The Connection They Share

The Variant

"Imagine. All that volcanic ash..." Loki looks around the city of Pompeii, we had arrived at Pompeii to see if Loki's theory was right.
"I know. We don't want to get too giddy." I roll my eyes, Mobius can be such a bore sometimes.
"Oh, come on! It's cool." Loki tries to persuade Mobius he was still reluctant.
"No, it is cool, but it's just not in good taste because they're all gonna die anyway. Now listen, I'm gonna watch the TemPad for any variance energy because we gotta be careful. If you're wrong, and there's a good chance you are, anything we do can create a huge branch."
"Oh, Mobius!" I exclaim "You make even the end of the world sound boring besides if Loki's theory is correct then they won't even know we were here"
"Listen! Okay, we're not meant to be here." Mobius looks at us sternly ignoring my last words.
"Okay." Loki calms down slightly.
"Anything we do can impact the course of history. Do you get that?" We both nod "Yes. So we're gonna start with very small disturbances. Very small. Can you make bird noises?"
"Bird noises?" I question in disbelief.
"Yeah. Bird noises. Like some, like, whooshing noises." Mobius exclaims and I share a look with Loki. He then runs out into the center of the road and releases the goats from the cart, "Be free, my horned friends, be free"
Mobius tries to call him back and I let out a laugh, Mobius turns at the sound, "Don't encourage him."

Loki proceeds to talk in Latin to the people and asks Mobius a question about coming from the future, I guess he was telling the town that they were about to die. The volcano behind him rumbles and he shouts in excitement "Right on cue!" He runs back to us, grabbing my hand and drags me to the center as he spins me around in a circle. My face breaks into a smile and I laugh as he causes absolute chaos. The god of Mischief indeed. Loki takes my hand once again and we look back at Mobius with massive smiles on our faces. "So how are we doing?" I ask whilst trying to catch my breath.
"I don't believe it. Zero variance energy. No branching in the timeline."
"The TVA would never even know we were here. If it were me, this is where I would hide." Loki points to the ground and pulls me into a hug as the ash surrounds us.
_________________________
Hours later, Loki had fallen asleep next to me and I was close to it as we searched through files of disasters to try find the one where the variant might be staying in. Mobius taps Loki on the head "Come on, let's take a walk." Loki grabs his jacket but I don't move.
"Are you coming?" he asks.
"I think I'm just going to continue looking, I'll be alright" They both nod and walk away. I gather up all the disasters and put them into the file box, I stare up at the three big statues and the agents roaming around the halls occasionally putting things into a box along with a file.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" the librarian asks with an uninterested look on her face. I only know realise I had wandered over to her desk.
"Yes, could I have artifacts that were left at previous crime scenes involving the Loki variant" I say with a smile, she sighs and goes away before coming back with a box. I thank her and sit back down at my table coming through the objects. I finally find the most recent file and see a packet of gum inside. Kablooie it says on the box "That was only sold on earth between 2047 and 2051" Mobius states and only now realise that they were stood at my table. "If we cross-reference that with every apocalyptic event, we will find our variant."

Mobius and Loki did a bet to see who would find the event first and I just shake my head with a smile. We look through loads of apocalypses' but still no Kablooie until "Got him" Loki announces and shows me and Mobius.
"Alabama, 2050" I read off the file.
"You're gonna take my job if I'm not careful" Mobius jokes and goes off to authorise this mission with a whole task force. I get up and start to put away all the files with Loki's help, there was an awkward atmosphere between us now that Mobius had left.

"Are you going to ignore me now?" Loki asks, putting down his box.
Pretty much "I'm not ignoring you" I pick up the box he just discarded on the table and hand it into the librarian, I go to walk away but he grabs my hand and twirls me back into his arms.
"Stop it, ever since Pompeii you've been ignoring me and I want to know why"
"I've been busy" I say not looking him in the eyes "You know trying to track the variant"
"Bullshit" he whispers and I suddenly realise how close he is to me "You know you can't lie to me, tell me why you've been ignoring me"
"Maybe I just don't want to be reminded of my best friend every moment of the day" I try to pull away but he refused to budge.
"You see I don't quite believe we were just friends, so I'm sorry"
My face contorts in confusion "For what?"