CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, EARTH, 1972, UNIVERSE-427
"Very superstitious writings on the wall, Very superstitious, ladders 'bout to fall…"
The low hum of a time door sounded through the record store, a rectangular glowing orange portal opening out of thin air as the customers gasped, panicking, quickly rushing away from it. The sound of the crackling speakers was drowned by footsteps, Stevie Wonder's voice fighting against the commotion.
"Ah, right on time."
A figure slowly turned, smirking as they held David Bowie's 'Changes' 7 inch record, their brown eyes meeting a group they had met many times before. The lead hunter on the mission stepped forwards, timestick at the ready as he began to recite the usual dogma. "You are in violation of the sacred timeline, code-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah-" The figure sighed, cutting him off as they stepped closer, making the lead hunter, D-11 as it said on his helmet, look warily. "Reset me, baby." The minutemen paused, exchanging baffled looks, as the figure simply raised a brow, looking between them all.
SAKAAR, TAYO STAR SYSTEM, DEEP SPACE, 3024, UNIVERSE-2062
"Ladies, Gentlemen and Inbetweens, The Grandmaster!"
Cheers erupted as the extravagantly dressed ruler stood on his podium, a hologram projected of him in the air above the people, allowing everyone to see his hardly aged face. He waved to the masses, basking in the adoration of his people.
"That's it…" A figure muttered to themselves. "Bask in it now old man. Revolution number god knows how many is on its way soon enough." They huffed, earning a glance from the blue man stood beside them.
"There!" A voice suddenly came from nearby, causing the figure to whip round to see a familiar sight… They smirked faintly, turning on their heel to head towards them.
"Finally, I thought you were losing your touch for a moment there. Took you long enough." The figure called to them. The lead hunter, C-43 stepped forwards, opening her mouth to speak "Save it." The figure held up a hand, stopping her before she could even utter a word. "I know the routine. Chop chop."
THE VOID, THE END OF TIME
"121."
The figure sighed, stepping back from the wall of the underground bunker, tossing the pocket knife they had used to carve another line into the stone to the side as it landed on the rickety wooden desk with a thud.
"Well… Could be worse I guess." They muttered, a hand moving to their chest. "Although, that one did hurt." They rubbed the area lightly, turning to look at the empty room. Their shoulders dropped slightly, hand falling back to their side as they took in the silence - save for the distant rumblings of Alioth above. Sighing, they shifted towards the tatty record player - it was holding on for dear life. Crouching, they began to sift through the dusty records, deciding which one to play - which one would starve off the loneliness for a few minutes?
Grabbing one of the vinyls, they slid it from its sleeve, carefully handling it like it was something precious and irreplaceable. Gently, they placed it on the turntable, the small generator they used to power it flaring to life as they moved the needle, the static filling the quiet as the record spun.
"Still don't know what I was waiting for, And my time was running wild, a million dead-end streets…"
The figure pushed themselves to stand, wiping their hands on their trousers, eyes watching the vinyl spinning as they took a deep breath.
"Every time I thought I'd got it made, It seemed the taste was not so sweet…"
TIME THEATRE 7, THE TVA, THE PAST
"You know, I'm starting to get a bit of Deja Vu."
"And I'm starting to get a bit of a headache."
Agent Mobius let out a huff of amusement, leaning back in his chair as his eyes took in the figure sat opposite him. He was sure it was them. It had to be. He met in a lot of variants, but something about this one…
"It's strange. We couldn't get a read of your Temporal Aura." Mobius continued, tapping the end of his pencil absentmindedly against the file before him. "Meaning we don't know much about you at all… what timeline you belong to, what path you take, the start and end, what version of you you even are…" The figure shrugged, messy brunette curls atop their head, shoulder length and wild, brown eyes, rounded features... "So, why don't we start with pronouns-"
"Oh, how inclusive of you." The figure quipped. "Find out my pronouns before you erase me. Lovely." Mobius sighed, simply raising a brow. The figure rolled her eyes. "She, they. Currently." The figure glanced down at herself, the ill-fitting TVA jumpsuit hanging from their frame, tugging at the material with a disgruntled look.
"There we go." Mobius smirked. "Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" He quipped lightly, making a note in the file. "I only ask because I swear we've met before."
"Or maybe you're losing the plot." The figure quipped dryly in return, making Mobius shake his head, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"So, was it?" He asked casually, shrugging faintly. "Was it you?" The figure pursed his lips, shifting slightly in his seat as his eyes flickered around the room.
"Yes." They answered with a sigh. "Yes, it was me." Mobius nodded slowly, brows furrowing as his expression turned more serious.
"How?" The question left the agents lips before he could think about it. "You remember it. You're a variant. We reset you." He muttered, more to himself than the person sat opposite. The figure couldn't help but let out a humourless laugh, eyes landing back on the analyst.
"Welcome to my life."
TIME THEATRE 5, THE TVA, THE PRESENT
"I'm making you an offer. Hear me out, see what you think, and then maybe you can help me, help the TVA figure out our little problem."
"And let me guess, if I refuse, I'm reset. Erased from existence."
Loki sat on the steps of the Time Theatre, forearms resting on his knees as he looked up at the agent. His words were defeated almost, not holding much bite now - not after what he had just seen on his file… What was the point? Mobius sighed, pruning device in hand by his side as he shrugged faintly, tilting his head. Loki took a breath, sniffing slightly before pushing himself to his feet, the ill-fitted TVA jumpsuit adorning his form rustling with the movement. The Tesseract remained on the steps near where he had just been sat, the cube powerless, useless in the TVA. Just another paperweight for their collection.
"I'm listening." Loki finally said, his voice slightly subdued, posture faintly slumped. Mobius' eyes flickered over the God, moving to place the timestick down on the dark glossy table in the centre of the room with a soft clink as he reached into his jacket, grabbing his trusty TemPad. Loki's brows furrowed as a holographic image of the sacred timeline appeared in the air between them, taking a few steps closer to get a better look, his pale sharp features illuminated by the blue glow.
"We've got a glitch in our system." Mobius began lowly, his words measured. "Or perhaps a ghost is the better word." He huffed dryly, eyes flickering back to the hologram. Pressing a button on the Tempad, glowing dots appeared scattered across the timeline, making Loki's brows furrow further. "Those red dots? They're what we call irregularities. You see, when we reset a variant or a branch, things return to how they should be, as dictated by the Time Keepers. Like nothing ever happened, order restored." He continued, looking at Loki through the pulsating hologram, seeing the Trickster's eyes trailing over the multiple dots. "However, where those dots are, the irregularities… They're located where the timeline has branched in the past, leaving a… Residual energy of sorts. Ripples in the fabric of time, left behind from something… Or someone." Despite himself, Loki's interest peaked. Mobius held back a smirk, knowing that his words would get his attention. With another press of a button, the hologram changed, the pixels shifting to make up a new image… then another. And another… And another– Multiple images of the same person appeared, each one slightly different, feminine and masculine or neither, long and short hair, but definitely the same person... "This is who's haunting us."
"And what makes this variant upsetting the TVA so special? What makes them so different?" Loki questioned, eyes narrowing. Mobius' lips twitched faintly.
"Well…" Mobius sighed. "Let me explain— You see variants traditionally have different temporal aura's, there's a way to categorise them, to identify which timeline they came from when we bring them in. Like we know you are from Earth-616, we know what events you would've faced on the sacred timeline." He explained, nodding towards where the projection of Loki's file had played out not long ago. Loki's jaw tightened for a second, the painful reminder of his file flashing through his mind. "Whereas this individual… We can't seem to quite pinpoint anything except the basics like species and appearance, and we can only use what we can get a read on when we arrive at the branched timeline to reset it." Loki remained silent for a moment, processing this new information. It was… Intriguing, to say the least. Whoever this variant was… They indeed did seem to be a ghost of sorts.
"But, what we do know…" Mobius continued, arching a brow, the hologram zoning in on one of the images, the others all disappearing as it revealed a variant processing image of the individual, dressed in the TVA Variant jumpsuit… Their most recent capture of this individual. They were pale, dark circles around their deep brown eyes, short brunette hair seemingly self-cut with untamed strands messily sticking out in a way that screamed 'chaos' - practical, no-nonsense in its appearance. Their features were soft, but the hardened expression they wore contradicted such delicateness… "Is that no matter how many times we prune them… They come back. The exact same person. Not a variant of the same being. It seems… there's only one of them on the whole sacred timeline at a time. No variants. Just them." Loki's eyes widened faintly, taking another small step closer to the image before him, his eyes flickering over it curiously. "And when they're spat back out into the universe… They remember everything." Mobius said quietly, the gravity of the situation evident. "Every life, every death… Every bit of information they learn about the TVA with every resetting… They remember it all."
"And that makes them a threat." Loki slowly spoke, realisation dawning that this individual could be dangerous. Although, a part of him found such a thing enticing, tempting… Perhaps this 'ghost' could be useful…
"Exactly." Mobius nodded, closing the screen cover on his Tempad, the click echoing quietly through the large room as the image disappeared, leaving nothing between them but air. "So… You interested?"
A moment of silent passed, before Loki straightened, his earlier woes seemingly disappearing as he redirected his focus onto this tantalising opportunity. His demeanour shifted, an almost predatory smile spreading across his face.
"Where do we start?"
THE TVA WORKROOM, THE ANALYSTS DEPARTMENT
"And now you know all about the TVA and our work here! Remember folks, tidy timeline, tidy mind! Take care, ya'll!"
Loki rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, flicking through the magazine in his hand, features utterly disinterested and his posture relaxed, almost lounging. When he asked 'where do we start', he hadn't expected to be sat for hours listening to a southern cartoon clock drone on about the intricacies of the TVA and its mission. Long gone was the frumpy TVA jumpsuit, now he was dressed more appropriately for a man of his stature, his elegance; a pressed white button down shirt, coffee coloured tie and slacks and polished black dress shoes. It was hardly garb fitting a King, but… It would do.
"Is that my jet ski maga- You know what, doesn't matter, put it down and take a look at this."
