Chapter Text
Some people believe that villains are nothing more than power-hungry tyrants, desperate to rule the world. But have we ever truly seen things from their perspective? Think about it; what if our so-called heroes only appear noble in the eyes of the masses, while to the so-called villains and those close to them, they are the ones who strip away purpose, silence their voices, and deny them redemption? Society loves to craft endings for villains, but more often than not, those endings are built on false hope, designed to keep them shackled in a narrative that never truly belongs to them.
We’ve all heard the story of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, as a child thrust into a war he never asked for. But this isn’t his story. We’ve seen how Maleficent, once a kindhearted fairy, was betrayed when her wings were stolen by the man she loved. She became the villain in the eyes of many—until she wasn’t. But this isn’t her story either. We even witnessed the tragic tale of Cruella De Vil, a woman tormented by loss, her mind fractured by trauma. In the end, she didn’t become a monster—she became a legend in fashion. But still, this is not her story.
The one whose story has been twisted beyond recognition—the one who has been labeled a trickster, a liar, a man without a heart—is Loki.
For most of his life, Loki was cast in the role of a villain, forever in the shadow of his golden-haired brother, Thor. Many misunderstand him, and not just the Avengers. Even Odin, the All-Father himself, never truly saw Loki for who he was. For centuries, Odin lied to him and kept the truth of his origins hidden. He praised Thor’s strength, his courage, but Loki? He was always second-best. Asgard was a place that revered warriors—those who fought with brute strength and physical might. But Loki? His weapons were magic and intellect, and for that, he was often dismissed, as if he didn’t belong.
Odin’s vision for his sons was rigid. He saw magic as a woman’s art, something unworthy of a prince, and expected Loki to fit into the mold he had set. But Loki never could. Worse yet, Thor never saw Loki as an equal. He dismissed his words, took him for granted, and when it mattered most, he ignored him. Loki spent his life trying to prove himself, trying to earn Odin’s favor, but it was never enough. So, he buried his pain beneath layers of mischief and deceit, his anger and sorrow festering beneath the surface. Then, when the truth was finally revealed that he was not Odin’s son, but a Jotun left to die; Loki’s world shattered.
And Thor? Thor was no better. At Jotunheim, Thor refused to listen to Loki’s warnings, acting recklessly and causing chaos. And even when they returned to Asgard, when Loki tried to tell his brother that he didn’t crave the throne, but only sought to stand beside him as an equal, Thor still didn’t understand. Instead, his actions led to the destruction of the Bifrost, and when Odin awoke from the Odinsleep, he only brought Loki more pain.
Hanging from the edge of the broken bridge, Loki pleaded with Odin, desperate to prove that he too was worthy. But Odin’s response?
“No, Loki.”
And with that, the last shred of hope in Loki’s heart crumbled. He let go. He fell into the void, disappearing into the abyss.
What happened next was something few truly understood. Loki didn’t simply choose to serve Thanos, one of the most feared beings in the universe. No—he was forced into servitude. The scepter he wielded? It wasn’t just a weapon. It contained the Mind Stone, a tool of control, one that Thanos used to bend Loki to his will. “It’s too late to stop this,”
Loki had said to Thor during their battle. But he wasn’t talking about the invasion of Earth. He was talking about Thanos. Loki was a pawn, his mind shackled, his will twisted. And yet, when the time came, he still tried to break free. By the time of Ragnarok, Loki had begun to change. He helped Thor fight against their sister, Hela, the Goddess of Death, proving that he wasn’t beyond redemption. He stood with his brother for once, choosing Asgard’s people over his ambitions.
But his redemption was short-lived; Thanos found him. And this time, there was no escape. Thanos snapped Loki’s neck which made him die instantly as Thor watched helplessly. Loki was gone or so it seemed.
During the events of Endgame, Loki seized an opportunity. The Tesseract landed in his hands, and with it, a new path opened before him. He escaped the Avengers—but not for long. The Time Variance Authority (TVA) captured him, labeling him a variant—a being that strayed from the “sacred timeline.” At first, Loki believed it was another prison, another cruel joke played by fate. But then, he met Mobius M. Mobius, a TVA agent who didn’t see Loki as a villain, but as something else.
A chance was offered. If Loki could help track down a dangerous variant, the TVA would reconsider his sentence. Loki accepted, only to discover the variant was none other than… himself. Or rather, herself. Her name was Sylvie, a Loki from another timeline, one who had spent her entire life running, hiding, and plotting her revenge against the TVA.
Their first encounter was nothing short of chaotic, leading them both to the worst possible place—Lamentis-1, a doomed planet moments away from annihilation.
With no working TemPad to escape, Loki and Sylvie were forced to work together. Their only hope lay in reaching a ship called the Ark, which could take them off the planet before it was destroyed. Along the way, they exchanged stories, their walls slowly breaking down. Sylvie revealed a truth that changed everything: the TVA agents weren’t created by the Time-Keepers. They were variants; people stolen from their own lives and forced to serve without remembering who they once were. Loki and Sylvie fought their way through the crumbling city, dodging meteors and enemy guards, determined to reach the Ark before it launched.
But it was too late; The ship was destroyed before their eyes. And so, they stood together, watching as their fate closed in around them. But their story was far from over.
Chapter Text
On Lamentis, the end of the world was near. More and more pieces of asteroids rained down, causing mass destruction. The Ark had been destroyed, leaving the people with no means of escape. Panic spread like wildfire as the earthquakes grew longer and deadlier.
Sylvie sat down on a rock, staring at the planet that would soon bring destruction to everyone. Her grand plan to destroy the Timekeepers was about to go up in flames. She had gotten so close—only for Loki to get in the way. Loki, for the first time in a long while, felt genuine sympathy.
He could see the weight of disappointment pressing on Sylvie’s shoulders, the flicker of despair in her gaze. He sat down beside her, the guilt gnawing at him. Finally, he uttered two words he had rarely said to anyone: "I'm sorry."
Sylvie turned slightly, feeling the sincerity in his voice. She thought back to their conversation on the train when Loki had asked about her timeline. Asgard—the home she barely remembered. She had flashes of memory—her family, her people, her life—before it was stolen from her. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered, "The universe wants to break free, so it manifests chaos. Like me, being born the Goddess of Mischief."
The memory of that day was seared into her mind—the day the TVA arrived, erasing her reality. She had been just a child, playing on the palace steps, when the Minutemen appeared out of nowhere. Without warning, they accused her of crimes against the Sacred Timeline. She didn’t understand. She had done nothing wrong. They seized her, dragged her away, and pruned her home from existence. She remembered arriving at the TVA, terrified and confused. She had seen soldiers mercilessly hurting another Variant, and had pleaded for them to stop—but her cries went unheard.
Then came the trial, or at least the attempt at one. Before she could even be sentenced, she escaped, stealing a TemPad and vanishing into the vastness of time. From that moment on, she was alone. Running. Hiding. Surviving. "Everywhere and every-when I went, it caused a Nexus event. Like setting off a smoke flare. Because I'm not supposed to exist. Until, eventually, I figured out where to hide. And so that's where I grew up—the ends of a thousand worlds. Now, that's where I'll die." Her voice was hollow, filled with years of exhaustion and grief.
Loki watched her closely. He couldn’t put into words what he was feeling. Sylvie had endured so much, and yet, here she was—still fighting, still surviving. They sat in silence, the ground trembling beneath them as the planet's destruction grew imminent. Then, Sylvie finally spoke, her voice quieter this time. "Do you think that what makes a Loki a Loki is the fact that we're destined to lose?"
Loki met her gaze. "No," he said firmly. "We may lose. Sometimes painfully. But we don’t die. We survive."
Sylvie blinked at him, something unreadable in her expression. Loki continued, his voice steady but filled with something new—admiration, perhaps. "I mean, look at you. You were just a child when the TVA took you, but you nearly brought down the organization that claims to control time itself. And you did it on your own. You ran rings around them. You’re amazing."
A warmth spread through Sylvie’s chest. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She could feel a blush creeping onto her face. Neither of them noticed, but their magic had subtly intertwined, pulling them closer. Something between them had shifted, and deepened. Without thinking, their hands found each other. Their fingers intertwined as they gazed at each other, lost in the moment. Loki wanted to speak, to say something profound, but words failed him as he looked into Sylvie’s eyes.
The ground shook violently. Chunks of the planet crashed down around them, sending shockwaves through the air. The destruction was imminent, yet neither of them felt alone anymore. Loki reached up, brushing a strand of hair from Sylvie’s face, his touch lingering against her cheek. He gave her a small smile, one filled with unspoken emotions. "You know, for the first time in my life, I can't remember feeling like this with anyone else," he murmured.
Sylvie parted her lips, about to respond, when suddenly…
A deafening, mechanical hum cut through the chaos, drowning out the sounds of destruction. Golden light flared to life around them, illuminating the crumbling world with eerie brilliance. A temporal gateway materialized in midair, its swirling energy coiling like a serpent ready to strike. The moment shattered. Loki and Sylvie snapped their heads toward the portal, dread sinking into their bones. Then, before they could react, tendrils of golden light shot forward like lightning, locking around their wrists and necks. Heavy metal collars clicked into place, the weight of them suffocating.
The TVA had found them. From the glowing threshold, Minutemen stepped through in formation, their batons crackling with restrained power. Their leader barked a command, and in an instant, the Minutemen seized them. Loki struggled, thrashing against their grip, but it was no use. Sylvie, too, snarled in defiance, her magic sparking uselessly as the collar suppressed her abilities. The illusion of safety crumbled around them. The planet was still falling apart, yet now, their fate was being torn away by something far crueler than destruction—destiny.
A familiar figure stepped forward through the portal. Mobius. His face was unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes—regret, perhaps. "Separate them," he ordered.
Loki's heart pounded as Sylvie was wrenched away from him. Their fingers, once intertwined, were ripped apart. He struggled, calling her name, but the Minutemen held firm. Sylvie turned her head, searching for him one last time. Their eyes met—worried, desperate, uncertain. Then, they were torn apart.
Loki felt he had been running in circles, starting at the TVA with Mobius's office, and now he's back again. He kept on trying to struggle out of the guards gripping onto his arms but had no luck. The two argued back and forth the whole time they walked to Mobius's office. Things got even worse for Loki; he tried to tell Mobius that the TVA was lying to him, but Mobius just laughed and opened up a time door. It was different—instead of being gold, it was now bright red. The guards pushed Loki through the door, and somehow he was back in Asgard.
Loki looked around the room as if he had been there before. It wasn't until Lady Sif walked into the room with her hair half-cut, staring at Loki with anger in her eyes. "You!" she said angrily, holding the chunk of cut hair. "You conniving, craven, pathetic worm! You did this!"
Loki remembered this now; this was the day he had cut off Sif's hair as a prank. Sif marched up to Loki and punched him across the face. "I hope you know you deserve to be alone, and you always will be," Sif spoke harshly.
"A bad memory prison? How quaint." Loki said in a sarcastic tone.
Sif then kicked Loki in the stomach and punched him again until he fell to the ground. She stormed off in anger as Loki felt every ounce of pain from Sif's punches. He had practically joked about what happened after Sif did that to him in the past, but the trouble didn't end there. The memory was in a Time Loop, making it impossible to change anything. Loki suffered through at least three punches from Sif. Even when he would try to talk her out of it, she'd just punch him again and mutter how pathetic he was in front of him.
Things weren't any better with Sylvie. She was pushed into a small office with the doors closed. Guards were posted outside to keep her in and to prevent her escape. Sylvie couldn't stop thinking about what happened on Lamentis and with Loki. The way the two of them held hands, the way he touched her cheek, and when they were about to kiss. Her whole life, Sylvie had been on the run from the TVA that she had forgotten what it felt like to be in love.
She paced the small office, her mind racing. For so long, she had lived in apocalypses, fighting, hiding, and surviving. There was never time for softness, for connection. And yet, in the middle of the destruction of Lamentis, she had found something—or someone—that made her feel alive in a way she never had before. Loki. He infuriated her, challenged her, and understood her. And now, they were separated once again. Would he even try to find her? Would he betray her to save himself? The thought made her heart clench.
Just then, she overheard Mobius and Hunter B-15 talking about the Hunter that Sylvie had enchanted to get the Time Keepers' location. She didn't pay attention at first until she heard Mobius say that Loki told him the TVA was lying to him. She guessed that Loki was trying to convince Mobius to help them. That gave her a glimmer of hope—perhaps Loki hadn't abandoned her after all. She moved closer to the door, pressing her ear against it, trying to catch more of the conversation. B-15 sounded hesitant, which was a surprise. Sylvie had seen the doubt in her eyes back at Roxxcart, but she hadn’t been sure if it would take root.
Maybe she had managed to plant a seed of rebellion within the TVA after all.
In Loki's cell, he had suffered through more of Sif's harsh words and punches. Just as Sif walked in for about the seventh time, Loki was already tired of hearing Sif. He begged her to stop and listen to him for once. "I'm a horrible person. I get it. I really am. I cut off your hair because I thought it'd be funny. And it's not. I crave attention because I'm... I'm a... I'm a narcissist. And I suppose it's... it's because I'm scared of being alone," Loki explained.
His speech worked for a second on Sif. She helped him up from the floor, but her anger returned. "You are alone, and you always will be," Sif stated, then walked off without punching Loki.
Loki just stood there in realization. He now knew that he was a bad friend to Sif. Every memory of his life had always made him the villain. Something inside Loki wanted him to change his destiny. Mobius came in a few minutes later to let Loki back into his office after he had calmed down. Mobius opened the time door and let Loki walk out of the Time Cell back into his office. "Fancy technology, threatening interrogation tactics. Seems you and I are in a loop of our own," Loki commented as he sat at the opposite end of Mobius.
Mobius just shrugged off Loki's comment and went straight into business. He got to where Loki told Mobius that the TVA was lying to him. Mobius figured that Loki was just using this as a defense mechanism to get out of telling the truth. Of course, Loki tried to get Mobius to let him out of the TVA first and then tell him, but Mobius didn't fall for it. Mobius started asking Loki questions about Sylvie to know what her intentions were with the TVA. Mobius guessed that the two were partners, but Loki just kept a straight face and lied.
Something in Loki made him want to protect Sylvie from Mobius. To Loki, she's difficult and irritating and tried to kill him, but she was just as broken as he was underneath all that. So he tried to stay silent about any information on Sylvie. "Yeah, I guess you don't do partners. Unless, of course, it benefits you, and you intend to betray them at some point," Mobius assumed.
"It was a means to an end, Mobius. Welcome to the real world. Down there, we're awful to get what we want," Loki said sarcastically.
Mobius was getting tired of this madness. He kept asking Loki again about what caused the nexus event on Lamentis. Loki still refused to share anything about Lamentis, just to have Mobius stab him in the back and prune him from existence. So Mobius figured that their chat was done and was ready to send Loki back to his Time Cell with Sif. Loki had a look of fear when Mobius mentioned Sif—he couldn't take any more of her punches, but he also couldn't betray Sylvie. So he decided to do what he does best: lie to Mobius about her.
"Of course, it was me pulling the strings all along," Loki lied, which got Mobius's attention. "She came to me on Asgard a long time ago, and then she took me to one of her apocalypses, and that's where we hatched our plan together."
"Which is?" Mobius asked.
"Coming along very nicely, thank you."
"And the Variant?"
"Doesn't matter. She's a pawn. Something very, very big is gonna happen. And when it does, I'll dispose of her."
"Well, we saved you the trouble there. She's already been pruned."
When Mobius said those words, Loki started to feel like a piece of his soul was missing, but he didn't show it in front of him. According to Mobius, Sylvie was being brought to her Time Cell, but she broke free, took out the two guards that brought her, and Hunter B-15 stepped in and pruned Sylvie on sight. Now Loki was the superior Loki, which was what Möbius announced. Loki couldn't believe it—Sylvie was pruned, and he would never see her again. He tried to play it cool and act indifferent, but he still had a glimmer of love reflected in his eyes.
Mobius looked up from his notes and saw the small glimmer of love in Loki's eyes and pieced things together. "No wonder you have no clue what caused the nexus event on Lamentis. Both of you are swooning over each other. It's the apocalypse. Two Variants of the same bring, especially you, forming this kind of sick twisted romantic relationship. That's pure chaos. That could break reality. It's breaking my reality right now. What an incredible seismic narcissist. You fell for yourself." Mobius stated.
"Her name was Sylvie," Loki answered, bluntly.
To Loki, he doesn't care that Sylvie is another version of him, those feelings of love that he feels for her are real. Mobius kept asking more questions about their grand plan but this was only making Loki even more sure to believe what Sylvie had revealed about the TVA. Mobius still didn't listen to a word Loki said, it wasn't until Loki snapped and shouted that everyone here were all Variants. The Timekeepers kidnapped every single one of them from the timeline and removed their memories of their real lives. Everyone here had a past, a life, or maybe a family, and it was just ripped away from them.
For a moment, Mobius was dead silent as Loki tried to convince him of the truth about the TVA. But it didn't work, he didn't believe Loki. "Unbelievable. Wherever you go, it's just death, destruction, the literal ends of worlds." Mobius said before opening up Loki Time Cell.
Two-minute men grabbed ahold of Loki, ready to toss him back into the cell to suffer. Just before Loki was shoved back into his cell, he called Mobius the biggest liar in the TVA. Not for lying about Sylvie being prunned, but for believing in the lies he tells himself.
Meanwhile, Hunter B-15 couldn't shake what Mobius said about the TVA lying to everyone about what they really are. Something about those words rang like an echo in her head, thinking back to when Sylvie took control of her body, she saw a small glimpse of what looked like her old life. She needed to find out the truth and there was only one person who could help the Variant. She marched up to the guards that were guarding Sylvie and ordered them to open the door.
With that, Sylvie looked up from where she was sitting and saw Hunter B-15 march in with her prune stick on as the doors closed again. "Hello... Oh, I don't know. Your names a number. Can't read it from here." Sylvie joked as she got up, "Come to finish the job?"
But to her surprise, Hunter B-15 stood down and opened a time door. She asked Sylvie to follow her to talk. At first, Sylvie was sure that this was a trick, no one but Loki had been nice to her. Sylvie reluctantly followed Hunter B-15 through the time door and the two of them were back in Alabama 2050, her hideout. Sylvie figured that Hunter B-15 would want a fair chance to prune her but she didn't fight. "When you were in my head, I saw something." Hunter B-15 stated, "What did you do to me?"
"I showed you your life before the TVA" Sylvie answered.
"That's a trick. It's a deception."
"No, it's not."
"I was created by the Time-Keepers."
"No. I can't create memories. I can only use what's already there. The Time-Keepers took your lives from you. From all of you. You're Variants. We're the same."
Hunter B-15 asked Sylvie to show her the life she had before the TVA. She saw herself as a police officer, she had friends, a husband, and a family. She cried tears of joy after Sylvie released her from her memories. Sylvie wanted Hunter B-15 to help her and Loki stop the Time-Keepers. Luckily she had a plan.
Chapter Text
Mobius could not stop thinking about Loki's words before he was pushed back into his time cell. He wasn't sure if it was true or not but he was about he find out. During his meeting with Ravonna, he secretly took her tempad to find any evidence about Loki's theory. Mobius came across an interrogation video on Ravonna's tempad, he played it and his reality just broke even further. The video had Hunter C-20's confession on what Sylvie showed her when she was captured. Her words were the same as Loki's, she was trying to tell them the truth but no one would listen to her.
The video stopped as someone else appeared on the screen, ordering the guards to prune Hunter C-20 for her ridiculous claims. Mobius took one look at the woman as he knew her. He zoomed in on the screen and saw that it was Ravonna giving the orders. He couldn't believe it, Ravonna who claimed to be his friend had lied to him. Mobius started to wonder, was Loki telling the truth for once? With all of these questions pondering him, Mobius decided to talk to the one person who knew more about this whole thing, Loki. Mobius opened the time cell where Loki was and he looked awful.
He was tired and broken from the number of hits he took from Lady Sif. A dark bruise showed on his face from the number of punches he took from Sif. Loki thought Sif was coming back to punch him again but to his surprise, Mobius came into the time cell with a thirst for answers. The two just threw insults at each other knowing the fact that they both needed each other to get out of this madhouse. "Do you believe you deserve to be alone?" Mobius asked Loki.
"I don't know." Loki straightly answered.
"You better figure it out quick, because the nexus event the two of you caused, I think whatever that connection is, can bring this whole place down. So we better understand..."
"We?"
"Do you swear she didn't implant those memories in Hunter C-20?"
"Mobius, no. I believe her."
"So I just have to trust the word of two Lokis?"
"How about the word of a friend?"
Hearing Loki saying that Mobius was now his friend made Mobius actually want to trust him. Mobius knew that Loki didn't have any friends in his entire life so this was practically all new to him. But he did know one thing, Loki was right about the TVA from the beginning. But Mobius also knew that if Loki wanted to save Sylvie then he needed to trust Mobius as well. "You could be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean, just in case anyone ever told you differently." Mobius stated.
For a moment, it seemed like everything might be okay. This was the turning point where Loki and Sylvie would escape, overthrow the TVA, and find their happy ending.
But that’s not how this story goes; instead of a happily ever after, a storm was coming.
Just as Mobius and Loki exited the cell, Ravonna and her minions stood in front of them. She realized that Mobius had switched their tempads and had seen the video. "What's the problem Ravonna?" Mobius asked trying to lighten the mood, "You know where I'd go if I could go anywhere? Wherever it is I'm really from. Yeah, wherever I had a life before the TVA came along. Maybe I had a jet ski. That's what I'd like to do. Just riding around on my jet ski."
Ravonna didn't listen, instead, she ordered her men to prune Mobius, and just like that, he was gone. Loki had just watched the whole thing, his feelings of anger and sadness washed over him like a wave. Two of the minute men grabbed Loki and dragged him to the elevator to wait for Sylvie to join them. She came with Ravonna a few minutes later as the three were now heading to meet the Time Keepers. Sylvie had been waiting to meet with the Time Keepers for a long time, so she could kill them. "Do you remember me?" Sylvie asked Ravonna.
"I do. What do you wanna say to me, Variant?" She replied.
"What was my nexus event? Why did you bring me in?" Sylvie asked.
“What does it matter?” Ravonna replied coldly.
“It was enough to take my life from me. It led to all of this. It must have been important. So what was it?”
“…I don’t remember.”
The elevator doors opened, revealing a dimly lit, misty chamber. The three Time Keepers loomed above, sitting on their thrones, looking down at the Variants with judgmental eyes. Ravonna, ever the loyal servant, bowed before them and presented the prisoners. “What do you have to say for yourselves before you meet your end, Variants?” one of the Time Keepers demanded.
“Is that the only reason you brought us here? To kill us?” Loki scoffed. “I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve died, so go ahead. Do your worst.”
Sylvie stepped forward, ready to fight, but Ravonna yanked her back. Sylvie clenched her fists, seething. The Time Keepers were afraid of them. That much was obvious. But before she could lash out, the room flickered; a glitch. Then, the Time Keepers gave their final command: “Delete them.”
Before the guards could move, the elevator doors burst open. Hunter B-15 stormed in, unlocking Sylvie and Loki’s restraints. “For all time. Always.” she declared.
Chaos erupted; the battle was fierce—Loki and Sylvie fought with everything they had. Hunter B-15 tossed Sylvie a sword before being knocked out. Loki took on two guards at once, earning a deep gash on his arm. Sylvie fought bare-handed until she disarmed a guard and turned his own weapon against him. Then, she finally had her moment—standing face-to-face with Ravonna. “This time, I finished the job,” Ravonna snarled.
“Not if I kill you first.” Sylvie shot back.
They clashed. Blows landed, and bodies collided. Sylvie was knocked to the ground, Ravonna’s prune stick poised to erase her. Loki saw it happening. Without hesitation, he shoved off his attackers, rushed forward, and knocked Ravonna away from Sylvie. “I didn’t need saving,” Sylvie huffed as she got to her feet.
“Didn’t look that way to me,” Loki smirked.
Ravonna charged again; Sylvie knocked her out cold. Now, it was just them and the Time Keepers. Fueled by fury, Sylvie hurled her sword at one of them. The blade sliced through its neck. The head tumbled to the floor; and then… laughter. Even the decapitated Time Keeper was laughing. Loki and Sylvie watched in stunned silence as sparks flickered from the severed head. A closer look revealed wires. The Time Keepers were fake. Nothing but elaborate puppets. “I thought this was it,” Sylvie whispered, tossing the robotic head aside.
Loki understood. The anger, the betrayal, the frustration—he had felt it all his life. But he also felt something else. Something he had never truly known before; love. “Sylvie…”
“Not another pep talk,” she sighed.
“No, I have to tell you something.” Loki stepped closer. His heart pounded. He had never been this vulnerable before. "We will figure this out," Loki spoke as he came closer to Sylvie.
For the first time ever, his sliver tongue had turned to bronze. Sylvie put a finger to Loki's lips to tell him to stop, she asked Loki to just tell her. He placed his hands on Sylvie's shoulders and he finally worked up the courage to tell her. "Back on Lamantis...This is all new to me.” I love you, Sylvie. When we almost kissed on Lamantis, I felt something warm in my heart. It was love, for the first time in a long while I felt my iced heart melt." Loki spoke.
Sylvie felt her own heart skip a beat, she leaned in close to Loki and she placed her hand on Loki's face. "I love you too, Loki." She whispered and kissed him on the lips.
The kiss was short but sweet to Loki. Until Loki gasped; his body flickered. Ravonna had pruned him in the back, literally. Sylvie watched in horror as Loki vanished before her eyes, tears streaming down her face. And then rage took over; she pinned Ravonna down, weapon poised. “Do it. Kill me,” Ravonna whispered.
“No,” Sylvie growled. “You’re going to tell me everything.”
With Loki, he had woken up somewhere new and unfamiliar. He thought he was dead but he was alive and somewhat well. "Is this Hel? Am I dead?" He questioned.
"Not yet." An elderly voice answered, "But you will be unless you come with us."
As Loki slowly got up from the ground, he saw three other versions of himself plus an alligator with a crown. Things had definitely taken a turn for the worse.
Notes:
Does anyone else believe that Ravonna is lying to Sylvie?
Chapter Text
When Loki was pruned, he was cast into the Void, a forsaken place where every discarded timeline and variant was sent to be forgotten. Cities stacked upon cities, fragments of realities long erased, and remnants of Asgard itself lay scattered across the barren wasteland. The other Loki variants gestured urgently for him to follow, their expressions grim. Unless he wanted to be Alioth’s next meal, he had no other choice. As much as Loki longed for answers, he forced himself to move, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as a pitch-black fog loomed behind them. It had the face of a beast, its glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness like an omen of doom.
Back at the TVA, Sylvie’s heart still ached from witnessing Loki’s pruning. The grief, the fury—it burned within her. She could have killed Ravonna where she stood, but she needed her alive. For now. Sylvie dragged the former judge to the very chamber where she had once been meant to stand trial. In a voice so cold it could freeze time itself, she demanded Ravonna’s TemPad. The fear in Ravonna’s eyes was evident, and without hesitation, she surrendered it. "Who is really behind the TVA?" Sylvie pressed, her fingers gripping the TemPad like a lifeline.
Ravonna’s face remained impassive. "I don’t know any more than you do."
Sylvie’s lip curled in disdain. "Poor Judge Renslayer. Your whole reality’s been shattered. Tell me, how does it feel to be on the other side?" She dug her heel into Ravonna’s chest, reveling in the flicker of panic in the woman’s eyes.
After a moment, she released her, stepping back. The anger still boiled within her, but vengeance would not bring back what she had lost. "This is where you dragged me after you stole my life. A fitting place, then, to take yours."
Ravonna, on her knees, pleaded for mercy, but Sylvie remained unmoved. Ravonna had taken everything from her—her home, her family, and the man she loved. Just as Sylvie was about to deliver the final blow, Ravonna’s desperate words made her hesitate. "What if I told you Loki wasn’t dead? Not yet, anyway."
Sylvie’s grip on her weapon tightened. "Liar. I watched him get pruned."
"Think about it!" Ravonna gasped. "The TVA doesn’t destroy matter—it just moves it somewhere it can’t grow. A place outside of time. The Void. If Loki was pruned, he was sent there."
Sylvie didn’t trust her. But if there was even the slightest chance. Ravonna continued, seizing the moment. "No one has ever returned from the Void. But if you want to find him, you’ll have to go there yourself."
Sylvie narrowed her eyes. Trusting Ravonna was a risk, but she had no other leads. And if there was one thing she never backed down from—it was a fight.
Meanwhile, in the Void, Loki trudged behind his variants through the wasteland, his mind racing. None of them spoke, except for Classic Loki, who seemed more concerned with staying alive than answering questions. That wasn’t much of a plan—just a survival instinct. Finally, Loki had had enough.
