A/N: I had uploaded this to A03 but wanted to put this here as well to work towards my 200 uploads.
After hours of pouring into research, trying to prove what he knew to be true, it proved, frustratingly, to be fruitless.
Loki groaned and shoved the files across the table. Of course there wouldn't be any record of the original sacred timeline. That timeline was now just as "sacred" as the one he was in now as well as the others Sylvie's actions had created.
This version of Mobius was as patient and understanding as always but seemed wary to believe anything he was saying.
He did allow him access to some files and asked for some kind of proof of what Loki was saying but there was nothing.
The frustration of feeling so utterly helpless only fueled the fire raging within him because of Sylvie's betrayal.
His understanding of the entire universe had been upended as soon as he was taken to the TVA, and as a god from Asgard, he had known quite a lot about the universe.
He had previously been in control of the tesseract, not too long ago had an army under his command and an entire planet he planned on taking hostage.
However, none of that mattered now and he wondered if it ever did. He spoke the truth to Sylvie about not wanting a throne - the offer from Kang held no weight, no temptation for him.
The only power and control he wanted was over his own life. To stop this horrific war amongst timelines that was brewing and right now, there was only him to do it. He had no one and that loneliness cut deeper than it ever had before because now there was so much more at stake.
He heard the door open and then a familiar voice.
"There you are…"
He let out another small sigh and didn't turn around to look at Mobius, not yet wanting to look at the man who didn't recognize him. "I'm just where you left me." He muttered miserably.
He heard his footsteps walk closer and glared at the folders. He knew he had nothing to give Mobius and his frustration heightened, thinking about how he was ever going to convince him.
"Mobius, I swear to you I am telling the truth. These files don't prove anything but we are in danger."
"Oh I know."
Loki's brow furrowed and he lifted his head to find Mobius standing beside him. He had a small smile on his face and a very familiar affectionate look in his eyes.
Loki jumped to his feet, his heart leaping in a small sliver of hope. "Is it you?"
Mobius lips twitched up a little more. "Former TVA agent and Loki Variant hunter extraordinaire? Yeah it's-"
He was cut off suddenly when Loki threw his arms around him and pulled him into a crushing hug.
Loki let out a shuddering breath, clutching onto the one person who had never let him down, had never betrayed or abandoned him.
Mobius' arms surrounded him just as tightly and rested his head against his shoulder, just as he had done in the void at the end of time.
He had clung to Loki then because he thought he may never see him again, and he had been pleasantly surprised when Loki hugged him.
He clung to Loki now because he was glad to see him alive, glad to be with a familiar face, even if their entire universe was going to hell.
When Renslayer had first assigned him to the Variant Lokis he never imagined he would have befriended one so easily.
"I take it that you're happy to see me?"
Loki let out a steadying breath and pulled away to look down at him seriously.
"There is a version of you here but he doesn't know who I am. He hadn't even heard of a Loki!"
Mobius quirked an eyebrow with a small smirk. "The nerve."
"I know." Loki responded quickly before giving him a look that expressed his displeasure in his sarcasm.
"Alright." Loki rolled his eyes slightly and realized he was still holding onto Mobius' arms.
"He doesn't know me so he is no help to me. I think he wants to believe me but he has no idea who I am and I came up to him raving about how time itself is in trouble. You did know that?"
Mobius nodded, his smile fading into a more solemn expression. "I was at the TVA when it happened. All of a sudden there were thousands of branched realities and I knew you must have done something..."
Loki frowned, his brow pressing together. "It was Sylvie." He bit out and Mobius lifted his brow at the sudden change of attitude Loki had towards his female variant.
Mobius let out a small sigh and shook his head. "I don't want to say that I told you so but I did say this variant was dangerous."
Loki swallowed and closed his eyes, the memory of their fight, of her blade at his throat, at the burn of her kiss and how everything was knocked out of him as she shoved him through the time portal.
"I know." He said quietly. "I didn't want to believe you." His jaw clenched. "She betrayed me."
Mobius' frown deepened and he reached out his hand, softly touching Loki's arm. He hated to see the pain in his eyes.
