Shafika finally reached the front of the line to meet Superman.
Nervous but excited, she handed him her notebook and pen.
Before she could speak, Superman had already begun signing in Pashto.
He looked up with a warm smile and asked, "Shafika, right? How's your family now? No more troublemakers bothering them, are there?"
Shafika froze in disbelief.
Superman remembered her.
To her, he was someone who carried the weight of the world every day, someone constantly occupied with saving lives and stopping disasters. Compared to everything he protected, she felt so insignificant.
Yet he still remembered her.
The realization struck her like a jolt of electricity, flooding her with pure joy.
"No, no, we're fine!" she answered quickly, nodding so hard her fluffy curls bounced around her face.
Superman returned her notebook, now signed with his name.
He gently ruffled her curly hair.
"Keep it up. Study magic seriously. One day, you can use your own strength to protect your home too."
"Mmm! Mmm!" Shafika's eyes sparkled like stars.
Even after she returned to her seat, she remained dazed with happiness. She only snapped out of it when someone sat beside her.
"Oh no!" She tapped her forehead in frustration.
"How did I forget to thank him again?"
She glanced back toward the long table where the teachers sat. The line in front of Superman was still long.
"It's impossible now… If I want to thank him in person again, I'll have to win the principal's scholarship."
Superman's words replayed in her mind, urging her to study diligently.
Her tiny fists clenched with determination as a new ambition took root inside her.
Superman's autograph session lasted more than ten minutes.
He offered personal encouragement to every new student.
Once the students had finished with him, they turned their attention to the other mentors. Besides Superman, Iron Man and Thor drew plenty of interest, but curiosity spread toward the rest of the magic instructors as well.
The orientation ceremony continued for more than two hours before Mordo finally gathered the new students and led them out of the Sorcerer Tower to assign dormitories.
After a few weeks of classes and the selection of their major subjects, the academy would separate them into two branches: Mystic Arts or magic. Dorms and teaching areas would then be reorganized according to the branch.
The Mystic Arts facilities were located in the section built with Eastern-inspired architecture.
The magic branch occupied the Western-style area.
As the ceremony ended, the students followed Mordo, who carried a portrait of the Ancient One.
Following Superman's instructions, the portrait introduced itself in a tired voice and said, "Everyone can use the academy's Wi-Fi. The password is…"
Once the Ancient One's voice faded away, the mentors began to disperse.
Except for Tony, who preferred improvisation, most of the others returned to their offices to finish preparing lesson materials.
Technically, the mentors were supposed to complete preparation during enrollment, but Tony had dragged everyone into reading "The Three-Body Problem", and they had been unable to tear themselves away.
The day before orientation, Hamir and Lilia finally realized they still had lessons to prepare and went to Tony for advice.
Tony simply shrugged and said, "Prepare what? Do you need lesson prep to teach hot weapons?"
Only then did they remember that Stark Industries had once been one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the world. Tony could talk endlessly about weaponry without any preparation.
They, on the other hand, had to scramble through the night to catch up.
As the mentors drifted away, Loki found his chance. He quietly attempted to stab Thor in the back with a small dining knife.
Clang.
The blade snapped cleanly in half.
Thor didn't even flinch.
"What are you doing, Loki? By Odin, you actually stained my clothes with a knife that just cut a cream bun?" Thor asked, bewildered.
Loki tossed the broken utensil aside in disgust. When he had been thrown to Earth without his powers, he hadn't brought his Uru-metal dagger. If he had, Thor would definitely be bleeding.
"I've had enough! You noisy, ridiculous brute. How long are you planning to stay on Earth? Why aren't you going back to irritating Asgard and sitting on your awful throne?"
Thor blinked. "Why are you suddenly angry? Are you uncomfortable living on Earth? I'll have them take care of you, because I'm going to be an Avenger soon!"
Loki arched a brow. "An Avenger? Why would you join the Avengers?"
"Because they're the most popular group on Earth!" Thor hooked an arm around Loki's neck and laughed. "Don't worry. Once the people of Earth worship me, I'll make sure they treat you better."
Loki rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they stayed in his skull.
He had already lost count of how many times Thor had driven him to this point today.
Coming to Earth had been exhausting. Thor, in less than a day, had been completely overwhelmed by Earthlings.
Then again, Thor was an idiot by default. Earth had simply amplified it.
"Impossible," Loki snapped. "Do you know what I'm trying to say? You think you'll be worshipped by Earthlings? Not a chance."
"Why not?" Thor asked, sincerely confused.
"Because you will never be the most popular person on Earth!"
"I know, I know. Superman is the most popular. So I'll just be second, right?"
"No!" Loki jabbed a finger into Thor's chest. "I mean I will make the entire Earth despise you."
He straightened his coat proudly.
"On Earth, only superhero actors are adored. And I, Loki, God of Mischief, son of Odin… anyway, I am the strongest, most brilliant, and most charming actor."
A sly smile curved across his face.
"I rewrote the script for 'Thor 1'. The exiled god was me, and I regained my power to save Asgard. That's why I'm popular now. Everywhere I go, people swarm me for photos. Sometimes I shout at them to kneel, and they actually do it."
Even Loki had moments where the excessive devotion made him uneasy.
But the cheers, the adoration, the praise… Earth had given him a sense of validation he never experienced in Asgard.
He had fallen in love with acting.
He had fallen in love with Earth.
Now, with the script for "Thor 2" completely under his control, Loki had plans.
He would portray Thor as a shameless exhibitionist running naked around the Council of Gods.
He would make the world mock Thor.
Loki could already imagine passersby spitting at Thor the next time he walked down the street.
The thought alone filled him with delight, and his grin widened.
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