Sophia stood beside Moira, who had invited her to attend a university lecture. It had been a while since Sophia had seen her old friend, so she readily agreed. After the lecture, they found themselves in a bustling pub near the university. Sophia felt slightly out of place, uncertain why they were there, and watched as Moira suddenly moved away, intercepting a man who was making his way through the crowd. Curious, Sophia followed closely behind.

"Congratulations, Professor!" Moira said warmly.

"Thank you very much. It's actually much harder than it looks," the man replied with a modest smile.

"No, I meant on your presentation," Moira clarified.

"You were at my presentation?" he asked, surprised. "How kind of you. Thank you very much," he added, extending his hand.

"Moira MacTaggert," she introduced herself, shaking his hand.

"Charles Xavier," he replied before turning to Sophia, offering his hand once more. "And you?"

Sophia froze, staring at him in shock. She recognized him instantly-it was the man who had saved her that day.

"Sophia Roswell," she managed to say, her voice steady as she shook his hand, her mind racing with the realization.

"Do you have a minute?" Moira asked.

"For a charming beam of light with a mutated MCR-1 gene, I have five," he replied with a playful smile.

Oh, great, he's a weirdo, Sophia thought.

He led both women to a nearby table, continuing his playful banter. "If I say MCR-1, you might say golden hair," he quipped as they sat down. "It's a mutation-a very groovy mutation, actually." He glanced at Sophia, adding, "You know, mutations took us from single-celled organisms to the dominant form on the planet."

Sophia smiled, amused by his enthusiasm and knowledge.

Moira, however, wasn't as entertained. "This routine might go over well with the co-eds, but I'm here on business," she interrupted, her tone serious.

"What?" Charles asked, his playful demeanor shifting as he turned back to her.

"I really need your help," Moira said, her urgency clear.

"All right," he responded, now fully attentive.

"The kinds of mutations you discussed in your thesis," Moira continued. "I need to know if they might have already occurred-in people alive today."

Sophia observed as Charles rested his chin on his hand, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his temple as he seemed to scrutinize Moira. His peculiar behavior only reinforced her impression of him as a bit of an oddball. His expression shifted abruptly, his fingers falling away from his face as he looked visibly shocked.

"Professor?" Moira called out.

Charles let out a dry laugh. "I think we should talk when you're sober," she said.

Moira raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any time tomorrow?"

Charles responded cryptically, "Something tells me you already know the answer to your question."

"This is very important to me," Charles said earnestly. "If I can help you, I'll do my utmost."

"Thank you," Moira replied with a smile. She then stood up from the table. "Come on, Sophia."

Sophia stood slowly, casting one last glance at Charles. She managed a small smile before lowering her gaze and following Moira out of the pub.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Sophia sat next to Raven at the CIA meeting, feeling slightly out of place and unsure of what was going on. She had asked Moira to bring her along, curious but unprepared for the discussion that unfolded.

"The advent of the nuclear age may have accelerated the mutation process," Charles was saying. "Individuals with extraordinary abilities may already be among us."

He concluded his statement and took his seat, his words hanging in the air. Sophia didn't fully grasp what he was talking about, but there was something about the way he spoke that captivated her. She found herself drawn to his voice, even if the content eluded her.

"MacTaggert, you really think some crackpot scientist is going to convince me to believe in sparkly dames and vanishing men?" the man scoffed. "You just bought yourself a one-way ticket back to the typing pool. This meeting is over."

Moira began to rise from her seat.

"Uh, please sit down, Agent MacTaggert," Charles interjected calmly. "I didn't really expect you to believe me," he continued, "especially since all you could think about during my presentation was what sort of pie they were serving in the commissary."

Sophia stared at him, a mix of shock and concern crossing her face. She hadn't realized he could read minds.

"It's apple pecan," Charles continued with a knowing smile. "I haven't been entirely honest with you, love, and for that, I'm sorry. One of the many remarkable things my mutation allows me to do is read your mind."

"I've seen this before in a magic show," one of the men interrupted. "Are you going to ask us to think of a number between one and ten now?"

Charles chuckled. "No, Agent Stryker. Though I could mention your son William, whom you've been thinking about, which is sweet. But I'd rather talk about the Jupiter missiles America is currently placing in Turkey." His tone shifted, becoming serious.

The room fell into stunned silence, except for Raven. The other agents looked alarmed.

"He's a goddamn spy! You brought a goddamn spy in here!" one of the agents shouted, grabbing the phone.

Moira quickly shook her head. "I did not! I would never bring one here!"

The room erupted into chaos, voices overlapping as everyone spoke at once. Suddenly, Raven stood up, transforming into the likeness of one of the agents. Sophia watched, utterly confused. Then, before their eyes, Raven changed again-this time into a blue-skinned figure. She was blue. How was she blue?

"How's that for a magic trick?" Charles said, his tone serious as he glanced at the stunned agents.

"Best I've ever seen," commented a man sitting quietly at the back of the room.

