Labors of a Paragon

Heroism is a Herculean task—so the U.S. government bureaucratizes it. There’s a budget, a PR team, and a roster of dangerous assets too useful to imprison. Leo Holt is the newest recruit, a vigilante who crippled a governor’s son and traded a life sentence for a superhero uniform. He loathes the garish colors, the focus-grouped codename, and his team leader’s corporate jargon. Worst of all? The system is working. Leo’s strength defies explanation—not science, not his handlers, not even his own understanding. His teammates are lethally competent, and the nation’s demands are darker than publicity stunts. A fanatical cult bargains with tree-like abominations that drag victims underground, constructing a throne with no clear purpose. Failure means more than prison. It means annihilation. Hardened by cynicism and exit strategies, Leo fights to survive a world where heroism is just another leash—until the leash becomes the only thing holding back the abyss.