The trio slowly moved to the Central Command Centre of the Helicarrier as its engines roared to life, lifting the massive ship into the sky and taking off. The hum of its turbines reverberated through the corridors as its cloaking technology slowly came into play, making its exterior transparent.
Maxim looked around the Helicarrier, inspecting every little thing. The layout of this behemoth wasn't displayed in the film, so he had to learn the various aspects in order to have a good mental layout in case of emergency.
The group was walking in relative silence, all the while Maxim thought of his plans. They were quite simple:
#1 - Retrieve the Mind Stone
#2 - Save Agent Coulson
#3 - Save more lives in New York
Those were Maxim's major goals. Of course, he could do other things, like stealing the Tesseract, but it would be more beneficial in the long run for him to allow Thor to take it to Asgard, since he'll obtain control of it anyway if his plan with Hela comes to fruition.
The group moved in silence at first, each lost in their own thoughts. Maxim, however, was meticulously calculating his next steps. He couldn't afford to let anyone suspect he had foreknowledge of what was to come. His expression remained calm, even as his mind raced.
"You're quiet," Natasha commented, her tone laced with curiosity.
Maxim glanced at her, his lips curling into a faint smile as he gave a light nod and spoke, "Just taking it all in. Very impressive piece of engineering this is."
"Indeed. Makes you wonder what else S.H.I.E.L.D. has up its sleeve. The world sure has changed huh." Steve said, still looking around and admiring the advanced technology on full display.
Bruce, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, his voice hesitant, "So… do we have any idea what we're walking into?"
"Fury will fill us in," Natasha reassured him, "For now, we focus on working together. This isn't any of our first missions, but it might be the first of this scale."
Maxim simply nodded, remaining enigmatic. He knew exactly what they were walking into, but he adhered to the Reincarnator / Transmigrator's #1 Rule: NEVER REVEAL YOUR KNOWLEDGE!
Soon, they arrived at the Control Centre, spotting Fury and Maria Hill engaged in their work as they attempted to track Loki. The duo were alerted of Maxim and the other's presence soon enough however."Nice to see y…" Fury was about to finish his sentence but was cut off by Steve pulling out his wallet and giving the one-eyed man a ten-dollar bill, fulfilling his part of their bet after being surprised by the current happenings.Amused and satisfied, Fury looked towards Maxim and Bruce, "Nice to see you both made it, I know it was on quite short notice."Maxim and Bruce just nodded and Fury spoke. "Someone else will be arriving relatively soon. You guys can wait around for a bit." He said and Maxim nodded.
He looked towards Natasha, who was also free, and the duo stepped away from the bustling command center, moving to the hallway as the hum of the engines faded away.
"You've been busy," Natasha said, breaking the silence. Her tone was casual, but her sharp gaze betrayed her curiosity.
Maxim chuckled lightly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat, "You could say that."
Natasha tilted her head slightly, "How's Yelena?"
Maxim's expression softened just enough to reveal a hint of genuine warmth, "She's doing well, though she misses you. A lot. And she's not the only one. Most of the Widows do, you did help save them after all."
Natasha smiled faintly, a mix of emotions flickering across her face, "Yeah, well… it's complicated."
Maxim nodded knowingly, "I get it. You've got your own path to walk. But you should know, you're always welcome in Madripoor. No strings attached."
Natasha crossed her arms, leaning against the wall as they paused near a viewing port. She gazed out at the vast expanse of clouds, "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer someday. After all, I've always wanted a vacation. Spy work rarely ends y'know."
Maxim chuckled, his tone light. "Madripoor and vacation don't usually belong in the same sentence, but I'll take it as a compliment while I'm rebuilding the place."
The duo fell into light conversation, chatting away but miscellaneous things before they were interrupted by the ship's intercom,
"Agents Romanoff, Novikov, and Banner to the conference room. Director Fury is waiting."
Natasha straightened, rolling her shoulders as if preparing for a fight. "Guess playtime's over."
Maxim gave her a faint smirk, stepping back into stride with her. "Duty calls."
When they reached the conference room, the doors slid open with a soft hiss. Inside, Nick Fury stood at the head of a sleek table, his imposing presence commanding attention. Agent Hill was stationed nearby, her tablet in hand as she monitored the Helicarrier's systems.
