A/N: Heads up, but this Chapter is a bit of a tear jerker. 🥺 I apologize in advance.
Time Variance Authority
In all happened so quickly. One moment, Hunter B-15 and the Minutemen were coming straight for Loki with their pruning batons, the next she was here. In almost an instance, Sarah was transported from the Office back to the Time Theater alongside Loki. Sarah and Loki flashed inside of the Time Theater, both of them hiding the floor with a loud THUMP. Loki landed on his bottom, and grunted. Sarah landed on the floor beside him, hitting her side. She groaned. She sat up, and clutched her side. She looked at Loki. Loki was quick to pull himself off of his feet. Her gaze followed him as he stood up straight now. Why did he do that? Why did he pull her with him? At first, the young girl doesn't speak a word. Only because she doesn't quite know what to say in the moment. She doesn't know what Lokis intentions are, but she seems to pick up that he wants to question her.
The Tesseract, which Loki had been previously holding now resided on the floor. Sarah looked to it.
But before she could do anything, Loki bend down and picked it up. "You want this, don't you?" He quizzed. "The Tesseract."
Sarah looked to him. "No."
Loki looked down to her and chuckled. "Then why did you want to know where it was being kept? Why would that be of importance to you?" Loki watched her push herself off of the floor and onto her feet.
But she stayed in one spot, not wanting to move. She pressed her lips together, trying to think of what to say. In the moment, there would be no point in lying to him anymore. So, she would be honest, even if it made her sound crazy. She let out a shaky breath. "I...I wasn't looking for the Tesseract. I was trying to look for you."
Loki narrowed his eyes. Look for him? That certainly was odd, wasn't it? "Is that so?"
"Yes." She nods.
Loki then let out a faint laugh. "I find that hard to believe, darling." He took a step forward. "You want to take it, don't you? For yourself?"
"What?" She remarked. "What are you talking about?" She studied his every move.
"Oh, you don't have to keep your secrets anymore." Loki told her. "You want the Tesseracts power for your own, do you not?" Loki had the cube gripped firmly in his hand. "You...intent to use it to betray the TVA, to flee in an attempt to escape its torture and torment." He grinned. Sarah stared at him. What? How is he making sense of things? Loki continued, keeping her on edge. "You want the Tesseract and all its power to yourself?"
"Did you not hear me? No! That's not why I was looking for it." She remarked. "I was looking for you."
Loki found that hard to believe. "My dear, I do find that difficult to believe. For what reason would you have to be looking for me?" He questioned.
"I was trying to warn you!" She told him.
"Warn me?" Loki studied her. Her tone of voice and her expression. Her posture. And he did not see any sign of deception. But still, it didn't make sense to him that she would be seeking him of all people out.
"Yes! I wanted to warn you about B-15 and the others. That they were coming for you." She tried to explain.
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Loki scoffed. "You must be joking."
Sarah clenched her jaw. Loki was stubborn, it seemed he wasn't buying it. "When I saw you escaped I knew that they would be coming for you. To reset you or worse prune you."
Loki continued to observe her. Even if she was telling the truth, Loki wasn't buying the full thing. There was more to it. "So you wanted to come and warn me, but after you got your hands on the Tesseract? Isn't that right?" He kept his grin. "You were going to take it so that I couldn't have it. So that I would be forced to endure the same torture that the TVA has inflicted upon you."
"That isn't true. You need to trust me!" Sarah insisted.
Loki shook his head. His dark eyes piercing into hers. He continued to study her. As if he wasn't sure what to believe. "Trust you?"
Sarah went silent for a moment. She realized that as Mobius said, Loki wasn't big on trust. In fact, he only trusted himself. So she had to convince him. Somehow.
"I..." She looked down. "I know you aren't big on trust."
Loki smirked. "That would be correct."
"And...And I get it." She swallowed. "I get not wanting to trust anyone. Because you're afraid if you do, then they'll betray you. Hurt you in unimaginable ways."
Loki stared at her. "Is that what you think?"
"Loki... I've studied your whole life... And... And I know that you're used to being in the shadows. To keep to yourself because you know your words will never be enough." She exhaled. "You hide yourself away, because you fear of what people might say. About you. About who you are, or who you're meant to be."
