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❛ ᴇᴡᴛʀᴛᴡ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ sɴᴀᴋᴇs ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀɪɴ ꒱


❝ NOT A GREAT PLAN ❞

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Lamentis was made up of mostly barren, purple rock with little in the way of civilization. It made sense, really, since most of the inhabitants were trying to get off the planet or were dead. Abandoned structures littered the cratered surface and the only three people within miles were trying their best to avoid the falling rock.

"So, what's the plan?" Loki asked.

"There's a town near here and can you shut up? At least the mortal knows when to be quiet. Just because I have to work with you doesn't mean I wanna hear your voice."

"Alright well. . . slow down, Variant."

"What part of imminent death confuses you?" the blonde woman asked. "And don't call me 'Variant.'"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not calling some faded photocopy of me 'Loki.'"

"Good, 'cause that's not who I am anymore. I'm Sylvie now."

"You changed your name, brilliant," the Asgardian grumbled.

"It's called an alias," she retorted.

"It's not very Loki-like."

"Yeah? What exactly makes a Loki a Loki?"

"Independence, authority, style."

"I think you mean arrogance, egotism, flamboyance," Jimin corrected him, earning an irritated glare.

Sylvie ignored her. "So, naturally you went to work for the boring, oppressive time police."

"I don't work for them, I'm a consultant."

"You don't know what you want."

"Oh yeah? What about you?" Loki asked. "Your years-in-the-making plan was to tear the place down, create the ultimate power vacuum and then just walk away. I'd never have done that."

The Lokis paused as the blonde turned to face him. "Yeah? Well, I'm not you."

"Thank God for that," Jimin murmured.

"You're welcome," Loki said, though his tone held offense.

"Can we get on with this now?" Sylvie asked, annoyed.

✧ ✧ ✧ 

"Looks like everyone already got the hell out of here," Jimin observed as they arrived at what was now a ghost town.

"If they did, it was all in vain," the woman replied.

"How long do we have?"

"Twelve hours or so. Things down here are only gonna get worse. More meteors, gravity quakes and, of course, the collapse of society in the face of annihilation," Sylvie answered.

"Could that charge the TemPad?" Loki wondered, gesturing to a glowing purple sign.

"Maybe," she allowed, walking up to it as she began to fiddle with some of the wires. "I'm just checking the coupling, making sure it can connect."

"Right," the god said skeptically.

"Okay, hand it over," the blonde held out her hand.

The Asian woman's eyes narrowed at the movement, her suspicion returning as she studied the other woman's face. "Don't give it to her. She's lying."

Loki scoffed. "I know," he told her derisively. "I wasn't going to, she's gonna have to try harder than that."

Sylvie marched over to them. "Then don't give me your 'tech savvy' ideas either. The TemPad requires a massive power source, not a night light."

✧ ✧ ✧ 

After another hour of walking— though Jimin wasn't certain as it was impossible to tell the time on another planet— they arrived at a standing structure. The blonde woman went for her weapons but Loki stopped her. "Brute force is no substitute for diplomacy and guile."

"Right," the agent agreed sarcastically, "and you would be the epitome of an ambassador?"

"Just stay there and watch," he said though before he could move, Sylvie had already gone ahead and kicked down the door.

Not even a second later, an energy blast sent her flying backwards so she landed on the sandy ground with a grunt. As she got to her knees, Loki's tone turned scathing. "It's remarkable that you ever made it as far as you did." He leaned towards the door. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be, I enjoyed it."

"I would too," Jimin admitted.

"I can assure you," the Asgardian spoke over her, "that despite my acquaintance behaving like an animal, we mean you no harm. We're simply weary travelers."

"Sure you are," the woman's voice answered.

The god's attention caught the picture frame perched on a shelf in front of the window and, after a flash of green light, his appearance mirrored the man's in the image. He stepped into the opening. "Hello, dear."

"Patrice?"

He put on an act, adding fake tears to his words. "It's. . . it's been a long time. You're just as beautiful as. . ." He was quickly given the same treatment as his counterpart, his magic disappearing in a flash of green.

