personnel file. It won’t even track that I made the update to the file. For privacy’s sake, I can’t tell ya the whole sequence…” Mobius explained with his typical bureaucratic charm, “But I can tell you that this one ends with me typing in the status condition that I want people to see.”
Mobius made a show of typing out six letters to Sylvie: I-N-T-A-C-T.
Sure enough, Hunter B-15 was back intact. Good as new. Returned to a normative standard, as if she were never arrested. For the first time… well, ever, Sylvie was impressed by what someone at the TVA could do. If only she could memorize it and pull it off for herself. Alas, with no code to her brain and a tight-lipped Mobius, Sylvie opted for a different approach: shooting her shot.
“So me next, right?” Sylvie grinned. Being perceived as normal in the TVA’s eyes sounded great right about now.
Mobius frowned. “I’d like to, but your reputation precedes you a little bit. The best I can do is flag you down as a Variant, like Loki and Kaia.”
“Fine,” Sylvie said flatly. She felt every pore of interest evapourate from her face. In theory, ‘Variant’ probably sounded better than ‘Mass Minutemen Murderer,’ but she couldn’t deny that the word would still have a hurdle within TVA grounds. Especially since the idea of blending into her surroundings did not supersede her dignity.
“But I’m not dressing up in one of those stupid little office uniforms!”
“How about Minutemen armour?” Hunter B-15 teased.
“I have my own.”
Sylvie crossed her arms. Her huff ended the conversation abruptly. Her eyes scanned the cameras for any sign of Loki or Kaia, in case they had left their confines during that time. All she got was static. Blasted storm.
Mobius took the hint and went back to work. He checked Verity’s profile. By some miracle, she was flagged not as a detainee, but as a probationary employee, shortened down to ‘probie’ in the system. Perhaps she needed that type of pass in the system in order to stay in Ravonna’s shadow. She didn’t usually deal with so-called prisoners directly.
Mobius glanced over at Verity. She hadn't stirred at all, despite the lively conversations. It was a relief. She deserved the peace, the restful sleep. She hadn’t gone into detail about her time with Ravonna. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t need to. He trusted that Verity would speak up with relevant information when the need arises.
With his mind settled, Mobius pulled up the next file: his own.
Seeing ‘DECEASED’ next to his own name stung a little. Eons of service summed up in a one-word lie. Luckily, Mobius could fix this.
His mind wandered as his reflexes repeated the hacker-esque sequence into his TemPad. Ravonna actually taught him this trick for emergency situations.
Oh, the irony.
He didn’t have to do this often, but when he did, he had Ravonna’s blessing. Hopefully, she won’t mind this.
Mobius couldn’t help but smile at his fixed screen. He revived himself, almost like a Loki. He wondered if L1130 would be proud.
Bored out of her skull, Sylvie’s eyes wandered back to Mobius’ TemPad. His intact file was on full display. Or rather, his intact Variant file.
“You know, I bet your proper file’s on there too, Mobius.”
“I… I am staring at my proper file?”
“Not that, Variant! Your actual file, from the Sacred Timeline!”
Oh. In all of the chaos, Mobius had nearly forgotten the events before Verity’s page. They met a Variant of Ravonna! He had confirmation of his Sacred counterpart! He really had a life on the Sacred Timeline! And he couldn’t remember a drop of it.
“Think about it, Mobius. Your existence is already written. Predetermined and recorded, just waiting for you to read! Don’t you want to know what could’ve been?”
“Before this, you had a past… Maybe you had a family… A whole life on the timeline…”
Mobius shivered involuntarily. His brain reminded him of one of the key moments that made him question his entire existence. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything as Sylvie continued on in her speech.
“I bet I could find that file. Or better yet, I could enchant you! Show you the memories buried deep in your subconscious, free of charge. What do you say, Mobius… or should I call you Michael?”
Sylvie didn’t force her offer on Mobius, but she show him her hands, complete with an eerie green glow kissing her fingernails. She presented him with an opportunity for answers. With one word, he could be shown his past, present, and future, as intended by whoever created the Sacred Timeline.
But what would she show him? The possibilities were endless.
Based on what little they learned at the school, Michael was close with Rebecca. Were they in the early stages of dating, or were they years into their relationship? Was Rebecca the only woman in his life? Did he have girlfriends or boyfriends before her, or after her? Did he have a family? Did he have a family with Rebecca?
Friends across time… or were they more than that?
“No.”
“No?”
“I appreciate the offer, Sylvie, but I don’t want to know.”
“What‘s the matter? Scared of knowing your past?”
“I’m scared of breaking my heart.”
Mobius’ voice softened considerably as he spoke. It quelled the rapid-fire nature of their conversation rather quickly. Sylvie opted to not reply, but rather let Mobius say his peace.
“Yanno, I’ve spent my life watching the Sacred Timeline as an observer… watching families form and grow… go through great times, hardships and tragedies… I’ve seen people broken by Nexus Events before we erase their variance… I watched it, but I never lived it.”
Mobius set his TemPad down. He lifted his hands up for a moment just before bringing them back down dejectedly. A rise and fall to mimic his emotional rollercoaster.
“But now I know that I existed on the Timeline, just like you. I had a family. Parents, cousins, and maybe even a spouse. What if that family looked just like the colleagues I’ve worked alongside for eons? What if Rebecca and Michael really loved each other? What if she was the love of Michael’s life, of my life? How can I face Ravonna again if I know that we were meant to be together in a Sacred life? I couldn't hurt her if I knew that.”
Tha-thump! Mobius’ heart rattled against his ribcage. Although his and Ravonna’s relationship at the TVA was strictly void of romance, he couldn’t deny that mutual admiration used to exist between them. That’s what made everything hurt.
“Sylvie, this revelation has made me respect your journey and your mission more than ever. I can sympathize with what you’ve lost. That’s why I can’t deal with knowing about Michael’s life. If I know what I’ve lost, that’ll compromise me on my mission.”
A pause filled the air. Only Verity’s steady breathing could be heard. Sylvie needed a moment to process the speech. It wasn’t every day that she received recognition for her lifelong struggles. It felt… good.
“You're right, we can’t compromise the mission.”
But Mobius didn’t need to know that he had that kind of impact. She needed to maintain her mask, at least for now. He was right; emotions will muddy the waters. She couldn’t afford to make things difficult.
Speaking of difficult…
Sylvie glanced back to her security screens. Not a Variant in sight.
“What’s taking those two so long?” Sylvie lamented.
“I’m sure they’re fine…” Hunter B-15 said as she adjusted a search query on her TemPad, “Maybe they’re looking for a snack.”
Hmm. Food. It had been a while since anyone ate. No one had said anything in the moments leading up to it, but hunger did start to pang within them all.
“Fine. I’ll look for them on the feeds while you do whatever.”
The ‘whatever’ that Sylvie implied was a bit ambiguous, but Hunter B-15 and Mobius got the point. They regained their TemPads as they searched up leads relevant to Ravonna, to Rebecca, to that high school, and to so much more. The duo alternated in checking on Verity, who remained undisturbed during the entire ordeal.
Sylvie flicked the cameras to one of her favourite places in Roxxcart: the coffee bar. Not only was it close to the control room, but it had enough caffeine to make a duckling break a few sound barriers. It would be a convenient place for Loki and Kaia to refuel before joining them.
The camera feed switched just in time. She only caught a glimpse of someone’s back before the staff room door closed itself. But she knew the back of that raven-haired head anywhere, regardless of video quality. Loki and Kaia were finally on their way. Sylvie could only wonder what the story was for their delay. She wouldn’t have to wait long.
- Loki will still swear up and down that putting Kaia’s inter-dimensional pocket to good use was the right plan of action at the time. There just wasn’t a good time to explain! [ ▲ ]
Notes:
LOKI SEASON 2 EPISODE 1!!! 🫨
I'm so excited for the new season! I know I said season 2 wouldn't affect this story too much because the plot is outlined, but I'd be lying if I thought a few characters didn't make sense in far future roles, fulfilling a slot I had already planned. Wait and see...
Chapter 50: The Pillage
Summary:
Chapter 50 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Loki brings Kaia to a quiet place to clean up and calm down.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of PTSD, disassociation.
Notes:
Before we start, I'm posting this on the one-year anniversary of posting the first two chapters of this fic. It's been quite a journey with ups and downs, consistency and real life getting in the way. I know that this story isn't as popular as it could be, even for a fic with no smut or romantic pairing focus. But it still means the world to me. It's a story that I want to tell. And it means the world to me that you're still here somehow. Thank you for reading. 💚
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The state of the Midgardian public toilet room was downright deplorable. Scribbles on the walls, scuffs on the floors, smears on the stall doors that Loki dared not to think about further. People were supposed to unsheathe and relieve themselves in such a putrid place? Inconceivable!
If Kaia wasn’t so fragile, he would’ve brought her anywhere else. But this awful place would have to do. At least it was quiet.
Kaia stumbled as Loki brought her into the washrooms. Even with his aide keeping her on her feet, she wasn’t walking properly anymore. She simply hung, her upper body slightly bowed over Loki’s arm. Her previously trance-like state waned to emotion and uneven steps. The tears that dripped from her eyes cleaned out specks of dirt from the tiles. The blood she wore on her arms hadn’t been washed out by the rain. She didn’t appear faint, but she didn’t seem aware of where she was anymore.
Loki needed to sit Kaia down in order to tend to her. He didn’t consider the floor or the stalls. By default, the sink countertops were the ideal option. Even then, they still looked filthy.
With his free hand, Loki called upon his Seidr. A warm glow radiated from him as a green blanket — complete with gold trim — covered a solid corner of the counter. Its edges cut off just before reaching the dreary sink.
What should have been a quiet victory morphed into a frantic panic. Kaia’s breathing pattern suddenly became shorter and more desperate. She couldn’t unclench her mouth, so all Loki could hear were short, scared whistles through her teeth.
“Kaia?”
When the magic fell from Loki’s hand, the whistles stopped. Kaia had only opened her mouth. No words came out. Such a reaction from her concerned Loki greatly.
“It’s trauma. She’s not thinking clearly.”
Hunter B-15’s advice echoed in Loki’s mind. It truly confounded him. Could trauma really run that deep?
Loki brought Kaia to the sinks manually. He lifted her up and sat her down on the blanket, propping her up against the wall-length mirror. She abided by her new position like a patient on an infirmary bench. He cleared the hair from her eyes to get a better look at her.
Kaia’s face still stung from her tears, which were now falling at a slow, silent rate. She was no longer consumed by bodily tremors, but she still wore the blood of her victim. Her eyes were small, pinprick pupils staring at Loki’s hands. Specifically at the hand that Loki used to conjure the blanket.
“Kaia, I’m going to help clean off the blood, all right? This won’t hurt…” Loki said gently, raising the same hand Kaia was fixated on.
However, as soon as the hand started to channel magic, Kaia flinched. She scrunched her face and recoiled her whole body back further into the cold mirror. She had no verbal objection, but her head swung back and forth with a negative connotation.
Loki stopped and looked down at his induced hand. With a twist of his head, he put the pieces together in his mind. When he had picked her up, he had done so without magic. Yet, when his godly reflexes kicked in, Kaia reacted negatively. This was, without a doubt, a pattern.
It really was that deep, wasn't it? Even when the trauma spouted from a place with anti-magic barriers?
Loki looked back at Kaia and asked, “Is the magic still too invasive at the moment?”
Kaia only nodded.
“So be it…” Loki shook the magic out of his hand. He still didn’t understand why Kaia felt flighty around magic, but he wasn’t about to question her trauma out loud. He had a bigger dilemma to worry about now; how exactly would he tend to her with no magic?
He scanned the room for resources. The only dignified sources of water were the sink taps to Kaia’s right. On Kaia’s left was a metallic box with brown towels spilling out from the bottom. They appeared to be made of paper and had limited stamina, but what other options did he have?
Splishhh…
The water rushed beside them like a tiny waterfall. Loki had to keep the tap running in order to make any headway. It was such a menial task, to dab the paper towel in water and then brush away the blood that stained Kaia’s skin. There was little he could do for her outfit without magic, but at least she was calm enough to let Loki touch her hands without issue. When he glanced up at her, he could see her posture starting to relax; her eyes dilating to a regular size.
“If you were stabbed anywhere, just show me where…” Loki kept his voice quiet and soft. It was how his mother spoke to him when she tended to his childhood scrapes and to his brother’s roughhousing stab wounds.
Much to Loki’s surprise, Kaia spoke. It was shaky and unsteady, but she still said, “I br-broke his S-Stick…”
“You did? Smart move…” Loki complimented as he turned her palm skyward, “It was very noble, to protect your friend…”
He regretted mentioning Verity as soon as it left his lips.
Kaia hitched a heavy breath in, needing every bit of oxygen in order to explain herself. “He t-took her Stick f-from her… He would’ve…. he would’ve pr…”
She couldn’t bring herself to mention the p-word. Her face started to rival the downpour of the sink beside her.
“Kaia, breathe… both you and Verity are safe, nobody’s been pruned…” Loki did his best to keep her grounded. “All things considered, you were the only one that could save her at that moment…"
Save? Is that the word for it?
“She… she… I…” Her words faltered into shallow breathing. She was doing everything to concentrate, but she felt her world fading.
Kaia blinked. Loki wasn’t there anymore. She saw the Hunter’s dead body in the office. Another blink and she was back with Loki. Where was she really? She couldn’t quite guess. What if she wasn’t with Loki? Someone could find her here with the body at any given time. She’d be pruned again, or perhaps worse. All Time Sticks have a hidden spear, right? They could just as easily—
“Kaia, look here.”
She blinked. She was back in the washroom with Loki. In the palm of his hand, he held a bundle of fireworks. They were just as warm as they were before.
Loki was fortunate that she didn’t flinch. He had to break the no-magic request if only to rely on what he knew worked. A tried and true Loki condition, to be stilled by the magic taught by the Queen of Asgard.
“That’s it, just focus on this…” Just like that first time, Loki transferred the tiny light show into Kaia’s clean hand. “I’m going to tend to the blood on your face properly now.”
Kaia nodded, trying to hypnotize herself against the lights. To take herself out of the moment, out of what she had done.
Each pass of the paper towel against her cheek brought her right back to the moment she saw red. But she didn’t have the same adrenaline. Not anymore. What’s done is done, and it felt like she had done it a thousand times before. Like Sylvie had been enchanting her, puppeteering her body to make all the right moves.
But no. That was all Kaia. And that’s when it all… clicked.
“Hah... hah… hahaha!”
Kaia laughed. A sharp, bitter laugh that even caught Loki off guard. His hand hovered in front of her as the dark humour bubbled over, clouded by a sudden realization on her part. Kaia fell into step at that time because she had likely done so before, in a life that she couldn’t remember.
“So… this is what it’s like to be a Loki, then?” Kaia asked, “Can’t d-deny it now that I have a body count…”
Loki shook his head. “You acted on your instinct, even when it might not have been the ‘right’ choice. It’s clear to me that you enjoyed no part of killing him, and that’s what makes you a Loki…”
Kaia said nothing, staring at the fireworks. If she dared to look at Loki, she worried that the tears falling from her face would only multiply.
Loki used one last paper towel to dry off her face, her tears included. “We don’t enjoy hurting people, but sometimes, we have to.”
And that she certainly did. With her dominant hand; the same hand that started to tremble under her own emotion. With each shake, a sprig of firework spun out and faded into nothing. As her distraction fizzled out, Kaia could only look back to Loki.
His face was solemn, contrasted by a hopeful glint in his eyes. At least, it might have been a hopeful glint. Kaia lost track of his face as her hazel eyes fractured into salty kaleidoscopes.
“I… I-I just wanted…” To protect her.
“I know.”
Loki gently pulled Kaia away from the mirror, guiding him into his embrace. She clung onto him like a marsupial, letting all of her pent-up emotion out onto her friend. Her body shivered against his, and no comforting stroke of his chilled hand was enough to quell it. For his part, Loki took it like a champ. He couldn’t have fathomed letting anyone this close to himself, both literally and figuratively. If he hadn’t felt empathy for her traumatic plight, he might have enjoyed it.
“It’s okay, Kaia…” Loki said, “It’s all right…”
“N-No, it’s not…” she babbled between sobs.
“What happened happened, and it cannot be changed…”
“Wh… why are you being so nice‽”
Loki was fortunate that Kaia could not see his face from her vantage point. He didn’t want her to take his silent balk the wrong way. Him? Nice? Is that what this is?
After that pause, Loki requested clarification with a simple, “Pardon?”
He felt the heat from Kaia’s flushed face through his shirt. Loki couldn’t have known that one little word turned out to be a war cry. Every inch of tension that had built up from Kaia’s strange behaviours had led up to this moment. A simple question: why did she deserve compassion?
“I… I just KILLED someone!” Kaia erupted, “I should be punished, a-and here you are, comforting me‽ Why‽”
It did seem a little backward, didn’t it? Here on this sink sat a guilty Loki, primed for the lynch mob. Under normal circumstances, murder would be a punishable offence. Yet, Loki couldn’t bring himself to chastise her. What was her crime? Defending herself? Defending Verity? Every Loki had selfish intentions. Perhaps that’s why he could relate. His intentions when he overtook his father’s throne as he slept were purely selfish. He just wanted what his brother had; to be his equal. But that was too selfish for some. He found no comfort within his home, so he fell and found it elsewhere.
He found comfort in a Titan, who used power as a lure to take things too far through his vessel. Perhaps the Battle of New York would’ve gone differently if he didn’t have Others whispering in his ear. What a selfish thought; to rule without interference.
But no, New York fell. Loki killed well over 100 Midgardians. Not by his own hand, but through destruction and collateral damage. To Loki at the time, those deaths were merely unfortunate. Those people were meant to be ruled, not slain. To everyone else, they just saw cruel deaths that deserved retribution. Understandably, they would want an eye for an eye. No wonder a mighty few came to avenge them.
Those pesky Avengers certainly wanted to make an example of him. They wanted him to serve his penance on Midgard, possibly to make his final performance a show for the public. But one person didn’t. One person insisted on letting him live to see his day in the all-father’s court. A day that some of his Variant counterparts likely appreciated.
Like in most scenarios, Loki could do much better than Thor’s precedent. He knew precisely why Kaia deserved mercy.
“Perhaps that’s what we needed from time to time… comfort, assurance, acceptance. Perhaps that could’ve prevented some of the choices we made…” As Loki hugged Kaia, he rubbed circles into her back with his hand. “Our battles won’t get any easier from here. We’re going to have to make more difficult choices going ahead. Self-pity and guilt won’t serve us going forward. We’ve got to recover for the journey ahead.”
Kaia sighed before nodding into his chest. He was right, wasn’t he? They were alone together, but this wasn’t the end. Whoever really was behind the TVA was still out there. They could possibly be watching, mocking, laughing. Kaia had to push that voyeuristic thought out of her mind to keep herself intact.
“I… I’ll try…”
“At your pace.”
Kaia nodded once more. She hadn’t found the strength to lift her head up just yet, but she no longer warped between reality and memory. She wasn’t at the TVA, reliving the scene of the crime. She was with Loki. She was safe… but it was just the two of them. She didn’t remember splitting off from the others.
“Where’s Vee?” asked Kaia.
“With Mobius, Hunter B-15, and Sylvie…” Loki recalled, “They’re tending to her. Sylvie mentioned something about a security room.”
Loki vaguely remembered Sylvie’s directions to find the security room. She was likely already waiting for them alongside the others. He probably should encourage Kaia to unlatch at some point. But another part of him didn’t want to rush her. Although he didn’t fully understand it, hugs such as this brought her a form of comfort. It was what she needed, so he didn’t mind complying.
What he did mind, however, was the way his hair still reeked of rainwater.
“Kaia, I’d like to clean myself off with magic. Can I do the same with you?”
Kaia nodded into Loki’s chest. With her vision no longer clouded, it was easier for her to accept the disruption around her.
Kaia shut her eyes. A flash of green overwhelmed her eyelids for a brief moment. She could feel the weight of the water and the blood lift from her body. Her hair expanded with volume and elegance, like a performer’s paper hand fan. When she pulled back from her hug, she could revel in the notion that both she and Loki were refreshed by pristinely cleaned formal wear. It was as if their TVA outfits had never graced the battlefield.
With a nod of acknowledgement, Loki helped Kaia down from her unusual perch. No one bothered to take the blanket with them. It served its purpose, and it was soon destined to be destroyed.
They exited the washroom to a desolate shopping centre. They had landed near the entrance, but the rows of registers and surrounding aisles were barren. Loki wanted to lead Kaia to the control room, but he was mindful not to let her fall behind while she was in a recovering state.
Th-Thunk!
So imagine his surprise when he saw Kaia pick up a little metal shopping basket. As she walked, she plucked at various treats that lingered near the registers into her container.
“Pillaging, are we?” Loki inquired.
“I’m hungry.” Kaia looked up at Loki blankly. “When was the last time you ate?”
Loki paused. When was the last time anyone ate? He couldn’t say for sure.
“Point taken, pillage away.”
The pillage went up and down a few aisles. Loki let Kaia take the lead, as it seemed to help her calm down further. Kaia felt like she was back in New York, making another shopping run. Though considering that the end destination would be a control room that presumably lacked a source of heat, her hunt consisted of pre-packaged items that would be ready to eat on the spot. Canisters of chips, boxes of granola bars, and an assortment of candy lined the shopping basket she had found earlier.
When they turned a corner, Kaia’s eyes glittered. On a solitary standing rack sat several rows of Kaia’s favourite treat: chocolate cups, filled to the brim with peanut butter. She hustled to the display tower and claimed the first packet for herself. She set down the basket and tore open the flimsy plastic, nearly dropping the confection before she could consume it.
