Marvel: Video Game Templates!

The trio sat and ate whilst chatting before Maxim eventually exhaled, setting his fork down and wiping his mouth with a napkin. He could feel the tension in the air as the conversation between Hela and Thor raged on, and he decided to give them their space.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stick around for family bonding time," Maxim said, pushing back his chair, "I've got things to handle. You two enjoy your breakfast."

Thor turned to him, brow furrowed, "You're leaving?"

"Not far," Maxim replied. "Just heading to my lab. I've got projects to work on." He smirked slightly, gaze flicking to Hela, "Try not to break him while I'm gone."

Hela smirked back, her fingers lightly drumming against her coffee cup, "No promises."

Thor's lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing, just nodding as Maxim stood and walked towards the exit, the air distorting around him slightly as he simply blinked out from existence once he exited the shop.

That left only the two Asgardians at the table. The silence between them was thick with tension as Maxim was no-longer there to regulate them.

Thor glanced down at his plate, absently slicing through a stack of pancakes but making no move to eat.

Hela, on the other hand, took her time. She sipped her coffee, eyes half-lidded, an almost relaxed air about her. But beneath that, something lurked, an amusement that made Thor uneasy.

"You're uncomfortable," she finally said, setting her cup down. "Not used to dealing with someone who knows more than you, are you?"

Thor exhaled sharply through his nose, "I've fought gods, monsters, and armies beyond count. Even if you are my sister, I'd prefer if you not call me ignorant."

Hela leaned forward, her expression amused but her tone carrying a quiet weight, "Fought them, yes. But have you ever understood them? Or did you simply swing that hammer of yours and trust it to solve all your problems?"

Thor tensed, "I don't see the point of this conversation."

Hela's smirk widened slightly. "Oh, I do." She tilted her head, studying him. "Tell me something, little brother. What do you know of Odin's conquests?"

Thor hesitate, "I know that he was once a warrior. That he fought to unite the Nine Realms and bring peace."

Hela let out a short, almost bitter laugh, "Peace? Is that what he called it?" She picked up a fork, idly dragging it across her plate, not to eat but simply to make a faint, grating sound. "Tell me, Thor. How do you think Asgard became the golden empire it is today?"

Thor shifted uncomfortably, "Through diplomacy. Through strength. Through,"

"Through war," Hela interrupted smoothly, her voice lowering. "Through bloodshed. Through the razing of civilizations, the slaughter of kings, the destruction of those who dared stand in his way."

She leaned forward, voice just above a whisper into Thor's ear, "Through me."

Thor's grip on his fork tightened.

Hela smirked at his reaction, "You were raised in a gilded cage, Thor. Told stories of honor and nobility while the ugly truth was buried beneath Asgard's golden halls. But I was there. I was the sword in Odin's hand. I carved his empire into existence while he watched from his throne."

Her green eyes gleamed with something unreadable, "And when he was satisfied? When he decided he no longer needed a weapon so sharp?" She leaned back, folding her arms, "He locked me away. Stripped my name from history. Left me to rot in a prison of his making."

Thor exhaled slowly, his jaw tight. "And what would you have had him do? Continue his wars? Let Asgard become a kingdom built solely on conquest?"

Hela scoffed, "Asgard is a kingdom built on conquest. He simply changed the narrative when it suited him. And you, dear brother, were raised to be his perfect heir. The acceptable warrior. The one who would fight the battles he allowed, under rules he created, so that Asgard's hands would appear clean."

Thor's fingers curled into a fist. "You speak as if I am a fool."

"I speak as if you are blind." Hela arched a brow, "Do you think Odin ever intended for you to learn the truth? That he would have ever let you know I existed if he had the choice?"

Thor had no response to that.

Hela smirked, but this time, there was something almost pitying in it. "You may be his son, Thor. But you were never meant to be his heir."

Thor's throat tightened.

"You were his second chance," Hela continued, voice softer now, almost reflective. "A child he could mold into the ruler he wished I had been. One who followed orders without question. Who wielded power without ever wondering why it was given to him."

She tilted her head. "Tell me… did he ever truly teach you how to rule? Or only how to fight for him?"

Thor inhaled deeply, steadying himself, "You are wrong," he said firmly. "Father is not the man you make him out to be."