The light thud of the magazine being quickly discarded sounded, slender fingers reaching for the offered brown folder from Mobius with an eagerness that betrayed just how utterly bored the God of Mischief had been whilst sat digesting the TVA's dogma - or as he had grumbled, 'utter bureaucratic, fantastical nonsense'. Loki's keen eyes flickered over the cover, wasting no time before flicking the folder open to reveal the contents inside. His eyes landed on the first page, a case briefing document.
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"Variant X0000…" Loki murmured lowly, intrigue clear in his voice, his brows ever so slightly creasing together.
"Yeah, we had to create a whole new ID system for this one." Mobius sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he looked down at the prince, who looked anything but princely in his TVA attire - in fact, he looked quite… ordinary. Although, the arrogance of a Prince still remained.
"And what do your precious Time Keepers think about that?" Loki questioned dryly, not bothering to look up as his eyes flickered over the information before him. It wasn't much, but it gave him a vague idea of just how out of their depth the TVA was with this particular case. "Surely the all-seeing, all-powerful, uptight time dictators would bristle at such a notion - their agents shaking things up with a new filing system." Mobius let out a slow breath, raising a brow, tilting his head as a faint flicker of amusement danced in his eyes.
"I think they have more important matters like protecting the sacred timeline and ensuring time doesn't implode to worry about it." Mobius quipped, finally shifting to grab one of the nearby office chairs from the desk beside his own, rolling it over.
"And… I don't suppose those are your footnotes?" Loki raised a brow, a glint of amusement in his eyes as his lips flickered upwards faintly. Mobius let out a wry huff, shaking his head.
"No, they are not." He mumbled. "They were quite insistent they 'amended' their file."
"Deja Vu." Loki read quietly from the 'alias' section of the document, more to himself than to the analyst who lowered himself into his seat with a quiet grunt.
"Oh, that-" Mobius' lips tugged upwards for a second. "That may have been my doing. Started as a joke, and then it just sort of… stuck, I guess." Loki finally glanced up from the file, arching his brow in a silent question, expecting Mobius to elaborate. "Well, you know what Deja Vu is." Mobius shrugged lightly. "And the way this variant keeps reappearing, the same routine over and over despite how many times we prune 'em, you can imagine it feels similarly to Deja Vu: 'Wait a minute, haven't we done this before?'"
"Right." Loki said slowly, brows lifting, chin lowering. "So, you gave the TVA's number one troublemaker a nickname?" Mobius pursed his lips, giving the God a look of exasperation as Loki huffed out a short breathy sound of dry amusement. "And now you're working with another renowned troublemaker to solve the mystery?"
"Yeah- alright, what can I say?" Mobius sighed, leaning back in his chair, the metal creaking lightly with the movement. "Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that."
"Desperate?" Loki repeated the word, nose scrunching, indignance in his tone. "Charming." He muttered, blue eyes once again turning back to the file in his hand. "And I assume 'The Anomaly' is the TVA's less affectionate sounding nickname for them? Very inspiring." He added sarcastically.
"I didn't realise we had the nickname police in the building today." The analyst commented, his tone matching Loki's. "Let's just focus, yeah?"
Silence fell between them both, Loki letting out a heavy breath before doing as he was told - focusing. Discarding the first document onto the desk before him, Loki's eyes narrowed as they landed on what appeared to be a Temporal Aura reading, his nimble fingers grasping the polaroid, lifting it slightly. Blank. It was blank. Well, except for the solid, vivid violet hue that meant nothing to him.
He heard Mobius shift beside him, reaching for another folder on his desk - seemingly another variants' case file. Loki's gaze followed the man, watching him open the file as he retrieved a polaroid, holding it up so Loki could see.
"This is what a typical reading looks like." Mobius explained. "Multiple colours, a little bit like a thermal image." Loki nodded briefly. "Yet, every time we've arrested this variant… We get this." He pointed a finger towards the polaroid still in Loki's hand. "Remember what I said earlier? About how we couldn't pinpoint this variant? Now, we've got our theories-" Mobius added lowly, placing the reading down onto the desk.
"Are they good or idiotic?" Loki asked, his tone holding a mocking edge. Choosing to ignore it, Mobius continued.
"The one I lean towards is that because this variant has seemingly shifted timelines, shifted universes, whilst, yes, maintaining the same memories, the same soul every time they are… 'reincarnated' so to speak–" Mobius took a breath. "The Temporal Aura reader isn't equipped to process that sort of information. It's.. confused. It spits this out-" He taps a finger on the polaroid in Loki's fingers. "Because it doesn't know how to categorise them. It can't pin what variant this is. Because they aren't technically a variant. It's like… There's an overload of Temporal energy. A being with a consciousness, a soul, that has hopped so many timelines, remembering all the lives they've lived… It's never happened before."
Loki's features were thoughtful as Mobius spoke. He had to admit, much of it would've gone over his head had it not been for the infuriatingly irritating training videos he had been forced to watch to prepare for the case. Of course, he wouldn't actually audibly admit that, no. Humming briefly, Loki placed the polaroid down finally, leaning back in his seat, the folder resting on his lap. His hand lifted, fingers rubbing lightly at his chin as he thought over Mobius' words, remembering bits of information from the videos as well as processing what lay before him.
