"Nom nom! Nom nom! No wonder rich people's food tastes so good—this is amazing! Damn it, I'm actually crying over a slice of cream cake! First time in my life!"
Max stuffed another butter roll into his mouth before even swallowing the last bite of cake. He barely chewed—just gulped it down like a vacuum cleaner.
He washed it all down with several big gulps of milk.
The moment he finished, Max felt a jolt of energy. Not because he was full—far from it. It was more like… the more he ate, the hungrier he became. His body was screaming for nutrients to fuel its genetic optimization process.
This high-energy food was accelerating that transformation.
He crammed in a few more bites of bread, and after easing the hunger just a little, he looked up, face a bit flushed but determined.
"Phew, I feel alive again. Mr. Butler, go ahead and ask your questions—I'm all ears!"
Alfred, standing calmly with his hands behind his back, looked at the boy who was inhaling food like a reincarnated famine victim. In his many years of service, he'd never seen someone so... feral at the dinner table. Clearly, this child had never received any formal dining etiquette.
With the patience of a saint, Alfred asked, "May I ask your name? And... anything else you know?"
Max took another bite of bread, chewed just enough not to choke, and replied, "Name's Max. Orphan. You can check my file at the Gotham Orphanage—should all be there."
"...?"
Alfred blinked. This wasn't quite the powerful young sorcerer he'd originally suspected.
He continued, more curious now, "Then... how do you know about magic? From your tone earlier, it's obvious you're familiar with it. You even knew Miss Zatanna was a magician."
Max didn't even try to hide it. "Yeah, of course I know. I know magic exists in this world. I also know there are parallel worlds out there. And I'm one thousand percent certain Bruce Wayne is Batman."
He puffed out his chest. "All the secrets of this world? I know them all."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. This sounded like a child bluffing hard. Still, his curiosity was piqued.
"But... you're just a kid. How would you know all that?"
Instead of answering, Max raised his left wrist.
"Check this out!"
A sci-fi looking wristwatch gleamed on his arm. With Alfred's sharp eye, it was obvious—this thing wasn't made in Gotham.
The circular interface of the Omnitrix had just turned green again, signaling a full recharge. (Charge for five minutes, transform for an hour. Alien tech really hits different.)
Alfred's pupils shrank. That symbol! He'd seen it before. Master Wayne had been tracking a mysterious organization for months—could this be connected?
The butler, an ex-agent with a flair for dramatics, quietly pressed the record button on the mic hidden in his lapel.
While Alfred was zoning out, Max took another bite of cream bread and waited for him to snap out of it.
…
Of course, Alfred had his poker face maxed out. "Interesting device. What is it exactly?"
"Heh!" Max set the cake aside, raised his chin at a cool 45-degree angle, pointed dramatically at his wrist, and launched into full narrator mode:
"This… is the Omnitrix. A level-20 alien artifact.
It's designed to store the genetic profiles of every intelligent species in the universe.
Basically, a multiversal genetic library. You could even call it… the Ark of Life.
Even if all life in the universe got wiped out in the next second, this baby could bring them back.
To put it simply: the person who owns this… bears the responsibility of saving the universe."
Glory needs no explanation. (Embrace the cosmos!)
Alfred looked confused—and Max realized he might've laid it on too thick.
To avoid further skepticism, Max added, "Okay, okay, to put it in simpler terms—it lets me transform into different alien species with superpowers."
Alfred returned to his calm and composed demeanor. "Incredible, truly.
So, those monsters that appeared in Gotham recently… that was you, transformed with this device?"
"Yep! Pretty awesome, right?" Max grinned smugly.
But Alfred wasn't buying it wholesale. He wasn't just a butler—he was Batman's teacher in deductive reasoning. Something didn't add up.
If Max was really that powerful, why wasn't he famous already?
"Hmm, quite impressive. But young sir… if this device is so powerful, why do you seem to be… struggling to get by?"
"…"
Max froze, mid-bite. Internally: I hate smart people.
The silence was deafening.
Alfred gave a polite chuckle. "My apologies, you don't have to answer that. Please, continue eating."
Max took a deep breath. Since he came here to cling to a big shot anyway, it wouldn't hurt to share his problems.
"No need to hide it, Mr. Butler. The Omnitrix is... kind of broken. The display is busted, so I can't choose my transformation. It's all random. Sometimes I get strong forms... sometimes not so much."
Alfred nodded thoughtfully. That would explain the irregular timing of the monster sightings—Max only showed up when he got a good transformation.
"Thank you for the explanation. Would you like more food?"
"Two more cream cakes, please! Don't let my size fool you—this watch burns calories like crazy! I'm always starving. Today I'm eating until I burst!"
"Right away, young sir. I'll fetch them myself."
…
Alfred headed to the kitchen—and discreetly sent the recording to Batman.
...
Meanwhile, in Arkham Asylum, Batman had just finished interrogating a fake Joker. He was already plotting how to prevent another identity swap.
As he boarded the Batwing, he received Alfred's audio message.
Listening through his gauntlet's onboard computer, Batman's eyes narrowed as the transmission played.
Alien tech. Transformation device. Genetic ark. Savior of the universe.
Every single word set off alarm bells.
Alien tech? Are we getting invaded?
Transformation device? Genetic fusion?
Ark of life? Sounds like a galactic-level catastrophe.
Savior of the universe? That word never means anything good—it only comes up when the world's about to end.
Outwardly, Batman remained cold and calm in his seat.
Inwardly?
"Holy crap. What the hell is happening? Earth is not safe. How do I protect it now?!"
Paranoia mode: Activated.
He immediately began drafting counter-alien contingency plans…
...
And so, this bizarre chain of events began. Max thought he'd stumbled into a major DC crisis and rushed in to cling to the nearest powerhouse.
Until he fully unlocked the Omnitrix's potential, this was his best survival strategy.
But thanks to his over-the-top explanation… he accidentally scared Batman.
(At this point in time, Darkseid hasn't invaded, and the Justice League isn't formed yet.)