Ultimate Evolution.
Some fans of the Ben 10 series called it the "Ultimatrix"—a modification that subjected alien DNA samples to the worst possible evolutionary pressures in a simulated environment, forcing them to evolve over the course of a million accelerated years. The result was enhanced genetic templates that could transform the wearer into evolved versions of the original species.
It was a function added by Albedo after he'd stolen the core from Azmuth's unfinished prototype Omnitrix. The mad Galvan had been jealous of Ben Tennyson's heroic reputation and sought to create his own superior version of the device.
Feeling the godly power coursing through his Primaterra transformation—power that could guide and accelerate evolution on a planetary scale—Ben couldn't help but think about the Ultimatrix's potential applications.
Azmuth had always disapproved of ultimate evolution, considering it a corruption of his original design. The First Thinker believed that forcing artificial evolution turned the Omnitrix from a tool of understanding into a weapon of destruction, violating its fundamental purpose as a preservation device for galactic biodiversity. There was also the risk that the evolved DNA might develop its own consciousness, creating uncontrollable life forms.
But Azmuth's objections weren't based on the function being useless—they were philosophical concerns about the ethics of forced evolution.
Ben definitely intended to add ultimate evolution capabilities to his Omnitrix eventually. The problem was that his current evolutionary powers were still relatively weak, and the technical challenge of integrating magic with Galvan technology was daunting. He'd need to study the interface between cosmic energy and the Omnitrix's quantum matrices much more thoroughly.
After a few minutes of experimentation, Ben reverted to human form and retrieved the blood sample he'd collected from Loki during their earlier encounter.
This time, the Omnitrix didn't split the genetic pattern into multiple silhouettes. The Frost Giant template appeared as a single humanoid outline, though with subtle differences in proportions that suggested greater height and bulk.
Ben decided not to test this transformation immediately. Loki was relatively small for a Frost Giant—most of his species were towering behemoths that would draw unwanted attention in human environments. The transformation would be useful eventually, but not while he was trying to maintain a low profile.
Besides, after gaining access to Aesirion and Primaterra abilities, he wasn't particularly impressed by standard Frost Giant genetics. They were strong and durable, sure, but they lacked the cosmic scope of Asgardian power or the evolutionary potential of Earth magic.
Ben's dismissive attitude was so complete that he couldn't even be bothered to come up with a creative nickname for the Frost Giant form.
After securing the genetic samples, Ben settled in to wait for Loki's inevitable retaliation. The humiliated god wouldn't let their encounter go unanswered, and Ben was counting on that wounded pride to drive Loki toward a predictable response.
But instead of cosmic retribution, his phone rang.
"Hey, Ben! How's the holiday going?"
Peter's voice came through the speaker with characteristic good cheer, though it was slightly muffled. Ben could hear the sounds of the city in the background—traffic, distant sirens, the general urban symphony of New York.
"After you left the other day, were you the one who rescued Senator Caldwell's daughter and all those other victims?" Peter continued without waiting for an answer. "I just found out about it this morning when I went to the Daily Bugle."
Ben could picture the scene perfectly. Peter had probably walked into the newsroom expecting a normal day, only to get ambushed by Jameson's latest rant about Spider-Man's moral failures.
"Jameson practically took my head off," Peter confirmed, proving Ben's guess correct. "The story's in every paper in the city, but I didn't get any photos because I had no idea it was happening. Apparently, Andrea told the media that Spider-Man saved her, and they identified the killer too."
There was a pause, and Ben could hear Peter taking a bite of something—probably a hot dog from one of the street vendors he favored during his patrol breaks.
"Spider-Man... killed the murderer?" Peter's voice carried a note of disbelief that was almost painful to hear.
Ben could imagine his cousin's expression—the confusion and disappointment warring across his features. Peter had probably spent hours trying to reconcile this news with his image of who Ben was supposed to be.
"That's right!" came Jameson's voice in the background, apparently still ranting to anyone within earshot. "Look at that! The menace finally showed his true colors! He thinks he's above the law! A vigilante killer!"
"Sir," came Robbie's patient voice, "the dead person was a serial killer, and Spider-Man saved almost a hundred people..."
Peter's mental turmoil was practically audible through the phone. Ben knew his cousin well enough to understand the internal debate that must be raging—the struggle between understanding the necessity of the action and maintaining his moral ideals.
"It was me," Ben confirmed simply. There was no point in denial—there weren't exactly multiple Spider-Men operating in New York.
"But... you killed him!" Peter's voice cracked slightly.
Ben shifted the phone to his other hand and leaned against the nearest wall, preparing for a conversation he'd known was inevitable.
"What's the problem?" he asked calmly. "You know how cruel that man was. They found evidence of almost a hundred victims this time. Even among the survivors, many had their hands or feet amputated by him for his sick experiments. Don't you think he deserved to die?"
Peter fell silent, and Ben could practically hear the gears turning in his cousin's head.
The truth was, Peter probably did understand on some level. Just reading the newspaper accounts of Muse's crimes had been enough to make Peter's blood boil with righteous anger. Being there in person, seeing the victims, witnessing the horror firsthand—that would test anyone's commitment to non-violence.
But Peter was still clinging to his idealistic principles, still believing in clear moral boundaries.
"But you could have handed him over to the police," Peter said finally. "Let the legal system—"
"Come on," Ben interrupted. "Muse was completely insane. You really think some judge wouldn't have shown him leniency because of mental health issues?"
Ben didn't mention the more likely scenario—that certain organizations would have tried to recruit Muse for his unusual abilities. A psychopath with supernatural powers was exactly the kind of asset that groups like Hydra would kill to acquire.
Peter seemed ready to continue the argument, but Ben smoothly changed the subject.
"Anyway, how's the school reconstruction going?"
"Oh, um..." Peter allowed himself to be redirected. "It looks like we won't be starting classes for at least another month."
A month. That should be plenty of time for what Ben had planned.
"Tell Mom and Dad that my trip might be extended," Ben said. "I just want to take some time to relax and clear my head."
The silence that followed was heavy with Peter's misinterpretation. Ben could almost hear his cousin's thought process—assuming that Ben was running away from guilt, that the killing had traumatized him and he needed distance to process what he'd done.
"I must have hurt him when I blamed him for killing someone," Peter thought to himself. "He's probably feeling terrible about it."
"Okay, I'll cover for you," Peter said, his voice soft with sympathy. "Just... promise me you won't overthink this, okay? Don't go down a dark path. It's not your fault."
"What dark path? Why would I overthink anything?"
After hanging up, Ben stared at his phone with genuine confusion. Peter had clearly misunderstood something fundamental about the situation.
"My well-meaning cousin," Ben muttered to himself with affection. "I really am planning to relax, but the vacation spot is a little farther away than he thinks. So far that it's not even on Earth!"
Ben shook his head and looked toward the horizon, where something was disturbing the natural order of things.
In the distance, a massive tornado was carving a path across the desert, connecting earth to sky in a column of destructive force. The very air seemed to darken as storm clouds gathered unnaturally fast, pressing down like the weight of godly judgment.
The Destroyer had arrived.
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