Nick Fury stood at the window of his office aboard the Helicarrier, staring out at the New York skyline. His one good eye was sharp, but the furrow in his brow betrayed the storm brewing in his mind. Yesterday had been the New York invasion. An unprecedented alien attack had shaken the city, and while the Avengers had managed to defend it, Fury couldn't shake the growing frustration in the pit of his stomach.
His superiors, the World Security Council (WSC), had already been on his case, demanding answers, demanding action. They weren't happy. No, they were furious that a massive dreadnought—the Storm Chaser—was still hovering ominously in Earth's orbit. Fury himself hadn't had much time to process the situation, and now the Council was putting even more pressure on him.
"Find a way to seize control of the Storm Chaser," they had barked at him earlier that morning, as if it were that simple. But Fury knew better. The technology Max wielded was unparalleled, far beyond anything S.H.I.E.L.D. had ever encountered. It was as if Max had come from another world altogether—a world with capabilities even beyond Stark's tech.
The real problem, though, was the Council itself. Two out of the five WSC members were, unbeknownst to Fury's peers, Hydra agents. That was the kicker. These agents weren't just pushing for the Storm Chaser because they saw an opportunity—they wanted that ship for Hydra. Fury could feel it. It made the situation all the more precarious. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and neither option seemed particularly appealing.
"Damn it," Fury muttered under his breath, his fingers drumming against the table. Hydra was a snake, slithering in the shadows, always there but hard to see. He couldn't afford to make any moves that would put that technology in Hydra's hands, but he couldn't outright deny the WSC either. They had their hooks in everything, including S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fury had tried to gain something from the invasion—the energy shield generators that had protected much of New York during the battle—but those too had vanished. They'd been teleported away by the Storm Chaser as soon as the dust settled, whisked out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s grasp. It was a small victory for Max, and Fury hated how it stung. At least he had the remains of the Chitauri army—that was something. Their tech, their biology, it could prove useful in the long run. But even that was just a consolation prize.
The Avengers were still at the Stark Tower, with Loki in their custody. That was another headache. Loki was a wildcard, dangerous, unpredictable. Fury knew the Avengers were capable, but Loki was trickier than most enemies. The Tesseract was with them, and according to Natasha's and Clint's latest reports, Stark and Banner were already working on a device to open a portal back to Asgard.
Fury's thoughts were interrupted as a small craft approached the Helicarrier. He straightened his coat, turning away from the window. The sight of the Puddle Jumper landing on the deck made his jaw tighten. Max had sent the Puddle Jumper to ferry Fury and his team to the Storm Chaser. Fury didn't like being at someone else's mercy, especially not Max's. But the invitation couldn't be ignored.
As the Puddle Jumper settled on the landing pad, the door slid open. Bobbi Morse and Maria Hill joined Fury, following him into the craft. They exchanged quick glances but said nothing. The pilot—a member of Max's crew—nodded briefly at them and set the flight path toward the Storm Chaser.
As the Puddle Jumper took off, Fury allowed himself a brief moment to take in the view. The massive silhouette of the Storm Chaser loomed in the distance, casting a long shadow over the city. Its size was awe-inspiring. The closer they got, the more details of the ship became visible—the sleek, almost organic design, the shimmering surface reflecting the sunlight. It was a marvel, but it was also a threat—one Fury couldn't control.
The Puddle Jumper glided smoothly toward the hangar bay, where it landed without a hitch. As the ramp lowered, Fury, Bobbi, and Hill disembarked. Waiting for them was Max, accompanied by Yelena Belova, Pietro Maximoff, and Wanda.
Wanda was standing unnervingly close to Max, her hand wrapped around his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her gaze was calm, content, as though this was exactly where she belonged.
"Looks like Max finally has a girlfriend," Bobbi quipped, smirking as she nudged Fury.
Fury's lips twitched, but he said nothing, his eye focused on Max. Meanwhile, Max looked slightly embarrassed, unsure how to respond. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, Wanda spoke up, her voice soft but clear.
"I am his girlfriend," Wanda said, offering Bobbi a kind smile. There was no hesitation, no question in her tone. She was simply stating a fact.
Max, feeling a sudden wave of confusion and uncertainty, glanced down at Wanda. It was all happening so fast. Wanda had lived several lifetimes—multiple versions of herself, fused together. In that way, she was like him. She had experience, knowledge, and a sense of certainty that unnerved him. Wanda was an open book, honest to a fault, but her feelings for him were... overwhelming. Max wasn't in love with her—at least, not yet—but there was something about her confidence that was comforting. It was new and exciting, and the way she expressed her affection with such strength made Max feel... oddly secure.
But was it real? Could it be real? He had lived many lives, had relationships before, but this—this was different. Wanda was unlike anyone he had ever met. Maybe he wasn't in love yet, but he couldn't deny that he was drawn to her. The directness, the passion—it was overwhelming, yes, but it was also... intriguing. He'd never been with someone like Wanda before.
"Uh... yeah," Max finally said, somewhat awkwardly, his mind still racing. "We're... working things out."
Wanda beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling with genuine joy. She seemed perfectly content with that answer, leaning into him a little more.
Fury cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "So, Max," he said, his voice carrying that familiar weight of authority. "What's this about a gift?"
Max, eager to change the subject, nodded. "Right. Do you want to hear about it first, or would you rather see it?"
"I'll see it," Fury replied without hesitation, folding his arms. He didn't like surprises, but he also didn't like waiting.
"Alright then. Follow me."
Max led the group through the ship's corridors, Yelena and Pietro following closely behind. Wanda, of course, kept herself attached to Max's arm, something that Bobbi continued to find amusing.
The group reached a set of energy-secured cells—the Brig. Max stood before one of the cells, where Baron Strucker sat, his expression grim but defiant. Max turned to Fury, gesturing to the cell.
"This is Baron Strucker, one of Hydra's leaders, captured in Sokovia," Max said, his voice calm but sharp. "And there's more where he came from."
At that moment, Yelena stepped forward, handing Fury a stack of lists. The files contained detailed information about the Hydra agents currently held in the brig, their ranks, their status, and the crimes they had committed. Some were high-ranking officials, while others were foot soldiers, mercenaries, or scientists.
"You're free to interrogate them, Fury," Max said. "Once you've got a secure location ready, I'll teleport them there. All of them."
Fury's jaw tightened as he stared down at the list, his mind racing. This was far more than he had expected. He had thought Max's gift might be a piece of technology, or some information, but this... this was Hydra's inner circle. Strucker was a key player, and with him, Fury could potentially dismantle huge portions of Hydra.
But then the paranoia kicked in. Fury had always been cautious, but Max's teleportation technology—it made him uneasy. If Max could teleport people so easily, what else could he do? Could he teleport anywhere on the planet? Could he bypass every security measure Fury had in place? The thought made his skin crawl.
Was Max a threat? Fury had always kept an eye on the bigger picture, but with technology like this in Max's hands... could he be trusted?
Wanda, standing beside Max, sensed Fury's inner turmoil. She turned her head toward the director, her expression darkening slightly. Without saying a word, she let Fury know she had read his mind—and she wasn't pleased.
"Don't worry," Wanda said, her voice cold and sharp. "Max isn't the one you need to fear."