Versus the Captain!
Maxim sat at a roadside café, casually sipping his coffee. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the pavement.
He had been on the move for three days, covering his tracks and slipping through borders with ease.
Between his forged documents and his mastery over Omen's abilities, slipping past customs and surveillance was effortless. He was already well on his way to Sokovia.
His plan was simple, recruit Wanda and Pietro, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. It would be easy mostly, just point them to who actually caused their parents deaths instead of Stark and promise them power.
Maxim was already planning on "borrowing" Loki's Scepter, which housed the Mind Gem, using it to activate the Twins' powers and improve his own power.
Although his mental barriers were strong, he needed them to become indestructible, and the Mind Gem also had many other benefits.
With Scarlet Witch and Pietro in his arms, Maxim would train them, since they were pathetically weak for most of their MCU stay, and also potentially allow Vision to get created, just to have another ally.
Although he'd love to have the Gem permanently, he needed to have contingency plans for Thanos, and Vision holding the Mind Gem would be a good plan. Of course, that would only happen once Maxim had completed all of his work on the Mind Gem.
However, all of that was for the far future, currently, Maxim was still on his way to actually recruit the Maximoff Twins.
It was still 2011 now, and Wanda and Pietro should be 22 years old, living in Sokovia which was becoming a war zone and protesting against heroes misguidedly.
As these thoughts swirled though Maxim's mind, he exhaled slowly, finishing up his cup of coffee and heading out of the cafe back towards the truck.
However, his instincts picked up on something or someone, honed from Omen's years of combat and survival, alongside his own experience, Maxim trusted his instincts above all.
He sensed someone watching...No~Two-Three People!
Maxim didn't turn his head or let his expression change. Instead, he let his eyes wander subtly, scanning reflections in windows and the movements of those around him.
As he scanned he spotted three persons, his senses barely picking up on a red haired woman.
As an Internationally Renowned Superspy, her ability to seal her presence was second to none, but thankfully, Maxim's senses were above her normal pay-grade.
He acted like he didn't spot them, wondering if they were Hydra agents. Although he had been free recently, he never stopped preparing for a potential attack, always training himself.
"Time to go dark," he thought.
Without a sound, he melted into the shadows as he entered the car. The world around Maxim became an indistinct blur of silhouettes and dim light as he shifted through the darkness, slipping out of sight.
His powers made him invisible in the dark, his form blending into the shifting twilight. Maxim reappeared atop a nearby building, crouching low to survey his surroundings. needed to identify these potential threats.
From his vantage point, he saw them approach his abandoned seat. He couldn't see their faces, but he could see their bodies.
A tall, blonde man in a leather jacket moved with purpose. Behind him was a red-haired woman with a deadly air about her and a man with a bow, scanning the area with trained precision.
"Steve Rogers... Natasha Romanoff... Clint Barton," Maxim recognized them immediately. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest. His heart raced. He knew this wasn't just a random encounter—this was a scouting mission.
However, he was a bit confused. With how intelligent Clint and especially Natasha was, there was no way they'd of been called by Hydra, as they'd see through the holes in Maxim's files immediately.
It was too much of a threat to Hydra to call them in to take care of him, yet here they were, making Maxim wonder what happened. Still, he needed to take care of this, those crates of Vibranium were too important.
He didn't hesitate. With a silent burst of energy, he teleported behind a stack of crates nearby, using the cover to reposition himself.
From there, he launched his attack, sending a dark wave of paranoia right towards Clint, temporarily blinding and deafening him.
Hawkeye reacted immediately, using his spacial awareness and senses he picked up on before the paranoia to dive into a roll, retrieving another arrow and letting it loose without hesitation towards the general area of Maxim.
Meanwhile, Maxim had teleported just as it reached him, reappearing behind the Captain and sweeping his legs with a solid kick.
The Super-Soldier blocked his blow with his arms, before swinging back, however Maxim phased into the darkness before the hit could land.
Natasha was already on him by then, her widow's bite crackling with electricity. She lashed out, but Maxim parried with a quick shadow step, disappearing and reappearing in quick succession to confuse her.
Maxim landed a nice kick to her knees, taking her down to one knee before dodging another widow's bite, landing a kick that sent her flying back onto the floor.
Simultaneously, Clint had another arrow nocked, this one flashing with light.
"Flashbang arrow," Maxim immediately realized, the arrow exploded mid-air, bathing the area in blinding light. The shadows faltered as the darkness was torn away temporarily.
