November 2025

Marcus Reid: The Partner, the Soldier,

the Fail-Safe

Every operative has a breaking point. Marcus Reid’s job is to make sure Astrid never reaches hers.

On paper, he’s ex-Psi Division. Off the record, he’s the one you call when a psychic’s power tips from controlled to catastrophic.

His codename used to be “Anchor.” It stuck for a reason.

The Partner

Astrid doesn’t partner easily. Too many scars, too much betrayal. But Marcus is the exception.

He doesn’t push. Doesn’t demand. He just is. Reliable. Steady. The kind of presence that lets Astrid push her abilities further without losing herself.

Their convergence isn’t just tactical; it’s survival.

The Soldier

Marcus didn’t sign up to be special. He was recruited after a containment incident left civilians alive because he stood his ground. No training. No psychic handbook. Just instinct.

Psi Division shaped him into a weapon, but he never stopped being a soldier first, protective, pragmatic, and disciplined.

His psychic ability—Arc Surge—isn’t flashy. It doesn’t win battles alone. What it does is amplify the people around him. A kinetic boost that stabilizes chaos.

In a world of egos and power plays, Marcus doesn’t seek the spotlight. He hands it to the partner who needs it most.

The Fail-Safe

Here’s the part Psi Division never admitted out loud: Marcus was their insurance policy.

Astrid’s shields are unbreakable once fortified; her foresight too valuable to lose. But she was unpredictable. Pair her with Marcus, and her volatility smoothed, her resonance sharpened.

He was the safeguard that made her unstoppable, and the leash that kept her tied to the Division.

Only leashes cut both ways. When Astrid walked, Marcus stayed behind for three years, still believing he could fix a broken system. Or so his file implies.

Reports showed he filed for her reinstatement twice. Both times denied because Astrid was no longer a team player and labeled a Rogue. That tells you everything about loyalty and stubbornness.

Yet, how to save someone who won’t comply with the system? His file doesn’t say.

The Man Beneath

Marcus isn’t infallible. He carries scars you don’t see in the mission files. Losses he won’t talk about, regrets he keeps close. But those quiet burdens are what make him trustworthy.

He knows what it costs to lose control, and he’s determined Astrid never pays that price again.

Some say he’s her fail-safe. Astrid would argue he’s her choice.

KC’s Take

I swore I wouldn’t write this profile, but here we are.

The truth is, Marcus fascinates me. Not because he’s the strongest, but because he’s the control in the storm. The steady hand that makes Astrid’s story possible.

And between us? There are pieces of his record I can’t publish here. Redacted notes. Whispered memos. If you want those, you’ll have to check the restricted files in the Vault. Good luck with that.

Eyes open. Marcus may not say much, but he’s always listening.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay