Loki shot a menacing glare at the TemPad, trying to access the whereabouts of Miss Minutes and Ravonna Renslayer in the sacred timeline. He and his friend, Mobius, stood at the end of the corridor, watching as the device suddenly went haywire. The once sleek screen now displayed a chaotic jumble of distorted images and erratic apricot-colored lines. Impatiently, Loki observed as Mobius frantically tapped on the tracker.

"This thing's gone bonkers," Mobius muttered, repeatedly jabbing at the screen.

They were in a race against time, and the TVA was on the brink of destruction. Their lives hung in the balance. Loki knew that Miss Minutes and Renslayer were on the hunt for something, or maybe even someone, completely beyond their grasp. It was a situation they couldn't deny or ignore.

Mobius let out a sigh and turned to Loki. "There's a glitch in the system. Let me go and swap it out—"

"No." Loki firmly grabbed Mobius by the collar of his suit. "We're pressed for time. Let me take a look at it."

Loki quickly snatched the gadget from Mobius' hands and flipped it over, examining its backside. Mobius raised an eyebrow at Loki's eagerness as he watched him try various ways to get the TemPad working properly. Mobius winced, fearing that Loki might break it completely—a real waste of a TVA TemPad.

"That's not how it works," Mobius warned.

Suddenly, a computerized noise signaled that the TemPad was up and running again. With a mischievous chortle, Loki swiped right on the screen, revealing a familiar door-like portal, gleaming with a highlighted metallic frame. Rolling his eyes, Mobius watched as Loki extended his arm and motioned for the TVA agent to go first.

"After you." Loki proudly smiled, allowing Mobius to step through the time door before following suit.

The time door transported the two men to what they thought was the sacred timeline of Chicago in 1868, but they were left baffled when they found themselves in an unfamiliar place, decades after the TemPad's supposed destination.

Jazz music wafted down the dusty road, drawing crowds of people of all ages who swayed and danced to the popular Charleston. A band of musicians skillfully played the drums, saxophones, and trumpets, creating a lively atmosphere. The time travelers realized they had entered an unidentifiable realm through the time door.

"Where are we?" Loki asked Mobius, who stared dumbfounded at the handheld device.

Mobius pinched the bridge of his forehead and replied wearily, "It's a branched timeline of New Orleans in 1926."

"That can't be," Loki insisted. "It's set for 1868."

"Well, that explains it." Mobius pointed at the screen. "There's a glitch again."

Mobius spun around and faced the portal. "C'mon, let's hustle back to the TVA and switch it out. I ain't keen on being stuck in some other timeline."

Loki nodded, ready to join Mobius through the time door back to the TVA. But just as he was about to take a step forward, the time door vanquished, leaving him blankly staring at a peculiar building that seemed to radiate an uncanny darkness. And right there, front and center of the entrance, stood a man with a top hat adorned with a skeleton motif. He wore a stylish plum tailcoat and held a cane in his hand. Loki's eyes widened at the sight as the man had witnessed everything that had just unfolded.

"Damn it," Loki whispered under his breath.

The man removed himself from the dark shadows and revealed himself through the sunlight. He studied Loki's attire and smirked deviously.

"Enchanté," the man said, oozing with charm.

"Hi," Loki replied curtly. He wasn't in the mood for chitchat.

The man kept going. "You ain't from 'round here, are you?"

Loki shook his head and impatiently scanned the area. The music had stopped, and the crowd had vanished into thin air. It baffled the Asgardian how the whole scene had turned cold and dark in just a minute or so.

"Oh, I'm just passing through," Loki muttered, eager to find a way out of this situation.

The man strolled up to Loki and handed him a business card. Loki found interest as he read the name "Dr. Facilier." As he noticed words like tarot, charms, and potions, he realized that voodoo was Dr. Facilier's specialty. A frolicsome idea sparked in Loki's mind.

Let's have some fun, shall we, Loki thought as Dr. Facilier slung his arm around Loki's neck.

Loki knew that Mobius would be back any second to continue their mission. But toying with a guy who gets his "power" from dark magic seemed way more enticing than just sitting around waiting for a time door to appear. Loki decided to give his own magic a whirl before heading back to the TVA.

"Tarot readings, huh?" Loki pretended to be interested by posing as a naive newcomer. "I've never had the opportunity to be graced by the presence of such a thing."

