She has to wake up.

She has to.

She can't leave him alone. They've been through too much together. She's been the only thing keeping him sane throughout this entire ordeal. Even when he thought she'd drive him mad, when her philosophical debates with Mobius or Miss Minutes were almost too much to bear, she's kept him sane. Not being here alone has kept him sane.

What is he supposed to do if she doesn't wake up?

He doesn't know how long he's been sitting by her bedside. Long enough for the Variant to be taken into custody, he was told. Long enough for the Time Variance Authority medical professionals to clean and stitch Jane's wound together. Long enough for his foot to fall asleep twice.

She has to wake up.

He's starting to get drowsy. Whether it's the boredom of sitting in a silent white room or because his body is telling him it's time for bed, he can't say, but he does his best to suppress his yawn, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He'll have to get up and start walking soon. He's not sure how much longer he can handle just sitting here.

There are footsteps from outside the room. That's hardly an uncommon occurrence; people seem to walk by the infirmary a fair amount. He'd looked over his shoulder the first half-dozen times, but as time has gone on, he's found himself caring less and less.

Which is why he's surprised when the door actually opens. He's not sure who to expect. A nurse, probably, here to turn her on her side. They've done it a few times since they laid her here. It prevents pressure wounds, they'd said, whatever that means.

"Still nothing?"

It's not a nurse who's come to visit; it's Mobius. Loki grits his teeth at the sound of the man's voice, but he's silent. He doesn't want to start a fight. Not here. Not now. Not with Jane in this condition.

"Any chance the doctors told you when she'd probably wake up?" Mobius asks.

Possibly never.

She's not in some medically induced coma. This wasn't a choice. This isn't something they can fix with the snap of their fingers. She is unconscious from a head injury, with potential brain damage, after being enchanted by a god. Of course the doctors don't know when she'll wake up. They don't know that she will at all.

Still, Loki doesn't answer aloud. When Mobius realizes he's not going to speak, he stops waiting for an answer, instead sliding a chair across the room to sit next to him.

"Don't," Loki says.

So Mobius slides his chair to the other side of the bed and sits down over there instead.

Loki does his best to ignore him. The sheer arrogance to think he'd be welcome here as though he wasn't the one who put her life on the line is astounding. If he'd only told Jane to stay put, none of this would have happened. He did this to her, and he doesn't deserve to sympathize with her now.

Deep down, a part of him knows that he's projecting. Mobius may have let her come on this mission, but it was Loki's hand that threw her across the room. His grip turned her neck that deep shade of blue; his strength that left that wound on her head. If there is truly anybody but the Variant to blame, it would be himself. He just can't let himself think about that right now.

Though Loki's gaze hardly leaves Jane's face, Mobius is instead looking at the god thoughtfully. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Loki clenches his jaw, looking at the man through narrowed eyes. And what if he does care about her? What is it to him? She's the only ally he has now that his entire world has been disintegrated. Is it such a crime to care whether she lives or dies?

"Hey, I don't blame you," Mobius says. "I like her, too. I just..." He shrugs. "Didn't expect you two to get along so well."

Loki just rolls his eyes at that remark. As if he cares what Mobius thinks. He may claim to be an expert at all things Loki, but he only knows the facts. He knows Loki's past. He knows one variation of his future. But he doesn't know him. He understands the concept of a Loki, but he's made it incredibly clear that he doesn't understand the man behind it.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?" Mobius asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What do you want, Mobius?" Loki asks finally.

"I wanted to see how Jane was doing," he says. "And I wanted to see how you were doing."

Loki huffs. "Me?" As if Mobius cares how he is. He may like Jane, but Loki is a means to an end, nothing more. He's made that very clear with how he treats the two of them.

"Yes, you," Mobius says. "I know that you don't trust me. I know that you don't really trust anybody. But it's been a crazy day, and I want to see how you're doing."

Loki huffs, shaking his head to himself. Unbelievable.

It's quiet for a few moments, until eventually, Mobius asks, "Are you gonna ask about the Variant?"

Loki raises an eyebrow, a deadpan expression on his face. He doesn't care about the Variant. If they haven't killed her yet, they'll kill her soon, he's sure. Unless Mobius is going to offer him the chance to kill her himself, he's not interested.

