> "The Omnitrix wasn't designed to be just a weapon or a tool.
It was meant to be a responsibility.
But when the universe breaks its own rules,
even responsibility needs an upgrade."
— Azmuth (Holographic Record, Fragmented)
---
Omnitrix Core – Subsystem Awakening
It began at 3:17 AM.
Ben awoke gasping, bathed in green light. The Omnitrix wasn't just glowing — it was vibrating. Symbols scrolled across its face like they were alive.
> "INITIATING: PROTOCOL 10-X PRIME."
> "CALCULATING RESPONSE: SIGNAL CLASS—EXISTENTIAL."
> "RELEASE SAFETY LOCKS. ENABLE SUB-CORE: EVOLUTIONARY PHASE 2."
Ben screamed as the Omnitrix latched deeper into his DNA, burning symbols through his skin like invisible ink revealed by flame. His heartbeat synced with the alien pulses. His breath hitched.
And then he passed out.
---
Rustbucket – Emergency Response
Gwen burst through the door with Max on her heels. Ben lay collapsed in his bed, but not unconscious — trapped in a semi-lucid interface state. The Omnitrix projected a holographic sphere around him, displaying layered code.
Max's jaw tightened.
"That's not standard Omnitrix behavior," he growled.
"No," Gwen replied. "It's adaptive recursion. The watch is rewriting itself — re-coding based on external threats."
She scanned the pulses with her tablet. "It's not a glitch. It's a… reaction. The Vault didn't just wake up the universe. It forced the Omnitrix to prepare for it."
---
Ben's Inner Interface – Alien Data Stream
Inside the trance, Ben stood inside a white void. Symbols danced around him like fireflies — each representing one of the alien species he could become.
But now, something new floated in front of him: a massive, shifting tetrahedron of compressed code.
From the top descended a flickering projection of Azmuth, Galvan inventor of the Omnitrix.
Only… he looked worn. Corrupted. Not the version Ben knew.
> "You weren't supposed to reach this point."
Ben stepped forward. "You left a Vault. You left keys. You knew someone would."
Azmuth's image glitched.
> "The Vault was for containment, not empowerment.
You broke the loop. Now the loop will break you."
Ben raised his arm.
"I don't care. Show me the upgrades."
> "Very well. Upgrade Protocol Engaged."
---
Omnitrix Sub-Core – Phase 2 Unlocked
Ben's body convulsed as his DNA locked into a new sequence.
The Omnitrix restructured physically — now sleeker, darker in tone, with flowing etchings that shimmered when touched. The interface was no longer just rotational — it responded to gestures, voice, and thought.
> "UNLOCKED: OMNITRIX PHASE 2 — BIO-EVOLUTIONARY MODE."
> "GRANTED: FORM MODIFIERS. FORM HYBRIDIZATION. BATTLE SCRIPTING."
> "LIMITATIONS: MORAL ALIGNMENT REQUIRED FOR CONTROL."
---
Gwen's Realization
Back in the waking world, the transformation ended.
Ben sat upright slowly, eyes glowing for a moment before the light faded.
Gwen stared. "Ben… the Omnitrix. It's… different."
"It's smarter," Ben said, flexing his fingers. "It knows what's coming. And it's giving me more than aliens. It's giving me choices."
Max frowned. "That sounds like power with a cost."
Ben nodded. "It is."
---
Demonstration – First Hybrid Attempt
They stepped outside into the desert. Ben activated the Omnitrix — but instead of the classic hologram selection, the air around him shimmered.
He tapped the interface and said: "Override default. Combine XLR8 and Grey Matter. Tactical Speed Mode."
The Omnitrix pulsed once… then accepted.
Green fire surged around him — and when it cleared, Ben stood as a new hybrid form:
Sleek and aerodynamic, but with oversized cerebral ridges.
Four-digit claws built for tech manipulation at high velocity.
Eyes flickering with predictive targeting overlays.
He moved — and blinked across the field like a ghost, solving Gwen's combat drone puzzles mid-sprint while reciting equations aloud.
Gwen gawked. "That's not a transformation. That's surgical precision."
Ben reverted, panting.
"It took everything I had to keep my mind intact while shifting. But it worked."
Max looked grim. "What happens when you mix more than two?"
Ben hesitated.
"I don't know yet. But I think it's coming."
---
Meanwhile – Kevin's Reaction
Kevin felt it.
Not like a signal — like a shift in pressure. A pulse in the universal balance. He stared at his wrist, where the twisted mock-Omnitrix fusion in his bones glowed sickly green.
"So... the boy levels up."
He touched the fractured core embedded in his chest.
"Let's see how far he's willing to go before he realizes: upgrades don't make you better. They make you something else."
---
Final Scene – From Deep Space
High above Earth, in a black-stone vessel shaped like a fractal eye, the first real threat stirred.
The Echo-Scythe, an assassin-forge from the Silence Orbitals, activated.
Within its core was a list of targets.
One name pulsed in red:
> Tennyson, Benjamin – Status: Divergent Prime
Protocol: Terminate or Integrate
The Echo-Scythe folded space around it.
And vanished from sight — heading straight for Earth.