Beth and David returned to the office to find Raymond sitting there, playing on the computer.
After listening to their short report, he looked at Beth in surprise.
"You awakened your ability?"
"I don't know if it counts as awakening. That woman, Sandy, dragged me into some unknown space. But once we were inside, she became very small in front of me, and she seemed very afraid of me," Beth said.
"That was the mind world… hold on." Raymond walked into the storage room.
A moment later, he came out pushing a wheelchair.
In it sat a bald young man, about the same age as Raymond, and somewhat resembling David.
Seeing Raymond suddenly wheel out a stranger from the storage room, both David and Beth looked stunned. They wanted to ask but felt awkward.
Of course, the ones Raymond had brought out were none other than the Professor X sub-personality and the Megatron sub-personality.
To make him different from his real self and this world's Professor X, Raymond used transformation to make his Professor X sub-personality look like a younger version.
That's why he seemed a bit like David—or rather, David looked a bit like him.
Interestingly, this time Raymond didn't force Megatron's sub-personality to come out; he came out willingly.
Maybe because his nature didn't suit staying hidden for too long, or maybe because once something happens once, it becomes easier the second time.
After his first appearance, he had already grown used to this arrangement.
But Beth and David had never seen the Professor X sub-personality before—especially David.
It's worth mentioning that in the world where this sub-personality came from, he never had children.
After middle age, he was always fighting against the growing power of the Sentinels. He had no chance to think about family, unlike in this world.
Still, Raymond had already explained David's situation to him, so when he saw David now, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.
"This is the Professor. He's also me… you get it," Raymond said after transferring the sub-personality over.
The two instantly understood.
David knew because he too carried many sub-personalities inside him. The only difference was that he couldn't bring his out like Raymond could.
Beth, being their doctor, also knew their conditions very well, so she understood too.
They had already seen Raymond split into different selves before; they just hadn't known that Professor X was one of them.
Now that Raymond explained, everything made sense.
Without further explanation, Raymond continued, "The Professor is also a powerful mutant, skilled in mental abilities. For now, he'll guide both of you.
"If there's anything about your powers you don't understand, you can ask him. He'll also train you on how to use your abilities better."
"Hello," the Professor X sub-personality said with a polite smile.
"Hello, Professor," the two quickly replied.
Beth couldn't help but ask, "But what about Skye? Are we really not going to care about her anymore?"
"Jiaying is indeed her biological mother. In theory, she wouldn't harm her…" Raymond paused here.
Because he knew that "wouldn't harm" came with conditions—mainly, that Skye didn't get in the way of Jiaying's Inhuman revival plan.
In Jiaying's heart, reviving the Inhumans came first. Everything else was secondary.
Whether Skye or Skye's father, to her they were just passing figures in her long life.
In fact, it was impossible that Skye was her only child.
In the past, those other children of Jiaying had likely already died. Only she herself, because of her immortality, still lived on.
She did have feelings for Skye. She had indeed been searching for her all these years. But compared to her great plan of reviving the Inhumans, that affection carried very little weight. Chapters fırst released on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
Even her search for Skye was not very strong.
If she had truly gone all out, using the full power of Afterlife, her Inhuman organization, she would have found Skye long ago.
That was why, if Skye really stood in the way of her grand plan, Jiaying might still hurt her own daughter.
Raymond judged that this conflict would not break out soon.
Besides, Jiaying would also help Skye awaken her Inhuman bloodline, turning her into Quake.
This was the true reason Raymond had given them the mission to find Jiaying—because for now, only Jiaying knew how to awaken the Inhuman bloodline.
Even Raymond himself, without a Terrigen crystal, could not help Skye.
So Skye being taken by Jiaying was, in fact, an opportunity for her.
But to say Jiaying would never harm her—that could not be guaranteed.
So ignoring it completely was impossible.
With that thought, Raymond told the Professor X sub-personality, "Take the two of them to find Skye. But don't rush to save her yet. Use the chance to train them a little."
"Alright." The Professor smiled in agreement.
For him, training the younger generation was easy, and never troublesome. He was the perfect one to handle this task.
"With Skye's personality, I doubt she'll agree with Jiaying's ideas. I just hope it doesn't end too badly…" Raymond looked out the window, sighing to himself.
If he hadn't appeared in this world, Skye would still have eventually found Jiaying. But in the end, mother and daughter would have fallen out because of their different beliefs.
Raymond didn't feel much love or hate for Jiaying, but he didn't want Skye's story to end with a mother and daughter fighting each other.
Still, some things could only be dealt with step by step.
Inside a hidden mountain base, Skye was arguing unhappily with Jiaying:
"Why are you doing this? Beth and David are my friends. Since they know you're my mother, they won't harm you. By doing this, how do you expect me to explain it to them later?"
Jiaying smiled. "Silly girl, you're still young. You don't understand how dangerous people's hearts can be… How do you know they're not using you to scheme against me?"
"If David hadn't spared you just now, you would've already been caught by us! What's left to scheme?" Skye shot back, unimpressed.
"I don't deny what you say is partly true. But you don't understand how many people are targeting Afterlife. They're not after me alone, but the whole Inhuman race." Jiaying's eyes showed deep calculation.
"Do you have paranoia or something?" Skye rolled her eyes. "No one is scheming against you or the Inhumans. We came to you only because our boss gave us the task, nothing else!"
This was the third time Jiaying had heard Skye mention this mysterious boss. She asked, "And how do you know your boss isn't secretly plotting against the Inhumans?"
Skye glanced around at the shabby-looking base, shook her head, and said, "If he wanted to, he wouldn't need me at all. You're giving yourself too much credit."
Skye knew very well how terrifying Raymond's power and influence really were.
Even Iron Man, an Avenger, had once struggled with an enemy whom Raymond had crushed as easily as an ant.
She had also heard Beth and David talk about Raymond's fight with the Shadow King, and she had personally seen him discipline David's unruly sub-personalities.
Even the daring Wayne sub-personality, who had easily overpowered Jiaying's people earlier, was like a mouse before a cat in front of Raymond, not daring to make a sound.
That alone showed how frightening his strength was.
Not only that, Raymond also had ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Hellfire Club, and many other powerful organizations.
In Skye's eyes, if Raymond had truly wanted to control Jiaying and her Inhumans, he would never have needed any tricks.
His mission for them to find Jiaying was most likely only to help her reunite with her real mother.
Still, Skye couldn't tell Jiaying too much about Raymond without his permission.
It wouldn't help Jiaying anyway.
From Jiaying's attitude, Skye could also tell that even if she explained, Jiaying wouldn't believe it.
She'd probably just think Skye had been brainwashed, or had her memories altered by some psychic ability.
Seeing Skye's uncertain expression, Jiaying suddenly changed the subject.
"Let's not talk about these unpleasant things. Why don't I help you awaken your bloodline first? The process takes some time, and we can use that time to talk as mother and daughter."
"Awaken my bloodline? You mean I can get superpowers too?" Skye's eyes lit up.
"Of course. You're my daughter, and you carry Inhuman blood. You naturally have the ability to awaken powers—every Inhuman does." Jiaying smiled as she saw Skye's reaction.
"Come, I'll take you there."
This time, Skye didn't refuse.
She truly wanted powers of her own. She didn't want to always be the one who needed protection.
From what had just happened, Beth had likely awakened powers herself, since she was able to resist Sandy's psychic invasion.
That meant everyone at the agency except her was now a superpowered being.
To say she didn't care would be a lie.
If she could use this chance to awaken her powers, of course she would accept.
As for Jiaying's misunderstanding of Raymond, Skye decided she would slowly work to clear it up.