Clock's Ticking

Magazine

When we get back to the TVA we waste no time getting to the library, hoping to find a clue as to where the Varaint is. Mobius leads us in, "doomsday. The Variant's been ambushing our soldiers and hiding out in doomsday to cover his tracks."

"You're welcome," Loki smirks.

I shake my head, "but in order for your theory to hold, the disasters have to be naturally-occurring, sudden, no warning, no survivors."

"How many of those could there be?"

"I don't know. But we're gonna find out." We spend hours going through doomsday files, separating natural ones vs man made ones and those that left survivors vs those that didn't. We spend so long that the boys end up falling asleep. When I notice I'm about to fall asleep as well I stand up. Since Loki had fallen asleep first and I don't wanna take the chance of him running off once I leave I lightly tap him with a file, "hey." Loki wakes up and looks around a bit, "come on, let's take a walk."

Loki straightens up and grabs his jacket before he gets up. We walk away, quietly, leaving Mobius to sleep. We head to the cafeteria and get some coffee. Surprisingly, it takes a while for Loki to say anything, "can I ask you something?"

I sigh softly, "sure, why not?"

"At your desk, that magazine."

"Yeah, the one you were swatting at Miss Minutes with. What about it?"

"Why do you have a Simple Family magazine?"

I shrug, "we all have things like that. Mobius has a jet ski magazine."

"But why a family magazine?"

"I don't know," I shrug. "Most things in history, or at least my history, are kind of fucked up and everything gets ruined eventually. But I always thought it'd be nice to have a family. Thought it'd be beautiful."

"Why didn't you?"

"I tried."

"What happened?"

"I was arrested by the TVA for being a Variant."

"What?" I hadn't looked at Loki until I heard his voice change, from his usual cocky tone to one of genuine curiosity.

"Believe it or not, I was supposed to be like you. I was supposed to cause havoc and pain to all those around me. Until one day I thought, 'why? Why am I doing this?'"

"What did you do before the TVA?"

"Anything and everything for anyone who paid enough."

"You were an assassin?"

"Among other things," I nod and take a deep breath, remembering my life before Mobius and the TVA. "But I wanted out. One day, while on a mission, I met someone, someone very special, I tried to leave, to run away with him, but the next thing I knew, I was here."

"And Mobius recruited you?"

"I don't know why, he said he saw something in me. Guess he was right, I'm a natural at this."

"Why can't you have a family here in the TVA?"

"I think a TVA agent raising a family would cause a branch."

"It'd be interesting, though."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, why read about them? The thought of not having one clearly makes you upset."

"Just helps remind me what we're fighting for."

"I mean, you really believe in all this stuff, don't you?"