Loki quickly glanced down at Mobius' hand, feeling warmth burst from that spot and spread through his body. He tensed, but only for a second and then relaxed.
Mobius wouldn't hurt him.
Despite Sylvie, despite everything else that had happened in his life, he knew this without a doubt.
"What happened there?" Mobius' voice was low, curious and concerned. Loki knew he wasn't asking about Sylvie, for which he was entirely grateful. He didn't even want to think about Sylvie. "What did you find?"
Loki's eyes flickered back to him and he was taken by the absolute sincerity in his friend's eyes. "There was a man - his name is Kang but Miss Minutes called him He Who Remains." Loki scoffed in disgust.
"Miss Minutes?" Mobius' brow flew up.
"Oh yes." Loki sneered. "She was there, no doubt working for the Time Keeper himself."
Mobius looked down thoughtfully. "So there is an actual Time Keeper?"
"Yes but just one man, not three. He explained that other Variants of himself are extremely dangerous and killing him would allow them to come into existence, each one creating their own TVA apparently." He threw his hands up in exasperation, motioning to the room around them, which by all accounts looked exactly like the TVA they knew but most certainly was not.
Loki let out another sigh and the barest hint of a smile crossed his lips. "You have no idea how relieved I am to say that to someone and not look at me like I'm insane."
The corner of Mobius' mouth turned up. "I've learned to accept the insane around you."
Loki blinked at him but the look in the other man's eyes told him it was more of a sideways compliment than any kind of insult.
"Oh how nice." He still remarked sarcastically and Mobius shrugged unapologetically.
"I've seen it all, Loki but you're one of a kind."
Again, a compliment. The light amusement and affection in his eyes caused an odd stirring deep inside him.
He once again felt that warm flood of relief as he stood before Mobius. He had been the one solid, the one constant since he was taken to the TVA.
Sylvie's betrayal hurt him, more deeply than he'd like to admit, but it was something he was used to.
Finding Mobius and not having him recognize him was a punch in the gut he was not expecting.
Mobius hadn't chosen to forget him. The very fact that his Mobius had come to find him spoke to the complete opposite.
For a fleeting moment, as he stood before the Time Keeper and he had explained their options, Loki believed he had a chance at happiness.
Then Sylvie...and the timelines and finally Mobius, everything had been taken away from him and he had been alone again.
He resisted the urge to reach out and hug Mobius again. There would be a time and a place for that when all of this was over.
Instead he just gave Mobius a small smile. "As are you, Mobius."
Mobius pressed his lips together and waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm just a man - you said yourself there's another version of me here." He motioned towards the door.
Loki shook his head. "He isn't you." He said meaningfully. "Not really."
"Because he doesn't remember you." Mobius said, raising a knowing eyebrow and Loki furrowed his, shaking his head again.
"Not just that - this TVA is different, minutely different but still different and thus so are you. You are very similar in many ways, but just like my variants are similar to me in many ways, they're also different."
"Like Sylvie." Mobius said and instantly regretted it as Loki winced. It was barely noticeable, just a flash of pain across his eyes and a twitch of his hands and shoulders.
"Sorry."
Again, Mobius didn't question it further and Loki didn't say anything else, only nodded in acknowledgement.
After a few seconds in an almost awkward silence, Loki's brow furrowed inquisitively. How did you find me anyway?"
A small smirk returned to Mobius' face. "I specialize in tracking Lokis. I found you on Lementis-1, I found you in the void, I'll find you anywhere."
Loki narrowed his eyes and hummed. "You found me on Lementis because of a nexus event. You found me in the void, I imagine, just by chance because you were with Sylvie and we both ended up at the same place. Here…." He shook his head. "It's one of many timelines, too many branched realities, I doubt any nexus events are even trackable-"
"They aren't." Mobius confirmed calmly with just a hint of despair.
"So how did you…"
Mobius blinked rapidly and glanced down for a moment and then back up at him with a small smile. "Let's just say it took a few tries."
Loki's face softened in realization. "You went searching for me. Why?"