"Patrice never said a thing that nice in thirty years. You're no travelers, you're devils."

"I couldn't agree with you more," the Asian woman said from her place just outside the door. "I promise, we just want to talk. Unlike them, I don't lie."

"Everyone lies," the woman said bluntly.

"Alright, I don't lie like they do," she amended her statement. "I apologize for my companion's. . . pitiful attempt at diplomacy, but I can assure you that the only thing we want is information. Where is everyone?"

There was the sound of shuffling feet and the speaker appeared in the entrance, a deadly looking weapon poised in her hands. She eyed the brunette suspiciously— a trait Jimin appreciated. The brunette held up her hands placatingly. After a moment, she finally answered, "the ark— the evacuation vessel."

"Right," Jimin nodded. "And how do we get there?"

"Train station's at the edge of town but you'll never get a ticket."

✧ ✧ ✧ 

"Well, this looks fun," Loki noted sarcastically. "We can't fight our way onto a train."

The trio had made it to the designated location but had discovered an obstacle to in their plan: the station was in pure chaos. Panicked people and guards trying to keep order ran around them as they stood at the edge of the movement, trying to figure out how to get on the train.

"Who said anything about fighting?" Sylvie asked.

"All your plans involve fighting," the Asgardian informed her.

"Not this one. I'm going to enchant a guard, have him lead us through the crowd and if anyone gives us trouble. . ."

"Make him start shooting?" Loki finished. "And then what, kill every guard and hijack the train?"

"Not a great plan," Jimin deadpanned.

Sylvie sent her an irritated look. "Whether or not there's any fighting is entirely up to them," she said pointedly.

"We're doing this one my way," Loki disagreed before using his powers to imitate the outfits the guards were wearing. "I do I look?"

"You would never get on the front cover of Vogue," the Asian woman told him. "Besides, what about us?"

He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "You're captives. Just follow my lead."

The god lead them to the front of the line where more guards were blocking the boarding ramp. They passed the soldier and headed up to the train as the planet's residents shouted insults to their sentries.

"Whoa, hey!" the guard stopped their progress before they could get on board.

"Taking these two to Shuroo," Loki explained.

"Okay, and the tickets?"

"Orders come from the top to get them on this train," he supplied.

"Sir, this—"

The blonde woman interrupted him as she quickly grabbed his arm, green light flashing between them as she took charge. Another guard saw the commotion and came over to see what was going on. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine," the enchanted soldier answered. "I just remembered that headquarters radioed in their request this morning." 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

Jimin was surprised that the interior of the train was almost. . . earth-like in its design. Green lighting bordered the cushioned walls while booths lined the room and a circular bar stood in the middle with an auburn-haired woman working behind it. Still acting like a guard, Loki led the two women to a seat and paused as Sylvie sat.

"Um, uh, look," he said awkwardly. "I can't go backwards on a train."

Jimin quickly took the center place as the blonde argued. "Well, I never sit with my back to a door."

"Same."

"What? There are doors on both sides."

"Not if you sit in the middle," the Asian woman pointed out, "and no, I'm not moving. Just sit down."

The god sighed and took the final option as the woman leaned forward. "FYI, that wasn't even a plan."

"Oh really?"

"Plans have multiple steps."

"That is true," Jimin agreed. "Having a plan of action doesn't mean just taking action."

"Yes," Sylvie continued, "dressing as a guard and getting on a train is just doing a thing."

"Great," Loki sighed. "Now there's two of you?" The blonde woman yawned in response, earning another comment from him. "Oh, you're a bit tired. Feel free to, you know, get some rest. Both of you, actually."

"I can't sleep in a place like this."

"Don't tell me what to do!" the agent snapped.

"You can't sleep on a train?"

"No, I can't sleep around untrustworthy people," she explained.

"Oh, right, that's us?"

"Speak for yourself," Jimin said shortly.

"You can feel free to take a nap," Sylvie offered.

"Nice try."

"I'm not gonna waste my time rooting for the TemPad when someone taught you fairly decent magic."

