If he could only catch his breath.
Falling… Falling…
Take a quick glup of air and hold onto it for more than a second.
Sinking… Sprawling...
Fill his lungs enough to think clearly.
Catch me...
Yet, to think would be to process, and he'd learned very quickly that it was easier to run on adrenaline than to sort out any residual trauma.
… falling…
The TVA. The Timekeepers. The lies. The snares.
Mobius. Safety. Kindness. Friendship.
Sylvie. Love. Thrill. Betrayal.
Catch yourself…
Kang. The multiverse. Madness. Chaos.
Loss.
With a dull thud, Loki's feet hit the ground. He had gotten better at sticking his landings recently. Oh, the things you learn while traveling through the multiverse.
Scouring the multiverse, more like. For clues; for answers. Anything that would bring him some sort of peace of mind—or any semblance of normalcy. Of stability.
Of things going back to the way they used to be. Before Kang. Before Sylvie. Before—
No. Not before Mobius. He had been a different person before Mobius. A wretched creature.
A villain.
Yes, well, that's all in the past.
Or, is it the future?
Well, it was the past in his timeline, and at any rate, it certainly felt like the past. Though Loki had lost track of his own timeline ages ago, he could still remember it as if it were only yesterday that he'd stolen the tesseract from the Avengers…
A quick shake of his head banished the distracting memories. There wasn't time to dwell on the past. Not when the present was so mixed up.
Not when the memories reminded him that, for the very first time in his life, he was completely and utterly alone.
Even when he'd thought Thor dead at the hands of Hela; when he had spent those agonizing weeks on Sakaar, there had still been Asgard. He'd still had a goal, a people to return to—to save.
Now, there were plenty of people to save in this multiverse of madness, but he'd yet to find one familiar face—one soul who looked back upon him with recognition. Not like—
Slam!
Loki shut his eyes against another unwelcome memory. That was not the Mobius he knew. His Mobius was back on his timeline. The only timeline he couldn't seem to find…
As the orange portal closed behind him, Loki allowed himself to drink in the air of this new world. Though it tasted faintly of smoke, he preferred it to the suffocation of travel by tempad.
No, there wasn't a single soul he had left to fight for, and yet, still he pressed on. Why? It was a question he'd often asked himself. Why fight for the billions of beings he once upon a time could not care less about?
Why, indeed.
Sometimes, it gave him a sense of purpose. Someone had to fight to find answers to this universal catastrophe.
Sometimes, it gave him hope. The sooner he found a way to restore balance to the timelines, the sooner he could return to Mobius.
Sometimes, he wondered if he wasn't just scouring the multiverse for Sylvie. Just so he could speak to her again, beg her to answer why?
Most of the time, though, Loki pressed on because he had to. He couldn't remain stagnant; he needed something to do. Some mission to occupy his time.
Lest he be doomed to wander the universe, an aimless being living an aimless life amidst chaos.
No family.
No friends.
No purpose.
No—
A light cough tore from his throat. A slight tickle, just enough to be irritating, yet not enough to be concerning.
The smoke dusting the breeze… Loki allowed himself a long eyeroll.
Oh, yes, lovely. Another wartorn planet in another chaotic timeline.
Will the madness never end?
This planet was new, however, and he couldn't leave without taking a quick exploration venture into the thick of things. "Leave no stone unturned" had become his motto, as cliche as the term might be.
In all his wanderings, Loki had seen his fair share of the odd, the startling, and even the insane. Nothing truly surprised him anymore. Every so often, he might experience a little jolt of the unexpected—such as a planet with no lifeforms, seeing as they had all wiped out their entire race—but surprise rarely claimed him these days.
Still, there was always that exception to the rule; that shock factor that sprung out of nowhere…
The battlefield itself wasn't shocking. In fact, it looked rather normal. Two warring tribes, the stronger taking advantage of the weak. And stillthe world turns… Even the body count didn't seem terribly high.
As Loki waded through the aftermath, determined to find an intelligent being who could answer his string of rehearsed questions—what is the name of this planet, who are these people, have you ever heard of such a thing as the multiverse, and does the name Kang ring any bells?—he fought the urge to stop and help every injured being along the way. They weren't his problem.