"I demand answers!" he shouted, halting in his tracks. "It’s been—what? Days? Months? I don’t even know anymore. One moment, I was pruned right in front of the woman I love, and the next, I woke up here! Now, I’m surrounded by versions of myself—an alligator included—and running from a monster that wants to eat us! And all while I should be finding a way back to the TVA!"
A glint of metal silenced him. Kid Loki had drawn his sword, leveling it at Loki’s throat. "Be quiet. Unless you want to be the reason we all end up dead."
Loki swallowed hard, stepping back as Kid Loki sheathed his weapon. With a nod, the boy extended a hand, pulling him to his feet. "This is where the TVA dumps its rubbish. Everything they prune ends up here. And Alioth ensures none of it ever leaves."
Loki processed the words. The Void was nothing more than a cosmic graveyard. "So there’s no way out?" He hated how desperate he sounded.
The other Lokis simply stared at him. They had all once asked the same question. They had all once hoped. "The only thing here is survival," Classic Loki said solemnly. "That’s all there ever was."
Without another word, they turned, continuing toward their shelter. Loki sighed, trailing after them. He turned to Kid Loki, curious. "Why do they follow you? You’re just a—"
Classic Loki cut-in. "You would do well to show him respect. This is his kingdom."
Loki frowned. "Right. And what was your nexus event, Your Majesty?"
Kid Loki didn’t hesitate. "I killed Thor."
Loki paled. He didn’t ask any more questions.
Back at the TVA, Ravonna summoned Miss Minutes, requesting files at the beginning of time. The animated clock’s usual perky tone grated on Sylvie’s nerves. She was running out of patience. Every second wasted could mean Loki’s death. "What about the files at the end of time?" Sylvie asked, her mind already working ahead.
"The Void is the only thing there," Ravonna answered.
"What if the Void isn’t the end?" Sylvie countered. "What if there’s something beyond it?"
Ravonna hesitated, then gave Miss Minutes a nod. The clock searched the files, pulling up an image of the Sacred Timeline. Sylvie studied it carefully, her mind piecing things together. "If the Void is outside of time, then whatever happens there doesn’t create a Nexus Event. You could be completely undetectable. Which means… that’s where the one behind the TVA is hiding. And that’s where Loki is."
Ravonna’s expression darkened. "Even if that were true, the TemPad can’t lock onto it. There’s no destination."
"Then we go through it ourselves," Sylvie stated.
Ravonna signed, "That would be suicide."
Sylvie smirked. "Then I guess I don’t need you anymore."
She lunged at Ravonna, but before she could strike, Miss Minutes interjected. "Oh! What about the prototype spacecraft? You know, the one designed to withstand the Void?"
Ravonna caught on. "Yes. That could work."
Sylvie narrowed her eyes. Something was off. "A spacecraft that can withstand the Void, and yet, you just conveniently forgot to mention it?"
She played along, waiting for Miss Minutes to pull up the files. But as seconds dragged on, Sylvie realized the truth, "You’re stalling."
Ravonna’s lips curled into a victorious smirk just as footsteps echoed down the corridor. Minutemen. Sylvie cursed under her breath. She had been set up. "Running won’t help you," Ravonna taunted. "We’ll always find you."
"And yet, for a second, I almost believed you cared," Sylvie stated.
"Why don’t you come out, and we can talk about this?"
Sylvie exhaled slowly, her grip tightening around the prune stick. "You want me to surrender? Maybe relive my best memories in a time loop? Perhaps with Loki?"
Ravonna smirked. "That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?"
Sylvie smiled—and then she drove the prune stick into her own chest, vanishing before Ravonna’s stunned gaze.
Chapter Text
Back with Loki, the other Loki variants were drinking wine while sharing the Nexus events that led them to the Void. Boastful Loki claimed his Nexus event was obtaining all the Infinity Stones instead of Thanos. However, Alligator Loki snarled at him, growling in clear disbelief. “At least my Nexus event wasn’t eating the wrong neighbor's cat,” Boastful Loki retorted smugly.
Alligator Loki snapped at him, nearly taking a bite. Classic Loki and Loki had to intervene, pulling them apart, while Kid Loki merely watched with mild amusement. Once the tension settled, Classic Loki began sharing his own story of how he ended up in the Void. Confused, Loki questioned how that was possible since Thanos killed him after Ragnarok. In Classic Loki's timeline, everything had gone according to plan until Thanos arrived. Instead of attempting to stab the Mad Titan, Classic Loki had created a projection of himself so realistic that even Thanos was fooled.
He hid among the debris, drifting alone in space, far from Thor and everything else. Over time, he realized that no matter where he went, he only brought pain to himself and others. Seeking peace, he isolated himself on a remote planet for what felt like an eternity. However, the moment he stepped off-world, the TVA appeared and pruned him. “We all have one role to play,” he concluded bitterly. “The God of Outcasts.”
Loki, unwilling to simply hide and accept his fate, resolved to escape the Void and return to the TVA—to Sylvie. If Loki variants were masters of survival and escape, he had a chance. “Have any of you met a female variant of us?” Loki asked.
Classic Loki shuddered. “Sounds terrifying.”
“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 destroy it. And she needs me. Now, you said Alioth keeps us trapped here. If it’s alive, it can die. So I’m going to kill it, and I could use your help.”
The room fell silent. Then Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, and Kid Loki burst into laughter. Loki sighed. As usual, he would have to go it alone. As he made his way out of the hideout, a nightmare unfolded—more Loki variants appeared.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Void, Sylvie woke inside a half-destroyed bus. The wind howled, thunder rumbled, and as she smashed through the front window to escape, she came face-to-face with Alioth. She sprinted away as the entity devoured the bus, then turned its hunger toward her. Just as she ran, her magic brushed against Alioth, and for a split second, she saw something—a citadel. A honk broke her focus. A small pizza delivery car sped toward her. Sylvie dashed toward it, Alioth on her heels. The car screeched to a stop, and she leaped inside. “Drive!” she yelled.
The driver floored the pedal. Sylvie glanced at him. “Mobius?!”
He smirked. “Hey there, Variant.”
Alioth surged ahead, blocking their path. Sylvie grabbed the wheel, forcing Mobius into a sharp turn. “I saw it,” Mobius said.
“Really? Because you’re driving right toward it!” Sylvie snapped.
Mobius sighed. “God, you are one of you.”
Back at the Loki hideout, a new threat emerged—President Loki and his army invaded. The other Lokis assumed TVA Loki had betrayed them. As tensions rose, Boastful Loki turned his hammer on Kid Loki, revealing he had made a deal with President Loki in exchange for power. But President Loki, true to form, betrayed him. “Come on, what did you expect?” he sneered.
Before more betrayals could unfold, Alligator Loki lunged, biting President Loki’s hand clean off. Chaos erupted as Lokis turned on one another in a brutal battle for dominance. Classic Loki, Kid Loki, Alligator Loki, and TVA Loki used the distraction to escape, creating illusions to cover their retreat. As they fled, Loki looked back at the carnage. So much bloodshed for a throne that was never theirs to begin with. Far from the madness, the remaining Lokis caught their breath. Classic Loki seethed. “Animals! We lie, cheat, and betray. For what? Power? Glorious purpose? We are broken, every version of us, forever.”
Kid Loki nodded. “And when one of us tries to change, they send us here to die.”
“That’s why I need to get out,” Loki insisted. “Nothing changes unless we stop the TVA.”
“And you trust her?” Classic Loki asked.
Loki hesitated. “She’s the only one I do.”
Kid Loki and Classic Loki agreed to help but warned that approaching Alioth meant certain death. They would lead Loki to it, but no further.
Meanwhile, Mobius and Sylvie had escaped Alioth, but Mobius was shaken. He had believed in the TVA, but now he knew the truth—they were villains, not heroes. But had Sylvie been any better? She, too, had annihilated in her quest for survival. Mobius looked at her. “I’m sorry.”
Sylvie, heartbroken, confessed, “When I pruned myself, I thought I could find Loki. But that storm—that thing—it’s probably already got him.”
“You really believe that?”
Sylvie didn't answer. Instead, she ordered Mobius to turn around. If she had any chance left, it was with Alioth.
Loki and his group arrive at Alioth's hunting ground. Before Loki could put his plan into action, a Navy ship materialized in the Void. The doomed soldiers fired desperately, but Alioth consumed them in seconds, turning them to ash. The ship crumbled into rusted metal and decayed wood. Loki watched in horror as Alioth finished off its prey. The monstrous entity devoured everything in its path with a terrifying, consuming force. Suddenly, Loki wasn’t so sure about his plan to face it head-on. Kid Loki, standing beside him, squinted at the horizon and spotted a car approaching.
“Is that bad?” Loki asked warily.
“Well, usually means cannibalistic marauders or cannibalistic pirates,” Kid Loki replied with a deadpan expression.
Loki tensed as the vehicle slowed down, readying himself for another fight. The others stood on guard, weapons at the ready. But as the car came to a stop, the door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out, Sylvie. A flood of relief, joy, and disbelief surged through Loki all at once. He didn’t hesitate—he ran toward her, ignoring the protests of the other Lokis behind him. To them, he must have looked insane, charging recklessly toward an unknown figure in a place where survival depended on caution. Sylvie's heart leaped the moment she saw him.
That familiar ache returned, the emotions she had tried so hard to suppress resurfacing. The second Loki reached her, she stepped forward—and punched him square in the face.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again!” she snapped, her voice a mix of anger and relief.
Loki staggered back, rubbing the sore spot on his cheek. “Okay, I deserved that,” he admitted with a smirk. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Mobius appeared behind Sylvie, grinning as he joined them. Loki’s eyes widened in surprise before a smile spread across his face. “Mobius! You’re alive!”
“Well, I figured you could use some backup,” Mobius quipped.
The other Loki variants approached, and Sylvie immediately tensed, mistaking them for a threat. Loki quickly reassured her. “Relax, they’re just more of me. Turns out you throw a rock in The Void, and you hit a Loki.”
Mobius chuckled. “It’s a real infestation.”
Once the tension settled, Sylvie revealed her plan. Unlike Loki, who wanted to attack Alioth directly, she had a different strategy. “I think the person we’re after is beyond The Void, at the end of time. If that’s true, then Alioth is just the guard dog. And I’m going to enchant it.”
Loki let out an incredulous laugh. “That’s insane.”
“Oh, and what? Your plan to paper-cut a cosmic storm cloud to death isn’t?” Sylvie shot back.
The two bickered like an old married couple, but this time, Loki found himself speechless as Sylvie made it clear—she was going to enchant Alioth, and that was final.
That night, they set up camp in the ruins of an abandoned building, one of the few places Alioth seemed to ignore. Mobius enjoyed swapping stories with the other Lokis, finding humor in the chaos of their existences. Loki and Sylvie sat on a hillside, gazing at the vast emptiness before them. It reminded them of Lamentis, another hopeless landscape where they had found each other. A cold wind blew through The Void. Loki shivered and conjured a soft green blanket, wrapping it around himself. He offered one to Sylvie, but she simply shrugged. “I’m used to the cold.”
“You could always let me conjure you a new outfit,” Loki suggested. “You have no idea how uncomfortable something like that must be.”
Sylvie smirked. “Oh, believe me, I do.”
A comfortable silence settled between them before Sylvie spoke again. “Mobius thinks our nexus event—the one we created at the TVA—might be the key to bringing it down.”
Loki exhaled, nodding. “He might be right.”
She hesitated before admitting, “I don’t know how to do this.”
Loki turned to her. “I don’t even know what we’re doing,” he said with a chuckle.
For the first time in a long while, Sylvie smiled. “I don’t have friends. I don’t have anyone.”
Loki understood. He, too, had spent his life alone, chasing a throne that never truly fulfilled him. “Maybe there are more important things than power,” he mused.
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s rich coming from a Loki.”
He smirked but didn’t argue. Instead, he wordlessly draped the blanket over both of them, bringing them closer. Their shoulders brushed, their warmth blending together against the chill of The Void. It felt… right. Sylvie glanced up at him, a question lingering in her gaze. “How do I know that, in the final moments, you won’t betray me?”
Loki’s expression softened. “Sylvie… I betrayed everyone who ever loved me. My father. My brother. My home. I know what I did, and I know why I did it. But that’s not who I am anymore. I won’t let you down.”
She wanted to believe him. She really did. But years of betrayal, of running, of surviving alone made trust a foreign concept. “I could give you a timeline to rule when the TVA is gone,” she offered, testing him.
Loki shook his head. “That’s not what I want.”
Sylvie frowned. “Then what do you want?”
Loki met her gaze, his emerald eyes holding something unspoken. He leaned in slightly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “You really think I forgot about the kiss back at the TVA?”
She blinked, caught off guard. Before she could respond, Loki pressed a soft kiss against her cheek. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, but it quickly faded. And then she kissed him. Loki’s breath hitched, but he melted into it, his hands gently cradling her face. This—this was what he wanted. Not a throne, not a kingdom, not power. Just her. To Sylvie, Loki’s lips tasted like mischief and redemption. To Loki, Sylvie’s touch was both the forbidden fruit and salvation. The kiss deepened, becoming something neither of them had expected but neither wanted to stop.
A few feet away, Mobius started walking toward them but paused when he saw the two entangled in each other. He smirked, shaking his head. “Ah, love. What a twist.”
He turned around, deciding to leave them be. Under the endless void of time, Loki and Sylvie held onto each other as if, for the first time, they weren’t alone in the universe.
Chapter Text
This was it. The moment that would bring Loki and Sylvie one step closer to the man behind it all. From the cliff’s edge, the entire team watched as Alioth, a monstrous entity of swirling smoke and hunger, loomed ever closer. The air crackled with energy, thick with the scent of ozone and destiny. Mobius, ever the skeptic but still willing to follow, glanced at Sylvie. "So what's the next move in your grand plan to bring down the TVA?"
Sylvie’s gaze hardened with determination. "When Alioth touched me before, I saw something—just a glimpse, but enough. If I can get close enough, I can enchant it. If it works, it’ll take me straight to whoever is behind all of this."
She pulled out the TemPad she had taken from Ravenna and placed it in Loki’s hands. "I need you to take this. If things go wrong, I can’t risk losing you."
But Loki didn’t budge. "I’m not leaving."
The others looked at him as if he’d just made a deal with the devil himself. Sylvie exhaled sharply, frustration flickering across her face. "Loki—"
"No," he interrupted firmly. "I’m staying with you."
Mobius, watching this exchange with a knowing smirk, took the TemPad from Loki instead. "Guess that means I’m the one heading back to the TVA," he mused. "I’ll give my regards to Renslayer."
Sylvie scoffed. Kid Loki, ever aware of the ticking clock, cut in. "The next branch will appear any second. That’s when you make your move."
Mobius turned to the other Loki variants. "You sure you don’t want a ticket out of this dump?"
Classic Loki, Kid Loki, and Alligator Loki all shook their heads. "This is our home now," Classic Loki stated. "We know how to survive here."
Before parting, Kid Loki handed Loki his golden-bladed sword. "For the journey ahead."
Mobius then activated the time door, preparing to leave. He turned to Loki with an outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it, Loki pulled him into a firm embrace. Mobius chuckled. "You’re getting sentimental on me."
"Shut up," Loki muttered.
Mobius turned to Sylvie, lowering his voice. "By the way, you’re my favorite."
And with that, he stepped through the portal, vanishing. Only Loki and Sylvie remained, standing at the precipice of fate. Together, they marched toward Alioth. The beast roared, its swirling storm of darkness growing stronger as its monstrous hound-like face formed, eyes blazing with the fury of devoured time. The sacred timeline pulsed in the distance, but their key to it lay within the very heart of this creature. Sylvie took a deep breath. "If it doesn't work, we need a distraction long enough for me to enchant it."
Loki caught her meaning immediately. "One of us has to lure it away."
Sylvie’s grip tightened. "I can't risk losing you."
Without another word, Loki sprinted away, sword igniting in a burst of golden flame. Alioth turned, drawn to the beacon of magic, and lunged. The wind howled as Loki ran, each step battling the storm’s pull. He slashed through the air, fire crackling as he led Alioth further from Sylvie. She reached out, beginning the spell—but Alioth sensed the surge of magic and abruptly shifted course. Loki shouted, waving his sword, but the beast ignored him. It was going for Sylvie. "No!" he roared, racing back.
Just as Alioth was about to consume Sylvie, a brilliant green glow erupted from behind them. A mirage of golden spires, shining halls, and towering gates appeared—Asgard. An illusion. Classic Loki stood in the center of it all, his hands raised as he conjured the magnificent vision. Alioth hesitated, drawn to the familiar realm. Sylvie gaped. "How is he doing that?"
Loki’s expression softened with awe. "I think... we're stronger than we realize."
With Alioth distracted, Sylvie grabbed Loki’s hand. "We do this together."
"I don’t know how," he admitted.
"You do," she reassured, gripping his fingers tighter. "Because we’re the same."
They stepped forward, their green magic intertwining. Classic Loki held the illusion for as long as he could, his laughter echoing defiantly. "Glorious purpose!" he declared as Alioth turned on him. He raised his arms high, laughing until the end as the beast swallowed him whole, his form fading to dust. His helmet fell, rusted and empty.
Loki and Sylvie pressed on, their magic fusing with Alioth’s essence. The beast writhed, but they held firm, pouring everything into the spell. Alioth snarled, then stilled. The storm calmed. It had worked. As Alioth parted, a golden glow emerged beyond it—a citadel hidden in the heart of the timeline. They walked for what felt like days, through endless landscapes and treacherous traps designed to keep intruders away. Whoever was here did not want to be found. At night, they camped beneath alien skies. Sylvie sat in silence, staring into the fire, lost in thought.
Loki settled beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?"
"Just thinking about what happens when we find the truth," she murmured. "I need to know why they took me. I didn’t do anything wrong."
Loki turned her to face him, gently brushing away a stray tear. "We’ll find out," he promised. "And when we do, we’ll burn this place to the ground. So no one else suffers like we did."
Sylvie studied him. In every universe, Lokis were selfish, chaotic, and power-hungry. But this one—he was different. He cared. Their gazes locked, drawn together by something neither could fully explain. Loki leaned in, but she stopped him. "We can’t. Not here. We don’t know what could happen."
Loki smirked. "I’m willing to risk it if you are."
She hesitated for only a second before pressing her lips to his in a fleeting kiss. Nothing exploded. No universes collapsed. Loki deepened the kiss, pulling her closer. They stayed that way for a while, wrapped in each other’s warmth under the starlit sky. Tomorrow, they would face the unknown. But tonight, for the first time in their lives, they weren’t alone.
Loki and Sylvie finally reached the citadel, the towering structure looming over them like a relic from the dawn of time. The air was thick with an eerie stillness, as if the universe itself was holding its breath. This was it. The moment they had been fighting for. The moment Sylvie had been waiting for her entire life. The two ascended the heavy, timeworn steps, their boots echoing against the stone as they approached the grand doors, tangled in thick vines that had crept over centuries. Sylvie stopped just before them, her fingers brushing the cool surface.
This door was more than an entrance; it was the barrier between her past and the answers she had longed for. Her chest tightened with anticipation, doubt creeping in. What if this was all for nothing? “Aren’t you gonna tell me not to kick the door in?” Sylvie asked, her voice slightly wavering.
“It never made a difference,” Loki replied, his voice softer than usual.
She turned to him, searching for something—reassurance, maybe. Normally, Loki would be the first to challenge her plans, to pick them apart and offer a clever remark. But this time, he had nothing to say. That unsettled her more than she cared to admit. Taking a deep breath, she raised her foot, ready to kick the doors open, but at the last moment, she hesitated. Loki noticed her hesitation. “Sylvie—”
“Not now,” she cut him off sharply, eyes locked on the doors.
Then, as if sensing her turmoil, the doors creaked and groaned before slowly swinging open on their own. Loki and Sylvie exchanged wary glances, their instincts screaming that they were being watched. The air inside was thick with the scent of dust and time, the kind of stillness that felt unnatural. They stepped forward cautiously, their hands hovering near their weapons. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the massive doors slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom. The silence was deafening. Then, without warning, a bright, flickering light illuminated the shadows.
A familiar, unsettling giggle echoed through the chamber, and in an instant, Miss Minutes materialized before them, her cartoonish grin stretched wider than ever, her digital eyes eerily unblinking. “Welcome to the Citadel at the End of Time,” she chirped, her saccharine southern drawl sending chills down their spines.
Sylvie instinctively reached for her blade, Loki for his daggers. “Congratulations,” Miss Minutes continued, her voice darkening ever so slightly. “Y’all had a long journey to get here. He’s impressed.”
Loki and Sylvie exchanged wary glances. “Who’s impressed?” Sylvie asked, gripping her weapon tighter.
Miss Minutes’ eyes flickered with something sinister. “He Who Remains,” she answered ominously. “He created all, and He controls all. In the end, it is only He Who Remains.”
Loki straightened, his jaw tightening. “And what does he want?”
Miss Minutes’ grin widened. “To make y’all an offer.”
Sylvie and Loki remained silent as she continued. “He’s worked it out so we can reinsert both of y’all back into the Timeline, in a way that won’t disrupt things. You get the lives you always wanted.”
Sylvie inhaled sharply. Loki’s expression remained unreadable, but the weight of the offer pressed against them both. Loki could win the Battle of New York, kill Thanos, claim the Infinity Gauntlet, and finally sit upon the throne he had been denied for centuries. He could have his victory, his power, his glorious purpose. And Sylvie? She could wake up in a world where she had never been taken from her home. A childhood filled with laughter instead of survival. Her family was whole and safe. A lifetime of happy memories. No more running. No more loneliness.
Or they could share a timeline without fear of a Nexus event. Together. A future neither had dared to dream of. It was everything they had ever wanted. For a moment, neither spoke. The weight of the choice hung between them like an unspoken promise. But then, Loki met Sylvie’s gaze, and in that instant, they knew. None of it would be real. The lives they lived now, the bonds they had formed, the feelings growing between them—none of it would exist if they took this deal. A throne, a past rewritten, a future of false comfort… none of it compared to the truth they had forged together.
Loki stepped forward, his voice firm. “We write our own destiny.”
Sylvie nodded, her grip tightening around her blade. “Tell ‘He Who Remains’ to shove his deal.”
For the first time, Miss Minutes’ grin faltered. Her digital eyes darkened, flickering with something more sinister. “Y’all will regret not takin’ the deal when you had the chance,” she warned, her voice laced with venom. Then, with a final, unsettling smile, she vanished.
The room plunged into an eerie silence. Then, the floor beneath them trembled. Cracks split across the marble tiles, spreading like veins of destruction. The citadel itself was rejecting them. “It’s a trap!” Loki shouted.
Sylvie grabbed his hand and pulled him forward as the ground split apart behind them. Jagged stone and debris fell away into a swirling abyss. The tremors intensified, forcing them into a desperate sprint. “There!” Sylvie pointed toward another set of massive doors ahead, their golden surface pulsing with energy.
They ran, dodging falling rubble, the very fabric of the citadel crumbling around them. Reaching the doors, Sylvie pushed against them, but they wouldn’t budge. Loki summoned his magic. “Stand back!”
A surge of green energy blasted against the doors, forcing them open just enough for them to slip inside. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Loki’s magic flickered and died, the doors slamming shut behind them with a final, echoing thud. Panting, they turned to face the darkness ahead. The air was heavy, charged with something ancient and powerful.
Then, from the shadows, a voice—calm, patient, and knowing—greeted them. “Well now… that was quite the show.”
Chapter Text
Back at the TVA, Ravonna Renslayer methodically packed up her office. She felt no regret about pruning Mobius or taking Sylvie from her timeline as a child. In her mind, everything she had done was in service of a greater cause—protecting the one responsible for the TVA. A familiar flicker of orange light signaled Miss Minutes' return. The AI assistant hovered beside Ravonna, a mischievous glint in her digital eyes. "Got some new files for ya," Miss Minutes chirped. "Straight from He Who Remains."
Ravonna frowned. "Who?"
Miss Minutes smirked. "That's right. He reset your memory in case he needed you again. And that day is today."
Before Ravonna could question further, her tempad emitted a blinding white light. It struck her head like a lightning bolt, unlocking memories buried deep within her mind. She gasped, gripping the desk as images flooded her consciousness—memories of the citadel, of the man who orchestrated everything, of the role she had once played. She steadied herself, her expression hardening. She knew what had to be done. She just had to wait for the right moment.
Back at the Citadel at the End of Time, Loki and Sylvie pressed forward through yet another chamber. This one was more intricate, a labyrinth of twisting corridors and deceptive illusions. The past few rooms had tested their endurance with an onslaught of traps and tricks. They had made it out unscathed—so far. But this time, something was different. They entered a grand hall lined with towering statues of the so-called Time Keepers. But there was something else—a fourth statue, shattered into unrecognizable pieces. Loki and Sylvie exchanged glances.
A cold sense of unease settled in their chests. Was this a warning? A sign that someone else had once sat in power alongside the Time Keepers? A faint sound echoed from the far corner of the room. Instantly, the two readied their weapons. They expected another trap, a monstrous adversary lurking in the shadows. Instead, a man sat nonchalantly in an elevator, dressed in ragged yet oddly regal clothing, biting into an apple as if he had all the time in the world. The man looked at them with mild amusement. "The two of you... same person. I mean, it's a little unnatural. But... wow! Wild."
Sylvie narrowed her eyes. "He Who Remains."
The man chuckled. "She still calls me that?" He gestured for them to follow as he stepped out of the elevator. "C'mon, let's talk."
Loki and Sylvie hesitate. They had been prepared for an all-powerful, omniscient being—not this laid-back, oddly charming figure. But if there was anything they had learned, it was that appearances could be deceiving. Weapons still in hand, they followed him inside the elevator. The moment the doors closed, Sylvie struck, swinging her blade at him with lethal precision. But he was gone. In an instant, he reappeared on a couch across the room, still chewing his apple. Sylvie’s grip on her sword tightened. She lunged again. Once more, he vanished, reappearing effortlessly at the other side of the chamber.
Loki and Sylvie exchanged a glance, silently questioning how a mere human could move so fast. The elevator doors slid open, and there he was, standing before them as if nothing had happened. With a smirk, he strode toward his desk, setting his apple down. "Tea? No? All right, suit yourselves."
Loki and Sylvie remained standing, weapons at the ready. "We've come to end your reign," Loki stated coldly.
He Who Remains exhaled, almost disappointed. "Oh, I figured. But before you do, there's a lot you need to hear."
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of unseen eyes watched from the shadows. A cloaked figure lifted a device, fingers pressing swiftly against its screen. A message flashed across the tempad.
To: Ravonna Renslayer
It's time. My bride. The Variants are here.
At the TVA, Ravonna was still packing up her belongings when her TemPad glowed. She picked it up and saw a message meant for her: It’s time, my bride. The Variants are here. A knock sounded at the door, and she scowled. “Go away!” she snapped.
“Well, then you’re not gonna be happy to see me.”
She froze. That voice. Turning around, she found Mobius standing there—back from the Void. He held a pruning stick in his hand, but he wasn’t scared. Ravonna, however, wasn’t either. She simply smirked, unsurprised by his return. “I knew you’d escape.”
“So, you gonna prune me?” she taunted.
“I like the idea,” Mobius said, his tone light but edged with something sharp. “But, you know, my standards might be a little bit higher in that area than yours. You know, with close personal friends.”
Ravonna stared at him with cold, dead eyes, unrepentant. She didn’t regret pruning him—she just wanted him out of the way. When Mobius pressed her about her mission, her patience snapped. “That is classified!” she shouted, summoning her Minutemen.
No one came. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, Renslayer,” Mobius said, smiling. “Not now that everyone knows your little secret.”
Her smirk faltered. Horror flickered across her face—Mobius and Hunter B-15 had exposed the truth to everyone.
Back at the Citadel, the so-called ruler of time tried to make small talk with Loki and Sylvie. All the running, the betrayals, the pain—only to find a mere human claiming to control all of time? It was almost laughable. “I’m not sure you quite understand the situation,” Loki finally said. “You’ve lost. We found you.”
The man merely grinned as if he’d expected this. Sylvie lunged again, slashing at him with her blade—only for her strike to hit empty air. He was gone, now standing a few feet away. “Ooh! A swing and a miss,” he chuckled, taking a bite from his apple.
“How did you—?”
“Move that fast? Let’s just get this out of the way.” He sighed, pulling the largest file from his desk and flipping it open. He tore out several sheets, placing them before Loki and Sylvie. “I already know what’s gonna happen. Almost everything.”
Sylvie scoffed. “It’s a parlor trick.”
“Oh? Don’t you wonder how I keep dodging you?” He Who Remains teased.
