Mabel strode down the Time Theater hallway circling the entire building. If she had ever vacillated between thoughts before, it was nothing compared to the wild bouncing of ideas that were happening now. He'd looked so confused and crushed by her words. She should revel in the revenge she'd inflicted, but it only made her guts twist and her head spin. She never wanted to hurt him, regardless of what he'd done. But there they went again, around and around in their own personal Hel of a time loop, hurting each other again and again.
She still loved him. More than anything.
Mabel's TemPad beeped, and she saw a message from Scarlet. She hurried to Courtroom 3 to meet her after wiping her eyes.
…
"Scarlet, what is it?" asked Mabel. Scarlet pulled her up the stairs behind the Judge's desk and they sat back against the wall.
"You know I've always been good at tech stuff right?"
"Right?"
"Have a look."
Scarlet pulled up her TemPad and hit a few buttons and a lit up orange file folder pulled up. She tapped it and it opened to a sheet with Mabel M. Mobius written across the top.
AKA: Sigyn Einarsdotter.
Mabel stared at the file and smiled at her friend. "How did you do this?" she asked.
There it all was…
Variant code: S23
Daughter of Einar and Ingunn
Born: Asgard 968 AD
Timeline: Asgard- 9,576
Powers: Light of Victory, Telekinesis, Asgardian Super Human strength
Weapon of choice: Long sword
Accessories: Golden Helmet. Amplifies and directs powers.
Associations: Order of the Valkyrie. Loki Laufeyson. Wife of.
Death on timeline: Asgard: 2011 AD from self-inflicted injury in cell in Palace of Valaskjalf prison.
Mabel's eyes closed. There it was. She had chosen to live. That was her crime against the Sacred timeline.
"Nice to meet you Sigyn," said Scarlet with a little smile.
Mabel let out a little laugh, despite the hatred for the TVA running through her veins. She held out her hand and Scarlet took it shaking it. "And you are?" asked Mabel.
Scarlet punched in a few buttons and another file pulled up.
Scarlet D. Ventura
AKA: Mary Jane Watson
Variant code: M163
Daughter of Philip and Madeline Watson
Born: New York, New York, 1952
Timeline: Earth- 616
Powers: None
Abilities: Karate
Profession: Actress/Model
Associations: Peter Parker/Spiderman. Wife of.
Death on timeline: New York: 2035 of natural causes.
"We were both married to Superheroes," said Scarlet.
"We ARE superheroes," said Mabel.
"You are. I'm not sure what powers a model has to offer."
"Um, Karate champ and tech-savvy genius? I'd say that counts. Plus, TVA training is top notch. You were an amazing hunter."
Scarlet smiled. "So what do we do now?"
Mabel sighed. "I honestly don't know, besides try to get to the Time Keepers and kill them. Loki is out. We can't count on him. He betrayed me twice. As much as I love him, I have to try and get over it. We're on our own."
"Mabes, why do you think he doesn't remember you?" asked Scarlet.
"I couldn't say…"
Scarlet punched in a new number. She tapped the folder and pointed to a line on the file. "Think about it," she said.
Mabel read the line over.
Timeline: Asgard- 2008
"He's… he's from a different timeline." Mabel's heart dropped. She'd never felt so stupid in her life. Of course he wasn't the same. The clues were there the whole time.
And yet, he'd still left to work with the other Variant of himself. Still had his schemes, still betraying her. She'd already looked up Sylvie's file. She was beautiful.
"Um, there's something else," said Scarlet. She punched in a few more buttons. "We have a list of the different versions of ourselves if we get taken by the TVA. Here's yours from his Timeline."
Mabel put her hand over her mouth.
Death on Timeline: Asgard- Accidental. Age eight. Fell from Rainbow bridge.
No wonder he didn't recognize her. She'd never made it to adulthood in his timeline.
"I'm sorry Mabes."
Mabel pulled up her TemPad and opened the file Mobius had downloaded onto it. There shimmering before her in yellow-orange was Loki, while Mobius interrogated him.
"So you weren't working with, what do you call her? Sylvie?" asked Mobius.
"No."
"Then why are you fighting so hard to stay?"
"Mabel."
"Mabel?"
She watched the TemPad projection, her heart pounding. Loki's eyes went soft. Soft like when he'd returned her kiss.
"I made a promise," he said. "I told her I'd come back. I'll never break my word to her."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because…"
"Here we go…"
"Because I love her. With all my heart."
Mabel gasped, a shock running down her body.
"She trusts me. Unlike you," Loki continued.
The projection ended, and Mabel covered her face in her hands. She believed him. He'd come back for her, and she'd ripped him to shreds. She'd done the one thing that he was most frightened of. Proven that he wasn't worth loving.
Scarlet put her hand on her shoulder. "I… I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but I feel it should be me rather than a com from the TVA. Your Loki and the Variant are already scheduled for…"
The door to the courtroom opened, and they heard someone being shoved through the door.
"Poor Judge Renslayer," said a voice Mabel didn't recognize. But she recognized the determination behind it. It was the other Loki Variant.
