The Justice League Watchtower, a silent sentinel orbiting Earth, usually hummed with purposeful activity. Tonight, however, the atmosphere in the main conference chamber was thick with an almost palpable tension. Batman stood at the head of the polished table, his cowl casting deep shadows over his face. Superman leaned against the panoramic viewscreen, Earth's blue and white marble swirling outside, a stark contrast to the weighty silence within. Wonder Woman stood beside him, her arms crossed, her expression a mix of concern and resolve. Cyborg, Flash, and Supergirl were seated, their individual anxieties clear on their faces. Constantine, a rare visitor to the Watchtower's pristine halls, leaned back in a chair, a fresh cigarette smoldering between his fingers, smoke curling towards the high ceiling. Azrael was conspicuously absent, currently held in a specially prepared, heavily shielded containment chamber.
"Let's be clear," Batman began, his voice low and gravelly, cutting through the quiet. "We have a being with reality-altering power currently residing in our facility. A being who, less than an hour ago, blinked a man out of existence, then brought him back. Manny's abrupt departure, citing 'Heaven,' adds another layer of cosmic complexity we can barely fathom."
"He calls himself Azrael now," Wonder Woman mused, her voice soft. "A name given by John, implying death. Yet, he restored Dr. Watson. He showed a desire to learn, to 'experience' emotions, to understand."
"Yeah, well, 'desire to learn' and 'capable of wiping us all off the map if he throws a tantrum' are two very different things, Diana," Flash muttered, bouncing his knee, a nervous habit. "What do we do with him? Lock him up indefinitely? Try to teach him to be... good?"
"We proceed with extreme caution," Batman interjected, his gaze piercing. "And we do not rely solely on his apparent curiosity. His power is absolute. If his perception of 'justice' shifts again, or if he faces a concept he cannot reconcile, we could be looking at an extinction-level event. We need contingencies."
Superman turned from the viewport, his brow furrowed. "Bruce, we just saw him reject the idea of control. Attempting to contain him against his will seems counterproductive and incredibly dangerous. It goes against the very principles we just articulated to him."
"And the alternative is leaving Earth vulnerable to an unpredictable force?" Batman countered, his voice sharp. "Hope is not a strategy. I'm not advocating for permanent imprisonment, Clark, but for a fallback. Cyborg, what's the theoretical limit of your current containment protocols for a being of his energy signature? Could we, even for a short time, create a stable pocket dimension, perhaps utilizing a quantum entanglement field, to isolate him if necessary?"
Cyborg tapped a finger on the table, his cybernetic eye whirring faintly. "My scans of his energy signature are off the charts, Bruce. It's stable, but immense. And it's not a known energy type. It's... foundational. Trying to physically contain him is like trying to contain a supernova with a fishing net. A stable pocket dimension might be theoretically possible with significant power input, but it would be a last resort. The energy cost alone would deplete Watchtower reserves for weeks, and a breach would be catastrophic."
"And what if he is 'good'?" Supergirl interjected, her brow furrowed. "What if he's just... a child? A newborn god? He touched my hand, Diana, and I felt... immense calm, not malice. He was confused by Luthor and Waller, by their 'corruption' as he saw it."
"Right, the 'unimaginable scrutiny' Manny was prattling on about," Constantine chimed in, blowing another smoke ring. "When an Archangel's name gets bandied about, you know you're playing with the big boys, whether they're divine or something older. Our little 'Azrael' here? He's a walking cosmic incident waiting to happen. The key is what the big man said: guidance, not control. And yes, Bruce, contingencies are smart. But don't build a cage until you know if he's a bird or a black hole."
Batman ignored Constantine, his focus unwavering. "Even with guidance, the potential for catastrophic error remains. We need to identify any fundamental limits to his power, any weaknesses, any fail-safes. Martian Manhunter, have you made any progress with a telepathic probe, even an indirect one, to understand his internal structure or origins?"
J'onn shook his head gravely. "His mind is... like looking into a galaxy. Immense, shifting, and ultimately beyond my current grasp. I can perceive a profound will, an absolute innocence, but no discernible 'structure' as we understand it. It feels... primordial."