"I'm starting to believe that perhaps the TVA's uninspired nickname for them may be rather astute. 'The Anomaly'…" Loki muttered with a faint note of humour, making Mobius' lips curl upwards faintly in an amused smirk. "But what I don't understand is… Why me?" The Prince's blue eyes flickered to Mobius, searching his gaze skeptically. "What makes you think that I-" He pressed a hand to his chest lightly to emphasise his words. "-can even begin to unravel this little mystery?" His question was half genuine and half probing, classically Loki. He knew there was more going on, more at play here… Mobius had taken a risk, preventing him from being reset and asking for his help, and truthfully, the God wasn't keeping his options narrow. His mind was constantly turning, constantly trying to figure out his next move, the possible outcome of this… endeavour. A possible throne… "Truly, I'm flattered," He added wryly. "But my speciality is tricks and illusions, with a splash of dramatic flair and a tendency for betrayal, so…" He smirked, leaning ever so slightly closer to the agent beside him. "Why me?"
His question hung in the air between them, Mobius seemingly taking his time to answer. The grey haired analyst shifted slightly in his seat, taking a sharp breath before shrugging. "Why not you?" He paused. "Look Loki, I admit, this is a shot in the dark." Another pause. "Like I said, desperate times. But you're resourceful, clever-"
"Obviously."
"-and have knowledge on things like magic. Perhaps there's something we're missing. Something less… Sciency and something more… Ancient." Loki raised his chin faintly, leaning back slowly as he appraised Mobius. Interesting.
"You think there's magic at play?" Loki asked, curious.
"Well, when the science doesn't add up…" Mobius trailed off, tilting his head. "We've got to look at it from a different angle, a new perspective."
"Hm." Loki's lips twitched upwards again, eyes lowering to the document he'd placed earlier on the desk, his sharp eyes honing in on the mugshot style photograph of this 'anomaly'. It was the same image that Mobius had shown him before. There was a defiant glint in their eyes, one that he wouldn't have quite expected considering the circumstances they had found themselves in. Being 'reset', dying over and over again, only to appear alive somewhere else as if they had never been harmed or erased from existence in the first place… He couldn't imagine such a life. Well, not to the extent this variant could. A close call with death once was enough for him. But them… They faced it time and time again. He wondered if they even feared death anymore, or whether it became just as normal and ordinary as making oneself a cup of coffee in the morning. But he could see it… The exhaustion. Not necessarily physical, but mental… Emotional. He recognised that look.
Looking at the whole picture, they were unassuming - hardly someone he would deem a threat to the TVA, to the so-called sacred timeline… However, he knew looks could be deceiving. He wondered how old they truly were… Possibly older than he was. Yet, they looked almost youthful still, rounded, almost soft features despite the hardness in their eyes, in the way they held themselves. He knew Mobius was relying on his affinity for mystery, for his curiosity, his need to problem solve and prove that he was capable… However, he was also capable of being slippery, unpredictable and cunning… 'Rory'... He read, mentally filing that bit of information. No last name, seemingly self chosen. Slowly a grin appeared on his lips as he leaned forwards to pick up the document from the desk, his voice low and silky as he spoke:
"A new perspective indeed."
"You lost him again!?"
"I didn't lose him- I just… don't know where he is!"
"You left him on his own, without supervision-"
"In the Archives! Doing research for the case! It wasn't like I gave him the keys to-"
Mobius paused, B-15's brows pinching as she slowed her own steps, looking back at the agent as he patted the outside of his jacket. B-15 took a deep breath, irritation and frustration evident in her features as Mobius sighed. "Damn it." He muttered, realising that the Trickster God had swiped his TemPad at some point. "Mischievous scamp." He shook his head, B-15 grabbing her own TemPad, prepared to ready the troops, but Mobius quickly lifted a hand. "Wait, wait- If he had left the TVA, we would know by now. So that means he's still here."
"And that's better because…?!" B-15 snapped, raising a brow.
"Because I have a feeling I know where he is."
TIME THEATRE 1, THE TVA
Loki's polished shoes clicked against the glossy floor of Time Theatre 1, the room eerily quiet, the illusion of no life within… Frowning slightly, his eyes flickered around the room. 'This is the room… But… Where are they…?' It was then his attentive gaze landed on a thin crevice in the grey wall to his right, alluding to it being a discreet door… Or a holding cell of some kind. A holding cell within a holding cell… 'How dramatic.' He huffed, shaking his head at the overly cautious nature of it all. Slowly, he approached, lifting Mobius' TemPad in his hand, eyes scanning the screen as he tried to figure out its mechanics, how to open the mysterious doors. After a few moments of pressing random buttons, finally, the sound of metal unlocking and sliding filled the space. Loki's lips tugged into a triumphant smirk, pleased with himself. 'Let's see what you're made of.'
A red glow emanated as the doors opened, revealing a tiny holding cell with only a bench inside. The red glow belonged to a barrier, an extra layer of precaution against the threat it held within… A small… human? She sat leisurely, as if she was unfazed by the fact she was currently locked in a cell, her fate hanging in the balance. The TVA jumpsuit she adorned was baggy, ill-fitting, just as Loki's had been when he first arrived - although, he'd gone up in the TVA world since then… Minus the hideous and frankly insulting 'VARIANT' windbreaker he was now forced to wear. However, what he hadn't expected was the person to let out an almost exasperated groan, the barrier continuing to flicker between them.
