Beyond the Limit [DC fanfic]

"Joseph."

One could stare for hours and find nothing particularly extraordinary about Joseph. A fairly tall boy with black hair, unremarkable dark brown eyes sat behind tired lids. A black t-shirt and blue jeans covered his moderate, slim teenage build—plain, inconspicuous, forgettable.

"Joseph. Pay attention."

He needed all the sleep he could get when he could get it. The moment school let out, he had to rush to his job, a shift that wouldn't end until after midnight. The more hours he worked, the longer he could hold onto his mom's old place. Without it, there was nowhere else to go.

"Joseph!"

The sharp whisper in his ear jolted him. He nearly fell off his stool, barely catching himself on the edge of the lab desk. He blinked, facing the exasperated glare of his lab partner. Understandable, considering he'd been trying to sneak in a power nap in the middle of their assignment.

No excuses. Never excuses.

"Sorry, Barbara," he muttered with a yawn.

Most guys would be ecstatic to be paired with Barbara Gordon. For him, it was just another reminder of how much he didn't belong. She, on the other hand, had to feel like she was dragging dead weight.

Long red hair, striking green eyes, and a sharp intellect to match. Best grades, most athletic girl in school, the police commissioner's daughter, already interning at Wayne Industries. She was going places. Meanwhile, Joseph was just a kid scraping by, the son of a trucker who was no longer around.

Barbara sighed and tapped the fully completed packet on the lab table. "It's fine. Honestly, it's faster without the whole bumbling teamwork thing." She pushed the paper toward him. "Just sign your name."

Grateful, he scribbled his name down. 

"…You know, if you tried a little harder who knows what you could do? I've seen your grades. You don't even study."

"I'm trying my best."

She pursed her lips, silent. She was very attentive to what went on around her due to her 'extracurricular activities.' She was well aware that Joseph had lost his mother over a year and a half ago, even though he never spoke about it or let the news spread beyond the few people at school who needed to know. He had simply missed a few days and then returned as if nothing had happened.

The bell rang. Joseph grabbed the packet and patted her shoulder as he passed to turn it in. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"Just happy to help," she said, watching him go. In the end, it wasn't her business.

**

Well past two in the morning, Joseph trudged into his apartment. He locked the door, dropped his backpack, and collapsed onto the sofa, not even bothering to remove his shoes. A notice lay on the floor, slipped under the door in his absence. He ignored it.

Three hours later, he stirred, barely conscious. Two more hours before he had to get up for school.

He sat up, eyes adjusting to the dim light. The apartment still held pieces of his mother's life, untouched since her death over a year ago. The sight sparked a dull, simmering anger—the kind born from helplessness, the kind that had nowhere to go.

When she died, he had nothing. No family, no backup plan, no money. No safety net. Just an expectation to keep going.

What was he supposed to do? Become a ward of the state? Get adopted? He was sixteen—too old for that, even if he wanted it, which he didn't.

And now, he was stuck clawing for scraps, working odd jobs before he even had a real chance at life. Even if he made it to college, then what? There was no future for him like this. Not the way things were.

No. He had to find another way. The nine-to-five grind wasn't going to cut it.

Teeth clenched, Joseph stood and stomped toward his desk, rifling through his notes on LexCorp's nanites. The day his mother died. The day everything changed.

For a while, he thought it was a hallucination—an adrenaline-fueled nightmare. But the AI-induced dreams had stopped. It was real.

He had noticed changes. Faster reflexes. Sharper memory. Better math skills. He barely had to study. Not that he had the time.

And yet, he was no closer to understanding what had happened to him.

Frustrated, he dropped his head onto the desk.

Then, he heard it.

//Greetings, host. What is your name?//

His heart pounded. The AI wasn't broken. It was still there.

"Joseph Bell," he whispered. "Give me a rundown on what you are and how to use you."

**

Lying on his stiff bed, Joseph stared at the cracked ceiling as the AI's hum resonated in his mind. He had given it a name—Nova.

He could no longer instinctively control the nanites like he did when he was amped by the force. Now, everything had to be relayed through Nova.

//Detecting laceration and ?????. Estimated healing period for laceration: fifteen seconds.//

Joseph put the knife away and watched as the tiny cut on his finger sealed itself. "What's with the question marks? And do you know what your makers wanted from you?"

//The question marks are chemicals you ingested when the Star Labs truck crashed into your vehicle. I do not know what they are or what they do but it is not negatively impacting your health. And my purpose is to accelerate regeneration.//

"Is there more?"

//My physical shell was created after being introduced to your body, Joseph Bell.//

He frowned. "Any side effects?"

//None. The nanorobots regulate cell replication. They also prevent imperfect replication as it occurs.//

"And what if the nanites themselves malfunction?"

//My purpose is to monitor and supervise replication and moderate the nanites' interactions with your body to maintain optimal function.//

Joseph's brow furrowed. "How do you know what's optimal for me?"

//I have gathered data on your physiological state over time. Your genetic markers suggest a flawless integration.//

"What is your purpose?"

//I do not know. Further testing is required.//

Not like Joseph had a lab to experiment in.

"…Can I sleep now?" he muttered, exhaustion crashing down.

//Yes. I will also begin repairs on neural damage related to chronic stress and sleep deprivation. Estimated time: eight hours.//

Joseph scoffed. "Just great. Y'know what. Just wake me up in two."

//You may relax. This can be done over several days. I will now suppress the impulse to wake suddenly, allowing for a natural transition into sleep.//

For once, he didn't fight it.

His mother was dead. He was alone. But if he had to be alone with the damage done to him, he'd rather just let go.

Maybe he hadn't actually deleted the security protocol. Maybe it was tricking him.

Whatever. Let it. He was too tired to care anymore.