Chapter Text
Ahkmenrah locked his gaze on the tip of the knife, watching it’s every movement like one might watch a spider sitting a few feet away. The light gleamed off a spot on the edge of the blade, which shifted like the light reflecting off a body of water as the hand holding the knife adjusted it’s grip, trembling so slightly that only a gaze as concentrated as Ahkmenrah’s would notice. The dagger was thinner than that which Ahk wielded, not curved lines in it’s blade, but instead a strange indentation near the hilt, which was also very thin. A more graceful weapon than his thicker, more rounded weapon, it’s slightly curved guard was a dusty gold and sparingly decorated. The grip was adjusted again.
That night had been Larry’s turn to welcome the new exhibit to the museum, but now Ahk almost regretted his decision of volunteering to do it in Larry’s place. Yet the exhibit still enthralled him, almost enchanted him, and this interest still propelled him to be the first to know the new arrival. The captivation was probably rooted in the same place that everyone else’s fascination was, the utterly deep relatability of them, how one could be reflected on some unknown scale in this deeply flawed, tragically suffering character, yet, one could see the hope of redemption adjacent. Beyond the mistakes they were trying, and perhaps, that meant that one was, truly, trying, too, and therefore more than the sum of one’s mistakes. Or perhaps, one might see the loneliness of someone else and feel, with some irony, less alone in that pain. They were, truly, in pain, perhaps it is simply human nature to care for one who is hurt, but, then again, perhaps that is because humans have all suffered before. He didn’t regret it, that was too strong, for he still yearned to know, and, less consciously, be known, by this immensely complicated, yet, or perhaps as a result, fascinating character.
“Who are you?” Loki demanded, trying to be forceful, his voice betraying him as it trembled. “Where have you taken me?”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything,” Ahkmenrah raised his hands in a gesture of ‘I won't hurt you’. “And I’m not going to harm you, I promise, just please-”
“Where am I?” barked Loki with an escaped sob.
“Please, just lower-”
“You will tell me!” he screamed, lunging forward with his knife towards Ahkmenrah’s throat, who quickly jogged backwards, hands instinctively moving in front of him.
“Whoa!”
“Where am I?!” now fully crying, he jabbed his knife forward, his face knitted together in anguish as he let loose heaving sobs, tears freely spilling down his face.
“It’s okay! It’s okay, you’re okay, alright? Please, I’ll tell you everything, just, calm down, okay?”
“I will not calm down! I-”
“Sorry! Sorry. That- that was not the right thing to say. I’m sorry. But if you’d just please, lower your knife. You can still hold it, just hold it at your side, please, I’ll tell you everything, I promise, I’ll keep my hands where you can see them, okay?”
Loki stood unmoving for a few moments as his crying grew softer, then slowly lowered the knife to his side.
“Tell me.”
“Okay- thank you. It’ll- it might be a lot to take in, okay? Just, I’ll help you through it, and we’ll go slowly, okay?” he took a deep breath. “My name is Ahkmenrah, or Ahk for short. And you’re, in a museum, the Museum of Natural History in New York City. And at this museum, here, every night, once the sun goes down, everything- all the exhibits come to life. Because of- there's a magical tablet, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, my tablet, and it’s magic brings stuff to life. So, the exhibits, well, I’m a mummy, a- a corpse, so I really was once a living creature. As were most of the animals. But, a lot of, well, most of the other human exhibits are made of wax, or, similar synthetic materials. They aren’t- human, truly, not- bodies. Alive bodies. You know? They didn’t truly have a life before coming to this museum, but they think they do, because they all have the memories of the person that they are, that they’re made to represent. And they have the same character, the- the same personality as that person. But, they are their own people. They have their own life with their own choices and experiences separate from that person, even if their identity is intertwined very deeply with that person. And you-”
“I’m one of them,” Loki whispered.
Ahkmenrah nodded.
The emotion drained from Loki's face, leaving only the sorrow in his eyes that continued to let loose tears, surrounded by a stony expression. They both stood, silent and unmoving, as moments came and went.
“So, I am… I am nothing.”
Ahkmenrah’s brow knitted in sympathy as he took a cautious step forward, then, once Loki made no move to stop him, he walked up to the edge of the raised platform that Loki stood on and stepped up onto it. He found Loki’s eyes, who quickly looked away.
“You aren’t, nothing. You’re… you’re just not who you think you are. You’re- you. Your own person.”
Loki gave a shuddering breath. “Why am I here, then. Why would- the me I thought I was- why is he represented here?”
“It’s-”
“Just tell me the truth.” in a whisper, “Please.”
Ahkmenrah sighed. “In this- universe- there’s this collection, I guess is the best way to put it, of movies and TV shows called the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the MCU. You’re- Loki, is a, very- prominent villain in the MCU, who gets a redemption arc, and is greatly loved by many people. Who watches the stuff he’s in. He- he was never supposed to be in as many movies in the MCU as he is, but he’s one of the most loved characters. Not by everyone of course but- by a lot of people. We meet him in Thor, he tries to take over the world in Avengers, then in Thor: The Dark World there’s the Dark Elves, then Thor: Ragnarok, pretty self explanatory, and Avengers: Infinity War, where he- dies. Again. And Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers go back in time, younger Loki escapes and Thanos is defeated. There’s many others, obviously, just, he’s not in them. Anyways, The most recent addition to this cinematic universe is the Loki series. About after younger Loki escaping, he gets captured by the TVA, and, all your memories, you know. It was a big enough success that the museum decided to make an exhibit about the costuming and props in the show, and- here you are.”
“You have… seen, this show?”
“I…” he paused. “Yes, I have, I’m sorry. I didn't know you were going to, be here, I’m- I’m really sorry. That’s- that’s not an excuse, or, I mean, you don’t have to- to forgive me. I know. But, just, I am really sorry.”
“It doesn't matter,” Loki said quietly.
A moment passed in silence.
“I know… I know this is a lot to take in. And I’m sorry you have to go through all this. But, I’m going to help you as much as I can, okay? You don’t have to… bear this alone. Okay? There is still a lot I need to tell you, and, I still need to give you a tour of the museum and introduce you to everyone, and all of that. But, I think we can save that for tomorrow,” he paused. “If you don’t mind telling me, what is your last memory? Before you, woke up here?”
Loki sighed. “Mobius not- realizing that Kang, the TVA was Kang, and then just immediately, after I saw the statue- I...”
“I know,” he interrupted. “Listen,” Ahk began softly, looking Loki in the eye, “I’m sorry. About all of this. I keep saying that, I know, but- don’t take that to mean I don’t mean it. I do mean it. I know this is, a lot, and I know that, I don’t know how this is for you. I didn’t have the same experiences as you. But- I do know that it can feel like it would have been better if the tablet had never been created. It probably would’ve. But, you can still make a life for yourself here. Your own life, away from the TVA, and the expectations of the person that you represent.”
Loki nodded and looked away.
“But enough of that for tonight,” Ahkmenrah paused, then a smile spread across his face as his eyes lit up. “Hey, I just had a great idea. Come with me.”
He grabbed Loki’s wrist and yanked him off the platform and out of the room, jogging like a student who was late for class but couldn’t run in the hallways.
“Where are you taking me?” Loki asked apprehensively.
“Trespassing!”