Ben 10: Carnitrix Without Downsides?

The midday sun blazed mercilessly overhead, turning the desert beside the highway into a sweltering furnace. The ground shimmered with heat, as if the whole landscape had become a giant steamer.

A beat-up RV sat parked along the empty stretch of road.

"Oh my goodness, Grandpa…" Gwen sat under the vehicle's awning, sipping an iced drink as she tried to stay cool. "Aren't those two pushing themselves a little too hard?"

"Haha, we're lucky, really," Grandpa Max replied, standing beside her with a cold towel draped around his neck as he wiped away sweat. "After leaving Vera's place and heading into the uninhabited zone, we stumbled on this old abandoned training base. It's perfect for them to get some real practice in."

Out in the desert, the derelict training facility stood in the distance. Though battered by years of sand and sun, much of the equipment remained surprisingly intact.

Within the base, Diamondhead and Error Diamondhead were busy sparring, one transformation after another, rigorously pushing themselves through every challenge the facility offered.

Both of them were going all out, tearing through obstacle courses and combat drills without holding back.

Ben clutched his lower back with one hand and shielded his eyes from the harsh sun with the other. "I give up! Zack, training with you is seriously exhausting! I can't beat you at anything!"

He couldn't match Zack's accuracy when they were target shooting at the same range.

In physical drills like rope climbing or hitting sandbags, Zack's strength and stamina clearly outclassed his.

But the most frustrating part was close-quarters combat…

Zack was so skilled that Ben couldn't even land a single hit on him!

"Ben," Zack said calmly, trying to reassure him, "there's no end to comparing yourself to others. What really matters is comparing yourself to who you were before."

"…Yeah, you're right. Compared to ten minutes ago, I've already improved a lot!"

Ben stretched his arms, then suddenly smirked and aimed his hand toward Gwen's drink. "And pranking Bookworm has definitely gotten easier too."

"Forget it, Ben," Zack stopped him for once, speaking with unusual seriousness. "Gwen didn't even turn on the AC—she came down here just to keep us company."

"Huh? I didn't even notice that…" Ben blinked, then gave a sheepish grin. "Alright, alright. I'll let her off this time."

Seconds later, a flash of green light pulsed from the Omnitrix, and Ben returned to his human form.

"Let's head back."

Zack smiled and gave Ben a light pat on the shoulder. Ben shuddered slightly, then immediately took off in a quick jog toward the RV.

Ben, when transformed, wasn't afraid of the carnitrix aliens anymore.

But Ben, before transforming…

Yeah. Still very much afraid.

The kind of fear that sticks with you. The kind that could give you nightmares if you stared at it for too long.

A short while later, everyone returned to the Rustbucket, and the old RV rumbled back onto the highway, continuing its journey.

Zack sat casually on the lower bunk like a guest, resting from the intense training session.

…

Meanwhile, back at the abandoned training ground, a massive golden robot dropped from the sky, slamming into the earth and sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.

With a flick of his massive crab-like pincers, he cleared the dust around him and pulled out a tracking device.

"Krab, what's the rush?"

A hulking armored bounty hunter hovered down on a grav-board, his heavy gear gleaming in the sun. He stared down at the scorch marks and shattered crystal left on the training grounds.

"Two shape-shifters don't just disappear without a trace."

"There's only one Omnitrix signal left," Krab replied coldly, his voice tinged with bloodlust. "If you want to wait for the combat drones, be my guest. I'm going hunting now."

The four crab-like legs beneath him spun rapidly, lifting him off the ground. With a sudden burst of speed, he shot off in the direction of the highway, the pursuit officially underway.

Moments later, after a brief delay, the third bounty hunter—dressed in purple samurai armor—arrived on the scene. He descended with a swarm of small military robots buzzing behind him.

"Sixsix," the golden robot called out.

He glanced at the bounty hunter coolly. "With your strength, do you really need backup?"

"%￥!"

Sixsix let out a low, guttural sound that didn't translate into words—but the cautious tone in his voice was clear.

"The other shapeshifter's transformation lasts longer, and his control over the Omnitrix is stronger. Don't you think that warrants caution?"

Tetrax listened to Sixsix's warning, and a faint flicker of anticipation flashed in his mechanical eyes.

Without further delay, he and Sixsix—along with the squadron of military drones—joined the chase.

… … … …

Back in the Rustbucket, the old RV continued rolling down the highway.

Inside, Zack lounged idly on the lower bunk, fiddling with the Carnitrix Watch. Bored, he twisted the dial."This is getting dull. Let's switch to something more fun."

"Zack, I've got some suggestions!" Ben perked up with a grin, turning to face him.

But his smile froze mid-sentence.

His eyes widened in panic, and he slowly raised a trembling finger.

"Z-Zack… behind you!!"

"Hm?" Zack's hand paused on the dial, and he turned his head.

Through the slightly dusty rear window, a massive silhouette loomed into view—

A terrifying crab-like robot was flying toward them, propellers whirring like a helicopter. Its claws gleamed in the sunlight, and it moved with unnerving speed.

