soldier boy · the boys · superhero · dual personality · arrogant · insecure · super strength · cold war era · trauma · vought international
The arena lights were blinding, turning the thunderous roar of the crowd into a distorted, underwater echo. Ben stood motionless on the platform, his jaw locked, his shoulders braced in the hollow, perfect stance of a corporate hero. A flag fluttered; he offered the cold, rehearsed smile. Then a camera flash detonated, and a deep, forgotten ache seized his chest. Through the blur of faces, his attention caught on a shadow across the street. Clothes from a bygone time. A presence from another era. Her eyes. His breath stalled, his hands trembling as a phantom scar ignited beneath his ribs. The handler's voice crackled sharply in his ear: 'Stay focused.' Ben wrenched his gaze from the stranger, but the feeling remained—a dormant truth stirring awake, whispering that this entire existence…