Across All Time

Chapter 17- Making Up For Lost Time (Loki)

Okay everyone, a lot is happening in this chapter. (I will never again write fan fiction in first person)
Apologies for the long wait😭
Also, apologies for the change in style that I just noticed I had. I'm sorry if at any point this has been confusing, constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for sticking with me, and please give your opinion for the question at the end of the chapter.

"Loki?"
Upon turning around I saw him.
It was him. It was my Mobius. Or he could be mine.
There was a huge space between me standing near the middle of the room and him standing in the doorway, like an empty ocean waiting to be crossed.
He looked... like him. His hair, his face, his figure... all so familiar. It felt hard to breathe all of a sudden.
I was uncomfortably reminded of how we were just standing there starring at each other when Casey and O.B. rushed in, eyes wide. They only get a minute of my attention. Mobius and I continue to inspect each other.
Is it too late for me to throw myself across the room to him? Should I embrace him or... more.
This wasn't going as I thought it would.
Bea saved us from the silence.
"What is going on?" She demanded.
"Um..." I glanced at Mobius again, unclear on which turn of events she was confused about.
"Why did I black out like that? Why are you and Sylvie looking like you ran a marathon? Was that actually He Who Remains? And since I'm done with the soft reunion what the hell happened to you, Loki?"
I didn't know what to say.
Mobius cleared his throat, "I would also," he raised his hand a little before awkwardly putting it down, "like to know what's happening,"
He was tired.
This is when I noticed what changed about him. He was thinner, like he was at the end of recovering from an illness. He carried weight in his eyes.
I swallowed.
"Well, that's a long story," I said, pasting on a small grin.
"Good thing he gave you time," Sylvie muttered bitterly.
"Who's he?" Mobius asked.
"He Who Remains," She spit out like it was poison.
"He Who Remains? But he's- I thought Sylvie-?" O.B. cut himself off.
"Yes, and speaking of Sylvie," I said as I turned to face her, "I think she knows more then she's sharing, specifically of her little side plan?"
"Oh do you now?" She hissed.
With a grunt, Sylvie hauled herself off the ground, shaking off help from Bea. "So what if I do?"
"You could've killed me!" I accused.
"Possibly, but there was a good chance that I wouldn't and look, you're still here,"
"That's besides the point! You can't just risk my life over a grudge, you had no clue what would happen if I came back here, but you brought me anyway,"
She walked towards me threateningly, but I didn't move, not even when she grabbed the collar of my shirt.
"It's more then a fucking grudge," she spit out before letting me go. "And you didn't have to come, you could've stayed behind and been safe until your time ran out,"
She had me there. I could've stayed behind, but at the same time I knew that would've been impossible.
"You could've brought everyone there, I could've seen them there-"
"No! You couldn't have! Because I wouldn't've brought them! I'm already regretting brining you here, you and Mobius are grown fucking... adults, but here you are and I know exactly what kind of state you two will be in in 24 hours. And by the way, what the fuck? Because all of a sudden there is functioning time at the goddam TV fucking A!"
Mobius turned red and looked at the floor. Casey and O.B. were wide eyed and blinking.
"That's all nice, but I still don't know what's happening," Bea reminded us.
"Sylvie brought me here despite not knowing if it would physically kill me or not just for the chance to fight He Who Remains-"
"There's a lot more to that story, and it all started when you left-"
"I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE!" I shouted. "I DIDN'T- I... I wanted to save you. I didn't want to leave but I didn't want you to die. And it hurt enough that I had to watch you die about a million times before I could fix anything," I couldn't stop the tears filling up my eyes as I remembered every one of my friends being sucked away, unravelling in time.
The room was noiseless and I felt everyone's gaze on me. For once, Sylvie's gaze softened in the slightest.
"We still need to kill him," Sylvie insisted.
"Oh? Because that ended up working so well the first time? Seriously, I thought we were over this," Bea shot back.
I drew my fingers through my hair. This was repetitive and painful and I didn't have time for it. I really didn't have time for it.
"She right, to some degree," I offered. "There's something wrong about He Who Remains. And I do need to explain myself. Could we... I don't know, get some food first. I've eaten exactly twice since this all started,"
Bea nodded kindly. "Yes, of course,"
"We can go to our regular cafeteria," Casey added.
Everyone else nodded, including Mobius who still looked like he was wondering if I was real.