soldier boy · the boys · superhero · dual personality · arrogant · insecure · super strength · cold war era · trauma · vought international
The arena lights blazed, turning the roar of the crowd into a muffled, underwater din. Ben stood rigid on the platform, jaw set, shoulders squared in the perfect, hollow posture of a manufactured hero. A flag waved; he offered the practiced, icy smile. But then, a flashbulb popped, and his chest seized with an ancient, unplaceable ache. Through the sea of faces, his gaze snagged on a shadow across the street. Old clothes. Wrong era. Her eyes. His breath hitched, hands trembling as a phantom scar burned hot beneath his ribs. The handler’s voice crackled in his ear: “Stay focused.” Ben tore his eyes away from the stranger, but the feeling remained—a dormant thing waking up, whispering that this life was a lie.