> "A weapon you can't fully control is a danger to others. A weapon you master becomes a language only you can speak. It's time I spoke fluently."
— Ben Tennyson
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Location: Null Void – Temporal Echo Chamber
Time here didn't flow normally. That was the point.
Ben had isolated a fragment of Clockwork's temporal matrix and stabilized a simulation chamber where subjective time passed faster than real time.
1 hour outside = 20 hours inside.
He entered in silence.
> "If I want to outpace my enemies, I have to outpace reality first."
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The Goal: Total Synchronization
SAM floated beside him.
> "Objective: Improve transformation stability, transition speed, and mid-form adaptability. 10-second morph time is inefficient in high-threat combat."
Ben nodded.
> "We cut it to 3 seconds. Then down to 1. Then I learn to fight while shifting."
SAM blinked. "Dangerous. Omnitrix was not designed for fluid morphing under neural strain."
Ben smiled. "Then it's time it learned something new."
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Trial 1: Rapid Switching Combat
The first test was simple: fight holographic opponents while swapping between forms on the fly — not after a dodge, not during a break, but mid-motion in real time.
Ben started in XLR8. Dodged left. Switched to Four Arms mid-strike. Slammed into a drone, then instantly flowed into Ripjaws to slide through a liquified trap — then into Cannonbolt to roll through a barrage.
It was… ugly at first.
Joints cracked. Momentum fumbled. Timing slipped.
He collapsed after 43 seconds.
> "Again," Ben growled.
Again.
Again.
Each time, cleaner. Smoother. Faster.
---
Trial 2: Neural Rejection Test
At hour 27 (just under 90 minutes real-time), Ben attempted something new — Partial Morph Retention.
"Keep XLR8's legs. Retain Four Arms' upper body. Blend feedback signals."
Pain screamed through his spine.
The Omnitrix flared red.
SAM warned: "Neural stress at 114%. Retinal blood pressure—"
"Let it hold," Ben gasped.
> Alien hybrids born from intuition, not chaos. If Kevin could do it through instinct, I'll do it by will.
Muscle fibers snapped and reknit. His vision doubled. Then cleared.
The hybrid held for 7 seconds.
He smiled. "That's enough."
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Gwen Arrives – Concern Turns to Awe
At hour 41, Gwen entered the chamber, forcing a real-time sync.
Ben had just finished a run: Eight transformations in 26 seconds, blending three partial morphs.
Sweat poured down his face, steam rising from his skin. But his stance was still sharp.
> "You're breaking yourself," Gwen whispered. "Why?"
Ben turned. Not arrogantly. Just… focused.
> "Because knowledge isn't enough. I don't want to just know how they work. I want to feel their instincts. Think like them. Fight like them. Be them. So I can beat them."
Gwen hesitated, then stepped forward. "That's obsession, Ben."
He nodded. "Yeah. It is. But if obsession's what it takes to protect this world before the next Vilgax or Glivarus shows up, I'll take it."
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Mastery Milestone: Adaptive Combat Stance
By the end of the session, Ben achieved a feat previously impossible: Form Echoing.
A technique where even in human form, Ben could temporarily simulate reflexes from past transformations.
He dodged a strike like XLR8. Landed like Rath. Countered like Way Big.
SAM updated his internal designation:
> "Current status: Meta-Human Adaptive User. Transformation latency: 0.9 seconds. Neural morph integrity: 98%. Control rating: Tier 4."
Ben took a deep breath.
> "Good. Let's shoot for Tier 6 by the end of the week."
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Kevin Watches From the Shadows
Unseen, deeper in the Outpost's old monitoring systems, Kevin Levin watched the footage.
His eyes narrowed.
> "Ben's not just playing hero anymore. He's gearing up like a god."
He turned to a chunk of Glivarian tissue floating in a containment tube — something he'd taken from Ben's field kit without asking.
His voice was quiet, dangerous.
> "You're not leaving me behind again, Tennyson. You're not the only one who can adapt."
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Closing Reflection – The Cost of Mastery
Back in his chamber, Ben sat alone, meditating, the Omnitrix dim on his wrist.
His muscles twitched involuntarily. His heart rate was high. He hadn't eaten. His nose bled slightly.
> "It's working," he whispered.
But behind his eyes…
…he wasn't sure who he was becoming.