Chapter 3
Casey's hands were shaking as he held the small device in his hands. He'd never done anything like this before, he was just an office worker! Remembering the heartbreak in the Loki variant's eyes, however, spurred him on.
Loki had come running to his cubicle, near tears. The variant had fallen to his knees beside Casey, begging for help.
"Please, please Casey, I don't...I…I…he…something happened, I can't…" Casey hadn't hesitated to pull Loki into his arms, and the variant had clung to him, sobbing and gasping.
Once he'd calmed down somewhat, Loki had stayed in that spot. Head resting in Casey's lap with his arms anchored around him. Casey had rubbed his back, listening as Loki explained. Mobius' memories had been wiped? Loki was scared; with no one to turn to, and needed help. In hindsight, Casey was rather honored that Loki had come to him, that he trusted him. Sure, they had become closer over time; since Loki had been with the TVA, he'd formed an attachment to Casey.
The man had arrived at his desk one day to find an odd bowl filled with water sitting next to his computer. Casey had frowned at it, leaning forward. He couldn't stop the gasp that left him at the sight of a shiny thing swimming in the bowl. A note had been left on his desk with neatly written cursive. The note read: "this is a fish, by the way. Just sprinkle a bit of the fish food into the bowl once at night, and once in the morning. Just a little pinch will do. Signed, The Superior Loki". Casey had smiled fondly, sitting down and watching the fish swim in circles for a moment before turning to his work.
Casey and Loki had gotten along, well, swimmingly after that. The pair often sought one another out at lunch, and Casey had taken to joining Loki and Mobius to eat. Casey found himself growing quite fond of the pair, and often wished he could join what they had. 'Wishful thinking', he thought sadly. Still, he was happy for them. Loki had never truly been happy, and Mobius had changed all of that. Even Renslayer had to agree that Loki had been doing much better since he and Mobius became official. So for Loki to suddenly lose Mobius? Casey couldn't imagine.
The office worker had meanwhile snuck Loki into his room, leaving him curled up on the bed. Still quietly sobbing.
"Stay here, ok? I'll take care of everything." Casey had sounded much more confident than he was, but he knew there was a device that could reverse the reset. Problem was, it was in Ravonna's office. Everything was a blur after that; Casey disabled the cameras in the room, snatched the device, and took his leave. He just needed to borrow it, Casey told himself. He'd put it back.
He power walked down the hallway, hiding the remote like device as a fellow TVA agent passed him. He offered a strained smile, sighing in relief as the woman passed without a second glance. Casey entered the library, and it didn't take long to find Mobius. The man was sitting at a table, reading a file with an unbothered expression. Mobius looked up at Casey as he approached.
"Hey, what's up?" Mobius drawled. Casey gulped. Now or never.
"I'm probably gonna get pruned for this…but he needs you, Mobius." Before the man could ask any further questions, Casey held up the remote and pressed the red button. A zapping sound filled the quiet library, and Mobius yelped, clutching his chest.
There were a few seconds where neither man spoke. Mobius stared at the ground, rubbing his chest thoughtfully. Casey trembled nervously.
"Did…did it work?" He whispered. Mobius locked eyes with Casey. They were wide, set into a face filled with silent rage.
"Where did they take him?"
—------------------------------------------------------
Loki had no idea how long he laid there. He burrowed deeper into the blankets, feeling like a child hiding from a storm. Then again, his life had become nothing but a perpetual storm. He truly thought he could trust Sylvie, she had felt like a sister to him. Now he knew he couldn't even trust another version of himself…
Now Mobius…Mobius was gone. Those eyes that had gazed at him with so much tenderness and understanding, now didn't even recognize him. The old Loki would have been angry, would have burned this place to the ground, but…
He was done. Loki was done. He'd lost everything. His family, his home, his… his lover… he was so tired of fighting, so tired of losing. So, he laid under the blankets, sobbing as he tried to hide from the storm.
Then the door opened. Loki's heart leapt into his chest as he heard footsteps. They found him, they were coming to drag him off to… gods knows where. He silently crept off of the bed, scrambling to crawl under it. He flattened himself against the wall, shaking uncontrollably as the intruders entered the bedroom. Then, Casey's voice.
"Loki? Loki, where are you? It's just me, it's ok." No, no, it's a trick! They're lying, it's not him, it's not…
"Hey, kitten. C'mon out, darlin'." Mobius?
Loki shifted, and a pair of feet appeared in front of the bed. The person crouched down, and Loki's heart soared as he saw Mobius. The man studied him for a moment, Loki flushing at the awkward situation, then smiled. He offered his hand.
"C'mon, Lokes. Let's get out of here." He whispered. Loki took the offered hand, and Mobius pulled him out from under the bed. Casey came to kneel beside them, and Loki surprised them by pulling the pair into a hug. He squeezed them both close, sighing as they returned the embrace. Loki pulled away, studying Mobius' face. Then, he grasped the man's collar and pulled him in, crashing their lips together. The silvery mustache scratched his upper lip, but Loki couldn't care less.
