Legal Disclaimer: My work is my own creative intelligence and property, but I do not own the original source material it stems from (I wouldn't be writing fanfiction if it was). The opinions and interpretations of characters and events reflected in my stories may not follow what is portrayed from the source material. Please don't sue me, I'm a stay at home mom.

Competition/Challenge Block
Written for/Stacked with: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4)

MC4A: Fireworks (Yank to the Bank; Kuanaz; Dangle); Garden (Tools [Jewelry])

Word Count: 1,848

Author's Note: My brain said; "The TVA sucks. What if the TVA employees were religious? They wouldn't even know anything about their culture or heritage or religion... nothing." Well, the TVA does suck indeed, but then my brain was like; "Mobius is Jewish change my mind." And I wondered how I could present that while at the suffocating clutches of the TVA.

I'd like to think the necklace was somehow missed during his processing, or someone (coughRavonnacough) gifted it to him right after and that is why he has had it from the very beginning of his memory. Hmmmmmm... All he knows is he has to keep it a secret.

Also, Loki being a Midgardian nerd is amusing to me, take it and like it. Or don't. Idc. :P

(This was also written and proofed in various stages, so if there are any silly errors in it that is because I should have but didn't do a comb through when it finished and just posted it because I am impatient and feel like a shotgun right now littering the world with my mediocre writing.)

I'd Like to Learn

Loki was apprehensive about this deal Mobius offered him. He knew absolutely nothing about the man, yet he was deeply interested in learning about him because he was quite difficult to read and anticipate. It was different from what he was accustomed to anyway, most people he encountered were like an open book or easy to predict, but not this time.

Mobius took Loki somewhere to change into something a little bit more respectful than the dreadful prison jumpsuit and followed it up with taking him to the cafeteria. They sat across from each other in awkward silence. Loki shifted in his seat and was on high alert about everything going on around him rather than focusing on eating anything. Though he was starving, it was that sickly feeling that kept him from wanting to actually quell it by eating due to nerves and insecurity. It didn't help that he didn't trust the food, either. Mobius watched him intently before gently pulling his attention to him.

"Anything that I can do to help ease your conscience?" Mobius asked, sipping at his strange drink.

Loki straightened his posture, looking at Mobius suspiciously.

"You can be honest with me," he continued, gesturing at him with the drink in his hand. "What's on your mind?"

Loki subtly bit at his lip, contemplating on if he should take the bait. He was already quite raw with the truth earlier, what more did this mortal want from him? "I find it unnerving that I am unable to get a read on you, and yet here you are able to practically read my mind. It feels a bit intrusive. Violating, even."

How was that for honesty? He felt strange admitting another deep-rooted weakness so openly, but Loki could already tell that Mobius knew he was very uncomfortable with literally everything already, so he wasn't revealing anything new there. The entire idea of the TVA in and of itself was enough to make him want to be sick over.

"Well, if it will help level the playing field for you some, you can ask me anything about myself if you'd like," Mobius offered. "Have you heard of the game Twenty Questions?"

Loki tilted his head and folded his arms in front of him, clearly unamused. "Yes. But if I recall, it is an exchange game. What do you have to ask me about that you don't already know?"

"We don't have to do that. You can ask all the questions and I'll simply answer. How's that?"

He squinted slightly at the agent, failing to detect anything malicious about the offer. It was hard to say if it was a relief or if he should be even more on guard because of this, however.

"Fine. What's this beverage you are constantly drinking?"

Mobius raised the loud colored can up as if that would answer the question. "It's called an energy soda. Tastes like tropical fruit but with a little extra kick to it. Helps keep me going during the long days and piles of paperwork."

Loki didn't care to properly process the answer, instead he decided to dig deeper almost immediately. "Is your name really Mobius M. Mobius? Certainly the second M isn't the same thing?"

"It is, and it is," Mobius answered nonchalantly, setting his drink down and tucking his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket, relaxing into the hard plastic chair.

It was the complete opposite position to how Loki was sitting; stiff and straight, shoulders squared, yet sitting just off-center enough to make a sudden break for it should a threat turn up at a second's notice. His gaze scanned the perimeter regularly, not staying focused on Mobius like he was doing on him. Call it paranoia, but he really didn't like this place.

"That's utterly ridiculous," he jabbed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Why?"

"Your family must really loathe you by naming you like that," Loki continued before registering what he said.

"Well, maybe you could ask the Time-Keepers, should you ever meet them. They were the ones who provided me with my name," Mobius responded casually. "The rest of the TVA don't think twice about it because it is what is, after all."

"So you had no choice on what to call yourself?"

"Did you?"

Loki opened his mouth to protest but closed it immediately, looking away to make a point and deflect the silly trap he walked right into.

"Mobius…" Loki said again after a long stretch of silence.

The agent tilted his head in response, blinking slowly at him and the way he said his name. It was slow, elongating the vowels almost lazily.

