Loki and Sigyn, His Glorious Purpose

Chapter Eighty-Nine

"Fancy technology," I commented as I walked back into the time theater, "Very threatening interrogation tactics."

I sat down across from Mobius, back in the same position we were when we had viewed my life's tape. Once again, he had files strewn across the table. But now, no smile graced his face. Mobius was serious and not in the mood for games.

"Seems you and I are in a loop of our own," I said, taking in my surroundings.

"Well, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then," he said, alluding to my supposed betrayal of him and the TVA. 

"Certainly has," I agreed, crossing my arms.

"Okay, you said the TVA's lying to me. Go ahead," he said, leaning back in his seat, "Or is that just a cockroach's survival mechanism kicking in?"

"Let me go back to my timeline, stop having my wife beat me up, and I'll tell you," I suggested, shrugging.

He sighed and scribbled something down as he said, "Cockroach, got it. Anyways, how long have you been working for the Variant?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "Me? Working for her? Please.

"Alright if you're not working for the Variant, what is it?" he asked, "You two partners?"

I shook my head and explained, "Absolutely not. She's difficult. And irritating. And she tries to hit me all the time. We are not partners. Never will be."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I guess you don't really do partners."

"Asides from Sigyn," I added, "Of course."

He rose a brow as he continued, "You didn't let me finish. I was going to add, unless, of course, it benefits you, and you intend to betray them at some point."

"Mobius," I said firmly, "I would hardly say I intend to betray Sigyn. How could that possibly benefit me anyway?"

"Welcome to the real world, Loki," he said, "Sad thing is, if you go back to your timeline you'll betray her again and again and again. Doesn't matter what your intention is, it's just the way history will always play out."

I rolled my eyes, "That's not how things work, Mobius. I can choose to not betray her. I can make that change. Down there, we can make our own choices to get what we want."

He scoffed, "Now I gotta have a prince tell me how the real world works? Why don't you just tell me what caused the nexus event on Lamentis?"

"Let me say this again," I said curtly, "I'm not going to tell you just so you can turn around immediately afterward and prune me. I will only tell you if you promise me I can go back to my timeline and be with Sigyn. Then, we have a deal."

"I guess we've reached a dead end then," Mobius said with a shrug.

"Fine," I remarked, "Then it's over."

"I'm going to miss these little tete-a-tetes," he remarked, "One guy playing checkers, you, and old Mobius playing chess. But, yeah, give my regards to Sigyn when ya see her."

He pulled out a small remote, opening the portal to the time loop. Immediately my stomach plummeted as I realized he was going to send me back into it.

"What? No," I said, backing away, "No, no, please. Wait, wait, just wait."

Mobius looked up from the remote, waiting for me to continue. "Yeah?" he prompted.

I paused. I realized I was now at a crossroads. To betray or not to betray, that was the question. 

On one hand, I had Sylvie. My very own variant and someone who was devoted to bringing me back to my timeline. Yes, she was insufferable but it nearly felt like suicide to just turn her into the TVA, I couldn't do that to myself, well a variant of myself. She had confided in me, admitted her past openly, and as annoying as she was-Sylvie was fully ready to help me get back to my timeline for Sigyn's sake. 

However, if I were to turn Sylvie in, I had a chance to return home. A deal could be struck between Mobius and I. If I were to betray her trust and trade information, I could bargain for a return to my timeline. If I were to abandon Sylvie here and give up all her plans to the TVA, I could finally meet Sigyn. I could even meet my daughter. 

My own voice rang in my head as I mulled this over. 

 "If it comes to choosing between you and her-"

"You'll choose her. As you should."

As I should. Now I was being forced to make this decision, choosing between Sylvie and Sigyn. I hated to admit it, but I felt torn. So desperately I wanted to move away from my behavior of constant betrayal and literal self-sabotage. But at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to see Sigyn. The real Sigyn. 

Here I was, outside of all time and space and I was still hopelessly drawn to Sigyn even as we existed lightyears apart. My heart was pulled to hers. After seeing her for the first time in that awful reel, I finally understood my feeling of emptiness all this time. There was a large Sigyn-shaped hole in the middle of my heart. My being was altogether incomplete without her. I knew this and yet I still had never met her. 

This feeling was more powerful than anything I had ever felt before and yet I was still struggling to choose. Sylvie or Sigyn? Shall I betray myself in order to get what I want or simply bite the bullet and look for another means to an end? 

"If I tell you," I said softly, looking up at Mobius, "What can I get in return?"

"We can put you in your own timeline," he suggested with a shrug, "Only issue is, we couldn't just plop ya right where ya left off."

I nodded, "Where then? Where would I be?"

"The timeline has continued to move on without you," he explained, "It was reset. The only possible way you could go back is as a dead man walking. Pretty much, you'd be...a few years after your own death more or less."

I took a deep breath. Now, I had to choose.