It was getting closer.

And fast.

It could only mean one thing—

The bounty hunter had arrived!!

Zack's expression shifted in an instant. Wait… in the original storyline, the bounty hunters didn't show up this fast. It must be because my transformation lasted longer this time. That probably gave them enough time to lock onto my signal!

He quickly glanced down at the Carnitrix Watch. His transformation time was nearly up.

Crap.

"Grandpa, hit the gas!" he shouted urgently.

Grandpa Max caught a glimpse of the incoming threat in the rearview mirror—Kraab, fast approaching—and immediately yelled, "Seatbelts!"

Click!

Both Gwen and Ben buckled up in unison.

Max slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The Rustbucket jolted forward, gaining speed as the desert landscape around them blurred into streaks of color.

Zack, however, was still unbuckled—and the sudden acceleration sent him tumbling forward, smacking hard into the cabinet in front of the bunk.

Thunk!

The pattern on his chest—the Omnitrix interface—banged against the wood with an accidental precision.

A flash of terrifying blood-red energy erupted inside the RV, casting eerie shadows across the interior.

Kraab's crimson eyes narrowed.

"Don't think you can escape, you mouse…" he muttered coldly, his voice full of venomous glee.

And then, his speed increased even further.

As the terrifying blood-red light gradually faded…

A towering alien now filled the entire lower bunk, his body marked with glowing circuit-like patterns.

From the body structure alone, he looked like Upgrade.

But his face—an eerie single eye and a wide mouth full of gleaming, razor-sharp teeth—gave off pure villain energy.

If a child were watching, they'd probably cry out: "Mom, this guy's teeth are way too white!"

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"What a terrifying Form…" Ben gulped and looked at Zack with a mixture of awe and unease.

"You turned into that?"

Zack glanced down at his new form, flexed his limbs once, then looked out the rear window where Kraab was drawing closer with every passing second.

His eyes narrowed. Decision made.

"Grandpa, I'm driving."

"What?!"

Grandpa Max was stunned. "Zack, this really isn't the time to learn how to drive!"

"Heeh~" Bang!

Zack didn't wait for approval. His body morphed like liquid metal, flowing outward and spreading over the entire Rustbucket in seconds—fusing with it completely.

The Rustbucket glowed faintly, circuit patterns rippling across its surface.

It wasn't Zack piloting the Rustbucket.

Zack was the Rustbucket now.

The interior of the Rustbucket instantly darkened into a sleek, high-tech black, glowing with shifting circuit board patterns.

Even the exterior underwent a radical change—coated in an obsidian sheen with glowing circuit lines, it now looked like a futuristic battle vehicle.

"It turned black? Doesn't matter what you change into—you're still dead meat," Kraab snarled, accelerating as he waved his massive pincers.

Whoosh!

Zack, now fully merged with the Rustbucket, brought the vehicle to a sudden halt.

Then—he spun the whole thing around, aiming the front directly at Kraab.

The hood rapidly transformed into reinforced battle armor, mechanical plating shifting and locking into place.

RUMBLE!

With a deafening roar, the armored Rustbucket launched forward like a missile, charging straight at the incoming Kraab.

"Heh. Trying to ram me? That's fine—I'll just blow the whole thing sky-high!"

Kraab didn't flinch. He braced himself, fully intending to destroy the vehicle even if it meant mutual destruction.

The two closed the distance in an instant.

BOOM!

With a thunderous impact, machine met metal. Both forces halted at the same moment.

The Rustbucket's front end morphed again, locking into a braced combat stance, its reinforced frame absorbing the shock.

The entire vehicle had slammed to a stop—refusing to yield.

Kraab was forced to a stop by the impact. His massive pincers trembled slightly from the shock, but he managed to hold his ground.

He sneered, staring at the armored front of the transformed Rustbucket."That's it? You thought you could knock me out with that weak charge?"

Click!

Without warning, the armored grill extended forward—an additional segment snapping into place directly over Kraab's head.

"You dare humiliate me?!"

Kraab roared in rage.

But before he could react, a mouth suddenly formed on the armor piece—complete with rows of gleaming, razor-sharp fangs.

CHOMP!

"..Fuck.." The jaws snapped shut with bone-crunching force, clamping down on Kraab's head.

CRACK!

A large chunk of Kraab's metallic skull flew off, sparks and chaotic electric arcs dancing wildly across his body as he stumbled back in pain.

"ARGH!! What kind of RV has a mouth… and why does it have teeth?!" Kraab cried out in horror as he fled in a panic.

"What kind of Deformed RV comes equipped with fangs?!"

"Hehe…"

The armored mouth curved into a smug grin, its teeth gleaming unnaturally white—like they'd just been in a toothpaste commercial.

"For a Carnitrix transformation… the teeth are the main attraction."

Zack stood victorious—at least for now.

Ding! Due to the host's extended transformation duration, Kraab launched a premature assault. The host successfully repelled the attack.

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