With their discussion finished, Odin and Hela went their separate ways, Odin returning to his quarters to have a discussion with his wife, while Hela went to the royal courtyard.
Meanwhile, all across Asgard, the celebrations had raged on into the early hours of the following day. Drunkards continued to enjoy themselves, clinking their glasses of alcohol happily.
High above the royal courtyard, atop a balcony shaped like a crescent blade, Hela stood alone, staring out across her realm with her arms crossed, watching as these people enjoyed themselves, some wrapped in bloodied bandages, others clutching children close, survivors of a war barely won.
But they were alive. And they cheered for her. As she thought this with a sly smirk on her lips, imagining her future, a quiet voice cut through the morning wind.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were starting to like it here again."
Hela didn't need to look. She knew who it was. The familiar, unreadable presence settled beside her like a shadow that refused to fade.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," she murmured, her tone lighter than it had been in days as she rolled her arms and turned to face Maxim, who had appeared.
Maxim had already stepped beside her, arms folded over his chest, the long dark coat he wore rippling in the wind. "Just surprised," he said. "You used to spit on the idea of walking these halls again without being the Queen. Now you're staring at the people like they're yours without the title."
"They are mine," she replied, with a small tilt of her head. "They just forgot it. They'll remember soon, I promise you that." Hela said, her eyes glowing as she thought of ruling Asgard eventually.
"You're quite confident he'll give it to you." Maxim said with a chuckle, looking over the horizon to the cracked battlefields being smoothened out by Earth Magic, the soldiers kneeling in prayer as they were healed, and the children chasing each-other with toy weapons.
"He has to," Hela said with a confident smirk, "I'm the best heir that aging old bastard will ever get. He'll wake up and realize that soon enough."
Maxim chuckled and stood in silence for a couple of seconds before responding, "You did good,"
Hela turned to glance at him, one brow lifted, "I did better than good."
Maxim smirked, then nodded in concession. "Yeah. You did."
"You're not staying, are you?" Hela asked.
"No," he admitted, eyes turning toward the sunrise. "My part here's done. There's not much else for me to do, I'll come check up on you sometimes though. I'm sure it won't be long before I'm hearing of a new Queen of Asgard ruling over the Nine Realms." Maxim said.
Hela looked away. "So…back to Madripoor?"
"Probably," Maxim replied, "There's not much going on so I'll just stay there and see things through for the time being."
"Sounds boring." Hela said.
"Always is," he said.
For a long time, Hela didn't say anything. She just stared at him. There was something unspoken in her expression. Not soft, not sentimental — she wasn't made for that. But something real. Something resolute.
"Then go," she said finally. "Do what you do. Shake their world. Tear down whatever needs tearing. But…"
She stepped closer, and before Maxim could speak, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was brief, a flicker of warmth against the endless cold of space between them.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Maxim blinked, surprised for just a heartbeat before he offered her a faint grin. "I'll pretend that didn't feel like a goodbye."
"It's not," Hela said, stepping back, arms once again folding as her cape settled behind her like wings, "We'll meet again. The cosmos is too small to keep us apart."
He nodded once, seriously now. "If you need anything, "
"I won't."
That earned her a snort and an eye roll from Maxim.
"Take care of Asgard," he said as he turned, beginning to walk away, boots clinking against the balcony's stone.
"I already am."
With a final glance, Maxim vanished into a swirl of shadow, darkness folding around him like a cloak. The wind blew again, and Hela remained on the balcony, watching as the sky brightened.
***
A cosmic portal flickered for a second before Maxim appeared onto one of the many private platforms overlooking the City which now carried the scent of luxury and technology.
Penthouses, solar panels, botanical towers as far as the eye could see, mixed with perfect security, order and peace.
Maxim shifted through the shadows again and this time, he emerged at the foot of a massive, luxurious estate nestled in the hills overlooking the sea. It was one of the more luxurious housing estates he had built over the past year.
This was where the X-Men resided now.
Entering the estate, Maxim heard the sound of laughter from one of the gardens, seeing various mutants playing with each-other during their break.
They didn't notice Maxim at first. Then one, a girl looked up and froze. She nudged her friend.
Then a whisper rippled through the children like wind through leaves.
"…That's him…"
"Is that—?"
"No way."
"Can he hear us right now?"
He didn't stop them. He let the rumors swirl. Let the awe build. It was better this way. Not fear. Not worship. Just uncertainty — the kind that bred respect.
He gave them a quiet nod.
Some nodded back. One boy waved. Another, bolder than the rest, asked, "Are you staying here?"
"No," Maxim said, voice calm but warm. "Just visiting."
With that, he turned and made his way up the winding steps toward the main building. The laughter resumed behind him, louder now.
At the entrance, he found her.
Katerina.
His sister was stood leaning against the carved doorway, arms crossed. Her long dark coat was fluttering in the breeze, and her hair had grown longer since he'd last seen her. She smiled faintly, eyes softening as he approached.
"Took you long enough," she said.
Maxim allowed himself a real smile, "I missed ya."
"How has school been? Are there any issues I should know about?" Maxim asked, ruffling his sisters hair with a chuckle as she moved backwards with an annoyed expression trying to avoid his hand.
"Hmfm, who do you think I am, of course everything's going fine. Miss Jean has even helped me gain more control of my powers." Katerina said with a smile.
"Soon enough, I'll be strong enough to go with you on all your crazy trips." She said and Maxim just rolled his eyes and laughed to himself.
"Well at least your optimism hasn't changed a bit." He said, leaning in and hugging her, who immediately reciprocated.
"I missed you." Katerina said as she held her elder brother tightly.
"Me too."