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*****
Early in the morning, Erik came downstairs, shaking his head groggily.
They'd had a bit too much to drink last night—but only he and Charles ended up drunk.
Mike and Clark, on the other hand, were completely fine.
Still…
Thinking of Charles, who was still sprawled in bed, Erik couldn't help but smile.
Rookie Charles.
"Dad?" Erik paused for a moment when he saw Mike dressed in workout clothes. "Are you going for a run?"
While tying his shoes, Mike smiled and replied, "Just going for a little jog around the neighborhood. Want to come along?"
"Wait a sec!"
Erik shook his head, turned around, and dashed back upstairs. After quickly changing, he came running back down.
The temperature was still low, and the moment he stepped out of the warm house, Erik shivered. But the cold air helped clear his head a bit.
"Let's go," Mike said as he stretched his legs.
Erik nodded and began jogging beside him.
It had been a long time since Mike had gone for a run with Erik, so he was in a great mood. Seeing Erik running leisurely at his side, Mike said, "Time to pick up the pace—try to keep up."
Erik gave a nod, adjusted his breathing, and followed behind.
"We're here!"
After a short jog, Mike brought Erik to a small storefront.
"What do you think?"
Mike looked over at Erik, waiting for his son's thoughts.
Erik smiled. "Looks great. It has a really warm vibe."
"Good eye!" Mike grinned. "Come on, let's run a bit more before heading back. Still need to make breakfast."
"Breakfast," Erik's eyes lit up. It had been a long time since he'd eaten one of Mike's homemade breakfasts.
"Steamed buns—your favorite," Mike chuckled. "I already prepped the filling last night."
Erik swallowed hungrily, and when Mike started jogging off into the distance, he quickly caught up.
Although they called it a morning jog, it was more like Mike guiding Erik around the neighborhood to help him get reacquainted. As they jogged, Mike pointed out local spots and landmarks. After about half an hour, they made their way back home.
Just as Mike unlocked the door, John from across the street came out yawning. When he saw Erik, he looked a bit surprised.
"Mike, visitors this early?"
Mike replied with a smile, "This is my son, Erik. He just came back from abroad."
John gave Erik a once-over, smiled, and greeted him. Then, turning to Mike, he said, "Your sons are all outstanding."
"Now that's what I like to hear." Mike beamed. "I'll have Gwen bring over some steamed buns for you later."
John's face lit up with delight. "Steamed buns! I've been craving those!"
Mike chuckled and nodded before heading back inside with Erik.
Since it was Saturday, Clark didn't have to work, and Gwen didn't have school. After breakfast, Mike and Erik took Gwen shopping for New Year's supplies, leaving Clark and Charles behind to clean the house.
Charles, still suffering from a hangover, groaned as he lazily wiped dust with a cloth. He kept yawning every few minutes, clearly unmotivated.
When someone knocked on the door, Charles immediately tossed the rag aside and called to Clark, who was speeding through the cleaning, "I'll get it!"
As Charles approached the front door, his expression suddenly changed—he felt as if something had been stripped away from him.
Taking a step back, he felt the sensation return.
Was it… his powers?
Charles stared at the door with a serious look and tried activating his ability.
It still worked.
A child stood outside the door.
It was the boy from across the street.
And that boy… was a mutant!
Charles's expression went odd as he stepped forward—only to feel his power vanish again, as though he'd never possessed it. Within a meter of the boy, he felt nothing. But the moment he retreated out of that radius, his power snapped back on.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
A power suppressant!
Any mutant ability within proximity simply ceased to exist. In some respects, this boy was a nemesis to every other mutant—provided you came close enough.
Charles steeled himself against the disorienting sense of power loss, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
Standing there was an incredibly handsome boy.
Luke wore a knit cap and held a tray in his hands. When he saw Charles, he blinked in surprise. "You're…"
"I'm Charles."
"You're Professor X! An X-Man!"
Luke's mouth fell open in astonishment. He'd seen X-School in the papers enough to recognize Charles immediately.
Charles offered a slight smile and stepped aside. "Come in—and shh, please keep this secret."
Luke nodded vigorously, then couldn't contain his excitement. "What are you doing here? I mean, at Gwen's house… Does that mean Gwen is a mutant too?!"
Charles shook his head with a laugh. "No, because this is my home."
"H-home? Isn't this Mike's place…"
Realization dawned on Luke. His eyes widened. "You… you're Mike's son?"
"His only son."
Charles smiled. Luke was completely gobsmacked.
"So you're Gwen's brother?" Luke's cheeks flushed bright red with excitement.
My god—Gwen's brother was none other than Professor X himself, founder of X-School and leader of the X-Men!
"Hello, I'm Luke, Gwen's classmate. I came to return Mike's tray from this morning."
Luke stood perfectly straight and handed over the tray of steamed buns with both hands.
Charles took it. "Luke, I've heard Gwen talk about you."
Luke scratched his head, still grinning. "Where's Gwen?"
"She's gone out," Charles replied, gently ruffling Luke's hair. "And—could you keep my identity a secret?"
"Of course!"
"Thank you, Luke."
After a few more friendly questions, Luke departed. Charles escorted him to the door, then closed it and leaned thoughtfully against it.
The boy's power was extraordinary. It harmed no one—only suppressed mutant abilities—so no one realized he was a mutant himself. He probably didn't even know he'd awakened this power, let alone learned to control it. From all signs, his ability was like a passive skill in a game: always active.
"Smack!"
A dust cloth struck him in the face.
Charles snapped back to reality and caught the rag.
"What are you daydreaming about? Get back to cleaning—no slacking off!"
Clark's voice came from the hallway.
Charles frowned and asked quietly, "Do you and Dad know that Luke is a mutant?"
(End of Chapter)