Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Survival of the fittest; this new unprecedented reality was difficult to adjust to. This new world had many threats and surprises of which there were no second chances. The almost permanently grey and stormy sky seemed to reflect the hopelessness of those condemned here and their fates.

Afterall, you had seen it first hand more than once- an unsuspecting variant, transported to this barren wasteland through the means of the time variance authorities technology. Why they would send us here rather than just killing us is beyond your understanding.

The unsuspecting variant would always react one of three ways: denial, confusion, or anger. These reactions seemed to have little influence in the odds of survival for the variant as almost immediately the demonic entity in the sky you've come to know as Alioth would appear through the heavy storm clouds and take the variant's life.

You had been more lucky. Despite failing to understand why the TVA had arrested you on the basis of some obscured timeline that you had apparently jeopardized by ordering take out one night instead of doing a home cooked meal, and being pruned as a result, you were able to quickly adapt to your new reality. After all you had no other choice, it was either adapt or be killed.

Upon your arrival to the wasteland many months ago, you were struck by confusion which ultimately initiated your fight or flight response. Nothing in your life up to this moment seemed more important than running. Your legs felt almost weightless as you took off from where you were deposited by the TVA, this newfound speed carried you in the opposite direction of the entity Alioth.

During your race to safety you found yourself dodging many obstacles. Some were as small as fragmented bones scattering the ground, others as large as armoured ships that seemed to have come from a time of war. How these objects came to be in a place like this was also beyond your understanding. Did the TVA also confiscate objects? Nothing here made sense.

Fearing the unknown is something many children experience. Consoled by their parents through the installation of night lights to illuminate the dark voids of their bedrooms at night; a simple solution to a small problem. However, this fear once overcome by your childhood self seemed to return tenfold.

This unfamiliar environment posed many threats and challenges of which you didn't understand. Everything you once thought you knew, everything you came to learn and understand about the universe was now changing in front of your very eyes. This time there would be no night light to fill the void, no one to help you.

The adrenaline rush that had spurred your legs forward in a haste to find safety was now wearing out. This became abundantly clear when your foot made contact with a hard surface, the loss of momentum sent you crashing to the ground.

The sudden connection with the rough terrain had your body seering in pain. However the pressure around your foot that was responsible for sending you crashing down remained. So, you unwillingly pushed yourself up into a sitting position despite how loudly your muscles protested.

All thoughts of exhaustion and pain quickly dissolved as horror and dread immediately consumed you. The pressure around your foot was the skeletal remains of a person, your foot embedded in the clutches of a skull. You screamed and shook your foot violently.
The force of your foot slamming against the surface of the terrain crushed the skull immediately. It’s sickening crack echoed in time with the thunderous storm clouds of Alioth; the entity was getting closer.

Reminded of the imminent danger you were still in, you pushed yourself up to your feet and began to run once again. As the adrenaline was wearing off, the thick haze that clouded your mind cleared and you quickly realized running forever was not a viable option. You needed to find some kind of Alioth resistant shelter, and quickly too.

As soon as the idea presented itself, a circular object on the ground came into view. Beforehand you probably would have dodged it and kept running like the many previous obstacles in your path. However, your change of priorities had you convinced that you should inspect the object instead. Its circular shape resembled that of a trap door, almost like the hatch of a submarine. However this was embedded in the ground, not a metal watercraft.

It took some considerable effort to lift the circular hatch. It must've been out of use for a very very long time. The mechanisms of the hatch groaned and creaked as it was finally lifted, revealing a dark abyss below.

Oh how useful a night light would’ve been in this situation you thought. Then, another violent roar of thunder came from behind you and you threw yourself down into the dark abyss below, making sure to shut the hatch door on your way down.

The landing was rough, there was no time to brace for impact. Your body hit the cold damp ground like a sack of potatoes.

The monsoon that accompanied Alioth swept over the underground shelter. It’s heavy rain slowly leaked through the rusty hinges of the hatch, but you were otherwise protected from the entity. Relief swept through your body and soothed your aching muscles. You were finally safe.

Now that the adrenaline rush had completely worn off, you found yourself unable to move; even your eyelids were too heavy to lift. Exhaustion demanded its reprieve. And who were you to object? Surrendering to the enticing notion of rest, you allowed your eyes to drift closed and fell into a much needed deep dreamless sleep.

That was seven months ago.

Chapter Text

You had adjusted as well as anyone could expect under these extreme circumstances.