Mobius updates him anyway. "It sounds like she won't talk to anybody – just sarcastic quips, you know, like a Loki. If she doesn't change her tune pretty soon, they're gonna bring her to the Time Keepers tomorrow and prune her."

That piques his interest. "'It sounds like'? Have you talked to her yourself?"

Mobius shakes his head, a look of sheepish disappointment on his face. "Ravonna said I shouldn't; that it's 'not safe.'" It's clear in his voice that he thinks that's ridiculous, and, loathe as he is to agree with the man, Loki feels the same.

"What information do you need from her?" he asks.

"Unfortunately, that is classified," Mobius says. With a friendly grin, he adds, "You helped us catch the Variant. You can leave the rest to us."

Loki fights the urge to roll his eyes. They trusted him to help find the Variant, but to know what they want from her, that would be crossing a line?

"You said that if she doesn't talk, they'll prune her," Loki repeats.

"Yep," Mobius replies. "Can't have someone like that running free."

"And if she does talk?" he asks. "You'll let her go?" She'll be given the same offer he and Jane were? A supposed chance at freedom? He doesn't believe that for a moment.

"Oh, no, she's getting pruned either way," Mobius says.

That's the answer he wanted to hear.

"Let me talk to her," Loki says. "Tell me what you want to know, and I will get you your answers. All I'll need is time and a blade."

Mobius balks at him. "Loki, you cannot carve up the Variant like a jack-o'-lantern."

"Why not?" Loki challenges. "Your people are going to kill her either way. Why not get the answers you seek before you do?"

"Because you cannot torture the Variant!" Mobius practically yells. "We do not torture people here!"

"Oh, I beg to differ," Loki says. "This entire experience has been torture of the highest degree. But if you let me at the Variant–"

"Loki, you are not touching the Variant," Mobius says firmly. "Maybe we'll throw her in a memory prison, but nobody is going to torture her."

"Why not?" Loki insists. "She's killed how many of your people? Murdered, in cold blood." He leans forward, resting his elbows on Jane's bed. "You don't want to see her suffer for what she did?" There's a slight smirk on his lips as he says it. Even Mobius, the TVA's most beloved, most trusted analyst, must have that drive for revenge.

But Mobius shakes his head. "No, I don't," he says. "I want to see her answer to her crimes – the correct way – and I want to see her pruned, quickly and painlessly, and then I want to sit down with Ravonna and share a drink and talk about how awesome it is that we finally finished this case."

Loki sits back in his chair, rolling his eyes. "You're so boring."

"You know what? Maybe I am," Mobius says. "But I keep my head down and do my job, and I stay out of trouble. You should learn a thing or two about that."

Loki just shakes his head to himself. Ridiculous. This would have worked in both their favor. He could have gotten the Variant to give up whatever secrets she's keeping, and he would have gotten his revenge for what she did to him and to Jane. Mobius doesn't know how good a deal he's passing up.

Mobius sighs. "I'm sorry," he says. "I know you're upset – and I am, too. She hurt Jane. I don't take that lightly, either. But she'll be pruned by this time tomorrow. Isn't that enough?"

"No," Loki says darkly, "it's not."

Mobius just looks at him for a few moments, a look of sympathy on his face, then stands up. "I'll keep you updated," he says. "Don't worry about the Variant. She'll get what's coming to her."

Loki doesn't acknowledge that. If it's not at his hand, he doesn't care.

"Anything I can do for you before I get going?" Mobius aks. "Besides letting you stab the Variant?"

Loki rolls his eyes. As if he would ask Mobius for help. He'd rather ask a stranger. He'd rather ask Ravonna Renslayer, and she doesn't even believe he should be alive right now. At least she's honest about her feelings, which is more than he could say for Mobius.

But then he has a thought.

Mobius must notice a change in his demeanor, because he gives him a weird look. "What is it?"

"Ragnarok."

Mobius furrows his brows. "What about Ragnarok?"

"It's an apocalypse," he says. "There would be no Nexus energy; no branch to prune."

"What are you talking about."

"Send me to Ragnarok."