"Great." They muttered, their tone flat. "As if my day couldn't get any worse." It was spoken as if she knew who he was… Curious.
"A pleasure to meet you too." Loki quipped dryly, tucking the TemPad into his inside jacket pocket, taking a step closer as his hands shifted behind his back, clasping his fingers together. "I take it, you know who I am?" The individual, Rory as he recalled, pursed her lips, giving him a rather unimpressed look.
"I've been through more timelines than I can count and you think I don't know who you are?" She huffed, eyeing him. "Go to the Void, throw a stone, and you're likely to hit a Loki." The God's brows twitched.
"The Void?" He questioned as they immediately rolled their eyes, pushing themselves to stand. Loki's gaze followed her, having to hold back an amused smirk at the rather unimpressive stature of the individual behind the barrier. 'All of this… For them? And yet, I was left alone. Twice. The cheek of it.'
"Although, working for the TVA?" Her dark eyes reflected the red hue of the barrier as her gaze trailed over him, skepticism in her features, ignoring his question. "Now, that's new. And rather cowardly." Loki's amusement quickly vanished, his jaw tightening. "But then, you always were a coward really. Avoidant. That's what you are. Your personality type, hell, even your attachment style - just in case you were wondering." Loki took a deep breath, fixing a tight smile on his lips, tilting his head as he regarded her. "Read it in a magazine once."
"Fascinating." He droned. He had gone through enough psychoanalysing from a stranger for one day. "You're rather brazen." He murmured, before his tone shifted, taking on a darker edge. "And foolish to mock me." His chin tipped downwards, eyes narrowing into something far more menacing as Rory simply arched a brow, her own eyes flickering to the side, as if glancing at someone that wasn't there.
"Who said I was mocking you?" She asked bemused. "No, it was more of an… observation from the multiple times I've run into you." She paused. "Which, by the way, the last time I bumped into one of your variants, he literally stabbed me in the back so…" She let out a breath, shrugging. Loki's irritation faltered for a moment, his neck straightening.
"I'd never stab anyone in the back, it's a boring form of betrayal." He commented, unclasping his hands from behind his back, letting them fall to his sides. Rory let out a huff of amusement.
"Whatever you say." They muttered, turning slightly as they began to pace along the barrier of their cell. "I'm going to assume your little visit here wasn't authorised." They continued.
"You assume correctly." He shifted on his feet, his hands sliding into his trouser pockets as his keen eyes followed her movements.
"And I also assume they've filled you in on my…" She paused, glancing back at him. "Problem." Loki nodded curtly. "And if my gut is working correctly, it's telling me that the TVA thinks that you can help 'figure me out'?" Her tone was disbelieving, her scepticism still evident.
"I'm quite good at figuring things and people out." Loki's smirk returned, oozing arrogance. "And I must admit, your situation is… unique." He took another step closer to the barrier, his voice lowering. Rory paused their pacing, folding their arms over their chest as they turned to face him properly. "Reincarnation, but not quite." Rory's lips pursed, remaining silent. "A cosmic anomaly… A one of a kind…"
"Alright, I get it." She sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Do you?" She blinked at his question, shaking her head ever so faintly in silent confusion. "You leave imprints on the sacred timeline, ripples in time… Imagine what you could do to this place…" His smirk widened, his looming figure mere inches from the barrier between them. "I theorise… that you, little anomaly… could burn this place to the ground…" The air felt tense, uncertain… Loki's words lingered between them as he held her gaze, seeing the flicker of recognition in her eyes, the realisation that he could be right. "And maybe… Maybe without the TVA protecting their precious Time Keepers, you could figure out exactly what you are." He continued, voice barely above a whisper, almost tempting, conspiratorial. "And I could get what I am owed."
"Loki!"
The God straightened, taking a large step back away from the barrier as the doors to the time theatre swung open, rushed footsteps entering as Loki quickly fixed himself with a placating smile, turning to look at Mobius and B-15. B-15 gripped her timestick tightly, ready to strike at any moment, whilst Mobius looked disapprovingly at Loki.
"Ah, Mobius, B-15… How nice of you to join us." Loki mused, his voice light and charming, as if he hadn't just been scheming.
"Out." Mobius said through gritted teeth. Loki stayed put. "Now, Loki!" The analyst raised his voice, frustrated. Loki's smile faltered briefly, but he did what he was told. Glancing one last time at Rory, he moved towards the exit, only stopping when Mobius held out his hand. "TemPad." Loki sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes as he begrudgingly reached into his windbreaker, grabbing the device and handing it back to Mobius before continuing on his way. B-15 and Mobius exchanged a look, before their gazes drifted to Rory, who was now smirking in amusement. Saying nothing, they lifted their hand, waving mockingly, making B-15's jaw tighten before the hunter whipped round to Mobius.
