Chapter 11: Unraveling Shadows

It was a warm Friday afternoon when Max's cloaked Puddle Jumper silently hovered over Tony Stark's sprawling Malibu mansion. The invisible ship landed smoothly on the lawn, the craft blending seamlessly into the landscape, undetected by even the most advanced sensors Tony had in place. Max sat in the pilot seat, his thoughts briefly flickering between the calm of the present moment and the chaos he was about to step into.

He exhaled slowly, bracing himself. Two weeks had passed since their last meeting, and now it was time to take the next step. With a flick of his wrist, Max disengaged the ship's systems and exited, leaving the Puddle Jumper cloaked in its hidden state behind him. His boots touched the grass, and he casually strolled toward the villa.

As he approached the front door, it swung open on its own, Jarvis's smooth voice greeting him.

"Good afternoon, Master Max," Jarvis said. "Mr. Stark is expecting you."

Max smiled faintly. "Thanks, Jarvis."

He stepped inside, immediately noticing the subtle but noticeable increase in security measures. Tony always had his tech on high alert, but this felt different. His instincts told him Tony wasn't the only one watching him.

As Max walked through the pristine, sunlit hallway, Jarvis guided him toward the living room. The soft hum of voices reached his ears before he entered, and as he rounded the corner, he saw the group gathered there—Tony, Pepper, Happy, and a woman Max hadn't expected to see: Natasha Romanoff, or as she was currently calling herself, Natalie Rushman.

Max stopped mid-step, his surprise evident. His sharp eyes took in the scene, cataloging every detail—the relaxed yet alert stance of Natasha, the way Happy stood slightly behind her, and how Tony leaned casually against the back of a couch, smirking as if he were in on some private joke. Pepper stood next to Tony, wearing the confident air of someone who had just been promoted to CEO.

Tony looked up and saw Max. "There he is!" he said, grinning broadly. "Pepper, you've met Max before, of course. But Max, let me introduce you to Natalie Rushman, my new assistant." He gestured toward Natasha, who smiled politely at Max. "And you already know Happy."

Max blinked, taking a moment to mask his surprise. Natasha—Natalie—was here, undercover. He had known this might happen eventually, but he hadn't expected her to make an appearance today. He quickly regained his composure, nodding in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Natalie," Max said smoothly, his eyes briefly meeting Natasha's before he looked away, not wanting to give away the fact that he knew her true identity. He turned to Tony, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, though the presence of a SHIELD agent had raised his tension slightly. "Happy to see you, too, Happy."

Happy gave a nod and a quick smile. "Likewise."

Max shifted his focus back to Tony, noting the light atmosphere in the room. But before the tension could rise any further, Tony clapped his hands together.

"Alright, Max. You've been officially introduced. Welcome to the family gathering." He winked. "And speaking of which, what do you think of the new setup? Pepper's the boss now. I'm just the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."

Max smiled slightly but felt a nagging discomfort as he eyed Natasha again. He knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. He let out a small sigh and sat down heavily on the sofa, running a hand through his hair.

"Tony…" Max began, staring at his hands for a moment before looking up. "You can change my name now."

The room went quiet for a beat. Tony frowned, his head cocked to the side. "Change your name? You mean to Stark?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. From Max McKenna to Max Stark."

Tony crossed his arms, his expression curious. "Why now? What's changed? You've been living as McKenna for... what, 17 years? What's the rush to make it official?"

Max let out a sigh, his gaze flicking toward Natasha again. "Because now that you've introduced me to Natalie, she's going to figure it out anyway. Might as well beat her to the punch."

There was a pause. Tony's eyes darted to Natasha, then back to Max. He chuckled awkwardly, but there was a trace of tension in his voice. "Yeah, I guess Natalie here has some sharp instincts." He then looked at Natasha. "Surprise! Max here is my kid."

Natasha's polite smile faltered for a split second. "Your... son?" She blinked, clearly surprised, but recovered quickly. "That's... unexpected."

Happy, too, looked startled, glancing between Tony and Max. "Wait a minute," Happy said, his brow furrowing. "I didn't know you had a son, Tony."

"Neither did I," Tony replied, grinning. "Turns out, life's full of surprises."

Pepper placed a hand on Tony's arm, her smile warm but her eyes questioning. "When did you decide to do this, Max?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Max shrugged, feeling the weight of their eyes on him. "It just seemed like the right time. You know, no point in hiding forever."

Natasha—Natalie—was still watching him closely, her expression unreadable. Max could practically feel the gears turning in her head, processing the information. He knew that the moment she left, SHIELD would be aware of his existence, if they weren't already.

Tony clapped his hands again, breaking the silence. "Well, there you have it. Max Stark, ladies and gentlemen. The next generation of genius."

Max shot him a look. "Not helping."

Happy chuckled. "Well, this day just got a lot more interesting."

Tony smiled but gave Max a quick, questioning look, as if to say, Are you sure about this? Max nodded slightly in response, though the weight in his chest didn't lessen.

Pepper stood up, brushing her hands on her skirt. "Well, we should probably get going," she said, addressing Tony. "I have a meeting at Stark Industries, and I think Natalie and Happy are coming with me."

Natalie—Natasha—gave a curt nod. "Yes, I'll need to brief some of the department heads."

Happy straightened his jacket. "Ready when you are."

Max stood as well, feeling the tension in the room ease as the conversation shifted. "I'll stay here with Tony," he said. "We have some things to discuss."

Pepper smiled at Max. "It's good to see you again, Max. We'll catch up more later, okay?"

