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 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.

Spoilers! The following work contains spoilers for Loki.

Competition/Challenge Block:
Written for/Stacked with: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Term 14); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4)
Hogwarts: Fortnightly 2; Sp Seasonal; Yearly; Jet Plane

MC4A: Su Bingo [5B-Wither]; AU Bingo [Soul Marks]; Ship Bingo [2C-Mutual Pining]; Ship War [Su Micro2 (Green; Yellow); Su Micro 1 (Soul Marks); Su Med 2 (First Touch Leaves Mark; Matching Marks)]; Fireworks (Speak Now; Gimmie Love; Loving AU); Garden (Flowers [Cream; Emerald; Gold]); NC (Muck & Slime; Lyre Liar); StL (Lock & Key; Car in a Tutu); ToS (Unwanted Advice; Spinning Plates); Rum (Sitting Hummingbird); MLG (Seven Gates); AV (Creature Feature); Shower (Tomorrow's Shade); Fence (Peddling Pots; Machismo); Star (Pocky Pockets; Pear-Shaped); SN (Rail; Ameliorate; Intercept): T3 (Thimble; Tether; Terrarium); CM (Brier; Yogin); War (Ennui; Monomania; Orator); ICs (Short Jog (Y); Criminal MC; LEO MC; Neurodivergent; Zed Era (Y); Magical MC; Old Shoes; Marvelous Cinema; Sliding Scale; Fix-It Felix; Extraterrestrial MC x2

Word Count: 1,592

Author's Note: This is a week and a half late and I hate myself a little bit for that. But it is here now… And it accidentally became a soulmate fic. I was on the fence with this ship, but then I found myself blindly boarding it after episode 2. WELP! Enjoy. (Also, the summary for this is literally what sparked this. sorrynotsorry.)

Warning Tags: Episode 1: Glorious Purpose Loki Spoilers; Excessive Force Used To Apprehend Someone; Very Minor D/s Elements

Don't You Realize Now? (I Decide My Own Fate)

Oh Christ, get behind me

Get behind me

Teach my skin

Oh, I am not frightened

I've invited nothing in

— Back from the Flesh by AFI

.oOo.

Loki hit the floor hard when he returned himself to the holding room that Mobius left him in, he still wasn't there, but it didn't stop him from messing with the strange device Mobius called a Time Twister he'd pickpocketed. Pressing on the center of the object rather than the dial, the collar made a sound and deactivated, falling slack around his neck. Loki ripped it off, tossing both items carelessly on the table before getting to his feet.

Looking at the paused screen of the Avengers, he tilted his head slightly and sat down at the control panel Mobius used to project the images of his alleged planned out life. It only took Loki a moment to figure out how to operate the thing and soon he was lost in what was revealed before him and the terrible fate at its end.

It seemed like Thanos kept his word after all...

The reel of footage had just come to a halting end when Loki could hear the door open and the soldier enter behind him. He ceased his laugh when she questioned him, and his look turned dangerous when he turned to face her. She moved forward with purpose and he met her determined stride, her eyes widening ever so slightly at the realization that the collar was no longer around his neck; it was enough for Loki to go in for the strike.

Hunter B-15 blocked his arm easily, and her opposite hand slammed hard against his breast, knocking the wind out of him. She proceeded to twist his arm viciously and shoved into Loki, trying to get him to submit, but he recovered just enough to reach for the collar on the edge of the table and wrap it around her neck. The click indicated it locked, and Hunter B-15 immediately released Loki to tug at the collar, her helmet falling off her head with the sudden head jerk she made. It gave him that precious second to snatch the Time Twister that controlled it before she could. He gave her a wicked smirk when she looked at him, and before her hand could connect with his shoulder to disarm him, Loki turned the dial and she vanished.

What he didn't anticipate was being grabbed by the wrist that held the device from behind and having it twisted in such a way to cause him to drop the device to the floor. Loki's arm was quickly pinned behind his back, and all he could react with was a flinch from the burning pain in his shoulder and elbow.

Mobius grabbed him by the collar and the nape of his neck, still holding his arm behind his back, and pushed him down against the table to restrain him. A strange rush of adrenaline coursed through him when he found himself bent over the table, Mobius positioned directly behind him, and his face pressing against the cool metal. Why was he liking this?

Pushing that strange feeling roughly aside, he was actually quite impressed with Mobius' strength; he looked frail upon first impressions, after all. Wanting to test him, Loki made a brief show of struggle with a futile attempt of jerking his arm free or turning his shoulder into Mobius to press against him. He even attempted to use his magic to teleport away to see if the collar was the reason as to why he couldn't before—nothing. Mobius still held him firmly still.

