Let me show you a new way Chapter 116

“War kills people, Hela. This isn’t a game, it’s not a comic book, it’s a war, a war we’re not even sure we can win.” Loki stroked his daughter’s hair, speaking softly, his voice filled with an unprecedented heaviness.

“But heroes always win, don’t they?” Hela looked up, her eyes questioning her father’s face. “In stories, heroes always defeat the bad guys, save the people, and bring them happiness.”

Loki sighed softly at Hela’s words.

“But I’m not a hero, I just want you to be safe! I just want to protect you!” Loki said earnestly, holding his daughter just as Odin had held him a thousand years ago.

“But you are a hero…” Hela murmured, squirming a little awkwardly in Loki’s embrace, haphazardly turning the Cosmic Cube in her hands.

“In the real world, people die!” Loki looked into Hela’s eyes and said, “Whether they’re heroes or not, whether they’re good people or bad!”

“You mean…you’ll die?” Hela’s voice trembled with a hint of unease.

“Yes, maybe!” Loki said, as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. On it was a string of addresses and names, and a photo of a grinning blonde man.

“Perhaps I’ll die, perhaps we’ll be separated forever.” Loki placed the paper in Hela’s hand, speaking earnestly.

“If… I mean, if I die, and I can’t be with you anymore… then you still have one relative in this world. He’s my brother, he’s the person I trust most, and he will definitely take care of you.”

Hela stared blankly at Loki, then hugged him tightly. “I… I don’t want you to die. Please don’t go to this war. You said you have magic, we can hide, hide somewhere no one can find us.” Hela clung to Loki, her voice trembling with fear. She didn’t want to lose her father, even if it was just a possibility.

“But I must go, Hela!” Loki stroked her hair. “I am the King of Asgard, I am Odin’s son, I must bear my responsibility.”

“And this… is my responsibility.”

Loki carefully folded the paper and placed it in Hela’s hand.

“Promise me, if I die, don’t be sad, don’t be impulsive, don’t seek revenge for me!”

“Promise me you’ll find my brother!”

“Promise me you’ll live well!”

“Promise me…”

“Promise me…”

—

“Don’t move, don’t move, I’m a firefighter, I’m taking over here!” A blonde man shouted loudly.

He stood beside a small family swimming pool. A power pole nearby had been knocked down by a car crash on the street outside, and the high-voltage wires had fallen into the pool, crossing over the fence.

In the pool, a little girl sat in an inflatable boat, floating in the center.

The pool water was charged with high-voltage electricity, and the girl was helpless and very young. If she accidentally touched the water, she would be electrocuted immediately.

Under such high-intensity current, no one could survive.

“Mommy, mommy.” The girl was clearly anxious. The loud crash of the power pole falling had scared her, and now her mother stood far away and didn’t come to hug her. This made the five or six-year-old girl a little uneasy.

“Try to calm her down, don’t let her get too agitated!” The blonde man said sternly. The girl’s mother forcibly held back her tears, faking a smile as she spoke to the little girl floating in the center of the pool, comforting her.

The blonde man then turned to the girl’s father, “Do you have a stick here? Or any other wooden objects, insulators!”

“Uh… uh… there’s a rubber hose in the garage, it’s insulated, will that work?” The girl’s father tried his best to suppress his panic, racking his brain.

“Rubber hose… forget it, no time to worry.” The blonde man thought for half a second, then immediately walked to the garage without hesitation. He used a small knife from a nearby toolbox to cut a large section of rubber hose, then walked out.

“Listen, I’ll hold this end, you hold the other end. Have your daughter grab the middle of the hose, and we’ll move slowly outwards, absolutely not too fast, understand?” The blonde man gestured to the girl’s father.

“Yes, yes, sir, I understand!” He nodded, swallowing.

“Good, good, follow my instructions.” The blonde man held the rubber hose and walked to the other end of the pool. Each of them held one end of the hose, placing the middle section within the girl’s reach.

“Hi! Sweetheart, see this? Gently grab it with your hand, okay? Don’t move around, be good!” The girl’s mother stood by the pool, speaking to the girl in as relaxed a tone as possible.

The girl reached out and grabbed the rubber hose. Then the blonde man and the girl’s father moved slowly together, inching closer to the edge of the pool.

“Good, good, sweetheart! Don’t move!” The girl’s mother nodded, encouraging her.

Slowly, the girl’s inflatable boat reached the edge of the pool. The blonde man walked over to her, carefully lifting her up, making sure not to let a single drop of water touch her.

“That’s wonderful, wonderful.” The girl’s mother’s tears instantly gushed out, crying uncontrollably. The blonde man handed the girl into her arms.

“Get out of here quickly, the power hasn’t been cut off yet, it’s very dangerous to stay here!” The blonde man said. The girl and her parents nodded, thanking him as they walked away.

The next moment…

“Boom—”

A searing white current erupted from the high-voltage wire, striking the blonde man squarely in the back.

—

A white-haired old man stared at him furiously.

“Thor Odinson, you have defied the king’s command. You are unworthy to live in this realm, you are unworthy of your title, you are unworthy…”

The old man looked at him, his eyes filled with immense disappointment.

“The people’s adoration for you…”

“Therefore, I shall reclaim your divine power, and in the name of Odin Allfather, I banish you!”

“I banish you!”

“Please, please, Father, I know I was wrong, I have changed, please, take me back, please!”

“Please…”

He barely opened his eyes. He could feel that he was lying in a hospital bed, tears streaming down his face.

“Are you serious, Garson?” A figure stood beside him, speaking with some exasperation. “Calling ‘Dad’ in your sleep? How old are you?”

“Get lost, Strange.” Sigurd Garson pouted, saying impatiently, “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? What a fresh question!” Doctor Strange exclaimed in surprise.

“You survived a 5000V electric shock without a scratch, of course I had to come see you!”

“You don’t encounter such rare things often in a lifetime!” Doctor Strange quipped with interest, inadvertently setting a flag!