"Great. You did great!" A man in his late sixties with white hair applauded a group of men and women as they were all standing in line with their backs straight as if they were in front of a high-graded individual in the army. "This monster is so special! It is so grand! It is so usable. Oh, you did great in bringing back such an abomination."
As the old man was looking at a screen, the group couldn't help but have smiles on their faces. It wasn't every day that the old man praised people, so when he did, they knew to accept it immediately.
"M-May we know what you will do with this monster?" A man who seemed to be the one in charge of the group asked.
The old man chuckled, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "Patience, my child, patience. All in good time. I assure you, it will be a spectacle like no other. But for now, focus on your recovery. It must have been hard for you to capture such an incredible specimen. Be sure to heal fully before taking another mission. We wouldn't want our precious group to be anything less than perfect when the time comes, right?"
"Yes sir!" Everyone answered at the same time before they started leaving the office one after the other.
The group filed out of the old man's office, their footsteps echoing in the corridor as they departed, their spirits high from his praise and reassurances. They knew that their role in this organization was critical, and they were willing to endure the challenges that lay ahead.
However, one person didn't have the same opinion, and it was the old man who lay down on his chair with a disturbing smile on his face.
"Those poor children, they have so much trust in me. Hahahahaha," He burst out laughing. "But this is great. I need such people to achieve my goal. I need them to take onto the next path of evolution."
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of his chair. "Yes, they are essential to my plans, just as you are, my dear organization. Together, we will usher in a future beyond imagination, and everyone shall bow before our might."
***
While Enzo was being praised by everyone, he sensed something through his butterflies' senses. There was a group of people coming out of a door. And when he saw them, Enzo's eyes almost opened wide.
Almost.
After all, he needed to keep his appearance in front of so many people. It would be strange if he were to suddenly act this way.
But the reason why he almost acted like this was because he remembered those people. They were the ones who he was tracking earlier.
'So that's where you were hiding, huh?' Enzo smiled internally as he sent a butterfly into the room right before they could close it.
As Enzo's butterfly infiltrated the room, he carefully scanned his surroundings, taking note of every detail. The room appeared ordinary, devoid of any immediate signs of the mysterious group's intentions. The desk held a neat stack of papers, and there were a few unremarkable decorations on the walls, as well as a bookshelf filled with books.
And when his eyes landed on the bookshelf, he immediately thought of a secret passage.
However, before he could continue ordering his butterfly around, a distant voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Natasha you're completely healed! How?" A new woman cried as she took the first patient Enzo had healed earlier into her embrace. It was one of the women who was part of the group he had first tailed. "I was so scared. I thought you would never wake up again."
Enzo couldn't help but be drawn into the emotional scene unfolding before him. It was the proof of the power of his healing butterflies, and witnessing the joy and relief on the woman's face filled him with a sense of satisfaction. However, he knew he couldn't afford to lose focus on his mission.
As the heartfelt reunion continued, Enzo subtly directed his butterfly back to the task at hand. The bookshelf in the office had ignited his curiosity, and he had a hunch that it might be hiding something significant.
With practiced precision, his butterfly landed on one of the shelves and began to carefully inspect the books. However, the task was harder than it seems. First, there were way too many books, so he needed to inspect all of them. And second, even if he were to find the way to a secret passage, how would he activate it with such a tiny butterfly?
'Sigh, I didn't think of this before.'
While Enzo was lost in thoughts, the woman who hugged Natasha looked at him with piercing eyes. However, it soon died down as she approached him.
Enzo looked up to her as he was sitting before smiling. "M-may I help y-you?"
The woman regarded Enzo with a mix of curiosity and suspicion as if trying to discern his true intentions. Her gaze seemed to linger on his healing butterflies for a moment before she finally spoke, her tone cautious.
"You healed Natasha, didn't you?" She asked, her eyes searching his face for any sign of deception.
Enzo nodded, maintaining his facade of vulnerability. "Y-yes, I did. Or r-rather, my butterflies d-did. They healed e-everyone's injuries. I couldn't just stand by a-and do nothing when I saw someone h-hurt. Especially when y-you guys are s-sheltering me."
The woman's expression softened slightly, and she extended her hand toward Enzo. "I'm Sarah, by the way. Thank you for what you did for Natasha. We've been through a lot, and your help means a great deal to us."
Enzo shook her hand, doing his best to convey gratitude and sincerity through his eyes. "I'm E-Enzo. I'm just glad I c-could help. It's tough out there, and w-we should all l-look out for each other."
Sarah nodded, and her gaze seemed to soften further. "You're right, Enzo. We've learned that the hard way. If you're planning to stay with us for a while, we should get to know each other better. Our overall group is quite big, but we're like family."
Enzo couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. "T-thank you, Sarah. I d-don't have anywhere else to go, and I'm g-grateful for your h-hospitality."