The air hung heavy with the scent of burnt ozone and smoldering magic. Broken stone pillars lay scattered across the floor of the ancient cathedral, shards of crystal glinting like shattered stars. A cold wind whispered through the shattered stained-glass windows, carrying the faint echo of incantations long silenced.
In the middle of the chaos sat a lone figure.
Avery Nightingale.
His pale skin practically glowed in the fading light, platinum blonde hair falling messily over glowing yellow eyes. He slouched against a broken pillar, legs stretched out, looking more like a teenager skipping class than a cosmic anomaly. The Omnitrix pulsed faintly beneath his torn jacket sleeve.
The Justice League emerged cautiously, each eyeing him like he might snap at any second.
Superman landed first, cape billowing like a spotlight.
"You alright?" Superman asked, voice calm but commanding.
Avery stretched, then smirked. "Well, considering I just got dropped into the middle of some cult's failed magic show? Yeah, I'm peachy."
Superman blinked. Not sure if that was sarcasm or bravado.
Batman stepped forward, eyes piercing.
"Who are you? What happened here?"
Avery rolled his eyes and glanced down at the Omnitrix. "Name's Avery. And honestly? No clue how I got here. Just kinda... popped in. Not exactly the 'grand entrance' I was hoping for."
Wonder Woman's voice cut through the tension. "This ritual was meant to summon something dangerous. You're linked to it somehow. We need answers."
Avery smirked again, flicking a strand of hair from his eyes. "Sure, sounds like a blast. But some stories? They're better left on hold."
He leaned back, arms behind his head, like he was waiting for someone to call 'next.'
The Justice League formed a loose semi-circle around Avery, their expressions unreadable but tense. Batman's gaze was sharp enough to cut glass, while Zatanna stepped forward, fingers twitching with magical energy.
"So," Batman began, voice cold, "what exactly do you want? Why show up in the middle of our business?"
Avery shrugged, leaning forward slightly, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Honestly? I was hoping for pizza and less drama. But hey, here I am, front-row seat to the apocalypse."
Zatanna's eyes flickered as she murmured an incantation, a faint shimmer surrounding Avery's form.
Her voice was softer, probing. "Your soul… it's unlike anything I've sensed before. Not from this Earth or any magic plane I know."
Avery raised an eyebrow, a little impressed despite himself.
"Yeah, well, I don't exactly come with a user manual. I'm kind of the cosmic wildcard."
Flash piped up, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hey, at least you've got style! That watch is pretty sick."
Batman's eyes narrowed, scanning the glowing green device on Avery's wrist.
"That thing—what is it? Some kind of weapon? A tracking device? A bomb?"
Avery smirked, tapping the device casually.
"Not a bomb. Definitely not a tracker. It's... complicated. Think of it like a Swiss Army knife, if Swiss Army knives could turn you into a dragon or a ghost. Pretty neat, huh?"
He glanced around, sensing the mixed reactions.
"Look, I'm not here to fight you. I'm just trying to figure things out myself."
Wonder Woman stepped closer, her tone firm but fair.
"Power brings responsibility. You have to decide what kind of person you want to be."
Avery scoffed, shaking his head.
"Responsibility? Kid with a magic watch suddenly a hero? Sounds like a bad comic book pitch."
The League exchanged looks. This was going to be… interesting.
Avery shifted uncomfortably under the Justice League's watchful gazes. Being surrounded by superheroes was intimidating, but he masked it with his usual quips.
"So… what's next?" he asked, flicking his wrist to glance at the Omnitrix again. "You gonna throw me in a jail cell? Ship me off to some cosmic rehab?"
Batman's eyes narrowed, but Wonder Woman answered.
"We want to help you understand your power — and your place here."
Avery snorted.
"Place? I don't even know where I'm supposed to be. This isn't my world. I'm just... stuck. Feels like I fell into the wrong game level."
Flash grinned. "Sounds like you could use some training. We've all been there."
Avery looked at him sideways, then cracked a small smile. "Yeah, yeah. Training. Maybe teach me how to keep from blowing up the city by accident?"
Zatanna stepped forward, gentle but serious.
"Your power is tied to something greater. But it also carries a risk. You must learn control — or it could consume you."
Avery sighed, the bravado slipping just a bit.
"Guess that makes two of us then."
He looked around, eyes settling on each of them in turn.
"Alright. I'll play along. For now."
______________________________________________________________________
Avery sat across from the Justice League at a long, sleek conference table inside the Watchtower. He still wasn't sure if he was being welcomed or watched, but he was pretty sure the walls had ears.
Batman stood near the end, arms crossed. Wonder Woman sat opposite him, gaze calm but sharp. Zatanna and Flash flanked the room casually, though Avery could tell they were alert. Superman wasn't here — probably handling cleanup after the witch incident.
