Loki: The God of Magic

[ShadowScion626]

Yeah, but if he's in the t v a won't his magic not work?

Click to shrink...

That was before he ate a celestial. Technically speaking, he doesn't use magic anymore, he basically is just a giant mass of magic thats manifesting into a physical avatar to control. He's made the jump from physical being to energy being and that energy happens to be the magical energy of Seider. I imagine his powers won't shut off now for the same reason why in canon he didn't revert back to Jotun form despite illusion/shape shifting magic supposedly being blocked.

 

[Saethyr]

which they would not get. I

Click to shrink...

Cuts off.

 

[Bigreader]

Yeah, but wouldn't that mean that he can't even enter the space?The t v a governs. I mean, you don't see any other cosmic beings stopping the t v a.

 

[marsolino]

thanks for the chapter

 

[SkyNeves]

"Why haven't you?" Thor retorted, all good humor gone. "It was not your secret to keep."

Click to shrink...

Yep, try to get out of this one you sucky parent, wait till we get to the Hela secret, or the mural and ceiling.

And we reached the first movie. This is just the pilot chapter with some parts refurbished to fit the changes in the lore.

Click to shrink...

Wow we're in MCU timeline so Hulk is either being a think or just been a thing, Iron man is coming soon and things are moving to Midgard.

He should have known better than to intrude on this timeline.

Click to shrink...

I'm trying to guess who this is but I'm failing. SOMEONE HELP ME!

Yeah, but if he's in the t v a won't his magic not work?

Click to shrink...

normal magic maybe but he's basically made out of cosmic energy at this point, just converts it to his type of magic if I'm not mistaken... He did dine in planets and celestials.

 

[8ightbit]

Yeah, but if he's in the t v a won't his magic not work?

Click to shrink...

he's essentially a celestial compressed into the size of a human and made entirely out of energy rather than flesh and blood.. so i doubt it..

 

[Kristoff Umber]

That was before he ate a celestial. Technically speaking, he doesn't use magic anymore, he basically is just a giant mass of magic thats manifesting into a physical avatar to control. He's made the jump from physical being to energy being and that energy happens to be the magical energy of Seider. I imagine his powers won't shut off now for the same reason why in canon he didn't revert back to Jotun form despite illusion/shape shifting magic supposedly being blocked.

Click to shrink...

Even before he ate Tiamut and killed that other celestial that destroyed the original Aesir planet (I forget, did he eat that one too?), I had figured he kinda turned himself into a pseudo-celestial when he transmuted himself into purely seidr. But I agree that the whole "no magic" rule shouldn't apply to him since that's his body, it'd be like saying a normal person was suddenly unable to punch someone in front of them when in the TVA.

 

[Avalon Du Lac]

Even before he ate Tiamut and killed that other celestial that destroyed the original Aesir planet (I forget, did he eat that one too?), I had figured he kinda turned himself into a pseudo-celestial when he transmuted himself into purely seidr. But I agree that the whole "no magic" rule shouldn't apply to him since that's his body, it'd be like saying a normal person was suddenly unable to punch someone in front of them when in the TVA.

Click to shrink...

Loki is literally made out of pure energy, and not a small amount at that. He has the power of two Celestials, and the energy obtained by converting the entirety of a planet into Seidr (and as Einstein proved, that is going to be a LOT of energy). If Loki loses his magic upon stepping foot into the TVA, then I imagine he would instantly explode with enough force to vaporize the TVA, after all physically the TVA agents are just normal humans and they die fairly easily. At which point whatever device is used to shut down magic will probably be destroyed and Loki would reform in the shattered ruins that used to be the TVA.

 

[some one]

you don't see any other cosmic beings stopping the t v a.

Click to shrink...

Presumably because none of them give even the slightest shit about them since in the cosmic scale they are joke

 

[Samael61]

I shared 4 pilot chapters for my stories in this link in Questionable Questing. They include : Mortal Considerations - Hela X Original Male Character, Percy Jackson and the Powers of the Unholy Triangle - Percy Jackson with Bill Cipher's powers, End of Days - Doomsday in Invincible Universe, which I already posted under its own thread, and the Many Heroes : MHA x League of Legends. You can check them to see what we have going for the future.

 

[ErrorError123]

No chapter for this, this week?

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Asgard

"We never wanted you to feel different," his father said, meeting his eyes.

