The great thing about being an employee for the TV, was that so many files crossed your desk, so many variants, and you never had to meet these people.

Freya was known as the 'Magic analyst', she was the case manager for witches, gods, and skilled varients - Avenger types. These were low-risk variants who had the potential to cause harm, but usually never did. This was why Mobius had called her in to help with his variant problem, Freya had read thousands of files on thousands of Lokis, thousands of Thors, and Wanda Maximoffs. But she'd never met them.

Until now.

She had returned to her desk after her short trip to the 16th century, and Mobius had gone to observe the variant's trial, Freya had then been called into Renslayer's office - oh joy.

"I want you involved in this,"

"In what?" Freya is sat on a red sofa, a glass of water in her hand, Renslayer raises an eyebrow

"In the search for Mobius' variant, he's decided to bring in your variant - that Loki, is your responsibility,"

"But-"

"You're his case manager,"

"So?" Freya almost whines "Just transfer them to Mobius,"

"Stop acting like a child," Renslayer sighs "Go, Mobius is in the theatre with the variant,"

So now she was standing outside the doors to where Mobius was most likely agitating Loki.

Freya slowly opens the door and can hear talking.

"You don't know anything about me," the variant spits

"Maybe I'd like to learn. I specialize in the pursuit of dangerous Variants,"

"Like myself?"

"No," Freya announces herself "That's my job,"

"What are you doing here?" Mobius complains

"Turns out mummy Renslayer doesn't trust you," she teases "he's now also my problem,"

"Sorry," Loki doesn't sound sorry "Who exactly are you,"

"This is Freya," Mobious gestures "A ray of sunshine,"

"Mhm," Freya smirks and moves further into the room, sitting on the chair next to Mobius, she cocks her head to the side "he deals with the particularly dangerous Variants,"

"You're just a little pussycat. I got a set of questions for you. You answer them honestly, and then maybe I can give you something you want. You wanna get out of here, right?"

Obviously.

"Yeah, so we'll start there. Should you return, what are you gonna do?"

"Finish what I started,"

"Which is?"

"Claim my throne."

"You wanna be king?"

"I don't want to be, I was born to be."

"I know, but king of what exactly?"

As Loki and Mobius' ping pong game continues, Freya focuses on Loki's body language, she was a silent observer.

"You wouldn't understand,"

"Try me."

"Midgard."

"AKA Earth," Mobius mutters as he writes in the file "All right. Now you're the king of Midgard, then what? Happily ever after?"

"Asgard, the Nine Realms-"

"Space?"

"Space?" Both Loki and Freya ask, Mobius shrugs.

"Space is big. That'd be a nice feather in your cap. 'Loki, the King of Space.'"

"Mock me if you dare."

"No, I'm not" he chuckles "Honestly, I'm actually a fan. Yeah. And I guess I'm wondering why does someone with so much range just wanna rule?"

"I would've made it easy for them,"

"People like easy."

"The first and most oppressive lie ever uttered was the song of freedom" Freya tries not to laugh, god this man was pretentious.

"How's that one go?"

"For nearly every living thing, choice breeds shame and uncertainty and regret. There's a fork in every road, yet the wrong path is always taken,"

"Good. Yeah," Mobius nods, clearly not taking him seriously "You said 'nearly every living thing,' so I'm guessing you don't fall into that category?"

Loki laughs under his breath "The Time-Keepers have built quite the circus, and I see the clowns are playing their parts to perfection," he looks between Freya and Mobius

"Big metaphor guy. I love it," Mobius laughs "Makes you sound super smart"

"I am smart!"

"I know."

"Okay?"

"Okay," Mobius leans over to start the projector in the centre of the room, he squints and struggles slightly

"Why do you never wear your glasses?" Freya sighs

"Is this really the time?" he mutters and Freya leans over him, kickstarting the projector

"I'm just saying, it'd make both of our jobs easier if you could see," Loki raises an eyebrow analyzing the two.

"Every time," Mobius looks to Loki "She does this every time, takes over what I'm doing,"

"Yeah! Because you're blind!"

"What is this?" Loki scoffs

"Us or the projector?" Freya asks, slamming the orange sphere "Because this is a piece of crap," it sparks to life and she sits back down.

"It's a sampling of your greatest hits," Mobius explains as the projection starts, setting the scene in New York, in 2012.

Loki sighs and puts his head in his hands as on screen him speaks.

