Loki's never considered himself a hero - frankly, his own moral alignments lacked the usual pristine, gilded edge that heroism was painted with. No, no, he was chaos incarnate and by nature, perhaps a bit more perversely interested in devilry. That was who he was.
was
If he's being honest, as you and Sylvie and himself hike towards the glittering sight of the Ark.
It had begun with his deep-seated need to prove himself to you, and it ended with Sylvie mentioning, flippantly, that everyone in the TVA is a Variant. Just like you, just like her, just like him.
He's beginning to think you're getting to him.
Isn't that the point of love? It does things to a man - changes him.
Loki is a bit more preoccupied with the second realization of the day which is Mobius. Mobius is a friend. You are a friend. Sylvie, even, is a friend.
Loki has never had friends.
"Mobius."
"I know," he says, low and wary.
"We have to get back, we have to tell them."
"They won't believe you," Sylvie says, "I've tried."
Your face becomes muddled with confusion. "What?"
Sylvie looks at you, then begins walking once more. "There's a reason why they kept referring you to as dangerous, love."
"What does that even mean?" you holler as you try to catch up to Loki and Sylvie in a light jog; you stop them both, waving your hands, "Seriously - why do I feel like everyone knows something I don't?"
Sylvie wets her lips. She grabs your hand and squeezes it. "I'll explain it later. Stop it. Look at me - I promise. Right now, we need to get to that ship and get out of here."
'SKIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"FIVE MINUTES UNTIL LAUNCH."
"We've gotta move," you say, pushing away a roll of nausea, as you turn to look at him - but his eyes are stuck to the ship, to the sea of people. You wonder, in a flash of sympathy, if he is thinking of Ragnarok. You gently tug his arm. He blinks, "Come on."
Sylvie helps you both down. "We have to make sure the Ark gets off the ground."
"How?" you ask, being shouldered by the crowd.
All you know, then, is fear.
It's like being struck down with fear and sorrow and horror all at once.
As all of Shuroo falls quiet, all you can do is fall to your knees.
You find Sylvie outside of town.
You spare Loki a soft look as you break from his hand and lower yourself beside Sylvie. You reach, immediately, for her hand. She remains unchanged, however you can feel her fingers twitch to tighten around your own. You lean close, cheek resting on her shoulder.
He has settled down, now, and speaks quietly.
"I'm sorry."
Perhaps he was never meant to be a hero. What a laughable little thing. Just when he considers who he really is, what he really wants. Just when he stares his fate in it's garishly, wolfish teeth and decides to risk the bite. What a horrible thing. He almost laughs.
Sylvie is somber.
"I remember Asgard."
You lift your head. Loki's eyes flit across her face.
"Not much, but I remember," she breathes out, "My home, my people, my life. The TVA came, erased my reality, and took me prisoner. I was only a child."
"I escaped," she says with an almost proud sliver of hope, "Stole a TemPad, and I ran for a long, long time, which really sucked. Everywhere and every-when I went caused a Nexus Event. And then I met you."
Her eyes turn to you as she speaks. It's guilt there. "You were... You were everything. My first friend, my first love. The most important person in my life and... you protect me from an evil organisation"
"I figured out where to hide, then. Tried to find you. I saw you again, after that, only once. I was so relieved they hadn't pruned you," she breathes as she fiddles with your hands, "And then you looked at me like you didn't even know me, and I knew that was the worse."
"Do you think what makes a Loki a Loki is the fact we're destined to lose?"
"No," comes the quiet, hoarse reply from the God beside you, "We may lose, sometimes painfully, but we don't die. We survive. I mean, you did. You were only a child when the TVA took you, but you nearly took down the organization that claims to govern the order of time. You did it on your own - you ran rings around them, you're amazing."
And so, Sylvie reaches. Across you, she finds a hold on Loki's arm. The touch is thankful, and her face is kind.
" i thought you are both were in love"
And behind you, the warble of a Time Door cuts your death short.
SKIP>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You feel numb.
The hands digging into your arms leave bruises. Your tender heart is no longer the only thing burdened with ache.
The world slows down, back to a standstill, as you're dragged through the halls of the TVA - collared and leashed like a dog. And while Sylvie and Loki bite back, you resign your resistance. For now, you sharpen your anger in your silence.
As you're dragged from Loki, swarmed by a handful of hunters, you find his worried gaze and hang onto it for a moment. He looks terrified of the future the separation reaps. Then, as you exhale tightly and blink, his expression hardens into some retaliatory.
You're being led away from them with a collar, far down a winding hall, and you can hear their horrifyingly crass threats as you lose sight of them. Loki's hoarse, booming objection rattles the homes of your heart.
"Don't you dare touch her!"
You're roughly shoved inside by the two guards who'd escorted you as the other two hold the door. The clang of the double doors shutting echoes in the empty hall. You cast a fearful look back, only to realize you're alone.
You exhale.
You're very alone.
You itch at the collar around your neck and swallow before beginning to wrap your arms tightly around yourself - this place seems colder than before. Oppressive. Threatening. This time, it's for completely different reasons.
You need to speak with Mobius.
He... He's the only one who might listen.
Oh, god. I mean, don't get me wrong, you're thankful you're alive - but, the reception the three of your received on Lamentis-1 was less than welcoming. The faces of people who had known seemed to betray you now. You can't help but feel... hated. Like you're a threat. Like... Like what Sylvie had done before the three of you disappeared to Lamentis-1 had been horrific.
In truth, you suppose an attempt on the Time-Keepers was horrific. At least to Mobius, to Hunter B-15, to anyone brainwashed enough to still believe this.
...You believed Sylvie.
It could have been hours. Maybe minutes. Seconds, even. You're not sure. You're only sure that when Mobius M. Mobius opens that, door you rush towards him.
And then there's a baton at your throat.
He's tsk's, and you go wide-eyed, and you stagger backwards with a hurt look on your face.
"Mobius-"
"Ah, ah, ah," he says, gesturing to the seat in the middle of the room, "Sit down. Yep. Go on, y/n. Y'know-"
He takes a deep breath as you slowly move to the center of the room.
Your expression is hurt.
Mobius almost feels bad.
Almost.
"Y'know, when everyone said you were the dangerous one," he says slowly as he tosses the baton up and down, "I sort of believed it. Half-believed it. Because, really, I guess I just didn't get it."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mobius-"
"Oh, I think you do," he snaps, as he adjusts the file folder tucked beneath his arm; he looms over you, leaning his palm on the iron chair across from you, "Because I let my guard down, I trusted you, and look where we are now, y/n. You ran. You fled the scene of the crime with both Lokis. That's pretty incriminating."
Your mouth parts."you trust me because i am an avenger"
"I-I... Mobius, I had to chase her-"
"You ran off with her."
"She was going to get away-"
"Oh, right, but there you are, cuddled up with both of them-"
You jump up, challenging him with a sudden burst of anger. "They're my friends-"
"They're evil."
"no"
"you love her . "
" what"
" no. you love both of them. That is hillariuos. i cant belive it! its unbelivable that you would even fall for one loki , nevermind both of them" mobious laufed at me.