With Dr. Helen Cho's steady support, Marcus stepped out of the Regeneration Cradle. Her hand lingered lightly on his arm as she led him toward S.H.I.E.L.D.'s command center. Perhaps his heroic display during the Battle of Sokovia had stirred something in the brilliant scientist's heart — an emotion Marcus could exploit.
Neither spoke along the way. Helen's gaze was lowered, her face faintly flushed with shy restraint. Marcus, on the other hand, was deep in thought — calculating how to best use this talented scientist, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most valuable assets, to serve his hidden agenda.
When the command room doors opened, Captain America was the first to notice him. Relief and joy flashed in Steve Rogers' eyes as he strode forward and pulled Marcus into a firm, brotherly embrace.
"Marcus! Thank God — you're alive!"
Marcus gave a modest smile, his tone calm. "No need for the dramatics. It was just a minor injury."
In truth, he hadn't been hurt at all — but to S.H.I.E.L.D., his survival was one of the few bright spots in a battle otherwise filled with loss.
At least, they believed it was good news.
After offering a few brief reassurances, Marcus smoothly shifted the discussion to more serious matters. A quick glance around the room told him all he needed to know — far fewer personnel than before the battle, and only two Avengers remained in sight: Captain America and Black Widow. Neither Hulk nor Thor could be found.
He raised a brow and said lightly, "Where is everyone? Don't tell me you've just gone through a mass downsizing."
His dry humor fell flat. No one laughed. The captain's expression dimmed with sorrow as he recounted everything that had happened after Marcus had been struck down by the Scarlet Witch.
"After you fell," Steve began heavily, "things only got worse. Hydra opened fire on Sokovia — the entire city was obliterated. The Hulk lost control, and we barely managed to draw him away. When we finally took the Hydra fortress, an alien Leviathan reawakened inside. It destroyed everything. Almost no one made it out alive. We underestimated Hydra's strength, Marcus. They had power far beyond what we imagined. Without your sacrifice back there, it might have been even worse."
Marcus let out a soft, pained sigh, his expression perfectly measured. "Worse than this? Hard to believe. If I hadn't blacked out after that witch's attack… maybe fewer people would've died."
At that moment, a gentle hand settled over his. Marcus turned to see Dr. Helen Cho, her dark eyes full of sincerity.
"Please, Marcus," she said softly. "You did everything you could. If you hadn't drawn the Scarlet Witch's attention, S.H.I.E.L.D. would never have breached Hydra's defenses. You're the bravest man I've ever met — the true hero of this war."
Her words hung in the air, heartfelt and unguarded. Only after realizing how openly she'd spoken — in front of everyone — did Helen flush crimson and retreat to her seat, embarrassed. For someone so composed, the slip was almost endearing.
Marcus inclined his head politely. "Thank you," he said simply, his tone gentle. Helen quickly averted her gaze, blushing even deeper.
To Marcus, the exchange was more revealing than touching. 'So she blushes that easily... interesting.'
A brilliant mind and an innocent heart — the perfect combination to manipulate.
Her invention, the Regeneration Cradle, was among the greatest feats of bioengineering in the Marvel world. If one Mind Stone could create Vision, a being of such immense power… what would happen if all six Infinity Stones were used together? The thought brought a faint smirk to his lips — a whisper of godhood.
But his musings were interrupted by the arrival of Nick Fury.
"Marcus," Fury greeted in his usual low voice. "Good to have you back."
Yet the expression on his face carried little warmth. Their costly victory had clearly left the director deeply troubled.
Marcus, maintaining his role, asked with apparent concern, "I heard the Leviathan destroyed Hydra's fortress. Were we able to recover any of their research data before it was lost?"
Fury sighed and shook his head. "We managed to secure the zombie-virus files before the creature leveled the base. But we didn't have time to fully extract their notes on Chitauri technology. At this point, that may not even matter."
Marcus raised a brow. "You don't look convinced. Bad news?"
Fury's face hardened. "Hydra was working on control technology — devices that could command the infected. They achieved real success before the base fell. We just don't have the time to reproduce it. Meaning, when we move on New York… we won't just be fighting mindless zombies. We'll be fighting an organized, directed force — one controlled by whatever remains of Hydra."
He paused, then added grimly, "The coming battle will be worse than Sokovia — far worse. There'll be civilian casualties, maybe mass destruction. The World Security Council has already put forward an emergency proposal for a nuclear strike on New York. If we fail to reclaim the city, they'll launch — no fewer than ten warheads. New York will be erased from human history."
At that, Natasha Romanoff spoke up, her tone grave. "Each warhead is powerful enough to vaporize a quarter of the city. If they launch ten, that's it — nothing left but ash. To stop total annihilation, we'd need to intercept at least seven before impact. And if that happens, the world will know the truth — that the 'nuclear containment excuse' is just a lie. After that… there won't be a U.S. government anymore."
Marcus studied them quietly. Fury and Romanoff always planned for the worst, but this time, their fears weren't misplaced. A ten-warhead detonation over New York would trigger the greatest man-made catastrophe in history. No cover story could conceal that.
The collapse of the American government would be inevitable — perhaps even the end of its sovereignty.
Marcus's lips curled faintly, and he said, almost casually, "Maybe that's exactly what Hydra wants — to let America fall and replace it with their own rule under the guise of 'order.' A new world born from ashes."
No one responded, but the silence said everything.
And in that silence, Marcus hid a quiet smile.
They were already following the script he'd written.