Rescue Mission

Hunter B-15 was walking along the hallways at a speed that made it difficult for you to keep up and you still had no idea where you were even going. When you stopped, she unlocked the door to what looked like an interrogation room and you gasped when your eyes fell on Sylvie who was sitting at the table with an uneasy smile on her face.

"I've come here for the truth," Hunter B-15 said solemnly and you watched in amazement as she detached her Time Stick and gently set it aside against the wall. She held her hands up in the universal pose of surrender and innocence and you saw the alarm slowly drain from Sylvie's face.

She cocked her head in a curious manner and raised an eyebrow at you but you only shrugged since you had no further information regarding the situation. Hunter B-15 took a step towards her and quietly stated, "When you enchanted me in Roxxcart, I saw something. It felt like a memory of a life before the TVA."

Sylvie started smiling at that and you remembered what she had told you about Hunter C-20. "Was it real?" Hunter B-15 asked in an uncharacteristically timid voice and Sylvie immediately nodded and elaborated the way her magic worked.

"My powers are great but I cannot create something that wasn't already there. The enchantment must have unlocked the memory," she explained carefully and you noticed with relief that Hunter B-15 was nodding along. Before anyone could respond she took out her TemPad and a moment later you were staring at a Timedoor to who knows where.

"Let's go," the agent said and waved at both of you to follow her, "We're going back to Alabama." You stepped through the portal and immediately found yourself soaked to the bone thanks to the raging hurricane. You groaned and you thought to yourself that she really could have chosen a better time and place.

"Do it again," Hunter B-15 demanded and gave Sylvie an expectant look until the shorter woman moved closer. She held her face between her hands and you watched the green stream of magic moving from her fingers. A moment later she retreated and you stared at Hunter B-15 who was wearing an almost dreamy expression as she stared into the distance.

She smiled and you swore you saw tears in her eyes but it was difficult to tell in the pouring rain. "I had a life. I was happy," she said in a shaking voice and your heart clenched painfully at the sorrow on her face. You glanced at Sylvie who was wearing a proud grin and you wondered how she truly felt about her discoveries regarding the TVA.

You stood in an awkward circle until the storm got too overwhelming and Hunter B-15 quickly opened a Timedoor back to safety. As soon as you stumbled back into the interrogation room, the agent turned to Sylvie and said "Thank you for showing me the truth."

You looked at Sylvie whose hair was standing up in all directions and you briefly considered how uncomfortable her tight leather clothes must be right now. She nodded at Hunter B-15 and gave you a soft smile that you returned happily.

"We will figure something out," you promised and Sylvie gave you a thumbs up and a melodic laugh before sitting back down at the table. You left the room and immediately questioned Hunter B-15 about a solution to the incarceration of both Loki Variants. She looked left and right to ensure nobody was listening in before leaning in to whisper, "We will get weapons and free them. Everyone needs to know that the TVA is ruining people's lives."

You felt anxious and on edge at the idea of fighting your way out but considering how well talking to Mobius had gone you agreed it was the most sensible course of action. As soon as you arrived at the armoury Hunter B-15 received an internal alert saying that Judge Renslayer head ordered both Variants to be brought before the Time-Keepers.

"Stay behind me," she ordered and you hid behind her back as you rode in the golden elevator that would get you to your destination. You were shaking with terror at the thought of the coming moments but you were clinging to your hope that you would be reunited with your favourite demigods.

The door opened and everyone inside the chamber stared at the two of you in shock. Hunter B-15 used this as a distraction and quickly unlocked Loki's and Sylvie's Time Collar and threw each of them several sharp items before getting into a defensive stance. One of the TVA agents rushed into her and you jumped backwards with a squeal when her body hit the floor with a loud thump.

Your chest flooded with relief when you noticed she was still breathing but it turned into panic when the attacking agent roughly grabbed your arm. He didn't have a chance to even breathe before a blast of Loki's magic flung him against the nearest wall. Loki was instantly near you and pushed you behind him before focusing his attention back to the room.

Sylvie was single-handedly fighting off three agents plus Judge Renslayer who was attempting to prune her with her Time Stick and Loki used his magic to create more space for her. You pressed yourself against the wall while keeping your eyes on the fight and looking for any way you could help without getting in the way.

Loki and Sylvie made quick work of the remaining agents and you scoffed when you spotted Renslayer lying unconscious in a corner. You watched as Sylvie expertly threw her sword at one of the Time-Keepers who had so far watched the scene without a word. You shrieked as a head rolled off but you instantly noticed that there was no blood, only wires and mechanical pieces.

"They are androids?" Sylvie screamed and turned around in an instant to kick the last standing agent so hard in the chest they flew halfway across the chamber. You were staring at the silhouettes of the Time-Keepers in a mixture of awe and confusion and your heart was still hammering in your chest.

Silence.

Finally, the entire room fell quiet and the only sounds were your collective heavy breathing and the occasional wheeze. You stared at Loki and Sylvie for a moment and then sprinted towards them to pull both of them in a tight hug.

They let out a startled yelp but instantly returned the embrace and you felt the terror and dread slowly leave your body. You closed your eyes and focused on the feeling of being held by the two people with whom you almost shared an apocalypse. When you eventually felt calm enough to stop shaking you opened your mouth to ask them about the future.

Before you could so much as squeak you suddenly heard movement behind you and the last thing you saw before the room disappeared was Renslayer's disappointed face behind her Time Stick. A strange sensation overcame your body as if something was pulling at your very essence and for a long moment you couldn't see or hear or feel anything. When you woke up, you were lying on your back and when you looked around you realised that you were utterly alone.