Temptation

Beginnings...

"Well, that was easy!" OB turned to Mobius and Loki, "We're just here and our job is done! Time to go home...."

"Whoa there cowboy!" Sylvie turned and looked at him, hands on hips. "What do you mean 'go home' and why do I think that was meant to include me?" her voice dripped poison. "I'm going nowhere until I get my revenge."

OB looked at Mobius, who looked at Loki, who shrugged. "Me? Why have I got to tell her?" he turned to Classic "You're the oldest, you do it!"

Classic Loki smiled, his eyes still glittered with mischief, even after all this time and his face, although lined and careworn still glowed with the excitement of a challenge. He turned to Sylvie. "Now, look, it's all a matter of perspective. Would you rather go for your revenge as you call it and cause the end of all time, or, come home with us and just enjoy the time we can give you back?"

"Smug aren't you?" she taunted petulantly. "It's not you that's been on the run for all these years. It's not you that's had to live by her wits. What I wouldn't do for a burger and a coke. Do you have ANY idea the last time I ate anything that wasn't either raw, tasted like sawdust or just plain made my insides want to be outsides?" she scowled and crossed her arms.

"Now now, don't be like that." Classic thought he was onto a winner. "How about we go back and get you that burger. With cheese....." he grinned and she looked at him as if she was contemplating the warm burger, the dripping cheese, the tangy relish..... "And there will be fries... lots of fries...."

Suddenly she shook her head as if clearing it. "How do YOU know about all this, you.... you.. big green ... grasshopper!!" she stomped off "You can't enchant me! I'm too clever!" she threw herself down on a mossy clump and sat, chin resting on her knees, sulking.

This time Loki tried. He waved the others back and walked over to her. Sitting down carefully, he smiled tentatively. "What do YOU want." she scowled, looking at him. "What could you possibly say I'd want to hear...." this time, there was no scowl. This time there was just a look of defeat. "I've tried everything else. The only way is to kill..." she shivered and stopped, tired of ranting the same old rant, feeling the same old loss. Loss of her existence, her right to a happy life. To love.

Loki looked at her and instantly saw himself, before Eva. Lost, scared, self-centred, more than a touch arrogant and very, VERY lonely. But she wasn't him, was she? Despite Mobius calling her a variant, she was someone quite separate. Yes, she was technically a "loki" but Sylvie had been alone for so many years, not even a Thor or an Odin to spar with, she'd become her own person. Her own, lonely person. She needed what they'd all needed. A hug.

"It's ok Sylvie, really it is. We don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you. I... here..." he flicked his wrist and a soft blanket appeared around them. "I might be a Jotun but I know you feel the cold, so here..." he pulled it close to her and she smiled. Actually smiled. As she did so, something in her eyes changed. From outright hate to... what was that exactly? "I just want you to be ok Sylive." he said softly, and she smiled, looking down at her hand where it now gripped the blanket.

The thing was, she couldn't see her hand. Not because anything was wrong, far from it. Loki had placed his over hers, squeezing softly. As she looked at it, the warmth and companionship she'd craved came flooding over her. Loki, in that one gesture, had melted what was left of her resistance. He got her. He just 'got' her. It was so unfair.

She threw the blanket off and stood up with a cry of frustration. "AAAAAAAARGHHHHHHH!" she screamed and stamped her feet. "This is so bloody unfair! AAAAAAAAAARRGGHHHHHH!" she stopped and looked at him. "You don't get to do that to me. Not now. Not ever."

Loki looked at her with bemused mirth, what the..? "Better now?" he asked, head on one side.

She nodded and sat back down, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry."

"Sounded like it should have been me saying that to you?" he countered, repositioning the blanket around her. She shook her head.

"No, it's just, it's been so long. Since I felt a hand, a touch, a hug..." the last word was barely audible. She looked at him and her eyes, initially full of fire and hate, now swam with emotion that threatened to overwhelm him too.

"I.. I could.. if you wanted.." he began to mutter, feeling himself drawn into the pools beside him.

"Could what.." she replied softly, never breaking the gaze.

"What?"

"This.." she pressed her lips to his and the tears rolled down their cheeks, time seemed to stand still.

Suddenly they broke apart, almost horrified. "What the HELL?" Loki said, leaping to his feet. Sylvie not milliseconds behind him.

"That was so... WRONG!" she cried out. "What were we THINKING?" they made out as if neither and yet both, had wanted it to happen. They walked about, a mirror of each other, shaking their heads and protesting about how that had been an accident and they didn't mean...

OB and Mobius, who'd watched the pantomime from the sidelines, nodded to each other, knowingly.

"Yup. Shakespeare said it best.... Methinks the Lady doth protest too much!" they laughed heartily and walked over to the other two, picking up a snoozing Classic along the way. "Come on, time to get the children to earn their stripes. You ready?" Mobius turned to the smiling older man.

"I was born ready.... as you well know Mobius!" he stood proudly, hands on hips in what on Midgard, would have been described as "Superhero" pose.

The five of them walked on, towards a large seemingly derelict building on a hill about a mile away. That was where the final battle would take place. That was where the timeline would be lost or saved. Mobius, with all his files and notes and procedures, was only sure of one thing.

Only four of them would walk back.

It remained to be seen who.