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"Boots on the ground. Archives" "Who are you? What's your name?" The statue loomed over him, a glaring monument to his failure. He could only gape at the sight. His heart beat loud in his ears, a steady thumping blocking all sound. No. That wasn't his heart. A squad of Minutemen were rapidly approaching, the tips of their time sticks gleaming a harsh bright orange, like torches of a mob coming to slay a monster. He turned to the one person who was supposed to make sense of all this madness. His anchor. There was not one drop of recognition that greeted him. Loki ran. He ran down beige corridors, feet pounding hard on the concrete, breath burning in his lungs. People glanced at him, but paid him no mind. He stopped, his shoes sliding across the floor, when he saw the black-clad minutemen at the end of the hall. They ran after him. He cursed and ran the other way. This was the TVA, yet not. This place was wrong, like a warped mirror image. He should not know this place, but, as he easily hid behind corners and into a supply closet, he knew his assumption was wrong. He leaned against the door. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the tiny dark room. He closed his eyes, and took in shaky breaths. In. Out. In. Out. His head was throbbing, there was a deep cut on his right bicep, and a sharp pain was in his upper back. He pushed it all down. He had to move. He opened the door, and immediately ran into two mintuemen. He swiftly dodged a time stick, and got up close to elbow the man in the neck. The man grunted and dropped his stick as he fell to the floor. Loki caught it and used it to quickly deflect the swing from the other minuteman. He turned the stick, and hit the other man hard in the nose with it, and the man crumpled. He dropped the stick and rifled through the fallen man's pockets. His hands were sweaty as he quickly entered coordinates of the stolen tempad. He had long memorized those coordinates by heart. He had hoped he'd get there one day, but under different circumstances. "Wait!" That voice snared him. He heard the same desperation in that voice at Roxxcart, a lifetime ago. He ran from that voice, then. Mobius slowly walked up to him, holding a glowing time stick in front of him. "You've really caused quite a commotion." Loki should have walked through the time door, but he watched the man (his only friend) slowly approached him. "Would you mind telling me who you are? You seem to know me, and I know I'd remember meeting someone like you before." Loki let out a laugh. "No one of importance,apparently." "See, now something tells me that's not true." Mobius cocked his head to the side, an infuriatingly gentle smile on his face. "You're stalling." Mobius laughed. "You're pretty smart, too." "Hold it right there!" B-15 and a squad of minutemen running were down the hall. "Right on time," Loki said. Mobius was now in arm's reach. The man's stance was open, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. Loki swiftly grabbed the man's wrist and twisted. Mobius cried out in pain and let go of the time stick. Loki took it, turned Mobius around, twisting the man's arm hard behind his back, and pulled the other man against him. He pointed the glowing end of the time stick near Mobius' throat. "Let. Him. Go." "You're in no position to be barking out orders, hunter." Loki slowly walked backwards, taking Mobius with him. "Stop--" All noise was cut off as Loki lunged backwards through the time door. ----------------- The ground he landed on was soft and yielding, and Mobius was warm beside him. A minuteman ran out of the time door, only to be thrown back into it by a blast of green magic. With a click of the tempad, the door disappeared. He put a hand on Mobius's chest, feeling the tempad in his breast pocket and conjured it away. He did the same with the other tempad and time stick. He let out a deep breath, and rolled onto his back. Sea birds were calling out overhead. Ocean waves crashing against the cliffside in a soothing rhythm. The cool breeze caressed his skin. The dampness of the grass below him was seeping into his clothes. He closed his eyes. It was as if he was plunged into the ocean below. The relieving coolness of his magic washing over him was like a salve. His wounds were healing, and his exhaustion was melting away. "Well, that was something." He nearly jumped at the voice. He opened his eyes, and regarded the other man standing before him. Mobius gave him a crooked smile and held a hand out to him. "Wherever you go, it's just death and destruction, the ends of worlds." The god sighed and stood up, rebuffing the outstretched hand. He looked to the distance, and saw the village at the bottom of the hill. "Go there. The people will help you." He couldn't resist taking one last look at the man before walking past him. "Wait up!" Loki slowed in his steps. "That's