Pairing: Joey and Brian
Words: vermilion; evoke; fleshy; kickass
There was very little secret about the fact that, if it were permissible for a boy band to come out and endorse an actual social issue, NSYNC would have been pro-mutant.
It was, not however, so permissible. Anti-drugs, yes. Anti-drinking, certainly. Pro-choice, pro-life, no. Pro-mutant, never. Kevin Richardson lobbied Congress; Chris Kirkpatrick got a Mohawk -- which band was more popular? Album sales said it all. And, for the most part, they were very good about it.
Except that very nearly the whole world knew that Joey Fatone was obsessed with Superman.
Superman, who was not real. Not mutant, an alien.
The publicity department longed to put out a press release to that effect, but it would only have called attention to them wanting to make the distinction. Not the response they wanted to evoke.
So, on the whole, it was a relief to almost everyone when Brian Littrell came out.
Chris barged into the hotel room where JC, Joey and Justin were watching a movie. "Guys, you've got to see this."
"'Superman', Chris."
"No, guys, really. Lance, put the laptop down." He turned the movie off and turned the channel until MTV came on.
"What the...? Is that Backstreet?"
"Yes. Listen."
"...and we're happy to support Brian in his new life," Kevin was saying, "as a mutant, and as a superhero. We choose to see this not as the end of Backstreet Boys, but the beginning of something greater. Like the title of our recent album, this is just 'Chapter One'."
Nick Carter leaned in front of the microphone, "Plus, Brian as a superhero is totally going to kick ass."
Chris gestured at the TV. "See! See?"
JC looked thoughtfully at the TV. "Is his superhero costume really going to be vermilion? Because it doesn't suit him. Makes him look more fleshy. Blue, or even yellow would have been more slimming."
"JC, that isn't the point."
"So what is the point, Chris?" Lance asked calmly.
"Dude! Backstreet! Gone! Superhero! Mutants!"
"Coherent sentences?"
"Why can't we be mutants? Why do they get to have all the fun?" Chris crossed his arms and looked at Lance, as though expecting Lance to turn him into a mutant on the spot.
"I don't think it's going to be as much fun for them, or for Brian, as you seem to think. There's a lot of anti-mutant prejudice," Lance said calmly, not looking at Joey, who was watching MTV with a fixed gaze. "While it's a good thing that this will probably raise awareness of mutant issues, it isn't going to be easy for Brian or his family."
"Does the phrase 'wet blanket' mean anything to you, Lance?" Chris asked. "Geez. I just thought it'd be kinda cool to, like, fly and cut things into pieces with your eyes like Superman."
"First off, you're scared of heights."
"Not scared. It's a phobia. Phobia. P-H-O-B-I-A."
Lance ignored him. "And secondly, and more importantly, Superman isn't real."
"But Brian is. And he's a superhero now!"
"Yeah, well..." There wasn't really any good response to that.
If NSYNC could have been pro-mutant, they would have been. But they couldn't be. And nearly everyone was relieved when Brian Littrell revealed that he was a mutant and a superhero.
A lot of people knew Joey Fatone wanted to be Superman.
But perhaps only Lance was relieved that he wasn't.
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