MARVEL : A myriad of personalities

In the living room.

Ray, omitting a few key details, briefly explained his current situation to Rolande.

The original Ray had already told Édouard and Rolande a little about S.H.I.E.L.D., but without giving away any specifics. He'd simply referred to it as a "special department."

Since both Édouard and Rolande were public officials themselves, they understood that such unnamed departments usually came with strict confidentiality agreements. They didn't press him for details, not wanting to put their son in a difficult position.

After Ray's mental breakdown and his secret transfer to New York for treatment, Director Fury had visited them personally. He told them that Ray had been injured during a mission and, for safety reasons, had been taken to a secure location to recover—and that he might be gone for quite a long time.

At first, they hadn't believed him. They'd thought Fury was a fraud. But with the resources at his disposal, it hadn't taken him long to prove otherwise.

Eventually, Édouard and Rolande had no choice but to accept the truth.

Rolande, a strong, formidable woman in the courtroom, had cried countless times in private. Even Édouard would often smoke in the yard in silence, lost in thought.

Even Clarisse, who had initially been kept in the dark, eventually noticed something was off. After persistently pestering them, she finally learned the truth too.

Although she and Ray weren't related by blood, the original Ray had always treated her with more love and care than many real brothers did.

When she found out what had happened, Clarisse fell into a deep melancholy.

Eventually, the three of them came to a silent agreement—not to talk about it. It was too painful.

That's why, when Clarisse saw Ray and cried out, "My brother's back!", Rolande didn't react at first. She had subconsciously ruled out the possibility.

"You're home… that's all that matters," said Rolande, tears streaming down her face. The formidable prosecutor couldn't hold back any longer.

Clarisse was also sobbing, and Ray found himself completely out of his depth. He clumsily handed them tissues and tried to comfort them.

He had never had this kind of experience in his past life…

Sensing Ray's awkwardness, Rolande pulled herself together quickly. But then she looked at him, worry all over her face.

"What kind of department are you working for that would cause a psychologist to suffer a mental breakdown?"

"Mom, you promised not to ask me that," Ray replied with a wry smile.

"I didn't ask before because I didn't want to put pressure on you. But after what's happened, you still want to keep it secret?" Rolande wasn't backing down this time.

"Alright, alright… I'll explain everything once Dad's home," Ray said with a shrug.

He could tell that his adoptive mother wouldn't give up easily—and his stubborn father would be even worse.

Trying to keep secrets now would only cause tension. Besides, he wasn't the original Ray, and he didn't see the need to hide such minor intel about S.H.I.E.L.D.

What was the big deal, really?

With the supernatural world on the verge of exposure, it was only a matter of time before the public learned the truth. There was no point in pretending anymore.

Rolande seemed satisfied with that answer. She had already called Édouard and asked him to come home immediately—he should be on his way now.

---

S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters – Director's Office

"Come in, come in, Fury. Let me introduce someone…" Pierce, the former director and now the Council's liaison with S.H.I.E.L.D., entered the room with a slightly overweight middle-aged man.

"No need for introductions. We've met twice already. Colonel Stryker, right?" said Director Fury, standing to shake the man's hand.

Clearly, Fury was already familiar with him.

He had mentioned to Hill before that several world governments still hadn't given up on targeting mutants. Extremists were continuing their operations in the shadows.

And standing before him now was one of the most notorious among them: Colonel William Stryker.

Stryker commanded the Sentinel Task Force, a covert division formed under the silent approval of several hawkish generals in the North American military.

Though the Sentinel division appeared in no official records and was never acknowledged as a formal military unit, the fact that its leader was an active-duty colonel made the game obvious.

And for someone like Fury, with access to vast intelligence networks, this was no secret.

"Last time was two years ago, right?" Stryker asked with a polite smile.

"Sounds about right. I don't really remember," Fury replied vaguely, then cut to the chase. "You're a busy man, Colonel. What brings you here?"

Stryker didn't answer right away. Instead, he glanced at Pierce.

Taking the hint, Pierce said, "I'll leave you two to it. Got some business to handle."

Fury didn't stop him. He nodded and watched him leave.

Once Pierce was gone, Fury said, "Alright. You can speak freely now."

"Clockwork Asylum. That name must sound familiar to you, Director Fury?" Stryker asked, staring directly into Fury's one good eye, as if searching for a reaction.

But Fury was not the type to show his hand so easily.

Still, if Stryker had come all the way to S.H.I.E.L.D. just to bring up that name, it obviously wasn't a coincidence.

Fury was already piecing things together.

"No need to be cryptic, Colonel. Say what you came to say."

"Alright. I'll be direct," Stryker said in a firm tone. "My intelligence network reported mutant activity in that hospital. Several people were killed… But by the time my men arrived to investigate, the bodies had already been removed."

"And?"

"Further investigation suggested that the people who cleaned up the scene might've been your agents. So I came here to ask: do you have any leads you could share with me?"

Stryker paused, then added with a diplomatic smile:

"Of course, I wouldn't ask for your help without offering something in return. If you ever need the Sentinel Task Force's assistance, I'll be happy to oblige."