Chapter Two
"Jarvis, what tripped that?" Tony yelled over the wailing alarms. "And cut the noise already, we know something's wrong!"
The other Avengers had gathered close to him, waiting for Jarvis' response.
"Jarvis! Answer!"
"My apologies, sir. It appears one of the new Stark Industries computer technicians took a wrong turning and accidentally tried to gain access to your labs. I have directed him elsewhere now."
"You couldn't have stopped him before he got that far? Tell whoever it is to get up here, now!"
"Yes, sir."
Pepper made her way over, pushing through the gathered party guests, murmuring reassurances as she went.
"Yes, everything's fine...minor glitch, nothing to worry about...excuse me." Reaching Tony, she narrowed her eyes.
"Did I hear that right? Someone tried to get into your lab?"
"Yeah... apparently one of the new computer tech guys got turned around. Jarvis says everything's ok."
Pepper sighed. "I told you you should've given all the new employees a tour. That way they might know which areas are off-limits!"
"Geez, Pep, give me a break, it's a party! Anyway, Jarvis is sending whoever it was up here, so you can chew him out to your heart's content."
Bruce frowned. "You hired new people to work with your computer systems, and didn't meet them all personally?"
"Jarvis screens everyone!" Tony said defensively. "Besides, I'll meet them all eventually, so why make a big deal of it?"
Steve resisted the urge to bash his head on the wall- why did Tony never take anything seriously? "Computers, even intelligent ones, can be overcome, Tony."
"Not mine!" Tony bragged. "No human on earth can outwit my genius."
Wanda rolled her eyes. "Put me down for 'I told you so' when you're wrong, Stark."
"Hey, is that..." Bruce gestured at the doorway. A lanky man with wild black hair and icy blue eyes was standing there, looking sheepish. Tony made his way over to him, scowling. Pepper kept an eye on them as the other Avengers dispersed to rejoin the party.
The man fidgeted nervously as Tony approached. "Your, ah, computer said you wanted to speak to me?"
"Yeah, just need to clarify that working here doesn't give you a free pass to go anywhere you want, alright? My lab is off-limits unless I specifically invite you. Got it?"
The new employee held his hands up apologetically. "I am sorry. Your suits just seemed so fascinating. I only hoped to get a closer look. It won't happen again, I promise."
Tony shrugged. "Understandable. My suits are incredible, if I do say so myself."
A strange smirk grew on the man's face, making him look slightly unnerving. "Quite proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"Wouldn't you be, if you'd manged to invent something like that?"
"Yes... I am an inventor, actually. Or I used to be. My family didn't approve of my aspirations, so I came here looking for somewhere to apply my talents."
Tony's interest was piqued. "Your family have something against inventors?"
"Apparently. My older brother believed I spent too much time and energy on projects he didn't approve of, and put a stop to it. My cousins all went along with him. They always have."
"That sucks... no parents?"
The man's face darkened. "No... they died in an accident when I was sixteen."
Tony winced. "Sorry..."
He shook his head. "It was a long time ago. Grief fades."
"I suppose." Tony felt awkward now, knowing he'd put his foot in it. "Uh... you can give me a hand with the suits if you want. I'm always improving them, could use an extra pair of hands..."
Pale blue eyes blinked. "I wouldn't want to get in your way. I have very little experience with your level of technology..."
"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll teach you anything you need to know. What's your name, anyway?"
"Oh! How could I forget? I'm Max."
Tony grinned. "Max, then. Enough about work. Come and join the party!"
He didn't notice when the grin on Max's face turned into a sneer.
~ Attilan, in the Himalayas ~
Crystal Amaquelin and her husband Pietro were enjoying a rare moment of peace in their quarters. Pietro's training with the Royal Guard gave them very little time to themselves, and that was without considering Crystal's own duties as the Queen's sister.
Currently, however, Crystal was lying on the couch with her head in Pietro's lap. She sighed contentedly, her hand absently stroking the slight swell of her stomach.
Pietro smiled at her. "Everything all right?"
"Mmm... just thinking."
He kissed her forehead. "About what?"
