As Maxim finished speaking, the air grew heavier, and Hela turned her back to him, her dark figure seamlessly blending in to the bleak atmosphere of the desolate dimension. She gestured to Maxim with a sharp, dismissive flick of her hand, and spoke in her classic authoritarian tone,
"Follow me. If you're here to amuse me, at least let us converse somewhere befitting an audience with a queen."
Maxim just chuckled and followed along. Hela was exactly as he had predicted so far, powerful and with an air of unmatched confidence with every step she took and word she spoke.
Maxim's eyes scanned the oppressive surroundings as he followed her, the ground he walked on was jagged, littered with bones so ancient their race couldn't be determined anymore.
Each step crunched against their remnants. The shadows across the dimension twisted wildly, and the air was thick with the stench of decay & death. He intently observed the realm's bizarre physics and grotesqueness.
There were no stars, no visible light source, and yet the place glowed faintly with an eerie, greenish luminescence. Tendrils of deathly energy swirled around Hela, feeding off her as though she were the heart of this twisted dimension.
Finally, they arrived at a flat expanse of black stone. Rising from the ground, seemingly summoned by Hela's will, was a grand, obsidian table with intricate carvings of skulls and serpents along its edges.
Two chairs materialized, both with high backs and jagged spines, appearing more like thrones than seats. Hela took her place, lounging with an effortless grace that spoke of dominance and unshakable confidence. She gestured to the chair opposite her.
"Sit," she commanded, her voice rich with authority.
Maxim sat without hesitation, his Astral form shimmering faintly as he adjusted. Hela leaned back, studying him with a sharp, calculating gaze, "Wine?" she asked with a wicked smirk.
Hela conjured a crystalline goblet that filled itself with a thick, crimson liquid, "Made from the blood of Ancient Frost-Giants. An acquired taste, but one worth savoring."
Maxim's lips twitched upward. "Why not?" he said, accepting the goblet as one materialized before him. He raised it slightly, the dark liquid shimmering ominously. "To opportunities," he said, taking a small sip. The taste was heavy, dark, and chilling, but not unpleasant.
Hela mirrored the motion, taking a sip from her own goblet before setting it down. "Now, amuse me. You have my attention, but not my patience. What is it you seek from me?"
Maxim placed his goblet back on the table, meeting her gaze without flinching, "Tell me your opinion on Odin, your father."
Hela's expression darkened, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table as her smirk faded into a cold, sharp line. The air around them seemed to still, heavy with her simmering fury, "Odin," she spat the name like venom.
"A self-righteous hypocrite. He paraded as a god of wisdom and peace, yet built his empire on conquest and bloodshed. You come from Midgard no? Together, Odin and I have slaughtered and conquered more people than the amount to have ever walked across that land. I was his blade, his fury, until he deemed me 'too dangerous.'"
Her voice dropped into a dangerous whisper, "He feared me, feared the truths I carried, and sealed me away to rot. The Allfather," she scoffed bitterly. "What of him?"
Maxim took another sip of the wine, tapping his fingers against the table as he spoke, "So you do think he'd ever give the throne to you? If given the chance, would you reclaim the throne of Asgard as the Queen?"
Hela's eyes gleamed, and her lips curved into a predatory grin, "And why would that interest you, little shadow? Do you intend to bow before me when I take what's mine?"
Maxim chuckled softly, unshaken by her sharp words. "I have no interest in bowing. I deal in partnerships, alliances that further shared goals. Now answer the question."
The air around Hela thickened as she spoke, her voice sharp and unyielding, laced with venomous certainty "Odin would rather see me rot in this wasteland for eternity than yield the throne."
"To claim what is mine, I will have to rip it from his lifeless hands. I will wage war against Asgard itself if I must." Her tone was resolute, her eyes blazing with unrelenting ambition.
Maxim leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed, as though her declaration was expected. He swirled the crimson liquid in his goblet before taking another sip, meeting her fiery gaze with calm confidence, "Your war will fail."
