"Time & the Trickster"
a Loki/Doctor Who crossover
Chapter 14: Sylvie's Choice
It's your stubbornness against Sylvie's to determine who will fix the timelines and sit on the golden throne. Who's will is stronger? A single, difficult choice will decide everyone's fate.
CHAPTER WARNING (18+): Reader is in peril, violence
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MASTERLIST
Sylvie gave an incredulous look, as if to say “you’re kidding, right?”
Loki looked at you and The Doctor, who were taking up exaggerated, almost heroic positions upon bursting in. Hey, it wasn’t easy to avoid getting caught up in the adventure with The Doctor next to you. Even in this most precarious moment, he brought out the thrill of it. His energy was infectious.
You looked pretty hot. Loki took note.
Smiling, you laughed. “You didn’t expect me to be so pissed off, did you?”
Your adversary blinked. “I never expected anything less.”
“Good. So you know better. Now drop your stone before I drop your ass!”
“I’ve made my stand!” barked Sylvie.
“Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said The Doctor. He and Loki moved together to get in between the two of you, Loki facing you and The Doctor turning to Sylvie. “We can figure this out, Sylvie, but we don’t need this to become violent!”
“How so? You all want me to give up an entire lifetime of running, hiding, and fighting,” she bemoaned. “After all this time…trying to prove myself…”
She lowered the hand that held her dagger, dropping it at her feet. She wasn’t surrendering, you could see she was beginning to run through her life as it began flashing before her eyes.
“...you never saw me as anything but the bad girl,” she said with genuine woe. You were not moved, but of course Loki was, to your dismay.
“We’re all misunderstood. It’s one of the things that binds us together as Lokis,” he said, both Loki and The Doctor moving around so he could address her while The Doctor began whispering to you.
“I will open the basin, but don't look inside. I can’t promise your brain won’t melt,” he instructed, the gross visual making you cringe. “You need to either find an opening for Loki to toss his, or trick Sylvie into throwing hers.”
“I won’t go,” Sylvie said again. “No. I owe nothing to any of you.”
The TARDIS shook. You yelped in surprise. Yes, you fucking do! you thought.
“Sylvie, a true Loki adapts! You’ve done some astounding things with what you were given, but when a Loki is beaten, if there is nothing else to be done…they think. They strategize! They don’t run at the fire with flying fists. When there is nothing more to be done, a Loki accepts the Fates’ answer.”
His speech melted your heart. You knew this version of him was never imprisoned in his father’s dungeons or fought the Dark Elves, and the only reason Loki needed to escape with Thor from Sakaar was due to a stupid hitchhiking mistake they’d made many eons ago as youths. Yet both times, Loki had proven himself a full Prince and a full warrior. Sylvie would have turned over Jane Foster. She would have never helped Thor escape. It was unfair that it was this difficult to ensure his happy ending. If reality were fair and equal, Sylvie would already be ensnared in the Tree of Life. Perhaps there was a timeline where it was so.
“Then do it yourself!” Sylvie replied. “Accept your fate!”
“We’re both Loki! It belongs to both of us!”
You made sure Sylvie’s shitty stone was in your fingers, ready to press into her hand. The Doctor motioned to you silently that he was going to make a break for the basin. You nodded. He quickly turned around and began working his charismatic magic over the Asgardians.
“Well, us Lokis need to stick together right? And from where I stand, we’re all about to get crushed under the weight of a collapsing timeline down here, so let’s move things along, shall we?”
He bolted over to the vortex basin, shoving his fingers under the crack and yanking with all of his strength. You ran over to help him when it looked like he wasn’t able to do so on his own, but once he grounded his feet, it wasn’t so difficult to open the time vortex.
The room was instantly flooded with bright yellow light coming from the beacon in the middle.
“Loki, move!” You demanded, darting under his arm and throwing yourself at Sylvie. Loki made an attempt to hold you back, but you slipped right through him, lunging at her and knocking her to the floor.
The two of you wrestled on the ground, neither of you having any sort of form. As a result, you were two people fighting, just trying to pin the other one down. Sylvie kept flailing, her arms and hands moving too quickly for you to have access to her skin to press against the stone.
You felt a painful blow just under your ribs as Sylvie got in a good kick, which sent you rolling across the floor several feet, near the foot of the vortex basin. The Doctor stepped back to keep out of your way. Scrambling to your feet, you and Sylvie ran at each other again, but the pain in your side was sharp, and you realized that her hit was going to make it more difficult for you to overpower her.
“Loki! Help me!” you cried.
You heard a laugh. It was actually Loki from behind you. He held the brighter stone in the handkerchief, posed to use it as a slingshot. “Did you all forget for a moment that I had one too? We do tend to complicate things a bit, don’t we?”
