Chapter 372: Allen Becomes Doom's Diplomat
Upon receiving a report from the AI butler, Tony urgently suited up and rushed home.
"Pepper!"
"Morgan!"
Seeing the mess in the living room and the disassembled remains of Pepper's custom armor suit scattered on the floor, Tony screamed as if he'd lost his mind.
He frantically searched every possible hiding spot, desperate to find the two most important people in his life.
Unfortunately, no one responded.
After his efforts proved fruitless, Tony collapsed on the floor, drained, as if life had lost all meaning.
Colonel Rhodes arrived shortly after and, seeing Tony in such despair, stepped forward to console him. "I've already arranged for the military to assist with the investigation. We'll get some leads soon."
Being the more rational of the two, Rhodey didn't believe the kidnappers would go so far as to harm the hostages.
To kidnap Tony's wife and daughter was clearly done with a motive. If their aim was simply murder, they would've killed them on the spot instead of going to such lengths.
Because the kidnappers used an electromagnetic pulse to disable all electronics in the villa, the only option now was to check military airspace surveillance logs. There might be a clue.
Still, odds were high the kidnappers would soon contact them with demands.
…
"Lord Allen, may I ask for your help investigating this?"
Doctor Doom turned to Allen, who was lounging in the boss's chair, legs swinging back and forth.
Being able to deduce valuable insights from minimal surface-level intel was reason enough to take Allen seriously.
If they had brought in Luthor, he'd probably be left scratching his head for days.
"Sorry, I'm Captain America."
Allen stood up, took his shield, tilted his chin at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling, and struck a classic Cap pose.
Bro, get a grip. Don't fall too deep into your role. You're just a lunatic.
Allen declared solemnly, "I, Huang, stand against all drugs and gambling."
"I don't dabble in either," Doom said, face darkening.
As a legitimate national leader of a bona fide superpower, he had no reason to sully his name over money.
Luthor felt the same way.
Their conflict was with superheroes—not the general public.
If they wanted to make money, their intellect alone could conjure up a thousand ways to earn fortunes most people couldn't even dream of.
"Oh, so you're one of the good guys." Allen awkwardly stowed away his shield.
Good guy?
How ironic.
Bucky and Sam exchanged odd looks with Luthor and Doom.
These two were on both the Justice League and Avengers' threat lists.
But truth be told, when compared directly, their crimes seemed far less impactful than those of drug lords or casino tycoons.
It was common knowledge that many areas in America had legalized gambling, and entire cities had been overrun by addicts.
Heroes found themselves powerless to intervene—blaming it on the unchecked greed of capital interests.
In contrast, Luthor and Doom were "villains," but not necessarily criminals by legal standards.
Luthor owned a multi-billion-dollar tech empire and had no need to get involved in shady dealings. His obsession was simply viewing Superman as a lifelong rival.
To put it bluntly, if anyone deserved to be called a criminal, Stark Industries' illegally trafficked weapons—responsible for countless civilian deaths—were enough reason for Tony to die a hundred times over.
As for Doom, his refusal to align with American interests put his nation at odds with the global mainstream. Naturally, his open defiance of the Fantastic Four earned him the "villain" label.
"If you're willing to help," Doom said, "I'd like to appoint you as Latveria's highest-ranking diplomat."
Truthfully, Doom had already investigated Allen's background. He knew money alone wouldn't sway him, and Allen showed no interest in traditional power. Status, however, might appeal to him.
"You want me to work for you? That feels like a rip-off."
Allen shrugged. "I help you out, and all I get is a job offer? You're really taking advantage of a mentally ill man."
"You misunderstand," Doom hurried to explain. "It's an honorary diplomatic title. You won't have any duties or work hours. But the position grants criminal immunity in many neutral countries and allows you to operate internationally under Latveria's banner."
"That actually sounds pretty nice."
The idea of not having to work like a mule appealed to Allen. Intrigued, he nodded. "Alright, I accept."
A diplomatic title represented official status granted by a sovereign nation. Especially one like Latveria—with notable military, economic, and technological power. Even the U.S. had to tread carefully.
There were only a few nations that could afford to ignore America's opinion: ancient Eastern empires, Atlantis, Themyscira, Wakanda… and Latveria, barely.
However, Luthor—who had remained silent the whole time—was deeply frustrated.
He and Doom were both members of the Fourth Reich. So why had Doom just recruited one of their enemies?
Allen had repeatedly sabotaged the Fourth Reich's operations. The Owl Council, one of its key factions, absolutely loathed him.
"As Latveria's diplomat," Allen declared, "I must seek justice for our citizens."
Without another word, he eagerly opened a portal, grabbed Bucky and Sam, and disappeared.
Not a single mention was made about releasing Nanaue.
"What were you thinking?" Luthor asked, frowning.
He was extremely reluctant to deal with Allen. Not only was he impossible to kill or defeat, but he was insufferably humiliating.
"Are you really planning to stay shackled to the Fourth Reich forever?"
Doom replied calmly, "Even though our members have deeply infiltrated America, the era is changing. That so-called grand ideal we chase is nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy."
"…"
Luthor fell silent. Deep down, he shared Doom's discontent.
He'd joined the Fourth Reich out of convenience. But now, it was clear he wanted out.
The real problem was that the organization had grown too insane—constantly trying to incite global catastrophes, completely misaligned with their interests.
"…I think I understand your perspective."
After a long pause, Luthor finally said calmly, "But I won't get directly involved in this."
"No problem."
Doom could see Luthor's dilemma.
LexCorp held massive assets in the U.S., and going against the Fourth Reich outright would invite devastating retaliation.
In a back alley in New York.
"Allen, are you seriously working for Doom?" Bucky asked sternly.
Though Doom hadn't had much interaction with the Avengers, he was still the enemy of the Fantastic Four, and thus a potential hostile.
Given Allen's ties to the Avengers, this move could spark tension.
"Of course I am."
Allen beamed. "I'm an official now. I've made it!"
"…"
He casually pulled open a side door in the alley and walked straight into the diner owned by Quicksilver.
Deadpool and Spider-Man were slurping down fried noodles inside.
"Holy crab, I'm seeing things—Cap is back!" Peter gasped as he spotted the three entering.
"Little Spidey, your eyes are fine. I see him too."
Wade stroked his chin and mused, "The missing old guy has returned… Are they filming Captain America 4? Maybe I'll get a role this time."
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