"Sylvie!"
"Loki!"
Thor brought the four Lokis back to the cave. Sylvie and Loki caught each other's eyes, ran toward one another, and embraced tightly.
Gambit Remy appeared at some point. He looked at Thor, then at the two embracing. "So? That's your brother from your universe, and his girlfriend?"
"No! That's the brother I just acknowledged. Sylvie is my brother Loki's female variant from the multiverse."
Thor was in a pretty good mood. Although he hadn't found a law fragment, he had just agreed to the future God of Stories' request. Now he had a big shot backing him too!
In a few short sentences, Thor explained the relationship between the two.
"Oh...? Hm? Wait? You mean...?"
Gambit Remy froze for half a second before he caught on. He felt like his CPU was overheating.
Wait, what? He's dating himself?!!!
Was that right? Did that make sense?
Even Emma, who was still playing with little Groot, glanced over when she heard that.
Everyone present had much the same reaction. After all, this was the first time they had heard of someone dating a female version of himself from a parallel universe.
Could it be because they were essentially the same person, so they knew how to please each other?
Thor continued to defend his brother, though he was clearly only making things worse.
"Yeah, it's exactly what you're thinking. My brother Loki is pretty narcissistic, you know? When he was little, he loved standing in front of a mirror and turning himself into a girl... Mmph!"
Loki promptly stepped forward and clapped a hand over Thor's mouth. Though variants from parallel universes came in all sorts, some of the finer details weren't that different.
If he didn't stop him, he might really suffer social death. He, Loki, could swallow his pride and ask his brother from a parallel universe for help, but that didn't mean he had no shame!
But when he covered Thor's mouth, everyone's expressions grew even stranger.
Forget it. I'm only embarrassing myself in front of a dozen or so people. I'm Loki, the dignified third prince of Asgard and God of Mischief! I can endure this!
Sylvie leaned against Loki's chest, breathing slightly faster than usual. Her eyes, always wary and sharp, had finally let down all their guard.
She gently pushed Loki a little away, her fingertips brushing his cheek. Her gaze was earnest, tinged with lingering fear.
"I thought... I'd never see you again."
Loki was just about to say something when Sylvie suddenly gripped his arm tightly, her tone turning grave.
"Listen, Loki, I have something very important to tell you-it concerns all of us, this Void, and the truth at the end of the timeline."
She took a deep breath and lowered her voice so that only Loki, Thor, who had moved closer, and a few Loki variants could hear her clearly:
"I tried using enchantment magic to get inside Alioth before... and I succeeded.
"I took control of it, and I saw it clearly-behind it, in the deepest part of the Void, a huge black fortress is hidden."
"That's no ordinary building. It's... something someone deliberately hid there.
"Alioth isn't the end of the Void at all. It's just a barrier, a watchdog!
"The real secret is inside that fortress."
Sylvie's gaze sharpened, and she spoke each word with unquestionable certainty:
"If we want to survive, get out of here, and find out what the TVA is really covering up...
"Then we have to get past Alioth and break into that fortress."
After listening to Sylvie, Loki thought for a moment before speaking. "Then tell me, Sylvie, what do I need to do?"
"I need you to enchant Alioth with me, but someone has to help us distract it."
Sylvie explained her plan in earnest.
Loki turned to look at Thor.
"I won't break my promise. Tell me, Sylvie, what do you need me to do?"
Thor didn't intend to give away too much, because this was something this Loki and the others had to go through, and it was also the key to becoming the God of Stories.
For now, he only needed to follow the original plot. Even Cassandra was so much stronger than she had appeared in the movie, so Kang the Conqueror surely wouldn't be as underwhelming as he had been on screen.
He hadn't fully mastered the complete Law of Time yet, so his chances of winning against that black man were still rather slim.
And now he had the perfect opportunity to avoid a head-on clash with these big bosses while earning favor with someone who would stand at the pinnacle of the multiverse in the future. This deal was no loss at all!
Once he had fully grown into his power, whether they were Kang the Conqueror, Kang the domestic abuser, or Kang the pharaoh, he'd lock them all up and make them pick cotton!
Is the power of the multiverse something little bastards like you can wield?
"Thor, I need your help making a big enough commotion to draw Alioth's attention and buy Loki and me time to enchant it."
Before Thor could answer, Classic Loki stepped forward.
"Leave that task to me. I've lived too long and run away too much. I'm getting a little tired of it. I'll make a big enough commotion to help you draw Alioth's attention."