"I visited dozens of civilizations across the cosmos. Those that cared about the matters of adoption all agreed that the children must be made aware at a young age that they were adopted for mental health."

He already knew what he was and did not have the issues that came with a late revelation. Had he, his wrath would have been a terrible thing to behold.

"Yet you turned out well," Odin said. Better than well, he was adored by the public as a creator, whereas Thor was seen as a defender.

"Because I was always more mature than my peers. Otherwise, I would not be taking this so well."

"The book," Odin said, snatching a leather-bound tome from his desk, one that certainly did not belong there. "The one on child-rearing. Is this your work too?"

Loki chuckled beneath his fist. "I thought it might give you some inspiration."

The book was laden with a spell that would always return it to his father, no matter what.

Frigga left her seat, pulling her sons down to cup their faces, her eyes glinting with unshed tears. "I am so proud of you both. A mother could not ask for better children."

"We love you too, Mother," they said at the same time, each hugging her on one side.

"It appears you were correct once more, my dear." Odin was smiling at the sight, still wondering how everything had turned out so well.

"The other matter I called you concerns Laufey. Somehow, he has received a recording of the moment I took you from the temple."

Loki huffed. "He will most likely use it to bargain for either me or the casket." There was no other reason Laufey would ever visit Asgard.

"That is what we fear as well."

"Why fear? He can't afford a war, not when Asgard is stronger than ever. And if he thinks he can take my brother by force, I will not spare him like you did," Thor said, hand on Mjolnir.

"There will be no war." Odin glared at his eldest. "Yet, giving Laufey an excuse does not sit well with me."

"It is an excuse if he can hold it against you. If not, then Laufey is just humiliating himself," he spoke. His birth father was a fool to even think of using that recording.

The one that sent it, for whatever reason, is an even greater one.

"What do you propose?" his father asked.

"Simply tell Asgard the truth of my birth."

"Our sons," Frigga patted them on the shoulders, "are beloved by the people. They would not hesitate to go to war for their princes."

"You are correct. I suppose my fears stem from something else."

"What would that be?" Thor asked, nose twitching. He still hadn't exposed the truth about Hela, but his patience was running thin.

"Nothing of concern for now." Odin dismissed the question.

"I will make the announcement."

—
​

The Allfather's sight was projected all across both Asgards.

"People of the Realm Eternal. I speak to you this day to reveal a secret I have kept for far too long. At the end of the war against the Jotnar, I discovered a child abandoned in the temple…"

The citizens' reaction to learning their bright prince, who had given so much to Asgard, was the son of Laufey, King of Jotunheim, who wanted to leverage his existence as a bargaining chip, was to march to the palace, chanting Loki's name in support.

They left the Tenth Realm in droves, crowding the entry points. The Einherjar had taken the front, holding a rhythm with their weapons to the screams of the masses.

Loki appeared before the crowd, waving his hands. It fueled their cheers. The citizens began to throw flowers at his feet and a not-so-insignificant amount of undergarments with suggestive messages from unwed ladies.

He knew how the people would react.

He couldn't wait to see Laufey's face after realizing he had only embarrassed himself by trying to leverage his former existence as a Jotun.

—
​

Laufey arrived swiftly in Asgard. d. The morning of the day after the announcement, the Bifrost brought him to Asgard. d.

He was imposing.

Red eyes, blue skin, and marks that clearly bound them when he was a creature of flesh and blood. His golden pauldron, faulds, bracelets, and headpiece were all he wore. He was every part of what the Aesir expected the King of Jotunheim to be.

He had brought twenty more Jotnar with him, along with his son and heir, Helblindi, Loki's half-brother.

"The Allfather greets me at the door. How generous."

"Do you not do the same to your guests, Laufey?"

"You know what I came for. Your Gatekeeper must have told you as much."

"He has. Come, we shall speak inside."

—
​

The Allfather sat on the throne, silencing the murmurs. Laufey stood before him, unbending as a pillar.

"Odin Allfather, you have stolen from me," Laufey said, suddenly acting all theatrical.

Loki rolled his eyes, trying to think of a reason to not blast this fool to dust. Or better yet, erase him from existence so there wouldn't be a diplomatic crisis.

"Oh? And what is it that I stole, King Laufey?" his father asked, playing the game for the sake of public opinion.

