Family is for all time, always [1]

Hostage Situation

~~~Loki's pov~~~

I ran through the time door and ended up back in the locker room at the TVA.

The TVA? Why are we back here?

Shaking off my confusion, I started to chase after the variant in the direction I thought she went when I heard someone follow me through the time door.

I closed my eyes in resignation, knowing for a fact who it was.

And just like that, the moment I turned around, I saw Linda.

"What are you doing here? It isn't safe." Panic laced my voice as my eyes went wide.

She was only a child, and this variant didn't seem like the friendly type. I left her behind at Roxxcart for a reason! I don't want her getting hurt. Or worse.

"You have to go back." I looked around for a second, trying to find a Tempad to send her back.

"No, I'm staying here. I'm going to help you." She crossed her arms, persistent.

Does this small child just have no sense of fear?

"You're right. You are staying here. Right here. Do not leave this room. I'll come back for you when I know it's safe." I said, praying that she would listen.

"Fine." She groaned sadly and sat on one of the orange benches that were in the room.

I chuckled, shaking my head. She was adorable; I couldn't deny that.

Still keeping an eye on her, I went over to the lockers and grabbed my daggers. I was going to need these.

That decision was obviously a good one as I ran out into the hallway and was immediately greeted by minutemen's bodies.

Lovely.

Upon rounding the next corner, I saw the variant by a set of golden doors. The doors to the time-keepers.

And now that we were in better lighting, I could see her more clearly.

She had short blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a suit similar to mine and had the classic horns adorning her forehead, but the right one was broken off.

Are we sure she's a Loki? Other than the eyes, I don't see much of a resemblance.

"Step away from the doors, and we'll talk about this." I tried to reason with her, keeping the daggers hidden behind my back.

There's no reason for this to get violent.

"Hmmm, I don't think so." She shook her head, her voice sarcastically annoyed.

I guess that's one similarity between us.

"Okay, then. I'll just have to stop you myself." I revealed my daggers, one in each hand.

"I don't think you're in any place to be making threats." She said, stepping aside, revealing a terrified Linda behind her.

No. No, no, no. This isn't happening.

How did she even get her?! I thought she'd be safe in the locker room...

"Let her go," I demanded, my heart rate quickening by the second and my breath more erratic when I saw the fear in Linda's eyes.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the variant pulled out a sword and held it to her neck.

Linda looked at me through tear-filled eyes. I understood that she'd never been this scared before.

Or maybe she had. There was a look of familiarity in her eyes that I couldn't quite comprehend.

This had gone too far.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to maintain some kind of calm in this situation.

"To kill the time-keepers. The time-keepers who are just on the other side of this door. So, let me do my job, and the little girl walks free."

As I looked at the young girl's tear-stricken face, I knew there was only one option.

"Fine. I'll let you go through with your plan. Just don't hurt her." I dropped my daggers on the floor slowly with a loud clang.

Accepting my terms, variant dropped her sword as well, and Linda ran over to me.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, hugging her tightly when she finally made it over to me.

Much to my relief, she shook her head.

I can even describe the weight that was lifted off my chest when she denied it.

She was okay.

"Promise me. Whatever happens, you'll stay back." I looked her straight in the eyes, my hands on her shoulders.

She paused for a moment, but eventually nodded, even though I could still see the hesitation in her eyes.

I turned to the variant, and during the fight that followed, I am ashamed to admit, it ended with the variant's sword almost slitting my throat.

"Don't hurt him!" I saw Linda crying at the end of the hallway. She was really afraid something would happen to me.

My only question was, why did she care? At most, I was just her mother's friend, if that. What makes me so important?

That's when Catherine and Mobius showed up along with Renslayer and a group of minutemen.

I silently thanked any gods that were listening that Linda was safe. Her mother was here now.

"Come any closer, and I'll kill him." The variant threatened, tightening her grip on her sword and pressing the side of the blade into my collarbone.

"Got for it." Renslayer nodded.

"No! Ravonna, we can't let her kill him!" Catherine protested.

While this a lovely argument, I'd rather not be the bargaining chip between life and death.

The variant just rolled her eyes. "Fine. You don't care about him. But I'm sure you care about her."

Before I could register what was happening, the variant let me go and grabbed Linda again.

"No!" Catherine tried to run forward, but Mobius held her back.

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

The variant had Linda. She had my little girl.

Mobius held me back, trying to not make the situation worse, but I didn't care.

I just wanted my daughter back.

That's when I noticed Loki messing with a Tempad.

I didn't call attention to it, knowing he had a plan.

Loki stared at me, giving me a silent message.

Distract the variant.

I gave him a discreet nod and then pretended to collapse.

"What the-" The variant lowered her guard momentarily and that's when Loki made his move.

He ran towards Linda and the variant, and before opening a time door under them, he pushed Linda out of the way.

The time door opened, and Loki and the variant fell through, but Linda wasn't far enough away, and started to fall through as well.

"Mommy!" She grabbed the edge of the door, the other half of her body disappearing into the other side of the time door.

I ran over to her, but I wasn't fast enough, and she fell through.

"Linda!"