"Mobius, are you seriously asking me to work with him?"
"It's not like I wish to work with a Midgardian. You are simply the ticket I need to escape this Helish bureaucracy," Loki spoke with a smirk, to which I rolled my eyes.
"Unfortunately, the being that is helping Kang is a variant of Loki and no one knows better how a variant thinks than another variant."
"Which means that you cannot get rid of me."
"Which one are you, really? The last time I heard of a Loki was when he got his ass handed to him during the Chitauri invasion," I said, smirking at Loki's unimpressed stare.
"Careful there, little speedster. I can be very creative with my revenge."
"Oh, scary~Maybe I'll just vibrate through your ego."
"Mobius, let me finish this work so I can be rid of him."
"Same here. If I had to be with this guy a second longer, I will definitely try and throw him into one of the collapsing universes."
"Oh, listen to you two bantering like a pair of good friends," I just looked at Mobius as he spoke, shaking my head while Loki let out a scoff. "Look, I don't have to like this either, but unless one of you suddenly figure out how to read a Loki's mind while also knowing how to track a Conqueror across fractured timelines, you're going to have to work together on this."
"I do not track, Mobius. I hunt," Loki said with his arms crossed and I wondered if that look of disdain was permanently etched onto his face.
"Yeah, sure, o trickster god. Keep telling yourself that," I replied dryly, Loki slowly turning his head to stare daggers into my soul.
Mobius just rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh before he spoke, "Okay, here's the deal. Kang and his Loki are operating in a pocket dimension outside of the TVA's jurisdiction. They've managed to hijack several reset chargers and are building something that we can't even identify yet."
"That's sounds vague," I muttered, Mobius ignoring me as he continued.
"We've confirmed activity at various timelines at the same time, which made us realize that he's hitting various timelines at the same time.
Loki, you're the one that knows how to lie well enough to trick yourself. Pietro is here as your insurance policy and to help keep track of Kang should he appear."
"Wonderful, the idiot and the liar. Truly, what a team we are."
"I resent that. I'm not the idiot," I replied with a raised eyebrow, to which he just smirked.
"Then you are the liar."
"...Touche. "
"Alright, lovebirds. Follow me to get ready for this mission," Mobius spoke with a smile as he stood up, Loki letting out a grumble as the two of us followed after him.
"If this is what passes for the punishment for divine these days, then that foolish All-Father's sense of humour has gotten crueler."
"I'm beginning to miss Ultron already."
"What in the name of the gods is an Ultron?"
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"Mobius?"
"Yes?"
"I love you, man," I spoke with a grin as I spun around, giggling with glee at the clothes the man had given me.
The 'Pink Floyd' shirt with the black jeans sat snugly yet comfortably against my skin and matched with the silver sneakers I had on as well as the dark silver leather jacket I had over it.
'The old-school Quicksilver look from the movies, eh? I quite like it, especially since I'm not such a fan of the spandex suit look.'
"Well, I'm glad one of you likes your uniform."
"Why does he get to have casual wear while I am forced to look like the other peasants around me?"
"Because, Loki, the last time we let you pick your own outfit, you chose a helmet and a cape."
"That was a tactical choice," Loki replied, flicking the brown TVA coat he wore with disgust as I grinned. "Besides, I am a god. I should look the part."
"Don't worry, trickster. I think you look just fine."
"Mock me again and I shall turn you into a slug and trap you in a salt mine."
"Joke's on you. I'd still be faster," I replied with a smirk, Loki letting out a slow breath before I turned to Mobius who let out a soft sigh.
"Okay, enough, you two. We have a multiverse and the Sacred Timeline to save. Now, remember, Loki, you infiltrate. Pietro, you chase down any anomalies and most importantly, report before acting on impulse. That goes to the both of you."
"You do realize that you're asking a god and a speedster to be patient, right?" I asked with an amused smile, snickering while Loki scoffed as Mobius nodded.
"Yup, I'm just a big believer in miracles."
"More like a fool that has set his expectations too high, but sure, let's go with a big believer. Fool, follow."
"I swear, just one second and I'll have dragged you across the planet with a smile on my face," I replied as I followed Loki and Mobius through the Timedoor, flinching as I felt myself getting yanked.
It was nothing but a disorienting flash of orange and the sensation of my body being turned every which way before I was suddenly breathing again.