Sylvie assumed he was using a TemPad, but no—that wasn’t it. He knew it all. He had seen it all. Almost everything. He recounted their every step—Lamentis, the Void—watching, controlling, ensuring they reached this point. Yet something was missing in his records: the unplanned moments, the emotions, the kiss in the Void. “No,” Sylvie murmured, shaking her head. “No, we broke out of your little game. That’s how we got here.”
“No, wrong,” He Who Remains countered. “Every step you took to get here—Lamentis, the Void—I paved the road. You just walked down it.”
He pulled out more papers detailing what was about to happen next. He was ready to make a deal, but Sylvie demanded to know why they were really here. He only smirked. “These moments need to happen,” he said, “so you’ll finish the quest.”
“So, it’s all a game? All a manipulation?” Loki said darkly.
In the shadows, an unseen figure seethed. The conversation was taking a dangerous turn. It was time to intervene. The figure activated a device, taking control of He Who Remains’s mind, subtly twisting his words. The goal: drive a wedge between Loki and Sylvie. To make Sylvie doubt Loki. To make her angry. He Who Remains’ voice took on a new, insidious edge as he fed Sylvie lies, planting seeds of betrayal in her mind. Loki saw it and tried to warn her, but Sylvie was already gripping her blade tighter, her rage bubbling over.
Back at the TVA, Mobius stood firm in his mission. He would expose the truth. Everyone deserved to know. But Ravonna—Ravonna needed to make him believe her lies again. She had to leave before it was too late. “You know what would happen if we didn’t prune the timeline?” she argued. “Chaos. Death.”
“Free will,” Mobius countered.
Ravonna’s eyes darkened. “Free will? Only one person gets free will—the one in charge.”
She turned away, shoving the last of her belongings into a bag. Mobius, refusing to back down, reminded her of all the things she had once told him about friendship, about trust. She wanted to forget it all. “You betrayed me,” he said softly.
“I did not betray you!” she snapped. “I looked out for you. I put my neck on the line for you. And you suffered a crisis of faith and turned to them? Eons of friendship—and you threw it all away on a couple of Lokis. No, Mobius. I didn’t betray you.”
Mobius tried once more, but Ravonna wasn’t listening. She had already activated her TemPad. He lunged, ready to stop her—but she was faster. In a flash, she had him pinned, wrenching the pruning stick from his grasp. For a moment, she hesitated, the stick aimed at his chest. But she didn’t use it. She tossed it aside, grabbed her bag, and stepped toward the portal. “Where are you going?” Mobius demanded.
Ravonna turned back, her voice laced with menace. “To put an end to these Variants. Once and for all.”
And with that, she was gone.
Back at the Citadel, the air felt thick with unspoken truths. He Who Remains sat before them, his expression a mask of amusement and knowing. But behind his eyes lurked something else—fear. "The TVA exists for a reason," he began, his voice calm, deliberate. "To prevent the timeline from falling into chaos. You see, I have been called many things: a ruler, a conqueror... He Who Remains. But my real name... is Kang."
Loki narrowed his eyes, doubt settling in the pit of his stomach. Sylvie, however, was less restrained. Her rage simmered beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. Kang took a small device from his pocket, activating a projection of his past. "Before the TVA, before all of this, a variant of me existed in the 31st century. A scientist. He discovered the multiverse—realized that universes were stacked atop one another like endless reflections. He wasn't alone. Other versions of me made the same discovery, and at first, we coexisted. We shared knowledge and technology. We built bridges instead of walls. But not all of us were so... noble." The projection flickered, showing images of warring Kangs, each vying for dominion. "Some saw new worlds not as wonders to explore, but as lands to conquer. And so, the war began. A war of Kangs."
Sylvie scoffed. "And then the Time-Keepers swooped in and saved the day?"
Kang grinned. "No. This is where the truth diverges from your fairytales. One of my variants discovered something—a force beyond our comprehension. A creature born from the tears in reality itself. A creature you both know."
"Alioth," Loki whispered.
Before another word could be spoken, the shadows shifted. A presence emerged from the darkness, swift and merciless. A blade, forged of unknown metal, plunged deep into Kang's chest. He gasped, his eyes wide in shock, then slumped forward, lifeless. Loki and Sylvie leaped to their feet, weapons drawn. The assassin stepped forward, revealing himself. His entire body was mechanical, but his face remained obscured beneath a dark hood. When he spoke, his voice echoed with a metallic timbre. "Finally, free from the shadows. I am Kang the Conqueror. The true ruler of time."
This was the first variant. The one who had weaponized Alioth, won the war, and shaped the Sacred Timeline to his design. The TVA had been his creation, a tool to maintain his dominion. But when variants deviated, he ensured they were erased or repurposed. "But over time," Kang continued, "resetting their minds became... difficult. I needed someone more powerful, someone capable of shaping reality itself. So I sent my bride to search every timeline for a worthy heir."
Sylvie's breath caught in her throat. Memories she hadn't fully understood flooded back. Ravonna. The day she had been taken. "I never had a Nexus event..." she whispered. The truth settled over her like ice. "You stole me. You destroyed my home. You killed my family—for this?"
Kang merely tilted his head, silent. Sylvie's fury ignited. She lunged, blade in hand, but Kang struck first, sending her sprawling. "You took everything from me!" she screamed, scrambling to her feet.
Before she could charge again, Loki was there, holding her back. "I know it hurts, but you can't kill him."
Sylvie fought against his grip. "Nothing will stop me. Not even you. I let myself believe you wouldn’t betray me, but in the end, you’ll take the throne for yourself."
Loki's eyes softened. "No. This isn't about a throne. I swear to you."
But Sylvie didn't believe him. She attacked. The clash of steel rang through the chamber as they fought. Sylvie was relentless, fueled by rage. Loki only defended, unwilling to hurt her. A burst of magic sent him sprawling, and before he could recover, she lunged for Kang again. Loki intercepted, blocking her blade with his own. "Sylvie, please!" he pleaded, desperation in his voice. "I've felt what you feel. I know that pain. But I don't want to hurt you. I don't want a throne. I just... I just want you to be okay."
Sylvie hesitated. Her blade trembled in her grip. Her breath came in ragged gasps as tears spilled down her cheeks. Slowly, she lowered her weapon. Then, she kissed him. The moment shattered when a shot rang out. Ravonna had returned. A weapon aimed at Loki, crackling with energy. Sylvie saw it first. Without hesitation, she shoved Loki aside and took the hit. The poison surged through her, burning ice in her veins. She gasped, collapsing to the ground. Kang smirked, satisfied. Loki caught her before she hit the floor. "Sylvie! No, no, no, stay with me. Please."
Dark tendrils of poison spread beneath her skin. Loki clutched her tightly, desperation clawing at his chest. The world blurred around him. Then—a golden ring of light enveloped them both, a portal.
They fell.
Loki landed hard, shielding Sylvie as they tumbled onto cold stone. He looked around, disoriented. A sanctuary of strange relics and books surrounded them. A voice, calm yet firm, broke the silence. "Loki of Asgard. Welcome."
A man in red robes stepped forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Loki. "My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. And I have some questions for you."
Chapter Text
Dr. Strange sensed a disturbance in the multiverse, something that needed to be silenced, so he swiftly opened a portal to summon the anomaly into the Sanctum. However, he hadn't expected to see Loki tumbling out, clutching a young woman in his arms. With the Cloak of Levitation draped over his shoulders, Strange hovered toward the fallen pair, his sharp eyes assessing the situation. His initial plan of interrogation was halted when he noticed the woman’s injury—she was bleeding, and the wound reeked of poison. "Let me take a look at her," Strange offered, extending his hand.
Loki, still crouched protectively over Sylvie, tightened his grip on his daggers. "If you think I'll trust the words of a second-rate sorcerer, you are sorely mistaken."
Strange exhaled sharply. He had no patience for Loki’s dramatics. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a spell, trapping Loki back into the portal he had come through. The trickster’s protests were cut short as he was sucked into the void. With Loki out of the way for now, Strange turned his attention to Sylvie. He carefully lifted her and carried her to one of the Sanctum’s chambers, beginning the delicate process of extracting the poison from her wound. His hands may have lost their surgical precision, but his magic was more than capable.
Weaving intricate spells, he neutralized the venom and sealed the injury before wrapping fresh bandages around her arm. After a few minutes, the wound was fully healed. Sylvie stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. A bright light momentarily blinded her, and as she slowly sat up, she took in her unfamiliar surroundings. Panic bubbled up inside her—she wasn’t in Kang’s hideout, and more importantly, Loki wasn’t here. Had he abandoned her? Then she noticed the bandages. Someone had treated her wounds.
"You're awake."
Sylvie’s gaze snapped toward the voice. A man, clad in a crimson cloak sat casually in a chair, a book open in his hands. "Who are you? What did you do to Loki?" she demanded.
"Dr. Stephen Strange," he introduced himself. "I healed your injury. And as for Loki—"
"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me what this place is and what you've done to him."
Strange sighed. With a simple motion, the walls of the room shifted, transforming into a more open, living space. Before Sylvie could question further, Strange opened a golden portal. Out tumbled Loki, landing flat on his face with a frustrated groan. "I have been falling for thirty minutes!" he bellowed, scrambling to his feet as Sylvie fought back a smirk.
Dr. Strange barely acknowledged Loki’s tantrum as he continued. "In this timeline, Loki is already dead. The universe believed it had seen the last of him." He leaned forward. "Half the population disappeared for five years thanks to Thanos. The Avengers traveled back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos could. Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone, and Bruce Banner used the gauntlet to bring everyone back, though it cost him dearly. Thanos from 2014 invaded, and every hero fought to stop him. Tony Stark wielded the stones, turning Thanos and his army to dust—but he fell into a coma minutes after victory."
Loki frowned. "So the Avengers are no more?"
"Not quite," Strange corrected. "Tony awoke from his coma months after the battle. Steve Rogers returned the stones and chose to remain in the past with Agent Carter. He’s retired now."
Loki hesitated before asking, "And my brother?"
Strange’s expression darkened slightly. "Thor is alive. But the past five years have changed him. If you want to know more, you’ll have to see for yourself."
Loki felt something stir within him. The idea that Thor had survived—that Asgardians still lived—was something he never thought possible. But what had become of his brother in his absence? Sylvie interrupted his thoughts. "What year is this?"
"2023," Strange replied. "A few years after Endgame."
Escaping the TVA, the Void, and an omnipotent dictator had desensitized Loki and Sylvie to the bizarre. This revelation was just another unexpected twist. Yet, they knew they couldn't take on Kang and Ravonna alone. They needed allies, as much as they hated to admit it. Dr. Strange allowed them to stay the night but made it clear that they would have to find the Avengers and explain everything the next day. However, Loki had other priorities.
"I want to see Thor first."
The next morning, Loki approached Strange. "Do you know where Thor is?"
Strange nodded. "During the Blip, Thor and the remaining Asgardians settled in Norway. They built a village—New Asgard. Not the most original name."
Using a single strand of Thor’s hair, Strange opened a portal. Loki hesitated, wanting to wait for Sylvie. When she finally emerged, she was dressed differently—wearing a green hoodie over a white shirt, paired with jeans and black sneakers. Loki stared, momentarily speechless. He had never seen Sylvie in anything other than her battle-worn leather attire. She looked... different. Sylvie raised a brow, amused. "Like what you see?"
Loki quickly cleared his throat, composing himself. Sylvie simply smirked before grabbing his arm and pulling him through the portal. They landed in front of a modest house in New Asgard. Loki exhaled, gathering his nerve before raising his fist to knock. No answer. He was about to turn away when Sylvie spotted something. "There." She pointed toward a figure sitting on the cliffside, staring out at the sea.
Loki followed her gaze and felt his stomach twist. It was Thor. "Go on. Talk to him," Sylvie urged.
Loki remained rooted in place. "The last time we spoke, I stabbed him and tried to destroy New York."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "And yet, you've changed. Just go."
Loki swallowed hard before taking a step forward. It was time to face his brother.
After Sylvie’s charming yet blunt pep talk, Loki took a deep breath and walked over to Thor. He had braced himself for an emotional reunion, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight before him. Thor had let himself go—drastically. His once-golden locks had grown out into an unruly mess, his powerful frame was buried under layers of weight, and his Asgardian armor had been abandoned in favor of sweatpants and a tattered, food-stained T-shirt. The stench of alcohol clung to him like a second skin. Loki could hardly believe this was the same brother he had known—a warrior, a prince, a god.
“Brother?” Loki asked softly, stepping closer.
Thor turned, eyes widening in disbelief. The moment stretched unbearably long as recognition flickered in his expression—then suspicion. Without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby rock and hurled it at Loki, striking him squarely on the forehead. “What was that for?!” Loki yelped, stumbling back and rubbing his sore head.
Thor didn’t answer. Instead, he surged forward and grabbed Loki by the shoulders, his grip firm, almost bruising. Loki found himself paralyzed, not by fear but by the sheer intensity in Thor’s gaze—haunted, broken. The smell of beer and stale sweat made Loki nauseous, but he didn’t dare pull away. “Do you know what it was like to watch you die?!” Thor roared, his voice thick with pain. “I saw your neck snap! I held your lifeless body, thinking that was it! And now—now you stand before me, unscarred, unbruised, as if nothing happened?”
“Thor, I can explain—”
“No!” Thor bellowed. “No more tricks, no more lies! My brother is dead! This—this is nothing but an illusion, a cruel joke played by my own grief.”
Loki opened his mouth to protest, but Thor wasn’t listening. With a final shove, he released Loki and turned his back, retreating to the cliffside where he had been brooding. Loki turned to Sylvie, silently pleading for assistance. She merely raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that said, He’s your brother. You deal with him. Loki tried again, reasoning, pleading—but Thor remained resolute. Every word seemed to push him deeper into despair until, finally, he snapped. With a guttural growl, Thor lunged at Loki, fists swinging wildly. Loki dodged and weaved, but Thor was relentless.
“Sylvie!” Loki called desperately. “A little help?”
With an exasperated sigh, Sylvie flicked her wrist, her magic binding Thor’s arms mid-swing. “He’s your brother. Talk to him,” she commanded, shoving Loki closer.
Thor struggled against the restraints, refusing to meet Loki’s gaze. It was only when Loki uttered the words, “The sun will shine on us again,” that Thor froze.
The same words Loki had whispered moments before Thanos ended his life. Sylvie released him, and Thor stared at Loki, tears brimming in his eyes. Slowly, hesitantly, he stepped forward. Loki tensed, expecting another punch—but instead, Thor enveloped him in a crushing embrace. Loki was stunned. It had been centuries since Thor had last hugged him. But the warmth, the strength—it was all still there. Loki felt a lump rise in his throat as his arms tentatively wrapped around his brother. “I missed you, brother,” Loki murmured.
“I missed you too,” Thor whispered.
Sylvie watched in silence as the brothers reunited, a rare moment of peace settling between them. Once Thor had calmed, Loki explained everything—the TVA, Lamentis, and Kang. Thor listened, his expression hardening with every revelation. The mention of Kang and the TVA’s machinations set his jaw tight with rage. “I’ll help,” Thor declared. “But on one condition—you make amends for the Battle of New York.”
Loki stiffened. He knew exactly what Thor meant. He would have to face the Avengers. The very people who had every reason to despise him. Sylvie shot Thor a glare, recognizing the tension in Loki’s posture. “You’re asking a lot.”
Thor folded his arms. “If he wants redemption, it starts there.”
Deciding that was a problem for another day, Thor invited them inside. The moment Loki stepped through the door, he nearly gagged. The place reeked of spilled beer, rotting food, and unwashed laundry. Empty bottles and pizza boxes littered the floor like an apocalyptic wasteland. “Thor, when was the last time you cleaned?” Loki asked, appalled.
Thor shrugged. “Dunno. Three, four years?”
Sylvie wrinkled her nose. “With what? Drowning yourself in booze while Asgard suffered?”
Before she could continue, her foot caught on a stray bottle, and she crashed to the floor. Loki sighed, helping her up. He had had enough. Turning to Sylvie, he said, “Go into town and get real food. I’ll deal with him.”
“You sure?” she asked.
Loki smirked. “I’ve lived with his messiness for centuries. At least Odin’s not here to stop me from really handling it.”
With a small smile, Sylvie gave him a quick peck on the lips before heading out. Loki turned back to Thor, who was already reaching for another beer. Loki snatched it away, dragging Thor toward the bathroom. “You need a shower,” Loki deadpanned.
Thor grunted. “I’m fine.”
Loki gave him the look. The same glare their mother, Frigga, had used to terrify them into submission as children. Thor went pale. With a resigned groan, he let Loki shove him into the bathroom. “Soap. Use it.” Loki instructed, locking the door with magic just in case.
While Thor begrudgingly bathed, Loki used his magic to clean the entire house, removing every bottle, every stain, every trace of neglect. By the time Sylvie returned with groceries, the place looked almost livable. “Did you hire a cleaning crew?” she asked, impressed.
Loki scoffed. “Please. I’ve been cleaning up after him my entire life.”
Once the kitchen was stocked, Loki set up a romantic dinner for Sylvie—a simple yet intimate gesture. Candles, wine, a proper meal. Sylvie looked at him, surprised. “I know things have been chaotic,” Loki admitted, “but I figured—better late than never.”
Sylvie smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. “If this is your way of asking me to be your lover, then I accept.”
Loki smirked. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
As the night unfolded, they reveled in the rare peace, sharing stolen kisses and whispered promises. Meanwhile, Thor passed out on the couch, snoring loudly. Some things never changed—but at least, for now, the sun had begun to shine on them again.
Chapter 9
Notes:
Brought in some more Peter Parker since the last time I barely had any. Enjoy
Chapter Text
The following morning, Loki awoke to find Sylvie still peacefully asleep beside him. Smiling softly, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Stirring awake, Sylvie teased, "Already trying to ruin my sleep?"
Feigning offense, Loki replied, "What? Can't I greet my beautiful girlfriend in the morning? I'm hurt."
Sharing a tender kiss, they rose and headed downstairs to check on Thor. As they descended, they noticed Thor engaged in conversation at the front door. The visitor's voice was unmistakably familiar to Loki. When Thor stepped aside, Tony Stark entered, and Loki's blood ran cold. Their last encounter had been during the Battle of New York, a memory still fresh and fraught with tension. Instinctively, Loki attempted to retreat into the shadows, but Tony's sharp eyes caught him. Without hesitation, Tony raised his hand, a repulsor blast charging.
Thor swiftly intervened, placing himself between the two. "How the hell are you alive, Reindeer Games?! Last time I checked, you were supposed to be in a cell!" Tony exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and anger.
Breaking free from Thor's hold, Tony advanced toward Loki. Sylvie stepped forward, her stance protective, and with a swift motion, she summoned a dagger, its gleaming edge hovering just inches from Tony's neck. “Anthoer Thor?” Tony asked.
"You dare compare me to this oaf?! I'm Sylvie, and I'm a Loki. I would watch your tongue if I were you, Stark," she warned, her voice cold and unwavering.
Tony's eyes widened in surprise, the weight of Sylvie's words sinking in. He turned to Thor, seeking answers. Thor, maintaining his composure, stated, "This is Loki's story to tell, not mine."
Taking a deep breath, Tony lowered his hands, signaling a temporary truce. "Alright, I'm listening," he said, his gaze fixed on Loki.
Loki began, "During the Avengers' time heist, I seized an opportunity with the Tesseract to escape. However, I was apprehended by the Time Variance Authority—the TVA—a bureaucratic organization that oversees the sacred timeline. There, I encountered Sylvie, another variant of myself. Together, we uncovered a looming threat: Kang the Conqueror. His ambition is to dominate the multiverse, erasing any who stand in his way."
Tony listened intently, processing the information. "Okay, I've heard some crazy excuses before, but that actually takes the cake. And what about female Thor here?" he remarked, nodding toward Sylvie.
Sylvie's eyes flashed with irritation. "I am not a 'female Thor.' I'm Sylvie, a Loki variant. And if you value your safety, I'd advise you to address me correctly," she retorted.
Tony raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted," he replied. Turning back to Loki, he continued, "So, you're saying this Kang guy is a bigger threat than Thanos?"
"Precisely," Loki affirmed. "His reach extends across realities. If left unchecked, he'll annihilate everything—including your family."
Tony's expression hardened at the mention of his loved ones. Unbeknownst to many, Tony had settled down, marrying Pepper Potts and having a daughter named Morgan. Additionally, he had taken in Peter Parker, mentoring him both as a father figure and as Spider-Man. Before Tony could respond, a familiar figure swung into view, landing gracefully on the porch. Removing his mask, Peter Parker revealed his youthful face, eyes wide with curiosity. "I thought I told you to stay with Morgan," Tony began, his tone a mix of exasperation and concern.
Peter shrugged, a sheepish grin forming. "I wanted to see New Asgard. Plus, I figured you might need some backup," he replied.
Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, come inside, But stay close, and for the love of God, don't touch anything," he instructed.
As Tony Stark reprimanded Peter Parker for leaving his family unprotected, Peter's characteristic nervous energy became evident. He fidgeted with his mask, his eyes darting between Tony and the unfamiliar faces in the room. Despite the tension, Peter's innate friendliness surfaced as he extended a hand toward Thor. "Hi, I'm Peter. Peter Parker. It's, uh, an honor to meet you, Mr. Thor, sir."
Thor, amused by Peter's youthful enthusiasm, chuckled and shook his hand. "Just Thor will do, young one."
Turning to Loki and Sylvie, Peter's curiosity got the better of him. "So, are you guys like Thor's siblings or something?"
Loki smirked, his signature mischief gleaming in his eyes. "Something like that."
Sylvie, less amused, crossed her arms and shot a glare at Peter. "We're variants. Different versions of Loki from alternate timelines."
Peter's eyes widened behind his mask. "Whoa, that's... that's wild. So, like, multiverse stuff?"
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exasperated. "Yeah, kid. Multiverse stuff. And it's a headache."
Peter, sensing the gravity of the situation, stepped forward. "Mr. Stark, I know things have been... complicated. But if there's anything I can do to help, I'm in."
Tony looked at the young hero, a mix of pride and concern in his eyes. "I know, kid. Just stay close and try not to get into any more trouble."
As the group began strategizing their next moves, Peter couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with apprehension. Teaming up with legendary figures like Thor and navigating the complexities of the multiverse was a lot to take in. But with his characteristic optimism and determination, he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Before anyone could respond, a strange golden doorway materialized, and a group of soldiers marched through. Loki and Sylvie recognized them immediately—the Minute Men from the TVA. "Friends of yours? And Juliet’s too?" Tony quipped.
One of the Minute Men charged at Sylvie, but she swiftly unsheathed her dagger and countered the attack. The rest of the soldiers lunged at them, but Loki conjured a series of lifelike illusions to confuse their enemies. In the midst of the chaos, he and Sylvie shoved Thor, Tony, and Peter toward the exit. “We need a place to hide,” Sylvie urged.
"What about Doctor Strange?" Peter suggested. "He's the Sorcerer Supreme. Maybe he has some magic that can keep these guys off our backs."
Only one problem: Strange was in New York, and the portal Loki and Sylvie had used was now gone. Tony smirked, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a set of keys. Pressing a button, he revealed a sleek, camouflaged jet hidden nearby. "Kept this baby off the radar, so my wife wouldn't find out," he admitted.
Before he could say anything else, Sylvie snatched the keys from his hand and rushed inside. The others hurried after her, but as Thor approached, he offered, “Perhaps I should fly. I’ve done this before.”
Loki shot him a deadpan look. “Right. And how much destruction did you cause to the palace when you ‘piloted’ that Dark Elf ship?”
Thor and Loki immediately started bickering like children over who should take the controls. Rolling her eyes, Sylvie ignored them, took the pilot's seat, and started the jet.
Before they could take off, a sudden blast struck the side of the aircraft. One of the Minute Men had managed to steal an Iron Man gauntlet. ‘Just great,’ Loki thought.
The jet began to lift off, but the soldier kept firing. Thinking fast, Peter flung open the hangar doors and shot a web straight into the Minute Man’s face, blinding him. That gave them just enough time to escape.
Peter turned to shut the hangar when—BAM—a final blast struck him, sending him tumbling to the floor. The wind from the open doors threatened to suck him out of the aircraft. Loki reacted instantly, grabbing Peter’s arm to pull him back. The force of the wind was relentless, and Loki started to lose his grip. Before he could be pulled out himself, Thor rushed over, seized Loki by the ankle, and hauled both him and Peter back inside. Tony slammed the hangar door shut and immediately pulled Peter into a tight hug. Ever since Peter’s aunt could no longer care for him, Tony had taken him in, adopting him as his own. Since then, he had become a fiercely protective ‘Irondad.’
“Hey, Romeo. Thanks for saving my kid,” Tony said to Loki.
As Tony and Peter joined Sylvie at the front of the jet, Loki moved to follow—but Thor suddenly grabbed his arm. Without a word, Thor pulled Loki into one of his infamous bear hugs, holding on as if his life depended on it. Ever since Loki had returned, Thor had vowed to be a better brother, to protect him no matter what. Whether Loki liked it or not, he was Thor’s last living family, and Thor wasn’t about to lose him again. Loki, thoroughly unimpressed, tried to pry himself free. But the more he struggled, the tighter Thor held on, rubbing his back and even running his fingers through Loki’s hair.
With a dramatic sigh, Loki teleported out of Thor’s arms and reappeared in the copilot seat next to Sylvie, convinced he had finally escaped his brother’s ‘loving’ embrace. He placed a reassuring hand over Sylvie’s, silently vowing that they would stop Kang together. Tony, now standing behind them, raised an eyebrow. “So, mind explaining why those guys are after you?”
“They hunt Variants who disrupt the timeline—like us,” Sylvie explained. “I’ve been running from them since childhood. My entire timeline was erased. And now that Kang knows we’re coming for him, he won’t stop until Loki and I are dead.”
Tony and Peter exchanged stunned looks. Sylvie had been an orphan. Tony had thought Thanos was bad, but Kang? Kang had just taken the crown for ‘most deranged lunatic.’
After hours in the air (and Loki skillfully avoiding Thor’s suffocating attention), they finally reached New York. Sylvie landed the jet in an alley near Doctor Strange’s Sanctum, and they made their way inside. Strange, already aware of their predicament, floated before them. Without hesitation, he offered refuge to Thor, Loki, and Sylvie. However, Tony and Peter would need to return home—keeping them off the TVA’s radar. Loki hated the idea of staying anywhere near Thor, who had been unbearably clingy. But before he could argue, Strange opened a portal to Tony’s cabin. Peter stepped through first, but Tony lingered, turning to Loki. “Water under the bridge for New York, Reindeer Games,” Tony smirked. “Good luck with Overbearing Brother Bear and Juliet.” And with that, he stepped through the portal.
Sylvie chuckled. “Reindeer Games?” she repeated, amused.
Loki groaned, a faint blush creeping up his face. “Don’t ask.”
Strange led them to the guest rooms—but there was a problem. There were only two rooms available. That meant two of them had to share. Thor immediately threw an arm around Loki. “Brother! We shall share a room, just like when we were children!”
Loki’s stomach dropped. “Absolutely not.”
Sylvie, smirking, asked, “What happened when you were kids?”
Loki turned red. “Nothing. Nothing happened.”
Ignoring him entirely, Thor grinned. “Oh, when we were young, Loki would come running into my room in the middle of the night, crying from nightmares. He refused to sleep alone.”
Loki buried his face in his hands as Sylvie laughed. “That’s adorable.”
“I have plenty more embarrassing Loki stories if you’d like to hear them,” Thor offered eagerly.
Loki lunged, slapping a hand over Thor’s mouth. “Enough.”
Dragging his brother into their assigned room, Loki locked the door, determined to put an end to his humiliation. Later that night, after changing into the surprisingly comfortable clothes Strange had provided, Loki wandered to the bookshelf, reaching for a book—only for Thor to suddenly yank him onto the bed. Before Loki could protest, Thor tucked him in.
Loki stared, mortified. And then, just when Loki thought it couldn’t get worse, Thor kissed him on the forehead. “Goodnight, baby brother.”
Loki lay there, seething. Waiting until Thor was asleep, he carefully peeled back the covers and began inching his way out of bed. He had barely made it halfway when a strong arm yanked him back. Thor, still asleep, instinctively tightened his hold, pulling Loki against his chest. Loki groaned. "This couldn’t possibly get any worse."
And then Thor wrapped a soft red blanket around him, cocooning him completely. Loki sighed in utter disbelief as Thor snuggled even closer, his grip unrelenting. Thor didn’t let go the entire night.
