The Variant
Ravonna and Mobius sat together in her office. In silence, they'd poured their drinks and waited for the other to talk first. Ravonna traced the delicate patterns on her glass, deciding how to move forward. Mobius had finished his drink before she decided to speak. "We can't keep going on like this, Mobius." She looked up "How many missions have you been on? We need to reassess how valuable this variant really is."
Mobius sighed and put his own cup down, he knew this was coming "I don't see it that way, every time a mission goes... well for every mistake we are learning something equally valuable in return."
Ravonna pushed the growing feeling of frustration down. He was so determined to be right. Clenching her hands around her cup she tried not to be too condescending "Great, I would love an example."
Mobius blinked for a minute as the gears inside his head seemed to turn "Well, we know that the variant Loki is getting more and more cavalier now that Thor's in the field. We've actually made contact with them."
"Oh? How?"
Mobius sensed that Ravonna was still not convinced "Well, Thor managed to tail them for quite a bit. We followed them to a temporal door and then... well they left." Mobius couldn't help but trail off at the end.
"You know that's not good enough." Ravonna stood and walked to her desk "I've given you time and recourses that my other Agents could have used effectively, but it's all gone to waste."
Mobius followed "It looks bad, but it will be better."
Ravonna shook her head "I'm walking away from this Mobius-"
"No," he said more forcefully than he meant to "No, just wait. We've asked a variant Thor to join us, right? And what have we done? We've taken away the most iconic element of Thor's ensemble."
Ravonna leant forward on her desk "You want the hammer?"
Mobius shrugged "It could help."
"You are aware that it is completely useless.” Ravonna frowned at Mobius in confusion “I can lift it." She exclaimed.
"I know, but outside the TVA - if we go into the field, it could lift moral."
Ravonna lifted her hands in surrender "Fine. I'll have it sent to her."
"Thank you," Mobius said clasping his hands together and fleeing to the door before she could change her mind.
As he started to close the door behind him Ravonna called out "You know, one day your luck is going to run out Mobius." He pretended not to have heard as he closed the door.
As he turned around, he was immediately met with an expectant looking Thor who had been sat outside all along, twiddling her thumbs "How did it go?" She asked jumping to her feet "Did you get the hammer?"
Mobius grimaced and gestured for silence "Yes, now quiet down she can still hear us."
"Sorry," Thor said trailing Mobius. Together they walked away and down the hall. Mobius felt the anxiety radiating from the person beside him. Thor managed to make it five meters away from Ravonna's door when she piped up again. She filled the space with question after question verbally attacking Mobius's ears. Mobius answered them as patiently as he could, but the tension was building between them. He felt his fists curl.
Mobius whirled around on the spot halting them both in their tracks "Why did you agree to help Thor?" He asked in an angered whisper. Around them, agents hovered to watch before scampering away.
Thor's eyebrows furrowed in confusion "So I can help you, obviously."
"Well, then why haven't you?" Mobius exclaimed. The frustration and desperation that had been building up inside Mobius spilled out "If we are being honest with ourselves, maybe we should admit that this isn't working." Thor stared at them in shock, hurt flickered in her eyes "Look I don't know." He said backtracking a little "All I do know is that our soldiers are dying out there and even with the God of Thunder on our side, we have made no ground."
"And I take full responsibility for that." She said hanging her head, but Mobius only scoffed.
"No, you shouldn't this one is on me."
"Mobius--" Thor tried to reason with him but was abruptly cut off.
Mobius stepped forward glowering "Because it's looking more and more like I didn't find the person who knows Loki best, but the person who is fooled by them time and time again." Mobius stayed as his words sunk in. Then he left leaving Thor behind.
Thor's eyes widened in shock before narrowing down on the man in anger. Thor felt the words ring true somewhere deep inside her. Clenching her fists, she made her way down the hall following Mobius, half tempted to call out and demand that he recognises his mistakes and her superiority. But that was an old habit born from years in the palace. Fighting down the self-hatred and resentment building she strode towards her rooms. She was determined to scream into a pillow until she didn't feel like punching Mobius.