Mobius scoffs. "I'm sorry, you want me to what?"

"Send me to Ragnarok," Loki repeats. "I'll fetch a healing stone and return here. Nothing will be altered, and I can heal Jane."

Mobius shakes his head. "Magic doesn't work in the TVA, remember?" he says. "It won't work."

"Then I'll take her with me," Loki says. "I'll heal her there, and we'll come back."

"Ravonna's never going to 'okay' that."

"Then she doesn't need to know."

Mobius sighs. "Loki..."

"If you truly care for Jane the way you claim you do," Loki says, "then you'll let me do this. You can come with me if you must, if you fear I'll disappear, but let me do this. Let me help her."

Again, Mobius sighs. "I'm sorry," he says. "It's out of my hands."

Loki clenches his jaw. Of course it is. If he really cared about Jane, he would do this in a heartbeat. Her life may be on the line, and he won't bend the rules just once to help her. He's a liar through and through. It's never been more obvious.

"Then you're useless to me," Loki says. "Go."

Mobius hesitates, sticking his hands in his pockets as he looks at the god with a frown, but Loki's made up his mind. If Mobius doesn't want to help, then there's no reason for him to be here. Finally, Mobius seems to agree, and, after a brief apology, he leaves.

Now it's just Loki and Jane.

He hopes she wakes up soon. He really hates to be alone with his thoughts.

~~~

He didn't want to go to Asgard.

Not really.

He wanted to help Jane and Asgard would have been a means to an end, but he didn't want to see his homeland.

But the more he thinks about it, the more he does.

He'd been driven to the brink of insanity the last time he was there. His whole world had fallen apart, and his last memories of the realm were certainly not fond ones. But he grew up there. He lived there nearly his entire life. Try as he might, he can't pretend it doesn't hold a special place in his heart.

He wonders if he would have seen Thor. For Asgard's destruction, he would hope his brother was there, protecting his people the best he could. The file had said that some people survived. Thor must have been among them. He's too smart, too strong-willed not to have been.

If Loki had gone to Ragnarok, would he have seen him? What would Thor have said if he had? What would he have said to Thor? So much has happened since the last time they spoke. Loki doesn't even know how he feels about him. Thor was his friend. His enemy. His brother. There have been so many ups and downs in their relationship. They tried to kill each other on the Rainbow Bridge, then again in New York. According to Jane and Mobius, they'd then worked together in Svartalfheim. They were together when Odin died, and again when Loki did the same. He has such an incomplete picture of what they were and how he should feel about him.

He would have loved to have seen him again and found out. He would have loved to see where that could have gone. And he knows it wouldn't have happened. Talking to Thor would certainly have caused a Nexus event. But it doesn't make the thought any less sweet, or the realization that he'll likely never see his brother again any less painful.

He knows that he'll never return to his timeline. Mobius has been lying about that since the beginning, and he knows that. He's never stood a chance. But he really would have liked to see his brother one last time.

He buries his face in his hands. What is he doing here? This is miserable. This is a miserable existence. And it's never going to get any better, which is the worst part. He's been through Hel and back – metaphorically, of course – and he's always kept fighting. He's never been the type to give up. He's always had faith that it would get better – that he would make it better.

He's finally run out of faith.

His eyes begin to sting, and he squeezes them closed. It may stop the first few tears, but once the first sob escapes, there's nothing he can do but let them flow.

He hates this. He hates everything about this. All he did was pick up the Tesseract at his feet. If that was a capital crime, then so be it, but this? This isn't fair. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be thrust into this world all alone with no hope of getting out. He didn't deserve to be manipulated into hurting the only friend that he has.

The sound of a quiet groan pulls him from his thoughts. His head snaps up just in time to see Jane's fingers twitch. He sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth. Is this it? Is she going to wake up?

Her face twitches, and she groans again. She scrunches her face, and then, slowly, her eyes begin to open.

It's as though a weight is lifted off his chest. "Jane?" he whispers.

"Mm," she hums groggily.

"Are you alright?" he asks quickly. "How do you feel?"

"Mm," she hums again – not quite an answer, but at least she's responding. At least she's awake.

"What can I do?" he asks. He doesn't expect to get an answer – or, at the very least, not one he understands – but he wants to help. He wants to do something. He has to.

Jane squints at him, bleary-eyed, and flops a hand over the edge of the bed as though reaching out to him. He reaches toward her and takes her hand in his own.

"Mm-mm," she hums.

He lets go, his hand hovering only a few inches below hers. What is she...?

She opens and closes her hand in what looks like a disoriented gesture for him to move closer. He does just that, sliding his chair in until it's right next to her bed. She cups his cheek in her hand, and he puts his hand on top of hers and gives her a small smile.

"Hi," Loki says quietly. He's not sure he expects her to understand anything more complicated than that right now. He's not sure she'll understand that word as it is.

Jane gently rubs his cheek with her thumb. "You've been crying."

