Chapter 272 : Quill's Father!!

When the footage of Loki being hit played on the screen, everyone watching immediately understood: Mobius hadn't lied.

Loki had indeed fallen in love with Sylvie!

But they came from different timelines, and at the core, they were essentially the same person.

In other words, it's almost like falling in love with yourself.

In Asgard, Thor was stunned, his face slack with shock. Loki's actions were nothing short of earth-shattering, even for him.

Seeing his brother's shocked expression, Thor hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile, attempting to comfort Loki, albeit awkwardly:

"Don't worry, Loki. This Sylvie, I definitely won't compete with you for her!"

"I wish you all the happiness."

Thor, in all seriousness, admired women with the strength and courage of a Valkyrie—just like Sylvie! But after some thought, he decided his brother's happiness was more important. 

If he lost his girlfriend, he could always find another. But if he lost his brother, well, that would be for good.

Ah, I'm such a considerate brother, Thor mused.

From a short distance away, Loki, upon seeing Thor's misguided attempts at empathy, couldn't help but burst out:

"Go away! You idiot, Thor!"

"What are you trying to prove with that 'I'm heartbroken again' look?!"

Loki was getting really fed up with his brother's cluelessness, to the point where he felt the urge to lash out physically.

He, who had always been the epitome of sophistication, actually found himself cursing out loud for the first time.

Thor, however, seemed unfazed. Instead, he enthusiastically suggested, "Okay, let's compete fairly!"

"Who wants to compete with you?!"

Loki was nearly in tears from frustration and yelled, "I can't fall in love with myself!"

But his outburst was met with Thor's skeptical gaze, which only made Loki even angrier.

In another part of the DC Universe, Deadpool scratched his head, looking a bit impatient.

Unlike the other viewers who were shocked and bewildered, Deadpool was just envious. He kept thinking to himself, "Why didn't I come up with this idea? The world's most familiar stranger, and I couldn't think of it!"

Miss Death was completely forgotten at that moment—Deadpool had his eyes on someone else. The female version of Deadpool? That was just perfect for him.

Meanwhile, Loki and Mobius were having their own heated exchange. Loki was frantically shaking his head, denying the idea that he could fall in love with his own variant.

"Stop being ridiculous! There's no way I'd fall for myself!" he protested.

Mobius shook his head, "Only you could have such a twisted, chaotic romantic relationship that it might tear apart reality. By the way, you're a total narcissist."

"Enough!" Loki snapped, cutting Mobius off. He tried to change the subject, asking about the fate of the female Loki. "Is she still alive?"

Mobius just shrugged. "For now."

Loki was relieved, but Mobius quickly turned the conversation back to the Time Variance Authority, asking if Loki's previous arrest was part of a larger plan to infiltrate the TVA. Loki was too tired to explain, so he just said, "Our goals are aligned."

Mobius leaned in, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, really? Trying to overthrow the Time Keepers?" 

Loki responded curtly, "Maybe they need to be overthrown!"

Mobius seemed to enjoy provoking Loki, and he retorted, "Maybe I should just slap you!" He couldn't hide his irritation—Loki's constant lies and manipulation were getting to him. 

Loki lost his patience and waved his arms in frustration. "You're all time criminals!" he shouted. "You! B-15, the Time Keepers, everyone in the Time Variance Authority! You're all complicit!"

Mobius's smirk vanished as Loki's words struck a nerve. The truth of the TVA's corruption was a bitter pill to swallow, and Loki's anger laid it all bare. The chaos that followed was inevitable—just like Deadpool's schemes.

Mobius was taken aback by Loki's words, but after a few seconds, his stunned expression transformed into a smile. His lips curled as if he had just heard the punchline of a dark joke.

"Ah, look at you two—so perfectly suited," Mobius remarked with a light chuckle. "Wherever you go, chaos and ruin follow. Truly, you two are harbingers of the apocalypse."

Loki could tell Mobius was troubled. His outward nonchalance didn't hide the subtle fidgeting—the twitchy gestures that belied his anxiety. "Forget it," Mobius sighed. "I just want to close this case."

