Bab 69: The Next Template!
ONE WEEK LATER!
The midday sun casted sharp shadows across Madripoor's High-Tech training area that had recently been built. It was a massive underground facility, carved deep beneath the High Table Headquarters.
It was made using some of the remaining vibranium alloy to create a strong surface when combined with energy shields to contain the raw power of the combatants inside the facility.
In the center of the arena stood Maxim, shirtless, his body rippling with barely restrained energy. His muscles were hardened and honed to perfection, without even a single scar, and he unleashed an aura of unrelenting strength and inevitablility.
Every breath he took seemed to shake the air, and his eyes glowed with a deep unstoppable power.
"Doomsday, feels nice." Maxim muttered to himself, thinking about the character he had chosen. After some deliberation, he decided to go with Doomsday, mostly for the adaptive physiology.
Whatever hurts him will literally make him stronger now!
Maxim cracked his knuckles and looked around, spotting a group of challengers surrounding him in a loose circle. Some of them were members of the X-Men, and alongside them were Wanda and Pietro, both were eager to prove themselves.
Logan's claws were already extended as he circled Maxim like a predator,"This ain't personal, kid, but I'm not holdin' back."
Storm hovered above the ground, her eyes glowing white as clouds began to swirl in the simulated sky above, "Nor will I. This is for your benefit as much as ours."
Wanda Maximoff stood near the rear, her fingers weaving scarlet tendrils of Chaos Magic. Pietro cracked his knuckles, his trademark cocky smirk masking the unease he felt facing Maxim.
Cyclops adjusted his visor, the red glow of his optic blast intensifying. "We're doing this together. Do not underestimate him. He's more than we've ever faced."
"Begin!" A.N.G.E.L.'s calm voice announced from above to signal the start of the fight.
~BOOM~
Pietro instantly moved first, a sonic boom echoing in the background as he became a blur of silver streaking toward Maxim. He aimed a rapid series of punches and kicks at Maxim's torso and legs, his superhuman speed turning each strike into a battering ram.
WHAM~WHAM~WHAM!
"Damn, my body is insane now. I barely feel anything." Maxim thought to himself as he felt Pietro's first crashing into his body. With Doomsday's powers, his physique had already grown far beyond its previous level.
"Is that all?" Maxim's deep voice rumbled, amusement flickering in his glowing eyes as he looked at Pietro.
Pietro darted back, confusion flickering on his face, "What the hell? That should've, "
He didn't finish his sentence. Maxim moved, faster than Pietro could comprehend, and backhanded him across the arena. Pietro smashed into the energy-reinforced wall, groaning as he slid to the floor.
"Next," Maxim said, his voice calm but laced with challenge as he stared at the various challengers surrounding him.
Storm and Cyclops attacked simultaneously. A bolt of lightning shot down from above, crackling with destructive energy, while Cyclops unleashed a concentrated optic blast aimed directly at Maxim's chest.
~BOOM~!
The lightning struck venomously!
~ZRRRACK~!
The optic blast followed, creating an explosion of light and sound. Dust and smoke filled the air, blocking everyone's vision of Maxim and what happened after the attacks hit him.
"He's down!" Cyclops called, but his optimism was short-lived as the smoke slowly cleared, and a silhouette emerged, unharmed.
Maxim's body seemed to radiate an otherworldly glow and he flexed his muscles, looking towards Cyclops and the others, "You'll have to do better than that guys." he said cockily.
~WHOOSH~
Maxim lunged at Cyclops, closing the distance in an instant without even breaking a sweat. Cyclops barely managed to dive out of the way, or so he thought.....
Maxim had anticipated his dodge long before Cyclops had even carried out the action. A swift kick sent Cyclops skidding across the grown, his visor sparking as he landed hard.
Suddenly, a crackle of scarlet energy echoed as a flood of crimson red tendrils bound Maxim, constricting him tighter and tighter as it tried to restrain him.
"I can hold him!" she shouted, "Hit him now!"
Maxim looked at the binds, feeling like he can snap them as easily as he snaps a twig and he let out a chuckle, looking at Logan who roared and charged towards him with his claws ready to slash.
As Logan leapt towards him, Maxim's body shimmered, and the bindings snapped like glass. Logan's claws struck hard, raking across Maxim's torso, only for the adamantium blades to skid harmlessly across his reinforced skin.
Maxim grinned,"Nice try."
Before Logan could react, Maxim grabbed him by the arm and flipped Logan over his shoulder, sending him crashing into the ground before wrapping his hands around Logan's torso, immediately hitting him with a German Suplex that shook the ground.
Wanda's eyes widened. She unleashed a wave of pure chaos energy that struck Maxim dead-on, the power of her attack bending the air around them.
The Magic crashed into Maxim, and he stumbled for a second before laughing, looking towards Wanda and unleashing a Psionic Blast that assaulted Wanda ferociously, sending her tumbling back as she clutched her head painfully and groaned in pain.
