Mobius POV
Mobius wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel upon waking up. Everything around him was warm, as if he was floating in a cocoon woven from tendrils of light. He was cozy, not wanting to break the peace by opening his eyes. But memories flashed across his mind; images of Loki disarming him and knocking him out with a flair of pain. He couldn't pretend as though nothing had happened or that he wasn’t in imminent danger, so he slowly blinked the sleep from his eyes.
To his surprise, Loki appeared to be nowhere in sight. Propping himself up on his elbows, Mobius found himself alone in a lavish bedroom that looked like it had been taken right from a photograph of some fancy 1900s hotel. Which it very much could have been, depending on where Loki had taken them.
The bed he was in was soft, almost deceptively so. Mobius yawned, then tossed his legs over the side of the bed, where his shoes were perfectly placed and waiting on the floor. Next to them was a coat hanger holding Mobius’s beige suit jacket, an article of clothing he hadn’t even realised that he had been stripped of. Brow creasing, Mobius slid into his shoes and grabbed the jacket, putting it on. Clearly someone had taken the time to assure his utmost comfort, though Mobius refused to believe that someone could have been Loki. Or if it had been, he at least had to have an ulterior motive.
Mobius made his way out of the room, keeping his eyes and ears open cautiously in case of danger. Loki had been smart enough not to leave him with his pruning stick, though it was sure to be nearby somewhere. All Mobius had to do was find it, find Loki, and then take the Variant out. Simple as that.
Unfortunately, he found Loki first. Or rather, Loki found him.
“Mobius?”
Mobius spun around in a blur and immediately reached for the nearest object he could find to use as a weapon, which just so happened to be a ceramic flower vase. Still, he held it out in front of him in defense, brandishing it threateningly. Loki- who had switched back to his more masculine form- raised his eyes, composure calm.
“A vase?” he asked with a wry smile that Mobius did not return. “Seriously?”
“Don't come any closer,” Mobius warned, thrusting the vase forward when Loki began walking towards him. The god froze, a flash of hurt flitting across his face, but Mobius forced himself not to care.
“Look, I can explain-”
“Don’t.”
Mobius was well aware of how broken he sounded and hoped Loki didn’t take notice. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out Loki’s pained expression. He was afraid that if Loki continued to talk, Mobius would cave in and fall captive to his spell once more, which was something he couldn't afford to do in the present situation.
“Just don’t.”
The two of them were silent for a moment, both unsure of what to do next. Mobius had no idea where they were, what Loki’s plans were, or why he had dragged Mobius into them. It occurred to him that he was technically a hostage now, and that it was highly likely Loki would use him as a bargaining chip for the other Loki Variant. The thought made Mobius chuckle without mirth. If that was true, he truly was doomed. After all, the TVA was not above sacrificing things for the greater good.
“Where are we?” he asked. Maybe if Mobius knew where in time they were, he could figure a way out.
Loki glanced around what seemed to be a hotel hallway, his brow furrowed.
“I’m… actually not sure.”
Mobius scoffed.
“Cut the bullshit, Variant ,” the word stung on his lips. “and tell me where the hell we are.”
Loki stared at him with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by Mobius's malice.
“I’m telling the truth!” he insisted, and Mobius just rolled his eyes.
“As if,” he said dubiously. “You and honesty don't exactly have the best track record.”
Loki’s jaw dropped open slightly, and Mobius felt a horrible rush of pride at surprising the god, though he couldn’t tell if it was genuine joy or just how he knew he should feel. He supposed it didn’t matter.
“What happened to you?” Loki asked him quietly.
Mobius let out a hollow laugh at that. He felt delirious, almost drunk on anger and hurt.
“What happened to me?” he repeated, voice so low he barely even recognised the sound. “Well I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but all of time as we know it has been bombed , and the universe is about to be sent into a catastrophic war leading to the destruction of everyone and everything .”
YOU ARE READING
A Guide to Fixing Broken Things
Fanfiction"I'll kill Loki!" Maybe in hindsight, Mobius promising to kill the Variant he had grown unreasonably attached to was a bad idea. He had been told he had an affinity for broken things. And maybe that was true- after all, he had placed faith in Loki...