Chapter Text
The next morning, Loki awoke to the thunderous rumble of Thor’s snoring. Still tangled in the mountain of blankets from last night’s failed escape attempt, Loki groaned. He had spent the better part of the night wrestling with Thor’s over-affectionate grip, which felt less like a hug and more like being trapped in the coils of a Midgardian python. This was his chance. Carefully, Loki peeled away the layers of covers and slithered out from his brother’s grasp. Thor shifted and grunted in his sleep, murmuring something about goats and ale, but didn’t wake. Loki crept to the door, opened it with the silence of a whisper, and bolted out like a fox escaping a hunter.
He made a beeline for Sylvie’s room and locked the door behind him for good measure. Inside, Sylvie was still curled under the covers, dressed in her green and black pajamas, a faint scowl on her sleeping face—probably dreaming about stabbing someone. Loki smirked and yanked the blankets off her. She stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily, and blinked up at him. “Finally escaped from big brother?” she teased, her voice thick with sleep.
“Lamantis was easier to escape,” Loki grumbled. “My brother—he’s like a golden retriever with lightning. He senses when I’m about to leave and just… clings.”
Sylvie chuckled and silenced his complaints with a quick kiss on the lips. “Poor thing,” she said with mock sympathy.
Loki waved his hand, using a flick of his magic to change Sylvie’s outfit. Her pajamas shimmered and transformed into her usual battle-worn black shirt, jeans, and boots. Her signature horned crown reappeared atop her head—fixed and gleaming. Sylvie grinned. “Your turn.”
A flick of her fingers later, Loki stood in a tailored emerald-green suit, black slacks, polished shoes, and of course, his iconic golden helmet with curving horns. “Now I see why Stark calls you ‘Reindeer Games,’” she said with a smirk.
Loki flushed crimson. “I loathe that man.”
Before he could retaliate with a witty remark, the door swung open. Dr. Stephen Strange stood there, robes flowing and looking as grumpy as ever. “Hate to interrupt whatever this is,” he said dryly, “but we’ve got work to do.”
Both gods of mischief followed him into the living room. Strange was already making plans.
“If we’re going up against a time dictator, we’ll need more than a hammer and some illusions,” he said. “Thor’s off gathering what’s left of the original Avengers. I need you two to bring in reinforcements.”
Strange turned to Loki. “You’re going after the Scarlet Witch.”
Loki blinked. “You’re joking. She’s a myth.”
“She’s very real,” Strange replied grimly. “And very dangerous.”
He explained everything—how Wanda Maximoff, consumed by grief, had warped reality to create an entire sitcom-town fantasy starring her dead lover Vision. Loki was baffled. Sitcoms? Mind control? Children that didn’t really exist? “Where is she now?” Loki asked.
“In a cabin, somewhere deep in the mountains. Isolated. Unstable.”
Strange opened a portal and gestured toward it. Sylvie gave Loki a quick kiss for luck as he stepped through.
As for Sylvie, her mission seemed simple enough at first: track down a mortal named Yelena Belova, the sister of Natasha Romanoff—Black Widow. Another assassin, trained by the same cruel institution: the Red Room. Dr. Strange had warned her though, Yelena wasn't just any mortal. She was deadly, trained to kill without hesitation, and grieving. With Natasha gone, revenge had become Yelena's fuel—and that made her unpredictable. Strange opened a portal to Budapest, a city soaked in hidden history. As Sylvie stepped through, the portal snapped shut behind her.
She found herself in a dim apartment on the top floor of an old building. The place was quiet. Too quiet. Sylvie scanned the area. The apartment was small but cluttered with signs of combat readiness—weapons stashed on shelves, maps pinned on the wall, and gear laid out on the table. Slash marks lined the walls like warnings, and a distinct scorch mark caught her eye. Her expression darkened. “TVA,” Sylvie muttered, crouching near the burn. She reached out to touch it, only to feel the faint hum of residual magic. “They’ve been here recently.”
But something felt… off. Sylvie rose slowly, her instincts prickling. She wasn’t alone. Without warning, a figure lunged from the shadows and grabbed her arm, yanking her into the next room. Sylvie spun, slamming her elbow into her attacker’s side, but the grip was ironclad. She lashed out with a swift kick, connecting with a jaw. The grip released. Sylvie stepped back, conjuring her blade as she prepared to strike again—only to freeze when she saw her assailant. “Ravonna,” Sylvie snarled, eyes flaring with fury. “How did you find me?”
“You think Kang would let his successor go that easily?” Ravonna replied, her voice like venom. “You made a mess, Sylvie. And now you’re mine to clean up.”
“You’re wasting your time.”
“Time is all we have left.”
The tension snapped like a bowstring. The two women launched at each other with a force that shook the walls. Magic clashed with brute strength. Kicks, punches, and raw power filled the air like thunder. Sylvie’s rage boiled over as she summoned her sword again and went straight for Ravonna’s heart—but Ravonna was quicker. She dodged, then caught Sylvie’s wrist mid-swing and slapped enchanted cuffs on her. Sylvie gasped, stumbling back as her connection to her magic was cut off. “You always think you're so clever,” Ravonna growled.
But before Ravonna could gloat any further, someone burst into the room, moving with speed and precision. A flash of white, a blur of blonde hair—and Ravonna was suddenly knocked backward by a solid blow. She vanished in a flash of gold, retreating. Sylvie coughed, catching her breath as her rescuer approached. She blinked. The woman before her had a sharp gaze, dressed in all white tactical gear, and moved like a trained predator. Her short blond hair framed her face, and she held a small vial filled with swirling red smoke. Without warning, she popped the vial open and sprayed it into Sylvie’s face.
“HEY! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Sylvie sputtered, waving the red smoke away.
“Apologies,” the woman said in a thick Russian accent, utterly unfazed. “Thought you might be a Widow Assassin. You fight like one.”
“Clearly not,” Sylvie snapped, still coughing.
The woman gave her a nod of respect, then pulled out a pair of electric batons and smashed the cuffs off Sylvie’s wrists. Sparks flew. Sylvie flexed her fingers, feeling her magic return with a warm pulse. “Name’s Yelena Belova,” the woman said casually. “And I assume you're not here to redecorate my apartment?”
Sylvie eyed her warily, then let out a small smirk. “No. I’m here to recruit you.”
“Let me guess—multiversal war? Something stupid like that?”
“Time dictator, actually.”
Yelena snorted. “Of course it is.”
She turned, grabbing a small duffel and shoving weapons and gadgets inside with practiced ease. Her movements were efficient, but there was a heaviness to her—something in her posture, the stiffness of her shoulders. Grief. “I heard about Natasha,” Sylvie said quietly.
Yelena paused but didn’t look back. “She was a hero.”
Yelena gave a humorless laugh. “She was also my sister. Heroes don’t jump off cliffs and leave you behind.”
Sylvie didn’t reply. She knew that kind of pain—being abandoned by someone you trusted. Lied to. Forgotten. When Yelena finally turned around, her face was unreadable. “So… where’s the fight?”
Sylvie gave her a knowing look. “Right where we need to be.”
Loki had found the cabin—but Wanda found him first. She blasted him into a wall before he could get a word in. The two clashed, throwing raw magic at each other, but it was clear—Wanda was stronger. With a flick of her hand, she sent him crashing through the wall and onto the snow-covered ground. “What is it with heroes and smashing?” Loki wheezed.
No more games. Loki reaches out with Sylvie’s enchantment technique and tapped into Wanda’s mind. And then he saw everything. Her childhood torn apart by war. HYDRA’s experiments. Her brother’s death. The loss of Vision. Westview. Her children. Grief layered upon grief, all buried under chaos magic. She wasn’t a villain. She was broken. Loki emerged from her mind, shaken. Wanda blinked, her trance broken. “You need to come with me,” he said gently.
But she refused. She’d hurt too many people. She didn’t deserve redemption. Suddenly, soldiers from the TVA surrounded the cabin. Wanda’s eyes glowed red, her power thrumming with rage. “This is your only warning! Stay back!”
A soldier lunged with a pruning stick—Wanda stopped him mid-air, paralyzed with fear and fury. Her mind frayed further. Loki tried to intervene, but she turned on him, trapping him in his worst memory.
Darkness.
Asgard.
A prison cell.
Frigga, his mother, falls to the floor—lifeless. Loki, helpless to stop it. “It was all my fault,” his memory echoed. “I let her die.”
A portal opened behind the cabin. Out stepped Sylvie, Yelena, Doctor Strange—and Spider-Man swinging in with effortless flair. Sylvie and Yelena took out the TVA guards. Strange muttered a spell and cast Wanda into a magical sleep. Spider-Man found Loki, still trembling, eyes distant. Sylvie rushed to him. “Loki?!”
She broke Wanda’s spell, but the emotional damage lingered. She helped him up and led him back through the portal to her room. Loki sat on the bed, his head in his hands, shaking. Sylvie knelt beside him. “You gonna tell me what you saw?” she asked softly.
“I… I can’t.”
“If it’s about Thor—”
“It wasn’t Thor,” Loki said, voice barely audible. “It was my mother. Frigga. I saw her… die. And I did nothing. I was locked in a cell. She was killed because of me. Odin was right—I bring nothing but pain. I’m a monster.”
He broke. Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t care who saw. The guilt had festered too long. Sylvie pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back, whispering soothing words. When his sobs subsided, she tilted his chin up and wiped away his tears. “If your mother were here, she wouldn’t want you to carry this,” Sylvie whispered. “She loved you, Loki. You told me she believed in you. I don’t think she ever stopped.”
Loki looked into her eyes, unsure of how to feel—grief, love, shame, or hope. But for once, he didn’t feel alone.
Chapter Text
Soon after, both Loki and Sylvie rejoined Strange and the others in the war room. One by one, the rest of the remaining Avengers—Tony, Bruce, Clint, Scott, Sam, and Bucky—filed in, forming a half-circle around Peter, Yelena, and Wanda. Tension and exhaustion clung to them like armor long worn and never removed. Dr. Strange, ever the orchestrator, raised his hands and summoned a stream of golden sparks. The energy swirled around Thor like a cocoon. In seconds, his physique shifted—his beer belly and tangled beard were replaced by a chiseled frame and a neatly trimmed beard. Thor was back.
The minute Thor spotted Loki, his eyes lit up like a kid seeing their long-lost puppy. “Brother!” he shouted, voice booming.
Before Loki could dodge, Thor had already pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, lifting him off the ground. "Thor—unhand me!" Loki grunted, his face twisted in discomfort.
A green flash later, Loki teleported out of his brother’s arms, reappearing a few feet away, brushing off invisible dust. “You’re back to normal. Wonderful. Truly,” he muttered, more sarcastic than pleased.
The sight of Thor in his old form made Loki cringe slightly. As much as he’d once wanted his brother back, he wasn’t sure he missed the full force of Thor’s suffocating affection.
Across the room, Yelena stood with her arms crossed, throwing sharp glares at Clint. Her jaw tightened every time she looked at him. Clint noticed but didn’t say a word. The grief between them was a silent battlefield. Dr. Strange cleared his throat, floating above them slightly, and addressed the group with urgency. “Kang isn’t just a threat to our world. He’s rewriting the fabric of time and reality itself. He’s purging variants. Replacing timelines. He means to control existence.”
Bruce muttered, “And I thought Thanos was a genocidal madman.”
Just then, a swirling golden portal opened up again. Every Avenger instantly tensed, weapons drawn, powers surging. But instead of a threat, it was just Wong, casually stepping through. Behind him were two unfamiliar faces. Most of the Avengers stood down—except Yelena, Wanda, and Sylvie, who kept their stances guarded. “Did we get the wrong address?” the man asked, glancing around the room cautiously.
Bruce waved a hand. “It’s alright. They’re with us. This is Shang-Chi, and that’s his—”
“Whoa, whoa, Greeny, hold up!” the woman interjected. “I’m not his girlfriend. Just a friend. I’m Katy,” Katy added, giving a little wave.
Yelena and Wanda finally relaxed, though Sylvie remained suspicious, her eyes lingering on Katy and Shang-Chi. She didn't like unfamiliar variables. Dr. Strange gathered everyone again, outlining the plan: they needed more intel to strike Kang. That meant breaking into the TVA. And for that, they needed someone who knew it better than anyone: Sylvie. “I’ll take Yelena and Bucky,” Sylvie said. “I know the layout. I can get us in and out—quietly.”
Peter stepped forward, eager. “I want to help—”
“Not happening, kid,” Tony interrupted, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
Before anyone could argue, another golden door shimmered into existence, its frame glowing ominously. Sylvie and Loki instantly recognized it. “The TVA,” Sylvie whispered. “Someone opened it for us…”
“Trap?” Bucky asked.
“Probably,” Sylvie replied. “But we don’t have a choice.”
Without hesitation, Sylvie, Yelena, and Bucky stepped through.
They arrived in a quiet corridor lined with endless beige walls and retro-futuristic machinery. Sylvie immediately scanned the area for guards. “Stay close,” she whispered.
Footsteps echoed. A TVA agent turned the corner—only to be met with a sudden punch to the jaw from Bucky’s metal arm. The agent dropped like a stone. “Haven’t done that in a while,” Bucky said, cracking his knuckles.
Sylvie led them deeper into the Archives section, where the TVA stored files on every being from the Sacred Timeline and beyond. “We split up,” Sylvie ordered. “Kang’s file has to be here somewhere.”
They nodded and scattered across the vast filing hall. Bucky searched in the “K” section, flipping through dusty folders, but had no luck. Instead, something else caught his eye. A file labeled “Carter, Margaret E.” He opened it. It wasn’t his Peggy. This version had taken the serum—she had become the super soldier. Even with everything going on, a pang of nostalgia hit him. A different life. A different Peggy. But the ache of missing them—both her and Steve—still lingered.
Yelena combed through the files until one caught her eye: “Romanoff, Natalia A.” She pulled it down and flipped through it—but something was off. The file stopped abruptly, cutting off at her early Red Room days. There was no mention of her defection, of Barton saving her, or of the sacrifices she made later. It was like she had just… vanished. “This isn’t right…” Yelena murmured. “Why stop there?”
She shoved the file back, suspicion growing in her gut. Was Natasha’s fate erased? Or was there something more? The three regrouped. “No Kang,” Bucky said.
“They must have scrubbed it,” Sylvie replied. “Or hidden it.”
Bucky frowned. “You said the TVA keeps records of every variant.”
“They do. Which means someone doesn’t want us to find it.”
Yelena folded her arms. “What about you, Sylvie? Why’s Kang interested in you? And who was that woman who attacked you when you showed up? You’re hiding something.”
Sylvie opened her mouth, but a sudden noise made her spin around, blade drawn. “Whoa, whoa, Sylvie—it’s me!” a familiar voice yelped.
It was Mobius. Sylvie narrowed her eyes, then reluctantly lowered her blade. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
Mobius glanced at Yelena and Bucky. “Okay, what’s going on? How’d you get back in here? Who opened that portal?”
“We thought it was you,” Sylvie said.
Mobius shook his head. “Nope. Wasn’t me.”
Sylvie’s expression darkened. “It’s a trap,” she said. “We have to go. Now.”
The golden portal still shimmered in the Sanctum. Everyone stood waiting when, suddenly, Minutemen burst through—dozens of them. In seconds, they surrounded the Avengers and snapped glowing cuffs on them before anyone could react. “Stand down!” one barked. “By order of the TVA!”
Loki tried to teleport—nothing. Wanda’s magic fizzled. Even Tony’s suit wouldn’t respond.
Dr. Strange grunted, fighting against the dampening magic. “Clever bastards…”
Standing at the center of the chaos was Ravonna Renslayer, her expression sharp as ever. But she wasn’t alone. Someone else stood beside her, cloaked and masked. Sylvie, Yelena, and Bucky emerged from the portal—too late. Everyone was already chained. “Got a new lapdog, Renslayer?” Sylvie spat, glaring at the masked figure. “Didn’t think you had it in you—bringing another variant to hunt the one that humiliated you.”
The masked figure said nothing. Then, slowly, they removed the helmet. A stunned silence fell over the room. Every Avenger froze. Yelena’s mouth fell open, her voice barely a whisper. “...Natasha?”
Chapter Text
Standing at the center of the chaos was Ravonna Renslayer, her expression as sharp as ever. But she wasn’t alone. Someone else stood beside her, cloaked and masked. Sylvie, Yelena, and Bucky emerged from the portal—too late. Everyone was already chained. “Got a new lapdog, Renslayer?” Sylvie spat, glaring at the masked figure. “Didn’t think you had it in you—bringing another variant to hunt the one that humiliated you.”
The masked figure said nothing. Then, slowly, they removed the helmet. A stunned silence fell over the room. Every Avenger froze. Yelena’s mouth fell open, her voice barely a whisper. “...Natasha?”
Right there—alive and real—stood Natasha Romanoff. Black Widow. Yelena’s eyes filled with tears, and her breath caught in her throat. Clint's heart felt like it had stopped beating. Wanda clutched her chest. Even Tony, for once, was speechless. But the moment of hope shattered like glass. There was no recognition in Natasha's eyes—only a cold, dead stare. The look of someone trained to kill without hesitation. A ghost in the flesh. Yelena's breath hitched. That wasn’t her sister. Natasha lunged forward without warning, attacking Sylvie with precision and ferocity.
The two women clashed like titans, equally matched in skill. Sylvie grunted, dodging blows, trying to hold back rather than strike. “Nat! It’s me!” Yelena shouted, springing into action.
She tackled her sister from behind and pinned her down, quickly pulling out a vial of red dust and spraying it in Natasha’s face. For a moment—just a moment—hope flickered. Natasha blinked rapidly. Her grip loosened. Yelena smiled. “That’s it… Come back to me…”
But it faded just as quickly. Natasha roared and kicked Yelena across the room. She slammed against the wall and crumpled to the floor, unconscious. “What did you do to her?!” Clint shouted, fury shaking his voice.
Ravonna’s smug smile curled. “I didn’t do anything. This isn’t *your* Black Widow. This one never defected. Never left the Red Room.” Her eyes glinted. “She killed Clint Barton in her timeline.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Clint stared at Natasha in horror, his hands trembling. The woman he knew—the woman he loved like family—was gone. Shang-Chi whispered to Scott, “Keep her talking. I can break the cuffs.”
Natasha charged at Sylvie again, but this time, Bucky intercepted her. Their fight was brutal, two warriors forged in shadow, clashing like wolves. Sylvie turned, anger boiling over, and lunged at Ravonna—only to stop cold when Ravonna raised a pruning stick aimed directly at Loki. “Try it,” Ravonna hissed. “See how fast he disappears.”
“Okay,” Scott said, glancing around, “am I the only one confused?”
“If you’d been paying attention,” Strange muttered, “you’d know Sylvie and Loki are... involved. Ravonna considers that a dangerous variable.”
Shang-Chi seized the moment. His rings flared to life, knocking the TVA soldiers out in a single sweeping arc. The pruning stick clattered to the floor as Ravonna stumbled back.
Natasha locked eyes with Shang-Chi. She grinned—something feral. “I’ve got Black Widow,” Shang-Chi said, stepping forward. “Scott, free the others. Clint—get Yelena out.”
Scott shrank out of his cuffs and freed Strange, who quickly released everyone else with a portal spell. “Show-off,” Loki muttered.
Shang-Chi and Natasha’s fight was a blur of light and movement, his rings clashing against her Widow stingers. Clint reached Yelena and gently helped her up. She groaned, dazed, but alive. Mobius shouted, “Everyone! This way!”
Thor hesitated until Loki gave a subtle nod. The Avengers followed Mobius down a hallway—but Natasha bolted after them. Shang-Chi spun and knocked her out cold with a final pulse of energy, just in time to rejoin the others. But more minutemen blocked their path—reinforcements with pruning sticks raised. The Avengers turned as one, ready for round two. “Now it’s a party,” Tony said, his armor snapping into place.
Katy yanked Mobius out of the crossfire as the room exploded into battle. Clint, Sam, and Yelena fought like clockwork, covering each other’s backs. Wanda and Strange unleashed chaos magic, and mystic shields. Sylvie and Loki fought side by side, trading quips and kicks. Tony protected Peter while Scott hovered over Banner, who still couldn’t Hulk out. “I’m just saying,” Scott panted, “you *sure* we don’t want him smashing people right now?!”
“Nope,” Banner replied. “Don’t poke the bear. Especially around Loki.”
Meanwhile, Katy was cornered by a charging soldier. She panicked, screamed, and—without thinking—belted out the chorus of “Hotel California.” The soldier hesitated, visibly baffled. Katy took the opportunity to kick him where the sun didn’t shine. Hard. Mobius blinked. “Did… did you just confuse him with ‘Hotel California’?”
“It’s called tactical chaos,” she snapped. “You’re welcome.”
Mobius activated his tempad, opening a portal under the entire team. They fell through with yelps and grunts. He grabbed Katy and jumped in after them. They landed in a heap in the New York Sanctum. Katy crashed on top of Mobius. “Never. Again,” she groaned.
One by one, the team stood, groaning and brushing off dust. But the momentary peace was short-lived. Yelena turned on Sylvie, fury blazing. It took both Bucky and Tony to hold her back. “How did they know we were coming? Why couldn’t we find Kang’s file? Why is my sister working with that woman!?”
Sylvie stepped forward. “You think this is my fault?! I didn’t know! I don’t know why Natasha is with Renslayer!”
Bucky tried to defuse things. “Yelena, we were all fooled. This isn’t on her.”
“You’re defending *her*? The one lying about Kang?” Yelena snapped.
Loki stepped in. “Enough!”
Wanda’s voice cut through the room. “It’s true. I saw it in her head. Kang wants to make Sylvie his heir. Ravonna was ordered to bring her in.”
Sylvie’s face twisted. “No… That’s not…”
Yelena interrupted, her voice ice-cold. “I found your file. No family. No friends. You were stolen as a kid. Sound familiar?”
Sylvie’s composure cracked. “Fine. Blame me. Maybe it’s easier than admitting none of us really knows what we’re up against.”
She stormed out, knocking over a shelf of magical artifacts as she went. Loki made a move to follow, but Bucky held him back. “She needs air.”
Unnoticed, Katy slipped away and trailed Sylvie down a quiet hall. She found her staring out a window in one of the private rooms. Katy sat beside her in silence. “You okay?” she asked gently.
“I’m fine,” Sylvie muttered. But her voice trembled.
Katy didn’t buy it. “Was what Yelena said true?”
Sylvie exhaled slowly. “Half true. I didn’t know Kang wanted me as his heir. I thought I was pruned for breaking the timeline. For being… wrong.”
“And Ravonna?” Katy pressed.
“She’s the reason I don’t have a home,” Sylvie said softly. “I was just a child when the TVA took me from Asgard. She led the charge. She took everything.”
Katy frowned. “You’re not alone now, you know. Loki clearly cares about you. And for what it’s worth… You might be the most badass goddess I’ve ever met. And I’ve met Shang’s sister.”
That earned a small smile from Sylvie. Then—a knock at the door. Katy opened it to see both Shang and Loki standing awkwardly. “You guys eavesdropping?” she asked.
“Nope. Just got here,” Shang lied unconvincingly.
Even Sylvie smirked. “Right…”
Before more could be said, all three froze. A chill filled the room. They weren’t alone. Shadows shifted—and out of them leapt a figure in red and blue, Spider-Man. But not their Spider-Man. He pulled off his mask, revealing an older face, wearied but alert. “My name’s Peter Parker,” he said. “And I’m Spider-Man.”
Tony and the younger Peter (T.H.) entered just in time to hear that. Tony blinked. “Okay. Who cloned my son?”
No one responded. Peter (A.G.) explained: “Some weird soldiers appeared in my universe. They took Electro and Lizard. I followed them into the TVA. Heard them talking about the Avengers. I figured you might need help.”
Tony ran a hand through his hair, looking mildly panicked. “Did you say *Electro* and *Lizard*?”
Peter (T.H.) looked starstruck. “Mr. Stark, can we keep him?”
Tony sighed. “Fine. You’re an Avenger now.”
Peter (A.G.) blinked. “An Avenger? Is that a band?”
Loki choked back laughter. Katy coughed into her sleeve. Tony gave him a look. “You don’t have Avengers. Where are you from?”
“Nope. Just me,” Peter (A.G.) shrugged. “So… is it a band or not?”
Loki grinned. “Something like that.”
Chapter Text
Yelena slammed the door to the guest room, the echo reverberating through the hallway like a gunshot. She twisted the lock with shaking fingers, her jaw clenched tight, as if doing so could hold back the storm inside her. The counteragent sat on the desk like a cruel joke — the so-called miracle meant to bring her sister back. But it hadn’t worked. Natasha was still gone. Or worse, replaced. The woman who looked like her, moved like her, even fought like her, was hollow. Something inhuman flickered behind those familiar eyes. A twisted variant.
Yelena slid down the wall and curled into herself, knees pulled tight to her chest, her breath caught somewhere between a sob and a snarl. How many times could the universe rip Natasha away from her? First, the Red Room had taken their childhood. Then the Snap had stolen five years. And when Yelena came back, the cost had already been paid. Natasha had traded herself for a stone. And now, fate had dangled hope in front of her like a carrot, only to rip it away again. A knock tapped softly on the door. “Yelena,” came Strange’s calm voice through the wood. “We need to talk.”
She didn’t move. “Go away.”
“I know you’re hurting, but isolating yourself won’t—”
“I said go away!”
There was a pause. Then another voice, lighter, more casual — Mobius. “Look, I get it. You feel betrayed. You’ve been through hell. But we’re trying to help you—”
A blade thudded into the wall just beside the doorframe, and silence fell. On the other side, Mobius stared at the trembling handle. “I don’t need help,” Yelena growled, voice fraying. “I need my sister.”
Inside the room, Strange raised an eyebrow as he gently nudged the door open. “Throwing knives at your allies isn’t exactly productive,” he said dryly.
Yelena rose, breathing hard. Her face was flushed, eyes rimmed red with fury. “You don’t understand,” she spat. “When Nat and I burned the Red Room to the ground, I finally had her back. And then? Poof. She was gone. And no one told me why — not really. Just vague crap about a soul and a cliff and a choice she made without me. I blamed Clint. I blamed the Avengers. I blamed myself. And now? Now she’s here but she’s not. She doesn’t even know me.”
Mobius stepped in slowly. “Yelena… that version of Natasha — the variant — she’s not from our timeline. That counteragent… it wasn’t built for her. The brainwashing methods used on her were more invasive than anything we’ve seen. It’s not just memory loss. It’s reprogramming at a soul level.”
Yelena’s expression twisted. “You couldn’t have told me before she tried to snap my neck?”
She turned away, the heat of her rage barely contained. Then — she froze. A tingle ran down her spine. Her instincts kicked in. “Shut up,” she muttered, activating her Widow’s stingers. Her gaze swept the room, sharp as glass. “Someone’s watching us.”
From behind, a smug voice drifted through the air. “Paranoid much?”
Yelena spun, firing without hesitation. The intruder flickered — teleporting — then reappeared across the room. She didn't miss a beat, launching a second electro-sting that dropped him instantly. He crumpled to the floor. Yelena stormed forward, yanked off the mask, and froze mid-motion. The suit was unmistakable: Spider-Man. But not their Spider-Man. This one was older. Scruffier. More tired in the eyes. Definitely not Tony’s Peter. “What the hell…” she whispered in Russian.
Mobius squinted at the figure. “Oh. That’s Peter Parker. But not ours. Another variant.”
Yelena rolled her eyes and let out a long groan. “Of course he is.”
Without another word, she hauled the unconscious Spider-Man by the collar and yanked the door open. Marching into the hall, she spotted Tony, Sylvie, and a small cluster of others mid-conversation. “Care to explain,” she snapped, “why an alternate version of your kid is sneaking around spying on us?”
Tony turned. His gaze dropped to the Spider-Man dragging behind her. His eyes widened.
“What— No, he was—he’s—” Tony stammered, pointing behind Sylvie.
There stood Peter (A.G.), the young, soft-spoken variant. He gave a small, sheepish wave. Yelena shot him a murderous look. “That one brought a friend.”
Tony took another look at the unconscious Peter and promptly fainted. Katy blinked. “Well. That broke him.”
Peter (T.M.) groaned as he regained consciousness, eyes fluttering open. He sat up just in time to lock eyes with two other Peter Parkers — one wide-eyed with awe, the other resigned and tired. The silence stretched. Peter (T.H.) raised a hand. “Seriously? I thought we were done with multiverse shenanigans.”
Peter (T.M.) pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his suit. “I was fighting Doc Ock — trying to save MJ — when this orange portal thing opened up—”
“Let me guess,” Peter (A.G.) chimed in. “Glowing sparkly circle?”
Peter (T.M.) blinked. “Yeah. Then, suddenly, I’m in some high-tech utopia. I saw Doc Ock in a cage. And there was this guy made of sand. And one with lightning powers. And Osborn.”
Peter (T.H.) nodded. “Classic.”
