Chapter 2: Different from the Rest

"Erik, you're back?"

Raven, who had been with Charles and the CIA the longest, was familiar with Erik and spoke to him casually.

"How did it go? Was it successful?"

Raven couldn't help but ask again. Earlier that morning, Charles and Erik had gone to recruit another mutant, who Charles had said might be a genuine warrior.

Raven was quite looking forward to it.

The others were also eager to see who this highly recommended mutant was.

"Other than him telling Charles and me to get lost, it went smoothly," Erik shrugged, slightly frustrated. "That guy with the cigar was incredibly rude!"

"It's fine. There are far more mutants in the world than just him," Raven shrugged off the incident.

"That's true, but we don't have much time," Erik shook his head. He then turned his attention to Alex. "Alex, could you come by the office later? Charles and I need to discuss something with you."

Alex was a bit surprised and puzzled about why Erik and Charles wanted to see him. From what he remembered, mutants recruited by Erik and Charles at this time mostly just hung around, chatting and eating without any significant responsibilities.

In fact, real training under Charles would only begin after the attack by Sebastian Shaw, which had nearly wiped out all the agents at the base. Up until then, they hadn't had much to do.

This was also why Alex had chosen to follow Charles to this base: here, he could focus on training and developing his abilities without distractions.

"I'm finished eating, Erik. Let's head over now," Alex said after a brief moment of thought.

He wasn't being overly polite; it was just that he felt he had lingered long enough.

Erik nodded and didn't say much more. He led Alex out of the cafeteria.

"Do you think Erik and Charles want something from Alex?"

"Not sure, but Alex is clearly different from us."

"So, what kind of person is he?"

"Seriously, can you control your powers as perfectly as Alex?"

Raven and the others watched as Alex and Erik left, discussing and speculating about why Erik wanted to see Alex. However, no one could come up with a definite answer.

While they were engaged in their discussion, Alex had already arrived at Charles's office.

"Alex, have a seat. Coffee or tea?"

Charles greeted Alex with a warm smile, his gesture inviting and pleasant.

Charles, with his British noble demeanor, was very handsome and had a scholarly elegance that added to his unique charm.

In contrast, Erik, casually standing to the side with his arms crossed, exuded a wild, untamed aura. He was like a sword hidden in its sheath—its presence powerful yet subtle.

"Thanks, Professor. I'm fine as I am," Alex said as he took a seat in front of Charles.

"Are you settling in well here? Any discomfort?" Charles, like a caring elder, inquired about Alex's well-being.

"Everything's great. This place is wonderful," Alex nodded, speaking honestly.

"That's good to hear." Charles nodded in satisfaction.

"Professor, did you need to discuss something with me?" After the brief pleasantries, Alex got straight to the point.

"Alex, I've noticed that you're different from the other young people here. You're far more mature, and sometimes I almost forget your age, treating you like someone on the same level as Erik and me."

"Of course, it's not just your mental maturity. You're also the only one among them who can perfectly control his powers. I'm not even sure how you do it."

"Erik and I couldn't reach this level when we were your age."

"Given these facts, I think it's time you knew some important things," Charles began to explain.

"Alex, do you know the real reason we brought you here?" Erik interjected at this point.

"Isn't it about mutants banding together for support?" Alex asked naturally.

That was the reason Charles and Erik had given for recruiting the mutants.

"That's one of the reasons," Erik stood up straighter, his expression turning serious. "Or rather, it's just the first step, to verify your identities."

"And after verifying identities, we plan to train and test you. Ultimately, some of you will be eliminated if you don't meet the standards."

"Erik, I don't understand."

Although Alex knew exactly what Erik was referring to from his memory of the story, he played dumb to get more details.

"Alex, we're recruiting agents! Special agents composed of mutants," Erik clarified again.

"No, Erik, we're not just recruiting agents," Charles corrected Erik immediately. "At this stage, we need mutants with combat skills for specific missions against certain enemies. This is a temporary measure."

"There's no such thing as being qualified or unqualified. Even those not selected can stay if they choose."

"So, Charles, you called me here to conduct a preliminary test on me?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"No, you've already passed the test, or rather, you and Erik don't need testing," Charles smiled. "As I mentioned, you can control your abilities perfectly, and your strength is impressive."

"Alex, Charles has more important matters to attend to and can't spare the time. So, moving forward, the recruitment of mutants will be handled by you and me. How does that sound?"

Erik clarified their intentions.

"Since you trust me with this, I have no objections," Alex considered for a moment before agreeing.

After all, he had been living here rent-free for a while, so contributing at an appropriate time was only fair.

"Thank you for your understanding, Alex," Charles said, nodding in satisfaction. He then rummaged through his desk and pulled out a file.

"Here's your next target," Charles handed the file to Alex.

As Alex looked over the file, he was slightly surprised. The face on the photo looked very familiar; he was sure he had seen it before.