Laufey's index finger slowly rose, pointing at Loki. "My youngest son."

He glanced at him for a moment, lips quivering, and turned around.

"The son you abandoned in a temple?" Odin said, narrowing his one good eye.

"He was merely left there for protection."

"Yet there were no caretakers around, no guards. That temple was abandoned."

"By fools who shirked their duty. They died for it."

He was about to leave, but the back and forth between the two was quite vexing.

"There is a simple way to solve this."

"What is it, my son?" Laufey asked, smirking.

Loki shuddered. He raised a finger, and everyone except Laufey froze in their places. Unblinking and unmoving, time had stopped at that moment. Chests did not rise; the misty breath of the Jotnar brought by Laufey was hanging in the air.

Even Odin was frozen as he was raising Gungnir, ready to silence the murmurs of the crowd.

He appeared before the King of Jotunheim, hands around his throat, forcing him down to his knees. "You call me that again, and I am going to transform you into a worm and leave you on a pond in Midgard." His eyes glowed with seidr, ready to disintegrate his birth father on the spot.

"What did you do?!" Laufey rasped. The giant's palm struck his face, trying to push him away, but Loki simply squeezed harder. His struggles became weaker, each punch slower, each swipe more feeble.

"I froze them in time. No one will ever believe you," he said, gesturing to the people.

"Now, do we have an understanding or not?"

"We do," Laufey choked out, the light in his eyes fading.

"Great." He launched the Jotun back to his place the moment time had stopped, all signs of an attack gone.

He snapped his fingers, and Gungnir came down on the floor.

"He is not your son, Laufey, not in any way that matters."

Laufey's wide eyes darted to him, then back to the Allfather. "A slip of the tongue," he excused, avoiding Loki's gaze.

"What do you suggest, brother?" Thor asked, glaring at Laufey.

"Oh simple," he snapped his fingers. A silverish globe of liquid appeared in the throne room, spreading into a mirror. The dull surface rippled, reaching across time to bring a moment in the past to the present.

"My king, the child is a runt," a Jotun said, kneeling before Laufey in his throne room.

"A runt?" the King of the Frost Giants roared, slamming his fist on the throne's arm rest, shattering the thick ice. "After all her claims of a great fate for him? Leave him in the temple; he is of no use to me."

"As you command."

He dismissed the mirror, memorizing the look on Laufey's face. Every second of that wide-eyed visage was a precious piece of revenge.

"Well, that settles it," Thor said, grinning at the Jotnars.

"Mere trickery," Helblindi rose to his father's defense.

Loki snapped his fingers once more. Another Jotun, this one clearly a female, appeared in the middle of the throne room, looking around with wild eyes.

The silent, rapid blinks at the mirror had left its place to gasps from the gathered crowd.

"Farbauti," he breathed out, seeing his second wife for the first time in over a thousand years.

She looked at the Aesir first, seeing the Allfather sit on his throne, surrounded by his family, and then turned to "Laufey."

"We can always ask her." He gestured to his birth mother.

It was the first time he laid eyes on her, one that he could remember anyway. She looked softer compared to the males. Black hair, the same face shape—he could see she was a master of seidr as well.

He felt nothing.

"Any excuses you can create, King Laufey, I can find answers to," he said, banishing Farbauti back to where he had plucked her out of.

The Aesir were sniggering at the Jotnar now, hidden behind coughs and fists. Even the Jotnar Laufey had brought with him looked displeased by their king.

He left the throne room before seeing the conclusion of it, excusing himself for an important matter.

—
​

He slipped back into the moment the recording arrived through a temporal gate and walked through before it closed.

—
​

He expected a wildly different environment. Perhaps a hyper-advanced race watching the universe through the use of technology. Or cosmic entities, gods, observing the mortal realm for one reason or the other.

A Midgardian office building was not one of the many he had imagined.

Desks, chairs, papers, and old-style computers were mixed with machinery beyond the current level of Midgard.

"Another one?! Arrest him now!" Someone screamed from the door.

He turned, scanning the humans. Black, body-fitting armor with helmets and three orange letters.

TVA.

He was at the correct place.

The agents charged at him, holding sticks that he had seen destroy two Einherjar, not even leaving dust behind. He flicked his left hand, as if swatting a fly, and all the agents except the leader were dead. They turned to bloody smears, splattering on the desks and the floor.

