While Aegir was experimenting with his new powers in the throne room, a yellow rectangular portal suddenly tore open in the air before him.
Several heavily armed soldiers walked through, followed by two others who wore lighter gear. The person at the head was a woman with a no-nonsense vibe that screamed authority and zero tolerance for excuses.
Aegir immediately recognized B-15, and for a split second, relief washed over him—if it was the TVA from the show, he knew how to handle them. But then he spotted one of the lightly geared personal, a distinctive figure he recognized as wrecker(Dirk Garthwaite) from the Wrecking Crew. His relief evaporated instantly.
While he couldn't identify the other woman of the two, one thing became crystal clear: this wasn't the TVA from the show he'd watched in his previous life.
Truth be told, the TVA's soldiers themselves weren't much of a threat to Aegir at his current power level. The Time Sticks they carried were nightmares for most beings—capable of pruning someone straight to the Void with a single touch—but they had to actually touch him for that to work. And touching someone who could manipulate time itself? Good luck with that.
Even if he somehow got sent to the Void, the main problem would be getting back to his timeline since he currently lacked the means to travel between dimensions reliably. And then there was Alioth to consider—that time-eating storm monster would be a significant obstacle.
He had the confidence to escape from the Void if necessary, but defeating Alioth was another matter entirely. Perhaps after getting an extremely powerful mental abilities, he could try to enslave the creature like those two Lokis had. It made no sense that they could control it but he couldn't, given enough preparation.
And there were the other inhabitants trapped in the Void to worry about. Cassandra Nova, one of the most powerful telepaths and psychics in existence, came to mind immediately. With this being a potentially different version of the TVA, who knew what other threats might be lurking there?
But all of that was hypothetical. Right now, Aegir could end this confrontation before it escalated, preferably before anyone got close enough to use those damned Time Sticks.
B-15 held her Time Stick pointed at Aegir warily, her posture coiled and ready to strike. Meanwhile, some of her team began setting up equipment they'd brought through the portal, scanning devices whirring to life with efficient precision.
After a moment, one of the technicians reported, "All checks are positive. It's here—the development slope of the time branch is originating from this location. Looks like we've found our variant."
B-15 acknowledged the report with a curt nod, but her eyes never left Aegir. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut.
It was Aegir who broke the stalemate, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I've been waiting for you for a long time, B-15."
B-15's eyes narrowed instantly, her grip tightening around the Time Stick. The other soldiers straightened up, taking defensive positions. "You know me?" Her voice carried dangerous suspicion. "Speak! Who told you about us? Is there another accomplice? Who? Loki?!"
"Why do you automatically assume Loki?" Aegir chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction. "Does he have some kind of exclusive permission to cause trouble for the TVA? I'm feeling a bit left out here."
B-15 tried to project confidence despite her obvious wariness, even managing a mocking tone. "Just you? A newly crowned king who was never supposed to exist—someone who's probably never even been off-world. I don't know how you learned about us, but you should understand that resistance is meaningless!" She gestured broadly with her free hand. "While you're struggling to manage a single realm, we manage countless timelines across infinite realities."
"Really?" Aegir's smirk widened. "From where I'm sitting, you're just a group of idiots with fancy technology. You rely on your gadgets to control the fate of others, never realizing that your own destiny is in someone else's hands."
In the TVA, the so-called Time Keepers were actually remote-controlled robots made by Kang the Conqueror. He controlled them across three layers of deception, and these people didn't even know it.
The staff members were former time criminals themselves. Their memories were sealed after being found by Kang, then used to manage timelines for him. They were marionettes, repeating the same work for eternity. More tiresome than pack animals, more boring than robots.
And it was ironic that so many beings across timelines were controlled by this group of puppets.
B-15's expression flickered before hardening again. "Sly words won't save you, variant. Surrender now—you have nowhere to run!"
"Take him!" B-15 ordered her squad. "Standard protocol!"
The guards rushed forward immediately, Time Sticks raised and ready. Others produced time collars—restraints that would allow the TVA to control his movements through a remote controller. Once collared, distance meant nothing; they could instantly retrieve him regardless of where he fled.
It was their standard procedure for variant capture.
However, today they'd met an opponent unlike any they'd faced before.
"I'll give you credit for not faltering even when facing an unknown threat," Aegir said calmly, not even rising from his throne. "But it seems you're out of luck this time."
