Chapter Text
TVA – Present Day
Here it goes again… The endless loop of torment created by the worst, for the worst. Loki had been going around and around in circles through this loop for the past nobody knows how long. Lady Sif kept returning and no matter what they said, Loki couldn’t make it stop. Loki was slowly giving up, practically begging and pleading for Sif to let them be. After one final attempt, it was over. The red glow of the tempad portal allows Loki a sigh of relief.
“Ready to talk?” a soft-expressed Mobius says, walking through towards his case. Mobius must have been monitoring, the timing was impeccable Loki thought. Giving into the situation, Loki drags themselves up from the floor and follows Mobius back through the portal. The questions were not going to be easy, and neither were the answers, well, not for Mobius at least. Loki had spent too long hiding the truth from their one friend and it came back to bite them.
They wondered how they would break the news, when was the right time? Was there even a right time? When exactly would it be right to tell someone that their existence was a lie? This was going to be a tough call. The best they could think to do was to first play off like they didn’t know a thing, play to what Mobius would expect of them. Being the God of Mischief meant sticking to their strengths, and mischief is what they would cause.
The questions started, at first Loki thought it was easily played, not for long… As Mobius continued to ponder on the Nexus event that was created on Lamentis-1 with Sylvie, Loki even starts to question themselves. Longer and longer, Loki continues to avoid the truth, yet Mobius is determined to get an answer, when finally… progress. The time is now thought Loki. Time to give it up.
“Our interests are aligned”
“Overthrowing the Time-keepers?”
“Maybe they need to be overthrown”
“I ought to box your ears”. Mobius thinks this is another of Loki’s games.
“Mobius, listen. If what Sylvie told me about this place is true, it affects us all”. The truth was coming, Loki softens their tone.
“Here we go. Now you’ve already told me about 50 lies in the past 10 minutes”. Getting tired of Loki’s games, Mobius wouldn’t take it.
“I’m not lying”
“Now I’m supposed to believe your girlfriend?”. Loki could sense a slight jealous undertone in Mobius’s reply. Eager to put Mobius at ease, they lean forward to lessen the impact.
“I’m telling the truth, she’s not my girlfriend”
Mobius doesn’t say anything but sigh. Loki hoped it was a sigh of relief, but Mobius’s expression is too unreadable. Regardless of what Loki said, Mobius would retaliate. The argument continues for awhile. Constant back and forth between them across the small table, the gap closing slightly between them with each retaliation. Just as the tension starts to reach a breaking point, Loki lets slip of the one thing they had been keeping to themselves this whole argument.
“You’re all variants! Everyone who works for the TVA. The Time-keepers didn’t create you, they kidnapped you from the timeline and erased your memories”
The tone has changed. The room falls silent. Mobius can’t believe what he is hearing. This time he can sense more of a truth in Loki’s voice. He gives Loki a saddened glance, they continue.
“Memories she can access through enchantment. So before this you had a past, maybe you had a family, a life”
A beat.
“Nice try”, Mobius says through a disheartened laugh. Loki almost wants to give up trying, it was time to try something new.
Loki leans back in the chair, giving Mobius a minute to digest the information.
“Loki it can’t be true, can it?”
“It is, Mobius. If you let me show you, I can prove it to you”
“No way, I can’t let you do that”. Mobius starts to look away.
“Please, Mobius. I can show you your past life, and even those of your variants. I’ll be right there beside you the whole time”
“No, Loki. I don’t trust you. You’ve lied to me this whole time, why should I believe such nonsense just like that?”
Mobius goes to stand up from his chair, Loki leans forward and puts their hands over Mobius’s. Mobius blushes slightly, the touch was unexpected. In his head he’s telling himself to move away instantly, yet he can’t bring himself to do it. He looks Loki in the eyes, their expression is completely different to any Mobius has ever seen them show before.
“I’m serious, Mobi”
Mobi.
“I understand not trusting me, but you should with this. It’ll hurt but I want to help put you at ease. Please, for me?”
Mobius is still taken aback by the nickname, even more than the news that preceded it.
“Okay, Loki. If you can really show me, how will you do it?”
“I can’t do it here. My powers don’t work in the TVA, we have to go somewhere where my powers will work”
“I know where we can go”
Mobius takes his tempad, opens a portal and leads Loki through with him. They’re back at the mall. Mobius returned there to avoid causing their own Nexus event.
“Really, the mall?”
“Better than Pompeii…”
Loki laughs, Mobius blushes once again. “What’s happening to me?” Mobius thought to himself.
“Come on, let’s leave the rain”
Walking side by side, a little closer than the first time they visited here, they enter the mall. Loki needed a quiet room where they would not be disturbed. They walk through the vast building, lights flickering around them, drips fall from the leaking roof every so often as they go. Finally, an abandoned office room. Mobius wasn’t sure if it was the same one they’d found Hunter C-20, well, if one Loki variant used it, why wouldn’t the other he thought. Loki surveyed the area, no one was around, thankfully.
“Now Mobius, I’m going to need you to stay as still as possible for me, is that alright?”
Mobius is a little unsure but gives Loki a nod of approval.
“Great. Now I’m going to enchant you, I’m a little out of practice so I can’t guarantee it’ll work as well but please still trust me, okay?”
“I really shouldn’t but okay Loki. Be careful with me alright?”
Loki smiles at him. They let out one big sigh before shaking themselves loose. Mobius tries to regulate his breathing and closes his eyes. Loki puts their hand to Mobius’s forehead, their hand is cold against Mobius’s skin. The sensation makes Mobius tense up slightly.
“Mobius, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you, I’m right here” Loki whispers to him before enchanting him.
Just like that, they are no longer in the mall. Now they’re in some sort of space void. Vast colours change before their eyes. Mobius is stood in awe.
“Wow you can do all this?”
“Yes, beautiful isn’t it?”
Mobius doesn’t realise that Loki is also looking at him.
“Truly”
Loki allows Mobius a minute to take in the current surrounding. The next parts were about to become more complicated.
“Mobi, what I’m about to show you will change everything you think you know”
Mobi, again.
“I need you to know that I’ll be right beside you through each timeline. I just need you to stay calm and let me lead you”
“Okay Loki, show me, please”.