"Oh really?" Loki glared. "You think you know me? Just like Mobius?"
Sarah looked back up to him. "I never said I that know you. But... But I understand where all of your anger and rage comes from."
"Oh of course. You're just like him, aren't you?" Loki titled his head. "You're going to play games with me. Rile me up in some sad and petty attempt to appeal to my humanity. Do you really think I'm that naive?"
Sarah knew Loki wasn't naive. In fact he was clever. But she also knows that Loki had always been so closed off and cold, and it was hard for him to truly know if anyone ever truly cared. "I'm not playing a game with you. No games. No tricks. Just the truth. Whatever it takes to get you to believe me."
Loki chuckled. "I'll give you credit darling, you are persistent." But his voice and expression were quick to change. "Now. Tell me it is what you truly want with the Tesseract."
There it was. The rage and anger. The need to cause destruction and chaos. That look was very evident in Lokis eyes in the moment. Loki was angry. There was no telling what he would be capable of now. But, she wasn't frightened or scared. Because deep down she knew Loki had no intention of harming her. He wanted her to be afraid, yes. It was his way of survival. But it didn't mean she had to give into it. It didn't mean she had to be afraid. Because she knew he wasn't a monster or some abomination. He was just someone who'd been hurt time and time again. Someone who spent his whole life feeling alone and unwanted.
"It was never about the Tesseract. It was never about just finding you to warn you." Sarah spoke up.
"Then what is it you want?" Loki quizzed.
Sarah knew this certainly wasn't going to be easy for her. Opening up about how she felt. About how she understood him. It wasn't something she ever thought she would do. But she knew it was the only way Loki would trust her.
Sarah swallowed once more. "The reason I wanted to find the Tesseract, is because it was my best chance at finding you before the others. I never cared about taking it for my own. I... I wanted to find you and warn you. Not because...not because I wanted to betray you. I...I wanted to give you a second chance."
Loki paused. He couldn't quite comprehend what he was hearing. He laughed. "I'm sorry. What?"
Sarah looked down. "Loki... I know what it feels like to be alone. To be unaccepted and unloved. For the whole world to be against you, when all you've ever wanted was happiness. A chance a proving your worth and that you deserved to be loved..."
Lokis face fell, and he found himself unable to speak. What? She continued, not realizing how much she was touching him in that moment. How her words were hitting him. How they were resonating with him. They were like daggers, stabbing him. Every word pierced through his heart. "Sometimes it's so hard. So hard because they can't even see how much you're hurting. How much you want to be accepted. How badly you want them to love you. You know you deserve it. But no matter how hard you try...they just won't listen." She closed her eyes.
Loki felt as if a cord struck his heart. The way she spoke, it couldn't possibly be deception. Everything she said came straight from her heart. It was pure. Real. So sincere.
He didn't know what to say. He remained silent for a moment. He found himself frozen. Unable to process what was happening.
Could he believe her?
He knew he shouldn't give into his humanity. To his emotions. It would be foolish, it would make him weak. But...could he?
Could he allow himself to feel something? To care?
Was it possible?
Because her words made him feel something. He felt the pain within her. It resonated with him in ways he never thought possible.
Sarah opened her eyes, and a tear escaped down her cheek. "It's okay... You don't have to believe me or trust me. B...but. I didn't want you to end up like the others. I didn't want to see you suffer the same fate as them when you're innocent." Loki stood there. Tense. Still trying to process everything. Sarah watched as he struggled with everything she said. She could tell he was struggling with it. And she respected that.
Because she knew this wasn't easy for him. But she also knew that she needed to continue. Needed to convince him of what she said. Of what she truly felt inside.
Sarah inhaled deeply. And she let that breath out slowly. "Loki... You and I both know things here aren't as they seem. I think... I think you're the only person who would believe me, who could help me figure it out." She watched him carefully. Hoping he would understand.
Loki took a step back. He shakes his head. "You want my help?"
"You're the only person who understands what I'm going through." Sarah told him. "The only person who knows what's that pain is like."
"I don't understand."
