Before either of his visitors could respond to the Margrave's query, an interloper appeared with a deafening squeal.  For a moment the antihero's face twisted into a furious snarl, but that expression evaporated when he saw who it belonged to.  That yellow scarf, those black gloves, that black baseball cap, that murky green overcoat...could it be?  Frozen like a statue with a visage of somewhat-alarmed wondered, he allowed himself to be seized in an enthusiastic embrace more akin to a flying tackle over the table, and to be battered by the young girl's bubbling.  Even after she finished, with her feet on the ground and her mint-condition action figure outstretched toward him, he took a moment to recuperate.  Something was irritating his eyes, causing a slight twitch and bizarre wateriness, but a hero overcame all challenges.

There appeared on his face a wider smile than any Ward had ever seen, and a truer smile than any Elliot had known for years.  [color=8F9779]“Heheh.  I like the cut of your jib, kid.  You've got a serious eye for quality.”[/color]  Reaching into a pocket, he produced a small, thin object scarcely bigger than a grain of rice: a pen meant for the hand of a Lego minifigure.  The Margrave positioned it like a coin and flipped it up, and as it spun in midair it grew to a normal-sized pen.  With deft fingers he snatched it and twirled it between them, until it fell into his grip in perfect writing position.  [i]All that time spent twirling pencils in school actually came in handy, huh?[/i]  [color=8F9779]“Allow me.”[/color]  He took the boxed figure and flourished a signature across a blank spot of the cardstock backing: 'Your biggest fan: the Margrave!'

With that done, he handed it back.  [color=8F9779]“I trust you'll keep me safe.  Of course, you are keenly aware of the extravagant value any imitation of me possesses, so I have utmost faith in you.  And please, help yourself to any of these, if you are so inclined.”[/color]  He gestured to the small though untouched stack of expensive photographs.  [color=8F9779]“For being such a steadfast supporter, you may have as many as you wish.  It is the least I can do in thanks!”[/color]  He arrayed his arms diagonally parallel across his front, one reaching down toward the hip and the other toward its face, both hands inclined so as to be vertical with the fingers splayed.

His posing was, however, rudely and unforgivably cut off as a great rumble shook the convention center and from the floor burst an unruly mob atop an imposing goliath.  Debris flew in every direction from the eruption point, and as if a burst of lightning shot through his veins, the Margrave jumped into action.  Slamming his hands down on his desk and jumping, he vaulted over both it and his little fan, unzipping his jacket and flipping up his hood as he did so.  He landed with his back facing the deadly spray, stumbled and fell down for a moment, but righted himself in time to spread his coat as a cloth shield to protect his new friend and merchandise from harm, though his overcoat did not absorb the worst of the fragments.  When the dust cleared, he seized a toy baton from his side pocket and spun around, leveling a rapidly-expanding baseball bat at the unexpected enemies.  Bruises ached and scratches stung, but he kept his face a mask of grim steel, pausing only to make sure the girl was behind him.  

“Alright,” he snapped, moving his bat to his shoulder.  [color=8F9779]“Who called in the loser brigade?  Just when we might have had a nice day, these insipid nobodies stumble along.”[/color]  Sure, a few of them looked tough, and that giant could do a lot of damage, but who in their right mind would attack almost every Cape in the city at once?  Any one of the veterans here could probably handle the situation alone.  [i]Speaking of handling things, I could negate that golem in a single stroke if I got close enough.  That'd make things pretty easy.[/i]  The only conceivable rationale behind this attack would be to make a scene by threatening and hurting civilians, which they were admittedly accomplishing.  If that was the case, the Margrave commended their bravery for putting an end to their futures and possibly their lives for the sake of an intimidation gambit.

Winning this fight was never in question.  Winning while protecting the civilians would be where things got hairy.  The Margrave, however, was nothing if not confident.  Nearby, the other Wards -as well as a few visitors- were preparing for a scuffle as well, though one somewhat flirtatious exchange brought an incredulous look to the Margrave's face.