Whatever had sparked the battle seemed to be of little importance to those recovering. Clusters of pink- and purple-skinned humanoids dotted smoldering flora, and none of them looked even remotely like trained warriors. Yet, the fallen beasts that littered the ground looked like something straight out of Thanos' army.
Indestructible. Malevolent. Brutal.
So, how…?
Whatever smacked into the side of his leg interrupted his musings. What in the Nine?
"Coming through!" A tiny voice shouted. He glanced down just in time to watch a little girl stop, glance back at him, and add, "I mean, excuse me, I'm coming through."
Then, arms overflowing with bottles and bandages, she resumed her sprint toward a nearby bush. Large and blooming with color, the plant seemed to swallow her whole as she ducked behind its branches.
The encounter was… odd, to say the least, but not surprising. Little girls, he'd found, often had very strong minds of their own—even more so than little boys, sometimes. And no matter the planet or alien race, when a child sets their mind on something…
Loki shook his head. Not my problem.
Still… She'd been carrying enough bandages to wrap the Hulk completely—twice.
In the end, curiosity got the better of him, and the fact that she was most definitely taking those bandages to someone who might be gravely injured.
Her voice mixed with another in a blur of sound. As he drew nearer, the fuzz sharpened and indistinct sound turned to intelligeble word.
"I'm sorry!" A mixture of worry and determination laced the small voice. "You're going to be okay. Right?" A sharp breath. "You're going to be okay."
"That's right," a new voice replied. Though the essence of calm, it froze Loki's blood down to his very core. "I'm going to be just fine. Just tie it off good and tight—" A muted hiss constricted the familiar tone. "Good. Like that."
"Is that good?"
It can't be…
"Yes, that's perfect. You're doing a wonderful job."
Why? Why can't it?
"But what if you can't make it back to the ship?"
Because it's not…
"I'll make it back, no problem. See? Look what an awesome job you did. I could run a marathon right now."
It's not the right timeline.
It can't be…
He didn't want it to be. If this was truly his original timeline, he might not ever be able to leave again.
He wouldn't want to.
The sudden urge to backtrack, to retrace his steps and vanish from this planet entirely pulled at his nerves. It's not real. Get out, get out! It's not your Thor.
"I think I dropped it. Hold on!"
It... It can't be—
Another smack, this one sent him stumbling.
"You again?"
No sorry, no introduction. Just that little girl staring him down with a half-cocked brow.
"Love?" And that voice. That voice Loki wanted to both run to and away from at the same time. "Who's out there with you?"
"This creepy man. Are you our team or theirs?"
Loki felt his mouth open, felt several answers nip at the tip of his tongue, yet the only voice he heard was hers.
"He sorta looks like you and Uncle Star Lord, but not really," she called back. "Sorta like those guys at the banks on Midgard… but not. Do you work at the bank?"
"No," Loki said, his tongue working in his favor at last. "I—"
A scuffle sounded from behind the bush, followed by several curses, and a reprimand—"Those are examples of the sort of words we don't say!"
"Okay," the girl said, her confused and defensive gaze never leaving Loki's.
One last curse served as the curtain call for his brother, who stumbled out into the open, clutching the nearest tree for support.
All breath left Loki's lungs, and for a moment, he couldn't recall if he'd actually woken up that morning.
This had to be a dream.
Don't be ridiculous. When did you last fall asleep? Certainly not this morning.
Time was relative, though. Who needs sleep when time is—
"Loki...?"
Yes, this was definitely a different timeline. It had to be.
There, standing just a few feet in front of him, was a Thor he hardly recognized. Dressed head to toe in minimal Midgardian fashion—a mere t-shirt and those Norns-awful jeans—this Thor seemed more relaxed and, dare he say, more Midgardian than the Thor he knew. Gone were the classic red cape and the thick Asgardian armor, though his hair remained tied back in that familiar half-up, half-down style.