"You said earlier that I'm not like the others." Sarah responded. "And you're right! I can't stand what they do here! I can't justify it! Because no matter how many times they claim to doing it for good, it'll always be wrong. They...they take people from their timelines. From their homes, their families. All for some stupid vow. All for the Timekeepers, beings I've never even met. Who could not even be real..."
Loki remained still. Trying to process this.
Sarah felt more tears welling in the back of her eyes. "It's so screwed up. They took you from your timeline, arrested you and imprisoned you for something that wasn't your fault. That was never your fault. It's not fair to you, Loki. You...you should be able to make your own choices. Be who you want to be."
Loki couldn't respond, at least at the moment. Was he really hearing this? Someone...a complete stranger telling him that he should be free?
Why? Why is she doing this?
Why is her motive here? It didn't seem to make any sense to him.
"And why does that matter to you? Why do you care what happens to me?" He was trying to look for some ulterior motive here. There had to be something! She wouldn't just want his help for no reason, right?
Loki was smart enough to know it went both ways. If she helped him, she wanted something in return.
"Because..." Sarah croaked. "Because I don't want to be alone in this anymore."
Alone? What did that mean? She wanted his to help to discover the truth being the TVA, and she didn't want to do it alone? No. There had be more than just that. Loki tilted his head, looking at her. His thoughts racing. He was trying to figure out where she was coming from. Why she was saying these things to him. He was trying to understand.
This had to be some sort of trap. Right? Surely? A trap, a game, a test. Something!
But Loki could tell that wasn't the case. He could tell because he could hear the sincerity in her voice. It was obvious that she wasn't lying to him. He could read her body language and the way she held herself.
But still, he refused to give in. At least, yet.
She seemed so genuine. Too genuine. He couldn't just trust her on that. Even if it meant risking himself.
Sarah wiped away her tears. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She felt weak. She felt vulnerable. But she also felt hopeful. Hopeful that he would believe her. Hopeful that he would listen.
"Loki..." She whispered. Her voice was shaky.
Loki still couldn't process everything. And he didn't know how he should react. But he knew he couldn't trust her. Not yet. He simply wouldn't. But he did find himself curious as to why she was saying all these things to him. Curious as to why she wanted to help him.
Loki still couldn't process everything. And he didn't know how he should react. But he knew he couldn't trust her. Not yet. He simply wouldn't. But he did find himself curious as to why she was saying all these things to him.
"Why should I believe you? For all I know this stunt could be nothing but a trick. An illusion conjured up by the TVA to catch me off guard." Loki finally spoke. Though deep down, he knew it wasn't a trap or an illusion.
"That's just it... I don't expect you to." Sarah said bluntly. "Like everyone else, I expect you to ignore me. To dismiss me. Call me crazy, even."
Loki's expression fell. "You do?"
"Of course I do. Because...Because it's all I ever known." She sniffled. "All I've ever known is loneliness, and rejection. Distrust and resentment." And it hurt. It hurt more than anything. Just thinking about it caused her stomach to churn. She began to tremble. She shook her head. "I know it doesn't make any sense to you. None of this does. But Loki... I know what you're going through. And I do want to help you. I promise."
"And what would you want to help me?" Loki pressed on. "I'm a criminal, aren't I? I've done many horrible things. You should fear me, run from me. So why? Why do you stay here knowing what I'm capable of?"
Sarah shook her head. She knew this wasn't true. She knew that. Loki couldn't be as bad as everyone thought. He wasn't as evil as he appeared. He was just lost. Lost in a dark place. A place that was full of despair. A place that was filled with doubt. A place that was lonely. A place where he felt alone. A place that was miserable. A place that was cold and hard.
She knew that maybe if he knew someone understood him, then he could maybe, just maybe, be so much more than the God of Mischief. He could be good.
Perhaps... Maybe even a hero.
Though Loki was proclaimed to be a monster, something she should fear, she didn't fear him. She never had. Even from the moment he stepped into the TVA. She didn't for one moment fear him.
Loki wasn't born a monster.
While yes, he was a Frost-Giant. And his kind were meant to feared. But that didn't mean he was like the rest of them.
Because he wasn't!
