Superman's Saiyan little brother

Reed Richards had no idea that his identity had already been uncovered by JARVIS. This was a minor flaw of his—Reed was exceptionally intelligent, one of the smartest people on the planet, but he often missed certain details.

"What? Stark Industries wants us to go over tomorrow?" Doom was taken aback when he heard Reed Richards' words upon his return. He narrowed his eyes at Reed and asked, "Why would the message be sent to you? Did you leave a contact number?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't even speak during the presentation; you handled all of that. They must have tracked down our information," Reed replied, puzzled as to why Tony Stark would have taken notice of him. He couldn't reveal anything about the Avengers, so he averted his eyes slightly.

"Is that so?" Doom gave Reed a long, hard look, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. He quickly asked, "So, who's going to present tomorrow? And what are we presenting? The same thing as last time?"

"It'll definitely be you again, but we need to update our presentation. We've already organized some new material before you got back. Take a look, and if there's anything you don't understand, ask me..." Reed quickly pointed to the stack of documents with a smile.

"Alright." Doom nodded curtly and got up to review the documents, but the displeasure in his eyes grew stronger, especially when Reed offered to explain anything he didn't understand.

Doom had always been a proud man, believing himself to be the smartest person around. There was no knowledge he couldn't grasp, no challenge he couldn't overcome—until he met Reed Richards. As much as Doom disliked Reed, he had to admit that Reed was truly brilliant. Sometimes, Doom struggled to keep up with Reed's thinking, which made him realize that Reed was a valuable asset worth keeping close. No matter what they pursued, having Reed as an ally was always a great advantage.

Reed's low emotional intelligence and bookish demeanor were traits that Doom looked down upon, but they also made it easier for Doom to keep him around, especially since Doom hadn't achieved much on his own yet.

"He's already expanded on the idea?" Doom couldn't help but marvel at how Reed's mind worked as he read through the updated material. Even he found it challenging to keep up with some of Reed's new ideas.

Despite the difficulty, Doom didn't consider asking Reed for help. He took his time but still managed to absorb all the information, storing it in his mind while calculating how to present it effectively the next day to maximize interest and, more importantly, investment. From Doom's perspective, the fact that Stark Industries had reached out again likely meant they were seriously considering an investment.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of information, Doom and Reed had misunderstood the situation.

The next day, Doom, along with an anxious Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, arrived at Stark Tower. Since Tony Stark had invited them, JARVIS had made all the necessary arrangements. However, when the three noticed that the staff member wasn't leading them to the investment department as they had last time, even Doom began to feel uneasy. Their apprehension peaked when they realized the elevator was taking them to the top floor of Stark Tower.

"Could it be?"

"No way, right?"

"Is it Tony Stark?"

Different thoughts raced through their minds, but none of them spoke. Doom took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he had to be at his best. Tony Stark was known for his discerning eye, but also for his generosity. If Stark himself were interested, Doom was confident they could secure a much larger investment.

"It's really him!" As they entered Tony Stark's office and saw the famous playboy, philanthropist, and superhero, the same thought flashed through all three of their minds.

While Ben Grimm was still staring at Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Doom were captivated by the gold-and-red suit of armor on display. Both of them were clearly impressed by the sight of the Iron Man suit.

"Impressive, right?" Tony Stark noticed their gazes and smiled proudly.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark, here's our proposal. We've prepared..." Doom, regaining his composure, took a deep breath and was about to dive into his presentation when Tony Stark waved him off, interrupting him.

"You're Reed Richards, right?" Tony Stark ignored Doom, who was nearly as accomplished as Reed Richards but not enough to catch Stark's interest. Yesterday's digital duel between Reed and JARVIS had piqued Stark's curiosity instead.

"Huh? Oh, yes!" Reed was momentarily stunned by Stark's question. He had been lost in thought about the Iron Man suit, but quickly nodded, a bit flustered.

Doom, sensing that things weren't going as expected, frowned slightly. He was about to speak again, but Tony Stark showed no interest in him and continued speaking to Reed. "You've got quite an impressive record. So many degrees at such a young age—definitely a genius..."

"I didn't bring you here to discuss your space program. I've seen it, and while it represents some progress in current space technology, it's just that—a bit of progress."

"Mr. Stark, we've made improvements to our space program that I'm sure will meet your expectations!" Doom seized the opportunity in Stark's words to interject.

"Did I say you could speak?" Tony Stark shot Doom an impatient glance. "I really don't like being interrupted."

