Time will Tell

Out of time...

Loki paused, taking a deep breath before he opened his door. It was all very well saying he didn't want to just use a spell, but what in Helheim WOULD he do? Or say? 'Hi Carrie, guess what? I actually AM a Norse God and I'm leaving to save the world so I just thought I'd pop by and say I think you're my soulmate before I go?' Good Gods no, he couldn't say THAT! Not just the save the world bit either. 

With a sudden jolt, he had realised the other thought had formed unbidden. He covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath. Reality was a bucket of cold water. He actually DID think she might be. It would explain a lot.  Not, as he had always assumed it would be, 'his Carrie', but her. This one. But he couldn't tell her, couldn't show her.  Strange had made it perfectly clear. It puzzled him why though.  If he was to leave anyway, what difference could it possibly make? He sighed, there wasn't time to even ponder that now.  He just had to act, not think or feel, just act.  Shouldn't be hard for him eh?  The one without feelings....

Balling his hand into a fist, he pounded the doorframe in frustration with a growl then yanked the door open. He would just have to - how did Tony put it? Wing it? He walked into the hall and stalked towards her apartment, cloak swishing. His heart was pounding, his palms, for all they were normally cool, now sweaty. He felt nauseous. The truth was so ridiculous that even he barely believed it but he had to try.

He raised his hand to knock then paused, head to one side listening, face creased in a frown of concentration.  He could hear talking coming from inside the apartment. Carrie's voice, the words indistinct but the tone definitely not a relaxed one. For a minute he thought she was on the phone then he heard another person.  No, there was definitely someone in there and by the increasingly high pitch, it wasn't a social call. Something was up, she may be in danger.  To hell with not changing the timeline, he had to get in there now. He raised a hand to teleport into the room when a bright orange flash to his left distracted him and made him turn.

His hands poised in mid-air and his mouth hanging open in shock, he watched as an orange door-shaped portal opened.  Two figures clad in black body armour and carrying glowing batons dashed out, followed by a tall slim , brown haired woman in a brown suit and tie. She pointed at him,

"Variant L1130 - Loki Laufeyson - you are under arrest for crimes against the Sacred Time Line, come with us. Hunters, detain this man." she waved her hand and the Hunters, name tags showing only as B15 and B23 approached, grabbing him roughly and pointing their glowing batons at him. Everything in his brain screamed 'get away' and as he tried to struggle free, B15 grabbed him.

"Now hang on a minute - I am a god you dull creature - do NOT touch me!" Loki's angry voice rang out. "I have to get in there, I have to tell her... wait, no, please don't, no!" Distracted for a moment, he gave B23 the opportunity to slap a collar on him, a small light instantly glowing red as it activated. He jerked his hand free and tried to hurl a bolt of energy, nothing. He tried again, still nothing. His face a mask of concentration and fear, he was dragged through the portal and away from his beloved Carrie. His only other thought being Strange was going to kill him if he didn't come back!

Emerging almost instantaneously from the other side, he became aware that he was in a large room that looked like something from a dystopian nightmare.  What was that book he'd read from Tony's library? 1984?  Yep, Big Brother was certainly watching here.  A figure sat at a high platform at one end.  As he watched, she seemingly was some sort of judge.  A small female figure in a brown jump suit was standing on a platform before her.  The judge looked up from the notes in front of her,

"How do you plead?" her voice was efficient and icy cold.

"N-n-not guilty?" came the voice.

"Sorry, wrong answer" she looked down at the woman and raised her hand "Take the variant for reset." 

Guards dragged the poor woman away, screaming like a banshee, and as she reached the other side of the room, a third guard reached out her baton and the prisoner - for that's exactly what she looked like - melted into a ribbon of sparks and light.  Loki stood transfixed and horrified in equal measure.  What the actual HEL?

Before he could say or do anything, he was dragged to the front of the room and put on the small platform.  The judge who's desk had the name 'Renslayer' on a little plaque, looked down at him.

"Ah yes, Variant L1130 - Loki Laufeyson.  Various crimes against the timeline, not least of which is engaging with an unauthorised person. How do you plead Mr Laufeyson?" she raised an eyebrow and stared.

"Madam," he said with a smile, be charming he thought, be your usual ingratiating self...  "A God doesn't plead!"  he turned "Now, if you're quite finished I have places to be and things to do." he made to walk off but as he strode off to the side, he found himself right back in the dock again.  Shaking his head, he tried again.  Same result.  Now he was worried and confused.  No magic and no control over his actions! He started to mutter to himself, this was getting out of hand.

"MR LAUFEYSON " she raised her voice to make him focus on her and not his internal struggle with reality. "MR Laufeyson, you cannot go anywhere and you cannot use your 'magic'" she quoted the magic with her fingers "so you may as well accept your fate. Take him for... "

"WAIT" a man's voice broke in from behind "Please wait!"  Loki turned to see a middle aged man in a brown suit jogging down the not inconsiderably long aisle to where he stood.

"Mobius?  What are you doing?  If this is another of your hairbrained schemes?" Renslayer wagged a finger at him disparagingly. 

"No, please, Ravona, I have a use for this one." he arrived next to Loki and gave him a quick glance, nodding.  "We picked up the civilian earlier and now  we need him.  It seems there are extenuating circumstances and we need them both. Please, just let me talk to him.  After that, if he wont co-operate?  He's yours."

"Mobius" she leant forward, voice low and warning "this had better work!"  she sat back and waved a hand. "commuted to work with Agent Mobius".  she handed a manila folder down to Mobius and gave the two of them a hard stare.  Mobius just mouthed 'thank you' and walked away.  Loki looked at her and before he had time to think, he was being walked out of the room by Hunter B15 and down a corridor.   He was about to speak when Mobius held up a hand,

"Nope, no.  Not now.  Wait" he looked around him "Not everyone is as much a fan as I am.  You need to watch your back." He nodded to Hunter B15 who opened the door and thrust Loki into what appeared to be an interview room.  Sitting down on a chair next to a table in the middle of the room, from a small gasp that came from behind him, Loki became aware that he was not alone.  Turning slowly, his heart pounded as he looked over.  There, in the corner, wearing a collar just like him, was a very pale and shaken Carrie. 

Mobius walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder "see, told you it would be ok.  We just need him to co-operate.  We know you can do this." he smiled and walked over to Loki, sitting on the chair opposite him.

Loki looked across at her then back at Mobius astonished, where WAS this and why did Mobius call himself a fan when they clearly hadn't met.  

AND WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS GOING ON?