There was still hope for him. She had seen it! A version of him from the future who became good! Who sacrificed himself to save his Brother, his people, and countless other lives. He died a hero. That was Loki. That was the man she saw in him. The man she saw in the future. And she knew with all her might that he was capable of becoming so much more. More than what they made him out to be. If only he gave himself a chance.
"You're not a monster, Loki." Sarah told him. "You never were."
In that moment, Loki was taken back.
"What?" He whispered.
Sarah exhaled. "You were never a monster. You were never a bad person. You were just a good person who had bad things happen. You weren't born evil or selfish. Cruel or uncaring. You were just scared. Scared of being vulnerable. Scared of what the world could do to you. So you decided to protect yourself. To keep others away. You put up a wall. To hide your vulnerability. Your fear and your anger. Your hurt and your sorrow. Because...Because you couldn't handle it. Couldn't handle the pain or the suffering. And you felt like you had no choice but to shut it out." Because it was exactly what she did. Exactly what she was doing.
"You were just protecting yourself from those awful things happening to you. Protecting yourself from the pain you endured because... " Sarah's eyes began to water. "Because no matter how hard you try, you know you can't change anything. Can never get rid of the hurt. You can't erase it. You can never go back and fix what happened to you. And you know that you'll always feel this way."
Loki's face grew serious. He could see her pain. He could feel her sadness. He could hear her voice trembling.
He could hear the words she was trying so desperately to convey to him. And he knew with all his heart that she was telling the truth.
"She's hurting.' Loki thought. 'This isn't a game. A trick. She's...suffering.'
It stunned him.
He had expected her to be frightened of him. He expected her to run away.
But instead... It was now clear to him. She was almost reaching out to him. Perhaps in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort to herself. How? How could she find any sort of comfort in him? He was the villain, was he not?
The villain in everyone else's story!
But she was different. Different than anyone he'd met before. Different from everyone he'd encountered at the TVA. This girl, this strange human, wasn't afraid. She wasn't hiding her fears from him. Instead, she showed them to him in a way he hadn't ever expected.
She was showing him her vulnerability. Her pain. Her sorrow. Her desire to help him.
And though he was wary, suspicious, distrustful... For the first time in a long while...he found himself beginning to think he could trust her. Loki looked away, shaking his head.
No. He couldn't actually be feeling like he can trust her. Is he?
No. He must be losing himself.
Because there was no way he can be thinking of trusting her. He just can't. He was losing sight of his objective and he needed to remain focused.
He couldn't afford any distractions right now.
Sarah's breathes her become shaky at this point. She felt weak. Her breathing heavy, her heart racing. She wasn't sure how she was able to hold up under the amount of stress she was experiencing. But she did anyways. She held it together until Loki finally responded. Until he finally spoke. Until his voice broke the silence."How do I know you aren't lying?" Loki asked. His voice was low and quiet. Almost as if he was afraid to speak. Afraid to break the fragile peace between them.
"Because I'm not." Sarah replied. "I swear to you. I'm not lying."
Loki swallowed thickly. He glanced toward her again. Though this time, it was less harsh and more of a soft stare. He seemed to be studying her. Searching for some sort of hint of deceit. Something that will prove whether or not she truly believed everything she was saying or not. Because he really doubted it.
Sarah looked to the table which the monitor withholding Loki's file was placed on.
That file contained Loki's entire timeline.
From his birth on Jotunhiem, the day that Odin found him on that frozen rock and chose to adopt him. To his death by the hand of Thanos, his sacrifice which had ultimately made him a hero.
And every moment in between. It contained his past, present and future. All for him see. Without a soul to stop him.
Loki narrowed his eyes, following Sarah's gaze. He followed it to the monitor. She was staring at it. Lost in thought.
He watched silently as her expression changed to one filled with concern and worry. And her mouth formed a slight frown. Perhaps it was because she had known what was before them. And that his curiosity would get the best of him.
Loki smirked. Then she certainly would be correct.
