Chapter 2
Mobius entered the office with a playful smile. "Seems like you're angry, Ravonna. I can practically see the steam coming out," he joked.
"Not in the mood, Mobius," Ravonna replied, clearly agitated. "I had a talk with Soren, and she is incredibly hostile, much like her father." She poured herself and Mobius a cup of bourbon. "It worries me that she can just barge into my office and try to intimidate me." Ravonna handed Mobius his drink.
"Well, she might just be unsure about this place. By the way, you never told me why she's here in the first place," Mobius stated, taking a sip of his drink.
Ravonna let out a sigh. "I brought her here because she initially broke the timeline rules. She created a time-traveling device based on Stark's idea, but it ended up in the hands of Wade Wilson, who started messing with the timeline. So, I made a deal with her. Instead of being labeled a criminal for causing timeline branches, she can help us catch this dangerous variant." Ravonna walked towards the shelves in her office. "But that alone wasn't enough to fully convince her, so I allowed her to join you and Loki," she finished explaining.
"Why make her a criminal instead of Wade?" Mobius asked, curious.
"Trust me, I'm still figuring that out. But Wade is far more unpredictable than Loki. Not to mention, Soren's other acquaintances are even more complicated," Ravonna replied. "Firstly, she wasn't supposed to create a time device, which already violated several laws. And then having a lunatic like Wade rewrite the timeline made her liable. Tony Stark creating a time device was acceptable because it was meant to happen. However, I may have underestimated Soren. I suspect she has ulterior motives, but I don't have any evidence of her wrongdoing," Ravonna explained.
Mobius pondered for a moment. "Maybe you're being a bit paranoid about her. Let's face it, if she truly wanted to harm us, she could have. I've seen some glimpses of her life, not all of it, but she's undeniably powerful on her own. How about this: I'll keep an eye on both Loki and Soren to ensure they don't deviate from their mission. They'll be my responsibility," he suggested, aiming to calm Ravonna's mind.
"If anything, Soren would be my responsibility, and it's my reputation on the line. All I ask is that you watch her closely and report anything suspicious. I'll handle her personally," Ravonna requested. "By the way, how is the mission with Loki at the Renaissance fair going?"
Mobius took another sip before responding. "Well, he did try to pull a stunt to, I suppose, meet the Time-Keepers. But I caught him in a lie," he recounted, placing his empty glass on a table. Ravonna looked at him intently. "Do you truly believe in this variant we're chasing?"
"I believe we have two capable agents on the job. I'm confident that I can make them work together and apprehend the variant. If not, then I'll deal with him myself," Mobius replied as he headed towards the door. "But, I must say, he's quite arrogant," Mobius whispered the last words before leaving the office.
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Loki patiently waited for Mobius to return from Ravonna's office, feeling a mix of regret and embarrassment for the stunt he had pulled at the Renaissance fair.
As the door opened, his gaze fell upon a pale woman with dark, wavy hair. She wore a sleek army-style suit, suggesting agility and the need for lightweight armor to complement her small, toned frame. A black, flowing poncho draped over her, and she sported fitted black gloves. "Well, she certainly looks formidable. Perhaps one of the higher-ranking TVA agents in search of the variant," Loki speculated silently.
She took a seat across from him and leaned back in the chair. Her eyes began to glow, encircled by a bright blue ring. Loki felt a mixture of concern and uncertainty as he observed her. "If you don't mind me asking, you don't plan on vaporizing me for a simple mistake from Mobius and me on our mission, do you?" he cautiously inquired.
"No vaporizing here, buddy, unless you're asking for it," Soren replied with a slight grin, causing Loki's eyes to widen.
"Nah, I was just jesting. I'm merely searching the network, and I have no idea what you're talking about," Soren clarified her tone lightening.
"Through your mind?" Loki questioned, still intrigued.
"Something like that. I have access to a multitude of files. I can even make calls without uttering a single sound. If I wanted to, I could even project them," Soren explained, her abilities piquing Loki's curiosity.
"Are you some kind of robot?" Loki asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
Soren chuckled softly. "Ha, no, I'm cybernetic. It's a network I tap into frequently back home."
"Home? So, you're not a part of the TVA?" Loki inquired, surprised.
"Trust me, being here wasn't my first choice. I'm only here for contracts and deals. Once that's done, I'll return to Earth," Soren replied, revealing a glimpse of her true motives.
"A future human, then?" Loki guessed, trying to understand her origin.
"You're so close, yet you miss the mark. Earth is merely a stopover for me. I'm not actually human, just as you aren't," Soren explained cryptically, finding amusement in Loki's confusion.
"You don't seem Asgardian to me," Loki remarked, sensing an air of mystery around Soren.
"Well, I won't deny it, anyway," Soren replied casually as she continued swiping through some files, occasionally glancing at Loki, waiting for Mobius to arrive.
(Clearly, this girl is toying with me. There's an aura of secrecy around her. Is she hiding something? I should try to gather more information from her. She seems quite tech-savvy, which could prove useful,) Loki thought to himself, trying to decipher Soren's intentions.
