Clock's Ticking

Pompeii

Mobius gives into Loki's request to test his theory, despite my protests against it. Luckily, the two let me pick which apocalypse we're going to test this theory on, and there is one place I've always wanted to visit, Pompeii. When we arrive Loki puts his hands in his pockets before looking over to me, "why here?"

"Because before Mount Vesuvius erupted it was an elegant and flourishing resort for many of Rome's distinguished citizens."

"Interesting..."

I shake my head as I look around the town street, "so what do we do now?"

"I'm not sure," Mobius shrugs.

"Maybe we should figure that out because there's only a few minutes before... you know," I make an explosion with my fingers. 

"Before this entire town is wiped off the face of this planet," Loki nods, starting to get excited. "Imagine. All that volcanic ash..."

"I know," Mobius tries to calm Loki, who is far too excited about this town facing its doom, "we don't wanna get too giddy."

"Oh, come on! It's cool."

"No, it is cool, but it's just not in good taste because...."

"Because hundreds of people are going to die," I look back to the boys.

"Yeah, now listen, I'm gonna watch the TemPad for any variance energy."

"Okay," Loki nods.

"Okay, because we gotta be careful. If you're wrong."

"And there's a good chance you are," I smile.

"Not helping," Mobius looks over to me. "But if you are wrong, anything we do can create a huge branch."

"Oh, Mobius!" Loki shakes his head in protest. "You make even the end of the world sound boring."

"Listen! Okay, we're not meant to be here. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Anything we do can impact the course of history. Do you get that?"

"Yes. Yes."

"Okay, so we're gonna start with very small disturbances."

"Very small."

"Can you make bird noises?"

Loki looks at Mobius as if he's insane, which he is. But that's not at all what the God of Mischief had planned. Luckily for Loki, one of us had planned ahead. "If it helps, maybe not but, that's the reason I brought this," I hold up a reset charge.

"Where did you get that?" Mobius looks over to me shocked.

"I may or may not have swiped it off of B-15." Mobius widens his eyes at me, "what? I'm not gonna get in trouble to prove his theory. If he's wrong, which again, probably is, we can just prune the area and no harm done."

Loki grins to me, "thank you!"

He takes off running down the street as Mobius quietly shouts after him, "Loki! Loki!"

I lean against the archway we have been hiding under, "relax, M. He's smart enough to know if he runs he gets pruned with the rest if this place."

Loki opens a cart full of goats, letting the creatures go, "go!" He shouts before yipping at the animals. The goats beat as they run out of the cart, "be free, my horned-friends, be free!" Loki looks around and then begins speaking in Latin, "my name is Loki. We are agents of the Time Variance Authority. I bring you all dark tidings. All of you! You're all about to die. That volcano is about to erupt! I would know, because I'm from the future." Loki looks forward to Mobius and I, "we are from the future, right? What is the TVA? I mean, it's from the future. It's pretty future-y."

Mobius just rolls his eyes, but before either of us can say anything the volcano rumbles and begins to send; ash, rocks and other liquids thousands of feet into the air. "Right on que!" I straighten up.

Loki chuckles as he begins to throw varies fruits and other things from the shops into the street, "enjoy your last meal while you can! Nothing matters!"

"He's enjoying this a bit too much."

Mobius shrugs, "whatever's gonna let him burn off that mischievous energy of his." 

Loki continues his display in the middle of the street, "nothing has any consequence! Dance while you still can! Whoo-hoo!" When he's done he looks back to Mobius and myself, "how'd we do?"

Mobius looks over his meter, "I don't believe it."

"What?" I look over his shoulder.

"Zero variance energy. No branching in the timeline."

Loki nods, clearly proud of himself, "the TVA would never even know we were here."

I look behind Loki, "yeah, but history might remember us if we don't leave now."

Loki walks up to Mobius and I as I open a door for us, "if it were me, this is where I would hide."