00. Prologue to the Liar's Legacy
Pairing: Loki x Original Female Character
Warnings / Tags: None in this chapter.
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 1100
Summary: In which Loki needs to ask an old friend for assistance. But he has to find her first.
Chapter List
Morourtos was one of the forgotten planets, cast far enough towards the edge of the galaxy that it had slipped from memory. Over time - perhaps by mistake or perhaps by intent - it had found itself gradually erased from the maps and charts that defined the known Universe.
A decaying orbit, gradually drawing it further and further from the star that had once brought it light, should have seen to its demise. Only its stubbornly molten core had prevented it from freezing solid a millennium ago and shattering into a billion pieces. Desolate and dark it lay abandoned, a place where nothing had ever happened and no one wanted to visit.
Or, at least, that is what its inhabitants wanted people to think.
Beneath his cloak, Loki kept one hand on the hilt of his dagger. With his features hidden behind a different face he did not fear recognition, but in a place like this, violence needed no particular reason to erupt.
Freed from the watchful gaze of those who considered themselves the elected authority in this region of space, it had become a haven for those who had nowhere else to go or nowhere else they’d rather be. This bleak and barren rock had become a sanctuary for the desperate and the dissolute. A place where thieves and murderers were counted among its lesser evils. A place where you needed sharp wits and an even sharper blade if you wished to survive. A savage grin kicked up the corner of his anonymous face.
He liked it here!
He just wished it smelled better.
His nose wrinkled as he made his way towards the neon glow in the distance. The planet's molten core routinely vapourised the many elements and minerals in its crust, sending plumes of noxious gas into the air, where they hung like a miasma, coating everything they touched.
Thankfully he wasn’t intending to stay long. Once he had what he’d come for, he’d make swift use of the Tesseract and be half a galaxy away before anyone even noticed him.
Hopefully.
Although every creature that inhabited this seething pit had a price on their head, he was certain none were as notorious as he. And the bounty on his skin had been steadily rising over the century he’d been on the run. It had now reached such a level that he imagined it might be sufficient to make any number of them reconsider the path of their life and choose retirement over piracy.
His lip curled in a sneer. They should be on their knees praising his name. The mere fact that he’d kept the Tesseract out of Thanos’ grasp for the last hundred years meant he was, in some way, the saviour of half the living creatures in existence. Not that any of them knew that, except Thanos himself.
The mad Titan was all too aware of the wrench that was Loki, scuppering the carefully oiled machine of his intentions. Armed with the remaining four Infinity Stones, he had torn the known Universe apart in his relentless search for the trickster God. Holding the Tesseract had, so far, enabled Loki to remain one step ahead, often whisking him out of danger at the last possible moment. But he was growing tired and the Universe was starting to feel very small indeed.
He needed more protection than simply what was offered by his own quick wits and all powerful Tesseract. And there was only one relic he could think of that might save him from the growing wrath of the enraged Titan. It had taken him the best part of a century to track it down, but finally his quest was nearing its end.
The town itself was little more than a few entwined strips of neon in the darkness. At its hub, a huddled knot of buildings where illicit services could be engaged or dubious contraband sold to the highest bidder. These anonymous businesses were surrounded by brighter lit establishments, flaunting their wares and keen to exploit the meagre wealth that flowed through the narrow streets. An entire satellite industry dedicated to separating the fortunate from their ill-gotten fortunes.
Loki paused, listening to the hawkers advertising the delights they had to offer. Who had the cleanest girls - or the dirtiest, depending on your taste. Where you could find the freshest beer or the most dangerously intoxicating drugs. There were gambling clubs where you could pit your wits, your money or your blade against countless others. It all sounded marvellous, and in another life he would have happily wiled away a few months sampling everything this world had to offer.
But not tonight. Tonight there was somewhere he needed to be, someone he needed to find. Waving away an invitation to another smoke filled den, he continued more slowly, running his eyes carefully over every sign. He didn’t know exactly what he was looking for, but was confident he’d know it when he saw it.
