"~GRUAH~" Wanda groaned out as she was sent crashing onto the ground, feeling a couple bones breaking in her arms as she looked up, spotting Maxim standing above her as he sent a flurry of bullets towards her brother, Pietro.
Pietro managed to dodge a couple shots, but before he could react, a Gravity Well appeared at his feet, stopping his movements and pulling him to the center. Then, the Gravity Well exploded, sending him crashing into a wall, breaking a couple bones himself.
"Nice try, go Heal, I need to think for a while," Maxim said, and the twins nodded, heading off to the Healing Pods designed by Maxim and A.N.G.E.L to repair their injuries.
Meanwhile, Maxim was silent as he walked out of the training space, exhaling softly as he thought about the Dante Template.
It had been 2 days, where Maxim trained basically every time he could, training for almost 17 hours a day every day in order to improve his assimilation with the Dante Template.
However, he had only reached 4% Assimilation. Whilst combat training with Wanda and Pietro was fine, at this point it was ineffective, as the level of combat simply wasn't high enough.
This lead Maxim to think about how he could potentially improve the rate of assimilation of the Dante template. If he intended to reach the ultimate strength Dante had obtained, he'd have to go way beyond training exercises.
Unlike the other Template's which Maxim could easily assimilate with just training, this template wasn't a matter of time. It was about experience, combat and challenges that Maxim needed to experience to push his skills to their limits just like Dante experienced.
Maxim walked into his lab, checking the progress on his recent inventions while thinking, and after an hour, an idea popped into his mind.
He had read about it before in his past life as Alex when browsing comics; The Concept of Hell Dimensions.
Marvel's interpretation of Hell was less of a singular place and more a collection of realms scattered across the multiverse, each one shaped by the dark entities ruling them.
These dark entities were called Hell Lords, demonic beings who had immense power and ruled their own individual Hell Realms, inhabited by souls of the damned, monsters and people who sold their soul.
The most famous Hell Lord in the Comics was Mephisto, the Iconic Hell Lord who made deals with various Mortals to sell their soul to him, although he always managed to trick them.
Although Maxim was confident, without at least 100% Assimilation with the Dante Template, he wouldn't dare touch Mephisto. He knew his limits, and that would simply be courting death.
There were many other Lesser or Weaker Hell Lords, like BlackHeart and Marduk Kurios who Maxim would be much more confident in facing, and there were potentially weaker Hell Lords Alex didn't know about as well.
If Maxim went to one of these Hell Dimensions, he knew he would be facing unimaginable dangers, but he also knew that this was his best potential course of action to improve his assimilation to Dante's power.
Within the Hell Dimensions, he'd be able to constantly battle Demons and Monsters. He'd never be able to rest, but that also means he'd be constantly improving his template integration.
He'd grow more comfortable using his Weapons, whether that be Ebony, Ivory or Rebellion. Without hesitation, Maxim said, "A.N.G.E.L., I'll be leaving soon and I might not be able to contact you. Inform Wanda and Pietro that I'll be gone for a month at most. They're to continue training and healing up as needed in the pods. I need you to keep them secure."
"Understood, Maxim. They'll be monitored around the clock. Safe travels," A.N.G.E.L. responded, her synthetic voice calm, but with a hint of warmth he had come to rely on.
Once he finished speaking, Maxim made sure he had everything he needed, also making sure to confirm the progress of his projects before he headed outside.
He immediately sunk into the shadows and within moments, he was swiftly dashing between the various shadows as he swiftly moved towards his final destination.
Before, he couldn't sense it, but after receiving the Dante Template, Maxim could sense it more clearly, a beacon of Mystical Energy located within New York, like an ancient being that held vast power.
After a while, Maxim finally arrived outside, grabbing a taco on a nearby stand as he sat next to the Sanctum and just waited in silence, biting down on his meal as he knew the Ancient One would sense him, and would inevitably bring him in.
The seconds stretched into minutes, and Maxim finished his taco, just awkwardly standing there before, like a wisp of smoke solidifying into form, a portal shimmered open before him.
He looked around, wondering if anyone else could see it. But judging how everyone just walked around him normally, Maxim figured it was only visible to himself.
