As Quicksilver circled behind Marcus, confirming that his opponent hadn't even turned his head, he launched forward, accelerating into a blistering sprint. Within his accelerated world, even his own movements appeared deceptively calm—yet in normal time, his punch would move faster than the human eye could follow.
At least faster than a bullet.
A thin, milky-white halo of compressed air formed around his fist—the shockwave of breaking the sound barrier. This was the same high-speed strike that had once sent Thor flying. Most of Quicksilver's enemies never even realized they'd been hit before losing consciousness.
But this time—
"What—!?"
A figure flew backward through the air, blood scattering in an arc that painted a crimson trail across the snow. Marcus calmly wiped his elbow, smearing away the splatter that wasn't his own.
The one who had been sent hurtling backward… was Quicksilver.
His body crashed into the snow, skidding several meters and carving a shallow furrow before finally stopping. He blinked dazedly, his mind reeling from the impact. A purplish bruise began to bloom across his cheek.
"I… got hit?" he muttered in disbelief.
No one—neither the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents nor even Scarlet Witch—had seen what had actually happened. To them, Quicksilver had simply vanished, followed by Marcus suddenly jerking his arm backward in a sharp, minimal motion. A heartbeat later, Quicksilver went flying, as if he had rammed himself straight into Marcus's elbow.
It was impossible. Completely inexplicable.
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. Command, Nick Fury barked an order:
"Rewind that footage. Slow it down. As slow as it'll go!"
Technicians complied immediately, reducing the playback speed to the absolute minimum. On the high-speed camera feed, the world finally made sense.
They saw Quicksilver darting behind Marcus and accelerating into a full-speed charge, his punch aimed squarely at Marcus's spine. Yet just before impact—Marcus's body moved. Barely, but unmistakably. His muscles tensed, and with an almost imperceptible flex of his arm, his elbow thrust backward—exactly where Quicksilver's face would be.
The result was instant. The combined force of Quicksilver's supersonic momentum and Marcus's precise counterblow struck like a meteor impact. The mutant had effectively run into Marcus's elbow at near-lethal velocity.
And though Quicksilver's punch had connected—landing squarely on Marcus's side—it hadn't budged him an inch. His boots sank deeper into the snow, as though rooted into the earth.
It looked like Marcus hadn't even been hit.
"Unbelievable…" Fury muttered, staring at the playback. The analysis team exchanged uneasy glances. Marcus hadn't just reacted by luck—this was premeditated. A trap, perfectly laid in advance.
But how?
He hadn't even looked back. There was no way he could have seen Quicksilver coming. Hearing him was impossible—sound waves couldn't reach him fast enough. Feeling the airflow? No chance. By the time a change in pressure arrived, Quicksilver's fist would already have struck.
Unless…
Fury's one good eye narrowed. His gaze shifted to the slow-motion frame showing the faint wound on Quicksilver's shoulder—the one Marcus had inflicted earlier—and then to Marcus himself, standing calmly with his BFG weapon slung across his back. The weapon's barrel contained a magnetic accelerator, lined with powerful electromagnets—one of which, Fury noticed, had a tiny gap.
A piece was missing.
His lips curved upward. "You clever bastard…"
He pieced it together instantly. Marcus had removed a fragment of one of the electromagnets, coated it using his metallic ability, and—during his earlier slash—implanted it into Quicksilver's body.
The magnetic field lines between them had no speed limit. As long as Quicksilver remained within range, Marcus could feel every fluctuation in the field as though it were a touch on his own skin.
He wasn't watching Quicksilver. He wasn't listening.
He was sensing him.
This was no ordinary perception. It was an evolved derivative of his metal-based ability—something that could only be described as Magnetic Sense.
A power that most would dismiss as trivial—useless, even. Yet in Marcus's hands, it became a perfect counter to the fastest man alive.
Fury exhaled slowly, impressed despite himself.
"So… he knew he wouldn't land a killing blow the first time. That cut wasn't a miss—it was insurance. He planned for this from the start."
He leaned forward, rubbing his chin as he studied Marcus's motionless form on the screen.
"But I doubt that's all he's got up his sleeve."
On the battlefield, Quicksilver still hadn't understood what had happened. He pushed himself up, spitting out a chipped tooth into the snow. The pain burned through his jaw, but his pride hurt worse.
He had prepared to lure Marcus in, to fake weakness and then counterattack. Yet Marcus hadn't taken the bait—hadn't even moved. The opportunity slipped through his fingers.
He staggered back several steps, widening the distance between them, warily observing his opponent.
Marcus stood calmly, still facing away.
"What's wrong?" Marcus asked with quiet amusement. "Are you afraid now?"
Quicksilver's breathing hitched. The taunt made his blood boil. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing in frustration.
"You… can you see me?" he demanded, his voice slurred by his swollen jaw.
Marcus didn't answer at first. Then, turning his head slightly, he smiled faintly.
"See you? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Quicksilver."
The calm, dismissive tone only made Quicksilver's fury spike higher. His nerves screamed at him to act, to prove that he couldn't be read or outmatched.
And yet… something about Marcus's composure terrified him.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this man—this unnervingly still figure standing in the snow—knew exactly where he was at every moment.
Just as Thor had once faced Quicksilver's speed and found himself helpless, now the tables had turned.
Quicksilver gritted his teeth, trembling with anger. He still didn't understand Marcus's secret—but one thing, at least, was certain.
His speed was still far beyond anything Marcus could muster.
As long as he was careful…
there was no way this man could hit him again.
___
🎉 Shoutout to Sevrion! 🎉
A huge thank you to Sevrion for joining my Patreon and supporting the journey! Your support means a lot and helps keep the chapters coming faster. Welcome to the VIP club! 🙌✨