Chapter 7: A Father and Son Weekend

Max sat at the kitchen table, lazily picking at his dinner while his mind raced with ideas for his next project. His days were filled with school, but his nights were consumed by his technological ventures. The Puddle Jumper was his latest success, and he'd already started on more ambitious designs. Just as he was about to lose himself in thoughts of orbital refineries, his phone buzzed. The caller ID made his heart skip a beat: Tony Stark.

Clearing his throat, Max answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "Hello?"

"Hey, uh... Max, it's Tony. Tony Stark." Tony's voice sounded casual but had an underlying tension. He was nervous.

Max couldn't help but smirk, knowing that the Tony Stark, who exuded confidence in every interview or press conference, sounded unsure over the phone. "Yeah, I know. What's up?"

"Oh, you know... just thought I'd call. See how you're doing." There was a pause, like Tony was trying to figure out how to navigate the conversation. "How's school?"

Max chuckled softly. "School's fine. Just the usual stuff—math, science, history. You know how it is."

"Right, right," Tony said, sounding relieved that the conversation was flowing. "Well, listen, I was thinking... maybe you'd want to come over this weekend? To Malibu. You know, we could hang out."

Max raised an eyebrow, surprised. Tony Stark was inviting him over to Malibu? That was not something he expected. "Yeah, sure. That sounds cool."

"Great!" Tony's voice brightened. "I'll have Jarvis get everything ready. See you then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Max replied, his heart racing a little faster than he wanted to admit.

The weekend arrived quickly. Max didn't waste time. Cloaked in invisibility, he piloted the Puddle Jumper across the globe, arriving just above the Malibu coastline. From the air, the villa looked stunning—perched on the cliffside with the Pacific Ocean stretching endlessly behind it. Max hovered just out of sight, disengaged the cloaking device, and slowly descended, landing the ship nearby.

He stepped out of the Puddle Jumper, took a deep breath, and made his way to the front door. The nerves he had managed to suppress until now were bubbling up as he pressed the doorbell. A moment later, the smooth, disembodied voice of Jarvis greeted him.

"Good evening, Mr. McKenna," Jarvis said politely. "Mr. Stark is expecting you. Please, come in."

The door slid open, and Max walked into the sleek interior of the villa. He couldn't help but admire the modern design—minimalist furniture, clean lines, and a stunning view of the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Thanks, Jarvis," Max said, looking around. "So, uh… what exactly are you?"

"I am an artificial intelligence, designed by Mr. Stark to assist with the management of the house and various other tasks," Jarvis explained. "My core functions include monitoring security, communications, and assisting Mr. Stark with his more advanced projects."

Max nodded, impressed. "AI, huh? Pretty advanced for a personal assistant."

"Mr. Stark has always been ahead of the curve," Jarvis replied smoothly.

Just then, Tony emerged from the stairway that led down to his workshop. He looked casual, dressed in jeans and a band t-shirt, but there was a stiffness to his movements. He scratched the back of his neck, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Hey, Max," Tony said, trying to sound casual, but the slight edge in his voice gave him away.

"Hey," Max replied, equally unsure of how to approach this first meeting.

Tony glanced at the kitchen counter. "I, uh… had Jarvis order some pizza. Hope that works for you."

Max smiled. "Pizza works for me."

They sat down at the kitchen table, both unsure how to start the conversation. After a few moments of awkward silence, Tony decided to dive in.

"So, what kind of stuff do you work on? I know you're still in school, but I'm guessing you're not doing the usual high school science projects," Tony said, attempting to steer the conversation into more comfortable territory.

Max took a sip of water, relaxing a bit now that they were talking about something he could handle. "Yeah, school's just... school. After that, I work on my own stuff. Projects."

Tony leaned in, intrigued. "Like what?"

Max hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest. "Well, one of my big projects is the Puddle Jumper."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "The Puddle Jumper? You built that thing? You flew me out of Afghanistan in it."

Max nodded. "Yeah, I built it. Took a while to get all the systems working, but it's pretty much done now."

Tony sat back, visibly impressed. "Wow. You built an interstellar spacecraft while still dealing with high school. That's... insane. But why are you still in school then? I mean, if you can build something like that, you're way past what they're teaching you."