Once Thor made it to her room, she did in fact yell into her blankets until she felt her voice give and her arms tire from the relentless bashing of pillows. Hot tears stained her cheeks and glistened in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and just lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. A dull ache murmured from her forearms. Raising them to meet her gaze she saw the beginnings of a bruise starting to form from when she had missed the pillow and connected with her own flesh. She couldn't help but scoff at how pathetic she felt she was. Working herself up into a fit wasn't doing her any good. She rolled onto her side and was quite content to just pity herself for a little while before her stomach growled.
Her lunches were normally spent in the cafeteria and today she had planned to sit with Casey, she was late. Smoothing down her crinkled shirt and trousers she took another deep breath and made her way to the cafeteria. Casey was sat in his usual spot near the window picking at the remains of his salad. Thor found a lunch tray for herself and joined her new friend. Thor didn't make it five minutes before spilling her problems on the man in front of her.
Casey was very understanding and willing to listen and said all the right things. When Thor was finished, he said, "I'm sure he didn't mean it." and gingerly patted Thor's arm sympathetically, he was still a little scared of her.
Thor smiled appreciatively "Thank you Casey but I believe he did."
"Surely you don't believe him," Casey exclaimed as Thor slouched in her chair.
"Well, what progress have we made? Look around," She threw up her arms and gestured to the hunters around them "more and more people are dying or ending up in the medical wing. I haven't managed to do anything to stop it."
Casey shook his head "You are too hard on yourself."
Thor smiled slightly "I apricate what you are trying to do here Casey, but I am useless."
Casey couldn't help but say something “Only a little bit."
Thor's eyebrows lifted in surprise and held a hand to her chest "Hey, I'm the only one allowed to berate myself."
Casey immediately jumped to his defence "Well, you don't even know how to wash your own clothes!"
Thor's memory wandered back to when Casey had to give her the rundown of the washing machines. it wasn't her fault they were so confusing and appeared to eat her clothes before spitting them back out again - often without the socks "I've always had people to do that for me." She explained with a laugh, "We have had very different lives, Casey."
He nodded "That's true." A beat of silence passed between them as Casey worried away at his napkin, suddenly he spoke "Say, I've been doing my reading on the Norse Gods and I was wondering... Can I ask you a question?"
Thor shrugged "Anything."
"Did Loki really give birth to a horse?" The words rushed out of Casey's mouth before he could stop them, instantly he blushed.
Thor's mouth opened and closed like a fish, struggling for an answer. Thor was stopped from responding by a woman holding a package "Delivery for Thor?"
"Thank Odin." Thor muttered, glad to have dodged that bullet "Yes that's me." She made space on the table "Just here."
The woman put the package down without grace and held forth a clipboard "I'll need you to sign, just your name." Thor did and the woman left. Excitement built within her as her fingers graced the packaging. This was it. Standing up quickly he ripped the box open and stared at the weapon inside.
Casey stood next to her peering inside "What is it?"
Thor smiled as she regarded the last reminder of her home "Mjolnir." She revealed "This weapon was gifted to me by my father--"
"Can I hold it?" Casey cut her off and grasped the leather handle.
Thor laughed slightly "No, I don't --" Again Thor found the words dying on her lips as she watched Casey wield Mjolnir and strike a pose. He laughed as he fought imaginary foe and tried to flip it in the air, it slipped through his fingers and clattered onto the floor. Thor's heart clenched at the sight of someone else holding and also dropping the hammer she once could only hold "That is incredibly soul-destroying to watch." She said, her limbs feeling limp at her sides.
Casey's cheeks flushed as he scrambled to pick it up "Sorry." He mumbled.
Thor shook her head, the feeling of bitterness and hurt building again "I suppose it doesn't matter." She slumped back down in her chair.
Casey stood awkwardly for a moment, the hammer still in his hands. Watching the sadness settle onto Thor's features he immediately wanted to make it better. He held the hammer out in front of him and took one of her hands in his wrapping it around the too-short handle "Here." he said, and Thor smiled.