Sylvie’s face fell as Loki fired. The beaming green stone made a clear arc over your heads. Sylvie, who was somewhat petite compared to even you, tried to reach for it, missing widely. It moved in slow motion; your eyes traced it by the comet-tail-like streak it left as it fell behind Sylvie and into the vortex.
The TARDIS lurched, then took a big, healthy deep breath. The Doctor grinned joyously, his ship fully alive again. “She’s starting to move toward the DVD!”
“TVA!” shouted Loki.
“Remember: do not look into the time vortex! I have to get to the console! I’ll be back once I make sure we’re locked onto the coordinates!” The Doctor fled the room at top-speed, which for his tall, limber frame was quite fast.
Sylvie, beaten and realizing that she had very few cards left in her hand, attacked you.
“STOP! Sylvie, NO!” Loki implored as she attempted to hurl herself onto your back. You’d adjusted your center of balance, and the sudden added weight toppled you both, you landing on top of her. In the moment, your animalistic defenses took over. You no longer could identify who she was or what she was hoping to accomplish, You needed to survive. You needed to keep her at bay long enough for you to reach your destination.
The dagger wasn’t on her person, so Sylvie relied on her strength to attempt to subdue you. Your pent-up rage was your biggest weapon, and it gave you the adrenaline to keep going. You threw yourself off of Sylvie, kicking her stomach with your toe. It had only some effect. She was harder than you thought.
On your feet, Sylvie got up and lunged for your throat without missing a beat. You moved out of the way so that she missed your neck, but she latched onto your arm instead, pulling you toward the bright, open basin. It was all you could do to avoid looking inside.
The momentum Sylvie brought with her charge threw you back against the basin rim. Loki was finally able to find an opening in an attempt to get between the two of you, but just as he dove forward, the most violent lurch yet happened.
You were suddenly aware of the sensation of tumbling as both you and your attacker tumbled over the side of the rim. Your heart nearly exploded in an immediate surge of adrenaline, which thankfully gave you the quick reflexes to grab onto the side. Sylvie had also managed to grapple the rail with both hands.
The ship wouldn’t stop shaking. There was no way Loki could pull you both back before one of you fell. You knew what had to happen.
You looked resentfully at Sylvie. You mumbled in a voice that only you could hear, “I so would have loved to mount your head over my mantle, Sylvie. Fuck you. Fuck you forever.”
Finally making peace, you lifted your head, beginning to feel your palms grease over with nervous sweat. It was time to say goodbye. You were surprised at how resigned you felt. It was, after all, for Loki’s sake. Who better to die for?
Loki leaned over the basin, looking back and forth between you and Sylvie to avoid looking directly into the vortex. The quandary was not lost on him. He looked almost ready to die himself at the impossible choice before him.
“SAVE HER!” you shouted. “WITHOUT HER YOU’LL NEVER BE FREE!”
Nothing mattered to you anymore. You were willing to die in her place if it meant saving Loki. You only hoped she didn’t bullshit you all. Only Sylvie would manage to make YOUR sacrifice worthless.
“It’s okay, Loki,” you said, the tears being pulled from your eyes into the chasm under you. “I mean it. Let me go.”
Just then, the TARDIS lurched again, and the gravity within the room shifted enough that yours and Sylvie’s grips were both ripped away from the rim at the same time, leaving you both hovering for a final, terminal moment as Loki made his choice.
He threw the upper half of his body over the side just in time to snatch your hands back, keeping you from falling away. Using every desperate ounce of his superior strength, he hoisted you back over to relative safety as Sylvie went into freefall.
She made no sounds, no gasps, no cries of revenge. Her eyes didn’t even widen in surprise. As Loki cradled you in his arms while you wept, Sylvie’s face fell only slightly. She looked almost dignified and resigned as she was sucked out into the time vortex, gone from sight before anything could be done to fetch her.
The TARDIS’ shivers and quakes stopped, and it began careening as it normally would on any given adventure. The Doctor had made his way back to the console and was steering the ship successfully, putting it into autopilot so that it would continue to follow the time stone back to the TVA.
The basin slammed shut as the time machine stabilized. Once you realized what had happened, you pulled yourself out of Loki’s arms, hysterical. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?” you shrieked, slapping him hard across his cheek.
He brought a hand up to the reddening skin on his face. You punched him twice in each shoulder. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU FUCKING IDIOT?!”
He gripped your shoulders so tightly you could move, only look into his eyes for his answer. “Without you I’ll never be free.”
Your jaw dropped. He tapped the tarot pendant still around your neck after all these weeks. “I could have had a free man’s life with her…but I can only have hope with you, my star.”
You grunted, not having any of it. Loki allowed you to continue hitting him as you let out all of your rage. Sylvie had died, and yet she had somehow still won. Without her around to absorb your blows, there was only one who could.
