Loki | Lauren Mayberry (🛇)

Chapter 1: He Who Remains

LAUREN

She ran as best she could through the forest. She had to hold her dress up a bit with her hands to avoid stepping on it and tripping. The armor on her shoulders made her slower. She had to move. Coming into the clearing she saw them. Two of her. Two other variant Lokis. One, a woman with short blonde hair, and one having a more generic look for a Loki. 

The death cloud. The creature. Full hate, blackness, and energy. Had now a green hue to it. Even the eyes on it were green. She stood there frozen at the site of Alioth the creature that had them trapped here in the void. Alioth seemed to split in half revealing a dark fortress in the distance. 

Rubbing hands together. Producing some friction but most importantly magical sparks started to pop and sparkle. She then clapped with her hands. In a shower of blue sparks. The spell made her invisible for the time being and muffled her footsteps. Then she ran after the two other versions of her.

The woman and her male counterpart walked up to the steps of the castle. She was almost to the other side when she noticed Alioth started to close back up together. She jumped making a desperate move. Landed on the other side. Alioth not a second sooner closed up. Now here she was on a floating rock with two other variants of herself. Her heart was beating so fast. As she continued to sneak up on the two. They stood at the entrance. She heard them talking.

The lady spoke as she took a step closer towards the door. "Aren't you gonna tell me not to kick the door in?"

The man glanced at the woman then back towards the door then back to her. "It never made a difference."

The woman took a step back. Turning to face him. "Well, if you think it's a bad idea, I prefer you speak your mind."

"No. Nothing to say."

"That'll be a first." She turned towards the door. Clearing her throat. Taking a step towards it. But then stopped. She was thinking. Lauren watched intrigued by her two counterparts.

"Everything okay?" The male Loki asked.

The lady Loki turned towards him again. "Yeah. Just need a moment."

"Right." They both slowly faced the door then turned to face each other because they both had something to say. "It's just, you normally..."

"Loki, shut up. I was pruned before you even existed. I have been waiting for this moment my entire life. I just need a second to get my head straight, okay?"

"Sure. Of course."

Then the doors open surprising all three of them. Lauren was crouched behind a nearby rock peering over it. Jumped when the door opened. Her two other selves walked slowly on in. She carefully made her way forward. That's when she noticed the doors started to close. She darted into the left behind the woman just like two feet away she stood still. 

As the doors closed her other selves looked at each other for a moment. Then slowly walked forward. The blackness of the fortress gave it an empty feeling. Suddenly where there was darkness there was Miss Minutes an orange holographic clock with skinny stick hands and feet.

"Hey, y'all." Miss Minutes said. Doing her iconic wave. Lauren's blood boiled. She hated the TVA for pruning her. Miss Minutes let out a creepy smile and her eyes seemed to dart from the male to the woman then to behind them looking at her. The smile was still big on her face. Lauren tried to stay absolutely still not making any noise. She was still cloaked and needed to be.

Her two other selves had produced their swords. "You again?" The lady asked. She was confused.

Miss Minutes replied. "Welcome to The Citadel at the End of Time."

"Come on." The male Loki said. Wishing to move past the creepy floating clock. They began to slowly move around Miss Minutes.

"Congratulations. Y'all had an awfully long journey to get here. He's impressed."

"Who's impressed?" The woman hissed.

"He Who Remains." Miss Minutes replied.

"And who is he?" Male Loki added.

"He created all and He controls all. At the end, it is only He Who Remains." Her two other selves slowly approached Miss Minutes with their swords pointed at her. She slowly began to walk away from them in the air. "And he wants to offer you a deal. He's been making a few creative adjustments, and he's worked it out so we can reinsert both of y'all back into the Timeline in a way that won't disrupt things."

"Won't disrupt things?" Lady Loki asked.

"Hmm-hmm. The TVA can keep doin' its vital work and y'all can live the lives you've always wanted."

"And what have we always wanted?" Male Loki pressed.

"Now, don't play coy with me, mister. You know how you got into this mess."

"What?"

"The Battle of New York, silly. You versus those self-righteous Avengers. How would you like to win? But not just there."

Lauren was intrigued by the offer Miss Minutes was making. But she needed to move to find a way out of here. She looked over her shoulder at them. Still talking.

"You can kill Thanos. You want the Infinity Gauntlet? You-" Miss Minutes was still talking when Lauren expertly and quietly opened a door slightly and slipped into the next room. Closing it stealthily. 

It for sure was an interesting deal. She admitted. But it was a deal she wasn't a part of. She needed to find who was the deal maker before her other-selves. She pushed open another door. Entering a room with a couple of statues some standing a few broken and rubble. An elevator door opened. A man with lavish royal robes stood before her. Smiling. Clearly looking in her direction. Her invisibility wore off.

"Loki, welcome or do you prefer Lauren. Please, follow me to my office. I know why you're here." She scanned around her expecting a trick. But she saw no tripwires or traps in the room. She nodded. Stepping into the elevator. Standing behind him.

"You're him right, He Who Remains?"

"Oh, yes I guess that's one of my many names." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Yes, I am him." Then he turned to face the elevator doors. They opened revealing his office. Magical objects. Books. A window behind his desk with a pretty sick view of the timeline. "You're here because you want power?"

"No, I am here to kill you."

"No, you're not, Lauren! The other version of you is here to kill me. She is here to kill me. But not you. You do hate me and the TVA. You're planning on threatening me with death if I don't send you back and make few things work out for you."

"I want a world. And that world to produce robotic beings I can use as an army against the Avengers.

"Sure thing!" He Who Remains said leaning back in his chair a big smile on his face.

"Because if you don't- Wait, what?"

"I said sure thing. He grabbed a book. Then a pen. Writing down a few things in it. He Who Remains closed the book up. Used a circular-looking object and a portal opened up behind her.

"That's a tempad?" Lauren asked.

"Oh, this?" The man held him his left hand showing it off. Yes, it is. A really nice version of it. But hurry on through I have some other guests you know of that are on their way. He got up grabbing a piece of fruit from a plate he walked over to the elevator pressing the button. 

She glanced back at him then looked at the portal. Still facing the elevator He Who Remains spoke. "I have to go and meet my guests. Hurry on through it won't stay open forever." She nodded. Then slowly walked through it.

"You're gonna need that army in case they kill me."

"What?" Lauren questioned looking over her shoulder but she was already mostly through and just continued walking.