Dr. Facilier's lips curled, and his violet eyes grew darker.

"Well, now you have. One reading will change your life forever."

Deep down, Loki wanted to put an end to him right then and there. But he had moved past the desire to cause fear and chaos in others. Life at the TVA had given him a fresh start, a chance to walk a different path. He no longer needed to bring harm to others for his own gain, even if he was the god of mischief.

Loki cleared his throat and handed the card back.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"Excellent," Dr. Facilier exclaimed. "Follow me."

Stepping inside to Dr. Facilier's emporium, Loki could make out the ancient artifacts involving a mysterious meaning behind the doctor's work. For starters, there is an assortment of voodoo dolls planted all over the place followed by dozens of cursed masks that eyes glowed with evil. Wallpaper with skulls decorated the walls and drapery over the seating area with three chairs and a small round table.

In his lifetime, Loki has encountered many people who believed they could cast spells simply by a few tricks and potions. And each time Loki showed them who had the bigger hand. Magic is not something you learn, it's a gift. And as concealed with magic and sorcery as an infant, Loki was more than capable of teaching the incompetent houngan a taste of his own medicine.

Dr Facilier lead Loki to the wooden table and they both took a seat.

"First things first." Dr Facilier suddenly pulls a stack of tarot cards from inside his tailored suit. "What might your name be? Care to share?"

Loki leaned against the backboard of his chair and rested his right arm on the table top.

"Loki," he responded.

"Very interesting name, I shall say. What is that Norse, if I may ask?"

Loki scoffed. "You could say that."

Dr. Facilier grinned slyly and said, "Tell me, Loki. If you had to wish for anything in the world, what would it be?"

Over the years, Loki has been determined to forge his own path. Growing up in the shadow of his brother Thor, witnessing his mother Frigga's death at the hands of dark elves, and experiencing failure with the Chitauri attack on New York, Loki found himself adrift. Learning that Thanos killed him after he deceitfully refused to hand over the Tesseract only added to his confusion. Brought to the TVA, Loki's perspective on finding personal resolution became uncertain. His current goal was to protect all of time, which he believed to be of utmost importance.

Loki shrugged, showing disinterest in the question. None of this impressed him. However, there was always one thing he desperately desired.

"A glorious purpose, of course."

"Including a particular title, perhaps?" Dr. Facilier pushed, inching closer to unraveling the truth about the Asgardian.

Dr. Facilier's looming shadow towered behind him. Loki arched an eyebrow, noticing the shadow's unsettling control, as if Facilier were a puppet master. Loki speculated that this was the source of the voodoo doctor's trickery.

Loki adjusted himself and answered, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, really now," Dr. Facilier exclaimed. "So, no royal blood runs through your veins?"

A chilling pause followed Facilier's words.

"Perhaps, just perhaps, you are a prince?"

"What gives you the impression that I am royalty?"

The cane resting beside the table was suddenly snatched away, its pointed end aimed directly at Loki's chest, right over his beating heart.

"I've read your heart and soul. You tell me one thing, but my friends tell me another. And they're never wrong." Dr. Facilier declared, as shadows creeped across the walls with wicked teeth, loomed over the scene.

Loki crossed his arms. "Whatever. Let's get this over with," he said, maintaining his defiant stance.

With a nod, Dr. Facilier skillfully shuffled the deck of cards. Each smooth transition between the thin cards provoked Loki's curiosity about the absurdities that lay within Facilier's mind. In a matter of moments, the man fanned out the cards in his hands, creating a rainbow-like display.

Loki glared at the line of arched cards, then turned his attention back to Dr. Facilier, who patiently awaited his reaction.

"Pick your poison, Loki."

Loki knew the game all too well. He knew the outcome wouldn't be pleasant. However, being a trickster was his forte, and that's how he intended to play.

Loki randomly selected three cards, and the doctor set aside the rest of the deck, revealing the trio in front of them. Slowly, the first card was unveiled—a depiction of an empty throne with Loki and his brother Thor on either side. Loki shifted uncomfortably and frowned. Knowing what awaited them in the future saddened him. The sun was supposed to shine on them once again, but Loki never had the chance to step into the sunlight.

A hum escaped Dr. Facilier's lips as he made his assumption. "You desire the throne."

Loki had once yearned for the throne, but fate had different plans in store for him.

