Beyla ~ (Loki)

37

The elevator door opens. Hunter B-15 enters and swings the pruning stick. Before she touches me I use the Time Twister to get myself away.

I drop to the floor on my ass. "Beyla, love, my darling. I'm so-" She's gone...

I move myself to Mobius' seat. They've gotten rid of her. I lay my head on the table letting a tear escape. How could I let this happen to her? How could I leave her alone? I look up, the Avengers picture still up and prideful. I press a button on the objection device and fast forward. There lies my mother on the floor of Asgard.

I did this?

I fast forward again seeing Odin, Thor, myself, and Beyla. "I love you, my sons." I shutter, Odin, my father, calling me a son. I fast forward again.

"This has been a long waiting time." I see myself open two doors revealing a beautiful candle-lit dinner overlooking a kingdom. "Oh before you settle." I spin Beyla around once transforming her grarbs into a long white dress that glows with the light. "This looks like a-" "Wedding dress."

"We're married." I grab her hand and kiss each knuckle. "We are. That doesn't mean I don't want to do it again, over, and over." I bend down to one knee. "Especially favoring your Midgard ways." I dip his hand into my pocket retrieving a glorious diamond ring. "This shall rest against the other. Always reminding you of my love." I slip the ring above the small band from our marriage. The one Mother performed. "You're my entire soul, Beyla, and I would do anything for you."

Fast forward again, myself and Thor are talking, "Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever." Next, A Valkery Warrior, Beyla, Thor, and I stand on the rainbow bridge.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all, brother." I smile, "Maybe not." "Thank you. If you were here, I might even give you a hug." I chuckle "I'm here."

I laugh under my breath. My brother and I actually at a civil meeting place? Never heard of. I watch as the memory fades and another begins. I see myself, my emotions thick as I debate what I am doing. I watch closely as I thrust a dagger towards Thanos, but am frozen in place by the Space Stone's power before the point could strike. I hear a cry in the back. "Beyla." I gasp seeing her so beaten and battered.

"Undying? You should choose your words more carefully." Thanos twists the dagger out of my hand with his right, then takes hold of my neck with the gauntlet and lifts me to his eye level. I struggle, kicking, as my throat is squeezed. Thanos looks at Beyla first as he increases his force on my neck. She croaks out in pain. "S-stop." In my last breath, fighting against Thanos, "you...will never be....a god."

CRACK...

I gasp out loud, holding my own throat, attempting to catch my breath. A black screen appears showing, End of File. I begin to laugh. My entire life, a lie. Never allowed to make free choice?

"What's so funny?" I turn to see Hunter B-15 holding Beyla's arm. I widen my eyes. "Beyla!" As I charge her Hunter B-15 she goes to punch, but I am faster. She catches my wrist placing one of my arms behind my back and tossing me to the table, I grab the time twister and release my collar swinging it around the Hunter's neck and using the time turner to place her elsewhere within the TVA building. I then release Beyla's neck as well dropping it to the floor.

Hunter B-15 apperars infront of us. I zap her back with the twister and send her running again from the same spot over and over and over again.

"Stop... It. Stop it! St... Stop it... It... Stop it... Stop... I... St... Sto... St..." Until one last swipe and she is gone. I turn to Beyla. Her eyes are sad and cheeks damp. I gulp shuffling my feet. "We should get out of here." She scoffs. "Be my guest." I reach for her but she brushes me away. "Not now, Loki." She turns away from me going to sit in her chair. I sit on the floor near the door running my hands over my face. "I've seen it," I mumble out just loud enough for her to hear. She turns to me confused. "Seen what?" "Everything." I stand walking to her. I plant myself on my knees in front of her, tears prickling in my eyes. "I... I saw it. My death." She crosses her arms tightly. Tears prickle out of her eyes. "This wasn't meant to happen. None of this. We we never meant to meet." I grab her hands kissing each finger. "But it did, and we're together. Then why stop it?" She places her hands on my cheeks looking directly into my soul. "You are my Loki." "And you're my Beyla. My Goddess of Bees. My wife. My love."

The door opens and Mobius enters. He walks over towards us. "Nowhere left to run." Beyla wipes her cheeks standing up. "We can't go back, can we? Back to our timelines?" Mobius drops his head slightly, showing the loss of hope. I nod, raking my fingers through my hair. "I don't enjoy hurting people. I... I don't enjoy it." Beyla takes her seat behind me, tossing her arms around my shoulders in comfort. "I do it because I have to, because I've had to."

Mobius draws near, "Okay, explain that to me." "It's part of the illusion. It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear." Mobius nods, "A desperate play for control. You do know yourself." I nod at him. Beyla's arms tighten around me. I place my hand over hers. "A villain." Beyla buries her head into my back letting tears go. "You're not. You're so much better, Loki." I chuckle lowly, I pull out the Tessaract, revealing it to everyone.

Mobius raises his eyebrows, "You try to use that?" I nod, "Oh, several times. Even an Infinity Stone is useless here." "The TVA blocks everything and anything." I toss the tesseract to Beyla, "The TVA is formidable."

Mobius nods, "That's been my experience. Listen, I can't offer you salvation, but maybe I can offer you something better." Both Beyla and I raise our brows. Beyla takes my hand, "I'm with you. Always."

Mobius continues, "A fugitive Variant's been killing our Minutemen." I scoff with humor, "And you need the God of Mischief and The Goddess of Bees to help you stop him?" Mobius nods, "That's right."

Beyla stands, "Why us? Why him? Hmm?" Mobius looks at her as she stands in front of me protectively. His eyes drift behind her to me. He sighs, "The Variant we're hunting is... you." I stand walking beside Beyla. "I beg your pardon?" Beyla narrows her eyes, "There is two of him?" Beyla looks me over, her eyes widening as she processes the thought, "Oh, Gods."

~

1858 Salina, Oklahoma

Four Minutemen follow through the time doors into the land. One of the hunters leans down examining the orange glowing shovel lodged in the ground. "Time signature is early third millennium. Definitely anachronistic." Another hunter runs his hands over the ground, sniffing their hand seconds after, "Oil. I think some jackass found himself a time machine, came back here to get rich."

"Should we fan out and look for him, sir?" "Nah. It's not worth the paperwork. Just prune it. Let's bail. Set a charge." The hunter states as they are ready to leave. One hunter stops them all, "Wait! Someone's out there." In the shadows of the land stands a hooded figure watching them.

The four of them power up their weapons ready to prune. They near the target, but the hooded figure pulls out a lantern. They drop it causing a large fire to spread around them, catch each Hunter on fire. As they burn the figure steals the reset charge, disappearing and leaving them to burn to a crisp.