Loki and Jane are still walking hand-in-hand when Thor approaches.

She drops it when she sees him.

It hurts.

It really, really does.

And it shouldn't, which is the worst part. It shouldn't hurt. She's not his. She was never his. It's not as though he's losing her because she was never his to lose. But it doesn't help heal the hole in his heart or the cold against his palm where he held her only moments ago.

"Loki, that was amazing," Thor gushes. "I've never seen you use such power."

Loki chuckles, a bit uncomfortably. "It was a team effort, truly. I would give Sylvie more credit than I would give myself."

Sylvie, who's taken the lead as they approach the citadel, looks back at them over her shoulder, a smirk on her face. He just rolls his eyes. He's being humble; he's not complimenting her.

Changing the subject, Loki tells his brother, "You did your job wonderfully. You were a brilliant distraction – and fearless, too." He wasted no time. He saw what had to be done and he did it without hesitation. It was impressive, truly.

Thor pats him on the shoulder once, and then he goes to stand on Jane's other side. That hurts, too. He hated his brother until a few days ago, until Mobius forced upon him memories of the future he'll never have, but it hurts. It shouldn't hurt, of course, just as Jane dropping his hand shouldn't hurt. It shouldn't hurt that Thor would rather walk by Jane's side than his. It shouldn't hurt that Thor would rather walk next to his lover than his adopted brother he's been feuding with more often than not. But it does hurt, and he hates it. He hates that he's gotten so soft. He hates that he's always been so soft; that despite all he's been through, he's never been able to change that.

Is this the wrong thing to be focusing on as they're approaching a hidden citadel at the end of time that's guarded by a giant cloud monster? Probably. Is that going to stop him? Not likely.

"Hey, where's Mobius?" Jane asks.

Loki glances around, and there he sees Mobius a dozen steps back or so, looking around at the ominous setting they've led themselves to. When he notices the three looking at him, he cocks his head to the side, brows furrowed, and raises his hand in an awkward wave.

"Just making sure you were still with us," Thor calls back to us.

Mobius's confusion fades, and he cracks a smile. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Good," Jane says. She gestures for him to come join them.

The three of them slow down a little, just enough for Mobius to reach them, and Jane steps toward Loki, making a space for Mobius between her and Thor. A look of hurt flashes across Thor's face, only for a moment before he covers it up, but Loki finds himself feeling... vindicated. She didn't think much of her choice, he's sure. She didn't set out to put Mobius between herself and Thor. But she still did it.

Jane looks up at the analyst. "I'm guessing it's too much to ask that you have any idea where we're going right now?"

Mobius shakes his head. "I didn't even know about the Void, never mind the citadel beyond the Void."

Jane looks between Thor and Loki. "Any guesses on what we're getting ourselves into?"

Thor gives a halfhearted shrug. "Something bad, I'm sure."

Jane huffs an insincere laugh. "That's just a given at this point."

Sylvie looks at them over her shoulder. "Will you guys hurry up? You are too tall to be walking that slow."

That earns an eye roll from Loki – and a glance down at Jane, who most certainly is not tall – but they speed up, every step taking them closer to the citadel that awaits them.

Until, at long last, they've arrived.

They all pause at the door, Sylvie still a few steps ahead, and one would assume that means she's going to knock or open the door or do something, but she doesn't. She just stands there, silent, unmoving, even as the others approach, even as they pause behind her, all waiting with very little patience for their unwanted journey to continue.

Finally, Mobius says, "I think you can just open the door."

"Shut up," Sylvie replies, but the usual bite to her voice is gone. She almost sounds... distant. Distracted. Uncharacteristically unsure.

Mobius sighs and steps forward, resting a hand on her shoulder. She flinches and looks back at him, then grits her teeth and turns back to the door.

"I know it's overwhelming," he says, "but you're not gonna get your answers or your revenge from the doorstep."

Sylvie just hits his hand away.

And then the doors begin to open.

Sylvie takes a step back, nearly colliding with Mobius until he does the same, and looks around frantically. But if it wasn't her, who would it have been?

Loki and Jane lock eyes, and the mortal forces a wary smile. Loki returns it with one of his own. This has been a lot for him, and his entire life has been one adventure after another. He can't imagine how this must feel to her. The whole reason she broke up with Thor was because she didn't want to have to deal with these world-ending disasters, and yet here she is, right in the middle of another living nightmare.

"Are you ready?" she whispers.

"Probably not," Loki whispers back. "You?"

"Same."

Sylvie takes a step inside.

