"So… of all the people here, who would have the greatest motivation to want Heimdall dead?" Mobius pondered. "Counting off, we've got Asgardians, Jotuns, Vanir, Light Elves, Sakaarans, Skrulls, various Ravagers, and a few humans. Oh, and Surtur the Fire Giant king!"

"Of those, only Surtur and the Jotuns are official enemies of Asgard." Loki stated. "But the Sakaarans and the Skrulls have both proved problematic for us in previous cases."

"That was one Skrull out of a mostly peaceful people though." Mobius informed him. "Of course, the killer could potentially be from any of the races here, by that logic, but it'd still be best to narrow the field down by history of enmity with Asgard or Heimdall."

"What about the Ravagers?" Sylvie asked. "They made themselves out to be sort of morally righteous thieves in the good Thanos's timeline, but in this one, who knows?"

"Then I'd say it's interrogation time! Any suggestions on should we start with?"

"Let's question Surtur first." Loki proposed. "The Jotuns seem to be on friendly terms with the Asgardians, or at least I do here, and Surtur longs to raze my home more than anyone."

Fiamma scoffed. "I wouldn't dream of calling that clown Surtur: the true king of Muspelheim would be more far ashamed of that pathetic excuse of a variant than he was of me!"

Loki thought for a few seconds. "It could all be an act. Come on, let's find out!" The team found Surtur dancing with the Statue of Liberty. "Surtur of Muspelheim, we're detectives, and we'd like to ask you some questions."

"About what, Asgardian?"

"Heimdall was murdered a few hours ago, around an hour before the surprise party began. Where were you at that time?"

"I was picking up my date." He put an arm around his statue. "You'd think she wouldn't take so long to get ready, since she wears the same outfit every day, but I still had to drag her here in the end."

"…Right. On the topic of Asgard, it's been foretold that your destiny is to burn it to the ground, correct?"

"Correct."

"Which would be a lot easier for you with Heimdall gone."

"No, it would be Odin who presents the greatest challenge to me, even though he is old and withered. I will take Asgard when the right time comes, but I did not kill the gatekeeper: when I come for them, I will not waste my time killing just one Asgardian when I can take the entire realm."

Loki glared at the Muspel, his fingertips turning icy.

"Easy." Mobius calmed him. "Remember, his role is more important in saving your people than destroying your home, stopping Hela from doing even more damage!"

"I know."

"I don't think he's the killer: there's no way Heimdall wouldn't see a guy that big coming, and if he tried to stab him in the eyes, that gigantic sword of his would plow through his entire face!"

"Hmmm. Why don't we put that to the test?" Mobius raised a perplexed eyebrow as Loki turned to Surtur again. "Surtur, are you carrying any weapons on you?"

"Nope."

"Not even the infamous Twilight Sword?"

"Nnnope."

"May I look into your mind to make sure you're telling the truth?"

"I didn't kill any Asgardians. Ask my date, she'll tell you!"

"No, I seriously doubt she will. Could you cool yourself down for a moment so I can look via touch: you won't be harmed in any way."

"You couldn't if you tried."

"Then you have nothing to fear and nothing to lose." Loki reassured him. Surtur hesitantly crystalized a small portion of his arm, and Loki activated his enchantment, watching the events of the day play out through Surtur's eyes. "Thank you, you're free of all suspicion."

"I told you, you little pest." Surtur then turned his attention back to his Lady Liberty as Loki faced his team.

"You were right, Fiamma, he's too much of an imbecile to be behind this! So, shall we question the Jotuns next?"

"Let's." Mobius replied.

They made their way to Laufey and his attendants, who were visiting the cold habitat of the Ice Elves. As he noticed Detective Loki, Laufey cut off from the conversation and looked him in the eyes. "I take it you are one of those green shapeshifters?"

"A Skrull? Oh no, and though I am capable of shapeshifting, this appearance isn't my doing!"

"Then one of the Vanir or Asgardians transformed you to take on my son's appearance?"

"Not quite." Loki turned his head to Mobius, who nodded, and back. "I am your son from another universe, though Odin took me as a baby and changed my form to an Asgardian's."

"Another universe?"

"Yes, we travel through time and space to solve mysteries."

"And you were raised by Odin the Allfather?"

"I was."

"Prove it, spellcaster."

Loki sighed, put a hand on his hip and held another hand out, summoning the Casket of Ancient Winters into it. He grabbed it with his other hand, and Laufey watched in shock as his son's variant slowly turned blue, his height and clothing now being the only features that distinguished the two Lokis. The transformed Loki smiled facetiously and spread his hands outward in his signature pose. "Physical contact with Jotuns or their artifacts triggers a biological reversion, though only temporarily."

Laufey slowly nodded, and Loki magically whisked the casket back to his stash, and he became Asgardian once more. "Then I assume you've come to question me about the murder of Odin's gatekeeper?"

