After watching for a bit, Max stopped observing Lumia's journey. After finding out that the top powerhouses of that world were not as powerful as Lumia, he decided to leave her to handle it herself.
The next day, after waking up, he went through his usual morning routine, looked over his company notes, and then headed out to meet with the mutant he had been scheduled to meet with.
Wearing his business attire and accompanied by Vale, Max arrived at the front of Frost International — the company that Vale was planning to work with next. However, they were facing quite a few issues, so Vale had invited Max to help sort it out.
As Max and Vale entered the towering glass building, they were greeted by a tense atmosphere. Employees walked briskly through the polished marble halls, their faces tight with stress. A receptionist, recognizing Vale, quickly led them to the executive floor.
Inside the boardroom, a group of sharply dressed executives sat around a long table, arguing in hushed but heated voices. When Max and Vale entered, the room fell silent.
An older man with silver hair and sharp eyes stood up to greet them.
"Mr. Vale, Mr. Max... thank you for coming," he said, offering a stiff handshake. "I'm Arthur Lang, acting CEO. We've been having... problems."
Max raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problems?"
Arthur hesitated, then leaned in slightly. "Industrial sabotage. Several of our research divisions have been hit — files stolen, equipment destroyed. We suspect a mole, but security hasn't been able to catch them. And more concerning..." He glanced around nervously. "Some of the sabotage looks... unnatural."
Max folded his arms, his sharp gaze scanning the room. "You mean powers."
Arthur nodded grimly. "Exactly."
Vale crossed his arms. "And that's where we come in."
"Yes," Arthur said, lowering his voice. "We need someone who understands how to deal with mutants — or whatever else is behind this — quietly, before the board loses confidence and we collapse."
Max looked at him and asked, "You said Acting Chairman. What about the real one then?"
Arthur sighed heavily. "After the death of the former Chairman, the company was supposed to be inherited by his two heirs. Their rights were signed, but both are now missing, and we can't even reach them. This... led to the current dilemma."
"We think both of them are being held," Arthur said. "We suspect someone inside Frost International is using this for their own profit. I believe the two direct heirs of the Chairman were kidnapped, and might be forced to sign documents against their will."
Max narrowed his eyes, starting to see the bigger picture. The Frost name is linked to a powerful mutant, Emma Frost, he thought. And not many are as powerful as her.
So, Frost International is being jeopardized, huh, Max thought as he rode along, his mind turning over the situation. Who's targeting them... and why now?
"So, what do you want from me in return for my help?" Max asked.
Vale gave a small smile. "They will owe us a favor for our next project," she said.
Max nodded. "I'll look into it," he said. As Arthur stood up, he smiled and said, "Thank you, sir," before leaving the meeting room.
"You made me a mercenary?" Max asked Vale dryly as he shrugged, thinking it was the best deal they could manage. He needed their help too, so it was mutual.
"They were desperate. It's easier to squeeze a favor out of them now than later," Vale said.
Max closed his eyes briefly, then sighed. "Fine. So where are the black suits I'm supposed to meet?"
"They should come out any moment now," he said, just as Max noticed a few black sedans pulling up outside the window.
Looks like things are about to get messy, Max thought, watching the cars approach. And here I thought I'd get to greet Emma Frost herself...
The black sedans pulled up smoothly in front of the building. For a moment, everything was still. Then, the doors opened in unison, and several men in sleek black suits stepped out, their faces hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Max straightened his tie and walked toward them casually, his every movement calm and confident. One of the men, clearly the leader, stepped forward.
"Mr. Max," he said, voice crisp and businesslike. "We are here to escort you. Please, come with us."
Max gave a small smirk. "And if I refuse?"
The leader's expression didn't change. "We highly recommend you don't."
Vale, who was watching from the lobby behind Max, subtly nodded. Max caught it from the corner of his eye. So this is all part of the plan, he thought.
Without further delay, Max got into the backseat of the main sedan, two black suits sliding in beside him. The leader sat in the front seat, giving a quick signal, and the convoy started moving.
The convoy sped up once they left the crowded streets of New York. The towering skyscrapers and neon lights faded into the distance, replaced by rundown buildings, empty lots, and graffiti-covered walls.
Max lazily tilted his head, watching the scenery get grimmer by the minute. Oh great. Not even a fancy hideout. Just a cliché abandoned factory... he sighed inwardly.
After another twenty minutes of rough driving over cracked roads, the sedans finally pulled up to a large, rusted factory. The place looked like it hadn't seen real use in decades — shattered windows, half-collapsed walls, and an eerie, hollow silence hanging in the air.
The lead agent stepped out first, then opened Max's door with a polite bow, as if he were some VIP guest.
Max rolled his eyes but stepped out, stretching a little. "Real classy welcome," he muttered under his breath, kicking a stray can out of his way as he walked.
The agents formed a loose perimeter around him, their posture relaxed but their eyes sharp. They weren't amateurs, that was clear. But to Max? They might as well have been children playing bodyguard.
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead