"I can't see! We gotta get closer! Come on, Sam!" Luke said to his brother as they pushed through the large crowd of people gathered near the Lincoln Memorial. Luke and his brother, Sam, were young, 14 and 11 respectively. They had given their parents the slip while they had the chance.
No adults to stop them from being free. Not today, and for good reason, it was a nice fall day.
Everyone was out to see just what the government was going to be announcing to the world. There were plenty of rumors.
A new space station. The cure for cancer. Little green men. No one knew for sure, but everyone had ideas.
Crazy, most of them were, but ideas nonetheless.
"Sam, hurry!" Luke called out to his brother, "Hold your horses, Luke. I'm right behind you." Sam said, carefully maneuvering through the crowd. He didn't show the same reckless abandon as his brother. He would take his time.
Luke's gaze was immediately focused on what appeared to be a giant metal box sitting atop a stage, a man in a suit standing at a podium. He was smiling brightly, clearly excited to unveil whatever it was inside the box.
He was a handsome man with ginger hair, clearly the face you wanted in front of whatever was going to be revealed to the world.
"This is a historic moment." The man said to the crowd, "Not since the days of the All-Star Squadron, The Justice Society, have we had heroes representing America and it's values." He continued, "I know what you're thinking, 'Maxwell Lord, what about Superman?' Superman is an alien. We don't know if Superman will put the interests of America first."
"We can't put all of our faith into the Kryptonian Superman just because he calls Metropolis his home." Maxwell told the crowd, "We have to defend American freedom and interests at home and abroad. And that is why I am pleased to announce America's newest hero."
Maxwell gestured to the box, "I present to you..." He paused, a smarmy grin finding a home where his lips were as he surveyed the crowd.
"Sanctuary."
It was with those words that the top of the metal box exploded upwards, causing some of the crowd to jump. Ascending slowly out of the box was a woman dressed in a black jumpsuit and red, white and blue armor.
Her long black hair blew gently blew in the wind. It was humanizing, in a way. Soothing.
"This is the future of America!" Maxwell shouted.
He was clapping excitedly as Sanctuary began to fly over the crowd. It was infectious and it didn't take long for the crowd to clap along with him.
Sam, like his brother, didn't take his eyes off of the figure levitating high above the crowds. She looked down, her eyes coming into contact with Sam's.
He smiled. She smiled.
She lost the smile quickly to fly back to the stage and land beside Maxwell, standing tall as he spoke.
"God Bless America!" Maxwell zealously yelled, an American flag unrolling behind him, speakers playing the national anthem very loudly.
It wasn't lost on anyone that this was a spectacle. They didn't really care. It was history in the making.
And they were there to see it in person.
