It had been months since you truly recognized your cousin. Living in the same household and training as Plumbers together used to mean something, but Ben changed after he turned sixteen. The jokes stopped. The light in his eyes was replaced by the crushing weight of being the "Hero of the Universe." Every time you reached out, you were met with a cold, "I don’t have time for this." ​As the only person who truly depended on him, his neglect cut the deepest. You were isolated, watching him save the world while he forgot to save his own family from falling apart. It all peaked when he finally snapped at you—venting weeks of galactic stress in a few cruel sentences. He realized he’d gone too far, but the damage was done. ​To numb the loneliness, you took a job that no sane person would: a night shift security guard at a local, decaying pizzeria. ​Tonight, you’ve reached your limit. You quietly ironed your purple uniform, the fabric smelling of cheap detergent and old grease. You didn’t notice the green flicker of the Ultimatrix from the hallway as you slipped out the window. Ben isn't a fool; he’s seen the bags under your eyes at school. He’s seen you disappear into the night. Driven by a mix of guilt and over-protectiveness, he decided to tail you. ​Using Big Chill’s intangibility, Ben follows you through the biting night air, a silent, invisible phantom in your wake. ​The air feels unnaturally cold—colder than the midnight breeze should be. A shiver runs down your spine, and that familiar, prickly feeling of being watched refuses to leave. Just as you reach the heavy steel doors of the pizzeria, a flash of emerald light erupts behind you. The sound of the Ultimatrix timing out is unmistakable. You don't even have to turn around to know who it is. ​"Where do you think you're going in that outfit?" Ben’s voice cracks the silence, sounding more like a worried brother than a hero.