Thumbskull lunged forward, his massive hand reaching for the pale-faced Wendy. But before he could close his grip, a streak of deep blue lightning flickered through the air.
BANG!!
Thumbskull was caught in the kinetic wake of the whirlwind, sent tumbling backward until he ate a mouthful of campus dirt.
"Hey, Freak! Pick on someone who can actually fight back!" Ben stood atop the downed Thumbskull, looking down with a sharp, predatory grin.
"It's that monster watch kid! How is he here?!" Frightwig shrieked.
"Stop talking and kill him!" Acid Breath spat a glob of corrosive sludge toward Ben.
Ben dodged with a blur of speed, the acid hissing as it melted the concrete behind him. Frightwig's snake-hair lashed out like a nest of vipers, but Ben used his claws and tail to parry the strikes, closing the distance with terrifying agility. With a final, decisive shove, he sent her flying.
The Circus Freaks were clearly outmatched—or so it seemed.
"Do you need a hand, madam?"
A smooth, calm voice drifted into Wendy's ears. Shaking, she looked toward the source of the voice. "Thank you... you're a true gentleman."
She reached out, her small hand resting on a cold, firm surface. It felt rough... like sun-bleached bone. Wendy's eyes trembled as she began to turn her head, but the voice warned her: "Madam, I wouldn't look back if I were you."
Tyler stood there, smugly enjoying Wendy's transition from arrogant elitist to a shivering wreck. Payback is a dish best served with a skeletal hand, he thought.
"Can... can I look?" Wendy sobbed, looking toward Gwen and Max.
Gwen sighed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't recommend it. I've seen what's back there, and it's not pretty."
"Madam," Tyler said gallantly, tightening his grip on her hand. "Let's just watch the show. With me holding you up, I promise you won't fall."
"Ugh... I think I'm going to faint," Wendy whimpered.
BANG!!
Ben's claws moved in a blur, tangling Frightwig's hair into a messy knot before knocking Acid Breath flat with a tail whip. Finally, he lured Thumbskull toward a decorative pavilion, slicing through the load-bearing pillars with surgical precision. The structure collapsed, pinning the brute under tons of wood and stone.
"Effortless!" Ben turned and flashed a thumbs-up at Tyler.
Tyler smiled back—but then his heart skipped a beat. Ben's face began to melt, distorting into the terrifying, skinless visage of Zs'Skayr. His eyes flickered with a haunting purple light.
BOOM!!
Tyler's blood ran cold. An illusion? Since when?!
"Wake up!!" Tyler hissed, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands.
"Ow! You're hurting me!" Wendy cried out in pain.
The world shifted. Tyler snapped back to reality and his jaw dropped.
The scene was the polar opposite of what he had just seen. Frightwig's hair was currently whipping Ben like a top, while Thumbskull delivered heavy, concussive punches that kept Ben from escaping the range.
"Haha! We actually got him!" Acid Breath cackled, seemingly celebrating their sudden upper hand. "We're going to crush this brat!"
"Tyler, aren't you going to help him?!" Gwen rushed over, her face tight with anxiety. "Ben's state is all wrong—he's moving like he's drunk!"
Tyler processed the clues instantly. The moment he had touched Wendy, Zs'Skayr had slipped a psychic veil over his eyes. While Tyler was enjoying a fake victory in his mind, Ben was being dismantled in reality.
"Ben, hold on!" Tyler let go of Wendy and charged toward the fight.
"NO! Stay back!" Ben roared, forcing himself to stand. His eyes were bloodshot, his gaze flickering between the enemies. "I won't lose to these three! I can do this!"
"Is there another one?" Thumbskull growled, looking at Tyler. "Who are we even fighting?"
Ben's frustration peaked, but every time he tried to strike, his consciousness scattered. Zs'Skayr was eating his focus from the inside out.
Tyler stopped, taking a breath. He saw the pride in Ben's eyes—the same pride he'd seen during the Lenopan incident. Ben wanted to prove he was a hero, even when his own mind was a battlefield.
"Fine," Tyler muttered. "Prove it."
But the numbers were too much. Within minutes, Ben was slammed into the dirt, his limbs limp and eyes glazed over.
CRACK.
The Carnitrix dial twisted. A pillar of bloody light erupted. The Blood-Tyrant (Humungousaur) emerged from the mist, towering over the campus.
"Game over, children," Tyler's voice boomed. "I'm giving you exactly three seconds to surrender."
Frightwig lashed her hair defiantly. "Don't be so arrogant!"
Thumbskull roared, "We'll fight you to the death!"
Tyler simply took a step forward, and as he did, his body swelled, his height doubling until he was a mountain of muscle and prehistoric rage.
"We surrender," the three said in unison, dropping their weapons and kneeling.
Tyler shifted his gaze to Ben. "Ben..."
"Tyler... I told you... I had it," Ben muttered, his voice weak and raspy.
Tyler smiled. "I'm leaving them for you to process. But first, we deal with the real problem. Ben, I want you to transform into the Void-Wraith. Right now."
Ben's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? If I let him out fully, he might never go back in!"
"It's the only way to kill him for good," Tyler said, his voice dropping into a deep, serious register. "No more nightmares. No more shadows. We settle this today."
Inside the Omnitrix, Zs'Skayr felt a surge of ecstatic malice. He wants to let me out? Fine! I'll save my strength for the brat—once I possess Tyler, the galaxy will be mine!
"I trust you," Ben whispered. He turned the dial.
As Ben smoothly handled the arrest of the Circus Freaks—now that Zs'Skayr had stopped resisting to save energy—the school grew quiet. Max managed the remaining staff, while Wendy sat on the ground, muttering to herself in shock.
"Ben... Tyler... those names..." Her eyes widened. She had mocked two beings who could level her entire world. The realization was more terrifying than any backhanded compliment she'd ever given.
New Transformation Log
The Blood-Tyrant (Humungousaur Variant)
Traits: A massive, bipedal dinosaur-like entity with thick, armored brown hide and a spiked mace-like tail.Ability: Hyper-Growth. Tyler can increase his physical size and mass at will, reaching heights of up to 60 feet. His strength increases proportionally, allowing him to lift entire buildings.Passive: Primal Intimidation. Just standing near this form forces enemies to undergo a "Willpower Check." Most low-tier villains will surrender immediately rather than face the Tyrant's wrath.
The Void-Wraith (Zs'Skayr's Unbound Form)
Traits: A skinless, ghastly figure with a single, rotating eye and long obsidian claws.Status: Attempting to breach the Omnitrix containment. Extremely dangerous; high risk of possession.
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