Apart from Tim Drake, the third Robin, who focused on becoming the world's greatest detective like Batman, the other Robins all had their distinct paths.
The first Robin, Dick Grayson, with his background in the circus, relied on his agility and acrobatics as his primary strengths.
The second Robin, Jason Todd, was the unfortunate one who was brutally killed with a crowbar. After his resurrection, he became the hot-tempered member of the Bat-family.
Then there was Damian Wayne, Batman's biological son, raised by the League of Assassins. His mother was an assassin, and his grandfather harbored grand plans of destroying Gotham City.
Of course, Charles Xavier didn't know about the complicated thoughts running through Reid's mind. Instead, he took Reid's words as a casual joke and responded with a smile, "It sounds like your kids are full of energy. How about this... Let's head to my office, and I'll give you a detailed introduction to everything about the academy."
"Sure!" Reid agreed.
Along the way, Reid carefully observed everything about the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. But no matter how closely he looked, the only conclusion he could draw was that everything here seemed completely normal.
It was too normal.
This was exactly the kind of situation Reid had been hoping for. If there were no mutants in this world, it meant his future plans wouldn't have to account for the unpredictable factor of their existence.
Yet, despite this, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was still off, as if there was something he hadn't noticed.
Just then, an elderly lady entered the office, holding two cups of tea.
"Who is this…?" Reid asked.
Upon hearing this, Charles immediately began to introduce her.
"She is one of the teachers at the academy. She teaches art and is also my friend, Raven."
"Hello, Ms. Raven."
Reid shook hands with Raven and spoke up.
"I can tell that Ms. Raven must have been a beautiful lady when she was younger. It's just a shame that time waits for no one."
"...."
Raven didn't speak, but Reid could feel her grip on his hand tighten slightly.
"Apologies, ma'am, I shouldn't have said that."
Reid quickly apologized, while also growing more cautious in his mind.
His greeting had indeed been somewhat rude, but if Raven were truly just an old teacher, she wouldn't have reacted this way. Moreover, he could sense her murderous intent.
Originally, Reid had no idea what murderous intent even was.
But after playing the Joker and committing a lot of murders, Reid had gained some insight into this.
At that moment, Raven had wanted to kill him.
Reid didn't have proof, but he could still make that judgment.
She didn't say a word, and after accepting his apology, Raven turned and left.
Reid considered grabbing her clothes to test whether her outfit was a result of mutant abilities, but ultimately decided against it.
If he did that, it would be too obvious.
"Let's continue, Mr. Reid."
"Alright!"
Turning around, Reid continued to listen to Charles' introduction of the academy.
But inside, he was on high alert.
From his earlier observation, he had confirmed that there was indeed something wrong with the school.
Most likely, mutants existed, but for some unknown reason, they were hiding.
As for Charles in front of him, Reid wasn't worried at all.
He came from a higher dimension, with memories from his previous life. He could accept that the Marvel world was essentially a comic book world, and the people around him were comic characters. However, Charles couldn't accept that.
If Charles tried to read his mind, he would only go insane because he couldn't accept the reality.
If anyone in the Marvel universe could remain rational upon learning this truth, it would most likely be Deadpool, that madman.
But aside from Charles, the other mutants were still a significant threat to him. He had to be cautious.
"How was it? Mr. Reid, this is the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters." Charles said as he concluded his introduction and looked at Reid, who had been deep in thought.
"I've got a general understanding." Reid responded. Though he had been thinking about other things, he had still paid attention to what Charles had said.
After casually bringing up a few common questions, Reid excused himself, claiming he needed time to think.
"Alright, I'll have Jean accompany you out." Charles said.
Reid nodded and left the office with Jean, who had entered just in time to guide him out.
It wasn't long after Reid left when a hidden door in Charles' office opened. His old friend, Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr), stepped out.
"So, Charles, what is he really thinking? Do you know?" Erik asked.
Charles shook his head in response.
"I have a feeling that the knowledge in his head is very dangerous, so I didn't read his memories. However, I can confirm that he was indeed testing us." Charles said.
"Then just kill him!" Raven immediately suggested after Charles spoke. She had returned, having removed her disguise as an old woman, and reverted to her original blue-skinned form.
"This human dares to criticize my appearance. Even if it wasn't my real form, it's not his place to say!" She added with a scowl, her anger evident.
Charles simply shook his head in response.
"No, Raven. I've gathered information. This person has some connection with Alfred Pennyworth, the butler from Gotham City. If we kill him, it's very likely we'll expose ourselves right now."
Although Charles stopped Raven's actions, it was clear from his words that he wasn't opposed to killing Reid—his concern was more about the potential consequences and the trouble it might bring, rather than the act of killing itself.
"There aren't enough of us yet. We need a decisive victory. Only mutants are fit to rule the future of this world."
Erik spoke the final words, and both Charles and Raven nodded in agreement, supporting Eric's viewpoint.
"Won't it be dangerous if we have Jean escort him?"
Raven suddenly remembered Jean Grey, the mutant girl, who was a promising individual with immense potential. What if something went wrong?
"There's no need to worry, Raven. Jean's powers have already reached a certain level of development. In the end, he's just an ordinary human, nothing worth our concern." Erik responded confidently, his tone dismissive. It seemed in his eyes, Reid was nothing but a minor inconvenience, incapable of affecting anything.
...
Meanwhile, Reid and Jean were on their way out of the academy. As they walked, Reid casually plucked the most beautiful rose from the bushes along the road, then turned to look at Jean.
In his excitement, Reid didn't seem to notice the uneven ground beneath him. He tripped and stumbled toward Jean.
"Ah!!"
With Jean's cry of pain, the thorns of the rose pricked both of their palms as Reid fell.
Both Reid and Jean bled, and the rose in their hands, now stained with blood, seemed to grow even more beautiful.
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Hey guys, I've started posting a new novel. A Pokémon fanfic set in a darker, more realistic world. The MC, Shiro, is similar to Reid, calm, calculating, and ruthless. If you're interested in something like that, go check it out!