The walls were sterile. Cold metal. One-way glass. Cameras. Tension.
Aubrey sat in a chair too upright to slouch in, wearing a STAR Labs emergency kit: gray sweatpants, oversized shirt, and a conspicuous lack of shoes. His long red hair shimmered faintly under the fluorescents, the only thing about him that looked remotely divine.
Across the table, Robin sat with a tablet, scanning notes.
Aubrey yawned. "You guys always bring interdimensional strangers to jail first or is this a special treatment?"
Robin didn't look up. "It's a holding facility. We're not sure what you are yet."
"I'm a college student with great hair and existential trauma."
Robin didn't smile. "We saw you turn from a monster into… that."
Aubrey tapped the table, rhythm slow and deliberate. "Yeah, about that—kinda complicated."
The door hissed open, and a new tension filled the room.
Batman stepped in first, followed by Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. They radiated power. Authority. Judgment.
Aubrey sat straighter, instinctively defensive.
"State your name," Batman said.
"Aubrey Valentine," he replied smoothly.
"Species."
"Uh…" Aubrey hesitated. This was the moment. He could tell them about the system. The wishes. The void.
Or…
"I think I might be… something like a demigod?" he offered instead, cautiously. "Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are."
Wonder Woman narrowed her eyes. "A child of which god?"
"No idea," Aubrey said. "Don't know my father. My mother was very human. But I was summoned through a ritual, right? Maybe that... triggered something?"
Martian Manhunter tilted his head slightly. "You believe yourself to be a divine offspring."
"I don't believe anything," Aubrey said honestly. "I woke up in a circle, turned into some kind of kaiju-demon-thing, got punched, and now I'm here. If that screams demigod to you, then sure. But it's news to me."
Batman crossed his arms. "You're avoiding specifics."
"I'm giving you all the specifics I have," Aubrey said, voice firming up. "I'm not lying. I just don't know everything yet. I'm trying to figure it out same as you."
Robin exchanged a glance with Batman. The tension in the room didn't lessen.
Wonder Woman stepped forward. "If you are divine, then you are tied to a Pantheon. Possibly a forgotten one. That has… implications."
"Tell me about it," Aubrey muttered. "You think I asked for this cheekbone structure?"
J'onn spoke quietly. "He's not lying… though he's hiding something."
Aubrey's fingers clenched slightly beneath the table.
He met the Martian's gaze. "Wouldn't you?"
Silence.
Batman turned to the others. "Put him on magical and telepathic surveillance. If he's telling the truth, we'll find out."
"And if I'm not?" Aubrey asked.
"Then we'll find out faster," Batman said simply.
The lights dimmed softly in his temporary holding room. A bed, a chair, a sink. No windows.
Aubrey sat cross-legged on the cot, fingers twitching, still processing everything.
[SYSTEM v1.0 ACTIVE]Full Synchronization Recommended.Warning: May attract spiritual, cosmic, and metaphysical attention.Proceed?
He stared at the glowing prompt hovering in his peripheral vision. He could feel something waiting just under his skin—a subtle hum, a coiled promise.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Let's do it. Yes."
CONFIRMED. BEGINNING FULL SYNCHRONIZATION…
The room flickered—just for a second—as if reality hiccuped.
Aubrey gasped, spine snapping straight as heat rushed through his veins like wildfire and ice water all at once. His breath caught. His eyes glowed faint violet.
Synchronizing… 12%... 46%… 71%...
A low vibration filled the air, barely audible, like the space between heartbeats had been amplified.
Suddenly:
GENETIC CORE UNLOCKED.
Bioform Adaptability: ENABLED
Aura Signature: "Divine Anomaly"
Title Assigned: [False Sovereign]
Passive Trait: False Divinity – Radiates the aura of an unknown deity. Effects vary based on belief proximity.
Active Core Detected: [Monster-Alien Hybrid: Classification In Progress…]
Transformation Slot 1: Priming... Awaiting Environmental Data.
Status Update: You are now under the observation of 3 mystics, 2 telepaths, 1 goddess, and the angriest mortal in a cape.