"That assumption is correct. In your universe, have Asgard and Jotunheim agreed to a peace treaty, like in mine? Your Loki and Thor at least seem to be on amiable terms."

"Yes, after the war with Odin and his army, when I feared Loki had been lost to us, the Allfather brought him back to me. Since then, we have been at peace, especially my son and Odin's. But the Odin from your universe stole you from me?"

Loki shook his head. "No, not stole, saved, after you abandoned me!" He blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Abandoned you? I would never abandon you, and whoever says otherwise is a liar!"

"…At least that's the story Odin told me when I confronted him over my heritage. He wouldn't have fed me another lie in place of his first… would he?"

Laufey shrugged. "Your universe is different than mine, as is your Odin. Is that all the information you seek, Odinson?"

"Mobiusson now, I've been readopted by my partner here." He motioned to Mobius. "I am sorry about your wife… your Loki told me she passed long ago. What… what was her name?"

"…Farbauti."

"What did she look like? I've never seen her."

"She was beautiful. She had curly raven black hair like yours and similar tribal markings."

"Loki said he remembered her beautiful singing voice."

"The loveliest, most soothing voice I have ever heard." A tear fell from Laufey's eye as he remembered his late wife, stirring up guilt in Loki from his last meeting with his biological father.

"And your death came by the son of Odin." Loki recalled his final words to Laufey, glaring him angrily in the eyes before he blasted him into nothingness with Odin's spear, saving the Allfather from his icy dagger. "Did I make a huge mistake?" Loki silently wondered. "Was the Laufey I manipulated and killed the lesser of two tyrannical fathers? Was he unworthy of my vengeance after all?"

"It was your mother who gave you your name." Laufey continued, disrupting Loki's brooding. "Do you know what Loki means in our native language?"

"Uh, it means peace."

Laufey nodded. "And after you were born, we were at peace, as we are to this day. Neither me or my men killed Odin's watchman."

"Oh, right. Thank you for answering my questions." As Loki walked back with Mobius and Sylvie, the former easily noticed his contemplative mood.

"Thinking about what your life would be like if Laufey raised you, and of course, if you didn't murder him?"

Loki nodded. "What if my Laufey was just like this one? I'm certain he never knew I was his son: he likely thought Odin killed me as a baby. And I set him up to destroy him, all in a desperate attempt to prove myself to the man who very well may have been my kidnapper! Last case, Poseidon made it sound as though my mother saved me from harm as a baby. What if Odin did lie about Laufey abandoning me, and I murdered the man who grieved for me as well as for his wife? If so, then- then I truly was the monster of my story!"

"No, you're not! You were told your father left you to die, and he threatened war on your realm and your family: sure, you were the one who set him up, but Odin's the one who set you up first with his lies, remember that!"

"Mobius, you've seen my life play out more than I have: was I abandoned?"

"That's what I gathered from the footage and what Odin told you later, but now that I think about it… I only recall seeing Odin change you and take you from Jotunheim, and I didn't see Laufey again until after Thor's coronation."

"So, it's a distinct possibility!"

"…Yeah, I guess it is!"

"If only I knew…, would I be happier if Laufey had raised me instead of Odin? Of course, I'm much happier with you as my father figure now, but what if Odin never took me? The Loki of this universe is already so accepting of himself, he hasn't a care in the world, and he has no doubt his family, biological and otherwise, loves him. What if that was me: would I have turned out a better person? Would I never have known the pain I've endured? What if-"

"What if, what if, what if?" Mobius mockingly repeated. "Loki, just stop; if you hadn't lived your life the way you had, there's no telling how it'd turn out, just because this specific Loki is at peace! If you grew up this carefree, with no problems or pain to grow from, how well off do you think the Thor from 2025 would be?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you took nothing seriously, Gorr would have killed you for good, and then there would have been no one to save your brother or your future fellow Asgardians from that butcher! Yeah, you've been through Hel, but it's made you stronger, and the fact that you chose to defy your role as the villain to help so many people, despite that role being literally written in time, that's what made you a better person!"

"Mobius…"

"Anyways, you can't live out your life based on what ifs: it'll drive you nuts!"

"So that's who he gets it from." Fiamma sassed.

"Well, you certainly give the most encouraging pep talks!" Sylvie complimented. "There's no way I can beat that, but Mobius is right: you write your own destiny."

Loki smiled. "Indeed. So, who should we interrogate next?"

"Loki, over here!" Party Thor waved to him from the forest.

Sylvie grinned. "Go chat with your brother: we'll see what we can find before we meet back up." Mobius nodded to second her motion.

"Best of luck then." Detective Loki wished them and himself as he joined his brother's variant.

"So, Loki… uh, my brother Loki, he tells me that you're him, but you're Asgardian?" Thor recapped.