And, rather reluctantly, they all follow.

It's dark in the citadel. There are no lights, no candles. The room is illuminated just enough through the stained glass windows up above that its Gothic interior can be seen. There's an archway off in the distance in front of them, and beyond that, another, and beyond that, another still, until the distance and the fog and the darkness covers it up.

It's eerily quiet as they slowly cross the room, eyes scanning every inch of their surroundings. Every step is careful, cautious, uncertain. At any moment, something–

"Hey, y'all!"

Loki flinches as the all-too-familiar orange clock appears before them, her glow illuminating the room. Jane jumps, grabbing onto his arm, though she grows less tense when she realizes who it is.

Sylvie points her sword at the clock. "You again," she growls.

Miss Minutes is unphased by the sword, and why wouldn't she be? She's holographic; she fears no weapon.

"What are you doing here?" Mobius asks her. "Shouldn't you be at the TVA?"

"Not quite," Miss Minutes says with a giggle. She gestures around herself. "Welcome to the Citadel at the end of time!"

Loki glances down at Jane, still clutching his arm fearfully, then turns his attention back to the clock. "We've been playing your game long enough," he snaps. "What do you want from us?"

"Oh, it's not what I want," Miss Minutes tells him. "He's impressed with you. You've had an awfully long journey to get here."

"Who's impressed?" Thor asks, Stormbreaker held at the ready.

"He Who Remains."

Thor and Loki share a look, and then Thor's gaze drops to Jane, who's still wrapped around his arm. Loki looks down at her as well, and when she meets his gaze, he can see the fear in her eyes.

Loki takes his arm free, and, careful not to look at his brother as he does, he puts an arm around Jane's shoulders, holding her near. I'll protect you, his movements say. You'll be safe with me. Even if Thor disapproves. Even if he has every reason to disapprove. Even if she's not his to protect, he'll protect her. He has to.

"Who is he?" Sylvie asks.

"He created all and he controls all," Miss Minutes says. "At the end, it is only He Who Remains."

Mobius cocks his head to the side. "So he's above the Time Keepers?" he asks. "Did he create the Time Keepers? I don't..."

Miss Minutes just laughs.

"This man," Thor says slowly, "this 'He Who Remains,' he controls all of this? The TVA, the Sacred Timeline, all of it?"

"Yes, sir!" Miss Minutes says cheerfully.

"And he's here," Thor continues.

"Yes, sir!"

"Where is he?" Sylvie demands.

"Ah, ah!" Miss Minutes tuts. "He wants to offer you a deal."

"We're not interested," Sylvie says without hesitation.

"Uh..." Mobius raises his hand slightly. "I'm interested."

"As am I," Thor says. "I don't expect to take it, but I'd like to hear it."

"Well, alright, then," Miss Minutes says. "He's been making a few creative adjustments, and he's worked it out so we can put all y'all back where you belong in a way that won't disrupt things!"

"What do you mean?" Jane asks, the first she's spoken since Miss Minutes appeared, and Loki glances down at her thoughtfully. This could be exactly what they wanted. They wanted to get out. They wanted to have their lives back. Maybe...

"He's worked it out so that you all can go right back to the Sacred Timeline," Miss Minutes tells them. "And Mobius, you're a diligent worker – one of the best we've ever had. If you want to come back to the TVA, you'll always have a place with us."

"No," Sylvie says immediately. "We aren't here to bargain. Where is he?"

"I might like to bargain," Mobius remarks.

Sylvie shoots him a glare. "No, you don't," she snaps. "Now shut it."

Mobius blinks a few times, and he shuts up obediently.

Jane looks at Miss Minutes thoughtfully. "We could go back to the Sacred Timeline?" she asks. "Together? All of us, on one timeline?"

"You sure could!" Miss Minutes says. "You could pick any time you want." She looks at Loki. "The Battle of New York." She looks to Thor. "The day you met Jane."

Thor and Jane look at each other, and Jane sheepishly looks away when they make eye contact.

"You could have anything you wanted," Miss Minutes continues. To Thor, "Your friends and family, alive and well." To Loki, "The throne of Asgard at your feet." To Jane, "The man of your dreams." To Sylvie, "And you, my dear, after all those years on the run, how would you like to wake up tomorrow with just a lifetime of happy memories?"

This time, Sylvie doesn't shoot it down.

She's thinking about it.

They're all thinking about it.

... It seems too good to be true.

"And if we don't?" Loki asks. "What happens if we don't accept his deal?"

