"What is this..." Raven's eyes widened as she stared at the photos.
"What the fuck?" Charles blurted out.
Moira glanced at the photos, frowned at Charles, then seemed to realize something.
She took them and examined them carefully.
They were nothing more than pictures of Morin with Wesley, along with shots of Wesley showing off his muscles.
There were no obvious flaws.
Because they were real photos.
"It doesn't look like they've been doctored," Moira said.
"But I can't be completely sure. I can have someone from the relevant department check them."
"No. I'm certain I've never taken pictures like this, and I don't know him..." Charles frowned, pressing his index and middle fingers to his temple.
He activated his telepathy.
If he wanted answers, the fastest way was to read his own memories.
Charles was sure of one thing.
His telepathy did not cause amnesia.
Yet this time, his usually infallible ability failed.
Morin had placed a mental protection spell on himself. With Charles's current strength, Morin wasn't exaggerating when he said that even if Charles used Cerebro, Morin could-
Just run away.
Professor X with Cerebro was like someone using an official cheat.
How could you fight someone who could adjust the data in the background?
At least, Morin couldn't do that right now.
Charles's consciousness slammed into something solid.
It was blocked completely.
Then the wall transformed into a sharp blade and stabbed straight into his mind.
This sensation was new.
Completely new.
"You..." Charles's eyes widened.
"Calm down," Morin said directly inside Charles's mind, sounding almost annoyed at "achieving the accomplishment of entering Charles's brain."
At the same time, he hid the hollow feeling spreading through his body.
His mana had been drained in an instant.
"I'm here to help you."
That single move had nearly exhausted him.
He had used both mental power and a charm spell at once.
Breaking through a telepathic mutant's defenses was never easy.
Fortunately, Charles had been caught unprepared, unable to mount any effective resistance.
"How can I trust you?" Charles asked internally.
His nerves were taut.
This was happening inside his own brain.
Only now did he truly understand how terrifying it was to have one's mind invaded.
"This is how," Morin replied.
Then he withdrew immediately.
"So worked up. Remember now?"
"...Yes. I remember!" Charles froze for a moment, then reacted quickly and followed Morin's lead.
"That was years ago. I almost forgot."
"You didn't almost forget," Morin said, smiling faintly as he looked at Raven. "You forgot completely."
"Your brother and I met during a social outreach program. You probably didn't know, right? He talks about you often. You're very beautiful."
"...Thank you?" Raven said, glancing at Charles with confusion.
"It's complicated," Charles sent to Raven telepathically. "He's not a friend. I didn't know him before. But he's not an enemy either. For now, just go along with what he says."
Raven immediately understood the gravity of the situation.
Charles had promised her he would almost never read her mind.
If he was doing it now, things were serious.
"Professor, time is tight," Moira said.
Charles and Raven's acting wasn't nearly as natural as Morin's, and Moira sensed something was off.
But she didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Can we leave now?"
"Where are you going?" Morin asked casually. "Mind if I come along?"
He didn't act like an outsider at all.
Moira looked at Charles, doubt clear in her eyes.
"...Of course," Charles said after a brief pause. "We need to discuss some things."
"He's also quite knowledgeable in my field and occasionally offers useful advice."
"Actually, I'm a teacher," Morin said, pulling out a brand-new certificate from his pocket and handing it to Moira.
"My name is Morin."
"Moira MacTaggert," she replied, opening the certificate.
"...A Chinese language teacher?"
"Ah, my mistake," Morin said, smoothly taking it back and producing another certificate.
"Biology teacher. Though as a Chinese person, teaching Chinese isn't strange, is it?"
"Yes... I suppose not," Moira said, still confused.
"But you can come with us."
She decided to verify his identity later.
They took a special car to the airport, bought tickets, and boarded a plane.
The entire trip, Charles and Morin appeared to be chatting normally.
In reality, their conversation never left the mental plane.
Ding!
Your friend Morin has sent you a chat request.
Charles accepted it.
"Who are you, really?" Charles asked the moment the connection opened. "What were those photos? And why do you feel different from me, yet still have telepathic abilities?"
"I'm Morin. A teacher," Morin replied calmly.
"The photos were fake. High-tech fabrication."
"As for my abilities... you don't seriously believe there's only one path of human evolution, do you?"
The photos had only been a way to start the conversation.
Whether they were proven real didn't matter.
The explanation about evolution was a convenient excuse, based on what Charles already believed about mutants.
It couldn't be disproven.
Which meant Morin could say whatever he wanted.
And it sounded reasonable.