Had it been any other person in any other situation, he would have been upset they'd pointed it out, but right now, he doesn't care. He just sniffles once and says, "Don't worry about me. How are you feeling?"

"Mm..." She closes her eyes again. Tired, then, would be the answer.

Her arm goes limp, and Loki carefully rests it down by her side. If she wants to go to sleep, she can do that. The fact that she woke up at all is enough to stave off his concern for the time being.

Without opening her eyes, she asks, "What happened?"

Loki hesitates. "What do you remember?"

"I don't know."

That doesn't bode well.

Loki's not sure where to start. "Do you remember where you are?"

"Mm?" she hums.

"The Time Variance Authority?"

"Mm." It sounds like some sort of confirmation, but she doesn't seem to be in the state of mind to make it.

"Are you sure you remember?" he asks cautiously. "Or are you just saying you remember it?"

"I remember," she says, her words slurred slightly. "Variants. Pruning. Talking clock."

It certainly sounds like she remembers.

"Do you remember going to Roxxcart?" he asks.

"Mm-hmm," she hums.

"Do you remember the Variant?"

"Mm... I think so."

"She enchanted you," Loki explains. "She took control of your body and your mind. You've been in a coma since then."

"How long?"

Loki blinks at that.

"I... do not know." Does time even exist in the TVA? That hasn't been made entirely clear.

She lifts a hand and touches the bandage over her temple. "What happened there?"

Loki grimaces. He hadn't anticipated explaining this part. He hasn't even truly explained it to Mobius or his agents, though he's sure they've largely pieced it together by now. But he can't lie or keep secrets from Jane, so he tells her the truth.

"The Variant goaded me into attacking her," he says. "I tried not to. I didn't want to hurt you. But she forced my hand."

Jane opens her eyes again, and this time, they seem a little more clear, a little more focused. "That explains the..." She gestures vaguely to her own face, though her gaze is scanning his.

"The what?" he asks.

"Your nose looks... big."

He furrows his brows. "My nose... looks..." He reaches up and gently touches his nose with his finger. It stings, but he's had far worse over the years. It doesn't bother him all too much. It feels warm, though. It must be swollen. Maybe it is broken like he'd feared when she attacked him. He'll likely never find out.

"I did that?" she asks.

"Your hands did," he says, "but you did not. It was the Variant using your body."

She looks down at her hands, bruised slightly from the fight, then looks back to Loki. "Thank you for not murdering me."

Loki huffs, amused. "Why would I murder the only person in this place that I can stand?"

"Well, I was beating you up."

He shakes his head to himself. He turned into a snake to stab his brother when they were children and they remained friends through a thousand years and just as many fights. She's showing her Midgardian side, because in Asgard, this would have meant nothing.

"Where's the Variant now?" she asks.

"In custody," Loki replies. "Or so I've been told. I haven't seen her – and neither, it seems, has Mobius."

"Oh?" She seems to have a vague interest in that statement, but if she notices his suspicion, she doesn't seem to share it. He'll have to repeat himself later when she's hopefully more awake.

She pulls her blanket tighter around herself, looking awfully snuggly in the TVA infirmary's boring white sheets. It puts a soft smile on his face that he can't wipe off.

"We're not dead yet," she says after a pause. "That's a good sign."

"Not yet," Loki agrees. He opts not to mention that he gave Mobius the chance to prune them and he refused it. He doesn't need her deciding he trusts the man even more so soon after Loki lost what little trust he had in him to begin with.

"What happens to us now?" she asks.

"I don't know," Loki says. "They'll prune the Variant by tomorrow. I imagine we'll find out then."

"Mm." She lets out a long breath. "What do we do until then?"

"I don't know," Loki admits. "They're not very forthcoming with their information."

Jane sighs. "I guess not."

It grows quiet after that.

Loki leans back in his chair and lets his head fall over the edge, staring up lazily at the ceiling. Even the ceiling is a dull, boring white. It's as though they want to bore him to death.

Mobius had told him that nearly everybody knows him, and that, should he need him, he could ask just about anybody passing by. A part of him feels he should do that. A part of him doesn't want to give Mobius the satisfaction of knowing he actually wanted to find him.

"Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think they're going to kill us?"

Loki sighs and closes his eyes, head still resting on the back of the chair. "I assume so." He's just about made his peace with that.

"Do you think there's even a chance we'll get to go back?" she asks.

"I think there's a chance they'll let us live, however small it may be," he says. "But we'll never go home. We have no home left to go back to."

"You don't think the Time Keepers could...?"

"I don't think they would," Loki says. "We've served our purpose. They have no reason to help us now." And that's if they're even allowed to meet with the Time Keepers. Mobius couldn't even promise them a meeting. He was never going to help them. Their only chance was the Variant, and she refused to cooperate, and now they all have to die because of it.

"Well, if we do die," she says, "I want you to know that I'm glad we met. There are definitely worse people to help the organization that dictates the flow of time catch a rogue version of themself with."

Loki lifts his head to look at her, and she gives him a small smile. He gives her a small smile of his own.

"It's been an honor to fight with you."