Hela's fingers tightened around her goblet, and the stone table beneath her hand cracked under the force of her growing ire, "You dare, ?" Her voice, now colder than ever, carried the weight of a looming storm.
She leaned forward, her beautiful face inches from Maxim's, her eyes like emerald daggers, "Your time runs thin. Speak your point before I find a way to tear you apart."
Maxim didn't flinch. Instead, he placed the goblet down and leaned forward slightly, his voice unshaken, "Odin will let Asgard burn to the ground before he allows you to rule in your current state." he explained.
"Your bloodthirsty ambition will be your undoing, not his. He will not fight you. He will simply move Asgard to another realm, leaving you to rule over nothing but ruins and ashes. And you know this. Without Asgard, your main power source is gone." He finished, allowing his words to sink in.
Hela's sharp gaze faltered, her eyes narrowing as his words sank in. The idea clearly struck a nerve, though she wasn't willing to admit it, "Diplomacy," she said, her voice dripping with disdain,"A weakling's game."
Maxim smirked faintly. "Not diplomacy for peace. Diplomacy for power. If you wish to sit on that throne, and stay on it, you'll need more than fear and death. You'll need legitimacy in the eyes of Asgard's people. Otherwise, your reign will collapse before it begins."
"Even as the Goddess of Death, your authority only works if there is life." He said.
Hela's anger simmered, her fingers twitching against the armrest of her chair, "And you think you have the solution to this so-called problem of mine?" Her voice was icy but tinged with curiosity.
Maxim reached into his shadow, producing a photograph, and slid it across the obsidian table toward her, "I do."
Hela's eyes flicked down to the picture, her expression unreadable. The image showed a man standing amidst the chaos of a small Midgardian town, his golden hair disheveled, a fierce scowl on his face as he wielded a large hammer.
Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile,"Who is this mortal?"
Maxim chuckled softly. "Not a mortal. That's Thor. Your brother. Banished to Earth after slaughtering Frost Giants on a whim. Odin sent him there to learn humility, though how well that's working is debatable."
Hela's smile widened, a dangerous glint in her eyes, "So, even in peace, Odin can't raise a son who isn't a weapon. How… poetic."
Maxim leaned forward, his voice calm yet firm, "Odin has no suitable successor. Thor is reckless, and you… well, you terrify your own people. But if you were willing to listen to me, I can make you more than just 'suitable.' I can make you inevitable."
Hela's expression shifted, intrigue overtaking her usual disdain. She reclined slightly in her chair, resting her chin on her hand as she regarded Maxim with newfound interest, "Go on."
Maxim's smirk returned as he gestured toward the photograph, "The rate at which Odin goes into the Odinsleep is increasing. His life is coming to an end, and Thor will be his first choice, not because he is capable, far from it. But because he believes Thor can be redeemed. If he believes the same about you, then you'll naturally be his first choice."
"And how would I do that?" Hela asked, her voice soft but dangerous.
Maxim leaned back, his glowing eyes reflecting the dim green light of the realm. "Work with me. Prove to Odin that you're not just a Warmongering idiot, but a tactical genius who Asgard needs to usher in a new era. Think about it, have you ever had true freedom? Freedom to choose your life? He made you the Goddess of Death, and the banished you." Maxim said, playing to Hela's desires.
"Prove that you're not just what he made you, but what you want to be. Then, the Asgardians will not fear you, they will need you, they'll willingly run into battle behind you." Maxim explained.
For the first time since their meeting, Hela was silent. Her piercing gaze lingered on Maxim as she weighed his words carefully. After a long pause, she leaned forward, her smirk returning, this time more calculated than cruel.
"And what if I want to wage War? I'm the Goddess of Death after all." Hela spoke.
"There's more than enough evil in the world for you to slaughter, and I have a feeling that once my plan is done, you'll change." Maxim said with confidence.