Aubrey staggered to his feet, breathing hard. His red hair floated briefly as though underwater. His skin shimmered faintly, flushed with silver light before it dulled back to pale.
Then—alarms.
Observation Room
Batman's screen glitched once. J'onn's brow furrowed. Diana stood, eyes narrowing.
"Energy spike," Robin said. "Contained in the subject's room."
"No visible magic," Zatanna muttered from the scrying monitor. "But I felt something shift."
"He just lit up like a false star," J'onn said.
"Is he transforming again?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Unknown," Batman said. "Containment team—prepare."
Back in Aubrey's Room
Aubrey stood in the center, shirt damp with sweat, chest heaving.
SYNC COMPLETE.Your evolution has begun. Congratulations, meatbag. Try not to explode.
He chuckled breathlessly. "...That felt like my soul sneezed."
New Trait Unlocked: [Instinctive Insight]You now partially perceive danger, lies, and anomalies in your surroundings.You're not psychic, just really paranoid—but now with data.
Footsteps approached outside.
He turned, composing himself. He could feel it now—a gravity in his presence, a weight that made even him uncomfortable.
The door slid open. Robin, Wonder Woman, and a very tense Batman entered.
"What did you do?" Batman demanded.
Aubrey blinked. "I meditated?"
"You're radiating a level of energy we usually associate with world-ending artifacts," Wonder Woman said carefully.
Aubrey spread his hands slowly. "I told you. I don't know what I am. I'm guessing… late bloomer?"
J'onn stepped in behind them, eyes scanning. "He has changed. But his mind remains focused. Centered. The power is not hostile."
"Yet," Batman growled.
Aubrey gave a tired grin. "I get that a lot."
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The meeting room inside the Watchtower was quiet.
Aubrey sat across from a table full of legends—Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Superman now. Zatanna floated a few feet behind, protective wards dancing across her gloves. A containment protocol shimmered faintly on the walls, just in case.
He exhaled through his nose and tried to look casual, even if his legs were bouncing like a lie detector.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," he said, voice calm but firm. "I didn't ask for this."
"And yet here you are," Batman replied.
Zatanna added, "You're not tied to any known Pantheon, and yet your aura radiates like a god's. You shifted biology, warped light, and masked your magical presence. That shouldn't be possible."
"Well, maybe it should," Aubrey said with a shrug. "I'm just a dude with good hair and bigger problems."
A pause. Then:
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]🌌 Main Quest Unlocked: "False Sovereign"Objective: Secure stable footing in this world.Requirement: Earn the genuine trust of three separate heroic factions.Bonus: Unlock Transformation Slot 1 — Adaptive Hybrid Form.
Optional Quest Activated🛡 "First Impression"
Prove yourself non-hostile to the League through honorable conduct or intervention.
Reward: [Enhanced Relationship Standing + First Skill Imprint]Warning: Lying about your nature risks critical penalties.
Aubrey blinked and tried not to react. The text shimmered in his vision—part of his brain already thinking tactically.
They wanted honesty. He couldn't give them that yet.
So, give them something else: competence.
Meanwhile, Across the Hall
"His energy output exceeds half the League," Superman muttered to Diana, voice low. "He's a walking singularity."
Diana crossed her arms. "And yet he doesn't feel evil. Just… lost."
Batman didn't remove his eyes from the monitor. "That kind of power, without allegiance or history, is worse than evil. It's unpredictable."
"What do you suggest?" Martian Manhunter asked.
"We keep him close," Batman replied. "Train him. Watch him. Find out what he's really after."
Back With Aubrey
"So, what happens now?" he asked, trying to keep the sarcasm in check. "I get sent to Olympus Boarding School?"
"You're being transferred to Themyscira for observation and magical containment," Wonder Woman said. "The island will be safe—for everyone."
SYSTEM: New Location Data Gathering Enabled…
Probability Matrix Calculating...Environmental Challenge Detected: Combat Trial Likely.Would you like to prepare battle protocols?
Aubrey gave a crooked grin.
"Cool. Guess it's time for orientation."