Late that night, perched on the upper bunk of the RV, Tyler Levison whispered into the dark. "System, pull up the status panel."
[Host Status: Tyler Levison (Celestialsapien Vessel)]
Template: Carnitrix (10% Sync)Progress: 44 / 100Transformation: 30 min / Cooldown: 10 minNew Unlocks: The Nuclear Sun, The Slaughter King, The Bio-Hazardous Bolt, The Frenzy Tiger, The Void-Wraith, The Celestialsapien Vessel.
Tyler looked over the data with a grim satisfaction. The power was growing, but so was the weight of the metal on his wrist.
Outside, the Rust Bucket had come to a halt in an open clearing. A thick, oppressive mist clung to the trees of the surrounding wetlands. Gwen pushed the door open, her hand tightening around her violet-crystal staff as she peered into the gloom.
"Grandpa, are we really staying here?" she asked, her voice echoing in the eerie silence. "This place feels... wrong."
The swamp was a chorus of rhythmic bullfrog croaks, but beneath the murky water, darker things moved. Max climbed down after her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Gwen. Tomorrow this place will be crawling with tourists and park rangers. It's a perfect spot to observe the local ecosystem."
"And the alligators," Tyler added, walking to the edge of the muck. He peered into the distance, but the stagnant stench of the swamp was enough to make him recoil.
Ben walked up beside him, kicking at a tuft of damp grass. "You ever see one up close, Tyler?"
"Once, when I was a kid," Tyler replied, remembering a life from before the watch. "Different species, but just as mean."
As they traversed the forest path toward the scenic overlook, Ben grew uncharacteristically quiet. He kept glancing at Tyler's wrist, his expression shifting between hesitation and intense longing. Finally, he broke the silence.
"Tyler... the Omnitrix can capture DNA through contact, right?"
Tyler nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's built for it. Why?"
"Can you share some of yours with me?" Ben stopped, extending his arm, his eyes burning with a desperate sincerity. "I've watched you use the Carnitrix for months. I've seen how strong your versions are. After feeling what it was like to use your power last night... I can't get it out of my head. I want to transform into your Bio-Hazardous Bolt just once."
Tyler hesitated. He knew the Carnitrix wasn't a toy. It was a weapon of mass destruction designed by a madman. But he looked at Ben—his best friend, who had been struggling with a malfunctioning watch while Tyler played the role of the god-tier protector.
"Well," Tyler muttered, "Kevin managed to copy it without dying. If anyone can handle it, it's you."
Tyler raised his wrist, dialing the Carnitrix to the jagged silhouette of the Bolt. "Just be careful, Ben."
CRACK-THOOM.
A flash of crimson light bathed the forest as the massive, fur-clad form of the Bio-Hazardous Bolt emerged. Ben didn't waste a second. He pressed the face of his Omnitrix against the glowing red pattern on Tyler's chest.
The two devices collided with a sharp, metallic ring.
The Omnitrix began to pulse with a violent, erratic yellow light, rapidly cataloging the foreign DNA. But then, something went wrong. The Carnitrix didn't just provide data; it surged. A wave of bloody red energy washed over Ben's watch, causing the green interface to flicker and die.
"Cool! I've got it! I'll call it... The Shock-Slayer! Wait, what's happening?"
Tyler recoiled, sensing a sudden, predatory shift in the air. "Ben, get back!"
The red glow faded, leaving the Omnitrix's screen darkened. But in the center of the transformation icon, a distinct, jagged claw mark had been burned into the glass. Tyler's heart sank.
The Error Killing Consciousness. It didn't just share the DNA—it infected the software.
"Ben, don't transform yet! We need to—"
SLAM.
Ben didn't listen. He smashed his hand down on the darkened dial. "Shock-Slayer, go!"
"Wait, where did they go?"
Gwen and Max, hearing the crackle of electricity from the clearing, ran back toward the RV. They skidded to a halt, their faces pale with shock.
Two identical, towering monsters stood face-to-face in the mist. Both were the fur-covered, lightning-charged Bio-Hazardous Bolts.
One looked tense, his muscles coiled for a fight. That was Tyler.
The other stood with his head tilted, a low, guttural growl vibrating in his chest. His eyes weren't Ben's eyes. They were fixed, hungry, and glowing with a lethal violet hue.
"Ben? Is that you?" Max called out, his voice wavering.
"I feel... incredible," the infected Ben rasped. He tilted his head back, a wide, serrated grin splitting his face.
"Ben, watch your tone," Max tried to scold him, sensing the defiance.
"Grandpa," Ben hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "No one tells me what to do anymore. I'll do whatever I damn well please."
He bared a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs that didn't belong on a hero.
"It's the Killing Consciousness!" Tyler roared, lunging forward. "Max, Gwen, get back! Now!"
"Ah, my dear, sweet cousin..."
The infected Ben let out a high-pitched, manic shriek. He didn't turn toward Tyler. He turned toward the easiest target. The Carnitrix's first directive was always the same: Eliminate the nearest kin.
He vanished in a blur of static, reappearing inches from Gwen.
"No!" Gwen screamed, thrusting her staff forward. A burst of orange flame erupted from the crystal, slamming into the monster's chest.
"Delicious!" Ben laughed, his fingers splaying open like claws as he literally caught the fireball in his hands, absorbing the energy. His fur crackled with intensified electricity. He spun with a predatory grace, his fist trailing a wake of violet lightning as he launched a beautiful, lethal spinning punch directly at Tyler's jaw.
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