LOVE IS A DAGGER | Loki Laufeyson

03. The Variant [P1]

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   "Okay, y'all! Let's review what we've learned. What happens when a nexus event branches past red line?" Miss Minutes quizzed in her annoyingly cheery voice.

   "Very bad things." Loki deadpanned, flipping through a magazine he had found on Mobius' desk.

   "Come on, Loki. What is it?"

   Loki sighed, "It's when the TVA can no longer reset a nexus event. Okay? Boring."

   "Right. And that would lead the the destruction of the timeline and the collapse of reality as we know it."

   "Can you hear me?" Loki asked, starting to roll up the magazine in his hands, "Are you a recording, or are you alive?"

   "Uh, sorta both!"

   "Ah." He nodded, glancing away for a second before suddenly reaching forward, attempting to wack the clock with the rolled-up magazine.

   "Watch it! Where's your manners?" Miss Minutes exclaimed.

   Loki grinned and tried again.

   "Oh! Hey! Quit it!"

   And again.

   "That is not nice." She scolded, before seeming to be sucked into the computer screen, "Jerk."

   "You can't- hide in the-"

   He was cut off by Mobius, who had just strolled over with Týr in tow.

   "Training goin' well?" Mobius asked.

   "Yeah-"

   "Is that my jet ski magazine? Put it down. Come on, gear up. There's been an attack, let's go." Mobius instructed, handing Loki a package.

   Loki looked up to Týr, intending to shoot him a questioning glance, when his breath caught in his throat.

   Týr, who was now standing next to Mobius with his hands stuffed in his pockets, was wearing something similar to Loki's outfit, only somewhat different.

   He had abandoned his tie and his shirt had been left undone a few too many buttons, leaving his collarbone on show, though he still had his collar fastened round his neck. A simple black blazer jacket was slung over his shoulders, barely managing to stay on as Týr had neglected to put it on properly.

   Loki didn't think it was inherently meant to be particularly attractive, but it was enough to make his brain short-circuit for a few moments.

   Týr smirked, catching his gaze.

   Loki quickly cleared his throat, avoiding the other's eyes as he stood up and opened the package Mobius had handed him. Shaking it out, he realised it was some sort of jacket.

   "Put it on!" Mobius told him, Loki doing as he said, "Good. Yeah. Smart."

   Mobius led the two down a corridor into another room, where Hunter B-15 and a few other Minutemen were standing around in a circle. Mobius went over to stand next to B-15 whilst Loki and Týr stood next to each other, opposite them.

   "C-20 and her team went dark shortly after they jumped into the 1985 branch." B-15 started, "All signs point to another ambush. We've grabbed enough temporal aura to know that it's our Loki Variant, but which kind of Loki, remains unknown."

   "They're the lesser kind, to be clear." Loki interjected.

   B-15 sighed, "Let me see the back of that jacket." She instructed.