"Have you met your daughter yet? She's actually pretty cool," Soren brought up the topic, catching Loki off guard.
"I haven't had the chance yet. Mobius has given me vague answers. But I'm aware she's not exactly my daughter; she's my future self's child. It's all rather perplexing, and I hope she doesn't expect me to play the role of a traditional father. I'm quite different from what that family represents," Loki explained, his thoughts still tangled in confusion.
Soren's expression turned momentarily stern, but she quickly composed herself. "Maybe you don't need to meet her then. You could discuss it with Mobius."
"In my own peculiar way, I still want to meet her. I'm contemplating many things, and I have numerous questions about her. I'm even curious about the blond-haired woman I saw in those clips. She seems significant to me, like a magnetic force drawing me to her," Loki mused.
Just then, Mobius entered the room. "Ah, I see you two have acquainted yourselves with each other," he said with a knowing smile.
"What?" Loki was taken aback.
"Loki, this is Soren Aesho, your daughter," Mobius introduced, expecting some surprised reaction.
Soren smiled and waved at Loki, trying to keep the atmosphere light. She then stood up from her chair. "Well, it was nice chat, but I'm going to head to my room this time," she said and started to leave.
"Wait, don't you want to join us in the library to review more files about the variant?" Mobius asked, trying to involve her in the mission.
"Not really. I already know who I'm looking for, and I can access all the files in here," Soren said, pointing to her head. "Call me when there's an actual mission. I'd rather not waste my time in this depressing shithole." She then turned and walked away down the hallway.
"Did you say something to her, Loki?" Mobius asked, noticing her abrupt departure.
"I might have. She didn't introduce herself, and I had no idea I was talking to my future daughter," Loki explained, rubbing his face with frustration.
"We'll talk more about it in the library, Loki," Mobius said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
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They arrived at the library, and Mobius requested all available files and clues regarding the variant. Taking a seat, they delved into their research.
"Alright, our task is to uncover how the variant is eluding us," Mobius briefed Loki.
After a considerable amount of time immersed in their investigation, Mobius and Loki decided to take a short break between files.
"So..." Mobius trailed off, breaking the silence, "how did the conversation with your daughter go?"
"I can't say it went well. I feel strangely disappointed in myself and the way I spoke," Loki admitted, his voice filled with regret.
"I'm curious about what you said. Soren is here to assist us, and she's the most capable person for this job. We can't afford to alienate her so early on," Mobius cautioned.
"I mentioned, or at least part of it, that I hoped she wasn't seeking a father figure in me. Now, I feel awful for saying that. I should have paid closer attention to her subtle cues, but I mistook them for another TVA agent observing me. My judgment was clouded," Loki confessed, placing his hand on the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.
"I understand. Perhaps apologizing to her would be a wise course of action for all of us. From what I've gathered, she's incredibly powerful and exceptionally skilled with technology. She's our greatest asset thus far. I suggest you make an effort to get to know her, as you never know if you'll have this opportunity again," Mobius advised.
"I definitely want to rectify my mistake. The news of having a child in the future is still sinking in. It's hard to believe," Loki confessed, his mind still reeling from the revelation.
"I can only imagine how significant this is for you. I'd be floored too," Mobius empathized.
Loki glanced away from the stacks of files and noticed one that piqued his interest.
"Anyway, I'm going to grab a snack while you continue reading through those. Take your time," Mobius announced as he stood up and left the room.
Loki immersed himself in the files, reading about the destruction of Asgard. He fought back tears, swiftly moving on to other documents. Hours passed by as he delved deeper into his research. A thought crossed his mind, one that sparked a theory about the variant hiding in apocalyptic events. Determined to share his idea with Mobius, Loki rushed over to his table just as he was about to eat his salad.
Using Mobius's salad as a prop, Loki demonstrated his theory, by squeezing the juices and salt into the bowl. However, Mobius looked disappointed, witnessing what was happening to his salad. "Therefore, nothing matters, nothing branches, leaving the variant undetected," Loki concluded with a smile. However, Mobius remained cautious about Loki's idea.
"It's a good theory, Loki, but I won't take you to apocalypses. I can't risk you stabbing me in the back, and that's not a theory I'm willing to test," Mobius responded.
"Stabbing you in the back? That would be a rather dull form of betrayal," Loki remarked. "I understand your lack of trust, but let's bring Soren along. She can keep an eye on me if you'd like."
"So, I have to deal with both of you? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen," Mobius replied.
"Why the sudden distrust towards her? Isn't she here to help?" Loki questioned.
"It's not that I don't trust her, but there have been some suspicions raised about Soren. Ravonna briefly mentioned it," Mobius explained.
"What did she do?" Loki inquired.
Mobius paused for a moment, contemplating the situation. "You know what, let's bring her along. Maybe Ravonna was being overly paranoid," he decided. "But before we include her, you should probably apologize to Soren and see if she wants to join us," Mobius suggested.
"You're right, Mobius," Loki sighed, realizing the importance of making amends.