As a clear snapping sound rang out, everyone in the courtyard seemed to wake up from a dream. After a moment of confusion, they thought they had just been distracted and didn't pay much attention. They simply went back to what they were doing.
Some kept smiling foolishly, others kept helping patients or patrolling, acting like nothing strange had just happened.
In the middle of the courtyard, Red Devil lowered the hand he had just snapped.
"Thanks for your help," Raymond said with a smile.
"It was no trouble," Red Devil waved it off casually.
Raymond had asked him to clean up the scene and erase a portion of everyone's memory. For someone with psychic powers, it was an easy task.
Even though they stood in the middle of the courtyard, no one around them seemed to notice. This too was because of Red Devil's ability.
Although his psychic powers weren't as strong as Professor X or the Shadow King, handling a group of normal people was no big deal for him.
Raymond looked at Red Devil, then at David, who had just regained his senses.
"I'm fine with whatever you decide," Red Devil shrugged.
Still a bit dazed, David just nodded without thinking too much.
"Dr. Beth, could we use your office for a bit?" Raymond asked, seeing that neither of them objected.
Without another word, Dr. Beth led the way.
Five minutes later, everyone was seated in her office.
Dr. Beth acted like a secretary, making coffee for the three of them.
As soon as they sat down, David couldn't hold back anymore. "What's going on? Raymond, how come you…"
Raymond raised a hand to stop him.
He took a sip of coffee before calmly saying, "We'll talk about me later. Let's talk about you first. After all, everything started because of you."
"Me?" David didn't understand.
"To be exact, it's about your background," Raymond said with a nod.
Hearing this, David pointed at himself in confusion.
"All of this has to do with your real father. Back then—"
"Wait, hold on!" David suddenly cut him off, staring in shock. "My real father? Are you saying… I was adopted?"
"That's right," Raymond nodded again.
David couldn't accept it.
His parents had never said anything like that. He never once thought they might not be his real parents.
Raymond dropping this bombshell left him completely shaken.
"About that… I don't think the doctor is wrong," Dr. Beth added. "When I was preparing your treatment plan, I talked with your sister about your past."
"Just like he said, you really were adopted. Your family just didn't want to hurt you more, so they never told you."
When Dr. Beth confirmed it too, David realized that even though he didn't want to accept it, what Raymond said was probably true.
He stayed silent for a long time.
Raymond didn't interrupt, just quietly drank his coffee and waited.
After a while, David finally asked, "Who is my real father?"
"His name is Charles Francis Xavier, but most people know him as Professor X."
Raymond glanced at Red Devil, who also seemed curious, and smiled. "I've never met him, but this guy here used to know him well…"
As soon as Raymond dragged him in, Red Devil quickly denied it, "No, we were never friends. If we met, it'd be lucky if we didn't end up fighting."
Hearing that, David frowned and asked, "So he's a bad guy?"
"No, it's actually the opposite. He's almost like a saint who never thinks of himself," Raymond shook his head. "He spent his whole life fighting for the rights of mutants. Even people who don't like him can't deny that, right?"
Raymond looked at Red Devil as he finished.
Red Devil nodded in agreement. He didn't argue.
Professor X truly was someone worthy of respect—especially from mutants. Even if some of his actions were questionable, no one could deny how much he had done. Even the Mutant Brotherhood, his enemies, never attacked his character.
"Then why did he abandon me?" David asked, clearly upset.
If his real father was so great, why would he leave his own son behind?
"I don't know the full story either. If you ever meet him, you can ask him yourself," Raymond said. "As for the Shadow King we just dealt with, he was actually your father's enemy long ago. He should've died back then."
"But for some reason, he managed to survive by hiding inside you—and he stayed there for twenty or thirty years."
"Twenty or thirty years?" David's face went pale.
He had only recently noticed the Shadow King, and at first, he thought it was just one of his split personalities.
It wasn't until Red Devil showed up that he realized something was wrong.
But the truth shocked him.
Twenty or thirty years? That meant the Shadow King had been inside him since he was a baby.
Just thinking about another person secretly hiding in his body for all his life made David shiver.
"A lot of the visions you saw growing up were probably his doing. His goal was to slowly break your mind and take over your body," Raymond explained. "But now he's been completely destroyed. He won't be able to mess with you anymore, so you can relax."
David let out a long breath of relief.
Red Devil added, "I can't believe Farouk was still alive—and living that way. That guy really is hard to kill."
"Forget about him. He's dead," Raymond said simply, then looked at Red Devil. "I told you before, don't target David anymore. It's for everyone's good… When you see Cain, please tell him that again for me."
"I'll let him know," Red Devil nodded.
After seeing what Raymond was capable of, he took his words seriously. He was sure Juggernaut wouldn't make a big deal over this either.
David heard Raymond mention him again and wanted to ask something, but Raymond stopped him with just a look.
After Red Devil teleported away, Raymond finally told David about the relationship between Juggernaut and Professor X. Only then did David understand why Red Devil had suddenly shown up.