"Is it...?" Thor shook his head, disbelief written all over his sweat-soaked features. "No, it can't be… Is it really you?"
"I was about to ask you the same question."
Becuase it can't be...
"You know him, Uncle Thor?" The little girl remained steadfast in her position between the two of them, almost as if she had made it her personal mission to protect Thor.
Loki would've laughed under different circumstances.
Uncle Thor.
Right. Definitely a different timeline.
"I'm afraid I'm not the Loki you're thinking of," he said, trying to break the news in the easiest way possible, all the while ignoring his own cracking heart.
For a moment, he'd let himself believe that—
No. You're just a delusional dreamer. You always have been.
No, that was always Thor…
I was the cynic.
Well, you've certainly been doing your fair share of hopeful dreaming these days, haven't you?
Oh, shut up.
"So, I'm terribly sorry to intrude, but trust me when I say it's best if we part ways before we mess things up more than they already are."
"Loki, wait!" Another curse followed the plea as Loki turned to leave.
Then a dull thud.
And another hissed curse—one that would've made his mother blush.
"Uncle Thor!"
Loki turned back in time to see his brother—No, another Loki's brother—attempt to balance on one knee before it, too, gave out in front of him.
The child was at his side in seconds. "I told you you weren't going to be fine!"
"I am fine!" Thor shot back, his voice not unkind, merely strained.
She shook her head like a little disappointed mother.
It was then that Loki noticed the shredded jeans… and the bloody bandages hiding the shin underneath.
"Norns, Thor," Loki hissed, joining the girl at his side, "what did you do to yourself?"
"He didn't do it!" The child flashed those dark, defensive eyes once more. "Those bad monsters did!"
The battle. Of course.
Even in an alternate universe, of course Thor would be sticking his neck out for the little guy.
"Is that why you can barely walk?" Loki countered, hands already examining the wound.
"I tripped!"
"On a blade of grass?"
"Shut up," Thor growled as his leg physically shuddered with pain. "I thought you were leaving."
Loki clenched his teeth until he created his own bolts of pain. "Not until I get you safely back to wherever it is you came from."
"Our ship," the girl supplied.
"Right."
"I'll grab the weapons!" In a flash, she disappeared back into the bushes.
"You know," Loki said, keeping his voice low as he probed Thor's wound, "you shouldn't use that kind of language in front of someone so young."
"Did you—gah! Stop that!—come all the way back from the dead just to tell me to stop swearing?"
Loki couldn't help the smirk that twisted his lips. "Perhaps."
"Come on, Loki, I'm too tired to play games. Where did you come from? How on Earth did you survive Thanos?"
Survive…
No! It's not your Thor! This isn't your reality so do not get attatched.
The child reappeared with all the suddeness of a heart attack, her arms overflowing with weapons this time. One quite familiar, and one decidedly unfamiliar.
"Ready!"
"Right. If you show me where your ship is, I can help you—"
"I can walk fine on my own," Thor insisted.
"Of course, how stupid of me to forget. Well, at least let me help you up."
With minimal struggle, they were both standing in no time. Even if he'd wanted to, Thor clung so tightly to him that Loki had to keep his own arm braced beneath Thor's shoulders.
"You still think you can make it on your own?"
At this, Thor spared a glance at the girl. "Of course."
Still clinging to that stupid bravado, I see.
"Fine then. Do you want me to let go?"
Loki felt Thor's grip tighten, his answer coming out as nothing more than a whisper. "No."
That one word spoke volumes and Loki was painfully aware of his slowly constricting throat.
"All right," he managed, tone soft. He nodded to the girl. "Lead on, then."
The going was slow—and despite his protests, Thor was most definitely not fine. Yet, he tried several times to start up a conversation. To question Loki about everything Loki didn't want to talk about.
"Can we just get to your ship," Loki said at last, "without you matching a question with every step?"
"Fine. So, you show up out of the blue after nearly eight years and I'm supposed to accept that, no questions asked? Loki, I saw you die! I-I heard Thanos—"
"You seem to forget quite often that there's a child present." A child that…
What in Helheim?
Only in that moment did he realize this child was wielding Mjolnir.
