I'll Follow You To...

When You're a Stranger

Stephen sat reading in his favourite armchair, drinking a cup of green tea. The Cloak of Levitation hovered over his shoulder behind him trying to dart in and turn the page every so often.

"I'm not done with that page yet, cut it out," Stephen chastised. "I'll let you know when I'm done". The cloak waited a few more seconds impatiently moving back and forth.

"Ok, you can turn it now," the cloak darted in to turn the next page.

"I should just get you your own book, then you can turn as many pages as you want".

"Strange!" he heard a voice pleading.

When Stephen turned and saw who the voice belonged to he jumped up from his chair and dropped his book to the floor. The Cloak of Levitation wrapped itself around him and lifted him into the air.

Loki stood in the corner of the room looking far more disheveled than the last time Stephen saw him.

'Neutralise first, ask questions later', Stephen thought to himself. He moved his hands forming a glowing ring that he threw at Loki, sweeping him away.

"Please, wait !", Loki's frantic voice came again, apparently not deterred by Stephen's efforts. He threw out another portal.

"Not likely" and the second Loki disappeared within a ring of sparks.

Stephen turned and was brought up short as the real Loki appeared next to him and held onto his arms, locking him in place. The illusions had done the job of distraction, and now Loki was faced with the equally difficult task of convincing Strange to trust him. He pleaded, "I know I've done terrible, horrible , unforgivable things, and that you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but please, just hear me out. I desperately need your help. "

Stephen looked at him warily "I'll make you a deal...you let me lock you in the mirror dimension, safely away from this city, and I'll let you make your case". Loki nodded and lowered his arms, releasing the sorcerer.

Stephen then raised his hands and the room around them appeared to shatter. "That's better. Now, make this good. Thor thinks you're dead and he's very upset about it. You should see the tattoo he got in your honour... seeing as everyone else had to."

That information made Loki pause but he pushed aside thoughts of his brother for the moment. "Where do I begin? Do you know about the multiverse? ".

"Unfortunately, yes",

"Good. So, there are different versions of everyone in these other universes. "

"Yes, I've met some of mine, sadly", Stephen shuttered slightly, thinking of his variants, particularly the dead one he inhabited.

"Ok, well originally an organisation called the TVA, was pruning... um destroying other timelines before they could diverge. That's how I survived. They captured me after I caused a nexus event following the battle of New York".

Stephen listened as his view of reality was turned upside down yet again by the tale of the bureaucratic oppressive TVA and the nightmare of Loki's processing and trial, to his eventual recruitment.

"It turns out the whole thing was controlled by one man in a citadel at the end of time", Loki blurted out the next part quickly " ...and a variant and I may or may not have killed him and set off a multiversal war destined to destroy us all".

Stephen raised an eyebrow suspiciously " A variant? Whose variant?".

"Ah, mine" said Loki sheepishly.