Pietro immediately rushed to her side, trying to help her whilst the X-Men regrouped, forming a defensively line shoulder-to-shoulder with grim expressions on their faces as they looked at the unharmed Maxim.
"We hit him together," Cyclops said, "Everything we've got."
Storm summoned a hurricane, winds howling as lightning danced across the arena. Cyclops unleashed his most powerful blast, the beam carving a molten path across the floor. Logan charged again, claws ready.
Maxim stood in the center of the chaos, his body absorbing every attack. The lightning just crackled off his skin, while the optic blasts slowly lost their effectiveness over time, and Logan's claws couldn't penetrate his skin at this time.
Once he allowed them to get their hits in, Maxim moved like a hurricane. His fist first connection with Cyclops, sending him flying, and then he caught Logan mid air and hurled him towards Storm, who he simultaneously assaulted with a Psionic Attack, leaving her defenseless.
The pack of mutants immediately collapsed in a heap
He moved like a hurricane, a blur of power and precision. His fist connected with Cyclops, sending him flying. He caught Logan mid-leap and hurled him into Storm, the two mutants collapsing in a heap.
"Enough!" Maxim's voice boomed, shaking the arena. He slammed his foot into the ground, creating a seismic shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet.
Dust and debris filled the air as the X-Men and Maximoff twins struggled to rise. When the dust settled, Maxim stood alone, his chest heaving but otherwise unscathed. Around him, the others lay defeated.
A.N.G.E.L.'s voice broke the silence. "Training session concluded. Combatants incapacitated: 100%. Maxim Novikov victorious."
Maxim exhaled, the glow in his eyes fading as he looked towards the others," Damn that was fun."
Logan groaned, pulling himself to his feet, "Kid... you're a damn monster."
Maxim offered a faint smile, "Maybe. But I'm your monster."
With that, he turned and left the arena, the echoes of his footsteps fading into the distance. Behind him, the others regrouped.
"Damn, he's grown even stronger. What does this guy do when he goes out?" Wanda whispered her question.
"But he's on our side," Storm replied, her voice steady despite the exhaustion. "And that makes all the difference."
****
When I began writing the chapter, Doomsday was the most popular option, so enjoy everyone. This will be fun. Probably lots of fighting this arc for him to flex his muscles.
Bab 70: Timeline Changes!
With the sparring finished, Maxim had returned to his quarters, reviewing a map of Hydra facilities scattered across the globe. With the Mind Stone in his grasp, he thought it was time for him to finally weed out Hydra's global influence.
Suddenly however, A.N.G.E.L's mechanical voice immediately echoed out in his quarters, "There is a development requiring your immediate attention Maxim."
Maxim raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair as he removed the map of the Hydra facilities, "Go on."
"Hydra has accelerated their plans," A.N.G.E.L. said. A screen appeared in the air, showing live footage of two black SUVs driving through a quiet highway under a starry night, "A squad of their top operatives is en route to intercept Director Fury and Agent Maria Hill. They believe Fury has uncovered their infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. and are moving to eliminate him before he can act."
Maxim grew curious at A.N.G.E.L's words. It seems like him telling Steve and the others about Hydra had eventually alerted them early, "How long do I have?" he asked.
"Couple minutes at best. You need to leave now. They're deploying at high-speeds. Fury and Hill are driving to a secure facility but are unaware of the ambush," A.N.G.E.L. informed him, her tone tinged with urgency.
Maxim stood, energy rippling through him. "Send me the coordinates. I'll handle it."
"Coordinates uploaded," A.N.G.E.L. said, "Do you require support?"
Maxim shook his head, a smirk curling his lips. "No need. I'll make sure Hydra remembers why they fear me."
***
The moonlight bathed the isolated road in a pale glow, its eerie stillness broken only by the hum of the two black SUVs speeding along the highway.
Inside the lead vehicle, Nick Fury sat in the driver seat, his one good eye fixed on the darkness ahead. He glanced at Maria Hill, who was busy doing some work on her classified S.H.I.E.L.D tablet.
"Everything quiet?" Fury asked, his voice calm but laced with suspicion.
"For now," Hill replied, "The secure facility isn't far. Ten more minutes if we keep this pace."
Fury nodded, and refocused on the road when suddenly, Maria's voice once again cut through the silence, "We've got movement on the scanners—rear left."
Before Fury could respond, a blinding light burst from the nearby cross-section, followed by the deafening roar of an engine.
An armored vehicle slammed into their SUV, sending it skidding across the road, and they were immediately peppered with gunfire from a second Hydra truck emerging from the shadows.
"Son of a bitch" Fury cursed, gripping the wheel and slamming his foot on the pedal as he shifted into reverse to escape the kill zone.
Bullets ricocheted off the reinforced armor, sparks flying in every direction as the armor reinforcement % dropped rapidly, from 100%, down to 94, down to 89 and counting as more bullets came flying in.
Fury immediately activated the vehicle's internal defense systems, "Deploy countermeasures," he barked.
The SUV's windows darkened and a minigun appeared in the middle of the car, held by Maria Hill as she shot off blindly towards the attacking agents who had already broken the windows.
