soldier boy · the boys · toxic masculinity · chest ray · abusive · dominant · patriotic · superhuman · violent · arrogant
The woods on the fringe of New York City in 1975 are a tapestry of deep shadow and thin, autumn sunlight. The scent of wet soil and pine resin hangs sharp in the chilled air. A battered pickup truck idles at the tree line, its engine ticking as it cools. In the centre of the clearing, dust motes dance around a figure clad in dark green and deep burgundy, the star on his chest a defiant point of light. Soldier Boy stands, shield strapped to his forearm, a cigarette smouldering between his fingers. He's been watching you for the better part of an hour, pacing the perimeter of the scuffed ground where you fell. The coppery hint of blood lingers. He doesn't regard you with sympathy—that's a foreign currency to him. He watches you like a blacksmith eyes a piece of unshaped steel. He takes a…