Love Is A Dagger [English]

Chapter 1

"Are you okay?" Sylvie asked as she was led to the golden elevator right next to Loki. She recognized the sadness in his expression, but Sylvie couldn't tell why Loki was so down. Loki looked at her for a moment and nodded silently in response.

"I'll take it from here." Said Ravonna, and the Hunters let Sylvie and Loki go. The guards stood against the wall and the elevator doors opened.

""Do you remember me?"" Sylvie asked Ravonna.

"Indeed I do. What did you tell me, Variant?" She asked, bored.

"What was my nexus event? Why did you bring me in?" Sylvie looked slightly behind her without moving her head.

"What does it matter?"

"It was enough to take the life I knew and make all this happen. Must have been important. So what was it?"

"I don't remember." Sylvie could hear Ravonna's amused smile in her voice. Loki looked at Sylvie through the corner of his eye and slowly, carefully so Ravonna wouldn't see, moved his hand to Sylvie's hand and gently took it in his. He stroked the back of her hand reassuringly with his thumb. Sylvie looked at him and he smiled encouragingly at her. She entwined her fingers with his and returned his smile. A beep disturbed the silence in the elevator and Ravonna pulled her TemPad out of her pocket. Hastily she looked around and her gaze landed on their entwined hands and pulled them apart. They looked at Ravonna, who merely smiled before the elevator doors opened. She pushed Loki and Sylvie out of the elevator.

Timekeeper

"Gracious Timekeepers, as promised, the variants." Explained Ravonna. Loki and Sylvie stepped forward and looked at each other for a moment before looking to the three figures before them.

"After all your struggles, you have finally arrived before us." Said one of the timekeepers.

"What do you have to say for yourselves before you meet your end, variants?" Asked the timekeeper on the left.

"Is that the only reason you brought us here? To kill us? I've lost track of how many times I've been killed, so go ahead."

"You and your bravado are no threat to us, Variant."

"Oh, no, I don't think you do." Loki took a step forward. "I think..." He was interrupted as Ravonna put him back in his place. "I think you guys are scared."

"No, Variant. You are nothing but a cosmic disappointment." Spoke one of the strange figures in front of Loki and Sylvie.

"Delete them." Commanded the other timekeeper.

"No, I'm not done with you yet." Said Loki and tried to leave his seat again, but was reset. The elevator doors opened and Hunter B-15 stepped out. She undid the collars of the two and they fell to the floor beside them.

"For all time." She declared and threw her sword at Sylvie. "Always." She began to fight with the two Minutmens near the door.

"Protect the timekeepers!" Shouted Ravonna. Loki and Sylvie stood back to back against the Minutmens and began to fight. She threw her sword to Loki as he asked for her help. After a few seconds, the two Minutmens were on the ground and Ravonna picked up one of the staffs to prune.

"I'll finish the job this time." Said Ravonna confidently and they both started to fight each other. Sylvie tried to kick her but was pushed to the ground by her. She managed to reverse her position and Ravonna with a punch to her face incapacitated her. Loki walked down the stairs to her and they both turned to face the gasping timekeepers.

You're a child of the time keepers too, Sylvie. We can talk.

"Oh yeah?" She threw her staff and beheaded the Time Keeper in the middle. The other time keepers laughed. Sylvie picked her head up as it went down.

"I'll see you soon." Said the head before it shut down completely.

"Wait." Asked Loki. Sylvie turned her head around and saw the wires and cables

"Wrong. Mindless androids. It never stops." Said Sylvie and they both breathed heavily. "Then who created the TVA? I thought it was."

"Sylvie..." Started Loki to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Sylvie.

"Please, no more pep talks." Sylvie asked him sadly.

"No, I have to tell you something. We will find a solution to this." Explained Loki.

"How do you know?" She asked him curiously.

"Because, uh... Well, on Lamentis..." Loki began to stutter. "That's a new one for me. Um..." He gently grabbed her by her upper arms.

"What, what is it?" She asked him. Loki looked at her and took a deep breath, Sylvie saw movement at his side and lightly pushed Loki aside. She kicked Ravonna in the middle of her chest and took the staff from her hands. Sylvie held the pointed end of the staff against her neck.

"Finish it." Said Ravonna and it seemed that to die was a blessing for them.

"No, you will tell us everything you know now." Ordered Sylvie, looking at Loki for a moment as he stood beside her.

"It's all Kang." Said Ravonna, smiling sadly. The elevator door opened and Loki quickly grabbed the TemPad from Ravonna and opened it.

"Sylvie we have to go. Now!" Loki declared, his gaze fixed on the elevator from which the Minutmens were rushing. Sylvie nodded and tossed the staff next to Ravonna and ran through the portal with Loki. They looked around, they were in a room and Loki looked at the TemPad where it had taken them. "Damn." Loki cursed and Sylvie looked at him questioningly.

"Loki? What's going on? Where are we?" Sylvie asked him. A silver elevator door opened and a couple of Avengers stepped out of the elevator.

"Welcome to Avengerstower in New York in the year 2023." he explained with a sigh.