Astral Shadow!

TWO WEEKS LATER!

As the time had passed since Dreykov's fall, many things had changed, the biggest being the Floating Red Room itself.

Under Maxim's guidance, there had been many repairs made to any and all damaged facilities, alongside many upgrades to things such as training facilities using his powers and advanced knowledge.

Although the upgrades hadn't all been completed yet, the Fortress was truly turning into a mobile sanctuary, a facility designed for training and operations. The atmosphere which was one oppressive under Dreykov now hummed with freedom and elation.

The Black Widows, who had previously been slaves to Dreykov's control, had slowly but surely adapted to their new lives. Having made their decision to work with Maxim, they worked hard to become quickly useful to him.

With A.N.G.E.L supervising their training and providing the highest quality of advanced nutritional supplements, training regiments and other facilities for them, they had slowly but surely adapted to what Maxim needed of them.

Their days were spent with rigorous training & strategic planning, but unlike when they were under Dreykov, their days also had moments of camaraderie, such as pool parties, team breakfast & dinner, and even play-testing the video games Maxim had A.N.G.E.L creating.

However, Maxim himself spent most of his time in a private lab he had created from Dreykov's former research wing. The room was a mix of advanced technology and magic.

In the center of the room, an intricate orb floated mid-air, its surface shimmering with shifting constellations. The Astral Transmission Orb, a device Maxim had been perfecting for days, pulsed softly as he adjusted its components.

"Not yet," he muttered to himself, frustration creeping into his voice. He pulled up the design schematics for the Orb on a holographic screen, making some edits to fix the design problems he had faced before re-focusing on the orb.

He channeled more of Astra's Astral Energy into the Orb, watching as its glow intensified, while he edited the runes on the Orb to regulate the energy transmission, "Just a little more..." he muttered.

Simultaneously, the door to his lab slid open, and Wanda entered. She paused for a moment, taking in the sight of Maxim hunched over his creation, his aura flickering with the remnants of cosmic energy, "You've been in here for days," she said, her tone light but concerned.

Maxim glanced over his shoulder, offering a small smile before he re-focused on his work, continuing to make alterations and perfections,"Days? Feels like hours at most."

Wanda walked closer, her eyes briefly scanning the orb. The pulse of energy calmed her greatly, and she was intrigued into what its purpose was.

"Natasha called," Wanda said, leaning against a nearby counter. "She's safely back with S.H.I.E.L.D. She wanted me to tell you... thank you. For everything."

Maxim nodded, "Good. She'll be a valuable ally down the line. Did she mention anything else?"

Wanda shook her head. "Just that she's rooting for us." She hesitated before asking, "What are you working on?"

Maxim gestured to the orb, which swirled with starlight, "Something to get us another partner. Don't think about it too much."

Wanda studied the orb, intrigued but not fully understanding its purpose. "I hope it works," she said softly. Then, her expression shifted to one of determination, "The Black Widows are ready. They've been training nonstop and are eager to prove themselves. Yelena says they're ready to deploy for the first phase of Operation: Madripoor. If you're ready, we can move forward."

Maxim straightened, brushing his hands off as he turned to face her fully, "Then we'll begin. Tell them to set off immediately. The first phase needs to go smoothly."

Wanda nodded, already halfway to the door before pausing, "What about you? You're not coming with us?"

Maxim shook his head, "I have business in Norway to handle first. Something important. Once I'm done, I'll meet you all in Madripoor to complete the next Operations."

Maxim said, his eyes moving away from the Orb back to Wanda as he made a final statement, "Don't forget to take the Communications Blocker. Once our operation begins, we can't have anyone outside of Madripoor knowing what is happening until we take full control."

"Understood!" Wanda said with a nod, moving away as she looked back at Maxim for a moment, a faint smile tugging at her lips, "Thank you, Maxim. For everything you've done, for them, for us."

Maxim's expression softened, his voice calm but firm, "It's not about thanks, Wanda. It's about making sure none of us are ever trapped like that again. Now go. The mission needs you."

Wanda gave a small nod, her crimson energy flickering briefly as she turned and left the room. Maxim watched her go before turning back to the orb, his eyes narrowing as he channeled another surge of energy into it.

"Let's see if you're worth all this effort," he murmured to himself, the orb beginning to vibrate as its glow intensified.