"If it's all the same to you...I'll have that drink now," Mobius goes to pass his can over to Loki

"No."

Mobius shrugs and takes another sip, Freya reaches over and takes it from him, taking a large gulp.

"I was there. Anything else?" Loki grumbles

"It's funny, for someone born to rule, you sure do lose a lot," Mobius says lightly "You might even say it's in your nature,"

"You know, things didn't turn out so well for the last person who said that to me."

"Oh, yeah, Phil Coulson," he moves the tape back, and it shows Agent Coulsen being stabbed by Loki

"Didn't the Avengers come together to literally avenge him by defeating you?" he turns to Freya "That's how it goes right?"

"Mhm," Frwya nods and looks Loli dead in the eye "And well if they don't, they end up here,"

"It's little solace to a dead man."

"Do you enjoy hurting people?" Freya asks bluntly, angered by his dismissal of Coulson's death "Making them feel small and afraid?" she says darkly

"Your games don't frighten me!"

"Making them feel little?"

"I know what I am!"

"A murderer,"

"A liberator!"

"Of eyeballs, maybe," Mobius shows a clip of Loki again "Look at that smile. You are enjoying that. Did you enjoy hurting them?

"I don't have to play this game. I'm a god."

"Of what, again? Mischief, right? Yeah. I don't see anything very mischievous about this,"

"No, I don't suppose you do,"

Mobius sighs, it was time to move on "Let's talk about your escapes. You're really good at doing awful things, and then just getting away,"

"What can I say? I'm a mischievous scamp,"

"This is one of my favourites," Mobius puts on a short clip of Loki on a plane, much younger "I can't believe you were D.B. Cooper. Come on!"

"I was young, and I lost a bet to Thor. Where was the TVA when I was meddling with these affairs of men?"

"Well, we were right there with you, just surfing that Sacred Timeline," as Mobius answers Freya scoffs quietly

"So that had the Time-Keepers' seal of approval, did it?"

"Well, I wouldn't think of it in terms of approval and disapproval. That's sort of a..." Mobius trails off "Let's get back to escapes and a little psychobabble. What is it that you think that you're really running from?"

"Enough." Loki stands and Mobius quickly takes out a device from his pocket, forcing Loki back to his seat through a time loop

"Back in your cage. See, I can play the heavy keys, too,"

"I was just standing up to make a point,"

Mobius laughs "I'm sorry, go ahead,"

"It won't be as meaningful now,"

"Okay, then stay sat down," Freya shrugs

"I'll do what I want to do!"

"Sure"

"Sure"

"Okay"

"Okay?"

"Fine"

"Fine,"

"Fine," Mobius adds and Loki stands, pushing his chair back.

"What exactly is it that you want?"

"I want you to be honest about why you do what you do," Mobius explains as he also stands

"Liar."

"I'm serious. All I seek is a deeper understanding of the fearsome God of Mischief. What makes Loki tick?"

"I know what this place is."

"What is it?" Freya questions

"It's an illusion,"

"What? Like you create?"

"It's a cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear. A desperate attempt at control. Now, you both parade about as if you're the divine arbiters of power in the universe,"

"We are."

"You're not. My choices are my own,"

"No one's choices are their own," Freya says sadly "Not even ours,"

"Your choice is your own... Let's go with that," Mobius moves on "I think this one's gonna fire you up," he gestures for Freya to get the projector working

"The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power..."

"Precisely!" Loki agrees with himself "I was - I am on the verge of acquiring everything I am owed, and when I do, it'll be because I did it. Not because it was supposed to happen. Or because you or the Time Variance Authority, or whatever it is you call yourselves, allowed me to. Honestly, you're pathetic. You're an irrelevance. A detour. A footnote to my ascent."

"You finished? You're gonna start taking things seriously."

"Ugh,"

"If you hadn't picked up the Tesseract, you would have been taken to a cell on Asgard," Mobius leans over Freya, controlling the projector again

"Loki,"

"Hello, Mother."

"Have I made you proud?"

"Please don't make this worse."

"What is this? This is nonsense, more tricks. This never even happened."

"Not yet, not to you," Freya explains "The TVA doesn't just know the past, we know the future, how your whole life plays out,"

"How it's meant to be. Think of it as comforting,"

"This is absurd,"

"And am I not your mother?"

"You're not."

"Hmm. Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself."

"And then the Dark Elves attack the palace, and you think you send them to Thor," Mobius explains as he continues the tape

You might wanna take the stairs to the left.

