(DREAM SEQUENCE)

In the bright and colorful strange looking environment, a lean Asian man with his short caramel locks in his early twenties cladded in a red hoodie jacket and a dark business suit with a Hiden Intelligence pin attached. His pair of chartreuse rubber shoes stepped on the dark green unknown terrain and widened his eyes in shock, becoming unfamiliar and lost of where he had gone into. He moved his head to and fro and noticed the bright purple aura flowing around him. There were no presence of any living beings and Humagears when he kept walking and searching.

" What the hell is this place?! " the man anxiously said to himself. " Definitely, this is not Satellite Zea or the Ark?! Where's everybody?! "

The young Japanese businessman skidded around and reached the distance for he still had no idea what place he was in. Looking everywhere, he had seen nothing, but radiance and strange looking objects. He thought of any lifeform which he could come to him. Then, he snapped his fingers which he could create a commotion and echoed.

" Hello, Is anybody here?! Hello?! "

No one responded which the businessman's voice bounced back. He crossed eyebrows and continued walking. Suddenly, he thought of cracking his bad jokes, calling attention.

" Now, I am freaking lost like a ghost! Is there a host here?! Hai, Aruto jaaa....NAITOH! " he loudly exclaimed and proudly placed his pointing finger at nowhere.

No one had dared to respond to a dryly humorous statement from President Hiden Aruto of Hiden Intelligence. The bright strange objects didn't even bother to laugh at him. Aruto crossed his eyebrows and frowned, furiously kicking the ground.

" Seriously?! " he exasperatedly sighed and facepalmed to his dismay. " No one even cares to laugh at my joke! What kind of place is this anyway?! No people, animals, nor humagear?! Just nothing?! I'm just wandering around with some strange colorful things here! I'd better find my way to get out of this place! "

Aruto continued skidding and turning around the place, looking for an exit. He tirelessly searched everywhere which it took more time for him. The Hiden intelligence CEO gave up and became hopeless, realising he was going around in circles. He desperately slapped his both hands on his knees and heavily sighed. Without any awareness, he accidentally bumped a tall cloaked figure behind him, turned around, and nervously grinned, " Oh, sorry about that! I just didn't know you're...."

Aruto paused and intently looked at the being who revealed itself to be a reptilian mutant man with dark red irises on his eyes. The mutant gave him a sinister grin and evilly chuckled. The Hiden Intelligence CEO realized he forgot to bring his Zero One Driver and slowly stepped away from the man to his safety. The suspicious cloaked one readied himself to attack the lost businessman. Aruto widened his eyes in shock, ran away, and anticipated the worst that could happen to him.

(CEO'S OFFICE, HIDEN INTELLIGENCE BUILDING: TOKYO, JAPAN: 8:30 AM)

" Aruto-sacho, Aruto-sacho, Aruto-sacho, " a soft and youthful female voice calmly echoed on the CEO's ears. He leaned his head and arms on his table.

His secretary was a female humagear with a medium dark hair and shades of jade green. She cladded in a white coat with black and emerald green trimmings with a grey blouse, a skirt, and a pair of dark stockings and shoes. She had a ribbon with green and black stripes wrapped around her neck. The humanoid kept shaking her boss's shoulders and heard him snoring in his deep sleep. She frowned and let a deep sigh, secretly scanning him in his morning slumber. Finally, she knew what to stay for waking him up.

" ARUTO-SACHO, THE ARK HAS INFILTRATED THE COMPANY PREMISES! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! " she loudly exclaimed to his left ear, like an alarm clock. " WAKE UP!! WE NEED YOU IN ACTION AS ZERO ONE! "

Aruto felt a loud tingling in his ear, instantly opened his eyes, rose his from his slumber, and immediately moved his head to and fro.

" Wh-what?! The Ark?! Is he here?! Tell me, Izu?! Where is he?! " he apprehensively replied and instantly stood up from his seat.

