Several weeks had passed since Alex arrived at Mount Justice.
During that time, his presence within the team had stopped feeling temporary. At first, he had simply been the boy Superman brought along so he could meet the others, but then came the training sessions, reconnaissance missions, and hours spent together at the base. Little by little, Alex stopped feeling like a guest and began to become part of the group's dynamic.
Eventually, after several conversations between Superman, Batman, and the people responsible for Young Justice, Alex was officially accepted as a member of the team.
His training had also changed. Robin focused on testing his ability to react under pressure, Artemis looked for ways to catch him off guard, Kaldur worked with him on concentration and discipline, and M'gann helped him stay calm when too many stimuli reached him at once. Conner preferred something much simpler: fighting him head-on.
Alex had learned to control his powers better and, above all, not to use them unnecessarily. He had also discovered that he could temporarily alter the way his own body functioned to improve his reflexes, distribute his energy more efficiently, or withstand greater physical strain.
However, he still didn't know what his body's true limit was.
Nor had he ever faced someone capable of adapting to his abilities.
That changed that day.
The alarm at Mount Justice began to sound.
Robin quickly reached one of the screens.
"We have a problem."
The image showed a humanoid figure made of metal fighting several members of the Justice League.
"AMAZO," Kaldur said.
Robin enlarged the transmission.
"It can analyze and replicate the abilities of those it fights."
Alex watched the image and activated his perception.
The android's structure appeared before him as a gigantic network of interconnected systems. It wasn't simply copying an ability; it was altering its own structure to reproduce it.
"It's learning," Alex said. "Every time someone uses a new ability, its structure changes to adapt."
Robin looked at him.
"That's why the League is having trouble."
Alex remained silent for several seconds.
"Then I'm not going."
Wally turned toward him.
"What?"
"If I can manipulate matter, energy, and space, and it can copy whatever it sees, taking me there could give it something we don't know how to stop yet."
Robin immediately understood.
"That makes sense."
"I don't like saying it," Alex added, "but if it copies everything I can do, we could end up creating a much bigger problem."
Superman looked at Alex.
"You're not obligated to participate."
"I know."
Alex looked at his teammates as they prepared.
"But if things change, I'll go."
No one argued with him.
For the first few minutes, the transmissions seemed to indicate that the League had the situation under control.
Then they stopped.
AMAZO had begun copying powers at an alarming speed.
Alex remained in front of the screen, watching every movement.
He saw Wally trying to keep the android occupied while Artemis fired from an elevated position. AMAZO began anticipating Wally's movements and created a defense to block Artemis's projectiles.
Then it was Kaldur's turn.
The android began reproducing his abilities.
Conner tried to stop it physically and was thrown back with a level of strength it shouldn't have possessed at the beginning of the fight.
Alex clenched his fists.
"It's copying them too fast."
The transmission shook violently.
"Conner, move!" Wally shouted.
Alex watched as Conner was sent through a structure.
"Conner!" M'gann exclaimed.
Alex took a step toward the exit.
He stopped.
He knew what could happen if he went.
Then he saw Artemis fall after trying to cover Robin's retreat.
The decision was no longer complicated.
"Where are they?"
Superman answered through the communicator.
"Alex, wait."
"I can't."
"If AMAZO copies your powers…"
"I know."
Alex looked at the screen.
"But they're my team."
And he disappeared.
He arrived just as AMAZO was about to reach Robin and Artemis.
Alex appeared between them and the android.
"Stay away from them."
AMAZO turned its head.
Its sensors began analyzing him.
Alex immediately felt that he was being studied.
"It's already reading me."
Robin struggled to his feet.
"Then we need to move."
AMAZO attacked.
Alex altered the space in front of him and deflected the blow. Then he warped the ground beneath the android's feet, trapping it for a few seconds.
AMAZO adapted.
Its structure changed.
The surface holding it in place stopped having any effect.
Alex realized this was going to be much harder than he had imagined.
The android unleashed a burst of energy.
Alex raised a barrier to protect the team.
The explosion shook the ground.
Alex managed to redirect it, but the impact still forced him backward.
"Get the others out of here!" he ordered.
Robin helped Artemis.
Kaldur carried Conner away while M'gann covered their retreat.
Alex was left facing AMAZO.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then the android disappeared.
Alex sensed the spatial distortion and turned just in time to block the attack.
The impact sent him crashing into a wall.
Concrete cracked around his body.
Alex fell to the ground.
He tried to stand.
A sharp pain ran through his chest.
It wasn't serious, but it was different from anything he had experienced during training.
AMAZO attacked again.
Alex altered his own body.
His muscles were ordered to use energy more efficiently, his reflexes accelerated, and he temporarily reinforced the tissues that had taken the impact.
He managed to dodge.
But AMAZO had copied his spatial manipulation.
The android appeared behind him.
Alex barely had time to turn.
The blow struck him directly in the abdomen.
His body was launched through the air, crashing through two structures before landing among the debris.
"Alex!" Wally shouted.
Alex tried to answer, but no words came out.
For several seconds, all he could hear was a buzzing sound.
His perception began to fail.
The structures he could normally distinguish with absolute clarity appeared to blend together.
Matter.
Energy.
Space.
Everything at once.
Alex closed his eyes.
He breathed.
His body was telling him to stop.
But when he opened his eyes again, he saw Conner trying to get back up to help him.
"Stay there," Alex said.
Conner shook his head.
"No."
"Conner, you can't."
AMAZO advanced toward them.