Taking slow breaths, I noticed Loki and Mobius looking all too fine, rolling my eyes when the former turned to give me an amused smirk.
"Oh, look, the Midgardian cannot handle some simple space-time travel."
"Unlike you, I wasn't raised on doing this on a daily basis."
"Neither was I. I am simply built better than you are."
"You want to fight, little Jotunn? 'Cause we can fight. I am ready whenever and wherever you want."
"Wonderful, I was just itching for a life to take," he replied with a grin, but both of us let out disappointed huffs when Mobius stepped in between us.
"When this job is over, I'll let the two of you beat the crap out of each other. How does that sound?" he asked, Loki and I looking at each other before we nodded.
"Good. Let's go," I spoke, turning only to be greeted by an astonishing sight.
Illuminated with a dim twilight hue in front of us was a futuristic city, floating spires stretching high into the air. Neon lights pulsed between the glass towers and the sky above said city shimmered with streaks of blue and gold energy.
'Wait, is that...?' I thought as I followed the streaks of energy, my eyes widening as the vibrations echoing from it made me look down to see the same vibrations in my body.
"Mobius, is that what I think it is?" I asked, while looking at the agent, who looked at me and nodded. I just hummed as I turned back, ignoring Loki raising an eyebrow at our silent interaction.
So, the city in front of us was powered by the same energy that is currently coursing through my veins? No, that would be impossible given that chaos energy itself scarcely shows up in anything or anyone other than the Scarlet Witch.
'Unless, of course, this Kang killed the Scarlet Witch and/ or is using her body as a conduit to siphon chaos energy that he can use? Does that even make sense?'
"Where and where exactly are we?" I decided to keep my questions for later as I heard Loki ask his, tuning back to hear Mobius' response.
"We're in the 31st century and that is Chronopolis before Kang comes into power and claims it as his own. Right now, he is still Nathaniel Richards, a scientist and a visionary playing around with forces he should not."
"And why are we here?" I asked, to which Mobius took out a TemPad and showed off a hologram with the press of a button. Loki immediately made a grab for it only to blink as I blurred to his side while locking his hands in cuffs.
"Oh, it is good to have you here."
"Pleasure to help. Trickster, would you stop that?" I asked as I grabbed onto Mobius and darted to the side, dodging the invisible Loki's attempt to grab at us.
"How?"
"Your vibrations. I can't see, hear, smell or taste any sign of you when you use your illusions, but the vibrations your energy give off are still visible to me."
"...How did a mortal like you come into possession of such a power?"
"Experiments," I replied, Loki giving me a skeptical look with his hands clasped neatly behind his back.
"Experiments. Ah, yes, the great Midgardian solution to everything, isn't it? Truly, your realm's wisdom knows no bounds."
"That's a lot of words from the mistake that got saved by Odin."
"You are treading on grounds even other gods fear to embark upon."
"You say that, but to speak of other gods would mean that you are a god yourself. Is that how you see yourself, little Jotunn?" I asked, immediately shifting to the side to avoid the dagger thrust at my eye.
Swinging a flurry of jabs, each one connected and pushed Loki back, immediately reappearing behind him with an elbow that cracked into the back of his head.
Bringing my other hand around for a brutal hook to his cartoid artery, I blinked as I found myself standing beside Mobius, who let out a soft sigh as Loki gave me a sneer.
"Good work, Pietro, but reel in the insults. Loki, more of that and we're putting the collars on."
"Oh, please do. It was quite invigorating," Loki spoke with a mocking smile, which I returned as I saw the anger staying in his eyes.
"Sure, Loki. We'll give you the collar to play with. In any case, he's why you're here," Mobius said while pointing to the holographic image shown to us.
Both of us decided to look at it, staring at the flickering dots scattered around Chronopolis.
"These are temporal anomalies that we've traced back to the stolen reset charges. We expected them to have gone off, but it appears that this Loki variant has been using them to stabilize something."
"And you want us to go find out what it is?"
"If possible. For now, your jobs are simple: recon and information-gathering. Once we have enough information on what they are planning, then we go in."
"Well, I can tell you what they're planning: multiversal destruction."
"I thought we already established that?" I asked as I looked at Mobius, who let out a soft sigh before nodding.
"We did, but let's hear Loki out on this."
