"Any information about this guy yet?" The black-haired Nova Denarian inquired.
"Yeah, 15 years ago, on the planet Terra, he hijacked and robbed an airplane and disappeared without a trace, going by the name 'D. B. Cooper.'" The curly-haired Corpsman Dey reported.
Loki rolled his eyes as an older lady, the Nova Prime, interjected. "Actually, that was just an alias: I found some stories about him and his family. Terrans called him a 'god of mischief' by the name 'Loki Odinson' after they saw him casting spells and illusions." The Nova Prime explained. "Numerous accounts of misdemeanors and practical jokes, including, but not limited to, kidnapping Idunn, the goddess of eternal youth…"
"I did no such thing!" Loki argued. "Those are mere stories!"
"Adultery, and…impregnating a horse?"
"I beg your PARDON?!"
Corpsman Dey whispered something to his superior. "Oh, pardon me, I stand corrected: being impregnated by a horse." Loki pinched his nose in embarrassment at the list of false accusations. "…and one alleged murder of the 'god Balder.'"
"Who?" Loki asked, confused.
"Impaled by a spear laden with mistletoe…"
"Mistletoe? Did Loki kill him or kiss him?" Mobius pondered.
"Besides this, we have a citizen here who was an eyewitness to the crime on Xandar as it took place, and he says that you are the murderer! And the DNA from this hair we found on the crime scene, before you both arrived, matches Mr. Odinson's perfectly! Now, murder itself is a very serious crime, but the murder of a Nova Corps member, particularly that of a Centurion, is one of the most heinous crimes a person can commit here; therefore, Loki Odinson, I, the Nova Prime, hereby sentence you to be executed!"
"That's it?! You're just going to sentence me to death, with no official trial or hearing or self-defense of any sort?!" Loki protested.
"You just had your trial, including judge and witness. As for defense, the only witnesses you've claimed for yourself are your detective best friend/partner and your girlfriend: not exactly the most impartial sources."
"But there's no motive, no plausible reason as to why I would want to kill anyone from Xandar or the Nova Corps!"
"No plausible reason?" Saal argued. "How about setting us up, posing as detectives to solve a murder that you committed to swindle us out of our money and escape justice?"
"What? No, that's absurd! We came to solve a real murder case that you called us here for!"
"A likely story, but a false one. Your DNA was at the crime scene, Mr. Odinson: that's sufficient evidence." Nova Prime responded. "Take him for executioning at once!"
"Madam Prime, please!" Mobius pleaded. "What if I prove that my partner is innocent? What if I find the real killer? Then you'll let him go, won't you?"
"Mr. Paradox, the evidence against your friend is overwhelming. I know you want to help him, but he's obviously guilty!"
"No, I don't believe that, and it's not just because he's my friend! Please, give me this chance to not only help him, but help your people and stop this murderer from claiming another victim!"
"…fine. You have 24 hours to find this 'real murderer,' and only then will Mr. Odinson be released and cleared of his charges. Denarian Saal and a squad of his Corpsmen will accompany you in your search, both to aid you and to keep an eye on you, just to be sure you don't commit any crimes, like attempting to free Mr. Odinson. But when your time is up, he will be taken to the execution block!"
Mobius sighed. "…okay. Okay. Thank you."
"For now, he goes to the Kyln. Corpsmen, please escort Mr. Paradox back to the crime scene to resume his investigation."
"This is completely absurd, I've been framed!" Loki complained. "At least allow me to aid my friend in his investigation!"
"Unfortunately no, we can't risk you escaping and killing any more people. Until your friend proves you innocent, if you believe he can, or until your execution, you will remain imprisoned."
"I hate to say it, but she's right, Loki! I have to go alone on this one." Mobius urged him. "I'm really sorry it has to be like this, but once I find the Loki who's behind this, they'll realize their mistake and let you go. I have to win their trust; they're just too afraid of you now. Trust me, I won't let you down!"
As a team of guards escorted Loki to the infamous Xandarian prison, Saal and the others did as they were ordered with Mobius, who looked back in Loki's direction one last time.
"Don't worry, Loki: I'm gonna get you outta here, I promise." As they reached the scene of the crime, Mobius took a deep breath, determined to find the person responsible. He took a closer look at the stab wound again. "This sword… it doesn't really have any distinguishing features that can help me. I know it wasn't Lævateinn, Loki's favorite sword. Could I speak with the witness?"
Saal nodded and brought the Xandarian witness out to them. "You have questions for me?" He asked.
"Could you describe the scene, how this woman was murdered, where the murderer came from and where he went off to afterwards?" Mobius requested, taking out a pencil and a notepad.
"Well first, I heard screaming coming from this direction as I was going to work. I saw your friend stabbing the Centurion through the heart, and he removed his sword and wiped it clean on his armor."
