The Dark Angel¹

4.2 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑

ELEVATOR

After a little wait, Sylvie joins them. She too is escorted by Minuteman and placed next to Loki.

"You okay?" She whispers.

He looks down.

"I've got them from here." Ravonna enters the elevator with the three captives.

"Do you remember me?" Sylvie asks the judge.

"I do. What do you wanna say to me, Variant?" she asks back.

Laverna rolls her eyes, annoyed at the judge not calling her by her name.

"What was my nexus event? Why did you bring me in?"

"What does it matter?"

"It was enough to take my life from me, lead to all of this. Must have been important. So, what was it?"

"I don't remember."

Laverna tries hard not to lash out at her. This is their chance to get to know the truth.

The elevator doors open, revealing the chamber of the Time-Keepers.

They all step out of the elevator.

The three Time-Keepers are seated on a dais above them, and four guards stand in the room.

"Gracious Time-Keepers, as promised, the Variants," Ravonna speaks up.

"After all your struggle, at last, you've arrived before us." The first one speaks.

"What do you have to say for yourselves before you meet your end, Variants?" The second lizard-looking thing speaks.

"Is that the only reason you brought us here? To kill us? I've lost track of the number of times I've been killed, so go ahead. Do your worst." Loki almost sounds like he is bragging about the number of times he has 'died'.

"You and your bravado are no threat to us, Variant." The third and last of the time-keepers speaks.

Laverna tilts her head. Something just feels off about them.

"Oh, no, I don't think you believe that. I think..." Sylvie steps forward but gets teleported back by the judge using the time-twister.

"You're scared." Laverna states.

"No. They're nothing but a cosmic disappointment. Delete them." The first timekeeper speaks again.

Before Laverna can ask why he doesn't include her, Sylvie speaks up again. "No, I'm not done with you yet."

She steps forward, the judge tries to use the time-twister again, but it doesn't work.

Ravonna looks confused.

The elevator doors open again and Hunter B-15 steps out with her own time-twister in hand.

The collars from Sylvie and Loki unlock, freeing them.

Laverna stares at her. "What about me?"

"Sorry, your cuffs are different." Hunter B-15 answers, sounding really apologetic.

Laverna rolls her eyes but looks back at the Time-Keepers.

"For all time. Always." Hunter B-15 tosses Sylvie her sword.

The two guards at the door turn to fight Hunter B-15.

Loki and Sylvie stand back to back.

The guards take down Hunter B-15.

"Protect the Time-Keepers!" The judge screams.

"Oh, I don't think so," Laverna smirks.

She gathers her power and pulls her hands apart. Effectively destroying the cuffs.

While Loki and Sylvie fight the guards, she walks up to the Time-Keepers.

She gathers her powers again and shoots the head of the first Time-Keeper off.

Sparks fly from his neck and the severed head falls down the dais.

Sylvie lifts a pruning stick and goes up the dais towards the other two.

"Wait" Loki and Laverna speak at the same time.

There's a powering-down sound and the other two Time-Keepers go limp. Sylvie runs down the dais for the severed head.

"Don't" Laverna warns her.

Sylvie picks up the head, anyway, examining the exposed electronics of an android.

"Fake. Mindless androids." Sylvie realises. All her hope is gone.

"It never stops." He sounds just as defeated.

"Who created the TVA?" Laverna asks sternly while looking at the judge.

"I thought this was it," Sylvie admits. She throws the head aside.

Loki turns around, then back to her.

"Sylvie..." He starts off. 

"Not another pep talk, please." Sylvie stops him.

"No, I have to tell you something. We will figure this out." He starts again.

"How do you know that?"

"Because, uh... Well, back on Lamentis... This is new for me. Um..." Loki stumbles over his words.

"What?" Sylvie doesn't get it.

Loki hesitates and touches her shoulders.

"What is it?" She slowly gets annoyed and confused as to what he is trying to say.

Loki inhales and is about to speak. But Laverna screams.

"No" She runs behind Loki. He turns around to see her getting pruned by Ravonna.

Loki and Sylvie start fighting her.

The guards that are still able to move join the judge's side.

Sylvie tries to go for the judge but gets cornered by three guards while the other trickster is fighting the judge. He notices Sylvie's situation.

He goes to stab one of them. Just after that, the judge manages to sneak up on him and prunes him.

Ravonna tries to go for Sylvie next, but she can get the pruning stick and holds it over her.

"Do it." The judge challenges her.

"No. You're gonna tell me everything."

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