The underground shelter served as a more than adequate base for survival.The remnants of its previous occupants aided you considerably well as you were able to repurpose many of the old materials. Cushions from the various pieces of old furniture became your new mattress, scrap metal could be turned into a ladder to provide easier access to the hatch door, you were even able to create a garden.

The garden brought you some sense of normality. You spent the majority of your days tending to the garden to ensure your body was receiving enough energy and nutrients. There were potatoes, romaine lettuce, corn, berries, peppers, onions, and peas growing. Admittedly it was an odd arrangement of foods to have growing together, but it was all you had.

You were able to prepare and cook the food by the fire pit you had constructed in the centre of the shelter. And there was an almost constant source of water as the nearly perpetual monsoon that accompanied Alioth allowed for you to have a reserve.

Of course there were times when you had to leave the safety of your underground shelter to venture for supplies. Luckily, you weren't defenceless. Being exposed to an environment such as this allowed for you to gain muscle. You also utilized the scrap metal to create various weapons.

On this particular day, you were running low on firewood and needed to collect some more. Weapons in hand, you climbed up the ladder and pushed open the circular hatch door.

It took a moment for your eyes to adjust to the natural lighting, it always stung your eyes slightly. Circumstances like these made you yearn for the simple luxury of sunglasses. Coming from a world where everything was easily accessible, you realized just how much you took for granted. You would kill for just one roll of toilet paper these days.

After you exited the shelter, you made sure to camouflage the hatch door with bits of debris and dirt. You couldn’t risk some other variant finding you or the shelter. It really was everyone for themselves in this barren land.

Firewood was fairly easy to acquire as you constructed a sled to transport the logs more easily. The trek to the forest and back would take no more than a few hours.

Which was alright since you spent so much time hidden away in the dark shelter beneath the ground that any time spent above the surface was a breath of fresh air- figuratively and literally.

The forest was just as gloomy and threatening as the rest of this place; Alioth and other variants could appear anywhere.

On this day, several trees had fallen over near the entrance of the woody landscape so you didn’t need to venture too far into the forest thankfully. Conveniently, it appeared that the trees had split and cracked as they fell to the forest floor. This saved you from having to hack away at the wood with your weapons. With a relieved smile, you loaded the sled with a weeks worth supply of wood. There were enough fallen down trees that there would be logs left for collecting the following week as well.

On your journey back to the shelter you began to softly sing a song from home.

“Here comes the sun, do do do
Here comes the sun
And I say it's alright

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here”

Just like tending to the garden, singing brought you a small sense of comfort and normality. After being condemned to this wasteland for nearly a year, the lyrics to songs began to fade from your memory so you would often create other lyrics to substitute, or you’d come up with your own songs. However, the lyrics to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles were burned into your memory. It was the one song you could sing perfectly.

“Here comes the sun, do do do
Here comes the sun
And I say it’s alright

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun, do do do
Here comes the sun
And I say it’s alright

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear”

As the end of the song neared, you found yourself standing just outside of your shelter. The circular hatch remained hidden underneath its camouflage.

Despair always seeped through your hard exterior every time you had to return to the dark world below ground. With a deep sigh you tugged the rope attached to the front of the sled and pulled it beside the hatch, ready to unload the logs.

Then, a searing pain unlike anything you’ve experienced before struck your head. The overwhelming shock turned your world into a black abyss. Your knees buckled beneath you as you lost consciousness. However, you never hit the ground. Someone caught you.

Chapter Text

The first thing that you became aware of was the deep pounding ache in your skull. Its intensity seemed to revertabrate throughout the rest of your body. You’d never been knocked unconscious before, ever so sheltered by your parents- which was another thing you've come to realize you've taken for granted.

Your senses began to quickly return to you one by one, which became abundantly clear when a nauseating stench filled your nostrils. It could almost be compared to that of a group of unruly school boys after gym class.

The awful stench paired with the pain in your skull did not make for a pleasant experience. You tried to cover your nose with the hem of your shirt but found that your arms were imobile; something was keeping them restricted behind your back.

A sense of dread quickly settled deep within your stomach. So this was not an accident on behalf of your clumsiness that had knocked you unconscious, this was the work of someone else. A variant?

You opened your eyes and groaned as the fluorescent lights above stung your retinas and wornsend the pounding ache in your skull.

It took a moment for the blurred figures in front of you to come into focus.

