Clock's Ticking

Alioth

The last thing I remember is Kamaria's face and her voice shouting, "no," as I disappeared. When I waking up I'm in a strange land and I'm found by three Loki's and an alligator. I'm not sure what's more surprising which is more surprising, the fact I'm alive or the fact that I'm looking at other version of myself. The three alternate versions of myself lead me through the waste land, seemingly running from the cloud monster in the sky. "I suggest we take a breather, so I can ask several thousand questions." I try to stop them but the other Lokis seem unphased and keep moving.

"Can't," the older version of myself continues to walk, "gotta keep moving so we don't die."

"I can get behind that, but what's your plan?"

"Don't die."

"Okay, but beyond that?"

"Don't die."

"Don't die isn't a plan. It's a general demand of living. If you're Lokis, you should always have a plan..." I stop, hoping the others will stop as well, but they don't. I stop, watching the others walk away from me, frustrated that not only do I not know where or when I am, but that I haven't the slightest idea of how I'm going to get back to Kamaria. "Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?!" This finally gets the three men and the scaled creature to turn around, "look it's been a very, very, very trying past few days. Month? I don't even know how long it's been since New York. All I know is, I got pruned and I woke up here, and now I'm surrounded by Variants of myself, plus an alligator, which I'm heart broken to report I didn't even find all that strange. And now we're running from God knows what, trying to get to God knows where. When I need to be trying to find a way back to the TVA."

By the time I finish my rant the child version of myself conjures a dagger in his hand and raises it to me. Of course, I jump back and end up falling in my ass. The child looks down over me and speaks calmly and quietly, "stop wailing or you will signal Alioth."

"You mean the monster in the sky?" The child shakes his head, unimpressed by my observation skills. He dissolves his dagger, before helping me up, "thank you."

"This is the place where the TVA dumps its rubbish, everything they prune. And Alioth, he ensures nine of it ever returns."

Then the third Loki, a man who seems to have his own version of Mjölnir speaks, "it's a living tempest that consumes matter and energy. They send entire branched realities here that are devoured in an instant."

"We're in a shark tank," the older Loki gestures back to the cloud monster, "and Alioth is the shark." Then the alligator growls and he looks down to the creature, "oh, there's no such thing as an alligator tank. Besides, it's a better metaphor." Then he looks over to the rest of us, "he's overly sensitive like the rest of us."

"Hang on," I put my hands on my hips before pointing to the alligator, "that thing's a Loki too!"

"Oh, yes."

I put my hands out infront if me and pull myself back for a moment, trying to find a place to file all this information away, "okay, fine. Willing to accept that. Why are there so many of you?"

"Because Lokis survive. That's just what we do."

"Great. So how do we escape?"

"We don't. All of us were arrested by the TVA and pruned, just like you. And just like you're doing right now, we all stood around making bad plans that went nowhere."

"Yes, but have you thought of using a TemPad?"

"Oh, the one thing that could easily get us out of here, yes," the more quiet of the Lokis nods. "They're all over the place, right, guys?" The three share a laugh.

"Fine. What about causing a nexus event?"

"The TVA doesn't care what happens here."

"Surely there's something to do."

"There is. Survive. That's all there is. All there ever was."

"We're done talking," the child orders, "let's go. Just do what you want, I guess."

The three turn and walk away from me. I stand and wait for a moment and look around before hearing thunder and deciding it's gonna be better to stay with a group, "okay, wait, wait, wait." I run around the group and catch up, "why do you wear the horns? You let a child command you."

The older Loki looks back over his shoulder, "you'll do well to respect the boy. This is his kingdom."

"Right." I place my hands on my hips, "what was your nexus event, Your Majesty?"

The child walks up to me, "I killed Thor." The way he says this is not proud or boastful, it almost sounds like this thought, this memory, this action brings him great pain or shame.