"Us... the baby... everything." She propped herself up on one elbow, meeting his eyes. "Do you still think about what happened six months ago? The humans who seemed to know you?"
"Sometimes... but it doesn't really matter. My life is here now."
"But you might still have family out there..." Crystal bit her lip. "I can't help but worry that I might lose you..."
"Never going to happen." He squeezed her hand lightly, bending to kiss her again.
Footsteps interrupted them however. Crystal's cousin Karnak had entered their apartments. He cleared his throat to get the young couple's attention. They disentangled themselves and stood quickly.
Karnak's expression was unusually severe.
"Crystal. Pietro. The king has requested the presence of the entire royal family in the dungeons."
"What's happened?" Crystal was uneasy, never having like going into the gloomy subterrannean prison.
"We are not sure yet. Follow me." Karnak walked away swiftly without another word.
The youngest royals fell into step behind him. No-one spoke as he lead them through Attilan's streets, though Pietro's mind was racing. In all the time he had lived here, he had never seen the dungeons- he had hardly known they existed! Attilan, under King Black Bolt's rule, was a peaceful place, and he couldn't imagine why anyone would want to jepoardise that.
A short while later, they had reached the forbidding structure of the prison, and Karnak led them inside silently. The silent king, Black Bolt, looked up as they entered, nodding his satisfaction at having the whole family together, and being sure of their safety. Medusa, his Queen and Crystal's elder sister, stood beside him, her animated red hair twisting, showing her unease. Gorgon, who was knelt by an unresponsive winged guard, looked up, glared at Pietro as he always did, then returned his gaze to his King.
His voice was low, almost inaudible. "This one's dead. I've looked around his cell, and those nearby. No sign of him anywhere. He's long gone."
An expression of anger and frustration spread across Black Bolt's face, though he, as ever, made no sound. Medusa's jaw tightened.
"He will be found. He cannot have gone far." Her voice was authoritative. "I assume Triton is still keeping an eye on Ahura and the twins?"
Karnak nodded. "I instructed him not to leave your children alone until the prisoner is re-captured, my Queen."
Pietro had no idea who the escapee was, but he felt relieved at that, at least- the heir to the throne was only sixteen years old, and his younger siblings were only eight. Any one of them would be an easy target for a criminal.
"Should I send an alert through the city?" Gorgon's voice was gruff. "If our people aren't on their guard..."
Black Bolt nodded his agreement, and Gorgon excused himself.
"Alerting our people may not help." Karnak warned. "He must know that he will be caught if he remains in Attilan."
Everyone's eyes turned to him.
"You think he will try and escape into the human world?" Medusa's voice was worried. "That will complicate things..."
Karnak knelt by the body of the prison guard. "Cold...he has been dead for some time. He may have already escaped..."
Crystal interrupted. "Isn't anyone going to say who's escaped?" She folded her arms, already having her suspicions about who the prisoner was, but praying she was wrong...
"Maximus." Karnak's voice was bleak. "As no doubt you have already guessed."
Crystal's face went pale. Pietro staggered. He had never met the king's brother, but Crystal had told him enough of the stories. He swallowed.
"So you're saying a madman with genius-level intellect who hates all humans has disappeared without a trace? How could this happen?!" Crystal winced, and he kicked himself for his tactlessness, but he couldn't see how this could get any worse.
Medusa shot him a cold look. Black Bolt turned away and left, his expression unreadable. She followed him quickly.
Karnak stood, narrowing his eyes at Pietro.
"You really should learn to think before you speak. Maximus will be found. In the meantime, the best any of us can do is be vigilant, and pray he is located before he does any serious harm." He strode after the king and queen without a backward glance.
Pietro held his hands up. "I'm sorry, I'm just...confused." He looked at Crystal. "I would have thought we would have discovered the escape of such a dangerous prisoner as soon as it happened."
She sighed. "Ordinarily, when a prisoner escapes, the guards would sound the alarm at once. The only reason they might not..."
Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Is if a false suggestion was planted in their minds. Maximus has some mind-controlling abilities. They might have forgotten even seeing him. And if he has escaped into the human world..." She shook her head. "Gods help the humans."
To be continued...