Hela simply smiled, resting her chin against her knuckles. "Believe that if it comforts you, little brother."

Thor clenched his jaw, looking away.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The breakfast shop continued its quiet murmur around them, unaware of the storm brewing in the corner.

Then, Hela picked up her fork, finally taking a bite of the French toast she had ordered. She chewed thoughtfully, then smirked slightly.

"...Well. I suppose some things in this era aren't so bad."

Thor exhaled through his nose, shaking his head, "You are infuriating."

Hela chuckled, sipping her coffee, "I have been told."

***

Meanwhile, as the Asgardian siblings caught up on lost time, Maxim was moving with a purpose as he arrived in his laboratory.

Compared to the reunion of the siblings, his mind was elsewhere.

The Mind Stone.

Ever since he had obtained it, he had been working with A.N.G.E.L to create a suitable plan for fusing it with himself, and after obtaining the Doomsday Template, it was finally time.

All the potential dangers had been fluffed out and now it was time to fuse himself with the Mind Stone and reach a new level of power.

As he reached his lab, a reinforced biometric scanner hummed to life. A.N.G.E.L's familiar voice greeted him.

"Welcome back, sir. You have been away longer than anticipated."

Maxim smirked slightly, "Things got complicated. Open up."

The security locks disengaged with a soft hiss, and the door slid open, revealing a dimly lit chamber filled with an array of high-tech equipment, flickering holograms, and reinforced containment units. He stepped inside, the door sealing shut behind him.

With a flick of his wrist, dark tendrils wove through the air, activating the room's systems. Multiple screens illuminated, data streams flowing seamlessly.

"I assume you have returned to proceed with the fusion experiment?"

Maxim nodded, shrugging off his coat. "Show me the latest data."

"The simulations had previously suggested a 73% probability of successful bodily integration. This has risen to 100% after your previous power increase and your current level of astral integration. However, I am unable to process the effects the Mind Stone will have on your mind, however signs point to success."

"Noted." Maxim said.

With a slow exhale, Maxim extended his hand, and shadows coalesced before him. From the center of his palm, a small rift tore through space, revealing a hidden compartment deep beneath the lab's structure.

And there it was.

The Mind Stone hovered within its containment unit, pulsing with an ethereal glow that bathed the room in golden light. Even through the reinforced shielding, he could feel the power it was emitting.

Maxim's fingers curled, and the containment locks disengaged. Astral tendrils extended from his form, interweaving with the Mind Stone's radiance.

His vision blurred as countless thoughts, whispers, and distant memories flooded his mind. He could see the memories of not only this life, but his past life flashing before his eyes.

He could feel a various amount of emotions rampaging through his mind, anger, sadness, frustration, annoyance and more all seemed to be present.

The Astral Tendrils pulled the Mind Stone and pulled it directly into Maxim's body, pushing the fusion process into its final state.

He clenched his jaw and pushed deeper, his consciousness expanding as his body adapted to the overwhelming force now coursing through him. The sheer scale of it was… intoxicating.

This is the power of the gods.

But Maxim was no mere god.

A.N.G.E.L's voice rang in the background, distant but urgent.

"Cognitive functions are fluctuating. Neural pathways are experiencing extreme restructuring. Are you able to maintain control?"

Maxim's smirk deepened, his voice edged with amusement.

"Of course."

The Mind Stone flared, its golden light clashing against the darkness of his form. His body convulsed for a moment before stabilizing, an eerie stillness settling over the lab.

Maxim opened his eyes.

Gone was the usual faint glow of his irises. Instead, his gaze now carried an otherworldly brilliance, a fusion of deep violet and gold, as if reality itself bent around his perception.

The world felt… different.

Sharper.

He could hear the thoughts of everything around him, feel the flow of information, the invisible currents that governed perception and understanding. The concept of "mind" was no longer an abstract thing—it was tangible, malleable.

Looking towards the equipment in his laboratory, he could see the lines of code that made them up, he could see A.N.G.E.L's artificial presence, and he felt like he had the power to bring her to life, similar to 'Vision'

He chuckled.

"Fascinating."

A.N.G.E.L hesitated before speaking again, her usual composure briefly wavering.

"...Sir, what do you see?"

Maxim turned toward the holographic interface, and for the first time, his voice carried a depth of authority that even he hadn't possessed before.

"Everything."