Temptation

Giving in to temptation...

"OB? Mobius? Where are you?" Loki called out, suddenly aware they'd wandered far further than ever anticipated.

From the outside, the building looked dilapidated and almost ready to fall down. Now, wandering the halls, he realised that it was all just an illusion. The walls, the floor; all polished black marble flecked with gold.  A darkly ominous air pervaded everything.

Where WAS she? Together with Classic, they searched the gloom, struggling to see anything. With a shrug, he held out a hand and clicked his fingers, not really expecting... whoa! It worked! So magic worked here, if not in the TVA itself, eh? They looked at each other briefly and exchanged knowing glances. A small green ball of energy floated above his fingers, lighting the way.

Now, with more ease, they could move forward through the rooms.  Still no sign of their companions or of their quarry.

A room at the far end of the corridor caught Loki's eye.  A glow from underneath the door indicating life. Pointing at it, Classic motioned he would stay put as backup.  Loki nodded and walked slowly, carefully, his polished TVA shoes making more - and unwelcome - noise on the marble than his fine Asgardian leather boots would ever have done.  He winced with every step, but no one appeared.

Opening the door slowly, the room appeared to be empty.  Of life that was. It was well furnished with chairs and rugs and a fire burning in a large stone fireplace, the gold in the walls and floor glittering.

He cautiously walked further in, nerves like a coiled spring.

What was that? He spun on his heel as a sword materialised in his hand. For a moment, nothing.  Then, slowly, as his eyes accustomed to the shaddows that danced around him, he heard the sound again.  Laughter.  Soft, mocking laughter.

Her laughter.

As he watched, almost as if a curtain was falling, the scene played out in front of him.

Sylvie sat behind the desk, OB on his knees beside her, wrists bound with industrial looking tape.  Mobius sat head in his hands, looking at the body on the floor.

Kang.  Victor Timely. He Who Remains. It made no odds what name you used.

He was dead.

"Oh Sylvie, what have you done?" He lowered the sword, feeling the air rushing from his lungs. All their efforts had been in vain.  They'd only been apart a matter of minutes. How had this happened.

"You underestimated me, Loki, that was your big mistake." She stood and walked over, looking down at the prone figure. "As did he.  Now, he realises the error.  Now, he is out of time." She shrugged. "They tried to stop me. Even OB..." she turned and helped him to his feet, cutting the tape around his wrists with a dagger she produced seemingly from thin air.

OB rubbed his wrists, turning to Loki. "I'm sorry, I tried, I really did. She had Mobius cornered. It was hand over Victor, or Mobius died.  I had no choice..."

"You would REALLY have killed Mobius?" Loki turned and looked at her incredulously. Was she THAT cold?

Sylvie looked at them for a moment and shook her head.  "You really think so little of me? Of COURSE I wouldn't. It was the only thing I could think of at the time." She huffed a little, and Loki groaned.

"Oh Sylvie, your revenge? Your so-called justice? Will be the end of us all.  He was the only one who was able to keep the timelines straight. The loom will fail again and this time? This time there will be nobody to repair it."

"Can't HE do it?" She pointed at OB.  "He wrote the bloody manual after all."

"No!" OB shook his head. "It's beyond anything I've ever done.  Victor made it, and only Victor could repair it."  He walked over and put a hand on Mobius's shoulder. "We should get back to the TVA. This place is going to get pretty hairy. We're on the periphery of time here. It will be the first to go."

The words had barely left his mouth when there was a movement to their left.  As they watched, the wall next to them seemed to turn into nothing more than black and gold spaghetti.

Mobius, OB, and Loki leapt back in horror.  Sylvie just looked at it, morbidly fascinated by the swirling strings. 

She didn't even move when they moved to the door, urging her to come with them.

"Sylvie. Please. You have to come with  us..." Loki pleaded, hands outstretched. "Please, Sylvie, we need you..." he took a breath, something inside of him taking over, "I need you."

She turned suddenly, snapping into the reality of the situation. Fear in her eyes, she called out, "Loki......" As he watched, she looked at her feet and clamped a hand to her mouth. "Loki....I'm sorry. I'm so sorry....."

Loki turned away. He couldn't bear to see her final moments.  He closed his eyes and held himself rigid, just as he had as a child when something scared him.

Mobius dragged him away. "Come on, there's nothing you can do now.  She's gone Loki, she's gone."

OB pulled out a Tempad, dialled a combination, and a door opened. "Come on, we have to go. NOW!"

As he spoke, the rest of the room started to 'spaghettify'.  The four of them stepped through the portal.  As they emerged on the other side, alarms sounded, and people ran for their lives. The TVA was crumbling.

Quite literally, falling to pieces.  This time, there was no fluid spaghetti. This time, the walls, the floors, everything they assumed were solid and impervious, were turning to dust.

"Quick! With me!" OB indicated a side corridor, leading to ....

"Where does this go?" Mobius asked breathlessly as they jogged down the corridor. 

"I have absolutely no... wait! Yes, yes, I do know....but this is the...." Poor OB was confused.

"How do you know this is the first time you've been here? If it is, then how did you know it was here?"  Loki asked, feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

OB stopped, momentarily considering. "I have no clue, but I'm pretty sure you were involved!" He pointed with certainty at all of them. "Yes, yes, I remember now. You came and told me that when the TVA crumbles, use the service corridor to the main control room. We can put the plan into action from there...."

Mobius shook his head. "I know you're not lying OB, but I have no idea what the actual HELL you're talking about."

Classic Loki looked at all of them, a knowing smile playing at his lips. "And what makes you think this is the first time OB has faced this situation?"

They all turned and looked at him as if he were mad.

"And what's more? He wasn't alone, and he wasn't the one who worked out what now needs to be done."

Now they really DID think he was mad.  With a fear that gripped him to his soul, Loki turned to him,

"Please don't say what I think you're about to say...."