"Yes, in my universe, I was raised alongside you, convinced I was a true Asgardian until a Frost Giant tried to freeze my arm, revealing the truth."

"That's so awesome, then we're real brothers in your universe! Ohhh, I've always wanted a real brother! Now that I think about it, the way you speak reminds me of mother."

"Oh yes, I've been told that I take after her."

"Can you do magic like her too?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Indeed I can, I am one of the most powerful sorcerers in the nine realms!"

"Whoa, that's so cool, I love magic! Hey, hey, can you do some magic for me?"

Loki mouthed a "What?", astonished to hear a Thor ever speak those words, especially to him! After a moment, he regained his composure, yet he still wanted to be sure he heard correctly. "Did you just say you love magic, and you want me to use it? You don't…"

"I don't what?"

"…You're not going to tell me that spellcasting is for women and cowards, and that magic users can't be trusted? You're not thinking I'm a wimp who's afraid to fight like a real Asgardian?"

"Of course not, who would tell you such cruel things?"

Detective Loki grinned, amused at the irony of this Thor's words. "A Thor that grew up with a brother who loved to magically prank him, I suppose. Very well, behold and be amazed!" He gave a dramatic wave of his hands, and Thor gasped as he was soon surrounded by 50 Detective Lokis. Then each Loki simultaneously cast breathtaking fireworks into the sky!

Thor wildly applauded him. "Bravo! That's amazing, Brother!"

The performing magic wielder beamed as his brother continued to cheer him on. "That's it, you're officially my favorite Thor!"

"Thank you, though I don't pick favorites with Lokis: I think you're both amazing!"

Loki paused and reflected on his brother's words. "Don't lose that."

"What?"

"That unprejudiced level of affection: don't lose that when you become a father."

"Uhhh, okay?" Thor glanced away, not quite comprehending the meaning behind his brother's advice. Just then, Jotun Loki found them, bringing them a tray of candy and cookies. "Hey bro, Mini Me, I brought you some snacks from the Sugar Woods!"

"Cookies, alright!" Thor cheered as his brother handed the tray to him.

"Now, I'm going to go do a cannonball in Honeywine Falls! Later, Bro!"

"Good luck, Bro!" Thor took a bite of one of the cookies. "Ohhh, you've got to try these, Loki, they're delicious! So, in your Asgard, are you the king, or am I?"

"Uhm… you were, or you were going to be, but…. my Asgard is gone. My brother… there have been variants of him, like you, but the Thor I grew up with… along with the rest of my timeline… is gone as well." Detective Loki sorrowfully told him.

"I'm sorry. That must have been a horrible event." Party Thor put a hand on Loki's back. "I couldn't imagine losing my brother."

"Thank you. …Despite my violent quarrels with him, deep down, neither could I."

Thor quietly nodded, taking another bite of Elvish candy. "How about I get us some drinks to go with all this sugar?"

"Oh yes please!" As Thor left to get some wine, Detective Loki tried a cookie and again pondered the differences between this universe and his own. Every other Loki he'd encountered, with the exception of Atlantean Loki, had some sort of tragic past, something they struggled with that made them bitter and distrusting, including himself, but this Loki was so happy and carefree: he had a biological father who cared about him and wouldn't dream of abandoning him, he had friends of his own kind, even his relationship with Thor was much friendlier, despite them not being raised together. And in both of those situations, like his current situation with Mobius and Sylvie, there was no pressure of competing over the throne, no battle to win Odin's affection… in fact, there was just no Odin raising them!"

"Was Odin the problem all along?" Detective Loki wondered as he took another bite of the cookie and smiled to himself. "I suppose I'm lucky the TVA took me when they di-"

"Loki, stop eating! Spit it out!" Healer interrupted him.

"'Loki, stop eating?' Who are you, and what have you done with my Symbiote?"

"I mean it, spit it out right now! These candies have been laced with snake venom!"

"What?" As Loki did as instructed, he heard a thud as Thor collapsed nine steps ahead of him. "Thor!" Loki instantly teleported to his brother's side, trying to heal him, but it had no effect. "Go in and heal him!"

"I cannot!"

"Yes, you can, HEAL HIM!"

"It is too late; the venom has spread throughout his system: he is already dead!"

"So what, you've brought me back before! Try!" Loki desperately pleaded.

"Only due to our bond, when I acted before you died, and I need to stay in you now: it is taking everything I have to neutralize your own venom! If I leave you now, you'll both die! I cannot-"

"I'm not afraid to die anymore, save HIM!"

"I CANNOT!"

"SAVE MY BROTHER, PLEASE, I CAN'T-" Tears dripped from Loki's eyes as he began to choke on his pleas. "I-I-I can't lose my brother… not again." Loki's face sunk as he wept over Thor's lifeless body. "Please… not again…"

Overcome by his host's grief, Healer began to weep with him. "I am sorry, Loki. There is nothing I can do. Thor is dead."