Thor stood amongst the lockers as Hunters scrambled around her suiting up. Mjolnir was returned to her hand and she felt more confident than before. Although this newfound resolve couldn't completely hide the heavy feeling in her stomach. Mobius wandered over to Thor, his hands busying themselves with the temp pad "Are you ready?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
Thor didn't quite meet his eyes "Well given this is my last chance to catch a person I am apparently born never to catch - and if I fail, I will be wiped from existence. No." She said bluntly.
Mobius sighed "Look Thor, I didn't mean it like that."
"Yes, you did."
Mobius gave Thor his full attention "Okay, maybe I did." Thor met his eyes "It's still been nice to get to know you."
Thor rolled her eyes slightly but smiled "Well, I can at least take that to the grave." Her smile twisted into a frown when she caught Mobius stifling a chuckle "What?"
He shrugged her off but answered all the same "It's just funny that I'm only now seeing the resemblance." Thor still frowned but Mobius had moved on.
Hunters stalked through the temporal doors and into the thick grassy fields. It was late in the evening, the only lights coming from the torches and a far-off air hanger. Thor cast her eyes over the new terrain. What could Loki possibly want from a near-empty field such as this? Thor stayed on high alert as she tried to spot Loki's traps before they found them. A Hunters' boot snapped the dry grass and sparked Thor's memory "Careful," She called out and caught the unit's attention "the long grass is the perfect place to hide a crossbow. Trip a wire and..." She remembered the weeks of bandages and healing salves "well just watch your step."
Mobius walked up beside her "Are we talking from experience?" he questioned. Thor's cheeks grew hot from embarrassment. Mobius shook his head in surprise but instructed the Hunter's to listen to Thor all the same.
They wondered the field for a while before anyone found anything. One of the hunters lowered themselves down into the grass searching the ground. Thor and Mobius wandered over to him, curious "Hunter what can you see?"
The Hunter moved and revealed a shining pool on the ground "Some kind of liquid..." He poked it with a finger and examined it closely "I think it's flammable."
Mobius nodded and called out to the rest of the team "Stay sharp, it's unlikely to be a spill." He turned to the God beside him "And Thor? Don't get too excited near it." Mobius and the Hunter laughed but meant every word. Thor tried not the think of the electricity in the air around them moved away from the spill.
The Hunter's followed the trail of liquid until they looped back around, it was poured in a loop. Hunters started to move their search inward when they spotted them. On the edge of the field, a cloaked figure stood, lantern raised "Up ahead!" A hunter called and Thor leapt into action.
Mjolnir spun in Thor's hand as she flew towards her brother. She landed before them just in time to watch as Loki dropped the lantern in their hand and ignite the flames. Thor swung her hammer forward and the Variant Loki spun out of the way. This time it was her brothers turn to lunge forward, sabre in hand and strike. Wobbly on her feet from weeks without a proper fight Thor just managed to knock it aside with her hammer. As she moved in for another attack the variant twisted their leg around Thor's sending her to the ground. The shock of connecting with the ground ignited something inside Thor and the call of lightning gathered in her. Energy crackled along her skin and in her eyes. Mjolnir to one side she balled her hand into a fist and charged forward lightning arching out. Loki stumbled back and escaped the attack. Thor called for Mjolnir and the hammer came, sweeping behind the attacking Loki and knocking into their shoulder knocking them off balance. They quickly recovered and brought the sabre down and towards Thor's torso. The sharp blade ripped into the cloth of her uniform and nicked her side but missed its mark. Distracted, Thor wasn't prepared for the hurried attacked that followed. The variant Loki jumped up and tackled Thor to the ground, slamming her head into the earth so that she couldn't see.
Thor spat out the mouth full of dirt and tried to clear the muck from her eyes, but she was held down by a firm hand. Lighting flickered in the sky and Thor called for it. The energy slammed down on the attacker send them flying backwards. Thor jumped up and held her brother down "You are not running this time." she cried "You are done here brother; you must stop hurting these people." Thor tried to see Loki's face, but their entire form was masked by the cloak.
"You aren't my sister, and I am not your brother" The variant snarled, voice masked by magic. Thor raised her free hand and called Mjolnir, ready to knock this Variant out and take them in when the screams from around them penetrated her ears.