The agent at the head stopped, hearing the visceral noise behind. His head turned ever so slightly, seeing the blood-soaked room.

Since she did not wear armor like the rest, instead going with a suit, Loki assumed the female to be higher ranked.

"Your name, Midgardian," he demanded. The mortal before him was a human of Earth, he was certain, yet the details of how it could be possible escaped him.

"You, uh, you don't know?" she asked, trying to back off, but stopped upon stepping foot on the blood of her underlings.

"Why would I ask otherwise?"

"I am Judge Renslayer; we met. Or rather, I met versions of you"

"Ah," Loki's eyes glinted, floating closer to the human. "Tell me more, Renslayer."

—
​

Loki pondered the information he had just received.

An organization with the sole purpose of ensuring only the sacred timeline existed by destroying the rest was not something he saw coming.

"Tell me, Judge Renslayer. You are familiar with my past, yes? Since this organization commands such great control over time, you should be."

"Yes."

"Someone sent Laufey a recording of the moment when I was found by my father. He has come to Asgard and made a ruckus about it. I," he turned sharply, eyes aflame with green cosmic energies, "am annoyed, to say the least."

She flinched back, raising her hands. "I don't know anything about it. The true creator of TVA might though."

"What makes you so sure?"

"He has been hiding, manipulating everything behind the scenes. If it wasn't him, I don't know who it could be. Messing with timelines in that manner is against our operation."

He could see the truth in words. She believed this true creator was hiding in the void, and was certain no one in the TVA would send such a recording to Laufey.

"Where might I find him?" This person wanted his attention, he would find it a dangerous prospect to earn.

"I believe he is hiding in the void, the place where every pruned timeline and person is sent to."

One of the batons flew to his hand. He turned it over, inspecting the device, and jabbed it at Judge Renslayer's stomach, watching the pruning in effect. It wasn't out of a desire to avenge his counterpart but simply to find where the device took her without testing it on himself.

He observed the particles and blinked out of existence.

—
​

Asgard

"I have nothing against the Jotnar, but seeing you return empty-handed gives me a satisfaction few things can," Thor said, watching the Jotnar delegation leave, escorted by Einherjar.

Both kings agreed to keep it a silent affair since nothing had been achieved by either. Laufey could not take the casket, and his father did not manage to achieve lasting peace.

"Is that so, boy?"

"It is."

"Beware, Odinson, your brother is a monster. And you know what they say about playing with monsters."

"What did you just call my brother?"

Laufey smirked. "A monster."

Thor tilted his head to the side involuntarily, his smile falling off.

—
​

"Are you out of your mind?!" Odin screamed, his voice shaking the observatory.

"I have never been more sound of mind," Thor replied, leaning on the wall, unconcerned with the fury of the Allfather.

"Then why have you attacked Laufey? What drove you to start a war with the Jotnar?!"

Thor looked at the entrance to Bifrost, where he had struck Laufey hard enough to launch him inside with broken bones. "He called Loki a monster."

"Is that all?" Odin kept raising his voice. "Just because Laufey decides to be petty, you fall for his goading?"

How had his son made such a blunder? To the king of a realm that had arrived in Asgard under the flag of truce? Laufey was wounded, severely enough that this could not be solved with words.

"No. It was simply the last straw. I couldn't take it anymore, and I lost control," he explained. He wasn't proud of himself, far from it. Laufey was just the irritating soul who had destroyed the last vestiges of his patience.

"What was it that you couldn't take anymore?" he demanded, walking to stand before his son.

Thor crossed his arms, matching his father's glare. "Your lies."

Odin's stance slacked for a brief moment. "My lies?"

"Yes. When Laufey called Loki a monster, do you know who came to my mind?" he asked.

"Who?" The rage in his father's voice was gone now.

He chuckled in return, watching the cosmos.

—
​

Notes: Loki will put an end to the TVA and avoid a multiversal war in the same breath, while meeting his counterparts, including the canon Loki.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"That's alligator for growling and saying 'liar' at the same time." Those were the first words he heard once inside the bunker.

An older version who seemed to wear his undergarments outside; a child version; a muscular one with a hammer; an alligator; and the final one who looked exactly like him, minus the scuffed suit he was wearing.

"Well, well, well. I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time," he said, inspecting each variant.



