Second Chances

Chapter 2

"So what you're saying is," Natasha says incredulously, staring at Tony and Steve like they've lost their minds, "a second Loki basically fell out of the sky with a few friends, the first Loki just completely gave up, and now we're chauffeuring them straight to the Tesseract?"

"That's exactly what we're saying," Tony says, and it's clear in his tone that he chose to respond exactly like that just because he wants to be a little shit.

Natasha clicks her tongue once. "We're landing this plane."

"No," Tony says immediately. "No, we are not doing that."

"We're landing this plane," she repeats. She looks to the pilot. "Put it down."

The pilot nods once.

"We are not landing this ship," Steve says firmly. "They're going after the Tesseract with or without us. I don't know about you, but I won't like to be there to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands along the way."

"If we're giving up the Tesseract, it's already in the wrong hands," Natasha says.

"We're not giving it up; we're giving it back," Steve says. "I've seen the Tesseract at work, and, believe me, we're better off with it as far away from this planet as possible."

Natasha purses her lips, but ultimately, it seems she (rather reluctantly) trusts Steve's judgment on this one. "Fury's not going to be happy."

"I don't care," Steve says. "SHIELD can find a new energy source — one that wouldn't wipe out half the planet if you touch it the wrong way."

TVA Loki debates telling them that SHIELD is actually going to use the Tesseract to make weapons of mass destruction, but he has a feeling they wouldn't believe him and it wouldn't be worth the effort to convince them.

With everyone more or less on the same page, they start to settle down, just holding on for the ride. Avengers Loki is still sitting where he'd been put as a prisoner, his hands clasped in his lap and staring straight ahead. He doesn't look at anyone when they speak. He may not even be listening.

Everyone else remains standing, with the exception of Natasha and the pilot in the front. It's quiet — uncomfortably so — but until they have the Tesseract, there's not much to talk about. TVA Loki would almost like to talk to his friends — or his brother; it's been too long since they had a civil conversation — but in the silence of the ship, he'd feel awkward holding a private conversation.

It's Tony who eventually breaks the silence, saying to Mobius, "I'm still confused about what your role here is."

"I don't really have a role," Mobius says. "I'm just along for the ride."

"No, I get that," Tony says. "Believe me, I get it. But what's your stake in this? You're not a Loki, right?"

"I told you; I'm just a friend," Mobius says, though he doesn't seem at all annoyed about having to repeat that.

"Are you another Asgardian?" Tony asks.

Mobius shakes his head. "Just an ordinary human — probably the most ordinary human on this ship."

"Then how did you end up here?" Tony asks. "You're, what, jumping between timelines and collecting different Lokis? I just..." He shrugs. "I don't get it. I don't get why you'd do that to yourself."

"Well," Mobius says, "my last best friend sent me to the Void at the end of time because she hoped the giant cloud monster would eat me, so I needed a new best friend. Loki was more than happy to fill that role, so here we are." He glances at TVA Loki, who gives him a cheeky smile.