C252

New York

Somewhere in an open space.

"Good job. The universe belongs to us!"

A frivolous voice echoed through the clearing.

At the center stood Victor Doom—formerly of the Avengers, now a defector. His expression remained calm, yet a hidden fierceness burned in his eyes as he listened.

He scanned his surroundings but saw no one.

"Aren't you going to show yourself?" Doom spoke slowly, his voice laced with impatience. "This isn't how a companion should act."

"Companion?"

The voice remained playful, unshaken by Doom's tone. Instead, it carried a hint of provocation.

"Oh, that's right. We are companions, aren't we?"

Whoosh!

A figure suddenly appeared before Doom.

A man holding a scepter, wearing a golden horned helmet, stood confidently in front of him. His attire was regal and ancient, adorned with intricate designs, complete with a flowing cape.

Doom frowned slightly.

This man's appearance was… unexpected.

"What's the matter?"

Loki chuckled.

"Surprised by my looks? Did you think I'd be the leader of some terrorist organization? But judging by your expression… it seems you think you're staring at a madman instead?"

Doom's face remained expressionless, but internally, his mind rippled with thoughts.

The fact that this man could so easily guess his initial impression was unsettling.

However, for someone with mental abilities, it wasn't exactly a difficult feat.

"I don't read minds."

Loki, reading Doom's body language, smirked.

"I just happen to be very, very good at manipulating people."

"Enough nonsense."

Doom's tone was cold.

"I don't care to know you any deeper than necessary, but you will introduce yourself. You pushed me into stealing the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D.—what exactly is it that you want?"

"Pushed you?"

Loki let out a mocking laugh.

"I hardly needed to push you. The stench of ambition and conspiracy on you—I could smell it a mile away. You're merely using my power to further your goals."

"You're getting off track."

Doom held the Tesseract in one hand while the other began to metalize.

His five fingers spread open, crackling with raw energy as terrifying lightning surged around his palm.

Zzzzt—!

Under the glow of his own storm, Doom looked every bit the god he claimed himself to be.

Loki's eyes grew colder, though his smirk remained.

"Now you remind me of someone I despise. And that… disgusts me."

Still, his voice remained amused.

"But let's set that aside. I have an army—an army that can help you conquer and rule this world."

"Really?" Doom's expression didn't waver.

"And why exactly should I believe in your army?"

Loki's smirk deepened.

"Because with your current strength… you don't stand a chance against the Justice League."

"..."

Doom remained silent. He knew that Loki's words might be correct.

Since joining the Avengers, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Justice League's strength under Batman's leadership.

For example, heroes like Cyborg and Wonder Woman possessed extraordinary power. Even with the limitless energy of the Tesseract , eliminating them would be a daunting task.

Even if he wasn't afraid, dealing with them would be troublesome.

"Why should I trust you?"

He finally spoke. "You haven't even told me your true identity."

"Loki."

The man introduced himself with a smirk.

"I'm from Asgard, another world. A god, as you mortals perceive it."

"Loki?"

Doom was well-versed in myths and legends. He sifted through his memory for any connection to that name and Asgard.

"You mean... Loki, the God of Mischief? A god, like Wonder Woman—Diana Prince?"

At the mention of Wonder Woman, Loki's expression darkened. His fists clenched involuntarily, his face betraying a flicker of hatred.

Clearly, he hadn't forgotten the humiliating defeat he'd suffered at her hands not long ago.

After a brief silence, his tone turned cold.

"If you'd kindly skip mentioning that name, you might find me in a much more agreeable mood."

"Heh. So you do know Wonder Woman..."

Doom smirked knowingly.

"And judging by that reaction, it seems you've had quite the unpleasant encounter with her."

Though Doom lowered his guard slightly, his mind was working. He now had a better grasp of Loki's motives.

Revenge.

What Doom didn't notice was the glint of mischief in Loki's eyes—the barely perceptible smirk playing at his lips as Doom fell right into his trap.

Meanwhile...

Anton was still on the phone with Harry.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost the Tesseract . Victor Doom had betrayed the Avengers.

For Anton, this was excellent news.

"Harry, do your best."

Anton spoke bluntly.

"But I won't be giving you much advice. You already know the truth—there's no reconciling the conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and us. Nick Fury wants to use the Avengers to suppress or even replace the Justice League. That's not something we'll ever accept. Honestly? I'd love nothing more than to see them fall flat on their faces."

"I understand."

Harry sighed.

"I just need to know… if things reach a breaking point, will you step in?"

"Of course."

Anton nodded.

"When things spiral out of control, we'll be the ones to clean up the mess. And in doing so, we'll prove—once and for all—that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers are nothing compared to the Justice League."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Harry sounded relieved. He ended the call.

Beep.

Anton put his phone away and drove back to the company.

But instead of heading to his office, he made a detour—to the Daily bugle .

Daily bugle Office

"Eddie, get ready."

Anton strode in.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers are about to have a very bad day. When this is over, the Justice League might just be the last ones standing."

"Oh?"

Eddie raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

"The Pegasus Project failed. Victor Doom—one of the Avengers' newest recruits—betrayed them and stole the Tesseract . Worse, he's joined forces with an unknown accomplice."

Anton gave him a quick rundown of the situation.

"For now, keep this under wraps. It's not time to go public yet."

"And what exactly are you planning?"

Eddie's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"First, I'm reaching out to the military. I want to see how Secretary of Defense John Keller and his people intend to handle S.H.I.E.L.D." Anton said.

"After all, they had a stake in the Pegasus Project too."

Then, as if remembering something, he added:

"Also—contact George Stacy. Give him a heads-up. New York might be facing a serious crisis soon. When the time comes, the NYPD needs to act fast and evacuate civilians as quickly as possible."

Eddie's expression turned grim.

"New York?"

George's voice, from the other end of the call, tightened.

"Are you sure?"

Anton met his concern with a serious look.

"When have you ever known me to joke about something like this?"

…

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