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

Note: Just realized I didn't post the chapter on this site. I apologize. Chapter 29 will be out in a minute.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Void

He could feel the turmoil in the time. This was a moment where everything came to an end. Fitting that it was called the void.

Judge Renslayer was screaming her head off about the void. As she had proven to be useful, he sent her back to TVA, seeking his variant.

His senses spread, trying to detect any living beings.

It had the unfortunate side effect of alerting the trans-temporal entity. The dark clouds took the shape of a serpentine maw. He raised his hand, freezing the entity in time. Lightning bolts froze mid-strike, and the maw ceased all movement, a first in its existence.

Detecting his variants had proven to be easy. Amid all the different signatures he felt, five motes of seidr stood out underground.

—
​

"That's alligator for growling and saying 'liar' at the same time." Those were the first words he heard once inside the bunker.

An older version who seemed to wear his undergarments outside; a child version; a muscular one with a hammer; an alligator; and the final one who looked exactly like him, minus the scuffed suit he was wearing.

"Well, well, well. I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time," he said, inspecting each variant.

"Not your illusion, is he?" the old one asked the carbon copy, unable to sense anything from him.

"No. That's just another variant. Wonderful." The doppelganger shook his head.

"You have weird tastes if you thought coming to this place was a good idea," the hammer Loki said.

"I can return whenever I want. I simply wished to meet my variants," he said. They all lurched from their seats, but it was the mirror Loki who spoke first.

"What do you mean you can return? Do you have a tempad?" his look-alike asked.

He waved his hand, opening a portal back to Asgard. The eyes of his variants, even the alligator, almost popped out. They charged at the portal, but he closed it before they could even take the second step.

"How?" the old Loki asked, eyes wide.

"Temporal manipulation."

"You can do that? How is that possible?" the mirror Loki asked, holding him by the arms.

"So it is true. You are only capable of conjurations."

"I think there is much we need to learn from each other," the old Loki said, guiding him to a seat.

—
​

Each Loki was silent, except the alligator, who was growling in low tones.

"Why wasn't your timeline pruned like ours were?"

He glanced at the kid Loki, dangerous thoughts swimming in his head like a leviathan. "I have no idea. I suppose I will learn once I discover who created the TVA."

"I cannot help but ask, how did you acquire such power?" the old one asked. He understood the curiosity came from scholarly interests and not a desire for power.

"Experiments at the beginning. Then I studied how the Celestials controlled matter and energy. Then I created what I named the master seidr particle. It allows me to do whatever I want."

"Incredible."

"You messed with the Celestials?" The hammer Loki jumped from his chair. "You are either a fool or crazy."

"Neither, since I killed two."

Their heads snapped at him so fast he thought they might break something. "You killed Celestials?" All four shouted at the same time, and even the alligator roared.

"First the nascent one inside Midgard. It was close to emerging, so I killed it. The second one was slightly after one emerged and destroyed the first Asgard."

At their confused look, he explained his little trip back in time to discover the truth of how Asgard they all knew came to be, conjuring the moments ranging from Buri's arrival in the space station to the destruction of Asgard as a Celestial emerged.

His fight, or rather, feast, as the Celestial attacked him, terrified his counterparts.

"I cannot say if it is the same for your timelines, but that was how Asgard I grew up in came to be."

He felt parched, a more mental feeling than a physical one, and brought out a synthesizer from his pocket dimension.

"What is that?"

"A synthesizer. It creates basic needs through pure energy," he said, ordering a mug of Asgardian mead.

"Did you create it?" the mirror Loki asked, touching the machine.

He held his hand out, and they crowded the synthesizer, each one ordering something different. "Yes. Every family in Asgard has one."

The kid Loki looked at the stew, one he knew his mother prepared with her hands on special days, and locked his eyes on him. "I don't understand. Why did you turn out so different from us?"

"Assuming the TVA simply didn't prune any Lokis that were not villains? You all cared more about competing with Thor than improving yourselves," he said.

The existence of an organization claiming control over the timelines, erasing the ones that did not fit their vision, could have only one beginning as long as he lived.

His counterparts cast their eyes down. "I can't argue with that. But have you never tried to, you know…?" the mirror Loki muttered, silent towards the end.