Loki watched as Kaia stuffed both chocolate circles into her mouth, her hands continuing to cover her mouth after the bite. She hummed into her fingers and sunk her shoulders, lost in the flavour of the processed dessert. Each chew implied that she was in her own version of Valhalla. At least she was starting to regain her dramatic flair, thought Loki. But surely, that couldn’t satiate her hunger fully?
“We should find something substantial. Fruits, nuts…” Loki suggested.
Kaia was still mid-chew, so he got to enjoy the way her face twisted and glared at him while she swallowed her treat. At least she was polite enough to not retort with a full mouth.
“You think a tiny grape is more substantial than what we’ve got already?” Kaia argued as she cleared the cardboard display of its bounty. “There’s granola bars in there…”
Loki crossed his arms. Although he wanted Kaia to feel better, he would have thought she’d pick at things with a bit more heft.
“Besides, these things are amazing!” Kaia wagged the last chocolate cup packet in the air before throwing it into her basket, “There are nuts INSIDE the chocolate!”
Nuts… inside chocolate? Loki knew that Midgardians liked their cocoa confections, but such a fusion sounded extreme. What else would they do? Run molten chocolate through fountains like water?
Loki hesitated before muttering a quiet, incredulous-sounding “Right…”
“They’re good!!” Kaia pouted. “You should try them!!”
“We’ll see…”
Kaia rolled her eyes before conceding. “Okay, fine, look, there’s the produce section over there…”
The pair walked towards the assortment of fruits and vegetables, some of which were miraculously still shielded by a working fridge. There was still room for the oranges, bananas, and grapes that they took, but Loki noticed Kaia pause to adjust her grip on the nearly full basket.
“Here, allow me…” Loki said as he graciously took the basket from Kaia’s grip.
As Kaia thanked Loki, she noticed what their shopping spoils lacked: beverages.
“Oh, we need drinks…” Kaia looked around. The line of fridges that held produced morphed as she looked further down. She could see eggs, cheeses, and even milk and milk alternatives in the distance.
Loki, knowing Kaia’s preference for bubbly beverages, tried to gently steer her toward a non-carbonated option. “What’s Verity’s favourite drink? Something that would bring comfort to her?”
“I know how she takes her coffee, but…” Kaia looked around before continuing. “They don’t usually bottle that up.”
“Perhaps we can…”
Loki would be the first to tell you that his height was an advantage. Today was no exception. He could see over the aisles, including a distant flickering Roxxcart sign that cleverly reshaped the ‘a’ into a coffee cup. Roxxcart supposedly had everything. Live coffee wasn't an exception after all.
It came back to him when he saw the sign. Sylvie had mentioned that the way to the security control room was close to the coffee stall. Why not make a convenient pit stop?
The in-store coffee shop had fortunately not yet succumbed to the storm. They both made their way behind the registers, scraping together the necessary cups and trays to hold a decent coffee run. Kaia took the lead on working the coffee machine, which worked at an agonizingly slow drip.
“What did you guys find… before coming back to… that…?” Kaia asked with a bit of unease. She didn’t want to talk about ‘that’ moment anymore.
“Another Renslayer Variant. Perfectly human, a suburban high school vice principal…” Loki reported, “There’s a Mobius Variant in her timeline, too.”
Kaia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“That Variant recognized him under another name…”
“So they work together on another timeline, too?”
“Apparently. He seemed to be a teacher…”
“Once a scholar, always a scholar?” Kaia guessed. Loki could only shrug in response.
Throughout their catch-up conversation, the duo had taken to fulfilling the coffee run. Loki used a pinch of his magic to etch each name on the lid destined for each cup, though Kaia was quick to object to a hot beverage of her own. Although he had his suspicions about what she wanted to substitute it with, Loki opted not to battle her on such a small thing.
Kaia filled the coffee cups, mindful to not overflow each one. While she prepared each paper tray, Kaia instructed Loki to gather as many sugar pouches, cream packets, and stir sticks as he could. Aside from Verity, she wasn’t about to guess how the other companions took their coffee. Loki himself — not yet privy to the taste of coffee — opted to experiment with his drink once they settled back with the others.
Loki, Sylvie, and Verity’s cups were on one tray, while Mobius and Hunter B-15’s were on the other. Before being capped, Verity’s cup was a touch more full and a touch lighter than the others. Kaia had added her friend’s usual order of one cream and zero sugar before adding the appropriate cap. Whatever holder didn’t hold a cup instead held as many sugars or creams that Loki could fit. A stir stick was slotted into the opening of each lid to complete the ensemble.
With their pillage just about complete, the duo meandered their way toward the control room. Kaia had taken to carrying the coffee trays while Loki lugged along the basket containing everything else. Well, almost everything else.
Not far from the coffee bar, just as Sylvie said, there was a door that decreed that only staff members were allowed to pass. It would take a lot more than mortal scribes to stop Loki from entering a new passageway, especially if it were one he wasn’t supposed1 to cross. Loki pushed and held the door open, allowing Kaia to pass first before following himself.
The pair climbed a set of stairs and walked down a hall that connected various employees-only areas. As soon as they laid eyes upon a vending machine intended to gauge Roxxcart staff of their change, Kaia knew what drink she wanted. Loki predicted this and stopped in front of the oversized box with her.
With a slight exasperation to his sigh, Loki asked, “Which one?”
"The red one, please,” Kaia asked politely. She was about to set the drinks down, but Loki waved her off.
Without even setting the basket down, Loki twisted his hand in a familiar green light. He used his magic to manifest a singular coin, painstakingly perfected to look exactly like an American quarter. But unlike most currencies of this monetary value, this particular quarter would be enough to appease the three-dollar price tag that the machine was asking for. The Asgardian exchange rate is downright impeccable.
Click, click… THUNK!
Loki slotted the coin, pressed the red button, and Midgardian magic allowed a little red bottle filled with a dark caramel-coloured liquid to appear at its base. He not only added the bottle to the basket but also extracted his miracle quarter from the machine with a simple snap of his fingers. The little silver coin popped into the change tray only to evapourate back into Loki’s Seidr reserve. His magic was better spent with him than laying dormant in a doomed vending machine.
During this particular show, Kaia could only watch in stunned silence. She was impressed, mostly because of how inventive he was.
“Not gonna lie, I was expecting you to just brute force your way through it,” Kaia announced.
Loki’s eyes furrowed. He thought she knew him better by now. “Who do you take me for, my brother?”
“I…. wouldn’t really know?” Kaia squinted. For the few years she could remember, she had no family at all. “Your brother, who’s my brother too? But maybe he’s actually my sister because you and I are different versions of the same soul that aren’t supposed to exist at the same time. So who’s to say that our brothers, siblings, whatever, aren’t also different and—”
“Kaia,” Loki cut her off, “You’re overthinking again.”
Kaia stopped herself and took a much-needed breath. She had a whole train of thought, but perhaps it was all just fluff. The caboose, however, hosted a very important question, which was the cause of her rambling spiral.
“What was your brother like?”
Loki took a moment to consider the question. There were many ways to describe Thor Odinson. Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder… no, a simple alias wouldn’t suffice for this question. How would he describe his brother?
“He was a brute. Always casting a shadow over me. Always masquerading as the better person!” Loki started, but then he stopped. He resigned his answer with a sigh and started over. “No, it wasn‘t his fault. He was arrogant at times, but he wanted to do good. He wanted us to be side by side, but I never saw it that way. I always saw him as Odin’s favourite, the person who was destined to take what I wanted… My chance to take the throne, my chance for glory…”
Kaia watched as Loki’s face softened with each sentence. She had gathered from previous lectures that their relationship was rocky at times, but this was the most open Loki himself had been about Thor in front of her.
“I‘m guessing you learned some of this at the TVA and not on the Timeline?” asked Kaia.
Loki nodded weakly. “It seems that, in my intended future, we‘ve come to terms with each other. I had learned that he‘s always just wanted his brother by his side, and I must’ve realized that I wanted that too…”
Loki looked down. He watched as the knuckle that held the shopping basket grew white with his exuded pressure. The grip helped him process a bitter truth. “But that‘s not going to happen anymore… at least not now…”
“Well, you‘re being brotherly to me?”
Being… what?
Loki’s head shot straight up. He looked at Kaia, who looked back at him in pure ignorance. She was smiling, a coffee tray still stuck in each hand, completely unaware of the true gravity of what she said.
Loki still couldn’t fathom it. It made ‘being nice’ appear more attainable by comparison. “You don’t truly see me that way, do you?”
Kaia’s eyebrows narrowed over her eyes. She couldn’t fathom Loki’s reaction. Wasn’t it obvious?
“Loki, how many times have you saved my ass?” countered Kaia, “From the moment you brought Verity to the TVA, you’ve always had my interests in mind. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
… … …
“Through all the Variant bullshit and all my self-doubt, even now, you always believed in me and my status as a Loki…” Kaia continued with full confidence, “After everything we’ve been through, how can I not believe that you care about me like that?”
Kaia could’ve gone on a much longer tirade, listing off every time Loki had shown her compassion and patience. However, she stopped when Loki shuffled his feet to turn himself around. He didn’t march on without her, but he didn’t have anything to say, either.
What Kaia didn’t realize is that it took all of Loki’s energy to hold his composure. Perhaps it was lingering emotion from the heights he had to help her down from. Maybe it was because he had just refreshed his memory on what he couldn’t have with his own brother. But what he knew for sure is that he hadn’t considered that his actions as a mentor could have been interpreted as brotherly. It was such a heavy concept to comprehend. Loki wasn’t about to let her see him tear up at the thought.
Loki wasn’t Kaia’s brother. They were each other’s Variant. But is that sort of kinship possible? To forge familial bonds without the same lineage? His Sacred counterpart figured that out with Thor. For the first time, he considered it.
“Loki? Did I say something wrong?” Kaia asked quietly. He nearly forgot that she was still there.
Loki only turned his head, and even then it was slight. Kaia could only see half of his face in profile, half of which was obstructed by his uncontainable hair. This ensured that she couldn’t see the lingering emotion in his eyes.
“No, no…” Loki said as he readjusted his grip on the basket, “But we should find the security room before the drinks grow cold. Shall we?”
“R-right…” Kaia might’ve said something wrong. Maybe she didn’t. But in any case, Loki didn’t want to talk about how he felt currently, so she decided not to push the matter further.
Loki led the way to the control room with the spoils of their pillage in tow. He opted to bury the baggage of his last conversation with Kaia in the back of his mind. After the exhausting time they had, the food and drinks reminded him that they could all use a few hours to clear their thoughts and recover.
- But Sylvie told him to go here, so perhaps it wasn’t civil disobedience? Ugh, this whole ‘character development’ thing is so confusing! [ ▲ ]
Notes:
This is actually one of my favourite chapters that I've written so far. I actually wrote it completely out of order, before most of the Void chapters, it had me that excited. It's a bit quieter, but exploring the relationship that Loki and Kaia are forging is one of the cornerstones of this story. I'm so glad that this chapter turned out to be the anniversary chapter.
Also, yes, the whole chocolate connection between Kaia and Loki is loosely based on this and that (just swap out Milk Duds for Reeses, I guess).
Chapter 51: The Working Theory
Summary:
Chapter 51 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The group’s conversation turns into a series of realizations; a brand new theory that needs research to confirm. But when heads clash on the plan, it’s up to cooler heads to prevail.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
OKAY BEFORE I GET INTO THINGS: Let's talk about Loki Season 2.
I love the show so much. I love these characters so much. I have my opinions on certain things - particularly noting where the straight writing showed - but that could never shake how I feel about it, how this show changed my life. How it gave me the confidence to write AND publish; how it inspired all of this.
I can now say with confidence that I Know of Liars will not follow Season 2's main story beats. I may make references to little things and adapt certain conversations, but the plot I already have planned goes in a vastly different direction. I can't wait for you to read it all.
Chapter Text
Footsteps approached the control room. Loki was in control. His emotions were in check. The basket remained firm in his grip. Kaia followed him loyally, not pressing his buttons further. Everything was fine. He was fully in control.
The door was wide open. Why not throw himself and his bounty through the threshold? The others must be starving! The pillage would prove to be an act of heroism! So he did just that, careful not to slam the shopping basket on the doorframe with his outstretched arms.
“Your saviours are h—”
“Shhh…" Mobius rained on Loki’s parade rather harshly. He cast his hand in Verity’s direction to make his reasoning abundantly clear. Luckily, her sleep was not yet disturbed.
“Ah…” Loki caught a glimpse of Verity’s resting body, rising and falling to her peaceful breathing, and immediately lowered his volume. “We brought food.”
Loki took care to set the full basket down gently, so as to not stir Verity. Kaia followed Loki in with the coffee trays. When her gaze latched onto Verity, she had to stop herself. If she hadn’t, she might’ve dropped the hot beverages she had cautiously brought up. Her hands managed to safely land the drinks beside the food, but her mind wandered slightly. Not far enough to stray as far as she did before, but the path was still paved by her internal struggle.
“She’s fine, Kaia, just exhausted." Mobius sent Kaia a reassuring smile. “Are ya feeling any better?”
Kaia nodded. “Talking about it helped…”
“Well, you definitely got the right Variant for that.”
“… Hey!!”
Loki’s vocal objection got a chuckle out of Mobius, a smile out of Kaia, and a groan from Verity. Groggy eyes fluttered open first. She could see a fuzzy Loki and Kaia in the distance. They were back already? It made Verity wonder just how long she slumbered. As she reached across herself for her glasses, a cacophony of conversation commenced, starting with Hunter B-15.
“Good job, you guys woke her up…”
“Whoops…”
“I was provoked!”
The first thing Verity saw with her glasses on was a disgruntled Loki. He grabbed hold of a paper cup before taking a seat beside Sylvie. She had her legs kicked up over the desk that had the security screens hanging from above, though she did inch her wheeled chair closer to the table full of food. When did that get there?
“Hey, Vee…”
Verity glanced to her left. A meek-looking Kaia stood over Verity’s cot. She had her hands folded behind her back and her face twisted by bittersweet feelings. That’s no way to greet me, now is it?
“Hey, Kaia…” Verity pushed herself up to sitting. As she shifted up, her smile rose with her. It was her way of giving Kaia permission to smile back at her.
Kaia tried to mirror her, but a hot flash over her face sent her lips askew. A slight blood rush nudged tears up to her eyes, but she made them stop short of falling. She knew better than to revert back to her sorry state, but there was one last thing she needed to do in order to fully absolve herself of guilt.
“I-I’m sorry, Vee…” Kaia said as she lightly lunged into Verity’s arms. She lowered herself to sit beside her friend on the thin bed frame and clenched her grip tighter. “I didn’t mean to scare you back there…”
“You’re fine, don’t apologize for rescuing me…” Verity held Kaia just as strongly as she spoke. “We both would’ve been dead if you didn’t step in. Thank you…”
Kaia nodded into Verity’s shoulder. She huffed a little sigh as she felt the metaphorical weight lift off of her person. Coupling her gratitude with the lessons told to her by Loki before, Kaia felt at peace with her actions. She took no pleasure in killing D-90, but she had to in order to save Verity and herself. She may have done the wrong thing, but she did the right thing in turn. She was not all bad and she was not all good. She and her moral compass were not black or white, but green; a flexible in-between suitable for the range of life’s dilemmas. She was Kaia Embla: the most magicless and strangest Loki Variant in all of existence.
Mobius smiled upon the reunited friends. Their positivity was contagious. “On that note, now’s a good time for a lunch break…”
“What about the research??” Sylvie asked sharply. A break would imply that they were working beforehand.
“Breaks are important, gotta recharge that mind…” When compared to hers, Mobius’ words were dulled. He reached slowly and dug his hands through the basket before finally fishing out a granola bar from the pile.
“We can read and eat at the same time, relax…” Meanwhile, Hunter B-15 found the coffee with her name on it, literally. She took a sip before stopping immediately. Her lips puckered at the overly bitter taste.
“Don’t put on that face, I have no clue how you take your coffee…” Kaia protested as she got to her feet, “There are sugar and cream packets in there.”
As if on cue, Loki perked his fingertips upward. Little green bundles floated up in rhythm, which separated the sugar, cream, and stir sticks from the rest of the bounty’s contents. As he magically and neatly organized the additives on the table, Loki kept his lips pressed to his coffee cup. He had only snuck in his first few sips of coffee, but he was certain that it tasted its best when it didn’t hide under any sort of flavourful illusion.
Kaia made sure that everyone had their respective coffee cups before taking to her little red soda pop bottle. It was her favourite type of drink, though it had warmed up slightly between the vending machine and now. It was little moments like this that she wished she could have magic powers the most.
Verity sat between Kaia and Sylvie. She took a long, refreshing sip of her drink, pre-made just the way she liked it. There was no doubt that this was as Kaia intended. She would catch up to what the others were researching with time, but now was the time to clear her mind and ensure that she was truly ready to dive back into work.
Hunter B-15 had to rectify the immediate mistake of drinking black coffee. She added three packets of creamy milk to her cup and stirred quickly. She enjoyed the way the liquids blended to make a tawny brown. Not to mention that it just tasted better to her; a perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
Mobius, for his part, alternated between his snack and his coffee like a champion. Sure, there would be times when he added cream or sugar as a treat to himself. But for the most part, he took his coffee black because it was the fastest way to take a coffee. He had work to do! And now was no exception. As soon as his granola bar was finished, he fished for his TemPad, prompting Verity and Hunter B-15 to do the same.
Sylvie waited until everyone adjusted their coffees to their preference, if only for the sake of politeness. Coffee was a rare luxury reserved for her stays at the Roxxcart hotel, so she cherished the chance to take any sort of energy boost. And what better booster than caffeine and sugar? Especially when no one else went for the latter?
Rip! Rssh… Fwip, fwip…
Sylvie ripped a sugar packet open, poured out its contents, and stirred its dissolving rocks into the drink.
Rip! Rssh… Fwip, fwip…
Rinse…
Rip! Rssh… Fwip, fwip…
… and repeat. By now, Sylvie had a captive audience as she took every last sugar packet, one by one, and filled her cup. She felt their heat on her; their judgement. She didn’t care in the slightest. She waited until she dealt with the last sugar packet before piping up with a simple unsolicited answer.
“Helps with the adrenaline.” Sylvie had no reason to explain herself beyond that. No one dared to prod her further.
With no TemPad to work with, Loki and Kaia settled for reaping the rewards of their pillage beyond their beverages. Kaia gravitated to her peanut butter chocolate cups while Loki plucked from a bundle of chardonnay grapes. Between sips of her drink, Sylvie found herself eating a peach, but her fingers twitched for a different object. She closed her eyes to focus on the budding conversation between analysts.
“Mobius, what’re we looking for?”
“Any lead on Ravonna… If you remember anything she hinted at while you two were alone and researching, go for it. I’m open to just about anything.”
Oh, you’re open to any leads?
“Verity, may I borrow your TemPad for a moment?” Sylvie asked very politely. “I want to look up something regarding Renslayer’s possible location. I have a hunch.”
Verity hesitated. With the way Sylvie spoke, it was as if the sugar-laced coffee sweetened her lips. Although it was true that she did have a hunch, did she have more in mind? At least Sylvie was quick to sense her apprehension.
“I promise that I won’t run off with your TemPad.”
It was a truthful addendum. Not only because there was no use trying to trick a truth-seer, but because the hunch that she wanted to follow didn’t necessarily lead to a location. Verity would find out soon enough, as she slowly relented and slid her TemPad within Sylvie’s reach.
“Thank you!” Sylvie set down her food and drink immediately. The gratitude was just a cap to her glee as she went straight to work, navigating the corridors of the files to follow her lead.
“It’s fine. Judge Renslayer didn’t let me look at anything peculiar before,” Verity admitted, “I wouldn’t know where to start looking now…”
Mobius perked up. Then and now for Verity had a deep valley separating the two. With the chaos that surrounded the return from the school mission, Mobius reminded himself that he never went over that mission with her.
“Right, we should fill you in on what we found earlier…”
Luckily, Mobius already had the relevant files waiting. He clicked his TemPad screen into place and allowed its panel to make a tiny holographic projection. A face hauntingly similar to Ravonna showed up, along with a blurb about the time, the place, and the person.
“The writing on Ravonna’s pen led us to a high school and her Sacred Timeline counterpart. Rebecca’s a human vice principal. But we saw no sign of Ravonna herself.”
Kaia’s eyes lit up. She remembered bits and pieces of the story from what was mentioned before, and this Rebecca person was not the highlight. “Loki said you guys found your counterpart too, Mobius!!”
Of course he said that.
“Yeah, Rebecca unknowingly mistook me for—”
SLAM!
Sylvie snapped Verity’s TemPad onto the table like a winning poker hand. She also had set up a file projection, but this one showed a somewhat familiar figure. He had Mobius' face, but it was framed all wrong. Fringing hair flowed out from all sides, including bangs that draped over his forehead. Thanks to the way the TemPad shaded the screen, there was no way to tell what colour the hair truly was, but the holograph still left Mobius stunned. It was a strange sight, to stare at yourself without a mirror.
“Michael Dixon,” Sylvie reported with a twinkle in her eye. “A high school English and drama teacher originally from Dallas, Texas. Mobius here didn't want any spoilers, so I shall refrain from divulging further.”
For a few moments, only the outside storm could be heard. All were humbled by just how quickly and how coincidental Sylvie’s hunch was to the relevant topic at hand. Maybe she was onto something with her sugar-laced coffee blend.
“Huh,” Hunter B-15 broke the silence, “So you are good with that.”
Sylvie accepted the praise with a silent nose scrunch. With her point proven, she reclaimed her half-eaten peach and took a savoury bite from it.
Loki had been observing the conversation, grapes in hand. But now, with all of the information on the table, he couldn’t help but surmise the situation. “So, Judge Renslayer might be out there looking for Variants of herself or yourself?”