~~~

Loki has all but given up complaining. He's resigned himself to whatever dreary future awaits him – a future in Hel, he assumes, though there's a small inkling of hope that there could instead be a different, equally miserable future for both himself and Jane that doesn't involve the end of a pruning stick.

So when Mobius told them to get up – after a brief but friendly conversation with Jane that nearly drove him mad – he did just that, and, with minimal sarcastic remarks, he and Jane agreed to follow him to wherever it is he wants to take them.

"They pruned the Variant," Mobius tells them. "That's all over with now. Congratulations on a successful case." He gives them both a grin, though it only earns an eye roll from Loki in return. Even Jane doesn't smile back, and she's always friendly with him.

Mobius frowns. "Are you two okay?" he asks. "You're both weirdly quiet today."

"We don't all get to finish this 'case' with a nice drink," Loki says coldly.

Mobius nods solemnly. "I know," he says. "But Ravonna said she got you a meeting with the Time Keepers, so we're going to her office and figure out where to go next. We're gonna figure something out for you two."

"Oh, I'm sure," Loki deadpans. Something awful, he's sure.

"We're really going to meet the Time Keepers?" Jane asks, and there's a glimmer of hope in her eyes that will doubtlessly be dashed soon enough.

"Well, first, we're going to Ravonna's office," Mobius says. "After that, though? We get to meet the Time Keepers."

"Do you think they'll let us go?" Jane asks.

Mobius shrugs, a slight grin on his face. "I wouldn't be surprised," he says. "You saved our asses. I'm sure they've got something up their sleeves for you."

Loki glances over at him, an eyebrow raised. He still doesn't believe it. He's certainly not going to take Mobius's word for it. But he can't deny that this answer piques his interest. He sounds like he knows something they don't. He always sounds like he knows something they don't, but this time, in this context, he's interested.

"What does Judge Renslayer want?" Jane asks the analyst.

"She's just checking in with you two," Mobius says. "She wants to make sure you're ready to meet the Time Keepers." He gives Loki a pointed look. "I'm sure she wants to make sure you're both well-dressed."

Loki glances down at his leather ensemble. He'd nearly forgotten that there are uniforms in the TVA. Nobody's given him a problem about his attire since he got back – probably because Mobius knew that if he dared object while Jane was in a coma, Loki would have snapped his neck – and now it's been too long for him to willingly change his clothes. If they really want him to change, they'll have to burn his leather off of his body and drop him through the floor again to do it.

