Marvel: A Journey Begins From the Zombieverse

The figure clutching a book fled Colossus' pursuit at an incredible speed, surprising the metal giant. Without pausing to think, Colossus gave chase relentlessly. Yet no matter how fast he ran, the figure always managed to maintain some distance.

The longer the chase, the better it will taste when I finally devour him, Colossus thought.

Eventually, the figure darted into a room, slamming the door shut behind him.

With a roar of fury, Colossus smashed the door with his massive fist, the impact reducing it to splinters. He charged into the room, but what greeted him was not what he expected.

Before him stretched an expansive, empty space that defied the room's apparent dimensions. The walls were absent, the furnishings nonexistent, and the floor was a smooth metallic surface. It reminded him of the X-Men's Danger Room, a space for virtual combat training, but this environment seemed even more realistic.

Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the room. A bullet struck Colossus square in his metallic forehead, producing a sharp ping. To him, it felt like a harmless tap.

"Who's there?!" he bellowed.

In a corner of the room, a figure materialized out of thin air, a gray book discarded at his feet. Holding a handgun in his left hand and a massive black duffel bag slung across his back, the man smiled faintly at Colossus.

Colossus erupted into laughter, saliva dripping from his mouth. "You think bullets can hurt me? You've just delivered yourself straight to my jaws!" He lunged forward, his massive metal arms outstretched.

Noah watched the charging Colossus coldly. He raised his gun and fired repeatedly. The large-caliber bullets slammed into Colossus' body, only to ricochet harmlessly off his impenetrable metal skin.

With each bullet that bounced off, Colossus laughed louder.

"Ha! Is this supposed to tickle? You're a joke! Stop wasting time—I'll be merciful and kill you quickly!"

As Colossus closed the gap to a mere few meters, a section of the metallic floor beneath Noah suddenly rose. The floating metal panel hovered steadily, resembling a makeshift stepping stone.

Noah holstered his handgun and leaped onto the platform with agility, propelling himself several meters into the air. Colossus, unprepared for the maneuver, slammed headfirst into the wall.

At the same moment, Noah pressed a button on his gun and tossed it toward Colossus. The weapon exploded midair before the lumbering giant could react, engulfing him in a fiery blast.

Though Colossus was nigh indestructible, his metal form came with drawbacks—his speed was slightly reduced compared to his human state, leaving him vulnerable to such traps.

This weapon wasn't one of Noah's system-provided items; it was a special device he had swiped from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, where nearly everything seemed to be designed to explode spectacularly.

As the dust settled, Noah reached into his duffel bag and retrieved a massive rifle. The weapon's barrel was transparent, revealing a strange, glowing red substance flowing within, emitting a soft crackling sound.

"Damn it," Colossus groaned, pulling his head free from the wall. His silvery eyes burned with rage as he glared at Noah, now standing calmly in the distance.

"Come here!" Noah taunted.

"I'll kill you! I'll devour you!" Colossus roared, charging with even greater ferocity.

Noah steadied the rifle, his gaze locked on the approaching monster. His tone was calm and deliberate as he muttered, "I've always wondered about something—"

He pulled the trigger.

The rifle emitted a deep hum as a beam of dark red energy shot forth, aiming directly at Colossus' eye. In the split second before Colossus could close his eyelids, the laser penetrated his eye, obliterating his brain in an instant.

"Hhhk—"

Colossus collapsed lifelessly, his massive body sliding forward until it came to rest at Noah's feet. Blood streamed from his seven orifices, leaving a gruesome trail behind him.

Noah lifted his foot, allowing the hulking corpse to slide past. "If even your eyeballs were metal, how would you be able to see?"

He slung the rifle back onto his shoulder and glanced toward a seemingly empty part of the room. With a subtle nod, the Invisible Woman materialized from thin air, offering him a weary smile.

It had been Susan who raised the metal panel earlier, providing Noah the elevation he needed. Though the two had not coordinated beforehand, her tactical instincts filled in the gaps.

The room itself was one Noah had previously used for testing his physical abilities. Any remnants from his earlier experiments had long been cleared away by Doom's robots.

When the three zombies—Colossus included—had breached the Doom Fortress, Doctor Doom had detected their intrusion immediately. Using ancient runes inscribed on the fortress walls, he confused their senses, luring them into traps. Noah volunteered to handle Colossus, and Susan happened to be nearby, offering her assistance.

"How did you know his eyes were so vulnerable?" Susan asked, retrieving the Necronomicon from the ground and handing it to Noah. "Even Logan didn't know that."

Noah smirked but offered no explanation.

He couldn't very well tell her that in Earth-1610, Colossus had been taken down for the same reason. Despite being one of the most famous mutants, he had once been rendered helpless by a simple handgun aimed at his eyes—a humiliating defeat.

In nearly every known universe, Colossus' eyes remained a weak point, though their metallic sheen often fooled opponents into thinking otherwise.

Instead of gambling on a regular bullet's effectiveness, Noah had chosen S.H.I.E.L.D.'s laser rifle for its guaranteed lethality.

"Any updates from Doom? How much longer until the portal is ready?" Noah asked as they exited the training room.

Susan nodded, tapping her earpiece. "He says progress is faster than expected—just over thirty minutes until the first wave of evacuations. Though he keeps emphasizing that Latverian citizens must go first."

Noah shrugged. "Well, at least he isn't treating lives like numbers."

Susan sighed, clearly frustrated. "Does he really think we'd abandon them?"

"Look on the bright side," Noah said. "At least he's consistent."

Susan touched her earpiece again, her expression shifting. "Luke Cage and Juggernaut have been dealt with."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How?"

"Cage was incinerated by Vision," Susan replied. "And Wanda teleported Juggernaut to California. But she's completely drained and passed out afterward. No idea when she'll wake up."

Noah smirked. "Fair enough."