There was a moment of hesitation, then a large warm hand cupped the back of Loki's head, deepening the kiss. Mobius pulled back, placing feather light pecks to Loki's tear stained cheeks. Loki turned to Casey. The man had a heavy blush across his cheeks, and was looking down sheepishly. Loki smiled softly, then cupped Casey's cheek, drawing him into a kiss slowly. Casey let out a small squeak, but melted into the embrace with a sigh. The three all hugged once more, foreheads touching. Then, the door opened again.
All muscles tensed as what sounded like a large group stormed in. Loki jumped up, baring his teeth as he placed himself between his lovers and the door. Never again. He'd never let them take anything from him again! A growl was ripped from his throat, a guttural sound that surprised even him. Mobius and Casey both leaped to their feet, standing at his sides. All was silent as the other rooms were checked.
Suddenly, Loki remembered a spell his mother had taught him.
"If you ever find yourself in a place where magic is suppressed, this spell will always be open to you, and will allow you to access the magic within you. Be careful, though. It is very powerful, and draws much energy. Have care how you use it, and when you use it." She'd said. Taking a deep breath, Loki whispered the incantation, closing his eyes as he focused.
Finally, finally, he felt the familiar surge of his powers returning. He'd felt naked without them, and cracked his neck with a relieved exhale as ribbons of green light swirled around his fingers. Mobius and Casey stared in awe; no variant could use magic here! Yet, there they were, and the two stepped back to give him space.
The door burst open with a crash, and several agents rushed in. Loki let out what could only be described as an Asgardian warcry, shooting beams of light at the agents. Five of them dropped to the ground, stunned. More came to replace them, and Loki was quickly backed into a corner. Mobius and Casey were pressed against the wall behind him, and Loki was desperately fighting them all off. Then, he used a teleportation spell.
In a split second, the trio was in the hallway outside of Casey's apartment. Loki grabbed their hands, pulling them down the hall. They turned corner after corner, dodging agents left and right, before they found themselves at a dead end. Loki practically howled in frustration, turning to face their adversaries.
"Loki…" Casey whimpered, eyeing the twenty agents that stormed towards them.
"I've got this, Casey. I'll take care of everything." Loki assured, bracing himself. He struck out again and again, sending people flying left and right. He put up force fields to protect them from the blasters, shooting out innumerable blasts of emerald light. If Mobius wasn't so terrified, he'd be mesmerized by the beauty of it. Soon, though, it came to be too much. Loki was using an immense amount of energy, and felt himself weakening.
The force fields stuttered, and Loki panicked, diverting energy to them. A particularly bold agent managed to get closer to him while his attention was away from her, and Mobius pulled Loki back as she thrust a pruning rod towards him. Loki glared at the agent, sending her flying past her companions.
'There are too many!' He thought, panic filling him. No. No! He can't falter, he can't let them take Mobius and Casey. Never again! He's lost so much already… At the thought of losing those he loved again, a sudden surge of energy burst from his chest, and his eyes began to glow bright green.
"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THEM FROM ME! YOU WILL KNOW MY WRATH, YOU WILL KNOW THE WRATH OF ASGARD AND JOTUNHEIM!" He bellowed, and screams filled the air as a blinding light engulfed them. Loki was thrown back, and two sets of arms grabbed him.
There was a sensation of weightlessness, and the three clung to one another. Magic was still draining from Loki, and he whimpered at the strain. Mobius' lips pressed against his forehead, and Casey squeezed him tighter.
Just as it felt like Loki couldn't hold on anymore, the trio were dropped to the floor. His ears were ringing, and Loki struggled to keep his eyes open as the other two called to him. Finally, his magic sputtered out, and Loki fell unconscious.
—-----------------------------------------------------
"So you mean to tell me that the guy I blamed for controlling me was controlled himself?!" To say that Clint Barton was upset would be a gross understatement. The rest of the Avengers looked grimly at the display. Tony downed another shot, nodding.
"Yup, I studied his brainwave activity; the chart is almost an exact match to yours. That and Thor said his eyes were green, and, well…" He pulled up video footage from his confrontation with Loki.
"I know for a fact that those eyes were blue. Blue as hell." Bruce looked like he wanted to throw up, and Thor hadn't stopped pacing.
"And now we have no idea where he is!" Thor bellowed, bashing his fist into a wall. The brick easily crumbled, and Steve laid a gentle hand on the man's arm.
"We'll find him, ok? We'll find your brother." He promised. Tony scoffed.
"And how do you suppose we're gonna do that, Capsicle? Loki could be literally anywhere in the universe right now, and he might still be under the scepter's control. Where the hell are we supposed to start looking?!" He questioned. Just as Steve was about to give an irritated response, a blinding light suddenly flashed across the room.
Thor whirled towards the light, his grip on Mjolnir tight. Natasha laid a hand on her gun, and Clint readied his bow. Steve raised his shield, but lowered it when the light faded. In its place, three men sat on the floor. Or, two sat. The third slumped against them, body visibly shaking.
One, a stoutly built man with dark hair, was breathing heavily.
"What happened? Oh my god, what happened? Mobius…?" He pleaded. The second, a man with silver hair, responded:
"Casey, breathe, ok? It's ok, just breathe." They both looked down at the third. Long black hair cascaded over the silver haired man's shoulder, and Thor's heart leapt into his throat as he adjusted his grip, revealing a familiar face.
