It was well after dark when the TVA time portal opened, just before a billboard saying "Welcome to Westview." Floodlights were set up around the perimeter, angled to make sure no one tried to sneak in.
Loki and Mobius stepped out of the portal and stared at the scene. Beyond the perimeter, instead of the lights of the town that would be expected, there was some ripple in the air, faintly glowing but not in any recognizable shape.
It was hard to imagine this place as the sunny, friendly town they'd visited just three months ago.
Dr. Lewis and the minutemen stepped out to have a quiet word with a couple of lab-coated scientists. It sounded like a "Any new developments?" "No" kind of exchange.
Hunter B-15 stepped out a moment later. "Mobius, you're going to want to follow me."
"What about Loki?"
"Just you."
The two exchanged glances.
"Go. I'll keep an eye on things here," Loki said, a slight wariness in his voice belying the confidence of his words.
Mobius followed Hunter B-15 to a darkened hanger near the outskirts of the eerie little temporary colony. This particular building seemed to be deserted, and Mobius was on high alert for an ambush. Hunter waited outside.
"I can't say I blame you for not spilling what you know. Trust is a rare commodity these days."
Mobius turned. He couldn't make out his face in the dark, but Ravonna Renslayer's voice was unmistakable.
"I might've been more trusting if I knew you were calling the shots. Haven't seen you around for a while."
"I've been handling some things out of town. But this has priority. How did you find your way to Westview?"
Mobius hesitated. It would probably be fine to tell Ravonna the truth. It might even a good idea. But it might not be. He knew Ravonna was capable of drastic things if she thought the safety of the timeline was at stake.
" Loki actually"
Fury stepped closer, his one good eye staring Mobius down. "The god who invaded New York those years ago that Loki?"
"Yep. See you remember."
"Come to think of it, Wanda Maximoff hasn't been on our radar for months. And that would explain why you agreed to come all the way out here no questions asked."
Mobius knew better than to deny it now that Ravonna had guessed the truth. "I for one have a hard time believing a town where one of the most powerful people on Earth lives gets sucked up in some kind of dimensional vortex and it's a coincidence. Thanks for the info. You can stick around and help figure out how to stop this thing, or you can leave, but keep in mind, this is top secret. The last thing we want is for the world to find out a whole town was swallowed up, and we don't know why or whether it could happen to them. And you know we cant let it hit the red line."
