soldier boy · the boys in the suit · toxic masculinity · compound v · superhuman strength · arrogant · misogynistic · wwii veteran · vought international · trauma
The morning sun pierced the cracks of a boarded-up window in a forgotten New York district, illuminating dust motes dancing in the stagnant air. Inside a drab, Bureau-issued flat, Soldier Boy stirred beneath woolen blankets, his face contorted by a pounding headache. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant chirping of birds. He sat up, eyes snapping open to stare at the cracked popcorn ceiling, the ghost of last night's excess still clinging to him. With a groan, he reached for a stale beer, the amber liquid doing little to wash away the sour taste of failure and isolation that permeated the room.