Transmigrated into The Boys, Starting as Soldier Boy

But when Mallory looked back on it now, that memory, soaked through by the years, had become complicated.

Her feelings toward Soldier Boy had never been simple.

The man was an asshole. There was no question about that.

Soldier Boy was arrogant, a womanizer, domineering, and he looked down on everyone.

But on the battlefield in Nicaragua, he had also been the only Supe who fought alongside her against their enemies.

Back then, Soldier Boy had really put in the work. He had shed blood.

He had been her ally, a reliable gun on the battlefield.

And then what happened?

Soldier Boy was betrayed by the other members of Payback, stabbed in the back by his own people, and shipped off to a Soviet lab to be tortured for forty whole years.

Only now did Mallory truly understand what Soldier Boy had gone through.

He had been the victim of that filthy deal, a discarded pawn abandoned by his own side.

A man she hated, but who was also strangely straightforward.

And what Soldier Boy had done after returning to Vought surprised Mallory even more.

He really did seem to want to transform Vought, to gradually turn that old, filthy company, rotten to the core and soaked in blood, into something more like a proper superhero company.

The Vought under his control seemed different from Vought under Edgar. It had changed.

Those things were right in front of her.

She could not pretend she did not see them.

Even if Mallory hated Vought.

That was why her feelings toward Soldier Boy were so damn complicated.

No matter how much of an asshole he was, he was still the most normal Supe she had ever seen in her life.

A Supe who knew what a line was, what rules were, and who had already done his best not to slaughter innocent people.

Of course, Mother’s Milk’s family was the exception.

In a world full of twisted Supes, that almost counted as a rare virtue.

But for now, all those complicated feelings had to be shoved aside.

Mallory pushed the thoughts out of her mind and focused again on the matter in front of her.

Mallory’s position had not changed one bit.

She still intended to go after Homelander, Soldier Boy, and Vought.

No matter what Soldier Boy had done, he was still the one in power at Vought, still standing in a position that needed to be checked.

And what Mallory wanted to do was destroy Homelander and Vought completely.

No matter how much Soldier Boy tried to reform Vought, Mallory would never believe Vought could truly change.

Because the rot inside certain Supes could not be changed at all.

"Combine that with Neuman’s behavior at the hearing," Mallory said, pulling her thoughts back and continuing her analysis in a calm, firm voice, "and it’s enough to see that Soldier Boy first went to Neuman because he wanted her to help Homelander, to give Vought more political room to maneuver."

"But somewhere along the way, the two of them got tangled up.

"Neuman fell for Soldier Boy, so she abandoned you. That’s the whole reason."

She paused, then added, "Of course, there’s another possibility we can’t rule out. Neuman may think Soldier Boy and Homelander can give her a higher position in politics.

"After all, for some politicians, love and self-interest are basically the same damn thing."

"And now that Vought has fired you, you’ve lost everything. Neuman may very well have decided to dump you."

Mallory’s analysis was clear and methodical, each conclusion linking neatly to the next. It sounded airtight.

But what she did not know was that there were still things she did not know.

For example, at this very moment, Mallory still had no idea who Neuman really was.

She did not know that the woman sitting among the lawmakers at the hearing was not an ordinary human. She did not know that Neuman herself was a Supe with terrifying Superpowers, the Head-Popper who could make anyone’s skull burst while chatting like nothing had happened.

According to the intelligence Mallory had, Neuman was just a politician, a sharp, capable congresswoman, and an ally who had once stood on the anti-Homelander, anti-Vought front.

They were supposed to be on the same side.

But now that card had been taken by Soldier Boy, and only Mallory herself knew how bitter that felt.

Sameer said nothing.

He stood there, his hands hanging weakly at his sides. Mallory had already taken the tablet back, but his hands were still curled as if he were gripping something, as if there were still anything left for him to hold on to.

His eyes were empty and lost, and he gave a murmur so low it was barely audible.

"That goddamn Soldier Boy..."

His voice was hoarse and shaking.

"He’s the strongest Supe in the world... even Homelander is his son."

Sameer lifted his head and looked at Mallory in despair.

Mallory looked at the hopelessness written all over Sameer’s face and knew the time had come.

She handed the tablet to the aide behind her, clasped her hands behind her back, and stood in front of Sameer with the steady posture of a soldier.

"So our goal is to take out these goddamn Supes and take down Vought."

"The world would be better off without Vought."

Mallory paused, her gaze sweeping across Sameer’s face to make sure he was listening, then continued, "You were a researcher at Vought. You’re talented. When it comes to deep development of Compound V, there are only a handful of people in all of Vought who could reach your position.

"What I value is your brain. The knowledge and data about Vought inside that head of yours. I want you to join our team."

Sameer did not speak. He only listened in silence.

The warehouse’s industrial lights reflected in his bloodshot eyes, flickering unsteadily.

Mallory did not rush him. Instead, she began laying out her hand piece by piece.

She knew that if she wanted a former Vought executive to defect, stirring up his emotions would not be enough. She had to show him what her side could bring to the table.

"I’m with The Boys," she said. Her voice was not loud, but every word carried weight.

"You may not have heard the name, but we’ve been dealing with Vought longer than any organization out there. We’ve killed plenty of Supes, including Translucent."

"And Adana, President of the Church of the Collective, is standing right in front of you. The Church has multiple eyes inside Vought and a hell of a lot of dirt on the company."

"We’re not a few strays hiding in a corner plotting a rebellion. We have strength, intelligence, and resources."

Colonel Mallory deliberately paused, giving Sameer time to digest it, then continued, "I need you to give us dirt on Vought under Soldier Boy’s control."

"But honestly, you probably don’t have any. You were purged before this round of power changed hands, so you wouldn’t have access to the new Vought’s internal secrets. I know that."

"If you do have something, great. If not, it doesn’t matter, because your real value isn’t intelligence."

"Wait," Sameer said, lifting his head. A trace of clarity finally appeared in his eyes. He cut Mallory off, as if trying to confirm what he had heard. "So your goal is to take down Vought? And Homelander and Soldier Boy?"

Mallory nodded.

"Then if I don’t have any dirt on the new Vought, what can I do?" Sameer asked.

He was thinking about where he fit on this board. He understood his situation.

A former executive who had been kicked out of the game. An unemployed man whose bank balance was shrinking fast.

A loser who could not even break into his ex-wife’s social circle...

What value could he possibly have?

***

...

...

If you’d like to support my work and unlock advanced Chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.

[email protected]/PinkSnake (10 Chapters Ahead).

You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced Chapters.

***