I don't think I ever used Ivory as a villain.. So he was responsible the death of Max's family, and just about every bad thing Max has been though.
This means I can reuse that scene from NO PAYNE NO GAIN, where Carly wants him to kill Ivory.. Considering Max will ONLY agree for this one reason. Not because he actually cares about someone he never even met before.. It might sound rude in that sense, but wasn't sure how else to put it.
2000:
Alex: So, when are you coming to work for me, Detective Payne?
Max: You'd make me work undercover in some hellhole. Sorry Alex, Michelle and the baby come first. See? My last smoke. It's bad for the baby.
Alex: That's you, Max, a regular boy scout.
Max: See you, Alex.
Alex: Still on for Poker thursday, right?
Max: Like taking candy from a baby.
Max: (Narrating) Life was good. The sun setting on a sweet summer's day, the smell of freshly mowed lawns, the sounds of children playing... A house across the river, on the Jersey-side. A beautiful wife and a baby girl. The American dream come true.
Max: Honey, I'm home!
Max: (Narrating) But dreams have a nasty habit of going bad when you're not looking. The sun went down with practiced bravado, twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding.
Max: Michelle, honey, anybody home?
Max: (narrating) I didn't like the way the show started. But they had given me the best seat in the house. Front row center.
Ma approachs some graffiti on the wall.
Max: What the hell?!
Max: (narrations) Something ugly had been tattooed on the wall, a map of things to come. It was a poison syringe, a magic tag full of diabolical meanings.
(phone rings)
Max: (answers it) Whatever your calling for, listen! Someone's broken into my house, call 911.
Ivory: Is this the Payne residence?
Max: Yes, someone's broken into my house, they're still here, you have to-
Ivory: Good. I am afraid I cannot help you.
Max: Who is this? [The other person hangs up].
Max: Hello?.. (angrily) Motherfucker!
Soon after, Max walks up the stairs, but something upstairs falls over and he hears arguing and a baby crying
Max: Michelle? [3 gun shots go off] MICHELLE!
Michelle Paybe: No! No! No, Max!
Max tries too open the door.
Michelle: (screams)
Max: MICHELLE, I'M COMING!
Michelle: Please!... [3 more gun shots go off]
Masked man (likely Ivory) I'm gonna hurt you! I'm gonna hurt ya! It's coming. Death is coming. You're gonna die!
Max: (brusts open the door) (holding AP Pistol) FREEZE! NYPD!
Max sees the baby cradle knocked over and blood everywhere.
Max: No! No, no, please God, no. (Sees dead baby) NOOO!
Masked man 2: The flesh of fallen angels!
Max sees Michelle dead.
Max: NO! NO! NO! PLEASE GOD NO!.
Max: (narrating) Everything ripped apart in a New York minute. The killer junkies had been high on a previously unknown designer drug. Valkyr. V. After the funeral, I told Alex I would be transferring to the DEA. It took us three long years to get a break in the Valkyr case. Then, finally, two months ago, a dime-dropper tipped us off that Jack Lupino, a mob boss in the Punchinello crime family, was trafficking. I went undercover, infiltrated the worst Mafia family in New York.
2001:
Max eventually finds out that Ivory was responsible for that horrible night, and being Max Payne, he wanted revenge.
But one stormy winter night, Payne and his partner Alex Balder are ambushed by Ivory's double agents, working at the cop force. During which, Balder is shot and killed by a hidden assassin, later revealed to be Ivory himself. Payne is soon framed for Balder's murder and is forced to run from the police. Ironic, sense he is a cop himself.
But either way. Max retired after losing faith in the law system. And searched in vein for Ivory for the next 2 years.
2003:
This is what leads to Mac finding Dave Norton, after his vendetta quest, leads him to North Yankton.