Clock's Ticking

Roxxcart

Once we find our apocalypse, Mobius tries to convince Ranslayer to approve the mission. Without her okay, we can't do anything. Loki and I wait outside the office while Mobius and Ranslayer discuss our findings and whether or not Mobius and I still have jobs with the TVA. "So, should we talk about what happened earlier?"

"I don't don't what you're talking about," I look around, looking anywhere but at Loki.

"We we're having a moment. You were opening up to me."

I shrug and finally look over to Loki, "we have to trust each other, right? How are we supposed to trust each other if we don't know each other?"

"You know every moment of my life and you don't trust me."

"I know what was going to happen during you life. How it started and how it was supposed to end, but I don't know you. The real you."

"Would you like to?"

Before I can answer Mobius opens the doors, "we're on." Loki and I jump up, following closely behind Mobius, "we're doing some good work today."

"I thought so too."

"I'm tellin' you. You actually help us catch this Variant, and who knows, my friend."

Mobius and I start to get some gear out of our lockers, while Loki casually leans against a wall, beside the lockers, "what, good enough for a face-to-face with the Time-Keepers?"

"I didn't say that." Mobius takes off his jacket, "one step at a time."

"Alright, one step at a time."

Mobius takes Loki's daggers out of his locker and hands them to him, "just in case."

"Ahh," Loki gazes down, lovingly, at the blades Mobius had handed him.

"Don't these feel..."

B-15 walks by and snatches the daggers out of Loki's hands, "absolutely not. I just got comfortable with this one carrying around her stuff. No offense."

B-15 walks up next to me, opening her locker as I put my thigh holsters on, "none taken."

B-15 puts the daggers in her locker, before turning to the group, "gather around for a briefing." We all get ready and head to the same briefing area we had gone to before. "Roxxcart is a vast superstore common to the era. It consists of a series of sprawling sections, including a large warehouse. This warehouse is being used by civilians as a shelter tryin' to ride out the storm. Remember, this is a class ten apocalypse. While the Variant shouldn't know we're coming, he could be hiding anywhere and should be considered hostile. So stay alert. Every time there is an attack the Variant steals a reset charge. He's planning something. We just don't know what. So keep an eye out for the missing charges, and if you see a Loki, prune it."

"The bad Loki, preferably," Loki looks around a bit concerned, before smirking.

We head through the doors and into the parking lot of the Roxxcart. It is pouring down rain and as soon as we walk through the doors we are soaked. Rain jackets tend to do very little during a hurricane. As we head toward the building there is a flash of lightening and a crack of thunder. When I look over to Loki, who is walking on my left, he is looking up at the sky, "looking for someone?" I shout.

"No, don't be ridiculous," Loki shouts back.

I shake my head, trying to see Loki through the rain, "don't worry, this isn't your brother's doing." Loki nods and looks a bit saddened when I say this. When we get inside I take my rain coat off, but my blouse is still soaked even under my vest, "no point in that anymore." 

Then I see a flash of green to my left. I guess B-15 sees it to, because she looks at Loki very suspiciously, "the hell was that?"

Loki looks over to B-15, "that was me using magic to dry my clothes. So I don't announce myself with every squeaky footstep like the rest of you."

"Lucky," I shake my head as I mutter underneath my breath. I know I will have chub rub from hell when we're done with this mission.

"Take both teams and sweep the storm shelter," B-15 orders.

I nod, but as I go to step I feel something pull me back, "hang on." I hear Loki before I see a green flash again.

"What did you do to her?"

"I dried her clothes too. She's one of the only people around here who's even half nice to me."

Mobius shakes his head, "the three of us are gonna check out the Green House. We'll meet..."

"No," B-15 simply states.

"No?"

"You two go with D-90. He stays with me."

"What are you... he's under our supervision," I place my hands on my hips.

"This is my field op, Kamaria. If he's not a threat, then..."

"Of course he's a threat. Do you not remember the Time Theater? That's why I want him with us."

"You're more then welcome to go back to the TVA and litigate with Ranslayer, but right now..."

"We're here, we're not going back. The Variant is here."

"Kamaria," Loki places a hand on my shoulders, "it's fine. It's fine. You can trust me. I understand I have to earn that, so I will."

I look to Loki and then to Mobius, "why is it the people you can't trust are always saying, 'trust me'?"

Mobius shrugs with a sigh, "alright, try to hang on to your Time Collar this time."

I look up to Loki, "we'll see you in the show room."