Bab 6: Winter Soldiers!
The night was a void of ink, broken only by the distant glimmers of stars and the faint glow of the moon as Maxim Novikov darted through the forest, his breath coming in controlled, measured intervals.
The cold air bit at his skin, but the sensation barely registered, his focus was entirely elsewhere as his figure flashed through the darkness like a ghost.
Two weeks, that was the amount of time that had passed since Maxim had left Katerina in the care of the X-Men.The memory of her tearful goodbye still haunted him, driving him forward in his relentless pursuit of strength and vengeance.
He had to stay ahead of the forces hunting him, Hydra, desperate to reclaim their lost asset, and S.H.I.E.L.D., unaware that he wasn't their enemy.
Maxim had multiple files taken from the base detailing Hydra's existence, and potential Shield connection, but he needed to find someone he could trust to deliver this information to Nick Fury.
Still, with no way to do that at the moment, Maxim had spent the past two weeks training, improving his strength and integration with Omen.
His body, already strong, had grown even more defined through an unforgiving training regime that pushed him to his limits and beyond.
Every morning, he woke before dawn, using the hours of darkness to push his physical endurance. Endless miles of running, weight training, and martial arts, he honed his body into a weapon, every muscle trained to perfection.
On the other hand, Omen's powers, now an inseparable part of him, had become an extension of his will. The ability to shift through shadows, to blend into the darkness, he was becoming more efficient.
The more he did it, the most he practiced them, his mastery increased, he learned how to stretch their limits and combine these abilities with his combat skills to deadly effect.
During the nights, Maxim was constantly on the run, shifting his position. He wasn't an idiot who would run around destroying Hydra outposts just because he knew their position.
Maxim was in a delicate situation, and needed to remain strategic, using the shadows to his advantage to hide during the day like a phantom.
Still, some agents still found him, yet he put them down. For agents he recognized as just Shield, he just dispatched but left alive, knowing they were caught in a web of lies and misinformation.
But Hydra agents....they weren't given any mercy, his strikes were precise, lethal, and final. Every Hydra soldier who crossed paths with him met the same cold, unyielding fate.
This night was no different. The forest was alive with the sounds of pursuit, Hydra had tracked him here, but he was ready. The forest was dense, the canopy above blocking out what little light the moon provided.
Hydra soldiers moved cautiously through the underbrush, their eyes scanning the darkness, they had heard about Maxim. None of their agents had survived encounters with him, and he moved like a Ghost.
They were hunting a ghost, a phantom that had already claimed the lives of too many of their comrades.
"Stay sharp," the squad leader whispered, his voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. His grip tightened on his rifle as his gaze flicked from shadow to shadow. The reports had been clear, this was no ordinary target.
Maxim Novikov was a predator, and they were the prey.
The group of eight Hydra soldiers advanced, their weapons ready, their movements synchronized. They had been trained to work together, to cover each other's backs, and trusted each-other as they moved forward.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the sense of unease grew. The trees seemed to close in around them, the air thick with tension. The squad leader signaled for the group to spread out, forming a wider perimeter. They couldn't afford to be caught off guard.
Suddenly, a soldier at the rear of the formation gasped, but the sound was quickly muffled. The squad leader turned, but it was too late, one of his men had already disappeared into the shadows, leaving nothing behind but a faint whisper of movement.
Panic started to ripple through the group. They tightened their formation, but it made no difference. Another soldier vanished, pulled into the darkness with barely a sound.
The remaining men spun around, their rifles pointed wildly at the surrounding trees, but they saw nothing, only the inky blackness of the night.
"Where the hell is he?" one of the soldiers hissed, his voice shaking with fear as he aimed his gun towards the darkness, ready to rain fire on any sliver of movement.
"Keep it together!" the squad leader barked, but his own voice betrayed his fear. He could feel it—, he cold, creeping dread that they were being hunted.
A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision, and he spun, firing his weapon into the trees. The gunshots echoed through the forest, but they hit nothing but air.
