"Limited to ones' Imagination" - DC Fanfic

Alex sat on the couch, watching over James, who was busy playing with his custom-built robot companion—a small, sleek, metallic creature resembling a hybrid of Upgrade from Ben 10 and Rex Salazar's nanite constructs. The little bot had a chrome-black exterior, a glowing blue eye, and the ability to shift parts of its body into tools, much like Upgrade or Rex's metallic appendages.

James, of course, had decided to call it "Rex."

Alex smirked as James commanded the bot, which was currently morphing its hands into tiny drill bits and pretending to dig into an invisible wall.

"Rex, activate super mode!" James shouted, jumping excitedly as the bot shifted its hands into energy blasters and made a few rapid pew-pew sounds.

The bot obeyed with fluid precision, its body shifting seamlessly—something only possible because of the small Arc Reactor Alex had integrated into its system, along with a piece of a Galvanic Mechamorph he had acquired.

The thing about Galvanic Mechamorphs, like Upgrade, was that they were sentient, even if they split off into fragments. Normally, any piece separated from a Mechamorph would develop its own consciousness, but Alex's transformations worked differently.

When Alex created something from his own essence, it remained an extension of himself. Each split-off could develop its own characteristics, sure—but they weren't truly independent.

Take Glitchtrap, for example.

A separate copy of Alex had merged with Margaret's phone, taking on the twisted digital form of Glitchtrap from Five Nights at Freddy's. Luckily, since it was still a part of Alex, it wasn't completely unhinged—just… a little mischievous with the occasional eerie laugh.

Alex shuddered to think what would happen if he merged with someone like Michael Myers or any other pure psychopath. It wasn't just about taking on their form—it was about the traits that bled through.

Of course it was purely optional to 'expireance' them.

That was something he had to be careful about.

As Alex relaxed on the couch, keeping an eye on James, something caught his attention.

A faint shift outside the window.

To the average person, it would have been invisible. The spies were good, exceptionally so—hidden in the shadows, using the environment to blend in.

But Alex wasn't average.

His enhanced senses, combined with his ability to perceive things on a higher level, allowed him to spot the faintest movements—the flicker of a shadow that didn't quite belong, the unnatural stillness of a supposedly normal pedestrian.

He saw them.

He didn't know who they were working for—whether they were government agents, mercenaries, or something worse—but they were watching.

Instead of panicking, Alex simply smirked.

He raised a hand and waved at them.

The reaction was instant.

One of the spies stiffened slightly. Another adjusted their earpiece—probably reporting to their superior that they had been made.

Alex chuckled, reaching for the blinds.

Not today, boys.

With a smooth motion, he closed them, blocking their view inside.

Turning back, he found James still playing with Rex, completely oblivious to the outside world.

"Hey, kid," Alex called out. "You hungry?"

James perked up immediately, his eyes lighting up.

"Chicken Parm! Chicken Parm! Chicken Parm!" he chanted, hopping up and down excitedly.

Alex laughed. "Alright, alright—Chicken Parm it is."

Alex moved into the kitchen, grabbing ingredients while Rex followed behind, shifting its body into a tiny chef's hat and a mini spatula.

James giggled. "Rex wants to help cook!"

Alex smirked. "Alright, little buddy. You can stir the sauce."

As he got to work, he let his mind wander.

The spies outside were a problem, but not an immediate one. If they were observing, that meant they hadn't decided to act yet.

But why?

Are they trying to assess my threat level? Are they waiting for orders?

It was a matter of when, not if, they would make a move.

His fingers moved automatically, chopping ingredients with inhuman precision. His mind was split—half on the food, half on the situation.

He wasn't scared.

If anything, he was curious.

Who exactly was interested in him?

Government agencies like ARGUS? The DEO? Maybe even Cadmus?

Or was it someone worse?

As he pondered, James tugged his sleeve.

"Alex! I wanna help!"

Alex glanced down and smiled. "Alright, kiddo. You can mix the cheese."

James eagerly took a bowl of shredded mozzarella and stirred it with his hands, giggling as Rex copied his movements, morphing its hands into little cheese-scoopers.

Alex let the moment ground him.

Whatever was coming… he'd deal with it.

Right now?

It was just him, James, and some damn good Chicken Parmesan.

After dinner, Alex put James to bed, making sure he was tucked in with his favorite stuffed animal—which, unsurprisingly, was a tiny robot plush.

As he turned off the light and walked back to the living room, his mind returned to the spies outside.

He pulled back a single blind, peering into the night.

Gone.

No sign of them.

But he knew better.

They weren't gone.

Just watching from a better angle.

He sighed, leaning against the window. "Alright, then. Let's see who'll make the first move…"

Margaret had left him in charge of James for the night. It was his job to keep the kid safe.

Which meant…

Whoever was out there?

If they made a wrong move, they were going to find out real fast that Alex wasn't someone to mess with.

And if they tried to take James or Margaret?

Well….

Then they'd get a firsthand look at what happened when someone pushed a shapeshifter too far.