Marvel: Father of Superheroes

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*****

Licking his dry lips, Loki sat in deep conflict, casting a hesitant glance toward the nearby public restroom.

He had noticed earlier that there was a sink for washing hands in there.

That water…

No! That would be too degrading!

He was a god of Asgard, after all!

Just as he firmly rejected the humiliating thought and chose to preserve his dignity, half a loaf of bread and half a bottle of water were placed in front of him.

Little Loki looked up.

A dark-skinned elderly man was smiling kindly at him.

The man wore a faded blue shirt, and his weathered face radiated warmth and goodwill.

"Hungry, kid? Go ahead and eat."

The old man rubbed his hands sheepishly. Noticing Loki staring at him, he quickly added, "It's clean—I tore it off myself."

Loki lowered his eyes to the bread and water in front of him. His expression changed rapidly.

What a joke!

Did this man think he was a beggar?

He was Loki! A god of Asgard!

This foolish mortal—he would…

Grrrrr...

Loki clutched his rumbling stomach.

The old man smiled. "Go on, eat up. Being hungry is the worst."

Loki snorted coldly. "Mind your own business! Get away from me!"

"Heh."

Instead of getting upset, the old man chuckled warmly. "Kid, if you had a falling-out with your family, just go home. Life on the streets isn't easy."

He then pointed to himself. "Look at me—don't ever end up like this."

Loki: "…"

No way would I ever end up like him.

This is just a temporary setback.

Grrr...

Just then, the old man's stomach rumbled too.

He's hungry as well?

Then why…

Loki stared silently at the food, then asked, "Why are you giving this to me? Are you pitying me?"

The old man shook his head and softly replied, "Because right now, you need it more than I do."

Loki abruptly shoved the food back into the man's hands and said coldly, "Take it and get lost. I don't need it."

Can't even feed yourself and still meddling with others?

Are all mortals this stupid?

"Eh…"

The old man paused, then chuckled as he watched Loki run off and shook his head.

This kid may seem difficult, but he's got a kind heart.

Meanwhile, Loki had retreated to a park bench and collapsed onto it, clutching his stomach and taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes.

Back when he and Thor got into trouble and were punished without food, they would just sleep through the hunger.

Thinking of those days, Loki's lips curled ever so slightly.

Half an hour later, when Mike was sure Loki had fallen asleep, he silently descended from the sky.

This guy... more interesting than I expected.

Glancing at the sleeping Loki, Mike smiled faintly, then turned toward the kind old man.

The old man was now resting on a nearby bench.

After a moment of thought, Mike strode over and handed him a thousand bucks, claiming to be a relative of Loki.

He could have given more, but for a homeless man, too much money might bring trouble.

Before the old man could refuse, Mike quickly left and returned to Loki.

Looking down at the sleeping child, Mike stroked his chin.

"How should I get him and Thor to meet?"

After pondering for a moment, two cards appeared in his hand.

Time to tweak things a bit.

One card cast a deep sleep spell, ensuring Loki wouldn't wake. Mike then teleported with him to a dumpster near his shop.

Then, using a memory-editing card, he altered Loki's memory slightly—changing the park into this current location.

Satisfied, Mike nodded.

Sorry, little Loki. Had to tinker with your memory.

He whispered softly, then used another card to make Loki invisible and headed home.

——

The next day, Gwen was taken to piano class by Raven, and Clark headed off to work as usual. Mike and Thor walked together toward the shop.

"What's on the menu today?" Thor asked, his curiosity piqued as he waddled along, stomach forward.

Mike replied absentmindedly, "Whatever you want to learn, I'll cook."

Thor grinned mischievously. "Well then, don't blame me for taking advantage of that!"

"Boiled Cabbage Soup! I've wanted to learn it since last time."

"Oh! Huh?"

Mike came to his senses and snapped, "Boiled cabbage your head! That dish takes a ton of effort!"

Not only was it labor-intensive—it also sold poorly.

Most people here wouldn't appreciate it, so it'd be a waste.

"If you really want to learn it, I'll teach you after the lunch rush."

"Awesome!"

Thor cheered. "So what's the dish for today?"

"We'll figure it out later."

They were already near the dumpster—Mike had no mind to think about today's menu.

Activating his super-vision, he confirmed that little Loki was still invisible and asleep under the spell. His eyes gleamed as he lifted the magic.

Seconds later, Mike and Thor reached the dumpster. Thor, too focused on dreaming of cabbage soup, didn't even notice Loki lying there.

Mike: "…"

Are you blind? You don't see a whole person lying there?!

He glanced at Loki, saw him stirring awake, and lightly cleared his throat.

"Thor! Look! There's someone here!"

Thor snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look.

"!"

Who's this kid? So cute!

That was his first thought.

Then he squinted—this kid seemed vaguely familiar.

Striding over, Thor asked, "Huh, what's a kid doing here? Do you know him?"

Mike: "…"

Seriously?

You don't even recognize your own brother?

Then again, considering Thor's age…

A thousand years ago is a long time.

When Mike had gone searching for Loki, he first tracked down the garbage truck drivers who had seen him. After checking their memories with his powers, he finally located Loki's appearance and whereabouts.

If Odin hadn't mentioned Loki's transformation due to losing his powers, Mike wouldn't have believed he'd turned into a child.

Just as Mike was caught in thought, Loki's eyelids fluttered, then suddenly snapped open.

A pair of vivid green eyes stared back.

Thor froze, mouth slowly falling open.

Loki, looking up at Thor, also widened his eyes in shock.

"Loki?"

"Thor?!"

Mike's heart swelled with emotion.

Finally! These two have met. Everything's back on track. All the effort wasn't in vain.

But immediately after calling out each other's names, the two brothers exclaimed in unison:

"What happened to you?!"

Their expressions and tone were practically identical.

(End of Chapter)