LOVE IS A DAGGER | Loki Laufeyson

04. The Variant [P2]

After locating the second stack, she handed them both to Loki, "Happy reading."

Loki looked down at the files, sighing when he read his name on the first one.

"Nice try, Loki" Týr teased, grinning, but his face fell when the other man flipped the papers over to read the title of the second stack. As he spotted his own name, he quickly attempted to snatch the files out of Loki's hands, but only managed to send the papers falling all over the floor. "Shit."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows, looking at him in confusion, but then started to help Týr pick up the scattered files. As he went to pick one up, he paused, eyes flicking over the words on the paper. Týr's file contained all the same data as his own, but one part in particular caught his eye.

Birthplace:
Asgard

"You're asgardian?" Loki asked as he stood up, still staring intently at the paper in his hand.

Týr cleared his throat, making Loki look up to see he had his hand outstretched, waiting for Loki to hand him the file. When he did, Týr quickly stuffed it under the other papers in his arms, hiding it from view.

"Yeah, well, I prefer not to think about that period of my life." He stated, avoiding Loki's questioning gaze, "Come on."

He began walking back to the desk they had been working at, Loki quickly following.

After sitting back down, the pair began trying to organise the mess of papers and files that were scattered across the table, when one in particular caused Loki to pause.

Looking over, Týr immediately realised why, his eyes filling with a matching look of sadness as he read the paper.

The destruction of Asgard.

Suddenly, Týr snatched the paper from Loki's hand, eyes wide.

"Hey-!" The other protested, attempting to grab it back.

"Oh, hush." Týr said, waving him off, then pointing at some writing on the paper, "Look!"

Zero Variance Energy Detected

Loki's eyes narrowed as he scanned over the words.

"No branches caused." He muttered, looking back up at Týr, realisation slowly dawning on him.

"The Variant could be hiding in apocalypses! And it wouldn't alert the TVA-" Týr started explaining, excitedly.

"-because no one would make it out alive." Loki finished, grinning.

Týr stood up, quickly being followed by Loki, as the pair rushed out to find Mobius.

-

"We found something." Týr announced, tapping Mobius on the shoulder with the file he was holding as they came up behind him.

"No, I said, 'Don't bother me until you've read all the files'." Mobius objected, mouth full of food.

"We have." Loki told him, taking a seat with Týr, opposite Mobius.

"Every file?"

"Yes."

"Pertaining to the Variant?"

"The answer isn't in the files, it's on the timeline." Týr explained.

"He's hiding in apocalypses." Loki continued.

"Which apocalypse? Any time in history? There's, like, a million of 'em."

Loki took the paper from Týr's hand, displaying it to Mobius, "Ragnarok. Are you familiar?"