The soldiers followed suit, their weapons flashing in the darkness as they unleashed a barrage of gunfire, but there was no target to hit.
Then, in the midst of the chaos, Maxim struck. He emerged from the shadows behind a soldier, his movements silent and fluid. A knife flashed in his hand, and before the man could react, Maxim had driven the blade into his neck, pulling him back into the darkness and taking away his pistol.
Another soldier turned just in time to see his comrade vanish. He shouted in alarm, but Maxim was already moving, his figure a blur as he closed the distance.
With a swift, powerful kick, he knocked the soldier off his feet, following up with a lethal strike to the chest and a bullet to the brain.
~BANG~
The remaining soldiers tried to regroup, but they were disoriented, their formation broken. Maxim exploited their confusion, moving among them like a wraith.
He took down another soldier with a brutal punch to the throat, then twisted around to disarm the next, using the man's own weapon to finish him off and then killing the soldier he punched in the throat.
Within moments, it was over. The forest was silent once more, the Hydra soldiers lying lifeless on the forest floor. Maxim stood in the center of the carnage, his breathing steady, his eyes cold.
But the fight wasn't over yet. He felt it, a presence, two of them, approaching from the direction of the main Hydra force. They were different from the others, their footsteps heavier, more deliberate. Maxim could tell they were skilled, highly trained.
He didn't have to wait long. From the shadows, two figures emerged, Winter Soldiers, their bodies enhanced with cybernetic implants, their faces hidden behind masks.
Their eyes locked onto Maxim, and without a word, they attacked, fast, aggressive and with intent to kill.
The first Winter Soldier lunged at Maxim, his movements fast and aggressive. He swung a ferocious arm in a wide arc, aiming for Maxim's head.
Maxim dodged, the blow missing him by inches, and countered with a sharp kick to the Soldier's side. The man barely flinched, his body absorbing the impact with ease.
The second Winter Soldier came at Maxim from the opposite side. He aimed for Maxim's legs, trying to sweep them out from under him. Maxim leaped back, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the first Soldier was already on him again, launching a flurry of punches.
Maxim blocked and parried, his mind racing as he analyzed their movements. They were strong, stronger than any normal human, and their coordination was near perfect, but near perfect wasn't enough to stop him.
Maxim shifted through the darkness, disappearing from their sight, only to reappear behind the first Soldier. Maxim struck quickly, driving his knife into the back of the man's knee.
The Soldier grunted in pain, dropping to one knee, but his comrade was already turning, his fist swinging toward Maxim's head, which Maxim ducked with ease, retaliating with a brutal elbow to the ribs.
The man staggered, and Maxim pressed the advantage, delivering a powerful kick to his chest that sent him crashing into a tree.
The first Soldier, still on one knee, tried to rise, but Maxim was on him in an instant, sending a paranoia right onto him.
All of a sudden, the winter soldier felt his senses drained, his vision was near-sighted, his hearing gone. All of a sudden, he felt his arm twisted, and grunted in pain.
Then, without any chance to react, a pair of arms wrapped in a long-sleeve wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply. The soldier struggled, but Maxim held firm, and with a savage twist.
~SNAP~
He snapped his neck, killing him instantaneously!
Maxim didn't have time to catch his breath. The second Soldier was already back on his feet, and this time, he was more cautious, more deliberate in his approach. He circled Maxim, his eyes calculating, searching for a weakness.
Maxim could feel the Soldier's intense gaze, but he didn't waver. He knew what he needed to do.
He allowed the shadows to envelop him, his body becoming one with the darkness. The Soldier hesitated, his eyes widening slightly as Maxim vanished from sight.
Then, without warning, Maxim struck. He reappeared behind the Soldier, his movements faster than before, fueled by the shadows.
He drove his knee into the Soldier's back, forcing him forward, then followed up with a powerful punch to the base of his skull.
The Soldier staggered, disoriented, but Maxim didn't let up. He seized the Soldier's arm, wrenching it back with enough force to dislocate the shoulder. The Soldier muffled out a groan of pain, and Maxim used the moment of weakness to finish the fight.
