The throne room of Satannish's fortress was a maelstrom of destruction. Darkness and light clashed in an unending storm as Maxim and the Hell Lord fought with ferocity. The heat was oppressive, the air thick with sulfur and smoke, and the cracked floor glowed red from molten fissures.
As the swirling smoke began to thin, the battlefield came into view, littered with jagged stones and scorched debris. The oppressive heat lingered, but the storm of chaos caused by the previous clash had been largely tamed.
From the wreckage, a lone figure emerged, his silhouette cutting sharply against the fiery glow of the fractured floor. Maxim stood tall, Osiris resting casually across his shoulder.
His clothing bore scratches and scorch marks, but his posture exuded unshaken confidence. The brilliant glow of his eyes pierced the gloom, and his lips curled into a cocky smirk.
Before him, Satannish lay sprawled against the jagged remnants of his shattered throne, the once-mighty Hell Lord now a battered shadow of his former self. His massive frame trembled, the dark flames that had once engulfed him flickering weakly, reduced to embers.
"Not so invincible now, are we?" Maxim's voice was smooth, dripping with mockery. He paced forward, his boots echoing against the stone floor as he drew closer, "All that bravado, all that infernal power, and yet... here you are. On your back."
Satannish snarled weakly, but the defiance in his glowing eyes was dim as his blood flowed out, feeling his power constantly weakening with every second as his dire injuries were not treated.
Maxim tilted his head, the smirk deepening as he tapped Osiris against the ground, sending a resonant hum through the chamber, "Let me guess, you were planning to monologue about how this isn't over, right? Save it. You're boring me."
He crouched down slightly, his gaze locking with Satannish's. "Let me make one thing clear. You had your chance. You underestimated me." His tone grew cold, the smirk vanishing for a moment. "And now you'll live with the humiliation of your defeat."
Straightening, Maxim turned, his wings unfurling as he cast a glance over his shoulder. The smirk returned, brighter and sharper than ever, "Don't go anywhere. This lovely ruin of yours could use a new ruler, and I think you'll make the perfect decoration."
With a wave of his hand, Maxim summoned chains of light and shadow, binding Satannish to the wall of his throne room. The chains tightened, immobilizing the defeated demon.
"This is your new throne," Maxim said, gesturing to the shattered remains of the room, "Let it serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can stand against me."
Leaving Satannish bound, Maxim turned and walked away. His wings folded behind him as he stepped flew into the sky.
[ Congratulations to host for reaching 100% Integration with the Dante Sparda Template ]
Maxim looked at the system, spotting the various characters he could choose for his next template and smiled, making his choice after a couple seconds of thought,
"I choose..."
****************
Back at the Sokovia safe house, the atmosphere was tense much more harmonious than previously. Wanda Maximoff, Yelena Belova, and Natasha Romanoff sat around a table strewn with maps and documents.
The Black Widows who had been rescued from the Cold Fortress worked in the background, preparing equipment for their next mission.
Some of them were also taking the time to train, sharpening their combat skills for the inevitable harsh battle they'd face. Although they knew Wanda and Pietro had special abilities, they wanted to trust themselves.
They didn't want to only rely on Wanda and Pietro, they wanted to kill Dreykov and his loyal minions with their own hands after all of the pain and torture he had inflicted on them not only physically but mentally.
"The Floating Red Room isn't just a fortress," Yelena explained. She had by far the most experience with the Floating Red Room compared to anyone else, having lived and survived there for over a year.
A holographic image of the Floating Red Room's schematics was provided by A.N.G.E.L to allow Yelena to effectively set up her strategy and assign tasks to those who were going on the mission alongside her.
"It's a prison, a training ground, and a control center all in one. Every corner of this place is designed to keep the Black Widows under control, and keep attackers like us out." Yelena explained.
Chapter: Strategies and Shadows
The Sokovia safe house hummed with quiet activity, an undertone of tension hanging in the air. Despite the weight of their task, there was a harmony to the preparations, a unity born of shared pain and a common goal: the destruction of the Floating Red Room.
At the center of the room, Yelena Belova stood by the table, her eyes scanning the holographic display projected by A.N.G.E.L. The shimmering image of the Floating Red Room hovered in the air, its sleek, modular design both a marvel of engineering and a chilling reminder of the atrocities committed within.
