Carl had never heard the name "Raymond," but when he heard the second part, he understood why Raymond had come.
It turned out that the young was calling the old for help.
This wasn't uncommon. Members of their Hellfire Club also got bullied outside and called for backup. In the superhuman world, this happened often. (TL/N: LOL)
Especially for superhumans who had joined organizations, this was very common.
Also, it was normal for several mutants to be born into one family, like the famous mutant brothers "Cyclops" and "Havok."
Carl hadn't looked deeply into Clarice's family before, so he didn't know she even had a brother.
However, this was easy to verify, and he assumed the other side wouldn't lie about it.
"Is Mr. Raymond here to stand up for your sister?" Now knowing who he was, Carl relaxed. "You don't need to. I'm here only to take her, no harm intended…"
Raymond said calmly, "I don't want her to get caught up in all this trouble too soon. As for what happens later, I want her to decide when she's grown."
Carl shook his head, "You're late."
"No, no, not at all," Raymond said with a sly smile. "If you mean those cannon fodder you sent to catch her, I've already taken care of them."
"What?!" Carl's face darkened.
"They all had guns and were dangerous. To stop them from doing anything stupid, I had to put them down," Raymond shrugged.
"You don't understand who you're dealing with!" Carl said harshly.
"Isn't it the Hellfire Club?" Raymond pretended to be surprised.
"You—"
"Don't get so worked up. I only questioned them before I sent them off," Raymond said with a smile. "That's how I found out, Mr. Carl, that you're the famous 'Black Knight,' huh."
"How dare he betray the club!" Carl growled.
"Well, you can't blame them. Not many can handle my questioning. If it were you, Mr. Carl, I believe it would be the same."
"You killed my men, yet you still dare to meet me? Do you think you've got me?"
"Touch your back," Raymond said with a smirk.
Touch my back?
Carl didn't understand, but he didn't ask; he just reached behind to see what trick Raymond had up his sleeve.
As soon as he touched his back, he found a note stuck there. His expression turned dark.
But it didn't stop there.
When he took the note off and saw the writing, his face got even worse!
The note showed exactly how to perfectly counter his powers!
The fact that Raymond could stick this note on his back without him noticing meant that he could easily use it to take him down.
If John and Lorna had seen this note earlier, Carl might already be kneeling now.
After folding and tearing the note into pieces, he said, "Even if you think you've got me, are you sure you can handle the club's revenge?"
"If I was sure, do you think I'd still be standing here wasting time with you?" Raymond sneered.
Carl was silent for a moment, then said, "I can leave now and no longer…"
"I don't trust your words," Raymond cut him off.
"Then what do you want me to do?!" Carl got a bit angry.
"Help me contact the person in your club who has the power to decide. I want to talk to them directly," Raymond said his demand.
"This..."
"What? You don't want to? Then I'll just kill you and wait for them to come after me."
"Wait! I agree!" Carl quickly replied.
He didn't really believe that Raymond would kill him, especially since Raymond had already received information about the Hellfire Club from his men.
However, he didn't dare take the risk because the stakes were his life.
If he lost, there would be no chance to turn things around. He didn't want to risk his life.
So after a short struggle, he changed back to his original form, took out his phone, and dialed a number—
After the call connected, he briefly spoke with the person on the other end, then handed the phone to Raymond.
Raymond took the phone and heard a rough voice say:
"I am the Black King…"
That simple introduction was enough for Raymond to know that this was the person in charge.
According to Hellfire Club rules, the Black King and the White King are the top leaders, equal in rank.
But usually, only one spot is filled because two bosses can't rule one place unless they both agree the other is just as good as themselves.
This was very rare.
Raymond didn't know who was leading the club now, and Kuro's personality couldn't guess either, since all their knowledge came from Raymond.
But it didn't matter who it was—Raymond only wanted a chance to negotiate.
"Hello, I'm Raymond."
"Hmm, I've heard a rough summary from Carl. State your purpose," the Black King said directly.
"I want to join your club."
"Fine."
"Black King, please don't agree so quickly. I have a request…"
"Oh?"
"I want a title!"
"That's against the rules," the Black King said coldly. "You convinced Carl to stop going after you for killing his men, which proves your strength. But to become a core member, you must contribute enough to the club. I can't agree to that now."
"Don't try to fool me with that. Rules are made by people and can be changed by people. I believe you, Black King, have the power to change rules," Raymond said with a light smile.
"Why do you think I'd break the club's rules for you?"
"Because I have confidence in myself."
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then the Black King said, "Tomorrow, I'll personally come to Richmond."
Then the call ended.
PowerStone Goals:
50 PowerStones = 1 Extra Chapter