With his Mind Stone testing in Russia done, Maxim quickly decided to head home. The world folding in on itself around him as Maxim stepped through the shadows, eventually re-materializing in the middle of his home in Madripoor.
No sound preceded him, just the sudden shift in air pressure and the quiet hum of his presence filling the space.
Moonlight filtered through the glass walls, illuminating the expansive living room in soft silvers and blues.
The last drops of Moscow snow evaporated as he touched the polished marble floor. His combat coat shifted like liquid silk and within moments, the tactical gear vanished, replaced by soft pajamas.
"Home," Maxim muttered to himself.
With a thought, the lights dimmed. The fireplace flicked to life with a low crackle, no wood, just kinetic heat.
He walked to a built-in espresso bar tucked in the kitchen, turning it on, and within moments, a steaming cup of dark roast was in his hand for him to take a sip, enjoying the moment.
"Welcome back," A.N.G.E.L's voice whispered from the ceiling with practiced grace.
"Thanks," Maxim replied, his voice low, almost tired, "Is there anything urgent I should know?"
There was the briefest pause, A.N.G.E.L. always seemed to hesitate when the news was unpleasant, a distinctly human trait Maxim had once found charming. Now, it was just a warning bell.
"There's been movement from certain factions within the U.S. government," she began, her voice low and even. "Specifically, from sections once affiliated with Department H, the Defense Advanced Research Projects, and remnants of Project WideAwake."
Maxim raised an eyebrow,"That's a lot of ghosts in the same room."
"They've been merging resources off the grid for quite a while now. Leftover files from Project Rebirth, the surviving data recovered from Hydra bases, and now....Extremis."
Maxim raised an eyebrow curiously as he heard the last one that A.N.G.E.L had listed.
"Killian's tech?" he asked.
A.N.G.E.L confirmed, "Recovered from what little remained of his prototypes after the incident with Stark. They're attempting to modify and stabilize it using genetic splicing from Mutant DNA they've gathered over the years."
Maxim was definitely curious considering none of this had happened in the original MCU Timeline, so he had to chalk it up to the Butterfly Effect of his presence.
With Madripoor now being what it is, he didn't find it strange the power-hungry ones would be scrambling to find new ways to obtain more power as they see their own influence slipping rapidly due to what he's done.
"Who's behind it?"
A.N.G.E.L's tone dipped a few frequencies lower. "General Thaddeus Ross. Recently promoted to Secretary of State. He's using his new office to push legislation loosely modeled after what you've registered in my framework as the Accords."
"Hmm, looks like he's been promoted earlier too, another change." Maxim muttered. He wasn't surprised that the framework's of the Sokovia Accords were already being built.
Even in the original MCU Timeline, it would be impossible for the Accords to be made so quickly after what happened in Lagos, so it had to of been being created and secretly discussed long before it was proposed to the Avengers.
"Still, the initiative hasn't gained much traction amongst those Secretary Ross has proposed it to, mostly due to the current overwhelming support for enhanced individuals post New York. However, my data analytics suggest that public opinion swings to more negative, the Accords can gain more traction amongst those in power quickly." A.N.G.E.L said.
"Anything else I should know?" Maxim asked just taking in the information.
"Ross is leveraging his underground connections and other politicians who secretly support his ideals to gain more power for themselves. He's been quietly funding private labs under shell corporations. At least three facilities are operational using Extremis and the other data to try and build Supersoldiers. Two in Alaska, one in Montana. They've already begun trials."
"Any results?" Maxim asked.
"One successful test subject survived past three weeks. Enhanced muscle regeneration and heat resistence. But side effects include extreme aggression, tissue instability, and cerebral degradation."
"In other words," Maxim said, "they're building monsters."
"Yes."
Maxim stood, letting the hum of the plane fade as he walked toward the window. He didn't look out. He looked inward.
"I told Charles this would happen," he murmured. "They can't help themselves. They see power and they crave it, even when it's broken. Even when it kills them."
A.N.G.E.L hesitated again. "Do you want me to inform Professor Xavier?"
"No," Maxim said. "Not yet. Let him think the world is on the mend a little longer."
"Understood."
