Chapter 2: The Request
Sean wakes up in the middle of the night to a howling sound. He cannot place it and wakes Hank. Together they move in the direction of the sad noise. "It's coming from outside, I think," Sean whispers, "should we wake the Professor?" "Let's have a look first. There'll be time for that." Hank has been longing to get more responsibilities for a while now. This is an opportunity to show his own inventive nature. They step into the grounds and hear someone or something screaming near the gate. "It could be a trap, what with all these vigilante groups around." "Hush, it doesn't sound all that dangerous to me." They arrive at the gate and see a small boy, crying his heart and lungs out. Hank carries the child with him and Sean discovers the sealed note. "Okay, so maybe now we should wake him."
When the child is fed and watered and taken to a warm place to sleep, Charles interrogates the two men. They have nothing more to add to their tale of discovery. "The note is addressed to you." "Yes, and it's sealed. Not unusual, although people generally bring their children in a different fashion." "Do you think it's a mutant? It could be just a human child brought by desperate people who know there's a school here." "In that case, we'll see to it that the child will find a nice foster home. We'll know soon enough." "I thought mutant powers didn't usually appear until puberty?" "They generally don't but we could check his genes, of course," Hanks answers Sean's question, a little exasperated.
In the silence of his own room, Charles reads the note. It's not very long but explains the situation clearly. Erik doesn't want his child to share in his kind of gruesome existence. Apparently the solution of settling down and becoming a law abiding citizen is completely out of the question, not even for the child's sake. The tragic history of the boy's mother and sister is relayed in a few sentences, but Erik's passionate hate for those responsible shines through, nevertheless. Charles cannot help but feel for his loss. The boy had survived by running away, but how he could have been fast enough, remains a mystery. That's my boy, the proud father says and takes it as an indication that the child is indeed a mutant. The letter ends rather strangely with the following words: So, my dear Charles, here's your chance for revenge: either by taking your anger towards me out on the child, as he is rather young and helpless, or by shaping him into your own image and becoming his spiritual father. Still, I hope you will not let his parentage blind your judgment or hold it against him. Ever your friend, Erik. Charles sighs and slowly shakes his head. His estranged friend left quite the burden on his shoulders. It seems as though whichever way the boy will turn out, Charles will be to blame. A child Magneto would be proud of, is not a child he would be proud of. But he shall help his friend. The child is not responsible for the situation the grownups around him created.
Earlier in the letter, he had mentioned Mystique being in good health and becoming quite a leader herself. The both of them were vital for their cause of mutant freedom and preferably mutant rule. They would try to unite the different vigilante groups to create a strong front against the enemy. His own personal vendetta against the killers of his wife and daughter was another strong motivator. He was on a quest to find out exactly who was responsible for that dreadful act and Mystique's skill of blending in was highly valuable in that respect. Charles shudders at the thought of Magneto's vengeance on the government's pawns who carried out the orders.
When Charles is alone with Hank trying to determine if Pietro has the X-gene, he tells him about the boy's father. "It's best if no-one knows about it. Fear and hatred of Magneto is palpable in some of the students so I will rely on you to help me keep his background hidden. We will need to give him a different history. The boy should have an equal chance." "You seem convinced he is a mutant when we haven't got the results yet." Charles tells the story of the boy's escape from the fire. "That is extraordinary for a child so young." "Yes, it is. Although my own powers kicked in before puberty as well, and when I first met Raven she wasn't …" He suddenly falters, having mentioned Raven in front of Hank. "She is fine, you know, Erik mentioned her specifically." "That depends how you define fine," Hank replies bitterly. "You're right, I've missed her terribly myself. And I do fear for them. They are strong and skilled but taking on the government..." "If only they would…" "I know, if only."