"If this happens again, I'm informing Renslayer." B-15 muttered lowly, warning as her eyes flickered back to Rory, using her own TemPad to reseal the cell doors once again, the metallic sound of the doors sliding shut echoing through the room. Turning on her heel, she left Mobius alone, marching out of the room as the agent let out a somewhat relieved sigh.
"Damn, Trickster."
"Do you have a death wish?!"
"Oh Mobius! Stop being so dramatic-"
"I'm serious, Loki!" Mobius hissed, stood outside of the Time Theatre, a few minutemen glancing their direction due to the analysts' clear anger. Loki took a deep breath, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets as he fought to bite his tongue. "I'm already putting my neck on the line trusting you-" Biting his tongue didn't last long.
"That was your first mistake-" Loki interrupted, but Mobius ignored him.
"I can't have you fraternising with the time criminal!"
"Incase you've forgotten, technically I am also a time criminal-"
"Shut up!" Loki blinked, taken back at the man's snappy tone, his lips pressing into a thin line. He felt like a child being scolded, it was irritating - and a little embarrassing. Mobius cleared his throat, glancing at a pair of minutemen walking past as he gave a small nod, trying to appear as if everything was fine and dandy. Once they'd passed, Mobius stepped closer to the God of Mischief, the hallway quiet.
"I thought that some part of you would relish in managing to solve a case before us. To prove you're as clever as you know you are." Mobius said lowly, finger pointed towards Loki's chest, his eyes searching. "And perhaps some part of me that sees a scared little boy left in the cold also felt sorry for you, wanted to give you the chance to prove yourself. Not to me, but to yourself." Loki's lips parted, a flicker of guilt creeping up on him as he averted his gaze, looking down. However, he quickly pushed that feeling aside.
"I don't need your pity." Loki mumbled defensively.
"Good, because I'm running out of it." Mobius shook his head, turning on his heel to continue down the hall. "One more strike left, Loki." He warned, not bothering to look back as the God let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing as they flickered back to the Time Theatre door. After a second, he moved after Mobius, his long strides quickly catching up.
THE BREAK ROOM, THE TVA
"Let me talk to them-"
"No!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Loki, you've already been in there with them alone-"
"Yes, and we've now got the pleasantries out of the way-"
"And you could've said anything to them-"
"You asked for my help. Let me help."
Mobius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his seat. They sat in the canteen, the room quiet save for the slight noise from passing vehicles outside the large window and the clatter and clinking of cutlery and ceramic. It was rather drab, truth be told, considering it was supposed to invoke a feeling of relaxation - well, the Time Keepers definition anyway.
"I know that what I did earlier was wrong, I get that. I shouldn't have gone behind your back-" Loki leaned forwards in his seat, his expression slightly less guarded as he tried to appeal to Mobius' more forgiving nature. "But I needed to plant the seed."
"The seed?" Mobius repeated, blinking as he raised a brow, his hand falling from his face. "What- What seed?"
"Well, I imagine the TVA's number one problem is hardly fond of you all after the amount of times you've pruned them." He tilted his head faintly. "Over 200 times and they remember every one? I'm surprised this place hasn't already been decimated."
"The point, Loki?" Mobius sighed, exasperated.
"Right, yes-" Loki nodded, straightening in his seat, hands resting on the table between them. "The seed I planted is the good old fashioned 'an enemy of an enemy is a friend'." He smirked. "I made an offer of sorts. Something for them to think over whilst they're stuck in that… charming cell of theirs." Mobius groaned quietly, lifting his hands in a shrug as he glanced away. "What? I thought it was a good idea!" Loki exclaimed, frowning, making a few other workers trying to enjoy their lunches look their way.
"And how do I know you're not pulling a good old fashioned 'you can trust me, I told you what I got up to'. A double bluff?" He countered. "You tell me about the offer to gain my trust and then behind my back you actually go through with it, ultimately betraying both of us in the end— A triple bluff even!" Loki's lips parted in mock offence, scoffing as he leaned against the back of his chair, arms spreading slightly.
"I would never do that!" Loki exclaimed, his voice higher than usual.
"Loki, I know your whole life, I've studied it, you have literally done that multiple times." Mobius raised a brow, although there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Loki paused, eyes drifting to the side for a moment before he shrugged.
"I'll never do it again!"
Mobius couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head as he reached for his coffee mug, the Trickster leaning forwards once again, arms resting on the table. "Look, you can watch or listen in. You can be at the ready right outside the doors-" Loki continued, his tone persuasive. "But you asked me for my help. And I know how it feels to feel lost…" His voice shifted, a more sincere tone appearing as it turned quieter. "Displaced. Unsure of who I am…" He cleared his throat softly, eyes flickering away as Mobius' brows creased in thought. "And I can see it in them. Maybe I can appeal to their… sentimentalities. Learn more. Gather more information that could possibly help us." He paused. "I'm an outsider here. They won't talk to you or anyone else here because of the past. But maybe, they will talk to me."
Mobius pursed his lips, folding his arms over his chest as he held the God's gaze, trying to assess if he was manipulating him, trying to control the situation… But Mobius also knew he was right. Loki was their best chance of finding out more…
TIME THEATRE 1, THE TVA
"Don't try anything."
