Chapter 222 – Allen Meets His Nephew Tony
"So this is New York?"
Allen casually picked an image online and used a portal to arrive in New York.
Trailing behind him was Nanaue, wearing the God of War helmet, with Mimi curled up inside like it was a cat bed.
"Nom nom…"
Nanaue was sucking on his fingers—he looked hungry.
At Arkham Asylum, they at least had three meals a day. The taste might have been questionable, but at least there was the option of scavenging in Gotham.
Now out in the world with not a penny to their names, even getting food was a challenge.
"Damn it, are we about to become the first pair of superheroes to starve to death?"
Before leaving, Allen had been too embarrassed to ask Cobblepot or Edward for any money.
He was the leader of a comedy troupe, after all—asking underlings for cash would've made him the punchline of the joke.
"Nanaue, don't worry. I'll go hunting first."
"Mm… Nanaue likes hunting."
Looking at Nanaue's unmistakable shark-man appearance, Allen decided to split up to avoid causing unnecessary panic.
Completely unaware that his own Laughing Armor made him look like some kind of lunatic, Allen strode off. People saw him and just assumed he was a pervert.
Meanwhile, Nanaue crouched beside a dumpster, disinterested, watching Allen walk out of the alley. He pulled out Mimi and said, "Nanaue can't eat Kitty. Kitty is also Master's pet. Pets can't eat other pets. Nanaue doesn't like rats. Kitty, can you eat those two red rats instead?"
Blegh!
The next moment, Mimi spat out a pile of carrot-like fruits.
Had Allen been there, he'd instantly recognize them as Yaro Roots—the same ones Nebula always wanted to eat in the movie, only to get stuck with raw ones.
"Yay! Kitty gave Nanaue fruit! Kitty is Nanaue's best friend forever!"
Nanaue happily chomped down on the Yaro Roots, savoring each bite.
At that moment, Allen stepped onto the street, eyes darting around for a soup kitchen or relief center.
The passersby gave him a wide berth.
Who walks around in broad daylight in some weird costume?
Clearly trying to imitate Batman—but probably bought a knockoff version. There was none of the coolness—just a budget cosplay vibe.
Turning a corner, Allen spotted a protest in full swing, a group waving signs and chanting slogans.
"Big cities really are different. The American flavor is everywhere."
Allen blinked, then zipped into the crowd in a flash, joining the demonstration for a taste of that 'freedom' vibe.
"I can't breathe!"
"He's just a kid!"
"Say no to eating animals! Stop harming cows!"
"Freedom of clothing! Freedom of gender!"
"Don't assume someone's gender!"
"..."
Allen passionately shouted every slogan he heard.
But soon, the protest came to a halt. Disapproving eyes gathered on him from all sides.
Allen turned to a nearby woman. "Why are you all staring at me?"
"Are you here to make trouble?" the woman shot back.
"No way," Allen replied earnestly. "I'm defending everyone's rights."
"We're an animal protection organization," a man explained, pointing to the symbol on his chest. "This is a campaign to protect seagull habitats."
Protect seagulls? Must be outta their minds.
Allen bluntly retorted, "Seagulls eat fish! Why aren't you protecting the fish? Don't they deserve protection too? Is it because they live in water and don't breathe the same air as us? You hypocrites are discriminating against fish!"
That statement sent the crowd into an uproar.
People began shouting, ready to give Allen a lesson.
"Oh ho! I love brawling with mobs!"
Allen struck a stance, ready to unleash the Shape of Ekern.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
A police officer barked, "Everyone, get down!"
With the warning shot fired, the protestors dropped instantly—no one dared move a muscle.
Except Allen. He stood tall and defiant. "Only criminals crouch. Heroes never yield."
"Hands on your head, face down! No sudden movements!"
Over a dozen officers closed in, fingers twitching by their triggers, clearly ready to empty their magazines at the slightest provocation.
This seemingly prosperous city had a lousy sense of security.
First rule of the job: when in doubt, empty the clip.
"Master, Nanaue is here to save you!"
After hiding in the alley for a long time, Nanaue finally got bored and crept out to find Allen.
He had a trash bag on his head, thinking it was the perfect disguise.
"Nanaue, stop!"
Allen tried to warn him—but it was too late.
The police opened fire in unison. Bullets screamed through the air like a torrential storm, all aimed at Nanaue.
The protestors, already crouched, heard gunfire and scattered like frightened birds, terrified they'd catch a stray bullet.
"Shit! What the hell is that?!"
"Officer, it looks like a shark!"
"No kidding it's a shark! The problem is, it has arms and legs! You think that's normal?!"
…
The barrage shredded the trash bag, revealing Nanaue's full shark face, which only made the police shoot harder.
"HQ, requesting backup."
"Received. Any special notes?"
"There's an indestructible shark on Lincoln Avenue. Send in the emergency response team—hell, just call the Avengers. We're not equipped for this."
"Roger that."
Soon, every officer had emptied their clip.
Nanaue stood unharmed, blinking blankly at them.
"Why aren't you guys running? That shark'll gobble up little Carlitos like snacks."
Allen casually gave them a heads-up.
Like a dam breaking, the cops fled in a panic.
For $3,000 a month, they weren't paid enough to fight superpowered weirdos. Can't blame them for valuing their lives.
"Nanaue, are you okay?"
Allen stepped up and checked for wounds.
"Nanaue's fine."
Achoo!
Nanaue sneezed. A bullet lodged in his nostril shot out.
"Much better," he said with satisfaction.
"…"
Allen twitched at the mouth. Clearly, he had underestimated Nanaue's durability.
Whoosh…
A loud thruster roar echoed overhead.
A red-and-gold suit of armor hovered in midair—no doubt, Iron Man had arrived.
Stark Tower wasn't far off, just a few blocks away. With a rooftop launch pad, it made perfect sense he got there so quickly.
Tony hovered using the palm and sole thrusters on his suit, stabilizing midair. "Batman. Shark guy. Hands up, now. You're under arrest for disturbing the peace."
Allen placed his hands on his hips, looking up with a grin. "Nephew, your uncle's here to visit."
Tony's voice turned colder. His shoulders unfolded, revealing two rows of micro-missiles. "One more word, and I won't hold back."
"Nanaue, look! My own nephew wants to shoot me. If I hadn't given Howard the tech, where would Stark Industries even be?"
Allen patted Nanaue's shoulder. "We're here to collect debts—let's bankrupt the Stark family."
"Nanaue loves nom nom."
Meanwhile, inside Tony's armor, the onboard AI had already analyzed Allen's identity and displayed the information clearly:
Name: Allen
Affiliation: S.H.I.E.L.D. Weapons Specialist, Second Shareholder of Stark Industries
Gender: Unknown
Abilities: Unknown
Relation: Friend of Howard Stark, Uncle to Tony Stark