"Loki…?" Thor and Casey spoke at the same time, with the latter leaning forward. He rubbed Loki's shoulder, eyes widening after getting no response. The other, Mobius apparently, shook Loki gently.
"Loki? Loki, c'mon, wake up! Loki!" Bruce's chair squeaked as he stood, and the two men quickly turned towards them. Casey stood up, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. He grabbed a wrench, pointing it towards the Avengers in what was supposed to be a threatening manner. It was rather hard to be intimidating with frightened tears in your eyes, though. Steve dropped his shield, raising his hands in a surrendering pose.
"It's ok. We're not gonna hurt you. We want to help, alright?" He spoke gently, but Casey shook his head as Steve stepped closer. Mobius laid a hand on the man's knee, saying:
"It's ok, Casey. Drop the wrench, darlin'." Casey sniffled, setting the tool down. He knelt on the ground once more, trying to rouse Loki again. Thor had been silent up until this point, but rushed to his brother's side. Casey still looked apprehensive, but moved over hesitantly. Thor's vision blurred with tears as he cupped Loki's cheek. His hair was longer…he looked…older.
A hand on his shoulder drew his attention to Bruce. The man crouched down, examining Loki.
"It looks like his body is in shock or something…" He concluded. Tony had Jarvis call for a medical team, and Mobius gently rocked Loki back and forth. Casey was distraught, shaking and suppressing sobs with a hand over his mouth. Natasha draped a blanket over the man, and he gave her an appreciative nod.
"Let's get him over to the couch." Steve said. Mobius nodded, letting the captain help him up. As he adjusted his grip on Loki, the man gave a quiet groan. Loki's eyes fluttered open, and his breaths quickened as he tensed up.
"Shhh, hey, it's ok. I've got you. I got you. Relax, Lokes." The man's words seemed to calm Loki, who shakily wrapped his arms around his neck. Mobius pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, moving to lay him down. Loki, however, refused to let go, whimpering fearfully. Mobius sighed, turning around and sitting on the couch. He laid Loki's head in his lap, using his fingers to gently detangle the raven locks. Casey lifted Loki's legs, sitting on the couch and draping the legs over his own lap. Loki visibly relaxed, staring up at Mobius with bleary eyes.
"Casey?" He questioned weakly. The man in question leaned forward, rubbing Loki's arm.
"I'm here, Lokes. I'm right here." Loki's gaze shifted to Casey, and he stretched a shaking hand towards him. Casey took his hand immediately, snuggling closer to Mobius as the man wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Thor watched the interaction with shock. Loki had never been one for tlc, yet here he was. Seeking these two out, silently asking for comfort. It was so unlike Loki that Thor couldn't help but question just how well he knew his brother. Who were these mortals, and how had they accomplished what he never could?
It wasn't long before the med team arrived, and Mobius braced himself for a fight. Sure enough, as soon as a doctor touched Loki, the man was scrambling to his feet, green tendrils lashing out as he cried out in shock. Mobius couldn't help but be reminded of a cat at the vet as he tried to wrangle a thrashing Loki.
"Hey, hey! Calm down, it's ok! Loki, calm down!" Loki shook his head blindly, and Mobius held him back from swinging at a nurse. Casey took hold of Loki's legs, joining Mobius in his effort to soothe him.
"Nononono, Mobius, I can't…I…LEAVE US ALONE, PLEASE!" Loki pleaded tearfully, clinging to his partners and sobbing. Everyone backed up, giving the distraught Asgardian some space.
"Loki…" Thor whispered, heart clenching painfully. Loki didn't answer, but Thor saw his brother twitch at hearing his voice.
"I can only imagine the kind of pain you're in right now. I…I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Loki. These people are here to help, brother. It's ok now, you're all safe now. I wouldn't lie to you, would I?" When Loki showed no negative response to his words, Thor stepped forward. He laid a large hand on his brother's back. Loki let out a quiet whine, burying his face in Mobius' neck. Mobius shushed him gently, kissing his cheek. Slowly, Thor felt Loki relax. He took a seat on the arm of the couch, rubbing Loki's back. After a few moments, Loki turned to look at his brother. Thor nearly cried at seeing the exhaustion and fear in his eyes, resisting the urge to gather him up in his arms and never let anyone touch him again.
Instead, Thor smiled encouragingly. Loki managed a weak twitch of his lips, eyes fluttering tiredly.
Hesitantly, a nurse came forward. Thor gave her a nod, and she rested a hand on Loki's shoulder. His head jerked back to look at her, but it seemed that he was now too tired to protest. The doctors moved in, and Loki was laid on his back to let them work. What worried Mobius was the lack of response; Loki just let them maneuver him like a ragdoll with no protest.
All was quiet as the doctors worked, aside from the occasional hiss of pain as Loki's wounds were cleaned and wrapped. A syringe of clear fluid was administered; a pain killer that made Loki even more drowsy. The Asgardian's grip on Casey's hand weakened, and Mobius whispered soothingly to him as he sank into much-needed sleep.