it? After all that drama? Kinda anticlimactic if you ask me." Loki kept walking, his eyes locked on the horizon. "Why would you let me go, after all that hassle?" "Why are you so chatty with someone that held you hostage?" "Color me intrigued." Loki stood at his full height, staring down at the other man. "What makes you think I won't kill you?" "You would've already done it." "Pretty confident about that, are you?" "Yes." They stared at each other for a few beats. Loki looked away. "You're insane." "Maybe so." After a few seconds of silence, Mobius asked, "Why aren't you going to the village?" Loki's jaw clenched. He ignored the other man's gaze. "We should go." "No." "How about this: we go there, then we can part ways." Loki looked out at the ocean. The waves were relentless; a new one forming as one ended its life by crashing against the rocks. It seemed like a pointless endeavor, for something as amorphous as a wave to deign trying to move solid rock. Yet, he knew who would be the true victor in the end. He let out a breath. "Very well." "Great! Let's go." ----------------- "Y'know, I never caught your name." "I never gave it to you." A laugh, then, "So, what do I call you?" A lifetime ago, Mobius mentioned a name Midgardians used when one had no identity. "John Doe." Mobius shook his head, but he was smiling. "Nice to meet you, John." Before long, they came across a sign. Welcome to NEW ASGARD. Loki's fists clenched. He looked away. As they reached the outskirts, Loki froze. Mobius looked at him, "What is it?" He looked around at the people passing him by. Not one paid them any mind, other than the cursory nod and wave. No one knew who he was, but he had a bigger concern. They were being watched. He closed his eyes, drowning everything out but that presence. There it was. Loki snapped his eyes open and turned around. A woman was standing at the harbor, and stared right at him. He immediately recognized her from his sacred time reels. She was dressed humbly in Midgardian clothing, but he recalled her wearing ornate silver armor he only saw on murals and statues when he was a child. The last Valkyrie. The woman didn't break their stare while she steadily but slowly closed the distance between them. Once she stood before him, she smiled. "Good day. Welcome to New Asgard." Mobius bowed, "Thank you, your highness." Loki grit his teeth and smiled. "None of that now. Call me Brunnhilde." She put a hand on Mobius's shoulder. "We're all friends here. " "Thank you, Brunnhilde. My name is Mobius, and this is John." "Well met, Mobius." Her gaze locked on Loki, and she smiled. "John." Loki smiled back. "Well met, my lady. This is a very lovely village you have here." "Yes. While it does not reach the splendor of the original Asgard, this is home." She leaned forward, and said in a low voice, "Though in my opinion, Asgard was way too pompous and gold for my tastes." Loki smiled so wide, his cheeks hurt. "I do see the appeal of enjoying the... simpler things in life." Brunnhilde matched his wide smile. "Well said, my friend. Now," she clapped her hands, "will you be staying here a while?" Mobius rubbed the back of his neck and took in a deep breath. "Well, you see, you've caught us at a bad time." Mobius explained that they were tourists that had their money stolen, and now they were "in a pickle" as it were. And everyone called Loki the God of Lies. "I'm sorry to hear that. You're welcome to stay while you get back on your feet." "That's very kind of you. What do you think, John?" Mobius gave him a crooked smile. Loki let out a loud breath. "Your generosity is very much appreciated." ----------------- Loki stared into the fireplace, which brought a warmth to the room he couldn't really appreciate. Yet, the man next to him seemed to. Mobius leaned back into his chair, taking a long sip of his tea. His posture relaxed, while Loki was tense. This house the Valkyrie let them stay in was quaint. Shabby at best. But, Mobius’ eyes twinkled when they first entered the house, so he would let the humble accommodations slide. He conjured a dagger, and stared at light glinting off the blade. "That's pretty cool." Loki flipped the dagger, the hilt facing Mobius. The other man slowly reached for the weapon. Mobius took it reverently, inspected it. "It's beautiful. Who gave this to you?" You. "A friend." "It's a nice gift." "It is. I never thanked him for it." Mobius held out the dagger. "I'm sure he knows you appreciate it." Loki took it and looked at his reflection in the blade. "I hope so." "You know, I've been trying to figure out who you are." "Oh? What's your conclusion?" "I've got a few ideas." "Well?" "A knight." "Yes, I've slayed multiple dragons." "I'm sure you've rescued a lot of princesses from towers." "And princes." Mobius raised his eyebrows. "Glad you don't discriminate." "Everyone needs to be rescued from towers once in a while." "Okay, not a knight. A king?" Loki looked into the fireplace, and said nothing. "A detective." "That's more up your alley, isn't it?" "A cop?" "Now I know you're being obtuse on purpose." Mobius laughed. "A witch?