"My mother."

Sylvie made a noise of disbelief before she gave into her curiosity. "What was she like?"

"She was, um. . . a Queen of Asgard," Loki offered. "She was good, purely decent."

"Are you sure she was your mother?"

"Oh, no. she's not actually. I was adopted," he paused. "Oh, is that a bit of a spoiler for you? Sorry about that."

The blonde shook her head. "No, I knew I was adopted."

"What? They told you?"

"Yeah," she seemed confused. "Did they not tell you?"

"No," Loki answered. "I mean, they did, but eventually. Hang on a second. So, tell. . . tell me about your mother."

"I barely remember her," Sylvie admitted. "Just blips of a dream at this point."

"I know how that feels," Jimin murmured softly, surprised that someone such as. . . a Loki could share a similar past.

The other woman turned to her. "You do?"

The agent shrugged. "Like you said, she's just fragments of memory. I only really knew my father." Her expression darkened. "He was more of a military commander than a parent."

A quiet, sad air fell over the table before Loki spoke again in an attempt to lighten the mood, "you know, when I was young, she'd do these little bits of magic for me, like turn a flower into a frog or cast fireworks over the water. It all seemed impossible but she told me that I'd be able to do it too because. . . because I could do anything."

Jimin snorted. "What, did she get that from a Dove candy wrapper or something?"

The god frowned at her before adding, "you wanna see?" He held up his hand, palm open, and small burst of light emerged from it as their own, personal fireworks lit up the table.

The Asian woman blinked and something inside of her softened. That was almost something Kat would've done, had she been able to do magic. "That's. . . that's not bad."

Loki gave a little laugh as he closed his hand. "She was the kinda person you'd want to believe in you."

"Sounds like she does."

"Well, she did. So, where'd you learn to do the. . . you know, the. . . whatever it is?"

"I taught myself."

"You taught yourself that magic?" the Asgardian asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"What, do you just. . . you just go into their minds and project some sort of illusion?"

"It'd be easier if I just sh—" Sylvie started, reaching forward.

"Enchant me and then take the TemPad and leap out of the train?" Loki finished. "No, thank you."

"Well then, don't ask."

"Okay."

A waiter approached their table. "Champagne?"

"Ah, yes, thank you very much," the god said, accepting a glass. She turned towards the women who both answered negatively. He stopped her. "Oh, I'll take theirs, then. Thank you." He raised two of the three glasses. "Cheers! To the end of the world." He took a sip of his drink. "Pity the old woman chose to die, don't you think?"

"She was in love."

"I thought she hated him."

"Maybe love is hate."

"Should probably remember that," Loki told her lightly, summoning a quill and parchment. "What was that? 'Love is. . . Love is hate.'"

"Oh, piss off!"

He allowed them to vanish into thin air. "So, on the subject of love, is there a lucky beau waiting for you at the end of this crusade?"

"Yeah, there is actually," she admitted jokingly. "Managed to maintain quite a serious long-distance relationship with a postman whilst running across time from one apocalypse to another."

"With charm like that, who could resist you?"

"Well, people are quite willing in the face of certain doom."

"I'm sure they are."

"It was only to ever just keep me going," Sylvie remarked, "but how about you? You and—" She gestured towards a quiet Jimin.

The Asian woman jerked slightly from her thoughtful stupor while Loki choked on the sip of his drink he'd just taken, accidentally spitting it back into the glass as they protested simultaneously: "what? With- with him (her)? No way!— hey!"

The blonde chuckled. "Maybe not her, then, but you're a prince. There must've been would-be-princesses or, perhaps, another prince."

"A bit of both," the god replied. "I suspect the same as you. But, nothing ever. . ."

"Real," Sylvie nodded. "And you, mortal?" Jimin didn't answer, so the woman continued, "love is mischief then."

"No," the agent spoke up, her voice soft but firm. "You're both wrong. Love is grief."

The two Lokis gave her a curious looks but she didn't elaborate, instead choosing to reclaim her champagne and down it in one go.