Thor Odinson (Part 1)

"Damn it, what did you say?!"

"I said you're fired, you should get out! Understand?"

The repair shop boss grabbed a few dollars and threw them at Thor's face, saying, "Get lost, you Texas Hold'em! This is enough for you to find another garbage dump to live in!"

Thor couldn't take it anymore. He took a step forward, but the boss just grabbed a gun from the side, pointed the dark muzzle at Thor, and said, "Stop making trouble for yourself! You damn stupid bull, don't think you can get away with waving your fists. Do you know what this is?"

Thor had certainly seen human firearms before. He had witnessed agent training at S.H.I.E.L.D.. and knew how much damage such weapons could inflict on ordinary people. He was no different from an ordinary person now, and if he were shot, he would definitely end up in the hospital.

He stared intently at the repair shop boss, and just as the boss was about to continue his taunts, Thor seized the moment when the owner looked up, kicked his wrist, followed by another kick to his stomach, and then knocked the boss to the ground with a hook punch. He then pressed down on the owner's neck and began to pound him.

Hearing the commotion, the employees inside the repair shop ran out shouting, "No! Thor! No..."

Several employees pulled back the furious Thor, one of whom, a somewhat hunched old man, said, "Thor! For my sake, don't do this!"

"That damn bastard killed Benjamin! And fired Lauren and John! He didn't even pay them their salaries!" Thor roared angrily.

The old man pressed Thor's shoulder and said, "Listen, Thor, I know you mean well, I know you really want to save Benjamin, but that's just how the world is, that's just how we are..."

He turned and pointed at the repair shop boss who had been knocked unconscious on the ground, saying, "He has money. He can hire lawyers and even bribe the police. Once he calls the police, you're finished, you know that?"

"Old White!"

"Get out of here, Thor." Old White sighed. "We all know he's a bastard, a complete vampire. He arbitrarily withholds our wages, assigns the grueling night shifts to people he doesn't like, and even threatens us with a gun..."

Thor looked at Old White, the Old White who had taken good care of him when he first came to the repair shop. Old White didn't understand in detail. Thor knew that Old White was a good man.

But now, the old man's face was etched with deep lines, like cracked earth, and the rough texture of his skin showed his age. Beneath his arched brows, his eyes stared straight at Thor, and Thor saw pleading in them.

"If you cause trouble here, the repair shop will definitely close down, and then we will have nowhere to go. He pays us once a week, but if we don't work three days a week, he won't give us a penny."

"My grandson is still in school and needs living expenses. My son and daughter-in-law don't earn that much money, Thor ..."

"You are young, strong, and in good health. You can always find a physically demanding job, but we can't."

Old White turned around and looked around. Thor followed him and looked at his colleagues. Most of them were not strong enough, some were thin, and their poor health and complexion were due to long-term irregular sleep patterns and diet.

"Those who stay here are people with nowhere else to go, Thor." The old man pulled out a few dollars from his slightly faded work clothes and said, "I know he didn't pay you enough. This is all I have. Take this money and find a new job. Don't cause any trouble, please."

Thor looked at him and remained silent for a while before walking over to the boss he had knocked down. The other colleagues looked at him with some fear, as if they were afraid he would suddenly make a move.

They squatted down next to the boss, somewhat timid and hesitant, not daring to look Thor in the eye. Thor knew, and they knew in their hearts, that they shouldn't defend the boss, but they had no other choice.

Thor ignored the boss lying on the ground, walked past him to where their altercation had begun, knelt down, picked up the few dollars the boss had thrown, then went back, handed the money to old Old White, and said, "You're right, I'm still young, I can find a new job, and I still have..."

Thor paused for a moment and said, "... I have my brother supporting me, so I don't have to pay rent for the time being. You can take this money as my thanks for what you've taught me recently."

The old man's outstretched fingers were thin and rough, like bare branches of a tree. His fingertips trembled slightly, whether from emotion or sheer old age, it was hard to tell.

He took the money, his voice choked with emotion, and said, "I didn't want to do this either... I really want to tell the police that this bastard killed Benjamin. He knew Benjamin had a heart condition, he knew he was so exhausted from working several consecutive night shifts that he couldn't even speak, but he still deliberately scheduled him for the night shifts and made him do the heaviest work. We all know it was him who did it..."

"But we can't say it, or rather, it wouldn't do any good even if we did. It would only cost us our jobs..." The old man's tone sounded sad, even a little desperate.

"Benjamin also has a three-year-old daughter, she's very cute, I don't know how to face them..."

"But that's the kind of people we are. We're all bastards, all accomplices, Thor ..."

