Markus Walker (Hell's Scars)

== Markus Walker ==
Marcus Walker (known as Markus or by his hacker alias C0oL MK-16) is a main character and the main protagonist of the "Hell's Scars" series.
Walker is a former associate/hacker of Evan's paramilitary gang that turned against Evan upon realizing that a life of crime isn't worth it anymore.
== Background ==
Born on August 20, 2005, in Los Angeles, California, Markus grew up in a wealthy family and moved to Oakland at a young age. Markus was at one point placed into a community program where he would discover an affinity for computers. At the age of 12, he began to hack into government servers to change his grades and hire himself out to his classmates for easy money but was forced to run away when his parents found out about his illegal dealings. Markus has hidden from the law by hiding in abandoned houses, homeless shelters, and alleyways until he is found by one of Evan's fellow soldiers, who takes him in. 
However, Markus used his natural affinity for computers and after impressing a few of the members, including Evan himself, Markus became the group's main hacker and began hacking into government and military servers to gain information for the group. He has also received formal military training from Evan, who claimed that Markus is extremely resourceful and was one of the most loyal members of the group.
== Biography ==
In early 2030, Markus is shown to be hacking into security systems as Kenneth and 2 men robbed a train full of methylamine under the direct orders of Evan, who needed to make meth to make profits for building up their army. Because of his efforts, Evan gave Markus a promotion and gave him an appreciation for his abilities. As Evan creates a meeting, Markus speaks out and tells Evan that starting wars is necessary, despite working for the Cartel, but Evan claims that some things are meant to be. After being dismissed from the meeting, Markus began to play online games and hacked into several bank accounts. 
However, Markus was given a task to hack into several cameras as Evan and his crew went to a drug deal with Gustavo Chavez (Leon's son and the Cartel's second-in-command), but he was forced to watch as Gustavo betrays the group out of greed and Evan ordered his men to wipe out the men in retaliation. Having watched Evan execute Gustavo, a visibly shocked Markus began to have second thoughts about Evan's intentions. 3 days after the failed deal, Evan spoke to Markus about doing another hacking task, but Markus turned it down and told Evan that he might need some time off before leaving the compound.
As Markus went to his apartment to relax and play online poker, Kenneth and a few men came over and tried to kill him, but Markus managed to subdue Kenneth and kill some of the men to get away. Realizing that Evan marked him for death, Markus tries to hide in abandoned places before settling inside a motel with Melanie (a rogue prostitute who escaped from Evan's grasp). After a few weeks, Markus and Melanie develop a mutual alliance since they both despise his motives. With her help, Markus manages to dismantle Evan's weapons depots and meth labs by using what Evan taught him, weakening the group strategically. Knowing that Evan could be hiding at one of the depots, Markus used his hacking skills to take over an unmanned combat drone and destroyed most of the outpost, killing almost all of the men (including Tyler, Isaac, Simon, Abraham, Cain, and Joseph), which impressed Evan and the rest of the surviving crew greatly. Markus enters the building and confronts Evan, but Evan tricks him by luring him outside when he and a few men (Cyrus, Matthew, and John) use a tank to attack him, but Markus uses the drone to destroy the tank, killing all of them in the process. 
After 6 months after the attack, Markus and Melanie developed a relationship and lived together in Dallas, Texas. However, Evan survived the attack and he is trying to find Confederate treasure so he could use it to rally people to his cause but in fact, he intended to spark the second American Civil War by trading it for a military-graded bomb to destroy an American city which would cause mass chaos. During the chaos, he could rally people by promising order and prosperity under his rule which he will amass enough desperate people to build a large army strong enough to topple the American government. Not wanting to risk it, Markus sabotages the deal, forcing the two sides to kill each other as Evan takes the bomb. Using a drone, Markus trailed Evan's location back to their compound, where he hacked into its systems and explosives, destroying the compound and killing almost all of the soldiers. Markus found Evan and after Evan set up the bomb to destroy the compound, the two fought each other. Although Evan proved himself to be a fearsome opponent and had combat experience, Markus outwitted him and shot him three times, critically wounding Evan and disarming the bomb. Despite having a wounded Evan at his mercy, Markus reluctantly spares him and escapes as the FBI HRT raids the compound and arrests Evan. 
Markus left the US with Melanie and went further into California as Evan was locked away in federal prison. During this time, a small group of hackers comes to Markus, and admiring his skillset, they recruit him into what is known as the Titans. 
After a while, the Titans find out that a ransomware attack has left hospitals without patient records, meaning that patients cannot be treated until all details are confirmed. Markus finds out that the Mikhail Bratva was the group that sent the ransomware and follows one of their members, unaware that he is being watched by none other than Damien Barrett. Markus finds the Bratva member dead already and accesses his phone before being confronted by Damien. Damien demands the location of the Bratva hideout, but Markus gives him a false location while he heads back to the hideout. After returning, he finds that Damien has followed him, and goes upstairs to confront him. 