"Kill my brother? The family member I trust and love most? Why?" he asked. Even if his father's less-than-stellar child rearing had affected him, he at least understood Thor was genuine in his feelings. He just had a hard time articulating them correctly when they were younger.

If his counterparts were not as forthcoming as him, it could have led to bad blood.

"I suppose it all began for us when we learned we were adopted," the hammer Loki said.

He chuckled. "Did you know the Midgardian seers have a wide range of beliefs about us? Including the fact that they knew we were Jotun, though they saw us as Father's bond brother rather than adopted son."

His counterparts furrowed their brows in the same way, displaying the exact reaction to confusion he did. So wildly different, yet so similar.

"We… did not."

"Also, Father has brown hair, Mother is blonde, and we have black hair. The eyes don't match either. It really did not take much to discover it, though, I will admit; there were other reasons I can't share that gave me clues."

Though, he would admit, had he not possessed the memories of his old life, perhaps he would not have investigated this matter.

"What now?" The kid Loki looked at him.

"Now? I bid you goodbye since I still have to find TVA's creator. You may keep the synthesizer."

"Alioth, the cloud outside, can consume all matter and energy. I don't know how strong you are, but I do not think you are immune to it," the older one said.

"I already froze the entity in time. It is not a danger anymore."

"Oh."

The hatch on the ceiling groaned, a green glow of seidr forcing it to open. He glanced at his variants, who were readying themselves for a fight.

An uninvited guest then.

Another variant, a carbon copy of him and his suit-wearing counterpart, dropped down, followed by a motley crew of variants.

The new addition had smaller horns, similar to Kid Loki's, and had a badge of Loki for President on his jacket. He chuckled at the idea of a presidential version of himself.

"Which one of you bastards led the wolves to our door?"

"We prefer snakes to wolves."

"I've eaten both. They die just the same."

"Apologies, my liege. I betrayed you, and now, I am the king."

"About that," President Loki said, his little army turning their weapons on the hammer Loki, who stiffened in response. "You can't be serious."

"Come on. What did you expect?"

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled, lowering the hand covering the upper part of his face. His eyes flared.

Twin green beams swept over the intruders, leaving nothing behind, breaking each one down into seidr particles to absorb.

In the blink of an eye, the hostile Lokis were gone.

"As for you." He turned to the treacherous counterpart, raising his hand. The boastful version tried to plead, but it did not save him from annihilation.

"I would wish you all good luck, but you are more likely to betray one another to death, so I will not."

He blinked out of the bunker, leaving his counterparts frozen on the spot.

—
​

With everything he had learned from his counterparts and Renslayer, all he had to do was to find the true creator of the TVA and have his answers.

Of all the lifeforms he detected, the most likely one was the Midgardian inside Alioth.

He felt like laughing at the ingenuity. The human had hidden himself in the eye of the storm. Unless all other options were spent, who would even consider looking for him there?

He launched a black hole, tearing a hole in Alioth, ready to confront the one who had played god on countless timelines and lives.

"Hey, wait," his carbon copy shouted, running after him with a tagalong.

"You, along with a female variant?" he asked, seeing a new counterpart.

She glared at him. "What about it?"

"Nothing," he smiled. At least this one had a spine. "Just the first time."

"You found him? The person behind all of this?" she asked.

"He is inside Alioth," he said, seeing the hatred brimming in her.

His mirror counterpart held the female variant back. "We have business with him too."

"You will wait your turn. Once I am done, I don't care what you do."

"Fine," she spat out.

—
​

The inside was not lit at all. Whoever the owner was, they certainly enjoyed the darkness.

His counterparts walked in silence, blades drawn, waiting for an ambush. He knew better, though, that this place did not contain any defensive measures.

He floated through the corridors towards the sole lifeform inside the castle. He stopped, reaching the door, as did his counterparts.

The elevator door rang and slowly slid aside, revealing a human sitting on the leather chair. He was of African descent, with short, curly black hair and a beard, dressed in a ceremonial tunic with a purple robe.

He also had an apple in his hand for some reason.

The human got up, genuinely smiling, as if he were expecting this moment. "This is wild."

Seeing as how he wasn't frozen in time, Loki understood his temporal manipulation capabilities were more than just erasing timelines.

"Three of you, the same person. I mean, it's… it's a little unnatural, but… whoa."

"Wild," he said after a moment.