Loki proceeded to turn his back to her. He walked over to the table, placing the Tesseract down on it. Slowly, Loki began to sit down in the unoccupied chair. He reached his hands out, towards the monitor. Pressing a button on the monitor, Loki and Sarah both watched as flashes, images of moments from his future played across the screen. Sarah's eyes grew. Oh god. He was going to see his future! All of it! That meant he was going to see his Mother's death, his Father's death. Even his own! Sarah's stomach began to churn, and she was frozen. She didn't know what to say or do in the moment. All she could do, was silently watch...
Loki watched the unfamiliar moments play out. But then... He stopped the images.
This particular image, was... Frigga.
The sight in front of her made her gasp. There Frigga was laying on the floor of the what she presumed was the Royal Place, on Asgard.
Frigga was dead. Her lifeless body being displayed on the screen for them both to see.
Loki had hit gaze fixated on the screen. Each image passed, and while he had recognized his own face, he knew that he had yet to experience any of those moments. But then, Loki felt his heart sink. His face fell. Frigga. The woman he called Mother. One of the most important people in his life. Dead. Loki let out a shaky breath. He felt tears conjuring in the back of his eyes. It had been true then. It wasn't some sort of illusion or trick. Agent Mobius had showed this to him before. Claiming that he was the reason she died. Trying to implement that guilt inside of him. At first, he was too stubborn to believe it. But... But now... Now it no longer seemed to be an illusion. This was real. This was his future.
He watched Frigga's body for another few moments, and his chest tightened painfully.
Sarah had slowly begun to move forwards. Inching closer to Loki. Tears welled in her eyes. She had read about it in Mobius's files. But... But seeing her death on the screen, it had made it so much more difficult to process.
Her eyes stung. She bit her bottom lip, struggling to hold in her sobs. Tears continued to flow down her face. Her hands trembled and her heart raced.
She felt sick. Disgusted. Horrified. Like her world had just completely shattered around her.
Loki kept watching.
His eyes never leaving the screen. And he was unaware of it. He was unaware that Sarah was beside him, watching him, weeping.
Loki couldn't bare to look at it any longer. So he continued to press the button.
It played and played, before he stopped it again.
This time, it was image of Odin. Though... Loki had instantly known that this Odin, was different. Different from how he had ever seen him. Much older. Much...weaker?
'I love you, my sons.' He spoke.
Then...we see Loki. But, him from far in the future.
At these words,Future Loki had looked to Odin. In shock. In disbelief of those words.
As he sat there, Loki's lip trembled. All he could was watch. There wasn't room for him to speak. And Sarah was right there with him.
'Remember this place.' Odin continued. 'Home.' It transitions to another point of view. There is Odin, sitting in the middle of a rock. Staring at the horizon in front of him. Sitting one both sides of him, are Thor and Future Loki. They are all together. But soon... Odin too is gone. Whisked away in particles of energy...
Sarah's heart was heavy. Heavy with emotions. With sadness.
It was so overwhelming.
She shouldn't be here. Right? It's wrong. Wrong for her to stand over his shoulder, watching him experience so much grief and sorrow. She knew she could leave the room. She could turn away and not look back. This was a moment where Sarah should let Loki be alone. To let him grieve. To let him take all of this in. But at the same time, why should he have to be alone anymore? Why should he have to go through this alone?
He needed someone right now.
Someone to comfort him. Because that was something he never truly had. And neither had she...
She kept silent.
Now we see Thor and Loki. It seems to be sometime after Odins death. Thor and Future Loki stand side by side. Thor is looking to Loki, a very faint but clear smile on his face. 'Loki I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever.'
This really seemed to make Loki react. And Sarah had known exactly why.
For most of their lives, Loki had always felt lesser than Thor. He always lived in his shadow. He never felt like he truly belonged and that he would never be truly loved.
But it seemed Loki was so wrong.
Because Thor did love him. More than anything. He admired him. Thought the world of him. Never wanted to leave his side, because they were Brothers. They were meant to never give up on each other or abandon each other.
'Maybe you're not so bad after all, Brother.' Thor smiled.
'Maybe not.' Future Loki replied.
'If you were here, I might even give you a hug.'
Loki managed a half-hearted chuckle. In that moment, he felt. a bit of...almost happiness. To see him and his Brother. To see them getting along. No fighting. No arguing. For once they were finally able to act like brothers. And Loki had longed for it more than he could say.
