Today was supposed to be another ordinary day. Max woke up, enjoyed breakfast cooked by Rize, and headed off to college, just like any other day—or at least, it was supposed to be.
Instead, he found himself standing in an abandoned valley, the eerie silence broken only by the sound of wind rustling through the dry grass. Max glanced around, his senses sharp as he felt the presence of others nearby.
"You can all come out now," Max said calmly, his voice carrying through the quiet valley.
Thud.
A figure dropped to the ground behind him, the weight of their landing betraying their attempt at stealth. Max didn't even bother turning around. His gaze stayed fixed forward as three more figures emerged from the shadows. One stood directly in front of him, a smirk playing on their lips, while another positioned themselves at his back. A third figure was perched on a nearby rooftop, rifle in hand, aiming directly at him.
Max's eyes narrowed, taking in the situation.
"So, an ambush?" Max said coolly, his body language relaxed despite the clear danger surrounding him. "You guys really should've picked a better spot."
The person standing in front of him laughed softly, stepping forward. "You're pretty calm for someone who's surrounded."
Max shrugged. "I've been through worse. And this?" he gestured at the sniper, the person behind him, and the smirking leader in front. "This is nothing."
The leader's smirk faltered slightly, sensing that something was off. Max was too calm. Too confident. There was no fear in his eyes, no tension in his stance—just quiet amusement.
"Who sent you?" Max asked, his tone casual as if they were discussing the weather. He wasn't interested in wasting time with small talk.
The leader's eyes darkened. "You're not in a position to be asking questions."
Max let out a small sigh, shaking his head. "Wrong answer."
In an instant, the air around Max seemed to shift, a subtle ripple of power emanating from him. The sniper on the rooftop, realizing something was wrong, hesitated for just a moment—but in that moment, it was already too late. Max's Abyssal Mist began to seep out from the ground, curling around the legs of the ambushers like serpents in the shadows.
The leader's eyes widened in surprise. "What the—"
Before they could react, the mist surged forward, wrapping around their bodies, immobilizing them in seconds. The sniper on the rooftop dropped their rifle in a panic as the mist pulled them down, dragging them from their vantage point and slamming them to the ground.
The last figure, standing behind Max, tried to make a move, but the mist was faster, coiling around their limbs like living chains.
Max turned slowly to face them, his expression neutral. "I'll ask again. Who sent you?"
The leader struggled against the mist but couldn't break free. Fear flickered across their face as they realized just how outmatched they were.
Max's eyes glowed faintly, his voice cold. "Talk, or you won't leave this valley alive."
"You're really as unusual as they said," a voice echoed from behind Max, breaking the tension.
Max turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the new arrival. His gaze took in the muscular build, the broad shoulders, and the unmistakable circular shield marked with a star and stripes.
His eyes widened, just a bit. "Captain America?" he muttered under his breath, recognizing the iconic figure.
The man standing before him, dressed in the unmistakable red, white, and blue suit adorned with the American flag, gave a small shrug. "Oh, so you do know me. Well, I guess I am kind of famous," Captain America said with a casual smile as he stepped forward, shield in hand, his posture relaxed but clearly ready for anything.
Max stared at Captain America, still absorbing the situation. Despite knowing the man in front of him was the real deal, he couldn't help but throw a jab. "You know, a lot of people would be pretty pissed if you were just impersonating Captain America," Max said, his tone light but sharp.
Cap raised an eyebrow, clearly not phased by Max's remark. "Impersonating? Trust me, I've heard that one before. But last I checked, I'm still me." He smiled briefly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Max's mind raced as he processed the situation further. So SHIELD sent him? He sighed internally, frustration bubbling up. I decided to leave them behind, so why send him now? He thought back to when he first broke ties with SHIELD, not realizing his actions had since put the entire organization on red alert, 24/7, thanks to the warning he had given to Phil.
Max shook his head, still looking at Cap with a bemused expression. "You know, I'm not exactly on bad terms with SHIELD, but this is overkill, don't you think? Sending you a impostor to scare me?"
Captain looked at him seriously as he said "yes, but you did such dangerous thing after all, you have killed over three whole bases of SHIELD as an warning"
Captain America's eyes darkened, his voice colder now. "All those innocents… are you ready to take responsibility and be punished for your actions?"
Max stared back at him, feeling the weight of Cap's words. But instead of fear, a sly grin spread across his face. So that's how Pierce is playing it, Max thought, the pieces falling into place in his mind. Disguising those Hydra bases as SHIELD operations, manipulating Captain America into being their pawn. You really are clever, Pierce. Using Cap to hunt me down…
The grin widened as Max's thoughts spiraled. But that just makes it more interesting. If they want to play this game, fine. Now it'll be even sweeter when I hunt Pierce down myself.
Max's expression shifted back to neutral as he locked eyes with Captain America, America's golden boy. The weight of the moment hung heavy between them.
"I don't need to justify my actions to you," Max replied.
****
Do check out my original : Strongest Extra Survival, while waiting for New chap
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