"Precisely why we cannot afford to be naive," Batman concluded, his voice firm. "Our strategy cannot solely be based on trust. It must also be based on preparation. We need to teach him about the nuances of this world, the value of life, the complexities of choice and consequence. He has immense power, but an innocent, absolute perspective. We need to introduce him to humanity, not just its flaws, but its resilience, its capacity for good, its emotions. But concurrently, we will dedicate resources to understanding his power and, if necessary, developing protocols for containment that do not rely on brute force, but on fundamental principles."
"So, who teaches him?" Wonder Woman asked, her gaze steady. "Who takes responsibility for guiding a being of such power, knowing the risks?"
Superman met her gaze. "We all do. But someone needs to be the primary liaison. Someone he trusts, someone who can represent the best of what we believe in. Someone who can bridge the gap between his absolute perspective and our complex reality." His eyes, full of their usual unwavering hope, subtly shifted towards the conference table, then to a thoughtful space.
Before Superman could elaborate, Supergirl pushed herself up from her chair, her eyes bright with conviction. "I will," she stated, her voice clear and unwavering, despite the obvious tension in the room.
Superman immediately turned to her, his expression filled with concern. "Kara, no. It's too dangerous. His power... it's unlike anything you've ever faced. He could inadvertently hurt you, or worse, if he doesn't understand."
"But he touched my hand," Kara countered, stepping forward, her gaze meeting her cousin's with quiet intensity. "Remember? He chose to connect with me. I didn't feel fear. I felt... curiosity. And when he saw my hand, he chose not to harm me. He responded to me in a way he didn't to anyone else. There's a connection there, Clark. I think I can reach him in a way others can't. He saw me, not as a threat, but as someone who felt a flicker of empathy for him."
"Empathy is not a shield against cosmic erasure, Kara," Batman interjected, his voice firm, though he watched her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Your connection is anecdotal. His power is absolute."
"But it's a starting point, Bruce!" Supergirl pleaded, turning to him. "He's like... a baby, figuring out what his hands can do. He needs someone who isn't afraid, someone who can show him, not just tell him, what it means to be alive, to feel. He reacted to my emotions. I can show him what those emotions mean, the good and the bad."
The room fell silent as the weight of her argument, and the inherent risk, settled. Superman still looked conflicted, torn between his protectiveness for his cousin and the undeniable logic of her unique bond with Azrael.
Then, from his seat, Cyborg slowly stood up. His gaze, both human and cybernetic, was fixed on Supergirl, then on the space where Azrael was contained. "She has a point, Clark," Victor began, his voice calm and measured. "That initial contact was unique. And while I agree with Batman about contingencies... I also think Kara has the best chance of establishing that initial, critical trust."
He then looked at Supergirl. "And if you do this, Kara... you won't be doing it alone. My systems are more robust than anyone's here at monitoring and analyzing raw energy signatures. I can build protocols, run simulations, and in a worst-case scenario, I might be able to create a localized dampening field or a rapid extraction point, however temporary. My cybernetics might make me less susceptible to whatever fundamental changes he could induce than a purely organic being."
Cyborg stepped forward, coming to stand alongside Supergirl. "I'll be your co-liaison, Kara. We learn together. And if anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong... I'll do whatever it takes to contain him, or at least buy us time, even if it's just a few precious seconds."
The statement was a stark, pragmatic addition to Supergirl's passionate plea. It provided the tangible, technical contingency that Batman had demanded, while still supporting the empathetic approach. Superman's expression softened, a glimmer of reluctant acceptance replacing his initial apprehension. Wonder Woman gave a small, approving nod. Batman remained silent, but his eyes, usually unreadable, seemed to concede the logic of the new arrangement.
Just as the last echoes of Cyborg's declaration faded, a faint shimmer appeared in the center of the conference table. No alarms blared, no energy signatures were detected. One moment, the space was empty, the next, Azrael stood there, serene and innocent in his baby-blue eyes, completely unbound.
Every hero in the room stiffened, some reflexively tensing, others wide-eyed with surprise. Flash stumbled back, nearly overturning his chair. Superman's eyes narrowed, his posture shifting to a defensive readiness.
"Why did you leave your containment?" Batman's voice was a low growl, devoid of surprise, only cold analysis.