"Mm... Just think about it," Miss Minutes says. "Trust me, it's the best outcome."

And then she's gone, disappearing into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

There's a collective sigh from everyone around them, as though it's the first time since Miss Minutes appeared that anybody's dared to take a breath.

Loki glances at the others, and they all seem as uncertain as he is how to proceed. Do they talk about it now? Do they try to seek out this He Who Remains? What is their game plan? What is it that they want right now? Just to survive? To be happy? To do something good, no matter the cost?

It's Jane who speaks first. "I think we should do it."

Nobody answers immediately.

Nobody jumps to agree, but nobody shoots it down, either. They could do this. They could take that deal. They could go back home – they could go home together; all of them, together on the timeline. This could be their second chance.

Finally, Sylvie says, "I've spent my whole life running from the TVA. I've finally found the man in charge. I'm not letting him go."

Once again, nobody rushes to respond, in agreement or otherwise. It only shows, Loki feels, how difficult a choice this is to make; how difficult it is to decide what's right and what's wrong. Would it be selfish to accept He Who Remains' deal? Would it be vengeful to find He Who Remains and kill him? What would happen to them afterward? Will they be saved? Will they be stuck in the Void forever? Would it be worth it for a chance at dismantling the TVA?

There's no easy answer. They don't have all the facts; the morality of the situation is subjective at best; they don't even know what their end goal is. Nobody knows where to go from here.

So, after a long pause, Loki says, "I believe that we should seek out this He Who Remains. We should listen to what he has to say, we should look at our options, and then decide how we want to proceed together."

There's a murmur of agreement amongst them.

"Now the question becomes," Thor says, "how do we find him?"

With no other ideas, they agree to continue walking. Loki takes his arm away from Jane's shoulder, preparing himself for the fight he can only assume is coming. He takes a step in front of her, and a glance down at her tells him that she understands exactly why. He is her first line of defense. If somebody wants to touch her, they'll have to get through him first.

It grows quiet once more, and Loki listens for any noise that may sound out of the ordinary – a misplaced step; a breath where it doesn't belong; a rustling breeze where there is no wind. Any sign that something's wrong, any sign that someone's there, he wants to know of it.

But there's nothing.

It's just... them.

They've made it to what almost seems to be the end. There are no more archways to walk through. And they've found nothing.

Mobius walks up to one of the three statues in the room, looking at it closely. He brushes his fingers across it, and they come away covered in dust. Loki takes a step toward him, getting a closer look, and it's only then that he realizes it's one of the Time Keepers. That's... interesting. This man, this He Who Remains, he created everything, presumably including the Time Keepers, yet he keeps their statues in his citadel.

Is He Who Remains one of the Time Keepers? That's a possibility he hasn't thought of yet. Could one Time Keeper rule everything, and the other two are simply there just for the sake of being there? He supposes they'll find out soon enough.

"I don't like this," Thor remarks.

"I'd be concerned if you did," Sylvie says.

And then there's a clicking.

Somewhere beyond the far wall – a door, perhaps? It's well-sealed if it is, though maybe it's the dark that keeps the cracks hidden – something is clicking, repeatedly, irregularly. There's something there. There's someone there. In an instant, everyone is on guard. Sylvie takes the lead, her sword held out in front of her, and Thor steps up by her side. Loki stays back, shielding both Jane and Mobius behind himself.

There's a crack of light beneath the door, and it slides open...

And there's a man.

He doesn't seem to be a particularly threatening man. He's just... sitting there. On the bench. On the other side of the door.

Loki cocks his head to the side.

This... isn't quite what he'd expected.

The man grins, and then he stands up, saunting out of the room (elevator, perhaps?) to join them. There's an apple in his hands, and he fiddles with it nonchalantly, paying no mind to all the weapons trained on him.

"Wow," the man says. "This is wild." He gestures to them vaguely, and he seems so... smug. Arrogant. Obnoxious, most certainly.

"He Who Remains?" Sylvie guesses.

He chuckles. "'He Who Remains.'" He takes a bite of his apple. "She still calls me that?" He seems more amused by that than anything. "Creepy, right? But..." He shrugs. "I like it."

Nobody responds to that.

Nobody would know how.

He Who Remains gestures for them to come closer. "Come on," he says, already turning back to the elevator he came from. "Let's talk in my office."

The five of them exchange wary looks, and slowly, they approach the elevator together. They all file in, and as He Who Remains claims his spot front and center, Loki makes a point to get Jane in the back corner, standing between them with his blade at the ready. The door closes, and the ride begins.

