Chapter 172

[1500PS REACHED!!! Next Goal: 2000PS!!]

Thinking about the Time Variance Authority (TVA) made Syd feel a sense of caution. The TVA was a powerful organization that had influenced many timelines, as shown in the "Loki" TV series.

In "Avengers: Endgame," to bring back the half of all life that was wiped out by Thanos' snap, Tony Stark and the other Avengers used the quantum realm to travel back to key points in time, including the Battle of New York, which is the current timeline.

They came back to this moment to collect the Infinity Stones since the ones in their original timeline had been destroyed by Thanos. The plan was to use them to reverse the snap and then return them to their rightful places afterward.

During this mission, the Tesseract accidentally fell at the feet of the captured Loki, who, of course, seized the opportunity to escape using it.

The "Loki" TV series tells the story of Loki after he deviates from his original destiny, leading the TVA to intervene and capture him as a variant.

According to the sacred timeline, Loki should have been arrested and taken back to Asgard, gone through several events, faked his death multiple times to trick Thor, and ultimately met his end at the hands of Thanos, who broke his neck.

For Thor, watching his father, mother, sister, and finally his brother die before his eyes was utterly devastating. It's no wonder he fell into despair.

"Thor really is cursed," Syd muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "I hope I don't end up dying because of him one day."

Of course, this was just a joke. There were very few things on Earth that could pose a threat to him, so he didn't really believe he was in any danger.

Syd continued to reflect on Loki's situation.

Due to Loki's escape, he deviated from the original timeline, creating a new one, which attracted the attention of the TVA, who quickly apprehended him.

Against the TVA's advanced technology, Loki had no chance to resist and was swiftly captured.

While in custody, Loki learned much about his original fate and the TVA itself.

Years ago, a multiversal war nearly destroyed everything, but the Time Keepers emerged, merging the multiverse into a single timeline—the Sacred Timeline—to maintain peace.

The TVA was created to manage and correct the timeline, operating from a dimension outside of normal time known as the Null-Time Zone, unaffected by time's passage.

The TVA's role was to monitor, adjust, and balance the countless variables across the multiverse's timelines, aiming to minimize temporal disruptions.

Loki's actions had clearly violated these laws, resulting in his capture.

The Avengers' time travel, on the other hand, was considered a sanctioned act by the TVA, which is why they weren't arrested.

"I wonder if the Avengers will show up here to collect the Infinity Stones," Syd pondered with a frown.

If they did, Loki would escape and deviate from his destined path, prompting the TVA to intervene.

Suddenly, Syd shook his head.

"In comparison to Loki, I'm probably the real problem."

Unlike Loki, who only caused minor disruptions, Syd had profoundly altered the fate of many, leading to significant changes in their destinies.

"Loki's future will likely change just because of my influence."

If the TVA were to intervene, their first target might not even be Loki but rather Syd himself.

This is why the mention of the TVA made him uneasy; they were essentially enemies who could pose a serious threat to him.

Though the TVA agents weren't particularly powerful on their own, their advanced technology was formidable, far beyond anything from the distant future.

For instance, anyone who entered the TVA's domain would lose their powers, becoming no more than an ordinary person.

Syd suddenly wondered, "I wonder if the TVA's technology could suppress my mimic abilities?"

Which was stronger, the TVA's advanced technology or his own mimic powers? Syd found himself curious.

Unfortunately, since the TVA hadn't appeared yet, there was no way for him to test it.

At that moment, Syd also considered whether to intervene if the Avengers arrived to collect the stones.

After all, if they took the stones and anything went wrong—if they failed to return them—this universe would be left without its Infinity Stones.

As the Ancient One once explained to the Hulk, "If you take the stones to save your reality, what happens to mine?"

The Ancient One clearly understood the concept of branching timelines and was reluctant to part with the Time Stone. But the Hulk eventually convinced her, especially by invoking Doctor Strange's name, leading her to hand it over.

After contemplating for a while, Syd returned his attention to the ongoing battle.

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were trying to repair the helicarrier's damaged engine, but with Barton and his team causing further destruction, their efforts were proving futile.

The helicarrier, now at nearly 10,000 meters in altitude, was slowly descending.

It wouldn't be long before everyone aboard would plummet to their deaths.

Syd wasn't particularly concerned and continued to watch the unfolding events with interest.

Thor, having shaken off the Hulk, was heading toward Loki's glass cell.

As for the Hulk, he had leaped onto a jet and was tearing it apart with his bare hands.

With a loud explosion, the jet blew up, sending the Hulk plummeting from the sky.

Syd glanced at the falling Hulk and then lost interest. After all, the Hulk wouldn't die, even if he fell into molten lava.

Syd slowly followed Thor, who was heading towards Loki's cell, curious to see what would happen.

Soon, they reached Loki's prison, only to find that the cell door had already been opened.

"No!" Thor roared and charged forward, trying to prevent Loki from escaping.

But he ended up grasping at thin air, lunging at an illusion Loki had left behind.

(End of Chapter)