"Why?" Mobius echoed with a scoff and shook his head. "First of all, you're invaluable to this cause. The TVA is a defunct, made up organization built on lies and deception but you and I...we're a team and we make a pretty good one I think."
He was avoiding his gaze but Loki wished he wouldn't. He wanted to see the look in his eyes - there were only so many people in the universe who actually liked being in his presence and he knew Mobius was genuinely one of them.
His heart pounded in his chest as he listened to him. His stomach twisted uncomfortably, but in the most delightful way, as Mobius finally made eye contact with him. "And...and I needed to make sure you were alright."
He didn't want to believe it but Mobius was proving it over and over again - he had a friend.
As if reading his mind, Mobius said with a soft shrug, "That's what a friend is for."
Loki swallowed thickly, simply staring at him for a few long seconds, his eyes wide and full of emotion.
"I suppose I am not used to having a friend." He said finally, his voice low.
"Well," Mobius placed a solid hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, "get used to it because I'm not going anywhere."
They shared a small, brief smile before they returned their attention to the urgent matter at hand.
"So where do we go from here? What do we do?"
Mobius' hand fell back to his side with a sigh. "I wish I knew, the TVA as we knew it is a disaster. Renslayer is gone, I don't know where she went and frankly she's the last thing we need to worry about."
Loki pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully.
"So we can't go back?"
Mobius let out a slow breath. "I suppose we could but I don't know why we would, there isn't much to go back to."
"I don't think we can stay here," Loki mused, "not with the two of you. Although...perhaps with you here it would be easier to convince Agent M of the truth.
"Agent M?" Mobius raised an eyebrow.
Loki gave him a small little grin, a glint in his eyes. "Well you are Mobius and the far superior one as far as I'm concerned so I have to call this variant something else."
"I see." Mobius stated plainly but clearly was trying to hide a small smile of satisfaction. "So you believe he is amenable?"
Loki nodded. "Unlike my Variants we encountered in the time void, he is almost identical to you. He didn't know me and trusted me enough to let me look through these files." He nodded to the pile scattered across the table.
Suddenly his eyes lit up as a thought crossed his mind and he looked quickly to Mobius. "Yes, you are exactly who he needs to meet. A version of himself who remembers the start of all this nonsense. Who remembers not the one overlord of the TVA but the facade of the Time Keepers. With his help we may be able to get directly to Kang and…" he paused and then let out a deep sigh, visibly deflating and Mobius' brow furrowed in concern.
"And what?" Mobius prompted.
"I don't know." Loki said, sounding almost hopeless. "He's just one Variant and the one from the sacred timeline, the one I met, said there would be many Variants, some of them terribly evil and I don't even know how this one is and how many there are and how we are supposed to find and stop them all and…" he froze when Mobius placed a comforting hand on his arm.
He looked into his eyes and even through his growing panic, felt a remarkable sense of peace.
"We will figure it out, Loki. I dealt with countless dangerous Variants, it just takes time and patience."
Loki clenched his jaw. "We don't have time, Mobius. All of these Variants want to start a war. I'm the God of mischief, I enjoy causing a little trouble here and there, but war? An interdimensional war? That's worse than anything any of my Variants could, or may have done. We're not dealing with a Loki."
Mobius let out a small, bemused chuckle and shook his head. "You are not the only Variant to get onto the TVAs radar and what I told you before was the truth, we have seen far worse threats than a Loki. So, with all due respect, I wasn't referring to you and your Variants."
Loki was used to fueling his ego, always trying to lift himself up, but Mobius was always bringing him back down to ground - in the most respectful and humbling way possible.
That is one of the very many reasons he liked Mobius and one of the very many reasons he felt the small bit of warmth inside his chest that he had this version of the man with him now.
His face sobered and he nodded curtly. "So do you have a plan?"
Mobius sucked in a breath and looked up for a moment. Then released it with a heavy sigh and looked back at him.
"No."
Loki groaned in exasperation and Mobius held out his hands, placatingly.
"Not yet but we can think of something. We tracked down Sylvie, you and me…"
"Mostly me." Loki muttered and the corners of his lips twitched at the look on Mobius' face.