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "A wizard." Loki gave a half smile. "Sorcerer, then?" "Hm." "Just like Dr. Strange?" Loki narrowed his eyes. "You insult me." Mobius grinned. "I knew it. You seem pretty powerful." Loki was anything but. In a flash of green light, the dagger was conjured away and was replaced with the tempad. He looked at the man who was his friend, and yet was not. There was no judgment in the man's expression, just acceptance. Always acceptance. Despite their rough start, Mobius never judged him. Never thought the worst of him. "Going somewhere?" "I have nowhere to go." "I'm sure you do." "No. I don't." Mobius, even if his memory of Loki was no more, never changed. This man, who Loki selfishly pulled away from everything and everyone he knew, was smiling at him. This man, save his brother and mother, was the only one who showed faith and trust in him. Loki held out the tempad. Mobius only stared at it, his brows furrowed. Loki sighed. He took Mobius' hand and forcefully gave him the tempad. "I don't understand." "You're free." "Do you really believe you deserve to be alone?" "You are alone. And you always will be." Loki looked down as he heard a time door open. He heard a sigh. "Come on." Loki looked up to see Mobius holding out a hand, a time door behind him. "What are you doing?" "We're going to figure this out." "We?" "Yes, 'we'." Mobius pulled Loki by the arm, forcing him to stand. "Now, come on." ----------------- Of all the places he'd been to, he never imagined ever coming back here. Loki recognized New York instantly. No one gave him a second look. He had a mind to feel insulted. "We're in New York." "Yes, our tempads could never get a lock on Bleeker street. The protection they have is too strong." "Why are we here?" "Like I said, to get you some help. Though, we'd have to walk a bit." They stood in front of a large three story building at a street corner. It was a plain building at best, but Loki could sense strong magic emanating from it. He sighed. He knew what Mobius was doing. “Here we are. The Sanctum Santorum.” "Ah yes, home of the so-called 'Sorcerer Supreme.'" "The one and only." Loki huffed. This place was not that impressive. He likened it to more of a museum, than the home of a powerful sorcerer. And, what an ostentatious title for a Midgardian to adopt. "You wanna do the honors?" Mobius gestured to the door. Loki rolled his eyes. "If you insist." He walked up to the door and knocked. The moment he touched the door, the world shattered. "Oh shit." Loki tilted his head, taking in the fracturing world around him. Everywhere he looked, the world seemed to split into complex geometric shapes. He could see why they called it the Mirror Dimension. He saw Mobius tense beside him. He put an arm around the man’s shoulders. "Don’t worry." He conjured his dagger and threw it up into the air. It froze in midair, the sharp point facing skyward. Then, like everywhere around them, it split into hundred of mirror images of itself. He called these daggers to him, forming a bubble around both of them, pointed ends facing outwards. With a flick of his wrist, the daggers flew, shattering everything around them. The sound of broken glass was everywhere, and the normal world was revealed piece by piece as this strange dimension fell away. Mobius ducked, covering his head, but Loki held the man tighter. "You'll be alright.” Once the Mirror Dimension fell away, he loosened his hold on the man. "See?" Mobius looked around. "Well would you look at that? That was impressive." Loki preened. The doors to the Sanctum opened, and a man stood at the threshold. The would-be sorcerer. "You’re not supposed to be able to do that." Loki smiled. "I'm good at not doing what I'm supposed to do." "Who are you?" The sorcerer took on a fighting stance, orange magic surrounding his hands and forearms. "Not a threat." "Your track record certainly points to the contrary." Loki paused. Then he felt his heart race. "So you know who I am?" The sorcerer's brows furrowed, and he shook his head. He stared at Loki for a long while, and Loki stared right back, unflinchingly. “I don’t…” the doctor looked away. "I don’t understand." Loki sighed. "Some help you are." "Did you tamper with my memories?" "Now why would I do that?" "That's not a no." Loki grit his teeth. "No." The doctor glared at him before turning around and floating up the needlessly ornate staircase in the center of the foyer. "Close the door behind you." Loki guided Mobius into the Sanctum and used his magic to slam the doors shut, the loud noise echoing throughout the room. This so-called sorcerer was, as Mobius would say, an asshole. THE END?
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