“That’s the working theory at the moment.” Mobius was about to reach for another granola bar, but when he caught a glimpse of an almond-ladened chocolate bar… well, you wouldn’t resist that unless you had a nut allergy.
Verity’s eyes fell back to the projections on the table. It spooked her a little bit to know that there could be a similar version of herself out there, living life as intended on her timeline. The thought of Renslayer interrupting time on her warpath scared her more, though. The obligation to protect such familiar faces rose.
“Eons of friendship. And you threw it all away on a couple of Lokis.”
Renslayer’s words struck Verity like a lightning bolt. She shuddered at the memory. But then, it got her thinking. Eons of friendship? Were Renslayer and Mobius really friends across time for that long? And how could she have known that if she weren’t privy to some knowledge of her alternate life?
Sylvie pulled up Michael’s profile for a reason. What if her hunch was on the right track?
“Maybe we should look into Michael a bit more, Mobius…” Verity proposed, “If we know his story, maybe we‘ll figure out more about Rebecca, and in turn, Renslayer that way?”
As Verity pulled her TemPad back from Sylvie’s reach, Mobius found himself shaking his head once more. It didn’t matter who suggested the thought of researching his Sacred self, his heart had a quick answer.
“I’m not ready… besides, we’re not looking for me, we’re looking for Ravonna, who could be anywhere… any… time…”
Mobius’ sentence trailed off in a strange way. Everyone noticed. The unmistakable demonstration of the way thoughts can quell a voice.
Kaia dared the break the silence. “What is it?”
“What if Ravonna went to other timelines…”
“Like how I hid in apocalypses?”
“Think bigger than branches, Sylvie, bigger and further… think the Multiverse.”
“The Multiverse?” If one had asked Loki’s Sacred counterpart about the Multiverse, he would’ve dismissed it as a myth. Of course, he knew better now, but… "How can a Multiverse exist when there’s only one Sacred Timeline?”
“The Sacred Timeline is just time as intended, the desired outcome. But think about it. If only one timeline is Sacred, then…”
"Then whole other universes that are not Sacred exist?” Verity finished the thought aloud.
“Exactly!" For the first time in a while, a Cheshire grin crossed Mobius' face. How could there ever have been a Multiversal war without multiple universes, after all? For the Sacred Timeline to win, other Lesser Timelines had to lose.
“Hold on.” Kaia raised her hand like a kid in class. “Wouldn't all of those timelines be pruned because they don’t match the ‘proper’ flow of time?”
“Not exactly. Our Time Sticks and Reset charges only have enough juice to take out branches, little chunks of time,” Hunter B-15 explained as she gave Kaia a side-eyed glance, “Taking out your five-year ripple expended a LOT of our resources…”
“Yeah, some universes have a difference so substantial that messing with that time stream would be more trouble than it's worth. Like a timeline where everything looks like a noir-styled film. Or a timeline where Odin returned Loki to Jotunheim as an infant. So—”
Loud coughing rudely interrupted Mobius. The last drops of coffee had snagged Loki’s throat. Nothing dripped from the paper cup he had dropped on the table. After all that he had been through, the notion of Odin doing something so admirable without an Asgardian gaze on him made his brain seize.
"I beg your PARDON‽” Loki demanded an explanation.
“I've only seen a summary of it! I don’t know the details!” Mobius fully surrendered, raising hands and all. “I only specialize in threats that branch from the Sacred Timeline!!”
“So, we went from searching one timeline and its branches to searching an infinite amount of timelines and all of their branches?” Yeesh, it sounded grim when Sylvie phrased it like that.
“And she’s undetectable because she’s outside of Sacred jurisdictions…” Hunter B-15 saw that downer of a realization and doubled down on it. “She could be out there creating ripples across Lesser Timelines and we wouldn’t know it.”
The word choice was not intentional, but it felt fated. The word had significance to Mobius, Loki, and Kaia, the Ripple Variant.
“Creating a ripple… like how I did?” Kaia’s face twisted to process the possibility.
“Sounds like it…" Mobius agreed, “Existing on a timeline without causing detectable disarray…”
“Or existing on the wrong timeline, at a point where the right aura technically could’ve been…” Kaia said it herself. She was the one brave enough to say it. She was also the one brave enough to ask, “Am I a Loki from a different universe?”
She looked to Loki first. Her confidant, her mentor, her Loki. Cogwheels were spinning behind his eyes as he considered the theory that Kaia proposed. He thought about her quirks, her lack of magic and combat skills, her height, and her unapologetic kindness. He thought about his first impression of her; how he believed she was the antithesis of a Loki. What if there was a fundamental difference as to why?
"That… makes a lot of sense when you say it out loud,” Loki couldn’t help but conclude.
Kaia sunk into her seat and took in a bit more of her carbonated drink. The knowledge supported the theory; she may have very well come from a whole different timeline. Crossing the threshold, desecrating something Sacred. But the question remains: how did she do that with no magic?
It was a thought that she and Verity shared. But if she knew one thing about the TVA, it was this: if something existed, someone wrote it down and filed it away.
"Does the TVA have information on these alternate timelines?” asked Verity. Surely, the summary of Loki’s hometown timeline had to come from somewhere, right?
Luckily, Mobius knew the answer. “A limited amount. We focus on the Sacred Timeline, which takes up most of the Archives. But there is one database that has basic information on Lesser Timelines of note.”
Believe it or not, Kaia wouldn’t be the first life-form to test the waters of Multiversal travel. Through eons of the Sacred Timeline, a few mighty souls dared to find the universe beyond their own. Needless to say, crimes against the Sacred Timeline weren’t tolerated, even by outsiders. Normally, these travelling anomalies were immediately flagged as Variants from another time, arrested for creating their Nexus Event, and pruned so they could no longer harm any timeline. However, due to the special circumstances of their arrest, their procedural process had an extra step. If a Variant was arrested for Multiversal travel, their temporal aura scan would reveal which alternate timeline they did come from. The universe would be tagged and logged into the database, using what little information they could pull from the prisoner. After that, the Variant would be dealt with just like any other.
It’s still unclear to Mobius as to why Kaia blended in so well. Regardless of the five-year gap, her temporal scan SHOULD have shown her true timeline, whatever that was. Was her aura censored, just like her file? Was the power that helped her cross time really that destructive?
“Great!!” Sylvie had no mind for the fluff. She heard all of the keywords that she needed to hear. “Let’s look up the database and—”
“You won’t find it on a TemPad. It’s too sensitive.”
"Then where is it?”
“It’s on a separate server detached from other databases. It doesn’t get called on often. We’ve only ever needed it a handful of times to prevent incursions.”
“Then let’s go to the server!”
“Sylvie, it’s not that simple.”
“Why not‽”
The back-and-forth between the Detective and the Variant grew more intense with each passing line. Sylvie’s leg twitched, itching to get a move on to get the job done. Mobius remained stoic, unmoved by the experience and knowledge had of the situation at hand.
“That computer isn’t used often. It’ll prompt someone to investigate as soon as it gets turned on. If they see you at the computer with ultra-sensitive information, you’re gonna be back in the Void faster than you can say ‘Multiverse’!”
“So, the answers are just going to sit there at the TVA while we do nothing‽”
Sylvie threw herself back in her chair, wheeling away from the table. She threw her empty coffee cup on the table before she realized that she had crumpled its paper walls during the heated conversation. Her frustration was plain to see; she had no reason nor shame to hide it.
“Didn’t we retreat here to avoid the TVA…?” Verity was sympathetic to Sylvie’s ire, but was ultimately partial to logic. “If we’re going to go back, we have to do this carefully.”
“She’s right.” Mobius agreed “Remember, I only just reset personnel files to cover our tracks on other TemPads…”
“And we don’t know if they found Hunter D-90 yet…” Hunter B-15 added.
“How are we supposed to know anything if we stay here?” Loki’s brow furrowed. In his mind, his sympathy toward Sylvie’s ire was rooted in logic. “Sylvie’s right, it’s time to return to the TVA.”
Mobius’ reply was quick, sharp, and blunt: “Not all at once.”
“WHAT‽” Sylvie threw herself onto her feet, inadvertently flinging the swivel chair into the security desk behind her. Her momentum was so ferocious that she had to slam her hands on the table to steady herself. Her glare and growl were aimed straight at the dopey Detective, who was unfazed by her temper. This was nothing new from her or from those that shared her soul.
“Hunter B-15 and I will go first.” Mobius motioned to himself and his right-hand Hunter. “Make sure the coast is clear, see how safe it is to get to the database, and go from there.”
“I can clear the coast very easily!!”
“And remind the TVA that you’ve got a track record of killing TVA agents when there’s a hunter’s dead body in another room?” Mobius’ calm mannerism was starting to evapourate. Even he could only handle so much stubbornness. “Think about it, Sylvie! Rushing in is not a good idea!”
“Then what do we DO‽” Sylvie put her hands on her hips. She stopped short of drawing her sword. We wouldn’t want another lap on the track record, now would we?
“The rest of you will stay here until you get clearance from us to come back to the TVA. This is to keep you all safe!”
“I need no rescue, especially from some… some bureaucrat!!” Sylvie’s final straw snapped. She let out a scream similar — but not quite as loud — as the one she belted out on Lamentis-1. The scenery didn’t tremble in her wrath, but the culmination of her rage was palpable to those around the room. Without so much as any eye contact with anyone, Sylvie threw her arms down to her sides and stormed out of the room.
This round of silence was almost a relief, but it was also very brief. The desperate scratch of chair legs drew everyone’s ears and eyes to Loki. His eyes were trained on the doorframe from which Sylvie departed. She ought to know better than to split from the group alone.
“Sylvie!!” Loki cried out as his steps traced hers at almost the same pace. He was halfway out the door until another voice held him back.
“Loki!”
Loki turned his head to see Kaia. She was on her feet now, but she didn’t follow. She stood in front of the table, lips stretched thin to make an unamused grimace.
“She’ll come back, she’s just mad again. Let her cool off.”
“But we shouldn’t separate—”
“Loki…”
Yes, it’s true, the group should stick together during trying times such as this. But Kaia had no doubt that Sylvie could hold her own. That she knew where to go to avoid danger. And more importantly, where to return to in order to get back to the TVA via someone else’s TemPad.
Why should she be followed?
Loki knew what it was like to be alone. To feel alone. To have others surround you with thoughts against yours and push you down with them. Loki could see that in Sylvie. Someone who would never admit they want the comfort, but would be grateful for it nonetheless. Someone who — perhaps with a triumphant speech — be brought back down to reason.
Why shouldn’t she be followed?
Kaia had nothing to say apart from a little huff. She saw it in his eyes; he was going to follow her into the stormy store. Who knows how long they’d be, if they came back at all? Irrational thoughts found their roots within her. She couldn’t quite articulate why they bloomed.
Loki took a breath in. He saw it in her eyes. Although she had been quelled from her recent trauma, he could tell she wanted him to stay. Perchance it was anxiousness or fear. He didn’t want to dismiss it as irrational. But he knew he would return. How could he show her that?
Luckily, the answer was literally in front of them both.
Loki hurried back to the table, not to outright return, but to grab one packet of the peanut butter chocolate cups that hadn’t yet been devoured by Kaia. The waning plastic wrap writhed helplessly as Loki wagged it back and forth with his hand.
“I swear on this packet that we’ll be back!”
Before Kaia could stop him, Loki bolted out the door as far as his legs could carry him, chocolate in hand. Her shoulders sunk, staring at the empty gap where her friend once stood.
“Kaia, if it’s any comfort, that was the strangest way I’ve ever heard anyone tell the truth,” said Verity, “Sit down, they’ll be back.”
Eventually, Kaia listened and lowered herself down to her chair. The others went to their TemPads and carried on with their research like normal. Why was this not a concern for anyone else‽
…
Why was this a concern for her?
Kaia’s eyes wandered to the security cameras hiding in the corner of the room. She nursed her drink as she tried to see if either one would appear on the feeds. Or anyone else, for that matter. Could the TVA have traced them back here? Was Sylvie too far gone to listen to reason? What if Loki needed her, and she was too far away to help?
Maybe the unknown was what scared her the most.
Kaia’s eyes darted from screen to screen. She didn’t even pay mind to her freshly polished sword resting on the far desk. She was focused on finding little moving specks, anything to ease the uncertainty.
After only a minute, Kaia caught a glimpse of bouncy shoulder-length hair striding from hall to hall. Sylvie had her eyes trained forward on the plants of the green room, ignoring the lumbering Loki labouring behind her. Of course, his lips were moving; the opposite was a rare occurrence. Eventually, Kaia lost focus as she realized that she couldn’t hear what the duo were saying to one another.
Lucky for you, dear reader, you can read the transcript that Kaia does not have access to. You’re welcome!
“Sylvie, wait!”
“Wait for what, the storm to cave the roof in‽” Sylvie spun on her heel but did not break her stride. She walked backwards effortlessly as her round of chastising continued. “It’s time to ACT! We cannot just stay hidden forever!”
By contrast, Loki’s steps seemed unsure as he followed the ebb and flow of Sylvie’s pace. In the face of her fury, he tried to keep a calm front. “I understand your frustration. You want to help, as do I…”
Help? Sylvie scoffed aloud at that. The mere audacity of Loki’s incomplete implication was just a cherry.
“I know there’s a ‘but’ upcoming. Spit it out!”
“But Verity didn’t object when Mobius claimed he was doing this for our safety. He was being honest, and he may have a point.”
Sylvie groaned as she twirled on the spot. She looked up at the ceiling as she slowly stopped herself from walking. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Loki as he continued to mindlessly talk.
“If the TVA does know about that dead Hunter, we’d both be prime suspects.” Loki pointed to Sylvie and then himself with his free hand as he stopped walking. The fresh scent of azaleas did nothing to perturb the irritated Variant.
“You know, Mobius can manipulate our files to say whatever he wants, but he refuses to give us a bar better than Variant. How do we trust that man‽”
“By letting the man that knows the TVA thoroughly fetch the information we need for us.”
“And dumb myself down to a lady in wait?”
“The art of bargaining hinges on compromise, Sylvie!” Loki threw both of his arms in the air, his first hint at his own frustration. “Not every scheme looks glamorous at first glance, you have to let them trust you!”
It was not Loki’s words that temporarily quelled Sylvie, but rather, the odd rustling in Loki’s hand. A white plastic pouch dangled helplessly in his grip as his arms wavered about.
“What… is that…?” Sylvie tilted her head curiously. She had an idea of what it was, but she couldn’t make out what brand it was.
“Oh, this?” Loki followed Sylvie’s eyes to the bartering tool in his hand. He shrugged in his nonchalance as he lowered his arms. “Just some earthly confection. Kaia claims there are nuts baked inside.”
Of course she did.
Sylvie rolled her eyes full circle. “You coddle them all too much, but ESPECIALLY her!”
Coddle? That certainly wasn’t the word he’d use to describe his expertise, his mentorship. Besides, would that statement really be fair to say of Kaia and her growth?
“Sylvie, her circumstances are vastly different from ours. She may be from a different universe! Yet, she‘s still a Loki Variant, of the same aura as us.”
“Don’t remind me…”
The click of Sylvie’s boots once again filled the showroom floor. Loki’s loafers followed in hot pursuit.
“She’s not used to fighting or killing like us, and—”
“I know that.” Sylvie didn’t bother looking back. “My strife is with you, not her. You’re too soft.”
“Then so be it! I wasn’t about to let Kaia spiral.”
Sylvie walked faster, and so did Loki. Sylvie wasn’t exactly sure where she was going, she just wanted to lose Loki through the aisles. Eventually, the shelves moulded into familiar shapes. Television screens and electronic toys. Vacuums and various cleaning products. Yes, they happened to be approaching the very spot where she met Loki face-to-face. How ironic.
“You can‘t run from the truth!”
The trip down memory lane even came complete with the very same annoying quipper.
“I've been running all of my FUCKING life!”
The curse word echoed throughout all of Roxxcart. If anyone had been hiding, they surely would’ve been shaken out of place. Luckily for her, it was just Loki, who screeched to a stop at just her vicious yell.
Sylvie halted herself, once more pivoting on her heel to face Loki. Her arms fell straight down her sides with her fists balled up. Her icy blue stare ran up Loki’s solemn face in contrast. Loki stepped up to meet Sylvie, but his demeanour was much looser. They both stopped short of touching each other or their weapons.
“All of this running and fighting, and somehow, I'm still not any closer to taking the TVA down!”
“You did all of that alone! Now, you have and need our help to do it! I know you won’t admit it but you know it’s true.”
Help. What good has help gotten her before? The help she got in apocalypses was temporary, predictable, and exploitable due to memorizing the little looping time pockets. The help she got now barely qualified as such. Sure, the truth-teller was honest. But between a bumbling little Variant, a hard-nosed bureaucrat, and… and him… the one who should know better…
“Loki…” Sylvie’s voice trembled between rattled teeth, “You don’t know how badly I need this.”
She was on the outside of her mission objective. She was ready to give up.
“Perhaps not, but I can empathize.”
Loki’s hands were autonomous by this point. He kept one hand on the chocolate packet, but his other now held Sylvie’s hand. Part of it was to ensure that she wouldn’t bolt off again; the other part was just for… oh, what’s the word, comfort? It still felt strange to him; maybe that’s why his hand felt like it had a mind of its own. He had practiced similar motions with Kaia, but comforting Sylvie felt different.
The leather of her fingerless gloves bowed to his press gently. Her fingers were slightly calloused at the tips, but softer than he’d thought they’d be. He didn’t feel inclined to let go.
“I've felt the same way before, angry at a world that’s done nothing good for you…”
As Loki spoke, Sylvie’s eyes darted between his face and his hand. Her first thought was obvious: why? He wasn’t holding onto her tight enough for it to be an attempt at tethering her. His grip wasn’t debilitating or even painful. If anything, the curls of his fingers and the back of his hand were tender. Soft, just like him. Not to mention unusually warm for a Jotunn hiding under Aesir skin. As if he were draining the heat from her head and bringing it down to their hands, fanning her down from her previously blinding rage.
“And everyone in that control room now understands that the TVA needs reform thanks to you. Come on,” Loki smiled, “You’ve come too far to throw your progress away.”
It was hard to say whether Loki was being truthful to her or not. If this was just a speech to settle her down and get her to accept his cohort’s plan. Or if it was real, genuine emotion that he was pouring into her. It was hard to trust someone with an aura like theirs, an aura predetermined to be a liar.
And yet, Sylvie wanted to believe him.
She allowed the tension to melt away from her body. The raw rage that clouded her head passed because she wanted it to. (Not because of him, thank you very much.) When the storm faded, the dewdrops of resentment lingered, albeit small and subdued.
“I've been on this mission for too fucking long, Loki…” As she relented, Sylvie’s voice was hushed. Weary. Tired. Oh, she was tired of everything.
“And you’re closer to completing it now than back when you started. We’ll end this. Together. I’m sure everyone will let you get the finishing blow.”
With one last squeeze, he freed Sylvie’s hand from his grasp. His triumphant words ended with his signature pose: a cheeky grin, raised eyebrows, and arms outstretched to their respective sides. One palm was open, the other still pinched the edge of the packaged sweets, complete with quiet rustling.
“Fine. Just stop… jiggling that thing around! You’re so weird!” Sylvie crossed her arms and turned away slightly. Her eyes lingered on the chocolate packet as her face shifted to the side.
“Fine!” Loki huffed as he turned his nose up to Sylvie. His hands folded together, fidgeting slightly until he heard a faint tear between his fingers. He plucked two tiny chocolates from their confinement and pocketed the waste. He certainly wasn’t a litterbug; he was raised better than that.
He first looked at the confections themselves. They were tiny brown saucers that weren’t thicker than a centimetre or two. Spikes jutted out from the wider lid of the cup like a crown, though its supposedly-nutty contents were completely obscured by a thin layer of chocolate. Loki’s nail was able to peel a darker brown wrapper that hugged the bottom of the peanut butter cup. As his fingertips smudged against the raw chocolate, he came to understand why that paper was there at all.
Just before he popped the treat into his mouth, Loki caught Sylvie’s incredulous thousand-yard stare.
“Well, I certainly hope you enjoy the show.”
“You’re not seriously going to eat that, are you?”
“Calming you down from your temper tantrums is exhausting work, mind you. I deserve the reward!”
“You don’t know what’s really in that, you know,” Sylvie gestured wildly to the shelves that surrounded them. “There’s a whole AISLE dedicated to lethal toxins and—”
Chomp!
“And you ate it whole. Great. Don’t die.”
Well, Loki invited Sylvie to watch, and she did that with pleasure. First, she smirked in the face of Loki’s narrow glare in her direction. At least a mouth full of food stopped him from barking back with some petty one-liner. Then, she watched as Loki’s brows teetered up and down. This bumbling Variant was clearly processing what he had just consumed whole. He didn’t pale any further nor keel over, which was the bare minimum. What Sylvie didn’t expect to see was the twinkle in Loki’s eyes. And another smile, perhaps his most genuine yet. Like a scholar who had reached an epiphany that they had spent decades searching their mind for.
Well, Loki hadn’t been particularly searching for this answer, but he did come to a rather exciting realization.
“There really ARE nuts in here!” Loki exclaimed.
Sylvie smacked her forehead. What could she really say to that?
Hastened by his discovery, Loki opened up the second cup with his bare hands, smudging his fingerprints into its edges. Sure enough, the chocolate shell hid a pasty light brown filling. No shell encased the nut; rather, its innards were extracted and grounded to fill the edible cup. Surely, some Midgardians must’ve dedicated their lives to harvesting these nuts, creating the peanut paste, and surrounding it with chocolate walls. Their service ought to be saluted.