"How did she…?" Loki blinked. Hard. "She's wielding Mjolnir…"
This time, it was Thor's turn to smirk. "I thought questions were off-limits."
"It wasn't a question. It was a statement," Loki snapped.
"All right. Then, you're correct. Love is wielding Mjolnir."
Love? An odd choice of name, but Loki bit his tongue. Perhaps questions were in order afterall…
No. You're not staying. Remember? Get him to his ship and get out. This isn't your—
"Aaand she painted it." Despite the confusing and somewhat dire situation, Loki grinned. "I must say, brother, Mjolnir has never looked better."
Brother. The word had slipped off his tongue too easily. He hadn't meant—
Thor didn't appear to be phased, instead, rolling his eyes in mock irritation. "And it won't come off, either."
Love—that was her name, wasn't it?—flashed a grin of her own. "She looks better that way. Right, Uncle Thor?"
The smile that captured Thor's features gave Loki flashbacks of their younger days. Of those precious moments when Loki would finally get the hang of whatever combat move Thor was trying to teach him. Of that smile that made Loki feel more treasured than ten thousand chests of gold.
"That's right, Love. She looks better than ever."
Right. He had to get out of here. He was getting too attached to this alternate Thor, and it hadn't even been fifteen minutes, for crying out loud!
They approached the ship quickly after that, though whether that was due to the light conversation that made the time go faster, or the fact that they hadn't been too far from the ship to begin with, Loki couldn't have cared less.
All that mattered was getting Thor home and getting the Hel out of there.
In classic Thor fashion, the interior of the ship boasted the most organized chaos in the galaxy. Per Thor's direction, Loki guided him into a small bedroom down the short hall, where Thor prompty collapsed onto the bed.
As if suddenly remembering himself, the tight lines of pain seemed to vanish completely from Thor's face and he looked to Love.
"Why don't you go put Stormbreaker and Mjolnir back to bed and get yourself a victory snack? You have to be starving by now."
The girl, for her part, appeared a bit hesitant. "Can I bring you a victory snack, too?"
"Why don't you make one and we'll be right out, okay?"
She nodded, eyes cloudy with a mix of emotions Loki didn't even want to begin to untangle. "You're going to be okay?"
"I'm going to be just fine. Uncle Loki is here to help me. I promise, we'll be out faster than you can sing the alphabet twice over."
The constricting feeling that was slowly taking his heart captive was entirely unwelcome—and unwarranted.
Foolish sentiment.
No sooner had Love scurried out of the room did Thor's face twist again.
"Close the door," he commanded in that breathy tone that spoke of more pain than Loki could imagine.
Well, perhaps that wasn't entirely true. I can imagine quite a bit…
Loki hadn't even turned fully back around after shutting the door when Thor began peeling off his sweaty shirt. The bandages wrapping his torso were far older than the ones on his leg. Dirtier, too. Bloodier.
Loki swallowed, suddenly unsure of what to do. He'd inadvertently trapped himself in this room when he should've been heading for the hills.
"The alphabet twice?" It was all he could manage. "Really?"
"She's going to get antsy out there," Thor replied, blatantly ignorning Loki's attempt at a snide comment. "We have to hurry with this."
We. How easily his brother seemed to be adjusting to his presence. Too easy. Get out of there.
Abort. Abort—
His hands were shooing Thor's out of the way before his brain could comprehend the motion. "Stop that. You're making a mess of things. Here, let me."
Oh, Norns…
"How long ago did this happen?" Though trying to sound indifferent, Loki was certain his concern bled through thicker than Thor's blood through the bandages.
Thor offered a tight shrug. "Three, four days ago, maybe?"
The wound painted Thor's side in a gnarled, angry knot of inflamed skin.
"And you don't want her to see it?"
Another shrug. "She thinks it's 'all better now.' I don't see any point in worrying her further."
"She seems more than capable of helping you. This is going to sting a little."
"She—gah!—She has the powers of a god, but she's still only a child."
"That's true, I suppose." Loki swiped a fresh roll of bandages from the nearby shelf, but before he could ask any more questions, Thor barrelled on with one of his own.
