Tam wakes early and stretches, careful not to wake Iris, tucked by their side. They begin their morning rituals, boiling water for coffee and tea, starting on breakfast, and rousing everyone one at a time, gently coaxing them awake in a pattern they developed to make sure each person has the time to feel awake before they set a plate in front of them. It is a ritual of care that has taken on a deep meaning for Tam and they love walking through it to start each day.

They bring a plate over to Cyd and Loki, noticing that Loki is still dozing on Cyd's shoulder, "He couldn't stay up through the watch?"

"No," Cyd answers, "He had a lot on his mind. And we have something we all need to talk about when he's awake."

"Oh?" Tam asks.

"Please don't tell anybody else we need to yet. This is something that really needs to come from him."

Tam nods, "I won't. But he needs to have something to eat before breakfast gets cold."

"I'll wake him."

"I thought you'd like to," Tam says, smiling, "You two are beautiful together. I never would have thought one of us could find love, especially not in this Void, but you're proving me wrong."

Cyd blushes, "Shut your face, Tam," he teases, "You're too sweet."

They laugh, "Well I'll leave you to getting him up. When you're ready, just call for us and we'll have a family meeting."

Cyd gently shakes Loki once Tam is gone, "Hey, wake up. Breakfast time," he says quietly. Loki mutters something in his sleep, so Cyd tries again, "Loki...you need to get up. Don't want it getting cold."

Loki slowly wakes and stretches, popping his neck and shaking his head to try to come back to reality, "I fell asleep on the watch, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that's fine. You needed the rest. And now you need breakfast," he says, handing Loki the plate.

Loki takes his breakfast and sighs, setting his fork down on the plate, "I'm sorry; you shouldn't have had to keep watch on your own."

"I said it was fine. You were exhausted and with what we discovered..." Tam lets his voice trail off.

"I know. I'm still scared."

"I told Tam we needed to have a family meeting, but I didn't tell them why."

"Ah. I see."

"Did I do that wrong?" Cyd asks, worried.

Loki shakes his head, "No, you didn't. I just don't want to admit what might happen."

"Well...we have the Tesseract. We could always escape to the Citadel, couldn't we, if things get really dodgy?"

"I'm not ready for that, though, either."

Cyd rests his arm over Loki's and takes his hand, "I know, but...I think you might have to be. At least then we'd get it over with." He gently nudges Loki, "Come one. Let's just do breakfast together and we'll think about this after, alright? I mean, we can talk this through as a family. It doesn't have to all ride on you." He pauses, "Please remember that, alright? We're in this together."

Loki nods, "I'll try."

"Remember...I've seen the reel of your life. I know who you've been. I know who you were fated to be. And I know you can do this."

Loki melts against Cyd, his eyes closed, "Thank you, Cyd."

"Now eat your breakfast. Don't need you passing out when we have our family meeting."

"You don't need me throwing up, either."

"I know. But we'll get through it."

Loki sits up and picks at his plate, but once he tastes what Tam has prepared, he realizes how hungry he is and begins to eat in earnest, his misgivings lost. He finishes before Cyd and takes his plate to Tam before sitting back down beside Cyd and tucking his knees to his chest. After Cyd is done with his breakfast, he sits beside Loki and draws him in, his arm around Loki's shoulders, gently swaying to keep him calm.

After a while, Tam sits down beside Cyd, "So...are you ready?"

"No," Loki answers, "But I suppose I have to be."

Tam nods, "When you're uncertain, it's best to just get it over with. Come on- let's get whatever this is off your heart."

"I don't think it will leave simply because I tell it," Loki says.

"Well, then at least we can help you shoulder it," Tam replies.

Tam walks to the centre of the room with them, "Friends, your attention please." They gesture to Loki.

He takes a deep breath while Cyd sits nearby, "I need to have a talk with everyone. A family meeting." Everyone gathers around, Ayshi and the younger Loki sitting on either side of the alligator, Iris and Tam holding hands, while Mobius and Hunter B-15 settle in on the ground closest to Loki and Cyd.

"So...what's on your mind?" Mobius asks.

"Well...I...we...noticed something while keeping watch. We were looking at Alioth, when..." His voice trails off.

"Do want me to say it?" Cyd asks.

Loki shakes his head, his voice trembling when he starts to speak again, "There is a man in the lightning that accompanies the monster," he says quietly, "And I think it's-"

"Thor," the younger Loki says, "It's Thor, isn't it?"

Loki nods, "Yes. At least that's what I believe. I know of no other who can call the lighting as he does."

