Maxim immediately sought to put the Mind Stone's power to further use, both as a test and to handle the remaining loose ends of Hydra. He intertwined the Mind Stone's power with his own telepathic and psychokinetic prowess.
His consciousness stretched outward, a vast network of thoughts, emotions, dreams and more revealing itself to him. Every mind, every whisper, every secret laid before him in Madripoor.
However, Maxim remained focused, taking a deep breath as he stretched his consciousness out further, eyeing a specific target.
HYDRA
A festering disease hidden in the shadows, burrowed deep into the very foundation of governments, corporations, intelligence agencies. However to Maxim, there were no shadows anymore.
To him, it was finally time to crush them like bugs and move into another phase of his life.
With a single push of his mind, he located them all.
Jasper Sitwell – seated comfortably in a secured S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, unaware that his own "loyal" subordinates were already marking him for elimination.
Senator Stern – The corrupt politician who had shielded Hydra for years, enjoying a lavish dinner, laughing with fellow conspirators, oblivious to the fact that his world was about to come crashing down.
Alexander Pierce – The mastermind, the man who had nearly shattered the world in Winter Soldier's reality. He was in Washington, discussing contingency plans with Hydra's highest-ranking members, preparing for scenarios where their cover was blown.
And so many others. International Businessmen, Military Generals, Journalists & Media Moguls, Politicians, each of them were cogs in the Hydra machine, using their influence to increase Hydra's power.
Now, all of them were within Maxim's reach. Maxim didn't move, but his mind did.
The world shifted under his influence.
His mental influence extended across the globe, immediately targeting every lower-ranking Hydra operative, every foot soldier, every hidden agent masquerading as government employees, corporate executives, or law enforcement.
Immediately, their minds were rewired. For the foot soldiers who were busy guarding bases or protecting their higher-ups, they didn't even have time to react.
Their hearts stopped mid-beat, synapses overloaded in an instant. Hundreds—no, thousands—fell at once. A purge so absolute, so precise, that not a single civilian was caught in the crossfire.
It was silent. A death without screams. In an instant, Hydra had lost every single one of their combatants.
Hydra had prided itself on being a force embedded so deeply that it could never be removed. They had spent decades weaving themselves into the world's power structures, believing that no single individual could ever truly eradicate them.
But Maxim was no mere individual.
Next, he turned his attention to the lower-ranked administrative officers. Those who worked in the government, in businesses, charities or law enforcement. For these, he wiped their minds clean of Hydra's influence, and slowly implanted his preferred ideals into them.
These people could potentially prove useful in the future, so he kept them around.
Once that was done, his attention turned to the upper echelon Hydra executives, rewriting their mind as he saw fit.
Each target, high-ranking and protected, suddenly felt an impulse. A thought, not their own, but one they could not resist.
There's a meeting. A private, secure gathering. The details are in your mind. You must go.
One by one, the Hydra executives obeyed, there was no chance they couldn't obey.
They moved, unknowingly assembling at the designated location, a secluded Hydra bunker in the Appalachian Mountains. A place Maxim had pulled from their very memories.
Perfect.
Now, all that was left was to deliver them.
Maxim's telepathy reached further, piercing into a very specific mind, Nick Fury.
The legendary spymaster was in a secured safe house, poring over intelligence reports when he suddenly heard Maxim's voice in his mind.
A lesser man would have panicked.
Fury simply sighed and rubbed his temples. "Jesus. You again?"
Maxim's voice echoed directly into his mind, smooth and confident. "Relax, old man. I just handed you the biggest Hydra sting operation of your career."
A stream of information flooded into Fury's consciousness, coordinates, names, details of the bunker where every high-ranking Hydra official was now converging.
Maxim could feel Fury's heartbeat spike.
"Son of a bitch…" Fury muttered under his breath. He reached for his communicator. "Hill, I need a strike team ready to move. Now."
"No need for thanks." Maxim's mental voice was laced with amusement. "I've sent you all the documents you need to handle the fallout, good luck."
Fury didn't get a chance to respond before their telepathic connection was cut off.
Now, Maxim just stood there relaxing. With Hydra taken down so quickly, he now had the opportunity to relax and work on himself and his goals.
For the next couple months, he could spend that time improving Madripoor and working with Hela, whilst improving his control of his powers.
( Give suggestions for how to use the Mind Stone here. )
Maxim teleported to his own personal house, standing atop a balcony as he overlooked the City. He could see the NanoSwarms he created working on the construction of another building, this one being a school library.
Most of the administrative buildings, such as the Post Office, Madripoor Bank, Court House, various public services like Fire, Police, and Healthcare had all been built.
The main schools had also been built, and most of the Black Widows who retired from active missions were more than happy to take on the role of teachers and other administrative roles.
For him, this was perfect, there was a vast amount of unemployed persons due to the intense crime and with his resources, it would be easy to train and gain the most from them.
As he thought this, behind him, space distorted. The air itself bent and twisted, warping into a void of darkness laced with green.
Then, she stepped through.
Hela.
"You felt it, didn't you?" he murmured, his voice smooth, almost amused.
Hela's lips curled in the faintest smirk. "Of course. You don't wield something as powerful as an Infinity Stone and expect me to ignore it." She stepped closer, her presence like a looming storm, "I felt it the moment you took it into yourself. But what fascinates me…" She tilted her head, studying him with narrowed eyes. "…is how quickly you've adapted."
Maxim finally turned, meeting her gaze without hesitation. "I expected it to be harder," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "To control something of this magnitude. But instead…" He lifted a hand, and reality rippled. A surge of energy pulsed through the air, warping space for a fraction of a second before settling again, "It's effortless."
Hela's smirk deepened. "Most beings would have been consumed by the Mind Stone's influence. Driven mad. But you?" She stepped even closer, until they were only inches apart. "You surprise me, Maxim. Again and again."
Maxim met her gaze with unwavering confidence, "Good. I intend to keep doing that."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, Hela's smirk turned sharp, predatory, "Then why don't you show me?"
Maxim arched a brow,"You want to test it?"
Hela's green eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I want to see if you can truly wield it in battle. Power is one thing, but mastery? That is something else entirely."
His smirk matched hers as his fingers flexed, golden energy crackling around him.
"You're on."
And with that, the air itself trembled.