“Granted, the whole concoction is rather sweet for my liking, nothing ever replaces normal nuts and fruits…”
Loki wanted to say more but stopped himself when he looked back up. His audience was gone. He glanced up only to once more see Sylvie striding away from him. She gently sauntered away, paying no mind to Loki as she retraced her steps back toward the control room.
“Hey! It’s not that bad! You should try it, perhaps it’ll sweeten you—”
“Can you just stop talking‽”
This was going to be a long walk back.
Chapter 52: The Ancient Database
Summary:
Chapter 52 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Reluctantly, Sylvie allows Mobius and Hunter B-15 to carry on with their plan alone. But don’t dare think that such a setback would stop her, especially when Verity, Loki, and Kaia finally catch up on her desire to find the true Time-Keepers.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
This week, I learned that someone likes my writing enough to think that I should write FOR Loki/Marvel because I "get him" so well and this chapter goes out to the person who nominated me in a silly Loki fandom poll. 😭💚 That made my whole year.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Perhaps Kaia and Loki pillaged too much food.
Yes, the drinks were done, but the pile of fruits and processed snacks barely had a dent in it. Mobius took a small handful of raspberries to his moustachioed lips as he conducted his research. B-15 took her turn in trying a granola bar, This one had very tiny marshmallows embedded in it! How neat! Of course, Kaia settled on another peanut butter cup, nibbling on its rim while watching Verity’s TemPad light up orange.
Verity was too focused on her research to eat right now. She had taken to Rebecca’s file rather than Michael’s. Mobius was right earlier, they were looking for Ravonna. Any hint of Ravonna underneath her Sacred veneer would be crucial.
But… there wasn’t much. Rebecca was mild-mannered but assertive. Caring but not a pushover. A no-nonsense, tough love sorta authority figure. It worked well for her profession, but not for a judge like Ravonna. As she had gotten to know recently, Ravonna was impartial, cold, and ruthless in her hot pursuit of what was true and real. How far would she really go to find it?
“Hey, Mobius?”
“Mmhm?” Mobius’ reply was muffled. He knew better than opening a berry-filled mouth.
“Do you really think that she’s hiding in the Multiverse?”
Mobius took care to clear his throat before answering, “It's our best lead. Lesser Timelines aren’t regulated by the TVA. If she branches there, we wouldn’t notice, just like in apocalyptic events.”
Kaia’s face scrunched in confusion. “So, there’s no Lesser TVA for a Lesser Timeline?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Mobius shrugged. “We’ve only dealt with incursions against the Sacred Timeline a handful of times, but when we did, there was no one reigning in that other timeline.”
Incursion. Mobius said that word more than once. Kaia knew what that word meant; it was just a fancy word for invasion. But, knowing the TVA, every repeated phrase had to have a double entendre.
“What’s an incursion?”
“An incursion is when the boundary between two universes is broken,” This time, Hunter B-15 took the time to reply, “Nexus Events caused by Multiversal travel. If two timelines are exposed to each other like that for too long, one or both of the timelines can be destroyed entirely.”
“And if there's no Sacred Timeline… well, there’s no TVA.” A bitter chuckle ran past Mobius’ lips. “So let’s just say we’ve got a perfect record on incursions.”
“I don't even remember the last time we dealt with one…” Hunter B-15 admitted, “That’s why the server with the database is so secluded. It’s not really called upon unless it needs to record a universe affected by an incursion.”
Kaia took all of the information in stride, mentally piecing together a customized jigsaw puzzle. Multiple universes exist. Non-Sacred universes are noted on the ancient database. Incursions are an ethically questionable bridge between universes. Lokis are known to break rules and cause chaos wherever they go. Perhaps this was a stretch, what with her lack of magic, but Kaia had to shoot her shot: "Could my universe be on that computer?”
Mobius and B-15 wordlessly glanced at each other. Neither one was sure how to answer that question. Kaia was not satisfied with this sudden silence.
“Think about it! If I’m not from the Sacred Timeline but somehow travelled there, would I not be the result of an incursion?”
“Possibly, but the portal that let you travel might’ve only been opened briefly before any temporal damage could’ve been done,” Mobius hypothesized, “After all, you only disturbed one timeline, not two.”
“But still, would my universe be on that database?”
“That… is also possible…” Mobius relented. If the universes made contact — even briefly — in theory, a record of the Lesser Timeline should be there. It certainly wouldn’t have as much detail as a proper incursion, but surely something would be better than nothing.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kaia…” Hunter B-15 cautioned, “We still can’t let you come back to the TVA on the first wave.”
A tiny hmph made it past Kaia’s shut lips. Her theory wasn’t intended to be a planned route back to the TVA, but the squashed hopes still hurt. At least Verity ran a gentle, comforting hand up and down her back.
Verity asked, “What does the first wave entail?”
“We would scout the TVA to make sure the file changes took place and that Hunter D-90 wasn’t found yet,” Hunter B-15 explained, “But to get to that server room, we’d need a reason.”
“A breakthrough in the case of the Ripple Variant would be a reason…” Mobius rubbed his fingers against his chin. “We just don’t have to tell anyone that we’re searching for information on Ravonna as well…”
Thankfully for Verity, an omission from the truth is simply that. An omission, not an outright lie. She could work with that.
“Yeah, if we go in with a brave face, we should be fine!” Verity said with confidence.
We? Oh no, does she think she’s coming along this time?
“Oh, Verity…?”
What little joy was on Verity’s face fell when she found Mobius’ neutral look. Mouth flat, eyebrows sloping slightly in sympathy. It was the kind of pitiful look that someone gave you before they tell you mildly disappointing news. She braced herself for what she knew was coming: a request to fall back.
“I was actually going to ask you if you didn’t mind staying…”
Knew it.
“I bet you’re looking at Rebecca’s summary closely, just in case there was something we missed… but if she’s really entangled with Michael…”
“You want someone else to look at Michael?”
Mobius could only bring himself to nod in agreement. His Sacred counterpart was still a sore subject for him, but could you blame him? If the person you were hunting down was the centre of your alternate life, the life that you were kidnapped from… would you still have the will to reign them in?
Verity couldn’t quite relate to the dilemma that haunted Mobius, but if it were her, she wouldn’t want to dive headfirst into that information either. At least she wouldn’t have personal baggage when looking at Michael Dixon’s personal files.
Verity found her smile and gave it to her mentor. “I understand. I’ll stay.”
Mobius accepted her smile and returned it with one of his own. He knew he could count on Verity, almost as much as himself. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Hunter B-15 finished the last of her snack. Only then did the impact of their impending separation hit her. She asked of Verity: “You think you can keep an eye on these Variants while we're gone?”
“I think I can manage.” Verity’s smile was undisturbed. It’s just Kaia, Loki, and Sylvie. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?
“Besides, she’s still recovering,” Kaia added, “I think we know better than to give her a hard ti—”
“Seriously! Just shut it!”
“I didn’t say anything?”
Right on cue, Sylvie marched back into the room, soon followed by Loki. Just as promised. She looked irritated, but not up to the frenzy that she had previously worked herself into. One could only assume that her ears were weary of her fellow Variant’s incessant talking, despite his denials.
“Ah, good timing!” Hunter B-15 elected to ignore the bickering. “Mobius and I were just getting ready to leave.”
Leaving? Without me? Were they still stuck on that?
“I’m not a babysitter!” Sylvie protested.
“You’re not babysitting, you’re guarding our base of operations,” Mobius rephrased it. He took to his feet alongside Hunter B-15, in hopes that his testy acquaintance would just take the plan for what it was.
A brisk huff from Sylvie implied otherwise. Her arms were crossed over her flat chest, prompting her armour to hug her just a bit tighter. All of the dissatisfaction that forced her out of the room started to simmer within her once again. How could she believe in a plan that she didn’t have a direct hand in?
Loki sighed, “Sylvie, we talked about this, about trust…”
Trust is for children and dogs. I am certainly neither.
“And you really think you don’t need a guard alongside you two‽” Given that Loki’s interjection was both unsolicited and unnecessary, Sylvie ignored him. She inched closer to Mobius, eyelids inched as close as they could without impeding her vision. “The dead man and the prison escapee can really navigate the TVA alone?”
“We can blend in better, especially since I fixed the fi—”
“What if you’re not as infallible as you think you are‽ I got you out of the Void, out of that cell, and—”
“SYLVIE, THAT’S ENOUGH!”
Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Kaia that shouted. Her legs flung her flimsy chair back as she stormed to her feet. She didn’t bother charging around the table to get close to Sylvie. She didn’t want to be close to her at all, in fact. Kaia flung her arms outward, loosely mimicking a familiar Loki-like pose. Her arms were slightly crooked from the true stance.
“They’ve been at the TVA for as long as they can remember! They know what they’re doing! They’re on our side!”
Rattle, rattle. No one noticed the low tremor of metal coming from the corner of the room.
“For once in your life, shut up and TRUST THEM!”
Kaia shut her eyes in sync with her own yell. She didn’t see or feel the sudden glow on her fingertips.
Fwip!
Instinctively, Kaia closed her hands on a leather handle. She opened her eyes and threw her head to her side. She was holding her sword. But it hadn’t been in its holster since she needed to use it, right?
That’s when Kaia remembered everything. Well, almost everything. She wasn’t sure how her sword had ended up on the security guard’s desk, as clean as the day it was forged, but it had definitely basked in the monitor lights while she had been scouring the screens for Loki and Sylvie. It was definitely on that desk and she certainly didn’t walk over there.
And then there was the slight singe of green on her hands. Light like a shamrock, as thin as a veil draped over her skin. A faint green line around her hand and her blade, signifying how drawn they were to one another. It disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.
Kaia slowly turned her head back to the group. Everyone else was in just as much stunned silence as her. If crickets were hiding from the storm in this room, they would have made themselves known by now. Even Sylvie — the source of her ire — seemed taken aback by the sudden display. Her arms fell slack and the grit on her face vanished.
Kaia soon realized what she had done. She had summoned her sword with her first burst of magic.
“Kaia…” Verity dared to break the silence, but she barely got a word out before Kaia returned to her usual, overly energetic state.
“I don’t know!!” Kaia raised her arms defensively, despite keeping a grip on her sword. “I don’t know how I did that!!”
“A-hem!” Hunter B-15 cleared her throat loudly to cut in. As a Hunter, she knew when force was the right call to action. Now wasn’t that time. At least Kaia took the hint and backed up a bit, sword in hand. The talk was just talk; she had no desire to have a direct go at Sylvie.
Sylvie, meanwhile, was still hushed by the sudden burst of magic. So to say, she was approachable. She had a roundabout way of wanting to help, but she still wanted to help. And Hunter B-15 knew just how to approach such a contentious Variant: bribery.
“Tell you what, Sylvie…” B-15 picked up her TemPad, thumbing through pages as she spoke. “If you stay here, I’ll let you borrow my TemPad so you can do your own research.”
“Really?” Sylvie snapped out of her stunned state. She eyed Hunter B-15 up and down, who still had her eyes trained on her TemPad. She certainly seemed unwilling to give it up. At least there was one constant she could rely on: Verity’s subtle magic.
When Sylvie looked at Verity, she looked relaxed. Shoulders sloped down, hands on the table. A typically genuine smile from a typically reliable human. Verity reassured Sylvie with a simple sentence: “She means it.”
Hunter B-15 did mean it. She had already logged herself and her Hunter credentials out of the device, instead opting for a generic Hunter login that was normally used for training purposes. As a guest hunter, she couldn’t edit any files, but she could search for any digital document that suited her fancy. There were no temporal coordinates saved, but as travel is a part of the job, she couldn’t outright disable the Time Door settings for this account. Considering who her guest Hunter was, she needed assurance.
“But ‘stay here’ means that you don’t just run away with my TemPad.” Hunter B-15 clarified.
“Same promise I made to her.” Sylvie pointed to Verity. “I won’t run off on my own with your TemPad.”
Now it was Hunter B-15’s turn to rely on Verity’s gift. Could she really believe Sylvie wouldn’t run off when she had just returned from running off? At least Verity would be an impartial party. And just as she did before, Verity confirmed Sylvie’s honesty, this time with a simple nod in B-15’s direction.
With that, B-15 conducted the temporary transfer of her device to Sylvie. As she did so, she silently motioned toward the Time Stick that she had in its proper holster. A subtle reminder that there was more than one prominent fighter among the group.
“We asked Verity to investigate Rebecca and Michael further. Maybe you can help with that too. Give me the spoiler-free cut.” A jovial Mobius tried to lighten the mood. The silent feedback didn’t quite help.
Sylvie didn’t want to acknowledge Mobius, so she didn’t. She barely gave him a shrug before returning to her preferred seat. She used her heels to nudge the chair’s wheels towards the distant desk. As she rode the wave, she swung her legs up so that when she came to a stop, her legs were already elevated in her preferred seated position.
“You two should go,” Loki urged, “The sooner we learn anything, the better.”
Mobius nodded in agreement. He secured his own TemPad in his hands. The familiar fwoosh of a Time Door’s appearance was quick to follow.
“We’ll be back sooner than ya think!” With a cheery wave, Mobius and Hunter B-15 departed through the Time Door. Back to the TVA, on the hunt for information regarding Ravonna Renslayer and the murky waters of the Multiverse. With them gone, it was just Verity and the Variants. Sounds like a decent band name, but the former doubted that this downtime would be harmonious.
Verity first decided to check in with Kaia, who had hardly moved since recalling her sword. “You okay, Kaia?”
“Y-yeah… I mean, YEAH!” Kaia found her confidence rather suddenly. “I can ACTUALLY use magic!”
After all this time, she finally had tangible proof that she wasn’t a human masquerading as a Loki. She truly had supernatural power locked away within her, just as Loki told her. Those memories that Sylvie had shown her truly did happen, even though Kaia didn’t have as much doubt about that. Hell, it didn’t even matter that she caught a glimpse of Sylvie rolling her eyes at Kaia’s raw excitement. She can use magic, dammit!
… But can she repeat it?
“Uh, well, I don’t know how I did it, but—”
A soft chuckle and pat on the back interrupted Kaia’s ramble. Loki had walked himself to stand behind his protégé whilst she was stuck in thought. Neither had TemPads to research with, but this sudden development presented a new opportunity for the two.
“Why don’t we practice to pass the time, then? Over here, Kaia.”
Loki guided Kaia to take two steps backwards away from the table. He mimicked the trick that Kaia had performed; using a green light to lift a lone banana out of the basket and onto the table.
“What you just did was telekinesis, but you’re capable of so much more. We’ve gone over this before. I’m sure you remember?”
Kaia nodded; the back of her head unintentionally scraped Loki’s shoulder.
“Well… magic is complex. There are plenty of grimoires and other pieces of literature that’ll give you a bunch of ‘rules’ or the like. ‘You must recite a spell!’ ‘You must do a fancy pose!’” Loki shook his head. “But folks like us aren’t meant to abide by such rules. Our magic is more fluid than that. At its core, magic is taking a thought and making it real.”
“Right…” What confidence Kaia did have clearly ran on adrenaline. Now that push came to shove, could she really replicate it?
“You can do it, Kaia,” Verity uttered one last bout of reassurance before focusing back on her TemPad. As exciting as the lesson was, she did need to get some work done.
“Yeah, I’m sure, I just… don’t know what I did.”
“From what I observed, your rage prompted your magic. Emotion is a powerful thing, and I know you have that in spades,” Loki said, “Tap into your emotions, even selfish ones such as hunger.”
Loki threw his arm over Kaia’s shoulder, aiming her eyes toward the basket. In particular, to yet another packet of her favourite treat, which was nestled between an orange and a colourful wrapped granola bar.
“Focus on moving the chocolate cups there… which, by the way, were passable.”
A light gasp passed Kaia’s lips. She cranked her head to look at Loki with stars in her eyes. It meant enough to Kaia that Loki promised his return on the packet of nut-buttery, chocolatey goodness. To know that he went above and beyond startled her in the best way possible.
“You ate it‽” Kaia exclaimed. The joy in her voice was unmistakable, but it also wasn’t the point that Loki wanted her to latch onto.
“Focus, Kaia.” Loki gently turned her head to face her target. “Put all of your energy onto that package. Use your hands if it makes it easier to comprehend. Reach for it.
“Is it really this simple?”
“It comes from within.”
“Oh, is that so?” Sylvie didn’t bother looking up at Loki — as she too was busy scouring relevant files — but that didn’t mean she had a quip lined up for him. “Is that what your mother used to tell you?”
Loki put a hand on his hip as he turned to glare at Sylvie. “And what if it was??”
“Break it up, you two…” Verity cautioned. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with another spat between Variants.
Luckily, both Sylvie and Loki respected this by doing what they were previously doing before. She dug her nose further into her borrowed TemPad. He put his focus back on his mentee.
“Just… try it, Kaia.” Unfortunately, Loki had run out of eloquence to expend. It’s surprisingly hard to describe willpower in layperson’s terms.
“Right…” With a deep breath in, Kaia was ready to try.
She had to move the chocolate without touching it, with magic. Allegedly, it was easier to conduct motion with your hands; Loki had done so before, and her arm was extended when she grabbed her sword. So why not? Kaia reached out as if she were going to pick up the packet properly, yet she remained distant. She squeezed her hands on the open air… and held a little emerald glow. Perfect.
Kaia grasped her glowing hand once more. She watched as her magic spread onto her target, giving the thin white package a minty green tint. She shifted her hand to the left, revelling in the quiet rustling that followed. The packet moved alongside it!
Thud!
The smile that Kaia had on her face faded quickly. When the packet fell from the basket, so did her magic. She didn’t feel tired. Was there just a time limit? Or did magic need to be a constant thought to make it real?
“Maybe if we find you some Minutemen to fight, you’ll unlock more of that rage, more of that power…”
“Sylvie, stop…” Kaia mumbled. She wasn’t even looking; why did she need to give her two cents?
“I’m just saying…” Sylvie shrugged, “You’ve improved since we teamed up to free that Hunter, why not build on it?”
“I am. With moving the chocolate.”
“Which she is managing quite well!” Loki shifted himself so he stood on Kaia’s opposite side, blocking her view of Sylvie. “Weren’t you the one that wanted that TemPad to work with?”
“Hmm, hmmm…” Sylvie hummed to herself. She certainly wasn’t going to let him call this ‘work’ or take the TemPad from her. She learned why that was a bad idea earlier. She went back to minding her business, back to running her fingers along the touch screen. It was preferable to her over the dinky keyboard. But she didn’t let any of them see where her research had taken her. Not yet.
With Sylvie settled down, Loki looked back to the table ahead of himself. Kaia had made decent progress. She just needed practice so she could hold her magic for longer.
“Now, pick the chocolate up again and move it towards Verity.”
Now that’s how you pry Verity out of her work. Her head shot up to look at the two Variants, then to the vast array of food options, then back to the pair. Her request was for Kaia in particular: “Make it the mango instead.”
Kaia giggled and nodded in agreement. Such a request told her that Verity was surely feeling better now. She had her appetite and her sharp wit back. Who was she to deny that? She shaped her hand to hold the imaginary mango, which was currently in the basket. She wanted to lift the mango out of the basket and have it land in front of Verity. So she took that though…
Rustle, rustle…
… made it green…
Thump!
… and made it real. The mango fell from her enhanced grip about halfway through the journey, but the round fruit had enough momentum to land in Verity’s waiting hand. Quiet pleasantries from her and a congratulatory pat on the back from Loki assured Kaia that she was on the right track.
Sylvie wasn’t paying much mind to the training. She actually had her eyes on a location: Ohio. She tracked as much information as she could about Ohio, about Fremont, about that blasted high school that the vice principal most likely called a second home. Humans were corny like that. She had no doubt that Rebecca was of the same plain, boring stock. If she really was searching for free will, why would Renslayer be so interested in how her life was supposed to go?
“What if Renslayer isn’t looking for her own Variants?” Sylvie blurted aloud. At least this cutting commentary had some teeth.
“What do you mean?” Verity asked.
“Well, the Sacred version of Renslayer is just human. Humans can’t do much,” Sylvie explained, “But Gods can do much more damage, especially if they're mischievous enough to break Multiversal borders.”
Loki was quick to recognize just how deliberate Sylvie’s choice of words was. “You think she’s looking for a Loki?”
“It’d be foolish to rule out the possibility.”
“Hmm…” Verity bought a bit of time with a bite of her mango. It wasn’t a far-fetched theory. During her short time as an analyst, she saw the high correlation between Lokis and chaotic events. Renslayer had no shortage of dislike for Lokis. What was previously thought to be general ire or irritancy… perhaps there was a greater reason behind her hatred.
“Kaia, what was the number that the TVA gave you?”
Kaia blinked. What was her friend insinuating with that question? “Y’know, if she was looking for me, she sure did a crummy job of it.”
“Just tell me the number.”
“Uh… L5242, I think…”
“Got it.”
Loki was by far the most curious about this sudden development. He crept over Verity’s shoulder and watched as she pulled up Kaia’s Variant file case. Specifically, the set he had once held physically in his hands.
“What’re you looking for?” Loki inquired.
“Remember these files that you pulled up, Loki? The ones that had redactions on her past before the ripple?”
“Of course.” The digital censorship was orange instead of black on the TemPad’s screen, but Loki would give the discrepancy a pass.
“I’m beginning to think those redactions exist because they’re the result of an incursion…” Verity theorized, “Kaia survived, but her memory was damaged in transit, so she doesn’t remember her previous life.”
“Or who created such an incursion in the first place… Verity, that’s brilliant!” Loki grinned, “If Kaia didn’t do this herself, whoever was responsible did NOT want her to remember.”
“And Renslayer might be looking for that person, Loki or otherwise!” Sylvie got to her feet. Finally, the group found the traction she was looking for.
“Then why look up the redacted files?” Kaia also liked where this was going, but there were some different gaps that she needed to fill. “Isn’t it completely blacked out?”