Tony groaned from the couch. “First two Lokis. Now there are three Spider-Men. What’s next, another Captain America?”
“Did someone say Captain?” Sam entered the hallway, adjusting his wings.
Tony looked at him, blinked, and passed out again. “Somebody get this man a juice box,” Shang-Chi muttered, dragging a chair over.
Peter (T.H.) slung an arm over Peter (T.M.)’s shoulders. “You’ll get used to it. It’s chaotic, but the food’s decent, and no one’s tried to kill me... this week.”
Peter (A.G.) offered a small, reassuring nod. “You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
Peter (T.M.) let out a breath, tension easing slightly. “Cool. So… do we get, like, a Spider group chat or something?”
Yelena had heard enough. She waved them off and turned down the hallway. “Boys and their bugs,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m going to talk to the magic Loki lady.”
Yelena lingered in the hallway, the edges of her breath still ragged from earlier chaos. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving behind only the bruising weight of disappointment and loss. Across from her, Sylvie leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, though her posture lacked its usual defiant edge. She exchanged a glance with Loki, who hesitated a moment longer before she gave him a small, reassuring nod. “I’ll be fine,” she said softly. “Go.”
Loki gave Yelena a polite nod before turning to disappear down the corridor, his footsteps fading until only silence remained. The air between the two women settled into something heavier. Muted. Almost familiar. Yelena exhaled, the sound sharp against the quiet. “I wanted to say sorry... for earlier. I just—”
“You don’t need to,” Sylvie interrupted, her voice even. “Grief makes us do stupid things.”
The bluntness wasn’t unkind — if anything, it felt like understanding wrapped in armor. Yelena's shoulders eased, but her voice wavered when she spoke again. “I miss her. So much,” she admitted, the words raw in her throat. “And seeing her like that… like a ghost inside a machine. Cold. Mechanical. Like I never existed to her.”
Sylvie’s eyes flicked downward, her own mask cracking. “I get it,” she murmured. “When the TVA took me, I lost everything. My family. My timeline. Everything that made me who I was. For years I ran, afraid to stop. Every time I paused to breathe, I caused a Nexus event. I’ve… I’ve killed more hunters than I can count. Just for the chance to survive another day.”
The hallway dimmed as overhead lights flickered once, humming faintly. Yelena glanced over, her gaze softer now. “I didn’t know,” she said quietly. “Sounds like we’re more alike than I thought.”
Sylvie let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “I barely even remember my home anymore. Just flashes — voices, maybe a lullaby, laughter that doesn’t belong to anyone I can name. It’s all fading.”
Yelena looked away, her jaw tightening. “I had three good years. With Nat. A fake family that somehow felt more real than anything I ever knew. Then it all vanished. Dust. Just like that.”
A beat passed, then another. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward — it was heavy with shared memory, like two soldiers nursing wounds they never expected anyone else to understand. "You ever think of settling down somewhere?” Yelena asked, breaking the quiet.
Sylvie raised an eyebrow. “Does constantly running count?”
Yelena gave a small huff. “No. I mean staying. Choosing people who care, even if it’s messy.”
Sylvie tilted her head. “Not much of an option for someone like me. I can’t exactly exist in a timeline that already has a Loki. I’m a glitch. A mistake.”
Yelena smirked faintly. “Please. My sister fought aliens, killer robots, and a 1990s German terrorist group named after a Greek monster. Nothing’s impossible anymore. Especially not weird timeline loopholes.”
Sylvie's lips quirked, but there was something guarded behind her eyes. “Still... let’s say I did. What would I even do?”
Yelena shrugged, hands slipping into her jacket pockets. “I’ve got an apartment in Budapest. Tiny, quiet. Gets lonely sometimes. And there are still Widows out there — girls like us — who need saving. I could use someone who knows a thing or two about running from systems. Maybe even someone with a little magic.”
Sylvie blinked. “You want me to be your partner?”
“Why not?” Yelena replied with a half-smile. “You’re practically a Widow. Just with sparkle fingers.”
That earned a real laugh from Sylvie — light and surprised, like she hadn’t let herself enjoy the sound in a long time. “I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Good.” Yelena turned, nodding toward the corridor. “Come on. Let’s head back before Tony sees another Spider-Man and combusts.”
They walked side by side into the madness again, two women shaped by loss, fire, and time — not quite whole, but maybe, just maybe, finding a new way to be.
Chapter Text
Even though Yelena and Sylvie had patched things up, Yelena couldn't stop replaying the encounter with Natasha in her mind. She couldn't shake the image of her sister—no, the other Natasha—looking so distant and cold. It had been a shock. But they had all moved on now, reunited with the others, though Yelena still felt a strange sense of loss lingering in her chest. As they rejoined the group, Sylvie noticed Bucky’s reaction. The ex-soldier was clearly still starstruck by the sight of multiple Spider-Men in front of him. His eyes darted between Peter (T.H), Peter (A.G), and Peter (T.M), his confusion evident.
Sylvie couldn't help but smirk, knowing exactly what he was going through. Dr. Strange was standing by the portal, his expression dour. He had opened a doorway to Ned’s house, and Peter (T.H) was now asking if he could bring his friends along to help track down the other Spider-Man’s enemies. Dr. Strange groaned, clearly irritated by the idea. “More teenagers running around the Sanctum? Really, Peter?”
Peter (T.H.) just gave a sheepish smile in response. The moment Ned and MJ stepped through the portal, Ned’s eyes widened in awe. He had never seen the Sanctum before, and his excitement was palpable. MJ, however, seemed a little more grounded, already processing the situation with a sharp eye. They both turned around, and their gazes locked with Peter (A.G) and Peter (T.M), who were standing nearby, still adjusting to the idea of meeting their counterparts from other universes.
Peter (T.H.) explained the situation. “So, let me get this straight,” MJ interrupted. “The other Spider-Men are from different multiverses, and their villains are working with some madman who wants to conquer our universe? Oh, and now there’s an evil Black Widow hunting all of you?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Peter (T.H.) replied with a grin.
MJ raised an eyebrow. “Alright then, what’s the plan?”
Dr. Strange motioned for them to follow him. “Come on, follow me,” he said, leading the group down into the basement of the Sanctum. The space was cold and cavernous, with six large cages lined up in the center. Dr. Strange explained that they were meant to hold the villains that Kang had sent. The plan was simple: Each group would split into three teams and track down the villains.
The first team would include Peter (A.G.), Bucky, Clint, Shang-Chi, and Scott.
The second team would be made up of Peter (T.M), Thor, Sam, Wong, Wanda, and Mobius.
The third team would consist of Peter (T.H), Loki, Sylvie, Yelena, Tony, and Katy.
MJ, Ned, and Bruce would stay behind to protect the Sanctum. Dr. Strange handed each of the Spider-Men a small device, explaining that it could transport the captured villains back into the cages. Clint, of course, couldn’t resist snatching the device from Peter (T.H) and using it on Loki. “That’s for New York,” Clint muttered with a smirk. “And for brainwashing me.”
“Ha, ha, hilarious. Now let me out!” Loki demanded, struggling against the cage.
Dr. Strange unlocked the cage, allowing Loki to step out, while Clint returned the device to Peter (T.H.). Ned, meanwhile, was already busy on his laptop, scanning for any reports on strange creatures. He quickly found two: one was a giant lizard roaming the sewers, and the other was a man made entirely of energy, located near a power plant in New Jersey. Peter (A.G) immediately recognized both of them. “The Lizard and Electro,” he explained.
Peter (T.H) raised an eyebrow. “Electro?”
“Yeah, he’s a guy who got electrocuted and turned into an energy-based villain,” Peter (A.G) explained. “And Dr. Curt Connors, the Lizard, he was a scientist trying to regenerate limbs, but it went wrong. Both of them were regular people once.”
Tony chimed in. “So, who were these guys before they turned into the ugly creatures they are now?”
“In my universe, Connors worked for Oscorp. They were trying to develop regenerative technology—pretty much like what you guys do at Stark Industries,” Peter (A.G.) explained. “I’ve cured Connors before, so I know I can do it again.”
Peter (T.M) nodded. “Alright, we’ll go after Electro in Jersey while you and your team take care of the Lizard.”
Dr. Strange gave them a brief nod. “Just go and Scooby-Doo this crap.”
"You know, I might not be a wizard, but I know a few magic words myself, starting with the word 'please. '" MJ sassed at Dr. Strange.
"Fine. Please Scooby-Doo this crap." Dr. Strange sassed back. He opened two portals, one leading to the sewers and the other to New Jersey.
As Spider-Man (A.G.) and his team stepped through the portal, Ant-Man tripped over his own feet and splashed face-first into the sewer water. He sputtered, coughing up the murky water as Clint hissed at him to stay quiet. “Don’t want the Lizard to hear us,” Clint warned.
But Bucky, ever the perceptive one, was already on edge, feeling like they were being watched. Shang-Chi chuckled at Bucky’s paranoia. “What’s the matter? Think we’re in a horror movie?”
Before Bucky could respond, Spider-Man's (A.G.) Spidey Sense went off. He raised a hand to signal his team, leading them to a more cautious pace. But all they saw were rats darting across their feet. Clint wasn’t convinced. Something didn’t feel right. He reached for an arrow, readying his bow, as he kept an eye out for whatever was lurking in the shadows.
Ant-Man, however, spotted a slimy green tail dangling from above. He quickly gestured to Clint, but it was too late. Lizard dropped from the ceiling, slamming into Clint and crushing his bow before he could react.
Shang-Chi acted fast, using his rings to send Lizard flying off Clint. “We’ve got company,” Bucky growled.
Spider-Man (A.G.) fired a web right at Lizard’s face, momentarily blinding him. “Doc, is that you? New scales? Or are those new teeth?” he joked.
“Less teasing, more fighting!” Bucky yelled, throwing a punch at Lizard.
But Lizard was quick, using his tail to fling Bucky into the wall. Ant-Man shrank down and, seeing an opportunity, grew back to normal size to deliver a crushing blow to the Lizard. Spider-Man (A.G) quickly webbed up Lizard’s claws and tail, ensuring the villain wouldn’t pull any sneaky moves. With a zap from the device Strange had given him, Lizard was transported into one of the cages. “Well, that was fun,” Clint said with a dry laugh. “Next time, let’s fight a rhino in the streets of New York.”
Spider-Man (A.G) gave him a knowing look. “Funny you should say that,” he said as Dr. Strange pulled them back to the Sanctum.
The Lizard roared from his cage, thrashing as he tried to break free. Sylvie eyed the creature, her brows raised. “Okay, I’ve seen crazy variants from the TVA, including other Lokis, but a giant lizard? That’s new.”
Lizard’s voice echoed from the cage, sounding eerily human as he noticed both Peters standing nearby. “You two... you look alike,” he hissed, his reptilian eyes narrowing.
Peter (T.H.) and Peter (A.G.) exchanged a look. “Uh, yeah, we get that a lot,” Peter (T.H.) said.
Ned looked confused, calling out for Peter. Both Peters froze, unsure which one Ned meant. Tony, ever the practical one, clarified. “Ned’s talking about Underoos,” he said, pulling Peter (T.H) toward the laptop.
Ned showed them a new report: another villain was spotted near a bridge, a man with robotic arms. "A guy with robotic arms? Sounds easy enough." Katy jinxed.
She was about to eat her own words when the guy controlling the arms came crawling from under the bridge. He smirked when he saw Spider-Man (T.H.) in his IronSpider suit. He knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man but he didn't know that this wasn't his Spider-Man. The guy asked Spider-Man (T.H.) where his machine was. Spider-Man (T.H.) looked confused, What machine? "Listen, Calamari, we don't know anything about a machine," Tony stated.
The man didn't take it that well and threw a car right at Iron Man. He caught it, but it caused him to crash onto the bridge. "Deserved that," Tony muttered.
Spider-Man (T.H.) attacked the guy, but he got swat away like a bug by one of the arms. He then summoned his extra arms from the IronSpider suit. The villain looked impressed with the upgrade but he charged straight for them. Yelena dragged Katy towards the cars and told her to stay put. Yelena used her bracelets to fire at the villain, but there was no effect. Loki disappeared, then appeared behind the villain and threw one of his daggers at him.
The villain used one of the arms to catch the dagger. "Cute. Let me show you a real weapon." The villain said with a wicked grin.
Another arm grabbed Loki by the throat and started to choke him out. Katy saw what was happening and grabbed her bow and arrows. She fired one at the arm, and it dropped Loki. Yelena looked at Katy with a shocked look. "What?! This isn't my first fight!" Katy shouted.
Spider-Man (T.H.) took the chance to web the villain, but he used his arm to block the webbing. He then grabbed Spider-Man (T.H.) and pushed him to the back of the pilers. But he didn't care; he stole a piece of the nanotech sui,t and it bonded with two of his arms. "You've outdone yourself, Peter. But now you die." The villain said as he used another arm to reveal a sharp dagger poking out from the palm.
Iron Man tried to stop him, but the villain used his other arm to grab Iron Man and threw his right at the others. The nanotech helmet disappeared, and the villain finally saw that this wasn't his Spider-Man. He took off his glasses and he brought Spider-Man (T.H.) closer to him. The villain started to hear his arms saying that something was happening to them. Peter (T.H.) saw that the nanotech on the arm was hooked up to his suit. He paired it to his suit and started to control the arms.
Peter (T.H.) was laughing at this as he made the arms carry both him and the villain to the top of the bridge, then let him go. He put the arms on lockdown, so not even the villain could move to hurt him. "Hey, hey, hey, until you stop trying to kill me, I'm in control, buddy. Of this whole tentacle situation you got going on here." Peter (T.H.) stated.
Iron Man looked both impressed and worried at the same time. Just as Spider-Man (T.H) was about to zap the villain into the cage, an explosion went off. They all turned around to see a man in green armor on a hovercraft cackling. "Osborn?" The villain questioned.
Spider-Man just zapped him, and soon Dr. Strange had pulled them back to the basement. The villain with the tentacles was screaming to be let out of the cage. Peter (A.G) looked a little freaked out when the guy thought he was his Spider-Man. "Where the hell am I? What's going on?" The villain asked.
"It's complicated. I'm sorry, what was your name again?" Peter (T.H.) asked
"Dr. Otto Octavius." The man answered.
Both Peters, MJ, and Ned were laughing at the name. "No, seriously, what's your real name?" Peter (A.G) asked.
Chapter Text
With Spider-Man (T.M.) and his group en route to the city’s edge, tension hung in the air. Dr. Strange had informed them that two villains were already secured in cells—but three remained at large. Just as the group passed the outskirts of the city, Spider-Man (T.M.) suddenly froze mid-swing, his Spider-Sense shrieking in his head like an alarm. “Something’s wrong,” he said, scanning the skyline. “I don’t see anything, but—”
Up ahead, Falcon narrowed his eyes. “Wait… what’s that by the power lines?”
He flew up for a better look—only to spot a glowing, blue figure draining pure electricity straight from the lines. The figure turned, eyes crackling with energy, and let loose a bolt of lightning straight at Falcon. The blast hit hard, flinging him through the air like a ragdoll. “Friend of yours?” Mobius asked, eyes wide.
“Not from my universe,” Spider-Man (T.M.) muttered, landing near the crash zone as Falcon groaned from the impact.
Spider-Man (T.M.) aimed the magical device they’d been given by Strange to capture variants—but the spell fizzled as it passed right through the glowing being. Electro just grinned. “Nice try.”
Thor stepped forward, summoning Mjolnir with a sharp breath. “Let’s see how you handle real lightning.”
He hurled the hammer, but Electro absorbed the strike like it was a warm meal, his entire body sparking brighter. “Thanks for the snack, blondie!” Electro taunted, hurling a bolt back at the group.
Thor threw up a shield of lightning in defense, but the ground erupted nearby as sand exploded upward, forming a massive, swirling cyclone that blocked the attack. A sand figure emerged—Flint Marko. Spider-Man (T.M.) lowered his guard slightly. “Flint…?”
“Glad to see a familiar face, Peter. But… what’s going on?” Flint asked, confused but clearly ready to help.
“He knows your identity?” Wong asked, arching a brow.
“Yeah,” Peter replied quickly. “Flint, I’ll explain everything later, but right now—can you help us bring down lightning boy?”
Without hesitation, Flint shifted into a massive sandstorm, surrounding Electro like a vortex. Bolts of energy ricocheted off the sand, giving the others cover. “Let’s bring him down while we have a chance!” Spider-Man (T.M.) shouted.
Wanda levitated into the air, her hands glowing crimson. Together, she and Spider-Man (T.M.) targeted the power towers feeding Electro. Wanda unleashed a chaos wave while Peter launched a series of electrified web blasts at the base. With a thunderous crack, the towers exploded—severing Electro’s power source. The villain screamed, his energy form flickering violently before collapsing into his human form. Flint released the sand cocoon, revealing a dazed, naked Max Dillon. Falcon finally limped back toward them. “Are you Max?”
“I was,” he grumbled. “Name’s Electro now. And seriously, can someone get me pants or somethin’? I’m still butt-naked here.”
Wanda waved her hand, magicking a set of street clothes onto him. “Much appreciated, Red.”
Wong opened a portal to the Sanctum. The group stepped through—only for Strange to immediately trap both Max and Flint in magical containment cells. Flint slammed his fists against the magic barrier. “Hey! I helped you guys!”
“We’re not taking chances,” Strange said, ignoring him. But his eyes widened as he noticed something new—three Spider-Men now stood in the same room.
Max’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay, someone tell me what’s in this air because I’m seeing triple Spider-Man right now. Is that a good thing or…?”
All three Spider-Men began explaining at once, overlapping and gesturing wildly. Eventually, they managed to bring the confused villains up to speed. Kang had promised them all cures. Lies, as it turned out. “He said he’d cure me and my daughter,” Flint muttered.
“He lied,” Sylvie interjected, arms crossed. “Kang only cares about himself. You’re pawns in his little time game.”
Suddenly, a portal opened with a loud POP, and a man fell out of it—crashing hard onto the Sanctum’s floor. Everyone turned toward the new arrival, alert and tense. The man groaned, then slowly stood up. Black ooze slithered over his body before pulling back to reveal none other than Eddie Brock. Or at least… a version of him. Peter (T.M.) stiffened instantly, raising his web-shooters. Venom hissed, the symbiote’s white eyes narrowing as it slithered back over Eddie’s body like a living shield. “Whoa, whoa! Easy there, Spidey. We just got here!”
"You're not the Eddie Brock I know," Peter (T.M.) snapped.
"Not surprised," Eddie said, brushing himself off. "One minute I was drinking with some guy on a beach in Mexico, next thing I know, boom—I'm here."
Venom's tendrils curled defensively. “We’re hungry and confused! Mostly confused. Then hungry.”
Mobius stepped forward, cautiously analyzing Eddie. “You’re not from this timeline either, huh?”
“Nope,” Eddie replied. “And I have no idea who this Kang guy is.”
Peter (T.M.) still didn’t buy it. “You don’t know what you’re capable of when bonded to that thing.”
Venom growled. “Rude. We can hear you, bug-boy.”
Loki and Sylvie exchanged a glance. “He’s telling the truth,” Loki said. “This one doesn’t know what’s going on. He was brought here by mistake.”
Strange frowned but relented, placing Eddie and Venom in their own secure cell. “Keep an eye on him. That thing’s dangerous.”
Peter (T.H.) spoke up, addressing Doc Ock. “We saw another guy. Hoverboard. Crazy laugh. Sound familiar?”
Otto’s face darkened. “Norman Osborn.” The name drew silence. “He was a genius. Brilliant mind in military tech,” Otto said. “But greed drove him mad. Took his own serum. It twisted him.”
Peter (A.G.) and Peter (T.H.) exchanged uncertain looks. Peter (T.M.) nodded grimly. “He died trying to kill me… impaled by his own glider. Then his son… my best friend… followed in his footsteps. Same ending.”
Tony quipped, “So we’re looking for a flying green elf on a glider? Great.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” Peter (T.M.) warned. “The Goblin… he’s not just insane. He’s brilliantly insane.”
Sylvie lingered in the Sanctum's shadowy halls, eyes flickering with a quiet intensity. She could feel something shifting in the fabric of reality. A presence. Someone else, someone dangerous... but broken. She vanished in a flash of golden magic. Reappearing in a dim, graffiti-tagged alley in downtown New York, she heard soft, fractured murmurs. A man stood alone, shrouded in a green armored suit. His movements were erratic, haunted. As she stepped closer, he clutched his head, shaking it violently before slamming a faceplate into the ground, shattering it. His breathing was erratic, desperate.
Sylvie approached slowly, hands raised in peace. “I’m not here to hurt you,” she said gently. “I just… I want to help.”
He looked up at her with wild, tear-streaked eyes. “You can’t help me... You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“You’re Norman Osborn,” she said. “You’re not alone anymore.”
He blinked. “You know me?”
“I know of you,” she replied. “And I know you're looking for Spider-Man.”
Hesitantly, Norman nodded. Back at the Sanctum, Norman’s arrival startled the room. The moment he saw not one, but three different Spider-Men standing together, his expression twisted from awe to confusion to dread. “Peter…?” he asked, disoriented.
Dr. Strange wasted no time, conjuring a magical cage and placing him beside Flint. Norman flinched at the containment. When his eyes met Otto Octavius’s, time itself seemed to freeze between them. “You’re— You’re dead,” Otto whispered.
“What? No…” Norman murmured.
Flint turned to the others. “He was the first one of us to die. Took himself and his glider to hell. And then a year later, Doc Ock drowned in the Houston River
Otto clenched his metal fists. “I was trying to stop Spider-Man from destroying my machine again. Then…” Otto stopped. “I was here.”
Max scoffed. “I was winning. I had Spider-Man right where I wanted him… then boom—sucked into this mess.”
Mobius, leaning against a wall, finally chimed in. “Kang pulled you all out of the exact moment you were about to die or be cured. That’s the pattern.”
Dr. Strange, firm in his decision, turned back to the Machina de Kadavus. “Then we return them. Now.”
But Peter (T.H.) hesitated, fists clenched. “They don’t have to die.”
Without waiting for another word, he webbed the box away from Strange and slammed a spell-lock cell around the Sorcerer Supreme. “I’m sorry,” Peter said, guilt heavy in his voice. “I have to try.”
Strange’s eye twitched as the bars sealed around him. “This is why I never had children…”
He got out of the cell, but he was blocked by the others. Dr. Strange just rolled his eyes and put them all in the same cell as Doc Ock, then he flew off. "I'm starting to hate this guy," Hawkeye stated.
The Peters and their allies were already gone. With a wave of his hand, Strange summoned a portal, standing directly in their path. “Really? Again?” Peter (A.G.) groaned.
Peter (T.H.) threw the box to Peter (T.M.) just as Strange struck, knocking him into his astral form. He did the same to the other two Peters, trying to snatch the box from their spectral grip. But Peter (T.M.)’s spider-sense kicked in, webbing it over to Peter (A.G.), who volleyed it back mid-air. It was chaotic, a multiversal Monkey in the Middle. Strange growled. “ENOUGH!”
All three Peters snapped back into their bodies and swung high above the city, only to be intercepted by the Cloak of Levitation. Peter (T.H.) shouted, “I’ve had enough of this scarf with an attitude!”
They didn’t see the glowing portal until it was too late. All three Spider-Men fell straight into it. The world twisted. Buildings curved inward like ribbons. Roads folded in on themselves. Gravity bent sideways. Spider-Man (T.M.) stared around in horror. “What happened to New York?!”
Dr. Strange hovered above them, unbothered. “Welcome to the Mirror Dimension. My turf.”
Peter (A.G.) scoffed. “Come on, Doc, ease up on the hocus pocus.”
Peter (T.H.) tried to reason with him. “Strange, please. Just listen. We can help them.”
“You don’t understand,” Strange said. “This isn’t just about redemption. Kang is watching. He wants us to do things differently so he can reset the game.”
Peter (T.M.) stepped forward. “What if we broke the game?”
Strange shook his head. “You can’t change their fate.”
Peter (A.G.) smirked. “Try telling that to two time-breaking gods of mischief.”
Strange’s eyes narrowed. Enough talk. He summoned spiraling trains through the air like serpents, trapping the Spider-Men in a loop. Peter (T.H.) was caught in an infinite portal fall, spinning helplessly as the Cloak chased him through. Strange lashed out with a glowing whip, snagging the box. But Peter (T.M.) and Peter (A.G.) webbed the other side. A tug-of-war began, warping the Mirror Dimension into chaotic kaleidoscopic shapes. Peter (T.H.), falling through dimensions, suddenly saw it — the patterns, the angles. “It’s geometry…” he breathed. He called out, “Guys! This world runs on math!”
They all locked eyes. And just like that, the Spider-Team adapted. Dodging trains, slipping through gaps in space, and bouncing off collapsing buildings, they corralled Strange. Peter (A.G.) called out, “Hey, Magic Man!”
Strange paused, irritated. “You know what’s cooler than magic?!” A burst of coordinated webs trapped him in an intricate, multidimensional net. Peter (T.H.) landed gracefully and grabbed the box — and Strange’s sling ring. “Math,” he grinned.
Strange, cocooned in a fractal prison of webbing, could only stare as they escaped.
Back in the Sanctum, the three Peters returned victorious. Peter (T.H.) handed the box to MJ and the sling ring to Ned. “Keep them safe. No matter what.”
MJ nodded, her jaw set. “If any of them try anything, I send them back myself.”
The villains exchanged looks. Max raised a brow. “You’re gonna trust a bunch of supervillains?”
Peter (T.M.) unlocked the cells — all but theirs. “No. But we’re going to try something different.”
Doc Ock blinked at them. “You could have sent us to our deaths. Why didn’t you?”
Peter (T.H.) looked him straight in the eye. “It’s not in my moral code. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Otto studied him… and nodded for the first time in a long while. Wong, returning from a dimensional breach, frowned. “You’re all meddling with forces you don’t understand.”
“Then help us understand,” Peter (T.M.) said.
Wong sighed and turned to Strange’s still-webbed reflection in the mirror portal. “Fine. I’ll watch the Sanctum. But if Kang shows up… I won’t hold back.”
Hawkeye slung his bow onto his shoulder. “Good. Because this is officially way above my pay grade.”
He turned to Peter (A.G.), nodding. “Let’s get these guys somewhere safe. Let’s cure them before the multiverse turns us all inside out.”
Peter (A.G.) grinned. “You always know how to say the most comforting things.”
The heroes got to work, not realizing that far beyond their sight, in a place between time and space, Kang was already watching. And he was smiling.
Chapter Text
Tony brought the whole misfit group to one of his old bachelor pads tucked away in the quieter part of Manhattan. A penthouse with smart security systems and enough shielding to keep out curious eyes—and satellites. Still, it wasn’t easy sneaking in a sentient pile of sand, a robot-armed scientist, and a literal lizard-man. Fortunately, Loki had come through. With a flick of his fingers and a bit of sass, he cloaked their more obvious members in glamours—Electro looked like a regular guy in streetwear, Sandman like a large but forgettable maintenance worker, and the Lizard... well, he looked like a guy in a mascot suit.
Good enough. Loki also tossed one over himself and Sylvie, just in case. They managed to get inside without alerting anyone. The last thing Peter or Tony needed was J. Jonah Jameson and the Daily Bugle sniffing around, shrieking about "Spider-Men harboring freaks and felons!" “Wow. This place is something,” Katy said, looking around the sleek condo with wide eyes. She poked at a floating display with a holographic fish swimming through it.
Even Loki raised a brow, momentarily impressed. “Not quite Asgardian, but I see the appeal.”
Doc Ock looked unimpressed, his arms twitching slightly. “Bachelor pad chic,” he muttered under his breath.
Sandman plopped down on the couch beside Eddie, leaving a trail of sand on the cushions. Eddie gave him a look but said nothing. Across the room, Norman Osborn was poking at Dum-E, who responded with a metallic whirr of confusion. Meanwhile, Dr. Connors stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, quietly observing the city that once was his home. Electro, on the other hand, didn’t bother pretending. He leaned close to Peter (T.H.), his eyes crackling faintly with blue energy. “Try anything funny, and I’m turning you into a battery.”
Peter gulped. Noted. “So this is your grand plan, Peter?” Doc Ock asked, his voice dripping sarcasm. “No lab, no equipment, just miracles from a Manhattan condo. What’s next? Curing us with frozen burritos and elbow grease?”
Tony clapped his hands together. “Perfect! Thanks for volunteering, Doc. Saves us time picking straws.”
Otto scowled as Peter (T.H.) guided him toward the back. “I don’t need fixing,” Otto grumbled. “Especially not by a teenager with scraps from a junk drawer.”
Norman stepped forward. “I’ll help him,” he offered. “I’m something of a scientist myself.”