Max sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's complicated. I don't want to draw too much attention. I'm... well, I'm an orphan, and if I stand out too much, people might start asking questions. People I don't want asking questions."

Tony's expression darkened. "People like who?"

Max looked directly at Tony, his eyes serious. "SHIELD. You know, the types that could make my life a lot more complicated."

Tony nodded, understanding more than he liked to admit. "Yeah, those guys are a pain in the ass. But you know, you're gonna be famous one day. Once people find out you're my kid, the attention's going to come whether you like it or not."

Max looked away for a moment, his voice calm but tinged with something deeper. "Do you... want people to know?"

Tony blinked. He hadn't expected that question. He studied Max, who was trying hard to sound indifferent but clearly had something weighing on him.

"Honestly?" Tony said, pausing. "I don't know yet. I've never been in this situation before. But... I'm not saying no. We'll figure it out together."

Max nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile forming on his face. It wasn't the declaration he secretly hoped for, but it was a start.

Just then, the door to the villa swung open, and Pepper walked in, carrying a few files. She froze when she saw Max sitting at the table with Tony.

"Oh," she said, smiling warmly. "You must be Max."

Max grinned and stood up. "Hi, Pepper. Or should I say... stepmom?"

Pepper's eyes widened, and she let out a surprised laugh, while Tony coughed awkwardly. "He's got your sense of humor, Tony," she teased.

Max smiled wider, enjoying the moment. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Pepper replied. She looked between Tony and Max, sensing the underlying tension. "So, what have you guys been up to?"

Tony shrugged, trying to act casual. "Just talking. You know, pizza, father-son bonding."

"Father-son bonding, huh?" Pepper said, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly does that entail?"

"Well," Tony started, glancing at Max. "We talked about school, projects, and... you know, why Max is trying to keep a low profile."

Pepper nodded. "Smart. SHIELD's been poking around a lot lately."

"I told him SHIELD's a bunch of nosy bastards," Tony said with a smirk.

Jarvis interjected, his polite voice filling the room. "To be fair, sir, SHIELD does serve a rather important purpose."

Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, we get it, Jarvis. You're a fan."

Max chuckled, but then his expression turned thoughtful. "You want to see something cool?"

Tony and Pepper exchanged glances, curious. "What do you have in mind?" Tony asked.

Max grinned mischievously. "How about I show you one of my projects? I think you'll like it."

They followed Max outside, where the Puddle Jumper sat cloaked but ready. With a quick command, Max deactivated the cloaking device, and the sleek ship shimmered into view. Pepper gasped.

"Wow, this is... yours?" Pepper asked, wide-eyed.

Max nodded proudly. "Yeah. Hop in, I'll show you."

Tony and Pepper climbed into the Puddle Jumper, and Max took the pilot seat. With a smooth lift-off, they ascended into the sky. Tony looked impressed as they broke through the clouds, heading straight for orbit.

"Where are we going?" Tony asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.

Max turned in his seat and grinned. "To my station. It's in Earth's orbit."

Tony's eyes lit up. "You built a space station?"

"Yeah," Max said as casually as he could, but there was a hint of pride in his voice. "It's small, but it works."

They approached the station, and as they docked, Tony looked out of the window, visibly awed by the sleek, futuristic structure. "This is amazing, Max."

Max led Tony and Pepper inside, showing them around. He toggled the gravity on and off, laughing as Tony floated upside down, arms flailing.

"This is crazy!" Tony yelled, laughing. "I could get used to this."

Pepper giggled as she too drifted through the air, catching Tony's hand. Max smiled as he watched them, feeling a sense of warmth. For the first time, he felt like maybe—just maybe—he belonged.

After showing them the labs and living quarters, Max brought them to a room with a massive window, offering a breathtaking view of the Earth below. The three of them stood there, staring at the blue planet.

Tony broke the silence, his voice quiet and sincere. "This... this is incredible. You've really done something amazing, Max."

Max didn't reply right away, just stared at the Earth, his mind whirling with a thousand thoughts. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft but full of meaning. "Thanks, Tony."