Chapter 156: Tough Attitude
Thor said something dismissive and hung up the phone.
The others remained silent, but Stark seemed to sense the situation and quickly interjected, "Hey, buddy, don't be so hasty. There are things we need to consider carefully. They might not be as malicious as they seem, and our country values freedom of speech..."
"Freedom of speech? Try badmouthing American military" Thor cut him off with a sarcastic grin.
Stark was at a loss for words. He couldn't counter Thor's response, so he gave him a resentful look, silently conveying, "Do you want me to be the bad guy here?"
Thor sneered and said, "Maybe these people are just trying to win public favor or are being paid to speak negatively. It doesn't matter. What's crucial is that I can't let the Avengers fight on the front lines and then be blamed by those I protect!"
"Want to find someone responsible? Compensate for the damage? Sure, I'll send them to face Thanos myself!"
As the leader of the Avengers, Thor had certain responsibilities, such as ensuring the team received the respect it deserved.
It's not that he wanted to use this to gain privileges, but...
Forget it, maybe privileges are what he's after!
In a nation , where ordinary police officers wield unlimited law enforcement powers, if Avengers are afraid to undertake missions, then they might as well not work at all.
Perhaps some people consider themselves victims of war, but weren't those who perished in the Infinity War and the Ultimate War equally innocent?
They didn't even get a chance to speak up.
Don't forget, half of the superheroes participated in those wars as wanted criminals.
This is just the beginning. Thor decides to set an example for others, known as "establishing authority!"
Captain America and the others remained silent. After all, no hero enjoys shedding blood and tears; they mostly endure in silence.
"Don't worry, I will at most exclude them from our protection. Next time there's a crisis, we dangerous elements won't cause them harm, so they don't end up relying on us."
Thor sneered.
Reality is always harsh. The main reason many people blame the Avengers is that if you didn't suffer, why should you help?
So if they refuse to help, let them be.
What Thor didn't say was that not only superheroes but also people like these would not receive any protections associated with him.
For instance, organizations like the FBI that are almost controlled by Kingpin.
That night, the congressman who had spoken out was taken away for questioning, and all his past misdeeds were uncovered. He would likely be set for life with his reputation in ruins...
"Loki, let me introduce you. This is our sister, the princess of Asgard."
Thor pulled Loki forward and made the introduction.
When Thor first met Hela, he was quite wary, considering her a formidable villain.
However, over the years, Hela had proven to be less unapproachable than expected. She wasn't a complete lunatic, just intermittently so.
During the Chitauri invasion, although Hela didn't bother with S.H.I.E.L.D's cleanup, she managed to deal with about 80% of the Chitauri who attempted to approach the manor.
The remaining 20% were a group of female guards for manor arranged by Kingpin, who had been injected with Maya Hansen's latest improved Extremis, which was less prone to exploding...
In fact, Loki, Odin's children inherited various traits from their father. Hela inherited ambition and cruelty, Loki inherited cunning and deceit, and Thor inherited benevolence and kindness.
Thor had, unfortunately, not nurtured these traits well, tossing the "Love and Justice" approach aside...
Loki had long been aware of Hela's identity in Asgard, and now, facing this woman with a mocking smile, he felt an unsettling anxiety.
He had thought having a volatile older brother was bad enough, but this sister was a formidable person who could terrify children.
"Alright, I've known him for a long time—a guy who lacks strength but loves to cause trouble."
Hela waved her hand dismissively, "So, are you planning to take him back to Asgard to face that old man? I really want to see whether that old man will deal with him in a compassionate or tyrannical manner."
Thor chuckled, "I suspect it will probably involve a lot of educational lectures about love and justice!"
Loki felt his stress levels rise.
"Okay, remember this well."
Thor patted Loki on the head, "Remember, if you get yourself into trouble in the future, I won't be the only one punishing you. Hela is not as lenient as I am!"
At most, Thor would give him a thorough beating, but Hela could skin him alive and turn him into a skeleton...
After warning Loki, Thor activated the power of the Tesseract, and the two vanished.
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