Damien obtains the real location by threatening innocents, but Markus convinces Damien to take him along. He then forces Marcus into an SUV, and they drive to a construction site where the Bratva are hiding out. Markus accesses the Bratva‘s hacker data while Damien provides sniper cover, but Damien leaves Markus for the remaining Bratva to escape. The two run into each other again while infiltrating the Bratva leader’s yacht, agreeing to leave each other to their business. Markus figures out how to shut down the Bratva ransomware, while Damien fights his way through the yacht, eventually finding and killing the Bratva leader. As the two escape, Damien mentions that he’s pinned his murders on Markus, with Markus remarking to his crew that he hopes never to cross paths with Damien again.
Despite the hope, Markus and Melanie were found dead by Special Agent Wade Bryan in their home a few months ago, and judging by their deaths, it's heavily assumed that Damien killed him upon finding out that he got a $1,000,000 bounty on his head.
== Personality ==
In his first appearance, Markus is a reserved and observant person, as shown as he does not speak unless it's necessary for the tasks at hand. Due to his interest in computer science and self-awareness, Markus is shown to be a highly calculating and intelligent individual who earned respect from almost all of the group for his creativity and hacking skills.
However, Markus (due to his young age) isn't as battle-hardened as most of the soldiers, showcasing that while he is smart and savvy, he isn't a fighter and deliberately chooses to avoid violence, as seen as he flinches at the sight of watching shootouts between the Cartel and Evan's soldiers. Unlike the others, Markus always knew that Evan would betray him out of fear, so he was smart enough to avoid conflict with the group and chose not to fight unless it was necessary. Despite his distaste for fighting, Markus is proven to be an adept fighter and shows a remarkable display of courage, having fought against his former allies and Evan, who was his mentor. Markus is shown to be very hesitant to kill and is willing to spare anyone to avoid more casualties, as shown when he spared Evan rather than killing him because he knew that he was wanted by the government and chose to let him suffer in prison.
== Appearance ==
Markus is an American man, standing at 5'11. He has a muscular physique, given his strict exercise routine, dark brown eyes, a heavy stubble beard, and black hair styled in a Cesar haircut.
Markus wore a dark gray t-shirt, olive pants, black athletic shoes, and black-rimmed glasses whenever he was hacking into systems. For combat, Markus wore a green t-shirt, khaki combat pants, and black combat boots. He also wore body armor and carried a computer for hacking.
== Skills ==
* High Intelligence: Markus is a gifted hacker. He is also an exceptional strategist, finding many opportunities in any given scenario, ranging from direct assault to stealth ops to the usage of drones. He is also excellent at detective work, given how he can investigate and find Evan's intentions with ease.
* Hacking Skills: Markus has shown to have an advanced aptitude for hacking, being able to manipulate cars, cell phones, and any machinery within his surroundings.
* Master Tactician: Having been trained by the group, Markus is adept in the use of a wide range of weapons, as well as being adept in urban warfare. He was also capable of creating ballistic or non-lethal weapons from 3D printers and made homemade weapons that he learned from the internet. He was also able to manufacture drones, each possessing unique qualities. 
* Stealth Mastery: Markus is very competent at stealth, using his hacking to confuse or mislead enemies away into a trap. 
* Master Marksman: Despite not having used them in hacking tasks, Markus is a natural with using firearms and is capable of landing precise shots whenever he fights against various soldiers with ease.
* Master Martial Artist: Markus is somewhat of a good fighter, having been trained in Krav Maga, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Muay Thai, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is capable of holding his own against Evan, who was a skilled fighter in his right and had trained him.
* Knife Mastery: Markus is somewhat skilled with using and throwing knives and bladed objects.
* Peak Human Condition: Markus is extremely athletic, especially in the areas of parkour and combat. He is more adept at more advanced and high-speed parkour moves, capable of fighting against bigger and stronger opponents with ease, and sprinting far distances uninterrupted.
== Equipment ==
* Beretta PX4 Storm: Markus' main sidearm. He notably used it to fight off several soldiers.
* G.A. MQ-9 Reaper: Markus' primary weapon/combat drone. He notably hacked into various Reaper drones to kill the majority of Evan's men and to observe the compound.
== Deaths ==
Murders committed by Markus:
* 500 of Evan's Men: Shot, blown up, and beaten
* Kenneth Becker: Shot in the throat, bled out
* Tyler, Isaac, Simon, Abraham, Cain, and Joseph: Shot to death
* Cyrus, Matthew, and John: Blown up into pieces
* Micah: Knife stabbed in the heart
* Mara: Shot multiple times
== Death ==
Killed By
* Damien Barrett (Directly)
Unknown to him, Markus had a million-dollar bounty on his head and once Damien found out, he tracked him down and shot him in the gut before shooting Melanie in the neck. As a severely wounded Markus tries to reach his pistol, Damien shoots him twice in the head and leaves the scene.
== Trivia ==
* Markus is the first protagonist who is young and doesn't have military experience.
* Due to his background and history, Markus is the only character who joined a hostile faction and got away unscathed.
* Markus is the only main character that Damien killed.