"Congratulations."
After formally announcing Marcus as the newest member of the Avengers, Nick Fury stepped forward to shake his hand. "Now that you're officially one of us, I can brief you on the upcoming operation. The target of Operation Decapitation is the Hydra research base you mentioned in Sokovia. According to your intel, that's where the zombie virus was developed. Our goal is to seize that facility and secure every piece of data related to the virus."
Marcus wasn't surprised in the least. He had predicted this exact move — after all, he had deliberately planted the information about Sokovia being the virus's supposed origin site. He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be able to resist such a lead. In the face of a global outbreak, obtaining firsthand data from the alleged creators of the virus was a matter of utmost urgency for the U.S. government.
And who better to storm a fortress guarded by supervillains like the Winter Soldier, Crossbones, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch than the Avengers themselves?
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention drawn entirely to Sokovia, Marcus's own prison raid team back in New York would have the perfect opportunity to act.
The pieces were moving exactly as he'd planned — lure the tiger from the mountain, then let the wolves devour each other.
S.H.I.E.L.D. thought they were about to destroy Hydra. In truth, they were about to hand Marcus the perfect distraction.
"I'll be joining the operation," Marcus said, playing his part flawlessly. "I'm confident you'll recover Hydra's full research on the virus."
He emphasized once more the supposed link between Hydra and the zombie plague, cementing the deception in Fury's mind. Marcus would make sure S.H.I.E.L.D. found something in that base — but whatever they uncovered would be exactly what he wanted them to see.
The so-called zombie control helmet was never meant for Hydra alone. Humanity's endless greed for power it could never truly control had destroyed it countless times before — and Marcus intended to let history repeat itself once again, this time on a grander, bloodier stage.
---
As the helicarrier steadily approached Sokovia, Marcus watched from his assigned quarters while the warship remained cloaked, conducting long-range scans of Hydra's stronghold below. Fury would no doubt analyze the entire facility, map out the defenses, and devise a meticulous strike plan before launching the assault.
That gave Marcus a few hours to "rest."
Of course, resting was the last thing on his mind.
He sat before the S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued computer in his quarters, browsing through every file accessible to his clearance level. As expected, most of it consisted of mundane reports — public operations, minor incident logs, and bureaucratic protocols. Anything remotely classified was locked behind multiple layers of security.
Fury's trust, it seemed, only went so far.
Then again, Marcus couldn't fault him for it. Even Captain America — the golden boy of patriotism — was often left out of Fury's deeper operations. The director trusted no one completely. In his eyes, any power outside of direct governmental control was a potential threat, even when it called itself a hero.
Still, one document managed to catch Marcus's attention — an internal S.H.I.E.L.D. report titled "Threat-Level Assessment Protocol."
Curious, he opened it.
According to the file, S.H.I.E.L.D. used an eight-tier threat-level classification system to evaluate individuals with extraordinary abilities. These rankings determined response protocols, the number of agents to be deployed, and what level of force was authorized in engagement.
Below was the summarized system, along with examples Marcus mentally added as references:
---
Human-Class Threats
Epsilon Level:
Weaker than an average human — the elderly, children, or civilians without physical capability. Considered non-threatening.
Delta Level:
Standard untrained adult male. Can be subdued by a single agent without weapons. Minimal threat.
Gamma Level:
Trained soldiers or skilled martial artists. Engagement recommended with light firearms support. Moderate threat.
Beta Level:
Physically peak human, exceptional combat training. Should not be engaged alone; heavy firepower recommended. High threat.
(Examples: Hawkeye, Daredevil)
---
Superhuman-Class Threats
Once the Alpha levels begin, individuals are classified as beyond human capacity.
Alpha Level (Subdivided: Lower, Middle, Upper):
Alpha-Lower:
Capable of destroying heavy armor or tanks; resistant to most conventional weapons. Severe threat.
(Examples: Thor, Loki)
Alpha-Middle:
Exist outside the boundaries of known physics. Physical laws largely ineffective against them. Extreme threat.
(Examples: Vision, Scarlet Witch)
Alpha-Upper:
Possess power capable of annihilating an entire city. Conventional military forces are useless; requires multiple Alpha-level individuals or nuclear intervention. Catastrophic threat.
(Examples: Magneto, Professor X)
---
Omega Level:
Entities who can manipulate matter and energy itself, possess infinite potential, or are functionally immortal. Apocalyptic threat.
(Examples: Dark Phoenix, Hulk at full unleashed strength)
---
The file noted that Alpha-Upper was considered the maximum threat humanity could conceivably counter. Once an Omega-level entity appeared, S.H.I.E.L.D. classified the event as non-containable. In such cases, the only viable strategy was evacuation — or surrender.
Marcus leaned back thoughtfully.
Based on this system, his own current strength placed him near the upper end of Alpha-Lower — a formidable superhuman, but still a long way from the next tier. Compared to beings of Alpha-Middle or higher, he was an insect before a god. And those above even that…
The Omega-Class — the ones who could rewrite the world with a thought.
Against them, not even his entire zombie legion would stand a chance.
The road to world's end in the Marvel Universe, it seemed, was still long and perilous.
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T/N:
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