"What are they like?" Jane asks. "The Time Keepers."

Mobius shrugs. "I don't know," he says. "I've never met 'em."

Loki and Jane both balk at him. He's never met the Time Keepers? He's been working here for how long? For as long as he's existed, supposedly. And he's never met the lizards in charge? He got them a meeting with the lizards in charge that he's never met? This feels equal parts shocking and suspicious.

"You're coming with us, though," Jane says cautiously. "You're not making us go alone."

"Yeah, 'course I am," Mobius says, like it's ridiculous that she'd even ask that. "You guys are my Variants. I'm with you every step of the way."

"Oh, thank god," Jane says. "I trust you a lot more than I trust her."

"Ah, well, I appreciate that," Mobius says, "but you don't have to worry about her. She's all bark, no bite."

Loki raises an eyebrow. Given the nature of the TVA, he doubts she would have gotten this leadership role if she had no bite. Another lie to add to his ever-increasing pile of lies. It makes him feel marginally better that Mobius is coming, though, if only because he's fairly confident he could take the man down without breaking a sweat, should the situation arise. If he needs a hostage, if he just wants the satisfaction of killing one of their men before they kill him, he knows who to go after.

"You guys'll be fine," Mobius assures them. "The Time Keepers were watching this case like hawks. You two did in days what we couldn't do in... god, years, probably – and right in time. So the Time Keepers already like you. You just have to..." He shrugs. "Not make them change their minds."

Mobius doesn't look at him specifically, but Loki still gets the feeling this is directed mostly to him.

Jane seems to be a nervous talker, because she asks questions for the entire walk to Ravonna Renslayer's office. Mobius seems entirely unbothered, answering them with a lighthearted lilt to his voice that doesn't feel like it fits the situation.

"Knock, knock!" Mobius pushes the door open with far too much enthusiasm.

Ravonna stands up from behind her desk. She's stone-faced, though whether it's because unlike Mobius, she understands the gravity of the situation, or because she's just like that, it's difficult to tell.

There always seems to be a look of vague disgust when she looks at Loki, but this time, she eyes his attire more specifically. He bites his tongue before he can make a comment that loses his Time Keeper privileges.

"They're ready," Mobius says by way of greeting.

"Good," Ravonna replies. She makes her way to the door, squeezing past her friend to take the lead. "Come with me."

Jane looks up at Loki warily, and Loki just shrugs. He doesn't like this, either, but what are they going to do?

For once, Mobius seems to be on the same page, because he scoffs, gaping at Ravonna as she leads them through the hall. "That's it?"

"What's it?" she asks, her voice monotonous. She really seems to be the antithesis to Mobius's constant eagerness. If his life wasn't on the line, he'd almost prefer the judge. She's not as fake as Mobius is.

"You're not gonna say anything to them?" Mobius asks, incredulous. "No pep talk? No words of advice?"

"Nope."

"Ravonna!" Mobius grabs her arm, and she looks at him, irritated. "They're about to talk to the Time Keepers. Give them something to work with, will you?"

Ravonna sighs, exasperated. "What do you want me to say, Mobius?"

"I don't know! You're the one that's been talking to them this whole time!"

Again, Ravonna sighs, this time more a sign of defeat than exasperation. She glances over her shoulder at Loki and Jane. "Be respectful. The Time Keepers are the most powerful beings in existence. Treat them as such."

Loki fights the urge to roll his eyes. Respect has never been in his nature. He has met a lot of very powerful beings, and very few of them has he ever even pretended to respect. But he'll play along for now. If and when it becomes evident that the Time Keepers want to see him executed, then the sarcastic remarks can emerge.

Jane seems to have the opposite idea. "I feel like that one is pretty obvious. What else do we need to worry about?"

"Respect," Ravonna says again. "That's all you need to know."

Jane looks up at Loki, unamused, and this time, Loki does roll his eyes, sharing in her annoyance. This is some ridiculously broad, bland advice.

Mobius glances back at them. "Sorry, guys," he says. "I thought she'd have more to offer ya."