It's a long ride – far longer than it should take in a citadel that can't be more than a few floors tall – and with every passing moment, Loki becomes more and more conscious of how tight a fit this is. He's not one to feel claustrophobic, but he would really like to get out of here.

"Not what you were expecting, hmm?" He Who Remains remarks, taking another bite of his apple.

Loki looks at him uncertainly. "You're just... a man." It's certainly not what he would have pictured from the most powerful being in the universe.

"Mm-hmm; flesh and blood." He Who Remains nods. "Don't tell me I'm a disappointment."

"No," Sylvie says. "Just a little bit easier to kill."

Loki shoots her a look, though she's oblivious, her gaze glued to the man before her. They'd agreed not to kill him – at least until they've spoken to him and spoken to each other and decided that it was the best way to proceed.

As though just to spite him, Sylvie swings her blade forward.

And then he's gone.

There's laughter behind them, and Loki looks over his shoulder to find He Who Remains lying on the bench against the wall. Jane gasps, and instinctively, Loki grabs her by the shoulders and switches their places, moving her away from him as swiftly as he can.

"Sylvie!" Thor hisses. "Stop it!"

Sylvie just raises her blade and swings it down on him once more.

And then He Who Remains is back where he'd stood before, a shit-eating grin on his face. He taps her on the shoulder, and as she's turning back around toward the door, he reappears on the bench.

"Enough!" Thor booms.

Sylvie brings her blade up to his neck, her jaw clenched. "You don't get to tell me what to do," she growls.

"Will you at least wait until we're out of the elevator?" Mobius asks.

"No." Sylvie swings her blade once more–

And then He Who Remains disappears.

They all look around, somewhat frantic, but he's nowhere to be seen. He's just gone.

The elevator begins to click and clack and twitch, until finally, it dings and comes to a stop. The doors open, and He Who Remains is on the other side.

Thor holds an arm around, barring Sylvie from attacking. He Who Remains just smiles, that same obnoxious, unbothered smile he's been wearing since he appeared.

"Come on in," He Who Remains says, gesturing for them to join him as he walks back into the room.

It's Thor who steps out first, and Sylvie follows suit, walking side-by-side as they follow the man. The god glances over his shoulder – at Jane, Loki has to assume – and Loki nods once, a silent promise that he'll protect her. Loki leads the mortals out, Jane on one side and Mobius on the other, both just a step or two behind him.

The Gothic design of the room isn't dissimilar from that of the rest of the citadel, though this room has bookshelves lining some of the walls, each filled from floor to ceiling. There are candles in this room, a fireplace in the wall, lighting their surroundings in a way the stained glass of the foyer didn't.

And there's a desk, Loki notices, which is right where He Who Remains goes. He's doing something with his backs to them, and Loki's not sure he wants to know what it is.

And then He Who Remains turns back around, and he gestures to the two chairs in front of him. "Please," he says, "take a seat."

Nobody moves.

"I'm sorry there aren't enough," He Who Remains adds. "I wasn't expecting a party quite this big." He shrugs, a carefree sort of shrug, and says, "But you know what they say: the more, the merrier."

Once more, nobody moves to sit.

He Who Remains makes a show of rolling his eyes. "You guys..." He gestures to Sylvie, Thor, and Loki, "want to kill me. I get that. Gotta be 'on your game.'" He doesn't seem the least bit bothered by that. "But Mobius? Jane? There's no reason you can't sit down."

Jane glances up at Loki, who shakes his head minutely. This man appears as untrustworthy as they come. If he wants them to sit, that's only a reason to refuse.

Mobius looks at him curiously. "You know my name."

"Of course," He Who Remains says. "I recruited you."

Mobius furrows his brows. "What do you mean, recruited me?"

He Who Remains shrugs. "I recruited you," he says again. He meanders his way around his desk, where he takes a seat. "I chose you to work for the TVA."

Mobius only looks more confused at that. "You're the one who created me?"

Sylvie gives him a weird look, but Loki must admit, it's a valid question, if perhaps poorly timed.

He Who Remains sucks in a breath through his teeth. "Not quite," he says. "There are a lot of... misconceptions... at the TVA."

"What do you mean?" Mobius asks cautiously. His faith is shaking; Loki can see it. If Ravonna's betrayal wasn't enough to convince him that the TVA is wrong, this may be what does it.

"The 'Time Keepers' didn't create you," He Who Remains says. "In fact, the Time Keepers don't exist at all."