“Well good morning Darling, glad you could join us.” The figure in the centre of other blurred silhouettes spoke. He had a deep gravelly voice that would have made you swoon if not for the immediate danger that you were in. “Oh dear. Did you hit your head?” Laughter erupted amongst the crowd.

You narrowed your eyes at the man for his condescending comment. Your vision finally returned to you and you were able to properly identify your captors. There had to be at least ten people standing in front of you and they were all disgusting. Dirt, sweat, and dried blood all clung to their skin and clothes. Well, that explains the nauseating stench.

The man that stood in the centre of the crowd, the apparent leader, seemed to be a bit more put together than the rest with the exception of his tattered and ripped suit. That was when you noticed the pin attached to his lapel. You squinted your eyes to try and make out the words. “Loki for president?”

The raven haired man gave a sickening smile. “What a quick learner you are.”

You furrowed your brow at that and struggled against your restraints once again. The friction of the rope that binds your hands together behind your back causes the skin of your wrists to be rubbed raw. This was not good.

You’d managed to go unnoticed by any other variant for seven months, how did these people find you? You didn't even realize there were others that could have survived this wasteland. Judging by the pin adorning the leaders suit it seems they’ve established some form of government.

“What the hell do you want?” You snapped.

The same sickening smile remained plastered on the raven haired man's face. He inhaled deeply and shoved his hands into the pockets of his tattered suit trousers.

“I’ve been watching you for quite some time now.” He stepped forward as he spoke and began to walk around you, circling you like a shark. “You have something I want.”

“Which is?” You questioned and ground your teeth in anger.

“Resources.”

You immediately began to deny. “Oh please, you’ve got an entire army. If you of all people aren’t able to find resources what makes you think I’ve got any?”

Just as he was turning to circle you again, the man paused. He pivoted and leaned down to come face to face with you. Your breath caught in your throat at the intensity of his eyes.

“Let me make something very clear to you.” He took his hand out of his pocket and grabbed your chin, forcing you to keep eye contact with him.

“I do not like to repeat myself. Need I remind you that I’ve been watching you? I know you have a food source, a shelter. And you’re going to show me where it is.”

“And what if I don’t?” You countered.

“Well,” He released your chin and stood at full height once again. “Then I'd have no use for you wouldnt I? See, I’m a minimalist. What doesn’t serve a purpose or provides... pleasure gets disposed of.”

Your face must’ve shown your realization as the raven haired man's sickening smile returned.

“I’m a benevolent man, so the choice is yours darling.”

You glared. “Fine. When do we leave?”

“Now.”

As soon as he spoke, you felt someone behind you grab the rope of your restraints and pull you up. Your vision blurred again as you were still experiencing the effects of being knocked unconscious, but you weren’t spared a moment to recuperate as the person behind you pushed you forward.

Chapter Text

Alioth appeared to be temporarily sated as his presence was not made known by any roaring thunder or heavy storm clouds. Or perhaps he was further away, preoccupied with terrorizing some other unlucky variants in a different location?

Nevertheless, the entity's absence gave you some peace of mind - which was especially needed at this current time.

Since having been ambushed and kidnapped by the variant you've come to know as president Loki and his army, your heart has not ceased racing, and reasonably so. This extremely dangerous, yet albeit very attractive man was uncharted territory for you.

Since you had been left here by the Time Variance Authority you had survived on your own with no help or even communication with others. You have adapted. You figured out a way to live self sufficiently and that was supposed to be the plan. Well, at least until sickness or old age became a factor but that couldn't be helped.

Now, everything you had worked so hard for was in jeopardy.

Suddenly your thoughts were interrupted as one of the brutish variants in the president's army who was in charge of handling you gave a rather rough tug of the ropes that bound your hands together, nearly knocking you to the ground in the process.

“Fuck!”

The pain that sourced from your raw wrists shot up your arm like a bolt of lightning.

You weren't even trying to escape your captors - ever so hesitant to give them a reason to hurt or kill you. But your handler seemed to pay no mind to that. It seemed they found amusement in your suffering.

“Now now, number 4. We still need her alive so do be gentle.” the president Loki lightly chided with an air of jest lacing his tone.

Did he just refer to one of his army men as number 4? Perhaps it was a ranking system. Nevertheless, the longer you were around these variants the stranger it became. Although you were relieved that the president had defended you just then, albeit with bad intentions. It gave you a respite from the pain at least.

The president Loki was further back from where you were in the crowd of his army. You of course had to be leading at the front as you were taking them to your shelter.

