- "Come on, X-05, did you really think you could outrun me?"
- ―Loki to Hunter X-05[src]
The Chase of Hunter X-05 was a TVA mission, executed by Loki, Mobius M. Mobius and Hunter B-15, to track down and capture Hunter X-05, who went AWOL during the hunt for Sylvie Laufeydottir.
Background[]
- "I was supposed to go look for Sylvie, but then, I bailed, okay? I bailed."
- ―Brad Wolfe to Loki[src]
Dox and Hunter X-05 decide to uphold the Time-Keepers' goal
General Dox decided to continue to enforce the Time-Keepers dogma to prune alternate timelines and take out Sylvie Laufeydottir, who caused the new branches to appear when she killed He Who Remains, she decided to do so without the Time Variance Authority, with a group of like-minded Minutemen alongside Hunter X-05, with the pretense to locate Laufeydottir.[1]
Brad attends The Zaniac! premiere
Hunter X-05 located Laufeydottir on a branch timeline, however, X-05 decided to not apprehend her, and instead he decided to abandon Dox and go out to live his original life on the Sacred Timeline as the actor Brad Wolfe. Now that he had his original life back, Wolfe continued to live the life of an actor and filmed the movie The Zaniac! and attended its premiere.
Meanwhile, Loki, Mobius M. Mobius, and Hunter B-15 resorted to locate Laufeydottir, as Loki had seen her in the future when he briefly Time Slipped there. The group though learned how X-05 was the one to locate her, they traveled to 1977 London in the Sacred Timeline to apprehend him.
Upon their arrival, Mobius asked Loki for his thoughts on the location. Loki stated that Sylvie was not there and that it did not feel right since it was not her usual space to hide on apocalypses. However, Mobius stated that she could had changed her tact and reminded Loki that they got the ping from X-05's TemPad before it went dark. Mobius told Loki as they arrived to the theatre that if he wanted to find Sylvie as Dox and X-05 were gone, that the movie was their only lead.
Brad Wolfe meets with Reporters.
As Loki and Mobius moved their way through the press, Loki questioned why X-05 was an actor. Mobius stated that he could be, or that he was undercover, although Loki stated that it seemed pretty real to him. Meanwhile, X-05 as Brad went around to mingle with the press, as one asked how he felt about his sudden rise to fame. Wolfe told the reporter that he didn't know how he felt but that he did look good, as he showed off his attire. Another reporter, Ron asked if rumors about him and actress Brigette Bardot were true. Wolfe jokingly told him that he shouldn't ask him about that as he had a date for the premier. Finally, Mobius asked X-05 if there would be a Zaniac! sequel for the fans.
Even though he was caught off guard by Mobius' presence, Wolfe immediately greeted and hugged his former co-worker, as Mobius said that it was great that he had not forgotten the "little people". Wolfe told the press that Mobius used to be his co-worker, as Mobius complemented his appearance which Wolfe reciprocated to keep face. Wolfe started to walk back and said how they needed to catch up later, however Mobius said that they could catch up now as Loki stood behind Wolfe to keep him close. Now with Wolfe between them, Mobius asked X-05 why he was there as X-05 tried to worm his way out. Loki asked if he was alright, which he said that he was really glad to see them and needed to talk to them. Despite what Wolfe said though, he said that first they needed drinks, and although X-05 asked them what they wanted, Loki and Mobius brushed it off as Wolfe went to get whiskies and walked away. With the two of them alone, Mobius assured Loki that it was alright that they could drink while they worked. However, Loki asked Mobius if X-05 was running away, which Mobius realized was true and caused them to begin to run after the rogue Hunter.[2]
Chase[]
Hunter B-15 takes X-05's TemPad
- "Is he running now?"
"He is running." - ―Loki and Mobius M. Mobius[src]
As Hunter X-05 ran out of the building, he pulled out his modified TemPad and prepared its destination. As he did that, Hunter B-15 approached him, and briefly pretended to be an enamored fan and asked if she could get an autograph. Wolfe stopped and agreed to it, however B-15 instead fought X-05 and tried to pull the TemPad from him. However, X-05 gave up the Pad and ran as Mobius M. Mobius began to catch up with them, with Mobius asked if she was alright as he pursued Wolfe as she examined X-05's pad.
Mobius goes after Brad Wolfe
Wolfe turned at the nearest corner and briefly walked normally as people looked, until Mobius also came around, which caused Wolfe and Mobius to run again. As he ran after Wolfe, Mobius told him to stop multiple times until he caught up and tried to restrain him. However, Wolfe used his body to slam Mobius onto a wall and told him that he was going to ruin his life. Mobius questioned that statement, however Loki blasted Wolfe with his magic before he walked his way to Wolfe and asked if he was still glad that they were here.
