American Comics: Heaven's Reward

"Jane, do you think he will open the door for us?" Daisy asked anxiously, standing outside.

"This is a normal neighborly exchange. He shouldn't refuse, right?" Jane replied, though her tone was uncertain.

"But he's not from the United States. Maybe Asgard doesn't have this custom?"

"That's true, but even if he doesn't open the door for us, we won't lose face. After all, we might be the only two people on this street."

Daisy glanced around, taking in the empty, eerie surroundings. The cold wind cut through, raising goosebumps on her skin and stirring a strange, unsettling feeling in her.

If she hadn't known Aaron lived here, she might have believed this was a haunted street.

Where gods live, there shouldn't be ghosts, right?

Daisy forced herself to think positively.

It was the first time she had ever seen an entire street so devoid of life. When they had asked on the neighboring street, everyone had looked at this place with awe.

They were probably all afraid of angering the gods, she thought.

At that moment, the door opened quietly.

There was no figure standing behind it, no imagined figure.

No, to be precise, there was no one at all.

"Uh, are you sure he really lives here? This doesn't look like the normal neighborhood... is this a haunted town like Silent Hill?" Daisy's heart tightened as the strange atmosphere made her scalp tingle.

"Trust my judgment. You know, he is the god of magic," Jane replied, pretending to be calm. She stepped forward, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, still steaming from the oven. They had just come out before coming to the door.

Just as they were about to step inside, a beam of Bifrost light appeared on the street.

"Look, this is the Asgardian Bifrost, right?" Daisy pointed, wide-eyed.

"It seems like we haven't gone wrong," Jane remarked, turning to face the beam.

Thor appeared before them, stepping out of the Bifrost with a few bottles of whiskey in one hand. He was angry, wanting to vent his frustration.

Because of Aaron, Magneto had been left paralyzed.

His plans had failed. All his time wasted.

After leaving, he had grabbed the bottles of whiskey, ready to meet with Sif and share a drink. It had been too long since the old friends had gathered.

But as soon as he landed, he saw two familiar faces.

"Hey, are you looking for Aaron too?" Thor asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Back in Asgard, Odin had planned to send someone to check on Thor, but when he learned that Thor had left for Midgard, he was furious.

Thor hadn't followed his orders.

He had refused to learn magic and instead went to Midgard to "transform."

"Reform? Running off to drink and seek revenge is reforming?" Odin growled, his patience worn thin. "If I don't teach you a lesson this time, do you think I can't do anything about it?"

His scowl deepened as he pondered how best to punish Thor.

Reforming wasn't something that should be casually suggested.

"Odin, don't be angry. Since Thor doesn't want to learn magic, we needn't force him," Frigga said, trying to calm him. "With his current strength, in the Nine Realms, I'm afraid only Aaron could be his match."

"No! If we let him continue like this, he'll never be able to inherit my position," Odin snapped. "A king cannot rule through sheer strength alone."

His anger did not dissipate.

Odin had put Thor through numerous trials that year, helping him grow in strength, wisdom, and understanding. Thor was stronger than ever and even had the potential to rule.

But it wasn't enough.

Odin felt Thor still wasn't truly ready.

"How do you plan to teach him then? You can't repeat what happened last time," Frigga said, still concerned.

Odin was lost in thought.

Indeed, it was impossible to replicate the last method of depriving Thor of his divine power.

Thor had awakened, and even Odin couldn't seal his strength anymore.

Besides, Thor's magic was part of the magic net, and sealing his power without addressing that would be nearly impossible.

Both Thor's inherent strength and his connection to the magic net made him invincible in Midgard.

But how could Odin reform him?

Odin closed his eyes, deep in thought.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Perhaps... we can let her out," Odin said slowly.

"What! This won't work!" Frigga immediately objected. "You saw how powerful she is. Thor can't be exposed to that. He hasn't even got his own artifact yet!"

Odin's suggestion was to release Hela.

He wanted to use Hela to hone Thor, but Frigga could hardly accept this. Hela was far too dangerous.

Should Thor fall into her hands, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"It's fine," Odin said confidently. "Don't forget, Thor's power is already immense."

"If it's just raw energy, he's already surpassed me!" Odin continued. "And Hela has just been released from her seal. She's at her weakest right now. It's too difficult for Thor to defeat her."

"Midgard isn't the backwater you and I remember. There are far too many strong beings there. Hela won't stand a chance."

"Just Aaron alone would be enough to suppress her," Odin added. "And don't forget about me."

"Since connecting to the magic net, my strength has temporarily restored to a level where I can almost use all my power from my prime. I could defeat Hela once again if necessary."

Odin sounded confident.

There was no doubt that Thor's power far exceeded Hela's, especially now that she had been sealed for so long.

Although it was difficult for Thor to defeat Hela due to her magical knowledge, the most likely outcome would be a stalemate between the two.

But Odin had a plan. He hoped that by facing a weakened Hela, Thor would come to appreciate the importance of magic.

This would help him grow into a well-rounded warrior, skilled both in combat and magic, just like Aaron.

Only then could Odin rest assured about giving him the title of Lord of the Nine Realms.

Even if something went wrong, Odin was confident that he could deal with Hela again.

His current state was far better than before.

Frigga was still anxious, but she knew Odin's plan made sense.

The only way to truly hone Thor was to use Hela.

Meanwhile, in New York, Thor had no idea that his decision to leave Asgard and refuse to learn magic had incited Odin's fury.

Of course, even if he did know, it wouldn't matter.

He had no interest in learning magic—it was too time-consuming.

He had mastered the power of thunder, and that was more than enough for him. He didn't need any other magic.

Thor sat with Aaron and Sif, drinking together. They sat on the couch, cups in hand, drinking one after another.

While they drank, Thor complained that Aaron had struck Magneto too hard, leaving him a coward, no longer willing to fight.

Thor also vented about Odin forcing him to learn magic and about Aaron not bringing Sif back to Asgard for a drink, as he had promised.

This time, Thor drank a lot, and he complained even more.

Thor could only show this unguarded side when he was with his closest friends.

Sif and Aaron exchanged a knowing glance and smiled helplessly.

Meanwhile, Jane and Daisy passed out cookies to everyone, sharing lighthearted stories as they ate their desserts.

According to Jane, neighbors should visit each other to help build relationships.

Aaron's gaze flicked to Jane and then to Mjolnir. A thought crossed his mind.

Could he make another Mjolnir? One exactly like the original?

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