Chapter II. An Unlikable Ally
Years passed and the three mutants grew as beautiful and as powerful as they were meant to be. The two Xavier girls seem to have a natural affinity for the eyes of other men and women.
Raven, with her perfect blond hair and stunning eyes, wore more flirtatious clothing, showing her well-formed body with no shame. She kept her more human form, unable to truly be herself with her blue skin and red hair, but she always pushed that thought aside.
Melinda on the other hand, while her hazel eyes and dark brown braided hair drew the attention of many, she did not try to encourage it more with her clothing. Finding odd comfort in buggier clothes, she would always go for loose jeans and hoodies, despite the good fit she kept in her body.
What those two women, though, had in common; was their brother.
As per usual they sat at the bar, now being known as regular customers by the bartender and owners. They each had their drink while watching Charles trying to flirt with a woman.
She was a mutant as well, halfway. Having the simple mutation of heterochromia; two different coloured eyes. Yet, Charles tried to impress her with his vast knowledge of it, all while flirting in his way.
Melinda rolled her eyes. "5 bucks, he is failing big time" she bet, something the two sisters often did when bored and had to watch him.
"Make it 10," Raven said and kept watching.
However, she was impatient and decided to finish this attempt for good. Standing up, Melinda watched her as she approached Charles and the girl. She shook her head at the antiques of her younger sister but said nothing as she emptied her glass.
Unlike the others, her mutation allowed her to handle alcohol very well and rarely be affected by it to a bad degree. It was both a gift and a curse.
It did not take long for a group of frat boys and girls to enter the bar, wanting to celebrate. Charles, the social butterfly that he was, joined quickly and before his older sister knew it, he was encouraged by hormonal boys to jug a huge amount of beer.
Raven, as per usual, encouraged and admired him. Having a crush on him since childhood, she would always be found by his side; no matter what he tried to do. That left Melinda alone, sitting on the barstool and glancing at her two siblings.
She was always quieter than them and many would say, more mature. In a way, she felt that way. Despite the occasional nightmares of life before her current one, she never truly let that feeling go.
Her attention was drawn to a woman who had just entered the bar. Her gaze looked distant and her body language did not hide the sudden shock she felt. She seemed to be around Melinda's age, maybe a little bit older. Sitting on a chair, she got the attention of Charles. Drunk as he was, he casually approached her and decided to use his little 'gift' on her.
Little did Melinda know, that was the beginning of where their lives would never be the same again.
The next day, the three mutants had found themselves at the headquarters of the CIA. Or at least one of the many across the country. The woman Charles read her mind, was an agent who had seen mutants use their powers.
Shocked but also intrigued, Charles helped her learn more. Explaining to her that it was normal and as a professor with a focus on genetics, he could easily make people understand the reason behind these mutations. In addition, he did want to start informing people of the mutants, the future of human evolution.
That was what Agent Moira MacTagget needed to persuade her higher-ups of what she saw. It was already tough enough, with her being a woman, but now she had someone else who understood and backed her theory of super-powered individuals... another individual who was a man.
While Charles trusted her immediately, at least enough to explain mutants to her, Raven and Melinda were more hesitant. The blond, was mostly jealous since he could see the sudden interest the two of them had for one another. Moira, was also, a very pretty woman, and Raven did feel as if she was threatening her relationship with Charles.
Although, the telepath never truly returned the same feelings for her. He always saw Raven as his younger sister and nothing more. Melinda knew all of that but she kept her mouth shut, knowing it would only end up hurting both if she were to be involved more than she already had to.
The older of the three siblings did not mind Moira. However, the idea of talking to the director of the CIA and other powerful figures did not sit well with her. Faint gut instincts and experience of the past kept her on guard and slightly mistrustful of the government.
Yet, she did not have much of a choice at that moment.
She could back away from everything, but she refused to let Charles and Raven go into that alone. The three of them had always stayed together, no matter what. It would not change now or anytime soon... she would not allow that.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the CIA building once again. She never truly understood how secret organizations went for the fanciest of buildings, placing them literally in the middle of nowhere. You would think, they would go for something that did not draw much attention on the map...but nope. They could not do that.
She glanced at her siblings, holding their hands for a moment as she stood between them. Exchanging a look and trying to give their most encouraging smile, the three of them approached Moira, who was waiting for them at the entrance.
Melinda knew, that the moment they would pass those doors, there was no turning back.
They were currently sitting around a white table, placed at the far end of it. The rest of the people in the room were men with a specific high level of clearance. There were four men in the room, all dressed in expensive black suits and had a badge with their names and clearance levels.
Only one man stood among everyone else, whose face and body made him stand out. He was a plus-size man that was suited on a chair, at the far end of the room. Melinda had glanced at him when they had first entered but she had quickly focused on the other men in the room.
The three of them stood up due to their much younger age and clothing. While Raven as per usual, had gone for something a little bit more professional, she still ended up keeping her unique style of showing some of her skin.
