Chapter 22: The Trickster's Play

The sun was beginning its descent over the Malibu coastline, casting long shadows across the luxurious terrace of Tony Stark's villa. Max sat comfortably in a lounge chair, a glass of sparkling water in his hand as the cool ocean breeze ruffled his hair. The scene was tranquil, but the gears in Max's mind were far from idle.

Inside, Jarvis was busy running dozens of simulations and compiling data that Max had requested earlier in the day. What had started as a simple idea had morphed into something much more elaborate—something that both he and Jarvis would enjoy executing. A prank. But not just any prank; this would be the prank of the century, one that would leave Dr. Erik Selvig questioning reality when the time came.

Max had always been two steps ahead, and knowing what was to come with Thor's arrival on Earth, he couldn't resist the urge to meddle. He had already established a rapport with Tony Stark, and now he would loop in Jarvis to help create an identity so absurd yet plausible that it would align perfectly with future events.

"Jarvis," Max called out, his voice casual as if he were ordering lunch. "Have you completed the identity I asked you to create?"

A soft hum filled the air as Jarvis processed the request. "Yes, Max. I have compiled the data and constructed the identity under the name 'Dr. Donald Blake.' However, I must ask, what is the purpose of this? It appears to be somewhat... unconventional."

Max chuckled, swirling the ice in his glass. "Unconventional is the point, my friend. Trust me, Jarvis, this one is going to pay off in ways you can't even imagine."

Jarvis remained silent for a moment, likely calculating the odds of this identity being utilized in any meaningful way. "Dr. Donald Blake is now listed as a licensed physician in New York, specializing in general medicine. His profile has been added to several medical boards, and his personal history has been drafted, as per your instructions. Shall I go over the details?"

Max leaned back and grinned. "Let's hear it."

"Dr. Donald Blake," Jarvis began, "is a six-foot-six, two hundred and ninety-pound man with blonde hair and blue eyes. According to his profile, he was recently forced into a mandatory leave of absence from his practice due to concerns over his mental health. Specifically, he suffers from a delusional psychosis in which he believes he is Thor Odinson, the Norse god of thunder."

Max smiled to himself. It was coming together beautifully.

Jarvis continued, "He has a documented history of steroid use and has been known to frequent mixed martial arts gyms, presumably to 'train' for some kind of celestial battle. Additionally, Dr. Blake has a... rather peculiar hobby. He writes and self-publishes romance novels. The subject matter of these novels, as you specified, revolves around the romantic relationship between two brothers—Thor and Loki."

Max's grin widened. "And the dynamic between the two?"

"In Dr. Blake's novels," Jarvis said without any hint of amusement, "Loki is depicted as the dominant partner in their relationship, while Thor is the submissive one."

Max nearly choked on his drink, laughing out loud. He had to give it to Jarvis—he was deadpan, but the artificial intelligence could deliver a punchline without even trying. "That's perfect, Jarvis. Absolutely perfect."

"But Max," Jarvis continued, "may I ask what exactly you hope to achieve with this identity? This appears to be a highly specific and eccentric profile."

Max looked out at the sunset, the laughter still bubbling in his chest. "Let's just say it'll come in handy for a friend of ours—someone who doesn't know he's a friend yet. Trust me, Jarvis, the pieces will fall into place soon enough. Erik Selvig is going to need a cover story in the near future, and 'Dr. Donald Blake' will be ready and waiting."

Jarvis didn't press the issue. "Understood. The identity is ready for deployment whenever you give the word."

"Good," Max said, finishing his drink and standing up. "I think I'll keep that ace up my sleeve for now."

A few days passed in relative quiet, though Max could feel the tension building in the air. Not only was he anticipating the arrival of Thor, but something far more mundane—yet no less entertaining—was about to go down at Stark Expo. Tony had been unusually busy for the past week, preparing for the expo where Justin Hammer would undoubtedly make a fool of himself.

Max couldn't wait for the fireworks.

At the Expo, Justin Hammer was about to present his grand creation: a fleet of drones and a new line of Hammer Industries armored suits. He'd been boasting for weeks that his technology would rival, if not surpass, Stark's Iron Man suit. Rhodey, now fully integrated as War Machine, had been the star of Hammer's promotional campaign, though what Hammer didn't know was that Rhodey's suit was already back under Tony's control, thanks to a few discreet modifications that Max had helped set up.