"Finally completed." he said, tossing the orb into the swirling shadows at his feet. The shadows swallowed it whole, storing the orb safely and securely.

"A.N.G.E.L.," Maxim called, the smooth, artificial voice of his AI assistant responding immediately.

"I'm heading out now. My connection will be cut for a while, don't freak out." He responded, and A.N.G.E.L.'s response carried a hint of concern,"Understood. Do you require backup protocols or recon?"

"Not this time. Just monitor Madripoor's first phase. If anything critical happens, follow the contingency plan."

"Noted. Safe travels, Maxim," A.N.G.E.L. replied, her tone warm despite her artificial nature.

Maxim gave a faint nod before pulling his hood over his head. The shadows in the room deepened, swirling around him like living tendrils. In a heartbeat, his form vanished into the darkness, leaving the lab silent save for the low hum of the equipment.

**********

The transition was seamless and Maxim was soon swiftly moving throughout the vast network of shadows across Norway, his incorporeal form weaving through the darkness like a phantom.

When he finally emerged, he could feel the lingering ancient Norse power echoing in the area. Normal Mortals couldn't sense it at all, but after assimilating Dante's abilities, this was all too noticeable.

"This is it," Maxim muttered, extending his hand and channeling Astra's power. Over the past time, while he had certainly been focusing on Dante's power, he didn't ignore the other templates he received.

He spent valuable time continuing his training, attempting to push those powers beyond their current limits and create new, unique abilities, not provided by the template.

This was an opportunity to test one of those new abilities. A faint, cosmic light surrounded Maxim as he shaped an Astral Shadow, a perfect projection of himself, imbued with his magic and unrestrained by his physical body.

The Astral Shadow had all the benefits of an Astral Projection, but using a combination of Omen's and Astra's abilities, it allowed him to explore dimensions without directly putting his main body and soul in total danger.

Once the Astral Shadow was created, Maxim connected to the dimensional signature of where his target was sealed, creating a portal, and stepping into it with his Astral Shadow Form without hesitation, as it dissolved into the darkness once more.

Once he arrived in the dimension, he was greeted by an eerie atmosphere. The air was thick, oppressive, reeking of death and decay. Maxim could hear the crunching of bones with every step.

The sound of something slicing through the air caught his attention, and Maxim's hand shot up instinctively. A blade, black as night and humming with malice, stopped inches from his face, caught in his grip. Its edge shimmered with deadly precision, but Maxim remained unflinching.

"Hmm. Human?" A cold, commanding voice echoed through the air, dripping with disdain, "No... something far stranger."

Maxim's eyes darted to the source of the voice. A figure emerged from the shadows, her silhouette unmistakable. Hela, the Goddess of Death, stood before him, her piercing green eyes scanning him with predatory interest.

Her dark armor seemed to absorb the light, and her crown of antlers gave her an imposing, almost otherworldly presence.

Hela smirked, her lips curling into a smile that was equal parts amusement and menace, "State your purpose, intruder, before I decide to reclaim my blade with your blood."

Maxim tossed the blade aside with a casual flick of his wrist, "I'm not here to fight, Hela. I've come to make an offer."

Hela's smirk faded slightly, replaced with an expression of curiosity. She crossed her arms, her stance relaxed but no less dangerous, "An offer, you say? Do you realize where you stand? What I could do to you? For someone who spent all this effort to enter this dimension, you seem awfully unintelligent."

Maxim stepped closer, his eyes glowing faintly with the energy of Astra's cosmos, "I know exactly where I am. And I know exactly who you are. But you're also someone who understands opportunity when it presents itself."

Hela tilted her head, intrigued. She twirled another one of her Night Blades, sending it shooting towards Maxim. This time, Maxim didn't bother dodging, and the Night Blade simply passed through his Astral Shadow Form, not doing any damage.

"As expected, well since you've planned so far ahead. Speak quickly, but know this, if your words bore me, I'll find a way to end you once I escape from here." Hela said.

Maxim's lips curled into a confident smile as he listened to her cold words, "Then let's not waste time."

************

While Hela's appearance will be slightly inspired by MCU, I'll be placing images which will show the type of look I want Hela to have. If you dislike a certain aspect of the images, well just imagine how you want her to look.

Hela Images Here: