-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
"So, that's it? That's it? This is what happens at the end of time? And now you're just gonna sit there with all that freedom and—let us decide your fate?" Loki didn't understand how someone with that much power would willingly give it all up, just because they 'crossed the threshold', which made no sense to both him and the two women next to him.
"Yes!" He Who Remains pointed at him, "Yes! Yes! What's the worst that can happen?" he leaned back on his chair carelessly, "You either— take over and my life's work continues or you plunge a blade in my chest and an infinite amount of me—start another Multiversal War. Unleashing the Goddess of Destruction," he added importantly, " And I just—end up right back here anyways," he chortled, "Reincarnation, baby,"
"No, it's just another lie," Sylvie refused to believe him, "Another manipulation,"
"Oh. No lie. No manipulation," he insisted and removed the TemPad around his wrist, placing it on the far end of the table, "Wow," he leaned forward on his outstretched arm, "I love this. I love—all this honesty. Feels like a fresh start,"
Without a warning, Sylvie fired out of her seat and swung her blade at him, but Loki caught the back of her arm.
"Oh, holy—"
She pressed the blade against Loki's neck and walked him backward, "What're you doing?" she noticed Y/N follow them in her peripheral vision.
"Hang on a moment," Loki coaxed, "Let's just talk about it," the three of them spun in their places.
"Well, how about we finish what we started and kill him?" Sylvie pushed past him.
But Loki used his powers to make her skid backward and dodged one of her swings. He managed to block her way, "What if he's telling the truth?"
"So what?"
"I believe him,"
"Believe what?" the goddess scoffed, "That a bazillion boogeymen will turn up just because we give people free will?"
"He said all of this was a fib," Y/N understood her point of view, "He's a liar, Loki,"
As much as Y/N found His story shocking, she didn't know if she could trust him. And the weird cheerfulness made Y/N want to wipe it off his face in some way or another. The information about the Variant version was spiraling around her head at a rapid speed, not allowing her to use her head at the moment.
"So am I," Loki pointed at himself, "And I don't think he was lying. Not about that. Insane? Yes. But maybe he was telling the truth."
"Better hurry," He Who Remains called out to them, "Timeline's already branching."
"So, what are you suggesting?" Y/N questioned.
"That we think about it," Loki replied.
"And what precisely is there to think about?" Sylvie shot at him.
"Weren't you listening to what he was saying? That's the gambit. Remove the dictator and what fills the void?"
"Ah. You want the throne?"
"No, that's not it. No," he insisted when a muddled look came across her face.
"I don't believe you," Sylvie spat at him.
"Sylvie, Y/N, the universe is in the balance, everything we know to be true. Everything. I know the TVA has hurt us both. But what if by taking him out, we risk unleashing something even worse? All I'm suggesting is we just take a minute to think about it," He turned to Y/N, "I promise you from my heart this isn't about a throne,"
"What was I thinking trusting you? Has this whole thing been a con?"
"This is what you wanted, huh?" The words slipped out of Y/N's mouth before she could stop herself.
"Really? That's what you think of me—" Loki placed a hand on his heart, "After all this time? Sure. Why not? Evil Loki's master plan comes together. Well, you never trusted me, did you?" he scoffed, "What was the point? Can't you see? This is bigger than our experience," he insisted.
"Why aren't either of the three of us seeing this the same way?" Sylvie thought out loud.
"Because you can't trust," he shrugged helplessly, "And I can't be trusted,"
"Then I guess we're in a pickle," she commented.
"Sylvie, wait. Wait. Y/N, Please—"
Sylvie attacked him again. This time, she didn't care about hurting him. Loki managed to protect himself from her first blows, but she easily found a breach and sent him flying across the room into a bookshelf.
The two women headed towards the man. Still, on the floor, Loki sent one of the chairs towards her, stopping her progression.
He quickly ran back to her, just as she raised her sword, and he pushed her away one more time. Turning to Y/N, who was strong, blinded by her rising wave of emotions.
"Y/N, Y/N," he struggled to push his sword against her Dragon Fang.
Y/N, Loki, and Sylvie placed their respective blades on the side of each other's neck, panting heavily.
"Maybe he's lying! Maybe he's not," Loki looked from one woman to another.
"I don't believe him," Y/N gritted her teeth together, his words about her coming back to her mind, "And with you picking his side, I don't know if I should believe you,"
"The cost of getting this wrong is too great," he reminded her urgently.
"Fine. Do it. Kill me," she pressed the edge of his blade against her neck, "Take your throne. You're glorious purpose,"
"No," he refused, desperately trying to make her understand his views.
Sylvie tried to move past the two, but Loki kneed her backward; The three went rolling away from each other.
Loki took a step back when Sylvie swiped her leg under him and blocked Y/N's blade with her own. He sent a green blast at her, sending her back into a broken pile of objects, knocking her out temporarily.
Y/N charged forward He Who Remains, swinging her blade at His head as soon as she was close to his desk.
Loki teleported himself between Y/N and the edge of the His desk. She stopped her sword right before her blade could decapitate him.
"Y/N, stop! Stop," he hurled his own blade to the floor behind her in surrender, "Stop," his heart broke when he noticed the unshed tears in her eyes, "Stop," he slowly placed both his palms on the side her upper arms.
"I don't know what to do," Y/N's lower lip trembled in a sob, "What he said about me—I'm scared," she admitted in a whisper.
"I've been where you are. I've felt what you feel," he spoke softly, "Don't ask me how I know. All I know," he sniffled, "Is I don't wanna hurt you. I don't want a throne. I just—" he sighed, looking into her eyes, "I just want you to be okay,"
Behind the two, Sylvie had gotten up to her feet, glaring ahead at them.
Y/N took a deep shaky breath, "Sylvie—"
"Not you too," she shook her head in disbelief.
Sylvie charged forward and aimed her blade at the two. Y/N held up her Dragon Fang just in time to block it.
Reaching forward, the goddess reached for the TemPad and activated it, opening a Time Door.
Sylvie tried to punch Y/N into it, but she ducked away at the right time, and instead, Loki was thrust through it.
"Loki!"
She barely had any time left as the door closed and knocked out the TemPad from her hand, back to the tabletop with a clatter.
Y/N dodged her blow and clutched the top of her suit, pinning her to the edge of the table, "Sylvie, Sylvie," she whispered her name when the goddess stared past behind her, "Look at me,"
Sylvie's teary eyes caught Y/N's red ones.
"Don't do this," the warrior stated, almost pleadingly, sheathing her sword into the holster, "Please,"
The goddess seemed to consider her for a moment because she dropped her weapon to the ground with a muffled cry.
With one palm going around her neck, Sylvie pulled Y/N forward and connected their lips in a kiss, thoroughly surprising her. They were able to taste the saltiness of each other's tears, but that wasn't the prime focus as both their eyes fluttered close. They turned around to the side as they kissed, in such a way that neither of their backs was facing the table.
When they pulled back from the kiss, Y/N blinked at her in confusion.
"You don't want to do this," Sylvie muttered with a neutral expression, looking up at her, "And I'm not you,"
A Time Door appeared behind Y/N and Sylvie sent a green blast at her to push her into it.
Y/N was thrown back into the Time Theatre of the TVA. She scrambled up to her feet and tried to run back into the door, but it had closed before she could.
When they had turned about during the kiss, Sylvie had reached for the TemPad and operated it. With a swipe of her thumb, she turned it off.
"Incredible," He Who Remains commented.
Sylvie turned to him with a cold expression. She moved her hand to the side, throwing aside the desk that was between them.
He Who Remains held the sides of his chair and laughed out in amusement, watching her get closer to him.
"Aren't you gonna beg for your life?" she narrowed her gaze.
"Um," he inhaled, "Could, could," He nodded.
She held him back against his chair and impaled her sword into the middle of his chest.
He Who Remains gasped at the action, coughing slightly. Chuckling, he looked up at her weakly, "I'll see you soon," he winked at her, continuing to laugh in his last moments as his head lolled about and hung forward.
Sylvie stared at him as his body went limp and the life left his eyes. The realization of her impulsiveness washed over her and she let out a choked gasp.
Dropping her weapon down, she collapsed to the floor, inching away from the corpse as she broke down into nerve-wracking sobs.
══════✮❁•°♛°•❁✮ ══════