The Hammer presentation began as expected: bombastic, loud, and utterly ridiculous. Hammer strutted across the stage, delivering his lines with the overconfidence of a man who had no idea how far out of his depth he was.

"And now," Hammer proclaimed to the crowd, "I give you the future of American defense: the Hammer Drones!" He gestured dramatically as a series of drones marched onto the stage, each one outfitted in military-style armor, sleek and menacing in appearance.

In the crowd, Max sat beside Tony and Pepper, observing the display with detached amusement. "This is going to be good," Max muttered.

Tony smirked. "Just wait."

As the drones began their programmed routine, demonstrating their weapons and mobility, Hammer took the opportunity to introduce the real star of the show. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present... War Machine!"

Rhodey, clad in the sleek silver armor of his War Machine suit, stepped forward to applause. The crowd loved it—at least, for the moment. Hammer, too, seemed pleased, as though everything was going exactly according to plan.

But the plan quickly unraveled.

Whiplash, aka Ivan Vanko, had hacked into Hammer's systems. Within moments, the drones and War Machine were no longer under Hammer's control. The crowd's applause faltered as the drones began to move erratically, their weapons systems locking onto innocent targets.

Chaos erupted in an instant.

The drones opened fire, scattering the crowd and sending people screaming in every direction. Tony leapt into action, activating his Iron Man suit with a simple thought. He soared into the air, dodging the laser fire and unleashing his own countermeasures to protect the fleeing civilians.

One of the countermeasures was a shield on the threshold between the audience and the stage, which was intended to protect the audience.

Rhodey, locked inside the War Machine suit, could only watch helplessly as his armor moved on its own. "Tony, I'm locked out! I can't stop it!"

But Tony was already on it. "Hang tight, Rhodey. I've got this."

Max had anticipated this exact scenario. While Tony distracted the drones, Max tapped into the encrypted system Tony had installed in Rhodey's suit. With a few keystrokes on a hidden device, Max initiated the override protocol. Within seconds, Rhodey regained control.

"Alright," Rhodey said, his voice filled with relief. "I'm back in."

"Good," Tony said through the comms. "Let's shut these guys down."

The battle that followed was brief but intense. Tony and Rhodey worked in perfect synchronization, dismantling the drones with precision. The crowd, still panicked, had mostly evacuated the expo grounds, leaving the two armored heroes to finish the job.

Whiplash, watching from a remote location, realized that his plan was falling apart. He activated his final trump card—the explosive self-destruct system in his own suit.

Max, observing the fight from a distance, knew what was coming next. He had already accounted for this in his calculations, but there was little anyone could do to stop Whiplash's final act.

As Tony and Rhodey cornered him, Whiplash triggered the bomb. The explosion was massive, but thanks to their quick reflexes and Tony's shielding technology, both he and Rhodey emerged relatively unscathed.

Whiplash, on the other hand, was gone—reduced to a pile of twisted metal and ash.

The aftermath of the battle left Justin Hammer in shambles. His public humiliation was complete, and he would soon be facing multiple charges for his involvement in the catastrophe. As for Tony and Rhodey, they emerged as heroes once again, their partnership stronger than ever.

A few days later, Tony sat in his workshop, tinkering with the Puddle Jumper Max had gifted him. With the addition of his own personal Jumper, Tony now had easy access to the Stargate in Earth's orbit, and he could visit his new Dreadnought, the Salt, whenever he pleased.

Max dropped by the workshop, watching Tony work. "So, how's the new toy treating you?"

Tony glanced up, a smirk on his face. "It's a game changer. I've already made a few modifications to the Jumper. And as for the Dreadnought... well, let's just say I've got some big plans."

Max chuckled. "I figured you would."

Tony set his tools down and turned to face Max. "By the way, I heard you and Jarvis have been working on something... interesting. Care to fill me in?"

Max grinned. "Let's just say there's a new doctor in town. His name's Donald Blake. And trust me, Tony, he's going to play a big role in some upcoming drama."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Donald Blake, huh? And what's his deal?"

"Oh, you know," Max said casually. "He thinks he's Thor. Writes some... interesting romance novels in his spare time."

Tony burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me."

Max's smile widened. "Not in the slightest. Just wait. This one's going to be fun."

As Tony's laughter echoed through the workshop, Max leaned back against the wall, satisfied. The prank was set, the pieces were in place, and soon, the game would begin.