Charles had tried his best to look professional with his white shirt and pants and grey old-fashioned jacket. Melinda had fought with him to keep the dark blue tie, which she had to tie for him because he was never truly capable of doing so; despite his great intelligence.
The last Xavier sibling was chosen to be dressed in more formal black pants, a white shirt and a matching good black jacket. As the oldest of the three, she always seemed to be the only one trying to give the proper impression.
Keeping her legs crossed, one on top of the other, her eyes were on Charles. His years of studying to become a professor paid off, as he gave a very interesting and detailed presentation. Yet, by the looks the men gave him, it proved to be far from persuasive. At least, none chose to interrupt him, until he was over.
"...The advent of the nuclear age, may have accelerated the mutation process. Individuals with extraordinary abilities may already be among us" he continued, glancing at his two sisters, the best of examples. "Thank you very much" he pressed a button, closed the projector and took his seat at the table.
The three Mutants and the Moira had been placed on one side of the table, close to the projector screen, which allowed the men to keep an eye on them at all times and study them in silence.
"MacTaggert" the director of the CIA started, turning to the female Agent. "You think that some crackpot scientist is going to make me believe in sparky dames and vanishing men?" he asked, not hesitating to point at Charles.
Melinda placed her hand on her lap, her fist clenched at the ignorance and arrogance of the man. Dressed in his fancy suit, he showed no manners and felt as if he was superior to both Moira and the three mutants. Even if he did not truly believe in Charle's lecture, he should keep an open mind or reconsider it.
However, it was quickly proven that those men were nothing but open-minded. It was one of the reasons why Melinda felt the country was failing. It was failing in her previous life and it was failing in her current one.
"You just bought yourself a one-way ticket back to the typing pool" another man added, looking at Moira.
The mutant felt annoyed and sick, at the treatment the fellow woman had to endure because of her gender, in an organization run by men with toxic masculinity. While the dark brown-haired woman was good at controlling her anger and temper, there were times she could lose her control.
She related to Moira, having also a tough time while she was studying for her PhD. In the hospital she had to work, she was the only female resident and she had endured a lot of things from her male colleagues who kept underestimating her. It was an era where women still fought to be seen as equals in a society that was ruled by men.
Charles, having heard her thoughts, placed his hand on top of hers to calm her down. "Please sit down Agent, MacTaggert," the telepath said, stopping Moira from leaving the room. He then turned to face the obnoxious men. "I did not expect you to believe me, given that all you could think about during my presentation was what sort of pie they were serving in the commissary...its apple pecan," he said, exposing himself as he turned to Moira. "I haven't been entirely honest with you, love. I am sorry. You see, one of the many spectacular things my mutation allows me to do is that I can read your mind"
Melinda let out a sigh, hanging her head slightly. She truly had prayed that Charles would not do something reckless or stupid. Yet, once again, her prayers seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
"I have seen this before, in a magic show" a second man, known as Agent Stryker, said as he did not believe him. "Are you going to ask us to think of a number between 1 and 10 now?"
Charles had that smirk on his face that his older sister knew, too well.
Charles, please do not do this, she begged in her mind, knowing very well she could hear her.
Yet, the young mutant only replied with a gentle squeeze on her already stiff fist. "No, Agent Stryker. Although, I could ask about your son, William, who you were thinking about, which is very nice. But I think I'd rather ask you about the Jupiter missiles America is currently placing in Turkey"
That last sentence...Melinda knew it. It was the drawing line. While Charles was an amazingly smart man with an extraordinary gift, he did not know how to use it properly. When he went into the minds of people, many times he simply went too deep. Finding memories and thoughts that he should not bother with.
On top of that, he immediately felt the need to comment, usually to express some sympathy depending on what he saw and read. That would always lead to the other person getting offended.
And that was what had taken place at that moment. The men quickly accused him of being a spy, blaming Moira as well, since she was the one to bring Charles to them. Amid the chaos, Raven chose to save the day by using her mutation.
Standing up, she quickly took the form of Agent Stryker before she decided to show her true form. Bright yellow eyes scaled blue skin and short red hair. Melinda always found her beautiful like that, but Charles often pushed her to hide, to fit in better. With a small smile, proud of Raven, she looked around the room.
Everyone was shocked and slightly scared by the proof of the power that was shown. Even Moira glanced at Melinda with a confused look. The girl, silently gave a nod, understanding what the agent was mentally asking her. Of course, her mutation was much harder to prove. Plus, Raven did more than a good job of passing the message.
"How is that for a magic trick?" Charles asked, looking at all of them.
"Best I have ever seen," the man at the back said, his eyes wide behind his round glasses.
"I want them out of here and locked down until I can figure out what to do," the main agent said, his finger pointed at them but was shaking, proof of his fear for them.
Melinda was not surprised by his reaction. Humans were always afraid of the difference, of what they could not understand and contain. She glanced at her siblings and Moira, unsure if they should try to get away by running as fast as they could.
To their rescue, came the silent man from the corner of the room. "My facility is off-site. I will take them"