“I hate you! I hate you!” you screamed, continuing to lose yourself to grief as Loki sat before you, graciously accepting every blow. “I fucking hate you! You’re so stupid, Loki!”
The Doctor pranced back into the chamber, unaware of anything that had happened since Loki cast the stone into the vortex.
“We should be there in about ten minutes! Everything seems to be moving now--”
He stopped suddenly, understanding what had just transpired the moment he saw Loki rocking you back and forth as your sobs were reaching a zenith. It was all your doomed love could do to offer his arms for you to bury your face in. He turned his head toward The Doctor, silently telling him everything.
The Time Lord’s face fell as his hearts broke. You could hear him speak the words that you knew he only said when all chances of a happy ending were lost:
“Oh Loki….I am sorry. I am so, so sorry.”
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Lokius Headcanons pt 4
(kinda angsty edition)
Loki never realized his love language was physical touch until he met Mobius. Even before they became anything more than friends, Loki couldn’t deny the flicker of warmth that went through him every time Mobius patted him on the shoulder, or laid a steadying hand on his back. He used to spend nights kept awake by the memory of their shared embrace at the end of time. Whenever things back at the TVA took a turn for the worst, he’d replay the moment in his mind. He’d relish in the memory of arms around him, securing him, holding him like he was worth something. No matter what he did, he couldn’t claw the heavy feeling of yearning out of his chest. Loki wanted so badly to ask Mobius for that again. He knew Mobius would give it. But still, that part of him, that defensive, terrified, violent part of him, always prevented it, at least back during the early TVA days.
Mobius is self destructive in nature, a trait he shares with Loki. He’ll work himself to the point of endangering his health, he’ll consume caffeine until he becomes physically ill, he’s even killed a few particularly evil and dangerous variants in a violent rage with his bare hands. He lets his anger, anxiety, and exhaustion build until he either lashes out or becomes essentially catatonic. Loki tries with all he has to prevent this. Every chance he has, he’ll ask Mobius how he’s doing, prompting him to vent any negative emotions or anxieties he may be holding onto. He’ll keep a close eye on Mobius when he has a project to work on, making sure he won’t work himself death. And if Mobius can’t hold back a breakdown, if he needs to spend a day in bed, not moving or talking, Loki will lay next to him. Sometimes Loki will talk to him, tell him stories, whisper reassurances. Other times they won’t talk for hours, although Loki’s hand will remain in his, a silent “You’re not alone. I’m here.”
Loki’s self destructive tendencies, compared to Mobius’, are much more specific and deliberate, almost like a subconscious punishment. Whenever he’s in a particularly bad spiral of self loathing, the first thing he subconsciously prevents himself from getting is adequate sleep. As the days go by, he’ll sleep less and less until he finds himself not sleeping at all. The ability to function and fulfill basic human needs dwindles pretty quickly after that. He’s done this all his life, and for a long time, barely anyone noticed. Mobius notices now, though, frighteningly quickly. He’ll pick up on the bags under Loki’s eyes, or the grayish tint of his face, or the constant trembling of his hands. He’ll convince Loki to have some food and water before leading them both to lay down in their bedroom, trying to coax him into getting some sleep. It isn’t much of a fight once Mobius gently pulls Loki down to lay his head on his chest, the agent wrapping his arms securely around him, holding him closely as he finally sleeps.
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Can u do Loki x touch starved reader Headcanons? Maybe reader is an avenger and had a tough past
Loki x touch starved reader
Ok at first he would think you’re just clingy to get his attention then he starts to realize
Oh? You actually like this, you want to be close to him because it makes you feel good
Honestly if that’s all it takes to make you happy then baby he’s on board
Hand holding 24/7
Assures you that he doesn’t hate it and having you close is a delight
He has his arm around your waist when you’re in formal events
Kisses, lots and lots and he loves it, don’t ever think he’ll get sick of it
Runs his hands through your hair and caresses your arms when you cuddle
Holds you tight at night and most nights is the little spoon so you can keep him as close as you want
Let’s you cling to him while he walks around the house and smooches your face when you lay your head on his chest
Carries you around just because he can, and beside you look cute all curled up against his chest
Intimate times are like the best thing ever, you’re having the time of your life because you love the skin to skin and he’s simply enjoying how satisfied you are
Sometimes you sneak underneath his sweater and warp your arms around his middle
Actually loves all the attention, it feeds his ego but also it’s nice to have positive attention for once in a while
Puts his hand on your thigh when you two sit next to each other
Fingers tangled together under the table at dinner
Foreheads pressing against each other as goodbyes and hugs where you’re feet off the ground as hellos
Plays with your hands and puts them on his face and kisses your palm
Runs his hands softly over old scars and hums while he holds you close
Everyone rolls their eyes at you two but no one interferes because they know you deserve it
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