The Choice- A Lokius Fanfiction

Eight

The group walked with the mysterious man into his office, taking their seats before the desk.

"What's your name?" Loki asks.

"Oh, I've been called many things. A traveler, a conqueror, a scientist...a jerk. But I guess my current title is He Who Remains." He said, sitting back in his chair.

"So you're the man who created the TVA?" Sylvie says with a chuckle. "To be honest, I expected more."

It clicked in Loki's head then, what Ravonna had said. Natalie Richards...

"Nathaniel." Loki says, looking the man dead in the eyes. "Nathaniel Richards."

"Where did you hear that name?" He asked, caught off guard.

"I've met your variant." Loki says.

"Who's his variant?" Sylvie asks.

"Ravonna." Loki answers.

"Ravonna?" Mobius says in shock. "How?"

"So, you've discovered she is my variant. But did she mention our... forbidden partnership?" He asks. "Long story short, it's best not to get... romantically involved with a version of yourself, no matter how beautiful and marvelous they may be."

"Why did she take me?" Sylvie asks. "Why did you have her take me from my home? From everything I've ever known?"

"Because it was my plan. You never had free will, it was all part of my plan. Everything you've every done, every word, I scripted it out. I paved the road to where you are now, all of you."

"Why?" Loki asks.

"I watched countless scenarios, endless outcomes, and only one ended the way I wanted." He answered. "And even then, it can only end one of two ways. You kill me, set free the entire multiverse and all my variants, bringing about another multiversal war, at the end of which I still end up here at the end. Or, you take my place, holding all of reality together, the new Gods and Goddess of Reality."

Loki and Sylvie shared a look, he knew which path she might be most likely to take, and he was praying she would change her mind. Little did he know she had changed her mind long ago.

"Well, it's obvious what path we need to take." Classic Loki says.

"That's right." Kid Loki agreed. "Right, Lokis?"

"What path is that?" Loki asks, uncertain.

"Replace him." Classic Loki says.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" He says. "The job's not as easy as it looks, guys."

"It's better than a multiversal calamity, is it not?" Sylvie says.

"Ha, the once selfish, vengeful little princess has grown a heart!" He exclaims in surprise.

"Oh, piss off." Sylvie grumbled.

"Well, isn't this a perfect ending? I had thought we'd end up in the scenario where you kill me and everything goes to shit."

"I'm tired of running with no purpose." Sylvie says. "Ironically, I ran right into my glorious purpose. Family."

"Well said, Sylvie." He Who Remains says. "Boy, I can't wait for that retirement. Haven't seen the beach in ages, maybe we can take the Jet Skis out for a spin someday."

"Sounds awesome." Mobius says with a grin.
"But first we need to get back to the TVA."

"Ah, that will be no problem at all." He said, picking up his tempad and opening a time door back to the TVA. "See you soon, everyone."

"Oh, one thing." Sylvie says. "Permission to prune your variant?"

"Ha, permission granted." He says with a chuckle.

With that, Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie walked through the time door back into the TVA, ready to give some free will back to the multiverse...