For All Time. Always.
Kurinth’s job at the TVA was merely that of a pencil pusher, and occasionally, some muscle when it was needed on a field op. Their skills were particularly useful to the Time Variance Authority - and they never ceased to remind them that once they were no longer useful, they would be pruned.
At least, Ravonna liked to remind them of that fact. Quite often, actually.
”Remember your place, Variant.” Ravonna’s voice was always dripping with venom.
Kurinth wondered what exactly it was that made Ravonna dislike them so much. Perhaps it was the destruction of the door to her office, or the spitting on both of the Hunter’s that were present at Kurinth’s trial when they were originally apprehended all those months ago.
Months? Years? Kurinth had no idea. Time moved so differently in the little bubble the TVA existed in.
”Yeah, yeah, my place.” Kurinth would always answer in a very bored, casual tone. “I’ve heard it a thousand times, Rslayer, can we get on with the mission debrief before I die of boredom?”
Ravonna eyed Kurinth in an irritated way before she handed the manila folder over to them. Kurinth immediately flipped open the folder to reveal its contents.
”You will be accompanying Mobius to track down a lead on a highly dangerous Variant we’ve been tracking for quite some time.”
Kurinth’s face lit up when Ravonna mentioned Mobius. They tossed the folder aside - truth be told, they really enjoyed these missions when Mobius was the Agent they were accompanying.
Mobius defended Kurinth the moment the TVA brought them in. He was the reason - and was still the reason, truthfully - the TVA decided to keep them around longer. He was always kind, and spoke to Kurinth in a soft, comforting voice.
He reminded them of someone they were close with long before the TVA stepped into their life.
”Alright. Thanks, Ravonna.”
”No need to thank me.” Ravonna waved her hand dismissively. “Speak with Mobius for more details. You may take your leave.”
Kurinth nodded their head towards Ravonna, then turned on their heel to leave Ravonna’s very… decorated office. Decorated as in she proudly displayed the trophies of cases Mobius’ had worked on in the past - he was her favorite analyst, after all.
Kurinth made their way through the winding halls of the TVA, and down the elevator that would take them to the main lobby of the current building. Before the doors even opened, they heard a commotion.
The elevator made a subtle ding! and the doors opened to… Casey at the front desk, and Hunter B-15 accompanied by another Variant. This one seemed to be an L variant, judging by the attire and… how they were standing. Looking around the place as if they had been slighted by everything in it.
Hunter B-15 was holding a glowing, blue cube in her hands that Kurinth couldn’t identify. They stepped out of the elevator, towards the front desk to have a chat with their friend Casey.
”Hey! Kurinth!” Casey greeted them with excitement.
Kurinth smiled. “Hey, Casey.”
The L variant yanked themself free from Hunter B-15’s clutches, and attempted to make a run for it to no avail - the collar around their neck looped them back to their original spot.
The Variant looked at Hunter B-15 like a deer caught in the headlights, only before taking off once more. Again, the collar looped them backwards in time. This time, they fell to their knee and flipped their hair backwards dramatically, then began to tug at the collar around their neck.
Casey greeted Hunter B-15 with a smile as he handed her a clipboard. “Hello, ma’m!”
Hunter B-15 set the cube she had been holding down on the desk in front of him. Kurinth eyed it curiously, and locked eyes with the Variant as they did so. They narrowed their eyes suspiciously at Kurinth.
”Log this as evidence.” Hunter B-15 said.
Casey raised his eyebrows at the item in front of him, then picked it up in his hands as Hunter B-15 dragged the L Variant towards one of the many elevators in the room.
”Can you atleast tell me what it is?” He asked her.
”It’s the Tesseract.” The L Variant spoke, their voice low and gravely. “Be very careful with it.”
Casey looked at it, dumbfounded, then shrugged and set it back down on the desk. “Sounds dumb.”
