Chapter 2
"Mobius." Loki smiles, as bright as he remembered. He just couldn't stop himself from running to him, wrapping his arms so tight around him, he might've just broken one of his ribs if he weren't a god. "Hey- Hey. I'm here. I'm right here..I've got you. I promise." Mobius was just about losing himself as Loki wrapped his own arms around him, holding Mobius' head into the crook of his neck. "You were gone." He sniffled, feeling as pathetic as he could possibly get. "I've been right here. I've been watching." "But you weren't here." Loki frowns a bit at that, looking up at O.B. and B-15 in the doorway. He sighs, "It was my only option. Until I could figure out a way to leave that bad boy up without me holding onto its leash." He tries to crack a joke that doesn't land very well, Mobius just lifting his head to look at him with puffy eyes. Loki can feel a piece of his heart fall out of his chest and shatter onto the floor. He opens his mouth to apologize, eyes turning to the ground as if his heart would actually be there and he was stepping on the shattered glass of it. Mobius speaks first. "I missed you." Silence draws out with that. His hands still held onto Loki's arms as he pulls out of the hug fully. His hands slowly slide down to hold Loki's. Nothing more comes from his mouth. He squeezes, feeling the warmth of something other than the life inside the timelines for the first time in a long time.
Mobius' hands are a bit calloused and rough from so much time at the TVA. But his fingertips feel smooth and loving. Like he's braced himself with his palms for centuries but his fingertips have only been used to flip through files and pick up his coffee by only the top edge. He strokes a thumb over the back, brushing over once bruised knuckles only to find the same gentle touch as his fingertips right beside them. So much love and hurt in one person. One person he adored through and through. He looks up when he hears Mobius let out a breath, a smile now brightening up his face. "I missed you so much." His tone was different saying it this time. It was full of hope. He was back. Mobius hugs him again before O.B. finally comes down the steps, Casey right behind him. Obviously it had been enough commotion for the man to follow. And if O.B. started walking, so did he. They pull away again when they hear O.B. start to speak. "I'm also very happy to have you back, but- how is this possible? I only just figured out how you got it organized in the first place. That amount of power that took, it's simply unimaginable! Is it not working now? Is something wrong? Are your powers draining?" Loki just laughs at all the questions, still holding onto Mobius as he responds, hand on his shoulder. "It's holding up fine, O.B. I had plenty of time to figure out how to keep it standing. I just need to go back every once in a while. Call it a timer. It will alert me if I need to return." He sighs, looking out at the tree. "As for my abilities..They have yet to drain, but with a part of myself being split back there to keep watch of it, I can't be at my absolute best. Still, it's enough for what I need to do." Mobius immediately furrows his brows again, looking him over and moving in close. "What do you mean 'what you need to do'? You just got back! You're not going on another suicide mission. I can't- we can't--The TVA can't lose you again." Mobius looked like he was about to break into tears again but he held himself back. Crying in front of his friends once was enough for one day. He didn't need to do it all again. Loki eases him a bit by squeezing at his arm, dropping down to one of his hands again. It seemed to be the most effective and.. honestly, Loki couldn't stop thinking about the warmth they held.
"You're a fool to think I wouldn't take you with me on this."
"You didn't take me with you to your little treehouse."
Loki frowns. Mobius immediately feels regret from his words. There had just been so much pent up over the time he was gone. Hell, he had even taken off his suit jacket. He never took off his jacket. B-15 had even tried to bring him a slice of pie. Key-lime. Mobius didn't touch it. That had been the talk of the town for quite a while. Loki starts soft, never seeing him more fragile and knowing he could break at any second. He, himself, had been struggling with it all, but kept distracted glancing through timelines. He had stared for as long as he could when he saw Mobius visit his original timeline, a curiosity in his eyes he had so missed. "I.. would have brought you if I could have. But it was all such a rush. So many- failed attempts. Over and over again. I controlled the time slipping. I learned to freeze time. I even learned everything O.B. and Victor had to offer on physics." He gave a forced laugh, obviously not having enjoyed that one too much. "It was the only way." He licks at his lips, looking around at the group. "I was going to return sooner, as soon as I had figured out how to leave without everything collapsing once again. But I didn't want it going haywire. I decided to stick around and master it a bit. Not have to go off and check in on it so often. I think I did a pretty good job, don't you think?" Mobius sighed, looking down at his own shoes now. "Green is your color." He mumbles. Loki smiles. "So, you didn't master it to the fullest extent of your capabilities?" O.B. questions. Loki purses his lips. "No. I was planning on it but.. like I said, something came up." That seems to put them all on edge again. "Which is..?" "I'm not really sure. All I know is it's not good, and it's shifting the timelines in odd ways. It's.. almost like it's switching out nexus events. One timeline branches off because of someone losing a tooth before they were supposed to, and the next thing you know, suddenly it's because they assassinated the president of their country." There was an overall look of exhaustion. "Great. Another timeline issue. And here we thought it'd just be keeping variants of He Who Remains at bay." B-15 groans, "So what now?" There's an expectant pause. Mobius looks up from the floor, meeting Loki's eyes. "Loki leads the way."