Turning his head, Loki then looked beside him. To his surprise, he sees Sarah. The young girl in tears. Her lips quivering, as tears spilled down her face. He blinked. By now, he thought she would have ran off. To find the others and give it up. But she didn't. She was here at his side, watching the events unfold in front of him. Why? Why would she stay? And why did this seem to affect her just as much as it did him? What were her reasons behind it? She stood there. Tears rolling down her cheeks. But despite that, she held strong. Focusing all of her attention on the screen. Waiting for something to happen, to change.
And then...
It did.
At the sound of a loud rumbling, Loki looked back to the screen.
At first, he was...lost.
Then he felt his stomach drop. No. No. Thanos. The Mad Titan, himself.
Everything happens to quickly. One moment, Future Loki is attempting to attack Thanos with a dagger. The next, it is clear that Future Loki was unsuccessful.
'Undying? You should choose your words carefully next time.' Thanos ticks.
Sarah completely freezes. 'Oh god. Oh god. No. No. Please.' This was it. The moments leading up before Lokis death. Everything had happened so quickly. Too fast. She didn't want to see him to see this! He can't see his own death! No one should see their own death! Especially in such a horrible manner! She felt as if her heart would explode. How could he stand there and witness this? Just continue on as if nothing was happening?! She turned to Loki, hoping that somehow, someway he could understand her thoughts. But he just kept on watching. Though now there was fear and horror evident in Lokis eyes. But he didn't look away. Like he couldn't, because he had to keep watching.
"Loki, no!" She plead. "Turn it off! Turn it off now!"
But Loki didn't bat an eye.
"Loki! Please. Please. Please, you have to turn it off." She begged. She grabbed onto his arm and began to shake him.
"You have to stop! You don't need to watch. You need to leave. You have to get out of here!" Still. Not even that seemed to work. As Sarah still held onto his arm, she looked to the screen.
On the screen, is Future Loki and Thanos. After the God of Mischief had foolishly tried to trick The Mad Titan, he was being held by the throat, lifted up off his feet. Thanos has his hand around Future Lokis throat, and he struggled to breathe.
"Loki! No!" She cried. "Look away!"
Unintentionally pushing Sarah with his strength, Loki raises up from the chair. He begins to walk closer to the screen. Wanting to get a better look.
'You...will...never, be a god.' Future Loki croaked.
This was it.
Sarah turned her head, unable to watch what is about to play out next.
CRACK.
The sound of bones being broken could be heard from the speakers. It was enough to make anyone shiver.
Sarah felt her knees beginning to get weak. She could barely stand.
Thanos had broken Future Lokis neck with ease. And he had done it without any hesitation. Any mercy.
Sarah clutched her stomach. She felt nauseous.
This was Loki's future! The path that the TVA had dictated for him. Amd it made her sick. Sick to think about his destiny. His fate.
Her heart felt heavy and yet so light at the same time. It was almost hard to breath. It was like there was a weight in her chest. A weight of despair. Of sadness. Something that she could not put into words.
'If he goes back, he dies.' Sne said to herself. 'If he goes back to his timeline and is reset, it's always going to send the same way. With his death at the hand of Thanos.'
No! No she couldn't let that happen!
He didn't deserve to die! He deserved a second chance at redemption. At happiness.
Sarah looked up at Loki. Heart break filling her expression. Loki remained there, staring at the screen before. On the screen was Thor, hugging onto Future Lokis lifeless body, before there is an explosion.
And the file ends there...
Loki scoffed. After being traumatized and heartbroken, he spiraled into a manic laugh. As he did, he seemed to sense that someone else was here with him and Sarah.
He was correct.
Hunter B-15 now stood in the door, staring at Loki and Sarah both. Her brow furrowed. "What's so funny?"
Sarah looked over. "B-B-15?" She croaked. She found them!
"Glorious purpose." Loki slowly begins to turn around, now facing B-15. He shakes his head.
