Hydra (HYDRA) — the ancient and infamous organization of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — was once a part of Nazi Germany during World War II. After the war's end and Germany's defeat, Hydra successfully infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., continuing to weave its long, shadowy conspiracy for world domination.
This organization was responsible for creating some of the most powerful enhanced humans in existence — the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes; the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff; and her brother, the speedster Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver. Ironically, all three of them eventually turned their backs on Hydra, finding redemption by joining the Avengers and becoming some of the most celebrated heroes in Marvel history.
It almost gave people the impression that every hero in this world somehow started with Hydra.
Time and again, the same story repeated itself: villains, killers, and soldiers of evil deciding to "change for the better," and the Avengers — in their ever-persistent idealism — would embrace them without hesitation. Even the Winter Soldier, who spent years under Hydra's control as a programmed assassin, was forgiven by Captain America, who defied his own government just to protect him.
This wasn't limited to the Avengers, either. Across the Marvel universe, there was an almost religious belief in redemption. Heroes seemed to think that as long as a villain stopped committing crimes and started helping others, their past sins could be washed away — unless, of course, they had personally harmed someone the hero loved.
Especially sympathetic were those who had been kidnapped or brainwashed as children — the trained assassins, the unwilling monsters. "They're not truly evil," the world told itself. "They just never knew kindness."
And so, when Marcus revealed his fabricated Hydra background, it didn't make Tony more suspicious. Quite the opposite — it stirred up his overflowing compassion once again.
Compassion, after all, was the Achilles' heel of nearly every superhero. Without it, none of them would be out saving strangers every day.
Tony hesitated for a moment, his usual confidence dimming slightly before he finally sighed. "Alright, kid. You can stay here for now. I don't exactly have a guest room ready, but the couch should do. This place is the safest in New York — Hydra won't dare to come near it."
Everything was going exactly as Marcus had predicted.
This was the standard superhero plotline — the villain, touched by the hero's kindness, decides to turn over a new leaf, fights for justice, and eventually sacrifices himself in some climactic battle to save the world.
Marcus smiled inwardly. He could play along with the first half of that story. The ending, though? That would never happen.
Outwardly, he kept his face impassive. "So what, Tony — you're trying to help me?"
Tony scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "No. I just want to study you. Figure out how your powers work." He crossed his arms and added, almost begrudgingly, "Until I understand what you are, you're staying put."
Marcus forced a neutral expression, hiding the spark of triumph in his eyes. "Fine by me. I don't want Hydra finding me again anyway."
Tony gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Glad we understand each other."
He clapped his hands once, turning toward the cluttered workbench. "Someone will bring you lunch soon. Eat as much as you want — don't worry about the bill. When you're done, come down to the lab. I want to run some tests on your abilities."
And with that, Tony descended into his underground laboratory, the faint hum of machinery echoing through the house.
Marcus leaned back against the couch, smirking to himself.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
---
After an absurdly luxurious meal — the kind only a billionaire could casually provide — Marcus made his way to the basement. There, Tony stood waiting, fully suited in his Iron Man armor.
Without a word, Tony produced a syringe and injected Marcus with a transparent fluid. Within seconds, Marcus felt the numbing effect of the anesthetic fade, his strength returning to his limbs.
For a brief moment, the thought of striking then and there crossed his mind. If he could land even a scratch, Virus Touch would make Tony his puppet.
But no — Tony wasn't careless. Even now, the man was cautious. His armor was the upgraded Mark IV, faster, stronger, and far more durable than before. Attacking him now would be suicide.
Not yet.
And so the tests began.
The first phase involved simple physical benchmarks — strength, speed, and endurance.
Tony observed from behind a reinforced glass panel as Marcus easily lifted a barbell weighing 3.5 tons. "That's roughly ten times the human limit," Tony muttered. "Captain America's record is five hundred kilograms. Impressive."
Next came the speed test. Marcus dashed across the lab's training field, sensors flashing as they recorded his movement.
"Average speed, one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour," Tony reported, scrolling through the data. "Top speed estimate — around three hundred. Not bad. Faster than a high-speed train."
Finally came endurance. The results were straightforward — Marcus could maintain peak performance indefinitely as long as his bio-energy reserves weren't depleted.
Tony hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "All readings are consistent. Every metric is about ten times the human limit." He looked up. "Kid… wait, I never got your name."
"Marcus Vale."
"Alright, Marcus." Tony grinned behind his helmet. "Come here. Let's see that shiny metal trick of yours."
Marcus stepped forward, and following Tony's instructions, began morphing his limbs into various shapes — claws, blades, shields, and even flexible whip-like tendrils.
The smooth, liquid-like transformation of bio-metal fascinated Tony. He immediately set about measuring every possible parameter.
What they discovered astonished even him.
By adjusting his bio-energy output, Marcus could freely alter the density, hardness, and elasticity of his metallic form. Tony recorded the results with the excitement of a child unwrapping a new toy.
Under a controlled 15% energy expenditure, 500 grams of Marcus's bio-metal yielded the following results:
High-Density Bio-Metal: Density peaked at 4.48 × 10⁴ kg/m³, surpassing osmium — the densest known metal on Earth. However, Marcus's body compensated by reducing the density of other regions to maintain total mass balance.
High-Hardness Bio-Metal: Hardness far exceeded titanium alloy, even surpassing diamond on the Mohs scale.
High-Elasticity Bio-Metal: Five times the elasticity of natural rubber, converting deformation energy into kinetic force with virtually zero loss.
High-Volatility Bio-Metal: As unstable as nitroglycerin, possessing explosive potential equivalent to TNT when agitated. Even minor friction could trigger a catastrophic detonation.
Tony whistled softly through his helmet speaker. "Incredible… you're basically a walking weapons lab."
Marcus gave a thin smile. "I prefer the term evolutionary organism."
Tony chuckled, muttering to himself. "If Hydra really built you, I might need to start taking them more seriously…"
Marcus said nothing.
He simply watched the billionaire genius marvel over his data, knowing full well that the day would come when Tony Stark's brilliance—and his machines—would all serve him.
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