Electro’s gaze drifted toward the back room where Peter (T.H.) and Tony were working. He could feel it—something buzzing with raw power. As he followed them, Norman, Peter (A.G.), Yelena, Bruce, and Peter (T.M.) joined, curious and cautious. Tony had fired up the fabricator—one of his earlier prototypes with an arc reactor core for power. The glow pulsed brighter, sending a hum through the walls. A pop! came from the machine, blowing a small hole in the wall into the kitchen. “Great,” Otto muttered. “He’s going to kill us all before Kang even gets a chance.”
Despite the chaos, a plan was forming. They paired up: Peter (T.H.), Tony, and Norman would work on Otto and Electro. Bruce and Peter (T.M.) focused on Sandman and Norman’s cure. Peter (A.G.) and Sam teamed up to tackle Connor. Yelena hovered nearby, ever the guardian, ready if anything went south. Elsewhere in the condo, people settled into waiting—or talking. Electro and Sandman compared their unlucky origin stories. Both had fallen into experimental tech gone wrong. Clint, leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow. “So... why’d you even take Kang’s deal if he wasn’t gonna give you a cure?”
Flint’s eyes darkened. “My daughter’s sick. Kang said if I didn’t cooperate... he’d make her sicker.”
Sylvie tensed. She knew Kang didn’t bluff when it came to manipulating innocents. Mobius, meanwhile, was deep in conversation with Katy, Thor, and Shang. Wanda sat beside Eddie, gently pressing her fingers to his temple. She saw it—loss, pain, regret. So much like her own story. Then there was Sylvie. She was tired of half-answers. She approached Otto with a glass of water and a question. “What’s the real reason Kang sent you here?” she asked quietly.
Otto gave her a long look. “Does it matter?”
She didn’t respond with words. She reached out and gently touched his human hand. A pulse of green magic surged as her mind dove into his memories. She saw it all: The lab, the crowd, the fusion reactor coming to life. The energy field pulsing, then spiraling out of control. Glass shattering. Screams. A woman—Rosie—cried out before she collapsed, blood staining her blouse. Otto was screaming her name. And then… black. Sylvie stumbled back, breath caught in her throat. Otto stared at her, pale and shaking. “What did you just do?”
“I was looking for answers. I didn’t mean—”
“You made me relive my greatest mistake!”
“I’m sorry. Who was she?”
“My wife. Rosie. That machine… it killed her. Kang didn’t just promise me a cure. He promised me a second chance. He said he could bring her back.”
Sylvie’s expression softened. “That’s not possible. It’s a lie. No one can bring back the dead.”
Before Otto could argue, Peter (T.H.) and Tony reentered, carrying the new chip. Tony held the override remote and sent Otto to the second floor. Otto grumbled. “When does the humiliation end?”
“Probably after brunch,” Tony replied dryly.
“After we fix your brain,” Peter (T.H.) shot back.
As they installed the new chip, Otto resisted, his tentacles thrashing wildly. It took both Peter and Bucky to restrain him. Finally, the chip locked into place. Otto’s body went limp. Seconds ticked by. Then—he stirred. His breathing slowed. The mechanical arms, once twitching aggressively, moved with eerie calm. “I… I don’t hear them anymore,” he murmured. “The voices. They’re gone.”
He looked up. Norman stood nearby, offering a small smile. Otto smiled back. Then, turning to Peter (T.H.), he extended a hand. “I believe this belongs to you.”
He returned the nanotech that had bonded to his arms. The tech flowed back into Peter’s suit, reshaping it into a new red, black, and gold design. Peter (T.M.) stepped in, hopeful. “Otto?”
Otto nodded. “Peter… It’s good to see you again.”
Rejuvenated, Otto offered his help with the other cures. But before they could proceed, Sylvie pulled him aside. “We need to talk. All of us.”
The group gathered. Otto’s expression grew serious. “Kang didn’t just promise us things. He made us build something. Electro and I… we helped him. We don’t know what it was, only that it was for Sylvie.”
A cold silence fell over the room. “There’s more,” Otto continued. “He said… he planted someone here. A spy. One of you.”
Clint immediately whipped around and aimed an arrow at Loki. “What did I say about trusting the god of mischief?”
Shang stepped between them. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t even know who it is yet.”
Before more tension could rise, Peter (A.G.) and Sam entered with Conners, now cured. The Lizard had receded. Conners was weak and missing an arm—but human again. Tony looked at the team. “Get him some clothes, give him time. Then we’ll talk.”
Clint handed Conners a spare hoodie as Katy wrapped him in a blanket. Then, Tony turned to Peter (A.G.) and Sam. “We might have a mole. Be careful.”
Sylvie decided it was time to leave—at least until the traitor revealed themselves. She couldn’t risk the team being compromised. “I’ll go into hiding,” she said. “Just until we figure this out.”
Yelena, Wanda, Bucky, and Katy offered to go with her. Shang gave them the address to a safe house nearby. Sylvie paused before leaving, turning to Loki. She kissed him gently. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
As she and her group disappeared into the night, those left behind returned to the task of saving their enemies—and preparing for the worst. Loki glanced across the room at Norman Osborn. Something about him made the hairs on his neck stand up. And he was right to be uneasy. Because very soon… Norman Osborn would stop pretending.
Chapter Text
Loki kept his distance from Norman Osborn. There was something about him—something buried beneath the surface—that set Loki on edge. Thor tried to reassure him that Norman was fine, that things were under control. But Loki knew better. Instinct had rarely failed him, and right now, it was screaming. Peter (T.H.) had just finished assembling the device meant to draw the excess electricity from Electro’s body. He affixed it carefully to Electro’s chest, tapping a few buttons. “Keep this on until all the lights turn green,” Peter said. “That means the energy’s been fully drained.”
Electro just gave a tight nod, a strange glint flickering in his eyes. Peter (T.H.) turned away, heading for the lab where the final stages of Norman’s cure were being prepped. Loki remained behind, arms crossed, eyeing Norman from the shadows. That’s when Electro called out to him. “Hey, Mischief,” Electro said, tilting his head. “Mind a little chat?”
Loki hesitated, already regretting the decision as he stepped closer. “What do you want?” he asked, his tone flat.
“I got some info. Thought you’d wanna hear it. About your lady friend,” Electro said casually, letting the words hang.
That got Loki’s attention. His expression didn’t change, but a current of cold curiosity stirred beneath his cool exterior. Electro went on. He told Loki how Kang had approached him and Otto, asking them to design a collar to suppress Sylvie’s powers—something foolproof. They didn’t think it was possible until Ravonna got Black Widow involved. She had experience—first-hand—with mind control. They were going to use the same method on Sylvie. The collar would keep her docile. The conditioning would make sure she stayed that way.
Before Loki could react, Thor pulled him aside into another room. “Don’t listen to him,” Thor urged. “He’s messing with you.”
But Loki didn’t respond. He simply walked away, mind racing, eyes locked back on Norman Osborn. Otto stepped out of the lab, standing beside Norman. “How are you feeling, Norman?” Otto asked, genuinely hopeful. “Ready to be rid of it?”
Norman simply smiled. “It’ll be worth it.”
But that was the moment Loki’s lie-detection magic sparked in his gut. Something was wrong.
Meanwhile, in the lab, Peter (T.M.) and Peter (T.H.) had just completed Norman’s cure. Peter (A.G.) finishes prepping the formula for Black Widow. Suddenly, the air changed. All three Spider-Men felt it—their spider-sense ringing like an alarm bell. Tony, noticing their sudden tension, asked if they were okay. They didn’t hear him. Peter (T.H.) followed the sensation into the living room. He scanned each of the villains. Sandman. Venom. Nothing. Then Peter (T.M.) stepped out of the lab and locked eyes with Norman. His spider-sense exploded.
At that moment, Loki saw it—a glint of silver. Norman had a knife in his hand. Without hesitation, Loki summoned his magic and pinned Norman to the wall. Confusion rippled through the room. But Peter (T.M.) recognized that grin. He’d seen it before. The Goblin was back. “Well, that’s quite a trick you’ve got there,” the Goblin sneered, twisting against the restraints. “That spider-sense of yours. Very handy.”
“Norman...?” Otto’s voice was strained.
“Norman’s on sabbatical, darling,” Goblin replied, eyes gleaming. “No more darker half? Did you really think I’d let that happen? That I’d let you strip away what makes me powerful?”
Peter (T.M.) turned to Peter (T.H.). “Stay with Tony. I’ve dealt with him before.”
Bruce quickly gathered the remaining cure devices and stuffed them into a bag. The Goblin grinned wider and turned toward Loki. “And the Trickster God... You rolled over pretty quick. All that fire and ego, now you’re just Kang’s lapdog.”
“You don’t know me,” Loki growled.
“Oh, but I do,” Goblin hissed. “I’ve read your file. Desperate to matter. Clawing for approval. And Sylvie... she wanted Kang’s head on a spike, didn’t she? Funny how she ran like a coward.”
Loki lunged, but Mobius and Thor held him back. “Struck a nerve?” Goblin mocked.
Then, he addressed the villains in the room. “We don’t need saving. We don’t need fixing. These aren’t curses—they’re gifts.”
Electro looked at the nearly-drained device on his chest, conflicted. Otto begged Norman to fight back, but the Goblin’s grip was too strong. Clint notched an arrow. Shang-Chi powers his rings. Tension built. The Goblin’s eyes flicked across the three Peters. “I’ve been watching you all. You try to have it all, and the world makes you choose.” He chuckled. “Gods don’t choose. They take.”
“You’ll never be a god,” Loki said coldly.
The Goblin smiled the way Thanos once did. “Make your move, two-faced Joker,” Tony challenged.
Electro suddenly ripped the device from his chest and surged with power. He yanked the arc reactor from the fabricator midair. The device fused to his chest crackled with energy. He released the Goblin. Chaos exploded. The Goblin lunged at Peter (T.M.), throwing him across the room. Bruce and Dr. Conner fled with the cures. Electro turned on Otto, blasting him out the window. Otto barely caught himself with his mechanical arms, staring down at J. Jonah Jameson and his team filming everything. Sandman joined Electro, whipping up a massive sandstorm.
The Goblin struck—brutal, fast, laughing. The three Peters tried to counter, but he flung them across the room like rag dolls. Outside, Electro sent lightning into the sky, striking police cars and reporters alike. Venom and Eddie vanished in the chaos. “Mobius, get Loki out of here!” Thor yelled.
Mobius grabbed Loki, dragging him toward safety. But Loki’s eyes were on Norman. On Goblin. Inside, the three Peters battled Goblin floor by floor. He was relentless. He slammed Peter (T.H.) through a window. As Peter climbed up the building, bleeding and dazed, J. Jonah Jameson filmed him with a smug expression. Tony pulled him into a hug. “We have to go. Now!”
But Goblin grabbed Peter (T.H.) by the ankle and hurled him back inside. They crashed through floors until they landed on the bottom level. “You’re strong enough to have it all,” Goblin snarled, “but too weak to take it!”
Peter (T.H.) lost control. He tackled Goblin, raining punches down with fury. Goblin just laughed maniacally. Above, the others lost track of Sandman and Electro. Goblin’s bone-chilling laughter echoed across the floor. Mobius, Bruce, and Loki return just in time to see Peter (T.H.) pummel Goblin. Then Goblin shoved him off—Peter’s head slammed against a steel beam. He collapsed. Tony and Peter (A.G.) ran to his side. Peter (T.M.) stood to fight, but Goblin caught him and slammed him down, hand at his throat. “Your weakness is morality,” Goblin hissed. “Can you feel it choking you?”
Suddenly, Loki appeared behind him and jammed the serum into his neck. Goblin staggered, then flung the serum across the room. It didn’t work. He smirked, drawing a blade. “Let’s see if you survive this, Trickster.”
The glider roared through the air, its edges slicing into Loki. He was thrown across the room, blood pouring from his side. Black Widow stood atop the glider, silent and deadly. The Goblin pulled up his hood, making him look more scarier than he was with his old mask. He turned to Peter (T.M.). “Peter, Peter, Peter... No good deed goes unpunished.” Then Goblin produced a pumpkin bomb. “Kang was right. Your pride is your downfall. I’ll be sure to tell Sylvie you went out with a bang.”
He activated the bomb. Portals opened beneath the heroes—Ned had summoned them just in time. They fell through, landing hard in Ned’s living room. MJ stared, horrified, as the heroes spilled out, bloodied and beaten. Tony cradled Peter (T.H.) on the couch. Peter (A.G.) and Peter (T.M.) helped tend to his wounds and their own. Thor hovered over Loki, eyes wide with worry. “I’m fine,” Loki muttered. “Just a scratch.”
Thor didn’t buy it. He ordered Mobius to hold him still and bandaged the gashes across his side. Then he looked Loki dead in the eyes. “You’re staying here. You’re not going after Sylvie.”
“She’s in danger,” Loki snapped. “I won’t lose her again.”
Meanwhile, just outside of Brooklyn, Sylvie had been laying low in a run-down apartment building with Katy, Bucky, Wanda, and Yelena. The tension was high. On the flickering old TV, news footage showed Tony Stark’s condo engulfed in flames. “Think they made it out?” Katy asked, biting her lip.
“They have another Loki,” Wanda replied coolly. “Of course, they got out of there.”
But Sylvie’s gut told her something was wrong. The air shifted. A heavy thud hit the fire escape outside the window—followed by a growl. The window suddenly slid open with a slam as Eddie Brock stumbled inside, out of breath. Venom’s tendrils retracted from his arms, flicking back into his body. “You need to leave. Now. He’s coming,” Eddie said quickly.
Sylvie raised an eyebrow. “Who’s coming?”
Venom’s face briefly emerged over Eddie’s shoulder, his voice guttural and urgent: “The Goblin. The spy. Kang’s loyal pet. He’s after you, Sylvie. He knows.”
Bucky immediately turned to Yelena and Katy. “Get her out. Now.”
But the floorboards above creaked violently. Too late. The Goblin’s glider crashed through the ceiling, sending debris flying. Standing beside him—Black Widow, cold-eyed and under Kang’s control. She lunged at Sylvie, but Yelena stepped between them and blocked her sister’s strike with her baton. “Run!” Yelena shouted.
Sylvie darted toward the stairwell, Katy close behind. Eddie followed, shifting partially as Venom’s limbs shielded them from shrapnel from the Goblin's bombs. Bucky and Wanda fought to hold off Natasha, but Wanda paused when she saw something—hesitation in Natasha’s eyes. “Now, Yelena!” Bucky called.
Yelena pulled out the cure vial that Peter (A.G.) had engineered, snapping it into a small spray canister. She sprayed it in Natasha’s face. Natasha staggered back, groaning, blinking rapidly as if waking from a deep sleep. Her eyes finally locked on Yelena’s. “Yelena? Where am I? What happened?” she asked weakly.
“It’s a long story,” Yelena said, catching her sister’s arm. “I’ll tell you on the way.”
Meanwhile, Sylvie and Katy tore down the stairwell. Eddie, back in control, was on their heels. “He wants you alive,” he said to Sylvie. “You’re the key to breaking the timelines—Kang needs you to finish his throne.”
Venom added with a hiss, “We say we eat him before he gets the chance.”
But before they could respond, the glider slammed into Eddie, knocking him into the wall with a sickening crunch. Sylvie turned, wide-eyed—standing atop the glider, leering down at her with a twisted grin, was the Goblin. His voice was taunting, playful, and cruel. “Going somewhere, little Princess?”
Sylvie hurled a dagger at him—he tilted his head, letting it fly past his cheek with a chuckle. In one swift move, he dove, grabbed Sylvie around the waist, and yanked her into the air. She screamed, kicking, scratching at him—managing to rake her nails across his face and draw blood. But the Goblin just grinned wider, his cheek bleeding. “Daddy’s waiting for his little princess to return,” he whispered in her ear.
Sylvie glared at him, venom in her voice: “I’m going to kill you. And Kang. And end his reign for good.”
The Goblin gave her a wicked laugh as the glider soared upward, vanishing into the night.
Chapter Text
Loki paced restlessly, his boots echoing across the floor as his mind spiraled with worry. Where is she? Please, Sylvie... be safe. Every second felt like a knife turning in his gut. He prayed she had escaped or at least found another safe house. The sound of a portal cracking open pulled him from his anxious thoughts. Katy, Yelena, Wanda, Eddie, and Bucky stepped through—Black Widow among them, now cured. "Where's Sylvie? Is she okay?" Loki asked, his voice tight with panic, already dreading the answer.
The team exchanged guilty glances, the silence more damning than any words. Wanda stepped forward, her gaze heavy with sorrow. “The Goblin took her.”
Loki’s knees buckled. A sharp breath caught in his throat as he staggered back. Pain from the glider wounds flared, but he caught himself against the wall before anyone could see his collapse. No... not her too. "This is all my fault... I should have listened to Strange," Peter (T.H.) murmured, guilt hanging thick in the air.
Tony placed a firm hand on Peter’s shoulder, pulling him in for a side hug. “It’s not your fault, Underoos. Your heart was in the right place.”
While the others consoled Peter, Loki slipped away silently, unnoticed—or so he thought. The façade crumbled once he was alone. His knees hit the floor as he buried his face in his hands, the dam breaking. Tears. Again. Why is it always like this? He had lost his mother. His father. Asgard. Now Sylvie. Everyone he allowed himself to care for was torn away, one by one. Is this the curse of being a Loki? To love and always lose? Memories rushed him—Sylvie’s laugh, the way her eyes sparkled when she teased him, the rare peace he'd felt when they were together. His heart clenched.
A soft hand rested on his shoulder. Loki jolted and looked up, startled to find Shang-Chi kneeling beside him. “I saw you leave,” Shang-Chi said quietly. “Wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Loki didn’t answer. He wiped his tears away quickly, trying to compose himself. But Shang-Chi sat down beside him anyway. “This isn’t on you,” Shang-Chi said. “None of us saw the Goblin coming.”
“I should have,” Loki said bitterly. “I should’ve acted sooner. I knew something was off.”
Shang-Chi sighed and began to speak, not to deflect, but to connect. He told Loki about his own pain—the loss of his mother, his father’s controlling grip, the guilt of running from a mission that cost people their lives. “My point is, I couldn’t save my mother. But I chose not to let that define me,” Shang-Chi said. “You still have a chance to save Sylvie. But you can’t do it alone.”
Loki stared ahead, voice hollow. “It just feels like I’m destined to be alone.”
Together, they returned to the others. Thor immediately pulled Loki into his side protectively. Clint caught Natasha’s eyes, his expression crumbling with guilt. Though she was cured, the version of her in front of him wasn’t their Natasha. And he still carried the weight of watching his friend let go on Vormir. Tony turned to Bruce. “Any word on Doc Ock?”
Bruce shook his head. “No trace. It’s like he vanished.”
Suddenly, Ned waved his arms, and another portal opened. This time, a woman in a sleek ninja outfit stepped through. She landed silently, scanning the room. “Xu Xialing?” Shang-Chi blinked.
“You know the ninja?” Tony asked, raising a brow.
“She’s my sister,” Shang-Chi said.
Xialing didn’t speak, her gaze sharp and unreadable as the portal snapped shut behind her. Then, another portal opened—this time delivering Wasp and Doc Ock. “Ned, how are you doing that?” Peter (T.H.) asked.
“I don’t know! I just thought we needed help, and… boom!” Ned replied.
It was a sign—this fight wasn’t over. Reinforcements were arriving. Hope glimmered in the shadows. The three Peters gathered to refine the cures for Sandman, Electro, and even Goblin. Peter (T.H.) worked on a contingency cure for Sylvie—just in case. But Loki wasn’t content to wait. As soon as Thor’s attention shifted, Loki conjured an illusion of himself and slipped away into the night. Except… Thor had seen him go.
Loki reappeared in the apartment where Sylvie had last been seen, searching desperately for clues. Dust clung to the air like a memory. A broken lamp. Scorch marks near the wall. Signs of a struggle. A floorboard creaked. Loki ducked behind the couch, dagger at the ready. He lunged—only to stop mid-attack. “Thor?!” he gasped, dropping his dagger. “You just had to scare me,” he muttered.
Thor grabbed his wrist. “You shouldn’t have come alone.”
Loki yanked free. “And now you decide to be a brother? How convenient.”
“Loki—”
“No. You don’t get to speak,” Loki snapped. “I’m done living in your shadow. Odin adored you and barely tolerated me. You had everything. I had nothing.”
“That’s not true.”
“Oh really? When did you ever stand up for me? When did you ever care about how I was treated for using magic? For being different?”
Thor’s eyes narrowed. “I—”
“You mocked me. You and your warrior friends. While I cried in silence, wondering if anyone in Asgard gave a damn if I lived or died!”
Thor stepped forward, but Loki held up a hand. “I remember Odin telling me to be more like you. Every. Single. Day. Until I broke.”
“You’re twisting things.”
“Or what? You’ll sew my mouth shut again? Call me a monster?!” Loki roared, trembling. “You never even looked for me after I fell. You just assumed I was dead.”
Thor froze. “What are you talking about?”
Loki’s voice broke. “Thanos found me. He tortured me for information about Asgard. Whips, blades, fire. I never said a word. I defended Asgard while you forgot me.” Tears streamed down Loki’s face. “Then he used the scepter. Took my mind. Made me your enemy.”
Thor was speechless. The truth hit him like a thunderbolt. All the years… all the pain he never saw. Loki turned away, resuming his search. Thor placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t,” Loki muttered, voice raw.
But Thor didn’t let go. He pulled Loki into a tight embrace, even as Loki resisted. “Let me go!”
“Not again,” Thor whispered. “I’m sorry. For all of it. You were right. I wasn’t ready to be king. I wasn’t a good brother. But I want to be now. I want us to be a family again.”
Loki sobbed harder, overwhelmed by the years of pain, loss, and neglect. He finally hugged Thor back, voice muffled in his shoulder. “I... I want that too.”
They stayed like that for a moment—two broken brothers, finally trying to mend what had been shattered. Then Thor spotted something behind a chair. “Loki,” he whispered. “Look.”
A small rabbit trembled beneath the furniture. Loki narrowed his eyes, used his magic, and the illusion shattered. In its place stood a woman in tattered black-and-purple robes, hair wild, eyes sharp with mischief. “Well... so much for hiding.” She smirked. “The name’s Agatha Harkness. Lovely to finally meet you, Loki Laufeyson.” Agatha Harkness stood slowly, brushing off her tattered robes, her grin sly and self-satisfied. “Didn’t expect a rabbit to lead you to me, did you?”
Loki narrowed his eyes, stepping protectively in front of Thor. “Why were you hiding here? What do you know about Kang and Sylvie?”
Agatha gave a low chuckle. “Oh, I know everything, dear. I’ve been keeping my distance, observing, waiting for the right moment. And Sylvie? She’s not where you think she is. Kang’s playing a bigger game than you realize.”
Before she could say another word, Loki whipped a hand forward. With a shimmer of green magic and the sound of clinking metal, glowing chains of binding wrapped around Agatha’s wrists and ankles, pinning her arms to her sides. She let out a small grunt of frustration. “Rude,” she muttered, flicking her hair back.
Thor raised an eyebrow. “Do you think that’s wise? She might be more dangerous than she looks.”
“Oh, I know she is,” Loki replied sharply. “Which is exactly why we’re bringing her to the others.”
Agatha rolled her eyes. “You really think the witch is going to thank you for this? She’s the one who put me in Westview, remember?”
Loki didn’t answer. He opened a shimmering portal with a flick of his dagger and shoved Agatha through. Thor followed, and the three emerged back in the main hideout where the others were still regrouping. The moment Wanda saw Agatha, her body tensed, magic instinctively crackling around her fingertips.
“You,” Wanda said in a cold, low voice that made the room fall silent. “How are you even here?”
Agatha smiled, unfazed. “Nice to see you again, Scarlet Witch. I missed our little chats.”
Wanda marched forward, her red eyes glowing. “You shouldn’t be free. I left you under that spell in Westview. You were Agnes.”
“I still am Agnes, sometimes,” Agatha said mockingly. “But spells don’t last forever, dear. Especially not ones cast in grief.”
“You think this is a game?” Wanda growled. Her hands surged with energy, crackling with raw chaos magic. “I trusted you.”
“No, you didn’t,” Agatha snapped back, though her voice was edged with something darker. “You used me. And you feared me. And now? You need me.”
“Why?” Wanda demanded. “What could you possibly know that would justify showing up now?”
“She knows something about Sylvie and Kang,” Loki cut in before Wanda unleashed her wrath. “She’s been watching, waiting. She’s hiding more than she’s saying.”
Wanda stared at Agatha with burning eyes but didn’t strike. “Then she talks. Now.”
Agatha smiled, her bound arms lifting slightly. “Fine. But I’m only telling the truth once. So I suggest you all listen carefully.”
The others gathered around—Tony, Peter, Bruce, Natasha, Shang-Chi, and the others moved in, forming a loose circle. Even Clint stood near Wanda, watching with tense alertness. Agatha tilted her head. “Kang wants a successor-or, more accurately, someone powerful enough to challenge him, someone he can shape into an heir.”
Wanda’s brows furrowed. “So he’s using Sylvie?”
“No,” Agatha said with a cruel smile. “He’s breaking her. Piece by piece. Mind, body, and magic.”
Loki felt his heart drop. He clenched his fists, struggling to keep his composure. “Where is she?”
Agatha leaned in, her voice almost playful. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Wanda took a step closer, her hands glowing. “Say one more thing like that, and I will finish what I started in Westview.”
“You really haven’t changed,” Agatha replied with a smirk. “But lucky for you, I came with an offer. I’ll help you find Kang’s fortress—because I know the door in time that leads right to him.”
Tony crossed his arms. “And what do you want in return? You’re not exactly the selfless type.”
Agatha’s expression turned serious for the first time. “When this is over, I want my freedom. A real one. No spells. No prison. No more chains.”
Wanda looked at Loki, then at Thor. For a long moment, the room was silent. Then Wanda finally said, “Fine. But if you cross us again—”
“I know,” Agatha sighed. “You’ll bury me in another sitcom.”
Loki rolled his eyes, but the tension slowly shifted to grim determination. “We're going to get Sylvie back,” Loki said, his voice trembling with purpose. “No matter what it takes.”
Thor put a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “And this time, we’re doing it together.”
Chapter 19
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sylvie stirred awake in a pitch-black room, her limbs heavy and cold. The rattle of iron reminded her where she was—chained. Thick cuffs bound her wrists and ankles, the metal biting into her skin. A single door stood across the room, bolted shut with only a narrow slot where cold meals were shoved through like afterthoughts. Footsteps echoed outside; she tensed. Was it a rescue? Or was the Goblin coming to finish what he started? The door creaked open with a slow, haunting groan.
Not the Goblin. Ravonna Renslayer stepped into the dim light, her heels tapping sharply against the stone floor. A mocking smile played on her lips. “Enjoying your stay?” she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Sylvie glared daggers at her, eyes sharp with defiance. She knew Kang was behind this. He wanted to see her—no doubt to gloat, or worse. Ravonna removed the shackles from Sylvie’s legs but left the cuffs binding her wrists. Without ceremony, she grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the corridor. The air was colder out here. Harsher. They entered a massive throne room carved out of dark stone and laced with technology beyond Sylvie’s understanding. There, seated on a towering throne of metal and fractured timelines, was he. Kang the Conqueror.
He looked down at her with thinly veiled satisfaction. “Finally,” Kang said, rising to his feet. “The future sits before me.”
Sylvie’s heart pounded. She tried to pull away, but the Goblin loomed behind her, blade in hand, its edge glinting dangerously close to her back. “Nowhere to run,” the Goblin hissed, his voice like gravel on glass. “Nowhere to hide.”
Sylvie slowly turned back toward Kang, her jaw clenched. He stepped forward, his boots echoing like thunder in the vast hall. He touched her cheek with cold, metallic fingers. She flinched. “At last... You are home, my daughter,” he said.
“I’m not your daughter,” Sylvie snapped, jerking away from his touch.
Kang’s expression remained unreadable. “You will be. One way or another.”
With a flick of his hand, he signaled Ravonna. She seized Sylvie once more and dragged her back to her cell. As they left the throne room, Kang’s voice rang after them: “If you won’t join me willingly... then I’ll mold you by force.”
A portal burst open behind them—a swirling tear in space—and before any of them could react, Loki, Thor, and Wanda were pulled through, landing hard in Ned’s living room. Peter and Tony were already working over a glowing holographic projection of Kang’s fortress. Ned stood nearby, excitedly explaining the new arrivals. “We brought backup,” he grinned.
Black Panther stepped forward silently, regal and poised. Beside him, a woman in red, white, and blue armor nodded. “Captain Carter,” she said.
And then came the last figure—wrapped in white, with glowing eyes and a cloak that billowed with no wind. “Moon Knight,” the man said simply.