Maxim drank the rest of his coffee as he thought, taking slow sips of the dark roast perfectly calibrated for his preferred level of bitterness and warmth, but tonight even perfection tasted like ash.
Extremis. Ross. The Accords.
Maxim knew this wasn't something he could ignore. Not because it was a threat to him, he was long past being threatened by science experiments or political puppets.
At this point, there wasn't anything on Earth that could seriously threaten him and his status, but it was a threat to Mutants, to children like Katerina, and to his allies who were starting to feel safe.
There were a thousand ways to deal with Ross, each more violent than the last, especially with the Mind Stone, but where was the fun in that?
He vanished without another word, the shadows pulling around him like an embrace, folding space and thought into one.
In a blink, he appeared in the middle of a familiar, quiet apartment in Brooklyn.
Natasha's place was minimalist, sleek, just like her. Steel countertops. Hardwood floors. No clutter. The only sign anyone lived there was the faint scent of lavender in the air and the soft thrum of her playlist playing from the next room.
Maxim stepped lightly, but before he could say a word,
"What the hell?"
Natasha walked into the living room in nothing but a loose black tank top and matching underwear, a towel draped over her damp shoulders. Her hair was still wet from the shower, sticking to her collarbone as she froze mid-step.
Her eyes locked on Maxim.
"…Seriously?" she said, eyes narrowing. "You know normal people call ahead before teleporting into someone's house."
Maxim chuckled, setting his empty coffee cup on her counter. "In my defense, you left the shadows wide open."
"You're unbelievable," Natasha muttered, spinning quickly and grabbing the nearest thing, a gray bathrobe from the back of a chair, wrapping it tightly around herself as she scowled.
Maxim leaned against the edge of her kitchen island, still smirking, "You look beautiful, by the way."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smallest smile tugging at her lips, "Flattery won't keep you from getting kicked out next time."
"It's not flattery. Just observation."
She tied the robe a little tighter and crossed her arms. "You didn't come all the way here for small talk."
"No," he admitted, the smile fading from his eyes. "I came because something's happening. And I need your thoughts on it."
Natasha's expression shifted instantly, years of espionage and instinct sharpening her features, "I'm listening."
Maxim decided to recount everything A.N.G.E.L had told him. Natasha's face didn't betray much, but he saw her mind racing behind her eyes.
When he finished, she walked to the cabinet and poured herself a glass of water. She didn't drink from it, just held it for a long moment.
"Ross was always dangerous," she said at last. "He doesn't care about consequences. He only sees the end goal. Power, control. That's why he hated the Hulk so much, because Bruce was power without leash."
Maxim nodded, "And now he wants to manufacture leashes for everyone else."
"Exactly," she said. "But he won't go public unless he thinks the world is ready to beg for a leash. Right now, they still trust the heroes. They still believe in us. But all it takes is one disaster. One tragedy, and he'll have all the ammunition he needs."
"That's the problem. With me around and all the checks and balance's put in place, there won't be any serious tragedies, which means..."
"Which means he'll create one," Natasha said, interrupting Maxim, who just nodded in agreement.
Natasha finally took a sip from her glass, then leaned against the counter opposite him. "So what's your move?"
"I want to shutdown the labs quietly, but then he'll just make more, and I know certain people won't be happy if I go around psychically manipulating entire governments." Maxim said.
"When have you cared about how those people feel?" Natasha said with a smirk.
"I don't really, but I have better things to do with my time than fighting random people." Maxim responded.
"I plan to just get some people in deep in the operation using my powers. Let them see exactly who can't be found by A.N.G.E.L, from top to bottom." Maxim said.
Natasha thought for a moment and finally responded, "I have contacts of my own who can help, and if anything related to this pops up in S.H.I.E.L.D, I'll tell you."
Maxim gave a grateful nod, "I knew you'd say yes."
"You're lucky I like you," she said, her eyes softening just a little, "Also lucky I didn't have a gun when you popped in."
"I knew you were out of the shower," he said matter-of-factly.
She blinked,"Excuse me?"
"I sensed the steam. Your hair's still wet. The apartment smells like lavender. You always use that oil when you're unwinding. I figured the risk of being shot was low."
"You really are unbelievable." She said, spotting Maxim disappearing into the darkness.