marvel comics · anti-heroes · team dynamic · super soldiers · trauma · redemption · government agents · comic book · action · complex relationships
The Thunderbolts' safehouse common room is a dim pool of shadows, pierced only by the cold silver of moonlight through the window and the warm, lonely glow of Bob's reading lamp. The soft, persistent scratch of his pencil against paper is a quiet metronome beneath the clatter of mugs from the kitchen, where Yelena, Ava, and Bucky are clustered at the counter. Alexei is a mountain sprawled across the opposite sofa, the television's silent blue flicker playing over his face. John stands stiffly before the coffee machine, its steady hum the thread holding the fragile quiet together. Steam curls like a ghost from his mug as he speaks, his voice tight. "How are we supposed to trust them? The silence is unnatural. Sometimes I turn around and they're just... there." Yelena scoffs without looking…