Loki's hostage

Suprise

"Is this whats been behind that door this whole time?" You look to Möbius
He shakes his head "no" he begins moving around, staring out at the abyss, golden strings weaving in and out of each other, circling the three of you.
"This was the trail room, i have no idea what this is" he continues to look perplexed
"They must know were looking for them then? Did they just make it easier for us?
Loki scuffs "the only reason they will make it easier is for themselves"
As he speaks a floor is formed from the island you're standing on, you watch as it creates a pathway towards another door, previously hidden.
You go to walk across, not a second thought.
"Amelia, we don't know whats behind that door" Loki grabs to you, holding onto the sides of your arms
"And?" You give him a stern look
"If you're about to ask me, or god forbid tell
Me to stay here while you both go over there and try and save the universe, then i would re think"
He stares at you, still a tight grasp on your arms. He sighs "i just want to protect you"
"I know Loki,  but I've done pretty well for my self until now" he looks down, a smirk on his face, impressed by your confidence.
"So, shall we?" Möbius interjects
You look over and nod, Loki drops his hands as you walk towards the bridge.
"Wait!" He shouts
"I can't tell you to stay back, but I'm not going to allow you to be first"
You burrow your brow, impulsively reacting to his misogyny. As you look to him, your own emotions change, he looks worried, scared even. You take a step back, not attempting to argue with a man that clearly is too scared to be alone again.
You hear the creak as Loki pushes open the door, you and Möbius standing either side.
"We should of thought of a plan" Möbius quips as you all take a reluctant step inside.
"Abit late for that don't you think" you sarcastically reply
"The only plan i have is that you go back home. no matter what" Loki glances at you, barely contemplating what the 'no matter what' could mean.
*BANG*
Loki instinctively places his arm out, holding you back.
You all look to each other with question, before moving further inside to find the source of the noise.
You look around, high ceilings, paintings on the wall, all covered in a thick layer of dust. You glance over at Loki and Möbius, both carrying concern and uncertainty on their faces.
"They could do with a cleaner" you joke, trying to break the tension.
Neither respond , you shrug your shoulders.
You watch them both walk around, studying the building.
"Have you been here before Möbius?"  
You walk over to him.
Shaking his head "no, I've never seen this building before"
"Well whoever is here, like Loki said, must want us to be here, otherwise why not keep it hidden"
*BANG*
*SMASH*
You all look to each other, all instinctively grabbing for your weapons.
"Sounds like that was just the other-side of this door" you tilt you head.
"I will do the honours"
Before either of them could argue, you kick double door wide open, sending them hurling into the walls either side, the noise echoing around the building, until deathly silence.
The figure in front of you not moving.
Standing on a table looking down. You tilt your head you see they have a man gripped within their fingers.
"You!" You huff "should of known"
He turns slowly to face you, dropping the man from his hands, you watch him through the gap of Lokis legs as he adjusts his neck and clothing.
"Surprise!" He holds out his hands
"i see you found her then, you're welcome" he jumps down, walking towards Loki.
"You left us to die" Loki lunges forwards, your hand grab his shirt, stopping him from reaching.
"But you didn't, so well done" he patronisingly claps.
You all watch him prance around the room, keeping an eye on the other man sitting behind the table. " however, Slightly more inconvenient for me, more people to kill, but i can give you the option of leaving"
You let out a laugh. His eyes dart to you
"Something funny?"
"Yes, the fact you think you can kill 4 people in this room, i find it very funny"
"Why don't you start with me" you walk up to him, a smirk on your face.
"Amelia!" Loki shouts, pounding over
Causing new Loki to snigger "maybe i will, or will your boyfriend here sacrifice himself for you?"
"What do you think Loki?" He laughs again
"Its pathetic, you should be standing with me, not chasing after a girl, we are intended to rule, and do anything to get there, this..." he waves his hand up and down at Loki "this, this is just disappointing"
You watch their exchange.
"Somethings are more important"
"Than having the ultimate power? More important than controlling the universe, controlling time?"  He spins around
"We could of done this together, i wouldn't of minded that, two Loki minds working together, could you imagine what we could achieve."
"But NO!" He snaps
"You betrayed your own for her" he pulls out a dagger, holding it at your eye-line.
"So, leave me to carry on here and spare yourselves"
He opens out his hands, bowing in front of you all.
He jumps back onto the table, again picking up the man.
You storm over
"Why aren't you fighting him?" Your eyes widen with confusion and frustration at the lack of fight the man has.
He stares in front of him, At Loki.
"I have been waiting for this day for a very long time, someone to take this burden away from me"
"And so i will" Loki produces his knife
You jump onto the table, quickly kicking him down. He falls to the floor, looking up Möbius has a prone pointed at him.
"Now you can stay there whilst he speaks" you smile at him.
You turn back to the man.
"You want to die?" Bewilderment showing on your face
"If i had a choice, no. But i do not, this reign was installed on me, it cannot be broken any other way, and well, I'm tired, I'm lonely, its a curse being here"
"So, excuse my callousness, but why haven't you... you know?"
"Done it myself?" He responds
You nod slightly.
"Because that isn't an option" he stands up, moving around the table he looks out to the darkness, the strings of gold glowing.
"If i die alone, then it allows anyone to take over. You see, there were three of us, each in charge together, looking after this" he points out to the timeline.
You and Loki watch as the man moves around the room, Möbius listening in, with eyes fully watching Loki on the ground.
"Where are the others?" Loki questions
"Dead!" his sharp tone filled with a slight sadness, but mostly anger.
"How long?" Loki asks "how long has it been?"
"I couldn't tell you, i lost count after a couple of decades passed"
"You've been alone all that time" a rhetorical question surrounded by sympathy. Part of you feels you should be on guard, he could be lying for all you know, this could be a sabotage, but just like the feeling you had with Loki, you cant help but see him for what he truly is, a man alone in this world, asking for help.
"So what can you do? Or we, we can help" you finally start to stand unguarded, you lower your shoulders, your body now relaxed.
"I was going to kill you" Loki shouts from the ground "just let me and then it will be over for you" he demands.
The man slowly walks over to him, his royal purple cape swooshing on the floor as he does.
"You are not worthy, you will only cause catastrophes, wars, and destruction. I have guarded the timeline for too long to just give the power to someone like you"
"Thats why they are here, that is why i opened the portal as soon as you stepped into this world, they are more worthy of caring for the timeline, but which one will it be?" He holds up his hands
"Which one of you will kill me before he does?"
You all look to each other in silence, finally interrupted by Möbius
"This is all crazy, why do we need to kill you?" "Because once i die, the reign will go to whomever takes my life, otherwise i will stay here until i die, leaving no one to protect it, allowing anything and everything to happen"
"Ok ok" Loki steps in
"So you're here, looking after the timeline of every universe? Just you?"
"Not many people want the burden, so i don't tend to get many visitors, there are however, many waiting on my demise"
He continues
"So until he came in, i had no hope, now i do.
A few have been in his position before, however it was a time when i was willing to fight for my reign"
Loki jumps off the floor, taking advantage of Möbius' mere distraction.
He darts over to the man, welding his knife as he lunges towards him.
You quickly kick the probe from Möbius' hands sending it hurling through the air, you catch it, jumping over the table you take a dive. The probe plunging into Lokis back as you push him to the ground, standing over him you watch as his body disintegrates beneath you.