"If you can't leave here, you'll end up like this too. Thank you, now go."

As Thor stepped out of the repair shop, the sunlight shone directly on his face, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes. Under the intense midday sun, all the buildings were bathed in a dazzling halo. He raised his hand to shield his eyes as he looked down at the street.

This place can't be considered Slums; in fact, it's quite prosperous. There are several auto repair shops on one side of the street, a warehouse at the end, several trucks parked across the street, and a Fire Department at the far east end of the road.

Having worked here for a long time, Thor knew that once the sun wasn't so strong, the place would come alive at dusk. Everyone would chat and laugh as they went to fast food restaurants to buy food. Drivers, mechanics, and firefighters would gather in groups of three or five at the barbecue stalls to chat and boast.

Thor also knew that this place was much better than Hell's Kitchen. Although Old White's son and daughter-in-law didn't earn much money, they could barely support themselves, and their grandson was studying at Midtown High School, which had a bright future.

Benjamin, who died suddenly, also had a house, a wife and daughter. Most of the other employees at the auto repair shop also had their own families. Although most of them were burdened with heavy loans, at least they had a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

Thor walked along, lost in thought, until he found himself back at the edge of Hell's Kitchen. The streets here were far less bustling than where he worked, and some were even dilapidated. He thought, "This is nothing compared to what's to come. Further in, there lies the real Hell."

Thor didn't know how to describe his feelings. He had always thought he would stand on the side of justice, but looking at his colleagues, he couldn't blame them for not standing up to attack the repair shop boss. He couldn't ask more of them; they were a group of people who were already struggling to survive.

Thor suddenly began to think about some questions he had never thought about before. Some things would stump most people in the world, such as having enough to eat, having a place to live, and being able to afford household expenses.

How could Thor have ever thought of such a thing? Valiant warriors hunted for him, steaming roasted meat was offered to him, fresh fruit was laid out in a basket, and sweet spring water was served—all of this he was to enjoy first, for he was the future master of Asgard.

The Asgard Palace servants helped him change his clothes, and the steward put Helmet on him. He had seen the magnificent and wide corridors of the Asgard Palace countless times, and was even a little tired of them. Even the throne of the All-Father, he disdained the jewels on it.

Now, under the scorching sun, Thor looked down at his body. His chest and back were soaked with sweat, and his legs were a little sore. Staying up all night had left him feeling exhausted. Sweat streamed down his forehead, stuck to his eyelashes, and when it got into his eyes, it made him squint uncomfortably.

He was penniless and couldn't even buy a pack of tissues. He turned to look at the supermarket next door, where a cool breeze was blowing. But Thor glanced down at his pants, which were covered in gasoline stains, hesitated for a moment, and still didn't go in.

He knew what would happen if he went in: the shop assistant would look at him with a look of disgust and disdain, wishing he would finish his purchase and leave as soon as possible; and if he couldn't find any money in his pocket, the shop assistant might threaten to call the police.

Thor never imagined that being a human was harder than being a god.

He always believed that as the future master of Asgard, he bore a great responsibility. He had to protect the safety of the Nine Realms. There might be more enemies waiting for him to eliminate in the future, and there might be a more magnificent journey waiting for him to embark on.

All the difficulties and hardships he imagined were based on this situation, and definitely not on standing on the street in the sweltering heat and feeling embarrassed because he couldn't afford a pack of tissues to wipe his sweat.

He thought that what might make him nervous and anxious was his worry about the future of Asgard, rather than how to explain to Loki that he couldn't pay the next season's rent when he got home.

This made Thor start to wonder if his achievements in Asgard were truly due to his strength and integrity.

So why can't he even deal with a vicious auto repair shop boss now? Although he has no divine power or weapons and is just an ordinary person, the auto repair shop boss is weaker than him, yet Thor still can't do anything to him.

What could he do? Call the police? But the police wouldn't listen to him. Use his privileges to call S.H.I.E.L.D.. and have them arrest the repair shop boss? But what about the remaining employees? Where would they earn a living after the repair shop closed?

The Heat Wave of the sun made Thor's head feel a little dizzy, so he had to go into the nearest shady spot and lean against the wall.

He felt pain in his back and knees, and he wondered why his courage wasn't working. Why, when he acted as a god to care for and pity these vulnerable people, could he do nothing but give them a few dollars?

This was the first time Thor had this philosophical thought: after losing his divine power and weapons, he became so useless. So, was Thor himself, or his divine power and weapons?

Did he earn the honors and achievements he was so proud of, or did he obtain them through his divine power and weapons?

If it's the former, then why is he unable to do anything after losing his divine power and weapons?