Max nodded. "Sure thing."

Tony waved as they left, watching as the trio filed out the door. When the door clicked shut, the air in the room shifted again, becoming less formal, more comfortable. Max felt a strange relief wash over him now that Natasha had gone, though the weight of her presence still lingered in the back of his mind.

Once they were alone, Max stood up and immediately pulled out a small device from his pocket. He activated it, scanning the room for any hidden bugs or surveillance equipment. Tony watched, his eyebrow raised.

"Paranoid much?" Tony quipped.

Max didn't respond at first, waiting for the scan to complete. When the device flashed green, he relaxed slightly. "Just making sure we're not being listened to."

Tony's grin faltered, replaced by a serious expression. "SHIELD?"

"Maybe. Or someone else. I didn't want to take any chances with Natalie here."

Tony nodded. "Fair enough. So, what's up? You seemed a bit... on edge."

Max slid the device back into his pocket and turned to Tony. "Is your suit space-ready?"

Tony blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Space-ready? Not exactly. It can handle low atmosphere, but deep space? No."

Max sighed. "Figures. You're going to need something better for where we're going."

Tony's brow furrowed. "And where exactly are we going?"

Max grinned slightly, motioning for Tony to wait. "Give me a second."

He left the room, heading toward the cloaked Puddle Jumper. A few moments later, he returned with two large cases in hand. He set them down on the coffee table in front of Tony, who eyed them curiously.

"What's in the boxes?" Tony asked, standing up and crossing his arms.

"Space suits," Max replied, flipping open the first case to reveal a sleek black and silver suit, complete with a helmet. "You're going to need this."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Paintball? Really?"

Max laughed. "I know, I know. They don't look like much, but trust me—they'll keep you alive in space."

Tony knelt down to examine the suit more closely. The material was a combination of matte black panels with silver accents, the design minimal but functional. The helmet was streamlined, with a black visor that reflected the light of the room.

"And these are...?"

"Stargate Universe design," Max said. "Lightweight, breathable, but completely sealed. You'll be able to survive in a vacuum, and the helmet filters out radiation and provides oxygen for up to 72 hours."

Tony's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Impressive. And you just... had these lying around?"

Max shrugged. "I like to be prepared."

Tony stood, looking at Max with a mixture of suspicion and amusement. "Alright, Max Stark. Let's see where this ride takes us."

As Max and Tony suited up, back in a secure SHIELD office, Natasha—now fully Black Widow—sent a message to Nick Fury. The words were simple but would cause ripples.

Max McKenna, now Max Stark, is Tony Stark's biological son. Immediate investigation recommended.

At SHIELD headquarters, Nick Fury sat in his office, reviewing the data Natasha had sent. His eye narrowed as he read through the dossier. Max McKenna. Stark's son. Wards of the state, orphan, mother deceased. But it was the cleanliness of the record that bothered him. There were no loose ends, no signs of the usual chaos that came with a background like this.

With a sigh, Fury tapped a button on his desk. "Get Agent Morse in here."

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Bobbi Morse, the seasoned SHIELD operative, entered the room. Tall, athletic, and sharp as a knife, Bobbi had been one of Fury's go-to agents for delicate assignments. She wore her usual confident expression, her blonde hair pulled back into a neat ponytail.

"Director," she greeted him.

Fury gestured to the monitor behind him, where the details of Max McKenna's file were displayed. "Take a look."

Bobbi stepped forward, scanning the information quickly. "Max McKenna. Orphan. Handicraftsman. Artist. High school student... Stark's son?"

Fury nodded. "Something doesn't add up. This kid's too clean. I want you to dig deeper, find out what's going on. Shadow him if you have to, but I need more intel."

Bobbi's eyes narrowed as she read through the rest of the data. "Seems like an interesting target. You think he's more than just Stark's kid?"

Fury leaned back in his chair, his single eye gleaming with suspicion. "I think there's more to this than meets the eye. And I want you to find out what."

Bobbi nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Consider it done."

Fury tapped a few keys on his desk, sending the mission briefing to her tablet. "I'll need a full report by the end of the week. Keep it quiet, and don't let him know you're watching."

Bobbi glanced at the file again, intrigued. "Understood. I'll start immediately."

As she left the office, Fury turned his chair back to the monitor, his thoughts swirling. He had a feeling this was just the beginning of something much bigger.

Mission Report: Shadow and Investigate Max McKenna/Stark

Agent: Bobbi Morse

Objective: Collect additional intelligence on Max McKenna, now Max Stark, son of Tony Stark. Determine potential threat levels, affiliations, and unknown capabilities. Operate covertly; subject must not be aware of investigation.

Mission Briefing:

Target: Max McKenna/Stark. High school senior, artist, and craftsman with a reportedly clean background. Recently revealed as Tony Stark's biological son. Stark and Max have begun to publicize their relationship, but several gaps in Max's history raise suspicion.Assignment: Shadow the target in both public and private settings. Conduct background checks on all associates, teachers, and anyone in his immediate circle.Risk Assessment: Medium. Subject has no known history of violent behavior but could possess latent abilities inherited or developed through Stark's technological influence. Proceed with caution and discretion.Action Plan: Begin surveillance of home, school, and extracurricular activities. Monitor any connections to Stark Industries or other high-level entities. Report any unusual findings immediately.*

Agent Morse acknowledged the briefing as she read through it on her way out. Max McKenna—Stark—was about to have SHIELD's full attention. And Bobbi Morse was ready to uncover every secret.