“Not completely.”
Everyone crowded around Verity and watched as she pitched the projection of Kaia’s mostly blackened files. She flexed her fingertips to zoom in past the bars and enlarged the first set of words that shone through the gaps.
“Some words are visible between the bars.” Verity pointed out. “These snippets might have a clue, especially on this day…”
Verity flicked through the files rapidly. Some had more uncensored words than others. Some had their titles obscured as well. However, the one that Verity landed on had its date prominent for all to see: 06-JUN-2012.
Kaia’s brow furrowed. JUN stood for June, right? The date was familiar to her. “That… that was the day we met, wasn’t it?”
“Yup…” Verity scrolled down the dated file slowly. The odd basic word — such as “the” or “in” — poked between the bars. Verity only stopped when a snippet was sizeable and notable.
“‘Start your life anew…’” Sylvie read. Her face twisted, looking about as puzzled as the various gaps in the file.
Kaia shared in Sylvie’s confusion but for a different reason. “That doesn’t sound like something I would say…”
“I don’t think you did…” Very scrolled up and down the file rapidly, noting how strange the spacing between gaps was. Add on the strange colon near the offending sentence, and you get Verity’s somewhat stronger feeling: “I think this is a conversational record between Kaia and someone else.”
“So it seems more likely that this other person caused this incursion…” Loki rubbed a thumb across his chin. “but they’d have to be powerful enough to traverse timelines and erase selective memories…”
Sylvie jumped back from the rest of the group. She pumped her arms towards her chest. She could barely contain the newfound rush of excitement.
“That’s the culprit! The real Time-Keeper!” Sylvie also jumped to quite the conclusion.
Verity had to reign her in with a quick anecdote. “Or maybe an accomplice.”
“Who else should be that powerful? As Loki said, a time-traveller AND an amnesiac inducer? That’s not just anybody!”
Kaia cleared her throat to add her voice to the conversation. “But why would the actual Time-Keeper move me to the Sacred Timeline and create the ripple?”
“I don’t know…” Sylvie pulled out the borrowed TemPad. She seemed to be the only one to notice the temporal coordinates attached to the file. Her mischievous grin was unmistakable. “Let’s find out!”
Snap!
Verity slammed her TemPad shut. Her face dropped in sequence. “Sylvie, you promised you wouldn’t run off.”
“Actually, I promised I wouldn’t run off on my own.” Sylvie winked. “I’m going to investigate the exact moment when Kaia arrived on the Sacred Timeline, and this is a formal invitation for you all to join me.”
Unfortunately for Verity, Sylvie already had the coordinates memorized. Her thumbs twiddled against the screen of the TemPad. Eventually, her thumb hovered over the button that summoned the Time Door. She wanted assurance that she wasn’t the only one interested in investigating.
“Uh…” Of the group, Kaia was the most interested. This was her past, after all. But considering all that she knew about the fragility of time, she had some concerns. “But I’m here. Wouldn’t that cause another incursion?”
Sylvie shook her head. “To begin with, you were never supposed to be there. Since you were removed from the Timeline as an existing Variant, you shouldn’t be there now.”
“Then how do we know that this culprit will be there?”
"We won’t know unless we look!” With one more wink, Sylvie opened the Time Door. Regardless of whether or not everyone else was ready, she was itching to go.
Verity shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The mango had already vanished entirely in the meantime, but it didn’t quash the building stress. “I really think we should wait for Mobius.”
“Would Mobius not want us to investigate a lead?” Loki mirrored Sylvie’s grin. Oh, no.
“Mobius wouldn’t want us to cause another branch,” Verity countered.
“I… I was in an alley, that’s the earliest memory I have…” Kaia admitted, “I didn’t stumble upon anyone for a few good blocks. I don’t think we’ll cause a branch.”
“Kaia!” Not you, too.
“What if this leads to my truth, Vee? What if I can finally confront the reason why I don't remember Asgard?”
Kaia looked at Verity with her hazel eyes, which rivalled the size of altered moons. This really was a chance for her to get answers. Answers that the fake Time-Keepers couldn’t give her. Answers that the TVA didn’t have on file. Answers that couldn’t wait for anything or anyone.
… Dammit.
“Fine. FIVE minutes!” Verity conceded, “Just to look, then we come back.”
The warble of Sylvie breaching the Time Door went largely unnoticed. It got buried under Kaia’s happy hand clap and Loki’s suave confidence.
“They won’t even know we left!” Loki boasted.
This did not reassure Verity. “And if they do come back before we return?”
“That’s what this is for! Aaa-ha!” Kaia waved her hands, one in front of her chest and the other just above her head. She seemed to grasp for objects that weren’t there. When she only grabbed the air, her face soured. Again, she waved her hands about, with no magic or consequence. She didn’t bother adjusting the way her fingertips held nothing, in hopes that the pen that she wanted to form within her grip would appear.
C’mon, Loki did this on the train and it worked just fine!
“Ugh!” Kaia exclaimed as she dropped her arms.
Loki chuckled lightly, unintentionally finding pleasure in such a brash attempt at the lack of magic. It’s hard to do magic that you’ve never practiced.
“We’ll go over conjuring later.” To appease Verity and to show Kaia, Loki conjured a quill and scroll into his hands. It was the very same pair that he had teased Sylvie with on the train, but now it was finally being put to use. Naturally, Loki’s quills always came pre-inked, so he was able to write flawlessly on the aged paper. Verity could plainly see the note Loki wrote for Mobius and Hunter B-15, which read in beautiful, bold cursive: “Be right back!”
Verity felt like throwing up. “Mobius is gonna kill me.”
“Mobius? Nah, he likes you far too much for that!” Loki gently helped Verity to her feet, only to grab her wrist with a bit more force. “Let’s go!”
“Hey!”
Loki had a habit of pulling Verity through Time Doors, especially the ones that the latter barely consented to. Verity didn’t have time to grab her given Time Stick from the table. She barely had time to secure her TemPad before being dragged along for the ride. Kaia laughed to herself before following through as well.
It was just for five minutes. What could possibly go wrong?
Notes:
BTW, a quick note: I had to fix Chapter 16 for continuity errors. The old version had the day Verity and Kaia met as a point in April. However, Loki’s invasion of New York happened on May 4th. Since Kaia appeared after that (See Chapter 4), I had to edit the date to June. Chapter 16 is already fixed with this amendment, I just wanted to make it clear here too for those who have been up to date!
Chapter 53: The Shadow
Summary:
Chapter 53 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: Everyone eventually discovers a shadowy stain on Kaia’s past.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Enter New York, 2012.
Sylvie basked in the early June sunlight. She checked her fingers to see how little dirt was under her nails. She felt no need to adjust her armour. She hadn’t broken anything close to a sweat. It wasn’t too hot considering the date and time. By all means, it was bearable.
What wasn’t bearable was the wait for her bumbling allies. They were eating away at the precious few minutes they had!
Her foot tapped at a quickened pace as she saw Loki pull Verity through the orange gateway. The latter put her TemPad to the door to get a read on it as Kaia emerged. It was a basic command: scan a Time Door for the temporal coordinates that correspond to it. A quick back-up plan if necessary, as if anything would go wrong. Pfft.
“Finally!” Sylvie whined as the Time Door collapsed, “You’re so slow!”
Loki rolled his eyes at Sylvie before he looked around the area. They stood in winding New York streets, surrounded by towers. Streaks of disjointed paint crafted bubbles on the brick walls. If they were some sort of Midgardian hieroglyphics, he certainly couldn’t make sense of it. The road was skinny. Signs indicated that travel ought to commence in one direction, but it was debatable as to how big said vehicle could be to pass. The sidewalk barely qualified as such, with a mere two inches of elevation. Compared to other parts of New York, the trash that littered the ground was minimal. Most importantly, not a soul was in sight.
“At least we’re without an audience…” Loki muttered.
“Yeah, it’s just apartments here…” Verity hadn’t been to this particular neighbourhood in a while. But as a brisk breeze hit her face, she felt the sights and sounds of New York flood back into her mind. Surely, it’d have the same effect on her friend, right?
“Anything familiar, Kaia?”
…
No response? That’s not like her.
“Kaia?”
Without a word, Kaia walked past everyone. She seemed unbothered by the fact that she was walking on the open road. Her head seemed trained on following a certain path, but the lack of regard threw everyone off.
“Kaia!” Verity shouted.
Kaia stopped walking. Her head lazily rolled to meet her friends, flashing an equally lazy smile. Her eyes seemed to have a bit of red in them, rather than hazel.
“Don’t you hear it?” Kaia’s voice was somewhat monotonous. “This way.”
Before anyone could answer her, Kaia turned back around. She kept walking forward. Strangely, one hand was raised slightly ahead of her, as if someone was holding it.
Verity, Sylvie, and Loki all exchanged glances. No one heard anything. They could all see just how drastically Kaia’s demeanour shifted. Seemingly nothing warranted that change. Or at least, nothing they couldn’t see yet.
Swish!
The unmistakable scrape of metal filled the air as Sylvie unsheathed her sword. Loki also summoned a dagger. He was mindful to make sure Verity stood both between and behind them before following Kaia. It was hard to say what Kaia was leading them to, but chances were that it wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Just around the corner here…” Kaia hummed quietly, bordering on a sing-song voice, “to start my life anew…”
Ice spiked Verity’s blood. Those words did sound foreign in Kaia’s mouth. Why did she seem so keen to them now? It became more and more obvious that this wasn’t her friend talking.
The answer was around the corner, just as Kaia promised. Yet somehow, the answer produced more questions. The group turned the corner, craned their heads upward, and came face-to-face with an enormous standing shadow.
The shadow was sheltered by the towers that bordered the alley, but not by much. Verity would’ve estimated that this shadow stood at 15 feet, but the bleeding edges of its very existence could warrant a give or take. Black and cobalt blue masses swirled and blended to make a human-shape. The colours were dense enough to make the standing shadow opaque. Its so-called arms and legs were just massive protrusions swelling from a rectangular core. Its head was an oval, laced with trailing black wisps fading into nothing. It had no face apart from two tears that formed convenient eyes. The tears were filled with ruby-red shadows, which stared down at the foursome, unblinking and unwavering. The oval-shaped head tilted slightly, implying perplexity at these visitors.
To say it was unnerving was an understatement. Even Sylvie didn’t know how to approach such a behemoth. But she at least had an opening statement: “What the FUCK is that‽”
Verity tried to answer that. She applied her TemPad to the figure with an initial scan. For aura, for identity, for anything. Surely, this was also a Variant of some kind, right?
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
Verity balked as her TemPad screamed back to her. Orange and black squares checkered the screen, save for a tiny text box dead centre of the screen. The ‘ERROR!’ message that flashed across her screen was almost as terrifying as the beast itself.
Verity looked back at Sylvie with fear in her eyes. “D-do NOT engage with th—”
“YOU MUST START YOUR LIFE ANEW.” The shadow had no mouth, but its voice still bellowed.
When the shadow extended its arm, a semi-translucent blue line came to light. The shadowy rope could be seen with its end wrapped to ‘hold’ Kaia’s hand, linking her directly to the gargantuan figure. It guided her towards it like a greeter to the gates of Hel. In the same strange steps she had taken since their arrival, Kaia followed. More of the blue aura started to snake up her arm with the leverage it held on her.
Well. Loki certainly wouldn’t stand for that.
“HEY!” Loki bolted. With long legs, it was easy for him to catch up to her. He made a grab for her infected arm…
SNAP.
… and was immediately repelled by a sheer cold force. Cold, even for him. The tips of his fingers reacted accordingly, involuntarily shielding himself with his natural skin. Loki didn’t have the time to comprehend this. As his blue digits paled out, he caught a glimpse of an undeterred Kaia still approaching the creature.
Time to fight magic with magic, then.
Loki hid both his dagger and himself in a green portal. He re-emerged, unarmed, directly in front of Kaia to stop her from walking forward. He felt her push against his chest for a moment as if he were merely a barrier to bypass. Her arm — the one that was tied to the shadowy string — pressed between his side and his inner arm, reaching past the gap toward the beast. Whatever this trance was, Loki knew he had to break it.
He wrapped his right arm around Kaia’s back, bracing her in his grasp for what he was about to do. With his left hand magically charged for protection, he swung his left arm down and around him, aimed squarely at the airborne link that bonded itself with Kaia. Such a thin strand didn’t stand a chance. As it dissipated into the air, its dust flickered green before blending in with the air. For Loki, this was still a curious thought for later.
Loki dispelled his hand before taking a firm hold of Kaia. Only now could he back up and get a good look at her.
Kaia’s tethered arm fell flat onto her own side. She stood rigidly in Loki’s grip, too paralyzed to walk forward or behind. She managed to tilt her head up to look at him, but her eyes were glazed. Yet, she seemed to recognize him, for her eyebrows spiked when she met his worried face. Her scleras gradated from white around the irises to red at the corners. The tears that spilled from her eyes were pink before they ran clear down her face. All the while, she breathed heavily through her nose. It took her a few good attempts to muster out any sort of word.
“H-Help…” Kaia barely pleaded. That was all Loki needed to hear.
“OPEN THE DOOR!” Loki shouted so Verity could hear him crystal clear. He scooped Kaia into his arms, guaranteeing that she couldn’t be pulled away again. “WE HAVE TO GO!”
Verity didn’t need to hear that twice. She had already soft-rebooted her TemPad to escape the error message that the shadow induced. It was a matter of seconds before the pathway back to Roxxcart manifested itself behind her.
That door could’ve led them anywhere, it didn’t matter to Loki. He whisked Kaia through the orange portal without daring to look back. Without daring to question anything. Without any desire to mind Sylvie, who now drifted an inch closer to the shadow. Said shadow stared back at Sylvie, somehow simultaneously curious and disinterested in her. It certainly was quiet now, with no demands to reset her or Loki. It only had eyes for Kaia, which made sense considering the timeframe they were in, but it still didn’t answer the questions she had in her mind. Why not shoot her shot?
Sylvie cleared her throat and adjusted her grip on her sword. “WHAT ARE—”
“NOPE!” Verity grabbed Sylvie by her unarmed wrist and yanked her back. Luckily, Sylvie rocked back on her heel, clearly not expecting such strength1 from her. Even luckier for Verity, her swinging sword didn’t come close to grazing her.
Before Sylvie had any chance to object, she was pulled through the Time Door that Verity had created. It was shut just as quickly as it appeared. After all, their five minutes were up.
Verity hoped against hope that they didn’t cause a branch or anything else Mobius would’ve noticed. He and Hunter B-15 were quite busy, after all.
They had reentered the TVA. Few eyes were on them but, the ones that were weren’t occupied with them. Which was great because Mobius had inadvertently chosen a longer path to the destination.
The room with the particular computer was hidden in the L-Wing on floor YZX. Each floor had a wing of an alphabetized order. Being a Lead Analyst and Detective, Mobius had access to a fair majority of them. And he could allow anyone he wanted into said hidden rooms on a supervised context. Admittedly, Hunter B-15’s primary duty was to supervise him, to make sure that—
“Agent Mobius?”
—that no interruptions occurred during the database heist. This Minuteman technically was a bit early.
“Sir, isn’t Hunter B-15 still to be detained?” asked the unaware soldier.
“No, no, I cleared her with Judge Renslayer,” Mobius semi-lied, “Did you not check your TemPad?”
Mobius put a hand to his hip and glared at the Minuteman sternly. What followed was a flustered subordinate fumbling for his TemPad. It took him a moment to conduct the friendly scan upon B-15’s person and realize the truth: she stood intact and in good standing.
“A-Apologies, sir!”
“All clear. You’re dismissed.”
The humbled Minuteman parted ways with his superiors. He went back towards the lockers. Mobius and Hunter B-15 went in the opposite directions. They made sure they completed the short elevator ride before either dared to breathe a sigh of relief.
Mobius broke the silence first. “Man, I’m glad that worked…”
“I can see why you didn’t want Verity to tag along…” B-15 commented.
Mobius winced, guilty as charged. Even in a place where her power was suppressed, he knew that she would react to his lies on the fly. He didn’t want to subject her to that again. To make her uncomfortable again. Ravonna already made her uncomfortable enough while he was away.
“She’s doing the work that she needs to back there, best not disturb it.”
“I’m sure one of those Lokis will do that for us.”
“They’ll behave, I’m sure of it…” Mobius lied. He wasn’t sure at all. But he couldn’t worry about that now. Not when the sign that read ‘L-WING’ was in sight.
The actual room they were looking for was within a hallway between two shelves. An open crevasse that should’ve been filled by a wall, like the other shelves ahead and behind them. The hidden pathway was designed as such. They couldn’t just let any TVA worker in on information as sensitive as this.
The narrow beige hall felt endless, at least until the duo found the lone 90-degree bend. The turn shielded the lone door at the end of the hall. The door had no windows, no blemishes, just a silver doorknob on a wooden slab. The door had a specialized plate in place of a keyhole, fit for a high-clearance TemPad. Luckily, Mobius’ device fitted the bill. it unlocked with just a mere tap on the metal.
Mobius jiggled the knob and swung the door away from him. It revealed a bare square room, bathed in a faint orange light. A lone oak desk sat dead centre in the room, as rigid and square as the room itself. On the desk sat a standard computer, not unlike the ones seen in the Time Theatres. Though, this one had a much larger keyboard to compensate for the complex queries that it needed to run. One rinky-dinky chair with a beige seat sat in front of the computer, its metal legs sat nicely on the shag carpet that lined the floor. There were no posters on the wall, no waste receptacles for the desk. Not even writing tools for whatever notes that may need to be taken.
And this was the room for the Multiversal Database.
Hunter B-15 let out one brisk laugh. “Was this room this pathetic the whole time?”
That got a chuckle out of Mobius. He hadn’t been in here too often — twice if he recalled right — and no, this room hadn’t changed one bit. Save for the little layer of dust that lined the room.
Mobius had to nod a few times to settle down his giggle. He had an important ask of his friend. “Hey, do ya mind staying out here and keeping an eye on the door for me? I’ll call for ya in a minute.”
“Yeah, sure…”
Hunter B-15 did her duty and turned her back on the door as Mobius slipped into the room. She wasn’t fazed by the way the door clicked shut behind her. Not even the notion of a staggered entry bothered her. She didn’t know all of the details of this database. As someone who primarily worked in and around the field, she didn’t need to. But from what little she could recall about this computer’s security precautions, a staggered entry may be the best course of action.
Mobius would need every break he could get. This was the riskiest part of the plan.
Briiii…
The computer whined at the notion of being turned on for the first time in a while. An orange flat line indicated that the machine was working and loading, preparing to serve its purpose and display details on what relevant information the TVA had on Lesser Timelines.
Then, the line morphed into a circle.
Just as Mobius suspected, the features of a clock formed on the screen. It was yet another layer of security needed for this database. Most TVA workers didn’t even realize there were Lesser Timelines and incursions to worry about. The only ones that knew were the ones that needed to know. They were never the topic of discussion for the canteen, nor the subject of audits for just anyone to handle. The hidden hallway and the locked door simply weren’t enough to contain the sensitive data. No, for when this particular computer is turned on, Miss Minutes is programmed to replace any sort of login feature. A personalized, intelligent test to justify the electricity spent to power this computer.
“Hey y’all!” Miss Minutes’ voice was digitized as she remained within the monitor. However, a projection of herself leapt out of the screen when she recognized that familiar mug. “Howdy, Agent Mobius!”
“Howdy!” Mobius smiled back at her.
“I see you’ve turned on the Multiversal Computer,” Miss Minutes remarked, “Do we have another incursion on our hands?”
“Not quite, but I think I’ve made a breakthrough on the Ripple Variant case.”
“Oh?” Miss Minutes formed self-sustaining platforms to ‘climb’ up to Mobius’ eye level. If there was anything that she loved to hear about, it was information for her records.
“Yeah, I think Kaia was brought to the Sacred Timeline via a brief incursion, and that’s why the TVA had redactions on her file,” Mobius explained, “These redactions may be excerpts from a Lesser Timeline.”
“I see…” Since she didn’t have a chin, Miss Minutes rubbed her thumb against one of the time markers on her face. “Didja want me to help ya search for the right Lesser Timeline?”
Mobius managed to hide the alarm bells that rang out in his head. “I’m all right, Miss Minutes. I’m going to run a scan using all of the information we do have on Kaia, that should lead me in the right direction.”
Mobius demonstrated this by finding the lone USB cord that worked with this model of computer. This particular cord never left this room, and its appendage matched the shape of a Time Twister. That was because the slot where a TemPad’s Time Twister doubled as a port to allow such manual connections to other devices. It would allow Mobius to save information on any other timeline from this computer to his.
Much to his relief, Miss Minutes smiled.
“All righty. So to confirm, you’re accessing the Multiversal Computer for research purposes on the Ripple Variant. No Minutemen or assistance needed?”
“Right as rain! No emergency. I’ve got it from here.”
“Sounds good, Detective! Good luck!” With a little whoop! echoing in the distance, Miss Minutes vanished into nothing. In her place, the computer screen greeted Mobius with a standard header and a blinking rectangle that begged for a search query.
Mobius breathed a huge sigh of relief. He quickly ran a search for L5242 before calling Hunter B-15 back into the room. With the coast officially clear, she was safe to observe the results in real time.
Bits and pieces of Kaia’s existence popped up on the screen. Her temporal aura, her arrest records, even her redacted files. As these files appeared, Mobius ran a second command on his TemPad. After all, what was the point of connecting his TemPad if it didn’t download this vital information?
“Okay, now I told my TemPad to download everything on Kaia that crops up during this search query,” Mobius announced.
“Everything on Kaia?” B-15 repeated, “That might take a good while.”
“Which gives us just enough time to get the other information we’re here for.”