That belief wavered a fraction as the remaining number of bars dwindled and a frown carved a groove between his brows. Even if he did find it, would she remember him? She wasn't expecting a visit - he hadn’t felt it wise to announce his arrival - and it had been more than a century since they’d last met. Did the memories linger as strongly for her as they did for him?
They hadn’t parted on the best of terms. Well, he corrected himself, that wasn’t strictly true. They’d parted in their usual style with her left in a slack-limbed slumber following an athletic and at times violent bout of love making. But he had neglected to say goodbye. In fairness to himself, his departure had come as something of a surprise to him also. His inelegant fall from the tattered edge of the Bifrost had not exactly been part of his plans.
That he had failed to inform her of his survival from said fall was a far more egregious crime and it was possible she might still be feeling a little salty from that omission. Or she might not remember him at all - the years wearing away at her memory of him until nothing remained but an occasional smile for no apparent reason.
One particular sign caught his eye and he ground to a halt. The name spelled out in strobing green above the door removed any lingering doubt as to the memories held or the reception he might expect.
The Liar’s Legacy.
Clearly, she had neither forgotten nor forgiven him.
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What if Mobius was a villain/anti-hero in his past life?
Here’s why I think there’s a good possibility for this:
While it’s probably easier for Marvel to go the boring route (Mobius was simply a normal dude with a normal job and a normal family, etc), I think there’s more to Mobius than we think. Owen Wilson himself teased Mobius has a deeper story arc this season:
In the latest episode, X-5 (or Brad) strikes a nerve when asking Mobius why he’s not interested in his past. Mobius tells Loki that he likes his life at the TVA- that’s his purpose and he’s good at it (My Lokius heart also tells me that it’s because he likes being with Loki and doesn’t want to lose him if he goes back to his past life- yeah yeah, I’m delusional, I know…)
I may be looking to hard into this (I’m a writer and reader, over-analyzing is what I do) but what if there’s a reason Mobius prefers his life at the TVA? Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that his memories have been wiped, but what if there’s something deep within him (part of his subconscious perhaps) that’s telling him to avoid his past?
I looked into Mobius’ comic counterpart to see what I could learn about the character. There’s not much. He’s had interactions with the Fantastic Four and She-Hulk, but there aren’t any details on his past. However, there are a few things I found interesting:
We all know that Kang created the TVA, but could this imply that Mobius may have known Kang personally and chose to work with him? Let’s dive deeper:
Mobius is also known as Mr. Tesseract. Why? I have no idea. He doesn’t seem to have any relation with the Tesseract. (There are some VERY cool fanarts though, so check them out if you have time). However, there’s more:
There’s a Mr. Orobourous and a Mr. Paradox as well. We just met Orobourous (spelt as Ouroboros) in the first episode of season two. Also, connect the dots: Mr Paradox = General Dox? I may be looking too deep into this, but I feel like these three may be connected in some way.
While this still isn’t a lot of information, there’s still a chance that this alias has something to do with Mobius’ backstory in the show. So, here’s my theory:
What if Mobius, once known as Mr. Tesseract, worked closely with Kang? What if he helped build the TVA? There’s a possibility that he has powers he doesn’t know about (as well as O.B. and Dox) that helped structure the TVA. Mr. Tesseract may have powers similar to his namesake. Mobius balances the TVA’s power over space, Ouroboros (which, in definition, is a snake that represents infinity) balances the power over time, and Dox balances the power over reality.
So, why don’t they have their memories? I theorize that Mobius (and maybe the others) eventually realized that Kang was wrong. Maybe he attempted to overthrow him. In the end, Kang defeated him and took away his memories as punishment, making him forget about his powers. We also know that Mobius’ memories have been wiped more than once, so there’s a chance that Mobius’ powers (in theory) eventually resurface, causing Kang to repeat the process.
This may be just some wacko theory that I overanalyzed and spent too much time on (probably) but the idea excites me. If this is in anyway true, how will Mobius react? How will Loki react? How will this impact the course of the show?
I can’t wait to find out more. Again, Mobius may have just been some random jet ski enthusiast on the time line. But that’s the boring option. Marvel, please don’t be boring. (Marvel’s probably going to make it boring).
So, what are your theories?
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