Taking a step forward, Maxim entered the Sanctum, the world around him shifting into a place of swirling colors and ancient artifacts. The air itself felt thick with time, as if each moment in this space was layered upon countless others.
Once he exited the portal, he stood before the Ancient One, her robes flowing with a calm but unmistakable power. Her gaze was gentle but sharp as she stared at him.
"You are… a peculiar being, Maxim Novikov," she began, her voice layered with intrigue,"I've kept tabs on you and I have been quite intrigued. Your very essence defies the threads of time and fate. What are you?"
Maxim stood silently for a couple seconds, thinking for his response before finally, "I'm just someone who wants to protect my family. Haven't you seen that from keeping tabs on me?"
"That I have, but as the protector of Earth, I always need to remain vigilant." The Ancient One said, the entire environment around them warping.
Suddenly, Maxim found himself in the middle of a chaotic dimension, with Humans running but being eaten by malformed monstrous beings, and then, without warning, someone appeared.
A menacing, otherworldly being, towering over everyone with a massive humanoid form composed of pure evil dark energy, with their most striking feature being their face, a glowing skull with empty eye sockets that burn with intense, firely light.
"My life's mission has always been to protect us from him, Dormmamu, the Lord of the Dark Dimension. Just his mere presence of Earth would breed calamity....Tell me, what is your mission that you needed to approach me?" The Ancient One inquired, shattering the illusion.
"I need passage into one of the Hell Dimensions," Maxim replied, his tone unwavering, "I've come to understand that without true, unrelenting trials, I'll never tap fully into the potential of the abilities I've gained, and I believe a Hell Dimension would offer exactly that."
The Ancient One's gaze became even sharper, and her lips pressed into a thin line, "You seek what no mortal would willingly enter: a realm where rest and mercy do not exist, where even the strongest souls have been ground to despair. Do you truly comprehend what you are asking. The Hell Dimensions are governed by entities who feed on suffering. Should you encounter one of them, even the smallest misstep could condemn you for eternity."
Maxim's jaw tightened, but his resolve didn't falter, "I understand. I don't intend to face beings like Mephisto, I know my limits. But demons, beasts, the weaker Hell Lords… constant struggle and battle? That's exactly what I need. You know as well as I do that sometimes strength isn't enough. It must be tempered in the fires of real experience."
The Ancient One regarded him, her gaze softening almost imperceptibly. "You are indeed an anomaly, Maxim. I cannot see the source of your power, and I sense a deep Primordial power within you, yet I also see a purpose, a sense of responsibility in you to protect your own. Very well."
A pause lingered between them, then she spoke again, "But if I grant you this favor, you must pledge to protect Earth. The worlds beyond might offer you power, but this world, our world, must remain your priority. Do you accept this condition?"
"I swear it. I'll defend this world, whatever it takes." Maxim didn't need to hesitate, the Earth was his home in both lives he lived. Even if he travelled to different worlds, dimensions and potentially Universes, he'll always make sure Earth is protected.
A quiet, satisfied nod came from the Ancient One, and without another word, she raised her hand. A subtle shift in the air preceded the formation of a portal, swirling vortex that blazed to life beneath him.
Maxim barely had a chance to process the sight before gravity seized him, and he was pulled into the portal with startling force. The world around him spun, colors blurring into dark reds and smoky grays as he tumbled downward through an endless void.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the journey ended. Maxim shot out into a vast expanse that stretched endlessly beneath a blood-red sky. The landscape was a twisted tapestry of jagged rocks and twisted spires, rivers of molten lava flowing in unnatural patterns through the craggy ground.
Shadows crawled and flickered at the edges of his vision, and he felt the presence of thousands of hostile eyes watching him, lurking in the darkness.
A monstrous figure, towering and wreathed in black flames, appeared from the shadows, its body hunched and twisted, spiked limbs trailing embers as it moved.
Maxim felt an eerie sense of calm as he reached for Ebony and Ivory, pulling the guns from his sides with practiced ease. The demon let out a guttural roar that echoed across the hellish plains, and Maxim raised his guns, a smirk forming on his face.
"Alright then," he muttered, pulling the triggers in quick succession, "It's time to fight!"