"That's impossible," Sylvie spits. "I saw them with my own eyes."

He Who Remains clicks his tongue. "And you're not wrong," he tells her, "but you're not right, either."

Slowly, without taking his eyes off of the man, Mobius slides a chair away from the desk and takes a seat. It's probably for the best. If He Who Remains is about to shatter his whole world view, he'll probably want to sit down for it.

"The Time Keepers are fake," He Who Remains tells them. "They're robots; nothing but metal and wire. They don't dictate anything; they exist to keep people in line." He gestures to Mobius. "Clearly, it didn't work too well."

Mobius's frown deepens. "But... why?" he asks. "Why would you lie? Why would you do..." He shakes his head. "Any of this?"

He Who Remains heaves a dramatic sigh. "It's... complicated," he says. "The TVA needed a face; a formidable ruler that everybody trusted and everybody feared. Now, obviously, I'm here." He gestures around himself. "So I couldn't do it. But the Time Keepers?" He shrugs. "They were the perfect stand-in."

Mobius slumps down in his chair, arms folded across his chest as he stares at the ground.

"What you don't understand," He Who Remains says, "is that without me and my lies and my TVA... everything burns."

"Bullshit," Sylvie snaps.

Thor takes a different approach. "Why?" he asks. "What happens if you're gone? What happens if we tear the TVA apart?"

"Multiversal war," he replies.

And that's when he tells the story.

Eons ago, he tells them, before the TVA, Variants of himself throughout the multiverse were discovering just how their timelines worked. They learned to travel between worlds, and an alliance was formed between them. They shared knowledge, they shared technology. It was peaceful.

Until it wasn't.

Because some of his Variants didn't want peace. They learned of the existence of other timelines, and they saw nothing but new worlds to conquer. They fought and they killed and they destroyed worlds upon worlds. It was nearly the end of everything.

That was when He Who Remains discovered Alioth, a beast created from the tears in reality, capable of consuming time and space itself. He harnessed its power, and with it, he ended the multiversal war. He isolated one timeline, the so-called Sacred Timeline, and then all he had to do was maintain it. As long as the TVA continues to function as it always has, there will be no more multiverse, and thus, no more multiversal war.

"You came here to kill the devil, right?" he asks with a smirk. "Well, guess what? I keep you safe. And if you think I'm bad?" He chuckles, a sinister smile on his face. "Just wait 'til you meet my Variants."

It grows quiet after that.

Where are they supposed to go from here?

Is this even real? Is he telling the truth? Is this simply one more lie to the list? How are they supposed to know what's true and what's not? How are they supposed to know what to do?

"And that's the gambit," He Who Remains says. "Stifling order or cataclysmic chaos." He chuckles at himself, at their silence, at their obvious discomfort. "You may hate the dictator, but something far worse is going to fill that void if you depose of him."

Sylvie shakes her head. "No."

"I've lived a million lifetimes," he tells her. "I've lived through every scenario. This is the only way. The TVA works."

"Or you're a liar," Sylvie retorts.

He cracks a smile. "Or I'm a liar," he agrees.

Loki glances back at Jane, still standing a step behind him. She's pale, he notices. Her face is as white as snow. And she's trembling where she stands, arms wrapped around herself in a thoughtless hug of sorts.

Loki holds out a hand, and the spare chair slides into it. He slips it behind her, and without a word, he guides her into it. She doesn't even look at him; not as he helps her sit; not when he puts a hand on her shoulder. She just stares at the ground.

"Aww." He Who Remains props his head up on his hand, looking at them with a grin. "Aren't you two just the cutest!"

Loki shoots him a glare and tries not to think too much of that. Jane certainly isn't thinking anything of it. He's not sure she's thinking much at all right now.

It's Thor who changes the subject back to where it belongs. "So you expect us to leave, and let you continue pruning innocent timelines?"

"Mm..." He Who Remains shrugs. "Yeah."

"No," Sylvie says, but he cuts her off.

"There's two options," he tells them. "One: you kill me and destroy all of this, so you don't just have one devil; you have an infinite amount. Or..." He gestures to them. "You guys run the thing."

Loki furrows his brows. "What?" He can't mean that. That's absurd.

"You guys take over," he says. "You run it your way. And then you'll see that I was right. There's the Sacred Timeline, and there's chaos and death and destruction, and you're gonna have to choose."

It's quiet once more.

It's probably good that they let it grow quiet. It means they're taking time to think. It means Sylvie isn't attempting to slay him once more. But it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable.

Finally, Sylvie says, "You're lying."