Charles remained skeptical.
Morin's words weren't illogical.
In fact, they were highly plausible.
But after seeing how seamlessly Morin had handled the fake photos earlier, Charles hesitated to accept anything at face value.
Normally, he would have simply read Morin's mind.
But Morin wasn't normal.
He was the first person Charles couldn't read.
The first person who had invaded his mind instead.
With his greatest weapon gone, Charles suddenly felt ordinary.
No.
Worse than ordinary.
Relying on a crutch meant losing something else.
Charles had never learned how to judge lies through expressions or behavior.
He'd never needed to.
It was like the saying-someone with an umbrella is most likely to get wet.
Someone with a cane is most likely to fall.
A crutch could also be a shackle.
"Then... what do you want from me?" Charles asked.
"As a teacher, I need students," Morin said.
"My previous students just graduated. I'm here to find new ones."
"...Me?" Charles understood, but still found it absurd.
He had just become a professor himself.
And Morin wanted him as a student?
"There are stronger ways to use your ability," Morin continued, offering no explanation.
"And there are others. Mutants aren't limited to you, and they didn't just start appearing recently."
"If you understand how powerful mutants can be, you'll understand the gap between mutants and ordinary humans."
"And if mutants become more numerous, more powerful, or uncontrollable-what happens then?"
"Jealousy. Hatred. Research. Weapons," Morin said.
"Different people will use their abilities in different ways."
"Not everyone is as restrained as you, Charles."
"Imagine someone who hates the world having your power."
"What do you think would happen?"
"I always thought I was the only one..." Charles was shaken.
He was smart enough to understand the implications immediately.
If more mutants appeared-
The situation would be dangerous.
Just like Raven.
Even if Charles didn't want to admit it, he struggled to fully accept her true form.
When Raven used her ability, she was every man's dream.
Mystique.
Having her was like having every woman in the world.
But mutations weren't uniform.
Not every mutant could hide their abilities.
If someone became a monster, how would their family react?
Would they be dissected by some hidden organization?
And if a powerful mutant truly hated humanity-
The consequences were unthinkable.
It was an impossibly complex problem.
Charles didn't need long to grasp its seriousness.
It was a problem he could never solve alone.
Fortunately, Morin had appeared.
A teacher helping students with questions was only natural.
Since he didn't hold a formal position, that technically made him a private tutor.
Charging a salary wasn't unreasonable.
With so many mutants and such diverse abilities, money wouldn't be an issue.
Morin wasn't worried about experience points.
All he needed to do was teach well.
Even if they weren't his students yet.
"So," Morin said, "now imagine what you'd do if there were many of them."
"As I said, I'm here to be your teacher."
"Think about it carefully. I have patience."
"Why?" Charles asked.
"Why do you want to teach me?"
"For the money," Morin said without hesitation.
"My hourly rate is high. I'm warning you in advance."
"...Money?" Charles looked genuinely confused.
"With abilities like yours, don't you have countless ways to make money?"
"I do," Morin replied.
"But I prefer earning it as a teacher."
"It feels better spending money earned that way."
"And..." He paused slightly. "This isn't the past anymore."
"Human weapons are far stronger than before."
"The gap between mutants and ordinary humans is obvious, but humans aren't defenseless."
"If conflict erupts, it could lead to nuclear war."
"To avoid that outcome, I need to choose certain people as students."
"Teach them."
"So mutants and ordinary humans can coexist."
"You have a solution?" Charles asked.
"Of course," Morin said with a smile.
"Do you want to hear it?"
"I do-wait," Charles said suddenly. "Does that mean I have to become your student?"
"Of course," Morin replied.
"And let me be clear. As a Chinese person, I take teaching seriously."
"If you become my student and don't listen..."
"I'll educate you properly."
"...Let's not rush," Charles said.
He couldn't agree so easily.
He wasn't Professor X yet.
If he were the bald, powerful man in a wheelchair, he might have agreed instantly.
Or simply read Morin's mind.
But Morin would never allow that.
"That's fine," Morin said. "I'll give you some free guidance first."
"I'll help you develop your abilities. Yours, and others'."
"After that, you can decide whether to hire me."
"That... sounds good," Charles said honestly.
He was deeply curious about Morin.
When a capable person bragged, it wasn't really bragging.
Morin's strength, and the information he revealed-
All of it left Charles with a single impression.
Powerful.
And wise.
Why had someone like this chosen him?
What did he want?
It definitely wasn't for money.
Or was it truly to prevent war and human tragedy-
Just as he claimed?
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