Now, this computer may be old-looking, but Mobius knew that it had some horsepower left in it. It could handle two searches at once. After all, this computer often had to handle two timelines at a time. While Kaia’s query did its thing, Mobius opened a new search tab. He called for a basic graze of the entire database.
Blip! Whrrr…
The Multiversal Computer chimed as the second query sprinted at a breakneck pace in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tiny windows popped on and off the screen just as quickly. Hunter B-15 could barely make out the enumerated headers and lone blurb before they vanished and digitally shrunk into Mobius’ miniature device.
“And this input will download the bare bones on every Lesser Timeline that the TVA has interacted with. A universe name and a one-line summary of its fundamental difference from the Sacred Timeline.”
In essence, these summary files were the straws that built the haystack that they were all searching through, Ravonna included. These scraps of information could be their only jumping point to find her. At this rate, Mobius would take any crumbs of information that he could get.
“Huh.” Hunter B-15 leaned back to look at Mobius. She was impressed. “No wonder you’re a lead analyst.”
Mobius chuckled to himself. He felt the stare on his side, but he kept his eyes forward. “Just doin’ my job…” Or at least, the only job I’ve ever known.
The cliff notes on these timelines barely ate away at the TemPad’s memory. There were only a limited amount of timelines that dared to incur themselves upon the Sacred Timeline. Mobius had no doubt that the second search would win the race against the first.
So the first search came to the forefront once again. More of Kaia’s life came up in simple windows. More redacted files, timeline schematics, a basic rundown of her physical traits…
Wait, timeline schematics??
“Hold on…” Mobius opened a new tab and duplicated the strange window he saw before it finished loading onto his TemPad. He had to take advantage of the bigger screen while he had it.
Timeline schematics are a blueprint (or in this case, an orangeprint) of a section of time. They’re charted much like other parts of the Sacred Timeline: a graph with a bold, white, straight line as the focal point, and notations of when and where in time such a point is. Usually, there were little orange circles that marked the line with annotated points of interest. Be it Nexus Events, incursions, or other canon moments.
But Kaia’s line was not straight. Periodically, little ripples jumped up and down along Kaia’s timeframe. There were no other marks or blemishes that ruined the line, just these strange, familiar, tiny ripples. The biggest ripple was tallied in the Sacred version of New York from 2012 to 2017, of course, but that’s not the weird part.
“There’s… more than one ripple?” Hunter B-15’s heart sank. The Ripple incident was a unique situation for the TVA, merely for how long it took for them to notice the variance. But this revelation? That the first incident wasn’t truly the first, but the last of many that all went unnoticed? It didn’t matter that these smaller ripples all appeared to last mere moments. One wrong move could’ve ruined the whole timeline. All of these moments should have been branches, but none came to the TVA’s attention. It was a horrifying loophole to discover, for both Hunter and Detective alike.
Mobius’ mouth warbled to form its own ripples. His eyebrows knotted themselves thanks to his worry. By all accounts, very few beings were able to cross the Multiverse, especially without the advancements made by the TVA’s technological department. No reasonable Time-Keeper would give anyone such a temperamental temporal power, right? He couldn’t recall any being capable of doing this much damage before. But if anyone were capable of such a feat, it would be a Loki Variant, wouldn’t it?
“Oh, Kaia, what have you been up to…”
“You think she did this herself?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time a Loki tried to mess with time. She might’ve just damaged her memory in the process. Luckily, the database does remember for her…”
He started from the five-year ripple and skimmed each ripple. New York was the anomaly, if only for the length of its waves. New Mexico, Paris, Norway, Asgard… these other ripples in time were barely a blip, a moment in and out of time. And they all correlated with the shorthand code that represented the Sacred Timeline. Mobius started to doubt why this information was there. Why was this schematic relevant to this computer at all?
And that’s when Mobius landed on one last ripple. Chronologically, it was actually Kaia’s first ripple. The epicentre of oddities had one distinct difference from every other instance.
“Asgard-93159…” Mobius read aloud. That shorthand was a number he had never seen before. “Is that… Kaia’s true timeline?”
Admittedly, ‘Variant’ was a broad word in TVA scopes. A Variant usually was the result of a short event that was cut off before it could fester, like L1130. Kaia was given her numbers and dues because she was assumed to be of a similar stake. But now, Mobius had proof that for Kaia, the word ‘Variant’ meant that she was the Loki of a Lesser Timeline, one that lost the Multiversal War. A brief anomaly connected Universe 93159 with the Sacred Timeline just long enough for Kaia to make a one-way trip.
“What’s the fundamental difference?” Hunter B-15 asked a brilliant question.
Mobius jumped on it immediately. He once again jumped tabs to see anything and everything that the database could show on this curious timeline. It was as simple as searching into the universe’s shortcode. The summary popped up instantly:
UNIVERSE-93159;;; FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE: UNKNOWN.
How unfortunate that the return was so pitiful.
“Unknown? How?” Hunter B-15 was more confused than disappointed. Shouldn’t every timeline in this database be properly documented?
“There’s an infinite amount of Lesser Timelines, that’d be too much information for this little computer…” Mobius did his best to explain, “The database only adds records as the TVA interacts with Lesser Timelines.”
“But it’s here, so we know it exists?”
“The database probably got that number from reading Kaia’s information… there’s no record of an official incursion from Universe-93159 to the Sacred Timeline. Whatever these ripples were, they weren’t incursions. The disturbance that connected these timelines wasn’t open long enough for us to gather information.”
“Right…” Hunter B-15 slowly understood the complications that came with such a subject. But after getting to know Kaia more, she found it less and less likely that the short Variant could pull off such an amazing feat. “When exactly was the first ripple?”
Mobius referred back to the information on the schematics for the answer: “February 2nd, 973 AD.”
Yeah, that cinched it. Even Hunter B-15 knew the gist of a Loki’s age.
“That would’ve made her… what, eight years old?” B-15’s face flattened with further disbelief. “She definitely ain’t eight now.”
Mobius understood Hunter B-15’s hesitancy. If this really was Kaia’s own doing, it would’ve made her a magical prodigy amongst eight-year-old Lokis. The few Loki Variants that did meddle with time travel were well into adulthood.
“Maybe all this rippling affected her memory before settling down in New York…”
Mobius still made sure that his TemPad downloaded all the information that it could about this timeframe, schematics and all. After all, this acutely pertained to Kaia. She deserved to learn what she could about her true life if she wanted to.
Chirp chirp!
The TemPad flashed a message on its screen: the Lesser Timeline summaries have finished downloading to his profile.
Chirp chirp!
All current multiversal information regarding Kaia Embla completed its transfer not long after.
Chirp chirp chirp chirp!
As the alerts gained urgency, Mobius took notice. He picked up his TemPad just in time to see a notice of a new branch. A familiar branch. An all-too-ironic branch.
“Oh, no…” Mobius groaned.
“What?”
Mobius only had the heart to show Hunter B-15 his TemPad. The broadcast warned of a 5-unit branch freshly formed. A strange anomaly appeared in New York on June 6th, 2012. The date, of course, matched the very first day of Kaia’s final five-year ripple.
“Time to go?”
“Time to go.”
Mobius and Hunter B-15 undid everything they did in the room in rapid time. Disconnect the TemPad from the computer? Check! Close all tabs and shut off the actual computer? Check! Backtrack out of the hidden room without being seen? Quite easily done when you have your own TemPad.
As Mobius summoned the Time Door, he noticed just how much grace this particular branch was giving them. The disturbance seemed far from catastrophic. If anything, it was only the low rumblings of chaos, like L1130’s situation.
“I’ll page for two of your Minutemen. I don’t think we’ll need much more than that…” Mobius already had his TemPad primed in his hands, so the motion carried into the other side of the Time Door: a field operation supply room.
This room was also a deliberate choice. Although Hunter B-15 had her Time Stick on hand, questions would be raised if she were seen on the field without a TemPad. She took one out of inventory and logged in flawlessly. There weren’t any helmets in this room. She has one spare in her locker, but that was a detour she couldn’t afford to take. They’d have to deal with that and the logistics of TemPad inventory later. They still had somewhere important to be.
The gravity of the branch grew heavier as the pair approached the Deployment Hall. 2012 New York; a seemingly low-level disturbance affecting the Sacred Timeline. By all accounts, this is how they should have met Kaia. What exactly were they going to come across?
“I have a bad feeling about this, Mobius…”
“Me too. Just keep your head on a swivel…”
Two Minutemen stood at attention at the assigned Time Door. Due to the relatively generous number of units given to this branch, no one dared to question why Mobius and Hunter B-15 led such a small crew into New York. There wasn’t much conversation as the group of four entered time, but they all stopped at the same time. They all felt the first hit of variance: what should’ve been a warm June day was met with a brisk fall-like breeze. By all accounts, the hot New York alleyways don’t come with air conditioners (although they really should).
Three whines of three Time Sticks rang out without the need for a command. They followed the chill into a narrow alley. As it got cooler and cooler, Mobius got more nervous. He had started to second guess the theories he had worked out in his head. When he laid eyes on the source of the dropping temperature, he dropped all pretences about the situation at hand, not to mention his jaw.
It stood leagues above them all, maybe 15 feet or so. A human-shape blob of solid blues and blacks that seemed to defy perception. A shadow standing at a full depth of field. The borders of its existence were jagged like a child’s rushed crayon marks filling in an outline of a person. Unblinking red ovals near the top of the figure played the role of eyes, staring down at this group with curiosity rather than aggression.
“What the…” Hunter B-15 resisted the urge to swear.
Mobius tried to scan the beast, but the TemPad instantly gave errors for feedback. Could this be the rippling force they were looking for?
“Temporal energy is off the charts!” Mobius said with urgency in his voice.
Even the Minutemen seemed unsure regarding how to handle this. They were used to much smaller Variants. “What should we do, boss?”
That was a very good question. How could he contain such a thing? A Time Collar wouldn’t fit. Hell, this thing wouldn’t fit in the TVA! Maybe this was the source of rare timeline-hopping powers, but it was also incapable of giving them answers without demonstrating its devastation. Mobius couldn’t afford to let himself or anyone else be the guinea pigs for that trial run.
Mobius was left with no choice. He commanded, “Prune it!”
Hunter B-15 and her Minutemen fanned out. To prune such a beast, they’d have to approach from different angles. But as soon as they took their first steps forward…
Fisssss…
The gigantic figure shrank.
Its ‘feet’ turned into a cloud of intense smoke, as if the pavement beneath it literally became lava. Everyone took a step back, unsure of just how dry the icy vapours became. The process took all of three seconds, for the creature to retreat into nothingness on its own accord. Not a trace was left behind; no liquids nor solids littered the street.
Mobius was almost glad Ravonna wasn’t here right now. He did not want to explain this to anyone above his pay grade.
“Sir?” A Minuteman snapped Mobius back to attention. “The timeline is stabilizing on its own…”
“Because it ran…” Hunter B-15 muttered. She powered down her Time Stick first, prompting her subordinates to do the same.
“Hmm…”
Mobius walked past everyone, approaching the last of the steam before it disappeared. He kept his TemPad in hand, which had calmed down after its sudden outburst. It blipped lightly as it scanned the scenery. It squeaked even louder as Mobius squatted down to get a closer look. The little traces left behind still tickled the air with an unnatural aura, only detectable to the TemPad’s sharp senses. It certainly was variance energy, but not enough to alter any point in time. It was like a fateful leaf, spared by the heavy boots of Nexus Events.
But one thing caught Mobius’ eye. Something small that was left behind. An insignificant scrap that had more variance energy than anything else here. The real culprit of the branch turned out to be sloppy.
Hunter B-15 approached Mobius from behind. She could see him reaching for something with his left hand. She waited for him to stand back up before issuing her suggestion.
“Mobius, we should reset the timeline, just in case.”
“We gotta make a detour first…”
“A detour? Mobius?”
“The Minutemen can reset the timeline. We gotta make a detour…” Mobius turned around as he put more emphasis on his words. Luckily, her body shielded what he held from the Minutemen lurking in the distance. What he found was for her eyes only.
In his left hand, Mobius held a withered white wrapper. He made a point to showcase that its packaging depicted a gorgeous image of two chocolate peanut butter cups. This tiny scrap had carried the brunt of variance energy, as told by his TemPad. Whatever that shadow creature was, it didn’t cause the disruption that summoned them here. But Mobius and Hunter B-15 now knew what — or rather, who — caused the branch.
Hunter B-15 quickly turned around and delegated her troops. She instructed them to tidy the timeline and file the paperwork on her behalf. A cancelled Nexus Event wasn’t as alarm-raising as one might think. So long as the Sacred Timeline is stable, that’s what mattered above all else. There was no need to raise alarm bells over a set of unlit matches. A case this insignificant didn’t even need a Judge’s sign-off. The Minutemen could fill in the blanks on the paperwork and hand it off to the analysis team for filing.
By the time she was done, Mobius already had another Time Door ready. This one would take them back to Roxxcart. Back to Verity and the adventuring Loki Variants. Back to the troublemakers that couldn’t leave well enough alone for five minutes.
Mobius and Hunter B-15 walked through the Time Door together. It was time to compare notes.
- If you can deal with Kaia on New Year’s Eve, you can certainly deal with a distracted Sylvie. [ ▲ ]
Notes:
Hey! A few housekeeping things.
First, thanks for bearing with me while updates slowly trickle out. This hasn't been a great December for me, but I'm trying to sort my shit out. This'll be the last update for 2023; hopefully, 2024 is better for me.
I do have more chapters plotted. I almost don't wanna spoil the current chapter estimate just yet, but we're well past 100. But I also have a real life, which includes the recent development of me wanting to spend time with a special someone. I don't know if I'll ever get back on a 'schedule' per se but I do wanna try to be more consistent in writing and posting. January 2nd is the 2nd anniversary of me sitting down to write Chapter 1 in long form. I wanna honour that by still writing and eventually finishing. Season 2 did spark a light in me, and it will have a mild influence on little things going forward, which will be noted. But this arc especially showcases just how different my story goes, and I hope it's appreciated or at least respected.
Lastly, chapter 3's footnotes have been edited because I recently had the chance to commission the lovely Natendo! She drew Kaia in her debut outfit and she looks amazing!!! View here.
Happy holidays to you all!
Chapter 54: The Monster
Summary:
Chapter 54 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: The shadow’s true identity is revealed, thanks to a little extra prodding. But somehow, this answer leads to even more questions.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains enchantment, repressed memories.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
She stopped short of kicking and screaming, but Sylvie definitely was dragged back to Alabama. Before she could escape the grip, Verity closed the door to New York. Before she could make a new one, Verity snatched B-15’s TemPad from her hands.
“You better hope we didn’t cause a branch!” Verity exclaimed, “That was too close!”
Sylvie countered, “We need to know what that thing is!”
“Yeah? You plan on sitting it down for coffee so it’ll open up its heart to us‽” Verity pocketed both TemPads and crossed her arms over her chest. Luckily, her power didn’t stop her from posing rhetorical questions.
Sylvie grunted. There wasn’t time to go back and forth with Verity on this. Whatever that creature was, it was connected to time travel, to unimaginable power, to Kaia. She turned her attention to the tiny Variant, who had already been placed in a chair by Loki. She trembled slightly as Loki kept himself knelt down beside her, but she indicated to him that she was all right physically. She must know what that thing was.
“Kaia, what was that?” At least Loki had his head in the game.
“I…” Kaia’s voice cracked slightly, “I don’t know…”
Loki’s eyebrows fell downward. Sylvie’s shot straight up.
“You don’t know‽ What do you—”
“That’s it!”
Before Loki could continue his light line of questioning, he felt a grip on his shoulders. In an instant, his vision blurred backwards as he was forcibly flung away from the chair. When he stopped moving, Verity was staring down at him in bewilderment. She managed to help him up in time to see that Sylvie had outright stolen his place. She was now down on one knee, eyeing Kaia with a fire in her eyes. Loki suspected that Sylvie had a more sinister proposal in mind.
“I know that you know something! I’m getting answers, no matter how deeply they’re hidden within you!”
Sylvie’s hands flashed intensely as she grabbed a hold of Kaia’s head. Her emerald grip was ironclad. Kaia didn’t even have time to recoil. Her eyes became consumed in the same shade of green before they rolled back into her head. As Kaia’s eyelids collapsed on themselves, Sylvie kept her upright and steady just with the pressure she applied on her temples.
Loki, of course, recognized Sylvie’s power in action. He had never seen it on such an aggressive display before, though.
“HEY! Leave her alone!”
It came to Loki’s surprise that Verity did not realize this. She stepped in front of him. If he hadn’t grabbed hold of her shoulders, she likely would’ve charged up to Sylvie. For obvious reasons, he couldn’t let her proceed. He knew that if Verity had forcibly broken Sylvie and Kaia’s magic bond, irreparable damage could’ve occurred to all three of them.
“Let her, Verity,” Loki cautioned, “This is enchantment.”
“Oh…”
The tension in Verity’s shoulders dropped, though Loki was hesitant to let her go. She couldn’t blame him. Part of her still wanted to free Kaia from the unsettling position she had been put in. This was the first time Verity had witnessed Sylvie’s enchantment in person, after all. From this angle, it almost looked more like hypnotism.
In truth, this instance sort of was hypnotism.
Sylvie can’t read minds. She can only enchant them. As she developed her power, it was a vital component of apocalyptic survival. As her hiding spaces got more precarious, she had to case a local’s mind to get a lay of the land. Previously, she had to poke and prod Hunter C-20’s brain for recent TVA details. She couldn’t just find the location of the then-real Time-Keepers without assistance from the mind’s host. Even more recently, Sylvie showcased Hunter B-15’s memories to her merely to prove that they existed.
It was a hidden perk of enchantment. She didn’t just use it to manipulate bodies. She used it to manipulate memories, to insert herself into their scenarios. She had to make them comfortable in order to coax the intel that she needed out of them. Surely, altering Kaia’s mind would be like a walk in the park.
Sylvie even had a setting in mind.
When the green cleared from Kaia’s eyes, she found herself not in Roxxcart, but back in New York. The scene was the very same alleyway in which she had recently been. She looked on either side of her first. There was no sign of Verity or Loki, but Sylvie stood to her left. Her head snapped forward and upward, only for her to once again lay eyes on that… that thing.
Kaia’s eyes and mind began to flood. Seeing its sketchy face again triggered something indescribable within her. An awful sense of dread for what had happened before and what was to come.
That entity. That creature. That root of everything right and wrong with her life. That was her destroyer. The first thing she forgot. The last thing she remembered. That was the thrown stone that tore ripples into her life.
“Kaia, I am using your memories to create a simulation. You are safe within your mind,” Sylvie said, “Verity and Loki are observing you from Roxxcart. They can hear you and see both of us.”
It was true, both Loki and Verity watched as Sylvie talked Kaia through her process. Kaia’s whimper and weak “Okay…” were clear to all in the reality that was the control room. Both observers were hushed and humbled by the conversation they were witnessing.
Also within reality, Sylvie stared down her subject. She barely blinked as her spoken words reached everyone’s ears. “You need to remember everything about this thing. The memory needs to run.”
Kaia nodded in Sylvie’s hands.
Sylvie’s vision was split. There were moments where she stared down Kaia’s enchanted face and others where they stood side-by-side in the shadow of the shadowy creature. Even as a construct, it was imposing. Sylvie sympathized with Kaia’s fear. If she had been younger, perhaps she would have been scared, too.
“Does it seem more familiar to you, now that you’re looking at it again?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“So, you’ve seen it before?”
“I think so…”
“Then I believe that this is the force that brought you through time…” Sylvie continued to interrogate, “Does it have a name?”
Kaia knew that it did. She didn’t remember how she learned of this horror’s name, or how she forgot it. But here and now, when looking up at its horrific face… she knew what to call it.
“B… Busemann…” Kaia squeaked, “The Giant Busemann…”
It was a name Loki hadn’t heard in centuries.
His face dropped as his arms slunk off Verity’s shoulders. His heart raced as it did in its youth, back when trickery was just a game and not a means of survival. Back when all he wanted was to see the smile in his father’s eye. Back when all he wanted was to do his mother proud with his studies. Back when obedience was a goal to strive for.
“Did she just say…”
“The Giant Busemann?” Verity repeated, “What is that?”
“That’s… the monster that parents told us children about at night…”
The Giant Busemann was a specific name given to broadly summarize the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. The villain forged to portray the frozen realm as a dangerous place. Although such myths were crafted before the Asgard-Jotunheim war, they persisted long after Jotunheim’s defeat. Long enough for King Laufey’s unsuspecting son to hear them himself.
He had heard many versions of the tale. There was one that his mother favoured above all else; that was the one Loki had committed to his memory.
And all the good children of Asgard hurry home for sleep.
Lest The Giant Busemann chills the alleys and streets.
If any naughty young ones defy such a feat,
The Monster rises from the shadows to sweep them off their feet.
Takes them to his frozen home, a land of snow and frost.
Child, don’t cry wolf, else all hope may be lost.
So do not stray, do obey, and know of Asgard’s love,
For The Giant Busemann melts at the power risen above.
In thinking about it, the appearance of the creature in the alley now made perfect sense. It was as if life was given to a child’s drawing of The Giant Busemann, what with his jagged outlines and swirling colours in his body. It was hard for him to fathom it actually taking a physical shape, but if it truly did cross the multiverse, then surely there was one timeline where he was meant to exist.
It truly perplexed him that Kaia — who had no memories of Asgard nor read about such myths in any file — was able to recall The Giant Busemann by name.
The Giant Busemann. A boogeyman meant to keep unruly Asgardian children in line. Oh, how Sylvie wanted to pipe up and interject into the adjacent conversation. But alas, her tether with Kaia doubled as a burden. She did not want to spook Kaia out of her cooperative state. Her breathing steadied and her tears started to dry on her cheeks. Sylvie had to take advantage.
