"But. In your minds, there is no expectation of 'imperfection', you don't tolerate any losses or sacrifices. And once something beyond your plan occurs, you engage in crafting another incredibly complicated plan to eliminate the rising issue."
"A really excellent strategist must accept sacrifice," Thor explained, punctuating each word, "You may think that because I'm not the one being sacrificed, I can say this. But in reality, I firmly believe that on my path to achieving an outcome, my sacrifices won't be lesser than his, and I won't show him any extra sympathy, because our roles are just different."
"You would make a great king," Shiller commented, but Thor shook his head saying, "No, I'd rather be a good brother."
"Every time Loki tells me he has a better strategy, a better way, that he could have fewer people sacrificed, I always show an impatient attitude, as if I don't want to hear him out at all."
"But it's actually to protect him. War will certainly involve blood and sacrifice. He pays too much attention to this point, always thinking of using plans and tactics to compensate. It may indeed result in fewer losses at the start."
"But always using such thinking, in the end, the goal of the tactics shifts from achieving victory to minimizing losses. Wouldn't that eventually lead to giving up victory in order to reduce losses?"
"And if we give up on victory, doesn't that make the sacrifices worthless?"
Thor smacked the chair back with his spatula and said, "Accepting losses is for reaching the best conclusion, not for an ideal one. Not accepting losses, refusing losses is not the goal."
"Moreover..." Thor shook his head gently again and said "Loki has repeatedly proposed using himself as bait for his perfect plan, and each time, I instantly reject it, which made him think I'm unreasonable."
"But in fact, when he stands before everyone to explain his philosophy, insisting that the enemy would feel secure and let their guard down due to his weakness, I don't feel admiration, but only heartache."
Thor frowned, as if recalling some unpleasant memories, and said, "I know he always feels upset about his frail physique and how he doesn't fit in with the Asgardians."
"Loki is such a proud person. He directly admits this in front of everyone, which is like stabbing his own heart with a knife."
"By the Father of All Gods, how much must he look down on me, his brother, to think that I need him to stab his wound to achieve victory?!"
"So when I reject him, the disdain and anger aren't just for show."
"Never see me as someone who would sacrifice a loved one to reach an objective. I will never be that coward!"
"Ahem, ahem..." Eddie cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, then said: "Shiller, Thor is blunt, but his reasoning is sound..."
"Do you think the superheroes would be genuinely happy when they found out you hurt your own soul to resurrect their loved ones?"
Eddie pursed his lips, his nose crinkling up, showing a somewhat complicated expression, and said, "I beg your pardon, but to me, that's kind of terrifying."
"Of course, I know you mean well, but you made a choice on my behalf that I didn't have to make."
Eddie spread his hands, analyzing to Shiller: "Originally, isn't the fact that the dead cannot be resurrected well established?"
Shiller slowly nodded, affirming his answer, because before making a deal with death, it was indeed a universally recognized fact among all humans.
"So, in the education I received in my early years, once someone dies, they are gone for good. Although I would feel grief at the time, and nostalgia later, I had actually already accepted this fact."
"Later, I met some friends. They were very good to me, we built a deep bond, and at this time, one of my good friends decided to sacrifice himself to resurrect my family."
"Yes, I do miss my family, even to this day, but I'm also aware of the unimaginable price my friend has to pay for this act of resurrection."
"And once he actually does it, I'm faced with a choice: choose my family or choose my friend?"
"Even though I had already accepted the fact of losing my family, I didn't have to make this choice initially."
"But I hope he doesn't choose a friend..." Shiller resumed speaking, "Because that's my goal..."
"But the world isn't just about plans and goals." Eddie looked into Shiller's eyes and said, "I know that patients on the autism spectrum sometimes have a weaker sense of emotion and inadequate self-expression."
"But your wisdom should tell you that Tony Stark cannot not choose you. He is a superhero, a noble good man."
Thor chimed in, "Tony would never sacrifice a friend for the sake of resurrecting his own parents. Asking him to do so is worse than killing him."
Shiller pursed his lips and rigidly said, "So, I shouldn't resurrect his parents?"
"The key is that you should not sacrifice yourself." Eddie repeated again.
"But it's not a sacrifice," Shiller spoke again, "I didn't die, and the price I paid can be recovered. Everything can be redeemed..."
Eddie looked at the side of Shiller's neck and asked, "...Really? Is that true too?"
Instinctively, Shiller stretched out his hand, his trembling fingers passed over his collarbone. He remained silent and didn't answer, while Thor looked into his eyes and said:
"If I had to single out the least trustworthy thing Loki has ever said, it would definitely be 'Trust me, I won't get hurt.'"
In Thor's eyes, Shiller saw clear sobriety and keenness that sharply contrasted with his rugged demeanor. He heard Thor say:
"Maybe Loki thought so too. He thought he wouldn't get hurt, while the truth was, that wound of his had been ripped open too many times to the point where he didn't even feel pain anymore."
"But that doesn't mean that I, as his brother, can be as cold as strangers, thinking that him stabbing his own wound is his own self-inflicted suffering, and therefore doesn't need to be saved."
"I believe Tony would feel the same way, right?"
In that instant, Shiller saw surging waves in Thor's eyes, amidst the icy fog rising above the North-European tundra, there was also vibrant life like the pine branches.
With the Christmas carols still echoing from outside, in his still kind of bewildered and chaotic thoughts, the plans and arrangements that would often come up when Shiller thought of his friends suddenly vanished.
What appeared in his heart was something that made him feel strange: urgency, bitterness. It came from nowhere, and disappeared without a trace.
When Shiller's eyes appeared on the screen, Steve, who was standing in front of the screen, slowly closed his eyes and said:
"Maybe, he's... missing us."