Loki
6. Loki
Someone was nudging his shoulder.
- Loki! Hey, Loki, wake up - a hushed voice was calling him.
- Mmmhmm
- Loki, please
Something about that voice was familiar. With a start, Loki opened his eyes and sat on the bed. Mobius was looking down at him, tenpad in hand, a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.
- Wow, you're a deep sleeper.
- What, hang on, how did you… no, tell me this, where did you last see me?
- Where did… what do you mean where did I last see you?! It's me…
- I know, it sounds absurd, but please just tell me, where did you last see me?
- In the void? I went through the portal, and you, uh, you stayed behind with Sylvie. Happy now?
- Mobius, I can't tell you how happy I am it is really you! Is that tenpad working? We need to get out of here!
- What? Why, where are we actually?
- We are… we are in some different version of the TVA. And so far, I did not like it, at all. Look, I will explain later, we need to get back to your… your place, your version of it. Is it safe?
- Well, it was when I left it. I still don't quite get…
- Can you record this location on the tenpad, just in case?
- Yeah, I can, there, see… done. Now what?
- Let's go back and I will tell you everything. - he made a move to get up
- OK, do you, er, maybe want to get dressed first?
- What? - Loki has forgotten his blissfully naked state, as well as the sorry affair of trying to wash his battered clothes a few hours earlier.
- I guess you don't have to, being a god and all, perhaps you could just go in this bedsheet, it's just a suggestion.
Loki draped the bedsheet over himself as elegantly as he could, grabbed his still somewhat wet clothes, and looked expectantly at Mobius.
- OK, here goes...
Mobius opened the portal, and gestured for Loki to go ahead. Without a word, Loki grabbed Mobius by the elbow and dragged them through the frame.
- Ouw, what's got into you?
- I have seen a variant of you.
- What?! Where? Who was he?
- Back at the place you found me. The other TVA. I am not sure why I ended up there, must have been where the One Who Remains came from, or maybe not, but anyway, it is pretty similar in the way the building looks, so I ran to the archives, hoping to find you. And a variant of you was there. Also a variant of that hunter… B-15, she was there too. Only of course they had no idea who I was, thought I was an analyst… Anyway, I got to this emergency recreation room and just… I just needed a break, and as there was nowhere to run, I figured I might at least get some sleep, get my head straight. Not sure how much I got before you showed up, though, judging by the dampness of my shirt, not too long. Where are we?
- We're in my room. I live here, so I guess, welcome.
- Thank you. Could I possibly borrow some clothes? These are still wet, and have a bit too many holes.
- Sure. Don't know how much they'll fit you but you can take anything from the closet.
- That's very kind of you, thanks.
- You still have to catch me up on what happened after I left.
- I think we made a huge mistake, although now that I slept on it I can't tell for sure if we even had a choice about it, or it all was somewhat pre-determined. Look, this is a conversation we need to have with some food, and maybe drinks. Do you do drinks, at the TVA?
- Well, if you're hungry I could get us some food from the canteen. As for the drinks… I might have something. Give me a minute, I'll be right back. Just… sit down, relax.
Loki looked around Mobius'es room. It was a bit bigger than the room he slept in earlier, with a somewhat larger bed, a nicer table and an armchair. The armchair did look comfortable, although a bit worn out.
- I'll come with you. Help you carry things. - He was not going to let Mobius out of his sight, if he could help it.
- Fine, but you’ll have to get dressed first.
They ended up getting quite a few things from the canteen, seeing as neither of them have really eaten much in the past… well, however long it was, and dropping into the storage room to get more clothes in Loki’s size. It turned out that the analysts did not just get sharp suits, but also some ‘recreational attire’, as Mobius called it, which consisted of softer green-brown pants and a white cotton t-shirt. They got back to Mobius’es flat, and settled down around the table to eat.
- You know - Mobius said, looking appreciatively at the multiple salad and meat containers, - I have never eaten in my room before.
- Really? What, you always ate in the canteen before?
- Yeah, all TVA stuff is supposed to do that. But I must say, this is nice.
- Hang on, is that why we just picked those plates and cutlery from the canteen to take with us? I must say, respect. Very confident with your sticky fingers.
- Hah, I have my little tricks too. - Mobius held Loki’s gase at that and smiled proudly. Loki felt himself smiling in response.
- This is quite good, actually. Not an Asgardian feast, of course, but you know, quite nice.
- Your highness approves, then?
- Ahhahahaha, yes, definitely. You are an excellent host, Mobius. Thank you.
- My pleasure.
As they ate, Loki told Mobius how he and Sylvie managed to enchant the Allioth, with the help of the Future Loki’s amazing magic. He told him about getting to the citadel and the gambit He Who Remains left them with.
- Sylvie wanted to kill him. She just… she was so intent on it, and I get it, all her life she has been preparing for that moment. All I asked for was just a minute to think about things, to talk it all over. Things were happening so fast, the timelines were branching, and it was hard to figure out what was real and what was an illusion. I mean, if we had the choice to keep it all as is, why were they already branching at such a rate? Now that I look at it, were we reliving that moment when she bombed the timeline? But then I thought the TVA dealt with it…
- Gosh, that is a lot of complicated possibilities.
- Exactly! I mean, just talking through it with you makes me reconsider it again and see more possibilities! Makes me almost regret not watching all those training videos in full, although they are probably filled up with propaganda anyway.
- Ok, you know what, before we go into all this, let’s clean this up, and then continue talking. Also, I want to get changed into something more comfortable cause if I spend any more time in this damned tie, I’ll probably suffocate. Deal?
- Deal! - Loki tried to hide his smile, as he started stacking the empty containers together. He could not remember the last time he spoke so freely and felt so understood.