"His armor?"
"Yeah, the killer was wearing some kind of blue and gold leather armor and… a gold helmet!"
Mobius paused his note-taking, curious. "A gold helmet… with large, bull-like horns?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Hmmm… I was thinking it might be a Loki variant, but… that sounds like the outfit he wore on Sakaar. Could it be…? Well, what did he do after he cleaned his weapon?"
"He stared me down for a moment and ran off when I threatened to call the rest of the Corps on him. He escaped past the greenery over there, and I lost sight of him."
"He stared you down… and just fled. That's odd… Okay, thanks for your time." The witness left for home as Mobius began to question the force members. "Was anything taken from her person, like her wallet, or her gun?"
"No, nothing was taken from her."
"So there really is no discernible motive, is there? If he was after money, he'd have swiped her wallet. No, if he's really a Loki variant, he's gonna be after some source of power…"
"Variant?"
"Oh right, it's a term from my old workplace, meaning someone who strayed off the predestined path they were meant to follow on the Sacred Timeline, but now that the organization is out of business, that doesn't mean a thing anymore, and nobody cares if people want to choose their own lifestyles and whatever…"
"Uh… sacred time-what? What are you going on about?"
"…so now, we basically just call a version of someone from a different timeline a 'variant.' We're Time Detectives: we do a lot of time travel. Anyway, back to power: Nova Prime called this victim a 'Centurion:' that's one of the highest ranking positions in your force, if I remember correctly. A position like that would be coveted by a power-hungry criminal, wouldn't it?"
"Naturally, and a position that all of us in the Nova Corps all strive to reach one day."
"A position that could give him access to control of the Nova Force…"
Saal tensed at hearing the thought. "How do you know of the Nova Force?"
"I've been to many different planets and time periods, and I've researched many more: it all comes with the job. Now, if he gets access to the Nova Force, he'll get the powers that only your highest-ranking members possess, like super strength, endurance, speed, flight, etc."
"Correct. Then you also know right now that Xandar is still at war with the Kree. We can't afford to have it stolen from an outsider!"
"That's right! Maybe this Loki wants to weaken your forces to take over, or is helping the Kree, in exchange for something he wants even more. From my experience with Lokis, he's either looking for a people to rule over or an army to win him a people to rule…"
Denarian Saal gave Mobius a pensive look, considering this. "Mr. Paradox, if these 'alternate timeline versions' of this Loki Odinson are all as you describe, and your previous occupation was terminating their very existence, then why are you so adamant on insisting the man we arrested is innocent?"
Mobius took a deep breath. "Well, to tell the truth, he was just like the other Lokis when I first met him, but he didn't choose to be what he was. He was born into a cycle of lies, corruption, and power-lust, passed down from his adoptive father, but since our first team-up, he's been putting in real effort into becoming a better person. I just gave him a nudge in the right direction, but he's helped me better myself just as much as I helped him. Heck, I was just a regular jet ski-loving gentleman from Texas before I was kidnapped and brainwashed from my own timeline. I devoted my life for eons to the very organization that took me from everything I ever knew and was; my whole timeline, my wife, my son, everything I ever knew erased from existence! But Loki saved me: he and his girlfriend… his soulmate, sought to uncover the truth behind the madness and freed me, along with everyone else who had been forced into the TVA's servitude! It's ironic: I think his experience as a talented liar in his past life made him extremely good at revealing hidden truths behind mysteries. He's sick of the lies, and he really enjoys solving crime!"
"And you're sure he won't fall back into that cycle of lies if a certain temptation arises?"
"I'm sure. At first, when he chose the alias 'ouroboros,' I thought it was a reminder of that endless cycle of lies, death, and destruction everyone expected of him, but now I believe he's using the rebirth part of the cycle as a metaphor for himself, how he's come back from the darkness, mentally and emotionally reborn as a better man. I believe the reason he wanted to become a detective was to undo that cycle by uncovering the truth where darkness shrouds it and help people who need it. What I mean is that he's changed for good, and he wouldn't willingly undo his progress by killing and lying again."
The Corpsmen exchanged glances, some convinced by Mobius's story, others confused, and the rest completely uninterested in metaphors and life stories.
"Then we'll see if your theory holds true. We'll increase the security guarding the Nova Force."
"Great." Mobius responded. "Hey, could I visit my friend in prison while you're doing that? I wanna see what insight he can give us on the case, any ideas or ulterior motives this variant may have."
"Very well, but you must still be accompanied by Nova Corpsmen. Corpsman Senn, Corpsman Dey, escort Mr. Paradox to see his partner; the rest of you come with me to the Worldmind!"
"Yeah, I understand." As the team split up, Mobius was led to the Kyln, to a room separated by a forcefield as Loki, in a yellow prisoner outfit, was led to the other side.