Lady Loki's True Pledge of Allegiance, the Flaw in the Sacred Timeline
The heavy Alloy Door closed silently behind Lynn.
All sounds in the room seemed to be absorbed by the special black material of the walls.
The air was still.
Sylvie sat in the chair with her back very straight.
She watched as the man across from her slowly approached and sat down on the other side of the table. He didn't look at her; he simply straightened his cuffs, his movements unhurried and deliberate.
"The Liaison Office, using their most effective methods, managed to buy you some time."
Lynn spoke, his voice unusually clear in the excessively quiet room.
"Not much, but enough for us to talk."
He looked up and his gaze fell on Sylvie's eyes.
That gaze was calm, yet more penetrating than any weapon she had ever seen.
"Now, it's your turn to prove your worth."
Lynn crossed his fingers on the table and leaned forward slightly.
"A true pledge of allegiance that outweighs the risk of offending TVA, and makes me willing to keep you, this troublesome entity, in the Negative Zone."
Sylvie's breath hitched for a moment.
She couldn't detect any emotion in the man's words, and it was precisely because of this that she felt an invisible pressure.
She knew her time to play clever tricks was over.
Faced with absolute strength and a flawless procedure, her escape skills, which she relied on for survival, seemed pale and powerless.
She remained silent for a long time.
Lynn didn't urge her, but just watched her quietly, letting time pass in the deathly silence.
Finally, as if she had made up her mind, Sylvie raised her hand and tapped the device on her wrist, which had been deactivated from its tracking function, in a very complicated sequence.
A faint light screen was projected onto the table between the two people.
It wasn't some fancy 3D image, but rather a constantly scrolling Data Stream composed of Ancient Runes and unknown codes.
"My pledge of allegiance is not intelligence, but the foundation of TVA."
Sylvie's voice was a little hoarse.
TVA publicly claims that the ' Sacred Timeline ' they uphold is the only truth of the universe and the law of nature. This is the source of the legitimacy of all their actions.
Her finger swept across the light screen, bringing up an extremely complex mechanical design diagram.
"But the truth is, the so-called Sacred Timeline is not naturally formed at all. It is an artificial creation forcibly trimmed, woven, and integrated from countless Timeline by a device called the ' Temporal Loom.'"
Lynn's gaze fell on the design drawing.
His expression remained unchanged, but his interlaced fingers unconsciously tightened slightly.
Sylvie keenly noticed this detail; she knew she had made the right bet.
"This machine is the very foundation of TVA's existence. And I, during my long life on the run, spent over a hundred years drawing up seventy percent of its core structural diagram, and..."
She paused for a moment, then threw out an even bigger bargaining chip.
"I've found its fatal flaw."
Sylvie switched the Data Stream to a monitoring interface displaying numerous red alerts.
"As the Multiverse expands irreversibly, the rate at which new Timeline branches are being generated has far exceeded the ' Temporal Loom's' trimming and integration capabilities. Its core computing power is facing the risk of overload."
She pointed to a red curve that was constantly rising on the screen.
"TVA's top management was fully aware of this systemic risk, but they strictly controlled information from the outside world, and even internally, only a very few people had access to this report. This data is my first pledge of allegiance."
Silence fell over the room once more.
Lynn stared at the alarm-filled data sheet without saying a word.
This was indeed an invaluable pledge of allegiance. It dragged TVA down from its pedestal as an invincible, truth-upholding Dimension Deity, transforming it into a hollow bureaucracy that relied on a single device to maintain its rule, a device itself that was on the verge of collapse.
This means that TVA is no longer invincible.
That's not enough.
Lynn spoke slowly, shattering Sylvie's expectations.
"This only proves that TVA has weaknesses, but it doesn't solve our current problems. Behind Ravonna is the entire TVA. A machine on the verge of overload won't stop them from sending more hounds, or even Judge."
Sylvie's face paled slightly.
She hadn't expected that Lynn would remain absolutely calm in the face of such a core secret that could overturn the very foundation of TVA's dominance.
What he wanted was more than just to see the enemy's weaknesses.
What he needs is a tool that can be used immediately to resolve the current crisis.
Sylvie took a deep breath, as if making a final struggle.
In the end, she deflated like a punctured balloon and completely gave up on all attempts to test the waters.
"I have a second one."
She turned off the light screen, looked into Lynn's eyes, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Ravonna's audit of the Negative Zone this time has been a complete failure. Not only did she fail to clear up the mess in the Battleworld, but you also gave her leverage, forcing her to sign that ' Level-Two Inspection-Exempt Filing ' agreement. This has put her in a very passive position within TVA."
"TVA's top management is not a monolithic entity."
"There have always been two factions. One faction, led by Ravonna, is the ' Pragmatists ' who prefers to use methods such as auditing, negotiation, and exchanging favors to handle problems and maintain the stability of the Timeline."
"The other faction is the ' Time-Keeper Fundamentalists '."
"They stubbornly believe that any ' Variant ' that deviates from the Sacred Timeline should be unconditionally and thoroughly eliminated, without accepting any form of compromise. They have long harbored resentment towards Ravonna's methods."
Sylvie's speaking speed began to increase.
"Ravonna's defeat this time has given the ' Originalist Faction ' the perfect excuse to attack her. According to information from my informant within TVA, just a few hours ago, the ' Originalist Faction ' formally submitted an impeachment motion against Ravonna to the Chief Judge, accusing her of 'dereliction of duty' and 'collusion with the enemy.'"
"TVA's top management is now embroiled in internal strife because of this."
"The reason they issued the extradition letter so quickly is not because they are united; quite the opposite, it's because they are internally divided. This letter is less an ultimatum to the Negative Zone than a product of compromise between the two factions, and more a knife held to Ravonna's throat by the ' Originalist Faction.'"
Having said all this, Sylvie fell silent.
She has revealed all her cards.
The first piece of intelligence is the loophole in TVA's "traditional system".
The second piece of information is about TVA's "personnel" crisis.
If even this can't satisfy the man in front of her, then she truly has no value whatsoever.
Lynn listened quietly and leaned back in her chair.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest.
one time.
Two times.
Three times.
In the interrogation room, only the monotonous and oppressive knocking sound remained.
Sylvie's heart, too, rose to her throat with each knock.
Finally, the knocking stopped.
Lynn looked at the now-vanished intelligence screen on the table, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
Defense has never been his style.
Since cracks have already appeared on the opponent's chessboard.
So, it would be too boring to just be a passive piece.