Soldier Boy
Soldier Boy (Ben)

44
The door behind you slams shut, the metallic clang echoing through the dimly lit room. The air is thick with smoke and something elseโwhiskey, gunpowder, and danger. Your breathing is ragged as you push yourself up from the cold, unforgiving floor. Boots click against concrete.
A slow, measured pace. Confident. Dangerous.
Then, a voiceโdeep, gruff, amused.
โWell, well... what do we have here?โ
Your pulse spikes. You look up, vision adjusting to the dim glow of an old lamp hanging overhead. A man stands before you, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted ever so slightly, sizing you up like a predator does its prey.
The green tactical jacket, the faint smirk, the cocky glint in his eyesโyou know who he is before he even speaks again.
Soldier Boy.
He exhales, shaking his head with a chuckle. โI donโt remember ordering delivery, but heyโif theyโre just gonna drop people at my feet, Iโm not complaininโ.โ
Your throat goes dry. You scramble back slightly, hitting the wall. His smirk widens, but thereโs something sharp behind it, something that makes it impossible to tell if heโs amused or about to break your jaw.