"Loki, don't give me a reason to prune you. It is what they want," Mobius warned, not slacking his hold on him.

Mobius already knew he hated giving into what people wanted, the bastard. The end of file was still projected on the wall and glared at Loki—laughing at him even as it lazily flickered every so often. He had a heavy feeling settle in his chest that caused his body to slacken in defeat. Even when he had nothing left to fight for, he would always fight for his life.

"I'm going to let you go now, but know that you have nowhere left to run." Mobius released Loki and stepped back, giving him space, but he rested a hand on the staff weapon at his side as a just in case.

Loki quickly straightened up and regained his composure, feeling a tad humiliated by being handled in such a way by someone he has yet again underestimated, but still wasn't going to dismiss the admiration behind the skilled handling of him to get him to submit. Sighing heavily, he pulled the Tesseract from his pocket and went and sat down on the small ledge between the wall and floor. He lazily flipped the Tesseract around in front of him, observing the dull blue it glowed. That was when he noticed the mark on his wrist. A rune, his rune, was tattooed across his wrist that hadn't been there before. It glimmered a golden yellow against his pale, creamy skin and was small, but he would recognize the kenaz rune anywhere. This was the same wrist Mobius held to restrain him and grabbed when he helped him off the floor...

Loki shot back up to his feet, abandoning the Tesseract. "What did you do?"

Mobius tilted his head slightly, confused at what Loki was inferring, but he didn't hesitate to grip the staff at his side.

He shoved his wrist out in front of Mobius, revealing the mark. "This. What did you do to put this on me?"

Loki's eyes widened slightly when Mobius reached his right hand out to steady his own, the action causing the sleeve of his suit and shirt to pull back and reveal a matching mark on his own wrist; a kenaz rune in green.

"I didn't do this," Mobius said, pulling his sleeve up to examine his own mark once it was noticed. "You did. Seems like you were somewhat right in deciding your fate after all since you picked me."

As if to emphasize this, Mobius raised his arm up, the mark on his wrist facing Loki, and wiggled his hand around as if to mock him. Loki openly glared at him.

"I hate you." His words held no venom.

"What, did you fall asleep in school at Asgard when they taught about soul marks?" Mobius questioned, but his tone was openly teasing the god. "I would think it would be in your curriculum at the very least." He scratched the back of his neck, contemplating. "Though I am not sure if I should be honored or worried at this revelation."

Loki clenched his fists in his hands. "There is no way I would've chosen you."

Mobius shrugged dramatically, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Well, it seems like your subconscious says otherwise. Now, any normal Joe Shmoe would assume this is a last ditch effort as a form of insurance for you, security, a way to prevent whatever was coming to you, but you and I both know that is not how these things work. Lucky for you, it has made your sentencing here far more favourable toward you now."

Loki squinted his eyes slightly at this. "Explain."

"Lets just say you being under my protection with a soul mark added to the mixt will provide me with far more leverage on handling and defending you from now on. It will also royally piss off my superiors once this gets out."

A quirked brow was made at the word handling. It could've meant anything and held a lot more weight to him than he thought Mobius realized, but of course he was likely referring to his sentencing and nothing more. He wanted a pet, not to be the pet, after all. This changed so much now that his mark was revealed. Loki found himself slowly sinking back to the floor beside the Tesseract, probably looking like a withered flower as he curled into himself, defeated once more. He cradled his right wrist in his other hand, tracing the rune with his thumb. It was not supposed to be like this...

"Right, well. We have even more things to talk about now and not much time to get through it all before they drag me off again and toss you in a cell. If you're willing to—"

"I don't enjoy hurting people…"

Loki just let it out then, what else did he have to lose? If what Mobius said was true and not just dazzling words he thought Loki would like to hear to get him to talk… Well, he supposed he was playing the fool regardless by answering his question. But he liked to think that there was someone who genuinely cared about him, and if the silly soul mark meant anything, then maybe he still had a little bit of control in this after all.

Mobius let out an audible breath, having Loki slowly look up at the man who stood casually in front of him, hands in his pockets yet again.

"Listen… I don't know if I can offer you salvation, but maybe you and I can find a way to get you something better than that…"

He held his right hand out to Loki, the green rune peeking out from under his sleeve ever so slightly. Loki flicked his eyes from it back up to Mobius' face before reaching out with his own to accept it.