"What? Or you'll prune me?"
The corner of Loki's lips tugged upwards, his hand lifting from beneath the table to reveal the Time Displacement Collar's remote, watching as Rory narrowed their eyes, folding their arms over their chest as they leaned back against their chair. He had to admit, it was ironic… How not long ago it was him sitting in the interrogation seat, Mobius questioning him…
"'Heel, boy'." She mocked lowly. "'Fetch, boy'." She huffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Loki chose to ignore those comments, lowering his hand, keeping the remote safely in his hold. "Do they give you treats for being so obedient?"
"Oh, I don't need treats." Loki's smirk remained. "Just the assurance that I get to keep my life." He paused. "Something that you can't even bargain with, can you? Your life." He raised a brow, observing her from across the table, the time theatre silent save for their voices. He watched as her jaw tightened. "Because they know that it's nothing to you, right? Your life. You die and then you just… wake up somewhere else. Reborn." The mocking edge to this voice was enough to make Rory lunge forwards, her hands slamming on the table top. Loki was quick, pressing the reverse button as she found herself sitting back in her seat, a heavy breath leaving her. Time displacement… That sensation never got easier. "Now, now… Let's be civilised." Loki's tone mocked lightly.
"My life matters." Rory said through gritted teeth. "At least I don't have to stoop so low, be so desperate as to use my life as a bargaining chip."
"Maybe not. But you do know desperation, don't you?" Loki asked, his voice taking on a deceptively softer tone. "Rather intimately, I'd say." Silence fell between them as Rory's gaze flickered away, their posture tense, rigid even. "Desperation is born from fear, the unknown…" Loki continued evenly. "And your whole existence… it's shrouded in mystery."
"What is this?" Rory hissed. "An attempt at interrogating me?" She asked incredulously, shaking her head, shifting in their seat to lean forwards, their sharp brown eyes narrowing. "What game are you playing?"
"The game of survival." The God answered simply. "One you seem to know quite well." Sighing slightly, he uncurled his fingers from around the remote, making a show of putting it on the table in front of him slowly. 'Trust is earned'. "You said you've met variants of mine… Then you know that it's also a game I know quite well too." 'Find a common ground'. "And one that the Time Keepers have decided I lose every time." His lips quirked into a brief humourless smile. "I suppose that's the truth of it though, the core of the problem…" He paused, tilting his head, eyes fixed on hers. "It seems we were both destined to lose."
"Speak for yourself." Rory muttered under her breath, shifting again in her seat as Loki's fingers twitched, as if readying himself to grab the remote. "Oh, relax." They sighed. "I'm just getting comfortable for this little…" They furrowed their brows, gesturing between them faintly. "Singing songs around the campfire moment." Loki let out a breathy chuckle, nodding slowly, relaxing his own posture, but the sharp glint in his eye remained. "I'll consider this the first official meeting of 'the losers' club."
"Perhaps Mobius could make us some badges." He added, watching as a reluctant smirk of amusement appeared on Rory's lips as she settled in her seat more comfortably.
"I request tea and biscuits at the next meeting." Rory huffed, looking at the empty table surface between them. "Talking business on an empty stomach is always unwise."
"So, we're talking business are we?" Loki asked lightly. "Excellent." He took a breath, slowly leaning back in his seat, his jacket rustling softly. "First rule of 'losers club' is we don't talk about losers club."
"Ah, okay so, why is your resident TVA handler standing outside of those doors listening in?" Rory asked lightly, Loki's smirk faltering slightly. "This isn't my first rodeo, remember?" Their gaze lifted, flickering towards a surveillance camera in the corner of the room, looking down at them. Loki's gaze followed hers, spotting the tiny red light, signalling indeed they were being watched and listened in on.
"Okay, fine." Loki sighed, turning his attention back to Rory. "Let's skip the rapport building and get to the meat of it." His earlier lighter tone shifted, dipping lower. "What do you know about your… abilities?" Rory pursed their lips, folding their arms once more as they gave a half shrug.
"Same amount as you I imagine." She informed him. "I die in one timeline, I reappear in another." They raised their brows, holding his gaze unwaveringly. Loki remained silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes faintly, calculating.
"And what about when you're pruned by the TVA?" Rory tensed faintly. Loki noticed - of course he noticed. "The TVA claims they can erase variants from existence, entire branches… I mean, it's quite the claim… And quite the incentive to keep workers and variants alike in line, don't you think? I am a cynic afterall, I question everything." Still, Rory remained silent. Loki's smirk ever so slightly returned to his lips, leaning forwards in his seat once more as his hands clasped together, resting on the table top before him. "Fear is a powerful tool, take it from someone who has been on both sides of it." His voice lowered, a knowing look to his eyes. "And fear can be found in truth… And lies."
