Breaking Alliances

Loki managed to find a few bottles of unknown alcoholic liquid and offered you a glass but you decided that your fragile human body was not meant for experiments like that. Whatever he was drinking seemed to mellow him out and soon he started smiling again. He started singing an old Asgardian folk song that you recognised from your own memories and you were instantly mesmerised by his deep melodic voice. You knew you were staring at him but you couldn't bring yourself to care as you swayed lightly and hung on his every word.

Loki looked peaceful and content as he continued singing and when you smiled at him he returned it so softly it made your heart ache. He walked closer to you and when he lifted his hands to create a display of magical fireworks between you your cheeks instantly flushed bright red and you felt warmth blossom in your chest. It was a trick Frigga taught Loki and a wave of emotions crashed over you as you remembered all the times you had seen it in your life.

Loki finished the song with a flourish and a bow and you clapped your hands, careful of Sylvie who was still fast asleep on your lap. Your eyelids were getting increasingly heavier and you figured a short nap couldn't hurt considering your adventure was far from over. You leaned your head back and you dozed off to mental images of Loki in his Variant jacket laughing and smiling in the TVA library. You started awake when you heard a familiar voice ring out next to you.

You blinked a few times and realised that Sylvie was sitting upright and seemed to be yelling at Loki to stop making a scene. You glanced at the demigod and cringed at the display; he had shed his guard outfit and was happily dancing around and joking with the other passengers. Sylvie urged him to quiet down but it appeared he was either too drunk or too stubborn to listen to her and cheerfully continued. It didn't take long for the situation to escalate and a group of guards stormed the cart to arrest Loki for trespassing.

You crouched behind the bench to avoid getting caught in a blast as you watched warily how both Loki and Sylvie were trying to fight off the guards. There was the clanking of batons and flashes of magic rushing through the air but in the end it seemed that the element of surprise paired with superior numbers won out. Two strong looking guards grabbed Loki and threw him at a window that instantly shattered and he landed on the ground outside the train. Sylvie stopped fighting immediately and you yelped as she forcefully grabbed your hand to jump after Loki.

You landed hard and as you stumbled forward you luckily remembered to bend your knees to avoid injuring yourself. Loki had managed to scramble away and take off his torn jacket before steadying himself. A moment later Sylvie was standing right in front of him with a sharp looking knife at his throat. "Where is the TemPad?" she growled and you watched in horror as he pulled out a bundle of wires and broken metal out of his pocket.

You stumbled backwards in shock and you flinched when Sylvie suddenly opened her mouth to let out a bloodcurdling scream. "How could you be so careless?" she snarled and didn't lower the knife pointed at Loki, "I should kill you for your foolishness." You barely managed to grit out "No killing please." and you felt your throat constrict as the reality of the situation dawned on you. With the TemPad destroyed there was no way of escaping Lamentis and the impending destruction. A heavy weight settled on your chest and you stopped listening to Loki and Sylvie bickering and slowly walked over to a small rock to sit down.

You buried your head in your hands and allowed the tears that had been forming in your eyes to flow freely. You would meet a miserable end on this godforsaken rock and you couldn't even bring yourself to blame Loki for his carelessness. You also thought of Sylvie who had worked so hard to get away from the TVA all these years only to die because one of their devices had failed her.

You sighed heavily and when you got startled by a warm hand on your shoulder you looked up to find Loki with a concerned expression above you. You felt embarrassed for losing your composure when the others seemed to have such a grip on their emotions and you started apologising frantically. "I'm sorry for not keeping it together more," you said in a quivering voice but you stopped your rambling when Loki gently shushed you. He gave you an encouraging smile and opened his arms wide in obvious invitation.

You stood up and practically flung yourself at him and he pulled you close. You leaned into his chest and you continued sobbing as he rubbed soothing circles all over your back. You didn't know how long you stayed in the embrace but eventually you felt yourself calm down and you managed to take a few deep breaths. You inhaled his scent and you were hit with a wave of affection and want. Loki smelled of the dust and dirt of Lamentis but underneath you could sense his own scent of herbs and something sweet.

You heard him mumble into your hair and you lifted your head to listen to his question, "Is there a chance we could escape on the Ark?" You thought back to your studies of catastrophic events along the Sacred Timeline and you shook your head with a sigh. "As far as I remember the planet never evacuates and everyone dies," you responded grimly and you gripped his back tighter as fear washed over you. Loki hummed and you felt like you could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"The Sacred Timeline never accounted for the three of us being here," he said slowly and you looked up at his thoughtful expression, "What if we try to hijack the Ark and make sure it leaves Lamentis?" You glanced over at Sylvie who was standing nearby with her arms crossed over her chest wearing a grim expression. She seemed to be lost in thought and when you gently cleared your throat she hastily averted her eyes and awkwardly wiped some dust off her clothes. She looked between you and Loki who were still holding each other tightly before she shrugged and replied, "It's worth a try."