Thank you so much for the reviews! So glad you're enjoying this story.
Well this was horrible. Loki snuck out the back door of the alley, as all his counterparts battled for supremacy of this cast off and dilapidated wasteland. Is that how others viewed him? Idiotically grasping for power like a crazed barbarian? He shuddered to think.
He made his way outside, holding his arm that was still bleeding. He stared across empty fields of nothing at the purple cloud monster that probably blocked his way back to Sigyn. He'd no knives, no plan, no way back.
What a waste he was.
He wandered toward the city, to look for shelter until a plan could form. He wouldn't be resigned to this fate. He'd help Sylvie, Mobius. He'd redeem himself before Sigyn.
As he trudged up the hill toward the crumbling Skyscrapers, he conjured himself a blanket and wrapped it tight around his shoulders. The air was damp and dead smelling. Not unpleasant, just… heavy with nothingness.
He reached the outskirts of the city fragments and climbed over boulders and debris, sliding down a large piece of sheet metal. He stood and dusted his bum.
"Oh no. Another me," said a voice behind him. He turned.
Sure enough, an exact copy stood a few feet away, surrounded by four other Loki's. New ones. And my god… Hulk Loki. Green, huge, horns sprouting from his head.
Loki groaned, dropping the blanket, rubbing his face with his hands. "Is there anywhere in this god forsaken place that I'm not?"
His copy chuckled. He was wearing a lime green suit with a gold tie, his full helmet on, and black straight hair down to his waist. "Are you from the child's army?" he asked.
Loki looked his counterpart up and down. He chuckled back. "I need no army," he said, and conjured two knives, flipped them in the air, and set his arms out straight waiting.
"I'm afraid," said his copy. "Out here, you do."
Loki felt arms come around him from behind. He twisted against them, freeing himself, and slashed at the shorter Variant who'd grabbed him. He managed to stab him in the chest. Two other's rushed him. He sliced into one's arm, then plunged his right dagger into the other's stomach. He turned just in time to see a green fist, larger than his head barreling toward him. Then all was black.
…
Mabel unlocked her door, just as the com went out to her TemPad, labeling her and Scarlet compromised, and to prune on sight. She glowered at the screen. She'd save them the trouble.
"Zabu!" she cried, as the tiger ran toward her, his claws scraping the floor. He pounced and knocked her to the ground. "My darling," she said, pushing him off of her. "I have to tell you something. I have to go to the void at the end of time. Loki needs me. There's a lot to explain. Apparently pruning isn't deleting, just transferring. I'll take you somewhere you'll be safe, but I don't know if I'll ever see you again."
Zabu cocked his head to the side confused and backed up.
"I'll miss you more than anything, but I don't know what they'll do to you if they prune me. The TVA is after me and I have to protect you." She stood up and hugged him.
Zabu wiggled out of her embrace, his eyes going fierce, crouching. He growled at her Time Stick and looked back at her.
"Zabu, you can't. I don't know what's beyond pruning."
He bumped his head against her leg and mewled.
She smiled, feeling relieved. She'd half hoped he'd want to come with her. "You are stubborn aren't you? What a loyal friend."
He nodded his huge head and pointed to the stick again with his nose as Scarlet rushed in with a small woven box strapped to her back.
"Is he…" said Mabel swallowing hard. "Is Pete in there?" she asked pointing to the box.
"Yep. Thank God I got back here. I heard the hunters are on their way. We have to go now."
As if in answer, two Minute Men rushed into the apartment. Mabel smacked one in the face with her stick. She kicked another, and Scarlet swept the first's leg when he bounced back up. Mabel picked him up and threw him into the hallway. She twisted her Time Stick.
"Ready?" she asked Zabu.
He nodded and crouched, and she took a deep breath. "See you on the other side my love," she said, and touched her stick to his forehead. He was gone in a blaze of sparks.
The hunter on the floor gathered his strength and rushed Scarlet. She dodged low, and threw him up over herself, and he landed a few feet away, knocking into some plants, groaning. Scarlet put her arms out.
"Hit me," she said, and Mabel fizzed her to the Void. Mabel was about to turn the stick on herself when she saw the planter Loki had stared at when he'd been here last. All this time, it was right in front of her. It was her golden helmet. No wonder he'd said it looked familiar, it was Asgardian. The two halfmoons on the side probably would look ridiculous with her TVA uniform, but now was not the time to think about such things. She dumped out the plant inside, dusting away the dirt. She put it on before turning the lit end of her Time Stick on herself and disappearing as ten hunters rushed into her apartment.
…
Mabel lay in the cold dewy grass, her head splitting. She blinked her eyes open and saw nothing but gray skies filled with ominous cloud.
"Mabes, hey, get up."
She felt a cold wet nose nudge her arm and she turned her head to see Zabu staring at her with concern with his big yellow eyes. "I'm alright boy, promise."
She pulled herself up and stretched. Scarlet held her pinky out and Mabel took it with a small smile.
She looked around. Calling this the Void was right. It was a desolate wasteland of debris, cold and lonely. A place for discarded things. The fields stretched on toward a purple smoke. A smoke that was billowing. And growling.
"Scar, what is that?" asked Mabel, a sinking dread settling in.
"I don't know, but I don't want to find out."
They started running up the hill, Zabu pushing from behind with a roar.
"Go, go!" yelled Scarlet. They heard a fizz and a deafening groan from above. Mabel turned to see a ship fall from the sky and land on the field below. They stopped and watched as the cloud consumed the whole thing, the ship disappearing from sight.
"It eats matter and energy," said a female voice behind them. They turned around to see Sylvie and Mobius on the hill above.