"Fine." Loki relented with a sigh. "It was a team effort but you did need my help."
"I absolutely needed your help." Mobius agreed with a nod. "I need your help now. We need to help each other."
Loki nodded again and grabbed onto Mobius arm, looking into his eyes. "We will."
Mobius returned the gesture, squeezing Loki's arm with a determined nod of his own.
"We have to because things are about to get really bad really fast."
Loki frowned deeply. "They already have." He shook his head slowly. "We need to find someplace to start."
"I think we start exactly how we did before."
Loki pressed his brow together. "How was that?"
"With me." He answered. "I think you were right and we need to talk to this branch's variant of me."
Loki nodded in agreement. "Agent M it is then."
Mobius gave his arm another good natured squeeze and then turned towards the table and gathered the folders back into a neat pile.
"I can start with these while you get him?" He said and before Loki could utter a word, he continued, "I know you looked through them but it always helps to have a second pair of eyes on information."
Loki watched as Mobius took a seat where he had previously been sitting and with an inquisitive and determined frown, opened up the top folder.
It was strange - the swell of nostalgia he got from it because it hadn't been that long ago he was sitting there with him looking for any sign of Sylvie but it seemed like a lifetime ago. Sifting through files, hunting a variant of himself seemed like nothing compared to the daunting task that lay before them. It was fun, even. Exciting. This was anything but.
"Mobius…"
"Hm?" Mobius never took his eyes off the file but did turn his head in Loki's direction. Loki had moved to stand beside him, glancing down at him with a small, wistful smile.
"I am very pleased that you found me."
Mobius lifted his head at that, turning to meet Loki's gaze fully.
Expressing his true feelings was not something that was usually easy for Loki. He had let his guard down for Sylvie, opened his heart to Sylvie and she betrayed him. Yet despite that very recent sting, he still felt it was easy with Mobius.
He was entirely grateful that Mobius had sought him out after Sylvie blew up the timeline but he was even more grateful that Mobius had pulled him into the TVA in the first place. He never thought he'd be grateful for that, what with all of the insanity that has happened but there was so much he had learned about himself and the friendship and perhaps even love that he had with Mobius was something he never would willingly trade away.
He hoped to convey those emotions with just a look and those simple words and the small smile, and look of understanding, that formed on Mobius face told him that he did.
"Me too."
Loki returned a small smile of his own and that comforting warmth filled his chest again. He placed a hand on Mobius' shoulder and squeezed.
Loki wasn't sure what to expect from the future, and he feared that for a while it would be filled with even more insanity and danger than anything he had previously experienced.
He also knew that through it all he would have a friend beside him, looking after him, protecting him and he knew he had someone to fight for too - other than himself that is.
He thought it had been Sylvie, and for a brief while it had been Sylvie, but now it was him.
If they made it through to the end of this Loki knew that he wanted Mobius at his side.
Loki patted his shoulder and then looked towards the door. "Let me go find…"
He was suddenly cut off when the door opened and Agent M appeared.
"Alright Loki, did you find anything?" Agent M seemed distracted, staring down at a tempad, when he first walked in but then froze when he looked up and caught sight of the identical man sitting at the table.
Mobius stood up and turned around and the two gaped at one another for a few seconds. Mobius had encountered several variants of the same being but never himself and he never expected to.
"What is this?" Agent M demanded, pointing at Mobius with an inquisitive frown.
Loki's face lit up in a desperate hope as he took a few steps forward, standing between them.
"This is my Mobius." He explained and Mobius glanced at him quickly, his brow twitching, and then back to his variant.
"The one from another timeline that I was telling you about."
Agent M's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he eyed Mobius. He placed his hands on his hips, a familiar action.
"This isn't one of your tricks? I did look at your file, Loki. I know you're a trickster."
Loki's lips twitched and he nodded. "Famously so, yes but this is not a trick. He is real. Very real."
He turned to Mobius, who briefly locked eyes with him and then they both looked back to Agent M.