"How are you here?" A thick swallow, then Thor finally met his gaze. "How are you back?"
How indeed.
"That's..." Loki forced a laugh. "A long story. And, as you said earlier, we don't have that kind of time. Your daughter is going to get 'antsy.'"
"She's not my daughter," Thor said after a moment, voice soft. "But I'm... Well, she's mine, I'm... I'm looking after her now. Jane thought..." A few rapid blinks did nothing to sweep away the rising emotion that clogged his brother's throat. "Well, it was Jane's idea—her last request, I suppose."
"I'm..." Loki sucked in a breath. Clearly, Thor had suffered much in this timeline. "I'm sorry."
Loki couldn't look at his brother lest he see those big blue eyes brim with unshed tears. Instead, he focused on the task at hand.
"It's fine," Thor replied with a sniffle that told Loki it most definitely wasn't. "What's done is done. And I can't imagine life without her."
Love, not Jane, Loki surmised. Because, it seemed, he's had to go on without his nuclear physicist for quite some time now.
"So, I've told you about me," Thor said, clearing his throat. "I think you can at least give me a few tidbits about you. Maybe a condensed version?"
No.
No, no, no! You're not doing this.
And yet, Loki felt his silvertongue begin to move. "It's... complicated."
Thor's eyes, the parts that weren't brimming with pain, were gentle. "Just try me."
No.
"Please?"
Perhaps it was the way Thor's voice cracked along with Loki's own heart, which beat wildly against his chest. Perhaps it was his own burning need to know. Because this couldn't be his timeline.
It can't—
"You mentioned Thanos," Loki began. "Before I tell you anything, I need you to clarify a few things. New York: I invaded it several years ago, correct?"
Though obviously more than a little confused, Thor nodded.
Loki took a breath and pressed on. "And Mother? She was slain by the Kursed?"
"That's right."
It can't be…
"And," Loki continued as he tried to keep his throat from constricting, "Hela, Sakaar, Ragnorok? All that occured as well?"
"Of course, what...?" Thor shook his head. "Why are we wasting time on a recap. You were there, don't you—?"
"No, I don't remember because I wasn't there. Not really." A sharp breath wasn't nearly enough to steady his nerves. "I'm… not the Loki you remember—the one Thanos killed. I broke the timeline in New York, when you and the Avengers went back in time. Long story short, I stole the tesseract and got arrested by these weird time police called the TVA."
If Thor was having a hard time following, Loki couldn't tell. He kept his focus entirely on his work, refusing to glance up until he finished.
"They were in charge of keeping the timeline intact," came his hasty explanation, and he began to notice the longer he spoke, the faster the words came out. "Anyway, things happened, Syl—Someone broke the timeline and scrambled the multiverse. It might not seem so right now, but the timeline as you and I know it is currently in chaos."
Thor was quiet as Loki blew out a breath and tied off the last of the bandages.
Then, he waited.
Say something, his mind prompted as his gaze met his brother's at last. Won't you say something? Anything at all would be helpful.
And yet, he suffocated in silence for a moment or two more, waiting. Watching.
Watching as Thor ever-so-slowly put the puzzle pieces together. Or, tried to, anyway.
Waiting for him to say something.
Finally, Thor took a deep breath, that tell-tale sign he was certain he'd figured a thing out. "So… You're talking about alternate realities?"
"Yes."
"Alternate versions of everyone in the universe?"
"Many alternate versions, yes."
Another pause as Thor's brows furrowed. "Can I see your ankle? Your left one, please."
Loki blinked. "I… beg your pardon?"
In the midst of the serious blue swirls clouding Thor's eyes there sat a slight twinkle. "Can you take your shoe off for a second? I just want to see something."
It was insane, probably the most baffling request Loki had received to date, yet he felt his hands reach for his laces all the same.
This is either brilliance or madness.
Sometimes, he honestly couldn't tell when it came to his brother.
He's not your—
This isn't your—
Is it not?