Rory raised their chin slightly, eyes finally averting from his intense gaze. Her expression remained neutral, a poker face to the average joe… But Loki was smarter than that, and far more perceptive. "What's 'The Void'?" That question caused her eyes to snap back to his. How much did she want to reveal? Did she want to? The Void was her secret. Rory mentally cursed herself for even mentioning it before, but hey… She was only human. "Come on… It sounds thrilling." Loki's voice shifted again, his tone turning more persuasive, smooth as silk. "Help me… to help you." Rory's eyes searched his, watching his smirk grow, almost as if he was silently telling them to trust him, to indulge in his question… "I think you are… owed answers, don't you?" His words were careful, calling back to their first brief conversation, his offer… Was he truly planning to go through with his scheme? To take down the TVA? To work with her? "Unless you wish to burn this bridge before it could even be built?" Oh, he was. Rory unfolded her arms slowly, leaning forward to mirror his own stance, her fingers intertwining on the table before her.
"Building bridges takes teamwork. Trust." They uttered lowly. "Something I've learnt not to freely give. Especially not to a Loki." That made the God let out a short humourless laugh.
"Yes. Very wise." He said curtly. "But it appears to me like you're rather limited on your options." A pause. "Help me help you, help me help the TVA figure you out…" His eyes flickered over to the camera quickly, putting on a show of loyalty for the agent watching outside. "And then maybe, we can stop you from being killed time and time again and spat back out into the universe like a metaphorical piece of temporal gum, hm?" He mused, eyes returning to hers. After a moment of the pair seemingly sizing one another up, trying to spot the cracks in the others composure, Loki spoke again, his voice softening. "I imagine it's a rather lonely existence." It held a note of understanding, of sincerity. Pinpoint their weakness'. "You're dragging your roots across time, and despite knowing the truth, there's a part of you that can't help but wonder: 'maybe this time I'll remain, I'll be able to dig my roots into the soil.'" Rory blinked a few times, quick, giving away just how Loki's words were affecting her - hitting the nail on the head. Her breaths quickened faintly, lips twitching downwards slightly. "You're yearning for stability."
Finally, Rory looked away, unclasping her fingers, her palms moving to lay flat on the cool surface, as if to ground herself. 'Bingo'. Loki's expression turned somber, empathetic. "Tell me…" He murmured, tone soothing. Rory took a deep breath, clearing her throat softly, shaking her head.
"The Void… It's…" They whispered, looking at him again, leaning closer towards him over the table, the Trickster following suit. "It's… My way out."
Before Loki could even process what was happening, Rory lunged, swiping the remote from the table as they pushed themselves to stand, their chair scraping across the glossy floor with a screech. Loki's eyes widened, realisation smacking him in the face that he had just been outwitted. He rushed to his feet, his own chair falling back, tipping over as it clattered to the floor. But it was too late, the beep of the remote sounded through the room, the collar from around Rory's neck falling to the ground. Suddenly, the doors to the Time Theatre opened, commotion following as footsteps rushed into the room.
"Stop!" B-15's sharp tone reverberated around the space, making Loki scowl, gritting his teeth. The all too familiar sound of the timestick reached his ears, his glare fixed on the person who had just foiled his meticulous scheme.
"Loki!" Mobius' voice quickly followed, the grey haired analyst rushing in, two more minutemen following. "Deja stand down!" He barked, although there was a pleading undertone to his voice. Rory's earlier emotional expression was nowhere to be seen, a proud smirk on her lips as she tossed the small remote aside carelessly.
"Oops." Rory mocked. "And the name's Rory."
"X0000, stay where you are!" B-15 ordered, raising her timestick in warning as the two minutemen moved closer to the variant, footsteps either side of her. Rory's eyes dropped to the closer ones belt, seeing their timestick on their side. Loki's eyes watched everything closely, analysing and studying every minute expression and movement. When the minuteman got close enough, Rory wasted no time, lifting her foot to kick the woman in the shin. Loki's hand lifted, preparing to summon his magic– 'Oh… right.' Loki growled under his breath.
"I bet you wish I had my magic now!" He snapped, glaring at B-15 as she marched past him, her boots thudding on the floor. Rory sent an elbow to the gut to the other minuteman who tried to stop her, causing them to stumble back. Her movements were untrained, clearly, however, they were determined - and working. Her fingers grasped the timestick, freeing it from the minuteman's utility belt before swiping it at them, the baton hitting their side, causing them too to stumble back. Just before B-15 could get any closer, Rory activated the timestick, the hum of its power reaching their ears as everyone froze. The air was tense, her breaths heavy, a wild look in her brown eyes as they flickered over everyone. "What are you going to do now, hm?" Loki asked, his voice bellowing, holding his irritation. "Prune all of us? Take down the TVA alone?" He taunted, tone mocking.
"Not yet." Rory said lowly, the threat clear in her voice. "'Live and let die'." However, what none of them expected was how she swiftly turned the timestick around, the dangerous golden glow now aimed toward herself. Loki's brows rose, lips parting in complete disbelief.
"Wait!" Loki exclaimed just as Rory pressed the pruning device to their own chest. Loki watched in half horror and half intrigue as their form erupted in a golden light, creeping outwards from her chest as her face contorted in pain. B-15 took a step back, her timestick dropping to her side as she watched in disbelief, her eyes looking back at Mobius, who wore a similar expression, mixed with discomfort. And then… The timestick that Rory held clattered to the ground, breaking the tense silence for a moment as everyone stood motionless, processing what they had just witnessed.
Rory was gone. Again.