For All Time. Always!

41 - The One

"Feels like a fresh start." He stares at the device for a moment before Sylvie bolts upwards at the same time I do, charging at him just as I grab her arm. "Oh, holy-"

  Sylvie turns to me, holding her dagger to my chest, making me back away. "What're you doing?" she asks, following me.

  "Hang on a moment," I grab her arm. "Let's just talk about it," I try to persuade.

  "Well how about we finish what we started and kill him?" she retorts, pushing past me as I hold her back with my power and bring her back. She swings at me as I dodge, grunting. She pushes down on my back, holding me down before I use my dagger to push against hers.

  I face her, now standing. "What if he's telling the truth?"

  "So what?"

  "I believe him," I say, out of breath.

  "Believe what?" she growls. "That a bazillion boogeymen will turn up just because we give people free will? He's a liar, Loki!"

  "So am I - and I don't think he was lying. Not about that. Insane? Yes. But maybe he was telling the truth."

  "Better hurry," He Who Remains calls behind us. "Timeline's already branching."

  "So what are you suggesting?" Sylvie asks.

  "That we think about it," I coax.

  "And what precisely is there to think about?"

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

  Her face fills with realization. "Ah! You want the throne," she smirks.

  "No, that's not it. No," I explain.

  She shakes her head. "I don't believe you."

  "Sylvie, the universe is in balance, everything we know to be true. Everything. I know the TVA has hurt us both, but what if by taking him out, we risk unleashing something even worse? All I'm suggesting is we just take a minute to think about it. I promise you from my heart this isn't about a throne."

  She shakes her head, her eyes burning. "What was I thinking trusting you?" I sigh. "Has this whole thing been a con? I mean how does Y/n even like you-"

  I hold my heart. "Really? That's what you think of me? After all this time, you think that I would do something like that to you and Y/n? Sure, why not?" My eyes burn. "Evil Loki's master plan comes together. Well, you never trusted me, did you? What was the point?"

  I sniffle, holding myself together. "Can't you see? This is bigger than our experience."

  She shakes her head once more. "Why aren't we seeing this the same way?"

  "Because you can't trust... and I can't be trusted," I say simply, still trying to hold myself together.

  "Then I guess we're in a pickle."

  "Sylvie, wait," I pant. "Wait."

  She jabs toward me as I dodge, bringing my dagger up and slashing towards her as a way to defend myself.

  I wasn't going to kill her. I couldn't. She's me, and I'm her. We understand each other, there weren't many people you could say that about.

  She continues slashing at me as I slash back. She eventually throws magic at me, pushing me back into a bookshelf with a grunt. I flip my hair out of my face, seeing her stalk towards the man.