Chapter 26: Friend?

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"Miss Minutes," Renslayer said after she summoned the TVA's clock to help them. "I need you to remote access a series of restricted files from the archives."

"Ooh, doggy!" Miss Minutes said. "On what?"

"The beginning of time." Answered Renslayer. "The founding of the TVA."

"Right away." Said Miss Minutes.

"Wait," Sylvie interjected, getting up from the bench she was sitting on. "What about the end of time?"

"It's just a void," Renslayer said dismissively.

"What if The Void isn't the end?" Sylvie asked. "What if there's something beyond it?"

Miss Minutes stopped scrolling through files and glanced at Renslayer. When Renslayer gave her an approving nod, she pulled up an image of The Void.

"Hiding in the shadow of apocalypses obscured me from the TVA because I couldn't create a diverging branch there, right?" Sylvie clarified. Renslayer nodded slowly.

"So, if all of this is still being written, whatever happens, there is just a new timeline." Sylvie guessed. "It would be impossible to start a nexus event there. You could be completely undetectable."

"That's it." Said Renslayer. "That's the only place they could be."

"So how do we get passed The Void?" Sylvie asked.

"It's impossible." Renslayer sighed. "There's nothing for the TemPad to lock onto, no destination."

"Then we go through it." Sylvie decided.

"That's suicide." Said Renslayer with a shake of her head.

"Then I guess my need for you has passed," Sylvie said, raising her weapon and pointing it toward Renslayer.

"Wait!" Miss Minutes cut in. "What about The Void spacecraft?"

"Yes," said Renslayer, "the prototype."

"Great." Said Miss Minutes. "I'll get the file."

"It's a spaceship designed to withstand the temporal void," Renslayer explained. "It could conceivably take us to the end of time."

"Find Loki." Said Sylvie.

"Find the man behind the curtain," Renslayer added.

"And kill him." Sylvie finished.

"Together," Renslayer said, sticking her hand out for Sylvie to shake. Sylvie obliged, but when Renslayer tried to pull away, she tightened her grip on her hand. She didn't want her to try anything.

"Miss Minutes, where are the files on this timecraft?" Sylvie asked.

"Still looking, hon." Miss Minutes answered.

"Nothing?" Sylvie pressed.

"It's buried pretty deep." Said Miss Minutes.

"It's highly restricted." Said Renslayer. "I might not even have clearance."

"Oh, no, I think you would," Sylvie said darkly. "If it's real."

"How long?" Renslayer asked, glancing towards Miss Minutes.

"Any second now." Miss Minutes replied.

Suddenly Sylvie heard voices along with urgent footsteps. Minutemen rushed into the room, pruners raised. But before they could get to Sylvie, she shoved Renslayer aside, taking her TemPad and ducking behind the judge's bench before she could react.

As Minutemen surrounded the bench, Renslayer spoke up.

"Sylvie?" She said hesitantly. "Not thinking of going on the run, are you? We know where you hide. Sooner or later, we'll catch you. It must be so exhausting."

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