"So what do we do?" Iris asks.

"I don't know," he answers, "Depending on when in our lives he was pruned, it could be at a time during which he adores me or a time during which he wants to kill me, or at least pummel me. And I can't be sure of which that will be."

"Why don't we ride out to see?" Mobius offers, "I'll take one of you folks and we can go for a drive, try to find him, and see if we can figure out which Thor variant we're dealing with."

"And what if he isn't the Thor who wants me living?" Loki asks, "Would it not be better for him to not know I'm here?"

"Maybe. But Hunter can stay here so you've got a good fighter with you to help."

Cyd tugs on Loki's sleeve, "Hey...why don't you sit down so I can give you a hug?"

Loki does, curling up against Cyd, "I don't know what to do."

Tam clasps their hands in front of them, "Well...I think Mobius could probably find a way to seek out information without being entirely explicit as to where you are- I mean, depending on what Thor knows, he might not find it unusual to encounter a TVA agent. And even if he can't hide that you're here, Thor's not likely to want to kill an entire group of unarmed people. So we can use that to our advantage."

"So...," Mobius says, "Who's coming with me?"

Cyd raises his hand, "I will."

Loki sighs, "Please, Cyd...be careful."

"I will be. But I feel like this is a something I need to be a part of."

The younger Loki shakes his head, "I don't like this."

Ayshi offers their hand and their young friend takes it, "I'll be right here- we all be. But we'll figure out how to make this work and keep you safe, too. I can't know the future, but...I'm not going to let you get hurt without doing everything in my power to stand in his way."

The look on his face gives only a little hint of relief, "Thanks. I'm just not sure what he'll be like. I've never met a Thor variant."

Alligator Loki makes a noise and steps closer to his companion and Ayshi offers their hand to him, too, and he steps forward so Ayshi's hand is resting on his back, "He says thanks, too," Loki answers. Ayshi pats the alligator's back.

"So we have a plan," Iris says. "Let's get ready."

"What does that mean?" Ayshi asks.

"We do whatever makes our Lokis feel most safe," Iris answers, "and I think I've watched enough of them to help with that."

Mobius turns to Hunter, "Walk a little?" Hunter nods and they step away from their shelter, "So...I guess you've got some security to prepare."

"I've got Judith's gun," Hunter says, "But I don't think it'll do much against this guy. I've got a collar and a time-twister, but in a place that exists outside of time..."

"Yeah, I don't think that'll work. Everything we have from the TVA is kinda useless," Mobius says. "Guess it all comes down to improvised weapons and your butt kicking skills."

Hunter laughs, "Not sure how that'll work against a god."

"Well...we don't know which variant of Thor we're dealing with. Maybe he's not that strong."

Hunter shoves Mobius playfully and rolls her eyes, "Yeah, somehow I doubt a guy who looks at Alioth and decides, 'I'm going to fight that,' is someone who's not going to be that strong."

"Just trying to find a loophole..."

"I know. You're trying to make this sound hopeful. That's just what you do."

Mobius shoots her a wry smile, "You know me too well."

"I do," she says, "Now go talk to Cyd. You've got a plan to make."

Mobius does, cautious about how he approaches Cyd, as Loki is still tucked against him, Cyd holding him, speaking softly in Loki's ear; Loki is visibly distressed, "Hey...can we talk?"

Cyd nods, "In just a sec. I want to make sure he's going to be alright."

Tam walks over, "I'll help."

Cyd kisses Loki's temple, "Can Tam take care of you while I go?"

Loki sits up and sighs, "Yes."

Cyd stands as Tam settles in beside him, "Hey, Loki. What can I do for you?"

"I don't know."

"Then can I just stay here until you might?"

"Yes, please."

Cyd touches Tam's shoulder, "Thank you." He turns to Loki, "Stay safe."

Loki meets his eyes and nods, "I'll try."

"Talk to Tam...or anybody...if you feel like you can't be."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I do."

Cyd walks away with Mobius, "Are you sure you're OK with going?" Mobius asks.

"Yes. If anything, it makes it feel like I need to even more. I have to protect him somehow," Cyd says.

Mobius scans his companion. Slender, graceful, and a little more than a whole head shorter than him, he has a hard time believing that Cyd would be able to actually protect Loki against Thor. But the look on Cyd's face tells him everything. Even if the situation is hopeless, Cyd will do anything he can to stand between Thor and Loki.

In the car on the way toward the ruins, Cyd is quiet, eyes fixed ahead, as Mobius concentrates on keeping themselves out of Alioth's line of sight. When they reach a particularly flat area, Mobius glances over at Cyd. Something about the look on his face worries him.

