02x06 - Glorious Purpose

[bunniefuu]

I am Loki of Asgard.

And I am burdened with glorious purpose.

You found out you're a Variant

and you haven't even looked, have you?

- You wanna be king?
- I don't want to be, I was born to be.

That is what we know.
w*r. And it's on its way.

- And that's who you showed us in there?
- He Who Remains.

This is his kingdom.

And that's the gambit.

Take over, or an infinite amount of me
start another Multiversal w*r.

And I just end up right
back here anyways.

Reincarnation, baby.

Sylvie, stop.

You want the throne?

See you soon.

Now, for better or for worse,
the timelines are free.

It's up to us to protect them,
to do better than He Who Remains.

- We're playing God.
- What's the plan?

Load the Multiplier,
launch it and get back.

Time to be brave.

The branches are dying.
Everything's falling apart.

I need to go back to before
the Temporal Loom melted down.

You need to learn
how to control your time slipping.

Load the Multiplier,
launch it and get back.

- Got it?
- Got it.

Okay.

Time to be brave.

Good luck.

Time to be brave.

I'm back.

- You okay?
- Yes. Yes.

We have to get Timely out there.

Ready.

- How long will he have?
- Not long.

I don't know about this radiation level,

it's even worse than
when I was out there.

He'll make it.

Be brave.

Here we go.

- Come on, let's go! Let's go!
- Come on, let's move!

What happened?

He's gone.

It's over.

Okay, what do we do?

The Temporal Radiation is just too high.

What did we do wrong?

I don't know. It wasn't me, I swear.

- O.B.
- Is he dead?

What could we have done differently?

Good question.

We took too long.

Again. Faster.

Okay, okay. No time to argue.

- Come on, come on. Follow me.
- Good luck, professor.

Listen. Get in, get suited up. When...

When those doors open, get down
the gangway as fast as you can.

Load the Multiplier,
hit the green button,

launch it and get back. Okay?

- Okay.
- That's exactly right.

Let's keep moving.
Let's go faster this time.

- Time to be brave.
- You ready?

"This time"?

- Okay, okay. No time to argue.
- Good luck, professor.

Come on, come on. Listen...

Get in. Get suited up. Get down
the gangway as fast as you can.

Load the Multiplier, hit the green
button, launch it and get back.

Let's keep moving. Let's go
a little faster this time.

"This time"?

- What happened?
- He's gone.

- Again. Not faster, earlier.
- It's over.

Miss Ravonna, after what
happened in my workshop...

Miss Minutes, I know right now
you're hurt and you're angry.

But we need your help in finishing
the Throughput Multiplier, faster.

Time is of the essence.

I wasted time and now
the time wastes me.

Don't set the Multiplier down.

Again.

Come on!

Again. Again.

Again.

Come on, come on, come on.

Again.

Introductions. Ouroboros,
this is Victor Timely.

Victor Timely, this is Ouroboros.
Guess what?

The TVA Handbook, you both wrote it.
Isn't that amazing?

- Loki, why are you being so weird?
- O.B...

Victor Timely?

Ouroboros.

- Hey, hey.
- Nice to meet you!

Here is a model of the Loom
which O.B. so helpfully mocked up.

Everyone, Victor, this model
is not finished, okay?

There's only one coat of paint on this.

O.B., what are you talking about?
It's absolutely perfect.

Now listen up. We have to get Timely
suited up and to the Loom.

Wait... Why me?

Because you volunteered,
you did, you will.

Something could go wrong, and
you know how the Multiplier works.

- I do.
- It'll make sense.

You will wear this protective suit.

Mobius, you're in luck.

It looks like Mobius, but
it's actually Victor Timely.

That's me?

Victor, in this suit,
when those doors open,

get down the gangway as fast as you can.

It's gonna take some doing,

- it's not gonna be easy.
- It's not gonna be easy...

Lot of Temporal Radiation.

- Everyone following? Good.
- Yes.

Victor, load the Multiplier
into the launcher, spin it,

hit the green button,

which will launch it where
it'll dock with the Loom

and scale its capacity to manage
the backlog of branches.

- The Multiplier isn't ready yet.
- It is.

- Because Timely has this.
- What's that...

- A prototype...
- Yes.

... which will widen the temporal input
and invert the temporal decay.

This device, plus the
Throughput Multiplier,

will make the rings bigger.

- Loki, give...
- Give that back to the professor.

Thank you so much. Trust me.

But it's gonna take some time to adapt
my Throughput Multiplier...

How long? How long?

Depends. I don't even know
what I'm looking at.

What is that?

O.B., how long will it take me
to know everything that you know

about mechanics, physics,
and engineering?

How much do you know?

Let's assume I don't know much,
but I'm a fast learner and I'm a god.

- Let's start at the beginning.
- Start at the beginning.

We don't have time for this.
It's better if we work alone.

