Thor and Jane Foster started out chatting casually, only to discover—huh? They got along remarkably well. By the end, the elderly white man could do nothing but gulp down his coffee because he could not get a word in. At least he knew when to take a hint. Claiming that he had something to do, he left the coffee shop alone.
"There was this man who sent me flowers for five days straight, but I could tell he was up to no good, so I had a friend design a trap..."
Jane rarely met a man with whom she clicked so well, and she quickly began telling one of her favorite stories, making Thor roar with laughter.
Thor chose the right moment to tell one of his own stories. "My father is a stubborn old man. His favorite thing in the world is lecturing me! Haha! My younger brother isn't bad, though..."
Thor felt absolutely no burden about speaking ill of his own father behind his back. Jane was delighted too, repeatedly slapping the table as she agreed with his description of a stubborn old man. Neither of them possessed Daisy's caution of first checking the sky for ravens before saying anything bad about Odin.
After the laughter faded, Thor remembered his problem. "Jane, what do you think I'm still missing?"
Jane rubbed her hair. She badly wanted to say that he was missing a brain. What normal person asked a question like that? She chose her words carefully instead. "What exactly are you confused about?"
Thor told her about the riddle Odin had left him, though he did not reveal his identity. To Jane, it sounded like the ordinary story of a father who had very high expectations for his son while the foolish son simply could not meet them.
Thanks to Uncle Ben, Thor had learned humility, respect, and responsibility. He did not boast about being the God of Thunder, but instead slowly got to know Jane Foster like an ordinary man.
Human lives were far too short, but that did not prevent Thor and Jane Foster from becoming friends. After knowing each other for only a single day, the two fell in love.
To prove that he was a good person, Thor brought Jane Foster to visit Uncle Ben. Daisy had been the one to pass along the information, and Frigga had performed the treatment, but Thor believed he deserved some credit too. If he had not pleaded repeatedly, that stubborn old Odin would never have agreed to let them come to Earth to save someone.
A thousand Uncle Bens could die, or ten thousand, and it would have nothing to do with Odin.
Uncle Ben was basically fine. Peter had taken him to the hospital for an examination. The hospital was overwhelmed these days, and the doctor only gave him a quick look. It was merely excessive blood loss, nothing serious. They dismissed the family of three with instructions to go home and recuperate slowly.
The family was talking—or rather, Uncle Ben was lecturing Peter—when the doorbell rang.
The moment Peter heard it, he ran to open the door as though salvation itself had arrived.
Jane Foster felt a little awkward standing outside. She did not know this family at all. Wasn't it rather inappropriate to come visiting so abruptly?
But beauty was in the eye of the beholder. If an outsider had done something like this, Jane would have thought the person was missing a few brain cells, foolish, and socially clueless. When Thor did it, however, she saw it as proof that he was sincere and unpretentious.
Seeing Peter Parker open the door made her relax slightly. She could not say she really knew him, but she had met him once back when Thor had been beaten to a pulp.
Peter had been bitten by the spider, and his memory was now astonishingly good. Even though Thor had changed into ordinary clothes, Peter still recognized him. He remembered Jane Foster too. Wasn't she the beautiful woman they had met on the road?
Thor now realized that this was awkward as well. In a burst of enthusiasm he had simply come to visit Uncle Ben, but what would Jane Foster think if he now announced that he was Thor, the God of Thunder? He secretly signaled Peter with his eyes, intending to continue pretending that he was an ordinary person.
But why would an ordinary person come looking for Uncle Ben? He needed some reason. Thinking quickly and relying on his thick skin, Thor finally came up with one: after being lectured by Uncle Ben the last time, he had turned over a new leaf and reformed himself, so he had come to express his thanks.
The explanation was somewhat forced. Peter hesitated for a moment, but still let the two inside.
Uncle Ben did not have Peter's excellent memory. He thought for a long time before finally remembering who this blond man was.
As Uncle Ben understood it, Thor had simply given up his habit of drinking too much, found honest work, and now even had a girlfriend. Since the two had come to visit him, his attitude toward Thor was much better than the last time they had met.
"Good, good. You're doing the right thing. My attitude that day may have been a little harsh, and I apologize for that too." Uncle Ben was completely sincere. He did not accept Thor's praise and kept emphasizing that he was only an ordinary man.
"You told me that day, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' I've been trying to live by those words ever since. But if something exceeds the limits of my abilities, what should I do then?"
Thor had thought about this question for a long time. He had not asked Odin, much less Daisy. Instead, he asked this old man who possessed no power at all. In Thor's view, Uncle Ben must have an answer.
At the words "With great power comes great responsibility," Peter's attention was immediately drawn over. Uncle Ben had said the same thing to him yesterday before losing consciousness. Everything had been so chaotic that Peter had not had time to think about it carefully.
Just like Thor, he now waited to hear Uncle Ben's answer.
Uncle Ben did not answer immediately. He thought for a moment, then pointed toward the television and asked the two of them, "Do you know the woman on TV wearing armor and holding Godslayer?"
"Wonder Woman? I know her. A lot of my classmates say she looks really cool..." Peter did not actually like Wonder Woman; he admired Captain America. But after getting smacked around by several female classmates, including Lorna and Gwen, he had been forced to change his position.
Thor said nothing. He knew Daisy fairly well, and his mother had worn that armor for thousands of years, so there was no chance he would mistake it. He simply did not understand why Uncle Ben had brought her up.
Uncle Ben sighed. "When I was young, as long as I worked hard, stayed diligent, and was willing to endure hardship, I could earn a living. Now I look out the window at this suddenly transformed society, this world gone completely mad. I don't think about profound theories, and I can't understand the schemes of important people. All I know is that I'll use every bit of ability I have to protect my family."
The television image changed at that moment, switching to Captain America. Uncle Ben continued, "Those with great ability protect the country. Those with little ability protect their families. That is what 'with great power comes great responsibility' means to me."
Thor and Peter both fell into thought. Even Jane Foster seemed to understand something.
Uncle Ben was still exhausted and needed rest, so Thor and Jane left soon afterward.
Two days later, Daisy invited Thor out for a meal. When she saw Jane Foster arriving with him, she froze for a moment. These two had still ended up together? Thor had looked miserable while Uncle Ben was being treated, but now he seemed to be doing wonderfully.
Daisy had originally planned to ask Thor why he had come to Earth. Seeing how sweet the two of them were together, she naturally dropped the subject. Jane Foster, meanwhile, was intensely wary of Daisy. She clung tightly to Thor and stared at Daisy as though she were a dangerous romantic rival.