In his past life, the 'What If' show had proved that Hela wasn't the Goddess of Death by choice, but because Odin made her that way, and he was confident he could fix her.
"You intrigue me. But intrigue alone will not save you if you fail to deliver."
Maxim's grin widened. "Then it's a good thing I never fail." Maxim said, bringing out the Astral Transmission Orb he had created and handing it to Hela.
"What is this?" Hela inquired, feeling the Astral Energy emitting from the Orb.
Maxim leaned back slightly, letting Hela study the glowing, translucent orb he had placed in her hand, "It's an Astral Transmission Orb," Maxim began, his tone calm and confident.
"A creation of mine. It allows you to create an Astral Shadow, a form similar to the one I'm in now." He gestured to himself, his incorporeal form flickering briefly for emphasis. "With it, you can travel beyond this realm, beyond Odin's watchful eye. And most importantly, it can take you to Asgard."
Hela's emerald eyes narrowed, her fingers brushing against the orb as if testing its power,"And what exactly do you propose I do with this? Spy on my dear father? Or perhaps terrify the court into submission?"
Maxim chuckled softly, shaking his head, "No, nothing so crude. I propose you meet someone, your mother, Frigga."
The mention of her mother caused Hela's hand to pause, her sharp gaze snapping to Maxim, "Why her?"
Maxim leaned forward, his glowing eyes locking onto hers, "Because she still loves you, Hela. Despite everything, she never stopped caring for her daughter. And deep down, I believe you still care for her too."
Hela's fingers twitched, her gaze hardening as if to rebuff his words, but she remained silent. If there was a single person she still had any care for in Asgard, it was definitely her mother.
Maxim pressed on, his voice steady and persuasive, "If there's anyone who can convince Odin to see you differently, it's Frigga. She is not just the Queen of Asgard; she's the soul of its people. If you can win her over, if you can show her that you're more than the Goddess of Death, then Odin will have no choice but to reconsider once you appear ready to claim the Throne."
Hela's lips curled into a faint sneer, though it lacked its usual venom. "And you think a mere meeting with my mother will undo centuries of betrayal and exile?"
"No," Maxim admitted with a shrug, "But it's a start. Frigga's faith in you when you show up can force Odin to reconsider. His life is slipping quickly, and his son isn't close to being ready to take over the throne. He might act like nothing bothers him, but his worry for Asgard's future is currently deep."
Maxim explained, taking a pause for Hela to understand his words before he continued, "And imagine during all of this, you re-appear. Your mentality changed and much more suitable to lead Asgard, with Frigga also on your side, he'll need to take your seriously."
Hela went silent, her gaze drifting back to the orb. The glow of the device reflected in her eyes, flickering like a spark of something buried deep within her, a memory, perhaps, or a longing she'd long denied.
Maxim stood, finishing the last of his wine in one smooth motion. "I'll leave you to think it over," he said, setting the empty goblet back on the table with a faint clink. "When you're ready, we'll get you out of here and take you to Midgard for a time. It'll give you the chance to prepare and… adjust."
He stepped back, his form beginning to dissolve into shadow. "But know this, Hela," he added, his voice echoing as his figure faded. "This is your chance to take what's yours without leaving a kingdom of ashes in your wake. Don't squander it. Think about what you truly want, are you the Goddess of Death Odin created you as? Or do you want to be something more?"
With that, Maxim vanished completely, the swirling shadows devouring him until the oppressive stillness of the dimension returned.
Hela sat motionless for a moment, her gaze fixed on the orb. Her fingers brushed its surface again, and the faint hum of its power resonated under her touch. A mixture of emotions flickered across her face, curiosity, skepticism, and perhaps the faintest glimmer of hope.
As the green luminescence of the realm cast its haunting glow, the Goddess of Death leaned back in her throne, the orb cradled in her hand, her thoughts spiraling into the unknown.