"Not necessarily. It's actually much more than that," Loki responded, hinting at a deeper truth.

"Right," Facilier recalled their earlier conversation about a glorious purpose. He then flipped over the second card.

The second card revealed the six Infinity Stones, with the Space Stone—the Tesseract—standing out prominently. It made Loki ponder whether the outcome would have been different had he successfully fulfilled his deal with Thanos.

"Stones . . ." The words weighed heavily on the doctor's tongue. "I see that they play a significant role in your present life. They hold the key to your ascension to the realm. Nine are in your favor."

"You're full of lies, aren't you?" Loki smirked.

Dr. Facilier frowned and opened his mouth in disbelief. "The cards never lie."

Loki stood to his feet, abruptly finished with this silly charade. Dr. Faciler's ploy haunted his thoughts and the shadows in the reflection of the walls gave away the impression that Facilier had other plans with Loki's so-called fortune. Plus, Mobius should be here at any moment now.

"Where are you headed off to?"

"Anywhere but here. You've managed to bore me to no end," Loki retorted.

Suddenly, Loki felt a tight grip on his forearms, but there was no visible entity. He looked around, the shadows seemingly restraining him without a physical presence.

Gritting his teeth, Loki struggled to break free. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Dr. Facilier laughing maniacally, thoroughly enjoying Loki's predicament. Slowly, Facilier approached, extending his hand.

"These are my friends from the other side," he began. "And we have an offer of a lifetime for you. All you need to do is shake my hand."

Loki burst into laughter, perplexing Dr. Facilier. "What's so amusing?" he inquired.

Loki's eyes turned icy cold as he tapped into his innate powers. In a matter of seconds, he duplicated himself into two other clones, causing the shadows to recoil in fear. Dr. Facilier's otherworldly companions were overshadowed by the towering presence of the three Lokis, rendering them small and vulnerable.

Loki couldn't help but beam with satisfaction as Dr. Facilier found himself trapped within Loki's own shadows, completely helpless and unable to escape. The voodoo expert was soon pinned to the table, causing his cards to scatter to the ground. With a calm demeanor, Loki's eyes transformed into a dark shade of emerald green, while his iconic horns began to grow from the shadows.

"I hope you don't mind, but I also invited a few friends of my own," Loki taunted.

Dr. Facilier's terror was palpable as he stuttered, "W-What . . . is this?"

Unfazed by the chaos, Loki adjusted his suit.

"Shadow play," he quipped.

Just in that very moment, a large door materialized to their right, and Mobius stepped out, sighing at the scene before him. He had left Loki alone for just a few minutes, and this is what he managed to conjure up.

"It took you long enough," Loki remarked.

"Yeah, well, I found another TemPad," Mobius replied, holding up the device. "Let's get going."

Mobius steps back through the time door as Loki dispels his trickery. Dr. Facilier falls to the ground, trembling as he weakly holds up the last remaining card.

"Wait," he gasps. "It's time that you seek. And that, I can provide." Loki scrutinizes the image of Facilier holding up the clock, symbolizing his control over his own timeline. Time appears to be nothing more than an illusion.

But his future had become his past—a version of himself from another time. It was time to let go.

Unsurprisingly, Loki confidently exited through the time door, leaving Facilier behind without a backward glance.

On cue, newspaper flies through the window and lands in front of Dr. Facilier's eyes. The shadows point at the paper, giving him a wicked idea.

The headline features Prince Naveen of Maldonia.

Carefully, Facilier reads the article and smiles.

"Well done, boys. It seems we've found our next target."

Back at the TVA corridor, Loki and Mobius stood in front of the time door with the path to the timeline of Chicago 1868. Mobius straight away casts Loki a look of skepticism.

"Are we seriously gonna do this again, Loki?" Mobius settled his hands firmly on his hips. "We've talked about your shadow magic antics. Enough is enough."

Loki casually shrugged it off. "I understand your concerns, Mobius. But where's the fun in stopping? Besides, without a little mischief, life would be dreadfully dull, wouldn't you agree?"

Mobius adjusted the settings on the TemPad and positioned himself by the time door.

"I can't deny that, but let's find some middle ground, all right?"

Loki flashed one last mischievous grin. He softly chuckled at the sheer audacity of Mobius believing he would be willing to make a solid deal.

"No promises, my friend."