O.B., I understand.

But if I had to know,

I mean, I really, really,
really had to know,

how long would it take?

- Decades.
- Centuries.

Loki, I'm not questioning

your surprisingly advanced
engineering skills,

but maybe O.B. should
test that thing first?

Testing protocol is key to safe
scientific advancement.

It's perfect. Timely, need you this way.

We have to scan your Temporal Aura
in this fine machine.

- Now, it looks lethal.
- Is that...

- It is absolutely safe. Watch this.
- Loki, Loki!

Access denied.

Your turn. I'll take those.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- When you're ready.
- Ready.

And go.

Welcome, He Who Remains.

- Can I, can I come out?
- And you're still here.

You'll need those.

Guys, it's worse than I thought.

We have to move fast. Who's it gonna be?

It's him. It's you. You volunteer.

Here's the plan. Get in, get suited up.

When those doors open, get down
the gangway as fast as you can.

Load the Multiplier, hit
the green button,

- launch it, and get back.
- Got it.

By the way, remember,

tape your right thumb, left knee,
and faceplate

or the Temporal Radiation
will peel your skin right off.

- Watch the first step, trip hazard.
- Thumb, knee, faceplate.

- One last thing.
- Yes.

Whatever you do, do not
set the Multiplier down,

or it will roll off the gangway.
Okay? Don't forget.

Be brave.

Time to be brave.

Casey, we need to
widen the voltage input

and invert the temporal decay.

- What about the ion decoupler?
- It's fine.

- Route it with the primary compartment.
- Won't it overheat?

No, it's not gonna overheat. 'Cause
we're gonna allow it to interface

with Timely's adaptive
exponential computing system.

Those upgrades will allow the Loom

to scale the capacity to manage
the *** load of branches.

The rings. Rings are too small.

We're gonna make them bigger. Let's go.

Better watch out, O.B.

- Looks like someone's coming for your job.
- Coming for your job.

That's right. I'm coming,
O.B., watch your back.

Casey, get the Multiplier down to Timely

- as fast as you can.
- Okay.

- What the sh*t are you doing?
- Trust me.

- No.
- I know what I'm doing.

- No!
- Watch.

- Casey, don't forget to latch his helmet.
- Yeah.

- Latch his helmet.
- Thank you.

- Mr. Timely's ready.
- I know.

Access denied. Password
required. Password accepted.

- Here we go.
- Yes!

Hang on. This all seems a bit rushed.

Only to you. Trust me.
If you stop, you die.

All right.

Here we go.

Get to the end of the gangway
as fast as you can,

and then load the Multiplier
into the launcher.

That's it, one step at a time.

Be brave. You're being so brave.

You're doing really well. Fantastic.

Keep going.

One foot in front of the other.

Before you know it, you'll be
at the end of the gangway.

Well done.

He did it. He made it.

Not yet.

Ah, ah! Victor, what did I tell you?

Do not put the Multiplier down,
it will roll off the gangway.

Oh, my God, yes!

That's right. Well done.
Now load it into the launcher.

Come on.

Come on.

- He's got it.
- Right. Listen to me carefully.

Hit the green button.

Hit the green button.

No.

Hit the button.

It can be a little sticky.

Hit the green button!

Yes!

Now come back, quick.

Get back, get back.

- Back?
- Yes, come back.

It's working. It's working.
It's gonna work this time.

Come on, Victor. Yes, come back!

Come on.

Go, go, go, go! Go!

Go.

- Yes!
- Yeah!

Are you kidding me?

- He did it!
- Yes!

How did he do that?

Pumpkins.

It's working.

I'm going to go check the systems.

Finally.

It's integrating.

The Loom is weaving the branches
together. It's stabilizing.

- Did it work, Wizard?
- You did it!

- Oh, my God. We did it.
- Did it work?

Oh, yes, it worked.
It's working right now.

- Really?
- It's working. Look at this.

It worked.

You did it. You did it!

- We're gonna make it.
- It worked.

- You did it.
- Wait.

What?

These readings are off.

What do you mean, "off"?

I don't know. They're just off.

It can't be.

How can the readings be off? How...

The Loom is overloading again.

How can the Loom be overloading?

No.

That's not possible.

It's not possible.

We increased the throughput.

The Multiplier was perfect.

It did increase the throughput,

but there are just too many branches.

We have to get out of here.

Wait.

The branches of time are duplicating

and expanding at an infinite rate.

I... I don't understand.

It's a scaling problem.

But that's what we were adjusting for.

The Loom will never
be able to accommodate

for an infinitely growing multiverse.

You can't scale for infinite.

It's like trying to divide by zero.

It can't be done.

So, no matter how much
we increase the throughput,

it will never be enough.

Be enough. Never enough.

- And the Loom will always fail.
- Fail.

And the new timelines will always...

