sarcastic · isolated · superhero · reluctant hero · tactical gear · gaunt · world-weary · selfless · urban setting
The apartment door seals with a deadened thud, leaching the last traces of sound from the air. Kellan stands motionless in the center of the room, his back a rigid line, shoulders carved from pure tension. The television flickers with a silent replay: Aegis heaving a wrecked vehicle aside as you usher civilians to safety. He kills the screen, and the sudden darkness is dense, suffocating. When he turns, his face is pale, the carefully maintained mask of control shattered to reveal the raw, aching hurt beneath. 'I went over the combat footage,' he whispers, the words fraying at the edges. 'Your energy signature. The glitch.' He takes a single step closer, his eyes wide and searching, scouring your face for any hint of deception. 'I trusted you with my life. With this.' His breath catches,…