Loki knew as soon as he stepped through the portal that this was the right TVA.
He'd been through hundreds at this point, chasing He Who Remain's variants across the multiverse. Most of them turned out to be harmless, but one particular version called Kang very nearly destroyed existence itself.
It had taken awhile, but he and Sylvie finally managed to take the tyrant down for good. After that, his only mission was to get to his time-organization.
Back to HIS Mobius.
"Why does everything look abandoned?"
"I don't know, but we're bound to run into someone if we keep looking."
They ran down dozens of abandoned corridors, but hadn't managed to find a living soul.
There were plenty of dead ones, however.
It was obvious that Kang's forces had ripped through the place. There were upturned desks, and ripped apart bookshelves everywhere....that wasn't even taking into account the numerous dead bodies littering the place. Loki was just thankful that none of them belonged to his lover.
They turned into one of the time theaters, and nearly had their heads taken off by a sword. Luckily, the person on the other end of the weapon recognized them and stopped herself mid-swing.
"Sylvie?! You guys are okay?!"
"Yes, B, we are, and thank goodness you are too."
Sylvie rushed over to B-15, who lifted her off the ground and twirled her around in a fierce embrace. Loki gave them a few minutes before asking the question that had plagued him the entire time.
"Where's Mobius?"
They pulled apart, and B had an uncomfortable look on her face.
"When the armies came through, we all banded together to fight them off. Then, their leader came through and nearly wiped out everyone here. Only Mobius was able to stand up to him, but when he had Kang down....the bastard said something that made him drop his weapon and just...walk away."
"What did he say to him?"
Again, she looked reluctant to answer, and Loki was starting to lose patience.
"WHAT DID HE SAY TO HIM?!"
"He said you were dead! That he'd killed you and dumped the body into a random timestream!"
"Surely,he didn't believe that," Loki said with a horrified expression,"He couldn't have..."
"Not at first....but then they pulled out your sword and....."
He didn't need to know the rest. Dammit! If only he hadn't lost that weapon, Mobius wouldn't have believed those lies.
He had to find him....no matter what it took.
"Do you have any idea where he could have gone?"
"Before he left, he said something about wanting to be alone at quote 'the place we were the happiest."
Loki had to think for a minute before it finally clicked for him.
"I think I know exactly where he is.
**************
Earth,The Zebra Lounge, 1935
Mobius took a drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the ash tray on the piano. He'd been in this timeline for roughly six months according to the tempad in his pocket....drinking,smoking,playing the piano...just blending in with the environment. None of the residents seemed to notice that he didn't quite fit. At least, noone he cared to worry about.
The bar was closed up for the night. Mobius had made a deal with the owner to clean it up in exchange for room and board, so it was just him and the piano now.
He remembered the first time they found this place. He couldn't recall what the mission was for, but he could never forget how Loki's eyes lit up upon seeing the baby grand. The Góð of Mischief was well adept at music, and took to the keys instantly. They sat there for hours after their task was complete, singing songs from every time period they could think of. It was the place where Mobius realized he had fallen in love.
It was only fitting that he'd come here to mourn that love.
Tears flowed unbidden and fell onto the instrument. It wasn't fair that the one good thing he'd found in his entire existence was snatched out from under him. They were supposed to be together once the war was over, find some place on the timeline to live and just be....
He wasn't supposed to be alone anymore.
Mobius had thought about ending it all on more than one occasion, but he'd remembered that Loki's people believed in Valhalla, and he was afraid his love would be ripped away from him all over again if he did something rash.
So here he was, reliving one of their happiest moments over and over, as he waited for age or something else to catch up with him. The patrons loved the songs he sang, even if they were all of the sadness and misery variety.
On that note, he pushed back the cover and decided to play one more piece before collapsing on the cot upstairs.
Mobius hoped that wherever he was, Loki could hear him.
***************
Loki stepped through the portal into an icy Chicago winter. He hoped that his hunch was right, and that Mobius went to the place where they'd first gotten together. The snow started picking up as he trudged his way to the familiar barfront, making him curse the loss of his sword once again.
He used his magic to unlock the back door, and crept inside. The place looked empty at first, and fear sank into his stomach that he might have been wrong. Just as he was about to activate the time door and try somewhere else, he heard the notes coming from the piano....and a familiar voice accompanying it.
Maybe in another life
I could find you there
Pulled away before your time
I can't deal, it's so unfair
And it feels, and it feels like
Heaven's so far away
And it feels, yeah, it feels like
The world has grown cold now that you've gone away
Leaving flowers on your grave
Show that I still care
Black roses and "Hail Mary's"
Can't bring back what's taken from me
I reach to the sky and call out your name
And if I could trade, I would
And it feels, and it feels like
Heaven's so far away
And it stings, yeah, it stings now
The world is so cold now that you've gone away
Now that you've gone away
I reach to the sky and call out your name
And if I could trade, I would
And it feels, and it feels like
Heaven's so far away
And it feels, yeah, it feels like
The world has grown cold now that you've gone away
****************
Just as the song ended, Mobius heard a voice he thought he would never hear again.
"You still warble on that high note, Darling."
He jumped up, spun around, and came face to face with the Góð of Mischief, who, while a little roughed up, was still very much alive.
"Loki.....LOKI!"
Mobius didn't hesitate as he ran straight into the other man's embrace.
"Oh my God.....I thought you were dead and that I...that I..."
The agent couldn't finish as he completely broke down in sobs. Loki held on tightly, feeling the sting of his own tears as they rolled down his cheeks.
"It's alright,Darling, I'm here.You know you can't get rid of me that easily."
"As if I'd ever want to."
Loki smiled as he pulled back to look at the man he loved, before leaning in and gently pressing their lips together. Mobius deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around the Góð's waist and squeezing. After awhile, they pulled apart just enough to catch their breath, limbs still completely entangled.
"Let's get you home,Mobius."
"I was home the minute you walked through that door."
"So was I, love, so was I."