American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

474. Soldier Boy.

Alex never believed violence was the best way to solve problems.

While silencing someone permanently might sometimes be the easiest solution, in this world, killing these superhumans wouldn't eliminate the darkness lurking within.

Others had tried to change things before—Starlight, Queen Maeve. When they first joined the Seven, they were filled with passion, believing they could make the world a better place.

But as time went on, under the weight of the system, resistance proved too difficult. Beyond ensuring their own safety, they had no other choices.

As long as people's hearts were filled with sin and evil, there would be no end to superhumans like the Seven. The ignorance of the masses would always lead them to crown a new "Seven," perpetuating the cycle.

Was it yet another wicked and hopeless loop? Alex wasn't sure. But he did know that he couldn't stay here forever. Having come this far, he had to do something—eradicate the evil at its root and sever the source of corruption.

By the time Alex returned to the safe house in New York, night had already fallen.

He pushed open the door and walked in as if he owned the place. Inside, Butcher and his team were already waiting for him.

"Oi! Look who's here—our superstar!"

Hearing the commotion, Butcher glanced up. When he saw Alex's face, his usually grim expression lightened.

"Fuck off, Butcher." Alex shoved away Butcher, who was moving in for a hug, and instead tossed a folder onto the table.

"What's this?" All eyes turned to the file.

"It's your next target and the outline for our next step," Alex said casually. Then, glancing at Hughie, he lowered his voice and asked Butcher, "Why is this guy still here?"

Following Alex's gaze, Butcher understood what he meant. After a brief pause, he replied, "We're short on manpower, and this guy can be useful sometimes."

Hearing that, Alex couldn't be bothered to argue. Hughie wasn't a kid anymore—he was an adult. If he chose to stay, then he should be prepared to face the consequences of his choice. Even if he died, it would be his fate.

"Vought is currently mired in scandals, and that's thanks to your efforts. Without the connections and platforms you found, those data and evidence wouldn't have reached public view."

"Actually, we owe much of it to Colonel Mallory. She paved the way for us. Without the CIA's backing, those documents would've been seized by Vought long before they made it to the media," Butcher said, not taking credit.

"Colonel Mallory wouldn't help us out of the goodness of her heart. Taking down Vought requires more allies, and your connections played a critical role," Alex said, tapping the file on the table.

"We can save the celebrations for later. While Vought is on the defensive, we need to strike hard and give them no room to recover."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Alex's assessment.

Vought was currently swamped by public outrage. The entire world was focused on their scandals, leaving the corporation too preoccupied to handle other matters.

If they wanted to destroy Vought in one fell swoop, now was the time. They needed to keep pressing, leaving Vought's executives overwhelmed and out of options.

"So, what's our next plan?" Frenchie asked curiously.

Alex didn't beat around the bush. He picked up the folder, pulled out a stack of documents, and laid them out for everyone to see.

At the top of the documents was a black-and-white photograph of a man in a battle suit, holding a shield adorned with a falcon insignia. The image was strikingly prominent.

"Soldier Boy?!"

Seeing the photo, M.M.'s eyes widened in shock.

The others were equally astonished. After all, Soldier Boy was arguably the most powerful superhero before Homelander and America's first iconic figure.

"It seems you all know him, so I don't need to introduce him further."

Alex was aware of M.M.'s grudge against Soldier Boy. When M.M. was a child, Soldier Boy had "accidentally" killed his grandfather while apprehending a car thief. This left M.M. with a deep-seated fear of superheroes.

"I found some interesting intel at the Sage Grove Center. The story of Soldier Boy sacrificing himself in a nuclear war to save America? It's all nonsense. His death was entirely orchestrated by Vought."

The room fell silent as everyone's expressions turned grim.

Even Billy Butcher glanced at Alex with a flicker of surprise. Since meeting Alex, the revelations he brought never ceased to amaze them.

"Vought killed Soldier Boy? Why would they do that?!" M.M. was the first to speak, his brows furrowed as he struggled to comprehend Vought's motives.

"It's simple: to make way for Homelander."

Alex explained calmly.

