"Charles, what's wrong?"
Erik walked up to him, his tone filled with curiosity.
"Moira's here."
Charles turned to both Erik and Alex. He had already sensed her arrival.
Erik's expression turned grim.
If Moira was here, then that meant the CIA had reached a conclusion.
The three exchanged glances. No words were needed—they headed to the door and brought Moira into Charles's room.
"It's just as we expected. The CIA has officially dissolved our unit. As of now, you're no longer affiliated with them."
Once everyone was seated, Moira got straight to the point, her tone solemn.
No one was surprised. The CIA had indeed abandoned them.
"Fine," Erik said with a shrug. "It doesn't change anything. We never really needed the CIA anyway."
"And what about you?"
Charles looked Moira in the eyes as he asked.
Over their time working together, Charles had come to feel something for her—something beyond simple friendship.
"They said it was my suggestion that caused all the losses. So... I've been suspended."
Moira tried to keep her tone light, but the disappointment in her eyes was hard to hide.
"Typical. Blame someone else when things go wrong. That's how they always operate," Charles said, clearly frustrated on her behalf.
But even so, there wasn't much they could do about it now.
"Enough about that." Moira clapped her hands and changed the subject. "So—what about you all? What's your plan now?"
"As a matter of fact," Charles said with a meaningful smile, "we're planning something big. A surprise for Shaw."
He then laid out their plans to Moira.
After hearing it, Moira immediately expressed her desire to join them.
Even though the CIA had suspended her, that didn't extinguish her drive to continue investigating Shaw. If anything, she had always felt she was fighting alone. But now—with Charles and the others—she wasn't alone anymore. Everything suddenly seemed a lot more manageable.
"Well then."
Charles smiled even more brightly. "Moira, welcome aboard."
Though Erik had always harbored distrust toward ordinary humans, he made no objection. He trusted Moira.
The other mutants—Mystique, Hank the Beast, and the rest—also warmly welcomed her.
From that moment on, Moira became Charles's assistant, helping him train the young mutants.
Of course, Alex didn't take part in Charles's training.
He was the only one who had complete mastery over his own abilities.
Even if Charles wanted to teach him, there wasn't much he could offer.
While the others were being "drilled" by Charles until they could barely stand, Alex was off training alone in the gym.
Even Erik didn't get that kind of freedom—he was still being "worked over" by Charles.
Life at the Xavier estate quickly became lively and intense.
---
To be fair, Charles truly was a genius. His understanding of genetic mutation was profound.
No matter the mutant's ability, Charles could design a tailored training program that yielded visible results.
The nickname Mystique had given him—"Professor X"—was more than fitting. No one understood the X-gene like he did.
In just ten days, the results were clear. All the mutants who had joined the training made significant progress.
Though they still had a ways to go before mastering their abilities or becoming combat-ready, the difference from when they started was night and day.
Both Charles and Erik were pleased.
Everything was moving in the right direction.
"Charles!"
Just as Charles was putting Erik through a session on the field, Alex appeared.
Both Charles and Erik paused and turned to look.
"Alex? Wow, you're actually showing yourself today?"
Erik teased with a chuckle.
Alex had basically disappeared into the training room for days, rarely showing his face.
"I came to inspect your progress," Alex said with a grin, tossing the joke right back.
By now, he had grown very close to Charles and Erik. Their relationship was no longer one of mentor and newcomer—they were equals now.
So Alex spoke freely.
"Bad timing, then," Erik said, throwing up his hands. "I'm not quite ready to blow your mind yet."
"In truth, Erik's powers are already highly developed. Further progress comes harder for him than it does for the others," Charles explained to Alex.
Naturally. Erik had spent most of his life hunting Shaw on his own. His control over his power was far beyond that of the younger mutants.
"All right, Charles, I have to go. It's almost time."
After some light banter, Alex shifted his tone.
Howard Stark from S.H.I.E.L.D. had once mentioned inviting Alex over for dinner. At the time, Alex thought he was just being polite. But to his surprise, the playboy had actually followed through—with a formal invitation, no less.
Alex had no reason to turn it down. Building a relationship with someone like Howard Stark—wealthy, influential, and connected—was a no-brainer.
Charles and Erik had no objection, of course. They were friends, not parents. Alex's private life wasn't their concern, as long as it didn't affect the group.
And Alex was, without question, the one they trusted most.
"Need a ride?" Charles offered. "You can take my car."
"Thanks, Charles, but maybe next time."
Alex waved him off. He had a personal driver picking him up for this one.
Leaving the Xavier estate, Alex once again made his way to 75th Street in New York—the spot where he'd parted ways with JARVIS last time.
There, JARVIS was already waiting.
But what JARVIS didn't know… was that Alex wasn't the only one being waited for.
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