Clock's Ticking

Stop

There is a distant rumbling and He Who Remains looks around, confused, "we just crossed... the threshold." He chuckles and thunder rumbles again, "oh." He grabs a pen and drops it to the desk, watching it as if he expected something else, "so I fibbed. I fibbed earlier when I said I know how everything's going to go. I... I know... I knew... everything up to a certain point, and that point was about... seven, eight, nine, ten seconds ago. But now I have no idea. No idea how the rest of this is going to go. I'm being candid."

"So that's it?" Loki looks to He Who Remains. "That's it? This is what happens at the end of time? And now you're just gonna sit there with all that freedom and... let us decide your fate?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! What's the worst that can happen? You either... take over and my life's work continues or you plunge a blade in my chest and an infinite amount of me... start another Multiversal War. And I just... end up right back here anyways. Reincarnation, baby."

"No," Sylvie shakes her head, "it's just another lie. Another manipulation."

"Oh, no, no lie. No manipulation." He Who Remains pulls off his TemPad. "Wow. I love this. I love... all this honesty. Feels like a fresh start."

Sylvie lunges for He Who Remains, but I grab her and pull her back. She turns around to me and puts her blade against my chest, "what are you doing?"

"Just," I shake my head, "hang in a moment. Let's just talk about it."

"Well, how about we finish what we started and kill him?" Sylvie tries to run past me, but I grab her again.

This time her response is to swing at me. I duck under her blade and block another one of her swings with my own, "what if he's telling the truth?"

"So what?"

"I believe him."

"You believe what? That a bazillion boogeymen will turn up, just because we give people free will? He's a liar, Kamaria."

"I know liars. And I don't think he was lying. Not about that. Insane? Yes. But maybe he was telling the truth."

"Better hurry. Timelines already branching," He Who Remains calls out.

"Shut it!" Sylvie and I shout in unison.

"So what are you suggesting?" Sylvie shrugs.

I shrug as well, "that you two think about it."

"And what precisely is there to think about?"

"Weren't you listening to what he was saying? That's the gambit. Remove the dictator and what fills the void?"

"Ah. You want him to have the throne?" Sylvie gestures to Loki, "so that you can the easy life?"

"No, that's not it. No."

"I don't believe you."

"Sylvie, the universe is in the balance, everything we know to be true. Everything. I know the TVA has hurt all of us. You more than anyone. But what if by taking him out, we risk unleashing something even worse? All I'm asking is that you just take a minute to think about it."

"What was I thinking trusting you? Has this whole thing been a con?"

"Really? That what you think of me... of our friendship... after all this? Sure. Why not? Kamaria could only be a pawn of the TVA, right? The master assassin can only follow orders, there's no what she could think for herself. Can't you see? This is bigger than our experience."

"Why aren't we seeing this the same way?"

"Because you can't trust. And I can't trust.
And neither of us can be trusted."

"Then I guess we're in a pickle."

"Sylvie, wait. Wait." Sylvie swings at me again and I block again. The two of us fighting while Loki and He Who Remains watches. Eventually Sylvie kicks me in the chest and uses her magic to send me back into a bookshelf.

When I look up, Loki has taken up fighting her, the two with their swords that the others throats. Loki trying to talk some sense into Sylvie, as I had been, "maybe he's lying! Maybe he's not. The cost of getting this wrong is too great."

"Fine. Do it." Sylvie shouts, "kill me. Take your throne."

"No!" I shout. Sylvie then kicks Loki away as she had me. I know her next target is going to be He Who Remains, so I run as fast as I can to the desk. Making it there just in time to turn and see Sylvie swinging down. I close my eyes and ready myself for her blade, but I don't feel anything, Sylvie stops. Both of us pant for a moment. "Stop." I reach out and grab Sylvie's arms, "I've been where you are. I've felt what you feel. Don't ask me how I know. All I know... is I don't wanna hurt you. You're my best friend. I just... I just want you to be okay."

Sylvie sighs and drops her sword before pulling me into a kiss. I'm not sure why, nor am I sure why I don't push her away, but I don't, instead I kiss her back. Maybe it's because she's a version of Loki or because I feel like I'll do whatever she needs to heal. As we kiss Sylvie turns as around. As she pulls away she looks into my eyes, "but I'm not you."

I look to her confused before she blasts me back with her magic. As I fly back I hit something. When I land and look around I realize I'm in the TVA and what I had hit, was Loki on my way back through the Temporal Door Sylvie had opened and blasted us through. Loki gets up and tries to run back through the door, but doesn't make it in time and it closes. I lay there staring at there the door and my friend had once been and begin to breath heavily. How could she do that? How could she just throw our friendship away like that?

Loki and I sit on the stairs of the room. Loki holding me while I cry. Not only am I scared of what will happen now that He Who Remains is no longer watching the time line, but I'm mourning the lost of the only new friendship I had made since Mobius when I joined the TVA. Loki holds me in his arms, "sh... it'll be okay."

"Will it?"

"I hope so."

I nod before shaking my head, "come on, we have to warn everyone."

Loki and I make our way out into the hallway of the TVA, but no one seems to concerned that we are there or not with another TVA agent. I remember for a long time I couldn't go anywhere with Mobius close by. We run to the library, searching everywhere for Mobius. Eventually we find him and B-15, who are fighting over the timeline branches, "does he want us to stop them?"

"We can't!" I shout, getting their attention.

"What? What did you say?"

"It's done, Mobius."

Loki nods, "we made a terrible mistake."

"What's done?" B-15 looks between us confused.

"We freed the Timeline. We found him beyond the  storm. A Citadel at the End of Time. He's terrifying. He planned everything. He's seen everything. He knows everything. It's complicated, okay?"

"Right," Mobius nods.

"But someone is coming," I take a deep breath, "countless different versions of w very dangerous person. And they're all set on way. We need to prepare."

"Take it easy. You're analysts, right? What diversion are you from?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Who are you? What are you names?"

I shake my head, as my jaw hits the floor. I feel Loki nudge me, "Kam." I look out over the balcony Loki is looking over and see a very large statue of He Who Remains, I take a deep breath, "do you still think it'll be okay?"