The door shuts, B-15 now standing in front of it on guard. This time, she was going to make sure that he didn't have another chance to escape. In her hand, she gripped her Pruning Baton. Sarah stood there, watching them back and forth. Loki begins to walk towards B-15, and she doesn't hesitate to do the same. When they both become in arms reach, Loki makes a move. He goes to make an attack on hed, but B-15 is quick. She grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind him, forcing him down onto the table. Sarah gasped. But didn't Loki hesitate. The God of Mischief reached for the Time Twister remote, grabbing it. He pressed the button, and it beeped. In a matter of just seconds, Loki pulls it off of his neck. He then grabbed B-15s arm, pulling it behind her back. The woman unable to move. He throws the collar around her neck, and it beeps once more indicating that it's locked in place.
B-15 turned, going to punch him. But he pressed the button. And she flashed away.
Sarah looked to Loki. "Loki?"
But Loki didn't answer. Instead, he panted. Trying to catch his breath.
He held the Time Twister remote, playing around with it. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then, Hunter B-15 warbles in and out of the room.
Loki titled his head, almost amused.
So in classic Loki style, he began to play with the remote. Having no care of his actions.
Over and over again, B-15 was warbled through time. Again and again. And as she kept begging him to stop, he didn't.
Sarah could simply watch and eventually Loki has pressed a button, causing her to disappear completely.
He huffed, throwing the remote down.
Sarah's gaze followed him through the room. From the table, where he picked up the Tesseract. To the small set of steps, where he took a seat. Holding The Tesseract as he did so.
"I'm....I'm sorry." Sarah cried.
Those words, she truly meant. Not that it was actually her fault. Because what happened in Loki's future wasn't her fault. It was his either. If anyone would be to blame, it wouldn't just be Thanos for killing Lokis future self. The blame would go to the TVA for letting it happen!
Loki looked up at Sarah. She truly was different ,wasn't she?
Here she was, taking pity on him. Feeling sorry for him knowing everything about him and his life. Who he was, what he had done.
Did he really deserve that? Did he deserve her sympathy? He didn't know anymore.
He didn't know anymore...
His mind was a battle field. Racing with so many thoughts and feelings. All of which he didn't understand. They were confusing, conflicting, and even hurtful.
He felt so...hopeless.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. But it was difficult. Because, everything that been for nothing. There was no Glorious Purpose. Not when in the end, all it would lead to was his death. Death at the hand of Thanos. This was his destiny? This was his so called fare dictated by the Time-Keepers? What was he supposed to do now?
Then he thought about it. He couldn't go back to his timeline, could he?
It was set in stone now.
The timeline had been completely altered now. Everything had happened up to this point, would cease to matter. Because what was meant to happen, was no more.
Sarah, was a blubbering mess. But... But that didn't stop her from wanting to give Loki any sort of comfort. Slowly, Sarah began to walk over to where The God of Mischief was sitting. He watched as she walked over to him.
She kneeled down in front of him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't care about how pathetic she appeared. She didn't even care about all the questions she wanted to ask him. Because right now, all of that didn't matter. Right now, what mattered was that Loki needed to know that someone cared. That she was here for him. That he was not alone.
"It-it's not fair. You-you didn't deserve it. A-Any of it. You deserve better." She cried.
As Sarah had knelt down, she found herself placing her hands on his arm. Gently holding onto it. In a reassuring and comforting manner.
That made Loki freeze.
Loki looked down at her hands. What was doing?
Was she...trying to comfort him?
Why? Why would she be doing that? She knew everything about him. All of his secrets. And yet, she still wants to take pity on him?
He couldn't believe it.
Loki looked up from his arm and up to her. Suddenly it had felt warmth in his heart. A warmth that he hadn't felt in a very long time. It was...familiar. The warm feeling in his chest, was something that he only ever felt in the presence of the one who person who had always truly loved him and cared for him. Comforted him and reassured him when he needed it the most.
That person was his Mother, Frigga.
"I-I'm going to help you,I-I p-promise." Sarah swore. She would do everything in her power to change his destiny. To help show him that he can be whoever he wants to be. Even someone good.
Screw the TVA! Screw the Time-Keepers! They didn't matter. What mattered, was Loki.
What mattered now to Sarah was helping him be the best possible version of himself he could be.
