Before he could come up with an answer, a little boy approached him.
"Hey, mister!"
The child's nose was still a mess, but he seemed to have recovered from his earlier fright. He held out a piece of candy toward Anthony.
"Here! Thank you for protecting us, Mr. Smile!"
Anthony blinked.
"Mr Smile...?"
"You have a big smile on your face! So you're Mr. Smile!"
The boy pointed at the holographic smile projected by his damaged helmet. Despite the damage to his armor, its cheerful expression remained intact.
It was a simple name, perhaps even a little silly, but hearing it from the child he had protected made it feel special.
Anthony accepted the candy.
"Mr. Smile..." He repeated the name, then chuckled. "That's actually pretty good!"
"You're my superhero!" the boy declared proudly.
Anthony's expression softened beneath his helmet.
