After 15 minutes of walking and passing by numerous locked doors, Zel didn't encounter or found anyone. s. He seemed to be the sole one in that place, which appeared to be some sort of underground hospital.

He then continued walking thinking to himself, 'Hmmm no one?!.. guess they really evacuated that place...'

after about 4 more minutes,

Zel arrived in front of what appeared to be the only entrance to that underground complex,. it was a large, thick metallic door.

after taping a code combination.

The automated opening of the door indicated that the facility was still using electricity and that it was and was fully operational and well-maintained.

Behind the door, was laying a wide underground tunnel.

"..."

"..."

He briefly stopped, then resumed his laborious walk until he reached what appeared to be an old elevator.

After he stepped inside, the elevator began to slowly ascend; after about two minutes, it slowed further until it came to a complete stop. Its doors then opened.

Zel was met by a massive research facility that was empty, no one except for one woman in an office suite was walking towards him with a wheelchair.

The moment she caught sight of him, the woman accelerated and began to run while screaming.

" Lord Zel ! reckless as always!

....Glad to see you are up again ! ... We were all concerned, you know! Stop making us worry liiiike that could you !!! "

In a gentle sweet feminine voice, that young office woman said.

In her voice, there was sadness, happiness, worry, and relief, but most importantly, genuine sincerity in her reaction. Some tears were visible and threatening to fall from her enchanting blue/gray eyes at any moment. That woman had short dark black healthy curly hair, and despite being naturally cute, her messy haircut only enhanced her cuteness. When one looks at her and her reactions and the way she was running, one can only smile, and that is exactly what Zel did smile toward her as a gesture of compassion toward her.

after arriving beside him she stopped and then wondered if she should do it or not.

then, she jumped at him and gently hugged him.

"Ouwch!. I'm still hurt, Lena, you know that. "Ayy my arm!" he exclaimed, patting her head

" Well done for you ! ... that is small compensation for making us worry like that! Now stop acting like a spoiled child and behave as a good boy would you ?! " the cute Lena said in her angelic voice, appearing like she was a bit annoyed for what seemed to be no reason, while still hugging him

" Yess~ mom, I am sorry .. " Zel said with an amused tone.

she slowly released her embrace.

then Zel took this opportunity to sit in the wheelchair but before he was able to fully enjoy his sitting.

Tak!

" Ouwch ! " Zel got hit in his head by the cute Lena who waited the right moment and angle to smack and punch him in his head, knowing she was too short being only 1.6 m and him 1.79 m.

" A-are you calling me old ?! ... I am only 1 year older than you! " Lena reacted,

"No, I spent a year in a coma, so technically it doesn't count, so you're two years older," he said as if he believed what he was saying.

Her eyes tearing because she was not able to hold her emotions after seeing Zel, but she quickly calmed down, and brushed her tears off, then said to him.

"I don't think that's how it works, So where do you wanna go !? "

Meanwhile, he was smiling, he said.

" On a walk .... I guess on a ride now, let's just go to the garden, it is the closest place from here "

" wh- what are you exactly planning to do once there? " Lena asked him suspiciously.

"me?!... nothing... I just need some fresh air," he replied, his smile now turning into a smirk.

" whatever....just know that I decline any responsibility, you are completely on your own on that one ! " she said to him before starting to push the wheelchair.

"...."

"...."

After 5 minutes of silence and detours in that large facility, they arrived beside a large hemispherical shaped 200 meters long and 100 meters large transparent glass, in which were all sorts of strange planets, it looked more like a little tropical forest than a garden.

"It was easier than I thought....having no one around is sure handy sometimes, " With a demonic grin on his face, Zel continued,

" The DOC ordered that the entire research facility be locked down. " Lena stated in a serious businesswoman's tone.

" I see...even he, I guess, can make some mistakes," Zel said, clearly pleased with the information he had obtained.

"That's very good," he added.

Sigh~

"You do realize he despises it when people enter his sanctuary, don't you?" Lena expressed concern in her voice as if they were about to commit an infraction.

With his most sinister smirk, Zel continued, "This is precisely why we are here.

"The doc will truly kill you if you mess with that garden of his, you know that...you know right?" And it will indirectly make me your accomplice......" ...." Lena said, fear had obscured her adorable features.

"what are you worried about ! you said it yourself, no one is in here, so he can't prove it was us ! " he said to her trying to comfort her

" us ???!!!! no ... nooo... there is no us !! it's only a U " she yelled at him.

" yee whatever, Time for vengeance... time for what lenA ??! Vengeance .. hahaha "

Zel said as he struggled to get out of his wheelchair and began walking toward the door that separated him from that strange garden. He then began taping the code to the door security control box.

" Revenge...?" she repeated, not understanding what he meant.

Tataktaktik.

" revenge for whatever he did to me while I was unconscious. ! " he said to her,

But nothing happened after I tapped the code.

"..."

"...."

"hm?! What exactly is going on? Have you changed your mind?" She asked him, but Zel was just sitting there staring at something, his facial expressions returning to those of a true emperor.

"I believe we should cut this department's resources by at least half..." he suggested.

"hmm ?! ...what exactly is it now? Unfortunately, that is something you cannot do! ..As you are aware, it is a decision that must be made unanimously...however, due to the importance of this facility and its accomplishments, I doubt the others will vote in your favor, and if we do, we will only make enemies out of them, but I am sure you are aware of all of that."

in a serious, professional manner, Lena voiced her thoughts and explained why his request was almost impossible and a bad idea.

"What is the point of me being in this position if I can't do at least that much..." he continued, still staring at the lockscreen.

" you know It's more complicated than that, what I'll advise you to do first is work on consolidating that position of yours, your long absence didn't go unnoticed..... "

"...."

He then slowly turned around and said in a commanding voice.

"Let's go! right now, I have more important matters to deal with. " He then sat down in the wheelchair. and then he crosses his legs" well glad to see you changed your mind "

" well glad to see you changed your mind but may I ask why? "

" let's go," said wanting to change the subject of discussion.

" Go, but where !? " Lena asked him

" to my office, once there I want you to give me the detailed report's about anything I missed these past months, and that you deemed necessary for me to be aware of, and updates about ... and besides that, I have to soon meet someone .." He Said in his serious mood.

after hearing that Lana let a sigh of relief and then said to him

" well there is nothing worth mentioning in the first month of you leaving the city. in your absence everything went smoothly....anyway, you said you were meeting someone, right?! Is there anything I should have ready?" She then questioned him, "No, don't worry about it," to which zel replied in the midst of their gradual exit.

On the. screen of the control lock box, a digital message was flashing in the place where the numbers were supposed to appear.

the message was a

middle finger under it a message saying.

" FU*k YOU ZEL! GO AWAY! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE! AH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE DATA - THE DOC smilyface "

* * * * *

author thoughts: hello it me again !! ... I don't know about you, but I truly enjoyed writing this chapter, hopefully, you enjoyed reading it !! if it the case you can support the story by adding it to your library sharing it and well thank you for reading and see you next time - AgLd