"If I were a Loki variant, would I work with someone to destroy the multiverse? Yes, but I would not do so willingly nor peacefully if they were more powerful. Instead, I would bide my time and wait for the right moment to alter their plans to fit my own better."
"And you believe that the Loki we're talking about will be manipulating TVA tech to manipulate and corrode the fundamental forces of existence?" Mobius asked and I frowned as Loki nodded.
That...No, that doesn't sound like Sylvie at all. Sure, she was a bit of a bitch in the show and she utterly loathed the TVA, but she wouldn't destroy the multiverse just because she's pissed at us.
Nah, there has got to be someone else here that we're missing.
'Wait, no. She killed He Who Remains and didn't care for the consequences even when reality itself was untangling. I take it back. She would definitely be insane enough to do this.'
"Truthfully, if I was not angered by the lack of originality, I'd be impressed by the ingenuity they've shown."
"So, your evil counterpart is making a multiversal bomb and your first thought is plagiarism?" I asked, rolling my eyes as Loki gave a smirk.
"Every artist values authenticity."
"I just...Mobius, what's the plan now if Loki is telling the truth?"
"Which I am."
"Seeing is believing."
"You are as blind as Heimdall was when Thor force-fed him fifty barrels of Asgardian Ale."
"Can't make that comparison when we don't understand it."
"Oh, I do. You don't," Mobius chimed in with a shrug, Loki having a smug smile on his face as I just grumbled.
"In any case, the plan's the same. Just this time, you need to find out what they're building, where they're keeping the charges and how close it is to being finished. Once we have all that, we can just call in a cleanup team and go back."
"You mean that group of underpaid drones with batons? Please, I've seen more intimidating things in Asgard's kindergartens."
"That group of 'underpaid' drones knocked you out, remember?"
"Wait, seriously?" I asked with an eyebrow raised, hiding my smile when Loki turned to me with a glare.
"Not a single word from you."
"Sure. Anyway, he talks and I run?"
"That's the plan."
"What if we run into the variant?" Loki asked, with me being curious as well and Mobius scratched his beard with a hum.
"if they do, do what you do best."
"Lie?/ Run?" Loki and I asked respectively, both of us smirking when Mobius nodded.
"That's right."
"What if Kang shows up?"
"Run. Don't look back. Don't even think about him when it happens. Just run," Mobius' immediate answer made me blink, wondering just how much of a threat this guy was for him to say that.
'Wait, what the hell was that stupid thought? This is a variant of the guy that has defeated guys like Thor, Hulk and almost every other hero with nothing but intellect and the technology he had at hand.'
"Alright, then! I can get behind that plan. You ready god of mischief?"
"As always," Loki responded with his iconic smirk, which I returned as I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mobius, we'll see you at this point."
"I'll be waiting," he replied and I nodded, Loki's eyes widening as I blurred into motion before he could speak. The world around us rippled as we dashed towards the city and stopped on the outskirts.
"This is as far as I can take you. From here on, you go and do your job and I'll do mine."
"Very well. I do hope that you trip and snap your neck."
"And I do hope you start moving away fro-" I vanished halfway through my sentence and ran back, immediately pinning the hidden Loki to a rock as Mobius shook his head.
"Seriously?" I asked, to which Loki's grinning visage became visible.
"You cannot blame a god for trying."
"Sure, let's go with that," I muttered as I dashed back once more, throwing the real Loki onto the ground before making my way back to Mobius.
"Don't worry. I'm leaving with the TemPad right now. See you kids here in...ten."
"Got it," I nodded, waiting until he left through the Timedoor before racing back and stopping beside Loki dusting himself off.
"That is quite the nifty ability. Mind if we trade?"
"No. Now, go do your job," I spoke while crouching down, launching myself off the ground with a burst of speed and racing up to one of the taller skyscrapers on the outskirts of the city.
'Now, if I were a variant of a guy that doesn't listen and always does what he pleases, where would I be?'
"Right behind you," A voice spoke up, making me turn my head before I blinked at the smirking figure behind me.
"How in the hell did you get here?" I asked, staring at the blue-skinned man behind me that had black and red energy coursing across his body.
"Let's have a talk, shall we?"
A/N: You guys thought the big bad would just leave them be? Nah, this arc is going to be...chaotic~
Anyway, we now await next chapter to see what the conqueror has to say to the speedster.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!