Chapter 15: The Journey to Xandar

The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the Malibu cliffs echoed faintly through the open windows of Tony Stark's villa. Max sat casually on one of the leather couches, gazing out at the blue horizon as Tony entered the room. Tony wore a grin, his usual carefree swagger in full effect as he glanced at Max.

"So, kid, you finally did it, huh?" Tony asked, plopping down into a chair across from him.

Max looked over, puzzled. "Did what?"

"Your graduation. You're officially out of the school system." Tony leaned back, arms behind his head. "The world of adult responsibilities awaits you."

Max smiled softly. "Yeah, last Thursday. I picked up my diploma."

Before Tony could respond, the front door swung open, and Pepper Potts walked in, followed closely by Natalia Rushman—who was, unbeknownst to Tony, actually Natasha Romanoff, undercover for SHIELD. Max glanced at Natasha as she stepped into the room, her expression calm, but her eyes scanning the area, taking in every detail. Max knew she was always alert, even when she seemed relaxed. In fact, Max had been wrestling with an internal debate for the past few days—should he reveal something about himself to Natasha? Maybe about the Stargate or even hint at knowing her real identity? Or would it be better to keep quiet and let things unfold naturally?

Pepper approached Max with a wide smile. "Max, congratulations! Tony told me the news."

"Thanks, Pepper," Max replied. He noticed her genuine excitement, but also saw a flicker of curiosity in Natasha's eyes as she silently observed the interaction.

Tony stood and made a grand gesture, pointing at Max. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present: Max Stark, high school graduate and adventurer in training."

Max chuckled at the dramatics, but his mind briefly wandered to his first life, when he used to watch the Avengers movies. He remembered seeing Natasha on the big screen—her quiet strength, her loneliness, and the guilt that weighed on her from the Red Room. He had always felt sympathy for her, wishing she could find the family she longed for. Now, standing here in this moment, he couldn't help but feel a strange connection to her, knowing more about her than she could imagine.

Max pulled himself from the reverie and remembered the screen displaying the progress of the shipyard orbiting Jupiter. The first three dreadnoughts were about 27% complete. He considered the situation carefully. With the shipyard running at full capacity, he could afford to be a bit more open with Natasha. After all, she had always been searching for a place to belong. If anyone could handle the truth about the wider universe, it was her.

"So," Max began, looking at Tony, "do you have that mobile suit you were working on? The one you said you were finishing up?"

Tony nodded, eyes lighting up. "Oh yeah, I finished that yesterday. It's a compact version of my usual suit—fits right into a briefcase. Why?"

Max smiled and reached into his bag, pulling out a small metallic box. "Good. You'll need it. Take this too."

Tony raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's in the box?"

"Subspace communication relay," Max explained, handing the box over. "Plug it into your home system, and it'll link Jarvis with my station in Earth's orbit. That way, Jarvis can stay in contact with you no matter where you are—whether it's Earth or somewhere a bit... farther away."

Tony inspected the box with newfound interest. "Farther away, huh? Just how far are we talking?"

Max smirked. "Far enough. Now go grab your suit. You'll need it."

Tony shot him a playful salute and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Max alone with Pepper and Natasha. Max turned to Pepper, his expression serious.

"Pepper, do you have some time? I know you're busy, but this might take half a day... maybe two, depending on how things go."

Pepper blinked, clearly unsure where this conversation was heading. "Two days? That's a long time, Max. I mean, I can rearrange some meetings, but... what exactly are we talking about here?"

Max hesitated for a moment, then gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it'll be worth it. You might even enjoy it."

Pepper bit her lip, still hesitating, but eventually nodded. "Alright, fine. I'll make it work."

Just then, Tony re-entered the room, holding a sleek silver briefcase in one hand. "Alright, I'm ready. But what's this about half a day to two days?"

Max leaned back, crossing his arms. "That's how long the trip to Xandar will take."

Tony nearly dropped the briefcase, his eyes wide with surprise. "Wait, what? We're going to Xandar? As in... right now?"

Max nodded calmly. "Yeah, I need to take care of a few things there, and I figured it'd be a good opportunity for you to come along."

Tony glanced at Pepper, then at Natalia, clearly uncomfortable discussing Xandar in front of Tony's "assistant." "You're really talking about Xandar in front of...?"

"Natalie's fine," Max said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, she'll be coming too. You know, to help out with some of the... finer details."

Tony looked skeptical. "Finer details?"

