Alex slumped against the glass wall of the tank, his heart pounding with a mix of frustration and humiliation. The wood shavings beneath him were soft, but the sensation only deepened his sense of degradation. His dad—Kenny—was bustling about the room with the eagerness of a young boy taking care of a new pet, completely oblivious to the fact that his “pet” was his own son.
Alex couldn't believe what had just happened. Only hours ago, he had been a powerful Cyber Space Warrior, protecting the world from Lord Skullface's monsters. Now, he was a four-inch-tall version of himself, trapped in a glass tank with a hamster wheel, of all things. And worst of all, his dad—his own father—was treating him like some kind of cute little animal.
He pounded his tiny fists against the glass, his voice echoing in his own ears, though he knew it wouldn’t matter. “Kenny! Stop this! I’m not your pet!” His voice, though loud for his small size, was drowned out by the distorted reality Kenny now lived in, thanks to the twisted effects of the transformation remote.
Kenny, oblivious to his son’s pleas, beamed down at him from the other side of the tank. His boyish face lit up with a grin, his 11-year-old frame bouncing with excitement. “Look, Alex! I made sure your water bottle is all filled up. And I even got you some sunflower seeds!” He held up a small cup filled with seeds, shaking it gently like he was offering a treat to a pet hamster.
Alex buried his face in his hands, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise in his cheeks. He could hear Kenny’s cheerful humming, the sound grating on his nerves. He had been humiliated in battle before, but this—this was worse. He was nothing more than a plaything now, a tiny creature stuck in a tank, at the mercy of his own father’s delusions.
The hamster wheel creaked slightly as Kenny gave it a little spin. “You’re gonna love running on this! It’s just like your hero training, right?” he said, giggling as if he’d just made the funniest joke in the world.
Alex groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “This can’t be happening,” he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over Kenny’s excitement. “I’m supposed to be saving the world, not stuck in a stupid tank.”
But no matter how much he protested, Kenny didn’t see him as anything more than a cute little pet. The transformation remote had altered his dad’s mind so thoroughly that Kenny couldn’t even recognize his son anymore.
Kenny crouched down, his face now level with the tank, his big, innocent eyes sparkling with boyish energy. “Don’t worry, little Alex! I’ll take good care of you. You’ll have everything you need right here,” he said with a proud nod, as if he’d just won some imaginary pet owner award.
Alex couldn’t stand it anymore. “Dad, please! Snap out of it! I’m not a pet! I’m your son!” His tiny voice cracked with desperation, but Kenny didn’t react. Instead, he gently tapped the side of the glass with his finger, as though trying to reassure his "new pet" that everything was going to be fine.
“Aw, don’t be upset, Alex,” Kenny said in a soothing tone. “I know it’s a big change for you, but I promise, I’ll take good care of you.”
Alex’s fists clenched, his body trembling with helpless rage. He wasn’t just small—he was powerless. His armor, his strength, all of it was meaningless now. And the worst part was, he didn’t know how long the Badboy Baboon’s spell would last. If he didn’t get that remote back soon, he could be stuck like this indefinitely.
He cast a glance around the tank, searching for some way to escape. But every time he moved, the glass walls loomed above him, impossibly tall. Even if he managed to climb out, he’d be no match for the Baboon or his own father’s misguided affections.
Kenny, still smiling, turned away for a moment, humming as he placed the sunflower seeds and water bottle neatly on the desk. “I’m gonna go get you something special, little guy! Be right back!”
Alex’s heart sank as Kenny left the room. He was alone, stuck in this ridiculous hamster cage, with no one to help him. He punched the glass in frustration, but his tiny fist barely made a sound.
“I’m not some pet,” Alex muttered, seething as he slumped back against the wall. “I’m not some toy.”
But that’s exactly what he felt like—a toy, helpless and small, lost in a world that suddenly seemed so much bigger than him.
As the creaking of the door signaled Kenny’s return, Alex knew he had to think fast. He couldn’t stay like this, trapped in a tank and treated like a harmless little creature. But with Kenny’s mind still warped and the remote in the Badboy Baboon’s hands, he didn’t know how to turn things around.
And with every passing moment, his situation only felt more humiliating.
There had to be a way out. He just had to find it—before the Badboy Baboon came back and made things even worse.