"So," Flash started, leaning forward, "you show up mid-ritual, take down a nightmare witch with a spectral freeze-ray, and then pass out. Gotta say — ten out of ten for dramatic timing."
Avery smirked. "I try."
"You've been dodging direct answers," Diana said gently but firmly. "We need to know: who are you? And where did you really come from?"
He hesitated. His fingers brushed the still-glowing Omnitrix. "I'm not lying. My name's Avery Nightingale. I'm… not from around here. That's all you need to know."
Zatanna stepped forward. "That device — the one on your wrist. It's not magical. Not entirely. But it's reacting to magic like it's learning from it."
"Learning?" Avery asked.
"Adapting," Batman said flatly. "It rebooted because this universe's laws are different from yours. You brought foreign tech here — and we don't know what it's capable of."
Avery leaned back, resting his boots on the table just to be annoying. "Look, I get it. Shiny alien watch, new kid with good cheekbones — scary stuff. But I'm not a threat. I didn't ask to be here."
"You're not under arrest," Diana said. "But until we understand more, we'd like to keep you where we can keep an eye on you."
Avery raised an eyebrow. "So... prison with a view?"
Zatanna chuckled under her breath. "Guest quarters. Not a cell."
The door hissed open. Avery stepped inside, glancing around. It was nicer than his old apartment. Soft bed, desk, a closet. Even a little screen that displayed Earth slowly spinning outside.
He dropped onto the bed with a sigh. "Well, that escalated."
The Omnitrix beeped softly on his wrist, as if agreeing. Then it gave a low, digital pulse — one that echoed through his bones.
Avery blinked. Suddenly the bed felt... too warm. He sat up, tugging at his collar.
"Too much humidity," he muttered. "Need cold. Need stillness. Need…"
He caught himself. His pupils had narrowed. His breath clouded the air slightly.
He shivered. "Okay. That's new."
The room had gone quiet, save for the faint hum of the Watchtower's systems and the soft tick-tick-tick of the Omnitrix winding down from whatever weird episode it just had.
Avery leaned over the small sink in the room's side alcove, splashing cold water on his face. The coolness felt right. Familiar. Too familiar.
"Chill out," he muttered. Then scowled at the pun. "God, I hope that wasn't the alien talking."
The door slid open behind him with a polite chime. Reflexively, Avery stiffened, bracing himself in case Batman had come back to ask more questions with his usual "threatening silence" technique.
Instead, the voice that came was warmer.
"You okay?"
Avery turned, surprised. Zatanna stood in the doorway, now dressed in something more casual than her stage garb — black leggings, oversized hoodie, and a cup of something steaming in her hand.
He blinked. "You look… less like a magician. More like a sleep-deprived college student."
She smirked. "I've been both."
She stepped inside without waiting for permission, handing him the cup. "It's tea. Calming. Magical too, but only in the 'helps you breathe' kind of way."
He accepted it, sniffed it, then cautiously took a sip. "Not bad. Tastes like flowers and trauma."
"Your aura's flickering," she said gently, pulling over the desk chair. "Residual energy from your transformation. The Watch — sorry, that thing — it's leaving fingerprints. On you."
Avery rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I noticed. I wanted to crawl into a freezer and sleep upside down like a bat."
Zatanna raised an eyebrow.
"Not the cool kind of bat. Like... the winged popsicle kind."
"Got it."
A beat passed. She glanced toward the glowing Omnitrix.
"It's reacting to this universe. To our magic. You're probably going to get more of these… side effects. Dreams. Urges. Maybe even instincts."
"So I'm a teenager and a mood ring now?" He gave a dry chuckle. "Great."
Her smile faded a little. "You're handling this better than most would."
Avery looked away. "You don't know me."
"Not yet. But I want to."
That made him pause.
"…Why?"
"Because you dropped out of the sky during a blood ritual, froze a demon witch, and then made Batman almost frown. That's… rare. Plus…" She tilted her head, studying him. "You're not just scared. You're hiding something."
He met her eyes for a moment too long. Then sipped his tea.
"I hide lots of things. It's a hobby."
"Mm-hmm." She rose and headed for the door. "Well, try not to molt or whatever. I'll check in later."
Just before she stepped out, she looked back. "And if you need someone to talk to — who knows what it's like being stuck between two worlds — I'm around."
The door slid shut behind her.
Avery stared after her for a moment. Then looked down at the cup in his hands.
"…She didn't even make a rabbit joke," he muttered. "Definitely not normal."
The Omnitrix blinked once. A slow, amber pulse. Still adapting.
So was he.