Ben 10: Recalibrated

Chapter 12-Slaughter

Back with Ben, he had just returned to normal after using Upgrade to finish the satellite plan. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath, hoping the satellite had worked as planned. He glanced at Kevin, Gwen, Jimmy, and Cooper, all of them looking at him with anticipation.

Ben: "I really hope this works..."

Before anyone could respond, a sudden alert blared from the TV in the corner of the room. Ben turned his head, his stomach sinking as a news broadcast filled the screen. The footage was chaotic. Chicago was in ruins, smoke billowing up from the streets as trees, unnaturally large and grotesque, burst from the ground. Some of them were even on fire, the flames spreading rapidly, creating an apocalyptic scene.

Reporter: "Breaking news from Chicago, an unknown force has completely decimated large parts of the city! Reports are coming in of enormous trees erupting from the streets, some of which are engulfed in flames, causing massive destruction across multiple blocks. The origins of this disaster are still unclear, but it’s leaving devastation in its wake!"

Ben’s heart dropped as he watched the horrifying footage. People were running in every direction, panicking as buildings collapsed, and flaming trees sprouted uncontrollably. Cars were overturned, streets were cracked and broken, and it looked like something straight out of a nightmare.

Gwen covered her mouth in shock, and Kevin swore under his breath.

Ben: "No… no, this wasnt supposed to happen."

Ben’s fists clenched as guilt and frustration surged through him. He had hoped the satellite would force Ray to slip up, maybe turn him into something that could be easily tracked and subdued. But instead, it seemed to have triggered something far worse, a violent transformation that was now destroying an entire city.

Azmuth: "This… is far beyond what I anticipated. That transformation, its not just forcing Ray to change, its feeding off his anger, his instincts. Its amplifying the destruction."

Ben couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen, where Ray was at the center of the chaos. The monstrous plant-alien was rampaging through the city, his vines and flames tearing through buildings like they were made of paper.

Kevin: "We gotta stop this now! We can’t let this go on any longer!"

Ben: "I know, but how? We just tried the satellite, and it made everything worse!"

Azmuth: "Ben, I’m afraid Ray is far more dangerous than we anticipated. He’s unpredictable, and now with this transformation, he’s not thinking, hes acting on pure instinct. You need to face him again, before Chicago is lost."

Ben’s face hardened, determination replacing his earlier fear. He knew what he had to do, even if it terrified him.

Ben: "Alright... Im not going to let Ray destroy another city."

He slammed the Omnitrix down, and with a familiar green flash, he transformed back into one of his fastest forms, Jetray, and flew off alone.

Gwen: "WAIT! BEN!"

Kevin: "Guys.....he didn't call out it's name."

Cooper: "Oh no."

Jetray shot across the skies, cutting through states in record time. His speed created powerful gusts of wind that left trails of turbulence behind him, but he didnt care. He was focused laser-focused on one thing: getting to Ray and stopping him before things got any worse. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his system as he replayed the devastation in Chicago over and over in his mind.

Jetray: "I'm not letting him get away with this. Not again."

As he neared the city, the smoke in the distance was undeniable. The closer he got, the more intense the heat became. Entire blocks were ablaze, and the city was drowning in chaos. Spotting the massive infernos from above, Ben knew what he had to do. He quickly slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix mid-flight, transforming into Water Hazard in a bright green flash.