Marvel: Infinite Personalities ;)

When Raymond returned to the hospital, his father, Fong Mo, had already stabilized and had been moved from the emergency room back to a ward.

Before Raymond could enter the room, his mother, Roland, pulled him aside and looked him up and down.

"Mom, what are you doing…" Raymond asked helplessly, feeling awkward under her intense gaze.

"You're really asking me that?" Roland's eyes were red with tears. "Edward ended up like this because of those cultists, and now you went after them too. What if something happened to you? What would I do then?"

It was clear she was very upset with Raymond for taking such a risk.

Even though Clarice had tried to calm her down and told her how strong Raymond was, Roland still couldn't help but worry. She'd been anxiously waiting the whole time.

Only when Raymond showed up safe and sound did she finally relax.

But that didn't mean she was going to let it go.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't act recklessly again. Is that good enough?" Raymond raised his hands in surrender.

Seeing that Roland was about to scold him even more, he quickly changed the subject. "How's Dad doing?"

Sure enough, Roland stopped her "chase" and replied with a slightly sad tone, "The doctor said if he rests well, his life won't be in danger anymore. But…"

"But what?"

"…But he might be paralyzed from the waist down. He might have to live in a wheelchair from now on." Her voice grew softer and tears welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't imagine how heartbroken her husband would be when he heard the news.

Their family didn't rely on Fong Mo's income to live well. Roland earned a decent salary herself, and with Raymond being so capable, money wasn't a problem.

Plus, Fong Mo's injury was considered a work-related accident, so the insurance and benefits would be enough for him to live comfortably.

But that wasn't the issue.

For someone like Fong Mo, being paralyzed meant he could no longer be a police officer. He'd have to stay home every day.

That alone would be a heavy blow for him.

That's why Roland hadn't told him the truth yet. She was afraid it would hit him too hard and affect his recovery.

"Don't cry… Come on, let's go check on Dad," Raymond said, gently patting her shoulder.

On the other side of the room, Clarice was sitting by the bed. Her eyes were also red—she had clearly been crying too.

Fong Mo was awake now, but the anesthesia hadn't fully worn off, so he looked weak.

Still, as an experienced officer, he had much stronger willpower than most people.

When he saw Raymond come in, he tried to sit up.

Raymond quickly stopped him and raised the head of the bed with the remote so he could lie back comfortably.

"I want to talk to Raymond alone for a bit. Can you two step outside?" Fong Mo said slowly.

By "you two," he meant Roland and Clarice.

"Honey…" Roland started to speak.

"Please, just step outside," Fong Mo interrupted.

Though his voice was still weak, Fong Mo's tone was firm and left no room for argument.

Roland hesitated for a moment, but then took Clarice and left the room, leaving father and son alone.

Once they were gone, Fong Mo slowly said, "Tell me the truth—how bad is it?"

"What do you mean?" Raymond asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," Fong Mo gave a bitter smile. "Your mom's never been good at hiding things. I don't know the full story, but from her reaction, I can guess… Just tell me straight. I can handle it."

Raymond thought for a moment and said, "You're not in danger anymore, but… there's a chance you may be paralyzed from the waist down."

Fong Mo fell silent.

He had mentally prepared himself for bad news, but hearing the word "paralyzed" still hit him hard. He couldn't speak for a long time.

Seeing him like this, Raymond felt a little sorry and added, "Dad, actually—there might still be hope."

"No need to comfort me. I just need some time to adjust," Fong Mo said, waving it off.

"Can you let me finish first?"

"…Go ahead."

"What I wanted to say is, there might be a way to fix this—but the method is a bit extreme."

"What is it?!" Fong Mo suddenly perked up.

He might have looked calm a moment ago, but inside he was overwhelmed. So when Raymond mentioned a possible cure, it was no surprise he reacted so strongly.

"Not long ago, I worked with the head of Stark Industries…"

"Hold on—Stark Industries? Which Stark Industries are you talking about?" Fong Mo couldn't help but interrupt.

"Is there another Stark Industries in North America?" Raymond shrugged.

"You mean Iron Man's company?"

"Yeah."

"You know him?"

"Yeah."

"You two close?"

"Dad, that's not really the point here…"

"Oh, never mind. I'm just curious—go on," Fong Mo said casually.

Raymond rolled his eyes, clearly seeing how curious his dad was about Tony. But he didn't mind and continued explaining about the Extremis virus.

He had asked Tony to reserve a few doses for him, with this kind of situation in mind.

As a police officer—especially in this increasingly chaotic Marvel world—Fong Mo was bound to face danger more and more often.

This injury was almost inevitable.

Even if it hadn't been the Church of Darkness, it could've been some other underground group.

Even without cultists, there would still be powered criminals.

Fong Mo might dodge danger once, but not every time.

Unless he quit being a cop altogether.

But that wasn't likely, and Raymond didn't want to interfere too much with his parents' lives.

So he came up with the perfect compromise—inject them with a stable version of the Extremis virus.

He didn't need them to become super soldiers—just strong enough to protect themselves.

Extremis was a great fit.

But since Tony hadn't finished a perfected version yet, Raymond hadn't told his parents in advance.

If Fong Mo hadn't gotten hurt—and started showing signs of depression—Raymond wouldn't have brought it up now either.

But now, he wanted to lift his dad's spirits.

"I agree!" Fong Mo said without hesitation.

"Wait, I haven't even told you the possible side effects…" Raymond blinked.

"I don't care what they are. If it helps me walk again, I'll take the risk!" Fong Mo said firmly.

"Alright then. Once Tony finishes it, I'll bring it to you myself. But for now, just focus on healing, okay?"

"It's a deal!"

Fong Mo instantly looked energized and gave Raymond an 'OK' hand sign to show he was totally fine.