"Hey, Cyd...do you need to talk about something?"

"I...don't really know. I just feel like this is more important than it should be."

"Why do you say that?" Mobius asks.

"Because it's just going to figure out who this Thor is. But I saw Loki's face when he realized that's who this probably is and I just can't get that out of my head," Cyd answers.

"Why not?"

Cyd sighs, "Because it was a mix of hope and sadness and fear all rolled together. Loki needs this to be a Thor who loves him so much. But that's not who he thinks it'll be. There was just so much loss in him."

Mobius nods, "Yeah...he really adored him in his previous life. I mean, the whole reason he let the Jotuns into Asgard was a weird kind of misplaced protection. He thought Thor would be a terrible king and he also didn't want Thor to ruin himself. I know it's a terrible excuse, but...he's never not loved him, even when he was fighting him on Earth."

"I know. I watched his file, remember? I cut it together for you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. We work together, but I did New York. And we all wanted to know what we were looking at."

"Ah," Mobius says. "Did you see how it all ended?"

"I saw everything we cut together and the context surrounding it," Cyd says. "Like I said, we work together."

Mobius sighs, "It sucked to watch how he fell apart."

"Yeah. And his death was heartbreaking. We all think he didn't die when his neck was snapped. Otherwise, why didn't the reel end? He would have been aware of everything until the ship exploded around him..." Cyd wipes his eyes, "It's just terrible. All that sadness in his life and that's where it leads."

"Well, where it would have," Mobius replies, "But we changed that."

"We did, at least for our Loki. But now that we're here...how much does that really mean? He's been hurt again. Sylvie. When he thought he'd lost you. Judith. The whole choice to come here. And now Thor. And it'll only get worse when we finally get to the Citadel again and he has to figure out what to do with whomever we encounter."

Mobius nods, "I'm worried, too. I didn't think I'd end up liking a Loki, but...he's grown on me. A lot." He pauses, "Ah, hell, I care about him. He's my friend. And I'd be crushed if all this led to him just falling apart again."

"Yeah," Cyd says, "If all this leads to his purpose yet again being so everybody else gets to be better people. You. Us. The kid. Hunter. Sylvie. And he just ends up hurt and sad and even more broken because he learned how to let himself feel again."

"So...can I ask you a pretty personal question?" Mobius asks.

Cyd shrugs, "Sure. I mean, we're about to probably get our asses kicked by a god. Why not?"

"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable."

"I know. But still."

"What is Loki to you?"

Cyd stares out the window, "I don't know if I have the words to describe it. I just know I feel right when he's with me. Like my soul is settled and I'm home."

"Do you love him? Like, in the romantic way?" Mobius asks.

Cyd smiles, "I don't want to say that out loud yet. I want him to be the first one to hear me say it."

Mobius smiles as well, "OK. I get it. And it's really sweet."

"I never thought this new kind of happy was even something people felt. I just didn't understand what people who found each other like this felt. I didn't even have a concept of what it was like."

"I get that. I've had close friends at the TVA. But a partner like what you and Loki seem to be? Nah. But I think I might have back whenever I was from."

"Do you have some kind of memory of it?"

"Not really. It just seems...familiar. I don't know how to describe it."

Mobius turns down a decrepit city street and begins weaving his way through the wreckage, inching is way toward Alioth, hoping he can find Thor. He hears the crackling of electricity and hears Alioth's roar as another reality crashes into being on the plain. He finds a place where the road has a view to what Alioth is doing. The tendrils reach toward a screaming monster, something of fire, nearly as big as Alioth itself, and yet it, too, is consumed, even as it roars and tries to fight for its own existence. And while it does, lightning rains down on Alioth's head.

Cyd tucks his knees to his chest, "This is terrifying."

"Yeah. Alioth isn't exactly...fun," Mobius says, "I'm just glad the car still works. It made getting away from him a lot easier the first time."

"Seeing this makes me kinda wonder why the heck you and Loki wanted to come back here."

"Well, what choice did we have? We wanted to make sure you all were safe and this was the one place the TVA can't find you. And we sure as hell weren't going to leave you to face down that thing on your own," Mobius answers.

"Thanks for that," Cyd says.

"No problem," Mobius replies as he peers out the windshield, "And it looks like our friend's done tormenting the angry cloud, so now we get to track him down." He rolls down his window and gestures for Cyd to do the same. He turns off the car and they listen. There is a thud in the distance and Mobius meets Cyd's eyes, "I'm going to say that's our friend making a landing."