Loki chases after Brad Wolfe
Immediately, Wolfe got back up and ran away from Loki, as he began to pursue him. As they ran Wolfe and Loki narrowly avoided a truck before they turned from a hallway from the alleyway. Eventually, Wolfe ran into a corridor where it ended at a gate that trapped him as Loki caught up. With X-05 cornered, Loki asked him if he thought that he could outrun him. However, Wolfe told Loki yeah as he pulled out his Time Twister to rewind himself to his position earlier in the chase. Loki though calmly checked where Wolfe disappeared and made his way out.
Brad Wolfe is tricked by one of Loki's illusion
Wolfe reappeared in the alleyway he ran through earlier and began to run away again, when he was spotted by a group of punks who wanted to know where he was headed. Despite more of the punks began to close in on him Wolfe tried to walk away only to be cornered by the crowd. Wolfe attempted to talk the crowd down before he grabbed a pipe to use as a weapon to scare the group away. Despite that, one member of the group walked closer, which made Wolfe believe that he was the tough guy and took a swing at him. However, the pipe went through the punk and caused everyone else to freeze in place, making Wolfe to realize it was one of Loki's illusions.
Brad Wolfe is captured by Loki
As Wolfe realized that he was tricked, Loki commented that his action was rather unsophisticated and asked if he was doing his own stunts now. Wolfe tried to activate his Time Twister again, however Loki used his telekinesis to pull it out of his hands. Now angry at Loki, Wolfe told him to stop with the magic and to fight fair before Wolfe could run again though, he was met by another Loki as he claimed that it was not a fair fight as Wolfe ran another direction. Before Wolfe could go far again, a third copy of Loki met up with him with two of them caused Wolfe to corner himself to a wall. With X-05 to the wall, Loki enchanted two of his shadows to restrain Wolfe by his own shadow. As Mobius finally caught up with Loki and X-05, X-05 claimed that he did nothing wrong, which caused Mobius to ask then why did he ran. Mobius then asked Loki if he thought that his shadow play was a bit much, with the real Loki on Mobius' left told that he thought it was spot on as he dispersed the other illusions.[2]
Aftermath[]
Brad Wolfe is brought into questioning at the TVA
- "Perhaps I've just been biding my time. Perhaps I've just been waiting for a moment like this, so I can do terrible, awful things to you. So, let's try this one more time. Where is Sylvie?"
- ―Loki to Brad Wolfe[src]
Now with Hunter X-05 captured, Loki, Mobius, and Hunter B-15 returned him to the Time Variance Authority Office to question him on Sylvie Laufeydottir's location. Over the course of the interrogation, X-05 admitted that he preferred his life as Brad Wolfe and wanted to be brought back to his life and how he had abandoned Dox's goals. However, because of Wolfe's experiences on interrogation he was able to use Mobius' methods against him and Loki when he mocked Loki's attempts to be more than the villain he was supposed to play, and Mobius for hypocritically not look into his former life before the TVA took him.
Loki tortures Brad Wolfe with the Gizmo
However, Loki and Mobius later went back to talk to Wolfe with the Gizmo to torture him, as Wolfe tried to call their bluff. While Mobius went to go grab the Gizmo's controller, Loki locked him out of the cell and revealed to Wolfe that he had it. As Loki told Wolfe that he didn't go over this part with Mobius, Wolfe was scared and begged Mobius to open the cell. However, Mobius told him that he couldn't open it as he pleaded to Loki not to kill Wolfe. When Loki activated the Gizmo's box around Wolfe, he tried to apologies for his previous words, as Loki told him that he was just playing his part. Now that he believed that Loki was going to kill him with the Gizmo if he did not tell him what he knew, Wolfe finally gave in as Loki crushed him short of killing him, and told them Sylvie's last known location. Loki then let Mobius back in as he admitted that he had planned that with Loki to trick Wolfe.
Brad Wolfe reluctantly takes Loki and Mobius to Sylvie
Wolfe to hold up his end of the deal, took Loki and Mobius to the branch he had found Sylvie on as a McDonalds employee as he begged them to let him go away. However, Mobius insisted that they ate there as Loki and Sylvie talked, and even briefly talked about the Zaniac! film. As Mobius continued to talk to Wolfe, he realized that he now only wanted to leave the timeline instead of just head back to where he lived, which caused Mobius to force Wolfe to explain the rest of Dox's plan to bomb the branched timelines as that one was also selected to be bombed. Now that they knew about the plan, Mobius, Loki, and Sylvie sent Wolfe back to the TVA to be held, as they took down Dox and her coup.[2]