"What do you stand to gain from giving up control?" Thor asks.

He Who Remains sighs, and a somber air fills the room. "Buddy..." He shakes his head solemnly. "I'm tired, and I'm older. This game is for the young, the hungry. I've gone through a lot of scenarios, trying to find the right person to take this spot, and..." He looks at them, one by one, and Loki only narrows his eyes in response. "I don't think I'm going to find anyone better.

"So, no more lies," he says. "You kill me, and the Sacred Timeline is exposed. Multiversal war. Or you take over, and you return to the TVA as benevolent rulers." He looks to Mobius. "Tell the workforce who they are and why they do what they do."

Nobody jumps up to make their choice.

Nobody even dares try to lead a discussion about it.

They're just...

Silent.

There's a rumbling off in the distance, and even Jane looks up at the sound. He Who Remains raises his gaze, listening as the rumbling continues, and that arrogant facade he's worn since they met seems to fade.

"We just crossed the threshold," he tells them. "What happens now is a mystery, even to me." He spreads his arms in a shrug of sorts. "So? What's it gonna be?"

Loki looks at him in disbelief. "So this is it."

"Hmm?" he hums.

"All the freedom in the world, and you're just going to sit there and let us decide your fate?"

He Who Remains slams his hands against the desk. "Yes!" he says. "What's the worst that can happen? You either take over, and my life's work continues, or you plunge a blade in my chest and an infinite amount of me start another war – and I just..." He shrugs, a smug smile on his face as he leans back in his chair. "End up right back here anyway." He chuckles. "Reincarnation, baby."

Loki eyes him uncertainly. He doesn't even seem to be entertaining the idea that they may let him live; that they could return to the Sacred Timeline together and leave the whole system intact. And yet, a part of him feels that may be the most viable option. He certainly doesn't want to rule over all of time. He obviously doesn't want to start a multiversal war. Maybe they should just... leave.

"No," Sylvie says, shaking her head. "It's just another lie; another manipulation."

"But what if it's not?" Thor asks her, and Sylvie gives him a weird look.

"What do you mean, what if it's not?" she asks, incredulous. "It is!"

"But what if it's not?" Thor asks once more, firmer in his tone this time. "Don't be rash, Sylvie. Think about it."

"Oh, I've thought about it," she says coldly. "I've thought about it every night since I was a child, snatched from my home by the power-hungry TVA and forced to hide in apocalypse after apocalypse to stay alive! I am not letting this happen to anybody else!"

She jumps to her feet, sword outstretched as she flings herself toward He Who Remains. Loki's hardly had the chance to move before Thor's grabbed her arm, anchoring her in place. She swings her blade at him, and he uses Stormbreaker to hit it out of her hand.

"Let go of me!" she yells, writhing in his grasp.

"Calm down," Thor growls. "Let us handle this like adults."

"I am handling this like an adult!" Sylvie snaps. "You're just too much of a coward to see it!"

Loki steps in then. "What do we have to gain by starting a multiversal war?" he asks. "Nobody survives a war of that magnitude. That solves nothing."

"He's lying!" Sylvie says. "How can you not see that?"

"Maybe he is," Loki says. "Maybe he isn't. But the cost of getting this wrong is too great."

"Bullshit!" she snaps. "I am not leaving the universe in his hands any longer than he's already had it!"

"If he's telling the truth, we don't have a choice in the matter," Loki snaps back. "If we kill him, another one will take his place, and everything will fall to ruin under his rule, and that is not something you can simply overlook because you want revenge!"

"Um, guys?" Mobius says hesitantly.

"What?" Sylvie demands.

"I feel like we're not spending enough time considering the other option," he says. "Why doesn't one of you just take over?"

Loki grimaces at just the thought of it. He never thought he would turn down a throne, but to sit alone at the end of time is not his idea of success.

"What difference would it make?" Sylvie asks. "The TVA would remain all the same, and innocent people would pay the price." She pulls on her arm, hard, but Thor's grasp only tightens.

"What if it did make a difference?" Thor asks. "What if..." He frowns, brows furrowed as he thinks. "What if we repurposed the TVA? What if it wasn't used to maintain one singular timeline, but instead, to prevent the timelines from interacting?"

Sylvie's struggle to free herself is forgotten in her intrigue. "What do you mean?"

"We could allow the timelines to multiply," Thor says, "and if somebody begins to learn how to make contact with the other timelines, the TVA can simply remove them from their timeline. They could even then join the TVA; an ever-increased supply of agents to protect an ever-increasing plethora of timelines. Nobody has to be pruned. No timelines have to be destroyed. Free will would exist in every sense that doesn't directly endanger the existence of everything."