Loki raised his hand, a black hole forming to not even leave a single atom behind.

"Wait, wait," he raised his hands, though that infuriating smile did not disappear at the sight of danger. "I have a lot to tell, and you will want to hear it."

"Why should I bother?" He could just as easily learn everything he needed from his memories.

"Because you are a curious individual. You can kill me, even take my memories, but it wouldn't hold the place of a conversation, would it?"

He reabsorbed the black hole, gathering his hands at his back.

"Your name."

"I am He Who Remains."

"Ostentatious."

"Miss Minutes was going to make a grand speech about me and my offer, but then you stopped time. I had to get some of the systems working but didn't have the opportunity to fix her."

"Come on," he gestured. "Come on, let's talk in my office."

Loki waved his hand, teleporting them to the office rather than take the slow elevator ride.

His counterparts and He Who Remains found themselves on chairs, while he created one for himself, waiting.

"Go on, speak."

The human raised a finger, getting up to take the teapot, filling a cup for each with two sugars, exactly as he liked it.

"Been a long journey for you, hasn't it? A lot of running, a lot of pain. And you," he turned to the male Loki, blowing a raspberry, "are a flea on the back of a dragon.

He snickered. "But you did manage to hold on tight." The human nodded, humming. "I guess that counts for something."

"I am not quite sure you understand the situation. You lost. We found you," the mirror Loki said, pointing at the human with his sword.

"Duh."

"And you," the mortal finally deigned to address him, a screen appearing next to him, showing moments from his life, "are the greatest Loki to ever exist. Destroyer of Svartalfheim, slayer of Celestials, creator of wonders. A Frost Giant who became a god. Truly inspiring."

His counterparts went slack in their seats.

"You have been watching." Given the man had possessed the technology to monitor the timelines, he shouldn't have been surprised.

"How can I not? For the first time as long as the TVA existed, a Reset Charge did not prune a timeline but reset the day instead."

He leaned forward, grinning. "Do you want to know how?"

His female counterpart took the chance to strike, but he raised a hand, stopping her just before the blade could touch the mortal. He Who Remains winked at Sylvie, ignoring the blade inches from his face.

"Sit down and wait until I am done," he ordered, sending her back to the seat.

"It took me a while to figure it out. The most fun I had in," he tilted his head, "I don't even remember how long."

He sighed. "Get to the point."

"You are aware how different time lines exist. Such as one where you are a female and an infinite amount more."

"Yes," he said. The information he received from his counterparts filled the blanks on what he had heard the TVA agents discuss all those centuries ago.

"What I, and I wager you as well, did not was the existence of other universes."

"What is the difference?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"At first, there was none. Most people, even me, use them interchangeably."

"Until you," the human said, pointing at him.

"I managed to locate what caused that one-day time loop. I tracked it for centuries to find where that energy signature you carried came from."

Loki rose to his feet, dismissing the seat and walking closer to the screen depicting two different energy waves. "An energy signature I carried?"

"Yes. Something so foreign, when the Reset Charge interacted with it, the results were something I never saw before."

"Do you know what I found once I broke through the barriers I never knew existed?" he asked, almost jumping in his seat, gesturing to the holographic barriers on the screen. They all existed in a state he had never seen before.

He gazed at the Midgardian, waiting for an answer.

"An Earth. One with no Avengers, no aliens, nothing unnatural. It was ordinary in the truest meaning of the word."

The words struck him like lightning.

—
​

Midgard

"You, what realm is this?" Thor slurred, feeling the world around him spin. He stumbled around, trying to regain control of his body, but the female before him yelped, firing something at him.

A kind of pain he never felt before spread from his chest. He convulsed, losing the last vestiges of his consciousness, and saw nothing else.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"Why not send me a message? I would have come," he said. An invitation would have gone a long way to keep him from resorting to violence.

"You consumed a planet and two Celestials. Trying to open a Timedoor in Asgard was like trying to pierce through a steel block with a wooden needle."

"And now," he spread his hands, "is the time to make a decision. Your temporal manipulation is beyond mine on a personal scale; you can kill me. Alternatively, we shake hands. You two can return to the moments you were taken; you kill my variants, and everyone gets a happy ending."



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[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Thiccc Shaedy]

Oh. This was great.

 

[Jason_Argo]

Woah, did not see this ending coming. Looking forward to it