Navigating back was a difficult feat as you had been unconscious when you were kidnapped so you had no idea how far away you were. If it weren't for the compass you always kept safely tucked away in your pocket, you’d probably be at a complete loss.

How strange they allowed you to keep the compass when they had discarded all the other items you carried on your person. Perhaps they were in a rush to get you back to their compound so they didn’t search you very thuroughly.

It made sense that the president Loki was threatening you in exchange for your resources since his compound was an absolute dump. The stench was probably the worst part but there were also discarded pieces of rubbish covering the floor, light fixtures hanging by wires from the ceiling, and even dead bodies surrounding the area. You shudder to think of what had become of them and if you too would share their fate once you arrived at your shelter. Would they find you of no more use and dispose of you?

This is exactly why you tried your best to avoid any other variant for so long. Everyone was either scared or dying here, they wouldn’t spare a second thought to kill you if it meant they could survive.

As you continued to lead the president and his army west towards the destination, you felt a controlled flow of air breeze across the back of your neck. With Ailoth’s absence there weren’t even any hints of a storm brewing so how could there be such gentle traces of wind?

The flow of air cascading over you caused your skin to chill and your hair follicles to stand on end. The way your body was reacting was almost akin to the response you had during horror movies. The case of dramatic irony when the audience knew what was about to happen but the character did not. It was only a matter of time before the killer would strike, you would be gripping the edge of your seat, goosebumps plaguing your skin.

However, in this case it was a horror movie that had come to life. If not for Alioth’s storm, and if not for the weather pertaining to it, what was the cause? The wind was too controlled, too unnatural.

Dread seeped into every fibre of your being. You were so niave; It wasn’t wind. Someone was behind you.

It couldn’t have been your handler as he was still walking beside you, and the army men were still booming behind you with their crude jokes.

You swallowed nervously and took the risk of craning your neck to see who it could be.

“Hello, pet.”

It was president Loki.

You nearly lost your footing in a mixture of shock and fear, but his large hand had shot out and grabbed your waist to steady you.

You were so preoccupied with your thoughts that you hadn’t even noticed him come up behind you until he had blown across the back of your neck. What sort of game was he playing at? First he was threatening death upon you and now he was… flirting with you? If it could even be called flirting.

“I may be a benevolent god, but my patience wears thin in lieu of this journey on foot.” He sneered close to your ear, his breath continuing to wreak havoc on the sensitive skin of your neck.

Did he just say he was a god?

“It would be in your best interest to reveal your resources rather than have us continue this wild goose chase, wouldn’t you agree?”

The reappearance of threats had brought back a sense of normalcy. Danger you were used to, but his flirtatious game had you at a loss of what to do and how to react. And now those two components are being paired together…

“Oh yes, of course I agree, Mr. President Loki, sir, but I don’t really have much to go off of here for directions except my compass so it’s going to take awhile.” You spluttered, still feeling his intimidating presence right against your back. “But this area we’ve just reached, I am familiar with!”

It was true, you weren’t just saying that as a result of being threatened. There was the forest in the distance that you had gone to many times for firewood, and the very same hill formations in the surrounding area.

“Right before I was taken, I camouflaged the entrance to protect all of my things, but I guess I don’t need to do that anymore…” you trailed off for a moment, then shook your head to regain focus. “The shelter is underground. There should be a pile of debris and dirt covering the hatch door. We just have to look for it now.”

The pressure of the president's body pressed flush against your back dissipated as he turned to address his army men and instructed them to search for what you had described.

It didn’t take long for one of them to yell out their discovery of the shelter.

Right away everyone had crowded around the hatch door, awaiting their turn to descend below the surface. The president had gone in first and it wasn’t until all the other army men had gone in did your handler shove you forwards down the hatch.

Your body felt weightless as gravity pulled you down to the dark abyss below. This moment reminded you of the first time you had discovered the underground shelter, your mind too clouded by fear and adrenaline to carefully make your way down, and as a result you fell in.

Although unlike the first time, your body didn’t make contact with the pavement below. You found yourself being caught in strong arms.

“Number 4, need I remind you to do your job properly once more? I said to be gentle, did I not?”

President Loki had caught you in his arms.

Chapter Text

Landing in your captors arms wouldn’t have been your first choice, but at least the impact was reasonably soft, considering the concrete alternative.

The president wasn’t a largely built man, however his strength became abundantly clear with how he held you. His strong yet concealed muscles flexed upon your impact. Not even an ounce of shakiness in his grasp.