Loki purses his lips.

That's... an interesting theory.

"Do you think that would work?" Sylvie asks.

"I don't see why not," Thor says. "Would it satisfy you?"

"That depends," she says. "Would I get to kill him?" She jerks her head toward He Who Remains, who's watching this conversation with intrigue.

"I think that could be arranged," Thor tells her.

Sylvie smirks. "Then I'm satisfied."

"But somebody still has to stay behind," Mobius reminds them, almost hesitantly. "Who's gonna...?"

They're all silent at that.

Nobody wants to do it. Nobody in their right mind would want to isolate themselves in this way. Even with the fate of the multiverse on the line, it's not an easy decision. It's a sacrifice, plain and simple, and one that nobody wants to make.

Finally, Thor sighs. "I will."

"What?" Jane's head snaps up, and in an instant, she's on her feet. "Thor, you can't!"

Thor smiles sadly, and he lets go of Sylvie, turning all of his attention to her. "My crime, my Nexus event, was that I made the hard decision of taking the throne for the good of my people, when a crown was the last thing I wanted. And now that I am here, and now that we face this choice, I have to think that it happened for a reason."

Jane shakes her head, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Thor, you don't have to..."

"I do," he says. "I could not take the throne of Asgard because there was one that needed me more. I've found where I belong."

"No, you didn't!" Jane insists. "You don't have to do this! You can come back with us!"

"No, I can't," he says, "and that's okay." He reaches out, gently cupping her face in his hand. "I'll be here, watching over you. It will be as though I'm still with you; just... from further away."

Jane shakes her head. "Thor..."

"It will be okay," he says quietly. He presses a kiss to the top of her head. "I want you to go and be happy. I want you to be happy in every universe. And the only way that I can do that is..." He shrugs halfheartedly. "To stay here. To create a better world for you – for everyone."

"There is no better world for me without you," Jane whispers.

"Of course there is," Thor says quietly. "And there will still be a Thor Odinson in your world – and, perhaps more importantly, Loki will be in your world. He'll take care of you." Thor raises his gaze to meet his brother's. "I know that he will."

Jane looks back at him, and Loki gives her a small smile and a nod. He'll take care of her. Of course he'll take care of her. That's all he's done since they met is take care of her. It's been his first thought, his motivating factor all along. He wants to keep her safe, to keep her happy, and that's what he's going to do.

Jane sniffles, takes a deep breath through her nose, and nods once. "Okay," she says, her voice quiet, broken. "If you're sure you want to do this..."

"I've never been more sure of anything," Thor replies. He looks between each of the others. "Now, I suppose, begs the question: where – or, more accurately, when do you want to go?"

Mobius raises his hand. "I want to go back to the TVA," he says.

Jane frowns. "You're not coming with us?"

Mobius shakes his head. "The TVA has been my home for as long as I can remember," he tells her. "It's flawed, but it's home. It's where I belong."

Jane sighs, but reluctantly, she nods. "I don't suppose there's any chance you could come visit every now and then?"

Mobius shrugs, a slight smile on his face. "I guess that would be up to the big boss." He gestures to Thor with his head.

Thor chuckles quietly. "Of course you can," he says. "But only if you promise to come visit me, as well."

"Oh, absolutely," Mobius says with a grin.

So Thor turns to Loki. "Where do you want to go?"

Loki shrugs halfheartedly. "I don't know," he admits. "I suppose I just want to go wherever Jane does."

Jane gives him a small smile. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

Loki chuckles. "Well, that puts us in a bit of an awkward situation, doesn't it?"

"It does," she agrees. "Compromise: I say we should go anywhere from, say, 2010 to 2014, and then you pick when in that time period you think we should go."

Loki cracks a smile. "I accept those terms."

And now he has to think.

He was plucked from his timeline in 2012. He obviously doesn't want to go to any time after that. He won't know just what's happening – and it appears he spends a portion of that time in the dungeon, anyway. That's not his ideal future.

The year prior to that, he spent in the cold abyss of space, so that takes out another potential year. That leaves 2010 and 2011, then. And given that much of 2011 revolved around Thor's impending coronation, it only seems logical that he choose 2010. It was the most tolerable of the years she offered.

Although, if this really is a second chance...

There's only one thing to do, really.

"Take us to the day before your coronation."

Thor furrows his brows, cocking his head to the side. "What?"