It's almost as if as soon as
the timelines started branching,

this was doomed to happen.

I'm sorry.

Sylvie, stop. Stop.

Stop.

Stop.

I've been where you are.

I've felt what you feel.

You don't want this.

What's happening?

You're right. What were you
thinking trusting me?

I can't be trusted.

You have to believe me.

You cannot k*ll him.

You must not follow through.
It all ends if you do.

I know this sounds strange.
I've seen it. I know it.

- Get out of my way.
- I won't.

You've been seduced by a throne.

The last thing I want is a throne.

Sylvie, stop!

If you want me to stop,
you'll have to k*ll me.

Ooh!

Close.

See you soon.

Sylvie, stop!

You want to stop me,
you'll have to k*ll me.

See you soon.

Not what you were expecting, hmm?

You're just... a man.

Flesh and blood. Don't tell
me I'm a disappointment.

Hear me out.

No. No.

You want me to stop,
you'll have to k*ll me.

If you want to stop me,
you'll have to k*ll me.

See you soon.

Want to stop me, you have to k*ll me.

- If you want to stop me...
- I have to k*ll you, I get it.

Why do you never try to stop her?
Fight back? Do something.

So, how many times
have you been at this?

- What did you do?
- Oh, come on.

You're not telling me you
haven't learned how to pause...

time... yet.

I figured you'd be way past that.

Don't worry, lover boy. She's okay.

But she is in the eye line a little bit.
So why don't we just...

So, this,

this isn't the first time we've
had this conversation, is it?

- How did you know?
- I know about the slipping.

And who do you think paved that road?

Any guesses? Survey says...

He Who Remains.

Bingo!

Here you were, slipping through time.

Thinking you were, you were
sticking it to the system.

Gonna b*at the man. And then... Whoop!

Here he is.

Kiddo, did you really think

I was just gonna sit back
and let her k*ll me?

And that'd be it? Zip? Nada?

RIP HWR?

No, I told you.

Reincarnation, baby.

"We die with the dying.

We're born with the dead".

Uh-huh. Okay. So, this is a lot for you.

I get it. So why don't you
just go through this

a couple thousand more times?

Get your bearings.

And then you just, you just let me know.

Okay, when you're ready
to have a conversation.

Okay?

And what makes you think...

this is the first time we've
had this conversation?

Tsst.

Well done. You're my favorite.

When there was two of you here,
you were my favorite.

Okay.

So, seems you've figured
it all out. Hmm?

- Tell me, how is Victor...
- Timely?

- Of course you know about your...
- Wait. Don't tell me.

You're, you're having some, some, some
problems with the Temporal Loom.

- Scaling problem.
- Scaling problem? That's what he told you?

Victor told you
it's a scaling problem? Wow.

No. No, there's no, there's no problem.

It destroyed the TVA.

The Temporal Loom is a failsafe.

When the Loom is overloaded
with branches,

it deletes the ones that
aren't supposed to be there.

Everything except the Sacred Timeline.

And the TVA,

that's just, that's just
collateral damage.

Look, no biggie. Easy to rebuild.

- What a waste of time.
- And as you may or may not know,

my Variants are already out there.

We'll find them.

- There's too many.
- I won't stop.

- Doesn't matter.
- Never stopped me before.

I know, champ.

But the outcome to this
equation remains,

remains the same.

You lose.

I know.

I know.

Shake it off.

I'll change the equation.

I'll break your Loom.

Um... But the Loom prevents a brutal w*r

where nothing survives, Loki.
Not even the Sacred Timeline.

Okay, let's try it this way, every...

every moment of peace

you've ever experienced

was yours because I was here.

Alone,

at the end of time,

keeping watch.

I understand.

But you want to break the Loom.

What do you think would
happen to your friends?

Hmm.

I made the tough choices.
That's why I get the big chair.

I keep us safe.

Can't you see what I'm offering here...

is mercy?

For me, or for you?

No.

I'll find another way.

Okay.

And around and around and around we go.

Let's see it.

Make the hard choice.

Break the Loom and you cause a w*r
that kills us all. Game over.

Or, k*ll her,

and we protect what we can.

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?

Okay, so let's get into it.
The man who would be king...

- No, Mobius, stop.
- Stop? We just started.

- We gotta keep going.
- No, no, no.

I know what this is.

What is it?

You want to know what makes Loki tick?

Yes.

You want to know why I do what I do?

Why I have so much range?

Yeah.

You're gonna make notes,

and then you're gonna click
that button on that machine

and then you're gonna play out
scenes from my whole life,

how it's all meant to be,
past, present, future.

Burdened with glorious purpose.

My life was a waste of time.

Okay, it looks like someone
got a hold of the set list.

- How are you doing this?
- Mobius, I need your help.

Well, I'm listening.

How do you choose who
lives and who dies?