Loki held Sarah's gaze, and what he saw was the reflection of his own soul. And suddenly, he understood. He saw how much she truly cared for him. How much she genuinely wanted to help him. It pulled at his heart.
Now he knew that every word, every confession from her was true. Here was a kid who knew what his loneliness, his rejection, and his pain felt like.
This was a kid who understood what he had gone through. Someone who felt his pain. His pain was Sarah's pain. And that was why she wanted to comfort him.
To make him feel better.
For once in his life, Loki wasn't alone. For once, he was understood and cared for.
It was a feeling that he had never truly felt before. One that he had always been denied of. But now, it was different.
Now he someone who cared for him. But... But maybe now he had someone to care for. They were both two broken people who could use each other. Both of them could heal each other. Sarah seemed so desperate for someone to care for her. At first, it seemed foolish. Unplausible. But Loki now realized that that isn't true. Because deep down inside, she was just as lonely as he was. And now he knew. Now he understood.
She just needed a friend. And so did he.
Loki pressed his lips together, trying to gather the right words. At first, he didn't speak.
But then, he began to raise his arm, causing Sarah to let go. At first she thought he might try to push her away like he did before. But this time was different. Instead, he brought his hand to her cheek.
Sarah's eyes grew. It shocked her.
Loki breathed out. "You aren't like anyone I've ever met, Sarah..."
"What?" Sarah whispered.
Loki looked down. There wasn't much he could say. Before he could think of anything else to say to her, loud footsteps neared them. Lokis hand falls from Sarah's cheek.
The door opens.
It's Agent Mobius.
The Analyst slowly and cautiously enters the room. To his surprise, he sees Loki. But knelt down at his side was Sarah. Thank god. It seemed that she was alright. Unharmed, at least. "Nowhere left to run." Mobius told him. His hand firmly gripped a Pruning Baton. He hoped with all of his might that he didn't have to use it. Mobius looked to Sarah. "Kiddo, are you alright?"
Sarah's head turned, looking to Mobius. She looked down. By okay, did he mean unharmed? Of course. But, in an emotional sense, then no.
Sarah looked back up, nodding.
Loki sighed. He looked to Agent Mobius. "I can't go back, can I? To my timeline." Though Mobius just kept silent. A way of saying yes. Loki swallowed. In moment, all he could do was let out his mind. Words he didn't think he would ever utter to another being. "I don't enjoy hurting people." He started off. "I..." He shakes his head. "I don't enjoy it." There was no point now. Loki was stuck here. Without power, without authority. Honesty was all he had now. "I do it because I have to, because I've had to."
Mobius nods. "Okay, explain that to me."
"Because it's part of the illusion." Loki responded. "It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear."
"A desperate play for control." Mobius stepped down, towards Loki. "You do know yourself."
"A villain." Loki sighs.
"That's not how I see it." Mobius reassured. And neither did Sarah. Because they both saw the good in the him. The potential. They both saw what Loki could be if he only believed in himself. If he had someone to believe in him.
Loki looked down, picking up the Tesseract. Looking at it. "You try to use that?" Mobius quizzes.
"Oh, several times." Loki told him. He tossed it around in his hand. "Even an Infinity Stone is useless here." He sat it back down. There was no point in even wanting it anymore. It was just...a treasure. A useless treasure here. "The TVA is formidable."
Now Mobius was closer to Sarah and Loki. "That's been my experience here." He sighs. "Listen, I can't offer you salvation. But maybe I can offer you something better." Loki groaned, pulling himself to his feet. He looked to Sarah, offering his hand for her to take. And she did. Loki took her hand, pulling her up as well. Born of them now putting their full attention to Agent Mobius. "A fugitive Variant's been killing our minutemen." He explained.
"And you need the God of Mischief to help stop him?" Loki inquired.
"That's right." Mobius nods.
Loki shakes his head. "Why me?" It strikes him as odd that he would be the one they would turn to for help.
"The Variant we're hunting...is you."
Loki paused, almost as if he couldn't quite process what Mobius had just said. Sarah's eyes grew wide. Wait... It was true?
"I beg your pardon?"
After that, everyone in the room went silent. If was certain that neither of them knew what was coming for them...