His discreet physique held the resemblance of a wild cat. It allowed him to be agile. To move with an air of grace and stealth; almost akin to that of a panther. Well, any other cat could have sufficed just as well in such a description. But his dark hair and ice cold eyes led to the final decision.

Making sense of his odd behaviour and attributes through such comparisons gave you a sense of normalcy. If not for the animal-like features, then what? The only other explanation would be something otherworldly. Maybe that wasn’t such an outlandish claim after all considering your current situation and where you were.

Strangely enough, the president was still holding onto you. His grip tightened to a vice where his hands supported your weight. No doubt leaving bruises with the sheer force. You bit your tongue to keep yourself from crying out. His building anger from his number 4 clearly being taken out on you. At least you thought that was the case.

“You and I are almost quite literally the same. We share a lack of patience, you understand. That thing was purposely testing mine by not moving fast enough. She reaped what she sowed.” Number 4 gruffly stated.

As if I’m cue, the president further tightened his grip on you. Not seeming to realize he was doing so. Perhaps hitting the concrete would have been better in the long run. As acutely as you could feel his muscles around you, you felt his demeanour change. It was almost as if something in the air shifted.

“Then you understand what I must do
number 4, hm? If you and I are so similar you know just how I handle such disobedience.” There it was again, that cool collected tone. The world could be falling apart around him and he’d still be frighteningly calm.

His last word ignited a spark within you, ‘Disobedience’. Within the right context it could be absolutely thrilling. Being alone all this time was starting to get to your head. Now here you were in the very clutches of danger, having dirty thoughts! You bit your tongue harder, trying to quiet your brain. Is that blood you’re tasting? Oh great.

Number 4 instantly stiffened; his body rigid with suppressed fear.

The president shifted his gaze to the rest of the men who were watching in amusement, as if already knowing. They were excited. The crowd of barbarians eagerly stepped aside to let their president pass through. Although it was not before he very unceremoniously pulled his arms away from underneath you, making you stumble back onto your feet.

He then made his way towards the ladder up to the hatch, opening the heavy rusted metal with ease.
“Alioth! Dinner is served!” He yelled and with the grace of a cat, jumped down from the top of the ladder to the ground below.

As if on cue, the sky above darkened. Thunderous booms and cracks could be heard and felt from the distance. Alioth was coming.
The men cheered and grabbed number 4. He tried to fight his way out of their grasps, but he was severly outnumbered. After a few mere seconds, the men were able to haul number 4 up the ladder and throw him outside.

“No! I beg of you!” He cried, scrambling back to the hatch but it was too late. The president snapped his fingers and the metal door slammed closed, sealing us safely inside and number 4 on the outside.

It was a bit werid seeing the man who had caused you so much fear being thrown to Alioth. He was massive, he stood at least 2 feet above you and you were by no means overly short. Yet despite his steroid level muscles and giant height, he was acting as scared as you felt.

You shivered at what that meant. There had to be at least 20 of these barbarians here, all of them just as massive as the next, and they were scared of their president. Luckily enough for you, you just so happened to be right in the centre of the president’s current focus. How fortunate. Not.

“Now, my pet.” The president purred. “Give us the grand tour! Be a good host now.” He settled his hands on your shoulders and steered you towards your garden.
Luckily your kidnappers hadn’t held you hostage for too long as your garden was still managing to push through in your absence. But you only grew enough for yourself. How were you going to feed the bunkers 20+ occupants now?

“Well, this is my garden. I have potatoes, lettuce, corn, berries, peppers, onions, and peas…”

“You truly are a pet, hm? Eating nothing but rabbit food. No, my men will need more. They will hunt for their rations.” He spoke the last part loudly, ensuring they heard his new order.

If it weren’t for his hands on your shoulders, feeling every move you make, you would have sighed with relief. He then turned you towards your mess of a living room. There were blankets strewn about on the floor as makeshift furniture with unfinished projects scattering the rest of the available space.
His men had quickly made themselves quite at home by taking advantage of your living room; a few of them even laying down for a nap.

However the president didn’t let you stop to continue your tour there, he pushed you forward towards a darker hallway. The chambers.
There were a few bedroom chambers, but you used the other rooms for storage for your various works in progress and stashes. Your room was at the very end of the hall, the only door that was left open.

You could practically feel your heart beating out of your chest. Why was he making you go directly to your chambers? Why was he going with you?