A few days after the chaos of Monaco, Tony Stark called Max, his tone lighter than usual despite the seriousness of the conversation.
"Hey, Max! Guess who wants a face-to-face with me?" Tony's voice came through with an almost playful irritation.
Max, lounging on the couch in his hidden home, raised an eyebrow. "Fury?"
"Bingo. The one-eyed wonder himself. He wants to 'talk' in person. I figured, who better to bring along than my favorite tech genius-slash-son?"
Max chuckled softly. "You want me to come along as your moral support?"
Tony's laugh echoed through the line. "Let's be real, kid. You've turned my villa into your personal office. Might as well make it official. Tomorrow?"
Max rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Alright, I'll be there. Try not to get into too much trouble in the meantime."
"I make no promises," Tony quipped. "See you tomorrow."
The call ended, leaving Max to his thoughts. He knew this meeting would be more than just a friendly chat. Fury didn't do 'friendly chats.'
The next day, the invisible Puddle Jumper was parked securely in Tony's sprawling property, cloaked from any prying eyes. Max made his way into the villa, greeted by the familiar sound of Jarvis welcoming him.
"Good afternoon, Max," Jarvis said. "Mr. Stark is in the living room."
Max found Tony lounging on the couch with a drink in hand, watching the news. "You're here early," Tony remarked with a grin.
Max shrugged, taking a seat. "Figured I'd get comfortable before Fury decides to storm in."
Tony raised his glass in a mock toast. "That's the spirit."
The two of them exchanged small talk, mostly revolving around Tony's latest projects and Max's thoughts on certain tech improvements. There was a brief pause when Tony noticed Max's casual demeanor and asked, "So, what's Fury really after?"
Max's expression remained neutral. "He's curious, Tony. And probably a little frustrated that I've stayed under his radar for this long."
Tony smirked. "Ah, so the cat's out of the bag."
"Pretty much."
Before Max could elaborate further, there was a knock at the door, followed by the heavy sound of boots on the marble floors of the villa.
"Showtime," Tony said with a gleam in his eye.
Nick Fury, dressed in his signature black trench coat, entered with his usual authoritative swagger, accompanied by Natasha Romanoff and Bobbi Morse. Both women looked as sharp as ever, but it was Fury's glare that cut through the room like a knife.
"Stark," Fury said with a nod, before turning his gaze toward Max. "And there he is, the man of the hour."
Max leaned back on the couch, arms casually crossed. "Director Fury. Nice to finally meet you in person. I assume you're here for more than a social visit?"
Fury's expression darkened slightly. "You could say that."
Natasha stood silently next to Fury, her face unreadable, while Bobbi gave Max a brief, analytical glance.
"So," Fury started, not one to waste time. "Let's get straight to it. I don't appreciate being kept in the dark, especially not by a kid who's been flying under the radar with advanced tech I've never seen before. And don't get me started on the invisible ship in Tony's backyard."
Max smirked. "You've been sending Bobbi here to spy on me for weeks. How's that been working out for you?"
Bobbi stiffened slightly, her eyes narrowing, but she said nothing.
Fury, however, remained unshaken. "We've been watching, but it hasn't been enough. You've managed to stay ten steps ahead of us the entire time. And that doesn't sit well with me."
Max shrugged. "You should've known it wasn't going to be that easy. You had Bobbi camped outside my decoy apartment like it was a stakeout scene from a bad movie."
Fury's glare intensified. "Let me make one thing clear—when SHIELD wants answers, we get them. So I'll ask you straight: where did you get your technology, and how deep does this go?"
Max's calm expression didn't waver. Instead, he stood up and walked over to a nearby table, picking up a small device. "I figured you'd ask something like that." He tapped the device, and a holographic screen materialized in the middle of the room.
On the screen, a video began to play. The opening scene showed SHIELD's helicarrier, but it wasn't the mighty vessel Fury was used to. This version looked like something out of a pirate movie. Fury, clad in full pirate regalia, stood at the helm of the ship, barking out orders to a crew of SHIELD agents dressed in similarly ridiculous pirate costumes.
Fury's face twisted in confusion, then annoyance. "What the hell is this?"
Max leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed again, his grin widening. "You've been sending spies after me, Fury. I figured I'd send something fun in return."
The video continued, with animated versions of SHIELD agents singing sea shanties, all while a ghostly pirate ship helmed by Alexander Pierce attacked the helicarrier. The animated Fury was being kicked around by various Hydra agents, all in pirate attire, while a parrot-version of Coulson sat on his shoulder, squawking.
Natasha, normally stone-faced, actually smirked at the absurdity of the video, while Tony burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Max, this is gold!"
Max, still smiling, finally turned to Fury. "But in all seriousness, Director, we both know the bigger issue here isn't my tech. It's Hydra."
At that, Fury's expression hardened, though there was a flicker of surprise in his eye. "What do you know about Hydra?"
Max's smirk faded into a more serious expression. "More than you'd like me to. Hydra's been worming its way into SHIELD for years now, and I'm sure you've already started to see the signs. Pierce isn't just some relic of the past—he's part of the future Hydra's trying to build within your own ranks."
Bobbi stepped forward, her arms crossed, clearly skeptical. "You're saying you know more about Hydra's infiltration than we do?"
Max nodded. "I'm saying I know enough to tell you this: until you've dealt with Hydra's infestation in SHIELD, I suggest you leave me alone. Focus on your internal threats first."
Fury's jaw clenched, but he didn't immediately deny Max's claims. Instead, he asked, "And how do you know all this? Hydra, Ancient tech, stargates—you seem to have your hands in everything."
Max's gaze never left Fury's as he replied, "Let's just say I have... access to information that most people don't. Call it a perk of having Ancient knowledge."
Tony, watching the exchange with growing interest, finally interjected. "Wait, so you're saying SHIELD has a Hydra problem? As in, the same Hydra, like from the Second World War?"
Max nodded. "The very same."
Natasha, who had been quietly observing the entire time, finally spoke up. "If you know so much, why not help us stop them?"
Max shook his head. "I've got my own priorities right now. Hydra's SHIELD's problem—for now. Besides, it's not like I want Hydra to win. But you need to understand, I'm not here to clean up SHIELD's messes."
Fury narrowed his eye. "So what are you here for, Max? What's your endgame?"
Max crossed his arms again, his expression unchanging. "That's for me to know. But for now, just know this—I'm not your enemy. But if you keep coming after me, things will get messy."
The tension in the room was thick. Tony, trying to diffuse it, let out a small laugh. "So, who wants a drink?"
Fury ignored Tony's attempt at humor, his gaze still locked on Max. "We're not done, kid. Not by a long shot."
Max shrugged. "I didn't think we would be. But when you're ready to deal with Hydra, then we can talk."
With that, Max turned and walked toward the villa's exit, leaving Fury, Natasha, and Bobbi standing there, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
As Max stepped outside into the warm Malibu sun, he couldn't help but smirk. This was just the beginning. Fury and SHIELD might be on his case now, but once the real threats started to reveal themselves, they'd need him more than ever.
And when that time came, he'd be ready.