It's a bit of a walk from Ravonna's office to the Time Keeper's elevator, and by the time they've reached it, it's become very, very quiet. Though Jane would doubtlessly rather keep talking, the silence makes him feel better. It gives him some time to think, to cope with the understanding that his doom likely lies directly below – or above? – him. He'll be the first to admit that it's a terrifying realization, but he's able to push that aside. He won't spend the final moments of his life fearing for its end.

There are two minutemen surrounding the elevator doors. Ravonna nods once, and one of them opens the doors for them.

Ravonna turns to Mobius. "If you want to meet in my office, we can share a drink after this."

Mobius furrows his brows. "What do you mean, 'meet'?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" she asks. "You can wait in my office, and I'll meet you there."

Mobius scoffs. "I'm sorry, I'm not going with you?"

Ravonna looks at him in disbelief. "Of course you're not going with me! When have you ever gone with me to speak to the Time Keepers?"

Mobius crosses his arms. "Well, I think this is a bit of a different situation if you're taking my Variants."

"The Variants that I let you work with?" she reminds him.

"The Variants that I have been watching over?" he counters. "They're my Variants, Ravonna! I've been with them every step of the way! I'm not leaving them now!"

"Mobius, you can't–"

"I'm seeing this through," Mobius says firmly. "You can't kick me off my own case right at the end."

"Look, if it was up to me, I would bring you with me," Ravonna says. "But the Time Keepers didn't say–"

"Did the Time Keepers specifically say I couldn't be there?" Mobius interrupts.

Ravonna hesitates. "No, but–"

"Then I'm going," he says. "And if the Time Keepers have a problem with that, they can take it up with me."

Again, Ravonna hesitates, but she seems to realize she doesn't have much of a choice in the matter, short of asking the nearby minutemen to physically hold him back, so reluctantly, she nods. "Okay," she says finally. "But don't make a scene."

"When have I ever made a scene?" Mobius asks.

"You just made a scene right now!" Ravonna says, incredulous.

Mobius scoffs. "That was not a scene!"

"That was absolutely a scene!"

Loki clears his throat loudly. "If you two are done bickering..." He looks pointedly towards the open elevator doors.

Ravonna narrows her eyes. "Come on."

The four off them file into the elevator, Variants in front and TVA employees in the back, and if Mobius hadn't just made such a big scene – and it certainly was a scene – about wanting to go to meet the Time Keepers, Loki would have feared Ravonna planned to prune them from behind. Maybe there's one decent thing about having him here.

Loki glances down at Jane, one last wellness check before what will likely be their final minutes. She's staring straight ahead at the doors, chewing on her lip. He gently brushes the back of his hand against her arm, and she looks up at him, a nervous smile on her lips. He gives her the same expression in return. This is it.

When the elevator doors open, they're met with an ominous mist, as though the concept of the Time Keepers alone wasn't ominous enough. Loki reaches down for Jane's hand, clasping it in his own. She looks up at him, and he nods once. Whatever happens now, they're in it together – for all time, always.

Hand in hand, they slowly step out of the elevator, Mobius and Ravonna not far behind them. Loki's eyes scan the room, taking in the sights – or lack thereof. The Time Keeper's haven is a sharp contrast from Asgard's glistening gold throne room. It's a sharp contrast even from the TVA. While the rest of the rooms are stuffy and lifeless, here, it's just gloomy. If there's ever been a stereotypical bad place, this would be it.

He makes note of the four minutemen standing around the room. He could take them. When the TVA took him in, he wasn't expecting a fight, but now, standing in this room that is the epitome of evil, he's certainly more ready than he was then.

The Time Keepers sit atop a long staircase, peering down at their guests. They're daunting figures. They're large, inhuman, seated far above the others. This place is designed to make them look like daunting figures.

"Gracious Time Keepers," Ravonna says, "as promised, the Variants."

Loki raises his chin, a perfect show of unbothered confidence – and that's all it is, really, is a show. It's hard to truly feel confident when staring death in the face; harder still when he can't be fully sure he is.

The Time Keeper up top – the leader, he'd assume, if there is a lead Time Keeper – speaks first. "After all your struggle, all your hard work, at last, you've arrived before us."

"We found your Variant," Loki says, projecting his voice loudly with that same feigned confidence. "We warned your people before she found you. We may well have saved your lives. Will you spare ours in return?"

