"Flynn? Hey, Flynn, long time no see" Raiden opened the door and greeted the visitor warmly.
"Akatosh, it's been a while" the guest at the door gave Raiden a hug and spoke with enthusiasm.
Mody Flynn was the U.S. government congressman who lived downstairs from Raiden. Last time, Raiden had asked him to look into the whereabouts of the Parkers, but... Raiden still hadn't received a response.
"Come on in, have a seat" Raiden stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.
Flynn walked into Raiden home, and Raiden invited him to sit in the chair by the window, then went to pour two cups of coffee.
"Flynn, what brings you here?" Raiden crossed his legs and looked out the window as he spoke.
Flynn took a sip of his coffee, paused, and then said "You asked me last time to look into Richard Parker and his wife, right? I've got some news."
Raiden frowned slightly, he had almost forgotten about it, as it had been a month already.
But now that Flynn brought it up, Raiden remembered.
However... Raiden couldn't help but think that Flynn taking so long to inform him about the Parkers' situation might mean he hadn't taken the request seriously, which left Raiden feeling a bit displeased.
As a U.S. congressman, Flynn naturally noticed the displeasure in Raiden expression and quickly explained.
"After you asked me about this last time, I immediately sent someone to investigate. But upon looking into it, I found that Richard Parker and his wife Mary Parker identities are quite extraordinary."
Raiden furrowed his brow and asked "What's so special about their identities?"
Flynn thought for a moment and said "They both belonged to a U.S. government organization called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
"What?!" Raiden was slightly startled.
"Akatosh, are you familiar with this organization?" Flynn asked curiously, as even he, a U.S. congressman, and his family knew very little about it, only that it was a national security department established after World War II.
Raiden nodded, deep in thought, and said "I know a bit. Go on."
Flynn, noticing Raiden distracted state, continued.
"This organization is extremely secretive. It took me a lot of time to get in touch with their higher-ups. Unfortunately, according to the information they provided, the Parkers met with an accident and have passed away."
"Dead? You're saying Richard Parker and his wife are both dead? How? What happened?" Raiden looked up and pressed for answers.
Seeing Raiden's reaction, Flynn tone immediately became more somber.
"I heard it was due to defection... They betrayed the government organization, and while in the Middle East, their plane crashed. I don't know any more specific details."
Raiden nodded, covering his head with his hands.
Although he had only met the Parkers once, he had hit it off with Peter, that adorable little kid, and now Yinsen was even somewhat involved with May Parker.
So, for Raiden, the Parkers' situation was very important.
"What about their bodies?" Raiden lowered his hand from his forehead and asked weakly.
Flynn shook his head "I don't know... Maybe it's in the Middle East and hasn't been brought back yet."
Raiden looked at Flynn with confusion, not understanding what he meant.
Flynn shrugged helplessly "I don't know the specifics, but if you need, I can help you inquire further."
"That... No, it's alright. Thank you, Flynn. I think I can find someone who knows more to ask."
Raiden was about to ask Flynn to help him inquire further, but suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind—someone more suitable, someone from within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Is that so? Alright then." Someone who knows? Flynn could immediately guess the identity of this person—either someone from that department or... that small group in Washington.
But regardless of which group it was, it indirectly reflected Raiden significance.
"Thank you for telling me this news." Raiden stood up and shook Flynn hand again in gratitude.
Flynn quickly stood up and shook Raiden's hand, but seeing the worry in Raiden's brow, he tactfully said.
"In that case, I'll take my leave now, Akatosh. There's still a lot to handle. If you need any help, you can call me anytime."
Raiden mind was also in turmoil, unable to sort through his thoughts. Seeing Flynn offer, he didn't insist on him staying and repeatedly thanked him as he saw Flynn out the door.
After leaving Raiden house, Flynn felt very satisfied. Recalling Raiden sincere gratitude, Flynn knew that his efforts during this period hadn't been in vain.
The reason Flynn had been so diligent in helping Raiden wasn't just because he was kind-hearted and liked to help others—he had his own motives.
Initially, it was because of the relationship Raiden and Tony displayed. Tony often visited Raiden house, and their close relationship was well-known to everyone in the building.
Having a connection with Tony Stark was very beneficial for Flynn.
Recently, after Tony publicly revealed his identity as Iron Man, Raiden status in Flynn's eyes skyrocketed. That's why Flynn had been so eager to gather the information Raiden had asked for and deliver it to him.
Now, it seemed that this goodwill had already been established, which made Flynn very happy.
However, inside the house, Raiden seemed very unhappy after seeing Flynn off.
Raiden weakly walked to the sofa and collapsed heavily onto it. "What a mess!" Raiden groaned.
Were the Parkers defectors? Were they from S.H.I.E.L.D.? Dead... These questions left Raiden at a loss on how to proceed.
How should Raiden break this news to Yinsen? And how could Yinsen tell May... Not to mention Peter, that little guy who always talked about his parents.
Perhaps he should get to the bottom of this now... Yes, he should get to the bottom of it!
Raiden suddenly sprang up from the sofa, sat upright, and closed his eyes in deep thought. The Parkers defected? Why would they defect? They don't seem like the type to betray their country! And then there's the matter of their cause of death—if they really did defect, could it be that S.H.I.E.L.D. took matters into their own hands?
And what did Flynn mean when he said the bodies might still be in the Middle East?
Could it be that S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't bring the bodies back? Or perhaps they never even saw the bodies? Maybe the Parkers aren't dead at all?!
Each of these pieces of information needed to be investigated by Raiden, and only after he had figured it all out... could he break the tragic news to May and Peter...
But to unravel everything, Raiden needed the help of someone who was in the know—someone who had the right to know about all of this.
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