"Apologies, Mr. Stark..." Doom stiffened, his face burning with embarrassment. He quickly clenched his fists and lowered his head.

Tony Stark, however, paid no attention to Doom's reaction. He glanced at him once before turning back to Reed Richards. "Originally, I wasn't planning on telling you this directly. I was going to let you work at Stark Industries for a while first. But after your performance yesterday, I've decided to give you a chance—a chance to open the door to a whole new world."

"Yest...yesterday?" Reed was taken aback by Stark's words, his gaze turning guilty. He had thought he hadn't been caught, but Stark's demeanor suggested he knew everything.

Doom, still with his head lowered, glanced at Reed from the corner of his eye. His look was cold and filled with displeasure. He had suspected Reed was hiding something but hadn't expected it to be this significant!

"What do you mean by 'a new world'?" Reed asked, bewildered, not noticing Doom's growing anger.

"You already got a glimpse of it yesterday, didn't you? The Avengers..." Tony Stark's lips curled into a smile as he continued, "I'm not offering you a job at Stark Tower. I'm inviting you to join the Avengers and help us out."

"Me?!" All three were stunned. Reed, in particular, was dumbfounded, pointing to himself as he slowly processed what Stark had said. "But I'm not a super-powered individual!"

"Neither am I. So what? How many super-powered people are smarter than me?" Tony Stark shrugged with a grin. "In my view, our intelligence already surpasses that of ordinary people, which is a superpower in itself. We're just super smart, unlike some brutes who are only strong in body..."

"If I join the Avengers, what will I do?" Reed asked, still hesitant, though there was a glimmer of interest in his eyes. He had forgotten all about the need for funding, entirely captivated by the idea of opening the door to a new world.

When someone reaches a certain level of intelligence and can no longer learn anything new from books or school, they can feel lost. Reed, with his vast knowledge and expertise in so many areas, didn't even know which direction to pursue next. But the Avengers and Tony Stark presented a new direction, especially since Stark had made it clear he valued Reed's intelligence. This likely meant he would be doing research, and on topics far beyond what ordinary people could even imagine.

The unknown is a powerful lure for top scientists, and without a doubt, Reed was now thoroughly intrigued.

"New research—some of it in fields you've never encountered before, and some related to your space program, like extraterrestrial life..." Tony Stark explained, "I noticed you don't have a degree in biology, but that doesn't matter. Some life forms are so different from Earth's biology that it won't be an issue."

Tony Stark didn't care that Doom and Ben Grimm were still there, as Reed was the one he planned to bring directly to the Avengers' base. Doom and Ben could stay at Stark Industries for further evaluation.

Although Stark was annoyed by Doom's earlier interruption, he was willing to overlook it if Doom proved to be genuinely talented. Stark had grown since his earlier days; he now understood the value of true talent. In the past, he might have had Doom thrown out with a snide remark, but his increased responsibilities had taught him the importance of capable people.

"This..." Reed was visibly more tempted after hearing Stark's explanation. Although he didn't have a degree in biology, he knew learning it wouldn't be difficult for him, especially since the Avengers had extraterrestrial life forms—actual aliens! What scientist wouldn't want to study aliens? The idea of researching them was even more thrilling.

"Holy crap! You're about to hit the jackpot! Say yes already!" Ben Grimm, seeing Reed hesitate, quickly nudged him, reminding him to accept the offer.

Ben was well aware of Reed's quirks and was worried that in his nervousness, Reed might say something to mess things up. Based on how Stark had scolded Doom earlier, it was clear he wasn't exactly patient. If Reed lost this opportunity because of it, it would be a huge waste.

"Wait, what about them?" Reed suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and

 hesitated, looking at Stark as he asked.

"Oh, they still need further evaluation. I've seen what you can do, but I haven't seen their abilities yet. When you join the Avengers, they'll stay at Stark Industries for now," Stark replied with a wave of his hand.

"This... Doom's intelligence isn't much less than mine, and Ben has always helped me out. Without him, I wouldn't be able to complete many of my projects. Can't..." Reed's voice trailed off as he became more hesitant, his words stumbling out as he lacked the confidence to argue.

"We came here for investment, not to join Stark Industries!" Doom suddenly raised his head, fixing Tony Stark with a steely gaze. "With our qualifications, would joining Stark Industries really require such a hassle?"

"We're here to start a company, not work for someone else! Are you really going to abandon all the hard work we've put into this plan? How much effort have we poured into this?" Doom's voice grew stern as he turned to Reed.

"It wasn't that much effort..." Reed thought to himself, but he couldn't find the words to respond.

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