Chapter 230 Thor Odinson (Part 1) (Patreon)

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"Damn it, what did you say?!"

"I said you're fired, now get out of here! You understand?"

The owner of the garage threw a few dollars at Thor's face and said, "Get out of here, Texan. This money should be enough for you to find a new place to live in a dumpster."

Thor couldn't take it anymore. He took a step forward, but the owner of the garage picked up a gun from the side and pointed it at Thor's head, saying, "Don't make trouble for yourself! You stupid bull, don't think waving your fists will do anything. Do you know what this is?"

Of course, Thor had seen human firearms before when he went to SHIELD and saw Agent training. He knew how much damage these weapons could do to ordinary people, and now he was no different from an ordinary person. If he took a bullet, he would definitely end up in the hospital.

He stared at the garage owner with his eyes fixed, and just as the owner was about to continue mocking him, Thor kicked his wrist, followed by a kick in the stomach. He threw a hook punch and knocked the owner to the ground, then hammered his neck.

The employees inside the garage heard the commotion and ran out shouting, "No! Thor! Don't..."

Several employees restrained the angry Thor. One of them, an elderly man with a slight hunch, said, "Thor! For my sake, don't do this!"

"This damn bastard killed Benjamin! He fired Lauren and John, and didn't even pay them their salary!" Thor shouted angrily.

The old man held Thor's shoulder and said, "Listen, Thor, I know you have a good heart, and I know you want to save Benjamin, but that's just how the world works, that's just how we are..."

He turned around and pointed at the garage owner who was knocked unconscious on the ground, saying, "He has money, he can hire a lawyer, even bribe the police. Once he calls the police, you're done, you know that?"

"Old White!"

"Leave now, Thor." Old White sighed and said, "We all know he's a jerk, a vampire through and through, withholding our wages, assigning unbearable night shifts to those he doesn't like, even threatening us with a gun..."

Thor looked at Old White, who had been a senior colleague who had taken care of him when he first came to the garage. Old White was always willing to explain technical issues that he didn't understand in detail. Thor knew that Old White was a good person.

But now, the deep wrinkles on the old man's face, like cracked soil, the rough lines on his skin showing his age, and the eyes under his curved eyebrows looking straight at Thor, Thor saw the plea inside.

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

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

"You're young, strong, and healthy, you can always find a job that requires physical strength, but we can't."

Old White turned around and looked around. Thor also looked at his colleagues. Most of them were not strong enough, some were thin and weak, and their bodies were very poor due to long-term day and night shifts and irregular eating habits, and their complexions were not good.

"The people who stay here are people who have nowhere to go, Thor." The old man took out a few dollars from his faded work clothes and said, "I know he didn't pay you enough salary, this is all I have, take this money and find a new job, don't cause trouble, I beg you."

Thor looked at him silently for a while, then walked over to the owner who had been knocked down. The other colleagues looked at him with some fear in their eyes, as if they were afraid he would suddenly attack.

They crouched next to the boss, a little intimidated and unable to meet Thor's gaze. Thor knew that they were aware they shouldn't be defending their boss, but they had no other choice.

Thor didn't pay any more attention to the boss lying on the ground, but instead walked past him to the spot where the conflict began. He crouched down and picked up the few dollars the boss had thrown and walked back, handing the money to Old White and said, "You're right. I'm still young and can find a new job. Besides, I have my brother to support me for now. You can take this money as a thank you for teaching me these things recently."

The old man's fingers were skinny and rough, like tree branches that had already shed their leaves. His fingertips trembled, whether from being moved or from aging, Thor couldn't tell. He took the money and his voice choked a little as he said, "I don't want to do this either... I really want to tell the police that this bastard killed Benjamin. He knew Benjamin had a bad heart and that he couldn't even speak after working several consecutive night shifts, but he still gave him the night shift and made him do the heaviest work. We all know that he did it..."

"But we can't speak up, or rather, speaking up won't do any good. It will only make us lose our jobs. It won't have any effect... " The old man's tone sounded sad, even a little desperate.

"Benjamin had a three-year-old daughter. She's very cute, and I don't know how to face her..."