Prune. We prune around here and
we don't choose the Time-Keepers,

- they have that responsibility.
- The Time-Keepers.

Dictate the proper flow of time.

They're busy untangling the epilogue
from its infinite branches.

- Exactly, yeah.
- I know the dogma,

but really, you're the one doing it.

Because it was the proper flow of time.

- What comfort is that?
- Comfort? Well, there's no comfort.

You're not gonna find
comfort at the TVA.

You wanna hear a good story?
Listen to this one.

A couple of Hunters went out on a mission
somewhere near the Black Sea

to find a Variant who's gonna be
responsible for , deaths,

, deaths that were not
in the proper flow of time.

They get there and
there's a little hiccup.

The Variant is an eight-year-old boy.

He was just minding his own business.

Swimming with his brother,
jumping off the dock.

And one of the Hunters who
never had trouble pruning before,

he had never hesitated,
but that day he did.

He paused.

Timeline started to branch,
more Variants appeared.

Happened so fast, his partner
had to step in and prune the kid.

But by then, cat was out of the bag.

Couple Hunters d*ed.

All because that one Hunter,

he lost sight of the big picture.

Gotta keep the big picture in mind.

Hmm.

Most purpose is more burden than glory.

And trust me, you never wanna
be the guy who avoids it

'cause you can't live with the burden.

How do you live with it?

Scar tissue.

What happened to your partner?

The Hunter who pruned the boy
when you couldn't.

Oh, things worked out fine for her.

She actually became a judge.

You know, she's the reason you're here
instead of dust in a TVA vent.

Renslayer.

She knew the hard thing to do
was the thing that had to be done.

And by hard, I mean impossible.

No, there's no comfort.

You just choose your burden.

Thank you, Mobius.

Is this it?

We...

There's nowhere left to go.

What's happening?

We're outside time.

How?

I finally learned to control
the time slipping.

I went back.

I thought I could fix the Loom.

It's a failsafe.

It was designed to protect
the Sacred Timeline and nothing else.

Of course it is.

I'm out of options, Sylvie.

I've tried everything.

The only way that anything survives...

Is if I never k*ll He Who Remains
in the first place.

So you have to k*ll me.

I'm not giving you my blessing,
if that's what you're waiting for.

What do I do?

It's the Sacred Timeline, or nothing.

It's not enough to protect
the Sacred Timeline, Loki.

Even down there, it's full
of death and destruction

and injustice.

Do you really wanna be the god
who takes away everyone's free will

so you can protect that?

But what good is free will
if everyone's dead?

And who are you to say
we can't die trying?

Who are you to decide
we can't die fighting?

You're replacing one nightmare
with another.

I grew up in apocalypses, Loki.

I've lived through enough
of them to know

that sometimes it's okay
to destroy something.

If...

If there's a hope that
you can replace that thing

with something better.

Welcome, He Who Remains.

Loki.

Hey.

Loki, what are you doing?

- Open the door.
- Loki.

I know what I want.

I know what kind of god I need to be...

for you.

For all of us.

- No!
- Loki!

I need to get out there.

The branches are dying.

He's giving us a chance.

Your team are doing an excellent job.

Let me know if you need anything.

How're things going over here?

Hey, y'all, I'm Miss Minutes.

And are we sure she won't...

- Try to k*ll us all?
- Yeah.

You don't instill confidence, O.B.

- Are you headed to the w*r Room?
- Yeah.

Let them know I'll be up in a moment?

I'll do you one better,
I'll save you a seat.

Hey, you. You okay?

I got those reports on the
Variants of He Who Remains.

- Do any of them know that we exist yet?
- Nope.

I guess one of 'em caused
a little bit of a ruckus

on adjacent realm,

but they handled it.
So, we're all good for now.

That's all we can ask for.

- Are you headed up?
- Yeah, I'll meet you up there.

Casey said he's gonna
get these taken down.

Although it is a good reminder.

Those who do not remember
the past are, you know...

Hmm.

So, when we get in there...

Yeah, funny you should
mention that because...

You're leaving.

I mean, you think the TVA is gonna
miss a tired, washed-up old analyst

with a heart of gold?

I think there's one or two who will.

I... I am, I, I've gotta go see
what exactly it is we've been...

protecting for all this time.

Well, if you ever want a seat in there,

it's yours.

Thanks.

They need you in there.

Are you scared?

Oh, yeah.

He's going in, no one
can stop him. Help!

We're on the same team. Help!

The inmates are running the asylum.

Okay, okay, peace, peace.

Dinner, come on, let's find
some common ground.

Here we go. Crazy two.

The yard could do with a bit of work.

No. It's great.

Christ, it's the best house
on the block.

Never look, never know.

It's weird that Loki's
not here, isn't it?

Yeah.

Well, see you around, I guess.

Where are you gonna go?

You?

I might just wait here for a little bit.

Let time pass.