Temptation

Acceptance

"Please don't say what I think you're about to say...." Loki could barely speak.

OB looked at Classic, who nodded. "It's time."  He smiled at the irony of the statement. "Come on, we don't have long."

They could hear the shouts coming from around the building as the timeline disintegrated further.

"We need to replace the broken loom with something more permanent. Something that won't break down; that can grow and adapt."

"But that suggests either an unimaginably complex AI or something more... organic?" Loki squinted at them, "and I'm guessing you mean the latter?"

"Exactly!" OB nodded, looking pleased. "I TOLD you he'd understand." He turned to Mobius."It was all a matter of...."

"Timing?" Loki said quietly. "You needed ME to come to the conclusion, didn't you." That was not a question.

Mobius and OB looked at him, and now the laughing and joking had stopped. 

"In a way, it didn't matter whether she killed him or not. The loom was never going to last forever. We just wanted him around as long as possible to give us time to come up with a volunteer...."

"A volunteer?" Now, Loki really DID begin to see.  This had all been an elaborate setup.  By Mobius, by OB.  They needed him. They needed his power. 

"Well, the thing is..." OB began, but Mobius stopped him, laying a hand on his arm.

"Let me.  Loki, there's something you should see......." he walked to the door. "Come with me?"

They walked along the corridor, the lighting beginning to fail, and alarms sounding as they went. Hunters, in their black armour, analysts in their suits, all running to and fro in panic.  Time doors opened, and Hunters ran into and out of the TVA, trying to rescue and reset problem after problem.

All to no avail. Time was, quite literally, running out. Loki and Mobius stopped at a set of large, reinforced doors.  "Behind here, you'll see the whole picture." Mobius looked at him with sad eyes. "I never did get my jetski. But thank you for showing me there was more to life than the TVA.  The years searching for you? Not a waste, an adventure." He held out his hand to shake Loki's.

Loki stood for a moment. He shook his head, then reached out and, taking the tired and battered analyst by surprise, he hugged him.

"No. Thank YOU, my friend." He said quietly, sincerely. He pulled back, "now, let's get this show on the road."

They opened the door and walked into the control room.  The panels beside them were flashing and the screen in front of them, showed a long twisting light, made up of thousands of individual ribbons.

Loki turned to Mobius. "This is... these are.... time?" He spoke almost with a reverence he had never expected to feel.

Mobius nodded. "Yup. Awesome, just awesome." He looked out at his life's work.  "But unless we can repair it, strengthen it, meaningless."

Loki stood, the lights dancing in front of him, his face bathed in the multicoloured glow.  "It's... beautiful." He said softly. He turned to Mobius. "It needs something to anchor it together that can adapt, think, watch over it.  But something that has compassion. Not a programme or an algorithm. A.... person."

Mobius shook his head. "No, its too much for a person." He looked at Loki.
"It needs a God." His voice almost inaudible.

Loki swallowed. "It's a one way ticket ." It wasnt a question and needed no answer. 

Mobius nodded.

"Me."

He nodded again.

Loki sighed. "If only I had said goodbye properly. I loved - love - them so much. I never thought I'd have anyone to love - or be loved by in return."

Mobius patted his arm. "Maybe one day we'll find a way to bring you out. Don't lose hope. We won't let too much time pass, I promise."

They walked slowly to the doors.  Loki paused, and turning, he saw OB and Classic enter the room.  They stood, watching as he raised a hand in greeting.  Silently, Loki turned to face the exit door out to the timestream.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, bracing himself against the blast he knew would come.  "Eva, my darling, I know you can't hear me, but 
this is for you.  You and the children. I will always watch over you all. Remember, I love you more than my life."

He pressed the button to open the door without looking up. The blast roared in his ears, and the full effect of the timeline hit him.

The noise roared in his ears, and he took a step.  With the force of a freightrain, he fell back and everything went black......

When he opened his eyes, it was quiet. It was also familiar and not where he expected to EVER be.

Mobius smiled, "its ok, lay still, take a minute." He helped him sit up.

Loki looked around in a panic. "I need to get out there, I need to fix..."

"Shhhh. Calm. It's ok." OB walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Look."

As they watched, Classic Loki walked out into the timeline, his yellow and green being replaced by long flowing forrest green. His previously almost ludicrous headgear, replaced by a crown of black and gold flecked horns.  He grimaced as he pushed on through, eventually reaching the nexus. Opening his arms wide, he grasped the timelines and walked on.

The three of them stood, tears in their eyes. Not least from Loki.

"He... he did this for me?" Loki said, emotion making his voice crack.

Mobius shook his head. "No.  He did it for all of us."

It didn't take long, as they watched, the timelines twisted and grew, merging and forming new, stronger branches. As they watched, a huge glowing shape formed.  A tree, THE tree, Yggdrasil come to life.  At its heart, a brave, selfless God.  At least, a version of one.

Mobius turned to Loki. "Let's get you home."

"I can go back?" It had never really crossed his mind. With everything that had happened, he'd assumed there was no way back.

"Well, we can only try....." OB looked at them both. "After all, the Tempads worked on the old timelines, I dont know if they still work."

Loki put one hand on his shoulder, one on Mobius.  "Well, why don't we try. We have all the time in the world."