The moment the system notification faded, a flood of high-level tactical data surged into Tyler's mind. It wasn't just static information; it was muscle memory and survival instinct.
He suddenly understood the biology of every alien in his roster. He knew how to pilot a scout-class starship and how to rewire a fusion engine. Most importantly, he mastered the Plumber technique of "Battle-Rigging"—the ability to turn a standard Earth vehicle into a weaponized fortress. By now, Tyler's knowledge of the galactic underworld was nearly on par with Grandpa Max's.
So... that tentacled form I unlocked earlier shares DNA with Vilgax, Tyler realized, his four eyes flashing with clarity as he fully integrated his Chimera-Sui-Generis data.
He looked up at the crumbling Fortress, his voice booming through the courtyard. "Zs'Skayr! Stop hiding in the shadows like a coward!"
BANG!!
A purple beam of negative energy erupted from a dark window, striking Tyler squarely in the chest. Tyler didn't even flinch. The Quad-Sunderer's skin, hardened by the Carnitrix's "Killer" modifications, didn't show a single scorch mark.
"Useless," Tyler grunted. "You can't hurt me."
"Don't get cocky, brat!" Zs'Skayr's voice echoed from the walls. "As long as I stay phased, you're just swinging at smoke."
The ghost was stalling. He knew that if he stayed in the shadows long enough, he could fully possess Ben's body and regain his true power. Only then would he have the capital to fight this red-eyed monster.
Tyler glanced at the scorching midday sun. "I remember now... your species hates the light."
"And what of it?" Zs'Skayr sneered. "Are you going to ask the sun to come inside?"
CRACK!
Tyler lowered his head, his massive four-armed physique bulging until his shirt shredded into rags. He roared, slamming all four fists into the main support pillar of the Fortress wall.
RUMBLE!!
The thick reinforced concrete shattered like a "tofu-dregs" construction project. With the wall obliterated, a massive shaft of blinding sunlight poured into the hall, illuminating the terrified ghost.
"AGHHHH!!" Zs'Skayr shrieked, his smoky form twisting in agony as the UV rays burned his ectoplasm. "How?! How can a child possess the strength to tear down a fortress?!"
"I'm just getting started!"
Tyler strode forward, turning into a living human bulldozer. He tore through layer after layer of the interior walls, systematically stripping the building of its shadows. Wherever Zs'Skayr fled, Tyler was there a second later, demolishing the structure to let the sun back in. He was a four-armed Hulk, and the Fortress was his plaything.
"This is bad..." Zs'Skayr hissed, realize with growing despair that there was nowhere left to hide.
"The ground!" the ghost decided. He phased through the floor, drilling deep into the coolness of the earth. Safe at last.
BOOM!!
Tyler slammed his fists into the ground with such force that he shattered the earth's crust, creating a literal meteorite crater. The ground peeled back, exposing the "cool" underground to the vertical rays of the sun.
Sizzle!
Zs'Skayr rolled in the pit, his phased state flickering out as the heat became unbearable. He looked up to see Tyler standing at the edge of the crater, silhouetted against the sun.
"Next, I think I'll take you for a little flight," Tyler's terrifying face split into a chilling grin. "Let's see how you enjoy a closer look at the sun."
"You... you're a demon!!" Zs'Skayr wailed.
Tyler ignored him, reaching down to hoist the shivering ghost onto his shoulder. But just as he prepared to leap into the sky, a deep green light erupted from Zs'Skayr's chest.
"NO!!"
With a flash, the transformation collapsed. Tyler found himself holding a sweaty, exhausted Ben instead of a ghost.
"Tyler... I'm back..." Ben gasped, shaking the glowing green Omnitrix on his wrist. "I almost died in there. It was so hot..."
"The Omnitrix must have triggered a failsafe," Tyler sighed in relief, reverting to his human form. "The trauma to the DNA forced an emergency de-transformation. It's over now."
As the Rustbucket sped away from the ruins, a new division of Forever Knights arrived, staring in shock at their demolished base.
"Which organization hit us? Was it a tank battalion?!"
"Whoever did this... the Forever Knights will have their heads!"
Inside the RV, Ben was chugging iced cola as if his life depended on it. "Phew! Cold sugar is exactly what I needed!"
"Ben, we need rules," Tyler said, his expression dead serious. "First: Stop slamming the watch so hard; you're causing internal malfunctions. Second: Never use Ghostfreak again. Third: If the watch glitches... you stay within three feet of me at all times."
"Got it," Ben nodded, the fear still lingering in his eyes. He realized that the ghost had been winning—if Tyler hadn't been there, he'd be gone.
Max watched Tyler from the driver's seat, looking puzzled. Tyler's 'Void-Wraith' is ten times scarier than Ben's Ghostfreak, yet Tyler stays in total control. Why is Azmuth's 'stable' watch so much more dangerous than Tyler's 'Killer' watch?
Deep inside the green Omnitrix, curled in a dark corner of the digital DNA stream, Zs'Skayr shivered.
"I have to be careful," the ghost whispered, his voice trembling with apprehension. "Escape is impossible as long as that brat Tyler is around. He isn't a hero... he's a predator."
Why... Zs'Skayr thought resentfully, why wasn't I the DNA sample inside Tyler's watch instead?