บท 57: Grief and Remembrance!
The cool, evening breeze swept through Madripoor as Maxim and Katerina walked side by side, their silhouettes illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights. The transformation of the state was becoming more and more evident as time passed, and the siblings reminisced in the quietness of the streets.
"Do you remember when we used to play hide-and-seek in the apartment?" Maxim asked, a rare, soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he looked at his sister.
Katerina grinned, the nostalgia glimmering in her eyes, "Of course! You always found me, no matter how good my hiding spot was."
"I had an advantage," Maxim said with a chuckle, thinking back to the fun memories of the past, "You used to giggle the moment I got close. It made you the easiest target."
Katerina nudged him playfully, her laugh light and genuine, "I was five, Max! And you were always so serious about winning."
Maxim laughed cheerily, running his hand through Katerina's hair playfully as he spoke, "No handouts. If you want to win, get good kiddo."
She chuckled and grabbed his hand, removing it from her head playfully as she spoke, "Hmfm, someday, I'll beat you and rub it in your face, just like dad always boasted about beating you at Chess, you would get so mad."
Maxim gave a light chuckle at her words and nodded, "Yeah....Dad was even more competitive than I was." He said, the tone of his words dimming as the sentence came to an end.
Katerina realized, and a dull silence descended upon the duo until Maxim led her through a newly paved pathway, which housed a small, pristine cemetery at the end.
Katerina's pace faltered as her gaze fell on the two gravestones ahead, whose names were written in bold for everyone to see, etched in elegant lettering and flanked by symbols of peace and unity.
The gravestone was surrounded by beautiful flowers, and the sight of all of this struck Katerina like a blow to the gut, tears pooling in her eyes as she read
Tatiana Fontaine Novikov - A loving wife and mother. Partners in love and life, now together for eternity. Always in our hearts!
Ilya Novikov - A loving husband and father. Partners in love and life, now together for eternity. Always in our hearts.
Next to the gravestone was a beautiful picture of the family together. Maxim and Katerina stood at the front, much younger than they look now, cheerily hugging with smiles on their faces while their parents stood behind them.
Tatiana was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes, a warm and loving expression on her face as she stared into the camera that took the photo alongside her husband, who looked like a middle aged and more mature version of Maxim, albeit less muscular and a bit shorter.
"I... I didn't know you'd done this," Katerina whispered, her voice trembling as she stared, remembering the moment that photo was taken, and how happy they were as a family.
Maxim placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her forward, "They deserve to be remembered, Katya. This is their place now, where they can rest in peace and still be part of our lives."
Katerina dropped to her knees in front of the gravestones, her sobs breaking the stillness of the air. "I miss them so much," she choked out, "I think about them every day. It's not fair... they didn't deserve what happened."
Maxim knelt beside her, his arm around her shoulders, the memory of his parents death had haunted him, yet he was forced to move forward with all the obstacles in his life, his time to grieve was cut short, yet he never forgot.
He had tried to locate the which gang those thugs who killed his family were from, but found that gang was already massacred by Hydra, probably to cut off any loose ends connected to him.
Without the ability to truly avenge them, he needed to be strong for his sister, and to always let their loving memory remain in the world, "It wasn't fair, Katya. It never will be. But they wouldn't want us to drown in what we lost. They'd want us to grow stronger, to honor their memory by living."
She buried her face in his shoulder, clutching his jacket tightly, "I don't know if I can be that strong, Max."
"You already are," Maxim said gently. "Look at everything you've done. You've grown so much, found a place with people who care about you, and you're learning to powers. Mom and Dad would be proud of you, Katya. I know I am."
She looked up at him, her tears streaming freely, "Do you really think so?"
Maxim nodded firmly. "I know so. And I'll make sure their memory stays alive. I'm planning a national holiday, a day to honor them and everyone else who's lost family to senseless violence. Madripoor will remember them, Katya. Always."
For a long moment, they stayed there in silence, their shared grief slowly giving way to a sense of quiet resolve, a resolve to never have to experience this feeling again, to be free from the pain of grief and suffering.
Finally, Maxim helped her to her feet. "Come on," he said softly, "There's something else I want to show you."
They left the cemetery behind, making their way to one of Madripoor's newly constructed facilities. The doors slid open to reveal a vast, state-of-the-art combat training arena.
Katerina's eyes widened as she took in the sight, "This... is incredible!"
Maxim smirked. "Wait until you see what it can do. But first, let's see how much you've grown. Show me what you've learned with your powers."
Katerina hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, her expression determined.
She raised her hands, and a faint glow surrounded her as objects from the training area lifted into the air, hovering effortlessly. She concentrated, and the objects began moving in a synchronized dance, spinning and weaving around each other.
Maxim nodded, impressed, "Not bad, Katya. But let's see how you handle this."
With a flick of his wrist, shadows erupted from the ground, forming tendrils that darted toward her floating objects. Katerina reacted instantly, creating a psychic barrier that deflected the shadows, her control precise and unwavering.
She grinned at him, "You're not the only one who's been practicing."
Maxim chuckled, his pride evident, "Clearly."
The siblings continued to mess around with their powers. Maxim mostly stuck to Omen's abilities, while testing Katerina's psychic powers.
If he had to describe it, it would be similar to a nerfed version of Martian Manhunter's psychic abilities, both telepathy and telekinesis, but the upside was Katerina could still train and improve.
Still, that wasn't enough for Maxim, he needed to think of a way to improve her physique. The Super Soldier Serum was useful, but he didn't want 'Enhanced Human', he wanted Superhuman.
As the siblings were having fun together, A.N.G.E.L's voice echoed throughout the arena without warning, the AI's usually serene tone was replaced with an immediate urgency that grasped Maxim's attention.
"Maxim," A.N.G.E.L began, her voice cutting through the silence, "there's something you need to see. It's urgent."
Katerina looked at her her brother, sensing the weight of the interruption, "Go," she said softly, a small smile on her face,"I'll head back to the others. You've got something important to handle."
Maxim hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on her. Then, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace,"Stay safe, and keep practicing. I'll be back soon."
She hugged him back tightly, nodding against his shoulder, "I will. Don't take too long."
With a final smile, Maxim stepped back, and shadows began to swirl around him. In an instant, he vanished, leaving Katerina standing in the arena with a renewed sense of purpose.
Maxim reappeared in his private office, the dimly lit room bathed in an eerie glow from A.N.G.E.L.'s holographic form. She wasted no time, her voice sharp and direct.
"Approximately five minutes ago, a massive energy wave was emitted from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility. The energy signature is unlike anything we've recorded before, and it matches no known source. This could be... significant."
Maxim's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. He leaned against his desk, crossing his arms as he processed the information. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as realization dawned.
"Looks like the Avengers is a go," he said, his voice low and resolute, the weight of the moment hanging in the air.
The Tesseract had been activated, Loki had arrived, and it was time for another aspect of his plans to come into play.
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