“That’s good, Kaia. What else can you tell me about the Busemann?”
“He…” Kaia took a hollow breath, “He always showed up…”
“When?”
“When it was time to go…”
Ding. A quiet lightning bolt struck Verity’s brain. She knew that, deep down, her friend wasn’t at fault. This was absolute confirmation for her.
“‘You must start your life anew…’” Verity quoted, “The Busemann was responsible for moving Kaia across time…”
“And erasing her memories…” Loki added, “to redact her mind afterwards…”
Who’s to say that he couldn’t also redact a few files?
Wooosh!
Loki heard and felt it before he saw it. He had become all too accustomed to the warmth of the Time Door and the unknown that lurked behind it. He flung himself between Verity and the portal. He used his skills to seamlessly summon daggers in his hands, complete with tiny sheaths wrapped around his hips. With Sylvie and Kaia in a compromised state and Verity still recently recovering, it was up to him to protect the ladies from a frumpy-looking suited man and his armour-clad companion.
Oh, wait. Those are also his companions.
“Really, Loki. Daggers at me.”
Mobius had no fear as he approached Loki. He huffed and puffed, reeling from simmering tension. Loki lowered his daggers as the Detective approached. He was no threat.
“Apparently, D-90 entered through a—”
“AFTER YOU RAN OFF‽”
Or at least, not a physical threat.
Mobius shoved a white clump into Loki’s face. The God’s vision was completely obstructed by a two-dimensional chocolate cup printed on a wrapper. The very same one he had shoved in his pocket between his confectionary consumption and his triumphant return to the control room with Sylvie. Loki hid away one dagger into a newly conjured sheathe on his hip so he could check his jacket. Sure enough, the scrap must’ve littered the pavement as he aided Kaia in their escape from New York.
A burst of nervous laughter escaped Loki’s grin as he put away the other dagger in full view of everyone. Did his inadvertent littering cause the branch and gave away the fact that they snuck off? Guilty as charged, not that Verity would let him commit the crime of lying.
“W-We’re sorry…” Verity sighed, “I uncovered something new in Kaia’s file and one thing led to another and—”
“We’ll talk about it later, Verity.” Mobius didn’t want to get into it more than that. He shoved the wrapper into Loki’s bare hand and walked himself back a bit, visibly frustrated. “Right now, I just wanna know why that branch happened.”
Neither Mobius nor Hunter B-15 knew if the others saw what they saw. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the temporal disturbance, at least not for long. If its disappearing act hadn’t been so flawless, perhaps they’d have more to offer than a vague description. But it’d be impolite to talk out of turn. They both wanted to hear from those that visited New York first.
Verity fumbled through her pocket, ensuring that she held the correct TemPad out as a peace offering for B-15. As she accepted her proper device back, Hunter B-15 took her turn for interrogation. “What were you all doing in New York??”
“I don’t wanna go…”
A meek interruption was all that was needed to avoid the question. Loki shied away slightly, uncovering Sylvie and Kaia to Mobius and Hunter B-15. Sylvie didn’t like the attention. Surely, the TVA veterans could tell what was going on. She finally got the investigation that she wanted, and she had no qualms about showing what lengths she would go to in order to find the truth. She let her actions speak for her as her vision retreated back into Kaia’s mind. She once again stood by the small Variant, who still hadn’t pried her eyes away from her tormentor.
Kaia was completely unaware of what was happening in Roxxcart. She was still lost in Sylvie’s enchanted simulation. So lost that earlier cautions of this experiment being harmless fell to the wayside. Her arms trembled as they folded over her chest. Tears found their way to the surface once again. But in reality, she was still propped up by a chair, head in Sylvie’s hands, muttering the same words spoken, just quieter.
“I don’t want to start my life anew…” Kaia cried out for all to hear.
“Hmph, as Loki’s little pet project, I doubt that’ll happen.”
The safest way to break one out of enchantment was to simply let them go. She cleared the magic from her left hand first. Her left hand cupped her head before she officially released Kaia from the hypnotism. As suspected, Kaia’s weak mind fell prey to exhaustion, and her body went limp in the chair. Sylvie at least had the decency to make sure she sat somewhat comfortably. She would wake up soon enough on her own.
Perhaps it was a slight mercy, to ease her down into sleep rather than shoving her abruptly into unconsciousness. She surrendered what she knew about the tangible ghost that haunted her. That ought to be respected.
Sylvie took to her feet and dusted her gloved hands off. She was the one who took the initiative on the information that Verity found. She decided that she was best suited to present their findings to Mobius and Hunter B-15. “We met the monster that moved Kaia around. An Asgardian boogeyman meant to scare the little girl…”
“Asgardian boogeyman?” Mobius repeated. In all of his time studying Lokis, he only remembered one name that fit such a description. “You tellin’ me that that big scribbly-lookin’ thing was The Giant Busemann?”
Loki crossed his arms over his chest as he nodded. “You do know your stuff…”
“Well, we just met it too. After all, we had a BRANCH interrupt our database research…” The disdain in Mobius’ voice was obvious.
Hunter B-15 backed him up with a low grumble. “You’re lucky that the branch wasn’t severe.”
Loki took the hint and retreated slightly.
“Hey, we all went together. I didn’t run off on my own, as promised…” Sylvie shrugged. The branch incident was water under the bridge as far as she was concerned. “What did you lot find?”
“I downloaded information on Lesser Timelines onto my profile…” Mobius announced as he slowly walked towards the sleeping Variant, “Summaries on most of them, but we know which universe Kaia came from specifically.”
“Good…” Loki remarked. He could only hope that those files didn’t have redactions, either.
“Is the Busemann from her timeline?” asked Verity.
“We’d have to look deeper in her file, I haven’t actually read anything yet…” Mobius looked back at Verity and nodded at her. “It’ll be easier if we do it back at the TVA.”
Sylvie’s eyes sparked. More intel for the mission? “Great!!”
“We’re going back to the TVA,” Hunter B-15 clarified as she motioned towards herself, Mobius, and Verity, “You three are going to a Time Theatre.”
Sylvie’s happiness suddenly caught on fire. “Excuse me‽”
“The TVA hasn’t found D-90 yet. When they do, they’re going to accuse all Variants before even considering any of their own. You three need to keep up appearances, especially because it was a Variant that killed him,” Hunter B-15 explained. She motioned to Kaia, whose head stirred ever so slightly. “You’ll be placed there under Mobius’ order, so we’ll be your alibis when the time comes. After we prove that you were all in a Time Theatre before D-90’s been discovered, we can let you out.”
Throughout the entirety of Hunter B-15’s speech, Sylvie’s heel tapped the floor aggressively. It was all she could do to hold herself back from charging at B-15 outright. On the surface, the plan that Hunter B-15 put forward was sound. In her heart, the last thing she wanted to do was let herself be locked up by TVA forces once again.
“I’d rather prune myself again than be trapped at the TVA…”
It was a glare that all in the room were familiar with, Loki especially. He knew that coming to blows or fleeing would help no one, not when they were on the cusp of another step forward in the mission.
“Perhaps I can propose a compromise…” Loki took a few paces towards Sylvie. Placing himself between her and B-15 seemed to ease the tension just a tad. “No collars, perhaps a TemPad to borrow so we can also look at Kaia’s timeline whilst we wait.”
Hunter B-15 looked at Loki sideways. “With your record?”
“We found the Giant Busemann before you did.”
“It’s fine, B-15, we’ll work out the details in a sec…” Mobius agreed with Loki. This plan of his wasn’t a trick to imprison them, but rather protect them as they ensured their freedom around the TVA. Sylvie especially, as some may not be quick to realize that she now has permission ‘bestowed’ upon her to roam around as a Variant rather than a criminal. The last time she roamed freely around the TVA, she left a trail of destruction behind her. But this time was different; he just needed everyone to trust the process.
And that process started with waking Kaia up.
He didn’t want to stir her too harshly, so he opted not to pose her. Ever so gently, Mobius patted Kaia’s cheek with his left hand and held her shoulder with her right. He stopped brushing her face when her eyes started to flutter. A quiet groan escaped Kaia’s lips as she slowly lifted her head on her own.
As Kaia came to, all eyes fell on her. Sylvie took advantage of the stolen spotlight. She gave herself time to calm down. More importantly, she leaned in closer to Loki without a soul noticing.
“Thank you.”
It was quiet. It was quick. It was all that she wanted out of the situation. He needn’t reply, but he nodded toward her anyway, as a courtesy. If she were going to be stuck at the TVA again, at least she wouldn’t be restrained. At least she’d be given a TemPad to work with or possibly trick with.
At least I’ll be stuck with him.
“Ugh…”
Kaia wasn’t sure for how long she was out of it. Her eyes needed a minute to focus. She didn’t see the orange of a Time Door, but rather the browns of a TVA-standard suit. As she drew her head higher, Mobius’ moustachioed face came into crisp view.
Wait, Mobius is back? Already?
“Heya, Kaia,” Mobius said softly, “You good?”
Kaia’s eyes glanced on either side of Mobius. This was definitely Roxxcart, not New York.
“Yeah… were we ambushed?”
“In a sense…?” said Verity.
“Oh, we’re in trouble for trying to investigate that timeframe, aren’t we?”
Hunter B-15 said flatly, “In a sense.”
Kaia’s tone caught Loki’s ear. Her curiosity and genuine nature were some of her stranger traits, but the reason for it started to shine through the fog.
“Kaia, do you recall what happened before the ambush?”
“Uh…” Kaia shook her head no. “We were in New York just now.”
“You don’t remember returning? Or what you saw when Sylvie enchanted you?”
“She did what??” Kaia sat up straight. “Is that why my head hurts?”
Sylvie stomped her foot on the ground again, but much more harshly and loudly this time. She wanted everyone’s attention, and that’s what she got. “Well, aren’t you just a RINGLEADER to a CIRCUS!”
Her face grew hot enough to make her suppressed, long-forgotten Jotunn skin uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to find the real Time-Keepers — however many there were — kill them, and be on her merry way with the consequences of her actions. She thought these so-called allies would be useful, but she could only deal with so much incompetence from one person.
Sylvie Laufeydottir was done.
She marched past Loki and straight into Mobius’ personal space. She now required one more compromise for her to cooperate with his version of a plan. Mobius braced himself, for he feared that he was going to be unable to stop the steamroller than was this ignited version of Sylvie.
“If I’m going to be detained again…” Sylvie swung her pointer finger at a stunned Kaia. “At LEAST do me the courtesy of not trapping me in a room with that… that imbecile!”
“Sylvie—”
“With no sense of object permanence to the VERY thing that’s ruining her life! An IMBECILE!”
“HEY!” No one was suspecting that Verity would be the one to cut off the argument between Mobius and Sylvie. She stormed herself forward, walking Sylvie away from Mobius. Her voice was outright seething as she shouted. “Just hold your fucking horses right there!”
“Language…” Mobius muttered weakly. Deep down, he knew he couldn’t stop Verity’s steam, either.
“You do NOT get to play judge now, Sylvie!”
“She’s weak, influenced by a character invented by storytellers to keep children at bay!”
“Do you really think a being capable of breaking through the multiverse isn’t also capable of breaking someone’s brain‽” Verity chopped the side of her hand into her open palm. “This… this sentient spell took the form of something familiar to condition Kaia to its whim! Whatever this Busemann is, it’s clearly affected Kaia for much longer than what we can comprehend. Do NOT blame her for this!”
As her best friend went to bat for her, Kaia watched silently. Talking hadn’t done her much good, so this seemed like the smarter option. Her heart raced with just how vehemently Verity defended her. She knew that it was Verity’s version of love; to only speak truthfully of someone else and their situation, no matter how tough it was to hear aloud.
“This monster very well may be linked to the real Time-Keeper that you want to kill so badly! This could lead to something bigger than all of us! We need time to learn what we're dealing with!”
The more and more Verity marched on with her monologue, the more valid her points were coming across as. Grudgingly, Sylvie let Verity finish her speech.
“Like it or not, we're a TEAM! Teamwork means not placing blame on each other, and more importantly, teamwork means trusting your teammates! So let us research this at the TVA without you throwing a FIT at every turn!!”
It was deathly silent in the control room. Even the literal storm seemed to settle in the wakes of Sylvie and Verity. Both of their faces seemingly lost their heat, but Sylvie did not forget her anger. She rocked her body back as she folded her arms over her chest. She looked towards Loki indignantly. Her head barely creaked vertically. She wouldn’t dare admit it verbally, but it was about as close to conceding as she would imply.
Loki understood what she meant and spoke on her behalf: “Let’s head back now…”
“Great!” Mobius cleared the table of what little provisions remained. “Surrender your weapons.”
“Oh, fuck off!!” Sylvie jeered. She threw her hands up in the air. Did they take pleasure in spitting on her while she was down?
“Sylvie, the last thing we need to walk in on is another dead body,” Hunter B-15 countered, “Besides, we can hold your weapons in evidence until we can clear you all.”
“It’ll be the easiest way to trojan-horse you and your weapons into the TVA without raisin’ any alarm bells…” Mobius added, “No one will be allowed in your Time Theatre, save for myself, Verity, and Hunter B-15. Your weapons will be checked in, checked out, and returned when the storm passes.”
It was sound enough logic for Kaia. She was the first to unsheathe her sword and place it on the table. She was still too hesitant to speak beyond what she had already said, so she took a step back, allowing Loki to follow suit. After crossing his arms over his hips, Loki showed and surrendered the two daggers he had previously brandished at Mobius.
Sylvie didn’t budge. She didn’t like being locked away in the Time Theatre. She really didn’t like being stuck in said room with Kaia. But being unarmed? It all still felt like a bridge too far for her.
“Sylvie, once all of the pieces are in place, I’m going to ‘discover’ Hunter D-90,” After seeing Verity’s brave display, Hunter B-15 also felt obligated to help Sylvie feel comfortable with the plan. “We’ll get this sorted as fast as we can. You know my reliability with giving weapons back, Sylvie.”
A lump formed in Sylvie’s throat. She knew that she was right. This wasn’t the first time they had worked together, after all.
The plan revolving around infiltrating Sylvie’s execution relied on trust. It was a concept that she wasn’t familiar with, now and back then. Yes, B-15 had promised to ransack the TVA until she found Sylvie’s sword, but did she trust the intricate bureaucrats to leave it in a place where the Hunter could find it? Not at all. In fact, Hunter B-15 barely made it upstairs in time to jam Renslayer’s signal and return the weapon to its rightful owner. But Hunter B-15 did what she promised to do. Everyone else seemed to trust that she’d do the same now; the other blades on the table were proof of that.
Sylvie’s eyes wandered to Loki one more time. He simply nodded back at her. At least he knew better than to patronize her now. Perhaps the magician had a greater plan in mind to execute later. She could only wonder if he really was that mischievous and clever.
Sylvie didn’t have the trust within her to offer back, but she allowed her face to simmer down once and for all. Perhaps they all had a broad point about one thing: wallowing in one’s own anger was exhausting. For now, a temporary surrender of her blade would have to do.
Mobius looked at the shiny swords and daggers on the table. He did a quick count. Even though there were more blades than Variants, he knew the count was off. Dare he say, the count was short.
“Loki…”
“What?”
“Surrender ALL of the weapons.”
“I did!”
Mobius’ head cocked sideways. His hands found new homes at his hips. His foot slapped the floor impatiently. He knew damn well that Loki was lying and he even didn’t need to see Verity’s slight finger twitch to prove it.
… Ah, right.
Loki reached down and lifted his pant leg, showcasing the plain black crew socks that were standard for each TVA suit. In Asgard, leg or foot coverings as short as these were scarce. The armour warriors wore often chafed the skin; it’d be painful if there weren’t a cotton or fibrous silk layer in between. In battle and royalty, Loki would often be partial to black silk stockings, but he found an advantage in such a shorter sleeve. The bulky sock could actually holster his smallest dagger pretty well.
He had found time to tuck the tiny dagger away during the journey to the Lokis’ underground haven. After casing the strange findings and hostile environment of the Void, it seemed unwise to leave all daggers in his dimensional pocket reserve. In truth, he had nearly forgotten about the miniature weapon that quite literally nipped his ankle.
But alas, one more offering was needed to satisfy the toll. Loki gave up the last dagger on his person.
When the last blade clattered on the table, it brought a smile to Mobius’ face. As Hunter B-15 collected the weapons on his behalf, he used his free hands and reliable TemPad to summon a Time Door. This particular door would take them within the confines of an unoccupied theatre, from outside and within.
It was the safest point of re-entry back to the TVA. While some pieces of the puzzle had come together, they needed a few more hints to find Ravonna Renslayer, the real Time-Keeper(s), and the end of a very important mission.
Notes:
You don't want to know how much research I did to try and figure out if this type of myth already existed in the MCU, only to figure out that the Norwegian equivalent of the word 'boogeyman' was good enough. I hope you like my attempt at worldbuilding.
Chapter 55: The Elaborate Cover-Up
Summary:
Chapter 55 Summary & Content Warnings (Spoilers Within!)
SUMMARY: To craft the perfect alibi to pre-emptively clear everyone of Hunter D-90’s murder, everyone needs to take their places at the TVA. Some are less enthused than others about the role they have to play.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains no necessary warnings.
Chapter Text
Time Theatre 3 happened to be empty. It was fitting, considering Mobius had three Variants to hide. If they were found traversing the halls before the plan was fully set up, they’d surely be intimidated and whisked away by those who are equal to or above him. If he lost Loki, Kaia, or even Sylvie now, all hope in finding Ravonna and the truth behind the TVA would be lost with them.
Yes, the Variants agreed to the plan which had them placed in this room like sitting ducks. However, there wasn’t a clause that compelled them to like it.
“And once again, we’ve come to another time loop…” Loki swung himself around in a grand, exaggerated pivot, admiring the jagged Time Theatre walls.
“Settle down, drama queen.” Hunter B-15 rolled her eyes. “You’re not actual prisoners this time.”
Sylvie, for obvious reasons, agreed with Loki. “Feels like it, just a tad.”
“In the room that still very much looks like an executioner’s stage, no less,” Loki supplemented this notion with his perception.
“Always so dramatic, the both of you…” Mobius echoed B-15’s sentiment.
“I doubt we’ll be gone long…” Verity added a bit of logic to lofty reassurances, “We just need to trigger the whole D-90 discovery delicately to ensure we’re all innocent.”
“And you need to get caught up on what we found, Verity,” Mobius added, “regarding your friend’s whole universe.”
A very loud grumble erupted from the centre of the chamber. Kaia — the universal anomaly in question — plopped herself down on a chair. Her legs briefly floated in the air as her arms deliberately overlapped her chest.
“Yeah, you’d think you’d show me first!” Kaia huffed.
“Well, lucky for you and Sylvie, I already thought about that.”
Sylvie’s ears perked up as she heard Mobius speak her name. She watched as he approached Hunter B-15, and beckoned her for the ‘spare TemPad’ that they must’ve acquired during their previous departure to the TVA. His fingers preyed on the device’s tiny keyboard, performing some sort of eloquent dance before perfecting whatever it was he was devising. Surprisingly, Mobius then turned to Sylvie with the refurbished TemPad as a peace offering.
“Here, you guys can do your own investigation while you wait for us.”
There’s a catch. There had to be a catch.
It didn’t take long for Sylvie to find what was strange with this TemPad. The options to create a Time Door or access Miss Minutes were dimmed out. Even the files were in a read-only state, and some larger sections were outright blocked. She navigated her way back to the TemPad’s profile settings and found the explanation. The username simply read: ‘DMMM.GUEST.’
“A guest login‽” Sylvie exclaimed in disgust.
Unlike Hunter B-15, Mobius had access to a guest analyst login account, which was much more restrictive than the average employee’s profile. Analysts don’t go on the field, so no need for Time Doors. Analysts need to learn how to search their files for themselves, so no Miss Minutes off the bat. Considering just how ‘proficient’ Sylvie claimed to be with the device while on the run, he didn’t doubt that these restraints would stop her from finding whatever information she wanted to read about.
Mobius nodded his head in agreement. “You need to stay put and stay low.”
“Seriously‽”
“Hey, you were so eager about getting your hands on a TemPad. Now you’ve got one! Take it or leave it, Junior Detective Sylvie.”
Sylvie grumbled and took a few paces toward the Time Stage. She wasn’t about to dignify this dopey old man’s pet name with an ounce of breath.
Meanwhile, Hunter B-15 reached into the gap between her armour plate and her plain-clothes uniform. She revealed and unwound a mostly clear evidence bag, save for the lone orange rectangle in which one could write specific details of the bag’s contents. Much to Loki’s surprise, the bag was both large and durable enough to contain all of the swords and daggers that had been voluntarily confiscated.
“Will we get the weapons back?” Loki asked, perhaps on Sylvie’s behalf.
“As soon as we make sure your alibis hold up against Hunter D-90’s death, yeah.” Hunter B-15 zipped the bag shut with a few audible clicks. Normally, it’d be a TVA protocol to store one weapon per bag, but the situational constraints called for what few shortcuts they could afford.
“It’s gonna be a delicate operation, to stage everyone correctly before the ‘discovery.’ If we don’t do this right, you’ll be arrested all over again, but possibly taken out of my jurisdiction.” Mobius eyed Loki, Kaia, and Sylvie one last time before pitching his final plea: “Trust the process. Trust us. and you’ll be outta here in no time.”
Kaia nodded and took to answering on Loki and Sylvie’s behalf. “We’ll manage.”
With more grumbling on Sylvie’s part and pleas to be civil on Verity’s part, the pair split off, divvied between the non-Loki auras leaving the Loki auras behind in a locked but unguarded Time Theatre. On the outside, any unsuspecting passerby would’ve known nothing. Theatre doors are sometimes locked when the interiors need to be cleaned or when maintenance is needed on the equipment. What no one knew couldn’t hurt them.