He raised his hand with casual ease.
The guards who'd been rushing forward suddenly reversed direction, retreating back to their original positions as if yanked by invisible strings. They stumbled, confused, checking their own bodies for what had just happened.
"What the hell?!" one of the soldiers shouted.
B-15's face went pale. "Is this... the power of time?"
The guards looked at each other with visible consternation, seeking answers that none of them had. They were the experts at using time technology, masters of temporal manipulation through their advanced equipment. They knew exactly what had just happened—and that made it so much worse.
This variant had just used time manipulation against them. Not through technology, but through pure ability. They hadn't detected any temporal devices on him, no equipment that could explain what they'd just witnessed.
"You... who the hell are you?!" B-15's voice carried an edge of genuine alarm now, her professional mask cracking further.
She was tense as a drawn bowstring. Knowing about the TVA was one thing—plenty of variants learned about them eventually. But having the same power they relied on? That was something entirely different, entirely more dangerous.
If the target wasn't afraid of temporal manipulation and couldn't be collared, how were they supposed to capture him? Their entire operational doctrine was based on temporal superiority.
"Don't you already know who I am? You investigated me, after all." Aegir's tone was mocking now. "Why so shocked? Did you really think you were the only ones who could control time?"
Aegir understood their mentality perfectly. The power to control time—even if they didn't consciously think about it, that kind of power bred a sense of superiority. Who could possibly win against time itself?
They'd developed a mindset where even gods and mutants were insignificant threats, easily managed with their technology. They'd seen it all, pruned it all, reset it all.
But once someone stripped away that technological advantage, they were just ordinary people. Sure, they'd faced troublesome opponents before—that much was evident from their experience—but they'd never been countered with the same temporal power they wielded. Without that advantage, what could they even do?
"This is impossible," one of the technicians muttered, frantically checking his scanner. "The readings don't make sense. He's not using any device we can detect, but the temporal manipulation is clear as day."
"Then figure it out!" B-15 snapped, though her eyes never left Aegir. She was trying to calculate options, assess threats, determine the best course of action. But every tactical consideration came back to the same problem: their primary advantage had been neutralized.
"You seem troubled, B-15," Aegir observed with false sympathy. "Not used to meeting someone who can play by the same rules you do? Must be uncomfortable, realizing you're not as untouchable as you thought."
"We've handled worse than you," B-15 said, though her defensive tone undermined the bravado. "The TVA has existed for countless millennia, maintaining the Timelines against threats you can't even imagine."
"Have you now?" Aegir leaned back. "And how's that working out for you when your main advantage is gone?"
B-15's hand trembled slightly around her Time Stick. Around her, the other soldiers exchanged uncertain glances.
"Variants lie," B-15 said, but her voice lacked its earlier certainty. "It's what they do. You're trying to manipulate us, so you can escape. It won't work."
"I don't need to escape," Aegir said simply. "You came to my realm, invaded my throne room, and threatened my sovereignty. If anything, you're the ones who should be worried about escaping."
He stood from his throne finally, and several of the TVA soldiers took involuntary steps backward. The temporal energy radiating from him was palpable now, making the air shimmer with barely contained power.
"But I'm curious," Aegir continued, walking slowly toward them. "What exactly did I do to warrant a visit from the almighty TVA? What crime against the Timeline am I guilty of?"
"You know what you did," B-15 replied, trying to regain control of the situation. "The timeline branch originated from you—from your acquisition of power that you were never meant to have. You were never meant to exist."
"Ah, I see." Aegir's smile was sharp. "I became too powerful for your liking. I deviated from the predetermined path where Vanaheim remains weak and divided." His eyes hardened. "Well, here's the thing—I don't care about your Timeline or whoever's pulling your strings. My realm, my rules."
"That's not how this works—" B-15 started.
"No, that's exactly how this works," Aegir interrupted. "You don't have authority here. You don't have superiority here. You have technology that's useless against me." He stopped a few paces away. "So what will you even do now?"
The silence stretched for several heartbeats. B-15 weighed her options, her tactical training warring with the reality before her. They were outmatched, outmaneuvered, and operating on hostile ground against an opponent who'd neutralized their primary advantage. Good thing she was sent with additional measures even if one of them is useless now.