"Why did no one inform me immediately that my son was home? Was he even greeted properly?"
The nervous official hurried after the armored man, looking over his tablet. "He... he just used his personal code to deactivate the border patrol and anti-craft defenses, my lord. There was no official announcing. You also asked to not be disturbed."
Victor von Doom gave a disgusted huffing sound. Because it was true. He had been below, performing a complicated sealing spell. The room that had once held an axis mundi now was a magic null zone, slowly sucking energy into it in an attempt to replenish the mass of energy lost. Which meant it had been drawing from the spells on the castle. The gargoyles were only just beginning to behave normally once more, and he had to reissue the illusions and other spells on the castle itself before managing a barrier that the hole did not pick apart. And it still needed maintained.
That had been the price for the spell he and the Scarlet Witch had performed. They were honestly lucky that was the only cost. But it was annoying, nonetheless.
"Where is he now?"
"He is..." The official looked at his tablet once more, facial recognition technology rapidly at work. "At the graveyard."
Victor stopped so suddenly the official narrowly avoided running into him. The cowl tilted with the head some. "Leave him be, then," he said, much more softly than was his habit. Then his harsh, demanding tone returned, as abrupt as ever. "If he wants to come up to the castle, see to it he is properly greeted and word given to me immediately." He then detoured down another hallway, intent on retreating to his lab.