"He doesn't want to think about it," Odin mused. "To him, it would be like watching his faith crumble."

Mobius's dilemma was that acknowledging the truth meant realizing he had been loyally serving those who had wronged him. 

This internal conflict was reflected in his demeanor as he sat in his TVA office, his hands tugging at his hair in distress. He couldn't easily unlock the memories of his previous life, even if he wanted to.

As Mobius finished speaking, two Time Guards entered the room and grabbed Loki, ready to drag him back into the never-ending prison loop. 

But Loki didn't resist. Instead, he looked at Mobius, who avoided his gaze, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"You know, Mobius," Loki said softly, "there are plenty of liars in the TVA, but you're the biggest one of them all." He paused, watching Mobius's reaction. "Because you can even lie to yourself."

Loki's expression was sharp, his voice cutting. Mobius was fooling himself, pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. The man who used to exude confidence now seemed reluctant to question his superiors or challenge the status quo, and that disappointed Loki.

"I expected more from you," Loki muttered under his breath.

Tony Stark, who had been observing, couldn't help but feel his perception of Loki shift. In the past, Loki was synonymous with failure, always manipulating, always tricking others. But now, he was evolving, refusing to let fate define him.

"He's changing," Tony noted with a hint of surprise.

Even the Ancient One, who usually remained composed, found herself taken aback by Loki's transformation. "I didn't expect it either," she said. "For someone who was once like a comic relief villain, Loki now seems determined to fight against his destiny."

"Perhaps this is his nature, but it's not always certain," Strange remarked with a hint of emotion.

After imprisoning Loki, Mobius went to the judge's office to report back. Yet Loki's words had left a lasting impression on him, and coupled with the case of C-20—the Time Guard who had been kidnapped by Sylvie and then returned to the TVA only to disappear again—Mobius had a nagging suspicion that wouldn't let go.

While the judge wasn't looking, Mobius discreetly took her time controller. Then, he discovered that C-20 had been pruned, just like Loki had suggested earlier. 

Realizing the implications, Mobius didn't waste time. He headed to the Time Prison to free Loki, and together they set off to confront the Time Keepers.

They stepped through the red portal, only to find themselves surrounded. The judge had noticed her time controller was missing and had already alerted the guards. "I think you have something of mine," she said coldly, her eyes fixed on Mobius.

Mobius tried to play it cool, "I grabbed it by mistake in a hurry. I was just about to give it back to you." He handed over the controller, but he noticed the unyielding determination in the judge's expression.

Mobius knew the game was up. He stopped pretending and instead responded with a hint of anger, "You once asked me, if I could go anywhere, where would I go? Well, I have an answer now. I want to go back to where I came from!"

"Yes, before I came to the TVA. Maybe I was a jet ski instructor!" he said defiantly.

The judge dropped her pretense entirely and ordered without hesitation, "Prune him!" With a swift motion from the Time Guard, Mobius was reduced to a burst of glowing sparks, completely erased from existence.

Observing this on the Eclector, Yondu remarked, "It seems like in any universe, uncovering the grim truth often leads to death."

Star-Lord's confident remark was quickly challenged by someone else.

Star-Lord, admiring his own bulging biceps, was blocking the doorway. He flexed and said, "No, Captain, even death can't stop a brave man from pursuing the truth!"

He flashed a confident smile, clearly proud of his improvised one-liner, and made a mental note to use it on girls later.

"Are you sure about that?" Yondu suddenly asked, his voice laced with a hint of mystery.

Quill, sweating at the thought of his upcoming date with Gamora, shrugged off Yondu's question with casual bravado. "Of course! Take me, for example. Even though I know Gamora is Thanos's daughter, I'm still going to win her over!"

"Well..." Yondu took a deep breath. "Quill, there's something you should know about your father. He's... a Planet."

*Thud!*

Quill's dumbbell slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor. His jaw dropped as he stared at Yondu, eyes filled with shock and confusion.

"What did you just say?" he asked, unable to process what he'd heard.

****

Support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 15 early chapters,

https://ko-fi.com/aayume