Alex forced himself to stand.
"Then I'll have to do it myself."
He extended both hands.
The matter around AMAZO began to warp. The ground rose, the metal from nearby structures separated, and several pieces began moving as though they were being controlled from within.
AMAZO responded immediately.
It copied the manipulation.
Alex's control met resistance.
For the first time, two forces capable of reorganizing matter collided directly.
Alex felt brutal pressure building inside his head.
His perception was trying to follow too many processes simultaneously.
AMAZO shattered the structures.
Alex modified them again.
The android destroyed them once more.
Alex changed the space.
AMAZO responded.
Then Alex realized he couldn't keep fighting it this way.
He had to surpass its ability to adapt.
He expanded his perception.
Everything around him became transparent.
He could see the heat of AMAZO's systems, the electrical impulses, the electromagnetic fields, and the connections keeping every component functioning.
He found the points where the android processed information.
Alex began modifying them.
Not all at once.
One after another.
AMAZO tried to adapt.
Alex changed them before it could finish.
The android attacked.
Alex used space to redirect it.
It attacked again.
Alex altered his body to withstand the impact.
Every second demanded more.
Alex's heart began beating with abnormal force.
His temperature rose.
His muscles began to tremble.
The energy circulating through his body was exceeding his ability to regulate it.
Then he heard something.
A dry crack.
Alex looked down.
A small fracture had appeared in one of the bones in his forearm.
He froze for a fraction of a second.
It wasn't an external injury.
It was his own body.
It was fracturing.
Alex gritted his teeth.
His body was trying to withstand an amount of energy and tension it still wasn't prepared for.
"Alex," M'gann said from behind him, alarmed.
"I'm fine."
But he wasn't.
Another crack appeared in his arm.
Then he felt a deep pain in his ribs.
His perception showed him exactly what was happening: his bones were enduring increasingly intense internal pressure. The energy he was using to modify his body was forcing his tissues far beyond their limits.
Alex could have stopped.
But AMAZO was still advancing.
And his teammates were behind him.
"I'm not going to let it touch them."
He focused again.
The energy coursed through his body with greater intensity.
The pain increased.
A fracture spread through part of his arm.
Another appeared in one of his ribs.
Alex felt one of his legs beginning to give out.
Even so, he continued.
He pushed his powers to their maximum.
Matter.
Energy.
Space.
His own body.
Everything functioned simultaneously.
Alex placed one hand against AMAZO's chest.
His perception penetrated deep into the android's structure and began modifying the relationships keeping its systems connected.
One.
Another.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Every change triggered a different reaction.
AMAZO tried to adapt, but Alex modified another system before it could complete the adaptation.
The android's structure began collapsing in on itself.
Alex felt another crack inside his body.
This one was louder.
A fracture spread across his shoulder.
The pain nearly broke his concentration.
But he didn't let go of AMAZO.
"Come on…"
His voice came out strained.
The energy inside him became unstable.
Alex could feel every part of his body failing under the pressure.
His bones.
His muscles.
His organs.
Even the energetic structure running through his body.
But he could also feel his teammates behind him.
That was enough.
Alex gathered all the energy he could still control and made the final change.
AMAZO's systems shut down simultaneously.
The android collapsed heavily to the ground.
Alex withdrew his hand.
For a moment, he remained standing.
Then his legs gave out.
Conner reached him before he hit the ground and caught him.
"Alex!"
Alex tried to answer.
He couldn't.
Conner looked down and saw the cracks running across parts of his body.
"He's fractured."
M'gann quickly approached.
"His body is badly damaged."
Wally stood frozen.
"Can he recover?"
No one answered immediately.
Superman arrived a few seconds later.
When he saw Alex in Conner's arms, his expression changed.
He approached and carefully examined his condition.
"He's alive."
Alex slowly opened his eyes.
"Did we win?"
Superman looked at him.
"Yes."
Alex slowly exhaled.
"Then…"
His head fell against Conner's shoulder.
He lost consciousness.
Hours later, Alex woke up in a recovery room.
He tried to move.
The pain came immediately.
He stayed still.
His perception activated instinctively, allowing him to see the damage.
Several fractures.
Torn tissue.
Microfractures spread throughout different parts of his skeletal structure.
His body was repairing itself, but much more slowly than Alex had imagined.
The door opened.
Superman entered, accompanied by Batman.
"How do you feel?" Superman asked.
Alex breathed slowly.
"Like I got hit by a train."
Superman gave a faint smile.
"Not too far off."
Batman stepped closer.
"Your regenerative ability is working, but it isn't instantaneous. You'll need time."
Alex looked at his hands.
"I thought I could modify my body to withstand it."
"You can," Batman replied. "But that doesn't mean your body is capable of withstanding anything."
Alex remained silent.
This was probably the first time his powers had shown him such a clear limit.
Superman sat nearby.
"Saving your teammates was important. But you can't destroy yourself every time they're in danger."
Alex lowered his gaze.
"If I had waited…"
"We don't know what would have happened," Superman interrupted. "You did what you believed was necessary."
Batman remained silent for a few seconds before adding:
"Now we'll have to determine why your body can adapt, yet still has structural limits."
Alex looked at him.
"Does that mean more tests?"
Batman stared at him.
"When you recover."
Alex let out a small laugh.
"I knew it."
For the first time since the battle, he relaxed again.
He had won.
But victory had come at a price.
His powers could take him much farther than he had imagined.
And his body had just shown him that if he tried to surpass his limits too quickly, it could break as well.