There were too many similarities in this timeline and what he knew of his own. Still, Loki wouldn't let himself hope. He couldn't. Not after Mobius. Not after Sylvie…
The second he had his shoe and sock slipped off, Thor eyed his ankle, gazing at it with a fierce intensity.
Honestly, it was a bit concerning…
… Until Loki followed his gaze.
Oh.
His heart chose that moment to run a marathon.
Oh.
"I just had to make sure."
Loki knew what Thor was going to say next.
That didn't mean he was prepared for the onslaught of emotions that followed.
"The Loki in my timeline went out with me and the Warriors Three on the eve of my coronation to all the best bars Asgard had to offer." A sad smile tugged at Thor's lips. "We were all supposed to get matching tattoos, but you and I were the only ones who followed through in the end."
He couldn't catch his breath.
Falling… Falling…
"Leave it to Fandral to back out first."
Oh, if only he could catch his breath!
Sinking… Sprawling…
It was Thor. It was his Thor. Hundreds of timelines and he had stumbled back into his own at last.
Catch me…
A chuckle chased away the silence as Thor shook his head. "I was wondering why you were acting so distant. So much has changed since you… Since New York. I can see how you thought this was one of those alternate realities. I mean,"—Another chuckle—"just look at Mjolnir."
Falling… Falling…
Loki swallowed and the world tilted every direction at once.
"Thor...?" It came out as a breathy whisper, though Loki was astonished any sound had come out at all.
Catch me—
In the span of a single, shaky breath, Thor's arms were around him, enclosing Loki in a tight, familiar embrace.
Comfort such as this, he hadn't felt since Mobius in the Void.
And it felt good. Solid. Grounding.
Crushed beneath his brother's strong embrace, Loki found he could finally breathe.
"I'm sorry," he choked out.
"What for?"
He shrugged, gathering Thor's shirt up in his hands in desperate bunches. "I don't know. It just..."
Seemed the right thing to say.
Now, it was Thor's turn to choke out a confession. "Norns, I missed you."
"And I—" Swallowing a sob, Loki instead took a shuddering gulp of air. "And I, you."
Looking back, Loki couldn't say how long they spent in each other's arms, but it couldn't have been very long because a muted crash sounded in the background, pulling them apart.
Thor went on instant alert. "Love? What are you doing out there?"
"I'm fine!" she called back.
"That didn't answer my question! And—Oh, never mind." He flashed Loki a smile. "I'm sure she's fine."
"Oh, I'm sure. So," Loki said, grabbing the proverbial lever and switching tracks faster than he could finish swiping at his eyes. "Do you always walk off the battlefield with half your gut ripped open?"
"What, this?" Thor gestured to the freshly wrapped wound before slipping his shirt back on. "Nah. Only the last couple of times. I know she can take care of herself out there, but sometimes it's distracting having her out on the battlefield. Sometimes..." He shrugged, clearly trying to keep up the facade of nonchalance. "Well, sometimes I think the second I turn my back, she'll be cut down."
A morbid thought, indeed, yet justified.
After all, she was only a child.
"So," Thor began, clapping his hands together. "What are you doing about it?"
"What?"
"The timeline," Thor clarified, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're here. You're dressed like that. You also look like you haven't slept in an eon. You're obviously doing something to try and fix the multiverse, right?"
"Excuse you, what's wrong with these clothes?"
"Love had a point, you sorta do look like a Midgardian bank man."
"I do not look like a bank man!"
"Tell that to the mirror next time to see one," Thor mumbled, eyes smiling.
A sharp knock put a hold on any sort of reply Loki had been forming on his tongue.
"Who's there?" Thor questioned, sending a wink Loki's way.
"Auntie Nebula," came the momentary reply in a deepened voice that obviously belonged to Love. "Now, let me in before I break this door down with my bare hands!"
A primal shout followed, yet Thor remaiend unphased, his smile kissing the corners of his eyes.
"Nebula? I don't recall inviting her over for dinner."
"Let. Me. In!" Love—Nebula?—persisted, banging on the door a few more times for good measure.