Wanda raised an eyebrow. “This just keeps getting weirder.”
"Alright, people—gather around," Tony announced, his voice cutting through the hum of chatter. "We’ve got one shot at this, so let’s not screw it up."
The room quickly fell into an intense silence as every hero turned to face the holographic projection in the center of the room. Images of Kang’s Citadel flickered in front of them—cold, towering, surrounded by swirling time anomalies. "Thanks to intel from Natasha and Loki," Tony continued, swiping through blueprints, "we’ve pinpointed Kang’s hideout and worked out our best plan of attack. Everyone’s got a role, so listen up."
He gestured at the projection as individual teams formed around the room. "Spider-Team, Hawkeye, Yelena, Doc Ock, Ant-Man, Wasp, Black Panther, Falcon, Thor— you’re on containment duty. Take down Electro, Sandman, Venom, and the Goblin. Keep them away from the core group."
The Spider-Men gave each other determined nods, while Thor cracked his knuckles. "Loki, you’ll lead Team Stealth through the back entrance," Tony added. "That means you, Wanda, Black Widow, Captain Carter, Moon Knight, and Strange—once he’s calmed down. Your goal: infiltrate the Citadel and get Sylvie back."
"What about the Machina de Kadavus?" MJ asked, arms crossed, tension in her brow.
"You, Ned, Mobius, Wong, Xialing, and Katy—you guard that thing like your lives depend on it. Because they do," Tony said seriously. "If Kang gets his hands on it, game over."
Black Widow stepped forward with grim determination. "Kang’s recruited more than just the usual rogues. He’s got variants—twisted versions of us, or people we care about. They’re designed to distract and destroy."
"I call Reinslayer," Natasha added sharply. "That woman turned me into his puppet. It’s time I return the favor."
Before anyone could respond, Ned’s hands sparked with gold light—his sling ring activating against his will. "Wait, wait, no—I didn’t mean—" A swirling portal opened mid-room, and a very pissed-off Doctor Strange stepped out, his cloak billowing, his expression thunderous.
"Twelve hours," Strange growled. "I was dangling over the Grand Canyon for twelve freakin’ hours!"
Ned shrank behind MJ as Strange marched toward him. "You’re welcome?" Ned offered weakly.
"Right. Forgot about the Bleeker Street Magician." Tony joked.
Before Strange could lecture him, his eyes scanned the room and locked onto the three Spider-Men. "Oh no," Peter (T.H) muttered.
"Someone bring me up to speed before I reduce Peter's multiverse down to zero," Strange snapped.
All three Peters tried to hide behind Tony, who sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, can we not traumatize the Spider-Kids before the battle? Focus, magician."
Strange’s brow arched at the unexpected sight of a reformed Otto Octavius chatting casually with Connors and heroes he didn’t recognize. "What in the multiverse did I miss?"
"A lot," Ironman replied. "Long story short—multiversal doom, Kang’s the big bad, and we need your sparkly hands. Good talk."
Meanwhile, Ned tried calling for Peter again, but all three Spider-Men responded. "Peter!"
"Yeah?" they all chorused.
"Peter Parker!"
"Still all of us!"
"Oh, for Peter (T.H.), you’re now Underoos. You—" Tony pointed at Peter (A.G), "Broading Spider, and you—" pointing to Peter (T.M), "Human Spider. Deal with it."
Everyone chuckled, but their attention turned to Peter (T.M) when he suddenly shot a web directly from his wrist. "Whoa—did that just come out of your skin?!" Katy exclaimed.
Peter (T.H.) and Peter (A.G.) gaped at him. "You can do that?" Peter (T.M) asked innocently.
"Okay, okay," Moon Knight interrupted, stepping in with urgency. "Jokes aside—how are we luring these villains into one place? And how are we breaking into the Citadel without getting vaporized?"
Peter (T.H.) smirked. "I’ve got a guy. He’s got the charisma, and... well, he owes me."
Tony nodded approvingly. "Good. Then we’re greenlit. Everyone, break into teams. We roll out in one hour."
Notes:
By the way, if any of you are interested in some digital artwork, I have a friend who can help with that. She can do any character design, any artwork, any cover design, and websites too. She does offer payment plans, and she’s looking for new clients. She’s on Instagram, her Instagram is beatricebea874, if you want to look at her digital artwork from her past clients. She’s a friend of mine and she is currently doing a commission for me for one of my other books. I definitely recommend her. I trust her.
Chapter Text
Meanwhile, in New York, Spider-Man (T.H.) had just wrapped up a live interview with J. Jonah Jameson. The goal wasn’t to win anyone over; it was to bait the villains, and it worked like a charm. With the broadcast finished, he joined the rest of the Spider team at the Statue of Liberty, which was currently under renovation. The iconic torch was being replaced with a gleaming replica of Captain America’s shield, a controversial tribute that made the statue a magnet for attention.
Peter (T.H.) waited at the top of the statue's crown, flanked by Iron Man, who hovered nearby in his suit, scanning the horizon for any sign of their enemies. Down below, the rest of the team lay in wait, hidden among the scaffolding and platforms encircling the statue. Everyone had their role. Spider-Man (A.G.) was in charge of keeping the cures hidden and protected—including the one for Sylvie. Falcon circled the air above, offering a bird's eye view of the entire area and ready to call out any incoming threats.
Over on one of the platforms, Spider-Man (T.M.) leaned against the railing, stretching out his back with a quiet groan. His shoulders rolled as he tried to ease the stiffness from hours of swinging through the city. "My back's kind of stiff from all the swinging," he admitted to no one in particular, twisting his torso in hopes of loosening the tension.
Spider-Man (A.G.), perched nearby and watching with mild amusement, offered, “Want me to crack it for you? I get the same thing all the time.”
Spider-Man (T.M.) nodded gratefully, and within moments, Spider-Man (A.G.) helped him stretch just right. A loud pop echoed from his spine. “Ohhh, that hit the spot,” Spider-Man (T.M.) said with relief, giving a small laugh.
“No problem,” Spider-Man (A.G.) replied, grinning. “Spider bro solidarity.”
A moment of quiet passed between them, the kind that wasn’t awkward—just thoughtful. Spider-Man (A.G.) found himself smiling again, still a little awed by the fact that these other Spider-Men were here. It felt like having brothers, even if they came from different universes. Breaking the silence, Spider-Man (A.G.) looked down at his wrists and then at Spider-Man (T.M.). “So, your web fluid... it just comes out of you, huh? Like, from your body?”
Spider-Man (T.M.)’s face tightened. “Are we really doing this again?”
Spider-Man (A.G.) shrugged, teasing but genuinely curious. “I mean, it’s cool! I have to make mine in a lab. You’ve got it built in.”
High above them, Spider-Man (T.H.) called down, clearly listening in on the conversation. “We’re not judging! Both of us have to build our web shooters, too. We’re just curious, that’s all.”
Spider-Man (T.M.) let out a resigned sigh. “I wish I could explain it better. It’s not something I consciously do. It’s like... breathing. I don’t think about it. It just happens.”
Spider-Man (T.H.) leaned forward slightly. “So... does it just come out of your wrists? Or, uh... anywhere else?”
Spider-Man (T.M.) gave him a deadpan look. “Only the wrists.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) chuckled, clearly not done. “You never run out? I’ve had web blocks before—ran out mid-swing once. Scary stuff.”
“Actually,” Spider-Man (T.M.) said thoughtfully, “yeah. I did have a web block once.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) raised a brow. “Whoa, why?”
Spider-Man (T.M.) shrugged. “Existential crisis stuff.”
“Yeah,” Spider-Man (A.G.) said, nodding. “Don’t even get me started on that.”
Their friendly chatter was cut short by Tony’s voice crackling through the comms. “Hey! Human Spider and Brooding Spider—focus up. We’re on a mission, not a coffee break.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) looked up, amused. “Is nicknaming people a thing now?”
From across the scaffolding, Hawkeye chimed in dryly, “Stark gives everyone nicknames. Sometimes more than one.”
Still smiling, Spider-Man (T.H.) asked, “What’s the craziest villain you guys have ever fought? Besides the ones we’ve already seen?”
Spider-Man (A.G.) perked up. “Now that’s a good question.”
Spider-Man (T.M.) thought for a moment. “I fought an alien made out of black goo once. A different version than the one here.”
Spider-Man (T.H).’s eyes widened. “No way. I fought an alien too. On Earth... and in space. He was purple.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) leaned against the railing, looking slightly dejected. “Man, I want to fight an alien.”
Spider-Man (T.M.) raised an eyebrow at him. “You fought one in space. That’s insane.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) sighed. “Compared to you guys, I’m lame. The craziest I’ve dealt with was a Russian guy in a rhinoceros suit.”
Spider-Man (T.H.) chimed in, “I actually fought a guy in a mechanical vulture suit.”
Spider-Man (T.M.) shook his head. “Okay, can we go back to the part where you said you’re lame? ‘Cause you’re not.”
Spider-Man (A.G.) glanced away, a small smile playing on his lips. “Thanks. I appreciate that. I’m not saying I am…”
Spider-Man (T.M.) leaned in slightly. “It’s just that self-talk. Maybe we should work on that.”
Tony’s voice sharpened instantly. “Alright, time’s up, Spider Bros. We’ve got company.”
Suddenly, a surge of electricity illuminated the sky as Electro materialized, more powerful than ever, his body crackling with energy. "Hand over the Machina de Kadavus," he demanded, "and I might let you live."
Spider-Man (T.H.) tossed the device to Falcon, who relayed it to MJ. Ned attempted to close the portal, but it remained open. Electro unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts, forcing the heroes into action. Spider-Man (T.H.) led Electro towards Thor and Spider-Man (A.G.), attempting to reason with him. "We're trying to help you," Spider-Man (A.G.) pleaded.
"Help me? You never cared!" Electro retorted, launching another attack.
Recognizing the source of Electro's enhanced power—the arc reactor—Spider-Man (T.H.) devised a plan. While the Spider-Men distracted Electro, Ant-Man summoned a swarm of flying ants to disrupt him. Wasp seized the opportunity to sting Electro, momentarily stunning him. Doc Ock then used his mechanical arms to extract the arc reactor, and Black Panther swiftly administered the cure. Electro's energy was dissipated, leaving him powerless but alive.
As the heroes regrouped, a massive sandstorm engulfed the area—Sandman had arrived. Spider-Man (T.M.) and Yelena led him into the statue's interior, attempting to calm him. "We're here to help," Spider-Man (T.M.) insisted.
But Sandman, consumed by rage, lashed out. Inside the crown, he ensnared them in a vortex of sand. Hawkeye, observing from a distance, launched the cure device with precision. Spider-Man (T.M.) activated it, and a brilliant light enveloped Sandman, restoring him to his human form. "Thank you," Flint whispered, "but the plan... it needs to change."
Before they could inquire further, MJ's scream echoed from below. Spider-Man (T.H.) raced to her location, only to find Eddie Brock holding MJ, Ned, and others captive. "Looking for this?" Eddie sneered, holding the Machina de Kadavus.
Suddenly, a chilling voice rang out, "Can the Spider-Man come out to play?"
The Green Goblin descended on his glider, hurling pumpkin bombs. Doc Ock intercepted them with his arms, but Goblin snatched the Machina de Kadavus from Wong. Black Panther leaped onto the glider, knocking the device free. Wong retrieved it, but a hidden bomb within detonated, destroying the Machina de Kadavus and unleashing a catastrophic explosion. The blast sent shockwaves through the area, fracturing the barriers between universes. As reality began to unravel, the heroes braced themselves for the chaos to come.
The explosion knocked the shield off the torch, crashing through half the scaffolding. Everyone grabbed onto something to keep from falling, but MJ was too slow—she screamed as she slipped off the platform. Spider-Man (T.H.) saw her fall and dove after her. He nearly reached her, but the Goblin intercepted him, dragging him away. Spider-Man (A.G.) watched in horror, memories of Gwen Stacy’s fall flashing through his mind. Without hesitation, he leapt off the platform and dove after MJ.
He caught her tightly and shot a web to a nearby platform, slowing their descent until they landed safely on the ground. Still cradling MJ, the two caught their breath. Tears welled in Spider-Man (A.G.)’s eyes. He hadn’t been able to save Gwen, and that failure had haunted him. But saving MJ... it felt like redemption. He couldn't save Gwen, but he had saved MJ. MJ noticed the tears. “Are you okay?” she asked gently.
“I’m fine,” he said with a faint smile. “Just... thankful. I got it right this time.”
Meanwhile, Wong tried to stop the spell, but it was too late. Cracks formed in the sky, ripping it open as an ominous energy surged through. The multiverse began to tear. Everyone managed to leap from the scaffolding just as the shield came crashing down, landing in the water and floating. Spider-Man (T.H.) smashed the glider's compartment and planted a bomb on it. The Goblin crashed, tumbling with Peter onto the floating shield. Peter was the first to shout, calling for Ned and MJ. “We’re okay!” they shouted back.
The Goblin cackled as one of the cracks widened. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted, “give a warm welcome... for Emperor Kang!”
Kang appeared on his throne, Ravenna by his side, and a mind-controlled Sylvie at the other. Everyone from Loki’s timeline—except Scarlet Witch—was bound in chains, held captive by Shang’s father and Arthur Harrow. Kang stood and spoke in a low, chilling voice: “This universe will be reshaped in my image.”
Just then, Sylvie turned to Loki... and winked. Loki blinked in confusion. Before anyone could react, Eddie Brock lunged at the Goblin with the cure and jabbed it into his neck. The Goblin vanished—Norman Osborne returned, dazed but whole. Kang staggered, caught off guard. Captain Carter hurled her shield, striking him in the face. Sylvie whipped out the scepter and stabbed it into his chest. “Impossible...” Kang whispered in pain.
At that moment, Harrow and Shang’s father released Moon Knight and Shang, but before they could join the fight, two unexpected figures appeared. Rocket and Groot burst into the scene. “Hey Kang!” Rocket yelled. “Got a gift for ya!” He chucked a bomb right at Kang’s chest.
Sylvie’s illusions faded, revealing that Harrow, Shang’s father, and even Ravonna were actually Nebula, Star-Lord, and Drax in disguise. Doctor Strange opened a portal for everyone to escape. Just in time—the bomb exploded, destroying Kang in a fiery blast. As the dust settled, all eyes turned to Sylvie. “I’ll explain later,” she said, catching her breath. “Right now, we need to close the cracks.”
Wanda suddenly appeared through Kang’s entrance, Darkhold in hand. She began a spell, her voice echoing as she sealed the rips in the sky. One by one, the cracks closed. As the last one vanished, dawn broke—a new day had come.
Sylvie explained everything: Venom had never truly sided with Kang. Eddie knew Kang was up to something, so before Sylvie was taken, Venom bonded with her to spy from within. “That still doesn’t explain how the Guardians showed up,” Mobius noted.
“I’ll take it from here,” Quill said, stepping up. “Venom used Kang’s remote to open a gateway. Rocket and Groot snuck into Kang’s office and grabbed enough supplies to build the bomb. Nebula took out Ravonna, and we found Sylvie. She cast illusions to fool Kang.”
“What about the scepter?” Yelena asked.
“That?” Rocket grinned. “Fake! Groot and I built it. Sylvie handled the rest.”
The Avengers gave Sylvie a hero’s thank you, and the Guardians made her an honorary member. As flattered as she was, Sylvie quietly told them she’d be leaving this multiverse. But just as she was about to step away, Katy grabbed her arm. “Hang on! You helped take down a time tyrant and his crazy wife. And now you’re just gonna leave? No way!”
Sylvie hesitated. “I can’t stay in the same timeline as Loki. The TVA would hunt me. I’d be putting all of you in danger... including him. I want to stay. I do. But I can’t risk it.”
Katy refused to accept it. “You’re my friend. I’m not losing you.”
She turned to Strange. “Isn’t there something you can do?”
Strange looked unsure, but then Captain Carter stepped in. “There is a way,” she said. “Kang’s control is broken. The TVA has no authority over who we are anymore.”
Mobius nodded. “Free will is back on the table. The TVA won’t prune you for wanting a future.”
Finally, Sylvie relented. She turned to Loki, tears in her eyes. He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. Everyone stood there, watching the moment. Thor smiled, proud that his brother had found true love. Peter (A.G.) sniffled and pulled the other two Spider-Men into a hug. “I love you guys,” he whispered.
The touching moment was interrupted by Quill clearing his throat. And then, from above, Flint called out, “Uh... guys? Can I come down now?”
Sylvie laughed and used her magic to help him down from the statue. Doctor Strange was just about to send everyone back to their universes when Max stepped forward. “Wait, wait, wait! We just got cured, stopped a multiversal tyrant, and saved reality! Don’t we deserve a little celebration?!”
Tony nodded. “He’s right. We earned this.”
Strange sighed, relenting. “Fine. You’ve got one night. Then everyone goes back.”
“Perfect,” Tony grinned. “And I know just the place.”
Chapter 21: Epilogue
Chapter Text
The battle was over. Kang was gone. For the first time in what felt like forever, the multiverse could breathe. The threads of destiny, once choked by manipulation, were now free to weave themselves however they chose. Free will had been restored. And with the fall of the TVA, no one would be pruning timelines anymore. To celebrate the victory, Tony Stark did what Tony Stark did best: throw a party. He opened up the Avengers Mansion for a full-on victory bash and invited the biggest guest list in multiversal history. Old friends, new allies—even family—poured through the doors.
Pepper was there, radiant as ever. May Parker arrived with a tray of cookies, because of course she did. Valkyrie walked in with her usual swagger, and Rhody cracked jokes before even setting foot in the room. The main hall of the mansion had been transformed into a feast of light, laughter, and food. Strange—ever the showman—had magicked trays of drinks to float around like well-trained drones: champagne, beer, soda, even simple glasses of water that sparkled like they’d been enchanted too. People were already chatting in clusters, catching up, swapping war stories.
Some danced to the background music while others found comfort in the cozy corners of the lounge. Dr. Strange floated forward, raising his glass for a toast. “To the balance of time—”
Tony cut him off with a friendly clap on the shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, thanks, Sorcerer Sominex. I’ll take it from here.”
The crowd chuckled. Strange rolled his eyes but relented. Tony turned to face everyone, his glass catching the light. “I look around and see a room full of legends—people who’ve faced down gods, monsters, and their own demons. People who fought for something bigger than themselves. I see the return of old friends, like Natasha, and welcome the Guardians back. And I see new faces, who’ve more than earned their place at this table.” He paused, glancing around the room, eyes softening when they landed on Peter (T.H.), then on Sylvie, Shang, Katy, and Moon Knight. “So let’s make it official,” Tony grinned. “To the New Avengers.”
The room erupted in cheers and applause as everyone raised their glasses. A symphony of clinking filled the air as the toast echoed through the hall. “To the New Avengers!”
It didn’t take long before Katy, with a mischievous grin, poked Tony in the ribs. “So, uh, tell me you have a karaoke machine somewhere in this place?”
Tony smirked. “Check Clint’s old room.”
Clint groaned, already hiding his face with a plate of nachos. “Seriously, Stark?”
Katy took that as full permission and sprinted off. “Come on, Shang! Wong! We’re doing Hotel California!”
Within minutes, the sounds of off-key karaoke filled the room. People laughed, some danced, and others just let themselves relax. For once, it felt okay to. Sylvie, meanwhile, lingered at the edge of the celebration. She stood alone, quietly sipping wine and trying to understand the concept of peace. It felt… foreign. She’d been fighting for so long. What came next? A tiny tug at her pants snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked down to see a little girl, no older than five, staring up at her with wide, curious eyes. Sylvie knelt. “Hey there… Who are you?”
The child didn’t speak. Instead, her attention locked onto Sylvie’s delicate crown. Just as Sylvie was about to ask again, a familiar voice intervened. “There you are!” Pepper scooped up the little girl and gave Sylvie an apologetic smile. “Sorry if she bothered you. This is Morgan. My daughter.”
Sylvie blinked. “Your daughter?”
Pepper nodded, shifting Morgan on her hip. “Mine and Tony’s. I'm Virginia, but most people call me Pepper.”
Morgan reached out, still fascinated by Sylvie’s crown. Without hesitation, Sylvie removed it and gently placed it on Morgan’s head. “Looks better on her,” she said with a rare smile.
Morgan beamed and whispered, “Thank you,” before snuggling into her mom’s shoulder.
Pepper gave a nod of thanks and walked away, leaving Sylvie watching them disappear into the crowd, warmth blooming somewhere unfamiliar in her chest. Over at the karaoke station, Katy, Shang, and Wong were in full swing. The lyrics to “Hotel California” echoed through the room, and a small dance floor had formed. Even Thor was attempting the electric slide—poorly. Loki wandered over to Sylvie, sensing her solitude. “This is... weird, isn’t it?”
Sylvie glanced sideways. “Yeah. But not bad-weird.”
Before they could say more, a hushed voice reached their ears. Peter (T.H.), standing with Tony and May, held a letter in his hands. It was clearly from a college—likely MIT—and his voice trembled as he spoke. “I just... I don’t know if I can even go anymore. Not after what Beck did. Everyone knows I’m Spider-Man now.”
Sylvie’s eyes narrowed. She stepped closer. “Wait. What’s this about?”
Tony gave her a brief rundown—how Mysterio revealed Peter’s identity, painted him as a villain, and destroyed his future in one fell swoop. Sylvie listened, then slowly smiled. That mischievous spark returned to her eyes. “Well, I do love rewriting lies. Leave it to me. After the party.”
Peter blinked. “Really? You’d help me?”
Sylvie nodded. “Kid, I stabbed a time tyrant in the back. I think I can handle a smear campaign.”
Before more could be said, Thor’s booming voice called across the room. “Brother! Sylvie! Come here—I’ve got something important!”
They approached him, joined by Valkyrie, who was already sipping on something strong. Thor cleared his throat. “I’ve decided. I’m stepping down as king of New Asgard.”
Loki frowned. “What? And who exactly do you plan on handing that crown to?”
“I’m giving it to Valkyrie,” Thor said proudly. “But I want you and Sylvie to help her lead.”
Loki froze, visibly stunned. “You want me to go back... after everything I’ve done to them?”
Thor pulled him aside. “Listen. During the five years of the Snap—before I lost myself—I made New Asgard hold two funerals. One for those who died during Thanos’ invasion… and one for you.”
Loki blinked, heart in his throat. “Only a handful showed up,” Thor continued. “But they were people you touched—tutors, staff, even a few kids you taught magic to. They mourned you, brother. They missed you.”
Loki looked away, struggling with emotion. “I want to be a better brother before I leave with the Guardians,” Thor added softly. “I want to bring you home.”
Nearby, Sylvie and Valkyrie had their own quiet moment. “You think he’ll really come back?” Valkyrie asked.
Sylvie glanced over at Loki. “If I’m there... maybe.”
Soon, the party wound down. Dr. Strange opened four portals, each leading to a different universe. He gave everyone a moment for their goodbyes. Peter (A.G.) and Peter (T.M.) hugged Peter (T.H.) tightly. Tony handed each of them interdimensional watches—co-inventions with Norman and Otto—to keep in touch. “I call it the Dad Watch,” Tony joked. “For your very own multiversal Father Figures Group.”
They laughed. Even Otto cracked a smile. Captain Carter shook hands with Bucky and Sam. “If you ever need backup across the pond—or the dimensions, you know where to find me.”
Then came Natasha. She stood before Yelena, who wasn’t ready to let go. “Stay,” Yelena whispered.
“I can’t,” Natasha replied gently. “I have a Red Room to burn down. In my universe.”
Tears brimmed in Yelena’s eyes. “Then at least... do the whistle.”
The two sisters turned, stood tall, and gave one final whistle together. With a tear-streaked smile, Natasha vanished through the portal. Once the portals were sealed, Strange and Wong returned to the Sanctum. The room felt heavier now. Yelena slipped away in silence. Clint reached for her, but she walked past him. He understood. He turned to Tony. “I think... I’m done.”
Tony clapped his shoulder. “You’ve earned it.”
As the crowd dwindled, the heroes began parting ways. Bruce lingered as an Avenger a little longer. T’Challa returned to Wakanda with grace. Moon Knight vanished back into London’s shadows. Xialing returned to her compound. Scott and Hope disappeared into the quantum horizon. Bucky and Sam drove off toward a peaceful dinner with Sam’s sister. Finally, Loki approached Thor with Sylvie at his side. “I’ll return,” Loki said quietly. “But only to make sure you don’t do anything too stupid with that crown.”
Thor grinned, pulling him into a rare hug. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The Guardians fired up their ship. Thor waved obnoxiously at Quill, who rolled his eyes. As the ship lifted into the sky, the stars above gleamed a little brighter. The war was over. The multiverse was free. And for the first time in a long time... the future was theirs to choose.
Chapter 22: Bonus Chapter 1: Loki's Return to New Asgard
Chapter Text
The journey to New Asgard aboard Quill’s ship was anything but peaceful. Between Thor’s booming laughter, Quill’s egotistical storytelling, and Rocket’s snarky interruptions, the ship felt less like a noble return home and more like a pub brawl waiting to happen. Drinks sloshed, voices clashed, and arguments over leadership, music taste, and navigation flared constantly. Valkyrie sat in the corner with her arms crossed, trying her best to drown them out. Sylvie was visibly irritated, while Loki looked ready to hurl someone out the airlock.
Eventually, Valkyrie stood up, grabbed a bottle of gin, and muttered, "To hell with this," before downing a swig and storming toward the exit ramp just as they landed.
The moment the ramp lowered, Loki and Sylvie were the first ones sprinting out—Valkyrie close behind them, still holding her bottle like it was the only thing keeping her sane. “This could take a while,” Valkyrie said with a sigh, glancing over her shoulder as Thor and Quill continued shouting inside the ship. “Why don’t you two explore the town while I deal with His Royal Brainless and Captain Ego?”
Loki arched a brow. “Are you certain? I could break them up with a snap.”
Valkyrie shook her head. “Tempting, but no. Best to let them wear themselves out.”
Taking her advice, Loki and Sylvie disguised themselves using subtle illusions—just enough to pass as unassuming tourists. As they stepped into the town square, they were struck by how different New Asgard was. The grandeur of golden halls and shimmering waterfalls had been replaced by modest buildings, cobblestone streets, and fishing docks. The change was jarring, not just for them, but clearly for the Asgardians who now called this place home. Loki could feel it—discontent, weariness, and a longing for the past lingering in the air. The people were trying, but the wounds of Ragnarok had not fully healed.
Sylvie glanced around. “Let’s split up. We’ll cover more ground.”
Loki nodded, but just as they turned to go their separate ways, a sharp voice cut through the quiet buzz of the town. “Get away from me!”
The shout came from a narrow alley just ahead. Loki dashed toward the sound, heart pounding. When he reached the scene, a sick sense of déjà vu twisted in his gut. A young woman was on the ground, trembling, her face streaked with tears and bruises. Her tangled chestnut hair framed her terrified eyes. A towering man stood over her, sneering, his hand raised again. Loki’s illusion shattered as he stormed forward, stepping between them. “Back away from her,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible! You’re supposed to be dead, you Jotun scum!”
Before the man could say another word, Loki’s fist collided with his jaw. The blow knocked him out cold. Breathing heavily, Loki turned back to the woman, and his heart stopped. “Sigyn?” he whispered.
Her eyes widened, and then, as the realization set in, she flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. They stayed like that for several moments, the past melting away as the present came crashing in. Sylvie, who had arrived just behind him, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We need to get her to a healer. Now.”
They rushed to the nearby healing center, where Healer Eir immediately began treating Sigyn’s wounds. “Is she… going to be alright?” Loki asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
“She’ll survive,” Eir said gravely. “But she’s not the first. Sigyn, she was the tenth I’ve treated for abuse this month.”
Loki froze. “What?”
Before Eir could answer, another woman burst through the doors, bruised and sobbing for help. Healers rushed to her side. Loki recognized her instantly. “That’s Lady Viva. She used to serve my mother. How many more, Eir?” Loki asked quietly.
“Too many,” she replied. “They all share two things in common—forced marriages to wealthy lords and… children.”
Loki’s blood turned to ice. He and Sylvie were led to Sigyn’s room. When they stepped inside, Sigyn looked up at Loki with tear-streaked cheeks. Sylvie gave Loki a reassuring kiss on the cheek before leaving to check on the other women. Loki sat by the bed and took Sigyn’s hand. “I can’t believe it… You’re alive. I missed you, princeling,” she whispered.
“I missed you, too, Spitfire.”
For a moment, it felt like old times. But reality returned when he gently asked what had happened. Sigyn’s voice shook as she told him everything: how Thor’s absence allowed the nobles to seize control, how they enacted oppressive laws, forbidding travel, promoting elitism, and worst of all—how they forced young women into marriages with their sons. When her father, a respected general, passed away, Sigyn was claimed by Lord Barkis, son of the infamous Lord Brakken. Loki remembered Brakken—a vile man—and his son sounded worse.
