TVA Case: Loki's Daughter

Chapter 8: Loki, Soren, and Mobius Part 2

"We need to go to the evidence room real quick, now that we know the variant is hiding in apocalypses," Mobius said. They entered the room together, and Mobius retrieved the box and opened it. He pulled out the candy, and Soren tilted her head slightly, asking, "Kablooie?"

"It's candy. Don't you guys have candy where you come from?" Mobius questioned.

"We have grapes, nuts," Loki answered.

"Not into sweets," Soren replied.

"No wonder you guys are so bitter," Mobius remarked.

"Actually, I'll be right back. I have a call," Soren excused herself.

Loki looked a little concerned and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Huh, yeah, I just need to take this," Soren walked away to a private room, ensuring there were no mice or cameras present. She scanned the room for any signs of surveillance.

"What's going on, Alta?" Soren asked.

"Your suspicions are correct. I found a bunch of files about this place," Alta said. "A lot of TVA agents are Variants themselves. The one you're looking for has been accessing memories."

"Interesting," Soren remarked.

"There's more. Ravonna has an encrypted file that I think relates to the timekeepers. I managed to break it open, and it reveals a powerful individual controlling the flow of time. I also secretly went through Ms. Minutes. There's a vast amount of information here, and it's overwhelming to go through."

"So, you think the entire time flow is a sham?" Soren inquired.

"Based on my research and findings, freeing the timeline and eliminating this one individual would address most of the problems. However, there could be an infinite number of such individuals. It would require an extremely neutral entity to manage everything," Alta explained.

Soren pondered for a moment, but suddenly, her nose started to bleed. She touched her nose and looked down at her gloved hand. (Already? I just had a shot before I got here.) "Soren?" Alta expressed concern. Soren ended the call as a ringing sound echoed in her ears, and she was overcome with excruciating pain. She began to breathe heavily, leaning over the table, attempting to endure the agony. (I'll need another shot to calm this down, but I can't move. The pain is too intense.)

Loki enters the room that she walked to. He sees her hunched over the table coughing badly, he quickly rushes over to her.

"Soren? Are you okay?" Loki asks, Soren shakes her head, "No..." Loki looked more concerned than normal. He sees that it's blood with purple spicks in it. He grabs a chair and has her sit in it patting her back; he sees her veins bludging. "Get the pen, it's... in my... right leg compartment. Just press on it," Soren instructed, her voice strained. Loki followed her instructions and pressed down on the compartment, revealing three syringe-like shots. He selected one and held it in his hand. Soren pushed herself up, her determination evident. "Are you strong enough to inject me with it?" she asked. Loki glanced down at the syringe, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped her shoulder. The material of her suit shifted, creating a small opening on her chest. With careful aim, he inserted the syringe, released the medication, and swiftly withdrew it. The suit seamlessly closed, leaving no trace of the procedure. Soren placed her hand over her chest, feeling the effects of the medication, and slowly settled back into the chair.

"Are you sick?" Loki asked, his voice filled with sadness.

"It's a long story..." Soren sighed, her expression weary.

"For how long has this been going on?" Loki inquired. He glanced at her, his eyes reflecting his concern.

"About a few years," Soren answered, meeting his gaze. "Hey... don't worry about this. Besides, you mentioned that you might not be able to return, which I think would be for the best. I'm just worried about Mom," she reassured him.

"What do you mean by that?" Loki pressed, sensing there was more to Soren's words.

Soren nodded, her voice tinged with ambiguity. "It's nothing. I'm going to be okay."

Loki knew there were deeper layers to Soren's condition that she was concealing. (So many unanswered questions: Why is she worried about her mother? Why is she downplaying her own health? Are they no longer close? How serious is her illness? And what is that small purple substance she mentioned? Perhaps this family needs me more than I previously thought.)

Soren noticed the contemplation in Loki's eyes as her internal systems gradually stabilized.

At that moment, Mobius entered the room and observed the scattered items on the table. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"No, she's unwell," Loki replied.

"I'm not unwell. I'll be fine," Soren retorted, her tone tinged with anger.

"Ill? How?" Mobius questioned, his confusion evident. "Soren, you need to tell us what's happening to you," he urged. "It's nothing. I can still handle this," Soren insisted. Loki's annoyance grew, and with more authority in his voice, he interjected, "Now, Soren."

Soren finally relented and opened up, her voice filled with resignation. "Back on the ark when Asgard was destroyed, my mother didn't know she was pregnant. Thanos invaded the ship and had the Power Stone in his gauntlet. He used Mother as leverage against you for the Tesseract. He used the Power Stone on Mom, but she absorbed a substantial amount of its energy, and it transferred to me. I didn't start experiencing issues until I faced something stronger than myself. The other power I possess, the one I was born with, is disintegrative and forceful. Somehow, I unlocked the power of the Power Stone, and it has been a problem ever since. Taking on dangerous assignments worsened my condition. I've been doing everything I can to find a solution, but nothing has worked so far," Soren explained, her disappointment evident.

Loki ran his hands through his hair, pacing around the room, lost in thought.

"Soren, I'm truly sorry for what you've been through," Mobius responded empathetically.

"I can endure," Soren declared.

"Endure? Are you mad, Soren? This isn't something to be ignored," Loki retorted.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to be a father? Why act concerned now?" Soren fired back, her words laced with bitterness.

Loki glared at her, at a loss for words.

"Come on, let's not argue about this. It won't help us in any way. If Soren believes she can continue, let her," Mobius intervened, trying to calm the tension.

Loki's expression turned to disappointment. "And have her keep harming herself or worse? I may not be your future father from your timeline, but in strange twists of fate, we are still technically connected. I should have a say. Your well-being is my concern," he asserted.

Mobius stepped in to mediate, attempting to find a compromise. "How about this: Soren, you will stay here in case the variant shows up, while Loki and I go to the location where the variant is most likely hiding. The candy leads us to an apocalyptic event in Alabama in 2050. Does that sound like a better plan?" Mobius proposed.

"Fine, I'll stay," Soren agreed, accepting the arrangement.

Loki nodded, acknowledging the decision.

"Good. Let's get started," Mobius concluded, determined to proceed with their mission.