The Dark Angel¹

5.2 𝐹𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛

Inside the Loki's base is softly music playing.

Classic Loki pours some wine into Alligator Loki's mouth.

"So, after I vanquished Captain America and Iron Man, I claimed my prize: all six Infinity Stones." Boastful Loki speaks proudly.

Alligator Loki growls. 

"That's alligator for growling and saying "liar" at the same time," Laverna informs Loki.

"Well, at least my nexus event wasn't eating the wrong neighbour's cat." Boastful Loki exclaims. 

Alligator Loki snarls and leaves its mini pool to attack boastful Loki. He bites his hand. Classic Loki and Loki jump up to separate them. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hey, hey, hey." Loki tries to calm the situation down. 

"Enough!" Laverna throws the Alligator back into his pool with a flick of her hands. 

"Tell them your story, Loki." She looks expectantly at Classic Loki. 

"Me? Nobody wants to hear about that." 

"I, I would, actually. Um... It's just I've, I've been wondering because I'm... Well, we're supposed to die, right? Thanos kills us after Ragnarök." Loki speaks up. 

"Thanos? In my timeline, everything proceeded correctly, my entire life, until Thanos attacked our ship." 

"So you, you didn't try to stab him?"

Classic Loki chuckles. "Certainly not. Oh, take no offence, my friends, but blades are worthless in the face of a Loki sorcery. They stunt our magical potential."

"But they look awesome." Boastful Loki speaks up. 

"Oh, yes. Especially when they clatter to the ground just before your neck is snapped. I cast a projection of myself so real, even the Mad Titan believed it. Then hid as inanimate debris. After I faked my death, I simply drifted in space. Away from Thor, away from everything. Thought about the universe and my place in it, and it occurred to me that everywhere I went, only pain followed. So I removed myself from the equation, landed on a remote planet and stayed there in isolation, in solitude for a long, long time."

"How did the TVA find you?" Loki asks Classic Loki, his voice a bit softer.

"I got lonely." He chuckles. "To tell you the truth, I missed my brother, and I wondered if he missed me, if anybody else did. But as soon as I took my first steps to getting off the planet, the TVA arrived. Because we, my friends, have but one part to play, the God of Outcasts. Nothing more. The God of Outcasts."

The other Loki's and Laverna, including Kid Loki and his Hi-C juice box. Loki shakes his head and stands. 

"So, I think you were promised an explanation." 

Laverna speaks to Loki while the others chat with each other and drink.

"Yeah, how come you are their queen."

"King, I am their King. I like that title more, sounds more powerful. And for your question, no, I am not a Loki variant after all. But with a little persuasion" Her eyes start to glow red for a second, it looks just like the memory she had when she was in the TVA for the first time. "They are quite believing."

"You hypnotized them into thinking you are their que- king?"

"I wouldn't say hypnotized, but yeah." She smirks at him. 

Loki sighs. "I'm going." 

Classic Loki perks up at that. "Going where?" 

"Out of this place, out of The Void, back to the TVA. We may be good at surviving, but we're also good at escaping. I'd wager that gives me a decent chance as any."