Alex inserted the needle connected to the vial of Extremis serum into Marcus's arm, puncturing the artery with practiced precision. The glowing orange liquid began to flow steadily into his bloodstream, spreading its light beneath his skin. Through the translucent flesh, one could see the radiance coursing through his veins, spreading from his arm across his entire body—infusing itself into every drop of his blood.
"Ahhh!"
An unbearable scream tore from Marcus's throat as his body convulsed violently. It felt as if his entire being were roasting from the inside out—his blood boiling, his organs seared, his brain cooking under an impossible fever.
The pain was absolute.
Every nerve screamed as molten agony surged through him. If not for the restraints he'd ordered Alex to bind him with beforehand, Marcus would have thrashed off the bed long ago.
Mutation always came with a price. Great power was never born without pain. But Marcus had long since accepted that truth—ever since the day he was gunned down by those street thugs. There was no turning back for him. Compared to the loneliness of fighting the entire world, the isolation of living between life and death, and the sorrow of leaving everything familiar behind… this agony was nothing.
He would endure. He always endured.
A thick, dark crust slowly formed over his body, sealing him in like a cocoon. His consciousness faded into darkness.
At first, Marcus thought he could simply disconnect his awareness—withdraw from this vessel and return to his main body—but to his surprise, he found himself trapped. The virus's evolution wasn't just physical this time; it was altering something far deeper—his very consciousness.
Time became meaningless.
When Marcus finally regained sensation in his fingertips, it was as though years had passed. His nerves reconnected one by one, bringing his body back to life. Slowly, he cracked open the hardened shell encasing him, the flakes crumbling like dry clay. They were still warm to the touch, yet Marcus no longer felt the heat.
He rose unsteadily from the bed. The lab was empty—Alex was nowhere in sight. Marcus took a deep breath and approached the mirror to examine himself.
The reflection staring back at him was… flawless. The cancerous decay that once lingered in his cells was completely gone. His features mirrored those of his true body—cold, handsome, and dangerously composed.
"It seems I'll have to start wearing a mask during operations," he muttered. This body was the one he intended to use for his darker deeds. It wouldn't do to let it tarnish the heroic reputation of his "main" identity.
He flexed his arms, testing the changes. His strength had multiplied. What was once merely a tenth of his true body's power had now grown equal to it—ten times beyond human limits. The only difference now lay in his abilities: this form had weakened metallization but possessed hyper-regeneration and death resistance, giving it an extraordinary edge in survival.
Calling this vessel a "clone" no longer seemed fitting. It had evolved into something else—an alter ego. A darker self meant for infiltration and destruction. His main body would remain the mask of light—the respected "hero."
Between the two, Marcus would control both sides of the moral divide.
Light and darkness, hero and villain. To master both was the only path to true power.
And when the time came, when the two selves merged again… that would be the moment Marcus Vale declared war on the entire world.
---
[Extremis Virus Assimilation Complete. Zombie Virus Evolution: First Stage Complete.]
[Host Identity Evolved: Special Infected — Virus Progenitor.]
[System Unlock: Pathogen Genetic Enhancement Interface.]
[New Ability Unlocked: Bloodflame.]
Bloodflame: A fusion of the Extremis Virus's thermal energy and the zombie virus's bio-reactivity. Generates special flames using the host's own blood as fuel. The user may freely grant or retract the flame's virus infectivity.
---
"Bloodflame, huh?" Marcus mused, scanning the brief description. Like his metallization ability, it was short and vague—leaving much to the imagination. But that suited him fine. No matter what the system said, Marcus trusted only one method of understanding a new power: personal experimentation.
He formed a small blade from his thumb and nicked his index finger.
Immediately, a crimson flame burst from the wound, dancing at his fingertip. It gave off no smoke, no crackle—just a smooth, otherworldly burn.
Oddly, it didn't hurt.
"So this is Bloodflame…" he murmured, watching the glow reflect in his eyes. "A fire fueled by blood. Fitting name."
He reached for a nearby industrial thermometer to measure the temperature. The readings jumped instantly—over two thousand degrees Celsius and climbing fast. With a mere thought, Marcus intensified the flame, and the meter's needle shattered as the temperature skyrocketed past its limit—likely reaching close to ten thousand degrees.
A faint burning smell reached his nose. He turned to see the bedframe beneath him glowing red-hot, the metal beginning to warp.
"Tch."
"Shhhh—"
Smoke curled upward, triggering the lab's fire sensors. The sprinkler system burst to life, showering the room in artificial rain. The flames on the bed hissed and died… but the Bloodflame on Marcus's fingertip didn't even flicker.
Not a drop of water could extinguish it.
Fascinated, Marcus considered the implications.
Water usually kills fire by absorbing heat and cutting off oxygen. But Bloodflame burned without either—it had no combustion point, no need for air. It was a phenomenon beyond physics, sustained only by blood itself.
When Marcus clenched his fist, the flame vanished instantly. The wound on his finger had already sealed, depriving the fire of its fuel. That seemed to be the only way to extinguish it—stop the flow of blood, and the Bloodflame died.
Next, Marcus decided to test something else.
He reopened the cut—but this time didn't summon the flame. A few drops of blood fell to the floor. He let the wound close, then focused his mind.
"Burn."
A flash of crimson.
The droplets erupted into blood-colored fire, blazing for a brief second before vanishing without a trace. When it was over, not even a stain remained on the concrete floor. Every molecule of blood had been completely incinerated.
After a few more trials, Marcus determined the limits. Blood separated from his body for less than a minute could still be ignited. Anything beyond that timeframe was inert—unresponsive even when touched by active Bloodflame.
The glowing crimson fire pulsed gently in his palm, beautiful and deadly.
Marcus smiled faintly.
"So this is Bloodflame," he murmured, admiring its eerie glow. "A power born from my veins themselves… destructive, unyielding, and alive."
This was no mere ability.
It was evolution made manifest.
__
New fanfic