Star-Spangled's jaw clenched, the edge of his polished red-white cape fluttering behind him as the surge of Elius's floating swords settled into the background like a halo of quiet defiance.
His pride, his sense of duty, and his ego as the leader of the Vanguard Justice Juniors—all of it burned with restrained fury.
"You arrogant little prick," Star-Spangled hissed.
He turned abruptly, his boots slamming into the concrete with purpose.
He faced the crowd behind him—dozens of young Superheroes, fresh recruits, hopefuls, and veterans alike.
His arms spread wide, voice booming as he shouted with the practiced cadence of a man who'd trained for stage presence as much as combat.
"Am I crazy? Or is this guy actually about to murder four sidekicks in their first week?!"
The crowd rippled, murmurs growing louder.
"He's got a point…"
"I mean, unexplored dimensional rifts? With sidekicks?"
"Is that even allowed? Can the system detect that?"
