Materialised out of thin air.
Had powers related to technology and or energy manipulation.
And seemingly didn't have any memory of his life along with the fact that they couldn't read his mind.
As this was something Batman had seen before, he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. He couldn't lose yet another person he cared for because of his recklessness.
That's how the man in question ended up sedated and strapped to a monitoring table throughout the night and most of the next day, under Batman's instructions.
"Hey Bats, why'd you have him detained?" Flash asked, John Doe had behaved the entire time.
"You remember Sharon Bates?" Batman asked Barry. The hero in red tensed up. Parts of Tim was found dumped not longer than six months earlier, brutally lacerated and disposed of in a trash can. His last known location was Bavaria, he was on a mission with Sharon. The thing is they found traces of her 2 months after that, in contact with the people they were supposed to be investigating, but the trail had gone cold after that.
"I've been doing some research on her, her powers were tech manipulation as well, and you remember how we discovered her. How she.." Flash and the rest of the team picked up on what Batman was trailing off about causing their faces to turn solemn.
"He is showing too many similarities, if there is even a shred of info I can get, I'll..." a hand was placed on Batman's shoulder, he looked to his side to see flash giving him a understanding look before nodding and leaving. None of the heroes could imagine losing a protégé like that and they hoped they never would. Vital parts of Tim's body was found, and so it was a surety that he was dead.
Batman hadn't been acting the same after Tim's death, understandably, he'd gotten even more distant.
After Batman got the test results back he made his way to and entered the containment cell. He released Johns constraints letting him fall in a heap on the ground.
The first punch came as a shock. The stinging sensation assaulted his face.
Batman repeatedly pummeled him brutally ending up with John on the ground looking up at Batman with a bloodied face before asking,"Why are you...hurting me?" Batman hurled him against the wall before showing him the test results while holding him up.
"This page shows your DNA configuration, according to this, your cells are in a state of flux while also confirming you're human, but that makes no sense. These results contradict each other. So, you have one chance to answer me truthfully or else the torture starts. Who are you, where did you come from, and what relation do you have to Sharon Bates?" This point was another similarity he had to Sharon Bates, showed signs of powers but had genetics of an ordinary human.
"I don't know."
That was the wrong answer.
John Doe rolled to the side narrowly avoiding an attack from Batman. His head was still drowsy from the sedatives.
The man didn't know what to think, what was he talking about?
He had to escape some how. These people seemed to have no interest in hearing him out. As he knew all recorded fighting styles, he put it to the test. He rushed at Batman at an average speed, a well aimed kick knocked John flat on the ground looking at the ceiling. 'I guess it takes a little more practice to be able to fight.'
"That was your last chance."
Batman strapped him up before leaving the machines to do their job, soon he'd be begging for them to hear the information he had to give.
John felt the blood dripping down his chin from Batman's beating, his face numb.
He concentrated on the feeling from earlier when he felt threatened by Superman, electricity running through his veins.
This body had abilities it would take time to get use to, but right now all he thought about was the pressing need to leave, to escape.
A sinking feeling overwhelmed his stomach as he felt like his skin was tingling, it looked like his skin had beads of molten metal running under it, arcs of electricity spurred from them.
The feeling eventually spread throughout his entire body, making him glow, surprisingly feeling no pain as it did so. The metal alloy straps along with his standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D tracksuit begun to melt and burn due to the heat emitting off his skin.
The air smelled of ozone.
He heard the thunder rumbling even through the soundproof walls. The door bursts open, Batman rushed towards him but was too late.
Lightning struck through the concrete, landing straight on John's heated and illuminated body before he disappeared, leaving smoking scorch marks on the floor.
The celestial body felt weightless as his body and consciousness ascended through the bolt like an electron through a wire. He opened his eyes to find himself falling through the night sky. His burnt, ripped and scorched clothes getting soaked from the condensed water vapour in the clouds.
His view below showed him the faraway nighttime city of Metropolis, he recognised it by one of its landmarks, the large globe is what caught his attention, The Daily Planet building. Had he been locked up for more than a day?
He was aware that he might die within the next few minutes if he didn't learn how to make use of the powers this body had. He'd specifically made its abilities the same as the one who pleaded for him to come to earth in the first place, to save all life. The thing the soul itself had failed to do.
Ashton Michaels was the name of the soul whose powers he wielded, and the name of the boy who pleaded with him.
His soul had felt more fear, dread, sadness and hopeless than any he had ever felt. More than a mother losing their child, more than a person losing their planet and more than a person losing all they hold dear, in the worst of ways.
The buildings were getting closer, a large facility with a symbol of the JLA came into view, the facility that he was held captive in moments ago. As he had all the digitised knowledge the world had to offer, he had a solid theory of how to use his powers.
He willed the air particles to pressurise around him as to protect his human body from what he was about to do.
He made himself vertical with his feet towards the ground before pressurising the air below his disfigured shoes as much as he could before releasing it through a small breach with enormous pressure. This caused him to ascend faster than the speed of sound, breaking the sound barrier.
He wasn't as surprised as a normal person would be, since it was what he wanted to happen.
He steadied himself horizontally and repeated the process a few dozen times within less than a minute, effectively sending him to another city north of Metropolis, he shortly arrived above New York.
He descended by releasing the air pressure slowly as he landed safely on the ground in an ally, then his bodily needs caught up with him and he collapsed in pain.
His stomach felt like it was on fire while being swallowed by a black hole. His hunger caused him to crawl out of the ally while holding his gut.
He felt as if he was dying, he arrived on an empty stomach and hadn't had anything to eat or drink for two days.'Why? Why is this body so...shit.'
He smelled something, he wasn't sure what but he followed it. He came to a 24/7 gas station store where he could see rotisserie meat cooking through the window. He started salivating. He had no money, and he knew that was a problem but he tried his luck.
He entered the store and got behind a man in a thick green coat that smelled of a sour and wretched stench, if 'John' had anything in his stomach, it might've come out. The man in the green coat paid with dozens of coins which earned him a sandwich from the shelf behind the cashier. He left and the celestial took his place.
The cashier looked at the state of his clothing with a blank expression before speaking in a deadpan tone,"You wanna buy something?"
The celestial looked down slightly before saying,"I haven't got any money bu-"
"Get out!" The cashier said loudly shocking the celestial.
"This isn't a fucking hobo stop! I'm warning you, get out before I call the cops. Get!"
The celestial left before things got even more heated. His head ached as he sat down against the wall outside the stop shop. As he thought of what to do next a hand tapped his shoulder. He looked to his side to see the homeless man from before handing him a portion of the sandwich he got earlier, his gloved hands on the wrapping.
"Here, you want some?" The man spoke in a gruff and rough voice with an accent. The celestial stared at him for a moment, the man noticed and made clear, "Don't worry, I only touched the wrapping."
"Oh, no I didn't me- thank you, I appreciate it." The starving celestial said before receiving the portion of the sandwich that couldn't be any less than half.
"I don't mind, you should try to stay strong and get your life together kid. You look too young to be out on the streets."
"I will try my best, uhh?"
"Mine's Harold, yours?"
"...Ashton. My name is Ashton."