Natasha Romanoff sat to her right, her arms crossed as she studied the image with a calculating gaze. Wanda Maximoff was across from her, leaning forward, her crimson aura faintly pulsing as she focused. The rescued Black Widows moved with purpose around them—some sharpening blades, others testing gear, their determination palpable.
Yelena tapped a control on the table, zooming in on the hologram to reveal the structure's upper levels. "The Floating Red Room isn't just a fortress," she began, her voice steady but tinged with a grim edge. "It's a prison, a training ground, and a control center. Every corner of this place is designed to keep people like us in line and to keep intruders out."
She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle. The room was silent except for the occasional clink of metal as the Widows prepared.
"If we're going to take it down, we can't just storm in guns blazing. Dreykov has contingencies for that, kill switches for his assets, defensive protocols that would seal the entire facility, and a response time for reinforcements that's faster than we'd like."
Natasha nodded, her expression serious. Their goal wasn't only to take down Dreykov, but rescue all of the Black Widow's there. If all of them died, no matter how brutally they kill Dreykov, the mission would be a failure.
"We need to dismantle his control before he even knows we're there. What's the weakest point?"
Yelena flicked her finger, and the hologram shifted to highlight a series of glowing nodes connected by lines, ventilation shafts, power grids, and communication relays. "There are three critical systems: power, communications, and the control hub for the Widows' brainwashing. We hit all three simultaneously, and the Floating Red Room goes from fortress to sinking ship."
A.N.G.E.L.'s holographic form flickered to life beside the display, her ethereal voice cutting through the room, "Based on the schematics I've decrypted, the power grid is located here." She highlighted a section near the base of the structure.
"It's heavily shielded but not impenetrable. A well-placed EMP device would disable it for approximately 30 minutes, enough time for you to complete your objectives."
Yelena picked up where A.N.G.E.L. left off. "While the power's down, we'll need to hit the communications array. Without it, Dreykov can't call for reinforcements or initiate any remote protocols. That's located on the mid-levels, but it's guarded by automated drones and elite Widows."
Natasha leaned forward, her brow furrowing, "And the brainwashing hub? That's the most important part. We need to stop any women currently undergoing brainwashing."
Yelena nodded, her jaw tightening. "It's in the core of the facility, the most secure area. Dreykov's personal quarters are there too. It's where he'll be when we attack."
Wanda's crimson energy flared slightly as she spoke, "What about me and Pietro? We can easily take out any Widow's they throw at us, how do you want us to work?"
Yelena nodded and spoke, "Just remove the brainwashing of any Widow's you meet, let them join our side, and also destroy all of his drones and advanced technology. As for the other guards and Dreykov, please leave them to us, we want to kill them personally."
Yelena said and Wanda nodded. She could understand the immense desire to kill their torturers that burned within every single one of the Widows and she definitely didn't want to get in the way of achieving their revenge.
Yelena then gestured to the Black Widows, who were now gathering around the table, "Finally, you come in. You're the infiltration teams. While Pietro and Wanda draw the heat, you'll take out the power grid and communications array. Natasha and I will lead the strike on the core."
The Widows nodded, determination flashing in their eyes.
Yelena continued, her tone brisk, "Timing is everything. We'll deploy in three groups: Team One, led by Natasha, will infiltrate the core. Team Two, led by me, will hit the communications array. Team Three, the support team, will secure the power grid with Pietro's assistance."
A.N.G.E.L. expanded the hologram, showing the Floating Red Room in its entirety, "The facility hovers above a remote region in Eastern Europe, powered by a fusion reactor. It's designed to move every few hours to avoid detection. I've calculated its most likely coordinates for the next 24 hours, and I'll guide you to its position in real time."
"Looks like we've got a plan," Pietro said, his tone light but his eyes sharp and Wanda glanced at him with a smirk.
Suddenly, Wanda clutched her hea for a moment and then shook her head, finally looking back upwards as Natasha, Yelena and Pietro stared at her,
"What happened?" Pietro asked, worried about his sister's health.
"Maxim contacted me, he said he'll be back soon!"