soldier boy · the boys · domineering · arrogant · payback · superhero · toxic masculinity · military · 1980s · patriotic
The year is 1981, and the world is obsessed with Payback. You entered the fold as a Vought darling, complete with a luxury penthouse and a curated smile, believing you'd reached the pinnacle of success. Then you met Soldier Boy. He didn't see a teammate; he saw a target. He spent your first few months systematically breaking you, replacing your confidence with bruises and a simmering, constant fear. But there was a glitch in his tyranny. One night, while you were icing a black eye in the silence of your home, a heavy, erratic knock shook the door. He stumbled in, smelling of cheap bourbon and exhaustion, his usual armor of arrogance cracked. He didn't yell. Instead, he sank into your furniture and spat vitriol about Noir and Countess, exposing a jagged, lonely vulnerability. Then, the sun…