not the family reunion they were expecting

Chapter 1

A/N This fic takes place during episode five of Loki. There will be a second chapter, and there might be a third depending on how episode six goes.

The interesting thing about the Void, Loki has noticed, is that you never know when something is going to fall from the sky. It just happens. There's no real warning. There's nothing to tell you what you're going to see. It usually gets eaten by Alioth anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Except for when it does.

After Boastful Loki sold his former friends out, the remaining four Lokis are on their own, walking through the Void on a fruitless search for Alioth. Loki's still not sure how he's going to kill the thing. He tries not to think about that.

And then someone crash-lands on the ground a few yards away.

"Probably another us," Classic Loki remarks (bringing Loki to wonder just how many Lokis have ended up here. Are most Variants that get pruned Lokis?)

"Let's go see," Kid Loki says, and he leads the way. Loki has a sneaking suspicion he just wants to put off finding Alioth. He doesn't blame the kid at all for that one.

They head towards the new member of the Void, and Loki really does hope it's another him. He'd like to not be the only clueless one here, and a new member of the Loki squad is probably his best chance.

When Kid gets close, Lokigator jumps out of his arms and runs over to the man lying on the ground. Loki winces and waits for the inevitable blood splatter that comes with lost limbs. The scream the man lets out when the gator jumps on him is all the confirmation he needs that this is going to be a murder -- which usually wouldn't bother him, but Lokigator's kills are so gruesome.

But the screaming continues.

For a very long few seconds.

And then it becomes words: "Someone get this thing off of me!"

Loki freezes. He knows that voice. He'd recognize it anywhere. But that's impossible. How is--

"Thor?" Classic Loki says uncertainly.

"Thor?" Kid Loki groans. "Oh, that's just great." He pulls Lokigator off of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know!" Thor practically yells. As he climbs to his feet, he continues, "I don't even know where I am! I just got disintegrated! I shouldn't be anywhere!"

"Hey, hey, Thor." Classic Loki puts a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Calm down."

"How do you know my name?" Thor asks, almost accusingly.

"Thor, it's me," he says. "It's—"

"Loki."

It takes a moment for Loki to realize that was directed towards him. Of course it was. This Thor looks to be about the age he was in Loki's timeline, give or take a few decades. This is the age he would remember Loki as.

Loki smiles. "Hi, brother."

"We are not brothers," Thor growls. He holds up his hands and conjures a dagger in each.

"Woah, okay, hold on," Loki says quickly, backing away with his hands in front of him, like that could stop him. "Let's not—"

Thor throws one of the daggers, and Loki just barely moves out of the way before it reaches him.

"Will you stop that?" Loki asks, exasperated. "I haven't even done anything!"

"You know exactly what you did." Thor throws the other dagger, which Loki dodges once again. Thor holds his hands out, and both daggers fly back to him.