Mobius waited until the trio were in the closest elevator before breaking the silence.
“I’m not mad at you for what happened, Verity. Or even them, really, just don’t tell them that,” Mobius spoke with a calm, reassuring voice. “At the end of the day, you followed a lead and now we’ve got some notes to compare. Just… page me a heads-up next time, okay?”
Verity nodded. At least there wasn’t a reason to dwell on what happened; they could all move forward from this incident. Or rather, move upward, literally. The elevator felt like it was moving upward, but it was hard to say exactly which way they were going. Logic screams that the Time Theatres were each encased in their tower, but the motion implied that they were heading to the archives resting above them. This layout, on top of what she already witnessed in the great TVA ‘outdoors,’ was terribly confusing. It was better for her if she didn’t think about it too hard.
The buttons on the elevator panel were… intricate. Two columns of black buttons were accentuated with three-symbol labels — a mixture of letters and numbers with no semblance of a template — etched in the steel. Of course, there were typical technical buttons at the bottom for emergencies or maintenance. The black buttons protruded slightly, allowing for a faint orange backlight to accentuate where the elevator would be taking them. Two buttons were lit. Although Verity had no clue as to how these sequences coordinated with the locations they represented, her time spent at the TVA made some of these engraved codes familiar to her. ‘3FG’ represented the Archives, and ‘TSY’ was a hub for Variant processing, including holding rooms for items associated with Nexus Events.
Hunter B-15 clutched the evidence bag tightly in her hands. The sharp blades weighed down her hand and her conscience. She knew she would be released by the evidence holding room nearest to Renslayer’s office. Her time was soon approaching; she’d have to split off from Mobius and Verity to check in the evidence and then ‘check in’ with Judge Renslayer, only to happen upon a gruesome scene. It’s not the gore that concerned her, but the intricate art of setting the stage and playing her part perfectly. This act of treason made her stunt at the Time-Keepers’ Chamber look like a patriotic act.
She exhaled as the digital panel depicted her stop fast approaching. “Almost for me to go…”
“You’ll do great out there. I know it.” Verity offered a smile to the Hunter. She knew she couldn’t put up the façade that she was planning to do.
Mobius hummed under his moustache in agreement. “You’ll page me when it’s time, yeah?”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
Ding!
With a small salute, Hunter B-15 exited the elevator to complete her part of the mission. Mobius especially knew that she could be trusted to independently do the job. Hunters tend to have self-sufficient qualities, after all. Hunters and Detectives such as himself were similar in that regard.
Verity waited until the elevator sealed them in before letting her curiosity get the better of her.
“So, you found Kaia’s timeline but didn’t really read into it?” asked Verity.
“Yeah, I’ve got some files that I want to transfer to your TemPad…” Mobius admitted, “With your unique perspective on Kaia, you might have a different outlook on this than me.”
“Why not do it now?”
“It’ll be safer if we do this at my desk. Give our TemPads a quick recharge while all that file movin’ happens, too.”
Transferring files back and forth can be draining on a TemPad battery. And Mobius couldn’t remember the last time he took his device to task. All angles of the operation had to be considered. What if their plans once again led them away from the TVA? This was about as good of a time as any to refuel, especially if it would be the last time in a while.
The room that housed Mobius’ cubicle was unusually quiet. The odd scuffling of someone else’s loafers filled the air from a distance. None paid any mind to Verity or Mobius, despite the previous entries to their profiles. Not all of them were updated yet.
Mobius made use of his computer’s ports to plug in both his and Verity’s TemPads. Tiny trills confirmed that both devices were filling up with digital energy. Mobius also made use of the computer’s larger keyboard and screen, initiating the transfer of the multiversal findings from his TemPad to Verity’s. The transferring files were all sitting there in an enlarged finder window, just waiting to be read.
“Wanna sneak peek?” Mobius grinned.
Verity matched his grin with a smirk of her own. “Of course.”
Information is currency, and today was Verity’s payday. Her eyes gleamed as they read the files together, as Mobius explained what he found. Spots of improvisation were done, as this was the first time he got to read these files in detail, too.
There was an overview of Universe 93159, Kaia’s home. There was no known fundamental difference, a truth that still perplexed Mobius. Every Lesser Timeline was supposed to have a key difference that made itself unworthy of becoming the Sacred Timeline. Failed timeline drafts, as Mobius explained it. But, as the database only stores information as needed, the records on this universe weren’t as thorough as they could’ve been. But it was better than the crumbs they had before.
Because she was the link between the two timelines colliding, there was a whole section of documentation dedicated to Kaia. Not all of them were clear; a rap sheet on her basic biometrics was surprisingly incomplete, but that wouldn’t have housed new information anyway. Verity’s focus fell on the crown jewel of Mobius’ findings: Kaia’s timeline schematics. Strange marks showed familiar ripples, multiple ripples.
“We had suspected that she jumped through time multiple times…” Mobius explained.
“But it wasn’t her doing,” Verity countered, “When Sylvie was enchanting her, she said that that… thing kept picking her up when it was ‘time to leave.’ It was the Giant Busemann that made her jump.”
Mobius and Verity collaborated to craft both sides of the coin. Repeated time skips played tricks on Kaia’s memory. But neither could piece together how the Giant came into existence. Perhaps, if they were lucky, the answer to that could be hidden in plain sight.
So Verity did something Mobius didn’t yet have the chance to do: she opened a file pertaining to one of Kaia’s ripples. And what a file! Unrestricted words told a story, as it happened upon the Sacred Timeline. The words formed sentences. As Verity read on, she felt like she had read it before. But that was impossible; this file had been opened for the very first time. She couldn’t quite figure out the connection until she happened upon four little words: “Start your life anew…”
A tiny gasp slipped through Verity’s teeth. It piqued Mobius’ curiosity.
“What is it?”
“These dates… They match some of Kaia’s redacted files.”
Verity pulled up the relevant example: the summary of the June 2012 coordinates that she had recently visited with the Variants. She showed how in her version, most of the words were censored and blocky. But in the face of the schematic’s records, the gaps were filled.
“Wow…” Mobius marvelled as he read. He glanced at Verity with a huge smile on his face. “You really are aiming for my job, aren’t cha?”
“Let’s finish our little TVA revolution first, then we’ll talk about my promotion…” Verity giggled as she used the mouse to scroll down on the computer screen. Eventually, they reached the bottom of the ripple’s summary.
“It’s… interesting how this file describes things…” Mobius admitted, “Summaries usually aren’t this insightful.”
Verity put a soft fist to her chin as she murmured in agreement. The author of this file seemed indulgent, offering an omniscient perspective of the Giant and of the Variant. How did they know that someone named Loki wouldn’t look good in New York? Why did Kaia’s name just… manifest itself in her brain with no rational explanation?
“Who exactly writes these files?”
“Miss Minutes.”
Verity raised her right eyebrow skyward. She looked at Mobius incredulously. “She wrote this?”
“She’s AI. She’s programmed to perform a whole series of passive tasks that keep the lights on ‘round here…” Mobius explained, “She lays out the groundwork of how time’s supposed to flow on behalf of the Time-Keepers. It would be awfully tedious if us employees had to transcribe the Sacred Timeline on top of enforcing it.”
In Verity’s mind, the logic rang sound. The Time-Keepers decreed time, Miss Minutes transcribed the files that tell time, and the TVA now enforces and protects time. Yet, for every question answered in this session, a new one seemed to sprout.
“She knew all this about Kaia and said nothing?”
“No one asked. She doesn’t share information unless prompted. And considering what we’re planning… I don’t think we should prompt her.”
Although Mobius was great with the inner workings of a TemPad, he didn’t know enough to reprogram its foundations. Only the (real) Time-Keepers were capable of founding a place as grand and as revered as the TVA, including all of its technology and inner workings. He certainly couldn’t tell Miss Minutes to commit treason against the Time-Keepers that created her.
Verity reluctantly agreed with a small head nod. “Do you still have physical files on Kaia?”
“I’ve had them ever since Loki pulled that stunt at her trial…”
Mobius unlocked his drawer and sifted through the paperweights and other junk. He lifted a light manila folder, bound together with a few rubber bands. ‘Kaia’ was written in cursive in the top left corner, while ‘L5242’ was stamped in the centre in black ink. He undid the bands and opened up the folder to reveal Kaia’s original files, redactions and all.
Verity lifted a few papers to find one with the matching June date. Sure enough, it was a perfect copy of the old files she had on her TemPad. The damaged version of the document which had been preserved by the Multiversal Database.
Verity cleared her throat before turning to Mobius. She had another theory. “When Kaia arrived through that ripple onto the Sacred Timeline, Miss Minutes might’ve tried to pull from these files for information. But during that process, the files were damaged.”
She wafted the blackened papers in the air, letting the sheets crinkle out loud. Although he didn’t agree with the way she tended to sensitive documents, Mobius liked her theory. “As if to reflect that Kaia herself couldn’t remember where she came from…”
Verity sighed. She wondered how Kaia would react to all of this once it was safe for her to come out and look. It wouldn’t be an easy pill for her to swallow, surely. Essentially, they had a map of all the lives that Kaia had lived. Maybe there was a way to make such a large dose of information a bit more digestible than even that.
“I wonder if there’s a pattern… to the dates, the locations, anything that all of these ripples have in common.”
“Well, at least we have some time to look.”
A quiet ding! from the computer showed that the data transfer between TemPads was complete. A medium-sized ding! on Mobius’ TemPad barely had a chance to show off Hunter B-15’s warning. A loud ZZRT! on both his and Verity’s devices beckoned an urgent all-points bulletin regarding the suspicious death of Hunter D-90.
“Or… maybe we don’t have time. Put everything away; follow my lead.”
They had to move fast. Verity was one of the last people spotted in that office, alongside Ravonna. Mobius knew it was only a matter of time before someone came to check on Verity, who was still technically tagged as Ravonna’s probie. She would have to look the part before he could undo that damage.
Verity did as told. She bundled the physical files back in their place and pocketed her TemPad. Meanwhile, Mobius reached into his drawer and pulled out a little metallic box. Or at least, it looked like a box. The word ‘DANGER’ that was written on the side gave away what it really was.
Snap!
Verity flinched as the Time Collar found itself snug on her neck. Quiet apologies from Mobius made it clear that this was all just a part of the plan. Hunter B-15 was in the midst of clearing the Variants’ weapons. In the meantime, Mobius would have to exonerate Verity. This would be quite the elaborate cover-up.
As a Detective, Mobius had special functions on his TemPad to allow him to run an interview remotely. Interviews and interrogations outside of Time Theatres were normally uncalled for, but the urgency of an apparent internal death of an employee warranted such extraordinary exceptions. For these special interviews, the TemPad served as the recorder and the transcriber. When he laid down the TemPad on his desk, all could see the file name for the interview and the tremors of the audio’s sound waves as he broke the silence.
“This is Agent Mobius M. Mobius, now recording an interview with Variant VAW1 — AKA Verity Willis — under emergency order regarding the death of Hunter D-90 on TVA grounds.”
He spoke into his TemPad with intent, inadvertently warning her of what was to come. She would have to play along, one way or another. He would have to choose his questions carefully, but she would have to choose her answers just as precisely.
Mobius shifted his body to face his interviewee. His arms were relaxed and he sat slightly slouched in his chair. Despite the ‘severity’ of the situation, his posture looked chilled. “Verity, did you kill Hunter D-90?”
“No.”
“Did you assist anyone in killing Hunter D-90?”
“No.”
“Hmm. Well, for the record, I can verify that you were with me at the time when the APB was sent out. Who were you last working under before coming back to work with me?”
“Judge Renslayer. After she cleared me of my arrest, I was working under her to serve my time.”
“And where is Judge Renslayer now?”
Ah. Smart man. Verity should’ve suspected that an expert interrogator such as Mobius would ask the right questions; to only ask the truth of her, by guiding her through clever hoops.
“I don’t know.”
“What’d ya mean, you don’t know?”
“I last saw her preparing a briefcase before letting me go back to you. She didn’t tell me where she was going.” It was an honest answer on Verity’s part. There was more to that explanation, of course, but the record didn’t need to know that.
“And apart from that, no sign of anything questionable before you left?”
Considering that there were only bloodied answers laid out in front of her at the time… “No.”
“Right. I’ve concluded that Verity Willis was not involved in Hunter D-90’s murder. By my authority, I’ll be restoring her to ‘intact’ status. This is Agent Mobius M. Mobius; interview complete.”
The digital interview’s conclusion allowed Mobius to work with a few extra options on his TemPad. The mark on Verity’s record allowed Mobius to update her status without any sort of fancy hacker tricks, which put his rule-following heart at ease slightly. It also allowed him to add little cliff notes to the overall investigation of the case file regarding Hunter D-90. A place where collaborators could pin their notes to the wall; evidence-based leads for all to follow.
Part of Mobius hated himself for throwing Ravonna’s name into the theoretical suggestion box. But Verity’s testimony did suggest that she may have been the last person to see Hunter D-90. Mobius knew that she had to be brought in, regardless of the pretences that warranted the expanded search party.
The moment should’ve called for celebration. Yet, Verity’s muscles were still tense, even when Mobius manually freed her from her heavy necklace. “That… seemed almost too easy.”
“Have a little faith in my reputation, Verity,” Mobius chuckled, “Not a lotta people have the gumption to doubt me.”
“And the ones that do?”
“Will hear our perfectly reasonable testimony, in which you didn’t lie. And they’ll have reason to follow up with Ravonna.”
Easier said than done. Although her absence would make her look more suspicious, Verity couldn’t help but wonder if anyone else could pull off such a grand hunt that might span the Multiverse.
“Do you really think they’d find her?”
“I’d rather them try and fail than not try at all…”
Verity’s teeth grazed her bottom lip, Even in Kaia’s company, she wasn’t used to such optimism, but she also wasn’t sure how to detract from it. More eyes would be helpful, but she doubted that they would be successful.
Luckily for them both, a sudden clearing of a third throat helped to pivot the subject.
“I had a feeling you two would be here…” Hunter B-15 said as she approached Mobius’ desk. In her hands, she held standardized forms that would prove their location at the time of Hunter D-90’s death. Such a document — combined with their current detainment in a Time Theatre — would clear the trio of any wrongdoing. What Loki would stain their dignity by using a TVA-issued weapon? And, should anyone realize that the broken Time Stick wasn’t the actual murder weapon, these forms would still hold as an alibi.
But there was still one tiny technicality to notarized documents. They needed notarizing.
“I’ll need your signature here, here, and here before I can fax this off and officially submit the paperwork…” The word of one individual rarely held well on paper. It was standard for two different ranks of TVA workers to sign off on transfers, cases, and other movements of temporal energy, sentient or otherwise. Hunter B-15 only had one name to trust with signing off on such esteemed weaponry, no matter how it may look to prying eyes.
“Better yet… how about I go fax this off for you?” Mobius suggested as he squiggled several Ms on dotted lines, “I’ll go pick up the weapons, too. Holding room?”
“E04-H08.”
“Beautiful.” Mobius rose from his chair and swivelled his seat towards Hunter B-15. “Can you stay here with Verity? She can catch you up on our theories.”
Hunter B-15 raised an eyebrow. Not at the suggestion of staying behind, but at the progress made during the midst of assuring Verity’s innocence. She plopped down in the warmed seat, a smirk drawn upon her face as her body shifted to Verity.
“Theories? Already?”
Admittedly, Verity got more comfortable as time passed. With each moment, it seemed less likely that some Minuteman or other Hunter would interrupt them. Tension melted away from her shoulders. She couldn’t hold back her smile any longer.
“Hey, you two brought a great foundation…” For the first time since recovering from D-90’s attack, Verity felt… comfortable.
As Mobius departed to file the paperwork and defile the evidence holding room, Verity retrieved the files that she had to hastily stow away. She caught B-15 up on the filled-in blanks, the fuller scope of the schematics, and all the possible ways that these locations and times connected to their Variant: Kaia.
Verity ran a finger along the physical paper, her nail scratching along one of the uncensored locations that her friend visited in one of her past lives. Of all the places that she could’ve been, there was only one city that rang out as ironic.
“Kaia’s always wanted to go to Paris…” sighed Verity, “I don’t know how she’ll react to all of this… Time Jumping that she did.”
“She’s been through quite a bit; I doubt this would be the most devastating thing she’s learned from the TVA…”
With a silent nod, Verity leaned back in her chair. It was just her and Hunter B-15 in a sea of cubicles. The odd footsteps scurried as the situation started to spread amongst everyone’s TemPads. Her head rolled to stare down the noisy hall. She tried to see if she could see a somewhat familiar face, but no one stayed long enough to be perceived.
It made her wonder about the whole charade that the trio just pulled off. Yes, it was nice that the record showed that all had alibis to the unfurling crime, but would anyone have confronted her if the alibi wasn’t there? Did anyone remember what duress Renslayer had put her under?
In truth, the TVA started to remind her of New York. A place so full of people that it made you feel invisible.
“Where are the others?” Verity lamented, “The guards that were in the chamber? The Minutemen that restrained us as Mobius was pruned? We’re not the only witnesses to all of this chaos…”
“They’re doing their jobs…” Hunter B-15 looked off to the same side as Verity did. “Helping the infirmary, dealing with other branches on the Sacred Timeline… The TVA doesn’t revolve around us. We all do what we need to do to serve the Time-Keepers. That is… that was… the mantra.”
“But we need to spread the word. If someone else does find Renslayer, they need context so she can’t sway them in her favour.”
“Our files should be updated by now, even for the Variants.”
“What if they’re too busy with their regular duties to check their TemPads? Trust me when I say that gossip can run laps around the facts.”
Verity and Hunter B-15 glanced back at one another. Flowing red hair framed such a determined face. It reminded B-15 of her own.
“And what gossip do you have in mind?” B-15 inquired.
“Rebecca. We tell people about Rebecca.” Verity’s heart rattled against her ribcage. It was a bold proposal that needed to be spoken aloud. “We tell everyone that they’re Variants in a digestible way; by using Judge Renslayer and her Sacred counterpart as an example.”
Hunter B-15 felt the weight of her armour plates pull down her shoulders. The invisible tension that sat on them sunk down, too. Not even the impending footsteps of a snappy Detective could quell the Hunter’s excitement.
“Verity, that’s brilliant!”
“What’s brilliant?”
Verity and Hunter B-15 both glanced up to Mobius in unison, who had both a folder and an evidence bag under his arm and an inquisitive look drawn under his moustache.
“If we show some Minutemen the Judge Renslayer Variant, we can use that as a talking point to explain that we’re all Variants.” Hunter B-15 made sure to gesture to Verity as she explained, so as not to think that she was taking credit for her idea.
“Hah, well, I always knew Verity was brilliant, but THAT…”
“Mobius—”
“No, Verity, you need to hear it! It’s brilliant! You’re proposing a whole new brand of water cooler talk!”
“Geez…” As much as she appreciated the accolades, the praise blushed Verity’s cheeks. She did her best to hide it underneath her hand as she reeled the conversation back into focus. “You got all that sorted, right?”
A gentle finger motioned to the papers between Mobius’ arm and the evidence bag. With a nod, the Detective returned the notarized documents to their rightful owner.
“Our low-key Loki friends are as good as Variants, nowhere near the scene of the crime,” Mobius chuckled, “We ought to go tell them the good news and catch them up on what we know. We might need their help for your idea anyway, Verity.”
“Oh? How so?” Verity asked.
“Well, if we really wanna hammer the point home to these Minutemen, some of ‘em are gonna have to meet Rebecca. Chances are that we’re gonna need at least one mischievous scamp to help us lure them out to Ohio.”
As usual, Mobius’ logic was sound. When he was on the case, he had no issue presenting the situation at hand in factual terms. He also knew that the facts weren’t always the easiest pills to swallow. He didn’t need the softened, pitiful look that his Hunter friend was giving him at the present moment.
“You know, Mobius, this isn’t going to paint Judge Renslayer in a pretty light,” Hunter B-15 said softly, “People might start to think she’s guilty.”
Mobius heaved a sigh. He didn’t want to admit it, but against the evidence, what else could he say on the matter other than….
“In a way, she is.”
Guilty of concealing information regarding the truth about Variants. Guilty of putting Verity under duress. Guilty of breaking an eons-long bond with him.
“She’s not guilty of what we’re implying…” The truth may hurt, but Verity was immune.
Yes, Ravonna was not guilty of murdering Hunter D-90, but Mobius was quick to remind his brilliant friend as to why no one needed to know that.
“She can take the heat for now. Unless you want all the work we’ve done to protect Kaia to unravel?”
No, no one needs to know about Kaia.
The mention of the tiny Variant brought everyone full circle. Verity made sure her loaded TemPad was charged and stored. Mobius made sure his desk was clear and tidy. Hunter B-15 carried her files and the innocent weapons close to her chest. It was time to free the patient Variants from their hold in Time Theatre 3.
But dear reader, of all the words in the dictionary, do you really think you could describe Sylvie as patient?
challengera225 on Chapter 1 Tue 28 Mar 2023 04:02AM UTC
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starryEyedOmens on Chapter 1 Tue 28 Mar 2023 04:12AM UTC
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Clavidy on Chapter 1 Thu 10 Aug 2023 07:53AM UTC
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challengera225 on Chapter 6 Mon 03 Apr 2023 05:25PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 03 Apr 2023 05:30PM UTC
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starryEyedOmens on Chapter 6 Tue 04 Apr 2023 12:13AM UTC
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challengera225 on Chapter 12 Thu 13 Apr 2023 08:57PM UTC
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starryEyedOmens on Chapter 12 Thu 13 Apr 2023 09:07PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 13 Apr 2023 09:07PM UTC
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