Max explained, "I need to register some things, conduct a little trade, and maybe pick up some useful tech while I'm there. I could do it myself, but it's going to involve a lot of bureaucracy. Since Pepper is already an expert at dealing with red tape, I thought it'd be good to bring her along."

Pepper groaned in mock frustration. "So I'm just here for the paperwork?"

Max grinned. "Think of it as alien bureaucracy. A whole new challenge for you, CEO of Stark Industries. How could you resist?"

Pepper rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Fine, I'll play along. But you owe me."

Tony chuckled. "Sounds like you're the only one who gets stuck with the boring work, Pep."

Max shook his head. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty to see and do. And besides, I think you'll both find the market on Xandar... fascinating."

Through all of this, Natasha remained silent, though her sharp eyes never left Max. Inside, she was processing everything—trying to piece together the strange puzzle that was Max Stark. She knew this wasn't just some casual trip; there was more going on, and she needed to stay sharp if she was going to figure out what Max was up to. She would have to report this to Nick Fury eventually, but this new information was too sensitive to risk sending through electronic channels. She'd deliver it in person.

Max caught Natasha's glance and gave her a knowing smile before turning back to Tony. "Let's get going."

Max led the group out of the villa and into the yard, where the cloaked Puddle Jumper awaited. As they approached, the ship remained invisible, its camouflage blending perfectly with the surrounding environment. Tony and Pepper had already seen it, but Natasha's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.

"This thing is invisible?" Natasha asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

Max nodded. "Completely cloaked. Even most radar systems won't pick it up."

Natasha made a mental note. Information like this would have to go straight to Fury when the time was right.

The hatch to the Puddle Jumper opened, and the group stepped inside. Once everyone was seated, Max took his place in the cockpit and began the startup process. The ship hummed to life, its systems activating one by one. He flew the group to his satellite. Max tapped the console in front of him, and a glowing blue screen appeared, displaying a series of symbols—the familiar glyphs of the Stargate system.

"Alright, here we go," Max said as he began dialing the Stargate's address. The first symbol locked into place with a satisfying click, followed by the second, third, and fourth.

Pepper, sitting behind Max, leaned forward to watch the process. "So... this thing connects to other planets, right?"

"Exactly," Max replied. "This address connects to a Stargate orbiting a planet in a neighboring star system to Xandar."

The final symbol locked into place, and with a loud whoosh, the event horizon of the Stargate activated. A shimmering blue portal appeared, the surface rippling like water.

Tony whistled in awe. "Every time I see that, it blows my mind."

Max grinned and piloted the Puddle Jumper through the portal. In an instant, they were no longer in Earth's orbit. Instead, they emerged on the other side of the gate, greeted by the stunning sight of a green gas giant. The planet loomed large in the viewport, its swirling atmosphere casting eerie green and blue shades across space.

Next to the Stargate, a sleek Ancient transporter ship floated quietly. The design was similar to the Puddle Jumper, though larger and more streamlined.

Max docked the Puddle Jumper temporarily with the transporter. The docking procedure was seamless, and once the ships were linked, Max stood up. "Alright, we're switching ships. This transporter is faster and has better accommodations for long-distance travel."

Tony followed, still looking impressed. "Man, this is like something out of a sci-fi movie."

Pepper, still taking in the view of the green gas giant, shook her head in disbelief. "I don't even know what to say. This is... incredible."

Natasha, on the other hand, was doing her best to keep her composure. Inside, she was in complete disbelief at what she was witnessing. A part of her couldn't process the fact that they had just traveled across the galaxy through some kind of advanced gate system. Her thoughts raced, filled with questions. How much did Max know? How long had he been building this? Was he even aware of SHIELD's surveillance on him?

Despite her best efforts to stay calm, the bewilderment showed on her face for just a brief moment before she schooled her features into her usual calm expression. But her mind was racing. She needed to understand what Max was really planning.

They entered the transporter ship, the sleek interior matching the sophisticated Ancient design. As they took their seats, Max moved to the cockpit, activating the ship's systems.

Once everything was online, Max looked back at his passengers. "Buckle up. We're about to hit hyperspace."

Tony grinned like a kid at Christmas. "I'm ready."

Pepper, still looking out the viewport, finally sat down, muttering, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Natasha remained silent, though her mind was still reeling.

Max input the coordinates for Xandar, and with a low hum, the transporter ship accelerated. Within seconds, the stars outside stretched into long, glowing lines as they entered hyperspace, leaving the gas giant behind.

The journey to Xandar had begun.