Kurinth eyed Hunter B-15 and the Variant as they stood outside the elevator. Hunter B-15 hit the call button and turned to the Variant as they ripped their arm from her clutches once more.
”Know this,” The Variant spoke, finger pointing at Hunter B-15 in a meager attempt at intimidating her. “You cross me, there are deadly consequences.”
Hunter B-15 shrugged their empty threat off. “We’ll see.” She pushed the L Variant into the elevator, and watched as the door closed behind them.
She then turned on her heels, back toward the desk Kurinth and Casey were currently at. Kurinth eyed Hunter B-15 with heightened curiosity.
”Interesting L Variant.” They said.
Hunter B-15 eyed Kurinth with distaste. “Afraid he’s more interesting than you?” She said with a grin.
”No one is more interesting than me.” Kurinth said defensively. They didn’t mean to come off so defensive - being in the presence of any of the Hunters brought out that side of them.
Hunter B-15 chuckled as she walked away.
Kurinth then turned to Casey, now, shrugging off Hunter B-15’s remark entirely, no matter how alarming. “Casey, you seen Mobius around?”
”Last I checked, he was in his office.”
”Thanks.” Kurinth said with a smile and a wink. “Lunch later? On me, of course.”
”You betcha!”
Kurinth stepped into one of the many elevators surrounding Casey’s desk in the lobby, and pressed a button to take them to the floor Mobius’ office was located on. If Kurinth knew anything, they knew Mobius was going to be on this new L Variant’s case like no tomorrow.
To their observation and knowledge, this one looked close enough to the Loki that Mobius had been studying so closely in order to catch the ‘highly dangerous’ Variant. There’s no way he wasn’t already on this.
When Kurinth arrived at the analyst’s office, they found him gathering files at his desk. Kurinth knocked on the door frame to announce their presence, and greeted Mobius with a smile when he looked up at them.
”You hear about the Variant that Hunter B-15 brought in?”
”Already on it, Kuri.” Mobius said as he walked around his desk with a new pep in his step, files under his arm. “Since you’re helpin’ me catch the dangerous one, I’d appreciate your help with this one.”
”How do you know this one isn’t just as dangerous?” Kurinth asked him.
Mobius chuckled. “Please.” He sounded so sure of himself. “C’mon, time’s a-wastin’.”
Kurinth followed Mobius out of his office and towards yet another elevator. As much as they’d complain up and down about the amount of elevators in this place, it was much more bearable than taking the stairs.
They thought back to when a few elevators in the building were down for maintenance and felt a slight ache in their calves.
Kurinth struggled to keep up with Mobius as he strode through the hallways of the TVA, determined and on a mission. They hadn’t seen him this determined in a long while.
Kurinth followed Mobius inside the court room. They spotted Ravonna and the Variant at the front of the room, and quickly ducked to take their seat beside Mobius.
”…Oh, believe me, you can smell the cologne of two Tony Starks.” The Variant spoke loud and clear for Kurinth to hear. “You speak of Time Criminals? It’s they you should be after.”
Kurinth eyed Ravonna at the front of the room cautiously. They remembered when they were in the exact same position as this Variant not too long ago - or was it? Time was so screwy, there was no telling how long it had been since they stood trial before Ravonna for their “crime against the Sacred Timeline.”
”Perhaps you could provide me with a taskforce and resources, and I could return and eliminate them for you.” The Variant continued.
Kurinth noticed the Variant’s voice that was once low and gravely was now velvety and smooth - no doubt an effort in convincing Ravonna that they weren’t guilty. It would be futile, however.
Ravonna was not so easily won over, and this was one thing that Kurinth knew for certain.
As they sat in on the trial, Kurinth eyed the file Mobius had open on his lap. ‘Loki Laufeyson.’ Hm.
”We’re not here to talk about the Avengers.”
”Oh, no?”
”No.” Ravonna said. “What they did was supposed to happen. You escaping was not.”