Cyd points to Mobius' left, "I think it came from that way."

"Same here. Let's go see if we can find him." He starts the car and they begin their search, slowly approaching each intersection, leaning forward to try to glance around the corners before pulling out into the street. And then, as they creep toward the next cross-street, an imposing figure steps out of an alley into the street. Mobius slams on the brakes and the car skids to a stop.

Cyd's eyes are fixed on the person in front of the car, "He's a lot more scary up close."

Mobius nods, "Yeah, he kinda is. Guess we have to get this over with."

Cyd opens the door and steps out.

Thor walks toward them, "And who are you, who have survived this barren wasteland?"

"I'm Cyd. My friend here is Mobius. We've been watching you from a distance and wanted to figure out who you are."

"I'm Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard."

"Well, Mr. Odinson," Mobius says, "I'm Agent Mobius of the Time Variance Authority. I'm on a mission here outside of my usual job and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"The Time Variance Authority? You mean the meddling fools who sent me here?"

"Well they're also the meddling fools who sent me here," Cyd says, "So...let's just figure out when we're all from before we do anything else, alright?"

Thor regards them suspiciously, "What do you mean, 'when we're all from?' Why are you here?"

Cyd shrugs, "My friends and I were in danger and we needed to be where the TVA couldn't reach us."

"I've been trying to find a way to leave this infernal place," Thor says, "But though I can see other things come here, I cannot see how they do or the way out. How did you arrive here and do you have a plan to leave?"

"What do you last remember about your life?" Mobius asks, "That may help us in figuring out where you can go next."

"What do you mean by that? You both talk and yet you say very little with your words. You avoid giving answers in the same way as my brother."

Mobius raises his eyebrows, falling back into his patterns as an investigator, "Your brother? I encountered a fair number of Loki variants in my time at the TVA. He was one of the variants we kept encountering- causing chaos here, jumping timelines there... You? I didn't encounter many Thor variants before. Just a couple, really. So I'm curious about why it was the TVA picked you up."

"Answer my questions and then I'll answer yours."

Cyd throws up his hands, "For hell's sake, Thor, can you just tell us when you're from? I've watched parts of your life. I've watched a lot of Loki's life. We're asking this question for a really good reason that connects to why I'm living here."

"Watched our lives?" Thor asks.

Mobius sighs, "Cyd's right. There's a reason for all this. I know you don't think you can trust us, but how many other people have you met in this place who didn't try to kill you the minute they met you?"

"I think you might be the first."

"OK. Then since we're clearly not trying to kill you, can you just tell us when it was you were taken from? What was happening?"

Thor nods, "We were fighting Thanos on Earth. He had all six stones, having just ripped the last from Vision's head. I came from the sky, throwing Stormbreaker with all my power, a lightning storm to bring its full might against the being aiming to destroy half of all life. When Stormbreaker slammed into his head, I ended it- Thanos fell dead. I felt our victory was complete, the only thing left to do to was to retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet and dismantle it, sending the stones to places no one could find them. And this was when your Time Variance Authority arrived, accusing me of crimes against the Sacred Timeline, stealing the Infinity Gauntlet, and stripping me of my victory."

Mobius gestures to his clothes, "So usually people who come to the TVA like you did don't get to keep their clothes or weapons. How do you have them?"

"Your people undress their prisoners?"

"Not exactly. But tell me how you got here of all places."

"They could not put their collar on me, my lightning was too much for them to stand- their device would not work and so they shoved me through a portal unbound and though they tried again to put it on me when they arrived, I fought them. I could not blind them or burn them, my lightning unavailable to me, they did not seem to anticipate my strength. They had not been able to separate me from Stormbreaker, and when I arrived, they were unable to tear it from my hands. They thought they had some sort of claim to me, shouting about their Time Variance Authority. Regrettably, they thrust a glowing orange staff into my chest before I could retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet from them. And I woke up here." Thor's eyes narrow, "What purpose did your people have in keeping the Infinity Gauntlet? Explain yourself before I consider you a threat."

Mobius holds up his hands, "So...let's take a step back. The Time Variance Authority manages the Sacred Timeline, which is how history is supposed to happen-"

"What relevance does this have on the Infinity Gauntlet?" Thor asks.

"I'm getting there," Mobius says, "But what you need to know is that the TVA exists outside of how time is supposed to happen, just like this place. And magic, like yours, like your brother's, or like anybody else's, doesn't work at the TVA. That's why your lightning didn't work there."