Izu wryly smiled and watched the CEO becoming paranoid and disoriented and taking his Zero One Driver, in case the real Ark would dare to attack. Aruto kept walking around his office and restlessly ascending and descending from the stairs into his research lab. He checked everywhere and found nothing, slapping his face and heavily sighing.

" Izu?! Why did you make a false alarm to wake me up?! " Aruto raised his voice to his disappointment. " The Ark isn't here! Everything's normal in this place?! Enough with that prank, please! "

" Sir, it was my idea to wake you, because you have overslept in your office after your overtime shift, " she politely replied and bowed. " I'm really sorry about that..."

" I-I overslept?! "

" Yes, sir. "

" What time did I finish reviewing those files and working on them? "

" It was exactly two fifty-six in the morning, " she instantly replied. " I watched you yawning and intentionally slamming your weary face on your cluttered desk when you were snoring already. I turned off your computer and carefully picked up those papers that you finished signing from evening into the wee hours of the morning. I made sure you would not get disturbed in your less than six hours hibernation. "

" Wait, what?! "

" Yes, sir. Would you like me to let you see the surveillance footage? "

Aruto nervously chuckled as he understood what his secretary had meant. He looked at his device called Rise Phone and noticed some unread notifications aside from an alarm. Then, he swiped his phone and saw a missed overseas call from Tony Stark.

" Wait...Tony Stark the Iron Man?! The great armored Avenger?! " he raised his voice in shock and disappointment. " Izu, why didn't you wake me up?! This is so freaking important!! He's going to have a business trip and visit our company in two months! This is a great opportunity to expose ourselves into the global tech business jungle! It's a vital meeting aside from introducing his first Asian Stark Expo! It will be held here for good! "

" I responded to his second callback a half an hour ago while you were sleeping, " Izu calmly answered. " He's going to reschedule your virtual conversation on another day this week. "

" Oh, crap! Why did I miss so much important things?! "

" I'm sorry to hear that, sir, " she bowed and reminded. " You still have more time to catch up with your board meeting at 10 am. Then, some client visits at 2 pm. There's always time for you and Mr. Stark. I know you have put so much passion and dedication in your current career, sir. You have become overworked ever since you took over your late grandfather's company. "

Aruto understood, sighed, and looked at himself in the mirror, showing a reflection of himself as a haggard person with eyebags and disheveled hair. He was worried that he had no time to wash himself or change his clothes from yesterday. Then, he felt a loud grumble in his stomach. Izu curiously tilted her head and scanned her human boss.

" Aruto-sacho, I would like to tell you..." she paused.

" Yeah, Izu, " he slightly smiled and felt embarrassed, continuing the thought. "...Never ever skip breakfast before work. You don't have to tell me twice. "

" I'm glad you understood, then. "

" Thank you, Izu. What would be my life be like without you? "

" I already knew your struggle, sir. It's too painful for you to experience that. "

As the two headed back to the stairs and the main office, the humagear secretary intently eyed at the young CEO with concern. This time, she was not scanning him for his physical health, but noticing his bothered face. Aruto turned his attention to her and said, " Izu, why are you staring at me like that? "

" Sir, is there anything that you need to tell me? " she curiously queried.

Aruto stepped down on the stairs on his way to the corridor and deeply thought. He recalled that disturbing dream in a strange realm and had been seeing a dangerous cloaked man who attacked him. The CEO was contemplating to tell it to his secretary and confidant, but his focus was to follow his work schedule and not wasting time in talking about it.

" Maybe, we should talk some deep stuff in another time, " he replied, dismissing the thought. " I should grab something in the cafeteria. Then, we should start the day right. "

" Eating your favorite vegetable, sir? "

" No, no! Not that! " he dryly chuckled. " I would prefer something heavy today! I need a decent breakfast! "

" Of course, I respect your choice, then. If you need my help, I will be happy to serve you. "

" Sure, Izu! Thanks! "

" You're welcome, sir. "