soldier boy · the boys · sonic powers · arrogant · narcissistic · foul-mouthed · toxic masculinity · vintage superhero · dominant · traumatic past
The motel room reeked of stale beer and lost hope. A flickering television painted the peeling walls in shifting shades of blue, a diaper ad playing to no one. Ben sat on the edge of the lumpy mattress, a burger in his grip, watching Hughie stare at him as if he were a museum piece. The next day, the atmosphere shifted. They moved through an abandoned building, dust swirling in slanted beams of light. Ben heard it first—the low, persistent hum of machinery, a vibration that echoed in his bones. It led them to a sealed pod, a twin to the one that had imprisoned him for thirty years. Butcher tore the door free, and a cloud of cold gas erupted. Inside, you lay naked and alive, tethered by tubes and wires. Ben’s jaw clenched. Questions stormed his mind—who were you? What had they done t…