"Charles, what were you thinking?"
Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was beginning to get tiresome.
"Eric, she entrusted me with her child, and I promised to take care of her. Of course I filed the adoption papers."
Eric Magnus glared down at his friend. "That's not what I mean, Charles, and you know it. Our concern is mutants, and keeping them safe long enough so they can master their abilities and protect themselves."
"And what kind of lesson do I teach these children if I turn my back on a helpless child simply because she is not one of us?" Charles finally snapped.
From the crib nearby, slight fussing could be heard. Charles wheeled over to the crib and reached in, stroking the pale sknned, purple haired infant inside. She quieted.
"Now please, Eric, let's not fight about this anymore. It's upsetting all of us, and the students."
The school had started in the past few weeks. Already, several students walked the halls, deep in many studies.
Eric sighed. "I should know beter by now than to try to change your mind once it's made up. I just wish I'd been here. You obviously need the help."
Charles smiled. "Thank you, Eric."
Eric gazed down at the girl in the crib. "You say she has power?"
"A great deal, and as unformed as her mind is, she already has some command of it."
"Oh?"
"When I first got her back here, I took a look. Not too deep, mind. I didn't want to risk damaging anything. Just lightly brushing my fingertips across her awareness, so to speak."
"What did you discover?"
"It's not what I discovered, it's what happened. She knew what I was doing, and latched onto the contact. She was able to force a query through to me."
"She was?" Eric was surprised. "What did she ask?"
"She wanted to know what happened to her mother."
Eric was silent for a while. "What did you tell her?"
"...nothing, yet."
"Now Charles..."
"How can I tell her? No matter how much control she has, how mch can she understand at her age? And I don't want to traumatise her."
Suddenly, from the other room, there is a humming sound followed by a metallic crash.
"What was that?"
Xavier smiled. "She made the saucepan fall. It's how she lets me know she's getting hungry." Xavier wheeled out to the other room.
Eric took the opportunity to take a closer look at the child. All of a sudden, shadows enveloped his helmet and lifted it off his head. It floated down into the child's arms, and she began to examine it with eyes, fingers, and mouth.
"Now give that back, Raven. It is not for teething." He did not feel he should try to take it from her, so instead he held out his hand to her.
She continued her examination of it, cradling it between her arms and legs as she gummed the protruding point.
"Careful now, it's sharp. You should give it back before you injure yourself."
The black energy surrounding the helmet sank into it, and she held it out towards him, grinning. Using his magnetic powers, he lifted it back into his hands.
"Thank you," he said mildly. He placed it back on his head.
"Eric? Did something happen?"
Taking the helmet off, Eric asked, "What do you mean, Charles?"
"Never mind. For a moment I couldn't feel your mind is all. I thought something had happened."
Eric looked down at his helmet, then at Raven. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her, putting a finger to his lips. She grinned at him.
"She was using her powers, Charles, that's all. Maybe she blocked you. Maybe she's stronger than you." He said this last with a laugh.
"She may well be someday," Charles said as he came back in with her bottle.
"Why don't you let me feed her, Charles? Let her get to know Uncle Eric a little?"
Charles smiled. "Sure Eric." He gave him the bottle.
Picking Raven up in one arm, Eric deftly manuevered the bottle so that Raven could easily begin to drink. As she did, he sat down and began to sing to her.
"Chad gadya, chad gadya,
dizabin abah bitrei zuzei..."
Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was beginning to get tiresome.
"Eric, she entrusted me with her child, and I promised to take care of her. Of course I filed the adoption papers."
Eric Magnus glared down at his friend. "That's not what I mean, Charles, and you know it. Our concern is mutants, and keeping them safe long enough so they can master their abilities and protect themselves."
"And what kind of lesson do I teach these children if I turn my back on a helpless child simply because she is not one of us?" Charles finally snapped.
From the crib nearby, slight fussing could be heard. Charles wheeled over to the crib and reached in, stroking the pale sknned, purple haired infant inside. She quieted.
"Now please, Eric, let's not fight about this anymore. It's upsetting all of us, and the students."
The school had started in the past few weeks. Already, several students walked the halls, deep in many studies.
Eric sighed. "I should know beter by now than to try to change your mind once it's made up. I just wish I'd been here. You obviously need the help."
Charles smiled. "Thank you, Eric."
Eric gazed down at the girl in the crib. "You say she has power?"
"A great deal, and as unformed as her mind is, she already has some command of it."
"Oh?"
"When I first got her back here, I took a look. Not too deep, mind. I didn't want to risk damaging anything. Just lightly brushing my fingertips across her awareness, so to speak."
"What did you discover?"
"It's not what I discovered, it's what happened. She knew what I was doing, and latched onto the contact. She was able to force a query through to me."
"She was?" Eric was surprised. "What did she ask?"
"She wanted to know what happened to her mother."
Eric was silent for a while. "What did you tell her?"
"...nothing, yet."
"Now Charles..."
"How can I tell her? No matter how much control she has, how mch can she understand at her age? And I don't want to traumatise her."
Suddenly, from the other room, there is a humming sound followed by a metallic crash.
"What was that?"
Xavier smiled. "She made the saucepan fall. It's how she lets me know she's getting hungry." Xavier wheeled out to the other room.
Eric took the opportunity to take a closer look at the child. All of a sudden, shadows enveloped his helmet and lifted it off his head. It floated down into the child's arms, and she began to examine it with eyes, fingers, and mouth.
"Now give that back, Raven. It is not for teething." He did not feel he should try to take it from her, so instead he held out his hand to her.
She continued her examination of it, cradling it between her arms and legs as she gummed the protruding point.
"Careful now, it's sharp. You should give it back before you injure yourself."
The black energy surrounding the helmet sank into it, and she held it out towards him, grinning. Using his magnetic powers, he lifted it back into his hands.
"Thank you," he said mildly. He placed it back on his head.
"Eric? Did something happen?"
Taking the helmet off, Eric asked, "What do you mean, Charles?"
"Never mind. For a moment I couldn't feel your mind is all. I thought something had happened."
Eric looked down at his helmet, then at Raven. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her, putting a finger to his lips. She grinned at him.
"She was using her powers, Charles, that's all. Maybe she blocked you. Maybe she's stronger than you." He said this last with a laugh.
"She may well be someday," Charles said as he came back in with her bottle.
"Why don't you let me feed her, Charles? Let her get to know Uncle Eric a little?"
Charles smiled. "Sure Eric." He gave him the bottle.
Picking Raven up in one arm, Eric deftly manuevered the bottle so that Raven could easily begin to drink. As she did, he sat down and began to sing to her.
"Chad gadya, chad gadya,
dizabin abah bitrei zuzei..."