He gently stroked his robes. His green-and-gold cape stirred without a breeze, and his gaze seemed to pierce through layer upon layer of obstacles toward the monster deep in Knowhere.
His tone was calm, yet full of power.
"This time, I don't want to run anymore."
Beside him, Kid Loki tightened his grip on his sword. His young face was full of stubborn defiance, without the slightest trace of hesitation.
"I'm going too. I killed Thor, and I can deal with this monster too."
Hearing that, Thor turned and glared fiercely at him. You little Loki, every time you open your mouth, it's about killing me. You're just asking for a beating!
Kid Loki jumped at the glare and stopped trying to act tough, hiding behind Classic Loki.
Alligator Loki let out a low growl and flicked his short tail, putting on a fierce look as if to say, Leave it to me!
Thor nodded slightly, then turned to Emma and Betsy.
"Emma, Betsy, this mission is pretty dangerous, so you two should..."
Emma strode up to Thor and cut him off mercilessly:
"Thor, are you saying that I, Emma Frost, am too weak to help you?"
For a moment, Thor didn't know what to say. He had nearly forgotten the stubborn White Queen was here too.
His head ached.
Thor looked at her and fell silent for two seconds.
"All right, then you can go."
Emma was visibly taken aback.
Thor continued, "As it happens, I need someone to help me watch what's happening on the other side."
He pointed into the distance.
"As soon as Alioth gets close, use Telepathy to let me know."
Emma frowned. "That's it?"
Thor nodded.
"That's it. You're the only one who can do this. Betsy's mental power can't reach that far, and mine isn't as strong as yours."
He paused.
"Emma, I need you."
Emma stared at Thor for a few seconds, then looked away. "All right, I'll help you."
She paused, then added another sentence.
"Don't forget our deal. You can't die before it's completed."
Thor looked at the prideful White Queen Emma and smiled.
"All right. I'm not that easy to kill."
Betsy walked over and said only one thing: "I'll wait for you to come back."
"Okay."
Gambit and the others knew they weren't strong enough to help and planned to stay where they were. Thor glanced at them, waved his hand, and vanished from the spot with the others.
Soon, they appeared on a broad stretch of grassland. Thor said nothing more, instead drawing on all the divine power in his body. He slowly rose into the air, seven-colored lightning coiling around him.
Rumble!
A tremendous peal of thunder erupted, and countless dark clouds began to gather. A light rain even began to patter down from the sky.
Thor had completely changed the weather of Knowhere with his own divine power. A terrifying thunderstorm was brewing, and in moments, fierce winds howled and a torrential downpour swept in.
"Thor! I can't sense any sign of Alioth coming!"
Emma's voice rang out in everyone's minds. Thor was a little confused too. Could it be that he still hadn't made a big enough commotion?
Just as his attention wandered, another surge of divine power, far vaster and seemingly endless, rose from the ground. An utterly terrifying wave of magic followed, spreading rapidly.
Classic Loki closed his eyes and thrust both arms upward. His aged voice seemed to cross countless ages as it thundered throughout Knowhere!
"I, Loki Odinson, offer up all the magic, all the years, and all the obsession I have left in this life-"
"Asgard-rise again!!!"
Boom-!!!
With a deafening crash, heaven and earth overturned, and the world shattered!
The darkness and deathly silence blanketing Knowhere were torn apart in an instant!
The earth heaved wildly, and golden light from the divine realm shot into the sky!
Majestic palaces, towering spires, golden walls, and sprawling mountains of the divine realm...
A complete, glorious royal city of Asgard, real beyond measure, rose from nothing on that deathly silent expanse of Knowhere!
Gold paved the roads, divine light shone everywhere, the palace stood tall, and a sea of clouds surrounded it!
It was a miracle that even Odin had never accomplished!
It was the most brilliant, tragic, and breathtaking final act of a Loki variant who had exhausted a lifetime's strength!
Emma Frost froze on the spot, her mental power nearly spiraling out of control.
Sylvie, Loki, Kid Loki, Alligator Loki... everyone stood frozen, staring up, utterly transfixed.
Even Thor, floating in the air with seven-colored lightning of the laws coiling around him, paled in comparison at that moment.
This was...
The true power of Loki, the greatest sorcerer in the Nine Realms.
The ultimate expression of the God of Mischief-lies were reality!
And at the far end of the Void, roused by the disturbance, endless black mist churned, roared, and drew closer!
Alioth had finally been driven into a rage and came sweeping toward them!