Hunters were covered in flames and stumbling around trying to douse themselves or find a way out of the ring of fire "Thor!" Mobius called trapped in the middle of it all. Snapping to attention Thor stood and called for rain to douse the flames. It did not always listen but today the sky bent to her will and water fell forcing the flames back. She turned back to the variant but found them gone. Thor swore forcefully.
Gripping Mjolnir, she flew into the flames grabbing the captured Hunters and moving them far from the flames. The soldiers engulfed in flames were helped out of the smouldering uniforms and pushed through temporal doors, back to the TVA and the medical wing.
Thor stood panting and drenched in rainwater with Mobius by her side in the empty field "They're gone." She said tears muddling with the rainwater "I am so sorry Mobius."
Mobius wiped the rainwater from his eyes. When he could see Thor, he rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
Ravonna stood behind her desk. Thor and Mobius, now dried and recovered, stood before her. The mission had been a failure, Thor knew it. The variant had evaded them once again and none of them escaped without injury. Thor had held the Variant Loki in her hands but her fear for the Hunter's had gotten in the way. Thor couldn't meet Ravonna's eyes, a woman she had barely spoken to before now. She held Thor's life in her hands and Thor knew she had pushed her luck time and time again.
Ravonna watched the variant in front of her, she observed their defeated posture and how their hands wouldn't be still as she picked away at her calloused fingers. Mobius on the other hand was another story, he stood up tall and straight, hands jammed in pockets and wouldn't stop trying to make eye contact with Ravonna.
"Thank you for today Thor." Ravonna said catching their shock "You will have saved the lives of all the Minutemen out there today."
Thor didn't respond for a minute as she gathered her words "I am only sorry I could not have stopped him." she said shoulders still sagged in defeat.
"We all are." Ravonna said and steeled herself for continuing "And I also want to acknowledge that we might have been a bit hard on you." Now Thor looked but "The timekeepers have spoken and," Ravonna paused, still not quite sure why any of this was happening "well they would like to offer you the position of Agent of the TVA. You would hold that same title as Mobius, however, you will still be required to check in with a supervisor weekly so that we may track your progress and determine your..."
Mobius jumped in before Ravonna could continue "Just don't mess up and things will work out just fine." he assured her and clapped her on the back in congratulations.
Thor didn't want to get too hopeful yet "So I'm not going to be... erased?"
"Not just yet," Ravonna assured her. Thor smiled broadly and thanked the both of them a million times before Mobius managed to escort her out of the room. Once the door had closed behind them and the office fell silent again, she fell into her seat. Ravonna turned in her chair to look at the statutes behind her "What are you planning?" she asked the stony timekeepers behind her, but they remained silent.
"Are you guilty or not guilty, sir?" the judge demanded.
Loki was done. He was tired of being a prisoner of mightier than thou mortals and honestly just wanted a minute for his brain to catch up. One minute he was with the Avengers, the next he was in a desert, then he was shoved into prison garb and now he was being charged with the crime of existing "Guilty of being the God of Mischief? Yes." he admitted "Guilty of finding all this incredibly tedious? Yes. Guilty of a crime against the Sacred Timeline?" He let the room stew for a minute "Absolutely not, you have the wrong person." he concluded.
The judge wasn't impressed "Oh, really? And who should we have?" Loki opened his mouth and the court buckled up. After throwing accusations back and forth the Judge dismissed Loki's claims "The court finds you guilty, and I sentence you to be reset. Next case, please!"
Loki tensed "Reset"? What does that mean?" He didn't get an answer "What, is it bad? What does it mean?" Still, no one listened, he called out again "Hey! You ridiculous bureaucrats will not dictate how my story ends!" he cried in defiance.
The judge sighed "It's not your story, Mr Laufeyson." She leant forward for effect "It never was."
Anger and fear bubbled up inside Loki, fuelling him "You have no idea what I'm capable of!"
"I think I might." A voice called out and the room immediately gave them their attention "Have an idea of what he's capable of." Mobius smiled.