"But instead, you send them..."

Frigga appears on the screen, captured by elves "I'll never tell" and then she dies, stabbed in the back.

Freya looks away from the screen.

"Where do you have her? Where is she?" Loki demands, visibly upset but what he was shown, his mother lying dead.

"You lead them right to her."

"I don't believe you. You're lying. It's not true."

"It is true. That's the proper flow of time, and it happens again and again and again because it's supposed to, because it has to. The TVA makes sure of it,"

"Where is she?" Loki asks Freya, she shakes her head, and Mobius speaks up again

"Now why don't you tell me, do you enjoy hurting people?!"

"I don't believe you!"

"Do you enjoy killing?"

"I'll kill you."

"Like you did your mother?"

Loki kicks his chair, and makes a lunge for Freya, Mobius once again sets him back in place, and Loki falls to the ground.

"Sorry, the Time Twister just loops you, not the furniture," he explains and Freya stands up, looking down at Loki

"You weren't born to be king, Loki. I'm sure that's not the first time you've heard that. You were born to cause pain and suffering and death. That's how it is, that's how it was, that's how it will be."

"All so that others can achieve their best versions of themselves," Mobius shows The Avengers, stood together in unity.

"What is this place?" Loki asks, shaking his head, neither agent answers, but Mobius puts his arm out to help Loki up.

"Come on," as Loki stands, the doors open and Hunter B-15 enters.

"What are you doing?" she looks at the three standing closely, Mobius still holding Loki's arm.

"My job. Is it yours to interrupt?"

Freya smirks at Mobius

"We have a situation,"

"There's always a situation," Mobius points at Loki "Don't go anywhere. It was just getting good. Spirited!"

Outside, B-15 corners Freya and Mobius "Talking to that Variant is a mistake."

"That's your position."

"He should be reset!"

"You think everyone should be reset," Freya rolls her eyes

"We're getting good stuff!"

"We lost another unit," she says bluntly, and Freya gulps.

"You go, I'll stay with him," Freya gestures to the doors and Mobius nods, opening them up.

"Okay, Loki, I think we can finish up tomorrow and just pick it..." he trails off, not seeing the God anywhere. Freya looks around and then reaches into Mobius's pocket, where the time twister is missing.

"Mischievous scamp," Freys grins, they turn to find B-15.

"Stop smirking," Mobious grumbles

"What? It was clever!"

Outside, B-15 has assembled a team of Minutemen

"Wish I could say I was surprised,"

"Yeah, I wish you hadn't interrupted us."

"Me? It's my fault?"

"Look, he can't have gotten very far," Freya sighs

"Split up. Prune on sight."

"No, no pruning, no resetting. He can still help us!" Mobius shouts.

While Mobius and the Minutemen run around, Freya tries to think logically, like a god one would say.

Loki would eventually figure out there was no escape, and he'd go back to what he knew, his life, where he could see his life.

She waits a moment, checking in with Minutemen and Mobius, before she enters the theatre again. She finds Loki sitting on the steps, holding the Tesseract.

"Loki?" he looks up "You've got nowhere else to go,"

"I can't go back, can I?" he asks quietly "Back to my timeline," Freya shakes her head, stepping closer.

"I don't enjoy hurting people," he sighs and Freya can see his teary eyes "I... I don't enjoy it. I do it because I have to - because I've had to,"

"Okay, explain that," she sits next to him, and he looks straight ahead.

"Because it's part of the illusion. It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear,"

"A desperate play for control..." Freya mutters, but then she smiles and nudges Loki's shoulder with her own "Hey, you do know yourself,"

"A villain,"

"That's not how I see it," Freya doesn't notice that Mobius has entered until he speaks "You try to use that?" he gestures to the Tesseract.

"Oh, several times. Even an Infinity Stone is useless here,"

Freya picks it up and inspects it "These cause a lot of problems..." she looks slightly sad "Lots of death, lots of variants,"

"The TVA is formidable,"

"That's been my experience," Mobius smiles "Listen, I can't offer you salvation, but maybe I can offer you something better," Freya stands up and puts her hand out for Loki to take, and he does.

"A fugitive Variant's been killing our Minutemen," she explains

"And you need the God of Mischief to help you stop them?"

"That's right," Mobius nods

"Why me?"

The Variant we're hunting is..." Mobius pauses "Is you,"

"I beg your pardon?".