London, 1959.

"So, you would abandon your fellow mutants, your brothers and sisters, for a race that will try to destroy you?" Shaw said menacingly, looking down on the female before him. "You disappointed me again Alice. I thought you were better, wiser. To think I've given you everything after your parents' accident. A home, education, training, and this is how you thank me. By disobeying me. Your parents would have been ashamed of you."

"Bringing up my parents doesn't work anymore Sebastian, I'm an adult now. Not a teen who doesn't know what's right and wrong. Killing an entire race would make us no better than them." Alice stammered, mentally kicking herself for not being able to sound confident and strong. Every time she and Shaw had an argument her voice would turn shaky, making him assume she was afraid of him. And she was but her anger had the upper hand.

Shaw snickered "that sounded very convincing. Such a good girl you are Alice, caring so much about the humans. Did you forget you made humans beg for their death countless times?"

Alice glared at Shaw, he wore a mocking smile on his face. "You made me do that Sebastian. I would never have used that power if it weren't for your teaching methods."

"You wouldn't have any power if it weren't for my teaching methods, Alice"

"Well maybe I would have preferred it that way, Sebastian."

Shaw's eyes narrowed "I think we're done for now, we'll talk again tomorrow." He turned around and walked towards a liquor cupboard to get himself some nice scotch. "I'll tell Emma to escort you to your room." The amusement was clearly audible in his voice. He knew Alice didn't like Emma at all.

"No" Alice trembled, not with fear but adrenaline. Her eyes turned rose gold, glowing slightly. The golden streaks in her hair lit up and her skin turned more radiant. Clenching her fists she gathered all her courage for her next move. "I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago." Alice made one last attempt to sound confident but her voice was still shaky.

Shaw turned rapidly realising what was about to happen. But it was too late. A deep darkness covered the room. It was as if a black hole had opened in the room, sucking in all the warmth, leaving cold and emptiness. Shaw couldn't move. His body didn't want to continue. He had forced Alice to use this side of her mutation over and over again to make it stronger and now it was used against him. "Goodbye Sebastian." Alice said coldly and she walked away. Turning her back against her teacher and her fellow mutants.

As soon as Alice stood outside she ran, as fast as her legs could carry her. Not paying any attention to her surroundings, not knowing where she was running to. She just wanted to get away as far as possible as fast as possible. She knew that the effect of the darkness wouldn't last longer than 5 minutes.

After 15 minutes Alice slowed down, her lungs screaming for oxygen and the muscles in her legs and feet begging for mercy. Numerous thoughts and feelings threatened to flood her mind but she didn't allow it. Not yet. Panting heavily she focused on her surroundings, trying to figure out where was. "You should have planned this more carefully you cow" Alice said to herself as she started walking down the road.


Washington outskirts, 1962

Alice stared at a picture on her drawer. It was a family picture. Alice was 12 when it was taken. She stood in the middle, her parents were on the right side and on the left was Sebastian Shaw. Her teacher at that time. She wondered what he'd been up to since she left. He had never come after her, nor had he sent any of his friends to come collect her. Sighing she got up from a leather sofa she'd been sitting in for the past few hours. The clock next to the picture on the drawer told her it was 6 in the morning. Which meant it was time to get up and get ready for work.

At the same time, half a world away, Charles Xavier was getting ready for his presentation on genetic mutation. He had worked hard on his thesis, now it was time to get it out. It'd be a first introduction to mutation he thought as he inspected himself in the mirror.

"You look fine Charles." Raven stood behind him, smiling.

Charles turned to face her "are you ready?" he asked.

"Are you?" Raven chuckled.

"Always." Charles said with a smug smile and he took her arm.

A successful presentation and a giant glass of alcohol later Charles was approached by a brunette. Her name was Moira MacTaggert and she needed Charles' assistance. After a short conversation on advanced mutation in people and some mindreading by Charles he promised the female he'd help her. For him it was a chance to find more mutants. For her it was a chance to prove herself to the CIA and to serve her country.

And so after a few days Charles and Raven found themselves in a CIA base. They had to convince the CIA director of the existence of mutants. As Charles did his presentation on genetic mutation again he expected he had to do more to prove his statement. The director's reaction confirmed Charles' suspicion.

"MacTaggert, you really think that some crackpot scientist is gonna make me believe in sparkly dames and vanishing men?" A mocking smile appeared on the director's face. "You just bought yourself a one way ticket back to the typing pool." He turned his attention to Charles and Raven "This meeting is over."

Moira got up from her seat but Charles interrupted her "please, sit down agent MacTaggert" he said. He was clearly unfazed by the director's reaction. "I didn't really expect you to believe me, given that all you'd think about during my presentation was what sort of pie they were serving in the commissary." Charles paused for a moment, seeming to concentrate on something. "It's apple pecan." Turning to Moira he said "I haven't been entirely honest with you, love. I'm sorry."

She looked at him, on her face a puzzled expression. But Charles had already shifted his attention back to the director. "You see, one of the many spectacular things my mutation allows me to do, is that I can read your mind."

The director and other CIA members scoffed and laughed at Charles' words but after the exposure of some top-secret facts by Charles and some shapeshifting by Raven they had to admit the existence of mutants was very real. And so the first step had been made. The discovery of mutants was now official and wouldn't be without consequences.