Out of Time

Kablooie

Chapter 9

(ALORA'S POV)

I take a big bite of the burger sitting in front of me as I roll my eyes in satisfaction. Loki raises an eyebrow at me then looks down at his burger with a puzzled look.

"What is this?" He pokes at it and turns his face in disgust.

"Here." I reach over to grab his arm, raising it up in the air as I place the burger in his hand.

"Now take a bite." I stare at him expectantly.

He grasps it with two hands before biting into it.

"Hmm, interesting. Midguardian food is surprisingly good." He says as he takes another bite before placing it on his plate.

"So we're your two favorite time criminals." Loki says as a statement instead of a question, looking to Mobius.

"Wrong; You're a time criminal, she's a nice person who doesn't make mean jokes about me." Mobius says narrowing his eyes at Loki.

"You know---I don't think she's as innocent as she claims to be." Loki says winking at me.

I almost choke on my burger at his insinuation, causing him to let out a laugh.

"Do I need to leave you two to talk something out?" Mobius asks looking uncomfortable.

"No!"

"Yes."

We both speak at the same time. Loki confidently grin, seeming content at the rise he's getting out of me. I can't believe myself for falling right into the hand he's playing.

(LOKI'S POV)

"He sent the beast as a distraction." Alora speaks to Mobius and I, sitting across the table at the library.

"So he could do what?" Mobius asks bemused.

"Perhaps to jump through time unnoticed! While we are busy with the Kilveran, he's running away." I suggest.

Mobius's eyes light up with an idea. He bangs The table, standing up.

"I'll be back. I'm going to go check the timeline!" He walks off leaving Alora and I alone.

I part my lips as if to speak, but she stops me before I can.

"Don't even think about it." She points a stern finger at me.

"How did you know what I was going to say?"

"You were going to make some sly comment to try and get on my nerves."

"Oh, so it's working?" I raise my brows at her with a grin on my face.

"What? No!" She says too quickly making my smile more boastful.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Mobius shouts as he walks through the library towards us, earning a "shhh" from the librarian.

"He went to 2084 before disappearing off the timeline we can track. He's hiding in an apocalypse now." Mobius places a document in front of us showing the small branch in 2084.

"Now the question is which apocalypse?" I ask.

Mobius looks off in thought before disappearing without a word.

Alora and I share a confused look with each other before he comes back with something in his hand.

"Kablooie. It was found at one of the crime scenes. It was only sold between 2047-2051." Mobius stands there holding up a small rectangular object.

"What is that?" I ask.

"It's candy. You've never had candy?" Mobius and Alora now give me a look of disbelief.

"Only Asgardian, grapes---nuts."

"That's sad." Alora remarks. "Remind me to make you try a Kit-Kat." 

"What in the great gods is a kit---kat?"  I look to her bewildered by the Mid-guardian name, feeling a smile rise to my lips when I see her laugh at my reaction, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 

"If we cross reference when it was sold with all the apocalyptic events, we may find when our variant is hiding." Mobius brings us back to the present while splitting the stack of papers between the three of us.

We scour through files for a few minutes until I think I've found something.

"GOT IT!" I shout holding up the paper proudly.

"shhh!" The old librarian looks at me with a scowl.

"Oh, shhh yourself!" I spit back at her before returning to my attention back to the file.

"2055, a category 10 apocalypse. He's got to be there!"

Alora stands up eagerly giving me an approving smile.

"Let's go!"

An entourage of Hunters follows us through the portal to 2055. We stand in front of a Roxxcart as rain violently hurls down on us, the wind carrying all sorts of debris. We're ushered forward out of the storm and into the maze that is the variants playground.

Alora comes up beside me letting down her hood, her soft brown curls still dry.

She smiles at me nervously.

"The variant is to be assumed highly dangerous and armed, so watch your backs." Hunter B-15 states to the group.

"Alora and Loki, come with me." Mobius waves us over. 

B-15 holds out an arm to stop me from moving.

"Hold on. He is staying with me, he's a criminal."

"Well then I'm going with you too. He is working with me." Alora states confidently, standing her ground.

"Fine."

The lights flicker in and out as we quietly make our way down the Aisles.

When we round the corner to the next Aisle, we pause at a lone man looking at plants.

"STOP!" B-15 shouts, her death staff at the ready.

The man holds up his hands as a plea.

"What are you doing out here?" She interrogates.

"I was just looking for plants."

"In this weather?" I ask skeptically.

"Do you think that's the variant?" Alora leans in next to me to whisper.

"Possibly."

Before B-15 can search him, the man collapses to the floor.

"Is he okay?" Alora asks looking down at the man's unconscious body.

"I'd be more concerned with what's about to happen to you." The Hunter's voice comes out strange. "Took you long enough to find me."

Confusion washes over Alora and I before understanding hits me; The variant is body jumping.

I slowly move Alora behind me and start backing us away slowly, but the hunter lunges at us.

I move out of the way just as the staff disintegrates a shelf where my head was.

I send several punches her way, each one blocked. She manages to make a blow to my face, knocking me down.

Alora picks up a metal bar from the floor and swings it at the variant. His reflexes are too fast, B-15's hand catching it before pulling Alora forward, grabbing her wrists. I stand quickly to help her when B-15's eyes flash green, her body dropping like a fly.

Alora turns around slowly to face me, her body no longer her own.