It wasn't until Raymond finally finished eating that Skye couldn't hold back any longer and asked again, "Can you tell me now?"
"I told you—I can help you find the answers you're looking for, but only if you work for me," Raymond said as he wiped his mouth.
"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Skye shot back.
"Believe it or not, that's up to you. I have no obligation to prove I'm telling the truth," Raymond replied calmly. "If you really don't want to stay, I can hand you back to S.H.I.E.L.D.… It's your choice—stay or go."
Of course, she knew Raymond was sure she wouldn't give up the chance to learn the truth. But she truly didn't want to lose this opportunity either.
Honestly, she wasn't confident that she could actually dig out the truth from S.H.I.E.L.D. on her own. Trying was just a gamble.
Compared to taking risks with S.H.I.E.L.D. and possibly finding nothing, agreeing to work with Raymond was clearly the safer bet.
Because Raymond obviously knew something—otherwise, he wouldn't have known exactly what she was after.
"I'll stay," Skye finally said, like air rushing out of a deflated balloon.
"You chose this yourself. I hope you'll keep your word," Raymond nodded. "As an advance payment, I'll give you one piece of information—"
Skye immediately perked up and listened closely.
"The people you've been trying to track down—they're not your parents. Your real parents are still alive," Raymond said.
"Really?!" Skye grabbed Raymond's arm, clearly emotional.
"Same as before—whether you believe me is up to you… Now, get ready to work. If I find out you're slacking off, don't expect to hear another word from me."
"I'll do my best!", Skye nodded.
"Good. Your first job is to help me find out everything you can about the 'A.I.M. Group,' especially their CEO, Aldrich Killian."
"Leave it to me!" Skye patted her flat chest confidently. (TL/N: Lol)
"If you need any special equipment, just tell me. If it's available on the market, I can get it for you… even if it's not, I'll figure something out," Raymond said while rubbing his chin in thought.
"No need. A regular computer is enough," Skye replied confidently.
Raymond was about to respond when his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, then turned to Skye. "The computer is in my office. Ask Beth to take you there. I've got something to handle, and when I come back, I want to see that intel ready."
Skye gave him an "OK" sign to show she understood.
About ten minutes later, Raymond arrived at a coffee shop not far from his office.
Director Fury had just gotten there too, sitting in a corner booth. He waved at Raymond with a smile.
"One mocha, half sugar, please," Raymond ordered casually, then sat down across from Fury, half-joking, "The Director himself has time for coffee today? Didn't expect that."
"You already know why I'm here, Doctor," Fury said with a chuckle. "Coulson told me everything that happened today. I have to say, Doctor, you never stop surprising me."
"You're here about my… partner?" Raymond guessed.
"David Haller. Your old friend from the hospital… a mutant?" Fury placed both hands on the table, lightly tapping it.
"I knew nothing would get past you," Raymond said with a sigh.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network—and Fury's personal contacts—it wasn't hard to dig into David's identity quickly.
As for the mutant part, Raymond figured Fury connected the dots after the killing spree at the Clockwork Psychiatric Hospital.
He hadn't planned to hide it, so he just admitted it openly.
"When I first heard you opened a detective agency, I thought you were just messing around. But now it looks like you're serious?" Fury asked, a bit curious.
"More or less," Raymond said, not denying it. "You might not believe me, but being a detective has always been my dream."
"Why wouldn't I believe it? My dream is to open a pet shop," Fury said wistfully. "Fill it with cute kittens, all cuddling up to me every day…"
As Fury got more into his daydream, Raymond had to clear his throat twice to snap him out of it.
"Sorry, got off topic." Fury came back to his senses, cleared his throat, and continued, "I came to give you a warning. The world of mutants is complicated—and dangerous. If you really plan on getting involved, you better be careful."
"I understand. Thanks for the warning," Raymond nodded.
"No, you don't understand," Fury said seriously. "Not long ago, the head of an organization that hunts mutants came to see me. I think they're investigating what happened at the psychiatric hospital…"
"If they get their hands on you, Doctor, even I won't be able to help you easily. They're backed by the American military. They don't play by the rules, and they don't answer to anyone."
"You mean the Sentinel Services?" Raymond raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't known about that part.
"So you do know something about the mutant world," Fury said, nodding in confirmation.
"I met a few mutants while I was on leave. Learned a bit from them," Raymond replied.
"Well, if you're already aware, I won't say more. Just be careful," Fury reminded him again.
"I get it," Raymond nodded, appreciating the concern. Then he changed the subject. "I heard something happened with Stark Industries?"
"You heard too?" Fury didn't deny it. Enough people knew already—no point hiding it.
"My first client at the detective agency was Miss Potts," Raymond said with a smile.
"She went to you?" Fury looked surprised, then shook his head with a smile. "Tony must be really desperate…"
"Hey, hey—what's with that look? Don't act like I'm useless. Who knows? Maybe I'll solve it before you do."
"With your little agency?" Fury looked at him like he was crazy. "Don't think just because you've got a superpowered guy on your team, you can handle anything. Some things are a lot more complicated than they seem."
"Then let's wait and see," Raymond replied with a smirk.