Sigyn’s eyes welled with tears. “When I became pregnant, everything changed. He treated me like a prisoner.”
Loki was stunned. “You… have a child?”
Her voice broke. “Not that it matters. If a child isn’t perfect by their standards, they’re taken away. Reassigned to life as a servant… if they’re lucky.” Then came the final blow. “One of the noble sons—he poisoned his wife, Claire. Because she found out what he planned to do to their child.”
Loki’s rage boiled over. “We’re ending this,” he vowed.
He and Sylvie made a plan. Eir was ordered to gather evidence from the hospital for a trial. Sylvie went to rescue Sigyn’s child from Barkis. Loki, meanwhile, went after Claire’s daughter. He arrived at a noble district—lavish mansions lined the roads, surrounded by extravagance built on suffering. Loki found Claire’s home, checked for magical defenses, then slipped inside. Beer bottles littered the floor, and the air reeked of neglect. He followed the faint sound of crying to a small, locked door. With a flick of his hand, the lock clicked open.
Inside, he found a girl, no older than five, sitting on a dirty mattress. Her arms and back bore old scars, and a blindfold covered her eyes. She flinched when Loki approached, whispering pleas for mercy. Kneeling beside her, he said gently, “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to save you.”
She didn’t speak. Loki suspected her father had threatened her into silence. Suddenly, he heard voices in the hall—Claire’s husband and a soldier. “They’re taking her,” he realized.
Scooping the child into his arms, Loki teleported them both to Thor’s house. The girl clung to him like a lifeline. He gave her a warm bath, cleaned her wounds, and conjured her a soft dress. As she soaked, he sat beside her and finally removed the blindfold. “Sweetheart,” he said, his voice trembling, “can you open your eyes? I promise, no matter what—I won’t judge.”
The moment the little girl opened her eyes, Loki finally understood what Sigyn had meant by “getting rid of the imperfect child of the nobles.” Her eyes—one a pale, crystalline blue, the other a warm hazel—were strikingly different, but beautiful all the same. A shiver of fear ran through the child as she met Loki’s gaze. Startled, she immediately shut her eyes, trembling as though she expected him to hurt her. Loki’s expression softened. He knelt down to her level and gently took her small hand in his. “I think your eyes are very special,” he said softly, voice calm and warm.
The girl hesitantly opened her eyes again, uncertain at first—but then, upon seeing no judgment in Loki’s face, she smiled. It was a small, shy smile, but it lit up her delicate features. After carefully helping her out of the bath, Loki wrapped her in a towel, dried her off, and dressed her in a simple lilac dress. He handed her a pair of soft sneakers—practical and comfortable for her little feet. He led her into the bedroom next and sat her on a low stool while he gently brushed through her long, damp, platinum-blonde hair.
It was matted in places, tangled and rough from neglect, but Loki worked through the knots with patience. With each stroke, she relaxed more. He finished the look by tying her hair into two neat French braids. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she beamed with quiet delight. Loki crouched beside her. “What’s your name, little one?”
The girl didn’t speak. Instead, she reached into her small palm and held out a worn bracelet. Loki took it and examined the carved lettering: Ella. “Ella,” he repeated softly. “Is that your name?”
She nodded and then raised four fingers. “Four years old,” he murmured with a thoughtful smile. “You’ve been through too much for someone so young.”
He told her they’d be visiting Healer Eir, just for a quick check-up. Ella nodded again, quietly clutching his fingers as they made their way toward the door. But before they could leave, the front door flew open. “Loki!” Thor’s voice rang through the halls. “You here?”
Loki turned sharply, instinctively shielding Ella behind him. “Stay in the bedroom, little one,” he whispered.
He stepped into the entryway and found Thor standing at the threshold with a full entourage: Sylvie, Valkyrie, the Guardians, and Healer Eir in tow. “We’ve got everything ready for the trial,” Sylvie announced.
“That quick?” Loki arched a brow.
Sylvie nodded, her expression grim. “The women in the hospital gave up everything on their husbands. I’ve stored their memories—every last detail. Enough to expose the lords for what they are. Eir’s got all the medical records. We even got Sigyn’s son out safely.”
Before Loki could reply, Quill squinted toward the hallway. “What’s with the Mini Snow Queen back there?”
Loki turned to find Ella peeking out from behind his leg. He picked her up instinctively, resting her on his hip as she clung to him like a baby koala. “This is Ella,” he said simply. “She’s… one of the victims.”
Quill’s features softened, the usual sarcasm fading. “Poor kid. I can watch her while you handle the trial,” Quill offered. “Swear I’ll keep her safe. I know what it’s like to grow up with a rotten father.”
Loki hesitated, but the sincerity in Quill’s voice held weight. “If you stay with her,” he said, “then one of the Guardians must stay too.”
Ella, however, decided for them. She walked right up to Rocket, blinked, and then gently petted his head like he was a kitten. Rocket scowled. “Hey! I am not a cat!”
“She’s claimed you,” Quill grinned. “Looks like you’re staying with me, buddy.”
“Just great,” Rocket muttered. “Babysitting duty. Covered in glitter in three... two... one…”
The trial hall was packed, the air heavy with tension. Former guards had already rounded up the noble lords and their sons, placing them under strict custody. Loki and Sylvie took their place beside Thor, who stepped forward to announce the charges—treason, abuse, forced marriages, even murder. Predictably, the accused denied everything. But their lies couldn’t stand against the testimonies of the women. One by one, they came forward. Voices trembled. Tears fell. But the truth was undeniable.
Sigyn herself stood bravely before the court, revealing that the poison that took Claire’s life came directly from her own husband. The crowd gasped in horror. With the evidence laid bare, Thor made his ruling: All noble titles were stripped. The forced marriages were dissolved. Those guilty were sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. Claire’s murderer was sentenced to execution. Then Thor raised his voice, proud and clear. “My brother Loki uncovered this injustice—who returned from the shadows not to seek revenge, but justice.”
There was a stunned silence—then cheers. Applause. Asgard, at last, welcomed their lost prince. And finally, Thor made his final decree. “I am stepping down from the throne,” he declared. “It is time for a new chapter. Valkyrie shall rule Asgard. Loki will serve as her royal adviser.”
After the trial, Loki stepped aside with Healer Eir, hushedly speaking to her. He wanted to adopt Ella—make her his daughter, legally and truly. “She has no family,” he said. “But she has me now.”
Papers were drawn up and signed. Loki returned to Thor’s house, expecting silence. Instead, he found a curious scene: Ella sleeping on the couch with Rocket curled up in her arms like a stuffed toy. The raccoon-like Guardian was covered in glitter and pink blush, his fur sporting haphazard makeup smears. “About time you got back,” Rocket grumbled. “Your little friend decided I needed a makeover.”
Loki bit his tongue to keep from bursting into laughter. “She likes you,” Quill chuckled. “And for what it’s worth, you’ve got good instincts. If you ever need a babysitter, I’m your guy.”
Loki gently knelt beside Ella and shook her awake. Her eyes fluttered open, and when she saw him, she smiled sleepily. “I have something to tell you,” he said. “Ella… I’d like to adopt you. Would you like that?”
Her eyes widened with joy. She jumped up and threw her arms around Loki’s neck. “Yes!” she whispered against his collar.
Then she turned to Sylvie, her innocent heart making the connection on its own. Ella hugged her too. “You’ll be my mommy?”
Sylvie’s eyes welled with tears. She nodded, holding the child close. “Of course, darling,” she said. “We’ll both take care of you.”
Later that evening, Thor and Loki shared a quiet, emotional farewell. There were tears. Laughter. Promises to visit. Ella watched Rocket leave with teary eyes. Loki knelt and conjured a stuffed raccoon plushie—complete with Rocket’s grumpy expression. “For you,” he said.
She hugged it tightly. That night, Loki set up one of the guest rooms as a nursery. He tucked Ella into bed and sang softly, a lullaby Frigga used to hum to him when the world was too loud. She fell asleep with her Rocket plushie clutched in her arms. Behind him, Sylvie leaned in the doorway, watching.
“How long were you there?” he whispered.
“Long enough to hear that lullaby,” she said softly. “You’re really good with her.”
Loki looked down at Ella, then back at Sylvie. “We both had difficult childhoods. I want hers to be different. I want to be a good father. I want to prove… I’m not Odin.”
Sylvie walked over, cupped his face, and kissed him gently. “You already are,” she whispered. “And even if we’re not married… We’ll be great parents. Together.”
Chapter 23: Bonus Chapter 2: Clearing Spider-Man's Name
Chapter Text
A few days into Valkyrie’s reign as the new ruler of Asgard, sweeping changes were already underway. She wasted no time dismantling the outdated and oppressive rules once enforced by the nobles. Entire wings of the royal mansion were demolished, replaced with smaller, cozier homes built to welcome all citizens equally. Her leadership was already leaving its mark—more inclusive, compassionate, and hopeful. Meanwhile, Loki was focused on creating a loving and secure home for Ella. With Thor now traveling with the Guardians, the house felt emptier, but Loki and Sylvie filled it with purpose and warmth.
Together, they transformed one of the guest rooms into a real bedroom for Ella. They painted the walls a calming shade of lilac—her favorite—and decorated them with stars and moon decals that glowed in the dark. A soft bed with fluffy blankets, shelves full of picture books, and a small chest brimming with toys made the space come alive. Healer Eir, after carefully examining Ella, gave Loki a salve to help the bruises on her delicate skin fade and some herbal medicine to soothe her stomach, which had suffered from months of malnourishment.
Loki’s concern turned to her silence. “Will she ever speak again?” he asked.
Eir gave him a small smile. “She might, when she feels safe enough. Don’t rush her. Just love her.”
And love her they did. While Loki balanced his new duties—assisting Valkyrie with building homes, creating schools, and establishing a library where he would gladly teach history—Sylvie began preparing for a trip to New York. A press conference awaited her, one that could finally clear Spider-Man’s name. As she packed her bag, Ella clung tightly to her leg, eyes wide and teary. “I’ll be back soon, sweetheart,” Sylvie promised, kneeling to kiss her forehead. “Loki will be with you the whole time.”
Reluctantly, Ella let go and ran into Loki’s arms. He and Sylvie shared a long kiss before she stepped through the portal. Once she was gone, Loki looked down at Ella and crouched to her level. “Alright, little one. I’ve got a special mission for you.”
She tilted her head curiously. “I’m planning to ask Sylvie to marry me,” he said with a hopeful smile. “But I need help picking out the perfect ring. Think you can help me?”
Ella’s eyes lit up. She nodded excitedly and tugged at his hand, trying to pull him toward the door. “Hold on!” Loki laughed. “Let’s get you dressed first. Then we’ll go ring hunting.”
Meanwhile, in New York, Madison Square Garden was packed. Reporters, students from Midtown High, and crowds split between Spider-Man supporters and critics filled the venue. Protest signs were waved in the air. There was tension—and hope. Backstage, familiar faces gathered: Aunt May, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Ned, MJ, Happy, Pepper, and little Morgan. They anxiously awaited Sylvie, who had agreed to help them settle the mess Quentin Beck had left behind.
Tony Stark, already onstage, delivered his signature blend of snark and charm, warming up the crowd with a few jokes before motioning to bring out Sylvie, introduced under the pseudonym Sarah to protect her identity and Loki’s secret. Sylvie stepped onto the stage, calm and confident. “Good evening,” she began. “I am Sarah Blake, a private legal consultant brought in to assist Mr. Stark in matters regarding recent allegations against Spider-Man. Tonight, we have something to share—something important.”
With a small hand gesture behind her back, she signaled Happy to cue the video. But there was no projector—it was her magic casting Peter’s memories as a vivid illusion. The audience gasped as the scene unfolded before them like a living film: Peter nervously handing over the EDITH glasses to Beck, the truth about Beck’s manipulation, the terrifying drone attack, and finally, Beck’s own downfall—not at Peter’s hands, but by his own actions. Turns out, the spell also erased the entire audience's memory of Beck revealing Peter's identity, and Tony erased Beck's video from the internet.
A hush fell over the room. Signs lowered. Protesters stared, stunned. Some of the most vocal critics looked ashamed. Even reporters struggled to form their next questions. Tony stepped forward again. “As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, Spider-Man was framed. The world saw a manipulated video and ran with it. But the truth always finds its way out.”
Peter stepped onto the stage, now unmasked, and joined Tony. “I didn’t do any of the things Beck accused me of. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who gave me the chance to prove it.”
Behind the stage curtain, Sylvie stood beside Pepper, Aunt May, and the others, quietly observing. Matt Murdock approached, tapping her on the shoulder. “You’ve got talent. Ever consider becoming a real lawyer?”
Sylvie arched a brow. “Depends. Do all lawyers wear red sunglasses?”
Matt grinned and handed her a card. “Give me a call. We could use someone like you.”
She pocketed the card with a smirk. “I’ll think about it.”
Back onstage, as Tony and Peter wrapped up the conference, there was no more shouting, no more accusations—just applause. The memory of Beck’s reveal had been erased from the public consciousness, and Peter’s name was clear once more. As Peter rejoined the others backstage, he approached Sylvie with genuine gratitude. “Thank you. For everything.” “You’re welcome,” she said softly. “Just take care of yourself... and those friends of yours.”
Peter grinned, then looked down at Morgan, who handed him a crayon drawing of Spider-Man and Sylvie giving high-fives. “She says you’re cool.”
“I’ll take it,” Sylvie chuckled, ruffling Morgan’s hair.
Back in New Asgard, Loki and Ella were browsing through a quaint little jeweler’s shop nestled near the town square, searching for the perfect engagement ring for Sylvie. The golden glow of the shop’s chandeliers danced off the glass cases, reflecting in Ella’s wide eyes as she examined everything with childlike curiosity. Loki, meanwhile, was far more serious—his brow furrowed, his hands clasped behind his back as he scrutinized each ring with princely precision. “None of these feel… right,” Loki muttered under his breath, glancing down at Ella, who was now pressing her nose against the glass.
"Go for the one with the diamond and emeralds," came a voice from behind.
Loki turned around, startled, only to see Mobius, Shang-Chi, and Katy standing there like a trio of meddling siblings caught in the act. Loki blinked. “What in the Nine Realms are you three doing here?”
Katy beamed proudly. “Oh, I may have overheard you talking about proposing to Sylvie and decided you needed backup. So, I dragged Mobius and Shang into my little mission. You’re welcome.”
Loki stared at her, lips slightly parted. “You’re meddling in my love life?”
“Technically,” Katy said, “I’m optimizing it.”
Despite his protests, Loki was secretly grateful. With their help—and a surprising amount of enthusiasm from Katy—they finally chose a ring: a striking piece adorned with a central diamond and three emeralds on either side, the stones glimmering like a miniature constellation. Loki paid for it, still a little dazed, then followed the group home, Ella skipping happily at his side. As they arrived back at the house, Katy was already rattling off proposal ideas at lightning speed. “We’ll do candles! Music! Rose petals! You’ll need a distraction for Sylvie… Don’t worry, I’ll babysit Ella.”
Loki raised a brow. “I—wait, I didn’t—”
“Great, it’s settled!” she chirped, already halfway out the door with Ella in tow.
Loki turned to Shang with a look of weary confusion. “Is she always like this?”
Shang gave a resigned smile. “No. She’s worse. But the meddling? That’s new.”
Despite his reservations, Loki went along with some of Katy’s suggestions. Mobius arranged scented candles throughout the house, casting soft glows against the walls. Shang handled the music player, setting up a playlist filled with soft, romantic melodies. Loki carefully laid out rose petals leading from the door to the heart of the living room. Later that afternoon, Katy returned, arms overflowing with shopping bags, and Ella bouncing in behind her, proudly cradling a small white kitten. “She’s yours,” Katy said with a wink. “A gift. For being adorable.”
Ella named the kitten Snowflake on the spot, enchanted by its snowy fur and curious eyes. Loki, touched by the gesture, smiled warmly. “Thank you… for everything.”
“Oh, and heads up,” Katy added. “I saw Sylvie walking up the path with Tony and Peter. Showtime!”
Before Loki could respond, Katy had already dragged Mobius, Shang, and Ella (kitten included) into the next room. As the door clicked shut, Sylvie entered—and immediately stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened at the candlelit trail and the soft music floating through the air. “Loki…?” she whispered.
Loki stepped forward, heart pounding. He didn’t speak—not yet. Instead, he got down on one knee and revealed the ring. “Sylvie,” he began, voice steady but emotional, “will you make me the happiest man in the universe… and marry me?”
Sylvie’s eyes welled with tears. She gasped, then launched forward, throwing her arms around him. “Yes! Yes, of course, I will!”
The cheers from the other room were instant. Katy practically exploded out, squealing in delight. Tony and Peter followed, grinning as everyone swarmed around the newly engaged couple. “I’m already planning the bachelor party,” Tony declared, clapping Loki on the shoulder.
“And I’ve got like ten ideas for the bachelorette!” Katy added. “Number one: dimension-hopping spa day.”
Amid the buzz, Mobius leaned toward Loki and asked, “Hey, uh… You told Thor, right?”
Loki froze, all color draining from his face. “...No.”
Tony sighed. “You should probably do that. Before he finds out and has an aneurysm.”
Loki reluctantly pulled out the communicator Quill had given him. “Here goes nothing.”
To his dismay, Thor answered immediately, a beaming face filling the screen. The Guardians and Korg were visible in the background, all laughing and chatting. “Brother! It’s so good to see—”
“I’m getting married to Sylvie,” Loki blurted out.
Thor’s grin faltered. He stared blankly… and promptly collapsed off-screen. “Called it!” Katy cheered. “Mobius, you owe me ten bucks!”
Mobius grumbled but handed over the cash just as Thor reappeared. “MARRIAGE?!” he roared. “NO! Absolutely not! I’m coming home right now!”
The call ended. Silence. Then Loki groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “I’m doomed.”
Tony tried to console him. “He probably won’t be here for a few days—”
FWOOOM. The Bifrost opened just outside the house. Thor stormed through the front door with Korg and the Guardians on his heels. “Never mind,” Tony muttered. “Jinxed it.”
Thor marched over, grabbed Loki by the arm, and hauled him into the bedroom. “We’re talking. Now.”
“Wow,” Peter whispered. “That guy really commits to dramatic entrances.”
Inside the bedroom, the shouting started almost immediately. “You’re not ready for this! It’s too soon! You can’t just get married!”
“I can, Thor! I love her—and this is my life, not yours!”
“Come with me and the Guardians. You need time to think—”
“I’m not abandoning Sylvie or Ella to go on some space crusade with you!”
Their voices grew louder until— “Daddy…?”
Both turned to see Ella in the doorway, clutching her stuffed raccoon. Her lip trembled. Loki’s heart cracked. He rushed to her, scooping her into his arms. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She nodded sleepily. “Nap?”
Loki carried her to her room, tucked her in with her raccoon, Rocky, named after Rocket, and watched as Snowflake curled beside her. “Lullaby?” she asked softly.
Loki began singing Frigga’s lullaby, the same one that had soothed him so many nights as a child. His voice was quiet, melodic, full of warmth In the doorway, Thor and the others stood silently, watching. Something in Thor’s expression softened. As the song ended, Loki turned and was enveloped in a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” Thor whispered. “I just… I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not,” Loki murmured. “But I need you to trust me.”
Thor nodded, blinking back emotion. “You have my blessing. On two conditions: one, the Guardians stay for the wedding. And two—I’m planning your bachelor party. I refuse to let Stark get you blackout drunk the night before.”
Loki smirked. “Fine. But I’m wearing a tracking spell this time.”
Tony sulked. “Great. Party-poopers, both of you.”
That night, as the house quieted and the stars began to shimmer above New Asgard, Katy and the others bid their goodbyes. The Guardians stayed behind with Thor and Korg. “So…” Rocket said, looking around. “Who sleeps where?”
“There are two guest rooms,” Sylvie explained. “Mantis and Nebula in one. Star-Lord, Drax, Groot, and Rocket in the other. Thor, you and Korg get the couch.”
“Why me?” Thor whined.
“Because,” Loki said, arms crossed. “You nearly destroyed our engagement.”
Korg patted Thor on the back. “Don’t worry, mate. I snore really quietly.”
Thor groaned as the others chuckled. And somewhere in the house, Snowflake purred quietly beside Ella, a sign that—for now at least—this little family was exactly where it was meant to be.
Chapter 24: Bonus Chapter 3: Sylki Wedding
Chapter Text
The wedding between Loki and Sylvie was all anyone in New Asgard could talk about. From tavern gossip to temple whispers, excitement buzzed through the golden streets. Early wedding gifts began appearing at their doorstep—enchanted trinkets, embroidered linens, magical heirlooms from across realms. Some were signed with names they hadn’t seen since the multiverse crisis, a reminder of how far they had come. Preparations unfolded in joyful chaos. Loki, Thor, and Quill ventured through the bustling Asgardian markets to find the perfect wedding tux.
Loki had insisted on something regal but minimal—black and emerald, lined with subtle gold threading in Asgardian runes. Thor, of course, couldn’t resist suggesting armor-like tuxedo options, while Quill pushed for something “space suave.” Eventually, Loki settled on a custom suit that subtly shimmered when the light hit it just right—a balance of Midgard style and royal flair.
Meanwhile, Sylvie was out dress shopping with Valkyrie and Ella, the latter giddily offering opinions far beyond her years. They browsed fabrics, jewels, and mystical enhancements until Sylvie found the one—an ethereal gown that danced like starlight, tailored with soft silver embroidery and a train that resembled a flowing nebula. Ella declared it “the most magical dress ever.” Sylvie blushed.
Tony Stark, ever the efficient planner, took charge of sending out invitations across the multiverse. With Friday coordinating the guest list and portal access logistics, he sent Doctor Strange on delivery duty. “It’s either this or let Wong do it and risk half the guests winding up in the Quantum Realm,” Tony quipped.
Strange begrudgingly complied. Peter Parker (T.H.) took the rest of the invites, zipping through New York with his usual enthusiasm. Sylvie named Pepper Potts and Katy her bridesmaids, with Valkyrie as her maid of honor. Loki asked Mobius and Thor to be his best men, though Thor had dramatically begged for the role. “You’re both my best men,” Loki reasoned, earning a teary nod from Thor. “Just don’t weep through the whole ceremony.”
The night before the wedding, Katy organized a lively bachelorette party—just drinks, dinner, and a little chaos. They laughed late into the night, karaoke was involved, and Nebula even joined in, proving surprisingly good at 2000s pop ballads. Back at the house, Thor hosted a bachelor party that rapidly descended into near-chaos. Eddie and Venom got a little too into the Asgardian mead, and before long, Venom tried to eat a decorative suit of armor. The Spider-Men—Peter (T.H.), Peter (A.G.), and Peter (T.M.)—stepped in to prevent a disaster.
After that fiasco, Thor wisely sent everyone home, leaving Loki alone to wait for Sylvie. She returned shortly after, supporting a completely wasted Katy, who was singing off-key and giggling about her dress shoes. Loki helped Sylvie carry Katy to the guest room, then they both laughed quietly in the hallway. They spent the next hour cleaning up the bachelor party mess. Loki magicked away most of the debris, while Sylvie manually picked up shattered mead mugs. As the house settled into peace, they checked on Ella, who was staying with Sigyn for the night.
They found her tucked into bed, clutching her stuffed dragon. Loki kissed her forehead and whispered, “Sleep well, little comet.” Sylvie smiled beside him.
Over the next few days, the couple finalized every detail: seating charts, spell-proof protections, and the playlist (which Peter insisted include at least one Taylor Swift song). The venue was a grand Asgardian chapel surrounded by golden trees and shimmering light, somewhere between celestial and homey. When it came to choosing flowers, Loki suggested white lilies—Frigga’s favorite. Sylvie paused, then nodded. “She’d love that,” she said softly.
The sun shone gently over New Asgard. The chapel was filled with familiar faces from across realities—heroes, royals, guardians, and misfits. The air was thick with joy and expectation. Wong, suited and solemn, stood at the altar, preparing to officiate. Doctor Strange—looking oddly emotional—prepared to walk Sylvie down the aisle. In one of the preparation rooms, Loki stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his cufflinks. Mobius offered encouragement while Thor sniffled dramatically in the corner. “Thor, it’s just a wedding,” Loki sighed.
“It’s your wedding, Loki! My little brother is all grown up!” Thor wailed and rushed to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
Loki rolled his eyes. “Maybe I should’ve asked Tony to be one of my best men,” he muttered.
Right on cue, Quill stuck his head in. “Showtime.”
Loki nodded, straightened his posture, and stepped out with Mobius and, eventually, a red-eyed Thor trailing behind. The music began. The doors opened. Morgen and Ella entered first, scattering lilies across the floor, their dresses gleaming like tiny stars. Then, all eyes turned to Sylvie. She stepped through the doors, radiant in her shimmering gown, holding a bouquet of lilies. Doctor Strange walked beside her with surprising gentleness. Valkyrie, glowing with pride, followed just behind. Loki’s breath caught. Sylvie was always stunning—but in that moment, she looked like destiny itself.
Strange brought Sylvie to the altar, gave Loki a warning look (“don’t mess this up”), and returned to sit beside Tony, who was already holding a handkerchief for Pepper. Wong began the ceremony, delivering a beautifully simple speech about love, timelines, and choosing one another through chaos. Thor tried—and failed—not to cry again. Loki began his vows. “Sylvie, you changed my life. You challenged me, stood beside me, and made me see myself not as a villain, but as someone worthy of love. I don’t just want to walk beside you through this life—I want to face every future with you. You and our daughter are my everything.”
Sylvie took a breath, eyes shining. “I’ve been on the run for most of my life. Love always felt like a trap. But then I met you—another me, and yet… not. You made me feel safe for the first time. You gave me a reason to stop running. I want to build something real with you. I want this next chapter—with you, with Ella, with our strange, wonderful little family.”
Wong called for the rings. From the aisle came Groot, proudly carrying a small box atop his outstretched arms. “I am Groot!” he announced.
Loki and Sylvie exchanged rings, whispers, and promises only they could hear. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Wong declared. “You may kiss the bride.”
They kissed—slow, romantic, meaningful. The crowd burst into cheers. Thor wept openly, using Rocket’s tail as a tissue. Tony clapped with genuine pride. Peter (T.H.) gave a thumbs up. Pepper wiped her eyes. Even Nebula smirked.
The celebration moved into the next room—a grand hall decked in floating candles, cosmic decorations, and music that spanned across dimensions. Loki and Sylvie cut the cake together—three tiers, covered in edible runes and topped with a tiny enchanted figure of them kissing. Ella giggled as she stuffed her face with cake, her fingers sticky with frosting. On the dance floor, couples swayed while others laughed and toasted. The three Peters were chatting until Peter (A.G.) nudged Peter (T.H.) toward MJ, who was sitting alone.
“She looks lonely,” Peter (A.G.) said.
“I don’t dance,” Peter (T.H.) protested.
“Oh come on,” Peter (A.G.) grinned, shoving him. MJ caught him mid-stumble and pulled him onto the floor with a smirk.
“Really, man?” Electro asked.
“Hey, we Parkers need all the help we can get,” Peter (T.M.) said. And he wasn’t wrong.
Soon, the clinking of a champagne glass rang through the room. Valkyrie stood proudly. “As the Maid of Honor, I get the joy of giving the speech. Loki and Sylvie—watching you two fight, bicker, fall in love, and parent a chaos-powered child has been a delight. You’re both stubborn, brilliant, and surprisingly sweet. You remind us all that even gods deserve love. And Ella, your parents are lucky to have you.”
The crowd raised their glasses. Later, Bruce Banner set up a camera for wedding photos. First came the family portrait—Loki, Sylvie, and Ella in the center. Then a fun group shot with Thor, Korg, and Valkyrie. Finally, one with everyone—Guardians, Avengers, sorcerers, Asgardians, friends from across the multiverse. As the night wound down, guests departed—Thor, Korg, and the Guardians returned to space, while others stepped through shimmering portals to their home realities. Tony lingered for a moment, catching Loki’s eye.
“You did good, Reindeer Games,” he said softly. “Don’t screw it up.”
“I don’t plan to,” Loki replied, watching Sylvie and Ella laugh nearby.
This wasn’t the end. This was the beginning of something greater. A new journey, a new chapter, a new family. Together.
Akren (Guest) on Chapter 1 Wed 09 Apr 2025 07:10PM UTC
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DemonWriterGirl739 on Chapter 1 Wed 09 Apr 2025 08:00PM UTC
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Solei98 on Chapter 17 Fri 11 Apr 2025 11:18PM UTC
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