Loki began to chuckle at Ravonna’s words. “Right, um…” They said. “‘Not supposed to happen?’ According to whom?”
Ravonna cocked an eyebrow at Loki. “The Time-Keepers?”
”Oh, the Time-Keepers. Right.” Loki was playing dumb. However annoying it probably was to Ravonna, it was amusing to Kurinth. “Well, perhaps I should speak to these Time-Keepers, gods to gods.”
Ravonna smiled bittersweetly at Loki and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but they’re quite busy.”
”Oh, they are?” Kurinth almost chuckled. This was the most amusing trial they’d sat in for in quite a while. “What are they doing?”
”Dictating the proper flow of time.”
”I see. Right.” Loki nodded. “And then what do you do?”
Ravonna seemed to be getting annoyed. “Dictate the proper flow of time according to their dictations.” She answered in a tone that told Kurinth she was, indeed, growing tired of Loki’s dodging of the matter at hand. “How do you plead?”
Loki was silent for a moment. “Guilty…” They responded. Loki raised their hands over the podium, out to their sides, and Kurinth cocked their eyebrow in interest. “Of this.”
Loki clenched their fists together sharply, as if attempting to use their magical powers, and Kurinth recognized it all too well. Powers were useless in the TVA, even ones on a biological level, such as Kurinth’s.
It was then that Kurinth noticed Hunter B-15 standing near the podium when they heard stifled laughter.
Loki tried to use their magic once more, to no avail. Ravonna looked incredibly confused.
”What’s going on?” She asked.
”Hang on.” Loki said. “Everyone quiet.”
Hunter B-15 chuckled dryly. “He’s trying to use his powers, ma’m.”
”Don’t rush me.” Loki grunted. They then hit the podium, startling Kurinth for a split second. “Damn it! Why won’t it work!?”
”Magic powers?” Ravonna said, a little amused, now. “They’re no good in the TVA, Mr. Laufeyson. The court finds you guilty, and I sentence you to be reset.” Ravonna hit her gavel, signifying the trial was over. “Next case, please!”
Loki looked visibly upset from where Kurinth was sitting. They frowned - they didn’t want to end up sympathizing with the Variant, but something in them was screaming to.
”’Reset?’ What does that mean?” Loki began to panic. “What, is it bad? What does it mean?”
Hunter B-15 started to pull Loki along, only to be met with resistance.
”Hey! You ridiculous bureaucrats will not dictate how my story ends!”
Ravonna absentmindedly flipped through her papers. “It’s not your story, Mr. Laufeyson.” She said. Ravonna’s cold voice still managed to unnerve Kurinth.
”You have NO IDEA what I’m capable of!” Loki shouted.
It was then that Mobius rose from his seat beside me. I stared up at him in bewilderment, then up at Ravonna.
”I think I might.” Mobius said. “Have an idea of what he’s capable of.” He finished, then pointed at Loki.
Loki locked eyes with me for a moment. They looked confused, then realization struck them and they narrowed their eyes at me. I was the one curiously looking at the Tesseract in the lobby, after all.
Ravonna eyed Mobius from afar. “Approach the bench.”
Loki’s eyes now followed Mobius as he strode up to speak to Ravonna. I rose from my seat and followed along behind him.
Mobius spoke softly to Ravonna. “Hi.” He said.
Ravonna leaned over to look down at Mobius, a stern look on her face. “If you’re thinking what I think you are, it’s a bad idea.”
”Okay, I’m just chasin’ a hunch.”
Ravonna stared at Mobius for a moment, contemplating. “Anything goes sideways, it’s on you.”
”Okay.” Mobius nodded briefly. “I feel like I’m always looking up to you. I like it. It’s appropriate.”
Ravonna gave him a not-so-amused look in response. Mobius then turned on his heels to face Loki.
Loki grunted, still resisting the grip of the Hunters beside them. “And who are you?”
Mobius didn’t answer - he simply smiled at the Variant.