Chapter Text
Charles Xavier had always seen Oxford as his escape.
Growing up in the house with his mother Sharon and stepfather Kurt and stepbrother Cain hadn't been easy , but Charles had decided from a young age that he would not always remain with them.
His father had left him when Charles was too young, making memories of the man sweet in the adolescent's mind, childhood memories that had been romanticized while growing up.
The mother had not been interested in worrying about her son, more a wife than a mother , and the stepfather had been proud of the boy's academic achievements rather than the boy's real talent .
While Cain, well… Charles might have guessed and said that he was jealous of both Charles' intellect and his wealth he would surely inherit when he became of the appropriate age.
"What are you doing?" Raven asked, sitting down next to Charles, craning her neck to read the letter.
“Oxford would be proud to have an academically brilliant student like me.” Charles murmured, slightly dazed. “They read my work on evolution, and were impressed by it, calling it a cutting-edge discovery and a brilliant theory .”
Raven cheered, clapping. “It's fantastic ! When do you start?”
“I won a scholarship to get a PhD in Genetics and Biophysics.” Charles blinked, slightly dazed and incredulous. “Raven, I did it ! I even have a personal apartment where I can live alone!”
"Really?" Raven reached out, humming. “I can come with you, right?”
" Absolutely !" Charles took Raven's hand. “ Of course I want you with me, Raven.”
Raven smiled sweetly at Charles, returning the handshake.
Then, she asked, clearly excited. “When are we leaving, then?”
Charles shrugged. “The apartment is already available.”
Raven's smile became almost ferocious. “So, little brother, let's go celebrate tonight!”
Charles smiled at his sister. “I couldn't have said it better!”
***
Charles shouldn't have been drinking, but what were the benefits of controlling the bartender's mind other than getting his drinks served?
You got accepted into Oxford just once in your life, after all.
“You really can't use the once-in-a-lifetime excuse for everything, Charles.” Raven scolded, shaking her head. “Last time, you turned sixteen only once, then there was graduation which only happened once in your life, and then…”
“It was your idea to go and celebrate !” Charles replied, offended. “And, anyway , it really only happens once in a while to get accepted into Oxford! Raven, it's like every guy's dream !”
“Every nerd , maybe.” Raven teased, taking a sip of her drink. “Come on, want to see if you can drink from that thing?”
“I'm getting mixed signals from you, Raven.” Charles sighed, shaking his head. “You have to decide, it's either okay for me to drink, or it's not okay. You can't keep changing your mind like this .”
Raven pushed back, tugging at the bartender's sleeve and saying. “My brother got accepted into Oxford, can you let him take the challenge?”
The man, a different bartender than the one who thought Charles was in his mid-twenties, narrowed his eyes.
“Are you even old enough, kid ?”
Charles ran his hand over his temple, blurring the images reaching the man's brain. “Thank you for the compliment, my dear.”
The man shook his head, before nodding and pulling out some sort of elongated funnel or very long cannula.
“Wow, is it even possible to drink from that ?” Raven asked, staring at him with wide eyes.
Charles shrugged, while the man smiled. “That's why we're offering a round of drinks to anyone who can complete the challenge, sweetheart.”
Since there was no offensive intent behind the epithet, Charles did nothing to the man.
He still remembered when he made some idiot believe he was a tree after he had had impure thoughts about his little sister.
And, no, Charles didn't think it mattered that Raven was actually older than him.
“A challenge and a round of drinks offered by you? It feels like a real party now.” Charles commented, smiling arrogantly.
“Let's see, pretty boy.”
When Charles finished his elongated drink , Raven decided to take it upon herself to fetch their owed drinks.
“Congratulations, Mr. Xavier.” A woman approached him, smiling.
“Oh, thanks, it's actually more complicated than it seems, you know…” Charles glanced at the glass, surprised at how much physics had been unconsciously applied.
Yes, Charles was getting pissed. He had definitive proof of this, now.
Especially when he decided to flirt with the clearly older woman in front of him.
“No, I was talking about your research.” The woman corrected him. “Impressive work, sir.”
“Did you read my research?” Charles smiled. “How nice of you, thank you.”
“Moira MacTaggert." The woman introduced herself.
“Charles Xavier.” Charles shook the woman's hand.
“Do you have a minute to talk?”
“For a beautiful girl with an MC1R mutation, I can make it five.” Charles answered, leading Moira to a slightly quieter corner of the bar, away from the deafening music.
“It's about your thesis, Mr. Xavier.” Moira told him. “And how possible it is that the mutations you talked about already exist.”
Charles sat down, gesturing to the seat in front of him to the woman. “Call me Charles, please. And, what do you mean, exactly ?”
“The DNA mutations you discussed, mutations that allow humans to possess extraordinary powers.” Moira repeated, looking seriously at Charles. “How possible is it that there are already individuals with genomes modified in this sense?”
Not only was the question surprising, but also the sense of urgency conveyed by the woman, a CIA agent, judging by the thoughts she possessed and not of a lower level, was enough to intrigue and surprise Charles in a way that little else had managed to do.
He supported his head with his hand, putting a finger to his temple to focus his talent and see .
Images of a diamond woman, a red man appearing and disappearing from the room, and another man arguing with what was, in the woman's thoughts, a Russian general made Charles' eyes widen, his drunkenness gave way to euphoria .
It wasn't just him and Raven. There were others like them.
“I think you already know the answer to that question.” Charles replied, fascinated by what he had seen in the woman's mind.
Moira looked distressed. “Mr Xavier…”
“Charles.” Charles corrected. “I'm too young to be called sir .”
“Charles…” Moira sighed. “If you are in no hurry to get to Oxford, would you appreciate accompanying me to a meeting with my superiors to discuss this matter with them?”
Charles smiled enthusiastically. “Nothing would make me happier, Moira.”
They were not alone .
There were others like them.
Charles had not had better news in his entire life .