He doesn't mince words. There's no point in beating around the bush. Either the Time Keepers will let them live, or they won't. What would be the use in dragging it out?

It's the Time Keeper on the left who responds. "You did the Time Variance Authority and the Sacred Timeline it oversees a great service," he says. "Your work will not be forgotten."

Jane looks up at Loki, a grin on her face, but when Loki glances down at her, he doesn't share the same feelings. He's the God of Mischief; a liar and a manipulator through and through. He knows better than most that this could very well be the start to an answer they won't like. They wouldn't start with the bad news.

"Unfortunately," the third Time Keeper begins.

Loki's grip on Jane's hand tightens, gaze dropping to the two minutemen in front of him. The one on his left looks smaller; he may be easier to take down. All he needs is the pruning stick. Once he has that, he can take down the other three, then Ravonna and Mobius, and then turn his attention to the Time Keepers to finish what the other Variant started.

But he doesn't move yet. Not until he knows for certain that this is what it will come to.

The Time Keeper continues, "there is only one Sacred Timeline, and on it already lives another Loki Laufeyson and Jane Foster."

Jane looks up at him, confused. "Laufeyson?" she whispers.

Loki nudges her with his elbow. Now is not the time.

"You truly have done a great service," the center Time Keeper tells them. "But your timeline has been destroyed. There would be nowhere else for you to go." He looks to the minutemen standing below. "Delete them."

Loki moves into action immediately. He throws Jane aside, darting toward the minuteman on the left. He just needs the pruning stick. He just needs–

"Wait!" Mobius says loudly.

"Mobius!" Ravonna hisses.

Loki grabs the minuteman's pruning stick in one hand, his other elbow jamming into the man's ribs. Even with his armor, it sends him stumbling back, and a single kick to the stomach is all it takes to pull the pruning stick free.

"Everybody stop!" Mobius yells. "We can talk about this! We can work something out!"

"Mobius!" Ravonna hisses again.

As soon as the pruning stick is in Loki's hand, his attention shifts. He's had his back to Jane for too long already. His first priority has to be watching her. She can't fight like he can. She's all but defenseless right now, and he's the only chance she has at making it out of here alive.

Fortunately, it seems the minutemen have all decided to focus on him. It's a rather unfair battle, four against one, but then, they're only human, and even without his magic, he's still a god. He can do this. He just has to think.

Mobius is still going off in the background. "Ravonna, we talked about this! We were going to–"

"Mobius, stop it," Ravonna snaps.

Loki pays them no mind. He grabs one of the oncoming pruning sticks, careful to avoid the glowing orange glow, and jabs it back into the face of the minuteman that holds it. The next pruning stick, he only jumps aside from. There's no time to coordinate an attack. As the third minuteman prepares to strike, Loki strikes back. He hits the side of his pruning stick with the end of his own, and the minuteman's left weaponless before him.

He's getting somewhere now.

Mobius and Ravonna are still arguing, but now, he can hardly hear it. The adrenaline is rushing through his veins, and all he can think about is the fight in front of him. He stabs his pruning stick forward, very nearly hitting one minuteman until another steps in and kicks it aside. Loki's grip remains strong, and he brings the pruning stick back around, hitting that same minuteman upside the head. While he's reeling from that, he jabs the stick forward.

One minuteman down; three to go.

Loki slams his foot into the minuteman in front of him, pushing him out of the way so he only has this one to focus on. They hit their pruning sticks together, and Loki quickly steps back, causing the minuteman to stumble toward him. While he struggles to regain his balance, Loki hits the tip of his pruning stick against his torso.

Two minutemen down, two to–

"Loki!"

Loki whips around, but it's too late.

Her shoulder glows with an all-too-familiar white light, and time seems to slow as the flames of the pruning stick begin to consume her. He can see the look of fear in her eyes, of desperation, until they, too, are swallowed by the light.

The world stops.

His legs give out, and before he knows what's happened, he finds himself on his knees. His head hangs low, eyes falling shut.

This is it, then.

This is where it ends.

There's no future for him without her.

He hardly even feels the pruning stick touching his back.

And then it's over.