Steve tried to take this as an opportunity, lunging forward. But Maxim didn't solely rely on Omen's abilities. In terms of close combat, he was a total master at this point. He blocked Steve's hit and immediately engaged him.
Maxim wanted to see just how good his normal combat skills had become, and this was the perfect test.
Steve moved first, his body shifting into a rapid forward lunge, aiming a quick jab toward Maxim's face once again to continue the pressure. Maxim reacted instantly, sidestepping with a fluid motion, parrying the blow with his forearm while his tactical knife hand slashed out.
The blade sliced through the air with precision, aiming for Steve's ribs, but Steve twisted, the knife just grazing his side, leaving a shallow cut.
Steve followed up with a sharp elbow strike aimed at Maxim's jaw. Maxim ducked, feeling the wind from the blow pass over his head as he retaliated with a quick kick to Steve's midsection.
Steve blocked it with his arm, absorbing the impact and countering with a left hook. Maxim raised his arm just in time, catching the punch on his forearm, and tossing Steve over his shoulder.
But the Captain twisted his body and landed on his feet, smiling as he re-engaged the battle. They were moving in a blur of motion, every strike blocked or dodged by mere inches.
Maxim pressed forward, slashing with the knife again, this time targeting Steve's legs to throw him off balance. Steve sidestepped, but Maxim adjusted, feinting low before quickly switching directions and slashing upwards toward Steve's chest.
The blade nicked Steve's shoulder, a small line of red appearing on his jacket. Steve grunted but didn't slow down. He retaliated with a rapid one-two combination of punches aimed at Maxim's torso.
Maxim twisted his body, avoiding the first punch but taking the second to his ribs. A dull sensation appeared, and Maxim drove a knee towards Steve's stomach.
Steve caught it with his arm, shoving Maxim back, creating some distance between them.
Black Widow and Hawkeye at this point were just watching from the sidelines as the duo circled each other for a brief moment, eyes locked.
"I could do this all day." Steve said with a deep breath, his eyes determined.
"Yeah I know." Maxim muttered, a smirk on his face as he was remembering that iconic line from Alex's memory.
Steve moved again, quicker this time. He ducked low and closed the distance with a sweeping leg kick, trying to take Maxim's legs out from under him.
Maxim jumped just in time, landing lightly and thrusting the knife toward Steve's abdomen. Steve pivoted, catching Maxim's wrist with both hands, twisting it to disarm him.
Maxim growled, using the momentum to flip Steve over his shoulder. Steve hit the ground hard, but immediately rolled, kicking out at Maxim's legs. Maxim stumbled, but kept his footing, flipping the knife into his opposite hand and diving toward Steve with a downward stab.
Steve caught Maxim's wrist again, stopping the blade inches from his throat. Their muscles strained as they wrestled for control, both men locked in a battle of raw power.
Maxim gritted his teeth, pushing down with everything he had, but Steve's grip was like iron.
With a sudden burst of strength, Steve twisted his body and yanked Maxim to the side, throwing him off balance. Maxim rolled back to his feet in a fluid motion, just in time to avoid Steve's punch.
He swung his knife in a wide arc, but Steve knocked it out of his hand with a quick slap of his palm. Now disarmed, Maxim didn't falter. He dove forward, tackling Steve to the ground.
They grappled in the dirt, exchanging quick, brutal blows. Maxim landed a sharp elbow to Steve's jaw, and Steve responded with a knee to Maxim's gut, the force of the blow making Maxim double over.
But he didn't let up, he drove his fist into Steve's side, aiming for the liver. Steve gasped, but recovered, grabbing Maxim's arm and flipping him onto his back.
Steve loomed over him, ready to deliver the final blow, but Maxim teleported, reappearing behind him in a swirl of shadow.
Maxim grabbed Steve by the shoulder and spun him around, delivering a sharp punch to Steve's face, splitting his lip. Steve staggered but didn't fall. Instead, he wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled grimly.
"Not bad," Steve said, his voice rough, but approving.
Maxim smirked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You too, old man."
The two men stood, catching their breath. Both not willing to back down. Maxim could feel the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, but he knew that this fight, for now, was over.
It was a good test of his skills, and he thought he had passed!
"Now, are we done playing games?" Maxim asked, his voice steady but cold. "Or do I need to take this up a notch?"
Steve chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We're done... for now."