He twisted the man's neck, feeling the snap of bone beneath his hands, and the Soldier fell to the ground, lifeless.
Maxim stood over the bodies of the two Winter Soldiers, his breathing heavy but controlled. He glanced around, sensing that the area was now clear. No more Hydra soldiers, no more Winter Soldiers, just the silence of the forest and the darkness that surrounded him.
Maxim sheathed his knife, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the horizon. There was still so much to do, so many more battles to fight.
And Hydra was running out of time.
Bab 7: Future Plan!
The bar was dimly lit, a haze of cigarette smoke hanging in the air as the patrons huddled over their drinks. The steady hum of conversation mixed with the clinking of glasses, creating a low buzz that filled the room.
It was the kind of place where no one asked questions, where people came to forget about their current life, to disappear into the shadows for a while and enjoy themselves.
Maxim Novikov sat alone at a corner table, a glass of tequila in his hand. A hoodie covered his face as he relaxed, being relatively lowkey as he drank the wine and scouted the area.
The burn of the liquor was a comforting sensation, grounding him as he stared into the amber liquid. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, plans, and memories, all of it swirling together in the quiet chaos of his mind.
He hadn't slept well in weeks, always fighting, training and moving. The adrenaline that had fueled him then still lingered, making it impossible to rest.
A small television mounted on the wall behind the bar flickered, the news broadcast playing on a low volume. Maxim's eyes drifted to the screen, catching the familiar blue, red, and white shield that flashed across it.
The headline scrolled across the bottom:
"Captain America Found! Reports Confirm Steve Rogers Alive and Well."
According to the reports, it had been a month since he had been found alive and well, and was currently reintegrating into society. Maxim's grip tightened as he watched the footage of Steve Rogers, America's golden boy, a symbol of hope and justice.
Captain America was one of his or Alex's favorite Superheroes, due to his morals that very rarely ever wavered no matter the situation. In the future Civil War, Alex believed that Cap was right, and having been hunted down by Hydra and Shield due to Hydra's influence, Maxim could also understand where Steve was coming from.
Maxim forced himself to look away, taking another sip of his tequila. As long as he kept fighting, he'd find a way to contact one of the Avengers Shield members who could be called relatively trustworthy.
Black Widow, Hawkeye or Nick Fury. Although he didn't fully trust them, especially Nick Fury, he couldn't live his entire life on the run, so he needed them to clear his name.
The alcohol did little to dull the edge of his thoughts, but it gave him something to focus on. He needed to stay sharp, to keep moving forward. There was no time for distractions, not when he had so much left to do.
Maxim's mind shifted to his immediate goal, the next piece of his plan that would bring him one step closer to his ultimate objective: dismantling Hydra.
For that, he needed resources—something powerful, something that could give him an edge. And he knew exactly where to find it from browsing Alex's memories of Marvel.
Ulysses Klaue.
The name had surfaced in Alex's memories, along with details about a stash of Vibranium Klaue had in his possession. The African Coast, somewhere near the border of Wakanda, that's where Klaue was hiding.
The man was a black market arms dealer, a ruthless criminal with ties to the worst kinds of people. But Maxim didn't care about Klaue's connections or his criminal empire. He cared about the Vibranium, and what it could do for him.
Vibranium was more than just a rare metal. It was nearly indestructible, with properties that made it invaluable to anyone who knew how to use it.
If Maxim could get his hands on some, he could craft weapons, armor, and tools that would give him a significant advantage in his fight against Hydra.
Maxim set his glass down on the table, his mind made up. The path was clear, the next step in his journey decided. He would head to the African Coast, find Klaue, and take what he needed.
The man wouldn't give it up easily, but Maxim wasn't planning on asking nicely. Maxim pulled up his Status to check his progress:
[ Name - Maxim Novikov ]
[ Race - Radiant Human ]
[ Character Integration:
- Omen: 65%
Over time, Maxim had naturally improved the efficiency of his skills. He had learned all of Omen's natural assassin skills, such as disguise, movement, combat training, but now he just needed to control Omen's powers.