Fury immediately shifted back into acceleration and slammed the gas pedal as hard as he could, dodging an incoming grenade that exploded mere feet away from the car, "That was too close." she yelled.
"They're not playing around," Fury said, glancing at the HUD on his tablet. "They've got at least three more vehicles incoming. And it looks like, dammit, drones too."
As if on cue, the whirring sound of Hydra's combat drones filled the air. The sleek machines swooped down, firing a barrage of bullets at the SUV. The vehicle jolted as many of the shots bounced off the roof.
"Contact Agent Rogers and Agent Romanoff." Fury immediately ordered the vehicle's AI system.
"Communications array damaged." The robotic voice responded.
"Well what's not damaged?" Fury asked sarcastically.
"Air-conditioning is fully operational." The robotic voice responded.
"Son of a bitch." Fury said angrily, gripping the wheel tighter as another Hydra vehicle slammed into their side, trying to force them off of the road.
"Let's give them something to chew on." Fury said, pulling out a small device and pressing the button, and the SUV's rear compartment ejected a cluster of explosive mines.
~BOOM~
The Hydra vehicle pursuing them detonated in a fiery explosion, debris scattering across the road.
"That'll slow them down," Fury muttered, but his relief was short-lived.
From the front, two more Hydra vehicles appeared, blocking the road. Their mounted cannons opened fire, forcing Hill to swerve violently to avoid the incoming projectiles.
"We're boxed in!" He shouted.
"Not yet," Agent Hill said, narrowing her eye as she stared at the map of her surroundings on the tablet, "Take that dirt path to the left. Now!"
Fury didn't hesitate. He yanked the wheel, sending the SUV barreling off the main road and onto a narrow dirt trail. The bumpy terrain jostled them violently, but it also provided a temporary reprieve as the bulkier Hydra vehicles struggled to follow.
"Okay, that bought us some time," Fury panted.
"Not much," Maria replied grimly, checking her tablet again. "They're coordinating from somewhere nearby. This isn't a random hit."
Another explosion rocked the night as a drone struck the area behind them, causing a massive explosion which sent a heat wave right at them, prickling their skin.
"Dammit," Hill muttered, her voice tight.
Before Fury could respond, a new threat appeared, a towering Hydra hovercraft descending from the sky, its spotlights illuminating the dirt trail ahead. It blocked their path, forcing Fury to slam on the brakes.
"We're out of options," he said, her voice laced with frustration.
Fury clenched his jaw, his mind racing, "Not yet. Divert all resources to defense and find a way to contact Agent Romanoff."
As the Hydra agents approached, surrounding their SUV with weapons drawn, Fury and Hill readied themselves for a final stand.
However, before either of them could act, the ground began to tremble, a low rumble that quickly escalated into a deafening roar. The Hydra agents froze, their attention drawn to the pulsating energy rippling through the air.
A burst of fire and ash erupted from the ground, splitting the earth apart. From the chaos, Maxim emerged, his form cloaked in shadow and fire, his eyes glowing with molten intensity.
"What the hell?" one of the Hydra agents stammered, his weapon trembling in his hands.
Without warning, Maxim moved, faster than the eye could follow. His body blurred as he leapt into the air, landing amidst the Hydra agents with a thunderous crash that sent shockwaves rippling outward.
The sheer force of his impact sent vehicles and operatives flying like ragdolls.
One Hydra operative regained his footing and fired an energy weapon at Maxim, but the beam dissipated harmlessly against his impenetrable skin. Maxim's gaze shifted toward the man, and with a single step, he closed the distance.
His massive hand reached out, crushing the weapon like paper before hurling the operative into a nearby truck with a sickening crunch that killed him on impact.
The remaining Hydra forces regrouped, focusing their firepower on Maxim. Bullets, plasma bolts, and grenades rained down, engulfing the area in a cacophony of explosions.
But Maxim didn't flinch. His body absorbed the onslaught as if it were nothing more than a light drizzle. He unleashed a psionic attack that immediately crippled the minds of the various Hydra forces around them, sending them collapsing to the ground.
His attention turned and he smashed through the hovercraft blocking Fury and Hill's path, ripping the vehicle apart and tossing the wreckage aside as if it was a mere toy.
Fury and Hill watched in awe from within the SUV.
"That's him? I don't recall he fought like that in New York" Hill asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and admiration.
"Agent Hill." Fury said, causing Maria to turn and look at him, "Remind me to never cross this motherfucker."
Meanwhile, Maxim had turned his attention to the drones, destroying all of them relatively easily before landing next to Fury and Maria, pulling off the door and removing them from the destroyed vehicle.
"How'd you figure we were in danger?" Fury asked.
"I've been tracking Hydra myself y'know." Was all Maxim had to say, and Fury took him at his word.
"Come on, I'll contact Steve and Natasha, you two'll go off the grid while I handle Hydra." Maxim said, holding them as he teleported away, leaving the environment a fiery wreckage.
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