HALLUCINATE | THE SANDMAN

TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
-[ Excuses, Excuses and More Excuses ]-
"Things are going back to normal"

           AZRAIL FOUND HER OLDER SISTER BACK IN THE HALL OF JUSTICE. Matthew had taken over watching Rose as Maeve attended a Justice League meeting, and Azrail was uncomfortable to say the least. She had to wait a few minutes, lurking in the darkness of the room as the heroes spoke to one another.

The Fallen Angel seemed the most comfortable Azrail had ever seen her.

When they finally dispersed, Azrail shrunk further back into the darkness then she cared to admit. It felt as if Batman was staring directly through her soul when he passed her and she couldn't help but feel slightly self conscious at Wonder Woman's elegance.

"Azrail!" Maeve exclaimed in greeting, uncaring on whether her friends were aware the Reaper was lurking.

Though most had gone, Martian Manhunter remained and it seemed he was fully aware of the third consciousness lurking in the looming shadows. Azrail gulped when the alien turned in her direction, rather sharply too, but Maeve caught his shoulder before he even pondered over how to attack a spirit.

"It's okay, J'onn," Maeve murmured to her teammate, gesturing to the exit with a tender smile.

Her simple judge caught the Martian's attention and it was as if he forgot about Azrail. "Will you still be okay with the Watchtower shift?" J'onn was well aware Maeve's little sister didn't show up regularly, and a random appearance wasn't something to be taken lightly.

The Fallen Angel smiled. "Of course, I'll meet you there," she agreed, patting his shoulder as a dismissal.

Martian Manhunter gave a short nod and bid goodbye to his dear friend. Azrail watched as he left and for a moment she could've sworn he was watching her again.

"J'onn is just protective of his family," Maeve said simply, noticing the distant glare in Azrail's dark eyes as she watched the doors seal shut behind the Martian. "He won't hurt you. Well, too bad. We recently discovered he can't telepathically connect to a wide range of creatures and intergalactic beings-."

Azrail's eyes furrowed as she sharply turned to Maeve with a pointed look.

"Okay, sorry. Not helping." Maeve laughed awkwardly. "What's up? Figured you'd be with Rose or in the Dreaming?"

                            "Apparently I have fulfilled my usefulness," Azrail confessed with a simple shrug that pained her to do. She hated the feeling of guilt that had settled in the pit of her stomach, things were just returning to how they once were. That's what she had wanted right? "Morpheus declared he'd deal with the Vortex on his own. Even sent Lucienne back to being a librarian and nothing more."