"I see the clever name-making now. Named after the Midgardian mathematical construct known as the Möbius Strip. An impossible band somehow made possible to demonstrate a never-ending connected loop. Hence why your name is simply being repeated."

Loki flicked his attention back to his handler, who still appeared relatively relaxed and almost bored, perhaps even about to fall asleep.

"I suppose so," Mobius said, indicating that he was listening but not entirely versed in what was being said.

"Do you find yourself as an infinite loop? Always moving, yet never changing?"

Mobius shrugged in response, reaching for his drink again before getting to his feet. He gestured to Loki to follow. "Let's go somewhere more private."

Sighing, Loki obliged and fell into step. "You've not answered me."

"I know. Walking helps me think," he replied.

"What is there to think about? Do you not know yourself? A bit hypocritical to ask me this if you don't even know the answer to it in regards to yourself, don't you think?"

"That's nine questions. Better start choosing better ones soon before you use them all up," Mobius deadpanned, taking a long drink as he looked his way.

"They don't count until you answer them," Loki said, rolling his eyes.

Though Mobius was starting to annoy him by the lack of response, it was distracting enough from him to not quite keep track of where they were going. Right now they were in one of the many curved halls, silver doors dead ending it just ahead. Mobius pressed the button and waited in the strange silence for the elevator to come, Loki stood beside him, partially lost in thought as to what to specifically ask this person who had taken a great interest in him. Playing mind games wasn't seeming to do the trick, it seemed.

Nothing else was said until Mobius invited him into a small living space. Loki took in his surroundings while Mobius fell into a routine that he motioned through as if he didn't realize that he was even doing it. When he loosened his tie, Loki spotted a thin silver strand of something on his handler's neck. Without thinking, he grazed his fingers over the nape of Mobius' collared shirt and felt the cool metal before the agent tensed his shoulders and scrunched up his neck while turning quickly around to face him.

"What's around your neck?" Loki asked, not wanting to read into the startled expression on Mobius' face.

Relaxing before his eyes, Mobius took a breath and reached for the silver cord around his neck and pulled out an insignia from under his shirt, holding it in his palm to show Loki.

"My Star of David," he said simply, tucking it back under his shirt.

Loki raised a brow, finding the religious symbol quite intriguing to see on his person here of all places.

"You're Jewish?"

Mobius paused from heading for the bathroom, making a half-turn and holding up a finger between them. "Your random Earth knowledge is interesting to me. So check off one thing about you I didn't know about."

He gave a small smile at this. "Learning the basics about the Nine Realms was a requirement. But no one said I couldn't go beyond that and look into things on my own. The things mortals come up with on Midgard, however, I found particularly fascinating."

Mobius nodded, seeming to agree with what Loki had said. Clearing his throat, he looked to the floor, staring at his shoes. "No, I'm not Jewish. I'm not anything aside from my purpose given to me here at the TVA."

"Then why have it?"

Mobius shrugged, taking a moment in the process, his hand went to the hidden Star at his chest. "I've had it since… since I could remember, honestly. Just felt right keeping it on me."

"Fair enough."

"You're at twelve questions, by the way," Mobius reminded.

"You haven't answered some of them," Loki protested, crossing his arms. "Therefore I am only at nine."

Mobius raised his hands up in minor defeat before placing them on his hips and letting out a breath with a light shrug. "Alright. I suppose I am not sure how to answer you. I'm just me. I see myself as someone who analyzes Variants as needed and solves cases based on what I find." He made a circular motion with his hand as he thought. "That's just what I am meant to do. I guess it is a loop of sorts, the cases and Variants change, but the job doesn't. Is that satisfactory enough?"

Loki cocked his head to the side. "You failed to mention you are also a fearless, adrenaline seeking fool."

Mobius raised a brow at that. "What makes you say that?"

"You claim to specialize in dangerous Variants. If what my experience with you so far is anything to go off of, you have zero regard for your own safety by not having anyone in the film room with us." Loki took a calculated step closer. "I could've seriously harmed you had you not moved from the chair's trajectory earlier. And now, here we are yet again. Alone, in your private quarters no less. No time collar to utilize. What makes you think you are safe here with me?"

Loki proceeded to move closer to Mobius, seeing just how far he'd be allowed to go while subtly threatening him. Mobius was unwavering.

"Because I am confident in your honestly."

Loki felt his mask slip at that. Quickly recovering, he pressed on. "Do you object to that analysis of yourself?"

He was close enough now that the agent had to incline his head some to retain eye contact. After a long moment of intense silence, Mobius chuckled, shaking his head and turning away from Loki.

"You're not the first one who's noticed that about me." He rested a hand on the handle of the washroom, giving Loki a lingering look. "So I suppose with that known, you've hit the nail on the head with the deep stuff. You're at fourteen. When I come out I hope you have the next six ready. This is great. Some good stuff coming out of it."

Mobius proceeded to shut the door in Loki's face when he approached. Sighing in annoyance, he looked around the small space again, hoping that something in it would help him gain the upper hand on this frustrating person.