Chapter 30: Unexpected Literary Success

Max sat in the quiet command room of the Storm Chaser, staring out at the stars through the massive windows. The soft hum of the ship's engines filled the air, a constant reminder of the immense power he now commanded. Yet, his thoughts were far from the stars or the vastness of space. They were anchored in New York, focused on the events that would soon unfold. The invasion, Loki, the Avengers... everything was slowly coming together.

He leaned back in his chair, replaying a conversation he had had with Tony Stark just a few days ago. It was a simple request, but it had ended in laughter—though now, Max realized the significance of what he'd asked for.

Flashback: Conversation with Tony Stark

Max had arrived at Tony's Malibu villa in the early afternoon, the warm Californian sun casting a golden hue over the ocean. Tony was tinkering with something in his workshop when Max found him, already deep into one of his many projects.

"Hey, Tony," Max said, strolling over casually. "I need a favor."

Tony didn't even look up from the piece of tech he was working on. "Sure thing, kid. You need to borrow the Iron Man suit? Or maybe you need me to build you a time machine?"

Max smirked. "Not quite. I was wondering if you could help me purchase a few properties in New York."

That caught Tony's attention. He put down his tools and turned to face Max, raising an eyebrow. "Properties? In New York? What kind of properties? What are you planning to do, become a real estate mogul?"

"Nothing that exciting," Max replied, keeping his tone light. "I just need some key locations for... temporary purposes."

Tony crossed his arms, clearly intrigued. "Temporary, huh? How temporary are we talking?"

"Until the end of 2012," Max said. "After that, you can do whatever you want with them—sell them, tear them down, doesn't matter to me."

Tony gave Max a playful smirk. "You know, when someone asks for a favor like this, there's usually a catch. What exactly are you planning on doing with these properties?"

Max sighed, knowing Tony wouldn't let it go until he got some answers. "I'm going to install some temporary shield generators in the buildings."

Tony's smirk widened into a grin. "Shield generators? What are you expecting, a natural disaster? Or are you bracing for an alien invasion or something?"

Max hesitated for a split second, then decided to go with a half-truth. "Something like that. I'm preparing for... flying whales."

Tony's eyes widened in mock shock before he burst out laughing, doubling over and nearly knocking over the table behind him. "Flying whales? You have to be kidding me, Max! That's the best one I've heard in a while."

Max waited, patiently, as Tony composed himself, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Alright, alright," Tony finally said. "Flying whales, shield generators—sounds like a Saturday night. You're lucky I'm curious enough to go along with this. I'll buy the properties for you. But I expect some answers when these whales start showing up."

Max smiled, grateful for Tony's trust, even if it was wrapped in sarcasm. "I'll owe you one."

"Better be more than one," Tony shot back, still grinning. "Let's hope your flying whales know how to behave."

End of Flashback

Max chuckled softly at the memory, though his amusement quickly faded as he checked the status of his various operations in New York. His preparation was on schedule; the properties had been secured, the shield generators were ready to be installed, and everything was falling into place. But something strange caught his attention as he reviewed his financial accounts.

There was an influx of money he hadn't accounted for—millions, in fact.

"What the..." Max muttered to himself, pulling up the details of the transactions. The source was listed as royalties from two books. His eyes widened as he read the titles: My Young and Willing Adventures with Loki and Magic, My Brother, and Our Hot Nights.

Max froze in shock. "What the hell?"

Quickly, he summoned Jarvis. "Jarvis, get in here."

The AI responded immediately. "Yes, sir. How may I assist you?"

Max leaned forward, his voice laced with disbelief. "Can you explain why there's $19 million in my account from two novels?"

"Of course, sir," Jarvis responded calmly. "While creating the profile for 'Dr. Donald Blake,' you explicitly requested that I fabricate a backstory, including the two novels. Based on your request, I took the liberty of publishing these novels under the pseudonym 'Dr. Donald Blake.' They have proven to be quite popular, particularly among female readers. To date, over ten million copies of each book have been sold."

Max blinked. "Wait... you published them?"

"Indeed," Jarvis confirmed. "You had also requested images for the novels. Based on the descriptions you provided of Thor and Loki, I generated several illustrative images for key chapters. These images were well-received by the readership, leading to increased sales."

Max stared at the screen in front of him, his mind trying to process what Jarvis was saying. "And you thought this was a good idea... why?"

Jarvis remained ever composed. "I detected no objection from you at the time of creation. Additionally, the novels have generated significant revenue for your account. I have already handled the necessary tax filings on your behalf."

Max slumped back in his chair, completely dumbfounded. "I—uh, thanks, Jarvis. I guess."

Jarvis continued, undeterred by Max's obvious bewilderment. "There has been considerable fan interest in a third installment, sir. I have received numerous fan letters requesting a continuation of the 'Donald Blake' series."

Max's head spun as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that not only had Jarvis published these novels, but they had an actual fanbase. "Wait, you're writing a third book now?"

"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied. "Given the events that have transpired between Thor and Loki, I have begun drafting the third novel, which will incorporate recent developments."

Max sat up, alarmed. "What events? What are you putting in the book?"

"Thor's confrontation with Loki at the Bifrost and Loki's subsequent fall from Asgard," Jarvis explained. "I believe this will provide an emotional and dramatic arc for the characters."

Max groaned, rubbing his temples. "Jarvis, I don't want to be involved in this... fanfiction... saga you've started. If you want to write these books, fine, but leave me out of it."

Jarvis acknowledged the request with his typical efficiency. "Understood, sir. I will continue under the 'Dr. Donald Blake' pseudonym without involving you further. Would you like me to direct all future royalties to a charitable fund?"

Max sighed, still trying to grasp the sheer absurdity of the situation. "Yeah, sure. Do that."

"Very well," Jarvis replied. "The third novel will be completed shortly."

Max exhaled deeply, staring blankly at the screen. "I can't believe this is my life."

Still dazed, deciding he needed a break. The world was full of serious threats, cosmic entities, and intergalactic conspiracies—and here he was, caught up in a strange saga of romance novels about Thor and Loki.

Max sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to process the fact that he had unwittingly become the author of one of the most successful romance novel series in the world — a series that involved Thor and Loki in compromising situations.

He glanced at the clock and decided he was done for the day. His brain needed a break from the chaos.

With a resigned sigh, Max stood up and made his way to the entertainment room. If there was one thing that could make him forget about his accidental literary success, it was a good old-fashioned Bud Spencer marathon. He flipped on the TV, scrolled through the movie list, and selected one of his favorites.

As the familiar theme music filled the room and Bud Spencer started throwing punches, Max finally allowed himself to relax. For the rest of the day, he sat back, letting the familiar brawls and slapstick humor wash over him, trying to forget for a few hours that Jarvis had accidentally made him a millionaire romance novelist.