The colossal figure hung in the sky, an embodiment of temporal chaos. Eon Codex. Its mere presence warped reality, twisting the very fabric of space and time. Ben instinctively reached for the Ultimatrix. "We need something big," he growled, desperation lacing his voice. He slammed the dial, aiming for Way Big. He needed that immense size, that raw power. But the Ultimatrix had other plans. The transformation sequence glitched again, the familiar energy twisting into something…wrong. This time, instead of the towering To'kustar, he felt his body contort, his skin harden, cannons sprout from his shoulders. He had become... Ultimate Cannonbolt.
But this wasn't the Ultimate Cannonbolt he remembered. Jagged, magnetic spikes covered his armored shell. The ground vibrated beneath him as he moved. "What the…?" he began, but Eon Codex didn't wait. A blast of temporal energy slammed into him, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed into a nearby building, the structure collapsing around him. He struggled to his feet, the air shimmering with distorted light. "Okay, new plan. Roll with it," he muttered, clenching his fists. He tucked his limbs in, transforming into his signature ball form. As he began to roll, the spikes on his shell glowed with an intense magnetic energy. The ground cracked and split as he accelerated, the air screaming around him. He slammed into Eon Codex, the impact generating a shockwave that leveled the surrounding area. Eon Codex staggered but remained in the air, unfazed. "Insignificant," it boomed, its voice echoing with temporal echoes. "Your attempts are futile."
Ben knew he was outmatched. He couldn't hold this form for long. The Ultimatrix was pushing him, straining against its limits. He needed a different approach. He deactivated the transformation, narrowly dodging another blast from Eon Codex. He landed beside Gwen and Kevin, who were struggling to protect the unconscious Vilgax. "We need to fall back!" Gwen shouted, deflecting a wave of temporal energy with a mana shield. "We can't fight him here!" "She's right," Kevin replied, struggling to absorb the energy around them. "We need a plan, and some serious firepower." Ben glanced at the Ultimatrix, the error message still flashing, mocking him. He had to find a way to stabilize it, to unlock its full potential. He glanced at Vilgax. He was their only lead to learn about Eon Codex, and they couldn't leave him behind. "Kevin, get Vilgax out of here," Ben ordered. "Gwen, create a diversion. I'll hold him off as long as I can." Gwen looked at him, worry etched on her face. "Ben, are you crazy? You can't take him alone!" "I don't have a choice," Ben replied, his voice grim. "Just go!"
Gwen reluctantly nodded, conjuring a series of mana constructs to distract Eon Codex. Kevin hefted Vilgax over his shoulder and sped away, leaving Ben alone to face the cosmic entity. Ben steeled himself, knowing he was about to enter the most dangerous fight of his life. He slammed the Ultimatrix again, this time aiming for Jetray. Maybe his aerial maneuverability and neuroshock blasts could at least buy them some time. Again, the transformation was corrupted. This time, his lithe form turned pitch black, his wings crackling with dark energy. "Ultimate Jetray?!" he exclaimed, shocked at the new form. This was nothing like he remembered. His body pulsed with raw, chaotic energy. He fired a blast, and a black hole was created for a brief moment before Ben quickly used the Ultimate Jetray's speed to get away from the anomaly. "What was that?" He felt the need to get as far away from Bellwood as possible.
Ultimate Jetray launched into the air, his black-hole propulsion system tearing through the atmosphere. He needed to get Eon Codex away from Bellwood, away from his family. As he soared through the sky, he noticed something strange. The air was shimmering, distorting. He was seeing… glimpses of other realities. Other versions of Bellwood, of Earth, of himself. The dimensional rift was widening, expanding exponentially. Eon Codex was causing the universes to collide. The Ultimatrix pinged frantically, the error message intensifying. "Ultimate Evolution Unstable. Temporal Feedback Loop Detected." Ben ignored the warning, focusing on his mission. He needed to lead Eon Codex away, to buy Gwen and Kevin time to escape. He turned, firing a series of quantum stingers at the entity. The stingers, crackling with dark energy, struck Eon Codex, causing it to recoil slightly. But the entity was too powerful. It unleashed another blast of temporal energy, striking Ultimate Jetray and sending him spiraling out of control. He slammed into a mountainside, the impact creating a massive crater. He struggled to his feet, his body aching, his mind reeling. The visions of alternate realities were becoming more intense, more disorienting.
He saw himself as a Plumber, an intergalactic peacekeeper. He saw himself as a villain, corrupted by power. He saw himself… human? The Ultimatrix was showing him possible futures, possible outcomes. And none of them were good. The Ultimatrix pinged again, a new message flashing across its screen: "Ultimate Alien X Accessible. Warning: Temporal Instability Imminent. Memory Corruption Detected." Alien X? Now? Was the Ultimatrix malfunctioning? He was aware that his memories would be erased if he unlocked Ultimate Alien X. A memory corruption? This was it. His trump card. His last resort. But at what cost? He glanced back at Bellwood, a wave of determination washing over him. He couldn't let Eon Codex destroy everything. He couldn't let his family die. He slammed the Ultimatrix one last time. The world exploded in a blinding flash of cosmic energy. The ground trembled, the sky cracked, and the air filled with the sound of a thousand voices screaming in unison. He knew he would regret this.
When the light faded, a figure stood in its place. Tall, imposing, clad in shifting black armor that seemed to defy the very laws of physics. Cosmic threads flowed from its body, connecting it to every point in space and time. It was Ultimate Alien X. And Ben Tennyson was barely there at all. He had sacrificed everything to gain this power. He would erase this power. But first, he had a universe to save.