The group all took their respective seats, and Fury began speaking, "Here's the situation: Loki, the Asgardian, arrived on Earth uninvited. He attacked one of our facilities, took the Tesseract, and left a trail of bodies in his wake."
Steve frowned, "The Tesseract… I thought it was supposed to be secure."
"It was," Fury replied, his tone sharp. "Until Loki decided otherwise. He's got some kind of scepter that's amplifying his power. It's unlike anything we've seen before."
Natasha leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes narrowing, "So, what's the plan?"
Fury gestured to Bruce, "We believe the Tesseract is emitting low levels of gamma radiation. Dr. Banner's expertise makes him the perfect candidate to track it."
Bruce shifted uncomfortably under the sudden attention. "I can set up a system to detect it, but it's not going to be simple."
"Nothing worth doing ever is," Fury said, "Start working on it. We need to locate Loki and figure out his endgame before he causes any more damage."
Bruce nodded, rising from his seat, "I'll get to work."
As Bruce left the room, Fury addressed the others. "We need to act fast. Loki's already shown he's not afraid to use force, and the Tesseract in his hands is a threat we can't afford to underestimate."
Maxim's expression remained neutral, though his mind was already formulating how fighting with Thor, that would be a perfect chance to test his powers.
"Understood," Steve said firmly, "We'll get it done."
Fury nodded, "We're tapping into all global surveillance networks, cameras, phones, computers, to track Loki's whereabouts. Once we have a lead, it's up to you two to handle it."
The group just nodded and Fury left not long after, leaving them to their own activities. Banner went to quickly locate the Tesseract, working with S.H.I.E.L.D personnel whilst Steve, Natasha and Maxim chilled in the conference room.
Soon, an agent at one of the panels yelled towards them, "We got a hit on Loki. Stuttgart, Germany!"
"Cap, Novikov, Natasha!" Fury commanded, and the three immediately stood up, getting ready. Natasha and Cap quickly got into their own outfits, while Maxim headed towards the Quinjet.
Soon, Captain Steve Rogers, clad in his signature uniform and holding his iconic Shield arrived alongside Natasha, and the trio entered the aircraft, Natasha heading to the pilot's seat as Maxim and Steve sat down.
The jet took off and swiftly moved throughout the air towards Stuttgart, Germany. Time ticked by and they waited patiently until Natasha's voice broke through the comms, "We're approaching the target. Loki's in the plaza, just outside the gala. He's taken hostages and is making a spectacle of it."
Steve stood, securing his shield on his arm, "A spectacle? That's not very subtle."
Maxim smirked slightly, checking the blades hidden within his coat. "Subtlety doesn't seem to be his strong suit. Chaos, on the other hand…"
As the Quinjet slowly parked in a good position, Steve glanced at Maxim, his brow furrowing slightly. "You're going into a fight looking like that?"
Maxim leaned back in his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Of course not."
He closed his eyes for a moment, and his form shimmered as tendrils of shadow began to envelop him. His casual attire melted away, replaced by a sleek, spectral outfit, with a haunting, enigmatic presence.
It was the same SuperSuit he had created prior. ( Chapter 26 ). Of course, with special enhancements over time to adapt to his new abilities.
The outfit looked the same, dark and angular, fitting him like a second skin, with an ominous electric purple glow from his visor. No distinct facial features are visible. no eyes, nose, or mouth, only an eerie, void-like visage.
His entire face looks as though it exists in another dimension, obscured by shadows that flicker faintly, suggesting movement or a subtle life of their own.
Natasha glanced back from the cockpit, raising an eyebrow. It was the first real time she had seen Maxim in his full form, and she just had one word, "Dramatic."
Maxim simply shrugged, "Why not make an impression?"
Steve stared at him for a moment, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement. Finally, he shook his head, strapping his shield securely, "The world's really changed."
Maxim's voice was low, almost amused, "You have no idea."
The Quinjet came to a hover just above the plaza, its ramp lowering. The team moved to the edge, the distant sound of Loki's commanding voice echoing through the city. Below, civilians knelt in fear, their hands on their heads as Loki loomed over them, his scepter glowing with ominous energy.
Steve glanced at Natasha and Maxim. "Let's move. We've got a god to deal with."
Maxim's voice was calm, his visor glowing faintly as he surveyed the scene below. "Time to see if gods bleed."