"Though you haven't had much contact with Soldier Boy, you can probably imagine that he wasn't much different from the current crop of superpowered trash. His personality was terrible—horribly so. He frequently abused his teammates.

"Crimson Countess, Mindstorm, the TNT Twins, Gunpowder, Swatto, and Black Noir all lived under the shadow of Soldier Boy's violence every single day. So, when Stan Edgar proposed the idea, Black Noir agreed without hesitation."

"You're saying that the battle decades ago, where Soldier Boy supposedly sacrificed himself, was fake? That it was all orchestrated by Vought, and Soldier Boy was actually killed by his own teammates?" Butcher chuckled. "Bloody hell, I'm not even surprised."

"Why don't you ask Colonel Mallory about it?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Mallory? She was involved in this too?" Butcher was taken aback.

"There's evidence showing that Soldier Boy's last military operation before his disappearance was a joint mission between Vought and the military. And Colonel Mallory was the commanding officer of that unit back then," Alex replied.

Butcher closed his eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. He'd worked with Colonel Mallory for years, yet she had never revealed this to him.

Of course, he considered the possibility that Alex might be lying, but upon further thought, Alex had no reason to deceive him. Besides, Mallory herself had always been an enigma.

Ever since Mallory assembled their team, Butcher had wondered why she targeted superhumans so specifically. Now, the pieces were falling into place—if Mallory had dealt with superhumans in her youth, her later actions made perfect sense.

"So, Soldier Boy is already dead, right? And all we need to do is find the weapon that killed him to deal with Homelander."

"It's not that simple. We can't confirm Soldier Boy's death just yet," Alex said, pulling a document from the folder and handing it to Butcher.

Butcher took the paper, giving Alex a curious glance before carefully reading the report.

When he saw the part where Vought's files mentioned that after Soldier Boy was defeated, the Russian military took him into custody, Butcher's brow furrowed deeply.

"Oh, bloody hell, don't tell me Soldier Boy is still alive."

Alex didn't respond.

Soldier Boy was, in fact, alive. For decades, he had been confined to a secret laboratory, subjected to various forms of brainwashing and experimentation. Many had tried to uncover the secrets of superheroes, and Soldier Boy was the perfect specimen for their research.

Everyone rushed forward, scrambling to grab the documents on the table. Meanwhile, Butcher kept his gaze fixed on Alex and slowly asked,"So, what do you suggest we do next?"

Alex crossed his arms and smiled calmly.

"With Vought in chaos, I need you to take a trip abroad. If Soldier Boy is still alive, figure out how to bring him back. Once he's here, the real show will begin."

"You want Soldier Boy to take on Vought?" M.M. quickly caught on to Alex's implication.

"On the surface, yes," Alex admitted. "Imagine this: Soldier Boy, after decades of torment, returns. What do you think he'll do to his old teammates and the Vought executives who betrayed him?"

"An eye for an eye," Butcher said with a sinister grin, the double meaning clear.

"Wait, we can't do this! If Soldier Boy comes back, he'll go on a killing spree. Who knows how many innocent people will get caught in the crossfire?"

This time, M.M. spoke up before even Hughie could object.

Hearing M.M.'s words, Alex turned to look at him and said half-seriously, "Don't worry, I won't let that happen."

"Are you sure? This mission could easily go sideways. We've already exposed ourselves. What if Vought sends someone to keep an eye on us?" Frenchie chimed in, joining the discussion.

The last time they investigated Compound V, Vought had been on their trail.

Thankfully, with Alex's help, they managed to gather evidence quickly. Butcher had exposed Vought's scandals before the corporation could retaliate. Otherwise, they might not even be alive right now.

"If you're worried about the Seven, don't be, Frenchie," Alex said, patting his shoulder. "Homelander is under the constant scrutiny of the media; he can't move freely. As for the rest of them, they won't be getting out of their hospital beds for at least a week."

As Alex spoke, the others couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
475. 'The Sword of Michael'
476. Movements from All Sides.
477. Saving the Soldier Boy!
478. Soldier Boy Breaks Free.
479. Deal Reached!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om