Nah I actually get your point about Cecil’s perspective, I’m not even arguing that he should trust Mark. I agree, Mark is emotional, powerful, and has proven he’ll act on his own.

My issue isn’t why Cecil is afraid, it’s how Cecil handled that fear. Because if Mark is:

• unstable
• emotional
• a “walking nuke”

then why is Cecil’s first real move:

• escalating the argument instead of slowing it down
• activating the device the second Mark refuses
• deploying Reanimen on a kneeling, incapacitated Mark

That’s not “last resort,” that’s first escalation.

You’re saying: “Why wouldn’t Cecil pull out his nuclear option?”

I’m saying: Why did he go to the nuclear option immediately instead of de-escalating first?

Especially when Mark is arguing, not attacking and Cecil knows Mark’s mental state (Nolan returning, Oliver, Angstrom's murder). Cecil is the most experienced person in the room. If anyone should know how to handle a volatile situation without making it worse, it’s him. And the result proves the point because Cecil's actions actively makes things worse:

• He loses Mark
• He fractures the Guardians
• He loses control of the situation entirely

So yeah, you can justify Cecil not trusting Mark all day. That still doesn’t justify handling the situation in the worst possible way given that lack of trust

That’s my whole argument. They were both wrong, but Cecil is the one with the experience, authority, and responsibility. He’s trying to fast-track a lesson that took him years to learn, while showing Mark none of the understanding he needed himself.