Meeting with Steve!

At the entrance of an apartment complex in the quiet corner of Brooklyn, Maxim appeared from the shadows of a nearby all after teleporting, his form coalescing from the darkness.

He adjusted his coat and strode towards the building's entrance, beginning to head upstairs towards the third floor as he began hearing familiar voices in discussion.

Turning the corner, he spotted Steve standing next to his apartment, his towering frame leaning against the wall as he spoke to a young woman with blonde hair tied in a neat ponytail, wearing a casual outfit.

Maxim recognized her. Agent 13. Sharon Carter.

"Good to see you settling in, Steve," Sharon said, her voice light but tinged with a professionalism that betrayed her role as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to knock."

"Thanks, Kate," Steve replied with a smile, "It's good to have a friendly neighbor."

~STEP~

Maxim stepped into the hallway which had immediately drawn their attention. Sharon's smile remained, although Maxim could tell that she was assessing him intently, while Steve's brows just raised in surprise.

"Maxim," Steve greeted, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern. "Wasn't expecting you to drop by."

Sharon tilted her head, feigning casual interest,"Friend of yours?"

Maxim gave her a polite nod, his expression unreadable, "We've worked together."

Steve chuckled awkwardly, sensing the tension, "Kate, this is Maxim. He's... someone you'd probably hear about in the same breath as 'trouble,'" He glanced at Maxim. "Maxim, this is Kate She's my neighbor."

"Pleasure, I'm a nurse, if you ever have any problems, be sure to drop by the hospital." Sharon said, extending a hand as she gave her cover.

"Likewise," Maxim replied, shaking her hand briefly. He could feel her gauging his strength, her grip firm and deliberate.

Steve cleared his throat, "We should catch up, Maxim. If you'll excuse us, Kate."

Sharon nodded, her smile returning, though her eyes lingered on Maxim for a moment longer, "Of course. Don't let me keep you."

The duo walked in the apartment, and Maxim took a quick scan of its modest design. It was clean and orderly, with minimal decor yet it was rather warm. His S.H.I.E.L.D leaned against the wall.

Maxim pulled off his coat and draped it over a chair.

"Something happened," Steve said, closing the door behind them. His tone was serious now, his soldier instincts kicking in.

Maxim turned, leaning against the dining table with his arms crossed. "Fury and Hill were ambushed. Hydra operatives, top-tier. They were about five minutes from getting wiped out."

Steve's face darkened, "Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Maxim assured him, "They're off the grid now." He paused, his voice growing grim. "It's worse than we thought. Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. is deeper than you realized. Fury knows it too, that's why they went after him."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders, "Where are they now?"

"I sent them somewhere safe," Maxim said. "Already contacted Natasha. She'll be meeting up with us soon."

Steve nodded, pacing slightly, "We've been investigating them for years and it seems they found out," He turned to Maxim, his expression resolute, "What's the next step?"

Maxim's eyes glowed faintly for a moment as he considered the question. "We need to accelerate the timeline. Expose Hydra's network before they can regroup. I've already mapped out their major facilities. If we hit them hard and fast, they won't have time to recover."

Steve folded his arms, his jaw tightening, "We'll need more than just the two of us."

Maxim smirked, "I have more than enough backup to handle Hydra. However, we'll need to head to Madripoor and get you a new outfit, you can't be Captain America on this mission, there's a-lot of Hydra guys high-up."

Steve takes a second to think and nods, "Let's go."

***

Maxim adjusted his coat, readying himself to take Steve away when a faint, almost imperceptible shift in the air made him freeze. His senses prickled, danger was near.

He held up a hand, his finger pressed firmly against his lips, signaling Steve to stay silent. Steve's brows furrowed, but he didn't speak. Maxim's eyes flicked toward the apartment window, subtly gesturing with a tilt of his head.

Steve followed the direction of Maxim's gaze, his muscles tensing as he spotted movement outside, more precisely shadows darting on the roof, moving with precision that was anything but casual.

In an instant, Maxim gripped Steve's shoulder, his form enveloped in tendrils of shadow. The world warped and twisted, and in a heartbeat, they reappeared on the roof of a nearby building.

The chill night air bit at their skin as Steve steadied himself, his eyes scanning the darkness.

"What's going on?" Steve whispered, his voice low but steady.

Maxim pointed to the edge of the rooftop, where three figures emerged from the darkness. All of them were clad in tactical gear, moving with a predator's grace.

The one at the forefront had a metal arm that gleamed faintly under the moonlight, his face obscured by a black mask.

"Hydra," Maxim said, his voice cold. "Winter Soldiers."

Steve's expression hardened, "Winter Soldiers?"

"I'll teach you on the way back." Maxim said, his gaze locked on the group as the metal-armed soldier stepped forward, raising a hand in a silent signal.

His two companions fanned out, their movements methodical and coordinated. Maxim smirked, his eyes glowing faintly. "I'll handle the two on the sides. The one in the middle? He's all yours."

Steve nodded, his jaw tight as he focused on the metal-armed soldier.

Without warning, Maxim vanished in a swirl of shadow, reappearing behind one of the soldiers. The Hydra operative barely had time to react before Maxim's fist connected with his side, sending him sprawling across the rooftop.

The second soldier lunged at Maxim with a knife, but Maxim was basically toying with him, dodging effortlessly and striking the operative in the wrist.

~CLANG~

The knife clattered to the ground as Maxim delivered a bone-shattering kick to the man's chest, sending him skidding backward and crashing into a wall, knocked out cold with vicious internal injuries.

Meanwhile, Steve charged the metal-armed soldier, blocking a lightning-fast punch with his shield. The force of the blow pushed him back, but Steve held his ground.

He countered with a swift jab, aiming for the soldier's ribs, but his opponent moved with equal skill, deflecting the strike and retaliating with a brutal uppercut.

Maxim turned to Steve, who was still locked in a fierce battle with the final Winter Soldier.

The two exchanged blows in a blur of motion, their strikes echoing across the rooftop.

Steve managed to land a solid punch that sent the soldier stumbling backward. Taking the opening, Steve slammed his shield into the soldier's midsection, forcing him back while Maxim finally entered the battle, unleashing a Psionic blast that stunned the Winter Soldier in place.

This gave Steve the opening he needed to land a vicious uppercut and that furiously smash the Winter Soldier's face back onto the ground, knocking him out cold as Steve panted to regain his breath.

Maxim stepped closer, his gaze fixed on the downed soldier. He rolled him onto his back, and smirked as he understood who it was, "Let's see who's under the mask."

Steve reached down, his hand trembling slightly as he removed the mask. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the face beneath.

"Bucky?" Steve's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with shock and recognition.