Chapter 4
Soren patrolled the TVA halls.
"Loki and Mobius know about your condition?" Alta asked,
"Yeah, I wasn't planning on that, if anything, I thought I wouldn't be so soon for another shot," Soren says.
"I may have some solutions on the side, but, it needs to be tested and refined. Your body has so much power it has a hard time regulating it."
"If we were to somehow suck it out of me, would that work?"
"Potentially, but you already messed with some of your systems back at the heist in Macrodemia, your body may depend on it. Hard to say from here, I see that the screens of your system are dangerously overloaded and critical. I say try to take it easy."
There were sounds of men screaming and rumbling echoing the halls.
"You hear that?" Alta asked.
"Sure did, I get back to you later," Soren closes her call and sneaks into the hall peering her head on the wall.
The Variant was fighting TVA agents and knocking them out on the ground.
(Finally some entertainment.) Soren thought. She takes out her sickles, which is connected to a chain.
The variant is close to the door at the end of the hallway. Soren walks away from her position.
"And where did you think you were going?" Soren calls out.
Soren, grinning with determination, unleashes her chained sickles, causing the bright blue ringers around her pupils to glow. The Variant, still on guard, awaits Soren's move. Seizing the opportunity, Soren swings her sickle into the ground, unleashing a powerful wave of force that shreds pieces of wood and propels them towards the Variant. Although the variant manages to evade most of the attacks, Soren's sickles clash with the Variant's sword, creating a momentary deadlock.
In a display of strength and skill, Soren pushes down, forcing the Variant to bend her knees to maintain balance. However, the Variant breaks free and retaliates with a punch to Soren's side and a kick that sends her staggering backward. Soren quickly regains her composure and sidesteps a slashing attack from the variant, countering with an elbow strike to the variant's stomach. Creating distance between them, Soren taunts, "You done yet?" Displaying her annoyance.
Enraged by Soren's resilience, the variant charges at her once again. Reacting swiftly, Soren skillfully wraps the Variant's sword with her chained sickles and yanks it away, disarming her opponent. In a desperate attempt to escape, the variant reaches for the tempad, but Soren swiftly smacks it out of her hand. "Nope, you're not running again," Soren asserts as she grabs hold of the Variant and forcefully pins her arm behind her back, asserting her dominance in the fight.
Loki swiftly enters the hall, his daggers gleaming in his hands as he spots the fallen tempad on the ground. Meanwhile, Soren, unaware of her father's presence, struggles to maintain her grip on the variant. The variant seizes the opportunity, elbowing Soren in the head, and swiftly making a dash towards her sword. Soren stumbles and loses her balance, collapsing to the side. Loki's eyes widen with concern as he rushes to Soren's side, readying his daggers in a defensive stance.
The variant, now armed with her sword, and Loki face each other, circling cautiously. "What is it that you want?" Loki demands, pointing his dagger at the variant. "You're in my way," she retorts coldly. A fierce determination glimmers in their eyes. The Variant slashes her sword and delivers a forceful kick, sending Loki tumbling backward. As she begins to walk away, Soren, fueled by a surge of determination, swiftly wraps her chain around the variant's ankle, toppling her to the ground. The Variant retaliates, kicking back at Soren's leg. Despite the blow, Soren manages to regain her footing, the variant blocks Loki's renewed attacks. With a sudden burst of strength, the variant seizes Loki and pins his arm behind him, pressing the blade of her sword against his neck.
Soren, her eyes burning with determination, rises to her feet once again, her sickles at the ready. "Stay back! I mean it," warns the variant, her voice laced with a mix of desperation and defiance. The tension rises as the sound of approaching footsteps fills the air—the arrival of Ravonna and her guards. Sensing the imminent danger, Soren backs toward the variant, taking a step closer. "You come any closer, and I'll kill him," the variant threatens. Soren rolls her eyes, her resolve unshaken. "Go for it," Ravonna boldly retorts. In a swift move, Loki seizes the opportunity, snatching the tempad from the variant's pocket and opening a portal. As confusion fills the air, Soren tries to utter a protest, but before she can fully comprehend the situation, they all tumble through the portal, leaving Ravonna's slash of the prune stick to miss them by a hair.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The portal opens on the ceiling, and Soren crashes onto a pile of rubble, intensifying the pain in her head. Unconscious, she lies still amidst the debris. Loki lands heavily on the bed, while variant rolls onto the adjacent mattress. The tempad slides across the floor as the variant begins crawling toward it. Just as she reaches it, Loki grabs her leg, prompting a furious outcry.
