"And that is why physics is the answer that can connect us to other dimensions, varying time periods and undiscovered worlds."

The auditorium remained silent.

Callista frowned, just like the Oxford crowd to reject revolutionary ideas.

"Thank you." The erratic man said before gathering his notes and walking off the stage allowing the whispers to ensue. Callista immediately followed him backstage. She watched as he loosened his tie and looked down at the floor in defeat.

"They think I'm crazy, the whole university."

"No one thinks you're crazy Daniel."

Daniel shot her an un-amused look. "I know what they say about me Cali."

Callista gave her old friend a reassuring smile. "Who cares what they say Daniel, we both know you are a genius. These theories, they are revolutionary. Don't let these pseudo-intellectuals get to you. Why don't we go out to the pub tonight, yeah?"

"I don't feel like it. Go without me alright?"

Callista placed her hand gently on the man's back before grabbing her coat and heading to the bar. The cool night air put her mind at ease. She had hoped tonight would have played out differently, but she couldn't say she wasn't prepared for the reaction the physics professor received. People needed convincing to see things that were unbelievable.

The pub was packed with students. Callista walked straight to the bar not making eye contact with her drunken classmates.

"Whisky on the rocks please." She mumbled.

"Rough night?" The old man at the bar asked. "Where's the professor?"

"He's taking the night off." Callista answered downing the whisky in one swig before tapping the counter for another one. The bartender obliged. She sat down on one of the stools and pulled out a cigarette trying to ignore the rowdy shouts of the other people in the pub.

"Excuse me, excuse me fellow time-travellers."

Callista spun around in the bar stool to see a drunken man standing on top of one of the tables surrounded by peers.

"Physics is the answer to everything, let's talk about the fourth dimension and tell scary stories around the time machine." The man said in a mock tone. All the people in the pub roared with laughter.

"Applause please for Professor Daniel Faraday for discovering how to maintain a job at Oxford despite his deranged research."

Callista watched with horror, which quickly turned into anger. He was average sized bloke, with shaggy brown hair, and bright blue eyes.

Fucking cheeky English bastard. She thought.

The drunk suddenly looked in her direction with a baffled look. Callista held his gaze taking a long drag from the cigarette before turning her back to him.

"Excuse me miss…" A voice said close behind her. The man slumped onto the stool next to her.

Callista took one look at the jerk before downing the whisky in front of her.

He cleared his throat. "I'm Charles Xavier, perhaps you've heard of me?"

Callista could not believe this man was talking to her. She tapped the bar for another drink planning her escape. She had indeed heard of him. Who hadn't? He was considered the smartest student at the university. His work on genetics was phenomenal.

"I'm writing my thesis on genetic mutation."

Callista downed her third whiskey and faced the man putting out her smoke.

"I know who you are." She said. The man shifted in the seat awkwardly, he seemed to be studying her intently.

"Something wrong?" She asked looking him dead in the eye.

"No…no…of course not. What is your area of study?" He asked.

"Physics, but you already know that don't you?" She said with hostility.

Charles was taken aback. Had she known he invaded her mind?

"Pardon me?" He managed to say.

"I would have thought someone who could write such a brilliantly radical thesis on genetic mutation would be able to respect plausible theories from one of the most intelligent men in the world." She retorted.

Charles looked at her in utter shock as she collected her things and walked out of the pub. Sobering up, he went to his previous table and grabbed his coat.

"Charles where are you going?" A young blonde woman asked concerned.

"Stay here Raven, I'll be right back."

Charles walked out into the cold night looking down the street to find the mysterious woman at the bar. Catching a glimpse of her coat, he quickly made his way in her direction.

"How would you know the contents of my thesis?"

Callista turned around startled and stared at the man with a cigarette in her mouth. He seemed to be more serious than before, she noted his sobering state of mind.

"When you write a thesis the entire science faculty reads and reviews it, including the man you seem to admire so much, Professor Faraday. I am his lab assistant."

Charles looked into her mind only to find truth. There was something different about her, he felt it, but something was blocking his mind from retrieving the information he sought.

"You know Professor Faraday really admires your work on genetic mutation. I daresay you two are practically equal in your respectable fields, except your character flaws are clearly….much more apparent."

Charles laughed internally at the woman's comparison. His research could be applied while Faraday's was all abstract theory.

"You must be very close to the professor." He said with an insinuating tone. Callista immediately felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. In that moment Charles felt the barriers of her mind relinquish and that hidden part was now within reach. He jumped back in surprise at what he saw.

"You have time travelled before." He said in an uncertain tone. It sounded absurd coming out of his mouth.

Callista felt her heart skip a beat at the man's statement.

"Of course not, don't be absurd." She said before turning around to leave. She was stopped when the man roughly grabbed her arm.

"I saw you." He almost whispered his blue eyes searching for any response that might contradict this seemingly impossible thing.

"Excuse me?" She said.

"You're different." He spoke still gripping her arm.

"You're insane." She spat pulling herself out of his grip and walking as fast as she could down the cobblestone street.

"You don't need to be afraid. I'm like you!"

Callista stopped dead in her tracks as the familiar voice spoke inside her head. She had to be losing her mind.

"Trust me you are just about as crazy as I am at this point."

Callista turned around. Charles could see the apprehension written all over her face. This was the first time she had met another person with a gift. .

"If you'd like, I live just another the corner, you could come over for some tea?" He asked. This was the second mutant he had ever crossed paths with and he wasn't about to let her run off before he could discover more information about her.

"It's nearly past midnight, I think tea time's over." She said. Charles could have sworn he saw a slight smirk playing on her lips.

"Well have to make an exception then?" He asked praying she would agree.

"Alright." She said after silently contemplating the man's offer for a few minutes.

"Excellent. I just need to get my sister Raven." He exclaimed, clapping his hands in excitement.

" Don't worry she is like us." Charles spoke in her head sensing her trepidation.

Callista followed Charles back to the bar. Not only one but two people who had unexplainable powers. She thought she had to be dreaming or losing her mind despite Charles's reassurance that this was all really happening.

"Wait here, I'll go grab her." He said the moment they arrived in front of the bar. For a moment, Callista thought about leaving but her curiosity was too strong at this point. This man that had been insulting her friend and mentor early, turned out to be able to read and communicate with her mind.

Callista's mind floated back down to reality when Charles and a young blonde woman stepped out of the bar and into the cold night air. The young woman, maybe a few years younger than Callista herself, looked at her with curious eyes.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend Charles?" She smiled looking at Callista in excitement.

"Right...well, I didn't catch your name actually." He said a bit embarrassed.

"How gentlemanly, Charles. I'm Raven Darkholme." The blonde said sticking her hand out.

"Callista. Callista Lehnsherr." She said taking Raven's hand.