"I will fix my mistakes," Loki tells him. "I will not let the Frost Giants disrupt the ceremony. There will be no raid on Jotunheim. You will not be banished; I will not go mad. I can confront our parents on a later date about my heritage, in a way that will not jeopardize Father's health. Our family stays together; Asgard remains under your rule and that of our father; I can be the supportive brother and prince that I should have been all along."

Thor smiles softly. "You've grown a lot, in recent times, haven't you?"

Loki shrugs sheepishly. "A throne doesn't seem all too enticing after having lost everything trying to claim one." He looks over at Jane and offers her a small smile. "I may set my sights on Midgard – in a less violent capacity this time."

Jane smiles back, but there's still a hint of sorrow in her eyes. He understands why. He doesn't want to leave Thor here, either. But there are going to be so many Thors in the multiverse, including where they're going, and he takes comfort in knowing that all of existence will be in his hands.

Thor looks at Sylvie, who, surprisingly, has not uttered one sarcastic remark or attempted to kill He Who Remains since he released her.

"And where would you like to go, Sylvie?" he asks her.

Sylvie takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don't know," she admits. "All I've thought about since I was a child was getting my revenge, and now that it's here..."

"You don't know what to do with yourself when it's done," Thor finishes for her, and she nods.

"Come with us," Jane says.

Loki raises a brow. Maybe her head injury was worse than he thought.

"You can go home to Asgard," she says, "or you can hang out on Earth, or you could find somewhere else to go. But I think it might help to have someone around that you know – even just to vouch that you belong." With a playful smile, she adds, "I learned the hard way that they don't let just anybody into Asgard."

Sylvie eyes her skeptically, and then her gaze shifts to Loki, a silent question of a sort. Though he doesn't want to – really, really doesn't want to, especially after what she did, to him and to Jane – he reluctantly gives her a nod. If she wants to come with them, he will introduce her to his parents. If nothing else, it will give him more of a reason to stay on Midgard.

"It's settled, then," Thor says. "Is everybody ready?"

"Not quite," Jane says. She stands on her toes and kisses Thor's cheek. "Good luck – and if you ever get lonely and you need some company, I'm sure somehow we can...?"

Thor nods. "I think we can make that happen," he agrees, a slight smile on his lips. "I look forward to it."

Next, Jane walks up to Mobius, and when he stands up, she throws her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. "I'm gonna miss you," she mumbles.

"I told you I'd visit," Mobius reminds her. "And I mean it. You're not getting rid of me this easily."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she tells him.

While they're talking, Thor walks up to his brother, and Loki looks at him curiously. Haven't they already said their goodbyes? What is he doing? Were their goodbyes not enough?

Thor puts an arm around Loki's shoulder, a half-hug of a sort, and lowers his head to his brother's ear. "I'm proud of the man you've become," he says quietly. "I always will be, even if the me of your new timeline is not."

"Thank you," Loki says, and he means it sincerely. He suspects that's something he'll need to hear when he has to put up with his brother at his most arrogant. But it will subside, he's sure, with time. The pressure of the throne – and the guidance of their father along the way – will shape him into the man he needs to be.

"I only have one request," Thor tells him.

"And what is that?" Loki asks.

"Do not break her heart."

Loki looks up at him, his brows raised.

"She is lucky to have you," Thor says, "and you, as I'm sure you know, are lucky to have her, too. All I ask is that you're gentle with her. She is a good woman. She deserves only the best."

Loki huffs. "Am I truly that transparent?" First Mobius, and now Thor? Even Sylvie's been calling Jane his girlfriend since they met. His subtly hidden feelings weren't so subtle after all, it seems.

"Very much so," Thor tells him, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I wish you both the best of luck, and the happiest of futures. You've most certainly earned it."

Loki gives him a small smile. "Thank you, brother," he says. "It means more to me than you'll ever know."

And with that, Thor takes his arm away and turns his attention to the others. "If everybody is ready," he says, and he grabs Sylvie's blade off the ground, handing it to her, "I believe there's still one thing left to do."

Everybody turns their gaze to He Who Remains, who simply leans back in his chair and spreads his arms, a silent invitation.

Sylvie glances back at Thor, but when he nods, she nods back. She's going to kill him, and even his cockiness can't save him now.

Jane rejoins Loki, pointedly turning away from the others. "I don't want to watch," she mumbles.

Loki puts his arms around her in a gentle embrace. There's nothing here she needs to see.

They did this.

They won.

Now it's time that they get their reward.