After a brief nod from Thor, Loki opened the door to reveal a smiling Love with arms still overflowing, this time with a tray of ice cream dishes.
"Just kidding!" she said. "It's just me."
"Oh, thank goodness. I don't think I could've handled Auntie Nebula today."
"Me neither," came the brutally honest response. "She's crabby. I brought you a victory snack!"
"Thank you! And one for the bank man, I see."
Loki suddenly found himself under the scrutiny of Thor's little girl—and didn't that just feel so weird to think about?
"Do you really work at a bank?"
Before he could reply, he felt Thor's warm hand clasp his shoulder. "No, Love. This is my brother—your Uncle Loki—and he's trying to fix the multiverse."
"For the record," Loki felt the need to point out, "I never said I was trying to fix it."
Thor's confidence never wavered. "Of course, you are. Why else would you be here?"
Love was staring at him again with those half curious, half judging eyes. "Like alternate realities?"
"Wha—How do you know about that?"
A shrug was the most he got in reply.
He looked to Thor, who's only explanation was, "She reads a lot."
"More than you ever did, I'm guessing," Loki teased.
"More than you, actually, if you can believe that."
"I'll believe that when I see it."
The frozen treat in his hands was cold even for him, and he spent the next few bites wondering how it ended up in his possession in the first place.
"So you're a superhero?" Love asked through a mouthful of desert.
Loki couldn't stop the scoff in time. "Far from it, young one."
"But you're trying to save the multiverse."
"Yes, but that doesn't make me a superhero."
"'Course, it does," Thor interjected, swallowing a mouthful of his own. "The Universe's Mightiest Heroes. It doesn't have quite the same ring as Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but it still works."
"Grammar was never your strong point in class, was it?" Loki shook his head. "I'm only one person, Thor."
"Right," Thor agreed as he sprinkled a few more colorful toppings on his ice cream. "And we're the other two. The Universe's Mightiest Heroes."
"You're… what?"
At this, Thor turned to Love. "He thinks we're going to let him fight the multiverse on his own."
"Yep," Love agreed, popping the 'P'. "That's really sad."
"Very."
As if possessing a single, unified mind, they turned to stare at Loki in mock disapproval.
No. Absolutely not.
It was too dangerous. Too confusing—too mindblowing.
No. No, never in a million years.
All these responses and more danced on the tip of his tongue.
In the end, something entirely different came out.
"Truly? You'll help?"
Thor's smile only widened, if that was at all possible. "Of course. Helping others, saving the universe one planet at a time, that's kind of what we do. Right, Love?"
"Every day, bank man."
The laugh that bubbled in his throat swirled with more than a little bit of relieved hysteria.
Of all the scenarios he'd spent sleepless nights playing out in his head, this had certainly never been one of them—it hadn't even been a thought.
Yet, the notion couldn't have been a more welcome one.
"All right," Loki said with a nod, "I'll let you come along on one condition." He pointed at Love. "You have to stop calling me bank man."
"How about Mr. Bank Man?"
"No, that's worse."
"Uncle Bank Man?"
"No bank man," Loki pressed.
"No Bank Man?"
With a sigh, Loki turned to Thor. "She's doing this on purpose, isn't she?"
A shrug did nothing to hide Thor's growing laughter.
"Well, make her stop, blast it!"
"Fine, fine! Love, I think 'Uncle Loki' will do for now."
"What about for later?"
"It'll do for later, too. Now, surely the multiverse can wait while we finish our victory snack, right?"
As if suddenly remembering the existence of her beloved ice cream, Love plunged her spoon into the bowl. "It better, that's all I'm saying."
Loki couldn't help but gawk for a moment. "How old are you?"
"That's my bad," Thor said. "I think she's spent too much time around the Guardians lately."
"The Guardians?"
"Of the Galaxy," Love supplied.
To which Thor added, "I'm sure you'll meet them later. Or some version of them, I suppose."
The small talk continued, with Thor and Love recounting several of their more recent adventures, and Loki hinting at a few of his here and there.
And for the first time since Sylvie, Loki didn't feel so alone.
For the first time in a long time, he could finally breathe.