Three days later, at New York Plaza.
Located in the heart of the bustling city, the plaza was packed with restaurants, entertainment venues, and attractions of every kind. Tourists filled the streets, laughing and chatting, their excitement echoing through the lively crowds.
Grandpa Max parked the Rustbucket in the underground garage, then took Ben and Gwen upstairs by elevator.
Inside, the atmosphere was quiet—so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
Suddenly, a soft voice broke the silence.
"I wonder how Lucian is doing..." Gwen's fair face showed clear worry.
Three nights ago, Lucian had transformed into Buzzshock to chase down Ghostfreak after it escaped from the Omnitrix. Time had passed quickly, and still, there was no word from him.
Ben patted her shoulder. "Relax, nerd. Your Cuz is tough—he'll be fine."
"Don't worry," Grandpa Max said, pausing before continuing. "Actually, Lucian called me early this morning. He said Ghostfreak got away, but he's on his way back now."
"Really?" Gwen's eyes lit up. She couldn't hide the relief in her expression; she just wanted him to return safely.
Hearing that, Ben let out a deep breath. Despite his usual laid-back attitude, he'd been more anxious than he cared to admit.
"But Grandpa, why didn't you tell us sooner? We've been worrying all morning for nothing," Ben said with a hint of frustration.
Grandpa Max, his hair mostly gray now, only sighed softly and didn't answer. He had a nagging feeling that Ghostfreak wasn't done yet—that it was still lurking in the shadows somewhere, waiting for the right time to strike.
Soon after, they stepped out of the elevator and into the busy shopping mall.
They weren't there to have fun, though; they only needed to pick up some supplies.
About half an hour later, Grandpa led them to the checkout counter.
Suddenly, Ben, who had looked half-asleep all morning, perked up as his eyes went wide with excitement.
"Doofus, what is it?" Gwen followed his gaze.
A towering, bald bodyguard wearing dark sunglasses stood like a human wall at the entrance of a high-end arcade. Inside, a crowd of stylish young men and women were cheering, completely immersed in their games, basking in the thrill of leveling up and winning battles.
"It's the new Sumo Slammers arcade launch!" Ben exclaimed, barely able to contain himself.
He started to rush forward, but the bodyguard immediately stepped in his way, like a solid barrier between Ben and the game hall.
"Please present your VIP pass," the bodyguard said flatly, a faint glint reflecting off his sunglasses.
"Ben, stop fooling around. We're not done shopping yet."
Carrying several bags, Grandpa Max headed straight toward the exit.
Gwen followed quickly, glancing back to call out, "Doofus, come on!"
"Yeah, yeah," Ben replied—but instead of following, he darted into a quiet corner.
He pressed the Omnitrix, cycling quickly through options before slamming it down.
Thud!
A flash of eerie green light flared briefly, startling a nearby delivery man, who spun around nervously—but saw nothing there.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Sumo Slammers event, a cold gust swept past the bald bodyguard, making him shiver uncontrollably.
"Our distinguished alien VIP has arrived~"
Ghostfreak materialized beside him, leaning in close to whisper into his ear, a chilling breath brushing against his skin.
Before the guard could react, Ghostfreak phased into a corner of the arcade and grabbed a controller, joining a game of Sumo Slammers like an ordinary player—leaving the bodyguard standing frozen in confusion.
"Why do I feel... creeped out, but can't tell why~?" Ghostfreak rasped, hands still frantically working the controls.
"Maybe it's just the fear of being discovered, heh heh~"
With that thought, Ghostfreak relaxed, sinking deeper into the thrilling chaos of the arcade game.
…
A few minutes later, a large, calloused hand suddenly clamped down hard on Ben's shoulder from behind.
"Kid, when did you sneak in here?!"
The bald bodyguard's forehead bulged with veins as he glared furiously at the stunned Ben.
"Oh no—this is bad!" Ben muttered, realizing he was in trouble.
Sure enough, the bald guard soon tracked down Grandpa Max. It took a hefty payment before he finally agreed to release the game-obsessed Ben.
Back in the Rustbucket, Grandpa Max's chest rose and fell with barely contained anger. He had spent days worrying about Lucian's safety, barely sleeping at all—and now Ben had caused yet another problem.
But… he was still his grandson.
Forcing his temper down, Grandpa Max steadied his tone and said slowly, "Ben, your behavior today really disappointed me."
"Oh, come on~" Ben groaned, slapping his forehead. "I just wanted to play one game! It's not like it was a big deal. How was I supposed to know the bald guy would freak out like that?"
That only made Grandpa's fury boil over again.
"Listen carefully. For the next two weeks—no comics, no video games! That's your punishment!"
The words hit Ben like a slap. He frowned, stepping closer to protest.
"That's not fair!"
"Not fair?" Grandpa shot back. "You trespassed into a private area. How is that fair?"
Standing nearby, Gwen looked between the two of them, unsure what to do.
"Um... excuse me—"
But before she could finish, both turned toward her with the same scolding glare and snapped in unison, "This doesn't concern you!"
Gwen sighed, backing off in defeat.
Grandpa then pointed sharply at Ben's Omnitrix. "That watch was given to you by Lucian. Its purpose is to help others, not for selfish fun or reckless behavior!"
Ben's expression stiffened, then he retorted, "I know that! But it's not like I've done anything wrong!"
"And I've used it for good stuff too! I saved that rare Maltese tiger last time! What's wrong with doing something for myself once in a while?"
Grandpa's aging eyes blazed with anger. "I don't care! For the next two weeks, you stay put. You're not going anywhere."
"You're not my dad!" Ben snapped, slamming the door as he stormed out, leaving the RV in heavy silence.
Watching him disappear, Grandpa sighed and said wearily to Gwen, "Go after him. Make sure he stays out of trouble."
"Yes, Grandpa." Gwen nodded and ran off after Ben.
...
The arcade was dim and chaotic, filled with smoke and flashing lights.
Punks with dyed hair and messy styles loitered everywhere, their faces marked by cocky, rebellious grins.
Ben stood alone in front of a Dino Clash arcade machine.
But just as he dropped in a coin and got ready to play, bright red letters suddenly flashed across the screen.
Game Over!
"Game over?!" Ben stared in disbelief. "What?! I didn't even get to play! What a scam!"
A green-haired punk with a shiny earring sauntered by, smirking at him.
"Kid, if you come to dump your money in a dump like this, that's on you," he said mockingly.
"Then why else would anyone come here?" Ben shot back.
"To pick up girls, obviously."
The punk laughed, throwing an arm around a flashy-looking girl beside him before swaggering out the door.
"Ugh, whatever~" Ben sighed, slumping like a deflated balloon.
Already irritated after getting chewed out by Grandpa, this just made his mood worse.
Then a calm but confident voice sounded nearby.
"He's right. You shouldn't be here playing games."
Ben turned toward the voice and saw a black-haired boy, clothes torn and worn, leaning lazily against another arcade cabinet.
"This place is such a rip-off," Ben grumbled.
"Yeah," the boy said with a smirk. "But to me, it's a money tree."