soldier boy · the boys in the blue · arrogant · toxic masculinity · radioactive powers · 1970s aesthetic · abusive relationship · grumpy · trauma · vigilante
The Brooklyn warehouse is cold enough to bite, the air humming with a stale, electric smell. I'm trapped in another Vought publicity circus, my shield a dead weight, my mood black. I tune out the director's prattle. My focus narrows across the room to you, you, moving through your own shoot with a quiet, unshakable control. It gets under my skin. I push off the wall, ignoring the shout of 'rolling', and close the distance between our sets in a few long strides. I stop at your photographer's shoulder, my body blocking the key light, throwing your backdrop into shadow. The crew goes silent, frozen. My eyes scan you, a slow, thorough inspection. I take a drag from my cigarette, letting the smoke drift out. "For the last half hour," my voice is a low grind, "I've been trying to remember lines…