⟬𝟯.𝟮⟭ 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ➣ {𝕝•𝕝} ❘ [𝕷𝖔𝕶𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗]

╰┈➤ ❝ [𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴] ❞

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Sylvie was trying to find a place that would give her some time with her thoughts, but somehow she wandered into the pie room, much to her disappointment.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sylvie groaned in frustration.

"Ah, fancy seeing you here," you gave her a plain smile, turning around at her arrival.

"I took a wrong turn. I didn't plan on coming to pie land," Sylvie replied with a deadpan. A set of footsteps followed and Loki too entered the room.

"Say it then," Sylvie looked from you to Loki, knowing that the tension was growing in the room and you and Loki were itching to speak about her yelling at the two analysts.

Loki slipped his hands into the pocket of his coat, "About Mobius and Beulla, they're just trying to see in the dark like the rest of us," he came to a stop beside you, close enough that both your shoulders were touching each other, "And so we're clear, we asked for your help and you walked away."

"Just so we're clear, no, I didn't. I'm here, aren't I? Again!"

"Sylvie, you're only here because you couldn't kill him," you crossed your arms in front of your chest, "And you keep tailing him and keep an eye on him so that you can soothe your conscience that wanted to kill him. You're here because you want to. No one forced you,"

"Yeah, I couldn't kill him," Sylvie raised and dropped her hands at her sides in admission, "Couldn't do it. Timely just looked so scared. He Who Remains wasn't scared. Maybe he was, and I just didn't notice,"

"Some years ago, my brother was banished from Asgard and sent to Earth," Loki began, "And when he came back, he was different. Changed somehow. I thought it was weakness. I mocked him. Said he'd gone soft. But now I am beginning to understand him," his delicate gaze set on the side of your face, but you were too busy scowling at Sylvie.

"Soft gets you killed," Sylvie spoke sharply, making him look back at her.

"Listen, Sylvie, you spared Timely's life, and because of that, the TVA and those timelines will survive," Loki spoke, "Those people will survive. You spared their lives, too."

"You're putting a lot of faith in those three back there," Sylvie shook her head, "Don't forget Dox. She's part of the TVA. All those dead branches, those dead people, that's the TVA's fault,"

"What about those branches that are still living? That's because of Mobius, Beulla, and B-15. And those guys back there, O.B. and Casey."

"What if you're wrong? What if you are wrong to believe that this place can be any better? What if I was wrong to spare him? It would just be easier to burn this place down and start from scratch,"

"Sure. Burn it down. Easy," Loki nodded, "Annihilating is easy. Razing things to the ground is easy. Trying to fix what's broken is hard. Hope is hard."

"Okay, so Timely can save the TVA," Sylvie pondered.

"Then, we hope that the TVA turns into something good," you offered, "Then, we hope that Timely doesn't turn into He Who Remains or someone worse. And definitely not into the hands of Goddess of Destruction,"

"That's a lot of hoping," Sylvie gave you both a look, "I didn't have either of you down for optimists,"

"This is the best and only option we have," you pointed out.

"So, you're gonna bring him behind the curtain, show him all of this, and then just send him home?"

"Maybe that's a good thing. We can watch him, protect him," Loki shrugged.

"Interfere for good. Heard that one before," Sylvie gave a snarky look.

You let out a long sigh, "You can't give people free will and then just walk away, Sylvie. That's not how it works. The very idea of free will is an illusion of control,"

"Now, for better or for worse, the timelines are free. It's up to us to protect them. It's up to us to do better than He Who Remains," Loki added.

Sylvie seemed unsure as she looked from you to Loki, "Sounds like whatever we do, we're playing God,"

Loki took a few steps forward, stopping in front of her, "We are gods,"

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