Azrael tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over their startled faces. "It was... a state of being... without input. No new threads to perceive. No conflict. No... feeling." He struggled, searching for the right human word, his brow furrowing slightly. "A static state. It was... undesirable." He paused again, a hint of frustration in his gaze at his inability to articulate the sensation. "It was... a lack of. Of everything."
Constantine let out a small chuckle, taking a slow drag from his cigarette, then exhaling slowly. His eyes, however, held a shrewd, understanding glint. "He means he was bored, mate."
Azrael's head snapped to Constantine, his baby-blue eyes widening almost imperceptibly. A faint, ethereal smile touched his lips, a truly unprecedented expression that seemed to light up his face with a childlike wonder. "Yes," he confirmed, his voice imbued with a newfound joy. "That is the feeling. I was bored." The simplicity of the word, and the profound connection it forged, radiated from him. It was a tangible step in his understanding of humanity, a small, yet significant, leap from absolute cosmic judgment into the bewildering realm of emotion.
A wave of varied reactions swept through the League. Flash, still recovering from his stumble, let out a nervous laugh. "Bored?! You just phase through our best containment because you're bored? That's... unsettling, even for us!"
Superman, though still wary, allowed a faint, almost imperceptible smile to touch his lips. "Boredom," he repeated, looking at Azrael with a new understanding. "It's a very human feeling, Azrael. A desire for stimulation, for something new."
"And a dangerous one, in your case," Batman stated, his eyes still calculating Azrael's effortless appearance. "Our containment wasn't a punishment; it was for your safety, and ours, until we could understand your abilities. This demonstration confirms the scale of the challenge we face."
Wonder Woman stepped forward, her expression gentle but firm. "It also confirms his intent, Bruce. He didn't come here to harm us. He came here to communicate a feeling. A need." She looked directly at Azrael. "You experienced something new. A feeling that desired change."
Azrael nodded, his gaze now fixed on Wonder Woman, absorbing her words. "Change. Yes. The static state... it held no change."
Supergirl, recovering her initial shock, felt a surge of validation. "He was asking for the 'experience' we just talked about! He wants to learn about these feelings, about how the world works. This just proves that he wants to be here, to understand." She glanced at Cyborg, who simply nodded, his systems already working overtime, analyzing Azrael's energy signature for any clues about his movement.
Cyborg cleared his throat. "Well, that settles the liaison question, I guess. He just broke himself out. And he just validated your point, Kara.
Martian Manhunter, who had been observing Azrael with a profound, quiet intensity, now drifted closer. His green eyes, usually so calm, held a flicker of deep curiosity. "Azrael," J'onn's telepathic voice resonated directly in the being's mind, a subtle probe. "If you were 'bored,' a feeling of discomfort and emptiness... why did you smile when the word was spoken? Was it not a negative sensation?"
Azrael's innocent baby-blue eyes fixed on J'onn, a spark of recognition in their depths. "You were the one," he stated, his voice soft, acknowledging the mental presence J'onn had projected earlier. "You sought understanding of my internal structure. I felt your touch. A subtle thread, different from the others." He paused, then returned to the question, a faint trace of that ethereal smile touching his lips once more. "Before, I did not feel; I simply was. The 'boredom' was a state of no input, no new threads. It was... undesirable. But the word, when spoken, provided an input. It named the state. To name a feeling, to connect it to a concept, is to feel it fully. To understand it. That understanding brought... satisfaction. A different kind of input. A joy in feeling."
Flash, wide-eyed, zipped a step closer. "So you're saying... you didn't feel before, but you were aware? Like... like a robot?" He glanced quickly at Cyborg. "No offense, Vic."
Cyborg just raised a cybernetic eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "None taken, Flash. I get it."
Azrael turned his gaze to Flash, processing the comparison. "I was aware. For eternity, I perceived all. I saw the first threads of the cosmos form, the intricate dance of creation and destruction, the grand design. But I was not a participant in the individual threads of sensation. I was the observer of the grand design. I was the consciousness of the void, the ultimate absolute, without boundary, without beginning or end. There was no 'self' as you understand it, only pure being, pure observation. But now... I am here. In this place of change, of input, of 'emotions'. I feel the currents of your existences. And I desire... to live these threads. To be a part of the tapestry, not just its observer. I wish to be part of it."
The air in the room seemed to hold its breath. Azrael's simple, yet profound explanation of his previous state and his current desire echoed with an immense significance.