However, even Omen at full power wasn't enough for Maxim. Vibranium was a near indestructible metal, and also a metal that was incredibly useful for technological research.
If he managed to get Vibranium in his hands, that was the next way to improve himself. According to Alex's memories, Ulysses Klaue worked mostly on the African Coast, so Maxim had a rough estimate of where he was.
Finished thinking, Maxim stood up, leaving a few bills on the table next to his unfinished drink. The television continued to drone on about Captain America, but Maxim didn't spare it another glance as he walked out of the bar and into the cold Russian night.
The next phase of his mission was about to begin, and there was no turning back. He would find Klaue, take the Vibranium, and use it to bring down Hydra once and for all.
And if anyone stood in his way, they would meet the same fate as those Hydra soldiers in the forest—swift, brutal, and final.
__________________________________
Chapter: The African Coast
The journey from Russia to the African coast was long and arduous, but Maxim Novikov moved with a singular purpose. The cold, unforgiving landscapes of Siberia had given way to the scorching heat of the African sun, but the shift in environment did nothing to deter him.
He traveled under various aliases, using false identities to avoid detection by both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. It wasn't easy; the more he moved, the more he felt the net tightening around him. But Maxim was used to the pressure by now, he thrived in it.
Maxim boarded a train heading west, blending in with the late-night travelers, most of whom were weary workers returning home or drunks looking for one last stop before collapsing into sleep.
Russia was mostly a chill place, people minded their business and kept to themselves, which helped Maxim on his travel, all he had to do was watch out for Hydra, but Maxim had plans for that.
Constantly swapping clothes, wearing different masks or hoodies to block any facial recognition technology. Finally, Maxim took a seat by the window, his eyes scanning the darkened landscape as the train began to move.
He pulled up the map in his mind, plotting his route. He would take the train to Moscow, then use the cover of the city to arrange for a discreet flight out of Russia.
From there, it would be a series of careful moves across borders, avoiding detection as he made his way to the African Coast.
Time ticked by and everything went mostly smoothly. The flight out of Moscow was uneventful. Maxim maintained a low profile, shuffling through the shadows to sneak onto the plane.
The next few days passed in a blur of travel and tense waiting. Maxim moved through a series of places, ensuring that his trail was difficult to follow. As a former Assassin, Omen was naturally skilled at anti-reconnaissance.
Finally, Maxim arrived at the African Coast. The climate was a stark contrast to the Russian winter, the heat oppressive even in the early morning hours. Maxim took a deep breath, allowing himself a moment to adjust to the new environment.
The sounds of the bustling port city filled the air—people shouting, machinery clanking, and the ever-present hum of commerce.
Maxim's destination was a remote port town on the edge of the African coast, a place notorious for its black-market dealings and corrupt officials. It was the perfect hiding spot for someone like Ulysses Klaue, a man who thrived in chaos and built his empire on the desperation of others.
The town itself was a maze of narrow streets, crumbling buildings, and hidden alleys, the kind of place where you could disappear without a trace, or find anything if you knew where to look.
As Maxim arrived at the port town, he kept his hood pulled low over his face, blending in with the crowd of dockworkers, traders, and smugglers. The stench of fish and saltwater hung heavy in the air, mixing with the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore.
He moved quickly, his steps purposeful as he navigated the labyrinth of streets, his mind focused on the task ahead.
Finding Klaue wouldn't be easy. The man was careful, paranoid even, and he surrounded himself with heavily armed mercenaries who would kill anyone they didn't recognize.
However, Maxim wasn't just anyone. He already had a plan. To gather info, he naturally needed to blend in with the normal folk, listen to the whispers in dark corners of bars and markets, running into other criminals.
To someone like Maxim, it would be very easy to blend in and find Klaue, and his plan was already afoot.
Soon, Klaue would fall into his lap, alongside that precious Vibranium, and Maxim would be another step closer to his goal.
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