"Get off my leg!" she yells, struggling to free herself. Loki forcefully drags the Variant away, but she manages to kick him, creating an opening. Swiftly, she swings her sword at Loki, who effortlessly teleports behind her and hurls her into the nearby racks. Seizing the opportunity, Loki snatches the tempad and swiftly retreats, concealing the tempad to himself from the variant.
"Just give it back to me. You don't even know how to recharge it," the desperate Variant pleads.
"Of course I do. You're not the only tech-savvy Loki," Loki retorts.
"Don't call me that."
"Tech-savvy?"
"No, a Loki."
Loki's attention turns to Soren, still unconscious among the rubble. Concern etched on his face, he rushes over, shoving the variant aside. He cradles Soren in his arms, shaking her gently to rouse her from her stupor. "Soren... Soren! Come on, you need to wake up."
"Is she dead?" the variant taunts. "Well, at least that's one less person to worry about." Loki's anger flares, and he carefully sets Soren down, unsheathing his daggers.
"You really want to go there?" Loki's voice drips with firm warning. "You want to repeat this fight? Let's just kill each other while we're stuck here."
"Works for me, but I need that tempad."
Soren begins to stir, groaning as she slowly regains consciousness. Loki notices her movement and shoots the Variant a menacing glare before turning his attention to Soren. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asks, concern lacing his voice.
"Yeah... I feel dandy," Soren replies, her voice slightly strained.
The variant couldn't help but wonder, (Why is he showing such care for a girl who nearly had the upper hand? Who is she to him?)
"Where are we?" Soren asks, as rocks crash from the ceiling, causing the dilapidated house to tremble.
The variant's eyes widen with concern as she rushes outside. Loki and Soren follow, dodging the falling debris that surrounds them. "You idiot! This is Lamentis-1," the variant exclaims.
"I don't know what that means," Loki admits.
"Another planet is crashing into this one. It kills everyone," the variant explains.
They quickly evade the crumbling surroundings and seek refuge in another abandoned building.
Soren walks over to what used to be the living room, her mind racing as she ponders a way out of this chaotic situation.
Meanwhile, the variant and Loki find themselves alone. Loki looks out the window trying to calm himself and think about the situation. She attempts to enchant him, moving closer and wrapping her hands around his neck. A flicker of green light emerges as she employs her magic. "What are you doing? Trying to enchant me? It won't work," Loki asserts. "Why? Because you're a magician?"
"No, because my mind is too strong," Loki confidently replies.
The Variant enters the living room, taunting Soren with anger. Rising to her feet, Soren approaches the Variant, the ringer around her pupils glow with vibrant blue. "You're not helpful at all," the variant retorts. In a swift motion, Soren pulls the Variant closer, hurling her to the ground. Soren employs her disintegrative force powers to pin the Variant down, causing her armor to burn. "I'm so sick... and tired of your shit. Do you think you're the only one who wants out?" Soren's voice echoes with frustration. The variant struggles to break free, feeling the searing heat from Soren's powers.
Loki's ears catch variant anguished screams, and he rushes into the room, desperately trying to pull Soren away. "Soren, you must stop! Killing her won't solve anything, do you hear me?" Loki forcefully separates Variant from Soren, freeing her from the clutches of her wrath.
"Why should you care? What difference does it make?" Soren's voice trembles with frustration as she paces away from Loki. "I was hired to kill her because of some idiotic friend of mine who implicated me in timeline hopping that I never even did," Soren points at herself, shaking her head in disbelief. "Unbelievable! Wasn't this the mission?"
"That can't be the whole story, can it?" Loki presses, his tone laced with curiosity. "Listen, taking her life won't solve anything. Even I suspect the TVA isn't as righteous as it claims to be. I'm sure you have more to reveal when you're ready, but for now, we need to work together to escape this planet," Loki retrieves the tempad and displays it to Soren. "This device needs to be charged, and it's our ticket out of here." Soren gazes at the tempad and then looks back at Loki. "Keep it safe," she says, her voice softening with gentleness. Soren exits the room, casting a final glance at the variant before departing. She steps onto the deck of the crumbling house, her gaze fixed on the ominous purple sky as the planet draws nearer, with rocks continuing to trickle down. (Amidst all this devastation, it reminds me so much of Plovthea—the bluish-purple sky and, hell, even the ringed planets like those in Macrodemia.) Soren leans against a metal beam, lost in thought.
"What are you two?" the variant questions, her voice filled with curiosity. "That's my daughter," Loki responds, pride resonating in his words. The variant's surprise is evident, and she slowly rises to her feet. "I know a town nearby where we can charge the tempad," she suggests.
"Excellent, let's make our way there. By the way, what name would you prefer?" Loki inquires.
Before stepping out the door, the variant pauses, her expression resolute. "Call me Sylvie," she answers.