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

"If you can't leave here, you'll become like us too. Thank you, now go."

As Thor walked out of the repair shop, the sunlight shone directly on his face, making it difficult for him to open his eyes. Under the intense noon sun, all the buildings were covered in a dazzling halo. He extended his palm to shield his eyes and looked down the street.

This couldn't be considered a slum, it could even be said to be prosperous. There were several car repair shops on one side of the street, a warehouse at the end, several trucks parked on the opposite side, and a fire station 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 area would become lively in the evening. Everyone would go to the fast food restaurant, talking and laughing, drivers, mechanics, firefighters, gathering in groups in front of the barbecue stand.

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, they could barely support themselves, and their grandson was still reading books at Midtown High School and had a promising future.

Benjamin, who died suddenly, also had a house, a wife, and a daughter. Most of the other employees in the repair shop also had their own families, although most of them were burdened with heavy debts, they still had a place to call home.

As Thor walked and thought, he found himself back on the edge of Hell's Kitchen. The streets here were far from the prosperous ones he worked in, and were even a bit rotten. He thought that this wasn't even anything, and if he walked further in, it would be a true hell on earth.

Thor didn't know how to describe his mood. He originally thought he would always 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 demand more from them, these were a group of people who were already struggling to survive.

Thor suddenly began to think about things he had never thought about before. Some things were difficult for the vast majority of people in this world, such as having enough to eat, having a place to live, and being able to afford the expenses of a family.

Thor couldn't believe he was thinking about these things. As a brave warrior, he had always had others hunt for him, bring him freshly cooked meat, place fresh fruits in a basket, and offer him refreshing spring water. He was the future ruler of Asgard, and all of these luxuries were his to enjoy first.

Servants in the palace would dress him, the butler would put on his helmet, and he had walked through the grand and wide corridors of the palace countless times, even finding it tedious. He had no interest in the gemstones on the throne of the Allfather, the king of gods.

But now, under the scorching sun, Thor looked down at his body. Sweat soaked his chest and back, his legs felt sore, and he had stayed up all night, making him feel fatigued. Sweat dripped down his forehead, sticking to his eyelashes, and when it fell into his eyes, he squinted in discomfort.

He had no money, not even enough to buy a pack of tissues. He looked towards the nearby supermarket, where it was cool and comfortable, but he hesitated, looking down at his pants stained with gasoline. He knew what would happen if he entered. The clerk would look at him with disdain, urging him to hurry up and leave, and if he couldn't pay, they might even threaten to call the police.

Thor had never thought that being a person could be harder than being a god. He had always believed that as the future ruler of Asgard, he had a great responsibility to protect the nine realms and to defeat any future enemies. He had imagined difficult challenges and hardships, but never had he thought he would feel embarrassed on a hot day, standing on the side of the road, unable to afford a pack of tissues.

He thought that he would feel nervous and fearful about the future of Asgard, but not about how to explain to Loki that he couldn't pay the rent for the next season.

This made Thor start to think. Had he achieved everything he had in Asgard because he was strong and just, or was it because he had his godly powers and weapons?

Why was it that he couldn't even handle a malicious garage owner now? Although he no longer had his godly powers or weapons, the garage owner was weaker than him, yet Thor still couldn't do anything about it.

What could he do? Call the police? They wouldn't listen to him. He could use his privilege to call SHIELD and have them arrest the garage owner, but what about the other employees? After the garage closed, where would they go to earn a living?

The heat of the sun made Thor's head heavy, and he had to walk into the nearest shadow and lean against the wall. He felt pain in his back and knees, and he wondered why his bravery wasn't working. Why was it that when he cared for and sympathized with the weaklings as a god, he could only give them a few dollars?

For the first time, Thor had these thoughts. After losing his godly powers and weapons, he had become so useless. Was he still himself, or was he just his godly powers and weapons?

Were his proud honors and achievements his own, or were they achieved through his godly powers and weapons?

If it was the former, then why couldn't he do anything after losing his godly powers and weapons?

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 231: Thor Odinson (Part 2)