Chapter 29: New Game!
Two Months Later
A pillar of flames erupted from the building, as its insides burnt to ash, the walls already crumbling and the dead bodies of Hydra soldiers being destroyed by the crimson flames.
The Hydra base burned in the distance, as its destruction marked yet another victory in the endless war between Maxim and Hydra. Smoke billowed into the night sky, blending with the thick, storm-laden clouds that hovered above.
The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burnt metal and scorched earth, but amidst it all, there was a profound silence, a silence born from the absolute decimation of another Hydra stronghold.
The trio was walking back to the stealth jet, as they thought at what had transpired over the past 2 months. Time had flown by rather quickly, and the three of them had become a rather ferocious team, systematically dismantling Hydra's European operations, one base at a time.
In the downtime between missions, Maxim still remembered to train Wanda and Pietro, their powers continuing to blossom over time. Pietro's speed had certainly grown, and his combat ability had also grown holistically.
The same could be said for Wanda, whose magic had gone a long way and she was well on the way to becoming a powerhouse. Finally, after a short walk, they arrived at the stealth jet, boarding it as the jet immediately took off.
"Congratulations on another successful mission. Shall I play celebratory music to commemorate another victory?" A.N.G.E.L asked.
"Whatever you want A.N.G.E.L," Maxim responded.
"Noted, playing 'All I do is win' by DJ Khaled." A.N.G.E.L responded, and the song began.
As all of that was going on, Maxim looked towards his System status screen:
[ Name - Maxim Novikov ]
[ Race - Radiant Human ]
[ Character Integration:
- Astra: 99%
Fully Integrated Characters:
- Omen: 100%
- Killjoy 100%
Maxim's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the template. 99%, that was how far he had integrated with Astra's template. Each day, and with each battle, Maxim had felt himself edging closer to total mastery.
The cosmic energies he wielded grew more pure, more powerful alongside his ability to apply that energy. He could create black holes, stars, nebulas, constructs of Cosmic Energy, and much much more.
"Two months," he muttered to himself, "Only a few more left."
It was currently late March, only a couple days until April began, and Maxim knew at the first Avenger's movie took place in May.
That left pretty much only one month until the Avengers plot began, and Maxim could fully commence his true plans. As his mind hummed with calculations and plans, his attention was pulled by Pietro sprawled across one of the seats, bobbing his head to the music.
Wanda was different, remaining calm and jet meditating. Soon, the jet descended smoothly, the estate coming into view below.
As they touched down on the landing pad, A.N.G.E.L's voice came through the intercom once more, "We've arrived. All systems functional. Welcome back."
Maxim rose from his seat, the weight of two months of battle etched into his posture, but his eyes gleamed with purpose, "Let's move."
The trio disembarked, their boots hitting the smooth surface of the landing pad. Pietro was the first to stretch, his enhanced metabolism already burning through the last traces of fatigue, "Finally home," he muttered, glancing toward the sprawling mansion ahead. "I need food. Lots of it."
Pietro didn't even allow Wanda or Maxim to react before he flashed forward, swiftly running into the kitchen and picking every single bit of food he liked and needed before speeding off into his bedroom, beginning to munch down.
Wanda just chuckled at her brothers antics and walked into the estate, moving to her own room to continue her meditation training.
Maxim meanwhile, just entered the house, moving to his lab as he spoke, "A.N.G.E.L.," he said, voice sharp, "Status report on the Nanobot swarms and the manufacture of the HeadHunter and Tour de Force prototypes."
A.N.G.E.L. responded instantly, her voice calm but efficient, "The Nanobot swarms are currently at 97% completion. Current capabilities include molecular-level repair, infiltration of electronic systems, and limited combat applications. However, I recommend additional time to refine swarm cohesion and increase functionality."
Maxim's eyes narrowed, "Noted. And the weapon systems?"
"HeadHunter is at 90% completion. The prototype is functional, and initial tests indicate high accuracy and power. Tour de Force is more complex due to the nature of its energy requirements, but we are at 69% completion. The energy condensers required to power it are stable, but I need more time to optimize charge efficiency and ensure it can operate for extended combat scenarios."
Maxim strode down the corridor, the sleek, modern design of the estate giving way to the entrance of his private lab.
The lab itself was a sprawling space filled with cutting-edge technology: holographic screens, high-powered workstations, and the hum of processors running countless calculations per second.
The glass doors slid open with a soft hiss, and Maxim entered the lab. Holographic displays lit up as A.N.G.E.L. continued her report, "I've also detected a spike in global surveillance patterns. Hydra's remaining networks are becoming increasingly desperate. They've launched digital probes in an attempt to locate who is targeting them, to no avail."
"They won't have time to find out," Maxim said, stepping toward the central console. "We'll destroy them before they can even come close."
His fingers flew across the touchpad as he pulled up the current status of the weapons.
A 3D model of the HeadHunter*appeared on the screen, its sleek, deadly design shimmering in the blue light. Maxim observed the data scrolling by, ballistics, energy consumption, recoil impact, everything was running optimally.
Next, the Tour de Force came into view. As Alex was a Valorant fan in his previous life, Maxim had information on just how incredible this weapon could be in real combat, creating a slow zone where enemies were killed.
Of course, Maxim was also adding upgrades to these weapons using his own intelligence.
"A.N.G.E.L., I want both the HeadHunter and Tour de Force ready for field testing within the week. Prioritize the energy efficiency for the Tour de Force. I want it to be able to fire continuously in battle if needed."
"Understood, Commander. I will reroute additional resources to accelerate production and testing."
Maxim gave a brief nod, his mind already jumping to the next step. "And the Nanobots? I'll need full combat applications within two weeks. Can you optimize them for both offensive and defensive operations?"
"Yes, with additional modifications, the swarm will be capable of disassembling enemy armor at the molecular level, disrupting communications, and providing rapid structural repairs to your suit in the field."
"Good," Maxim said, satisfaction creeping into his voice. "Very good."
He stepped back from the console, crossing his arms as he surveyed the lab. Everything was coming together.
Two months of relentless assault on Hydra's strongholds had yielded vast amounts of intelligence, resources, and materials.
Wanda's voice pulled him from his thoughts as she entered the lab, her gaze falling on the holographic weapons, "Still working on those? How much longer until we can test them?"
Maxim glanced at her, a faint smirk crossing his lips, "Soon. Very soon. By the time we hit the next Hydra base, they'll be fully operational."
Wanda nodded, her expression unreadable as she studied the models, "I don't know anything about tech, but as long as you say they're useful."
"They're better than useful. You know about my plans for Red Room right? These will be their weapons." Maxim said, and Wanda just nodded, remembering what Maxim told her about his future plans.
Time passed by after this discussion and Maxim continued his work, all night until,
[ Congratulations to host for reaching 100% Integration with Astra Template.]
[ As the host has reached 100% with 3 Valorant Characters, the next game has unlocked ]
[ The Next Game is:
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Vote for the next game:
- League of Legends
- Genshin Impact
- Devil May Cry ( will just prob be Dante and Vergil )
- Suggestions for games and characters here!
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