"Hurry up your story, lest I find a way to hurry it along for you," Thor says.

Cyd tosses up his hands, "Oh my gosh, Thor, stop! Magic doesn't work at the TVA, not even Infinity Stones. The Gauntlet's useless there. It's a glorified paperweight. You were brought in because you messed up the 'way things should be!' The stupid idea that the TVA has about how time is supposed to happen. So you were pulled out of your own timeline because something you did wasn't supposed to happen and so the TVA brought you in for the 'crime' of doing whatever you did and reset the timeline so it happened the way it was supposed to. It's ridiculous and we ended up with some wild things happening and the whole Sacred Timeline ending up fragmenting anyway. How long have you been here?"

"I don't know. And none of that makes sense."

"I know it doesn't. And I lived there. But how long? A few months? A few years?"

"I don't know."

"Were you here when Alioth went still because it was enchanted?" Cyd asks.

"What do you mean? The beast was quieted?"

"Yeah. For a little bit. Were you here? From what I understand of what happened, you would have noticed if you were here."

"Then I don't think I was here."

Cyd nods, "So what came here when you did? Mobius, do you know what was pruned between when you went back from here the first time and when everything ended up reset at the TVA?"

"Yeah, mostly. There wasn't a whole lot," Mobius says.

"So what was the first reality that came through after you?" Cyd asks Thor.

"There was a train. It was large and black and seemed in good, working order."

Mobius' eyes light up and he snaps his fingers, "Ashtabula Train Disaster. The train made it across the bridge and it collapsed just after it was clear of it. Basically, the disaster just didn't happen. I heard them talking about it when I got back- they'd just dispatched the Minutemen."

"What's the Ashtabula Train Disaster?" Cyd asks.

"A whole passenger train was supposed to fall into a river chasm when the bridge failed. Killed a lot of people. It didn't happen when it was supposed to," Mobius replies.

"Your TVA let people die in the name of some sort of rightness in history?" Thor asks.

"Yeah, we know, it's terrible," Cyd says, "And it relates to how I ended up here. I think you've been here a couple of years. But that's not why we came to find you."

"Your story is confusing," Thor says, "And I cannot understand this story about timelines."

"Look, that's not what's relevant," Cyd answers, "And we can get into that later. But the big thing we need to know right now doesn't have anything to do with that." He turns to Mobius, "So are you going to do the big reveal or am I?"

"What reveal? Why have you come to find me?" Thor asks.

Mobius sighs, "It's about your brother. We came to find out if you're a Thor who might want to see him for vengeance or because you miss him."

"Why do you ask such a thing?"

"Because we've pruned a lot of Lokis," Mobius answers, "And the one that's our friend needs to know if we can trust you or not because he sure misses you."

"Loki is here?" Thor asks, surprised.

"Yeah, he is," Mobius answers, "But he's not the Loki you watched die. This Loki was pulled from the timeline after he was on Earth and before he was tried in Asgard by your dad."

"But he's not the same person," Cyd quickly adds, "He's had the time to change into someone we all care about. So...is it safe for you to meet him?"

But Thor is already twirling Stormbreaker and he is in the sky as Cyd asks his final question.

Cyd runs for the car, Mobius on his heels, "Drive! Drive!" Cyd says.

Mobius barely has the door closed before he throws the car into gear and hits the gas, the car bouncing over the decrepit streets, "Well, Cyd, we might get to fight a god after all."

"I swear, if he hurts Loki, I'll kill him," Cyd replies.

"No idea how you plan to do that," Mobius says as the car lifts off the ground as it flies over a slanted slab of road.

Cyd shakes his head, "I don't know how, either, but my rage is going to be pretty intense and I swear, I'll find a way."

Mobius nods, "Yeah, well, we'll have to do it together, because I don't think I'll be holding back, either. We'll teamwork this."

"I hope we get there in time. Before we have to kill god. So we can protect Loki." Mobius nods. Cyd looks over at Mobius, "You'd better drive like Alioth's on your heels, because I don't know how we're going to make it there before Thor makes a landing."

"Look," Mobius says, "Loki's something special to me, too. Not the same way as he is to you, but...well, let's just say that if there's anything left of this car by the time we get there, I'm going to be very surprised. And if there is anything left...if Loki's on the ground when we see him, I'll just floor it and run Thor down as soon as we see him. I watched a little of Thor's life as a part of Loki's. I know the car thing will at least slow him down."

Cyd just nods, "Then we're on the same page."

"Yeah, we are." Both men are silent on the way back to their home and their friends.