Ben 10: Carnitrix Ultimatum

The scream was Gwen's. It ripped through the air, raw and agonized, a sound Ben knew he would carry in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind forever. He whirled around, Ultimatrix flaring, and what he saw clawed at his sanity. Gwen, impaled on a twisted mockery of Heatblast's pyrokinetic tendrils, her eyes wide with disbelief and betrayal. The Heatblast, if you could even call it that, was a charred, skeletal figure, flames licking off its decaying flesh, its eyes burning with a malevolent glee he had never seen before. And behind it, bathed in the eerie green glow of the Carnitrix, stood…him. Or rather, a version of him. A Ben Tennyson twisted into a nightmare, the Carnitrix pulsating on his wrist like a malignant growth. "No…" The word escaped Ben's lips, a choked whisper lost in the chaos. He wanted to believe it was a hallucination, a cruel joke, anything but the horrifying reality unfolding before him. But the stench of burning flesh, the sight of Gwen's lifeless eyes, the cold, calculating gaze of his doppelganger…it was all too real. This was not a dream. This was hell. The Carnitrix Ben tilted his head, a disturbing parody of Ben's own mannerisms. The charred Heatblast, or whatever twisted evolution it had become, released Gwen's body, letting it slump to the ground with a sickening thud. Ben's vision blurred, rage threatening to consume him. He slammed the Ultimatrix, cycling through his aliens with a frantic urgency. Diamondhead? Useless against that…thing. Humungousaur? Not enough. He needed something…powerful. Something that could erase this abomination from existence. But before he could lock in a transformation, the Carnitrix Ben moved. Faster than Ben could react, the twisted version of XLR8 blurred across the ground, its bladed feet kicking up sparks as it lunged towards him. Ben barely managed to raise his arm in time, the claws tearing through his jacket and leaving burning trails across his skin. He staggered back, pain searing through his arm. The Carnitrix Ben didn't speak. It didn't need to. Its actions screamed volumes of a nihilistic intent that chilled Ben to the core. This wasn't about conquest, or power. This was about annihilation. About tearing down everything Ben held dear, about proving that existence itself was a cruel and pointless joke. Ben finally slammed the Ultimatrix dial. A surge of green energy erupted, engulfing him as he transformed. He became Way Big, towering over the battlefield, his immense size momentarily staggering the Carnitrix Ben. But even as Way Big, Ben felt a tremor of fear. He had faced down Vilgax, Zs'Skayr, and countless other cosmic threats, but this…this was different. This was a reflection of himself, amplified by a force of pure, unadulterated evil. The Carnitrix Ben simply smirked, a chilling expression that mirrored Way Big's own features, yet twisted into something utterly alien. It slammed its own Carnitrix, and a monstrous, grotesque parody of Way Big rose to meet him. This was only the beginning of his nightmare. Max was next. Ben knew it, deep down. He could feel it in his bones. And he was powerless to stop it. The two titans clashed, their roars shaking the earth. But even as Way Big landed blow after blow, Ben knew he was losing. He could see the twisted versions of his other aliens emerging from the shadows, each one a grotesque parody of the heroes he had known and loved. And he knew, with a sickening certainty, that his world was about to be consumed by darkness. The corrupted Way Big slammed Ben through a building, concrete and steel exploding around him. Ben landed hard, the transformation flickering as he reverted back to human form. He struggled to his feet, his body screaming in protest. The Carnitrix Ben slowly approached, the twisted parody of XLR8 flanking him like a loyal hound. Ben stared at his evil doppelganger, his heart aching with a grief so profound it threatened to shatter him. He could see a flicker of recognition in the Carnitrix Ben's eyes, a fleeting glimpse of the boy he once was, before the darkness consumed him. "Why?" Ben rasped, the word barely audible above the din of battle. The Carnitrix Ben didn't answer. It simply raised its hand, the Carnitrix glowing ominously. And then, the world went black. When Ben opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground, the wreckage of the city around him. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of death. He slowly sat up, his body numb with shock. The Carnitrix Ben was gone. But the twisted versions of his aliens remained, rampaging through the ruins. And then he saw it. In the distance, a familiar figure lying motionless on the ground. He stumbled towards it, his heart pounding in his chest. It was Max. His grandfather. His mentor. His friend. Ben dropped to his knees beside him, his hands trembling as he reached out to check for a pulse. Nothing. Max was gone. Just like Gwen. Tears streamed down Ben's face, hot and stinging in the cold air. He had failed. He had let them die. And he knew, with a crushing weight of despair, that the nightmare had only just begun. As he was grieving, a portal opened up near him, and a familiar face appeared: Professor Paradox. "Ben Tennyson, I presume? Time is of the essence. Worlds are at stake. We must leave, now." Ben looked at Paradox, then back at the bodies of his family. "Leave? LEAVE?! They're DEAD, Paradox!" Paradox only stared at him, grimly. "There is still hope, Ben. But we must act quickly. The Carnitrix...it has spread to other realities. And if we don't stop it, everything you know and love will be destroyed." Ben glared at him, torn. Could he really leave his family's bodies here? Unprotected? But Paradox was right. If the Carnitrix could do this here, who knew what other horrors it would unleash? With a final, heart-wrenching look at Gwen and Max, Ben stood up, his face set with grim determination. "Alright, Paradox. Let's go. But I swear to you, I WILL avenge them. I WILL destroy the Carnitrix. No matter what it takes."