"I want them out of here," one of the agents demanded. "And lock down the building until I figure out what to do."

The man in the back spoke up again, "My facility is off-site. I'll take them."

"I can't believe this. You'd think the director of the CIA would have a little more composure," Moira muttered as they hurried down the hall.

"Well, it's hard to stay composed when a woman literally turns blue in front of you," Sophia replied.

"We should be going after Shaw right now, but instead, he's up there worrying about the wrong mutants," Moira said, frustration evident in her voice. "What do you think, Lavenne?" she asked, turning to their companion. "Lavenne?"

Sophia glanced over at him, realizing something was off. He had stopped moving entirely, standing eerily still. "Lavenne, what's wrong with you?" Moira asked, her concern growing.

Sophia noticed the water from the nearby fountain still running, but Lavenne was frozen in place.

"Absolutely nothing," a voice said. "I've simply frozen him for the moment because I'd like to have a word with the two of you."

Sophia looked around, bewildered. "It's quite impressive, isn't it?" Charles' voice echoed, though it felt more unsettling than impressive to her.

"Now, I share your interest in Sebastian Shaw," Charles continued. "If you still want my help, meet me on the third floor of the parking garage."

Moira glanced at Sophia, who shrugged in response.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"I've always known people like you existed," the man walking beside them said. "I've been the laughing stock of this agency for years, but I knew it. You're going to love my facility."

"That will have to wait," Charles interrupted.

"Why?" the man asked.

"Agent MacTaggert has a lead on Sebastian Shaw. If we don't act now, we might lose him," Charles explained. Just then, the car pulled up, and Raven opened the door, sliding into the seat next to Sophia.

"What?" the man asked, puzzled.

"Not only can he read minds, but he can communicate with them as well," Raven said.

"Moira and I just had a delightful conversation," Charles added.

"Yes, we did," Moira confirmed.

"I was there too," Sophia chimed in. "No idea what they were talking about, but I was there."

"That is incredible!" the man exclaimed.

Charles chuckled. "But I can't take you anywhere else without permission from upstairs."

"Would you like to see one more magic trick?" Charles asked.

"Okay," the man replied.

Charles touched his temple and said, "Get in the car."

"Good idea," the man said, getting in. Sophia laughed softly.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Sophia stood next to Charles on the ship as he concentrated, doing his strange mind-reading thing that she didn't fully understand. "I've lost Shaw," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I've lost-I've lost Shaw." He repeated the words, still stunned.

"There's something blocking me. This has never happened before," he added, a hint of panic creeping in. "I think there's someone like me on that ship."

"Like you?" Moira asked.

"I'm sorry-a telepath," he clarified.

Sophia glanced around, her eyes landing on a girl standing on the docks. She squinted, trying to make her out, but couldn't.

"This is incredible. I can actually feel her inside my mind," Charles said, his voice a mix of awe and unease.

Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that Charles was a bit odd. "I'm very sorry," he said, "but I don't think I'm going to be much help to you tonight. You're on your own."

They stared in shock as one of the men across the water conjured wind from his hands. "Oh my God," Charles murmured.

"Jesus," Moira whispered, watching as the man directed the powerful gusts toward the boats heading their way.

"Get inside!" one of the men urged the group.

Sophia glanced back to where she had seen the girl earlier. She was still there, her expression now tinged with worry. Sophia hesitated for a moment, frozen in place.

"Sophia!" Charles called, grabbing her arm. She snapped out of it, quickly turning back to him and hurrying inside.

Sophia was following closely behind Charles on the stairs when he suddenly froze. "Stop, stop, stop!" he said frantically.

"Charles!" Sophia called out, her voice laced with concern as she reached toward him. She watched as his hand moved to his temple. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He looked back at the group, eyes wide. "There's someone else out there," he said, turning and pushing the door open again. Sophia followed closely behind him.

"There!" he pointed, and Sophia's gaze followed, spotting the figure in the water.

She glanced back at the docks where the girl was standing, then back at the man in the water. She realized the girl had been watching him the whole time.

She watched in disbelief as the man in the water manipulated massive metal chains, slamming them repeatedly into the boat where Shaw was. Sophia couldn't help but wonder what on earth she had gotten herself into.

"Let go!" Charles shouted from their ship, his voice desperate. "You've got to let it go!" He bolted down a level, his urgency growing. "There's someone in the water-you've got to help him!" he pleaded with the group.

"Let it go! You have to let it go!" he yelled again, turning his focus back to the water.

Sophia watched as Charles ran to the other side of the ship, quickly following him. To her shock, he stripped off his jacket and dove into the water.

"Charles!" Sophia screamed, backing up in shock as she watched him disappear beneath the waves.

Sophia leaned over the railing, anxiously scanning the water. When she finally saw Charles resurface, pulling the man with him, she let out a sigh of relief. Glancing back at the docks, she noticed the girl she'd seen earlier also exhaling in relief, mirroring her own emotions.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

YAY NEW XMEN FIC PUBLISHED :33