"I know how strange this seems." Mobius said and Agent M's eyes widened slightly, his body tensing for a moment as he eyed Mobius.
"Believe me, it's strange for me too but you work at the TVA, you know Variants are real. We're both Variants and Loki is right."
Mobius took a few steps forward to stand beside Loki, shoulder to shoulder. A team.
"This TVA is not meant to exist and we need your help."
"With what?" Agent M asked, looking between them.
Mobius looked at his variant seriously. "Taking it down."
Agent M immediately tensed, his eyes narrowing. "Taking down the TVA? Why would I do that?"
"Because you're being lied to!" Loki exclaimed, experiencing a brief sense of deja vu as he tried to explain what Sylvie had told him to his Mobius. "You're a variant, just like the ones you chase down, but you had your memories hidden from you. You don't know any other life because the TVA doesn't want you to remember. The TVA is a farce and Mobius," he nodded toward his friend, "he can confirm this."
Agent M continued to stare suspiciously at the other man and Loki groaned.
"Come on, you know I can't do magic here! He is real, he is you from what was once called the sacred timeline. Your precious leader, Kang, created it just like he created the one we are standing in now. Except now there are infinite number of Kangs, all doing the exact same thing, and all thinking their TVA is the "sacred" timeline."
Mobius took a cautious step forward towards his variant. "I know you don't know him, and what he is saying may sound crazy, and it is, but it's also true. We're in danger and we need to stop it."
Agent M also took a few curious steps closer, furrowing his brow as he stared long and hard at Mobius.
"We need your help." Mobius continued, his voice low and pleading.
Agent M pursed his lips, glanced between the two men in silent contemplation.
"You gave me the files because you trusted my word enough to at least be a little curious as to what I was saying." Loki said, drawing his attention.
"There was nothing in there but I have the proof right here." He placed a hand on Mobius' upper back. "He came here from a different timeline to find me and to fix this."
Agent M looked back at Mobius. "The TVA exists out of time. If what you're saying is true….it doesn't make sense."
"That is true." Mobius nodded. "Or at least it was meant to be true."
"Kang was trying to create the TVA to exist outside of time but there is more than one Kang now all trying to do that exact thing which makes multiple TVAs possible." Loki explained.
Agent M observed them. The stranger who had come running up to him, ranting about the threat of war - the stranger who turned out to be the god of mischief.
And the man who wore his face and held his name and voice.
He observed their body language, the desperate look in their eyes and more so the evident mutual trust in one another and the bond they shared.
Agent M slowly released the tension in his shoulders and then his face. "Alright...let's say I believe you. What am I supposed to do?"
Loki and Mobius glanced at one another and then back to him.
"We're not sure yet." Loki answered. "But having you on our side is at least a start."
He extended his hand out towards Agent M and Mobius looked down at his extended hand, up to Loki with a small, proud smile.
Not so long ago he had been offering his hand to a variant Loki, one who had been very suspicious and angry.
That same Loki now stood beside him, offering a hand to a variant Mobius in that same gesture of good faith.
Agent M looked at him, his eyes narrowed slightly and Mobius knew what his variant was thinking. He nodded his head once and smiled affectionately, tilting his head towards Loki.
"He's a good one." Mobius said and Loki's heart stuttered in his chest at the words.
He wanted desperately to look at his friend but never took his intent gaze off of Agent M.
Agent M pressed his lips together and then let out a sigh and stepped confidently forward, placing his hand in Loki's.
Loki smirked in satisfaction and relief and squeezed his hand before letting it go. His hand fell back to his side but brushed up against Mobius' and his Mobius briefly stretched out his fingers and brushed his hand right back.
They exchanged a brief look but then focused their mutual attention on Agent M.
"You made the right choice." Mobius said and Agent M shook his head, clearly still a little dubious but willing to hear them out.
"Where do we start?"
Loki and Mobius simultaneously turned and motioned towards the table. "Let's talk."
The three congregated around the table and Loki and Mobius took turns explaining their experience with the TVA, Sylvie and the void of time and then Agent M opened up and talked about his version of the TVA and in that small little room, a plan was hatched to set things right.