CRACK!
The sound of the Carnitrix dial rotating back rang through the forest like a death knell for Prime-Ben's plans.
"You... you newborn monster!" Prime-Ben screamed in rage. Tyler's hand was clamped firmly over the dial, physically forcing the mechanism to reset. The icon for The Null-Entity vanished, replaced by the flickering embers of The Pyre-Fiend.
"You almost had me," Tyler growled, his voice a low vibration of heat. He slammed a heavy, flaming fist directly into Prime-Ben's forehead. The explosion of crimson plasma sent a shockwave of smoke through the clearing.
BANG!
An invisible, repelling force suddenly bloomed from Prime-Ben's body, throwing Tyler backward. As the smoke cleared, a shimmering, blood-red protective shield enveloped the original Carnitrix wielder.
"The Azmuth of this universe is truly a paranoid snake," Tyler hissed, landing on his feet. The shield was a failsafe, a temporary invincibility window while the watch recalculated.
Prime-Ben's eyes bulged with madness behind his mask. He desperately spun the dial back to the Null-Entity. One second... two seconds... three seconds passed. Nothing happened.
Tyler stood his ground, a sneer appearing on his face. "What's the matter? Is the God-mode broken? Or is it that your little toy doesn't have the juice?"
"Damn it..." Prime-Ben's mind went blank. The energy required to stabilize the Null-Entity had been diverted to the protective shield to save his life. He was trapped.
Tyler began to walk forward, his footsteps melting the dirt into glass. Crimson flames coiled around his arms like hungry serpents—the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. The moment that shield dropped, Prime-Ben was dead.
"If I can't be a God, I'll be a flood!" Prime-Ben roared. The red light flashed, the shield vanished, and he transformed into The Deluge-Titan. High-pressure water erupted from his barnacles, trying to douse Tyler's flames.
BANG!!
The water cannons didn't even reach Tyler. The Red Lotus Fire was so hot the water evaporated into a blinding fog of steam instantly.
"Explode," Tyler whispered, snapping his fingers.
RUMBLE!!
The pressurized fire detonated. The shockwave leveled every tree within fifty yards. Prime-Ben crawled out of the crater, his armor steaming and cracked. "I... I can't win? How is his fire stronger than a sea?"
"Die!" Tyler's voice was like falling ice. A beast condensed from pure crimson flame lunged at the broken Deluge-Titan.
WHOOSH!!
Prime-Ben switched again, turning into the Crystal-Ripper. He raised diamond-hard walls to block the blast, gasping for air. "I have no grudge against you, stranger! Why do you hunt me like this?!"
RUMBLE!!
Tyler didn't answer. He transformed into his own version of the Crystal-Ripper, but his form was towering and jagged, radiating a far more oppressive aura. He slammed his palms together, and massive diamond spears erupted from the earth, seizing Prime-Ben in a crushing grip.
"You're an amateur," Tyler said, walking toward the pinned boy. "Too easy to break."
[Ding! Host has defeated three Carnitrix Prime aliens and saved the local Gwen. Progress +1%.]
[Template Mastery: 28/100. DNA Unlocked: THE GLOP-HORROR!]
Tyler didn't care about the notification. He raised a jagged crystal blade to end it—until the world turned gold.
Suddenly, Tyler couldn't move. His muscles were frozen, his breathing stopped, and even his thoughts felt like they were moving through molasses. What? Clockwork? Is the Carnitrix using time manipulation?
A calm, steady voice echoed through the frozen clearing. "Fascinating. There is no trace of Sugilite's activity in this timeline... so why is there a traveler from another universe standing here?"
A man in a lab coat, holding a pocket watch and a clipboard, stepped into Tyler's view. It was Professor Paradox.
"I'll have to send you back," Paradox said, his tone scholarly yet firm. He began to gesture, golden light swirling around Tyler's figure. Tyler's body felt light, as if he were being pulled into a vacuum.
No! I can't leave yet! The original Carnitrix is still here! Tyler panicked. He roared internally, calling out to the system: EQUIP THE WARP-GEAR!
WHOOSH!
The dark purple Chronos-Plate armor and the Warp-Disk instantly materialized over Tyler's body.
"Chromastone's armor?!" Paradox's eyes widened in genuine shock. He instantly released his time-stasis and backed away, sensing the dimensional energy. "What game are you playing, traveler?"
The moment the restraint broke, Tyler didn't hesitate. He switched to The Velocity Wraith (XLR8) and vanished in a blur of red-and-black light, sprinting toward the direction Prime-Ben had fled.
Professor Paradox stood in the empty clearing, staring at the spot where Tyler had been. "He has the Chronos-Plate... and he can shift forms while maintaining the equipment? Who is this boy?"
At the campsite, the Rustbucket sat in a clearing. A grizzled Max Tennyson was carefully applying medicine to a sobbing Gwen's burned face.
"Grandpa... it hurts... I'm going to be scarred forever," Gwen cried.
"Don't worry about school, Gwen," Max comforted her, his voice heavy with guilt. "Hide in the car. I have to go find Ben. He... he isn't himself."
WHOOSH!!
A red blur skidded to a halt beside them. It was Prime-Ben, transformed into the Velocity Wraith.
"AHH!" Gwen shrieked, diving into Max's arms. Max didn't hesitate, swinging his granddaughter up and sprinting for the RV.
Deep inside the Velocity Wraith's mind, Ben was screaming. I shouldn't kill them! Grandpa! Gwen! Run away!
But the Slaughter Protocol had already taken the wheel. His body moved without his consent, his serrated claws raising to strike his own family. "KILL!!!" the watch whispered in his soul.
[Transformation Profile: The Glop-Horror (Goop Variant)]
Traits: A viscous, dark green acidic fluid that smells of sulfur. It doesn't need an anti-gravity projector; it moves like a sentient tidal wave.Ability:Melting Embrace. It can seep into the cracks of any armor and dissolve the wearer from the inside out.